When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice. John 10: 4-5
Have you ever been in your classroom and heard voices from the hallway that you could immediately identify? Ever been able to identify which of your students was talking in line, even though your back was to them? Can you tell which of your co-workers has her class outside your door?
I have small groups of students back to back to back most of my day, and many of my students come to my door when it’s time and wait for me to invite them in. If I get a little off schedule and they have to wait for me to finish up with my previous group, I can almost always hear them in the hallway. Most of the time, I can even tell which students are there waiting. I can tell by the sounds of their voices. I’m sure you would recognize your students’ voices pretty accurately by this point in the year, too.
I know them by their voices because I have spent so much time with them. This is true of many people in my life -- my kids, my husband, my close friends. I know their voices well.
Jesus said that his followers would have that recognition, also.
So why does that feel so hard sometimes? Why is it that I sometimes feel like I don’t hear God’s voice at all?
For me, it gets hard when I get too busy to listen. When my quiet time is cut short, and I rush through it -- reading the devotion, reading the scripture, but not allowing time for it to soak in. I have to allow time to listen. I need to sit awhile with a quiet mind in a quiet place so I can hear. And I have to do it every day so that I recognize God’s voice.
Jesus taught using parables, and often his disciples had to ask him later to explain his teachings further. The parables were not completely clear to them. They even asked Jesus why He used this method of teaching instead of being more explicit in Matthew 13:10. Jesus answered in verse 15 by quoting Isaiah:
“For this people’s heart has become calloused;
They hardly hear with their ears,
And they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
Hear with their ear,
Understand with their hearts
And turn, and I would heal them.”
Jesus had many enemies who sought to trap Him in His teachings. They were listening for the wrong reason - not to learn truth, but to find something to use against Jesus. But Jesus told His disciples they were blessed because they did see and hear (verse 16).
Are you needing to hear from God today? He is not hiding, but He does desire that we spend the time with Him to learn His voice and to truly seek Him and His truth. If we keep our heart, eyes, and ears open to Him, He will reveal Himself. We can’t recognize a voice that we don’t hear regularly, but if we invest the time in the relationship, it becomes hard to miss.
God, we want to hear Your voice and know Your truth. Teach us to recognize Your voice. Help us to be better listeners. Thank You for faithfully revealing Yourself to us as we wholeheartedly seek You.
For Small Groups:
Share ways that help you to be still and listen for God’s voice.
Monday, January 28, 2019
Monday, January 21, 2019
Bundle Up!
But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it,25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. 1 Corinthians 12: 24b-26
It is cold today, and I don’t like it one bit. Whenever I have to go out in the cold, I bundle up. I don’t know if anyone else does this, but I like to wear lots of layers if I know I’m going to be outside in the cold and snow. I wear leggings under my pants with insulated bibs over top. I wear at least two pair of socks inside my insulated boots. I wear gloves inside my mittens. I wear a T-shirt under a sweatshirt under my coat. I cover my head in a hat that always catches my ears, and I wear a big scarf around my neck.
I have a set of a picture book that I often read with my first grade groups around this time of year. It’s called Under My Hood I Have a Hat. It cracks me up at the end because when the little girl gets all bundled up and goes outside in the snow, she falls down and can’t get up because of all her layers. And that’s how I feel when I am dressed for being out in the cold. Yup, I can barely move!
But without all these layers, something inevitably becomes uncomfortably cold. And it doesn’t matter which part of me gets uncomfortably cold, even when it’s only my feet or only my hands or only my ears, my whole self feels miserable. And at this point, my whole self usually goes inside to warm up! My time out in the cold and snowy weather will be over. I’m done.
This makes me think of how Paul used the body to describe the church. As believers, we are all part of a larger body. And if one part suffers, we all suffer. If one part is hurt - physically, emotionally, spiritually, mentally - it affects the whole.
In my physical body, I know this, and in the cold weather I take care to bundle my whole body. It would be ridiculous to wear layers on my legs, torso, head, and hands, but try to go out bare-footed in the snow. I would be useless out there like that!
But I am mindful tonight that I do not take as much care of the members of my church “body”. I sometimes don’t even notice when a fellow believer is struggling or hurting. And if I do notice, I don’t always do anything about it--especially if they don’t ask for help or say anything about their struggle. Why am I like that!?
