Day 5
Day 5 finishes this first part of this series with Paul’s conclusions about finishing the race…
Devotional Point 4 today: Our thoughts about the end game are important…
Scripture 4 today: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” 2 Timothy 4:7 NIV
Reflection 4 today: every race of substance actually a composite of lots of small races that make it up. In order to finish “the race“ out we have to go and complete lots of small races. Essentially for me, each day is a separate and distinct race, one that I have to focus on the start the finish and everything in between for that day. I am going to finish today’s race well, which means I am going to finish each part of today’s race really well. it causes you to look at the day very differently…
Question for the day: Ready for today’s race? I am getting there…
Other Notes: We are just getting started on this concept of running the race, so as we finish today, we move on to a short 3-day plan for tomorrow which is part-2 of this series, invites out later today…
Day 4
Day 4 gives us the warning to not pay attention to those who are not preaching the real Gospel…
Devotional Point 4 today: who we train with is significant…
Scripture 4 today: “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.” Colossians 2:8 NIV
Reflection 4 today: The people who Paul was referring to were the gnostics of the day. The gnostics of the “broadcast cycle” of the last 65 years in the church are those clever souls who have separated the call to conversion and the call to discipleship. The “Good News” offered by Jesus and all the Apostles was that of a “new life” in Christ as a result of discipleship, not a fire-insurance policy from Hell. The gnostics of our day have painted discipleship as an optional extra…
Question for the day: How does who you share God’s word with in devotionals like this affect us? For me it gives us much more context about how God is working in us and inspires me…
Day 3
Day 3 gives us the reason that God did His best work with us: He has things for us to do…
Devotional Point 4 today: God measures individual performance versus individual capacity not versus any other’s…
Scripture 4 today: “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:10 NIV
Reflection 4 today: In the 1,440 minutes that made up yesterday, out side of the sleeping, eating, exercising and talking with Janet, I was pretty much working straight through. How much would I call “workmanship”, my finest? If I’m lucky, 10%… There are all kinds of reasons for that, But that is not how it is for God. I am His 100% workmanship 100% of the time. I am a new creation, not a modified one; all new, not one single part from the old machine. Anything good comes out of this new machine…
Question for the day: Why might the discipline of journaling be helpful? I won’t open my Bible without an open notebook next to it…
Day 2
Day 2 gives us some good perspective on the “race“ that we are running
Devotional Point 4 today: the heroes of our faith testify to the need for and benefit of daily time in God’s Word with His Spirit…
Scripture 4 today: “Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,” Philippians 3:13 NIV
Reflection 4 today: Paul was first and foremost a disciple of Jesus, he was completely committed to each of the 49 commands that Jesus gave. His life was not some Fuzzy general movement towards knowing Jesus a little bit better, he was totally committed. He strained toward each new milestone that God had for him, we can clearly see that there were quite a few milestones. Deep incorporation of the spiritual disciplines get us to each new milestone.
Question for the day: what milestone are you straining towards today?
Day1
Day 1 of our new devotional focuses on the race we run, couple things to do here…
Devotional Point 4 today: Who do you suppose the crowd is and what do you think they might be doing?
Scripture 4 today: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,” Hebrews 12:1 NIV
Reflection 4 today: success for us in the Christian life is about two things: first, the things not to do, and then second things to do. The things not to do essentially break down into two categories: things that are out right sin, and things that are not specifically sin but hinder us from moving forward. In most cases, the things that hinder us most are distractions, distractions we allowed to divert our attention. Satan drags me down by distraction far more than temptation.
Question for the day: Who do you suppose your crowd is?
