“the Whole Story” Series

“Hanging with a Rough Crowd” – Luke 15:1-10

Luke 15:1-10

Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.”

So he told them this parable: “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.

“Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

Use the HEAR method as you spend time with the above passage today: 
Highlight – what words or phrases jump out at you? 
Explain – what does the passage mean? 
Apply – how does the passage intersect with your life today? 
Respond – how is God leading you to respond?

 

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“A Good Reason to Run From Sin” – Joshua 7:18-26

Joshua 7:18-26

“And he brought near his household man by man, and Achan the son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken. Then Joshua said to Achan, “My son, give glory to the Lord God of Israel and give praise to him. And tell me now what you have done; do not hide it from me.” And Achan answered Joshua, “Truly I have sinned against the LordGod of Israel, and this is what I did: when I saw among the spoil a beautiful cloak from Shinar, and 200 shekels of silver, and a bar of gold weighing 50 shekels, then I coveted them and took them. And see, they are hidden in the earth inside my tent, with the silver underneath.” So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent; and behold, it was hidden in his tent with the silver underneath. And they took them out of the tent and brought them to Joshua and to all the people of Israel. And they laid them down before the Lord. And Joshua and all Israel with him took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver and the cloak and the bar of gold, and his sons and daughters and his oxen and donkeys and sheep and his tent and all that he had. And they brought them up to the Valley of Achor And Joshua said, “Why did you bring trouble on us? The Lord brings trouble on you today.” And all Israel stoned him with stones. They burned them with fire and stoned them with stones. And they raised over him a great heap of stones that remains to this day. Then the Lord turned from his burning anger. Therefore, to this day the name of that place is called the Valley of Achor.”

What a sad event! In this passage, a man named Achan took some things from previous battles that God had said to leave alone. He hid the loot and went on like nothing had happened. Yet, God would not let the people go forward as long as sin was in the camp. 

Therefore, the whole nation lost the next battle and Joshua stoned and burned Achan, his family, and his possessions. It seemed harsh, but God made Achan an example to Israel of what would happen if they were disobedient.

The point for us is not that God will stone us if we are disobedient. No! The point for us is how the actions of one man affected everyone around him.

May we always know the grace of Christ when we fall, and just as important, may we not take advantage of His grace at the expense of others. Our sin causes damage around us. So, instead of always leaning on God’s mercy and forgiveness as a free pass, we must desire and strive for holiness to reduce the poisonous  wake of our poor choices. Our desire should be to not have to ask for forgiveness.

A family I know has recently had to close their business because of the marred reputation of their father. Families are hurt by lies. Kids are hurt by adultery. Parents are hurt by kids’ choices. Churches are hurt by gossip or fighting.

Can you imagine Achan’s son or daughter looking up at him, asking, “Daddy, why are these people holding rocks, and why are they mad at us?” What could he reply?

Johnny Cash sings a song titled, “Hurt” that is attached to this devotion. I know it is a secular song, but listen to how it encapsulates the regret and pain that Achan might have felt in that moment. 

Watch Hurt video

God, forgive us when we sin, but just as importantly, help us run from sin for the sake of those we love.

While using the HEAR method (see below) consider the following questions: 
  • Have you ever suffered the consequences of someone else’s sin? 
  • Can you think of a time when your sin affected those around you? 
  • What were the results of each of these instances? How would have the avoidance of sin been better than simply forgiveness for the sin?  
Highlight – what words or phrases jump out at you? 
Explain – what does the passage mean? 
Apply – how does the passage intersect with your life today? 
Respond – how is God leading you to respond?
Pastor Stephen Williams

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“You Choose” – Joshua 24:14-15

Joshua 24:14-15

“Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

Alexander the Great, one of the greatest military generals who ever lived, conquered almost the entire known world with his vast army. One night during a campaign, he couldn’t sleep and left his tent to walk around the campgrounds. As he was walking he came across a soldier asleep on guard duty – a serious offense. The penalty for falling asleep on guard duty was, in some cases, instant death; the commanding officer sometimes poured kerosene on the sleeping soldier and lit it. The soldier began to wake up as Alexander approached him. 
Recognizing who was standing in front of him, the young man feared for his life. Alexander barked at the young man, “Do you know what the penalty is for falling asleep on guard duty?” 
“Yes, sir,” the soldier responded in a quivering voice. 
“Soldier, what’s your name?” demanded Alexander the Great. 
“Alexander, sir.” 
The great ruler repeated the question: “What is your name?” 
“My name is Alexander, sir,” the soldier repeated. 
A third time and more loudly Alexander the Great asked, “What is your name?” 
A third time the soldier meekly said, “My name is Alexander, sir.” 
Alexander the Great then looked the young soldier straight in the eye. “Soldier,” he said with intensity, “either change your name or change your conduct.” 
We choose what we eat, where we go, how we speak, and who we follow. Most times life choices are difficult. And choices have consequences. Some choices we can’t take back.
Walking with Christ is a free will proposition. We choose to believe, we choose to trust, we choose to obey, and we choose our level of discipleship – our conduct (Holiness). It is not forced upon us. The impact we have on the world around us is greatly influenced by the choices we make – how we live and love like Jesus. 
Are we going to be perfect in our choices? Certainly not. We are broken people living in a broken world. I cannot do all the good the world needs… but the world needs all the good I can do.
In a span of 11 years, 115 people died in a weightlifting accident at the gym. In the same 11 years, only one person died eating a doughnut.
Make good choices!


