Expectations Devos

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This Week’s Personal Action Step

Ask God to show you someone who you are to begin or deepen a relationship with, for the purpose of showing them who Christ is by your actions toward them. 

This Week’s Group Action Step

Ask each other next week in your LifeGroups, ‘Who did God put on your heart to go love?’ 

This fits well with question two on the bookmark, “What is God asking me/you to do for Him and others? This a Empower and Engage question. 

FEBRUARY 8 - THE GREATEST COMMANDMENT-Part Two

Matthew 22:37-40 “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

The second part of this commandment is to love your neighbor as yourself. It is tied permanently to loving God. If you love God, you will love others. On the contrary, if you do not love others, it is proof that you really do not love God. Jesus says in John 8:14-15, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”  

Do you know your neighbor enough to love them? Those who live near you, work next to you, and those you see regularly in the daily rhythm of your life. Do you know these ‘neighbors’ and do you love them? If so, how? We must do this intentionally, on purpose. Loving our neighbors will not happen by accident. 

God demonstrated His love toward us while we were still sinners. Do we demonstrate our love for others who may or may not follow Christ? A genuine concern for people, and praying for them is the start. If you don’t really have that, or haven’t taken the opportunity to begin loving your neighbor, ask Christ to help you see them as He sees them. Ask Him to change your heart so that you do want to love others as He does.  

FEBRUARY 9 - IS LOVING OTHERS OBVIOUS?

John 13:34-35 “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Everyone will know we follow Christ…that we are His disciples…by the way we love each other. It is sad to say that in some areas, people may not see us loving each other, but bickering over preferences or being argumentative.  

Examine your own life. How do you love other followers that you are around? Could you love your neighbors in the same ways? Going back to yesterday’s devotional, how are you loving your neighbor? We say we love others, and our neighbors…but if someone were to ask you ‘how are you loving others’, what would you say? How would you answer that? Ask God and He will show you how to start. 

We used this passage in the week on Embrace. The same questions apply here because Jesus uses the words ‘all people’ will know that you are my disciples. So, not just those in your church circles are watching. Let’s look at it again: Jesus goes so far as to say that the evidence of being His disciple is that you love one another. How much ‘evidence’ is there on you for someone to claim that you are a follower of Jesus Christ? Or are you exhibiting evidence of the opposite? Are you ‘more about you’ than you are about others? Do those you are around, your neighbors and co-workers or school friends, know you are His disciple, by the love you show one-another? 

FEBRUARY 10 - DOES HOPE SHOW?

1 Peter 3:15 “But sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;”

The apostle Peter is moved by God to write about making a ‘defense’ and giving an account of hope’ which should be obvious in us as followers of Christ. The word ‘Defense’ is from the Greek word ‘apologia’ – apologetics – or our ability to explain what we believe and why. But it’s even better to explain ‘Who’ we believe in. Not just the facts, but the Person of Jesus Christ. Peter knew this well. When he and John were brought before the High Priest and the Council, Peter gave a defense for Who he believed in and ‘whose power’ healed the crippled man. Peter and John were then ‘threatened’ and ‘charged ‘not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.’ 

 Paul was brought before King Agrippa, and Festus, the incoming Governor, to give a defense. Festus said was out of his mind. But King Agrippa said to Paul, “In a short time would you persuade me to be a Christian?” The King was starting to realize hope was a Person. The person of Christ. 

In both instances these disciples, Peter and Paul, explained Who they had hope in, and did so with gentleness and reverence. We never know when we will be called to give an account of our hope. 

But this verse assumes you are close enough to others in your life for them to ‘see hope in you’…and that you are actually exhibiting hope. People notice when you have ‘no’ hope. People are watching your actions and attitudes. In tough times, we may sometimes find ourselves not showing much hope. It happens. If you find yourself with no hope, or your hope is waning, go to the One Who Is hope. We hope in Jesus, not our circumstances. He will be the One who sustains you, and causes you to have hope. He is the One who will help you exhibit hope in the way you live your life. It is not just a coincidence that the passage starts with, ‘but sanctify Christ as Lord in your heart.’ Growth (sanctification) in your heart for Christ is always the right place to start. As that happens, you are ready to defend ‘why’ you are hopeful in Him. 

