Rooted in Daily Devotion

Rooted in Daily Devotion

there we go, got to flip that on, I was worried earlier that my breathing into the mic was causing that sensation of static that you guys heard it was either my breathing or my beard one of the two. Um but good morning, if I haven’t met you, my name is dan one of the elders here, four of us here and um so glad that you’re here, so good to be in the house of the Lord, so good to be with the saints worshiping God together um that is encouraging to my soul and I hope it’s encouraging for you as well. So today we are going to cover the first discipleship rhythm from are rooted teaching series. Our series highlights seven rhythms aimed at helping Christians become rooted in Christ and his mission and we want you to grow as authentic disciples of Jesus who love him and worship him and all that you do, that is the vision of this church. And so this rooted series is designed to help you to apply your faith in Christ as you seek to worship him and all that you do. And on that note, the last time I preached two weeks ago I said something that is heretical and I need to correct it and I need to correct it in the spirit of first timothy 4 16, that passage calls elders to watch over their doctrine and their lives very carefully. Um and so on that note, uh two weeks ago I said something and talking about abiding in christ and applying the faith to our lives, I said something along the lines of, in coordinating truth and that’s just something that we, as mere humans cannot do. Uh, the incarnation implies deity, meaning only God can do that. What I meant to say and what I should have said is that we are called to integrate the truth into our lives, faith and truth being integrated into our lives and that is the goal that we hope to accomplish through this rooted teaching series that you and I would become more skilled by God’s grace at applying and integrating his truth into our lives. So that our walk of Faith looks like that, which we see of christians in the bible, amen minute. So again, uh, this first rhythm is daily devotion and by daily devotion, we mean the spiritual activity of reading the bible and praying and doing it daily. Um, it’s tough to integrate the faith into your life. If you do not have a daily devotion that is non existent for you, then chances are you probably aren’t walking in the things that jesus commands us to walk in, the things that jesus calls us to walk in. So, um, we’re going to unpack what it means to have a daily devotion and we’re gonna talk about the very things that impact a daily devotion. Well, let me first say this. So this week, daily devotion, this is the first rhythm. There are seven rhythms that we will cover from the pulpit on a sunday morning, The rooted teaching series is 10 weeks long and we will go into more specifics and diving deeper into each rhythm in terms of how we integrate it into our lives. But this morning, daily devotion and why that’s so important. Let me ask you a question how many of you struggle with maintaining a daily devotion when you by show of hands, this is a place of grace, not gonna judge, you’re not gonna throw a stone at you or anything. Okay, okay, that’s a very real experience for a lot of christians. Somehow we know that we’re called to be in the word, know God’s word. And yet it is difficult to maintain the discipline of a daily devotion. I want to ask another question how many of you, you’re somewhat disciplined in your daily devotion, but you struggle, we’re getting something out of your daily devotion. I mean of you, that’s your experience. All right, okay. And some of you kind of overlaps, right? Kind of plays into one another, meaning you, because you struggled to get something out of the daily devotion, you don’t maintain it and others, you kinda, you kinda fight through it, you, you persevere through it, but you still, if you’re honest, you don’t get much out of it. Well, this morning, I hope to encourage you, I hope to encourage you by the very elements that impact our daily devotion, Some of the elements won’t cover all of them, but there are three big ones that really impact our ability to have a meaningful daily devotion that I want to tackle this morning. And I also want to encourage you, if you’re someone who say that man, I’m in a good place, you know, that that really isn’t my struggle most of the time. I want to encourage you still by the very things that have impacted you and help you to understand that some more, as well as be able to help you understand how to encourage those who have to deal with this struggle of being able to maintain a daily devotion and getting something out of a daily devotion. So on that note, let’s look at the bible Acts chapter two verses 42 through 47, we’re gonna read that passage and as you’re turning to that passage, gonna notice, we’re not gonna put that on the screen, we want you to open the bible, we want you to open the bible. Um one of the bibles that can be found on a chair around you, the bible that you brought with you or the bible that you’ve downloaded to your personal device, whatever the case may be, we want you to actually open the bible and read it. And as you’re turning there, let me give you some context, let me give you some context to this passage. So this passage follows the great Pentecost Day sermon preached by Peter, one of the original disciples of Jesus and the day of Pentecost is the day that march a very watershed moment for the church, it was an epoch moment in history in the sense that God the holy spirit came down and filled the people of God and that very day, this experience, this epoch moment was one that luke records as being like experiencing kind of a microburst in the natural, in the sense that there was a mighty rushing when that people were able to hear and then that there was for the disciples, what appeared to be tongues of fire descending