Sound Mind Set

Luke 1:46-56And Mary said,I'm bursting with God-news;    I'm dancing the song of my Savior God. God took one good look at me, and look what happened—    I'm the most fortunate woman on earth! What God has done for me will never be forgotten,    the God whose very name is holy, set apart from all others. His mercy flows in wave after wave    on those who are in awe before him. He bared his arm and showed his strength,    scattered the bluffing braggarts. He knocked tyrants off their high horses,    pulled victims out of the mud. The starving poor sat down to a banquet;    the callous rich were left out in the cold. He embraced his chosen child, Israel;    he remembered and piled on the mercies, piled them high. It's exactly what he promised,    beginning with Abraham and right up to now.Mary stayed with Elizabeth for three months and then went back to her own home.Mary's response to the Angel's news started with being amazed that God would choose her, saying, “she is the most fortunate woman on earth" . Then she goes on to say these beautiful words of worship about the character of God:God's very name is HolyHis mercy flowsHe shows strength, scattering the braggartsPulling victims out of the mudWho did God choose to bring the Savior of the world through? A lowly young girl, out of obscurity… Much like us.Can you take these words spoken by Mary thousands of years ago and accept them as what God, through this miraculous act, is saying to you?He embraces me as his chosen child.He remembers me and piles on mercies, piles them high.Doing exactly what he promised. What was foretold thousands of years before Jesus was born is exactly what God continues to do today.PRAY:Father, we thank you for this time of joyful waiting. May the hope and joy of this season fill our hearts and make us living signs of your love for a world that hungers for your peace. Immanuel, God with us. Amen

Luke 1:26-38 MESSAGEIn the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to the Galilean village of Nazareth to a virgin engaged to be married to a man descended from David. His name was Joseph, and the virgin's name, Mary. Upon entering, Gabriel greeted her:Good morning! You're beautiful with God's beauty, Beautiful inside and out! God be with you.She was thoroughly shaken, wondering what was behind a greeting like that. But the angel assured her, “Mary, you have nothing to fear. God has a surprise for you: You will become pregnant and give birth to a son and call his name Jesus.He will be great, be called ‘Son of the Highest.' The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David; He will rule Jacob's house forever— no end, ever, to his kingdom.”Mary said to the angel, “But how? I've never slept with a man.”The angel answered,The Holy Spirit will come upon you, the power of the Highest hover over you; Therefore, the child you bring to birth will be called Holy, Son of God.“And did you know that your cousin Elizabeth conceived a son, old as she is? Everyone called her barren, and here she is, six months pregnant! Nothing, you see, is impossible with God.”And Mary said,Yes, I see it all now: I'm the Lord's maid, ready to serve. Let it be with me just as you say.Then the angel left her.Can you put yourself in Mary's place? Everything to that point was normal—everything in its place, just an ordinary day… then a beautiful disruption. An angel appears out of nowhere. It must have been terrifying. But the angel says don't fear. Something remarkable is going to happen.Listen again to some of the things the angel says will happen.“God has a surprise for you: You will become pregnant and give birth to a son and call his name Jesus.He will be great, be called ‘Son of the Highest.' The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David; He will rule Jacob's house forever— no end, ever, to his kingdom.”Mary said to the angel, “But how? I've never slept with a man.”The angel answered,The Holy Spirit will come upon you, the power of the Highest hover over you; Therefore, the child you bring to birth will be called Holy, Son of God.Nothing, you see, is impossible with God.”Because of what happened over 2000 years ago, an impossible pregnancy story, is a perfect template for what God continues to do for all of us.He intersects, disrupts our normal, and says don't fear something remarkable is going to happen.Can you hear God saying to you… don't fear. God has a surprise for you, nothing, you see, is impossible with God.Father, we thank you for this time of joyful waiting. May the hope and joy of this season fill our hearts and make us living signs of your love for a world that hungers for your peace. Immanuel, God with us. Amen

1 John 4 We've seen for ourselves and continue to state openly that the Father sent his Son as Savior of the world. Everyone who confesses that Jesus is God's Son participates continuously in an intimate relationship with God. We know it so well, we've embraced it heart and soul, this love that comes from God. God is love. When we take up permanent residence in a life of love, we live in God and God lives in us. There is no room in love for fear. Well-formed love banishes fear. Since fear is crippling, a fearful life—fear of death, fear of judgment—is one not yet fully formed in love. We, though, are going to love—love and be loved. First we were loved, now we love. He loved us first. We love because we are loved. The kind of Love that this passage is about is exemplified by Jesus sacrificially becoming one of us. Since Jesus was born, a fearful life, a fear of death, a fear of judgment is banished — because well-formed Love vanishes fear.  The Love we have on our own for one another is fragile and transactional. The kind of Love that this passage is talking about goes beyond any kind of love we can have on our own. But it's a Love that is available. Not only for us but through us to others. A kind of intimacy, acceptance, and without limitation because of the one who first loved us and sacrificially came for us. This kind of Love is a power that wipes out fear. We can know this Love and give this Love because we were shown this Love first. As the scripture says — First we were loved, now we love. Let's pray: God of Love, Your son, Jesus, is your greatest gift to us. Love incarnate. Help us walk in that Love during the weeks of Advent, as we wait and prepare for his coming again. Thank You for Your unfailing, sacrificial and redeeming Love for me. Immanuel, God with us.

Philippians 2:7-8 (Message) Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn't think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn't claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion. The amazing thing about Christmas is that the Almighty God on high knew we would ever be able to measure up enough to be worthy of his Kingdom. But that didn't stop His Love for us. Instead, He came for us. He stepped aside from his status, position, and Holiness and lowered himself because of Love. And he didn't just do it one time, as in for one day. He stayed and walked in our shoes for 33 years, without entitled privileges. He came in a humble barn. He died in a humiliating way. This is ultimate Love, that lays down his rights, lays down justice, lays down entitlement, and lowers himself to our level, for our sake.  If we're honest, we all esteem ourselves better than other people from time to time. Someone who's wronged us, someone who's disappointed us or offended us… Someone who we compare ourselves to, saying… we would never do that.  Can you picture a person in your life that fits into that category in your mind right now? This passage starts with these words - Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. What can you do to humble yourself and reach out to that person and show them Love today?  Maybe it's a word of encouragement; maybe it's just letting them know that you were thinking about them, maybe say a prayer for them. Let's follow the example of Christ and let go of any entitlement or privilege, not just a thought but in deed. Lets pray: God of Love, Your son, Jesus, is your greatest gift to us. Love incarnate. Help us walk in that Love during the weeks of Advent, as we wait and prepare for his coming again. Thank You for Your unfailing, sacrificial and redeeming Love for me. Immanuel, God with us.

Zephaniah 3:17 NLT  For the Lord your God is living among you.     He is a mighty savior.  He will take delight in you with gladness.     With his love, he will calm all your fears.[a]     He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.”  This prophecy talks about what came to be, what actually, historically happened. It is undisputed by atheists and believers alike… Jesus was born in Bethlehem. It's easy to miss the significance of words spoken thousands of years before the facts that actually came to be. Jesus was a living, breathing human, just like you and me. God becomes flesh. God living among us.   This passage is a prophecy, a promise, and a reality.  When was the last time you felt like anyone delighted in you, was full of gladness just because you were here?   That is how your God, who is with you, feels about you.  What is something that you're afraid of right now?  This passage says with His Love he will calm your fears. It doesn't say that your fears will be gone entirely, it says because He is with you, your fears will be calmed.   Your Father will rejoice over you with joyful songs. This season is full of happy songs; next time you hear one, think about the joy it represents and imagine this is how you make God feel, happy. He rejoices over you with happy songs.  Let's pray: God of Love, Your son, Jesus, is your greatest gift to us. Love incarnate. Help us walk in that love during the weeks of Advent, as we wait and prepare for his coming again. Thank You for Your unfailing, sacrificial and redeeming Love for me. Immanuel, God with us.

2 Titus 3:4-6 ( Living Bible) But when the time came for the kindness and Love of God our Savior to appear, then he saved us—not because we were good enough to be saved but because of his kindness and pity—by washing away our sins and giving us the new joy of the indwelling Holy Spirit, whom he poured out upon us with wonderful fullness—and all because of what Jesus Christ our Savior did. Kindness and Love saved us; It was born onto this earth thousands of years ago. Not because we were good enough, not because we were worthy, but because of a great love, kindness and mercy.  Is there something in your life that feels like it gets in the way of experiencing God's kindness and Love? Something that blocks you from His unconditional acceptance, kindness and mercy?   This passage tells us because of Jesus, the Christ, ALL our sins are washed away and replaced with new joy by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out upon us with wonderful fullness. The word fullness is mentioned many times in our advent readings. This wonderful fullness comes from an indwelling of the Holy Spirit as our sins, our past, our wounds are washed away.  This fullness available to you takes no account of what you have done or not done; it has nothing to do with if you are good enough or not good enough. It has everything to do with the Love that is beyond us.  In what way has God shown his kindness and Love to you this week? Lets pray: God of Love, Your son, Jesus, is your greatest gift to us. Love incarnate. Help us walk in that Love during the weeks of Advent, as we wait and prepare for his coming again. Thank You for Your unfailing, sacrificial and redeeming Love for me. Immanuel, God with us.