FEBRUARY 11 - “GO” WITH INTENTION OF LOOKING FOR THOSE WHO ARE NOT CONNECTED

Luke 14:21-23 “Then the master of the house became angry and said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame.’ And the servant said, ‘Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.’ And the master said to the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled.”

 When Jesus was telling this parable, He was trying to show the Pharisees that those who are welcomed are many. That He wants his banquet full. The original invitees found excuses to avoid attending the banquet. So will some of those who we invite into our lives, into our groups, and into our corporate worship times. However, if we think about focusing on making friends out there, if we love our neighbor, as we looked at earlier this week, we will have friends who we can bring with us. Jesus spent a lot of time loving people on the outskirts and befriending them. They knew He genuinely cared. They followed Him because of that. Are you asking God to show you the people in your path you can love, care for, and then share Who loves you and them? 

If we live with intention, looking for those who we can love, God will show us who they are. Then we love them as we are obedient to our Lord. 

FEBRUARY 12 - WE WELCOME STRANGERS IN

Matthew 25:35-40  “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’” 

Jesus explains here that when we care for those who are in need or are having a bad day, we are caring for Him. For He loves them too. When we invite those we don’t know, strangers, to come be with us, we are inviting Him. We don’t just invite them to church. We don’t just invite them to our LifeGroups. We invite them into our lives. We show them the love of Christ first, so they know we are genuine. As they see our love for them and for others, they will feel more and more welcome with you, and us all. 

We never know exactly what someone may be going through. But, if we are open to whoever God puts in our paths, He will make sure we are ready to genuinely engage them in whatever way necessary to show His love to them. 

Empower - Devotionals

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This Week’s Personal Action Step

What are the gifted areas of my life? Take an online spiritual gift inventory to begin to see how you are gifted by the Spirit with spiritual gifts.

If you know how you are gifted, are you using your gifts for the sake of our Lord and others? If not, why not?

This Week’s Group Action Step

The leaders in each group should share what their gifts are and how they are using them.

FEBRUARY 1 - THE SPIRIT EMPOWERS YOU

Acts 1:8 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

Sometimes we think the Spirit gives us power. He does not. He ‘is’ the power. We do not get His power apart from Him. He is the One who gifts us and shows us the spiritual fruit we should exhibit. He empowers us to use our gifts and show the fruit of the Spirit. In those moments when we are using our Spiritual gifts or the fruit of the Spirit for the sake of others, it is evident in our lives that we are imitating Christ, who had all gifts and exhibited all spiritual fruit. ‘Whoever has seen Me, has seen the Father’. John 14:9.

Being empowered by God is not for us, but for us to use for the sake of others in our lives. We do have joy when we are using our gifts and are being the person God has made us to be. Our actions and attitudes which are Christ-like toward others are obvious when we are using our spiritual gifts and the fruit of the Spirit is evident. We are the ‘witnesses’, the ‘forth-tellers’. Those, who by their actions and attitudes and words express who He is and how He loves. We hope you see this week that God through His Holy Spirit has empowered you. You can make a difference in the lives of others.

FEBRUARY 2 - EMPOWERED BY GOD TO GIVE

I Corinthians 12:4-8 “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.”

Spiritual gifts from the Spirit are for the body. They are not for us. But for us to use for the sake of others…the common good. Gifts are not for us to bring attention to ourselves, but for the sake of others and how we all work as a body, together to bring glory to Him. This whole chapter 12 shows how Jesus has enabled us to work together, but in different ways. There are a variety of gifts, a variety of services, and a variety of activities… but all from the same God who empowers them all in everyone, and all for the common good.

How has God, through His Holy Spirit gifted you? Are you using the gifts He has given you? If you do not know what your gifts are, or it has been a while since you asked that question of yourself, why not take a survey which will help reveal how God has gifted you?

FEBRUARY 3 - GIVE YOUR GIFTS IN LOVE

I Corinthians 13:1-3 “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.”

Gifts are to be used in love. Each of our gifts are to be exercised in a loving manner. It will not matter much to someone if you can explain something well, but are not kind and loving. Also, we do not use gifts to lord over one another. How many times though, have you been more like a clanging cymbal? Without love, your gifts are just noise to those who see or hear you. Your lack of love gets in the way of them seeing just who Christ is by looking at one of His followers. Do you exhibit His gifts in such a way that He is portrayed well or is obnoxious? (Might it even be considered “clangy”!)

