You Just Need to Know the Channel

“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’” JOHN 14:6

 

PONDER THIS

Years ago, I heard a story of a man who applied for a job as a river boat pilot on the Mississippi. They said, “Can you run a river boat?” He said, “Of course I can.” They asked, “Can you handle the business affairs and stay in command?” He said, “Of course I can.” They asked, “One other thing, do you know where all the sandbars are?” He said, “No, I don’t.” They asked, “Do you know where the sunken rocks are?” He said, “No, I don’t.” They asked, “Do you know where all the hidden logs are?” He said, “No, I don’t.” They asked, “Well, how do you ever expect to be a river boat pilot?” He said, “I know where the channel is.” Amen.

Friend, listen. You’d better know where the channel is. It’s one thing to know about the logs and the sandbars, but it’s another thing to know where the channel is. And you’d better know the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Savior. The only way you can guarantee that you will not become an apostate and know you’re saved and you’re going to Heaven, is to receive Christ as your personal Savior and Lord.

How do the troubles of life tempt you to take your gaze off Christ?

How does keeping our focus on Christ keep us steady no matter what troubles we face?

PRACTICE THIS

What is one action you can take to keep your focus on Christ today? Take this step.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Contend for What God Has Revealed

“Likewise also these dreamers defile the flesh, reject authority, and speak evil of dignitaries.” JUDE 1:8

 

PONDER THIS

In today’s verse, Jude called the apostates dreamers. He was talking about conjecture, imagination, something dreamed up. In the Book of Jude, verse 3, the Bible says we should “contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.” Jude was talking about God’s Word. There is a battle for the Bible. There is a fight for the faith. We should earnestly contend for the faith. This means we must refute the “dreams” or the imaginations of men because they are not something God has revealed. This is something people have dreamed up—their own subjective religion. They have their own existential ideas rather than the revealed Word of God.

How has today’s devotion reminded you of the importance of knowing and contending for the truth of the Bible?

What are some ways we contend for the truth of the Bible? How does the Bible defend itself?

PRACTICE THIS

Write out as many ways you can think of that the Bible defends itself. How does this give you further confidence in God’s Word?

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

We Experience the Spirit Through Faith

Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith? (Galatians 3:5)

Every Christian is indwelt by the Holy Spirit. The apostle Paul said, “Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him” (Romans 8:9). The Spirit came to you the first time when you believed in the blood-bought promises of God. And the Spirit keeps on coming, and keeps on working, by this same means.

So Paul asks, rhetorically in Galatians 3:5, “Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith?” Answer: “By hearing with faith.”

Therefore, the Spirit came the first time, and the Spirit keeps on being supplied, through the channel of faith. Whatever he accomplishes in and through us is by faith.

If you are like me, you may have strong longings from time to time for the mighty working of the Holy Spirit in your life. Perhaps you cry out to God for the outpouring of the Spirit in your life or in your family or church or city. Such cries are right and good. Jesus said, “How much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” (Luke 11:13).

But what I have found most often in my own life is the failure to open myself to the full measure of the Spirit’s work by believing the specific promises of God. I don’t mean merely the promise that the Spirit will come when we ask. I mean all the other precious promises that are not directly about the Spirit but, perhaps, about God’s provision for my future — for example, “My God will supply every need of yours” (Philippians 4:19). God’s Spirit is supplied in an ongoing and powerful way precisely through specific acts of faith in specific promises for specific situations. Do I trust him right now to do what he has promised to do?

This is what is missing in the experience of so many Christians as they seek the power of the Spirit in their lives. The Spirit is supplied to us “by hearing with faith” (Galatians 3:5) — not just faith in one or two promises about the Spirit himself, but about all the soul-satisfying presence of God in our future to do for us, and be for us, whatever we need.

