Daily Devotional
Are You Spiritually Alive or Dead?
“These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.”
1 John 5:13
March 8, 2024
Ponder This
At Christmastime, you may go to buy a Christmas tree. You say, “Let’s get a live tree this year.” So, you go and buy a tree that’s been cut. By New Year’s, it is evident that this is no longer a live tree, we just call it that. It looks live, but it has been cut off from the source of life. The reality will show up around New Year’s. A lot of people decorate themselves and come to church on Sunday morning, but they’re spiritually dead. Their mind, emotions, and will are operating. Their bodies are operating, but minus God in the spirit.
What do we have to do to be lost? Rob a bank? No! Commit murder? No! Take part in a scandal? No! To be lost requires nothing because we are lost by nature. We are born with a depraved nature. The Bible teaches that we are “by nature the children of wrath” who inherited that nature from Adam (Ephesians 2:3). You can be so-called fine, upstanding, wonderful, and religious. God told Nicodemus—a better man outwardly, morally, and religiously, than most—that he had to be born again to see the kingdom of God (John 3:3). So, what does it mean to be lost? It simply means to be without God.
- What evidence does your life give of your relationship with God?
- What are some ways we “decorate” ourselves to fit in at church?
Practice This
Read John 15 with a friend and discuss what it looks like to be connected to God’s life.
FOR YOUR GIFT TO THE MINISTRY
Front Porch Moments by Gayle Foster
WITH KEY INSIGHTS FROM HER FATHER, ADRIAN ROGERS
I try to unplug each morning with Jesus with just my rocking chair, my Bible, and a pen.
Having a secret place is very important because I know that Jesus is always there waiting for me. I know where I can find Him! His presence is everywhere, but there are places where it is so thick you can cut it with a knife. You may not even have a front porch, but there is a secret place for you as well. God’s invitations are for anyone who will respond. There is no more important request than the one found in Psalm 27:8: “My heart has heard You say, ‘Come and talk with Me.’ And my heart responds, ‘Lord, I am coming.’”
