Hello This is a Test

Tuesday Devo

Scripture Reading:

Luke 8:6,13
6 Other seed fell among rocks. It began to grow, but the plant soon wilted and died for lack of moisture...13 The seeds on the rocky soil represent those who hear the message and receive it with joy. But since they don’t have deep roots, they believe for a while, then they fall away when they face temptation.

Commentary from the ESV Study Bible:

8:13 The second group of hearers receive the word with joy and believe. A few interpreters think this is saving faith because these people “believe,” and though they “fall away” (from fellowship?), this is not an ultimate rejection of Christ. But it is more likely that this is temporary, merely intellectual “faith” (cf. James 2:17) that is not saving faith, for these plants have no root (see Mark 4:17), they bear no fruit, and they do not persevere but last only for a while.

Study Questions:

  • The second type of heart Jesus shows us in the parable of the seed is the SHALLOW heart. This seed fell among rocks so that it only grew shallow roots. It died for a lack of moisture. This kind of person receives the message with joy and may have even "prayed the prayer." But there is no objective evidence to prove that there has been any kind of heart change. Confession doesn't always equal conversion. Their lives show zero growth since the day they were "saved." They have no roots. Have you ever had this kind of shallow heart and shallow faith? Maybe you are there now? How does someone know if they truly have deep spiritual roots? And if not, how do you develop them?

  • Authentic followers of Jesus will persevere till the end. They might fall, but they wont fall away. They come back because they want to know Jesus. Going through trials have a way of testing our faith that will prove where we are in our relationship with God. There's nothing quite like pain to test our faith barometer. That's why James says in James 1 that we should consider it JOY when we struggle. What? Why? So that we can develop perseverance. And perseverance is what leads us to spiritual maturity. How does YOUR faith stand up to the test? Would you consider yourself to have perseverance and be spiritually mature? Or are you lacking? How do you move towards maturity?

Pray:

  • That you would have a faith built on deep spiritual roots.
  • That you would have perseverance and be spiritually mature.

This Week's City 7:

Try to commit to memory! 

2. Are there sources outside the Bible that confirm the Biblical account of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead? Many Roman and Jewish historians have confirmed that the apostles died as martyrs for preaching that they saw Jesus risen from the grave. No one dies for something they know to be a lie.
(Luke 1:1-4; Acts 26:26; 1 John 1:1-4, Josephus, Clement, Hegesippus, Tertullian, Origen, Polycarp)

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