Memory Verse: “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” 2 Timothy 3:16 Monday: Understanding Our Memory Verse
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” The Bible is not a collection of stories, fables, myths, or merely human ideas about God. It is not a human book. Through the Holy Spirit, God revealed His person and plan to certain believers, who wrote down His message for His people. This process is known as inspiration. The writers wrote from their own personal, historical, and cultural contexts. Although they used their own minds, talents, language, and style, they wrote what God wanted them was in control to write. Scripture is completely trustworthy because God was in control of its writing. Its words are entirely authoritative for our faith and lives. The Bible is “God-breathed.” Read it, and use its teachings to guide your conduct. Make an effort to memorize this verse this week. Tuesday: Using the Bible for Correction Joshua 1:7-8 What is your definition of success? Does it line up with what we are taught in God’s Word? How strange to equate success with obedience! For many, success is controlling others; for Joshua, it meant being controlled by God. God told Joshua that to succeed he must obey the rules for living found in God's law. Often we can't see what the results or future benefits of following God will be. When we are not certain what to do, obedience to what God has revealed in the Scriptures is the only sure step we can take. Resolve to set aside time each day to read and think about God's Word. Remind yourself of God's words day and night. Act today on what you know God has said and God will assure your success in carrying out His purposes. Wednesday: Spiritual Fruitfulness Through Our Study of the Bible James 1:22-25 It is important to listen to what God's Word says, but it is much more important to obey it, to do what it says. We can measure the effectiveness of our Bible study time by the effect it has on our behavior and attitude. Do you put into action what you have studied? Pray and ask God for guidance in applying His teaching to your life. Rely on God to help you apply your knowledge to specific situations. Hide His words in your heart so that when you are faced with tough situations, you can recall the Biblical truths needed to help you respond with a Christ-like heart. Thursday: The Bible; Full of Fulfilled Prophecy Always Points To Our Savior Luke 24:44-46 The Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms is a way to describe the entire Old Testament. In other words, the entire Old Testament points to the Messiah. For example, His role as prophet was foretold in Deuteronomy 18:15-20; his sufferings were prophesied in Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53; His resurrection was predicted in Psalm 16:9-11 and Isaiah 53:10,11. Read each prophecy listed above and find areas in the New Testament where those prophecies are fulfilled. Can you find other prophecies in the Bible and the location of their fulfillment? Friday: Applying the Bible in Our Daily Lives 2 Timothy 3:16-17 The whole Bible is God’s inspired Word. Because it is inspired and trustworthy, we should read it and apply it to our lives. The Bible is our standard for testing everything else that claims to be true. It is our safeguard against false teaching and our source of knowledge about how we can be saved. God wants to show you what is true and equip you to live for Him. How much time do you spend in God’s Word? Read it regularly to discover God’s truth and become confident in your faith. Develop a plan for reading the entire Bible, not just familiar scriptures. There are many different plans for reading through the Bible in one year. Here are a few ideas… Beginning to End: Read the Bible from start to finish, from Genesis to Revelation. Bible Gateway From Beginning Plan Chronological: Read the Bible as its events occurred in real time. For example, Job lived sometime after the beginning of creation (Genesis 1) but before Abraham was born (Genesis 12). As a result, the Book of Job is integrated into the Book of Genesis. Bible Gateway Chronological Reading Plan Historical: Read the books of the Bible as they were written historically, according to the estimated date of their writing. Bible Gateway Historical Reading Plan New then Old: Read through the New Testament first, then read through the Old Testament. Old and New: Each day, include a passage from both the Old Testament and New Testament. Bible Gateway Old/New Reading Plan Links to other Reading Plans: 52 Week Reading Plan Blue Letter Bible Blended Reading Plan American Bible Society Reading Plan
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Monday: What is the Bible?
One unified book, 66 literary works separated into 2 covenants, with the sole purpose of making man wise for salvation. (2 Tim. 3:15) So what are the functions of the Bible?
Tuesday: Who wrote the Bible? The Bible was written as a dual authorship meaning that both God and man were writing. Need proof?
T.C. Hammond compares inspiration and incarnation beautifully in the book In Understanding Be Men: An Introductory Handbook of Christian Doctrine. He speaks about the virgin birth stating that Mary remained a human mother and would have appeared to others to be an ordinary human mother but was carrying the long-expected Redeemer of Israel. In the same manor, the writers of the biblical books remained human authors but had a message that was absolutely God breathed. Wednesday: Look up the following verses - Matthew 1:22, Matthew 2:15
Thursday: What the truth (and inerrancy) of the Bible means for us
Friday: Family fun with Bible facts!
Monday: What is the difference between submersion and sprinkling?
