Open Windows | Spring 2013 sample
SPRING 2013
LARGE PRINT Southern Baptist Guide for Personal Devotions
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SPRING 2013 Volume 77 — Number 3
“his windows being open . . . toward Jerusalem.”—Daniel 6:10 Open Windows provides brief daily devotionals based on selected Scriptures for adults in Southern Baptist churches and others who choose to use them. Open Windows (Large Print) (ISSN 0162-4296, Item 005075106) is published quarterly by LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention, One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville, TN 37234, Thom S. Rainer, President. © 2012 LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. For ordering or inquiries, visit www.lifeway. com, or write LifeWay Church Resources Customer Service, One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville, TN 37234-0113. For subscriptions or subscription address changes, e-mail subscribe@ lifeway.com, fax 615-251-5818, or write to the above address. For bulk shipments mailed quarterly to one address, e-mail orderentry@ lifeway.com, fax 615-251-5933 or write to the above address. We believe that the Bible has God for its author; salvation for its end; and truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter and that all Scripture is totally true and trustworthy. The 2000 statement of The Baptist Faith and Message is our doctrinal guideline. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version. Printed in the United States of America Cover photo: iStock
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Production & Ministry Team __________________________________ Lynn Pryor Content Editor Laura Allison Production Editor Chandra Bennett Editorial Team Leader Alan Raughton Adult Ministry Specialist David Apple Adult Ministry Specialist
Management Personnel __________________________________ Bill Craig Director, Publishing Faith Whatley Director, Adult Ministry Phillip Nation Director, Adult Ministry Publishing Debbie Johnson, Ken Braddy, Amy Lowe Managers, Adult Ministry Publishing Send questions or comments to:
Editor, Open Windows, One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville, TN 37234-0175. Or make comments on the web at www.lifeway.com.
Check us out on Facebook at facebook.com/openwindowsdevotions.
10/16/12 3:08 PM
Payment Made Speeding tickets. You’ve probably never received one, but I have been stopped ... oh, once or twice. I readily acknowledge my “error,” but there was this one time ... I had just spoken at a church in southwest rural Tennessee. As I left the city limits, I was pulled over. I was only a few miles over the limit (50 in a 45), and it was a construction zone. The problem was that there were no signs of a construction zone nor a posted speed limit. I was truly ignorant of the laws I had broken. What could I do? The officer gave me a ticket and the phone number of the judge and said I could explain it to him. So I called the judge. His response? “We live in an unincorporated town. We have no taxes. This is how we make our money. Just pay the ticket and it will never show up on your insurance.” Even though I was truly ignorant of this town’s laws, it remained that I was guilty of violating their laws. I faced my responsibility and paid the ticket. We often try to justify our actions. We shift the blame for the wrong in our lives to someone else. But it still remains that we are responsible. Our faults—our
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sins—must be acknowledged and dealt with. It’s one thing to pay a speeding ticket; it’s quite another to pay for your sin. Thankfully, God Himself offers us a solution. As we acknowledge our sin, we also acknowledge that there is nothing we can do on our own to remove them. But Jesus can—and did. He paid the penalty for your sins on the cross. All that remains is to accept His offer of payment for your sins and trust Him to forgive and give you a new life. It’s as simple as a prayer: “Dear God, I know I am a sinner and have rebelled against you in many ways. I believe Jesus died for my sin and only through faith in His death and resurrection can I be forgiven and have peace. I now turn from my sin and ask Jesus to come into my life as my Savior and Lord. From this day forward, I choose to follow Jesus.” If you prayed that prayer (or one like it), tell someone. Get involved with a church—a group of fellow Christians—and start growing in your relationship with God.
