Give Me Power

"And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ." (Ephesians 3:17-18)

Another day, another power prayer. Have you noticed how all of Paul's prayers for his Christians friends in Ephesus come back to the issue of power? He wants them to have supernatural sight to see the power they have from God. He wants them to have the power to keep Jesus in the center of their lives. And now he asks God to give them the power to somehow, some way understand Jesus' giant love for them.

Most people don't think of following Jesus as an experience that involves and requires great power. Christians are supposed to turn the other cheek, right? To forgive as forgiven? To honor others above themselves like Jesus did? Isn't Christianity all about giving up power?

No. Read that paragraph again. Following Jesus is all about giving up self -- and that takes enormous power. Giving up self requires us to believe that we are loved by a Savior good enough and strong enough to provide everything we need while we're not focused on ourselves. To understand and receive a high, long, deep, wide love like that takes off-the-charts power.

Think: Do you think of faithful Christians as powerful people? Why or why not?

Pray: Thank God for rooting and grounding you in love. Thank Him for the endless love of Jesus.

Do: Pray today's passage for each of the 6 people on your list. (See Monday's "Do" section for details.)

Knee Power

"For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith." (Ephesians 3:15-17)

For the weekend, we jump to chapter 3 for another of Paul's prayers for the Ephesians. First he gives us a glimpse of how he prays — on his knees. It's amazing what actually getting on your knees does for your mind when you're praying. You're less likely to fall asleep than when you're laying down, and you're less likely to let your mind wander than when you "pray on the run." Paul took his prayers for his friends seriously enough to make these requests on is knees.

Next, notice whom Paul prays to — the Father. And it wasn't just the ritual greeting we sometimes use: "Dear Heavenly Father." Paul knew that in praying, he was taking his best hopes for his friends not just "to the top," but to the ultimate patriarch, the head of the family, the great and loving Father of us all.

So what did he ask? He wanted his friends to have God's huge power to keep Christ living in their hearts through faith. Note he's not asking God to keep them from losing their salvation. He's asking that they'll have the supernatural ability to always keep Jesus as the center of their lives.

Think: Why do you thing we need so much help from God to keep our focus on our Savior?

Pray: Ask God to help you take prayer seriously enough to really talk to the Father with reverence and focus.

Do: Pray this verse for the 6 people on your list. (See Monday's "Do" section for details.)

Plugged In

"I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know . . . his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms. . . ." (Ephesians 1:18-20)

Powerless. We've all felt it, that sense that when we push on the gas pedal of our own lives, nothing happens. "I know the right thing to do; I just can't do it." "I'm not strong enough to forgive that person." "I'm not smart enough, motivated enough, like Jesus enough to trade my desires for His." We can convince ourselves that being serious about following Jesus is for people who are built for that kind of thing — people more naturally spiritual that we are.

Stupid, ugly lies. Paul asked God to correct his Ephesian friends' vision in two areas — to be able to know the hope of heaven and to be able to know the enormous power available to them straight from God.

What an insult to God's power when we refuse to believe He can make us able to do what He has asked us to do. His "mighty strength" made Jesus alive again! His power lifted Jesus off the earth and out of time and right back into His reserved seat in heaven. What is it that He can't do through us?

Think: Can we really live in God's power even when we feel powerless? Is it a choice we make or just something God does in us?

Pray: Ask God for the courage to believe that you really can do all things through His power.

Do: Pray today's passage for the 6 people on your life. (See the "Do" section of Monday's devo for details.)

Spiritual Laser Surgery

"I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints. . . ." (Ephesians 1:18)

Sometimes Christians don't see so good. Peter wrote that Christians who have stopped growing spiritually — growing in our ability to live like God is real and really loves us -- those people are "nearsighted and blind." They can't seem to see past today. They make all their choices based on what they hope will happen now, this week, right away.

The next thing Paul prays for his Christian friends in Ephesians is for some spiritual vision correction, some laser surgery for the "eyes of your heart." Why? Remember last week's heaven devo's? We all have trouble "seeing" that heaven is a real zip code and placing all of our hope in that life. We can only focus on today; we want this to be heaven. It never will be.

We need God's help to know God's hope for us — being home in heaven with Him and all the endless wealth of His kingdom. God doesn't want His princes and princesses (us) to be satisfied with life in a backwoods village. Set your sight on the castle, and don't settle for anything less.

Think: How's your spiritual vision for the hope of heaven? Can you "see" it well enough to live for it every day?

