Faith & Life Discovery Journal

Transcription

1 Working in the Spirit - Week of May 22, 2011 Acts 2:42-47 Reflections on this week s message: The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners. Isaiah 61:1 So he said to me, This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD Almighty. Zechariah 4:6 Zechariah was called on to build a wall, Isaiah was called into prophetic ministry, the apostles were called to build the church. All of these tasks are daunting at best and sometimes seemingly impossible. Bear in mind that the people God chose to use in ancient times, and throughout the history of the church, were every day folk, like you and me. God has a way of calling ordinary people to do extraordinary things. When God calls, the call comes with a promise; He promises to supply us with everything we need to accomplish the task. He promises His Spirit to guide, counsel, equip and sustain us. Zechariah, Isaiah, Peter, James, John, Phillip, Stephen, Paul, St. Francis, Martin Luther, John Wesley, Charles Spurgeon, Sister Teresa, Billy Graham, Max Lucado, and so many names throughout history, they all have something in common; not one of them could do what they do without the power of the Holy Spirit. So what about you? What is God calling you to do? What is God asking us to do as a church? Are you equipped? Are we equipped? The answer is, no, not in our own strength or abilities. The answer, however, changes to, yes, when we count on the power of the Holy Spirit. God is calling you to build His Kingdom, invite Him to use you and equip you with His Spirit. We cannot do the work alone, but with Him all things are possible. Love, Pastor Joe Prayer Starter: Getting Started: Grab your bible & a journal. Find a quiet, comfortable spot to begin your daily Bible reading. Light a candle & spend a few minutes relaxing, quieting your mind. Keep a notebook nearby to jot down distractions that interfere with your focus to put them out of your mind to deal with later. You may want to play your favorite hymns or praise music softly in the background. To quiet your mind & prepare to focus on God & His Word try one of the prayer exercises found under Spiritual Growth Resources. Then pray the suggested prayer starter personalizing it to your needs & desire for God s guidance. This Week's Prayer Starter: Heavenly Father, thank you for your Holy Spirit and all it does for us. Thank you for the plans you have for us. Help us to remember that on our own, we can t do anything. But by your Spirit we can say yes when you call us to do things for you because we know that you are with us always & in the power of the Holy Spirit we can do all things! Come in to my heart, Lord. May your Spirit dwell in me, lead me & guide me. Use me to share Your good news in our world in such desperate need of your love, grace, & hope. In Jesus Name we pray! Amen!

2 day 1 week of May 22 Read Acts 2:41-47 What did the 3,000 converts end up doing? What word do you think would best describe the atmosphere in this passage? What do you think made the early church so appealing to others? What do you think keeps the church from experiencing this kind of fellowship today? How could this group of ordinary, common people build a movement that continues yet today? How could people who were forbidden to speak of Jesus with threats of death, grow this church? How could they surrender everything to Jesus? What was the result of the group s dedication to ministry for the Lord? Could they do any of this in their own power? Pray for God to pour out His Spirit on our congregation & community so that we might boldly respond to His call & help build His Kingdom in amazing ways! day 2 week of May 22 Read Isaiah 61 According to Isaiah, what good things does God desire for His people? In what ways are they at work or missing in the life of our church? What good news is the prophet bringing to the poor, broken-hearted, & grief-stricken? What enabled the prophet to boldly proclaim God s Word in such challenging times? What does God promise in this passage? In what ways is our world today in need of hope? How do you feel about being called a minister of the Gospel? What would it mean for you to live like a minister this week? What is God asking you to do? Are you depending on the Spirit to accomplish what God is calling you to do? Ask God to show you how He wants you to participate in the Spirit s work.