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Writers This Quarter Betty Hassler (Mar. 1-5) former editor, LifeWay; author; livingbetweentheditches.blogspot.com Mar vin P. Nail (Mar. 6-11) pastor, Ivy Memorial Baptist Church, Nashville, Tennessee, author, passed away shortly after writing these devotions Cr ystal Shearin (Mar. 12-16) speech-language pathologist, Wilson County Schools, Wilson, North Carolina; serves in prison ministry, First Baptist Church, Rocky Mount, North Carolina Steve Phillips (Mar. 17-21) sports director, WBIR-TV, Knoxville, Tennessee; choir member, Sevier Heights Baptist Church; written numerous articles Chuck Lawless (Mar. 22-31) vice president for global theological advance, International Mission Board, Richmond, Virginia; former dean, Billy Graham School of Missions and Evangelism, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Kentucky; member and guest preacher, Parkway Baptist Church, Moseley, Virginia Michael Brooks (Apr. 1-6) professor of communications and director of public relations, Judson College; pastor, Pine Flat Baptist, Suttle, Alabama; writer Kristen White (Apr. 7-12) teacher, First Baptist Church, Shelbyville, Kentucky; writer and speaker
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Writers This Quarter Kirby Kennedy (Apr. 13-18) senior pastor, First Baptist Church, Palatka, Florida Ray A. Newbold (Apr. 19-24) retired professor, Louisiana Tech University, School of Forestry; deacon and teacher, First Baptist Church, Ruston, Florida Heather Weathers (Apr. 25-30) former IMB missionary to Taiwan; program manager, Buckner International, Mesquite, Texas; member First Baptist Church, Richardson, Texas C. Ferris Jordan (May 1-6) professor emeritus, New Orleans Baptist Seminary; teacher, Istrouma Baptist Church, Baton Rouge, Louisiana Margaret Owen Goodroe (May 7-11) retired English teacher, Ocala, Florida; pastor’s wife for more than 50 years; teacher, College Road Baptist Church, Ocala, Florida Becky Brown (May 12-21) teacher, staff evangelist, First Baptist Church, Richland, Mississippi; founder and keeper of Little Brown Light Ministries Jerr y Batson (May 22-26) retired associate dean and professor, Beeson Divinity School, Samford University; pastor, First Baptist Church, McCalla, Alabama Bob Adams (May 27-31) senior pastor, First Baptist Church, Bogalusa, Louisiana
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Friday, March 1
Leave an Enduring Legacy Devotional Passage: Esther 10:1-3
Read the Bible Through: Numbers 22–24 Mark 5:1-20
For Mordecai the Jew was next unto king Ahasuerus, and great among the Jews, and accepted of the multitude of his brethren, seeking the wealth of his people, and speaking peace to all his seed. Esther 10:3
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o matter whether I’m at death’s door or sniffling with a common cold, my husband tells inquiring friends, “She isn’t feeling well.” I’ve teased him that I want written on my tombstone: She wasn’t feeling well. Hopefully, my epitaph will include more than that. All of us want to leave a legacy that endures long after we receive our heavenly rewards. Mordecai certainly did. His story is found in the Book of Esther. The Jewish people were scattered around the Persian Empire. Mordecai had distinguished himself as a trusted leader. It was unusual for someone of Jewish descent to rise to the level of high government office. Through a series of events involving Queen Esther, the lives of all the Jews were spared, and Mordecai was promoted to an even higher position. He used his influence to enhance the material well-being of the Jewish people as well as to ensure peaceful living conditions for them in a pagan nation. Each of us has God-appointed opportunities for lasting influence. What will be your legacy? Father, may I be known for faithfulness.
Spring 2013 • Open Windows • 8 005075106_OW_LP_SPR13.indb 8
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LARGE PRINT Southern Baptist Guide for Personal Devotions
005075106_OW_LP_SPR13.indb 1
10/16/12 3:08 PM
SPRING 2013 Volume 77 — Number 3
“his windows being open . . . toward Jerusalem.”—Daniel 6:10 Open Windows provides brief daily devotionals based on selected Scriptures for adults in Southern Baptist churches and others who choose to use them. Open Windows (Large Print) (ISSN 0162-4296, Item 005075106) is published quarterly by LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention, One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville, TN 37234, Thom S. Rainer, President. © 2012 LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. For ordering or inquiries, visit www.lifeway. com, or write LifeWay Church Resources Customer Service, One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville, TN 37234-0113. For subscriptions or subscription address changes, e-mail subscribe@ lifeway.com, fax 615-251-5818, or write to the above address. For bulk shipments mailed quarterly to one address, e-mail orderentry@ lifeway.com, fax 615-251-5933 or write to the above address. We believe that the Bible has God for its author; salvation for its end; and truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter and that all Scripture is totally true and trustworthy. The 2000 statement of The Baptist Faith and Message is our doctrinal guideline. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version. Printed in the United States of America Cover photo: iStock
005075106_OW_LP_SPR13.indb 2
Production & Ministry Team __________________________________ Lynn Pryor Content Editor Laura Allison Production Editor Chandra Bennett Editorial Team Leader Alan Raughton Adult Ministry Specialist David Apple Adult Ministry Specialist
Management Personnel __________________________________ Bill Craig Director, Publishing Faith Whatley Director, Adult Ministry Phillip Nation Director, Adult Ministry Publishing Debbie Johnson, Ken Braddy, Amy Lowe Managers, Adult Ministry Publishing Send questions or comments to:
Editor, Open Windows, One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville, TN 37234-0175. Or make comments on the web at www.lifeway.com.
Check us out on Facebook at facebook.com/openwindowsdevotions.
