Hearing God’s Voice from His Word
James 4:8 says, “Come near to God and he will come near to you.”
Take a moment and turn your attention to God. Tell God that you desire to trust and obey Him. Ask God to speak to you from His word.
Psalm of the Day
Psalm 129:1-4 “They have greatly oppressed me from my youth,” let Israel say; “they have greatly oppressed me from my youth, but they have not gained the victory over me. Plowmen have plowed my back and made their furrows long. But the Lord is righteous; he has cut me free from the cords of the wicked.”
Read the entire Psalm
The Lord is Righteous. Do you feel oppressed? Have you been mistreated? Can you like the author of this Psalm, rest in the Lord’s righteousness? He is righteous. He will treat all with perfect rightness and justice. Trust today in the Lord, because he is righteous.
Scripture Reading
Joshua 24:14-18 – English Standard Version
14 “Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. 15 And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
16 Then the people answered, “Far be it from us that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods, 17 for it is the Lord our God who brought us and our fathers up from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, and who did those great signs in our sight and preserved us in all the way that we went, and among all the peoples through whom we passed. 18 And the Lord drove out before us all the peoples, the Amorites who lived in the land. Therefore we also will serve the Lord, for he is our God.”
Having God’s Ear through Prayer
- Give thanks to God for His gifts and His goodness.
- Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal sin to you.
- Confess your sin to Him and receive forgiveness.
(1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sin He is faithful and just and will forgive our sins.”) - Bring your personal requests to God.
(Psalm 62:8 “Pour out your heart before God”) - Pray for someone in your small group.
- Join with others from River and pray for Youth Horizons. Ask God to guide their work at the Wren Home for girls. Pray that God would strengthen that program and use it to introduce girls to Christ.
Living as God’s People by applying the Bible
Scripture Reflection from the Sermon
Biblical baptism is immersion after conversion. There are many views out there regarding baptism as to both its meaning and mode. Its meaning in Scripture is to signify new life in Christ. We have spiritually died to sin and have been raised in newness of life in Christ. Baptism is a picture of that reality. As to its mode, it is to be by immersion in water. The word itself means literally to “dip” or “immerse.” The way it was done in Scripture was by immersion in water. Why did God institute this ordinance of Baptism? The best answer is that he thought it was a good idea. Perhaps because we are physical/spiritual hybrids, the act of going under the water is intended to fix in our minds, through a physical act, what God has done for us in our salvation. It is also tied to public testimony. It is our chance to declare Jesus as Lord and to proclaim his new life in us through a physical act. Commitments have three parts to them. We make a commitment, we mark a commitment, and we mature a commitment. Wedding vows are the making of a covenant commitment, the ceremony and ring mark that commitment, and the marriage itself is the long process of maturing that commitment. When we are born again, we make a commitment to Christ. In our baptism we mark that commitment. Now, as we walk with Christ in our sanctification, we mature our commitment. If you are a Christian, and you have not been baptized, you should do so as soon as possible. If you have made and marked your commitment, then take seriously your need to mature that commitment. Maybe you didn’t understand what was happening when you were baptized; that’s okay. You understand more now…think back to going under the water and raising to walk in newness of life. It is even more precious to realize that when we didn’t fully know all of what it meant, God knew. Now we can grow in our appreciation for what he has done for us.