Note: The AMI QT Devotionals from December 19-25 are written by Pastor Andrew Kim at Tapestry Church.  Andrew, a graduate of Eternity Bible College, is currently attending Fuller Theological Seminary.  He and Jessie were married in 2014.

Devotional Thought for Today

2 Peter 1:3

His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us to His own glory and excellence, by which He has granted to us His precious and very great promises.

Sadly, many of us have minimized the gospel to a set of doctrines and theological truths that need to be accepted. In one sense, this is correct. Part of the demands that derive from the gospel require our belief in its propositional truths, such as the identity of Christ and His atoning work on the cross. However, this is only part of the picture. As the apostle Paul states in Romans 1:16, the gospel is also the power of God; it is more than a list of facts—it is also the very power that grants salvation and transformation in our lives. It is neither our self-discipline nor our willpower that changes us, but it is the power of the gospel that ultimately shapes us.

And we are reminded of the dynamic nature of the gospel in the opening statements of 2 Peter. Here, the Apostle makes an astonishing claim: God has provided by His divine power everything necessary for life and godliness; all of which is made available through our knowledge of Christ. In other words, trust and belief in the gospel affords us all that we need to be transformed into the likeness of God. He has given us the Holy Spirit who empowers us to live differently, a new heart made of flesh and responsive to the commands of God, and a community that walks alongside us for the entire journey. There is nothing that we lack in our endeavor to become more like Christ!

This is an important truth to remember. We all go through seasons where true change seems impossible, and we find ourselves stuck in a vicious cycle of sin. In moments like these, it is so easy to give up and believe that victory is out of reach. However, Peter reminds us that God does not leave us ill-equipped. He gives us all that we need to live lives of freedom and true transformation. Let us take time this morning to meditate on these truths and find hope and encouragement, as we strive to reflect the character of Christ!

Prayer: Father, I come before You broken in my sins. I desire to live a life of godliness, one that is pleasing to You, but I cannot do it on my own. Help me to understand that when I depend on You alone, You provide all that I need to overcome my areas of struggle. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: 1 Kings 10

Lunch Break Study

Read Ezekiel 36:26-27: And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you.  And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.

Questions to consider

1. What are we promised in this passage?
2. What is the result of receiving of new heart and God’s Spirit?

Notes

1. God promises that those in the New Covenant are going to receive hearts that are made of flesh. They will no longer have hearts of stone. Furthermore, God will put His Spirit in them.
2. Man is finally able to walk in the statutes of God and obey His rules.

Evening Reflection

As you went about your day, did you take time to acknowledge your dependence on God? Oftentimes, we fall into sin because the busyness of life, which makes it difficult for us to sense our need for Him. Take some time tonight to ask God to make you more aware of your need for Him. The more we are aware of our need for God, the more we will learn to depend on His strength and not our own!

Note: The AMI QT Devotionals from December 11-17 are written by Phillip Chen, college pastor intern at Church of Southland. Philip, a graduate of University of California, San Diego, is currently studying at Talbot School of Theology.  He is married to Esther.   

Devotional Thought for Today

Philippians 4:14-20 (ESV)

Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble. 15 And you Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving, except you only. 16 Even in Thessalonica you sent me help for my needs once and again. 17 Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit.  18 I have received full payment, and more. I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God.19 And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. 20 To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.

Last week, I had the opportunity to share with the children of our church in their AWANA program that it is better to give than to receive, and that God loves a cheerful and generous giver.  I shared of an infamous story of a child at the Church of Southland, who had a very difficult time giving. Every time the offering bag was passed around, he would take the money that his parents had given him, clench it in his fist, lower his fist into the offering bag, and pull his hand back out—with the money still in his hands.  When a teacher asked him why he didn’t put it in, he exclaimed, “It’s so hard to give!” From a young age, we have found that it is harder to give than to receive. We see giving as a burden rather than a blessing.

