But no more. Though we were darkness…we are now light.
Not just in the light, not just reflecting the light, but the light,
the actual light itself. When God is in us, when we imitate
Him, we become light in the world. We shine in the darkness
by contrast. We shine on people the light of Christ Himself.
l
l Did you respond
negatively to those
who were light in
your dark presence?
How has that
changed?
PRAY: Thank God for His grace and mercy. Pray that you are living light in your
family and community. Pray that your darkness is dispersed and light becomes
ever more prominent in your life.
l When was the last
time you truly gave
your full attention to
someone else? Was
it an interruption that
seemed untimely?
l
But that was not his modus operandi. He chose to
demonstrate service, not power. When He could simply
speak, He stopped to talk. When He could will a disease
away, He chose to touch and be touched. His world was a
world of interruptions. While He was absolutely inundated
with people, He found time for a person…one person…in
the midst of an enormous crowd.
l What service
are you currently
invested in? Have
you considered how
you can get more
involved with the life
of the church, your
neighborhood or your
community?
l If we want to imitate Jesus, we will find a place of service.
If we are imitators of Jesus, we will make a place for each
person who needs us. Even if it means rearranging our busy
life. Jesus is on a life and death mission in this text…yet He
stops for one individual. I realize He has the power to raise
the dead, so He could risk the interruption…but the spirit of
Service remains.
Visit the serve
station. See what’s
there to be done in the
name of Jesus. Choose
something. Do it!
l
PRAY: Pray for a spirit of service. Ask God to give you what it takes to reorient
your life so there is room for interruption. Pray for insight and guidance into an
area of service where Christ can be uplifted and you can honor God.
Serve
Jesus knew all about power. He created the universe
(John 1:1-18). He holds the world together with His words
(Colossians 1:15-17). God has given Him all authority in
heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18-20). All will bow and
call Him Lord (Philippians 2:5-11). He knows power and He
exercises power and authority.
11.10.2012
RESPOND:
l
Saturday
READ: Matthew 9:18-26
REFLECT:
It was the shoes…
N
O
V
0410
through
t
2
0
1
2
It was his shoes. I always noticed his shoes. Spit-shined, spotless, every day, every
pair. It gave him the look of a disciplined life. Somehow it conveyed a message,
“Listen to me.” Not that he commanded (in the military sense) attention or
obedience, but he commanded respect and invited imitation. He even offered to
teach us how to duplicate those shiny shoes.
Describe your
life when you were
darkness. How has it
changed?
l
Light
It sounds exciting, but in reality, it’s frightening…
dangerous. Being light means we expose darkness; we create
shadows; we reveal the brokenness of others. Many don’t
want exposed; they don’t want their secrets revealed. It’s
little wonder that after you become a believer your friends
may abandon you…even persecute you. Being a follower of
Jesus brings much needed light to the world, but it can also
bring much unwanted retaliation.
l
l Note the names
of those who have
rejected your
presence. Is it
because you point
out their sins, even if
unintentionally?
Friday
The contrast is obvious: light vis-à-vis darkness. But the
language is not so obvious. Most of us read, “you were once
in darkness; but now you are in light.” But that simply isn’t the
language that’s used. It’s not that we were once involved in
those things, we once were those things. We didn’t merely
live in a dark world; we were that dark world.
l
RESPOND:
11.09.2012
READ: Ephesians 5:1-14
REFLECT:
It was his shoes. I always noticed his shoes. Polished though they were, they
were unafraid of the dirt and grime of life. They carried him into the filthiest of
conditions…willingly. He was never too good to get those shiny shoes scuffed and
marked. Those shoes were just shoes, designed to carry him wherever God led.
Those shoes were the shoes of a consummate server.
Titles are tricky things. Position is a dangerous condition. There’s nothing wrong
with titles, and position can enable great contributions to our world. But…it’s
problematic, when what matters is the title and what rules is the position. We
are called to exhibit a servant’s spirit. We are called to be interrupted whenever
God needs us.
We sing the lyrics:
Where you stay, I’ll stay,
When you move, I’ll move,
I will follow you,
Who you love, I’ll love,
How you serve I’ll serve,
If this life I lose, I will follow you,
I will follow you,
I just hope we’re serious…and honest…
l Read Mark 9:28. Underline the
statement in v7, “This
is my Son, whom I
love. Listen to him!”
l Why do you think
the voices of the world
seem to override the
voice of Jesus in our
lives? What should we
do about that?
PRAY: Thank God for His desire for us to be His and in relationship with Him. Ask
Him to help you as you cultivate His character in your life. Pray for the leadership
at Madison Park to be living examples of God’s character.
11.07.2012
Wednesday
11.01.2012
Thursday
READ: Ephesians 5:1-14
REFLECT:
The sin list is comprehensive in range and vast in scope. I
don’t know what other categories Paul could have included.
There are sins of the body, mind, spirit, heart, and attitude.
