day one

How could our decisions prompt us to “love our enemies?" Jesus advocates a topsy-turvy lifestyle, one that is totally different from the world.  We’re to love our enemies.  One of the great challenges in the Christian life is to reinterpret our own motives and the world’s teachings, which shape our lives, and to redirect them to the Word of God and the Holy Spirit’s promptings.  Our own nature, which the Bible says is fallen, continually demands that we take care of “NUMBER ONE” in our survival mentality.  So our first test is to surrender to the Lord as our Creator, Father, and Eternal Savior.  Think about the meaning and importance of doing that in your life.  What would you have to surrender?

day two

How do we, as humans beings, love with agape love? Agape love is a love of the mind, not the heart.  It is a love of the will, not the emotions.  Agape love allows us the permission to override the “me first/number one” focus and to seek to trust God at His Word.  It is always a step of faith in which God wants to give us His grace to do what He wills over our desire to do our will.  The Christian life is not lived only within a set of rules and commandments, but is lived out through obedience to God’s Word and it’s application in real life situations.  Make a list of some of the areas related to the statement “agape love is a love of the mind, not the heart” and “it is a love of the will, not the emotions."

day three

How does God want to renew your mind and He is doing that in your life? Your mind is transformed.  God’s will becomes your will.  See if you can think of some examples of how this has happened in your life.  Often these experiences give us greater confidence in learning to live out the “Truth and Reality” of God’s Word rather than continuing to caught up in living out the “lie” or the “illusion of truth” that we see in the world (Romans 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind…).  How are you demonstrating that you are willing to be renewed in your mind by the Lord?

day four

How is it possible for you to return hate with love? Turning the other cheek,” simply means return hate with love.  First let’s address the problem of the dichotomy of these two words HATE/LOVE.  1st John 3:18 says, “Little children let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.”  God wants us to have faith in the reality of His truth and to seek to put that in action in our daily lives.  Forgiveness has a lot to do with our willingness to submit to God’s will.  What is your understanding of the Lord’s forgiveness of your sins?  What is your understanding of your one being in bondage to the evil one?  What might “returning hate with love” look like in your life today?  What kind of a step(s) of faith would that require on your part?

day five

Is it possible to live by the Golden Rule in today’s “me first” society? The Golden Rule, treating people the way we want to be treated, is the measuring stick for our lives.  Once we understand the “Cosmic Battle” that is going on our world, that the reality of God’s Truth is in direct opposition to the lies and illusion that the world, the flesh, and the devil proclaim, then we can seek God’s grace in relating to people in our lives.  “The Lord’s servants must gently instruct his opponents…in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the TRUTH, and that they will come to their senses and escape the trap of the devil, who has taken them CAPTIVE to do his will.”  (II Timothy 2:24-26).  Scripture says all those living are either “Free in Christ” or “Captives of the evil one and there is no middle ground!  God’s grace is sufficient!  How will you allow His grace to permeate you heart and soul and mind this week?

 

a word from the writers

This daily devotional and a weekly bible study for Life Groups that coincides with the current sermon is also available on the church website:  ccc.org.  We loved to hear your comments or suggestions.  Email the writing team at lampr@ccc.org.

 

To download a PDF of this week's daily devotional, click here.

To view the Life Lessons for this sermon series click on the logo to the left.

 

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