March 10, 2023 … Growing in Christlikeness …

Berry Patch Devotions in 2023 - Day 69 

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...  Please take the time to take in song and lyrics from George Beverly Shea singing … I’d Rather Have Jesus … poignantly and powerfully singing of how we Christians should be grateful to have God’s saving grace and follow our Lord than yo hsve anything the world can offer.  

Proper watering to transform the grass ... 

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Highlight Passage: … 1Thessalonians 5:10-11 [NLT] … 

10 Christ died for us so that, whether we are dead or alive when he returns, we can live with him forever. 11 So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing..   

…Paul encourages fellow Christians to encourage each other to live lives that shine Christ’s light into the world.       

Highlight Passage (Context): … 1Thessalonians 5:4-11 [NLT] …  USE THIS LINK …  

…The Apostle Paul exhorts fellow Christians to lift up fellow Christians with encouragement to prepare for Jesus coming again.     .                     

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Reference Passage: … Matthew 5:6 [NLT] …  

6 God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice (or righteousness), for they will be satisfied. … ”    

… Jesus teaches His followers that God will bess those who seek after God’s righteousness. 

Reference Passage: …  Ephesians 4:1 [NLT] … 

1   Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God  

… Paul pleads for fellow Christians (that’s us, too!) to live lives worthy of the calling of being a follower of Christ. 

Reference Passage: …  Colossians 1:10 [NLT] … 

10 Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better.  

… Paul teaches fellow Christians that they (we) honor God when they (we) know Him and follow His ways.  

Reference Passage: …  Hebrews 10:24-26 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… Christians are charged by the Author of Hebrews to come TOGETHER to encourage one another to live like/for Christ.                 .      

<Reference Passage: …  2Peter 3:18 [NLT] … 

18 Rather, you must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.All glory to him, both now and forever! Amen.  

… Peter prays that fellow Christians grow in God’s grace by knowing and following His ways.                                                                                                                       

My Devotional Journal: Today's Our Daily Bread author, John Blase… AT THIS LINK … shows how each year his lawn turns from brown to green (see photo) in the spring of the year when the grass is properly watered.  .  .      

And this ODB entry is used to illustrate how we Christians come alive to thrive in Christ when we water each other, as fellow Christians, with mutual encouragement to help each other to grow in Christlikeness.  So, I’m challenged by my time in God’s word  today (see Scriptures above) to do all I can to water my fellow brothers/sisters in Christ to do all we can to live lives which glorify our Lord.  

Will you join me today to do our best to live in ways which thrive in Christlikeness to honor and glorify our Lord?                                            

My THANKFULNESS: ... Oh, Abba Father, thank You, King Jesus, … for challenging me to be a source of life-giving grace from God to help us all glorify the Lord with our lives.  .

My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... . I pray that all reading here will join me, … to grow in Your life-giving grace, Lord, … every day.. …  Amen                 

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Blogger Note:  Everyday during this year, my daily devotional blogs are influenced by the reading and study of the online devotional blog entitled “Our Daily Bread,” distributed online via email by RBC Ministries.  If you GO TO THIS LINK on the date of my blog, you can read/study the ODB blogs; or you can subscribe to the blog via email at that site.