Based on “The Church – Why We Do What We Do” by Pastor Mark Balmer;
1/30-31/10, Message #MB406; Daily Devotional #6 “Filter Your Thoughts”
Preparing the Soil (Introduction): Are you growing in the Word on a daily basis, or are you stagnant? Stagnant water in a fish tank starts to stink and get cloudy if it doesn’t have a filter. Much like our lives when we do not have a filter working on a regular basis, we start to stink and get cloudy. Our judgment becomes confused, and we become stagnant and start to smell. Our filter is the Word of God, and the Church is where we gather to be fed and replenished. We need to take captive all of our thoughts and filter them through the Word of God. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. (Ephesians 4:23, NLT)
Planting and Watering the Seed (Growth): The Church (the body of believers) gathers together to grow and encourage each other, so we can prepare for the battle ahead. Through the Church, we are to grow in knowledge and filter out what is not of God, so we will not be misled. There are accountability and strength in numbers. We need to encourage each other to be constantly filled with the Spirit in order to fight the battles ahead. We will fail in our own human power, because we are not fighting against flesh and blood. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 6:12, NLT) If we are not prepared for the battle, we cannot enter the battlefield, or we will be quickly discouraged and slip back into our old ways of doing things – not the Spirit-filled way. We cannot go out into the world before God sends us, with the filling of the Holy Spirit which He promised (Acts 1:4).
Harvesting the Crop (Action/Response): The Church is the body of Christ. God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church. And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself. (Ephesians 1:22-23, NLT) The Church is to reflect Christ ,so we can be an extension of His love to this hopeless world. But, we cannot go out and serve and reflect Christ if we are not first filled with Him. If we do not look like and have the heart of Christ, what will we have to offer a hurting, lost world? We need to keep our filter running on a constant basis, so we do not start to stink, or we will look no different from the rest of the world.
Cultivating (Additional Reading): Luke 14:33-35; Colossians 2:6-7, NLT
JE
Calvary Chapel of Melbourne; 2955 Minton Road; W. Melbourne, FL 32904; 321-952-9673
All Bible references are from the New International Version (NIV) unless otherwise noted.
New Living Translation = NLT.