Seek God’s Approval
Pray – (1/2 minute)
Read – (2 1/2 minutes) – “Then Peter said, ‘Can anyone keep these people from being baptized with water? They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.’ So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked Peter to stay with them for a few days.” (Acts 10:47-48)
Passage: 2 Timothy 2:1-15
In healthy, functional families, the love of parents for their children is unconditional. When discipline is administered, it is done for the good of the child, to help teach the child how to behave in a responsible way. Because of the discipline, children may be motivated early on by fear of punishment. However, as a they mature, their motivation for pleasing their parents moves from the fear of punishment to the response of love.
As a child of God through faith in Jesus, God wants you to grow and experience His best for you. He loves you unconditionally. The commands He gives in His Word are not intended to hurt you. They are designed to help you. A mature believer will want to obey God and become more like Jesus in order to please God and gain His approval. That has nothing to do with keeping your salvation or earning God’s blessings. It should come out of love for Christ and a heart of gratitude for what He has done for you. Jesus said in John 8:29, “. . . I always do what pleases Him.” Set your heart to please God and live in a way that you will hear Him say, “Well done.”
Apply - (2 1/2 minutes)
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Pray - (1 1/2 minutes)