Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
TO PONDER
Many of us have experienced hard times. And during those times we all hope things will get better. Though financial crises, broken relationships, and terminal illnesses each tell a different story yet they share the same question: “Is there hope?” The answer is a definite yes. Through the resurrection of Jesus, the Lord has turned mourning into gladness and sorrow into joy. This gift has been received through our new birth into a living hope. Christians are privileged to live as God’s new creation. The newness we receive gives us the privilege to hope for even greater things. As strangers in the world, we live for the day of Christ’s return.
PRAYER: Dear Lord, thank you for the gift of life and hope. Give us strength to face each day, courage to walk your path, and hearts ready to meet Jesus.
Today's devotion written by Francis Leung, LifeWay Epping
Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.
TO PONDER
Some things are easier said than done. Some things look good on paper but don't always work in everyday life. Some Christians teach that when you give your life to Christ, your problems will be solved. Surrender to the Lord's power, and your cravings will be gone. Ask Jesus into your life, and there will be no more lying, no more cheating, no more profanity. Unfortunately, it's not that simple! Putting to death our earthly nature is a lifelong struggle. The only way to win the battle is to rely on the power of the Holy Spirit and to make use of the means he provides.
PRAYER: Holy God, help us truly to be people of our word. Help us to do what we promise so that our “yes” is “yes” and our “no” is “no.”
Today's devotion written by Francis Leung, LifeWay Epping
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
TO PONDER
Jesus has freed us from the condemnation that holds humanity captive, so everyone who is in Christ is a now an ex-convict, out of jail and free from condemnation. But of course there is more to salvation than that. An ex-convict doesn’t automatically become a model citizen. There’s still the power and presence of sin in our life day by day. There’s still some of the old self in us that would put us back to jail again. It’s a lot of old prisoners thinking. So how can we overcome the power of sin and rid our lives of its presence? Only by the power of the cross and the resurrection of Jesus.
PRAYER: God of grace, by your Spirit, fill us with new life in Christ so that we may live as believers grafted into him forever.
Today's devotion written by Francis Leung, LifeWay Epping
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
TO PONDER
When God's power and grace touch a human heart, a spectacular change happens. It's not some kind of plastic surgery but is a wholesale change. In Christ, a former sinner becomes a brand-new person on the inside. Let us remember that in the very beginning all things were made through Christ. But the original creation became polluted with sin. And now--again through Christ--we can become restored or created anew. In Christ we become reconciled to God. Our relationship with God cannot be reestablished without his Son. And once we are reunited to God, we become Christ's ambassadors. God is making an appeal to others through us. Are you a new creation in Christ? If so, have you tried to invite others to be reconciled to God?
PRAYER: Our heavenly Father, we praise you for your Son, Jesus Christ! In him we become a new creation. Bless our ministry for your sake as Christ's faithful ambassadors.
Today's devotion written by Francis Leung, LifeWay Epping
And this was his message: “After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I baptise you with water, but he will baptise you with the Holy Spirit.”
TO PONDER
There is a message that challenges us. Do we admit that we are dirty and in need of cleansing? But scrubbing can be uncomfortable and even painful. People need to be ready for spiritual cleansing. The message of baptism symbolizes a spiritual cleansing, and not everyone thought they needed it. John the Baptist promised that Jesus would come with a baptism of the Holy Spirit and fire. A life committed to Jesus Christ is a life submitted to the cleansing and refining work of the Spirit of God. The process is frightening; it requires loss. But what is found is worth much more than what is lost—new life, freedom, courage, joy, peace, love, and much more. Are you willing to submit to God’s gracious cleansing?
PRAYER: Dear Jesus, cleanse us with your Spirit. Take away our sin and shame and fill us with beauty and integrity. Help us submit to you. In your name, Amen.
Today's devotion written by Francis Leung, LifeWay Epping
As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain people not to teach false doctrines any longer or to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. Such things promote controversial speculations rather than advancing God’s work—which is by faith.
TO PONDER
Where have you recently heard arguments over doctrine, speculation over ancient myths and legends and conspiracies, or people creating controversy for the sole purpose of getting themselves noticed on the internet? It seems to happen on almost a daily basis.
Ritual and tradition are important. Some rituals and traditions bring stability and comfort, a sense of familiarity and reliability, in a world where change and chaos seem to be the headline of every newspaper. Yet when we get bogged down by those traditions and rituals, when they become the focus of debate and argument - they can sometimes have a negative effect. Provided that we remain faithful to the Word of God in Scripture, then how a church conducts its Sunday worship services is somewhat irrelevant. These things can distract us from what is really important, and that is, tending to the mission that God has given his church. To advance the work of Jesus and make disciples of all nations, baptising and teaching them the ways and the life of Jesus.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I thank you for the heritage and traditions and faith of those who have helped lead me to faith in you. Help me to hold those things dearly, but also loosely, so that I may lay them aside if or when they become a barrier to others receiving the same gift of faith in you. Amen
Today's devotion written by Mathew von Stanke, LifeWay Newcastle
Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel.
