First Comes Love - Day 14
Day 14 - Thursday, April 25
Read 2 Timothy 3
Highlight
A clear mark of whether the transformative work of the Spirit is evident in someone’s life is how they show up in their relationships with others. Paul paints a pretty grim picture of what becomes of those who love themselves more than God and others. The truth is we’ve all experienced this. The working out of our relationships is often like holding a mirror up to what is in our hearts, and that’s not always pretty. And even if we choose to follow Jesus we still have to contend with the broken people around us. In fact, Paul doesn’t say that followers of Jesus will be insulated from the pain of broken and damaging relationships, it’s the opposite in fact, we should expect persecution from those for whom the Gospel is an affront to their self-centeredness. But there is hope! Through the truth of God’s word and the power of the Holy Spirit we can not only endure, but we can become people of love and peace whose transformed presence is a balm to the relational brokenness of our world.
Reflection & Prayer
For this reading plan we will be using a tool to guide our study of Scripture that’s called the S.O.A.P. Method. It stands for Scripture, Observation, Application, and Prayer. We recommend you use a journal with this method and write out your thoughts on each of these areas for each day of reading. It doesn’t have to be long-winded and you don’t need a fancy journal. But for anyone that has not journaled before, the benefit is that it often helps us focus and avoid distractions during prayer and Bible study.
S.O.A.P. Method
Scripture - Pick a verse or two that stood out to you and write it in your journal. Be looking for a “Holy Spirit Highlight.” What did you read and think “I needed to hear that” or felt like it was written just for you?
Observation - Now write some observations about the verse(s) or passage. What is this passage or verse saying? About God? About people? How is Jesus revealed in these verses?
Application - Now write a few sentences on how this passage applies to your life. Is there truth about God that you are to believe? A promise to receive? Is the Holy Spirit convicting you of something you need to do or stop doing in light of God’s truth?
Prayer - Now write out a prayer to God in response to this Scripture. This is a way to turn God’s Word to you back to Him. Be honest and express your heart to Him. God always listens and He delights in your prayers. (Psalm 34:15; Proverbs 15:8)
Read 2 Timothy 3
Highlight
A clear mark of whether the transformative work of the Spirit is evident in someone’s life is how they show up in their relationships with others. Paul paints a pretty grim picture of what becomes of those who love themselves more than God and others. The truth is we’ve all experienced this. The working out of our relationships is often like holding a mirror up to what is in our hearts, and that’s not always pretty. And even if we choose to follow Jesus we still have to contend with the broken people around us. In fact, Paul doesn’t say that followers of Jesus will be insulated from the pain of broken and damaging relationships, it’s the opposite in fact, we should expect persecution from those for whom the Gospel is an affront to their self-centeredness. But there is hope! Through the truth of God’s word and the power of the Holy Spirit we can not only endure, but we can become people of love and peace whose transformed presence is a balm to the relational brokenness of our world.
Reflection & Prayer
For this reading plan we will be using a tool to guide our study of Scripture that’s called the S.O.A.P. Method. It stands for Scripture, Observation, Application, and Prayer. We recommend you use a journal with this method and write out your thoughts on each of these areas for each day of reading. It doesn’t have to be long-winded and you don’t need a fancy journal. But for anyone that has not journaled before, the benefit is that it often helps us focus and avoid distractions during prayer and Bible study.
S.O.A.P. Method
Scripture - Pick a verse or two that stood out to you and write it in your journal. Be looking for a “Holy Spirit Highlight.” What did you read and think “I needed to hear that” or felt like it was written just for you?
Observation - Now write some observations about the verse(s) or passage. What is this passage or verse saying? About God? About people? How is Jesus revealed in these verses?
Application - Now write a few sentences on how this passage applies to your life. Is there truth about God that you are to believe? A promise to receive? Is the Holy Spirit convicting you of something you need to do or stop doing in light of God’s truth?
Prayer - Now write out a prayer to God in response to this Scripture. This is a way to turn God’s Word to you back to Him. Be honest and express your heart to Him. God always listens and He delights in your prayers. (Psalm 34:15; Proverbs 15:8)
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