Sometimes, I don’t know what to do for them, and so I do nothing. But really, there is at least one thing that I can always do for the other members of my body. Something that is amazing and powerful and can help them through anything - just like all my layers keep me warm. I can pray. I can also encourage and honor and speak truth and extend grace and mercy.
Friends, this teaching job is hard. It demands so much of us. And it is easy to become discouraged and hurt. It is easy to feel overwhelmed and drained. It is easy to get to the uncomfortable point where you just want to take a break - to go inside and warm back up.
So let’s take care of one another! Let’s wrap each other up in a warm, cozy blanket of prayer each week. Let’s prepare a nice, warm cup of kind words for one another. Let’s find ways to protect one another from the harsh winds of criticism and the biting chill of over-work.
Because, truthfully, we need each other, and we are so much stronger together.
Father God, thank You for each and every one of the fellow believers that You have placed in my life - especially those in my school with me each day. Lord, protect them from the attacks of the Enemy that continually come. Strengthen them with Your great might. Encourage them with glimpses of Your hand at work around them. Help them to know they are loved and important, and help me to see ways that I can help them to be encouraged this week.
For Small Groups:
In your group, randomly draw the name of another and make a commitment to pray for him/her at least once a week for the next month. Make an effort to do some little form of encouragement for him/her this month - maybe a note or a small gift, maybe offer to do a small job, etc.
It is cold today, and I don’t like it one bit. Whenever I have to go out in the cold, I bundle up. I don’t know if anyone else does this, but I like to wear lots of layers if I know I’m going to be outside in the cold and snow. I wear leggings under my pants with insulated bibs over top. I wear at least two pair of socks inside my insulated boots. I wear gloves inside my mittens. I wear a T-shirt under a sweatshirt under my coat. I cover my head in a hat that always catches my ears, and I wear a big scarf around my neck.
I have a set of a picture book that I often read with my first grade groups around this time of year. It’s called Under My Hood I Have a Hat. It cracks me up at the end because when the little girl gets all bundled up and goes outside in the snow, she falls down and can’t get up because of all her layers. And that’s how I feel when I am dressed for being out in the cold. Yup, I can barely move!
But without all these layers, something inevitably becomes uncomfortably cold. And it doesn’t matter which part of me gets uncomfortably cold, even when it’s only my feet or only my hands or only my ears, my whole self feels miserable. And at this point, my whole self usually goes inside to warm up! My time out in the cold and snowy weather will be over. I’m done.
This makes me think of how Paul used the body to describe the church. As believers, we are all part of a larger body. And if one part suffers, we all suffer. If one part is hurt - physically, emotionally, spiritually, mentally - it affects the whole.
In my physical body, I know this, and in the cold weather I take care to bundle my whole body. It would be ridiculous to wear layers on my legs, torso, head, and hands, but try to go out bare-footed in the snow. I would be useless out there like that!
But I am mindful tonight that I do not take as much care of the members of my church “body”. I sometimes don’t even notice when a fellow believer is struggling or hurting. And if I do notice, I don’t always do anything about it--especially if they don’t ask for help or say anything about their struggle. Why am I like that!?
Sometimes, I don’t know what to do for them, and so I do nothing. But really, there is at least one thing that I can always do for the other members of my body. Something that is amazing and powerful and can help them through anything - just like all my layers keep me warm. I can pray. I can also encourage and honor and speak truth and extend grace and mercy.
Friends, this teaching job is hard. It demands so much of us. And it is easy to become discouraged and hurt. It is easy to feel overwhelmed and drained. It is easy to get to the uncomfortable point where you just want to take a break - to go inside and warm back up.
So let’s take care of one another! Let’s wrap each other up in a warm, cozy blanket of prayer each week. Let’s prepare a nice, warm cup of kind words for one another. Let’s find ways to protect one another from the harsh winds of criticism and the biting chill of over-work.
Because, truthfully, we need each other, and we are so much stronger together.
Father God, thank You for each and every one of the fellow believers that You have placed in my life - especially those in my school with me each day. Lord, protect them from the attacks of the Enemy that continually come. Strengthen them with Your great might. Encourage them with glimpses of Your hand at work around them. Help them to know they are loved and important, and help me to see ways that I can help them to be encouraged this week.
