verseoftheday

Don't just pretend to love others.  Really love them.  Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good.  Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.  Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically.  Rejoice in our confident hope.  Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying.  When God's people are in need, be ready to help them.  Always be eager to practice hospitality. Romans 12:9-13 NLT This isn't a set of rules we have to follow, a tick list, it's an invitation into a way of being, a way of living that reflects our God's love for us and grace towards us out into the world that we live in. These are not weapons to fire at others, or at ourselves. Grace over guilt. Maybe start with this and see what opens up: "Rejoice in our confident hope." Start with hope. Confident hope. (For more on this go back a bit earlier in Paul's letter and check chapters 6 & 8) And rejoice in that.  And I ...

Don't just pretend to love others.  Really love them.  Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good.  Love each other with genuine affection,  and take delight in honoring each other.  Romans 12:9-10 NLT I wonder why Paul thought he needed to write this to the church in Rome? If he wrote this to my church what would have caught his attention? If he wrote this to me, what would he have noticed in me that needs this encouragement? What does Paul's encouragement invite is towards today? #letters #invitation #reallylovenopretending #holdontothegood #delightinothers

I am on the verge of collapse,  facing constant pain. But I confess my sins;  I am deeply sorry for what I have done.  I have many aggressive enemies;  they hate me without reason.  They repay me evil for good and oppose me for pursuing good.  Do not abandon me,  O Lord.  Do not stand at a distance,  my God.  Come quickly to help me,  O Lord my savior. Psalms 38:17-22 NLT All of our emotions can be found in the Psalms - perhaps you've felt like David does here, maybe that's how it is today - this Psalm gives permission to feel what you feel  - that's OK. David's writing also gives us some clues about the way forward: He acknowledges what's going on in him by writing it down - try that if you haven't. He looks inwards to his own heart, looks outward to the choices and actions of others, and looks up - continues to look to our God in his distress. Perhaps we can follow David's pattern here. What do you think? #psalms #songs #rede...

Sunday Psalms; Psalms 38:6-11 NLT I am bent over and racked with pain.  All day long I walk around filled with grief. A raging fever burns within me,  and my health is broken.  I am exhausted and completely crushed.  My groans come from an anguished heart.  You know what I long for,  Lord;  you hear my every sigh.  My heart beats wildly, my strength fails,  and I am going blind.  My loved ones and friends stay away, fearing my disease. Even my own family stands at a distance. Psalms 38:6-11 NLT I'm not sure if David is experiencing all of these things at the same time or if he is writing his song to express a time in his life, to get God's attention, but he does have something to say. And he says it. Writes it.  Gets it out of his head.  Pain. Grief. Fever. Exhaustion. Anxiety. Body breaking down. Rejection. It's all here. And it's not directed away from God but towards Him, letting Him know what's going on. The invitation of t...

A fool finds pleasure in wicked schemes,  but a person of understanding delights in wisdom. Proverbs 10:23 NIV Can we see Jesus in this Proverb? He is the opposite of the first part, the anti-fool who took no part in the schemes of others, and yet submitted himself to those schemes for us.  Jesus is the "person of understanding," and when I think of him in this light, he was often going back to the Father, spending time in prayer, spending time alone. Being that "person of wisdom" isn't a one off thing or something that someone attains and stops - it's not a destination but a living journey. #proverbs  #wisdom  #somethingtochewon #itsaheartthing  #takethenextstep 

Friday! Proverbs! A fool finds pleasure in wicked schemes,  but a person of understanding delights in wisdom. Proverbs 10:23 NIV Easy to see this Proverb at work in the world - any day's media headlines show us the first part out loud - a bit harder to find the second part - the "person of understanding". But if Proverbs is really offering insight into my heart, I wonder where I take pleasure in, or think something is good or fun that is hurtful or harmful to someone? And where, when, (or even if) am I taking delight in "wisdom"? Biblehub defines wisdom as used here , the word "chokmah" as  "While fundamentally moral and spiritual, it embraces practical insight, technical skill, administrative aptitude, and relational discernment. Appearing about 149 times in the Old Testament, it undergirds Israel's worship, ethics, statecraft, and artistry" This is a broad term for embracing "life", taking delight in life, art, work, as well a...

Romans 12:6-8 NLT In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well.  So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you.  If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well.  If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging.  If it is giving, give generously.  If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously.  And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly. Romans 12:6-8 NLT These lists of "gifts" have often been taught as prescriptive- "here's the list, where do you fit, you must have one of these, finding your 'gift' is important", but when reading this as a letter it comes across more as an invitation to use what you're good at, what you're skilled at, what you enjoy, to bless and encourage others. Perhaps this is what  "living sacrifices" looks like... The emphasis seems to be l...

Romans 12:1-8 NLT (Sometimes it's good to read it like a letter...) And so,  dear brothers and sisters,  I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you.  Let them be a living and holy sacrifice - the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.  Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don't think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us.   Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ's body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.  In his grace, God has given us different gifts f...

Romans 12:1-2 CEB So,  brothers and sisters, because of God's mercies, I encourage you to present your bodies a living sacrifice that is holy and pleasing to God.  This is your appropriate priestly service. Don't be conformed to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds so that you can figure out what God's will is - what is good and pleasing and mature.   Romans 12:1-2 CEB Paul invites us to be transformed by the renewing of our mind! Our thinking. Our judgement. What we need is the 5 steps to do that - where are they? Well I think they're found in the "So" that this little summary starts with. "So" takes us back over the letter so far, about new life being found in Jesus, about freedom from the old patterns, naming them and stepping towards God's patterns for us.  There are no easy formula or one-size-fits-all solutions because this is about a living relationship with a living God, and these are active things,...

Psalms 37:28, 37, 39 CEB [28] The LORD loves justice. He will never leave his faithful all alone. They are guarded forever... ... [37] Observe those who have integrity and watch those whose heart is right because the future belongs to persons of peace.  ... [39] The salvation of the righteous comes from the LORD;  he is their refuge in times of trouble.   Psalms 37:28, 37, 39 CEB This psalm of David's is full of the future of the "wicked". And through the psalm is the invitation to stay the course with our God. The realities of David's enemies and the wicked in the world are there, and there is continuing trust in our God and returning again to Him, to following His call to His people to walk in integrity and peace, and to stay faithful to God's Big Story... He Loves Justice. He will make things right. Not sure how, but I trust Him with that, trust Him with the Big Story, trusting that "He is my refuge even in times of trouble" and I will continue to see...

