This is it! This is our last Thrive devotion. Sit down with your family sometime this week or next and let this scripture, devotion and questions set the mood for a new season for you, your family and our church. Are you ready to Thrive?
THRIVING FUTURE
Scripture:
19 Things will get better and better. Depression days are over. They’ll THRIVE. The days of contempt will be over. Jeremiah 30:19 (MSG)
Background Information and Explanation:
Jeremiah was an Old Testament prophet. He was writing to a people that had lost their city, their homes and their loved ones. It was a sad time. God was using Jeremiah to remind them that these depressing days were over! Better days were to come. God desires that his people live for him and have a future that they could look forward to. God’s plan was for his people to Thrive!
Discussion Questions:
How would you like to see your family THRIVE? In what ways is God calling you to help your church family THRIVE? How is THRIVING better than just surviving?
THRIVE CHALLENGE: With your family or close friends reflect on your 28-day THRIVE Challenge. Make note of your successes, where you are now THRIVING, and how Praying, Fasting, Scripture Reading, Worship and Giving has changed your life.
THRIVE CHALLENGE: Meditate on this scripture all week as we move from surviving to THRIVING!
Prayer
Ready to Thrive!
Darrell
Upwards Church 
Dear Pastor Darrell,
Thank you for the emphasis and the vision to Thrive! I needed the reminder to pay attention to the new and ancient things that God is doing. I love the Message paraphrase! “They’ll thrive, they’ll flourish.” How well and dearly said.
This speaks to me on a personal level. I understand and relate to pain and loss in my life. In order to stave off malingering grief, to really thrive, I recognize that I must make a commitment, must make a personal decision to hope in Christ in order to thrive. That reinvigorated my prayer life.
I love how Jer 30:19c in the NIV has a parallel guide and in it, it points to:
– Gen 15:5 and 22:17: We as believers in Christ will outnumber the “stars in the sky.” And I had to ask my self, do I really believe this? And if yes, then do I want to participate in what God is doing? Yes! And, we will undoubtedly flourish; and the church family is the “sand on the seashore.” But one has to participate in the church in order to assent to this hope and participate “in the counting.” So, for me, “to flourish” means I need to see the church’s numbers increase, starting with me and my family.
– Eze 37:26-27: “God’s dwelling with us forever.” This promise helps me to choose joy and emerge from grief.
– Zec 2:4: We as a church will flourish so much that the facilities will be challenge, but that He will be our walls and He will be our glory.
Trusting Him with you…
Vince
Great stuff Vince! Thanks for sharing. I’m happy to be on the journey with you. Darrell