Knees

Devotions February 4

GOTTA GET ON YOUR KNEES

SNIPPET

You must be the change you wish to see in the world. Mahatma Gandhi

SCRIPTURE

The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you.

SONG

Back To God Reba McEntire

https://youtu.be/S9q-08aTNh8

Oh have you looked around
Have you heard the sound
Of Mama's cryin'
Or do you turn away
When you see the face
Of the innocent dyin'
In these darkest days
Are you not afraid
That it's too late


You gotta get down on your knees, believe
Fold your hands and beg and plead
Gotta keep on praying
You gotta cry, rain tears of pain
Pound the floor and scream His name
Cause we're still worth saving
Can't go on like this and live like this
We can't love like this
We gotta give this world back to God


Have you lost a love?
Do you feel like givin' up?
Has your heart been broken?
Are your kids okay?
Will they come home safe?
Do you lie there hoping?
You can make a wish, you knock on wood
Oh it won't do no good


You gotta get down on your knees, believe
Fold your hands and beg and plead
You gotta keep on praying
You gotta cry, rain tears of pain
Pound the floor and scream His name
Cause we're still worth saving
We can't go on like this and live like this
We can't love like this
We gotta give this world back to God


You gotta get down on your knees, believe
Fold your hands and beg and plead
Keep on praying
You gotta cry, rain tears of pain
Pound the floor and scream His name
Cause we're still worth saving
Can't go on like this and live like this
We can't love like this
You can hope the best
Make a wish
The only answer is

We give this world back to God
Oh, give it back

SENTENCE PRAYER

Most high and holy God,
enthroned in fire and light,
burn away the dross of our lives
and kindle in us the fire of your love,
that out lives may reveal the light and life
we find in your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Church of England Daily prayer

A.P.T.A.T.

Practical Steps to Walk by Faith

• Look at the Book by 
  John Piper
 
• Scripture: John 15:5    Topic: Spiritual Growth

What does it mean to walk by faith? In this lab, Pastor John gives five practical steps for walking by faith no matter what trial, challenge, or heartache you are facing.

Principle for Bible Reading

In this lab, John Piper utilizes specific Bible verses to give practical steps for how he walks by faith in various situations. He summarizes it in the acronym A.P.T.A.T.

• Admit you can do nothing without God (John 15:5). 
• Pray for help (Psalm 50:15). 
• Trust a specific promise (2 Chronicles 20:20). 
• Act (Philippians 2:12–13).
• Thank God for his provision and goodness (Psalm 106:1).

These steps can also provide practical help for Bible study. How can you walk by faith when your Bible is open before you but your mind wanders and your heart is distracted? 

• Admit that you need God’s help to focus and be engaged. It might be helpful to cast all present anxieties on him before you begin your study (1 Peter 5:6–7). 
• Pray for help to not only understand God’s word, but to be obedient to it (James 1:22).
• Trust a specific promise. In this case, Paul’s words to Timothy may be helpful: “Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything” (2 Timothy 2:7).
• Act by prayerfully reading, thinking, and meditating on truth. 
• Thank God for his word and for meeting you whether you feel like it was especially rich or not.

Study Questions

1. When faced with a challenging situation, do you have practical things you do to remind yourself to put your trust in the Lord? 
2. Read Galatians 2:20, 5:16, Romans 8:13–14, and 2 Corinthians 5:7. Based on these verses, what does it mean to live by faith and the Holy Spirit?
3. Watch the video. What does the acronym A.P.T.A.T. stand for? Is there one step you struggle to apply in your own life? 

God Thoughts January 30 2017

God Thoughts January 30 2017

“Our problem is that we don’t like difficulty of any kind. We hate pain and despise suffering. There are many of us who would rather have an easy life than a God-honoring one. So before we ever battle with one another, we are actually battling the Lord. We are fighting his plan. We are critiquing his will. We bring him into the court of our judgment and find him unloving and unwise. We begin to wonder if what we have believed is true and if following him is really worth it. At the very same time, as our hearts are pondering these things, God is near and loves us with transforming love. He is carefully bringing us to the end of ourselves, and he is making us into people who find joy in loving others with the same kind of costly love he has given us.”

Excerpt From: Paul David Tripp. “What Did You Expect?.” iBooks. https://itun.es/us/gtPSv.l

Endure suffering along with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 Soldiers don’t get tied up in the affairs of civilian life, for then they cannot please the officer who enlisted them. 5 And athletes cannot win the prize unless they follow the rules. 6 And hardworking farmers should be the first to enjoy the fruit of their labor. 7 Think about what I am saying. The Lord will help you understand all these things. 2 Timothy 2:3-7