God empowers us

With God’s help, I can do amazing things -- like leap tall buildings in a single bound. ~ Psalm 18:29 (ABP)

Every God-begotten person conquers the world’s ways. The conquering power that brings the world to its knees is our faith. ~ 1 John 5:4 (MSG)

KEY IDEA:

God's power is greater than we realize. We tap into it through faith.

PRAYER:

Thank you, God, for the victory of Christ Jesus who conquered sin and death at the cross and resurrection. Thank you for making his power available to us as we put our trust in him. Sometimes I'm afraid of the evil in this world. I get anxious that the power of evil is too great. Relieve me of my fears and help me to trust you so that I can face evil without fear. I'm expecting to win out over the world’s ways by using my faith to join Jesus' victory. He's the one! Amen.

Breaking sin

And in one day I will take away the sin of this land. ~ Zechariah 3:9 (NCV)

Christ carried our sins in his body on the cross so we would stop living for sin and start living for what is right. ~ 1 Peter 2:24 (NCV)

KEY IDEA:

Through Christ, God wipes away sin so that we can start to live clean lives.

PRAYER:

Thank you, Lord Jesus, for dealing with our sin problem. You have rendered sin powerless -- except I somehow still manage to allow it to have power over me. Go figure. I need to have you align my life with the reality of the cross and the resurrection so that sin loses its grip on me and I can live a Christ-right life. Amen.

Actions speak louder than words.

The 8th Sunday after Pentecost

Don’t trust the lies of people who say, “This is the Temple of the Lord. This is the Temple of the Lord. This is the Temple of the Lord!” You must change your lives and do what is right. Be fair to each other. ~ Jeremiah 7:4-5 (NCV)

For the Kingdom of God is not just a lot of talk; it is living by God’s power. ~ 1 Corinthians 4:20 (NLT)

KEY IDEA:

Actions speak louder than words.

PRAYER:

Lord, thank you for your consistency. Your actions and your words line up perfectly. That's not true for me. I talk in such a way to make things sound like I'm better than I am. Lot's of us come to believe our own deceptions. We've come to think that because we say something it must be true. Clear our heads and help us to get back on track. We need to have more godly action and fewer God words. Amen.

Weak and vulnerable

You’ve made my days so short; my lifetime is like nothing in your eyes. Yes, a human life is nothing but a puff of air! ~ Psalm 39:5 (CEB)

Father, I don’t ask you to take my followers out of the world, but keep them safe from the evil one. ~ John 17:15 (CEV)

KEY IDEA:

We need to trust God because we are by nature weak and vulnerable.

PRAYER:

Strong God, it is embarrassing to admit it but I am weak and vulnerable. Fortunately, you take our weaknesses and vulnerabilities and use them to build us up -- if we are willing to acknowledge our need. Help me to accept my need for a Savior. I mean, I've said that I need Jesus to save me but to actually admit that moment by moment is a challenge for me. Rescue me from the kind of thinking which refuses to admit weakness. That kind of thinking is from the devil himself. And I renounce the devil, all his works, and all his empty show. Amen.