Context: After spending the night in prayer on a mountain, Jesus elects His disciples and then teaches a great crowd His sermon on the plain.  Half-way through the sermon, He focuses on loving your enemies.  Jesus concludes this section with the following words.

Luke 6:36 – “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”

Observation: The mercy that we show others should be equal to the mercy that God has shown us.

Application: I will look for opportunities today to show supernatural mercy – not giving people what they deserve.

Is there someone in your life that you need to be merciful to, just as your Father has been merciful to you?

Join me and the PCBC singles as we read through the New Testament on the Project 345 plan.

Context: Jesus has worked a miracle.  After teaching from a boat, He instructs Simon (Peter) to, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.”  Simon explains that they had already fished all night and didn’t catch anything.  When they let their nets down, the load of fish is greater than their nets or boats can handle.  Simon is afraid and says, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.”

Luke 5:10 “…Jesus said to Simon, ‘Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.’”

Observation: Jesus gives Simon a higher calling.  He invites him to rise above the natural task and move to the supernatural task.  He wants him to be part of the life transformation business.

Application: “Lord, I want to be a fisher of men.  I want to be used by You to catch people, bring them into the kingdom of God and into relationship with Jesus.”

Have you accepted God’s call on your life to bring people to Him?  What do you need to do today to be faithful to that call?

Context: Mary has been told by an angel that she will be the Messiah’s mother.  This promise has been confirmed by her trip to visit her relative Elizabeth – John the Baptist’s mother.  Her words as she begins her song are similar to Zechariah’s words at the beginning of his song later in this chapter.

Luke 1:46-47 – And Mary said:
”My soul glorifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior…”

Observations:

–       Mary’s soul

• Glorified God

–       Mary’s Spirit

• Rejoiced in God

Application: I want to bring God glory from the inside out.  My outward expressions of praise must be an overflow of my soul and Spirit.

Are you focusing on God today?  Meditate on Him and posture yourself with a heart that glorifies and rejoices in God.

Context: Paul has just explained that we are saved by grace through faith and how that relates to both Jews and Gentiles (grafting into a vine).  He then introduces a doxology that starts with “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!”  A few verses later he concludes with…

Romans 11:36 – “For from Him and through Him and for Him are all things.
 To Him be the glory forever! Amen.”

Observation:

• All things are from God, through God and for God.
• All things are to bring God glory… forever.

Apply:  I must include God in every part of my day.  I will look to glorify Him as I seek direction (from), power (through), and purpose (for).

Are you grafted into The Vine?  Is your life source from Him, through Him, and for Him?

Context: Paul argues in Romans 6 that because of Christ’s death, we are free from sin’s power.  We can count ourselves dead to sin and alive to God.

Romans 6:17 – “But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance.”

Observation: When we obey the teaching of God’s Word, we should give God thanks.

Application: I must give God glory, honor, thanks, praise, etc. for any obedience I see in my life.  Obedience requires my effort but is enabled by God’s grace.

Have you seen obedience in your life?  Have you thanked God for it?

Context: Paul is explaining that we received a sin nature (death reigning) through Adam, and it was shown to us through the law.  Now we can receive the gift of righteousness (life reigning) by grace through faith in Christ.

Romans 5:17 – “For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!”

Observations:

• If – by the trespass of the one man (Adam),
  • death reigned through that one man,
• Then – how much more will those
  • who receive God’s abundant provision of grace
  • and of the gift of righteousness
    • reign in life
      • through the one man,
        • Jesus Christ!

Application: Life, not death, reigns in my life by grace through faith in Christ.  I want to celebrate that today.  I will pray for opportunities to explain this “gift of righteousness” to those that I come into contact with.

As a Christian, are you living with life reigning or death reigning?

Context: Paul explains that Abraham’s righteousness was attained through faith and not works.  He believed in God’s promises and was…

Romans 4:21 – “…fully convinced that God was able to do what He had promised.”
Observations:

• Fully convinced (ESV) – being fully persuaded (NIV)
• That God was (and is!) able
• To do what He had promised – Most of the time, we now receive these promises through scripture.

Application:  I want to have the confidence and faith of Abraham.  Today I will look for promises that God has given me and ask myself if I am living convinced that He is able to do them.

Do you believe God is able to do what He has promised?  Do your actions back this up?

Context: Paul has followed the Lord’s lead to Rome and has been given the opportunity to share the gospel with many.  “For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him.”

Acts 28:31 (The last verse in Acts) “He proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ—with all boldness and without hindrance!”

Observations:

• He proclaimed the kingdom of God (not just a savior but the KING)
• Taught about the Lord Jesus Christ
• All boldness – speaking with authority
• Without hindrance – the gospel was proclaimed freely through him

Apply: I must proclaim and teach with all boldness and without hindrance.  I want to pray for this specifically and call others to do the same.

Are you proclaiming the kingdom of God boldly?

Context: Paul has been arrested and stood before the counsel of Sadducees and Pharisees.  The counsel had a sharp disagreement and turned violent, so they led Paul back to the barracks for the night.

Acts 23:11 – “The following night the Lord stood by him and said, ‘Take courage, for as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, so you must testify also in Rome.’”

Observations:

• The Lord stood by him and said:
• Take courage… – a command given by God to His people consistently throughout scripture.  Courage is not the absence of fear.  It is moving forward in fearful situations knowing God is with you.  A wise man once said: “Courage is fear that has said its prayers.”
• …As you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, so you must testify also in Rome.

Application: I must meet personally with the Lord, so that I can hear Him speak words of courage and direction into my life.  I want to be ready to share “the facts” about Jesus with my own people and with others.

How has God spoken words of courage into your life?

Context: Paul has been arrested in Jerusalem, and before he is put into the barracks, he asks to speak with the people.  Permission is granted, and he shares the story of his conversion.

Acts 22:14-15 – “And he (Ananias) said, “The God of our fathers appointed you to know His will, to see the Righteous One and to hear a voice from His mouth; for you will be a witness for Him to everyone of what you have seen and heard.”

Observations:

• Appointed to:
  • Know His will
  • See the Righteous One (Jesus)
  • Hear a voice from His mouth
• For:
  • You will be a witness for Him to everyone of what you have seen and heard.

Apply:  Jesus has chosen to reveal Himself to me in many different ways.  I now have the responsibility to be a witness for Him to everyone who hasn’t been exposed to Jesus in the same way.  I will pray and look for those opportunities today.

How can you be a “witness for Him to everyone of what you have seen and heard” today?