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 116:12-14 How can I repay the Lord for all the good he has done for me?
13 I will take the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord.
14 I will fulfill my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people.
Read the entire Psalm
Can you repay the Lord for all He has done? No. Take a moment now and begin to thank Him and praise Him for all the good He has done.
SCRIPTURE READING:
1 Peter 3:1-7 – Christian Standard Bible
Wives and Husbands
3 In the same way, wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, even if some disobey the word, they may be won over without a word by the way their wives live 2 when they observe your pure, reverent lives. 3 Don’t let your beauty consist of outward things like elaborate hairstyles and wearing gold jewelry or fine clothes, 4 but rather what is inside the heart[a]—the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. 5 For in the past, the holy women who put their hope in God also adorned themselves in this way, submitting to their own husbands, 6 just as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. You have become her children when you do what is good and do not fear any intimidation.
7 Husbands, in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with a weaker partner, showing them honor as coheirs of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.
Having God’s Ear through Prayer
- Express thanksgiving to God.
- 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 the student teams from OneLink that we will heading overseas this weekend.
Living as God’s People by applying the Bible
Scripture Reflection from the Sermon
Are you married? Then you have an important role and responsibility. You are to live like Christ in that role. You are not to live demanding your own rights, but you are to live in your marriage seeking to honor God. Consider for a moment all the times you have demanded your own rights in order to be happy. How has that turned out? Consider the times when you have intentionally put the interests of your spouse ahead of your own. It may have been difficult at the time, but how has it turned out in your “heart?” I suspect it was “hard and good.” God’s design for relationships often feels “hard/good.” When we do things our way, it often turns out to be “easy/bad.” If you are single, then you don’t have a role in a marriage relationship, but you have a role to play in the church. God has made you with a very specific gifting and calling. Each one, God’s word says, is to use whatever gift he has received to serve others, manifesting God’s grace in its various forms. Marriage relationships bring their own unique challenges and opportunities. Being single brings its own unique challenge and responsibility. Whether single or married, we have the same essential calling: bring glory to Christ by putting the interests of others ahead of our own.
Application: Are you jealous of someone else’s role, calling, or gifting? Do you daydream about what it would be like to have someone else’s life? Repent of this now. Give thanks to God for his calling in your life. Your capacity for joy in Christ is the same as anyone else’s. Discontent is an unnecessary barrier to joy.