TLCC - SoundSage

Devotional Plan for: Week of August 23 - August 27 Each week of the series will be focused on the story of a legendary disciple throughout Christian history and how that person modeled the adventure of discipleship.

Luke 10:38-42 (NIV): "As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. But all the preparations that had to be made distracted Martha. She came to him and asked, 'Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!' 'Martha, Martha', the Lord answered, 'you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her." Monday, August 23rd So, Martha was a busy body and Mary was a saint. That's the typical reading of this passage, right? Sometimes we're too busy to focus on the right things. Well, this is certainly a big point found in this passage, but the depth of the situation is illuminated by an understanding of the context in first century Judaism.

First of all, sitting at one's feet was not simply meant she was physically sitting at his feet, but it represented her relationship to Jesus: that she was being taught and discipled by Christ. Second of all, she was a woman, and a woman being a part of the crew of guys that were taught by a male teacher was socially unacceptable.

So, when Martha is calling out Mary to Jesus, she's not just saying, "Hey, I need help working!" There's a subtext of, "Mary, we're supposed to be making the preparations, not sitting at the feet of Jesus. That's not our role." This is a shocking social moment in history, and passages like this are why the western, Christianized world has made so much progress in women's rights, versus other parts of the world.

When we see it with this full context, we get a bigger picture of the magnitude of this moment, along with some new learnings: (1) yes, don't be so busy; (2) all of us are called to sit at the feet of Jesus, whether you think you are or not; and (3) God loves all.

This week, we're going to focus on this passage of Scripture for all 5 days, so we can dig in and really identify how we can sit at the feet of Jesus.

Reflection Question(s): Have you ever thought that you didn't deserve to sit at the feet of Jesus? How does this passage help to encourage you?

Christian Smith - Director of Pastoral Ministries

Tuesday, August 24th As we approach today's text I suspect Martha was fine with Mary sitting with Jesus at first. We are told that while Mary sat at the feet of Jesus, Martha was in the kitchen working. Perhaps Martha would have liked to have been able to sit at the feet of Jesus too. However, she had rolls to bake, potatoes to mash, and a table to set. There was much to do. As she worked in the kitchen she began to feel overwhelmed and underappreciated. She started to feel upset that Mary did not recognize that she wanted help.

We have all, at one time or another, been where Martha was so we don't have any trouble imagining what was going on. You can imagine Martha thinking "Here I am in the kitchen slaving away over a meal these people will eat in just a matter of minutes and everyone else is out there having a good time with Jesus. Don't they understand how much work is involved?"

The problem with Martha is not that she is busy serving and providing hospitality. Certainly, Jesus commends this kind of service, notably in the parable of the Good Samaritan that immediately precedes the story of Mary and Martha. The problem with Martha is not her serving, but rather that she is worried and distracted.

Martha's distraction and worry leave no room for the most important aspect of hospitality — gracious attention to the guest. In fact, she breaks all the rules of hospitality by trying to embarrass her sister in front of her guest, and by asking her guest to intervene in a family dispute.

Martha's worry and distraction prevent her from being truly present with Jesus, and cause her to drive a wedge between her sister and herself, and between Jesus and herself. She has missed out on the "one thing needed" for true hospitality. There is no greater hospitality than listening to your guest. How much more so when the guest is Jesus! So Jesus says that Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.

In a culture of hectic schedules and the relentless pursuit of productivity, we are tempted to measure our worth by how busy we are, by how much we accomplish, or by how well we meet the expectations of others.

It is true that much of our busyness and distraction stems from the noblest of intentions. We want to provide for our families, we want to give our children every opportunity to enrich their lives, we want to serve our neighbors, and yes, we want to serve the Lord. Indeed, where would the church be without its "Marthas", those faithful folk who perform the tasks of hospitality and service so vital to making the church a welcoming and well-functioning community?

However, Jesus invites all of us who are worried and distracted by many things to sit and rest in his presence, to hear his words of grace and truth, to know that we are loved and valued as children of God, to be renewed in faith and strengthened for service. There is a need for only one thing: attention to our guest.

Reflection Question(s): What are the common results you experience when you lose your focus on God? Who, or what, do you blame when your life becomes chaotic?

Ryan Moore – Pastor of Care

Wednesday, August 25th The courage of Mary, in this passage, is so inspiring. As we discussed on Monday, her sitting at the feet of Jesus was breaking social boundaries. She understood this wasn't an appropriate social boundary, and therefore risked deciding to sit at the feet of Jesus, because Jesus was worth the risk.

Not only this, but it takes courage in our world to actually, simply, sit down. Some of the most inspiring people are those who are not always running around, worried and anxious and busy, but those who are able to walk with a reservation and calm about them, because they sometimes sit.

Even in ministry, I (Christian) often find myself waking up in a flurry of activity to make sure I can get all of the necessary tasks done for the day. I neglect to "take a seat", and that's because I (sometimes) think that getting a whole bunch of stuff done that day, sacrificing my energy and time, etc., in order to "work" is what's courageous. I'm courageous if I'm dead tired; that's who we laud and lift up as a society.

Certainly, we can exude incredible courage in our work, and work is demanded from us as followers of Christ. However, sometimes sitting down and quietly being at the feet of Jesus is what's the most courageous thing to do. While the world is on fire (or maybe just your life seems like it's on fire), you can go against the grain by saying, "No, I'm going to sit down for a moment at the feet of Jesus. I'll get back to you when I can, and we'll all be better for it."

Reflection Question(s): How can viewing "sitting at the feet of Jesus" as courageous help encourage you in your discipleship?

Christian Smith – Director of Pastoral Ministries

Thursday, August 26th The courage of Mary, in this passage, is so inspiring. As we discussed on Monday, her sitting at the feet of Jesus was breaking social boundaries. She understood this wasn't an appropriate social boundary, and therefore risked deciding to sit at the feet of Jesus, because Jesus was worth the risk.

Reflection Question(s): How can viewing "sitting at the feet of Jesus" as courageous help encourage you in your discipleship?

Christian Smith - Director of Pastoral Ministries

Friday, August 27th Can you imagine opening your front door to find Jesus on the sidewalk, chatting with His disciples? I picture a scene a little like this when I read the story of Mary and Martha. It doesn't seem that Martha was too worried. She eagerly invited Jesus in and showed Him the kind of authentic hospitality that throws the door wide and serves the best I have. However, one big lesson we learn from this biblical narrative is how we can make better choices.

We see this in Luke 10:42: "Few things are needed – or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."

Today, we live in an extremely busy world. We have to constantly juggle between work pressures, home projects, church responsibilities, kids schedules and many more. And in all these, we often compromise (or sacrifice) our daily time with the Lord. We often think that God knows what we are going through, He understands our pressures.

Surely, God knows and understands everything. But this story is a reminder that we need to set our priorities right. Our first and foremost choice must be our daily quiet time with God, everything else can come after that. Everything else can wait. This is not some legalistic thing that we need to follow. But we need to do so because it is a "better choice."

Time spent at the feet of Jesus is never wasted time. It is an incredibly invested time.

Application What about you? Are you 'distracted' by the work for the Lord, that you don't have time to sit at his feet and listen to him? Will you take time from your busy schedule daily to be with God? Here I am presenting simple steps for how to do your daily quiet time.

Time Quiet time should be about 10-15 minutes long. You can choose a time according to your schedule. For some, morning works better, for others, night may work well.

How to do Quiet Time? Start with prayer: - Spend just a few minutes in worship and thanksgiving. - Spend some time in asking God for forgiveness for our sins. - Ask for his guidance in today's quiet time.

Passage for Quiet time: It is good to select any book of the bible and read it continuously. It will help you to get the whole picture and can enjoy your quiet time more. Select about 4-6 verses, don't select the whole chapter, as you may not be able to cover it all.

Read the paragraph 2-3 times. This bible study method is also called the ASPECT method. From the paragraph, ask the following questions. Don't be too quick to come to application, before you understand the passage.

A – About God – What can you learn about God through this passage? S – Sin – Does it talk about any sin? P – Promise – Is there any promise in the word? E – Example – Is there any example, I can follow? C – Command – Which command I need to obey? T – Teaching – What can I learn from this passage?

Concluding Prayer: Thank God for his guidance in quiet time. Worship God for his characteristic. Ask for strength for the day.

Ryan Moore – Pastor of Care

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Pastor Christian Smith

Devotional Plan for: Week of August 16 - August 20 Monday - Read John 8:31-38 John 8:31-34 NIV: "To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." They answered him, "We are Abraham's descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?" Jesus replied, "Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. I know that you are Abraham's descendants. Yet you are looking for a way to kill me, because you have no room for my word. I am telling you what I have seen in the Father's presence, and you are doing what you have heard from your father."

It seems that many if not most people define freedom as independence: freedom from constraints. Freedom to choose to do whatever we want. As long as we don't hurt anyone, we should be free to live our lives however we please. This is the modern concept of freedom.

But the kind of freedom Jesus is speaking of in this passage is a far greater and far deeper kind of freedom than most of us might think of when we hear that word. It's something greater than the civil and political freedoms we enjoy. He speaks of the greatest kind of freedom of all a freedom that everyone desperately needs; one that transcends all other temporal circumstances of freedom that we might experience, and that gives the greatest possible meaning and value to them.

So, in our passage this morning, when Jesus said, "And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free", He's talking about Himself. He's talking about the greatest experience of freedom anyone can have, and He is telling us that this freedom comes through hearing Him and knowing Him.

True freedom—at the deepest level—comes only through a relationship with Him who is the Truth.

So how do we experience this Freedom? We must abide or take hold of the teachings of scripture which is God's word.

What does it mean to "abide" in His word? It means to acknowledge the authority of His word, to 'remain' in it and 'live' in it; to continually meditate on it, to obey it, and to let it guide our way of thinking and living. And do you see what He goes on to say about that? He says that if you do this—if you abide in His word faithfully as a regular pattern of life—you are His disciples 'indeed'. You're the real deal.

We are creatures who are designed to live in accordance with the thoughts and words of our Creator—that is, in conformity to truth. And until we get back into the truth—and abide in the truth—we're not free.

And so, the more we obey our Lord, the more we walk in accordance with truth, the greater our freedom. That's the path to true freedom—to believe on Jesus and to walk in accordance with His true word. If you want to be truly free, then enter into a relationship with Him by faith, and be faithful to abide in Him.

Reflection Question(s): What do I need to ask of God in order to grow in light of this?

Ryan Moore - Pastor of Care

Tuesday - Read Matthew 28:16-20 Matthew 28:16-20 NIV: "Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Let's get illustrative here.

Say you are a private in the army. Now, let's say some random person comes and gives you an order. Will you obey? Probably not. However, say this person is an officer who ranks higher than you. Now, will you obey? Yes. Why? Because his/her ranking gives you the reason to do what they say. Obedience flows from an understanding of rank and authority. We commit to the mission entrusted to us because the one that has called us to it ranks higher than us. Before Jesus left the earth in bodily form, he gave us a mission. This mission is worth giving our lives to. So today, let's focus on "The Great Commission" found in Matthew 28:16-20.

First, it's important to note that Jesus had resurrected from the grave at this point. Here, the one who claimed and proved to have authority over sick bodies, sin, and storms, now proved to have authority over life itself by defeating death. Historically, many people have claimed to be "god", however, none of them had the ability to resurrect themselves after death. Jesus proved to be the ultimate authority of everything in existence by his own resurrection.

Secondly, the resurrected Jesus met with disciples who were both worshiping and doubting. What I (Joao) love about this is that it shows the humanity of the disciples. Some disciples dealt with doubt EVEN after the God of the universe raised himself from the dead. Jesus still shows up to both parties in the same fashion at the same time! Our faith journey is full of faith moments, doubt moments, worshipful moments, worrying moments, high moments, and low moments. Yet, Christ is still showing up daily by his power in our lives.

Third, before Christ gives them the commission, he refers to the authority he has over heaven and earth. Why? Because before he gives them the command, he must first refer to his authority. His authority speaks to his kingship over life. Now that they know that Jesus is, in fact, the King of all life, they are ready to receive his command. Jesus refers to his own authority and not the authority of the disciples because Jesus wants them to trust in his power and not their own.

Lastly, Jesus gives them a command to go make disciples of all nations and to baptize them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. A disciple is one who follows Jesus, learns from Jesus, and has taught others about Jesus. Now, Jesus tells them to "make" disciples. This refers to intentionality and work it takes to create disciples. However, there is a tension here. We are used to an amazon prime world where the product often shows up at your doorstep without you understanding the process it took to make the product and to get the product to your house. A Disciple is not a byproduct of only church attendance and watching sermons online. A disciple has to be made in the same way an officer trains a soldier to get ready for battle. Disciples are intentional at creating more disciples. You see, this isn't "The great suggestion." This is the "Great Commission", given to us by a great God.

Reflection Question(s): Have you created disciples? How have you been intentional with them?

Joao Pires – Pastor of Redline Youth Ministries

Wednesday - Read 2 Timothy 2:1-2 2 Timothy 2: 1-2 NIV: "You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others."

The early Christians were mired in an interesting context at their conception. They were surrounded by people who either simply disagreed with their belief system and truth claims (e.g., Jesus rose from the dead), or those who were adamantly against it and antagonistic.

As we know, it can be easy to conform when pressure is applied to us. We can start to water down who we are or not fully represent it to people. Or, it can become so controversial that we begin to actually re-think the truth, and find ourselves elsewhere entirely.

In our passage today, Paul is writing to his mentee Timothy who is leading a young church in a very non-Christian area. Paul clearly instructed him to ensure that reliable people would carry on the teachings of Christianity so that it could be perpetuated and carried on throughout the generations.

Disciples are not just people who sit at the feet of Jesus, but people who carry out the mission they learned when they were at his feet. Disciples spread and perpetuate that which is of their teacher.

Though there are specific people (like teachers and pastors) who spend a lot of their time ensuring they are reliable and qualified witnesses to the teachings of Jesus, every believer has the mandate to learn well and pass it on. The message of Christ can easily be drowned out by all of the noise in the world, but when faithful believers share the glorious teachings passed on, we can continue to spread God's love.

Reflection Question(s): How can you become more of a reliable witness to the teachings of Christ?

Christian Smith – Director of Pastoral Ministries

Thursday - Read Luke 9:23-24 Luke 9:23-24 NIV: "Then he said to them all: "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it."

Are you a disciple? When we think of the word "disciple", a lot of us probably think of 12 guys in robes who followed Jesus around, usually saying or doing the wrong thing, and then getting taught by Jesus about what they should have done.

What does it mean to be a disciple? The Greek Bible word "mathetes" means to be learner, or a follower. It means more than just being a "convert" or "making a decision." It involved much more than just raising your hand, or going forward and filling out a card, being baptized, or being a member of a church. It is a commitment of your life to Jesus to be His follower.

Jesus spelled out the kind of commitment He requires of His followers in Luke 9:23

Followers Follow- "If anyone would come after me" Jesus is sending a message here saying, "Sure, it's easy to follow while miracles were taking place, sure you have followed me when the multitudes came to hear my teaching, but now that I am heading to a cross, will you still follow?" Followers follow no matter how many others join in the pursuit. A true follower of Jesus isn't waiting on the crowd; they have made up their minds to follow Him. Followers follow because of faith, not feelings. Emotions will let you down, but the Word of God will be the strength for every battle and test in life.
Followers Deny Themselves - Denying the flesh is part of following Christ. Giving our dreams to Him. Following Jesus requires losing ourselves and gaining Christ. Denying worldly appetites, the Word tells us to crucify the flesh with its affections and lusts. Christ's desire for the gospel to reach the lost must become our desire. His goal must become our goal.
Followers Take Up a Cross — v.23b-daily — following Jesus will get you to heaven, but by way of the cross. Anyone who follows Christ will know the rejection, pain and suffering that goes with carrying the cross.

Crosses are heavy, carrying a cross means death. If you want to reign with Him, you must die with Him. You lose your life to gain it. v. 24—anyone unwilling to lose their life for Christ will not gain heaven, but anyone who loses their life finds life.

There are a number of decisions like that in life, where each of us has to make his or her own decision, and no one can make it for you. But no decision in life is more personal and important than the decision to be a disciple. It is the most important decision of your life, and no one can make it for you.

Reflection Question(s): What is your cross? Do you take it up daily?

Ryan Moore - Pastor of Care

Friday - Read John 13:34-35 John 13:34-35 NIV: "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another"

Believe it or not, we live in an extremely tribalistic society. "Tribes" and communities are often created by political leanings, religious beliefs, denominations, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and so many more things! Even by our favorite chicken restaurants! Do you all remember the argument of Popeyes vs Chick Fil-A chicken? You see, we can slice it in many different ways. We can even laugh about some of these, but, here is the serious truth: We are more divided than we ought to be. And yes, even in Christian circles there happen to be many different tribes and subsets. According to a quick google search, there are over 45,000 different Christian denominations. We are tribalistic beings who are prone to create communities within communities that we can easily mesh with.

Yet, today, we open to John 13:34-35 to take a look at one of the last things that Jesus commanded his disciples to do before going to the cross. This command should help shape how we view our relationship with other believers.

First off, Jesus tells them of a "new" commandment that he would give them. This commandment was to love as Christ loved them. Now, this wasn't "new" in that it was a newly, invented commandment. It was new in that the extent by which it would be shown would be new. Jesus was going to show love in a new way. He would be going to a cross to die for the sins of humanity. Love would be shown in a fresh way for the first time. This wasn't just "love", it was love inspired by the very love that Jesus had for us. When we are aware of the love of Jesus, he helps shape and inform how we are to love one another. The Bible says that God is love. It also says that Christ was the image of the invisible God. Scripture also teaches that great love is shown by someone who lays down his life for his friends. Jesus showed us real love, therefore we can love in a fresh, new way. We love because he first loves us.

Secondly, when Jesus chose to use a mark that the world can identify a real, true disciple, he chose the mark of love. Love is the billboard that marks a true disciple. Without love, we cannot show the world that we are followers of Jesus. What if we can have so much patience for one another, so much gentleness, so much generosity, forgiveness, and intentionality with one another, that the world can look at us and identify us as real Christians? Unfortunately, the world knows Christians for what we are against rather than what we are for. They know us for where we stand politically, but not for how we love one another. Love is contagious. Love draws the eye of non-Jesus followers. Love is the marker that not only proves our discipleship, but also gets the eye of those seeking Jesus.

Lastly, Love is a command and not always a feeling. Jesus uses the Greek word "agape" here. It means unconditional love. This marker of love doesn't always come natural. The Bible says that our hearts are deceitful. Love isn't by default, but it is by design. If it was easy, it wouldn't have been a command. Growing up, my parents had to command that I cleaned my room. Why? Because I didn't naturally do it. It's the same with love. We must love even when we don't agree. We must strive for a love inspired by the very love that Christ gave us. Here is the good news: Jesus gave us a fresh picture of love on the cross so that we would never have an excuse of not knowing what real love looks like. We love, because Christ loved us.

Reflection Question(s): What are some fresh ways to love the people in your life?

Joao Pires – Pastor of Redline Youth Ministries

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Pastor Terry A. Smith

Devotional Plan for: Week of August 2 - August 6 Monday - Read 1 Timothy 4:6-10 1 Timothy 4:6-10 NIV: "If you point these things out to the brothers and sisters, you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, nourished on the truths of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed. Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives' tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance. That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe."

What are you trying to transform?

Social media is rife with inspiring "before and after" posts. Someone posts a mirror selfie and a subsequent transformation over the span of months or a year. They've lost X amount of pounds, gained X amount of muscle. Have you ever been inspired by one of these? I (Christian) sure have. You watch the montage videos of someone starting overweight and struggling through workouts, to a quick cut of their chiseled physique later on.

All of us want to experience physical health and transformation in some way. Maybe we're already in good shape, but we most often want to be better in some sort of way. A lot of the goals in our culture are around body image or health. January 1st rolls around and our diet (recently destroyed by Christmas) is at the forefront of our minds, or a workout routine becomes our new goal.

These are good things, completely admirable things, full stop. A question, though: How do you think of the spiritual transformation?

There's a wonderful novel by Oscar Wilde called The Picture of Dorian Gray. Dorian, the main character of the story, is a famed attractive young man who lives a hedonistic lifestyle. A local painter paints his beauty, and Dorian makes a trade-off so that the picture will age instead of him. Dorian ends up realizing his peculiar wish has come true: he grows no wrinkles or sag, but the painting (which is now hidden for no one to see except him) reflects who he is, not only externally in age, but in his sin. The painting represents his character, while his physical self maintains its pristine externals.

If you were to look in a mirror that showed who you are on the inside, what would that mirror show? Would it be pretty? Where would you see some disfiguration?

If that's what you saw, would you want to start a plan to experience extreme self-transformation?

This is a bit of what we get in our scripture passage today. Paul is teaching the church to stay away from poor teachings and actions that diminish one's spiritual fit-ness. We labor and strive towards godliness, because it matters both for this life and the next, whereas physical fitness is good for this life, but not necessarily the next.

The most significant sort of workout you can plan is a spiritual workout. The most important transformation you can attempt is a transformation towards godliness. What will you look like 1 month from now? 6 months from now? 1 year from now? Not what will your body look like, but you, your whole self. Make a plan and make some gains.

Reflection Question(s): Do you believe that true self-transformation can happen in Christ? Assess what you "look like" right now. What are areas of your life that you need to target so you can experience transformation in them?

Christian Smith - Director of Pastoral Ministries

Tuesday - Read 1 Timothy 4:11-16 1 Timothy 4:11-16 NIV: "Command and teach these things. Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity. Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through prophecy when the body of elders laid their hands on you. Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers."

Have you ever wished you could take back something you said or did . . . right after it came out? I believe we all have. Being a leader is a tough task. Leadership is difficult. Being a Christian leader is even more so.

The Apostle Paul knows this. After all, he suffered for Christ – not only as a follower of Jesus, but as someone who led missions to spread the Kingdom of God to new frontiers. He knows that leadership would be difficult for Timothy, too. Not just because Timothy is young, but because leadership is difficult no matter what age you are.

The idea of being looked down on because of being young (4:12) is relevant to most of our cultures. And Timothy, being placed in a position of high leadership as a young man would be met with disapproval in most of our churches today. But in this biblical example, the elders had blessed Timothy as a minister and sent him out to lead (4:14).

Age does not automatically disqualify someone from ministry or leadership; nor does age automatically qualify someone for ministry or leadership. But, if we see the teaching in this section as limited to young people and not all of us (especially leaders), then we miss the important point Paul is making. Paul's teaching is not for Timothy the youth, but for Timothy the leader.

Timothy would be in his mid-to-upper-thirties at the time Paul wrote this letter. He was still considered a young man with a great deal to learn! The imperative in 1 Timothy 4:12 tells him to avoid immaturity, not giving anyone a reason to look down on his youth. Respect cannot be demanded, but over time, a reverent life will earn people's respect. Paul listed five areas of life where Timothy could earn respect:

Speech. A leader's speech should never be irreverent, and he should not try to be more hip than holy. Your mouth shows your heart (Luke 6:45). Develop your heart in private, and your speech will reflect it. Conduct. Every layer of life should be governed by biblical conviction. Love. When he or she has reached the limit of his human capacity and energy to love, a Christian leader still chooses to love even a difficult person. Faith. A Christian leader earns respect through faithful perseverance. Purity. A Christian leader's life must be characterized by sexual and moral purity.

This is serious. Our titles, positions, and knowledge are not near as important as how we live before those entrusted in our care as Christian leaders in our homes, workplaces, and congregations. May the God of love help us to be the people we are called to be.

Reflection Question(s): Write down some evidence in your own life that someone might perceive as making progress in your faith journey.

Ryan Moore – Pastor of Care

Wednesday - Read 1 Timothy 5:3-10 1 Timothy 5:3-8 NIV: "Give proper recognition to those widows who are really in need. But if a widow has children or grandchildren, these should learn first of all to put their religion into practice by caring for their own family and so repaying their parents and grandparents, for this is pleasing to God. The widow who is really in need and left all alone puts her hope in God and continues night and day to pray and to ask God for help. But the widow who lives for pleasure is dead even while she lives. Give the people these instructions, so that no one may be open to blame. Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. No widow may be put on the list of widows unless she is over sixty, has been faithful to her husband, and is well known for her good deeds, such as bringing up children, showing hospitality, washing the feet of the Lord's people, helping those in trouble and devoting herself to all kinds of good deeds."

David Lloyd-George once said, "The true test of a civilization is the way it treats its old people." It's significant that Apostle Paul was concerned enough about the care given to widows in the local church that he gave some wise and practical counsel to Timothy about them.

Paul wants Timothy to have the people he is leading to prioritize care for those in need and Paul makes widows to both make his example and be the example for others.

Paul envisions a church that honors widows in need. He desires that the church should help them financially. The Greek word translated "honor" has a double meaning. First, it has the idea of a "price" paid or received. From there it came to refer to honor or esteem attached to something or someone due to their value. Thus, the word can refer both to material support and/or esteem. Paul, throughout chapters 5 and 6 desires that both meanings be applied.

In verses 9-10, Paul elaborates on the conditions of verses 3-5 concerning needy widows. They are to be at least 60 years old. Younger widows Paul advises to remarry. They are to be the wife of one husband, literally, "a one-man woman," the same qualification laid down for elders and deacons. She is to have a reputation for good works, including "bringing up children." This probably means that if she has had children, she has raised them in the faith. But it may also include caring for unwanted orphans. In the Roman world, unwanted children were often left unattended to die. Unscrupulous people would sometimes take them for slavery or prostitution. But a godly Christian woman would take them into her own home to care for them.

(Re-read that last paragraph)

If you are anything like me, when you re-read that last paragraph again and thought about the widow he was describing, your heart both broke for them and was inspired by them. You may have even put a face to the description and realized there was a person in your life who could have been described like that. That is a person who cared for others. Paul wants to make sure they are cared for also!

Paul's instructions about how to classify widows and how to care for them can be difficult to read. But the underlying theme of these verses and really the majority of Paul's writing was instructive for people who had no commonality in background, tradition, or heritage so that they could forge a new way that always put other people first. Paul imagined a church that was intentional about making sure NO ONE fell through the cracks. Can you imagine that too?

Reflection Question(s): Is there a person, family, or group of people who you think may be in need of care? What are some ways you can care for them?

Jason Pettibone – Weekend Experience Pastor

Thursday - Read 1 Timothy 5:24-25 1 Timothy 5:24-25 NIV: "The sins of some are obvious, reaching the place of judgment ahead of them; the sins of others trail behind them. In the same way, good deeds are obvious, and even those that are not obvious cannot remain hidden forever."

