The Home Devo (Page 49)

  DISCUSSION:                                       A few years ago, there used to be a popular bumper sticker that read, “Ask me about my Grandkids…”.  Grandparents tend to just beam with pride over their grandkids; they love them, they are proud of them so much so that they cannot contain themselves.  In my mind, that is the way God feels about Job, listen to what he says in Job 1:8: “ …Have you considered my servant Job, that…

  DISCUSSION:                                In Genesis 9.20-23, we have a story that doesn’t get a whole lot of attention in our Bible classes.                  “ Noah began to be a man of the soil, and he planted a vineyard. He drank of the wine and became drunk and lay uncovered in his tent. And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father and told his two brothers outside. Then Shem and Japheth took a garment,…

  DISCUSSION:                                        In your Bible readings for the week, did you just skim over those verses in Genesis 5?  You know the one I am talking about…the “begats”.  It is very easy for us to just skim, run through or even completely bypass the redundant verses.  We all know that there is value in them. We know they teach us about the lineage of Jesus and God’s plan to save mankind, but how do they relate…

  DISCUSSION:                                                We have all heard the saying “A bird in the hand, is worth two in a bush”?  It is an ancient English proverb that dates to 1670 and is found in John Ray’s “A Hand-book of Proverbs ”.   It means the things we already have are more valuable than the things we only hope to get.  It is about risks, warning us against taking unnecessary risks.  Whereas it is better to keep…

  DISCUSSION:                                                    There are so many earthly demands on us today that it is sometimes even hard to have time to sleep. Sometimes that lack of sleep is from attempting to meet the earthly demands and knowing we are not meeting the things God wants from us. Is this a catch 22? No, it is…

  DISCUSSION:                                                    Spend time alone with God’s Word.  Besides the spiritual growth we will gain from study, we will also come to know Him better.  Reading His word brings us in touch with Him.  Jesus tells us in John 14:7 – “If you had known Me, you would have known my Father also.”   Just…

  DISCUSSION:                                                       Spend time communing with God through nature . Observe the beauty in the world that God has made for us.  To see a glimpse of His power in the expanse of the ocean and its relentless waves that pound the seashore; to breath in the sweetness of the majestic mountains with…

  DISCUSSION:                                                     Until we slowdown in this world of hurry we cannot properly evaluate the events going on in our lives. Meditation gives us opportunity to look into our lives and profit from our mistakes.  We can also reflect and meditate on all the things God has done for us.  Meditate on the record…

  DISCUSSION:                                                   Knowing God and being able to talk to Him will give meaning and purpose to our existence.  God truly loves us. (Romans 8:38-39)  He is always there, his hand outstretched, waiting for us to seek Him.  He has so much to give us and wants the opportunity to do so (Matthew 7:11). Spending…

                              DISCUSSION: There’s more to being a Christian than talking about Jesus or rejoicing in being “saved.” Too often we emphasize our personal, “vertical” relationship with Jesus without thinking how that should affect our “horizontal” relationships with others, where life can be very complicated. Ephesians has some close to-home application here, teaching that the reason for submitting to one another is “out of reverence for Christ.” Explaining Jesus’ command that we “love one another,” some have stated…

                                  DISCUSSION: In a sermon a preacher asked, “What is the best way to teach children?” And the congregation answered enthusiastically, “By example!” Albert Schweitzer once said, “Example is not the main thing in influencing others. It is the only thing.” Jesus taught by example what he expects from us. Facing the cross, he illustrated submission and leadership at the last supper with his…

                                   DISCUSSION: Many preachers today are asked to preach on forgiveness. Most usually focus on the theme that people who are forgiven must be forgiving. If we do not appreciate God’s forgiving us, we have little motivation for forgiving others. Forgiven believers with grateful hearts readily express kindness and compassion for others. Many Bible passages, like Psalm 103, show us that God is forgiving,…