Though we might think that this will change as we get older, it’s not something that we simply grow out of. When I was in high school, I treated tithes and offerings as a tax. I found a loophole in this “tax system” though, which helped me justify to myself why I didn’t need to give. Since the money that was given to me was from my parents, and they had already tithed for it, whatever I received was a “post-tithe contribution” that did not need to be tithed again—how twisted my mindset was on giving!  Yet it would not surprise me if there are many others who think exactly like me, where giving becomes something that we try to get out of, rather than something that we embrace and desire more opportunities to give.

In this passage, Paul is thanking the Philippians for their generosity. They had been faithfully giving very generously to Paul and his work for the gospel, when he was establishing different church plants. Paul does not emphasize the amount that they give, only their attitude and partnership in their giving. Here, he shares his true intentions in receiving support from this church – that they would receive the fruit that increases to their credit. Their giving not only blesses Paul in the earthly sense, but they are being credited with eternal rewards in the heavenly sense. Paul had just gone through a discourse of being content in any situation; he has been in abundance and in lack, and so he really has no need of their giving. Even if they were not able to give much, he had committed himself to working as a tentmaker so that he would be able to support himself in his gospel endeavors. Nevertheless, Paul rejoices when he thinks about the Philippian believers because their attitude towards giving reflects their growing in maturity as believers. They are learning to invest in the right things, and that makes Paul happy as their spiritual father.

As we mature as believers, I hope that we are maturing in our capacity and our attitude in giving. Do we see giving as an opportunity to invest in something great and lasting, or do we see it as a mandatory item on our check-list of being a Christian? For some, giving resources might not be difficult, but giving time in serving those who are in need might be what is most difficult. It can be difficult to give, especially when we feel as we have nothing left to give, but just as Paul says, “God will supply every need of yours according to the riches in Christ Jesus.” Faithful giving begets faithful giving.

Prayer: Father, I confess that it is hard to give at times. Help me to see giving as an opportunity rather than a burden. I pray that Your Holy Spirit would work in my heart so that I might mature in this manner. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: 1 Kings 8-9

Note: The AMI QT Devotionals from December 11-17 are written by Phillip Chen, college pastor intern at Church of Southland. Philip, a graduate of University of California, San Diego, is currently studying at Talbot School of Theology.  He is married to Esther.   

Devotional Thought for Today

Philippians 4:10-13 (ESV)

I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. 11 Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. 12 I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. 13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

I’m sure many of us remember seeing videos of mobs of people fighting for Black Friday items the day after Thanksgiving. These days, Black Friday even infringes upon Thanksgiving Day, which shows the trajectory of our society. We look at these videos and we shake our heads: How could they act like this, especially after a day of celebrating gratitude and contentment in all that they have? But to be honest, are we any different? I may not be in those crowds, but my discontentment, frustration, and anger manifests in different ways. When we look at our own lives, don’t we all have moments where we are frustrated with where we are, not content with the circumstances in our lives? The truth is, when our contentment is based off of our circumstances, our level of our contentment fluctuates dramatically. We find that contentment becomes a temporary phenomenon that quickly dissolves. So how then can we find true contentment that remains steady in our lives?

Looking at this passage, again we must understand that Paul is writing this while in prison, in very difficult circumstances. There are people who have been persecuting him, and his friends have abandoned him. He is not treated all that well, and yet he says rejoice and be content. How does he do that? He prefaces the secret to being content by saying he knows what it means to be in need and what it is to have plenty—he has experienced the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. He has seen both ends of the spectrum. He has been in a position where he is the elite of the elites, but also been in a position where he is fleeing for his life by many people who want to kill him. In 2 Corinthians 11, he shares of how he had been beaten and stoned and shipwrecked, how he fled from Gentiles and from Jews, how he labored and toiled and went without sleep, how he was hungry, thirsty, cold and naked. Yet in all this, he is content. Why? Because he can do all things through Christ who strengthens him. He knows his identity in Christ and is content in any circumstance because he knows that Jesus has already given and will continue to give him the strength to hold on and press forward.

