Author: Good Life Church

Scripture:

John 8

2 Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them.

27 They did not understand that he had been speaking to them about the Father.

28 So Jesus said to them, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he,

29 And he who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him.

44 You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires.

Observation:

Jesus is again teaching at the temple. He is telling them that he is the one they’ve been waiting for. He is the Messiah sent by the Father. He distinguishes himself from everyone else, especially the other teachers in their midst.
He is of his Father, God. They are of their father, the devil.
Not everyone is able to accept this hard truth.
In fact, even though he is telling them the good news, some wanted to kill Jesus after hearing this.

Application:

Everyone has a father, whether they know him or not.
Everything I do will please a spiritual father, either God or the devil.
Jesus said He “always does the things that are pleasing to God”.
Jesus tells his listeners that their “will is to do the things your father (the devil) desires.”
I will please one or the other.
I will fulfill ones desires.
But who? Who am I pleasing? God or the devil?
I say my will is to always please God the Father. But is it?
Jesus said their “will” was to do the devil’s desires.
And these were people at the temple!
Jesus was telling the “good” people, the “church going” people that they willed to do the desires of the devil. Ouch!
Religious people need to be cautious.
I need to be cautious.
Even the people wanting to hear what Jesus had to say, often didn’t really want to hear it.
I can fool myself. Maybe I can others. But I can’t fool God.
Am I walking in the light? In the Truth? Is my will to please the Father?
And then, do I actually do it?

Prayer:

Thank you again God, for your word.
Help me know your will.
Give me strength and courage to live it.
Keep me from the devil.
Thank you for the cross.
Thank you for experiencing a death that I never will.
Thank you for your forgiveness.
In Jesus name
Amen

Scripture:

John 7: 40-43
40 When they heard these words, some of the people said, “This really is the Prophet.” 41 Others said, “This is the Christ.” But some said, “Is the Christ to come from Galilee? 42 Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the offspring of David, and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David was?” 43 So there was a division among the people over him.

Observation:

Jesus has people discussing what they believe about the Christ from the prophecy. They have placed the expectations of the Christ on what they have read and interpreted and in some manner assumed. Yet, they have the Christ in front of them fulfilling the prophecy they claim and deny him. Wow, this is being shown to me clear.

Application:

People don’t believe and follow based on what other have said they follow because Jesus by his Spirit has met with them and by his grace saved them. The Gospel must be preached and things of God Spoken, but it is God who saves through his Son and spirit.There are many that claim Jesus but don’t know him. People won’t follow Jesus because of things they assume or have Heard about him that though may be true misinterpreted. The Christ was to be from Bethlehem, and Jesus is from Galilee? They don’t know him and his whole story so they reject him. Jesus loves us and was supposed to stop the pain some may say? Where did they get that? From a person who read something and misinterpreted or didn’t know they whole story??? We must share the Gospel, we must share our testimony, but we must let people speak to Jesus. We must lead them to the cross and let them be redeemed and radically changed by his love and his voice. Their is power is testimony, share it. Their is power in the Gospel and takes people from death to life, because Christ encounters them. We can’t let people go off everything that Others have said and lead people to him and his Word so HE CAN SPEAK TO THEM.

Prayer:

Father help me see that it’s you that changed hearts. Help me lead people to you not me. Help me point people to what you have said not me.

Scripture:

When many of his disciples heard it they said, “This is a hard saying, who can listen to it?”  But Jesus (knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this) said to them “Do you take offense at this?  Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before?  It is the Spirit who gives life-the flesh is no help at all…”  After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him.  John 6:60-63a, 66.

Observation:  

This is a chapter of scripture that can be confusing, a number of subjects being woven around.  It can be that way at times in the Scriptures.  It is a reason to pull things gently apart (unpack them) and find out what is truly meant.   Sometimes the Scriptures sound offensive-they can be truly “hard sayings…”  And what is shown as the result?  Grumbling.

Application:  

Confession: I am down in the dumps today.  Don’t know why, don’t really have any reason, and at the same time I don’t see any way out. What I am doing is putting one foot in front of the other.

