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 51:1-9
Be gracious to me, God,
according to your faithful love;
according to your abundant compassion,
blot out my rebellion.
2 Completely wash away my guilt
and cleanse me from my sin.
3 For I am conscious of my rebellion,
and my sin is always before me.
4 Against you—you alone—I have sinned
and done this evil in your sight.
So you are right when you pass sentence;
you are blameless when you judge.
5 Indeed, I was guilty when I was born;
I was sinful when my mother conceived me.
6 Surely you desire integrity in the inner self,
and you teach me wisdom deep within.
7 Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
8 Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones you have crushed rejoice.
9 Turn your face away from my sins
and blot out all my guilt.
Read the Entire Psalm
Unfailing love, great compassion, and cleansing – God hates sin. Sin separates us from God. God hates evil and how it destroys His world. If we would come to Him with our sin He extends mercy, according to His unfailing love and great compassion. Rather than hiding in shame you can run to God when you sin. He hates sin and is committed to dealing with it in your life. Ask God for mercy. Praise Him for His mercy.
SCRIPTURE READING:
1 John 1:9-10 – The Message
8-10 If we claim that we’re free of sin, we’re only fooling ourselves. A claim like that is errant nonsense. On the other hand, if we admit our sins—simply come clean about them—he won’t let us down; he’ll be true to himself. He’ll forgive our sins and purge us of all wrongdoing. If we claim that we’ve never sinned, we out-and-out contradict God—make a liar out of him. A claim like that only shows off our ignorance of God.
2 Corinthians 7:10-13 – The Message
10 Distress that drives us to God does that. It turns us around. It gets us back in the way of salvation. We never regret that kind of pain. But those who let distress drive them away from God are full of regrets, end up on a deathbed of regrets.
11-13 And now, isn’t it wonderful all the ways in which this distress has goaded you closer to God? You’re more alive, more concerned, more sensitive, more reverent, more human, more passionate, more responsible. Looked at from any angle, you’ve come out of this with purity of heart. And that is what I was hoping for in the first place when I wrote the letter. My primary concern was not for the one who did the wrong or even the one wronged, but for you—that you would realize and act upon the deep, deep ties between us before God. That’s what happened—and we felt just great.
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 Christian Challenge as they meet tonight at River. Pray for their time at Fall Conference this weekend. Ask God draw students closer to Christ and closer to one another.
Living as God’s People by applying the Bible
Scripture Reflection from the Sermon
Godly sorrow:
1. The Spirit puts his finger on specific sins. You know what to repent of. You know how to turn back to God.
2. The Spirit condemns your sin, not his son or daughter. What you have done or not done is wrong.
3. When you repent, the Spirit relents. He goes from conviction to comforting.
Worldly sorrow:
1. The enemy or your own sinful mind causes you to be dark and vague. You feel bad and unworthy but don’t know exactly what to repent of.
2. The enemy and your own sinful mind condemn you. You are worthless, hopeless.
3. When you repent, the enemy does not relent. He does not convict, he condemns, and he doesn’t quit.
Take this framework and examine your life. Have you been living in godly sorrow or worldly sorrow? Will you take God at his word and learn to disregard the lies of the enemy?