Is God:
God the Father?
Jesus the Son?
The Holy Spirit?
All three in one?
Yes!

Choosing to follow Jesus is a three-in-one decision: You are accepting the invitation through Jesus (the Son of God) to become a child of God the Father, filled with the Holy Spirit, and empowered to live as a daughter or son of God. God is three in one.

We can see God reflected this way, as the Trinity, all throughout the Bible. The Spirit of God was present with God the Father from the beginning of Creation, as seen in the first two sentences of the Bible.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. Genesis 1:1-2 NIV

Later, the author of John retells the story of Creation. This time, Jesus is also mentioned and the author refers to Him as God’s Word. You’ll definitely want to get a Bible or download the Bible App from YouVersion to read all of the book of John soon. Here are few verses from John 1 that describe the three parts of God’s being:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. ... to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God ... The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. ... No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known. ... “‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One." - John 1:1-2, 12, 14, 18, 33-34 NIV

That’s a lot. Here’s the takeaway: Jesus, God the Father, and the Holy Spirit are One, and Jesus came not just to show us what God is like, but to give us direct access to the Father forever, through the Holy Spirit.

Pray with your own words, or try these:
God, help me to know You as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Father, You are my Provider. Jesus, You are my Savior. Holy Spirit, You are my Guide. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Yesterday we ended with prayer, and today we’ll start with it. God likes hearing from us anytime.

Pray with your own words, or try these:
God, thank You for the gift of salvation: saving me from myself and bringing me into a healing relationship with You. Use Your love to shape me today, in the coming weeks, and for the rest of my life. I’m trusting You to make me new. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Christians finish prayers in Jesus’ name because this is one of the ways Jesus told us to pray. We’re able to connect with God on a first-name basis because of Jesus’ sacrifice for our sins. And we need this kind of connection if we’re going to live our lives His way and become more like Him.

Jesus lived His life with integrity. He loved His enemies, pushed back against injustice, and welcomed people that culture rejected. After we say yes to Jesus, we start the lifelong process of following Him. So, over time, we begin taking on those same traits. In fact, when Jesus summed up all of the commandments in the Bible, He asked us to love God with all we are and to love our neighbors as ourselves.

But is that process automatic, or is it something we have a role in making happen? It’s not one or the other—it’s both.

When he served as a sacrifice for our sins, he solved the sin problem for good—not only ours, but the whole world’s. … This is the only way to be sure we’re in God. Anyone who claims to be intimate with God ought to live the same kind of life Jesus lived. 1 John 2:2, 5-6 MSG

Becoming more like Jesus is a process. God does the heavy lifting, but we can partner with Him in the work He’s doing. And for the rest of our journey together, we’re going to look at three ways we can do that:

• Learning some of the basics of following Jesus—Who is God? What does it look like to talk to God and learn more about Him? What are some good next steps we can take? We’ll spend the rest of this week answering important questions like these.

• Living like Jesus lived—During Jesus’ time on Earth, He modeled many ways of living that can bring us closer to God, help us connect with Him, and live like Him. These are called spiritual practices. We’ll spend week two exploring some of these practices.

• Loving like Jesus loved—Nothing makes us grow more like Jesus than loving like He loved. During week three, we’ll take a look at what it means to put Jesus’ love into practice.
  

Pause to Consider
Which parts of my life do I hope God will make new? How do I want to partner with God to care for others and the world around me?

You said yes to Jesus—and we’re really proud of you.

There are a lot of ways you might hear people talk about saying yes to Jesus. You might hear phrases like “committing your life to Jesus,” “becoming a Christian,” “getting saved,” or “choosing to follow Jesus.”

But what does it mean to follow Jesus? What changes and what doesn’t? Why?

Those are some of the questions this book will help you answer.

So, let’s start with that first question. What does it mean to say yes to Jesus?

Following Jesus means becoming like Him. But who is Jesus, and why would we want to be more like Him?

To answer that question, we need to go to the first book of the Bible, Genesis. It tells us that in the beginning, God made the world, humanity included. He gave us the job of enjoying
and caring for what He made. But humanity made choices that hurt us, others, and the world. These choices—what the Bible calls sin—separated us from our perfect God and
limited our ability to do the job He had given us. 6 Centuries later, God’s Son entered the world as a baby named Jesus. Jesus lived around 33 years on Earth and spent that time showing us the best way to live—by loving God and loving others. Then He closed the separation between us and God, His Father, by dying on a cross and
rising from the dead.

Why would Jesus, fully God and fully man, have made this kind of sacrifice for us? Before His death, Jesus sat down with a person named Nicodemus late one night. Nicodemus had lots of questions about what it meant to follow Jesus. As part of His response to Nicodemus’ questions, Jesus shared some of His most famous words:

“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and
only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not
perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world
not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.”
John 3:16-17 NLT

God’s love for us is so great that Jesus was willing to die for our sins so we could be a part of His family forever. That’s the kind of love that would make anyone want to say yes to His love, forgiveness, and new way of life.

Tomorrow, we’ll talk about how that happens, but today, let’s consider Jesus’ answer as we talk with Him in prayer.

You said yes to Jesus. Now what’s next?

Over the next three weeks you will receive an email/text that will help you take your next steps in following Jesus.

Each day will include daily thoughts from the Bible and ideas to try for yourself.

Together, we’ll answer questions like “what does this mean,” “what should I do,” and “what does this change?” Our hope is that this tool can provide guidance as you begin your
journey of following Jesus.

These emails are organized into 21 days, but feel free to go at the pace that best helps you grow. You might finish these devotions in 100 days, 21 days, or a week. You might even keep reading it over and over. Finishing the book is less important than finding direction, growing in confidence, and starting conversations with others about what you’re learning. Following Jesus is a process of taking next steps, one day at a time. We’re thrilled to join you!

We carry on about the daily routines of life thinking about what we think our greatest need is and all around us there is a collision of spiritual and physical needs. The co-worker in the office next to us is paralyzed by anxiety and isn't aware of the hope found in Jesus. Our classmate sitting at the next desk is suffering from loneliness and they don't know of the love of Jesus and how he offers the joy of community.

There is a collision of spiritual and physical needs all around us all the time.

What is needed?

What is needed are confident, compassionate, creative friends that will do whatever it takes to get those with spiritual and physical needs to Jesus.

Confident, compassionate, and creative friends find a way to get their friends to Jesus.

Jesus is making it a priority to preach and teach the Word. This is a central theme in the first part of Mark's gospel.

In this particular story there are two urgent needs. Physical needs were evident. Spiritual needs were ultimate. Our ultimate need is always spiritual.

The religious teachers, scribes are present to contest what Jesus is teaching and in his healing and offering forgiveness of sins.

Jesus refers to himself as Son of man. The most used title for Jesus in the NT is Christ, second Lord, third Son of man and he often refers to himself as son of man. Where does this come from?

Daniel 7:13–14 (NLT) — 13 As my vision continued that night, I saw someone like a son of man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient One and was led into his presence. 14 He was given authority, honor, and sovereignty over all the nations of the world, so that people of every race and nation and language would obey him. His rule is eternal—it will never end. His kingdom will never be destroyed.

This passage from Daniel is a prophetic passage of Jesus and his authority and sovereignty over all the nations of the world.

As we read this story of the seemingly poor, homeless itinerant preacher in the small town of Capernaum, we lose sight of the bigger picture of Jesus' role in all of history, that he is the second person of the trinity and he is the savior of the world. We are encouraged to consider that he is given authority. Authority to read our hearts.  Authority to heal our sicknesses. Jesus has authority to forgive our sins. The Gospel teaches us that the Good news is not that Jesus will heal all our sickness now! The Good news of the Kingdom of God is that Jesus will forgive all your sin forever!

As we consider these four faithful friends we see friends that are confident, compassionate, creative, and contagious.

"I always say that in a way, I hope I can take my wheelchair to heaven with me—I know that‘s not biblically correct, but if I were able, I would have my wheelchair up in heaven right next to me when God gives me my brand new, glorified body. And I will then turn to Jesus and say, “Lord, do you see that wheelchair right there? Well, you were right when you said that in this world we would have trouble, because that wheelchair was a lot of trouble! But Jesus the weaker I was in that thing, the harder I leaned on you. And the harder I leaned on you, the stronger I discovered you to be. So thank you for what you did in my life through that wheelchair. And now,” I always say jokingly, “you can send that wheelchair to hell, if you want.”Joni Eareckson Tada

Write a list of friends that you can be praying for that need to experience the love of Jesus. Then consider some ways you can tell them your story/testimony of how you came to faith in Jesus. Consider how you might invite them to Church at the Grove with you. How can you make a difference in the lives of your friends that are far from God?

Start your prayer time with humility in thanks for God saving you out of sin and the muck of your pre-Christ life. We were all desperate for salvation. Confess your current sin issues and lift up your friends by name. God doesn't take our efforts to pray lightly. He considers it holy and invites us to the throneroom of God. As we move closer to stepping out in faith to build more space there are many people looking in from the outside wondering if anyone in that church really cares about them. There is no more powerful way to show your care than to lift them up in prayer. 

“Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. “ Ephesians 3:20
12 years. This woman suffered for 12 years. She spent everything she had and had only grown worse, not better. The woman would have been considered “unclean”, not able to access the places of worship and even her presence in the company of loved ones would have risked their own “cleanliness”. So she suffered for years and she suffered alone. 

Can you imagine the state of desperation she would have been in. How long she must have cried out to The Lord for healing. How helpless she must have felt. 

So when the man, who was rumored to make the blind see and the lame walk, the one who is rumored to be God in the flesh came to town, of course she had to meet Him. If only she could just get close enough to touch the fringe of His robe. She would be risky and it might cost her, but if there was a chance she could be healed she had to take it. She was desperate.

Have you ever felt completely helpless?
Two individuals in this Holy encounter certainly did. Jairus, feeling helpless in the position of a parent unable to do anything to help his little girl. The woman, feeling helpless in the position of an individual who has tried it all, but still unable to help herself. Both experience the miraculous presence and power of Jesus as they move in faith toward Him. 

Ephesians 3:20 sums up faith as knowing that He Is Able to do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine, but knowing is so different than believing. I don’t know if you can relate, but I struggle with knowing what’s true, but often I grapple with paralyzing doubt and fear. Doubt that God won’t come through, answer, or provide. Fear that I am doing the wrong thing, or that or that this is the time that the other shoe will drop and everything will fall apart.
From this story, though, it seems that true faith is always followed by action.  

God ALWAYS responds to a position of desperate faith.

Desperation is a state of despair, one that results in rash or extreme behavior. Both Jairus and the woman act in a desperate faith. Jairus is a prominent religious leader. By all accounts, he should have had all the answers as the leader of a local synagogue. His desperation and helplessness moved him toward seeking Jesus to act on behalf of his daughter. Verse 24 is a beautiful depiction of the compassion of Jesus in response to this act of faith.
 “ He went with Him.”

On the way, Jesus has another opportunity to intervene in response to faith. The wonder of this passage is that of everyone pressing up against Him, it was her faith He recognized. Because God always responds to the desperate faith of His children. This is the only place in scripture that Jesus refers to someone as “daughter”. She knew He was able before she even experienced healing. 

The word helpless means the recognition of being unable to defend oneself or act without help. This is the Gospel. Ephesians 2:1 tells us we were “dead in our sin”. A dead person is the absolute epitome of helplessness. Then Jesus, because of His grace, raised us from the dead. Paul tells us that this isn’t by anything we have done or could boast about, but only because of His great love and mercy. The believer must every day choose to recognize how helpless we are apart from the generous grace of God. 

It’s evident from both of these stories that faith is more than in the mind.
 Faith always requires action. The woman took a great risk coming out in the open when Jesus asked “ who touched me?” But it was this act that encouraged Jairus when he was told his daughter died. 

Consider sharing with a friend something you are praying in faith for right now. Ask them to believe and pray with you. 

Where are you desperate for God to move? Spend time today praying for God to act. Ask the Holy Spirit what He is calling you give up ? 

In this passage, we encounter a powerful exchange between Jesus and a Gentile  woman; it is a story that challenges our understanding of faith and demonstrates the power of persistence in moving the heart of God. Jesus has traveled to the region of Tyre and Sidon, where He meets a woman begging him to deliver her daughter from the bondage of demon-possession.

This Gentile woman seems to understand who Jesus is (O Lord, Son of David!), which is significant, as many of his own Jewish people, including the religious leaders of his day, did not know or acknowledge Jesus’ true identity as the Messiah and the Son of God  She also has been driven to approach Jesus for help because of her great need; she asks Jesus to “have mercy on me”, taking on the deep spiritual need of her daughter as her own. What a challenging example of a faith-filled intercessor! May we be driven to Jesus by our great needs and so compassionate toward others that we present their needs to him as our own!

At first, Jesus seems to ignore the woman’s cries, offering no response at all. Then, Jesus’ disciples, perhaps irritated at the interruption of her incessant pleading, ask him to send her away; the language used here seems to point to their suggestion that Jesus just give her what she wants so that she would stop bothering them. However, Jesus knew what all great teachers know: the process of pursuing the desired result is often just as important, if not more so, than the end result itself! The woman, seemingly undeterred by Jesus' initial response of silence, woman persists in her pleading, kneeling before Jesus and crying out, "Lord, help me!"

Jesus’ silence and later response that his ministry is to Israel alone, seems uncaring, but it also elicits greater persistence and faith from the woman; she worships him–before she even knows if he would answer her and grant her request of healing for her daughter! Almost doggedly, the woman continues to persevere in presenting her need to the Lord. I can imagine how desperately she desires his answer and his help, as she has endured the pain of watching the enemy torture her child; so, Jesus’ response to her next cry for help seems harsh in light of her desperation.

Jesus responds with another rebuff, “It isn’t right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs;” but, the woman's humble faith is revealed in her reply: “That’s true, Lord, but even dogs are allowed to eat the scraps that fall beneath their masters’ table.”She doesn’t argue Jesus’ point or claim to have greater standing; David Guzik writes that it’s as if she simply says: “Yes, I understand that the focus of your ministry is to the Jewish people and that they have a special part in God’s redemptive plan. But I also know that your ministry extends beyond them, and I want to be part of that extended blessing.”

 This Gentile woman, an outsider to the Jewish faith, demonstrates remarkable persistence and humility in her approach to Jesus. She refuses to be discouraged by obstacles or apparent rejection, clinging instead to the hope of deliverance for her daughter.  Her unwavering faith moves Jesus to act, highlighting the power of faith and persistence in prayer, even in the face of silence, to move the heart of God. May the story of this Gentile woman challenge us to cultivate a faith that moves mountains—a faith that persists in prayer and trusts in God's goodness. May we be bold in our approach to God, knowing that He delights in the faith of those who seek Him wholeheartedly.

The story of the Gentile woman challenges us to examine our own faith: Do we approach God with the same desperation, persistence and trust, even when it seems He is silent or distant? Do we worship him, in the process, even before we know his answer? Spend some time today presenting your needs to the Lord; maybe focus on the greatest needs, perhaps those that you have been praying over for a long time. Maybe make a list of those great needs that you need to persist in prayer about, and put it somewhere prominent in your home where you will see it often and be prompted to take them to Jesus.

Lord, thank you for the example of the Gentile woman, whose faith and persistence moved your heart. Teach us to approach you with the same trust and persistence, believing in your power to bring healing and deliverance. Help us to worship you, because of Who you are rather than what you can give us, as we seek your face. We love you so much.

Compassion is often defined as “your pain in my heart.” Jesus felt compassion as he ministered from place to place. Jesus healed and helped them all because His compassion was not measured, but it ministered!

This Roman Centurion had great love and humility, but Jesus’s was impressed by his faith. If this Roman Centurion with very little spiritual instruction, had this kind of faith, how much greater our faith should be!

Everything about this Roman Centurion should have prevented his from coming to Jesus.
He was a professional soldier; Jesus was a man of peace.

He was a Gentile; Jesus was a Jew.

However, this Roman Centurion had great faith.

It is recorded twice in the Gospels that Jesus “marveled” or was amazed.. This time it was because of the faith of the Gentile. (vs9) Jesus also “marveled” at the unbelief of the Jews, his own people. (Mk. 6:6)

The only other person that Jesus commended for their “great faith” was the Gentile woman whose daughter was delivered from a demon. (Matt. 15:18)

In both stories, Jesus healed from a “distance”. Jesus had power over distance. He did not have to be present to heal and accomplish his purpose of to exert His influence or power.
Jesus did not say, “I’ll come and see what I can do.” Rather He said, “I will come and heal him.” Jesus practiced what he preached.

In humility the Roman Centurion confessed, “Lord don’t trouble yourself, since I am not worthy to have you come under my roof…. But say the word, and my servant will be healed.” (Luke 7: 6-7 HSBC)

This Centurion was use to obeying orders and being obeyed. He had 100 men under his command. Jesus also was under authority and just had to “say the word" and the sickness of the servant would be banished!

 This story is an early indication that the Jews would not believe but the Gentile world would embrace Jesus. Ephesians 2:12 states,

“  in those days you were living apart from Christ. You were excluded from citizenship among the people of Israel, and you did not know the covenant promises God had made to them. You lived in this world without God and without hope. “

Even today, things happen when Jesus speaks. Jesus had no regard for race, religion or prejudice, but He had marvelous assurance when he spoke.

Call out to Jesus in faith. Do you practice what you preach? Are you consistent in your walk and in your talk? Exercise your faith and cry out to Him!

Lord Jesus,
I confess that I often doubt and don’t take you at your word. I’m crying out to you in faith that you will increase my faith and that I will take you at your word.

Hebrews 11: 39-40 NIV
“These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. God had planned something far better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.”

