Scripture:
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God." -II Corinthians 5:17-21 (NIV)
"For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity. and He came and preached peace to you who where far away, and peace to those who were near; for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God's household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit." -Ephesians 2:14-21 (NASB)
"Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many. Now if the foot should say, 'Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,' it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. And if the ear should say, 'Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,' it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, 'I don’t need you!' And the head cannot say to the feet, 'I don’t need you!'” -I Corinthians 12:14-21 (NIV)
Introduction:
There is a quote that says, "The beauty of the world lies in its diversity." When we look around, we can see diversity in places and in people. While there is much beauty in the world, differences can also lead to disagreements. As we consider the divisions in the world, we need to move toward understanding and unity. As Mother Teresa reminded us that we need to have humility when she said, "Only humility will lead us to unity, and unity will lead us to peace."
We can move toward unity and peace through humility and reconciliation with God. God has a plan for each of our lives. We can only reach the fullest potential of this plan when we are one with God!
Sunday:
Whether thinking about unity or peace, we need to begin with reconciliation. We can consider reconciliation as is relates to relationships and ideas. Reconciliation is restoring relationships and making beliefs compatible with each other ideas. First, we need to be reconciled to God to allow a relationship with Him. Second, we need to study and learn from God so our ideas and plans can be reconciled with His.
*What changes in our lives as we embrace a relationship with God?
*How can we reconcile our relationship with God and our ideas to God's ideas?
*What can change in our lives when we seek a reconciled relationship with God?
Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for Your Son and for Your plan for redemption and reconciliation in my life. Help me to forgive all the time and to know when and how to reconcile with the people in my life. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.
Monday:
God wants to have a relationship with each of us. He wants to restore us so we can have a close relationship with Him and with each other. In order to be reconciled, we need to become a new creation. We need to believe in and accept Jesus as our Savior. We need to continue to seek God and His will as we pray and communicate with God. If we want to be reconciled with God, we need to accept Jesus and participate in God's redemptive plan for our lives!
*How can we reconcile with God?
*What can change in our lives when we seek a reconciled relationship with God?
Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for Your Son and for Your plan for redemption and reconciliation in my life. Help me to forgive all the time and to know when and how to reconcile with the people in my life. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.
Tuesday:
God sent Jesus Christ to die for our sin. It is the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus that provide forgiveness and reconciliation. Jesus is the One that has torn down the wall between our sinful being and the purity of God. We cannot overcome sin on our own. When we accept Jesus, we are surrounded by God's grace and mercy. Through God's grace, He gives us what we don't deserve or cannot achieve on our own, His Son and salvation. Because of God's mercy, we do not receive the punishment we deserve for our sin. As we are reconciled with God, we freely receive all of His gifts!
*What does it mean to accept God's grace and mercy?
*Consider the grace and mercy God provides in your life. How can you share this with others?
Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for Your Son and for Your plan for redemption and reconciliation in my life. Help me to forgive all the time and to know when and how to reconcile with the people in my life. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.
Wednesday:
God calls us into a close relationship with Him. He also calls us live as a body of believers that serve Him during our time on earth. During our lives, we will be faced with situations that call us to forgive and reconcile. However, we must be sure we are following God's will. We are called to always forgive, but we cannot compromise God's Truth and condone contradictory behaviors. We need to be careful to only reconcile ideas and relationships that are aligned with God's ideas and expectations. We can forgive others, regardless of their attitudes or actions. However, reconciliation requires restoration and a willingness to move toward a relationship with God as its foundation.
*Think about the difference between forgiveness and reconciliation. Are there people that you need to forgive, even if you cannot reconcile the relationship?
*Even though we should always forgive, we do we need to be sure relationships or situations align with God's will before attempting reconciliation?
Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for Your Son and for Your plan for redemption and reconciliation in my life. Help me to forgive all the time and to know when and how to reconcile with the people in my life. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.
