Devotionals
Week 2
If believers really understood what a gift their salvation truly is, they wouldn’t worry so much about the ‘things’ that otherwise seem so important. They would spend more time meditating on what a great and gracious God we serve. They wouldn’t set their salvation on a ‘shelf’ just to take out and admire, but would use it daily to live a life that pleases God.”
Karen, Middle school teacher
Week Fourteen, Day One
Salvation
When we do something wrong, we are punished. We understand choices, consequences and punishment. But, did you know that the choices you make to disobey God also bring consequences? Because of Jesus’ sacrifice, we are saved from the ultimate punishment that we deserve for the sin in our life, eternal separation from God. This “salvation” is a free gift from God, and it begins the moment that we repent and give God complete control of our lives in exchange for His free gift of forgiveness and eternal life. This moment is commonly referred to as a believer’s “salvation experience” and is a specific moment in time that anyone who calls him/herself a believer ought to be able to remember and talk about, whether or not they know the specific words that they prayed or the details of their surroundings.
Study Romans 10:9-10 and 2 Corinthians 5:17.
Salvation is about surrender. It is a once-and-for-all giving over of yourself to the only one who can rescue your soul. We live our life for God because of our incredible gratitude for His forgiveness.
Include the following in your personal prayer time:
- Thank God for your salvation.
- Commit to share your salvation story with others.
Remember intercessory prayer… My family on Monday.
FOR FURTHER STUDY: Matthew 7:15-23
Week Fourteen, Day Two
The Evidence of God in your Life
If your salvation experience was real, your life will show it. Like a flamingo that turns pink from eating pink food, your life will begin to show evidence of the Holy Spirit’s presence in your heart. We call that evidence the “fruit of the Spirit,” and it will show up in the way that you live your life, in your words, actions, attitudes, etc. People can tell you belong to God because of the evidence of God coming out of your life. The fruit of a tree lets you know what kind of tree it is, the actions of your life show who is inside of you.
Study Galatians 5:22-24.
Include the following in your personal prayer time:
- Ask the Holy Spirit to live through you in such a way that others would know that there is something different about you.
- Commit to follow through on God’s command to love others and to obey when God gives you a chance to serve.
Intercessory prayer…The Church I belong TO on TUESday.
FOR FURTHER STUDY: 1 John 3:23-24
Week Fourteen, Day Three
God Never Abandons His Children
Once you become a Christian, you cannot lose your salvation. You do not have to live in fear that one day God will get mad and abandon you. When Jesus died on the cross, He died for ALL of your sin, even the sin that you would commit after becoming a Christian. You did not know that you would do “that” sin later, but God knew it and He still loved you and received you when you were saved. Future sin doesn’t have the power to change the fact that you are a child of God, but it will make you feel farther from your Heavenly Father and make it more difficult to hear the Holy Spirit. When you confess your sin it gets rid of the relational “static” that sin creates. But, that relational static does not change the fact that once you are a child of God, you are always a child of God.
Study Romans 8:38-39 and John 10:27-30.
*CHALLENGE*
It’s time to memorize a new passage of scripture. Let’s add 1 Corinthians 10:13. What a promise! And at the same time, it takes away all of our excuses! Read it, write it, and post it. Remember, a phrase at a time will get it done over time. Start with verse one and go from there.
Include the following in your personal prayer time:
- Thank God that you don’t have to worry about losing your salvation.
- Commit to live a life of gratitude for the peace of mind that He provides for you.
Intercessory prayer…My Witness on Wednesday.
FOR FURTHER STUDY: Ephesians 4:13-14
Week Fourteen, Day Four
Can you be kicked out of God’s family?
So, what about those people who seem to have a real relationship with Christ and then turn away from God? Are they really Christians? Were they ever really Christians?
Anyone can pretend for a while, but the power to live a life of obedience to God is only possible through the Holy Spirit living inside of you. Sooner or later, someone who is pretending to be a Christian will get tired of pretending and give up. They will turn away from their “pretend faith” and do what comes naturally to anyone without Christ, live in sin. The big word for this sequence of events is “apostasy.”
Sometimes a true believer gives in to temptation and becomes distant to the Holy Spirit because of the relational “static” that sin creates in a believer’s heart. They stop coming to church and stop following God’s plan for their life. They are usually miserable and have lots of problems in their sin. God doesn’t give up on His children. He disciplines them until they return to Him. He does this in love, knowing that it is better for them to suffer some discipline for a short while than live life without His guidance and protection for a lifetime. When we run from God we make really bad choices and often hurt ourselves, our future and other people. Sometimes the pain of our sin wakes us up to the rebellion in our life and helps us to return to God.
Study 1 John 2:19-27.
Include the following in your personal prayer time:
- Pray for those you know who have turned their back on God.
- Ask God to help you be compassionate toward His children who have wandered away instead of arrogant and pious.
Intercessory prayer..The THIRSty (the lost and hurting) on THURSday.
FOR FURTHER STUDY: Hebrews 12:11
Week Fourteen, Day Five
Heaven and Hell
Both Heaven and Hell are very real places. They are not made-up incentives to “be good” like some people would like to think. Heaven is a place of eternal relationship with God, reward and friendship with anyone from any time who knows and follows Christ here on earth. Hell is a place of pain and eternal separation from God and other people for anyone who has rejected God’s gift of salvation through Jesus Christ. The Bible has made it clear that the price for sin is eternal punishment. We either allow Jesus to pay the price for our sin or we reject Jesus and we pay the price ourselves. Some people argue that God is too loving to allow anyone to go to hell. But, God has already shown His love to everyone by dying on the cross for our sin. If we do not accept His gift of life, it is our choice to go to hell. If a person does not accept Jesus here, God will not make them follow Him after their death.
Study John 14:1-6 and Luke 16:19-31.
Include the following in your personal prayer time:
- Thank God for providing a way for you to escape Hell and spend eternity in Heaven with Him.
- Ask God to keep your focus on Heaven and the reward that you have there instead of on the temporary things around you.
Intercessory prayer…My Friends on Friday.
FOR FURTHER STUDY: 2 Peter 3:8-14
The Weekend
Suggested Reading: Acts 16
This passage gives us just a glimpse into the exciting and challenging life of the apostle Paul as he set out to fulfill his life purpose according to God’s will. What miraculous things might you experience if you choose to live in obedience to God without any thought for yourself? Hmmm…
Work on your new memory verses!