The Tree Church Daily

Romans 12:1-2 (NLT)

And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

Explanation:

These two vers

es hold the key to a spiritually contagious life.

If I were teaching an adult life class, these would be my foundation scriptures, because wholehearted worship AND changing the way we think is the way to stay renewed in God and to maintain momentum in our spiritual lives. 

It is helpful to know that in the Old Testament, when a body was offered, the animal was slain. Now when a believer offers their body, they begin to really live!

We have the pleasure of being a living, holy and acceptable sacrifice, which ironically means all deadness is replaced, as the life of Christ lives through us by the power of the Holy Spirit. God doesn’t desire to hold us with our spiritual arm behind our back. He just desires reciprocal responses of love and honor from our senses, our soul, our heart, our bodies, and our will. 

The more of me that I offer Him, 

the more of Him I receive to be more fully who He designed me to be. 

It is an affectionate exchange.

 

As we consecrate our bodies, the Holy Spirit makes them His temple and has free access to inhabit them, thus giving us spiritual energy and vitality. 

Brittle people break and repel people. 

We want to draw people to Jesus. Vibrant, dynamic learners flourish and love well, and value growing and evolving in Him until the end of life. This will set in motion a process of continual growth, as we allow the Holy Spirit to change the way we think by using His word, His presence, church, friends, podcasts, books, and a myriad of other sources that challenge our stubborn ideas. 

When was the last time you totally changed your mind about something you thought?

Pastor Matthew has told the story of my system of presenting an idea to a team. If they could shoot it down, I would be pumped, because bad ideas should fall. 

It was through that system I learned the value of changing my mind, staying relevant, stretching, growing, and embracing newness. 

My heart's desire is to never become rigid in worship or my thinking. 

The good thing about Jesus is He trades bad thought processes, and replaces them with healthy thought processes. He transforms us.

We all have a choice to spiritually grow stale and musty or … be fresh and invigorating. 

Application:

1. Most pastors would tell you one of the most frequently asked questions is how to know the will of God. What answer does our passage give?

2. Power follows learning new ways in God. If you have done something over and over again, and see how it always leads to the same dead end, ask God to change the way you are viewing it in your mind. He will.

Devo Plus:

Renewing the mind is a little like refinishing furniture. It is a two-stage process. It involves taking off the old and replacing it with the new. The old is the lies you have learned to tell or were taught by those around you; it is the attitudes and ideas that have become a part of your thinking but do not reflect reality. The new is the truth. To renew your mind is to involve yourself in the process of allowing God to bring to the surface the lies you have mistakenly accepted and replace them with truth. To the degree that you do this, your behavior will be transformed. - Charles Stanley

Prayer:

Lord, my longing is big, but my request is brief.  

I ask you to change the way I think about ________________________.

Psalm 100 (ESV) - A Psalm of Praise

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!

Serve the Lord with gladness!

Come into his presence with singing!

Know that the Lord, he is God!

It is he who made us, and we are his;

we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving,

and his courts with praise!

Give thanks to him; bless his name!

For the Lord is good;

his steadfast love endures forever,

and his faithfulness to all generations.

Explanation:

In the stories of Winnie the Pooh, author A.A. Milne wrote, “Piglet noticed that even though he had a very small heart, it could hold a rather large amount of gratitude.” Have you ever thought about how much gratitude your heart could hold? As a Jesus follower, I am called to be purposed with gratitude as a way of life.

In this passage, we are called to live in His truth, being thankful and with happy hearts. Our daily gratitude should be based off of the amazing grace He gives us day after day. I know there are some days I wake up and I’m not bouncing down the stairs like Milne’s character Tigger, but that does not mean I’m not called to give thanks for all I’ve been given by grace.

I’ve heard people say they don’t sing praises because they can’t sing. Re-read today’s scripture. Does it say, “If you have a voice like Michael Giacomoni or Mary Stalter, feel free to sing. Otherwise, be quiet.”?? NO! It says make a joyful noise and express your heart full of gratitude to the Lord! Thank Him for His goodness and kindness that is never ending and never failing.

On those days when you’re not having a “Tigger” kind of morning, or maybe you’re even having an Eeyore kind of one, pause long enough to remember that no matter how glum the things of earth may be at the moment, you should sing praise and give thanks. Once you’re doing this consistently, it’s a game changer. It’s hard to be in a bad mood when you’ve just sang your heart out to the God who created everything, and reflected on how good He’s consistently been to you!

Application

1. What does making a joyful noise look like to you? Is it a song, a prayer, or even a reflection of God’s goodness to you?

