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 4:1-4 Answer me when I call, God, who vindicates me.
You freed me from affliction; be gracious to me and hear my prayer.
2 How long, exalted ones, will my honor be insulted? How long will you love what is worthless and pursue a lie? Selah
3 Know that the Lord has set apart the faithful for himself; the Lord will hear when I call to him.
4 Be angry and do not sin; reflect in your heart while on your bed and be silent.
Read the Entire Psalm
Use the words of this Psalm to pray to God. He is listening. Speak aloud to Him.
SCRIPTURE READING:
John 7:53-8:11 – The Message
52-53 But they cut him off. “Are you also campaigning for the Galilean? Examine the evidence. See if any prophet ever comes from Galilee.”
To Throw the Stone
8 1-2 Jesus went across to Mount Olives, but he was soon back in the Temple again. Swarms of people came to him. He sat down and taught them.
3-6 The religion scholars and Pharisees led in a woman who had been caught in an act of adultery. They stood her in plain sight of everyone and said, “Teacher, this woman was caught red-handed in the act of adultery. Moses, in the Law, gives orders to stone such persons. What do you say?” They were trying to trap him into saying something incriminating so they could bring charges against him.
6-8 Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger in the dirt. They kept at him, badgering him. He straightened up and said, “The sinless one among you, go first: Throw the stone.” Bending down again, he wrote some more in the dirt.
9-10 Hearing that, they walked away, one after another, beginning with the oldest. The woman was left alone. Jesus stood up and spoke to her. “Woman, where are they? Does no one condemn you?”
11 “No one, Master.”
“Neither do I,” said Jesus. “Go on your way. From now on, don’t sin.”]
Note: John 7:53–8:11 [the portion in brackets] is not found in the earliest handwritten copies.
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 our nation. Give thanks for the United States of America. Pray for our government leaders.
Living as God’s People by applying the Bible
Scripture Reflection from the Sermon
The second theological truth illustrated by our passage is that Jesus came to call sinners to repentance. This is at the heart of Jesus’ ministry. Jesus says in Luke 5:32, “I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.” In order to be saved, we must first recognize that we are in fact sinners in need of a savior. Sin is our fundamental problem. Certainly, there are other aspects to Christ’s work for us. Christ will establish justice on the earth. Christ sets at liberty the captives. However, the fundamental problem that needs to be remedied is the problem of sin before the holiness of God. When Jesus told the woman to go and sin no more, he was calling her to repentance. Jesus said, if you want to follow him you must pick up your cross (Matt 16:24). Taking up one’s cross entails putting to death your old sinful way of life. Paul tells us we are to “crucify” our old sinful lifestyle (Romans 6). In Christ, we are to consider ourselves to dead to our sin and alive to God through the Spirit. Is there sin in your life that you need to go to war against? You don’t go to war in your own strength but rather empowered by the Spirit. How can you live walking in step with the Spirit?