Daily Worship (May 04)
Devotional 1: Walk with the Flock
1 Thessalonians 2:7–8 (NIV)
Instead, we were like young children among you. Just as a nursing mother cares for her children, so we cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well.
Devotional Thought
Paul didn’t lead the church from a distance. He got close. This passage shows the tender heart of a leader who knows his people. He compares himself to a mother caring for her children. That’s deep affection, not shallow service. Shepherd leaders don’t just preach sermons—they share their lives. That means showing up in homes, being there during hard times, celebrating victories, and even shedding tears when people are hurting.
From your sermon on Acts 20, we saw how Paul lived with the people in Ephesus and how they wept when he said goodbye. Why? Because real shepherds know their sheep, and the sheep know them. This is more than a leadership style—it’s a reflection of Jesus, the Good Shepherd, who knows every one of His sheep by name.
You don’t have to be a pastor to apply this. Every Christian can practice this kind of love. If you’re a parent, a friend, or a mentor, let people into your life. The gospel is not just a message—it’s a relationship.
COMMA Questions
Prayer
Jesus, thank You for being the Shepherd who knows me by name. Help me to love others not just with words but with my life. Make me more like Paul, who didn’t hold back his heart. Teach me to walk closely with the people You’ve placed in my life. Amen.
Instead, we were like young children among you. Just as a nursing mother cares for her children, so we cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well.
Devotional Thought
Paul didn’t lead the church from a distance. He got close. This passage shows the tender heart of a leader who knows his people. He compares himself to a mother caring for her children. That’s deep affection, not shallow service. Shepherd leaders don’t just preach sermons—they share their lives. That means showing up in homes, being there during hard times, celebrating victories, and even shedding tears when people are hurting.
From your sermon on Acts 20, we saw how Paul lived with the people in Ephesus and how they wept when he said goodbye. Why? Because real shepherds know their sheep, and the sheep know them. This is more than a leadership style—it’s a reflection of Jesus, the Good Shepherd, who knows every one of His sheep by name.
You don’t have to be a pastor to apply this. Every Christian can practice this kind of love. If you’re a parent, a friend, or a mentor, let people into your life. The gospel is not just a message—it’s a relationship.
COMMA Questions
- Context: How does Paul describe his ministry among the Thessalonians throughout chapter 2?
- Observation: What two things does Paul say he shared with the people?
- Meaning: What does it mean that Paul shared both the gospel and his life with the people?
- Main Idea: Why is it important for spiritual leaders to share their lives, not just their words?
- Application: How can you show Christ’s love more personally to someone in your life this week?
Prayer
Jesus, thank You for being the Shepherd who knows me by name. Help me to love others not just with words but with my life. Make me more like Paul, who didn’t hold back his heart. Teach me to walk closely with the people You’ve placed in my life. Amen.
Devotional 2: Feed Them the Word
2 Timothy 4:2–3 (NIV)
Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine.
Devotional Thought
Paul knew that feeding the flock meant more than giving them something nice to hear. It meant giving them the truth. In Acts 20, Paul told the Ephesian elders that he had declared the whole will of God—the tough stuff and the comforting stuff. He didn’t skip parts. In this passage, Paul is now writing to Timothy, urging him to do the same.
The job of feeding the sheep means giving them Scripture, not opinions. It means being faithful even when people don’t want to hear it. Shepherd leaders must be clear, patient, and bold. This also challenges us not just to teach the truth, but to listen to it. Are we hungry for God’s Word? Or are we just looking for something easy to digest?
The gospel gives us both correction and comfort. It tells us the truth about our sin and the grace of our Savior. If we want to grow, we need the whole meal.
COMMA Questions
Prayer
Lord, help me to hunger for Your truth. Feed me with Your Word, and give me courage to speak it to others. Keep me from chasing only what feels good and instead teach me what is good. Thank You for giving us the whole counsel of Your Word through faithful shepherds. Amen.
Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine.
Devotional Thought
Paul knew that feeding the flock meant more than giving them something nice to hear. It meant giving them the truth. In Acts 20, Paul told the Ephesian elders that he had declared the whole will of God—the tough stuff and the comforting stuff. He didn’t skip parts. In this passage, Paul is now writing to Timothy, urging him to do the same.
The job of feeding the sheep means giving them Scripture, not opinions. It means being faithful even when people don’t want to hear it. Shepherd leaders must be clear, patient, and bold. This also challenges us not just to teach the truth, but to listen to it. Are we hungry for God’s Word? Or are we just looking for something easy to digest?
The gospel gives us both correction and comfort. It tells us the truth about our sin and the grace of our Savior. If we want to grow, we need the whole meal.
COMMA Questions
- Context: How does this command to preach the word fit into Paul’s final instructions to Timothy in 2 Timothy?
- Observation: What three ways does Paul say the Word should be used in preaching?
- Meaning: Why do you think Paul includes “great patience” as part of the command?
- Main Idea: How does faithful preaching help protect and grow the church?
- Application: How can you build a habit of feeding on God’s Word daily, even when it’s hard?
Prayer
Lord, help me to hunger for Your truth. Feed me with Your Word, and give me courage to speak it to others. Keep me from chasing only what feels good and instead teach me what is good. Thank You for giving us the whole counsel of Your Word through faithful shepherds. Amen.
Devotional 3: Guard the Gate
John 10:11–13 (NIV)
I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it.
Devotional Thought
Jesus shows us what real protection looks like. A hired hand runs when danger shows up, but the Good Shepherd stays—even to the point of dying for the sheep. In Acts 20, Paul warned the Ephesian elders that wolves would come from inside and outside the church. Their job was to protect the sheep, and the only way to do that was to stay close, stay alert, and stay rooted in the gospel.
Today, there are still wolves. False teachers, harmful ideas, and spiritual laziness can sneak into our lives. Sometimes the danger is even our own pride or sin. But Jesus has already faced the worst wolf—sin and death—and defeated it. So we don’t protect others out of fear. We protect because we’ve been loved like that.
This means watching over your family, your church, and even your own heart. Not in panic—but in prayer, truth, and love.
COMMA Questions
Prayer
Jesus, You are the Good Shepherd who gave everything to keep me safe. Thank You for guarding me from sin, lies, and fear. Help me to guard others in love—especially those You’ve entrusted to my care. Make me watchful, not worried. Amen.
I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it.
Devotional Thought
Jesus shows us what real protection looks like. A hired hand runs when danger shows up, but the Good Shepherd stays—even to the point of dying for the sheep. In Acts 20, Paul warned the Ephesian elders that wolves would come from inside and outside the church. Their job was to protect the sheep, and the only way to do that was to stay close, stay alert, and stay rooted in the gospel.
Today, there are still wolves. False teachers, harmful ideas, and spiritual laziness can sneak into our lives. Sometimes the danger is even our own pride or sin. But Jesus has already faced the worst wolf—sin and death—and defeated it. So we don’t protect others out of fear. We protect because we’ve been loved like that.
This means watching over your family, your church, and even your own heart. Not in panic—but in prayer, truth, and love.
COMMA Questions
- Context: How does this teaching in John 10 contrast Jesus with religious leaders of the time?
- Observation: What does the hired hand do when the wolf comes, and why?
- Meaning: What does it mean that Jesus lays down His life for the sheep?
- Main Idea: Why is it important to recognize the difference between hired hands and true shepherds?
- Application: What area of your life needs more spiritual protection right now?
Prayer
Jesus, You are the Good Shepherd who gave everything to keep me safe. Thank You for guarding me from sin, lies, and fear. Help me to guard others in love—especially those You’ve entrusted to my care. Make me watchful, not worried. Amen.
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