Pray: Ask God to make your hungry for heaven. Yes, again.

Do: Pray Paul's words from this verse for the six people on your list, mentioning each by name. (See Monday's "Do" section for details.)

Know God Better

"I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better." (Ephesians 1:17)

What's the very first thing Paul reveals to his friends that he prays for them? What's the first thing that comes to his mind to ask God to give them? His repeated prayer is that they will know God better.

We've already been told that these Christians have faith in Jesus. They have a reputation for loving "all the saints" (other Christians). Paul's readers were living solid Christians lives at a time where that cost something. Obviously, they already know God.

Paul wants them to know Him better. His prayer is that they won't get satisfied, that they won't reach a plateau in their relationship with God where they think they know enough about their Creator and just coast through the rest of their days and into heaven. He wants God to take them — and us — to a deeper level of understanding Him.

Think: How much do you desire to know God better? How could you grow your appetite for knowledge of God?

Pray: Ask God to make you hungrier and hungrier for knowledge of Him. Thank Him for revealing Himself to you in the Bible and for giving you the opportunity to grow in wisdom about Him.

Do: Pray this verse for the 6 people on your list from yesterday. (Scroll down to the Monday devo if you missed it.)

Thanks Again

"For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers." (Ephesians 1:15-16)

How should you pray for your friends, your parents, your siblings, anyone you really care about? This week, Paul will show us some essential things to pray for other Christians -- and for ourselves -- by telling us exactly what he prayed for his friends in a town called Ephesus.

Notice first that he is praying for believers -- people who have trusted Jesus and who love other Christians. These prayers are not intended -- and would not make sense, mostly -- for unbelievers. For them, the most earnest prayer should always be that they would come into the family of God through faith in Jesus.

But the first thing Paul says to God about these brothers and sisters in Jesus is "thank you." Then he says it again. Then he says it again. In fact, he says he never stops saying it. To give thanks for others, to remember them to God, is a way of admitting that when God created and saved them, He did a good thing. Their lives matter because they matter to Him. Also, of course, we thank God because they matter to us.

Think: How often do you thank God for the Christians in your life? Your parents? Your friends? Why don't we think to do that more often?

Pray: Ask God to help you to be grateful for other believers and to express that thankfulness to Him.

Do: Make a list of five Christians in your life you can pray for this week using Paul's words in Ephesians. Include at least one person you don't always get along with. Add yourself to the list at #6. Start today by thanking God for everyone on the list.

Golf or Bowling?

"Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed." (1 Peter 1:13)

If you ever played golf with me, you might think I was confused about the point of the game. "Does Chris think that the player with the most points wins? Because he sure doesn't seem to be hitting towards the hole!" Turns out I'm just bad at golf, but many of us live as if we don't understand the point of life.

We might say we believe we'll spend forever in heaven as God's child in perfect peace, contentment, and happiness. But then we live on earth as if we're trying to build heaven here. We chase money, sex, sports, pleasure, music, relationships, power — even religion — with a desperation that suggests we think we might find the right scenario to make this life fully satisfying.

If heaven is real, that's the wrong game. The angels must watch us and think, "Do they just not get it? Why do they keep running in the wrong direction?" In today's verse, Peter explains how to live if heaven actually exists: Put all your hope in that life. Until then, accept that this life will always be difficult and chase God with everything you've got. It's the only game plan that makes sense.

Think: Are you running from God in any area of your life in the hope that you'll find heavenly happiness before you get there?

Pray: Ask God to help you put all of your hope on the forever grace that will come with seeing Jesus.

Do: Read 1 Peter 1:13-25.

Unthirsty

"He said to me: 'It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son.' " (Revelation 21:6-7)

God's story is history. God's story is the whole story, the story of everything. He is both the original "Once upon a time" and the final "The End." There is no story, no history, no saga, no great adventure or devastating tragedy or thrilling success that happens outside of God's story. We are the characters in a cast of billions and our lives flip by in a few pages in the epic of His eternal existence.

So who -- how could anyone live "happily ever after" with Him? That's what makes His story so mind altering.

In speaking of thirst here, God echoes the words of Jesus to the woman at the well in John 4: ". . . whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."

And what is the reward to those who drink that water, who overcome by trusting the Author of it all through His Son Jesus? Walking into the timeless sunrise as God and child, inheriting everything we'll ever need to be happy, content, joyful, and satisfied in His endless final chapter.

Think: What does it cost to drink from the spring of the water of life? (Read the verse again.) Why do think God mentions that we can't pay our way into His family?