The advent of social media has contributed to the increasing feelings of jealously that we all feel. Whether it’s the videos of beautiful vacation spots, photos of seemingly perfect relationships, or even the snapshots of all the delicious food that we see in our friend’s post, I think we can all safely say that we have felt jealousy stir in our hearts because of this. Jealousy is dangerous, because it can lead to comparing ourselves with others, making us feel insecure; then insecurity breeds discontentment. While we can certainly limit our social media intake or make conscious efforts not to be jealous of others, the best antidote is to be secure in our identity in Christ and to find our contentment in Him, declaring that He is all we need in this lifetime. It’s not a complex secret, but is certainly something that is difficult to truly believe and hold onto. Today, as culture tells you to find contentment in your circumstances, in your relationships, or in your possessions, choose instead to place your contentment solely in Him.

Prayer: Father, help me find my contentment in You, rather than my current circumstances or situation. In high and low, in every season, help me declare confidently that You are enough for me. I don’t want to be tossed back and forth by my different situations, but rather, help me stand firm – knowing that You will give me the strength to rejoice in You. Amen.

[Reflect on a current situation that might be difficult right now and choose to find joy in God rather than the outcome of the situation.]

Bible Reading for Today: 1 Kings 7

Note: The AMI QT Devotionals from December 11-17 are written by Phillip Chen, college pastor intern at Church of Southland. Philip, a graduate of University of California, San Diego, is currently studying at Talbot School of Theology.  He is married to Esther.   

Devotional Thought for Today

Philippians 4:8-9 (ESV): ²⁸ Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. ⁹ What you have learned^[e] and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

What do you fill your mind with? When I was in high school, there was a season where my friends and I would play Tetris all the time. Any free time I had would be occupied with this game. Even when I closed my eyes, I could see Tetris blocks descending into place—I just could not get my mind off of it. When I had surgery a few years ago and was bedridden, I binge-watched a television show called Friday Night Lights. Even when I wasn’t watching it, my mind would drift into reimagining scenes and wondering what else would happen in the show—this show was all I could think about. The power of the mind is both exciting and frightening. On the one hand, when we set our minds on things that are honoring to the Lord, it can lead to much good; but on the other hand, when we set our minds on things that are not honoring to the Lord, it can be led to catastrophic sin.

In a world that is increasing in content that is not pure, not lovely nor honorable, not true, are we taking this passage seriously regarding what we allow into our mind? Paul writes this in an imperative mood—meaning, it is a command, not merely a suggestion. When Paul reminds us how important it is to fill our minds with things that are honorable and things that are worthy of praise, I see how it is an equal argument for guarding our minds against things that are dishonorable and impure. In order for this to happen, it requires aggressive action! When we choose to think about things that are good, we are also actively choosing to weed out things that are not good.

Paul continues with another imperative: He says, “What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things….” The translation for “practice these things” is from the Greek verb prasso, which has a connotation of doing repeatedly, as a habitual act. There is value in repetition and discipline. Even the act of filtering what we allow into our minds is a discipline that we need to establish through practice and repetition. Although some translations would have this next statement, “and the God of peace will be with you,” as a separate unit of thought, I tend to think that it follows this same stream. When we set our minds on things characterized by Paul’s list, then the God who is the source of true peace will be with us; in other words, we will be filled with peace if we set our minds on these things. May the God of peace be with us as we learn to filter the things we allow into our minds.

Prayer

Father God, I commit my thoughts and my mind to You. Help me discern what I should and should not allow in my mind. May my thoughts be honoring and pleasing to You. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: 1 Kings 6

Lunch Break Study

Read Colossians 3:1-10 (ESV): If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. ² Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. ³ For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. ⁴ When Christ who is your^[a] life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

⁵ Put to death therefore what is earthly in you:^[b] sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. ⁶ On account of these the wrath of God is coming.^[c] 7 In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. ⁸ But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. ⁹ Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self^[d] with its practices ¹⁰ and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. 

Question to Consider

1. What is the reason that we are to set our minds on things that are above and not on things that are on the earth?
2. What is the outcome of setting our minds on things that are above?
3. What are some things that are on this list that you need to put to death?