Everyone I have ever met wants to be a winner in life. God wants us to succeed. He is interested in our success.

Pollsters today tell us that people across our nation are watching and looking to invest in something that will really make a difference. They want to make their lives count for something.
           
What about you? How will you make your life count?

Because the best was yet to come!

The roll call of faith is unfinished. More names are being added to the list in future generations. How can you and I be added to this roll call of faith?

The writer of Hebrews describes life in athletic terms. In chapter 12 and verse, 1 we are told that a great crowd of witnesses are watching us as we run our race of life from the grandstands.

Since all eyes are upon us, how shall we run this race of life?

Hebrews 11 gives us a “roll call” of faith. It is one of those unfinished chapters in the Bible. Each person is listed by name and then by the deed they performed in faith. However, verse 39 tells us that none of them, although they trusted God and won his approval, received all that God had promised them.
 
Why? We must...

1. Rid ourselves of weights. “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”          Hebrews 12: 1

What was the weight? The sin that hold us down. You cannot run the race with weights on. Runners run light!

What weighs you down and needs to be laid aside?

There is a price to pay to be in this race! It requires rigorous, daily training.

“To win the contest you must deny yourselves many things that would keep you from doing your best. An athlete goes to all this trouble to win a blue ribbon or a silver cup, but we do it for a heavenly award that never disappears.” I Cor.9:25

They know the best is yet to come!

2. Run the race! Get off the sidelines!
“ Let us run with patience that particular race that God has set before us.” Hebrews 12: 1

Every race has a goal, a finish line. You don’t run without a goal in mind.

“So I run straight toward the goal with purpose in every step. I fight to win. I’m not just shadow boxing or playing around.” I Cor. 9:26 The Message

I’m in it to win it!

What are you running for? What are you running to? What are you running from?
 
Don’t you realize, the best is yet to come?

3. Remember Jesus “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus…” vs. 2
Every athlete has a coach to guide him to the greatest standards of excellence. That is what Jesus does for us, He’s our coach!

What did Jesus do? Willingly died a shameful death on the cross. Took our shame and was resurrected and seated at the right hand of the Father.
 
Why? He knew the best is yet to come!

“who for the joy that was set before Him…” vs. 2

Life is like  a marathon race, not a sprint, or a relay.

“In a race, everyone runs but only one person gets first prize, so run the race to win! I Cor. 9: 24

Why? The best is yet to come!

Reflect and ask yourself:
What is weighing me down?
Am I in the right race?
What is my goal?
Do I remember all that Jesus has done for me?

Lord Jesus, help me develop a  “marathon view” of my life by realizing that the best is yet to come. Would you help me see those weights that are in my life?

 Let me run my race of life well remembering all that Jesus has already done for me. Let me fix my eyes on Jesus and deny myself so I can be more like him.

If you have children, like I do, you can probably relate to having a conversation like this: how many bites do I have to take to get dessert? How many things do I have to pick up off the floor in my room to get to watch TV? We want to know just how much we have to do to achieve the desired result. Our passage today begins with a very similar conversation between an expert in religious law and Jesus, where Jesus challenges him, and us, to ask an entirely different question.

Verse 25 tells us that the motives of this religious expert are suspect from the start; he doesn’t truly desire to be taught by Jesus, but to trap him, to catch him doing or saying something wrong. Ever the teacher, Jesus responds to the question with a question, one that almost seems a bit sarcastic: “you’re the expert in the Old Testament law, you tell us what it says!” Jesus knew this man would have knowledge of the law, and we see that he answers with what Scripture says about loving God and loving others: ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself (v.27)’”Jesus responds with affirmation that his knowledge is correct, but is insufficient without resulting in congruent action. He says, “Do this and you will live!”

Jesus charges the man to go beyond knowledge to obedience; a life surrendered to Jesus is marked by obedience.
 
Then we see the Jewish expert in the law ask another question, meant to justify his actions (v. 29): “who is my neighbor?” This man is asking the wrong question, seemingly trying to exclude others from being his responsibility, by making people around him “non-neighbors.” Essentially, he is asking “who do I really have to love?” Don’t we often find ourselves asking this same question? Instead of asking who we are required to love, the better question is to ask how can I be a good neighbor? How can I love and serve people well? Jesus addresses his response to this man in a parable in verses 30-37.

This parable is a short story with a huge point. There is a man who is overtaken, beaten and left for dead along the road, and three different people walk by with the opportunity to be his neighbor.  The priest and Levite were both religious leaders of the day (who would have know the Old Testament law, just like the expert listening to the story); they would have been two people in that culture that a Jewish person would have  expected to render aid and bring hope in their need. However, they saw their Jewish brother suffering and crossed the street to pass by him without acting to meet his need. Perhaps loads of excuses passed through their minds as they dipped their heads and pretended not to see him: “He might be a decoy for an ambush,” “I’ve got to hurry to the temple to serve the Lord,” “I need to get home to my family,” “If I get my clothes bloody, I’ll be unclean and can’t perform my duty in the temple,” “the job is too big,” “if he really needed help, he’d ask!” So often, we know what Scripture says, and what the Lord is asking us to do, but we excuse our way out of obedience!
 
 The third person, a Samaritan, showed compassion, going above and beyond to love the injured man sacrificially, even spending the equivalent of 2 days’ salary to cover the cost of his care. This would have been unthinkable to Jesus’ Jewish audience, who would have despised Samaritans, both racially and religiously. But, Jesus is making an important point here: to love one’s neighbor often involves showing love and compassion to those with whom we might not otherwise have any relationship or many things in common. Jesus is challenging us to love and serve all people, not just other believers or those with whom we agree.

“Passing by on the other side” is the norm in the world today, especially when we encounter our enemy suffering; showing compassion and love is radical. If we are to represent Jesus in a lost and broken world, we just love and serve others as Jesus would, without boundaries, and even when it is incredibly costly to us.  Our time, money, reputation, preferences/opinions are all worth being laid down when able to have the opportunity to represent Jesus by loving others well. The knowledge of what Jesus would have us to do is worthless if it is not followed by sacrificial obedience! “Go and do the same.”

“I am to love my neighbor, and my neighbor is the one who others might consider my enemy. My neighbor is the one with a need right in front of me.”  (David Guzik)

Look for people with needs right in front of you today. Ask the Lord, “Who are the neighbors you are calling me to love?” How can you step out of your comfort zone to extend compassion and practical help to those in need, no matter how you differ from them? As you go throughout your day today, ask the Lord to show you how you can sacrifice time, money, and resources to love and serve others; whatever the cost, it is so worth it to point people to Jesus!

“Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being.
When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.” (Philippians 2:3-8)

Jesus, thank you for leaving the glory of heaven to become a servant for us, loving and serving us with the ultimate sacrifice of yourself on the cross in our place.  Give us your eyes to look for the people around us in need and to sacrificially love and serve them as you would. Help us to humble ourselves to become servants that point others to your great love for us. Help us to live with open hands, holding nothing back from you or from those you call us to love and serve, even when it is costly. Thank you for giving everything for us. We love you. Amen.

In the Message translation of this scripture, Eugene Peterson uses the phrase “overlooked and ignored” instead of “the least of these.” Perhaps that is a better turn of phrase in our world today. The overlooked and ignored, out of sight and out of mind, somebody else’s problem. It is rarely as obvious as someone looking at us directly and asking if we would please demonstrate our love and commitment to God by caring for them. Jesus anticipates this and removes any opportunity for us to play dumb. He is, in effect, putting us on notice that we will be held accountable for the good we do and for the good we choose not to do.

The overlooked and ignored, the marginalized and contemptible, are not always crying out in helplessness. We reason that if they need help, it’s available right? In our first-world society, at least, there are countless resources available to help those in need. People can apply for welfare, food stamps, Medicaid, housing assistance etc.

Occasionally, our justification for not helping others has a more cynical tone: they deserve it. For whatever reason, they chose their station in life. It’s not my problem or my fault that they made certain decisions. Furthermore, I’m not going to contribute to their lifestyle choices or support their dependence on handouts.
 
Let’s be very clear here, helping the “least of these” is not a political issue. It’s not a left or right issue. It is a Kingdom of God issue, a clear command of Jesus Christ. Paying your taxes or giving to the church does not absolve you of caring for other people. If you are convinced that all the people in your life have been given a fair, equitable shake and that they mostly got what they deserved, there are entire sections of town that I’d be happy to show you right here in the Social Circle & Walnut Grove area. Take a drive down one of the side streets you don’t frequent. There are people in those neighborhoods that will soften your heart. And if someone has indeed created their life’s terrible circumstances on their own, that is even more reason to show them the love of Christ! Where would any of us be left to our own devices? Take the log out of your own eye so that you may be able to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

Many Christians argue that God expects us to use discretion in helping others. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus instructs us to let ourselves be taken advantage of by our enemies (Matthew 5:39-42). Let them know that you are acting in love, completely willing.

Lastly, the command to care for the “least of these” is not only about helping others. Those doing the helping receive a priceless gift, an enhanced window into the Kingdom of God. The first Beatitude is that the poor and the poor in spirit are blessed, for theirs is the Kingdom of God. The poor, affirms Jesus, are the blessed ones! Conversely, the rich have an incredibly difficult time entering the Kingdom of God. And these are not just financial riches, they are riches of any kind. Rich in relationships, professional success, good health, social charms, attractiveness, intelligence, etc. Richness in anything apart from God’s love and mercy tends to convince us that we don’t need that love and mercy quite so desperately. The poor have no such illusions.

Do you want more of God in your life? Start caring for and spending time with the overlooked and ignored, the socially repulsive, the “least of these.” The life you save, as the saying goes, may be your own.

Our action step for today is very simple. Determine how you can better care for the overlooked and ignored people in our community. You don’t have to save the world. Just start with your sphere of influence.

Invite someone from outside your usual circle to lunch or to your home to watch a game. Invite them to church, maybe even ride with them to church. Smile at the people you encounter, ask them how God is moving in their life and actually listen (God may be using them to bless you). Help with a meal train. Help with Kids Grove. Volunteer at FISH Ministries. Go soak in the immense wisdom of an old folk’s home. Get involved in jail ministry. Ask the Spirit to open your eyes to the needs around you.

The Kingdom of God is here. We just have to let it in.

Lord give me eyes to see the people around me the way that you do. 

John 13:34-35
34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

In John 13, we find ourselves in the upper room following the Lord’s Supper. Jesus has washed His disciples’ feet and just broken the news that one of the twelve would betray Him. After Judas departs from them, Jesus proceeds to tell the remaining eleven about a new commandment.Looking back through scripture, we can see that God’s people had already been given instructions regarding the topic of love.

Loving God…

5You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. - Deuteronomy 6:5

And loving people…

17“You shall not hate your brother in your heart, but you shall reason frankly with your neighbor, lest you incur sin because of him. 18You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD. - Leviticus 19:17-18

In John 13, we learn that this new commandment Jesus speaks of does not replace other commandments on love, but rather sets a new, higher standard for it.
How should we love?

We are to love just as Jesus loved us. Just a couple chapters later, Jesus underscores this point again with the disciples saying,

12“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. 14You are My friends if you do what I command you. - John 15:12-14

This new standard is a sacrificial love modeled after Christ’s love for His church. This is what we are to emulate. And what makes this attempt to replicate Christ’s love even possible? The transforming power of the Holy Spirit. Without Him, our hearts of stone could not be replaced by hearts of flesh (Ez. 36:26), nor could we bear love or any other fruits of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22).

Who are we to love?

Whenever we read scripture, it is important to examine the context of who the intended audience was.  Keep in mind that Judas had been dismissed from the group by this point in the passage. This detail helps us see with greater clarity that Christ is saying something directly to His true followers. He is speaking to those whom He goes on to call friends (John 15:13). What qualifies one to be a friend of God? Obedience to His commands (John 15:14). For whom did Christ say He would lay down His life? His friends.
 
So then, who are we being instructed to love with the same sacrificial intensity as Christ did? Those who obey Christ’s commands - our fellow believers. This challenge to practice a selfless, sacrificial breed of love has been issued first and foremost to and among believers. Is this a pass to be unkind to non-believers? Of course not!  We are still called to love our neighbor just as Jesus taught in the parable of the good Samaritan (Luke 10). When we actively pursue this level of love and charity within the Church, it should naturally spill over into our interactions with those outside the body of Christ.

Why are we to love like Jesus?

The reason that followers of Jesus are told to practice this remarkable type of love with and among believers is to confound those inside and outside the Church. The text says this is the kind of love that distinguishes us among all people that we are disciples of Jesus Christ. Our love within the Church is meant to be a reminder of God's goodness to believers, and a powerful witness to those peering in from the outside, beckoning them to repent and experience God’s glory. 

Spend some time today reflecting on how much your love costs you. Are you kind to that guy at church that gets on your nerves? Do you make time for people in other income brackets? Do you find ways to care for those in great need? Are you willing to experience the discomfort of confronting someone about unrepentant sin because you care about their soul? Do you ever sacrifice your schedule to serve God’s people?

If your love never requires you to put your preferences and comfort aside, consider how you might be able to take a step to lay down your life for someone else today, as Jesus did.

Father, help me to honor and obey you with my life. I ask that you would burden my heart with the desire to love those in the family of God well, and without contempt. Help me to learn how to love sacrificially with the same measure that Christ did for me. May our genuine love for one another produce tangible evidence to all people of Your goodness and faithfulness. Amen

Matthew 22:34-40
34 Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. 35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

I love coffee in the mornings. I love a good sunset. I love a beautiful day on the lake or sitting on the beach. I love having my home full of people and laughter. I love the Varsity’s onion rings and frosted orange. I love my spouse and children. We live in a world where love is used in so many different ways. The world has distorted it’s definition, especially the agape love of God that we read about in scripture. 

Jesus had spent the day talking with Pharisees and Sadducees. They were looking for any loop hole for punishing Jesus. The Jews had 613 laws. Can you imagine trying to remember and follow them all? When Jesus was asked which ones were the most important by a lawyer, He first said Love Me. The simplicity of the Christian faith can be summed up in that one word: Love. 

The greatest commandment and desire of our God is for us to love Him.  God could have made us all like robots and programmed each of us to love him, but he didn’t. He gave us a choice to love him. He desires for us to pursue him with our actions, thoughts, and way of life.

Sometimes, it’s overwhelming the Father’s love for me. Many times I feel so undeserving but also humbled that Creator God would love me. Each time I step closer to understanding God’s love for me, I become more in awe of his loving-kindness and mercy that He gives so generously and continuously. I can’t help but love the Father in return.

Jesus said the second greatest commandment was to love your neighbor as yourself. 
Mother Teresa said, “When you know how much God is in love with you, then you can only live your life radiating that love.”  Do you radiate God’s love to others so they too can taste God’s transforming power?

There are so many things that distract us from our purpose and the literal command God has given us. When I get distracted, I take a step back and realign my priorities - Love God and Love His People. It is really that simple. When I’m not making this a part of my every day walk, and purpose, I’m missing the mark.

Do people around you know that your love for God is your priority. Is it seen in the way you interact, serve, work, and play? 

What are some practical ways today that you can love your neighbor because of the overflow of your love for God?

Pray today that we will get a glimpse of the depth, height, and width of God’s love for you. May our lives bear witness to the transformative power of love, drawing others closer to the heart of God.

1 John 4:7-21
7 Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. 8 But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
9 God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. 10 This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.
11 Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. 12 No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us.
13 And God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us. 14 Furthermore, we have seen with our own eyes and now testify that the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 All who declare that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God. 16 We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love.
God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. 17 And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world.
18 Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. 19 We love each other[b] because he loved us first.
20 If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a fellow believer,[c] that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see? 21 And he has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their fellow believers.

“ So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them;
 male and female he created them.” Genesis 1:26

What were we made for? Why were we created? In short, to live as the image in which we were created.This passage in 1st John is one of the most profound descriptions of that image and what it looks like to live in light of it. John, one of Jesus’ 12 disciples - also known as the disciple whom Jesus loved - was so marked by God’s expression of love in the person of Jesus that He also understood it to be the goal of His identity in Jesus. As He writes in verse 12,
“No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us. “ This concept of “full expression” is the idea of maturity, or completeness. In other words, love completes us. More specifically, God’s love completes us as His image bearers in the world. We were created to be His vessels of love to the world, and John makes it clear that love for and towards one another is not optional for the Christian. 

Love is the evidence of belonging to God. Our identities as children of God is wrapped up in our ability and desire to love others. Why? Because we are created to be like our father who is the very definition of love. If love is the central part of God’s identity, it must also be the mark of His children. His love for us identifies us as His, so our love for each other must identify us as His.

What does this kind of love look like? 
“9 God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. 10 This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.”

God’s love is shown. 
He proved how much He loved us through the sacrificial generosity of sending His Son. His love is not just spoken, it’s shown. Love is not just something we say or that we feel obligated to. It is first and foremost, shown or proved. What is so astounding about God’s love shown towards us is that it did not have a prerequisite. God’s love was shown to us even before we wanted to give to us in return. Real love goes first. His love sets the standard for the love Christians are called to embody. In 1 John chapter 3, John challenges us to not just say we love each other, but to show the truth by our actions. He says our actions will show that we belong to the truth. (1 John 3:18)

God’s love is generously sacrificial.
How do we practice this kind of love? His love shown towards us was generous and it cost Him. It was over and above what we could ask, think, or imagine. How often would we say that love cost us something? We are most like God when we love others sacrificially and generously.

God’s love is who He is and thereby who we are to be.
… God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. “ The word love here is the word Agape. Agape love is an intelligent, purposeful,  attitude of self-esteem, and devotion; the selfless, purposeful, outgoing attitude that desires to do good to the one loved. To live in love is to live in a constant state of Agape love towards others. In other words, our desire must be for the good and benefit of the ones we are called to love, which is each other. 

