FAITH@HOME MARCH 2024

FAITH@HOME

March 2024

Dear Reader,

This devotional is intended to serve people of every generation in our church. If you’re single, married without kids, married with kids, empty nesters, grandparents, widowed, THIS DEVOTION IS FOR YOU. The goal of the staff at First Baptist Church of Fayetteville is to equip you to grow in your faith beyond the walls of our church building. Our prayer is that this effort enriches your worship at home, and, as a result, enriches your worship when you gather with the rest of the body of Christ also.

FAMILIES, you’ll notice that there’s a sizable focus on how you can do this with your kids in our “Devotion Guide.” That’s because we want to encourage and equip you, as the primary disciple-maker of your home, to make worship at home a priority. It’s possible and so very important. It won’t look like you may dream it would, but the key to this is not perfection. It’s faithfulness to lead your family to know God and make Him known.

Devotion guide

Structuring your @Home worship time:

Prayer -- take time to commit your heart and mind to worshiping God. If you’d like some help with prayer, check out the A.C.T.S. prayer method located at the back of this devotional.
Scripture of the Month -- read this out loud and try to memorize what our church is reciting together each Sunday this month.
Song of the Month -- Take time to listen to, sing along with, or even just read the lyrics to our Song of the Month. We’ll sing this song during the month during our congregational worship time.

FAMILY MOMENT: Music is a great way to memorize truth. For younger kids, clear a space and let them dance and sing along!

“God Sightings” -- think about how you’ve experienced God’s goodness and faithfulness each week.

FAMILY MOMENT: This is a great way to teach your kids about God’s faithfulness and interest in the details of our lives. Take this opportunity to teach them to worship God with thankfulness in our hearts.

Prayer -- After sharing your “God Sightings,” pray a prayer of thanksgiving together for all He has done.
The Big Idea -- review this truth and consider its impact on how you relate to God and others.
Words to Know -- Sometimes we use words in church that we assume everyone understands. This section highlights some of those words and is there to help you grow in your knowledge of the truth.

FAMILY MOMENT: This section is there to help your kids gain a better understanding of the truths discussed in each week’s devotion. These words make for great points of discussion.

Devotion guide

Structuring your @Home worship time:

Key Scripture -- This list features Scripture that teaches us the Big Idea for each week.

FAMILY MOMENT: Get your kids involved by asking them to look up and read each set of verses. This helps your kids get familiar with where books of the Bible are, as well as getting them comfortable with reading Scripture out loud with a group.

Devotion -- Read the devotion for the week.

FAMILY MOMENT: Be sure to read this devotion section prior to sitting down with your kids for a time of family worship. As you read ahead, consider how you can best relay each week’s devotion to your kids. You may consider a story that you can tell or an activity you can do to help them better grasp what’s being taught.

Big Questions -- Use these questions to help you reflect on and apply the truths of each week’s devotion.

Big Questions:

What did I learn about God?
How do the truths I’ve learned help me to follow Jesus better?
Is there something I need to STOP doing?
Is there something I need to START doing?

FAITH@HOME

It Was Finished Upon That Cross

by CityAlight

Verse 1

How I love the voice of Jesus

On the Cross of Calvary

He declares his work is finished

He has spoken this hope to me

Though the sun had ceased its shining

Though the war appeared as lost

Christ had triumphed over evil

It was finished upon that Cross

Verse 2

Now the curse it has been broken

Jesus paid the price for me

Full the pardon He has offered

Great the welcome that I receive

Boldly I approach my Father

Clothed in Jesus' righteousness

There is no more guilt to carry

It was finished upon that Cross

Verse 3

Death was once my great opponent

Fear once had a hold on me

But the Son who died to save us

Rose that we would be free indeed

Verse 4

Death was once my great opponent

Fear once had a hold on me

But the Son who died to save us

Rose that we would be free indeed

Yes He rose that we would be free indeed

Free from ev'ry plan of darkness

Free to live and free to love

Death is dead and Christ is risen

It was finished upon that Cross

Ending

Onward to eternal glory

To my Saviour and my God

I rejoice in Jesus' victory

It was finished upon that Cross

Jonny Robinson, Nigel Hendroff, Rich Thompson

CCLI Song #7171907

CCLI License #867682

FAITH@HOME

March 2024

Scripture of the Month

For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.