upon each of them, which enabled them to pray in languages that they had previously not known and just so happened during that time, there were various festivals happening that brought many jews back to Jerusalem. Those jews from various countries heard these disciples praying in languages that they did not previously know and what they heard was that they were praising God in these languages. Now the people thought that they were drunk, thought that there was something wrong with them, that they were on the good stuff, so to speak, They drank some of the good stuff and somehow they tapped into some mystical ability to speak an unknown language and but we also hear them praising God and so these were some of the circumstances that took place during that day, and Peter in the midst of that stands up and he addresses this crowd, he preaches boldly to this crowd, there’s something else you need to understand about this crowd, not only are they jews from different parts of the roman empire that had come back to Jerusalem, but many of them were present earlier for the crucifixion of christ. So Peter gets up and he preaches the gospel that day, being filled with the Holy Spirit and fire, He proclaims the Gospel of jesus christ in this crowd and at least 3000 people responded to the Gospel message and on that very day the Church of jesus christ was born. It became an organization on this planet that has since grown and has filled many nations of which we are a benefit, which we are an example of. We are one aspect of that church that is still growing throughout the ages and from generation to generation until King jesus returns and it began with the Holy spirit filling hearts and minds of his people. And so the passage that we are about to read is a summary of the life of that church, the days and weeks after Pentecost, the days and weeks after Peter preached that message, we see a summary of what is taking place these in the lives of these disciples who have responded to the gospel, who have seen the church before them, they themselves being a part of that church, so we’re gonna read what life was like for them and we’re going to hope that this is what we can see in our own lives Amen. And if we don’t see it, hopefully we will ascribe or we will aspire after it as a church. So let’s read the past attacks to which is 42 through 47 because and they devoted themselves to the Apostle’s teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers and all came upon every soul and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles and all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all as any had need and day by day attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes. They received their food with glad and generous hearts praising God and having favor with all the people and the Lord added to their number day by day, those who were being saved, Let us pray. That is the word of God. Let us pray father in heaven. I thank you for your word. I thank you for this glimpse into the life of your early church and I thank you God. That what we see here God, the things that are described in terms of how they live God, that this is what you expect of your people. God, that you call us. The similar commitments that you call us God to witness to your glory in this way and God, we so desire that God, I pray God if there’s some here who say man I desire. But I don’t understand it. God, I pray that the teaching this morning would help them to help them to see the glory of christ and help them to see how christ is glorified in and through his people. God, I pray that that would would be accomplished today through this teaching. So Lord help us, help me holy spirit, do your will in christ name. I pray amen again. This is a passage summarizing the life of the early church in its very early days after its birth, beginning on the day of Pentecost, we see God doing some amazing things in the life of this church. One of the first observations that I want to draw your attention to is the word devoted Right there in verse 42 says, and they devoted themselves now that that word, that term devoted, we have to ask ourselves what does it mean that they devoted themselves museum? Of course they devoted themselves kind of like, you know, I teased one of our kids, you asked him the meaning of a word and he’ll just basically tell you well, the word that that’s it right there, you know, like what has devoted me? Well, they were devoted, like they were devoted, that’s what it means. Like now let’s let’s try to understand it a little more. Let’s let’s let’s press into this whole context and what we see here a little more And let’s not be afraid of terms and and and understanding things more, the more that we can can can give names and description to activity and thoughts and things, the more we understand it and the more likely we are to integrate it into our lives, the more likely we are to follow it to change or to do things differently. When you can’t really put words to what it is you’re feeling thinking or seeing. It’s hard to kind of move forward. Can anybody relate to that? Alright, so we want to be able to not just assume, but let’s let’s press into it and let’s make sure that we are grasping what is meant here by the fact that they were devoted. It’s just that they were devoted. And in the greek, the term that we find is pro scar. Theriot. Big word. And not many of us speak greek, but that word has a semantic range. In fact, in the same passage, that same greek word pro scarred Theriot is used or translated as attending. So there’s some range. It’s also used in other places and in various translations to mean worship or continue. You’ve probably seen one of those words in your translation of the bible when you read it. But when you look at the literal meaning of pro scar. Theriot, it means to persist. Obstinately in something to persist. Obstinately in