The Lord's Prayer - Daily Bread Devo - Luke 11: 2-4

August 30th, 2020

Devotional

“The Lord’s Prayer - Our Daily Bread"

Luke 11: 2-4

Keep the sermon topic and Biblical text preaching all week by following Pastor Michelle on twitter @tinypastor and reading her sermon blog www.revmichelle.blogspot.com

Monday: “Give” - Luke 11:3

  For the last few verses of both this version of the Lord’s Prayer and the one found in the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus has been teaching the disciples about who God is. God is Father. God’s name is to be hallowed or made holy. Praying that God’s Kingdom come. But now, in the third verse, the tone changes from who God is to what we can look to God to provide as his children. 

This section section of the prayer starts with a powerful word - give. To look to someone to give you something is to acknowledge either that they have it or that they have control over it. Think about that in terms of what we are praying for this week - food. Bread. That which sustains us. In one simple word, Jesus is reminding his disciples that this God’s to offer to us as a good gift.

How do you see food as a gift in your life? 

Prayer: God, we thank you for reminding us today that you are the giver of all good gifts. That it is you, O Lord, who provide for us our daily bread. It is you who meets our every need. May this reminder ever be constantly before us as we learn to trust you more. Amen. 

Tuesday: “Us Each” - Luke 11:3

Whenever I take time to study the Lord’s Prayer, I am always struck by Jesus’s intentionality behind the words that he chooses to use. Especially in Luke’s version of this prayer - no word is wasted or out of place. So what could Jesus be getting at by praying “Give us each….” 

Sometimes we can get so caught up in thinking about our immediate needs, we can forget to be praying for those same things to be provided for our neighbors. If I am praying for my daily bread, am.I praying for my neighbors as well? If I am praying for healing in my life, am I praying that same prayer for others? 

Jesus is not teaching his disciples to pray an individualistic prayer - he is teaching them to pray a communal one. It is not about praying that God give me my daily bread, its about praying that God give us each our daily bread. Together. 

How do you lift up others in prayer? Are you praying for them the same way that you pray for yourself?

Prayer: Lord, we thank you for the reminder, even in the few short sentences of this prayer, that we are to pray not just for ourselves, but for others as well. Humble our spirits to notice the needs of others, we pray. Amen. 

Wednesday: “Our” - Luke 11:3

In a similar vein, when it is not just my food that I am praying for, but our food. A lot can shift when we start to think in terms of our food. It can change what we offer to people when they come to our house. It can change what we donate to the food bank. It can change how we treat the people in line with us at the restaurant. “Our” is an invitation to realize that we all need food to survive - not just some of us. And what we want for ourselves, we should desire for others as well. 

When we string it together “Give us each our…” we start to get a clearer picture that we are praying to God, the great provider, for each of our needs to be met in a way that shows honor and dignity, worth and grace. 

How is the use of the word “our” inviting you to think about what you consume differently in relationship to other people?

Prayer: Almighty God, even through the simplest of words and phrases you are inviting us to be transformed. Speak to our spirits, Precious Lord, and open our hands in a posture of sharing what you have blessed us with. Amen. 

Thursday: “Daily” - Luke 11:3

When the Israelites wandered in the wilderness for forty years, God provided mana from them daily from heaven. They were to gather only what they needed for that day, except for the day before the Sabbath when they gathered enough for two days. If they tried to store up extra it went bad. 

Do I think we are to go and harvest whatever we need for the day each and every day? No. Nor do I think we need to go to the grocery store every day to get just what we need for that particular day. Instead, I believe the word daily is an invitation to depend upon God. To trust that God will provide. 

It is especially important to remember who Jesus is teaching to pray this prayer. His disciples who have left their homes and jobs to go and follow him. Some days they don’t know what they are going to eat or where they are going to lay their heads, yet God provided. 

If God can provide mana in the wilderness and for the disciples on their journey, can God not provide for us as well?

How has God provided for you? What can remind you of that provision in times when it is hard to trust?

Prayer: God, thank you for the invitation to trust you more each and every day. Let us not forget, O God, who you are and how you have richly blessed us, especially in times of distress and need. Teach us to lean into your provision and love, we pray. Amen. 

Friday: “Bread” - Luke 11:3

  “Bread” is not just bread in scripture. It is symbolic. It is a reminder that a little can go a long way. Think back to the stories in the Gospels where five loaves and two fish fed thousands. Or how at the end of the Gospels, Jesus would take the simple unleavened bread of the Passover Meal, bless it, break it, and give it new meaning. 

We are created to need bread. To need food for our bodies, but also to need the Bread of Life for our spirits. Daily. The question that this prayer invites us to consider is how are we learning to be fed and how are helping to feed others?

What do you think of when you hear the word “bread”? What memories does it bring back to you? What scripture passages are you reminded of?

Prayer: God, we pray again this day, Give us each our daily bread. Let us not pray hallow words quickly, but may we mediate on their meaning and allow them to transform us and how we communicate with you, O Holy God. Amen. 

Saturday: Preparing for the Word

You are invited to read and pray this week’s text and topic to prepare for worship: “The Lord’s Prayer - Forgive Us” - Luke 11: 2-4

Sabbath. Study. Serve.

Sabbath, Study, Serve 

Taking the Sermon Into Our Week 

Scripture of the Week: Luke 11: 2-4

From the Sermon:

There is something about food that is central to our _________, central to who we are.

It is only after we know who God ____ that we can begin to seek God to fulfill our ______.

Today we were ___________ for by God and tomorrow we will be ___________ for as well.

We live in a “________________” world.

We are praying to God to provide _______ daily bread.

Reflection Questions:

How does our “just in case” attitude help us rely on God for the necessities in life?

If God wants to use you to feed others their daily bread - are you letting him?

Do we trust that God will provide enough for all, or do we just worry about ourselves, unlike the little boy who shared all that he had?

Prayer:

Lord, we thank you for this powerful prayer that you taught your first disciples to pray. Speak to us once again the message that invites us to depend on God and share the bounty with the world. In your holy name we pray. Amen. 

The Lord's Prayer: Your Kingdom Come

    Whenever we pray "Your Kingdom come", it is intended to glorify God and look both for God's Kingdom already known amongst us and anticipate when all of creation will realize the fullness of the Kingdom of God. In many ways, this pray is saying God soak me in your Kingdom so much that it is all I realize and then allow me to share your goodness and grace with others.

   The problem is that sometimes we take this God-centered portion of not just this prayer, but all prayer, and turn it around on ourselves. We start to pray to God about our wish list of what we want the Kingdom to look like, not realizing that it doesn't align with God's will or vision. We try to substitute what we want for what deems best.

   Partially this is because we do not know what the Word says about the Kingdom. Other times we take with the Bible says and interpret it in a way that reflects our desires.

   Therefore, as we pray "your Kingdom come" we need to be set aside what we want and continue on praying "your will be done" as we learn to trust God more fully.

Your Kingdom Come - Luke 11:2-4 Devo

August 23rd, 2020

Devotional

“The Lord’s Prayer: Your Kingdom Come”

Luke 11: 2-4

Keep the sermon topic and Biblical text preaching all week by following Pastor Michelle on twitter @tinypastor and reading her sermon blog www.revmichelle.blogspot.com

Monday: “Your” - Luke 11:2

  Think back to prayers that you have recently prayed. After you addressed God what is the first thing that you prayed for? For many of us it was probably asking something for ourselves or something for someone we love dearly. For healing. For protection. For a new job. For better pay. To solve a problem we are having. There is nothing wrong with these petitions, in fact God wants us to bring all of our joys and concerns before him. But Jesus tells us to pray for something different first, for something bolder. That God’s kingdom comes. 

One of the books I read recently was called The Circle Maker  - the premise is that we need to pray big bold prayers, but all too often we are willing to pray for less. Willing to not believe that God answers prayer. But Jesus is inviting us to pray the boldest of all prayers, that God’s Kingdom Come. We are asking God’s reign to be evident in our lives. In the world around us. We are asking God to be present in our hearts and in our world. We are handing everything over to God, recognizing that he is in control. Asking him to come into even the darkest corners of our lives, our relationships, our world. 

That is a scary prayer to pray. Maybe you don’t want God to actually occupy all of your life. Maybe you want to hang on to control. So you don’t think about the boldness in the request “Thy Kingdom Come”. You avoid praying it in your own prayers, yet alone praying it first and foremost and instead settle for smaller requests. Personal wants and desires. 

What does it mean to pray your (being God’s) vision and Kingdom come true instead of our own?

Prayer: Lord, we thank you for the boldness of the prayer you taught your disciples long ago. May we reclaim that boldness this week and beyond as we seek to live into the way of your Kingdom, not our own. Amen. 

Tuesday: “Kingdom” - Mark 8: 31-33

What is God grants our heartfelt prayer to have the Kingdom of God come? What would that mean in our lives? In our town? In our nation? In our world? Our God invites us to make this request. Our Lord instructs us to pray in this way, that the Kingdom of God come and be known among us! Praise be to God! Do we believe our request will be granted? Do we pray as if it is coming? Or do we simply recite the words, not seeing and believing the power behind them?

