Sunday (8/7)

Our seventh annual all-church worship and small group series begins today! During the next few months, we will seek to center our lives in Jesus and walk closer to him as he is revealed to us through the Spirit of Christ, the church, and within The Gospel of John. We hope you will join us for weekly worship services either in-person or online throughout the series, as well as go through the small group study with a few believers and read John’s Gospel using this Your Faith Journey weekly plan. On Sunday mornings and within the small group study sessions, we will focus on eight of the themes John uses within the gospel account he wrote to reveal the truth about who Jesus is and what his life, death, and resurrection means for us. You will be encouraged to look for those themes as you read, beginning with the first four in August and then the last four in September.

 

You can watch The Gospel of John small group study videos through the AUMC website using the following link:

 

In regard to this Your Faith Journey devotional, you will be guided to read the entire Gospel According to John during this season, beginning on August 8th. We will read the entire gospel twice by the end of the series on October 2nd. Below are some suggestions and questions to help you as you read scripture this week:

1. Approach scripture with humility. Seek to receive what the gospel writer reveals without trying to make it say what you want the verses to say.

2. Invite the Holy Spirit to speak a message to you through the verses you read.

3. As you read ask yourself a few questions:

What do these verses reveal about humanity?

What do these verses teach me about myself?

How do I see myself in the story when reading biblical narratives?

Which of these characters would I be?

In what ways is their story similar to my story?

What do these verses reveal about God, Jesus, or the Holy Spirit?

7. Read, study, and discuss the verses with another person or small groups.

8. Use a Study Bible. The NIV, NRSV, ESV, and NLT Study Bibles are worth considering if you do not own one. There are a few available from the AUMC Library in the back of the Chapel. You can also purchase a Study Bible from ChristianBook.com, Cokesbury.com, or Amazon.com.

 

*If you do not have a Bible, consider downloading the YouVersion Bible App for free from the Apple App Store or Google Play for your smartphone or tablet. You can also use www.BibleGateway.com to look up and read various translations of Bible verses online for free.

 

 

Monday (8/8)

Memory Verse:

“He was with God in the beginning.” -John 1:2 NIV

 

Read, say, or sing the following lyrics from the song “Come and See” by Bob Bennett to prepare your heart and mind for the journey that is about to begin:

Come and see, come and see,

Come and see this man from heaven.

Oh, could it be? Could it be

We will see the face of God?

 

As we begin reading The Gospel of John you are encouraged to watch the

Overview: John 1-12 video by the Bible Project that is available on Youtube. It will provide some helpful insights for reading, studying, and understating this gospel account:

Overview: John 1-12 by the Bible Project

 

Read John 1. Invite the Holy Spirit to reveal the message the Lord has for you for today from this first chapter of the gospel. Look for the themes listed below as you read and study. You may want to use colored pencils to circle or underline each theme within the gospel verses if you are using The Gospel According to John Journal:

 

Read the beginning portion of the Apostles’ Creed about our heavenly Father that is listed below, then use it as part of your prayer. Pray through your day, including for those you will be with, or have been with, as well as for what you will do, or you have already done. Let the words of the first chapter of John’s gospel account and the creed influence your prayer.

I believe in God the Father Almighty,

maker of heaven and earth.

 

 

Tuesday (8/9)

Memory Verse: John 1:2

*Read the Memory Verse a few times from whichever translation you prefer.

 

Listen to the song “Come and See” (Live) by Matt Redman using the link below or searching for the song on YouTube, Spotify, or elsewhere:

 

Be silent for a few minutes as you use your imagination. Imagine seeing God and Jesus as creation was spoken into existence. They are shining in their holiness and glory brighter than a noonday sun. You hear God say, “Let there be…,” and then whatever God says is formed or comes to be. Notice how the created world, including the heavens full of stars, planets, and moons, as well as the waters, skies, and lands of the earth, reveal the intelligence and awesome power of our Maker. Think about how the plants and animals reveal the beauty and creativity of our Provider. Imagine hearing God and Jesus talking about creating humans in their likeness and image. Then you hear them say your name. Spend a few minutes imagining what God and Christ said about you and your life long before you were born.

 

If you have not seen it yet, you are encouraged to watch the Overview: John 1-12 video by the Bible Project that is available on Youtube using the link from the Monday portion of this devotional.

