Romans 15:2 “Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification.” NKJV

Life Lesson: We should be spiritually concerned and caring with one another.

Be honest…how often do you think about others ahead of yourself? If you are completely honest, your answer is probably “not often.” Jesus, in His ministry, was completely others centered. Everything He spoke and did was for the edification of others. The world we live in is completely focused on ‘self,’ and Christians have bought into it. Jesus, on the other hand, said:

Mark 8:35 “For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.” NKJV

Jesus should be our model for living. We should be like Jesus and be ‘others centered’ and ‘others focused.’ We should give our lives away. It is the key to life and what Jesus told us to do. Like a lost key, many Christians will look past it without picking it up. Gandhi once said, “I like your Jesus…I don’t like your Christians.” If the church at large would live out what we say we believe, this world would be a different place and people would be clamoring for Jesus. Is Jesus your model for living? What do you need to change in your life to accurately portray a life sold out for Jesus?

Dear Father,

Thank You for Loving me. Thank You for looking past my faults and failures and giving Your life away for me. Lord, I know sometimes I am too pre-occupied with ‘self’ and I am sorry. Give me the passion to give my life for others. Help me to be a walking testimony of Your Truth so ‘others’ can know the grace, peace, comfort and hope I have found in You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Living to tell what He died to say,
Pastor David McGee
Senior Pastor
Calvary Chapel of the Triad
Reachthetriad.com
Twitter.com/CCOT
336.996.6880

1 Peter 2:1-3 “Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.” NKJV

Life Lesson: “If Jesus Christ is God and died for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for Him.” – C.T. Studd

Last night, Pastor Nick mentioned the missionary, C.T. Studd. Perhaps one of the most under-valued parts of his story is how he came to know the Lord. His father was converted when a friend took him to hear D.L. Moody speak in London in 1877. C.T. and his two brothers were converted when a traveling preacher stayed with his family as he was passing through. His father’s friend had no idea that taking C.T.’s father to hear D.L. Moody would open the door to lead C.T. to the Lord. That visiting preacher had no idea that C.T. would eventually leave everything to go be a soul winner in China, India and Africa. When people told C.T. he had done enough and should go back home, he’d say, “God has called me to go, and I will go. I will blaze the trail though my grave may only become a stepping stone that younger men may follow.”

We don’t know the full impact we have on others. Every day we leave some kind of impression on others. We are God’s representatives on earth, and we bear the responsibility to live in such a way as to leave others craving Jesus. Whether we have that kind of impact on others is, in many ways, up to us. You know yourself and have a pretty good idea of what people see in your life (and they do see – more than you realize). People are watching and listening. People are forming opinions about our Lord based on what they see in our lives. Let’s commit ourselves to have the kind of impact that friend and traveling preacher had on C.T. Studd and his family. Never underestimate the impact you have on this world.

Dear Father,

Thank You for loving me. Thank You that You have chosen me to be Your vessel to make an impact in the lives of others. Lord, help me to live my life in a way that honors You and does not confuse others about the Truth of Your Word. I want my life to be a testimony of Your grace, Your goodness and Your mercy. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Living to tell what He died to say,
Pastor David McGee
Senior Pastor
Calvary Chapel of the Triad
Reachthetriad.com
Twitter.com/CCOT
336.996.6880

Romans 14:19 “Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another.” NKJV

Life Lesson: We should encourage others.

Have you ever seen two kids building sandcastles together in the sand? Usually, one of the kids likes to build while the other one comes by and stomps it…especially if they are siblings. One builds up and the other takes joy in tearing down. Why? Mostly, it is for the reaction. Christians can do this as well. Worship music, food, dress, Bible translation… all of these are minor issues that many love to argue. What does it do? It distracts from the gospel.

Doing things just to offend or argue is wrong. God is at work in our lives…at different speeds and at different times. “I get it, why don’t you get it?” That is a prideful statement. It is quite probable that another brother or sister “get’s it” in other ways better than you do. That is how it works … we fit together and cause each other to grow. Going to or serving in church but being prideful and snooty about it – God’s not interested. The church is made of individual people with individual gifts and no one person is the whole church. We should build one another up and in turn, we will be encouraged as well. What if the church at large really did Romans 14:19?

Let’s start and see.

Dear Father,

Thank You for loving me. Thank You for the many individual gifts that make up the body of Christ. Lord, help me to put off disagreements and value others. Forgive me when I have caused division and strife. Give me the spirit to be a blessing to someone else today. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Living to tell what He died to say,
Pastor David McGee
Senior Pastor
Calvary Chapel of the Triad
Reachthetriad.com
Twitter.com/CCOT
336.996.6880

James 3:17-18 “But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.” NKJV

Life Lesson: Peace is not the absence of conflict but the presence of God.

Kevin did a great job last night and I am looking forward to seeing everyone again this Sunday. He spoke about peace and the peace that can only come from the Lord and this bears repeating. You probably remember what you felt like as a child after watching a creepy movie and later that night when you sheepishly peered around every dark corner. It brought up a fear of what’s around the next turn, didn’t it? Did you carry that fear into your adult life … would you admit it if you did? We all have our moments when things are going wrong and we think about how much worse it could get … instead of thinking on the One in Whose loving grip we endure. In the absence of trust in God we are left with a fear of life.

