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Christian Devotional – August 26, 2015
Read Luke chapter 20 VERSE: Luke 20:20–Keeping a close watch on him, they sent spies, who pretended to be sincere. They hoped to catch Jesus in something he said, so that they might hand him over to the power and authority of the governor. TRUTH: Motivations are important. These people in the verse above were following Jesus, hanging on every word he said, asking him questions, yet their purpose was to find fault in something that he said and try to discredit him. Why do we follow Jesus? Are we studying him to figure out how to get more from him, or to prove something against him? At the end…
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Christian Devotional – August 25, 2015
Read Luke chapter 19 VERSE: Luke 19:46–“It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be a house of prayer’; but you have made it ‘a den of robbers.'” TRUTH: If someone who was brand new to the area asked people for the “house of prayer,” would people direct them to your church? The church is to have the reputation for communicating with God. People in the community should know that if they need something, there are people at the church who will pray for them and encourage them. Is your church a house of prayer? If not, what can you do to help lead it in that direction? RESPONSE:…
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Christian Devotional – August 24, 2015
Read Luke chapter 18 VERSE: Luke 18:14–I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. TRUTH: Most people, myself included, much prefer to be exalted than to be humbled. What we often fail to realize is that the path to being exalted leads through humility. We must choose to humble ourselves before God, the One who truly deserves all praise and exaltation, so that God will then exalt us. If we are not willing to be humble before the almighty God and before others, we are not…
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Christian Devotional – August 23, 2015
Read Luke chapter 17 VERSE: Luke 17:10–“So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.'” TRUTH: Jesus, speaking here, indicates how we as servants of His should respond when we have been obedient. We shouldn’t expect a huge party and accolades for doing the things that we are supposed to do. A servant wouldn’t expect to be rewarded for simply doing his duty. So, as servants and followers of Jesus Christ, we obey and serve Him because we love Him, not because of what He will do for us or give us. Are we…
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Christian Devotional – August 22, 2015
Read Luke chapter 16 VERSE: Luke 16:31–“He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.'” TRUTH When people make a choice to not believe in Jesus or in what Jesus does, even if they see greater and greater miracles in their lives or the lives of those around them, they will not be convinced. When we choose to not believe something, we will come up with all other types of explanations and rationales for things. This is what Jesus is talking about. If we are not willing to accept Him as He is…
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Christian Devotional – August 21, 2015
Read Luke chapter 15 VERSE Luke 15:10–“In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” TRUTH We know what delights heave: seeing people come to repentance. Do we delight in the same thing? Often, as we get so focused on the day-to-day of life, we lose that same excitement and focus on the importance of seeing others come to repentance. Today, we need to be focused and delight in that which delights heaven. RESPONSE: Father, I will praise You and exalt You. I will keep my focus on the things that delight You. Help me to…
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Christian Devotional – August 20, 2015
Read Luke chapter 14 VERSE: Luke 14:11–For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. TRUTH: Are we the person who seeks the spotlight for everything that we do? Do we crave the attention and acknowledgement of others? Here, Jesus reminds us that as we seek to lift up and exalt ourselves, we will find ourselves humbled by others and circumstances around us. If we will humble ourselves, then God indicates that we will be exalted. What is the end result we are striving for? RESPONSE: Father, I will seek to humble myself today. I know that this world encourages us to…
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Christian Devotional – August 19, 2015
Read Luke chapter 13 VERSE: Luke 13:27–But he will reply, “I don’t know you or where you came from. Away from me, all you evildoers.” TRUTH: When we stand before Jesus, will He know us? Do we have a relationship with Him where we’ve acknowledged His Lordship in our lives, or are we just focused on doing things that seem good? The good things that we do must be a reflection of our relationship with Jesus, for just doing good deeds alone will not save us. RESPONSE: Father, I will praise You and love You. I will show You my love by my obedience to You. But, I know that…
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Christian Devotional – August 18, 2015
Read Luke chapter 12 VERSE: Luke 12:25–Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to you life? TRUTH What is the point of worrying? Does it improve the situation? Does it make you feel better? No! Worry doesn’t add any value to what we do, so we would be better off to just wait and spend our time in prayer, trusting God to do what is best in every situation. RESPONSE: Father, I will surrender my worry to You. I can’t change anything simply by worrying about it, so I will turn over my worry to You. You are in control and I will trust in You.
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Christian Devotional – August 17, 2015
Read Luke chapter 11 VERSE: Luke 11:28–He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.” TRUTH: What creates blessing in our lives? When we are going through our day and asking God to “bless us” what does that look like to us? Here, Jesus is explaining exactly who will be blessed. This seems very simplistic, yet are we actually following it? Are we hearing the Word of God on a daily basis and obeying it in every area of our lives? RESPONSE: Father, I will see to hear all that Your Word entails and will focus on the application of that in my life…