Committed 5

Matthew10:34-38

Faith isn’t easy – I wish I could say that it is.  Belief in God, commitment to following the ways of Christ is not simple.  It is challenging and brings with it some disputes that will likely arise between you and others.

Jesus was well aware of what problems true faith might bring.  What shocking declarations does Jesus make?  What is the conclusion in verse 38?

Such comments from Jesus himself can cause some discomfort and even discouragement in believers.  Jesus – the one who says to come to him when we are heavy-laden – has now said that his teachings are not going to bring about peace.  He has introduced a sword – conflict – to the lives of those who will be committed to him.  He even goes into detail claiming that members within a family will be at odds with one another, and that we should not love our parents as much as we love Jesus.

Although disturbing, there is naturally quite a bit of truth in all this.  And I also believe it may not be quite as literal as we may at first take it.

Should we love Jesus over everyone else, even our parents?  Of course.  We should love God over all things.  But that doesn’t mean we don’t love our parents or others in our family.

Jesus did bring peace to the world, in spite of what he says in verse 34.  We have peace in knowing that God loves us so much that Jesus was willing to die for us.  But our faith can also be a source of dispute.

If we will be truly committed to the Lord and our faith it will mean that we must put God and the good of His kingdom over everything and everyone else.  This may cause some clashes between you and loved ones.  Others may want you to have less faith and pay more attention to what is going on with them.  Some may criticize your faith and want you to be more like everyone else in the world.

We must be prepared for the occasional dispute and disconnect with loved ones.  If we will be completely committed to the Lord – which we are called to do – then there will likely be those times of conflict.  But this doesn’t mean we don’t love our family and friends.  It just means we love God more.

We must take up our cross and follow Jesus.  We must take up our faith in who Jesus was and still is.  We must take up our faith in the love of God and move forward in complete commitment to God in all we do.

DAILY CHALLENGE:  How will you take up your cross?

This concludes the 10/2 Grow daily devotions for this spring.  We pray that all will have a safe and happy summer. – Roger and Peggy

Committed 4

1Corinthians 10:13

An object at rest tends to stay at rest.  Someone in our church commented about people who simply stop attending church or avoid getting involved in church activities, that it may not be a conscious choice to step away, but rather is the tendency to do less and less because it is easier.

As graduates face a new phase of their lives, we all are faced with choices.  We can continue as we have been.  We can re-energize ourselves and try out new approaches and deeper faith.  Or we can fall into a sort of apathy and do less and less.

As each of us crosses the threshold of a new day we are faced with choices in our lives.  Some may choose to do those things that are of no benefit to themselves or others.  And they may claim that they have fallen to temptation.  They were drawn away from what is good and helpful.

But Paul makes an observation about temptation in his letter to the Corinthian church.  What does he say about temptation?  What does he say about God?

We all face temptations of one kind or another.  This is nothing new.  Everyone is tempted, and I believe the root of temptation and sin is selfishness.  That is what is common to man.  We all have a tendency to want to do whatever satisfies and pleases us.

But there is always a way out of any temptation.  God will not allow the temptation to be so strong that you cannot resist it.  How is this possible?  God is with you in all things and God is more powerful than all things.  Therefore, if God is with you and you rely on God you will have the strength to resist anything.

Although you may be starting a new stage in your life it is important for you to bring part of your old life with you.  As you encounter new ideas, as you explore your place in life and in the world bring with you the teachings you have received in the past.

As you face each new temptation, every lure that might draw you away from the faith and into a life of doing the wrong things, harmful things, bring with you the knowledge and conviction that you are loved by God and He is with you in all things.  Take with you the commitment of being in a relationship with the Lord.  He is with you to help you escape the temptations and lures of incorrect living.

DAILY CHALLENGE:  What temptations are you facing now?  How can you overcome the temptations that you are facing?

Committed 3

1Timothy 4:1-5

About mid-way through my college education I moved out of my parents’ home and shared an apartment with two other guys.  We were young and rebellious and seeking our way in life.  One comment that sticks with me is something my roommate often asked – “Will people say we lived together for two years and came out with our heads together?”

At the time we were convinced that all of our conversations and ever-changing convictions would result in enlightenment.  We would emerge from this uncertain time as people who had a very clear picture of the meaning of life.

But ultimately I discovered that we were wandering around in the darkness of ignorance and selfishness and human gratification.  I did not come out of the experience with my “head together,” but was more confused than ever.

As I grew older and more experienced I returned to the foundation of my faith.  I returned to the things I had been taught in church.  And it was through examination and prayer and study that I found a strong connection to God which is now unshakable.  I have my “head together” now because of my strong faith in God.

Today’s passage is part of one of the letters intended to offer guidance to the young believer, Timothy.  What caution is offered?  What positive assurance is given?

We do not need to be young and inexperienced to be pulled away from our faith.  The world offers temptations and lures to young and old.  There are a wide variety of ways to look at the world and life, different views on who God is and whether or not He even exists.  Others provide suggestions on what is suitable for eating based on religious beliefs.

But what Timothy is told, and what we should also see, is that there are many who will abandon the beliefs in Jesus and pursue strange and convoluted ways of finding God and inner peace.  We should not be one of those who follow ridiculous teachings or superstitious practices.

We need to see that God has created all things to be good.  And if we can remain firm in our connection to the Lord, through prayer and study we can establish an unshakable faith in the one true God.

DAILY CHALLENGE:  What gives you confidence in the teachings of Jesus?

Temptation 5

Romans10:11-13

The pastor at our church when I was a teen-ager once told the story of a man who put his young son on top of a table and coaxed him to jump into his arms.  He kept telling the boy he would catch him, and after some time the boy finally jumped.  The father let his son fall to the floor and then told him, “Never trust anyone, not even your own father.”

It is a terrible story – hopefully, not true – about the cynicism so many can have in life.  We may fear that we are completely alone in life, facing temptations and troubles without the benefit of anyone who cares.

We must remember the comfort Paul offers in this passage.  What does Scripture (Isaiah 28:16) tell us?  What is God’s attitude toward all people?

Temptation can be very hard to resist.  When confronted with one of the greatest temptations – the desire to take care of ourselves first – it is difficult to have an attitude of self-sacrifice.  We may fear that we will fall and there will be no one there to catch us.  It can be so difficult to trust that if we are giving we will also receive.

But if we can take on an attitude of sacrifice, an attitude of putting God first in our lives and trusting in the eternal presence of the Lord, then we can be blessed in our lives.  God will be there to catch us if we fall.  He will be there to pick us up when we stumble in our walk of faith.  And He will be there to strengthen us as we face the temptations of life.

With God as our first concern, with God as the center of our focus we will never be dismayed or put to shame.  It doesn’t matter who we are, whether we are the strong Christians we are supposed to be, the ones who have just begun a journey to perfection, or those who doubt and fear.  God is ready to bless us all.

We must learn to call on the name of the Lord.  We must be willing to make God our dwelling.  We must place the Lord at the center of our heart to guide us and direct us in our lives, and to be that ever-present source of strength and comfort.

DAILY CHALLENGE:  What will help you take a leap of faith for God?

Temptation 4

Deuteronomy26:10-12

Where does your money go when you contribute to your place of worship?  Does it simply vanish into the pastor’s salary?  What about all the time and effort you give?  Is it wasted time and energy?

Of course, the answer is that anything you give to God is not wasted.  The money you contribute works to maintain the church and all of its ministries.  Your money is converted into salaries, yes, but it is also used to keep the building functioning as well as outreach to help the needy.  The efforts you put into your place of worship also help to spread the love of God to all the world.

In our modern society we do not always recognize the results of contributing our first-fruits.  Continuing in Deuteronomy 26 with God’s commands about giving to the temple we see where these offerings go.  What should the faithful giver say and do?  Who is involved in the celebration of honoring God?

As with the gift in ancient Israel, which was a tangible and visible gift, the receiving of the gift was just as apparent.  The person presenting the offering of first-fruits was to declare that the gift was intended to honor and thank God for all that the Lord had provided.  The giver was to bow down before the Lord.

