ADORATION – Reflect on God’s Greatness
GOD IS WISE
All God’s acts are accomplished through His infinite wisdom. He always acts for our good, which is
to conform us to Christ. Our good and His glory are inextricably bound together.
Proverbs 3:19-20
By wisdom the Lord laid the earth’s foundations, by understanding he set the heavens in place;
by his knowledge the watery depths were divided, and the clouds let drop the dew.
Praise the Wise God
Praise Him because He is forever wise. Praise Him because His wisdom and goodness are bound together. Praise Him because in His wisdom, He is acting to make us like Christ.
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 those trafficked around the world and those caught in the sex trade. Ask God to rescue them. Pray that these people would know they are seen and loved by God.
SCRIPTURE READING:
Hebrews 13:15-25 – Christian Standard Bible
15 Therefore, through him let us continually offer up to God a sacrifice of praise, that is, the fruit of lips that confess his name. 16 Don’t neglect to do what is good and to share, for God is pleased with such sacrifices. 17 Obey your leaders and submit to them, since they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account, so that they can do this with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you. 18 Pray for us, for we are convinced that we have a clear conscience, wanting to conduct ourselves honorably in everything. 19 And I urge you all the more to pray that I may be restored to you very soon.
Benediction and Farewell
20 Now may the God of peace, who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus—the great Shepherd of the sheep—through the blood of the everlasting covenant, 21 equip you with everything good to do his will, working in us what is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
22 Brothers and sisters, I urge you to receive this message of exhortation, for I have written to you briefly. 23 Be aware that our brother Timothy has been released. If he comes soon enough, he will be with me when I see you. 24 Greet all your leaders and all the saints. Those who are from Italy send you greetings. 25 Grace be with you all.
SCRIPTURE REFLECTION:
The letter to the Hebrews ends with some “logistical stuff.” What do we learn from this? We see that God has inspired the author of this letter to write about great theological truth. He has taken us back to the Old Testament times, upwards into heaven and eternity. He has given us challenging and deep things to contemplate, many “head, heart, hands” things to put into our lives. Now at the end there is no “hard stop” and then a transition to the “real world” of planning and logistics. The letter flows seamlessly from theology to reality… actually, from reality to reality. There is no distinction between the great truths of God and salvation and the day-to-day applications of human life. All of reality is both “theological truth” and “practical.” Think of how the things we have studied in the book of Hebrews apply to your life as it is today. How does the reality of what God has done in Christ impact your physical body, your work, your anxiety, your bank account, your struggles with your thought life, your parenting, and your friendships? I could go and on, but I won’t…but you must. You must apply the truth of the gospel to your life in every aspect. There is NO “upstairs” of spiritual stuff and “downstairs” of real-world stuff. Your life must be a single story “house,” a house built on the foundation of the gospel, and a house where Christ is Lord of all.