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 3:1-4 Lord, how my foes increase. There are many who attack me.
2 Many say about me, “There is no help for him in God.”Selah
3 But you, Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, and the one who lifts up my head.
4 I cry aloud to the Lord, and he answers me from his holy mountain.
Read the Entire Psalm
The Psalm opens with a difficult situation. The Psalmist has many foes. He is under attack. People are saying that God cannot help Him. But the Psalmist clings to His hope in God. The Psalmist cries out and God hears. Difficult circumstances do not indicate that God is not near. He is near. He is a shield. He cares. Thank Him and Praise Him for hearing and being near.
Scripture Reading
1 Corinthians 15:1-11 – Christian Standard Bible
15 Now I want to make clear for you, brothers and sisters, the gospel I preached to you, which you received, on which you have taken your stand 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold to the message I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I passed on to you as most important what I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve. 6 Then he appeared to over five hundred brothers and sisters at one time; most of them are still alive, but some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one born at the wrong time, he also appeared to me.
9 For I am the least of the apostles, not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. 11 Whether, then, it is I or they, so we proclaim and so you have believed.
Having God’s Ear through Prayer
- Express thanks 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 Isaac and Suzanne Micheals. Ask God to encourage guide them and strengthen them as they serve in Germany at Black Forest Academy.
Living as God’s People by applying the Bible
Scripture Reflection from the Sermon
Sunday, Jim’s passage was from 1 Corinthians 15:35-49, Which speaks about the nature of the resurrection body. The whole chapter is rich. It defines the Gospel by which we are saved. It’s the most comprehensive chapter on the resurrection of the body found in the Bible. It is filled with the living hope all believers possess. That said, it would be good for us to sit in Chapter 15 this week.
Here’s how we’ll do it this week: focusing on just one section at a time. We’ll use the Christian Standard Bible’s outline for the chapter; it breaks down nicely into 5 sections, one for each day.
Today we’ll reflect on how the resurrection is essential for the Gospel. Go to your Bible and read verses 1-11. Read it out loud slowly. As you read it, ask God to speak to you with his truth. You can read the passage now, and then come back.
Did you notice what Paul said was of the most importance? He said, “Christ died for our sins, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures… and that he was seen by many other witnesses to include himself.” (15:3-8)
Paul wants them, and us, to know without a doubt that Christ was raised permanently—forever. The resurrection of Jesus is essential to the Christian faith!
Before you close out your phone or your River app. Think about what Paul is passing along as most important. Why is this important for you? Are you following his example? Is it of most importance to you? If not, why? It would be best to settle this question before you go on with your day.