[The following devotional is a part of our 2015 Easter Season Devotional Book “Passion Road.”  We will be posting a devotional each day on this blog between February 18 – April 5, 2014.]

 

Calms the Storm by Jonathan Holmes

Read: Mark 4:35-41 (cf. Luke 8:22-25, Matthew 8:23-27)

I love the disciples. The disciples were the 12 men that Jesus called to leave their jobs and to physically follow him full-time. These disciples spent most of their time with Jesus, but yet they continually missed what Jesus was teaching and even who Jesus is. I love the disciples, because if they can be called followers of Jesus then I just might stand a fighting chance.

We don’t see Jesus resting often in the book of Mark. We’ve seen him teaching into the night and praying before sunrise, but this is the first time that Jesus is mentioned to be sleeping. So you would think that he is asleep in a dark and quiet place, but it is in fact the exact opposite. “And a great windstorm arose…and the boat was already filling.” Being filled with fear, the disciples go to the sleeping Jesus and woke Him up.

When Jesus awakes, he offers two rebukes. The first to the storm saying, “Peace! Be still!” The second rebuke is to His disciples, who even though they called Him Teacher, they did not understand His teaching. Despite the tutoring of Jesus, it had not hit them that the authority and power of God was present in Him. The disciples failed to realize that the protective presence of Jesus was more powerful than any storm, so they had no reason to fear.

When the storms of life come my way it can be easy for me to lose sight of the one who has promised to never leave me (Deut. 31:6, John 14:25-26). In these moments of doubt I am afraid that God has let me go and consequently I have begun spinning out of control. It is in this story that I connect with the disciples in their fear. Im not left there though. I am ushered into the same moment of awe they felt when they said, “Who is this, that even the wind and sea obey Him?” Jesus has complete rule and power over creation. Although at times we struggle with doubt in His protective presence, may we rest in the wonderful awe that this power brings.

Questions:

• How have you felt the protective presence of Jesus in your life?
• Have you had a moment or two when you doubted the power or protection of God? Were any of these moments filled with storms in your life?

Prayers for Lent

• Thank the Lord for the incredible power that he showed during His life on earth.
• Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal doubt that you have in the power of God.

[The following devotional is a part of our 2015 Easter Season Devotional Book “Passion Road.”  We will be posting a devotional each day on this blog between February 18 – April 5, 2014.]

 

In the Weight Room by Mark Robinson

Read:  Matthew 14:22-33

In Matthew 14:22-33, the 12 disciples are on a boat in the middle of the Sea of Galilee amidst a fierce storm when Jesus comes walking to them on top of the water.  What an amazing site this must have been!  Upon seeing the figure walking on the water, 11 disciples decide that it must be a ghost.  11 disciples keep their mouths shut.  11 of them tremble in fear.  One of them speaks.  In Matthew 14:28, Peter says, “Lord, if it’s you, tell me to come to you on the water.”  Jesus says, “Come!” and while 11 other men watch with wide eyes, Peter hops the side of the boat and walks ON TOP OF THE WATER in the direction of Christ.  Now, after Peter gets a good distance from the boat, he begins to remember that he is walking on top of the water.  This sudden realization leads Peter to take his eyes off Christ and sink into the sea.

When Peter sinks, Jesus speaks and says in 14:31, “You of little faith.  Why did you doubt?”  Now the question comes.  Why would Jesus say this to Peter?  Why not say this to the other 11 men cowering in the boat with their jaws on the deck.  Why call Peter out?  I think the answer to this question is found through a weight room analogy.

You see, Jesus goal for every person is that they would grow in their faith in Him.  Jesus wants us to trust Him.  Though His goal for each of us is the same, by faith, each of us (at different times in our lives) can “lift” different “weights.”  Some can only “lift” the bar and others can bench press a mobile home.  Spiritually speaking this translates to the fact that our faith grows over time as we exercise it.  It is a significant faith step for a new Christian to trust God with their forgiveness, but it is an even greater faith step for the mature Christian to trust God with the death of a child or their cancer.  Our faith grows over time, and as God grows our faith, each day/season/year is filled with different “weights” that God has placed on the bar.  Based on who Peter was and all that Jesus had taken Him through (including the initial steps he took on the water) Jesus wanted Peter to persist in that faith and lift even more.  For the rest of the disciples in the boat, their faith steps may have had less “weight.”  Their faith step may have involved just ceasing to be afraid, or believing that Jesus could really perform such a miracle.  This is the progressive nature of growth in the Christian life.