Sunday Psalms; Don't get upset over evildoers;  dont be jealous of those who do wrong, because they will fade fast,  like grass;  they will wither like green vegetables.  Trust the LORD  and do good;  live in the land,  and farm faithfulness.  Enjoy the LORD,  and he will give what your heart asks.  Commit your way to the LORD!  Trust him!  He will act and will make your righteousness shine like the dawn,  your justice like high noon.  Be still before the LORD, and wait for him. Psalms 37:1-7 CEB Welcome to the upsidedown Kingdom! David's song is pointing to something deep, a story that says the thing you farm, trusting in God, the things you grow, doing good in the land, something about these things will last.  David invites us to sit or stand or lie in our bed before our God. To wait. Before Him. To Trust Him. And as we do that, something shifts. Trusting our God, waiting before Him, might take practice, repeti...

The LORD's blessing makes a person rich, and no trouble is added to it. Proverbs 10:22 CEB When we look for Jesus reflected in this Proverb we see Him stepping away from the place of blessing, leaving heaven, leaving the Father, leaving richness, and moving towards Trouble. He did this so that this Proverb could be real for us. Love steps out of the place of blessing for the Beloved.  Love makes a way.  Becomes the way. What a story we are in... #proverbs #wisdom #somethingtochewon #itsaheartthing #weareBeloved 

Friday! Proverbs! [22] The LORD's blessing makes a person rich, and no trouble is added to it. Proverbs 10:22 CEB The word here translated "trouble" is an interesting one: "'Esteb" which as these words seem to do carry a range of meanings - an earthen vessel, an idol, painful toil, grief, wearisome work. The riches of the world seem to have some or all of these things attached - but not the riches that come from our God's blessing. The riches that flow from His blessing are unencumbered. If Proverbs is a mirror looking in, I can see the temptation in my own heart for the riches of this world, and how easy it can be to miss the blessings from God. What about you? Perhaps today this Proverb is inviting us to consider what really matters... #proverbs #wisdom #somethingtochewon #itsaheartthing 

Romans 12:1-2 CEB So,  brothers and sisters, because of God's mercies, I encourage you to present your bodies a living sacrifice that is holy and pleasing to God.  This is your appropriate priestly service. Don't be conformed to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds so that you can figure out what God's will is - what is good and pleasing and mature.   Romans 12:1-2 CEB As priests then, what is Paul asking us to look for around us? The patterns of the world. It literally means to this "age" - the ideas that drive our culture - be aware of them, because Kingdom values, of which we are now Priests, may well be different. He's not calling the church in Rome to step out of the world, but to notice it, allowing Kingdom values to transform. Here's an example if you have 5 mins - a lady in Prague who set up an Embassy of the Kingdom of heaven - if being a "Priest" is too loaded a term, maybe Ambassador sits better....

Romans 12:1-2 CEB So,  brothers and sisters, because of God's mercies, I encourage you to present your bodies a living sacrifice that is holy and pleasing to God.  This is your appropriate priestly service. Don't be conformed to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds so that you can figure out what God's will is - what is good and pleasing and mature.   Romans 12:1-2 CEB Paul uses the priestly connection, priestly metaphor here, placing his readers, Christ followers, as priests.  Priests who have access to the Holy of Holies, access to the presence of God, who bring sacrifices, who atone. But it's all shifted - we're not to bring a lamb or a bird or some other token or symbol, but ourselves.  Our whole self. This is more than an intellectual or spiritual exercise, it's a physical one too.  What we do matters. A priest brings a sacrifice to atone, hoping it is good enough, pure enough, enough. In Jesus the atoning h...

Romans 12:1-2 CEB So,  brothers and sisters, because of God's mercies, I encourage you to present your bodies a living sacrifice that is holy and pleasing to God.  This is your appropriate priestly service. Don't be conformed to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds so that you can figure out what God's will is - what is good and pleasing and mature.   Romans 12:1-2 CEB "So", "therefore", "summing up what I've been writing to you about" - this famous passage of Paul's letter does not sit in isolation from all that he has written up to now, all that he has been saying about new life being found in Jesus, about freedom from the law, his heart for those who don't know or have rejected Jesus, all of the last 11 chapters. So. Brothers & sisters. The word here is "adelphous" which in different contexts means family, brethren, whanau, those joined together by a covenant, an inclusive ter...

Romans 11:33-36 CSB Oh,  the depth of the riches and the wisdom and the knowledge of God!  How unsearchable his judgments and untraceable his ways For who has known the mind of the Lord?  Or who has been his counselor?  And who has ever given to God, that he should be repaid?  For from him and through him and to him are all things.  To him be the glory forever.  Amen. Romans 11:33-36 CSB Paul has been wrestling in this letter with being Jewish, God's chosen people, who have also rejected Jesus, and how out of that faith has come to Gentiles, the rest of us who aren't Jewish- and this is his conclusion to all that: How great our God is. We can't expect to figure Him out completely, we can't outgive Him, counsel Him, or fully know Him. And that's OK. We get to sit with mystery, uncertainty, doubt, not knowing, and being able to hold to what is known, what is True, that it's our God who made the way for us to be right with Him, and we are in fact, dearly ...

Sunday Psalms; Psalms 36:5-10 CSB Lord,  your faithful love reaches to heaven,  your faithfulness to the clouds. Your righteousness is like the highest mountains,  your judgments like the deepest sea.  Lord,  you preserve people and animals. How priceless your faithful love is,  God!  People take refuge in the shadow of your wings. They are filled from the abundance of your house.  You let them drink from your refreshing stream. For the wellspring of life is with you.  By means of your light we see light. Spread your faithful love over those who know you,  and your righteousness over the upright in heart. Psalms 36:5-10 CSB David's psalm starts and ends with his concern about someone who's words and actions are evil and this person holds no fear or dread of God. And this middle part is David's response - a beautiful reflection of who God is, of where refuge is found in someone Bigger, in a Bigger Story. When this world seems too much, wh...

The lips of the righteous feed many,  but fools die for lack of sense. Proverbs 10:21 CSB Can we see Jesus in this Proverb? His are the words of the Righteous One who not only feeds us, but saves us! But the second part of this Proverb, Jesus is the opposite, the antithesis - it's not for a lack of sense, of "leb" of heart, of will that he died, but because of his heart (that is for us), and it was an act of His will. I wonder if there's somewhere that our heart, our leb, our will, is encouraging us to act today, somewhere where we have power? It may be self care, rest, reflection, creation, advocacy, care, connection...or perhaps it's those words of goodness that get to nourish someone (and maybe that someone is you?). #proverbs #wisdom #somethingtochewon #itsaheartthing #invitation  #speaklife 

Friday! Proverbs! [21] The lips of the righteous feed many,  but fools die for lack of sense. Proverbs 10:21 CSB Mmm at first glance this seems straight forward...until we discover that word translated "sense" or in some versions "wisdom" is our old friend "leb", the heart, the inner essence of who we are, the will, the wairua. So fools die for lack of heart! So this is not literal but its all figurative of something... For me (today anyway) it seems to be saying that if our words speak life into the world, they need to come from a place of life, a heart that is beating life... If my words are simply AI generated, soaked in Reels or other people's thoughts and ideas, then this Proverb is saying that's a path towards something in us dying...what do you think? God's vision of our thriving is our fully aliveness- not perfection, but aliveness. How can we get our hearts pumping with more of that today? #proverbs #wisdom #somethingtochewon #itsahear...