With that in mind I am thinking about this and wondering what hard sayings do I grumble about?  I am sure I do, you know.  We probably all do.

In the above passage, Jesus was explaining that in the Flesh and the Blood salvation is found.  Jesus was talking about eating and drinking Flesh and Blood of His.  Probably sounded like….well, you know.  Set the (general) disciples on edge.  “What are you talking about, Jesus?” and then they started talking (grumbling) among themselves about what thy heard.

What is the difference then about these guys and the Berean brothers (Acts 17:10-11) who went off to verify what Paul and Silas were teaching?  In a word: Attitude.

These disciples around Jesus perhaps had a different perspective of what they wanted to see/hear as a result.  Unlike the Bereans, they only talked about Jesus among themselves and (implied by this scripture reference) did not go and see what was what according to the Scriptures.  They didn’t even hang around and hammer out understanding with Jesus.  What they did do was to grumble.

Grumbling has a distinct negative taste in the Spirit’s mouth.  In a real sense, grumbling is directly questioning God about His doings, but not to God in prayer.  Grumbling has to do with talking to each other about God’s working in a negative and questioning way.  “I can’t believe God is doing such and such?  I thought He was a good God.  If it were me I would have thought it would go (this way).”

Grumbling is such an issue with God that in Genesis the sons of Korah grumbled and God opened up the ground and swallowed 5,000 of those guys.

So what now?  Am I not allowed to complain?  It all comes down to Attitude.

If I take my cares to my Lord, that is good-trusting in His Goodness to answer my plea for understanding.  If I moan and groan to others-well, whom am I serving?  Answer: myself and, moreover, making exhibition of original sin, rebellion against God.

See the last part of the reference: “The Spirit gives life…the flesh is no help at all.”  Hard saying, isn’t it?  “Death and life are in the power of the tongue”, “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks…”

Today I am in the dumps.  Therefore I must draw on my “circuit breakers” to not sin with my mouth or in my attitude.

Prayer:   

 Father, you can see my insides and outsides.  You see my struggles, complaints and, yes, my tendency to grumble.  Please strengthen my resolve by You, Holy Spirit not to grumble and complain.  Even in my doldrums I want to please You in every respect.  Bring light to my eyes and spring to my steps. AMEN.

Scripture:

John 5:14 – Afterward Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, “See you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you.”

Observation:

Jesus healed the man by the pool at Bethesda who had been an invalid for 38 years. However, his physical healing was not his greatest need. Jesus sought the man and told him that he was well and to sin no more. Jesus was calling the man to live a life changed by his healing.

Application:

As a follower of Christ, I have been saved from a life of death and brought into life. My response should be to live a life where I recognize and live out the underserving grace that was shown to me. This does not mean that I am going have a perfect, sinless life the rest of my days on earth. I will live with His love and grace and choose to follow Christ in a new identity through Him.

Prayer:

Father,
Thank you for your love and grace in sending Jesus to save me. Let me recognize this was and is my greatest need. May I live life to follow you in response to the gospel.

Scripture :

John 4:34 – Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.

Observation :

Jesus and the disciples had been busy traveling and doing ministry. The disciples were urging Jesus to eat and be sustained but Jesus replies “I have food you do not know about.” After the disciples were puzzled by the response Jesus corrects them that doing the will of the Father and accomplishing his work is what satisfies him.

Application :

In life I wouldn’t accomplish much or get very far if I was constantly on a “fasting” diet. In the same way I can not stand strong spiritually if I am not in the will of God and accomplishing His purposes. Moments before this story Jesus has a conversation with a Samaritan woman by a well of water where He says “everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will become a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” In my life I desire to not be consumed on the fleeting things of the world but the true sustenance that my spirit needs, relationship with Jesus, the will of God, accomplishing His purpose.

Prayer :

Thank you Jesus that you satisfy. Help me to be someone who is sustained through your will and your work. I don’t want to be going back to the fleeting water of the world, hold me firm on your truth.

