Summer Devotional

Week 1 – Heartless Religion

By Jeremy Piehler – Jefferson Campus

Psalm 51:16–17 16 You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. 17 My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.

King David, the author of Psalm 51, had just messed up on an epic scale. Being caught in adultery, King David chose to cover up his crime through deception and murder. Eventually what was done in secret came to light. And when it did, David was heartbroken over the consequences of his sin and the fact that he had sinned in the first place. Because of his evil behavior, King David wrote Psalm 51 as a confession and plea for repentance.

In verses 16-17, David makes it clear that what God cares most about is a “broken and contrite” heart. God doesn’t want David to half-heartedly offer religious “sacrifices” to make up for his sinful behavior. Half-hearted religious behavior is simply a way people try to buy God off, thinking that if they just do some religious activities they can make up for their sinful behavior. They want to look religious on the outside while remaining apathetic on the inside. But that isn’t what God wants at all. In fact, that kind of thinking is offensive to God!

God wants David to repent in his soul, though his natural tendency is to hide behind half-hearted religious actions – just like us. Some of us give some money, say a prayer, or go to a church service because we feel guilty. God wants our hearts to be changed first! That matters more.

This passage shows us an important truth about living a Jesus-centered life. God doesn’t want us to do a half-hearted religious activity, he wants wholehearted engagement.

Think about the last time you did something wrong. Maybe you didn’t follow through on a promise with your family, lost your temper with someone, or told a half-truth to your boss. I know that I can be tempted in those moments to do something good externally to try and make up for my sinful behavior. Here’s the thing; when someone wrongs us and gives us a half-hearted apology, we know it isn’t good enough. So why do we think we can get away with this behavior with God? We know a little half-hearted prayer or religious activity doesn’t make up for our wrong behavior.

So this week when you catch yourself half-heartedly participating in religious activity, stop. Right where you are. Ask yourself, “is my heart engaged?” or “am I doing this to seek public recognition?”

Questions To Consider
1. Where are you most tempted to engage God half-heartedly?

2. On a scale of 1-10, how fully engaged is your heart this season?

3. What is one way you can better engage your heart this next week?

Pray
God, I know I need you. I often choose what looks good on the outside even when my heart is not in it. Please forgive me. Help change my heart so that I honor you inside and out. Help me to be fully engaged with your truth, your hope, and your joy. Help me see when I am being half-hearted and give me a deep passion to be fully engaged with you.

Going Deeper This Week
1. Read all of Psalm 51

2. Read 1 John 1:5–2:2 (NIV)

Week 2 – Suffering For The Gospel

By Helen Holloway – Pickerington Campus

Galatians 6:7-10 7 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8 Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. 9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 10 Therefore, as we have the opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

If ever there was someone in the Bible who suffered for the gospel, it was the Apostle Paul. But Paul didn’t begin his life as a soldier for Christ. In fact, before he gave his life to Christ, Paul was known at that time as Saul. He was a wealthy Pharisee and a persecutor of Christians. Paul hated, imprisoned, tortured, and murdered Christians. But after an encounter with Christ, he became a follower of Jesus, got baptized, and spoke boldly about the hope of Jesus (Acts 9:18, 28).

The book of Galatians is a letter that was written by Paul to the church at Galatia, a Roman province in central Asia Minor. The Galatians were beginning to stray from the truth of the Gospel by following people who were “throwing you into confusion and trying to pervert the gospel of Christ” (Gal 1:7). The Galatian Christians were bowing down to pressure to compromise Christian teaching in order to avoid social pressure from the religious Pharisees. The people of Galatia had begun to stray from the truth and believe the confusion that was being thrown at them.

In our culture, we see a lot of people who claim to be Christians that do, say, and act in ways that don’t match what the Bible teaches. Way too often, I’ve watched people on two different sides of a polarizing issue stand firm on their position and use religion and/or the Bible as the reason they believe what they believe. Under pressure, they started to bite back at one another! Under pressure, it can be hard to know what to believe and who to trust! How do I know what to believe when I hear these mixed messages? How do I know when I’m being deceived? And once I know that truth, how do I stand strong under pressure?

In Galatians 6, Paul encourages Christians to hold themselves and each other accountable. Christians should carry each other’s burdens and encourage each other to hold to their Christian values. I know that living a Christian life can have consequences. If I speak up when I see something wrong, people may think that I’m being judgmental or overstepping. My child may miss out on something fun if we prioritize church responsibilities over sports or social events. So many times, I worry more about what I’m losing or giving up by making a decision that prioritizes following Jesus. What if people will think poorly of me? What if they stop inviting my family to social events? I think I’m going to “suffer” or that in some way I’ll be mistreated.

