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 6
1 Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger;
do not discipline me in your wrath.
2 Be gracious to me, Lord, for I am weak;
heal me, Lord, for my bones are shaking;
3 my whole being is shaken with terror.
And you, Lord—how long?
4 Turn, Lord! Rescue me;
save me because of your faithful love.
5 For there is no remembrance of you in death;
who can thank you in Sheol?
6 I am weary from my groaning;
with my tears I dampen my bed
and drench my couch every night.
7 My eyes are swollen from grief;
they grow old because of all my enemies.
8 Depart from me, all evildoers,
for the Lord has heard the sound of my weeping.
9 The Lord has heard my plea for help;
the Lord accepts my prayer.
10 All my enemies will be ashamed and shake with terror;
they will turn back and suddenly be disgraced.
Do Not Rebuke Me in Anger. It is interesting that David does not question God’s authority to rebuke or to discipline. He appeals to God’s grace and mercy. God is just. God is so loving that he rebukes and corrects. Praise God for his loving rebuke and discipline.
Scripture Reading
John 1:1-4 – English Standard Version
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men.
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 Hopes Gate. Ask God to use their ministry to be bring the gospel hope to women working in adult entertainment.
Living as God’s People by applying the Bible
Scripture Reflection from the Sermon
Many people believe in things that are not true. This shouldn’t be a controversial statement, but it has become one. In an age where people can say and believe in “my truth,” it can be hard to convince them that what they believe is simply not true. Some believe vaccines will save you, some believe they will kill you. Both cannot be right, but both sides on this issue can be very convinced and passionate about their position. In case you are wondering, I am regularly vaccinated. I cannot, however, say that I am “passionate” about the issue. Some believe that Jesus was just a man; I believe that he is God incarnate, the Savior of the world. I will say I am passionate about this issue. Since I believe that Jesus is who he says he is, I believe that all who think otherwise are wrong. This may seem arrogant or unkind, but it is neither of those. I am only able to believe in Jesus because he has made himself known. I can take no credit for any part of my faith in Christ. Furthermore, it is not unkind to believe that those who reject an important truth are wrong. It would be unkind to simply say, “you have your truth, I have mine.” That is both an irrational and unkind position to take. There is only “the” truth, and knowing that truth is of the utmost importance. We must be kind enough to lovingly tell that truth to others.