First Baptist Church, Mount Pleasant, Michigan

Devotional: Genesis 2:18-25

Today’s passage: Genesis 2:18-25

Helpful thoughts:

  • For the first time, God saw something that was not good.
  • Adam giving names to the animals accomplishes a couple of things:
    • Adam exercises dominion over creation as God intended man to do.
    • Adam sees that of all the purposes these other creatures are given to do, none of them are fit for him (He sees the “not good” that God also saw).
    • As a result, he becomes all the more excited when God reveals his “helper.”  God maximized his joy.
  • Man and woman were made from one flesh (Adam) and are intended to become one flesh (Physical union).
    • Marriage is much more than just physical union.  But it is not marriage without physical union.
  • God’s design for families consists of a father and mother and marriage is defined in verse 24 as the union between a husband and wife, man and woman.

Questions to consider:

  1. Why were Adam and Eve able to be together, naked and unashamed?  What hasn’t happened yet (Chapter 3…)?  What has sin done to trust, the feeling of safety, the sense of need to protect one’s self, etc.?  How does verse 25 contrast from the reality of the world today, post the fall?
  2. What is God’s design for marriage and for family?  What does the reality of physical union being tied to marriage and the fact that marriage is between one man and one woman also say about the definition of gender?
  3. How does the role of a father and mother change in the life of their child after they have been joined together with their spouse?  What does it mean to “leave” father and mother?  When has a new family unit been established?  What responsibilities come with marriage?

Devotional: Genesis 2:4-17

Today’s passage: Genesis 2:4-17

Helpful thoughts:

  • Chapter 2 of Genesis gives us a closer look at the creation of mankind and what followed.
  • Verse 4 introduces the name of God, “Yahweh” (or “Jehovah”).  It is written as “LORD.”
    • When the Bible starts to speak of people as individuals, it immediately introduces us to the name of our God, who knows us and whom we can know.
  • The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil was already teaching the knowledge of these things, without Adam (Or Eve) having to eat from it.  They were given this command (“You must not eat from it”), and the command alone implied there were such things as good (Or right) and obedience, and wrong or disobedience.
    • Adam’s and Eve’s innocence before God was not simply an absence of doing wrong.  But as long as they obeyed God’s command, they also had a record of doing right (Righteousness).
    • God does not merely expect an absence of wrong-doing.  God requires righteousness.

Questions to consider:

  1. Based on what we read in this passage, why did the bushes, plants, rains and streams (Rivers) come into being in God’s creation?  What was He providing?  For whom was He providing all of it?
  2. When will the Tree of Life make it’s reappearance?  What is it for?  What does it do? (Revelation 2:7, 22:2, 14, 19)
  3. Since we have all fallen short (Romans 3:23), what has God graciously done to provide us with righteousness?  Why are we allowed in His presence and accepted as His sons and daughters, counted as fully righteous? (See again, 2 Corinthians 5:21)

Devotional: Genesis 1:14-2:3

Today’s passage: Genesis 1:14-2:3

Helpful thoughts:

  • Israel had seen the worship of the sun and moon.  But, the sun and moon are simply creations of God.  God is the maker of every object in the universe.  He is the maker of days, months, years and seasons.  He alone is to be worshiped!
  • Mankind is the only life on earth made in the image of God.  We are set apart from the rest of creation.
    • Being made in His image results in our privilege and responsibility to be representations of God to the world and to have dominion over the earth.  To rule it under God’s authority.
    • We have fallen short.  We do not perfectly represent God.  But Jesus does.  By God’s grace, we are new creations in Christ and we are being conformed into His likeness (Colossians 1:18, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Romans 8:29).
  • God created the universe in six days and on the seventh day, He rested.  From the beginning, God set up the concept of the week (seven days) including a day of rest.

Questions to consider:

  1. How is it possible that we would be made in the image of God (God being singular) and yet, God said, “Let us make man in our image?”  Having already read about the Spirit of God in Genesis 1, what doctrine of God is being evidenced here? (Hint: “Three-in-one”)
  2. If God created mankind as male and female and if that distinction was given along with the command to be fruitful and multiply, what does that tell us about the nature and definition of gender?
  3. What are some foundational issues that change the way we see the world that have already been covered in Genesis 1?  If you choose to reject Genesis 1, how will your worldview, morality, sense of purpose, etc. change?

