Costume Change

Read It:  1 Corinthians 9:16-23

16 If I proclaim the gospel, this gives me no ground for boasting, for an obligation is laid on me, and woe to me if I do not proclaim the gospel! 17 For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward; but if not of my own will, I am entrusted with a commission. 18 What then is my reward? Just this: that in my proclamation I may make the gospel free of charge, so as not to make full use of my rights in the gospel. 19 For though I am free with respect to all, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I might win more of them. 20 To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though I myself am not under the law) so that I might win those under the law. 21 To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law) so that I might win those outside the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, so that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that I might by all means save some. 23 I do it all for the sake of the gospel, so that I may share in its blessings.

Learn It:

What an interesting conversation Paul is having here.  I always like to tell people to be true to themselves.  Don't change because God has called you just as you are to do the work with the gifts you already have.  Paul, however, seems to say that we (or maybe he's just speaking about himself and not necessarily to us) need to be all things to all people.  It would be as if we needed to act like a politician to be able to have politicians understand us. Or we need to act and think like a small business owner to get through to small business owners.  Now I'm not sure if Paul is saying this but it reminds me of Martin Luther's great saying that we need to 'sin boldly'.  The whole reason Luther said that was so that through our sinning the grace of God might work even harder in the world.  I think there might be some connection here but I think the whole point of Paul's talk here is to say that we need to go and interact with other people so that they too might be saved through the Gospel.  

Share It:

What are some ways that you might be able to do things differently so that you can fit in with people that you might not normally hang out with?  What are some creative ways that you can come up with as a family that could help you share the story of Jesus with other people?  What are some creative or new ways that you have experienced the Gospel shared with you or that you have seen?  Come up with some solid ideas and ways that could help you be 'all things to all people' so that you can share God's love.  

Live It:

This week simply try one of the plans you came up with to share the Gospel with someone that is different from you.  See how maybe thinking like them might help you share God's love with them.  

P.S. Sorry the weekly devotionals haven't been up.  We lost internet the other week and this being internet only it got put aside and forgotten about...but now it's back!

An Every Day Baptism

Read It: Mark 1:9-11 (NRSV)

9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. 11 And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.” 

Learn It:

Baptism is very important as it connects us with the whole Christian family.  Baptism is also the time when we receive the Holy Spirit and we are forgiven of our sins.  Even Jesus was baptized which shows us just how important baptism is to being a part of this family of God.  Martin  Luther said that we should daily remember our baptism.  Baptism isn't a one time event that happened at some time past but it is a daily living out of our faith.  We should remember to daily live out our baptismal lives.  

Share It:

Talk with your family about the day everyone was baptized. Do this over dinner or during some family time.  Who was there?  Where was it?  Do you remember it?  If you have children talk about when they were baptized and what the whole experience was like.  What are your thoughts on why Jesus was baptized?  Share these ideas and anything else that comes up during your 'share it' time.  

Live It:

Remember Luther said we should daily remember our baptism?  One way he said to do that is that every time we take a bath or shower that we should say to ourselves, "I am a baptized child of God," and mark ourselves with the cross on our foreheads.  Try this out for a week and see how it might change your view of water or how baptism is really a daily living out our faith.  It is wonderful that at Faith we have our baptismal font on our way to receiving communion.  I want to encourage you next week when you are at church to use the baptismal font during communion to remind yourself of your baptism by signing your forehead with a cross.  It is a perfect way to not only remember your baptism but to also connect our two sacraments: baptism and communion.

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Please post comments with your experience with the share it or live it part of this weeks post.  Let others know if you and your family found this useful.  

Heart not Head

Read It: Jeremiah 31:33-34 (NRSV)

33 But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34 No longer shall they teach one another, or say to each other, “Know the LORD,” for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the LORD; for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more. 


Learn It:
Today is Reformation Sunday.  The day the Lutheran church celebrates the day that Martin Luther began to see the inconsistencies between what he was reading in the Bible and what he was being taught about his faith. For many Christians it would be a new beginning and a new understanding for their faith. This is what this text is all about.  This text is about a new beginning between God and God's people.  God no longer wants to rely on them hearing about God but wants all people to know God not just as something read or heard but as something that they truly know in their hearts.  Sometimes it can be easy to "know" something in your head but not always "know" or "believe" in your heart.  


Share It:
Have you had the experience where you knew something to be true or right but it never really clicked until later in your life when you then were able to really know or believe it?  What was it?  How did it happen and what was the catalyst that brought about the change from head to heart?  Why do you think it might be harder to believe something than it is to just understand it?  What do you think the difference is between the two?  Share these questions and other ideas that might come up during your discussion.


Live It:
Spend this week thinking about the things you know in your head and things you know in your heart.  What is the difference and why are there some things that haven't switched from head to heart?  Try to identify those things and see if you can really focus in on it and try to begin to make that shift.  I don't think you'll make the shift in that week but try to work on reforming your head and your mind.  Blessings!

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Please post comments with your experience with the share it or live it part of this weeks post.  Let others know if you and your family found this useful.

Say It

Read It: Matthew 5:37 (NIV)

 37 Simply let your‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.

Learn It:

Luther says that we should not say anything more than what we mean.  The things that we say should  be based on what we feel God is telling us to do at that moment.  Some examples he gives us is when you get angry you should only get angry if it is justified and that if you feel a certain way about something that you should conduct the way you say it based on what example Jesus leaves us about such matters.  

Share It:

John Mayer has a song entitled Say.  Check out these lyrics and talk with your family about them.  Do you think it is better to say what you need to say than to not have said anything at all?  What might it be like if you were to say exactly what you were thinking without filtering it?  Do you think that it would be hard to stop and think about what you are going to say to say the right thing? Why or why not?  What makes it hard to say "no" to people when they ask you to do something?  Why do or don't you say "yes" to lots of things?   

Live It:

Jesus tells us to say exactly what we mean to say.  Don't say yes when you don't really want to do it or when you're heart isn't in it.  The next couple times someone asks you to do something whether it is a family member or a friend, stop and think for a moment about if you really want to do it.  Let your "yes" be "yes" and your "no" be "no".  See how freeing that might be and see if you are responding the way that God asks us to respond.  Share with your family what it was like. 

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Please post comments with your experience with the discussion or live it part of this weeks post.  Let others know if you and your family found this useful.