September 17 Read Acts 2:42-48
And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.
Have you ever felt especially close to God at Sunday School or church? Maybe another person in the room really seemed to receive the Holy Spirit, and you were moved, also… not just because of what you saw or heard, but because you truly felt something, too. Spending time with fellow Christians, especially at Sunday School and church can have a profound effect on your spiritual life. I won’t say that other Christians “rub off” on you, necessarily, but those who are so in tune with the Holy Spirit and walk closely with Christ seem to just “glow” and give off an aura – a sense that of peace, love and joy. Now, why on earth would we not want to be near that?!
Come to church and Sunday School, and literally, “catch the Spirit!”
September 18 Read Ephesians 4:15-16
…but speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head – Christ – from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
Have you ever heard someone talk about “the body of Christ?” Did you know you are part of that body? You can think of it this way. Jesus is the heart and soul of the church, but the church needs arms to reach out to people. It needs legs to carry aid to the needy. It needs a voice to share the gospel. It needs eyes to see the needs and ears to hear and lungs to breathe in the Holy Spirit. Every body part is important. Every part does its share to keep the body alive and well. The question becomes… what body part are you? And more importantly… are you working effectively? Are you doing your part for the body of Christ and His church?
Pray that God will give you strength, wisdom, and courage to be the best “body part” possible.
September 19 Read Acts 20:7-12
Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until midnight. There were many lamps in the upper room where they were gathered together. And in a window sat a certain young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep. He was overcome by sleep; and as Paul continued speaking, he fell down from the third story and was taken up dead. But Paul went down, fell on him, and embracing him said, “Do not trouble yourselves, for his life is in him.” Now when he had come up, had broken bread and eaten, and talked a long while, even till daybreak, he departed. And they brought the young man in alive, and they were not a little comforted.
I could say that this scripture is a lesson for us not to fall asleep in church while the pastor is preaching or the teacher is teaching! And that would be a very good lesson! But there is another lesson to learn here… sometimes there is someone in our group who is not paying attention, and in fact, may even say or do something to be a distraction. Certainly when Eutychus fell off the ledge and seemed to have died, that disrupted Paul’s preaching! But Paul simply revived the man and went right back to his lessons for the crowd. And it says that “they were not a little comforted,” which I take to mean that they were pretty upset about the whole thing and probably weren’t able to concentrate on the rest of the sermon very well.
Have you ever been an Eutychus? Have you ever written notes to your friend during the sermon, or maybe talked to your neighbor and/or made inappropriate or disruptive comments or actions in a Sunday School class? Have you ever tried to get the group distracted, amused, or otherwise off track? If so, you are being an Eutychus, and you are not pleasing God with your behavior, nor are you contributing to the church service.
Consider your behavior in church and Sunday School. Is it pleasing to God? Are you acting in a manner that gives God and the worship leaders your full attention and contributes to bringing the Holy Spirit into the hearts and minds of those who are attending? Wake up! Stop sleeping! Be alive for Christ!
September 20 Read 1 Corinthians 12:13-14
For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body – whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free – and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. For in fact, the body is not one member, but many.
Not any of us are exactly the same. We are all unique, and yet, we are all vital to the body of Christ – and the church. You have special talents, abilities, needs, desires. So do I. We all come to Christ with just a little bit different “take” on things, but as an old saying goes… “the story is the same… only the names are changed.” We all have one basic, important need, and that is Christ living within us. And so we come together to find Him and to share His love with each other – to “drink into one Spirit.”
Are you getting the point that church and Sunday School are important for your spiritual well-being? Do you see how vital it is that you come and share in these times with fellow believers? If you are not excited about Sunday School and church, ask yourself why. Search your heart and see if you are coming with the right attitude, seeking God and His word, and seeking to share His love with others and to worship Him for all he has given us. The 2 hours you give to God on Sunday morning can be two of the best hours of your week. If you come back on Sunday night, Wednesday night, and to other functions throughout the week, you can be even more blessed. Make up your mind to make church an important part of your week, and see how exciting this time can be for you.
