Knowing

Knowing

READ: PSALM 139; ROMANS 8:26-39; HEBREWS 11:1 [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=PSALM%20139%3B%20ROMANS%208%3A26-39%3B%20HEBREWS%2011%3A1&version=NIV] I know what to do. I know how to act, how to look, how to speak. I can recite His words from memory. I know how to find Bible verses in thirty seconds flat. I go to church every week, and I take sermon notes. I can show everyone that I follow Him. I know what to do. I know what I should do. I know I should read the Bible every day. I can talk to Him whenever I want, and I should do it every day. I know He loves me, and I should praise Him for it. I know I should tell everyone I meet about Him. I should feel confident because I know the Good News. I know what I should do. I don’t know what to do. I don’t always feel His presence. I don’t feel peaceful or strong; I feel anxious. I don’t know whether I am serving Him or only my own pride. I don’t feel full of love and hope; I feel like a decorated empty shell. I don’t feel like His child; I feel like an imposter. I don’t know what to do. He knows me. He knows my every fault and failure. He understands my joy and pain, my strongest desires, and my deepest regrets. He calls me to His side, even when I am too self-focused to hear. He claimed me as His own before I took my first breath. He tells me nothing in this or any world can stop His love for me. He knows me, and that’s all I need to know. • Andi Potter • Can you think of a time you felt like the narrator in today’s poem? As Christians, we’ll all have times when we feel distant from Jesus, when we feel lost and confused, when we might even wonder if we really belong to Him. Thankfully, Jesus’s love for us is unending, His forgiveness is unshakable—and He knows we need reminders of this! • Because God loves us so dearly, Jesus died on the cross to forgive our sins and rose from the grave to give us new life. Once we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we can know that we are forever secure in His love. How could it be freeing to remember that God knows us—including how desperately we need Him? (For more about what it means to be in Christ, check out our "Know Jesus [https://unlocked.org/knowjesus/]" page). • In Psalm 139:7-12, what does David say about how far Jesus is willing to pursue us? (If you want to dig deeper, read Luke 15; John 3:16-17; Ephesians 1:13-14; 2:1-10; Romans 8:38-39.) • Jesus always invites us to talk to Him about all our struggles, and He also provides fellow Christians we can talk to. Who are trusted Christians in your life you can share your struggles with—people who will listen to you, pray with you and for you, and remind you of Jesus’s love and forgiveness? (If no one comes to mind, you can ask God to help you identify someone in the future.) Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Psalm 139:23-24 (NIV)

God Can Handle the Outcome

READ: PROVERBS 24:29; ROMANS 8:28-39; 12:9-21 [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=PROVERBS%2024%3A29%3B%20ROMANS%208%3A28-39%3B%2012%3A9-21&version=CSB] My family prioritized attending college after high school. So as my sister, who I’ll call Monique, prepared for college, she entered a scholarship competition. During the finale, I watched as other participants received cash awards to help pay for college. But Monique left with none. Later, Monique confided in me that one of the winners had cheated. Monique’s friend, who I’ll call Heidi, had received an award for the best essay. But Heidi told some friends that her boyfriend Austin wrote it for her. Heidi didn’t expect to win. But Austin’s willingness to “help” resulted in a victory Heidi didn’t earn—and stole opportunities from others. I got angry on Monique’s behalf. I called the situation, “Unfair! Unjust! Wrong!” Heidi’s cheating was all that. But the competition had ended. Out-of-town judges had gone home. It seemed nothing could be done. Monique accepted the situation, choosing not to address it. But I wanted better for my sister. I wanted to make somebody pay. Sometimes it’s harder to forgive someone who’s hurt a person we love than it is to forgive someone who’s hurt us. But I know God calls me to forgive. I’ve put my trust in Jesus to pay for my sins by dying in my place, securing my forgiveness and my relationship with God. If He could forgive me every wrong thought, attitude, action, and word, I could choose to forgive Heidi (and Austin). I could choose—by the power of Christ’s Spirit in me—to support Monique and not hold a grudge. I could choose to release Heidi and Austin from my desire to get back at them. After graduation, my sister pursued higher education. She even earned a position playing soccer at a community college, which paid for two years of tuition. I learned from Monique to forgive and leave the results to God—and then watch Him provide in His way. • Allison Wilson Lee • Can you think of a time somebody mistreated or betrayed you, but God still worked for your good? • In life, there are times to speak up against wrongs, and there are also times when God gives us grace to accept an unfair outcome. We can always pray for justice, asking God to give us wisdom and boldness if we’re in a position to seek justice, and asking Him to give us peace even if we won’t see full justice until Jesus returns. Who are trusted Christians who can help you discern when to speak up, and when not to? When we address an injustice, but still nothing changes, why can we still trust God to work out His best? (Matthew 27:12; Acts 22:24–23:11) Don’t say, “I will avenge this evil!” Wait on the Lord, and he will rescue you. Proverbs 20:22 (CSB)

