1) Silence, Stillness and Centering before God (2 min)
2) Scripture Reading - John 3:1-6 (click to listen)
1Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him. 3Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” 4“How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!” 5Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. 6Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.
1Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him. 3Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” 4“How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!” 5Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. 6Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.
3) Devotional
We seem to have a preference for engaging God on our terms, putting God in a man-made box of ideas, doctrines and theologies. Nicodemus came to Jesus that night almost 2,000 years ago because Jesus wasn't fitting into the box that the Pharisees had forced God into. But, Nicodemus came to Jesus humbly and respectfully, calling Him "Rabbi", willing to learn and reshape his box with a fresh understanding of the God whose ways were higher than his ways and whose thoughts were higher than his thoughts.
We seem to have a preference for engaging God on our terms, putting God in a man-made box of ideas, doctrines and theologies. Nicodemus came to Jesus that night almost 2,000 years ago because Jesus wasn't fitting into the box that the Pharisees had forced God into. But, Nicodemus came to Jesus humbly and respectfully, calling Him "Rabbi", willing to learn and reshape his box with a fresh understanding of the God whose ways were higher than his ways and whose thoughts were higher than his thoughts.
We need to remember that every effort we make to define, or describe who God is or what He has done, or what He will do is at best an imperfect man-made thing. So, like Nicodemus, we need to hold such boxes with great humility and willingness to learn and experience God in new and fresh ways. And we need to be gentle and respectful with each other when our boxes bump into each other.
4) Questions to Consider
What box, or boxes have you put God in?
In what ways might God be wanting to reshape your box?
What box, or boxes have you put God in?
In what ways might God be wanting to reshape your box?
5) Prayer
Father, help me to see where I've boxed you in, or boxed you out. Give me a spirit, born again of your Spirit, that is gentle and humble and willing to learn anew from You. In Christ's name, Amen.
Father, help me to see where I've boxed you in, or boxed you out. Give me a spirit, born again of your Spirit, that is gentle and humble and willing to learn anew from You. In Christ's name, Amen.
6) Conclude with Silence (2 min)