For Small Groups:
In your group, randomly draw the name of another and make a commitment to pray for him/her at least once a week for the next month. Make an effort to do some little form of encouragement for him/her this month - maybe a note or a small gift, maybe offer to do a small job, etc.
Friday, January 18, 2019
It's Kinda Like Sledding
Isaiah 41:13: “I am the LORD your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you."
“This is the superintendent calling to let you know that there will be no school tomorrow.” Oh, the joy that phone call can bring! A snow day! The first one is always particularly exciting. The last several years, we haven’t really had much snow, but this year we started off with a bang! I’m not sure exactly how much there was here at my house, but probably 8-10 inches.
My family all got out in it to play – snowball fights, snowmen, sleds, and snowboards. We have a small hill in our front yard that we’ve always used for sledding with the kids. It’s not a super fabulous sledding hill, but it works. My daughter got the sleds down from the attic, but then she had a little trouble getting started. She stood there at the top of the hill looking down and asked, “How do I do this again?” It really has been a while!
That first trip down the hill is never the best ride. The sled tends to stick a little, and you often need a bit of a push. (I told you, it’s not the best sledding hill!) But the more you go down, the smoother the path becomes. The snow packs down and makes the slide faster and easier.
I was struck by the thought today that my faith journey is a little like that. When starting out in this process of obedience, the first steps tend to be frustrating and tentative – a little awkward and unsure. But as I continue to step out in faith and obedience, each time it gets a little easier to trust God.
It’s not always a smooth ride down the hill, though! Sometimes I get off the track, sometimes I mess up and end up tumbling off the sled and into the snow, and sometimes I don’t have enough momentum to make it to the bottom without a push!
When I’m sledding, I expect those things to happen. I don’t get upset over those blunders. Those are usually the times when I end up laughing the most! And when I’m watching my kids, there is just so much joy in the whole scene.
I think that’s how it should be in my attempts to follow Christ, too. I should know that it’s not going to be perfect and let it be OK when I stumble and fumble and tumble. There should be joy in the journey! But sometimes I allow fear of failure to overwhelm me. In my classroom, I never expect the students to do everything correctly on their first try. I know that mistakes are an important part of the learning. I need to be reminded of that, though, when it comes to my spiritual walk, as well.
Father God, thank you for the joy and beauty of the snow! Thank you for the lessons You teach us as we walk with You each day. Thank You for Your patience and love as we stumble. Help us to find Your path and to follow You always! Help us to lighten up and enjoy the ride!
“This is the superintendent calling to let you know that there will be no school tomorrow.” Oh, the joy that phone call can bring! A snow day! The first one is always particularly exciting. The last several years, we haven’t really had much snow, but this year we started off with a bang! I’m not sure exactly how much there was here at my house, but probably 8-10 inches.
My family all got out in it to play – snowball fights, snowmen, sleds, and snowboards. We have a small hill in our front yard that we’ve always used for sledding with the kids. It’s not a super fabulous sledding hill, but it works. My daughter got the sleds down from the attic, but then she had a little trouble getting started. She stood there at the top of the hill looking down and asked, “How do I do this again?” It really has been a while!
That first trip down the hill is never the best ride. The sled tends to stick a little, and you often need a bit of a push. (I told you, it’s not the best sledding hill!) But the more you go down, the smoother the path becomes. The snow packs down and makes the slide faster and easier.
I was struck by the thought today that my faith journey is a little like that. When starting out in this process of obedience, the first steps tend to be frustrating and tentative – a little awkward and unsure. But as I continue to step out in faith and obedience, each time it gets a little easier to trust God.
It’s not always a smooth ride down the hill, though! Sometimes I get off the track, sometimes I mess up and end up tumbling off the sled and into the snow, and sometimes I don’t have enough momentum to make it to the bottom without a push!
When I’m sledding, I expect those things to happen. I don’t get upset over those blunders. Those are usually the times when I end up laughing the most! And when I’m watching my kids, there is just so much joy in the whole scene.
I think that’s how it should be in my attempts to follow Christ, too. I should know that it’s not going to be perfect and let it be OK when I stumble and fumble and tumble. There should be joy in the journey! But sometimes I allow fear of failure to overwhelm me. In my classroom, I never expect the students to do everything correctly on their first try. I know that mistakes are an important part of the learning. I need to be reminded of that, though, when it comes to my spiritual walk, as well.
