Speaker: Ben Sigman
Theme: Transformation
Weekend Music links on iTunes: Salvation Is Here - Hillsong, Your Grace Is Enough - Chris Tomlin, All To You - Lincoln Brewster, 'Til I See You - Hillsong
Think: When I was younger my fine blonde hair seemed to have a mind of it’s own. My “normal” hairstyle was a bit like Dennis the Menace with a couple of prominent cowlicks. You could wet the hair, add a little gel or use some hairspray but it didn’t take long before my hair returned to its normal state. When I was a child others saw this as cute. However, somewhere along the way it ceased to be cute. There was an expectation that change came with the maturing process.
Pastor Ben mentioned Sunday that one of the enemies of transformation is “Normal”. In other words, everything always wants to revert back to what the normal state was before change began to occur. As you read through the Bible there are many scriptures that seem to go against the grain of what we might think “normal” is. For instance it states in John 3:17 that “God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” Then in Romans 8:1 it says “… there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.” So if God doesn’t condemn us why do we always feel so bad and condemned when our normal doesn’t line up with God’s normal? It’s funny, others can even express admiration for the “godly lifestyle” we live but inside we still feel that undercurrent of condemnation and guilt.
I think it all comes down to not really understanding how God views us. We take our own poor view of ourselves and assume that God must also view us in the same way. It is important to note that condemnation does NOT come from God. He will bring correction in love because there is also an expectation that we will grow and mature in our faith. He will not condemn us but just like my “normal” hairstyle lost its cuteness as I grew, likewise God expects us to grow and mature in our faith. He never said we had to go it alone but promises he will help us.
Do: Spend some time reflecting on the following scriptures that reveal how God sees you. Read them out loud to yourself. 1 John 4:9-10; 1 John 3:1; Jeremiah 29:11-13; John 15:16
Pray: Father thank you that your love for me is unconditional. Thank you that you love me not because of what I have or have not done but because of whose I am. Let that truth get deep into my spirit. Amen
The eDevotional is written each week by a team of volunteers from Timberlake Church.
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