"Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Messiah." Immediate Change in Direction, Purpose, and MissionYesterday, in Acts 9:3-6 we see Christ’s confrontation of Paul, today we move just a few verses ahead to Acts 9:20-22 and see that there was an immediate change in Paul. (If you haven't had a chance to yet, please read the above chapters.) He didn’t immediately start loving Jesus and working on his own life, cleaning shop and getting things organized in order to recover from his past. No, Paul got up and started preaching. He took to the streets and to the Synagogue; the very places he had been seen persecuting the church just a short time before. The people were puzzled, wondering, "wasn’t this the man who was determined to destroy the church and its people?" By verse 22 we see that Paul’s immediate change in direction, purpose, and mission led to an undeniable understanding that Jesus is the Christ. How long are you going to “clean up your own house” before you allow Christ to make an immediate change in your life? Your past doesn’t have to be pretty, you don’t have to be all put together to let Christ change you and use you to change the world. Time to dig in! Click HERE To download the Scripture overview, Study Guide, and Memory Verse Cards. This Devotional written by Lindsey. Focus on this today: "Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Messiah."
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WHAT'S YOUR STORY? SEPTEMBER WEEK #2: OUR PAST HAS DEVELOPED US, BUT IT DOES NOT DEFINE US.9/8/2014 What Grievous acts are in your past? What has convinced you that you must be defined by your past forever?"Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past." When facing the reality of a turbulent and not-so-pretty-looking past it's easy as Christians to do one of two things. First, push our past into the deepest and smallest crevice of our lives as possible and “forget” about it or second, we convince ourselves that this past defines who we will forever be and remain trapped by the sin that Jesus has already set us free from. Neither of these tactics is beneficial and both leave us far from the amazing blessings God has in store. This week we will be delving into the latter of those two approaches. You see, it's time that Christian women start to understand and proclaim that Their Past Has Developed Them, but It Will Not Define Them! I have found over the years that Paul is an excellent example of how to live that statement. Paul was a man who defied and condemned Christianity. He was a man who persecuted Christ, but went on to develop a testimony that is a large part of why you and I can know Jesus now. Today we will be looking at Paul’s past, we will be delving into his sin-filled life style, and we will be comparing his past to our own. Let’s start with today's verses: Read Acts 8:1-3 and 9:3-6. Our first set of verses tells us how Paul approved of the stoning of Stephen. Stephen was a man of the Lord who provided his accusers with a beautiful account of God’s plan. He was a man who was already seeing the gates of Heaven opened for him before he ever took his last breath. The horror doesn’t stop there though. As we read on, we get the sense that Stephen was not Paul’s first victim of persecution and he wouldn’t be the last. He committed men and women to prison often and with the example of Stephen’s persecution I’m sure we can draw some conclusions as to what that meant for each of them. Our second set of verses allows us to hear the words of Jesus to Paul. He plainly asks Paul (then known as Saul), “Why are you persecuting me?” I don’t know about you, but I have not personally been the cause of death for people who believed in Christ. I also have never been so horribly buried in my sin that Jesus, Himself, would need to appear to me in a blinding light and ask me why I am persecuting Him. Sure I have made some hefty mistakes. My life’s history does not look like a pretty Christian package, tied up with ribbon, but it also doesn’t seem anywhere near as grim as the past that Paul created for himself. My question for you today is, what grievous things are in your past? What are you holding onto that has convinced you that you must forever be defined as who you were in your past? If Paul could go on to grasp the "developed by" vs "defined by" concept while toting the past that he had then so too should we be able to change the perspective we hold of our own stories. Dear Jesus, open our hearts to his beautiful and God-given concept that we are not defined by our past. Help us to see that our past is no longer our identity as that can all come from you now. Guide us in discerning the difference between using our past to tell your story and allowing our past to control us. We ask all of this in your precious name Jesus, Amen. Time to dig in! Below you will find the scripture overview, Study Guide and memory verse cards for this week. This devotional written by Lindsey. Focus on this today: "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past." "Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony." Throughout the Bible we see God using common, ordinary people to do His work. Noah was ridiculed, Jonah ran away, David, was a shepherd boy, and Rahab was a prostitute. Moses didn't speak well, yet freed the Israelites from Pharaoh and led them to The Promised Land. And perhaps most unlikely--Saul the Christian killer--who later became Paul, one of the greatest men of faith. This week we met the Samaritan woman, or the Woman at the Well as she is also known. We don't learn her name, but I believe Jesus knew it. I believe He knew it and said it often as He was speaking to her under the scorching sun so many years ago by the well in Sychar. I believe He looked her in the eyes, as was against the Jewish custom then, and spoke to her with dignity and respect--in a way she would never have been spoken to in