Hebrews 10:24-25

24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another —and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Reflection:
As the family of God, we need to be together - to be in fellowship with one another because we motivate and fuel each other toward love and good deeds. Whether it is participating in a sports tournament, having picnics, reading the Word, sharing a meal, worshipping and praying together, it is good to be together. As we meet, these are places of God’s grace shared among His people, His family. The sweeter the journey is not a solo trek. It is a shared journey of experiencing God’s blessing, favor and goodness. It is good to be together for the glory of God.

Response:
Let’s pray that our fellowship will fuel us toward even greater expressions of worship of our God, and that we will continue to love and encourage one another. Let’s also pray that our fellowships together will be sweeter as we journey together towards the Lord.

1 Peter 2:9-10

9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Reflection:
Because of God’s mercy, we have been rescued and called God’s royal priesthood. It was because God in His mercy saw us and had compassion on us that we were saved. And the mercy we have received, we are to share and declare. God has called us to go and minister, and share His mercy and love with this generation.

Response:
Let’s ask God for His heart for our generation, that we would pray, love and share His mercy to those around us, and that we will be His royal priesthood to our generation.

Romans 12:1-2

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is —his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Reflection:
So Paul urges us as God helps us, to “…take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you. (MSG)” This is how we live everyday as God helps us, we place it all before God. As we walk away from the influences of this world and move toward God this is our daily worship to Him. As we recognize more quickly His way and turn to follow Him, this is our daily worship to Him.

Response:
Let’s pray that everyday we will place it all before God. Let’s pray that we will worship him daily, walk toward Him and recognize His way and quickly turn to follow Him.

Hebrews 4:12

12 For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

Reflection:
God’s Word is alive and active. When we read His Word, it is sharper than any double-edged sword. It will penetrate; it will judge our thoughts and attitudes of the heart. And as God’s people that’s exactly what we want and need. We are new creation in Christ and as we walk in the sweeter the journey, the Word of God reveals, empowers and helps us to live more like Christ each day and experience more sweeter moments in Him.

Response:
As we read God’s Word, let’s ask God to help us believe and agree with what the Word says. Let’s ask God to help us to declare it over our lives, to learn to meditate on His Word and to trust the Word. Let’s be encouraged because as we declare God’s Word over our lives, we will see and experience greater change in our lives.

Ephesians 1:3-14

3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8 that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, 9 he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10 to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment —to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.
11 In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12 in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. 13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.

Reflection:
As we read this passage, our hearts are warmed with God’s Word. The Word reminds of how we were rescued and how great the Lord’s salvation is in our lives. How total and complete our rescue was and is. We went from poor, alone and desperate to rich in blessing, adopted into His family, lacking nothing and full and abundant in the Lord.

Response:
Let’s once again remember the Lord’s great salvation in our lives. How our loving God has rescued us. Let’s respond with thankfulness and praise to Him.