Notes

1. Since we are a new creation in Christ, our primary identity has shifted from belonging to the god of this age and the things of this age, to the eternal God and eternal things.
2. Paul seems to indicate that setting your mind on things that are above is congruent with putting to death what is earthly in you. The more we set our minds on things that are above, the more capable we are of putting to death what is earthly in us.
3. Reflection question.

Evening Reflection

These days it seems harder and harder to filter the content that we allow into our minds. Whether they are TV shows that have crude jokes, games that promote violence, or even horror movies that may have deeply spiritual implications, there are so many things that flood our mind and our thoughts. Let’s be careful and commit our minds to the Lord in this new year. Perhaps you need to fast from the media and unplug to detox. Whatever you decide to do, commit it unto the Lord by setting your mind on things that are worthy of our attention.

Note: The AMI QT Devotionals from December 11-17 are written by Phillip Chen, college pastor intern at Church of Southland. Philip, a graduate of University of California, San Diego, is currently studying at Talbot School of Theology.  He is married to Esther.   

Devotional Thought for Today

Philippians 4:4-7 (ESV)

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Paul was writing this letter while he was under house arrest in Rome. His friends were far away, some had betrayed him; his enemies were rejoicing that he was in prison. There were probably rumors being spread about him. He was probably frustrated at the fact that he couldn’t spread the gospel as he had planned. On top of that, we have been reading about how some people were infiltrating the church, trying to deceive the new believers (not just in Philippi, but in all of his church plants). As a spiritual father, it must have been disheartening to know that he couldn’t visit his church plants to encourage and equip them further.

Nevertheless, in the midst of all of this, Paul commands the believers to rejoice as they go through struggles. In the midst of their trials and persecutions, they are commanded not to be anxious, but to rejoice. Paul is able to say this with absolute authority, because he has done so himself; otherwise, he wouldn’t have told them to follow in his example. Paul may be in a difficult situation, but he is able to present his requests to God and rejoice in whatever situation he is in.

Have you ever been in a difficult situation that made it seemingly impossible to rejoice? We can often gloss over this passage and think of it as a cliché Christian statement: Trust in Him because He has great plans for you; don’t worry about anything, you are in His hands. Many times, we use this as an encouragement for others, but when it comes to our own lives, we have a hard time practicing it. Anxiety and fear are paralyzing feelings. It is so easy to get swept away in all the things that could possibly overcome us with feelings of anxiety. However, today, as you go about your day, make a conscious effort to rejoice in the Lord. Whenever you face a difficult circumstance, let your request be made known to God and make every effort to remain in the peace that He gives to you in abundance.

Prayer: Father, even when it is difficult, I want to learn how to rejoice. I confess that it is much easier to grumble and complain when I am faced with hard situations, but I pray that You would change my heart to be one that rejoices always. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: 1 Kings 5

Lunch Break Study

Read Psalm 96:1-6 (ESV): Oh sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth! 2 Sing to the Lord, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day.3 Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvelous works among all the peoples! 4 For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;
he is to be feared above all gods. 5 For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols, but the Lord made the heavens. 6 Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.

Question to Consider

1. What is the psalmist encouraging us to do?
2. What is the implication of singing a new song?
3. Why should we praise Him and rejoice in His presence?

Notes

1. He encourages us to sing to the Lord, bless His name, give thanks, and praise Him.
2. The implication is that there is always something new to give Him praise for—there is something new to rejoice in. Our faith cannot grow weary and tired, but God is constantly doing new things in our lives that warrant new songs of praise and rejoicing.
3. The psalmist simply declares that the Lord is great and worthy to be praised. There is no other god that is deserving of praise but the Lord who made the heavens!

Evening Reflection

As you went about your day, did you find time to pause and reflect. Often, we are unable to rejoice because we have not paused to reflect on the goodness of God in our lives. There are thousands of reasons that we should be able to come up with of why we ought to rejoice in the Lord. If you haven’t done so yet, take a moment to reflect on your day. From the simplest of things to the most complex situation, rejoice in the Lord and cast your cares into His hand!

