Psalm__36

Scripture

Psalm 36:1-4

1 I have a message from God in my heart concerning the sinfulness of the wicked: There is no fear of God before their eyes. 2  In their own eyes they flatter themselves too much to detect or hate their sin. 3 The words of their mouths are wicked and deceitful; they fail to act wisely or do good. 4 Even on their beds they plot evil; they commit themselves to a sinful course and do not reject what is wrong.

Observation-What does it say?

This is another Psalm from one of my favorite leaders, King David. In the beginning, he speaks about the wicked (those without God in their lives) and the last half of the Psalm, he gives praise for God’s love and faithfulness. Then in verses 10-12, he asks for God's love to continue and that the proud would not come against him.

Understanding-What does it mean?

Unbelievers are blind and lost and need the Lord.

King David describes the sinfulness of the wicked as them having no fear of God. They flatter themselves (are so prideful) that they don’t detect or hate their own sin. Their words are wicked and deceitful. They commit themselves to a sinful course. Basically, their lives are so lost and dark, whereas the faithful are protected by the love and faithfulness of God. It is our job as faithful servants of the Lord to share His love and light with a lost and unbelieving world.

Life Application

We must continue our mission to the lost. Who are the people on your PII list?

For those who are new to DSC, PII stands for Pray, Invest, Invite. We keep a list of unbelievers who do not have a personal relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ and we pray for them, invest in their lives, and we invite them to church and/or a personal relationship with Jesus.

Dear Lord, I pray that you would continue to give us Your heart for lost sinners. Holy Spirit, help us to be bold to share our faith with those who need You. Help us to be strong and courageous, even in fear of failure or rejection. Please give us such a deep love for them that we would want them to be part of our family and may that love override any fear we may have to reach out. Amen. 

 

-Michelle Gaddi

Romans____13

Scripture

Romans 13:13-14

“Because we belong to the day, we must live decent lives for all to see. Don’t participate in the darkness of wild parties and drunkenness, or in sexual promiscuity and immoral living, or in quarreling and jealousy. Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And don’t let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires.”

Observation-What does it say?

Paul is urging the Romans to live Godly lives, to be in Christ. He is urging them to not fall into the temptations of this world. Instead, he urges them to be clothed in the presence of Jesus Christ. He is reminding them of their responsibility as Christ Followers to be lights in this dark world for all to see.

Understanding-What does it mean?

In Christ we are a new creation.

During one of our table discussions last year, we discussed our identities in Christ. We discussed that to be in Christ is a status, that we are in relationship with Him. We discussed that we are a new creation. We discussed that we are no longer slaves to sin. Finally we discussed that we are made for His good works.

In Christ, our old sinful ways are gone, He has made us new. We have instant access to God, His blessings, and the fruits of the spirit. That is... if we stay connected to Him.

“Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.” -John 15:5-8 

And what are these fruits we should be producing?

“But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.”-Galatians 5:22-25 

Life Application

What kind of fruit am I producing?

Does my life produce fruit that is ripe, sweet, and fills other people’s lives around me with a fragrance and taste that makes them them want more? Or does it give off a foul aroma, a bitter taste in people’s mouths, and a fruit that deserves to be thrown off to the side to rot?

Father God, I pray that I stay connected to You. I pray that my life produces fruit that is beneficial for others. May my life point others towards You. May the words that come out of my mouth be glorifying to You. Show me areas in my life where I need to improve on and help me to change them. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

-Moses Gaddi

Romans____12

Scripture  Romans 12:2&21 

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect...Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Observation-What does it say?   The book of Romans was written to a mixed group of Jews and Gentiles that made up the church in Rome.  Throughout the book, Paul presents a basic gospel message, including God’s plan for salvation for all mankind.  From the beginning of the letter, he transitions through several different topics within the story of salvation, beginning with a statement on the broken condition of mankind.  Toward the end of the book, Paul transitions to give an appeal to Christians to live out faith in practical ways.   Chapter 12 begins with an appeal to remember the sacrifice of Christ and live in light of this.  “We receive from the Lord every day the fruits of his mercy. Let us render ourselves; all we are, all we have, all we can do: and after all, what return is it for such very rich receivings? It is acceptable to God: a reasonable service, which we are able and ready to give a reason for, and which we understand. Conversion and sanctification are the renewing of the mind; a change, not of the substance, but of the qualities of the soul” (Matthew Henry).  When we fully experience the love of Christ, we tend to live out of the overflow of this love, causing us to do things that would be different from what the world expects. Understanding-What does it mean?  I bug the living begeezes out of Jen on an almost daily basis when I try to talk to her about bikes.  While I have been able to ride a bike since I was five or six, riding bikes as a hobby is a fairly new thing for me.  Since breaking my leg in 2016 and having to hang-up my running shoes for good, riding bikes has developed in several ways.  I now own several different types of bikes, which are used for specific types of riding, and spend time riding in several different disciplines.  Riding bikes brings me a lot of happiness and tinkering on bikes, changing parts to make the bikes perform in different or better ways, makes the experience even better.  So I have a tendency to talk to Jen about bike stuff and she will almost instantly roll her eyes. Over time, I realized that talking about bikes wasn’t enough to help her know what the joy I get from riding a bike.  For her to understand, I had to get her on a bike and have her ride with me.  This realization drove me to build her a bike.  It drove me to create time for us to ride together.  Living the bike life for me meant taking practical steps to help spread the joy of riding a bike.   How much more is our life with Christ to be shared in practical ways.  It’s not enough to talk about what the Bible says we should be doing, we have to find practical ways to share what we experience through God’s love.  This can even mean living without fear, especially when the world around us is shutting down with fear.  It might be opening up your home to spend time in prayer, even though the world’s wisdom says it is too “dangerous.”  It could be sharing a meal with a homeless person, despite how much that person smells from not bathing.  The love of God is so much greater than anything we can fear on earth.  The love of God overcame death, which is why we don’t have to live in fear.  “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 Life Application  Jesus, help me to live out a place of courage, not out of a place of fear.  Help me to live the new life you have given to me.  Through my life, help me to share that experience with those around me.  Help me to live my life grounded on your word and not the word of world around me.  -Tyler Galloway