In Matthew’s version of this prayer, Jesus tells us not only to pray that the Kingdom of God come, but that God’s will be done. But once again, do we realize the power behind what we are praying? Time and time again in scripture we see the disciples just not getting it. They expect Jesus to come and overthrow the Roman government, even though Jesus came to overthrow the power of sin and death. They expect him to be a conquering King, not a humble Messiah. The walked with Christ for three years and still didn’t get what the will of God was.

What are the markers of the Kingdom of God?

Prayer: Lord, we confess that like your disciples long ago, sometimes we substitute our own ideas about your Kingdom over and above your desires and will. Help us to align our hearts with yours, we pray. Amen. 

Wednesday: “Come” - Mark 8:34-37

Pastor Max Lucado reflects on the words “Thy Kingdom Come” in connection to the story of Queen Esther. Esther was not always Queen of Persia, but instead won the position in a beauty competition of sorts. But it ends up that God was aligning Esther into the position in order to help save the people of Israel from Hamen, the right hand man of the King of Persia who wanted to kill all of the Jews. Now Esther herself was a Jew, as was her cousin who had raised her Mordecai. Mordecai urged Esther to speak to the King before all of her people were killed. But she hesitated at first, because it seemed like too big of a request, too dangerous of a situation. For even the Queen must be summoned to the King before she could speak. 

How many of us feel like Esther. That praying the words “Thy Kingdom Come” is just too bold of a request? Not feasible? To scary? So we hesitate. Or think it isn’t our right, or perhaps not our job as a follower of Christ to pray these words. Yet, Jesus asks us to be bold in our prayers before the throne of God. 

Finally Esther is convinced that she needs to speak to the King on the behalf of her people. So she devises a plan to have him invite her to speak to him. When she wins the Kings favor and he asks her what she desires, she not only states her requests, but it is granted.

How is the Kingdom of God both present and coming?

Prayer: Almighty God, we thank you for the examples throughout your Word that call us to faithful prayers and faithful living. Teach us what it means to live into your Kingdom here and now as a reflection of the fullness of what is to come. 

Thursday: “Your Kingdom Come” - Matt. 6: 10

There are many ways to get to know the will of God and what the Kingdom of God is all about. But the simplest place to start is boldly praying this prayer. The real question is if we  willing to pray this bold prayer knowing that it may mean that we don’t get what we want? Do we mean it when we pray, “Thy Kingdom Come, Thy will be Done?” or are they simply ritualistic words? How would it impact our prayer life and relationship with God if these were the first requests we made each and every time we prayed?

If you don’t feel comfortable with that, I would encourage you to ask yourself why. To pray about it. To have a conversation with God about what makes you uneasy about the bigness, the boldness of these requests. If you believe that this is what you are lead to start praying, try it. For a week. For two weeks. Invite God to be the first priority in your prayer life and see what comes - for it may just mean the Kingdom of God taking root among us, and seeing the will of God with a new heart.

How can pray shape us as disciples?

Prayer: God of Grace, thank you for allowing us the gift to communicate with you through prayer. Use our time, set apart to be with you, to shape and mold us from the inside out. Amen. 

Friday: “Your Will Be Done” - Matt 6: 10

  Many of us know the verse from Jeremiah that states, I know the plans I have for you. Plans to prosper and not harm you. But we don’t know what those plans are. We don’t understand the will of God in our own lives, let alone the will of God for our world. How can we discover what the will of God is and pray together in hope and certainty “Thy Will be Done”?

  First, we need to worship together. To study together. Because God can speak through the body of Christ. How many of us have ever had a word of clarity come from another believer being a vessel of God? How many of us have been used as this type of vessel? God can give a human voice to a divine word, leading us the direction we are to go. 

  Second, God speaks through Scripture. But to God to speak to us through scripture we have to be in the word, both individually and together in small groups. The more that we are in the Word, the more it sinks into us and it can come to mind when we are seeking the will of God. How can we discover God’s will?

Prayer: God, we thank you that you do not leave us alone, but instead invite us into community and guide us by your Holy Spirit. Help us to re-discover and claim your will! Amen!

Saturday: Preparing for the Word

You are invited to read and pray this week’s text and topic to prepare for worship: “The Lord’s Prayer: Our Daily Bread” - Luke 11: 2-4

Sabbath. Study. Serve.

Sabbath, Study, Serve 

Taking the Sermon Into Our Week 

Scripture of the Week: Luke 11: 2-4

From the Sermon:

When we are saying “God’s Kingdom come” by necessity that means that it is not _____ Kingdom.

None of us know ____________ about anything relating to God.

We only catch ___________ of the Kingdom in our present time, but we know that it will be more fully revealed by God when the time is right.

The Kingdom of God being both _________ and ____________.

We need to be cautious that we do not make the pieces that we cannot see, that which we do not fully understand in ___________, instead of in ________.

We are essentially saying, God I don’t ________________ this, but I want to be a part of it.

We as the Church are to be a ______________ of the Kingdom of God.

Reflection Questions:

Why do we only know parts of the Kingdom of God now?

What is the Biblical understanding of peace?

What’s our role in the Kingdom as the people of God?

Prayer:

Lord, to pray that your Kingdom come, is truly a prayer of surrender. Surrendering our own desires and ways. Admitting that we do not understand everything, but leaning into your arms of trust. Help us to surrender to you anew each day, so you can use as as part of your Kingdom. Amen. 

Hallowed Be Your Name - Luke 11: 2-4

   Do you remember the first prayers that you ever learned to pray? For me some that come to mind are: "Thank you God for this food. May it nourish us and help us grow. Amen" and "Now I lay me down the sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep..."

   For the disciples, when they asked Jesus to teach them how to pray, he taught them what we call the Lord's Prayer.

   But what we sometimes don't realize is that there are two different versions of this prayer. One found in this week's text - Luke, chapter 11, and a longer version found in Matthew, chapter 6. The one that we often learn and recite is the Matthew text, but there is something compelling about the short nature of this prayer as well. Only 5 lines, but communicating everything that the disciples desired to learn about prayer.

    Prayer is a mystery. Many of us hold on to the prayers we first learned long ago. In fact, we still pray the pray about thanking God for our food now that we are teaching my nieces how to pray. But prayer is also this open conversation with God. God doesn't care if we use "hallowed be thy name" language or talk as if we were communicating with a parent or loved one. God simply wants to spend time with us.

   Which is ultimately what Jesus is teaching his disciples about - how to spend time with God as he spends time with God.

    May we be a people who desire to spend time with God - whatever that may look like for you. May you pour your heart out before God and share the gift of prayer with others - all for the sake of God's holy name.

Hallowed Be Your Name - Luke 11:2-4 Devo

August 16th, 2020

Devotional

“The Lord’s Prayer - Hallowed be Your Name”

Luke 11: 2-4

Keep the sermon topic and Biblical text preaching all week by following Pastor Michelle on twitter @tinypastor and reading her sermon blog www.revmichelle.blogspot.com

Monday: “When You Pray” - Luke 11:2

  Pastor Max Lucado has the premise that the Lord’s Prayer should be seen as a house. A Home for your heart. A place to dwell and grow with God. This may seem like an odd way to think of prayer, but for a moment think about your home. Perhaps its the house your grew up in. Maybe it was your first home when you left your parents. Maybe its the house you are living in now. Think about a house that special to you. A house that you consider your home. There is truly a difference between a house - something that provides us shelter, but perhaps not safety and comfort, and a home - that place where we can be fully ourselves, fully alive. 

Just as we have a place that we consider to be our physical home, so do we have a spiritual home. St Theresa of Avila, a spiritual writer, describes this home as the interior castle. The place that is built upon the foundation of our spiritual lives and where we dwell with God. Where we can just be ourselves, filled by the Holy Spirit and fully alive in the presence of God. But a house doesn’t become a home overnight. And it needs to be tended to with extra care because it is home to your soul. This is especially important because we are not only invited to dwell with God in this spiritual home, but to dwell in God. What a radical thought expressed by the Apostle Paul when he says, “in God we live and move and have our being”. (Acts 17:28)

How does prayer help us to dwell in God?

Prayer: God, we thank you this day for the gift of prayer. For the gift you offered your first disciples in how to pray, and that same gift that has been handed down to us through the ages. May we not take prayer for grantit. Instead, may we find joy in spending time, simply being in your holy presence. Amen.

Tuesday: “Father” - Luke 11: 2

Do you know God with this level of familiarity? What amazes you about it? What concerns you? God is our home where we can find comfort, peace, refreshment, solitude, guidance. Maybe this idea of being that intimate with God excites you, energizes you, rejuvenates you. Maybe you need time to consider it because it is so new. You’ve only heard God discussed as a distant deity instead of a loving parent, a home. Maybe you don’t want to be that close to God because you are afraid that God won’t love you, won’t want you.