John Piper 

Truth Holds Your Life Together

“Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness.” EPHESIANS 6:14

 

PONDER THIS

It is integrity that holds everything else together. Truth and integrity are synonymous. You’re to believe the truth, know the truth, love the truth, tell the truth, live the truth, and preach the truth. If you don’t, your life is going to come apart. You cannot get into the battle against Satan unless you have the belt of truth. Satan is a liar, and he will come against you with lies. Jesus is the truth. Satan’s attack is an untruth. His attack on you is to bring a lack of integrity into your life.

Are you wearing the belt of truth at this moment? Or are you living a lie? If you are not wearing truth, if you do not have integrity in your life—in the big things and in the small things—you are going to lose the battle. It is truth that holds everything together; without truth, everything falls apart.

How have you seen the reality that everything in your life is held together by truth?

What is the connection between today’s verse and Jesus saying He is the truth in John 14:6?

PRACTICE THIS

Identify anywhere you may be living falsely and take steps toward the truth today.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Tuned In to What You Can’t See

“We do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” 2 CORINTHIANS 4:18

 

PONDER THIS

The Bible teaches that there is a visible material world and there is an invisible spiritual world, and these two co-exist side by side. We would be foolish to deny that there is an unseen spiritual world just because we cannot see it with our physical eyes. A blind man would be foolish to deny the radiant splendor of a sunset simply because he cannot see it.

If you were to take my great-grandfather and bring him back to this world and tell him that this room right now is full of music, sports, drama, action, automobiles crashing, and news from all over the world, he’d say, “No, that’s not true, you’re telling a lie.” But we know that it is true. If we turn on the TV, it could draw all of these images out of the air. We cannot see them right now simply because we’re not tuned in to them, but we know that they’re there. This gives us a wonderful illustration of another world in this age in which we live that our great-grandfathers did not have.

And Jesus is here now, but unless you have your antennae up and tuned into station J-E-S-U-S, you may not know it. You may say, “These people are just conjuring up things and talking about things that are not reality.” But there is more to life than what you can touch, what you can taste, what you can smell, what you can see, and what you can hear.

How have you experienced the unseen spiritual reality of the world?

How does this reality exist in support of God and in opposition to Him?

PRACTICE THIS

Spend time today reflecting on the reality of the unseen spiritual world.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

here Is Only One Truth

“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’” JOHN 14:6

 

PONDER THIS

There used to be a time, when you would preach on the inerrancy of the Word of God, the Virgin Birth, or the bodily resurrection and someone would say, “I don’t agree with that.” And you could discuss the matter and philosophize. You could take the Word of God and other sources and go back and forth trying to determine what is true and what is not true. But that’s not so today. Today you might say, “I believe in the Virgin Birth. I believe in the absolute sinless deity of the Lord Jesus Christ. I believe in His vicarious death upon the cross.” But with our culture’s view of tolerance, you would not be argued with. They would say, “That’s wonderful. That’s your truth. Now let me tell you my truth.” And you soon realize there is no fixed standard for anybody’s truth. All truths today are considered equal. But that’s not what the Bible says, and we are called to be faithful to God’s truth.

Where in your life have you encountered the idea that absolute truth does not exist?

Why is it easy to fall into this way of thinking if we are not careful?

PRACTICE THIS

Take time to write out some statements that are true about God and the world.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Listen for God’s Voice

“However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.” 

JOHN 16:13

 

PONDER THIS

How does God speak? How does God reprove? He does so by His Holy Spirit. There have been times when you’ve been driving along in your car, doing dishes, maybe you’ve been out on the football field, or just about to go to sleep, and you feel the Spirit of God speaking to you. When you come to Christ, God speaks to you and you know you’re a sinner, you know you’re doing wrong, you know you need to be saved, and God’s Holy Spirit is gently but strongly speaking to your heart. He spoke to mine when I was a teenage boy, before I came to the Lord Jesus Christ. There’s no way to describe it except that the dear precious Holy Spirit of God was speaking. And if God’s Holy Spirit is speaking to you today, I beg you, I plead with you, listen to the Spirit of God.