3 day 3 week of May 22 Read Zechariah 4 What do you think the objects in Zechariah s vision represent? According to verses 6-7, what will it take for Zerubbabel to rebuild the temple? How does God s glory & blessing come into your life? Into whose life will you carry blessing & renewal? Reread verse 6. How do you react to being told that your intelligence & strength alone will not get you through life or bring glory to God? How does your life compare to the Master Builder s plumb line? Are you submitting to the power of the Spirit or trying to do things your way? What will you do today to bring your life back into line? On one side of a piece of paper, write images that come to your mind when you think of might & power. On the other side of the paper, write down images that come to mind when you think of by my Spirit. (From the Meeting God Bible, p.1254) Ask God to help you grow in your understanding of His Word in Zechariah 4:6. day 4 week of May 22 Read Acts 4:8-10,13,23-33 What do you learn about Peter & John from today s passage? By what name was the crippled man healed? What enabled Peter to speak so boldly despite warnings from the religious authorities? Are there areas of your own life in which you pay more attention to human rules than to God s call? How did the people respond to Peter & John s release? As they prayed, what did they ask God to do? What happened after they prayed? Are you praying for opportunities to share the gospel and for boldness to use those opportunities for God s glory? In what ways are you like Peter & John? What examples of God using ordinary people to do extraordinary things inspire you? Inwhat ways is your life a testimony to the Spirit s power? Memorize Isaiah 58:8, Fairhope s memory verse for the month of May!

4 day 5 week of May 22 Read Exodus 3:1-22 & Philippians 4:13 Why do you think God used a burning bush to get Moses attention? What does God ask Moses to do for Israel? How does Moses respond? Do you think Moses is more uncertain of himself or God? What reassurance does God give Moses? Have you ever felt called by God to do a particular task? How did you respond? What might God have to do to get your attention & commitment to take on a new mission in life? By whose strength are you able to accomplish anything? In what ways does Christ strengthen you? What is God asking you to do? What is God asking us to do as a church? Are you depending on the Spirit to accomplish what God is asking you to do? Ask God to help you submit to His Spirit and respond to His call in your life! After reflecting & praying through this week s readings & sermon teaching, I feel God is nudging me to take these steps: Seek first His kingdom & His righteousness Matthew 6:33

5 Dig Deeper: List the 5 activities that you most enjoy doing. Worship Is worshipping God on your list? Why or why not? Look up worship in a Bible concordance or dictionary. Spend some time in those scriptures and in prayer asking God to examine and shape your attitude toward worship. Reflect on the following questions: What does God reveal to you about worship in these scriptures? Why do you come to church? Who and what is worship about? Is your worship confined to Sunday morning? How do you prepare your heart for worship? What activities & devotions do you participate in during the week to help you stay connected to God? Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker; for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care. Psalm 95: 6-7

6 Family Connection: May is Christian Home Month Worship & Children Children look to parents as an example to follow. Parents & grandparents are the primary spiritual leader in the lives of their children. God places a high calling on our responsibility to nurture children in their faith journey. (See Deuteronomy 6, Psalm 78:1-7, Mark 10:13-16 for some Biblical references.) Guiding your children in worship and helping them to understand what worship is about is an important role for parents & grandparents and all involved in the life of a child. Here are a few suggestions: Attend church & Sunday school with your children & grandchildren. Ask children what they thought about the scripture reading, children s message, sermon, hymn, or other aspects of worship. Encourage them to consider how God speaks to them through worship experiences. Let your children see you in worship so they see that your relationship with God is a priority in your life. Worship together as a family, both corporately and privately. Explain the order of worship to your children. Use your worship bulletin as a guide. Help them to understand why these things are included in your congregation s worship experiences. Answer their questions, even if they come up during the worship service. Take advantage of those teachable moments. Don t pretend to know all the answers. If you can t answer your child s questions tell them you will explore the answer together. Dig into your Bibles, check out your church library, website, or consult your pastor, director of education, or Sunday school teacher. If your children feel led to express themselves in worship with applause, lifting their hands, moving to music, sharing prayer concerns & joys, etc do not hinder them! Encourage your children to lead worship in your home. Give them permission to freely express themselves before God through prayer, scripture reading, music, art, service, etc. Let your children see you praying, reading your Bible, worshiping, & participating in Bible studies and Christian fellowship activities. Remember children learn by example! Share with your children how your giving of your time, money, & resources is an act of worship. Encourage them to do the same. Tell your children how you see God at work in their lives and in the world!