Tag: faith

Being Prosperous: The Business of Easily Shipwrecking Your Own Faith. 1 Timothy 1:18-20

1 Timothy 1:18-20 New Living Translation

Timothy’s Responsibility

18 Timothy, my son, here are my instructions for you, based on the prophetic words spoken about you earlier. May they help you fight well in the Lord’s battles. 19 Cling to your faith in Christ, and keep your conscience clear. For some people have deliberately violated their consciences; as a result, their faith has been shipwrecked. 20 Hymenaeus and Alexander are two examples. I threw them out and handed them over to Satan so they might learn not to blaspheme God.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

To experience an actual shipwreck would be one of the scariest experiences a person could go through.

When we hear of diverse ships being stranded at sea, starting to sink, or having mechanical issues, we hold our breaths deeply until people are safely rescued.

Psalm 107:23-32 New Living Translation

23 Some went off to sea in ships,
    plying the trade routes of the world.
24 They, too, observed the Lord’s power in action,
    his impressive works on the deepest seas.
25 He spoke, and the winds rose,
    stirring up the waves.
26 Their ships were tossed to the heavens
    and plunged again to the depths;
    the sailors cringed in terror.
27 They reeled and staggered like drunkards
    and were at their wits’ end.
28 “Lord, help!” they cried in their trouble,
    and he saved them from their distress.
29 He calmed the storm to a whisper
    and stilled the waves.
30 What a blessing was that stillness
    as he brought them safely into harbor!
31 Let them praise the Lord for his great love
    and for the wonderful things he has done for them.
32 Let them exalt him publicly before the congregation
    and before the leaders of the nation.

The apostle Paul knew very well the first hand experience of being shipwrecked probably better than anyone.

“Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea…” (2 Corinthians 11:25 NIV)

Three times he was shipwrecked!

And yet, he survived to tell the story.

While most of us can only imagine such an ordeal, I’m afraid others of us may end up going through something just as terrible—the shipwreck of faith.

For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame.  – (Hebrews 6:4-6 NKJV)

Drifting away from our relationship with Jesus is a very serious situation that requires serious action.

We are in constant danger of reaching a place, in the open sea of life, where we will completely abandon our faith and outright reject the Lord.

There is an interesting line, in 1 Timothy 1:20, that mentions a couple of men by the names of Hymenaeus and Alexander—men to whom Paul “handed over to Satan.”

Now, I don’t know about you, but I never want to be “handed over” to Satan!

The context of the passage is that Paul recognized two grave things that these men had allowed to happen—two things that basically shipwrecked their faith.

When Paul warned Timothy to “fight the good fight with faith and a good conscience,” he was outlining two necessary things for the Christian walk.

Unfortunately, Hymenaeus and Alexander had rejected these and been expelled from Paul’s leadership in order that they would learn a hard lesson.

Following the example of these men, here are 2 ways to shipwreck your faith:

1. Reject

In a world where everyone is encouraged to embrace “whatever feels right,” there is an extreme danger of being mislead toward ideas that are contrary to the Scriptures.

These ideas plague our culture, our homes, and even our churches.

Eventually, they may lead a person to outright reject faith in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me.” (Luke 10:16 NKJV)

Belief and the acceptance of Jesus as the only true God is foundational to the Christian faith.

Any other ideas that try to distort this truth are ideas that can lead to shipwreck.

It is crucial to our faith we trust in the finished work of Christ on the cross and not try to add or take away from it.

2. Ignore

When our conscience becomes hardened to the point that we no longer hear or heed the voice of the Holy Spirit, our faith becomes like a splintered ship, tossed against the rocky shore, useless and abandoned.

The Holy Spirit’s role is “God in us.”

When we enter into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, His Spirit comes to reside.

John 14:23-26 New Living Translation

23 Jesus replied, “All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them. 24 Anyone who does not love me will not obey me. And remember, my words are not my own. What I am telling you is from the Father who sent me. 25 I am telling you these things now while I am still with you. 26 But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.

He guards, guides, and directs us in the way we should go.

Without His navigation, our faith will surely be shipwrecked. It is of utmost importance that we remain in step with Him and listen to His still, small voice.

If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. (Galatians 5:25 NKJV)

Paul’s charge to his protégé Timothy was to remain strong in the battle, steady on the open seas, and faithful in the Lord.

He knew that temptations would come—temptations to reject and ignore the only God and Savior, thereby risking the shipwreck of his faith.

For to this end we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe. (1Timothy 4:10 NKJV)

Is your faith strong?

Is your faith battling a raging category 5 storm all around you? (Mark 4:35-41)

Is your faith taking, hit an iceberg on the water and is sinking like the Titanic?

Is your faith already sunk to the very deepest depths of the very deepest oceans?

Psalm 38:8 New American Standard Bible 1995

8 I am benumbed and [a]badly crushed;
I [b]groan because of the [c]agitation of my heart.

Psalm 143:3 New American Standard Bible 1995

3 For the enemy has persecuted my soul;
He has crushed my life to the ground;
He has made me dwell in dark places, like those who have long been dead.

Do you believe you place 100% of your trust in your God?

Consider well all the scars you privately carry where only God can find them.

What triggers those scars to come to the forefront of your heart and soul?

How fast are you triggered?

How fast do you lose focus?

Now, about how you uncharacteristically act out in response to those moments?

Then why does your faith teeter on the very brink of being shipwrecked by any crisis as Job’s wife did when she commanded of her husband to “curse God?”

Job 2:9 New American Standard Bible 1995

9 Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die!”

I have seen so many, too many, Christians that let the worlds circumstances continually beat them down, pound their souls, destroy their faith in the Lord. (Listen to the deep depths of emotion of the captives coming from Psalm 137)

Even in such times, the bible tells us that God is there through it ALL! not some.

Psalm 34:18 New American Standard Bible 1995

18 The Lord is near to the brokenhearted
And saves those who are [a]crushed in spirit.

Authentically, Realistically, consider how fragile your faith in God actually is!

Job 1:4-5 New American Standard Bible 1995

4 His sons used to go and hold a feast in the house of each one on his day, and they would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. 5 When the days of feasting had completed their cycle, Job would send and consecrate them, rising up early in the morning and offering burnt offerings according to the number of them all; for Job said, “Perhaps my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” Thus Job did continually.

Today’s prayer is that we would continually assess the fragility of our faith, always trust in the Lord no matter what the circumstance is………Be Blessed!

Proverbs 3:5-8 New American Standard Bible 1995

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart
And do not lean on your own understanding.
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He will make your paths straight.
7 Do not be wise in your own eyes;
Fear the Lord and turn away from evil.
8 It will be healing to your [a]body
And refreshment to your bones.

Trust in the Lord with all of your heart!

Lean not on your own understanding!

In all your ways acknowledge Him!

Do not be wise in your own eyes!

(Reverently) Fear the Lord and turn away from evil!

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new 2 Corinthians 5:17.

He will make your paths straight!

It will be healing to your bodies!

It will be healing to your souls!

It will be refreshment to your bones!

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 23 New American Standard Bible 1995

The Lord, the Psalmist’s Shepherd.

A Psalm of David.

23 The Lord is my shepherd,
I [a]shall not want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside [b]quiet waters.
3 He restores my soul;
He guides me in the [c]paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.

4 Even though I walk through the [d]valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no [e]evil, for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You [f]have anointed my head with oil;
My cup overflows.
6 [g]Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life,
And I will [h]dwell in the house of the Lord [i]forever.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

https://translate.google.com

Responding to Hard Circumstances: A God-Centered vs. A Man-Centered Perspective. Matthew 16:21-23

Matthew 16:21-23 New International Version

Jesus Predicts His Death

21 From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.

22 Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!”

23 Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Hard circumstances surround us about as much as air.

From a flat tire on a rainy day, to opposition from friends, to family scuffles, to grave illness, and more, we will not remain insulated from difficulty.

And our responding to the inevitable can make all the difference.

On one end, we can, by God’s grace, respond with God at the center so as to honor him.

On the other, we can respond with self at the center so as to send ourselves into a whirlpool of error and anger.

None of it is easy.

At times, we can get into patterns where unbiblical responding becomes second nature (or first).

If you have struggled like I have to maintain a God-centered perspective in struggles, you may need a biblical mirror held up to help facilitate change.