Have you ever felt like the work of your life is hidden? "Work" doesn't only include what you want people to know about, but also what you don't want them to know about.

All of us live with secrets. Both good and bad secrets. Perhaps we give anonymously to someone or maybe we do more work at our jobs than people know. Maybe you spend time in prayer for your friends and family and enemies, but no one is aware. Also, you certainly have habits you're not proud of: sexual sin, addictions, hate in your heart, envy, pride (insert yours here). Maybe you keep a good external image and no one would know you struggle with this internal life, and you're thankful that you're just getting by without anyone knowing or noticing these "sins".

Often, we're upset about what people don't see (good works) and thankful about what people do see (a veneer protecting our ugly stuff).

The reality is, both for better and worse (but ultimately for better!), the good and the bad are revealed. As Paul says to his mentee Timothy, there are some things in life that are obvious about people: this person is sinning here, this person is doing good things here. But, there's also something that isn't obvious: the good and the bad that no one sees is inevitably going to be revealed. Just wait. Sometimes the good and the bad "trail behind us".

This can be both inspiring and convicting to us:

Keep on doing good works, because they're trailing behind you and you will see the fruit of your godly labor Stop doing bad works, because they're trailing behind you and you will see the fruit of your ungodly labor

God is a just God, and he will reward you for who you are. Be diligent!

Reflection Question(s): What good works are you upset that people don't see? What bad works are you thankful that people don't see? How does it impact your impression of these two realities when you realize it will all come to light?

Christian Smith - Director of Pastoral Ministries

Friday - Read 2 Timothy 2:14-21 2 Timothy 2:14-21: "Keep reminding God's people of these things. Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen. Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly. Their teaching will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, who have departed from the truth. They say that the resurrection has already taken place, and they destroy the faith of some. Nevertheless, God's solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: "The Lord knows those who are his," and, "Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness." In a large house, there are articles not only of gold and silver but also of wood and clay; some are for special purposes and some for common use. Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master, and prepared to do any good work."

Paul has portrayed several pictures of what Christian life and service is all about in this chapter. Now he presents the picture of an approved worker. What does an approved worker look like in the service to our Lord?

Paul is writing to his young protégé, Timothy, to encourage him to be strong in the face of the difficult times to come. He wants him to know that God can use him if he will make himself available to God.

"If we are willing." Are you willing to be used by God? Or do we prefer to spend our short life on planet earth filling days with things that don't really matter? I am sure that all who read these words would say, "I truly want to be used by God. And I want to live a life that God can bless abundantly." If that is your answer, then read on because this powerful passage reveals the pathway to blessing and usefulness for all who are willing. Verse 21 even says it explicitly when it challenges us to be "useful to the Master."

In order to be blessed by God and be used by him, we must be grounded in the Word.

Verse 15 is the key to this whole section. If we are going to be used of God to reach others, we must be "approved workers" who are not ashamed because we correctly handle the word of truth. The phrase "approved workers" speaks of craftsmen who are gifted and dedicated to doing excellent work. Those who serve the Lord must take care in the way they handle the Word of God. In the King James Version, the phrase reads "rightly divide." The Greek word means making a straight path. We must not use the Word of God to support a pet theory or our own ideas, but to follow the true teaching of the Word of God, making it the straight pattern for life.

Secondly, an approved worker is confident in God's ability. We live in days of enormous moral, spiritual and cultural confusion. Long-held tenets of proper moral behavior are increasingly doubted and even denied. And the trends in society have made their presence felt in the church.

So, 2 Tim 2:19 gives us confidence in God's ability because God selected those who are saved, and he protects them from truly falling away from him. The proof that they are his is that they both turn away from sin and those who rebel against God. Therefore, anyone who claims to follow Christ and lives a lifestyle of sin should question the reality of their faith. In addition, those who follow cults and other false teachers should also question their faith. Christ said my sheep know my voice and they will not follow the voice of another (John 10). In the last days, Christ will say to many professing believers, "Depart from me you workers of iniquity, I never knew you" (Matt 7:23). They lacked the seal of God.

Reflection Question(s): Election and sanctification are the inscriptions on approved workers. Are you an approved worker? Are you daily fighting against sin to be holy? Are you turning away from those who would lead you away from God?

Ryan Moore – Pastor of Care

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Michael Jr.

Devotional Plan for: Week of July 26 - July 30 Monday - Read Psalm 16:8-11 Psalm 16:8-11 NIV: "I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, nor will you let your faithful one see decay. You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand."

A psychologist recently posed that the only difference between Brett Favre (the famous former quarterback from the Green Bay Packers) and Tom Brady (winningest quarterback in history) is their heart rate. When you track someone's levels of performance next to their heart rate, increased heart rates correlate with less success, and vice-versa. So, because Brett Favre is just as physically gifted as Tom Brady (if not more), and very intelligent, perhaps it was that his body was experiencing a manifest nervousness through its heart rate, and he was naturally unable to perform at as high of a level, whereas a Brady is uniquely gifted in stressful game-moments because of a potentially lower heart rate.

Do you ever prepare to enter into a conflict or a difficult conversation, and your heart starts beating quickly? Do you ever read social media posts and it feels like your blood is boiling? Do you ever face a hard day or week of work, and a heart-changing amount of frustration or nervousness manifests?

Our hearts, at a physical level, but even more so at a biblical metaphorical level (as the center of our being), both dictates, and conversely reacts to, our surroundings. In difficult circumstances, we can begin to experience holistic heart-racing that distinctively marks and describes our lives. This was the very reality of David from our Psalm today. David was constantly under attack and pressure from those trying to thwart the will of God through Israel. And David could have experienced understandable heart palpitations, just as we can during the drama of our lives.

But, a constant state of heart-stress is not how God created us. With God at our right hand, we are not shaken, so our heart is glad, our bodies rest secure. Why is this? Because the whole plan is in God's hands, and he is empowering us within that plan.

Whatever you may work through in you, let your heart be glad, because God is at our right hand, constantly saving us from the things of the world.

Reflection Question(s): What is your heart not glad about, and how can putting your trust in God help alleviate that?

Christian Smith – Director of Pastoral Ministries

Tuesday - Read Psalm 32:6-11 Psalm 32: 6-11 NIV: "Therefore let all the faithful pray to you while you may be found; surely the rising of the mighty waters will not reach them. You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you. Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you. Many are the woes of the wicked, but the Lord's unfailing love surrounds the one who trusts in him. Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart!"

The story is told of a wagon train crossing the prairie, which came over a hill and was terrified to see a prairie fire racing in their direction. It seemed as if they would be engulfed by the flames. But the leader quickly rode to the rear of the caravan and lit the dry grass behind them on fire. The same winds blowing the flames toward them fanned this fire away from them. Within minutes they all moved to the burned-off area. As the heat and smoke became more intense, a little girl cried out, "Are you sure we're safe?" "Oh, yes," said the wagon master, "we're safe because we're standing where the fire has already been." If Christ has taken the fire of God's judgment, then we're safe if we take refuge in Him.

The same man who in verse 4 complained that he was oppressed by God's hand here declares God to be his hiding place. Whereas before he feared God as his judge, now he takes refuge in Him as his protector who surrounds him with songs of deliverance. The flood of great waters (32:6) refers to God's judgment. The man who has experienced God's forgiveness need not fear the flood of God's judgment. What a blessing that, instead of having to run from God, now we can run to God and know we are safe!

David ends the psalm by contrasting the wicked, who have many sorrows, with the righteous, who are surrounded by the Lord's unfailing love. The righteous are not those who never sin, but rather those "upright in heart" because they have confessed their sins. The thought of God's mercy to sinners who don't deserve it causes David to break forth with joy (32:11). The Judge of the Universe has pounded His gavel and proclaimed, "Not guilty!" You're free from the weight of your sins, free from condemnation because Christ has paid the penalty! There is no greater joy than that.

John Calvin sums it up: "David here teaches us that the happiness of men consists only in the forgiveness of sins, for nothing can be more terrible than to have God for our enemy; nor can he be gracious to us in any other way than by pardoning our transgressions." Those are some of the blessings of experiencing God's forgiveness: we have a clear conscience before God, we have God as our refuge, we have His instruction, and we have great joy in Him.

When we experience the love and forgiveness of Jesus, we do not have to worry about the fires we see around us. With Christ, we are not safe because we are where the fire has been, but because He has already defeated the fire!

Reflection Question(s): How would you describe the joy you have experienced with God as your refuge? Who do you know that needs to experience that joy in their life? How can you share your story with them?

Jason Pettibone – Weekend Experience Pastor

Wednesday - Read Proverbs 14:13 Proverbs 14:13 NIV: "Even in laughter the heart may ache, and rejoicing may end in grief."

To read a face is easy - but to read someone's heart is far more difficult. In today's proverb we learn that lesson. Even when someone is laughing - their heart may still be in pain. Just because someone paints a smile on their face - it does not always serve as a guarantee of what is happening in their hearts. We are also counseled that the end of joy may be grief. This is why we need to not read every person by what they're showing on their faces.

Have you ever noticed someone who seems to be making all the wrong decisions, and yet he or she seems happy about it? Perhaps you talk to a friend about wrong decisions and the person responds, "Well it may be wrong, but I've never been happier."

How do you interpret the person who appears to be successful at foolishness? What do you say to a person who is having the time of his or her life doing the wrong thing?

Proverbs 14:13 says that even in laughter the heart may ache, and joy may end in grief. The person who seems to be laughing to you may still have a great emptiness or ache at the center of their lives. The laughter you see may only mask the hurt that is inside.

How do we mask pain in this life that at times can be filled with heartache? Laughter can be one of the ways however not the only way. For some people we cover up pain inside with food. Just pop open the freezer and grab some ice cream or dial-up Dominoes. It's hard to think about pain when your taste buds are exploding in delight.

Money can't buy me love.... but it can buy a whole ton of other stuff that's easy to get distracted with. But money will not heal your pain, and the cover-up is temporary.

Some people bury their pain by entering into relationships. It's easy to get wrapped up in another person's world, especially when we are high on infatuation. Unfortunately, this is not a healthy way to deal with pain, and the pain you have inside will frequently work its way out and into the relationship, creating a toxic space that is often amplified by two people who have come together in a codependent way to escape their issues.

So how do you deal with pain? The answer is that you just have to deal with it, directly. For many, dealing with pain will be an ongoing process, both because some pains take a long time to go away, and because life will continue to bring forth challenges — that's just part of life. Dealing with pain involves acknowledging its existence. Reflection, therapy, spiritual guidance, and changing behavior patterns are all ways of healing through trauma.

Prayer for Today: Father, thank you for creating me with such an awesome array of emotions to experience. While I may not always understand why I am feeling what I am, help me to always know that I am at peace with you. Jesus, guide me by your example, that I may always do the Father's will, no matter how I am feeling. By your Holy Spirit, grant me true peace, so I can always keep my focus on you. Amen.

Ryan Moore - Pastor of Care

Thursday - Read Proverbs 17:22 Proverbs 17:22 NIV: "A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones."

My (Joao) wife and I bought our first home around the time we had gotten married. To say we were rookies when it came to homeownership is an understatement. For example, it took us a whole week to figure out how to use our dishwasher. I wish that was our only example of being a rookie in that house. One summer Sunday morning we had woke up to see water flowing in from our closet. And not just water, but it was ice-cold water. Now, this made no sense because it was about 100 degrees outside. Confused and helpless, I rushed to the roof of the house to see how this cold water was rushing in. To my surprise, there wasn't a lead or a hole. I was racking my brain to figure out how there could be cold water leaking the closet with no issues on the roof? Six hours later, you read that right, six hours later, it dawned on me that there was an AC unit above the closet. When I went to check it out, it was leaking cold water. It took me 6 hours to have that divine revelation. You see, the AC unit was leaking cold water inside. I had spent hours on the roof when the issue wasn't coming from outside, it was coming from the inside. I hope this gives you an illustration to help explain today's Bible verse. "A cheerful heart is good medicine but a crushed spirit dries up the bones." Many of the battles we will face will not be external, they will be internal. If I can fix within, then many other things in life will follow. So, let's look at 2 brief insights from the text.

A cheerful heart is good medicine. Modern medicine confirms this through and through. When we speak about joy, we often forget that it's literally medicine for our insides. It doesn't say a "cheerful" circumstance or a "cheerful" situation. It talks about cheer coming from within. What is a cheerful heart? A cheerful heart is one that has resolved to choose joy in all circumstances. It has more to do with attitude than it does anything else. The cheerful heart is filled with gratitude, perspective, love, resilient hope, and peace.
A crushed spirit dries up the bones. Jesus even told us that we wouldn't be able to add a day to our life with worry. Now, notice that it doesn't say a "broken" spirit. It says crushed. A broken spirit is a humble spirit. A crushed spirit is a dried-up spirit that always looks at life through a dark lens. It will always seem as if life is worse than it actually is. However, God has called us to an abundant life. One way to start seeing life from a new perspective is to start taking inventory of God's goodness. Having an eye for the good things that God does will trigger a deep sense of gratitude. God has too much goodness for us to live dry.

Who would have known that all it took was a shift in perspective? Our outlook can literally be our medicine.

Reflection Question(s): What spiritual "medicine" do you need to take today?

Joao Pires - Pastor of Redline Youth Ministries

Friday - Read Zephaniah 3:17 Zephaniah 3:17 NIV: "The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing."

Today's entry is my final entry for our daily devotional, at least for a while. (Don't worry, it's not the end of this devotional, just the end of me being a contributor.) It has been an honor to share these devotionals with you for the past 2+ years. I hope you have been encouraged by these as much as I have. Thank you for your willingness to go through this journey for the entrees have written each week with me. This week, in what is my final entrée, I wanted to end our week of focusing on joy but writing about a passage that reminds us of just how much God loves each and every one of us.

Zephaniah 3:17 is an incredibly encouraging verse. If you're feeling down, or overwhelmed, or not sure how you're going to face the day ahead, check out the promises in Zephaniah 3:17. This verse is filled with God's truth and promises.

"The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty..." — Not only are we promised that God is in our midst, we are also reminded that He is mighty! We can call on Him whenever, wherever, and for whatever, and He is right there with us. And He's also mighty, stronger than any challenge we may face.

"...he will save..." — Wherever you've been, whatever you've done, God is not only able to save us, He is desiring to save us. He loves us so much that He sent His only Son to this earth to redeem us.

"...He will rejoice over thee with joy..." — I love how Barnes' Notes on the Bible describes this part of the verse: "Love, joy, peace in man are shadows of that which is in God, by whom they are created in man. Only in God they exist undivided, uncreated." Joy in us is something that comes from within – joy is not based on circumstances; it is based on our knowledge and love of Christ.

"...He will rest in his love..." — And because of that, we can rest in Him. Only in God can we truly find peace and rest. There will be times where we may feel overwhelmed, or anxious, however, in those moments, remembering the love God has for us helps us find rest and renewal.

"...He will joy over thee with singing." — For the second time in this verse, we see the word joy. God delights in us; that should be enough to make us joyful! Singing can be used as an expression of joy. Think about that in context – God will joy over thee with singing. What an encouraging and inspiring thought!

As you go through your day today, find ways to remind yourself that God is joyfully singing over you, He is cheering you on, He is creating a path for you to walk into the dreams He has for you! God is your biggest fan!

Reflection Question(s): Which of the promises from God listed in Zephaniah 3:17 most resonates with you? Why? How have you experienced that promise become real in your life?

Jason Pettibone – Weekend Experience Pastor

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Pastor Terry A. Smith Devotional Plan for: Week of July 19 - July 23 Monday - Read I Timothy 2:1-4 I Timothy 2:1-4 NIV: "I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth."

As we continue our series on The Pathway at TLCC, which is a curated growth plan to help us live the life God dreams for us, we look at how Paul discipled his mentee, Timothy, so he could grow into who God intended him to be. Fittingly, Paul begins this week's writing with an emphasis on prayer, which corresponds with our focus on "Grow in your life with God" from this past Sunday.

The "Spiritual Disciplines", or routines that posture us to connect with God, are essential to understanding who God is and growing closer to him. In Paul's writing to Timothy, we get a glimpse into his recommendation for prayer, arguably the most key discipline. Here, he emphasizes continually praying for those who are in leadership over us, particularly in socio-political positions of leadership, as how they treat us significantly impacts our lives. Though Paul is living quite an extraordinary life with tons of twists and turns, many of which involve risking his life, we can see he is praying for peace and quiet.

We must realize that first-century rulers were excruciatingly immoral leaders, for the most part. First-century ethics were vastly different from ours. If you think we have bad leadership in our current American context, you can't begin to imagine the incomprehensible practices of first-century leaders. In fact, Tom Holland, an agnostic historian, was reading about first-century Rome and realized how absolutely barbarian it was compared to our contemporary world. And he realized that Christianity virtually single-handedly caused that ethical shift.

All of this goes to show that Paul was praying for leaders that were unimaginably worse that the current leaders we have. However, he asked for us to have thanksgiving for them and to intercede on their behalf. The structures and authorities that we have around us, though broken, do play an important part in how God made the world. As we pray for them, we pray for things to get better. And, it creates an atmosphere where we can practice our faith in safety. As our world becomes more hostile to Christianity, we should say similar prayers for our leaders so we can live in peace and quiet.

Paul doesn't only pray for them out of a desire for peace for himself and other Christians, but for the leaders to know the truth themselves. God desire for everyone to be saved. Sometimes, we may look at people and assume they're past saving, or maybe they don't deserve to be saved. Paul continues to pray for all people because God wishes to draw all people to himself.

Our prayer times should not just be focused on our own lives, but also on the world around us. This week, consider praying for your "enemy" by interceding for them.

Reflection Question(s): Who is one person you normally wouldn't pray for but would like to pray for this week?

Christian Smith – Director of Pastoral Ministries

Tuesday - Read I Timothy 2:5-7 I Timothy 2:5-7 NIV: "For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time. And for this purpose I was appointed a herald and an apostle—I am telling the truth, I am not lying—and a true and faithful teacher of the Gentiles."

Today we will continue to look at how Paul mentored, led, instructed, and encouraged Timothy. In these verses, Paul is making an argument for the command set down in verses 1-3, (discussed in yesterday's devotional) that we ought to pray for all of our authorities. We can do this because He is The One and only God. He alone holds the ultimate authority in His hands. He alone can intervene on behalf of us. He alone can pardon ALL.

God wants ALL men to be saved, so the remedy is for ALL. Let us remember that in Paul's day and the philosophy which he had grown up under was the notion that salvation was only available to the Jew, or to those who chose to become Jew. But Christ's death was accomplished for ALL, not for only a few, not for just some elite, but for ALL. It was enough to accomplish the goal for every human being that God created. This, then, is why we should pray for ALL men as verses 1-3 of this chapter command.

There is the same Mediator between God and ALL men, Jesus is not the Mediator for a part of the human race, but for ALL of the creatures God has created. He is not the Mediator for just kings, nor for just the poor, or just the rich, but for ALL. Everyone is on the same level. No one else is a mediator, not Mary, not anyone else. There is only ONE Mediator.

Remember, Paul is instructing Timothy on things he views as important and needed to be passed on. Here are some takeaways from these verses that Timothy would have received and that we can receive as well.

We need to know and remember the truth. There is only ONE God. Because we were born in sin, there was a brick wall between us and God so that we could never have fellowship with God. But then Jesus came. Took upon Himself the fleshly body like our fleshly body; was in every way a human being, only without sin. He never stopped being Divine. He alone paid the price to God that would break down that wall that was between God and us. Now to everyone who believes that there was a wall and that that wall is now broken down between us and God by Christ Jesus, to those who receive that truth, to them is offered forgiveness and eternal life!
Christ gave Himself for ALL. We ought to pray for ALL as verses 1-3 of this chapter command. There is no one that our prayers ought to give up on as we pray for their salvation.
Share what you have found with ALL. Such great and tremendous truths are held in this verse. It makes me want to set down everyone I meet and give them this truth and convince them of it! Oh, that we would ask the Lord who lives inside us to give us the boldness and the wording to offer these truths to ALL that we meet. I am filled with joy. Lord, let me never, not for one moment of my day, forget what a spectacular thing You have done for me. I cannot imagine life without You.

Reflection Question(s): Have you ever felt like you weren't good enough or worthy of God's love for you? After reading today's devo, is there a person you feel inspired to share your faith story with? Email me their name (jpettibone@tlcc.org) - I will pray for you about talking with them!

Jason Pettibone – Weekend Experience Pastor

Wednesday - Read I Timothy 4:1-5 I Timothy 4:1-5 NIV: "The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer."

There were two problems facing Timothy in his church: One was a problem of what people believed, and the other was the problem of what people did. We have to believe things that are true and then do the hard work of living in that truth.

Paul doesn't pull any punches here. He says there are doctrines of demons, worldly fables, and scandalous tales that sear the conscience of those who hold to them.

So, what are some modern-day teachings that can lead us astray?

Follow Your Heart. That's a terrible idea – unless your heart is aligned with the heart of God. Just because your heart tells you something is the right thing doesn't mean it is.
Success Is Measured by Money, Sex and Power. I'm not saying these things are bad. God is the author of all of them, and so when used as God intended, they are good indeed. But if any of these things are your marker for the good life or a standard by which you gauge your reputation, worth or the significance of your life, you are going to find out what living in the rat race is really like. In the end, you will find what Solomon did: it's all meaningless in terms of ultimate value.
Live Without Boundaries/No Rules/ No One Can Tell Me What to Do.

A world without boundaries or rules is chaos. There's a reason we panic when someone veers onto our side of the road, or a restaurant gives its customers salmonella because they broke rules of good sanitation. Without boundaries, we die. Everything has a design or a purpose, which means there is a formal or informal 'instruction manual' that shows us how things are meant to be, and under what circumstances they will flourish. Within boundaries, we live. This is true in the spiritual as well as the natural world.

So, what can we do from a practical standpoint so that we guard ourselves from being deceived?

We must carefully examine our beliefs.

What you believe matters. The process of being led astray rarely happens overnight. It is usually a process of believing one small lie, then another and then another until one day we wake up and realize we are so far from the truth we cannot even see it any longer. This is why we have to take time to study the scriptures, sit under good teaching, and talk with other believers about our faith, our struggles, and our beliefs. The Church is intended to help us guard the truth in our hearts. When we separate ourselves from it, when we choose not to use the weapons at our disposal, we put ourselves in danger.

Reflection Question(s): Is there anything that God is telling you through your conscience to start or stop doing that you are ignoring?

Ryan Moore - Pastor of Care

Thursday - Read 2 Timothy 1:8-12 2 Timothy 1:8-12 NIV: "So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God. He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no cause for shame, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day."

Evidence often produces confidence. Evidence is the proof of existence. It is quite difficult to be confident in something that you don't have evidence for. Speaking of confidence, let's use Michael Jordan for example. He had the confidence to take the last shot in tight games because he had evidence from hours of practice that he could, in fact, get the ball in the net. Or, let's take, the resurrection. We have confidence in the Lordship of Christ because we believe that the resurrection has evidence. This is why there are many times as believers that we need to remind ourselves that the life of Jesus was real and historical. The "proof" of something often gives us the confidence to trust it.

Today, we continue taking a look through the letter that the apostle Paul wrote to his young mentee Timothy. Timothy was young and gifted, yet like all leaders, had flaws. One of Timothy's flaws was that he was timid. It's why in the verses prior Paul tells Timothy to keep his fire and not give in to fear! Now, in verse 8, he tells him not to be ashamed of the testimony of Christ. We often fail to understand that it wasn't easy to follow a crucified Master. Today, we have sanitized Jesus and disinfected the cross, making it all safe. But in the day Paul wrote this, it would seem strange to follow a crucified man and call him a savior. Paul knew that the plan of God in Jesus Christ seemed foolish to many; but he also knew it was the living, active, power of God to save souls and transform lives. Paul would not be ashamed of it, and neither should Timothy – or us, today, right now.

Paul, in his timidity, was being challenged by Paul not to shrink back in shame. He told him to not be ashamed of the testimony of Jesus. This testimony was proof that Timothy could live and lead in confidence. His natural inclination to shrink back in shame would not overpower the confidence that he had in the proof of Jesus. You see, the testimony of Jesus isn't for just mere debate, it is also for our daily confidence that we can live with today, right now. It is virtually impossible to stop someone with confidence. We have a testimony; therefore, we refuse to live ashamed of Jesus. Confidence is yours today.

Reflection Question(s): What are the reasons that you are confident in the gospel?

Joao Pires - Pastor of Redline Youth Ministries

Friday - Read 2 Timothy 2:1-7 2 Timothy 2:1-7 NIV: "You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others. Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer. Similarly, anyone who competes as an athlete does not receive the victor's crown except by competing according to the rules. The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops. Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this."

When 2 Timothy was written, the persecution of Christians was widespread; Paul, himself, was in prison. Because of this, everyone in Asia had deserted him (1:15) — some had, no doubt, even deserted Christ. In view of the surrounding persecution, Paul calls Timothy to use his spiritual giftings and to be unashamed of Christ and the gospel.

In the unfolding verses, Paul lists several directives designed to both encourage and urge Timothy on in his calling. He tells him to rely on God's grace, disciple and train others to teach, be like a good soldier, diligent and devoted to Christ, honor God with his character, be hardworking, and reflect on the things he has learned about Christ.

Relying on God's grace Grace has been abundantly given to believers, and therefore, we must stand and not quit. Kent Hughes comments on this passage nicely sum up Paul's words to Timothy: "Nothing would come Timothy's way as he guarded the gospel that he would not have the grace to handle—no person, no pain, no problem, no responsibility, no tragedy. There would be no time when he could not stand tall. And that is true for all who are in Christ and thus under his grace. If he calls you to do something, he will supply sufficient strength through his grace. If he calls you to step forward, he will give you the power. If he calls you to step up, he will give you the fortitude. If he calls you to endure, the strength you need will be found in "the grace that is in Christ Jesus."

Discipling others to teach Paul called Timothy to faithfully teach others what he originally learned from Paul. The word "entrust" "carries the idea of depositing something valuable for safekeeping. Timothy was part of a long train of people who had been entrusted with God's Word with the purpose of them teaching it to others. There are four generations of teachers in this passage: Paul, Timothy, faithful people, and those the faithful people teach.

Be a good soldier for Christ When reflecting on this passage, Charles Spurgeon wrote, "Paul does not exhort Timothy to be a common, or ordinary soldier, but to be a 'good soldier of Jesus Christ.' There are men who are but just soldiers and nothing more; they only need sufficient temptation and they readily become cowardly, idle, useless and worthless; but he is the good soldier who is bravest of the brave, courageous at all times, who is zealous, does his duty with heart and earnestness.