Festering Wound

READ: EPHESIANS 4:20-32; 5:25-27; JAMES 1:16-27 [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=EPHESIANS%204%3A20-32%3B%205%3A25-27%3B%20JAMES%201%3A16-27%20&version=NLT] Have you ever gotten a severe cut? I remember falling off my bike going down a steep hill too quickly. I got a deep gash in my knee, with blood soaking through the hole in my jeans. Right away, I hobbled on home to get it cleaned up and bandaged. Over the next few days, we washed rocks and debris out again and again. It was a slow, painful process, but it was necessary. If I left any dirt, rocks, or debris behind, infection could set in, causing a bigger problem. A festering wound can be pretty gross, smelly, and ugly. I wanted that gash dealt with quickly and completely so full healing could take place. Tending to that wound reminds me of how we need to tend to our anger. Ephesians 4:31 tells us to get rid of our selfish anger because it can fester into a much bigger problem, like wrath or bitterness. These are even harder to treat, and they can cause painful rifts in our relationships. When our anger hurts someone, those harsh words or actions, like the debris in my wound, need to be washed away with the water of the Word (who is Jesus) and with forgiveness. Once anger is washed away, add the healing balm of kindness and tenderheartedness (Ephesians 4:32). Go back and repeat the same steps as many times as necessary, just as I did with my gash. This whole process is only possible through Jesus. He has made the way for us to be forgiven through His death and resurrection. Because of God’s great love for us, He has cleansed us of our sins, healing our broken relationship with Himself and making the way for our relationships with other people to be healed too. • Deborah del Villar • What’s the difference between righteous and unrighteous anger? To know what’s righteous, we look to God. The Old Testament tells us God is “slow to anger” and “his anger lasts only a moment” (Exodus 34:6; Psalm 30:5). The New Testament tells us Jesus is God, and once we know Him, His Spirit lives in us. Since we have been forgiven through Jesus’s death and resurrection, and since we have the Holy Spirit, we are called to be “slow to get angry,” to be humble, and to love and forgive others as Jesus loves and forgives us (Ephesians 4:32; James 1:19-21; 1 John 4:19). Consider taking some time to talk to Jesus about any anger in your heart. It’s okay if you don’t know how much of your anger is righteous and how much is unrighteous—you can be totally honest with Him as you rely on His grace and help. In addition to talking to Jesus, who are trusted Christians in your life who could help you process your anger? Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger...Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted. Ephesians 4:31-32 (NLT)

Masterpiece

READ: LUKE 15:11-32; ROMANS 3:10-18, 23-26; EPHESIANS 2:1-10 [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=LUKE%2015%3A11-32%3B%20ROMANS%203%3A10-18%2C%2023-26%3B%20EPHESIANS%202%3A1-10&version=NLT] Jarrod clung to his steed, spurring it faster. Dust thrown by thundering hooves swarmed behind him. His pursuers closed in. Hair on the back of Jarrod’s neck stood on end. He breathed frantic gasps, gagged on raw fear. “Bravo!” Jarrod said, pulling off the virtual reality headset and then carefully removing the fiber-optic gloves. “It’s perfect,” he said to the vendor, Reuben. “You were pleased with the Remington?” “I was. Does it work on all the paintings in the gallery?” Reuben nodded. “It allows the viewer to experience the very heart of the creation.” With greedy eyes, Jarrod studied the masterpiece. It now seemed strangely dull and lifeless. But paired with this new technology…Introducing it to museums would make him the envy of the art world. “Imagine delighting in Mona Lisa’s smile, indulging in the tranquility of Monet,” Reuben said, “or exploring Picasso…” “I’ll pass on Picasso, thank you,” Jarrod said with a chuckle. “Too surreal.” “Quite so,” Reuben agreed. “Shall we finish viewing the Western collection?” In response, Jarrod pulled the equipment back on. It felt disorienting at first, but he soon became accustomed to the swirl of color and sound. Familiar masterpieces blossomed to life as he strolled, one heart-pounding image bleeding into the next. And then… The stench of rotting flesh slammed Jarrod. A horror of a man dressed in filthy rags swallowed his vision. Malice bore into Jarrod’s mind like a thousand stinging maggots. Terror knocked him to his knees. Screaming, he ripped the headset off his head, yanking away the horror in a flash. Reuben crouched beside him. “Sir, are you alright?” Bile rose in Jarrod’s throat. “That artwork…it must be removed.” The room grew painfully quiet. Finally, Reuben said, “I’m afraid you are confused. There is no portrait on this wall.” “What?” Jarrod asked. Legs trembling, he stood. An arrogantly handsome face stared back at him. Reuben was correct. No artwork adorned the wall. Only a mirror. Jarrod stammered out a farewell to Reuben, then hurried away to another exhibit. Finding a bench, he sunk down, his head in his hands. When he finally looked up, he was startled at the artwork before him. A man was on his knees, dressed in filthy rags. Though it was only a sketch, Jarrod couldn’t tear his gaze away. For this man wasn’t alone—he was wrapped in a tender embrace. Who would touch such a disgusting man? Who would love him? Jarrod looked for the placard. It was a Rembrandt, and it was entitled: The Return of the Prodigal Son. • Lori Z. Scott • What stuck out to you in today’s allegorical story? When Jarrod looked in the mirror, he saw the state of his soul. The truth is, we’re all like Jarrod. We’re dead in our sins (Ephesians 2:1), and all “our righteous deeds…are nothing but filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:3-8). We are desperately in need of God’s mercy. But the good news is, God has already extended His mercy to us. • In Luke 15, Jesus tells the parable of the prodigal son, who rejected his father’s love and chose sin instead. When the son finally came to his senses and returned home as a beggar, how did his father respond? How does this show us how God responds to us whenever we turn to Him? • In Jesus, God has made the way for us to come home to Him, with all our sin and need, and be made new. Jesus died on the cross to forgive our sins, and He rose from the dead to give us new life. How does Ephesians 2:1-10 describe us before we know Jesus—and how does it describe us once we are in Christ? (If you want to know more about the good news of Jesus, see our "Know Jesus [https://unlocked.org/knowjesus/]" page.) But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) Ephesians 2:4-5 (NLT)

Jesus, Coequal with God

READ: JOHN 1:1-3; COLOSSIANS 1:15-20; HEBREWS 1:1-4 [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=JOHN%201%3A1-3%3B%20COLOSSIANS%201%3A15-20%3B%20HEBREWS%201%3A1-4&version=CSB] Every generation has catchphrases. There was a popular saying in the early church that went something like this, “There was a time when He was not.” In fact, it was so popular that people would go around chanting it in the streets! What did the phrase mean? A pastor at the time by the name of Arius had started to circulate some unique ideas about Jesus, and one of those ideas was that Jesus was a lesser being than God the Father. To argue this point, Arius claimed that Jesus was created by God (hence the catchphrase). Does this view hold water when compared to the rest of Scripture? First, take a look at John 1. In this passage, John uses the title of “the Word” to describe Jesus. Not only was Jesus “with God in the beginning” (verse 2), He Himself “was God” (verse 1). This teaches us that Jesus existed in eternity past with God the Father. Notice John also writes, “All things were created through him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created” (verse 3). If Jesus created all things, then how could He have been created? What about Colossians 1:15? In this verse, Paul refers to Jesus as “the firstborn over all creation.” Does that mean Jesus was created, or born from God? No! In Bible times, to be the firstborn was considered an honor. In this passage, Paul uses the term as a title indicating that Jesus deserves to be honored above all creation. In the following verse, Paul writes that everything that exists has been created by Jesus, just like John wrote in John 1. At the Council of Nicea in AD 325, Arius’s belief that Jesus was a created being and less than God was rightly rejected. We would say that Jesus and the Father are separate persons, but both fully and equally God. Therefore, we can be sure that there was NOT a time when He was not. • Jonathon Fuller • Why do you think believing Jesus is God is such an important part of being a Christian? How does it make you feel when you think about God Himself dying on the cross for us? • The word Trinity is how we describe that God is one God in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. What questions do you have about the Trinity? Who could you ask about it? • The controversy with Arius eventually resulted in the Nicene Creed, a brief summary of the gospel that unites Christians from around the world and throughout history. This creed is still read regularly in many churches today. If you’ve never read this creed, check it out! In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:1 (CSB)