SeedOffering

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. (1 John 3:16)

John 3:16 is the life-source description of God’s saving work in our lives. 1 John 3:16 also offers a deep truth of the life we are saved to live.

Much of the Christian world has only experienced the first half of the gospel, the John 3:16 portion of Truth. 1 John 3:16 ushers us into the second half of the gospel, the transformation of being conformed to the image and character of Christ. As we are changed, so are those around us. J. D. Walt says, “The journey of awakening is the Spirit-empowered, hard-fought movement of John 3:16 to 1 John 3:16. Our calling is to press beyond adolescent faith and grow up into the maturity of love, which is nothing less than the fullness of Jesus Christ. When the people of God learn to live in 1 John 3:16, the watching world will begin to believe John 3:16. When one generation embraces the calling into the second half of the gospel, the next generation will risk the faith to trust the first half.”

Ask the Lord of the Harvest to lead you into the beautiful dimensions of the second half of the gospel.

Prayer Focus: Sanctuary Youth

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By wisdom, a house is built,
    and through understanding it is established;
⁴ through knowledge its rooms are filled
    with rare and beautiful treasures.

⁵ The wise prevail through great power
and those who have knowledge muster their strength.
⁶ Surely you need guidance to wage war,
    and victory is won through many advisers. (Proverbs 24:3–6)

Solomon was the great poet of Proverbs, extolling the wisdom with which God had gifted him. The book of Proverbs speaks to how the God-fearing man should live instead of living for the world.

Men and women are tempted to envy those around them that appear to be most prosperous, the trap of comparison that leads to death. In this passage, we are reminded that the life of stability is one that seeks the Lord and is dependent upon God’s power. Here it is recommended that wisdom has the greatest influence on the prosperity of our life. Let us seek the wisdom on which we should build our lives and allow God to direct us according to His good ways.

What are you seeking to build today? Seek God’s wisdom first, relying on His ways. Find comfort in trusting God for His wisdom above anything offered by the world.

Prayer Focus: Blue Skies

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Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.²⁵ Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. ²⁶ Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other. (Galatians 5:24–26)

Paul is writing to the Galatians to defend the authority of the gospel, as many were turning from faith to legalism. Today this concept is prevalent in our culture; we try to earn God’s favor or we become complacent in “doing good works” outside the dependency of the leading of the Spirit.

Ask the Spirit to guide you today, to give you discernment and courage to respond as He’s calling you. Ask God to place His will as the desire of your heart, recognizing that your old ways, the desires of your flesh, have been crucified with Christ. Pray for the Spirit to facilitate your conversations today and for God to guide your steps and protect your mind from the ways of the flesh.

Prayer Focus: FCA

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