Today’s Community Scripture – 6/30/2023

Today’s Community Scripture – 6/30/2023

by | Jun 30, 2023 | Prayers

 – Scripture:
He forgives your sins—every one. He heals your diseases—every one. He redeems you from hell—saves your life! He crowns you with love and mercy—a paradise crown. He wraps you in goodness—beauty eternal. He renews your youth—you’re always young in his presence.

                        PSALM 103:3-5 MSG
 
– Reflection:

                        SUPERCHARGED

When David first saw the giant Goliath, he could have thought, “I’m too small, not strong enough, not experienced enough. I have no chance.” David knew he was limited, but he also knew that God was saying, “Don’t worry, I’m about to supercharge your life. I will give you the strength you’ve never had, the ability you’ve never seen, and favor that will catapult you ahead.”

Where do we go from here?

We all have times when we feel we’ve reached our limits. We’ve done our best at work or in a relationship and stayed in faith, but the dream seems too big, the challenge too strong. We’ve come to the end of our ability. If only we had more talent, stamina, favor, and creativity, then we could accomplish the dream. When you feel you’re at a disadvantage, the opposition is stronger, you don’t have the endurance, and God is about to supercharge you. God is putting a new set of wings on you. Get ready to soar, get ready to overcome, and get ready to go places you’ve never been.

Our Prayer for Today

Father, thank You for this wonderful promise that You will supercharge my life. Thank You that You have ways of giving me new strength and abilities that I’ve never seen. I believe that You can cause me to soar and overcome my limitations. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Today’s Community Scripture – 6/29/2023

Today’s Community Scripture – 6/29/2023

by | Jun 29, 2023 | Prayers

 – Scripture:
Be especially careful when you are trying to be good so that you don’t make a performance out of it. It might be good theater, but the God who made you won’t be applauding.“When you do something for someone else, don’t call attention to yourself. You’ve seen them in action, I’m sure—‘playactors’ I call them—treating prayer meeting and street corner alike as a stage, acting compassionate as long as someone is watching, playing to the crowds. They get applause, true, but that’s all they get. When you help someone out, don’t think about how it looks. Just do it—quietly and unobtrusively. That is the way your God, who conceived you in love, working behind the scenes, helps you out.

                        Matthew 8:1-4 MSG

– Reflection:

                      The World Is Not A Stage


When does helping hurt? When is our love experienced as “unloving?” I have wondered about these questions and how they play a role in our lives. Our message for today, at least parts of it, are well known among us, people, Christians, or any other religious group or worldly group. In my experience, I think we would much rather give anonymously than have a room named after us in a renovated building somewhere we would more quickly downplay our contributions rather than have an article written about us. We would quietly serve weekly for decades rather than be front and center in an Outreach photo shoot for Instagram. We do not like to be flashy when it comes to giving or serving…” do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing….”

Where do we go from here?

What I think is often missed in this passage is not the “showiness” of the giving but how giving can be used for our own benefit. Do you catch that difference? What appears as showiness might just be sharing about the goodness of what God is doing in the world. And what might appear as humility is perhaps a quiet way of using the plight of others to feel better about ourselves. Love can be messy. beware of loving for all the wrong reasons for recognition, for selfish gain, or for making ourselves “feel good” – in doing so, we can end up hurting others. Sometimes living out this love faithfully seems foolish to us, being quiet when we feel like we should be recognized and making a show of things that we might not want others to see. Love can be messy – but this love is good.

Our Prayer for Today

Father God, guide us on this journey as we give to others less fortunate or serve in the church. Allow us to honor you without our intentions being misunderstood. It is great to do something for someone else, but don’t do it for an audience. Do it because you truly love that person(s) and want to see them in a better place. Father, because of you, we are here doing your work and loving others. You are in all that we do. Amen.
Today’s Community Scripture – 6/28/2023

Today’s Community Scripture – 6/28/2023

by | Jun 28, 2023 | Prayers

 – Scripture:

You never saw him, yet you love him. You still don’t see him, yet you trust him—with laughter and singing. Because you kept on believing, you’ll get what you’re looking forward to: total salvation.

