[Membersandfriends] Sunday, August 15, 2004

Sat Aug 14 22:01:52 PDT 2004

The Upper Room Daily Devotional -- E-mail Edition
Brought to You by Upper Room Ministries
Sunday, August 15, 2004

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Nurture a Child

Nurture the spiritual life of a child -- send them a subscription to POCKETS, a devotional magazine for children, ages 6-12.  http://www.upperroom.org/bookstore/desc.asp?item_id=12897&ep_id=246
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BASIC TRAINING
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Luke 16:10-13 (NRSV)

"Whoever is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much; and whoever is dishonest in a very little is dishonest also in much. If then you have not been faithful with the dishonest wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? And if you have not been faithful with what belongs to another, who will give you what is your own? No slave can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth."

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Whoever is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much; and whoever is dishonest in a very little is dishonest also in much.
- Luke 16:10 (NRSV)
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ABOUT eight years ago I started playing the violin.  Every day I have to practice scales in order to learn well the basics of playing my instrument.  Eventually I want to play the music of Bach, Vivaldi, and Handel.  But I can never expect to play great musical compositions unless I first build a foundation of good habits.

Similarly, building a strong foundation in the Christian life requires that we be faithful in learning the basics of our faith.  Daily prayer, Bible study, and worship are basic to our faith.  So is being part of a church, where we can support and encourage others and be supported and encouraged by them.  Loving our neighbors, our co-workers, and our family members and sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with those who do not know it are also foundational.  

By practicing these basics we grow in the likeness of Christ and prepare ourselves to be used in greater ways for God's glory.

Prayer:  God, help us to be faithful in the small, daily things so that we grow in our faith and allow you to use us however you see fit.  Amen.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
We practice the basics of our faith so God can use us.

-- Bob La Forge (New Jersey, U.S.A.)

PRAYER FOCUS: For greater diligence in "the basics"

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RELATED READING ...

Written for those who know little about the experience of prayer but who greatly desire to learn, BEGINNING PRAYER examines the attitude of prayer, times for praying, places for praying, the posture of prayer, and mood of prayer.
http://www.upperroom.org/bookstore/desc.asp?ep_id=30&item_id=12479

PLEASE SHARE THIS MINISTRY with a friend. Invite them to sign up for the free E-Mail Devotional by visiting: http://www.upperroom.org/devotional/email/.

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The scripture quotation is from the NEW REVISED STANDARD VERSION of the Bible, copyright (c) 1989, by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A.  Used by permission.  All rights reserved.