Family Devotional Guide – April 25
One of my favorite passages of scripture in the whole Bible is Ephesians 1-2. I remember reading it in High School, and for the first time, the profound truths of it made sense and struck me like a ton of bricks. The description explicitly laid out in chapter 2 that, before Christ saved me, I was dead in my sins struck me and has never left me. God used Ephesians 1-2 in such a profound way in my High School years, and He has continued to use this text throughout my life to teach me about His amazing grace. I love this text!
I also vividly remember being a college student at the Bible college I attended. In my junior year, I took a preaching class. One day the professor wanted to teach us the truth that God saves people by using His word to bring spiritually dead people to spiritual life. So, one day he told us to take our sermon manuscripts with us on a field trip. When the vehicles stopped, we were in a graveyard. That day he had us preach our sermons to the tombstones and the remains beneath them. After we finished, he said something similar to this. “Never forget, every time you preach, you have some in your audience as spiritually dead as the graves in front of you. Only God can bring spiritually dead people to life. Before you ever preach, remember your sermon’s power is completely dependent on God’s work through His word. The greatest thing you can do is teach people God’s word and proclaim Christ. These are what God uses to bring spiritually dead people to life.”
As odd as that story might seem to you, I have never forgotten its point. The truth of Ephesians 2 came alive to me in a new way that day. God saves sinners through the proclamation of Christ and only through the proclamation of Christ!
Most people have favorite passages of scripture. Sometime this week, share your favorite passages of scripture that God has used throughout your life with your family or friends.
As a family, couple, or as friends, discuss the questions below.
Family Discussion Questions:
- What is your favorite book of the Bible and why?
- What is your favorite Bible story, and why?
- Who is a Bible character that you relate to and why?
- What passages of scripture does God seem to continue to point you back to?
Monday- 1 John 3:1-3
Tuesday- 1 John 3:4-10
Wednesday- 1 John 3:11-15
Thursday- 1 John 3:16-18
Friday- 1 John 3:19-24
Saturday- Make-Up Reading Day