Friday Devo
Scripture Reading:
Romans 12
9 Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. 10 Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. 11 Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. 12 Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. 13 When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.
9 Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. 10 Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. 11 Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. 12 Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. 13 When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.
Commentary from the ESV Study Bible:
12:9 The remainder of the chapter is a description of the life that is pleasing to God. Not surprisingly, love heads the list, for all that Paul says is embraced by the call to love.
genuine. Love cannot be reduced to sentimentalism.
abhor. Christians are to hate evil.
12:13 Hospitality was very important for early Christians, for most of them could not afford hotels (lodging houses) when traveling but depended on the provision of fellow believers.
genuine. Love cannot be reduced to sentimentalism.
abhor. Christians are to hate evil.
12:13 Hospitality was very important for early Christians, for most of them could not afford hotels (lodging houses) when traveling but depended on the provision of fellow believers.
Study Questions:
- Relationships take work. There's just no way to get around it. Just like tending a garden, if you want a healthy relationship you've got to constantly work at it and give it the attention it needs, when it needs it. We can all tend to get lazy when it comes to relationships in our lives. We can switch to auto-pilot and just coast on yesterday's effort. But eventually that takes its toll. Are there any relationships in your life in which you've been coasting or lazy? Which ones need your immediate attention? What can you do today to break the trend?
- Clayton ended on Sunday telling us that if you don't like what you're GETTING, look at what you're GIVING. We probably all tended to try harder in the beginning of our relationships, working to win them over. Then we got lazier and took more for granted over time. To get what you once had, you must do what you once did. You had it before, you can get it again. What next step do you and your spouse need to take? Maybe have a date night and discuss the things we've talked about, affirming each other towards growth? Maybe it's time to take the step of making and appointment with a Christian counselor to help you walk through these difficult things? What is it for you?
Pray:
- That you would work hard in your relationships.
- That you would BE the change that you want.
This Week's City 7:
Try to commit to memory!
5. Why do I follow Jesus? I follow Jesus because Jesus rose from the dead proving that He is the way, the truth and the life.
(Matthew 7:24-27; John 14:6)
(Matthew 7:24-27; John 14:6)
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