Let your character reflect Christ's character Paul often used athletic illustrations in his letters. He mentions track and field (1 Cor 9:24), boxing (1 Cor 9:26), and wrestling (Eph 6:12). Here in 2 Timothy 2:5, the reference is to the Greek games. In these games, there were three rules that each athlete had to keep:

(1), he had to be a trueborn Greek. (2), he had to prepare at least ten months for the games and swear to that before a statue of Zeus. (3), he had to compete within the specific rules for a given event. To fail in any of those requirements meant automatic disqualification. Though the Christian life is often compared with an athletic competition, we are not competing against each other, but to complete the race God has given us and be rewarded.

Be mindful of things you have learned Paul tells Timothy to "think about" what he said and the Lord would give "understanding." The word "think" means "to consider carefully," "to ponder," or "to mull over." The form of the verb is "an imperative, indicating that Paul was giving a strong admonition, not mere advice." With all this said, Paul's instructions in verse 7 have applications for understanding, not just 2 Timothy 2:1-6 but all of Scripture. Timothy should be a faithful Bible student, and this is true for us as well.

WOW! Paul clearly loved Timothy and here as he is contemplating the end of his life and what he wants to pass on to Timothy, he provides a master class mind dump. I can imagine Timothy reading this and having so much to process that he needed a minute to breathe and contemplate it all. What a gift Paul gave to Timothy! Paul loved and cared about Timothy enough to push him into the greatness that God had dreamed for him.

Reflection Question(s): Who is the person or persons who have invested in you and your faith journey? How can you thank them? Who are you passing those teachings and investments on to?

Jason Pettibone – Weekend Experience Pastor

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Pastor Terry A. Smith Devotional Plan for: Week of July 12 - July 16 Monday - Read I Timothy 1:12-14 I Timothy 1:12-14 NIV: "I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service. Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus."

Where do we start in our journey with Christ?

In our next series at TLCC, we're focusing on how we can follow a path to live the life God dreams for us. All of us aspire to live meaningful, abundant lives, and we believe the only way to live that life is through living out the dreams God has for us. Though all of us are seeking that end goal, how do we get there?

If we pictured out the arch of our lives on a graph, we would all wish it to be on a diagonal line moving up and to the right. The reality, as all of us too painfully know, is that our lives look more like looping lines, full of periods where it turns downwards and backwards and up and... all over the place. This causes us to ask: what is a path forward to God's dreams for my life? How do I move up and to the right? This is the question we'll be asking throughout this series.

First, we must talk about where we start on our journey, the beginning of the path forward. In our devotional this week, we're looking at Paul as he disciples his mentee Timothy. He starts by talking about his own journey with God, which was infamously tumultuous. Paul, an ardent and zealous follower of the God of Israel, didn't get the whole Jesus thing once he came along. In fact, he was murdering Christians because he thought they were perverting the plan of God. But, eventually, God shows himself to Paul, and he realizes he was wrong: Jesus Christ was the promised Messiah, the climax of the plan of God.

Paul, by his own words, was an absolutely wicked man! Murdering God-followers in the name of God. How abhorrent! We must, as our initial reaction naturally leads us, to condemn Paul and those who do things (even today) like him. Christians are still killed all around the world, more than any religious group. We condemn those actions. God is a God of justice, and his righteous anger agitates at such doings. But (and a big but, at that) while we both condemn the absolute evil perpetuated in the world and commit justice against it, we must also realize... we are also broken, evil people. The wickedness (such a yucky word!) of Paul is also in us. It's in me (your author, Christian Smith). We, too, start our journeys rejecting God, and live much of our journeys still yet rejecting God. This unglamorous and nearly unpalatable reality is the start of our "graph" of our path with God.

But (and, yet, a bigger but than the previous one!) is that God is offering us grace in our ignorance. Every single one of us has experienced ignorance and unbelief in the great God, but he still is reaching out to us and calling us towards him. What undeserved favor! All of us, whether we accept him or not, are receiving a call from God that our ears must become attuned to, so we can follow his path.

No matter where you are, no matter how ignorant or unbelieving or broken you may feel (and, in fact, be), are still being called to the magnificent and loving Creator. We must, however, not forget our humble beginnings, like a person who becomes rich and forgets his old friends. All of us come from a place of brokenness, yet favor lies ahead.

Reflection Question(s): What moments in your life reflect your ignorance and unbelief? How has God's grace impacted you and brought you forward in living the life God dreamed for you?

Christian Smith – Director of Pastoral Ministries

Tuesday - Read I Timothy 1:15-17 1 Timothy 1:15-17 NIV: "Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen."

There are two key principles that Paul is trying to communicate to Timothy in today's passage. First, that Paul does not view himself as worthy of the gift of grace that God has bestowed upon him. And second, Paul is reminding Timothy of who God is. We will spend the next few minutes unpacking the things Paul says to describe God here in verse 17.

Paul describes God is the King Notice the first words used to describe God in this verse: "To the King of ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen" God is called a King. The Bible's description of God is that He is King. He is great in every aspect of His being. This King depends on no one. This King isn't lonely and is in no need of anyone or anything. The King is further described by three words: Eternal or immortal, invisible, and the only God. Paul is taking inventory of the excellent character qualities of God. He is reflecting upon God's great character qualities and he explodes into praise to God.
Paul reminds Timothy that the King Doesn't Die God is eternal and is ageless. He doesn't wear a watch. He is a king that is never voted on. His kingship has no term limits. He never has to wonder about a second term. Beyond this, God is "immortal" as He is immune from decay. He is everything's first cause. Before everything else there was God. He is the source of everything. He is the inexhaustible source of all that is, He is an ever-replenishing fountain of all that is. If you were a "fly on the wall" in the courtroom of heaven, you would never hear God ask for a break. God's workplace has no break room. OHSA's standards of safety and work regulations do not extend to the courtroom of heaven. God owns no bed. He doesn't pay attention to the TV ads about Tempur-Pedic or the Sleep Number Bed. One of the most important things the Bible says about God is that there is much about Him that we do not know, and will never be able to know, for God is infinite: and we are not. God "dwells in unapproachable light". His brain is too high for us; His intelligence is so that no one can reach it. God is incomparably great in comparison to everything else.
The King Isn't Seen God is invisible as no one has seen Him; it is Jesus Christ who makes God known. John wrote that those who have seen Jesus have seen the Father. So while God is invisible to the physical eye, He is visible to the eye of faith, and through the lives of Spirit-filled believers whose lives are reflecting the character and love of Jesus.
The King Isn't Threatened God is unique; He has no competitors. He has no rivals. God is described as "a consuming fire". God doesn't line up at the starting gate to compete against other gods. God is alone and He has no rivals. He is in a class all by Himself. God is infinitely greater than all our efforts to describe Him.
Belief Isn't Enough – You Honor Him Paul is moved by the reminder of God's profound grace toward him. Our mind's acknowledgment of God is insufficient; we should honor Him. Worship is more than emotions as it also talks about our submission to Him. So in kneeling and singing, you can see the deep impact God makes upon the person. Again, simply acknowledging God exists is insufficient for even the demons to do this. Instead, we worship Him. We can have an emotional experience but if it doesn't change the fundamental makeup of who we are, then we haven't worshipped. Worship changes your life patterns.

Reflection Question(s): Do you think of God as king or father more often? (He is both) Does thinking of God as king change the way you picture God? How so?

Jason Pettibone – Weekend Experience Pastor

Wednesday - Read I Timothy 1:18-20 I Timothy 1:18-20 NIV: "Timothy, my son, I am giving you this command in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by recalling them you may fight the battle well, holding on to faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and so have suffered shipwreck with regard to the faith. Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme."

It is likely you have met people who are always looking for a fight. They never met an argument they did not want to join. They love correcting people and pointing out to others the wrong they have done. There are other people who will avoid a fight at all costs. These are peacemakers. They abhor conflict.

Today we look at three verses in 1 Timothy that give advice about how we should fight in this spiritual war we are in as believers.

Paul is a master at metaphors. Metaphors are figures of speech that use a figure that is different from what is being discussed to bring out some of the important realities of the point at hand. Here he wants Timothy to know (what he already knew) that the Christian life and ministry is not a "cake walk" but it is a real battle and war. In essence, Paul is calling Timothy to take arms and be prepared for war. Paul then gives two important action points in reference to fighting a good fight.

Action Point #1: Hold On to Faith Paul says that the battle will be fought for the faith. What is at stake is faith. It is not merely fight to keep our honor or to protect our land or loved ones. It is a battle for the eternal faith. It is a war of faith.

Now what does that mean? The word "faith" can also be translated as "trust" and "belief." In our current English vocabulary, faith is seen as an abstract, internal force that is very hard to define. In the Bible, "faith" is always defined in its object. The object of faith in the Bible is always God as revealed in his Son, Jesus. The faith is the trust and belief in God who sends Jesus into this world to give us life and not to reject him or his great works. There is no greater need than the need to hold on to faith, realizing that the battle will rage to give up and reject the faith.

Action Point #2: Hold a Good Conscience This good conscience is an interesting concept. Paul is not just calling Timothy as a soldier to defend the faith as an intellectual affirmation of a confession of faith. This conscience issue is going to the heart of the matter. He is saying that Timothy must stand up for the faith and then live the reality of the faith. The conscience is the "seat of moral decisions". The battle is not just for the claims of faith - it is for the living out of those claims. So, the question becomes this: do you believe in Jesus? Do you live like you believe in Jesus? Do you reject the claims of Jesus? Do you sear your conscience and live any way you want?

What then is the consequence for not holding on to our faith?

Paul mentions the result of rejecting the faith and the term he uses is "shipwreck." The point is a disaster. Does that mean these people lose their salvation? I honestly do not think Paul was thinking of that question. I think he was just using a word to describe the fact that when one claims to be in the faith and jumps out: it is a shipwreck of faith.

Reflection Question(s): How can we cultivate a strong faith and healthy conscience daily?

Ryan Moore - Pastor of Care

Thursday - Read 2 Timothy 1:6-7 2 Timothy 1:6-7 NIV: "For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline."

In the United States, we have been accustomed to many things that many parts of the world don't have. For example, one of those things is hot running water to shower. Seems so basic, right? Well, growing up in Portugal (Joao), in order to heat our running water, we would have to make a fire in the fireplace. The water tank would sit right behind the fireplace. Every night would be a journey just to take a shower. We would have to chop wood, gather the wood, bring it inside, and wait by the fireplace before the water would be nice and toasty to shower. If you are familiar with fire places, you understand that eventually the wood turns to small embers. These embers are the glowing fragments and remains of fire. The wood that was once burning brightly has now become mini fragments ready to cool off. Fire burns whatever is in its way, but it can also fade away unless the right elements are put in place. There are moments that we need to "fan the flame".

Today our text is 2 Timothy 1:6&7. Paul is writing to his young, gifted mentee in ministry called Timothy. Timothy had a "sincere faith" that Paul celebrated earlier in this letter. Our text today has two elements: Paul tells Timothy to fan the flame of his gifting and that God has not given Timothy a spirit of fear.

First, what does it mean to fan the flame of his gifting? The Greek word used here is anazopureo means either 'to kindle afresh' or 'to keep in full flame'. Timothy had lost his early fire and needed an incentive to keep going. This reminds us that God does not work His gifts through us as if we were robots. Even when He gives a man or a woman gift, He leaves an element that needs the cooperation of their will, of their desire and drive, to fulfill the purpose of His gifts. Some are waiting passively for God to use them; but God is waiting for them to stir up the gifts that are within them. Some are waiting for some dramatic new anointing from God, and God is waiting for them to stir up what He has already given.

Second, what does it mean that God has not given us a spirit of fear? Well, one thing about Timothy was that while he was an awesome leader, he was also known to be timid. Paul, his mentor, was the opposite. Paul was far from timid. So, it is interesting how Paul tells him not to have fear. It seems fitting, therefore, why Timothy had to be reminded to fan his flame. Paul was trying to spark something up in Timothy. We all face situations where we feel timid and afraid. For some, speaking in front of others makes them fear; others are afraid of confrontation, others of being made to look foolish, others are afraid of rejection. We all deal with fear.

The first step in dealing with such fears is to understand that they aren't from God. It is a significant step to say, "This isn't God making me feel like this; God hasn't given me this." Perhaps it is from personality, perhaps a weakness of the flesh, maybe a demonic attack – but it isn't from God.

If there is one conviction of mine (Joao) for my personal life, it's this: I want to live with a full fire for the rest of my days here on earth. There are moments where my fire turns to small embers, but just like I am reminded of my fireplace in Portugal, my life as a Christian urges me to be "watching my fire" daily.

Reflection Question(s): What measures have you set up in your life to make sure that the fire does not fade away? Would love to hear from you! You can text me at 732 677 9056

Joao Pires - Pastor of Redline Youth Ministries

Friday - Read 2 Timothy 1:13-18 2 Timothy 1:13-18 NIV: "What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us. You know that everyone in the province of Asia has deserted me, including Phygelus and Hermogenes. May the Lord show mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, because he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains. On the contrary, when he was in Rome, he searched hard for me until he found me. May the Lord grant that he will find mercy from the Lord on that day! You know very well in how many ways he helped me in Ephesus."

Today's passage contains two imperatives ("hold fast" in vs. 13; and "keep" in vs. 14) that Paul has for Timothy. Paul's goal is to remind Timothy of 2 things that he possesses. In describing each possession, Paul issues Tim an imperative describing what to DO with that possession. Next, Paul emphasizes how to DO it. Finally, Paul gives 2 illustrations: one who failed the first charge; and one who passed the second.

In his first charge, Paul encouraged Timothy to HOLD ON to the pattern of sound words.

We live in a time that believes that it doesn't matter what you believe as long as you believe it strongly enough. But God's Word is clear— what you believe matters! Timothy was instructed to hold fast to the pattern of sound words. The language Paul uses for this charge is similar to how one could describe an architect's blueprint for a building. Paul gave Tim a blueprint to follow. Paul does not describe or coach Timothy as to specific issues or topics he might be leading through but instead leads him on a grander scale. Let wisdom and sound thinking guide his conversations and communications as he pastors his people.

And then Paul gave Timothy the instructions on HOW to hold to the pattern. Timothy is to hold fast "n faith and love which are in Christ. Living by faith creates the evidence that we believe in Christ and the love we bestow is how we live out that belief.

Paul's second imperative was to GUARD (literally, "the good deposit"). In other words, KEEP safe that which has been entrusted to you. Paul uses two situations to describe how to follow the two instructions he just issued: one in the negative and one in the positive. The first references people who have left the faith. These are people who did not hold fast to sound instruction. The Greek word Paul uses actually means deserters.

The second synopsis is about Onesiphorus. Onesiphorus is Paul's example of who did hold fast the sound instruction. Using language one would use to describe a cool breeze, Paul says that Onesiphorus consistently refreshed him, that he pursued him, and that he helped him. Do you have friends like that? People, who you really enjoy being around because they consistently lift up your spirit? Are you that person to anyone else? What do you need to do to become a person known for that?

Paul wrote 2 Timothy towards the end of his life. As he was thinking about what his final instructions to Timothy should be, he wants to remind Timothy to be committed and to take steps to ensure that commitment endures. His directions to Timothy serve as a great blueprint for us today too. Hold firm to the truth of God's work and be wise in how we steward the gifts that God has given us so that we can continually be honoring God with our lives.

Reflection Question(s): What are some practical steps you have taken or can take to ensure you are holding fast to your faith and are guarding gifts God has given you?

Jason Pettibone – Weekend Experience Pastor

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Pastor Terry A. Smith

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Pastor Ryan Moore

Devotional Plan for: Week of July 5 - July 9 Monday - Read Galatians 2:19-20 Galatians 2:19-20 NIV: "For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God. I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."

When we think of freedom, we often think of having the ability to do whatever we want to do. We can make our own choices with our own selves in whatever way we wish. But what if that weren't freedom, but actual bondage?

In our passage today, Paul is writing to a church in Galatia and informing them about "the law". Now, this does not translate to "rules"; it specifically refers to the Old Testament law, and how now that Jesus has come and fulfilled the law, we aren't under the old law anymore. Sometimes, when we read passages like this, we think Paul is writing against "rules" or having to do things. We think this is about our new freedom to do whatever we wish. But, that's not at all what he's saying. Freedom doesn't come from the Old Testament law not existing anymore: freedom comes when we die to ourselves.

Freedom is not about endless optionality. The reality is, when we're the ones making all of our own decisions, then we are bound to our own broken and fallen decisions. If we're aware of anything in life, it's of our own brokenness. Instead of asking for the freedom to do whatever we want, we should ask to be free from ourselves. We want to die to ourselves, so that we can be alive in something, or someone, else: Jesus. No longer, as Paul says, do we live, for we have died but now Christ lives in us.

We all experience moments in our lives where we're trapped. Sometimes, we can look around at our circumstances and blame them. Perhaps we should first look at ourselves and wonder if our approach or our perspective is what's actually trapping us, and that if we die to our brokenness and take Christ's perspective, perhaps we'll experience true freedom.

True freedom comes when we let go of ourselves, and take on Christ.

Reflection Question(s): What's something that you would like freedom from? How are you asking God to free you from yourself regarding that issue?

Christian Smith – Director of Pastoral Ministries

Tuesday - Read Galatians 3:27-4:7 Galatians 3:27-4:7 NIV: "...for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

What I am saying is that as long as an heir is underage, he is no different from a slave, although he owns the whole estate. The heir is subject to guardians and trustees until the time set by his father. So also, when we were underage, we were in slavery under the elemental spiritual forces of the world. But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, "Abba, Father." So you are no longer a slave, but God's child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir."

Captivity, incarceration, imprisonment, custody, detention, bondage, confinement are just a few of the words that come up when you ask Google to search, "what is the opposite of freedom?" Freedom and its antithesis are exactly what Paul is talking about in today's scripture reading.

In chapter 3, Paul argues that God's promise to Abraham precedes and takes priority over the law. The law served its purpose, functioning with the authority to restrain sin, yet lacking the power to liberate us from sin. The law served as our disciplinarian until Christ came. But now in Christ we are set free, justified, and made children of God through faith. This is true for Jew and Gentile, slave and free, male and female alike. When we come to faith, we belong to Christ; we are all one in Christ and heirs to God's promises.

In chapter 4, Paul expands on what it means to be an heir. While heirs are still minors, they are "no better than slaves," for they and the property they will inherit remain under the control of guardians and trustees "until the date set by the father". "So with us," Paul continues, "while we were minors, we were enslaved to the elemental spirits of the world".

Paul makes the astonishing claim that for the Galatians to adopt the Jewish law is the equivalent of returning to their former pagan practices. Being "imprisoned and guarded under the law", or being minors, means being "no better than slaves". It is the same as being "enslaved to the elemental spirits of the world". But there is no need for that, because the "date set by the Father" has arrived!

"But when the fullness of time had come" — at the end of one age and the beginning of another, at the time God deemed just right — "God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, in order to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as children". God's sending of his Son ends the reign of the law and inaugurates a new age. The Son is "born of a woman," fully human, and "born under the law." Jesus is born under the law in order to redeem us who are under the law, "so that we might receive adoption as children."

Then Paul shifts metaphors to a child being adopted. Under Roman law, adopted children had the same legal status and inheritance rights as biological children. It is significant that Paul does not identify Jews with biological children and Gentiles with adopted children. Rather, he suggests that we are all adopted children. None of us have any prior claim on the Father. Our adoption as God's children is a pure gift. While Jesus alone is Son of God from birth, he has chosen to share his kinship and inheritance with us.

Our adoption as God's children means that there is absolutely no reason to return to a life of bondage. In Christ we are children of God and full heirs with him to all that God has promised.

Reflection Question(s): How have you practically experienced the freedom that Jesus affords us? What did it mean for you when you first realized that you don't have to earn God's love or forgiveness? What does it mean now?

Jason Pettibone – Weekend Experience Pastor

Wednesday - Read Galatians 5:1-5 Galatians 5:1-5 NIV: "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. For through the Spirit we eagerly await by faith the righteousness for which we hope."

The idea of "gospel freedom" is sometimes lost on us. We do "Christian things" because they are "Christian things". We go through the motions. We forget the joy and the liberation that is in it, and in doing so inch close to falling back into that yoke of slavery. But that's not the life that we are called to! That's not why Christ died! Gospel freedom is not only freedom from sin. In this verse, it also clearly constitutes freedom from the weight of the law's call to personal, perfect, and perpetual obedience - a weight that Paul likens to a "yoke of slavery".

Stand firm in your freedom, Paul says. Don't budge from the freedom you have in Christ. There is a big principle that we draw from this passage and it's:

Stand firm in your freedom by realizing what's at stake. In this passage, Paul wants us to realize what's at stake when we take "Jesus + something else = acceptance with God." What's at stake? Three things:

A. Christ and his work will be of no value to us. Gal 5:2 reads "Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all." This is shocking. If we trust in Christ plus our own obedience, we lose all the benefits of trusting in Christ. That's exactly what we do to Jesus' work when we try to add to it. It's either Jesus Christ in his perfection or our own works. There is no middle ground. If we trust in our own obedience, we deface the work of Christ. Jesus and his gospel will be of no value to us.

B. We become debtors to God's entire law. Verse 3 says, "I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law." You can't pick and choose from the law and add a bit of obedience. It's a package deal. Once you try to pick up a bit of the law, you have to pick up the whole thing. You can't pick and choose. The minute you begin to rely on your obedience, you become obligated to keep the entirety of God's law. The problem is that nobody, except for Jesus Christ, can keep God's law. So, we become hopeless. We become debtors to God's law with no hope of repayment.

C. We're cut off from the grace of Christ. Gal 5:4 says, "You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace." If you try to justify yourself before God based on your own obedience, then you cut yourself off from God's grace. Why is this? Because grace and self-justification are mutually exclusive. You have to choose. The minute you try to accomplish your own salvation, you're removing yourself from the grace and mercy of Christ.

What's the alternative? Gal 5:5 says: "For through the Spirit, we eagerly await by faith the righteousness for which we hope." This is what it means to follow Christ. Instead of relying on our own obedience, we wait for God to give us righteousness by faith. It means looking to Christ instead of to ourselves. We're waiting for God's final verdict of righteousness on the last day. One day, God will appear and declare us righteous based on the finished work of Jesus Christ. That is a whole lot better than relying on our own righteousness! This is really what matters. The issue isn't circumcision or keeping the law; the issue is whether our faith is in Jesus Christ rather than in ourselves.

Reflection Question(s): As you run your race for Christ today, how can you free yourself of unnecessary rules and regulations that hinder your progress?

Ryan Moore - Pastor of Care

Thursday - Read Galatians 5:13-14 Galatians 5:13-14 NIV: "You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: "Love your neighbor as yourself."

The great evangelist D. L. Moody illustrated a point by quoting an old former slave woman in the South following the Civil War. Being a former slave, she was confused about her status and asked: Now is I free, or been I not? When I go to my old master, he says I ain't free, and when I go to my own people, they say I is, and I don't know whether I'm free or not. Some people told me that Abraham Lincoln signed a proclamation, but master says he didn't; he didn't have any right to. Many Christians are confused on the same point. Jesus Christ has given them an "Emancipation Proclamation," but their "old master" tells them they are still slaves to a legal relationship with God. They live in bondage because their "old master" has deceived them. Dotting every i of the law and crossing every t of the law feels good to the flesh because it serves as a form of accomplishment. However, it can soon become bondage because we end up gratifying our fleshly self-righteousness rather than embracing the grace and mercy of Christ.

Galatians was written to a group of believers who were being deceived of what "salvation" looked like. Paul wrote this letter to the church in Galatia because there were missionaries, a group known as Judaizers, who were teaching these new Christians that in order to be saved, they must take on certain elements of the Jewish law.

One constant theme we see in Paul's writings is his tenacity in keeping believers focused on true doctrine. Another thing Paul does is give practical steps in how to apply what he was teaching. So, let's put two and two together. First, he tells us that we were called into freedom. Then, he tells us that true bondage comes from us gratifying the flesh by "keeping up with the law". Then lastly, he tells us to love our neighbors. As I (Joao) was reading this, I began to ask myself, "Why?". Isn't that random? First, he is telling us about bondage and freedom, then he's telling us to love people. Interesting, huh?

Here is why: loving others takes the focus off of you and onto others. And what does that have to do with bondage? Because it's bondage to live your life gratifying the desires of the flesh. Jesus could have come on earth and gratified his own flesh, yet instead, he gave up his flesh and loved others for our right standing with God. True freedom begins when you start putting others before you. Many of us have been incarcerated by our own flesh. You see, Galatians is all about finding freedom FROM the flesh as we begin to walk out in the true freedom of the gospel. Now, this does not mean that we are "rule breakers" it simply means that we don't trust in our flesh for our righteousness. Our righteousness comes from Jesus.

Reflection Question(s): What act of love can you do today that takes sacrifice?

Joao Pires - Pastor of Redline Youth Ministries

Friday - Read Galatians 5:16-23 Galatians 5:16-23 NIV: "So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law."

This week we have looked at the recurring theme of freedom in Paul's letter to the Galatians. In today's culture, any mention of the word freedom tends to be understood as being related to political issues and/or individualistic guarantees. Paul's urgency for the Galatian church to experience freedom is not a political issue per se, but more of a spiritual gift given to each of them through Christ.

Paul is urging his audience to walk by the Holy Spirit rather than walking by the desires of our flesh. Living by the Spirit means living in freedom and abundance and not under the law. Living by the flesh means living controlled by things that aren't from God – things like idolatry, jealousy, and anger. He says that living by the Spirit and living by the flesh don't go together. They are actually opposed to one another – meaning you can't do both or just flip flop between how you're feeling that specific day.

The reason Paul refers to worldly, not-from-God things as "the flesh" is because that's what our natural, human inclination will lead us toward. According to the world we live in, it's normal and acceptable to live by the flesh. The good news is, even though it's difficult to tune out these desires and inclinations, it's entirely possible because of the Holy Spirit. That's one of the reasons why God even gave us the Holy Spirit – to empower us and help us to live in freedom and wholeness. Because of the Holy Spirit, we get to have hope in something much bigger than us and our world and actually live the life God has called us to.

To live a life by the Spirit and not by the flesh, we need to be tuned into the Holy Spirit. When our selfish desires or sinful nature start to take hold or overcome us, we can remember the fact that Jesus died so we wouldn't have to live like that anymore. When with sincere gratitude, we continually return to the truth that because of the cross, we don't have to live as slaves to our flesh. A miracle occurs because through God's changing our hearts, we begin to desire to live by the Spirit. Not only does this way of living begin to make perfect sense to our transformed minds, we come to do what we truly want and desire to live that way. So, next time you are really angry and frustrated or you are tempted by an old habit, remember that Jesus has more for you. He has freedom for you and you have access to that freedom right now!