Thursday:
As believers, we are each members of God's family. We are parts of His body. We need each other in order to reach our fullest potential for God. We cannot accomplish everything on our own, so we need to be able to work together for God. As 1 Corinthians reminds us, we each have a role to play in God's body. This requires us to forgive and reconcile with each other as members of God's family. We can understand our unique value and talents as we serve Him together!
*How does doing deeds for God change how you approach what you are doing?
*How can you make your works a form of praise and thanksgiving to God?
Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for Your Son and for Your plan for redemption and reconciliation in my life. Help me to forgive all the time and to know when and how to reconcile with the people in my life. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.
Friday:
When we realize we need to offer forgiveness or reconcile and restore relationships, we should start with a conversation with God. Taking all things to God in prayer can help give us direction and strength. We can offer forgiveness and express a desire for reconciliation, but we need to allow God to work in our hearts and in the hearts of others. We need to be patient and accept God's timing and wisdom in moving forward in relationships. As we rely on God, we can reach out and then provide the space and time that is necessary to repair connections to others.
*How can forgiveness be a first step in reconciliation?
*Why does true reconciliation require the preparation of hearts of all parties involved?
*Are you willing to allow God to work in His time? What will that feel and look like in your life?
Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for Your Son and for Your plan for redemption and reconciliation in my life. Help me to forgive all the time and to know when and how to reconcile with the people in my life. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.
Saturday:
Forgiveness and reconciliation are part living as members of God's family. Being part of one body allows us to do more in service of God. However, we know that there will be disagreements and hurt as part of our lives and interactions. Because we are not perfect, we need to be prepared to forgive and to accept forgiveness. We need to reach out to reconcile and be ready to participate in reconciliation. As we work for God, we need to keep Him at the center and work together for His glory!
*How do forgiveness and reconciliation play a role in working as part of the body of Christ?
*How can practicing forgiveness and reconciliation help bring others to God? What is our role in facilitating this?
Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for Your Son and for Your plan for redemption and reconciliation in my life. Help me to forgive all the time and to know when and how to reconcile with the people in my life. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God." -II Corinthians 5:17-21 (NIV)
"For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity. and He came and preached peace to you who where far away, and peace to those who were near; for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God's household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit." -Ephesians 2:14-21 (NASB)
"Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many. Now if the foot should say, 'Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,' it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. And if the ear should say, 'Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,' it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, 'I don’t need you!' And the head cannot say to the feet, 'I don’t need you!'” -I Corinthians 12:14-21 (NIV)
Introduction:
There is a quote that says, "The beauty of the world lies in its diversity." When we look around, we can see diversity in places and in people. While there is much beauty in the world, differences can also lead to disagreements. As we consider the divisions in the world, we need to move toward understanding and unity. As Mother Teresa reminded us that we need to have humility when she said, "Only humility will lead us to unity, and unity will lead us to peace."
We can move toward unity and peace through humility and reconciliation with God. God has a plan for each of our lives. We can only reach the fullest potential of this plan when we are one with God!
Sunday:
Whether thinking about unity or peace, we need to begin with reconciliation. We can consider reconciliation as is relates to relationships and ideas. Reconciliation is restoring relationships and making beliefs compatible with each other ideas. First, we need to be reconciled to God to allow a relationship with Him. Second, we need to study and learn from God so our ideas and plans can be reconciled with His.
*What changes in our lives as we embrace a relationship with God?
*How can we reconcile our relationship with God and our ideas to God's ideas?
*What can change in our lives when we seek a reconciled relationship with God?
Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for Your Son and for Your plan for redemption and reconciliation in my life. Help me to forgive all the time and to know when and how to reconcile with the people in my life. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.
Monday:
God wants to have a relationship with each of us. He wants to restore us so we can have a close relationship with Him and with each other. In order to be reconciled, we need to become a new creation. We need to believe in and accept Jesus as our Savior. We need to continue to seek God and His will as we pray and communicate with God. If we want to be reconciled with God, we need to accept Jesus and participate in God's redemptive plan for our lives!
