What an awesome night of feasting and fellowship last evening! Thanks for all who came and hung out! Maybe a third of those there are not members. Cool! Our . gathering is Rita's Night . at 6. Mark your calendars and bring some friends! Evenings then resume Sept 17th. It's cool to just chill with friends and God!
Good Morning Good Morning Trusting in the Lord Team! Pronounce that because things said out loud do have power as a prayer. I always try to use a salutation that flows from our devotionals and into our prayers and pronouncements. We trust in the Lord as we repent of leaning on our own understanding. We are gathered, teamed up and gifted and empowered to go live and love like Jesus and as we join with Him and each other we find this joy and peace as He uses us as we go. It's always about trusting and growing and going in Christ and we are made to do so as a team. Who are your partners? What has God revealed for you as you pray ? What thinking do you need to let go to put on the mind of Christ? Talk to God and your team about that and pronounce and pray for revival as we abide, receive and team up to go live and love like Him! He has great plans for you and us and maybe even a new believer ! Rejoice! Trust! Team up! Go live and love like Jesus! Amen! Pronounce it! Believe it! Receive it! Unite and go! Amen! God really loves you, is with you, is calling you by name to come to Him and walk in His peace . Accept the invitation and let me know what happens! Shalom!
I to WE
UR:A Change of Perspective
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. - Proverbs 3:5 (NIV)
I was working on a puzzle with my three-year-old granddaughter. It was from a set of puzzles of different shapes and sizes. This one had only eight pieces. Four of the pieces went together easily, but we couldn’t make the others fit. I finally said, “Summer, we must be missing a piece, or these pieces are from a different puzzle.” And I gave up. But after a minute, Summer said, “Grandma, I got these two pieces to fit.” And she had! It turns out that we had been looking at the puzzle from the wrong perspective; changing our perspective enabled us to finish the puzzle easily.
In ’s scripture reading from Isaiah, the Lord says, “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (v. 9). And Proverbs encourages us to “trust in the Lord with all [our] heart and lean not on [our] own understanding.” My three-year-old granddaughter reminded me of this spiritual lesson. Sometimes I need to change the way I’m looking at a situation. I need to ask for God’s perspective. God is the only one who sees and knows how all the pieces fit together.
's Prayer
Dear Lord, thank you for your wisdom. Help us to see as you see and to trust your vision. Amen.
Tim’s hotel room seemed extra dark at night. What if he got up at night and slipped and fell because he couldn’t see? But when Tim did get up, he was surprised to see a bright light shining from underneath the bed—lighting his path. A motion sensor had activated it. The light only worked, however, if he got up and started to walk.
The Bible says we’re to walk with intent in God’s light. As Paul told the new believers in Jesus at Ephesus, “Follow God’s example . . . and walk in the way of love” (Ephesians 5:1-2). But what does it look like to walk that way?
As we step into Christ’s loving light, we turn from our sins—that might include immorality, impurity, idolatry, and coveting. “Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness,” Paul said, “but rather expose them” (v. 11). Pagan worship thrived in Ephesus, but the apostle’s words steered the new believers aright. “At one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light” (v. 8 esv). He added, “The fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth.” So, “find out what pleases the Lord” (vv. 9-10).
The benefit? The light of Jesus “will shine on you” (v. 14), lighting your path. “Look carefully then how you walk,” Paul concluded (v. 15 esv). Walking confidently in Christ’s light, we’ll bless others as we point them to Him—the source of true light.
By Patricia Raybon
REFLECT & PRAY
How do you actively walk in Christ’s light? How has He shined His light on your ways?
Dear Jesus, this world is dark. Please shine Your light in me.
Paul’s letter to the Ephesians follows a pattern similar to some of his other letters, such as Romans and Colossians. Ephesians opens with a section of teaching or doctrine (chs. 1-3) followed by practical application of that teaching (chs. 4-6). This means, in a sense, that what we believe should directly impact how we behave. Ephesians 5:8-15 lands in the middle of that application section, concluding with verse 15: “Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise.” The apostle then goes on to deal with marriage relationships, parent-child relationships, and the relationships between masters and slaves. Believers in Jesus in Ephesus lived in a pagan culture, so this wise counsel would have equipped them to live distinctive lives that would’ve looked very different from the surrounding culture and thus point others to Christ. As He provides what we need, we can also confidently walk in His light .
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