Meditation

On June 23 we will begin a 20 day study of Meditation.
Below you will find an introduction and outline for a study on meditation which begins on Wed the 23 of June.


This study of 20 days can be signed up for by joining the Passionate Participation in God Project group at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=237088564302
If you are not on Facebook and would like to be a part of this study email me before the 23rd so that I can add you to the email list that will get these lessons.


You must join by June 22nd to get all of the lessons and articles, if you join after the 22nd you will have to go to www.abbasglory.com to get back lessons.


This will be supplemented with articles and word studies to help us understand:
1. What Biblical Meditation is and is not.
2. What New age Meditation is and how it differs from Biblical meditation.
3. How Biblical Meditation can help us grow in God and be more effective as children of God.

MEDITATION
Prayerful rumination upon God, His Word, and His world.

Many of us worry that “meditation” has a ring of the occult or of Eastern religions. Yet the Bible is filled with references to God’s people meditating on His Word, pondering Jesus or “higher things,” reflecting on the beauty of creation. Unlike Eastern meditation, in which participants seek to empty themselves of attachment, in Christian meditation we seek to fill ourselves with God, to form a more complete attachment to Christ.


“Christian meditation involves, not emptiness, but fullness,” writes author Joyce Huggett. “It means being attentive to God.”1 Meditation is trying to focus on God with the aim of letting God direct our thoughts. Like so many of the disciplines, it is ultimately about seeking God’s voice. And while meditation is closely linked with prayer and study, it focuses more on listening than on talking, is more devotional than analytical. In meditation, our emotions and our imaginations are as equally engaged as our minds.


Just as Enoch, Moses, the prophets, and countless others walked and talked with God, so too we seek to listen for God—whether in the slow savoring of God’s Word, in silent meditation, or in contemplation of creation or events in the world around us. Meditation is countercultural for many of us who tend to want to learn and pray and read as quickly as we can, so we can get to the next item on our to-do list. Reading slowly, pondering a flower, thinking about God with no set agenda—these are often difficult tasks for us, which shows just how essential they are for our formation.


On the glorious splendor of your majesty, and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.—Psalm 145:5
Day 166 Spiritual Practice: Meditating on Scripture
Day 167 Holy Reading
Day 168 Meditate on It Day and Night
Day 169 Mary Pondered the Words in Her Heart
Day 170 The Beginning of Knowledge
Day 171 Give Me Understanding
Day 172 Knowing Jesus’ Voice
Day 173 Knowledge of God’s Mystery
Day 174 I Search My Spirit
Day 175 Musing on God’s Mighty Deeds
Day 176 Spiritual Practice: Setting Our Minds on God
Day 177 The Meditation of My Heart
Day 178 Think About These Things
Day 179 Resting and Reflecting
Day 180 Meditating in the Watches of the Night
Day 181 When Life Hinders Meditation
Day 182 A Walking Meditation
Day 183 Meditating on God’s Works
Day 184 Reflecting on Jesus
Day 185 Setting Our Sights on Jesus

The Life with God Bible

Five years in the making, The Life with God Bible (formerly published as the Renovaré Spiritual Formation Bible) seeks to recover the dynamics of Scripture for the spiritual transformation of the people of God: past, present, and future.

It provides a view of God’s community through history, the ups-and-downs, ins-and-outs of a with-God life.While other study Bibles serve as resources for sermon exposition, higher criticism, or personal devotion, the The Life with God Bible helps us capture the reality of living with the Trinitarian community in the ever-present kingdom of God. It recasts the Bible as the primary written resource for informing our minds and transforming our spirits in Christlikeness.

As part of making the Bible more accessible for the process of intentional formation in Christlikeness, The Life with God Bible includes:

• major essays and graphic representations highlighting 15 expressions of the With-God Life;

• essays and notes for each book of the Bible;

• 50+ character sketches giving a sense of the ways key Biblical figures lived with-God;

• an index of places various spiritual disciplines appear in the Scripture.

Sample readings from the The Life with God Bible.

The Life with God Bible Preview - Reading 13

The Notes to John

A Selection by Marva J. Dawn

John 1 - Selected Verses

"And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth. (John testified to him and cried out, 'This was he of whom I said, "He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me."') From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ." (1:14-17)

1:14a The Word became flesh and lived among us. Glorious mystery again: That God should become human! Imagine if a shoemaker would become a shoe! The Greek word translated "lived" more literally says "pitched his tent" or "tabernacled," which invites us to ponder all the biblical passages about God's glory descending upon the Israelites' tabernacle in the wilderness to signify his presence among them. Compare

Rev. 21:3, which extends the hope that someday we will know God again as intimately, face to face, as the disciples did being with Jesus. How can we learn to live that hope more deeply now?

1:14b-17 his glory ... full of grace and truth. Three of the cords from John's webbing (see Introduction) here converge. Though the word grace occurs only in 1:14 and 16-17, this theme underlies the entire Gospel. "Glory" and "truth" both occur in many contexts; each time the words invite us to notice connections, to expand our understanding of how God's glory is revealed and of how his truth undergirds all of life, and to learn skills for recognizing untruthful glories in order to become more devoted to the only glorious truth. Reflect on how the truth of God's Word enables us to sort and judge all the other truths the world offers. How does seeing more of the fullness of God's glory form us for deeper discipleship?

"No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father's heart, who has made him known." (1:18)

1:18 No one has ever seen God. The theme that the Son makes the Father known is fleshed out throughout John. As we constantly ponder each Gospel segment, what do we learn about God from what Jesus does and says, from how he treats people, from his humanity and divinity together? What difference will each insight make in how we respond to our own life situations?

"This is the testimony given by John when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, 'Who are you?'" (1:19)

1:19 This is the testimony. John 1-2 presents a series of short, positive interchanges with various members of Jesus' new "crew." Notice that these first disciples are on a voyage of discovery, as indicated by the escalation in experiences and by the names with which they speak of or to Jesus. John hints at this growing awareness of who Jesus is by his notation of seven days (see 1:19, 29, 35, 43, and 2:1), culminating in the first "sign" and the disciples' full belief. How has our own understanding of Jesus grown since we first met him? The awareness that people are at various stages of comprehension frees us to be agents drawing them ever towards new visions and names that lead to belief.

"He confessed and did not deny it, but confessed, 'I am not the Messiah.' And they asked him, 'What then? Are you Elijah?' He said, 'I am not.' 'Are you the prophet?' He answered, 'No.'" (1:20-21)

1:20-21 I am not the Messiah. Perhaps we all sometimes fall into the trap of thinking that we're the Messiah. What can foster the sort of humility we need to let God work through us instead?

"Then they said to him, 'Who are you? Let us have an answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?'" (1:22)

1:22 (19, 24) Who are you? These verses give the first hint of opposition to those who testify to Jesus. How does John demonstrate the power of humility and truth-telling to free us from our fear of enemies?

"They asked him, 'Why then are you baptizing if you are neither the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?' John answered them, 'I baptize with water. Among you stands one whom you do not know, the one who is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandal.'" (1:25-27)

1:25-27 I am not worthy. Still today people wonder what right Christians have to do what we do or say what we say if we're not big shots. What opportunities does God give us simply to point to Jesus? (See also 1:29-34.)The The Life with God Bible includes the efforts of:

Renovare has a 50% off special through July 1st.

General Editors - Gayle Beebe,

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We currently are using this book as a springboard for daily devotions on facebook as a part of The Passionate Participation in God Project at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=237088564302

Sign up for the group and the free daily devotional today.

FINDING THE WAY

Finding the Way, Isaiah 30:19-22It is often difficult to hear that voice guiding us to the right path. Many of us think we know God’s direction for a certain part of our lives, but we are not sure. Throughout the next ten days we will be seeking discernment about a major decision. Perhaps there is some leading you think you have felt or some issue about which you remain undecided—such as whether you should stay in or pursue a relationship with a certain person, or whether you should change vocation. Or perhaps you have not felt any real leadings from God about the direction your life should take and your task is not to confirm, but to ask God for a new direction.


19 O people of Zion, who live in Jerusalem,
you will weep no more. He will be gracious if you ask for help. He will surely respond to the sound of your cries.
20 Though the Lord gave you adversity for food and suffering for drink, he will still be with you to teach you.
You will see your teacher with your own eyes. 21 Your own ears will hear him. Right behind you a voice will say,"This is the way you should go," whether to the right or to the left. 22 Then you will destroy all your silver idols and your precious gold images. You will throw them out like filthy rags,
saying to them, "Good riddance!" NLT.

