Saturday, March 30 2013

Read: Luke 24:1-12, Romans 6:5-14

How do we know it’s all true? Is our faith in Jesus real or misplaced? These big questions are inextricably tied to the resurrection of Jesus. If Jesus didn’t really rise from the dead, our faith is as dead as Him and our hope is in vain. If He did rise from the dead we can have hope in Him for life everlasting.

 

What would it mean for our faith if Jesus didn't really rise from the dead? Paul talks in detail about the resurrection in today’s reading from Romans. He clearly outlines that because we are united in Jesus’ death we are also raised with Him in His resurrection. Because of Jesus’ death and resurrection we no longer need to be under the power of sin (vs 6), instead we are freed to live our lives for God. If Jesus had not died on our behalf and be raised to life by the power of the Holy Spirit we would still be slaves to sin and under God’s righteous judgement and wrath.

 

Do not fear. Jesus has been raised! There is good evidence for our faith in Jesus and our confidence in His resurrection. Come along to ChristLife tomorrow as we see together why we can be convinced that Jesus really did rise from the dead. Checkout the video at www.christlife.org.au if you can’t make it.

 

Prayer:

Write down your prayer points in the space provided. Use today’s reading to help you get ideas.

Adoration:

 

Confession:

 

Thanks:

 

Supplication:

¥ Praise God that because of the resurrection of Jesus we can celebrate that we are freed from the eternal consequences of sin and freed from slavery to sin! Praise God that because of what Christ has done we can live free lives for Him! Hallelujah!!!

¥ Pray for the Easter Sunday services all over the world tomorrow. Pray that the good news of Jesus death and resurrection would be preached boldly and faithfully to millions and that all over the world people would come to faith in Him.

 

My Additional Prayer Points.

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Discussion Questions For Families and Groups

1. How would you prove to someone that Jesus really did rise from the dead?

2. As Christians how should we live differently as a result of Jesus’ resurrection?

 

Good Friday, March 29 2013

Read: John 19:28-42, Romans 3:21-26

Was Jesus really dead? Many sceptics will argue that Jesus didn’t really die on the cross. Instead, many theories have been put forward about how Jesus may have fallen unconscious (also known as the Swoon Theory) or that it wasn’t really Jesus who was on the cross.

Consider the implications of such theories for a moment. Paul tells us in Romans that Jesus, by His death, became a ‘sacrifice of atonement’ on our behalf. Jesus has borne on Himself the penalties and consequences on the cross for our sin. By suffering physical punishment and the ultimate punishment of rejection by God Jesus bears all our deserved punishment. If Jesus didn’t really die on the cross what would that mean for our relationship with God?

 

The good news is this: Jesus really did die on the cross and through His sacrifice on our behalf we can be “justified freely by His grace” and are considered righteous before God. Come along to the service this morning or check out the video at www.christlife.org.au to find out how we can be confident in both Jesus’ death on our behalf and that we are justified in the sight of God because of Him.

 

Prayer:

Write down your prayer points in the space provided. Use today’s reading to help you get ideas.

Adoration:

 

Confession:

 

Thanks:

 

Supplication:

¥ Take a moment to praise God and to thank Him for all that He has done on your behalf. Praise Him that, even when you were His enemy and cut off from Him, that He died on your behalf.

¥ Pray for this morning’s service at Christlife. Pray that many who don’t know Jesus would come along and would hear about Him. Pray that God would work in their hearts and that they may be fully convinced of Jesus death on their behalf. Pray that those who do know Jesus would be challenged and encouraged to live their lives for Him.

 

My Additional Prayer Points.

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Discussion Questions For Families and Groups

1. How would you go about proving that Jesus really did die on the cross to a sceptic?

2. What would it mean for our faith if Jesus didn’t really die on the cross?

 

Thursday, March 28 2013

Read: Psalm 22:1-18, Matthew 27:32-50

“My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?”

These haunting opening words of David’s Psalm and the terrible final words of Jesus prior to His death on the cross reveal to us the full, horrible anguish of Jesus on the cross. Jesus’ suffering was not only physical but also spiritual. In that moment Jesus bears the full weight of our sin on the cross and the Holy and Righteous God of the universe turns His face away from His own son.

 

Take a moment to consider the full depth of that suffering. Jesus is not only betrayed by his friends, mocked by his enemies and beaten by his creation. He is separated from His father and left truly alone before God’s righteous wrath. Spend some time this morning praising God for what He has done. Use today’s readings and the following words of the song, How Deep The Father’s Love For Us by Stuart Townend to praise God for His work on your behalf.

 

How deep the Father's love for us,
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure

How great the pain of searing loss,
The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the chosen One,
Bring many sons to glory

Behold the Man upon a cross,
My sin upon His shoulders
Ashamed I hear my mocking voice,
Call out among the scoffers
It was my sin that left Him there
Until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life
I know that it is finished

I will not boast in anything
No gifts, no power, no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ
His death and resurrection

Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom

 

Prayer:

Write down your prayer points in the space provided. Use today’s reading to help you get ideas.

 

Adoration:

 

Confession:

 

Thanks:

 

Supplication:

¥ Pray for all the Christian’s around the world who will be celebrating the death and resurrection of Jesus this weekend. Pray especially for those who are not free to celebrate Jesus publicly but are persecuted and suffer for their faith. Pray that God would give them courage and boldness to share about Christ with others.

¥ Pray for safety and God’s protection over all those who will be travelling to Toowoomba this weekend for Easterfest. Pray that God would keep them safe as they travel and that they would grow in the faith and passion for Jesus as a result of their time at Easterfest.

 

My Additional Prayer Points.

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Jesus Challenge:

All around each of us there are many, many people who don’t know Jesus or what He has done on their behalf.

As a cell consider what you could do to demonstrate the love of Jesus to some of these people and to share about what Christ has done for them. Maybe you would like to have a social event and invite non-Christians to join you. Maybe you would like to mow someone’s lawn or tidy their house. Make a plan together and carry it out this week.

 

Discussion Questions For Families and Groups

1. Was it Jesus’ physical suffering on the cross which paid the price for our sins? Why or why not?

2. What role did Jesus’ physical sufferings play in His work for us on the cross?

 

Wednesday, March 27 2013

Read: Isaiah 52:13-15, Matthew 26:62-68, Matthew 27:27-31

It is very difficult to read about the brutality Jesus suffered in His last days without cringing. Jesus is beaten multiple times, scourged by the Romans, mocked, had a crown of thorns forced onto his head and finally crucified. It is easy for us to mentally sanitise Jesus’ suffering by pretending it wasn’t as bad as it was. Isaiah’s words in verse 14 of today’s readings take that option away however: “His appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and His form marred beyond human likeness”.

 

Dwell on those words for a moment. Isaiah does not only predict that Jesus will be beaten and suffer physically. He also predicts the brutal extent of those sufferings. Jesus is beaten such that He is barely recognisable.

 

But there is a purpose behind Jesus’ sufferings. The blood of Jesus, shed on our behalf as He was beaten and died cleanses us from sin in the sight of God. How do we respond to Christ’s work on our behalf? We lament at the depth of our sin that brought such suffering on Him and we rejoice that His blood has been shed for our sins! Hallelujah!

 

Prayer:

Write down your prayer points in the space provided. Use today’s reading to help you get ideas.

