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05.19.12 GPS for Families

Admin 1 — Sat, 19 May 2012 06:15:41 +0000

Say: God has given all of us the Holy Spirit to guide us. While this is abstract for children and often difficult to explain, we can help them begin to discern the “voice” of the Holy Spirit. God can use His spirit and internal prompters to guide us in what’s right and wrong. Children have these same prompters, but many parents miss the opportunity to help kids recognize them. Instead, parents emphasize their own guidance and prompting. If we want children to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit, we have to teach them to listen for it. Instead of telling a child to clean their room, you might say, “Please go look in your room to see if you can find anything out of place.” Or try this, “You are about to leave the table, forgetting anything?” These open-ended questions lead them to use their own internal guidance and make choices based on that information. Yes, you will have to help them find that guidance with small prompts and hints, but they can do it if you continue to offer them opportunities to look and listen to their internal dialogue. Warning: this process will be more frustrating for parents than children in the beginning. But in the long run, when we raise the awareness of their built-in guidance, it helps them find confidence in their internal instincts and the voice of the Holy Spirit.

Weekly Prayer

Holy Spirit, help me this day to cultivate an awareness of your work in my heart. I know that your presence in my life represents the same power at work in me that raised Jesus from the dead. Bring your power to bear on my life as I seek to honor you with my every thought, word and deed today and every day. I offer this prayer in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. AMEN.

05.18.12 “The mind of Christ”

Admin 1 — Fri, 18 May 2012 06:15:45 +0000

Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 2:16

“Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

Read additional translations at Biblegateway.com or youversion.com

Reflection Questions

The thoughts of Christ, the purpose of Christ, the feelings of Christ, the love of Christ, the wisdom of Christ, they way of Christ — these are all ideas that might help us define the “mind of Christ” (vs. 16). This verse reminds us that a relationship with God does not exist so that we can instruct or use God, but so that God can instruct and bless us in our lives — sometimes comforting, which is one of the things the Bible teaches, other times convicting of sin, another thing the Bible teaches, sometimes helping, other times commanding. But all done from a loving relationship with God, what the Holy Spirit is about, the same relationship that Jesus the “only begotten son” had with the heavenly Father.

How might a relationship with the Holy Sprit reflect on Taylor and Sally’s Australia decision?
How might it reflect on Taylor’s decision to donate a kidney?

Weekly Prayer

05.17.12 “The language of God”

Admin 1 — Thu, 17 May 2012 06:15:17 +0000

Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 2:14-15

¹⁴The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.

¹⁵The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments.

Read additional translations at Biblegateway.com or youversion.com

Reflection Questions

We live in a world with many different languages. some say as many as 7,000 different ones. Verbal language is one way people communicate. These two verses talk about a different way of communicating, that ongoing conversation between a spiritual person and a spiritual God, a language that operates at a much deeper level than the usual “how’s the weather” conversation many have. Last weekend Taylor and Sally talked about a conversation they had with God and each other about a move to Australia and Taylor’s donating a kidney to a friend before he left. This communication with God was more than words; it was much deeper and can only be explained as a spiritual conversation that led to such a sacrifice and such a big decision.

Why is listening, especially to God, such work for us?
How can we, as human beings, foster the spiritual language that connects us to God?

Weekly Prayer

05.16.12 “How to see all the Father has given”

Admin 1 — Wed, 16 May 2012 06:15:31 +0000

Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 2:12-13

¹²What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us.

¹³This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdombut in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words.

Read additional translations at Biblegateway.com or youversion.com

Reflection Questions

People often live limited, unfulfilled, superficial lives, failing to see everything that God has given to them, is available to them, and what can be experienced in the power and presence of the Holy Spirit. Verse 12 tells us that one of the reasons God has given us the Holy Spirit is so He can help us see and receive everything that the Father has given and made available for us. If we don’t know its there, it is hard to receive. The Holy Spirit helps us hear the voice of God, a voice that is going to say I love You, let me help you, here is my purpose for you, and here are the resources available — in the Bible, in the Church community, and in the power of the Holy Spirit.

What would the Spirit say if you gave the time to listen?

Weekly Prayer

05.15.12 “The thoughts of God”

Admin 1 — Tue, 15 May 2012 06:15:15 +0000

Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 2:11

For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.

Read additional translations at Biblegateway.com or youversion.com

Reflection Questions

Today’s reading is again just one verse. God speaks through the Bible in many ways; this verse is very direct for those who choose to engage it in a personal rather than theoretical way. Most people spend a great deal of time exploring themselves, trying to understand themselves, looking at and understanding the world and life from this often limited perspective. This Bible verse lets us know that through the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives we can begin to explore, understand, and look at our world in a different way, from the perspective of the “thoughts of God”; God who created the world, God who created us, God who understands us infinitely better than we understand ourselves, and loves us anyway.

How would my life change if I looked at myself from God’s perspective?
How would it change how I see my world?

Weekly Prayer

05.14.12 “The depths of God”

Admin 1 — Mon, 14 May 2012 06:15:50 +0000

Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 2:10

These are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.

Read additional translations at Biblegateway.com or youversion.com

Reflection Questions

Today’s reading is just one verse, but what a verse. It speaks of the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives or, a better way of understanding it, the relationship the Christian has with God through engaging the ongoing presence of the Holy Spirit. There are three important thoughts here.

God reveals amazing things to us through the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit searches all things — the world the Christian engages and the Christian.
It is through the Holy Spirit that the “depths of God” are experienced.