The notes below are from 'A Year With God' by Richard Foster and are a part of a daily devotional group called The Passionate Participation in God Project on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=237088564302/ You can sign up and get these eamils each day at the site above. You can also read them at www,abbasglory.com/ Just click on the In God daily tab.

You can go about this task in a variety of ways. You might want to pray about the same thing every day, asking God for confirmation or direction, or, alternately, spend a block of time one day thinking and praying. Another option is to ask several trusted friends to meet with you to talk over and pray about your question. Quakers call such gatherings “meetings for clearness.” Sometimes the Holy Spirit can speak to us more clearly in a group and also reassure us that our inclination is of the Spirit and not of our own ego.

Throughout, as you seek confirmation that you are on the right path, consider that, in his Rules for the Discernment of Spirits, Ignatius of Loyola states that good influences provide courage and strength and produce peace and a greater feeling of love, while choices influenced by evil can be counted on to cause regret, sadness, and disquiet.5 Reflect on these thoughts of Ignatius whenever you feel unsure.

The Jesus Manifesto

I just started reading this book but I am drawn to anything that gets us as Christians back to Jesus and away from all of the stuff we seem to follow as Christians.

Jesus Manifesto: Restoring the Supremacy and Sovereignty of Jesus Christ by Leonard Sweet and Frank Viola (Thomas Nelson)


PREVIEW
Christians have made the gospel about so many things—things other than Christ. Religious concepts, ideas, doctrines, strategies, methods, techniques, programs, and formulas have all eclipsed the beauty, the glory, and the reality of the Lord Jesus Himself. On the whole, the Christian family today is starved for a real experience of the living Christ. We know a lot about our Lord, but we don't know Him very well. We know a lot about trying to be like Jesus, but very little about living by His indwelling life. "Jesus Manifesto" presents a fresh unveiling of Jesus as not only Savior and Lord, but as so much more. It is a prophetic call to restore the supremacy and sovereignty of Christ in a world—and a church—that has lost sight of Him. Read this book and see your Lord like you've never seen Him before.

Sign The Manifesto at Go Unite The Tribe http://www.gounitethetribe.com/
By signing this manifesto, we identify ourselves as grateful recipients of the freewheeling generosity and audacious mercy of Jesus. We bear witness to His love as together we follow Him. We affirm the good news that Jesus died, is risen, and will come again. The holy Scriptures are our roadmap as we seek true humanity and community with one another. We acknowledge that Jesus continues to forgive us and, reflecting Him, we forgive others with open hearts. We impart Him to those around us when we clothe ourselves in mercy, humility, and patience.


We call on each other to commit ourselves daily to His love and, in doing so, to live as His representatives, delighting in His imagination as He uses every one of us to bring the good news to our world.

Enoch’s Amazing Walk with God

Enoch’s Amazing Walk with GodHow We Can Have an Amazing Walk With God Beginning Today
Gen 5:24
24 And Enoch walked [in close fellowship] with and pleased God; and he was not, for God took him [home with Him]. [Heb 11:5.]Heb 11:55 Because of faith Enoch was caught up and transferred to heaven, so that he did not have a glimpse of death; and he was not found, because God had translated him. For even before he was taken to heaven, he received testimony [still on record] that he had pleased and been in close fellowship with God. [Gen 5:21-24.] AMP

IntroductionWhat an amazing thing this is, to be in such a close and pleasing relationship with God that one day you just walk into heaven with Him without dying.

1. In The Beginning: Adam and Eve had such a walk/relationship with God. God came to visit them in the cool of the day. Unhindered by sin, they had amazing fellowship with God daily. Do you remember the joy of your salvation? Remember what it was like when you were first in love with Jesus!

2. Satan’s Scheme: In Genesis 3 we see the unfolding of Satan’s master plan to destroy humanity’s Relationship and Walk with God. ‘You shall be like God he said, when actually they became like him, separated because of their sin from God.