 

Adoration:

 

Confession:

 

Thanks:

 

Supplication:

¥ Pray for the services coming up at Christlife on Friday and Sunday. Pray that God would draw many who don’t know Him to attend so that they might hear about what He has done on their behalf and come into relationship with Him. Pray that the gospel would be preached faithfully and boldly throughout the world over this time.

¥ Pray for MOPS this morning. Pray that all of the community mums who attend would hear about what Christ has done on their behalf and would be drawn to saving faith in Him. Pray for wisdom for all the Christlife mums that they would be able to share about what Christ has done boldly.

 

My Additional Prayer Points.

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Tuesday, March 26 2013

Read: Isaiah 53:1-10, Matthew 27:11-26

I remember breaking my leg when I was 11 years old. Boy did I scream! I can remember lying on the bitumen in the car park screaming as loud as I could. In fact looking back over my life there are very few times when I have been injured and not said anything about it.

 

The account of Jesus’ trial, suffering and death is different, however. We don’t see Jesus’ complaining about His suffering. We don’t see Jesus rush to His own defence when His enemies make false accusations and we don’t ever see Him blame God for what is happening to Him. The prophet Isaiah predicted this in Isaiah 53:7 when he says that Jesus is oppressed and afflicted and yet did not open His mouth. Jesus was silent like a sheep before its shearers.

 

Take a moment to marvel at the grace and humility of Christ on our behalf. We suffer by accident or by our own mistakes and faults and we complain. Christ suffered for the misdeeds of others and is humble and gracious enough to remain silent. Next time that you hurt yourself and cry out or rush to your own defence against your accusers take a moment to praise God for His suffering on your behalf.

 

Prayer:

Write down your prayer points in the space provided. Use today’s reading to help you get ideas.

 

Adoration:

 

Confession:

 

Thanks:

 

 

Supplication:

¥ Take a moment to praise God that He silently and graciously took your punishment on Himself. Pray that He would help you to respond to suffering and attacks with the same humility and grace which He had.

¥ Pray for Easterfest coming up this weekend. Pray that the Gospel would be proclaimed by every artist on every stage and that many would come to saving faith in Jesus Christ.

 

My Additional Prayer Points.

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Discussion Questions For Families and Groups

1. Re-read Isaiah 53:1-10. From these verses take some time to pray together and praise God for what He has done on your behalf.

2. Considering how Jesus reacted to the accusations and attacks of His enemies, how should we react when we undergo suffering?

 

Monday, March 25 2013

Weekly Challenge

Seek to start conversations with those around you about Jesus in the lead up to Easter this week and share what Easter is really about. Invite them to come and hear about it at church this week.

 

Read: Psalm 41:4-9, John 13:18-30

It is hard to read the words of David in verse 9 of Psalm 41. Not only do his enemies wish him dead, his own friends who he trusted have betrayed him and seek to harm him. Imagine that for a moment. Imagine that one of your closest friends has betrayed you and is seeking to bring great harm to you.

 

Jesus shows us in John 13 that these words are in fact a prophesy about Him. Jesus is the one whose close friend who He trusted turns against Him and seeks to harm Him. It is so easy for us, with the benefit of hindsight, to see Judas Iscariot as a villain throughout the whole of Jesus’ life but by doing so we gloss over the tragedy of his betrayal and the emotions that Jesus must have felt. We forget that Jesus spent three years in close community with Judas, training him in ministry and sharing the ups and downs of his ministry with Him. Judas’ betrayal must have hurt Jesus deeply

 

As we lead up to Easter this week and consider how the Old Testament prophesies about Jesus were fulfilled in the Passion week consider how we too were enemies of God. Adam betrayed God in the garden and we have been rebelling against Him ever since. Take a moment to praise God that while we were still His enemies He endured betrayal, suffered and died for us.

 

Prayer:

Write down your prayer points in the space provided. Use today’s reading to help you get ideas.

 

Adoration:

 

Confession:

 

Thanks:

 

Supplication:

¥ Praise God that He endured the betrayal of friends and suffered at the hands of His creatures for our sake. Praise God that He has borne the consequences of our sin at the cross and makes a way for us to have relationship with Him.

¥ Pray that all those in the congregation would take advantage of every opportunity to share about Jesus in the lead up to Easter this week. Pray for many people who don’t know Jesus to come and to know Him.

 

My Additional Prayer Points.

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Discussion Questions For Families and Groups

1. Have you ever been betrayed by a close friend? How did you react?

2. Based on the way that Jesus reacted to being betrayed how should Christian’s respond if they are betrayed by someone close to. them?

 

Saturday March 23 2013

Read: Matthew 5:48, 1 Peter 1:13-16

What is the standard for holiness for God’s followers? Is there a point at which we can merely decide that we no longer need to grow in our faith and in our godliness? Is there a point where we are holy enough?

 

For the past 27 verses Jesus has been establishing the standard of holiness for his followers by unpacking the true intention of God’s law. This true intention is not merely a change in behaviour, God’s intention is that our hearts are changed also. Jesus has established that his people should not be angry, should not lust, should not divorce, should not break their word, should be kind in the face of hostility and should be loving in the face of hatred. As if this standard of holiness wasn’t enough Jesus closes off his teaching with this phrase in verse 48: “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly father is perfect.”

 

The standard of holiness for God’s people is not some outward measure of holiness, the standard is the character of God himself. We are to perfectly reflect the character of God in our lives. We are to “Be holy, because I am holy” as we read in 1 Peter and in the Old Testament.

 

If our standard for Holiness is the character of God himself we can never arrive or achieve that standard until Jesus comes again. Until that day we must always strive to be more holy and to more accurately reflect the character of Jesus in our lives. We do not do this because we need to earn God’s approval, God has already made us right with Him through Christ. Rather, we strive to be more like Jesus out of thanksgiving and praise for what He has done for us.

 

This might seem like an impossible task but the good news is this: God has given us His spirit to change us to be more like Him. This does not mean we have a passive role in becoming more like Him, we are commanded to strive for holiness, but it does mean that God has promised to help us in our task.

 

Think about God’s standard. How do you measure up to that standard? Pray that the Holy Spirit would reveal to you areas where you fall short of God’s standard and help you to be more like Him in those areas.

 

Prayer:

Write down your prayer points in the space provided. Use today’s reading to help you get ideas.

Adoration:

 

Confession:

 

Thanks:

 

Supplication:

¥ Praise God that He has given you the Holy Spirit to help you to be more like Him. Pray that God would reveal to you any areas in your life where you fall short of His standard. Pray that He would help you to be more like Him.

¥ Pray for the preaching of God’s word tomorrow morning all over the world. Pray that the gospel would be preached boldly and that many would come to saving faith in Jesus Christ.

 

My Additional Prayer Points.

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Discussion Questions For Families and Groups

1. If the standard for holiness is God’s character how do we learn what that standard is?

2. What are some things that God’s people should/shouldn’t be doing?

 

Friday March 22 2013

Read: 1 Corinthians 4:9-13, Acts 7:54-60

The Bible is full of accounts of believers loving their enemies and blessing those who persecute them. It is worthwhile for us to study some of these accounts to understand how we should love those in our loves who hate and despise us.

