All posts by Tom Savage

Prayerwalking (Week 1: Day 5)

Thoughts, ,

The night before Jesus was crucified, He met with His disciples. He had much to tell them. They had much to learn. What lesson did He teach them in John 15:5? (A lesson about _______.) The vine and the branches word picture teaches several important truths.

  • He is the life-giving source
  • We are to abide in Him
  • He produces fruit
  • We bear fruit
  • Without Him we can do nothing of eternal value
  • Without a dynamic relationship and fellowship with Him we will shrivel like a branch when snipped off and dropped to the ground
    • Without life
    • Without power
  • We cannot be what we were intended to be without Him

This dynamic relationship and daily fellowship is best seen in His call in John 4:18-19. What was that call? As we fulfill this everyday, we are waking with God.

Throughout Today

  • Follow Him
  • Walk with Him
  • Learn from Him
  • Do not resist Him
  • Resist the inner tug to resist

Evening Reflection

  • Did the Lord cause you to notice anything you were trying to do on your own?
  • What did the Holy Spirit reveal to you today?
  • At anytime today did you sense a tug to resist the leadership of the Holy Spirit?
  • Did He point out anything you needed to confess? (see 1 John 1:9)
  • Any other items of uniqueness as you walked with our Lord today?

Prayerwalking (Week 1: Day 4)

Thoughts, ,

Consider how the disciples felt when Jesus told them of His departure in John 13. Then, imagine their comfort (though they could not know it and feel it completely at that time) when He told them the Holy Spirit was coming who would be with them and in them.

Read John 16:1-13

What are the names Jesus gave the Holy Spirit?

  • The ______ (v.7)
  • The _____ __ _____ (v.13)

Throughout Today

  • Remember, if you are a Christian, the Holy Spirit is in you not just with you.
  • Remember, you are not alone.
  • Remember, it is not you against the world.
  • You are not strong enough to fight the enemy by yourself; but then we do not have to. Read 1 John 4:4 for some reassurance.

Evening Reflection

  • Did you have opportunity to sense the Holy Spirit in you today?
  • Were there any specific situations where you sensed the Holy Spirit guiding you?
  • Did you have any unique spiritual encounters or spiritual experiences today?
  • Was there a time when you sensed the Holy Spirit guiding you and you resisted His leadership? How did you feel afterwards?

Feel free to share your thoughts tom@tomsavage.us

 

 

Answers: Helper; Spirit of truth

Prayerwalking (Week 1: Day 3)

Thoughts, ,

The questions for today are

  • Will we live the old life we used to live?
  • Will we live the new life we were created to live?
  • Will we live according the ways of the world?
  • Will we live according to the ways of God?
  • Why does this struggle even exist?

As we walk today, we should …

  • Walk as _____ walked. (1 John 2:6)
  • Let the word of Christ _____ __ __ richly. (Col 3:16)
  • Walk by _____ and not by _____. (2 Cor. 5:7)
  • See prayer as spending time with God. (1 Thess.5:17)

Throughout Today

  • Meditate on the truths in the Scriptures above.
  • Thank God for His word.
  • Trust Him for encouragement and strength.
  • Decide to live today trusting God.

Evening Reflection

  • Did you find it hard trusting God today?
  • How did you sense His encouragement today?
  • What made you spiritually happy today?

As an FYI, eight of us prayerwalked an elementary school late this afternoon. It was quite fulfilling and an honor to pray for the children, the teachers, the assistants, the staff, the custodial people, the principal, the bus drivers and the parents. Ninety-nine percent of the people mentioned above did not even know we were there because they had already left for the day but we were blessed to lift them to the Father. Good night!

Prayerwalking (Week 1: Day 2)

Thoughts, , ,

As you walk with the Lord today, there are several truths to consider. Read the accompanying passage and complete the blanks below. After you have read the passage and completed the missing words, check your answers with the answers below.