One of the best ways to know this is to ask Him to show you. Mean it when you ask Him. Say this, “Jesus, show me where I am getting in the way of people seeing You in me because of my poor attitude or actions. Show me where I am a noisy, clanging cymbal. Help me to be more loving as I use my gifts.

FEBRUARY 4 - EXIBITING THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRT

Galatians 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control,”

The spiritual gifts, which we discussed the last two days, are given based on how God desires for you to use them in your life for the sake of others. Each of us get a different ‘gift blending’. However, the ‘fruit’ of the spirit is for all followers to have, grow in, and show. Each of us should increase in how this ‘fruit’ grows in our lives. None of us as followers are exempt from these fruits of the Spirit, because the same Spirit lives in each of us. We are empowered by Him to show them. The old joke, “I must have been absent the day God gave out ‘patience’”, is not true in any disciple’s life. You may lack patience, or kindness, or self-control…but that is not God’s fault. All fruit is available to you if you are His. The reason you may exhibit a lack of fruit is that you are immature in that area, and need to grow. That may be hard to hear, but it is true. None of us are 100% perfect in showing these to others. We all need to grow to look more like Christ each day. He exhibited them all perfectly.

Ask Him which ones you need to grow in. You probably already know. If you don’t know, ask your spouse or a close friend. Don’t push back when you hear the answer, but, be ready to pray that you will change.

FEBRUARY 5 - HUMBLY USE YOUR GIFTS

Romans 12:3-8  “For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.”

 1 Corinthians 12:14-20 “For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.”

 These two portions of scripture are similar. No part of the body of Christ is more or less important than the other parts. One section talks about not thinking too highly of yourself and the other not thinking too lowly of yourself…based on the gifts God has given you.

 So much of life is about being ‘more’ or ‘less’ than someone else. Having more or less. Being taller or shorter. Faster or slower.  An ‘A’ student or a ‘C’ student. In all these things God is looking at how He has gifted us for the sake of others, and for them to see Him. His giftings are not to be looked at the way the world looks at things. Don’t compare. Comparison kills the joy of doing ministry and the joy that we receive with it.

Embrace - Devotionals

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This Week’s Personal Action Step

Be intentional this week to draw closer to those whom God puts in your path and on your heart.

This Week’s Group Action Step

Take time in the your next LifeGroup meeting to focus on genuine depth and care of each other’s souls.

JANUARY 25 - THE EVIDENCE IS LOVE

John 13:34-35 “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Everyone needs love. Jesus gave us a new commandment which we can follow well when we embrace one-another as family… brothers and sisters in Christ. Being in a LifeGroup is incredibly important for that to happen. It is of course not the only way. But, as the body of Christ, embracing one-another in love is central to deepening our relationships. We want to be there for each other in these groups acting like disciples who love Him and each other. We all have room to grow in our connections with one-another. God saw fit to use the word ‘allelon’ (Greek for ‘one-another’) over fifty different times in the New Testament. Jesus calls ‘loving one-another’, a new commandment. As the body of Christ, we are to be the first to help each other and embrace each other as we follow our Lord.  

Jesus goes so far as to say that the evidence of being His disciple is that you love one another. How much ‘evidence’ is there on you for someone to claim that you are a follower of Jesus Christ? Or are you exhibiting evidence of the opposite? Are you more about you than you are about others? When Jesus uses the word for love here, it means ‘giving expecting nothing in return.’ Do we do that in such a way that others know we are His disciples?

JANUARY 26 - DEEP FELLOWSHIP

Acts 2:42-47 “And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.”

One way they devoted themselves was to fellowship with one-another. ‘Day by day’ the early disciples were together and looking out for each other. In all of the ways we see the early church together, we know that they were building up the body of Christ. They embraced each other deeply as they fellowshipped together. They went beyond snacks and chit chat. They were doing life together. They spent time with each other in their homes. They helped each other in whatever ways that were needed. So, are we that way toward one-another? In what ways could we grow to be relationally close enough to love one-another and to know what each other needs…then meet that need? They had generous hearts toward each other. They are a great example of loving one-another. Why not ask Jesus to help you to be better at being there for one-another?

