Alive with Christ
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Introduction In 2020, the focus for Living Streams will be Spiritual Formation. Spiritual formation, in the Christian context, is a process by which a person who is unlike Christ becomes Christ-like. In other words, it is learning to live and love like Jesus–if He were me, living in my time and my neighborhood. The Scriptures and church history give us a great deal of help defining and guiding us on this journey. It all starts when we are awakened from our spiritual slumber to the fact that we are in darkness and that Jesus’ presence and words give us light. As we allow our friendship with God to deepen, He takes us through times of refining and times of refreshing that teach us to know and trust His voice. And as we come to know Him more intimately, our thoughts, words and actions become more like His. This booklet is intended to help stimulate your awakening, deepen your friendship with God, and help create a habit of discovering God’s heart for you and your world. You can read daily devotionals, answer the questions, pray the prayers and take action with the steps suggested. SECTION 1 Awakening Awakening: When a person moves from being unaware of Jesus’ presence and work in their life, to a place of awareness. This awareness can come in a moment or series of moments. It can be joy and beauty that bring it about, or it can be pain and heartache that bring it about. Both light and shadow prove the sunshine. Day 1: Alive with Christ By Kurt Cotter Ephesians 2:4-5 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. “Amazing grace how sweet the sound.” I’m struck by the fact that, while I was still lost and confused, while I laughed when someone told me I was a sinner in need of salvation, while I was actually dead inside; Jesus loved me and gave Himself for me. He reached out to me through a hippie on Huntington Beach Pier, who, with a big smile on his face, handed me a tract. Through Andre, the guy from my high school who prayed for me before I even knew him. Andre invited me to a home Bible study, and it was there I experienced my awakening. It was there I received God’s love, mercy and grace. It was there I passed from death to life. “Once I was blind but now I see.” Chris Tomlin writes in his song: “My chains are gone, I’ve been set free. My God, my Savior has ransomed me. And like a flood His mercy reigns. Unending love, amazing grace.” Questions: Have you experienced His amazing grace? If you have, have you thanked Him for all that He has done for you? Prayer: Oh God, awaken my spirit to Your Spirit. Set me free from all my cares and from my fears. Let me trust You to take my life and let it be consecrated, Lord, to You. Action: If you have never been awakened to His Spirit or asked Jesus into your life, do that right now. Ask Him to forgive your sin and to come into your life. If you have already done this, then take a minute to write your testimony. It’s always good to go back and remember that moment of awakening in our own lives. Day 2: Your Undivided Attention By Faith Cummings Read Acts 9:1-18 (Verses 3-5) As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” “Who are you Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” How many times do you shut off your alarm in the morning? Do you quickly jump out of bed or do you hit the snooze button three times? Or do you turn off the alarm and make an excuse for being late for work? In the same way, some come to Jesus by quickly responding to a simple gospel message that Jesus is Lord and has come to rescue us from our sins. Others require an event on the level of being struck by lightning before giving God our undivided attention. Still others of us respond to God’s message with gratitude but then fall back asleep. We are satisfied with simply knowing we are headed for heaven, but allow the pressures of life to dull our hearing, our responses to God’s purpose for us in His kingdom. Initially, the critical issue is that we awaken to the amazing offer of salva- tion that Jesus brings. However, we must not allow sin and the pleasures of this life to lull us back to sleep when the greatest, most fulfilling life stands waiting for us in the person of Jesus. Question: Is it easy or difficult for God to get your full attention? Prayer: Father God, awaken my heart to the joy, peace, and love that You offer to those who respond in faith to Jesus who has come to rescue us. Show me places where I may have fallen back to sleep and awaken me to the plans You have for me to work with You in the advancement of Your kingdom. Action: If you are already awake to God’s purposes, pray that others you care about will be awakened and respond to the Savior. If you are not yet awake–wake up! Day 3: God Is Here By Alec Seekins Genesis 28:15-16 I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it.” Jacob was fleeing for his life when he stopped for the night and had a dream. In his dream he saw a ladder reaching up to heaven, with angels going up and down the ladder. The Lord was standing above the ladder and spoke reassuring words of promise to Jacob. In a barren and ordinary place, and in a very painful time, Jacob suddenly became aware of God’s presence. At the culmination of years of cheating and lying, in the moment when his family was torn in half, Jacob awoke and finally recognized that God had been there all along. Questions: Can you remember times in your life when you awoke to the reality of the Lord’s presence? Were these times of pain or failure? Joy and gratefulness? Or maybe a seemingly ordinary day? Prayer: Lord, awaken me to Your presence and goodness today. May I see You here in this place. May I see You in the past seasons of grief and failure, as well as in those of joy and victory. May I see You even in every mundane moment yet to come. Action: Make a list of all the places you see God in your life. Make another list of those places where you seem to be unaware of His presence. Thank God for the reality of Him in all of those places and ask Him to awaken you to His presence in the places on the second list. Day 4: Aware of Him By Jay Murphy 2 Peter 1:3 (NLT) By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. I once heard a preacher share about the four levels of competence. He likened the progression to steps on a staircase, the first being unconscious incompetence, the second being conscious incompetence, the third being conscious competence and, finally, unconscious competence. When it comes to spiritual awakening, I liken it to the space between steps 1 and 2, where we become consciously aware that there is a God, a Savior, and that we desperately need Him. We awaken from the dream that, without Jesus, we are perfectly fine—unconsciously incompetent and unable to find freedom, identity, true purpose, atonement for wrong- doing, pure affection and affirmation for who we are. When we became awakened, God enables us to see our need for Him and His affection for us. Let us always remain aware of our need for Jesus. He is the one who awakens us. His grace empowers us to live life abundantly and engaged with the reality of who He is and who we are in Him. Question: Do you remind yourself daily of your desperate need for God? Prayer: Lord, I do need You today—right now. I desire to experience Your power in my life and to see that You have affection for me. Let me experience Your freedom and purpose in my life. Action: Take a moment to thank Him for awakening you and holding you close to Him. Day 5: Renewed Perspective By Ryan Romeo 1 Thessalonians 5:5-6a You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness.