Monday, May 5, 2025
New Testament Reading Plan: Acts 11
In my experience, God has a wild sense of humor and irony! For example, in the past couple of weeks, I have been writing about offering my body as a living sacrifice, allowing it to be a temple of the Holy Spirit. Through this experience, God has revealed to me something the people around me already knew: I have anger issues.
I thought I was frustrated, but I have finally woken up to the truth. And as the Bible says in John 8:32, the truth is what sets us free.
However, just knowing the truth isn’t enough. We also have to let it transform us by following God’s Word.
It is easy for us to come up with excuses about why we don’t follow God’s instructions. They are all lame reasons as to why we deserve this or are owed that, which can lead us to mistreat people. That is NOT the truth! The truth is that we were bought at a high price. We do not belong to ourselves, but to God.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20
Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.
By submitting to his Lordship, we are charged to follow Jesus’ example, and we know exactly how he would have treated people no matter what: with compassion, kindness, gentleness, and respect.
Why is this easier to do with people we don’t know well? It’s definitely the people I am closest to who bear the brunt of my anger, passive aggressiveness, and sarcasm. However, as temples of God’s Holy Spirit, we must reflect his glory, love, mercy, and grace in all our interactions.
There are no more excuses. Jesus came out of love for all of us, and he invites us to love everyone in the same way!
John 3:16
“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life” (emphasis added).
Questions:
Is there something the Holy Spirit has been tugging on lately that you should pay attention to? Have you noticed a recurring theme in your Bible reading?
Next Steps:
Start Your Journey through the resources provided on our app!
Celebrate Recovery Groups are held at multiple campuses. Find out more information by visiting the featured Groups page. I’m going this Thursday at the Oregon campus! Doors open at 6:30! Join me!
Prayer:
Lord, I both love it and hate it when your Word finally penetrates my cold heart. I am so grateful that you care enough about me to pursue me with your love, knowing that my life will be more full of your joy when I submit to you. Please, God, keep my heart teachable! Don’t let all the stuff I know get in the way of the things you still have to teach me. Let the desires of my heart be the desires of yours. In your beautiful name I pray, amen.
Series Theme Verse:
John 8:31-32
Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
This post was written by Lauri White, an Oregon attendee, and a regular contributor to the Daily LivingItOut.