Galatians 5:1 (ESV)

Song of the Month

It Was Finished Upon That Cross

by CityAlight

FAITH@HOME

Week 1

The Big Idea

Jesus paid for our sin, making forgiveness possible.

Words to Know

Pardon: to be forgiven; having the requirement for punishment removed. (Romans 8:1-2)

Propitiation: in the case of Jesus’ sacrifice, He completely exhausted the wrath of God towards sin. (1 John 2:1-2)

Key Scripture

Colossians 1:13-14, 2:13-14
Isaiah 53:1-5

FAITH@HOME

Week 1

Devotion

Imagine being on the receiving end of such persecution as was found in the Ravensbrück concentration camp during World War 2. Imagine having to endure this hardship while watching your sibling endure the same to the point of death. Then imagine years later encountering one of the guards that inflicted such pain and being confronted with the opportunity to offer forgiveness. Would you? This was the experience of Corrie ten Boom.

In Germany in 1947, she presented the Gospel and the power of the God’s great forgiveness. After delivering this message, a man approached her. She recognized him and the horrific memories of her time at Ravensbrück rushed in. He introduced himself and made clear that he had been a guard at the Ravensbrück concentration camp. He went on to thank her for her message and celebrated God’s forgiveness, telling her of how he came to faith in Jesus and had found the forgiveness she spoke of. He then asked her, with his hand outstretched, “will you forgive me?” Corrie began to pray silently, “Jesus, help me!” As she recalls, it was the power of the Holy Spirit within her that empowered her to say, “I forgive you, brother! With all my heart!” (read the full story here: https://t.ly/H0Nrj)

Such forgiveness is not cheap. The price of forgiveness is Jesus’ wounds. Isaiah tells us that Jesus, “was pierced for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with His wounds we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5 ESV) As followers of Jesus, we rejoice in knowing that the punishment for our sins has been satisfied in the sacrifice of our Savior, Jesus. But we wouldn’t be very good followers of Jesus if we did not also seek to forgive others just as Christ has forgiven us. Corrie ten Boom’s story serves as a great example of how the forgiveness offered through the wrath-exhausting sacrifice of Jesus ripples throughout the body of Christ—casting a magnificent light into a world that needs it. Faith family, the price of forgiveness has been paid so that—by grace through faith—we would be forgiven, and that we might also forgive others.

***Remember to check out the Big Questions at the front of the devotional***

Quote

To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you.

C. S. Lewis

FAITH@HOME

Week 2

The Big Idea

His forgiveness gives us confidence to approach the throne of grace.

Words to Know

Grace: Favor given that is not earned or deserved.

Mercy: not receiving punishment even though it is deserved.

Key Scripture

Hebrews 4:14-16
Psalm 18:2-3

FAITH@HOME

Week 2

Devotion

As a child, I absolutely loved it when we played Bible Trivia in our Sunday School class. I was not very coordinated as a child (or as an adult) so I wasn’t into sports. I was an extremely shy child, but this was one area where I could shine. I loved it when Ms. Brown, our Sunday School teacher, would pull that blue box off the shelf. I knew all the answers. I could tell you every detail of the Easter story. Judas betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. The name Golgotha meant the Place of the Skull. Joseph of Arimathea was the name of the man that owned the tomb where Jesus would lay. I knew the name, but I did not know Jesus. See, that very shy child was too afraid to make the most important decision ever - to ask Jesus to forgive me of my sins and be my Lord and Savior.

One important detail that the gospel of Matthew tells us is that at the moment Jesus takes His final breath, the ground began to shake and the veil in the temple ripped from top to bottom. The veil that had always separated people from the Holy of Holies, requiring a priest to be our intercessor with God, was gone. The curtain that required a “go-between” from mankind to their Creator was destroyed. This was a fact I knew, but nothing I had experienced. I knew the “veil” was torn, but I had never taken advantage of the opportunity to approach the throne myself. As a child, I thought I was not worthy to come into the presence of the Holy of Holies.

