Devotion 1

"But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved." - Ephesians 2:4-5

As you continue to work through Paul's letters, you'll notice how practical and application-oriented they are. Paul was often concerned with helping people young in their faith know how to live as Christ-followers. Keep in mind; this was a new religion, so to speak. The new Believers were surrounded by people who worshipped all manner of false gods. These Christ-followers needed to be shaped. They needed to be led. And we are not that much different.

By the grace of God, as Paul puts it in Ephesians 2:4-5, we have been saved from our old lives. Our old way of living won't work anymore. By God's grace, He has given us a new path, a new story, and a new motivation for our journey.

This week, memorize Ephesians 2:4-5. It's s super-powerful verse. It is, in a nutshell, the Gospel. Hide it in your heart so that you will always be reminded of God's love for you.

Devotion 2

"Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others." - Philippians 2:3-4

Imagine you are at an event where they are giving out free food. There are two choices, and you get only one. One thing is your favorite food in the whole world.

The other is something you absolutely despise. You are standing in a very long line to get the food with your best friend. They feel the same way about the food choices that you do. Finally, after being in line for a seeming eternity, it's your turn. When you step up and they ask you what you want, you realize there is only one serving left of the best food. Your friend is standing behind you. There is a choice at hand. What do you do?

We all want to say we would choose to put our friend first. Yet, if we are honest, it's more of an internal wresting match than that. We might give up the food, but then be bitter we had to let it go. Let's face it: our nature is to be selfish. This is hard to hear. But it's true for all of us.

Read Philippians 2:1-11. We are told to be like Jesus. We are told to be humble.

When we think of others as better than ourselves, our desire is for them to have the best before we ever think about our own wants and desires. However, the Lord knows we can't feel this way on our own. It's only through who Christ that we can be selfless instead of selfish. When we reflect on Jesus, and live for Him, only then can we put self aside totally.

Something to think about...

• What ways do you struggle with being selfish?
• Reflect on Philippians 2:7 - 8. How does this change the way you look at your own selfishness?
  
  

Devotion 3

"Continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of wnich I, Paul, became a minister." - Colossians 1:23

Wherever you are right now, take an assessment of your surroundings. Put your hand on the wall in the room you are in and feel the texture. Get up and look out the window. What do you see? Take a deep breath and hold it for a moment, now let it out slowly.

Now read Colossians 1:15-23. Have you ever thought about how God made it all?

Everything we see, and don't see, God put in place. And He keeps it in its place.

He's the one that keeps our little planet from tipping off of its axis and spinning wildly into space. Through sin we became separated from understating this truth. Christ's death and resurrection restored our ability to have a relationship with Him. The word used in this passage is "reconciled." Once we were selfish and disobedient, like a toddler having a tantrum. What Jesus did for us meant we didn't have to be far away from Him anymore.

Yet, people can try to cause us to doubt Jesus and His role as Creator and Sustainer. This is where faith comes in. Faith is standing firm and choosing to believe that Jesus offers truth. It's remembering He is who He says He is, and that matters most. Good news means we aren't merely saved FROM our sin, but we are saved TO a new life with Christ, in peace and assurance.

Something to think about...

• Do you ever feel like you are "drifting away" from knowing Christ is who He says He is? Why?
• What is one way today you can put your hope and assurance in the Lord?

Devotion 4

"If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God." - Colossians 3:1-3

We all know people who claim to be Christians, but whose lives don't seem to match their claims. Maybe if we are honest, this is even who we are sometimes. We treat following Jesus like a list of actions we should and shouldn't do. This isn't the way Jesus wants it though.

Read Colossians 3:1-17 to see what I mean. This passage gives us line-by-line what it means to live in Christ. Notice something interesting. This isn't just a list of

"don'ts." It's also a list of "do's." See, Jesus wants us to put on forgiveness, love, and kindness like the clothes we wear everyday. We can get overwhelmed and worried we are doing it wrong. What if we mess up what it means to live for Jesus?

What if sometimes we aren't kind, or are selfish, or lie?

We have to be willing to give God our entire selves. Our hearts and souls. And when we do, were made new. With a new heart we now WANT to be close to Jesus. Then we desire to do all of the things in this passage, and whatever else it takes to live close to the Lord. It's always about where our heart is. Is your heart with Him or not?

Something to think about...

• What's the hardest part for you in this passage?
• Go through this whole passage and underline anything that stands out to you in what Christ is asking of you today.

Devotion 5

"For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness." - 1 Thessalonians 4:7

There are times in our lives when someone calls us out. This can be a good thing, or a bad thing. Think about a teacher who calls out your name in class. They may say that you scored the highest grade in the class on a test. Or you could get called out for not paying attention to the teacher. Sometimes it's a good thing. And sometimes it's anything but good.

Read 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8.

Here, Paul is calling out the Thessalonians. Paul reminds the Christians in Thessalonica that living a life of impurity is not what God called them out for in life.

Impurity here means to live contrary to the Bible, to live selfishly, and to have the aim or goal of living like a non-Christian. It had to sting a bit for Paul to get on them like he did. But, here's a truth in life: When someone you know and respect calls you out, it's almost always because they want something better for you. They care enough about you to want more for you. And though it may sting, in the long run, it's a good thing.

The beautiful part of the verse is that God called us to live in holiness. Simply put, we're called to live a life that resembles that of Jesus more and more every day. You are holy because God who lives in you is holy. And you are called to live a life that reflects God more and more each day.

Something to think about ...

• What does holiness mean to you?
• Think of some practical ways you live a holy life in your world each day? What are some examples?