3. God response: in Genesis 3:15 the beginning of God’s plan of restoration with a demonstration of it in the shedding of the blood of animals to provide clothing, which is a fore shadowing of the shedding of the Messiah’s blood that we might have that close and God pleasing relationship or walk with God once again once again.

LET’S LOOK AGAIN AT HEBREWS 11:5Heb 11:55 Because of faith Enoch was caught up and transferred to heaven, so that he did not have a glimpse of death; and he was not found, because God had translated him. For even before he was taken to heaven, he received testimony [still on record] that he had pleased and been in close fellowship with God. [Gen 5:21-24.] AMP

I. Where do we begin?

Salvation, Born again John 3:16 and Col 1:13-14John 3:16-1816 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. 17 "For God did not send the Son into the world bto judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.Col 1:13-1413 For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

II. What is next: Laying The foundation1 Cor 3:10-11According to athe grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it. 11 For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

1. Preparing the Soil: If you have ever built or watched a foundation being built you know that the land must be prepared and that you must be careful as to what type of soil you build on. When we come to God as new believers we have sin and its results in our lives.
We not only need to repent from sin and renounce ungodly influences in our lives, but we may also need cleansing and healing from sins impact in our lives.

2. Build on Christ alone: We must build from the cornerstone which is Christ a foundation which from Him and Him alone.

3. Building a Relationship: Building that foundation requires a growing relationship. Relationships have several key parts.
a. Motivation, Interest, Interaction, Response, these are part of an ongoing cycle which must be kept fresh and alive.
Illustration in dating and marriage

III. Building on the foundation which is Christ

I Cor 3:12-1512 Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, 1precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each man's work will become evident; for bthe day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test 1the quality of each man's work. 14 If any man's work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. 15 If any man's work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet aso as through fire.

The Word of God as illuminated by the Holy Spirit is our primary and most important resource for knowing and developing a walk/relationship with God. Our prayers and our worship must be founded in the Word or we risk being led away from God by our own soulish desires and responses.
1. We need both Knowledge and Experience: Wisdom is gained by experience that comes from applying what we believe in life. The Greek values knowledge, the Hebrew does not separate knowing and doing what you say you believe. As Christians we must value both knowledge and wisdom gained through the experience of acting on what we believe.
2. Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev former Soviet Premier memorized large portions of scripture to get candy as a child but never came to Christ or served Him.
(Knowledge is not enough)

This foundation in Christ through God’s Word will also keep us from being caught up in the latest fads and doctrines.
We must judge our experiences and all we think and do by the Word. There are plenty of false teachings floating around in every generation and we can avoid them if we are in close relationship with God based on His Word.
False doctrines always have some truth. They also can take truth out of its biblical setting when it was not meant to be.

Examples:1. Taking Scripture out of context: Judas went out and hung himself and Jesus said go and do the same thing. These two scriptures do not go together. Christ never told anyone to hang themselves.
2. Talking to Angels instead of God. God assigns His angels to us. We need not seek them out as they are on assignment by God. Why talk to the messenger when you can talk to the Boss? When angels do show up in Scripture it is a big and often tramatic event.

The Enoch Type of Walk with God includes avoiding false doctrines which take us away from God is getting to know Him intimately and saying YES to Him Constantly and building our relationship daily.

IV. Simple Steps to a growing intimate walk with God.James 4:8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. NASU

1. Start where you are at and build little by little 5 min prayer, 5 min reading, 5 min worship
2. Find and fellowship with others who love God
3. Begin with a good study Bible and learn how to use it, read, read, read and study,
Then add an exhaustive Concordance
Then a Bible dictionary
These three resources will make you a good student of the Word!4. Learn to pray by using Scriptural prayers, start with the lord’s prayer
5. Listen to worship and praise music as much as possible
6. Spend more time doing these things than listening to others teach and preach or in reading other people’s books
7. Work on making God your best friend and seek Him out every minute you can

V. GET BAPTISED IN THE HOLY SPIRIT AND PRAY IN TONGUES when you do you build yourself up in God! Paul said he prayed tongues more than all the believers he wrote to and that praying in tongues builds you up in your faith.1 Cor 14:18-19I thank God, I speak in tongues more than you all; NASU1 Cor 14:4Those who speak in a tongue build up themselves, NRSV

