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 65:1-4 Praise awaits you, our God, in Zion; to you our vows will be fulfilled.
2 You who answer prayer, to you all people will come.
3 When we were overwhelmed by sins, you forgave our transgressions.
4 Blessed are those you choose and bring near to live in your courts!
We are filled with the good things of your house, of your holy temple.
Read the Entire Psalm
Praise awaits you. I know God does not sleep, but imagine for a moment that He did. If he did sleep, what would greet Him each morning? Praise would greet Him for He is abundantly worthy. Around every corner of creation and the heart of every human soul praise for God is bound up. Some people release this pent up praise, seeing some of the worth of God. While others do not acknowledge Him. He is always worthy of praise. Today, look for opportunities to praise Him.. Ask Him to reveal His praiseworthy nature today.
SCRIPTURE READING:
1 John 2:7-14 – The Message
7-8 My dear friends, I’m not writing anything new here. This is the oldest commandment in the book, and you’ve known it from day one. It’s always been implicit in the Message you’ve heard. On the other hand, perhaps it is new, freshly minted as it is in both Christ and you—the darkness fading away and the True Light already blazing!
9-11 Anyone who claims to live in God’s light and hates a brother or sister is still in the dark. It’s the person who loves brother and sister who dwells in God’s light and doesn’t block the light from others. But whoever hates is still in the dark, stumbles around in the dark, doesn’t know which end is up, blinded by the darkness.
12-13 I remind you, my dear children: Your sins are forgiven in Jesus’ name. You veterans were in on the ground floor, and know the One who started all this; you newcomers have won a big victory over the Evil One.
13-14 And a second reminder, dear children: You know the Father from personal experience. You veterans know the One who started it all; and you newcomers—such vitality and strength! God’s word is so steady in you. Your fellowship with God enables you to gain a victory over the Evil One.
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. Ask God to speak through the message and the worship time.
Living as God’s People by applying the Bible
Scripture Reflection from the Sermon
Darkness has blinded his eyes. This is the last line of verse 11. It describes a horrible reality. Those who walk in darkness are blinded by the darkness itself. They are unaware that they are blind. They are unaware of the darkness. What is it like to walk around in the darkness? You stumble. You trip and fall. You are aimless. Maybe you are in a dark room trying to get from one side of the room to the other side but you are continually tripping and falling. Now imagine that you don’t even know that it is dark. You have a sense that something is wrong because you keep struggling but you don’t know that it is dark. The darkness itself blinds you. What is the person walking in darkness blinded to? They are blinded to the light of the love of Christ. They are unaware that there is a light that will give purpose and direction to their life. This reality is tragic. God must open their eyes. This verse describes a spiritual reality that only God can reveal. He does want to use His church and the love we have for one another to shine a light into the dark reality of an unbeliever’s life. God, please use our love for one another as your light to an unbelieving world. So that people walking in darkness would see the wonder of your glorious light.