PASSAGE: Proverbs 1:7 - "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction." PAUSE: The world is going to try and raise your child from a godless, secular worldview. They will try to provide answers to life's biggest questions, and they will try to tell them right from wrong without having a solid foundation to ground their morality. They will lean on whatever is culturally acceptable--whatever is right in their own eyes. Parents, we must show our children Jesus and then show them how Jesus changes everything! When we begin understand the character of God, we can begin to understand how he is good and loving, while at the same time, perfectly wise and just. This wisdom gives us a foundation to understand right from wrong. It gives us the moral framework to understand why instruction and proper obedience is a good thing. When we begin to see the world through the lenses of God's good and perfect character, we will no longer despise the correction we need from His wisdom and instruction, but instead, it will be life-giving! PRAYER: Lord, help me to live in AWE of You and to effectively pass this on to my children. Help me to raise them up with a God-saturated worldview, to see all of life through the reality of Your Presence and Your Purpose. Amen.
PASSAGE: Proverbs 10:9 - "Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but he who makes his ways crooked will be found out." PAUSE: Establishing honesty in the character of your child is one of your most important jobs as a parent. It will save them from a life of trouble and prepare them to be a blessing to others. This is something I'm forever grateful that my parents instilled in me. Growing up, my brother and I would fight and argue as brothers do, but when one of us needed a straight answer from the other, we would ask "Do you promise?" This was the trump card, and we both knew it. We had an unbroken level of trust with each other, knowing that our promise meant truthfulness. No exceptions. This is the type of integrity and honesty we need to model for our children, grandchildren, and those we have an influence on. The impact of unwavering honesty will carry with them the rest of their lives. It may start as just a positive impact on a sibling relationship, but it will carry on to bring blessings in their lives and the lives of those they interact with. PRAYER: Lord, help me to model integrity to my children and then help me to help them become people of integrity. Amen.
PASSAGE: Proverbs 22:15 - "Folly (lit. foolishness) is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline with drive it far from him." PAUSE: You do not have to teach your child to be sinful or foolish! They arrive with a selfish sinful nature that will be on display before you know it. The question is, what are you going to do about it? Now let me be clear as you consider this verse. I’m going to assume that all who read this have hearts full of love and kindness and goodness that they are ready to consistently pour into their children and grandchildren. Amen! But one key aspect of that love is the willingness to bring consistent discipline (correction) into their lives. To fail at this is to hate your children! (See Prov. 13:24). Foolish (selfish & unloving) behavior must be met with a corrective response that has teeth! The “rod” in Proverbs does not merely mean corporal punishment (spanking). It represents a corrective response from the one in authority. (That’s you parent). It should NEVER be done out of anger or in anger! (That leads to child abuse = EVIL). It is the parent, under self-control, bringing a corrective response to the child’s foolishness (lack of self-control) for the purpose teaching the child self-control. Which they will need, by the way, for the rest of their lives. PRAYER: Lord, help me to train foolish selfishness out of my child and wisdom and self-control into them. And help me to do it to myself first if I still need it. Amen.
PASSAGE: Ephesians 6:1-2a - "Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother.” PAUSE: Parents, it’s your job to train your children to obey you with a respectful attitude! They do not arrive pre-programmed to do so. In fact, just the opposite. Have you noticed? All of us are born into this world with a sinful nature. Meaning, as we are growing up we are all bent towards selfishness, disobedience and disrespect. The command in this passage is given to children to obey their parents (do what they are told) and honor them (obey them with a respectful attitude). But because young children do not do this “naturally” it is the parents’ job to train this into their hearts and lives. Can I be honest? It often appears to me that it is the children training the parents rather than the other way around! Are we training our children to pay close attention to our instruction and to obey the first time they are instructed? (Otherwise, they are training us into becoming threatening, bargaining, “I’m going to count to 3” kind of parents). And are we training them to obey with a respectful attitude? Listen to me--disrespect is disobedience! Finally, do your children see and hear you modeling respectful obedience to those in authority over you? PRAYER: Lord, help me to be wise and consistent in lovingly training my children toward respectful obedience. For I know this will serve them well for the rest of their lives. And it will prepare them for a right relationship with You. Amen.
PASSAGE: Exodus 2:10 - "When the child grew older, she (Moses’ mom) took him to Pharaoh’s daughter and he became her son. She named him Moses, saying, “I drew him out of the water.” PAUSE: Parents must begin raising their children with the end in mind! We are raising them in order to release them, ready to follow God and pursue His will for their lives! The mother of Moses was in unique situation. She knew one day she would have to turn him over to Pharoah’s daughter where he would be bombarded with a world view that did not believe in the One True God. He would need to be ready to face that “anti-God” world with clear convictions and a living, maturing faith. He would need to be able to evaluate the ideas and values of “Egypt” thru the grid of the revelation of his God, The God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob! Christian parents and grandparents in 2024 face the same challenge. Our society has moved from “Christian” to “Post-Christian” to “Anti-Christian.” It is our responsibility as families of faith in Christ to disciple our children from birth to release (when they are out on their own) into a robust faith in Christ that will stand strong against the arguments and influences of the world and that will engage and live vibrantly for the Kingdom of God and glory of God! PRAYER: Lord, help me to keep my eye on the end goal of raising my child or grandchild to arrive at adulthood ready to follow Jesus with all their heart. Amen.
Join us each day for a devotional in the "Guess Who?" series. Sign up for “Devotional Reminders” in The Chapel app’s notification settings. May 13 - Exodus 2:10 May 14 - Ephesians 6:1-2a May 15 - Proverbs 22:15 May 16 - Proverbs 10:9 May 17 - Proverbs 1:7
Yesterday we looked at the transformative impact the gospel should have on our lives--the real, tangible difference that should be noticeable in our daily conduct. Peter goes on in his letter to give us this important next step: be ready to share your faith! There will be moments when the Spirit prompts you to share the gospel with someone, and there will also be times that someone notices the transformation in your life and they ask you about it. In both circumstances, you need to be ready and prepared to share the hope within you! Take some time to think through your story of transformation, and think about how you would share that in 30 seconds, 5 minutes, or 30 minutes. Think about how you would share how God has transformed you, and how that same hope is available to all because of the good news. Now pray a bold and dangerous prayer--God, give me an opportunity this week to share the hope that is in me, and help me to do it with gentleness and respect. PASSAGE: 1 Peter 3:15 - "...but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect..." PAUSE: The more we follow Christ, the more our lives will change, and others will notice and want to know more about it. We are called to be holy and to be examples of hope to a lost and confused world. So, we need to be ready to share the beautiful truths of the Gospel. Let’s live it and share it with others! PRAYER: Heavenly Father, create a clean heart and renew the right spirit within me! Fill me with your Holy Spirit! I pause one more time to confess my sins before a Holy God, who is graceful and kind, to forgive me of all my sins.
I know that the sky is blue. I know that 2 plus 2 equals 4. I also know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who came to earth to live, die, and rise again for the forgiveness of our sins, and He offers new life to you and me for trusting in Him. There is a big difference between those first two facts and the third one. Knowing the gospel (good news) of Jesus Christ is more than an intellectual fact. It has a transformative impact on my life. When you embrace the good news and accept Christ as your Savior, it changes everything! It changes the way you act and interact in this world. It's no longer about living for yourself, but now we should see through the lens of "how do my actions show love to others and love to God?" Our lives should be a light shining bright in a dark world. Our lives should be a living demonstration of the good news! PASSAGE: 1 Peter 1:25b - "And this word is the good news that was preached to you." PAUSE: The Gospel, or the “Good News,” is more than Christ’s death and resurrection. The “good news” occurs every time we open the Bible and read it, every time we obey the commands of Scripture. The "good news” is felt when we love the unlovable or our neighbors without any strings attached other than obedience to love one another. Love one another and show the Gospel. PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I embrace the Gospel. I believe in it, but I realize it is more about living the Gospel than just accepting it as truth.
