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 141:1-2 O Lord, I call upon you; hasten to me! Give ear to my voice when I call to you!
2 Let my prayer be counted as incense before you, and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice!
Incense is not part of our religious worship experience. Think about your prayers as incense, not in the sense that they rise up to God and smell a certain way, but that your prayers are real tangible thoughts that come before God. Just like smoke from burning incense fills a room, your prayers are not just empty thoughts. They are real and they come before the real God who is measureless and can receive and respond to the prayers of many. Speak to Him. He want to hear from you.
Scripture Reading
2 Peter 3:1-11 – New International Version
3 Dear friends, this is now my second letter to you. I have written both of them as reminders to stimulate you to wholesome thinking. 2 I want you to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the command given by our Lord and Savior through your apostles.
3 Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. 4 They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.” 5 But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water. 6 By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. 7 By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.
8 But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.
11 Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives
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. Ask God to provide for them financially and to help them as they prepare for the coming school year in Germany.
Living as God’s People by applying the Bible
Scripture Reflection from the Sermon
Most of the time we don’t need new information, we need restored passion and practice for what we already know. When we lose “steam” in our lives, we tend to go looking for something new. When our jobs, hobbies, habits, churches, and relationships become “boring,” we think the solution is something new. It’s not hard to see this at work, in your own life or in the lives of others. There is also little doubt that this tendency is growing. There are probably a host of factors that help energize this growing discontent. Things like the internet, the loss of biblical foundations, etc. The factors driving modern “boredom” and the search for the “new” is a larger issue and is widely debated. The solution, in my opinion, is not up for debate. We must learn or relearn contentment. Specifically, contentment with Christ, and Christ alone. When we lose interest in the good and important things in our lives, we must not go searching for new, unless it is new passion for the good things. “I have learned the secret,” Paul wrote, “In being content in all things. I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength.” This “everything” includes being content in all things.