God’s love is not optional
21 And he has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their fellow believers.
This command is a riff from the very words of Jesus at the last supper just moments after He served the disciples by washing their feet.  “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.  By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35). At the end of the day, for those who say they say they love God must and will love others. It’s an intentional decision to show, give sacrificially, and distribute God’s love towards others. If we have truly been transformed by the Gospel at our core we will love others with the same extraordinary love God has loved us.

God’s love seeks the highest benefit of humanity. That highest benefit was and is Christ. 
He saw our need and filled it. His love through Christ transformed us into vessels of His love to the world. 

Today, ask someone what their greatest need is right now? Then do your best to fill it. If it isn’t something physical, pray with them and ask God together to meet that need.

Spend time today thanking God for loving you even though you didn’t deserve or ask Him too. Then ask Him to reveal to you where His love could be communicated to others in your life today.

When you think about God, what do you think about? When you hear his name, what comes to your mind? If you were to describe God to someone else, how would you describe him? 

A.W. Tozer famously said, “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.” After all, we are made in the image of God. So if we want to live in the fullness of life God has for us, then we must have a good understanding of whose image we were made in. If we have a misconception of who God is, then we cannot possibly live in the way God has designed us to live. Therefore, we must make sure we have a good understanding of who God is. 

While we will never be able to comprehend God in his fullness, he does give us beautiful little glimpses of himself all throughout Scripture. Specifically, we are given a few verses in the book of Exodus where God literally reveals his character to Moses by his words. What better place to start comprehending who God is than looking at the way he describes himself to his people?

In Exodus 34:6, we see God pass in front of Moses, and he begins by calling out, “Yahweh! The Lord!”. This name “Yahweh” was the same name for God that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob knew. This was no new revelation to Moses, rather it was God presenting himself as the Lord. 

God then begins to describe himself as “the God of compassion and mercy”. Some translations may read, “a God merciful and gracious”. God shows us mercy in that he doesn’t give us the punishment we deserve for our sin, and he shows us grace in that he gives us good gifts that we don’t deserve. God’s mercy and grace is so evident in the good news of Jesus. 

Along with his mercy and grace, God is also “slow to anger”. So often we think God is just sitting in heaven waiting for us to mess up so that he can punish us or discipline us. However, that is not God’s character. Because God is so compassionate and merciful, he is also patient towards us in our disobedience. God does not have a short fuse. Rather, he is constantly trying to draw us towards himself while extending forgiveness to us.

Lastly, we see from these verses that God at his core is love. It is a love that surpasses knowledge. God’s love is unfailing, unconditional, and eternal. It is so easy to be convinced that God’s love for us will run dry. It’s so easy to start thinking that one day God will say “that’s it… I’m done with you.” However, this would be contradictory to his very nature. God’s love will never fail, it will never end, and it is not dependent on anything or anyone outside of itself. There is nothing you can or cannot do to make God love you any more or less than he does at this moment. This is a truth that we can rejoice in everyday for the rest of our lives.

The best part of this verse is that God says to Moses that he will “lavish unfailing love to a thousand generations”. As you read through the Bible, you can’t help but notice the way that God lavishes his unfailing love to his people. God showed his love to his people in the Old Testament by leading them out of slavery and into the promised land. In the New Testament, God showed his love to the world by sending his only Son to die for our sins so that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. But God’s love didn’t stop after the Bible was written. 

God’s love continues to be lavished on his people to this day. Me and you get to experience the unfailing love of God each morning when we wake up and take a breath. And when our days on this earth are over, God’s love will still be flowing. Our children, our grandchildren, our children’s grandchildren, our grandchildren’s grandchildren, will all be lavished with the unfailing love of God. God’s love will never end.

This is our God. He is merciful and gracious. He is slow to anger. He is abounding with unfailing love and faithfulness to a thousand generations. He forgives us for our sin, transgression, and iniquity when we believe and place our faith in the name of Jesus. 

First, rest and rejoice in God and who he is. Rest in his grace. Rest in his mercy. Rest in his patience towards you. Rest in his forgiveness. Rest in his unfailing love. No matter what life is throwing at you right now, or what lies ahead in the future, take a second to rest and rejoice in your God. 

Secondly, consider how God’s unfailing love to a thousand generations can lead you to sow seeds of love For Generations. God’s love didn’t start with our generation, and it certainly won’t end with our generation. So what can you do to sow seeds of love into the lives of people for generations to come? 

Father, we simply thank you for who you are. We often thank you for the things you do for us, but we often miss who you are in the process. It’s so easy for us to forget or misportray your character. Thank you for being merciful and gracious towards us. Thank you for being slow to anger. Thank you for your unfailing love and faithfulness that you lavish upon us on a daily basis. Reveal to us more and more who you are, and as we behold your glory transform us into the same image from one degree of glory to another. Amen.

Matthew 7:7-11
7 “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.
9 “You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? 10 Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! 11 So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him. 

“ There is nothing in your hands that God won’t replace with more of Himself.” - Jackie Hill Perry

My dad has always been a great gift giver. I have always admired this trait about him, because his gift giving is so intentional. He gives us gifts that we didn’t know we wanted or even think to ask for, but for some reason he just knows it’s something we would enjoy or might need. Everytime I read this passage, I think of my dad and his talent for gift giving. I am grateful for an earthly father who reminds me of my heavenly Father that gives even better gifts than any earthly parent could give.

That is the emphasis of this passage. It’s steeped in the parental relationship between a father and His child. God is our Father who loves us. He hears us when we talk with Him. He invites us into the kind of relationship in which we keep bringing our requests and needs to Him. He is our heavenly Father, who will provide for us far greater than we, or any human endeavor possibly could.
 
Matthew 7:7-11 teaches us about the power of effective prayer. More specifically, persistent prayer sown in the soil of consistency. It’s tempting to read passages like these and see them as formulas to get what we want. What if, however, we took the pathway of invitation? Invitation into a relationship with a Father who loves us beyond measure, that because of Jesus we can come boldly into the presence of? A relationship with a Father who will never grow weary of our asking, or tell us to figure it out. An invitation to continue asking, seeking, and knocking. The invitation on the table is to return to Him over and over again and the gift is more of Him.

As Jesus lays it out here, this is how we come to the table, and this is what He offers in return. Jesus promises that everyone who asks, receives what they ask for, everyone who seeks, will find what they are looking for, and everyone who knocks, the door to His presence  will be opened.
 
We ask, He gives.
We seek, He makes known.
We knock, He welcomes. 
These are all persistent imperatives. They encourage prayer as a continual habit of life. 
(“ Never Stop Praying” 1 Thess. 5:17)

In today’s generation, our lives have become so instantaneous that anything requiring patient perseverance can appear unattractive. We require instant returns and instant results.

The message of Jesus here is that prayers sown in the soil of faith and consistency are eternally effective.
 
The audacious and almost sarcastic language Jesus uses here is that essentially God knows how to care for you better than anyone else. If we, in our own weak and insufficient selves know how to show up for the ones we love, HOW MUCH MORE does our Father? Our Father who never fails to show up because He is faithful. Our Father, who owns the cattle on 1000 hills. Our Father who is compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love.

James 1:17 - 18 says that “ Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens.He never changes or casts a shifting shadow.[b] 18 He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession.”

What keeps you asking, seeking, and knocking in prayer? Him.
His relationship and His love towards us keeps us returning. 
 
There is no formula for receiving His gifts, only a healthy expectation of His grace. In His grace we can ask, seek, and knock because He is our Father, who loves us, and He will be faithful to open the door to His presence every time we go to Him.

“ Everything I need, I know my Father has it. I know The Lord will provide. “

“ Never Stop Praying” 1 Thessalonians 5:17

Create rhythms in your day that will remind you to ask, seek, and knock. Set alarms on your phone that will invite you to pause and enter into the Lord’s presence even if it is just for a few seconds. Your alarm clock app might even allow you to even title these alarms. Consider a morning prayer for asking, a mid - day prayer for seeking, and an evening prayer for knocking. 

Listen to the song “The Lord will Provide” (by Passion Band, and Landon Wolfe) and allow it to encourage you with the truth that your Father, who loves you, has given you access to His presence, and He has access to all that you need. 

Father, you love me. In you, I have all that I need. I return to you today, because my deepest and greatest need is you. Thank you for never growing weary with my persistence, but always inviting me back. 

The word “pray” is mentioned in the Bible 547 times, and the Bible contains over 650 prayers. In His short time on Earth, the Bible records 25 times that Jesus prayed. I think we can say that God wants us to speak to Him often through prayer.
Prayer is a solemn request for help or expression of thanks addressed to God. It is a way we as Christians can and should speak to God to ask or tell Him anything that is on our minds or is going on in our lives or those around us. But when we ask God for something through prayer, we should have faith that God will answer our prayers.