Prayer:Lord God, please forgive us for being so busy living our lives that we have not made you the priority of our lives. Father bring us close to you by your Spirit and through your Word that we might build a relationship that pleases you and that we might have walk with you even as Enoch did!
Father, if we have not built wisely then please show us where we must rebuild our foundation and help us to restore our first love with you.
Amen

This message is the property of Wayne Newcomb. Please do not use without permission.

http://www.abbasglory.com/

The Jesus Manifesto

The new book "Jesus Manifesto" by Leonard Sweet and Frank Viola (Thomas Nelson) will be on discount at Amazon.com, Tuesday, June 1st. here is the link to order:


http://www.amazon.com/dp/0849946018?tag=stellardesign-20&camp=14573&creative=327641&linkCode=as1&creativeA

Secrecy

SECRECY-By Richard Foster in 'A Year With God.' This is part of our new study at The Passionate Particpation in God Project at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=237088564302 Sign Up Today

SECRECY: Consciously refraining from having our good deeds and qualities generally known, which in turn rightly disciplines our longing for recognition.

We often long to talk about the good deeds that we do, wanting others to think well of us. The danger of this inclination is that approval will become our motivation. When we fast or pray or give in secret, as Jesus advises us in Matthew 6, we can know we are doing so for the right reasons, looking to God for approval rather than to our fellow humans. God knows all that we are and all that we do; His heavenly reward for any good that we do will far outweigh any earthly approbation (Matt 6:1). Deliberately avoiding earthly recognition, fame, and attention helps to cultivate within us humility and true love for others. It also gives us the opportunity to meditate on the nature of our God, who the Bible tells us is also “hidden” (Isa 45:15) and “in secret” (Matt 6).

That is not to say that our good qualities will never be recognized by others, just that we leave it to God to point them out, We see Jesus avoiding crowds and performing miracles in private, but the crowds invariably find Him and spread the word about Him. Jesus told us that a city set on a hill cannot be hid, and that we are to be the light of the world, not hidden under a bushel (Matt 5:14-16). Practicing the discipline of secrecy simply relinquishes to God the power to reveal our light. This submission is only appropriate, because everything in us that is good comes from God.

Whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. —Matthew 6:6

Day 126 Spiritual Practice: Keeping Our Works Private
Day 127 Not Seen by Others
Day 128 The Appearance of Righteousness
Day 129 In My Secret Heart
Day 130 He Could Not Escape Notice
Day 131 The Light of the World
Day 132 God Will Judge Our Secret Thoughts
Day 133 Riches Hidden in Secret Places
Day 134 Hidden with God
Day 135 The Shelter of the Most High
Day 136 Spiritual Practice: Praying for Others’ Success
Day 137 The One Who is More Powerful Than I
Day 138 Jesus Humbled Himself
Day 139 God’s Splendor
Day 140 Let No One Boast
Day 141 Let Those Who Boast Boast in This
Day 142 Boasting in Christ Jesus
Day 143 We Boast in Our Hope of Sharing the Glory of God
Day 144 God Notices Us
Day 145 A God Who Hides

20 Days of Practicing Secrecy With God

20 Days of Practicing Secrecy in Your Walk With God starts today on facebook.
This daily devotional study group can be found at The Passioante Particiapation in God Project http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=237088564302

Learn to Discipline Your Spiritual Life with this Discipline of Secrecy. Jesus taught us to do our good deeds and works in private and so that we would please God not people.
Learn more by revieving this daily devotional based out of 'A Year With God', by Richard Foster

This Study is divided up into these 10 day sections.
1. Keeping Our Works Private 10 days
2. Praying for Others' Success 10 days

The passioante Participation in God project is sponsored by Abba's Glory Int @www.abbasglory.com. We are a part of the CrossFire International Alliance.

A Servant of the Gospel?

Are You A Servant of the Gospel, Colossians 1:15-29

When reading this passage today I began to think and wonder if all of God's people, from the fivefold ministry leadership to the occasional visitor who says they are a Christian (Christian, a believer in Jesus Christ as the Son of God and the Messiah, and acceptance of his teachings, contained in the Gospels and other New Testament writings) were to live with a passion in line with these passages, if the people of God (followers of Jesus the Messiah) might not see the Kingdom of God Established through His people 'the church' in the earth today to such a degree that the World (those outside the church) would turn away from their ideas, thoughts and perceptions and embrace Jesus of Nazareth as their Messiah as well.

