GraceCreates

By Jon Walker

May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 15:5-6 (NIV)

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Imagine visiting a church where the choir sings in imperfect disharmony. They aren’t just off for a couple of notes; their imperfect disharmony carries for the entire song.

And when they sing the next song, it’s also in imperfect disharmony, followed by a soloist who sings in imperfect disharmony.

Then, the congregation sings a hymn in imperfect disharmony.

To most people, this would have the cumulative effect of someone running fingernails down a chalkboard, creating that high pitched screech that makes your teeth ache.

Spiritual disharmony can unsettle both individual and congregational worship. Jesus considered our unity with one another so critical, he said you should stop worship and go set things right with anyone who is at odds with you (Matthew 5:23).

“Then and only then, come back and work things out with God” (Matthew 5: 24 MSG).

What if we agreed not to have worship services until everyone in the congregation had set things right with each other? How quickly would conflicts be resolved?

When you come to a worship service, your objective is to be able to tell God three things:

• I’m coming to focus on you, God, not anything else. My desire is to worship you with an undivided heart and to come wholeheartedly into your presence (Psalm 86:11).
• I’m coming to offer praise from my heart and to use my gifts, talents, and abilities to worship you. I choose to focus on your goodness and mercy, and I choose not to criticize my brothers and sisters who are also coming to give glory to your name (Romans 15:5-6).
• I’m coming to give, not to receive. My desire is to seek your face, not what’s in your hand. I have no agenda except to praise you, my Lord and God, “from everlasting to everlasting. Amen and Amen” (Psalm 41:13 NIV).

If you’d like to receive these devotionals regularly, you can sign-up at www.gracecreates.com/subscribe/. Jon Walker writes from www.gracecreates.com. He is a Zondervan author, and the former writer/editor of the Purpose Driven Life On-Line Devotionals. This devotional is copyrighted 2009 by Jon Walker. Used by permission.

By Jon Walker

Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Romans 12:10 (NIV)

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Respect means we see one another through our Father’s eyes; as eternal beings, chosen by God “for the high calling of priestly work, chosen to be a holy people, God’s instruments to do his work and speak out for him;” as “heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ” (1 Peter 2:9 MSG; Romans 8:17 NIV).

Our objective-in-Jesus is to consistently remember we’ll be sharing heaven with those in our small groups and congregations, even those we have difficulty respecting now. And God, in his wisdom, “put the body together in such a way that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity” (1 Corinthians 12:24 NLT).

We often miss this, but one of the simplest ways to show respect is to listen. We offer our presence and open our ears, listening to the hidden hurts and heartaches, the deepest dreams and desires of one another.

The truth is the God of the universe listens to our prayers, which does serious damage to any argument that we’re too busy. Busier than God?

Jesus listened to those around him and he listens to us, which destroys any argument that our mission is too important to listen. Or, is our mission, or even our daily tasks, more important than Jesus?

Our objective-in-Jesus is to respect others enough to let them get the whole story out before we rush in to give an answer, or jump in to fix things, or just plain react to what we think instead of what is true (1 Corinthians 1:10).

You don’t have to agree with what they say; that’s another matter, but unless you hear them out, you won’t even know what they mean. You show others respect, not because of who they are, but because of who they belong to – the same One who created you.

If you’d like to receive these devotionals regularly, you can sign-up at www.gracecreates.com/subscribe/. Jon Walker writes from www.gracecreates.com. He is a Zondervan author, and the former writer/editor of the Purpose Driven Life On-Line Devotionals. This devotional is copyrighted 2009 by Jon Walker. Used by permission.

By Jon Walker

“We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.” John 6:69 (NIV)

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Because the well runs dry, we know Jesus is the river of living water (John 4).

Because the storm rages, we know Jesus is the Lord of the storms (Matthew 14).

Because the floods overwhelm, we know Jesus is the rock on which to build (Matthew 7).

Because the foundation shivers, we know Jesus is the cornerstone that will not move (Matthew 21).

Because sickness comes, we know Jesus is the healer (Matthew 4).

Because we’re bankrupt through the debt of sin, we know Jesus is our redeemer (Galatians 3).

Because we grieve, we know Jesus is the voice calling from the shore, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?” (John 21).

Because we’re full of doubt, we know Jesus is the nail-scarred palm inviting our touch (John 20).

Jesus taught in the nasty-now-and-now because he knew disciples with focused faith are never made in the classroom; we’re made in the uncertainty of life as we come face-to-face with “I can’t; but God can.” Our lives change more through the crises we experience than through the creeds we confess.

In other words, what we know first-hand of God is what takes root and changes the way we live. We change because we have believed and come to know the Holy One of God (based in John 6:69). 

If you’d like to receive these devotionals regularly, you can sign-up at www.gracecreates.com/subscribe/. Jon Walker writes from www.gracecreates.com. He is a Zondervan author, and the former writer/editor of the Purpose Driven Life On-Line Devotionals. This devotional is copyrighted 2009 by Jon Walker. Used by permission.

By Jon Walker

We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea and everything in them. Acts 14:15 (NIV)

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One time when I was mentoring another writer, God pressed on my heart that I should tell him the good news about Jesus. But I wasn’t sure about the best way to bring up the subject, so I asked God to open the door in a way that was obvious.

The next day the young writer came in and started telling me about an idea for a story. He said, “What if God couldn’t get people to listen to him, and so he came to earth looking like an average guy. And there would be, you know, GOD, sitting in a bar like anybody else, telling all these people getting drunk that life had more meaning.”

The Holy Spirit nudged me as if to say, “Is that obvious enough?” So I told my friend how, in truth, that had already happened 2,000 years ago.

Sometimes we need to pray the make-it-obvious prayer and watch the wonder of God at work, opening doors for us to tell others: “We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God” (Acts 14:15 NIV).

Ask God to give you constant opportunities to tell others about Jesus, then don’t doubt that God is already answering your prayer.

Pray, also, that God will prepare the hearts of those you’ll be speaking to, and that the words of Jesus “will simply take off and race through the country to a groundswell of response” (2 Thessalonians 3:1 MSG).

Finally, pray for God to soften your heart, and watch how he gives you a burden for the lost, which is just an old-fashioned way of saying your heart is now tender towards the needs other people.

Through the apostle Paul, God teaches us to “live wisely among those who are not Christians, and make the most of every opportunity” (Colossians 4:5 NLT).

If you’d like to receive these devotionals regularly, you can sign-up at www.gracecreates.com/subscribe/. Jon Walker writes from www.gracecreates.com. He is a Zondervan author, and the former writer/editor of the Purpose Driven Life On-Line Devotionals. This devotional is copyrighted 2009 by Jon Walker. Used by permission.