Why do you think it is important that the Spirit understands the world we live in and the needs of that world, as well as the concerns and needs we might have?

How does this lead one who follows Jesus Christ into change, direction, comfort, and power that would be missed without a relationship with the Holy Spirit?

Weekly Prayer

05.12.12 GPS for Families

Admin 1 — Sat, 12 May 2012 06:15:31 +0000

Read: Acts 1:1-10. Read from a children’s Bible if you have young children.

When Jesus left the earth, he told his disciples he would leave the Holy Spirit with them to help them do his work. The Holy Spirit is still here with us every day, just like a good friend.

Ask: Who are some friends that you love to be around? Why do you like to be around that person? (They are fun, they listen, they help me, etc.) Say: God gave us a helper in life besides our family and friends. He gave us the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit came to give the disciples (including you) power to share his love with others.

Ask: What does it mean to have the power of the Holy Spirit? Say: It means we can do things using God’s power that we could not do on our own. Philippians 4:13 says we can do all things through Christ who gives us strength. When we have God’s power, we can be brave and we can share God’s love with others, even though it may seem scary or hard to do.

Pray: Let’s try to think of a way to share God’s love with someone this week. Now let’s pray for the Holy Spirit to give us his power to do so.

Weekly Prayer

05.11.12 “Paul’s instructions for hearing God’s voice”

Admin 1 — Fri, 11 May 2012 06:15:17 +0000

Scripture Reading: Romans 12:1-2

1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God – this is your true and proper worship.

2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Read additional translations at Biblegateway.com or youversion.com

Reflection Questions

How do I hear God’s voice in my life? Even those who have been faithful followers of Jesus for decades wrestle with this essential question. With each new day and every new experience, we learn and grow in our understanding of God and the way God’s spirit is working in our midst. None of us have the final and complete answer to that question, but Paul’s words here in Romans add clarity to the process by which we continue to grow.

Our “spiritual act of worship” according to Paul is to “offer our bodies as living sacrifices.” This involves seeing every moment of our life as an opportunity to honor and serve our Creator and, in that, to no longer, “conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of our minds.” Paul then articulates what we can expect as a result of that activity. “Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

How do I hear God’s voice in my life? Honor God. Serve God. Conform your life to God. Allow God’s Spirit to clean out your heart and renew your mind. And trust that along the way, you will day by day grow in your ability to hear and respond to God’s directions for your life.

Weekly Prayer

05.10.12 “It’s not always easy”

Admin 1 — Thu, 10 May 2012 06:15:20 +0000

Scripture Reading: 2 Corinthians 13:1-6

1 This will be my third visit to you. “Every matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.”

²I already gave you a warning when I was with you the second time. I now repeat it while absent: On my return I will not spare those who sinned earlier or any of the others, ³since you are demanding proof that Christ is speaking through me. He is not weak in dealing with you, but is powerful among you.

⁴For to be sure, he was crucified in weakness, yet he lives by God’s power. Likewise, we are weak in him, yet by God’s power we will live with him in our dealing with you.

⁵Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you —unless, of course, you fail the test?

⁶And I trust that you will discover that we have not failed the test.

Read additional translations at Biblegateway.com or youversion.com

Reflection Questions

In Paul’s opening words of his letter to the church at Philippi, he writes, “I thank my God every time I remember you.” It is clear that this section of II Corinthians is from a very different kind of letter! In the opening chapter of Paul’s first letter to the church at Corinth, Paul begins by addressing division with the church. Paul’s “authority” to preach to the Corinthians had been challenged by some within this faith community. Paul speaks to that concern here.

In our reading from II Samuel on Tuesday, we noted that God’s Spirit speaks words of comfort as well as words of conviction. The Spirit also provides clarity and direction in the midst of division and conflict. Paul’s invitation to “examine yourselves” is a challenge for the Corinthians to be open to the Spirit.

How has God’s Spirit helped you in situations of conflict?

Weekly Prayer

05.09.12 “Our lives are a partnership”

Admin 1 — Wed, 09 May 2012 06:15:55 +0000

Scripture Reading: Acts 15:22-29

²²Then the apostles and elders, with the whole church, decided to choose some of their own men and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They chose Judas (called Barsabbas) and Silas, men who were leaders among the believers. ²³With them they sent the following letter:

The apostles and elders, your brothers,

To the Gentile believers in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia:

Greetings. ²⁴We have heard that some went out from us without our authorization and disturbed you, troubling your minds by what they said. ²⁵So we all agreed to choose some men and send them to you with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul— ²⁶men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁷Therefore we are sending Judas and Silas to confirm by word of mouth what we are writing. ²⁸It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements: ²⁹You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things.

Farewell.

Read additional translations at Biblegateway.com or youversion.com

Reflection Questions

Christianity began with the Jews in Jerusalem. Eventually it spread throughout the Roman Empire, including places like Antioch, Syria and Cilicia. The reality of both Jews and Gentiles becoming Christians stirred the first controversy within the church. Their debate centered around the question of whether Gentiles, those who had not previously been practicing Jews, had to adopt Judaism alongside their commitment to Christ. Acts 15 contains the church leadership’s response to this question.

Verse 28 articulates the conviction of these early church leaders to follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit in responding to this debate. They understood their lives and work to be a partnership between themselves and the Holy Spirit. Do you subscribe to a similar belief? How do you live that out?

Is there anything in your life right now for which you need to seek guidance from the Holy Spirit?

Weekly Prayer