Megan Langan

Immediate

Re:Verse passage – Mark 1:4-5, 9-11; Acts 8:9-13, 34-39 (day four)

The story of the Ethiopian eunuch is one that Pastor Chris reminds us of often, and it has become a significant text in the life of our church. It displays the kind of obedience, urgency, and joy over the gospel that believers ought to have. Once the Ethiopian eunuch understood the gospel, he had an urgency to live in obedience to it by getting baptized. He was not content to let the gospel remain head knowledge. He quickly took a step of faith through baptism, and “went on his way rejoicing” in his new life in Christ. He practiced immediate obedience.

When was the last time you practiced immediate obedience – where you felt the Lord calling you to do something, or to stop doing something, and you quickly took a step of faith to physically do what the Lord asked you to do? When was the last time you were so impacted by God’s Word that you felt a sense of urgency to obey? It’s possible that our sense of urgency might wane the longer we walk with God. But part of discipleship is maintaining our sense of joy and urgency to obey our God who so mercifully saved us. In what ways is God calling you to have the faith that the Ethiopian eunuch displays here?

Submission

Re:Verse passage – John 3:1-9 (day four)

To be born again means to submit yourself to something new. When we are born in the first instance, we’re submitted to the flesh. Our natural tendency is to serve our fleshly desires, both the good and the bad. Though a life devoted to fulfilling your own desires at first sounds like freedom, it quickly shows itself to be a form of slavery. To submit to the flesh is to become a slave to the flesh. The initial fun of fulfilled cravings quickly gives way to an endless pursuit of chasing satisfaction that is always out of reach.

Nicodemus learns here that life in Christ requires submission to something else. When we’re born again by the Spirit, we are now to live in submission to that Spirit instead of the flesh. This is a completely different experience. We’re still “slaves” to something, but Romans 6 tells us that those who are in Christ are now “slaves to righteousness” and “slaves of God.” When we submit ourselves to the Spirit, we inherit God’s holiness and eternal life. A life of submission to the Spirit means a life of unique joy, hope, and peace that can’t be found anywhere else.

Following Jesus costs us something. It costs us our entire life. But it replaces our old life that was headed for death with a new life that is headed for eternity.

The Main Course

Re:Verse passage – 1 Corinthians 16:15–18; Acts 18:1–8; 11:22–26 (day four)

If you’ve been in church for a significant amount of time, you’ve probably experienced some of your discipleship through programs – classes, retreats, Bible study groups, etc. These things are good and helpful, but they’re not meant to make up the bulk of our experience in discipleship; they’re not the “main course.”

When we look at the early church, we see that discipleship happened primarily through relationships. We see several discipleship relationships in Paul’s life described in these texts and throughout the book of Acts. Barnabas was a mentor to Paul. He was likely older and walked him through the essentials of the Christian life and understanding the gospel. He connected Paul with ministry opportunities in Antioch and encouraged him in his work. Barnabas was one of Paul’s primary discipleship relationships. Priscilla and Aquila were peers of Paul, likely around the same age and worked alongside him in Corinth. They worked arm in arm, helping to disciple new believers like Apollos and develop the church in Corinth. They challenged, encouraged, and strengthened each other, and discipleship happened among the three of them as peers. Finally, we know Paul had several companions that he mentored and considered “sons” in the faith, including Timothy. Paul poured into Timothy and discipled him as Barnabas had done for him.

The main course of discipleship is relationships. Barnabas, Priscilla and Aquila, and Timothy represent different discipleship relationships in Paul’s life: mentor, peers, and mentee. Examine your life and relationships – who would you put in each category? Do you have a more mature believer walking with you on your journey? Do you have peer friendships that you invest in to strengthen and encourage each other in the Lord? Are you mentoring someone in the faith? If not, how might you take a step forward in one of these ways this week?

Salt

Re:Verse passage – Luke 14:25-35 (day four)

Therefore, salt is good; but if even salt has become tasteless, with what will it be seasoned?

This remark about salt seems odd here at first. Jesus seems to be mixing metaphors about building towers and cooking spices. But this is not the first time Jesus has talked about salt. The disciples would have heard Jesus use this metaphor of salt at least twice before, recorded in Matthew 5 and Mark 9. Each time he talks about this, Jesus is telling believers to live a distinct life – one that is noticeably different from the world around them. The calling to be a disciple requires us to live in such a way that people take notice.

In Luke 14, Jesus is communicating one of the ways that disciples are called to live in a distinct way – we are called to center our entire lives around Christ and follow him alone, keeping all other things subordinate to him, even things that are precious to us. This goes against the norm of the society Jesus lived in, and it goes against the norm of our world today. One of the ways we maintain our “saltiness” is by keeping all other possessions, loves, and positions in our life subordinate to Christ. Consider the testimony it is to the world to live in this way.

Go

Re:Verse passage – Matthew 28:16-20 (day four)

Jesus’ command to “go” is a universal calling for all Christians. This calling to go and make disciples among the nations is not just for missionaries, it’s not just for pastors, it’s not just for those with the finances to join a missions trip. The calling to go is for everyone. Whether you’re a new believer or a seasoned Christian, young or old, introvert or extrovert, bat left handed or right handed – you are called to go.