Just like back in the days of Paul, being a Christian is hard work. And just like any other time when the work is hard, we can grow weary of making the hard decision. We tend to make excuses: “I didn’t have time to talk to her.” We place blame on others: “He wasn’t going to listen anyway. He never does.” We defend our choices: “I didn’t talk to him, but I did do this and that’s enough!” And while those actions may defer the hard conversations for a little while, we have to have courage in the face of hard conversations.

Galatians 6:7-10 is one of my favorite passages in the Bible. It reminds me that God has a plan and I am a part of it. It reminds me that He is in control. It reminds me that suffering for the sake of following Jesus will be rewarded. It is worth it! Whether that is the loss of approval from someone I love, my kids missing out, or simply doing the hard work of following Jesus day in and day out. It reminds me that the reward on the other side of this is greater than the things I’m afraid of losing now. Perhaps the seed I sow when I have a hard conversation or give an encouraging word to someone who is struggling is a part of God’s master plan. “God will not be mocked” is a reminder that He is watching everything we do, and He can and will use all of our hard work and sacrifice. Nothing is wasted.

When I’m exhausted and intimidated to be on a mission, I look back at the life of Paul, who suffered greatly for the Gospel, and I’m encouraged. God used him to advance the kingdom and He can use me and you to do the work of Christ even when it causes us to suffer. We need to take His words to heart, “don’t become weary”, “continue on” and don’t try “to win the approval of people, but of God” (Gal 1:10). Dear friend, don’t grow weary, continue on, and have the courage to suffer for the gospel. It is worth it. God will use it. Embrace it and look forward to reaping the harvest.

Questions To Consider
1. On a scale of 1-10, how weary are you of doing good? What are some ways that you can remind yourself to have courage and not become weary
2. Think of a time when you avoided a tough conversation. Why was it difficult to address that situation? What can you do differently next time
3. When you think of “suffering” what are the areas in your life where you feel that pain most?

Pray
God, I’m surrounded by so much fake news in this life. Thank you for the church, the Holy Spirit, and your Word that guides me. Forgive me for times when I get weary and I lose courage. Help me remain strong and seek only your approval, not that of the world or my flesh. Use my ability to stay focused and steadfast as an example to lead others to you.

Week 3 – Drifting From Your Love of Jesus

By Tyler Piatt – The Chapel Campus

Revelation 2:4-5 4 Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. 5 Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.
It’s disappointing when you look at someone you used to admire and see how far they’ve fallen off the pedestal. The message described in this passage has that same feeling. As John writes Revelation (acting as the messenger of Jesus to the Church of Ephesus in this chapter) he declares his disappointment in how far the Ephesians have drifted from where they once were. They have abandoned Jesus and his warning is stern: return to me, or lose my approval.

What exactly did Ephesus walk away from? In reading Mark 12:30-31, we can see that following Jesus requires us to love God and love others. You can’t love God and hate people, nor love people well without first loving God. Here’s the trap Ephesus fell into that’s common for us as well: sometimes we get so caught up working for Jesus, that we no longer worship him. And sometimes, we end up neglecting both. We put what we do before who we are in Christ, whether it’s for him or apart from him. A church can do all the right things for all the wrong reasons and sadly, so can we. We drift. Careers change, commitments become heavy, life gets hectic, and slowly we find we have drifted from Jesus.

We aren’t called to “fake it until you make it.” We aren’t expected to have the very same excitement we had as a brand new Christian, but the excitement of the new should progressively give way to a depth that makes your first love stronger. A married couple isn’t expected to feel that same continual thrill they did on their first date throughout their entire marriage. However, that original feeling of butterflies should eventually mature into a depth of love strong enough to hold firm against the hardest trials life brings their way.

So, what should we do? Remember, Repent, and Redo. Just like Ephesus, we need to remember where we have fallen. If you catch yourself drifting, remind yourself of the practices you prioritized, and your hunger for the Lord. When you remember, you often find something you need to repent for. I don’t mean make yourself feel sorry, or really feel anything sometimes, but actively change the wrong direction you’re going and go a different way. Then redo what you’ve done before. Go back to the basics that you did when you first pursued Christ. It’s a lie that the basics have to be boring. These spiritual disciplines may look similar over the long run, but they will sustain you for a lifetime.

