DEVOTIONAL 5 WEEKLY GUIDE. Reflect. React. Pray. Bible Reading Plan. 40 Days in the Word

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1 DEVOTIONAL 5 Theme: A Light Unto My Path Read: Psalms 119:105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. F o r m a n y w e l l - m e a n i n g J e s u s followers, reading the Word of God is something we do on Sunday mornings during church. But once we go home, we get busy with the demands of life. We don't spend time daily connecting with God through His written Word. To study means to devote time, to take a closer look at the meaning of what you are reading. The Bible also says we are to study on a continuous basis. The word continually means repeated frequently in the same way, regularly, without interruption, and constantly. It goes on to say we should also meditate on what we have studied. Following this practice will help us learn to obey what is written. Without knowing what God s Word says, we will be left to our own devices to figure out life on our own. way around the room, hoping not to bump into anything. Without spending time in the Word of God regularly we will bump around through life taking wrong paths that may even cause harm to us and those we love. What changes can you make in order to spend some time in the Bible every day? Lord, thank You for loving me enough to leave your written Word as a lamp for my feet and a light for my path. I choose today to study and meditate on Your Word so that I can obey everything that is written in it. John Chapter 5 The Scripture above describes the Word of God as the light that lights the path we are to take in life. Without studying and meditating on God s Word, we will be walking around in the dark. Think about the times you have gotten up at night to go to the bathroom and you have to feel your 40 Days in the Word WEEKLY GUIDE

2 CONTENTS DEVOTIONAL 4 Service Program 2 Sermon Notes 3 Connection Group Guide 6 Devotionals 8 SERVICE PROGRAM Part One // Music Welcome: Ben Crownover Song: Jesus, Firm Foundation Song: Be Thou My Vision (O God) Part Two // Message Video: 40 Days In The Word Scripture Reading: Pastor Minerva Message and er: Pastor Irmler Part Three // Conclusion er and ion * Feel free to come to the front at this time if you would like a pastor to pray with you. Song: Your Word er: Hunter Bachman Offering to the LORD & Announcements Theme: The Power of Scripture in Community Read: Acts 2:42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. Have you ever noticed all of the one a n o t h e r p a s s a g e s, e s p e c i a l l y throughout the New Testament? We are called to love one another (John 13:34), bear with one another and forgive one another (Colossians 3:13), instruct one another (Romans 15:14), and so on. While Christianity is certainly personal, it s not private. The faith wrought in you by the Holy Spirit is meant to be a faith expressed within the living and active community of faith - the local church. In this grace-filled community, believers are transformed through the faithful preaching of the Word, Bible study, small groups, counseling, and the many other contexts of Scripture-saturated edification. We shouldn t neglect meeting together in worship (Hebrews 10:25), we also shouldn t isolate ourselves from the communion of the saints. Joseph Hall once noted, There is no place for any loose stones in God s edifice. You need your brothers and sisters and their gifts which God gives for the building up of the body of Christ. From accountability to encouragement, God has seen fit to equip you with the tools for gospel transformation within the community of faith. As you read, study, and apply the Word of God within the community of faith, may God plant you by streams of grace. Take time this week to fill out your Connection Group Bible Study Guide and take part in your group s weekly gathering so you can grow in His Word with other believers. Lord, sanctify me in Your truth, Your Word. Produce in me the fruits of Your Spirit and Your grace, for Your eternal glory. John Chapter 4

3 DEVOTIONAL 3 Theme: God Acts Through His Word Read: Psalm 33:6 By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. God not only reveals information through His Word, God acts through His Word. He acts in three ways: He creates, He sustains, and He both establishes and breaks relationships. God creates with His Words. You and I create with our hands, computers, shovels, and bulldozers, but not God. God is Spirit, and He creates by speaking. He says, Be, and it is. Invisible words create a visible matter. God sustains the universe by His Word. Scientists tell us that atoms and quarks, planets and suns are held together by the mechanical laws of gravitation, electromagnetism, and strong and weak interaction. But think, such laws are themselves the gusts of God s breath. They are words rolling off God s tongue second by second. It is worth meditating on for a moment what actually happened when Jesus said to the wind and the waves, Peace! Be still! Electrons and protons obeyed. Can you explain that? G o d e s t a b l i s h e s a n d b r e a k s relationships through His Word. God made a verbal covenant with Abraham and another one with A b r a h a m s d e s c e n d a n t s, t h e Israelites. When they failed to keep that covenant, God exiled them. At every step, God s relationship with Israel was established and broken by His words. Under the New Covenant we are no longer talking about words on a tablet, but words written on human hearts. We are talking about the soul s very posture. God created the universe with words, so He re-creates fallen hearts with words. He makes us new creations. Take a few moments and meditate on all that God has done with His words. God, thank You for the life giving power that is in Your Word. Thank you for giving us access to it. I pray that I would never take it for granted. John Chapter 3 SERMON NOTES Introduction: God s Word Changes Lives! II Timothy 3:16-17 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. I. GOD S WORD Doctrine: Reproof: Correction: Instruction in Righteousness: Quote: The human heart does not replenish itself with sleep. The body does, but not the heart. We replenish our hearts with Scripture. - John Piper Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

