Daily Devotional for January 1, 2015
Acts 20
Scripture:
20 You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house. 21 I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus. 22 “And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. 23 I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. 24 However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me–the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace. 25 “Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again. 26 Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of all men. 27 For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God. 28 Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.
Observation:
Happy New Year! This is a great chapter to start the new year off with. Let’s be encouraged together and live with some passion for the Lord in 2016.
While David was overseas on a mission trip, he decided to take an early morning walk through the city. While walking, he found a young, homeless boy wrapped in newspapers. The boy had died during the night because of the cold. That day, he made it his mission to open an orphanage so that all children could be provided for and have a place where they felt loved and secure.
Paul also knew what his mission was.
“However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace” (Acts 20:24).
Do today’s Christians understand the apostle Paul’s passion? What he cared about most wasn’t his life, but that his life was spent accomplishing the task of making Jesus known to all. Paul’s passion gave him his purpose for living. When Christians understand what their mission for God’s Kingdom is, they too will know what their purpose is.
Application:
- Personal Application: Keep the main thing the main thing! Keep Jesus first in your life and live with passion for Him. Start each day by surrendering to God’s mission for your life.
- Family Devotional: Read this chapter to your family. Ask them if anything spoke to them as you read. Talk about their answers and show them that one important aspect of this chapter is recognizing that God has a mission for your life. A large part of that mission for all of us is to declare the “good news of God’s grace”. Pray for them.
Prayer:
- Personal Prayer Focus: Ask God to give you a passionate spirit in order to complete your mission in 2016.
- Family Prayer Focus: Pray that your family will keep the main thing the main thing by keeping Jesus first in their life.
Three Year Reading Plan for Sunday, December 27 – Sunday, January 3:
- Sunday, December 27: Acts 15
- Monday, December 28: Acts 16
- Tuesday, December 29: Acts 17
- Wednesday, December 30: Acts 18
- Thursday, December 31: Acts 19
- Friday, January 1: Acts 20
- Saturday, January 2: Acts 21
- Sunday, January 3: Acts 22
—TOM GROOT is National Director of Men’s Ministry and Christian Education. Connect with Tom on Facebook or Twitter @TomGrootJr.
Portions of this devotional are adapted from God’s Word for Today, November 23, 2014.
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