Pray: Thank God for including you in His story. Thank Him for being in control of how it will all wrap up.

Do: Read Romans 11:33-36 a few times out loud to yourself or a pet.

Write This Down

"He who was seated on the throne said, 'I am making everything new!' Then he said, 'Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.' " (Revelation 21:5)

I love the Internet. I cannot imagine how we ever lived without it. At any moment, you can access any tidbit of knowledge from the known universe with just a few keywords and an enter button. Sites like Wikipedia spew out priceless knowledge on every subject anyone with a keyboard cares about.

Of course, with all the information available online, you're always wondering, "Is this really true?" How do you know what is trustworthy and what isn't? Wikipedia's intel is provided by users -- and they can say almost anything. Stephen Colbert made that point when he urged all his viewers to change specific Wikipedia entries to say things that were ridiculously untrue. Our information is only as reliable as where (or who) it comes from.

God wants us to believe what He has to say about our eternal home with Him in heaven forever. In the middle of declaring "everything new!" He stopped and reminded John to write the words down. They are trustworthy. God does not lie. Heaven is our home, no matter what Wikipedia says tomorrow. We can dare to believe it, because we can take Him at His Word.

Think: Do you ever question the reality of heaven and living with God in perfect peace forever? Why or why not?

Pray: Ask God to help you to trust His teaching about heaven absolutely.

Do: Notice today all the sources you get your information from. Do you trust them all to tell you truth? Why or why not?

God With Us

"And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.' " (Revelation 21:3-4)

Here is the heart of heaven. Here is the end of the story. Here is the best and final moment in all of history. Here is what we are created for -- and until this moment comes none of us will ever be fully complete, fully satisfied, fully who we were intended to be.

At the moment, the divider between God and humanity is finally and fully removed forever. To be with God is what every human heart longs for, and here it is. He will live with us. And not just as a warm feeling or a "sense of His presence." He will live with us physically, in person, face to face.

To define it negatively, we can understand heaven by what there isn't: tears, sadness, crying; pain, loss, mourning, funerals; promises that "someday everything will be okay." This verse is our someday. And it's an endless moment worth waiting a lifetime for.

Think: Do you ever sense in yourself a longing to be with God? If so -- or not -- why do you think that is?

Pray: Ask God to help you to be aware of your longing to be with Him in person forever.

Do: Make a quick list of ten things you're looking forward to not having in heaven.

Imagine There's a Heaven

"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband." (Revelation 21:1-2)

John Lennon famously sang, "Imaging there's no heaven." Two days ago, we listened to Paul (the apostle, not Lennon's Beatle buddy) sing just the opposite, "Set your minds on things above." As little as some Christians talk about heaven, you'd think it almost doesn't matter to us. So let's imagine there is a heaven for the next few days -- and let's trust God to tell us a little about it through His Word.

Spoiler alert! This comes at the very end of the Bible. So if you've been reading through, this will give away some major plot detail. John (the apostle, not Lennon) has been given an all-access pass to the future, to the end, to heaven. He finally sees the scene described here.

Plug this into your imagination: Our "heaven" (the sky, the sun, the moon) has been destroyed, right along with our earth. New ones have taken their place. There's a lot of land, because the new earth doesn't have an ocean. Looking up, we see a city coming down from the sky toward the earth. She's the New Jerusalem -- God's Holy City -- and somehow she looks like it's her wedding day.

Think: Do you think Christians think too much or too little about heaven? What's the point of imagining our eternal future?

Pray: Ask God to help you think about heaven in the healthiest possible way.

Do: Give yourself a half-hour sometime this week to do nothing but stoke your imagination about heaven and your future with God.

Hidden Life

"For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory." (Colossians 3:3-4)

Too many of us Christians carry around a silly and shallow idea of who we are on any given day. If forced to check a box, we put an "x" by "Christian" or "Evangelical" or something. We see ourselves as part of demographic. Those people are Muslims. That group is Jewish. I'm a Christian, because that's the group I signed up with.

God sees those who are "in Christ" as far more than just the people in the "right" churches on Sunday morning. At the moment you stepped into relationship with God through faith in Jesus, Paul reminds here, your life -- your journey to save yourself, your identity as your own person -- died. It ended. It's over. You are His. You are a Christ-one.

Your real life -- the eternal, meaningful, unimaginable one beyond anything you could know to hope for -- waits with Jesus to burst into the glorious technicolor now when Christ appears. Then you'll find yourself in utter joy and with zero regrets standing right next to Him. All will be exactly as it should be. What will that be like?