Because of Jesus’ end-all sacrifice, we now are able to boldly go before the throne of God and make our requests known to Him. (Hebrews 4:16) No longer is the “veil” of sin separating us from God. This gift of salvation from Jesus, that we did not earn (grace), gives us the forgiveness of our sin. That forgiveness- or pardon- was paid for, not by our deserved punishment, but by Jesus’ death on the cross (mercy).

Continued on next page

FAITH@HOME

Week 2

Devotion (cont’d)

It was because of Jesus’s death on the cross that this shy 10 year old little girl could finally have the confidence to approach God and say, “I need to be saved.” No longer did I just have answers to a trivia game, now I had a relationship with my Savior. My fear and timidity gave way to a boldness to tell anyone who listened what Jesus did for me and the freedom to talk to my Heavenly Father one-on-one. That freedom and confidence is available to anyone who chooses to follow Him. The veil is torn away- all are welcome!

***Remember to check out the Big Questions at the front of the devotional***

Quote

How can anyone reject such a High Priest, such a Savior—who not only permits us to come before His throne for grace and help, but pleads with us to come in confidence? His Spirit says, “Come boldly all the way to God’s throne—a throne of grace because of Jesus. Come all the way up; freely receive an endless supply of grace and mercy whenever you need it.”

John MacArthur

FAITH@HOME

Week 3

The Big Idea

His finished work gives us freedom to live and work for Him.

Words to Know

‘Tetelestai’: Greek term meaning, “it is finished”. (John 19:30)

Key Scripture

Ephesians 2:8-10
Colossians 2:6-7
John 19:30

FAITH@HOME

Week 3

Devotion

One of the most impacting experiences for me as a parent occurred while my son, Joshua, was 3 years old. The time had come for him to transition from a crib with railing to one without railing. Oh the bravery we mustered to take on this challenge! We knew that he would be so excited, and that his excitement might also come with a night of interrupted sleep. Sure enough, 10 minutes after laying him in his new-to-him bed—being fueled with emotion that I’m sure felt like those first weeks of being able to drive as a teenager—we heard little feet begin to explore the house. I got up and took him back to bed, admonishing him to stay there and go to sleep—that it was time for bed. As is customary in our conversations, he responded, “Yes sir,” and I went back to bed.

This went on and on that night. After about the 4th or 5th time, I said, “Joshua, if you get out of the bed again, you will get a spanking.” I was hopeful that this would be the last time I’d have to confront the issue, given that Joshua knew all about spankings at that point and he knew he didn’t want one. Unfortunately, he got out of the bed again. I came to him, told him to go to his bed. We had our conversation, “Joshua, you know that I said last time that if you got out of the bed again, you would get a spanking. Because I love you and you need to know that your choices always have consequences, I’ve got to spank you.” After putting him back in the bed, I told him that he would get another spanking if he got up anymore. Then I went back to bed, praying that he wouldn’t get up again.

Unfortunately, he got up a couple more times—each time getting the spanking that we discussed before. Hours had passed at this point and I was exhausted. The last time that I heard him wondering the house, I went to him. As I approached him, he began to cry. He knew that he had done it again and that he was in trouble, just as he had been each time before. I kneeled down and pleaded, “Joshua, why do you keep getting out of the bed?” His response was a simple, “I’m sorry, Dada.” “You remember the consequence for you getting up, don’t you?” I said. He nodded and, through the tears, said, “a spanking.”

Continued on next page

FAITH@HOME

Week 3

Devotion (cont’d)

In that moment, I pulled him in for a big hug and said, “I’m not going to spank you this time. But you have to stay in the bed, buddy.” “Yes sir, Dada. I love you.” “I love you too, buddy.” As I made my way back to bed for the last time that night, the Spirit called to mind Romans 2:4, which contains this powerful phrase, “…the kindness of God leads you to repentance…”

Our salvation isn’t just relief from eternal condemnation. It is adoption into the family of God. And with it comes a transformation of the heart—where God’s kindness leads us to life-change. Ephesians 2:10 reminds us that the grace of God saved us so that we could carry out the “good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” How is the kindness of God—epitomized by the scars in the body of Christ—leading you to repentance today? The blood of Jesus transfers us from the domain of sin to the domain of the Spirit—the Kingdom of God. And so we are admonished, “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” (Galatians 5:1 ESV)

***Remember to check out the Big Questions at the front of the devotional***

Quote

There is no justification without sanctification, no forgiveness without renewal of life, no real faith from which the fruits of new obedience do not grow.

