Bible
Study
Rick Warren did an amazing job exegeting the text of scripture and explaining what God expects of us. I almost highlighted this entire chapter because it’s full of so many gems.
I believe this book, especially this chapter should be given to every church member / Christian all over the world as it is a manual for successful living. No wonder this devotional was the number 1 best selling devotional in the world. It is the most highly rated devotional of all time and I believe that we can understand why. This is not a “one time” go to book.
I’m going to be posting sentences or phrases that stood out to me today.
💎 Unity is the soul of fellowship. Destroy it and you rip the heart out of Christs Body. (pg 161)
💎 Nothing is more valuable than His church. He paid the highest price for it…if you are a part of God’s family, it is your responsibility to protect the unity where you fellowship. (pg. 162)
💎 But for unitys sake we must never let differences divide us. (pg. 162)
💎 Conflict is a sign that the focus has shifted to less important issues, things the Bible calls “disputable matters.” (pg. 162)
💎 When we focus on personalities, preferences, interpretations, styles or methods, division always happens. (pg. 162)
💎 Yet we must passionately love the church on spite of its imperfections (pg. 163)
💎 Longing for the ideal while criticizing the real is evidence of immaturity. (pg. 163)
💎 Settling for the real without striving for the ideal is complacency. (pg. 163)
💎 Other believers will disappoint you and let you down, but that’s no excuse to stop fellowshipping with them. They are your family., even when they don’t act like it, and you can’t just walk out on them. (pg. 163)
💎 Because we’re sinners, we hurt each other, sometimes intentionally and sometimes unintentionally. But instead of leaving the church, we need to stay and work it out if at all possible. (pg. 163)
💎 Reconciliation, not running away, is the road to stronger character and deeper fellowship (pg. 163)
💎 Divorcing your church at the first sign of disappointment or disillusionment is a mark of immaturity. God has things He wants to teach you, and others too. (pg. 163)
💎 Every church has its own set of weaknesses and problems. (pg. 163)
💎 If a church must be perfect to satisfy you, that same perfection will exclude you from membership, because you’re not perfect! (pg. 164)
💎 [Church] is a place only for those who admit they are sinners, need grace and want to grow (pg. 164)
💎 It is always easier to stand in the sidelines and take shots at those who are serving than it is to get involved and make a contribution. (pg. 164)
💎 When you criticize what another believer is doing in faith and from sincere conviction, you are interfering with God’s business. (pg. 164)
💎 [In judging another believer] I lose fellowship with God, I expose my own pride and insecurity, I set myself up to be judged by God, and I harm the fellowship of the church. (pg. 165)
💎 Listening to gossip is like accepting stolen property, and it makes you just as guilty of the crime. (pg. 165)
💎 People who gossip to you will also gossip about you. They cannot be trusted. If you listen to gossip, God says you are a troublemaker (pg. 165).
💎 The fastest was to end a church or small group conflict is to lovingly confront those who are gossiping and insist they stop it. (pg. 165)
💎 Private confrontation is always the first step, and you should take it as soon as possible. (pg. 166)
💎 Pastors and elders need our prayers, encouragement, appreciation and love (pg. 167)
💎 Overwhelm them (Pastors/Elders) with appreciation and love (pg. 167)
💎 when God has a bunch of baby believers he wants to deliver, he looks for the warmest incubator church He can find. (pg. 167)
💎 When people find a church where members genuinely love and care for each other, you would have to lock the doors to keep them away. (pg. 168)
“Excellence is not stumbled upon, it is planned. Don’t skip the process.”
Mercy Fakoya
What Drives Your Life?
I will share a few now and then more during the day.
- Guilt
- Resentment and Anger
- Fear
- Materialism
- Approval
📍 As I read todays devotional, I considered what area I struggled in. Before understanding “who I am”, I was driven by “approval”. I needed and wanted to be accepted. I would do things to be accepted by my peers. I was never driven by peer pressure, but I was driven by the desire to be accepted. I didn’t realize how unhealthy the behavior was until I allowed God to work on me and expose to me the areas in my life where I made – people’s opinion a god, an idol.
I really like that Rick Warren discusses the benefits of living a purpose driven life.
I have to always remind myself that:
My past is my past. I am only hurting myself with bitterness if I continue to cling on to my past. Nothing can change my past but I can work on my present and future.
…my questions are coming.
Day 4 – Made to last forever!
📍 We are vessels of God and we always declare that we are His children, we cannot hold such a major title on earth (the child of God) and lose the privileges when we get to the entrance gate of the Kingdom of Heaven.
- Are those who have accepted Christ as Lord and Savior still at risk of hell?
- Is salvation permanent or can it be reversed because of sin?
Why is it that when we hear or read about the end of the physical body, there is fear that rises up in our heart?
Start living for our true destination, eternity.