What’s interesting is Ephesus didn’t lose their love; they left it. Losing something can be accidental, but leaving is intentional, even when it’s gradual. Yet here’s our hope: when you lose something, you don’t know where to find it, but when you leave something, you know exactly where you left it. Go back to your first love. Go back to where you left off. God’s calling you to something better.

Questions To Consider
1. Remember a time when your walk with Christ was healthy. What were you doing?
2. What is something you need to repent of and turn in a new direction towards?
3. What are some spiritually healthy habits you can start (or do again!) to keep you drawn close to Jesus?

Pray
Lord, I am prone to wander. Remind me of the goodness you bring. Give me a burden to repent from what pulls me away and the desire for what draws me closer to you. Use my spiritual habits to bring freshness and fullness to a life that glorifies you.

Going Deeper This Week
1. Read 2 Peter 1:5-10
2. Read Hebrews 2:1-3

Week 4 – Don’t Compromise to the Culture

By Kevin Kellogg – Pickerington Campus

Romans 12:2 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

The Apostle Paul is writing to the church in Rome for several reasons. He pleads with the church’s Jewish and non-Jewish Christians to unify. At the time, the Jewish Christians were holding on to their faith traditions that were meaningful but ultimately unnecessary because ​​of Jesus’ death and resurrection. Paul pleaded with them to unify in their love of God and their mission of spreading the Gospel. Before Jesus, Jews and Gentiles lived in continual opposition to each other. They didn’t get along culturally, politically, or religiously. Paul carried on Jesus’ desires for all believers to be brothers and sisters of the faith through worship and unified following of His commandments. Paul deeply desired all people to know and live out the Gospel’s truth.

One of the reasons why there was tension was because some Christians had refused to follow Jesus in order to stay comfortable as Roman citizens. Part of living out our faith is not compromising for culture. These Christians lived in a culture of confusion and conflicting beliefs. There were so many gods, religions, and ideas that they could choose from – a lot like today! Today, our culture is often at odds with the truth of scripture. Therefore, we need to constantly allow the truth of scripture to transform our minds into the mind of Christ.

I spend a fair amount of my time away from the church in an environment with mostly non-believers. Because of this, I am placed in conversations filled with gossip, slander, and foul language that doesn’t honor Jesus. I also witness behavior and lifestyles that are not Jesus-centered. I have to fight not to let this behavior rub off on me. My primary weapon against the drift toward culture and complacency is daily time with God through reading scripture, praying, and worship. This flows from a strong desire to live out my Christian calling and conform to Jesus, not my culture. God has given us plenty of weapons and instructions to combat our tendency to drift, and we need to use them.

The title of this devotion is Don’t Compromise to the Culture. The word “compromise” means to give up one thing to get another. Some compromise is good. For example, marriage requires each spouse to compromise on the delegation of chores, entertainment selections, or vacation choices to serve one another well. However, any compromise that causes us to sacrifice our God-given beliefs to satisfy cultural norms is not good for our souls.

We can’t find what we are not looking for. So one habit we should always utilize is the habit of self-reflection. Let’s practice. When was the last time you had encounters where you knew what was right but was tempted to compromise your beliefs to fit in? How did you respond? When you realized that there was a conflict, what went through your head? If you are honest, where are you compromising right now? To follow Jesus, we need to address every potential compromise in a truth-supported way. Keep fighting the good fight to follow Jesus and not compromise for culture when it is convenient or comfortable.

Questions To Consider
1. What is your response when you see behavior or are a part of conversations that don’t align with Jesus’ ways?
2. How do you keep yourself on a path of strength against the temptations of culture?
3. What area in your life isn’t holding up to the standard of scripture?

Pray
Father, I know I want to follow you and your ways. I want to please you and remain in your perfect will. Please help me be a beacon of light in a culture that is moving further and further from your truth. Please help me to resist the temptations of those who would pull me away from you. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Going Deeper This Week
1. Read John 14:15
2. Read Hebrews 10:26
3. Read Acts 5:29

Week 5 – We Tolerate Our Sin Too Much

By Jillian Walters- Jefferson Campus

1 John 1:8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.

Which way do your eyes face? It’s an odd question to consider but an easy one to answer – outward. When we look out a window, around a room, or at a screen, our eyes are fixed on others. Our thoughts may wander, but our gaze is on others – what they’re doing, how they’re living, and their choices.