Isaiah 49:13-16 (MESSAGE) Heavens, raise the roof! Earth, wake the dead!     Mountains, send up cheers!  God has comforted his people.     He has tenderly nursed his beaten-up, beaten-down people. But Zion said, “I don't get it. God has left me.     My Master has forgotten I even exist.” “Can a mother forget the infant at her breast,     walk away from the baby she bore?  But even if mothers forget,     I'd never forget you—never.  Look, I've written your names on the backs of my hands.     The walls you're rebuilding are never out of my sight.  Your builders are faster than your wreckers.     The demolition crews are gone for good.  This passage compares the love God has for us with the Love of a mother and her infant. There's little, if anything on earth, that compares to a mother and her intimate love for the baby she nurses. But this passage goes deeper and explains that the imperfect mother will fail at perfect love in some way or another. But not God, not ever. Maybe, this Christmas season, you might feel forgotten or overlooked. Or perhaps you know someone who you suspect might feel that way.   Can you picture right now your name written on the back of the hand of the God of the universe? He says that His Love for you will never fail and promises that the walls you are rebuilding are never out of his sight. Your builders are faster than your wreckers; the demolition crews are gone for good.   Because of our Father's love for us — sending his Son whose birth we celebrate— it says those things that work against us are slower than the one that builds in us. The demolition crews, the false love that this world represents, are gone for good because of the perfect Love born in  Bethlehem, from heaven above is here. This Love that says— I'd never forget you—never.  Lets pray: God of Love, Your son, Jesus, is your greatest gift to us. Love incarnate. Help us walk in that Love during the weeks of Advent, as we wait and prepare for his coming again. Thank  You for Your unfailing, sacrificial and redeeming Love for me. Immanuel, God with us. 

Romans 15:12-13Isaiah's word: There's the root of our ancestor Jesse, breaking through the earth and growing tree tall, Tall enough for everyone everywhere to see and take hope!Oh! May the God of green hope fill you up with joy, fill you up with peace, so that your believing lives, filled with the life-giving energy of the Holy Spirit, will brim over with hope!The good tidings of great joy from thousands of years ago is that there is a root breaking through and growing big enough for everyone, everywhere to take hope.That same promise made thousands of years ago is just as true today, on a daily basis. There is a root that has already been planted in your life because of what happened in Bethlehem thousands of years ago. And that root of hope can break through the ‘earth / ground of your life' and grow.Because of the root of Jessie, thousands of years ago, and the root of Jesus growing in our lives today, verse 13 comes alive. The hope, that is the fruit of what has already been planted as followers of Jesus, becomes infectious to all of those around us. Let's personalize this passage.May God of green hope,fill me up with joy,fill me up with peace,so that my believing life is filled with the life-giving energy of the Holy Spirit and flows over with infectious hope.Let's pray: “Immanuel, Lord Jesus, We who are anxious over many things look forward to your coming among us. To you we say, "Come Lord Jesus! Help us to receive and embrace the Hope eternal that only You bring. Emanuel, God with us. Amen”

Isaiah 9:6-7A child is born, a son is given and all authority will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.There are names given to this child that distinguish Him from all others that have come before Him or gone after Him.Take a few moments and reflect on the names given and identify the hope that He is to us.Where do you need the son of God to be your wonderful counselor?What areas of your life do you need him to be mighty God?How can he play the role of everlasting father in your life?How can you crown him the prince of peace in your life?As we close out our time think, about this declaration made from verse 7 of this passage this time from the Message BibleHis ruling authority will grow and there will be no limits to the wholeness He bringsLet's pray: “Immanuel, Lord Jesus, We who are anxious over many things look forward to your coming among us.  To you we say, "Come Lord Jesus! Help us to receive and embrace the Hope eternal that only You bring. Emanuel, God with us. Amen”

Isaiah 9:2,The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness, a light has dawned.Have you ever turned on a light on your phone in bright sunlight? There is little affect at all. But that same light in pitch darkness illuminates everything around it. There is a direct correlation between the effectiveness of light and darkness. Without darkness there can be no light.Take a few moments to search your heart for the darkest area that is in your life right now.Could it be that this Christmas season, and the Hope that it represents, is about the dawning of a great light in your deepest darkness? We live in a dark world, but no darker than it was the night in Bethlehem thousands of years ago. The same God that became a great light in deep darkness is here, and in our hearts, our lives. Our souls are so often like that city of Bethlehem, covered in deep darkness, hidden places, shamed self-assumptions.But the hope that we have, is that those dark places are exactly where God wants to be with us. Emmanuel.Let's pray: “Immanuel, Lord Jesus, We who are anxious over many things look forward to your coming among us. To you we say, "Come Lord Jesus! Help us to receive and embrace the Hope eternal that only You bring. Emanuel, God with us. Amen”

Isaiah 7:14Watch for this: A girl who is presently a virgin will get pregnant. She'll bear a son and name him Immanuel (God-With-Us).Impossible is a word that comes to mind when reading this passage. God defies, smashes, destroys what we perceive to be impossible.Even in the word impossible are the words I'm Possible.What situation in your life right now seems impossible? Think, a virgin womb. Can your dare to believe it is possible for the same God to destroy, defy and crush what you see as impossible and become God with you, where ALL things are possible?The expectant hope we celebrate this advent as we prepare our hearts for the coming of the one who makes all things new is summed up in this idea - All things are possible because God is with us - Immanuel.Let's pray: “Immanuel, Lord Jesus, We who are anxious over many things look forward to your coming among us.  To you we say, "Come Lord Jesus! Help us to receive and embrace the Hope eternal that only You bring. Emanuel, God with us. Amen”

From now until Christmas we will be focusing each week on a tradition of advent. Advent is a time of expectant waiting and preparation for both the celebration of the birth of Christ at Christmas and the return of Christ at the Second Coming.This week we focus on the first tradition HOPE.Micah 2-4But you, Bethlehem, David's country,   the runt of the litter—From you will come the leader   who will shepherd-rule Israel.He'll be no upstart, no pretender.   His family tree is ancient and distinguished.Meanwhile, Israel will be in foster homes   until the birth pangs are over and the child is born,And the scattered brothers come back   home to the family of Israel.He will stand tall in his shepherd-rule by God's strength,   centered in the majesty of God-Revealed.And the people will have a good and safe home,   for the whole world will hold him in respect—   Peacemaker of the world!Do you feel like the runt of the liter? Asking, what good can come from you? That's how Bethlehem felt before the unthinkable happened.From this runt of the litter, the most unexpected, the least likely event in history happened.As we prepare our hearts for celebrating the arrival of the Peacemaker of the world, can you offer what you have, as unsightly as you may think it is, as a birthing place of Hope this season.Often in is in the least likely places that we encounter the closeness of Immanuel - God with us.Let's pray: “Immanuel, Lord Jesus, We who are anxious over many things look forward to your coming among us.  To you we say, "Come Lord Jesus! Help us to receive and embrace the Hope eternal that only You bring. Emanuel, God with us. Amen”

 Revelation 21:1-7 NLT Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God's home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.” And he also said, “It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life. All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children. Did you hear it? God's home is among His people. He will live with them. God Himself will be among them. Tears gone. No more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone … forever. And please, please hear these words … “Look, I am making everything new.” And with God, everything indeed means everything. In this Christmas season, look for God. Listen again to these key phrases written for you. Look, God's home is now among his people! He will wipe every tear from their eyes Look, I am making everything new! to all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life. I will be their God, and they will be my children I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. This is the message we reflect on in this season - Immanuel—God with … you. Pray with me: “Immanuel—God with me, thank You for not abandoning me, but coming to save me through Jesus. Thank You that a baby in a manger changed everything through a man on a cross. I invite You to come and be with me now and stay in my heart forever. Help me to make room for You always. As above, so below.”

There are times in these reflections and topics that we address where the best words we can offer you are that of Scripture. Our words fade away, but God ‘s Word stands forever. Once His Word goes out, it always accomplishes what God desires for it to do. David, before he was king and after, suffered at the hands of many. But the one constant we see in the life of David was no matter how far away he got, he would always return back to the truth he knew of God. No matter how prodigal David got, he always returned back to the Father's arms. Take in some of his words from Psalm 31.(Psalm 31:1-5, 6b-10, 14-15a, 16-17a, 19-21a, 22b-24 NLT) O Lord, I have come to you for protection; don't let me be disgraced. Save me, for you do what is right. Turn your ear to listen to me; rescue me quickly. Be my rock of protection, a fortress where I will be safe. You are my rock and my fortress. For the honor of your name, lead me out of this danger. Pull me from the trap my enemies set for me, for I find protection in you alone. I entrust my spirit into your hand. Rescue me, Lord, for you are a faithful God. … I trust in the Lord. 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. You have not handed me over to my enemies but have set me in a safe place. 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. … But I am trusting you, O Lord, saying, “You are my God!” My future is in your hands. … Let your favor shine on your servant. In your unfailing love, rescue me. Don't let me be disgraced, O Lord, for I call out to you for help. … How great is the goodness you have stored up for those who fear you. You lavish it on those who come to you for protection, blessing them before the watching world. You hide them in the shelter of your presence, safe from those who conspire against them. You shelter them in your presence, far from accusing tongues. Praise the Lord, for he has shown me the wonders of his unfailing love. … But you heard my cry for mercy and answered my call for help. Love the Lord, all you godly ones! For the Lord protects those who are loyal to him, … So be strong and courageous, all you who put your hope in the Lord! What phrase stood out to you? … There is a reason it did. God is speaking to you through His Word. Often in the Psalms, David went from crying out for help to worship. This season, even through any moments of grief and pain, is there something that comes to mind about how God shows you He is with you? Let's pray together: “Heavenly Father, thank You that once we know Heaven is just a matter of time here on earth. That means I am here for a purpose for the time You allow me to accomplish Your will. Please use me, use my circumstances to touch others, to reach others, and glorify You as You are Immanuel, God with me.” 