the best of times, let alone with a past as blighted as hers. If you have not already, read John 4:1-42 Jesus was alone. His Disciples had gone into town. That gave Jesus the perfect opportunity to meet with this woman without scrutiny and without fear of being judged by others. Whether her previous 5 husbands had all perished, as was not totally uncommon in those days due to war and disease, we know for sure she was living with a man who was not her husband. She tried to deflect His command to go get her husband because she knew she was living in sin. Jesus did what we see God do so often through the Bible...He brought to light who she really was. All that she tried to hide in darkness with half-truths and cunning turns of phrase, He acknowledged truthfully. He laid it bare. And then He told her all about who He was. And this is where the story gets good. Jesus met this woman right where she was. He used the opportunity to talk about one thing--water--and relate it to something else, something deeper. It was so like Jesus to use a lesser truth to point out a greater one. When we drink, we become thirsty again. Our thirst will never be quenched forever with one sip. But when we seek God to fill our "thirst" we will be filled. Could it be that Jesus was gently pointing out to this woman that she was trying to fill her need...her thirst...with one man after another and never succeeding? And was He pointing out that until she seeks God--the Living Water-- that she will continue to thirst? And look what happened when she shared her testimony with others: "Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, 'He told me everything I ever did.' So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. And because of his words many more became believers. They said to the woman, 'We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.'" John 4:39-42. Many believed. Whether you have a past like that of this woman or you've lived a very quiet life, you still have a testimony. Our stories...our lives and our need for Jesus...are our testimonies. Telling our stories is invaluable because it's not really about us. It's about how God has brought us through our experiences. It's about sharing with others who God is and how He loves us. We all fall short and we all need a Savior. Telling our stories and showing God's strength in our weaknesses is what we are called to do. Let's tell our stories. Let's shine a light on Christ's grace and redemption by sharing how He has worked in our own lives. And when we do, others will believe and recognize their own stories. Time to dig in! If you have not already, please click HERE and start at the beginning of this Devotional. You can download the scripture overview, the study guide and the memory verse cards. This devotional was written by Mandy. Focus on this today: "Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony." "I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest." It's a hot day. The sun is directly overhead. The woman, shamed and embarrassed by her sordid past, lumbers to the well, desperate for a drink. She is accustomed to doing this at this awful time of day so as to avoid crowds and any who would point their finger, wrinkle their nose or spit in her direction. As she approaches the well and prepares to lower her pitcher, she can almost feel the refreshing coolness of the water hit her lips. Her thoughts are interrupted by a Jewish man asking her for water. She looks over her shoulder, wondering who must be standing behind her, when she realizes he was addressing her! What is this?! A Jew speaking to her, a Samaritan? And a woman, no less! She instinctively grabbed at the front of her linen dress and asked the man why he dared talk to her. The words he spoke had all the power of a sand storm and nearly knocked her over. Her breath left her. Her heart raced. Could He be serious, this man who spoke with such authority? This man who knew her every move and all the things she had done in her life? This Jew who told her that He was the Messiah? She ran, tripping and falling, so eager was she to get back to her home and tell everyone what had just happened to her. She ran with such haste that she left her pitcher behind. In John 4:1-42 we get to be the proverbial fly on the wall as Jesus speaks to the Samaritan woman at the well. We listen as she admonishes him for speaking to her, as was not the custom. We watch her become defensive as he acknowledges that she hasn't told Him the truth about her husband. We listen as He tells her that what she wants and what she so desperately needs is here right now and available, right in front of her. After Jesus tells her that He is living water, and that God is looking at how people worship Him, not so much where, He says in John 4:35, "I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest." He commissioned her on the spot. There was barely a moment in between His reciting her scandalous past and His sending her back to be a missionary to her own people--the very people who ridiculed her. In one sentence, He motivated, empowered, and endorsed her as the perfect person--more than qualified--to reach others and lead them to the Lord. There was no exhaustive interviewing process. No hoops to jump through. No references phoned. No cover letter and resume. No lofty bar set so high that she would never be able to attain it. Jesus, the Son of God. The Messiah. The Savior of the world. Instead of continuously reminding her of all she had done wrong and who she was, He reminded her of who He was. And then told her to go tell everyone. Look around you. Just as Jesus told the Samaritan woman, He's whispering to you: the fields are ripe for the harvest. Don't stop to second-guess. Don't pre-qualify. Regardless of your past or of how unqualified you may feel, share the love and mercy of Jesus with others. Jesus didn't choose perfect people to be His Disciples. He