Truth For Life Program
Alistair Begg Devotional
C. H. Spurgeon Devotional
One-Year Bible Reading Plan
It’s one thing to learn about Jesus’ effective approach to sharing the Gospel with the woman at the well. But how can you actually put it into practice? Learn some helpful principles of evangelism when you join us on Truth For Life with Alistair Begg.
From the Sermon
FRANgelism — Part Three
John 4:1–42 Sermon • Includes Transcript • 22:53 • ID: 1752
Godly Leadership
Leadership of any kind is very vulnerable. If you work at the front of a classroom, lead an industry, operate in politics, or serve in pastoral ministry, you’re routinely in the spotlight and before people’s scrutiny—and that can be a challenge.
As King Saul was coming to leadership, the role that Samuel had played as judge was about to change. Recognizing this pivotal moment of transition in Israel’s history, Samuel used the opportunity to establish his legacy. He had enjoyed a privileged position, but he didn’t focus on his skills and strategies as Israel’s leader. Instead, he highlighted his character: that he had walked before the Lord from childhood, that he was upright before the people, and that, as a result, he had been able to enjoy and convey God’s faithfulness and goodness through it all.
After recounting his track record, Samuel did something that so many leaders fear to do and fail to do: he put himself in the dock and asked the people to testify regarding the integrity of his leadership. He was willing to stand there while they determined whether his office had been marked by any bribery or self-promotion. That’s a risky prospect! As the people considered Samuel’s questions, they found nothing against him, either in his character or in the authority and influence that had been entrusted to him: “You have not defrauded us or oppressed us or taken anything from any man’s hand” (1 Samuel 12:4). He had used his position neither to grow wealthy nor to dominate. Samuel’s leadership was vindicated.
Because leadership comes with such focused attention, we must pray for leaders diligently and, if the Lord sees fit to place us in a leadership role ourselves, enter such roles thoughtfully, considering the purpose for which God has called us. James warns us not to take our leadership responsibilities, especially within the church, lightly or carelessly: “Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness” (James 3:1).
Are you under the care of godly leaders? Then know that as they serve the Lord faithfully, they need your prayers, encouragement, and support! Be sure to pray for them regularly and seek to build them up frequently. Are you a leader yourself? Then follow Samuel’s pattern: walk before the Lord as you lead, so that your leadership is marked by honesty and integrity and so that your example is truly worth following.
How is God calling me to think differently?
How is God reordering my heart’s affections — what I love?
What is God calling me to do as I go about my day today?
Qualifications for Overseers
1The saying is vtrustworthy: If anyone aspires to wthe office of overseer, he desires a noble task. 2Therefore xan overseer1 must be above reproach, ythe husband of one wife,2 zsober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, ahospitable, bable to teach, 3not a drunkard, not violent but cgentle, not quarrelsome, dnot a lover of money. 4He must manage his own household well, with all dignity ekeeping his children submissive, 5for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for wGod's church? 6He must not be a recent convert, or he may fbecome puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. 7Moreover, he must be well thought of by goutsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into ha snare of the devil.
Qualifications for Deacons
8iDeacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued,3 jnot addicted to much wine, knot greedy for dishonest gain. 9They must lhold the mystery of the faith with ma clear conscience. 10And nlet them also be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless. 11oTheir wives likewise4 must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, pfaithful in all things. 12Let deacons each be qthe husband of one wife, qmanaging their children and their own households well. 13For rthose who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.
Devotional material is taken from the Truth For Life daily devotionals by Alistair Begg, published by The Good Book Company, thegoodbook.com. Used by Truth For Life with permission. Copyright © 2021, 2022, The Good Book Company.
Look Forward
… The things that are unseen …
In our Christian pilgrimage it is well, for the most part, to be looking forward. Forward lies the crown, and onward is the goal. Whether it be for hope, for joy, for consolation, or for the inspiring of our love, the future must, after all, be the grand object of the eye of faith.
Looking into the future we see sin cast out, the body of sin and death destroyed, the soul made perfect and fit to be a partaker of the inheritance of the saints in light. Looking further yet, the believer's enlightened eye can see death's river passed, the gloomy stream forded, and the hills of light attained on which stands the celestial city. He sees himself enter within the pearly gates, hailed as more than conqueror, crowned by the hand of Christ, embraced in the arms of Jesus, glorified with Him, and made to sit together with Him on His throne, even as He has overcome and has sat down with the Father on His throne. The thought of this future may well relieve the darkness of the past and the gloom of the present. The joys of heaven will surely compensate for the sorrows of earth.
Hush, hush, my doubts! Death is but a narrow stream, and you shall soon have forded it. Time, how short—eternity, how long! Death, how brief—immortality, how endless! The road is so, so short! I shall soon be there.
When the world my heart is rending
With its heaviest storm of care,
My glad thoughts to heaven ascending,
Find a refuge from despair.
Faith's bright vision shall sustain me
Till life's pilgrimage is past;
Fears may vex and troubles pain me,
I shall reach my home at last.
Devotional material is taken from Morning and Evening, written by C. H. Spurgeon, revised and updated by Alistair Begg. Copyright © 2003, Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers, Wheaton, IL 60187, www.crossway.org. Used by Truth For Life with written permission.
Daily Bible Reading for January 29
1When Rachel saw that bshe bore Jacob no children, she envied her sister. She said to Jacob, “Give me children, or I shall die!” 2Jacob's anger was kindled against Rachel, and he said, “Am I in the place of God, cwho has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?” 3Then she said, “Here is my servant dBilhah; go in to her, so that she may give birth eon my behalf,1 that even I may have children2 through her.” 4So she gave him her servant Bilhah as a wife, and Jacob went in to her. 5And Bilhah conceived and bore Jacob a son. 6Then Rachel said, “God has fjudged me, and has also heard my voice and given me a son.” Therefore she called his name Dan.3 7Rachel's servant Bilhah conceived again and bore Jacob a second son. 8Then Rachel said, “With mighty wrestlings4 I have wrestled with my sister and have prevailed.” So she called his name gNaphtali.5
9When Leah saw that she had ceased bearing children, she took her servant Zilpah and hgave her to Jacob as a wife. 10Then Leah's servant Zilpah bore Jacob a son. 11And Leah said, i“Good fortune has come!” so she called his name iGad.6 12Leah's servant Zilpah bore Jacob a second son. 13And Leah said, “Happy am I! For women jhave called me happy.” So she called his name Asher.7
14In the days of wheat harvest Reuben went and found kmandrakes in the field and brought them to his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, “Please give me some of your son's mandrakes.” 15But she said to her, “Is it a small matter that you have taken away my husband? Would you take away my son's mandrakes also?” Rachel said, “Then he may lie with you tonight in exchange for your son's mandrakes.” 16When Jacob came from the field in the evening, Leah went out to meet him and said, “You must come in to me, for I have hired you with my son's mandrakes.” So he lay with her that night. 17And God listened to Leah, and she conceived and bore Jacob a fifth son. 18Leah said, “God has given me my wages because I gave my servant to my husband.” So she called his name Issachar.8
19And Leah conceived again, and she bore Jacob a sixth son. 20Then Leah said, “God has endowed me with a good endowment; now my husband will honor me, because I have borne him six sons.” So she called his name lZebulun.9 21Afterward she bore a daughter and called her name Dinah.
22Then God mremembered Rachel, and God listened to her and nopened her womb. 23She conceived and bore a son and said, “God has taken away omy reproach.” 24And she called his name Joseph,10 saying, p“May the Lord add to me another son!”
Jacob's Prosperity
25As soon as Rachel had borne Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Send me away, that I may go to my own home and country. 26Give me my wives and my children qfor whom I have served you, that I may go, for you know the service that I have given you.” 27But Laban said to him, “If I have found favor in your sight, I have learned by divination that11 the Lord has blessed me because of you. 28rName your wages, and I will give it.” 29Jacob said to him, s“You yourself know how I have served you, and how your livestock has fared with me. 30For you had little before I came, tand it has increased abundantly, and the Lord has blessed you wherever I turned. But now when shall I uprovide for my own household also?” 31He said, “What shall I give you?” Jacob said, “You shall not give me anything. If you will do this for me, I will again pasture your flock and keep it: 32let me pass through all your flock today, removing from it every speckled and spotted sheep and every black lamb, and the spotted and speckled among the goats, and vthey shall be my wages. 33So my honesty will answer for me later, when you come to look into my wages with you. Every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats and black among the lambs, if found with me, shall be counted stolen.” 34Laban said, “Good! Let it be as you have said.” 35But that day Laban removed the male goats that were striped and spotted, and all the female goats that were speckled and spotted, every one that had white on it, and every lamb that was black, and put them in the charge of his sons. 36And he set a distance of three days' journey between himself and Jacob, and Jacob pastured the rest of Laban's flock.
