John__1

Scripture - What stood out?

John 1:16 Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. Observation - What does it say?The first chapter of John lays out the beginning of Jesus’s ministry as he gathers disciples to himself. The first chapter is also John the baptist’s  testimony about who he believes Jesus to be - the son of God. God’s grace = God’s unmerited favor. Aka favor we did not earn. Understanding - What does it mean?For those of us who believe, John chapter 1 is such a breath of fresh air isn’t it? For me as I reflect on Jesus and ask God to reveal Himself to me more, this chapter is like one of my favorite “first moments of Jesus”. I like to visualize what this chapter might have looked like as Jesus was first recognized by John the baptist (as an adult), as Jesus prepares his ministry. It is just a moment that makes me smile inwardly no matter what! I love how the author of this book (many theologians believe that the author of this book is John the disciple of Jesus) puts Jesus into perspective with the old testament. I want to say this out loud again so I’ll type it here: Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. What a beautiful and succinct descriptor of just how the old and new testament is connected. I have grown to love the old testament bible because within those books is where I found the Father’s heart revealed and crying out to His children to come back to him. No matter how many times we messed up in the old testament, God gave us another chance to turn back to Him. And that never stopped all the way up to the birth of his son Jesus and beyond. Life Application - How can I apply this to my life today? Jesus is God the Father’s grace - in place of grace already given. This is such a beautiful reminder Lord. Continue to show me just exactly how your old and new testament are connected. Help me to spend the rest of my day growing in greater understanding of You. Help me to reflect on what is truly Amazing Grace. 

James___5

Scripture

James 5: 7-8

Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near.

 

Observation

James is wrapping up his letters about the beliefs and expectations of believers by speaking about submission to God and patience in suffering. He uses an analogy of a farmer to further his main point to remain in Christ and in the faith no matter what the circumstance or situation may be. He then closes his final letter by challenging believers to live a life full of faith in order to bring others to Christ as well.

 

Understanding

Patience throughout a trial is more than a virtue, it’s a conscious lifestyle.

As a kid I had a third grade teacher who always taught us these deep truths of life that in the moment seemed really confusing, but as we got older they all began to make a lot of sense. But one that she always seemed to use with me was one that I will never forget. She would look at me over the top of her glasses and then say “Miss Khan, patience is a virtue.” It always ended up with her handing back my spelling sentences because I had rushed through them and used all the words incorrectly. And I would always say, “But at least I got it done.” Still, to my chagrin, she would hand back the sentences with the word “redo” written in red pen on the top. As I got older and worked with more people I finally began to understand the weight of “Miss Khan, patience is a virtue.”

I think this is exactly where our church finds ourselves right now. We’ve been told things like

“The harvest is plentiful!”

“This year is the year of harvest!” Or

“The best is yet to come!”

And we’ve gotten to reap our little harvests here and there, but it does not satisfy the contentment of having a full barn. But here, James says that the farmer waits to yield valuable crop. We are so set on getting to work that we just get to swinging the sickle and we turned in damaged goods. Sometimes patience produces the best yield ever. This season that we find ourselves in is a season of patience, but let’s turn our patience into a lifestyle to yield the best crop all the time.

 

Life Application

How do we yield the best crop all the time?

• We must be active in planting the seed (who has God placed around you in this time that you can be intentional with?).
• We must be active in toiling with the soil (invest with these people in a way that you truly develop a deep and personal relationship).
• At DSC we like to say it’s like having a piece of PII (Pray, Invest, Invite).
• But despite all of this, we must also remember not to forget our root (cultivate our own relationship daily with the Father).

Let’s get to turning our virtue into a lifestyle.

-Allison Khan

James____4

Scripture

James 4:5

 

5 Or do you think Scripture says without reason that He jealously longs for the spirit He has caused to dwell in us?

Observation-What does it say?

James, the brother of Jesus, continues to write to Jewish Christians to "encourage them to continue growing in their new Christian faith (got questions.org)." In this chapter, James is encouraging them to submit to God and flee from the desires of the world, "for the spirit that the Lord has caused to dwell in them is jealous for their affection (vs. 5)." The way the footnotes paraphrased it is "that the Spirit He caused to dwell in us longs jealously."

Understanding-What does it mean?

God is a jealous God.

The Lord will not settle for 2nd place in our lives. His Spirit wants to be the first and the only One in our hearts. He desires all of our affection, all of our time, all of our heart, soul, mind and strength. 

You must worship no other gods, for the LORD, whose very name is Jealous, is a God who is jealous about His relationship with you. Exodus 34:14 NLT

For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God. Deut. 4:24 ESV

Life Application

Submit to Christ's love for us.

When we submit to Christ's love for us as our bridegroom, everything else pales in comparison. The Church is the bride of Christ. In marriage, sometimes we think that jealousy is a bad thing, but honestly, if a spouse is not jealous for his bride and if he is okay with her giving her focus and attention to someone else (or vice versa), then there's a problem. It's no different with our relationship with the Lord. He loves and desires relationship with us and we break His heart when we choose the world over Him. There is an ongoing spiritual battle ensuing in the lives of believers (Eph. 6:12), but as we DAILY choose to submit to Him, be in His Word, pray, sing songs of praise, stay connected to the Body and stand firm in the faith, the devil flees. 

Dear Lord, please forgive me for the many times I have broken Your heart when I've desired things not in line with my calling in life and identity in You or when I've complained instead of been grateful for Your love for me. Thank You that You are jealous for my affection and that You relentlessly pursue me as a result. With Your Spirit's help, I commit to choose You everyday as You have chosen me. Amen.

-Michelle Gaddi