Use the HEAR method as you spend time with today’s passage: 

Highlight – what words or phrases jump out at you? 
Explain – what does the passage mean? 
Apply – how does the passage intersect with your life today? 
Respond – how is God leading you to respond?
Jim Sellers, Minister of Music and YAH Director

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“A Matter of Perspective” – Joshua 5:13-15

Joshua 5:13-15

“When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing before him with his drawn sword in his hand. And Joshua went to him and said to him, “Are you for us, or for our adversaries?” And he said, “No; but I am the commander of the army of the Lord. Now I have come.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped and said to him, “What does my lord say to his servant?” And the commander of the Lord’s army said to Joshua, “Take off your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.” 

I few years back I served as chaplain for one of the local high school football teams. It was an honor to get to speak to the team and pray with them before each game and stand on the sideline with the coaches and the players during the game. Each week as I prepared and when I got ready to speak to the guys I felt an expectation, real or imagined, that they wanted me to be the good luck charm, the lightning rod that would attract God’s blessing in the form of one in the win column. What I really wanted to say was, “Guys, it’s just a game. Go have fun, play hard and let’s just pray that nobody gets a broken neck.” 
There’s nothing wrong with being swept up in what you’re doing, what you’re passionate about. But sometimes we can lose perspective. Our thing can become all encompassing, to the point that we want God to just come in a tip the scales a bit. 
But as Joshua quickly realized, our thing is never as important as God’s thing. It’s not that Joshua’s focus of defeating Jericho was a bad thing, in fact it was a part of God’s thing. But God wanted Joshua to understand, He doesn’t join our team, we join His. 
We’ve all been there, so wrapped up in what we’re doing that we give it far more importance than it deserves when weighed against ultimate and eternal things – what Jesus called, the Kingdom of God. Jesus said, when you put my Kingdom first, everything else falls into place. Sometimes we need to take a step back and regain the proper perspective. 
Use the HEAR method as you spend time with today’s passage
Highlight – what words or phrases jump out at you? 
Explain – what does the passage mean? 
Apply – how does the passage intersect with your life today? 
Respond – how is God leading you to respond?
Jon Price, Associate Pastor

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“What Will Be Said at Your Funeral?” – Joshua 1:1-2

Joshua 1:1-9

“After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, “Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the people of Israel.”

When I was a little boy, I remember going to the funeral of a great pastor in our area. I will never forget it, because it lasted over two hours. Nothing wrong with it, but that funeral and this passage made me ask how long a funeral should last. Maybe less than two hours, but surely more than one sentence.

This is the funeral of the great Moses, and God is the special speaker at the funeral. What words are appropriate? Listen close, it will be amazing! And here it is: “Moses my servant is dead. Now, therefore, arise, go…” That’s all! “He’s dead, now let’s go.”

Listen, this may seem short and a bit lacking, but I would love for God to say this about me. Here is why.

  1. God said “My Servant” – Moses belonged to God. This revealed his Faith and his Father
  2. God used another man to replace Moses – “Joshua, Arise and Go” – that was Moses’ Function

I want the Lord to say at my funeral that I am His. I want the Lord to say at my funeral that I was a servant of God. I want the Lord to say at my funeral that my function on earth was useful enough to be continued. That my life was actually God’s undying life in me and would be passed on to the next generation. The only thing left to be said was for Joshua to be courageous when he moved forward with the task.

What will be your legacy? What do you want God to say at your funeral? We must decide now. Our funeral is too late to leave a legacy. That is where the legacy is declared.

Use the HEAR method (see below) as you spend time with today’s passage:
 
Highlight – what words or phrases jump out at you? 
Explain – what does the passage mean? 
Apply – how does the passage intersect with your life today? 
Respond – how is God leading you to respond?
Pastor Stephen Williams

“What Will Be Said at Your Funeral?” – Joshua 1:1-2 Read More »

“Cities You Didn’t Build” – Joshua 24:13

Joshua 24:13

“I gave you a land on which you had not labored and cities that you had not built, and you dwell in them. You eat the fruit of vineyards and olive orchards that you did not plant.’”

Yet again, God begins another book establishing Himself as Sovereign Lord. He gives Joshua, the new leader, a pep talk about courage because Joshua was tasked with taking Israel across Jordan and conquering the land. They would take several years to fight battles and separate out the land, but God promised that Israel would be completely successful.

It is evident that we play a part in God’s plan, and, like Israel, we work for what we have, but ultimately, God gives everything to us. All praise and glory belong to God.

You would think that Joshua and his people could brag because they fought well or had a tremendous strategy. However, with deeper investigation, Israel was weak. They didn’t know how to fight. They had no strategy. With each victory, word spread to the next town that God was with His people. The enemy was not afraid of Israel. The enemy was afraid of their God.

If you read Joshua you will find that Rahab the Harlot is saved and Jericho collapses, the sun stands still, and God stops the flow of the Jordan river for Israel to cross. The journey is glorious even with a few bumps along the way.

Oh, people of God! Your victories are because of your God. Your successes are because of your God. Therefore, keep serving Him. Be courageous to obey Him. Give God all the credit!

While using the HEAR method (see below) consider the following question: 
  • What blessings do you enjoy that you did nothing to earn? Take some time to be grateful for the ways that God is evident in your life. 

Highlight – what words or phrases jump out at you? 

Explain – what does the passage mean? 
Apply – how does the passage intersect with your life today? 
Respond – how is God leading you to respond?
Pastor Stephen Williams 

“Cities You Didn’t Build” – Joshua 24:13 Read More »