James Devotional Day 5

Missed a day there, sorry about that. How about we do two for today then?

James 1: 16-17

Temptation is a bad thing. Satan is tethered to it, and it is customized and deceptively disguised. So what do we do with temptation? How can we handle it?

First of all, when you are tempted, remember the greatness of God. The whole thrust of this book is spiritual maturity, how to have an authentic faith. In order for a fish to become a giant fish, it has to let a lot of flies swim by. It doesn't do anything stupid. It passes up the bait and gets bigger and bigger. Spiritual maturity is like that. We have to let a lot of temptation flies swim by, and say, "No, that's not for me. I know God has the best for me." The moment we step outside of that and try to use our God-given desires in a God-forbidden way, watch out. There is only one who can truly satisfy, and that one is God. He cannot change for the worse because He is holy. He cannot change for the better because He is perfect. So if you know Christ personally, if you have a personal connection with God through Jesus, you have it all. So why look at anything else? Why go anywhere else? Why eat any other bait? Take the real food. Remember the greatness of God.

Take time to thank God for His greatness. What are some of His gifts to you?

#2

James 1:18

We've talked about a lot of things that help us overcome temptation. But, something else is necessary to overcome temptation. You have to be born again. Everyone has a physical birthday, and we all know that we had nothing to do with physical birth. We do not cause our own births. In the same way, we cannot cause our own spiritual re-birth. It is God who brings about the miracle of re-birth in our lives. When you are born again, it means that you are born into the family of God; and, once you are born into the family of God, you can't get out. (This is a good thing, not like Hotel California-esque at all -- Scott's added words)

On your own, there is no cleansing and forgiveness and purpose for living. There is no way you can handle temptation. The Spirit of God will take the Word of God and convict you, if you call sin what it is. At that time you need to turn from it, and ask Christ to take over your life. God will work the miracle of new birth in your life. Because of this second birth, you can have power within you to face any temptation.

In the Old Testament, the Jews gave their firstfruits as offerings of worship to God. When we are born again, we are the firstfruits, belonging especially to God. Remember this when you come into temptation. You are God's. Don't mess around with junk, don't take the bait with the hidden hook. Eat on His food and mature.

Describe your new-birth experience. Give thanks to God for the changes He has made in you. If you have not experienced this new birth, you can experience it right now by praying a prayer like this "God, I know I'm a sinner. I believe that Jesus died and rose again so that I could be part of the family of God. I believe this to the best of my ability and I want to apply it to my life. In Jesus' name, Amen."

Wonderful Cross

James Devotional Day 4

James 1:15

We have got to realize that temptation is deceptively disguised. Just like the bait for a fish, it looks like something that will be good for us. Temptation lures our desires. We are enticed, we don't even think about the hook, and we just take it. Now James says that the offspring of desire is sin. When the sin is full-grown, its offspring is death. That is the one thing about sin that will trip all of us up, time and again. Sin always has consequences. A lot of us are living in sin right now, but sin is not grown up yet. It is still a baby. You may say, "No problem. I am living a lie. I am a cheater. I am in sexual sin. No big deal. Everything is okay. I am making a lot of money. My life is going well."

Just wait. That is what James says. Just wait. A fish doesn't know he is hooked at first either.

What hooks are embedded in your life?

James Devotional Day 3

1 Corinthians 10:13

The good news is that God has promised that He will never leave us without an escape. He never lets us get into a situation where we can't bear the pressure. Be encouraged: if you are undergoing temptation, He never lets you have more than He knows you can take. When we talk about pickup trucks as one ton, three quarter ton, and half ton, we are saying that the manufacturer who made the truck has said how much the frame of the truck can handle. Now, take a look at Psalm 139:15. "My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place." God, our manufacturer, knows our frames, He knows how much of a temptation load our frames can handle. Isn't that great? We have a promise from God. He will not put too much on our frames.

God will provide a way out, a way of escape, a freeway if you will. We cannot find the freeway or the way of escape on our own. It has to be by God's grace, His discernment and His power. But He will provide the way. He will not ever put you under too much stress. He will not bust your shocks or flatten your tires. You can trust Him.

