Jeremy Hoover

This devotional guide examines several different passages about repentance, from Joel to 2 Chronicles to the Gospels.

This is the devotional guide for November 6-12, 2011. Looking at the examples of Hezekiah and Jesus, the guide helps you explore trust in God and learn how to trust God more.

This is the devotional guide for August 28-September 3, 2011, containing questions from Proverbs 4 and Matthew 6.

This is the devotional guide for August 21-27, 2011, which includes questions from Proverbs 3 and Matthew 5.

Please share with others and use it in your devotional time, and your family's devotional time, for your spiritual enrichment.

This week's booklet includes questions and prayer focuses from Proverbs 3:1-12 and Matthew 7:13-27.

In Matthew 3, Matthew reported that John the Baptist came on the scene preaching repentance because of the nearness of the kingdom of heaven. But what was the nature or quality of the repentance he advocated?

Today, many understand repentance as a decision we make prior to baptism and conversion. In the "plan of salvation," repentance is merely one step in a process. Repentance is often understood or stated as though it was a feeling of remorse for past sin committed.

While this understanding of repentance is important, it is not the whole story. According to John the Baptist, repentance is a lifestyle of conforming to the values and priorities of God and his kingdom. He noted, in his preaching, that judgment exists for those who do not repent (Matt. 3:10, 12). But he also noted that one's lifestyle needs to demonstrate their repentance. Thus, repentance is a lifestyle; it must be ongoing. We must "bear fruit in keeping with repentance" (Matt. 3:8).

So repentance is not just "felt" but also demonstrated. Repentance is a way of life within God's kingdom because the challenge of changing our lives--of being transformed--to be kingdom agents for God is ongoing and always in process.

Does your life demonstrate the fruit of repentance?

The theme for this guide is how we participate in God's mission: what does God expect and desire from us? Readings, questions and prayer foci are from Psalm 119:49-72, Acts 8:1-4, Romans 12:9-21, Hebrews 13:1-3, and Matthew 25:31-46.

As always, if you find this useful, please share it with others.

This is our family devotional guide for June 12-18, 2011. The questions are from Psalm 119:25-48, Matthew 28:16-20, 1 Thessalonians 2:7-12, and 2 Corinthians 5:11-6:13. The focus is God's mission and what our participation in that mission should look like. Each day also includes a prayer focus drawn from the scriptural emphasis for that day.

If you find this useful, please share it with others, either online, or make copies and distribute them.

Absalom's conspiracy against David (beginning in 2 Samuel 15) reminds me of many modern church-based conspiracies. Conspiracies form because people are insecure about their standing or themselves. They are a way to avoid direct conflict (though they create indirect conflict). They always begin with someone selfishly seeking power or trying to consolidate whatever power they think they already have. They do so by meeting people's surface needs, pointing out inadequacies in the system (and how they can fix them), building other up with shallow praise, and assigning blame and fault to those who are leaders. But a conspiracy of this type is always wrong.

In Absalom's case, he conspired against the Lord's anointed, David. Ultimately, Absalom lost. David was successful in outlasting Absalom for two reasons: 1) God was with him and for him; and 2) he was self-aware of what was going on around him. When he was criticized by someone from Saul's clan, he permitted the criticism. He said, "Who knows if the Lord told him to say this?" David  knew that some criticism was justified and valid...and this man went straight to David with his criticism; he did not form a conspiracy.

In Matthew 18, Jesus taught us not to conspire with others against an enemy or build ourselves up at their expense. Rather, he taught us to go to the one who wronged us and work it out by talking to them.

If you find yourself refusing to talk to someone you have a problem with directly (indirect forms of communication such as letters and emails do not count) you may be close to committing sin. Be careful not to conspire or to triangulate others in to your problems with another. As Jesus taught us, love God and love your neighbor as yourself.

1. How have traditions gotten in the way of your ability to follow God? (15:1-20)

2. How is bible reading like yeast? (16:1-12)

3. What does Jesus mean in 17:20? Did the disciples literally not have enough faith?

4. What is the key to the kingdom of God? (18:1-5)

5. What key insights about discipleship do you see in Matthew 19?

6. What principle is the parable in 20:1-16 about?

7. What types of hypocrisy do you see and/or experience today? (ch. 23)

8. What does Jesus' dedication to God's will teach us about doing God's will? (26:36-46)