So what’s wrong with focusing on others? Nothing, except when the result isn’t that we love them where they are and instead becomes us hiding from the truth. Don’t we do a great job of hiding? We disguise fear with physical strength or strong words. We hide anxiety and sadness behind a closed door or a false smile. But worse, we hide what is truly in our hearts and don’t address the sin. But as we know, our hearts drive our behaviors, and behaviors don’t lie. We need to turn down the voices of others, turn up the voice of God, and see ourselves as we are. God didn’t create us to be exceptional actors or actresses. He knew everything about us before we were even thoughts in our parents’ minds (Psalm 139:13). We can’t hide from Him. He is the winner of EVERY game of hide-and-seek (Hebrews 4:13)! So why do we keep attempting to hide from the truth that sin lives in us?

With such an outward focus, we are exceptional at spotting the failings and shortcomings of others but less willing to admit them about ourselves (Luke 6:42). As Keith put it in the message, “When someone confronts you about your sin, what’s your attitude?” Too often we chalk up seeing things in others as “iron sharpening iron” or “helping a brother or sister grow,” yet we smear on the makeup, “man up,” and hide behind false facades when it comes to our sin.

But be reminded, God sees EVERYTHING. Skeptical? He sees that look on your face right now! He sees the thoughts in your head, the motives of your heart, the things “said in private,” the way you treat your neighbor, and the conversation that turns to gossip. He knows us intimately, and He KNEW we would struggle, so He made it abundantly clear how we are supposed to live. As Christians, we are called to “be holy in all you do” (1 Peter 1:15). We are called to be holy in private and public, at work and home, with easy-going people and difficult people. There isn’t a place He doesn’t call us to be holy, nor is there a place He can’t observe whether we are or aren’t. But therein lies the struggle – holiness feels unattainable. It feels legalistic. We feel defeated. But in Romans 12:9, we are reminded that our desire to live holy lives should be from a place of love, not an achievement. Holy living should be out of a desire to be in perfect union with our Father, NOT to earn his love nor to “level up,” but rather to walk in stride with Him.

Have you ever held hands with someone while walking? Inevitably, you end up striding the same, left feet together, right feet together. The bobbing of your bodies and the sway of your arms becomes rhythmic and in sync. There’s a sense of comfort, a feeling of unity. That’s what our Father wants for us.

Perhaps to better understand, we have to remember what sin is. Sin is outward rebellion against God, and the deserved punishment is death (Romans 6:23). We often read or hear this scripture and think, “Yeah, but I don’t lie, steal, cheat, kill, covet, struggle with sexual sin, or any of those other sins warranting death.” Technically you’re right. You may not sin in those ways. But sin is sin, even though we want to give different sins different values. God sees all sin as a veil dividing you from Him, and He wants it gone!

We are all born into sin; observe the selfishness of a toddler (or an adult for that matter) who doesn’t want to share, and we can see that sin in us. We aren’t ever going to be perfect, but we are called to SEE our sin and to REPENT and TURN from sin, not just excuse it. The Bible clearly states all sin is wrong, at all times and in all stages of life. Every sin is punishable by eternal death. But don’t lose hope; He gave us a way – THE Way.

We must drop the facade, open the door, and greet our Savior face-to-face. We are called to sit in His presence and invite Him to search our hearts (Psalm 139:23-24), to be honest with ourselves about our sin (1 John 1:8), to hate what is evil in us (Romans 12:9), to allow Him to break the shackles of sin (John 8:34), and to live our lives constantly glorifying God (Matthew 5:16).

Today, close your eyes and look inward. Reconnect with Jesus. See your sin and stop making excuses. Tell Him you’re sorry and beg Him to be the change inside of you because you can’t do it alone. Then grab his hand, take a step, find the rhythm, and don’t let go.

Questions To Consider
1. Do you know what God has deemed sinful? Examine what you consider right and wrong. Hold it up to God’s standards. Do they match? Why/why not?
2. Is there a sin you constantly fall back into? What excuses do you find yourself making? What “trade guilds” (refer to the weekend’s message) are you part of that negatively influence your decisions?
3. What ongoing habits can you build to help you recognize and address your sin?

Pray
Lord, search me. Reveal to me my sin, hidden or willful. Stir in me an understanding of what it could mean to be separated from you for eternity. Let it drive a desire in me to remain in you and help me adore you all the more. Help me desire the peace of holiness more than the temporary satisfaction of sin. Peel back the scales and help me to see. Make my every desire centered in You.

Going Deeper This Week
1. Read Luke 6:41-42
2. Read Galatians 5:16-26
3. “Respectable Sins: Confronting the Sins We Tolerate” – Jerry Bridges

Week 6 – Going Through the Motions of Religion

By Katlin Crooks – Grace Fellowship Intern

Revelation 3:1-3 “These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. 2 Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God. 3 Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent.”