But the act of giving didn’t end there.  The gift was given directly to the Levite (priest) and also to the alien, the foreigner and needy widows and families.  The implication is that the person giving the gift was able to witness the benefit of the offering and also, perhaps, join in on the feasting and the celebration.

Although we do not always have such a direct contact with the benefits of our giving we must trust that what is offered to honor and thank and praise God is being used to demonstrate God’s love.  Our gifts become expressions of the Lord’s care and grace.  The gifts we offer go out in many different ways to build up the kingdom of God.

Rather than give with hesitation and reluctance we should resist the temptation to keep all that we have for ourselves and instead give sacrificially with the knowledge that we are part of God’s love and compassion to the world.

DAILY CHALLENGE:  Can you see where your gifts benefit others?

Temptation 3

Deuteronomy26:1-3

We are called on to honor God, to make Him our dwelling place and our refuge.  But how do we go about doing that?  We can wonder how it is we are supposed to give honor to God, to submit to Him and show Him that we love the Lord.

For the Israelites who were led from Egypt, taken from a place of bondage and possible abuse to a new land, a place that God had promised them, the task was simple.  What were the faithful instructed to do?  How does this translate into our modern situation?

For the people entering into Israel, the Promised Land, the act of honoring God was fairly straightforward.  They were to take their first-fruits – literally, the best of their crops and their animals – put them in a basket and take them to the priest at the temple.  This was a tangible and visible expression of gratitude to God.  It was an observable action that demonstrated obedience to God.

These people in this agrarian society, a people who survived primarily through the raising of crops and livestock, were to take the best of what they had and sacrifice it to God.  They had to resist the temptation of providing for themselves with their best crops and their best livestock.  It was to be given away to God.

In that way they demonstrated their trust and gratitude toward God.  They made God their dwelling by handing over those things they would have liked to keep for themselves.

Our society and religious institutions are not set up the same way they were for the Jews thousands of years ago.  We can’t imagine setting a basket of our finest corn, soybeans, wheat or sheep on the altar at our church.  Are we then excused from such a sacrifice?

The sacrifice that we should be willing to make should be that God is considered first when we examine our situation.  An offering to God may not take the form of an animal or a basket of vegetables.  Instead we may choose to give money.  We may choose to give of our time and energy.

What is essential is that these donations are given first, before we care about ourselves.  We should be certain that we sacrifice to the Lord – time, money, possessions – before we worry about meeting any other obligations.  When we are able to give to God first we are making God our dwelling.  We are expressing love and gratitude to the Lord.

When we do this, when we have this attitude, we will be blessed by the Lord for our sacrificial and loving actions.

DAILY CHALLENGE:  What first-fruits do you have to give to God?

Temptation 2

Psalm91:9-16

While working as an editor at a local newspaper the managing editor, the big boss, was named Ozzie.  His name was often used as the authority for getting things done.  If someone questioned why something was to be done or done in a particular way, the response was frequently, “Because Ozzie said so.”

It can be quite helpful to have a person of authority and power on your side.  The author of Psalm 91 talks about all the good that can come about from honoring God.  What positive things will happen (verses 10-13)?  What does God promise in verses 14-16?  Why will these good things come about (see verse 9 and 14)?

We are certainly faced with the many temptations that come with life.  We are tempted to be certain that we are in a good place in life – in our finances, in our homes, in our relationships.  It is a temptation to take care of “Number One” – ourselves.

But we will be blessed by God if we can overcome the temptations we face every day and instead honor God.  The psalmist reminds us that if we make God our dwelling and our refuge – that is, if we submit ourselves completely to God and focus our energies on serving Him – then we will receive good things from God.

The Lord will protect us from harm.  God’s angels will watch over us, guard us, and even be with us when we face some of the most dangerous and terrifying things in life.  This is not an encouragement to go out and do daring and foolish things that will put you in dangerous situations, but it is a reminder that we will have the strength of God with us in all the difficulties and challenges in life.