What about you?  As you live out your life today, what are the weights that God is asking you to lift by faith?  It is probably different for every person, but it has the same goal in mind . . . to grow in our depth and relationship with Jesus Christ.  Don’t spend a lot of time comparing yourself to others, growing fearful of participating in the spiritual life because you don’t think you can lift as much as the next guy.  Know that Christ has put the weight on your bar that is appropriate for you to grow in faith.  Believe that and then trust Him.  If you do, you will find that your faith is stronger tomorrow than it is today.

Question:

• What are some of the “weights” God is asking you to lift in faith today?

Prayer:

• List in prayer your current struggles and ask God for the faith to face to trust Him.

 

[The following devotional is a part of our 2015 Easter Season Devotional Book “Passion Road.”  We will be posting a devotional each day on this blog between February 18 – April 5, 2014.]

 

Withered Hand by Jonathan Holmes

Read: Matthew 12:9-14 (cf. Mark 3:1-6, Luke 6:6-11)

It’s ridiculous how easily we take blessings and morph them into curses. We become slaves to the very things that should set us free. In Matthew 12 Jesus is confronted with a view of the Sabbath that has morphed into an enslaving legalistic following of rules. The religious leaders of the time desired to protect and to uphold the Law, so they built a hedge around the keeping of the Sabbath. This hedge looked more like a small book of rules and addendums. Consequently, the Pharisees changed the Sabbath into something it was never meant to be.

The concept of Sabbath is intended to be a blessing rather than a curse. The Sabbath was instituted by God for mankind’s benefit and refreshment. It was not meant to keep regulations (Mark 2:27). Jesus takes the Pharisee’s concept of Sabbath and flips it upside down, revealing the true and intended blessing it was. After the Pharisees pose the legal question, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” Jesus answers their question, as He often did, with another question. “What shepherd would not lift the sheep out of a pit?” If it is understandable that the shepherd would help his animals on the Sabbath, how much more reasonable is it to take care of people on the Sabbath?

After this pronouncement, Jesus miraculously demonstrates the original life-giving concept of Sabbath as he restores the man’s hand. The healing of this man’s hand is almost expected. The Pharisees are past the point of being amazed by the miraculous power of Jesus, even as it is done right in their midst. They are so stuck on the infraction of their manmade rules, that they miss the blessing of witnessing, firsthand, the miraculous power of Jesus. By this healing, Jesus shows not only that He has power over disease, but also that he has authority over the Sabbath (Mark 2:28).

Questions:

• Are there ever times in your life that you miss experiencing the freedom God offers, because you are so concerned with following rules?
• Can you think of a time when you took a blessing from God and morphed it into and enslaving curse?
• Do you see your daily devotional time as more of a blessing or a curse? Are you motivated by guilt or your love for God?
• How does Galatians 5:1 relate to this passage in Matthew 12?

Prayers for Lent

• Thank God for demonstrating His incredible power over disease through Scripture.
• Ask God to continue to help you enjoy Him through the freedom He offers.

[The following devotional is a part of our 2015 Easter Season Devotional Book “Passion Road.”  We will be posting a devotional each day on this blog between February 18 – April 5, 2014.]

 

The Parable of the Two Sons by Jonathan Holmes

Read: Matthew 21:28-32

At times I walk around my house and think of it as a museum of my own intentions. I go into our office and I see the walls that I intended to paint. Glancing at my yard I notice the leaves that I had intended to rake. Opening my shed I run into the old bookcase that I intended to refinish. I intend to do a lot of things. My intention, however, didn’t help get any of these closer to completion.

Our passage is the first of three parables that are responding to the hostility of the Jewish authorities. In the preceding verses Jesus’ authority was challenged by the religious leaders of the time and he responds by teaching three different parables. All three parables work together to teach about one group of people losing their privileged positions to the very people they despised.

