FBC Daily Devotions

Read Colossians 4:2-4.

In Paul’s request for prayer, what two things does he ask for (vv. 3-4)?

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Prayer is at the front end of evangelism. Great efforts to reach out are not accomplished without prayer (Eph. 6:19; 2 Thess. 3:1). The Great Awakenings throughout history were the result of prayer. Where there is a revival of prayer, there is often an awakening of God in the unbeliever. Is it the preaching that brings forth fruit? No, not without prayer. Paul, in a similar passage found in Ephesians 6, asked for prayer out of necessity. E.M. Bounds writes,

“The force of his request for prayer centered on him, that he might be able to talk with force, fluency, directness, and courage. Paul did not depend upon his natural gifts, but on those which came to him in answer to prayer. He was afraid he would be a coward, a dull, dry speaker, or a hesitating stammerer, and he urged these believers to pray that he might have courage, not only to speak clearly, but also freely and fully.” (Prayer and Praying Men, E.M. Bounds).

Are there people in your life that you would love to share Christ with, but are afraid that you will fail or that your words will fall on deaf ears? Then pray. Prayer can transform our abilities and awaken hearts to the gospel.

To consider:

Perhaps you have been praying for a friend or relative to come to Christ. Pray that God would use you to share Christ with him or her. Pray for boldness and clarity. Ask others to pray with you. And then, as the Spirit leads, move forward in faith and share Christ, leaving the results to Him.

Read Romans 8:18-21; Colossians 1:19-20.

We live in a fallen world. Its bent is self-serving and for those things that are opposed to God.  The world is fallen, but it does not mean God is not in the world.  His power and glory are present in creation and today most prominently in the Church (at least it’s supposed to be). Many of His attributes are present in mankind, albeit perverted in many ways. The world is fallen, but He is not absent.  What does that mean? Does that mean there is some redeeming value in this world? There must be something or else why would God want to redeem it?

Indeed, there is a redeeming value, but it is not because there is any intrinsic value in creation. It is valuable for no other reason than God has placed a high value on it. The world didn’t earn it. The world didn’t fix itself up pretty to make it more valuable (in fact, it did the opposite). Perhaps more than a redeeming quality to God’s creation is that there is an endearing quality.

My little brother used to have a beloved stuffed animal as a child. Of all the different animals available, his was a chicken. Not a chick, but a chicken. (How many stuffed chickens do you see today?) Over the years that chicken showed the wear and tear of love. The fur was nearly non-existent. Just tiny patches of fuzz on cloth. It was missing its eyes. Just this mangy yellow fabric thing with a little, red felt beak. As we got older we, we brothers were pretty mean, and we used to put the chicken (“chicky” was his name) in the large trash dumpster in our cul-de-sac.  And my brother would cry and run out to the dumpster and dig him out. “Chicky” was beloved. Despite his tattered appearance, there was an endearing quality to him.

God created the world. And despite all of its ugliness, it has an endearing quality to Him. God so loved his creation that he wants to redeem it back for Himself. He wants to pull it out of the dumpster, so to speak — not because the world deserves it, but because He is its Creator, and He loves what He created. He may not be pleased with the direction it is going, but it is His creation nonetheless, and He is purposing to bring it back to Himself.

Oh, that we might have that same vision of the world. Fallen, but loved. Ugly, but endearing in some sense.

To consider:

How does knowing that there is an endearing quality in God’s creation affect your attitude about the people and things around you (e.g. co-workers, family, friends, the environment, etc.) – especially those that aren’t so endearing to you?

What are some truths you learned from last Sunday’s message? How can it make a difference this week?

Engaging the World

“For God so love the world…”  (John 3:16)

“And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?” (Rom. 10:14)

To us, Christ’s followers, is given the responsibility of proclaiming the message of God’s redeeming love to the world.  It begins with our hearts aligning with God’s. He loves the world. It continues with prayerful dependence on God to do what we cannot. And it concludes with action on our part to proclaim the message without getting in the way. That is our journey this week… a journey that will begin with proper preparation and end with faith that God will work through our efforts. Climb aboard.   –Pastor Mike

Small Group Questions
Week of November 17, 2008

REACHING OUT: ENGAGING THE WORLD

Opening:  How have you seen God work this week?

1. Read Colossians 1:19-20. What does this say about God’s plan for His creation?
2. God created the world. And despite all of its ugliness, it has an endearing quality to Him. God so loved his creation that he wants to redeem it back for Himself — not because the world deserves it, but because He is its Creator, and He loves what He created. He may not be pleased with the direction it is going, but it is His creation nonetheless, and He is purposing to bring it back to Himself. Where is it difficult for you to see the endearing qualities of God’s creation?
3. Read Colossians 4:2-4. What two things does Paul ask for in his prayer?

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4. What does this say about the need for prayer in our witness?
5. Are there people in your life that you would like to share Christ with, but are afraid that you will fail or that your words might fall on deaf ears? Share with one another and add this to your prayer list during the week. Pray for an open door and boldness in these relationships.
6. Read Colossians 4:5. What are the two thoughts in this verse?

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7. What does “wise conduct” toward outsiders look like? What does it look like with the gospel in view? On the flipside, what does unwise conduct look like?
8. Paul says to make the most of every opportunity. What are some examples of opportunities in your life from the past several weeks where wise conduct played or could have played a role in making the most of the occasion?
9. Read Colossians 4:6. What two aspects of our conversation with outsiders are brought out in this verse?

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What do these two characteristics look like in a conversation?

How have you seen these characteristics lead toward spiritual conversation?

In addition, consider the following questions:

• How have you struggled this week?
• How can the others in the group help you?

Read Titus 3:3-7.

At one time we were foolish. (Okay, sometimes we still are, but how much more foolish before Christ.) God pulled us out of a life headed for wrath. Why did he save us according to this passage?

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This means that our former lives brought forth no good thing worthy of salvation. Our history is His-story showing how His mercy delivered us from ourselves. That’s what makes a personal testimony all about the power, love, and glory of God – it has little to do with us. A personal testimony is not about us as much as it is about God.

To Consider

Go back and review your personal testimony from yesterday. How does it reveal the power, glory, and mercy of God in your life?