something it says they were devoted literally met that there was a persistence and obstinance to not change to stay the course, there’s no coincidence that many and looking at the lives of the early church described them as a people of the way and a way of living had a way of doing life. They were persistent, they were obstinately persistent in the way that God had called them to. So they were persistent or they were persisting obstinately in the worship of God. They were persisting obstinately in the Apostle’s teaching, they were persisting obstinately in prayer. They were persisting obstinately in fellowship and serving one another. The breaking of bread and proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom By the way the seven rhythms rooted come from this passage. It’s taken from this passage that we read. But the early church as we can see, they were devoted or persistently in these things. What’s also clear from that passage. And just observing the passage is that God is doing a great work in this people. He’s doing a great work. He has created a hunger for the word of God when it talks about the Apostles teaching as a reference to the word of God. Ephesians speaks of the church being built on the foundation of Apostles and prophets, christ being the chief cornerstone meaning where they come together, that is church. If you are unaware that is your bible, they had a hunger to know the word they were submitted to it. They were submitted to it from the same point that this is the word of God. That these are the words of eternal life, that this is the only infallible and authoritative rule for faith and life. Some of the great christian creeds the past spell that out bible being the only rule of faith and life. We also see God cultivating a holy fear of the Lord in this people that’s obvious in verse 43 there’s ah amazement and a fear that came upon them. He understood the holiness of God the greatness of God. The transcendence of God that just simply means that God, although he is close, he is near that he can be related to on a personal level through the Lord, jesus christ, but he transcends all of creation is bigger than all of creation. We are not pantheistic see God and everything like the chair Gods to Holy. Yet God is near closer to you than that chair and with this holy fear, there’s this confidence that God can do many great things through his people. And so they saw signs and wonders being performed by the apostles. They saw God meet their needs. They saw God preserve their lives. They saw God keep them in the midst of persecution. They said, they saw God redeem even the loss of their loved ones, as many have said that the the seat of the early church was the blood of the martyrs meaning the saints who stood persistently obstinate in this way that the church grew because of it. We see God creating in them a desire and a commitment to worship. They were persistently obstinate in going to the temple to hear the word of God, to sing the songs of God, which by the way the book of songs was the songbook of jesus. They were persistent to worship God even in their homes with their families, with their neighbors, the fellow brothers and sisters. God had created this desire and then he was doing a great work in them. The result of this, God had established them as an authentic, loving and unified community and they lived sacrificial e they sold possessions and they shared all with those who were in need. Now this isn’t a communist manifesto what they were anticipating based on the words of Christ in Matthew 24 was that persecution was going to come to the church and that in that moment they needed to be able to be sent where God would send them during the midst of that persecution. So they weren’t held by owning property there in Jerusalem but they sold the property and then what was left over, they took care of their poor, their widows. It was an amazing display of the love of God, jesus said by my love, by your love for one another. The world will know that you are my disciples. As a result of this, God grew the church. God added to their number every day, verse 47 says every good thing that we see taking place in the early church at this moment is because of the presence and power of God. The Holy Spirit filling his church man can’t plan this, We can’t force it, No church growth strategy can manufacture this and reproduce this can’t yield this kind of fruit. This is only by the hand of God. God accomplishing this work through qualified leaders who proclaim his word faithfully to his people. God accomplishing this work through a faithful people who pray faithfully, who give themselves to the word of God, who live in christian community in a very sacrificial and loving way Serving one Another. God, displaying his glory through them. The early church was persistent. They were persisting obstinately in these things. Persisting obstinately in the word of God, the worship of God and the Communion of the Saints. The spread of God’s glory through the preaching of the gospel, we could say also that God himself is radically committed to glorifying his name, glorifying himself through the faith and obedience of his blood bought people. God radically committed, glorifying himself through the faith and obedience of his blood bought people. That’s what we see in this passage. You’re probably scratching your head saying, what does this have to do with my struggle to maintain a daily devotion. But you get anything out of my devotion. What does this have to do with that the first response I want to give you as it relates to your daily devotion, is notice that in that scripture and for that matter and no place in the bible, are we told exactly how long your daily devotional needs to be? We’re not told that you need a 20 minutes, 30 minutes, an hour long daily devotional were not given such a command in scripture and I ought to relieve you