12 May 2021 – 1 John 5:12 (NIV)
Scripture
Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.
Reflection
There are some people who believe that besides Jesus Christ, the Son of God, there are other ways to have eternal life, but the truth is, eternal life is only found in Jesus Christ. There is no other way to have eternal life except through Jesus Christ (John 14:6; John 3:16). Therefore, in order to have eternal life we must have Jesus Christ.
We should rejoice that though Jesus Christ we have eternal life, meaning that even after physical death, we will continue to live with Him.
Thoughts for the day
- What does this passage tell you about God or Jesus?
- What do you feel God is telling you through this passage?
- How will you respond to God’s love for you?
Prayer
Take time to pray Psalm 96. Allow it to shape prayers of thanksgiving as you are reminded of who God is.
11 May 2021 – Psalm 1 (NIV)
Scripture
1 Blessed is the one
who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
or sit in the company of mockers,
2 but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
and who meditates on his law day and night.
3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
whatever they do prospers.
4 Not so the wicked!
They are like chaff
that the wind blows away.
5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
6 For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.
Reflection
As Christians, because we have become righteous through Jesus Christ, we ought to choose the path or the way of the righteous; Otherwise there will be a contradiction between who we are and the way we live.
When we choose the way of the righteous, we bear fruit, we are like a tree planted by rivers of water, bearing fruit in its season, whose leaves do not dry up. We prosper in everything we do. The righteous enjoys all these blessings, because he or she remains in fellowship with Jesus Christ. Jesus is the source of all blessings, without Him we can do nothing (John 15:5). On the other hand, there is nothing good in the way of the wicked or ungodly, this way leads to destruction.
May we always choose to walk in the way of righteousness.
Thoughts for the day
- What does this passage tell you about God or Jesus?
- What do you feel God is telling you through this passage?
- How will you respond to God’s love for you?
Prayer
Invite the Holy Spirit to be present with you in this moment. And then, wait. Allow God’s peace to draw near.
10 May 2021 – Psalm 1 (NIV)
Scripture
1 Blessed is the one
who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
or sit in the company of mockers,
2 but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
and who meditates on his law day and night.
3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
whatever they do prospers.
4 Not so the wicked!
They are like chaff
that the wind blows away.
5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
6 For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.
Reflection
In today’s chapter we read about the way of the righteous and the way of the wicked.
The righteous man and the wicked or ungodly man are different in the way that they think, the way they behave, and to whom they belong. As children of God, we were made righteous through Jesus Christ, therefore we should walk in the way of the righteous, and we are blessed when we do so. We are blessed, favored by God when we reject the advice of evil people, refuse to follow the example of people who live a sinful life, when we do not join in with mockers. Instead, when we delight in the word of God, find joy in obeying it and meditating on it day and night.
“The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right; his ears are open to their cries for help. But the Lord turns his face against those who do evil; he will erase their memory from the earth”(Psalms 34:15-16).
Thoughts for the day
- What does this passage tell you about God or Jesus?
- What do you feel God is telling you through this passage?
- How will you respond to God’s love for you?
Prayer
Welcome the presence of the Holy Spirit. You can pray, “Come Holy Spirit”. Meditate on the Word of God from Psalm 27:1, The Lord is my light and my salvation—so why should I be afraid? The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble?
7 May 2021 – John 15:15 (NIV)
Scripture
15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.
Reflection
For Jesus to elevate the disciples’ status to friends was a remarkable statement. The reason being the concept of a servant in the OT didn’t have a negative connotation attached to it, but rather a positive understanding. So, when Jesus informed the disciples, he will elevate their status from that of a servant to a friend, it came as a surprise to them since in the OT only Abraham is called God’s friend (Jas. 2:23). Therefore, for Jesus to call them friends was a big deal back then. Jesus then continues to explain why the disciples had become Jesus’ friends. The reason is because of what he had shared with them about the Father’s truth. Jesus knew that he won’t be with the disciples for much longer, thus by sharing everything he had learned from the Father, revealed how much Jesus trusted the disciples to carry forward this truth. And what an honour it is today to be a part of sharing this truth with other people and have their status elevated to friendship.
Thoughts for the day
- What does this passage tell you about God or Jesus?
- What do you feel God is telling you through this passage?
- How will you respond to God’s love for you?
Prayer
Pray for unity across the churches in your area and invite the Holy Spirit to be at work.
6 May 2021 – John 15:12 (NIV)
Scripture
12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.
Reflection
To understand today’s verse and to apply it in our lives, the reader has to read the former verses (vv.1-10) where Jesus states he is the vine and we, the believers, are the branches (v.5). We cannot love each other as Jesus loved us if we don’t remain in the vine. Jesus had great joy in pleasing His Father by living a fruitful life and doing only what his Father told him (Heb. 12:2). The purpose of His teachings/commands is to give us an abundant life, not a joyless existence (John 10:10). Thus, obeying Jesus’s commands is for our joy (17:13). So, when Jesus states in verse 12 we should love one another, we should remember two things 1) we cannot do it unless we remain in Jesus and 2) by obeying Jesus’ commands as verse 12 instructs us, it is ultimately for our joy.
Thoughts for the day
- What does this passage tell you about God or Jesus?
- What do you feel God is telling you through this passage?
- How will you respond to God’s love for you?
Prayer
Invite the Holy Spirit to still you, fill you, and restore you. “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him”
“A New Series at SCF – All the Places to Go…How Will You Know?”
“An open door is the great adventure of life because it means the possibility of being useful to God. The offer of it, and our response to it, is the subject of this series” – John Ortberg
Life is filled with divine opportunities but we have to recognize them and respond to them. The Bible is filled with stories of people receiving divine opportunities from God but it was their yes or their no which ended up shaping their lives
The wonder of the open door is not in the accomplishment but in being with him.
A door that is thoughtfully, purposefully, intentionally opened by God himself
An open door to be useful to the God of eternity
We are encouraging everyone to either join an existing community group or start your own group just for this series. To discover more about this series, for help finding and existing community group or to start your own group, write us here, [email protected]
In addition, a sermon series to match the small group study will begin on May 16. You can hear one of these “live” talks at a Watch Party or online, Sundays at 11am or on the SCF Youtube channel.