The word baptize is a transliteration of the original Greek word baptizo. In turn, baptizo comes from the root word bapto, a term used in the first century for immersing a garment first into bleach and then into dye; both cleansing and changing the color of the cloth. (note its similarity to baptisms cleansing of sin and becoming a new person through Christ.) Stated another way when you process cloth to change its color you are said to baptize it. If sprinkling of any kind was to be practiced a different Greek word would have been used. Tuesday: Why are some people baptized (or sprinkled) as infants? You may ask whether infants or young children should be baptized. It may help if you understand where the idea and practice of baptizing infants came from. Around 400 AD, a man named Augustine taught that all of man was damned from birth because of Adam’s sin and would spend eternity in Hell because of it until they were made right with God, including children. This was disturbing to parents who were concerned for their children’s spiritual state. Of the steps that were required to be right with God, it was decided that the only one an infant could take part in was baptism. Since it is risky to immerse an infant, these people decided to sprinkle them with water instead in an effort to remove the original sin of Adam. Thus, both baptizing infants and baptizing by sprinkling came from human ideas, not from the Bible. Wednesday: Why is it important that baptism come after salvation? The clear teaching of Scripture is that all who believe in Jesus as Savior and Lord should be baptized in obedience to Him. The New Testament order is always: The preaching of the gospel; faith in the gospel; then, baptism. Never once is there an example of baptism preceding faith as the norm to be followed. And there are no examples or commands concerning the baptism of the infants or yet unbelieving children of believing parents. Consider the following verses from Acts, noting the order of belief first, then baptism: 2:41: ... those who had received his word were baptized; ... 8:12: But when they believed Philip preaching the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were being baptized, men and women alike. 8:36-38: And as they went along the road they came to some water; and the eunuch said, “Look! Water! What prevents me from being baptized?” [And Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”] And he ordered the chariot to stop; and they both went down into the water, Philip as well as the eunuch; and he baptized him. Thursday: Should baptism be an immediate response after accepting Christ or is it better to wait and mature spiritually to fully understand the truth of what is taking place? The Bible always placed believing in Christ for salvation and baptism together. Acts 2:41: 3000 people were baptized after believing. vs. 38 and 39 make it clear that this is the way it will always be done; that is all people who accept Christ as their Savior will come to him in this way. Also in Acts 8:26-39 we follow the road from Jerusalem to Gaza. Vs. 26 terms it as desert and the only source of water there was an oasis. This means that the eunuch and Phillip climbed down into the people’s drinking water to baptize. Apparently, Philip and the eunuch did not think it could wait until later. You will also notice that they did not take a handful of water and sprinkle the eunuch. The Bible states that all Philip did was preach Jesus to him and then the eunuch said that he wanted to be baptized. This means that the preaching of Jesus includes preaching the need to be baptized. Friday: Why be baptized? Acts 2:38 Ties repentance and baptism together. Also Romans 6:1-7: This shows us that the mode of baptism, which is immersion, pictures the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. In the same way that he went through these things, we are to die to our old sinful nature and we are to be buried with him through baptism into death and raised to walk in newness of life or live like Jesus. We do not just try to be a better person; we bury the old person in the water and become a new person through our acceptance of Christ. It's just like a new birth and a new beginning for us. Memory Verse: "For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes." 1 Corinthians 11:26 (NIV) The Lord’s Supper is one of two symbols that Jesus gave the Church as prescriptions for celebrating His ministry to the Church. Can you name the other symbol?
Monday: Luke 22:19 - The Lord’s Supper is for Christians Jesus asked the disciples to eat the broken bread “in remembrance of me.” He wanted them to remember His sacrifice, the basis for forgiveness of sins, and also his friendship that they could continue to enjoy through the work of the Holy Spirit. Although the exact meaning of communion has been strongly debated throughout history, Christian still take bread and wine in remembrance of their Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. If you are a Christian, do not neglect participating in the Lord's Supper. Let it remind you of what Christ did for you. Tuesday: Matthew 26:28 - The Lord’s Supper helps us remember Jesus’ suffering and death Those who lived before Jesus lived under the old covenant and could only approach God by priest or animal sacrifice. All people are now given the opportunity to come directly before God through faith because through Jesus' death we have been made acceptable in God's eyes. The Old Covenant was a shadow of the new, pointing forward to the day when Jesus himself would be the final and ultimate sacrifice for sin. Rather than an unblemished lamb slain on the altar, the perfect Lamb of God was slain on the cross, a sinless sacrifice so that our sins could be forgiven once and for all. All those who believe in Christ receive that forgiveness. Wednesday: John 3:16 - The Lord’s Supper is a proclamation of His love and is cause for joy and celebration God loves us so much that He gave His Son as the ultimate sacrifice for sin. Many of us can recite John 3:16 but read it again now, reflecting on each word as you consider the magnitude of what took place on the cross the day Jesus died. We can count it all joy and jump in with celebration because we have been given the gift of eternal life, Oh how God loves us!!!! What are some other scriptures that tell us about God’s love? Below are some of my personal favorites. Consider writing each one down and adding some of your own. Romans 8:38-39, Psalm 117:2, I John 4:16, Ephesians 3:16-19 Thursday: Matthew 26:26 - The Lord’s Supper is a source of spiritual strength as it reminds us of our connection to Jesus and, through Him, our connection to one another Each name we use for this sacrament brings out a different dimension to it. It is the Lord's Supper because it commemorates the Passover meal Jesus ate with his disciples; it is the Eucharist (thanksgiving) because in it we thank God for Christ's work for us; it is communion because through it we commune with God and with other believers. As we eat the bread and drink the wine, we should be quietly reflective as we recall Jesus's death and his promise to come again, grateful for God's wonderful gift to us, and joyful as we meet with Christ and the body of believers. Friday: The Lord’s Supper is a reason to reflect upon our spiritual condition and to draw close to Jesus What does it mean to reflect on our spiritual condition? While we all have opportunity for growth, we are all on different levels spiritually. New Christians will be on a very different level than a seasoned Christian. It isn’t a matter of where we are spiritually but rather where we are going. Christianity is about constant growth. Maybe you spend time with God each day, maybe you don’t. Maybe you communicate with God through prayer time and depend on Him no matter what your circumstances are; maybe you have let that slip. No matter where you are, God wants us to be our very best for Him. Now is the best time to look at where you stand with God. Are there changes that you know God wants you to make? Could you dig deeper into the scripture and learn more about Him? Is He asking you to reach out to others and share the Gospel? Maybe He just wants you to depend on Him to get you through the valley that you are in. Draw close to Him. Pray now and ask God to forgive you for becoming spiritually stale and ask Him how He wants to take you to a new level. We are ambassadors of Christ with a message of reconciliation Review: Last week we learned about the confident Christian.
Over the past few weeks, we have learned several methods of sharing the gospel with those around us. Can you name them? (Roman Road, Evangicube, The Four Spiritual Laws, Personal Testimony) Could you use them to lead someone to Christ? Monday: A New Creation (vs 17) As Christians, we are given new life. We are not re-formed or re-educated; we are re-created. Brand new people on the inside! Not turning over a new leaf but rather beginning a new life under a new Master. We are now living in vital union with Christ but the work doesn’t stop there. Read Colossians 2:6, 7. You must continue to follow the leadership of Christ by being rooted and built up, established in the faith. Paul uses the illustration of being “rooted” in Christ. A plant draws nourishment from the soil through its roots. We must draw our life-giving strength from Christ. What practices do you put into play in order to strengthen your ‘roots’? Tuesday: The Ministry of Reconciliation (vs 18, 19) God reconciles us by blotting out our sins and making us righteous. We are no longer God’s enemies or strangers to Him when we have trusted in Him. Because we have been reconciled to God, we have the privilege of encouraging others to do the same, and thus we are those who have the “ministry of reconciliation.” Wednesday: Ambassadors Of Christ (vs 20) An ambassador is an official representative on behalf of one country to another. As believers, we are Christ’s ambassadors, sent with His message of reconciliation to the world. An ambassador of reconciliation has an important responsibility that should not be taken lightly. How well are you filling your commission as Christ’s ambassador? Thursday: Our Responsibility As Christ’s Ambassador As we learned in a prior week, we are given specific instruction on what we are to do until the day Christ returns. Matthew 28:19-20 gives us The Great Commission. Jesus assures us that He is with us always and tells us to go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them. By fulfilling our ‘ministry of reconciliation,’ we are obeying the last commandment given by Jesus before His ascension. We have recently learned some great ways to share the gospel with others. If you haven’t done so, pray for God to lay the foundation for you to share with someone today. If you have, remember to pray for that individual and continue to be an encouragement to him or her. Friday: Sunday School Review (Romans 6:23) The sermon this week focused on WHY it is important to share our faith. Sunday School taught us HOW to share our faith using “One Verse Evangelism.” Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Memorize this verse and practice sharing your faith using “One Verse Evangelism.” Back to school math fun:
Now you have the number of days that Moses fasted! |
Riverview Family Devotion GuidesFamily devotion guides are provided to help reinforce the "Big Idea" that is studied in Sunday School and presented in the Pastor's message each week. 
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141 Liberty Road | PO Box 2327 | Calhoun, Georgia 30703-2327 | (706) 624-1811 | [email protected]
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