Faith That Matters: 365 Devotions from Classic Christian Leaders

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FAITH THAT MATTERS. Copyright © 2018 by HarperOne. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. For information, address HarperCollins Publishers, 195 Broadway, New York, NY 10007.

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ePub Edition © April 2018: ISBN 978-031-009019-9

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CONTENTS

JANUARY

JANUARY 1: THE SPIRITUAL WORK OF GRATITUDE

JANUARY 2: IN THE MORNING, TRUST GOD

JANUARY 3: MADE FOR EACH OTHER

JANUARY 4: DO YOU KNOW THAT GOD LOVES YOU?

JANUARY 5: LIBERATION FROM TIME’S TYRANNY

JANUARY 6: WHY HAS JESUS’ RELEVANCE ENDURED?

JANUARY 7: WHO IS GOD TO YOU?

JANUARY 8: JESUS’ GOOD NEWS OF THE KINGDOM

JANUARY 9: EXTRAORDINARY GRACE-GIFTS

JANUARY 10: TIME IS ON OUR SIDE

JANUARY 11: SHOW FORTH NEIGHBOR-LOVE

JANUARY 12: ALL KNOWING IS A GIFT FROM GOD

JANUARY 13: WELCOME THE EVENING

JANUARY 14: THE BASIS OF OUR SECURITY

JANUARY 15: BLESSED EXPECTATIONS

JANUARY 16: PUT THE WORLD TO RIGHTS

JANUARY 17: GOD’S WHOLE LAW: LOVE

JANUARY 18: HOPE IN CHRIST

JANUARY 19: THE SEARCH FOR SIGNIFICANCE

JANUARY 20: THE GOSPEL AND OUR VIEW OF GOD

JANUARY 21: SHARE JESUS’ KINGDOM

JANUARY 22: DON’T FOLLOW KING AGRIPPA

JANUARY 23: ENOUGH LIGHT FOR THE NEXT STEP

JANUARY 24: EARTHY AND DIVINE DEALINGS

JANUARY 25: TWO IMPORTANT QUESTIONS

JANUARY 26: GOD’S NATURE IS ESSENTIALLY LOVE

JANUARY 27: MORALISM MEANS NOTHING

JANUARY 28: SET YOUR MIND ON THINGS ABOVE

JANUARY 29: YOUR CALLING

JANUARY 30: LIFE ITSELF IS GRACE

JANUARY 31: A LESSON IN EARTHY SPIRITUALITY

FEBRUARY

FEBRUARY 1: THE FORCES BEHIND IDEAS

FEBRUARY 2: PAUL’S PIVOT

FEBRUARY 3: STUFF THAT TRULY LASTS

FEBRUARY 4: LET GOD’S LAW TARGET YOUR LIFE

FEBRUARY 5: JESUS IS LORD OVER DEATH

FEBRUARY 6: CREATION IS PROOF OF GOD’S LOVE

FEBRUARY 7: FREED FROM LEGALISM TO LOVE

FEBRUARY 8: WHAT DOES THE CROSS MEAN TO YOU?

FEBRUARY 9: IDOLATRY: UNWORTHY IDEAS OF GOD

FEBRUARY 10: GOD’S JUSTICE-LOVE REQUIREMENT

FEBRUARY 11: LISTEN FOR HIM

FEBRUARY 12: GROWING BEYOND SELF-REJECTION

FEBRUARY 13: NOT JUST A LAYPERSON

FEBRUARY 14: PROFOUND SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES

FEBRUARY 15: GOD WOOS US

FEBRUARY 16: EMBRACE AND RECEIVE ABBA’S LOVE

FEBRUARY 17: THINK LIKE MARTIN LUTHER

FEBRUARY 18: GOOD TO BE IN COMPANY

FEBRUARY 19: GOD LOVES OUR ENEMIES

FEBRUARY 20: THE HEART OF RELIGION, THE HEART OF THE CHILD

FEBRUARY 21: WATCH OUT FOR WOLVES

FEBRUARY 22: OPERATION RESCUE: JESUS CHRIST

FEBRUARY 23: LIVE WITHIN GOD’S ETERNAL PURPOSES

FEBRUARY 24: ARE YOU PREPARED FOR GOD’S REVELATION?

FEBRUARY 25: WHAT HAS JESUS USHERED IN?