 

In today’s reading from 1 Corinthians Paul recounts how they have been reviled, persecuted and slandered. How do they respond to these attacks? With blessing, endurance and entreating those who persecute them. Paul understood and practiced a philosophy of loving His enemies for the sake of the gospel.

 

Consider the death of Stephen in our reading from Acts. Stephen became the first martyr for the sake of faith in Jesus Christ. As Stephen was stoned he prayed for his attackers, a final act of love and grace from a servant of Jesus.

 

We are called to the same, self-sacrificial, generous love as Paul and Stephen. How are we loving people in the same way?

 

Prayer:

Write down your prayer points in the space provided. Use today’s reading to

help you get ideas.

Adoration:

 

Confession:

 

Thanks:

 

Supplication:

¥ Pray for the elders and leaders of various ministries in the church. Pray that God would give them wisdom as they seek to share the gospel with others. Pray that the elders would be able to make good decisions about the church so that the gospel might be preached and God might be glorified.

¥ Pray for all those around the world who are persecuted for their faith in Jesus Christ. Pray that God would strengthen them and give them courage under the persecution. Pray that they would be bold to preach the word of God and that many would come to know Him as a result.

 

My Additional Prayer Points.

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Discussion Questions For Families and Groups

1. Persecution is so overt in these readings from God’s word. What sort of persecution might you face in your life?

2. How could you respond to that persecution with kindness and love?

 

Thursday March 21 2013

Read: Matthew 5:43-48, Romans 5:6-11

Liuba Ganevskaya smiled at her interrogator as he hurled insults at her and beat her so that she might reveal the names of the other Christians. For the first time she looked up at him and did not see the cruel man she had seen during all the other beatings, she saw another child of God who was broken and lost. Asking her about the smile the man listened as she told him what she saw in him. Putting down his whip he left a changed man. (DC Talk, Jesus Freaks, 1999, p157)

 

For centuries those persecuting the church have been amazed by the grace and love of the Christians they are persecuting. What could possibly motivate such love and grace in the face of such hatred? Liuba understood the great love which Jesus had shown her when she was a sinner and chose to extend the same love to her torturer. Today’s reading from Romans shows us that even when we were God’s enemies He loved us and died for us to be in relationship with Him.

 

If Liuba is able to understand the great grace and love of Christ and apply it to her torturer how much more should we be able to love our enemies? Is there someone in your life who is your enemy? Is there someone who is actively seeking to harm you or to hurt you? Is there someone who hates you? Jesus is clear, we are to love our enemies and to pray for those who persecute us. How can you do that today?

 

Prayer:

Write down your prayer points in the space provided. Use today’s reading to help you get ideas.

Adoration:

 

Confession:

 

Thanks:

 

Supplication:

¥ Pray for all those in your life who hate you or who would seek to harm you. Pray that God would work in their hearts that they might come to know Him. Pray that God would help you to be gracious and loving in the face of their hatred.

¥ Pray for the youth group as they gather together tomorrow night. Pray that God would give wisdom to the leaders as they seek to guide and to teach the youth. Pray that God would work in the hearts of the youth that they might live for Him.

 

My Additional Prayer Points.

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Discussion Questions For Families and Groups

1. Is there anyone in your life who hates you for being a Christian? How could you show love to that person this week?

2. How can you help each other to show love to those who hate you this week?

 

 

Wednesday March 20 2013

Read: Matthew 5:38-42, Romans 12:14-21

“FIRST MAN: We should defend ourselves. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.

TEVYE: Very good. And that way, the whole world will be blind and toothless.”

The Fiddler on the Roof

 

It is terrible to imagine the sorry state our world would be in if there was no grace. If the God given principal of “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth” is taken to its extreme the consequences would be disastrous. Imagine nations endlessly in war, personal relationships constantly broken and strained and people taking the law into their own hands. The world might truly be blind and toothless.

 

Jesus gives us the antidote to this kind of extremism in today’s reading; a life of radical generosity in the face of conflict and attack. What a radical notion! When we are faced with a co-worker who mocks us for our faith we are called to be generous to them. When a person would seek to take advantage of us for their own gain, we are to show kindness. When a person would seek to insult and offend us we react with grace.

 

By establishing this new standard of behaviour for his disciples Jesus is not implying that the original principal given by God was incorrect or no longer applies. God’s standard of justice is perfect and stands forever. Rather Jesus is correcting an extreme view of this principal and calling his disciples to grace and forgiveness. This doesn’t mean that followers of Jesus cannot defend themselves if they are in a dangerous, unsafe situation. We see Jesus escaping dangerous situations and the apostles defending themselves where necessary.

 

We are not called to be unwise, rather we are called to radical generosity in the face of conflict and attack. How can you show radical generosity to those in your life?

 

Prayer:

Write down your prayer points in the space provided. Use today’s reading to help you get ideas.

Adoration:

 

Confession:

 

Thanks:

 

Supplication:

Pray for the Warwick Presbyterian Church as they do not currently have a full time minister. Pray that God would give the elders wisdom as they

¥ seek to make decisions about the church and as they seek to minister to His people. Pray that the gospel would be faithfully and boldly preached and that people might come to faith in Jesus through it.

¥ Pray for the many other Presbyterian churches throughout Queensland which do not currently have full time ministers. Pray that God would use the elders of the churches to strengthen and encourage His people and that God would raise up men to lead the church and to preach the gospel.

 

My Additional Prayer Points.

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Tuesday March 19 2013

Read: Matthew 5:38-48, Luke 23:32-43

Imagine the scene. The righteous, all-powerful, all-loving God of the universe hangs on a cross. Bloodied and beaten, his face is barely recognisable behind his injuries (Isaiah 52:14). We have read and heard the story so many times but can we really truly understand the mockery, cruelty and harshness which Jesus’ suffered at the hands of His enemies? Can we truly imagine the shame of the crucifixion and the harshness of his critics?

 

How does Jesus respond to these attacks on Him? Re-read Luke 23:34. Jesus response to the attacks and mockery of his enemies is that of forgiveness and grace. We see this throughout his trial, his crucifixion and after His resurrection. He remains silent in the face of personal and physical attacks, always gracious to his enemies.

 

Jesus’ commands to us in Matthew are not an impossible standard. He does not give us a requirement that He was unable to keep, rather he perfectly demonstrated love in the face of hatred and kindness in the face of conflict.

More than this we see in scripture that His followers also kept this high standard, demonstrating God’s great grace to those around them.

 

As we consider this week how we might be able to ‘turn the other cheek’ and to ‘love our enemies’ let us turn our minds to the perfect example of forgiveness and grace in the face of evil. How might we be able to reflect Jesus’ character to those around us in this area? How can we be the ‘salt and light’ by demonstrating love to those around us?

 

Prayer:

Write down your prayer points in the space provided. Use today’s reading to help you get ideas.

Adoration:

 

Confession:

 

Thanks:

 

Supplication:

¥ Praise God for the perfect example we have in Jesus’ of kindness and love in the face of cruelty and hatred. Praise God that through the suffering, death and resurrection of Christ that we can be made right with Him for eternity. Pray that today you would be able to reflect the character of Jesus into the world around you. Pray that the Holy Spirit would work in your heart to help you to be more gracious today.

¥ Pray for the Play Pals group which are gathering together tomorrow morning. Pray that the mothers who come along would be touched by the love and grace of the church mums and that they might come to know Jesus.