God offers promises to protect and bless us in our lives if we are able to submit to Him and love Him as He deserves.  “Because he loves me,” God says in verse 14.  If we truly love and honor God in our living, if we resist the temptation to focus on ourselves and instead live a life of holy sacrifice, God promises to protect us from harm.  He promises the salvation we so deeply desire.

Like Jesus we must resist the temptations to satisfy our own desires.  We must replace that impulse to care for ourselves and replace it with an attitude of sacrificial giving – giving our time, our money, our efforts, and our devotion.  When we can resist temptation and be sacrificial toward God in our life we will be blessed with God’s presence and power and be delivered from the harm and troubles that come when we give in to temptation.

DAILY CHALLENGE:  How can you make God your dwelling?

Temptation 1

Luke4:1-13

Todays’ passage is a lengthy one, but it is likely a story from the Bible most people are familiar with.  Jesus has been baptized by John in the River Jordan and now is ready to begin the ministry that makes up much of the four gospels.

Why does Jesus go into the desert?  What are the three temptations presented to Jesus?  Why do you think Jesus started his ministry in this way?

If we are going to understand temptation and sacrifice we need to completely comprehend what they are.  Temptation is that desire to please your own desires and wants in whatever way that may be.  Sacrifice is the ability to deny your selfish desires so that others may benefit.

I have addressed the temptations offered to Jesus in the past.  If these three scenarios were a temptation to Jesus then two things must be true.  One – whatever was being offered must have been something that Jesus could have desired.  Two – for it to be a temptation then submitting to it, giving in, accepting what was offered must have been considered.

Being fed because he was hungry must have been something Jesus considered.  Being in charge of all the nations must have been something Jesus might have wanted.  Becoming the center of attention and praise must have been something that tempted Jesus.

Why did he go into a desert place and spend 40 days in the wilderness?  Why did Jesus allow himself to be confronted by the devil?  Is this the best way to start a ministry?

Obviously, this was the best way for Jesus to begin.  He was filled with the Holy Spirit and it was the Spirit, that third person of the holy Trinity, that led him to the desert to have this showdown with the devil.

It was a good way to begin ministry because it allowed Jesus to demonstrate to himself, to God, to the devil, and ultimately to us that he was ready for ministry.  He could face all the various temptations that the world (or the devil) could offer and reject them.  He would not give in to the temptations, but would sacrifice – deny himself – for the benefit of everyone else.

We have celebrated Easter and the resurrection of the Lord.  We have learned that we must believe without seeing.  Now we must be willing to face our own ministry with the same attitude of Christ.  We must be willing to deny those things that tempt us away from doing good, and instead take on an attitude of sacrifice.

DAILY CHALLENGE:  What helps you resist temptation?

Believing 5

John6:63

There are so many illusions that can fool the eye.  Magicians who perform on stage or on television are masters at fooling people into thinking they see something that is not real.  We can try to trust our own eyes and think that we should only believe what we see, but there are times when seeing is still not believing because it shouldn’t be.

Today’s passage is part of a response from Jesus after teaching a group of followers.  Many could not accept his teaching and fell away.  Others tried to remain faithful but were confused and had doubts.  What does Jesus say about the Spirit?  What does he say about the flesh – mortality?  What does the teaching of Jesus do for us?

One of the biggest hurdles that people have with the teachings of Jesus is that they look at them from an earthly perspective, a human point of view.  We try to make sense of what is being said by thinking of them with our limited ability to reason.

The things that Jesus taught were frequently of a higher nature than what most people are able to comprehend.  Not everything that Jesus said can be taken literally or converted into something concrete so that it might be understood.  We must expand our thinking to accept a more spiritual meaning behind what Jesus taught.

Jesus came to earth to express compassion on people in very real and tangible ways.  He healed the sick.  He drove out demons.  He fed the hungry.

But much of what he did was also an indication, a shadow, of much greater truths.  The healing he offered not only restored the physical bodies of many but was also meant to show that the presence of God’s love could heal even our mental and spiritual failings.  The life that Jesus spoke of was a spiritual life, an everlasting life, an eternal connection to the Almighty God.