2. Have you made it a habit to be purposed to start your day with thanks?

3. Imagine there was no one around but God to hear your praises. How would the way you worship change?

Devo Plus:

This week, as you look to go deeper, commit to starting the next seven days with thanks. After spending time thanking God for these things, jot down a few notes about how you felt afterward and throughout the day. At the end of the week, review these notes and see if your perspective was different than the “norm” this week, and what made it that way.

Prayer:

Today, let’s spend some time thanking God for His goodness and grace. Make a list (I encourage you to write it down) of five things you are thankful for, and tell God about that gratitude.

1 Corinthians 12:12-14

For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.

For the body does not consist of one member but of many.

Explanation:

Paul is writing 1 Corinthians about unity: believers all belong to a greater unit, the body of Jesus Christ. Specifically in 1 Corinthians 12, Paul is writing about spiritual gifts and unity in the body of Christ. He begins in these verses using an illustration of the human body to relate the members of the Christian body. He focuses on the fact that there are many members in the church, so there is diversity of appearance and function. Although there are many members, they are all centered on Christ, and therefore are one body.

Paul then goes on to say that in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, all being made to drink of one Spirit. The Corinthian Christians were focusing on artificial dividing lines, but because they were all baptized in one Spirit, those things should not matter. The body of Christ consists of many diverse members, but all have a place in it.

Application:

1. Why is it important to see that there are many members to a single body?

2. Think about your life. What are some skills you have, and what are some things you are not good at? Think of how other people can fill in those weaknesses.

3. What are some ways you can better use your spiritual gifts to minister to others?

4. What are some practical ways to see the unique gifts people have in the body of Christ?

Devo Plus:

Read Romans 12:4-5 to get more insight into this passage.

Prayer:

Lord, thank You for being a God of love. We are so grateful that You have allowed us to be a part of a unified body living for You. Thank You for giving each and every one of us gifts and abilities. Help us to remember the importance of being unified in You. Help us to do all we can for the body of Christ and Your ministry. Lord, we love You and it’s in Your name we pray, Amen.

Ephesians 2:11-22 (NLT)

Don’t forget that you Gentiles used to be outsiders. You were called “uncircumcised heathens” by the Jews, who were proud of their circumcision, even though it affected only their bodies and not their hearts. In those days you were living apart from Christ. You were excluded from citizenship among the people of Israel, and you did not know the covenant promises God had made to them. You lived in this world without God and without hope. But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ.

For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us. He did this by ending the system of law with its commandments and regulations. He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new people from the two groups. Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of his death on the cross, and our hostility toward each other was put to death.

He brought this Good News of peace to you Gentiles who were far away from him, and peace to the Jews who were near. Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us.

So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family. Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself. We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord. Through him you Gentiles are also being made part of this dwelling where God lives by his Spirit.

Explanation:

The redeeming work of Jesus Christ on Mount Calvary brought all of mankind under a new covenant; the acrimonious relationship of the Jews and Gentiles throughout history was transcended by the perfect love of Christ. Through His death, burial and resurrection, no person, no race, and no nationality was excluded from God’s offer of salvation and eternal life.

Jesus effectively removed “the wall of hostility,” which is a reference to a physical wall in the temple that was designed to separate the Gentiles from the Jews. Now, peace and unity are the standards all Christ followers are called to live by. Ever aware of our imperfections, Paul notes that we are “becoming a holy temple”, or church body. We are glorious works in progress, created to live together but dependent on the Holy Spirit to do so with love.

Application:

1. Do you have a “wall of hostility” in your heart towards certain people?

2. If so, how can today’s passage help you work through it?

3. Are you actively fulfilling your role in the “house”, or church, that Christ built?

Devo Plus:

Read Acts 13: 44-48, where Paul declares that the good news of salvation is for Gentiles also.

Prayer:

Lord, help me to see everyone the way You do—as souls who need Jesus, or need more of Jesus. Cover our imperfections with Your grace as we learn to do life together in the church body. Amen.

Romans 10:16-21 (NRSV)

 But not all have obeyed the good news; for Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our message?” So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ.

But I ask, have they not heard? Indeed they have; for

“Their voice has gone out to all the earth,
    and their words to the ends of the world.”

Again I ask, did Israel not understand? First Moses says,

“I will make you jealous of those who are not a nation;
    with a foolish nation I will make you angry.”

Then Isaiah is so bold as to say,

“I have been found by those who did not seek me;
    I have shown myself to those who did not ask for me.”

But of Israel he says, “All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people.”

Explanation:

How far would you go to get what you wanted? Think about something you desire right now. What would you sacrifice? How hard would you work? How would you position your life so that you would be ready to receive it when it comes your way?