10/16/12 3:08 PM
Payment Made Speeding tickets. You’ve probably never received one, but I have been stopped ... oh, once or twice. I readily acknowledge my “error,” but there was this one time ... I had just spoken at a church in southwest rural Tennessee. As I left the city limits, I was pulled over. I was only a few miles over the limit (50 in a 45), and it was a construction zone. The problem was that there were no signs of a construction zone nor a posted speed limit. I was truly ignorant of the laws I had broken. What could I do? The officer gave me a ticket and the phone number of the judge and said I could explain it to him. So I called the judge. His response? “We live in an unincorporated town. We have no taxes. This is how we make our money. Just pay the ticket and it will never show up on your insurance.” Even though I was truly ignorant of this town’s laws, it remained that I was guilty of violating their laws. I faced my responsibility and paid the ticket. We often try to justify our actions. We shift the blame for the wrong in our lives to someone else. But it still remains that we are responsible. Our faults—our
005075106_OW_LP_SPR13.indb 4
10/16/12 3:08 PM
sins—must be acknowledged and dealt with. It’s one thing to pay a speeding ticket; it’s quite another to pay for your sin. Thankfully, God Himself offers us a solution. As we acknowledge our sin, we also acknowledge that there is nothing we can do on our own to remove them. But Jesus can—and did. He paid the penalty for your sins on the cross. All that remains is to accept His offer of payment for your sins and trust Him to forgive and give you a new life. It’s as simple as a prayer: “Dear God, I know I am a sinner and have rebelled against you in many ways. I believe Jesus died for my sin and only through faith in His death and resurrection can I be forgiven and have peace. I now turn from my sin and ask Jesus to come into my life as my Savior and Lord. From this day forward, I choose to follow Jesus.” If you prayed that prayer (or one like it), tell someone. Get involved with a church—a group of fellow Christians—and start growing in your relationship with God.
005075106_OW_LP_SPR13.indb 5
10/16/12 3:08 PM
Writers This Quarter Betty Hassler (Mar. 1-5) former editor, LifeWay; author; livingbetweentheditches.blogspot.com Mar vin P. Nail (Mar. 6-11) pastor, Ivy Memorial Baptist Church, Nashville, Tennessee, author, passed away shortly after writing these devotions Cr ystal Shearin (Mar. 12-16) speech-language pathologist, Wilson County Schools, Wilson, North Carolina; serves in prison ministry, First Baptist Church, Rocky Mount, North Carolina Steve Phillips (Mar. 17-21) sports director, WBIR-TV, Knoxville, Tennessee; choir member, Sevier Heights Baptist Church; written numerous articles Chuck Lawless (Mar. 22-31) vice president for global theological advance, International Mission Board, Richmond, Virginia; former dean, Billy Graham School of Missions and Evangelism, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Kentucky; member and guest preacher, Parkway Baptist Church, Moseley, Virginia Michael Brooks (Apr. 1-6) professor of communications and director of public relations, Judson College; pastor, Pine Flat Baptist, Suttle, Alabama; writer Kristen White (Apr. 7-12) teacher, First Baptist Church, Shelbyville, Kentucky; writer and speaker
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Writers This Quarter Kirby Kennedy (Apr. 13-18) senior pastor, First Baptist Church, Palatka, Florida Ray A. Newbold (Apr. 19-24) retired professor, Louisiana Tech University, School of Forestry; deacon and teacher, First Baptist Church, Ruston, Florida Heather Weathers (Apr. 25-30) former IMB missionary to Taiwan; program manager, Buckner International, Mesquite, Texas; member First Baptist Church, Richardson, Texas C. Ferris Jordan (May 1-6) professor emeritus, New Orleans Baptist Seminary; teacher, Istrouma Baptist Church, Baton Rouge, Louisiana Margaret Owen Goodroe (May 7-11) retired English teacher, Ocala, Florida; pastor’s wife for more than 50 years; teacher, College Road Baptist Church, Ocala, Florida Becky Brown (May 12-21) teacher, staff evangelist, First Baptist Church, Richland, Mississippi; founder and keeper of Little Brown Light Ministries Jerr y Batson (May 22-26) retired associate dean and professor, Beeson Divinity School, Samford University; pastor, First Baptist Church, McCalla, Alabama Bob Adams (May 27-31) senior pastor, First Baptist Church, Bogalusa, Louisiana
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Friday, March 1
Leave an Enduring Legacy Devotional Passage: Esther 10:1-3
Read the Bible Through: Numbers 22–24 Mark 5:1-20
For Mordecai the Jew was next unto king Ahasuerus, and great among the Jews, and accepted of the multitude of his brethren, seeking the wealth of his people, and speaking peace to all his seed. Esther 10:3
N
o matter whether I’m at death’s door or sniffling with a common cold, my husband tells inquiring friends, “She isn’t feeling well.” I’ve teased him that I want written on my tombstone: She wasn’t feeling well. Hopefully, my epitaph will include more than that. All of us want to leave a legacy that endures long after we receive our heavenly rewards. Mordecai certainly did. His story is found in the Book of Esther. The Jewish people were scattered around the Persian Empire. Mordecai had distinguished himself as a trusted leader. It was unusual for someone of Jewish descent to rise to the level of high government office. Through a series of events involving Queen Esther, the lives of all the Jews were spared, and Mordecai was promoted to an even higher position. He used his influence to enhance the material well-being of the Jewish people as well as to ensure peaceful living conditions for them in a pagan nation. Each of us has God-appointed opportunities for lasting influence. What will be your legacy? Father, may I be known for faithfulness.
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