Friday's Follow-up Verses
Colossians 3:1-4
Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
~ Apostle Paul
• I have died to sin and been raised with Christ, and my life is hidden with Christ in God as part of His kingdom. Until I appear with Him in glory, I serve as an ambassador for that kingdom till He comes.
Pondering Point
In case you missed the theme of the devotions this week, it is square in front of you again: Set your hearts on things above; set your mind on things above not on earthly things.
Are you willing borrow a page from Alcoholics Anonymous and take a fearless inventory in these matters? If so, ask God (as Holy Spirit, Jesus, and Heavenly Father) to show you if and where your spiritual eyes have focused in on lesser things. Is your mindset regarding life trained on things above or things below? This type of personal inventory can be unsettling, scary, even painful. Yet, it is good for us as children of God.
Prayer
Father God, be gentle with us as You reveal shortcomings or distractions that have waylaid our godly lifestyle, mindset and approach regarding life. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Micro-Group (MG) Moment
Being in Relationship with Others
Jesus commanded us to do two things really well. He said,
Matthew 22:37-40 (NLT)
“You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the other commands and all the demands of the prophets are based on those two commandments.”
God’s plan is to first radically change us personally through a deep,
abiding, love relationship with Him. Then His plan is to use us; to live through us to draw others into the same kind of life-changing, life-giving, love-relationship with Him. His plan is to do that by our loving others as He loves us. This was Jesus’ simple and yet very intentional model of discipleship.
Through Christ’s model of loving God and loving others in intentional relationship, people came to know Him and the Father. As a result, their lives were radically changed by Him. People began to mature in their faith and started pouring their lives into the lives of others through servanthood and loving kindness – forms of loving your neighbor. In other words, disciples began making disciples, and the world was never the same again.
Prayer
Father God, help me and all of us to mature in our faith and continue to pour out our lives into others through servanthood and loving kindness. IN Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.