 

My Additional Prayer Points.

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Discussion Questions For Families and Groups

1. Jesus demonstrates how to turn the other cheek and love our enemies during His trial and crucifixion. How does Jesus respond to his attackers? Give examples from the text.

2. How would some of these principals look in your life?

 

Discussion Questions For Families and Groups

1. Spend some time discussing God’s great grace to us. Share with each other how you came to know Jesus.

2. Are there situations in your life where you do not forgive others? Share those with the group.

 

Monday March 18 2013

Weekly Challenge

Who hates you or seeks to harm you? Who do you hate? Try to be radically generous and sacrificially loving to those people this week.

 

Read: Matthew 5:44-45, Matthew 18:21-35

“To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable, because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you.”

CS Lewis, Essay on Forgiveness

 

We cannot discuss forgiving and showing grace to others without discussing the great grace and forgiveness which God has shown to us. Jesus is not only the example of grace and forgiveness as we discussed yesterday, He is also the reason that we show grace and forgiveness to others.

 

Let us pause for a moment and consider again the wonder of God’s great forgiveness and grace to us. Whilst we were enemies of God, cut off from Him by the immeasurable debt of sin, He died on our behalf, suffering the pain and shame of the cross, bearing the wrath of God and rising again to prove that our debt had been paid once and for all.

 

Imagine if you had a credit card with a balance owing of $1,000,000,000. There is no way that you could ever pay that debt back, no way you could even earn enough to pay the interest on such a debt. This is like our debt with God, Jesus has paid the debt in full on our behalf.

 

After this debt had been paid for you a friend of yours comes to you who owes you $100 asking that you give them more time to pay. Rather than pass on the grace you have been shown you demand that they pay back the $100 immediately or you will take them to court. Can you see the great injustice that this would be?

 

Jesus applies this parable to us. When we do not show grace and forgiveness to others we are committing the same injustice. Why do we love our enemies and show kindness when we are attacked? Because the great and holy God of the universe loved us when we were still His enemies and showed kindness to us when we attacked Him.

 

Prayer:

Write down your prayer points in the space provided. Use today’s reading to help you get ideas.

Adoration:

 

Confession:

 

Thanks:

 

Supplication:

¥ Praise God that through Jesus Christ He has paid the immeasurable debt of your sin on your behalf. Praise God that through what Christ has done you can be in relationship with Him forever. Pray that today you would remember God’s great forgiveness for you when others sin against you. Pray that the Holy Spirit would work in your heart that you might be able to forgive and love freely.

¥ Pray for all the cell groups that are gathering throughout this week. Pray that that God would change lives through His word and that we would challenge and encourage each other to live out our faith.

 

My Additional Prayer Points.

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Saturday March 16

Read: Zechariah 8:14-17, Matthew 5:37

Let’s talk about your life. How does it look to be a person of honesty and integrity in your situation? What does it look like to live the principals of today’s readings? Pause for a moment and write down some key areas of focus in your life. These might be places where you spend a lot of time, activities that you spend a lot of time doing or things that are truly important to you. For example work, family and church might be key areas. Keep that list handy.

 

Let’s think about what it might look like to be a person of integrity and honesty at work. If I am an employee it could mean being careful not to defraud my employer. It could mean not only making sure that I complete my required hours or fulfil my role, but making sure I work hard without wasting time. If I am a business owner it might look like paying my bills on time or paying my employees fairly. It might look like making sure I am honest about keeping my business records. If you had work or business written down as one of your key areas have a think about how it might look to be a person of integrity in this area for you. Write down your ideas on your list.

 

How about a little closer to home? What might it look like to be a person of integrity and honesty at home with your family? If you are still living with your parents it might look like showing them godly respect and kindness. It might look like being transparent with them about your life and allowing them to be involved. If you are a parent this might look like being totally honest with your spouse. It might extend to the way that you treat the children, do you treat them with favouritism, or do you treat them all with equal respect and kindness? How do you treat your extended family? If family was an item on your list (I hope it was) write down some ideas about how it might look to be a person of integrity with your family.

 

What about at church? What might it look like to be a person of total integrity at church? Do you show a different person at church to who you really are? Do you pretend to be better than what you really are? At church honesty and integrity might mean showing the real you to those around you. It might mean talking directly to the person with whom you have a conflict rather than talking to others first. If you had church as an item on your list jot down a few other ideas for how to be a person of integrity and honesty at church.

 

I’m sure that you had some other areas on your list. Have a think about what it might look like to be a person of honesty and integrity in each of them. Remember that you cannot become a person of honesty and integrity on your own, you need the Holy Spirit to work in your life. After you have finished spend a moment to pray over your list that God would change your heart and help you to be a person of integrity.

 

Prayer:

Write down your prayer points in the space provided. Use today’s reading to help you get ideas.

 

Adoration:

 

Confession:

 

Thanks:

 

Supplication:

¥ Pray that God would give others wisdom today as they study what it means to be a person of honesty and integrity in every area of their life. Pray that God would give people a passion for honesty and integrity and that they would be challenged to honour God in every area of their lives.

¥ Pray for the services at Christlife tomorrow morning and tomorrow evening. Pray that the Word would be preached with boldness and integrity. Pray that the hearts of the congregation would be receptive to God’s Word and challenged about being people of integrity. Pray that people who don’t know Jesus would be drawn to attend and would hear the good news.

 

My Additional Prayer Points.

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Discussion Questions For Families and Groups

1. Discuss together the different areas of your life which you have listed and share how you can be a person of honesty and integrity in those areas.

2. How can you support and encourage each other in putting these ideas into practice?

 

 

Friday March 15

Read: Matthew 5:33-37,

James 5:12

Imagine a world where everyone told the truth at all times. Imagine a world where whatever someone said they would do they did, every time. Imagine a world where all people were trustworthy people. It would make it a lot easier to trust wouldn’t it. This world that you have just imagined isn’t just a pipe dream, when Jesus returns and the Kingdom of God is fully realised that will be a reality. As Jesus followers we are called to stand in the gap between the current world and the future world by being the Kingdom of God here and now and giving the world a taste of the world that is to come.

 

Demonstrating the Kingdom of God now is more than just keeping our promises though. Jesus is calling us to a life of complete integrity and honesty in all we do. Jesus does so by taking the Old Testament law (which the Pharisees twisted for their own purposes) to it’s intended conclusion, that the followers of God would more closely and more brightly reflect His character to the world around them.

 

If our goal is to have changed hearts that reflect the character of God there is no negotiating on the standard, no cheating our way out of honesty and integrity as the Pharisees did. We cannot lower the bar to meet what we think is practical. Rather, we are to live lives of complete and total integrity. Our words should always be true and we should always follow through on them. That is what it means for our yes to be yes and our no to be no.

 

What might a life of total honesty and integrity look like for you?

 

Prayer:

Write down your prayer points in the space provided. Use today’s reading to help you get ideas.

 

Adoration:

 

Confession:

 

Thanks:

 

Supplication:

¥ Praise God that He is an honest God who always keeps His promises. Praise God that we can trust Him wholly and completely with our lives. Pray that His people would be challenged this week to more closely reflect His character to those around them and to share His gospel.