Here are a few adjustments we might need to make in our perspective as difficulty hits:

  1. Instead of thinking, “My circumstances are overwhelming,” I should think, “God’s grace will be sufficient for me in these circumstances.”

“And He has said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.’ Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me” (2 Corinthians 12:9).

If the first thing that hits us in difficulty is the magnitude of the situation’s overwhelming-ness, I may have a lower than required view of Almighty God.

Even more, I might have a nearsighted view of his sustaining grace.

  1. Rather than asking, “Why can’t these difficult people love me more?”, I should ask, “How is God loving me right now?”

“For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives” (Hebrews 12:6).

Becoming a Christian is an incredible thing.

The moment we bow the knee in faith to Jesus Christ, God the Father considers his wrath towards us quenched at the cross.

From then on, God perpetually deals with us as children (Hebrews 12:5-8).

That includes hard stuff.

God loves his children so much, that he will see to it that they are continually shaped through his loving discipline.

  1. Instead of asking, “What’s wrong with these people and circumstances?,” I could ask, “What’s wrong with my thinking about God?”

“You thought that I was just like you” (Psalm 50:21).

For better or worse, our idea of God influences all we think and do.

This is especially true in hard circumstances.

A different theology than what we profess may become clear in our less noble moments.

If I find myself chafing under difficulty, that could mean that, in those moments, my concept of God is something like a divine butler who should deliver my demands upon request.

  1. Rather than identifying how an individual is offensive to me, I should identify what about me is offensive to God.

“Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?” (Matthew 7:3)

Turning the spiritual mirror towards myself can quickly strangle the flesh in struggle.

It’s a complete perspective change in my responding; from an external focus to internal; from fleshly to spiritual; from hypocrisy to repentance.

It’s a change from looking for utopian circumstances to becoming more like Christ. It’s a shift from a man-centered to a God-centered mindset.

  1. Instead of asking, “Why does so-and-so need to make this difficult for me?”, I should ask, “How is God conforming me to Christ through this difficulty?”

“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son” (Romans 8:28-29).

Often the reason we respond wrongly to struggles is because we have an anemic understanding of biblical sanctification.

We fail to grasp how lofty, comprehensive God’s transforming plans are for us.

For the believer, everything between regeneration and glorification is about doxological sanctification.

Whether a disagreement with a family member or the apostasy of a friend, let us always ask, “How does God want to make me more like Christ through this?”

  1. Rather than asking, “What do I want to be different about this situation?”, I should ask, “What about my wants needs to be different?”

“What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members?” (James. 4:1).

What we easily forget is that conflict and struggles are big opportunities.

Though not easy, they are God-given occasions to reveal previously hard-to-see corners of our hearts.

Why is that an opportunity?

Because I am often blind to those deeper sins of motivation.

So, in hard situations I should be asking questions about my heart and its lusts; my sinful ruling desires; my object of worship in those moments.

What wants need mortifying?

  1. Instead of thinking, “Whose counsel can I seek to support what I want?” I should ask, “What godly leaders in my life should I consult about this?”

“Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you” (Hebrews. 13:17).

Counsel shopping is a favorite pastime of the erring human race.

Especially when it comes to trials, I can justify selectively searching for input.

But God’s word is clear.

Biblically qualified church leaders are put in place to guide the souls of the saints. 

Their calling to faithfulness over expedience proves valuable for us in these times.

  1. Rather than asking, “Why are these people and circumstances often so difficult?”, we should ask, “Why am I often responding with grumbling and unthankfulness to difficulty?”

“[I]n everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

This is not advocating an empty, directionless gratitude in difficulty for self-actualization purposes.

Rather, it is a God-glorifying recognition of his goodness and worth in all things.

Reasons always exist to thank God.

  1. Instead of fixating on why someone is doing what they are doing, I should fixate on the sovereignty of my good God over the circumstances.

“In the day of prosperity be happy, but in the day of adversity consider— God has made the one as well as the other so that man will not discover anything that will be after him” (Ecclesiastes 7:14).

When we frequently flare up at man in struggles, there’s a chance that we are failing to see the grander truth of God’s sovereignty in it. We are functional atheists, seeing things far more through the lens our wants than God’s glory.

  1. Instead of thinking, “My idea of what could be done here would be so much better,” we could think, “In what way am I thinking that I know better than God on how to execute his sovereign plan for the world?”

“Will the faultfinder contend with the Almighty? Let him who reproves God answer it” (Job 40:2).

It’s one thing to affirm the sovereignty of God.

It’s quite another to practice it when difficulty hits by trusting him.

We have to ask ourselves if, even inadvertently, we might be proposing to God that his sovereign plan is sub-par compared to our own.

In some sense, that is what we are saying with every act of complaining.

We could be enacting a brief coup d’état on God.

  1. Rather than asking, “How can I escape this situation and make it easier for me?”, we ought to ask, “What opportunities is God giving me to serve others in this?”

“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).

During difficulty, nothing is easier than planning our escape.

Our energy and planning easily go there.

But, a soul-shift may be needed.

Perhaps in our modern-day convenience mentality, we assume that God’s green light to serve others is only when it perfectly fits into our schedule.

However, during his days of utter difficulty, Christ maintained his impeccable servant demeanor.

It’s not that his struggles came and then he responded with, “Ok, I will settle for serving people in this.”

Instead, his difficulties were the very platforms for serving others, and all the way to the cross.

  1. Instead of looking for a way out of inconvenient situations, I could look for ways to submit to my loving Lord.

“Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7).

There is nothing wrong with wanting a trial to end.

But if our heart demeanor is always in “make-this-easier-for-me” mode, then we are worshiping an idol – we are opposing His Majesty’s lordship.

Christ demonstrated this immaculately.

His earthly ministry was fundamentally one of God-pleasing submission (Matthew 26:42).

While there will likely be deep excruciating situations in which we will have to submit to God, at no time will we have to submit to the degree that Christ did in the work of our redemption.

  1. Rather than looking for that ideal situation built around my wants I should look to please and glorify God regardless of my wants.

“Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him” (2 Corinthians 5:9).

This is the heart of worship.

Regardless of external circumstances, we resolve internally to fear God.

At the end of the day, it comes down to the fact that I am not God and he deserves my worship.

  1. Rather than worrying about who is against me, I can rest that the Chief Shepherd walks with me.

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me” (Psalm 23:4).

His Majesty does not carelessly send me into struggles.

He is compassionately leading me through them as he walks with me.

Few circumstances reveal our need for a deeper God-centered perspective than struggles.

By his grace, we can re-align our worship by seeking to respond to them in a way with God and his purposes at the center.

In doing so, we will be comforted by God’s redemptive purposes in our circumstances.

Though we don’t know all the reasons for the battles, we do know that God loves his children so much, that he will never settle for blessing them with anything less than conformity to Jesus Christ until glory.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 23 New International Version

Psalm 23

A psalm of David.

1 The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
2     He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
3     he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
    for his name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk
    through the darkest valley,[a]
I will fear no evil,
    for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
    they comfort me.

5 You prepare a table before me
    in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
    my cup overflows.
6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me
    all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
    forever.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

https://translate.google.com

Why Your Life 100% Matters to God! Luke 8:43-48

Luke 8:43-48New American Standard Bible 1995

43 And a woman who had a hemorrhage for twelve years, and could not be healed by anyone, 44 came up behind Him and touched the fringe of His [a]cloak, and immediately her hemorrhage stopped. 45 And Jesus said, “Who is the one who touched Me?” And while they were all denying it, Peter said, “Master, the [b]people are crowding and pressing in on You.” 46 But Jesus said, “Someone did touch Me, for I was aware that power had gone out of Me.” 47 When the woman saw that she had not escaped notice, she came trembling and fell down before Him, and declared in the presence of all the people the reason why she had touched Him, and how she had been immediately healed. 48 And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has [c]made you well; go in peace.”

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Our world can feel mighty big.

There are billions of humans with a unique story covering this planet.

It’s easy to feel that we are insignificant when we compare ourselves to others.

The length, breadth and depth of social media has grown this idea that I can’t compare myself to others; I’m not good enough, talented enough, rich enough, successful enough, fit enough, a good enough parent, cook, and on the list goes!

From a young age, we are inundated, socialized, with unrealistic images of perfection perpetuating the idea that we should bow out before we even begin because overall its about equality, we have nothing unique to offer our world.

