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The “Trail Guide” devotional is used by our adult leaders of grade school groups in Quest as a way to prepare their hearts and minds for the topics we will be covering with the children on the weekend.  We have made them available here to help our parents of grade-schoolers engage with their children around the topics we are discussing and also for anyone else that might be blessed by following along.

EXTREME MAKEOVER, Unit 2, Section 3, Lesson 1: Doctors Who Make House Calls

What if Jesus had stayed in the temple courts or the synagogue teaching? What if He never ventured out into the community, never called old Zach down from the tree, never ate with tax collectors and sinners, never touched the sick and hurting?

Why don’t doctors make house calls these days? I’m not sure, but wouldn’t it be interesting if suddenly people stopped going to a doctors office or hospital when they were ill? What if they thought that was the last place to go to be healed? How long would it take for the docs to begin making house calls again? Not long I suspect. Is the church today, the body of Christ the great Physician, staying in the hospital building waiting for the sick to show up? Or, worse yet, are we staying in the hospital talking about the remedy but secretly hoping that the sick stay away?

I think Jesus was less like a physician as we know it today and more like a field medic or a country doctor of days past. He went out looking for the lost sheep. Let’s help give our children a heart for the lost and pray that the Lord would use them to make Christ known in the world!

“Jesus is providing an acted parable, an illustration of what He has come to do! Jesus has come to bring sinners into fellowship with God, and these dinner scenes are but little pictures of this bigger picture.” 
– Pastor Fred G. Zaspel

JESUS LOVED THE UNLOVEABLE LIKE US – SO SHOULD WE. “In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” – Matthew 5:16

 

MEDITATING ON THE WORD:

Matt 9:10-12 | Luke 5:29-32 | Luke 7:36-50 | Luke 15:1-7 | Ps 25:8 | Ps 25:8 | Ps 68:18 | Ps 51:13 | 1 Tim 1:15

The “Trail Guide” devotional is used by our adult leaders of grade school groups in Quest as a way to prepare their hearts and minds for the topics we will be covering with the children on the weekend.  We have made them available here to help our parents of grade-schoolers engage with their children around the topics we are discussing and also for anyone else that might be blessed by following along.

EXTREME MAKEOVER, Unit 2, Section 2, Lesson 3: Encourage & Share

The Bible mentions “one another” or “each other” some fifty times to give the body of believers instruction on how to live together. Contrary to what many of us have always thought, these passages are not directed at how we relate to the world but rather how we should relate with our brothers and sisters in Christ. Just like God gave the nation of Israel the law in order to make them stand out as “other than” in the world, He has given the church the “one anothers” as a means to bring Himself glory in the world through us.

Today we’ll look at two of these: encourage one another and share with one another. The word for encourage used here means “to come along side” and was often used by Greek writers when speaking of military reinforcements. What a wonderful picture for the Christian life! As fellow soldiers (Philippians 2:25), we are commanded to be available to reinforce, come alongside, encourage our comrades in arms. And what does a military unit on the front lines need along with reinforcements? Supplies. Sharing in the home that starts with toys, food, or valued time with mom or dad becomes sharing, or supplying the needs of (Acts 4:34-35) your fellow soldiers. Whether it be money, time, talents, skills, or other assets… bring it to the battle and share it with one another.

“One of the highest of human duties is the duty of encouragement… It is easy to laugh at men’s ideals; it is easy to pour cold water on their enthusiasm; it is easy to discourage others. The world is full of discouragers. We have a Christian duty to encourage one another. Many a time a word of praise or thanks or appreciation or cheer has kept a man on his feet. Blessed is the man who speaks such a word.” 
- William Barclay

“Here is my command. Love each other, just as I have loved you. No one has greater love than the one who gives his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command.” – John 15:12-14

 

MEDITATING ON THE WORD:

1 Thess 5:11-14 |  Acts 20:2
Romans 12:8