¥ Pray for the youth group as they gather together tonight for fellowship and to study God’s Word. Pray that God’s word would be shared with clarity and with insight and that as a result the youth would grow to follow Jesus and to live lives for His glory. Pray that God would give the leaders wisdom as they lead the group.

 

 

My Additional Prayer Points.

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Discussion Questions For Families and Groups

1. Based on this passage in Matthew 5:33-37 should Christians should make promises, vows or oaths at all? Why or why not?

 

 

Thursday March 14

Read: Exodus 34:1-7, Deuteronomy 7:7-10

The best way to get to know a person is to spend time with them and allow them to tell you about themselves. No amount of second-hand information, studying resumes, listing credentials, researching family history and reading about them can possibly give you as complete a picture as spending time with that person can give you directly.

 

That is what is happening in today’s reading from Exodus. Moses is receiving the law on Mount Sinai with God and God proclaims His name. This is God telling us about Himself - who He is and what He is like. This is God revealing to us exactly what is most important to Him. If we are ever to understand who God is we need to understand this passage.

 

When we are studying the sermon on the mount and seeking to understand how we are to live as followers of Jesus we must always come back to God’s character. As the Holy Spirit works in our lives and in our hearts we are transformed to more closely and more brightly reflect God’s character to the world. When we understand this it is clear that we are to be people of integrity and keep our word, because God Himself is a faithful God who always keeps His promises.

 

Spend a moment and list as many aspects and characteristics of God that you can from this passage. The specific things that God chooses to declare about Himself should give us an insight into what is most important to Him.

 

Prayer:

Write down your prayer points in the space provided. Use today’s reading to help you get ideas.

 

Adoration:

 

Confession:

 

Thanks:

 

Supplication:

¥ Pray for the congregations of North Toowoomba Presbyterian Church and South Toowoomba Presbyterian Church. Pray that God would raise up godly leaders in those churches and that the Word would be preached faithfully every Sunday. Pray that God would stir a passion in the hearts of the congregation to share Jesus with those around them.

¥ Pray for the single people in the congregation. Pray that God would give them patience and a willingness to wait on His timing. Pray that they would desire and seek after purity. Pray that they would be challenged to serve in the church.

 

My Additional Prayer Points.

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Discussion Questions For Families and Groups

1. Share the lists you have made of the aspects and characteristics of God.

2. Sanctification is the process by which a Christian’s character is shaped to be more like God’s. Which of these items would you expect to be in the character of a Christian?

3. What might these thinks look like practically in your life?

 

 

 

Wednesday March 13

Read: Isaiah 66:1-2,

Psalm 19:1-6, Job 38:1-18

It is so easy for us to read Matthew 5:34-36 and similar passages for information only and not to reach the deep wonder that comes from a full understanding of the passage. Jesus describes Heaven as God’s throne and the Earth as God’s footstool. As we saw yesterday, those statements pointed out that swearing on anything is to swear on God Himself but more than that, these passages should make us stop in wonder and amazement about who our God is.

 

We don’t only read Scripture to try to change our lives. We read Scripture to learn about and grow in relationship with God Himself. Spend some time in wonder and amazement at today’s readings and the almighty, powerful, creator God they describe. How powerful is our God that He could consider the Earth His footstool? And how gracious is our God that despite His power He loves us?

 

As a response to what you have read I encourage you to spend some time praising and worshipping God for who He is this morning. This might look like putting on some worship music, going for a walk and praying about the things you see. It might look like a quiet time of prayer. Whatever works for you make sure you spend some time worshipping God for His greatness today.

 

Prayer:

Write down your prayer points in the space provided. Use today’s reading to help you get ideas.

 

Adoration:

 

Confession:

 

Thanks:

 

Supplication:

¥ Praise God that He is the creator and sustainer of the Earth and of all life on the Earth. Praise God that He can measure the heaven’s in the span of His hand and that He works all things together according to His plan. Praise God that He is also loving, gracious and humble enough to come to earth as a Servant and die for our sins.

¥ Pray for the work of Shiloh Church Ministries in India. Pray that God would give courage and wisdom to the pastors of churches in India that they might be bold in their preaching of the word. Pray that God would protect and encourage the orphans and those involved with their care and that God would raise up a spirit of generosity and support amongst His followers here in Australia.

 

My Additional Prayer Points.

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Discussion Questions For Families and Groups

1. Spend time together discussing the qualities of God that are described in today’s readings. What stands out to you?

2. Spend time together in prayer to praise and to honour God for who He is and how He is revealed in these passages.

 

 

 

 

Tuesday March 12

Read: Matthew 5:33-37, Matthew 23:16-22

Have you ever met a person who promises too often? By making promises too much they actually prove that they cannot be trusted, the opposite of their intention. Why would someone honest and of good character need to promise all the time?

 

In fact, what the Pharisees were doing with oaths and promises was the same, albeit much more deceitful. We learn from our readings and some background research that the Pharisees would use every opportunity they could to make grand oaths with very colourful religious language, even during casual conversation. They would be very careful however, exactly how they swore and then would appeal to the law we read about yesterday to argue that, because they had not sworn on God Himself, that they were exempt from keeping their oaths.

 

Jesus demolishes this idea in both of today’s readings by relating everything back to our creating, ruling God. The Pharisees think they can swear by Heaven and get away with breaking their oath. But Heaven is God’s throne! The Pharisees think that they can swear by the Earth and get away with breaking their oath. But Earth is God’s footstool! They cannot even swear on their own head because in the end, they have no control over what happens to it.

 

Consider how you might try to cheat the system and make a promise you have no intention of keeping. Have you ever done that? How can you be honest and have complete integrity when you are making promises or contracts or oaths?

 

Prayer:

Write down your prayer points in the space provided. Use today’s reading to help you get ideas.

 

Adoration:

 

Confession:

 

Thanks:

 

Supplication:

¥ Pray for the many pregnant couples in the church at the moment. Pray that God would watch over them and keep them in good health. Pray that God would fill them with joy and excitement about the new life that will be brought into their family and that they would be challenged to raise their children to love and serve God.

¥ Pray for the Cell groups that will be meeting over the week. Pray that as they discuss the material from last week’s sermon and studies that they would be challenged to fight for and to protect marriage. Pray that as God’s people gather together that they would encourage each other and challenge each other to live out their faith and to share it with others.

 

My Additional Prayer Points.

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Discussion Questions For Families and Groups

1. What are some of the ways that people try to be tricky about making promises or oaths to avoid having to do what they have said?

2. What would it look like to have integrity and honesty in those situations?

 

 

 

 

Monday March 11

Weekly Challenge

Resolve this week to be faithful to your word and do everything you say you will do without having to be prompted. Make notes about what you need to do if you have to.

 

Read: Deuteronomy 6:13-15, Deuteronomy 23:21-23, Zechariah 8:14-17

Even now in Queensland courts witness’s are asked to swear an oath on the Bible (or an alternative). Why is it that our culture still considers it sacred to swear on the Bible? It is not a stretch of the imagination to believe that the practice stems, in part, from today’s reading in Deuteronomy 6:13-15.

 

When God gave Israel the law it included strict instructions about how oath taking should occur. This is about more than just the occasional, day-to-day promise. These oaths were taken in relation to legal affairs and serious religious matters. God commands that when these oaths are taken, indeed when any oath is taken, that Israel should only swear on God, not on anything else.