The things of mortality, the things of the flesh and of humanity are on a much lower level than what Jesus was talking about.  And so we must see that the words of Jesus, the teachings of Jesus were the spirit of God’s love moving us to draw nearer to the loving embrace of the Trinity.

We may not be able to see the physical form of God, the Father, or Jesus or the Holy Spirit.  But when we believe, when we accept that Christ died and rose again for our eternal salvation, to give us the love of God, then we will see in our hearts that God is real.  We will see through the Spirit that God is with us and loves us, and then their will be no doubt in our faith.

DAILY CHALLENGE:  What will help you see God in your heart?

Believing 4

Psalm150:1-2

Hebrews 11:1 sums up our attitudes as Christians.  “Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”  That is faith.  It is certainty, conviction, absolute belief in those things that we may not be able to see with our physical eyes or touch with our hands.  Faith is belief in those things we hope for – the hope that the resurrection of Jesus actually did take place.  We are saved from sin and death and hopelessness through the sacrifice of Jesus.

And with this faith we have a joy that wells up inside us.  We are convinced of those things we have not witnessed with our mortal eyes but which we see with our soul and spirit.  We know in our hearts and in our souls that God is real and that His love for us is real.

And with that knowledge, that conviction, we can raise our hearts and our voices in praise of the eternal love that God has for us.  What does the psalmist encourage us to do?  Why do we praise God?

There are no words in this psalm that speak of the tangible essence of God.  It does not bear witness to how God looks or any other description of His physical appearance.  Instead it speaks of where God exists and what God has done.

God exists in his sanctuary.  This may be the heavenly realms where God resides or it may be the places where we gather to worship Him, in a church, in a home, in the beauty of nature.

We are urged to offer praise to God for His acts of power.  We do not see the hand that causes the miracles of life and creation but we see the results.  We see God in all that He has made and all that He does in our lives.

We should praise Him for His surpassing greatness.  Again, this is nothing that can be identified as a physical attribute of God.  This is the mighty movement of God in the world.  When we see His mercy, when we feel His comfort, when we witness His love displayed in life we should give praise to the unseen God whose work is made real and visible in the world.

We cannot see the physical being of God but we can see God in our belief.  When we believe in God and believe in His love exhibited through the sacrificial act of Christ we see Him in our heart and our lives.  We see God in the beauty of the world and the acts of love shown by many.

DAILY CHALLENGE:  What helps you to know God is real?

Believing 3

Acts5:27-32

If you have ever been to the doctor and had your reflexes tested you know what it is like to do something over which you have no control.  When the doctor taps your knee with the mallet your leg jerks.  If you have ever tried to stop a yawn, control your hiccups, or stop breathing for a long time you are familiar with uncontrollable actions.

Such is the case with the followers of Jesus after the resurrection.  What had the ruling religious leaders told the disciples NOT to do?  What did they do?  What reason is given in verse 29?  What reason is given in verse 32?

The Sanhedrin mentioned in this passage is like a high court of the Jewish religion.  These were religious leaders and teachers who convened and had authority over the people the same way a court of law would today.  They wanted the apostles, the disciples and other believers, to stop talking about Jesus and all that he had taught.  They were getting people all riled up.

But the apostles were not able to obey this command.  It is also probably true that they did not want to obey the command, but in his response Peter declares that what they were doing was no longer under their control.  God had moved them to preach and teach and there was no way to stop it.

Peter points out that many of them were witness to the crucifixion and resurrection.  They had known Jesus.  They had heard him teach.  They had seen him after he rose from the dead.  This was reason enough for them to be preaching about Jesus.

But he also includes others who were teaching about Jesus.  Even those who had not known Jesus in the same way the disciples did were filled with the Holy Spirit.  With the presence of the Holy Spirit they were convicted of the truth about Christ and were also moved to preach about him.  They believed even though they had not seen.

Yet in their belief they were able to see the holiness of Jesus.  They had not witnessed with their eyes.  They had seen Christ in their hearts with the aid of the Spirit.

We are unable to be witnesses to the bodily form of Jesus.  We have not seen Christ.  Yet we should believe in him.  We should know that he is Lord and Savior.  And in this knowing, in this believing, we can see Christ in our hearts.

And with the vision of Jesus in our hearts, a vision that comes from belief, we also will be compelled to share the good news of the resurrection.  We will not be able to control ourselves if we truly have faith.

DAILY CHALLENGE:  What will help you believe in Jesus?

Believing 2

John20:24-31

Ah.  One of those gems of a passage in the Bible.  Everyone – EVERYONE – knows doubting Thomas.  It has even become part of our lexicon to call someone a “doubting Thomas.”  Poor Thomas, known for millennia as the fool who didn’t believe.

But I think we are being far too unfair with Thomas.  What is said about Thomas in verse 24?  What did Jesus say in verse 29?

The story starts off with the innocuous and often overlooked statement that Thomas “was not with the disciples when Jesus came.”  We can look back at Thomas and shake our heads and say that he should have had faith.  But we don’t say the same thing about the other ten disciples.  They believed because they saw Jesus.  He came into their locked room and showed them his hands and side (John 20:20).

Is Thomas any different than the others?  I don’t think so.  The other disciples were hiding and likely had their doubts.  But Jesus made it easy on them; he showed them his wounds before they had a chance to ask.

Is Thomas any different than we are?  I don’t think so.  So many people hope and pray and ask that God will show them some kind of sign to indicate that He is real.  They want that indisputable proof that Jesus is indeed alive and that God truly is the Master of all the universe.

We all doubt just as much as Thomas did.  We all would like that proof.

But Jesus tells Thomas that his seeing is what brought him faith.  Jesus points out that those who have faith without the proof are blessed.  And isn’t that what faith is all about – believing in the unseen?

Although Jesus was speaking to Thomas I think his comment was meant for the other disciples and for us.  “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

If we are to be Christians then we must believe that Jesus is our Savior and Lord.  We must believe that he died and rose again.  We must believe that we are to live with Christ in our hearts.  And if we can do that we will be blessed – not just with good things from God, but blessed with the wonderful comfort of knowing Jesus is with us in all things.

Seeing is believing, but believing is also seeing.  When we believe without seeing then we will see Christ in our lives and in our hearts.  We will see God in all that is around us if we can believe first.

DAILY CHALLENGE:  How can your faith help you see God?

Believing 1

John20:19-23

Although the day of Easter may be over, the celebration of Easter should continue.  Jesus did not rise from the grave to shock and impress a small group of people and excite and delight them for a single morning.  Jesus rose from the dead and continues to live even today.  We must embrace the living Lord in our lives.

After the resurrection in the morning Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene in the garden near the tomb.  Where are the disciples according to this passage?  Why are they behind locked doors?  What did Jesus show them?  What are all the things he told them?

While Mary was probably overjoyed at seeing Jesus and knowing that he had risen from the grave the disciples did not enjoy that same excitement.  They were afraid that they might be arrested next for following Jesus.  They feared they might also be executed as Christ was.

So, as the day of the resurrection passed the disciples hid in the upper room and kept the door locked so they would be safe.  But the locked door did not keep Jesus out any more than the sealed tomb kept Jesus in.

The risen Lord appeared to the disciples and showed them his wounds from the crucifixion.  In that moment they were quickly convinced of the reality of Jesus being alive.  And in his appearance he blessed them.  He offered his peace to them, not once but twice.

From there he gave them authority to be the foundation of the Christian church we know now.  He gave them the authority to forgive sins.  He gave them the presence of the Holy Spirit.  And he commissioned them to go out into the world and preach as he had done.

Regardless of the troubles and challenges we may face in life we cannot spend our time hiding away from life.  We must allow Jesus to enter in to be with us.  When we accept and completely believe in the risen Christ we are blessed with the Lord’s peace.  But we also join in with the disciples and receive the authority to live out Jesus in the world.  We are given the ability to forgive.  We are given the commission to preach and teach about the love of God.