This goes socially constructed image of equality is entirely against the message of the Gospel, and it is a lie the evil one uses to take us out of the game of life.

Each and every life is unique and absolutely and uniquely matters to God.

We are all ‘fearfully and wonderfully made’ as his Word tells us (Psalm 139:14).

You are profoundly important not because of what you can do but because of who you are! You are a one of kind child of God (John 1:12-13).

The world wants us to believe that production equals value, but God’s economy is entirely different.

God says identity defines our worth; the best news is that, thankfully, as his Creation, our identity is secure!

Why and How He Healed

Luke 8:43-48 The Message

43-45 In the crowd that day there was a woman who for twelve years had been afflicted with hemorrhages. She had spent every penny she had on doctors but not one had been able to help her. She slipped in from behind and touched the edge of Jesus’ robe. At that very moment her hemorrhaging stopped. Jesus said, “Who touched me?”

When no one stepped forward, Peter said, “But Master, we’ve got crowds of people on our hands. Dozens have touched you.”

46 Jesus insisted, “Someone touched me. I felt power discharging from me.”

47 When the woman realized that she couldn’t remain hidden, she knelt trembling before him. In front of all the people, she blurted out her story—why she touched him and how at that same moment she was healed.

48 Jesus said, “Daughter, you took a risk trusting me, and now you’re healed and whole. Live well, live blessed!”

When Jesus came to live among us, he brought healing.

The woman we read about today is an example of that healing power. She risked everything, it was her only option left, touched Jesus and was instantly healed.

Jesus turned around and asked who had touched him.

He had felt healing power go out from him.

The woman came forward trembling, and “in the presence of all the people, she told why she had risked everything touched him and how she had been instantly healed.” She testified to her unrelenting trust and the healing power of Christ.

If you are a Christian, you too know what it means to have trust, you too know that even though you did not touch Him you been healed by Christ in some way.

Even if you haven’t been healed physically, you have been healed spiritually.

The Bible tells us that at one time we were all dead in sin and blind to the truth of God.

As the hymn Amazing Grace states, “I once … was blind but now I see.”

We were all spiritually blind without Christ.

But he touched, healed, the eyes of our hearts (Ephesians 1:18) so we can see.

Christ also calls all of us who are Christians to give testimony to his healing power in our lives.

That isn’t always easy.

Who is it nowadays who testifies to anything but how horrible the world is?

We may be ashamed or embarrassed by the sins and character flaws that infected our hearts before Christ healed us.

But without pointing to what was wrong with us, we can’t point to his greatness and healing power.

Who is it who brings their testimony of all the ways God has always been there for them, who brings their stories of the miracles they have witnessed God do?

God calls us to live as a living sacrifice to him (Romans 12:1), which means we don’t have to offer him perfection – we just have to be faithful and hopeful too.

We just have to make ourselves available to him.

Thank God perfection is not a qualifier for him to work!

We’d all be doomed, most of all me. My sin haunts me, but God’s grace covers me.

It’s a miraculous cycle that humbly keeps me on my knees, constantly thanking God that he can do great things with what little bit of perfection I have to offer.

You matter more than you could ever imagine to your Father God.

1. We Know We Matter Because Jesus Died for Us

What would you die for?

To save your car?

Your kids’ toys?

For the ants?

Most likely, you would not die for those things because they don’t matter enough to give your life for.

We die for things that matter, or we would deem our death to be in vain.

That list gets even shorter when we consider giving up our child to die on behalf of another.

Do we believe that Jesus died in vain?

That his death lacks purpose because we are inconsequential?

When we doubt our worth, we doubt God’s Word and the work that he did on the cross. 

John 3:16 clearly tells us that God so loved us that he gave his Son so we would live eternally with Him!

The cross is a mystery.

How death, in this case, means life for me is something I continuously struggle to fully comprehend, but I do know that death is not something any living thing approaches flippantly.

Death is scary.

It’s final.

It entails suffering and loss.

It’s meaningful and serious.

While I don’t understand all of how God works, I know that giving your life for someone else is the ultimate love act here on Earth.

We can rest assured that God made us to love us because he engaged in the ultimate act of love by sacrificing himself on the cross.

John 15:13-16 New American Standard Bible 1995

13 Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are My friends if you do what I command you. 15 No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that  whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you.

2. We Know We Matter Because God Tells Us He Has Plans For Us

Jeremiah 29:11 is one of my favorite verses.

It tells us clearly that God has planned a hope-filled future for us!

He desires to see us prosper! 

Psalm 27:13 tells us that we can expect to see God’s goodness here in the land of the living. 

Matthew 6:10 declares God wants to bring Heaven down to Earth through us!

All of these Scriptures and so many more shout the truth that God has good plans for his Creation.

Unfortunately, because of the power of sin that has infiltrated the Earth, we must choose to partner with God in order to see his goodness unfold in our lives for his glory, but the invitation to enjoy his goodness now extends to everyone.

Once we are his, nothing can separate us from God’s love (Romans 8:31).

Don’t let shame, past mistakes, or self-doubt take you out of God’s plan for your life.

None of those things are too great for God to overcome!

He is able to do more than we could ask, think, or imagine (Ephesians 3:20).

It’s pride that says we are too broken to be used. God is able! He has a plan for you. Trust him and watch him work miracles in your life over and over again.

3. We Know We Matter Because We Are All a Part of the Body of Christ

1 Corinthians 12:12-27 explains that we are each a part of the body of Christ.

We all have a unique role to play that complement each other.

We are called to work in unity through the Spirit.

Just as we all have different roles, no role is less valuable!

My work as a stay-at-home husband can feel insignificant, but if I was not faithful to serve my wife and my stepson, then how would their God-ordained futures be impacted?

My wife worked in preschool with four and five year old’s for over thirty years.

While this job may not feel as holy as being a clergy or a judge or an airline pilot, if she did not rely on the Spirit to guide her at work, she would have missed out on the wholly unique chance to be a light to her young students, co-workers.

Our job is to be faithful and obedient to the call of God in our lives.

Success in any specific terms is God’s job and is out of our hands.

Remember, you matter because of who you are, not what you do.

Even if you stay home alone and do nothing all day, you matter to God because you are his.

You may get bored and repeatedly miss out on your potential, but you are still inherently valuable because you were created in the image of God, born out of his great love for us.

John 1:11-13 New American Standard Bible 1995

11 He came to His [a]own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, 13 who were [b]born, not of [c]blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

No role is too small because your just being is the gift.

Your presence is what God and those who love you long for.

As a husband, I am constantly baffled at how much my wife just want me to be around me.

It doesn’t even matter if I’m impatient or overwhelmed; she still wants to be with me as my wife.

When we are hurting at night, trying to go to bed in the dark, one thing that offers us comfort is just two of us sitting and snuggling in our room together.

Our safety or sleep conditions haven’t actually changed, but our being there together, looking at and hugging each other changes everything for us both.

That’s how it works with God.

Our being there, our remaining together, our loving each other together, for each other together with God, husband and wife absolutely changes everything.

He made you because he wants to be together with you and so to know you, me.

Just existing as his children is enough.

What is the lesson of Luke 8 48?

Jesus himself lets her know that her faith is the reason she is healed; she is not as helpless or hopeless or faithless, untouchable too as she may have thought.

Even more, her peace with God is restored.

This is the only time in Scripture where Jesus calls a woman His daughter.

The word connotes a familiarity she could never would have imagined.

The absolute truth of the Gospel is that everyone absolutely matters to God!

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 8 New American Standard Bible 1995

The Lord’s Glory and Man’s Dignity.

For the choir director; on the Gittith. A Psalm of David.

8 O Lord, our Lord,
How majestic is Your name in all the earth,
Who have [a]displayed Your splendor above the heavens!
2 From the mouth of infants and nursing babes You have established [b]strength
Because of Your adversaries,
To make the enemy and the revengeful cease.

3 When I [c]consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,
The moon and the stars, which You have [d]ordained;
4 What is man that You [e]take thought of him,
And the son of man that You care for him?
5 Yet You have made him a little lower than [f]God,
And You crown him with glory and majesty!
6 You make him to rule over the works of Your hands;
You have put all things under his feet,
7 All sheep and oxen,
And also the [g]beasts of the field,
8 The birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea,
Whatever passes through the paths of the seas.