 

The law also affirms the importance which God places on fulfilling any oaths made. Deuteronomy 23 shows us that to break an oath or even to be slow to fulfil it is a sin. If that language is not strong enough God tells us through Zechariah that He hates false swearing and lying amongst His people.

How seriously do we take our word? As we look at oaths and promises this week consider how truthful, honest and open you are with your words. How can you live this week in a way that is more honest?

 

Prayer:

Write down your prayer points in the space provided. Use today’s reading to help you get ideas.

 

Adoration:

Confession:

 

Thanks:

 

Supplication:

¥ Pray that this week as we study the issues of a Christian’s word and oath making that God would prompt you to be more honest and have greater integrity in every area of your life. Pray that God would raise up a similar desire for all those in the congregation. Pray that those who don’t know Jesus would be challenged by your integrity.

¥ Pray for all the senior members of our church. Pray that God would continue to watch over them and care for them. Pray that wherever they are that they would not waste the opportunities they have been given but would embrace them to share their faith with others.

 

My Additional Prayer Points.

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Discussion Questions For Families and Groups

1. What important oaths or promises have you made in your life?

2. How consistently were you able to fulfil all these promises?

3. From today’s reading how important are those oaths and promises to God?

 

 

 

 

Saturday March 9

Read: Colossians 3:18-19, Ephesians 5:22-33

“The best defence is a good offence.”

This simple tactical principal has been used in relation to warfare for centuries. The idea is simple. The best way to defend yourself against an enemy is to proactively take the fight to them. This same principal can be applied to fighting for our marriages.

 

Today’s readings give both men and women instructions on how to take the initiative to fight for and preserve our marriages and, if you aren’t married yet, how to build a good foundation for your future marriage. The principal is the same over both passages: women should submit to their husbands and men should love their wives. Let’s spend a moment to consider how these principals practically work out in a marriage.

 

“Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord.” These words of Paul’s in both Ephesians and Colossians demonstrate how Christian women are to behave in marriage. These words do not allow your husband to harm you or abuse you and you are not called to submit to your husband if he is asking you to sin. Rather, the idea here is respect for the husband and submission to his authority as the leader of the home. It is amazing how simple gestures of respect can encourage a husband and grow a marriage. How can you show respect to your husband today?

 

“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her.” It seems that the wives might have the easy end of the deal! Husbands are to love their wives to the extent that Christ loved the church and gave His life up for the church! Men are called to self sacrificial love in every aspect of their marriage! Are you living up to the challenge? Are you loving your wife even at great cost to yourself!? If you have not been meeting this standard I encourage you to repent, to pray and today to show love to your wife.

 

Marriage is two sinners committed to each other and following Christ. As such these things will never be practiced perfectly. There is always room to grow, but don’t wait for the other spouse to make the first move! Show your spouse love or submission today!

 

Prayer:

Write down your prayer points in the space provided. Use today’s reading to help you get ideas.

Adoration:

 

Confession:

 

Thanks:

 

Supplication:

¥ Pray that God would work in your marriage today to preserve and strengthen it. Pray that you would be able to show Godly submission or Christ-like love to your spouse today and that God would work in their heart to reciprocate. If you aren’t married pray that God would help you to grow in relationship with Him and, if it is His will, prepare your heart for  your future marriage.

Pray that God’s word would be preached with power and authority tomorrow as God’s people gather together to worship Him. Pray that God would prepare the hearts of those who follow Him to hear the word

¥ and apply it to their lives. Pray that God would draw people who don’t know Him to church tomorrow and that their lives would be changed as they meet Jesus.

 

My Additional Prayer Points.

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Discussion Questions For Families and Groups

1. What are some practical ways that a wife can demonstrate Godly submission to her husband?

2. What are some practical ways that a Husband can show Christ-like love to his wife?

 

 

 

Friday March 8

Read: 1 Corinthians 7:10-16, 1 Peter 3:1-7

“Tertullian (160–230AD), the theologian of Carthage, wrote about heathen husbands being angry with their Christian wives because they wanted to kiss martyrs’ bonds, embrace Christians, and visit the cottages of the poor.”

 

Ever since the first century Christians have had to deal with the difficulties of  having a non-Christian spouse. Although the practical details of the struggles have changed (I don’t know many Christian’s who are kissing martyrs’ bonds) the difficulties associated with these situations have not changed. Fortunately God has provided specific guidance for those who find themselves in this situation.

 

Paul’s words in today’s passage from 1st Corinthians are fairly straightforward and easy to understand. However two things deserve special attention. Firstly, God provides for desertion by an unbelieving spouse as a Biblical ground for divorce. Paul tells us that the reason behind this provision is that God has called us to live in peace. If you have been in this situation and your unbelieving spouse has left you, take comfort in the fact that God desires that you live in peace and you are no longer bound to that marriage.

 

The second item that deserves special attention is even more important. Despite God allowing desertion by an unbelieving spouse it is not required or compulsory. Rather Paul (and Peter in 1st Peter) encourages the believing spouse to live with their spouse in such a way that the gospel is proclaimed and the unbeliever may come to faith in Christ.

 

If you are married to an unbeliever spend time today praying for their salvation and praying that God would help you to be a witness to them. Consider the words of Peter and Paul in today’s readings and how you might be able to practically apply them to your situation. How can you be a good witness to your spouse?

 

 

Prayer:

Write down your prayer points in the space provided. Use today’s reading to help you get ideas.

 

Adoration:

 

Confession:

 

Thanks:

Supplication:

¥ Praise God for the salvation that you have in Jesus Christ and that you have come to faith in Jesus Christ by His mercy and choosing. Pray for those Christians all over the world who are married to non-Christians. Pray that God would grant them strength and patience and that they would be a witness to their spouse.

¥ Pray for GRUNT and Girl Chat as they gather together this afternoon in order to deepen their faith in Jesus and to encourage each other. Pray that God would continue to raise up young men and women who are passionate about their faith. Pray that God would help them to grow in holiness and faith and that they would be challenged to share their faith with others.

 

My Additional Prayer Points.

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Discussion Questions For Families and Groups

1. According to today’s passages how does a Christian spouse win over a non-Christian spouse?

2. Practically how could you support a fellow believer who is married to a non-believe? Is there anyone you know who you could do those things to support?

 

Thursday March 7

Read: Matthew 5:31-32, Matthew 19:7-9

According to a 1999 study done by the Australian Institute of Family Studies about a fifth (20.1%) of divorces occur due to marital infidelity or an affair. If that wasn’t enough, more than 443,000 Australians are actively seeking an affair online using just one website. That means that 1 in 25 married people are currently looking to have an affair.

 

It is interesting to consider these statistics after reading today’s passage from Matthew 5. Jesus clearly establishes that marital unfaithfulness is a valid, Biblical grounds for divorce. Imagine if all of these marriages divorced. That would potentially be 443,000 divorces! That is nearly 10 times the number of divorces which were granted in 2011! The toll of such a large number of divorces would be massive.

 

In order to properly understand how Jesus’ provision for marital infidelity should be applied, we must remember that marriage is instituted by God and is therefore very important. We should never undervalue marriage. Whilst Jesus does allow a provision for marital unfaithfulness in divorce it is not a command. This means, difficult as it may be,  we must fight for our marriages as much as possible. If there is marital unfaithfulness in the marriage a divorce should never be the first resort of default solution.