DAILY CHALLENGE:  How can you keep the door of your faith open to Jesus?

The Stone 4

Colossians3:8-10

Question:  How many church members does it take to change a light bulb?

Answer:  Change?  Change!?

The word “change” is not always welcome when it comes to churches.  Just about every church has a story or two (or more!) of people employing that familiar mantra – “That’s the way we have always done it.”  But really, as Christians we are a people of change.

In his teaching Jesus changed the way we look at God.  In his death Jesus changed the way God looks at us.  In his resurrection Jesus changed the way we should look at life.

We can take comfort in the celebration of Easter.  We can find hope and excitement in knowing that Jesus died for our sins and rose again to demonstrate the promise of everlasting life.  But we must move forward from this place of comfort and joy.  We must change.

What does today’s passage tell us to do?  What sins are listed?  Why should we do this (verses 9-10)?

As we saw in Colossians 3:5, repeated in verses 8-9, we need to change who we are.  To accomplish this change we need to put to death our earthly nature.  We need to stop living out the temptations that come with being human.  We must change from people who entertain lust, sexual immorality, greed, anger, lies and abusive words.

With the celebration of Easter we must also celebrate our opportunity to change.  We must see that the salvation given to us through the crucifixion and resurrection is meant to make us into new people.  To be new people we must stop being the old people we were.  We must rid ourselves of all of our flawed behaviors and thinking.

We can change when we see that we have put on a new self.  We are now forgiven people.  We are now people dearly loved by God.  And we must live as the people who are forgiven and loved.  We must see that we can be made into new people, renewed in the image of God.

We must remove the stone that prevents us from changing.  We must remove the stone that keeps us from believing in the grace of God with our whole heart.  We must remove the stone of our own sinful nature, perhaps a stone we have placed there ourselves.

Once the stone of doubt and fear and unbelief is removed we can put on the new self, the new spirit given to us through the resurrection of Jesus.

DAILY CHALLENGE:  How can you remove the stone that prevents you from changing into a new person?

There will be no 10/2 Grow devotional on Friday, April 6. - RE

The Stone 3

Colossians3:5

A family connected to our church recently went through some difficult times, events that have actually split the family.  They experienced abuse, cruelty and even violence.  After a particularly explosive situation the father came to me seeking forgiveness and made the comment that “Jesus is in my heart.”

Forgiveness is certainly available to him.  He can be forgiven by God and forgiven by man.  But it must move beyond that.  Simply seeking forgiveness and claiming that Christ is in your heart is not the end of the journey.

The letter to the faithful in Colossae speaks of what we are to do as believers.  What should we do?  What specific examples are given?

The sinful attitudes and actions listed in this verse are by no means comprehensive.  Colossians 3:8-9 provides some further examples of what NOT to do, but even that does not cover every sin.  What might sum up all sin are the words in this verse – “your earthly nature.”

We can celebrate the fact that Jesus died on the cross for our sins.  He symbolically took on all the faults and failures and erroneous ways of all humanity and through his death put an end to them.  Through his resurrection we can see that we are invited into a new life.  We are given a new spirit of love and grace, a new spirit for the eternal and also a new spirit for the here and now.

But our faith does not end in the assurance of Christ’s resurrection.  Rather, this could be seen as a starting point.  Once we are aware that we are forgiven through Jesus we must then begin living as the people who are forgiven.  We must live as the beloved children of God.

To do that we must put to death our earthly nature.  We must put to death our human impulses to do what we have done in the past as we lived in sin.  We must stop entertaining our sexually immoral and impure desires.  We must move the stones that hinder us and stop living a life of greed, and living a life that displays anger, rage, malice, slander, filthy language and lies.

It is a true blessing to know that Christ gave himself for us.  It is a blessing to know that Jesus is in our hearts.  But we must live as people with Jesus in our hearts.  We must stop our sinning and step forward in our belief, doing good, being kind, and loving others.

DAILY CHALLENGE:  How can you show that you have Jesus in your heart?

