About the Niamey, Niger Project

Niger is located in West Africa and 80 percent of its land is in the Sahara Desert. Most of the country is desert plains and sand dunes, droughts are frequent. The climate is one of the hottest in the world. Its estimated population of 11 million are 98% Muslim. Niger is ranked 172 out of 173 countries in the United Nations Developemnt Program's Human Development index, and only 13.6% of its population is literate (6.6% of women). The Reformed Church in America partners with the Evangelical Church of Niger. Their focus in the region is to help with community development, theological training, literacy, medicine, and agriculture. The Mission project for this winter is to build a guest house to assist the Evangelical church's programs. It will give them a facility to house people who come in from the countryside for training in evangelism, leadership and other minstry skills. Bruce and Laurie Hawley are the missionaries responsible for the project and will be working closely with Kay and Sue. More information is available on the Reformed Church website at http://www.rca.org/.

Kay and Sue will be in Niamey from January 26, 2009- February 10, 2009.

Thursday, January 29, 2009

Fruit of the Spirit- Devotion Day 2

Day Two- Love: The Most Excellent Way
-When you read Galatians 5:22-23, did you notice that the word "fruit" is used, not fruits?  Why do you think that is?  Love is the Fruit of the Spirit.  All the other qualities are contained in or are expressions of love or how loves makes itself known.  As we study the Fruit of the Spirit, we need to remember that all the fruits we'll talk about are a lesson about the heart of God, which is love, expressed through and revealed through God's sacrifice of his only son.  Read First Corinthians 13:1-13.

-Why do you think Paul begins this passage the way he does?  Why do you think that Paul says that love is the greatest?  I would have thought faith is the greatest, it's what connects us with God.  The answer is in First Corinthians 13:1-3.  If we don't have love, we are nothing- that's why love is so important.
-So now that we know that love is the greatest virtue, what does that mean for us?  How are we to love?  God calls us to love in four areas.
1) Love God. Matthew 22:36-38
2) Love Yourself. Psalm 139:13-16, Matthew 22:39
3) Love Others. 1 John 3:11-20
4) Love your Enemies. Luke 6:27-36

-How can we truly love our enemies?  View things from God's point of view.  Luke 23:34
-Love is the Fruit of the Spirit.  How can you grow to be more loving?  Who is God challenging you to love today?  Regardless of how you feel about someone, you can chose to show love.  Ask God for help.
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