And they came and said to him, “Teacher, we know that you are true and do not care about anyone’s opinion. For you are not swayed by appearances, but truly teach the way of God. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? Should we pay them, or should we not?

Mark 12:13-17

And they came and said to him, “Teacher, we know that you are true and do not care about anyone’s opinion. For you are not swayed by appearances, but truly teach the way of God. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? Should we pay them, or should we not? Mark 12:14

I continue my study of Mark, leaning on the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for Mark.  Today, my focus is a commentary-assisted review of Mark 12:13-17.  Excerpts from the commentary's second (of four) division (v14):

• The title of the second division per the commentary is "The Setup: Beware of Flattering Words." 
• We are warned about those who try and trap us by flattery - see also Psalms 5:9, Proverbs 26:28, 29:5. 
• From the text, "[e]ven though [the] flattery [of the Pharisees and Herodians] is insincere, what they say is actually true! And since it is true, He will not be snared by their words. His ego will not inflate; pride will not cause Him to lower His guard. No, Jesus, the “wisdom of God” (1 Corinthians 1:30), will not be tripped up by the foolishness of men." 

Flattery can be used in good ways and in bad and here in the text the Pharisees and Herodians sought to us it for evil and we should be on guard for how this can occur for us.  Flattery does make us feel good and we may be tempted to be influenced into sin by those who flatter us.  As a general rule, as I posted yesterday, we must be alert to how Satan is real and "on the prowl."  We must be steadfast in our faith not be influenced into sin by flattery.  For example, we can rest on our identity in Christ - see also John 1:12, 2 Corinthians 5:17 and we should not be conformed to the world - Romans 12:2. 

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God that sent Your Son who was tempted in all ways but never succumbed to sin but even after living a perfect sinless live died on the cross so that I could have life now to the full and for eternity.  Thank You Jesus! I am not deserving of such a gift - the greatest gift of all time.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

But shall we say, ‘From man’?”—they were afraid of the people, for they all held that John really was a prophet. So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

Mark 11:27-33

But shall we say, ‘From man’?”—they were afraid of the people, for they all held that John really was a prophet. So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.” Mark 11:32-33

I continue my study of Mark, leaning on the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for Mark.  Today, my focus is a commentary-assisted review of Mark 11:27-33.  Excerpts from the commentary's third (of three) division (vv32-33):

• The title of the third division per the commentary is "They Fear Men More than They Fear God."
• We are referred to Proverbs 29:25 where fear of man is highlighted as a "snare," while God is our refuge from such snares. See also 1 Sam 15:24 and Luke 12:4-5.
• The scribes and Jewish elders' response to Jesus is telling. "It’s sad, isn’t it? What was expedient and safe was more important to them than what was true and right. “We don’t know” was a lie motivated by fear. They would rather keep their position and live a lie than submit to Christ and walk in the truth. They had neither sincere motives nor an open mind." 
• "Twice in this section of Mark, it says the religious leaders were afraid of the people. The fear of man hindered their movement toward Jesus. Their fear of what others would think paralyzed them. Their fear of losing face, of losing power and position and prestige, condemned them."

Fear of man, or conversely, a desire to be accepted by man, is what motivates many these days - particularly those posting avidly on social media. As I posted a couple of days ago, we should not seek our identity, significance, or value, in the world.  Believers know that they experience the "chain of salvation" starting with justification.  Many feel shame or weakness because they feel defined (and trapped) by their sins or imperfections.  Yet believers are "justified," which is that "God declares sinners righteous in His sight."  Additionally, many seek perfection from a worldly standard, yet this will not spare anyone from the "wages of sin" which is death (Romans 6:23).  Only God saves, and through justification, He imputes His perfect righteousness onto the faithful who believe.  We no longer need to strive in our own efforts for salvation - we simply must believe in Him.  God made each one of us in His image for His purpose.  Believe in Him and allow Him to continue and finish a work in You.

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God that saves, justifies, sanctifies, and glorifies.  Thank You for loving me and adopting me into Your family and for saving me.  I am not deserving of such blessings.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.  

And they came again to Jerusalem. And as he was walking in the temple, the chief priests and the scribes and the elders came to him, and they said to him, “By what authority are you doing these things, or who gave you this authority to do them?”

Mark 11:27-33

And they came again to Jerusalem. And as he was walking in the temple, the chief priests and the scribes and the elders came to him, and they said to him, “By what authority are you doing these things, or who gave you this authority to do them?” Mark 11:27-28

I continue my study of Mark, leaning on the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for Mark.  Today, my focus is a commentary-assisted review of Mark 11:27-33.  Excerpts from the commentary's introduction and the first (of three) division (vv27-28):

• The title of this chapter for the commentary is "Three Reasons People Are Not Willing 
   to Follow Jesus" and the main idea is: "People refuse to trust Jesus not because He is not worthy but because of the hardness of their own hearts."
• "Jesus has just cleansed and cursed the temple for its corruptions and abuse (Mark 11:12-25). In response, the religious leaders were “looking for a way to destroy Him” (11:18). You would think Jesus would avoid the public eye, but He does nothing of the sort! He returns to Jerusalem and the temple with courage, looking for a fight—not a physical confrontation, but a spiritual one that will place His claims and identity front and center."  
• Mark 11:27–12:44 records five temple controversies in Jerusalem that parallel five earlier controversies in Galilee (cf. 2:1–3:6). In both cases His opponents are the religious leaders. Now that He is in Jerusalem, the stakes are much higher and the intensity of the conflict much stronger. Things are moving to an inevitable climax: the cross."  
• "In this first of five temple controversies, we will see some common reasons people are not willing to come and follow Jesus."  
• The title of the first division per the commentary is "They Do Not Want to Submit to His Authority."
• "Jesus “came again to Jerusalem.” At some point the religious authorities show up—the Sanhedrin, the Jewish high court, who exercised both political and religious authority in Israel. It consisted of 71 men led by the acting high priest. Their power was enormous. They were super sensitive to anything that could threaten their authority, and Jesus was clearly a threat." 
• The Sanhedrin questioned Jesus' authority and sought to undermine Him with His followers. "The question of authority is important. We all have a source of authority in our lives, someone or something that guides us and drives us, something that rules. For most of us, like the Sanhedrin, it is ourselves. We are not really interested in surrendering that rule to anyone else."

All of humanity seeks value, worth and significance.  Yet the world offers significance that is not lasting.  Jesus offers significance and worth that is eternal.  Philippians 3:8.  He must increase but I must decrease - John 3:30.

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who loves and who is full of grace and mercy - thank You Jesus for loving me while I was still an enemy and hostile to You.  I am not deserving of how You save and pour out mercies daily that never cease.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sins towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 

For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

1 John 5

For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? 1 John 5:4-5

I continue my study of 1,2,3 John using the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for these books.  Today, my focus is an unassisted review of 1 John 5:1-5. John first describes the identity of those born of Christ: those who believe that Jesus is the Messiah has been born of God (v1a).  At the same time, if you love God, you must love those who are born of God (v1b). The bond is love as John has been discussing in 1 John 4 - God is love and the origin of love is God.  In v2, John provides a litmus test of knowing that we love those born of God (or children of God) - we know because "we love God and his commandments" (v2b). Obedience to God's commandments is another measure or litmus test of love - v3. Obedience is not seen as burdensome because we are moved to obedience as a response to God's overwhelming love for us and because God brings about our obedience through the Holy Spirit (see Romans 1:5).  Vv4-5 describe how those born of God overcome the sin and brokenness of the world, including victory over sin and death.

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are greater than the world as You became part of the world, died a worldly death, but rose again to defeat both sin and death - thank You Jesus for Your sacrifice and how this gives me victory over sin and death.  I am not deserving of such blessings - the greatest gift of all time.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.

Hebrews 10

 But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls. Hebrews 10:39

I continue my study of Hebrews, and this morning my focus is Hebrews 10:26-39, and and I am assisted in my understanding by the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary Series for Hebrews. The commentary outlines three divisions for this text:

I. A Fearful Warning (10:26-27): Here the commentary shares how believers are warned against apostasy where "if you continue in sin and definitely refuse to repent, then you essentially reject the gospel and willingly walk the path that leads to destruction."  We are referred to Matthew 13 and the Parable of the Sower where Jesus described "gospel seed falling in shallow soil and showing immediate signs of life but dying out when persecution came. The initial sign of life does not describe regeneration, only spiritual interest. The regenerated life, by contrast, is transformed, bears new fruit, and has a lasting eternal impact."  We are also referred to 1 John 2:19 where we are warned to not love the world and to be "of the world" but instead to identify with Christ. The commentary also shares how this division is one of the most sobering warnings in all of scripture. 

II. The Judgment of God (10:28-31): The commentary continues in its warnings by referring to the Old Testament and the Mosaic Law.  It refers to the rejection of the Father (breaking the 1st commandment or the most important commandment), rejection of Jesus and His crucifixion and the role of His blood and our salvation, and rejection of the Holy Spirit. References to the Old Testament are important because as the commentary shares "[w]e must not fall into his hands the way Israel did....[and]...[w]e must not trifle with God."

III. The Faith of Those Who Endure (10:32-39): Finally, the commentary uses the remaining division and text to encourage believers to endure, seeking the better possession and focusing on the eternal.  It shares: "[w]e may lose possessions, friends, family, and the comforts of this life, but we have a better and abiding possession waiting for us in our heavenly city. As with the believers in the book of Hebrews, what we gain when we endure persecution can never be taken away from us....These warning passages keep the believer from spiritual complacency.

Be encouraged, endure, and stay near to God as He is faithful to fulfill the promise He gives us with our salvation!

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are good and Your Word is good as is the Holy Spirit which You give us as our Advocate and Helper as we know You are with us at all times.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of how You are with me at all times...my sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

Colossians 1

For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. v16-17

Much like Galatians, Paul's letter to the church in Colossae serves to warn the believers there of .  In his attempt to do, per OverviewBible.com and the MacArthur Bible Study Commentary (for purchase), Paul seeks to (1) remind believers of who God is and their identity in Christ, and (2) provide practical advice on Christian living.

Colossians is also a prison epistle. 

I have many times referenced Colossians 1:16-17 to remind myself of how God is in control and on the subject of free will.  Both are weighty topics and underscore the importance of renewal of the mind.  

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God and You ARE in control and thank You for it!  My life would be a mess otherwise!  Being in control otherwise would mean less of You and more of me - again leading to destruction!  Thank You Jesus for what You have done to transform my heart and life to make me more like You.  I am blessed beyond what I deserve.  Thank You.  Yet...again...I am undeserving.  I am selfish, etc. Please forgive me Jesus as my sin is great and daily.  Help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.

Ephesians 2

Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. v3-5

Romans 3:23 and other scripture indicate how "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God".  Romans 6:23 tells us that the "wages of sin are death".  As such, Paul reminds us that we are deserving of wrath - .  Jesus is that Savior - core to our identity in Christ.

Paul also shares with us how both Jews and Gentiles - all humanity - are now "brought near by the blood of Christ".

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. v13-16

As well we see the "setting aside...the law with its commands and regulations".

John Piper provides this overview of how Jesus came to fulfill the law.  Piper writes:

"When Jesus Christ came into the world, he was the fulfillment of the entire Old Testament. The Old Testament had looked forward and pointed to the coming Messiah who would bring his kingdom — his new kingly rule. And when he did, they knew things would change. There was a new covenant promise where God’s law would be written on the heart. The old covenant would pass away."

And now we have an identity in Christ based on the new covenant through Jesus Christ.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who has died for me and brought me near to You by grace - thank You Jesus!  I am very clear that I am undeserving.  I sin...daily and need a Savior.  Please forgive me and help me turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.

Ephesians 1

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. v18-21

Building on my post yesterday, this morning Paul reminds us of our identity in Christ, including:
- our hope 
- our inheritance as children of God
- the power in and for our lives and for the the lives of others through us

See also previous posts via tags: .

One of the implications I see is that God desires us to seek big things in our lives (and in our families) so that others can see the power of God in and through us so that others are drawn to Him.  We have an identity, we are Christ's ambassadors, and as His ambassadors we are to represent Him and His kingdom appropriately.  Implications for fathers are great here.  Check out this great podcast on this topic of "Casting a Vision for Your Family".  

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who has done great things in me, for me, and through me - I am SO blessed by Your Spirit in my heart and life - thank You Jesus!  I am of course undeserving as my sin is great...and daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith. Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior. Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.

Romans 12

Do not think of yourself more highly than you ougeht, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. v3

John Piper help us unpack v3-8, and he indicates that we should of course be humble, and that our individual identity in Christ is found through our togetherness and service to one another.  

Piper says: "Love other people with all your heart in reliance on Christ and you will discover who you are."

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who has given me new life and others with whom I can share Christ and serve and be served.  I am blessed with such togetherness - more than I deserve.  I worry and I am selfish.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

But after the disciples had gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city.

Acts 14

But after the disciples had gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city. v20

As the folks at DesiringGod.com put it, "[Paul] abandoned the haunted hayride of human approval to walk Calvary’s underground road to freedom from the fear of man".  In Acts 14, we see Paul traveling during his first missionary journey.  He rejects being glorfied as a god (v14-17) and is later stoned - yet Paul is so filled with the Holy Spirit that he returns into the city where he was stoned!  

The takeaway and guidance from DesiringGod.com with regards to Paul's response is spot on: 

"Beware of acceptance, and beware of rejection. Beware of followers, and beware of enemies. Beware of praise, and beware of criticism. Above all, be content in what God says about you because you are in Christ.

Find your identity and confidence in him, not in what people think about you or in your status here in this life. It will free us to tell the world the beautiful and offensive message it desperately needs to hear."

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is always with me - thank You Jesus!  I know You love me and accept me - knowing everything about me - so that I need not concern myself about what others think about me.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such blessings.  I worry.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me.

John 15

They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me. v21

As Jesus continues to speak to the disciples ("The Twelve"), in the "Upper Room" during the "Last Supper", He encourages (v18-25) them to remain strong in their faith, regardless of the external/worldly challenges they may feel.

At least a couple of key points.  We belong not to the world but to Jesus and His eternal kingdom (v19). This is where our identity lies and it implies that our lives should express who we are and it should be clear to others who we are.  We are to be a light.  This includes our response to hate, persecution, and intolerance, as our response should encourage others to seek God (see also v21) - the implication of Jesus' words are that people treat believers with intolerance in part because they don't know God.

Stephen's prayer to God (Acts 7:59-60) upon his stoning is a great example. Perhaps this left a mark on Saul (Paul).

On the subject of intolerance and persecution, although the context of this video is the approaching end times, John Piper We should respond in love.  Piper uses 1 Peter 4 and the entire chapter is a great read on how we should respond to suffering and difficulty.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who helps me stand firm in my faith - thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of all the blessings You pour out on me.  I worry.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.   Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others. Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 
 

For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.

Luke 9

For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. v24

We may all have plans and desires for our lives but those plans and desires must be aligned with God, otherwise we end up serving another God and such a life leads to destruction and damnation. 

Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. Matthew 7:13

Therefore, our focus should be an identity and purpose found in and through Christ.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an amazing God and You have given me life, and life to the full - thank You Jesus!  I am undeserving of such a life.  I daily miss the mark.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.