5 Habits - Word #5
Welcome to Everyday Devotions. These daily Bible readings and Prayer pathways are designed to help you go deeper with God each day in response to what you are hearing at the Everyday Church services and Life Group gatherings.
Friday 10th January
In this week’s Everyday Devotions, we are exploring the power of God’s Word to change our lives. We are looking at what Jesus wants to teach us through the Parable of the Sower. Yesterday we looked at the first type of soil. Today we are looking at the second type of soil.
Bible Meditation
Luke 8:4-15
4 While a large crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesus from town after town, he told this parable: 5 “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds ate it up. 6 Some fell on rocky ground, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown.” When he said this, he called out, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.” 9 His disciples asked him what this parable meant. 10 He said, “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others I speak in parables, so that, ‘though seeing, they may not see; though hearing, they may not understand.’
11 “This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God. 12 Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. 13 Those on the rocky ground are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away. 14 The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. 15 But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.
11 “This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God. 12 Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. 13 Those on the rocky ground are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away. 14 The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. 15 But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.
1) The seed that falls on rocky ground represents those of us who are shallow-hearted when it comes to the Word of God. We allow God’s Word to germinate in our hearts, starting out our Christian lives with great joy. But because we read God’s Word too little, there is insufficient soil for the seed that germinated to grow. What do you think are the biggest factors that stop you from digging deep roots down into God’s Word? How can you reorient your life to strengthen how much it is rooted in God’s Word?
2) Jesus warns us that this second group of people are in danger of fall away “in the time of testing”. What do you think this refers to? Can you think of any times of testing that have shaken your own faith in God?
3) Does the time of testing cause these people to wither or simply reveal how much they have withered? What have the times of testing in your own life revealed about the depth or lack of depth of your roots into God?
2 Timothy 3:15-17
15 The Holy Scriptures … are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God] may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
4) What do you think the Apostle Paul means when he tells us that all of the Bible is “God-breathed”?
5) Is that how you tend to think about the Bible? How would it affect the way you think and act if you truly treated the Bible as the God-breathed words of God to you today?
6) What does the Apostle Paul say are the benefits of studying the Scriptures? What do we therefore lose whenever we neglect to study them?
Prayer Pathway
Prayer for today:
Lord God, thank you that the Bible is your God-breathed words to me today. Thank you that you haven’t gone silent on me; I can hear you speak to me each day simply by opening up your Word. I’m so grateful that you are not like a mute idol. You are the God who speaks to his people every day. I commit myself to studying your Scriptures. Help me to put down deep roots into your Word in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Pray in Luke 8:6&13: Ask the Lord to help you to put down deep roots into his Word. Ask him to protect you in the time of testing and that such times will merely serve to prove the depth of your knowledge of and faith in his Word.
Pray in 2 Timothy 3:15-17: Ask God to make you wise and thoroughly equipped for works of service through his Word.
Lord God, thank you that the Bible is your God-breathed words to me today. Thank you that you haven’t gone silent on me; I can hear you speak to me each day simply by opening up your Word. I’m so grateful that you are not like a mute idol. You are the God who speaks to his people every day. I commit myself to studying your Scriptures. Help me to put down deep roots into your Word in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Pray in Luke 8:6&13: Ask the Lord to help you to put down deep roots into his Word. Ask him to protect you in the time of testing and that such times will merely serve to prove the depth of your knowledge of and faith in his Word.
Pray in 2 Timothy 3:15-17: Ask God to make you wise and thoroughly equipped for works of service through his Word.
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Connect: We’d really like your feedback on how these Everyday Devotions are helping you and how we might help you even better. Talk to us by emailing: devotions@everyday.org.uk
Continue: your connection with us by attending our online service.
Connect: We’d really like your feedback on how these Everyday Devotions are helping you and how we might help you even better. Talk to us by emailing: devotions@everyday.org.uk
Continue: your connection with us by attending our online service.