There are sins committed internally and externally. There
are sins affecting mainly the sinner and those which impact
the church community and the world. There are sins people
view as catastrophic and sins people wouldn’t consider sins
at all.
l
l These sins, like all sins, have consequences. They are sins
that destroy and deceive; sins that condemn and disinherit.
These sins are not inconsequential, they matter…now and
through eternity. They are not minor activities and attitudes
at which God winks; instead, they incite the wrath of God.
Once
l
Imitation
Verses 1-2 are the transition to the following section.
Imitating God impacts our moral behavior as well as our
relational activity. Everything that follows, spelling out
what should and shouldn’t be found in the Christian
community, finds its source in God. If we will submit our
lives to His, we will be like Him. He is holy…therefore we
are holy.
l
Whom do you
know that imitates
God in a way that gets
your attention? What
is it they do, think, or
portray?
l
What characteristic
of God is most visible
in your life? Least?
The scandal of sin, including such “lesser” things
as foolish talk, should not occur among God’s people.
They should be so clearly eradicated that not even
a wisp of odor can be detected. These thoughts,
attitudes and behaviors don’t occur with God;
therefore, they no longer occur with us. Such is the
power of imitation. We become so much like God that
these distractions no longer capture our interest.
l
RESPOND:
What issues might
be most likely hinted at
in your life? What can
be done about that?
l
Which sin have you
been falsely accused
of? Was there any
evidence/cause for
people to think that
even might be true?
l
What formerly
active sin has been
totally eradicated from
your life? Which ones
do you continue to
struggle with?
l
for the strength to remove all hints of sin from your life. Pray that God continually
cleanses Madison Park of any remnants (hints) of sin.
Tuesday
This phrase, imitate God, is unique in the New
Testament. Its interpretation is conditioned on the
preceding verse (4:32), just as in Christ, God forgave you.
We imitate God by doing those things that God does.
We copy His heart and His actions, causing us to become
more like Him and to act more like Him.
l
did you imitate? How
did that impact you?
The NIV (New International Version) seeks to
capture the strength of the original phrase, must not
be named, with the words, must not be even a hint
of. The various sins subsequently identified should
never occur in the Christian community. In fact, they
should be so conspicuously absent, they aren’t even
considered possibilities.
l
PRAY: Ask God to help you with any sins of which even a vestige continues. Pray
11.06.2012
hand, it can indicate something fake, lacking authenticity,
without inherent value. On the other, it can be a verb
that signifies great respect for someone, so much so, that
you’d like to be just like them. The invitation to imitate
God is clearly the latter.
REFLECT:
To the day we left the house 20 years after the
fire, certain weather conditions would produce a
wisp of odor left over from the fire. It was faint, but
unmistakable. It was clear, underneath the paint and
plaster there was burnt wood. You couldn’t escape it.
PRAY: Ask God to give you “ears that hear.” Pray for a heart open to what God
wants to speak into your life. Pray that Madison Park listens carefully to God’s
instruction and direction.
READ: Ephesians 5:1-14
REFLECT:
RESPOND:
l Imitation can have two very distinct senses. On the one l As a child, whom
READ: Ephesians 5:1-14
l
Hint
John leaves no question as to Who is in control…in charge.
The Voice speaks and the worlds stand still. I’m reminded of
the scene in Narnia when Aslan rises from the broken altar…
the earth shakes at his voice. The image John presents is
that of full and total authority and power. Nothing less can
describe Jesus.
l
Whose voice has
been most impressive
in your life? An
actor? A singer? An
announcer? Whose
voice speaks most
clearly into your life?
l
That Voice
l When you visit Niagara Falls, it’s actually hard to hear. The
roar of the falls is impressive…as is the racing of rapids in many
rivers. Or the crashing of waves on the beach. It’s attention
getting…makes you sit up and take notice. Somehow the
image captures the idea of power in ways that no other image
does. You can’t simply ignore the power.
RESPOND:
Monday
NBC’s hit show, The Voice, claims to find the finest voice
in America. The judges listen and make a judgment without
seeing the contestants. They are restricted to just the voice.
I wonder how they might have responded to The Voice. I
wonder if they would hit their buttons and turn. This Voice is
The Voice that speaks throughout the ages.
l
11.05.2012
READ: Revelation 1:12-16
REFLECT:
And they are sins of which we were once fully guilty…even
if we won’t admit it. These are sins that once characterized
our lives. They are sins that once were the stuff of which our
lives consisted. Once…which is the optimal term…Once…
but no more…Once…not now!
l
RESPOND:
l Identify which sins
are yours. Which were
most prominent?
Which are mostly
gone?
l When did you get
past these sins? Can
you put a date on a
calendar when God
redeemed you from
these things?
l How do you feel
being reminded that
once you were these
things?
PRAY: Thank God that all sin is addressed by God and forgiven. Pray that you can
continue to live with these sins in your past. Pray for the spirit of repentance to
continue and for gratitude for forgiveness and release to prevail.