Note: The AMI QT Devotionals from December 11-17 are written by Phillip Chen, college pastor intern at Church of Southland. Philip, a graduate of University of California, San Diego, is currently studying at Talbot School of Theology.  He is married to Esther.   

Devotional Thought for Today

Philippians 3:17-21 (ESV):  

Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. 18 For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. 20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.

A motivational speaker by the name of Jim Rohn once said, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” Whether you agree with that statement or not, I think it’s safe to say that we are highly influenced by those whom we are around the most. A silly example of this is the way my laughter has evolved throughout the years.  I’ve had friends with very unique laughs, and for some reason, my laugh would begin to look or sound slightly like theirs, the more I hung out with them. I’m sure there are many more ways that we pick up on things and imitate those we are around a lot, especially those we trust and respect.

Paul is making a plea to the Philippian believers to imitate him in his faith journey. He seems to make this plea often, for he also exhorts the Corinthian believers to follow his example as he follows the example of Christ (1 Cor. 11:1). This plea is a serious one when we consider what Paul says: that there are those who walk as enemies of the cross of Christ, seeking to influence these new believers, and they are not to associate with them.

Paul is not against having unbelieving friends. In fact, I think he would encourage us to have more unbelieving friends than we currently have. Rather, he speaks wisdom regarding those whom we surround ourselves with, particularly those who counsel and mentor us. During our impressionable years (particularly our late teens and twenties), we ought to make sure that we are surrounded by people who will remind us of our ultimate end—as citizens of heaven.

But don’t we need to be relevant? Often, our desire is to be relevant to this culture so that we can change this culture for the Lord. There is validity in that, but I believe there are wise and unwise ways in approaching this matter. Imagine if you saw a friend sinking in a quicksand. Would your first inclination be to jump in with your friend to be relevant to them? No, you would first find solid ground and then look for ways to rescue them from the quicksand. Likewise, we cannot jump into the quicksand of worldly culture under the premise of relevancy. Rather, we place our feet squarely on Christ the solid rock before reaching out in relevancy to those who are sinking. Our lifestyles, values and belief system must be different from those of this present culture, if we are to represent Christ accurately to this world.

Prayer: Father, help me to find people who would influence me to be more godly rather than worldly.  Help me to be someone who would influence others in a way that leads to life rather than death. I want to be salt and light of this world—help me stand firmly in You so that I can do so! Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: 1 Kings 4

Lunch Break Study

Read Proverbs 12:26 (NLT): The godly give good advice to their friends, the wicked lead them astray.

Read Proverbs 13:20 (NLT): Walk with the wise and become wise; associate with fools and get in trouble.

Question to Consider

1. What is the writer of these proverbs trying to communicate?
2. Are there ungodly relationships in your life that influence you negatively?

Notes

1. Who we surround ourselves with is very important – they can either cause us to walk on the right path or get us into trouble. We will certainly be influenced by those we surround ourselves with.
2. Reflection question.

Evening Reflection

There is a tension between being relevant and living a life that is set apart. If our lives are not different from those who set their minds on earthly things, how are we to influence them to set their minds on heavenly things? Perhaps we need to take an inventory of our relationships once again and intentionally seek out people who we see having godly wisdom.

Note: The AMI QT Devotionals from December 11-17 are written by Phillip Chen, college pastor intern at Church of Southland. Philip, a graduate of University of California, San Diego, is currently studying at Talbot School of Theology.  He is married to Esther.   

Devotional Thought for Today

Philippians 3:12-16 (ESV)

Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. ¹³ Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, ¹⁴ I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. ¹⁵ Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. ¹⁶ Only let us hold true to what we have attained.

When I was in high school and college, I enjoyed playing poker with my friends. Although I would not recommend it, as it can become an unhealthy addiction, I did learn some valuable life lessons during those years. In poker, when you have good cards and are statistically favored to win, but someone ends up beating you because of luck, it’s called a “bad beat.” When someone gets a bad beat and end up focusing so much on it, not being able to concentrate on what is coming up, they end up making bad decisions, because they are either overly aggressive or overly passive in the future hands that they play. I remember learning early on that it is so important to forget the bad beats and not be so distraught over it, so that the way you play your future hands are not affected by it. That’s one of the aspects that separate skilled players from unskilled players—the ability to forget about the bad beats and keep pressing forward.

Paul continues his exhortation to the Philippian believers that they need not worry that they are not perfect in their pursuit of becoming like Jesus, but that they simply need to continue forward towards the end goal—the prize that is found in Christ Jesus. Paul admits that he himself is still struggling and wrestling towards the finish line, and that he does his best not to dwell on his shortcomings but to keep his eyes fixed on the finish line.

Though it is important to reflect, debrief, and address our shortcomings and our sinful pasts, it is important that we learn to loosely hold those in tension, as we run hard towards the finish line. Maybe today you are paralyzed by your sinfulness and are unable to forgive yourself of your shortcomings. Maybe you are overly critical of yourself and have lost hope in the possibility of breakthrough. Let today’s passage be a reminder to you that you need not hold onto all of that baggage so tightly that it distracts you from running this race. Don’t let those things become a hindrance from pursuing Jesus whole-heartedly. Forget about those bad beats and keep pressing forward!

Prayer: Father, in [list the things that you have a hard time letting go], help me not to dwell on it, but rather to press forward with my eyes on the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. I know that You are still in the process of refining me. Thank You for continuing Your work in me. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: 1 Kings 3

Lunch Break Study

Read Acts 20:22-24 (ESV): And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me. But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.

Question to Consider

1. What was the big deal about going to Jerusalem?
2. What does the apostle Paul value the most?
3. Has God called you towards a certain direction or course? What is your response, and how have you positioned yourself to respond in obedience?

Notes

1. Paul knew that there were many in Jerusalem that wanted to harm him and even kill him, but he was still set on going, being constrained by the Holy Spirit.
2. Paul has set his mind and his heart on the ministry that the Lord has given to him. Thus, he counts everything else as meaningless in comparison to this task.
3. Reflection question.

Evening Reflection

This passage not only pertains to our past disappointments or shortcomings, but it can also apply to our past accomplishments. Even though we have accomplished things in the past, don’t let that be something that prevents you from continuing forward with focus and determination. We find that many of the leaders in the Bible actually did not finish well. For example, Solomon, though he was gifted with tremendous wisdom, ended up as one of the most disobedient kings of Israel. Tonight, remind yourself that your one focus and one end goal is to love God with all of your life and to set your eyes on that as you press forward in this life.

Note: The AMI QT Devotionals from December 11-17 are written by Phillip Chen, college pastor intern at Church of Southland. Philip, a graduate of University of California, San Diego, is currently studying at Talbot School of Theology.  He is married to Esther.   

Devotional Thought for Today

Philippians 3:2-11 (ESV)

Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh. 3 For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God[b] and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh— 4 though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee;6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law,[c]blameless. 7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— 10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

If you were to think of modern day heroes of the faith, who would you think of? We typically think of the popular Christian artists, the itinerant speakers, authors, theologians, and the up-and-coming pastors. Rarely do we think of the faceless martyrs, the ones who are toiling and laboring in the hardest parts of the world to bring the gospel to places where people have not yet heard. We don’t like to make them our heroes (although we do look in awe upon them); and I think the reason is because it forces us to face the uncomfortable question: Is this someone I want to become – someone who has completely surrendered everything for the name of Jesus? I am not trying to take anything away from the popular Christian artists, speakers, and pastors, but my point is that we are a culture that is too impressed with degrees and titles that it sometimes becomes the crux of our focus in this life, even in Christian circles. We are more inclined to respect and listen to those who have more degrees and are more influential based upon their accomplishments.