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. James 1:6-7
 
There was a couple in our church who was told they could not have children. They prayed earnestly that God will answer their prayer to have children. They told their community group the news and together, everyone prayed for this couple to be able to have children. The couple had so much faith that God would answer their prayer, that they purchased a box of diapers, knowing that God would answer their prayer, and eventually, He did.

Praying earnestly means that we are not just going through the motions of prayer and throwing them up into the air. It means we are focusing our minds and attention towards the Lord when we pray, and that we are eager to see our answered prayer as we have faith that God will deliver.

Having faith like this starts from being a righteous person. Righteous people have responded to the call of God, have repented of their sins, and have accepted Jesus Christ’s sacrifice to pay the penalty for their sins. This person is considered righteous in God’s eyes. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective because God hears their prayer, and He takes action.
Community groups are a great way we can do life outside of church with other righteous people. We can use our time together to get to know each other and what is going on in our lives. We can confess our sins to each other and pray for one another. We can also pray for those that are sick or need other types of healing. And as time passes, we can praise God for answering these prayers.

James 5 closes out by encouraging those who believe in God to show it. This is most readily shown by praying in response to every circumstance you face.

Ask God for forgiveness of your sins daily. Often, we don’t even realize when we are sinning, but God knows, and He wants us to dig deep in our hearts and ask Him to forgive us for doing those sinful things.

Join a community group if you are not already in one. Or maybe you might be at the point where you need to step out in faith and start leading a community group. Make it a point to spend time with others confessing your sins and praying for each other.

Seek to find out about others that are sick and needs prayer. Pray for those people earnestly, expectant that God will heal them.

God, I ask that you give me more faith than that of a mustard seed to trust that you will answer my prayers. I praise you for all that you have done in my life. Thank you for sending your son as a sacrifice for my sins. I ask for forgiveness for the sins I’ve committed today. Please put people in my life that will hold me accountable, and I can do likewise. Please heal those around me who are sick, and I pray that they know you as I do. Amen

My husband and I have been praying and trusting God to do some big things within our family and home. This past week we witnessed some prayers slowly being answered as we watched land being cleared and trees being cut down. We did not mind cutting down the tall, flimsy pine trees that bend in the wind. However, we did not want to cut down the large oaks. They are strong, have been there for years, have deep root systems, are simply beautiful, and provide so much shade. They have a purpose for staying.

In our scriptures today, I want to back up to the beginning of Mark 11. It’s the week before Jesus’ Crucifixion. Jesus had his triumphal entry into Jerusalem and the next day while returning to Jerusalem from Bethany, Jesus and his disciples were hungry. They came upon a fig tree that had leaves. When fig trees have leaves, their fruit can come in before the leaves are fully developed but definitely there should be fruit on it when the leaves are grown. The tree had no fruit and Jesus cursed the tree. It was not producing fruit.

When walking by the fig tree the next day, it had withered. It should have taken weeks to die but it had withered from the roots up. Peter was not expecting to see this and questioned Jesus and Jesus replied, “Have faith in God.” There are lots in the Old Testament that connects fig trees, Israel, and symbolism. But, today I want us to focus on those four words - have faith in God.

Who is God to you? Really, think about that right now. Who do you believe God is? Is he King of Kings deserving of worship and praise? Is he Lord of All, Creator of the Universe, Alpha and Omega, Healer, Provider, Friend, or Father? Do we pray with the faith that we believe in a God who can throw the mountains into the sea? Are our roots of faith like the oak trees?

Prayer is a spiritual discipline and for some can be one of the hardest to put into practice. Satan definitely will try everything to keep us from meeting with God. As a Mom of two, I can get so easily distracted and I’m often interrupted in pursuing time with God. However, we know James 5:16 tells us the prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
 
Prayer moves mountains, it purifies our hearts, and as we commune with God, fruit is produced and our roots are strengthened. Have faith in God, don’t be like the Jewish people. Their “fig trees” looked fruit producing but were not. They would be destroyed. 

Write your prayers down. This is just between you and God. Maybe start with prayers God has answered in your life and thank Him for those. Maybe you’re like the fig tree and are doing all the “right” things but you don’t know how to pray and grow deep roots. Ask God to draw near to you and begin to seek him.

Next, write down some God-sized prayers, things only God can do. Examine who you believe God to be and pray with that boldness. Share one of those prayers with someone and allow them the opportunity to join you in that prayer.

Father, grow our faith. May we cling to what scripture says you are and may we pray like we believe it’s true. Father, remove anything from us that distracts us from meeting with you and believing in your promises. Forgive us when we limit what you can do. Give us the faith as big as the God we serve. Amen.

Recently, I lost my debit card and had to request a new one to be sent to me from our bank. When I received my new card in the mail, it had a sticker on it with instructions on how to activate the card so that I could begin to use it. If I had carried around that card in my wallet but never called the number, chosen a PIN number and activated it, it would have been of absolutely no use to me. Similarly, in this passage, Paul describes the spiritual armor that God provides for all believers, and gives us the key to activating that armor: prayer.

In Ephesians 6:13-20, Paul encourages us to stand firm in the very real battle we find ourselves in against the Enemy by putting on every piece of God’s armor. The belt of truth (v. 14) is foundational and holds everything together, the body armor or breastplate of righteousness is imparted to us by Christ and guards our hearts from sin. The shoes of the Gospel of peace (v. 15) ground us in the good news of Jesus and prepare us to walk forward to share it with others. The shield of faith protects us from the attacks of the enemy and extinguishes the fiery darts he launches at us, meant to take us out. The helmet of salvation protects our minds from the lies of the enemy with the great assurance of the hope we have in Christ. Then, Paul instructs us to pick up our offensive weapons: the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God.
 
But beyond wearing the armor, Paul exhorts us to pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. The presence of this exhortation after the list of armor to put on and take up suggests that our spiritual armor is activated through prayer that is moved and guided by the Holy Spirit. There are several things I notice about what Paul says about prayer here that I believe are significant for us–how we are to pray (in the Spirit), when we are to pray (at all times and on every occasion), and for whom we are to pray (for all believers everywhere). The very act of prayer is practicing dependence on God, trusting in His power and plan rather than our own. John Piper writes that praying in the Spirit means that “we are being prompted to pray by the Spirit; he’s awakening it and moving it. And the things that we pray for are being shaped and determined by the Spirit. So, it’s his power that carries the prayer, and it’s his leading that guides the prayer.” When we pray in the Spirit, we align our hearts with God's will and invite His presence to work in and through us. This is what Jesus did in the Garden of Gethsemane, when He was taking on arguably his toughest spiritual battle; he was facing the cross, the thought of the sin of the world being added to him and being completely separated from His Father for the first and only time in eternal history. He asked his closest friends to pray with him, he prostrated himself and groaned out prayers in agony to the point of sweating drops of blood. And, He ultimately submitted to God’s authority in prayer, over his preferences, circumstances, and desires–this is the model for praying in the Spirit at all times!

Paul also asks the Ephesians for prayer on his behalf: for boldness, clarity, and fearless power to proclaim the Gospel! Prayer activates our spiritual armor, so that we don’t just stand in place, wearing our armor; we march forward, into battle with the enemy over the souls of those around us with full confidence in the One who will accomplish the victory! Let us be persistent in prayer at all times, led by and yielded to the Spirit, lifting up not only our own needs but also the needs of others. Let us intercede for fellow believers, asking God to empower them to stand firm in the face of adversity and to boldly proclaim the gospel message. And let us pray for ourselves, that we may share the Gospel fearlessly and effectively, just as Paul did, so that generations to come will know and follow Him.

How are you praying? What are you praying for? Consider spending some time today sitting alone in a quiet place, maybe with your hands open in a posture of surrender, inviting the Holy Spirit to be present with you and to lead you as you pray today. Ask Him to help you to pray bold, audacious, God-sized prayers. Keep a journal and pen handy, and write down the things you are praying for as the Spirit brings them to mind. Keep a running list during this season to return to, so that you can see how the Lord moves in response to your Spirit-led prayers.

Holy Spirit, come. Overwhelm us with your presence, and prompt us to pray in line with the heart of God. Help us to pray beyond just the here and now; lead us to pray in ways that are bigger and bolder than what we would pray of our own strength and intellect. Empower and embolden us to plant the seeds of the Gospel through our prayer, our words, and our actions wherever we go. Spirit, lead your people, all over the globe, to share the good news of Jesus, so that every nation and tribe and tongue would know that He is Lord, to the glory of God, the Father. Amen.

Our natural inclination is to assume that Jesus is close with us in the good times but standing far off in the bad times. We imagine him, perhaps, looking at us with a frown when we give in to that temptation for the hundredth time. Our fallen logic figures we are closest to our Lord when we are obeying the rules and fighting the good fight; that is when he is most pleased with us. All the other times he simply puts up with us. How could the perfect son of God possibly relate to us when we sin and doubt?

