Philippians 4:8 In conclusion, brothers, focus your thoughts on what is true, noble, righteous, pure, lovable or admirable, on some virtue or on something praiseworthy. 9 Keep doing what you have learned and received from me, what you have heard and seen me doing; then the God who gives shalom will be with you.
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The feelings we get when we insist on doing something we shouldn’t—gossiping, lusting, lying, stealing, cheating, etc.—usually signal the goodness in us battling the human desire to usurp God’s authority and be in charge of our own life. (Of course, our upbringing and social norms can shape our conscience. For example, a child raised in an organized crime family might have an uneasy conscience if he told the police about an illegal act he had seen. That’s why Bible reading and prayer are so important.) A rightly trained uneasy conscience is a good thing. It reminds us that we are called to live into the goodness in which God created us.
• Do you have areas of your life that are causing you an uneasy conscience? What are these weaknesses? Dig deeply—what is driving these temptations in your life? What steps can you put into place to combat the temptations you are facing?
• Every time you find yourself leaning in to a temptation, ask yourself these questions: “What are the consequences of giving in to this weakness? Who may be hurt by this? Will the satisfaction of this moment be worth the consequences I may face?” Force yourself to answer the questions before you act.
Prayer: God, you alone know the true condition of my heart. I may be able to trick others with my words and actions, but you know the truth and are not fooled. Lead me to do and say only what is pleasing in your sight. Amen.
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Insights from Brandon Gregory
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The feelings we get when we insist on doing something we shouldn’t—gossiping, lusting, lying, stealing, cheating, etc.—usually signal the goodness in us battling the human desire to usurp God’s authority and be in charge of our own life. (Of course, our upbringing and social norms can shape our conscience. For example, a child raised in an organized crime family might have an uneasy conscience if he told the police about an illegal act he had seen. That’s why Bible reading and prayer are so important.) A rightly trained uneasy conscience is a good thing. It reminds us that we are called to live into the goodness in which God created us.
• Do you have areas of your life that are causing you an uneasy conscience? What are these weaknesses? Dig deeply—what is driving these temptations in your life? What steps can you put into place to combat the temptations you are facing?
• Every time you find yourself leaning in to a temptation, ask yourself these questions: “What are the consequences of giving in to this weakness? Who may be hurt by this? Will the satisfaction of this moment be worth the consequences I may face?” Force yourself to answer the questions before you act.
Prayer: God, you alone know the true condition of my heart. I may be able to trick others with my words and actions, but you know the truth and are not fooled. Lead me to do and say only what is pleasing in your sight. Amen.
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Insights from Brandon Gregory
Brandon Gregory is a volunteer for the worship and missions teams at Church of the Resurrection. He helps lead worship at the Vibe, West, and Downtown services, and is involved with the Malawi missions team at home.I feel like we’re coming out of a brutal election season. I’ve seen more vitriol and hate from people on all sides this time around, and it’s really brought out some bad parts of us. No matter who wins by the end of today, I think we’re all going to feel a little beaten down and ready for this to be over.
But when I think back to previous presidential elections and really think about my conversations over the years, I realize that I’ve harbored just as much passion for my issues–and negativity for my opponents–this election as any other. The difference hasn’t been animosity. It’s been accessibility. We have access to many, many more viewpoints than we have in the past, and as everyone has access to millions of thoughts, everyone feels the need to add their voice to the fray. With blogs and Twitter and Facebook, we find ourselves thrust into arguments we wouldn’t have imagined sixteen years ago because of the very connected nature of our modern world. With such easily accessible conflict, it’s no wonder we find ourselves drawn toward negative and unloving thoughts.
In today’s short passage (Philippians 4:8-9), Paul urges the Christians in Philippi to focus on the excellent and admirable. You have to remember that the Bible wasn’t written as random advice for the universe to see–it was written to address very real problems of the time and culture. Letters were not cheap or easy to deliver–there was significant time and cost that went into every word. Paul reminded the Christians in Philippi to focus on the excellent and admirable because they were chronically doing just the opposite, and it threatened to destroy their community.
If first-century believers were so negative with limited access to information and news, how much more capacity for negativity do you think exists in today’s world of interconnectedness and instant communication? And how much more specifically in the wake of this turbulent election?
Paul’s advice is more important today than any day in recent memory. By the end of the day, there will be a lot of people celebrating and a lot of people mourning. But no matter which camp you fall into, there will always be excellent and admirable things to look to for hope and inspiration. We have a sacred duty to focus on all that is true, all that is holy, all that is just, all that is pure, all that is lovely, and all that is worthy of praise. Without this, we will quickly fall back into bickering and dissension that will threaten to destroy us.
