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 31Read 1 Corinthians 12 |
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| THINK: What are spiritual gifts? Are you aware of your spiritual gift(s)? Why does Paul emphasize the variety of gifts? Why does he emphasize that there is one Spirit? Why is the metaphor of “body” so helpful in discussing gifts? Do you sometimes find yourself wishing you had someone else’s gift rather than your own? Why is this not helpful? Think about someone who used their spiritual gift(s) to build up and encourage you. Send them a thank you note.
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| PRAY: Pray a prayer of thanksgiving to God for apportioning spiritual gifts to the church, the body of Christ. Thank God for the variety of gifts. Thank him for your gift(s). Ask God to help you use your gifts for his glory and the edification of Christ’s church. If you’ve been neglecting to use your gifts, confess that now, and ask the Father to open doors of ministry for you to utilize your gifts for the edification of the church. Rejoice with thanksgiving for the new members from West Campus welcomed yesterday at our meeting.
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Tuesday, November 1Read 1 Corinthians 13 |
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| THINK: What is a ‘noisy gong’ person like? Or a loveless mountain mover? Use vv. 4-7 as a checklist for self-evaluation. Where do you most need God’s help? Why are some of the items harder for you than others? Would v. 7 be possible apart from our hope in Christ? What is it about love that it never ends? How do childish ways detract from love? The greatest of these is love…why? How does this remarkable love chapter fit perfectly into what came before (Ch. 12) and what comes after (Ch. 14)?
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| PRAY: Pray for us as a church to have a reputation for love. Ask God to help you improve that reputation and not detract from it! Tell God about your self-evaluation from vv. 4-7; admit to him your greatest struggles in loving others. Thank God for his work of love in your life through the cross of Jesus Christ! Ask God to help you put away childish things. Ask God to help you use your spiritual gifts in love. Pray for the South Search Team approved Sunday afternoon.
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Wednesday, November 2Read 1 Corinthians 14 |
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| THINK: No doubt: this is a challenging chapter. Paul declares that prophecy is preferable to speaking in tongues – why? There are at least 3 views of tongue-speaking today: a) that tongues (known languages or angelic) are a spiritual gift given to some, as any other gift; b) that tongues were a supernatural gift for a period of time but no longer necessary today (the cessationist view); c) that they are necessary for a true Spirit-filled believer (some Pentecostal groups). Note: Paul’s guidelines for worship gatherings to be orderly rather than confusing, and for elders to oversee them. The goal is the building up of the church, the body of Christ.
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| PRAY: Pray for our elders who seek to shepherd our church wisely. Pray that our worship gatherings would both build up believers and make the gospel of Christ clear to unbelievers who attend. Thank God for the encouraging financial reports shared in Sunday’s ministry meeting at Faith West. God is our Provider!
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Thursday, November 3Read 1 Corinthians 15 |
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| THINK: Summarize the gospel as Paul does. According to Paul, where does the desire to work hard and grow in the gospel truly come from (v. 10)? Who claimed there was no resurrection of the dead? How does Paul refute this false claim? Note the progression of thought from resurrection to ultimate final victory and glorification with God on the throne. Why does Paul mention baptism of the dead? John Piper: “I take I Corinthians 15:29 not to be Paul’s commendation of baptism for the dead, but his pointing out that his adversaries performed this act and are inconsistent in doing so.” What helpful insights are offered as to the resurrection body? Memorize the stirring commission at the conclusion of this defense of the biblical hope of resurrection, v.58.
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| PRAY: There is so much powerful truth in this resurrection chapter! Take time to pray through the paragraphs, simply praising God for resurrection hope, thanking him for salvation, asking him for help to understand Paul’s argument, basking in the joyful hope of our final resurrection, and finally asking God to help you live out the truth of the final verse of the chapter. Pray for your Sacred 7.
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Friday, November 4Read 1 Corinthians 16 |
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| THINK: What insight into giving does Paul’s instruction give us? For Paul, a door was open for gospel work, but there are many adversaries. That is true today as well! Note the very personal nature of the ministry—people were vital to Paul, and he longed for the various Christians to know each other and be helped by one another. What can we learn from that? What challenge do you find personally from vv. 13-14 and from the closing of the letter?
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| PRAY: What people has God placed in your life for your walk with Jesus Christ? Pray for them, whether they disciple you or you were able to invest in them. Pray for our regular, systematic giving in support of the ministry. We have so much to be thankful for! Express to God your need for his help in facing adversaries to the gospel. Ask God to enable your walk to be strong and loving. Express to God your desire that Jesus come soon! Pray for Pastor Jayson and his family in light of his father’s heart surgery last week. Ask God to give us all courage and boldness in our walk with Jesus today.
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Weekend, November 5-6 |
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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: What is the distinction Paul is making between lawful and helpful? (What is something that would be lawful for you to do but not helpful? Can you think of an example from your own life?) The paragraph ends with “So glorify God with your body.” In these verses, what are ways that we desecrate our body rather than glorify God? How can we glorify God with our body? Reflect on this vitally important call to sexual purity to the glory of God.
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| PRAY: Sexual immorality is so commonplace today! What grief it brings to relationships: to marriages, to families, and to God’s own heart. If you have sexual sin to confess, tell the Lord now, and ask for his grace both in forgiveness for past sin and help in now walking in righteousness by his power. Pray for our youth who are surrounded by false teaching on sexuality. Thank God for the gift of our sexuality, for truly, as intended by God in the context of marriage, it brings much joy. Tell your Father, “I want to glorify you with my body.”
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| FAITH GROUP: Discuss how parents today can help their children and teens navigate the cultural rebellion against biblical sexuality. What helps you remain true to the Father’s will in this matter? Pray for one another, and for our marriages and families. | ||