*How can we reconcile with God?
*What can change in our lives when we seek a reconciled relationship with God?
Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for Your Son and for Your plan for redemption and reconciliation in my life. Help me to forgive all the time and to know when and how to reconcile with the people in my life. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.
Tuesday:
God sent Jesus Christ to die for our sin. It is the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus that provide forgiveness and reconciliation. Jesus is the One that has torn down the wall between our sinful being and the purity of God. We cannot overcome sin on our own. When we accept Jesus, we are surrounded by God's grace and mercy. Through God's grace, He gives us what we don't deserve or cannot achieve on our own, His Son and salvation. Because of God's mercy, we do not receive the punishment we deserve for our sin. As we are reconciled with God, we freely receive all of His gifts!
*What does it mean to accept God's grace and mercy?
*Consider the grace and mercy God provides in your life. How can you share this with others?
Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for Your Son and for Your plan for redemption and reconciliation in my life. Help me to forgive all the time and to know when and how to reconcile with the people in my life. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.
Wednesday:
God calls us into a close relationship with Him. He also calls us live as a body of believers that serve Him during our time on earth. During our lives, we will be faced with situations that call us to forgive and reconcile. However, we must be sure we are following God's will. We are called to always forgive, but we cannot compromise God's Truth and condone contradictory behaviors. We need to be careful to only reconcile ideas and relationships that are aligned with God's ideas and expectations. We can forgive others, regardless of their attitudes or actions. However, reconciliation requires restoration and a willingness to move toward a relationship with God as its foundation.
*Think about the difference between forgiveness and reconciliation. Are there people that you need to forgive, even if you cannot reconcile the relationship?
*Even though we should always forgive, we do we need to be sure relationships or situations align with God's will before attempting reconciliation?
Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for Your Son and for Your plan for redemption and reconciliation in my life. Help me to forgive all the time and to know when and how to reconcile with the people in my life. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.
Thursday:
As believers, we are each members of God's family. We are parts of His body. We need each other in order to reach our fullest potential for God. We cannot accomplish everything on our own, so we need to be able to work together for God. As 1 Corinthians reminds us, we each have a role to play in God's body. This requires us to forgive and reconcile with each other as members of God's family. We can understand our unique value and talents as we serve Him together!
*How does doing deeds for God change how you approach what you are doing?
*How can you make your works a form of praise and thanksgiving to God?
Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for Your Son and for Your plan for redemption and reconciliation in my life. Help me to forgive all the time and to know when and how to reconcile with the people in my life. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.
Friday:
When we realize we need to offer forgiveness or reconcile and restore relationships, we should start with a conversation with God. Taking all things to God in prayer can help give us direction and strength. We can offer forgiveness and express a desire for reconciliation, but we need to allow God to work in our hearts and in the hearts of others. We need to be patient and accept God's timing and wisdom in moving forward in relationships. As we rely on God, we can reach out and then provide the space and time that is necessary to repair connections to others.
*How can forgiveness be a first step in reconciliation?
*Why does true reconciliation require the preparation of hearts of all parties involved?
*Are you willing to allow God to work in His time? What will that feel and look like in your life?
Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for Your Son and for Your plan for redemption and reconciliation in my life. Help me to forgive all the time and to know when and how to reconcile with the people in my life. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.
Saturday:
Forgiveness and reconciliation are part living as members of God's family. Being part of one body allows us to do more in service of God. However, we know that there will be disagreements and hurt as part of our lives and interactions. Because we are not perfect, we need to be prepared to forgive and to accept forgiveness. We need to reach out to reconcile and be ready to participate in reconciliation. As we work for God, we need to keep Him at the center and work together for His glory!
*How do forgiveness and reconciliation play a role in working as part of the body of Christ?
*How can practicing forgiveness and reconciliation help bring others to God? What is our role in facilitating this?
Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for Your Son and for Your plan for redemption and reconciliation in my life. Help me to forgive all the time and to know when and how to reconcile with the people in my life. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.
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