June 28, 2020


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Today's Bible Verse
"For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?"
1 Timothy 3:5 (KJV)



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Today's Bible Study
In this verse from 1 Timothy, Paul reminds us that our first ministry is always at home. We should not neglect our families in favor of ministry or church work--those are secondary to our most important mission field, our own family. Today, we will talk about why it is so important to focus on loving the family and how this prepares us to care for the church of God.

What does it mean to rule your own house? It's about much more than rules; ruling your house is about setting an example and demonstrating the love of the Lord. Sometimes discipline is required, but the motivation for everything is the love of the Lord. We do not rule our houses because we want to be in charge, but rather, because we recognize that the Lord Himself is in charge of everything.


Loving our families can be difficult at times. Because we know each other so well simply by living in close proximity, we can get almost too comfortable with each other. When this happens, we often let our emotions guide us in how we treat each other, instead of remembering that while your family members are your family, they are also children of God. While it is okay (and essential) to be honest with family members, especially when something wrong has happened, we should gird everything we say with love.



God has not asked us to rule our families well in our own strength or cleverness. He hasn't asked us to figure it all out and then present to Him a resume for church leadership! Much to the contrary, He desires that we get to the point of realizing that we live breath-by-breath in His mercy and grace. Family leadership is the prime place to realize this, and when we recognize our utter dependence on Christ to love even those dearest to us, we will also be able to take care of the church of God.

Today's Prayer
Dear Lord, help me to honor you in how to treat my family. I want to contribute to the church well, and I know that begins with stewarding my family in a way that honors you. Help me to love my family well and also care for the church. In Jesus's name, amen.
Yesterday's Devotional
June 27, 2020
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Yesterday's Bible Verse
"And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end:"
Hebrews 6:11 (KJV)



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Yesterday's Bible Study
In this verse from Hebrews, we are reminded that we have full assurance of hope. This helps us to remain faithful in the midst of whatever we are going through, knowing that the Lord will sustain us and that we are walking toward a glorious end. Today, we'll talk about what it means to be assured of hope.

What do we hope for? Think of the things that the Lord has promised. Death is the greatest fear for most people, but the Lord has already conquered it for all of us through the Resurrection. We do not need to live in fear or anxiety because we know that death is only the beginning of life with Him. Life with the Lord is in Heaven, in perfect and sinless communion with Jesus. There is a happy ending on the horizon! This gives us hope in the future. We know that nothing on Earth could ever happen to us that will change our destiny; we are secure in the Lord always.


Knowing that we can rest entirely in Jesus means we can work with diligence today. We don't have to wonder if our attempts to love our neighbor, understand the Bible, and grow in spiritual maturity will be in vain--we have full assurance that we are planting seeds and will be rewarded after we die.



Today, if life seems to be beating you down, remember that the Lord is with you constantly. Remember that the God of our future is also the Lord of today, and that He will meet you and speak to you right where you are. Take a moment to reflect on all the reasons that you seek the Lord and continue to do hard things like loving those who hurt you and forgiving other people. Our hope is assured, our future secure in the Lord, and He is mighty and faithful to make good on His promises for each of us.

Yesterday's Prayer
Dear Lord, thank you so much for the hope you have given me. You have given me a full life in you, and I am so grateful for your grace. Help me to return again and again to the hope that I have in you. In Jesus's name, amen.
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