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 49:16-20 Do not be afraid when a person gets rich,
when the wealth of his house increases.
17 For when he dies, he will take nothing at all;
his wealth will not follow him down.
18 Though he blesses himself during his lifetime—
and you are acclaimed when you do well for yourself—
19 he will go to the generation of his ancestors; they will never see the light.
20 Mankind, with his assets but without understanding, is like the animals that perish.
Read the entire Psalm
Mankind, with his assets but without understanding, is like the animals that perish. Ask God for understanding. He wants you to understand and apply His word faithfully to your life. You need His help to gain understanding. He is generous. Ask Him.
Scripture Reading
1 John 1:9 – English Standard Version
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
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 those suffering and grieving in Libya. Ask God to reveal Himself through the tragic flooding. Pray for protection and strength for relief workers.
Living as God’s People by applying the Bible
Scripture Reflection from the Sermon
Do you fear loss of control? I do. I hate the thought of it. There is a part of this that can be good. It is good to be proactive and not passive. Yet there is a large part of this that is not good. We love our sense of autonomy. We like to think we have the final say in things. Even at work, we may have a boss…but we can quit. We want the final say. Words that present God as Lord or Jesus as Lord are found in 6,603 out of 31,086 verses. That is astounding. God is not insecure so that he has to keep repeating himself, “Hey, I’m in charge, I’m in charge!” God is so kind that he is unashamed to repeat the truth over and over…”I am Lord, I am Lord.” This is the ultimate reality of the universe, a greater truth than gravity. He repeats himself so that we can live inside the security of his control. We should be proactive rather than passive in our lives, but we must embrace the great fact that we do not have control… God does.