Devotional: Genesis 1:1-13

Today’s passage: Genesis 1:1-13

Helpful thoughts:

  • This universe and everything in it exists because God created it.
    • He created everything from nothing (John 1:3, Isaiah 45:7-18, Romans 11:36, Colossians 1:16-17).
    • God spoke the word and creation perfectly “obeyed.”
    • God had and has the authority to “call” creation whatever He wills.  He is our maker and therefore our authority.
  • Concerning the phrase, “without form and void,” Richard Hess writes, “This expression describes the world before the creation of life, before there was even a background or context in which life could flourish.  In days 1-3, God creates the structure of that background, while in days 4-6, he fills this world with living creatures.” (NIV Zondervan Study Bible)
  • Everything God makes is “good” because God himself is “good.”

Questions to consider:

  1. What do we learn about God from these verses?  What attributes are on display?  What has He done that none of us could ever do and why?
  2. The children of Israel had seen other nations praying to various false gods in the hopes of seeing a greater harvest.  What did Israel learn about who brings the harvest when they first read (or heard) Genesis 1?  What day did God bring the “first” harvest?  What day was man created?  Whom should we trust for our provisions?
  3. What parallels do we find in Genesis 1 and John 1:1-18?  What is the Word of God?  What does the Word accomplish?  Who gives light?  What does the Light of the world do?

Devotional: John 21:20-25

Today’s passage: John 21:20-25

Helpful thoughts:

  • The man Peter looked at was John, the writer of this gospel account.
  • What Jesus said to Peter was misunderstood in the early church.  John died before Jesus returned.
    • Jesus was instructing Peter to run his own race.  God had a purpose for Peter and a purpose for John.  Peter needed to keep his eyes on Jesus and not play the comparison game.
  • We can study the Word of God our whole lives and still not know everything He did and said.  There is so much more for us to learn when we are with Him in glory!
    • That being said, everything we need to know has been given to us in the Scriptures.  God has not left us ignorant or incapable of following Him (2 Timothy 3:16-17, 2 Peter 1:3).

Questions to consider:

  1. What are some different reasons why this conversation was included at the end of the Gospel of John?  What doctrinal error did it correct?  What lesson does it teach?
  2. By what standard do we usually play the comparison game?  What kinds of things make us feel inferior (or superior) to others?  What has God called us to be (1 Corinthians 4:2)?  To whom are we to remain faithful, regardless of where “our race” (God’s sovereign will) takes us?
  3. Will we ever grow tired of learning more about the Lord?  Why will eternity never be boring?
  4. Who could you encourage to trust in Jesus so they too can enjoy the Lord forever?

Devotional: John 21:15-19

Today’s passage: John 21:15-19

Helpful thoughts:

  • Peter had denied Jesus three times on the night prior to Christ’s crucifixion.  Now, Jesus allows Peter to affirm his love three times.
  • After each of Peter’s affirmations (And not only after the third time), Christ commissions him to be a leader of the church.  Peter was called to tend and feed Christ’s sheep.
  • Jesus knew Peter would one day be martyred (crucified) for his faith, for his obedience to Jesus.  The call remained the same, “follow me.”

Questions to consider:

  1. When Peter was asked if he loved Jesus, “more than these,” Jesus could have been referring to the fish (Peter’s trade and means of making a living), the other disciples (The approval of man) or he could have been asking if Peter loved Jesus more than all the other disciples did (A desire to be first place, to be proud).  We don’t know which Jesus was referring to, and we shouldn’t assume he meant all three, but in what way are all three of these possibilities important to consider?
  2. Peter was right, Jesus does know everything, so why did Jesus ask Peter?  What has the purpose of this series of questions?  What was Jesus doing for Peter?
  3. Does it bother us that Jesus told Peter to follow Him even when He knew it would result in his death?  Why or why not?  Why is it worth the cost to follow Jesus?  Why was death by martyrdom better for Peter than a long life rejecting/denying Jesus, both in this life and in eternity?

Devotional: John 21:1-14

Today’s passage: John 21:1-14

Helpful thoughts:

  • While the disciples waited for what was next, they went back to what they knew, fishing in the Sea of Galilee.
  • Over the years, people have tried to suggest significant symbolism in the number of fish that were caught (153).  Most likely, John simply gave an accurate detail of the number to show there was a miracle even in the net not breaking due to the huge load.  Jesus gave them a miraculous catch, just as he had at the beginning of their journey with Him (Luke 5:1-11).
  • John and Peter follow their pattern.  John sees and understands.  Peter hears and runs (or swims) ahead.
    • These responses are unique to each man’s personality.  But both are full of faith.

Questions to consider:

  1. What would be the significance of Jesus making a third appearance to this disciples?  Why would John want us to know there were multiple visits and interactions?
  2. How did Jesus’ miracle communicate to the disciples who He was without having to say another word?  In what way could this aspect of their relationship with the Lord been a joy to the disciples?  How might we enjoy getting to know the Lord better in this life and in eternity, knowing that He is a real person, that we can have a relationship with Him?
  3. How might you have hurried to see Jesus (Not everyone can swim a hundred yards in open sea)?  Why is Jesus worthy of our efforts and eagerness to be with Him?

Devotional: John 20:24-31

Today’s passage: John 20:24-31

Helpful thoughts:

  • Thomas did not believe the report of the other disciples.  He wants to see and feel the physical body of Jesus.  Thomas implies the disciples saw some ghost or a figment of their imagination.  He believes they’ve made a mistake.
  • Eight days later, Jesus meets Thomas’ challenge.  He is truly alive, risen from the dead, in the flesh forevermore.
  • Thomas’ response is the response all readers need to give.  The only right response is to proclaim Christ as my Lord and my God!

Questions to consider:

  1. Why did the Apostle John write this book (Verse 31)?  Why would this book be a great thing to encourage unbelievers to read if they were willing to begin exploring the Bible?
  2. Why didn’t Thomas just say, “Jesus, my friend, your back!”?  Who is Jesus?  What did Thomas proclaim?  In what way is Thomas’ profession the climax of John’s gospel?
  3. What will you do with the evidence given to you?  You haven’t seen Jesus personally…you have read and heard these multiple eye-witness accounts.  Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.

Devotional: John 20:11-23

Today’s passage: John 20:11-23

Helpful thoughts:

  • In today’s passage, we see the same pattern of eyewitness accounts:
    • Mary Magdalene sees Christ first, alone.
    • Then the disciples see Christ together at one time.
      • The evidence is given.  The eyewitness accounts are corroborated.  Jesus Christ has risen from the dead.  He is alive!
  • Jesus also reveals two important truths:
    • He would ascend to the Father.
    • The Holy Spirit would come and minister in His absence.
  • From the ESV Study Bible:
    • “The expressions they are forgiven and it is withheld both represent perfect-tense verbs in Greek and could also be translated, “they have been forgiven” and “it has been withheld,” since the perfect gives the sense of completed past action with continuing results in the present.  The idea is not that individual Christians or churches have authority on their own to forgive or not forgive people, but rather that as the church proclaims the gospel message of forgiveness of sins in the power of the Holy Spirit, it proclaims that those who believe in Jesus have their sins forgiven, and that those who do not believe in him do not have their sins forgiven – which simply reflects what God in heaven has already done.”

Questions to consider:

  1. Why do you think Mary wouldn’t have recognized Jesus at first (Weeping, shock, the resurrection body after the image of His crucifixion had been in her mind)?  What gave it away?  When did she recognize her Lord?
  2. Why might Jesus still have the evidence on His resurrected body of the marks on His hands/arms and His side?  What will those marks continue to proclaim for all eternity?
  3. What is this version of the “Great Commission” communicating to the disciples (And to the church) in verse 21?  How does the sending of Jesus give us greater understanding of what it means to be sent to share the gospel?