It’s spring and beautiful flowers are starting to come into bloom, BUT THEY WON’T LAST! I used to run marathons, BUT I RECENTLY HAD A HIP REPLACEMENT! In today’s passage, Peter reminds us of a crucial contrast. All things associated with the physical world, with our physical birth, are temporary and fading away. But this is not totally bad news because my sin nature and all that flows out of it is attached to my earthly vessel. By contrast, the Word of the Lord which culminates in the GOOD NEWS that saves us and changes us is eternal (“REMAINS FOREVER”). And that means we will “remain forever!” Peter’s practical application for the here and now is that if we try to function as a church family according to our physical, fleshly nature it will never work. We will just keep stumbling over each other (OR BETTER, STOMPING ON EACH OTHER!) in our sinful selfishness. But if we function out of our new nature and in alignment with His eternal Word we will love and serve one another deeply from the heart. (1:22). Warren Wiersbe summarizes this way: The externals of the flesh that could divide us mean nothing when compared with the eternals of the Spirit that unite us. PASSAGE: for “All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, 25 but the word of the Lord remains forever.” And this word is the good news that was preached to you. PAUSE: We need the Word of God in our lives. Jesus said that if we abide in him and his word abides in us, we will show the world that we are indeed his disciples. When was the last time you quieted your soul and read the Bible? PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I desire to be in the word of the Lord daily. Grant me an unending hunger and desire to read and apply the Scriptures to my life.
Yesterday we covered 1 Peter 1:22 and the admonishment “to love one another deeply from the heart.” As you can see, 1:23 is not even a new sentence but Peter’s explanation of why we can “love one another deeply from the heart.” And the reason he gives is that we “have been born again” (SAVED) “not of perishable seed but of imperishable” (GOD’S SALVATION IS PERMANENT AND TRANSFORMATIVE) “through the living and abiding word of God” (THE WHOLE BIBLE BUT ESPECIALLY THE SAVING MESSAGE OF THE GOSPEL). The context of all this is that Peter is writing to both Jews and Gentiles who have gotten saved out of completely different backgrounds. And these two people groups were not naturally friends (ie: they were enemies) or even used to being around each other before they got saved. So, how are people who are natural enemies, who have a lot of bad history, supposed to get along in the church? Remember, they did not have the option of simply going to another church down the street or across town! The answer is that all of them have been changed by the radical love of Christ and are now to demonstrate that same radical love to one another. Friend, is the gospel transforming you into a radical lover of others, even those who are different from you, even those who are “enemies”? PASSAGE: 1 Peter 1:23 "...since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God…" PAUSE: Jesus challenged Nicodemus that he must be born again (John 3:1-15). Peter now encourages all of us who have been born again. Spiritual birth leads to a transformation in how we interact, relate, and communicate with others. PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I thank you that I have been born again. I desire to live a different, transformed life that walks with you by loving others like you.
This verse describes the chain reaction impact of the gospel, followed by a challenge to take love to another level. First, a person “obeys the truth” (ie: believes the truth of the gospel) and is saved. Then the gospel has a “purifying” impact on that person from the inside out. Meaning, once we are saved God begins a life-transformation process that begins with the inner life of our motives and attitudes and works itself outward to our relationships and treatment of those around us. What this looks like is that we become the kind of Christ-followers that genuinely care about other people and increasingly love them out of a right motive (“sincere love”) that desires to bless others even if I get nothing in return, not expecting anything in return. Finally, Peter challenges us to take that Christ-like love and turn it up even higher, to “love one another deeply, from the heart.” This is a passionate, radically sacrificial, action-oriented love that we are to regularly choose to do towards one another. And we have seen and experienced this kind of love ourselves because this is the kind of love we have received from God through the gift and rescue of His Son! Does this “deeply, from the heart” language describe how you have loved someone lately? Go, do it now! PASSAGE: 1 Peter 1:22 - "Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart." PAUSE: Peter uses various descriptors to describe our love for one another. The bottom line is this: we are called to love one another based on our relationship with Jesus Christ. This love must be sincere, pure, and sacrificial. PRAYER: Our Father, thank you for giving me a pure heart. Forgive me for the many times I fail to love others from a pure heart. Help me to love others!
