Adult Mid-Week Devotion
God Speaks Through Circumstances

Romans 8:26-35

        God Speaks! That is an important foundational truth in our spiritual journey.  If God doesn’t speak, then we are left to figure out things on our own and that is exactly what a secular worldview does.  It does not consider the supernatural (God’s existence) but instead relies on human reasoning and understanding.  Do you see the problem with that?  What are some potential dangers with leaving God out and relying entirely upon human reasoning and understanding?  Consider discussing that with your family this week. Truth is we operate daily from only one of two worldviews – a BIBLICAL worldview (God’s perspective) or a secular worldview (man’s perspective).

        Paul warns against a secular worldview in his letter to the Corinthians.  We find that warning in 1 Corinthians 3:18-23.  These are our theme verses this year for our yearlong BIBLICAL study.  Let’s consider these verses this week.

Stop deceiving yourselves. If you think you are wise by this world’s standards, you need to become a fool to be truly wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God. As the Scriptures say, “He traps the wise in the snare of their own cleverness.” And again, “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise; he knows they are worthless.” So don’t boast about following a particular human leader. For everything belongs to you—whether Paul or Apollos or Peter, or the world, or life and death, or the present and the future. Everything belongs to you, and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.

        Take some time to meditate on these verses this week in light of our current study – How God Speaks!  We have learned that God Speaks through the Bible, through His Holy Spirit, and through circumstances.     

 

 Some questions to consider this week:

1. What is the difference between God’s wisdom and the world’s wisdom?
2. What are some examples of the world’s wisdom?  Why can that viewpoint be enticing?  How can the world’s wisdom so easily creep into our lives?
3. What do you think Paul meant when he wrote – The wisdom of this world is foolishness to God?  What does that mean?  Why is the wisdom of this world foolishness to God?
4. In your own words, how would you describe or illustrate what it means to become a fool to be truly wise?  Discuss that important challenge with your family.  Why is that difficult?  Are you ready to become a fool for Jesus?

Preschool & Kids Family Mid-Week Devotion
Jesus Blesses the Children

Read Mark 10:13-16

           Jesus cares about people. Today kids learned that Jesus blessed the children. He showed love when the disciples saw the children as inconvenient. How often do we see others as inconvenient too? We can be focused on what we want to do when we want it done. But Jesus shows us a different way – He shows us how to live life through a godly lens. God speaks showing us Jesus’ example to follow. The kingdom of God is not for those who are proud or think they know it all, but instead God says His kingdom is received by people who are like children.

Review by reading this story from the Jesus Storybook Bible together as a family, “The Friend of Little Children” (Jesus Storybook Bible, pages 256-263). Jesus cares about you, and He says the kingdom of God belongs to those who are like a child!

Review Questions:

• Why did people bring their children to see Jesus?
• What did Jesus say to His disciples?
• How can you be kind to someone this week?