verseoftheday

Ephesians 6.1-2.nlt Children, obey your parents because you belong to the Lord, for this is the right thing to do. "Honor your father and mother" This is the first commandment with a promise... One of my favourite parenting verses haha...but the principle of doing what is right just because we are Christians should permeate everything that we do. The first challenge is to honour our parents. For some this is easy...for others your parents may be a source of hurt...or they have made poor choices in life...but somehow we need to step onto the path that leads to forgiveness, & in that forgiving, not only are these verses are lived out, but it leads to peace in our hearts. #stepstopeace #honour #forgiveness

John 14:27 NIV Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. Don't be afraid. Fear stops us from stepping out, taking a risk, being courageous Sometimes it paralyses us -what are we afraid of? Over the last 2 weeks from John 13v34 we know Jesus loves us, is prepping our next place, has given us his Spirit as our advocate, left us with mission and purpose, won't leave us as orphans, is coming again...then we don't have to fear whether people will accept us or not because we are dearly loved, we don't have to fear death, or what follows, because Jesus has made a way...is the way...so we can live in freedom choosing to follow Him #nofear #choose #stepstopeace

John 14:27 ESV Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. Over the last couple of weeks we've looked at the build up to this verse...steps to peace... Look out to the needs of others Look up to where our future lies Ask questions Live out the law...of love Look inward to God's Spirit who dwells in our hearts Remember we won't be left as orphans Peace is connected to mission Jesus peace is not like the world's...what does that mean? What springs to mind? Will you write your thoughts down somewhere? Journal? Scrap of paper? Electronic? There is something powerful about organising our words in writing. #tryittoday #wordsofJesus #stepstopeace

John 14:22-24 MSG Judas (not Iscariot) said, Master, why is it that you are about to make yourself plain to us but not to the world? Because a loveless world, said Jesus, is a sightless world. If anyone loves me, he will carefully keep my word... Jesus must have been frustrating at times Judas asks a question but the answer just seems obscure What is it that Jesus calls us to do? Love Love One Another Love our Enemies Shine your light,share your story with others Know His truth...& live it Judas asks how will the world know about you Jesus? And his reply is...it's up to you & somehow this is part of getting real peace in our lives...seeing our part in God's story and doing our bit...you could almost call it our mission... #stepstopeace #wordsofJesus

John 14:18 NIV I will not leave you as orphans; Maybe you have felt, or maybe feel today, that you're abandoned, unloved, lost, alone...Jesus says in these simple words that He won't leave us like this...He's coming back...and...He is working on our behalf in the heavenly realms...so even if we feel orphaned sometimes, the truth is we dearly loved by a saviour who is coming back for us! John 14:18 NIV I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. #stepstopeace #wordsofJesus #youaredearlyloved

Back from the boonies (yes that is a real word)...funny how reliant on technology we believe we are... John 14:16-18 NIV ...I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever - the Spirit of truth...you know him, for he lives with you and will be  in you... God's Spirit lives with us and in us...and is our advocate...someone who is always on our side...so look in to the Spirit of Truth who God has placed in our hearts...we are not alone on this journey Steps to peace Look out to the needs of others Look up to where our future lies Ask questions Live out the law...of love Look in to God's Spirit who dwells in our hearts #stepstopeace #wordsofJesus #advocate

John 14:15 NIV If you love me, keep my commands. Jesus knows how to keep it simple and direct when he wants to...no stories about the Kingdom and stuff being lost or found...just keep my commands...and they are? Love God Love people (Matthew 22:37-40) His new commandment is to love one another (John 13 34-35 - where we started on Sunday) All the other things Jesus taught built on this foundation...the new law...the law of love...it's about giving not getting, others not me...if we want peace, live Jesus commands... How could we show that today? #stepstopeace #wordsofJesus #loveGod #lovepeople #embassyofthekingdom

John 14:5-6 NIV Thomas...Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way? Jesus answered, I am the way and the truth and the life... One of the most powerful and pivotal statements in the Bible...how do we get to your Dad's place? I am. The way. We aren't following him, because he is it. He isn't pointing us in a direction because he is the direction Look out to the needs of others Look up to where our future lies Look to Jesus. The Way. The centre of everything.  The question for Thomas, for us...do you believe what Jesus says... #choose #believe #stepstopeace #wordsofJesus #turnyoureyesuponJesus

John 14:5 NIV Thomas said to him, Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way? Gotta love Thomas. He wasn't afraid to ask questions. Thomas wanted directions, the roadmap to get to the place Jesus was going...so don't be afraid or hesitate to ask...ask questions of God, your pastor...dig a bit deeper into what you read... Look out to the needs of others Look up to where our future lies Ask questions along the way #stepstopeace # ask #thanksThomas

John 14:1-4 NIV Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God;  believe also in me. My Father's house has many rooms... I'm going to prepare a place for you... I'll come back for you... Steps to peace 1. Look out to the  needs of others 2. Look up to where our future lies Jesus is prepping the next world,  and is coming back for us. I love the picture here. My Dad's got a great place,  I'm going there to get a room ready for you...it's gonna be awesome... This gives us peace. The confident hope that Jesus is on our team and has the long game all sorted. No matter what we might be going through or feeling now... #stepstopeace #wordsofJesus

Jesus talked about peace. His Peace But it's part of a longer conversation and questions from his disciples, his team, that seems to start here.. in John 13:34-35 NIV 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. The command to love. Love people When we really invest in the lives of others, choose to serve & give  without looking for thanks or reward, when we look out for ways we can help (not look away), choose to love with all those actions in 1 Corinthians 13...really love people...not just our friends, but maybe even those who are against us... that is the first step to having peace... #stepstopeace #wordsofJesus

Galatians 5:22-23 ESV But the fruit of the Spirit is...peace...against such things there is no law Peace.  Not against the law. Yet...in politics, in the middle east, where war seems to be a requirement, in history, the crusades where it was convert or die, the colonisation of parts of the world...all the way back to Cain & Abel...peace in our hearts is the problem It's a fruit of the Spirit, so it comes from God Knowing who God is Knowing His love for us That he made a way for us to be right with Him That He has good things for us to do to bring restoration...to be His hands & feet no matter how big or small that might be Choosing to live Kingdom values... #loveGod #lovepeople #stepstopeace #fruitoftheSpirit #peace