Record how God has given a way to escape temptations in the past. How is He providing an escape in the present.

Youtube Video to go along with this, sortof

Came to my Rescue

James Devotional Day 2

James 1:14

Most us do not like to take the blame for our own sins. We want to put it off on someone else, we want to say "Everyone else was doing it" or "No one can understand how I feel. No on else has ever been tempted this way." Sometimes we may say, "The temptation was just too much for me. I could never have gotten away anyway." But do you know that God doesn't leave us the option of playing the blame game? For one thing, look at what James says to us. Out sins and evil desires come right out of our own sin nature. Yesterday, we learned who us tethered to temptation-Satan himself. Now here is another though to chew on. We also have to recognize that temptation is customized to our vulnerabilities or weaknesses. Satan plays up the evil desires that are in each of us, and makes up custom "fishing lures" that appeal to our own personal weak points. Oh, yes, he does all he can to snare us, but that doesn't alter the fact that we are the ones who bite the hook. We are all responsible for our own sins.

In order to accept responsibility you have to see sin for what it is. How would you define sin? Take a minute to confess the sins that God brings to your mind.

James Devotional Day 1

James 1:13

If we are going to be victorious, right up front we have got to understand one thing about temptation and sin. We have got to recognize the one who is tethered to temptation. When you have that dark desire in your life that begins to go haywire- that desire to lie, to lust, to exaggerate, to steal something, to take that materialistic trip, to rev up those envy engines, James says there is one thing you should not do. You should not lay the blame on God. God tests us to make us strong. Satan tempts us to make us do wrong. Can a person in this day and age actually believe Satan in real? In a word, yes.

You know how a fisherman makes up a fishing lure? He researches his fish, he fins out what makes this fish get excited, and he makes his lure to look just like the fish's favorite food. When this fish sees dinner floating along, he goes for it. But what the fish doesn't know is that this tasty morsel has strings attached. It has got a hook and barb, and there is a guy on the other end of that line who has a sad ending in mind for that fish. Satan is the guy holding the other end of the line of temptation, and he has a sad ending in mind for us. When we "bite" we are playing right into his hands.

What temptation are you facing today? What hidden hooks await you if you take the bait?

(Read the Screwtape letters by C.S. Lewis for more on this)

Devotional Day 18

1 Corinthians 9:24-26

Getting rid of sin is hard. It's a lot of work. But the reward in the end will be worth any struggles and trials we undergo now. Our whole life is like a race, We are working toward the goal-the lasting crown of eternal life-and we have to act like we are really serious about getting there. Have you ever trained for a sport? You don't just go out onto the track, and sort of jog around aimlessly for 15 minutes, and then leave. You don't sit in your big leather chair and make a few baskets in the potted palm behind the TV, and then say your done. No, you train, work, and sweat. You run around the track like you are going somewhere, like you are going to win a prize. You don't play a few scales and then think you are going to be a great musician. You don't learn a little basic math, and then think you are an engineer. No, you study, you practice, you learn, and then you apply.

What is going on in your spiritual life? Are you jogging aimlessly, or are you running somewhere? Are you acting like you are getting ready to win?

What are some practical things that you could do to get into "spiritual training"?

Devotional Day 17

Galatians 2:11-13

One of the tools that God has given us for rooting sin out of our lives is accountability. God knows that we often need to have a real live human to say to us, "You are not thinking straight. You are making a mistake. Why are you doing that stupid thing?" It isn't comfortable for either the sinner or the one who is doing the pointing out, but it is something that we cannot get along without. Even Peter the apostle had to be pulled up short, and Paul had to do it. Peter was getting trapped in legalism, requiring Gentile converts to follow Jewish law. This was particularly ironic, since Peter was the one who received the vision from the Lord, saying that the Gentiles were to be accepted into the church, and were not to be required to follow the dietary laws. Paul saw what was happening, and he knew that is could not be allowed to pass. It would affect the whole future of the church if a Jewish/Gentile split were allowed to happen now. So Paul stood up and said, "No, You are wrong, and this is why." Do you have an accountability partner who can do this for you? Do you have someone who loves you enough to say, "You are wrong, stop!"

