FAMILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE
January 1-7, 2012
Headed the Right Direction
Sunday, January 1
Call the family together.
Pray.
Read: II Corinthians 5:12-21
Ask: Paul was accused of being out of his mind. What does verse 14 say motivated him to keep preaching? (His love for Christ. Some might also say it was Christ’s love for the world.)
How does Paul describe the Christian in verse 15? (The Christian is now dead to the world but alive to Jesus Christ.)
How can we be a new creation? (A new creation is made of each person who comes to Christ. The old sins have been forgiven and a new purpose is given for living. They have God living inside them and no longer need to fear death.)
What has Christ done for us according to verse 18? (Jesus Christ has reconciled us to God. He has restored the fellowship that was broken by sin.)
What does verse 20 say about our purpose now? (For those who are in Christ, we represent God in the world like ambassadors of another nation. Our purpose is to bring others to Christ.)
Who became sin for us so that we might be made right with God? (Jesus Christ.)
Lesson: The Christian is a new creation. There is a new beginning offered for each person who comes to Christ. The past is forgotten and forgiven. The blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin. We are sent out into the world on mission. Resolve in 2011 to be an ambassador for Christ that allows the world to see Christ in you.
Memory Verse: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” (II Corinthians 5:17)
Pray: Thank God for the new beginning you have in Jesus. Pray for others who do not yet have this peace with God.
Monday, January 2
Call the family together.
Pray.
Read: Ephesians 2:1-10
Ask: In what condition did God find us? (We were spiritually dead in our sins.)
Where would this path of sin eventually lead according to verse 3? (We we under the wrath of God and would be separated from God for ever.)
Why did God intervene in verse 4? (Because He loved us.)
What did He do? (God, in His mercy and because of love, lifted us up out of our sins and seated us with Christ Jesus in heavenly places. We were made children of God and given a position of honor with God.)
Is there more to come and why? (Verse 7 says that in the ages to come HE will show us the exceeding riches of His grace and kindness.)
Why did God save us? (Because HE loved us He acted through grace. Grace means that God has given us what we could never earn or deserve.)
What does God want from us now? (We are new creations in Christ Jesus and we are to live lives filled with good works .)
Lesson: The Christian has a new position. God found us dead and unable to help ourselves. He loved us despite our sinful condition and acted through grace to redeem and restore us. He has made us His children and given us a place of great honor in His kingdom. We are now to live in a way that glorifies Him.
Memory Verse: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” (II Corinthians 5:17)
Pray: Thank God for His grace in your life. Pray for others who have yet been made alive in Christ Jesus.
Tuesday, January 3
Call the family together.
Pray.
Read: Matthew 9:14-17
Ask: What question did John’s disciples ask Jesus and why? (They asked Him why He didn’t teach His disciples to fast. They asked the question because that was a routine religious practice of the day.)
What was Christ’s answer? (HE answered that the bridegroom was here and that was a time of celebration. The Bridegroom was Jesus and fasting would have been a mournful response to a moment of celebration. When He would leave them, then they would fast.)
What does He mean about the unshrunk or new piece of cloth? (Clothes were valuable in Christ’s day and often patched instead of discarded. New patches never washed would shrink. You need to put a new patch on new clothes and an old patch on old clothes so that the new patch would not shrink and tear away from the old garment. )
What does He mean by new wine in new bottles? (Wine bottles were often made of leather. When the leather dried it would become hard. New wine would ferment and expand. If new wine was put in old, brittle bottles, the fermentation would break the bottle. New wine needed new bottles that would expand with the fermentation.)
Lesson: The Christian has a new purpose. The disciples of John were looking at religion in a traditional and archaic way. They may have wondered why Jesus chose such disciples that had no religious background and that weren’t even being taught to fast. The Good News of Jesus was radical. This news could not be contained in disciples like the Pharisees for they could not understand it or accept it. The news Jesus brought of His love, sacrifice and resurrection must be entrusted to disciples who weren’t already corrupted by the present religious system. The Word of God is living – let it expand and grow in your life!
Memory Verse: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” (II Corinthians 5:17)
Pray: Thank God for the radical news of His coming and His sacrifice. Thank Him for such amazing love.
Wednesday, January 4
Call the family together.
Pray.
Read: Ephesians 4:17-24
Ask: Why does he use the word “walk”? (To “walk” in the King James and other translations often means the direction of your life or the conduct of your life. The behavior of the Christian is to be different than the behavior of the rest of the world.)
What does It mean in verse 18 to have your “understanding darkened”? (This means you do not think as God created you to think. You are still conducting your life without understanding the consequences of your behavior or realizing that you can never satisfy your souls needs through fleshly desires. This is why Jesus is called the “light of the world” who gives us understanding that only He can meet our deepest needs.)
