God’s Great Gift of Love...Craig Denison Ministries

 God’s Great Gift of Love

Craig Denison Ministries

Weekly Overview: 

It’s vital to the Christian life that we as sons and daughters of the most high God allow our affections to be stirred by the loving, powerful nature of our heavenly Father. Too often we feel that God is distant or separated from us. Too often we allow misconceptions or lies to place a rift between us and experiencing God. It’s in reminding ourselves of God’s character that lies are broken and a pathway is laid for us to encounter his tangible love. Open your heart and mind and receive fresh revelation of the goodness of God this week. Allow your affections to be stirred and your heart to be filled with desire to seek the face of your heavenly Father.

Scripture:“We love because he first loved us.” - >1 John 4:19

Devotional: 

You need to experience the love of God. The single most important part of your day is receiving the love of your heavenly Father. Without being loved by God, you can’t fully love him or others. And the Bible says in 1 Corinthians 13:1, “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.” You’re called to live your life in response to God's love, because God asks that everything you do be done in love. If what you are doing isn't done in love, it is not pleasing to him, and you can’t live a lifestyle of loving others without being loved by him first.

What's more, God's desire is to completely overwhelm you with his love right now. He doesn't want to love you just so you'll love him back or love those around you. Loving God and others is a natural by-product of receiving God’s love. He loves you just because he loves you.

He longs for you to live a lifestyle of love because he knows that’s the absolute, most fulfilling, purposeful, and peaceful way of life for you. He longs to set you free from the burdens of living for your own gain. He longs to lead you to the path of abundant life. But it all starts with simply receiving his love.

The love of God will guide you, establish you, empower you, and fully delight you. His love will free you, compel you, and sustain you. His love for you is eternal, real, and right now. All you need to do is simply open your heart to him and set aside a little time right now to receive his amazing gift of love.

God desires to be experienced. He is living and active, but so few experience the life and love he wants to bring. Today, after receiving his love, take some time to reflect on how differently you feel and act afterwards. See if you feel a stirring of desire for God and those around you. You see, God intends for us to have his love for those around us. In loving God you receive his love for others. You care about the things the people you love care about. It is the same with God. But it all starts with simply being loved by him. There's no better time than right now, wherever you are, to receive the love of your heavenly Father.           

Guided Prayer:

1. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you encounter the love of God. Receive the peace, love, and comfort of God. Let all your cares go and take some time to just rest in his presence.

“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” >Romans 8:37-39

“You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.” >Jeremiah 29:13

2. Ask God to give you revelation on his heart for you and those around you.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” >John 3:16

“In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.” >1 John 4:9-12

3. Ask the Spirit to help you love the people you encounter today with God's heart for them.

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.” >John 13:34

Know that wherever you go, God is there. You can receive his love at any time. Whenever someone harms you today, whenever you get frustrated or stressed, take a few minutes to simply be loved by your heavenly Father. May his love be the foundation for yours in all that you do today.

Extended Reading: John 17

Letting God Reshape What’s Shattered...LISA APPELO

 Letting God Reshape What’s Shattered

LISA APPELO 

“I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” John 10:10b (ESV)

I hate my life.

With my hands wrist-deep in sudsy dishwater, I couldn’t believe I’d let that admission bubble to the top of my thoughts. The house had quieted with my kids tucked in upstairs for the night, and now, alone with my thoughts, my honest confession startled me.

Months before, I had gone to bed happily married and woken up the next morning a widow. On the pillow next to mine, my husband was taking his last breaths as I slept. Though his strange breathing had awakened me, neither my efforts at CPR nor my prayers for God’s mercy had brought the miracle I desperately wanted.

In the space of one night’s sleep, my life had shattered into a thousand pieces. So much of the life I’d wanted and the life I’d hoped for had been buried with my husband. Now, my days were a mix of brutal grief, single parenting, decision overwhelm and juggling a too-long list of tasks meant for two.

We often tell God: This is not the life I ordered. There are lots of ways a life can shatter in loss.

Maybe for you, it’s been a diagnosis that has upended life as you know it.

Maybe a spouse you should have been able to trust has walked out, or maybe, like mine, your spouse has died far earlier than you ever imagined.

Perhaps you’ve buried a child in an unthinkable turn of events, or maybe miscarriage has forced you to grieve a dream that feels farther and farther away.