Do you have someone who will hold you accountable? Can your friends count on you to hold them accountable.

Devotional Day 16

Psalm 139

Often we fail to recognize the sins in our lives, simply because we are out of touch with what is going on in our own hearts. Introspection can be uncomfortable, and it is much easier just to think about something else. We don't really like the idea of God knowing what is in there wither, but guess what? We can't do anything about that. He has already seen it all. If we are going to make progress, if we are going to get rid of sin in our lives, we are going to have to get on His side, and get His help. Examine your heart, and ask God to show you where you are going wrong. Ask Him to help you see the sins and offenses that are displeasing to Him, and to show you how to deal with them. There is a great advantage to asking God to look at you that closely. Not only does He work on sin, He knows your anxious thoughts and soothes and helps you. He is completely trustworthy, and He knows how to help you better than anyone else possibly could.

It is a good idea to make a habit of self-examination and prayer. Set aside a time to meet with God, and really do it.

Devotional Day 15

James 1:14-15

Sin is dangerous, fast-growing poisonous plant. Anyone who knows anything about gardening knows one basic fact: it is easier to deal with weeds if you pull them out before they are five feet tall and scattering seeds all over the place. Sin is the same way. It has to be nipped in the bud. It has to be yanked out when it is barely started. If you don't, the sin will grow. It will become bigger and bigger, worse and worse, until eventually it is totally beyond your control. And a life that is totally choked out by huge weeds is a useless life. It leads to death. Don't let sin become full grown in your life. Pull it out when it is small and young.

Do you recognize seedling sins in your life? Take some time to think through what you are doing, and see if you have any bad habits or sinful attitudes starting, If you root them out now, they won't have a chance to go to seed.

Devotional Day 14ish...

Sorry, it's been awhile, I have been away doing some training for the past 3 weeks or so. Anyway let's get back to it. Remember no study this week, we will wrap up our study on David the following week.

Psalm 38:1,3-5

Loathsome! Wow, talk about a word that just sounds disgusting. When you hear that word, what come to mind? Infected wounds? Something infested with worms or lice? Or do you think of your own sin? Chances are, not many of us really think about our sin as loathsome in God's eyes. But in this psalm we see that David did. He recognized that God is disgusted by our sin. He doesn't just say, "Well that's okay, I know you didn't really mean it that way." Our sin is repulsive to God. He hates it. It deserves His wrath. Do you have this picture of God's view of sin? Sin is something we have to work on rooting out, not babysitting or ignoring.

Have you ever been horrified at your sin? Should you be? Ask God to give you an intolerance for sin.

Devotional Day 13

Here are two in one day, crazy right?? Both in Proverbs 27, which is an amazing chapter in the Bible.

#1 - Proverbs 27:6

Beware of a person who only says good things to you. We are all suckers for "yes men." It feels great to have people around us who are constantly telling is how wonderful we are, how beautiful, how clever, how unique. But be warned. If this is all you are hearing from your friends, you have a problem. Not one of us is perfect, flawless, in need of no correction. We would like to think so sometimes, but it simply isn't so. And we need to have friends who will sometimes give it to us straight. It will hurt, there is no doubt about that. But a wound from a friend who loves you, a friend who knows that you need to endure a little pain and blood to get rid of that festering splinter in your soul, is better than a thousand kisses from someone who doesn't care enough about you to bother. Which do you want: a quick scalpel of love, leading to healing, or a "kiss to make it better" that leaves the problem, just waiting for worse trouble later on?

How can you help your friends deal with their problems in a way that shows that you are doing it out of love? How can you make sure that you are actually motivated by love, and not selfishness?

