Today's Verse - 2 Timothy 1:7

God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love, and of self-discipline.

—2 Timothy 1:7

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

Power! We like that concept. Power! But if it is to be godly, power alone does not make us right. Godly power must be accompanied by love and self-discipline. These three together make a person's life effective, constructive, and godly. Live life to its fullest: not as a closet Christian afraid of standing true and firm, but as a disciple who lives by God's power, shares God's love, and displays God's virtues through a disciplined life of love and grace and power.

My Prayer...

Holy God, you are without compare in your majesty and might. I have no right to come into your presence, and yet you have invited me here by your love and your grace. You are my Rock, my Fortress, and my Strength. I depend upon you for guidance and mercy to sustain me through my storms in life and reclaim me from my stumbles. Holy God, I want to be strong in you, to be like you in my love, and to reflect your character through my self-discipline and graciousness. I ask for this balanced grace in my life to be more like Jesus, in whose name I pray. Amen.

All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.

Today's Verse - 1 John 3:18

Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.

—1 John 3:18

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

"Talk is cheap!"
"You can tell me with your words all you want, but I won't believe it until I see it in your actions."
"It's time to put your life where your mouth is."

There are many slogans, but let's get down to the nitty-gritty and really live and love in truth. In a world where barter has replaced sacrificial, steadfast love, and as lust has become the modern definition of love, let's go against the cultural grain and truly love with our words and actions. Genuine love must be like God's love. It must involve emotion, commitment, and action. This is love in actions and in truth!

Video Commentary...

ToGather Worship Guide | More ToGather Videos

My Prayer...

Sacrificial Father, I confess to you that at times I am selfish. Other times, my intentions are good, but my follow-through and faithfulness are lacking. I can sometimes have emotional love, but it never becomes part of my expressed love through my actions. So, I invite your Spirit to empower and enable* me to be what I hope to become: a genuine disciple of Jesus who loves with actions and truth. May your love be seen in my actions of genuine concern today. I pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.

---

* Romans 5:5; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Galatians 5:22-23.All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.

Today's Verse - 1 John 4:9

This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.

—1 John 4:9

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

Love is an action. The Bible stresses this truth again and again. Love must not only be spoken and felt, but it must also be demonstrated in daily life. The beginning of love is God. He showed his love for us in Jesus so we could know our incredible value to him. The price of our adoption was the emptying of heaven of its greatest treasure, God the Son, who is our Savior, and God's greatest demonstration of love. Because love is not genuine until it is both felt and acted on. "This is how God showed his love among us..." He sent Jesus!

My Prayer...

Loving Father, thank you for adopting me into your family. I can never thank you enough or ever repay you for your kindness, but please receive the service of my life as my ongoing thanksgiving for your grace and as my small way of trying to share the love you have given me. Through my Brother (Romans 8:29; Hebrews 2:10-11) and my Ransom I pray. Amen.

All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.