Romans 10:13-15 NLT For "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him?  And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him?  And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent?  That is why the Scriptures say,  "How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!" Romans 10:13-15 NLT Paul's heart is for his people who are caught in their rules based religion and is writing to the church in Rome to invite them in some way to become the "beautiful feet of messengers who bring Good News". Perhaps the invitation to us is to join in, to in some way become a messenger of hope, of faith, of Good News. How could that look for us, for me? To be part of the redemptive story... #letters #redemptivestrands  #messengers  #sent

Romans 10:8-13 NLT ...And that message is the very message about faith that we preach:  If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord  and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead,  you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved. As the Scriptures tell us, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced." Jew and Gentile are the same in this respect. They have the same Lord, who gives generously to all who call on him. For "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." Romans 10:8-13 NLT Shame, guilt, doubt, have I done enough, am I good enough, if God knew what I am really like there's no way I'm good enough... Paul continues in his letter writing to the church in Rome sharing his love for Jewish people and wanting them to be able to step around the rock of their own "self salvation project" (as Tim Keller describes it). ...

Romans 9:32-33 NLT ...Because they were trying to get right with God by keeping the law instead of by trusting in him.  They stumbled over the great rock in their path. ... "But anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced." Romans 9:32-33 NLT Never be disgraced, (the word here is "kataischuno" which means) disgraced, humiliated, shamed. Disgraced. Humiliated. Shamed. Perhaps of all the things we fear, these are the things we fear most.  We know what shame is, and there's no way we can stand before God in shame, so we have to do more, obey more, be more right, more righteous... But Paul says here that is the great rock in the path that we tumble over, that trips us up. Paul invites us back to righteousness by faith, by trusting in God, by allowing us to be fully human, and Beloved.  We get to put the shame, the fear of shame, the fear of disgrace, the fear of not being enough, the fear of rejection by our God down, because in Jesus we are fully accepted and ...

Sunday Psalms: Psalms 35:7-8, 12, 15 CSB [7] They hid their net for me without cause;  they dug a pit for me without cause.  [8] Let ruin come on him unexpectedly,  and let the net that he hid ensnare him;  let him fall into it - to his ruin. ... [12] They repay me evil for good,  making me desolate. ... [15] But when I stumbled,  they gathered in glee; they gathered against me.  Assailants I did not know tore at me and did not stop. Psalms 35:7-8, 12, 15 CSB This is a song of David's, a sing asking, pleading, directing God to intervene, even how to do it! This is David, and the Bible, keeping it real. He is expressing his heart directly to God. David isn't doing it for commentary or for approval, but because this is what is going on for him. And that's the invitation for us - to express to God what is going on for us, unfiltered.  Perhaps you can understand exactly where David is coming from, it's OK to be unfiltered with our God. (Maybe David's ...

The tongue of the righteous is pure silver; the heart of the wicked is of little value. Proverbs 10:20 CSB Can we see Jesus in this Proverb? He jumps out as the righteous one who's words are the purest of pure silver. And he flips the script on the second part, because he sees the value in me, in us, in humanity. He values our hearts above anything it seems...when we look for Jesus in this Proverb it's the redemptive strand that emerges...Jesus words of the purest of pure silver were not some academic exercise, it is all part of the way-making that Jesus did for us, wanting (re)connection... Because we are beloved. In those moments when our words hold silver, and when our hearts seem of little value, we are in fact, beloved... #proverbs #wisdom #somethingtochewon #itsaheartthing #speaklife  #rememberweareBeloved 

Friday! Proverbs! The tongue of the righteous is pure silver; the heart of the wicked is of little value. Proverbs 10:20 CSB Here's one of those slightly mis-matched Proverbs - why does the writer compare the tongue of the righteous with the heart of the wicked? Perhaps it's just to slow us down a wee bit... To consider where our words come from (from the heart, the "leb", the centre of our being, our mind, will). If Proverbs is not a weapon to use on others but an invitation to consider my own "leb", my own heart, this Proverb seems to be asking me to consider where my heart and words don't align...i wonder how often my words are "pure silver" but my heart is not "pure silver"? "Jesus, shape my heart so that it aligns more with you, and so that more and more of my words might be silver, of greater value to me and to others, because they are coming from a heart that is being purified by You. Amen." #proverbs #wisdom #somethi...

Mark 11:12-14 NLT [12] The next morning as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. [13] He noticed a fig tree in full leaf a little way off, so he went over to see if he could find any figs. But there were only leaves because it was too early in the season for fruit. [14] Then Jesus said to the tree, "May no one ever eat your fruit again!" And the disciples heard him say it. Mark 11:12-14 NLT This little narrative of Mark's about the fig tree just seems strange. How come Jesus wasn't treated hospitably in Bethany and given breakfast? What had the tree done that was so bad? Why did he speak so loudly that all the disciples heard it? Strange. Until we zoom out in the story. Read where Jesus had been the day before, and what happened the next day and it starts to make sense that Jesus was using this tree as a metaphor for something else... It's a teaching tool, something he wants his team to remember going forward, everytime they see a fig tree they'll be re...

Psalms 34 MSG I bless God every chance I get;  my lungs expand with his praise.  I live and breathe God;  if things aren't going well,  hear this and be happy:  ... God met me more than halfway,  he freed me from my anxious fears.  Look at him;  give him your warmest smile.  Never hide your feelings from him.  When I was desperate,  I called out,  and God got me out of a tight spot.  God's angel sets up a circle of protection around us while we pray. Open your mouth and taste,  open your eyes and see - how good God is. Blessed are you who run to him.  Worship God if you want the best;  worship opens doors to all his goodness.  ... Come,  children,  listen closely;  I'll give you a lesson in God worship.  Who out there has a lust for life?  Can't wait each day to come upon beauty? Guard your tongue from profanity, and no more lying through your teeth. Turn your back on sin; do so...

