Stand by me

Those who know you, Lord, will trust you; you do not abandon anyone who comes to you. ~ Psalm 9:10 (GNT)

Paul writes: But it doesn’t matter—the Master stood by me and helped me spread the Message loud and clear to those who had never heard it. ~ 2 Timothy 4:17a (MSG)

KEY IDEA:

The Lord is faithful and stands by his people.

PRAYER:

Lord, I'm thankful that you are so reliable. You call us to serve alongside you. You will not abandon me. I know that you are always present -- that I am never out of your sight. Please give me the confidence to trust you even more. I want to be a bold witness calling others to trust you, too. Amen.

Shame-free

When you think about how you acted, you will be ashamed ... I will forgive you, but you will think about your sins and be too ashamed to say a word. I, the Lord God, have spoken. ~ Ezekiel 16:61a, 63 (CEV)

Paul writes: This saying is reliable and deserves full acceptance: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” -- and I’m the biggest sinner of all. ~ 1 Timothy 1:15 (CEB)

KEY IDEA:

Trust Christ Jesus to eliminate the shame.

PRAYER:

Lord, thank you for forgiveness. I accept what you have done for us -- for me. And I feel shame over my past behavior and thinking. But I'm scared because that shame has not totally eliminated all the current sin. I know that I'm forgiven and I don't want to dwell on my shortcomings. But I would like to move forward in living a shame-free life. Because of Jesus, I will. Amen.

Saved

Give up your crooked ways and your evil thoughts. Return to the Lord our God. He will be merciful and forgive your sins. ~ Isaiah 55:7 (CEV)

Later that day Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “I will give half of my property to the poor. And I will now pay back four times as much to everyone I have ever cheated.”

Jesus said to Zacchaeus, “Today you and your family have been saved..." ~ Luke 19:8-9a (CEV)

KEY IDEA:

Salvation belongs to all who turn from ways that are contrary to God and toward God and his ways.

PRAYER:

Lord Jesus, thank you for the salvation that belongs to all who turn to you. For you have already saved us through the sacrifice of the cross and the glory of the resurrection. I need to live more fully into my salvation. I need to completely turn from everything that you don't like. Keep me motivated and moving your direction. I'm going to enjoy living the life of a saved person. Amen.

Care for others

Do not tell lies about others. ~ Exodus 20:16 (CEV)

My friends, you are spiritual. So if someone is trapped in sin, you should gently lead that person back to the right path. But watch out, and don’t be tempted yourself. ~ Galatians 6:1a (CEV)

KEY IDEA:

Care for others.

PRAYER:

Lord Jesus, you cared so much about us that you left your heavenly home to rescue us from the power of death and sin. Thank you. Even though I really appreciate the way that you care for us I often fail to care about the others in my life. It is so hard to care for them in such a way that they are rescued from whatever their problems are. So, please give me a caring heart. I want to care like you. Amen.