Study No. 6 – Personal Relationship with God
Reflect: How have you grown in your relationship with God and others through this study? Which of the six lessons had the most impact on your life? Why?
ODB: Investing In The Future
October 19, 2011
READ: Matthew 6:19-24
Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. —Matthew 6:20
Jason Bohn was a college student when he made a hole-in-one golf shot that won him a million dollars. While others may have squandered that money, Bohn had a plan. Wanting to be a pro golfer, he used the money as a living-and-training fund to improve his golf skills. The cash became an investment in his future—an investment that paid off when Bohn won the PGA Tour’s 2005 B.C. Open. Bohn’s decision to invest in the future instead of living for the moment was a wise one indeed.
In a sense, that is what Jesus calls us to do. We have been entrusted with resources—time, ability, opportunity— and we decide how to use them. Our challenge is to see those resources as an opportunity to invest long-term. “Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven,” is how Jesus put it in Matthew 6:20. Those protected treasures cannot be destroyed nor taken away, Jesus assures us.
Think of your resources: talent, time, knowledge. These are temporal and limited. But if you invest them with an eye toward eternity, these temporary things can have enduring impact. What is your focus? Now or forever? Invest in the future. It will not only have an eternal impact, but it will also change the way you view life each day.
— Bill Crowder
Source: Our Daily Bread
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Loading ...ODJ: lasting
But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person’s work has any value (v.13).
READ: 1 Corinthians 3:12-23
One summer when I was in elementary school, some of the neighborhood kids built a fort out of scrap wood. Precariously balanced on the ground, it consisted of three levels with enough room for two small bodies on each level. My dad, upon seeing their creation, promptly prohibited me from climbing in it as he was convinced it was an accident waiting to happen. Dismayed, I obeyed. Dad knew that I had been ignoring the rusty protruding nails and splitting swaybacked boards, for I had been focused on what looked like fun. But the fort wasn’t built to last.
On any given day, we have a multitude of things clamoring for our attention. From the mundane to the monumental, life is a series of choices. It’s easy to respond to whatever conveniently crosses our path, commands our attention, or seems most pleasurable, but Scripture reminds us to be exceedingly deliberate. Philippians 1:10 says, “I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives.”
Writing to the Corinthian church, Paul taught that there is no other foundation than Jesus, because salvation comes only by accepting His life in exchange for ours. But Paul goes on to clarify that salvation is the foundation (beginning point) of our lives—and what we build from there depends on the choices we make each day.
We can be saved but choose to spend our lives in fruitless activity (1 Corinthians 3:15). On the other hand, we can understand our salvation to such a depth that every moment becomes an offering given back to God. Our works will not be tested by their appearances, our level of enjoyment, or others’ opinions. It’s the fire of God that will reveal if we have lived with this world or the next in mind. —Regina Franklin
How can ordinary things become eternal investments? Why shouldn’t we base the significance of our investments on the attention they garner? (Matthew 6:4).
(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...ODB: Papa Didn’t Say “Oh!”
October 18, 2011
READ: Ephesians 5:1-10
The Lord is gracious and full of compassion. —Psalm 145:8
I have a friend who was working in his home office one evening, trying to get some necessary paperwork done. His little girl, who was about 4 years old at the time, was playing around his desk, puttering about, moving objects here and there, pulling out drawers, and making a good deal of noise.
My friend endured the distraction with stoic patience until the child slammed a drawer on one of her fingers and screamed in pain. Reacting in exasperation he shouted, “That’s it!” as he escorted her out of the room and shut the door.
Later, her mother found her weeping in her bedroom and tried to comfort her. “Does your finger still hurt?” she asked. “No,” the little girl sniffled. “Then why are you crying?” her mother asked. “’Cause,” she whimpered, “when I pinched my finger, Papa didn’t say, ‘Oh!’”
Sometimes that’s all we need, isn’t it? Someone who cares and who will respond with kindness and compassion, someone who will say, “Oh!” We have One named Jesus who does that for us.
Jesus loves us, understands our sorrows, and gave Himself for us (Eph. 5:2). Now we are to “walk in love” and imitate Him.
— David H. Roper
Source: Our Daily Bread
(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5) Loading ...ODJ: didn’t see it
When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed that, instead of opening the door, she ran back inside and told everyone, “Peter is standing at the door!” (v.14).
READ: Acts 12:6-19
When a certain member of our family lost his brother’s new iPod Touch—in our home—a cloud of disappointment and bewilderment filled the air for several days. (How can you lose an iPod in a house?) Prayers were sent up and theories abounded as we strived to find the costly gadget. And then, below the very cushions where people had sat and prayed days before, the lost music and video player was found . . . deep inside the workings of our sleeper sofa!
This episode in the days of my family’s life reminds me of a humorous story found in Acts 12. It begins, however, in a not-so-funny way. The apostle Peter had been imprisoned in Jerusalem by King Herod (v.3). As a favor to Jewish leaders, Herod already had seen to the killing of James (the brother of John). It looked like Peter was next on the list.