 

Instead we should work our hardest to restore the marriage and to bring the forgiveness of Jesus to bear on the situation. This will often be costly and difficult but is no less important. If you have been the victim of an affair I encourage you to pray that God would help you to forgive and that you would seek to reconcile with your spouse.

 

If you aren’t in that situation have a think about some of the things that you can do to protect yourself and your spouse (or future spouse) from having an affair. Everyone is a sinner and everyone is potentially vulnerable to this type of sin. No one is exempt. Considering this, what are some of the things that you can put into practice now to protect your marriage? How can you be radical and costly in seeking to prevent an affair? (Matthew 5:29-30)

 

Prayer:

Write down your prayer points in the space provided. Use today’s reading to help you get ideas.

 

Adoration:

 

Confession:

 

Thanks:

 

Supplication:

¥ Pray for the 443,000 Australians who are currently seeking an affair online. Pray that the Holy Spirit would convict them of their sin and that if they don’t know Jesus that they would come to a relationship with Him. Pray that they would seek to heal and grow their marriages and that God would work in the hearts of their spouses.

¥ Pray for the South Toowoomba Presbyterian Church as they do not currently have a full time Senior Minister. Pray that God would raise up a minister to be called to the church and to minister to God’s people there. Pray that the congregation would be challenged to be generous and to actively and passionately seek to share the Gospel with the lost.

 

My Additional Prayer Points.

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Discussion Questions For Families and Groups

1. Do you think it is possible to reconcile a marriage after an affair? Why or why not?

2. How could you support a couple who is working through the consequences of an affair?

3. What can you do to protect your marriage from unfaithfulness?

 

Wednesday March 6

Read: Matthew 19:1-9

In 2011 there were 48,935 divorces issued across Australia. I wonder how many of these divorces occurred due to a spoiled dinner? It may seem like a silly question but this was actually the debate going on amongst the Pharisees at the time they came to Jesus. There were two main schools amongst the Pharisees in relation to divorce. One group argued that divorce was only allowed in the case of sexual immorality, the other group argued that a man could divorce his wife even if she spoiled a dish for him. There is no way to know any divorce statistics in Israel at the time Jesus was on earth but, if the Pharisees had this attitude, I imagine the rate would be very high!

 

In Matthew 19 the Pharisees come to Jesus to trap Him in their debate but Jesus, in His typical style, deftly avoids their trap and turns the situation around. By beginning with the origin of marriage in God Himself, Jesus takes the Biblical standard for marriage, remarriage and divorce to its intended conclusion: that divorce on any grounds except for those outlined in Scripture will result in adultery.

 

Imagine the horror and offence of the Pharisees at Jesus’ teaching. How many of them had become adulterers because of a spoiled dish? Jesus’ teaching leaves us no room to negotiate on the subject of divorce. Clearly divorce and remarriage on any ground except for those outlined in scripture are sinful.

 

What does this mean for us? Firstly, for anyone who has had a divorce and has remarried this passage can be particularly difficult. We must remember that our response to being shown our sin before God is to repent of our sin, to turn to God for the forgiveness that we can find in Jesus Christ and to trust that because of what Christ has done on our behalf we are forever pardoned for our sin.

 

Secondly, we must understand from this passage the immense priority and importance which God places on marriage. As followers of Jesus we are required to view marriage as God views marriage and to fight to protect it.

 

If marriage is so important how are you guarding your marriage? What are you doing to fight to protect and, if need be, save your marriage? If you are not yet married what can you do now to prepare for and protect your future marriage?

 

Prayer:

Write down your prayer points in the space provided. Use today’s reading to help you get ideas.

Adoration:

 

Confession:

 

Thanks:

 

Supplication:

¥ Pray for those in government who are making decisions about marriage and families in Australia. Pray that God would give them wisdom as they make decisions about families and that they would keep the best interests of children in mind as they make their decisions. Pray that God would give them courage to make the best decision even if it is unpopular.

¥ Pray for all the students who are studying at university here in Toowoomba or elsewhere. Pray that God would give them focus and wisdom as they study and that they would be a good witness to those around them. Pray that they would persist and be strengthened in their faith despite secular influences on them.

 

My Additional Prayer Points.

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Discussion Questions For Families and Groups

1. What do you think is the attitude in our culture towards divorce? Give examples.

2. What should be a Christian attitude towards marriage? How would this look in our culture?

3. Considering this passage what should be our response to a Christian person who has had a divorce?

 

Tuesday March 5

Read: Mark 10:2-12, Genesis 2:18-24

There are few documents (if any) in Australian Law which are more authoritative and more important than the Australian Constitution. Legal cases in relation to the constitution are considered so important they are taken straight to the High Court. Just think of the movie The Castle. The Australian constitution is the foundation of law and legal process in Australia.

 

When the Pharisees try to trap Jesus in their debates on the legal reasons for divorce Jesus does not participate in their debate but instead bases His discussion on a similarly important and foundational document: the book of Genesis, specifically the creation account in Chapters 1 and 2. This account sets out the foundations of the universe and humanity: That there is a creator God who rules over the universe; that He created mankind in His own image; and that humanity has a responsibility to steward and tend creation.

 

Jesus also draws another foundational truth out of this passage: that God’s intention is for man and wife to become one flesh together at marriage. We cannot argue the importance of marriage or dismiss it as merely a manmade concept. Marriage was established by God Himself at the very beginning of mankind. God is the one who decided that marriage was important and necessary. God is the one who decided that marriage should be between one man and one woman. God is the one who makes marriage the closest possible human relationship, so much so that a husband and a wife become one flesh. Just like the constitution establishes the foundation of the law, God’s intention at creation establishes the foundation for marriage.

 

What does this mean for divorce and remarriage? Jesus teaching is clear: “What God has joined together, let man not separate.” If God has chosen to  make marriage so important and has chosen that the marriage relationship is so close then we must place the same importance on protecting it and preserving it. Have a serious look at your own life, what importance do you place on marriage?

 

Prayer:

Write down your prayer points in the space provided. Use today’s reading to help you get ideas.

Adoration:

 

Confession:

 

Thanks:

Supplication:

¥ Pray for all the couples in the church who are dating, engaged or married. Pray that God would impress upon them the importance of marriage and the priority that God places upon it. Pray that they would be challenged to fight for their relationships.

¥ Pray for the cell groups as they gather during the week. Pray that as they study the word together that they would grow in relationship, that the would grow in holiness and that they would be challenged to share their faith with others.

 

 

My Additional Prayer Points.

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2/.

 

 

 

Discussion Questions For Families and Groups

1. What do you think it means that a husband and a wife become one flesh?

2. What are some of the practical way that this works out in their relationship and in their lives?

3. If marriage is so important what should we do to protect it?

 

Monday March 4

Weekly Challenge

What can you do this week to deepen your relationship with your spouse and to fight to protect your marriage or your future marriage? Write it down and do it!

 

Read: Matthew 5:31-37, James 5:12

There are few issues as touchy amongst Christians as the issues of remarriage and divorce, issues made even tougher by the number of people all of us know, even in the Christian church, who have been divorced and/or remarried. As a result some in the church will merely brush over the issue, trying to pretend that the Bible’s teaching on the topic isn’t there. Others in the church will make too big a deal of the issue, turning Jesus words into legalism and strict rules to judge others by.

