From Believers to Disciples
Friday, March 16, 2007
From Believers to Disciples Calendar
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A note about online study
“Study to show yourself approved by God …” 2 Timothy 2:15a KJV
Prayer Focus for Today
Heavenly Father, as another week of studying Your word draws to a close, I thank You that You have provided the “owner’s manual” for life in the Bible! I thank You that I can open it at any time and find truth bound by love in its pages. I pray that as I go about this day that I may hide Your word in my heart that I won’t sin against You! Fill me anew with the Holy Spirit that I may retain what I read and share it with others. This I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
God’s Word Today—Colossians 1:18-23
We will examine a verse or two of this passage each day and see how it relates to the saving work of God in Jesus!
18Christ is the head of the church, which is his body. He is the first of all who will rise from the dead, so he is first in everything. 19For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, 20and by him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of his blood on the cross. 21This includes you who were once so far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions, 22yet now he has brought you back as his friends. He has done this through his death on the cross in his own human body. As a result, he has brought you into the very presence of God, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault. 23But you must continue to believe this truth and stand in it firmly. Don’t drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the Good News. The Good News has been preached all over the world, and I, Paul, have been appointed by God to proclaim it.
From Today’s Reading, a Believer …
From reading today’s Scripture, do you think it is possible for a believer to drift away from God? Why or why not?
What does it look like in your life when you are drawing closer to God and when you are pulling away from Him?
Let’s Go Deeper in Our Walk with Jesus
The two commands in today’s text are to believe and stand. What does it mean to you to do these things in everyday life?
From Today’s Reading, a Disciple of Jesus Will …
As we’ve already mentioned today’s Scripture tells us we must believe and stand firm. These two commands must be held together. Some believe, but they falter at the slightest sign of stress. Others live a stoic life of self-discipline and seem to be standing firm, but they have no faith in God, only in their own discipline. What do you need to DO today to deepen your faith and to stand firm? Be specific. List one or two items below and then use them to start believing and standing firm at a deeper level than you have ever known!
My Journal
Note any thoughts from Through the Bible or the Daily Reading here:
Believing and Standing Firm!
The Apostle Paul wanted us to understand that while Jesus shed His blood on the cross for us, we must do two things in order to see that sacrifice become effective in our own lives. First, we must believe that Jesus IS who He says He is. This belief is not just a head knowledge or affirmation, but an internal belief that goes even beyond emotion and is seated in the will. This belief leads to action. Part of that action is “standing firm,” not giving up ground to our enemy Satan, and in the end ADVANCING on Satan and overcoming Him. As we go about another day of life let’s believe and stand firm, because as we do that is the surest evidence to others that Jesus’ promises are real!