Scripture:

Nicodemus speaking: “Rabbi: we know that you are a teacher come from God (for no one can do the signs you do unless God is with him).” Jesus answered him “Truly, truly I say to you: Unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to him “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb?” John 3:2b-4

Observation:

This is a section of scripture that is widely referenced. The phrases are familiar. Just about everybody has heard “Be born again” as it applies to Christianity. But what does it mean? Can it be explained? Does it need to be explained one…more…time?

Application:

In every generation this is a phrase that brings the question just like Nicodemus: “What’cha talking about, Willis?

I think about this. What does it mean “to be born again?” What is it, anyway? Is it part of the Christianese we believers speak? Is it in our Christian “shop talk?” Secret language? Example (sound snooty here): “Things of the Spirit are revealed by the Spirit. Not revealed to you? The Spirit is not with you….” or something like that.

Point is I can lapse into Christianese at the drop of a hat and sound oh, so holier than thou. And, without being nudged about it, not give it a second thought. What a Pharisee!

I have taken to describe being born again as having my operating system (like a computer) overwritten. That is the point of Jesus’ statement: Want to see the Kingdom? You have to start all over again from the core of you. The “old man”, the sinful man that is a prisoner, needs to have a condition that is freed from the shackles of Sin.

Lo and behold: The Atonement! Jesus’ propitiation work on the Cross created the conditions that we can be set free and redeemed. How? Through the miracle of regeneration, basically re-writing our operating system. “Sin no longer has dominion over us…” Paul writes in Romans. Describes it beautifully.

“Would you be free from the burden of sin? There’s power in the Blood!” Today, every day, bow your head, heart, and mind to the Gospel. Do not let sin have dominion in you no more.

Prayer:

Lord God: Interesting I should write about this today. After being reminded about it anew this morning, what a wonderful privilege to testify about it one more time. I have to talk to the man in the mirror about it, let it be on my lips in some fashion, reference it in my every action. My heart has been changed! I have been overwritten. I am rebooted. I am starting over, born again. Nifty keen, O God. AMEN.

Scripture:

John 2:5

 His mother said to the servants “Do whatever he tells you.”

Observations:

Jesus had traveled to a wedding with His mother and His disciples. Wedding in those days were big deals. They often lasted days and to run out of food or wine would have been a major embarrassment for the host family and close to an offense of hospitality in the Jewish culture. Mary’s request to Jesus implied she expected Jesus to perform a miracle.  Her request to the servants indicated the same.    

Application:

Mary’s expected Jesus to perform some type of miracle.  I should expect the same. Not necessarily changing water into wine but expecting Jesus to perform miracles in my life.

I should do whatever Jesus tells me as well. In this story, the servants physically did everything Jesus asked. I should too. Doing everything He asks should always be my response to His will whether it is physically or spiritually doing something.

Mary did not tell Jesus what to do or how to do it. She just expected something to be done. I should expect the same type of change in my life when I listen and obey Jesus. I should not tell God how to do things or what to do, I should allow Him to change me based on His desires not mine.  

Prayer:

Father, you are an amazing God. You are a loving God that has shown compassion on me. Thank you for your patience with me.  Allow me to listen to you always and obey your words. Remove distraction and “noise” from my life that is not being delivered by you so I can hear you speak and you can guide my ways.

Scripture: 

John 1

Vs 1 … the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Vs 2 He was in the beginning with God.

Vs 10 … yet the world did not know him.

Vs 18 … God… has made him known.

Vs 31 (John the Baptist said), “I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.”

Vs 48 Nathanael said to Jesus, “How do you know me?”

Observation: 

John wants his readers to know God.

Even more importantly, John wants us to know that God, Himself, wants us to know Him.

Jesus has always been, but the world did not know Him even when He came into the world.

John the Baptist fulfilled a role in helping to make Jesus known.

Even when the world does not know Jesus, Jesus knows the world.

Nathaniel was shocked when Jesus acknowledged him personally.