That is not, however, what the books of Hebrews reveals. Hebrews gives us an in depth, detailed description of the heart of Jesus and what that means to us. Far from being disappointed with us or judging our behavior, Jesus empathizes with our weakness. And this is not just the understanding empathy of a passive observer. He understands our weakness because he too has felt the exact same weakness. He suffers alongside us. He is a co-sufferer in every respect: that seductive sin, that tantalizing temptation, that boiling bitterness, that agonizing anxiety. He has experienced it. He has, in fact, experienced it far more deeply than any of us ever will because he never gave in, not one bit.
 
Dane Ortlund describes Hebrews 4:14-16 like this: “It is not only that Jesus can relieve us from our troubles, like a doctor prescribing medicine; it is also that, before any relief comes, he is with us in our troubles, like a doctor who has endured the same disease.”
Who could have imagined such a savior? My Lord and my God! May we truly understand the beauty of this verse. Our High Priest is like no other.

Take heart today. Whatever you are walking through -- habitual sin, suffering from health conditions, deep loneliness, disappointment with your station in life – do not compound your suffering by disassociating Jesus from it. Yes, you may be walking through the darkest of valleys, but Christ has already walked through it. You may be waging a tough fight but know that Christ is shoulder to shoulder with you. You may be carrying a heavy load, but Christ can exchange it for a burden that is light

We encounter Jesus in three primary ways: through his word (scripture), through his felt presence, and through his body, the fellow believers whom we live with day in and day out. You, therefore, may be the closest somebody gets to Jesus today. You are part of his body, his beloved bride, his church.

How can you go out of your way today to serve someone in need? How can you embody the love and life of Jesus Christ? How can you co-suffer with another human being?

Meditate for a few minutes on the implications of Hebrews 4:14-16. Pray that the Holy Spirit would press the heart of Christ to your own stubborn heart.

Ask forgiveness for trying to bear your burden alone, and let Jesus come alongside you, shoulder to shoulder, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Recently at work, our leadership team received a company-wide email from a customer. It included a glowing review for a coworker who had gone above and beyond normal expectations. Excited by her accomplishment, I was about to send a congratulatory email for a job well done when DING!...I received a notification that a new email from this colleague had just entered my inbox.

“I did that!!! Toot Toot my horn!” the email read.
 
Needless to say, any kind word or expression of gratitude I could share at this point had been diluted by this individual’s not-so-humble brag. Similarly, today’s passage teaches that making a show of one’s own (self) righteousness is a sorry substitute for the reward God bestows for following His ways.

In verses 5-18, we are gifted not only with a model prayer from Jesus himself, but we are also shown the principle that the unseen God rewards the unseen prayer and fasting of His people. The passage both begins and ends with Jesus sharing what our heart’s posture should be when we approach prayer and fasting - both of which are assumed to be a regular part of the Christian life (“When you pray…when you fast…”).
 
Unlike “the show” put on by religious hypocrites, we are told to pray in secret. To pray “in secret” implies we are to offer up earnest prayers motivated by a humble heart - one that is not driven by the recognition or opinions of others. In doing so, we can rest assured knowing that our Heavenly Father hears our prayers and honors what we have done in private. This reward is to be desired far more than the immediate gratification and weightless admiration that man can offer. In verse 7, the passage continues cautioning that prayer should neither be mindlessly recited nor attempt to meet a certain word count to get God’s attention. On the contrary, we are told that God sees our heart and knows what we need before we ask it. Isn’t that amazing? God already knows what we need and yet, we are still taught to approach God with our requests - because He wants to hear our heart’s desires.

After Jesus explains the posture by which we should approach prayer, He provides an example of how to pray. Note the brevity, simplicity, and comprehensiveness of this prayer. Also, take note of the subject matter in this prayer. We find three petitions directed toward God (vs.9-10) and three requests focused on human needs (vs.11-13). The takeaway here is not that our prayers must be symmetrical or formulaic, but rather that they recognize both God’s sovereignty, and our own reliance on Him.

At the end of this passage, in verses 16-18, we see the same principle from earlier applied to fasting. Jesus instructs that when you fast, do not make a show of this either. It is hypocritical to deny fleshly desires while simultaneously seeking to enhance your own persona by making sure others are aware of your sacrifice. This is not a sacrifice that pleases the Lord! It’s very possible that others may find out you are fasting, but it should not be obvious. We should humbly go about our day as regularly as possible during a fast. Just as with prayer, the unseen God rewards the unseen sacrifices made from a sincere heart.

Throughout the week, examine your own prayers and examine how your prayer life reflects the posture of prayer outlined in Matthew 6.

 Ask yourself:

• Where am I praying?
• When am I praying?
• Why am I praying?
• What or Who am I praying for?

Regardless of whether you feel your prayer life is healthy or not, ask the Holy Spirit to help you overcome selfish motives and desires. Ask for humility. Ask for wisdom in learning to pray. Ask for boldness to believe and pray like He can do more than we can fathom.  Ask that the Lord would teach you how to pray for the things that really matter most. Ask that your spiritual life would reflect Christ’s image more and more, day by day.

2 Timothy 4:2-5
2 Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching.
3 For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will reject the truth and chase after myths.
5 But you should keep a clear mind in every situation. Don’t be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Work at telling others the Good News, and fully carry out the ministry God has given you.

We recommend everything else to each other: Amazon deals, Netflix series, podcasts, even Stanley cups. Why do we not recommend the way of Christ with the same enthusiasm? The Gospel is good news for everyone, and we are called to preach it!  
Preaching, though, probably conjures up images of a pastor/priest in a pulpit or walking a stranger through the ABC’s of accepting Christ as their savior. Most of us don’t feel confident enough to do that. But that’s okay, because that is not what most of us, the laymen, are called to do.

Like the word preach, even the word evangelism has unfair connotations in today’s you-do-you and live-your-truth society. We may think of people knocking on our door to talk us through a pamphlet with colorful descriptions of hell. We might cringe at the memory of a guy with a bullhorn on a busy corner screaming damnation on unsuspecting sports fans.
To be clear, that is not what Paul is saying here.

I have always believed that if we truly understand the gift of God’s grace on a personal level and if we are doing our best to follow the teachings of Christ, evangelism takes care of itself. That is because people who actually live according to the Way stand out. They get noticed, and not because they are drawing attention to themselves. In fact, one of the hallmarks of a saint is their insistence on not drawing attention to themselves, acting instead in ways that give honor to God and to the people around them. CS Lewis describes such people like this: “They will not be very like the idea of ‘religious people’ which you have formed from your general reading. You tend to think that you are being kind to them when they are really being kind to you. They love you more than other men do, but they need you less. They will usually seem to have a lot of time: you will wonder where it comes from.” Who wouldn’t want to be around that kind of person? Better yet, who wouldn’t want to be that kind of person? The early church spread like wildfire because whole generations became completely sold out to Christ. People around them couldn’t help but notice - those people are operating completely differently! That is what draws people in.

The good news is that you are already 100% qualified to “preach” the word of God. In the first chapter of John’s gospel, Philip, one of the first disciples of Christ, goes to his friend Nathaniel and tells him that Jesus is the Messiah they’ve been waiting for. Nathaniel responds with a scoff, doubting what Philip says based on prejudiced opinions. Who hasn’t encountered that same skepticism when talking about Jesus? You are super excited, ready to tell them how your life has changed, and they respond with sarcasm: “Yeah, no thanks. I stopped believing in talking snakes and fairy tales when I was a kid.” Or with condescension: “I don’t need some ancient tribal religion telling me how to act, and I’m shocked you would.”  
The most effective preaching is not to try and convince them of the Bible’s veracity or to tell them that their sin is destroying their emotional and spiritual health. The most effective preaching is, in fact, not preaching at all. The most effective preaching is an invitation, just like Philip’s invitation to Nathaniel.

“Come and see…”

Come and see that there is a different way to think and live. There is a relationship with God that fills that hole in your soul. There is a deep meaning that life’s pain cannot take away. There is love that includes everyone and does not require you to discriminate against others. There is a cathartic relief from the shame and guilt that crushes us all. There is life, and life abundantly.
People want to know you care before they care about what you know. They must see something different in you before they listen to you. So, stop preaching and start caring. People around us are hurting, always. We’re all hungry for belonging, forgiveness, and acceptance. You don’t need to have all the answers. You just need to be ready with an invitation…

Come and see.

In his first letter to the church in Thessalonica, Paul writes that “Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel, but our lives as well.” Invite people into your life. Ask how they are doing and try to pray for them. It’s surprisingly easy to remember people’s struggles when you’re regularly praying for them; it involves you emotionally, puts some skin in the game. You don’t have to save the world. Just save your neighbor.

If you’re loving others, inviting them into your life, and living according to Christ’s teaching as best you can, people will eventually ask you why. Always be ready with your elevator testimony. Keep it simple: this is what my life was before Christ and this is what’s different.
Remember that your journey to and with God is a witness, not an exact prescription for everyone else.

Ask God to open the eyes of your heart to those around you, to make them “your people”. Pray for an opportunity to bring them into your life. Pray for courage to do so.

