TRUTH MATTERS

The 5th Sunday in Lent

EXODUS 20:16 (MSG)
No lies about your neighbor.

1 JOHN 2:21 (MSG)
The truth doesn’t breed lies.

THE ESSENCE
When it comes to the wellbeing of neighbors, God thinks truth matters — no exceptions.

DAILY FODDER
"The truth doesn't breed lies." And we could add, "Lies can't  breed truth." 

PRAYER
Honest God, we appreicate that you are reliable and trustworthy. We live in an era where truth matters little and reshaping facts to fit an agenda has become an admired craft. It's easy for me to get sucked into that mode. Help me to be ever truthful and discerning of truth. It's clear that even if others are willing to bend the truth to make things happen, you're not at all that way. So I want to align with the truth, even if everyone writes me off as irrelevent. 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.

GIVE THANKS

DEUTERONOMY 8:10 (GNT)
You will have all you want to eat, and you will give thanks to the Lord your God...

2 CORINTHIANS 9:15 (NLT)
Thank God for this gift too wonderful for words!

THE ESSENCE
Thank God for the indescribable gifts he's given.

DAILY FODDER

Being thankful involves four things:

1. recognizing the source of the gifts
2. recognizing the magnitude of the gifts
3. expressing the gratitude
4. allowing the gifts to change your outlook on life

PRAYER
God, your generosity is beyond words. How can I thank you enough for what I can't understand? I can start with what I do know — life, new life through Christ and his sacrifice, forgiveness, freedom from the grip of sin, companionship, daily bread, hope for the future... Thank you for including me in your life. 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.

DELIVERED

PSALM 25:18 (NLT)
Feel my pain and see my trouble.
Forgive all my sins.

ROMANS 7:24-25 (CEB)
I’m a miserable human being. Who will deliver me from this dead corpse? Thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord!

THE ESSENCE
Christ delivers us from the grasp of sin. 

DAILY FODDER
Through the sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus, we're not just given forgiveness of our sin, but we are delivered from the grip it has on us. That is a holistic approach to dealing with sin. 

PRAYER
God, your gracious forgiveness is my greatest treasure. Your gospel assures me of your steadfast love regardless of my wretched condition. This is life to me. Forgive me when I get caught up in petty dramas that I use to make myself look good. Help me to practice forgiving others daily. This is what matters, now and forever. 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.

FLOURISHING

JEREMIAH 23:3 (CEB)
I myself will gather the few remaining sheep from all the countries where I have driven them. I will bring them back to their pasture, and they will be fruitful and multiply.

JOHN 10:10 (CEB)
The thief enters only to steal, kill, and destroy. I came so that they could have life—indeed, so that they could live life to the fullest.

THE ESSENCE
God's goal is that his people flourish.  

DAILY FODDER
What characterizes the full life that God envisions for people? What does it look like?

PRAYER
Thank you, God, that your vision for us goes beyond the bare necessities for survival. You want us to flourish. Forgive us for accepting an adequate but second-rate approach to life. Help us see how we can flourish even while the forces of evil attempt to drive forward around us. I'm looking to you for the kind of fruitfulness that characterizes a full and rich life — no matter what is happening in the world. 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.