The AMI QT Devotionals from April 3-9 are provided by Pastor Peter Yoon of Kairos Christian Church in San Diego. Peter is a graduate of U.C. Riverside and Talbot School of Theology (M.Div.). He and his wife Jessica have three very active children: Nathan, Abigail, and Jason.
DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT FOR TODAY
Saved a Wretch Like Me
1 Cor 15:9-10
For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.
“Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me.” John Newton, a former slave trader, penned these words into a hymn titled, “Amazing Grace” back in 1773. He probably never would have guessed that this hymn would be sung by millions of worshippers in so many languages. One biographer of John Newton estimates that this hymn is performed 10 million times annually, reminding the singers of the greatness of God’s grace over the wretchedness of our sins.
Do you at times struggle with a sense of guilt for the sins you have committed in your past? Although you know in your thought-life that you’ve been forgiven, the painful and shameful memories of your past still drag you towards the lies of low self-worth and a negative view of yourself. This can often hold you back from serving joyfully in the Lord’s gospel work.
Steve Arterburn, the author of Walking into Walls, has observed that many people today are still hurting over something that may have happened years ago. Unfortunately, it has become a wall they cannot get past. Rather than resolve the pain and move on, they continue to judge themselves as well as others. This then leads the wretched person to go on facing life in a negative, self-defeating way. Yet the good news of God’s grace shatters this wall.
Apostle Paul lived in the certainty of God’s grace. He understood that in the past, he had committed some of the most dreadful acts against God and God’s people. The very first Christian martyr was stoned while Paul (formerly Saul) stood over the dead corpse with satisfying approval (Acts 8:1). Could you imagine the immense guilt that must have burdened Paul’s heart after he became a Christ follower? In this brief statement, Paul reveals that of all people, he was the worst. But rather than wallowing in shame and guilt, he moved forward. Paul understood that God’s grace had enabled him to now serve God’s purposes.
You may have some skeletons in the closet. However, God’s grace fills us and cleanses us from all unrighteousness. Yes, we were all wretches at one point. Yet, God gives us the grace to move from our past sins into a new life in His Spirit.
Prayer: Sing the hymn: “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound; that saved a wretch like me; I once was lost but now am found; was blind but now I see.” In Jesus’ Name, Amen!
Bible Reading for Today: Matthew 26
LUNCH BREAK STUDY
Read Matt 26:6-13: While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of Simon the Leper, 7 a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table. 8 When the disciples saw this, they were indignant. “Why this waste?” they asked. 9 “This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor.” 10 Aware of this, Jesus said to them, “Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me. 11 The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me. 12 When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial.13 Truly I tell you, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”
Questions to Consider
- What does the unnamed woman’s action reveal about her understanding of Jesus?
- How would you have responded to the woman’s “waste” of the expensive perfume?
- How does this narrative challenge us to think about our own finances, time, and talents?
Notes
- In the context of Matt. 26, Jesus is anointed by this unnamed woman in preparation for His death. She understood this. Unfortunately, the disciples were more concerned with money, even if it was truly for the poor. Jesus had to remind them that they “would not always have” Him, as He would soon go to the cross.
- We might criticize the disciples for their judgmental comment, but self-righteousness tempts all of us.
- Loving Jesus may seem to be a waste of time and other resources in the eyes of the world. However, Jesus considers our devotion to be a beautiful thing.
EVENING REFLECTION
How have you seen God’s grace work in your life today? Spend some time thanking the Lord for His Grace. From Evangelism Explosion:
God’s
Riches
At
Christ’s
Expense
Are you a snoozer, or are you the type of person who gets up at the first beep of your alarm? And once you’re finally out of bed, what is your morning routine? Yes, we groom ourselves, brush our teeth, change our clothes, etc., but besides those routines, what are the thoughts that fill your mind each morning? Do you wake up with a sense of gratitude for another new day? Or do you find yourself hoping for the day to pass before it has even begun?
The past two days we’ve been looking at the gifts of prophecy and tongues. We talked about how both are to be desired, but prophecy even more so. Today, we will explore in a little more depth why prophecy is to be desired above tongues. At first glance, it seems fairly obvious why prophecy is to be desired over tongues – prophecy is understood by all who are around, while tongues are understood only by God.
Today’s Bible passage is the same as yesterday’s, but we will focus on the gift of tongues. (If you did not read yesterday’s devotional, I encourage you to do so before reading today’s.)
Early in his prophetic career, Isaiah had a powerful encounter with God. He says this: “I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew” (Isaiah 6:1-2). Basically, Isaiah saw what was going on in heaven.
For example, sometimes while driving down the highway, someone will speed by me or cut me off or drive in a way that bothers me, so I’ll think, “I hope they get pulled over.” I am rejoicing at the potential for their downfall. And then, let’s imagine that I see those blue lights appear and pull that car over – it would be pure glee.
The AMI QT Devotionals for March 28-April 2 are provided by Doug Tritton. Doug, a graduate of University of Pennsylvania, is currently serving as a staff at Symphony Church (Boston) while pursuing a M.Div. at Gordon Conwell Seminary. He is married to Cindy and they are proud parents of Audrey.
I remember when I first became a Christian and was reading through 1 Corinthians 13, thinking, “Why is ‘patient’ the first description of love?” Most of the descriptions are negatives (e.g., love does NOT envy or boast), and the other positive description that is paired with patient is “kind,” which makes a lot of sense for describing love. If you are a loving person, that simply means you are kind and nice, right? That’s often what we are taught by the world, where love is defined more by action.
When I was in high school, I played the trombone—and the trombone is known for having the capacity to be very loud. I remember one orchestra concert that had an epic ending, with a long note that would be held by the entire orchestra. But in my immaturity and pride, I saw that note as my moment to shine. So, during the concert, while many people were watching and listening, once we got to that epic note, I let loose with all the sound I could muster out of the trombone. It was so loud that even the conductor was thrown off and forgot to give the cue to move on from that note!
Today’s AMI QT Devotional is provided by Jabez Yeo of TRPC, New York. His devotional is based off material from Serge’s Sonship program. You can click 
An inspiring hero of the faith for me is Corrie ten Boom, who was imprisoned for helping over 800 Jews escape the Holocaust. After the war, Corrie repeatedly preached about forgiveness, and after one talk, one of her prison guards, who did not recognize her, thanked her and held out his hand. Crying to God for help, Corrie shook his hand and declared that she forgave him. She then wrote in The Hiding Place, “I discovered that it is not on our forgiveness…that the world’s healing hinges, but on His. When He tells us to love our enemies, He gives along with the command, the love itself.”
In an article on NPR.org entitled “Getting Some ‘Me’ Time: Why Millennials Are So Individualistic,” it states: “They are a class of self-centered, self-absorbed, selfie-snapping 20-somethings. This is how many critics have come to define the millennial generation. But hold on, isn’t this what was said about every generation when it was young? Minus the selfies of course.” Individualism has long been considered the hallmark of America. It is appealing because we do not like to depend on anyone else—meaning, we like self-sufficiency.