verseoftheday

Friday! Proverbs! [4] "Whoever is naive turn aside here," she says to those who lack sense.   [5] "Come, eat my food, and drink the wine I have mixed.  [6] Abandon your simplistic ways and live; walk in the way of understanding." Proverbs 9:4-6 CEB Invitations abound here...invitation to turn aside... What is it that Wisdom would call us to turn aside from today? To give up. To put down. To step away from. The invitation to step towards the feast Wisdom has prepared...what is it that Wisdom invites us to partake of today? To choose. To take up. To step towards. The invitation to abandon something that is unhelpful, unhealthy, and choose Life instead...an invitation to walk in the path of understanding...where do I need that? Step towards Living Wisdom. #proverbs  #Wisdom  #somethingtochewon #itsaheartthing #takethenextstep  #invitation 

[13] I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that I planned to visit you many times, although I have been prevented from coming until now. I want to harvest some fruit among you, just as I have done among the other Gentiles. [14] I have a responsibility both to Greeks and to those who don't speak Greek, both to the wise and to the foolish. Romans 1:13-14 CEB This passage and the next few verses in Romans give us an insight into what motivates Paul...but tucked in there is something else... Recently I was in a conversation about God's plan for your life... Paul wanted to visit Rome, planned to, and something happened, it didn't work out. He doesn't blame God, doesn't turn these events into a question about whether he is living in God's plan or not - this seems to just be life for Paul - we make plans and they don't always work out. Paul (just go back and read the first few verses of this chapter) is in a bigger story, a calling, and that intersects with stu...

Mark 8:11-13 CEB The Pharisees showed up and began to argue with Jesus.  To test him, they asked for a sign from heaven. With an impatient sigh, Jesus said,  "Why does this generation look for a sign?  I assure you that no sign will be given to it." Leaving them, he got back in the boat and crossed to the other side of the lake. Mark 8:11-13 CEB Jesus wasn't entering into their game, didn't buy into their argument, their test, and walked away. This can't have been the first time because Love is Patient, but Jesus patience had run out. Maybe that's part of being human.  Perhaps he could see that there was nothing he could say that wiuld shift the Pharisees because they weren't coming to Jesus wanting to learn, or discover, or understand, anything about him.  And Jesus walked away. Where does Wisdom say that we should just walk away, not enter in to someone else's agenda, someone else's argument, someone else's problem? #gospelofMark #GoodNews  #...

Romans 1:12 CEB [12] What I mean is that we can mutually encourage each other while I am with you. We can be encouraged by the faithfulness we find in each other, both your faithfulness and mine.   Romans 1:12 CEB Paul isn't trying to be some kind of guru, but wants to sit in this learning space too. None of us have all the answers. None of us have it all together all the time. We need one another. What can we discover together? What can we encourage one another in? How does your faith encourage me? How does mine encourage you? When we walk together with this mutual learning in mind, what shifts, what opens up (especially about faith)? #letters #redemptivestrands  #inthistogether 

Romans 1:8 CSB [8] First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you because the news of your faith is being reported in all the world. Romans 1:8 CSB Lots of things pop into mind when I read this; 1. How do I get on Paul's top 10 list of Christians? 2. Their church must be "the" place to be on Sunday 3. Am I doing enough? Maybe I need to do more What comes to mind for you? And then I look again at what Paul is reporting to others about? Their faith. The Greek word Paul uses is "pistis" which means persuaded by, carries the meaning of a guarantee, a warranty. Paul is holding these people up as a model to the world not because of what they do, but who they are. We are not human doings, we are human beings. They have been persuaded by, moved by, live by, the truth claims of Jesus. That's what makes them famous in Paul's world. Whatever our story is, our circumstances today, we are invited to be persuaded anew by Jesus, who He is, listen for His voi...

Sunday Psalms; Psalms 12:5 CSB "Because of the devastation of the needy and the groaning of the poor, I will now rise up," says the Lord.  "I will provide safety for the one who longs for it." Psalms 12:5 CSB David starts this song complaining about people - there are no good people left. None. That's how it feels to him at that time. His experience with people seems to have left him exasperated. Frustrated. Angry. In despair. Lost sight of the good. The good people in his world may well be there but he can't see them right now. And it's in his Despair he holds on to the Truth, that in the Big Story we are heard, that our God does make a way. And from our place in time we can see David's song fulfilled in Jesus. And in Him we can continue to hold the hope that our God does hear us, and is and will make all things new.  The redemptive strands are here. There are good people here. When we're stuck in frustration, anger, despair, we have a voice her...

Romans 1:5-7 CSB Through him we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the Gentiles, including you who are also called by Jesus Christ. To all who are in Rome, loved by God, called as saints.  Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 1:5-7 CSB "including you" Paul is writing to the church in Rome which seems to be mainly people who are not Jews, who the Good News of Jesus did not initially seem to include...but it always did. "including you" Sometimes there's part of us that seems to think we don't belong  "including you" Our story includes being excluded  "including you" When we feel judged, left out, not good enough "including you" To all who are in Rome (to you, wherever you are, in your struggles, in your story, including you, you are), loved by God, called as saints.  Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the L...