37Then wJacob took fresh sticks of poplar and almond and plane trees, and peeled white streaks in them, exposing the white of the sticks. 38He set the sticks that he had peeled in front of the flocks in the troughs, that is, the xwatering places, where the flocks came to drink. And since they bred when they came to drink, 39the flocks bred in front of the sticks and so the flocks brought forth striped, speckled, and spotted. 40And Jacob separated the lambs and set the faces of the flocks toward the striped and all the black in the flock of Laban. He put his own droves apart and did not put them with Laban's flock. 41Whenever the stronger of the flock were breeding, Jacob would lay the sticks in the troughs before the eyes of the flock, that they might breed among the sticks, 42but for the feebler of the flock he would not lay them there. So the feebler would be Laban's, and the stronger Jacob's. 43Thus the man yincreased greatly and zhad large flocks, female servants and male servants, and camels and donkeys.
John the Baptist Prepares the Way
1The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, athe Son of God.1
2bAs it is written in Isaiah the prophet,2
c“Behold, I send my messenger before your face,
who will prepare your way,
3dthe voice of one crying in the wilderness:
e‘Prepare3 the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight,’”
4fJohn appeared, baptizing in gthe wilderness and proclaiming ha baptism of irepentance jfor the forgiveness of sins. 5And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, kconfessing their sins. 6Now John was lclothed with camel's hair and lwore a leather belt around his waist and ate mlocusts and nwild honey. 7And he preached, saying, o“After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. 8pI have baptized you with water, but qhe will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
The Baptism of Jesus
9rIn those days Jesus scame from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10And when he came up out of the water, immediately he tsaw uthe heavens being torn open vand the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11And wa voice came from heaven, x“You are my beloved Son;4 with you I am well pleased.”
The Temptation of Jesus
12yThe Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. 13yAnd he was in the wilderness forty days, being ztempted by aSatan. And he was with the wild animals, and bthe angels were ministering to him.
Jesus Begins His Ministry
14cNow after John was arrested, Jesus dcame into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, 15and saying, e“The time is fulfilled, and fthe kingdom of God is at hand;5 grepent and believe in the gospel.”
Jesus Calls the First Disciples
16hPassing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 17And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you become ifishers of men.”6 18And immediately they left their nets and followed him. 19And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets. 20And immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him.
Jesus Heals a Man with an Unclean Spirit
21jAnd they went into Capernaum, and immediately kon the Sabbath lhe entered the synagogue and was teaching. 22And mthey were astonished at his teaching, mfor he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes. 23And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, 24n“What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? oI know who you are—pthe Holy One of God.” 25But Jesus qrebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!” 26And the unclean spirit, rconvulsing him and scrying out with a loud voice, came out of him. 27And they were all tamazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? uA new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.” 28And at once his fame spread everywhere throughout all the surrounding region of Galilee.
Jesus Heals Many
29vAnd immediately he7 wleft the synagogue and entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 30Now xSimon's mother-in-law lay ill with a fever, and immediately they told him about her. 31And he came and ytook her by the hand and lifted her up, and the fever left her, and she began to serve them.
32That evening at sundown they brought to him all who were sick or zoppressed by demons. 33And the whole city was gathered together at the door. 34aAnd he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. And bhe would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.
Jesus Preaches in Galilee
35cAnd rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and dthere he prayed. 36And Simon and those who were with him searched for him, 37and they found him and said to him, e“Everyone is looking for you.” 38And he said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for fthat is why I came out.” 39gAnd hhe went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons.
Jesus Cleanses a Leper
40iAnd a leper8 came to him, imploring him, and jkneeling said to him, k“If you will, you can make me clean.” 41Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, “I will; be clean.” 42And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. 43And lJesus9 sternly charged him and sent him away at once, 44and said to him, m“See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, nshow yourself to the priest and ooffer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, pfor a proof to them.” 45qBut he went out and began to talk freely about it, and to spread the news, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter ra town, but was out in rdesolate places, and speople were coming to him from every quarter.
