verseoftheday

And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased." Mark 1:11 NIV Quite cool to have a voice from heaven...wonder what it sounded like? What language did God use? And why did He think it necessary to say anything? Was it a commissioning? Was God concerned that Jesus wouldn't front up? He'd just stay being a carpenter? I think that Jesus is more like us than we think sometimes. That in his humanity getting a word from his father in public was an encouraging thing, that perhaps even then Jesus was looking ahead to Calvary, and needed reminding. Just like us. You're my son. You belong I love you. You're loved With you I'm well pleased - strange phrasing for us - you're doing good, I'm proud of you. And that's just what he says to us. To you. Right now I'm proud of you You belong I love you And we can speak these same words into the lives of others.... #speaklife #justdoit #gospelofmar...

The highway of the upright avoids evil; those who guard their ways preserve their lives. Proverbs 16:17 NIV Jesus came face to face with evil, he was tempted, he faced up to the malignant, the corrupt, the negative, the religious, yet he refused to be swayed, did not budge from his path... his highway ran through evil, yet he refused to take it on board, refused to let it change him... He did guard his ways, but not to preserve his own life, but to preserve ours! To save us. As Tim Keller says "Jesus lived the life we should have lived, and died the death in our place we should have died. On the cross Jesus was treated as we deserved, so that when we believe in him, we're treated as he deserves... Our life is preserved because of the only truly upright one... #thisisourGod #sunday #worship #inthistogether #forgiven #accepted #belong #dearlyloved

For we are his workmanship... Ephesians 2:10 ESV Think about the work of a master craftsman... maybe a musician, artist, builder, carver, engineer... and then go up a level, or ten! You are the work of God's hands. The Master Craftsman. The word here is "poiema". God has put on a master class of creative endeavour delivering an epic, individual, unrepeatable, beautiful, poem. You. His workmanship. A treasure. #dearlyloved #childrenofGod #accepted #belong #beautiful

See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands... Isaiah 49:16 NIV Isaiah is looking forward to the Messiah, and he writes that the people feel forgotten. Forsaken. (There's that word again!) And God says, no I can't and won't forget you. Look at my hands. Your name is written there, engraved there... I'll never forget you. I know your name. On Good Friday we remember Jesus crucified. For us. And as the spikes were driven into his hands, your name, my name, was engraved there. This is love. Love that took Him to the cross. Loved that held Him there. He went there for us...and will never forsake us... never forget us. Your name is tattooed on His hands. #easter #dearlyloved #heknowsyourname #belong

"If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven..." Matthew 19:20-22 NIV God gave up his most precious possession...gave His son, the treasure of heaven, gave him for the poor...the absolutely destitute, those who have nothing, no ability to repay... Us. The least. Jesus became destitute so that we no longer needed to be He became poor so that we could become treasure. Rejected. Despised. Forsaken. So that we could be redeemed. Atoned for. Restored. Brought from outside the gate...into the city Moved from the orphanage to the palace...into the family of the King! Has there ever been a love like this? #childrenofGod #adopted #chosen #belong #redeemed #dearlyloved #thisisLove

Psalm 130:1-2, 5 NIV Out of the depths I cry to you, Lord ; Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy... I wait for the Lord , my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope This has been written by someone who knows what it is to suffer...hurt, loss, grief, rejection...but feeling unheard... waiting... wanting an answer... my whole being waits - life is on hold - & it seems God is not hearing me... and then "in his word I put my hope" His word tells me God is for me He made the way I have been redeemed I am loved I belong One day all will be made new In this I put my hope. #dearlyloved #belong #hope #faith #trustGod #choose

John 11:43, 45-46, 53 NLT Then Jesus shouted, "Lazarus, come out!" Many of the people who were with Mary believed in Jesus when they saw this happen. But some... Imagine being an eye witness to events that day...a person they knew was back from the dead! But some...even when they saw a glimpse of God's power revealed still did not believe...still maintained their own agenda, still chose not to believe This is the freedom that God gives...to choose...to choose Him, or not. Isn't that the heart of love? Love because we have to is not love at all. He loves. His heart is open, wanting us to choose Him...needing us... #encounterswithJesus #choose #belong

Isaiah 40:9-11 ESV "Behold your God!" Behold, the Lord God comes with might, and his arm rules for him; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. Step outside your tent and take a look at who God is. He is massive. Complete. Yet...the next verse says... He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young. He is gentle Personal Looking out for us. For you. He'll gather you up in his arms... Rescuing Restoring This is our God. #believe #belong

Ephesians 5:2 ESV And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. Jesus sacrifice for me became a fragrant offering to God...that is something to ponder...as Jesus giving of himself made a way for me, God the Father sees this as a beautiful thing, something that smells good! Wow. Think Mary and the expensive perfume...a sacrifice... This just shouts how much you and I are loved by a saviour who gave it up for us...something to think on today... #dearlyloved #belong #youaredearlyloved #fromthebeginningoftime

Genesis 12:13 ESV Say you are my sister, that it may go well with me because of you, and that my life may be spared for your sake. Abram thought he could save himself In a spiritual sense we can fall into that thinking as well...I have to be busy for God, I've gotta do...if I'm good enough I'll be good enough for God. To be accepted. But unlike Abram who threw Sarah under the bus to save himself, Jesus sacrificed himself for us. He made the way. Out of love. For us. For me. Loved Accepted Belong When the pressure comes in this life we, just like Abram, can lose sight of that... #dearlyloved #belong #turnyoureyesuponJesus

Ephesians 4:30 NLT ...Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing... Identified Marked Sealed As God's own. No matter what happens in our life, where we live, what we do...if we have taken that step of faith we are part of God's family. We belong. Our future is secure, our hope is in His guarantee. #sunday #worship #belong #dearlyloved #sealed #hope

Let's call this part 3 of 3 Genesis 12:1 NIV The Lord had said to Abram Go from your country, your people and your father's household to the land I will show you. God acknowledges some special and specific things & people in Abram's life, God knew it would be hard for him to leave...when God calls us he knows us, he knows that there are important things that we might have to give up, special people we have to leave...when God calls someone close to us to go, He knows it will be hard...change is hard. Go...to the place I will show you...that speaks of God's care, direction, engagement, & His bigger purpose - stay  connected with God - that's where we really belong. #faith #trustGod #seasons #belong #myfaithwillstand #Heknowsus #Helovesus

Genesis 12:1 NIV The Lord had said to Abram Go from your country, your people and your father's household to the land I will show you. Abram was called to go...he had to leave a lot of important and good things behind. I wonder how he might have felt about that...? I wonder if his father, his people put pressure on him to stay? Abram was successful in his endeavours yet God had something else for him Change is hard. Hard for those leaving & for those staying Change challenges us all about what's really important and the need for us to stay connected with God - that's where we really belong. #somethingtochewon #faith #trustGod #seasons #belong #myfaithwillstand

Genesis 1:26-28 MSG God spoke: Let us make human beings in our image, make them reflecting our nature so they can... From the beginning God's plan was that we would reflect Him, that we are all part of something bigger...that we all belong! All of us. You. Me. Belong. This was God's creative intent for us from the beginning. Yes it was messed up, and Gods story, his love story, is his pursuit of us, making a way for restoration  and redemption #belong #youaredearlyloved #fromthebeginningoftime