TO PONDER
The New Testament talks quite a bit about striving and perseverance in the life of a Christian. This suggests that there is something significant or important about these qualities.
both striving and perseverance are important qualities if you are going to advance a cause or a story, even an adventure. To move something forward takes effort, that's a basic law of physics. Things that are stationary don't move forward unless someone or something applies a force or 'effort' to get them moving.
Our adventure with God, and his adventure with us is an advancing adventure. It does not end when we come to faith in Jesus as Lord and Saviour. That is when the adventure really gets going. There are obstacles and hurdles that challenge our faith. There are situations and relationships in our lives that make other paths more attractive than the ones God lays out for us.
Yet one of the ways God moves the adventure forward is by the consistent efforts of his people to live lives, and to conduct ourselves, in a manner worthy of the precious gift we have received in Christ Jesus. There should be no question, whether people encounter us face-to-face or hear about us 'through the grapevine', that we are a people bound together in the unity of the Holy Spirit, working together as one for the sake of the gospel message of Jesus Christ.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, Please help me when it is hard to walk the road that you set out for me. Help me to remember your promise to be with me and provide me with whatever I need to navigate the difficult parts of life. May the way I live and conduct myself be a witness to the love and grace I have found in you. Amen
Today's devotion written by Mathew von Stanke, LifeWay Newcastle
"Which of these three do you think was a neighbour to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”
The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”
Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”
TO PONDER
I know we have asked this question at LifeWay before, but do you know your neighbours? I mean really know them. you might know their names, but do you know what they do for work? Do you know any of their hobbies or interests? Do you know anything more about them than the fact that they live in the house next door or across the street from you?
Jesus told the parable of the Good Samaritan (in the preceding verses of todays reading) as an answer to the question, "Who is my neighbour?" and in today's reading we see the answer to that question. Jesus wants us to think bigger to look out into the world and see the opportunities we have to step into the lives of others and bring with us the grace and love of Jesus. But consider this, how are you going to do that if you have not even taken the time to get to know those who live in your own neighbourhood.
Being a neighbour is not about sharing a fence. The way Jesus talks about it is that it's about showing kindness and love to those who we see are in need. This is how God advances his story and adventure with us, as we serve those who we see in need around us. Seeing to the needs of the man attacked by robbers was a large inconvenience to the Samaritan; he went out of his way to find an Inn where the man could rest and recover and He paid the innkeeper from his own purse to ensure the man would be fed and cared for while he recovered.
Being a neighbour may not always be convenient, but it is what we are called to be as those who now find their life in Christ Jesus.
PRAYER: Lord Jesus, I forget all to easily that you came to earth to be my neighbour. Not just to live in my neighbourhood, but to show me the love and mercy of God the Father. May my life be one which brings and shows that Love and mercy to others. Please help me to be a 'good neighbour' to all those that you call me to love and serve. Amen.
Today's devotion written by Mathew von Stanke, LifeWay Newcastle.
“Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish."
TO PONDER
I don't know how many of you go fishing regularly. Growing up as a kid my dad regularly took my brother and I fishing. I'm ashamed to say I did not learn as much from my dad about fishing as I probably could or should have, but I do remember one specific conversation very clearly.
We were sitting in his boat in Portland Harbour and had been catching a few fish. It was not a super productive fishing day, but we had at least caught a feed. When we pulled back into the boat ramp at the end of our trip, many others who had been out on the water fishing that day, were surprised to see anything in our fish bucket. My dad engaged in polite conversation with these people, not wanting to be rude but also not wanting to give away all his fishing secrets. On the way home even I asked him, "dad how come we were able to catch fish today when so many other people did not catch anything?" To which he replied, "Most of those people went fishing without a plan about what fish they were trying to catch. I knew if we were going to have any chance of catching fish today it would be to target this particular fish and so everything we did was aimed at just catching those fish and ignoring any of the others.
I guess fishing with a net is different to fishing with a line. A net will catch whatever type of fish happens to be in the area of the net. When you fish with a rod or a line, you can really only catch one or maybe 2 fish at a time. The net Jesus describes caught all kinds of fish and that is what is special about the advancing and continuing story of God is that his kingdom is for all people. And yet, sometimes we can see large groups of people come into the kingdom at once, like fishing with a net. Other times a more individual or targeted approach is necessary. That is why each of us have a part to play in Jesus mission to be 'fishers of men'. God has uniquely gifted each of us with the right skills, personalities, and interests, to draw different individuals, different types of people, into his kingdom. We each might take a different approach, use a different technique, but neither might be right or wrong, it depends on what fish Jesus is asking you to catch.
PRAYER: Lord Jesus, you called your disciples to be 'fishers of men'. Please continue to help me to become an effective 'fisher of men and women' so that people of all nations, backgrounds and cultures might come into your advancing kingdom of love and mercy. Amen
Today's devotion written by Mathew von Stanke, LifeWay Newcastle