HOLY WEEK DEVOTIONAL…to God for blessing us in ways seen and unseen ought to be praise. The Bible says in Psalm 150:6,7: "Let everything that has breath, praise the Lord." Praise

HOLY WEEK DEVOTIONAL Day Six/March 31, 2018

SCRIPTURE: 2 TIMOTHY 3:16-17, NLT

All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true

and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when

we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare

and equip his people to do every good work.

“(Scripture) corrects us when we are

wrong and teaches us to do what is

right.”

“The B-I-B-L-E yes that's the book for me” is a lyric from a song that

highlights the importance of the Bible (The Word of God). The Bible is

a love letter to us from God our Heavenly Father. It is written in blood

(through the life of Jesus Christ whose death, burial and resurrection

makes relationship with God the Father possible), and specifically

tailored for all of us. God uses the Bible to make Himself known, to

show us His great love and to show us how we should live our lives.

We are encouraged to prayerfully read and reflect on what we have

read. When we do, the Holy Spirit will reveal God's truth to us, and we

will have a deeper understanding of God and His will for our lives. His

Word equips us for every good work.

REFLECTION

Pray and ask God to identify one or more Scriptures that He wants you

to learn, understand and practice. Then, respond to the following

questions: What was the most meaningful Scripture you read today?

Reword that Scripture into a prayer response to God. What does God

want you to do in response to today's study?

A NOTE FROM PASTOR WILLIAMS…

Use this week to fast and pray

as we gear up to celebrate

Resurrection Sunday

Then join the Union Family

on Good Friday as we hear

The Seven Last Words as

told by the ministers of Union

Baptist Church and observe

the Lord’s Supper

Good Friday Service March 30, 2018

7:00 PM

Resurrection Sunday Services April 1, 2018

8 AM and 11 AM

HOLY WEEK DEVOTIONAL Day Five/March 30, 2018

SCRIPTURE: DEUTERONOMY 11:18, NLT

So, commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these words of mine. Tie

them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders.

“Moses wanted people to experience the

rich blessings that come with obedience

to the Word of God.”

In this Scripture Moses is encouraging the people of God to devote

themselves to obedience to the commands that God had given him.

Moses, God's appointed spiritual leader to His people, wanted the

people to experience the rich blessings that come with obedience to

the Word of God. His desire is that they take the Word of God so

seriously that they would do two things. First, that they would tie the

Word to their hands. By so doing, whatever they did with their hands

they would be reminded of the Word. Secondly, they were to tie the

Word to their forehead. A small scroll with God's Word would be tied

to a strip of cloth and like a bandana be worn around the head of the

scroll resting on the forehead, so that the people would be reminded

that their thoughts were to go up to God. How serious are you

regarding the Word of God? How does the Word of God shape your

thoughts and actions?

REFLECTION

Examine your thought life. On what does your mind dwell? Ask God to

give you creative ways to keep His Word at the forefront of your

thinking.




Resurrection Sunday






the Lord’s Supper


7:00 PM


8 AM and 11 AM

HOLY WEEK DEVOTIONAL Day Four/March 29, 2018

SCRIPTURE: ROMANS 15:13, NLT

I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and

peace because you trust in Him. Then you will overflow with confident

hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.

“You will overflow with confident hope

through the power of the Holy Spirit.”

The Apostle offers this benediction to the Church at Rome, and to all

who read or hear this letter read; including us. His prayer is that we

be filled completely with joy and peace. Joy is a spiritual gift; a quality

of life; a state of being that results from living in right relationship with

God. Peace is the experience of confident well-being that comes

from and depends on your relationship with God. The blessing is that

you not only experience joy and peace, but that they overflow in your

life. This type of blessing comes only to those whose confidence is in

the Lord. Receive the blessing of this benediction everyday of your

life. During this week of fasting and prayer, we must make sure that

our hope and confidence is in the One who can do anything but fail.

REFLECTION

Read Philippians 4:6-13. This Scripture assures us that God is

available and able to meet our every need. It's a guarantee, in writing

to those who trust in Him. Memorize these verses and rehearse them

in front of a mirror for the next three days, then periodically for the rest

of your life.




