Gracious (Romans 3:21-23)

Good morning ladies,

The word of the day is "gracious.”  I have been in a study of Romans lately and love to read about the stuff that Paul has to say to the believers in Rome.  He spends the first few chapters talking about all the stuff that is going wrong.  But then he gets to the good news.  The reason we know that God's news is so good is because by ourselves we have such bad news.  This is how we know God is gracious. 

But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it — the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…

~Rom 3:21-23

My prayer this morning is that you learn a little bit more what it means to live a righteous life through faith in the Creator. He is the one who brings that good news as it is explained by at how rebellious gods people are but the cool thing is that Paul reveals and reaffirms to each of the centers in Rome, and us today, that God is gracious and wants to give us his righteousness.

Praying for you,

MO

Epigone (Matthew 7:15-23)

Good morning ladies,

The word of the day is “epigone.” When Jesus was doing ministry on earth he understood that his followers were fragile. There were many people out there who claimed to be what they were not. You have to figure that ministry was difficult enough already, and adding this dynamic to the mix was probably just one more detail to keep Jesus busy and tired.

“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.”

~Matt. 7:15

My question is: do you feel like your relationship with the Savior is continually growing in a way that you will be able to spot these false teachers even today? Some things do not change, and we know that much is in the world that would cause us to fall away from Jesus. My prayer is that each of you take an opportunity to know Christ in a real and authentic manner, staying far from the epigones, or inferior imitators, of this world. If you open yourself up to his teachings, you will be greatly blessed.

Praying for you,

mo

Bear (Luke 14:25-33)

Good morning ladies,

The word of the day is "bear.” We often see this word used by Christians when talking about following Christ. People in the New Testament knew that there was a cost involved with following Jesus. He was not popular in many circles and people knew that associating with him could be detrimental to their social status. For this reason Jesus made clear what it would take to follow him, on many occasions.

“Whoever does not bear his or her own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.”

~Luke 14:27

My question is: what does it mean in your life in particular to bear a cross for Christ? God expects each of us to publicly state our affection for the Savior, not just in words but also in action. It is important for others to see why we follow Jesus. My prayer is that you take a moment to evaluate how you can witness to others this week. When you spend time with family and friends, think of specific ways that you can help them move closer to a life with Christ.

Praying for you,

mo