What do we do when life doesn’t turn out like we planned? Do we simply consign ourselves to live out the leftovers of the life we wanted?

John 10:10b shows us another way. In our key verse, Jesus tells us He came so that we would “have life and have it abundantly.” That doesn’t mean “life abundant” only when things are going well. Or “life abundant” when we get the outcome we want.

The abundant life Jesus died to give us doesn’t start and stop based on our circumstances.

The night of my honest admission over a sinkful of dishes, I had to let go once more of the life I wanted. As I did, I leaned into the truth that while our circumstances may change, God’s promise of abundant life does not.

Yes, life felt bad. And while this was not my plan, God had allowed it. As such, God had as much abundant life on this side of loss as He did all the time before.

Over the last few years, as I’ve let go of the life I wanted and worked to embrace the life God has given, I can see the fresh beauty and goodness God has for me here. And while life is never perfect, I can honestly say, Thank You, God. I love this life.

God doesn’t give us second best. There are no leftovers in a life with God. When we trust God with the broken pieces of our life, He can reshape what’s shattered.

Lord, we anchor to You today as our only hope when life implodes in loss. Open our eyes to see Your goodness and all the ways Your immense love spills over for us. Thank You that, no matter our circumstances, Your promise of life abundant holds true. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Live Intentionally...Dr. Charles Stanley

 Live Intentionally

Dr. Charles Stanley

2 Timothy 4:6-8

Paul was a man who lived life to the full. His goals were to know Christ, abide in His power, fellowship in His suffering, and preach the gospel (Phil. 3:10; 1 Cor. 1:17). In doing so, he aligned his aspirations with the Lord's, diligently worked to fulfill his calling, and persevered through opposition, persecution, and suffering. He could face the end of his life with confidence since he'd "fought the good fight," "finished the course," and "kept the faith" (2 Tim. 4:7).

We'd all like to be able to say the same at the end of our lives, but that means we have to follow Paul's example. How are you doing at setting goals for your life? Have you thought beyond the immediate and set some long-term objectives? Our culture is so fast-paced that few of us take the time to actually consider where we're going. But you don't want to finish your life and find out you were on a course other than God's, fighting the wrong fight, and struggling to keep the faith.

Why not set aside some time this week to get alone with the Lord. Then ask His help in setting goals that will take you where He wants you to go. Consider every area of your life--personal, relational, financial, and vocational--but make spiritual goals your primary emphasis. Then write them down.

If you keep doing what you're doing, you'll keep getting what you're getting. Maybe it's time to get out of your rut and find a new path. God will help you change direction and accomplish new goals that align with His will. Don't settle for the mediocrity of an unplanned life. Start living intentionally.

How to Not Be Anxious ...By: Kia Stephens

 How to Not Be Anxious (Philippians 4:6-7)

By: Kia Stephens

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. - Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV)

I could feel it inside me. Tension in my upper back, shortness of breath, and knots in my stomach all alerted me to the presence of anxiety. It was 3:00 AM and I lay in bed, eyes wide open as I stared up at the ceiling.

My mind was flooded with an endless series of “what if’s” drifting from one area of my life to the next. I tried praying but it only seemed to anchor my thoughts further into panic. I let my mind aimlessly drift through social media images but that, too, proved to be ineffective. Then, in a ninth-hour-effort I turned to the well-known anecdotal verse for anxiety: Philippians 4:6-7.

It reads, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” I read it once, but it didn’t seem to impact my present reality one bit, so I read it again and again. I reasoned repetition might somehow bring about my ability to follow this command from the apostle Paul.

Reciting these words did serve to fixate my mind on something other than my worry, but it simultaneously left me with questions for Paul. What about extremely unfair and difficult circumstances? What if your life is in danger? How are you not supposed to be anxious in every situation?

After all, Paul did not say, “Try not to be anxious… just do your best to not be overcome with anxiety.” No, he gave a straightforward and loophole-less command. Paul was not entertaining sob stories or reasons why there should be a caveat to what he wrote. He simply said, “Do not be anxious.” Maybe you too have been left with some unanswered questions pertaining to Paul’s command.

The word anxiety means to be pulled apart in many directions, leaving a person divided and distracted. Life’s circumstances have a way of doing this to all of us and anxiety seems like a natural response. Here in Philippians, however, Paul is saying we can make a conscious decision not to be this way. He is saying we can choose to do something when anxious thoughts occur.

