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 149:1 Praise the Lord! Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise in the assembly of the godly!
2 Let Israel be glad in his Maker; let the children of Zion rejoice in their King!
3 Let them praise his name with dancing, making melody to him with tambourine and lyre!
4 For the Lord takes pleasure in his people; he adorns the humble with salvation.
5 Let the godly exult in glory; let them sing for joy on their beds.
6 Let the high praises of God be in their throats and two-edged swords in their hands,
7 to execute vengeance on the nations and punishments on the peoples,
8 to bind their kings with chains and their nobles with fetters of iron,
9 to execute on them the judgment written! This is honor for all his godly ones.
Praise the Lord!
Praise in the assembly. This psalm encourages us to praise alone and praise in the assembly. When you praise shoulder to shoulder in the assembly with your brothers and sisters their praise encourages you. Your praise of God encourages them. This is especially true when you are struggling and yet you still gather to praise. Praising God reorients us and God uses our praise to encourage others. Take a moment and praise Him now.
Scripture Reading
John 15:18-27 – English Standard Version
The Hatred of the World
18 “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. 21 But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 Whoever hates me hates my Father also. 24 If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. 25 But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: ‘They hated me without a cause.’
26 “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. 27 And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning.
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 Embrace. Pray that they would be affective in bringing the hope of the gospel to the women who are considering abortion.
Living as God’s People by applying the Bible
Scripture Reflection from the Sermon
As followers of Jesus, we really don’t have any control over how people will respond to the gospel. When it comes to the gospel, we truly are “tellsmen, not salesmen.” Their response will be determined by their attitude toward Jesus. Have you shared the gospel recently? Is there something keeping you from sharing it? Are you afraid of rejection? If the answer is yes, maybe it’s because you’re allowing yourself to be driven by your emotions and not by what you know to be true. And here’s one truth: you and I are called to abide in Christ daily. Where do we get our spiritual nourishment? From Him alone and nowhere else. And as we are nourished by Christ, we allow His love to overflow into the lives of those God has brought into our path. Take a moment now and be honest with God and tell Him what’s going on in your head right now. Ask Him for wisdom on how you can abide in Him.