Paul in this passage is dealing with the Nation of Israel, God’s chosen people, and their lack of response to the gospel. Paul uses their prophets to argue potential reasons why they have failed to believe in Jesus. Paul asks, “Have they not heard?” He answers,“No, they have heard plenty.” Then Paul says, “Maybe it’s because they didn’t understand.” Paul says no, they have had Moses and the Prophets who testified of Jesus. If anyone should have been ready, expectant, and understanding of who the Messiah was, it should have been Israel. However, the Gentiles recognized Him as the Messiah before Israel. Paul says there is no excuse for their disbelief: it is their responsibility for rejecting God’s blessing to them.

The subtle yet powerful message of this passage is not that Israel has rejected Jesus, nor that the Gentiles were always meant to be invited into a relationship with God. Rather, it is God’s posture towards a broken and sinful humanity. I harken back to my initial question: how far would you go to get what you wanted? Well, for God, He wanted His creatures to walk in relationship with Him. This passage tells us the depths He would go to invite both Jew and Gentile into that relationship. He is faithful to the Gentiles by inviting them in despite their ignorance, and He is faithful to the Jews despite their arrogance. He would give everything so that humanity could live with Him. His posture is one of always being ready to receive. There are no lengths He wouldn’t go to so that you would know His love for you.

Application:

1. What are some excuses you come up with for not trusting God?

2. What would that situation look like if you chose obedience?

3. How does knowing that God’s posture is always for your rescue and redemption affect your perspective?

Devo Plus:


Read Isaiah 52:13-53:12.

Prayer:

God, thank You that You are always pursuing us to believe that You truly do love us and want life for us. God, where we have looked to idols, insufficient means, and our own desires to fill our hearts, forgive us. Where those things have dulled the eyes of our hearts from seeing Your goodness, forgive us and free us. You are so good and so faithful! Help us to respond appropriately with trust, worship, and adoration.

Romans 10: 5-15 (NLT) 

For Moses writes that the law’s way of making a person right with God requires obedience to all of its commands. But faith’s way of getting right with God says, “Don’t say in your heart, ‘Who will go up to heaven?’ (to bring Christ down to earth). And don’t say, ‘Who will go down to the place of the dead?’ (to bring Christ back to life again).” In fact, it says, “The message is very close at hand; it is on your lips and in your heart.”

And that message is the very message about faith that we preach: If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.  As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.” Jew and Gentile are the same in this respect. They have the same Lord, who gives generously to all who call on him. For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

 But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them?  And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!”

Explanation:

At this very moment, you are either “saved” or “lost,” with no in-between. I realize that this is pretty heavy stuff to start our devotion with today, so let me expound on what today’s passage is telling us. Jesus died and rose again so that we may have life. He didn’t come to earth to give us tips on how to live a happy life and muddle through the daily grind. He came to save us from sin and death, and each of us chooses one or the other. Simply not choosing is the equivalent of choosing death.

Let’s use a practical example. You are on a boat; let’s just call it “Titanic II.” The boat hits a rock and begins to take on water. The captain says that everyone needs to get into a lifeboat or you will surely die in a watery grave, because the boat is going to sink. However, you decide that it’s not urgent yet. You’re good for now; you’ll let some other people get in, and see what happens. After all, you’re a pretty good swimmer, and even though there’s no sign of land for miles, you could probably handle it if you needed to. Doesn’t this sound silly? Not choosing life is just like choosing death.

Paul is trying to tell us the same thing. Jesus has offered us a lifeboat. We cannot save ourselves and in order to have life, we must put our trust and belief in Jesus! We must recognize that Jesus came here to save us from a broken and sinful world. We could never do this on our own. We must believe that Jesus died for our sins, rose from the dead, and is preparing a place for us to live with Him eternally. Jesus will save you from the death that this life offers. All you have to do is accept that you cannot do this alone. Confess that you are a sinner, and that you believe that Jesus died and rose again for you.

Application:

1. Think about the statement “Simply not choosing is the equivalent of choosing death.” Do you know someone who hasn’t placed their trust in Jesus because they’re waiting to see what happens with their life? Take some time today and send that person a message or give them a call to share what knowing Jesus today means to you.

2. How do you respond to those who have not chosen to place their trust in Jesus when they say, “I’m basically a good person, and I think that’s enough”?

Devo Plus:

Housefires sings a song called “We Say Yes”. Listen to this song and reflect on the lyrics of the chorus: “We say yes, God; We accept the invitation to your love.”

