The Home Devo (Page 57)

  DISCUSSION:                              From life’s experiences, we know that some folks grow old gracefully, while others become grouchy and ill-tempered. Knowing this, it’s important for us as Christians to know which direction we’re growing, spiritually speaking. People don’t get irritable and short-tempered merely because they’re getting older. Aging has very little to do with folks being hypercritical and cranky. No, it’s more likely that we’ve become what we’ve allowed ourselves to become through various habits that we’ve acquired through the years,…

  DISCUSSION :                                Some people are used to multiple-choice tests. Certain questions do have more than one answer, while some do not. In the field of religion, many feel that there are multiple answers to the above question asked by this “certain ruler.” Let’s notice: Could the answer be….. 1) Do Your Own Thing — The humanist philosophy promotes this idea since every man is his…

  DISCUSSION:                                             On one occasion when Paul was preaching the gospel in the city of Ephesus, a certain group of vagabonds sought to emulate Paul by taking it upon themselves to cast out a demon. When these men sought to do such, the evil spirit turned on them and said, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are…

  DISCUSSION:                                     There is a growing number of health-conscious folks who are discovering that wearing a pedometer helps them increase their level of daily exercise.  Some have even bought an expensive wrist gadget called a “Fitbit” to track heart rate, exercise, activity and sleep.  These devices are both a recorder and a motivator for them; knowing how many steps that take per outing, encourages them to walk more. One woman’s goal was ten thousand steps…

  DISCUSSION:                                      Shopping for a good watermelon is difficult because no matter how good it looks on the outside, it’s hard to tell what it’s really like on the inside.  We can tap it, thump it, and squeeze it, only to take it home and discover that the inside is not edible.      In Mark 7, we see Jesus’ disciples didn’t wash their hands…

  DISCUSSION: Read over Hebrews 4.1-11 before you go to bed tonight.   Then discuss how important it is for us to get into that “rest” that the writer is talking about.  Imagine what that rest will be like, and then discuss it with your loved ones.  Try to think of it as a family vacation that never ends, and how it would be a shame if we were not all there together.  Each member of your family is responsible for…

                                      DISCUSSION: Jesus said to her, ‘Give Me a drink’” (John 4:7). How many of us are expecting Jesus Christ to quench our thirst when we should be satisfying Him! We should be pouring out our lives, investing our total beings, not drawing on Him to satisfy us. “You shall be witnesses to Me . . .” (Acts 1:8). That means lives of…

                     DISCUSSION: The call of God is not a call to serve Him in any particular way. My contact with the nature of God will shape my understanding of His call and will help me realize what I truly desire to do for Him. The call of God is an expression of His nature; the service which results in my life is suited to me and is an expression of my…

                             DISCUSSION: When we talk about the call of God, we often forget the most important thing, namely, the nature of Him who calls. There are many things calling each of us today. Some of these calls will be answered, and others will not even be heard. The call is the expression of the nature of the One who calls, and we can only recognize the call…

                             DISCUSSION:      The well is deep”—and even a great deal deeper than the Samaritan woman knew (4:11)! Think of the depths of human nature and human life; think of the depth of the “wells” in you. Have you been limiting, or impoverishing, the ministry of Jesus to the point that He is unable to work in your life?      Suppose that you have a deep “well” of hurt and trouble inside your heart, and…

  In James 3. 17 we learn, “The wisdom that comes from God is first of all pure, then peaceful, gentle, and easy to please” We must have pure religion to worship God. What is pure religion? We must have a heart for God. We want to work for Him and bring others to Him. We must be humble, not just seeking a reward. We must believe in the agenda God brings before us. We must be all in.

  When I think about Jesus talking to the Samaritan woman at the well, several things cross my mind. The story is found in John 4. At that time, the Jews and Samaritans did not mingle together. The woman was amazed when Jesus asked her for a drink. She seemed to be comfortable talking to Jesus, until He told her that she had been married 5 times and was not living with another man. She realized very quickly there was…