#2 - Proverbs 27:17

There is almost nothing more annoying (or dangerous) than a dull tool. It is when we are hacking away at something with a dull knife that we are most likely to cut ourselves. It really isn't difficult to keep tools sharp. The problem we have is that we tend to get careless and lazy. We just don't bother with anything else, right? Did you ever think about the fact that your spirit and intellect are a lot like a tool with a sharp blade? We can grow dull, and therefore, useless or dangerous in the same way that a tool can. And we are often too careless or lazy to do anything about it. That is where friends come in. God has told us that we can sharpen each other, in the same way that iron can sharpen iron. If we gather friends who are interested in pursuing God, and if we are interested in the same thing, we will sharpen each other spiritually and intellectually. One will say, "I learned this great thing, let me share it with you." Another says, "I think your position is missing something. Have you thought about this?" We learn from each other, and hone one another's blades. We can become shining, sharp, and useful tools for our Master.

Where do you fell dull today? How can you be sharpened in this area?

Devotional Day 12

Proverbs 27:9

Friendship isn't just for the joyride, for surface fun and keeping everything smooth and shiny. Friendship has a purpose. A real friendship is characterized by a spirit of helpfulness, in which each person seeks to do good to the other. Did you take in this verse? The pleasantness of friends" doesn't come from just "being nice" and not making any waves, or bringing up unpleasant subjects. No. It comes from earnest counsel. That means talking about real issues, and doing life deeply. That means a real friend is one that will talk to you about what really matters. Think about your favorite smell, whether it is roses on a hot summer day, or bread baking, or new car upholstery, or fresh rain, or the lotion your mother used. Think about the "joy of the heart" that those scents bring. Do you have a friend whose earnest counsel brings joy to your heart?

Who are your "pleasant" friends? Remember to pray for them, and encourage them, as they encourage you.

Devotional Day 11

Devotional's take a little bit of a turn now and will really start dealing with this Sunday's small group. Look forward to seeing you there.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

Friendship is one of the sweetest things God has given us on this earth. God is a communicating God. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit commune, and when He made mankind. He created them in his own image-as communicators. He set things up this way because He wants us to be in personal relationship with Him, but He also set things up so that we may experience the joys and the help of good friendship. Two are stronger than one; two in cooperation can do more than two people separately. Two sharing a blanket keep warm, while each one with half a blanket will freeze. One alone has no one to compensate for his weaknesses, but two can help each other. A friend is one who picks you up when you fall, whether physically or spiritually. Friendship is an amazing thing, both enhancing our joys and lightening our sorrows.

Do you have someone who will pick you up when you fall down? Who do you do this for?

We're talking about friendship so this song needs to make an appearance.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOCJAVlESEo

Devotional Day 10

Psalm 46:1-3

God isn't on call only sometimes. His refuge doesn't have visiting hours, or a "Closed for Vacation" sign. God is ever-present. That means that He is always present, and that He is present everywhere. There cannot be a time or a place where God is not available to you. Therefore, because of this, no matter what happens you can be confident and unafraid. Even if your whole world is tumbling down, even if you are on the point of death, even when the earth is breaking apart at the seams, you can be fearless. God is the perfect refuge. He doesn't have any weak spots that the enemy can penetrate. He will never accidentally drop us. He never forgets that we are there. He never runs out of room.

What was the most terrifying experience that you have ever gone through? Looking back, can you see the hand of God in this? Could you sense this at the time? Does realizing His presence change the way you look at what happened?

A youtube link of a great song called "Safe" by Phil Wickham

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ciW8r-5kCDY

Enjoy and God Bless!

