day one { worth loving - worth saving?: Luke 5:12-13 }

Has there been a time when you were growing up that the other kids rejected you? How did it make you feel? Leprosy was a horrible disease, most times fatal.  It was horribly disfiguring and highly contagious.  Nobody wanted to be around a leper, let alone touch one.  But Jesus not only came near, he touched and healed the leper.  Somehow that leper knew that Jesus would not turn him away.  People may look at us and see the scars of our disease and assume some secret sin and make us feel that we are not worth loving – not worth saving.  But Jesus does not turn us away.  He touches us in a way that no one else can or will.  All we need to do is ask. Where does Jesus need to touch and heal you?

day two { power and perspective: Luke 5:14-16 }

What is the first thing you give up when your day gets too busy? Is it your quiet time with the Lord?  For a lot of Christians, that is the first thing to go.  We think, “I’ll get to it later.”  But later never seems to come and we fall asleep with the weight of the day’s problems still hanging over us.  Every day of Christ’s ministry was like our most hectic, most overwhelming day.  He was already being mobbed by crowds who wanted a political king to relieve them of their enslavement.  But even in the midst of all the commotion around Him, He always found time to get alone and pray.  Have you made time to be with Jesus every day? Our time with Him gives power and perspective to our day and to our life.

day three { accepting forgiveness: Luke 5:17-26 }

In what ways have you seen that a "friend in need is a friend indeed?" These four friends wanted Jesus to heal their friend so that he could walk. In what way did they demonstrate their faith in Jesus?   Do you think they were disappointed when the first thing Jesus said was, “Friend, your sins are forgiven”? The Pharisees were outraged and accused Him of blasphemy. Only God could forgive sin. Why is it easier to say, “Your sins are forgiven” than to say to a paralyzed person, “You are healed”?  The Pharisees believed Jesus could heal but not forgive sins.  Is that not like us today?  We often accept Jesus physical and emotional healing but don’t accept His forgiveness.  We hold on to the guilt of our past sins when Jesus has promised to set us free. Have you accepted Jesus’ forgiveness?  Read 1 John 1:9 and claim it.

 

day four { having it all together: Luke 5:27-32 }

What do you think people find most diffifcult to leave behind when they follow Jesus? When Matthew left his job and political standing behind to follow Jesus, he must have known he could never go back.  But for him it was all joy.  The first thing he did was to invite all of his “non-Christian friends” to a party to meet Jesus.  New Christians are like that, aren’t they?  They want everybody to know the joy they have.  When the Pharisees complained that Jesus was hanging around with sinners, Jesus told them that He didn’t come to hang around people who have it all together, He came to help those who knew they needed help.  Do you have it “all together” or do you know you need His help?  Who do you know that needs Jesus?  Will you invite them?

day five { primary purpose: Luke 5:33-39 }

In what areas of your life do you often resist change? Are you one of those who get upset when we change the order of worship or make changes in the types of songs we sing?  If we want to see the authority of the risen Christ in our churches today, we must never let program replace passion.  It is right for our churches to have good doctrine and to take a stand for the truth but good doctrine and truth ought to make us love Christ more.  Pastor David said, “You can’t just patch Jesus into your life. Christ demands total commitment.”  Does He have your total commitment?

 

a word from the writers

This daily devotional and a weekly bible study for Life Groups that coincides with the current sermon is also available on the church website:  ccc.org.  We loved to hear your comments or suggestions.  Email the writing team at lampr@ccc.org.

 

To download a PDF of this week's daily devotional, click here.

To view the Life Lessons for this sermon series click on the logo to the left.

 

"Be ________"	Weekly Sermons
Be A Servant Be Repentant "Be" Part 3 "Be" Part 4 "Be" Part 5 "Be" Part 6 "Be" Part 7 "Be" Part 8	Painted or Stained?