For decades, pop culture has been obsessed with zombies. While portrayals of zombies in Hollywood have changed and varied over time, the term “zombie” has remained synonymous with the phrase “living dead.” People even incorporate the phrase in their own vocabulary to describe someone who is apathetically going through life. While the people of the church at Sardis (who John writes to in Revelation 3:1-3) did not look like the kind of zombie you’d see on The Walking Dead, they were zombie-like in that they were engaged in works but lacked the one thing that gave any of it meaning: spirit.

The Lord did not intend for us to approach our relationship with him as passively checking boxes off a list – Read the Bible, check. Pray in the morning, check. Join a group at church, check – yet the church at Sardis was doing just that, going through the motions, hence the reason God told them to wake up and remember what they had received and heard: faith without works is dead, but works without faith are also dead. In his grace and mercy, God also reminded the church of Sardis that it is never too late to change your heart.

While I was blessed to have grown up in a Christian household, I, unfortunately, spent much of my life engaging in the practices of Christianity without a real connection to the person of Christ. I’ve had a few really low moments in my adulthood that I didn’t navigate well because I focused on the outward behaviors of Christianity rather than the internal relationship with Jesus. In one particularly low moment, I finally realized I had been doing the right things for the wrong reasons. I was in a pit, ill-equipped and desperate to get out. I needed a heart change, a more active approach to my spiritual life, not a passive one. While I still get it wrong all the time, I know God can always renew my heart.

Maybe your experience with church has been different than mine, but I’ll bet you can relate to drifting into spiritual performance at some time in your pursuit of Christ. The church at Sardis reminds us that we all need to regularly evaluate our hearts to stay spiritually healthy. One way you can do this is by identifying your “why.” Why do you get up and read your Bible before work? Why do you participate in a group at church? And so on. If it’s because you want to cultivate your affection for Jesus, you’re moving in the right direction. Conversely, if your “why” is that it’s the “right thing to do,” repent and ask God to renew your heart.

Questions to Consider
1. In what ways do you best connect with God
2. What routines do you engage in and what is your “why” behind them?
3. In what ways can you keep yourself accountable to not just going through the motions?

Pray
God, forgive me for going through the motions. I know I do not have to work to earn your love, but that you already love me. Help me recognize when I am simply engaging in practices of Christianity without a real connection to you. Create in my heart a desire to grow in my affection for you.

Going Deeper This Week
1. Read Ephesians 2:8-10
2. Read James 2:14-26

Week 7 – In the World, Not of the World

By Sam Vavzincak – The Chapel

John 17:14-18 14 I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. 15 My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. 17 Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world.

In John 17, Jesus spends some of his final moments before his arrest, and eventual death, in prayer. In verses 14 through 18 above, he is praying for his disciples. Jesus outlines an important characteristic that was true of his disciples and is also true of anyone who follows Jesus today; that we are to be in the world, but not of the world.

In this passage, Jesus likens his disciples to himself by stating they are not of the world. The world has its own set of values, expectations, and its own perceived truths. As Christians, it is a daily challenge not to let these dictate how we live our lives. The world constantly calls for people to upgrade – to get the bigger house or the nicer car. As Christians, we are called to give generously and to be content. The world, however, encourages people to be selfish – to cut people out if they wrong you, and to ask, “What’s in it for me?” Jesus calls us to be selfless, forgive others, and serve. We are called to be set apart. We are called to reject the world’s expectations and values and instead live by the truth that is God’s word. This should show up in every area of our life. It should change the way we speak, how we spend our free time, how we date, what we do with our money, and so much more. Many of us face the problem of wanting to belong to both Jesus AND the world, but God calls us to be set apart.

Even after Jesus outlines the world’s dangers, he prays in verse 15 for God not to take his disciples away from it. This passage reveals that we are not simply left here in the world, but sent. As a child, my parents once accidentally left my sister behind at a store, after we had checked out and loaded up the car. You could imagine the emotions a child feels when being left behind. Being scared, overwhelmed, and confused were all feelings that ran through my sister’s mind as we pulled away in the minivan. Mere seconds later, we returned to pick her up. Years later, my parents would send myself or my sister out to stores to pick up whatever the house needed that day. Being sent to the store felt much different than being left at the store. Rather than feeling scared or confused, we felt confident. We knew we were at the store for a specific reason, and we understood why our parents wanted us to be there. Similarly, as Christians, we need to understand that we are in the world for a specific purpose. That we were not just left in the world by God until he decides to pick us up, but that we are sent here by God to be a light to the world.