Devotional Day 9

***Just so everyone knows, I am getting these devotionals from the small group guide "Virtuous Reality" out of Ed Young's Fellowship Church. These are not my own at all, but they are going along with the Bible study we are currently doing for Young Adults at Bayview. ***

Psalm 68:1-3, 17-18

David trusted God; he knew God's character and His promises. But like us, David still had times of discouragement. Have you ever felt like you were up to your neck in trouble, and help seemed nowhere in sight? David surely did. When he wrote this psalm, he was floundering in a pit of depression, with no way to escape. He did the best thing anybody could do. He told the Lord exactly what He was feeling, and begged for help. This is an important thing to remember: God understands how we feel when we are in the depths of despair just as He does when we are strong, confident and trusting. Even Jesus cried out to the Father, expressing anguish and pain as He was faced with crucifixion. God doesn't need us to manufacture a confidence we don't feel. Faith doesn't mean closing your eyes and pretending that you think it will be all right. Go to God honestly. Tell Him you're scared to death, depressed, or miserable. David models the kind of faith we need in his plea for help. He was worn out, discouraged, and couldn't see God. But he called God for help, even though he couldn't feel faith. He believed and so he asked. Don't wait for feelings. Tell God how you really are, and then ask Him for help.

Make a practice of writing down your prayer requests, and also the answers you receive. You will find that this record is very encouraging to your faith.

Devotional Day 8

Psalm 37:32-33, 39-40

The Evil One is eager to have is destroyed. Wicked people - those who are acting according to their sinful nature, and according to Satan's influence - will sometimes persecute believer's cruelly. They will not care that you are innocent, and that your conduct is righteous. They will be out to get you, no matter what. Sometimes it seems that we are helpless before such attacks. There is no way to get justice, evil appears to carry all before it. But be encouraged. The Lord is still in control. He has promised that He will not leave the righteous in the power of the wicked. He has promised to save us if we will make Him our refuge. This doesn't always mean that He saves us in the way an time that we thought would be best. But we can be assured that He will rescue us, and that His way and time will be perfect.

Have you ever felt pursued by the wicked? What did you? Did it work?

Devotional Day 7

Psalm 23:4

This is probably the best known and beloved of all David's psalms. It describes God warmly and comfortingly with the picture of a good shepherd. Many years later, Jesus took up this same imagery, describing Himself as the Good Shepherd, who would lay down His life for the sheep. David knew what He was talking about when he spoke of God as a shepherd. David had spent a lot of time looking after sheep, and he knew what sheep needed. He had also spent a lot of time walking with Gd, and he knew what God does for us. A good shepherd provides his sheep with good food, and he leads them along the right paths, not letting them scatter, or stray. God does this for us. He provides us with spiritual nourishment as well as providing for our physical needs. He shows us the way of righteousness, and helps us to stick to it. And God protects us from our enemies. When we trust in God, we can walk right through death's shadow without fear. He will be beside us, we can hold his hand. David experienced this firsthand, as he came near death many times. But when he was walking with the Lord, there was no need to fear. Even in the face if death, he was not alone.

Are you afraid of dying? If you trust God, and have no fear of death, does that mean that you will feel comfortable putting your life in danger, for no reason?

Why or why not?

Devotional Day 6

Psalm 3:1-4

David's knowledge of the Lord - knowledge that he gained while he was still young, sitting alone in the fields with the sheep - was the foundation of all that he was able to do later on. David knew God's character, and he knew that he could trust Him. When David was in danger from wild animals, he called on God for help, and received it. When he was all alone, almost forgotten by his family, he learned the wonder of the creation, and the power and majesty of God. And he learned that God was his protector. Later on, in this psalm and in several others, David refers to God as a "shield." Even when people looked at his situation and said, "There is no way, he can ever come out alive. God won't bother with him!" David trusted God. He knew that God had promised to protect and care for those who fear Him, those who do put their trust in Him. And God never changes. He will always do as He promised.

In what ways do you need the Lord as a shield right now? Have you praised Him for the promises He has already given you?

Devotional Day 5

Sorry I missed a few days, but we'll start back up with Day 5 and then I may double up on some posts in the coming days.

Psalm 19:8,10

Part of learning to love and know God is learning to love and know His Word, the Bible. God has given us special revelation, telling u who He is, and what He expects us to do. These words are light for us, they show us the way. They should be precious to us, more valuable than any worldly goods, more desirable than any treasure. If these things are going to be true in our lives, we have to learn to know His Word. And in order to know His Word, we have to read it, digest it, meditate on it, and apply it to our lives. We have to be intentional about this. It won't happen on it's own, it isn't automatic. Is the reading of God's Word a regular part of your life? Do you spend a little time each day orienting yourself, checking out your path, with the light of Scripture? Even if you start with only a few verses, and a few minutes, commit to making time for this. Plan to read systematically, and be faithful to do it. You will find it sweet, sweeter than honey.

