MONDAY MOTIVATION

JOIN PASTOR GUY EVERY MONDAY FOR BIBLICAL ENCOURAGEMENT, INSPIRATION & INSIGHT
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Welcome to Monday Motivation—a devotional blog to keep you encouraged throughout the week! My name is Pastor Guy Deckard and I am incredibly excited for you to join in every Monday.
 
Below, you will find the most recent Monday Motivation post and if you continue scrolling, you will find an archive of blog posts by date. If you’d like to get a better understanding as to how this blog came about, click HERE to read the first Monday Motivation post. 
 
I invite you to follow along with me every Monday! And if you would like to dive even deeper into your study of God’s Word, purchase the same daily study that this blog is based, just click HERE.
#mondaymotivation

Instructions Included

Instructions Included

From the Aug. 3rd reading

What scriptures have you tossed out? What teachings of the Bible have you dismissed?

SCRIPTURE:

READ: John 5:36-40

John 5:39-40   You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life. (NIV)

OBSERVATIONS:

  • Jesus was addressing the Jewish religious leaders – they diligently studied the scriptures (Old Testament)
  • They thought that if they could comprehend (understand) the words of the text, they would gain a share in the world to come.[i]
  • These very scriptures testified about Him – O.T. prophets
  • They claim to know scriptures, but they refused to recognize the promised Messiah
  • They would not come to Him
  • They had their own way!

APPLICATION:

  • We need to use scripture to point others to Him
  • We need to diligently study scripture, but be open to its teaching
  • We need to know what we believe, and why

MOTIVATION:

This past week I had a very interesting conversation with a man that stopped by my office for assistance. During our conversation he shared that he read the Bible every day, and that he believed that he had a loving relationship with God. I felt led to share the gospel with him, and discovered that he only accepted portions of the Bible. He believed in the God that he imagined Him to be, and not the “God of the Bible”. He shared that he only believed in a loving God, that there was no such thing as sinful man, and that there was no hell. So I asked him which portions of the Bible did he think were inspired. He quickly replied, “all of them.” I attempted to show him what scriptures said about God, that He is a God of love, but that He is also a just God. I told him that God does not allow the guilty to go unpunished. He was not willing to accept that as truth because it did not fit into his picture of who God is. As he was leaving I challenged him with this: If God is only love, and if there is no such thing as sin, then why did Jesus have to die?

This passage in John shows that Jesus was dealing with this same problem, and it has not changed. People still want to formulate who God is in their own minds, and if scripture does not agree with their idea, then they ignore the scripture. One author said it this way, “Similarly many people today think Bible study is an end in itself rather than a function leading to the knowledge of God and godliness.”[ii] There are people in our churches today who only want to hear what is acceptable in their minds. We study what Paul has to say about marriage and divorce, and we say, “Well Paul doesn’t understand my situation”, or “Things are different now. This doesn’t apply to us anymore.” We quickly toss out scriptures that don’t fit within our paradigm, and we dismiss biblical principles simply because they are inconvenient.

The Jews were famous for ignoring much of what God told them, and so are many other religious people. Unfortunately, we meet people weekly that think God’s Word doesn’t apply to them or their situation. They say things like, “God is a loving God, and would never say that!”

So, let me ask you: What scriptures have you tossed out? What teachings of the Bible have you dismissed? Examine your heart and ask His Spirit to show you what verses you have crossed off.

PRAYER:

Ask God to reveal areas in your life where you have ignored His teachings. Then ask Him to give you the strength to be obedient to all of it.

Each week’s Monday Motivation is taken from the reading schedule found in the Life Journal. If you are ready for the next step in your discipleship, then order yours today or see me for a copy. www.lifejournal.cc

If you would like help in growing in your faith, or if you would like to know how to have faith in Him, then please contact us at (928)636-2949 or email me at pastorguy@cvgrace.com

 

 

[i] Blum, E. A. (1985). John. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, p. 292). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

[ii] Blum, E. A. (1985). John. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, p. 292). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.