a little bit because sometimes we are driven under some kind of expectation that this time limit is what God requires of me. That’s simply not the case. Secondly, just from observing the passage, There are three things that will encourage you that will help you to find the motivation to find the grace to find the inspiration to maintain a daily devotional, three things that I see in that passage. The first one is preaching and teaching the word of God, receiving it, sitting under it, your ability to listen to or not listen to regularly the preaching and teaching of God’s word has an effect on your daily devotions. Secondly, your understanding of the gospel as an impact on your, on your approach to daily devotions. And thirdly one that is also greatly overlooked is your understanding of christian community. Immediately, we think of daily devotions and we think of personal devotion, good personal devotions, good, but rarely do we think of and commit to what we see the church doing in community pursuing God pursuing the word of God, walking in the Word of God together. Now let me unpack those a little more. Starting first with bible preaching bible preaching impacts bible reading. If I sit up here and told you vai, if I stood up here and decided to go where the bible does not go. But simply in my zeal decided to tell you that you need to spend an hour a day reading your bible. I would be binding your conscience in a legalistic way that would be handcuffing your conscience. I would be laying upon you a burden that many of us wouldn’t be able to bear many of us under the weight of that burden might eventually despise the bible, despise Christianity, despise anything that reminds us of Christianity because of a heavy legalistic burden that you must spend now a day in the bible. Again, the bible does not specify such a thing, does not require that you spend one hour a day in the word of God, your hour of power, so to speak. It’s kind of the thing. In the 80s, I realized most of you weren’t even born, you were simply in the mind of God at that time. Well, if let’s say for example, if you were a very disciplined person and you were able to for most days maintain that kind of commitment. There’s a good chance that would probably ruin you and ruin your witness for christ you’d be so full of pride every time you heard of a christian not being able to maintain a devotional life, You look upon them like you weakling, you just you’re just not trying hard enough, are you even a christian, you wouldn’t realize that you in that moment would be a blemish on the body of christ and your pride, a very blemish on the body of christ. So I think the bible is wise and not mandating of a specific amount of time and that’s intentional. And so the preacher or the teacher of the bible should not go where God has not commanded him to go, shouldn’t cross that line and lay upon you some expectation that this is what it needs to be. But that’s an example of how bible preaching can impact bible reading. Another example of how bible preaching impacts bible reading is when you get some very educated bible preacher and we’re not against christian education, we need that, we need more of that. But when someone who’s very educated speaks from a very prideful position in place and would indicate that somehow this scripture is too complicated for ordinary people. That in of itself would discourage many, why open the bible if I need a PhD to understand it, why open the bible? If I should just expect that I won’t be able to understand anything that it says, I read it and then what happens to that person, right? They open to the book of numbers and then they’re really confused, right? You know, the protestant reformers, they unchained the bible from the church and they began translating it into the common language of the people because they had a conviction that it was the word of God for the people of God. And they believe that though there are some things in the bible that are difficult to understand, the vast majority of it could be understood by ordinary common people. The very basic message of the bible could be understood that you could read it and see that there is a God who created you, that there was syn that created distance between you and that God and that, that God out of love sent his son to pay the price for your sin to bring you back to him. They believe that. So they literally unchained the bible from catholic churches, middle ages, not literally, but you get what I’m saying. But again, bible preaching impacts bible reading. And there are many other examples of how bible preaching can impact bible readings such as a preacher coming up with an ax to grind and and and and driving into the text, his own theological hobbyhorse, Or trying to, to to take contemporary happenings and use those things to read them back into the Bible and try to teach you the Bible in that way as if the Bible was written to two and in terms of the primary audience as if it was written for us in 2022, it was written for us, but it was first delivered to the people in the first century. And so we need to understand what they understood. We need to understand it from the perspective of the original authors and that doesn’t take away from where we are. In terms of the gap in history, you know why? Because it’s the word of God, it’s timeless. It’s timeless was thousands of years ago when God said, do not murder. We understand that because it’s timeless, but we understand it more significantly. We understand the context in which they were in when they heard it. That’s the task of the preacher is to help you to understand that context, build a bridge to where we are today. It’s called X positional ministry preaching and teaching, but there are some who don’t like to do that and they speak as if there’s no history behind what God has been doing with his people. Another example, in the final