Christ Is Supreme (greater than or superior to any other, especially above all others in power, authority, rank, status, or skill.)

15 Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before God made anything at all and is supreme over all creation. 16 Christ is the one through whom God created everything in heaven and earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can't see — kings, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities. Everything has been created through him and for him. 17 He existed before everything else began, and he holds all creation together.

18 Christ 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. 19 For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, 20 and 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. 21 This includes you who were once so far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions, 22 yet 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. 23 But 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.


Paul's Work for the Church ( because of God’s grace toward him)
24 I am glad when I suffer for you in my body, for I am completing what remains of Christ's sufferings for his body, the church. 25 God has given me the responsibility of serving his church by proclaiming his message in all its fullness to you Gentiles. 26 This message was kept secret for centuries and generations past, but now it has been revealed to his own holy people. 27 For it has pleased God to tell his people that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. For this is the secret: Christ lives in you, and this is your assurance that you will share in his glory.

28 So everywhere we go, we tell everyone about Christ. We warn them and teach them with all the wisdom God has given us, for we want to present them to God, perfect in their relationship to Christ. 29 I work very hard at this, as I depend on Christ's mighty power that works within me. NLT

Insight

The Apostle Paul moved by the Holy Spirit here proclaims to us the Supremacy of Jesus the Messiah and how God’s grace has been extended to them. This is the message, that Paul who sees himself as a servant of the Gospel, proclaims and encourages all who will listen to serve as well. Paul by God’s grace has moved from legalistic prosecutor of the law and persecutor of the believers to lover of God’s grace and God’s people.

Are you a servant of the Gospel because of God’s grace toward you?
Is that servant lifestyle seen in your serving God’s people?
Is it seen in your service to the unsaved?
Do they know why you are serving them?

IF YOU ANSWERED YES, THAN YOU ARE ESTABLISHING THE KINGDOM OF GOD!

Serving God A 20 Day Study

Introductory Notes for our new 20 day study on our Facebook Group The Passionate Participation In God Project. http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=237088564302

SERVICE:
Loving, thoughtful, active promotion of the good of others and the causes of God in our world, through which we experience the many little deaths of going beyond ourselves.

Service is one of the most frequently mentioned disciplines in the Bible. From the very beginning God’s people pledged themselves as God’s servants and were directed in the law to serve and care for others. Being a servant of God and of others was a way of living—a declaration of obedience, not an occasional volunteer activity.

In the New Testament, Jesus made it clear that He was God’s servant, but also the servant of others. These two were inextricably linked. Again and again, He spoke of turning the cultural order upside down: “Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all” (Mark 9:35b). In Luke 22:25-26, He said, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those in authority over them are called benefactors. But not so with you; rather the greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like one who serves.” Jesus underscored His point by humbling Himself to wash the feet of the disciples (John 13:1-20), making it clear that this servanthood was much more than symbolic.

Then after Jesus’ ultimate act of submission and servanthood on the cross, Paul took up the theme of servanthood, referring to himself time and again as a servant of the gospel (Eph 3:7; Col 1:23). We can follow in Jesus’ footsteps and serve God and others purely as an act of love, but service is also an excellent way to train ourselves in humility and submission to God’s will.

Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received. —1 Peter 4:10

Day 106 Spiritual Practice: Serving God in Every Task
Day 107 Serving and Carrying
Day 108 Consecrated for God’s Service
Day 109 Do Not Neglect Them
Day 110 My Servant Caleb
Day 111 A Willing Heart
Day 112 Service in the Home
Day 113 As for Me and My Household
Day 114 Two Servants
Day 115 In Every Good Work
Day 116 Spiritual Practice: Not to Be Served, but to Serve
Day 117 I Devoted Myself to the Work
Day 118 Do Not Withhold Good
Day 119 Wash One Another’s Feet
Day 120 Servants of the Lord
Day 121 Serving Others’ Needs
Day 122 A Servant Heart
Day 123 A Servant of the Gospel
Day 124 Serving the Saints
Day 125 A Light to the Nations

Join us for this 20 Day Adveture in Serving God!