Read the rest of Psalm 19, and pick out one verse to keep in your mind and think about throughout the day.

Devotional Day 4

Psalm 36:5-7

God's love is beyond anything that we can imagine. David described it as "unfailing" and "priceless." This is indeed true. God's righteousness, justice, and love never changes. Because this is who God is, He went all the way. He is holy, and demands holiness. He is perfectly just. In justice, we deserve punishment for our unrighteousness. But He loves us, and so He made a way for us to be reconciled to Himself. He sent His Son, to die and pay for our sins, satisfying justice and righteousness and love. He wants us to be in fellowship with Him. He has given us refuge under His wings.

In what ways have you experienced God's unfailing love?

Devotional Day 3

Psalm 17:6

God is powerful. He is in control of the universe, but that it not all. He is not only a power figure; He communicates with us personally. When we have problems, when we need help, we can call on Him and have the assurance that He will answer us personally. He listens to us and helps us. He even listens to us when we don't have a clue what the problem is-when we don't know what to say or how to pray. His Holy Spirit, who lives inside each of us, helps us out, and translates our unintelligible thoughts for us. God is really serious about communicating with us. He wants us to talk to Him, and to listen to Him. In human friendships, we get to know one another by talking about every subject under the sun. We spend time together and discuss the problems that bother us. Building a relationship with God works the same way. If we want to know Him, we have to make a habit about everything with Him. We have to learn to make talking and listening to God our automatic first response to every situation. We have to listen to Him. We already know He listens to us. He is the perfect listener.

Are you committed to spending time in prayer? If this is something that you have a hard time with, try setting up a time to pray for just a few minutes at a time. The more you pray, the more you will want to pray.

DEvotional Day 2

Hope everyone's week is going great. Hooray for Monday right?!...How'd everyone due in Fantasy football? Football, fall, leaves changing, crispness in the air, late night football and soccer games. Ok, not exactly Guam, but it's what I think of when I think fall. Today we will continue with Day 2 of the devotions that accompany the Bible study we are doing.

Psalm 24:1-2

David recognized God's power and authority over creation. He is the owner of this world. He designed it, He made it, and He redeemed it from sin. One day, He will make it over again-a new heaven and earth with no more curse, no more sin or tears or pain. Meanwhile, remember that nothing that happens in this world is unknown to Him. Nothing in this world is beyond His control. No one can escape God.

For those of us who are in His family, this is comforting and encouraging. God knows everything. He sees everything, and He won't let anything slip by. You never have to worry about whether God noticed what happened to you, whether He cared, or whether He will take care of it. But if you are not in His family, this might be a little scary. He misses nothing. And you will get away with nothing.

Remembering these verses is helpful for keeping perspective. Try memorizing them.

Jeremy Camp video to go along with this devotional.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpBuEuagZxE&ob=av3n

Devotional Day 1

As discussed in the Bible study tonight, here is the daily devotional to go along with our study. I will update by 10/11 every night. So check back then for the next days devotional. Post comments if you want or questions that you want answered for next weeks study.

Day 1 - Psalm 9:1-2

David, the man after God's own heart was a gifted poet and songwriter. He wrote a large portion of the Book of Psalms, including some of the best known and beloved psalms. Many of these are simply songs of praise, applauding the goodness and the glory of God. David had his heart turned toward the Lord, and because God was his focus, and filled his thoughts, that is what came out. What fills your thoughts? What is your focus? Read the words of this psalm again. How can you praise the Lord with your whole heart? Do you know some of His wonders? Do you tell other of His wonders? Do you find your joy in the Lord? How much time do you spend singing His praises?

Read Psalm 29. What does this interesting picture of God's power and majesty teach you about Him?