4 SERMON NOTES DEVOTIONAL 2 II. GOD S WORD A. CHANGES OUR Psalm 51:6 Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom. Quote: It s not just about getting into the Bible, it s about letting the Bible get into you! B. CHANGES OUR Psalm 119:9 Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. Quote: You re not doing God a favor when you read your Bible, you're doing yourself a favor. Conclusion: Theme: The Holy Spirit and the Bible Read: Ephesians 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: God uses His Word both to save and sanctify His people. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God (Romans 10:17). That message - the good news of Jesus - is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes (Romans 1:16). We plant and water; God gives the increase (I Corinthians 3:7). Thomas Watson, the late English Puritan, wrote, We may read many truths in the Bible, but we cannot know them savingly, till God by His Spirit shines upon our soul. Similarly, the Puritan, John Flavel, explained, We preach and pray, and you hear; but there is no motion Christ-ward until the Spirit of God blows upon them. We must remember that any authentic transformation that takes place in our lives comes by the sheer grace of God. Scripture is a means by which God alone saves and sanctifies His people. Therefore, He alone receives all the glory and praise. In our verse for today, we are told to take up the sword of the Spirit. The offensive armor included only one weapon, a short sword used in close combat. The sword symbolized God s Word, because of its design, content, and origin, Scripture endures forever (I Peter 1:24-15). We must prayerfully ask the Holy Spirit to use His sword to cut away all that doesn t look like Christ in our lives. Are you allowing the Holy Spirit to change you through His Word? Take time today to ask Him to change your heart. Holy Spirit, I need You to make Your Word come alive to me and sanctify my soul. Use Your sword to cut away anything that does not look like Jesus in my life. John Chapter 2

5 DEVOTIONAL 1 CONNECTION GROUP GUIDE Theme: The Word of God is Powerful Read: Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. The point of these devotionals is to help you hear from God through daily interaction with the Bible. Hearing God in the pages of the Bible takes time, effort, and ultimately, faith! Spiritual listening is a skill that we continue to develop all of our lives. Perhaps your past has been marked by starts and stops in reading the Bible, and you are wondering whether you have the discipline to engage the Bible consistently. Welcome to the club! Most believers have struggled to consistently read and the study the Bible. However, this is God s Word! The God who spoke the universe into existence has spoken His truth about life through the Bible, so that we might know what He intends for this world and how we might live for Him. He calls us to be people of His Word. The Bible is the foundation for understanding who we are, and what we should be doing in this world. When you read the Bible, read it with expectation that God is at work. The same Holy Spirit who inspired the Scripture long ago is the One who illumines and applies the Scriptures as you read. So read expectantly, asking God to show you wonderful things from His Word. Thomas Watson gave this helpful exhortation: Leave not off reading the Bible till you find your hearts warmed Let it not only inform you, but inflame you. Read your Bible today expecting the all-powerful Creator to speak to you! Give me a heart of faith that believes you are speaking to me through Your Word. Discern my thoughts and motives and conform me to Your image. John Chapter 1 Opening er God, thank you for meeting us here and for giving us the Bible so that we can listen to You speak to us. Help us to hear what You have to say to each of us. Help us to say yes to whatever You are inviting us into. In Jesus name, Amen. II Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: This week, we kicked off a new sermon series campaign with the hope that we d each encounter Jesus through the Bible. What are some of your earliest memories, either positive or negative, of the Bible? What are you hoping to get out of this series campaign?

6 CONNECTION GROUP GUIDE The Bible Is The Word Of God We believe the Bible is inspired by God. This doesn t mean we believe God dictated the Bible and that the writers were in some mindless trance where God took over. But rather that God used the writers with their uniqueness, their time, and their situations to communicate His message. We believe there is a power and a purpose in the word of God that can encourage and empower each of our lives. II Timothy 3:16-17 All scripture is given by inspiration of God That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. What role has the Bible played in your spiritual development? Tell us about the most meaningful encounter you ve had with God through the Bible. What is your favorite thing about the Bible? CONNECTION GROUP GUIDE The Bible Is An Invitation From God Jesus invites us to love Him, to learn from Him, and to live for Him. For this to happen in our lives it takes some cooperation on our part. We have to let the Bible into our heads, let it drip into our hearts, and eventually let it guide how we live. Who, in your life, seems to do a good job at letting the Bible move into their head, heart, and life? Tell us about the lessons you observed from that person. How are you personally doing at letting the Bible have final authority over your life? Tell us how you have grown, where you are struggling, and how you are hoping to grow in this area. Closing er God, help us to encounter you through the Bible. Open our minds and soften our hearts to the Bible. Help us to follow through on our next right step on this topic. We want to encounter your love, we want to learn from you, and we want to live for you. WEEKLY MEMORY VERSE II Timothy 3:16-17 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.