Today's Word - "Our"
When his disciples asked Jesus how to pray, this is what He said;
"This, then, is how you should pray:
"Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.'
Matthew 6:9-13 (NIV)
Today's Reflection
It is not possible to live the Christian Life apart from connection to other Christians. The Christian is built to be like Christ, in the image of God. What does the image of God look like? It looks like this:
God is singular, One. God is plural. Three in One. (see Genesis 1:26) Christians call this The Trinity. I call this a family. God is a family. God is a small group. God is never alone. God full and happy in community with the Son and the Spirit. God, They, is/are happy together. He does not need us or this planet, yet because God is so vibrantly full of life He/They cannot help but create more Life so that more abundance is enjoyed.
Here’s the bottom line for today. You can be a believer alone and miss Christian Community, but you will miss what it means to be a Christian and with that you will miss most of the abundant life for which you were created.
It takes risk, time, inconvenience and you will have to give up things to connect regularly with other Christians in a Life – sharing way. But please do it. Start with putting Sunday worship at the top of your list of weekly commitments. Then add your next step into Christian community. It is there that your real growth starts. Just do it.
Today's Prayer
“Our Father . . . . .thank you for saving me and putting me into a family where I can grow up. Really grow up. Thank for giving me brothers and sisters “in Christ”. Thank you for teaching me to begin prayer not with “my” Lord or with “my Father in Heaven” , but instead with “our”. Please show me what my next step into the deep experience of Christian community needs to be. In the Name of Jesus who is always present where “two or three are gathered in His Name. Amen”
When his disciples asked Jesus how to pray, this is what He said;
"This, then, is how you should pray:
"Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.'
Matthew 6:9-13 (NIV)
Today's Reflection
It is not possible to live the Christian Life apart from connection to other Christians. The Christian is built to be like Christ, in the image of God. What does the image of God look like? It looks like this:
God is singular, One. God is plural. Three in One. (see Genesis 1:26) Christians call this The Trinity. I call this a family. God is a family. God is a small group. God is never alone. God full and happy in community with the Son and the Spirit. God, They, is/are happy together. He does not need us or this planet, yet because God is so vibrantly full of life He/They cannot help but create more Life so that more abundance is enjoyed.
Here’s the bottom line for today. You can be a believer alone and miss Christian Community, but you will miss what it means to be a Christian and with that you will miss most of the abundant life for which you were created.
It takes risk, time, inconvenience and you will have to give up things to connect regularly with other Christians in a Life – sharing way. But please do it. Start with putting Sunday worship at the top of your list of weekly commitments. Then add your next step into Christian community. It is there that your real growth starts. Just do it.
Today's Prayer
“Our Father . . . . .thank you for saving me and putting me into a family where I can grow up. Really grow up. Thank for giving me brothers and sisters “in Christ”. Thank you for teaching me to begin prayer not with “my” Lord or with “my Father in Heaven” , but instead with “our”. Please show me what my next step into the deep experience of Christian community needs to be. In the Name of Jesus who is always present where “two or three are gathered in His Name. Amen”
God gives us spiritual gifts that we are to use in serving others. These gifts are of no value if we are alone. Read Romans chapter 12 and 1 Corinthians chapter 12 to see what the spiritual gifts are, and how they are used to minister to each other.
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