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 122:1-9 I rejoiced with those who said to me, “Let’s go to the house of the Lord.”
2 Our feet were standing within your gates, Jerusalem—
3 Jerusalem, built as a city should be, solidly united,
4 where the tribes, the Lord’s tribes, go up to give thanks to the name of the Lord.
(This is an ordinance for Israel.)
5 There, thrones for judgment are placed, thrones of the house of David.
6 Pray for the well-being of Jerusalem: “May those who love you be secure;
7 may there be peace within your walls, security within your fortresses.”
8 Because of my brothers and friends, I will say, “May peace be in you.”
9 Because of the house of the Lord our God, I will pursue your prosperity.
Read the Entire Psalm
God has chosen a people for himself to live together under his rule for all eternity. Notice the corporate nature of this song. Rejoicing together. Going to God’s house together. Praying together. Pursuing peace and prosperity together. Give thanks to God for his people. Praise him that he has called us to live life under his rule together.
Scripture Reading
John 7:53-8:11 – English Standard Version
[The earliest manuscripts do not include 7:53–8:11.]
The Woman Caught in Adultery
53 [[They went each to his own house, 8 1 but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2 Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them. 3 The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst 4 they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. 5 Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” 6 This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. 7 And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. 9 But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. 10 Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” 11 She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”]]
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 Youth Horizons. Ask God to encourage their staff and use their programs and volunteers to make the gospel known to kids in need.
Living as God’s People by applying the Bible
Scripture Reflection from the Sermon
Before the printing press was invented, the Bible was transmitted and copied by hand. These manuscripts were usually written on papyrus or contained in codexes. A codex was an early form of the modern book that replaced scrolls. Sometimes scribes made errors, which were mostly spelling errors or errors that did not change the meaning of the text. The academic discipline known as text criticism examines the differences/variants between biblical manuscripts. This results in giving us greater confidence in the Bible. Today, I think it can be too easy to take our Bibles for granted. We have such ease of access to the Bible today. In the ancient world, papyrus and codexes were expensive. Today, we might own multiple copies of the Bible and likely have it on our phones. The Bible is available digitally to many who live in countries where Christianity is suppressed. This is a great gift! We desperately need God’s Word because God’s Word brings life. Philippians 2:16 says that the Word is the “word of life.” Praise God today for giving us his Word. Pray that people in closed countries would get access to God’s Word and that they would experience new life in Christ.