JANUARY 27 - GATHERING IS IMPERATIVE

Hebrews 10:24-25 “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”

It is almost impossible to stir one-another up, if you are rarely around one-another. Sure, you can use text, email, Facetime, and Zoom as Covid has required us to do. But we all know that those are temporary substitutes for the real thing. We need each other more desperately than we thought. The smiles, the genuine feel of being together, seeing each other’s face in person, even with a mask on, is great! But we cannot wait till we can be together like we were. We miss it. I think we can all say, we may have taken it for granted.

To stir one another up to love and good works, we must gather. When we gather, we must encourage one another. The body of Christ can do for each other what no other gathering on the planet can do. We can be built up as a ‘spiritual house’ by our Lord, by our gathering together and then stirring and encouraging one-another. Ask Jesus to show you where you may be neglecting to gather with other believers for deepening of relationships. Ask Him how you can better stir one another up toward love and good deeds.

JANUARY 28 - HOLDING BURDENS UP TO CHRIST

Galatian's 6:2 “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”

Again, the word one-another. We do bear one-another’s burdens, but not alone. When we hear of a burden that one of our friends has, we hold those up to Christ. He is the one who ultimately bears all burdens. When we do so, we fulfill His law, that we love one-another.’

As we gather we should have time to share our burdens. Many times this is better done in even smaller groups outside of LifeGroups where we have deeper discipleship relationships. It is tough to squeeze all of the one-another’s into a one-hour meeting. It is impossible to bear that which we do not know. We need to develop trust with one-another so that we can share with confidence that it will not be spread everywhere, and, that they will actually lift it up to Christ. Sometimes a ‘silent prayer request’ is appropriate in a large group setting and maybe in mixed company. But with a close friend, you should be able to bear your soul, so they can lift the burden up to God. It is not that they bear it personally, but they hold it up and ask God to take care of it.

JANUARY 29 - PAYING COMFORT FORWARD

1 Corinthians 1:3-4 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”

If God is the God of all comfort, why would we need to comfort one-another? In God’s divine wisdom He has chosen to use other believers to be conduits of comfort to one-another. There might be days when our fellowship with God wanes, and the affliction is affecting us. God might use another person to come alongside us to comfort us and remind us who God is and how He loves us. It is actually encouraging to know that the comfort another believer gives us is the comfort they got from God.

Tomorrow you may be having a great day and know someone who needs comforting. If you can, comfort them. It may be that you are the one in need later in the week. Reciprocal comfort is available. But in many instances you will comfort someone who may never be able to comfort you back. That is actually not the point. It is though, that you are able to pay it forward. With the comfort you receive, comfort others.

He will never run out of comfort, and we will never run out of need for that comfort. Ask Him to show you who needs comfort, then go and give!

EMBRACING ONE-ANOTHER ACTIVITY

Is there someone you used to see in worship or in your LifeGroup that you haven’t seen in a while? Do you know where they are? Do you why they aren’t coming anymore? Reach out to that person and let them know you noticed their absence and that you care for them. They may be keeping their distance because of the virus and that is understandable but every one needs to know someone noticed they were gone.

EQUIP-Devotionals

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This Week’s Personal Action Step

If you are not in a LifeGroup, get in one! You will love it! Are you becoming more like Jesus, and helping others do so? Pray and ask God to show you how to grow in His Son’s likeness, since He has made you part of His body. Find that group of others that can walk with you through life.

This Week’s Group Action Step

Answer this question next week in LifeGroup: “How can we better equip each other for every good work of ministry?”

JANUARY 18—WE HELP EACHOTHER GROW

Ephesians 4:11-13 “And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God,”

 We are here to help each other, as a part of the same body. In the mind of God, once we became a part of the body of Christ, He sees us together, unified as that body. We ‘are’ the body, but we are to ‘build up’ that body. We are the ones who must work to make unity a reality. What part do you play in the unity process? He made each of us different, with different gifts and abilities. Only a few are listed there. We all play a part in building up the body of Christ.

 He desires unity…of the faith...and the knowledge of the Son. Unity is not just agreement. Unity is movement toward attaining the same things - faith and knowledge of our Lord Jesus. Sometimes we get dis-unified when we want what we want, instead of asking ourselves, ‘What part am I playing to build up the body in faith and knowledge of Him?’ We may at times have those moments when, as adults, we still think or act like small children who want their way. When we do, we are dis-unifiers. We must do our part, desiring faith and knowledge in our Lord Jesus.