 

Read John 2. Use the suggestions and questions on the list from the Sunday

portion of this devotional to dive deeper during your study time. Look for the following themes as you read and study:

 

Pray for:

 

 

Wednesday (8/10)

Memory Verse: John 1:2

*You are encouraged to spend some time trying to memorize it using whichever translation you prefer.

 

Read, say, or sing the following lyrics from the song “Come and See” by Bob Bennett:

Come and see, come and see,

Come and see this man from heaven.

Oh, could it be? Could it be

We will see the face of God?

 

If you have not seen it, watch the Overview: John 1-12 video by the Bible Project that is available on Youtube.

 

Read John 3. Which word, phrase, or verse is God using to speak to you today from what you read? Continue searching for the following themes as you read and study:

 

Read the beginning portion of the Apostles’ Creed that is listed below:

I believe in God the Father Almighty,

maker of heaven and earth.

 

Pray in response to what was revealed in John 3. Let your beliefs about God and Jesus influence your prayer and the way you live today.

 

 

Thursday (8/11)

Memory Verse: John 1:2

*Read the Memory Verse a few times.

 

Listen to the song “Come and See” (Live) by Matt Redman using the link below or searching for the song on YouTube, Spotify, or elsewhere:

 

Be silent for a few minutes. Think about what the lyrics of the song “Come and See” reveal about Christ. Let your mind linger on those thoughts about Jesus. Listen for the internal message from the Holy Spirit.

 

Read John 4. If you have not yet, use a suggestion or question on the list from the Sunday portion of this devotional to dive deeper during your study time.

 

Pray in response to the Lord using the ACTS acronym as a guide:

Adoration (praise the Lord)

Confession

Thanksgiving

Supplication (share your needs & the needs of others)

 

 

Friday (8/12)

Memory Verse: John 1:2

*You are encouraged to spend some time trying to memorize it before you pray, using whichever translation you prefer.

 

Read, say, or sing the following lyrics from the song “Come and See” by Bob Bennett:

Come and see, come and see,

Come and see this man from heaven.

Oh, could it be? Could it be

We will see the face of God?

 

Read John 5. Invite the Holy Spirit to speak to you as you read the verses. Continue searching for the following themes as you read and study:

 

Read the beginning portion of the Apostles’ Creed that is listed below:

I believe in God the Father Almighty,

maker of heaven and earth.

 

Pray using the individual words or phrases from the Apostle’s Creed listed above as a guide. For example:

“I” – I was created by you, Lord, and I owe you my life.

“Believe in” – I believe in you and your son, Jesus. Because of my trust in Jesus your Spirit lives in me.

“God” – You are the God of all creation. There is no one else like you!

“The Father Almighty” – You are my heavenly Father. You are powerful, mighty, and worthy of praise!

 

 

Saturday (8/13)

How are you going to remember and observe the Sabbath this weekend? The sabbath is a day each week that is set apart from the others to worship God, rest, and be refreshed. You may need to begin by setting aside an hour on Saturday or Sunday to develop a new habit of observing the Sabbath. It might be helpful for you to incrementally observe the Sabbath by setting aside an increasing portion of a day each weekend until you are eventually able to worship and rest an entire day each week.

 

Read John 1:2, the Memory Verse for this past week. If you have not memorized it, consider writing it down multiple times or reading it over and over again until you have it memorized.

 

If you have been taking notes, underlining, or circling words as you have read the Gospel of John chapters this past week, read through your notes as you look at words, phrases, and verses underlined and circled. Consider telling others what God has revealed to you within The Gospel of John by talking to a family member, a friend, or the members of your small group or Sunday school class the next time you are together.

 

Solitude and Silence. You are encouraged to find a place where you can quietly be alone for at least ten, twenty, or up to thirty minutes. During your time of solitude & silence with Jesus, you may want to lay down, sit on a comfortable chair, couch, or swing, or go for a walk. During the solitude, allow the Holy Spirit to bring to mind portions of all that you read from the first five chapters of John’s Gospel. Try to shut out the thoughts of to-do-lists, plans for the day, etc., so that you can simply be with Jesus.

 

Read Genesis 2:1-3 about the seventh day of creation. What do these verses reveal that God did after six days of creating? How are you prioritizing rest this weekend?

 

Pray however the Spirit of the Lord guides you to pray. You may need to ask God to help you to follow his example by prioritizing a day of rest each week. If that is a struggle for you, ask the Lord to reveal anything you need to stop doing or let go of so that you can live the way God intended.