Devotional for September 27, 2024
Week THREE of the Making Disciples is back this Tuesday! CLICK HERE to sign up for each class you plan on attending!
READ
1 John 3:16-24
This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.
Psalms 1:1-3
Blessed is the one
who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
or sit in the company of mockers,
but whose delight is in the law of the LORD,
and who meditates on his law day and night.
That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
whatever they do prospers.
This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.
Psalms 1:1-3
Blessed is the one
who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
or sit in the company of mockers,
but whose delight is in the law of the LORD,
and who meditates on his law day and night.
That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
whatever they do prospers.
REFLECT
A living sacrifice. Being poured out for others. Faithfulness. Graciousness. Reverence. These are all traits we’ve explored this week, and they all impact your choices at home and at work. Note how the Psalmist says the righteous “prospers” in everything they do. We all want to prosper at work and see the fruits of our labors. But the type of fruit God wants in your life, the type of prospering He desires for you, is simple: Fruitfulness. A poured-out life that delights in Him and walks in the truth. This is why the Apostle John emphasizes loving through action. Not because actions (or good deeds) make us right before God, but because they are the result of a life of loving Jesus.
APPLY
Q: How can the mindsets of John and the Psalmist impact how you view your work today?
Q: In which areas of your life has God called you to be more fruitful?
Q: Pray for God to show how you can love through action today. Who has he placed on your heart?
Q: In which areas of your life has God called you to be more fruitful?
Q: Pray for God to show how you can love through action today. Who has he placed on your heart?
SING
PRAY
"And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one."
Lord, help us to follow the short and narrow path. It may be harder, but it’s so worth it. Father, protect us from choosing the easy path of selfishness, comfort, and anger. Yes, we will encounter hardship, but you have overcome all things! Thank you for being our shelter and peace today. Amen.
Lord, help us to follow the short and narrow path. It may be harder, but it’s so worth it. Father, protect us from choosing the easy path of selfishness, comfort, and anger. Yes, we will encounter hardship, but you have overcome all things! Thank you for being our shelter and peace today. Amen.