Think: What will that be like?

Pray: Ask God to make you hungrier for heaven.

Do: Write a short list of things you're looking forward to about heaven -- things the Bible tells you to expect there.

Driving the Mental Herd

"Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things." (Colossians 3:1-2)

It's heaven week on the PW daily devo. This week, we're going to ask, "What's so great about heaven, anyway?" We start in Colossians with a couple of the most overlooked commands in the New Testament. These are powerful commands because they tell us huge things about God and about ourselves.

First, we learn that God does not just care what we do; He cares what we feel and think about. Second, we learn that we have the power to "set" our emotions and thoughts on whatever we choose. You can control your feelings instead of being run over by them. You can choose where your mind lingers.

Think of yourself as a cowboy and your thoughts and emotions as hundreds of cattle. Where should you be driving those little doggies? Toward "things above," the verse says. Think about -- feel about -- what goes on above your daily life on earth. Round up all those stray thoughts and surging emotions and drive them in the direction of "heaven stuff."

Why? Tune in tomorrow.

Think: Estimate about what percentage of your waking hours you spend with your heart and mind set on "things above."

Pray: Ask God to make you hungrier for heaven this week.

Do: Make a little list of the top 5 "earthly things" you tend to think and feel about most.

Used People

". . . who lends his money without usury and does not accept a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things will never be shaken." (Psalm 15:5)

The last item on David's list of character qualities for an unshakable life is this: Don't use people for your own advantage. Innocent people. Broke people. Desperate people. They're not meant to be chess pieces on the game boards of our lives to be manipulated to get ourselves ahead.

I know. Who does that except for rich oil barons and corporate execs and bad movie villains? Well, honestly, we all do it a little, don't we? You might not make high-interest loans to people who can't get money at a fair price. (That's what usury is.) And you might not take a bribe from a corrupt business person to allow needy people to be mistreated. That's true.

But I've seen lots of people make friends with someone hungry for a friend -- just to get something from them. I've seen socially desperate people used and mocked and ignored and avoided because they might bring another person's status down a notch. That goes against the code. That's lousy character.

Think: What are other ways you've seen desperate people get used or mistreated in everyday life?

Pray: Ask God to help you be a defender of people who are easy to take advantage of.

Do: Think of one lonely or broke or desperate person you could help out with today.

Painful Promises

". . . who keeps his oath even when it hurts . . ." (Psalm 15:4)

We're getting back to where we started this week. Today's piece of the code for a man or woman who would be welcome in God's house is often included in the codes of cowboys and TV mob guys and superheroes. "A man's word is his bond." "If I said it, I'll do it." In an action movie, sometimes the hero even dies keeping a hard promise.

Keeping your word still matters in our culture. And in David's world, an oath was a huge deal. Taking an oath was a way of making a contract, a promise beyond just agreeing to do something. God's Law made it a sin to willfully break even a thoughtless oath. (See Leviticus 5:4) Jesus told people not to take oaths. Just have so much integrity that your "yes" and "no" stand on their own. (Matthew 5:37)

Sometimes keeping our word costs a lot more than we thought it would. Sometimes we have less time or money than we hoped when it's time to pay up on a promise. David and Jesus say that should be our problem. Don't promise easy. And be willing to suffer the pain of keeping those promises.

Think: How often do you say you'll do something -- and then not do it? Why do you think that's so common in our culture? What can you do about it?

Pray: Ask God to help you to become known as a person who does what you say you'll do. Ask Him to help you to be willing to suffer for that character quality.

Do: If you want to get an idea for how good you are at keeping your word, try this. Ask a couple of close friends or family members to rate you on a scale between 1 and 10 for this question: When you say you're going to do something, how confident are they that you'll actually do it?

Good Hate?

". . . who despises a vile man but honors those who fear the LORD . . ." (Psalm 15:4)

Wait a minute! Didn't David just write that part of this God-woshipper's code was not to be hurtful to people, to carry compassion in our hearts and speak it with our mouths? Yes, that's what I heard, too. So how does he turn around and say we should "despise" the bad guys?

The context here is important. David is not saying we should walk around with bitterness and resentment in our hearts toward anyone who does something wrong. He's talking about what you will do with your own personal influence. In David's time, people would give their loyalty and allegiance to a leader based on what he could do for them.

But what if that leader is a "vile man" who worships false idols, who participates in human sacrifice, who takes advantage of people for his personal gain? A God-worshipper should not give his "stamp of approval" to that person, even if it will make life easier for him. A "with God" person points his friends and neighbors to other God-honoring people.