Christ our Lord and Savior invites us into this house of God by telling his disciples to pray saying, “Father”. For some of us the image of Father brings up problems. It drags up painful memories of our own Father’s who may have hurt us physically or emotionally. Or abandoned us. For others it is a beautiful reflection of our own Father’s love for us. But how many of us when we hear the words “Father” think first to the story Jesus tells of the prodigal son? The son who disowned his father, squandered his inheritance, and then returned thinking he would work for his father as a hired hand, only to find out that he celebrated, love, reinstated. We were once far from our Heavenly Father, separated by sin. But now we are welcomed into the Kingdom in loving arms. This is the Father we pray to. The one who loves us unconditional, with an eternal forgiveness. The one who reminds us that while we may want to stop being God’s child, disowning Him, he will never stop being our Father.

The word used in scripture is even more intimate. Abba. Our Daddy. The one that we run to as children when we have a scraped knee, a bruised heart, or have accomplished something wonderful during the day. A family relationship that we are welcomed in to through the blood of Jesus Christ. 

How do you address your prayers when you pray?

Prayer: Lord, we thank you for the invitation Jesus has issued to us to pray to you as Father. To pray with you out of a place of relationship and love. May we not be afraid to approach you in this way, but instead treasure it. Amen. 

Wednesday: “Hallowed” - Luke 11:2

Our God’s name is Hallowed. Holy. To be worshiped. Sacred. Revered. But this Holy God, creator and master of all, is still our loving Father. Who tells us that we don’t need to pray a certain way or have the exact words, but simply invites us to come. To come and sit with him. To be still and silent and listen for his loving voice. 

One of my favorite praise songs isn’t sung very often. Maybe because its not upbeat. Maybe because it just isn’t known very well. But its entitled ‘If I Could Just Sit With You Awhile’. “If I could just sit with you a while. If you could just hold me. Nothing could touch me though I’m wounded, though I die. If I could just sit you a while, I need you to hold me, moment by moment until forever passes by.” Friends, we have a holy, loving, Father who invites us to just come and sit with him in prayer. To cry. To be silent. To express our heart’s joy. To tell Him about our day. And to be loved.

How do we reflect God’s holiness and love in the world?

Prayer: Almighty God, forgive us for the times that we have failed to show your holiness to the world. Forgive us for the times we have acted in unloving ways. Let us go forth and share who you are to us in a way that touches hearts and changes lives, including our own. Amen. 

Thursday: “In Heaven” - Matthew 6: 9

Many of us have a difficult time with this concept of God as our daddy or father, not because of how we view our earthly father, but because of the next line in the prayer - who is in Heaven. We think of God as someone who is remotely out there instead of intimately with us. But we dismiss what that powerful statement is actually communicating. We have a Heavenly Parent who is. Not just who was. Not just who will be. But is, The God who is strong. Who is powerful. Who is compassionate. Who is loving. Who is more than we can ever imagine. The God who is. 

Our God is Lord of Heaven and Earth. Our Father rules the universe. Sometimes its easy to forget this, but our God in Heaven is not stated to make us think that distant but to remind us how ever present and ever close God really is. What God created. That God is the master of all. That God is higher than us.

When you reflect on God being the ruler of the universe, what comes to your mind?

Prayer: God of Grace, we are amazed by your majesty. Your ways are so much higher than our ways. As we pray this prayer, may we be brought to our knees anew in awe and wonder. Amen. 

Friday: “Pray” - Luke 11:2

  When is the last time you have ran to be with this God? When is the last time you just sat in God’s presence, listening for the voice of holy love instead of talking? When is the last time who praised our God who is the rock of our faith and the cornerstone of our spiritual home? And how can looking to God our Father, who is in heaven, and proclaiming that his name is hallowed effect your prayer life this week?

What does the Lord’s Prayer mean to you at this season in your life?

Prayer: God, sometimes we gloss over the words of this mighty prayer. We ask this week that you draw our attention to your words again and again, in a way that speaks to our hearts, we pray. Amen. 

Saturday: Preparing for the Word

You are invited to read and pray this week’s text and topic to prepare for worship: “The Lord’s Prayer - Your Kingdom Come” - Luke 11: 2-4

Sabbath. Study. Serve.

Sabbath, Study, Serve 

Taking the Sermon Into Our Week 

Scripture of the Week: Luke 11: 2-4

From the Sermon:

Jesus found himself off praying in a certain place and when he was finished, one of the disciples asked that he would teach them to ________.

Teach us how to ________________.

Five sentences that started out with this bold statement, “________, ___________ be your name.”

For Jesus, prayer is based in _________________ with God.

The way we live our lives should be a _____________ in the world that we honor the name of God.

God’s name is holy because God is _________.

Reflection Questions:

What does it mean to honor God?

Who taught you how to pray?

What are some of the ways that you teach others how to pray?