Father God, thank you for the joy and beauty of the snow! Thank you for the lessons You teach us as we walk with You each day. Thank You for Your patience and love as we stumble. Help us to find Your path and to follow You always! Help us to lighten up and enjoy the ride!
Sunday, January 6, 2019
Growing Up
12 I am writing to you, dear children,
because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name.
13 I am writing to you, fathers,
because you know him who is from the beginning.
I am writing to you, young men,
because you have overcome the evil one.
14 I write to you, dear children,
because you know the Father.
I write to you, fathers,
because you know him who is from the beginning.
I write to you, young men,
because you are strong,
and the word of God lives in you,
and you have overcome the evil one. I John 2:12-14
Happy New Year! I don’t know about you, but for me, as a teacher, January doesn’t really feel like a new year. That comes in August! Every year, however, when January rolls around, I usually spend some time reflecting on life and the year that has passed.
I’m not much for New Year’s resolutions. I’m not really against them. I just know how easy they are to make and how hard they are to keep! But I like the idea of spending some time examining my own habits and thoughts and allowing God to show me some things that I need to work on.
I want to keep growing spiritually. And having some goals or specific areas to be mindful of helps me to do that. I have heard others say that if we are not intentionally growing closer to God, we are falling farther away.
I listened to a sermon podcast this weekend about growing spiritually, and I thought it was really good. The speaker, Pastor Chad Roberts, described stages of spiritual growth using 1 John 2:12-14.
Pastor Chad Roberts said that spiritually, when we first begin to know and walk with Christ as our Lord, we are babies or children. We need to be served by our church, to be taught more about the scripture because all we know is that we love and trust God. And it’s not a bad thing to be a baby spiritually, but that we shouldn’t get stuck there forever.
Instead, he said we should grow and become useful to the church, strong and able to stand firm in our faith as adolescents or young people. And eventually, we should become “fathers”, ministering to others, leading others to know the Lord, mentoring them, and leading the service to others in our churches. If you want to listen to the entire podcast, you can click here:"Stages of Spiritual Growth".
It made me chuckle a little to hear him describing the stages. As someone who works every day with children, I understood exactly what he was saying about young children being mostly self-centered and needing help with almost everything. And that behavior is perfectly acceptable from a child, but there comes a point when that type of behavior is no longer acceptable. If we all lived our lives acting like young children, think of the problems that would create! That made me stop and reflect on where I am spiritually and led me to think about what I can do to continue to grow.
I decided to trust Jesus as my personal Savior when I was very young -- just six years old. Over the years, I have made many decisions to keep trusting, keep following, keep submitting to His lordship over my life. I know there were many years where I was content to be served, but looking back, I know that I grew the most when I stepped out to serve others and when I really spent more time with God and in His word.
I have decided that daily personal Bible study is really important to my growth. So, this year, I want to read through the New Testament again. I have a resource that gives me a short daily assignment, and if I follow the plan, I will finish Revelation on December 31. I read through the entire Bible like this about a year ago, and it was a really good practice for me, but some days I felt really rushed reading through and didn’t have enough time to really meditate on it or reflect on it. (It is quite a bit of reading each day to make it through the entire Bible in one year!) I’m looking forward to doing it with just the New Testament because I think I’ll have more time to soak it up. I think anyone who is going to grow closer to God must spend more time with Him and in His word.
But I also want to find ways to get more involved with mentoring others who are newer to the faith. I’m still not sure what that is going to look like, but I am keeping my spiritual eyes open and praying that God will show me what to do!
I want to encourage you today to spend some time in prayer, asking God to show you an area or two where He wants you to focus this year. Ask Him to help you grow. And if you need help, don’t be afraid to ask for it. Sometimes a partner is helpful in staying on track with a goal like this. Maybe there is someone else in your small group that you trust to hold you accountable and remind you of your goals when you need it, to pray for you and cheer for you and encourage you along the way. They may need you as much as you need them.
Father God, Thank You that You are a forgiving God, full of mercy and grace! Thank You for allowing us time to grow and change and for guiding us in that process. Thank You for all those in our lives through the years who have helped us to grow spiritually. Help us to continue to grow closer to You this year and to help each other to grow, as well.
