Week 48

This week's Bible reading plan is as follows:

• Sunday: Daniel 1:1-2:23; 1 Peter 3:8-4:6; Psalm 119:65-80; Proverbs 28:14
• Monday: Daniel 2:24-3:30; 1 Peter 4:7-5:14; Psalm 119:81-96; Proverbs 28:15-16
• Tuesday: Daniel 4:1-37; 2 Peter 1:1-21; Psalm 119:97-112; Proverbs 28:17-18
• Wednesday: Daniel 5:1-31; 2 Peter 2:1-22; Psalm 119:113-128; Proverbs 28:19-20
• Thursday: Daniel 6:1-28; 2 Peter 3:1-18; Psalm 119:129-152; Proverbs 28:21-22
• Friday: Daniel 7:1-28; 1 John 1:1-10; Psalm 119:153-176; Proverbs 28:23-24
• Saturday: Daniel 8:1-27; 1 John 2:1-17; Psalm 120:1-7; Proverbs 28:25-26

Our S.O.A.P. this week is from the book of 1 Peter:

Scripture: 1 Peter 3:15-17
"Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it. But do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ. Remember, it is better to suffer for doing good, if that is what God wants, than to suffer for doing wrong!"

Observation:
Followers of Jesus Christ are different. They stand out among those who do not know Jesus. This passage calls us as Christ-followers to be transparent yet grace filled about our convictions. Note that when we worship Christ as Lord, people will take notice. Some will ask us about our hope in Jesus. Peter says that when we give our answer, we should to so in a gentle and respectful way.

That last point cannot be stressed enough! Someone once said, "Jesus commands us to let our light shine – but there's a difference between shining and glaring." Being effective witnesses for Jesus is not about winning arguments; it's about winning souls. Remember the old saying: "Convince a man against his will and he is of the same opinion still."

Faithful living always brings critics. There will be those who speak against us because of our faith in Jesus. That's why it is so important to attend to the way we live. One of the biggest criticisms people level against Christians is that they are hypocrites. So the key for us is to make sure that our practice of faith matches our profession of faith. Nobody is perfect, but the more our actions align with our words, the stronger our witness will be to those who are searching for the "real thing."

Application:
At Woodhaven Community Church we talk about worshiping God, loving each other, and serving the world. In a word, we're talking about upreach, inreach, and outreach. We live most effectively when we reach up to God in worship, reach in to one another as a community of faith, and reach out to the world in faithful witness and service. That's what this passage is all about!

It makes a huge difference in our lives when we worship every day through Bible reading, prayer, and discernment. That's the main reason we emphasize the daily devotional practice we call SOAP. When we are engaged in this daily spiritual exercise, we are better equipped to engage an unbelieving world with grace and wisdom. The more consistently we SOAP, the better prepared we are to be Jesus' faithful witnesses in word and deed.

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, we want to be faithful and effective as your followers. We humbly acknowledge that we cannot do this without your support and guidance. So please help us to orient ourselves in you by beginning each day in worship and adoration...and give us the right words to share when people ask us about our faith in you. We also realize that our words mean very little without the actions that match them, so please help us to be faithful to you in both word and deed, for Jesus' sake. Amen!

Have a great week!

Faithfully,
Chuck