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 102:25-28 Long ago you (LORD) established the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. 26 They will perish, but you will endure; all of them will wear out like clothing. You will change them like a garment, and they will pass away. 27 But you are the same, and your years will never end. 28 Your servants’ children will dwell securely, and their offspring will be established before you.”
Read the Entire Psalm
The Lord will endure – Praise God because He remains. He is faithful in your day. He was in days past. He will continue to be faithful. A time will come when the earth as we know it will end. Until that day and beyond that day God will endure in His faithfulness. Praise Him for His enduring faithfulness and His power and His creativity.
Scripture Reading
Galatians 1:10 – English Standard Version
10 For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.
Ephesians 6:4 – English Standard Version
4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
James 1:5-8 – English Standard Version
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
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 CORE 520. Ask God to use the ministry of CORE 520 to reach out to those who do not know Christ and to care for refugees in Wichita.
Living as God’s People by applying the Bible
Scripture Reflection from the Sermon
Good theology is truth applied to our lives. Everyone is a theologian, but not everyone is a good one. Everyone has a worldview, and everyone operates out of that worldview. No one lives out of a totally false worldview; that would be impossible. Even the person who says they believe all truth is relative cannot actually live that way. Everyone has a view of God (a theology), but not everyone’s view of God is true. The farther people get in their minds from the truth of God, the farther they get from reality and the most devastating it becomes for their lives. You have to understand that Christianity is not just a set of “prescriptive” ideas that people should do but if they don’t it’s not a big deal. Christianity is a description of reality itself. We don’t believe it because we like it or it makes us feel better, we believe it because it is true; it is real. Theology is not a hobby for a few eggheads or a profession for an even smaller number of elites who live in ivory towers. Theology is the study of reality; it is the one thing that is essential for all humans to have a working knowledge of. It is the revealed study of the Creator. You do not have to become an expert in theology, but you must make sure that the ideas you actual have about God are accurate. You have them, make sure they are true. There is a lot at stake here.