Friday's Follow-up Verses
Romans 12:9-18
Love in Action
9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13 Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position.[c] Do not be conceited.
17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,”[d] says the Lord. 20 On the contrary:
“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”[e]
Footnotes:
[c] Romans 12:16 Or willing to do menial work
[d] Romans 12:19 Deut. 32:35
[e] Romans 12:20 Prov. 25:21,22
Pondering Point
Though we may become tired physically or emotionally, let's hope (or pray) that our prayers do not drop off. Let it become our first go-to rather than the first to go. As times get more difficult, let God train you to become one whose prayer life gets deeper. As affliction remains, let prayers sustain.
May the same be true of our service for the Lord, never lacking in zeal due to some undesirable circumstances. Oh we will have “days like this, my mama said” (sang the Shirelles), but let’s pray against losing our zeal every time something goes sideways. Instead let us have our prayers override our circumstances, our hope override our affliction and our zeal override our tiredness. God is our refuge and strength; Let this truth in Scripture become a truth in practice, practicing our faith in Him at all times.
Prayer
Father God, let my zeal for you stay strong in all circumstances while I live as Your servant. Let me be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Micro-Group Moment:
Considering the life of Peter as a case for participating in Micro-Groups
Last week we brought up Jesus’ birth family as a naturally-occurring MG/SG relationship. We all get born, but we don’t all get born into God-centered families like Jesus. The disciple Peter is an example of a second naturally-occurring MG/SG scenario, that of marriage (see Matthew 8:14). Just as some birth families are God-centered but others are not, so it is with families created through marriage. Some marriages are centered on God, others are not. Of course not everyone gets married, but for those who do, this naturally- occurring relationship is intended to be built around God – both for the couple and when the blessing of children come along with it.
Aside from Peter’s MG with Jesus, James, and John and his marriage, here are a few other examples of Peter’s other MG/SGs. Check out these bible passages:
John 1:35-42
John’s Disciples Follow Jesus
35 The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. 36 When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!”
37 When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. 38 Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?”
They said, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?”
39 “Come,” he replied, “and you will see.”
So they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent that day with him. It was about four in the afternoon.
40 Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. 41 The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). 42 And he brought him to Jesus.
Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peter[g]).
Footnote:
[g] John 1:42 Cephas (Aramaic) and Peter (Greek) both mean rock.
Luke 5:1-11
Jesus Calls His First Disciples
5 One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret,[a] the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God. 2 He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. 3 He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat.
4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.”
5 Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.”
6 When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. 7 So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.
8 When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” 9 For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, 10 and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners.
Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” 11 So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.
Footnote:
[a] Luke 5:1 That is, the Sea of Galilee
As tight as Peter and Jesus were, it is likely that their birth families ended up acquainted with each other. It is also likely that Jesus was well acquainted with Peter’s marital MG family. This is often the case in our own lives where little pockets of people become well acquainted with each other through mutual hobbies or activities, mutual friends or careers. We grow closer to some and not so much with others. It can be the strangest things that bring together MGs.
Prayer
Father God, help me to intentionally develop my family to be God-centered, whether it is my birth family or one by marriage. In Jesus I pray. Amen.