choose flawed, broken, ordinary individuals to be living examples of God's grace. Individuals just like you and me. Time to dig in! If you have not been reading along with us, please click HERE to start at the beginning and to download the Scripture Overview, the Study Guide and the Memory Verse Cards. This devotional written by Mandy. Focus on this today: "I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest." "God is spirit and his worshipers must worship him in spirit and in truth." Yesterday, we met the Samaritan woman at the well. If you haven't had a chance to read yesterday's devotional, please read John 4:1-42. Jesus rested from His travels in a town of Samaria called Sychar (at the well that Jacob had given Joseph). A woman came during the hottest part of the day to collect water. Jesus asked her for some water and she immediately called Him out for going against culture because He (a Jew) spoke to her (a Samaritan woman.) The conversation that took place was only a few verses long, but hold Texas-sized importance. Jesus asked the woman, "Go, call your husband and come back." The woman dodged the command and answered with a half-truth, "I have no husband." Jesus pointed out her half-truth by acknowledging that He knew her past and her current situation. "You are right when you say you have no husband. The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true." Again, the woman deflects by telling Jesus she can tell He is a Prophet. I like the way the Message version puts it: "Oh, so you’re a prophet! Well, tell me this: Our ancestors worshiped God at this mountain, but you Jews insist that Jerusalem is the only place for worship, right?" I hear sarcasm in her voice. I can't help but feel she is trying to set Him up with that leading question. Jesus answered: "God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth" Okay...what on earth does that mean?? Again, I looked up the Message version: “It’s who you are and the way you live that count before God. Your worship must engage your spirit in the pursuit of truth. That’s the kind of people the Father is out looking for: those who are simply and honestly themselves before him in their worship. God is sheer being itself—Spirit. Those who worship him must do it out of their very being, their spirits, their true selves, in adoration.” John 4:20-25, MSG Suddenly, it made so much more sense...the deflections of the woman, the half-truths, her questioning Him about something seemingly unrelated...I would hazard a guess that she was responding out of a defensive nature, ready for His sharp condemnation of her past and current living conditions. She was most likely no stranger to condemnation and hostility. But Jesus met her right where she was. Instead of being "tripped up" by her question of where the "correct" place was to worship, He explained that how she was to worship is what God looks at. This woman, who was perhaps lying to herself as much as Jesus (and who knows who else she encountered on a daily basis), to avoid shame and ridicule, had her eyes opened to the necessity to stop lying about who she was. In order to worship God in Spirit and in Truth, we must be blatantly honest with God...and with ourselves. Is there something in your life that you aren't being honest about? Is there something that you need to own up to before God or even to yourself? If you notice, Jesus didn't offer one bit of condemnation to her about her infidelity, her many husbands, or her sin. He simply offered her the way to truly connect with God. He will do the same for us when we go to Him and ask Him to reveal any areas of our lives where we aren't being completely honest. It's God's desire to know us on a personal, intimate level. He wants for us to hide nothing from Him. Because, truly, there is nothing we can hide from Him anyway. If you have not already downloaded the Scripture overview and Study Guide from yesterday, you can do so HERE. These are simple items to help reinforce what we're learning and to aid in scripture memorization. This devotional written by Mandy. Focus on this today: "God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth." What's Your Story? Week #1 Your past has a purpose, each experience becomes a part of Your testimony9/1/2014 "Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks." What's Your Story? Simply put, your story is your life. From the moment you were born, all the way up to this very moment and all the good, bad, wonderful, dreadful, happy, sad and mundane things in between. All your memories and life experiences make up who you are and they also make up your story. A friend of mine likes to say that God is an amazing story teller. Looking at John, chapter 4, we see the Samaritan woman at the well. Oh how I identify with her! My own story resembles her so much. It's a hot, hot day at noon. She probably labored as she walked to the well to get water. I recently heard it suggested that she traveled to the well at that time of day--the hottest time--to avoid others who may ridicule her for her lifestyle. Instead of water, she found Jesus. And in reading this chapter in the Bible, I just want to fall at His feet and weep tears of joy and forgiven-ness. Read John 4:1-42. Focus today on this: "Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks." John 4:23 Okay, time to dig in! You will find below this week's Scripture overview and a 2-page study guide as well as the scripture memory verses. All of these items are sized to be printed out .The scripture memory verses can be adhered to a 3.5 x 5 sized index card to carry them with you and flip through them throughout your day. Psalm 119:11 says, "I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you." Memorizing God's Word will strengthen your faith and present scripture to fall back on when you need it. This devotional written by Mandy. |
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