Reflection Question(s): Have you experienced a change in your desires since you have come to faith? What are fleshly things that you use to desire that you no longer desire? When did you notice this change taking place? Has anyone else noticed this change in you?

Jason Pettibone – Weekend Experience Pastor

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Christian Smith Devotional Plan for: Week of June 28 - July 4 Monday - Read Acts 12:25-13:3 Acts 12:25-13:3 NIV: " When Barnabas and Saul had finished their mission, they returned from Jerusalem, taking with them John, also called Mark. Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul. While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off."

Saul (also known as Paul) and Barnabas are freshly coming back from doing missions. They've been traveling all around the Mediterranean sharing the Gospel in extremely tough spots. The news of Jesus is fresh and changing the world all around them, causing extreme positive disruption. Their work has been grueling and hard.

They get back to Antioch and spend time with gifted followers of Christ who, it appears, receive word from God that Paul and Barnabas are to be sent off once again. They have been specially set apart for this task, gifted by the Spirit to do all they need.

This short story can tell us so much about what it means to be a follower of God. At TLCC, we're talking about being "sent", or how God has called each of us to "go somewhere". The early Christians were marked by their readiness to go and sacrifice all for the call Jesus had on their lives. They would abandon self-interest in the interest of the Gospel. Today, the call on our lives is no different. We live in the same era as the first century Christians, who are constantly seeking to hear the voice of God and follow its leading.

Two points from today's reading:

In order to hear the voice of God, they (1) prayed and fasted, (2) worshipped the Lord, and (3) surrounded themselves with other gifted believers. Likely, the prayer part of the above list comes as an obvious way to hear the voice of God in order to see where we're sent. But fasting, active worshipping, and doing all of this in the context of community may be put to the side in our contemporary context. As a pastor (Christian) I've heard countless people say what they believe "God is telling them". Which is great! But, when you think you hear the voice of God, you always need to bring it into new contexts to make sure it really is his voice: fast, worship, and bring it to other mature Christians who can assess the voice. After they get back from a missionary journey, they get called back out to another one. Again, this work was life threatening and grueling. We may be scared off by the call of God in our lives, because what if he's going to take us somewhere too difficult for us? Be confident: God called Paul to the task specially set apart for him; meaning, he knew what Paul could handle if he was connected to Christ through his Spirit. You, too, are being called to something adventurous. Just remember that whatever God is calling you to, he has equipped you to face.

Reflection Question(s): Have you spent time praying, fasting, worshipping, and talking to mature believers about what God has called you to? Make a plan to set time aside to do this in the near future.

Christian Smith – Director of Pastoral Ministries

Tuesday - Read Acts 13:4-12 Acts 13:4-12 NIV: "The two of them [Barnabus and Saul], sent on their way by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia and sailed from there to Cyprus. When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. John was with them as their helper. They traveled through the whole island until they came to Paphos. There they met a Jewish sorcerer and false prophet named Bar-Jesus, who was an attendant of the proconsul, Sergius Paulus. The proconsul, an intelligent man, sent for Barnabas and Saul because he wanted to hear the word of God. But Elymas the sorcerer (for that is what his name means) opposed them and tried to turn the proconsul from the faith. Then Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked straight at Elymas and said, "You are a child of the devil and an enemy of everything that is right! You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery. Will you never stop perverting the right ways of the Lord? Now the hand of the Lord is against you. You are going to be blind for a time, not even able to see the light of the sun. "Immediately mist and darkness came over him, and he groped about, seeking someone to lead him by the hand. When the proconsul saw what had happened, he believed, for he was amazed at the teaching about the Lord."

This passage is a transition in Acts. Luke now shifts the focus to the ministry of Saul, who we commonly refer to as the Apostle Paul. Since Paul was not one of the twelve disciples, critics (especially Jewish critics) attacked his apostolic credentials. If he were discredited as a legitimate apostle, then his entire ministry to the Gentiles could be discredited as well. I cannot understate how pivotal this was to most of the Jewish believers. Mosaic Law was a foundational belief for them and a tremendous source of pride that they were God's chosen people. If they could stop Paul from inviting Gentiles into the faith, they could undermine the message of salvation by grace through faith apart from any works or strict adherence to the Mosaic Law, such as the Jewish rite of circumcision. So it was important for Luke to establish Paul's credibility as a true apostle.

He shows this evidence in several ways. First, Paul was clearly called and sent out by the Holy Spirit, with the full backing of the church in Antioch (13:1-4).

Second, Paul performed the signs of an apostle, namely the ability to do miracles. Striking Elymas blind was Paul's first recorded miracle, and it was done in conflict with a Jew over preaching the gospel to a Gentile.

Third, we will see in the passages to come that Paul's preaching was identical to Peter's. Actually, there are striking parallels between the ministry of Peter and that of Paul. Peter had confronted Simon the sorcerer, so here Paul confronts Elymas the sorcerer. Peter's success had caused Jewish jealousy (Acts 5:17), so Paul's success caused Jewish jealousy (13:45). Peter healed a man lame from birth (3:1-11), so does Paul (14:8-18). Just as Peter's shadow falling on people healed them (5:15-16), so handkerchiefs and aprons carried from Paul healed people (19:11-12).

Fourth, Luke establishes Paul's apostolic credentials by signaling the shift from "Barnabas and Saul" to "Paul and Barnabas." In 13:7, it is Barnabas and Saul. In 13:9, the name change is given, from Saul to Paul. In 13:13, it is "Paul and his companions" who put out to sea, and from then on, with just a few exceptions that can be explained in context, it is Paul and Barnabas (13:42).

It is easy to understand why people found it difficult to accept Paul and his opinions. He had not been with Jesus during Jesus' earthly ministry. While he had gone through a major life change, there were certainly people who remembered his former reputation as a persecutor of Christians. He was not an easy person to be around due to his strict dedication to his mission. For all those reasons and probably more, Paul had people who did not believe he belonged.

Thankfully, the Holy Spirit does not decide who will be called and anointed to carry out God's plan based on a popularity contest. Paul's divine mission was given to him by Jesus himself. Jesus did not disqualify Paul based on the opinions of others and the same is true for each of us today. The truth is that each of us are flawed individuals but in His wonderful plan of grace, God desires to partner with each one of us to participate in the redemption of His creation.

Reflection Question(s): God called and empowered Paul to bring the gospel to the gentiles. What has he called and empowered you to do? How have you experienced His empowerment working through you?

Jason Pettibone – Weekend Experience Pastor

Wednesday - Read Acts 13:13-52 Acts 13:13-52 NIV: "From Paphos, Paul and his companions sailed to Perga in Pamphylia, where John left them to return to Jerusalem. From Perga they went on to Pisidian Antioch. On the Sabbath they entered the synagogue and sat down. After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the leaders of the synagogue sent word to them, saying, "Brothers, if you have a word of exhortation for the people, please speak." Standing up, Paul motioned with his hand and said: "Fellow Israelites and you Gentiles who worship God, listen to me! The God of the people of Israel chose our ancestors; he made the people prosper during their stay in Egypt; with mighty power he led them out of that country; for about forty years he endured their conduct in the wilderness; and he overthrew seven nations in Canaan, giving their land to his people as their inheritance. All this took about 450 years.

After this, God gave them judges until the time of Samuel the prophet. Then the people asked for a king, and he gave them Saul son of Kish, of the tribe of Benjamin, who ruled forty years. After removing Saul, he made David their king. God testified concerning him: 'I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.' "From this man's descendants God has brought to Israel the Savior Jesus, as he promised. Before the coming of Jesus, John preached repentance and baptism to all the people of Israel. As John was completing his work, he said: 'Who do you suppose I am? I am not the one you are looking for. But there is one coming after me whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.'

"Fellow children of Abraham and you God-fearing Gentiles, it is to us that this message of salvation has been sent. The people of Jerusalem and their rulers did not recognize Jesus, yet in condemning him they fulfilled the words of the prophets that are read every Sabbath. Though they found no proper ground for a death sentence, they asked Pilate to have him executed. When they had carried out all that was written about him, they took him down from the cross and laid him in a tomb. But God raised him from the dead, and for many days he was seen by those who had traveled with him from Galilee to Jerusalem. They are now his witnesses to our people. "We tell you the good news: What God promised our ancestors he has fulfilled for us, their children, by raising up Jesus. As it is written in the second Psalm:" 'You are my son; today I have become your father.'

God raised him from the dead so that he will never be subject to decay. As God has said, "'I will give you the holy and sure blessings promised to David.' So it is also stated elsewhere:" 'You will not let your holy one see decay.' "Now when David had served God's purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep; he was buried with his ancestors and his body decayed. But the one whom God raised from the dead did not see decay. "Therefore, my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Through him everyone who believes is set free from every sin, a justification you were not able to obtain under the law of Moses. Take care that what the prophets have said does not happen to you: "'Look, you scoffers, wonder and perish, for I am going to do something in your days that you would never believe, even if someone told you.'"

As Paul and Barnabas were leaving the synagogue, the people invited them to speak further about these things on the next Sabbath. When the congregation was dismissed, many of the Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who talked with them and urged them to continue in the grace of God. On the next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy. They began to contradict what Paul was saying and heaped abuse on him. Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: "We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles. For this is what the Lord has commanded us: "'I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.'"

When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed. The word of the Lord spread through the whole region. But the Jewish leaders incited the God-fearing women of high standing and the leading men of the city. They stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their region. So they shook the dust off their feet as a warning to them and went to Iconium. And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit."

What we have recorded for us here in the book of Acts is the result of Paul's preaching in the synagogue in Pisidian Antioch.

As was typical for Paul, he began his ministry in Pisidian Antioch by preaching in the synagogue before an audience of Jews and Gentile God-fearers. "God-fearers" were Gentiles who believed in the God of Israel, but had not fully converted to Judaism. They were permitted to attend the synagogue, but were not allowed to participate in the worship of God. They were allowed simply to observe, because they were outsiders to the people of God.

After the typical prayers and Scripture readings, Paul was asked by the rulers of the synagogue if he had a word of exhortation for the people (Acts 13:15.) Of course, Paul never turned down an opportunity to preach. So, he stood up before the people and delivered a sermon to them (Acts 13:16-41), after which the synagogue service let out.

As they left the synagogue, people began begging Paul and Barnabas to speak to them about "these things" again next Sabbath.

What are "these things"? This is a reference to the sermon Paul had just preached. Let me sum it up for you. Paul began by recounting the history of Israel. Really, he was recounting the work of God on behalf of Israel and, by doing so, he described the character of God.

God is sovereign over all things - (Acts 13:17) God is just - (Acts 13:19) He will not let sin go unpunished God is patient - (Acts 13:18) God leads His people - (Acts 13:20-22) He is a God of salvation - (Acts 13:17) He is a God who makes promises - (Acts 13:23)

Paul makes it very clear that all these promises are fulfilled in Jesus. This was the heart of the message Paul preached and he called all of his hearers to respond to the message by trusting in Jesus Christ. So, what was the response to this message of Good News? Well, there were several reactions.

People wanted to hear more There were many people that after Paul's sermon, asked him to come back and preach again. They wanted to hear more about what God was doing through Jesus. Many people were saved. Conflict Paul and Barnabas went back on the next Sabbath, and almost the entire city showed up. There are always people around with selfish motives. Some of the Jewish leaders were jealous and started arguing with Paul. They were trying to destroy Paul and his reputation. Believe and follow Jesus Christ Paul is explaining that they had first preached to the Jews; but many rejected it, so salvation was made available to the Gentiles. These Gentiles were excited to be saved and honor God's Word. Reject it The Jewish leaders stirred up important people in the city and their response was to persecute Paul and Barnabas and kick them out of town. Notice that Paul and Barnabas shook the dust off their feet and moved on to another town.

Reflection Question(s): When Paul and Barnabas were kicked out of the city, the text says they shook the dust off their feet. What is the meaning behind this? Is there ever a time when we need to do something similar in our own lives? If so, when?

Ryan Moore - Pastor of Care

Thursday - Read Acts 14:1-7 Acts 14:1-7 NIV: "At Iconium Paul and Barnabas went as usual into the Jewish synagogue. There they spoke so effectively that a great number of Jews and Greeks believed. But the Jews who refused to believe stirred up the other Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers. So Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to perform signs and wonders. The people of the city were divided; some sided with the Jews, others with the apostles. There was a plot afoot among both Gentiles and Jews, together with their leaders, to mistreat them and stone them. But they found out about it and fled to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra and Derbe and to the surrounding country, where they continued to preach the gospel."

The Jews were the chosen people of God. It was the nation of people by which the promise of Abraham would come through. It was supposed to be a holy nation set aside for God's plan and purpose on earth. Remember, it was through the Jewish lineage that Jesus came into our earth. Under the new covenant in the book of Acts, we see not only Jews giving their lives to Christ, but also Gentiles as well. Gentiles came into the picture after the apostle Peter heard from God to go preach the gospel to them. So now, here in Acts 14, we see God's chosen people, the Jews, and these "far off" Gentiles hearing the gospel together at the same time.

Now, you'd think that things would be dandy. However, the text tells us that the unbelieving Jews begin to "poison the Gentiles' minds. What exactly were some of these Jews doing to poison the minds of these Gentiles? Well, we aren't entirely sure. But what we do know was that these Jews refused the message of the Gospel. The Jews that refused Jesus were now poisoning the minds of the Gentiles who were hearing about Jesus for the first time.

You see, this is exactly how life works. Anyone that adamantly disagrees with the Gospel will do anything in their power to spread lies to those on the fence of believing in the Gospel. It's interesting how the writer of Acts uses the phrase "poison their minds". You see, poison is usually tasty. In that, the one poisoning makes it as palatable as possible. It's why some of the tastiest snacks are usually extremely unhealthy. Lofty arguments and philosophies about Jesus rule our day, just like it did in Acts 14. Every day we are being bombarded with poison for our minds. Do you have a clear conscience of what you are believing and internalizing? As you grow in your faith, there will be opposition in that journey. What's important is that we stick close with the true, unadulterated message of the Gospel.

Reflection Question(s): Are there any "poisons" from culture that are discouraging your faith that you can pinpoint? What is it? And why is it poison?

Joao Pires - Pastor of Redline Youth Ministries

Friday - Read Acts 14:8-20 Acts 14:8-20 NIV: "In Lystra there sat a man who was lame. He had been that way from birth and had never walked. He listened to Paul as he was speaking. Paul looked directly at him, saw that he had faith to be healed and called out, "Stand up on your feet!" At that, the man jumped up and began to walk. When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they shouted in the Lycaonian language, "The gods have come down to us in human form!" Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul they called Hermes because he was the chief speaker. The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought bulls and wreaths to the city gates because he and the crowd wanted to offer sacrifices to them. But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of this, they tore their clothes and rushed out into the crowd, shouting: "Friends, why are you doing this? We too are only human, like you. We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made the heavens and the earth and the sea and everything in them. In the past, he let all nations go their own way. Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy." Even with these words, they had difficulty keeping the crowd from sacrificing to them. Then some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowd over. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead. But after the disciples had gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city. The next day he and Barnabas left for Derbe."

The story of Paul and Barnabas in Lystra begins much like the story of Peter and John at the Jerusalem temple in Acts 3. Like Peter and John, Paul and Barnabas encounter a man lame from birth (3:2; 14:8). Like Peter, Paul "looks intently" (3:4; 14:9) at the lame man and commands him to stand up (3:6; 14:10). In both accounts, the lame man not only stands but "leaps up" and begins to walk (3:8; 14:10).

At this point, however, the stories diverge. In Acts 3, the people are filled with wonder and amazement, which provides Peter an opening to proclaim that this healing has happened through faith in the name of Jesus the Messiah. In Acts 14, a chaotic scene erupts among the Gentile crowds as they interpret what has happened from their own religious presuppositions. They begin to shout in the Lycaonian language, "The gods have come down to us in human form!" They believe Barnabas to be Zeus, the chief Greek god, and Paul to be Hermes, the messenger of the gods, since Paul is the chief speaker. Even the local priest of Zeus gets in on the action, bringing oxen and garlands in order to offer sacrifice.

Even in the midst of this chaos, Paul finds an opportunity to preach, tailoring his message to his Gentile audience. But before he can tell them about Jesus the Messiah, he must tell them about the one true God. He urges them to "turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them". He continues by saying that even though in the past God allowed the nations to "follow their own ways", God did not leave himself "without a witness," for creation itself testifies to a benevolent Creator who showers humanity with blessings.

Paul's speech seems to fall on mostly deaf ears, for he and Barnabas are scarcely able to restrain the crowds from offering sacrifice to them. Nothing seemed to be going well. Eventually, he is stoned, (not in the way people think of "stoned" today) and left for dead outside the city. When Paul wakes up, surrounded by the disciples, he goes back into the city that had tried to kill him. It would not be the last time he went into the city as he encouraged and strengthened the disciples.

Whew, what an experience, right? Paul was passionate about fulfilling the mission to which God had called him. He was also extremely aware of the power and importance of community. After getting stoned, (again, not in the way people think of "stoned" today) he prioritized encouraging his fellow believers.

Just as Paul told the believers, I can tell you that you will face difficult times. Living the Christian life is not always easy, but it is amazingly fruitful. And it is most fruitful when we choose to surround ourselves with encouragers. Life is better when it is experienced in community, in a strong and encouraging community of faith that spurs each other on towards God's dreams for us.

Reflection Question(s): Have you been part of a community that has encouraged you through a difficult time? IN those moments what has been done for you that encouraged you and what have you done to encourage others? How did those experiences strengthen the community?

Jason Pettibone – Weekend Experience Pastor

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Pastor Isaac Friedel

Devotional Plan for: Week of June 21 - June 27

Monday - Read 1 John 1

1 John 1 NIV: "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We write this to make our joy complete.

This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us."

What does it mean when someone says you're the real deal? If you describe something or someone as the real deal, you mean that they are a genuine, high-quality example of something.

This line between real and fake is blurred in our society. We view television and read touching stories and later find out that the stories were complete fabrications. We are used to politicians making us promises to get our votes, only to forget those promises once they get into office.

We are so used to seeing realistic dramas on television that we often find ourselves forgetting that what we are watching is just pretend. People stand up and make passionate arguments and we simply accept that what they are saying is actually true.

So, in 1 John 1:1-4 we see four realities about Jesus and our fellowship with him.

The Reality of Jesus Humanity: Look at all of the verbs John uses to prove the reality of Jesus' humanity from his own personal experience as one of Jesus' best friends and students. He's not talking about someone he has simply studied or read about, he's talking about someone he knew personally. He talks about Jesus as someone he has HEARD and SEEN and OBSERVED and TOUCHED. To dispel any notion that Jesus' appearing was imagined or partial in any way, John speaks graphically of the sensory confirmation that he personally witnessed. The Reality of Jesus Divinity: Why did John call Jesus the Word? Jesus reveals to us the mind and heart of God. Jesus is the living means of communication between us and God. He is God's Word to us. John was very intentional about identifying Jesus because if a man is wrong about Jesus, he is wrong about God. Jesus is the final and complete revelation of God and we must understand this or else the rest of our theology is incorrect. We Have Real Fellowship with God: In verse 3 John explains why he is declaring this great truth of Jesus' identity to his audience: "so that you may have fellowship (along with us, and indeed our fellowship is) with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ." Why is John writing this letter? So, people can come to have a personal relationship with Jesus and so they can have healthy, unified relationships with one another, based on a correct understanding of Jesus. We have Real Fellowship in Community: Also important to John was his desire (and God's desire) for these churches to understand that right thinking about Jesus leads to right living within community. Remember, John is writing to a community where there is considerable disunity. In this diverse community, the Christians were trying to discern what was essential for Christian identity.

It's not far-fetched, especially in our politically-correct world today, to imagine some believers (both then and now) insisting that any doctrine that divides should simply be set aside so that none are offended. But the doctrine of Jesus incarnation cannot be set aside, for it is the foundation on which every other doctrine rests. Jesus as Messiah is the core belief of Christianity.

Reflection Question(s): How can we as a community best express the fellowship that the gospel creates? What would it look like to love one another in our everyday lives?

Ryan Moore – Pastor of Care

Tuesday - Read 1 John 2

1 John 2 NIV: "My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.

We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. Whoever says, "I know him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did. Dear friends, I am not writing you a new command but an old one, which you have had since the beginning. This old command is the message you have heard. Yet I am writing you a new command; its truth is seen in him and in you, because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining. Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness. Anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble. But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them.

I am writing to you, dear children, because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name. I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I write to you, dear children, because you know the Father. I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one.

Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.

Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us. But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth. I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it and because no lie comes from the truth. Who is the liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a person is the antichrist—denying the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also. As for you, see that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. And this is what he promised us—eternal life. I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray. As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him.

And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming. If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone who does what is right has been born of him."

John's purpose for writing this letter is clearly defined in Chapter 2. On the one hand, he says, "I am writing to help you not to sin. I am writing to warn you against the deceivers." And on the other hand, he says, "I am writing because you are forgiven. You know the truth. You are strong. I want you to have the assurance of eternal life."

First, he fosters their appreciation of what they have in Christ, and deepens their assurance of eternal life. Then, he warns them about those who would deceive them, and urges them to have vigilance against sin. And how do these two strands of John's letter relate? I propose John means for the strand of confidence to motivate the strand of vigilance. He wants to motivate his audience with the confidence of victory. The aim of verses 2:12-14 is to give the motivation needed to carry through on 2:1.

There are three statements in verses 12-13 that can help pull this together for us. Your sins are forgiven, you have known him who was from the beginning, and you can overcome the evil one. You are forgiven! You know Christ! You have conquered the devil! So be encouraged! Abide in Christ! Use his truth and power to avoid the germs of error and to defeat the temptation to sin.

When discussing this passage, John Piper asks, "Will a soldier have any strength and courage to fight if he feels the guilt of going AWOL last weekend while his company was slaughtered, and if he thinks the commander has gone away to lead another more hopeful battalion, and if fifty enemy soldiers are standing around the lip of his foxhole? All that soldier will feel like doing is quitting. Unless there is hope of winning there is little motivation to fight. Even the soldiers who fight to the death when hope is gone are driven by the passion not to be defeated by dishonor. But when all hope is gone, strength goes, vigilance goes, motivation goes, and a great dark cloud settles down on the soul."

The apostle John knew that none of us can overcome temptation and escape error if we feel that our sins are unforgiven, or that Christ is unknown, or that the devil is victorious. But John's aim was that we overcome the darkness, that we keep the commandments, that we walk in the light, that we be full of joy, and conquer hate, and that we love each other with a love so real that the world will see it and give glory to God. The aim is that the Christian soldier lying in the mud of that foxhole will all of a sudden feel a surge of hope and courage to grab their weapon and use it to beat back the enemy.

But where does that kind of hope and courage come from? It comes from 1 John 2:12-14. We hear, and by the grace of God, we believe—news that's almost too good to be true. Your sins are forgiven for Christ's sake—even last weekend. You do know Christ; he is not far away. He is right behind the enemy. And so, in him, you have already conquered the enemy.

Reflection Question(s): How did you feel when you first realized that your sins are forgiven and that through the power of Jesus you have overcome the evil one? As you think about it now, how does it inspire you? How does it make you feel about the work Jesus has done in you and for you?

Jason Pettibone – Weekend Experience Pastor

Wednesday - Read 1 John 3

1 John 3 NIV: "See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure. Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him. Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work. No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God's child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister.

For this is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another. Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother's were righteous. Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters, if the world hates you. We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death. Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him. This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him. And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. The one who keeps God's commands lives in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us."

John wanted followers of Jesus to understand that the priority of our lives must be fellowship with God. But we have to understand that God is righteous, so in order to have fellowship with God we must be righteous as well. However, John knew that we often get focused on the wrong thing when we think about righteousness.

We don't typically understand what God desires, so we simply try to "be good." We try to watch our language, we try to smile at people we don't really like, we don't drink or smoke, we try to gossip less – we focus on external things. But over and over Scripture teaches us that what God really wants is a complete righteousness that transforms us from within.

So, John first gives us motivation to live righteous. He says in 1 John 3:1 we are God's Children. To be a child of God means that we have been given the very nature of God. Verse 9 tells us that God's seed is in us. That is similar to saying that His holy DNA is placed in us when we place our faith in Him. This is so important for us to understand. You must understand your identity or you will never live the life you were meant to live. Secondly, he says we are destined for Glory in 1 John 3:2 John wants us to know that only when Jesus returns will we fully grasp the greatness of His love for us. Third John explains to us the true nature of sin.

We have to remember that Jesus didn't just come to give us a revelation of God or to teach us about God. He didn't just come to give us an example of how we should live. He came because of sin. He came because we are under the law. If we don't understand that sin is breaking God's law, we don't understand why Jesus came. He had to come if we were to be delivered from our breaking of the law. He came because there is no other way by which we can be redeemed and rescued. Because Jesus had no sin, because He hadn't broken God's law, He satisfied the law of God.

So, John has given us great motivation to live righteously, but how do we do this?

How Do We Live Righteously?

1 John 3:9-10 These verses can be confusing, but verse 9 in the NLT says "No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God."

It's important that we understand the verb tenses here or else we must all label ourselves as children of the devil. All of the verbs in this section are present and continuous, so John is talking about "continuing in sin." We all sin occasionally and must repent. But if your life exhibits continual sin, sin that is not repented of, we cannot call ourselves a child of God. John is saying we cannot live continually in sin and also claim to be following Christ. The life of a child of God should be profoundly different.

So, we have to remember that holiness follows belief. When we make holiness a thing in and of itself, we simply produce rules and regulations – we become legalistic. Holiness is not something we are called upon to do in order that we might become something. It's something we are to do because of what we already are.

We are not to live a good and holy life in order that we might become Christians; we are to live holy lives because we are Christians.

We start with our identity. We recognize that we have been made a child of God by the grace of God through Jesus and that realization leads us to a desire to be like Jesus. We don't just avoid sin; we strive to be like the One Who Saved Us.

Reflection Question(s): What steps are you taking to get closer to God?

Ryan Moore - Pastor of Care

Thursday - Read 1 John 4

1 John 4 NIV: "Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world. You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because he first loved us. Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister."

This chapter is filled with Gold. Yes, all scripture is filled with life changing truth, however, 1 John 4 contains two truths that we all need to hold on to.

We have the right to test every spirit to see whether it is from God. God's love removes the natural fear of rejection.

First, we have the right to test every spirit to see whether it is from God. We do not have to believe every thought, every idea, or everything that is being said in our world. Just like in John's day, today there are extremely Persuasive ideas on the nature of God. These persuasive ideas come from culture, academia, relationships, and even our own deceitful thoughts. It's the human condition to follow every "good" sounding doctrine and thought. However, John is telling these believers in Ephesus (his audience) to "test" the spirits. In other words, we have to set up a TSA checkpoint with every thought and idea that begins to infiltrate our hearts and the church. The Bible says that we do not fight against flesh and blood but with powers of a spiritual world. Here is the good news. We have the right to compare those thoughts to the message and character of Jesus. If it does not match who Jesus says he is and what scripture says about him, we do not have to believe it. These believers in 1 John 4 started believing false prophets who were preaching that Jesus never had a physical body. You see, in 2021, that may not be the same message of culture, but the character of Jesus is always being misconstrued by agendas of our world. Let's hold fast to the word so that when these thoughts come, we don't need to buy in.

Secondly, God's love can remove the natural fear of rejection. We've heard it said, "Love casts out fear". But what fear? All fear? Sure, but John is specifically talking about believers who fear not being accepted by God as children. John here reminds these believers that God loved them even though they didn't deserve it. Why? Because God loves us perfectly. It is not contingent upon our ability to love him. It is a love that is pure and without motive. You see, we can cast out our fear of being rejected by God simply because his love is perfect love.

Reflection Question(s): Which one of these points speaks to you the most and why?

Joao Pires - Pastor of Redline Youth Ministries

Friday - Read 1 John 5

1 John 5 NIV: "Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. This is the one who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. For there are three that testify: the Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement. We accept human testimony, but God's testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which he has given about his Son. Whoever believes in the Son of God accepts this testimony. Whoever does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because they have not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him. If you see any brother or sister commit a sin that does not lead to death, you should pray and God will give them life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that you should pray about that. All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death. We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the One who was born of God keeps them safe, and the evil one cannot harm them. We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true by being in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. Dear children, keep yourselves from idols."

This week we have read through and discussed the book of 1 John. As you may have already seen, one of the themes that John continually emphasizes is the importance of having a correct view of Jesus Christ. And again in 5:13, we read John saying, "I have written these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.

It is not just John and the other New Testament writers that tell us the truth about who Jesus is. The prophets of the Old Testament were also used to foretell of the significance of His life. For instance...

Isaiah prophesied that Jesus would be born of a virgin (7:14). Micah prophesied that Jesus would be born in Bethlehem (5:2). Hosea prophesied that He would be called out of Egypt (11:1). Jeremiah foretold of the attempt that would be made to murder Jesus at His birth by King Herod (31:15). Malachi prophesied that a forerunner (John the Baptist) would prepare the way for Jesus (4:5-6). Isaiah foretold of Jesus' ministry in Galilee and the theological significance of His death (9:1-2; 53). The Psalmist predicted His betrayal by a close friend as well as the details of His crucifixion and the reality of His resurrection (41:9; 22; 16).

But in spite of the fact that the Old Testament clearly pointed to Jesus as the Messiah, and the Jewish prophets had foretold of His identity, Israel still rejected Jesus when He came. John 1:11 says, "He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him." John knew that many people would question why they should believe that Jesus was who He claimed to be.

But John comes to say now in these next few verses in chapter 5 that the greatest and most important testimony about Jesus Christ is not the testimony of the prophets of the Old Testament, nor it is the testimony of the apostles of the New Testament. The most important testimony about Jesus is God's testimony.

Remember John loved to pattern his writings as if they were legal proceedings. It's as though the identity of Jesus Christ is on trial and much testimony related to His identity has already been presented. But now John is about to bring to the stand the "star witness" – God the Father Himself.

John records three elements of God's testimony about Jesus Christ – the water, the blood, and the Spirit. He begins by saying that Jesus "came by water and blood; not by water only, but by water and by blood." John is not being redundant here just for the sake of being redundant but rather he is making a very important theological point.

By water, John is referring to Jesus' baptism and by blood, he is referring to Jesus' death. These two events served as bookends, you might say, to the earthly ministry of Christ. And God the Father used both of these events to testify concerning His Son.

John began with these two elements because there were those in his day who taught that Jesus Christ came by water but not by blood. Specifically, they believed in the existence of a heavenly Christ and an earthly Jesus and that the heavenly Christ descended upon the earthly Jesus at his baptism but withdrew from him before His death on the cross, so that it was only the earthly Jesus who died and not the heavenly Christ. But John makes it very clear that it was Jesus Christ, Emmanuel, God with us – not merely a human Jesus – who experienced both baptism and crucifixion. Related to the water, or to baptism, John was making it clear that Jesus was already the Christ when He was baptized. In fact, Jesus was the Christ when He was born. He was the Christ from the foundation of the world. That's why John began his gospel by saying: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."

Jesus was the Christ before He was baptized but it was at His baptism that God the Father gave both a visual and verbal testimony concerning who He was. The visual testimony came through the physical manifestation of the Holy Spirit descending upon Jesus in the form of a dove. He also says that He came not by water only, but by water and by blood. The blood, of course, is a reference to the bloodshed by Jesus on the cross. But what kind of blood did Jesus shed? Dr. John Phillips defines it well. He says: "Blood flowed in His veins. But what blood! Not a drop of Joseph's blood flowed in Jesus' veins, for Joseph was only His foster father, and Jesus was in his family only by adoption. There was no drop of Mary's blood in His veins either; the blood that flows through the veins and arteries of a baby still in its mother's womb is not its mother's blood. It is the baby's own blood. Only after the embryo has been impregnated does the baby's blood – like any other cell in the body – begin to develop. Not one drop of blood passes from the mother to the child...The blood type of the Lord Jesus was like no other blood type. It was the blood of an absolutely unique, completely sinless person..."

But again, there were those in John's day who claimed that the heavenly Christ not only descended upon Jesus at His baptism but departed from Him before His death on the cross, so that it was merely a human Jesus, with merely human blood flowing through his veins that died on the cross.

Well, if that were true then it would mean that Jesus COULD not and DID not conquer sin and death for believers. It would mean that what the Bible says about Jesus being offered as a sacrifice for our sins is a lie. It would mean that what John has already said in chapter four about God loving us so much that He sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins would have absolutely no truth or significance. In fact, Jesus is the Christ and His baptism and His crucifixion both serve as testimony to the reality of His identity.

John then records the third element in these verses – the element of the Spirit. "And the Spirit is the One who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth." When John spoke of Jesus coming by water and by blood, He used the aorist tense which means an action completed in the past with ongoing results. But when He speaks of the Spirit as the One who testifies he uses the present tense which, as we learned in the first five verses of this chapter, refers to a present, continual, and ongoing action.

In other words, John is saying that the Holy Spirit, who lives and dwells in us, is presently and continually testifying to us that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. That is why we can confidently believe in the name of Jesus!

Reflection Question(s): I know today's devotional was a bit longer than usual, but as you read about how Old Testament prophets, New Testament Apostles, and even God the Father himself testify about Jesus, what was your first thought? How do each of the three inspire you and is there one that resonates with you more than the others? How so?

Jason Pettibone – Weekend Experience Pastor

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Pastor Terry A. Smith

Devotional Plan for: Week of June 14 - June 20

Monday - Read Acts 2:37-41

Acts 2:37-41 NIV: "When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?" Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call." With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, "Save yourselves from this corrupt generation." Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day."

A frequent question posed to Christians from those who don't yet follow Christianity is, "How do I get saved?" By this, people frequently mean, "How do I go to heaven?" The typical Christian answer is, "Put your faith in Jesus."

This week, we're going to look at a few different stories of the first people who became followers of Jesus. This gives us incredible insight, because it shows us how the Apostles preached and how the first believers followed. Meaning, there's a sense in which these stories are normative, or help us to understand how we both share the Gospel and receive the Gospel.

In today's story, we see Peter preaching to what ends up being the first ever converts to Christianity (outside of the Apostles). He gives a long message to them (in the verses prior), spanning the story of Israel and how we have come to Jesus, and why the hearers should give over their lives to Jesus. As we see, his message cuts to the heart of those who are listening, and they ask, "What should we do?" This should be the response of our sharing our faith: the truth is so compelling that people want to know what they're supposed to do about it!

Now, in our contemporary day, someone may say, "Put your faith in Jesus." But, what does this mean to people today? Most often, this means, "I believe that Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead." That's not what Peter asks them to do though, nor what that New Testament asks them to do. "Faith" is not some intellectual ascent to facts, saying, "God exists." As James says, "Even the demons believe and shudder." To be in a covenant relationship with God is absolutely not to believe in his existence, but to give over your existence. "Belief", "faith", in Scripture is similar to "trust", "loyal obedience", "allegiance", "faithfulness". When we act out faith, we act out those synonyms.

See what Peter says, which is more reflective of this approach to how we respond to the message of the Gospel. He tells them to repent, which means to turn the other way from their sins, to be baptized, and to receive the Spirit. He tells them they are a part of a corrupt generation, and because they're part of the corrupt generation, they have to turn away from it and join a new generation (the family of God) and receive a new Spirit, that of God's.

Is our generation corrupt? Stop and think about that, if you will, for a second. There's a common phrase called "chronological snobbery". This, essentially, means that those who are further along in time look back on those in the past and think they're so much better than them. "People in the medieval times were so brutish and uneducated", "people in 19th century America were so ignorant", "people in the 1950's were so unloving". Some of our statements about previous generations may be true, but remember that in 100 years, we'll be people in the past that future generations are labeling as something negative. Thus, we have to be careful not to have "chronological snobbery", thinking that because we're further in time, we are so much better. My (Christian Smith) opinion is that people in our day think very highly of themselves. But the reality is that all generations experience corruption, and perhaps ours is more corrupt than most in recent history, as we've left God on the sidelines and try to "fix" the world through faulty means by ourselves. The Jews of the first century were corrupt, and the Americans of the 21st century are corrupt in many ways as well! It's just how humanity works.

As a result, when God is calling us to him, he's calling us to repent, or turn away from, the corruption of our generation, and to get baptized, which reflects being "born again" into a new family, and then receiving a Spirit that empowers us to live as a part of that new family. That Spirit enables us to share the love of God with the corrupt generation and bring them into a new generation, the generation of Godly believers.

Faith isn't just intellectual, it's actual. Turn to God! He has more life for you than any generation can offer!

Reflection Question(s): How does thinking of "faith" as "trust" change your understanding of putting your "faith" in Jesus? In what ways is our generation corrupt, and how can we turn away from that corruption?

Christian Smith – Director of Pastoral Ministries

Tuesday - Read Acts 2:42-47

Acts 2:42-47 NIV: "They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved."

The community of faith in Jerusalem lived a multifaceted witness, one not restricted to a single place or mode. This witness manifested itself in houses and in the Jerusalem temple. It benefits its members and earns the admiration of outsiders. The community prioritized the care for its most vulnerable members and also became a means by which God extended salvation to others.

It is noteworthy that this passage about the corporate life of the early church describes a state of affairs for which others in the ancient world longed. This passage actually echoes other Greek philosophical writings that describe an ethic of friendship and mutuality that can be realized through ideal social and political arrangements. The text also recalls promises made in the Old Testament about the just society that God longed to see established in Israel. Certainly, then, this passage paints an idealistic portrait, proposing that Christian community offers the path to such a desirable vision of human existence.

However, while the assertion of perfect harmony might be idealized or hyperbolic, it does not mean that it should be easily dismissed. Acts anchors humanity's deepest hopes for community, justice, generosity, and meaning specifically as a result of people coming to embrace Jesus as the crucified, risen, and glorified Christ. Embracing Jesus as the particular means by which God instituted and exercised his reign within creation so as to redeem it from its fallen state. Do not assume that this passage celebrates community or the church for its own sake. Then, and today, the community of faith existed as an extension of the ascended Lord Jesus' commitment to bring salvation to the world.

While the communal specifics of the early church are not reasonable to aspire to today, the heart behind that community certainly is. And it is an empowering thing to realize that we are not left to our own devices in creating such an environment. The ministry of God's reign that Jesus inaugurated during his life and secured by his death, resurrection, and glorification is not merely a thing of the past or a faint hope for future days; it continues, sometimes barely perceptibly, in the corporate life of communities of faith. The virtues of justice, worship, and mutuality are not accomplishments of extraordinary folk; they are signs of the Spirit within a community of people who understand themselves as united in purpose and identity. And when those signs of the Spirit are evident, a contagious community is created. People cannot help but be attracted to and want to be a part of this type of community. When we allow God to change our hearts so that our hearts reflect his heart, idealistic things, things that seem impossible, become possible. And the fruit of that experience is that more people invite God to change their heart because inclusion in the idealistic community is an innate human desire.

Reflection Question(s): Have you witnessed or experienced being part of a community of faith that felt unique to you? What were some characteristics of that group? Would you say that group reflected God's heart? How so? Was this community experience noticeable to others?

Jason Pettibone – Weekend Experience Pastor

Wednesday - Read Acts 5:12-16

Acts 5:12-16 NIV: "The apostles performed many signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers used to meet together in Solomon's Colonnade. No one else dared join them, even though they were highly regarded by the people. Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number. As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter's shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by. Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by impure spirits, and all of them were healed."

Once again Luke steps out of the narrative to give us an update on the overall health and growth of the early church. At this time, which was around 31 or 32 AD, the church was still meeting as a large multitude in Solomon's Colonnade, the massive covered walkway, perhaps three stories tall, on the south side of the Temple area of Jerusalem.

How shall we harmonize the end of verse 13 with the beginning of verse 15? The account of Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-6) probably explains it for us. Before this, many people who were not believers, people we might call curiosity seekers, gathered around to witness the growth of the movement. But after Ananias and his wife were struck down by the Lord, these curiosity seekers were too terrified to come back, and so "none of the rest dared to join them."

At the same time, quite a few people were coming to faith, and so the number of believers continues to increase more and more. Luke again uses the term "multitude," as he did in Acts 4:32, but now in the plural. The Christian church was growing into multitudes, many thousands of people. - Acts 5:14 (ESV)

Even the Jews of Jerusalem who did not join them were impressed by the preaching and teaching of the Christians, and for the most part, they were so impressed by the conduct of this emerging group that they held them "in high regard."

So, what happens when our walk and a witness are welded together. In the latter part of this passage, we see an example.

Acts chapter five shows us. I want you to notice what happens when a follower is so impacted by the Holy Spirit that literally just walking along, the Holy Spirit starts to do miracles around him. We see this in Acts 5:15-16.

This is supernatural healing. This is a medical doctor who's writing this account for us, and he's saying that physical healing is happening in Acts chapter five. This is what blows my mind. Peter isn't even taking part in this. Please don't get this wrong. What the Bible is saying is when he just walks by, the Holy Spirit is doing miracles. When his shadow passes over sick people, they're healed. When his shadow passes over people who are possessed by demons, they're set free because of what God is doing with these believers when their walk and their witness are welded together, when they start to get singularly focused on what the Holy Spirit is calling them to do.

This is what you're reading in Acts chapter five. I'm convinced none of those apostles got it. Looking back years later, maybe they realized that was the moment it went from a moment in time to an unstoppable movement of God. If you're trying to figure out how to get step-in-step with the Holy Spirit and start to march to the beat of his drum look at these action steps.

Action Steps:

Surrender your life to the Holy Spirit. This is the moment when you go from having a heart of stone to a heart of flesh. Until that happens, nothing else that happens really matters. This is the moment you become a child of God, a son or a daughter of God. See the Holy Spirit at work in your life Now you start to look at what the Holy Spirit wants to do in your life. Show the Holy Spirit through your life. I'm going to be honest with you. These are really easy things to say, but quite frankly, they're not very easy things to do. All of us need the Holy Spirit's help to do anyone, let alone all three.

Reflection Question(s): Pray for the Holy Spirit to work in great power through us this week.

Ryan Moore - Pastor of Care

Thursday - Read Acts 11:19-29

Acts 11:19-29 NIV: "Now those who had been scattered by the persecution that broke out when Stephen was killed traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, spreading the word only among Jews. Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. The Lord's hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord. News of this reached the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he arrived and saw what the grace of God had done, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord. Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch. During this time some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. One of them, named Agabus, stood up and through the Spirit predicted that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world. (This happened during the reign of Claudius.) The disciples, as each one was able, decided to provide help for the brothers and sisters living in Judea."

Let's take a trip together. Now, of course, traveling during the pandemic has been difficult do to because of year-long quarantines and safety concerns. Furthermore, this trip won't require you to hop on a plane. All we need to do is to read Acts 11:19-29.

We land in a location called Antioch. It was founded in 300 B.C by one of the inheritors of Alexander the Great's empire. In the first century this city had about half a million people. At the time, it was the 3rd largest city in the Roman Empire. Antioch was 300 miles north of Jerusalem. It was known for its business and commerce, for its sophistication and culture, but also for its immorality. The city's reputation for moral "laxity" was enhanced by the cult of Artemis and Apollo.

So why exactly are we landing here?

Well, we land here because this is where the gospel landed and, in some sense, was even sent forth into the world.

Acts 11:19 opens up with what we would perceive as the end of the story for Christians. Stephen, one of the disciples, was martyred for his faith in Jesus. This ushered in all sorts of persecution for believers. Consequently, believers needed to disperse to find refuge. So where do they land? Well, some landed in Antioch. The bible says that many of these believers started telling the Greeks in Antioch the good news about Jesus. Here, we see a powerful truth: God still works everything for good. It seemed as if Christianity would die, yet it only picked up speed after persecution. It's true when Jesus said, "the gates of hell shall not prevail (on the church)" Even today, in 2021, we see revival happening where Christians are persecuted in parts of the middle east and China.

Here is what's fascinating: believers are called "Christians" for the first time here in Antioch. Paul and Barnabas would end up coming to Antioch to disciple "many believers" as the bible would have it.

You see, the gospel can't be stopped. The gospel does not rely on policy, governmental procedures, laws, or cultural norms. The gospel will spread. It will change people's lives, irrespective of the climate and context by which it is being preached. We have the greatest story ever told. We have the Gospel, the good news. Let's tell everyone about it.

Reflection Question(s): Was there a situation in which God turned a tragedy around into a triumph? What was that like? And what did you learn about God in those moments?

Joao Pires - Pastor of Redline Youth Ministries

Friday - Read Acts 17:16-34

Acts 17:16-34 NIV: "While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. So he reasoned in the synagogue with both Jews and God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there. A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to debate with him. Some of them asked, "What is this babbler trying to say?" Others remarked, "He seems to be advocating foreign gods." They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection. Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, "May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we would like to know what they mean." (All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.) Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: "People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you. "The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. 'For in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.' "Therefore since we are God's offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by human design and skill. In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead." When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, "We want to hear you again on this subject." At that, Paul left the Council. Some of the people became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others.

We live in a day of religious pluralism. We live in a day of "spiritual but not religious." We live in a day of an individualized, privatized cafeteria approach to picking and choosing what we "like" from different religious, political, and philosophical worldviews, often in ways that contain no logical consistency. We live in Luke's version of Athens. Paul's Areopagus speech, then, offers a helpful analogy for how the church should live in this new day. Simply saying the church is in but not of the world, may not be enough.

The manner of the church's engagement with the world modeled in this passage is one in which the church respects society and different expressions of it and speaks to the world on terms the world will respect. It recognizes good religious intent and desire in society. Still, however, the church presents its own unique faith for others to consider, offering an invitation for those interested and willing to join us. It is no wonder this passage has been so heavily used by the church through the years as a model for apologetics and evangelism.

The text informs us that some in the audience scoffed at Paul's words, some were interested in hearing more from him, and some joined him becoming believers. Implicitly, these lines describe the way the church should expect responses to our message in the world. Note that Paul does not condemn those who do not convert. He simply leaves. Luke does not say he left in a huff, so much as he simply indicates it was time for Paul to go, so he did.

In truth, it is not always easy to follow the example Paul lays out here. In our culture where politics and faith seem to be topics that instantly stir emotional responses, it can be difficult to not get drawn into arguments and attacks on character. I am sure Paul was hopeful that everyone who heard his message would put their faith in Christ, but he recognized that their response was not his responsibility. We should aspire to live our lives in such a way that people notice something different about us. When people notice it, some will ask us about it. We should aspire to be able to provide an answer for our faith when people ask. And then we should be able to leave it all in God's hands. This week we have explored passages in Acts where Luke describes people coming to faith. It happened in several different ways but it was always the Lord who added to their number.

Reflection Question(s): When presented with an opportunity to discuss faith, do you typically embrace these opportunities or actively look to avoid them? What are the times you feel most comfortable talking about faith? What would it take for you to feel more confident embracing opportunities to share your faith story?

Jason Pettibone – Weekend Experience Pastor

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Pastor Terry A. Smith

Devotional Plan for: Week of June 7 - June 13

Monday - Read Matthew 4:18-22

Matthew 4:18-22 NIV: "As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will send you out to fish for people." At once they left their nets and followed him. Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him."

Jesus, newly Spirit-empowered in order to begin his ministry, walks along the Sea of Galilee, and new followers begin to flock to his leadership. This appears to be a bit of an unusual scene: who randomly, quickly, "drops their nets", or gives up their entire profession, in order to follow an unproven Rabbi (teacher).

Traveling Rabbi's teaching of God in new ways wasn't an unusual scene in first century Judaism. Groups of people would follow a teacher and begin to live out their teachings. These followers, who were under a teacher or philosopher, were called "disciples".

From this text, though, we see something unusual about Jesus' disciples: they immediately left their entire lives to follow him. Surely, the text only captures part of their conversations. However, its brevity indicates how quickly they saw something uniquely special, irresistible, in the person of Jesus. He wasn't anything special to look and he didn't come with some great, noticeable power (in terms of worldly power). But something about him created a yearning to give up all.

Though Jesus called a select few to be those in his immediate circle, Jesus was calling all people he encountered to, in a sense, "drop their nets" and follow him. This didn't mean everyone had to give up their profession, but everyone had to drop some kind of net, some kind of previous life, in order to follow a new way of life – discipleship to Christ, the savior.

Today, Jesus is still "walking around" calling people to be his disciples, sitting at his feet and learning the true way of life in the Kingdom of God. The church, now, is the hands and feet of Jesus. The church is the physical, living embodiment of Jesus, as we now have his Spirit within us. Jesus is no longer now walking with a group of 12 disciples, but is walking with his Spirit all around the world, offering discipleship to all who wish to follow.

What boat do you need to leave behind? What nets do you need to leave behind as you receive the calling to be a disciple?

Reflection Question(s): Reflect on which "nets" or "boats" you need to leave behind in your life to follow Jesus.

Christian Smith – Director of Pastoral Ministries

Tuesday - Read Luke 5:1-11

Luke 5:1-11 NIV: "One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God. He saw at the water's edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch." Simon answered, "Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets." When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. So, they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus' knees and said, "Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!" For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon's partners. Then Jesus said to Simon, "Don't be afraid; from now on you will fish for people." So, they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him."

Today's passage details how a miracle, some teaching, and discipleship form a collage that explains the mission Jesus is calling people to join. Jesus performs a miracle, but his words to Simon (Peter) in verse 10 turns the entire miracle into a picture of mission. Here, event and symbol merge. The event signifies not only what disciples are called to do but who disciples are as they do it.

Simon Peter and Jesus represent different sides of the theology that undergirds the community Jesus is forging. Simon, for his part, knows that he is a sinner who is not worthy to experience the benefits of God's power and presence. There is no presumption that God owes him anything. Jesus, exemplifying God's grace, makes it clear that such a humble approach to God is exactly what God will use. Jesus calls these fishermen to fish for people rather than for finned water-dwellers.

Much in this event is ironic. When Jesus tells Simon to put the boat out and cast down his nets, it is a carpenter's son and teacher telling a fisherman how to fish and Simon's response makes it clear that conditions for fishing are not right, since a major effort the night before had totally failed. Yet despite appearances and against his professional judgment, he follows the teacher's command to let down the nets.

The result is success and near disaster at the same time. The nets are overflowing, and so is the boat! The fisherman is desperate for help to bring in all the fish. The boat is so full it begins to sink. Jesus has guided Simon to a great catch, but that catch is a picture of how he will guide the disciples in other, more spiritual affairs.

Intrinsically, Simon Peter realizes he has been brought into more than a successful commercial venture. As nice as it would be to have Jesus as a permanent fishing guide, God's messenger is in their midst, and the fisherman knows enough about God's holiness to know he is at risk. So Simon falls to his knees and confesses his unworthiness, asking Jesus to depart. He understands that sin produces distance between himself and God. Surely God wants nothing to do with a simple, sinful fisherman. It is best that Jesus go. In fact, Jesus is addressed as "Lord," but not because Peter understands that Jesus is God. (Eventually, though, it will be Peter who confesses Jesus as Christ.)

The size of the catch tells Simon and his companions that this event has been no accident. The greatest moment in their fishing career causes them to stop and ponder what God is doing. Jesus has taken Peter's humble faith and scared him to death with God's presence. But in the uncertainty that often surrounds faith comes the divine honoring of its presence and a calm voice that says, "Don't be afraid." Simon Peter, James and John learn that God will take the faith of humble fishermen and use it to make them fishers of men.

Reflection Question(s): Jesus met the disciples in their natural everyday environment? Have you experienced Jesus in your everyday environment? Would did (or what might) that look like if you did? Do you think you would recognize Jesus? How would your response be compare to Peter's?

Jason Pettibone – Weekend Experience Pastor

Wednesday - Read Matthew 8:18-22

Matthew 8:18-22 NIV: "When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake. Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, "Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go." Jesus replied, "Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head." Another disciple said to him, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father." But Jesus told him, "Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead."

"Spiritual Highs" - A Spiritual high is a euphemism created by modern day Christians to describe a short period of time in which you feel "closer" to God. As a youth pastor, I've (Joao) seen this so much. Students will go on a weekend youth retreat and come back on fire to serve God in a more radical way. After 3 months, this spiritual high is choked by the pressures of life, temptations, and day to day realities. Jesus spoke about the seed that grew but was choked by the weeds. The weeds are symbolic of life's distractions. We have all been there, haven't we? There are defining moments where we resolved in our heart to chase after the things of God, yet we are usually unwilling to push through some of the moments where we don't have the spiritual high to do so.

This is exactly the backdrop of our text today. Jesus had just preached the sermon on the mount where we get the beatitudes and Lord's prayer from. The word made flesh had been preaching the very word of God. Imagine the experience of hearing Jesus himself sharing the word! Furthermore, the bible says that crowds had been watching Jesus preach this incredible sermon. He came down from this mountain and had an encounter with a teacher of the law. This teacher had a spiritual high moment, ready to follow Jesus at all costs. So, he tells Jesus, "I will follow you wherever you go." However, Jesus didn't respond the way this man thought he would. Jesus first tells this man that he had to become homeless to follow him. Then, in very Jesus' fashion, Jesus tells this teacher to leave his family affairs.

The Spiritual high of this man dropped quicker than the steepest roller coaster. It was a drop so steep that he probably felt it in his stomach. It was a like a reality punch hit him harder than anything. Jesus had given a sermon that attracted a crowd, yet challenged this man to leave everything behind to follow him. This teacher of the law wanted to wait until after his father passed so that he can follow Jesus. Yet Jesus made it clear that to follow him you must follow him "now". There is no such thing as a trial run in following Jesus. Jesus wanted this man's life and this man's heart, yet this man wanted other things above Jesus. Here, we learn a simple spiritual truth: It is never too early to give your whole life to Jesus. Regardless of the "highs" or how you feel. Discipleship is a discipline in that you will not always feel like making the sacrifice it takes to follow Jesus. One step toward spiritual maturity is following Jesus even when it's hard. Often times, we can base our spirituality in our feelings. Yet, the beauty of the gospel is that it's always true regardless of our lows or highs. The easiest time to follow Jesus is after a sermon on a Sunday, however, spiritual maturity says, "I will follow him even mid-week when it's the most difficult."

Reflection Question(s): What areas of your life do you feel as though God is calling you to let go of so that you can follow Jesus fully?

Joao Pires - Pastor of Redline Youth Ministries

Thursday - Read Luke 9:23-26

Luke 9:23-26 NIV: "Then he said to them all: "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self? Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels."

"Whoever wants to be my disciples must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me." When Jesus said this, this would have caught people off guard. You see, it was not normal for someone to willingly take a cross on their back. Crosses were put on people's back as a form of punishment, yet Jesus is telling his disciples to willingly put a cross on their back. Jesus command to take up their cross daily came from the overflow of his own obedience to take up his own cross. Jesus took up his own cross, in part, to exemplify what it would mean to bear up our own crosses. A disciple takes up their cross daily. Now, this can be so nuanced in its implications. So, let's take a look at 3 important thoughts as we best seek to understand this text.

1.The cross is symbolic. Now of course, most of us, if not all of us reading this, will most likely never have to die for our faith here in the West. There are many around the world, over 100,000 believers, for example, who lost their lives last year in the East for their faith in Jesus. When Jesus told his disciples to take up their cross, he understood that most of them would end up being martyred for being Jesus followers. Now, in 2021, we Americans might not have to die for our faith (though Christianity is the most persecuted faith around the world, with millions being murdered every year for their faith), but we will have to sacrifice immensely for being followers of Jesus. The cross was symbolic of both death and sacrifice. In a post Christian world, we might get mocked and challenged for being believers. We might even get pushed aside. However, the cross, or "sacrifice", means that we have decided to lay our lives down for Jesus.

2.The cross is the cost. Jesus paid it all for our sins. He who knew no sin became sin so that we can become the righteousness of God. You see, we were worth Jesus to God. In other words, the Father sent his son to die a death he didn't deserve so that we could be in right standing with God. The cross was the cost. Now, in turn, we are called to be a living sacrifice in the same way Jesus was to us. Out of love, we now give our lives back to Jesus in the same way he gave his. Sacrifice is the truest cost of discipleship.

3.The cross leads to joy. The bible says that Jesus endured the cross because of the joy set before him. The joy was that humanity finally had access to the life that God wanted for us since the beginning. The cross that we bear ultimately leads us to a life of joy. Sure, mourning may last for the night, but joy always comes in the morning. We understand that the cross leads to joy because we ultimately have the victory with Christ in eternity. Our daily sacrifice for Jesus actually leads to an ultimate joy. It's a joy that can't be shaken nor taken. True joy is found in a life full of sacrifice for Jesus.

Reflection Question(s): How have you taken your cross up as a believer? And how has it added deep joy into your life?

Joao Pires - Pastor of Redline Youth Ministries

Friday - Read Matthew 19:16-30

Matthew 19:16-30 NIV: "Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, "Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?" "Why do you ask me about what is good?" Jesus replied. "There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments." "Which ones?" he inquired. Jesus replied, "'You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, honor your father and mother,' and 'love your neighbor as yourself." "All these I have kept," the young man said. "What do I still lack?" Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth. Then Jesus said to his disciples, "Truly I tell you; it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again, I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God." When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, "Who then can be saved?" Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." Peter answered him, "We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?" Jesus said to them, "Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first."

Today's reading details the story of a young man who seemed to be concerned about the things of God. His motivation was good, and he asked a question that many others have wanted to ask. However, in today's culture it's easy to get distracted by other concerns. We often are more concerned with what our Facebook friends think than what God thinks.

Jesus adds a somewhat obscure comment, "There is only one who is good." He is trying to point out that He is that "good One," because He is God Himself. Like any good teacher, Jesus starts with what the man knows by listing some of the Ten Commandments, along with "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." And like a good Jew, the young man assures Him that he has kept these commandments. But he is aware of some emptiness, something still lacking. Jesus instructs him to sell all he has to come follow Him. Jesus exposes the idol in the man's heart—his possessions. The man was unable to let go of what he had for the greater good of following Jesus, so he went away downhearted.

Jesus then goes on to elaborate on the lesson for His disciples. More than likely, the disciples, like many of us, equated material riches with God's favor. Someone who owned much must be blessed by God. So, they were astonished that the rich would have a hard time entering the kingdom.

Jesus says, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." There is nothing that anyone can do to gain eternal life. It's all up to God. God doesn't relate to us the way we think He should. We think that life is like a test and we're all going to gain points for what we get right and lose points for what we get wrong. But it's all grace from start to finish.

Peter, asked the question a lot of us ask: "See, we've left everything to follow You, what's in it for us?" He's essentially asking, "Is it worth it?" To which Jesus says, "It is worth far more than you can imagine."

Reflection Question(s): What kinds of things have you relied on for salvation besides grace? Have you ever been asked to give up something significant in order to follow Jesus? How hard was it to obey and do you have any regrets?

Jason Pettibone – Weekend Experience Pastor

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Youth Pastor Joao Pires

Devotional Plan for: Week of May 31 - June 6

Monday - Read Nehemiah 1: 1-11

Nehemiah 1: 1-11 NIV: "The words of Nehemiah son of Hakaliah: In the month of Kislev in the twentieth year, while I was in the citadel of Susa, Hanani, one of my brothers, came from Judah with some other men, and I questioned them about the Jewish remnant that had survived the exile, and also about Jerusalem. They said to me, "Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire." When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven. Then I said: "Lord, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments, let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father's family, have committed against you. We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses. "Remember the instruction you gave your servant Moses, saying, 'If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations, but if you return to me and obey my commands, then even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my Name.' "They are your servants and your people, whom you redeemed by your great strength and your mighty hand. Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man." I was cupbearer to the king."

This week, we focus on the book of Nehemiah, which recounts an incredible story of a Jewish man attempting to restore Israel to its intended glory before God. This book is autobiographical, considered historically accurate by secular and believing scholars, and was written about 500 years before Christ.

Nehemiah was a cup-bearer to King Artaxerxes, was a high-ranking official position where one would, essentially, pour the drinks of the king. Now, this may not seem very high-ranking. But, as you've likely seen in some medieval movie, drinks were somehow prone to be poisoned in the ancient times. Someone like Nehemiah would ensure the safety of the drink, sometimes by way of tasting the drink before it reached the King.

Though Nehemiah was doing quite well in his job away from Israel, he heard of Israel's tragic failures, as they were not following God and the requisite destruction of the city and its walls made news, eventually reaching Nehemiah. Nehemiah felt inspired to return to Jerusalem as a way to be a part of its renewal, which took a long time and much hard work. We can learn from Nehemiah and Israel's story of how we can return from "destruction", or perhaps return from times where we feel we've gone astray from God (be that a year, a month, a day, an hour). Here are a few tips:

Acknowledge the Grandeur of God When we come to God in our own brokenness, sometimes we can come to him immediately "asking" for things. That's fine. God wants us to ask him for things. But periodically we can think of ourselves as being "too big", meaning we overestimate our self-importance. In order to be humble before the great God, we need to stop and think about how Great he truly is. By entering prayer and first saying, "great and awesome God", we position ourselves as important but small creatures in this world, humbling ourselves, and asking from that place of humility.
Repent It's hard to acknowledge when you've done something wrong. And if you think you easily acknowledge when you do wrong things, it probably means it's hard for you to acknowledge that you don't acknowledge when you've done something wrong. We often come to God with self-pity, excuses, frustrations, other people's issues, and so on. But, to stop and actually confess your sins and then turn the other way from them takes great courage. We don't only come to God and ask him to help, but we acknowledge we're the ones that made the mistakes (if, in fact, we did).
Remember the Promise We can happily (hopefully) repent because we know of the promise that God has given us. As verse 8 says, if we're unfaithful, we'll be scattered among the nations. Now, that was the consequence for the Jewish people; you can contextualize that for your life to essentially mean, "If you're unfaithful to God, you won't reach the destiny that he has prepared for you." You don't reach the destiny not because God is smiting or punishing you, but because only with God can you reach your God-given dreams. But, remember you will be unfaithful at times. The promise is not void because of your unfaithfulness, because you are able to return. Verse 9 holds out the hope that you are able to return and obey God, and be brought back into the destiny. This leads us to our last tip and reminder:
Jesus as the Faithful One Nehemiah is from the Old Testament, but to get the fullness of the truth it holds out to us, we need to complete it with the New Testament. See, Israel was never able to be faithful, as the Scripture asks them to be. Jesus, however, came as "the faithful Israelite". Meaning, Jesus came and completed the faithfulness that Israel was never able to complete. Only by putting our faithfulness into "the faithful one" can we re-enter the promise. See, you will make mistakes, you will turn your back on the covenant promise. But Jesus is still sitting there as the faithful one, sitting at the right hand of the Father and bringing us back into the covenant as "faithful" people, even when we've had times of unfaithfulness.

Reflection Question(s): If you're in a period of feeling "unfaithful" to what God has for you, pray what Nehemiah prays in this passage and relativize it for your own life.

Christian Smith – Director of Pastoral Ministries

Tuesday - Read Nehemiah 2:1-10

Nehemiah 2:1-10 NIV: "In the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was brought for him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had not been sad in his presence before, so the king asked me, "Why does your face look so sad when you are not ill? This can be nothing but sadness of heart." I was very much afraid, but I said to the king, "May the king live forever! Why should my face not look sad when the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?" The king said to me, "What is it you want?" Then I prayed to the God of heaven, and I answered the king, "If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my ancestors are buried so that I can rebuild it." Then the king, with the queen sitting beside him, asked me, "How long will your journey take, and when will you get back?" It pleased the king to send me; so I set a time. I also said to him, "If it pleases the king, may I have letters to the governors of Trans-Euphrates, so that they will provide me safe-conduct until I arrive in Judah? And may I have a letter to Asaph, keeper of the royal park, so he will give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel by the temple and for the city wall and for the residence I will occupy?" And because the gracious hand of my God was on me, the king granted my requests. So I went to the governors of Trans-Euphrates and gave them the king's letters. The king had also sent army officers and cavalry with me. When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard about this, they were very much disturbed that someone had come to promote the welfare of the Israelites."

Several years ago, I went through a very difficult period in my life. I was mistreated and misrepresented by some people who I had previously held in high regard. The choices that they made about me had a drastic effect on me personally and also on my family. As I walked through that experience, an experience that broke me, I made a very intentional decision: I decided that I was going to try to make sure the choices I made reflected the character and light of Jesus. It was not always easy, as there were times I wanted to defend myself or respond in kind to untruths that were being said about me, but I was resolute that I wanted to honor Christ the way I, as their pastor, had encouraged so many others to do when they went through difficult times. The choice I made to honor God instead of getting involved in a war of words allowed me to surrender everything to God. And long story (somewhat) short, God honored me through that. He guided me through that difficult situation into a better one and into a place he used to prepare me for what He wanted to do through me.

One of the pivotal lessons I have learned in the last several years is that there are things I can control and there are things I cannot. I can control my mindset. I can make sure that my character reflects the character of Christ. I cannot control the way people feel about me or respond to me. I have little control over my circumstances (although certainly my choices affect my circumstances at some level).

In today's passage, we read about how Nehemiah becomes favored by God and by his king. Persian monarchs were known for their self-indulgence and so it was perfectly in character that they would prohibit their subjects from being sad in their presence. But instead of doing what Nehemiah clearly expected him to do, the king responded kindly to him and when he heard his request, he gave Nehemiah the permissions he needed to return to Jerusalem. Nehemiah's faithfulness in service and character inevitably led to this exchange. He had earned the respect of the king and positioned himself in a way to be found favorably.

His first action when asked by the king what he wanted was to pray to the God of heaven. Artaxerxes was not a God-fearing individual. He viewed himself as a god who should be feared and yet, in the presence of the man who wanted to be a god, Nehemiah turned to the one true God. Nehemiah showed himself faithful to God and when he did so, he found favor with God.

As Christians, when we make choices to honor God with our character, we position ourselves, just as Nehemiah did, to find favor with God. We see this repeatedly in scripture and in our testimonies, that God honors those who reflect Him to the world. When we make these decisions, there may be times that in the moment, all may seem lost. Nehemiah was scared that the king would kill him. I did not know how or where I would be able to continue to do what God had called me to do. Eventually, God reveals things and opportunities we did not see coming. Nehemiah, so many Biblical characters, countless brothers and sisters in Christ, and I have experienced how God's favor helps us overcome the things we don't think we can.

Reflective Question(s): What is your story of experiencing God's favor? Have you heard other people's stories? How do these stories encourage you as you face future obstacles?

Jason Pettibone – Weekend Experience Pastor

Wednesday - Read Nehemiah 2:11-15

Nehemiah 2:11-15 NIV: "I went to Jerusalem, and after staying there three days I set out during the night with a few others. I had not told anyone what my God had put in my heart to do for Jerusalem. There were no mounts with me except the one I was riding on. By night I went out through the Valley Gate toward the Jackal[a] Well and the Dung Gate, examining the walls of Jerusalem, which had been broken down, and its gates, which had been destroyed by fire. Then I moved on toward the Fountain Gate and the King's Pool, but there was not enough room for my mount to get through; so I went up the valley by night, examining the wall. Finally, I turned back and reentered through the Valley Gate."

No matter what our position in life may be, we all at times encounter disappointment—and that can quickly lead to discouragement. Disappointment is simply an emotional response to a failed expectation or hope, whether because plans went awry or someone didn't measure up. But discouragement is a state of mind in which we become faint-hearted and lose confidence in God, ourselves, or others.

When Nehemiah arrived in Jerusalem, its inhabitants were discouraged—the city wall had been destroyed, leaving them vulnerable to their enemies, and there were significant hindrances to rebuilding. But he encouraged them to start, explaining that the Lord had shown him favor by moving the Persian king's heart to approve the project.

Nehemiah's confidence in God replaced the people's despair and lethargy with the hope of success and motivation to work diligently. One Lesson that will equip us for our own journey in faith today is the reason for rebuilding.

I would name this truth point -Construction...for the glory of God

Our passage today describes a building survey. But a survey done at night, rather than in the morning. A survey done in secret rather than in daylight. Because before Nehemiah went public with his plan to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, he wanted to survey the site first. He wanted to see for himself the work that needed doing, and formulate a plan for reconstructing the wall. And so, he went on a discreet, night-time tour of the city.

Nehemiah's words give us an insight into his motives for rebuilding the wall. They help us to understand why constructing the city wall was so important to him.

•Nehemiah was obviously concerned for the city's security. Without a wall, Jerusalem was vulnerable to attack. There was nothing to stop another nation invading Judah's capital city. Simple self-defense required a wall.

•But a deeper motive lay behind Nehemiah's construction plans. A dismantled wall brought dishonor to God. You can imagine the jeers of Israel's enemies, can't you? "What kind of God would allow his chosen people to live in a ruined city?" "The Jewish God can't be that good if he lets his own capital remain in ruins!"

You see, behind Nehemiah's ambition lay a desire for the glory of God and the honor of his name. A derelict city not only brought disgrace to God's people, it brought dishonor to God himself – something Nehemiah simply could not stand.

I hope we share Nehemiah's passion for God glory! I hope our heart's desire is to honor the God who has made us and saved us! Glorifying God should come before every other ambition. It more important than being wealthy, being successful, being popular – or anything else we might be tempted to set out heart on.

So let me suggest one fundamental way we can bring honor to God today:

Firstly, by simply living a godly life. If we are Christians, God's Spirit now lives within us. It is now our bodies that are his temple, not a building in Jerusalem. We honor God today by using our bodies for his glory, not for sinful self-indulgence. We are to live self-sacrificial lives that imitate Christ and glorify God.

Reflection Question(s): Why is time alone with the Lord in preparation for the work He has called you to is so vitally important?

Ryan Moore - Pastor of Care

Thursday - Read Nehemiah 2:16-18

Nehemiah 2:16-18 NIV: "The officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing, because as yet I had said nothing to the Jews or the priests or nobles or officials or any others who would be doing the work. Then I said to them, "You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace." I also told them about the gracious hand of my God on me and what the king had said to me. They replied, "Let us start rebuilding." So they began this good work."

Proverbs states, "Where there is no vision, the people perish" (Proverbs 29:18 KJV). Bill Hybels, in his book Courageous Leadership, tells us, "When a leader is casting a vision publicly the goal is to help people know, understand, and remember the 'main thing'. (1) Purpose is all about keeping the "main thing" the "main thing."

Our passage picks up where Nehemiah completes the investigation phase, he now takes action by beginning to share his vision. The lesson here is how to communicate vision to the right people at the right time.

Every vision is a solution to a problem. In Nehemiah's case, the problem was the broken walls of the city. The time had come for Nehemiah to communicate the vision to the people. He had no idea how they would respond. They had been content with those broken-down walls for generations. They could have run him out of town. They could have laughed. They could have ignored him. Nehemiah needed their cooperation if he was going to succeed. How do you communicate the vision when you want to get other people on board?

Nehemiah 2:17-18 inform us of 4 steps to communicating a vision well.

THE PROBLEM – "You know full well the tragedy of our city. It lies in ruins, and its gates are burned" (Nehemiah 2:17) What problem does your vision address? Your vision could address a current problem. It could address a potential problem – "If we don't do something, this may happen." It will help people see the world in a new light. What's the problem? As long as your answer to that question lacks focus, don't say a word. Define the problem that your vision addresses. Then include the second component of a compelling vision:

THE SOLUTION: Solutions always inspire imagination. I can see the people who heard Nehemiah speak look around and think, "I can see it. These walls can be rebuilt. When you speak of a solution, people around you will begin to think, "Things could be different."

THE REASON – Problems don't always require solutions. There are more problems in this world than we can solve. Just because somebody presents a problem doesn't necessarily mean that there should be a solution. Why should anyone act on the problem and the solution? Nehemiah gave them a compelling reason to rebuild the walls: for their own good, but mostly for God's glory.

THE TIMING – The walls had been in ruins for years. Why rebuild now? Nehemiah told them why. Nehemiah 2:18 says, "Then I told them about how the gracious hand of God had been on me, and about my conversation with the king." Did you catch that? Nehemiah argued that now is the time to rebuild because of God's sovereign engineering of circumstances. Why rebuild then? Because God had paved the way. God himself was on the move to rebuild those walls. It's an exciting thing to realize that God is on the move.

Reflection Question(s): Have you ever shared a plan or started work on something before the timing was right?

Ryan Moore - Pastor of Care

Friday - Read Nehemiah 2:19-20

Nehemiah 2:19-20 NIV: "But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official and Geshem the Arab heard about it, they mocked and ridiculed us. "What is this you are doing?" they asked. "Are you rebelling against the king? I answered them by saying, "The God of heaven will give us success. We his servants will start rebuilding, but as for you, you have no share in Jerusalem or any claim or historic right to it."

The three men mentioned in verse 19, (Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab) signify several types of opposition: political, religious, economic, and geographic. At this point, Nehemiah and his men are surrounded by threats which puts Jerusalem in a weakened, desperate state before the work of rebuilding the walls can begin. Notice that the opposition begins their assaults by asking if Israel is "rebelling against the king?" The strategy of the opposition is a common one, in fact is one that many of us still fight against today. They were targeting a fear of man. But Nehemiah immediately points to "the God of heaven." Fear of God drives out fear of man.

Notice the order of Nehemiah's response. First, God "will make us prosper." Then, "we his servants will arise and build." This is a wonderful example of a truth we need to be continually reminded of. God partners with his people. In his sovereignty, God has chosen to do his work in this world through us. He has given us the gift of his Holy Spirit which Jesus said empowers us. God wills and we build. That was Nehemiah's response and it serves as a great model for how we can know we can live out the dreams God has for us.

There are very few guarantees I can make in life. I would love to be able to promise everyone that when we serve God, our lives are always happy and harmonious. That is not truth. The fact is that we will face trials. Repeatedly in the New Testament, the apostles reminded their audience that difficult times will come. Those difficult times often expose our hearts and our motives behind the work. God's glory and fulfilling the mission he has for us needs to be the motive; the opposition will not destroy us. Understanding the power that lives in us will galvanize us, increase our resolve, and propel us into the accomplishment of that which God has put in front of us!

Reflective Question(s): When are you most tempted to succumb to fear of man? Nehemiah rebuked the men who mocked the Israelites. Is there any part of your life which needs to be told, "You have no right or claim here!"?

Jason Pettibone – Weekend Experience Pastor

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Phil Munsey

Devotional Plan for: Week of May 24 - May 30 This past Sunday at TLCC we celebrated Pentecost Sunday, the Jewish festival that was occurring when the Holy Spirit came and filled the followers of Jesus. Our devotions this week focus on Luke's account of this day in the first 2 chapters in Acts.

Monday - Read Acts 2:1-4

Acts 2:1-4 NIV: "When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them."

This week, we prepare for, and celebrate, the crucial and exhilarating day of Pentecost. When you think about the "Christian calendar", you mostly think of Christmas, Easter, maybe Good Friday. But when those are those are the only days of Christian history that we focus on, we miss other key moments in Christian history that shape our lives today.

The day of Pentecost, without a doubt, was one of the most essential events in all of history, particularly in the lives of those who believe in Jesus as the Christ. Often, when we think of what Jesus came to do, we think he came to this world and died and so we're all saved from our sins. This is true, but it's only part of the truth. The more full truth is that Jesus came, defeated the evil powers and sin and death through his crucifixion and resurrection, and he ascended into heaven and now sends his Spirit to us so that we can have the same power he had. Pentecost is the telling of the end of that story: Jesus has given us his Spirit, and the Scripture we read today is the first experience of people receiving his Spirit in this new, post-resurrection world.

Let's address some major questions about this, though. First, what does it mean to receive the Spirit of God? Though this can't all be explained fully in that we have limitations in our knowledge, somehow as spiritual beings we're able to be indwelt by that very Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity. In the same way God was present spacio-temporally in the Temple in the Old Testament, so too, God is uniquely and fully present in us. But it appears there are also different ways in which this happens. A lot of people believe we receive the Spirit first when we accept Christ as Savior, but there are also special "fillings" of the Spirit subsequent to the initial indwelling of the Spirit within us. Sometimes, when we first receive the Spirit of God or when he uniquely moves within us after we've already received him, crazy spiritual things happen. In our text today, they spoke in a foreign tongue that they did not know. Sometimes, special miracles of healing, prediction of the future, or special knowledge can happen. God is doing something special that only his Holy Spirit can do.

Again, this all may sound pretty weird. But, if we believe there's more than just this physical material world, and that a God exists, then it makes sense that some weird-seeming things could occur in our world. Sometimes, we're just too afraid to ask for it or confront it. But what if God wanted to give you a special experience with the Holy Spirit? What if he just wants you to ask him for this special experience? If you believe in Christ as Savior, you already have his Spirit. Now maybe ask him to do something unique in your life.

Reflection Question(s): Have you ever asked for the Holy Spirit to unusually work through you?

Christian Smith – Director of Pastoral Ministries

Tuesday - Read Acts 2:5-13

Acts 2:5-13 NIV: "Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. Utterly amazed, they asked: "Aren't all these who are speaking Galileans? Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,[a] Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!" Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, "What does this mean?" Some, however, made fun of them and said, "They have had too much wine."

The crowd that Luke describes in Jerusalem functions very much in the role of the chorus in a play in several ways. First, they are there in a representative capacity, they represent every nation under heaven (2.5), and they hear about 'the great things of God' in their own language. Luke's inclusion of the list of nations at 2.9–11 (including Judaea!) reinforces the choral effect but also enhances the theological point of Acts 1:8, since the fifteen nations named stretch in a rough circle round Jerusalem. Second, the fact that all there gathered are explicitly described as 'Jews' (2.5), 'Jews and proselytes' (2.10–11) presents early in the book a tension that will be repeated throughout Luke's writing. While setting the stage for the tension to come, here in Acts 2, we read the initial phase of its expansion was confined to Jews, restricted within the Judaism of the time, dispersed as the latter was throughout the world as there were more Jews living outside the land of Israel than in it. Thirdly, the chorus's reaction to what is happening plays a key role in helping Luke transition to Peter's speech (which we will look at over the next few days). The crowd think they are witnessing drunkards. The underlying theological point, however, is that the manifestations of the Spirit are not self-evident in themselves, but ambiguous and capable of different interpretations. Paul, in Ephesians. 5.18 uses the same illustration.

In verse 6, a crowd of people come and see what is happening, but that is not what they seem to focus on. It is the speaking in other languages (their languages) that captures the crowd's attention. They are caught off guard because the whole scene is unexpected. A group of people unexpectedly making a scene and speaking unexpected things in unexpected languages. The context of the things they were hearing was about the goodness and power of God momentarily escapes them. For the crowd, the madness of what they see initially has a greater impact than what they hear, and for them, the only way to explain the unexplained is alcohol. This makes sense to me. Drunk people can certainly make a scene. In my lifetime, I have seen several drunk people doing incredibly stupid things. And very rarely have I ever been paying attention to what they were saying. That seems to be the case here in Acts 2. And into that scene steps Peter ready to explain the unexplainable in a way that makes perfect sense.