When has the Holy Spirit spoken to you?

How have you verified the voice of God through His Word? Why is it important that we do?

PRACTICE THIS

Spend time in the Bible today, asking God to speak to you through His revealed Word.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

When the Holy Spirit Makes Truth Undeniable

“While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word.” ACTS 10:44

 
PONDER THIS

Do you know what Holy Spirit conviction is? It’s when the Holy Spirit of God speaks to you, and the Holy Spirit says, “That’s true.” How do you know Jesus is the Son of God? How do you know the Scriptures are true? How do you know those who say Jesus has transformed their lives are really transformed? Because the Holy Spirit of God convicts and confirms it.

I’ve had people tell me, “You would make a good salesman.” I don’t know whether I would or not. But I don’t want to be a salesman when it comes to the Gospel. I’m not just trying to argue you into signing on the dotted line. I want the Holy Spirit of God to convict you of these things that I’ve preached, and the Holy Spirit of God will. I’m not dependent upon eloquence, logic, or personal magnetism. All is in vain unless the Spirit of the Holy One comes down.

When have you experienced the conviction of the Holy Spirit?
How does this give you boldness to share the truth with others?

PRACTICE THIS

Take some time to write down some of your experiences in being convicted by the Holy Spirit.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

When God Leaves Examples in the Margins

“Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition.” 1 CORINTHIANS 10:11

 

PONDER THIS

In the wilderness, when the children of Israel were coming out of Egypt and going to Canaan, they lived in sin, they fell into idolatry, and God destroyed many of them. First Corinthians 10:11 says, “Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition.” God does certain things as examples. God says, “You want to know how I feel about murmuring? There’s an example. You want to know how I feel about hypocrisy and superficiality in the Church? There is an example.” God does these things sometimes as examples. Will we learn today?

What examples of God’s people from the Bible help you learn how to follow God?

What are some things you have learned not to do from the examples of others?

PRACTICE THIS

Write out an example from the Bible that you can learn from in order to follow God rightly. Write out what happened in the biblical account and what takeaways you might learn from that account.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

When Failure Isn’t the Final Word

Now Barnabas was determined to take with them John called Mark. But Paul insisted that they should not take with them the one who had departed from them in Pamphylia, and had not gone with them to the work.” ACTS 15:37-38 

 

PONDER THIS

Barnabas knew John Mark had failed, but he also knew that failure is not final, and he wanted to mend a broken relationship. From today’s passage, Barnabas took John Mark, and he continued to nurture him. Later, Paul was in a filthy, Roman prison. Time had passed. In 2 Timothy 4:11 Paul wrote: “Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for ministry.” 

How about that? This is the same guy that Paul wouldn’t have anything to do with in today’s passage. But later, he said, “Bring him. He is profitable to me for the ministry.” How did that happen? Because there was a man named Barnabas, who refused to let go of a good man named Mark just because he failed. There are many around us who have failed, and they need you to help them be restored.

Who do you know who might feel stuck in past failure?

   

How might God be calling you to provide spiritual encouragement?

PRACTICE THIS

 

Take time this week to connect with someone you know who has failed and could use godly encouragement.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

The Strength of Spiritual Authority

“Then Jesus went with them. And when He was already not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to Him, saying to Him, ‘Lord, do not trouble Yourself, for I am not worthy that You should enter under my roof. Therefore I did not even think myself worthy to come to You. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man placed under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to one, “Go,” and he goes; and to another, “Come,” and he comes; and to my servant, “Do this,” and he does it.’ LUKE 7:6-8

 

PONDER THIS

Have you become a humble person who can say, “I am God’s to command”? Have you said that to Jesus? Do you mean it? If you do, you understand there’s a difference in authority and power. Authority comes from the office; power is residual in the person.