Matthew 1:18-24 NLT This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. Joseph, to whom she was engaged, was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly. As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord's message through his prophet: “Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.'” When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife. (Matthew 1:18-24 NLT) When we hear this story around Christmas, all we tend to think about is the celebration of the birth of Christ. While true that this is a joyous occasion, that is actually a one-dimensional outlook. Here's why: In the day that Joseph and Mary were planning their wedding, an engagement or betrothal was very different than today. Once betrothed, there was a legal agreement as if you were already married but not yet living together. For Mary to tell Joseph she was pregnant with him knowing they had not been together was the same as adultery. The bottom line is that Mary was amazed at what God had told her and was doing in her life, yet fearful and heartbroken at the same time because she knew what this would mean for her relationship to Joseph. Once Mary told Joseph, he was then heartbroken because, imagine for a moment, your fiance telling you she is pregnant and the Father is God. … God? How many people would buy that? There was no joy in these moments of conflict … there was fear, pain, grief, sorrow, and pain. But here's the game changer for Joseph and Mary, as well as for us today in our pain … God spoke and confirmed the truth, taking away the fear. Would all this have been hard to believe and explain to people? Absolutely. But Joseph being a man of faith, as Mary was a woman of faith, responded in obedience, which was the very reason God chose them. He could trust them both with His plan. When we are in the midst of a heartbreak … sorrow … feelings of betrayal … pain … He is moving and active in our disappointment. We too must listen for the voice of God to speak. Hear His truth about our circumstances. Allow Him to take away our fear. He is as He promised … Immanuel—God with us. Today, wherever you may be in your circumstances, no matter how things may look today, God has a plan and a purpose even in pain. Let's pray: “Father, Mary and Joseph's faith and belief in You is inspiring. Please help me to trust you with the same heart. Help me to see past my circumstances today and look toward what You will do as You are with me now and already in my future. Immanuel - God with us.”

 As we go through this Christmas season, there are two categories of people and you fall into one. Those who have been hurt and know grief and sorrow, and now have a compassion and empathy during the Holidays to see those who are hurting and offer help, to be able to speak hope when and where it is so desperately needed. … Or those who are hurting right now. You look around and see the lights and decorations and none of it seems to matter, because the last thing you want to do is celebrate … anything. I want you to know if that is you, I get it. I have felt that way. I know that horrible feeling. All those in the first group of survivors know that heartbreak all too well. But there is Someone else who understands your pain. He is Immanuel, the Promised One who came and is with you now. Today, we read from Isaiah once again, in chapter 53, and again, the text prophesies about the life of Jesus. If you really listen to what these words say about Christ, you'll see He knows pain and understands heartbreak. Close your eyes. Tune in. Listen with your heart. (Isaiah 53NLT) Who has believed our message? To whom has the Lord revealed his powerful arm? My servant grew up in the Lord's presence like a tender green shoot, like a root in dry ground. There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance, nothing to attract us to him. He was despised and rejected—a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care. Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. This is not a far off deity that can't relate to our heartbreak. Listen to our Immanuel described in this passage - this time reading from the Message Bible. He was looked down on and passed over,    a man who suffered, who knew pain firsthand. One look at him and people turned away.    We looked down on him, thought he was scum. But the fact is, it was our pains he carried— our disfigurements, all the things wrong with us. This is describing a broken man. Someone that we would say - got the SERIOUS short end of the stick. Yet He chose that. Because He believed you were worth it. That is the beauty of Immanuel - God with us. Sorrow, pain, anguish, injustice, feeling despised, harsh treatment … all because of us, all for us, so God could be with us. Who better to invite into your hurt and your healing than Jesus? Can you imagine this God who loved you so immensely being crushed to make your whole? He is acquainted with grief and He is with you right now. Let's pray: “Lord, thank You that You came, that You suffered for us, that You endured all this when You didn't have to do anything at all … but You did. I can be counted righteous today because of You. Thank you for being God with Us. Immanuel - God with us.”

With the countdown to Christmas and New Year's begun, we set our sights on the true meaning of the season: Immanuel—God With Us. Have you ever considered how a holy, righteous, omnipotent, omniscient God could have simply said to us, “You're going to need to figure out a way to get to Me,” … or “You'll need to meet all these strict requirements to reach me.” But the very fact that we can call Him “God With Us” is a miracle. He came to us, to seek and save that which was lost. This Christmas, each time you hear the word Immanuel, think about what this actually means for you … God came after you… We don't “find God,” He finds us. We all have suffered great loss in life. Something at one point you could not imagine being broken was broken. We know what it means for our hearts to be broken and our lives to be wracked with grief, to live in a state of sorrow. For that very reason, the message, the reminder, that Immanuel—God with Us—has come for us is so important for us to focus on this season. Right now, you may be in the very beginning stages of grief, of sorrow. You may be right in the middle heartache and pain is with you every day. Or you could be coming out of a storm and have begun your journey of healing. No matter where you are, today, right now, God is with you, whether you care right now or not, whether you feel Him or not, He is with You. I want to encourage you to never confuse God allowing something to happen as God not caring for you. He never promised to take us out of this broken and fallen world, but He did promise to be with us when life breaks us and things fall apart. Listen to Isaiah's prophecy given to him by God 700 hundred years before Christ was born. (Isaiah 9:1-2, 6-7 NLT) Nevertheless, that time of darkness and despair will not go on forever… there will be a time in the future when Galilee of the Gentiles, which lies along the road that runs between the Jordan and the sea, will be filled with glory. The people who walk in darkness will see a great light. For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine. … For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity. The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven's Armies will make this happen! We have the privilege of living on the other side of this prophecy. Listen to these ancient words and realize what has actually happened. The Wonderful Counselor that Isaiah promised has come. The Mighty God has made Himself known. The Everlasting Father is present right now. The Prince of Peace is ready to remove the chaos, heal the hurt, and replace your sorrow with joy. What is most real about God to you right now? Wonderful Counselor Mighty God Everlasting Father Prince of Peace He is Immanuel—God with … you. Pray with me: “Immanuel, when I struggle in my hurt, when I doubt and question Your goodness, when I think no one cares, please allow me to feel Your presence in my soul, my heart, in the air I breathe, and the very life You give. Immanuel - God with us.” 

Today, as we close out this week, we will listen to a powerful and popular passage from the Apostle Paul. Ephesians 3:14-21 NLT When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God's love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen. What is you biggest dream in life right now? What is the most outlandish thing you could wish for someone you love? With that in mind, listen again to Paul's closing blessing. Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. What if we make our daily prayer for ourselves and those we love be “Lord, accomplish infinitely more than can ask or think”. This is not a genie in a bottle request. Not a guarantee that everything will go the way we want. It is a blessing that God will use all of everything in our lives to surprise us because of Him working all things together for good. Let's pray together: “Heavenly Father, thank You for Your Word. Please give me the boldness and the wisdom ask You to do more than I could ask for or imagine through me, for your glory. As above, so below.” 

Today we are going to spend all our time in gratefulness. I will mention some prompts and I want you to give your full focus to offering thanksgiving to Your Father for what He has given us. We praise You for Your Holy presence - For Your power that proceeded our existence - Thank you For Your sacrificial Son who paid the price for my sins - thank you We thank you for your complete forgiveness We thank you for your great love for us We thank you for our family - parents, sons and daughters, brothers and sisters We thank you for our friends who bring comfort and strength We thank you for your provision. Food. Shelter. Safety. We thank you for the struggles that we would rather avoid - thank you for using them for our good. We thank you for being with us, close steady and trustworthy We thank you for being faithful to us and our family Let's pray: “On this day, and every day, thank you for the many gifts that you give that sometimes go unnoticed. Thank you that you meet us in stillness and that through Jesus you have made it possible for us to know you intimately, personally and completely. Thank you that you call us your beloved, your children. Protect us, provide for us and bless us and our families. As above, so below.”

Have you ever thought how death is what makes life so valuable and crucial? The end brings value and purpose to the journey, because we don't know how much time we have. Every day, any day, could be the last. We just don't know. This creates an urgency that, honestly, few embrace, in fact, most ignore. So many folks live in denial that the end is coming. But the real tragedy is not a short-lived life, but an un-lived life. Linda Ellis wrote a poem simply called “The Dash.” She refers to the birth year and the death year on every headstone, but writes the line: “What matters most of all is the dash between those years.” When she writes and speaks, she encourages people with this advice: “Live your dash!” In Deuteronomy 30, we hear God speaking to the children of Israel through Moses: “Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live! You can make this choice by loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and committing yourself firmly to him. This is the key to your life. And if you love and obey the Lord, you will live long in the land …” (Deut. 30:19-20 NLT) Listen once again to these words in verse 20: You can make this choice by loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and committing yourself firmly to him. This is the key to your life. Funny how every human seeks the key to life and God has told us clearly in just one verse where it can be found. Life has a beginning, an end, and a dash in between. We should live that dash well with no regrets, following the key to life: Loving God, obey Him and committing ourselves firmly to Him. Today, right now, I challenge us to simplify our perspective and pursuits. Let's pray: “Father, help me to choose your life and live that in front of my kids. Help me to love You. Help me to obey and commit my life to You and pass that on to those around me. As above, so below.”