Our choice to live by God’s word makes us stand out. It can help others to see the peace, freedom, and joy that come with living a Jesus-centered life. We cannot, however, be this light to the world if we are not present and intentional in our workplaces, neighborhoods, or friendships. We are sent into these areas to bring the good news of Jesus to those who need to hear it and see it. We are in the world to make disciples. This truth should impact the choices we make. It should also impact the conversations we have with non-Christian friends, coworkers, neighbors, and strangers.

Questions To Consider
1. In what areas of your life are you more influenced by the world than God’s word?
2. What spaces do you need to remind yourself that you are being sent into?
3. Where are you living like you have been left and not like you are being sent?

Pray
God, thank you for sending me into the world to be on a mission for you. Help me to live each day with your word in my heart and on my mind. Give me the strength to resist temptation. Guide my actions and conversations with others to help me represent you.

Going Deeper This Week
1. John 15:18-25
2. Romans 12:1-21
3. John 2:15

Week 8 – Dealing with Complacency

By Russ Elam­ – Jefferson Campus

Amos 6:1 “Woe to you who are complacent in Zion, and to you who feel secure on Mount Samaria, you notable men of the foremost nation, to whom the people of Israel come!”

Sitting across from the financial advisor, I pondered my risk tolerance. When market corrections came, the same advisor urged calm and continued investment. The key, said the advisor, was to keep the long-term in mind. Sure, the above-average return was great, but downturns are part of the market nature, and the one who would be hurt is the one living exclusively for the short-term. If I choose to live more for short-term financial gains, I find more significant losses for myself and those I love.

Similarly, as a person of faith, I am tempted to exchange “long-views” of God’s work in my world for “short-term gain” of the here and now, the immediate. My “short-term” thinking inevitably leads to complacency—a smugness of my soul—and a devolving relationship with Jesus. I know that when I focus more on house renovations than restoring strained relationships, when I have more desire to listen to a podcast than listen to God, when my concern is having good neighbors rather than being a godly neighbor, or if I think more about my eventual retirement than I do the eternity of others, I have grown smug in my soul. I have become complacent in my relationship with God.

Amos, the plain-spoken-farmer-turned-prophet, offered a competing take on the future of his people. What did he see as the issue? They had exchanged their pursuit of God for complacency (i.e., existing at ease, an attitude of carelessness or arrogance) rooted in their here-and-now. Their life had become focused on attaining one satisfaction after another as they embraced lives of luxury. For them, exquisite furnishings for the house, creative melodies, pampered taste buds, and beauty treatments had become their expectations of what life was meant to be (6:4-6). For us, it could be insisting on a home in an exclusive zip code, unwilling to live without the latest digital device, the eternal quest for new experiences, or making one’s dream wedding or vacation the priority without input from Jesus.

The prophet entered this satisfied state of mind and disrupted their misguided ease. He introduced the notion that their increasing satisfaction with life here and now was a partner to their moral ruin (6:6). Their satisfaction and complacency could not be divorced from the encroaching destruction. This ruin would arrive precisely because Amos’ people had tied all their security to their position and affluence. Additionally, the people had chosen not to consider their lives beyond *THIS* moment in time (6:3). They had not considered the “long-term” relationship with their Creator, and it showed. In essence, their lives were a fulfillment of the fool’s errand noted by Paul and Isaiah, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!” (1 Corinthians 15:32; Isaiah 22:13).

If such complacency, smugness, and short-sightedness are common and easily accessible, what can the person of faith do to deal with complacency? You and I can begin to deal with our complacency and avert the corresponding ruin by asking ourselves some reflective questions.

Questions To Consider
1. Am I behaving more like a “short-term” or “long-term” person when it comes to God?
2. What do I sense as the greatest obstacle to my pursuit of knowing God?
3. How am I distinguishing contentment from complacency?

Pray
Father, You are my Joy and my Hope. While You are a God who passionately loves, I wonder how much of my passion for You has cooled. Speak and show me where I have erred so that my-Your-joy might return. May what You give as a gift not be held closer to my heart than You. Speak with me as I sit with You.

Going Deeper This Week
1. Read James 5:1-11
2.Read Luke 12:13-21

Week 9 – Joy in Trials

By Shannon Cook – Pickerington Campus

James 1:2-4 2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

The early church knew a thing or two about trials. They had witnessed Jesus’ death on the cross and believed martyrdom was a high honor for those who followed “The Way.” It’s possible, however, that in the days since Jesus’ resurrection, they were getting comfortable. Keep in mind, that this was written just before some of the real persecution against Christians had begun. Instead of expecting trials, perhaps they wondered why these things were happening.

Elijah had trials too. All prophets did. He was sent to tell a spineless king and evil queen that the god they served wasn’t real and that it wouldn’t rain for a few years. I’ve had some bad days, but nothing compared to Elijah. God was faithful through it all and provided for Elijah, but there came a time when he shut down. Queen Jezebel wanted him dead, and he went to a cave to hide. God spoke to him in a small voice and said, “Go back!” God knew Elijah wasn’t done yet, but He had to convince him first. Elijah didn’t seem to be finding much joy in this particular trial.

When I think of things that bring me joy, they’re things like: sunsets, children laughing, or Christmas. Trials aren’t even in the top fifty. I wonder how the original audience received this message from James. They must have thought they had read it wrong. Trials? Does that really say trials?

My daughter likes to keep her hair long, but if she doesn’t get a little cut off every once in a while, it sort of stops growing. A little trim keeps her hair healthy and promotes growth. When she was young, it was hard to convince her of this because she saw hair on the ground and didn’t see how a trim could be a good thing.

God sometimes gives us a trim for our overall health. He allows specific trials in our lives to happen so we can grow. I remember a season when many annoying little problems were piling up. One day, while driving in my car, I yelled to God, “If you’re trying to teach me patience, I’ve already learned it!”I can almost hear the chuckle God must have given. I was impatiently claiming my ability to be patient. But look at the passage once more. Verse 4 says, “Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” The idea of being “complete” or “not lacking anything” doesn’t seem like something I’m even close to achieving. No matter how loud I yell or how many times I tell God, “I’m finished,” He knows there’s so much work to be done with my character. I’m watching the hair fall to the ground and wondering how it’s helping me grow.

It’s not that we don’t want to grow, but we often misjudge the timeline. I hope to be a mature disciple one day, but completion and lacking nothing aren’t things that happen this side of the grave. So, if the timeline truly is a lifetime, why should we be surprised by trials? It’s how our God refines us. John 16:33 says, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” We will have trouble. It’s a promise, but Jesus has already overcome the world. In His strength, we can weather each trial knowing it’s a part of how God refines us and makes us more like Him.

I don’t know what you’re dealing with right now, but I can bet there are difficult things in your life. Take heart. Jesus has overcome the world. Take comfort in Him and have joy in your trials because you are being groomed to serve God in a way you couldn’t before.

Questions to Consider
1. What are some of the trials you are facing today?
2. What would have to change in your heart to consider these trials pure joy?
3. What do you think God is trying to teach you amid these trials?

Pray
Lord, I want to persevere in my faith. I want to be a person you can use to do your work, and I know that means I’ll face trials. Help me see my trials as pure joy. Help me remember you have already overcome the world, and I have nothing to fear. Thank you for loving me enough to choose to refine me.

Going Deeper This Week
1. Read all of James 1
2. Read 1 Kings 19

Week 10 – A Dry Place

By Laurie Benis – Pickerington Campus

I remember years ago, as I was suffering through an ailment that would end up in surgery and a long recovery, deciding to read through the Bible in a year. After all, I had nothing better to do with all of my downtime than work through the Bible (little did I know that my downtime would drag out almost a year!). Reading in Numbers 11, I came across, “Is the Lord’s arm too short?” Instantly I laughed and thought, “What a funny little phrase to have in the Bible!” But that funny little phrase has stuck with me all these years.

In Numbers 11:23, God asks Moses if he believes God can do what He says He can do. Moses has just exasperated questions for God, asking if God would really show up. I think this is the same place some of us are currently. We are questioning God in a desert season, asking if He is going to show up and redeem what He has started. What will I have to go through before everything comes to an end? Do I have to give up the sin that I hold onto so tightly? Will I have to walk away from a relationship that is not healthy? Will I have to learn to love someone unlovable to me? Is God going to bring this dry season to an end?

