Pastor Blake Busick
Life Together
The Power of Authentic Christian Community
Daily Devotions for the week of January 4, 2008
Monday: Review yesterday’s notes. Jesus commands us to love one another as he has loved us (i.e. unconditionally and sacrificially). When we do we experience the kind of community that is a miraculous witness to the world. We become known as disciples of Jesus not by what we say we believe, but by the quality with which we love one another. We can only love one another as Christ loves us when Christ comes to live in our hearts fully.
Scripture: Read John 13:31-35
Observations
Name Personal
Journal Questions
1. How are we doing as a church in terms of loving one another as Christ has love us?
2. What can you do to help us improve?
Prayer Focus
Pray for the people you wrote down on your list yesterday. Pray that they might get connected to God and to a Christian community.
Tuesday: Abiding in Jesus is the key to authentic Christian community as well as growing in Christ. The way we abide in Christ is by keeping his commandments (namely to love one another as he has loved us – vs. 12). In other words, fellowship with Jesus and one another depend on obeying his command to love.
Scripture: Read John 15:1-12
Observations
Name Personal Applications
Journal Questions
1. As a branch on Christ’s vine, how would you describe
the fruit in your life:
Grade A-1? Juicy? Green? Wormy? Why?
2. How can you help more people get connected to the vine (Christ) through our church
Prayer Focus
Pray for the people on your list from Sunday. Pray that God would bless their lives in every way.
Wednesday: We are united together as a Christian community because we all part of Christ’s body. Our unity is through Christ and in Christ. It is not our common culture, language, political views or theology. The source of our unity is the person of Christ and no difference is greater than this reality.
Scripture: Read 1 Corinthians 12:12-27
Observations
Name Personal Applications
Journal Questions
1. How do you feel about your place in the body of Christ? About your need for others?
2. How can you affirm your unity in Christ with someone in our church is very different from you?
Prayer Focus
Pray for the people on your list from Sunday. Pray that God might open a door for you to invite them to church or to a small group.
Thursday: Every part of the body has an important function. Christ is the head, yet we are his body working together being built up in love. We maintain our unity as we affirm the diversity of gifts God has given to each of us for the common good.
Scripture: Read Ephesians 4:1-16
Observations
Name Personal Applications
Journal Questions
1. Are you living up to the “calling you have received?”
2. How can you show appreciation and encouragement to others whose gifts differ from yours?
Prayer Focus
Pray for the people on your list from Sunday. Pray that they might know their need of God and their need for community.
Friday: Through our baptism we completely identify with Christ. We become dead to sin and alive to God in Jesus. Sin destroys community. Christ makes community possible.
Scripture: Read Romans 6:1-11
Observations
Name Personal Applications
Journal Questions
1. How does the knowledge of you death to sin affect your struggle with sin or how can it?
2. How can we as a congregation become more alive to God in Christ Jesus?
Prayer Focus
Pray for the people on your list from Sunday. Invite them to Friendship Sunday. Offer to bring them with you.
Saturday – Read over your notes for the week and see how you are doing with your personal applications.