Although he left us with no easy outs, he did tell us what we should replace our anxiety with. Instead of being anxious, in every situation we are to pray, petition and thankfully present our request to God. Although difficult to do, when we feel anxiety in our body, we are to rephrase our anxious thoughts as prayers and petitions with thanksgiving.

If my anxious thought is, “I am worried about the loss of income.” I could choose to cast that anxious thought on God by praying, “God, thank You for being a provider and more than capable of meeting my every need. I believe that you are able to direct me to a new source of income for my family and I ask that in the meantime, you would provide for our needs.”

Rephrasing our words so that they are in line with Philippians 4:6-7 is an act of faith. Choosing to pray like this forces us to intentionally place our faith in God, whom we cannot see, rather than our circumstances, which are often overwhelmingly visible.

Although this is difficult to do, as believers we have not been given an option. This is how we have been commanded to deal with anxiety. We govern ourselves in this way knowing that even if God does not answer our prayers in the way we think He should, He still loves us immensely and is intimately concerned about the details of our lives.

What anxious thoughts are robbing you of the experience of God’s peace? Think of what is making you anxious and decide right now to stop and pray, casting that anxiety to the Lord. Give your worries over to Him today and allow his peace to guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus.

A Prayer for When You Are Angry...By Maggie Meadows Cooper

 A Prayer for When You Are Angry

By Maggie Meadows Cooper

"I will take away their stony, stubborn heart and give them a tender, responsive heart..." - Ezekiel 11:19

Anger. It's an easy subject to discuss because we've all been there. I'm generally a pretty laid-back gal, so I don't get "angry" very often. I prefer to say that I'm "irritated" or "agitated”... something more Southern and ladylike. But my friends who know me well will call me on it. Sometimes I'm just flat out mad.

Jonah was a man who knew something about being angry. He ran from God in disobedience, but the Lord saved him out of the belly of a whale and gave him a second chance. He took that chance and went to tell the people of Nineveh that their sin was going to bring the wrath of God. They listened, repented, and God "changed his mind and did not carry out the destruction he had threatened" (Jonah 3:10).

But instead of being thankful for the lives that were saved, Jonah was angry! He wanted judgment brought on others, in spite of the fact that he was just saved. "The Lord replied, “Is it right for you to be angry about this?” (Jonah 4:4)

Jonah wanted mercy and grace for himself, but was unwilling to give it to others. It has to go both ways. Here are three things to consider the next time we are angry:

1. We need to self-reflect.

2 Corinthians 13:5 says we need to examine ourselves. That's not a fun thing to hear. Or to do. But it is necessary. Paul said, "This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners"--and I am the worst of them all." (1 Timothy 1:15)

When we see our own depravity...when we take ownership of our own mistakes...when we can truly realize the depth of our own sin and humble ourselves...we can give mercy and show grace to others...the way Jesus does for us.

2. We need to consider the other person's circumstances.

People say things and do things without thinking sometimes because they are blinded by their current circumstances. Take time to see things from the other person's perspective and put their needs above your own. It's much easier said than done...I know from experience. But it is something to aspire to.

"Don't be selfish; don't try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves." Philippians 2:3

3. We need to decide what we are going to do with our anger.

Anger in itself is not a bad thing. There are times to get angry. Jesus did (Matthew 21). God does too. It's what we do with it that is concerning. We basically have two choices. We can let it take control of our hearts and lead us into captivity, or we can find freedom through forgiveness. That's pretty much it. This is a visual I use to think about:

Freedom

↑

Forgiveness

Prayers for the Lord’s Strength/Peace

↑

Realization of Our Own Depravity

↑

Anger

↑

Irritation/Hurtful Event

↓

Anger

↓

Resentment

↓

Bitterness

↓

Unforgiveness

↓

Captivity

Many times, anger starts with a minor irritation that makes us mad. But sometimes it is a serious offense that leads to anger. Either way, the question is, which direction will you let your anger take you?

Getting to the Roots...by Annie Yorty

 Getting to the Roots

by Annie Yorty

Hebrews 12:15 (NIV):  See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.

