Author: Scott Lane

Scott Lane is the Executive Pastor of Ministry at FBCSA.

Freedom

Re: Verse reading- Psalm 24:1-6; Ephesians 5:1-16 (day five)  Ephesians 5:1 “Therefore be imitators of God… walk in love, just as Christ ”

Spiritual Disciplines- What’s the point?  What’s the goal?  What’s the “payoff'”?  Answer…   FREEDOM

Skilled musicians, world-class athletes, expert carpenters, and well-prepared students all demonstrate the “freedom thru discipline” principle.  They have a freedom to entertain, exhibit, and excel that others do not.

What about the Freedoms in the Disciplined Christian Life?  Freedom to understand and apply Biblical Principles- by memorizing and studying Scripture.  Freedom from spiritual insensitivity- by fasting.  Freedom from self-centeredness- by service and worship.  Freedom from guilt, anger, and consequences- by practicing purity.

The Freedom found in a spiritually disciplined life is:  The capacity to recognize and accomplish what God calls us to do, and the opportunity to imitate and display the character qualities of Christ and to glorify God through our own personalities.

Asking the Right Question

Re: Verse reading – Luke 11:1-13; 18:1-8 (Day Five)  Luke 11:1 It happened that while Jesus was praying in a certain place, after He had finished, one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray just as John also taught his disciples.”

Of all the questions the disciples could have asked, they chose prayer as the topic of this request.  Why not miracles?  Why not wisdom?  Why not prophesy or the future?  The disciples made the connection between the life of Jesus (power, peace, wisdom, hope, and joy) and the discipline of prayer that He faithfully demonstrated.  They saw in the Savior, a life they wanted to imitate.  They believed that this kind of approach to prayer was both possible and beneficial.  Do we?

Richard Foster says, “Prayer catapults us onto the frontier of spiritual life.  Of all the Spiritual Disciplines, prayer is the most central because it ushers us into perpetual communion with the Father.”

Lesson from Middle Schoolers

Re: Verse reading – 1 Samuel 15:1-35 (day five)
Social scientists tell us that middle schoolers facing rapid changes emotionally, physically, relationally, and socially will compartmentalize these different areas to be able to process and manage their lives. They are not capable yet of the required multitasking needed to navigate all the new and different environments they encounter daily. They will need adults to equip them and encourage them to think about the “whole” and how the separate parts fit together. They will need time as their brains grow and develop.  As they are discipled, they also need to recognize and understand how God deals with the “whole” of our lives and hearts. His Lordship reigns over our “whole” heart and life. His demand for our obedience is the same.  Not a compartment or a part of us, but our complete and undivided loyalty and obedience. Sometimes adults need that understanding too. God’s expectation for obedience and loyalty is very clear.

Love and Fear

Re: Verse reading–Proverbs 17:17; 1 John 4:7-21 (day five)
It’s been said that the opposite of love is not hate, it is indifference or apathy.  This caused me to think about love and fear.  What is the relationship between the two?  Opposites?  Antagonists?  Competitors?  Seems the scripture describes their relationship as enemies.  The bible speaks of a great conflict between the two.  1 John 4:18 “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out (drives out) fear, “.  So, maybe they are mutually exclusive (cannot exist together).  God’s Love will lead to healthy trust.  Fear will demand we have control.  Love will cause the human heart to look upward with hope.  Fear causes us to look inward with despair. Love brings freedom and optimism.  Fear leads to captivity and cynicism.  The battle between these two is waged day to day, moment by moment.