As we negotiate these kinds of questions, we can read in 1 Kings 17-19 and learn about Elijah. Elijah was literally sent to “a dry place” when God told him to go to the Kerith Ravine. God brought a drought to the land and sent Elijah to a dried-up river! There, Elijah would be completely dependent on God for every need he had, which reminds me of the devotion I read this morning. The devotional said, “It’s not true to say God wants to teach us something in our trials. Through our trials, He wants us to unlearn something.” God wants us completely and utterly dependent on Him. God will keep working in our lives until we look more and more like His Son Jesus. God wants to take all the little “g” gods out of your life. The battle belongs to the Lord! It can be agonizing when we don’t see where the Lord is leading or when we don’t comprehend the direction He is leading. We must lean into the faithfulness of God in the past. We need to read scriptures that remind us of when God won the battles. We can trust that he will not fail us.

So, through all our trials, we must realize that the Lord’s arm is not too short. God knows the victory we will come to if we will stay the course with Him. He is the one who can make beauty from ashes.

Questions to Consider:

• Where are you not depending on God?
• Have you forgotten what it looks like for God to win the battle?

Pray
God, so many times, we forget just how accomplished you are. Amid our battles and suffering, we question if you really can do the things you say you can; we ask, is the Lord’s arm too short? Help us to remember the times you were faithful, and let us know without a doubt that you have our best in mind and that you will win all battles.

Going Deeper This Week
Read Psalm 3

Week 11 – Persevere

By Katie Schmidt – Upper Arlington Campus

1 Kings 19:3-4 – 3 Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there 4 while he himself went a day’s journey into the desert. He came to a broom tree, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.”

What!? Elijah had just witnessed the up-close and personal, dramatic power of the Almighty God when He defeated the prophets of Baal and again when the Lord answered his prayer for rain. But the threat of Jezebel’s evil plan to kill Elijah sent the prophet into a fearful, downward spiral of depression, loneliness, and discouragement. That’s how Satan works. Our mountaintop experience crumbles into a spiritual valley, and before we know it, we’re left reeling in the depths of fear and despair. Blind-sighted. Caught off guard. Unprepared.

As followers of Christ, we are constantly battling against the enemy. And sometimes, standing firm in our faith can feel lonely and even depressing. It can be exhausting to defend our position in Christ to those who seek to persecute us. The Bible tells us that we will have trials, yet we are often unprepared for them. Look how the Lord met Elijah at his lowest point. First, God let him rest. This time of rest allowed him to clear his mind, reset, and recharge. God created the Sabbath for just that purpose. When we rest, we give ourselves time to clear away the noise that distracts us from God and allows us time to refocus on Him. Then, God sends an angel with food and drink to strengthen Elijah. Food and drink sustain us so we can be healthy, living sacrifices for God. We won’t be our best if we don’t take care of our bodies. Then, after the Lord provides and serves Elijah with basic needs, He speaks directly to Elijah in a gentle whisper. Softly. Intimately. God does this with us too, but we must be quiet and listen to His voice. This can meancarving out a regular quiet time to commune with the Lord or spending time reading and studying His Word. He is always there, waiting for us to join Him. When Elijah continued telling of Israel’s rejection of God, God calmed Elijah by letting him know that Elisha would eventually come alongside and succeed him. God also tells Elijah that he is not the only firm believer but that there is a remnant of 7,000 in Israel. That information must have ministered to Elijah’s heart. He wasn’t alone! Others were fighting the good fight, and God let Elijah know.

Elijah had lost his confidence. His faith in the sovereignty of God was under attack. Hebrews 10:35-36 says, “35 So, do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. 36 You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised.” What are some practical ways that we can do that? Rest, take care of ourselves, and listen for God to speak through His Word and other faithful believers.

God wasn’t done with Elijah. His battles for the Lord were not over. There was still work that the Lord had for Elijah. If Elijah had “thrown in the towel” and quit, he would have missed the blessings of doing the will of the Lord. There is still work for us to do too. So, when you feel tired, discouraged, and alone remember that God is with you. And there is a body of believers that will love and help you as well. Don’t give up. Don’t quit. Join a group. Pray for His presence in the trials. Persevere.

Questions to Consider:

1. When you feel discouraged, do you have people you can reach out to for encouragement?
2. Are you substituting things of this world to help you feel better instead of God and His Word?
3. Do you set aside time each day to quiet your mind and listen for the voice of God?

Pray
Father, when I feel discouraged, and need encouragement, help me to turn to you. Help me to quiet the noise of everyday life and learn to be with you. In prayer. In worship. In your Word. In community. You have provided all we need to stay strong and follow you. Thank you for the comfort and power of your Holy Spirit, who guides us to know truth and your will for our lives. Help us not become weary but stay strong and persevere.

Going Deeper This Week
Read all of 1 Kings 19 (NIV)
Read Ephesians 6:10-14 (NIV)