Week 1 Thursday
S- Colossians 1:11-12 "being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light."
O- What stood out to me was that the Father has qualified us to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.
A- Give JOYFUL thanks that God has qualified ME to share in this inheritance! Praise God!
P- Thank you, Lord! Thank you for blessing me with the inheritance in the kingdom of light! Thank you that these wonderful ladies will be there with me! I pray that you will save Zac and Lucy from the darkness. I pray that you will use me to lead them to know you and that you would save them. I pray that you will be a light in me and that everyone that knows me sees you and wants you. I am yours!
Week 1 Friday
S- Colossians 1:13-14 "For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins."
O- We have been rescued from darkness! Through the Son, we are forgiven for our sins!
A- Praise God for forgiving my sins!
P- Thank you God for rescuing me from darkness. Thank you for making a way, for being the Way. Thank you for forgiving all of my sins, past, present, and future. Thank you for making me righteous.
From the blog HERE... Another blog post I loved. 1st she talked about how Satan will place excuses and challenges in our way. Anything to stop us from studying God's word. I find this especially true at the beginning of a study. Later she shares this. So good!
What stood out to me this week was Paul saying that we have a hope, and that this hope is found in the gospel. It is fundamental that we know exactly what this gospel is because without it we have nothing.
The Life of Jesus
We often talk of Jesus’ death as “substitutionary,” but his life was also lived on our behalf. He lived selflessly while we are consumed with self. He fulfilled the law while we are lawbreakers. He was always kind, patient, compassionate and giving while we can be mean, impatient, callous and stingy. Basically his life was perfectly righteous while ours are, well, perfectly unrighteous. And it is his perfection that God credits to us, to those who believe. Through Jesus’ life we are made righteous.
The Death of Jesus
Jesus’ death on the cross was not simply the unjust murder of a righteous man at the hands of lawless men. It was also the predetermined plan of the Father to make perfect atonement for sin through Jesus as sacrifice. Through Jesus’ death we are forgiven of every sin.
The Resurrection of Jesus
Jesus resurrection from the grave not only demonstrated victory over death and his Lordship over all, but it is also a promise to us. Because he was raised, we will be raised. We have the hope of an everlasting body in an everlasting paradise. And as we wait for that final stage of salvation, we also have the power of a resurrected life today. We can walk with God, delight in his ways, and become increasing transformed into the image of Jesus, because the Spirit that raised Jesus dwells in us! Through Jesus’ resurrection we have a secure future and power to live a godly life today.
But we can’t stop here. It is never enough to simply know biblical truths. We have to find out how all of this applies to our specific situations in life. How is the gospel relevant to those of you who are newly married and trying to figure out this whole marriage thing? Or to those of you who spend your day changing diapers, cooking dinner, doing laundry and painfully teaching multiplication facts. How does the gospel apply to you who go out into the workforce and deal with co-worker and demanding bosses? How does Christ’s life, death and resurrection affect those of you who are suffering?
For me the gospel is my lifeline. Without it I would sink into despair. When I lose my patience with my two year old because once again he has stuffed 3 cookies into his mouth and can hardly breath I know that I am forgiven of my impatience because of Christ’s work on the cross. In Christ I learn patience because he is patient with me and when the Father looks at me he sees the perfect patience of Christ which covers my sin.
This is what the gospel does for me in just one small, but common situation. It goes well beyond saving me from hell. It saves me from myself. It is my hope.
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