9 O Lord, our Lord,
How majestic is Your name in all the earth!

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

https://translate.google.com/

How Galatians 1:10 Challenges Us to Please God, Not Please Other People. Galatians 1:10

Galatians 1:10 New American Standard Bible 1995

10 For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

When was the last time you asked yourself, “Am I pleasing other people or am I pleasing God?”

I would argue that the root of people pleasing is idolatry.

It is making a “god” out of ourselves and being accepted by others.

It is the idea that our greatest hope is that other created beings would approve of us and like us.

Today, we are going to be learning from Galatians 1:10 to please God above all.

Everyday Challenges to People Pleasing

Galatians 1:10 Amplified Bible

10 Am I now [a]trying to win the favor and approval of men, or of God? Or am I seeking to please someone? If I were still trying to be popular with men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ.

We face this every day.

Are we going to parent our children so they like us, or discipline and guide them because we love them?

Are we going to do what the boss and the company is asking us to do even though we know well that it is unethical, or will we risk our job for integrity?

Young people have to make these choices as well.

Are they going to bully that other kid in school, befriend or stand up for them? 

Seeking to please or appease others comes from a desire to be loved, known, and accepted.

However, when we are operating out of our true identity as believers, we are reminded of these five biblical truths:

we are chosen (1 Peter 1:2),

12 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things into which angels long to [a]look.

we are loved (John 3:16),

16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His [a]only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

we are sons and daughters of God (John 1:12-13),

12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, 13 who were [a]born, not of  [b] blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

we are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:13-14),

13 For You formed my [a]inward parts;
You wove me in my mother’s womb.
14 I will give thanks to You, for [b]I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Wonderful are Your works,
And my soul knows it very well.

and we are secure in Christ (Isaiah 41:8-10).

8 “But you, Israel, My servant,
Jacob whom I have chosen,
Descendant of Abraham My friend,
9 You whom I have [a]taken from the ends of the earth,
And called from its remotest parts
And said to you, ‘You are My servant,
I have chosen you and not rejected you.
10 ‘Do not fear, for I am with you;
Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you, surely I will help you,
Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’

Will we act like the world to be loved by the world, or will we be set apart as a witness to Jesus?

Will we honor family, friends, or even ministries more than honoring Christ?

Will we use our words to puff others up, will we declare them the truth in love?

What Then Is Love?

Matthew 22:35-40 New American Standard Bible 1995

35 One of them, [a]a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, 36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37 And He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the great and [b]foremost commandment. 39 The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”

We are called to love God first with everything.

I am a married man.

I am not partially married to my wife.

I am not only married to her on the weekdays and “take off” on the weekends.

I am forever hers, this side of heaven.

She is my covenant woman.

However, she is not Jesus.

I am not Jesus.

Jesus is my One and only First true Love.

He is the One in whom I rest in my salvation.

He is the only One who is worthy of my worship.

My marriage is a picture of Christ’s marriage to His church, however, it is a broken picture of it.

We do not have the ability to love God like Matthew 22:37-39 says, apart from the power and the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

It is impossible. 

Hebrews 11:6 says, “Now without faith it is impossible to please God, since the one who draws near to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.”

If our desire in life is to please God, Hebrews makes it clear that we do this by having faith in Him.

This is only through the power of the Holy Spirit.

To love God also means that we obey Him. 

John 14:5 says, “If you love me, keep my commands.”

We have failed at every single command from the Lord.

We know that we cannot always love Him nearly as well as He always loves us.

However, with His Spirit, we can love Him with the whole finiteness of all of our whole hearts and obey Him.

How does this affect our other relationships?

This means that our main priority in life is to please the Lord.

Does this mean that we do not love others well?

No, we are also called to love people in Matthew 22.

That means we live by the Spirit to love them well.

We invest time and energy into building community, we are connected to the church body locally, we are intentional with our time with family and friends, and we willingly choose self sacrifice to help others and care for them well.

However, any time a person or a thing creeps its way up into the throne of our hearts, we have made an idol.

It is impossible to worship God and someone else, just like it is impossible for me to be fully devoted to my wife but to “take a break” on the weekends.

We serve an all-in God.

An example of this is seen in Matthew 6 when Jesus discusses serving money and worldly possessions versus Him:

Matthew 6:24 New American Standard Bible 1995

24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and [a] wealth.

God Disciplines to Yield Fruit

Paul tells it like it is in Galatians 1:10.

He says, “If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.”

He is well aware that he has lived to please others in the past, but his new desire is to honor Jesus, his Savior, with his life.

What is your biggest struggle when it comes to pleasing others instead of God?

Think about some practical ways you do this.

It might seem small, such as, “I jump in when others gossip at work to fit in.”

Or it might be something large like, “I never tell my boss not even when I have to prioritize work over my family and faith community time and time again.”

Whatever we are struggling with right now, whatever you have struggled with in the past or whatever you are currently working through with the Spirit and God’s Word, remember through the struggles, that we are all being sanctified.

We do not have to work so hard to remain in our “people pleasing” mindsets that lead us into negative spirals – we can choose to live life in true freedom.

The beautiful part is that when we please God, there is blessing that follows.

No, it does not mean that people will not disagree with us, laugh at us, gossip about us, or even hate us.

However, we will have a confidence rooted and established on that Rock, our Fortress, our Anchor: Jesus Christ.

Psalm 18:1-3 GOD’S WORD Translation

For the choir director; by David, the servant of the Lord. He sang this song to the Lord when the Lord rescued him from all his enemies, especially from Saul. He said,

18 I love you, O Lord, my strength.
2 The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my Savior,
my God, my rock in whom I take refuge,
my shield, and the strength of my salvation,
my stronghold.
3 The Lord should be praised.
I called on him, and I was saved from my enemies.

We will know that we are living lives with internal peace and joy because we suffer with Him and for His name’s sake.

We will also love better.

We will be able to have our priorities and people in the correct places in our hearts.

This means that we will be better husbands or wives, better parents, better siblings, better children, better friends, better workers, and better people.

This might seem like a simple concept, however it is also very complex.

Psalm 139:23-24 New American Standard Bible 1995

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me and know my anxious thoughts;
24 And see if there be any [a]hurtful way in me,
And lead me in the everlasting way.

As we come to that place of surrendering our hearts and minds to the work of the Spirit, may we ask Him to search us, to test us, to reveal anything in us that is not of Him – that He might lead us onto the correct path unto His eternal life.

May we live out no other gods but Him.

Exodus 20:3 New American Standard Bible 1995

3 “You shall have no other gods [a]before Me.

May we find our identity in being children of God, may we actualize His worth far and above over our own, maximize pleasing our Heavenly Father above all.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 8 New American Standard Bible 1995

The Lord’s Glory and Man’s Dignity.

For the choir director; on the Gittith. A Psalm of David.

8 O Lord, our Lord,
How majestic is Your name in all the earth,
Who have [a]displayed Your splendor above the heavens!
2 From the mouth of infants and nursing babes You have established [b]strength
Because of Your adversaries,
To make the enemy and the revengeful cease.

3 When I [c]consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,
The moon and the stars, which You have [d]ordained;
4 What is man that You [e]take thought of him,
And the son of man that You care for him?
5 Yet You have made him a little lower than [f]God,
And You crown him with glory and majesty!
6 You make him to rule over the works of Your hands;
You have put all things under his feet,
7 All sheep and oxen,
And also the [g]beasts of the field,
8 The birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea,
Whatever passes through the paths of the seas.

9 O Lord, our Lord,
How majestic is Your name in all the earth!

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

https://translate.google.com

“O Lord, how many are my foes? Many are now rising against me!” Psalm 3

Psalm 3 New American Standard Bible 1995

Morning Prayer of Trust in God.

A Psalm of David, when [a]he fled from Absalom his son.

3 O Lord, how my adversaries have increased!
Many are rising up against me.
2 Many are saying [b]of my soul,
“There is no [c]deliverance for him in God.” [d]Selah.

3 But You, O Lord, are a shield about me,
My glory, and the One who lifts my head.
4 I was crying to the Lord with my voice,
And He answered me from His holy [e]mountain. Selah.
5 [f]I lay down and slept;
I awoke, for the Lord sustains me.
6 I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people
Who have set themselves against me round about.