Prayer:

God, today I ask You to humble my heart. Remind me that each day of my life is full of choices, and the most important one is choosing to follow You every step along the way. Today I ask You to reach my friends and family who have not yet decided to place their trust in You, and give them the conviction and courage to make that decision. Allow my interactions with them to speak life into them. Regardless of their situation, help them to see that they need You in their life. Thank You for providing Your Son to come to this earth and fix our brokenness. Give us the courage to be messengers of the good news to those around us.

Romans 10:1-4 (NIrV)

 

Brothers and sisters, with all my heart I long for the people of Israel to be saved. I pray to God for them. I can tell you for certain that they really want to serve God. But how they are trying to do it is not based on knowledge. They didn’t know that God’s power makes people right with himself. They tried to get right with God in their own way. They didn’t do it in God’s way. Christ has fulfilled everything the law was meant to do. So now everyone who believes can be right with God.

Explanation:

Paul is explaining to the church in Rome that he is longing for the Jews to be saved. However, the Jews were trying to follow and serve God based on their own works instead of what Jesus did for them on the cross. The people of Israel knew of the Old Testament system of making a sacrifice to God for their sins, but they chose not to believe that Jesus was the Messiah that God had sent. Jesus lived a sinless life, was crucified as a sacrifice for our sins, and fulfilled all the laws “so now everyone who believes can be right with God.”

Did you know that the same is true for you! “Say with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord.” Believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead. Then you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9 NIrV). That is all you have to do to follow Jesus. It isn’t based on what you do or how good you are. He came for ALL people. All that is required is for us to trust in Him.

God is my Father in Heaven and knows what’s best for me. He wants to be in relationship with me, and He is constantly showing me that if I put my faith in Him, He will take care of the rest. What an amazing Savior we serve!

Application:

1 . What reminds you to put your trust in God? Do you walk outside and see everything He has created? Or individuals in your family, friends, or your job? Are you amazed by a hard time you have gone through, but survived? Do you think about your sin that He has forgiven time and time again?

2. What things in your life are you trying to do on your own without God?

3. If you haven’t asked God to be the Lord of your life, do it now. Say with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord.” Believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead. Then you will be saved. (Romans 10:9 NIrV).

Devo Plus:

Listen to David Crowder’s song “Come As You Are.”

Prayer:

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for everything You do for me, and for not ever growing weary of me. Help me to come to You first when life feels overwhelming and when I mess up. Help me to continually put my faith and belief in You only! I Love You, Father!

Ephesians 3:1-6 (NLT)

When I think of all this, I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus for the benefit of you Gentiles, assuming by the way, that you know God gave me the special responsibility of extending his grace to you Gentiles. As I briefly wrote earlier, God himself revealed his mysterious plan to me. As you read what I have written, you will understand my insight into this plan regarding Christ. God did not reveal it to previous generations, but now by his Spirit he has revealed it to his holy apostles and prophets.

And this is God’s plan: Both Gentiles and Jews who believe the Good News share equally in the riches inherited by God’s children. Both are part of the same body, and both enjoy the promise of blessings because they belong to Christ Jesus.

Explanation:

 

I read this passage over and over again this week, trying to feel Paul's message. Why is this passage important to our lives? Within this passage, verse 6 gives the answer: “The Gentiles have become fellow heirs, members of the same body, and sharers in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.” 

For the children of Israel who were chosen to be God’s people, unless you are born Jewish, you are considered a Gentile. Therefore, there aren’t any other categories, so this means everyone has access to salvation. Two things are true at the same time: that Jews are God's chosen people and through Jesus, Gentiles have all the same privileges. 

God’s gift of Christ is still to be manifest to the world: no longer in the physical person of Jesus Christ, but in the church—Christ’s own body—through the unity of its diverse members. 

As God promised Abraham, "all the peoples on earth will be blessed through you" (Genesis 12:3). Such blessedness does not obliterate the diversity of the people. That was the mistake of the Judaizers, who sought to make Gentiles into Jews before they could be received into the church as Christians. 

We must guard against our own version of this, of making people jump through spiritual hoops instead of seeing them as heirs of grace.

We can’t put our mold on people. 

We don’t have a brand. 

We don’t have a political party. 

We don’t have a style. 

We aren’t a certain color. 

We aren’t a clique. 

We aren’t a country. 

We aren’t exclusive.

We simply don’t get to make a template. It is all inclusive for those who confess with their mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in their hearts that God raised Jesus from the dead... they are saved! As hard as it was for Paul to stand up to the Jews and come against their plan to require circumcision for the Gentiles, we have to do the hard work of standing up for anyone feeling marginalized from the church.

It was a hard pill to swallow for the Jews, as God's chosen people, to be told that God was going to use Gentiles who believed in Him. I can imagine they felt it was a little unfair. They had to endure circumcision and the Gentiles were getting in by believing. But that’s Jesus. He paid the price for it to be boiled down to just believing.

