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 fellowship. 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 Isaac and Suzanne. Ask God to encourage them and strengthen them when as they serve at Black Forest Academy in Germany.
SCRIPTURE READING:
James 4:11-17 – New International Version
11 Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. 12 There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?
Boasting About Tomorrow
13 Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” 14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. 15 Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” 16 As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil. 17 If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.
SCRIPTURE REFLECTION:
You can probably think of someone who rarely, if ever, has something bad to say about others. This person stands out because they are so unique. It’s unusual to find a person who doesn’t have negative things to say about others. Of course, there are times when judgment must be made about someone’s actions. It could be a child, an employee, or someone committing a crime. If we are honest, we easily know the difference between the kind of judgment that is appropriate and the inappropriate kind that James is referring to. I would like you to consider the great opportunity available to you. You probably won’t make the news if you take advantage of this opportunity, but you will become a person who is unique in the world. The opportunity is to leash your tongue to Christ such that you do not wrongly speak ill of others. This will cause you to stand out, not for personal glory, but for the good of others and the glory of God. What do you think? Would you like to become this kind of person? I hope so because God is all for it and he will help you move this direction. Now, it only remains for you to be all for it as well.