Online Ministry for the Week 12/12 - 12/18 2016

PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION

O Lord, your Word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. Give us grace to receive your truth in faith and love, and strength to follow on the path you set before us; through Jesus Christ, Amen.

DAILY READING

• Monday (December 12, 2016): Psalm 42; Isaiah 29:17-24; Acts 5:12-16
• Tuesday (December 13, 2016): Psalm 42; Ezekiel 47:1-12; Jude 17-25
• Wednesday (December 14, 2016): Psalm 42; Zechariah 8:1-17; Matthew 8:14-17, 28-34
• Thursday (December 15, 2016): Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19; 2 Samuel 7:1-17; Galatians 3:23-29
• Friday (December 16, 2016): Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19; 2 Samuel 7:18-22; Galatians 4:1-7
• Saturday (December 17, 2016): Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19; 2 Samuel 7:23-29; John 3:31-36

• Fourth Sunday of Advent, December 18, 2016

ABUNDANT HEALTH

The Best Relationship You Can Have

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. Ephesians 6:18 (NIV)

Have you ever stopped to think about how you develop a vibrant, life-giving relationship with God? The same way you develop any other relationship. It takes time, it takes talking, and it takes trust. To develop a friendship with God, you have to be in continual conversation with him, listening to him through his Word, and talking with him in prayer. Prayer is far more than a once-a-day quiet time or a memorized blessing before each meal. God wants to have a running conversation with you. Ready to talk?

—Pastor Rick Warren

—The Daniel Plan brief excerpt from The Daniel Plan: 40 Days to a Healthier Life by Rick Warren, DMin; Daniel Amen, MD; & Mark Hyman, MD (Zondervan). © 2013 by The Daniel Plan. Used with permission. All rights reserved.

NIV DAILY

Put Off All Dishonesty (Ephesians 4:25)

• Share a time when you were dishonest with someone.
• How do you feel when someone is dishonest with you?

In this verse from Ephesians, the apostle Paul is teaching us that we, as Christians, are to put off all dishonesty. This means all forms of dishonesty. We know better than to tell outright lies, but sometimes we allow ourselves to be dishonest in small ways. We manipulate others to get our own way. We tell “little white lies.” We exaggerate to make a story better. We cheat on our homework. Paul is telling us to cut it out! Put it off!

Paul also reminds us here that we are all members of one body—the body of Christ. What we say and do affects not only Christ himself but other members of the body of Christ. When we are dishonest, we do damage to the testimony of the church. When we are dishonest with others, we separate them from God’s truth.

God wants us to speak truthfully to our neighbors, our friends, our teachers, our bosses, and our brothers and sisters. We need to work together if we are going to accomplish God’s work here on earth.

Prayer

Dear God, thank you for your truth. Please help us to put off all forms of dishonesty so that others may learn about you through us. Amen.

Taken from Once a Day At the Table©2014 HarperCollins Christian Publishing

PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING

God of faithfulness and encouragement, we are grateful for the hope you freely give. By Christ’s birth in a lowly stable, you prepared the way for his ministry, crucifixion, and resurrection from the dead. Fill us with your Spirit to tell others the good news. As we present our offerings, we ask you to bless the youth and adults whose lives will be uplifted through the mission of this congregation. We pray through Jesus our risen Lord. Amen. (Romans 1)