Higher Wisdom

Sorry but you'll have to do without my comments regarding this one (midterm)....just read it though, it's good! I promise :-)

-AMR
Check out the Our Daily Bread devotional

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Does He Understand?

This devotional talks about Jesus as that friend we can always turn to, who will always understand us, whatever the situation. Although we may spend a lot of time reading the word or talking about Jesus, it's easy to forget that the essence of who he is is more than just words on a page. Jesus was born and lived, just as we do, experiencing the same emotions and temptations that we do, yet without yielding to sin. When you're feeling down and alone remember that you've got a friend in Jesus, who is the epitome of faithfulness, and is never to busy to listen.

-AMR
Check out the Campus Journal devotional

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Fickle Fans

Hello there! I hope you all had a blessed Sunday (and an extra hour of sleep!) and that your Monday will go swimmingly (I've always wanted to use that word....).

Today's devotional (from the Campus Journal) touches on the topic of faithfulness. I don't know how many of you are sports fans but the story hit home for me, since being from Boston has pretty much condemned me to being saddled with teams like the Red Sox, Patriots, Celtics, and Bruins (i won't even get into the story of the Revolution), who always tease you early on with visions of cups and rings, yet never fail to choke down the stretch. I always claim to be more than just a fair weather fan, but I must admit that I always have some other "good" team to support forthe season.

Pay attention to the two passages from Matthew, which reveal the fickleness of Jesus' followers. It is not an easy thing to be faithful-- Simon Peter, one of Jesus' own disciples, denied knowing him on 3 separate occasions in a single evening after Jesus' arrest (matthew 26:69-75). Take some time to examine your own life-- are we really being faithful, or are we just fair weather fans?

-AMR
Check out the Campus Journal devotional

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God's Answers

Happy Sunday!

As I was going through my old files I came across this and thought it would be perfect for today's devotional. I haven't the slightest idea where it came from, since I just found it on my hard drive but enjoy it anyway. There's no specific passage for y'all to read, but rather many verses are referenced, giving you an opportunity to see for yourself that God really does answer our questions. We all feel down for some reason or another at times, and it's important to know where to find some answers to comfort us.

Enjoy (I LOVE daylight savings time!).

-AMR

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A Conversation with God

You say: "It's impossible"
God says: All things are possible (Luke 18:27)

You say: "I'm too tired"
God says: I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28-30)

You say: "Nobody really loves me"
God says: I love you (John 3:16 & John 13:34)

You say: "I can't go on"
God says: My grace is sufficient (II Corinthians 12:9 & Psalm 91:15)

You say: "I can't figure things out"
God says: I will direct your steps (Proverbs 3:5-6)

You say: "I can't do it"
God says: You can do all things (Philippians 4:13)

You say: "I'm not able"
God says: I am able (II Corinthians 9:8)

You say: "It's not worth it"
God says: It will be worth it (Roman 8:28)

You say: "I can't forgive myself"
God says: I Forgive you (I John 1:9 & Romans 8:1)

You say: "I can't manage"
God says: I will supply all your needs (Philippians 4:19)

You say: "I'm afraid"
God says: I have not given you a spirit of fear (II Timothy 1:7)

You say: "I'm always worried and frustrated"
God says: Cast all your cares on ME (I Peter 5:7)

You say: "I don't have enough faith"
God says: I've given everyone a measure of faith (Romans 12:3)

You say: "I'm not smart enough"
God says: I give you wisdom (I Corinthians 1:30)

You say: "I feel all alone"
God says: I will never leave you or forsake you (Hebrews 13:5)

The Work of God

This passage is taken from John 15:1-5. It was a nice passage for me to read this morning, because I know that there are a lot of times when I get caught up in all of the responsibilities that I have. Between school, my music, church activities, and the 4 clubs I'm actively involved with, I often have a lot of different types of deadlines and things on my to do list. With all of these different directions that I'm pulled in, it's very easy to dwell on all of the things that I do and how things won't turn out correctly if I don't do them myself.

However, this devotional makes a good point-- we can't do anything on our own; God is the one in the driver's seat and we have to trust him to see that he works through us. He has called us to be students (otherwise we wouldn't be here), and his hand is on us when we write papers and do problem sets. We have to do the best we can with the gifts God has given us, but must also remember that the ultimate result is in God's hands, and that should be good enough for us.