Martin Luther

FAITH@HOME

Week 4

The Big Idea

Jesus rose again, defeating death, and giving us hope for new life.

Words to Know

Resurrection: being brought from death to life. (John 11:23-27)

Key Scripture

1 Peter 1:3-5
Romans 6:5-11
1 Corinthians 15:55-58
Hebrews 12:1-2

FAITH@HOME

Week 4

Devotion

In the beginning, with the power of His sovereign voice, God created. God—being holy, without blemish—breathed life into a holy creation. Adam came first, then—out of Adam—God formed Eve. He placed them in the garden, to care for it—having unbridled fellowship with each other and with God Himself. They were righteous, albeit an un-tested righteousness. The one law placed upon them that drew the line between right and wrong was that concerning the “tree of the knowledge of good and evil,” that they shouldn’t eat of it.

God—being perfect in justice—made known to Adam the price to be paid for breaking this law, saying, “for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” The serpent enters the picture and puts Adam and Eve’s righteousness—their allegiance to God’s word—to the test. It was a test that they failed on behalf of all mankind. And so now sin reigns over what was once holy, with no path back to righteousness—no escape from the penalty that sin requires of any man.

Fast forward through God’s story of redemption. Centuries pass and the One who God promised would crush the head of the deceiver is born into this broken world. His marching orders from the Father were to initiate a new covenant—one of grace. One where He, being the holy Son of God, would pay the price required of sin on behalf of His people. It’s a mission that, with joy, He accomplished—enduring the suffering of the cross and paying the penalty of death.

Continued on next page

FAITH@HOME

Week 4

Devotion (cont’d)

But all of this would be in vain if not for His resurrection. Jesus defeated death and is the victor over the curse of sin! Our hope is secure in the unfailing grip of our risen Savior! Although death plagued us all through the sin of Adam and Eve, life is ours by grace through faith in King Jesus! So we read in Romans,

We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death He died He died to sin, once for all, but the life He lives He lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. — Romans 6:9-11, ESV

Death is defeated! Jesus is alive! We are justified—covered by His blood, dressed in His righteousness! Hallelujah! What a Savior!

***Remember to check out the Big Questions at the front of the devotional***

Quote

We live and die; Christ died and lived!

John Stott

FAITH@HOME

Additional Resources

Contact the church office to receive your login invitation to this amazing streaming resource full of Bible Studies and Christian programming.

Blue Letter Bible App is great for studying your Bible on a phone, computer, or tablet. It contains commentaries, dictionaries, and devotions among many other trustworthy resources.

https://gotquestions.org is a website

that provides biblical answers to tough questions.

https://rootedministry.com is a website geared to equipping parents of teens.

Free Interactive App that is everything kids need to fall in love with God's Word.

PRESS PAUSE is the under-ten-minute family devotional podcast that will help you teach your kids big truths about Jesus and the Christian faith.

FAITH@HOME

The A.C.T.S. Prayer Method

Adoration

Begin your prayer remembering what makes God worthy of praise! Celebrate His grace, mercy, love, justice, faithfulness, wisdom, and so much more.

Confession

None of us are perfect. We must humble ourselves before God and confess where we need His grace. Even David prayed in Psalm 19 that God forgive him of any hidden sin; wrongdoing that David hadn’t noticed.

Thanksgiving

Every good and perfect gift comes from our Heavenly Father. Think of all the ways God deserves your gratitude, and--with both honesty and humility--thank Him.

Supplication (Supply)

We all encounter situations that bring about anxiety in our lives. God knows and calls us to give that to Him in prayer. Philippians 4:6-7 tells us that when we make our needs known to God, He will give us peace and guard our hearts and minds.