7 Arise, O Lord; save me, O my God!
For You [g]have smitten all my enemies on the [h]cheek;
You [i]have shattered the teeth of the wicked.
8 [j]Salvation belongs to the Lord;
Your blessing [k]be upon Your people! Selah.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

When Opposition Comes (and It Will)

Of all the things that are uncertain in this life, there is something we can be sure of—opposition.

Opposition will always come, in one form or another, and we won’t always be prepared for it.

In the work place, it may come as a challenge to our ideas or strategies.

In our families, it may be against our parenting styles, it may be a retaliation against our principles, it may be the children demanding their own bedtimes.

And in faith, as Jesus lived, opposition may come as a mockery or even a threat.

King David truly knew the severity of opposition and experienced it regularly throughout his reign. More than once, he fled into the mountains, fearing for his life. Frequently, he cried out to God over the extreme opposition he faced.

The title of Psalm 3 is “A Psalm of David When he fled from his son Absalom.”

“Many are my foes! Many are rising against me!”

David’s experiences with his adversaries were most likely far greater than anything we have experienced or will experience.

But no matter what, we can be sure of this: God is our Great Defender.

There is no greater defense than that of our Father in heaven.

And He urges us to allow Him to deal with our opposer instead of taking matters into our own hands.

Faith—Overcoming Evil

Romans 12:17-21 New American Standard Bible 1995

17 Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. [a]Respect what is right in the sight of all men. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. 19 Never take your own revenge, beloved, but [b]leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. 20 “But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

If you’re anything like me, it’s easy to jump into “defense” mode.

It can be difficult to let things roll off my back, especially when I feel wronged.

Yet, so often in my rehearsed plans of retaliation, I sense the gentle voice of the Spirit saying, “Peace…be still. Let Me go before you in this.”

It began as a peaceful march to protest the killing of George Floyd.

But as the darkness deepened, it became a dark night of riotous behavior.

Images of angry people smashing store fronts, of police cars ablaze, and of businesses going up in flames brought me to my knees in earnest prayer and disturbed my anxious sleep. What I saw was way beyond bad, frightening, evil.

In the morning I checked as much of the news as I could access by internet.

The rioters were gone, but they had left a disturbing mess: smashed windows, burned cars, rocks and bricks and vile graffiti, sad ruins in the heart of the city.

A reporter surveying the damage approached a young mother with two children.

He asked her, “Why are you here this morning?” She said, “We saw the news; we decided that this city needs someone to show the love of God.”

Others were there too—sweeping glass shards, trying to restore order to chaos.

The mom and her children, who were perhaps about 5 and 7 years old, were there with buckets, their brushes and soap, trying to erase stubborn graffiti.

To me, they sacrificed their time, they brought some light into the darkness, some of God’s love into a broken place where the evidence of evil was very real.

In that mother and her little ones, I saw the presence of the resurrected Jesus.

She and her children were being the church, Christ’s body—overcoming evil by doing good.

As I watched, my anger was transformed, replaced by warm and grateful tears welled up from within me in a prayer of thanks to God.

When we surrender our will to the Father, no matter how justified we feel, there will be an unexplainable peace that comes.

Surrendering all of our “fists-in-the-air” attitudes and plans of pay-back will always result in a better outcome—an outcome that is surrounded by certainty that reminds us, “God’s got this.”

The more we live out our faith in Christ, the more people will oppose what they don’t fully understand.

It’s a way of retaliating against something that challenges them in some way.

If you and I are actively living out our faith, walking in the fruit of the Spirit and showing God’s love, that will be a challenge for some.

And in that challenge, we may find ourselves greatly opposed.

Harsh words, divisive questions, and rude comments might be the ways in which people come against us.

But just as David, in Psalm 3, took those oppositions to the Lord, we, too, can release them to our Mighty Defender.

Psalm 3:3-6 New American Standard Bible 1995

3 But You, O Lord, are a shield about me,
My glory, and the One who lifts my head.
4 I was crying to the Lord with my voice,
And He answered me from His holy [a]mountain. Selah.
5 [b]I lay down and slept;
I awoke, for the Lord sustains me.
6 I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people
Who have set themselves against me round about.

For in the end, as David knew from vast measures and degrees of experience his whole life long, God, and only God, can right those wrongs of unjust opposition.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 121 New American Standard Bible 1995

The Lord the Keeper of Israel.

A Song of Ascents.

121 I will lift up my eyes to the mountains;
From where shall my help come?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
Who made heaven and earth.
3 He will not allow your foot to slip;
He who keeps you will not slumber.
4 Behold, He who keeps Israel
Will neither slumber nor sleep.

5 The Lord is your keeper;
The Lord is your shade on your right hand.
6 The sun will not smite you by day,
Nor the moon by night.
7 The Lord will [a]protect you from all evil;
He will keep your soul.
8 The Lord will [b]guard your going out and your coming in
From this time forth and forever.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

https://translate.google.com

“Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me.” Matthew 11:28-30

Matthew 11:28-30 New American Standard Bible 1995

28 “Come to Me, all [a]who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is [b]easy and My burden is light.”

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Making and Taking An Opportunity to Learn

What does a parent ask their children after they come home from school?

Some will ask, “Did you learn anything today?”

But many more will say something like, “Did you have fun outside today?”

With regard to schooling, perhaps it does not matter much which question is asked and which priority is therefore being revealed.

But the same question is often asked about church: Did we have fun at church today? What did we enjoy church today? Did God bring us our happiness today?

Instead, we should be asking, “What are we learning of and from Jesus?”

Jesus gives us the great privilege of having the opportunity to learn from Him.

Throughout the Gospels, He speaks in a way that addresses life’s big questions:

Who am I?

Where did I come from?

Why am I here?

Where am I going?

Does life even matter?

Why does life even matter anymore?

Studying Jesus through the Word of God for His Children, Praying to God the Father, knowing Christ as personal Lord and Savior changes the way someone approaches and thinks about these big topics which rest on everyone’s mind.

It refreshes, transforms their perspective on time, on resources, on career, on that kind of person they want to marry or the kind of spouse they want to be.

It does this because to know Jesus truly is to invite Him to be the authority in your life, your family’s and friends. Everything changes as we learn from Him.

Ours or anyone else’s coming to Jesus begins with learning that Christ died for sins once and for all, the righteous (that’s Him) for the unrighteous (that’s us), to reconcile us to God (Romans 5:8-10, 1 Peter 3:18)—and responding to that.

Simply having a head knowledge of this is not sufficient nor equal to believing it, utterly trusting it, and being happily yoked to the one who offers us all this.

Surely, we all know people who are trying to unscramble the riddle of their lives, putting the pieces of the largest jigsaw puzzles in all history together as best they can, and we’ve all been in the same position looking at all our pieces.

But until we are willing to learn from God, the pieces will not fit.

But now we can truly know God, not because of our intellectual prowess but because God chooses to make Himself known through the truth of His word.

Are you and I fully willing to learn from Jesus in every area of our lives?

Do you see it as a privilege, and not a burden, to follow His teaching and place yourself under His authority?

Be sure to seize every opportunity to learn real gospel truth, and may it cut deep into your soul, satisfy your heart’s longings and transform your life day by day.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 23 New American Standard Bible 1995

The Lord, the Psalmist’s Shepherd.

A Psalm of David.

23 The Lord is my shepherd,
I [a]shall not want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside [b]quiet waters.
3 He restores my soul;
He guides me in the [c]paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.

4 Even though I walk through the [d]valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no [e]evil, for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You [f]have anointed my head with oil;
My cup overflows.
6 [g]Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life,
And I will [h]dwell in the house of the Lord [i]forever.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

https://translate.google.com

Stuck in Life? Never Give Up through the Unanswered Prayers! Luke 18:1-8

Luke 18:1-8 New American Standard Bible 1995

Parables on Prayer

18 Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart, 2 saying, “In a certain city there was a judge who did not fear God and did not respect man. 3 There was a widow in that city, and she kept coming to him, saying, ‘[a]Give me legal protection from my opponent.’ 4  For a while he was unwilling; but afterward he said to himself, ‘Even though I do not fear God nor respect man, 5 yet because this widow bothers me, I will [b] give her legal protection, otherwise by continually coming she will [c]wear me out.’” 6 And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge *said; 7 now, will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night, [d]and will He delay long over them? 8 I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find [e]faith on the earth?”

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Have you ever been stuck?

