08/03/2020: Live with Thankfullness

08/03/2020: LIVE WITH THANKFULLNESS

Psalm 121

A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem.

¹I look up to the mountains—
does my help come from there?
²My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth!

³He will not let you stumble;
the one who watches over you will not slumber.
⁴Indeed, he who watches over Israel
never slumbers or sleeps.

⁵The Lord himself watches over you!
The Lord stands beside you as your protective shade.
⁶The sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon at night.

⁷The Lord keeps you from all harm
and watches over your life.
⁸The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go,
both now and forever.

New Living Translation (NLT)

John 3:1-8, 16-17

¹There was a man named Nicodemus, a Jewish religious leader who was a Pharisee. ²After dark one evening, he came to speak with Jesus. “Rabbi,” he said, “we all know that God has sent you to teach us. Your miraculous signs are evidence that God is with you.”

³Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.”

⁴“What do you mean?” exclaimed Nicodemus. “How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?”

⁵Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. ⁶Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life. ⁷So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again.’ ⁸The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit.”

¹⁶“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.

New Living Translation (NLT)

1 THESSALONIANS 5:9-22

⁹For God chose to save us through our Lord Jesus Christ, not to pour out his anger on us. ¹⁰Christ died for us so that, whether we are dead or alive when he returns, we can live with him forever. ¹¹So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.

Paul’s Final Advice

¹²Dear brothers and sisters, honour those who are your leaders in the Lord’s work. They work hard among you and give you spiritual guidance. ¹³Show them great respect and wholehearted love because of their work. And live peacefully with each other.

¹⁴Brothers and sisters, we urge you to warn those who are lazy. Encourage those who are timid. Take tender care of those who are weak. Be patient with everyone.

¹⁵See that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do good to each other and to all people.

¹⁶Always be joyful. ¹⁷Never stop praying. ¹⁸Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

¹⁹Do not stifle the Holy Spirit. ²⁰Do not scoff at prophecies, ²¹but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good. ²²Stay away from every kind of evil.

New Living Translation (NLT)

QUESTIONS:

How is your faith journey through Lent going? Have you “given something up” or have you “taken something on”; and how is this influencing your walk with the Lord? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The book of Psalms is filled with songs and poetry all written to help the worshipper connect with God in every aspect of daily life. Do you have a song that helps to guide and direct your walk with the Lord? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“Be filled with the Spirit, as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts, giving thanks to God the [Creator] at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Eph. 5:18-20, NRSV).

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God.” (Col 3:16, NRSV).

Psalm 121: Take note of how many times the word “watches” or “keeps” appears in the Psalm. Think deeply about what the Psalmist is saying about God “watching over” you. What does this thought mean for you today? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

John 3: We can sing because we are “saved by Jesus”! Are you saved? If so, think back to when your journey with the Lord began – how did you begin to live a changed life with Jesus in your heart? If you are not saved, would you like to invite Jesus into your life? If so, invite him in and received the gift of a new life with the Father! What difference might living each day for Jesus make in your life? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

1 Thessalonians 5: The Apostle Paul instructs his congregation to be thankful in all circumstances for that is God’s will for all who belong to Jesus. What does this mean? Is it possible to live in this way? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

PRAYER EXERCISE FOR LENT:

Whatever your situation, good or bad; Selah [pause], take a slow breath in, breathe out, and then find something to thank God for in that moment! Look for His presence with you, recognise Him there, and then be thank-full. Pray with open hands, not tightly closed fists… pray with hands open to give to God, and hands open to receive from him; not with hands closed, not holding tightly on to what you have got, but hands open in sharing with God and with others. Thank+Fullness is the Life of Faith.

Have a blessed week,

Rev. Tim

08/03/2020: LIVE WITH THANKFULLNESS

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