one, I’ll give is there’s kind of a mixture of prosperity preaching as well as a very mystical charismatic approach to the reading of the bible treats it like a genie, everything’s a magical equation and everything is built on subjective feeling. In other words. one hand, with the prosperity preaching. If I do this, God promises that I’ll always be healthy, wealthy and prospering and successful and whatever I choose to do in life. I mean if you’ve done what God has asked you to do and then you’ve been persecuted for it. That’s the that’s the example we see in scripture that happens other side of that with the mysticism and the subjective reading of scripture. This idea that the scripture we know it’s the word of God, but I really can’t understand that. I need God to give me a picture of a unicorn or I need God to give me a neon sign in my imagination and that somehow that will sustain me in my faith. The problem is if you live like that, you become like a drug addict chasing after the next high, you need the next neon sign, you need the next unicorn, You need the next mystical and subjective experience. But this word is eternal. It will not pass away. This word is true. It is the foundation that you build your life on. It carries you through the valleys as well as helps you to get to the mountaintops of life. But but when you look at it, it keeps you on the street and arrow. That’s why biblical preaching so important and that’s how it impacts daily devotion. Pastor stands up here and opens God’s word and teaches God’s word to you helps you to understand and in this life you will have adversity, you will have challenges God is true and faithful God is with you. God will keep you, God will see you through it. God will give you the victory. God will give you the victory. I know, prosperity preachers say that what paul said in romans, that you are more than a conqueror. He says that you are more than a superman, because of what God intends to do through you. When you are weak, When you are facing adversity, when you think you can’t get it done, I will preach him that’s faithful. Makes you go back to this word to remind you of who your God is and you’re able to stand in the evil day and the spirit of God keeps you. So bible preaching impacts your daily devotions, bible. Preaching not only impacts your daily devotions, but it impacts your understanding of the Gospel, and your understanding of the Gospel impacts how you read your bible bible helps you to understand the Gospel. The Gospel drives you back to the bible sound confusing. It’s not when you think about it. Let me let me explain it in this way. Okay, so, if if you have a very shallow gospel, that’s only concerned, we’re getting you the one way ticket to heaven. What are you gonna do with the rest of your life on this planet? You may be a very pious person and you want others to get their ticket. You may be very good at it. And so you’re called an evangelist, then right? Nothing against Evangelism, nothing against sharing your faith. That’s what the early church was doing, But that truncated small view of the Gospel isn’t enough to keep you in these 66 books trying to figure out the full implications of what God has saved you from saved you too and what you can expect and how you can handle all of life. That kind of Gospel only makes you think only makes you think of getting out of this place. Now, there ought to be a desire to be with him. But right along with that desire, there ought to be attention, as paul says, to glorify him to to make him known to live is christ, To die is gain meaning I will be with christ, but to live is christ. While you have life in your lungs, life in your body. It is christ that consumes you that you are occupied with glorifying him, that you are persistently obstinate and glorifying him. And so you need to understand him. You need to understand what he requires of you. You need to understand what he expects of you in relationship to others to this world to the things of this world. So that drives you back to this scripture because you are now thinking like a kingdom person with a king who has saved you and who has called you as his saying in the Gospel impacts your reading of God’s word and what Peter preached on the day of Pentecost. It was not a shallow truncated gospel. It was a powerful Gospel proclamation. And what we see in the life of the early church is a continued proclamation of that same gospel while putting on display the power of that gospel in their lives just to live is christ for them. And they persisted. They persisted obstinately in that way. Now many of us we don’t always make the connection but that early church in response to the Gospel that Peter preached is worth considering I alluded to this earlier. But many of those members of that first church, they were present the very day that jesus stood on the steps of the Governor’s mansion when the roman governor pontius Pilate had him in chains after he had been beaten bloodied. And when Pilate asked the crowd, the multitude, shall I release to you the king of the jews? Many in the early church were there, they were not only there, but they responded to pilot no crucify him, crucify him, crucify him. And many in that early church watched him this bloodied and beaten, jesus carry his cross to calvary hill and they mocked him on the way to calvary’s hill. And many in that church followed him up to calvary’s hill to not only continue the mocking but to hurl insults at him. So when Peter in Acts Chapter two stands up and says this, Jesus whom you crucified God has made him both Lord and Christ. He is the heir to David’s kingdom. The bible says that that crowd was cut through to the heart, that Gospel cut through to the heart, they wanted to know why? How could they have missed it? What could they do? Peter said, repent and believe. Now, if you were a part of that original crowd, you want to know the scriptures. You want to understand the scriptures. You want to understand how this messiah, How he, why would he want to offer forgiveness to his enemies? And what kind of kingdom is he building? And what if he allows me in, what is to be my role? What is to be my position, my place in this kingdom. That kind of Gospel drives you to want to understand the word of God and the savior. That’s for giving you of your sin, makes you a member of his kingdom. I get it some of you here today and say, well that that makes sense. The gospel hit them in that way. They were present the things they did, the things they said to jesus. Yeah, that makes sense why they would respond that way. Why? Why they would be cut to the heart and in the same voice, you might be thinking, well, you know, that wasn’t me, I’m not that bad. I probably wouldn’t have done that. I’m okay. And that reminds me of a line from the old christian hymn. How deep the father’s love. The line goes, my sin upon his shoulders, ashamed. I hear my mocking voice call out among the scoffers, Brothers and sisters. If you think that you are not that bad that your sins our little in the eyes of God, you bach the man that went to the cross, you mark the man that hung on that cross, who died for my sin and your sin. Every time you think little and lightly of your sin, you mock that man. Every time you think little and lightly of your sin, you scoff at him. Who paid the wind? The wages for sin, which is death. When you understand this aspect of the Gospel, you want to be in the word, You want to understand your savior more. You want to understand the kingdom that he’s brought you into. You want to understand how to live for him. So bible preaching helps with our daily devotions. Good bible preaching, A robust understanding of the gospel helps with our daily devotions. Lastly, I’ll be briefer on this point. Community helps us to maintain a healthy devotional life. We are people of the word. We are people shaped by the word the early church met together in homes and temples and every place they could because they wanted to hear the word, They were living out Deuteronomy 6, 7, which if it had been written in our day in Lincoln Nebraska, we might have to change the wording a little bit right, That’s dangerous. That’s radical. You stone such a preacher. Alright, but we would change it Right if it were written for us in Lincoln Nebraska, we’d say every morning you rise up. Every place you go. Every time you sit in your homes, every time you lay down, talk about husker football, you get my point right? It’s the word of God. It’s the things of God. It’s discussing what God has said in his word. It’s encouraging one another in that word. It’s singing songs, hymns of praise. It’s breaking meals together and being reminded of the promises of God. You need a personal devotional life. Yes. Which also need not to neglect the Communion of the Saints coming into the house of worship together, meeting in homes together around this word as you go, as you rise up as you lay down thinking of your Lord and Savior, wanting to have something to share with the group. That’s not a bad thing. That’s a good thing. Coming with something to share with your brothers and sisters, wanting to have something of substance to talk about around the dinner table or over lunch, That’s good. You’re not being a religious nut. No, that is good. That is biblical. Now, if someone doesn’t know God, they may not want to be that way. But these things encourage us in our daily devotions as we talk about God’s word with our Children, with our neighbors, with our roommates, with our co workers, our extended family word. The living word is constantly living in our hearts and minds and souls, we are persisting obstinately to it. The early church devoted themselves to the apostle’s teaching, to the worship of God, to the fellowship of believers into a bold gospel proclamation and God added to their number daily. So friend, are you devoted to these things? Are you willing to persist obstinately in these things? I want to encourage you if the Holy Spirit is putting his finger on something, maybe you’re not sure if the teaching and preaching that you’ve been downloading in your podcast or on Youtube, Maybe unless you’re on the live stream, we love you. But let’s say you’re not sure that that’s good, sound good for your soul. It’s not, it’s not been encouraging you to get in the word. Maybe it’s triggered you in a way in which you’re kinda, you’re anxious all the time or or your your your your easily annoyed with others. You should have asked one of your elders to sift through or one of your community group leaders. And if you’re not in a community group, you should consider getting getting into one. And if you’re still wondering like how or what should a devotional life look like? Look, a personal devotional life is you opening your bible and saying jesus, you’re my Lord and I’m here for you and however long that takes, however long you’ve got. That’s what it takes, that’s what it’s about. So they’re close persist. Obstinately in these things and the grace of God will allow you to continue in these things. But if God is putting his finger on something first, go to jesus, pray to him and secondly find a brother or sister and talk to them about what God is putting his finger on in your life and asking him to stay in with you, that you could become a part of this divine community that’s walking this out together. And oh by the way, expect someone to do that to you to ask you to stand with them in that way. Amen. And let’s pray father in heaven. Thank you. You are good, jesus, thank you, You are forgiving Lord and savior and you are a mighty king, Rule over us, your people as we seek to persist. Obstinately in these things Give us Grace. God show your might and strength in and through our weak and feeble witness. We pray this in jesus name. Amen