Judgement

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Judgement

Andrew Stevens

February 21, 2020 • Kevin Zeller • 2 Peter 3:2–13

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Judgment. We hate that word. We don’t want people to judge us. One of the embarrassments of being a Christian is that the Bible is full of stories of judgment. And, of course, the Bible also promises God will one day gather all of the wicked people from throughout time and judge them.

But isn’t God a God of love? Why would He be so harsh with people?

The answer lies in sin. We as humans have brought brokenness into the world through the bad things we have done. Our world has become a place full of hatred, violence, and pain. But God is merciful. He did not leave us alone to our sin, brokenness, and death. In His kindness, He stepped into our brokenness to offer us salvation from it. When Christ came, His kingdom began breaking into this world of sin. And His church has been growing ever since.

Christ is making a new world, a perfect one. A world in which all people will love Him and love one another. A world in which there will be no sin, no hate, no pain, no death. A world in which His righteousness—His goodness and sinlessness—fills everyone and everything.

Those who don’t love Jesus cannot be a part of this world. If they reject Him, they reject the only Source of life, justice, and hope (John 14:6). They have no place in a paradise without sin since Jesus is the One who takes it away and who supplies all of the righteousness. Since He will be the center of this new existence, if someone hates Him, there is no reason to think they will want to spend forever with Him and His people.

The gospel is less about what happens to those who reject Christ and more about what they will miss: Jesus Himself, reigning over a perfect world free from death and filled with nothing but love and peace between God and people (Revelation 21:1-8). • Kevin Zeller

• Where do you see evidence that the world is completely broken by sin?

• How does the anticipation of a world of righteousness affect the way we think about judgment?

• Still have questions? That’s okay! Who is a trusted Christian in your life you can talk with about the questions you have? (You can also find more information about Jesus and His plan to destroy

sin and death by checking out our "Know Jesus" page!)

But, according to his promise, we look for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells. 2 Peter 3:13 (WEB)

Not-So-Daily Devotions

February 29, 2020 • Robyn Mulder • Ephesians 2:8–9, Romans 3:20–24

You’ve probably heard it in youth group or Sunday school: “It’s very important to have daily devotions.” . But you just can’t seem to make it happen, and you feel terrible. Between homework, extracurriculars, and family activities, it seems impossible to open your Bible every day. A couple of weeks might even go by before you find a few minutes to do devotions. . You might begin to wonder, If Bible reading is so important, why can’t I do it every day? . The Bible is important because it tells us about Jesus and the true story of His good news—news that affects every area of our lives (Acts 10:43). . But we get stuck in legalism when we say that anyone should adhere to certain practices or habits to prove they know God. That’s what the Pharisees did in Bible times, and Jesus was pretty clear that the Pharisees did not understand the God they claimed to serve (Matthew 23). . Instead, we can live in the grace Jesus has given us, going to the Bible regularly—individually and with other believers at church—because we love Jesus and want to know Him better. . Your best friend doesn’t chew you out when you don’t talk to them for a few days, do they? Well, God doesn’t either. He wants us to spend time with Him, but He’s never legalistic about it (Colossians 2:6-18). It’s about having a relationship with Him. . What’s important is that you make Jesus and being with His people central to your life, regularly reading His Word and deepening your understanding of the gospel through the power of the Holy Spirit (1 Timothy 4:13). • Robyn Mulder . • Since the Bible is about Jesus, what are the central truths of the gospel? (Find more information by checking out our "Know Jesus" page!) How do these truths help us study and understand God’s Word (Luke 24:44-48; 2 Corinthians 1:20; 2 Timothy 3:15-17)? . • What is the difference between a legalistic habit and a grace-based habit? Why is it important that our lives are based on what Jesus did, not on what we do (Ephesians 2:8-9)? . • How does the Holy Spirit teach us about Jesus as we study the Bible (1 Corinthians 2:10-16)? . For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift—not from works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:8-9 (CSB)