The Holy Spirit's presence in our lives helps guide us into the paths God has for us. When we are obedient to the Holy Spirit's leading, there are times when our choices will seem unexplainable to those around us - some might even think we are "on something". In those moments, people may instinctively pay more attention to our actions than our explanations, but eventually when we are consistent in our words and actions, both begin to speak in a way that reflects God's goodness and power. When that happens, others take notice. The more we act in this way, just like we eventually see in Acts 2, the less people think its alcohol and begin to open their hearts to experience the Holy Spirit for themselves.

Reflection Question(s): If you were there, what manifestation of the Holy Spirit's presence written about in Acts 2 would you have focused most on? Are you open to the Holy Spirit working in and through you in unexpected ways? How have you seen this occur in yourself or others?

PS - James D. G. Dunn. The Acts of the Apostles. Eerdmans, 2016. Used as reference for today's devotional

PPS - I'd love to know your answer to, If you were there, what manifestation of the Holy Spirit's presence written about in Acts 2 would you have focused most on? - Email me at jpettibone@tlcc.org

Jason Pettibone – Weekend Experience Pastor

Wednesday - Read Acts 2:14-21

Acts 2:14-21 NIV: "Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: "Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It's only nine in the morning! No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: "'In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved"

Anyone familiar with Peter's life with Christ on earth would describe Peter as cowardly, unfaithful, arrogant, among many other things. Peter was not alone in his abandonment of Christ. Scripture tells us that all 12 of Christ's Apostles abandoned Him in the hour of His betrayal (Mark 14:50). But something happened after Pentecost, despite Peter and the Twelve's abandonment, they had a promise that Christ would never abandon them, instead He would send His Holy Spirit to empower them to make much of Him not themselves.

The Apostles had a promise despite their sinfulness. They had been promised that Christ would not leave them alone. He would send His Holy Spirit to equip them for the task He had given them (John 14:15-31). Now, we see the fulfillment of the promise in the work of the Holy Spirit, who comes to guide them into all truth, convict the world of sin, righteousness and judgment, and glorify Jesus Christ. Here we see the Holy Spirit at work in Peter's understanding and confidence in the Word of God, rather than his former confidence in himself.

Peter didn't hesitate to tell his audience what Pentecost meant. He quickly turned their attention to the prophecy of Joel, specifically to his words recorded in Joel 2:28–32. Pentecost's phenomenon wasn't the result of alcoholic "spirits" but of "The Spirit." Prophet Joel foretold of the time when the Spirit of God would be poured out on all mankind. In Old Testament times, that Spirit was poured out on those few people who had specific tasks to perform. In future times, however, the Spirit would be much more widely poured out, not only upon Jews but upon "all people" (v. 17).

What made this such an amazing moment was that this authority, this boldness, this power was usually reserved for the prophets or the few leaders around. But now God had given His power to "regular people," fishermen, and others who usually didn't get such an intimate experience of God's Presence in their lives. God was fulfilling another Old Testament promise and Peter was telling all these people about it. Yes, the same Peter who had denied he even knew Jesus when He was arrested. The same Peter who ran and hid from the Jewish authorities. The same Peter who is now bold to speak to the whole crowded city! Something powerful had changed, and it was the coming of the Holy Spirit.

And now Peter is telling these folks that this same power and intimacy with God is available to everyone, "all flesh." Sons and daughters, young men, old men, servants, and maids; all can now enter into this empowered living by their intimate connection and relationship with God Himself! And from that day until this day, this is the message of the Church; to invite everyone, even folks who no one ever thought was "good enough" to be in loving relationship with God Himself through Christ!

Challenge: Write down a list of people that you or your LIFE Group believe need to hear the message of Jesus. Now, put a plan in place so you can find ways to build relationships with those on the list so that you are able to share the message of Jesus with them.

Ryan Moore - Pastor of Care

Thursday - Read Acts 2:22-28

Acts 2:22-28 NIV: "Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. This man was handed over to you by God's deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him. David said about him: '" saw the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest in hope, because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, you will not let your holy one see decay. You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence.""

This past week, I (Joao) had the opportunity to spend some time with the leader of the underground church movement in the Middle East. He leads over 1,000 secret churches throughout Syria, Iran, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Since being a Christian is literally illegal in parts of the world, they have to meet underground or in secret. He was telling me a story that changed my life. He was sharing that millions of Muslims across the Middle East are seeing Jesus in dreams and in visions. There is a revival spreading throughout that region with all of these Muslims bowing their knee to Jesus as King. Consequently, when he arrives in these villages to preach the Gospel, he doesn't need to prove the "existence" of Jesus, he simply asks this question: "Who has seen Jesus in dreams and visions?" The amount of people who give their lives to Jesus in this context is staggering.

What's the point? Jesus had made himself clear already. All it took was someone to come and water the seed that already been planted. All it took was someone coming in and pointing to what they had already seen. You can say that this is a similar backdrop to the text here in Acts 2:22-28. This is the first sermon we see recorded post resurrection. Peter and the disciples attracted a crowd of thousands of people because they had been speaking in spiritual languages very loudly! So, Peter is explaining what these spiritual languages are in this sermon to these crowds. However, he takes an interesting turn in his sermon. This is what he says, "...Israel... signs and wonder that God did in your midst, as you yourselves know..." Peter is pointing to the miracles that people saw and heard about! He wasn't "pulling teeth" to try to prove a point. He was simply riding off of the wave that Jesus had already begun. Since Israel saw the works of Jesus, Peter was pointing to those works to prove that Jesus was, in fact, the son of God. Now, of course there are moments in our lives where we have to work hard to witness to unbelievers, however, there are also moments where God has already been proving himself to people and we simply show up to tell them that it's actually Jesus working in their lives.

Peter will then go on to prove that Jesus was the fulfillment of Old Testament texts that these Israelites had been reading about the whole time. Peter's sermon was an arrow. An arrow that points to the work of Jesus. Often times, we struggle to believe that God can use us to tell others about Jesus. However, it's a simple formula. We point to what Jesus does. Our lives and words are simply arrows to the greater story of God. Peter's sermon is like an arrow on a highway that leads us to the work of Jesus. Our world is looking for direction. Culture is thirsty for a greater story. We have the greatest story ever told. Today, let's point people to the finished work of Jesus.

Joao Pires - Pastor of Redline Youth Ministries

Friday - Read Acts 2:29-41

Acts 2:29-41 NIV: "Fellow Israelites, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. Seeing what was to come, he spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, that he was not abandoned to the realm of the dead, nor did his body see decay. God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it. Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said, 'The Lord said to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet." "Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah." When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?" Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call." With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, "Save yourselves from this corrupt generation." Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day."

We have spent the last three days this week looking at Peter's Day of Pentecost message from different angles. Today, I want to explore how Peter explained the unexplainable to his audience. As we discussed earlier this week, the crowd Peter was speaking with was predominantly Jewish and today's reading shows us just how large the crowd grew to. How does one explain what God is doing? Peter uses the scriptures to explain what is happening and in doing so creates a blueprint for us to do the same.

Peter, when addressing the crowd, references three Old Testament passages. First, to answer the charge of drunkenness, he references Joel 2:28-32. (See Tuesday's devotional for more thought on this.)

Second, when discussing Jesus' resurrection, Peter uses Psalm 16:8-11. Given that the principal messianic hope of the period was focused on a Davidic Messiah, it was natural that any belief in Jesus as Messiah should look to David's words to make sense of what had happened to Jesus. David's words did not apply to himself (he remains dead!), and since he had been promised an unbroken succession, he must have spoken the words prophetically in the person of his greater descendant.

Lastly, he references Psalm 110:1, to tie the outpouring of the Spirit to Christ. Once more, David's words are used to show that it was Jesus who was the fulfillment of those words. Peter's climactic point is the significance of the Pentecost event for their understanding of the status and significance of Jesus. The idea that the resurrection and ascension constituted Jesus' installation as Lord is present wherever the Ps. 110.1 passage is referenced.

The events of that day still impact the everyday lives of Christians today. This morning, as we celebrate the event and look into Luke's account again, I realize that the spectacular event of the day overshadows a very simple fact. Peter was ready to use scripture to explain the events of the day to the crowd that day because he knew the scriptures. For a Jewish audience, the use of the Old Testament scriptures to explain the phenomenon lowered their skepticism and raised their willingness to accept this as a legitimate work of God. And Peter was clearly familiar enough with the texts that when the time came for him to speak, he was prepared.

If I may, please allow me to ask a question I posed earlier in a different, and more singularly personal way, how do you explain what God is doing in your life? How familiar with the scriptures are you? It seems that Peter's first thought on how to explain the day's events was to reflect on scripture. Is that yours? Let me encourage you to make it your first thought, but in order to accomplish that, you must spend time reading, studying, and learning the scriptures.

Reflection Question(s): Besides this daily devotional, what is your plan to help you read, study, and learn the scriptures? Have you seen that help you explain what God is doing? How so?

Jason Pettibone – Weekend Experience Pastor

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Pastor Terry A. Smith

Devotional Plan for: Week of May 17 - May 23 This past Sunday at TLCC we celebrated Ascension Sunday, which celebrates when Jesus ascended to heaven. Traditionally, it is celebrated as a feast and it is one of the ecumenical feasts of Christian churches, along with the celebrations of the Passion, Easter, and Pentecost. Our devotions this week focus on the passages in Luke and Acts that account for the time between Jesus's resurrection and his ascension.

Monday - Read Acts 1:1-3

Acts 1:1-3 NIV: "In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God."

As we study the story of the first century church our goal is not simply to learn about our ancestors in the faith. Our goal is to find the power and simplicity of the gospel. We want to find what they had.

The book of Acts was written by Luke. Acts is actually the shortened name of the book. It is actually called the Acts of the Apostles, or the Acts of the Holy Spirit. Some have suggested the book could have been titled "The Continuing Acts of Jesus Christ". Luke was a physician by trade and was known as a careful historian. The details he records in this book have been verified by history and archaeology. He was a companion of the apostle Paul on a couple of his missionary journeys.

What does the Book of Acts proclaim?

Acts tells us how the Christian movement came into beginning. Acts has been called a transitional book because it serves as a bridge between the gospels and the epistles. It is the historical link that joins the life of Christ with the growth of the Christian church. As such it answers the question many first-century observers would have asked: "Where did this new movement come from?" Luke doesn't tell us everything we might like to know, but he includes every essential detail from the earliest days of the Christian movement. This is apologetics at its best showing the readers the Christian faith is firmly rooted in the facts of history.
Acts shows us how the church is to respond when living in a predominately pagan culture. First, with a bold witness for the Lord Jesus Christ. That is, we are speak up and not be silent. Second, with visible love for each other. It was said of the early Christians, "Behold, how they love one another." These two things—bold witness and visible love—have been the hallmark of the church in every age of persecution and hostility. They still hold true today.

3.. Acts teaches us about the worldwide mission of the Christian church. What started in Jerusalem will one day reach to the farthest corners of the globe. That was Jesus' plan from the beginning. He always intended that his followers would take his message and go in every direction with the good news.

Finally in Acts 1:3 Luke says that Jesus spoke about the Kingdom of God. As his followers we are to do the same. Our primary goal is not to change the moral focus of our country. Our primary goal is not to build great organizations or to eliminate the pain and suffering in the world. Our primary goal is not to build a greater America. Our primary goal is to tell the world about Jesus. Our job is to tell the world about God's love, forgiveness, and the new life that can be ours through Christ. This message crosses national, political, ethnic, racial, economic, and gender boundaries.

Reflection Question(s): How can you be a better witness for Jesus at work, school, or in the community?

Ryan Moore – Pastor of Care

Tuesday - Read Acts 1:4-8

Acts 1:4-8 NIV: "On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit." Then they gathered around him and asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?" He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

Details matter to Jesus. In this case, geography matters. Place matters to God. From a specific place the disciples will move forward into the world. To go from place to place is to go from people to people and to go from an old identity to a new one. Jesus prepares them for the journey of their lives by holding them in a place where the Spirit will be given to them in that place, and from that place they will be changed. But first, Luke shows us signs of the old, the old identity of the disciples: After the command of Jesus, the disciples ask the crucial question, "Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?"

The disciples ask the "nationalist" question, and while Jesus does have power to establish an earthly kingdom, it will not, as we know, happen as the disciples expected. The power of God will be released on them through the Holy Spirit, and the life of Jesus will be inseparably bound to their lives. They will become, in ways more complex than they could ever have imagined, his witnesses.

Witness here carries two fundamental connotations for these disciples. First, they carry the real history of what it means to do life with Jesus. They will move into the position of the master storytellers. Like elders of the village who remember well the old ones and the old ways, so too the disciples will soon speak of when they walked with Jesus, drawing from memories of the sights, sounds, and the words of the man from Galilee. They will be an irrefutable presence. They will also be witnesses of divine presence. And in an example to all who choose to follow them as they follow Jesus, they will give room to the witness, making their lives a stage through which the resurrected Jesus will be revealed. The second sense of witness reaches into the first sense. Although there will only be a few who knew him according to the physical flesh, countless more will follow these disciples in rightly claiming to be an irrefutable presence of an experience with Jesus even as they give space through their lives for Jesus himself to speak to others.

In many ways, today's devotion is a continuation of the theme we have spent the last several weeks exploring in the book of John, with one decided change. Now, instead of John presenting the case to the late first century Roman world, it is us who are the witnesses. We have been given the gift of the Holy Spirit and the Spirit works through us to reveal Jesus to our world.

Reflection Question(s): How has the Holy Spirit worked through you to reveal Jesus to your circle of influence? How often do you find yourself being a "witness" for Jesus?

Jason Pettibone – Weekend Experience Pastor

Wednesday - Read Luke 24:36-43

Luke 24:36-43 NIV: "While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you." They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. He said to them, "Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have." When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, "Do you have anything here to eat?" They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate it in their presence."

In Luke 24:36-43 verse 38 sticks out. "Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? Why?"

Because we are so used to the limitations of death, the pain of life in this world, and the absolute certainty that all things must end, that new life even when its standing right there in front of you(!) is hard to take in, accept, and believe. So, if you struggle to accept God's promises, I think you can give yourself a break. You are in good company!

The eleven disciples have received the news that Jesus is alive. Peter even claimed to have seen him earlier that day (Luke 24:34), and the two men on the road to Emmaus saw him as well (Luke 24:13-35). But the other ten remaining disciples haven't seen him yet, but they are about to, and how they respond teaches us about how we can respond.

Jesus himself teaches the disciples as well as us today the way we should respond are in the following ways:

PEACE NOT FEAR (vv. 36-39)

When we hear the resurrection of Jesus, we can respond in peace not fear. What's the first thing Jesus says when he appears to his followers? "Peace be with you." Jesus is offering peace to a group of men who are really scared. John's gospel tells us they were hiding behind locked doors because they were so frightened (John 20:19). We lock our homes at night to feel safe, but their fear is even more real. They're afraid of suffering a similar fate as Jesus.

They feel fear, anxiety, and doubt, which are all normal responses to hearing that someone has risen from the dead. These feelings are especially relatable if you're seeing that person you saw die standing right in front of you. In the face of all of this Jesus offers his disciples and us today true and lasting peace. The Bible's understanding of peace is based on the Old Testament word "Shalom" which isn't just the absence of conflict, but the presence of blessing.

Our first response to the resurrection of Jesus is peace not fear. What's our second response?

BELIEF NOT DOUBT (vv. 40-43)

Jesus sets out to conquer their fear by inviting his followers to look at his hands and feet and to touch him (v. 39). But at first, they don't believe. They're too overwhelmed. It's too good to be true. So, to prove he's not a ghost, he eats some food. "They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate it in their presence." (vv. 42-43) When the disciples experienced the reality of the resurrection they believe.

But can we trust their witness? Can we trust this account? Can we believe? But there's a second reason this phrase is so significant: even in the midst of their disbelief they still experience joy.

Disbelief and doubt do not have to be limiting factors, and they do not have to prevent joy. Further, joy does not come from certainty or sure knowledge; you can experience it even in the midst of doubt and wonder. Joy, finally, is a gift given by the Lord and at times encounters us even when we might think ourselves incapable of it.

Luke uses an abundance of adjectives in a few short sentences to describe the disciples' reactions to the risen Jesus. They are startled, terrified, frightened, disbelieving, wondering, and joyful. I suspect this is a fair description of the Christian life when we embrace and take seriously God's promises.

Reflection Question(s): In what areas of your life are you most tempted to doubt the goodness and provision of God?

Ryan Moore - Pastor of Care

Thursday - Read Luke 24:44-49

Luke 24:44-49 NIV: "He said to them, "This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms." Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, "This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high."

It's not what you see but how you see it. Often times, how we see the world is often more important than what we see in the world. As a youth pastor, there is a classic illustration that all youth pastors have probably shown before. One of them is the use of different colored glasses. Different colored glasses illustrate this major point: we all have a lens by which we view the world. You see, this is also true of how we see scripture. The words on the page of scripture only come into its full color once we put on the right glasses to see it for what it is.

In today's text, Jesus had just risen from the grave. What makes this text interesting was that Jesus had appeared to them in bodily form and asked them to eat fish! However, once he gets fed by these disciples, he says something that will open their eyes even more. If showing up in bodily form wasn't already enough, he does something else worth looking at.

He says, "Everything written in the law of Moses and the prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled." The bible then says, "He opened their mind to understand scriptures." The Greek word for "opening their mind" is the word "dianoigo", which means to open thoroughly something that is closed. This word was also used to describe a baby coming out of a womb. So here is what just happened: Jesus is opening their eyes to the real meaning of the scriptures they are reading. Jesus is essentially saying, "The bible points to me." In this moment, their eyes were opened. If some of them didn't yet believe fully, they now believed. When Genesis 3 talks about the heel being bruised to crush the serpent, when Deuteronomy talks about one coming who was greater than Moses, when Isaiah talks about a suffering servant... the list goes on. Their eyes were opened to the true meaning of everything they had read about. Those scriptures pointed to the resurrected King standing right in front of them.

What's the take away? Do you see everything in your life through the lens of Jesus? As you read the bible, do you think about Jesus' redemption on your life? Putting on glasses and seeing things through Jesus brings out the real colors of the world. Jesus is much more than just words on a page of the bible. As King of your life, he will also infiltrate how you see the bible. furthermore, he changes how you view everything in your life.

Reflection Question(s): What is a specific Old Testament scripture that you can use to point to Jesus?

Joao Pires - Pastor of Redline Youth Ministries

Friday - Read Acts 1:9-11

Acts 1:9-11 NIV: "After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. "Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven."

With these final words of Jesus still on the minds and in their hearts, Luke describes the disciples witnessing Jesus' ascension in the next four sentences, which is one of the important elements that he had noted in the beginning. Although the resurrection and ascension of Jesus are distinct events in terms of their significance, Luke is the only writer who describes them as separated by forty days. With these four sentences the focus shifts from Jesus to the apostles. The shift prepares Luke's audience for the next season where the followers of Jesus are ones called into action. Even with the shift, the phrase "after he said this", in Acts 1:9, links Jesus' mission directives with his ascension and the instructions from the two men in white who speak to them at the scene.

The narrative makes several key points. First, Jesus seems to keep his resurrection body in the other reality known as "heaven." Jesus does not generate his own ascension, but is passively taken up and the men in white - presumably angels - instruct the onlookers that "this same Jesus" will come back. For forty days Jesus intermittently appeared to them as the risen Lord. His ascension confirms what it was on display "before their very eyes" all along: Jesus is the king of glory.

Second, in a manner similar to the transfer of prophetic power from Moses to Joshua and from Elijah to Elijah, Jesus must ascend so that the promised and empowering Holy Spirit may descend upon these disciples.

Finally, and related to the second point, after Jesus is taken up from them in a cloud hiding him from their site, and as tempting as it is for the disciples to stand looking into the sky, there is now a job for them to do between Jesus' ascension and his return. Luke's audience would already know from his gospel that Jesus' second coming will be different from his little-known departure (which only the apostles saw). His return will be powerful and obvious to everyone, and it will also be personal and glorious.

In the face of possible doubts and disappointments on the part of the disciples, the ascension of Jesus is also a promise he will return. For now, a portion of the earth has been joined to heaven in the resurrected body of Jesus. Until the promised return of Christ is fulfilled and heaven is finally and comprehensively joined with earth, his servants (and that includes us) are to be focused not on the sky, but on the mission provided by the one whose return we await, Jesus.

Reflection Question(s): Do you ever find yourself so singularly focused on a miracle of Jesus in your life that you become distracted from your God given dream? What helps you be reminded to be focused on that?

Jason Pettibone – Weekend Experience Pastor

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Sharon Smith, Maria Bellamy, Brittany Nicholson, Allison Quillin, Amanda Smith

Devotional Plan for: Week of May 10 - May 16 The Gospel of John and Frederick Dale Bruner's The Gospel of John: A Commentary, were the primary resources used by our Pastoral Team this week.

Monday - Read John 20:1 – 20:18

John 20:1 – 20:18 FDB: "Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, while it was still dark outside, Mary Magdalene comes to the tomb and sees the stone taken away from (the front of) the tomb. So she runs and comes to Simon Peter and to the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and she says to them, 'They've taken the Lord from the tomb, and we don't know where they've put him!' So Peter and the other disciple set out and were making their way to the tomb. The two of them were running together, and the other disciple outran Peter, running faster, and got to the tomb first. And stooping down and looking in, he sees the grave wrappings resting there, but he did not go in. Then Peter arrives too (following the other disciple), and went right inside the tomb; he sees the linen wrappings resting there and, in addition, the cloth that had been on Jesus' head, not resting with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. So then the other disciple (who had gotten to the tomb first) went in; and he looked — and he believed. You see, they were not yet acquainted with the Scripture that said he had to rise from the dead. Then the disciples went back to their places again.

But Mary stayed right there, just outside the tomb, crying and crying. Then as she was crying, she stooped down and looked inside the tomb herself, and she sees two angelic figures sitting there, dressed in white, at the head and at the foot of the space where Jesus' body had been placed. And they say to her, 'Woman, why are you crying?' She says to them, 'They've taken my Lord away, and I don't know where they've put him.' "When she said this, she turned around again, and now she is looking right at Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it is Jesus. Jesus says to her, 'Woman, why are you crying? For whom are you looking?' She, thinking he is the gardener, says to him, 'Sir, if you have taken him away, please tell me where you have put him so that I can come and get him.' Jesus says to her, 'Mariam!' She turned around and says to him in Hebrew, 'Rabbouni!' (which means 'My Teacher!'). Jesus says to her, 'Please do not keep holding on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But do this: Go tell my brothers, "I am ascending to my Father and to your Father, to my God and to your God!"' Mary Magdalene comes, and announces to the disciples, 'I have seen the Lord!' and that he had told her these things."

How long do you hold onto faith in dark times? Christians are often spurned as "unreasonable" people, blindly believing that which they have no evidence for. Oftentimes, Christians come by this reputation deservingly; we act as if we believe in Jesus despite the fact that there is no evidence.

Mary Magdalene, in this passage, displays unbelievable Christian faith, but it wasn't unreasonable. She had come to believe Jesus of Nazareth was a special man, tasked by God to be the Messiah, savior of the world. She not only heard compelling teachings and unfathomable wisdom, but also saw his authority over the world through healing many people or having insight into someone's life without having met them before. Mary saw evidence that Jesus was Messiah, and so she put her trust, or faith, in him.

But, he dies. Men had come before Jesus and claimed to be Messiah, so perhaps he was one of them. Mary, though, had seen too much. She saw the undeniable God-given power of Jesus, and so she hangs on to some sort of hope. Notice that Jesus is absolutely and definitively dead, buried in a tomb, yet she arrives at the tomb early in the morning three days after his death. What must have been going through her head? She did not know that he was going to rise from the dead (as John later notes), but something kept her close to Jesus' tomb.

She still, in some broken way, had faith (trust) in Jesus because of the evidence she had already seen. When the world looks at Mary, they think she's crazy for believing in Jesus. But, Mary had seen too much evidence and knew, however consciously or unconsciously, that she still had to stick around. More was to come.

In our lives, our faith may seem foolish at times, both to ourselves and to those around us. We feel like we're hanging around an empty tomb when we're waiting for a miracle. Where is God? Was Nietzsche right, is he "dead"? Don't walk away. Wait around, put whatever modicum of hope you have in him, and let him show you his resurrection power. Your faith is definitively not unreasonable or baseless, but reasoned and based in what you've already seen of God, however much you have seen.

Mary, because she sticks around, sees the empty tomb that morning, and she goes and tells the lead disciples (who had, presumably, lost their faith). They run to the tomb, start to believe he may have risen or shown his power, and leave to tell others. But, again, Mary stays at the tomb. She stays relentlessly close, and so she's the first one to see Jesus in the garden.

Stay close, even during times of burial, and he'll show up.

Reflection Question(s): Do you struggle with "staying close" to Jesus during dark times? When has God done something powerful in your life? How would it help to remember those times when you're going through a period of difficulty?

Christian Smith – Director of Pastoral Ministries

Tuesday - Read John 20:19 – 20:23

John 20:19 – 20:23 FDB: "Then on the evening of that very same first day of the week, while the disciples were gathered together behind locked doors because of their fear of the Jewish people, Jesus came and stood right in the middle of them and says, 'Shalom (a)lechem (Peace be yours)!' And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples were absolutely ecstatic: they were looking right at the Lord! Then Jesus said to them again, 'Shalom (a)lechem (Peace be yours)! Just as the Father has sent me, so now I am sending you, too.' And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said, 'Welcome the Holy Spirit! Whomsoever's sins you forgive, oh, have they been forgiven! And whomsoever's sins you retain, oh, have they been retained!"

Have you ever played the game, "what would you bring"? It's the conversational starter that asks what five things you would bring to a remote desert island if you were stuck there. So, let's take a minute and play a different version of this: If you were getting set to leave your loved ones for an extended period of time, what five things would you leave with them? (I'd love to read your answers - email them to me at jpettibone@tlcc.org!) Before you send me that email, let's look at what words Jesus chose to leave with his loved ones.

This passage of John's gospel tells of Jesus' "Great Commission'' given to the disciples. In these five verses, Jesus gives five things to the apostles that will guide them and their followers for the rest of their lives and the church for the entirety of its existence.

The first of the five things that Jesus gave the group was peace. Suddenly, with no knock at the door or no one opening the door, the risen Lord Jesus stood in their midst. While His resurrection body was a physical body, it also had the ability to appear or disappear at will. You can imagine how startling it would be to have the risen Lord suddenly appear in a locked room where you were already afraid! Luke 24:37 says they were frightened and thought they were seeing a ghost. The first words from Jesus as the disciples were awestruck were, "Peace be with you." Jesus is the prince of peace and in the chaotic moments of our lives, his presence, allows us to have peace.