FEBRUARY 26: AA AND THE BODY OF CHRIST

FEBRUARY 27: REFLECTING GOD’S PERFECT LOVE

FEBRUARY 28: A PRIMER IN THE PRIESTHOOD OF BELIEVERS

FEBRUARY 29: GOD’S FUTURE HAS BROKEN IN

MARCH

MARCH 1: PROOF OF GOD’S LOVE

MARCH 2: GIVING UP AND TAKING UP

MARCH 3: A CHRISTIAN VISION OF SPIRITUALITY

MARCH 4: GAZE UPON THE WONDER OF GOD’S BEING

MARCH 5: EASTER REVEALS WHAT’S POSSIBLE

MARCH 6: GOD’S INCARNATE WORD TO YOU

MARCH 7: SKIP PRAYERS, FORFEIT INFLUENCE

MARCH 8: WHAT THE CROSS MEANS

MARCH 9: MY SPIRITUAL POVERTY

MARCH 10: SHAMELESS LOVE, AUTHENTIC FAITH

MARCH 11: WHO YOU ARE IS BECAUSE OF WHO GOD IS

MARCH 12: WHAT DOES RESURRECTION PROVE?

MARCH 13: HOLY MIRTH

MARCH 14: THE VOICE OF LOVING FAVOR

MARCH 15: YOU’RE A PRIEST

MARCH 16: WHAT EASTER OFFERS

MARCH 17: HOPE TO SET THE STARS REELING

MARCH 18: SKIP THE STATUS QUO

MARCH 19: THE LANGUAGE OF TROUBLE

MARCH 20: SCIENCE AND HISTORY TRANSCENDED

MARCH 21: SALVATION AVAILABLE FOR ALL

MARCH 22: EASTER: ALL IS WELL

MARCH 23: THE THRONING OF SELF

MARCH 24: ACCEPT GOD’S LOVE IN CHRIST

MARCH 25: PRAYER: A CONVERSATION

MARCH 26: WHAT THE WORLD IS WAITING FOR

MARCH 27: UNHOLY ACTS OF TWO BROTHERS

MARCH 28: YEARNING FOR PERFECT LOVE

MARCH 29: PERSONAL AND GLOBAL HOLINESS

MARCH 30: DO YOU DO WHAT JESUS SAID IS BEST?

MARCH 31: JUST AS I AM, WEAKNESS AND ALL

APRIL

APRIL 1: TREMBLE BEFORE THE CROSS

APRIL 2: WHAT DOES CHURCH MEAN TO YOU?

APRIL 3: TUNE YOUR MIND TO COMMUNITY

APRIL 4: THE VOICE IN THE GARDEN OF SOLITUDE

APRIL 5: THE CEMENT OF COMMUNITY LIFE

APRIL 6: CRY FOR HELP, SHOUT THANKS

APRIL 7: HEAVENLY CITIZENSHIP, COSMIC CHANGE

APRIL 8: DEAD TO SIN, ALIVE TO GOD

APRIL 9: THE LESS-TRAVELED ROAD TO FREEDOM

APRIL 10: PAY FORWARD GOD’S COMPASSION

APRIL 11: ALL THE WISDOM WE NEED

APRIL 12: A VITAL PART OF OUR CHRISTIAN LIFE

APRIL 13: FIND YOUR WAY AGAIN

APRIL 14: EAT THIS BREAD, DRINK THIS CUP

APRIL 15: LIVE LIKE A CHILD

APRIL 16: FORGIVING IN THE NAME OF GOD

APRIL 17: WHERE ARE YOUR FEET TAKING YOU?

APRIL 18: LORD, FLOOD CREATION WITH YOURSELF!

APRIL 19: LIVE GLADLY

APRIL 20: THE CHURCH’S URGENT PRIORITIES

APRIL 21: COUNTING THE COST

APRIL 22: GOD DOESN’T NEED OUR HELP

APRIL 23: NEW CREATION’S BIRTH PANGS

APRIL 24: WHAT IS A CHRISTIAN?