The Parable of the Two Sons illustrates the stark difference between saying and doing and indicates that God cares more about our actions than our intentions. This is a reiteration of the same message Jesus taught earlier in Matthew 7:15-27, “Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.” When Jesus posed the question, “Which of the two did the will of his father?” the answer was obvious, “the first of course!” Jesus immediately applies this to the religious leaders, who did not repent and believe (Luke 7:29-30), and told them that they are the second son. Jesus just told the religious leaders that they stood condemned. They must have been horrified by Jesus’ words. The worst of the worst, the despised and immoral, would be welcomed into the Kingdom and they, the religious leaders, would not.

I can intend all day to complete all of the projects mentioned above, but the truth is they are still left undone until I act. The Parable of the Two Sons teaches us that obedience is more important than intent. In Christianese we say, “God knows your heart,” but our gracious obedience is seen in our actions not intents. Obey God’s will by taking action.

Questions:

• What are some areas in your life in which you have always intended to follow Jesus, but have never acted on your intentions?
• How does Matthew 7:15-27 communicate a similar message to the Parable of the Two Sons?

Prayers:

• Thank God for a kingdom that welcomes ALL who have been redeemed!
• Ask God for greater strength to act on His will rather than mere good intentions.

[The following devotional is a part of our 2015 Easter Season Devotional Book “Passion Road.”  We will be posting a devotional each day on this blog between February 18 – April 5, 2014.]

 

Serious Silver by Mark Robinson

Read:  Matthew 25:14-30

How valuable is something that weighs 75 pounds?  Well, it depends on what that “something” is made of, right?  If it is a 75 pound block of pure gold, it is more valuable than if it is 75 pounds of trash from the local dump!

In Jesus’s day, the word “talent” referred to something that weighed about 75 pounds.  As it referred to wealth, most “talents” were made of silver or gold.  In Matthew 25:14-30, Jesus tells a parable about a wealthy landowner who gave his servants several talents to invest.  It is assumed that these were talents of silver, making them very valuable.  Each talent of silver would have been worth about 16.5 years worth of wages.  The wealthy landowner gave one servant 5 talents, another 2 talents, and finally another only 1 talent.  To translate that to our modern vernacular, let’s assume that a year’s wage is $50,000.  That means the master gave the servants $4.125 million, $1.65 million, and $825,000 respectively.  That is some serious silver!

In the parable, the landowner entrusts this wealth to the servants and leaves for a long journey.  After an extended time away, the landowner returns, and visits each of the servants expecting to receive back the talents (plus profit) that the servants had managed.  Those who managed the money well, received back commendation, blessing, and increased opportunity.  Those who did not manage the talents well experienced a loss of reward.

Jesus tells this parable to illustrate the point He made earlier in His sermon (back in Matthew 24:45-46.)  This sermon was delivered by Jesus to do two things:  predict His return to the earth one day, and prepare His followers for what they needed to be doing while they waited for His return.  In Matthew 24:45, Jesus says that He wants to find “faithful” servants when He returns.  What does it mean to be faithful?  The answer to that question is found in the parable of the talents you read today.

If you are reading this today and you have placed your faith and trust in Jesus Christ, know that Jesus has given you 75 or more pounds of blessing.  These blessing are especially valuable because they are not made from silver or gold which will never leave this earth, but are made with an imperishable combination of eternal blessings and divine opportunity.  Your gifts, skills, education, money, relationships, and opportunities are entrusted to you by Jesus Himself in this interim period between our rebirth in Christ and His second coming.  One day, you will have to give an account for how you stewarded your “talents” in this life.  When Jesus returns, will you be found faithful?

Questions:

• What are the “talents” that Jesus has given you in life?
• What would it look like for you to be a good steward over your talents this week?

Prayer:

• Pray for God to give you eyes to see opportunities to invest your talents in His work this week.

[The following devotional is a part of our 2015 Easter Season Devotional Book “Passion Road.”  We will be posting a devotional each day on this blog between February 18 – April 5, 2014.]

 

The Cost of Discipleship by Jonathan Holmes

Read: Luke 14:25-33

Have you ever found yourself in the middle of a large task like mowing the yard or driving somewhere and stopped to consider, “Is this really worth it?” You ask this question because you see how much time you have invested in the task and you begin to weigh the alternatives. “Couldn’t I just pay someone to mow my yard?” “Why didn’t we fly here?” When we count the costs we begin to ponder if we made the right decision.