JANUARY 19—GROUPS ARE INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT

Acts 5:42 “And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching that the Christ is Jesus.”

 This is the early churches’ version of our Worship Services and LifeGroups. Much has changed over the years, but it is still incredibly important to gather to worship, and also to gather in smaller groups to be able to be the body of Christ, and equip each other for good works...in both settings. All that we learn in scripture we can use to love each other, to care for each other, to genuinely help each other grow in our faith and knowledge of Him.

 The difference between this verse back then and our lives now is this - they did this daily. We should be encouraged by this, not discouraged. We may not be able to meet daily, but we can call each other, text each other, meet for lunch or dinner together, have coffee or breakfast together in even smaller groups than our LifeGroup. LifeGroups are the great place to start and focus on our discipleship relationships, but they are not the only place. We can find ways to stay in touch during the week. Helping each other grow in Him. Caring for each other when the pains of life on this earth come.

JANUARY 20—GROUPS ARE INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT

Deuteronomy 6:4-9 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”

As a disciple of Jesus, if we are to follow Him well, we must find ways to constantly remind ourselves of who He is, and how He works. Committing scripture to memory is good. Writing sticky notes for the bathroom mirror is also good. Really, any way you can keep what He has said in front of you will help you live the life He desires for you. He ‘is’ your life. So, knowing Him more deeply, and knowing what He has said about how to live your life with Him and others, is imperative. Keeping ‘Who He is’ ever present in your eyes and ears and mind and helping others do the same, will keep us focused on Him.

 Go back to the ‘Guide to Worship’ and use some of the suggested ways to create habits in your life to draw near to Him by reading, listening, and studying His word. Then tell others in your LifeGroup and family what you have found.

JANUARY 21—HIS WORD GUIDES US

2 Timothy 3:16-17 “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.”

 All scripture, not just some scripture, is inspired by God. Our life as a disciple of Jesus must start and rely on what He has written. All of it. After all, He is the ‘author and perfecter’ of our faith. He is making us ‘more perfect’ every day. We are to look more like Him each day. But honestly, there are days we feel less like Him. Don’t worry…in every bit of scripture, you can find God and His ways. He can and will give you the peace and courage to grow in Him. Knowing God and understanding His ways will guide you through your whole life. On the good days and the bad days. Our great God has a personal and vested interest in you, and seeing you grow. He loves you and has written His word for you.

What He has written is good for teaching, to correct you and others in the ways we all are to live. His word will train you in how to live a ‘right life’. In doing so, you will be equipped for whatever work He has for you. Some of the time we may get scripture in our minds, but it has yet to come out in our actions.

JANUARY 22—SPECIFIC GOOD WORKS FOR YOU
Ephesians 2:10 “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

God is writing a journal about who we are. A ‘poema’, the original Greek word for ‘workmanship’ God used. This is very personal. We were created in Christ to do the works He has planned. These works are some of the same ones listed in Ephesians 4:11-13. He has made you and gifted you for good works. He is with you to guide you into them. These works will involve others. Ask Him, ‘Father, what do you want me to do for you and for others?’ Then let Him show you and guide you in that work.

Christ is not only with us today, and the Spirit living in us to guide us today…but there are plans made by God for tomorrow. Plans for you to accomplish. Plans you may not think you can do, but through His strength, His gifting, and His guidance…you can. His plans are for good works that fit who He has made you to be.

Who you are today in Him, and how you change to be more like Him, will prepare you for the work tomorrow. The big question is this, are you looking for those works that you can do with Him as He guides you? He wants us to walk in them, as we walk with Him.

Exalt - Devotionals

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This Week’s Personal Action Step

Use the “Guide to Worship” and spend some time exalting Christ in your life by taking a next step in daily personal worship, in-home worship, and corporate worship.

This Week’s Group Action Step

Take some time in your LifeGroup next week to discuss how personal time with God affected you. 

JANUARY 11—SCRIPTURE IS WRITTEN BY A PERSON

 John 5:39-40 ‘You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.’

You cannot exalt what you don’t know…better said, ’you cannot exalt ‘Who’ you don’t know. But the Pharisees tried. Jesus told them basically, that they read the bible, but they missed the fact that the bible was talking about Him. And that He is the author. God wants us to know Him. Not just know ‘about Him’. He desires an ongoing, heartfelt, growing, personal relationship with each of us. He wants us then to exalt Him, to lift Him up in our hearts, to make Him central in our lives. He wants His presence in our hearts and minds to be a constant. Then in the lives we live, He desires to be evident.