Not behind a massive traffic jam, or in the mud or a blizzard or snow drift – but stuck in life – you cannot go backwards, the present is super glued to the floors.

Imagine you have an adversary who is making your life extremely difficult.

Certified letters come in the mail, and you are summoned to a court hearing.

You receive a letter in the mail and it is the tax man wondering about the math.

You are in a job, there is either no or very limited prospects for advancement.

You are a Pastor and your church is not growing, the congregation is dwindling, the building is in need of uncountable numbers of both minor and major repairs and there is little to no prospect of the budget supporting repairs and the salary.

Pick your own scenario and create that one worst possible story surrounding it.

You have prayed, and it seems that God is not acting on your behalf.

You ask God, “If you are my Father, why don’t you help me?”

In the court room, the judge adds insults to your injury and has no empathy for you – you know the tax man will not be any kind of empathetic or sympathetic.

Where do you turn?

Jesus told a parable about a woman in a situation like that, to show his followers that they should “always pray and not give up.”

The woman wanted what was rightfully hers.

And yet she appeared to be powerless, without money or connections to bail her out, and she lost case after case – but she still continued to bother the judge.

This harsh judge, who didn’t care what God or people thought, relented, finally surrendered and acted on her behalf, and she received what was rightfully hers.

In the midst of hopelessness in this world, Jesus promises hope in a far greater courtroom, where he defends his own.

He says,

“Will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly.”

Followers of Christ are called to be persistent in the midst of adversity, for we have a mighty Advocate who comes to our defense!

Never Give Up through Unanswered Prayers

Luke 18:1-8 The Message

The Story of the Persistent Widow

18 1-3 Jesus told them a story showing that it was necessary for them to pray consistently and never quit. He said, “There was once a judge in some city who never gave God a thought and cared nothing for people. A widow in that city kept after him: ‘My rights are being violated. Protect me!’

4-5 “He never gave her the time of day. But after this went on and on he said to himself, ‘I care nothing what God thinks, even less what people think. But because this widow won’t quit badgering me, I’d better do something and see that she gets justice—otherwise I’m going to end up beaten black-and-blue by her pounding.’”

6-8 Then the Master said, “Do you hear what that judge, corrupt as he is, is saying? So what makes you think God won’t step in and work justice for his chosen people, who continue to cry out for help? Won’t he stick up for them? I assure you, he will. He will not drag his feet. But how much of that kind of persistent faith will the Son of Man find on the earth when he returns?”

Some believe if you ask God once, you don’t need to ask Him again.

However, Jesus taught His disciples to always pray and not give up (Luke 18:1).

In one of His parables on prayer, Jesus proposed what you might do if a friend comes to you in the middle of the night seeking food for an unexpected guest.

You might be tempted to tell him to go away because it’s late, and you and your family are in bed.

However, because he’s your friend and has so boldly approached and asked you for help, you most likely will get up and give him all He needs (Luke 11:5-8).

Luke 11:5-8 New American Standard Bible 1995

5 Then He said to them, “[a]Suppose one of you has a friend, and goes to him at midnight and says to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves; 6 for a friend of mine has come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; 7 and from inside he answers and says, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been shut and my children [b]and I are in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.’ 8 I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his [c]persistence he will get up and give him as much as he needs.

In summing it up, Jesus said, 

“So I say to you; Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; know and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened” (Luke 11: 9,10).

Jesus tells in another parable of a godless judge’s dealings with a widow who refused to accept his unwillingness to grant her justice from her adversary.

After relentlessly pursuing the judge with her case, he gave into her merely because she refused to give up.

To His followers, Jesus reassures that if an unjust judge who doesn’t fear God will bring about justice to a widow simply because she kept bothering him, how much more will God do for His chosen ones who cry out to Him day and night?(Luke 18:2-8).

Philippians 2:1-4 New American Standard Bible 1995

Be Like Christ

2 Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any [a]affection and compassion, 2 make my joy complete [b]by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. 3 Do nothing [c]from [d] selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind  regard one another as more important than yourselves; 4 do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.

Jesus also urges in Matthew 7:7 to, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”

So instead of seeing unanswered prayer as a reason to stop praying, view it as a motivator to not ever give up.

As Romans 12:9-13 admonishes us …

Romans 12:9-13 New American Standard Bible 1995

9 Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; [a]give preference to one another in honor; 11 not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; 12  rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, 13 contributing to the needs of the [b]saints, [c]practicing hospitality.

As Thessalonians 5:17 encourages, “Pray continually.”

Keep Praying!

If you’ve been struggling with unanswered prayers, find comfort in knowing God has not forgotten you.

So instead of withdrawing from Him when it seems like He isn’t answering, consider what He might be teaching you during these times, knowing as you draw closer to Him, He will draw closer to you (James 4:8).

How Can We Get Close to God?

James 4:8 New American Standard Bible 1995

8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

What do you do when you can’t find God?

The Christian author C. S. Lewis searched for God during the illness of his wife without finding him.

In his book A Grief Observed, Lewis wrote, “Meanwhile, where is God? … Go to him when your need is desperate … and what do you find? A door slammed in your face, and a sound of bolting and double-bolting on the inside. After that, silence. You may as well turn away.”

Many believers have searched for God without being able to find him.

David, who wrote of the wonderful comfort of God in Psalm 23, also cried out in Psalm 22:1, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Jesus said those same words on the cross (Matthew 27:46).

If for some reason you can’t seem to find God, let him know you can’t find him—and then listen.

God is right where he always is.

C.S. Lewis found that perhaps his own cries deafened him “to the voice [he] hoped to hear.”

He wrote later, “I have gradually been coming to feel that the door is no longer shut and bolted. Was it my own frantic need that slammed it in my face?”

Accept God’s invitation: “Come near to God and he will come near to you.”

Come as you are, empty handed, with weary souls, and with a simple prayer.

Psalm 23 Authorized (King James) Version

Psalm 23

A Psalm of David.

1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:
he leadeth me beside the still waters.
3 He restoreth my soul:
he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil: for thou art with me;
thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies:
thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life:
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

God is where we are.

Says Jesus in John 6:37, “Whoever comes to me I will never drive away.”

It’s a sure promise!

Do You Believe This?

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 13 New American Standard Bible 1995

Prayer for Help in Trouble.

For the choir director. A Psalm of David.

13 How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever?
How long will You hide Your face from me?
2 How long shall I take counsel in my soul,
Having sorrow in my heart all the day?
How long will my enemy be exalted over me?

3 Consider and answer me, O Lord my God;
Enlighten my eyes, or I will sleep the sleep of death,
4 And my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,”
And my adversaries will rejoice when I am shaken.

5 But I have trusted in Your lovingkindness;
My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation.
6 I will sing to the Lord,
Because He has dealt bountifully with me.

Lord Jesus, thank you for giving us hope in our dark times as we wrestle against adversaries. Hear our prayer and act quickly on our behalf. Lord our God, show us your presence in our lives. Savior Jesus, Help us to trust that you will never let go of us. BFF Jesus, As you have always promised, you will never forsake us. Alleluia Amen

https://translate.google.com

Seek An Undivided Heart. Psalm 86:11

Psalm 86:11-13 New International Version

11 Teach me your way, Lord,
    that I may rely on your faithfulness;
give me an undivided heart,
    that I may fear your name.
12 I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart;
    I will glorify your name forever.
13 For great is your love toward me;
    you have delivered me from the depths,
    from the realm of the dead.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

In today’s societies very few people have an undivided heart.

They seek many different things all at the same time.

Often they are loyal to something for a moment, then a few days later they drop that loyalty and begin to be loyal to something else.

Pick up any magazine at the drug store, notice the incredible diversity of their titles and their incredible efforts at maximizing their front cover graphics to draw your attention only to them – fads come and go constantly with change.

These can be found in the multiple things people do, play with, listen to, or use.

What is popular today, soon becomes old tomorrow because of divided hearts.

People will genuinely struggle with what they really want to aim for.

They want a little bit of everything and often end up with a whole lot of nothing, because they are uncertain of their priorities, badly divided in their loyalties.

Psalm 86:11 David prayed to God, David wanted God to teach him His way, so that he would be able to know and rely solely upon God’s great faithfulness.

Considering all of the intrigue which surrounded his day to day life, He wanted to have a undivided heart that would be fully dedicated to God and God alone.

