THE HERALDS DEVOTIONAL

THE SCHOOL OF CHRISTIAN LIVING PART 3: THE ETHICS OF WORK — WHAT KIND OF STUDENT ARE YOU? Ephesians 4:28 (NLT) “If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need.” In Part 2, we entered the Anger Management Class and learned that anger itself is not the entire problem. The danger comes when we allow anger to control our response. Paul warned us not to give the devil a foothold through unresolved anger. We learned the practical formula: PAUSE   before you react. PRAY before you decide. PROCESS before you conclude. RESPOND before you act. Whether we are at home, in church, at school, in the office, in the neighborhood, or online, every situation can become an examination of our Christian character. We discovered that the Holy Spirit doesn't only want to change our circumstances. He wants to teach us how to respond to them. Now, we move to another classroom. THE ETHICS OF WORK Imagine two students sitting in th...

THE SCHOOL OF CHRISTIAN LIVING PART 2: ANGER MANAGEMENT — WHEN YOUR EMOTIONS ENTER THE CLASSROOM Ephesians 4:26–27 (NLT) “And ‘don’t sin by letting anger control you.’ Think about it overnight. Anger gives a foothold to the devil.” In Part 1, we were welcomed into The School of Christian Living. We learned that becoming a Christian is like gaining admission into a school where the goal is not simply to acquire knowledge, but to become like Christ. We established our school system: The Bible is our textbook. The Holy Spirit is our Teacher. We are the students. Church, home, school, office, neighborhood and online spaces are our classrooms. Daily situations are our examinations. And our first course code is: EPH 4:26–32 We also learned that salvation is admission, not graduation. Every day presents another opportunity to learn, grow and demonstrate what the Holy Spirit is teaching us. Now, we enter our first practical class. ANGER MANAGEMENT Imagine sitting in a classroom when another st...

THE SCHOOL OF CHRISTIAN LIVING PART 1: WELCOME TO THE SCHOOL — UNDERSTANDING THE CHRISTIAN CURRICULUM Ephesians 4:1 (NLT) “Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God.” Imagine a student gaining admission into a school. On the first day, the student receives a prospectus. The prospectus explains the courses, the rules, the expectations, and the standard of conduct required of every student. Admission is important, but admission alone does not make the student successful. The student must learn. The student must attend classes, complete assignments, sit for examinations, receive correction, and demonstrate what has been taught. The Christian life works in much the same way. When we receive Christ, we enter the School of Christian Living. Our classroom is not limited to the church building. There is a classroom at home. There is a classroom at school. There is a classroom at the office. There is a classroom ...

ARISE, KILL AND EAT PART 12: FINAL LAP- WHEN GOD CONFIRMS WHAT YOU THOUGHT WAS IMPOSSIBLE Acts 10:44–48 (NLT) “Even as Peter was saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who were listening to the message. The Jewish believers who came with Peter were amazed that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles, too. For they heard them speaking in other tongues and praising God. Then Peter asked, ‘Can anyone object to their being baptized, now that they have received the Holy Spirit just as we did?’ So he gave orders for them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Afterward Cornelius asked him to stay with them for several days.” In Part 11, we discovered that God can interrupt the message with His supernatural confirmation. Peter was preaching about Jesus. He was speaking about His death, resurrection, lordship, and forgiveness. But before Peter could finish his message, the Holy Spirit fell upon everyone who was listening. God interrupted Peter's ser...