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 91:1-8 The one who lives under the protection of the Most High
dwells in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say concerning the Lord, who is my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust:
3 He himself will rescue you from the bird trap, from the destructive plague.
4 He will cover you with his feathers; you will take refuge under his wings.
His faithfulness will be a protective shield.
5 You will not fear the terror of the night, the arrow that flies by day,
6 the plague that stalks in darkness, or the pestilence that ravages at noon.
7 Though a thousand fall at your side and ten thousand at your right hand,
the pestilence will not reach you.
8 You will only see it with your eyes and witness the punishment of the wicked.
Read the Entire Psalm
Praise the Lord Almighty for being the place of ultimate protection. Your physical life on earth will end but He is a refuge and fortress for all of time. Ask Him for help to trust in Him.
SCRIPTURE READING:
1 John 3:11-21 – New Living Translation
11 This is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another. 12 We must not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and killed his brother. And why did he kill him? Because Cain had been doing what was evil, and his brother had been doing what was righteous. 13 So don’t be surprised, dear brothers and sisters, if the world hates you.
14 If we love our brothers and sisters who are believers, it proves that we have passed from death to life. But a person who has no love is still dead. 15 Anyone who hates another brother or sister is really a murderer at heart. And you know that murderers don’t have eternal life within them.
16 We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters. 17 If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person?
18 Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. 19 Our actions will show that we belong to the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before God. 20 Even if we feel guilty, God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything.
21 Dear friends, if we don’t feel guilty, we can come to God with bold confidence.
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 those who do not know God. Ask God to help you see the lost people around you and have compassion for them. Ask God for opportunities to build trust. Ask God to give you opportunity to have gospel conversations.
Living as God’s People by applying the Bible
Scripture Reflection from the Sermon
John wrote that, just as Cain murdered righteous Abel, we are not to be surprised when the world hates us. Why do they hate us? Well, because we are righteous. This seems to make no sense. If we are righteous then we are humble, serving others, and trying to get along with people. Why would anyone hate that? They don’t hate the results of a righteous life, they hate the implication of that life. We seek to be righteous because Jesus is Lord of our lives. We believe that any other kind of life is empty and passing away. We believe that to live for self is to waste our life. We believe that to fail to believe the gospel is to live and die separated from God. How do you think the person who rejects the gospel is going to respond to these implications? I doubt Cain murdered Abel because Abel was arrogant or unkind; maybe he even “liked” his brother. I suspect he murdered Abel because Abel’s life gave lie to his life. He could change or he could kill. He chose to kill. John told us not to be surprised precisely because it is surprising. Similarly, Peter wrote that we are not to be surprised at the painful trials we are suffering. Of course, we are always surprised at painful trials; that’s why he warned us not to be. Love people who hate you, but give up on the foolish idea that you can “go along to get along.” The only way that works is if you are willing to go along with others and deny Christ in the process. Even then, the people who can hate you (because their hearts are far from God), eventually probably will.