For Small Groups:
If you have a goal for the new year, share it with your group. How can we help each other and pray for one another?
Do you have a great resource or practice that helps keep you growing spiritually?
because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name.
13 I am writing to you, fathers,
because you know him who is from the beginning.
I am writing to you, young men,
because you have overcome the evil one.
14 I write to you, dear children,
because you know the Father.
I write to you, fathers,
because you know him who is from the beginning.
I write to you, young men,
because you are strong,
and the word of God lives in you,
and you have overcome the evil one. I John 2:12-14
Happy New Year! I don’t know about you, but for me, as a teacher, January doesn’t really feel like a new year. That comes in August! Every year, however, when January rolls around, I usually spend some time reflecting on life and the year that has passed.
I’m not much for New Year’s resolutions. I’m not really against them. I just know how easy they are to make and how hard they are to keep! But I like the idea of spending some time examining my own habits and thoughts and allowing God to show me some things that I need to work on.
I want to keep growing spiritually. And having some goals or specific areas to be mindful of helps me to do that. I have heard others say that if we are not intentionally growing closer to God, we are falling farther away.
I listened to a sermon podcast this weekend about growing spiritually, and I thought it was really good. The speaker, Pastor Chad Roberts, described stages of spiritual growth using 1 John 2:12-14.
Pastor Chad Roberts said that spiritually, when we first begin to know and walk with Christ as our Lord, we are babies or children. We need to be served by our church, to be taught more about the scripture because all we know is that we love and trust God. And it’s not a bad thing to be a baby spiritually, but that we shouldn’t get stuck there forever.
Instead, he said we should grow and become useful to the church, strong and able to stand firm in our faith as adolescents or young people. And eventually, we should become “fathers”, ministering to others, leading others to know the Lord, mentoring them, and leading the service to others in our churches. If you want to listen to the entire podcast, you can click here:"Stages of Spiritual Growth".
It made me chuckle a little to hear him describing the stages. As someone who works every day with children, I understood exactly what he was saying about young children being mostly self-centered and needing help with almost everything. And that behavior is perfectly acceptable from a child, but there comes a point when that type of behavior is no longer acceptable. If we all lived our lives acting like young children, think of the problems that would create! That made me stop and reflect on where I am spiritually and led me to think about what I can do to continue to grow.
I decided to trust Jesus as my personal Savior when I was very young -- just six years old. Over the years, I have made many decisions to keep trusting, keep following, keep submitting to His lordship over my life. I know there were many years where I was content to be served, but looking back, I know that I grew the most when I stepped out to serve others and when I really spent more time with God and in His word.
I have decided that daily personal Bible study is really important to my growth. So, this year, I want to read through the New Testament again. I have a resource that gives me a short daily assignment, and if I follow the plan, I will finish Revelation on December 31. I read through the entire Bible like this about a year ago, and it was a really good practice for me, but some days I felt really rushed reading through and didn’t have enough time to really meditate on it or reflect on it. (It is quite a bit of reading each day to make it through the entire Bible in one year!) I’m looking forward to doing it with just the New Testament because I think I’ll have more time to soak it up. I think anyone who is going to grow closer to God must spend more time with Him and in His word.
But I also want to find ways to get more involved with mentoring others who are newer to the faith. I’m still not sure what that is going to look like, but I am keeping my spiritual eyes open and praying that God will show me what to do!
I want to encourage you today to spend some time in prayer, asking God to show you an area or two where He wants you to focus this year. Ask Him to help you grow. And if you need help, don’t be afraid to ask for it. Sometimes a partner is helpful in staying on track with a goal like this. Maybe there is someone else in your small group that you trust to hold you accountable and remind you of your goals when you need it, to pray for you and cheer for you and encourage you along the way. They may need you as much as you need them.
Father God, Thank You that You are a forgiving God, full of mercy and grace! Thank You for allowing us time to grow and change and for guiding us in that process. Thank You for all those in our lives through the years who have helped us to grow spiritually. Help us to continue to grow closer to You this year and to help each other to grow, as well.
For Small Groups:
If you have a goal for the new year, share it with your group. How can we help each other and pray for one another?
Do you have a great resource or practice that helps keep you growing spiritually?
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