The next thing Jesus provided to the group was proof. John writes that after Jesus offered peace, he showed them His hands and His side, "The disciples then rejoiced when they saw the Lord." The resurrection was a real event. (If you have not seen Christian's message on "The True Resurrection Story", I encourage you to watch it here). Jesus showed the disciples His hands and side to convince them of the truth that He was risen bodily. In his account, Luke (Luke 24:39-43) adds that He invited them to touch Him and then He asked for a piece of broiled fish, which He ate as they watched.

The third thing Jesus gave the disciples was their purpose. Jesus gave His disciples a mission: continue His work on this earth. This was the commission to do what Jesus had already prayed for in John 17:18. This means that both then and now, disciples are sent after the pattern of the Father's sending of the Son. Jesus was sent to teach, He was sent to live among us, He was sent to suffer for truth and righteousness, and He was sent to be the light of the world. Jesus then commissions His disciples to do what they have seen him do.

Fourth, Jesus gives them power. Jesus gave His disciples the Holy Spirit, bringing new life and the ability to carry out their mission. It seems John noted a deliberate connection between this breathing on the disciples and when God breathed life into man at creation. This was a work of re-creation, just as God breathed life into the first man. This is where the disciples were "born again".

Lastly, Jesus gave the disciples a great proclamation. No, they did not have the ability to forgive sins, but Jesus gave His disciples authority to announce forgiveness and to warn of guilt, as authorized by the Holy Spirit. We can say that Peter's preaching on Pentecost (Acts 2:38) was an exercise of this promised power to announce forgiveness of sins.

Peace, proof, purpose, power, and a proclamation - those were the five things Jesus chose to leave with his closest friends as he was preparing to leave them for a while. Remember, these are five things he still provides for us!

Reflection Question(s): Of the five things listed that Jesus gave the disciples, which of those five do you feel you experience most? least?

Jason Pettibone – Weekend Experience Pastor

(P.S. My five things are my journals, my Red Sox hat, a personal note, my bible and my copy of The Lord of the Rings)

Wednesday - Read John 20:24 – 20:31

John 20:24 – 20:31 FDB: "Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, nicknamed 'Twin,' wasn't with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples were saying to him, 'We have seen the Lord!' But he said to them, 'Unless I can see the nail prints in his hands, put out my finger and touch those nail prints, and reach out my hand and touch his side, (I am sorry) I can never believe.' Eight days (exactly a week) later, when his disciples were gathered together in the room once again, Thomas with was with them this time. Jesus comes to them while the doors were locked, and he stood right there in the middle of them and said, 'Shalom (a)lechem (Peace be yours)!' Then he says (immediately) to Thomas, 'Put your finger here and look at my hands, and put your hand out and touch my side; and stop being an unbeliever; be a believer!' Thomas responded and said to him, 'My Lord and my God!' Jesus says to him, 'You believed because you saw me. God bless all those people who haven't seen but who have still believed!'

Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples which did not get written down in this book. But these have been written down so that you (readers and hearers) will be believers that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and so that by being believers you can have Life by means of his name."

"Doubting Thomas." 2,000 years later, it's still a common expression. It refers to one of the disciples of Jesus who is often associated with one word: doubting. He is seen as a natural pessimist, a man very liable to take the despondent hopeless view of the future and the darker side of everything.

However, Thomas helps us to understand what Jesus was teaching His disciples during his post-resurrection appearances. Those who loved him on earth had to learn to live without the physical appearance of Christ, the actual seeing, touching, and hearing. There would be no more sitting at the table with him and filling the mind with his words, but now they would learn to walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, he would walk with them, sit with them, and eat with them, but in a more profound manner not limited by space. Doubt teaches tremendous lessons.

Doubt can lead to Growth

The person who never doubts is not usually called wise. They are called gullible. You can sell them or make them believe anything. Sometimes a little doubt is good. Sometimes doubt is the predecessor to faith. Such was the case with Thomas. Following his meeting with the resurrected Lord, Thomas cries, "My Lord, and my God!" Doubt gives way to the most exalted declaration of faith ever uttered.

Thomas was a good Jew. He knew that to call someone God was blasphemy — unless the one you were addressing was God! In that room, with the other disciples, Thomas declares that his heart, allegiance, and life belong to Jesus. He uses the loftiest words of man to declare Christ to be supreme. His doubt gave way to faith.

Faith becomes more personal

There is a growing number of people today who are being told that the true follower doesn't need proofs; they should simply trust the teacher. This is dangerous! This is the way error creeps into people's lives. This is the way cults start. A little healthy doubt, a doubt that forces us to "check the facts", is necessary. It is important that we learn to ask, "Is this really valid?" "Should I embrace this teaching or experience?" "Is this the real teaching of Scripture?"

Examine the Evidence

When times of doubt come it is important for us to examine the evidence. Thomas was shown the holes from the nails in Jesus' hands and feet and the wound in His side. The evidence was there. Jesus encouraged Him to examine it. The evidence is out there if you look for it. Whenever you hear something you find difficult to believe, check it out. God can withstand any honest inquiry.

Reflection Question(s): What evidence do we have today that the resurrection of Jesus Christ is real?

Ryan Moore - Pastor of Care

Thursday - Read John 21:1 – 21:19

John 21:1 – 21:19 FDB: "After these things, Jesus revealed himself to his disciples again, this time by the Sea of Tiberias; and here is how he revealed himself. They were all together: Simon Peter, and Thomas nicknamed 'the Twin,' and Nathanael from Cana of Galilee, and the Zebedee boys, and two of his other disciples. Simon Peter says to them, 'I'm going fishing.' The others say, 'We're going with you.' They left, set sail, and that night they caught nothing." "Early the next morning Jesus stood on the beach, but the disciples did not know that it is Jesus. So Jesus calls out to them, 'Young men, didn't you catch anything?' They replied, 'No!' So he said to them, 'Cast your net to starboard, and you'll find something!' So they did, and now they were no longer able to drag the net aboard because of the multitude of the catch. "Then the disciple whom Jesus loved says to Simon Peter, 'It's the Lord!' When Simon Peter heard these words, 'It's the Lord!' he put on some clothes (because he was practically naked) and jumped into the lake. But the other disciples came in by boat; you see, they were not far from shore (they were only about a hundred yards away), dragging the net of fish behind them. "So when they got to the shore, they see a charcoal fire sitting there with some fish on the grate and some bread. Jesus says to them, 'Bring some of the fish you just caught!' So Simon Peter went aboard the boat and dragged the net ashore, filled with one hundred and fifty-three huge fish; and even though there were so many fish, the net didn't split. "Jesus says to them, 'Come and have breakfast.' And not one of the disciples dared ask him, 'Who are you?' because they knew — It's the Lord! Jesus comes, takes the bread, and gives it to them, and some of the fish as well. This was now the third time that Jesus revealed himself to the disciples after he had been raised from the dead.

So when they had finished breakfast, Jesus says to Simon Peter, 'Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these other disciples do?' Peter responded to Jesus, 'Yes, Lord, you know that I do love you.' Jesus says to him, 'Please, feed my lambs!' Jesus asks him again, a second time, 'Simon, son of John, do you love me?' He says to Jesus, 'Yes, Lord, you know that I do love you.' Jesus says to him, 'Please, shepherd my sheep!' Jesus says to him a third time, 'Simon, son of John, do you love me?' Peter was hurt that Jesus had said to him a third time, 'Do you love me?' And Peter says to him, 'Lord, you know absolutely everything; you know that I do love you.' Jesus says to him, 'Please, feed my sheep! Amen, amen, I want to tell you something very important: When you were a young man, you used to tie your own belt and go out walking wherever you wanted to go. But when you get older, you are going to stretch out your hands, and someone else is going to tie you up and take you to a place you don't want to go.' (Jesus said this to indicate by what kind of death Peter was going to glorify God.) And when Jesus said that, he added this, 'Follow me!'"

One aspect of good artistry is understanding what type of canvas to use when you are about create a piece. Someone who uses watercolor paint understands that he would need to use a canvas that would absorb water. Or, for example, oil pastels are extremely versatile as you can use many surfaces such as wood, stone, canvas, or paper. The surface by which you design matters.

In this devotional, we have one large point taken from John 21:1-19: God will often use our failures as a canvas for some of his work. The designer and creator of the universe will often use some of our greatest failures to write a beautiful story of redemption and hope. If you have "failed" in life, there is good news: the grace of God will use the canvas of failure and override that story with an even better story.

John 21 is the backdrop of the single most important event in the history of mankind: the resurrection of Jesus. The disciples, most pointedly Peter, finds him himself to be in the "failure" category at this point. Yes, Jesus resurrected and defeated death, hell, and the grave, however, Peter was still in a slump. John 18 tells us that Peter denied being one of Jesus' disciples three times. Here in John 21, Peter is still failing in some ways. He went back to his fishing occupation and couldn't even catch a fish. Most scholars will speculate why he went back to fishing. Perhaps they were hungry, or perhaps they needed to make a living again after Jesus had left them. Furthermore, whatever the reason was, he couldn't catch a fish. In John 18 he was denying Jesus and in John 21 he is having another bad day.

However, in very Jesus fashion, the resurrected Jesus appears to his disciples and tells them to cast the net on to the other side of the boat. They had fished all night and haven't caught anything. Yet, Jesus gives them a simple command and they end up catching so many fish that they had to drag the net because of the weight. Once Peter realizes it was Jesus giving this command, he swam quickly to shore to meet Jesus. Of course, again, in very Jesus fashion, Jesus uses the fish that they caught to make them breakfast. You'd expect Jesus to rebuke Peter for his failures. However, the creator of the universe looks at Peter and says "do you love me?" He asked Peter 3 times. This portion of scripture ends with Jesus telling Peter to lead his church.

By our standards, Peter failed Jesus immensely. This "failure" had no business ever being used by God again, right? Yet, here Jesus comes into this story of failure and calls this man to be the leader of the church. What's so extremely powerful about Jesus is that he uses failures as a canvas for some of his greatest work. Peter failed Jesus, but Jesus never failed Peter. Your life is a canvas and God is still writing a story. He's still painting a masterpiece. God is not like other artists. He does not need the perfect surface to design. He can design a beautiful story from the worst possible canvas.

Reflection Question(s): How would you describe the canvas of your life? How is God actively working in it to make it a redemption story?

Joao Pires - Pastor of Redline Youth Ministries

Friday - Read John 21:20 - 20:25

John 21:20 - 20:25 FDB: "Peter turned around and sees the disciple whom Jesus loved, following. (This is the one who was reclining right next to Jesus' heart at the meal and asked, 'Lord, who is it who is turning you in?') So when Peter saw this man, he asks Jesus, 'Lord, what about this fellow?' Jesus says to him, 'If I want him to stay around until I come back again, what business of yours is that? — You follow me!' So the rumor went out among the brothers and sisters: 'This disciple is not going to die.' But Jesus had not said to Peter, 'He is not going to die'; what he had said was, 'If I want him to stay around until I come back again, what business of yours is that?' "This individual is the disciple who is bearing witness to these things and who has written these things down, and we know that his witness is true. There are also many other things that Jesus did, which, if every single one of them had been written down, I don't think the world itself would be able to hold all the books that would be written."

The Gospel of John has been our daily devotional subject for the last 11 weeks. In fact, in the first week of this particular study, I wrote, "The courtroom drama is the avenue John the Evangelist uses to help achieve the goal of his gospel which is to convince people that believing in Jesus Christ is the correct decision. He will write his mission statement at the end of the book,' These signs have been written down [in this Gospel] so that you may be believers that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have Life in union with his reality'".

At this point in his writing John is clearly confident that he has done more than enough to prove that Jesus was the Messiah and that putting one's faith in Jesus was the correct decision. Now as he closes his account, John writes of an interesting interaction that involves Jesus, Peter, and himself. Peter, to put it loosely, has been told by Jesus that the end of his life will be less than pleasant, but now John asks about his own end. When John writes of Peter saying, "What about him," I feel like I've been there.

"What about him" was a common phrase in my home when I was growing up. Anytime my brother or I found something to be unfair (it was usually me since my brother was, and still is, my parents' favorite) the other of us would undoubtedly come out with that inquiry. But I digress. Anyway, Jesus calmly answered Peter by basically saying, "His future isn't your business, so don't worry about it". Initially, this seems to be a strange way for John to end his gospel account, but the more I think about, the more I appreciate it.

Jesus had a plan for Peter's life and he also had a plan for John. The thing I love about this is that Jesus has a plan for each of us. Jesus loves each of us enough to have a plan and purpose for each one of us. When we focus on living out the purpose that he has for us individually, we will accomplish his plans collectively! We are all part of his grand plan and so he indicates to Peter and John that they each have a purpose. You have one too!

And then John ends his courtroom drama with a dramatic closing argument! John 21:25 says, "There are also many other things that Jesus did, which, if every single one of them had been written down, I don't think the world itself would be able to hold all the books that would be written." Can you imagine what the disciples saw as they spent nearly every day for three years with Jesus?

Reflection Question(s): As you think about the things you have seen and experienced in your faith journey, what are the highlights that you would write down? I encourage you to begin, or to continue, to journal about the things you witness Christ do.

Jason Pettibone – Weekend Experience Pastor

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Pastor Terry A. Smith

Devotional Plan for: Week of May 3 - May 9

The Gospel of John and Frederick Dale Bruner's The Gospel of John: A Commentary, were the primary resources used by our Pastoral Team this week.

Monday - Read John 19:16b – 19:22

John 19:16b – 19:22 FDB: "So they took Jesus on, and carrying the Cross by himself he went out to the space called Skull Place, which in Hebrew is called Golgotha, where they crucified him, and two others with him — one here, one there, and Jesus in the middle. "Then Pilate had a sign written and placed over the Cross; this is what stands written there: 'Jesus the Nazorean, The King of the Jews.' Many of the Jewish people read this sign because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city. And the sign was written in Hebrew, in Latin, and in Greek. The Senior Pastors of the Jewish people were urging Pilate, 'Please don't write "The King of the Jews" but write "This character said, 'I am the King of the Jews.'" 'Pilate replied, 'What I have written, I have written.'"

Jesus, the King of the Jews.

We aren't quite sure why Pilate decided to write this above the head of the crucified Jesus. Essentially, he writes his name, his address, and his profession. But was "King of the Jews" an implicit admission of Jesus' rulership? Did Jesus convince Pilate there was something more happening than a simple crucifixion of a normal man? Or, the more likely option, was Pilate mocking the Jewish people who he was frustrated with saying, in a sarcastic tone, "Here, take your King"? The joke was, sadly enough, on Pilate and the Jewish surveyors. Whereas they thought they were giving up a rowdy dissident, they were actually giving up the true man of the sign – the King.

The joke, sometimes, is actually on us. We, whether we know it or not, can sometimes "mock" Jesus and his power. When we stand before God and doubt his power and authority, we're functionally writing a sign above his and sarcastically saying, "God of healing", "God of miracles", "God of life", "God of freedom". When we turn away from the promises God has given us in Scripture, we're believing God doesn't actually hold his title of all powerful and loving creator. But, in fact, when you're looking for life but don't believe God can give it to you, you're diminishing who he truly is.

God is unchanging and eternal. Whether we think we see him working in the ways that he has promised us, we must know he always is. God is going into the "Skull Place", our personal Golgotha, and just like he made the place of death the exact place of cosmic renewal, so he is going into your own Skull Place and wanting to renew it.

Jesus is King, and he sits on the throne with the Father, sending the Holy Spirit so that you can have the power of God within you. Whatever the sign that you put above God says, know that he is unchanging and eternal in his character, and sometimes proves us wrong.

Reflection Question(s): What are characteristics of God that you doubt? What would it look like for you to trust that God is who he says he is?

Christian Smith – Director of Pastoral Ministries

Tuesday - Read John 19:23 – 19:27

John 19:23 – 19:27 FDB: "So when Jesus had been crucified, the soldiers took Jesus' clothes and divided them four ways, one item for each soldier — and then there was just the tunic left over. Now the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from the top through the whole. So they said to each other, "Let's not tear this thing; let's throw dice for it to see who gets it." So the Scripture was fulfilled that says, "They divided my clothes among themselves, and for my one piece of clothing they cast lots". So the soldiers did exactly that. Meanwhile, standing there beside the Cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he says to his mother, "Woman, look, your son!" Then he says to the disciple, 'Look, your mother!' And from that very hour the disciple took her into his own home."

The pain and agony of the crucifixion along with the indignity of the way his clothes are used as tools in a game were not enough to stop Jesus from focusing on the needs of others. As his life is ending, in a moment where everyone would understand him focusing on his own situation, Jesus fulfills the fifth commandment (Honor your father and mother) and ensures that she will be cared for after he is gone while also offering that relationship bond to his friend as well. It is almost cliche to say that Jesus came to die for others, but the reality that as he was dying, he was literally focused on others shows the depth of his commitment to fulfill his mission.

In addition to recognizing Jesus' commitment to loving his family and friends, let's spend some time focusing on the dichotomy of the cross. Throughout the centuries since Jesus's death, the cross has become the symbol of Christ's work in the world, but as we read the text, we can see the truth of who Jesus is and who he chose to become. On the cross (as Frederick Dale Bruner writes in his commentary of John), there is a good chance Jesus was naked. "Jesus' crucified nakedness is rarely taught or stressed, rightly (for the Gospels do not mention it). But this fact is the unspoken corollary of the division of Jesus' clothes (unless Rome honored, as it just possibly might have, the Jewish abhorrence of nudity). The possibility of nakedness increases the shame of the event."

Hanging above Jesus is a sign, admittedly put there to mock him, with the inscription that points to his royalty and the fulfillment of the messianic promise of God. Jesus is the King. He is the Messiah. The Romans put up a sign above Jesus that, unbeknownst to them, accurately described who he was.

On the cross hangs a sign that correctly details who Jesus is. Having accepted the responsibility of taking the sin of the world upon him, Jesus was literally exposed to the world while hanging on the cross, a degraded and condemned individual, the picture of humiliation. That is the dichotomy of the cross: the God of the universe, who was worthy of exaltation, chose to hang in humiliation for us.

Can you see it? Can you see the irony of the cross? Jesus hung there for the very people who had put him there and for the people who were mocking him as he hung there. The symbol of the cross really doesn't do justice to what actually happened that day. But if we get past the symbol we so often take for granted and we choose to see Jesus for who he chose to become, we will likely have a greater appreciation for the cross.

Reflective Question(s): Do you remember last week when we focused on Jesus' last command to his disciples, "Love one another as I have loved you"? After having read today's passage and devotional, what does that challenge say to you now?

Jason Pettibone – Weekend Experience Pastor

Wednesday - Read John 19:28 – 19:30

John 19:28 – 19:30 FDB: "After this, knowing that now everything has been finished and so that Scripture might be brought to a finish as well, Jesus says, 'I am thirsty.' A jar was sitting right there, full of vinegary wine. So a sponge full of this wine was wrapped around a hyssop branch and lifted to his mouth. When he had taken the wine, Jesus said, 'Finished!' And he bowed his head and handed over the Spirit."

There are three words in the English language that, when spoken together, can signify either the deepest joy and satisfaction or the deepest sorrow and despair. These words are: "It is finished."

When Jesus uttered those words on the cross there were different responses. For His friends and disciples, it meant all their hopes and dreams were over. It meant the end of their plans for a triumphant Israel and for a promised Messiah back to a way of life known before. For the Pharisees it meant the threat was finished, this troublemaker would bother them no more, and that life would return to normal. For Satan and the hosts of evil it meant the battle was finished, the victory over God was won.

In our English versions it's three words: "It is finished." It's Jesus' last teaching before he dies, the last thing that he has to say. In Greek, it's one word: tetelestai. It means all has been completed. It's not the cry of a victim who's caught up in events that are out of control. It's the triumphant announcement of someone who is fulfilling his mission, who sees that all the necessary steps have been taken and fulfilled.

At the cross, Jesus completed his work. At the cross, Jesus finished what he set out to do.

What was Jesus really saying when he said, "It is finished"

Old Testament prophecies were fulfilled.

When Jesus said on the cross, "It is finished," he was stating that all of Scripture is about him, and that he has fulfilled all the Old Testament prophecies and signs that point to him. It's what Paul meant when he wrote, "Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures."

Jesus completed the plan of redemption.

Not only did Jesus fulfill all Old Testament prophecies; he also completed the plan of redemption. On the cross, Jesus sheds his blood to deal once and for all with sin. He bears the judgment as the sacrifice for our sins. On the cross, Jesus could say, "It is finished," and say that the plan of redemption has finally and fully been completed.

So, let's think for a minute of what this means for us: the work is finally and fully complete. There is nothing left to do other than receive the benefits of this work and put our faith in the one who offered his life as a sacrifice for our sin. Christ came to secure for us what we could never secure for ourselves. He finished the work that God sent him to do.

Reflection Question(s): When you realize Jesus freely gave his life for you, how will you respond? How does the gift of grace impact your life on a day-to-day basis?

Ryan Moore - Pastor of Care

Thursday - Read John 19:31 – 19:37

John 19:31 – 19:37 FDB: "Now then [for several reasons] — since it was Preparation Day, and so that the bodies would not be left hanging there on the coming Sabbath Day, and since that particular Sabbath was a day of special solemnity — [for all these reasons] the Jewish people asked Pilate for permission to have the legs of the crucified men broken and their bodies taken away. So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first man, and then of the other man who was crucified with him. But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. However, one of the soldiers took his lance and pierced Jesus' side. And immediately out came flowing blood and water. "And the one who saw this happen has given his testimony to its happening, and his testimony is trustworthy, and that one [or: That One] knows that he is telling the truth — so that you (readers), too, will be believers. These things also happened so that the Scripture would be fulfilled where it says, 'Not a single one of his bones will be broken.' And there is another Scripture that says, 'They will look right at the one whom they pierced."

It was 2003. I (Joao) was 9 years old, to be exact. I had just joined my first recreational basketball league after being inspired by the late, great Kobe Bryant. However, I had no clue how to actually play basketball. In fact, it was so bad, that upon entering my first game, I shot in the wrong basket. I had unknowingly given the points to the other team. Of course, my coach was yelling from the sidelines and I had no idea why he was yelling. You see, I was helping the other team and I didn't know it. I entered points in their stat sheet and I was totally unaware.

This story might sound simple; however, it illustrates a larger point: God, in his sovereignty, will often use people for his greater purpose and they won't even know they have entered the story of God. With God, there is no such thing as a passive character in his story. Every moment, every human being, every interaction, every thought, every action, is a part of a greater story.

In today's passage, we see a state of Jesus that we aren't often used to. We see a dead Jesus. Sabbath was approaching and the religious leaders didn't want the bodies to remain on the cross. Religiously, they thought of it as ceremonial pollution to keep bodies of dead people on the cross on the Sabbath. Its interesting though, that their consciences weren't wounded by the murder of an innocent man, but by the fear of not doing the right thing on the Sabbath. Furthermore, these Roman guards were instructed to break the legs of those three men on the cross. Why? To ensure they were dead. Without legs you can't lift your frame up to breathe. You would die by a lack of oxygen. However, when they got to Jesus, they decided not to break his legs because he was already dead. Instead, they pierced his side. Blood and water poured out.

Little did these Roman guards know, however, that they were fulfilling a prophecy in the Old Testament. Remarkably, what seemed to be random or passive action actually fulfilled a piece of God's story. Psalm 34:20 tells us that "he guards all of his bones, not one of them broken." Regarding the Passover, Numbers 9:12 tells us that the sacrifice's bones shouldn't be broken. Here we see a story coming into its resolution by Roman guards who had no clue that they had "put up points" on God's team. A prophecy was fulfilled by passive men just doing their job.

Let's extrapolate this truth: Every waking moment of our lives has an eternal significance. Little did you know that you are putting up points even when it seems like things are passive. If these Roman Guards are fulfilling a prophecy without even knowing it, how many moments in our lives are fulfilling a promise without us even knowing?

Reflection Question(s): What moments in your life have you considered monotonous that has actually had eternal significance?

Joao Pires - Pastor of Redline Youth Ministries

Friday - Read John 19:38 – 19:42

John 19:38 – 19:42 FDB: "Now after these things, Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus (but a secret one because of his fear of the Jewish people), asked Pilate for permission to take the body of Jesus away. Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took his body away. Then Nicodemus came too (the man who had come to Jesus by night at first), bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes weighing almost a hundred pounds. So they took the body of Jesus and wrapped it up with linen cloths, along with the spices, in accordance with the Jewish custom of burying. "Now in the place where Jesus was crucified there was a garden, and in that garden there was a brand new tomb in which no one had ever yet been placed. So there, because it was the Jewish Day of Preparation and because the tomb was nearby, they put Jesus."

I have questions! (And I am guessing you may too). Where are the disciples? Where is Jesus's mother and his disciple, John, to whom he talked to when he was on the cross? The reality is that likely none of them had Joseph of Arimathea's influence at court. It is likely that he gains the "right" to Jesus's body through his social status. Up until this point in John's Gospel, Joseph of Arimathea, was a half-disciple: committed, but not enough to commit openly "because of his fear of the Jewish people." But now he goes public in a rather dramatic way.

The second person John names is Nicodemus. His relationship to Jesus grows throughout John and his willingness to be identified with Jesus increases publicly over the course of his three Gospel of John appearances. (a) He came to Jesus early in the Gospel by night (3:1) and then slipped speechlessly away after Jesus' magnificent Nicodemus Sermon (3:1–21). (b) But later, Nicodemus admirably interceded for Jesus before his fellow Sanhedrinists ("Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus before, and who was one of the members of the Sanhedrin, asked them, 'Our law does not judge people without first giving them a hearing to find out what they are doing, does it?'" for which intervention Nicodemus was immediately rebuked by his colleagues, John 7:50–52). (c) Now, finally, near the end of the Gospel, Nicodemus goes completely public with almost a hundred pounds of spices, making a burial, literally, fit for a king. He comes to his discipleship, finally, publicly. This scene seems to indicate Nicodemus' conversion or public confession of faith. He apparently never forgot Jesus' sermon that memorable evening nor the unjust accusations of his colleagues against Jesus that critical day.

John writes that the tomb they placed Jesus's body in was in garden right near where he had been crucified. Two people who, while we see them written about here, are certainly two of the lesser-known figures in Biblical history. On this little piece of real estate (called "Skull Place") just outside Jerusalem, on this single little weekend, the world changed. So much history on such a small space in such a little time!

Reflection Question(s): Jesus left an impression on Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea. That impression was significant enough that they each eventually decided to make their allegiance to him known. What caused you to determine that you would make your faith in Jesus publicly known? Was your faith journey a gradual one like Nicodemus's seems to have been?