The world tends to always take any milestone or accomplishment and respond with, “That's great. So what's next?” On and on through life, the question comes on constant repeat. Today, let's listen to a passage from King Solomon in his frustration with the “What's next?” “Everything is meaningless,” says the Teacher, “completely meaningless!” What do people get for all their hard work under the sun? Generations come and generations go, but the earth never changes. The sun rises and the sun sets, then hurries around to rise again. The wind blows south, and then turns north. Around and around it goes, blowing in circles. Rivers run into the sea, but the sea is never full. Then the water returns again to the rivers and flows out again to the sea. Everything is wearisome beyond description. No matter how much we see, we are never satisfied. No matter how much we hear, we are not content. History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new. Sometimes people say, “Here is something new!” But actually it is old; nothing is ever truly new. We don't remember what happened in the past, and in future generations, no one will remember what we are doing now. (Ecclesiastes 1:2-11 NLT) Petty cynical, huh? Well, we all have days when we feel this same way. Solomon was simply voicing what we in the human race feel quite often. Now, listen to him in chapter 3, verses 11-13: Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God's work from beginning to end. So I concluded there is nothing better than to be happy and enjoy ourselves as long as we can. And people should eat and drink and enjoy the fruits of their labor, for these are gifts from God. We all feel the weight of what Solomon expressed in the first passage: meaningless feelings about our days. But God is the crucial element in life to bring value and purpose, even to the mundane and the seemingly meaningless. What is one way you can recognize God's gift in what often seems mundane in your life? Life itself, even on the meaningless days, is indeed a gift from Him. Let's pray: “Father, help me look for beauty, value, purpose, eternity, and to look for Your work in my world and celebrate your gifts, especially the gift of life. As above, so below.”

ISAIAH 32:15-20 NLT Until at last the Spirit is poured out    on us from heaven. Then the wilderness will become a fertile field,    and the fertile field will yield bountiful crops. Justice will rule in the wilderness    and righteousness in the fertile field. And this righteousness will bring peace.    Yes, it will bring quietness and confidence forever. My people will live in safety, quietly at home.    They will be at rest. Even if the forest should be destroyed    and the city torn down, the Lord will greatly bless his people.    Wherever they plant seed, bountiful crops will spring up.    Their cattle and donkeys will graze freely. Beautiful words of hope - These verses are in response to what the writer describes just before as - For your land will be overgrown with thorns and briers. Your joyful homes and happy towns will be gone. Is there a place in your life where you feel like your land is over grown with thorns and briers. Your joyful homes and happy towns are gone. ISAIAH 32:15-20 Until at last the Spirit is poured out    on us from heaven. Then the wilderness will become a fertile field,    and the fertile field will yield bountiful crops. Justice will rule in the wilderness    and righteousness in the fertile field. And this righteousness will bring peace.    Yes, it will bring quietness and confidence forever. My people will live in safety, quietly at home.    They will be at rest. Even if the forest should be destroyed    and the city torn down, the Lord will greatly bless his people.    Wherever they plant seed, bountiful crops will spring up.    Their cattle and donkeys will graze freely. Life brings us all ups and downs. When we are down, it can feel permanent. Focus on these words from this passage - And this righteousness will bring peace.    Yes, it will bring quietness and confidence forever. This same verse from the Message says it this way Right will build a home in the fertile field. And where there's Right, there'll be Peace What would it mean for you today to live right? Is there one thing you can think of that you can just do the right thing? Let's pray together: “Father, thank you for this reminder that you rebuild all things. I pray for those areas of my life where it feels like my land is overgrown with thorns. Please bring your peace, healing and righteousness. Help me to day after day just do the right thing for your sake believing that you will make all things right. As above so below.”

For our final day this week, we'll see how, surprisingly, Joseph's life was brought full circle for a total and complete redemption. Why? Because he followed the purpose and plan of God.Genesis 42:1-3 NLTWhen Jacob heard that grain was available in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why are you standing around looking at one another? I have heard there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy enough grain to keep us alive. Otherwise, we'll die.” So, Joseph's ten older brothers went down to Egypt to buy grain.You know what's coming, don't you?Genesis 42: starting at verse 6 NLTSince Joseph was governor of all Egypt and in charge of selling grain to all the people, it was to him that his brothers came. When they arrived, they bowed before him with their faces to the ground. Joseph recognized his brothers instantly, but he pretended to be a stranger and spoke harshly to them…. Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they didn't recognize him.Finally, the moment came for the reveal.Genesis 45:4-8 NLTAnd he said, “I am Joseph, your brother, whom you sold into slavery in Egypt. But don't be upset, and don't be angry with yourselves for selling me to this place. … God has sent me ahead of you to keep you and your families alive and to preserve many survivors. So, it was God who sent me here, not you!What if we decided like Joseph to take every tragedy, every injustice, every wrong done to us, and trust God to show us the “why,” the greater purpose that could come from the “what?”We know the famous verse to end our story from Genesis 50:19Don't you see, you planned evil against me, but God used those same plans for my good, as you see all around you right now—life for many people.Nothing about this story sounds pleasant or easy. But God provided favor all along the way, even in dark situations.Is there is a dark situation in your life right now - more than likely, you are not in prison for a false accession like Joseph, but even in that situation can you reflect on one way you can see God's faithfulness to you, even in the short term as you wait for the long-term promise?Let's pray together: “Heavenly Father, there are things in my life that I know you want to restore and redeem like Joseph's. Help me to see my life through Your eyes, to hear Your truth, and to live my purpose just as You planned when You created me. As above, so below.”

We really hope you are enjoying this week and the amazing story of Joseph. God had given him a strange, mystical gift of being ability to hear someone's crazy-sounding dream and be able to offer a credible interpretation that applied to the person's future. And would most certainly come true.After Pharaoh had a very strange dream and no one could tell him what it meant, he was finally made aware of Joseph and called him before the throne to hear the dream, this is in Genesis 41:15“I dreamed a dream,” Pharaoh told Joseph. “Nobody can interpret it. But I've heard that just by hearing a dream you can interpret it.”  Joseph answered, “Not I, but God. God will set Pharaoh's mind at ease.”When the dust had settled after Joseph heard, interpreted, and offered solutions for all of Pharaoh's dreams, the ruler of Egypt made a surprising declaration to everyone, but most especially to Joseph:We pick up in verse 38Then Pharaoh said to his officials, “Isn't this the man we need? Are we going to find anyone else who has God's spirit in him like this?”So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “You're the man for us. God has given you the inside story—no one is as qualified as you in experience and wisdom. From now on, you're in charge of my affairs; all my people will report to you. Only as king will I be over you.”Every problem that humans threw at Joseph, God always in time provided a promotion for him. Ultimately, he became the second most powerful leader in the known world.This story is much like when Jesus told the disciples in Matthew 19:26: “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.”God can overcome anything if we will simply place the circumstance in His hands. The handing-over can be very hard sometimes, because we feel out-of-control. But giving control of something we cannot control anyway to the God who is always in control will be the best decisions we make—every time. Like Joseph told Pharaoh: “It is beyond my power to do this, but God can …”Is there an impossible situation in your life right now that you can turn over to God?Let's pray: “Father, thank You that whatever happens, You can. What is impossible for me is always possible for You. What seems impossible to happen or not happen, You have control over. I submit my life, my purpose, my own need to be in control to You. As above, so below.”

If you either didn't know the story of Joseph or haven't heard it in a very long time, the back-and-forth that happened to him is mind-boggling. Today is certainly no different. I want, as you hear Joseph's story, to overlay your own circumstances to know that God desires to create the same type of outcome for you.Genesis 39:21-23 NLTBut the Lord was with Joseph in the prison and showed him his faithful love. And the Lord made Joseph a favorite with the prison warden. Before long, the warden put Joseph in charge of all the other prisoners and over everything that happened in the prison. The warden had no more worries because Joseph took care of everything. The Lord was with him and caused everything he did to succeed.Are you starting to see the pattern? When Joseph is put in a bad situation, he responds by working hard and having the best attitude he can. That has to be true or these people in authority wouldn't have done the things they did for Joseph. His life must have expressed something very different than other servants or prisoners. His life reflected, not his own, but that of the God who gave purpose to Joseph's life.Genesis 39:21-23 MESSAGEBut there in jail God was still with Joseph: He reached out in kindness to him; he put him on good terms with the head jailer. The head jailer put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners—he ended up managing the whole operation. The head jailer gave Joseph free rein, never even checked on him, because God was with him; whatever he did God made sure it worked out for the best.It is so crucial and important for us to not miss the many times Joseph had the opportunity to get bitter, to be vengeful, to hate, to curse, and to decide God had forgotten all about him. But he didn't. He knew that son or servant, palace or prison, God was with him, showing him the way through, not the way out. Apply these truths to your own life today because they are certainly very real and available to you right now.Let's pray: “Father, I know what it feels like to be forgotten by people and start to believe that nothing good is going to happen. But with You, that is simply not true. You never forget. You always see me. You are always with me. Help me to accept and know that truth today and every day. As above, so below.”

