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 103:6-10
The Lord executes acts of righteousness
and justice for all the oppressed.
7 He revealed his ways to Moses,
his deeds to the people of Israel.
8 The Lord is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in faithful love.
9 He will not always accuse us
or be angry forever.
10 He has not dealt with us as our sins deserve
or repaid us according to our iniquities.
Read the Entire Psalm
God is merciful. He does not deal with us as our sins deserve. He does not repay us according to our iniquities. Iniquity is another word for sin. Both are immoral acts that are harmful to others and offensive to God. Sin is so normal in our fallen world, it can seem like no big deal for God to be merciful. God is created and sustainer. We would not have life without him, but sin is communicating to God, “I don’t need you or want you.” It is offensive. Because of God’s mercy and grace, we don’t punish ourselves for our offensive ways. We ask God for mercy and he always gives it.
SCRIPTURE READING:
Galatians 1:10 – New Living Translation
10 Obviously, I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant.
Ephesians 6:4 – New Living Translation
4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord.
James 1:5-8 – New Living Translation
5 If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. 6 But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. 7 Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.
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 opportunities to have gospel conversations.
Living as God’s People by applying the Bible
Scripture Reflection from the Sermon
This model doesn’t come from the Bible but it, like all truth, is ultimately biblical. “R” is the ability to read a situation. It is what the Bible calls wisdom. “A” is the ability to take appropriate action, it is what the Bible calls faith or courage. None of us is consistently a big R/A but all of us should want to grow in our capacity to read with clarity and act with courage. To do this we need to grow in character. Things like humility, teachability and selflessness are important factors to consider. We also need to grow in competency. We need to train hard to understand the Bible and, as much as possible given our individual stewardships, the culture around us. We want to live with clarity and courage (R/A) for the glory of God, the good of others, and for our own joy. Most of us would admit that our clarity and courage ebb and flow depending on both external and internal factors. Do not accept status quo in your life. Your capacity for Christlikeness is not a fixed factor. Wherever you are in your training for godliness, there is always more. Even in eternity, there will always be more. That is our challenge, that is our joy.