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted;  he rescues those whose spirits are crushed. Psalms 34:18 NLT Writing psalms, songs, poetry is a personal journey, a download of where the writer is at in their internal world, their heart, spirit, emotions, thoughts.  This one is written by David, and here, right in the middle of our Bible is someone who uses some of the same word pictures that we do to explain what is going on; being brokenhearted,  having a spirit that is crushed. David also experienced God's nearness, and somehow, in some way, rescue. Being brokenhearted, feeling crushed, are part of being human, expressed here by David 3000 years ago, and by Jesus, 2000 years ago, and in some way experienced by all of us...perhaps the invitation of this song is to invite our God into our brokenheartedness, into our crushedness, because He knows what it is to be human... #psalms  #songs  #redemptivestrands #hopeishere 

Psalms 34:4-5 NLT I prayed to the Lord,  and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears. Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy;  no shadow of shame will darken their faces. Psalms 34:4-5 NLT David was on the run from Saul, afraid. Ended up in the city of the Philistines, afraid. What was the shame he was carrying?  Perhpas that's something familiar, that shame that "darkens your face".  David's invitation here is to follow his story and to "look to him for help", to the Lord, to YHWH, to Yahweh. This implies an acknowledgement of who Yahweh is, that we're in His Big Story of Love and Redemption, that we can hold on to the redemptive strand and let His Light shine on our story, our shame, into our heart...is that what we need today? #psalms #songs  #redemptivestrands #hopeishere #weareBeloved 

Sunday Psalms; Psalms 34:1-3 NLT I will praise the Lord at all times.  I will constantly speak his praises. I will boast only in the Lord;  let all who are helpless take heart. Come, let us tell of the Lord's greatness;  let us exalt his name together. Psalms 34:1-3 NLT The context of this song, this poem, this psalm, is that David was on the run from Saul, running for his life, and had pretended to be crazy, out of his mind, so that Abimilech, the Philistine king, would not see him as a threat and let him go (1 Samuel 21-22). (David had killed Goliath and had his sword). I'm not sure if this poem is David thanking God for giving him the idea and using that to save him, or saving him anyway despite what he chose to do in that situation. But what stood out for me today was this phrase: "let all who are helpless take heart." In the midst of his opening part of this song praising God: "let all who are helpless take heart." He had felt helpless.  If we have ever...

With lots of words comes wrongdoing,  but the wise restrain their lips.   Proverbs 10:19 CEB Can we locate Jesus in this Proverb? Jesus was prone to "pesha", to revolt, to rebellion, but it was against injustice and against unjust systems. His revolt was not in the way people expected... When it came to the will of the Father he was completely aligned, no turning away, even in the Garden of Gethsemane when everything in Him wanted to... And when Jesus was before Pilate he was silent. When tempted by the Enemy he just quoted Scripture. And often Jesus would just ask a question... Asking a question, sharing Scripture, staying silent, perhaps that's the restraint of the wise that this Proverb invites us towards... #proverbs  #wisdom #somethingtochewon #itsaheartthing 

Friday! Proverbs! Proverbs 10:19 CEB [19] With lots of words comes wrongdoing, but the wise restrain their lips.   Mmm the word here "wrongdoing" is "pesha", which means revolt, a rebellion.  So if proverbs is an invitation into my own heart motivation then is this proverb asking me to consider where my words (thoughts, internal dialogue) has convinced me that wrong is right, that what is not OK is OK? If that's correct then the wise by restraining their own words look somewhere else for wisdom, for direction, to stay the course with God rather than go my own way? Too many words.  Mmm. Where am I prone to revolt - especially against God, rebelling against his call, instruction, values? If I am speaking less, this opens up room for listening, for the other... As we sit with this Proverb today, what is the Spirit prompting? #somethingtochewon #itsaheartthing  #proverbs  #wisdom #invitation 

Mark 11:9-11 CEB [9] Those in front of him and those following were shouting,  "Hosanna!  Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord!   Blessings on the coming kingdom of our ancestor David!  Hosanna in the highest!" Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple.  After he looked around at everything, because it was already late in the evening, he returned to Bethany with the Twelve.   Mark 11:9-11 CEB I wouldn't make any kind of spiritual principle out of this, but after all the preparation of sending his team out to find the colt to ride on, the crowds, the chanting, Jesus got to the temple, had a look around, and went back to Bethany.  Couldn't he have started earlier in the day? Or is he perhaps, maybe, inviting us to just take things a bit quieter sometimes - letting us know that it all doesn't have to get done today... Where are we being invited to slow down? In a world that seems to value speeding up, perhaps being a lit...

Mark 11:7-9 CEB They brought the colt to Jesus and threw their clothes upon it, and he sat on it.  Many people spread out their clothes on the road while others spread branches cut from the fields.  Those in front of him and those following were shouting,  "Hosanna!  Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord!" Mark 11:7-9 CEB Hosanna literally means "save now". There's a procession thru the city with Jesus riding on this young donkey that's never been ridden, with crowds and chanting and waving palm fronds. Redemption is here. Jesus is going to save them now.  Everything will be different as they'll be set free - free from the Empire. Free from repression. Poverty  Being less than. This is the redemptive strand that they're expecting to follow... But they didn't see the signs Jesus gave them. Not a big horse symbolising power, but a small young donkey who'd never been ridden. No warriors. No weapons. No symbols if power. "Sa...

Mark 11:1-6 NIV As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples, saying to them,  "Go to the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, 'Why are you doing this?' say, 'The Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly.'" They went and found a colt outside in the street, tied at a doorway.  As they untied it, some people standing there asked, "What are you doing, untying that colt?" They answered as Jesus had told them to, and the people let them go.  Mark 11:1-6 NIV This seems like a strange thing that Jesus is asking 2 of his team to do that day.  From our perspective of knowing what part this animal plays in the bigger story this little story makes sense in the Bigger Story of God's Redemptive Story. Sometimes though, we're prompted to do things that can...

Psalms 33:16-18 NIV No king is saved by the size of his army;  no warrior escapes by his great strength.  A horse is a vain hope for deliverance;  despite all its great strength it cannot save.  But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love... Psalms 33:16-18 NIV Whether we are relying on our own strength, our own resources, the power of things our culture has created, it's not enough. The redemptive strand is here though, throughout all generations, it runs through all cultures...Unfailing Love is where our hope lies. That takes the pressure off us.  Because our hope lies in Unfailing Love. We don't have to be perfect.  Because our hope lies in Unfailing Love. We can damp down that inner critic - because our hope lies in Unfailing Love. We get to start afresh, move into new things, try things, because our hope lies in Unfailing Love. What are we being invited to put down? Because our hope lies in Unfailing...