Prayer:

Lord, remind us this day of the joy and passion we had for praying when we first learned. Lead us to teach others how to approach you as well. Speak to our hearts, we pray. Amen. 

Generosity - 2 Cor 8:1-15

Generosity is not something that always comes easy to us. Nor is passionate worship. Risk-taking mission and service. Intentional faith development. Or Radical Hospitality. Being a vital congregation and faithful disciples of Jesus is hard at times. And sometimes, just sometimes, it requires a radical shift in our priorities. In the words of Bishop Schase, “To fulfill the ministry of Christ, congregations must change and grow and adapt in ways that are purposeful, thoughtful, and faithful.”

How are we willing to change as local churches in order to proclaim the power of Jesus Christ? And how are we willing to change as individual disciples in order to bear good, abundant, fruit for the Kingdom of God?

Reblog from Bearing Fruit: Extravagant Generosity (1/30/17)

Generosity Devo - 2 Cor 8: 1-15

August 9th, 2020

Devotional

“Generosity” - 2 Cor 8:1-15

Keep the sermon topic and Biblical text preaching all week by following Pastor Michelle on twitter @tinypastor and reading her sermon blog www.revmichelle.blogspot.com

Monday: “Generous” - 2 Cor 8: 1-15

  The Apostle Paul told the church in Corinth that they will be “enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion.” There are times of year that people naturally count their blessings and as a result are generous such as Thanksgiving and Christmas. But now, in the season outside of these holidays, we sometimes are not as intentional in our generosity. 

A few months ago, well before the holidays, the ministerium (a group of local pastors representing congregations in the area) met with four wonderful groups in our area doing good mission work. Places like Interfaith Human Services and Community Action. When asked what the biggest need for us to take back to our congregations was, one of the service agencies said we need to remember that people are in need all year round. Her point was clear - while it is wonderful to be generous around the holidays, people need to be served the rest of the year as well. In my mind questions started to form as to to how we can cultivate a spirit of generosity amongst us. 

What would it look like to cultivate a spirit of generosity?

Prayer: God, we confess that at times we are not very generous with our treasures, our time, our resources. We let our fears of the future get in the way. Forgive us, O Lord. Remove from us anything that would prevent us from following you and the leading of your Spirit in showing your generous love in the world. Amen. 

Tuesday: “Grace of God” - 2 Cor 8: 1-4

  I believe that one of the ways we honor God is to give of our resources. When we give, we live into the great commandment to love God with all we are and all we have and love our neighbor as ourselves in a tangible way. We practice being generous because it reflect the very nature of God, who was generous to us in every way - rich in mercy and making a way even to the cross for us to be richly blessed with the gift of salvation. 

  Think about some of the stories in scripture of how generous God has been to us. Abram, before he became Abraham, was able to rescue his nephew Lot from not one, not two, but four area kings who had banded together to plunder Sodom and Gomorrah, where Lot was living. He was able to recover all of the goods that had been plundered as well as Lot and his family. King Melchizedek was so grateful for what Abram had done that he gave him a tenth of all that was retrieved. But Abram would not accept any of the riches, because he had sworn that he would not take it so that the King would be able to say that he made Abram rich instead of God.

 God gave Abram strength and courage to retrieve Lot. God gave the people of Israel the gift of the Sabbath, a complete day of rest and worship, after they were freed from slavery in Egypt. God made the earth and everything upon it for people to be stewards of. God gave the words of the priests and the prophets when the people of Israel strayed and God gave us the gift of the cross when we continued to go our own way. I have one lady who every time I ask her what she is joyful for she has a sizable list, starting with getting out of bed today. She truly sees and understands that everything we have been given is a good gift from God - a sign of God’s generosity towards us. 

How has God been generous to you?

Prayer: God, help us to see the many ways you have been generous, gracious, and faithful to us, O Lord. Free us to go forth and proclaim this as part of our testimonies throughout the week, we pray! Amen. 

Wednesday: “Not Merely as Expected” - 2 Cor 8: 5-7

The generosity of the church is counter cultural. It stands up against the idea that happiness is to be found in accumulation and instead proclaims that sacrificial giving changes hearts and changes lives - which can be a source of true joy. It is not so much about what you have as what you do with what you have in order to bless others. 

In a study between resources and happiness, it was found that people, no matter what their income said that they would need 20 percent more in order to be happy. So for the person making 25,000$ a year they said they needed 5,000$ more to be happy. And the person making $50,000 a year said they needed $10,000 more to be happy and so on and so forth. We have ether ability to tell people that money is not the root of happiness, and instead we called to not ask how much more we need but rather, how much more we are called to give. Its a spiritual issue folks. 