Application:

I can know God by knowing Jesus.

I can also help reveal God to others by sharing Jesus with them.

Understanding that God wants us to know Him is a breakthrough to me understanding the character of God.

God does not want to be hidden. God wants relationship with me.

Jesus came and “dwelt in the world”. He did not need to do this.

He could have come to the world for a day, been crucified, and rose.  

He could have saved the world in a moment. But He chose to live among us for 33 years.

He was flesh. God wants to be known … by me.

I cannot get over how incredible this is. God wants me to know Him.

And, just as incredible, God knows me.

I can understand the shock of Nathaniel’s question, “How did you know me?”

But I can’t have the same shock today. This, again, reveals the character of who God is.

God wants relationship … a loving, caring relationship. 

And if I have this understanding of who God is, how could I not want to reveal Him to others?

As privileged as John the Baptist was, I now share this same privilege!

I am known by God, and I know God, and I can make Him known.

Prayer:

Thank you, God, again for your Word.

Thank you for becoming flesh and dwelling with us.

Help me to know you more.

Help me see opportunities to make you known

In Jesus name

Amen

Scripture:

Psalm 53:3

3 They have all fallen away;
together they have become corrupt;
there is none who does good,
not even one.

Observation:

David is just getting started in his plea for God to take care and heap judgement on his enemies. We learn later in the psalm that it is men who used to walk with. He says is verse 13 and 14 of Psalm 55; 13 But it is you, a man, my equal,
my companion, my familiar friend.
14 We used to take sweet counsel together;
within God’s house we walked in the throng.
This verse is what I was led back to with a very clear question from God……

Application:

Who do I spend my time with? Who is the majority of my time, heart, mind, and spirit invested In? I know I have to be pouring into the lost and spending time with people who don’t know Jesus, but have to be getting poured into and spending time with men of like mind and heart. It says “they” have fallen away, and the key word, “TOGETHER” “They” have become corrupt. It is easy to follow a crowd and do what everyone else is doing. In our world where the crowd is going is not where we want to be going. Where do the people I spend the majority of my time going? If it’s down a path of unrighteousness and sin am I with them? Do I get into the things they are? Am I trying to speak of Jesus yet walking with them in darkness? Or am I engaging the darkness with the light but not following them in? Crowds went to Jesus for what they could get but only a few followed…..who am I?

Do I go to Jesus with the crowd to get what I want?
Or do I go to Jesus to follow him for who he is?

A couple things:
-Who are the people I spend most of time with? Are they going in the same direction I am?
-Make sure all my relationships are intentional with the Love of God and we are going somewhere together for God and in Christ.
-Engage the darkness (evangelism) but don’t go in.

Prayer:

Father help me see who you have called me to be together with. May the be people to spur me to obedience in you and lead me to people who don’t know. Lead me not unto temptation and may I only engage the lost but not follow them. I need your help Lord. Give me wisdom and guidance. In Jesus Name.

Scripture:

“Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love—According to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin!

For I know my transgression and my sin is ever before me. Against you-You only-have I sinned and done what is evil in Your sight so that you may be justified in Your words and blameless in your judgment.” Ps 51:1-4

Observation:

Is this statement by the Psalmist a cry for help? A cry for release? A cry of desperation? Or could it be a sober reminder of the reality of his state before God? Is this the beginning of the Gospel for folks like you and me?

Application:

When I sit down to a meal I look the plate over and invariably I take a bite out what immediately looks good. As I have grown older my tendency is to eat things I like, not necessarily what is good for me. I do eat what is good for me but often the thought comes through “How much better this would be with bacon.”

I point this out because most of us, many of us, all of us, are drawn to good stuff, appealing stuff. We don’t necessarily like to think about what came before the good stuff. Many do this with the Gospel even today…

The song goes “Thank you for saving me: What can I say?” Saving from what? And why?

I want a deeper walk with God; I want to understand what can be revealed. By thinking and studying hard about the Gospel, from the very beginning or conception and going through as many steps of the Gospel I can think of, the richness of God’s mercy toward Man deepens and broadens; it soars to the heights and fills the deepest valleys.