Think: How are you using the power of your influence? What people, TV shows, and bands do you officially "approve"? Do you honor people of character or people who openly do wrong without caring about the consequences?

Pray: Ask God to help you use any influence you have to promote people who honor Him.

Do: Make a list of the top ten leaders, entertainment, and books you "approve of" with your friends? Put a check mark by the ones that demonstrate respect for God.

Character Assasins

". . . who speaks the truth from his heart and has no slander on his tongue, who does his neighbor no wrong and casts no slur on his fellowman . . ." (Psalm 15:2-3)

In describing his code for how God-woshippers should live, David starts to get more specific with today's verse. "With God" kind of people don't tell lies. Specifically, they don't tell lies to hurt other people. Or to put it in the positive, as David did, they "speak the truth from" their hearts.

It's not just about not lying. David says that a person of character refuses to join in attacking someone else's character. He will not make up stories to make someone look bad. His code leaves zero options for tearing others down to build himself up. He just will not throw mud that might damage someone's reputation.

Often that means just keeping our mouths shut. But speaking truth from our hearts requires talking. The key is that our hearts have to be full of genuine care for the people in our lives. Once we get the anger out of our hearts, we'll be ready to talk to and about our friends and neighbors in helpful ways -- truthfully.

Think: People talk about others all the time. What do you think about the character of someone who is constantly saying hurtful things about other people?

Pray: Ask God to fill your heart with real compassion for your family members, friends, and neighbors -- and for that compassion to come out in the words you say about them.

Do: Make a little score card to carry with you today. Give yourself a point one way or the other depending on whether you say something positive or negative about another person. At the end of the day, see which side wins.

Do Good Not Bad

"LORD, who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy hill? He whose walk is blameless and who does what is righteous . . ." (Psalm 15:1-2)

David begins to answer his own question about the kind of lives God-worshipping people lead. And the answer seems a little too obvious at first glance: Don't do bad and do good. Be "blameless" and do "what is righteous." Right.

But think about it. To be blameless has to do with your reputation with your friends and family. How do the people in your school or your hometown think of you? Sincere God-worshippers should not be known as liars or people who disrespect their parents or people who get in trouble regularly. That doesn't fit the image of someone who "lives with God."

But it's not enough to just be the guy or girl who never does anything wrong. I know lots of Christians that define "living for God" by all the nasty things they don't do. That's not living! That's just sitting around. People who live for -- and with -- God are people who do things that can be called good.

Think: None of us is perfectly blameless or righteous, yet. What are some blame-worthy things you need to start punting from your life? What are some good things you can find to do more of?

Pray: Ask God to help you want to bring Him glory by living a blameless, good-doing life.

Do: Ask someone you trust and who also trusts Jesus if there's anything obvious in your life that is "blameable." If you're still feeling bold after that, ask if he or she has noticed any of the good things you've been doing.

Who?

"LORD, who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy hill?" (Psalm 15:1)

Psalm 15 is not just about discovering the code to living unshakable lives; it's about something much deeper. It answers the questions in today's verse -- what kind of life does God want from us?

God dealt differently with His people then. God's place on earth was in the tabernacle (or sanctuary) on Zion, Jerusalem, God's "holy hill." David was asking what it takes to be worthy to come before God and worship Him, to be His guest, to spend time with Him.

Of course, those of us in Christ understand that nobody is worthy of living with God forever because of our sin. We must first be forgiven through faith in Jesus to be granted a spot in the eternal choir of worshippers in the new Zion. But David's questions still matter to us.

How do worshippers of God live? What's their code? What choices of ours does God really care about?

Think: Does it matter to God how Christian live now if we've already be forgiven for our sin through faith in Jesus?

Pray: Ask God to give you a deep passion to be a person of everyday integrity.

Do: Look up the definitions of "character" and "integrity" in an online dictionary. Copy and paste them into an e-mail and send it to yourself.

Living by the Code

"He who does these things will never be shaken." (Psalm 15:5)

Old West gunfighters. Mafia and kung fu guys on TV. Marines. All these guy's guys are said to live their lives by a code. They don't always do good things -- and sometimes they do evil things -- but they're famous for honoring some kind of code for what's okay and what's not.

In Psalm 15, King David of Israel describes a code to live by. It's not the Ten Commandments; it's not the Law. In 5 short verses, he describes a life code to live by that accomplishes two things: First and most important, it's the life God wants to see in His people. The second result of following the code pops up in the last sentence, today's verse: "He who does these things will never be shaken."

