“God is Beautiful”

1 Corinthians 10:31

“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”

Do all to the glory of God. Wow, what a goal! When we receive the Lord as our savior, we are eternally loved. We are forgiven and changed. As I think of who God is and what He has done for me, one word comes to mind: Beautiful. It is translated in this text as glory. You could even call it the worth and exalted position of God.

So, God says, whatever we do, do all to the beauty of God. In other words, show the beauty of God in everything we do. Show God’s beauty as a parent, as a spouse, as a coworker, or even when we are frustrated.

Why should we not hide the beauty of God? Why should we do everything for His glory? There are two reasons.

1. Because He is more beautiful than me. I remember those days, as a cheerleader when I wanted people to see me. I wanted them to notice me on homecoming court. I had a desire, though innocent as it may have been, to be noticed and admired. But the most beautiful thing in my life is not me. It is that Jesus noticed me and changed me.

2. Paul says, in verse 33 that the honor of showing His beauty is, “that they may be saved.” I’ve got nothing of value to offer a sinner other than the saving grace of Jesus Christ. So, why would we not want to share this with others?

While using the HEAR method (see below) consider the following questions: 
  • What does doing everything for His glory look like in your life? What are some specific things that you could do to show God’s beauty to those around you? 

Highlight – what words or phrases jump out at you? 

Explain – what does the passage mean? 
Apply – how does the passage intersect with your life today? 
Respond – how is God leading you to respond?

Alicia Williams 

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“Through or Around?”

Esther 4:12-15

“And they told Mordecai what Esther had said. Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, “Do not think to yourself that in the king’s palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews. For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai,”

It’s not often that Scripture points out a female heroine. Because of this, Esther’s willingness to die to save her people has been the only portion of these verses I had formerly focused on. This time, it was Mordecai’s faith that jumped off the page.

Mordecai influenced Esther into her position and his faith moved her to action. “…If you stay silent at a time like this, help and deliverance WILL arrive for the Jews from someplace else; but you and your family will be wiped out.” Moredecai’ was certain their deliverance would happen. Not “maybe,” not “what if.” He said help WOULD arrive – through her or someone else. Don’t miss it, he was saying that God can work through you or around you, but He is going to work. Now is not the time to play it safe – safety equates to death or irrelevance.

Somewhere over the last several years, I decided I would rather keep my mouth closed than risk pain. I convinced myself to play life safe, to live a “good” life, to stay away from attention – not realizing I was creating an ineffective life. Sometimes we need jarring words to remind us to move.

God is moving. He is moving in your families, He is moving in our church, and He is moving in our world. He has placed EACH of us in our current positions (family, job, community) for such a time as this. God is calling us to a life of action over safety. If we choose a “good,” safe life, He will find someone else to help and deliver those who need Him. I don’t know about you, but I want to be used by God. I want Him to work through me, not around me. How about you? Who do you want to be for such a time as this?

Use the HEAR method as you spend time with today’s passage.
 
Highlight – what words or phrases jump out at you?
Explain – what does the passage mean?
Apply – how does the passage intersect with your life today?
Respond – how is God leading you to respond?
Today’s post is by April Price

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Esther – An Overview

Esther 2:15-17


“When the turn came for Esther the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her as his own daughter, to go in to the king, she asked for nothing except what Hegai the king’s eunuch, who had charge of the women, advised. Now Esther was winning favor in the eyes of all who saw her. And when Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus, into his royal palace, in the tenth month, which is the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign, the king loved Esther more than all the women, and she won grace and favor in his sight more than all the virgins, so that he set the royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti.”

Esther preview video from The Bible Project View
Use the HEAR method as you spend time with today’s passage
Highlight – what words or phrases jump out at you? 
Explain – what does the passage mean? 
Apply – how does the passage intersect with your life today? 
Respond – how is God leading you to respond?

Esther – An Overview Read More »

Daniel in Video

Take some time this morning to enjoy an overview of the book of Daniel from our friends at the Bible Project! Watch Video

We hope you have a wonderful Independence Day weekend and that you’ll join us tomorrow for worship on campus or online! 

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“When My Faith Gets Me Into Trouble”

Daniel 6:4-5


“Then the high officials and the satraps sought to find a ground for complaint against Daniel with regard to the kingdom, but they could find no ground for complaint or any fault because he was faithful, and no error or fault was found in him. Then these men said, “We shall not find any ground for complaint against this Daniel unless we find it in connection with the law of his God.”

Here are three thoughts on this text.

  • Your enemies want to destroy you because of the person your faith has produced, so don’t take it personally. They just don’t like God. 
  • Don’t allow the enemy to determine your relationship with God, because it’s worth the risk. Integrity, prayer, honesty, faithfulness and so on is worth the risk of suffering.
  • I would rather be attacked for being right than for being wrong.

While using the HEAR method (see below) consider the following questions: [questions bulleted] 

Highlight – what words or phrases jump out at you? 

Explain – what does the passage mean? 
Apply – how does the passage intersect with your life today? 
Respond – how is God leading you to respond?

Pastor Stephen Williams

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“There’s No Other Way”

Daniel 3:23-28

“And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell bound into the burning fiery furnace.

Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up in haste. He declared to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?” They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.” He answered and said, “But I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.”

Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the burning fiery furnace; he declared, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here!” Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out from the fire. And the satraps, the prefects, the governors, and the king’s counselors gathered together and saw that the fire had not had any power over the bodies of those men. The hair of their heads was not singed, their cloaks were not harmed, and no smell of fire had come upon them. Nebuchadnezzar answered and said, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants, who trusted in him, and set aside the king’s command, and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own God.”

Ever since I was a child, one song that I always remembered was “Trust and Obey” with the chorus saying ‘there is no other way.’ 

As I reflect on today’s reading, I am reminded of why Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, were thrown in the fiery furnace – they would not bow down to the Golden image the King had made because of their obedience to God. They did not know whether their obedience would lead to death or not, but they knew God could save them if it was His will. Not knowing the outcome, they trusted and obeyed. What Faith they had in God!

This passage also shows how our God can do the impossible. He prevented Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego from being burned in any way. What a display of His power!

While using the HEAR method (see below) consider the following questions: 

  • What about me? Am I willing to obey and trust God with the outcome? 
  • Is my faith such that I am obedient even if faced with death?

Highlight – what words or phrases jump out at you? 

Explain – what does the passage mean? 
Apply – how does the passage intersect with your life today? 
Respond – how is God leading you to respond?
Joe Sowell, Men’s Ministry Leader and Men’s Wednesday night small group leader

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