He has done His part. Now we must do ours.

Application:

1. THROUGH US He goes out of His way to notice the overlooked, to pull in the drifting, to listen for the unheard, to reclaim the shamed, to notice the dismissed, to redirect the disoriented, to soothe the aching, to reach for the wanderer, and include the rejected. His hand is reaching through your heart, to gather Fairfield County to Him. 

2. As a church we must be a soft place for the hurting to land. In Jesus no one is irrecoverable. If you were hurting, what would you need from a church to feel safe and cared for while being presented the truth? 

3. Do you share Paul’s special responsibility of sharing grace?

Devo Plus: 

I have never yet known the Spirit of God to work 

where the Lord's people were divided.

- Dwight L. Moody

Prayer:

Ephesians 3:14-21 (ESV) - A prayer for spiritual strength from Paul:  

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.  

Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever!

Galatians 3:26-29

For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise.

Explanation:

My husband and I have been watching a show called “The Chosen”. It is a show that gives us a visual look into the life of Jesus. The last episode we watched was where Jesus meets and talks with the Woman at the well. As she is talking with Jesus, she points out that she is not of Jewish decent. Those who were not of Abraham’s line (Jews) often felt as though they were less than when it came to God’s Kingdom. They did not feel as though they had the same relationship or access. As the woman speaks to Jesus, He declares that He has come so that all could have the opportunity to be in relationship with God. Through Jesus, we were all given the opportunity to become a child of God. It is not dependent upon our social status, it isn’t dependent upon our past, it doesn’t matter our family tree. All that matters is our faith. God gives those who follow Him the right, the joy, of becoming one of His.

It is incredible to think that the God of the universe longs for us to be in relationship with Him. And when we make that decision, He calls us His. We are His children. That, my friends, is the best title we can ever be given.

Application:

1. What stuck out to you the most in today’s Scripture?

2. God longs for all to come to know Him and to live their lives through faith. What does this tell you about His nature and His character?

3. What does it mean to you personally to be a called a child of God?

Devo Plus:

Here are some other passages that remind us of how wonderful it is to be called the children of God: Galatians 4:7, John 1:12, and 1 John 3:1.

Prayer:

Lord, it is always amazing to me that You had a plan in place from the beginning for all of us to be able to receive salvation through faith. We know that when we walk in faith we get the best thing ever: to be called Your child. Thank You for Your plan of redemption, thank You for salvation, thank You for adopting us, accepting us, and calling us Your children. Help us to continue to walk in a way that honors You. We love You. Amen.

1 John 2:3-6 (ESV)

And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments.  Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him:  whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

Explanation:

God wants us to know Him, and to know we know Him. When we know Him in the way that this Scripture describes, we keep His words and commandments close to us, and live our lives according to them. Our lives become the real and true representation of what it means to walk with God. If you’re like me though, sometimes doubt creeps in, telling me that I’m a fake, that I’m not capable of walking in truth, that I’m never going to succeed. Imposter Syndrome.

In my career, I have struggled with Imposter Syndrome. I am privileged to have a high profile role in my company, where my executives tout me as an “expert” in our field. They tell CEO’s and CFO’s that I will bring a team of my colleagues into their organization and “fix” the struggles they are having with operations and finance. We are the solution to their problems. As I sit on sales calls or read the materials that my bosses are going to give to our potential clients, there are times I think, “WHO are they even talking about? I’m just someone who has done a lot of things and learned along the way! I’m not capable of fixing a company that has a presence in multiple states with my wisdom!”

This is what the devil likes to do in our personal lives. He creeps in, says that we aren’t good enough—and to be clear, we weren’t, and that’s why Jesus died to save us— that we aren’t smart enough, we aren’t strong enough, and so on. But this Scripture sets aside all doubt instilled by the devil. When we walk in truth and live in the ways we are commanded, our lives reflect Jesus.

Application:

1. What do you think it means to “walk in the same way he (Jesus) walked”?

2. What do you do when doubt threatens your identity in Christ?

Devo Plus:

Read today’s Scripture in several different translations of the Bible. Reflect on the words and how they speak to you. Choose the translation that you relate to or understand the best and write down verse 5 on an index card, post it note, scrap paper, or even a napkin. Put it in a place where you see it daily, repeat its words until you have it memorized, and make it your “mission” for each day.

Prayer:

Spend some time today asking God to search your heart for places that you can do better walking in His truth and following His commands. Ask Him for strength to overcome the doubts that creep in, and allow the Holy Spirit to minister to you as you quietly reflect in the ways He’s guided you through doubts in the past.