Have you ever witnessed something that you knew, right there in that moment, was so life-changing that you would never be the same? Maybe it was the exhilaration of being there for your baby’s first cry, or the heaviness of being in the room when your parent took his or her last breath. Maybe it was watching your child make a profession of faith in Jesus or watching your child drive away, bound for college and adulthood. Each of these scenarios make an indelible mark on those who witness them. As I read today’s passage, I think about how the disciples were marked by what they witnessed, and what they went on to do about it.

This passage begins with Jesus’ disciples asking him if the time has come for him “to free Israel and restore our kingdom?” This question comes after Jesus has promised that his followers would be “baptized with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 1:5). The disciples would have known the Old Testament scriptures, and would have been familiar with promises like the one in Ezekiel 39, that says: “I will restore the fortunes of Jacob and have mercy on the whole house of Israel . . . I will not hide my face anymore from them, when I pour out my Spirit upon the house of Israel, declares the Lord God.” Their anticipation of the restoration of Israel reflects a common desire, that we can all relate to, for immediate resolution, a yearning for the tangible fulfillment of God's promises. However, Jesus redirects their focus from earthly kingdoms and timing to a divine mission, empowered by the Holy Spirit.
 
Jesus replies with a reminder to his disciples—and to us—that the timing of God's kingdom is not for us to determine or know (v.7). Instead, he commissions them to be witnesses empowered by the Holy Spirit and extending the reach of His Kingdom from their current city, Jerusalem, to the surrounding areas, including the outcast and hated people of Samaria, and reaching the ends of the earth. This commission is not a mere suggestion but a divine mandate, a call to active participation in God's redemptive plan. Jesus doesn’t tell his disciples that they should be his witnesses to the world but that they will be; they have been so marked by their experiences with Jesus–his life and ministry, his death and resurrection, and his teaching them about the Kingdom of God–that they will inevitably be witnesses to His Gospel wherever they go, by the power of His Spirit!

The disciples witnessed Jesus taken up into heaven before their very eyes! They stood there gazing upward, straining to see him rising into heaven (v. 10) and were met with angelic messengers who seem to redirect their attention from the sky to the task at hand. “Why are you standing here staring into heaven? Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday he will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go!” (v. 11).  They have just witnessed the Lord returning to heaven, and now they are to be His witnesses throughout the world, until He comes again. The task must have seemed insurmountable, terrifying even. But, the power to accomplish that mission was not any they possessed in themselves, but that power would be given to them by the Spirit. Just one chapter later, in Acts 2, “there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm…what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them, and everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages as the the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.” (Acts 2:2-4). The same Holy Spirit who empowered the disciples to spread the Gospel throughout the world inhabits us as followers of Jesus and empowers us to plant the seeds of the Gospel for generations to come! 

John Piper writes that “a witness is a person who has been so touched, so powerfully, deeply moved by the reality of the living Jesus Christ sweeping their sins away and inhabiting their heart… that they speak with the kind of confidence of one who knows, who has tasted, and seen.” Take time today to sit in the presence of God, to taste and see that He is good. Ask Him to move you deeply with awe and gratitude for what Christ has done for you, for where He has brought you from and how deeply He loves you, and to make you abundantly aware of His Spirit’s power at work within you. 

As you pray, ask the Spirit to bring to mind moments you have witnessed that have convinced you of the Truth of the Gospel and the powerful work of Christ on your behalf. Ask Him to give you opportunities to share those experiences with someone else today. 

The story of Zaccheus is short, but powerful. It contains the quintessential purpose of Jesus’ mission here on earth, to seek and save the lost. Jesus’ encounter with Zacchaeus is an example of the kingdom of God bringing salvation to outcasts, unloved, and even hated in society. It’s also the picture of transformation when Christ makes Himself at home in our hearts. 

Zaccheaus was not only a tax-collector, but Chief of the Tax collectors in Jericho. This was one of the wealthiest cities in Palestine, making Zaccheuas a prominent and wealthy guy. However, among the Jewish citizens of Jericho he was hated and reviled. This was most likely due to  the practice known as tax farming, the collector made his profit on whatever extra  he could get away with charging his victims. A tax collector was highly motivated to make the taxes as high as possible.

I love the picture Luke paints in his gospel of this interaction. A despised, albeit wealthy outcast doing whatever it takes just to catch a glimpse of Jesus. Motivated by rumors of the miraculous Zaccheus desperately climbs a tree to behold the Messiah. A wild and ridiculous act to see if the rumors were true. He wanted, badly, to set His eyes on Jesus no matter the cost to his reputation.

Amazingly, as a result of his dedication to seek after Jesus, Jesus in turn saw him. He did not pass him by, but instead called him by name. In calling him by name, Jesus was laying claim to Zaccheaus. As if Jesus was saying, “you are mine”, “come near to me”. The prophet Isaiah spoke these words of the Savior…

“ But now, O Jacob, listen to the Lord who created you.
    O Israel, the one who formed you says,
“Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you.
    I have called you by name; you are mine.” Isaiah 43:1

Jesus knew and saw Zaccheaus long before he climbed that tree. He knew him, He saw him, He called him, He loved him. 
This is the beauty of the Gospel!
He knows us, He sees us, He calls us to Himself. 

But that’s not the end of the story. Jesus invited Himself to Zaccheaus’ house to sit at his table, making Himself right at home. 

In the same way, Jesus makes us His own and makes our heart His home. As a result our lives are miraculously transformed. Standing before Jesus, Zaccheaus’ volunteers to give half of his possessions away to the poor and right the wrongs with his brothers and sisters whom he had cheated in his old life. Just in the presence of Jesus, Zaccheaus immediately grows in compassion, generosity, and righteous living. 

This is the power of the Gospel. His presence in our lives changes our whole self inside and out. It all begins with a position of desperation, that leads to an encounter, and becomes a transformed life.

Zaccheaus' desire to meet Jesus mattered more than his reputation. He first realized his own desperation. This is the story of every follower when we first begin to follow Jesus. We must realize our position of desperation. 

Desperation and need must be a daily position for the believer even after they have been saved. It’s when we are desperate that we continue to seek a glimpse of His face and presence. 

Consider your own position. When was the last time you considered yourself desperate and in need? When was the last time you sought His presence?

Also, Jesus reiterates here that his  mission of Jesus was to Seek and Save the lost.
Consider someone in your own life that needs to experience the transformative power of the presence of Jesus. Pray for them today that they would realize their greatest need in His presence

Lord Jesus, we thank you for seeking and saving the lost like us. We like Zaccheaus, are desperate for you, and you call us by name. Help us to notice the outcast today.

At one time, we were dead in our sins. Unbelief and disobedience were the air we breathed. By nature, we were all children of wrath. Before the way of Christ, we followed the way of the world. Our primary motivations were pleasure and self-advancement.

Even now, without the daily reprieve from self that following Jesus provides, we can become enslaved to our own desires, our own appetites. The world encourages such indulgence. As long as we are chasing after the wind, then we are consuming, buying in to the lies of the enemy that we can be happy if only our life had that missing piece. If we could just manipulate our life conditions correctly, all would be perfect. In our fallen nature, we will pursue our own selfish fulfillment to the point of depression and insanity.
 
Rather than give us what we deserve, however, and what we rebelliously pursued with such zeal, God did the opposite. In His immense mercy and incredible love, God made us alive in Christ. This was 100% His doing; we did nothing before or after our salvation to deserve God’s consideration.

There is nothing that any of us can do to earn the love that God has shown us. Any attempt to do so, to earn or buy God’s love, betrays a misunderstanding of the Gospel. Your salvation is not justified or proven by your works.  If you have been made alive in Christ, your behavior, good or bad, has no effect on your standing before God.

But, and this is a big but, your life and behavior should reflect your salvation and a sincere belief in the teachings of Jesus. James 2:17 reminds us that faith without works is dead. Our growth does not sustain our status with God; our status with God sustains our growth.

You have been made alive in Christ to experience deep union with the Triune God and to embody His love to the people in your life. That truth should motivate you to train your mind and care for your body. That love should spill over into every human relationship. That grace should make us all want to be better today, even if just a little, then we were yesterday.

As the Puritan minister John Owen so eloquently put it, “Be killing sin or sin will be killing you.”
What behavior or attitude needs to stop today? Conversely, what behavior or practice needs to start today? Unless your spirit is clouded by pride and self-righteousness, the answer to these questions probably comes quickly.

We are all sinful. We all deserve wrath.

But God…. How beautiful are those two words! But God made us alive.
Always try to live worthy of being called a son or daughter of the Most High. Always remember how good God has been to you.

“God is opposed to earning; He is not opposed to effort.” – Dallas Willard

Ask God to forgive your pride in good works and for the wretchedness of your sin.
Thank God that he has made you truly alive. Nothing can touch you. Pray Psalm 73:21-28 out loud:

When my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered,
I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before you.
Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand.
You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory.
Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
My body and heart may fail, but you God are the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
It is good to be near God. I have made you my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds.