Devotionals for May 6, 2022
Come to our monthly prayer & worship tonight at 7:00pm! It's going to be powerful!
READ
JOHN 10:1-10
“I tell you the truth, anyone who sneaks over the wall of a sheepfold, rather than going through the gate, must surely be a thief and a robber! ****But the one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice. They won’t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don’t know his voice.” Those who heard Jesus use this illustration didn’t understand what he meant, ****so he explained it to them: “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. ****All who came before me were thieves and robbers. But the true sheep did not listen to them. ****Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures. ****The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.
“I tell you the truth, anyone who sneaks over the wall of a sheepfold, rather than going through the gate, must surely be a thief and a robber! ****But the one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice. They won’t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don’t know his voice.” Those who heard Jesus use this illustration didn’t understand what he meant, ****so he explained it to them: “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. ****All who came before me were thieves and robbers. But the true sheep did not listen to them. ****Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures. ****The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.
REFLECT
Yesterday we talked about measuring ourselves against the standard of Christ—putting our lives up against his and seeing how we stack up. This should be a daily practice. But if we’re honest, and not careful, we can begin to get discouraged. Because here’s the reality, no matter how many times we assess, we’ll simply never measure up to Christ. It does have advantages, you know, the whole “being God” thing... But this isn’t something we should despair of. Instead, we should rejoice because there will always be more room in our lives for Jesus. Jesus says that his purpose is to give his “sheep”, his followers, a “rich and satisfying life”. This isn’t to be interpreted monetarily, or quantitatively, but rather, qualitatively. The “thief”—the enemy—wants to steal, kill, and destroy, but Jesus wants to give generously to you all that he intended you to have from the beginning. Peace, joy, love, fulfillment, contentment. Other translations use the word “abundant” to describe the life that Jesus wants you to have. How do you have a rich, satisfying, abundant life? By going to the ever-flowing spring of God. Do you want to live the most successful life you possibly can? Every day asks for more of Jesus.
APPLY
Q: What kind of life does Jesus intend for you? In your own words, what does this mean?
Q: On a scale of 1-10, how great is your desire for more Jesus in your life? What specific action steps can you take to see Jesus increase in your life?
Q: A counter-intuitive, but nonetheless, a great way to get more Jesus is to simply give him away to others. How can you give someone the gift of Jesus today?
Q: On a scale of 1-10, how great is your desire for more Jesus in your life? What specific action steps can you take to see Jesus increase in your life?
Q: A counter-intuitive, but nonetheless, a great way to get more Jesus is to simply give him away to others. How can you give someone the gift of Jesus today?
SING
PRAY
"And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one."
Holy Spirit gives me strength to walk in obedience to the word of God. Give me more of Jesus so that I can resist the enemy and live out the life I’ve been created for. Help me to be a light to others as I seek to follow you. Amen.
Holy Spirit gives me strength to walk in obedience to the word of God. Give me more of Jesus so that I can resist the enemy and live out the life I’ve been created for. Help me to be a light to others as I seek to follow you. Amen.