As the apostle was being held in chains, the “church prayed very earnestly for him” (v.5). But then, the night before Peter was to go to trial, he was miraculously set free by an angel (v.7). Having gained his freedom, he headed for a safe place—the home of Mary, John Mark’s mother (vv.10-12). (Here’s the funny part.) As Peter gently knocks at the gate of the home and quietly calls out, a girl named Rhoda hears him and is filled with joy. But instead of opening the door, she runs back and tells the others! Initially, the other believers, who had been diligently praying for Peter’s release, don’t believe her. So Peter keeps pounding on the door, and they finally let him in (vv.13-16).
This amusing account packs a point: Is there something you’ve been earnestly praying for that God has already answered? It may be time for you to grasp the reality that God’s response has already been made plain. —Tom Felten
What prevents you from seeing answers to your prayers? How do you respond when God answers in a way that is disappointing to you?
(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)
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ODB: Character At Play
October 17, 2011
READ: 2 Peter 1:1-11
His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness. —2 Peter 1:3
A college football coach in the Bronx (New York) built his team around good character qualities. Instead of displaying their names on the back of their jerseys, the Maritime College players displayed words like family, respect, accountability, and character. Before each game, coach Clayton Kendrick-Holmes reminded his team to play by those principles on the field.
The apostle Peter had his own list of Christian qualities (2 Peter 1:5-7) that he encouraged believers to add to their life of faith:
Virtue. Fulfilling God’s design for a life with moral excellence.
Knowledge. Studying God’s Word to gain wisdom to combat falsehood.
Self-control. Revering God so much that we choose godly behavior.
Perseverance. Having a hopeful attitude even in difficulties because we’re confident in God’s character.
Godliness. Honoring the Lord in every relationship in life.
Brotherly kindness. Displaying a warmhearted affection for fellow believers.
Love. Sacrificing for the good of others.
Let’s develop these qualities in increasing measure and integrate them into every part of our life.
— Anne Cetas
Source: Our Daily Bread
(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5) Loading ...God Wills you to Have a Pink Car
By Chaz Oswald, USA At the crossroads in life, we are faced with a decision that will alter, direct, and shape our future. I recall my junior year of high school as one such crossroad. Graduation was creeping closer and I was stressed out and frustrated. It was time to begin the decision-making process with [...]
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...ODJ: one big family
Never speak harshly to an older man, but appeal to him respectfully as you would to your own father. Talk to younger men as you would to your own brothers (v.1).
READ: 1 Timothy 5:1-16
Malcolm is a 9-year-old boy who lives in a single- parent home. John is 80 and recently widowed. And then there’s Iris. She recently gave birth to a pair of twins, so now she’s the mother of five girls! Yes, my church is made up of many people with diverse backgrounds and needs. Ministering effectively to each person requires care and sensitivity.
Paul’s instructions to Timothy are particularly insightful in this matter. First, Paul told Timothy that the way you treat people is the result of how you view them (1 Timothy 5:1-2). If Timothy began viewing every older man in the congregation as a father, he would treat them with natural deference and respect. Paul urged an approach to ministry that values relationships, while being firm in encouraging what is right.
Second, Paul taught that the church shouldn’t indiscriminately help everyone. Practical need alone is insufficient grounds for receiving financial assistance from a local congregation (v.16). Similarly, there’s far more involved in Christian compassion than simply handing out money. The pattern presented by Paul in this passage is carefully structured ministry to the whole person. It encourages and facilitates godliness and a productive life, and it also guards against misuse and abuse that might endanger the church’s witness.
Upon learning the “family view,” I applied it. I started to see the younger men as my brothers and older women as my mothers. The slight mental adjustment has had a significant impact on the way I relate with fellow believers in Jesus. They’re not problems to fix, but people to love.
Let’s continue to look to God for wisdom in how to love one another in a way that encourages godliness and a productive life. After all, we’re one big family. —Poh Fang Chia
In what ways could you offer assistance or encouragement to someone in your church this coming week? How do you need to begin viewing others more as family and less as church members?
(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...ODB: The Wooden Rule
October 16, 2011
READ: 1 Corinthians 12:14-26
The body is not one member but many. —1 Corinthians 12:14
Legendary UCLA basketball coach John Wooden had an interesting rule for his teams. Whenever a player scored, he was to acknowledge the person on the team who had assisted. When he was coaching high school, one of his players asked, “Coach, won’t that take up too much time?” Wooden replied, “I’m not asking you to run over there and give him a big hug. A nod will do.”
To achieve victory on the basketball court, Wooden saw the importance of teaching his players that they were a team—not “just a bunch of independent operators.” Each person contributed to the success of everyone else.
That reminds me of the way the body of Christ should work. According to 1 Corinthians 12:19-20, each of us is a separate part of one body. “If they were all one member, where would the body be? But . . . there are many members, yet one body.” Is the success of a pastor, a Bible study, or a church program based solely on one person’s accomplishments? How many people contribute to the smooth operation of a church, a Christian organization, a family?
Coach Wooden’s rule and 1 Corinthians 12 are both rooted in the principle of seeing our need for one another. Let’s use our gifts within the body of Christ to build up, strengthen, and help to carry out God’s purposes (vv.1-11).
— Cindy Hess Kasper
Source: Our Daily Bread
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