When we think of Paul’s circumstances, we see why he feels the need to defend his credibility. Remember, Paul is writing this from prison in Rome, and he is writing to the Philippians to warn them about the Judaizers, those who are trying to distort the gospel to include Jewish customs in the package, rather than faith in Jesus alone. Contrast Paul with the Judaizers: While Paul is in prison far away, treated as a criminal, the Judaizers are there, highly respected as spiritual authorities. But Paul makes a case here that he has the most to brag about if it came to credentials, but he became a prisoner for the very gospel that he is trying to convince the Philippians to hold fast to. Once he became sold out on knowing Christ and making Him known, Paul’s own degrees, status, and rights—because of his citizenship—became something of little concern to him. Of course he used all these things to make Christ known, but his focus shifted from confidence in his flesh, to confidence in Christ, and the finished work on the cross.

Our human tendency is to boast in our accomplishments and strengths, which would make us seem respectable to others. Even in “living the Christian life,” we make the task of loving Jesus an accomplishment that we can add to our credentials so that we can boast in our own flesh, making it into a stepping stone, rather than making it the ultimate aim in life. Have we made knowing Christ and making Him known our final aim and ultimate cause? As we end this year and start a new one, my prayer is that we discover what truly matters – that we may love Jesus with all of our heart, considering everything else as a stepping stone to loving and honoring Him.

Prayer: Father God, I repent for making You a stepping stone for my accomplishments. Help me root out the things that I place my hope and sense of accomplishment in. I want to boast in You and You alone. Forgive me for placing so much emphasis on my own status and position rather than on You. I choose to boast in You and not in my own flesh. Help me make this my ultimate cause.  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: 1 Kings 2

Lunch Break Study

Read Ephesians 2:8-10 (ESV): For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Question to Consider

1. How does Paul define grace? How would you define grace?
2. What are ways that we rely on our works?
3. What should we do with the grace that has been given to us?

Notes

1. Grace is merely a gift, and not a result of what we have done to earn it.
2. It could be about the degrees we have, the type of job we have, the good works that we do, and even the people we know. Paul, in Philippians 3, lists off a number of personal accomplishments that he could boast in, but he finds all of that as contributing nothing to his salvation, because it is only by grace that he is saved.
3. We were created for good works – our good works is not a requirement for salvation, but it is not optional. It is not a contribution to our salvation, but a fruit of our salvation.

Evening Reflection

C.T. Studd penned a poem with the tagline: “Only one life, twill soon be past, only what’s done for Christ will last.” Our life on this earth is short. Our impact and legacy on this earth is minimal, easily forgotten. Yet the life we live for Christ, the things we do in His name, for His kingdom, are the ones that ultimately last. Let’s not get caught up with earthly accolades, but to build our “heavenly resume,” one that lasts for eternity.

Note: The AMI QT Devotionals from December 5-11 are provided by Pastor Shan Gian, who serves as the Fenway site pastor of Symphony Church in Boston.  Shan, a graduate of University of Pennsylvania and Gordon Conwell Seminary (M.Div.), is married to Jenny, who recently gave birth to their first baby Tyler.

Devotional Thought for Today

Philippians 2:14-16

Do all things without grumbling or disputing, 15 that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, 16 holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. 

If you’re at a restaurant and your waiter is slow to fill up your glass of water, you can immediately pull out your phone and give that restaurant a bad review on Yelp.  If you’re on vacation, staying at a hotel, and you’re not satisfied with the softness of your bed, you can just go on TripAdvisor and tell everyone in the world about your bad experience.  And when you’re stuck in traffic on the highway, you can let everyone around you know about your frustrations—without even speaking a word—by just hitting that little spot in the middle of your steering wheel.

We live in a culture where the option to complain or grumble is seemingly built into every situation.  Whether it’s small things, like bad service at a restaurant or hotel or heavy traffic on our way home, or big things, like feeling unhappy about our careers or the way a family member is inconsiderate, we are so prone to grumbling—because it’s just so easy to do.

