LOVE GOD’S WORD & PRAYERDaily Bible Reading |
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| At Faith Baptist Fellowship, we Love God’s Word and Prayer. We strongly believe that every growing disciple of Jesus needs to be regularly hearing from God through His word and personally speaking back to God through prayer. If regular Bible reading is not yet a habit of yours, this is a great way to get started!
We are encouraging everyone to continue our Daily Bible Readings. We will provide devotional thoughts and helpful prayer points on the passages. The weekend material will prepare you for the upcoming Sunday sermon as well as provide some discussion help for Faith Groups. We encourage you to set aside at least 15-20 minutes a day for reading and prayer. If you fall behind, just start on the current day. Try to develop the habit of reading at the same time and place. Have a journal and pen for answering questions and recording your thoughts and insights. For additional Bible reading plans, check out faithsf.com. Enjoy your time in God’s Word and Prayer! |
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Monday, October 24Read 1 Corinthians 7 |
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| THINK: There are many riches in these 40 verses! Jot down on a separate sheet of paper: principles for sex, marriage, and singleness; then, principles for living as one who belongs to Christ and is committed to kingdom-focused living. Reflect on these principles and apply them to your own life. Paul is setting an example here of kingdom-focused living that is almost a shock to our self-centered, sexually charged culture, and it is worth some meditation time and prayer. How does this apply to you?
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| PRAY: Now pray thoughtfully through all the truths and principles you have listed from this chapter. Married? Pray! Single? Pray! In a marriage of divided loyalty? Pray, pray, pray! Unhappy in your work? Pray! Considering God’s call on your life? Pray!
This coming Sunday we will gather at WC at 4pm for an extremely important Quarterly meeting: Search Team, ballot, Affirmation of Faith, and an important update from Pastor Jayson. Please pray!
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Tuesday, October 25Read 1 Corinthians 8 |
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| THINK: Is Paul knocking knowledge? Why does he contrast knowledge and love? A second contrast he draws is between idolatry and the one, true God. What idols have you observed recently in people’s lives and in our culture? How do you fight against idolatrous thinking? A third contrast in this last paragraph is between the weak and the strong. What is that contrast? What does it have to do with meat? How might your choices be a stumbling block to someone?
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| PRAY: Thank God that there is no “secret knowledge” to the gospel and living the Christian life! Thank him for his word, the Bible. Ask God to help you live an “idol-free” life, confessing any struggles in this area of your life (anything that gets in the way of “Christ first” in all things). Confess that our city and nation are full of people pursuing idols. Ask for God’s help in testifying to others that Jesus is the one way to God. “God, keep me from causing weaker believers to stumble. Help me disciple others in biblical faith.” Thank God for faithful volunteers who give their time and gifts to bless our church.
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Wednesday, October 26Read 1 Corinthians 9 |
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| THINK: What is the Apostle Paul getting at with this long series of questions? Paul seems to be responding to some who were critical of his ministry, establishing that he has every right to receive from them for his labor, to take a wife, etc. yet does not do so. Free in Christ, yet “I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them.” Are you a “servant to all”? Do you prioritize your life in order to win more in your sphere of influence to Christ? What is the blessing of doing so? What would disqualify Paul, or you or me?
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| PRAY: Pray for our church’s pastors and their families. Thank God for the privilege to help meet their needs. Ask God for a servant heart to put others before yourself, especially in the cause of the gospel. Pray for your Sacred 7 list. “Father, what priorities would need to change for me to live as a servant to all? O God, protect me from evil. Don’t let me disqualify myself! Also protect our leaders.”
Thank God for his faithful provision of our church finances.
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Thursday, October 27Read 1 Corinthians 10 |
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| THINK: This chapter opens with vivid Exodus imagery in vv. 1-5. What’s the point? What evils befell them, and could tempt us? Memorize vv. 12-13! What powerful truth to help you face temptation. What “ways of escape” has God offered you? Now Paul uses communion imagery (the bread and cup) to help us flee from idolatry. How does his argument work? Vv. 23-24 and v. 31 are also excellent to memorize. Become familiar with them.
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| PRAY: Ask our Heavenly Father to both give you ways of escape when temptation comes, and the wisdom and conviction to take those escape routes. “Father, help me flee from idolatry in its many forms. Keep me focused on cross-centered living, discerning what is helpful and builds up. I want to do everything I do for your honor and glory. Help me run the race of the Christian life to receive the prize! In Jesus’ great and awesome name, Amen.” In these days of Anticipating Change, ask God to help us do all to his glory.
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Friday, October 28Read 1 Corinthians 11 |
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| THINK: Ponder v. 1 before you tackle vv. 2-16! In Paul’s time, head covering was a cultural indicator of marriage and a wife’s submission to her husband. It is not so today. But we do have ways of indicating marriage commitment, such as rings, name, etc. The ESVSB has helpful notes on these verses. In the Lord’s Supper, what do the elements (bread and cup) represent? What would be “an unworthy manner” of participating in communion? Even in eating a shared meal, a spirit of servanthood was to prevail.
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| PRAY: Pray that in our church family, husbands and fathers would provide spiritual shepherding that is Christlike and servant oriented. Pray that wives and mothers would joyfully follow that servant leadership. Pray for couples where this beautiful picture of Christian marriage is not the pattern, or where a single parent does not have that loving partnership. Ask the Lord to help us practice humility and gospel-centeredness in our practice of communion, as we “proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” Pray for our Faith youth group.
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Weekend, October 29-30Read I Corinthians 6:1-11 |
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| If you’ve fallen behind this week, consider using these extra days to catch up. You can also prepare your heart and mind for this Sunday’s worship service. Read the planned sermon text above and the thoughts below in advance of Sunday morning’s message. If you are in a Faith Group, consider discussing the questions below together.
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| THINK: Are you surprised to read that the “saints will judge the world”? Why would Paul say that using secular courts to settle disputes among believers “is already a defeat for you”? What is he encouraging as an alternative to lawsuits in secular courts? Verses 9-11 contain a stern warning about God’s judgment of sin as well as the powerful statement “and such were some of you.” But…what? Here is the very heart of the gospel, good news for sinners like us!
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| PRAY: Are you washed? Rejoice and thank God! Hallelujah, what a Savior. Praise God for his grace in giving the grand gifts of justification by faith and sanctification by the Holy Spirit for the believer. Ask God for great grace in navigating the difficult matter of disputes with both believers and unbelievers, that our primary concern be the reputation of Christ and his church and our testimony before the lost world.
Pray for our pastors who will preach on this crucial passage. Pray for our Quarterly meeting Sunday afternoon at 4pm, WC.
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| FAITH GROUP: Have you ever seen mediation practiced by Christians? What did that process look like? (Or what should it look like, as you ponder this passage.)
What does it mean to you when you think “and such were some of you, but you were washed…” Pray for those in your life who desperately need to be washed in the blood of the lamb. |
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