When I played football in college and high school, I weighed about 185 pounds, and I was one of the bigger men on the field. If you look at a football field today, you would see that these guys are 6 feet 7, weighing 285 pounds, and on top of that, they’ve got a helmet, a face guard, and armor all around them. You could get hurt playing that game! And yet there’s another little guy out there. This guy may be 155 pounds. He has no helmet, he has no shoulder pads, he’s wearing a shirt with stripes on it, and all he’s got is a whistle, but he directs these giants on the field. See the difference? The guy with the whistle, the guy with the striped shirt, he’s the one with the authority, and Jesus says to us, we’re the little guy: “I give you authority over all the power of the enemy.” The enemy is the big guy, and it’s time you and I told him to take a hike. It’s time you and I understood the strength of spiritual authority! But just knowing it is not enough. We need to learn to pray with authority.

When did you submit to Christ’s command? What changed in your life?

What are some areas Satan is still acting in authority over your life? How can you submit these areas to God?

PRACTICE THIS

Share with a friend about when you submitted your life to Christ’s command.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

When Good Ideas Hide Dangerous Lies

“Then the serpent said to the woman, ‘You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’ So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.”

Genesis 3:4-6 

 

PONDER THIS

Some of the lies of the world are covered up with good ideas and good terminology that push us away from God. One of those lies appeals to the desire of potential for self-development. That is, keep going in life until you get it right. This sounds good and it is well-meaning, but when we try to develop on our own strength, we will always fail. It is only through surrender to Jesus Christ through repentance that we really change.

Another subtle lie is hidden in self-discernment. Satan spoke and said, “For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil . . .” He enticed Adam and Eve by telling them they would be able to discern things apart from God. He enticed them by making them believe God was holding them back. When we prioritize a religious experience, we feel like we can do the things of God without Him and His Word. So many people have a mystical experience, and they say, “I touched God,” but they didn’t touch God. We experience God not by our own self-development or based on our self-discernment of an experience, but by surrendering to Jesus, by holding tight to the Word, and by being changed by the Holy Spirit.

How have you tried to develop in your own strength? What does it look like to look to God for your development?

How have you tried to practice discernment on your own? What does it look like to look to God to direct your discernment?

PRACTICE THIS

Confess to God how you have tried to grow and discern on your own and ask Him to mold you to grow in dependence on Him and His Word.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

When ABCs are Better than Philosophy

“It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.”

JOHN 6:63

 

PONDER THIS

What are you depending upon? Education, knowledge, money, success? We pride ourselves on being learned persons. You may be. Thank God for your education. Get all you can. But I'll tell you something, I'd rather be in Heaven saying my ABCs than in Hell spouting philosophy. Jesus said blessed are those who are spiritual beggars, who know they have nothing without God.

Maybe you have personality and ability that help you make it through. There are some people who are just blessed with a sweet personality. But that will not be enough before God. We are called to complete dependence on God. Other things may feel like they will get you far, but they can never save you like Jesus or satisfy you like the Holy Spirit.

What are the things you depend on daily? How have they helped get you through life so far? How do those things measure up when you think about standing before a holy God?

What does it practically look like to depend on Jesus daily?

PRACTICE THIS

Write out ways to depend on Jesus daily, then practice those things each day.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

When You Can’t Figure It All Out

“This is He who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not only by water, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who bears witness, because the Spirit is truth. For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness on earth: the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree as one. If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater; for this is the witness of God which He has testified of His Son.”

1 JOHN 5:6-9

 

PONDER THIS

When I fly on an airplane, I have to trust the pilot. When I eat in a restaurant, I have to trust the cook. You read a map; you trust the map maker. You’re trusting the engineer who built the building you are sitting in. We trust people every day. “If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater.” The word “if” there may be translated “since.” Since we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater.

If you want to know who Jesus Christ is, ask the Holy Spirit. God doesn’t just say, “You must believe, and if you can’t believe that’s your hard luck.” God says, “If you want to believe, I will help you to understand, and to know that these things are true.” Nobody can tell me you cannot believe. You may refuse to believe, but I will tell you this: If you want to believe in Jesus Christ, if you seek truth, God the Holy Spirit will speak and confirm that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. He witnesses to you, and then He witnesses in you. Instead of trying to figure out all matters of faith and life on your own, turn to the One who can help you through it. The Spirit will guide you in the truth of Christ and the way to life.

What are some ways you have tried to figure out matters of faith on your own?

What are some things you are struggling to believe about God right now?

PRACTICE THIS

Pray and confess to God the ways you are struggling to believe Him. Ask Him to guide you in His truth.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

More than Imitation. Much More!

“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”

JOHN 10:10

 

PONDER THIS

We have life by the Holy Spirit. When I say that, I don't mean existence. Even an unsaved man has existence, but he doesn't have life. How do we get this life Jesus talked about? We receive it by the Holy Spirit. The difference between the people of the world who are religious and true Christians is the truly saved live by the impartation of life and the unsaved live by the imitation of life. Anyone can temporarily imitate the Lord, but a Christian has received life.

You cannot have life apart from the Spirit of God. Because of Jesus, we have a new way to be with God. He not only saved us, but He also gave us the Holy Spirit. We don’t walk the life of faith alone. God is present inside of us. We cannot downplay that amazing truth. The Holy Spirit is God the Father's agent to make Jesus Christ real to you.

How have you experienced the Holy Spirit’s work in your life? How can you grow in awareness of His presence?

How would your life change if you remembered the Holy Spirit is with you all the time? What are some ways you would live out your faith differently?

PRACTICE THIS

Throughout the day, reflect on the truth that the Holy Spirit is inside you; see how this practice of remembrance changes your day.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Passionate for God and Truth

What if some were unfaithful? Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God? By no means! Let God be true though every one were a liar, as it is written, “That you may be justified in your words, and prevail when you are judged.” (Romans 3:3–4)

Our concern with truth is an inevitable expression of our concern with God. If God exists, then he is the measure of all things, and what he thinks about all things is the measure of what we should think.

Not to care about truth is not to care about God. To love God passionately is to love truth passionately. Being God-centered in life means being truth-driven in ministry. What is not true is not of God.

Ponder these four sets of texts on God and truth:

1) God Is the Truth

Romans 3:3–4 (God the Father): “What if some were unfaithful? Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God? By no means! Let God be true though every one were a liar.”

John 14:6 (God the Son): Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

John 15:26 (God the Spirit): “When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me.”

2) Not Loving the Truth Is Eternally Ruinous

Second Thessalonians 2:10: The wicked will perish “because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.”

3) Christian Living Is Based on Knowledge of the Truth

First Corinthians 6:15–16: “Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her?”

4) The Body of Christ Is Built with Truth in Love

Colossians 1:28: “Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ.”

May God make us passionate for him and for truth.

John Piper 

How Can You Know Truth?

“This is He who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not only by water, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who bears witness, because the Spirit is truth. For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness on earth: the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree as one. If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater; for this is the witness of God which He has testified of His Son.”

1 JOHN 5:6-9

 

PONDER THIS

We all know what it is to trust. We trust every day. You trust the people who made that chair you’re sitting in. You trust the pilot when you get in an airplane. You trust the doctor when you go in for surgery. You trust the cook when you go to a restaurant. We live by trust, don’t we? And we receive the witness of men to know whom to trust. We could not exist in society without receiving the witness of men.

But John says, “the witness of God is greater” (v. 9). The Holy Spirit is the witness of God. Put simply: It is God the Holy Spirit who convicts you when a message is given. When we look at Acts 10:24-48, we see Peter speaking, and while Peter used His personal testimony and the Word of God, the Holy Spirit showed the people the truth.