The bible is the only book ever written…ever written…that when you read it, you can talk to the author. Too much of the time we seek the scriptures and miss knowing the author. We miss God. The Pharisees searched the scriptures looking for eternal life. Yet Jesus was right there saying those words. ‘Eternal life Himself’ was standing right there in front of them. Yet they missed Him. He is standing right there with you, actually in you through His Spirit, every moment of every day if you are His. Do you miss Him? Start with the scriptures and look for Him in them. Ask Him, ‘Father, how do you want me to know you more?’

JANUARY 12—CLOSENESS IS DESIRED

James 4:8 ‘Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.’

His desire is for us to draw near to Him. He wants us to make the move toward Him. To desire that. Then He will draw near to us. He wants us to seek His face. He is already seeking ours. The ‘heavens declare the glory of God’. ‘His invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made.’ Yet, much of the time we seek His hand. What can He give us or do for us. But God wants us to know Him, as a person. To know Him we must seek Him. Look for Him.

To draw near is to get to know him not just with our mind, but with our heart. As we do we learn to trust Him more and more…which in turn helps us to draw even nearer to Him.

JANUARY 13—HOW DO YOU WORSHIP HIM?

 John 4:23-25 “But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”

 So much of our worship has to do with the physical environment we are in. In our corporate worship with others we like certain seats, lighting, music. Nothing wrong with things that make us comfortable. But when we must have that comfortable-ness to worship, we are actually worshipping the comfortable-ness. That may sting a little. But Jesus Himself said it is not about that. As He told the woman Jesus met at the well. She was concerned about ‘where’ worship happened…Jesus told her that ‘how’ worship happens is important to God. In spirit and truth. In our personal worship, there is nothing wrong with looking for ways to get alone with God, to remove distraction. But our ability to worship Him through a hectic, busy day will be a test as to whether we can connect with Him in the midst of the daily grind. Our personal and our corporate worship should help us to be connected and stay connected through the hours of our week. The spiritual aspect is more important than the physical aspect. But also, we must worship Him in truth, not in falseness. We must not attribute to Him something that is false and act out on it. To know Him truly means we must draw near to Him and get to know Him. Only as we grow in this way will we be able to love Him truthfully as He truly is.

JANUARY 14—CORPORATE WORSHIP MATTERS

 Psalm 34:3 “Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together!”

 Corporate worship is important to God, and to us. We are to exalt His name when we are together. Sunday worship gathering can become a habit that we do just because it is Sunday.  We can be in worship service as habit, but our hearts may not be exalting Him with others. We may just at times be going through the motions. Our hearts and minds may be far away in worry or random thoughts. Habits sometimes can take the place of what they were intended do. For each of us to be a part of a congregation which exalts His name, we need to personally push back against that. We must avoid worshipping the habit, rather than the One who is Holy. Focusing on the habit itself is not the way He wants us to focus on Him. He is a Person, not a ritual.

As you come to corporate worship time, ask Him to help you focus on who He is. Focus your heart’s affection and your minds attention on Him. Ask Him to help you avoid the distractions. Ask Him to help you avoid worship as just a ritual habit you walk through.

JANUARY 15—GOD WANTS US TO SEEK HIS FACE

 Psalm 27:8 “Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud; be gracious to me and answer me! You have said, ‘Seek my face.’ My heart says to you, ‘Your face, Lord, do I seek.’”

He wants an increasingly closer relationship with us. When we walk through that valley of the shadow of death, He is there with us. During times of difficulty, He wants us to ‘cry aloud’ to Him. When we hurt, and our soul is tired and beaten up, He wants us to cry out to Him. He wants us to seek His face, not just to fix a situation in our lives. He may not fix the situation immediately, but He desires to give you that peace that passes understanding in the midst of your trial.

So many times I think we feel like we should not cry out to Him. We feel we should not burden Him. But He wants us to. He is ready at any moment to hear from you. Don’t put Him off to some time slot of devotions or reading. Speak to Him as you go about your day. He is listening.

Seeking someone’s face is relational closeness. Let your heart lead you to Him. Let your heart say to Him, ‘Your face do I seek’.