While the world struggles with divided hearts, many believers also struggle.

They struggle with whether or not to fight for things to provide for themselves and have their kind of fun, or to follow, trust in God alone for what they need.

The sinful nature inevitably rises up inside of many, causing them to become impatient with themselves and God and so want to go back to old sinful ways.

They become divided in their hearts, seeking to find success, or pleasure in sinful ways, rather than seeking purpose and life in God and His ways alone.

Going back and forth like this, causes a divided heart.

Directional Faith

James 1:5-8 New International Version

5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. 6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.

God has a way of changing us deeply through various crisis points in our lives.

But what happens when God strings together a long series of crisis points?

Eventually the trail of change-points will lead somewhere, like stepping-stones crossing a river.

As we realize this, our collection of snapshot crises starts to become a movie with a story line.

But how does one tell where the story is supposed to be going?

That’s not easy.

God assures us that he has plans for our lives, but it can be hard to tell where those plans might lead.

Sometimes it would be nice to have a burning-bush episode like Moses had—something concrete we could see through the fog of life’s busyness (Exodus 3).

Why is it so difficult to determine God’s direction for our lives?

Sometimes it’s simply because we forget to ask.

It’s surprisingly easy to charge into the events of a day without bothering to ask God what he wants from us that day.

Sometimes that can prompt God to allow a minor crisis to pop up as a wake-up call to pull our attention back to him.

When was the last time you asked God to show you his plans for your day?

How about asking him right now?

Why?

Because …

A divided heart make a person lukewarm, whom God will in the end reject.

The believer needs to be sold out to God alone, focused on serving Him alone.

Jesus said there cannot be two masters, but only one–God.

Examine your life and see where your loyalty lies.

What is it that you are focused on, you are aiming towards?

Seek to know God and His way for your life.

Trust in His faithfulness alone.

As you find satisfaction in serving God, you will be able to live for God alone. 

In living for God alone, you will no longer have a divided heart that goes back to the old sinful ways.

Temptation to live in sin will lose its grip upon you when you are sold-out to God alone. 

Ask God to reveal His faithfulness to you and to give you an undivided heart that will be loyal to Him.

I pray today that you the reader will know the faithfulness of God; that God will reveal His path for your life; that you the reader will trust in God alone; that you will have a heart sold out to God; and that God will give you an undivided heart. 

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 19 New American Standard Bible 1995

The Works and the Word of God.

For the choir director. A Psalm of David.

19 The heavens are telling of the glory of God;
And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.
2 Day to day pours forth speech,
And night to night reveals knowledge.
3 There is no speech, nor are there words;
Their voice is not heard.
4 Their [a]line has gone out through all the earth,
And their utterances to the end of the world.
In them He has placed a tent for the sun,
5 Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber;
It rejoices as a strong man to run his course.
6 Its rising is from [b]one end of the heavens,
And its circuit to the [c]other end of them;
And there is nothing hidden from its heat.

7 The law of the Lord is [d]perfect, restoring the soul;
The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.
8 The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.
9 The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the Lord are true; they are righteous altogether.
10 They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.
11 Moreover, by them Your servant is warned;
In keeping them there is great reward.
12 Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults.
13 Also keep back Your servant from presumptuous sins;
Let them not rule over me;
Then I will be [e]blameless,
And I shall be acquitted of great transgression.
14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

https://translate.google.com

Practices that Sustain Community: Living Truthfully. Psalm 86:11-13

Psalm 86:11-13 New American Standard Bible 1995

11 Teach me Your way, O Lord;
I will walk in Your truth;
Unite my heart to fear Your name.
12 I will give thanks to You, O Lord my God, with all my heart,
And will glorify Your name forever.
13 For Your lovingkindness toward me is great,
And You have delivered my soul from the [a]depths of [b]Sheol.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

It’s another beautiful day to gather together, to connect, to learn, and to grow in our faith.

This devotion explores the importance of embracing and living in truth, as it shapes our lives, guides us, and ultimately sets us free.

Today, we are here to talk about living with truth and authenticity in our Christian lives.

Now, I know that’s a big topic.

It’s something we all grapple with, in big ways and small.

But it’s also something that’s so crucial to our faith, to our walk with God, and to our relationships with each other.

The late great Christian author, Ethicist, Dr. Christine D. Pohl said it well:

“We don’t always notice how profoundly our expectations, desires, and practices are … shaped by our culture. We bring the values of self-actualization, individual success, consumption, and personal freedom—and the choices that result from them—to church life, just as we bring them into family and work. . . This is not a promising recipe for strong or lasting communities.”

And how true that is.

We bring many false narratives from the world into our community here.

We bring the values and the ideologies of a culture that is far from God into a community that is meant to represent the nature of God.

A community of forgiveness, kindness, and truth-telling.

Let’s take a look at the Scriptures that will guide our devotion today.

The first is from Psalm 86:11, “Teach me your way, Lord, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.”

The second is from John 8:31-32, “To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, ‘If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.'”

These passages remind us that truth isn’t just something we know.

It’s something we live.

It’s something we hold to.

It’s something that shapes us and frees us.

It’s something that God teaches us, and something that we’re called to live out in our lives and in our communities.

So, let’s talk about the importance of living truthfully…

The Importance of Living Truthfully

Living truthfully is a calling that echoes throughout the Scriptures.

It’s a calling that’s woven into the very fabric of our faith.

It’s a calling that’s as relevant today as it was two thousand years ago.

It’s a calling that challenges us, that shapes us, that frees us.

When we think about living truthfully, we often think about honesty.

We think about telling the truth, about not lying or deceiving.

And that’s certainly part of it.

But living truthfully is about so much more than just honesty.

It’s also about authenticity.

It’s also about integrity.

It’s about being true to who we are, to who God has created us to be.

In Psalm 86:11, the psalmist prays, “Teach me your way, Lord, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.”

This is a prayer for truthfulness.

It’s a prayer for a heart that’s undivided, a heart that’s fully committed to God, a heart that’s authentic and true.

And then in John 8:31-32, Jesus tells his followers,

“If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

Here, Jesus is talking about a truth that’s more than just facts or information.

He’s talking about a truth that’s lived, a truth that’s embodied, a truth that unleashes us, a truth sets us free.

So, what does this look like in our lives?

How do we live truthfully?

First, living truthfully means living with integrity.

Integrity is about being the same person in all situations.

It’s about being the same person on Sunday morning as you are on Saturday night and continuing being that self same person on Monday thru Friday too.

It’s about being the same person in public as you are in private.

It’s about living in a way that’s consistent with our beliefs, with our values, with our faith.

Second, living truthfully means living authentically.

Authenticity is about being true to who we are.

It’s about not pretending, not putting on a mask, not trying to be someone or something we’re not.

It’s about being gut honest with ourselves, with God, and with others about our strengths, our weaknesses, our successes, our failures, our hopes, our fears.

Third, living truthfully means living transparently.

Transparency is about being open, being vulnerable, being real.

It’s about letting others see us as we really are, not as we wish we were. It’s about sharing our struggles, our doubts, our questions, our joys, our victories.

Finally, living truthfully means living faithfully.

Being faith-filled, faithful to God, the Father, God the Son, and Holy Spirit.

Faithfulness is about being true to our commitments, our promises, our word.

It’s about being reliable, being trustworthy, being dependable.

It’s about showing up, sticking it out, staying the course.

Living truthfully is not even minimally easy.

It’s not even minimally comfortable.

It’s not even minimally convenient.

But it’s absolutely, maximally, utterly, worth it.

It’s worth it because it’s what we’re called to do.

It’s worth it because it’s what brings us closer to God.

It’s worth it because it’s what sets us free.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Dear Heavenly Father, we come before you today, eager to learn, eager to grow. We ask that you would guide our conversations, that you would open our hearts to your truth, and that you would help us to live it out in our lives. We ask for your wisdom, your guidance, and your love as we study, talk about these important topics. Amen.

A Psalm of Supplication and Trust.

A Prayer of David.