Today, we continue to read the life of Joseph, we'll see the roller coaster of good and evil in his life. But most importantly, his response to the injustices done to him and God's response to Joseph's faith.Genesis 39:1-21 NLTWhen Joseph was taken to Egypt by the Ishmaelite traders, he was purchased by Potiphar, an Egyptian officer. Potiphar was captain of the guard for Pharaoh, the king of Egypt.  The Lord was with Joseph, so he succeeded in everything he did as he served in the home of his Egyptian master. … This pleased Potiphar, so he … put him in charge of his entire household and everything he owned. … With Joseph there, he didn't worry about a thing—except what kind of food to eat!Joseph was a very handsome and well-built young man, and Potiphar's wife soon began to look at him lustfully. “Come and sleep with me,” she demanded. But Joseph refused. “Look,” he told her, “My master trusts me with everything in his entire household. … How could I do such a wicked thing? It would be a great sin against God.” She kept putting pressure on Joseph day after day, but he refused to sleep with her … One day … She came and grabbed him by his cloak, demanding, “Come on, sleep with me!” Joseph tore himself away, but he left his cloak in her hand as he ran from the house. Soon all the men came running. “Look!” she said. “… this Hebrew slave … came into my room to rape me, but I screamed.  … Potiphar was furious when he heard his wife's story … So he took Joseph and threw him into the prison …  But the Lord was with Joseph in the prison and showed him his faithful love.Among the evil Joseph had to endure, what were the two phrases that created game changers for him?“The Lord was with Joseph, so he succeeded in everything he did …”“But the Lord was with Joseph … and showed him his faithful love.”“The Lord was with” simply means there was a constant, continual relationship between God and Joseph. Like a hybrid of family and friend. No matter what you have been through, are walking through now, or will endure in your life, that “with” is available to you 24/7.These same thoughts are what Paul meant when in Romans 8:31, he stated, “If God is for us, who can ever be against us?”Let's personalize and repeat that phrase right now: “If God is for me, who can ever be against me?” … “If God is for me, who can ever be against me?” … “If God is for me, who can ever be against me?”Let's pray together: “Father, thank You that nothing that can happen to me is bigger, stronger, or greater than You. I want my life to be marked by the “with” of being in a relationship with You. I invite You into my life to experience the same closeness as Joseph had. As above, so below.”

Throughout this week, we'll be reading from the life of Joseph.Genesis 37:2-4 NLTWhen Joseph was seventeen years old, he often tended his father's flocks. He worked for his half-brothers, the sons of his father's wives Bilhah and Zilpah. But Joseph reported to his father some of the bad things his brothers were doing. Jacob loved Joseph more than any of his other children because Joseph had been born to him in his old age. So, one day Jacob had a special gift made for Joseph—a beautiful robe. But his brothers hated Joseph because their father loved him more than the rest of them. They couldn't say a kind word to him.Now, fast-forward to Joseph being sent by his dad to check on his brothers who were working in the field …Genesis 37:23-28 NLTWhen Joseph arrived, his brothers ripped off the beautiful robe he was wearing. Then they grabbed him and threw him into the cistern. Now the cistern was empty; there was no water in it. Then, just as they were sitting down to eat, they looked up and saw a caravan of camels in the distance coming toward them. It was a group of Ishmaelite traders … Judah said to his brothers, “What will we gain by killing our brother? We'd have to cover up the crime.  Instead of hurting him, let's sell him to those Ishmaelite traders. After all, he is our brother—our own flesh and blood!” And his brothers agreed. So when the Ishmaelites, who were Midianite traders, came by, Joseph's brothers pulled him out of the cistern and sold him to them for twenty pieces of silver. And the traders took him to Egypt.We all know the end of the story. How God used all of these terrible situations for ultimate good. But before we get ahead of ourselves to the redemption - Do you have a memory in your own life that this story triggered for you? Something tragic? Betrayal? An injustice?While this story is painful to hear, the bottom line is we all understand family dysfunction that causes pain and creates scars that we have to deal with for a long time. But these events in our lives offer us a choice: will I let this define me or will I allow this to become a defining moment?Your relationship with God can bring purpose to create a greater, stronger you out of any circumstance. But for this to happen, the pain and the process has to be surrendered to God and then stay submitted to Him on the journey to wholeness and healing.As we walk through this week, and the story of Joseph, can you ask God to start to reveal his purpose for your pain, maybe like you have never seen it before.Let's pray: “Father, thank You for providing examples in Scripture that show me how to navigate the tragedies of life through You. Right now, I surrender my hurts, my pain, and my process of healing to You. Use it all—the good and bad—to bring me a greater sense of purpose about my life, as You lead me. As above, so below.”

The Message Bible—Romans 5:1-5.By entering through faith into what God has always wanted to do for us—set us right with him, make us fit for him—we have it all together with God because of our Master Jesus. And that's not all: We throw open our doors to God and discover at the same moment that he has already thrown open his door to us. We find ourselves standing where we always hoped we might stand—out in the wide-open spaces of God's grace and glory, standing tall and shouting our praise.There's more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we're hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we're never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary—we can't round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit! (Romans 5:1-5 MSG)Let's personalize these scriptures… God has made you right with Him through Christ. That's what He wanted for you when He created you. God has thrown open the doors of Heaven to you. He wants you to throw open the doors of your heart, your mind, your spirit to Him. And now you are standing where you have always hoped to stand—out in the wide-open spaces of His grace and glory.Let's take a few moments … I want to ask you to express Your praise to God. Whether you shout or you are silent, take a moment to worship like Paul expressed, as he calls it standing tall and shouting our praise.Please know that the enemy of God and the ways of this world do not want you to know who you truly are in Christ. So that is exactly why the battle is so strong on so many of your days to pull you down and keep you down. But please, keep asking, keep seeking, keep knocking … never stop. Know who you are and only go deeper in your relationship with Christ. You will never find the end of Him this side of Heaven, so I want to inspire you to dive deep in His grace and in His glory.Let's pray: “Heavenly Father, we worship You today as the One who gives us our life, our breath, and our identity. You alone establish our worth and our value. Help me, lead me, to just keep asking, seeking, and knocking to know You deeper and higher and farther and longer in Your love until I come home to be with You. As above, so below.”

We want to spend the bulk of our time together in meditation on a powerful chapter that King David wrote. Today, our focus will be to understand who we are, we must first know that God is God and we are not. So much of the issues in our lives regarding our identity is when we try to keep ourselves on the throne when we were never created to sit there. Only our God.(Psalm 84 NLT)How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of Heaven's Armies.  I long, yes, I faint with longing to enter the courts of the Lord. With my whole being, body and soul, I will shout joyfully to the living God. Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow builds her nest and raises her young at a place near your altar, O Lord of Heaven's Armies, my King and my God! What joy for those who can live in your house, always singing your praises. What joy for those whose strength comes from the Lord, who have set their minds on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. When they walk through the Valley of Weeping, it will become a place of refreshing springs. The autumn rains will clothe it with blessings. They will continue to grow stronger, and each of them will appear before God in Jerusalem. O Lord God of Heaven's Armies, hear my prayer. Listen, O God of Jacob. … A single day in your courts is better than a thousand anywhere else! I would rather be a gatekeeper in the house of my God than live the good life in the homes of the wicked. For the Lord God is our sun and our shield. He gives us grace and glory. The Lord will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right. O Lord of Heaven's Armies, what joy for those who trust in you.What phrase or thought stood out to you? Consider why. What is God saying to you right now?Listen to verse 5-7 from the Message BibleAnd how blessed all those in whom you live,whose lives become roads you travel;They wind through lonesome valleys, come upon brooks,discover cool springs and pools brimming with rain!God-traveled, these roads curve up the mountain, andat the last turn—Zion! God in full view!Is there a lonesome valley you are facing right now?Then listen to the closing words once more - For the Lord God is our sun and our shield. He gives us grace and glory. The Lord will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right. O Lord of Heaven's Armies, what joy for those who trust in you.Let's pray: “Father, David used the word ‘joy' many times in this Psalm. Help me to find more joy in You and in my life. I need You to be my sun and my shield. Please give me Your grace and glory. I want to do what is right in Your eyes so You will withhold no good thing from me. As above, so below.”

The apostle Paul wrote one of the most transparent passages about himself in Romans 7.I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. (Romans 7:15-20 NIV)Even though the words can sound confusing at first read, we also completely get it, don't we? This Jekyll and Hyde-type existence when we become Christ-followers, yet still live in sin. This truth is very important to understanding the dilemma of living in the Kingdom of God while also still being a citizen of earth.What I want to do, I don't do. The good I really want to do; I can't seem to do. And I hate it! And I … just … keep… doing … it!But Paul went on to solve the mystery. Listen …So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! (Romans 7:21-25 NIV)The next time you get frustrated with yourself and your choices—to do bad or to not do good, stop, read, and remember Paul's teaching here. We all have sin waging war in us, even though we truthfully want to do what is right. Ultimately, the rescue from the moment you are in and from the shame that accompanies it, is found only in Jesus.Is there a contradiction, something you don't want to keep doing that seems to keep being a problem in your life right now? Will you surrender it to God and accept His grace?God knows the struggle you have following Him and yet living in our sinful bodies. His grace is sufficient and He is not disappointed in you.Let's pray: “Lord, thank You for salvation that provides the rescue that even allows us to have a choice between sin and righteousness. Lead me, help me to look to You when I struggle with who I am and what I do. Help me to grow in my relationship to You as I make decisions today. As above, so below.”

Busyness and distraction are rampant in our culture. Listen to this story about Jesus and his two friends who were sisters.(Luke 10:38-42 NLT)As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord's feet, listening to what he taught. But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn't it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.” But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”Martha just knew she was in the right, didn't she? She was busy fixing a meal for a room full of hungry people and growing impatient with her sister for leaving her to do all the work. Imagine her surprise when Jesus told her that Mary was actually in the right place doing the right thing. … The Bible says Martha was distracted while Mary was discovering. … Notice Jesus's choice of words, translated into English, of course. There is only one thing worth being concerned about. And Mary has discovered it.Today, there are things you have to do and things you need to do. But to stay on the path of finding who you are in Christ requires setting aside some to-do list stuff and do what Mary did—intentional time to sit and listen to Jesus. In stillness.Listen AgainMartha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn't it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.” But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”Imagine the Lord words from this scripture directed to you today, “My dear friend, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Discover it.”Let's pray together: “Lord Jesus, remind me, help me take the time to stop life and listen, to not be distracted, but discover more of You, to discover more of me. As above, so below.”

(Matthew 7:7-8 NLT)“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.These are the words of Jesus Himself. Notice his intentional use of the language—you will receive … you will find … the door will be opened. That said, we have to be careful to not manipulate or misinterpret His teaching. This is not like a blank check. God will never go outside of His Word, His ways, or His will. But, inside those holy parameters, He is inviting all of us to ask, seek, and knock.He is telling us to be proactive. Asking, seeking, and knocking all take both action and faith.Listen again to the intentionality “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.What might this look like for you?Notice the transitions. Ask, seek, knock.Asking is between you and God. What do you specifically need to ask for right now?Seek is your choice - If we seek / look for the negative we will find it. It is also true is you look for God in situations you will find Him. Where can you see evidence of God at work in your life right now?Knock is an action, a deliberate move in a direction. What deliberate step do you need to take towards something? Maybe what deliberate step do you need to take away from something?This interactive prayer that Jesus give is a format for everything in our lives. Ask our Father. Seek for Him. Move in that direction.Let's pray together: “Lord Jesus, give me the boldness, the strength, the passion to get up and ask, seek, and knock to discover whatever You have for my life. I believe You spoke these words because You believe we are worthy because of Your sacrifice. May I walk in Your Word, Your will, and Your ways. As above, so below.”

Of the thousands of questions about our bodies that scientists have answered, there is a certain mystery that has never been successfully resolved: our fingerprints. Why do we have them? What's their biological purpose? Years of research have not produced a good answer.The only fact that all scientists agree on is that no two people's fingerprints are the same—even those of identical twins. Throughout all of human creation, no repetition of fingerprints has ever been found, with every set being original.What if God gave us fingerprints, making them unique to each person, simply to show us the great detail and care He takes in His creation?LUKE 12:6-7 NIVAre not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.In creating us God paid attention to detail. Every fiber of your body is a calculated design. Every function of your mind is a miracle. Our ability to connect with one another, even when we get hurt, is a testament to the eternal character of God that lives in us that is beyond just the physical realm.Listen again to this passage paying attention, not to the general sense of God's care for us, but the microscopic view, described about God's awareness and view of you.Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.You are not forgotten. God's attention and affection for you is as focused on the little things as it is on the big things.What is a concern that you carry that may feel like God has forgotten about in your life? Can you acknowledge that your Father is keenly aware, and with you, in every situation, big or small?Look at the tip of your finger. Your fingerprint is used a form of identification, a signature, so to speak, that is unique to only us. There is great value and worth in the fact that you are not like anyone that has ever existed before. Your place on this earth is by design. Your worth and value to those around you is immeasurable and was a calculated plan by God towards those you come in contact with. Your fingerprints are evidence of you on everything that you touch, everyone you interact with. Your unique and special signature of just being you. You are a gift given by the God of the universe to those around you, whether you feel like it or not.Father, thank you that you see me. Down to the very hairs on my head. There is nothing in my life that you are not aware of or that you don't care about. Help me to trust in that intimate awareness and care you have for me. Help me to grasp, even a little bit, of how valuable I am to you and to others. As above so below.

Genesis 2:7Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.And now for the beautiful side of the story, let's skip to verse 21:So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep. While the man slept, the Lord God took out one of the man's ribs and closed up the opening.  Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib, and he brought her to the man. “At last!” the man exclaimed. “This one is bone from my bone, and flesh from my flesh! She will be called ‘woman,' because she was taken from ‘man.'” (Genesis 2:21-23 NLT)Where was God in these scenes? He was in the dirt—involved, creating, engaged. He was crafting man and woman. He breathed His own breath into them.Listen to verse seven again, this time from The MESSAGEGod formed Man out of dirt from the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life. The Man came alive—a living soul!If we are going to believe the Bible and what God says, then these are our truths: You were formed out of a deep love from a God who desperately loves you. You didn't come from apes.You certainly were not an accident. God planned, designed, and made you. That is who you and your family are … God's very own. Your worth is found in the fact that God breathed His very breath to bring you, specifically you, into life.Pray with me: “Father, thank You for planning us with and for a purpose—me and my kids. Guide me, lead me to help us all find that purpose through Your plan and with an attitude of worth, value, and identity that only comes from You. As above, so below.”

We all know today that the world and media want to tell us our value, our worth, and our identity.Let's go back to the first pages of the Bible where God Himself speaks of human origin.(Genesis 1 NLT)Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.” So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. And that is what happened. Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good!As a human being, this passage talks about your life. God looks at you and says, “Very good!” That is the truth about your personal value, your very worth, the essence of who you are in your identity.This is what the first verse says about you - Personalize the verse, insert your own name.Then God said, “Let us make _______________ in our image, to be like us.Let that sink in. When ever you question your worth, your identity, remember you are created in God's image, His nature, as another translation says. And He looks at you, just the way you are, and says ‘Very Good”How would believing that about yourself change the way you approach your day, the way you approach others, The way you carry yourself?Let's pray: “Father, thank You for my life. Thank you for reminding me the way you see me, in your likeness. Help me to accept and embrace what you say about me and the way you see me as ‘Very good”. As above, so below."

Psalm 139:13-16 MESSAGEOh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out;   you formed me in my mother's womb.I thank you, High God—you're breathtaking!   Body and soul, I am marvelously made!   I worship in adoration—what a creation!You know me inside and out,   you know every bone in my body;You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit,   how I was sculpted from nothing into something.Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth;   all the stages of my life were spread out before you,The days of my life all prepared   before I'd even lived one day.One thing that is, for sure, being communicated in this passage is the intentionality of a creator creating. Nothing in this passage speaks to accidents. Nothing in this passage speaks to randomness. Everything in this passage speaks of grandeur, beauty and care.In another translation of the first two verses of this passage it reads“You made all the delicate inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mothers womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex your workmanship is marvelous.It's interesting to think of God as a master craftsman, molding something from the inside out to be so wonderfully complex. Often we look at ourselves and we give ‘complex' a negative connotation. But in this passage there is honor being attached to complexity.What about you sometimes seems too complex?A lot of us walk around feeling like, at the very best, we are a random addition to the human race, and we discount what makes us different or complex. Not often do we celebrate ourselves as a unique, complex and marvelous workmanships of a master creator.Can you look at yourself and accept that the way you are created, in all your wonderful complexity, points to the intentional, deliberate care of a master creator who believed that this world was better with you in it? Nothing about you or your life is random.Let's pray together: “Father, while I may struggle to use words about myself like “complex, marvelous, and precious,” thank You that You have expressed those feelings toward me. I want to believe my worth in and through You and I want to receive my identity from You. As above, so below.”

The story is told of Sir Isaac Newton, the famous mathematician and scientist, who had a strong belief in God. One day, Sir Isaac went to a carpentry shop and asked the owner to make a model of our solar system. This model was to be to scale, intricately painted, and designed to resemble, as closely as possible, the actual solar system.Several weeks later, Newton picked up the model, paid for it, and placed it in the center of a table in his house. One day, a friend who was an atheist came to visit. When the man arrived, the model of the solar system caught his eye, and he asked Sir Isaac if he could inspect it more closely. As the friend looked it over, he was awed by the fine craftsmanship and beauty. The friend then asked Newton who had created this wonderful model of the solar system. Sir Isaac promptly replied that no one had made the model but that it had just appeared on his table one day, evidently by accident.Confused, the friend asked the question again, and Newton repeated his answer that the model had come out of thin air. As the friend became frustrated, Sir Isaac then explained the purpose of his answer: If he could not convince his friend that this crude replica of the solar system had “just happened by accident,” how could the friend believe that the real solar system, with all its complex design, could have appeared only by chance? The moral to the story: Design always demands a Designer.(Ephesians 2:10 NLT)For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us a new in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.When was the last time you watched your children sleeping? Why do you suppose as parents we do that? Stare lovingly at a perfectly still and peaceful child? It's because we marvel at how they are created and are a part of us. … Design does indeed demand a Designer.Listen again to this passage as I personalize it for us. Repeat these truths over yourself today.For I am God's masterpiece. He has created me anew in Christ Jesus, so I can do the good things he planned for me long ago.God has already stated clearly that you are His masterpiece … just like those beautiful kids you love so much. He has declared your worth and identity. He created each of you and placed you together as a family.Pray with me: “Father, I want to accept and receive that I am Your masterpiece, created anew in You to accomplish the things You planned for my life long ago. I claim that same identity and destiny for my incredible kids. Thank You for my life. Thank You for their lives. As above, so below.”

Romans 12:12Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.Yesterday we focused on embracing the feelings that freedom brings and living from that sense of security. In today's passage, Paul directs us towards actions not feelings. He suggests 3 choices for us to make.Be joyful in hope. Another word for hope is expectant. Will you choose to show joy because your are expectant that God will come through?Be patient in affliction. Another word for patience is acceptance. Will you choose to accept - to not fight - affliction or trouble?Be faithful in prayer. Faithful can be defined as loyal and committed. Will you be loyal and committed to praying?Listen again to this passage, this time from the Message BibleRejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying.What personal hope do you have for yourself can you choose to be joyful and excited about right now?What affliction or trouble that you're facing can you decide to be patient with?What is something that you need to commit tp praying more earnestly about?God's best for you is a combination of feeling, really knowing He has gone before you and is with you, like we explored yesterday, and choosing to follow His path by living in hope, patience and prayer.Father, I can get so weighed down by all the troubles and concerns around me. Help me to be joyful in hope, patient in affliction and trouble, and committed to continually praying. I know you want what's best for me, help me to choose what's best for me too. As above so below.

Psalm 34:4-7 (NIV)I sought the Lord, and he answered me;   he delivered me from all my fears.Those who look to him are radiant;   their faces are never covered with shame.This poor man called, and the Lord heard him;   he saved him out of all his troubles.The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him,   and he delivers them.What does it mean to be radiant? The Psalmist says “those who look to Him are radiant, their faces are never covered with shame. As we get older, some would call wiser, we also get our views blurred by man's measurement of self. Often we can become so consumed with appearances, responsibilities and expectations that we forget that we have actually been freed from all of that.What would our response be if someone paid off all of our debt, took away all of our stress, took away any reason for us to ever worry again. I suspect we would look radiant. We might even look a little crazy… Wouldn't living with that realization do something to those closest to us, wouldn't that kind of freedom be contagious. Listen again to this passage and view yourself from the writers perspective.I sought the Lord, and he answered me;   he delivered me from all my fears.Those who look to him are radiant;   their faces are never covered with shame.This poor man called, and the Lord heard him;   he saved him out of all his troubles.The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him,   and he delivers them.How does it feel to carry no shame.How does it feel to know that God saves you from all your troubles.How does it feel to know that the angel of the Lord encamps around you.How does it feel to know that God will delivers you.Let's make those feelings the reality that we live from today, and everyday.Father, thank you that you promise to deliver me from all my fears. Thank you that you say my face should never be covered with shame. Thank you that you deliver me from all my troubles and that your angels camp around me. Help me to be radiant, shining the grace that you give me to others. As above, so below.

Proverbs 3:1-12 NLTMy child, never forget the things I have taught you. Store my commands in your heart. If you do this, you will live many years, and your life will be satisfying. Never let loyalty and kindness leave you! Tie them around your neck as a reminder. Write them deep within your heart. Then you will find favor with both God and people, and you will earn a good reputation. Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. Don't be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil. Then you will have healing for your body and strength for your bones. Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the best part of everything you produce. Then he will fill your barns with grain, and your vats will overflow with good wine. My child, don't reject the Lord's discipline, and don't be upset when he corrects you. For the Lord corrects those he loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights.In this passage, and throughout the Bible, the writer refers to the reader as ‘my child'. Returning to a position where we don't have everything figured out on our own seems to be a common theme throughout scripture.Listen to this passage again from the mindset and the position of your heart of returning to the perspective of a child, with much to learn, not having everything figured out.My child, never forget the things I have taught you. Store my commands in your heart If you do this, you will live many years, and your life will be satisfying. Never let loyalty and kindness leave you! Tie them around your neck as a reminder. Write them deep within your heart. Then you will find favor with both God and people, and you will earn a good reputation. Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. Don't be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil. Then you will have healing for your body and strength for your bones. Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the best part of everything you produce. Then he will fill your barns with grain, and your vats will overflow with good wine. My child, don't reject the Lord's discipline, and don't be upset when he corrects you. For the Lord corrects those he loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights. (Proverbs 3:1-12 NLT)‘Trust in the Lord with all your heart do not depend on your own understanding' pretty much sums up what this is saying.Is there an area in your life that you have been leaning primarily on your own understanding? Can you do what this passage suggests, ‘seek him in all that you do and he will show you which path to take'? Letting go of the preconceived idea that you are required to have this all figured out on your own is foundational in living with the abandon of childlike innocence, living with a healthy sense of dependency and trust in your Father who goes before you.Let's pray: Father, help me to surrender my natural way of looking at things, that I have to have everything figured out. Help me to lean on You, help me to seek You in all that I do as I trust you to show me which path to take. As above, so below.”

Proverbs 2:1-8 NLTMy child, listen to what I say, and treasure my commands. Tune your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding. Cry out for insight, and ask for understanding. Search for them as you would for silver; seek them like hidden treasures.  Then you will understand what it means to fear the Lord, and you will gain knowledge of God. For the Lord grants wisdom! From his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He grants a treasure of common sense to the honest. He is a shield to those who walk with integrity. He guards the paths of the just and protects those who are faithful to him.As we look around in our culture today, it's getting harder and harder to find those who truly treasure God's commands, those who seek them like hidden treasures.Let me ask you … do you want to gain the knowledge of God? Would you like a treasure of common sense and to have your integrity be like a shield to protect your life? For your path to be guarded and your life protected?Let's personalize Solomon's words for us today, as our declaration:I WILL listen to what You say, and WILL treasure Your commands. I WILL tune my ears to wisdom, and WILL concentrate on understanding. I WILL cry out for insight, and ask for understanding. I WILL search for them as I would for silver; seek them like hidden treasures.  Then I will understand what it means to fear the Lord, and I will gain knowledge of God. For the Lord grants me wisdom! From his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He grants a treasure of common sense to me as I am honest. He is a shield to me as I walk with integrity. He guards my path to be just and protects me as I am faithful to him. (Proverbs 2:1-8 NLT)Gods wisdom is the only treasure worth seeking. Treasure available to us freely, upon asking. Relying on our understanding is futile when living a committed life in Christ. What is one area of your life that you can bring before the Lord today and ask for His wisdom to guide you?Let's pray together: “Father, guide me to align my life priorities with You and Your ways and Your will. Take my life, all I have and don't have, all I want and all I need and help me to seek You as my Treasure to find contentment and satisfaction in my life. As above, so below.”

LUKE 18:15-17 NLTOne day some parents brought their little children to Jesus so he could touch and bless them. But when the disciples saw this, they scolded the parents for bothering him.Then Jesus called for the children and said to the disciples, “Let the children come to me. Don't stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children. I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn't receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.”I remember someone saying to me once when I was in school… Grow up… Since that time I've spent most of my time doing that. Growing up. Getting mature. Being responsible. Today, in this passage Jesus confronts that idea, and instead offers us an opportunity to return to how we were made.All of us started out as infants, then children. Somehow along the way we've lost the beauty of that innocence, the wonder of the world around us, the joy of discovery and the faith that is simple.What would it look like to confound your daily routine and structure and instead take on a mindset of a child? Content. Curious. No fear. It seems in this passage that God is calling us to live with the simple abandon of a child, listen again as I read part of this passage and notice that not only is Jesus suggesting that the kingdom of God is about a child like mindset, but also, He is refuting what the adults are saying the kingdom is like.Then Jesus called for the children and said to the disciples, “Let the children come to me. Don't stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children. I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn't receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.”Can you let go? Even if it's just for 10 minutes and allow yourself to experience the beauty and wonder of knowing that all that you need is freely given to you, and is not reliant on your efforts.Trusting in your Good father who asks you to just come to him with the innocence of a child.Father, help me put aside my belief that I need to grow up, clean up, have it all together to come to you. Thanks you for encouraging me to live with the fearless abandon of a child, with You as my Father. As above, so below.

For our final day this week, we are going to read a tough passage, but we'll also turn it around and end on a bright spot. Paul shared these words with Timothy in his second letter, chapter 3, verses 1-5:You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!When you heard these words, did it sound like something from today's news feed? Love only themselves and their money? Boastful? Proud? Scoffing at God? Disobedient? Ungrateful? Nothing is sacred? This is exactly why God's Word is timeless and always current.Again we see how the love self, pride, pleasure and the pursuit of wealth is associated with a lack of godly character. The last verse even says the religious people will reject God's power.Now, let's take Paul's words, and as what would be in line with many of his other passages such as 1 Corinthians 13, for example, turn the phrases around to encourage ourselves to follow God and pursue Him, not the things of this world, to see our money merely as a means, not an end.For people must love God and not their money. They must not boast and be proud, or scoff at God, be disobedient to their parents, yet be grateful. Consider everything sacred. Be loving and forgiving; never slander others and always have self-control. Never be cruel. Love what is good. Never betray friends, be reckless, puffed up with pride, or love pleasure rather than God. Don't act religious, and reject the power that can make us godly. Hold strong to people like that!Pray with me: “Lord Jesus, thank You that You provide us with all that is good in this world and allow us the ability to stay away from what is harmful to us. There is always that choice. Thank You that You died to give us that choice. Help me to follow You and make my money a means, not an end. As above, so below.”

1 Timothy 6:6-12 NLTYet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can't take anything with us when we leave it. So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content. But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows. … so run from all these evil things. Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. Fight the good fight for the true faith.A consistent theme throughout Scripture is placing focus on God, His goodness, and His grace while staying away from the attraction of the world and sin. Simply reading the news every day gives us plenty of evidence that money and power do not make people happy and content. Suicide, depression, anxiety, and the like have little to do with the state of income but rather the state of mind.Let's do an honest inventory. Knowing that ‘money' represents security, prestige, pleasure. What is an area of your life that your focus has been the ‘craving' of money, and what it represents, as the scripture calls it?Listen once again, this time focusing only on the “do” verses, not the “dont's”: Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can't take anything with us when we leave it. So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content. … Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. Fight the good fight for the true faith. (1 Timothy 6:6-12 NLT)As we often talk about here, focusing only on the dont's is not sustainable. We need to replace the dont's with the do's. Can you focus today on pursuing these things, not just staying away from the temptations of wealth? Pursue righteousness, love, perseverance, gentleness?Let's pray: “Father, teach me to be content. Help me to pursue righteousness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness as I fight the good fight for my faith in You. As above, so below.”