Sunday Psalms; Sing a new song of praise to him;  play skillfully on the harp,  and sing with joy. For the word of the Lord holds true,  and we can trust everything he does.  He loves whatever is just and good;  the unfailing love of the Lord fills the earth.  The Lord merely spoke, and the heavens were created.  He breathed the word, and all the stars were born.  He assigned the sea its boundaries and locked the oceans in vast reservoirs. Psalms 33:3-7 NLT Sing a new song - the invitation here is to write your own! There's plenty of room for our thoughts and words and songs about our God. Perhaps following the pattern of this song might help: The psalmist writes about something of God's character: He is True and trustworthy, loves justice and goodness, and is Unfailing Love. Then the writer looks out at the created world and sees God's hand and writes about it. What is one aspect of God's character that we could write a about today? Just one phra...

[18] Whoever hides hatred has lying lips, And whoever spreads slander is a fool. Proverbs 10:18 NKJV When we look for Jesus in this Proverb he is the antithesis, the exact opposite of this. He didn't spread slander. He would stay silent or quote scripture, or ask a question. He didn't hide his hatred of death. He didn't hide that he stood against those who promoted their own righteousness and rule keeping and rule making as the way to be right with God. He didn't hide that he stood against those who treated others unjustly, and stood against the systems that led to poverty, to groups of people who were seen as less than. His integrity was total, he was the same all the way through, and his motivation was Love. And the crazy part? We are the object of His love! We are Beloved! #proverbs #wisdom #somethingtochewon #itsaheartthing #rememberweareBeloved 

Friday! Proverbs! [18] Whoever hides hatred has lying lips, And whoever spreads slander is a fool. Proverbs 10:18 NKJV Interesting take on integrity- pretending to be OK with something, hiding our true thoughts or feelings makes us, makes me a liar! Ouch. The second part of this Proverb seems mich easier to agree with - however, when I look back over conversations that I've had I wonder how often I have been that fool who has repeated something without knowing it's true, without knowing the whole story... Getting back to Part 1 - I don't think this is a call to enter every argument that comes our way, but it's an invitation to keep checking in on our motivation- whats going on in my heart? Is there something in my heart that needs the Light and Grace of Jesus to speak Life to? What is lurking in my heart that needs bringing to the Light? What do you think? #proverbs #wisdom #somethingtochewon #itsaheartthing #rememberweareBeloved 

Mark 10:51-52 NLT "What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus asked.  "My Rabbi," the blind man said,  "I want to see!" And Jesus said to him, "Go, for your faith has healed you." Instantly the man could see, and he followed Jesus down the road. Mark 10:51-52 NLT No mud packs, or washing, or seeing people walking like trees, simply instant change.  And Bartimaeus changed.  He simply followed Jesus. Even after Jesus told him to go. He followed. Jesus recognised something that the crowd missed completely-  the faith of Bartimaeus. Mark doesn't tell us how long  Bartimaeus had been blind, or how long he had heard about, believed in, had faith in, Jesus. For some period of time these two things overlapped: Blindness, poverty, exclusion. And Faith in Jesus. Bartimaeus was able to spark, develop, grow his faith in the dark. Where does Bartimaeus story encourage my faith where it's still dark? Where things are tough? (I wonder if this is what hea...

Bartimaeus threw aside his coat, jumped up, and came to Jesus.   "What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus asked.  "My Rabbi," the blind man said,  "I want to see!" Mark 10:50-51 NLT Bartimaeus headed in the direction of Jesus voice.  He was blind. And he was listening. (Perhaps there's times when those of us with good eyesight could  close our eyes to all the things that we see that can distract and pull us towards, and just listen for Jesus) "What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus asked.  Jesus is direct.  Straight forward. And open to Bartimaeus. "What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus asked.  (What would my reply to Jesus be today?) Bartimaeus responds first with a postional response: "My Rabbi" = great teacher, honoured master. Bartimaeus knew who Jesus is. (Our invitation is to approach Jesus in the same way.) And then Bartimaeus just puts his request in the same simple, open, straight up way as Jesus question...

Mark 10:48-50 NLT "Be quiet!" many of the people yelled at him.  But he only shouted louder,  "Son of David, have mercy on me!"   When Jesus heard him, he stopped and said, "Tell him to come here." So they called the blind man.  "Cheer up," they said. "Come on, he's calling you!" Bartimaeus threw aside his coat, jumped up, and came to Jesus. Mark 10:48-50 NLT Bartimaeus moved from ignored to included because Jesus heard him. The crowd seemed to think that all this blind man living on the edge of society wanted was some attention.  Cheer up. Jesus has noticed you.  The crowd had missed him. Still didn't see him as worthy, worth including. "Come on, your getting the attention we're guessing is what you want". Bartimaeus who needed the permission of the crowd and the invitation of Jesus had the barriers to Jesus removed. And he jumped at the opportunity. I wonder how often I'm part of that crowd who keep Jesus to ...

Psalms 32:3, 10-11 CSB [3] When I kept silent, my bones became brittle from my groaning all day long. ... [10]...but the one who trusts in the Lord will have faithful love surrounding him.  Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous ones;  shout for joy,  all you upright in heart. Psalms 32:3, 10-11 CSB David had no way of testing the brittleness or otherwise of his bones any more than I do, but what his metaphor recognises is that our behaviour, emotions,  thoughts and physical well-being are connected.  This is not some modern idea but one that was clear to David 3000 years ago...we are an embodied soul and completely connected. And his pathway forward is found in v10 - trust in our God, and then our story, our circumstances, our thoughts, emotions, bodies, our well-being is "surrounded by Unfailing Love". The redemptive strand is right here for us to cling to no matter what is in front of us today. #psalms #songs  #unfailinglove  #redemptivestra...

Sunday Psalms; Psalms 32:1, 3, 5 NLT [1] Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven,  whose sin is put out of sight! ... [3] When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long. .... [5] Finally,  I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt.  I said to myself,  "I will confess my rebellion to the Lord." And you forgave me!  All my guilt is gone. Interlude Psalms 32:1, 3, 5 NLT In this song of David's the redemptive strand is found in forgiveness. Forgiveness that comes from confession. Confession that comes from the internal realisation of David's that his choices or thoughts, words, were doing not in line with how God has called him to live.  There was an internal battle going on.  And change came on the back of confession. David doesn't tell us how long it took him to get here, but to write a song about it indicates it took some time... If he's anything like me, I'm not that keen on ackn...

