The Ministry of Hospitality

Day EIGHTEEN

BEGIN

Pray to experience joy in Christ through our theme verse:

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13)

Review the memory verse for the week:

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, (James 1:2)

READ

Read and meditate on these verses today: 2 Corinthians 8:2; 1 Thessalonians 1:6

In two situations with two different groups of Christians, Paul points out that they were able to experience joy in the middle of difficult times. In your own Bible, you might want to read more of the context around each verse.

2 Corinthians 8:2 

In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity.

Paul is speaking to the Corinthians about the Macedonians who were living in extreme economic poverty and going through a severe trial, yet they overflowed with joy. How can we experience joy in Christ in the middle of severe difficulties?

1 Thessalonians 1:6

 You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.

Paul wrote to the Christian in Thessalonica, northern Greece, who were in the middle of what he calls “severe suffering.” Where did their joy come from? How does their joy imitate Jesus? How does it imitate Paul?

PRAY

As the Spirit leads, let these themes guide you in your prayer today:

  • Ask God to grant you overflowing joy in your severe trials.
  • Pray for the Holy Spirit to give you the gift of joy in your suffering.
  • Pray that you can imitate the Lord Jesus and the apostle Paul by living in joy no matter what difficulties you face.

JOURNAL

What are you learning you seek to experience joy in Christ?

What do you sense God is saying to you through these verses?

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

SHARE

Talk with your prayer partner about what you are learning, how you are growing to experience more joy in Christ. Pray together.

About the Engage God DailY

Jesus invites us to know him personally and engage with him daily. Through daily Bible reading and prayer, we can grow in our relationship with him. The Engage God Daily is a daily resource designed to help you better understand the Bible and take you deeper into the concepts taught on Sunday mornings.

Use this guide to prepare for next Sunday’s teaching. Each day presents a reading, Scripture, and a prayer to help grow in your walk with Christ this week. 

In Your Inbox

Past Studies

Colossians: Week 2 | Day 5

Colossians: Week 2 | Day 5

Day 5  Lisa Sheffler, author Read Colossians 1: 22–23 (NIV) 22 But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation—23 if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and...

Colossians: Week 2 | Day 4

Colossians: Week 2 | Day 4

 Day 4  Lisa Scheffler, author Have you checked out the new Pastors Pregame Podcast with Bruce, Jaime, Mark, and Lisa? New episodes every Thursday! It’s available at cfhome.org/pregame or on the Apple podcast app. Read Colossians 1:21–22 (NIV) 21 Once you were...

Colossians: Week 2 | Day 3

Colossians: Week 2 | Day 3

  Day 3  Lisa Scheffler, author Read Colossians 1:19–20 (NIV) 19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed...