verseoftheday

Romans 6:5, 7-11 NLT [5] Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was.  (This takes us back to Paul talking about baptism and how that signifies connection with Jesus death) [7] For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin.  (A reminder again that we are free from sin's power) [8] And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with him.  (And we have now entered into Life!  Don't rush past this truth today! "We know we also live with him" - how good is that?) [9] We are sure of this because Christ was raised from the dead, and he will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him. (This is our sign, our security - death no longer has any power over Jesus, and we're alive with him, so we're all good)  [10] When he died, he died once to break the power of sin. But now that he lives, he lives for the glory of God.  (No rerun needed - it's done.) [11] So you also should con...

Sunday Psalms; In times of trouble,  may the Lord answer your cry.  May the name of the God of Jacob keep you safe from all harm.  May he send you help from his sanctuary and strengthen you from Jerusalem. May he remember all your gifts and look favorably on your burnt offerings.  Interlude. Psalms 20:1-3 NLT The first part of this song of David's is looking out at the people he cared about.  Looking out, and looking up. Looking out, looking up, and trusting God in "times of trouble". Looking for our God in times of trouble. David invites us to keep it real, and this song of his takes me to Jesus words, the last recorded words we have to his team before he heads towards death... John 16:33 NLT "I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me.  Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows.  But take heart, because I have overcome the world." The redemptive strands can be seen from David, to Jesus, to us. There will be, is, times of trou...

Romans 6:5-6 NLT [5] Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was. [6] We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin.  Romans 6:5-6 NLT We can feel the redemptive strand pulling us from death towards Life. And the things that drove us no longer have to. The things that are not reflective of our God's character, His heart, become less and less...our desires and thoughts and what's most important shift...to align with God's... Love. Justice. Truth. The least. The world, sometimes in league with our own heart desires and the lies of the enemy tries to tell us that this is not freedom, but Paul is reminding us that this is where freedom really is, when we live in the truth that he has been going on about that we are made right with God by Grace that comes through Jesus. And in that is freedom. Breathe that in today... #letters  ##GodsGraceR...

Friday! Proverbs! [3] The Lord will not let the godly go hungry,  but he refuses to satisfy the craving of the wicked.  [4] Lazy people are soon poor;  hard workers get rich.  [5] A wise youth harvests in the summer, but one who sleeps during harvest is a disgrace. Proverbs 10:3-5 NLT So easy to use these Proverbs as weapons against others. If we start with the first one, well, God's people do go hungry, so it would seem that we're being invited into something deeper... So if I turn this lens that Proverbs gives me inwards what questions does it invite? The injustice that there are poor people? Where is God when people who love Him are hungry? Is there a harvest going on that I am sleeping through? What are the "riches" that come to mind? Is this what God intends for me? What are my cravings that God wouldn't want to satisfy? As you read these Proverbs what jumps off the page for you? Why? What action is our God inviting you towards? What deeper story does it invi...

....now God's wonderful grace rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Well then,  should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace?  Of course not!  Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it? Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death? For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father,  now we also may live new lives. Romans 5:21 - 6:4 NLT We are invited into new life now! To keep stepping away from the things that separate us from God, not because His Grace isn't enough, but because His Grace IS enough. This is not once-and-done but a journey that continues as we live out this new life in the reality of our hurt and damaged and beautiful and wonderful world. Maybe there's an encouragement to keep step...

Romans 5:21 NLT [21] So just as sin ruled over all people and brought them to death, now God's wonderful grace rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 5:21 NLT Some days it doesn't feel like God's Grace rules does it...but what we can be assured of is that God's Grace does rule in our relationship with Him. And because it is God's Grace that rules there, our relationship with, our standing with Him doesn't depend on us. The weight is off. So put it down. God's Grace rules. Whatever we had in place of God's Grace is not in charge, does not make the rules, it's a fake, fraud, or just a poor substitute. God's Grace rules through Jesus, and the result is Life! May not feel like it, but it's true. Whatever is in front of us today we get to live in the truth that God's Grace rules our relationship with Him, and we already have Life. #letters #GodsGraceRules #hopeishere...

Romans 5:12, 18-19 NLT [12] When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam's sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned.  ... [18] Yes, Adam's one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ's one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone. [19] Because one person disobeyed God, many became sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, many will be made righteous. Romans 5:12, 18-19 NLT Paul is reinforcing again and again this redemptive truth that through Jesus we are made right with God.  And this is Good News. Because it is all about Jesus and what he did, and it doesn't rely on me and what I do or don't do. One of the toughest things to put down can be the idea that I have to be good enough, be enough, reach a standard, to be acceptable to God. Paul reminds us again and again that it's what Jesus did. Author and Pastor Tim Keller used the term "our self salvation project". I ...