The one who follows instruction is on the path to life,  but the one who rejects correction goes astray. Proverbs 10:17 CSB When we look for Jesus in this Proverb he is the one who followed instruction, lived out the plan, listened to, sought out the conversations with His Heavenly Father. And that path led him to places of joy, community, miracles, healing...and disappointment, loss, grief, rejection, abuse, Court, and the Cross...and to resurrection and the fully aliveness of life with the Father... When we follow Jesus that too is our pathway. Along the way glimpses of fully aliveness, holding hope for all that we were meant to be will one day be fully revealed... #proverbs #wisdom #somethingtochewon #itsaheartthing #takethenextstep  #speaklife #fullyaliveness

Friday! Proverbs! The one who follows instruction is on the path to life,  but the one who rejects correction goes astray. Proverbs 10:17 CSB Mmm so easy this morning to see how this applies to others! But if these types of Proverbs are not weapons, but tools to inspect my own heart, I'm invited to ask where do I reject correction, direction, advice, reasoning, or reproof? Maybe it's just me who doesn't like being told what to do, where I might be missing the mark? My guess is that we all want to be on the "path to life". The word for "life" here is "chay" or "chayah", to be alive, so to be on the path to aliveness, to being fully alive! Our culture every day is pushing it's ideas about what fully aliveness is and where it's found, so I'm wondering on this chilly morning what instruction, what wisdom, what truth, our God is inviting me to step towards, to follow today, that will lead to a little more fully aliveness? What ...

Mark 10:46-48 NLT Then they reached Jericho, and as Jesus and his disciples left town, a large crowd followed him.  A blind beggar named Bartimaeus (son of Timaeus) was sitting beside the road. When Bartimaeus heard that Jesus of Nazareth was nearby, he began to shout, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" "Be quiet!" many of the people yelled at him.  But he only shouted louder, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" Mark 10:46-48 NLT I wonder how often in my life I have been one of the crowd who may not have said it out loud, but certainly said it inside "just be quiet". Bartimaeus was on the margins of society. He wasn't included in the group - he was on the roadside. Begging to survive. Living with disabilty. Alone. Not like the group.  And somehow he knew about Jesus. He had enough connection with others to know Jesus royal line, and that somehow Jesus might be able to help him.  Perhaps he had a perspective about Jesus that others didn...

Romans 9:2-3 NLT My heart is filled with bitter sorrow and unending grief for my people, my Jewish brothers and sisters. I would be willing to be forever cursed - cut off from Christ! - if that would save them.  Romans 9:2-3 NLT We've just seen in Ch8 of Paul's letter that nothing can separate him from God's love, so what he is offering here can't really happen - it's like a saying, a metaphor, for wanting something so desperately, so intensively for his people, that he'd give his most treasured thing. This is love. And this is the love that Jesus did live out for us - gave up what was most precious for us. And this is the love that saves us. And it's the love we're invited to live out too...however sporadically and incomplete it might be, but to love others and want to see them follow Jesus too. To know Him And to be known (Whether we feel it or not, know it or not, even believe it or not, we are, Beloved) #letters #redemptivestrands #hopeishere #weareB...

Psalms 31:5 NLT I entrust my spirit into your hand.  Rescue me,  Lord,  for you are a faithful God. Psalms 31:5 NLT Even though David's circumstances are trying to tell him that God isn't faithful, isn't trustworthy, David chooses his stance. He cries out for rescue. But no matter what happens, he puts his trust in our God. Where do I need to entrust my spirit into God's hand? Maybe today it's the reminder that God is faithful. Faithful in our story. #psalms  #songs  #redemptivestrands #hopeishere #weareBeloved 

Psalms 31:7, 9-14 NLT I will be glad and rejoice in your unfailing love,  for you have seen my troubles,  and you care about the anguish of my soul. .... Have mercy on me,  Lord,  for I am in distress. Tears blur my eyes.  My body and soul are withering away. I am dying from grief; my years are shortened by sadness.  Sin has drained my strength;  I am wasting away from within. I am scorned by all my enemies and despised by my neighbors - even my friends are afraid to come near me.  When they see me on the street,  they run the other way.  I am ignored as if I were dead,  as if I were a broken pot. I have heard the many rumors about me,  and I am surrounded by terror.  My enemies conspire against me,  plotting to take my life.  But I am trusting you,  O Lord,  saying,  'You are my God!" Psalms 31:7, 9-14 NLT Ever been somewhere and someone you know sees you and avoids you? It's here in the Bible. Ev...

Sunday Psalms; Psalms 31:1-2, 5, 9, 14, 16, 21, 24 NLT [1]  O Lord,  I have come to you for protection;  don't let me be disgraced.  Save me,  for you do what is right. [2] Turn your ear to listen to me;  rescue me quickly.  Be my rock of protection,  a fortress where I will be safe. ... [5] I entrust my spirit into your hand.  Rescue me,  Lord,  for you are a faithful God. ... [9] Have mercy on me, Lord,  for I am in distress. Tears blur my eyes.  My body and soul are withering away. ... [14] But I am trusting you,  O Lord,  saying,  "You are my God!" [16] Let your favor shine on your servant.  In your unfailing love, rescue me. ... [21] Praise the Lord,  for he has shown me the wonders of his unfailing love.  He kept me safe when my city was under attack. ... [24] So be strong and courageous,  all you who put your hope in the Lord! Psalms 31:1-2, 5, 9, 14, 16, 21, 24 NLT Maybe some of D...

The labor of the righteous leads to life, The wages of the wicked to sin. Proverbs 10:16 NKJV Can we see Jesus in this Proverb? When we look back on this Proverb from our place in time, Jesus is The Righteous One, and it's his labour, his life, his work, that leads to Life. Jesus labour led to Life In the Beginning.  And it is Jesus labour that makes the way to Life for us.  As followers of Jesus our lives are held in His, so while this Proverb has 2 categories, our lives and our labour is redeemed by Jesus labour - so our life to can lead to Life. How we live here matters. How you and I stand here, wherever that is today, whatever we face today, matters.  #proverbs  #wisdom  #somethingtochewon #itsaheartthing #speaklife 

Friday! Proverbs! [16] The labor of the righteous leads to life, The wages of the wicked to sin. Proverbs 10:16 NKJV Read this Proverb in different versions and there's a wide range of expressions in English. I wonder if we try too hard to find literal meanings, or connections that make direct sense in our culture 3000 years since these were written. Perhaps Proverbs like this are here to invite us to think about the things we do that lead to Life, and the things we do that take us away from Life? What goes on in our hearts, our minds, that moves us from Life? And what moves us towards Life? Where can I make a shift today? Towards Life for me? For those around me? For those in my community? Where can I speak Life today? #proverbs  #wisdom  #somethingtochewon #itsaheartthing #speaklife 

Mark 10:43-45 NLT "But among you it will be different.  Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else.  For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many." Mark 10:43-45 NLT Today I'm wondering where in my life, my day, leadership might take the form of serving? Where does the "serving others" get expressed? Why does it feel so hard sometimes to even think of others let alone serve? If Jesus said being a servant is what he is about, and I'm a follower of Jesus, then being a servant of others should be easy shouldn't it? Given that disciples didn't get it, and they were living with and travelling with Jesus, maybe it's OK if it takes a while for us to get it too, to not be "perfect", to expect that living in the upsidedown kingdom isn't always easy... #gospelofMark #GoodNews  #invitation ...

