HONORING THE NAME

The Fifth Sunday of Easter

PSALM 86:11 (ABP)
Turn my heart to honoring you and your name without distraction.

PHILIPPIANS 2:9-11 (CEB)
Therefore, God highly honored him
and gave him a name above all names,
so that at the name of Jesus everyone
in heaven, on earth, and under the earth might bow
and every tongue confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

SUMMARY SENTENCE
Our mission is to use our lives to honor the name of Jesus.

DAILY FODDER
How exactly is the name of Jesus honored? More ink in the newspaper? More mentions online? More celebrities talking about him? Cooler churches? More faithful obedience?

PRAYER
Jesus, your name is worthy of all honor and glory. Forgive us for our shallow and irregular approach to honoring you. Help me to give myself body and soul to honoring you today. Someday everyone will be honoring you. I want to be ahead of the wave. Amen.

THE LORD’S PRAYER (ABP)o
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.

REPENTANCE

JEREMIAH 2:35 (NLT)
And yet you say,
‘I have done nothing wrong.
Surely God isn’t angry with me!’
But now I will punish you severely
because you claim you have not sinned.

LUKE 23:42 (NLT)
Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.”

SUMMARY SENTENCE
Those who freely acknowledge their sinfulness can share in God's forgiveness.

DAILY FODDER
What are you failing to acknowledge?

PRAYER
Merciful God, I'm grateful for the forgiveness that Christ secured on the cross and validated through the resurrection. Of course, there are still issues in my life that I haven't yet owned up to. For my sake help me to turn to you and acknowledge that I need your ongoing mercy. My sin gets old but your mercy refreshes me everyday. 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.

NEW PRIORITIES

ECCLESIASTES 12:13 (CEV)
Everything you were taught can be put into a few words:
Respect and obey God!
This is what life
is all about.

MARK 12:29-31 (ABP)
Listen up and act accordingly! God expects two things of you that transcend everything else. First of all, he is the one and only God; so he is to be your one and only master; and you must love him with the entirety of who you are—with all your heart, mind, and activity—your soul. Secondly, act with love toward your neighbor—no matter how distant, different, or despicable the person is. Use the same level of energy that you put forth to look out for yourself to look out for the wellbeing of these others.

SUMMARY SENTENCE
Make everything about loving God and loving others.

DAILY FODDER
How good of a job did you do yesterday at prioritizing love of God and others? Today is a new day.

PRAYER
Gracious God, you deserve total respect and obedience. I confess that my efforts in that direction can be pretty half ass. Renew my heart, mind, and activity so that the entirety of who I am is naturally caught up in loving you and others. I have a new set of priorities. In Jesus' name, 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.

BLESSED

PSALM 3:8 (MSG)
Real help comes from GOD.
Your blessing clothes your people!

LUKE 24:50 (CEV)
Jesus led his disciples out to Bethany, where he raised his hands and blessed them.

SUMMARY SENTENCE
Our God is a blessing God!

DAILY FODDER
What was it like for the disciples to experience Jesus blessing as he departed? How did they feel? What were they thinking? Why did Jesus do that?

PRAYER
Jesus, thank you for placing me where I am. Sometimes it feels as if I am living in the wilderness, and other times in battle. But always I know that I live under the canopy of your love. Help me extend your umbrella of blessings to those around me so we can travel with your big benediction. Amen. (Daily Texts, Ground Up Grace edition)

THE LORD’S PRAYER (ABP)o
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.