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?