Worth

February 28, 2020 • Bethany Acker • John 3:16, Ephesians 2:4–7, 1 John 4:10, Genesis 1:26–27

I shouldn’t have even brought this into the fitting room, Mandy thought. . Dresses like these don’t look pretty on girls like me. . But her friends hadn’t understood her hesitation. They were trying on prom dresses and thought she should do the same. . Tears stung in Mandy’s eyes as she took a glance in the mirror. She hated her size and shape. She wished she looked like her friends. . “Come out and show us,” her friends called. . Mandy swallowed. “It doesn’t fit right. I must have grabbed the wrong size.” . “What size do you need? I’ll go get it.” . “No!” Mandy tugged on the zipper at the back of the dress. “I’m done for today.” . When Mandy stepped out of the fitting room in her T-shirt and leggings, the other girls were all wearing the dresses they had found. They looked perfectly petite and happy. . Mandy slouched onto a chair in the corner of the room, wishing she could be like them. . Maybe your story isn’t exactly like Mandy’s, but it’s close. Maybe you feel ugly. Maybe you think that you are too fat or too thin or that you don’t belong with your friends. Maybe you even feel unworthy of God’s love because of how you look. . But the inherent worth you have and the love God has for you are not based on your appearance or what others think of you. . God created you in His image, and He loves you so much. You are precious to Him. So precious that He came to die and rise again to free you from sin and the pain and death it causes. If you haven’t already, put your trust in Him today, knowing your worth is found not in what people think—but in and through the love of your Creator and Savior. • Bethany Acker . • Jesus died and rose again, and He will one day make all things new, including raising His people from the dead when He returns. Christ died and rose to restore and redeem every part of you. How does knowing these truths help you see how much He values and loves you? . • If you are struggling to see your worth, who is someone you can talk with about it? . This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. 1 John 4:10 (NLT)

Slumber or Sacrifice

February 27, 2020 • Kristen Joy Wilks • 1 John 3:23—4:3, 1 John 3:7–11, 1 John 4:19

I was already asleep when my grandpa called, asking for help with my grandma’s diaper. I don’t feel especially loving when sleep-deprived, but the quiet stirring of God’s Spirit within me assured me what the next step was. I slipped on a sweater and puddle boots and stumbled down the darkened dirt road between our house and their snug log home. . With barely open eyes, I pushed into Grammy’s room. She weighed only ninety pounds at that time, but it’s hard to lift someone when they don’t have strength to help. . My cousin and I got Grammy cleaned up and settled in bed. Her osteoporosis was so bad we had to prop the pillows and blankets around her twisted form to make her comfy. There was no way for her to lie straight. . The next night they didn’t need me. Grammy didn’t wake from her deep and quiet slumber. She didn’t wake the next night either. Only once after that late night did she stir, when I stopped by and brushed her white hair off her forehead to give her a kiss and say, “I love you.” She blinked weary eyes at me and said, “I love you too, Honey Girl.” She died the next morning. . Waking to help my grandma when she was in need made me so grumpy at the time. Yet the still, small voice of God’s Spirit urged me on, and so I went. As I walk by her house today and miss her—miss having tea from real china cups at her one hundred-year-old oak table and hearing her urge me to take just one more cookie—what brings me the most joy is knowing our last exchange was one of love. . That late night, it was the Holy Spirit who urged and sustained my reluctant spirit onward. While it was tempting to ignore His call to show love to Grammy, I followed His gentle leading. When we obey—walking in the love of Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit—we find true joy. Grammy taught me that. • Kristen Joy Wilks . • How does the truth of the good news of Jesus help us to show love? How can loving others show Christ’s love for us? . • Have you ever felt a prompting from the Holy Spirit to show God’s love to someone? Reread today’s Bible passage. How can you know when a prompting is from the Holy Spirit? . We love each other because he [Jesus] loved us first. 1 John 4:19 (NLT)