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 60:1-5 God, you have rejected us; you have broken us down; you have been angry. Restore us! 2 You have shaken the land and split it open. Heal its fissures, for it shudders. 3 You have made your people suffer hardship; you have given us wine to drink that made us stagger.
4 You have given a signal flag to those who fear you, so that they can flee before the archers. Selah
5 Save with your right hand, and answer me, so that those you love may be rescued.
Read the Entire Psalm
Save and Answer Me – This Psalm was written when David was in a battle. We rarely face physical dangers. Notice how David expresses his anger and frustration with God but he also looks to God for help. God can hear your unedited prayers and He can act. Pray open and honestly before God.
SCRIPTURE READING:
John 15:18-27 – New Living Translation
The World’s Hatred
18 “If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. 19 The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you. 20 Do you remember what I told you? ‘A slave is not greater than the master.’ Since they persecuted me, naturally they will persecute you. And if they had listened to me, they would listen to you. 21 They will do all this to you because of me, for they have rejected the one who sent me. 22 They would not be guilty if I had not come and spoken to them. But now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 Anyone who hates me also hates my Father. 24 If I hadn’t done such miraculous signs among them that no one else could do, they would not be guilty. But as it is, they have seen everything I did, yet they still hate me and my Father. 25 This fulfills what is written in their Scriptures: ‘They hated me without cause.’
26 “But I will send you the Advocate—the Spirit of truth. He will come to you from the Father and will testify all about me. 27 And you must also testify about me because you have been with me from the beginning of my ministry.
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
Jim challenged us to abide in Christ and let Him nourish and sustain us for the work that He’s called us to, even amidst a world that is hostile to the Gospel. Over the next three days, we’ll look at three points Jim made about abiding in Christ. These three are part of the basics of Christianity. But just because they’re basic doesn’t mean that they’re simple or easy to pull off. They’re going to take work.
The first challenge was to trust Jesus. Decide. Settle right now who you’re going to live for—are you going to live for yourself or Jesus? Quit allowing yourself to be tossed around. Anchor yourself to the gospel. Before life’s “bangs” come, believe, trust, and rest in Christ. You have agency in this. Build your life on the truth of the gospel—make that the settled direction of your life. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal anything that needs to change in your life. And ask Him to give you the power, strength, and commitment to make that change happen.