God's Purpose for Us
Monday, July 31, 2006
My Prayer Today
Heavenly Father, I thank you for your abundant grace and mercy. I ask that you would help me to keep strong in my faith. Help me to seek you today through your word. I want to be a person who’s consumed with my Bible. Draw me close to you Father. I ask this in Jesus’ name. . . Amen.
God’s Word Today – Jude 20-25
“20 But you, dear friends, must continue to build your lives on the foundation of your holy faith. And continue to pray as you are directed by the Holy Spirit. 21 Live in such a way that God’s love can bless you as you wait for the eternal life that our Lord Jesus Christ in his mercy is going to give you. 22 Show mercy to those whose faith is wavering. 23 Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. There are still others to whom you need to show mercy, but be careful that you aren’t contaminated by their sins.”
“24 And now, all glory to God, who is able to keep you from stumbling, and who will bring you into his glorious presence innocent of sin and with great joy. 25 All glory to him, who alone is God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Yes, glory, majesty, power, and authority belong to him, in the beginning, now, and forevermore. Amen.”
Reflecting on God’s Word
Jude states in verse 20a, “But you, dear friends, must continue to build lives on the foundation of your holy faith. . .” The first challenge I want to give New Life this week is to KEEP YOUR FAITH STRONG. How do we keep our faith strong? We keep strong by allowing God’s promises through His Word (the Bible), to shape our hearts and minds. Without a deep appreciation for God’s Word, our faith will not stay strong. If you do not currently have a Bible reading plan for your personal devotions, I encourage you to find one. If you have any questions as to where to look, talk with Pastor Chris or one of the elders, and they’ll be able to point you in the right direction. You can also read daily devotionals like these to help strengthen your faith each day. The point is – we must be saturated with God’s Word if we intend to keep our faith strong.
I encourage you to be in places where the Bible is read. Whether it’s at church, home, school, work, or even in a Bible study, build yourself up in faith by falling in love with God’s Word. Tragically, there are many Christians today who never crack open their Bibles except on Sunday. This usually is a recipe for disaster, or at least a sign of spiritual weakness. Jude instructs us to keep our faith strong. We do this by reading the Bible. New Life, I encourage you to dust off your Bible and let God’s word build your faith daily!
A Deeper Exploration of God’s Word
According to Jude 20a, what is the first challenge Jude gives?
What does strong faith look like?
Understanding God’s Purpose for Us
What does it mean to “keep your faith strong?”
Why should we keep our faith strong?
Applying God’s Word to Our Purpose
How do we keep strong in faith?
What is an area in your life where you need to keep your faith strong in God?
What is one thing you can do today to build yourself in faith for that area?
Thoughts
Over a year ago, Pastor Chris and I preached a sermon series entitled, “Following the Dream to Deliverance.” We talked about when God gives us dreams, there will be difficulties, delays, and dead-ends, but God will bring about His mighty deliverance. God has birthed a dream in the hearts of all of us at New Life, to share the “new life” of Jesus Christ with the world one person at a time. God has purposed New Life to be an avenue by which He will work in this Saxonburg community, and throughout the world. No matter what difficulties, delays, or dead ends you will face in the future, I encourage you to keep your faith strong in what God has placed within you. There will be times of testing, but keep your faith strong. We as Christians walk by faith and not by sight.
Jude instructs us to be strong in faith. I want to instruct New Life to be strong in your devotion to Jesus Christ. I also want to encourage you to keep your vision strong for God’s purpose at New Life. Sometimes it’s easy to lose focus, but God calls us to feed upon His Word. The Bible is our “lifeline” to God, empowering us to live the Christian life. As we daily saturate ourselves in God’s, He will increase our faith. God will do it with you, and he will do it with us. Never let your faith grow weak, for some of the worst decisions in life we make will come at a time when we’re out of fellowship with God.
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