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 96:1-5 Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth.
Sing to the Lord, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day.
Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples.
For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods.
For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the Lord made the heavens.
Read the Entire Psalm
God created music. He enjoys hearing His people sing. Sing now if you want to, but if not take a moment and declare His glory aloud. Praise Him because as this psalm says, He is great. He is worthy and to be feared. He is the maker of the heavens.
SCRIPTURE READING:
John 20:19-23 – New Living Translation
19 That Sunday evening the disciples were meeting behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Suddenly, Jesus was standing there among them! “Peace be with you,” he said. 20 As he spoke, he showed them the wounds in his hands and his side. They were filled with joy when they saw the Lord! 21 Again he said, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.” 22 Then he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven. If you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”
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
“In him was life, and the life was the light of men…The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world…to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” (John 1:4, 9, 12-13)
Jesus came to us with a clear purpose: so that all who would humble themselves, turn from sin, and believe in His saving power, could become children of God.
We, too, are called to engage with the mission of God purposefully. We cannot drift from our mission as individual members of the church: to reach the lost, make fully devoted disciples of Jesus, baptize them in name of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and to teach them to obey everything commanded. We must devote time and energy to thinking about and taking action to engage with God’s mission in our sphere of influence.
One simple place to start is to identify one or two people in your sphere of influence who don’t know Jesus and then to make a commitment to invite them into your life and home, to pray consistently for them, and decide early to make spiritual conversations a part of your relationship.
Who are the one or two non-believers God has put in your sphere of influence? What step can you take this week to invite them into your life, to pray for them, and to pursue spiritual conversations with them? Who could encourage you or partner with you to follow through with this?