86 Incline Your ear, O Lord, and answer me;
For I am afflicted and needy.
2 Preserve my [a]soul, for I am a godly man;
O You my God, save Your servant who trusts in You.
3 Be gracious to me, O Lord,
For to You I cry all day long.
4 Make glad the soul of Your servant,
For to You, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
5 For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive,
And abundant in lovingkindness to all who call upon You.
6 Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer;
And give heed to the voice of my supplications!
7 In the day of my trouble I shall call upon You,
For You will answer me.
8 There is no one like You among the gods, O Lord,
Nor are there any works like Yours.
9 All nations whom You have made shall come and worship before You, O Lord,
And they shall glorify Your name.
10 For You are great and do [b]wondrous deeds;
You alone are God.

11 Teach me Your way, O Lord;
I will walk in Your truth;
Unite my heart to fear Your name.
12 I will give thanks to You, O Lord my God, with all my heart,
And will glorify Your name forever.
13 For Your lovingkindness toward me is great,
And You have delivered my soul from the [c]depths of [d]Sheol.

14 O God, arrogant men have risen up against me,
And [e]a band of violent men have sought my [f]life,
And they have not set You before them.
15 But You, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious,
Slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness and [g]truth.
16 Turn to me, and be gracious to me;
Oh grant Your strength to Your servant,
And save the son of Your handmaid.
17 Show me a sign for good,
That those who hate me may see it and be ashamed,
Because You, O Lord, have helped me and comforted me.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

https://translate.google.com

God Promises Freedom. Galatians 5:1

Galatians 5:1-15 English Standard Version

Christ Has Set Us Free

5 For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.

2 Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. 3 I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. 4 You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified[a] by the law; you have fallen away from grace. 5 For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.

7 You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? 8 This persuasion is not from him who calls you. 9 A little leaven leavens the whole lump. 10 I have confidence in the Lord that you will take no other view, and the one who is troubling you will bear the penalty, whoever he is. 11 But if I, brothers,[b] still preach [c] circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been removed. 12 I wish those who unsettle you would emasculate themselves!

13 For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. 14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Freedom Found in Faith

As we immerse ourselves in the profound wisdom of Apostle Paul’s letter to the Galatians, we are immediately confronted with the idea of liberty.

This liberty, Paul tells us, is not a worldly freedom, but a spiritual one.

It’s a freedom that Christ has granted us, a freedom that we are urged to stand firm in.

This is not a freedom that comes from our own efforts or deeds, but a freedom that is found in faith.

In the world we live in, we often associate freedom with the ability to do as we please.

But the freedom that Paul speaks of is not a license for self-indulgence.

It’s a freedom from the bondage of sin, a freedom from the law, a freedom that allows us to live in the Spirit.

This freedom is not something we earn or achieve, but something we receive through faith in Christ.

Paul warns us not to become entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

This bondage, he explains, is the law.

The law, in this context, refers to the Old Testament laws that the Jews were required to follow.

These laws were numerous and meticulous, covering every aspect of life.

But they were also impossible to keep perfectly.

As a result, those who tried to live by the law were constantly in a state of guilt and condemnation.

But Christ has set us free from this bondage.

Through His death and resurrection, He has fulfilled the law on our behalf.

We are no longer required to live by the law, but by faith in Christ.

This faith is not a passive belief, but an active trust in Christ’s finished work on the cross.

It’s a faith that acknowledges our inability to save ourselves and our total dependence on Christ for salvation.

As we live by this faith, we experience a freedom that is both liberating and transforming.

We are liberated from the guilt and condemnation of the law, and we are transformed into the likeness of Christ.

This transformation is not a result of our own efforts, but the work of the Holy Spirit in us.

As we yield to the Holy Spirit, we begin to bear the fruit of the Spirit, which includes these: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23)

This freedom, however, is not an excuse for self-indulgence.

Paul warns us not to use our freedom as an opportunity for the flesh.

The flesh, in this context, refers to our sinful nature, our natural inclination to sin.

If we use our freedom as an excuse to indulge in sinful behaviors, we are not truly living in the freedom that Christ has given us.

Instead, we are abusing this freedom and turning it into a form of bondage.

Instead, Paul urges us to use our freedom to serve one another in love.

This is the essence of Christian freedom.

It’s not freedom for self, but freedom for others.

It’s a freedom that compels us to love our neighbors as ourselves, to put their needs above our own, to serve them with the love of Christ.

This is the freedom that Christ has called us to, a freedom that is found in faith, a freedom that is lived out in love.

True Faith Leads to Freedom Leads to Humble Service

Galatians 5:13-15 The Message

13-15 It is absolutely clear that God has called you to a free life. Just make sure that you don’t use this freedom as an excuse to do whatever you want to do and destroy your freedom. Rather, use your freedom to serve one another in love; that’s how freedom grows. For everything we know about God’s Word is summed up in a single sentence: Love others as you love yourself. That’s an act of true freedom. If you bite and ravage each other, watch out—in no time at all you will be annihilating each other, and where will your precious freedom be then?

Paul was astonished at how quickly the Galatian believers were giving up on the gospel he had brought.

And it wasn’t for an easier freedom; people were going back to being burdened with rules and rituals.

Apostle Paul’s message: the freedom bought by Christ’s blood must not be forsaken so quickly and so readily.

It’s infinitely too precious!

It’s a freedom designed to lead to showing Christ’s love to others by humbly serving in whatever ways we are gifted.

Living as people who are freed in Christ, we’re called to walk the “narrow road,” avoiding the ditches of legalism on one side. lawlessness on the other.

Either ditch leads us astray.

Either ditch leads us directly into the stagnant waters and the mud within it.

There might even me a million mosquitos per square inch and a snake or two!

Freed from sin’s yoke, we’re free to serve neighbors—showing Christ’s love!

In doing so, we humbly honor God for the precious freedom we have in Christ.

When we serve one another in love, we’re following Christ’s example and we are obeying his command (John 13:34-35).

John 13:34-35 New American Standard Bible 1995

34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

This can include a willingness to literally go the extra mile and take someone to an appointment for example.

Or to mentor a teenager, young adult, or do outreach, or teach Sunday school.

Or to serve in another way we are gifted.

Fueled by grace, our freedom leads to serving others gracefully.

Led by God’s Spirit, we’ll find ways to express our freedom by being a blessing.

And in doing so, we too are blessed!

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 40 The Message

40 1-3 I waited and waited and waited for God.
    At last he looked; finally he listened.
He lifted me out of the ditch,
    pulled me from deep mud.
He stood me up on a solid rock
    to make sure I wouldn’t slip.
He taught me how to sing the latest God-song,
    a praise-song to our God.
More and more people are seeing this:
    they enter the mystery,
    abandoning themselves to God.

4-5 Blessed are you who give yourselves over to God,
    turn your backs on the world’s “sure thing,”
    ignore what the world worships;
The world’s a huge stockpile
    of God-wonders and God-thoughts.
Nothing and no one
    compares to you!
I start talking about you, telling what I know,
    and quickly run out of words.
Neither numbers nor words
    account for you.

6 Doing something for you, bringing something to you—
    that’s not what you’re after.
Being religious, acting pious—
    that’s not what you’re asking for.
You’ve opened my ears
    so I can listen.

7-8 So I answered, “I’m coming.
    I read in your letter what you wrote about me,
And I’m coming to the party
    you’re throwing for me.”
That’s when God’s Word entered my life,
    became part of my very being.

9-10 I’ve preached you to the whole congregation,
    I’ve kept back nothing, God—you know that.
I didn’t keep the news of your ways
    a secret, didn’t keep it to myself.
I told it all, how dependable you are, how thorough.
    I didn’t hold back pieces of love and truth
For myself alone. I told it all,
    let the congregation know the whole story.

11-12 Now God, don’t hold out on me,
    don’t hold back your passion.
Your love and truth
    are all that keeps me together.
When troubles ganged up on me,
    a mob of sins past counting,
I was so swamped by guilt
    I couldn’t see my way clear.
More guilt in my heart than hair on my head,
    so heavy the guilt that my heart gave out.

13-15 Soften up, God, and intervene;
    hurry and get me some help,
So those who are trying to kidnap my soul
    will be embarrassed and lose face,
So anyone who gets a kick out of making me miserable
    will be heckled and disgraced,
So those who pray for my ruin
    will be booed and jeered without mercy.

16-17 But all who are hunting for you—
    oh, let them sing and be happy.
Let those who know what you’re all about
    tell the world you’re great and not quitting.
And me? I’m a mess. I’m nothing and have nothing:
    make something of me.
You can do it; you’ve got what it takes—
    but God, don’t put it off.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

https://translate.google.com