2 Peter 1:3 God’s power has given us everything we need for life and godliness, through our knowing the One who called us to his own glory and goodness. 4 By these he has given us valuable and superlatively great promises, so that through them you might come to share in God’s nature and escape the corruption which evil desires have brought into the world.
5 For this very reason, try your hardest to furnish your faith with goodness, goodness with knowledge, 6 knowledge with self-control, self-control with perseverance, perseverance with godliness, 7 godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. 8 For if you have these qualities in abundance, they keep you from being barren and unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah.
-------
Peter said that God’s forgiveness and divine love give us the inner power we need to escape the world’s immorality. Verses 5-7 listed the positive virtues God offers us. Let God build these things into your life, Peter said. They will bring you a good life, shielding you from an “inactive and unfruitful” existence.
• Peter made the sweeping claim that God “has given us everything we need for life and
godliness.” Have you ever felt that “I could live my life with God if only God would
___________?” Which of the qualities Peter listed in verses 5-7 do you long for the most? How can you more completely open yourself to God’s spiritual power to add these things to your life?
• Peter called on us to have these positive qualities “growing in you.” Which of these qualities do you find already present in your life? Thank God for them! Then ask God to guide you to see clearly which of the qualities are missing, or not growing. As you become aware of those places, work with God to grow an increasing measure of that virtue, making your life ever better.
Prayer: O God, please add your divine power to my efforts, so that my life may continually grow in the positive qualities that you have promised will give me the truly good life. Amen.
-------
Insights from Brandon Gregory
5 For this very reason, try your hardest to furnish your faith with goodness, goodness with knowledge, 6 knowledge with self-control, self-control with perseverance, perseverance with godliness, 7 godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. 8 For if you have these qualities in abundance, they keep you from being barren and unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah.
-------
Peter said that God’s forgiveness and divine love give us the inner power we need to escape the world’s immorality. Verses 5-7 listed the positive virtues God offers us. Let God build these things into your life, Peter said. They will bring you a good life, shielding you from an “inactive and unfruitful” existence.
• Peter made the sweeping claim that God “has given us everything we need for life and
godliness.” Have you ever felt that “I could live my life with God if only God would
___________?” Which of the qualities Peter listed in verses 5-7 do you long for the most? How can you more completely open yourself to God’s spiritual power to add these things to your life?
• Peter called on us to have these positive qualities “growing in you.” Which of these qualities do you find already present in your life? Thank God for them! Then ask God to guide you to see clearly which of the qualities are missing, or not growing. As you become aware of those places, work with God to grow an increasing measure of that virtue, making your life ever better.
Prayer: O God, please add your divine power to my efforts, so that my life may continually grow in the positive qualities that you have promised will give me the truly good life. Amen.
-------
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.In today’s passage (2 Peter 1:3-8), Peter sets up a hierarchy of holiness for us to aspire to:
- Faith
- Moral Excellence
- Knowledge
- Self Control
- Endurance
- Godliness
- Affection for Others
- Love
The problem I see far too often is that a lot of Christians are content to stop after step 2. There’s a lot of ugly rhetoric (particularly from many politically-minded believers on both sides) around getting everyone to behave with more moral excellence. Christians, as a group, seem to have taken on the responsibility of enforcing moral excellence in our country. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing–so long as it’s then followed by knowledge, self control, and all the rest.
Imagine if Christians were as zealous about inspiring others toward knowledge and self control as they were toward moral excellence. How would our country and the world be different if we were constantly pushing for these things? Now imagine if the ultimate goal Christians had was increasing affection for others and love in the world around us. What if our end goals, as a group, were acceptance and understanding?
If we changed our goals and agendas according to Peter’s hierarchy, I think the world would look different; but I think the political discussions I’m seeing daily on my social media feeds would look very different. We’re not likely to be done with political discussions, or any tough discussions, any time soon, so remember to add to these conversations knowledge, then self control, then everything up until our conversations are overflowing with love. It’s only then that we’ll see our true potential in chasing after God, and others will see it too.-------
"Giving with joy and gratitude for what God gives us"
Wednesday, 26 October 2016
2 Corinthians 9:5 So I thought it necessary to urge these brothers to go on to you ahead of me and prepare your promised gift in plenty of time; this way it will be ready when I come and will be a genuine gift, not something extracted by pressure.