September 21 Read Galatians 3:28
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither mail nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
The church is made up of all sorts of folks. There are rich people, poor people, pretty people, people who aren’t so pretty, smart people, and people who barely make it through life. But in the eyes of God, they are each and every one precious, beautiful, smart, rich, healthy, complete. He made us all, and He loves us all equally. If we are to imitate Christ, we must work very hard to do the same thing.
One day I was in the grocery store, and this dirty, thin, sorta strange looking young man was walking behind me, and it seemed everywhere I went, he went. I headed for a checkout lane, and sure enough, he was right behind me. I started to feel a little uneasy – not frightened, but just uncomfortable. I looked at him and saw that he had one pack of cigarettes, a $1 bill and some change, and apparently, he was trying to hurry ahead of me in the checkout line and just didn’t quite pass me. So, I said to the checkout clerk, “Let him go ahead of me, please.” He motioned that it was okay, but I insisted. While she was ringing up his purchase, I took a good look at this person. I didn’t have a clue what his story was, but it struck me that everybody has a “story,” and everybody is a child of God, including this dirty, thin, rumpled, messed-up looking guy. So, when he glanced my way, I just gave him a nice big smile. And you know what happened? He lit up like a Christmas tree and smiled back. I would like to think that in that moment, Jesus reached right through me and my smile and surrounded that man with a hug and a big pat on the back that said, “You are important!” I know He certainly blessed me in that moment.
Time for a reality check – how are YOU doing in this area? Do you have a heart for others like Jesus did? Do you love all people equally? Do you treat all people equally? If you truly love Jesus and want to be like Him, you will try hard every day to do this, and you will start at church!
As it gets easier and easier, branch out to school, home, and even the grocery store! You just never know where God’s gonna show up!
September 22 Read Acts 2:41-42
Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.
Fellowship with other Christians is such a blessing. It has power, brings encouragement, and overall just boosts your sense of well-being. The church is the best, most important membership you will ever have, and it is important that you treat it with the respect and honor it deserves. Give wisely and well of your time and your talents – and your attention and attendance.
Be a solid church member, grow in the Lord through your time spent at church, Sunday School, and other church activities. Make it an important habit in your life, and you will never regret it.
September 23 Read Hebrews 4:12, 16
For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
When I was a teenager, I knew quite a few Bible verses. I had grown up going to Sunday School and church, and a Sunday evening program called Training Union, in which we learned Bible verses and had “Bible Drills,” and I thought I was really pretty smart about the Bible. When I was in college, the Gideons passed out small New Testaments, and there was an index for certain scriptures to help in certain situations. For instance, if you were worried, the index told you what scriptures would address that, and if you were hurting, it told you where to look in the little Bible for an answer. That was a great help to me, and surely to many, many other college students. Because, for all of my knowledge of Bible verses, I often didn’t know where to look – and sometimes I still don’t!
As an adult, I have learned to rely on books that tell you “where to find it in the Bible,” and a concordance that belonged to my grandfather. I can look up countless words and find scriptures that relate. In fact, that’s how I find the scriptures for these devotionals!
The point is this… for all of my memorizing Bible verses, I still needed help in my daily life that required more than the handful of verses I knew. While they are a great start, I often need to dig deeper to find out what God has to say about my particular situation. Every day His mercies are new to me, and so is His word for me. It’s up to me to open my Bible and find it!
A great start is to use these daily devotionals. Read the scripture that is listed at their start, and then see if your Bible has any footnotes to refer you to other scriptures that relate. Or, you might like to look in your Bible’s index or concordance to see if you can find more information on the topic for yourself. Whatever you choose – even if it is to open your Bible and read the daily scripture listed here, just do it! Bible study could become one of the most important habits you ever develop!
©2006 Debbie Robus
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