If you have never found yourself asking this question about following Jesus, then you will. Whenever we face obstacles, are tempted by sin, or face tragedy we look at our relationship with Jesus and think to ourselves, “Is this really worth it?” In Luke 14 Jesus challenges the crowd gathered around Him to “count the cost” of being His disciple, because it is costly. Jesus describes the cost of being His disciple by saying:

A disciple loves Jesus > everything else. (v. 26) Jesus doesn’t mean to literally HATE everyone—He’s overstating His point like we do when we say, “I’m so hungry I’m gonna DIE.” A disciple’s loyalty and love falls to Jesus first and their love for everything else is incomparable.

A disciple carries his cross. (v. 27) The Roman Empire would force the criminal to carry his cross at least part of the way to the execution site. Carrying his cross through the city was intended to be an admission that the emperor was correct in their sentencing him to death. A disciple must carry their cross and follow Him as a public display that Jesus is their Lord and they would follow Him even to death.

After sharing these two costs of discipleship Jesus shares two parables to help the crowd realize the importance of counting these costs before they claim to be His followers. The parables both hit on the importance of counting the costs while the tower teaches us that we must not be like the foolish builder who is not able to pay the full cost. The warring king teaches us that we must be able to sacrifice a desired victory all while counting the cost.

Discipleship is costly. It is costly because it costs a man his life. Discipleship is filled with grace because it gives us the only true life. That is why Jesus so desperately wants us to count the costs and not end up like the tower builder or warring king unable to finish well. Jesus’ followers understand the cost of disciple and must be willing to pay the full price.

Questions:

• Have you every stopped and considered the costs of following Jesus?
• What lessons can you learn from the tower builder and warring king?

Prayers:

• Thank God for the opportunity to lay down your life to find true life in Him. (Luke 9:23-24)
• Ask God to show you areas in your life in which you are not ready to pay the full price of discipleship.

[The following devotional is a part of our 2015 Easter Season Devotional Book “Passion Road.”  We will be posting a devotional each day on this blog between February 18 – April 5, 2014.]

 

Which Seat are You In? by Mark Robinson

Read:  Luke 15:1-32

I love OU Football.  Several Saturdays each year, I have the opportunity to go to the “temple” of OU football (Gaylord Family Memorial Stadium) to see the Sooners play.

Though every seat in Memorial Stadium is a good one, there are nuances that allow you to have a different vantage point depending on where you sit.  If you are down low on the west side, you are close to the action, but you probably have to stand the entire game.  If you are in the upper deck on the east side, you have a chair back, but it takes an hour and a half to climb the ADA compliant switchbacks to make your way to the top.

Different seats offer different vantage points. This is a principle that is not just true in a stadium, but also true in life.  Depending on what seat you are in, stories and experiences impact you differently.  Of course, Jesus knew this.  That is why when He tells His parables, many times they have different meanings for different people in His listening audience.  This was certainly true in Luke 15 when Jesus tells His famous parables of the lost sheep, shekel, and son.

In the first couple of sentences of Luke 15, Luke lets us know that Jesus was talking to the “tax collectors and sinners,” but also to the “Pharisees and scribes.”  To be sure, these were two very different “seats” from which to hear the parables Jesus taught.

The “tax collectors and sinners” were the people everyone thought had screwed up.  They were the ones rejected and despised by the religious elite.  Jesus tells these parables to them to let them know that God (in Christ) is seeking them out.  He is leaving the 99 to hunt them down.  He is searching the house of Israel for them because they are valuable to Him.  This truth would have been an incredible comfort to the sinner!

The “Pharisee and scribe” were the religious elite, leaders in the synagogue.  They were the ones who knew their Bible well.  But they were also the ones who had become self-righteous and self-reliant, thus blinding them to their own sin.  To this group of people, Jesus tells the parable reminding them that they should be rejoicing, not grumbling, at Christ’s outreach to the broken and bruised.  Also, Jesus tells the parable to remind them that their Heavenly Father is concerned for them as well . . . evidenced by the fact that the prodigal’s father is outside the house, talking with the older son (older son = Pharisees), inviting them to come into the party.

Questions:

• Which “seat” can you most associate with in these parables (tax collectors or Pharisees)?
• What do these parables teach you about God’s thoughts for you?

Prayer:

• Pray and thank God for His pursuit of a relationship with you.