6 Here’s the point: he who plants sparingly also harvests sparingly. 7 Each should give according to what he has decided in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.[2 Corinthians 9:7 Proverbs 22:8 (Septuagint)] 8 Moreover, God has the power to provide you with every gracious gift in abundance, so that always in every way you will have all you need yourselves and be able to provide abundantly for every good cause — 9 as the Tanakh says,
“He gave generously to the poor;
his tzedakah lasts forever.”[2 Corinthians 9:9 Psalm 112:9]
10 He who provides both seed for the planter and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed and increase the harvest of your tzedakah. 11 You will be enriched in every way, so that you can be generous in everything. And through us your generosity will cause people to thank God, 12 because rendering this holy service not only provides for the needs of God’s people, but it also overflows in the many thanks people will be giving to God. 13 In offering this service you prove to these people that you glorify God by actually doing what your acknowledgement of the Good News of the Messiah requires, namely, sharing generously with them and with everyone. 14 And in their prayers for you they will feel a strong affection for you because of how gracious God has been to you. 15 Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!
-------
The apostle Paul was gathering funds from Gentile believers, in Corinth and elsewhere, to take to Jerusalem, where the Christian community was impoverished and suffering. That traveling Christian preacher (who had, as far as we know, no real estate, life insurance or retirement plan) wrote: “God has the power to provide you with more than enough of every kind of grace”! That heartfelt exclamation gave us a look at the heart of a man focused on what he did have
much more than on what he did not have. It gave us reason to think about how he defined
“more than enough.”
• God-given love, the apostle said, leads all believers to care about each other. He told
Christians in Corinth that the Jerusalem believers “will also pray for you, and they will care deeply for you.” He saw giving not as just a material act, but as a two-way street even if it took different forms. What helps you to think of your giving, whether you are able to give much or little, as participation in the life of God’s big family, not just another bill to pay?
• Paul did not invent the idea that God’s people should give freely without pressure (whether in money or in time, talent and encouragement). In Exodus 25:2, the call for offerings to build a desert sanctuary was “Receive my gift offerings from everyone who freely wants to give.” What reasons would God have for wanting us to give from free, grateful hearts without coercion or pressure? When have you felt the joy of giving freely from a grateful heart filled with love?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, guide my heart. Help my gratitude for your “outstanding grace” to overflow in my giving of whatever funds, time and talents I’ve received from your hand. Amen.
-------
-------
"Loving one another"
Thursday, 27 October 2016
Romans 12:5 so there are many of us, and in union with the Messiah we comprise one body, with each of us belonging to the others. 6 But we have gifts that differ and which are meant to be used according to the grace that has been given to us. If your gift is prophecy, use it to the extent of your trust; 7 if it is serving, use it to serve; if you are a teacher, use your gift in teaching; 8 if you are a counselor, use your gift to comfort and exhort; if you are someone who gives, do it simply and generously; if you are in a position of leadership, lead with diligence and zeal; if you are one who does acts of mercy, do them cheerfully.
9 Don’t let love be a mere outward show. Recoil from what is evil, and cling to what is good. 10 Love each other devotedly and with brotherly love; and set examples for each other in showing respect.
13:8 Don’t owe anyone anything — except to love one another; for whoever loves his fellow human being has fulfilled Torah.
-------
We know, as a matter of history, that there were no Christian church buildings in Rome when Paul wrote this letter to the Christians there. We also know, from the content of his letter, that disputes over how to live out their faith divided Roman Christians (cf. Romans 14:1-10). Even without impressive buildings, Paul believed that building stronger relationships could make them stand out in that cutthroat city: “Be the best at showing honor to each other.”
• For Paul, loving others was not just something to be done with gritted teeth. “Whoever loves another person has fulfilled the Law,” said the former Pharisee, who once thought of the Law very differently (cf. Philippians 3:4-7). Honest love (“without pretending”) reshapes our life, and fills it with meaning and joy. When have you found in your own life, and in the lives of people you know well, how genuinely loving people makes all of life better?
• John Wesley, Methodism’s founder, asked in one of his best-known sermons, "Though we
cannot think alike, may we not love alike? May we not be of one heart, though we are not of one opinion?” Who has lovingly helped you in your personal journey to "know, love, and
serve God," without trying to make your journey into a clone of their own? How can you best extend that same kind of supportive, generous love to others?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, sometimes it seems so much easier to pretend to love certain other
people than to genuinely love them. Teach me that “pretend” love impoverishes my life, and
keep leading me to your kind of genuine love. Amen.
-------
-------
"Love—'the perfect bond of unity'”
Friday, 28 October 2016
Colossians 3:9 Never lie to one another; because you have stripped away the old self, with its ways, 10 and have put on the new self, which is continually being renewed in fuller and fuller knowledge, closer and closer to the image of its Creator. 11 The new self allows no room for discriminating between Gentile and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, foreigner, savage, slave, free man; on the contrary, in all, the Messiah is everything.
12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with feelings of compassion and with kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with one another; if anyone has a complaint against someone else, forgive him. Indeed, just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you must forgive.
14 Above all these, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together perfectly; 15 and let the shalom which comes from the Messiah be your heart’s decision-maker, for this is why you were called to be part of a single Body.
And be thankful — 16 let the Word of the Messiah, in all its richness, live in you, as you teach and counsel each other in all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude to God in your hearts.
-------
God offers us a new nature that changes the ways we relate for the better. God can help us relate to all the people we worship with, rub elbows with, see at the market or pass as we walk the dog with “compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.” This letter calls us to forgive one another the same way God has forgiven us. That may be hard when you need to forgive someone else—but what a blessing it is when someone else extends that treatment to you!
• This is pretty radical language: take off the “old human nature,” put on a “new nature.” Can you see elements of your “old nature” that you and God are in the process of “taking off”? Which of the beautiful “new nature” qualities named in these verses do you see thriving? Which ones do you want to ask God to grow in your life in the next six months?
• “Autoimmune” diseases happen when our body “turns against” itself. They can cause a
great deal of suffering. Colossians said we need to live in peace because we are members
of one body, the body of Christ. What steps can you take to make sure you aren’t the
source of any “autoimmune” problems in Christ’s body?
Prayer: Holy Spirit, I’ve learned the hard way that even when I manage to change an outward behavior, too often the inner struggle remains. Keep changing and growing me from the inside out. Amen.
-------
-------
"Living in love—the good life at all times"
Saturday, 29 October 2016
1 John 4:7 Beloved friends, let us love one another; because love is from God; and everyone who loves has God as his Father and knows God. 8 Those who do not love, do not know God; because God is love. 9 Here is how God showed his love among us: God sent his only Son into the world, so that through him we might have life. 10 Here is what love is: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the kapparah for our sins.
11 Beloved friends, if this is how God loved us, we likewise ought to love one another.
2 Corinthians 4:8 We have all kinds of troubles, but we are not crushed; we are perplexed, yet not in despair; 9 persecuted, yet not abandoned; knocked down, yet not destroyed.
-------
Loving God and other people is much more than just being “nice.” Loving one another (both in giving and receiving) aligns us, like nothing else, with the heart of the God of the universe. God loves us, John wrote—and that is the reason that we can love God and one another. The apostle Paul drew on a theme from Scripture passages like Psalm 13:5-6 and Psalm 40:1-2. God’s loving presence, he affirmed, makes it possible for us to experience the good life even amid circumstances which, from a human perspective alone, might look like a terrible life.
• Most of us know the words: “God is love.” But are there life experiences and inner
messages that make it hard for you to rely on God’s love? In what ways do you perceive
and experience God as loving? What helps you trust God’s love more? Which people do
you find it hardest to love as God loves them? In what ways has God’s love, and the love of other people you know, helped you to keep living the good life even at times of trouble, confusion, harassment or being knocked down by life?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, you are the ultimate source of love, and the awe-inspiring model who shows me the lengths to which love went to reach me. Keep growing my ability to love you and others, to lead the truly good life in all circumstances. Amen.
Family Activity: Read Luke 21:1-4[Luke 21:1 Then Yeshua looked up, and as he watched the rich placing their gifts into the Temple offering-boxes, 2 he also saw a poor widow put in two small coins. 3 He said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put in more than all the others. 4 For they, out of their wealth, have contributed money they could easily spare; but she, out of her poverty, has given all she had to live on.”]. Discuss how the widow gave all she had, and that even though people didn’t view it as much, God viewed her heart and saw her giving everything she had! Over the next few weeks, become more of a giving family. Select a container to be used as a “Kindness Counts” collection spot. Let your children know that every time you hear them say, “Thank you!” or each time they are kind to someone else, you will place a coin in the container. Each week, use half the collected change for a fun family treat and give the other half to church or to missions. Thank God for the opportunity to give.
-------
-------
Prayer Requests – cor.org/prayer
Prayers for Peace & Comfort for:
Prayer Requests – request cards are in the attendance notebooks or visit cor.org/prayer
Prayers for Peace & Comfort for:
• Claudia Fuleihan and family on the death of her father Alberto Castelblanco, 10/18
• Brenda Ludeen and family on the death of her father Ron Halverson, 10/16
• Charlene Perry and family on the death of her father Raymond Karel, 10/14
• Don Lewis and family on the death of his wife Nancy Lewis, 10/12
• Chris Hammond and family on the death of his mother Yosene Hammond, 10/11
• Larry Anderson and family on the death of his father John Anderson, 10/11
• Sue Spencer and family on the death of her mother Martha Thimmel, 10/11
-------
Download the GPS App
The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
13720 Roe Avenue
Leawood, Kansas 66224, United States
913.897.0120
-------
No comments:
Post a Comment