It was one of our founding fathers, Thomas Jefferson, who said, “I never considered a difference of opinion in politics, in religion, in philosophy, as cause for withdrawing from a friend.” Remember today, whether you’re mourning or celebrating, that it’s the excellent and admirable that binds us together, not the detestable and the unworthy that drives us apart. Focus your thoughts on those things, and joining together becomes a much more palatable thought.-------
"Did the Bible live in me today?" for Wednesday, 9 November 2016
John 15:1 “I am the real vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 Every branch which is part of me but fails to bear fruit, he cuts off; and every branch that does bear fruit, he prunes, so that it may bear more fruit. 3 Right now, because of the word which I have spoken to you, you are pruned. 4 Stay united with me, as I will with you — for just as the branch can’t put forth fruit by itself apart from the vine, so you can’t bear fruit apart from me.
5 “I am the vine and you are the branches. Those who stay united with me, and I with them, are the ones who bear much fruit; because apart from me you can’t do a thing. 6 Unless a person remains united with me, he is thrown away like a branch and dries up. Such branches are gathered and thrown into the fire, where they are burned up.
7 “If you remain united with me, and my words with you, then ask whatever you want, and it will happen for you. 8 This is how my Father is glorified — in your bearing much fruit; this is how you will prove to be my talmidim.
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The Bible is a love story—the story of a loving, creative God who is good. It is a collection of wonderfully engaging stories, written in a variety of genres such as poetry, prophecy and parables, meant not just to amuse or entertain, but to shape our very life. Engaging the Bible is about intimacy more than literacy. Reading the Bible for knowledge of God is one thing. Allowing the
Bible to read you for transformation is altogether different.
• Wesley didn’t ask, “Did I read my Bible today?” but “Did it live in me?” Is the Bible actively shaping your heart, your inner self? To allow the Bible to live in us we must be humble people, taking a posture of listening, learning, action and service. How do you let the Bible live in you each day?
• The Bible is both divine and human. The Bible reveals the human struggle, discloses all that is wrong with humanity—violence, lust, murder, injustice, paganism—and at the same time discloses God’s enduring love that overcomes human deficiencies and provides new life. Has your view of the Bible changed throughout your life? Do you value the Bible differently, or relate to it differently, than you did when you were younger?
Prayer: God, prepare my ears to hear your voice in the Bible. Open my heart and mind to the truths held in its pages. Holy Spirit, guide me into all truth and expand my understanding of the person and work of Jesus in a real and living way. Amen.
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"Did I disobey God in anything?" for Thursday, 10 November 2016
Deuteronomy 5:29 (32) “Therefore you are to be careful to do as Adonai your God has ordered you; you are not to deviate either to the right or the left. 30 (33) You are to follow the entire way which Adonai your God has ordered you; so that you will live, things will go well with you, and you will live long in the land you are about to possess.
Acts 5:27 They conducted them to the Sanhedrin, where the cohen hagadol demanded of them, 28 “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name! Look here! you have filled Yerushalayim with your teaching; moreover, you are determined to make us responsible for this man’s death!”
29 Kefa and the other emissaries answered, “We must obey God, not men. 30 The God of our fathers[
Acts 5:30 Exodus 3:15] raised up Yeshua, whereas you men killed him by having him hanged on a stake.[Acts 5:30 Deuteronomy 21:22–23] 31 God has exalted this man at his right hand[Acts 5:31 Psalm 110:1] as Ruler and Savior, in order to enable Isra’el to do t’shuvah and have her sins forgiven. 32 We are witnesses to these things; so is the Ruach HaKodesh, whom God has given to those who obey him.”
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When we choose to obey God, we honor God’s love for us and live as God desired. When we
disobey God by choosing to live our own ways, we live into our freedom, but also make the
possibility of sin a reality. How do we move beyond a love for self and toward a whole-hearted love for God? When we don’t do what God intends we must choose to confess our actions (or lack of actions) and ask for forgiveness. Confession taps into God’s forgiveness, and forgiveness gives us a fresh start. God’s love is always greater than your biggest blunder.
• In what areas of my life am I choosing my own desires over God’s desires? Where can I find help in overcoming my shortcomings? In what ways do you think Jesus models for us the way God intended for humans to live?
• How can I worship God with the freedom God has granted me, rather than going my own way
in rebellion against God? Here’s one idea: memorize the verse, “To you, Lord, belong
greatness and power, honor, splendor, and majesty, because everything in heaven and on
earth belongs to you. Yours, Lord, is the kingship, and you are honored as head of all”
(1 Chronicles 29:11). When you sense a struggle within you to obey God’s authority, repeat it to yourself.
Prayer: God, you gladly and graciously forgive all who repent and turn toward you. Thanks for your promise of enduring and redeeming grace! May I strive to be as Christ is, so that I might reveal my love for you to the world around me. Amen.
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"Do I pray about the money I spend?" for Friday, 11 November 2016
Luke 12:13 Someone in the crowd said to him, “Rabbi, tell my brother to share with me the property we inherited.” 14 But Yeshua answered him, “My friend, who appointed me judge or arbitrator over you?” 15 Then to the people he said, “Be careful to guard against all forms of greed, because even if someone is rich, his life does not consist in what he owns.”
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Wesley famously said, “Gain all you can, save all you can, and give all you can.” That was why he included the question, “Do I pray about the money I spend?” To pray about the money we spend means that we go to God realizing that we do not possess any money of our own. Rather, we are simply holding God’s money for the purposes of God’s work in the world.
• What inner reactions did you have to Wesley’s statement, “Gain all you can, save all you can, give all you can”? Which dimensions of Wesley’s guideline most surprised or challenged you? How does this approach to handling money match up with advice you get from financial publications, web sites or advisers? In what ways does it differ?
• Evaluate your recent spending. How closely do your habits align with Wesley’s advice? Make a three column chart: Gain, Save, Give. In each column, estimate the amounts you have gained, saved, and given in the past year. How do you believe your spending habits, as they might be reflected in next year’s chart, might change if you prayed daily about the money you spent?
Prayer: God, I want to be a sensible steward of all you have provided. Protect me from an attitude marked by greed. May I grow toward faithful generosity, spending whatever money you entrust to me in a way that brings glory to you. Amen.
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"Do I give time for the Bible to speak to me every day?" for Saturday, 12 November 2016
Hebrews 4:11 Therefore, let us do our best to enter that rest; so that no one will fall short because of the same kind of disobedience.
12 See, the Word of God is alive! It is at work and is sharper than any double-edged sword — it cuts right through to where soul meets spirit and joints meet marrow, and it is quick to judge the inner reflections and attitudes of the heart. 13 Before God, nothing created is hidden, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of him to whom we must render an account.
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Wesley didn’t ask this question to create more for Christians to do. He wanted us to look at our efforts to daily engage the Bible as a way for God to speak to us to shape us into more deeply committed Christians. Bible reading is not a task to be completed. It is a habitual practice to shape us and mold us into who God invites us to be. Learning to listen to God through the Bible forms a
life foundation that helps us become more aware of other ways, such as music, prayer or the beauty of creation, in which God also desires to speak to us.
• Do you struggle with finding (or taking) the time to read the Bible each day? As with any other good habit, start small—even five minutes a day, and let the time increase as the discipline strengthens your spiritual life. Is your challenge more with understanding and interpreting what you read? Guides like this GPS can help guide your understanding—but you still need to reflect
and pray, taking in what you understand from each Bible passage. You can find more help in
understanding in a quality study Bible, such as the CEB Study Bible or many other fine options. If you know someone who has developed the discipline of daily Bible reading, ask them about their experiences and routine, and what helps them hear God speaking through the Bible.
Prayer: God, stir in me a passion to read the Bible daily, and meditate on what I read. Give me the ability to understand, so that I can put your teachings into practice. Help the words of the Bible to not be just words on a page, but passageways of mercy into my heart. Amen.
Family Activity: In this season of thanksgiving and time of growing in authentic faith, encourage your family to create a Thanksgiving jar. Decorate some type of small, simple container such as a basket, jar or bucket. Place a stack of index cards or strips of paper next to the container along with pens, colored pencils or crayons. Every day, from now until Thanksgiving, invite each family member to grow in faith by writing or drawing a picture of something they can thank God for specific to that day. You can do this together at the same time or individually throughout the day. If you wish, your family can share these aloud each night at the dinner table, or you can save them and read them all at once on Thanksgiving. Either way, continue to add to them as you thank God!
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Prayer Requests – cor.org/prayer
Prayers for Peace & Comfort for:
• Derrick Rieke and family on the of his mother GeGe Rieke, 11/1
• Susana Kokoruda and family on the death of her father Ruben Martinez, 10/30
• Monique Exposito and family on the death of her son Blake Exposito, 10/29
• Barbara Ostby and family on the death of her husband Fred Ostby, 10/27
• Neil Ostby and family on the death of his father Fred Ostby, 10/27
• Carol Walje and family on the death of her mother Betty Swope, 10/27
• Janice Walje and family on the loss of her grandmother Betty Swope, 10/27
• Ruth and Joe Ceule and family on the death of her son Terry Johnson, 10/25
• Scott Brandt and family on the death of his mother Mary Antonio Brandt, 10/23
• Kathy Demarest and family on the death of her sister Ruthelyn “Lyn” Neyhart, 10/14
• Lilly and Chad Atcheson and family on the death of their son CJ Atcheson, 8/12
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The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
13720 Roe Avenue
Leawood, Kansas 66224, United States
913.897.0120
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