The Stone 2

John20:3-8

Comedian Bill Cosby once told the story of his college football team during a game.  At halftime they were behind in points but their coach gave an inspirational talk in the locker room and got the players all fired up to play.  They began to cheer and chant, eager to get back in the game.  But when they got to the door of the locker room it was locked.

All their excitement and enthusiasm were for naught.  They were blocked from moving forward even though they were emotionally ready to play.

We can be that way in our faith sometimes.  When it comes to Easter we can get all fired up about our faith.  We may be excited by the good news that Jesus conquered death and rose from the grave, giving us the promise of eternal life and the assurance of God’s incredible presence.  But then we may encounter a stone that blocks us, an obstacle – our own fears and doubts, and questions about our own abilities.  We can’t move forward in our faith even though we are excited about it.

Mary Magdalene has returned to the disciples to tell them that the tomb is empty.  Jesus has risen!  Who goes to the tomb then?  How do they go?  Who arrives first?  What does he do?  What does Peter do?  What does the other disciple (assumed to be John) do?

Here we have the story of two dedicated disciples.  One is Peter and one is identified as “the other disciple,” but scholars always interpret it to mean John.  These two are considered to be the most fervent in their faith, the closest to Jesus, the ones who lead the others.  In their eagerness they run to the tomb, going so quickly that it becomes a race.

Yet when they arrive John is unable to actually go into the tomb to experience its emptiness.  He can do no more than look from a safe distance.  Once Peter goes inside John is able to join him, and in that moment his faith is made complete.  He believes.

We can be like John in our beliefs.  We can be excited about the goodness and grace of God.  We can be charged up about the resurrection.  But then we stall and hesitate, afraid to commit completely to the promises and power of God.

As we celebrate Easter and the resurrection we need to use this time as an opportunity to recharge our faith and get excited about God’s blessings and presence in our lives.  Then we need to step forward and truly believe, and in believing be able to go into the world and live as holy people.

DAILY CHALLENGE:  What can make you step forward in faith?

The Stone 1

Matthew28:1-7

“You’ve got to see it to believe it!”  Some businesses make this proclamation when they are advertising a sale, as if our minds could not wrap themselves around the fact that mattresses can cost as low as $89.  While we may be amazed at how low a price can be at some retailer, it may not be necessary for us to actually see the price to accept the fact.

When it comes to believing that a person can be deceased for three days and then be given new life, on the other hand, we may need to bear witness to the fact that the person is alive.  God, in His infinite wisdom, was aware of that after Jesus was crucified and buried.  Who went to the tomb?  What happened when they arrived?  What did the angel say?

This passage is a great account of the miracle of the resurrection – or more accurately, an account of what happened just after the resurrection.  We don’t have a detailed description of Jesus having life restored to his body and rising up from the stone on which he lay.  What we have are the events that took place just outside the tomb.

Mary Magdalene, a follower of Jesus, and Mary, the mother of Jesus, went to visit the tomb in the same way anyone might visit the grave of a loved one.  When they arrived, however, there was a violent earthquake and an angel descended from heaven.  The angel rolled back the large stone that had been set in place to seal the tomb.

Once the stone was moved the empty tomb was revealed.  Jesus had already risen from the grave, left the confines of the tomb while the stone was still in place. We might ask the question – why was the stone rolled back?

Jesus did not need to have the stone moved for the resurrection to take place.  He was able to live again even with the tomb intact.

The stone was removed so that the women (and others, eventually) could see inside the tomb and bear witness to the fact that the grave was empty.  The stone was removed so that they might have faith.

As we consider our own faith, our own beliefs, our walk as Christians we may have our doubts and fears.  We may have questions that nag us about spiritual issues.  These can serve as stones in our faith that prevent us from seeing the risen Christ and having complete and devout faith.

We need to remove the stones that prevent us from having a strong faith.  Once we can truly bear witness to the empty tomb we can truly see Christ in our lives.

DAILY CHALLENGE:  What can you do to remove the doubts that hinder your faith?