At the root of all complaining is discontentment or dissatisfaction about our circumstances, because life isn’t going the way we want or think it should go.  So when Paul tells us to do ALL things without grumbling, it’s a nearly impossible command, because it’s pretty rare for life to go exactly the way that we think it should go.  In all things, there is always a reason for us to grumble.

To combat a grumbling heart, psychology tells us to be glass-half-full kind of people; that is, think positively, have an upbeat attitude about life, or focus on all of the good things that you are thankful for in life.  But we all know that a positive mindset can only work for so long—sooner or later, even the good things of this world will disappoint us.

How do we follow this command then?  The only way to save us from grumbling hearts is to focus our minds on something not of this world—by that, I mean God Himself.  On this side of heaven, nothing in this world is exactly the way it should be—all good things of this world will fade.  But when we turn the eyes of our hearts towards God in worship, we are focusing on the only “thing” that will never fade, the only one who will not disappoint, the source of true contentment.

On this Lord’s Day, let us focus our eyes on Jesus in worship.  Let us leave behind the desires and expectations of our hearts about how everything should be, and seek to be with Him who will make all things new.

Prayer: Jesus, help me to focus on You this day.  I pray that in all things, I will be satisfied by Your presence.  Bless me as I worship You this day.  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: 1 Kings 1

Note: The AMI QT Devotionals from December 5-11 are provided by Pastor Shan Gian, who serves as the Fenway site pastor of Symphony Church in Boston.  Shan, a graduate of University of Pennsylvania and Gordon Conwell Seminary (M.Div.), is married to Jenny, who recently gave birth to their first baby Tyler.

Devotional Thought for Today

Philippians 2:12

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

Christmas is coming soon—and many of us are thinking about gifts.  Let’s say, on Christmas Day, someone very close to you gives you a wonderful gift that he/she thinks you’ll love, with beautiful wrapping paper and a pretty bow on top.  What would you do with it?  You would, of course, either gently unwrap the gift, or, tear up the wrap like an animal, open the box, and enjoy the great gift.  But now that you’ve done the work of unwrapping this gift, have you now “worked” for this gift?  Of course not! The “work” that you’ve done has only led you to enjoy this gift.

Philippians 2:12 is one of the most perplexing verses in the Bible for many Christians.  All of our lives, we’ve been told that salvation is a free gift from God, that our salvation is by faith, not by works (Ephesians 2:8-9); it’s not at all about what we do, but it’s about what Jesus has done. But here, Paul seems to contradict himself— and the whole gospel message—by commanding us to “work out your own salvation.”  It’s as if Paul hadn’t read what he wrote in Ephesians!

Paul, of course, is not contradicting himself, and he’s not advocating a salvation based on good works.  But the work that he calls us to do is a lot like the work we do in opening our Christmas gifts.  There is effort required—but it’s still a gift.  The work you do in opening a gift is inconsequential in comparison to the gift itself.  As followers of Christ, we have been given salvation—the greatest gift imaginable— and we clearly have not earned it—it is by the grace of God.  We do not work FOR our salvation, but still we work it out.  Perhaps an easier way for us to think of it is that we make our salvation known or revealed; we unwrap this gift of salvation and make it known to us and to others.  There is no point in having a gift that is unopened.

The theological term for this work is sanctification.  We work to draw closer to God, to be set free from sin and temptation, and to be more and more like Jesus.  Though sanctification is hard work, and it takes incredible amount of effort to live holy and righteous lives, our work is not the means of our salvation—rather, it reveals our salvation. At the same time, we have been given the Holy Spirit, our Counselor and Helper, through this sanctification process.  And even though it takes endurance and diligence to be sanctified, it is inconsequential to the gift that we have been given.  So let us rejoice in the gift of our salvation, and at the same time, unwrap the gift, as we work it out before the Lord!

Prayer: Jesus, I think You for this gift of salvation.  I know I have not earned it and I do not deserve it, but it is a gift of grace.  Help me, Jesus, to work out my salvation.  Give me strength to seek sanctification and to be more like You.  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Proverbs 31-Jude