-AMR
Check out the Our Daily Bread devotional

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John 17:17

Today's devotional is taken from The Daily Devo (www.dailydevo.com). It is based on a verse in John 17, and basically talks about the importance of reading and studying the word of God (the Bible). Two key words are "pure" and "holy" and we must realize that although we are saved by grace, we still have to strive to be like Jesus, and to live our lives in a way that is pleasing to God. We can't do that without reading the word-- how can we follow it if we don't know what it says?

We spend a lot of time with our closest friends, hanging out, talking on the phone, and talking online. In fact, doing these things is a big part of how we become close with people in the first place. The more time we spend with them, the better we know them, and the more comfortable we feel sharing stuff. We should think of God in the same way, since he's the only friend we'll ever have who is truly faithful, and is always available to talk to.

Put aside some time each day to spend with God, reading the word and talking to him so you can develop a better relationship with him.

Onward!
-AMR

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The Daily Devo
by Pastor Steve Baney

Make them pure and holy
by teaching them your words of truth.
John 17:17 (NLT)

The way to purity is through God's word. Jesus described the word as the method of pruning used to trim away the dead and dying parts of our lives in John 15. By reading the Bible, we learn to recognize areas of our lives that need change. It is the truth of God that sets us free from impurity, from captivity to sin, from selfishness, and from a meaningless life.

Lord, help me to be made pure and holy by your word.
Holy Bible, New Living Translation. Wheaton: Tyndale House, 1997.

No Euphemisms

Hey folks--

I hope that everyone is having a blessed day. In light of some recent small group discussions regarding hell and the purpose of Revelations, I thought that this devotional was especially appropriate. There's a link to a document with some more good info at the end of the online devotional.

-AMR
Check out the Campus Journal Devotional

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Directions From Above

Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not unto thine own understanding;
in all thy ways acknowledge him
and he shall direct thy paths.
Proverbs 3:5-6

This is one of my favorite passages (proverbs 3:5-6) because it talks about submitting to God, and trusting him to lead you in the right direction. It's a nice short Bible reading (6 verses), so I encourage you to take the time to do some soul searching. Are you really trusting God to "direct your paths" (v.6)? Who's in the driver's seat in your life?
-AMR

Check out the Our Daily Bread devotional

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Colossians 3:23-24

Today's message is taken from the Daily Devo from a few days ago. It is 2 short verses that have a lot of good stuff packed into them. The passage basically talks about the importance of putting your all into everything you do. Take some time to think about this, and your own daily activities. Do you always put in 100%, or do you sometimes do just enough to get by?

I, for one, am the queen of procrastination and have found myself, on quite a few occasions just throwing something together at the last minute so I won't get in trouble. This is not the attitude that God wants us to take towards life. Remember that we are God's servants, and that we're working for HIS glory. Are we really honoring him when we turn in that paper we wrote an hour before the due date?

Just a little something to think about, as you go out to tell your friends about The Edge (thursday 10/25, 304 Barnard Hall, 8pm).....

On to the devotional:
-AMR

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The Daily Devo
by Pastor Steve Baney

Colossians 3:23-24 "Whatever you do,
work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord,
not for men, since you know that
you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward.
It is the Lord Christ you are serving." (NIV)

If you are working for God and not for men, then your payment will be a bit more fulfilling. How can you work for God while flipping burgers or filing papers or doing some other job? You have the opportunity every day to share the love of Jesus with the people you see at work or school!

Lord, help me to learn more ways that I can work for You.
Scripture quoted from Holy Bible, New International Version. Wheaton: Tyndale House, 1988.

Say Something!

Hello everyone. Due to the lack of email access, I was unable to send out a message last night. I found a good one for today though, that is especially relevant in light of THE EDGE; this Thursday's skeptic/seeker-friendly event. In lieu of a regular large group, we will be showing clips from Magnolia (featuring Tom Cruise as TJ Mackey) and discussing spiritual themes in the movie. There will be a live band playing secular music and free food at the end.

The purpose of the event is basically to get people to stop and think, in an environment that's as comfortable to non-christians as possible. Invite your friends! It should be a lot of fun and a good way to start up later discussion.

Onto the devotional.....it's from the Campus Journal and talks about the courage that God will give us to share the good news with our friends and to basically speak up when an opportunity presents itself. It's kind of a cheesy story but the message is clear and the biblical passage is relevant.

Enjoy! If you have questions about THE EDGE or just advice on how to approach your friends, let me know-- I'd be happy to talk.
-AMR

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Oops! Typo!