1 Timothy 6:17-19 NLTTeach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others. By doing this they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future so that they may experience true life.Now, first things first … there is a strong likelihood that you, like me, read a passage like this and think, “Well, this doesn't apply to me because I'm not rich.” But the reality is this: When you take the history of the world into consideration and the great affluence of the western culture, in light of the rest of the world, we are rich. The people in third world nations would love to have even what the worst neighborhoods in our cities have. Just being able to access clean water would feel like a luxury to so many in our world. So, in light of when we live and where we live, being “rich” is relative. Perspective and worldview are vital to interpreting Scripture.With those thoughts in mind, listen again to today's passage from the Message Bible:Tell those rich in this world's wealth to quit being so full of themselves and so obsessed with money, which is here today and gone tomorrow. Tell them to go after God, who piles on all the riches we could ever manage—to do good, to be rich in helping others, to be extravagantly generous. If they do that, they'll build a treasury that will last, gaining life that is truly life. (1 Timothy 6:17-19 NLT)Verse 17 shows us the principle of stewardship once again. Our trust should be in God who richly gives and money should be used for good works and generosity to share with those in need.Can you recognize the riches you have? Imagine what it would be like to turn on the water in your house and nothing come out…and live with that being the norm every day. Is God prompting you about being rich in good works and generous to those in need? What would that look like?Let's pray: “Father, help me to not be proud and not to trust in money. Teach me to trust in You. Lead me to use money for good and to be generous to those in need and share with others. I want to store up Your treasure to experience true life. As above, so below.”

Proverbs 23:4-7 NLTDon't wear yourself out trying to get rich. Be wise enough to know when to quit. In the blink of an eye wealth disappears, for it will sprout wings and fly away like an eagle. Don't eat with people who are stingy; don't desire their delicacies. They are always thinking about how much it costs. “Eat and drink,” they say, but they don't mean it.The Bible never says that wealth is a sin, but rather the results of focusing on wealth through greed and being a miser is. While the last two sentences in today's passage may feel disconnected from the first three, the correlation is the character of a person shows when it comes to money.Think about this…could you tell a great deal about the habits, focus, and lifestyle of a person by looking at their bank and credit card statements? Absolutely. Our money and its management does not make our character, but rather reflects our character.Is there something we would be proud for people to find out about you if they saw our accounts or looked at our spending? Something we might want to hide?Listen again to Proverbs 23:4-7, but this time in The Message Bible: Don't wear yourself out trying to get rich; restrain yourself! Riches disappear in the blink of an eye; wealth sprouts wings and flies off into the wild blue yonder. Don't accept a meal from a tightwad; don't expect anything special. He'll be as stingy with you as he is with himself.He'll be as stingy with you as he is with himself. … Wow. None of us want these words to ever describe us. Generosity of heart and resources are foundational to a life following Jesus.What area of your life could you be more generous with? Is there someone, or a mission in need, that your contribution might serve right now? Or a person that needs you to give more of yourself to?Let's pray together: “Father, What I have is yours. Money, time, focus. No matter what You ever allow me to have, help me to keep You as the Center and Catalyst of my character. Help me to live as though You are always in control of everything, my finances, what I receive, what I spend, and what I give. As above, so below.”

David stated in Psalm 24:1: The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to him. (NLT)People tend to either believe God created the world or He didn't. And then if someone believes He did, the next step of faith is believing whether or not He is actively involved in the lives of the people walking on His planet.King David was clear. The earth belongs to God. Everything in and on the earth belongs to God. The entire world and even all the people belong to Him. If we believe this to be true, then we are never actually owners of anything while we are here.How do you view what you have, as you being the owner or the steward? How might being a steward change your mindset?Listen once again to Psalm 24:1: The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to him. (NLT)Let's offer a personalized version: What I have on the earth is the Lord's, and everything in my life. My world and all the people I know belong to him.We know the old saying, “You can't take it with you when you go.” Just more evidence that we are merely borrowing everything we have while we are here. To trust God with our lives and to ask Him for help, we must first see everything as His and come to accept we are stewards of His blessings, responsible and accountable to Him.Let's pray: “Father, I confess my world is yours and everything in it. Remind me every day that the world and all the people are yours. Help me to be a good steward of all I have and all You allow me to hold while I am here. As above, so below.”

These are the words of Jesus:Mark 12:30-31“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these.We are told by Jesus to love God with all of us - heart, soul, mind and strength. That is not possible if we are living a fragmented and splintered life. If we not take care to integrate all those facets of our lives - our mind, our heart, our soul and strength we are not bringing our all to Him.To integrate our whole self requires a discipline of self-care - to know all those parts of us. That is why we check in with ourselves every day in our time together to know ourselves so that our Father can know us.Jesus goes a step further in this passage, in two words that we very often overlook.Listen carefully as I read Jesus words to us again.‘Love your neighbor as yourself.'Loving yourself is foundational to loving others. Not loving yourself in a superficial way, but in a holy way.Psalm 139You shaped me first inside, then out;   you formed me in my mother's womb.I thank you, High God—you're breathtaking!   Body and soul, I am marvelously made!Do you see yourself the way Gods sees you? Can you recognize the beauty He sees in you? Because He does - and He wants you to see it too.Let's use this Psalm to pray:Father, You shaped me first inside, then out; you formed me in my mother's womb. I thank you, High God—you're breathtaking! Body and soul, I am marvelously made! And with all that I am, I love and worship you. As above, so below.

Today, we will be looking at the words of Jesus and what He had to say about money. Regardless of our financial circumstances, we can find some peace and hope in this often volatile area of life.The wording of Matthew 6:19-24 in the New Life Bible is intriguing. Listen to the words of Jesus … “Do not gather together for yourself riches of this earth. They will be eaten by bugs and become rusted. Men can break in and steal them. Gather together riches in heaven where they will not be eaten by bugs or become rusted. Men cannot break in and steal them. For wherever your riches are, your heart will be there also. The eye is the light of the body. If your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. If your eye is bad, your whole body will be dark. If the light in you is dark, how dark it will be! No one can have two bosses. He will hate the one and love the other. Or he will listen to the one and work against the other. You cannot have both God and riches as your boss at the same time.Now, Jesus is not saying that it's wrong to have a savings account. That's not the point. The concept here is not about our bank account, but our motives and focus. It's interesting to think of money as a boss. In fact, we will often put up with a lot in our lives in work with actual bosses because money is our ultimate boss. But Jesus is saying that mindset easily competes with God's place in our lives.If you are honest with yourself right now, what tends to be the boss in your life right now? What drives your actions and attitudes? Security? Money?Verse 21 is a great litmus test to constantly evaluate our lives:For wherever your riches are, your heart will be there also.The converse is also true: Whatever has your heart, that's also where your riches will be found.What has your heart right now? What or who is your mind set on?We put our efforts into what we love most. Money, security, self reliance all can be rusted or eaten away by things beyond our control. Only God's riches and security are reliable. So, let's let that love be our driving force—where our riches, our treasure, our hearts, are.Let's pray: “Heavenly Father, please help me to keep money and security in perspective—a heavenly perspective. I want you to be my security. I give my self reliance and confess that you are my security, my treasure and where my heart is. As above, so below.”

Luke 10:38As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “You are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”So many of us like Martha can be so consumed with all the details of life that we neglect the source of all things, including a Sound Mind Set.In this passage it is also admirable that Martha speaks up out of her authentic feeling and points out the stress and comparison she is experiencing by essentially saying, Jesus, shouldn't someone be helping with all these details.Notice Jesus' response was compassion with correction “Martha, you are worried and upset about many things but few things are needed, only one.”What are you worried about today, what details are causing a bit of stress?What might it look like for you to let go of worries and just be present? Making a choice to pause for self-care can be surprisingly difficult when we're used to chasing all the details. We may feel guilty or anxious about not getting everything done.Pausing actually takes a lot of courage in the face of all that needs to be done throughout our days.Let's personalize Jesus's from His response to Martha from this passage.(Say your name then repeat Jesus's words, to you), you are worried and upset about many things but few things are needed or indeed only one.Let's pray: “Jesus, help me to let go of the things that I worry about and be present in your care. Thank you that you just call me to sit at your feet and soak up your love and strength. Help me to prioritize letting go of thinking I have to get everything right all the time. Help me relax and know that your presence is all I need. As above, so below.”

One of the most fascinating conversations recorded in Jesus's life was with the “rich, young ruler,” evidently a young man that “had it all.”Matthew 19:16-22 NLTSomeone came to Jesus with this question: “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” “Why ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. But to answer your question—if you want to receive eternal life, keep the commandments.” “Which ones?” the man asked. And Jesus replied: “‘You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. Honor your father and mother. Love your neighbor as yourself.'” “I've obeyed all these commandments,” the young man replied. “What else must I do?” Jesus told him, “If you want to be perfect, go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” But when the young man heard this, he went away sad, for he had many possessions.This young man's life was all about what he had, what he had done, and what he hadn't done. His focus was on behavior, not his heart. How things looked to others, not how things actually were. Jesus knew his treasure was not in pleasing God, so He challenged the man to find a greater, more valuable life than the one he had.For many of us, we treasure how things look, how we are perceived and how we measure up to others. Imagine this conversation is with you and Jesus asks you to let go of all worldly possessions and perceptions...How do you respond?What comes to mind as the hardest thing to let go of?You are not alone... in our current culture, how we look, what we have, and what we want can be more important than a relationship with Jesus.For our purposes in this time together, let's close with a focus on Jesus's words: “You will have treasure in Heaven when You follow Me.” Can we be satisfied with that? Will you allow His treasure be enough today?Let's pray: “Dear Father, I am grateful that when I first encountered You, I said ‘yes' and didn't walk away. But help me every day to keep saying ‘yes' to You, to put You before money, stuff, and the things of this world that distract and attract. Help me to keep selling out for You and following You. As above, so below.”