APRIL 25: SOMETHING UNIMAGINABLE

APRIL 26: THE DNA OF PRAYER

APRIL 27: WHEN YOU SUFFER, EXPECT THE SPIRIT

APRIL 28: A JUDGE WITH JUSTICE AND MERCY

APRIL 29: OFFER FORGIVENESS BEFORE WORSHIP

APRIL 30: THROUGH JESUS WE KNOW GOD

MAY

MAY 1: BE HONEST ABOUT WHO YOU ARE

MAY 2: LIVE JESUS’ DREAM

MAY 3: TINY GESTURES LEAD TO GREAT LIGHT

MAY 4: SMALL YET TALL

MAY 5: OUR TRUE FUTURE CHRISTIAN HOPE

MAY 6: A HOLY EARTH

MAY 7: WORDS THAT CREATE AND DESTROY

MAY 8: LOVE AS AN ACT OF THE WILL

MAY 9: THE PRICE OF IDOLATRY

MAY 10: LAUGH AND WEEP AT SUFFERING

MAY 11: RESPONDING TO GOD’S SPEECH

MAY 12: THE MEANING OF JESUS’ ASCENSION

MAY 13: CHRIST’S DREAM

MAY 14: WHO IS WELL-OFF IN GOD’S KINGDOM?

MAY 15: MAKE WAY

MAY 16: TWO KINDS OF SPACE BROUGHT NEAR

MAY 17: JESUS DRAWS NEAR

MAY 18: SEE THE WITHIN-YOU KINGDOM

MAY 19: TRANSCEND RELIGIOUS ACTS

MAY 20: WHERE MOURNING AND DANCING TOUCH

MAY 21: WHAT LIFE IS ABOUT

MAY 22: WHAT DOES JESUS WANT US TO DO?

MAY 23: THOU CHANGEST NOT

MAY 24: THE LORD’S PRAYER SAYS I’M IN

MAY 25: GOD IS GREATER

MAY 26: BRINGING THE KINGDOM INTO REAL LIFE

MAY 27: FACE-TO-FACE WITH JESUS

MAY 28: THE GOD WHO CREATES FROM NOTHING

MAY 29: MAKE YOUR CHOICE THIS DAY

MAY 30: HOLY ORDERS, HOLY WORK

MAY 31: DO YOU BELIEVE OR BELIEVE IN?

JUNE

JUNE 1: BELOVED, ADOPTED CHILD

JUNE 2: OTHER CHRISTS

JUNE 3: PLANK-EYE SYNDROME

JUNE 4: NO ESCAPING GOD’S GAZE

JUNE 5: GOD IS GOOD, AND JUDGE

JUNE 6: ONE LOAF, ONE BODY

JUNE 7: HOW ARE YOU GOING TO LIVE?

JUNE 8: WORK FOR THE DAY

JUNE 9: RICH OR POOR, GOD MADE THEM BOTH

JUNE 10: BE HONEST IN PRAYER

JUNE 11: WHAT IS COMPASSION?

JUNE 12: THE ESSENCE OF ETERNAL LIFE

JUNE 13: OUR FAITH’S TODAY PROMISE

JUNE 14: THE IRONIES OF MONEY

JUNE 15: ALL EXISTS BY DESIGN

JUNE 16: CHRIST THE EMPATHIC SHEPHERD

JUNE 17: DO WE FAVOR OUR KIND OF PEOPLE?

JUNE 18: COWORKERS OF THE CREATOR

JUNE 19: FRIENDSHIP AND SPIRITUALITY

JUNE 20: THE RESTING CHRIST

JUNE 21: SALVATION OF THE REAL YOU

JUNE 22: BE THE HELP YOU WANT TO SEE

JUNE 23: BROKEN BY THE FALL, AWAITING DELIVERANCE

JUNE 24: GOD IS COMMITTED TO JUDGMENT

JUNE 25: TWO KINDS OF DOUBT

JUNE 26: LIFE IN THE WILDERNESS

JUNE 27: GOD SPEAKS TO ALL, GENEROUSLY

JUNE 28: WHAT YOU DO MATTERS

JUNE 29: LOVE YOURSELF TO LOVE OTHERS

JUNE 30: UP-AND-IN OR DOWN-AND-OUT?

JULY

JULY 1: HOPE LIKE ISRAEL

JULY 2: BE ANGRY, DON’T SIN

JULY 3: A LIVING SIGN

JULY 4: KINGDOM, COME

JULY 5: GOD RESPONDS TO OUR CRIES

JULY 6: THE HOLY SPIRIT AND THE CHURCH, WORKING HAND IN HAND

JULY 7: A USEFUL TYPE OF LONELINESS

JULY 8: HISTORY—HUMANKIND’S AND YOURS

JULY 9: DEALING WITH GOD-ALIVE

JULY 10: ABRAM’S EARTHY FAITH

JULY 11: CREATION LONGS FOR YOUR REVELATION

JULY 12: WHOM DOES GOD FAVOR?