Intentional Over Robotic

By: Grace Metzger

Look carefully then how you

walk, not as unwise but as wise.

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭5‬:‭15‬ ‭ESV‬‬

As someone who grew up in the church, certain things have become like second nature to me. Things like going to church multiple times a week, working in ministry, praying before eating, singing during worship, etc. As a child my mind would wonder constantly during worship but I knew those songs well enough that my mouth automatically sang the words without any thought. I used to be proud of these things, saw it as a gift that these things be done without even thinking about it  

And whatever you do, in word or deed,

do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus.

‭‭Colossians‬ ‭3‬:‭17‬ ‭ESV‬‬

I never considered this a bad thing until I realized that even though I was doing the right things, it didn’t matter cause there was no thought behind it. I wasn’t singing to worship God, I wasn’t going to church to grow in my faith, and I wasn’t in ministry to grow God’s kingdom. I was doing those things because it was a habit.

Having those thing as a habit is not a bad thing, in fact it’s amazing to have these wonderful actions become an everyday habit. Where it becomes a bad thing is when you lose the reason behind your actions. It took me longer than I want to admit to come to the realization of how numb I’ve become to that. When you lose the reason for your walk with God, you become numb to the benefits of the actions.

So how can we correct this? The first step I had to take was to redirect my focus. Too often I allowed my focus to drift away and I lost sight of God. By redirecting my focus it became harder to lose the reason behind my actions. My second step was to make sure that every single action I took, I stopped to ask myself, “How is this going to benefit my relationship with God or God’s kingdom?” By asking myself that question, it reminded me of what my goal should be with everything I do, every single thing I do should be to grow my relationship with God or grow His kingdom.

Becoming robotic in your walk with God is easier then you think and more damaging then you think. The most important thing is recognizing when you start becoming more robotic and start to work towards being intentional in your faith.

Discussion Questions;

1.)  Was there a point in your walk with God that it became robotic? 

2.) if so how did you correct it to make it a more intentional faith?

Iron on Iron

By: Jenifer Metzger

Iron sharpens iron, and

one person sharpens another.

Proverbs 27:17 CSB

We all need someone to be our iron. Proverbs 27:17 tells us that just as iron sharpens iron, we sharpen each other.

Recently I was chatting with my best friend and she was sharing some steps her family is taking as they are going through a situation. She and her husband didn't see eye to eye in one area. When she told me, it would have been very easy to simply agree with her. To tell her she was right, that I was on her side. However, on this particular situation, I didn't agree with her and I told her so. And she has done the same for me over the years.

Sometimes we want a "yes man" to be in our corner -someone who is always going to agree with us, who is always going to side with us. However, that isn't healthy. We need someone to sharpen us, to speak truth to us, to help us grow.

We need that friend who will call us out when we've done wrong, who will ask us if we've been in the Word, who will ask why we missed church, one who will ask the hard questions even at the risk of temporarily upsetting us. A friend who who loves us enough to sharpen us.

Likewise, we need to be that friend. We need to stop being afraid of offending and start sharpening. When we truly love, we should desire to speak the truth in love. Not in a way that condemns or judges. We aren't point our finger, we are holding out a hand and saying I love you enough to sharpen you.

If you have an iron relationship, thank God for it and cultivate it. If you don't, begin to pray that God would bring someone into your life to be your iron.

Discussion:
1. Do you have a friend who comes to mind when you read Proverbs 27:17? If so, cultivate that relationship! It is so important. If not, begin to pray that God would send you an "iron friend."
2. Think of a situation you've been in like the one I mentioned with my friend. Was it easy to call out your friend or were you afraid? Or maybe you were on the other side, how did you feel?

Rejoice in Today

 By: Joanne Viola

 

Today is here. The sun has risen, and the clouds have moved in. But I find myself thinking about yesterday, or a day gone by. Thoughts of the say things used to be fill my mind. Then my mind goes to the days ahead.

With all these thoughts swirling around in my head, the time slips by.

The problem with this is we cannot get back the yesterdays, and the tomorrows are out of our reach.

So here we sit – in the company of Today.

We can only live in this segment of twenty four hours. The present. It’s called appropriately as it is just that, a gift. The gift of time to be savored and enjoyed today, in this moment.

“This is the day which the Lord has made;
Let us rejoice and be glad in it.”
(Psalm 118:24, NASB)

Those words are so familiar and can easily be glossed over. Another version grabs my attention:

“The Lord has done it this very day;
let us rejoice today and be glad.”
(NIV)

The world, circumstances, life, people, politics, and family all seem to be changing quickly. The days can seem unfamiliar, perhaps the changes are unwanted and not likeable.

It is on those days we are to rest and trust in our unchanging God. He alone is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). It is Him we can hold onto and walk into every tomorrow.

But here we are today.  God desires for us to live today. To rejoice in all this day holds for us.

What if we took the last part of that verse as a command?
“Let us rejoice today and be glad.”
Rejoice today.

 

Reflection:
How do you live in the midst of changing times? What can you rejoice in today?

 

Image by yeliao521 from Pixabay

 

 

Celebration: The Marriage Supper of the Lamb

 By: Lauren Thomas 

Would it even be a wedding reception without the song “Celebration” by Kool and the Gang? You can’t help but move to the groove! Even if it’s not your style, it’s a feel-good song about celebrating good times. And who doesn’t love to do that?

Maybe it’s a stretch, but this song reminds me of a passage in the Bible. It’s one that references what is known as “The Marriage Supper of the Lamb.” The Marriage Supper of the Lamb is a term that comes from Revelation 19:6-9, which paints a picture of Christ, the Lamb, wedding the Bride, or the Church. Those invited to this marriage supper are called blessed. In Isaiah, there are references to this party as well. Specifically, the song celebration reminds me of Isaiah 25:6-9:

 

On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples

a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine,

of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined.

7 And he will swallow up on this mountain

the covering that is cast over all peoples,

the veil that is spread over all nations.

8     He will swallow up death forever;

and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces,

and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth,

for the Lord has spoken.

9 It will be said on that day,

“Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us.

This is the Lord; we have waited for him;

let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.”

Isaiah 25:6-9 ESV

 

Those blessed to be invited to this heavenly wedding reception will experience the end of death, the ceasing of reproach, the wiping away of every tear. In another passage in Isaiah (65:17-25), we read other wonderful aspects of this time in heaven: babies won’t die, the aged won’t die, children won’t be born for calamity; toil will be rewarded – not with thorns and briars according to the curse; there will be no weeping or crying, but instead, joy and gladness; there will be no hurting or destruction; God will answer before we even call. What could be better than this? As the song goes, it’s “a celebration to last throughout the years”! Can you imagine this celebration in Heaven? Can you imagine dancing with loved ones in this kind of joy and delight before the throne of God?

 

Revelation 19:9 says, blessed are those who are invited. And let me tell you, YOU have been invited. I hope you’ll come…

 

 “COME ON AND CELEBRATE!”

 

Reflection:

Read the passages referenced throughout this post. What are you looking forward to about this celebration?

Read Matthew 22:1-14 to find your wedding invitation.

Think of the last time you really celebrated at a wedding reception. How will the Marriage Supper of the Lamb be similar?

Habit or Passion?

By: Jenifer Metzger

When I get ready in the morning I have a routine, a habit. I do things in a specific order and have for so long that it comes naturally to me. One day, for whatever reason, I forgot a step in my skincare routine. I didn't even realize until I was finishing my makeup and realized my face felt dry. I looked down and sure enough, I hadn't moved my moisturizer. I just went about my routine, not thinking about what I was doing.

Have you ever done something strictly out of habit? Like you're going about your routine or your work on auto-pilot. What about worship? What about your Bible reading?

You slide into the pew on Sunday morning and the band begins to play. You automatically stand up and begin singing. Not really thinking. It's just your normal routine.

You sit down on the couch with your Bible and open to where you left off yesterday. You automatically begin to read. Not really thinking. It's just what you do.

Are you worshiping God out of habit or out of passion? Is it just routine or a desire to have a relationship with your Heavenly Father?

The Lord says: "These people come

near to Me with their mouth and honor

Me with their lips, but their hearts are

far from Me. Their worship of Me is

made up only of rules taught by men.

Isaiah 29:13

God wants His people to worship Him from their hearts with a desire to know Him and serve Him, not just because it's what they've always done or to check it off their list. God is looking at our hearts. He knows our motives. He knows if we are worshiping Him and reading our Bible out of habit or out of a passion.

I am all about schedules, routines, checklists, and planners. And there is nothing wrong with scheduling your time with God or checking it off your list. But it needs to be our passion for God that drives our time with God, not just marking the box.

If you are lacking the passion, ask Him for it. Pray and ask God to give you passion for His presence, for His Word, and for prayer. Spend time worshiping Him. Pray before you read the Bible asking God to show you want He wants you to learn. Pray after you read the Bible asking God to show you how to apply it to your life. Spend time in nature appreciating all God created. Do the things to help your passion for the Lord grow.

Habits are great, but let it be your passion for the Lord that pulls you to spend time with Him..

Discussion:
1. What do you do when you feel your passion waning?
2. How do you keep passion for spending time with God?