                     1 Peter 1:8-9 MSG

 – Reflection:

                   Real Joy

If your joy has been taken away by something out of your control, it is time to get it back. Feeling tired and drained, along with a frustrated outlook on your days, is where you should be placing your energy. Allow GOD to renew your spirit by allowing him into your heart. Make the decision to be a new person today by starting your walk with Christ. Get the joy you deserve, and live the life he has for you.

Where do we go from here?

I can say that when we choose not to listen to where we are being guided by our hearts, things only get worse. We have to make the decision to become a new person, a joyful person, even in the horrible times, because we know the joy that Christ has for us. Doing this will keep the enemy at arm’s length or farther because he can’t win against the father or the son. They have the keys to lock him away and the sun to shine on us for all days. Keep people around you that are going to lift, not pull on your dreams. We all know the mistakes we have made; it is not good to dwell there every day; give yourself the grace that GOD has given you and move on from that place. Allow his strength to be yours and begin to pick yourself up, and get in agreement with a group of people that will help. Not a yes group because we still need to be challenged, but a group that will support and challenge you while growth is happening at the same time. Find your group.

Our Prayer for Today

Father, thank you for being there in our darkest times and for not letting our mistakes define who we are. You alone are the defining force for our good that will give us the strength to become that new person by allowing you into our hearts. I know that you want warriors and strong people that understand your nature and what you are trying to do within us. It is with great joy that I am able to praise your name. Amen.

Today’s Community Scripture – 6/27/2023

Today’s Community Scripture – 6/27/2023

by | Jun 27, 2023 | Prayers

 – Scripture:

And don’t say anything you don’t mean. This counsel is embedded deep in our traditions. You only make things worse when you lay down a smoke screen of pious talk, saying, ‘I’ll pray for you,’ and never doing it, or saying, ‘God be with you,’ and not meaning it. You don’t make your words true by embellishing them with religious lace. In making your speech sound more religious, it becomes less true. Just say ‘yes’ and ‘no.’ When you manipulate words to get your own way, you go wrong.

                        Matthew 5:33–37 MSG

 – Reflection:

                      Empty Promises

Jesus states that all we need to say is “Yes, I will” or “No. I won’t”. That simple; anything beyond that is misleading or manipulative. No is a full sentence by itself; yes, I can understand the message Jesus has placed in the word. However, we humans love our words and the meaning they project. So there will be times that your mouth will allow you to say something that is manipulative, lie, or hurt someone. The best thing is to honor the spoken words, and if they hurt someone, make it right. If you promised something you knew you would never deliver, repent and ask GOD for forgiveness, then make it right. Don’t leave an open-ended promise to someone, even if you think it is meaningless. The other person could be looking forward to the lie you told.

Where do we go from here?

Don’t make promises you know are empty. 

Our Prayer for Today

Father GOD, thank you for allowing the patient to get this prayer together this morning, not creating an empty promise that I feel I have started. It is your will that we come to you when a mistake or an issue is raised out of mis-care. Allow us not to dwell in a place where we can speak words that will hurt one another or cause them harm. We believe we should measure the words we speak to make conversation by promising something we may not be able to deliver. Amen.

Today’s Community Scripture – 6/26/2023

Today’s Community Scripture – 6/26/2023

by | Jun 26, 2023 | Prayers

 – Scripture:

Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ’s love for us? There is no way! Not trouble, hard times, hatred, hunger, homelessness, bullying threats, backstabbing, or even the worst sins listed in Scripture.

                          Romans 8:39 MSG

 – Reflection:

                     Truly Amazing

Reading the scripture above, it seems that the writer was explaining to them that no matter our thoughts, there is nothing that GOD won’t go through to save us. Just think he sent his son here for us to learn from, to save us. That is true love, especially knowing what would happen to him once the prophecy had been fulfilled. GOD doesn’t have the human emotions we have, though. He knew what was going to happen and sent him anyway for the betterment of us. To save us, That is how great our GOD is.

Where do we go from here?

If anything could be keeping you from receiving God’s love, put it aside. Remember that GOD doesn’t move the way we move. He could never be mad at you; he made us in his image. Allow what he has for you to transform you into who he sees you as.

Our Prayer for Today

Father, thank You that Your love is so amazing that nothing can separate us from it because nothing can separate us from You. Thank You that You don’t condition Your love based upon our performance. We receive Your love today and invite You to make us new. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.