Agape Devotions

  You can use today to catch up on your readings.

  Read  Col 3.12-4.18 Verses chosen for devotion: “Bondservants, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality.” ‭‭Colossians‬ ‭3‬:‭22‬-‭25‬ ‭ESV‬‬ Reflect In this chapter Paul talked about putting off the old and putting on the new. We are new creations in Christ Jesus and we should live our lives in Christlikeness. Here Paul talked about duties as servants to earthly masters, to be sincere, faithful, diligent and serve in God-fearing manner. How does this apply to me in the modern world? What has obedience and faithfulness to our earthly masters got to do with Christian life and christlikeness? Relate Servants (or ...

Read Colossians 2:6 - 3:11 Verses chosen for meditation:  Colossians 2: 6-7, 8, 16, 18-19, 21-23; 3:3-4, 9-11 ESV 6 Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, 7 rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. 8 See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. 16 Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath.  18 Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind, 19 and not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God. 21 “Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch” 22 (referring...

  TEXT TO REFLECT ON 9 And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. 13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. COLOSSIANS 1:9-14 REFLECT The Apostle Paul lived in two worlds. In one world, he was acquainted with suffering. He knew first hand how difficult it was to rejoice, and to endure patiently his dire circumstances and the wickedness of the world. He knew that this suffering was es...

Read: Philippians 4:4-23 Verses chosen for reflection:  4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 9 What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. Reflect The church in Philippi were advised to rejoice in the Lord always for He is the Alpha and Omega of their lives. As they learned to rejoice in the Lord, their reasonableness (or gentleness) coul...

READ : Philippians 3:1 to 4:3 focussing on 4:1 REFLECT : Paul begins this fourth chapter with what looks like a very mixed metaphor. The  therefore  refers back to what he has written about in chapter 3. There he is talking about running a race, seeing life as an obstacle course. He writes how he runs this race by pressing on to the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. He is urging others to run with him. But in the opening verse of chapter four he now says,  stand firm.  It sounds confusing as to which he means for us, whether to run the race or to stand firm. One is a picture of extreme effort, the other of immobility, inaction. How can we then follow this call to standing and yet running? If we take him literally at his word it is confusing. Nevertheless, thinking this through you have here a marvellous setting forth of the paradox of the Christian faith. For life is indeed a very swiftly moving obstacle course. We've all discovered that....

READ : Philippians 1:27-2:30 Verses chosen for meditation: Philippians 2:5-8 5  Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6  who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,  7  but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.  8  And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. REFLECT Paul wrote to his Philippian friends about a decade after he found the church. He had suffered much in the preceding years, with beatings, imprisonment, hostility from jealous competitors. Paul must have wondered several times whether it was all worth the pain. Even as he wrote this letter, he’s in chains for Christ (Philippians 1:13). Still, whenever Paul thought of the Philippians, his spirits lift. Paul refused gifts from most churches, to prevent...