Isaiah 26:3 “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in You, whose thoughts are fixed on You! Trust in the LORD always, for the LORD GOD is the eternal Rock.” NLT

Do you have peace … or do you go about life anxiously awaiting the next problem or conflict? In light of Isaiah 26:3 what should you do? How do you demonstrate your trust in God? Do you demonstrate it by talking to Him in prayer (Philippians 4:6-9; Hebrews 4:16)? Do you demonstrate it by seeking godly counsel (1Timothy 3:16-17; Proverbs 13:10)? Do you place your next step firmly in His hands (Proverbs 3:5-6; 16:3)?

Dear Father,

Thank You for loving me. Thank You that I cannot be removed from the promise of Your Salvation. Show me how to live in the peaceful comfort of Your hands. I give to You my fears and my circumstances. Help me to trust in You with all my heart. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Living to tell what He died to say,
Pastor David McGee
Senior Pastor
Calvary Chapel of the Triad
Reachthetriad.com
Twitter.com/CCOT
336.996.6880

Romans 14:12 “So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.” NKJV

Life Lesson: Each one of us will give an account of our lives to God.

This is a humbling verse. Here’s another one:

James 3:1 “My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment.” NKJV

I am accountable to God. As a teacher, I am accountable for every word I speak, every thought and every action…I am accountable to God. Spiritual leaders such as, pastors, elders, teachers, husbands and parents are accountable to God. Do you fall into one of these categories? Be humbled if God has placed you as a godly influence in someone’s life. Make sure you have godly influence in your life. I have godly men around me that have the ability to speak into my life. We all need that. If you are missing that, maybe you need to put yourself in a place where you have accountability with others. One of those places is serving at church alongside others who will hold you to your Christian walk. Who are the spiritual leaders in your life?

Dear Father,

Thank You for loving me. Thank You for the gift of Your Son. Lord, forgive me for not being discerning in my actions or in the words I speak. Give me the discernment and wisdom to make the godly decisions You have entrusted to me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Living to tell what He died to say,
Pastor David McGee
Senior Pastor
Calvary Chapel of the Triad
Reachthetriad.com
Twitter.com/CCOT
336.996.6880

1 Chronicles 4:10 “And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, “Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!” So God granted him what he requested.” NKJV

Life Lesson: Sin always brings sadness.

It is a fact. Sin always brings sadness. Someone is going to suffer for your sin. Oh yeah, you will certainly suffer, but what about those around you? They are affected by your sin. If you have a picture of your spouse or kids, pull it out and look at it. Is it worth it? That little piece of leaven that you have tucked away in some secret place… what is it worth to you? Your spouse is affected by it. Your children are affected by it. Your household could be facing devastation and destruction like you never thought possible. Sin has brought down whole kingdoms, and it can certainly bring down your house. What do you do? How do you stop? Pray to God and confess. Seek biblical counseling from your church. Faithfully attend teachings and serve at your church.

Hebrew 12:1 “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.” NLT

Dear Father,

Thank You for loving me. Please forgive me for the times I have allowed my flesh to govern my way of thinking. Forgive me where I have imposed suffering upon others. I want my life to be a living testimony to my family, friends and co-workers. Nothing is more important to me than living out Your Word in my life. Give me the power to choose carefully how I live out my daily walk. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Living to tell what He died to say,
Pastor David McGee
Senior Pastor
Calvary Chapel of the Triad
Reachthetriad.com
Twitter.com/CCOT
336.996.6880

Romans 14:7 “For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself.” NKJV

Life Lesson: Our lives influence others, so we should not just do whatever we please.

Kids…I could probably end this devotion after that one word because we all know how kids imitate what they see around them. I will never forget one time, when I was driving in traffic, and someone cut in front of me. From the back seat of the car I hear, “Idiot.” My kids were riding in the back seat of the car with me. Where do you think they learned that from? They learned that through observation. It would be great if it were just our kids, but it goes deeper than that. You see, your friends, your co-workers, your neighbors, people you don’t even know are watching your reactions. When they see a follower of Jesus who is sold out for Christ, living free of legalism and bondage of the world, they are drawn to Jesus. When they see a follower of Jesus living for ‘self’ and the world, they have no problem rejecting Jesus because it allows them to play the hypocrite card.

Our lives affect people in ways we may never know. The words we speak, the places we go and the things we watch all reap something. What is the harvest of your life?

Dear Father,

Thank You for loving me. Thank You for Your grace and mercy. Lord, I am sorry for the times I have not used good judgment around friends or family. Give me the wisdom and discernment to live my life as a disciple of Christ. I help me be the hands and feet of Your Word. May I represent You in all the things I say or do. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Living to tell what He died to say,
Pastor David McGee
Senior Pastor
Calvary Chapel of the Triad
Reachthetriad.com
336.996.6880

Philippians 3:3 “For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh,” NKJV

Life Lesson: We should trust in the Lord for our help

Pastor Frank did a great job teaching Thursday night.  I miss everyone and look forward to being back on Sunday teaching.

One of the points that Pastor Frank emphasized was how we should trust in the Lord and not in ourselves.  How often have you heard this – “As you know, the good book says, ‘God helps those who help themselves.’”  No, it does not!  Nowhere in the Bible do we read this statement!  In fact, the Bible tells us we should reject selfishness and serve others.  We should lay aside our own wants and desires and seek the Lord’s will in our life.

Psalm 118:8 says, “It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.”  NKJV

Where do you place your confidence?  Do you find yourself placing your hope in people or in God?

Dear Father,
Thank You for Your Son, Jesus. Lord, I do not want to have any confidence in my flesh. I humbly come before you and admit that I have been selfish. Give me the strength to place my hope in You daily. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Living to tell what He died to say,
Pastor David McGee
Senior Pastor
Calvary Chapel of the Triad
Twitter: @CCOT
Reachthetriad.com
336.996.6880