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 33:18-22
But look, the Lord keeps his eye on those who fear him—
those who depend on his faithful love
19 to rescue them from death
and to keep them alive in famine.
20 We wait for the Lord;
he is our help and shield.
21 For our hearts rejoice in him
because we trust in his holy name.
22 May your faithful love rest on us, Lord,
for we put our hope in you.
Read the Entire Psalm
In these verses we are encouraged to fear God, depend on Him, wait for him, rejoice in him, trust in him, and put our hope in him. He loves faithfully. He rescues. He is the shield. He keeps his eye on us. Praise him because he is God. Your role is to fear him. His role is to be the perfect loving, just and holy one. Only he can be God. Wait for him; rejoice in him.
SCRIPTURE READING:
John 7:53-8:11 – New Living Translation
[The most ancient Greek manuscripts do not include John 7:53–8:11.]
53 Then the meeting broke up, and everybody went home.
A Woman Caught in Adultery
8 Jesus returned to the Mount of Olives, 2 but early the next morning he was back again at the Temple. A crowd soon gathered, and he sat down and taught them. 3 As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd.
4 “Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?”
6 They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger. 7 They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” 8 Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust.
9 When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman. 10 Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?”
11 “No, Lord,” she said.
And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.”
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
There are three theological truths (of course by no means exhaustive) that the story of the woman caught in adultery illustrates. Over the next three days, we will look at each. Today, we consider the first theological truth, namely, that Jesus upholds that standard of divine justice. Jesus upholds justice in a number of ways. First, he protects the woman from the religious leaders whose sinful motivations drive them to abuse and misuse the Law. Jesus exposes their sinful motivations and prevents injustice from taking place. Second, elsewhere in Scripture, we know that Jesus fulfills the Law (Matt 5:17). So, rather than this being a classic example of Jesus relaxing the standards of the Law, he actually reveals how he is the true fulfillment of the Law. Third, Jesus also calls the woman to greater accountability for her sin. He tells her, “Go and sin no more.” Just as Jesus did with the woman, so he does with us. He shows us grace and simultaneously challenges us to grow and change. Is there any area in your life where God is calling you to greater accountability? What needs to change?