Crack! In an instant, lightning sheared the lofty locust tree in my backyard down the middle. Unable to salvage any part, my husband cut the trunk at the grass line. Since that day four years ago, the bare stump has been the only evidence of the shady canopy that once was.

This year, a strange thing happened. July was blazing hot with sparse rain. The ground parched and the grass withered. But about a week into the drought, vibrant spring-green shoots sprang up among spiky sticks of brown grass, covering a wide area of the yard.

“Did you see all those weeds out there?” I asked my husband one day. 

“Don’t worry, I’ll mow them down,” he reassured. True to his word, the stalks were gone the next day. 

But they didn’t stay gone. Stubbornly, up they shot again within less than a week. “How can they be so lush and prolific when the grass is so dead?” I lamented.

This time, we examined them more closely. From the vantage of our upstairs window, we noticed a pattern. The new plants spread out in the direction of the roots of the long-perished tree. Our yard was sprouting a small forest of locust trees!

In a flurry of research, I learned it’s not uncommon for roots of trees to send up suckers, or new growth when stressed. Why the act of cutting the tree didn’t produce this problem years ago was a mystery to me. I was even more astounded by the production of healthy green plants in the middle of a drought after four years of dormancy.

By this time, my diligent husband had snipped off the young trees a couple more times, but they showed no sign of abating. A desperate phone call to the agricultural extension office provided insight. 

“You should have treated the trunk with a decomposition agent as soon as you cut it,” she advised. “In time, it works its way down to the roots and kills them.” I rolled my eyes. To put it botanically, that flower had already blossomed. 

“What options do I have now, four years later?”

“You can spray the shoots with an herbicide, or just keep cutting them back. Eventually, they’ll stop growing.” Clearly, there was no easy or quick remedy. It would simply take time for the roots to stop producing.

Shaking my head in disbelief at the tenacity of the locust’s roots, I remembered a Bible verse. Hebrews 12:15 (NIV) warns, “See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.” Suddenly, this metaphor came alive.

When allowed to flourish, bitterness is a profuse, yet poisonous, plant which sinks deep roots. At times, I’ve taken this verse to heart and ruthlessly chopped it off at the source. But I often find, just like my tree, bitterness lies dormant until it finds the right conditions to emerge again. 

My locust didn’t send up sucker plants until the drought stressed the roots. In the same way, we’re most susceptible to bitterness during dry and difficult times of life. The job fell through. A friend disappointed. A loved one died. It’s often during those rough patches that we neglect to consume the soul-sustaining Word of God. 

Eventually, we notice the tendrils of bitterness pushing through to the surface. The evidence is clear. First, bitter events ride round and round on the carousel of our memory, ever-present. Next, tidbits of gossip slide into conversations. Finally, we find ourselves fantasizing about the offender “getting what they deserve.” By then, our hearts are strangled. We’ve fallen short of God’s grace, and the roots of bitterness bloom.

Grace. 

The writer of Hebrews tells us that God’s grace is the herbicide that destroys bitterness, roots and all. It should be applied immediately and liberally to the wounds of life. In ignorance, I thought the chain saw killed the locust tree, so I didn’t treat the stump. In the same way, we often assume bitterness is gone when a painful circumstance passes, neglecting to cover the wound with grace. Just like my tree roots, bitterness waits patiently for an opportune moment to flourish.

Have you noticed that your nicely manicured lawn of life has suddenly become overgrown with seedlings of bitterness? Take heart! When we saturate them with the grace of God each and every time they appear, the roots of bitterness will eventually die out. 

Gardening can be hard, strength-sapping work. Likewise, rooting out bitterness requires perseverance. We sometimes get discouraged, wondering if the roots will ever die.

Ultimately, hope is found in another righteous Root. Jesus, our Savior, is called the Root of Jesse. Long ago, when the Jewish nation rejected God, they were scattered and bitter. All God’s promises seemed dead to them. Yet from the roots of the nation sprang Jesus, the Deliverer. He is the source of abundant grace. And He has already triumphed over our bitterness. 

Generously apply God’s grace, and those hidden roots of bitterness will decompose, creating fertile soil for the good God will grow in your life.

Intersecting Faith and Life:
Ask God to reveal any bitterness that might be lurking under the surface in your life. How does meditating on the abundant grace you’ve received from God motivate you to root it out?

 For Further reading:
 Colossians 3:8-15
 Ephesians 4:30-32