 

So how do we understand these issues of remarriage and divorce from a Biblical perspective? How do we treat people with grace but not compromise on the Bible’s teachings? What does all this mean for how we live? This week we will be answering these questions. However to do so, we must lay some groundwork first.

 

We have already discussed over the past weeks that the sermon on the mount is delivered to followers of Jesus as a manual, a standard for what life looks like in the Kingdom of God. We have seen that Jesus is not only interested in external behaviour but is more interested in changed hearts. So why does Jesus consider the issue of divorce so important? The answer is revealed in today’s reading: the heart of this issue is about keeping our word.

 

All of the teachings of Jesus about how His people are to live are intended to make us a more accurate reflection of God’s character and image. Throughout the Bible we see that God does what He says, stands by all His words and always keeps His promises. If God’s people are to truly reflect God’s character then we must also keep our word, ALWAYS. This is why Jesus considers divorce so important, because there are few greater, more life changing promises we make than our marriage vows.

 

As we study divorce and remarriage this week think about your own life. Do you keep your word? If you say you will do something do you do it? If you want to convince someone do you have to say “I promise”, or is your word enough?

 

Prayer:

Write down your prayer points in the space provided. Use today’s reading to help you get ideas.

Adoration:

 

Confession:

 

Thanks:

 

Supplication:

¥ Praise God that He is a God who keeps His word and is always faithful to deliver His promises. Praise God that we can always rely on Him regardless of our own failings. Pray that God would help you to better reflect Him by keeping your word this week. Pray that those around you would see your integrity and turn to faith in Jesus Christ.

¥ Pray for all those who gathered together as God’s people yesterday morning or evening. Pray that they would be challenged from God’s word and that they would put into practice the things that they have learnt. Pray that those who came who did not know Jesus would be changed by what they have heard and challenged to follow Him.

 

My Additional Prayer Points.

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2/.

 

 

Discussion Questions For Families and Groups

1. What are some other important vows, promises or agreements people make where their word is important?

2. How does this principle of keeping our word change the way that Christians should view these things?

 

Saturday March 2

Read: Ephesians 5:1-15,

Matthew 5:27-30

How much does something have to be worth before taking it would be considered theft? If I took your $100 watch, would that be considered stealing? If I took your $10 iTunes voucher, would that be considered stealing? What if I went into your wallet and took a 10 cent coin? Of course all of those things would be considered stealing. What makes something stealing is not the dollar value of the item but the intention of taking something which belongs to someone else.

 

At this point you might be quite confused. Of course those taking those things is stealing but why bring up stealing when we are talking about sexual purity? Unintentionally teenagers (and adults) often ask a very similar question with regards to boundaries in relationships with the opposite sex. That question is generally “How far can we go?”, or “How far is too far?”.

 

Let me explain. Our question about stealing revealed a simple but powerful truth: that what makes something stealing is not the value of the item but the intention or thoughts of the person doing the stealing. That is what Jesus is telling us here in Matthew 5 about our sexuality. Adultery and sexual sin is not just about our physical actions, it is about our intentions and about our hearts. To look at another woman with lust is to commit sexual sin according to God’s standard. Paul shows us this even more clearly in Ephesians 5: there must not even be a hint of sexual immorality amongst God’s people (see v3) and God’s people are to have nothing to do with the deeds of darkness (see v11).

 

How does this look in a relationship? Rather than ask the question, “How far can I go?”, the question has to be, “How do I keep my heart pure?” This is a much, much greater standard. Think about how you might put this into a boundary in your relationship. Rather than “we won’t do XYZ”, a boundary based on this principal would have to be “we won’t do anything that would cause us to lust or would result in even a hint of sexual immorality.”

 

Now that is a boundary worth keeping! Think today about what things you might need to do to keep such a boundary.

 

Prayer:

Write down your prayer points in the space provided. Use today’s reading to help you get ideas.

 

Adoration:

 

Confession:

 

Thanks:

 

Supplication:

¥ Pray for the church as we gather together tomorrow morning and tomorrow evening to celebrate the Lord’s Day. Pray that God would stir a spirit of joy and celebration amongst his people as they gather together and that they would desire to grow in holiness together as they are taught His word.

¥ Pray for those in our community and around the world who don’t know the joy and freedom of having a relationship with Jesus. Pray that tomorrow God’s people would be stirred up to reach the lost and to share the good news and that unbelievers would be drawn to come to church.

 

My Additional Prayer Points.

 

1/.

2/.

 

Discussion Questions For Families and Groups

1. What are some boundaries that you could put in place in your life to help you to maintain a standard of “not a hint” of sexual immorality?

2. What are some practical boundaries that unmarried couples could put into place to maintain that standard and protect their hearts?

 

Friday March 1

Read: Romans 8:5-9,

Psalm 119:9-16

We cannot talk about the issue of sexual purity in the 21st century without discussing fantasy. Many popular figures in our culture and even celebrity medical professionals are not only okay with sexual fantasy but even advocate it. The Biblical truth about fantasy and our thought life is radically different.

 

Our culture would consider fantasy harmless because it only occurs in the mind, no action is actually being made by the person. This is so different to the Biblical standard described by Jesus in this week’s passage from Matthew 5:27-29. Jesus actually extends the concept of Biblical morality to actions which occur only in the mind and heart. This is because Jesus is not only interested in a change of behaviour but in a change of our hearts.

 

Is the issue of our thought life really so important? In Scripture we are exhorted to think in a manner which is glorifying to God rather than a manner which is not (Colossians 3:2, Philippians 4:8). Paul takes this idea even further in today’s reading from Romans 8. Paul tells us that if our thoughts are consistently sinful then it is proof that we are not even in Christ!

 

We clearly need to be wary of allowing ourselves sinful sexual thoughts or fantasies. We need to protect our minds by replacing our sinful thoughts with Godly thoughts. This is what the Psalmist did when he says that he has hidden God’s word in his heart and that he meditates on God’s precepts. This is what Paul suggests in Colossians 3:2 and Philippians 4:8. We need to practice combating our sinful thoughts with thoughts of God’s word and what God has done on our behalf.

 

Along with guarding your eyes, consider how you might be able to keep your thought life more pure. Memorise Philippians 4:8 and whenever you have an impure thought today repeat the verse and pray that God would help you to think on those things.

 

 

Prayer:

Write down your prayer points in the space provided. Use today’s reading to help you get ideas.

Adoration:

 

Confession:

Thanks:

 

Supplication:

¥ Praise God that even though we so often sin against Him in our thoughts and in our hearts that He has made a way for us to come into relationship with Him and to be made more like Him. Pray that today God would keep your thoughts on Him and on His word and that when  you struggle with sinful thoughts that He would give you strength and desire to counter those thoughts.

¥ Pray for the youth group as they gather together tonight. Pray that God would give wisdom to Brad and all of the leaders as they seek to lead the youth. Pray that God would stir  in the hearts of the youth a passion for holiness and a deeper relation ship with God.

 

My Additional Prayer Points.

1/.

 

2/.

 

Discussion Questions For Families and Groups

1. Read Philippians 4:8. What are some things that you can focus your thoughts on which are true, noble and pure?

2. What are some practical ways that you can refocus your thoughts today onto the things you have discussed?