February 3, 2007

I sincerely hope that you will be blessed and encouraged by today's devotional.

Trivia Tidbit

Hair is the fastest growing tissue in the body, second only to bone marrow.

Life Lesson

One musical expert calls "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" one of the four most popular hymns in the English language. The words came from the prolific pen of Charles Wesley, who, with his brother John, founded the Methodist church. During his lifetime, Charles wrote over 6,500 hymns, many of which are still sung today. Charles authored this carol around 1739, a year after his conversion. The Wesleys were not only well-known for their rigid theology, but also for their excellent work habits. They faithfully fulfilled their callings in spite of all hardships.

God expects his servants to work hard at their faith. He has invested His most priceless possession in us so that we might have eternal life. Therefore, He expects us to not only appreciate the gift of His Son, but also to fulfill the calling He has given us. Hebrews makes this very clear to us.

Word Walk

Growth. The writer of Hebrews breaks off his discussion for some plain talking. His readers had become stuck in the ABC's of faith. They must move on to maturity because God will call them into account for their work.

Read Hebrews 6 to learn more about spiritual growth and then read the Power Points below.

Power Points

Below are valuable lessons you can apply to your life.

1. Faith is like riding a bicycle — you either get on or you get off. We must move forward in our faith by maturing (Hebrews 6:1-3).
2. After receiving so much of God's grace, we must never fall back. Once enlightened, we are forever responsible (Hebrews 6:4-5).
3. Our sin hurts our Lord. Hebrews says our sin puts Christ on the cross again, subjecting him to public disgrace (Hebrews 6:6).
4. God always expects a return on his investment. Just as a farmer expects to reap his crops, God wants fruit from us (Hebrews 6:7).
5. Those who follow Christ must never be lazy. Christianity is a life of actions, not just thoughtful contemplation (Hebrews 6:10-12).

Prayer

Dear Lord, continue to create a hunger in me for your Word, and may I faithfully apply the Word to my life so I will grow up to be all You called me to be, reaching full maturity and bearing much spiritual fruit. Amen.

Closing

I hope you have been blessed by today's manna. I really encourage you to visit our Scripture of the Day page each day for spiritual sustenance.