When I preach, I’m really not all that concerned as to what you think about it; I preach for an audience of one. If God likes it, it’s okay with me because I am dependent upon Him to convince you. Before I preach, I get on my knees as I did this morning and say, “Lord God, I want Your anointing.” In the same way, before you witness to anyone, you must say, “Holy Spirit of God, speak through me.” The Holy Spirit is the persuasive witness.

When have you felt convicted by the Holy Spirit? What was that like?

When have you prayed for the people you want to share your faith with to be convicted by the Holy Spirit? What happened?

PRACTICE THIS

Pray as you witness to people that the Holy Spirit would witness to their hearts.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Are You a Spiritual Problem Solver?

PRAY OVER THIS

“Then the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, ‘It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables. Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business; but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.’ Acts 6:2-4

 

PONDER THIS

There are two things you will find in strong Christians—they will be deeply spiritual and intensely practical. Here were very spiritual men who said, “This doesn’t make sense the way we’ve been doing this. We are taking on too much between ministering the Word and serving the practical needs of the church.” Up to this time, the apostles spent time ministering to widows by waiting on tables and distributing food. With only so many hours in a day, it was starting to disturb their ministry. They recognized they were getting behind in the primary ministry they were called to do.

In life, the choice is not always between good and bad; it’s between good and best, and that was the case for the disciples. When they came to this problem, they were deeply spiritual and intensely practical. They recognized the problem and God gave them a wonderful plan.

How do you distinguish between a good thing to do and the best thing to do?

What do you do when you encounter a problem? Does your strategy typically reflect trust in God?

PRACTICE THIS

Surrender to God the problems you are trying to solve on your own.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Is Your Church Spiritually Healthy?

PRAY OVER THIS

“And daily in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.” Acts 5:42

 

PONDER THIS

I heard of an artist commissioned to paint a picture of a dead church. The expectation was he would show a church with the roof sagging and weeds in the yard. They thought he would show a church with the upholstery tattered and the carpet unraveled, but he didn’t. He showed a gorgeous building, fresh paint, sparkling windows, wonderful carpet, and an elegant-looking crowd. They looked so well-fed; everything was just right. One person said, “That doesn’t look like a dead church to me.” The artist said, “Look closer.” As the man looked closer, he could see cobwebs in the baptistery. That is the portrait of a dead church—one that is not multiplying. A church will glow and grow, or it will dry and die; it will evangelize or it will fossilize, but it will not stand still.

Growth is not easy or automatic. To have growth, you have to plan for it, you have to pray for it, you have to work for it, and you have to cultivate and water that which you want to grow. But God must give the increase. Spiritual growth is the product of spiritual life and numerical growth is the product of spiritual growth.

How are you seeking growth as an individual and as part of your church?

Who are some people you are praying will come to faith in Jesus?

PRACTICE THIS

Pray for God to grow your church for His glory.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Are We Responsible for the Next Generation?

PRAY OVER THIS

“Give ear, O my people, to my law; incline your ears to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings of old, which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.”

Psalm 78:1-3

 

PONDER THIS

Sometimes a parent will say, “I don't want to force my views on my children. I just want them to be free to choose their own standard and their own morality. I want to give them that freedom of choice.” While you’re giving them that freedom of choice, there are plenty of forces out there working to mold your children into their images. The Bible teaches that Almighty God holds parents responsible to teach their heritage and their history; it is to go from one generation to the next. There is to be a spiritual chain reaction.

It would be a great exercise for you to get all your children, sit them down, and tell them what God has done for your family. You could ask each person to write down his or her testimony as to when each received Jesus Christ as personal Lord and Savior. What a book of remembrance that would be for future children to have. What the devil wants to do is to disconnect the next generation and set them awash in the sea without any spiritual heritage. God says we need to remember the generation to come. We need to proclaim our history.

Who is someone you are learning from in the faith?

Who is someone to whom you are passing your spiritual heritage?

PRACTICE THIS

Write a letter to someone you want to pass your spiritual heritage onto; encourage that person by sharing what you have learned in your faith.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers