Not Living for Ourselves Alone

Not Living for Ourselves Alone

READ: ROMANS 14; 1 CORINTHIANS 8:9-13; 13:4-7; GALATIANS 5:13 [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=ROMANS%2014%3B%201%20CORINTHIANS%208%3A9-13%3B%2013%3A4-7%3B%20GALATIANS%205%3A13&version=NIV] We live in a world that often says, “Do whatever makes you happy.” But in Romans 14:21, Paul says something else. He’s writing to Christians in Rome who were arguing about food, drink, and other personal choices. Some felt free to eat anything; others believed certain foods were wrong. Instead of saying, “Do what you want,” Paul instructs the believers to think about how their choices affect the people around them. If what we’re doing—even if it’s not wrong in itself—makes it harder for someone else to follow Jesus, then it’s worth giving up. Sometimes God calls us to lay down our freedom out of love. This isn’t just about food. As believers, it’s natural and good to desire freedom—to make our own choices, speak our minds, and live fully in the freedom we have in Christ. But that freedom isn’t about doing whatever we want—it’s about using our freedom to reflect Jesus and love others well (Galatians 5:13). It’s freedom with love. Jesus said, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13). And He didn’t just say it—He lived it. As God the Son, He gave up His rights, His comfort, and ultimately His life, to put our needs first and fulfill the will of the Father. That’s the kind of love Jesus has for us. And that’s the kind of love we’re called to walk in. Scripture reminds us that our actions affect others. You might be fine listening to certain music, joking a certain way, or watching specific content—but it’s worth asking ourselves: is this helping or hurting someone else’s walk with Jesus? And that’s where 1 Corinthians 13 comes in. Love isn’t about getting our way—“Love is patient, love is kind… It is not self-seeking” (verses 4-5). Sometimes love means we don’t do something—not because it’s sinful, but because it might cause someone else to stumble. Remember, we’re able to love others in this way when we rest in Jesus, who laid down His rights, His desires, and His very life out of love for us. • Stephanie Mathews • Sometimes, it can be hard to know if something we’re doing is making it difficult for those around us to follow Jesus. Thankfully, whenever we have questions about this, Jesus invites us to bring them to Him in prayer. In addition to talking to Jesus, who are trusted Christians you can ask? • Who in your life might be impacted—positively or negatively—by your example? Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. Romans 14:19 (NIV)

Dead No Longer

READ: EPHESIANS 2:1-10; 3:19 [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=EPHESIANS%202%3A1-10%3B%203%3A19&version=NLT] Around me the scuff of thousands of feet scrapes over asphalt. A mob of the dead overtaking another city. Our leader is our hunger. Our need to make everything we encounter just like us. In my path is a dandelion that had been growing through a crack in the concrete. It lies flat and trampled by the hundreds who walk ahead of me. The flower is squished, the color is faded, and the whole thing is covered in dust. It’s as good as dead. I step on it and twist my foot anyway, crushing it even more. And it feels good. Once across the massive parking lot, the mob reaches the city limits. We break apart and go different ways. Some heading for businesses, some for homes, some for churches. A swarm of gray flowing into the streets. I follow the flow down Mainstreet. My body is numb, my limbs feel heavy, and my stomach commands more, more, more. Something touches my arm, and I halt. It’s warm. I’ve never felt warm before. I jerk my head around to see a man, clothed in the most vibrant colors I have ever seen. I look down at where he’s grasping my arm. His hand glows with the color of life. It’s a stark contrast to the lifeless gray of my arm—his strong healthy complexion against my papery, peeling skin. But wait, how am I feeling him? I’ve never felt anything before. At least, not like this. The warmth from his hand spreads throughout my arm, until it fills my whole body. The skin on my arm swells and colors until it looks just like his. Full of life. My eyes grow sharper, and his color becomes even more dazzling. I’m alive. I’ve never been alive before. Suddenly every craving I had a moment ago has shifted. I don’t want to destroy, I want to be with this man. His brown eyes are filled with more kindness than I can comprehend, even now that my mind feels sharper and more discerning. A laugh bubbles from within me, and I flinch. I’ve never made that sound before. The man is smiling now. Following behind him is a small crowd of people. They’re alive, just like me. When they see what the man has done for me, a cheer rings out among them, and they all run toward me with joy. • Emily Tenter • Today’s allegorical story is inspired by various Scriptures that show how desperately we need Jesus. Without Him, we are dead in our sins, ruled by our hunger for things that are not good. But even in our depravity, God loved us with an everlasting love, and He came to dwell with us in Jesus. Fully God and fully human, Jesus took our sins upon Himself when He died on the cross. But death could not master Him—He rose again, declaring that everyone who puts their trust in Him has new life! Have you ever thought about what it means that, before we knew Jesus, all of us were dead in our sins? Why is it so important that Jesus is alive—and He is the only one who can make us alive? (If you want to dig deeper, read Ezekiel 11:19-20; 37:1-14; Luke 15:1-7, 24; John 10:10-11; Romans 6:13; 2 Corinthians 5:17.) • Once we know Jesus, our desires start to be transformed. As we grow in our relationship with God, learning to rest in His love and forgiveness and kindness for us, our inclinations will be directed more and more toward love, forgiveness, and kindness for others. Can you think of a time you noticed God’s transforming work in your life? Consider taking a moment to thank Him for this! (2 Corinthians 3:18; Galatians 5:13-23; Philippians 1:6; 2:13) • When Jesus returns, He will raise us from our graves, and all His people will have resurrected bodies that will never get sick or die again—hallelujah! Until that day, we will continue to struggle with sin, but Jesus will continue to cover us with His mercy. How can these truths give us hope as we look forward to His return? (Romans 7:21–8:2; 1 John 1:8–2:1; Revelation 21:1-5)  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. Ephesians 2:4-5 (NLT)

A Song in Your Heart

READ: 1 CHRONICLES 16:31-33; PSALM 59:16; ISAIAH 49:13 [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20CHRONICLES%2016%3A31-33%3B%20PSALM%2059%3A16%3B%20ISAIAH%2049%3A13&version=CSB] Today may be a day you woke up and looked out at the world around you and wanted no more of it. Life could feel crushing, unfair, as though it’s falling apart. You may think you’re completely alone. But take heart, you’re not alone. People may have failed you, or they may not know how to give you what you need, but God has given you a song. He has given all of His creation a song of hope, even the trees, the hills, and the mountains. In fact, the Bible uses the word sing over four hundred times—and God commands us to sing. Why? Because once you’re in Christ, then even in your darkest moments…deep, deep inside of you a song waits for you to give it life. It doesn’t matter if you don’t have a good voice or if you don’t know what to sing. You can go to God’s Word and find truths to sing—the deep truths of the good news of Jesus. Run to Him, the one who is true, who gives freedom and restoration from sin and death. If your faith is in Him, He has given you a song of salvation that He sang over you first…and sings over you even now. So, like a crumbling dam, let the words break you open, fall from your mouth like a river, spill the emotions in a rush. Cry. Scream. But sing. As you do, you will find that joy goes hand-in-hand with the song of salvation. In Psalm 59:16, God is called a stronghold. Singing your song to God, you are surrounded with comfort, peace, and joy. He is your fortress (Psalm 91:2). Song reminds your soul that you belong to God—that you are loved, special, chosen (Psalms 42:5, 11; 103:1-2, 22). The only one who knows your heart better than you do, is God. He knows your pain, your fears, your hopelessness. He wants to carry it all for you. So raise your voice in song, child of God! He will give you the words to sing as He completes the work of restoration He has already begun in you (Philippians 1:6). • Sara DeBord • If God has given the trees, hills, and mountains a song, how much more will He provide us—His children—with a song to sing! Why is the song of God’s people (and of creation) rooted in salvation through Jesus? • If you want to dig deeper, read Psalms 65:13; 96:12; 98:7-8; 118:14; 147:1; Isaiah 55:12; Zephaniah 3:17; John 14:6; Acts 4:11-12; Romans 1:16; 8:18-30; Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16; 1 John 4:19. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and they will trust in the LORD. Psalm 40:3 (CSB)

What Is Communion?

READ: EXODUS 12:17; 1 CORINTHIANS 11:23-26; REVELATION 19:6-9 [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=%20EXODUS%2012%3A17%3B%201%20CORINTHIANS%2011%3A23-26%3B%20REVELATION%2019%3A6-9%20&version=NLT] Communion (also called the Lord’s Supper or the Eucharist) is deeply meaningful for Christians. This simple act of eating bread and drinking wine or juice reminds us of how God loves us so much that He has worked over and over again to bring us to Himself. And in Communion, we anticipate how that work will ultimately be fulfilled when Jesus returns. Communion points us back to Passover (Exodus 12). During the first Passover thousands of years ago, God freed His people from slavery in Egypt, leading them out to the desert where they could worship Him. Through His miracles, He brought them to Himself, and He established Passover to be a yearly reminder of their freedom. Then, in the Gospels, the disciples were celebrating that freedom with Jesus during Passover when He established the first Communion on the night before He went to the cross (Matthew 26:17-30; Mark 14:12-26; Luke 22:1-20). Much like Passover, Communion reminds us of the freedom we have in Jesus. It points us back to the day Jesus took our sins upon Himself, was crucified on the cross to take the Father’s just wrath against sin, and rose from the dead, securing our resurrection when He returns. He did all of this because God wanted to remove the barrier between us and Him—our sin. Communion reminds us that we are no longer defined by our sins—we are defined by Jesus, our Savior who has forgiven us. And because we are in Jesus, we get to dwell with God forever. As believers, we can know Jesus is with us, right now, through the Holy Spirit. At the same time, Jesus reigns on the throne in heaven, but His kingdom is not yet here in all its fullness. When we take Communion, we look forward to the day He will return to resurrect us from the dead. On that day, we will sit around the table with Him, feasting at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, fully enjoying the presence of God and all His forgiven people for all eternity. And that, my friends, is true communion. • Taylor Eising • Why do we need regular reminders about who Jesus is and what He has done for us? What happens when we forget these truths? And how does God show us mercy when we do forget? • Different churches practice Communion in different ways, and that’s okay! What questions do you have about how your church practices Communion and why? Who is a trusted Christian in your life you can talk to about these questions? They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity. Acts 2:46 (NLT)

Pure Milk

READ: PSALM 119:97-104; JOHN 1:1-5; 20:31; 1 PETER 2:2-3 [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=PSALM%20119%3A97-104%3B%20JOHN%201%3A1-5%3B%2020%3A31%3B%201%20PETER%202%3A2-3&version=CSB] I love milk. A tall, cold glass of milk when I’m thirsty…a bowl of cereal…ice cream, cheese, yogurt. I’m in love with all of it. So I thought I understood 1 Peter 2:2: “Like newborn infants, desire the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow up into your salvation.” I wanted to love God’s Word as much as I love milk. But recently I had a baby, and I realized I didn’t understand anything about loving milk. This girl longs for pure milk. It’s the only thing she consumes. It provides all the nutrients she needs, and she desires it very strongly. She drinks milk about six times a day, and when she starts to get hungry, everyone knows. Her cute little face scrunches up and she screams until she’s bright red. When she’s really hungry, there’s almost no way to stop her crying other than to give her milk. She needs it to live, and when she feels the pain of hunger, she knows she must have it! Once she starts drinking her milk, all of her focus is on that task. If I interrupt her for any reason, including to make dinner, she instantly cries out again. When she’s done drinking, she leans back, closes her eyes, and rests. She’s totally satisfied. God’s Word (a term used for the Bible and for Jesus Himself) gives us everything we need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). Through the Bible we learn the story of Jesus! I know His Word is valuable, but watching my daughter I wonder, “Do I really desire God’s Word like a newborn baby? May we be as hungry for God’s Word as my daughter is for milk. And when we get it, may we find ourselves satisfied. • Amy Glendinning • What do you love about God’s Word? • Newborn babies are designed to cry out insistently for what they need from their parents. As God’s children, we are designed to cry out to Him for all our needs. He is always attentive to our cries, and He wants to give us satisfaction in His life-giving presence. How could remembering that God is a loving Father help us cry out to Him? What do you need today? (Matthew 7:9-11) Like newborn infants, desire the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow up into your salvation. 1 Peter 2:2 (CSB)