TGIF! Today's devotional is taken from our friend, the Campus Journal. It is based on a passage from Psalms, although there's a section in Ephesians that is useful to read as well. Basically, it talks about the importance of Bible study, so that we can prepare ourselves for Satan's attacks. It's impossible to be able to figure out what's right or not if we do not know what the word has to say (2 Tim 2:15). You've already taken the first step, by attending a small group or even reading these devotionals. So.....keep up the good work!

(in addition to the devotional, read ephesians 6:11-17 for a fuller picture)

-AMR

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John 12:42

Hello everyone--
I apologize to those of you who expected to wake up to a devotional this morning but sometimes you just have to go to sleep! Anyway, I thought it was best to just combine this with tomorrow's devotional, to give y'all a chance to read it. In light of all of the work that's getting thrown at us right now, I picked a short one for today (1 verse from the Daily Devo).

I encourage you to incorporate a daily quiet time into your day. Spend some time alone with God, in whatever way you feel most comfortable. Talk to him! Even though he knows us better than we know ourselves, it's still important to let him know how you feel. In my own QT I like to write down these thoughts, because I find it easier to express myself on paper. Use whatever method works for you, just try it out. Allow yourself to be vulnerable to the only one who truly understands and will always be there to support you.

Good luck on all of your midterms/papers!

-AMR

Now, for the main event:
(as i mentioned earlier, you can subscribe to these at www.dailydevo.com)

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The Daily Devo
by Pastor Steve Baney

John 12:42-42 "Many people, including some of the Jewish leaders, believed in him. But they wouldn't admit it to anyone because of their fear that the Pharisees would expel them from the synagogue. For they loved human praise more than the praise of God." (NLT)

This has become far too true of many in the church. We may admit to others that we believe in Jesus; but many of our lives clearly show that we love human praise more than praise from God. Do your actions admit you believe?

Lord, help me to show love of your praise.
Holy Bible, New Living Translation. Wheaton: Tyndale House, 1997.

No Risks

Hello everyone. I've selected today's devotional to go along with the themes we've begun to discuss during our study of Romans. The text is based on a passage from John, but I strongly suggest that you reread Romans 3:21-26 as well. I'd like to discuss the end of Romans chpt 3 in a little more depth on tuesday so it's good to take the time to look at it and really think about the message, so you'll be prepared for tuesday.

Good night and God Bless
-AMR

Check out the Campus Journal devotional

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Hair-Cutting Stories

Good morning! Go to homecoming (don't wait until you're a senior like me.....:P)! Anyway, I thought I'd share another OT story with you, cause they're fun to read. We all have bad hair cut stories and this is the story of the ultimate bad haircut.

Remember Samson? He's the strong guy with the long hair that fought against the Philistines. The author of today's daily devotional (from the Campus Journal) has a story about another guy who didn't cut his hair so check it out. I think it tells you to do this anyway, but you should really read the beginning of Judges 13 at the very least (and the entire chapter if you've got the time) cause it kinda eases you into Samson's story, rather than just dumping you into the midst of things....

Enjoy! Have a blessed day!
-AMR

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Great Is Thy Faithfulness

Hello....I was reading Joshua last night and was inspired to write my own devotional today. I don't have a cute little story to go along with it (at least not at this point, but maybe something will come to me as I write) so you'll just have to bear with me :-0! (I apologize if it's on the long side....I'm new at this!)

Joshua 21:43-45 (KJV)
(see Numbers 35:2-8 for more background)

And the LORD gave unto Israel all the land which he sware to give unto their fathers; and they possessed it, and dwelt therein. And the LORD gave them rest round about, according to all that he sware unto their fathers: and there stood not a man of all their enemies before them; the LORD delivered all their enemies into their hand. There failed not aught of any good thing which the LORD had spoken unto the house of Israel; all came to pass.

As Christians, we spend a lot of time reading the New Testament. In church, our pastors select NT passages, and even now we're studying Romans together. Don't get me wrong, it's very important to read the NT, since it teaches us about our man, JC, however, it's also important to remember that he is the fulfillment of a promise that God made to his people in the Old Testament. The cool thing about the OT is that tells the (hi)story of the Israelites, in true story form. In order to really understand the NT Christians, we have to understand God's covenant and his relationship with Israel in OT times. At school we read books like the Illiad, Shakespeare's Plays, The Republic, etc. in order to understand the principles our own society was founded upon. Shouldn't we take the same time to figure out how our own church came about?

Anyway, the OT is pretty much chronological for the first half or so. As you may or may not know, the Israelites escaped from Egypt in Exodus and started heading for the land the God had promised them. By time Joshua rolls around, they have finally made it (although if you read the intervening text, it's quite an adventure), and it's just a matter of splitting the land up.