Mark 10:41-45 NLT When the ten other disciples heard what James and John had asked, they were indignant. So Jesus called them together and said,  "You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them.  But among you it will be different.  Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else.  For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many. Mark 10:41-45 NLT "But among you it will be different". Welcome to the upsidedown Kingdom! "But among you it will be different". Where is Jesus calling you and me to different today? Where is He inviting us to hold a different value to that of the culture around us, that is pushing it's agenda? "But among you it will be different". Jesus was first calling his team to be different together, in their r...

Mark 10:38-40 NLT But Jesus said to them, "You don't know what you are asking!  Are you able to drink from the bitter cup of suffering I am about to drink?  Are you able to be baptized with the baptism of suffering I must be baptized with?" "Oh yes," they replied, "we are able!" Then Jesus told them, "You will indeed drink from my bitter cup and be baptized with my baptism of suffering. But I have no right to say who will sit on my right or my left.  God has prepared those places for the ones he has chosen." Mark 10:38-40 NLT This is a sobering statement from Jesus. Not sure I'd be too keen on sticking with Jesus if he said that to me! I wonder what Jesus was talking about here? Having to face death? Was it specific for James & John? Does it flow down to us too as followers of Jesus? One thing that is clear is that there is a deeper story at work, a deeper conversation and work of the Father that goes on. Isn't this what faith is,...

Mark 10:35-39 NLT [35] Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came over and spoke to him.  "Teacher," they said, "we want you to do us a favor." "What is your request?" he asked.  They replied, "When you sit on your glorious throne, we want to sit in places of honor next to you, one on your right and the other on your left."  But Jesus said to them, "You don't know what you are asking!  Are you able to drink from the bitter cup of suffering I am about to drink?  Are you able to be baptized with the baptism of suffering I must be baptized with?" "Oh yes," they replied, "we are able!" Mark 10:35-39 NLT It's too easy to look at James and John  and blame them for a poor attitude, poor motivation. But we're not them.  We're not living in their culture, their shoes, their story.  I wonder what I would be thinking if I'd left my business, my family, to travel around with this Rabbi who is now famous, ...

Sunday Psalms; Psalms 30:1, 6-7, 11-12 NLT [1] I will exalt you, Lord, for you rescued me.  You refused to let my enemies triumph over me. ... [6] When I was prosperous, I said, "Nothing can stop me now!"  [7] Your favor,  O Lord, made me as secure as a mountain. Then you turned away from me, and I was shattered. ... [11] You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing.  You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy, [12] that I might sing praises to you and not be silent.  O Lord my God,  I will give you thanks forever! Psalms 30:1, 6-7, 11-12 NLT There's a story beneath this song of David's. Read the whole song and there seems to be an underlying drama or event in David's life he is reliving in this song. A story that included enemies, illness of some sort (stress related?), prosperity - and believing that prosperity would save him - loss, and a return to God who may not have changed David's circumstances, but shifted things in him th...

The wealth of the rich is their fortress;  the poverty of the poor is their destruction. Proverbs 10:15 NLT The story Jesus told recorded by Matthew in Ch16 of his Gospel account of the rich young man who asked Jesus what good thing he needed to do to get eternal life. The conversation led to Jesus inviting this person to give away his wealth, and to follow Jesus. And at that moment anyway, he couldn't do it.  His wealth had moved from being a fortress, to being a prison, a barrier to the fully aliveness that Jesus was offering.  His wealth made him poor.  Welcome to the upsidedown Kingdom... Jesus invites us to follow him - I wonder what I'm holding on to today that stops me from stepping towards fully aliveness with Him? #Proverbs  #wisdom #somethingtochewon #itsaheartthing #takethenextstep 

Friday! Proverbs! The wealth of the rich is their fortress;  the poverty of the poor is their destruction. Proverbs 10:15 NLT Two interesting ideas to sit with here: How do I see wealth as a fortress, protection, buffer? And the only way I get to think this way is from a place of wealth... If I can afford a flu vaccine I can create a buffer against illness for example. If I can afford a car I can take my child to the school I choose... And the second part? If I can't afford to heat where I live in winter my health will pay. Poverty eats people up. (And yes we can spiritualise this and look at as a spiritual poverty - but I don't think this is the idea here) Where or how am I involved in flipping this Proverb? Is this what followers of Jesus are called towards, those with less, to even things up, to challenge systems that hold people down? What do you think as we sit with this Proverb today? #Proverbs  #wisdom #somethingtochewon #itsaheartthing #takethenextstep 

And I am convinced  that  nothing  can ever  separate us  from God's love.  Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,  neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow - not even the powers of hell can separate us from God's love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below - indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39 NLT My hope today is that you can feel the redemptive strands wrapping around you and holding you.  As we sit with Paul and feel his conviction from 20 centuries ago, may it be our truth too. Paul is clear that he has considered the spiritual world, his inner landscape, and the outer creation, and there is nothing in any of those spaces capable of separating him from God's love. While there may be things to fear and struggle with in all those realms, there is nothing, no thing, that can separate us from God's Lo...

Romans 8:35-38 NLT [35] Can anything ever separate us from Christ's love?  Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death?  [36] (As the Scriptures say, "For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep".)  [37] No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. [38] And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from Gods love... Romans 8:35-38 NLT Paul's answer is clear and unequivocal- he is convinced that even though his circumstances, the story he finds himself in is trying to convince him that he is not loved, Christ's love is greater than his circumstances. The redemptive strand of God's Bigger Story holds. Nothing. No thing can separate him from God's Love. And this is not some personal redemptive story, but ours too. Our God's Love is Enough. We have been redeemed, made rig...

Romans 8:31-32, 34-35 NLT [31] What shall we say about such wonderful things as these?  If God is for us, who can ever be against us?  [32] Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won't he also give us everything else? ... [34] Who then will condemn us?  No one - for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God's right hand, pleading for us.  Can anything ever separate us from Christ's love?  Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death?  Romans 8:31-32, 34-35 NLT Can anything separate us from Christ's love? Paul asks questions about condemnation, gives us the assurance that we are not condemned because of Jesus. Before he moves on can we accept that we are Beloved, that we are Accepted, that we do Belong in His family? And then Paul's next question - Can anything separ...

