"Before and Behind" goTandem
You go before me and follow me.
You place your hand of blessing on my head.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too great for me to understand!
I can never escape from your Spirit!
I can never get away from your presence! (Psalm 139:5-7)
What emotions are being expressed by in this verse?
Can you relate to the writer's thoughts? How?
"The New Jerusalem"
And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. Revelation 21:2)
What do you think the author's purpose was for this illustration?
What about heaven excites you?
"Those Who Live"And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. Revelation 21:2)
What do you think the author's purpose was for this illustration?
What about heaven excites you?
Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare about the LORD: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him. (Psalm 91:1-2)
How do trust and shelter fit together in this verse?
Do you relate to this description of God? Why?
"Where Can I Hide?"
But check out David's transparency in Psalm 139:11-12. "If I say, 'Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,' even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you."
If you think you are cleverly concealing anything from God, think again. He sees all.
Find time today to thank God for his continued presence.
"Obey and Sacrifice"
"This is what the LORD says (to Abraham): Because you have obeyed me and have not withheld even your son...I will certainly bless you." (Genesis 22:16-17)
Trust and obey.
"Make Disciples"
"Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:19-20)
What is Jesus saying that spiritual growth should result in?
Are you living in such a way that makes this possible?
"Jacob's Nap"
"Your descendants will be as numerous as the dust of the earth! They will spread out in all directions--to the west and the east, to the north and the south. And all the families of the earth will be blessed through you and your descendants. What's more, I am with you, and I will protect you wherever you go. One day I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have finished giving you everything I have promised you."
Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, "Surely the LORD is in this place, and I wasn't even aware of it!" (Genesis 28:14-16)
How did Jacob know God was there?
Have you ever been surprised by God's presence in a situation? When?
"God Rather Than Money"
Give me an eagerness for your laws rather than a love for money! Turn my eyes from worthless things, and give me life through your word. (Psalm 119:36-37)
We need money, but what is the danger in it being our god?
How can you cultivate an eagerness for God's word?
"Separation from God"
It's your sins that have cut you off from God.
Because of your sins, he has turned away
and will not listen anymore. (Isaiah 59:2)
Why is this verse so direct?
Have you ever felt "cut off" from God because of sin in your life? How did you respond?
"Go"
"Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:19-20)
These are instructions from Jesus to his disciples. What is the main message?
What do these verses tell you about the will of God?
"The Spirit of Promise"
RECEIVE
“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you.” (John 14:16-17)
REFLECT
Your life in Christ should be a Spirit-filled and Spirit-empowered life. The Holy Spirit is the One who brings you to Christ and keeps you in a relationship with him. It is the presence of the Holy Spirit that guarantees the spiritual work started in your life will be completed.
Before his death on the cross and the ascension into heaven, Jesus promised that he would send the Holy Spirit. He assured the believers that they would receive power when the Holy Spirit arrived (Acts 1:8). This power gave them the courage to share his message throughout the world.
RESPOND
What would life be like without the Holy Spirit?
"Holy...God"
Every day I call to you, my God, but you do not answer. Every night you hear my voice, but I find no relief. Yet you are holy. (Psalm 22:2-3)
Sometimes God's holiness is the answer.
"Become a Minstrel"
Sing a new song to the LORD, for he has done wonderful deeds. (Psalm 98:1)
How do you express your joy to God?
"Here Comes the Kingdom!"
"The time promised by God has come at last!" [Jesus] announced. "The Kingdom of God is near! Repent of your sins and believe!" (Mark 1:15)
What do repentance and belief require?
"How can we pray for you?" goTandem
We understand that spiritual growth is a journey, and there can be some obstacles along the way. But you don’t have to face them alone.
The goTandem team would be honored to pray for you. We also love to hear how God is working in your life. We encourage you to share your stories as well so we can celebrate with you.
Share your prayer request or story with us simply by replying to this email.
Thanks for being a part of the goTandem community!
Sincerely,
Arnie Cole
CEO, goTandem
goTandem
PO BOX 82808
Lincoln, Nebraska 68501, United States
"The Right Way to Ask"
A man with leprosy knelt in front of Jesus. "If you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean," he said. (Mark 1:40)
Bold faith and humility.
"Freely Dead"
You have died with Christ, and he has set you free from the spiritual powers of this world. (Colossians 2:20)
What are you free from now?
"AgriCardio"
"'Plant the good seeds of righteousness,
and you will harvest a crop of love.
Plow up the hard ground of your hearts,
for now is the time to seek the Lord,
that he may come
and shower righteousness upon you.'" (Hosea 10:12)
How do our hearts get hard?
"Instead, Pray"
Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. (Philippians 4:6)
Why are prayer and thankfulness supposed to help cure worry?
Take an inventory of what God has given you. What are you thankful for?
"Hungry Moths"
"Don't store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be." (Matthew 6:19-21"
What is the meaning of the last sentence in this passage?
How do you "store up treasure in heaven"? What are the treasures you store up?
"Your Move"
Come close to God, and God will come close to you. (James 4:8)
What does it mean to come close to God?
"On That Day"
When he comes on that day, he will receive glory from his holy people--praise from all who believe. And this includes you, for you believed what we told you about him. (2 Thessalonians 1:10)
Do you get excited about praising God?
"Wide, Long, High and Deep"
And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. (Ephesians 3:18)
Start working on understanding this today.
"These Three Things"
Three things will last forever--faith, hope, and love--and the greatest of these is love. (1 Corinthians 13:13)
What is so powerful about love?
"The Message"
In those days John the Baptist came to the Judean wilderness and began preaching. His message was, "Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near." (Matthew 3:1-2)
Why is repentance necessary?
"What We Deserve"
He does not punish us for all our sins; he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve. (Psalm 103:10)
Is this surprising to you?
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