Clarity

Re: Verse reading–2 Chronicles 20:1-4, 13-15; Matthew 6:16-18; Acts 13:1-3 (day five)

14 Then in the midst of the assembly the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah

I have heard it many times already this week as we’ve been at camp- teenagers that have had a clear unmistakable “word” or insight from The Lord.  (I will sit at breakfast this morning with another one-  He’s wants to “talk”)  It always amazes them when it happens.  It’s a reminder to me (hopefully us) that when you peel away many of the stresses, pressures, activities, responsibilities, and distractions that compete for our heart’s attention and affection, the still small voice of the Holy Spirit becomes louder, stronger and more recognizable.  It’s a discipline that must be repeated and recaptured often.  Fasting is one way to facilitate the possibility.  The result is the sweetest thing we could hope to hear and understand-  the voice of the Living God speaking into the human heart!!

Pursue Faith

Proverbs 3:5-6; Galatians 2:15-21; Ephesians 2:8-10 (day five)
The next 2 weeks our teenagers will be at youth camp.  The theme is Pursue (from 2 Timothy 2:22).  Timothy is challenged to pursue: righteousness, faith, love and peace.  These are such pivotal moments for teenagers to test, grow, and solidify their faith.  They are transitioning to “faith ownership” as they become young men and women (that’s what we want for them).  Will you pray these next 2 weeks for them and their “faith”?  Will you pray for The Holy Spirit to speak the truth and wisdom of the Gospel into their hearts and minds through Scripture, Youth Ministry Staff, and Camp Counselors?

That process should never stop, even for adults.  From our camp curriculum:  “It is normal for teenagers to doubt and question what they believe. Searching for who and what we believe helps answer tough questions. There is a difference between doubt and unbelief. Doubt comes from a struggling mind while unbelief comes from a stubborn will that refuses to surrender to God.”

Mercy

Re: Verse reading–Psalm 51; 1 John 1:9 (Day Five)  When pondering the nature and character of God we take note of His Majesty, Wisdom, and Justice.  In Psalm 51, David teaches us the sole basis of any approach to God by sinners is His Mercy.  vs 1- “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions..”

Where does our understanding of God’s merciful nature come from?  It comes from God Himself.  Exodus 33:19 “I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.”  Hebrews 4:16- “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

So maybe this week, as we read this passage, we can be reminded that what we need to know about God, is that He is merciful.

God’s mercy is also depicted as Unfailing Love and Great Compassion.

One further thought and reminder (thanks to James Boice), Unfailing Love points to the continuing operation of God’s Mercy, and Compassion teaches He does feel our infirmities.

The Best Gift

Re: Verse reading–Psalm 119:9-16; Acts 17:10-12; 2 Timothy 3:14-17 (day five) This Sunday we will celebrate the accomplishment of 30 High School Seniors.  We will encourage, we will cry, we will cheer, we will remember our own youth, and be reminded of our own mortality.  Perhaps the BEST thing we will do for these young men and women is give them a Bible from ALL of us at FBCSA.  It really signals the best things about this church:  our love for the Scripture and our hope (God will continue to grow His Kingdom now in a downtown church, and in future generations).  This gift really is from all of us since we have held each Bible and highlighted hundreds of verses that have given us hope, life, strength, peace, and joy from our collective experiences and wisdom.  And Sunday, we will pray that by these scriptures they will find the Lord and then the Life He has promised.  Psalm 71:18 “O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim your might to another generation, your power to all those to come.”

Leading Lessons

Re: Verse reading–Ezekiel 10:18-19, 11:22-23; 40:1-2; 43:1-9  (day five)
In the verses between the listed passages is an ironic scene.  Found in the first few verses of chapter 11, Ezekiel is now at the east gate where 25 “leaders” are discussing new building projects for the city.  Really??!!  Talk about clueless!!  The irony is two fold:  1-They are totally unaware of the destruction taking place,  2- They are in the very spot where the Glory of the Lord just passed.  What a sad picture of a leader.  Good leaders recognize where God’s presence is, and where it isn’t.  Good leaders strive to understand God’s plan and purpose.  Good leaders listen, look, and learn so that they can influence others to find the Lord.  Good leaders are desperate for God’s presence to be where they are (homes, churches, nations).  May all who lead, learn these lessons!!