We are told that the early disciples “sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.” Why did they do that? Well first, they believed that Jesus was coming back soon. Very soon. As in any day now - so they didn’t need a savings plan. Second, they believed that being generous could change lives. Do we still believe that today? Do we still uplift the power of generosity?

How can being generous change lives?

Prayer: Almighty God, help us to recognize that all that we possess we are merely stewards of. For all that we have, O Lord, you have truly given to us. Use what we have to meet the needs of others and transform lives and the world, we pray. Amen. 

Thursday: “Genuine” - 2 Cor 8: 8-11

The truth is we give because we believe that our gifts, together, can make a difference and proclaim Christ’s name in a mighty way. In the gospel of Luke we find Jesus and his disciples in the temple. They notice a poor widow putting in a few small coins. He taught his disciples that she gave a true gift, because she literally gave her all. God isn’t asking us to give everything we have in order to be generous, but God does ask us to be genuine is our giving.

In Luke, the widow giving her last coins. In 2 Corinthians, the Macedonians gave above and beyond. In both passages, those giving didn’t believe that what they offered could do much, but coupled with the gifts of others giving their all, they truly could change the world.

What does it mean to be genuine in our giving?

Prayer: God of Grace and God of Glory, teach us anew what it means to be genuine in what we give. Let us give with an open heart and the only expectation that you will take what we offer and use it for your Kingdom. Amen.

Friday: “The One who Had” - 2 Cor 8: 12-15

  Generosity can also make us uncomfortable at times. We worry that if we give out of the riches God has blessed us with that we will not have enough. Not enough to put into savings or retirement. Not enough for the things we want an d need. We worry about the present moment and the future. We worry that people aren’t worthy enough to be recipients of our generosity. Worried that people will mis-use our hard earned resources so we become hesitant in our giving. 

  We don't mean to be hesitant in our generosity - it just happens from time to time. John Wesley was concerned that the people called Methodists could become so frugal in their saving that it would distract them from being able to give in the present. Certainly there is nothing wrong with saving, but Wesley did not want people to be able to look back and have regrets that they were not living faithfully in the present.  

As the church, we are to practice giving that exceeds all expectations. When we give we and give extravagantly we given blessed opportunities to share with others the love of Jesus Christ, so that we have no regrets. To tell others that we give because God has already given us the greatest gift imaginable. To share about the power of God.

What are different ways beyond money that we can be generous?

Prayer: God, touch our hearts and speak to us about ways we make your name and generosity known in the world. Use us, we pray. Amen. 

Saturday: Preparing for the Word

You are invited to read and pray this week’s text and topic to prepare for worship: “The Lord’s Prayer” - Luke 11: 2-4

Study. Sabbath. Serve.

Sabbath, Study, Serve 

Taking the Sermon Into Our Week 

Scripture of the Week: 2 Cor 8:1-15

From the Sermon:

The apostle Paul has had some _________ with the Corinthians.

Being the _______________________ means helping out other brothers and sisters who you may never be able to meet.

Generosity is an act of __________.

Just as generosity cannot be compelled, neither can ____________.

Generosity has to be _________.

Reflection Questions:

Why are we generous?

How are generosity and trust connected?

Prayer:

Lord, we confess that at times we think generosity is about what we have to give up, instead of seeing it as a call to be the body of Christ in the world. Speak tenderly to our hearts and mold us to be your ambassadors in the world, we pray.Amen. 

Walk by Faith, Not Sight - 2 Cor 5: 1-21

 "This world is not my home. I'm just a passing through." Words that echo from the old spiritual. But the truth is we constantly live between the tension of at home while being away from our ultimate home.

   The Church in Corinth seems to be struggling with the fragility of their human bodies and understanding what happens after you die. They are wrestling with some of the same questions we still ask today. But Paul is reminding them to focus on the ultimate things.

    When we get too focused on the appearance of things, or our limited understanding, we can miss the point. That certainly happened to Jesus. When people in Jesus's day and time only focused on his outward appearance, they missed the power of the message he came to proclaim. They missed the point.

    We can do the same thing today when we get so caught up in the details that we miss the ultimate call. While we are here in our earthly bodies we are to walk by faith. Does that mean we will know everything? No. Does it mean that we will understand even the things we do know? No. But we travel on - trusting that God will lead us, sustain us, and use us, in a powerful way.