 Devotionals by Date

 January 2018

 
 
 
 

MONDAY MOTIVATION INTRODUCTION

 
 
 
  
 
 

THE GREAT SHEPHERD

 
January 1, 2018
 
 
  
 
 

THE GREAT PLANNER 

 
January 8, 2018
 
 
 
 
 

PROTECTING YOUR ROOTS

January 15, 2018
 
 
 
 
 

FACING YOUR GIANTS

January 22, 2018
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 

February 2018

 
 
 

PLEASE STAND

February 5, 2018
 
 
 
  
 
 
 

BE A GAME CHANGER

February 12, 2018
 
  
 
 
 

FINISH STRONG

February 19, 2018
 
 
 

STRETCHER BEARERS

February 26, 2018
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 

March 2018

 
 
 

DIGGING YOUR WAY OUT

March 5, 2018
 
 
 
 
 
 

REAL PEARLS

March 12, 2018
 
  
 
 
 

HIDDEN IDENTITY

March 19, 2018

 
 
 

MYSTERY GARDEN
March 26, 2018

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
April 2018
 
 

THE TEST!

April 2, 2018
 
 
 
 
 
 

PASS IT ON!

April 9, 2018
 
  
 
 
 

CRACKED POTS!

April 16, 2018

 
 
 

LAY THEM DOWN!

April 23, 2018
 
 
 
 
 
 

LETTING GO 

April 30, 2018
  
May 2018
 
 
 

IDOL WORSHIP OR IDLE WORSHIP?

May 7, 2018
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

WATCH AND PRAY!

May 14, 2018
  
 
 
 

DON’T SAY GOODBYE

May 21, 2018

 

 
 
 

TRAPPED

May 28, 2018
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 

 

June 2018
 
 
 

GOT A MATCH?

June 4, 2018
 
 
 
 
 
 

CHOSEN?

June 11, 2018
 
 
  
 
 

I’M THIRD!

June 18, 2018

 

 
 
 

CHANGED LIVES MATTER

      June 25, 2018
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
July 2018
 
 
 

MADE FOR MORE THAN THIS

      July 2, 2018
 
 
 
 
 
 

SET FREE!

       July 9, 2018
 
 
 
 
 
 

   HEAVENLY PLACES       July 15, 2018

 
 
 

LOOKING IN THE MIRROR

July 2, 2018

 
 
 
 
 

NO SURPRISES HERE

July 2, 2018

 
 
 
August 2018
 
 
 

INSTRUCTIONS INCLUDED

August 6, 2018

 
 
 
 
 

THE PEOPLE PLEASER

August 13, 2018

 
 
 
 
 
 

ONE CHURCH

      August 20, 2018

 
 
 

BROTHERLY LOVE

August 27, 2018

 
 
September 2018
 
 
 

NEWLYWEDS!

September 3, 2018

 
 
 
 
 

WHEN GOD SPANKS US!

September 10, 2018

 
 
 
 

TAKING A STAND

September 17, 2018

 
 
 

NO PLACE LIKE HOME

September 24, 2018

 
 
October 2018
 
 
 

FROM ORDINARY TO EXTRAORDINARY

October 1, 2018

 
 
 
 
 

STAND YOUR GROUND!

October 8, 2018

 
 

 

 

FAITH UNDER FIRE

October 15, 2018

 
 
 
 

HOMELESS FOR A DAY

October 22, 2018

 
 
 
 
November 2018
 
 
 

A HEAVENLY MARRIAGE?

November 5, 2018

 
 
 
 
 

HOLY SMOKE!

November 12, 2018

 
 
 
 

MIRROR, MIRROR…

November 19, 2018

 
 
 
 

SECRET AGENT

November 26, 2018

 
 
 
 
December 2018
 
 
 

INNOCENT

December 3, 2018

 
 
 
 
 

HOPE?

December 10, 2018

 
 
 
 

FREEDOM

December 17, 2018

 
 
 
 

MORE THAN A MANGER

December 24, 2018