CHRIST FOR THE DEFENSE

ISAIAH 50:9 (GNB)
The Sovereign LORD himself defends me—
   who, then, can prove me guilty?
All my accusers will disappear;
   they will vanish like moth-eaten cloth.

ROMANS 8:34 (MSG)
Who would dare even to point a finger? The One who died for us—who was raised to life for us!—is in the presence of God at this very moment sticking up for us.

THE ESSENCE
With Christ defending us, no one will dare accuse us before God.

DAILY FODDER
In the hands of Christ, all of our guilt, real and imagined, vaporizes. We're freed to live new lives unencumbered by the weight of our brokenness.

PRAYER
Thank you, Jesus, for your costly advocacy. Forgive me for digging up the old guilt and the old patterns that no longer matter to God. Bury what I'm unable to let go of so that I can live in freedom now and forever. Amen. 

THE LORD’S PRAYER (ABP)
Our Father in Heaven,
     we hold your name in the highest regard.
Please come and establish your reign here on earth
     so that everything that happens here will align
     with what is happening in heaven.

Give us enough food for today.

Forgive us our wrongdoing,
     and we’ll forgive those who have wronged us.
Shield us from the trials and temptations that come our way.
Lastly, we pray that you will protect us from all forms of evil. Amen.

PATIENCE

HABAKKUK 2:3 (GNT)
Put it in writing, because it is not yet time for it to come true. But the time is coming quickly, and what I show you will come true. It may seem slow in coming, but wait for it; it will certainly take place, and it will not be delayed.

JAMES 5:7 (GNT)
Be patient, then, my friends, until the Lord comes. See how patient farmers are as they wait for their land to produce precious crops. They wait patiently for the autumn and spring rains.

THE ESSENCE
Be patient; Jesus is coming to make things right. 

DAILY FODDER
If you needed to make a list, what would you include as the top five characteristics of a patient person? How many of those characteristics are currently evident in your life? What triggers impatience in your life? 

PRAYER
Infinite Lord, thank you for reminding me that you rule over all time and space. Forgive me for my impatience and wanting to rush results. You, who see all things, will bring about what needs to happen just in the right time. Release me from the need to control and give me a sense of your infinite power. Amen. (Daily Texts, Ground Up Grace edition)

THE LORD’S PRAYER (ABP)
Our Father in Heaven,
     we hold your name in the highest regard.
Please come and establish your reign here on earth
     so that everything that happens here will align
     with what is happening in heaven.

Give us enough food for today.

Forgive us our wrongdoing,
     and we’ll forgive those who have wronged us.
Shield us from the trials and temptations that come our way.
Lastly, we pray that you will protect us from all forms of evil. Amen.

PURSUE GOOD FOR OTHERS

AMOS 5:14 (TCEB)
If you want to enjoy life
Chase the good instead of the bad.
That way, you’ll have good company,
The LORD of everyone.

1 THESSALONIANS 5:15 (CEB)
Make sure no one repays a wrong with a wrong, but always pursue the good for each other and everyone else.

THE ESSENCE
When we're pursuing good on behalf of others, we're always in the best of company. 

DAILY FODDER
What does it mean to pursue good for others? Why did the prophets and apostles feel it necessary to remind good people to pursue good for others? 

PRAYER
Good God, I'm grateful that we can count on you to extend your goodness to us. I confess that I only partially grasp what it means to live out your goodness. I still filter the world through lenses that look primarily for my own advantage. Show me how to set aside the competative spirit and to pursue what is best for others. I really want to live out the good that you have extended to me. Amen.

THE LORD’S PRAYER (ABP)
Our Father in Heaven,
     we hold your name in the highest regard.
Please come and establish your reign here on earth
     so that everything that happens here will align
     with what is happening in heaven.

Give us enough food for today.

Forgive us our wrongdoing,
     and we’ll forgive those who have wronged us.
Shield us from the trials and temptations that come our way.
Lastly, we pray that you will protect us from all forms of evil. Amen.

LEANING INTO JESUS' RESURRECTION

PSALM 25:20 (CEB)
Don’t let me be put to shame
because I take refuge in you.

JOHN 14:19 (CEB)
Jesus: Because I live, you will live too.

THE ESSENCE
Our identity and future is tied to what Jesus does. 

DAILY FODDER
How does tying our lives to what Jesus does throttle our personal ambition? How does it feed ambition? 

PRAYER
Jesus, thank you for being the God of restoration from our shame, pain, and circumstances. I can become paralyzed in my embarrassment. You come beside me and help me to see beyond pain and death into new life in you. As I lean into the resurrected life with you, may it inspire those struggling today. Amen. (Daily Texts, Ground Up Grace edition)

THE LORD’S PRAYER (ABP)
Our Father in Heaven,
     we hold your name in the highest regard.
Please come and establish your reign here on earth
     so that everything that happens here will align
     with what is happening in heaven.

Give us enough food for today.

Forgive us our wrongdoing,
     and we’ll forgive those who have wronged us.
Shield us from the trials and temptations that come our way.
Lastly, we pray that you will protect us from all forms of evil. Amen.