The King Honors Mordecai
1On that night the king could not sleep. And he gave orders to bring othe book of memorable deeds, the chronicles, and they were read before the king. 2And it was found written how pMordecai had told about qBigthana1 and rTeresh, two of the king's eunuchs, who guarded the threshold, and who had sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus. 3And the king said, “What honor or distinction has been bestowed on Mordecai for this?” The king's young men who attended him said, “Nothing has been done for him.” 4And the king said, “Who is in the court?” Now Haman had just entered sthe outer court of the king's palace to speak to the king about having Mordecai hanged on tthe gallows2 that he had prepared for him. 5And the king's young men told him, “Haman is there, standing in the court.” And the king said, “Let him come in.” 6So Haman came in, and the king said to him, “What should be done to the man uwhom the king delights to honor?” And Haman said to himself, “Whom would the king delight to honor more than me?” 7And Haman said to the king, “For the man whom the king delights to honor, 8let royal robes be brought, which the king has worn, vand the horse that the king has ridden, and on whose head wa royal crown3 is set. 9And let the robes and the horse be handed over to one of the king's most noble officials. Let them dress the man whom the king delights to honor, and let them lead him on the horse through the square of the city, xproclaiming before him: ‘Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor.’” 10Then the king said to Haman, “Hurry; take the robes and the horse, as you have said, and do so to Mordecai the Jew, who sits yat the king's gate. Leave out nothing that you have mentioned.” 11So Haman took the robes and the horse, and he dressed Mordecai and led him through the square of the city, proclaiming before him, “Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor.”
12Then Mordecai returned to the king's gate. But Haman hurried to his house, mourning zand with his head covered. 13And Haman told ahis wife Zeresh and all his friends everything that had happened to him. Then his wise men and his wife Zeresh said to him, “If Mordecai, before whom you have begun to fall, is of the Jewish people, you will not overcome him but will surely fall before him.”
Esther Reveals Haman's Plot
14While they were yet talking with him, the king's eunuchs arrived and hurried to bring Haman bto the feast that Esther had prepared.
Greeting
1Paul, aa servant1 of Christ Jesus, bcalled to be an apostle, cset apart for the gospel of God, 2which dhe promised beforehand ethrough his prophets in the holy Scriptures, 3concerning his Son, fwho was descended from David2 gaccording to the flesh 4and hwas declared to be the Son of God iin power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, 5through whom jwe have received grace and kapostleship lto bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name mamong all the nations, 6including you who are ncalled to belong to Jesus Christ,
7To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints:
oGrace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Longing to Go to Rome
8First, pI thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, qbecause your faith is proclaimed in all the world. 9rFor God is my witness, swhom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, tthat without ceasing I mention you 10always in my prayers, asking that somehow uby God's will I may now at last succeed in coming to you. 11For vI long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you— 12that is, that we may be mutually encouraged wby each other's faith, both yours and mine. 13I do not want you to be unaware, brothers,3 that xI have often intended to come to you (but ythus far have been prevented), in order that I may reap some zharvest among you as well as among the rest of the Gentiles. 14aI am under obligation both to Greeks and to bbarbarians,4 both to the wise and to the foolish. 15So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.
The Righteous Shall Live by Faith
16For dI am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is ethe power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew ffirst and also to gthe Greek. 17For in it hthe righteousness of God is revealed ifrom faith for faith,5 jas it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”6
God's Wrath on Unrighteousness
18For kthe wrath of God lis revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19For what can be mknown about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, nhave been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world,7 in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they obecame futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22pClaiming to be wise, they became fools, 23and qexchanged the glory of rthe immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.
24Therefore sGod gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to tthe dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 25because they exchanged the truth about God for ua lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, vwho is blessed forever! Amen.
26For this reason wGod gave them up to xdishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; 27and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, ymen committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.
28And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, zGod gave them up to aa debased mind to do bwhat ought not to be done. 29They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, 30slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32Though they know cGod's righteous decree that those who practice such things ddeserve to die, they not only do them but egive approval to those who practice them.
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