Devo for 02/16/2025 service- Message by Pastor Mary Sprague
Continuing the Fully Alive series, Pastor Mary brought a powerful message. I don’t know about you, but I found myself writing down quotes fast and furious! Here are a few that really hit home with me:
Lies are nothing more than distorted truths
Satan’s two big lies:
God is holding out on me
Sin has no consequences.
Letting go of being our own god is key to living Fully Alive
Denying ourselves opens up all of the gifts God has for us.
All of these statements are good ones to ponder about our lives this week. Do we understand them? Do we believe them? Are we living in a way that knowing and believing these statements allows us to live Fully Alive?
But the one statement that really made me think was this one:
“If you want to delight the devil, do not deny yourself.”
That is an impactful statement! Pastor Mary referenced Matthew 16:24 regarding this point.
Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to follow Me [as My disciple], he must deny himself [set aside selfish interests], and take up his cross [expressing a willingness to endure whatever may come] and follow Me [believing in Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me]. Amplified Bible
Pastor Mary also referenced Romans 6. In verse 13 of that chapter, it says, “Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin.” (Examples of this could be using our eyes to lust, using our feet to take us somewhere we do not need to be, allowing depravity to enter our hearts, etc.)
Tieing these verses together, I believe men should make a habit of taking these two questions to the Lord:
“How have I delighted the devil?”
“What parts of my body have I allowed to become instruments of sin?”
When God reveals things to you, let Him cleanse you of the junk that is keeping you in bondage! I know we need to do this often so we can be the man He created us to be!
Men, it’s worth leaning into the Lord and letting Him reveal and heal our iniquities! Take a look at His promise to us in Psalms:
Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits— who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. Psalm 103:2-5
Don’t forget to invite God into your day!
Topic for Study -
Repentance
Acts 3:19
2 Chronicles 7:14
1 John 1:9
February Memory Verses:
James 5:16
Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.