Abundant LifeSample

Living Life Abundantly

Memorizing scripture doesn’t come easily to me – but I didn’t struggle to memorize John 10:10. I remind myself of its truth almost daily because it’s one of my all-time favorite verses.

It’s good to understand how a particular Bible verse fits into the passage, chapter, or book as a whole. (It can be dangerous to pluck a verse out of context and make it fit whatever situation we choose.) In chapter 10 of John’s gospel, Jesus is explaining that He is the Good Shepherd, and the Good Shepherd lays down His life for His sheep. It’s incredible to think that we are the sheep and He is our Shepherd. He is the door for us to enter into life. The thief that Jesus talks about is Satan, who would never lay down his life for us. All he wants to do is distort the truth to distract us and derail us. He is bent on stealing, killing, and destroying. He wants to steal your joy, destroy your relationships, and kill your dreams. Jesus came that we may have life and have it abundantly. That means, true life is found only in Him. The pleasures of this world might entertain you for a while, but none of them last, and none of them can give you true satisfaction.

Another way the enemy tries to rob us of abundant life is by stealing our attention. We live in a noisy world of competing voices telling us what to do and who to be. If we are to embrace and enjoy abundant life, we need to tune out the lies and interference of the enemy and learn to listen for the voice of our Good Shepherd. In John 10:4, Jesus explains that sheep follow their shepherd anywhere he leads them because they know his voice. Even though sheep aren’t reputably the brightest of animals, they won’t follow someone they don’t know – they’ll flee from a stranger – because they don’t recognize that person’s voice. As you do bench presses today, be honest with yourself about whose voice you’ve been listening to. If you’ve been sidetracked by Satan, ask Jesus to help you listen for His voice, and thank Him for shepherding you into abundant life.

First the Word – now the Workout:

10 rounds | 10 cal assault bike

10 DB bench press

10 pull-ups