ADORATION – Reflect on God’s Greatness
God is a Trinity
God exists as three persons, yet he is one being. Each person of the Trinity—the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—has a separate identity while yet possessing the full nature of God.
Genesis 1:26 Let US make man in OUR own image.
Matthew 28:19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (In this passage each person of the Trinity is given equal authority. Even though the word trinity is never used in the bible, it is implied here.)
Praise the Triune God
Praise the God who is love. He could not be loving if the trinity were false. Praise the God who is perfect and complete. Praise the God who enjoys endless relationship. Praise the Son who took on the human flesh to be our substitute on the cross. Praise the Holy Spirit for his work to convict of sin and reveal the truth.
CONFESSION: Confess your sins to God and receive his continued mercy.
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9
THANKSGIVING: Giving thanks to God for his specific blessings in our lives.
“Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.” Psalm 100
SUPPLICATION: Bringing our requests to God.
- Bring your personal prayer requests to God.
- Pray for God’s help to build trust relationships with non-believers.
- Ask God for opportunities to have gospel conversations with your non-believing friends.
SCRIPTURE READING:
2 Corinthians 10 New Living Translation
Paul Defends His Authority
10 Now I, Paul, appeal to you with the gentleness and kindness of Christ—though I realize you think I am timid in person and bold only when I write from far away. 2 Well, I am begging you now so that when I come I won’t have to be bold with those who think we act from human motives.
3 We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do. 4 We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. 5 We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ. 6 And after you have become fully obedient, we will punish everyone who remains disobedient.
7 Look at the obvious facts. Those who say they belong to Christ must recognize that we belong to Christ as much as they do. 8 I may seem to be boasting too much about the authority given to us by the Lord. But our authority builds you up; it doesn’t tear you down. So I will not be ashamed of using my authority.
9 I’m not trying to frighten you by my letters. 10 For some say, “Paul’s letters are demanding and forceful, but in person he is weak, and his speeches are worthless!” 11 Those people should realize that our actions when we arrive in person will be as forceful as what we say in our letters from far away.
12 Oh, don’t worry; we wouldn’t dare say that we are as wonderful as these other men who tell you how important they are! But they are only comparing themselves with each other, using themselves as the standard of measurement. How ignorant!
13 We will not boast about things done outside our area of authority. We will boast only about what has happened within the boundaries of the work God has given us, which includes our working with you. 14 We are not reaching beyond these boundaries when we claim authority over you, as if we had never visited you. For we were the first to travel all the way to Corinth with the Good News of Christ.
15 Nor do we boast and claim credit for the work someone else has done. Instead, we hope that your faith will grow so that the boundaries of our work among you will be extended. 16 Then we will be able to go and preach the Good News in other places far beyond you, where no one else is working. Then there will be no question of our boasting about work done in someone else’s territory. 17 As the Scriptures say, “If you want to boast, boast only about the Lord.”
18 When people commend themselves, it doesn’t count for much. The important thing is for the Lord to commend them.
SCRIPTURE REFLECTION:
7 You are judging by appearances. 2 Cor. 10:1 NIV
Paul’s opponents didn’t think Paul was much to look at. He wasn’t very impressive. They felt he boasted too much and that he was a pushover, that he was two-faced.
You know it’s said that Paul was a short man with a bald head and bandy legs, a hooked nose, and a unibrow; a poor speaker who suffered from fevers and an illness. Compared with the new-style apostles, Paul is a poor advertisement for ‘new life in Christ!’
What a crazy thing to say about Paul, the man God would use to write 13 letters of the New Testament! A man who would go down as one of the most influential men in all of history. They were ready to write Paul off because he didn’t look the part; he didn’t have a commanding presence.
Judging by appearances is wrong and it’s way above our paygrade! The minute you feel yourself start to judge someone else’s heart, ask God for help. Therefore, let us not look only at outward things, but as much as possible, let us look at inner things. Let us consider others’ motives, their purposes, and their desires. If we do this, we’ll understand better why someone does the things they do. We won’t be quite so ready to judge them.