Daily Devotional
Do You Know the Good News?
“For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.”
1 Corinthians 15:3-4
December 1, 2023
Ponder This
The word gospel comes from a combination of the words—telling good things. The Greek word itself literally means, “good news.” The Gospel is the good news of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The best news the world ever heard came from a graveyard outside Jerusalem and it is this: “He is not here; for He is risen” (Matthew 28:6).
But good news is not good news unless there’s the possibility of bad news. Suppose I said to you tonight, “I’ve got good news for you. Your house is not on fire.” Well, that kind of falls flat unless you felt that your house may have been on fire. But imagine you’re in the hospital, perhaps a person you love is in the operating room, and you’re waiting in the waiting room. Then the doors swing open, and the surgeon comes out, takes that mask from his face, and says, “I’ve got good news.” That’s good news because you were unsure of what you might hear. The good news is the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The bad news that makes the good news good is found in 1 Corinthians 15:3: “Christ died for our sins.” This is the major thing. No matter what else you do, if you don’t get this, you have missed it. As somebody said a long time ago, “The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing, and the main thing is the Gospel.”
- What is the danger of emphasizing one part of the Gospel over another?
- How do you seek to keep the Gospel as the main thing in your life?
Practice This
Pray and ask God to give you the opportunity to share the Gospel with someone else this week.
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.’”