Join us each day for a devotional in the "Guess Who?" series. Sign up for “Devotional Reminders” in The Chapel app’s notification settings. May 6 - 1 Peter 1:22 May 7 - 1 Peter 1:23 May 8 - 1 Peter 1:24-25a May 9 - 1 Peter 1:25b May 10 -1 Peter 3:15
Do you worry that your mistakes have piled up so high that God isn't with you anymore? Do you fear that He doesn't want you in His presence anymore because of the things you've done? I want to reassure you, that nothing can separate you from the love of God. If you have placed your trust in Jesus Christ, you are clothed with His righteousness, and you are forever a child of God. But in our earthly bodies, we still deal with the feelings -- the feelings of worry, doubt, and fear. If you feel this way, you're in good company. David expressed these feelings in Psalm 51. He cried out to God, "Do not banish me from your presence, and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me." Friends, the feelings will come, and they may seem overwhelming at times. But you are never alone. God will never leave you, and He wants you to bring those feelings to Him. Bring your pain, bring your mistakes, come to Him with a repentant heart, and He will restore the joy of your salvation. Have joy knowing that your salvation is secure, not because of anything you've done (good or bad), but only through the finished work of Jesus on the cross. PASSAGE: Psalm 51:10 - "Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. PAUSE: Psalms 32 and 51 focus on David confessing his sin against the Lord. At first, King David tried to hide his sin from God and others. God’s mercy and grace are available to everyone. Let us all bow in brokenness and repent. PRAYER: Heavenly Father, create a clean heart and renew the right spirit within me! Fill me with your Holy Spirit! I pause one more time to confess my sins before a Holy God, who is graceful and kind, to forgive me of all my sins.
Have you ever held something inside because you were nervous to share it with the person that you wronged? Maybe something big, but maybe even something small. Regardless of what it was, I'm guessing it swirled in your head and maybe even gave you a sinking feeling in your stomach. I know because I've been there, too. It's unsettling to feel like your very soul is in turmoil. Friends, I want you to know you're not alone--we have all made mistakes, we have all wronged others, and we have all fallen short of the glory of God. The turning point is what we do with our sins. Do we let them swirl inside of our heads, or do we confess them to each other and to God? When I have opened up to others, there has come a freedom that didn't feel like it was possible before. Only through confession can there come healing and freedom! Know with confident assurance that your sins have already been forgiven and covered by the blood of Jesus. Allow that confidence to motivate you to openness and confession, and be blessed! PASSAGE: Psalm 32:1 - "Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered." PAUSE: Blessed or happy is the soul knowing their sins are forgiven. Even after adultery and murder, David knew that his confession of sin unlocked the doorway to happiness. Hidden sins always lead to anxiety. Because of the finished work of Christ on the cross, we must confess our sins. PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I thank you for the cross of Jesus Christ. I am truly blessed knowing that I have been set free in Christ and through confession.
Oh, the multitude of broken relationships, marriages, families, and churches caused by the separation, pain, and isolation of unconfessed sin. Unconfessed to God, and unconfessed to one another. Sin is NEVER just something that hurts the one committing the sin. It ALWAYS has a negative relational impact on those around us! Our sins are like little (or big) bombs that leave hurt, distrust, and confusion in its path. Unconfessed sin is a huge lose-lose situation! I lose because I carry around in my heart the burden of guilt and shame. And I am hindered in my walk with Jesus and my service for His Kingdom. Those around me, especially those I’ve sinned against, lose because the wedge in our relationship caused by my sin remains in place. And again, God’s remedy for reconciliation is genuine confession. When I choose to humbly own (confess) my sin and, when appropriate, ask for forgiveness, my burden is lifted, and our relationship is restored and set free to move forward in a God glorifying way. “Confess your sins to each other.” This needs to become a regular practice in the life of every believer! PASSAGE: James 5:16 - "Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." PAUSE: Let’s be honest. Confession of sins is hard. It is hard for us to acknowledge our sins, much less confess them to our family and friends. Confession of sins ultimately results in the healing of our souls. Spiritual, emotional, and relational health demands that we confess our sins. PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I desire to be healthy. Lord, grant me the courage and wisdom to confess my sins to other believers who care deeply about me.