Romans 8:1, 34 NLT [1] So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.  ... [34] Who then will condemn us?  No one - for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God's right hand, pleading for us. Romans 8:1, 34 NLT This beautiful chapter starts and (almost) ends with this idea of condemnation- Paul starts with the statement that there is no condemnation for those who are in Jesus, and in then unpacks that, ending with the question: Who then will condemn us? Perhaps the question could be "who, though they might speak words of condemnation, has the power to condemn you? Remember, Jesus died for you.  Jesus was raised to life for you. Jesus is stating your case for Life. So, who, though they might speak words of condemnation, has the power to condemn you? No one. Not the lies of the Enemy, the voices of the world, and especially not your own inner voice. No one." #truthtorestin  #letters #h...

Sunday Psalms; Honor the Lord... Worship the Lord... The voice of the Lord echoes above the sea. The God of glory thunders. Psalms 29:1-3 NLT This song hits with how Big God is, and calls us to honor Him, to Worship, to "hear" Him. Psalms 29:10 NLT The Lord rules over the floodwaters. The Lord reigns as king forever. And this carries on right to the end. And then we get in the last verse the redemptive strand: The Lord gives his people strength.  The Lord blesses them with peace. Psalms 29:11 NLT He is our ultimate source of strength. He is our peace. Lean into Him today... #psalms #songs #Sunday #worship #thisisourGod  #redemptivestrands #hopeishere  #weareBeloved 

Wise people treasure knowledge,  but the babbling of a fool invites disaster. Proverbs 10:14 NLT When we look for Jesus in this Proverb even though he experienced rejection, loss, grief, accusations, temptations, frustrations, abuse, and death, he was not the babbling fool that invited disaster.  He did treasure knowledge. And as followers of Jesus we're invited to follow him in his practices - he spent time with the Father and he focused on Scripture - quoted several books from the OT. There's 2 practices that we can follow Jesus in that treasured knowledge. Jesus wasn't about knowledge for it's own sake, because he was about 2 other things - people, and the thing that connected him to people, his mission- to make a way for us, to be the way for us - knowledge applied and in action in Love for people...this is what Jesus invites us to follow him in... #proverbs #wisdom #somethingtochewon #itsaheartthing #takethenextstep

Friday! Proverbs! Wise people treasure knowledge,  but the babbling of a fool invites disaster. Proverbs 10:14 NLT My inclination is to look out at the "babbling fool" and point that person out...but if Proverbs is not a weapon but a mirror, then this Proverb invites me to consider 2 things about me: 1. Where and when am I the "babbling fool"? And  2. How well am I treasuring knowledge? Mmm I'm thinking I've got room to move in both these areas...notice when and where my words are getting away on me and not reflecting who I want to be in the world. And considering what I am treasuring - am I undervaluing knowledge, wisdom? What is this Proverb inviting you towards today? #proverbs #wisdom #somethingtochewon #itsaheartthing #takethenextstep 

Romans 8:31-32 NLT What shall we say about such wonderful things as these?  If God is for us, who can ever be against us? Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won't he also give us everything else?  Romans 8:31-32 NLT All of these wonderful things Paul has described in this chapter  shows that our God is for us. For you. God is for us. Paul asks us the question then "who can ever be against us?" And it feels like the whole world some days. Every thought, every emotion, the choices and actions of others that impact us.  God is still for us. On the days that I can't believe it, God is still for us. Paul's evidence? He points us to Jesus.  God is for us. #letters #redemptivestrands #hopeishere  #Godisforus #weareBeloved 

Romans 8:31 NLT [31] What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? What wonderful things is Paul talking about? That there's going to be a glorious revealing of who we really are, who we were made to be - v18-23 We are adopted into God's family - children of God - with all that goes with being His children v23 We received this hope of adoption, of belonging, when we were saved - v24-25 We have the Holy Spirit who helps us out, advocates for us, and translates our heart to God v26-27 We have a God who works our story for good, who knows us, chose us, called us, and made us right with Himself v28-30 And somehow is making us glorious! v30 "What shall we say about such wonderful things as these?" Romans 8:31 NLT #letters #redemptivestrands #hopeishere #weareBeloved 

[28] And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. [29] For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. [30] And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory. Romans 8:28-30 NLT Not only is v28 connected to the Holy Spirit working in our weakness and groanings in this world, but to this whole redemptive strand that flows through these verses... Called. Known. Chosen. Becoming like Jesus. Called home. Made right with God. Given glory. We live in the "now and the not yet" where these things are true and becoming true, where our story, who we are, our day-to-day lives, are held in our God's Big Redemptive Story. We are Beloved. #letters #redemptivestr...

Psalms 28:8-9 MSG [8-9]  God is all strength for his people, ample refuge for his chosen leader; Save your people and bless your heritage. Care for them; carry them like a good shepherd. John 10:11, 14 NLT "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep." "I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me..." Matthew 18:10, 12-14 NLT [10]  "Beware that you don't look down on any of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels are always in the presence of my heavenly Father. If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them wanders away, what will he do?  Won't he leave the ninety-nine others on the hills and go out to search for the one that is lost?  ...  In the same way, it is not my heavenly Father's will that even one of these little ones should perish." As we track the redemptive strand from David, through our Heavenly Father to Jesus, the Good Shepherd, perhaps you know what it's l...

Sunday Psalms; Please listen to my prayer and my cry for help,  as I lift my hands toward your holy temple. Don't drag me away, Lord,  with those cruel people, who speak kind words, while planning trouble. Treat them as they deserve!  Punish them for their sins. They don't pay any attention to your wonderful deeds.  Now you will destroy them and leave them in ruin. Psalms 28:2-5 CEV If we have ever wanted revenge, things to be made right, justice, and have expressed it in ways that have been angry, unloving, then we are in good company - because this song of David says just what is going on for him. He wants God to fix it. To sort out those who have caused him harm. And then he ends his song with this redemptive strand, with a return to complete trust in God, to knowing that whatever he is facing, God as shepherd will hold him. May we know the closeness and love of the Shepherd today... I praise you,  Lord,  for answering my prayers. You are my strong shiel...

Romans 8:26-28 NLT [26] And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don't know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. [27] And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God's own will. [28] And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.  Romans 8:26-28 NLT I've plucked v28 out many times and while it holds truth for us on it's own, it's idea of God's purposes for us being worked out is connected to the Holy Spirit working in our weakness, pleading for us, the groanings that come from being in a world that is not how it should be. In that context v28 is an expression of God's love for us, acknowledging the reality of a world where every part of creation is experiencing the now and the not yet of the...