Ps 51 can be thought of as a part of the beginning of the Gospel. The Psalmist makes a difference on God’s abundant mercy and the spoken realization that he doesn’t deserve it. “Against You I have sinned, done evil so that You are justified and blameless in anything You do.”

This is the basis on why we can give praise to God: He did something that we do not deserve. We don’t deserve it now-we will never deserve it. The Redemption that we mercifully enjoy is all of the Triune God-nothing we have done, nothing we do, nothing we will do will change that the Triune God planned and executed the Gospel from before time began.

The Gospel is a mystery. An amazing and wonderful mystery-but a mystery just the same. Why would He do this? His testimony says for Love. He loves the unlovable traitors to the Creator of the Universe.

How absolutely cool is that?

Prayer:

Father: I don’t ever want to take the Gospel for granted. I don’t want to massage it into just talking about the neat things, the bright things, and the good things. I need to remember just what the Psalmist wrote. “Against You and You alone have I sinned”, and yet, with my despicable sin before me-You redeemed me; You saved me from experiencing Your righteous Wrath, and so much more. When I preach the Gospel to myself, let me remember from here…and praise You forevermore of Your Unfathomable Grace. AMEN.

Scripture:

Psalm 50:23 – The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me; to one who orders his way rightly I will show the salvation of God!

Observation:

By giving thanks and being grateful to God brings Him glory.  Follow God’s path and he will reveal His salvation.

Application:

Every day I must be thankful for everything that God has provided for myself and my family.  Most importantly I must recognize and be grateful for the grace he has given me through the substitutionary death of Jesus to save me.  When we give thanks to God, this gives the glory to Him and points others towards Him.  As one who is grateful for my salvation and in response to that, I need to walk along God’s path for my life.  Apart from Christ, I am nothing and only one wrong turn from slipping off God’s path.  Therefore, I need to submit and make a conscious decision daily to be in the word, in prayer and follow the Spirit’s prompting in my life.

Prayer:

Father,

Thank you for your grace and mercy.  Let me be someone who recognizes this and gives you thanks to bring you glory and honor. 

Scripture :

Scripture:

“As a deer pants for flowing streams so pants my soul for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God….Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God—for I shall again praise Him (who is) my Salvation and my God….My soul is cast down within me therefore I remember You.” (Ps 42:1-2 and 5-6a)

Observation:

The Psalmist is good to read. He plumbs the depth of his heart and communicates transparently. Perhaps the pursuit of godliness starts with transparency? For sure it has a beginning in cultivating desire for the Presence…

Application:

I can identify with the Psalmist’s cries a lot. “Why are you downcast, soul?” Been there-quite a few times. Many times I shake the feeling off or figuratively “pull myself up by the bootstraps.” I want to “get my head straight.”

The thing I don’t realize often is that a reason I could be downcast in my soul is because I don’t hope in God.

That’s silly, isn’t it? I am a Christian because I hope in God and the Salvation found by faith in Christ. But I don’t think that this is the point of this Psalm.

Because we still have weakness in the flesh, despair, sadness, and feelings of loss can still be experienced. God is so good in showing that He recognizes it in the writing of the Psalms. Hopelessness is not a foreign concept for lovers of God.

What God does do for us is to show us the way out: “Hope in God…therefore I remember You.”

Cultivating remembrances. Cultivating memories. Cultivating hopelessness circuit breakers: As we pursue God these “circuit breakers” start to be formed. Working at installing these “circuit breakers” when things are going well makes when things aren’t so well they engage and Hope is Remembered.

What are things to do to get the circuit breakers installed? We are doing it here: Journaling. Another tool is fellowship and particularly biblical fellowship. Another (and one I want to point out) is singing-not singing for singing’s sake and not even especially songs that can be identified as Christian. I am referring to finding songs that feed the soul; that reinforce solid doctrine. Songs that are targeted to be sung to God. Here is what the Psalmist says:

By day the Lord commands his steadfast love,

and at night His Song is with me. (Ps 42:8)

Suggestion: Work at “singing to the Lord a new song…” Why? “…for He has done wonderful things.”

Hey: take heart and don’t be discouraged. Rome wasn’t built in a day and the old man in us isn’t mortified easily. Be diligent and persist in going after the Prize.

Prayer:

Father: You are so good in Your love toward us. Only You could have devised the Plan of the Gospel. Only You would conceive of turning traitors into loyalists. Only You knew the Price and because of Your Love towards us and for Your Glory evermore-paid it. Paid it so that we, fallen men that we are, would be not only redeemed but adopted. Thanks, Dad of the Heavens. AMEN.

Scripture:

Psalm 39:5 Behold, you have made my days a few handbreadths, and my lifetime is as nothing before you. Surely all mankind stands as a mere breath! Selah

Observation :

The psalmist king writes of the brevity of his own life, especially compared to the eternal reign of God. He compares the life of man to one breath of God.

Application:

Control, control, control. As mankind we want to be in control. As a control freak, I like to be in control. I like to drive instead of ride. I like to lead instead of follow. I like to take charge instead of sit. For a lot of my life, this character trait has helped me find success. However there are many days when the enormity of the challenge, the pressure of the position and the yoke of leadership gets too heavy. I feel overwhelmed and I want to give up. In light of what the psalmist says, here is what I need to do…

-Humble myself and realize that my life is merely a breath to the Eternal God.

-Realize He doesn’t need me to reign and rule, he desires for me to just follow him.

-When I feel overwhelmed I can trust in Him. His yoke is easy and His burden is light. I need to let the Eternal God do the heavy lifting.

Like a dad allows his young son to think he is “helping” him carry a heavy item, so God you do with me.

Father:

May I never get it twisted on who is carrying the load. You are just letting me “help”. May the brevity of my life remind me that I am merely a man and that you are God. I am subject to you and your authority and not the other way around. Help me as I lead people today. May I lean on you instead of trying to control everything on my own.

Scripture:

Psalm 37
Vs 1 Fret not yourself because of evildoers …
Vs 3 Trust in the Lord, and do good …
Vs 5 … trust in Him, and He will act.
Vs 7 … fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way …
Vs 8 Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.
Vs 10 In just a little while, the wicked will be no more;

Vs 39 The salvation of the righteous is from theLord …
Vs 40 … He delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
   because they take refuge in him.

Observation:

David is giving assurance to those who trust in God that God is with them.
God is not ignoring them.
Even when it seems that the “wicked” are prospering and living a better life,
This does not indicate God is not trustworthy.
David gives them an eternal perspective to view from.
Believers can trust God now, because “in a little while” the wicked will be no more.

Application:

“Trusting” and “Fretting” … “Fretting” and “Trusting” …
There is a massive contrast taking place in David’s description of these two groups of people.
Those that “fret”, and those that “trust”.
Which one am I more inclined to do?
What consumes more of any given day?
Fretting? … worrying … complaining … fussing … agonizing?
Or Trusting? … believing … having confidence … maintaining faith?
David makes clear that whichever one of these dominates my thinking will also dominate my direction.
If I fret, then I am focusing on “evildoers”, and “the one who prospers”, and “tend only to evil”.
If I trust, then I am focusing on “the Lord”, and “He who acts”.
I cannot do both at the same time.
If I am fretting, then I am not trusting!
So, what must I do when I find myself fretting?
I must stop being consumed by the weight of any given moment.
I must change my perspective.
Whatever I am fretting over will “fade like grass”.
Whatever I am fretting over will be here “just a little while”.
However, when I trust in the Lord, this is “salvation”.
This is “righteousness” … This is “deliverance” … This is “refuge in Him”.
Fretting is worthless and futile.
Trusting in the Lord is everything.

Prayer:

Thank you again Father for your word.
Open my eyes when I am tempted to fret.
Give me strength, Spirit, to trust.
Help me see eternally
In Jesus name
Amen