What has this darkened understanding caused people to do? (According to verse 19 it has caused them to give their lives over to all kinds of sinful activity.)
What has Christ done for the Christian? (He has taught us differently.)
What does God want to do for us according to verse 23? (He wants us to be renewed in the spirit of our mind. He wants us to look at our lives and at this world through the eyes of Jesus Christ.)
What does such a change bring for us? (Verse 24 says that we have a new man that is created according to God which is holy and righteous.)
Lesson: The Christian has a new behavior. From the Garden of Eden till the present the devil has lied to mankind. He has persuaded and convinced us that disobeying God would bring joy, peace and satisfaction. Eve bought the lie and convinced Adam to join her. Man has lived in the bondage to these lies and sin. Christ came to set us free. Through Jesus, we understand that real joy, peace and satisfaction is knowing our Heavenly Father through His Son, Jesus Christ, and living in a way that pleases Him.
Memory Verse: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” (II Corinthians 5:17)
Pray: Thank God that your mind has been enlightened. Pray for those still living in darkness and sin.
Thursday, January 5
Call the family together.
Pray.
Read: Philippians 1:19-26
Ask: Where was Paul when he wrote this letter? (Verse 13 says that he is chained and under guard. He is in prison either at Caesarea or in Rome.)
What did he think might happen? (He thought that he might die in prison.)
What was the church doing for him for which he thanked them? (They were praying. Though he thought he might die, he believed stronger that God might deliver him again due to the prayers of God’s people.)
If he lived, what would he do according to verse 21? (He would live for Christ and keep serving the Lord through preaching , encouraging and ministry.)
If he died, what would he do? (Verse 21 says that to die would be gain. It would be a benefit. Verse 23 says that to die would be to “depart” and be with Christ.)
Lesson: The Christian has a new hope. The hope, which is more than a wish but a confident expectation, is that death is the door way into the presence of Christ. The Christian has a new view of death that removes the fear of death and replaces it with joy. If I live, I will live for Christ. If I die, I will go to be with Christ.
Memory Verse: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” (II Corinthians 5:17)
Pray: Thank God that Christ enables us to see death differently. Resolve to live in 2010 for Christ. Know that if this year brings death, it will bring you to Christ.
Friday, January 6
Call the family together.
Pray.
Read: Colossians 3:12-17
Ask: How does Paul describe the church? (He describes the church as the ‘elect of God.’)
What are some qualities that should be in our life? (Tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, forgiveness)
What is the most important quality? (Love.)
What is supposed to rule our hearts? (The peace of God is supposed to rule in our hearts.)
What is supposed to dwell in us richly? (The word of God should dwell in us richly.)
How should we treat each other according to verse 16? (We are to encourage and teach one another to live for Christ and do this with a song in our heart .)
To who do we give glory? (We give all the glory to Jesus Christ and to the Heavenly Father for what He has done for us.)
Lesson: The Christian has a new joy. The more we ponder what Christ has done for us the more joy we have in our hearts. God wants His people to be joyful and to encourage one another with this joy. We are to sing with grace in our hearts to the Lord! Make sure that 2011 finds you with a song in your heart!
Memory Verse: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” (II Corinthians 5:17)
Pray: Thank God for the music He brings to life. Thank Him for saving your soul and changing your attitude toward life and others.
Saturday, January 7
Call the family together.
Pray.
Read: Revelation 21:1-8
Ask: Who is speaking in this passage? (John, the disciple of Jesus, and the only disciple to have survived the persecution of Rome. All the other disciples were killed while John was exiled to a lonely island.)
What does he see? (He sees a new heaven and new earth coming down from heaven.)
How does he describe it in verse 2? (He describes it as a bride that is prepared to be received by her husband.)
What is the new city? (The new Jerusalem where God will dwell and His people with Him.)
Why is there no more sea? (Though there are bodies of water, the sea was viewed as something that brought the enemy ships and destructive storms. The sea separated people and was unknown and unexplored.)
What is different about this new city? (God will dwell with His people and they will be His people and God will be their God.)
What won’t be present? (There will not be any tears, death, pain or sorrow.)
How does one gain access to this city? (By drinking of the water of life which is Jesus Christ.)
What about those who refuse Christ? (Verse 8 says that all those who refuse Jesus and choose a life of sin will be cast into the lake of fire.)
Lesson: Christians are going to a new home. Praise God we have a picture of a place of unsurpassed beauty. We have a description of a place without tears, pain, death or sorrow. God is with us in a way we have never known. All is delight in the city of gold that God is preparing for those who love Him.
Memory Verse: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” (II Corinthians 5:17)
Pray: Thank God for heaven. Pray for those who have not yet come to Christ.