The boring word I'm trying not to use here is "character." A person of character lives by a code of right and wrong, doing things that please God and skipping those that don't. Even in the worst moments of life, that code tells him or her how to live in a way that is not worthless.

John Holt put it this way: "The true test of character is not how much we know how to do, but how we behave when we don't know what to do." Stay tuned this week to learn David's code for an unshakable life.

Think: Is it necessarily noble to live by a code if it's the wrong code? How do we know a good code from a worthless one?

Pray: Ask God to help you want to be a person of character. Ask Him to help you live in a way that pleases Him.

Do: Write down one or two Do's and Don'ts you would include if you were building your own code for life.

Blessings Avalanche

"From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ." (John 1:16-17)

Tradition tells us that all of the disciples were eventually killed for preaching about Jesus, as was Paul. John may have outlived them all. Most scholars think he wrote this book somewhere around 90 A.D. and was later exiled to an island prison. (That's where he wrote the book of Revelation.) He and many other early Christians lived difficult, persecuted lives.

So how can he say that "we have all received one blessing after another" from Jesus' grace? Three quick ideas:

1) John was looking beyond life in this fallen, painful world. By Jesus' grace, every believer can expect to spend forever in God's blessing.

2) John was showing how much fuller and more joyful life is when lived according to Jesus' grace than under the burden of Moses' law.

3) John realized that every good thing -- from a simple meal to our most cherished relationships -- is a gift from God. Jesus' half-brother James said that everything in our lives that can be called "good" comes from God. (James 1:17)

Think: How often do you give God the credit for the good things in your life? Why is it a sign of God's grace when we experience anything that can be labeled "good"?

Pray: Ask God to help you to be grateful more often for all the blessings He gives you through Jesus.

Do: Make a list of 20 "blessings" you've experienced this week that you can give credit to God for. Then give Him credit for them.

What I Saw

"The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. " (John 1:14)

Jesus, the Word, the logos, became flesh. As God, Jesus had always existed, but now He had become one of us (without becoming any less of God). And He didn't come to visit for a holiday. He wasn't a curious god on vacation. He "made his dwelling" here. He lived here. He experienced every temptation humans do. He worked Himself to exhaustion. He slept, ate, and waited. He made friends and went to dinner parties. He told the truth.

He was human.

John reports that he and others saw Jesus, the Word, with their own eyes. And not just Him, but His glory. (Is John talking about the transfiguration that he and two other disciples witnessed as described in Matthew 17?) He reports that everything Jesus claimed is true. He really did come from God the Father. And He did come with grace -- free forgiveness of sin for all you believe and receive. Jesus is the truth. John saw it all.

Think: If you were describing Jesus from your own personal eyewitness point of view, what would you have to report about Him? What difference has He made in your own personal life that you can point to as evidence of His grace and truth?

Pray: Thank God for what Jesus has done for you.

Do: Write down a few bullet points of your experience with Jesus. What has He done in your life? How has knowing God through Him changed you?

Exclusive Rights

"Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God." (John 1:12-13)

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." As all 5th graders know, that's from the U.S. Declaration of Independence. Our founders believed God had granted these rights to every single human being.

But God grants another right not listed here -- and contrary to what many of us think, it's not a right He gives to everyone. He only gives this special right to people who "receive him" and "believe in his name." More specifically, it is a God-given right limited to those who believe Jesus is God and receive Him as Savior. Those who do not believe Jesus is God don't get this right. Those who do not receive Jesus as their only hope to be with God do not get this right. Believe and receive, John says.

Then and only then will Jesus give us the right to be God's children, to be included in His own family, to belong with Him in heaven forever. It is not a right we earn. And we do not make ourselves God's children by believing and receiving. We are given the right and God immediately signs the adoption papers. We are His kids now.

Think: How do you feel about the idea that the right to be God's child is not given freely to everyone no matter what they believe? Are you grateful to God for adopting you?

Pray: Thank God for helping you to believe in Jesus' name and to receive Him as the only way to be with God forever. (If you haven't done that, what are you waiting for?)

Do: Make a short list of your God-given rights, as best as you understand them.

Rejected

"He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him." (John 1:10-11)

It's no wonder the plot of so many science fiction stories is based on the true story of Jesus. The whole thing is mind-blowing. The creator of all things manages to somehow squeeze Himself into the world of His creation, to be one of them, to experience life from the perspective of a created thing without losing an ounce of His "godness."

