Begin with 2 minutes of silence and stillness before God.

One of the most humbling statements that I have heard in life is that the ground is level at the foot of the cross. There have been many hymns written about the foot of the cross. Read the words to this particular hymn:

I stood before the cross and a king stood by me

And on the other side a vagabond

And there as we prayed and poured our hearts out to Jesus

He bent to hear everyone

The ground is level at the foot of the cross

No man stands higher than I

I can call on Jesus' name and a king can do the same 

The ground is level at the foot of the cross! 

We find correction in Romans 14 about judging others and condemning them for being different from us. The most beautiful thing about the gift of eternal life is that it is offered up for everyone. Romans 14 further instructs us to cultivate relationships with fellow believers. This scripture once again reminds me of how our family of believers has changed through fellowship closely within our different House Churches. It pushes us to worship, eat, learn, pray, and play with those who aren’t in our normal social groups. We selflessly open up our hearts and our homes to one another because we share a common love for Jesus.

Diversity in our backgrounds often leads us to inadvertently be judgmental of our fellow Christian brothers and sisters. Because of the diverse backgrounds, religious and cultural problems have long existed that threatened the unity of the body of Christ.

For the last seven years, I have prayed earnestly for God to help break the chains of addiction for a precious loved one. Over the course of the last 10 months, I have seen God work out this miracle in his life. Because he is a part of my family, I know that he will forever fight a daily battle that I don’t truly understand as I have not walked a mile in his shoes. I also know that many people hold his past sins against him; however, what he needs most is less judgment and more love and support. Today, however, and absolutely best of all, I am able to witness him being the one reaching down and pulling others out of the pit. God’s mercy endures forever. 

Take 2 minutes to reflect in silence.

Reflection:

• Closely examine your thoughts and behaviors. How many times have you passed judgment on a fellow Christian who you honestly just didn’t know? How many times have you summed up a person based on their outward appearance, tattoos, job title, past sin, or other characteristics? This week, I challenge you to reflect on people who you may have inadvertently avoided for any of these reasons. Find a way to say hello or get to know them. Focus on cultivating new Christian friendships with someone different from you. After all, when the day of rejoicing comes, we will all stand equal at the foot of the cross.
• Prayer: Dear God, we are so thankful that there’s not a checklist of requirements to earn eternal life, but rather it is a gift that You offer to each of us. God, help us to look at the heart of fellow believers so that we can grow closer to You through cultivating new Christian relationships. We are so thankful that You love all of us unconditionally. Amen.

Family Devos: Romans 14 

By: Amy Stampley 

When partnering with your family to know, love, and follow Jesus, we strive to create and share content filtered by the Head-Heart-Hands model.

Head: the knowledge of God and His Word | Heart: the personal connection from scripture | Hands: a missional mindset 

Head

The Bible tells us about some things that God says we must believe if we want to follow Him.  We must believe that Jesus was the Son of God.  We must believe that Jesus died on the cross for our sins.  Then, in Romans 14, we see that there are other things that we get to choose.  Sometimes we decide that we like to eat only meat while our friends live in a household that may eat only vegetables.  Though we do not choose to eat the same foods, we can still love the same Jesus and still be Christian friends.  Throughout life, you will have many friends who may choose things differently from you.  Being different is what makes us a unified body of Christ.  If we all were only singers, who would teach the children in church?  If we were all teachers, who would lead worship so that we could sing and praise the Lord?  Just because we are not all the same, does not mean that anyone is better or closer to God.  He loves us all the same regardless of what we look like, where we were born, what grades we make in school, and what foods our families eat.  

Heart

Hands

Notice those friends around you who may be different.  Try to say hello and get to know them.  Find out if they go to church and maybe even invite them to Venture.  We are about to have three weeks of “At the Movies,” and that is the perfect time to bring someone with you.

Prayer: Dear God, We love You, and we are thankful that You made us all different.  God, help us to remember that You want everyone to come to You.  Help us to tell everyone about the good news of You.  We love You. Amen