Walk by Faith, Not Sight - 2 For 5: 1-21 - Devo

August 2, 2020

Devotional

“Walk by Faith, Not Sight”

  2 Corinthians 5: 1-21

Keep the sermon topic and Biblical text preaching all week by following Pastor Michelle on twitter @tinypastor and reading her sermon blog www.revmichelle.blogspot.com

Monday: “Earthly Tent” - 2 Corinthians 5:1-5

  Perhaps I am not the most adapt camper, but there have been several times in my life, when the tent I was in could do nothing to ward off the weather that we were facing. Once at an outdoor festival, there was so much mud and standing water from days of down pouring rain, that the tent was also filled with mud and water. 

Tents are meant to be tools. To help us in what we face. But they are not the same as a house with a foundation. When Paul is comparing our bodies to tents, he is not saying that with any judgement, as if bodies are bad. He is simply stating a fact - some day our earthly bodies will fail, but then we will be in our eternal home in heaven. 

Paul also notes that in our earthly bodies we will face suffering. Many of us know this firsthand, as we have battled illnesses or have watched love ones struggle with disease. But Paul also says that there is a soul that is being covered by the body, that the tent cannot effect. How do we know this? By the Holy Spirit, which dwells within us. 

What do you think about Paul’s metaphor of the body as a tent? Do you agree or disagree? 

Prayer: God, we thank you for creating us and giving us the bodies we are in. May we honor our bodies, even as we acknowledge that they are only temporary, we pray. Amen. 

Tuesday: “Walk by Faith” - 2 Corinthians 5: 6-7

One of the definitions of faith that I cling to the most is assurance in that which we cannot see. Faith and believing go hand in hand.

For our confirmation class this past year we studied the Apostles Creed and talked about why belief matters. Creed or Credo means I believe. 

When we choose to walk by faith we are saying that we believe and trust in God, not just through our words, but through our actions. Our literal steps we take. For Paul, this faith and belief in God is where our confidence and hope comes from. It is the lived embodiment of the Gospel message. 

How do you walk by faith each day?

Prayer: Lord, help us to walk by faith - even when we do not understand. Help us to believe - even when we do not have all of the answers. Lead us, Precious Lord, we pray. Amen. 

Wednesday: “Home or Away” - 2 Corinthians 5: 8-10

One of the beliefs that I hear from Christians that I struggle with is that it doesn’t matter how we live in this world, because all that matters is getting to eternity in the world to come. 

The apostle Paul directly speaks to this belief when he makes the statement whether we are home in the body (here on this earth) or home with the Lord (in eternity), the goal is the same - to please the Lord. 

Sin is acting in a way that does not please the Lord. It is missing the mark. It is that which separates us from our Holy God. We need to live on this earth in a way that seeks to embody God’s will and way. Sometimes we will continue to miss the mark, but the promise that awaits for us in heaven should not be an excuse to act contrary to God here and now. 

What does it look like for you to please the Lord?

Prayer: Almighty God, we confess that sometimes we get so excited about what is to come in heaven that we overlook the call you have on our lives here and now. Forgive us, O Lord. Let us continue to seek your face daily, as we make your name known. Amen. 

Thursday: “The Love of Christ” - 2 Corinthians 5: 11-15

Whenever I am reading an epistle I ask myself why is the author, in this case Paul, writing this? At this point in the letter, it seems that he is making an appeal to the church about where his (and ultimately their) authority comes from - it comes from Christ alone. 

Specifically, it is rooted in the love that Christ has for us. 

One of the most well known verses in scripture is John 3:16, For God so loved the world, that he sent his only begotten son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life. Christ’s death on the cross to reconcile us to God was an act of love. When we put on the identity of being a follower of Christ, a Christian, we are to share that love with the world.

How do we do that? By not living for ourselves. But by living for Christ alone.

What does it mean to live for Christ?

Prayer: God of Grace, thank you for the gift of your love that is proclaimed in John 3:16. May we be so moved by the love that you have shown us that we cannot help but go forth and share that love with the world. Amen. 

Friday: “A New Creation” - 2 Corinthians 5: 16-21

  Often in scripture when people had a divine encounter with God or Jesus their names changed. Abram became Abraham. Sari became Sarah. Jacob became Israel. Simon became Peter. Saul became Paul. 

While our name may not change when we are transformed by Christ, Paul does tell us that we are a new creation. That the old parts of us that were alienated from God will be stripped away and a new centeredness in Christ will take its place. 

However, this is hard work. It is the work of confession and transformation. The ongoing work of sanctification.

What does sanctification look like in your life?

Prayer: God, we are thankful that you will note leave us alone and invite us daily to take up our cross and follow you. Make us into a new creation, your new creation we pray. Amen. 

Saturday: Preparing for the Word

You are invited to read and pray this week’s text and topic to prepare for worship: “Generosity” - 2 Cor 8:1-15