And the creation is not a sculpture garden or a novel or an animatronic stage play. It's a living, breathing collection of individuals, every one of whom has chosen to "go his own way" away from the creator. Still, He has come to rescue them, the rebels, His creatures, His self-declared enemies. He has come to surrender and to suffer and to save them from their defiance. And yet when He arrives, nothing.

From pure willful pride and foolish ignorance, they could not see that blinding light blazing in the darkness. Some walked past as if he were a stranger. Others joined the plot to kill Him. A very few, we'll see tomorrow, believed the creator could wear sandals and take naps and reclaim their souls.

Think: Do you sometimes wonder if the story of Jesus is too fantastical to be true? Why do you believe it?

Pray: Thank God for creating you -- and then sending the Son to rescue you for Him.

Do: List any movies or books you can think of about a long awaited chosen One sent to save the world. Or at least notice how that story meshes with the gospel next time you see it in another story.

Coming Soon: Light!

"There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world." (John 1:6-9)

We usually think of John the Baptist from our Sunday School lessons as that rugged guy who lived in the wilderness dressed in itchy clothes eating locusts and honey. And he was that guy, the one who baptized Jesus. But what an amazing place he is given in John's epic telling of Jesus, the Word. He is The Witness.

John is the first human mentioned by name in Jesus' story. Like the prophets of the Old Testament, he was given a specific mission to tell God's people God's message for a specific place and time. The people, hungry to hear God's voice after 400 years of silence (no true prophets), flocked to hear this radical man's teaching.

The message: "You people live in darkness, and you've been waiting for the light. Change your ways now, because the light is here. Repent, be baptized, and get ready to really see for the first time in your lives."

Think: What would it be like to live your whole life in total darkness (underground or something) and then one day suddenly see light for the first time? How would that change your life?

Pray: Thank God for sending John the Baptist to prepare the way for the light.

Do: Find a dark room in your house and sit in the darkness for five minutes. Think about the difference between living in darkness and living in light on a spiritual level.

Life Light

"Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it." (John 1:3-5)

John 1 reads like poetry in that you almost have to read every simple line two or three times to really get what it's saying. John continues to make these giant claims about Jesus in very straightforward statements. From this passage, here's what we know about Him.

1) He is the Creator of all created things in the universe. (That includes us.)

2) Life is in Him. He took part in igniting the spark of Life -- and He is the only path to eternal Life.

3) His life is our light. Without Him, we are in blind spiritual darkness.

4) His light is not hidden. It shines out for all to see.

5) The darkness cannot extinguish His Light; it will never go out.

Think: Do you usually think of Jesus as the Creator? If not, how does that change your perception of Him?

Pray: Thank God for sending the Light into your darkness to give you real and eternal life with Him.

Do: Make a list of 20 things that Jesus was involved in creating -- things "made" by Him at the beginning of time.

First Word

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning." (John 1:1-2)

In the first chapter of his book about Jesus, John packs some huge ideas about Jesus into just a few simple sentences. That's good writing. Even those of us who take God's Word as just that don't often give it credit for being well written. God took great care to make sure the words used to communicate His Word were not just meaningful, but also delivered with excellence.

It's no accident, then, that John's first big idea is to call Jesus "the Word." You've probably heard that the original greek word for "word" is logos. That word was known both to Greek philosophy and Jewish theology. It was a perfect word to introduce the idea of Jesus to everyone in John's audience -- on the way to introducing us to the reality of Jesus as the Son of God.

The first thing we learn about this logos is that it's more than just a connection between God and the material world; it is a He. The logos is a person -- a person who has been around since the beginning, a person who has been with God, a person who is God.

Thinking: Have you ever wondered why John called Jesus "the Word" and not "the Picture"? Why do you think God puts such value on words? Why not reveal His truth in video instead of text?

Pray: Ask God to help you get to know Him better by better understanding His Word and all the words in it.

Do: Think about memorizing John 1:1-14 this week.

Nothing Left

"But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. So you too should be glad and rejoice with me." (Philippians 2:17-18)

A drink offering was one of several types of offerings used by the Jews for worshipping God. It usually accompanied a "meal offering," and most of Paul's Jewish readers probably could picture the priest pouring out the wine as a sacrifice to God. Paul saw his own life being poured out; he was in prison and knew he might be killed soon for teaching about Jesus.

Did you notice what the drink offering, Paul's life, is being poured over? The Philippian's "sacrifice and service" to and for God. Paul had introduced them to Jesus. They had responded by trusting in Christ. That faith resulted in living such good lives that they stood out as shining stars in their generation. Paul said it was worth his whole life to help make that happen.

If you play sports, some coach has probably yelled at you at some point to "leave it all on the field" or the "court" or in the "cage" (depending on your sport). Paul's life was poured out. He used it all up to hand his faith off to the next generation. The result? Gladness and joy for him -- and for his readers.

Think: If you were in prison for preaching Jesus with a real chance of being killed, do you think you would see that as a "victory" worth being glad about?

Pray: Ask God to help you use your whole life up in serving Him.

Do: If you watch a lot of sports, give yourself one point for every time you hear the worlds "leave it all on the court" this next month.

Run for Nothing?

". . . in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life—in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing." (Philippians 2:15-16)

Some people don't like the book of Ecclesiastes. It's a book of great wisdom, but it asks a lot of hard questions -- and it doesn't answer all of them completely. The author's most famous line is the first one: "Meaningless, Meaningless, says the Preacher, all is meaningless." Solomon concludes more than once that you won't find the answer to life's meaning "under the sun."

In his writings -- also inspired by God but after the mystery of Jesus is revealed -- Paul answers a lot of Solomon's Ecclesiastes questions more fully by showing all the meaning that flows into our lives from "beyond the sun" through knowing Jesus. Today's passage is one of those answers. Here he says that his life -- his mission -- will be meaningful when the Philippians (and other believers of his day) live in such a way as to "hold out the word of life" to the next generation of Christians.

A life that matters involves passing the torch of faith in Jesus to others who are looking for meaning in their lives. As Paul describes it, those living in the darkness of a crooked generation will notice people in the light. Are you ready to talk about the source of your light with anyone who asks?

Think: Do you think Paul's life would really have been less meaningful if the Philippians had not pointed others to Jesus? Do you think he was confident that they would?

Pray: Ask God to help you live in a way that would attract unbelievers to come to you looking for the light.

Do: Whatever you do, do NOT start singing the camp song "Pass It On" in your head today; you'll never get it out. ("It only takes a spark to get a fire going . . .")

Shiny Much?

"Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe." (Philippians 2:14-15)

I heard somebody say recently, "What other people think of me is none of my business." That's a sticky idea that is both true and false, I think. The true part of it is that I cannot hope to make people judge me fairly. I can't expect that everyone will like me for who I am. I shouldn't make it my job in relationships to be universally accepted. Some people will like me; others won't. That's okay.

But in the verses we'll notice today and tomorrow, Paul says that statement is also false. What others think of us as Christians is exactly our business. Why? Because people will base their opinion of Jesus on how much of Him they see in us. Our reputation can attract seekers to life in Christ -- or make them want to gag at the thought of being "one of us."

How to be attractive? Paul says, "Don't complain." "Don't argue." That will lead toward our being "blameless" (no obvious big failings in our lives) and "pure" (belonging only to God). We will become known as God's children -- good kids who stick out in a generation that loves to do wrong.

Think: Be honest with yourself. What does the reputation of you and your Christian friends together say about Jesus?

Pray: Ask God for the self control to obey Him so you can shine for Him in your generation.

Do: Listen to yourself today. Write down on a list every time you complain or argue. If it's a lot, track it every day this week and see if you do it less by thinking about it more.

Fear and Tremblin'

"Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose." (Philippians 2:12-13)

What this passage is NOT saying: In order to keep your salvation -- your place in heaven with God forever -- you'd better do everything right. You'd better earn it with lots of good works. Be very afraid, because if you don't keep working out your salvation God won't let you in.

Why it is NOT saying that: Paul had written this to these same people one chapter ago: "...being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." (Philippians 1:6) Paul was confident every person in Christ would be made perfect. No need to worry that you won't make it.

What I think this passage IS saying: You are saved people! Saved people obey God! Don't stop obeying Him. Be afraid. Be awestruck. Why? Because the all-powerful God of universe is going to use your obedient life to accomplish His plan for the universe. It might be hard, but what an amazing and meaningful (and thrilling and sometimes terrifying) way to live!

Think: Does the idea of the God of all using your little life to accomplish His forever plan scare you a little? Does the idea of disobeying Him scare you? Why or why not?

Pray: Ask God to help you to be afraid of all the right things and fearless of everything else.

Do: Read Philippians 2:5-11 again and notice how the Father used Jesus' obedient life to accomplish His plan.