Resurrection Sunday






the Lord’s Supper


7:00 PM


8 AM and 11 AM

HOLY WEEK DEVOTIONAL Day Three/March 28, 2018

SCRIPTURE: PSALM 119:9, NLT

How can a young person stay pure? By obeying your word.

“Commitment involves a willingness to

stay with something no matter what

comes up…”

This Psalmist's prayer also serves as advice for young people. While

the young are the focus of the text we can all benefit from his

instruction. To stay pure involves a commitment of obedience to the

Word of God. Purity involves cleanliness which means living in

obedience to what the Bible teaches about how to live. Commitment

involves a willingness to stay with something no matter what comes

up. Commitment to stay pure involves striving to apply God's

instructions for living in every situation, and at the same time

understanding that righteousness is bestowed on us through our faith

in Jesus. We can stay clean by internalizing (reading and meditating)

on God's Word with a commitment to live by what it says. Commit to

spending time in God's Word every day.

REFLECTION

Commit to getting away from the distractions of daily life (cell phone,

television, games, movies, etc.) while spending time in prayer and the

reading of God's Word. Write down your thoughts about what God is

showing you and what actions you will take to make a commitment to

purity.




Resurrection Sunday






the Lord’s Supper


7:00 PM


8 AM and 11 AM

HOLY WEEK DEVOTIONAL Day Two/March 27, 2018

SCRIPTURE: 1 PETER 2:2-3

Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will

grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment,

now that you have had a taste of the Lord's kindness.

“Cry out for this nourishment, now that

you have had a taste of the Lord’s

kindness.”

To crave something means, "to have a powerful desire for

something." Some cravings are instinctive. When one is physically

thirsty, one craves water. A newborn baby instinctively craves milk

when hungry. Other cravings, like sugar or chocolate, are developed

over time because they appeal to our senses and there is a sense of

temporary satisfaction when we get it. When we crave something, we

do whatever is necessary to get it for our consumption, and always it

temporarily satisfies the craving.

Imagine the impact on our lives if we develop a craving for the things

of God; for the Word of God. What if we constantly pursued the

spiritual nourishment that God's Word offers. We would crave it,

pursue it, consume it, then crave it more and more. That craving will

be a victorious cycle of productive behavior which results in

satisfaction that only Our Lord can give.

REFLECTION

Are you spending time seeking God? For the next 5 days, schedule at

least ten minutes in your day to pray and read God's Word. Meditate

on Psalm 63 and ask God to help you develop a strong (or stronger)

craving for His Word.




Resurrection Sunday






the Lord’s Supper


7:00 PM


8 AM and 11 AM

HOLY WEEK DEVOTIONAL Day One/March 26, 2018

SCRIPTURE: MATTHEW 21:16-17, NLT

The leading priest and the teachers of religion law saw these wonderful

miracles and heard even the children in the Temple shouting, "Praise

God for the Son of David." But the leaders were indignant. They asked

Jesus, "Do you hear what these children are saying?" "Yes," Jesus

replied. "Haven't you ever read the Scriptures? For they say, "You have

taught the children and infants to give praise."

“You have taught the children and

infants to give praise.”

God blesses us every day. There are those blessings of which we

are aware, and some of which we are not. In any case, our response

to God for blessing us in ways seen and unseen ought to be praise.

The Bible says in Psalm 150:6, "Let everything that has breath, praise

the Lord." Praise is an act of expressing our appreciation and

admiration toward God. While it is appropriate and essential to praise

God, there will always be personalities who will neither want to hear

nor participate in praises to God. People like that will not want you to

praise God. Nevertheless, we should be neither distracted nor

discouraged by their opposition. Rather, we are to stay focused on

what our Heavenly Father is doing in our lives.

REFLECTION

Take some time to reflect on how God has blessed you and protected

you at various stages in your life. Then take time to praise God.




Resurrection Sunday






the Lord’s Supper


7:00 PM


8 AM and 11 AM

Documents

HOLY WEEK DEVOTIONAL…to God for blessing us in ways seen and unseen ought to be praise. The Bible says in Psalm 150:6,7: "Let everything that has breath, praise the Lord." Praise