This was a special day for me. Usually we watch The Office around 9PM, but instead, we were in the middle of our family devotional time. I was really glad all our hearts were focused.

We started off with the Sunday School material we were going through entitled How People Change by Tim Lane and Paul Tripp.

We went over the Lesson 4 where it reviews and summarizes the basic components of life.

HEAT – THORNS – CROSS – FRUIT

The HEAT is our situation, whether good or bad, we all go through something.

The THORNS are how we would normally react in such a situation, this is how we “instinctively” react and respond using our wisdom, our insight. Which is poor because it leaves out a major factor.

The CROSS is that major factor. Remembering the CROSS and who God is and how God sees the situation not only changes our hearts but gives us power. We are united with Christ, we have a community to encourage us, we have the power of the Holy Spirit, and we have Heaven in mind.

With this in view and empowering us, we bear FRUIT. FRUIT is how we respond to the situation but with God’s love working through us. This is what we hope to come out of the situation.

We began worship with this in view. We read through 2 Corinthians 1:1-14 where the Apostle Paul was under a great deal of duress. Instead of fleeing, giving up or falling into depression, Paul remembered Christ, remembered God who raised him from the dead, and all these things that he was able to encourage and comfort those around him…. even in the most difficult of situations.

We concluded the time of study with some pointed questions: What are some current situations that is bearing down on us (HEAT)? How are we responding to it in an ungodly way (THORNS)? What do we know about God in this situation (CROSS)? How can we respond in love (FRUIT)?

We sang hymn #271 Come Thou Fount. The last verse really stuck out to me and continues to stick out in my mind.

O to grace, how great a debtor
Daily I’m constrained to be
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee;
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it;
Seal it for Thy courts above.

Amen!