The question becomes, where should you go? For some, it will be the other side of the world. For others, it will be on the other side of their city. And for many, it will be the other side of their street. Our faithfulness to this calling to “go” is not measured in the distance we travel but in our willingness to preach the gospel and make disciples wherever the Lord sends us. Spend time in prayer this week asking the Lord where he is sending you. Do so with an open heart and mind to whatever he may say. Through the power of the Spirit, he has equipped you to fulfill this calling no matter where it leads.

Evidence

Re:Verse passage – Psalm 77:1-20 (day four)

The writer of Psalm 77 models something that doesn’t often come naturally for us. Even when he feels furthest from God, wondering if God will ever turn his face back towards him and he feels as though God has left him in the dust, he still cries out to him. He continues to seek God’s presence and call upon the Lord, even when it feels as if his prayers are bouncing off the ceiling. All of us have times where we feel far from God, whether it’s due to our own sin, an experience of suffering, or simply a season of feeling spiritually dry. It is in these moments that we’re tempted to throw in the towel on our walk with God, and chase after something that will provide more immediate gratification. But the psalmist models for us: continue to cry out to God even when you’re sure he can’t hear you. Continue to ask, seek, and knock, even when you’re unsure if he’s there to open the door.

How does the psalmist manage to do this at his lowest point? Because he knows the character of God. When he looks back at his life, the evidence speaks for itself. God if faithful. God will provide. God will draw near. This is the importance of remembering what God has done. It’s not for sentimental value; it provides strength for our souls when we feel furthest from God. God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. If he has been faithful before, which we can testify that he has, then he will be faithful again. Keep knocking.

Breadth and Depth

Re:Verse passage – Psalm 113:1-9 (day four)

The breadth and depth of God’s power and love are on display in this Psalm. It begins by declaring that God is powerful – he is mighty over all of heaven and earth, The Lord is high above all nations; His glory is above the heavens. That would be enough to inspire worship in us, wouldn’t it? When we consider God’s power over the earth and every system and institution we encounter in this world, it leaves us no other response but to worship this powerful God.

But the psalmist doesn’t stop there. He moves from examining the breadth of God’s power to celebrating the depth of his love for his creation. He raises the poor from the dust And lifts the needy from the ash heap…He makes the barren woman abide in the house As a joyful mother of children. This all-powerful God loves his creation so much that he enters into the ash heap of the poor and lifts them out of it, reestablishing them as his very sons and daughters, as “princes.” He does not allow his power and glory to keep him from personal care and attention for his creation; he cares even for the womb of the hopeful mother, the most intimate of places. Only in our God can such power and might abide with such care and love. Worship is our only possible response.

Sovereign

Re:Verse passage – Psalm 96:1-13 (day four)

Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns;
Indeed, the world is firmly established, it will not be moved;
He will judge the peoples with equity.”

Occasionally, I start to feel nervous or even panicked at the state of the world. There is so much injustice and uncertainty; the news alerts us to tragedies and the corrupt whims of politicians every day. It starts to feel overwhelming, but then I remember that the God I worship created the world and is sovereign over it. The God I talk to every day – the one who knows my fears and shame, the one who knows the number of hairs on my head, is the one who established the world and his church. What the Lord has firmly established, the gates of hell cannot prevail against.

This is one of the many things we have to celebrate – at the end of the day, the Lord reigns. No matter how bad things seem, the earth will not be moved because the Lord is sovereign over it. We serve a righteous judge who is coming again to set all things right. When we worship, we remember that it is our God who holds all the power in heaven and earth, and we celebrate his goodness and sovereignty.

Our Whole Heart

Re:Verse passage – Psalm 119:1–16 (day four)

“With all my heart I have sought You; Do not let me wander from Your commandments.” v. 10

As we walk through the Christian life, our goal is to be able to say we have sought the Lord with our whole heart. Truly, the Lord requires all of us. But as I continue to walk with the Lord, I continue to find parts of me that I have not yet submitted to him. It is a lifelong process to seek the Lord with our whole heart. As he takes us from glory to glory, we will continue to look like him with ever-increasing likeness.

We look forward to the day when we’re finally united with him completely, and we’re able to worship him purely with our whole heart, mind, and body. Until then, our prayer is the second half of verse 10, “Do not let me wander from Your commandments.” Though we are prone to wander, the Lord keeps us close through his Holy Spirit, through his Word, and through the community of believers.

Pour Out Your Heart

Re:Verse passage – Psalm 62:1-12 (day four)

Trust in Him at all times, O people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. Selah.

How often do you pour out your heart before God? Do you tend to maintain a sense of formality and “politeness” in your prayers? While God is holy and we should pray knowing we speak to a holy God, the Psalms teach us that emotion is still welcome in his holy presence. We can trust him at all times, knowing that he is the only one who knows the depths of our hearts and is the only one who can handle the things we try to carry. We can pour out our heart before him – even the ugly things we’re ashamed of, even our doubts. When we get those things in the light, they lose their ability to fester within us. When we pour out our heart before him, we’re reminded that God is truly our only refuge, and the best one we could ask for. He’s a refuge even from the war in our own mind.