Daily Devotional

[Ronnie W. Stark]

Praise To God
Therefore, let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to his name. (NLT) ( Hebrews 13:15 )

When we pray to God, most of the time we gloss over praising God. Instead, we cut to the chase and just ask God to bless us, our children, and heal our neighbors. Yet we serve a powerful God. One who deserves to be recognized and admired for His love, power, and grace. Let's spend a few moments talking to God by sharing our love and honor for Him. Isn't He glorious?
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[Ronnie W. Stark]

A Loyal Spirit
Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me. (NLT) ( Psalm 51:10 )

Depending on where you are in your walk with God, sometimes you just feel distant from God. Usually the distance occurs when we walk towards sin. It begins to grow and if we let it proliferate our loyalty to God begins to thin out. You begin to lose your heart for God. If this describes how you feel, be assured that one step towards honoring God is a step back to the right path. Spend some time walking with God, thinking about Him, and asking Him to renew a loyal spirit.
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[Ronnie W. Stark]

The Temple
Don't you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? (NLT) ( 1 Corinthians 6:19 )

God's presence is fully found in both the Notre Dame Cathedral and the rural cinderblock church. Both of these are temple's built to honor and glorify God. In the same way, the Holy Spirit is found inside your body. Your body is beautiful. It brings glory to God. Be amazed at the wonder of your body, your eyes, fingers, and even the aches and pains. It is special. God created you to be you, in the way you look, your voice, and even your imperfections. Your body is sacred. Rest in that thought.
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[Ronnie W. Stark]

In Freedom
I will walk in freedom, for I have devoted myself to your commandments. (NLT) ( Psalm 119:45 )

When you are driving and find you are driving under the speed limit there is a sense of freedom. There are no worries of wondering what the speed limit is, if you will get caught, or feeling guilty for speeding. Devoting yourself to knowing and honoring God's ways brings freedom in the same way. You can walk confidently with God.
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[Ronnie W. Stark]

"There is no condemnation now for those who live in union with Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1 TEV).

God knows that failure is part of life. He doesn’t expect us to be perfect. He’s not surprised when we mess up. In fact, he sent Jesus to clean up our mess. He didn’t send him to point an accusing finger.

That means no matter how bad you blow it in life, God will never condemn you. He is for you, not against you.

This is especially encouraging when you are trying to make changes in your life or get healthy or overcome a tough circumstance. Knowing that God is for you, not against you, will change the way you respond to the times you slip up. It should give you the confidence to keep moving forward in faith, because God is on your side. He wants you to have victory through him over your hang-ups and mess-ups!

God does not expect you to be perfect in life. That’s why he sent his perfect Son — to cover the sin that you wouldn’t otherwise have been able to overcome.

You are not a failure to God. The only time you fail is when you refuse to get up and keep going.

Talk It Over

What failure do you have a hard time believing God would forgive? Pray, and ask God to help you trust in his forgiveness and his love for you.
What lessons have you learned from the failures in your life? How have they helped you grow spiritually?

[Ronnie W. Stark]

“Jesus [said] … ‘I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of’” (John 10:10 The Message).

Jesus did not come to make life perfect for us. Rather, he came to give us a life connected to him, so that no matter what situation we face, we are eternally attached to the source of true life.

What would a life connected to Jesus look like? Keep in mind that a full and abundant life in Christ involves all of you, not just your spirituality.

How do you think your constant connection with Christ will affect you mentally or emotionally? For instance, how would a life connected to Jesus help you with stress and worry?

What does your health have to do with living a full and abundant life? Why would your physical health be intertwined with your spiritual health?

To live a full and abundant life, instead of trying harder, trust Jesus more, believing in faith that he is guiding us to where we need to go.

Talk It Over

What do you think about this statement: “To live a full and abundant life, instead of trying harder, trust Jesus more”?
How have you seen your physical and mental health suffer when you were not connected to Jesus?

[Ronnie W. Stark]

“The things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others” (2 Timothy 2:2 NIV).

If you want the special blessing of God on your life, you need to learn from other believers who are more mature than you, and you need to mentor believers who are younger than you.

Every Christian needs both a Paul and a Timothy. A Paul is somebody who’s been a Christian longer than you and is helping to train and encourage you. That person may only be a month older than you, but he or she knows a little bit more and can mentor you.

To have a Timothy means there is somebody in your life who hasn’t been a Christian as long as you, and you are helping build that person's faith. You are offering your Timothy encouragement and discipleship as he or she grows in the Lord.

So you have a Paul and a Timothy in your life. But you are also a Paul and a Timothy to someone else.

In 2 Timothy, Paul says this to Timothy: “The things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others” (2 Timothy 2:2 NIV).

There are four generations in that verse. Paul says to Timothy that he helped mentor him, and now Timothy must find somebody to mentor, and then that person can find somebody else to mentor.

Don’t be intimidated by the word “mentoring.” Mentoring is as easy as taking someone to breakfast once a month and asking, “How’s it going?” You just need to be a friend. Listen to, encourage, and pray for that person. You don’t have to be the perfect Christian to do this. You just have to be willing.

When you do that, you will receive a blessing from God in your life that you cannot imagine.

Talk It Over

To whom in your life can you be a Paul?
To whom in your life can you be a Timothy?
How will you approach these two people this week about a possible mentoring relationship?

[Ronnie W. Stark]

"Some people brought to him a paralyzed man on a mat. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, ‘Be encouraged, my child! Your sins are forgiven’” (Matthew 9:2 NLT).

Faithful people share their faith. Today’s verse comes from the story in Matthew 9 about the friends of a man who was sick and paralyzed. They wanted him to be healed, so they brought him to Jesus by lowering him on his mat through the roof.

Notice that it was not the paralyzed man’s faith that led to the healing; it was the faith of his friends. When Jesus saw these four friends cared enough to bring their paralyzed friend, he said, “Those guys have great faith. They expect me to heal their friend,” and he did.

You have friends who are paralyzed and can’t get to Jesus. They are paralyzed by fear, guilt, doubt, pain, or maybe even resentment over being hurt in some church in the past. They are paralyzed, and they can’t get to Jesus on their own.

God is watching to see if you are going to be faithful enough to bring them. And if you are, God will honor your faith. He’ll not only heal your friend; he will also bless you. It’s a blessing of faith.

As long as we keep bringing paralyzed people to Jesus.

Talk It Over

Who do you know who needs help getting to Jesus? Start praying for them now.
What does it mean to bring someone to Jesus? What is your part in someone’s salvation?
How does your church show that they want to keep bringing people to Jesus?

[Ronnie W. Stark]

“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms” (1 Peter 4:10 NIV).

God has given you unique abilities, talents, and gifts. At Saddleback Church, we say they represent a person’s SHAPE: spiritual gifts, heart, abilities, personality, and experiences. This bundle of talents is the thing God has given you that makes you who you are and sets you apart from other people.

If you think your talents are simply for you to make a lot of money, retire, and die, you’ve missed the point of your life. God gave you talents to benefit others, not yourself. And God gave other people talents that benefit you.

We’re all a part of the body of Christ, and each part matters. There are no insignificant people in the family of God. You are shaped to serve God, and he is testing you to see how you are going to use the talents he gave you.

Whether you are a musician or an accountant, a teacher or a cook, God gave you those abilities to serve others. Today’s verse says, “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms” (1 Peter 4:10 NIV).

You are a manager of the gifts God has given to you. They may be great or small in your eyes, but they matter to God. “Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful” (1 Corinthians 4:2 NIV). When God made you, he made an investment in you, and he expects a return on that investment.

Are you using what he’s given you for the benefit of others to make the world a better place? Or are you just using those talents to benefit yourself?

When God gives you a talent, he expects you to use it. It’s like a muscle. If you use it, it will grow. If you don’t, you’ll lose it. If you have a talent but are afraid to use it, or if you get lazy and don’t use it to benefit others, you’re going to lose it. Like the parable of the 10 talents in Luke 19, if you don’t use what God has given you, he will take it away and give it to someone else who will.

But if you use your talents wisely, God will give you more. If you use your time wisely, God will give you more time. If you use your energy wisely, God will give you more energy. If you use your influence wisely, God will increase your influence. God will bless your level of faithfulness.

Talk It Over

What is your SHAPE? Take some time to write down how God has given you unique spiritual gifts, heart, abilities, personality, and experiences.
In what ways has God called you to use your SHAPE to serve others? How have you been obedient?
How have you seen God use your good use of your time, energy, or influence to bless you?

[Ronnie W. Stark]

We Will Tell
We will not hide these truths from our children; we will tell the next generation about the glorious deeds of the LORD, about his power and his mighty wonders. (NLT) ( Psalm 78:4 )

The next generation is struggling and looking for guidance. What better way to introduce them to the Lord, than to share your miraculous encounters with the Lord? Over time these harrowing rescues may fade in our memory so write them down with your full emotions. Later we can uncover them to retell the stories. Not only is this an act of worship but it is also a personal reviving of your spiritual walk. Plus, there's the bonus of igniting a desire for the Lord in someone you can influence. Have you shared lately the mighty wonders the Lord has done in your life?
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[Ronnie W. Stark]

As For Me
But as for me, I will always proclaim what God has done; I will sing praises to the God of Jacob. (NLT) ( Psalm 75:9 )

A lot of people take pleasure in boasting about themselves and their success. It's because they need to make themselves feel valued. It takes a humble person to not deceive themselves into taking credit for their own accomplishments. The person who feels valued by God will boast about all that God has done for them. Everything comes into perspective as you grow in relationship with your heavenly Father. What praises are you singing to the God of Jacob?
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[Ronnie W. Stark]

“Let us run with patience the particular race that God has set before us” (Hebrews 12:1b TLB).

When you start to get concerned about something God is doing in another person’s life and envy starts to build, focus on the plan God has for your life. Don’t get distracted — center in on God’s will for your life.

There’s a simple phrase in the story of the vineyard workers that the owner says to those who were grumbling about not getting what they deserved: “Take your money and go!” (Matthew 20:14a GW). He’s basically saying to those who can’t get past their envy, “It’s time to move on now. Quit having a pity party. Just get over it!”

Sometimes we get stuck in the past. Maybe you still envy the person who got to be prom king or queen. But why should you let what someone else got keep you from God’s plan for your life right now?

Hebrews 12:1b says, “Let us run with patience the particular race that God has set before us” (TLB). The “particular” race means your unique race — the race that is only for you. God has a plan that he wants you to pursue that is unlike anyone else’s. He planned it for you before you were even born, and it includes better things than you could ever dream for yourself.

Once you begin to discover and pursue the unique purpose that God has for your life, you won’t envy anyone anymore. You’re released from the tyranny of having to be best all the time. You just have to be the best you can be, the person God made you to be.

When you get focused like this on God’s particular race for you, you’ll be so caught up in what he wants you to do that you won’t have time for envy. You’ll be living your life for an audience of one.

Talk It Over

Why is there freedom in living life for an audience of one?
How do you know what God’s purpose is for your life?
What experience from your past may be keeping you from pursuing God’s will for you right now?

[Ronnie W. Stark]

Bible Study Verse
Philippians 4:11-13, 19
Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Philippians 4:19
And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
(NKJV)

Thoughts
Sometimes the testing is a name brand, a new pattern [my wife asks, How much camo do you need?], or even a great deal. Not every great deal is God's deal. Back to her word need, a word that keeps coming up when I have a garage sale - Why did I think that I needed this?

The One who knows what I need, will supply it to me, in His time.

Warm hunting boots were needed. My feet froze last winter on the deer stand. However, I got ahead of God and ordered three times - great deals - 50% off regular price, name brands. But, none of them fit, though they were all my size! In frustration, I gave up and waited on the Supplier, content to get none.

A few days later, He gave me the boots above, for $7 - well worth the wait!
(Fred B)

Action Point
It's encouraging to me what Paul said, I have learned:
He learned to be content, which means to have settled peace. How did he learn contentment? Through need, being abased, abounding, being hungry.
He learned that he could do all things through Christ.
He told them that now God would supply [cram the net, give excess] all their need, according to His [full] riches in glory.
I am still learning this contentment thing. I know - the promise is that He will supply all of my needs. My job is to wait on the Supplier.

[Ronnie W. Stark]

Friend, I didn’t cheat you. I paid you exactly what we agreed on. . . . What business is it of yours if I want to pay them the same that I paid you? Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money?” (Matthew 20:13-15a CEV).

When it looks like God’s blessing somebody in a way that he’s not blessing you, relax and trust God. Believe that he knows what’s best for you, and trust him when life seems unfair.

One of the ways you can tell envy is creeping into your life is the language you use. If you find yourself using the phrase “It’s not fair,” you’ve already fallen into the trap of envy. You say, “It’s not fair! Why them? Why not me? I’ve worked as hard as they do.”

In Jesus’ parable of the vineyard workers, the workers felt that they were being treated unfairly, not because they weren’t paid what they were promised but because other people who worked less were paid the same amount.

Matthew 20:12 says, “These last workers put in only one easy hour, and you just made them equal to us” (The Message). You can hear the envy: “We slaved all day under a scorching sun. We’re better than them!”

Notice in the next verses the reply of the owner, who represents God: “Friend, I didn’t cheat you. I paid you exactly what we agreed on. . . . What business is it of yours if I want to pay them the same that I paid you? Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money?” (Matthew 20:13-15a CEV).

The bottom line on envy is this: When you’re envious, you’re in a battle with God. You doubt God’s goodness in your life. You resent his decision to bless somebody else. You accuse him of being unfair. You don’t believe he has your best interest at heart. You accuse him of playing favorites.

On the contrary, God’s extravagant, unconditional, unending love is the same for everyone. But he’s not a vending machine — you can’t put in a prayer and get whatever you want. God has a good reason why you don’t have what you want. He knows you better than you know yourself. Practice praying, “God, I’m going to trust that you have a unique plan for my life and that you know better than me what I need right now.”

Envy is the fever. Doubting God is the infection. Any time you start envying, it’s because you doubt God. The medicine you need is to start trusting again in God and his love for you.

Talk It Over

How does trust in God give you more confidence or clarity when you pray?
How do you want to see God’s love reflected in your relationships?
What are you trusting God for right now? How can you show him that you trust him for your provision and future?

[Ronnie W. Stark]

Bible Study Verse
Leviticus 17:11
For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one's life. (NIV)

Thoughts
A friend of mine was processing his deer at home with his kids watching. Left from the field dressing, some blood ran out of the body cavity. His daughter squealed, "Ewwhh! Blood!"

His observant three year old son replied, "The blood provides forgiveness for our sins."

My friend was presented with a perfect teaching opportunity. He told his two children how the deer's blood had to be shed so they could use the deer for food. He was able to explain that the blood of Jesus was shed on the cross that we might have our sins forgiven and our guilt washed away. (Jack M)

Action Point
Blood trailing is an important tool for the hunter. Many can tell where the animal has been hit by the blood's appearance:
Bright red blood is usually from an arterial source, which is usually an indication of a solid hit.
Bright red blood, with bubbles in it, signifies a lung shot.
Dark red blood can show a hit in a vein or the liver. This is usually not a good sign for the hunter.
How amazing that a three year old was so understanding of such an important truth! It reminds us to train up these little ones in the things of the Lord; they can understand. It also lets us know that our sins deserve death, but Jesus' blood secures life for all who will by faith receive Him as their own Savior and Lord.