  • The enemy desires to ________ with us. (Gen. 3:1-3)
  • The enemy seeks to ________ us from a faithful walk with God. (Gen. 3:4-5)
  • The enemy plans to _______ us. (Rev. 12:9)
  • The enemy was and is ________ by the death of Jesus. (Rom 5:6, 8)

 

Throughout Your Day

  • Thank God for His marvelous and matchless love that paid your debt for you. (Rom. 5:6, 8)
  • Thank Him for your salvation. (Eph. 2:4-9)
  • Consider deeply the truth that without Him you would still be lost in sin. (John 6:44)
  • Ask Him to show you and remind you of His love for you.

Evening Reflections

  • Have you ever had someone forgive a debt just because they wanted to? What did that feel like?
  • Did you stop during the day today and consider the tremendous debt  we owe(d) God because of sin? Have you asked Him to forgive you of that debt?
  • If you have been saved, did you pause today and thank God for His forgiveness? How long ago were you saved?
  • Was today the day you asked God to forgive you on the basis of what Jesus did on the cross? If so, write me tom@tomsavage.us.
  • If you still need to do that, give me shout so we can talk.

Answers: (dialogue; separate; deceive; defeated)

Prayerwalking (Week 1: Day 1)

Thoughts, ,

Prayerwalking

Learning To Walk With God and Intercede for Others

This Thursday (August 11, 2016) those assembled at 5:00 p.m. will prayer walk a local elementary school. In preparation for that, I will present some prayerwalking thoughts Wednesday night (August 10th) at Sugar Creek Baptist Church. You are welcome to join us for that devotional time. More information about the actual prayer walk will be shared at that time.

Let’s take this opportunity to learn more about prayerwalking. If you would like to join others and me on this adventure (here in the Wabash Valley or in your personal context), join us as we learn together. Come back each day for the next several days for more insights. As a part of our time together, I will be sharing some of my own experiences of prayerwalking and will be drawing some insights from Follow Me: Lessons for Becoming a Prayerwalker.

There is a single verse that could be the umbrella verse as well as the foundational verse for these days together. “He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 5:8)

Another passage is Psalm 46:1-11 (key verse 10)

Read the following verses and complete the accompanying items.

Read Genesis 5:18-24  “Enoch ____ ____ ___.”

Read Genesis 6:5-10  “Noah ____ ____ ___.”

Read Genesis 3:8-9 What was the Lord God doing? He was _______ and He was _______ Adam.

Throughout Today: As you “walk through life”

  1. Stop and consider your opportunity to walk with God
  2. Thank God for His presence in your life
  3. Notice those around you who need this incredible blessing

Come back tonight as we close out our day. God Bless

Evening Reflection: As you close out your day

  1. What was it like to consciously walk with God today?
  2. How did you feel as you considered is His love for you?
  3. Was it hard to focus on Him? If so, why? Was it because of
    1. Busyness
    2. Stress
    3. Worry
    4. Awkwardness due to this new disciple?

Have a good night and I hope you return in the morning.

Write to me at tom@tomsavage.us if you would like to share some feedback.

The Bread of Life Discourse

Thoughts,

In John chapter 6 we find the tremendous miracle of Jesus feeding 5,000+ people with five barley loaves and two small fish. In that context and after that miracle, we find the Bread of Life Discourse. In verses 35 and 48 Jesus said, “I am the bread of life.” In verse 51 He said, “I am the living bread which came down from heaven.” Within the Bread of Life Discourse (6:26-71), we find these ten very important truths.

  1. Heavenly food is more important than earthly food
  2. Heavenly food can only be found in Jesus
  3. Heavenly food is for those who have been invited to the banquet
  4. There is no problem too big for the Lord
  5. There is no person too small for the Lord
  6. There is no hunger too deep for the Lord
  7. There will always be those who cannot see and therefore do not believe
  8. Some people cannot handle deep truths of God
  9. Wise people recognize their spiritual ignorance
  10. Wise people stay close to Jesus for further illumination

The summary truth is, we all need Jesus, The Miracle Bread from heaven.

Time for a National Physical Examination

Thoughts, ,

Many years ago, an historical analysis was written and has been republished and retold by various political figures. It is often referred to as from the pen of Alexander Tyler while our 13 colonies were still a part of Great Britain. President Reagan and others have used this analysis with slight variations. Whoever actually penned the original words is of less importance than the truth contained in the wording.

“A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves money from the public treasury. From that moment on the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that a democracy is always followed by a dictatorship.”

The average age for the world’s civilizations has been 200 years. These nations have progressed through the following sequences:

  • From bondage to spiritual faith
  • From spiritual faith to great courage
  • From courage to liberty
  • From liberty to abundance
  • From abundance to selfishness
  • From selfishness to complacency
  • From complacency to apathy
  • From apathy to dependency
  • From dependency back to bondage

It is the contention that all nations follow the same pattern, and that a democracy follows it most directly. If this is true and if I read the history of the United States of America with discernment, we are living on borrowed time.

May I remind you that God is not excited about democracy. He is really into theocracy. It is quite natural to think of a church or nation like ours as a democracy because we have the freedom to vote our convictions or our feelings. However, when those same people earnestly seek God’s face for direction, and cast their vote in accordance with His revealed will, then you have a theocracy, and then you have the blessing and the guidance of God.

Don’t Fall Into that Pit

Thoughts,

Recently, many of us watched the video of a four-year-old boy who had fallen into a gorilla pit. The scene immediately grabbed us. We watched as the gorilla dragged him through the water as we might drag a rag doll through a swimming pool.

After the event was over and the child was out of that pit, people had questions. “Why wasn’t there a better fence to keep that from happening?” “Where were the parents? How could they let that happen?”

Everyday children and adults fall victim to evils in the world. We all have an enemy who is roaming around like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. Many people have fallen into a pit out of which they seem powerless to be delivered.

Children cannot defend themselves. They cannot protect themselves. It is up to us to protect them physically. It is also up to us to protect them spiritually. Today, do what you can to be a positive spiritual role model for your children and/or your grandchildren. Their eternal destiny and where they spend it depend, in a large part, depends on you. “Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.” (Proverbs 22:6)

Your Personal Influence

Thoughts, , , ,

Several years ago several people traveled from Fort Worth, Texas to Denton, Texas to help a friend. Called to pastor the church, we went to help him get started. We worked on the physical structure but we also knocked on doors and invited people to attend.

Of all the doors we knocked on and all the people we invited, there are four people I will not soon forget. It was a dad and his three children. The wife/mother was no longer a part of their lives.

We invited the dad to church. His response was, “No, I am not interested.” He was not mean about it. He was just that blunt and that direct.

So, we said that we would like to invite the children to attend and began to explain what the church would have to offer the children. To which the dad replied, “No, they would not be interested. You see, I have decided to not teach them anything about God, Jesus, or the church. When they are old enough, they can decide for themselves what they would like to believe.”

This dad was convinced he had arrived at a wise position – to let the children decide for themselves. However, I am guessing he would not have left them to make other decisions for themselves. Decisions like what to eat. Would he let them have candy for breakfast, cotton candy for lunch, and ice cream for dinner? Probably not.

You might be thinking, but that’s different. Yes, it is radically different. Because when we are talking about God, Jesus, and the Church, we are talking about spiritual matters. We are talking about eternal destiny matters. We are talking about matters that matter. We are talking about whether they will spend an eternity in heaven or an eternity in hell.

Those children are adults now. I wonder how they turned out. I hope they are doing well.

Your influence with your children and grandchildren is powerful and can be life changing. What kind of influence would you like to be for them today?

Three Keys

Alzheimer's Disease, ,

Applying a process of brain nourishment may not help your loved one (because, sadly, the disease is so advanced in them), but these three words may hold the key for you and your well-being. These three keys are a part of what makes this battle such an uphill climb. They are,

  • Patience,
  • Persistence, and
  • Consistency

Our humanness, our fast-paced lives, our instant culture, rebels against and even repels these three words. They are even “curse words” when used together. We just don’t like those three words. Yet, they hold the key and are the formula for applying the methods of attacking and preventing Alzheimer’s Disease. I hope you have a great and productive day. Let me know if I can help.