This passage from Joshua is the fulfillment of a promise that God made to the people of Israel in Numbers 35:2-8. If you go through the OT, you will see repeatedly how God remains faithful to his people, even though they keep letting him down. God is the same way with us today. Even though we declare our faith and committment to him, it's inevitable that we will screw up and let him down, because we are still mere humans. How terrible would it be if God's grace were a one shot deal? Fortunately for us, it's not. We just have to strive to be as faithful as possible, because he'll be there to pick us up when we fall down.

Lord,

I just thank you for your faithfulness and your grace, even though we don't deserve it. Thank you for giving us the desire to live our lives in a way that is pleasing to you, and help to us remain faithful to you.

-AMR

Reason Enough

I don't have much to say about this one... I guess you can only take so many days of not sleeping much before your ability to reason drops off (I'll have more to say tomorrow, promise!)... However, this one's about faith and how it's okay if we don't know all the answers when questioned by others. It's taken from our favorite, Our Daily Bread.

-AMR

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Quitters Can Be Winners

This devotional talks about the value of quitting something that is not edifying us in any way (personally/spiritually). Don't take this the wrong way though, it's not saying we have to drop everything and become full time ministers-- as Charlie Drew mentioned in Large Group last week, it is possible to glorify God in whatever we do, whether we're just hanging out with our friends or even just sitting in a class discussion. God has called us to do, different things, from becoming lawyers to artists, and there's no such thing as "part time" Christian work if we are following his calling. (ask me if you don't see my point-- i become less coherent the later it gets....)

Enjoy
-AMR

Check out the Campus Journal devotional

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The Blessing of Burdens

Today's Devotional is taken from "Our Daily Bread." It is titled "The Blessing of Burdens and refers us to 2 Corinthians 12:1-9. In order to supplement your reading and to give you a little more to meditate on, I strongly suggest that you continue to verse 10, in addition to reading Romans 5:3-4. We all wonder why we fall into rough times or why God gives us so much stuff to deal with so I thought this was a good passage to look at today.....

Cheers
-AMR

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Colossians 1:17

Hello again-- sorry this is coming so late but it's still worth taking the time to read. Just a few notes about today's devotional. In light of our nation's decision to commence bombing in Afghanistan, I thought it was important that we remember that God is in control, even in the darkest of hours. Despite the decisions of others and the repercussions that are sure to follow, the best thing that we can do is turn to God in prayer, and to trust that he will work things out. Just remember that with God, nothing is impossible (Luke 1:37)!

Today's devotional is courtesy of Daily Devo.com. The author sends out a verse every day, along with a few thoughts and a short prayer. If you wish to subscribe yourself, or if you just want some more info about it, you can do it here: http://www.dailydevo.com

Enjoy.
-AMR

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The Daily Devo
by Pastor Steve Baney

"He is before all things, and in him all things hold together."
Colossians 1:17 (NIV)

When I read this verse, it makes me think of Jesus holding together my molecules. Think about it. Who else could hold them together? Not only is He the Creator of the universe, but He is also the One who sustains it! He is powerful enough to control everything. And he loves you as his closest friend.

Lord, help me to understand more and more of Your greatness so I can praise You better!
Scripture quoted from Holy Bible, New International Version. Wheaton: Tyndale House, 1988.

The Christian Network

Greetings :-). I came across this devotional and just couldn't pass it up. I was at the lock-in this weekend and let me just say that I got to know some cool people even better. I hope to see all of you at the next retreat, because it's a great opportunity for us to grow as a Christian community, learning how to support one another so we can share the love of God with others.

Today's devotional is taken from the "Campus Journal."
ciao
-AMR

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In the World but not of it

Read John 17:6-21. This is a portion of Jesus' prayer for his disciples after their final Passover dinner. If you want more background, Jesus' words of advice/wisdom about what was to come after his death and resurrection can be found from the end of chapter 13 to chapter 16.

Today's selection is from "Our Daily Bread"

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The Blame Game

Today's message is from the RBC's "Campus Journal."
Cheers. -AMR

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Welcome! Do You Have Your Ears On?

Greetings! This is the first in a series of devotionals I originally put together for members of a small group bible study I led during my senior year of college. If you're reading this it means you managed to wade through my archives so congrats and God Bless.

If you have extra time and want a little more background on Samuel and Eli, read the first two chapters of 1 Samuel.
-AMR

Today's message is courtesy of the RBC (radio bible class) publication entitled "Our Daily Bread."

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