Isaiah 12

Read Isaiah 12

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Isaiah 65:17:25

Read Isaiah 65:17:25

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Romans 13:11-14

Read Romans 13:11-14

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Psalm 100

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Psalm 100

Read Psalm 100

Luke 21:5-19

Read  Luke 21:5-19

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2 Thessalonians 3:6-13

Read 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13

What helps you to live a faithful, self-disciplined life?

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Psalm 118

Read Psalm118

Isaiah 65:17-25

Read Isaiah 65:17-25

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Psalm 100

Read Psalm 100

What 'joyful noise' are you making to God today?

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John 14:12-14

Read John 14:1-14

John 14:12-14

Read John 14:12-14

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Luke 20:27-38

Read Luke 20:27-38

2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17 Encsourage

Read 2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17 

Whose faith are you encouraging today?

[Art credit: http://whoareyoulord.wordpress.com/2012/03/10/i-am-the-god-of-eternal-encouragement-and-good-hope-2-thess-3-13-17/]

Psalm 145:1-5, 17-21

Read Psalm 145:1-5, 17-21

 

[Art credit: http://authorangelaloveandjosephpaulwilliams.blogspot.com/2010/11/psalm-14510.html\

Haggai 1:15b-2:9

Read Haggai 1:15b-2:9

[Art credit: http://howard-carter.blogspot.com/2013/02/out-of-ruins-renewal-book-of-haggai-for_10.html]

John 14:12-14

Read  John 14:12-14

[Art credit: http://heisourstrongtower.wordpress.com/2013/06/19/sabbatical-day-17-works-greater-works/]

Proverbs 11:25 Live Generously

Read  Proverbs 11:25

With whom will you be generous today?

Whom will you refresh?

[Art credit: http://myra.lifewithchrist.org/permalink/66687.html]

2 Thessalonians 1:1-4, 11-12 About your calling

Read  2 Thessalonians 1:1-4, 11-12

Are you seeking - looking, listening for - God's calling in your life?

Your awareness of it begins in recognizing that God loves you, and wants to be in relationship with you. He has given you Jesus to show, to tell, you how to fully live.

What is at least one way that you can live and love like Christ today?


[Art credit: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Live_a_Life_Worthy_of_the_Calling.jpg]

Psalm 119:137-144 How do you respond to stress and strain?

Read Psalm 119:137-144

Stress and strain have caught up with me,    but your commandments are my joy! (Psa. 119:143, CEB)

Engineers can teach us how much stress and strain an object can tolerate. Humans have a tolerance level, too; and, when exceeded, damage can result.

When stress and strain catches up with you, how do you respond? Do you push yourself to a point where you become ineffective?

This psalms teaches us that one of the ways that we can respond to the stress and strain in life is to spend time with the scriptures, to delight in God's great love for us.


[Art credit: http://willgallucci.com/wordpress/?p=167]

A new candidate for ministry

If you don't already know her, then meet Marianne Brown.

She is a remarkable young woman with a deep love for Christ and the Church. A member of St. Philip's, she is also on our Staff Team serving as our Student Ministries Intern. 

Feeling the particular calling in her life to full-time ministry, she visited with me about what it means to be a Pastor in The United Methodist Church. She was then interviewed by our Staff-Parish Relations Committee who recommended her (unanimously) to the annual Charge Conference to be a Candidate for ordained ministry. (Theses are the first steps in a multi-year process of education and preparation.)

One of the highlights of this past Sunday's Charge Conference was their unanimous vote to affirm Marianne's call and begin her in the formal process toward becoming a United Methodist Pastor.

One of the signs of St. Philip's vitality is the intentional culture of being a church where persons can be attentive to God's calling in their lives, encouraging and affirming their 'gifts and graces' - their spiritual fruitfulness - for ministry. St. Philip's, you do that very well, indeed.

If you don't already know her, then meet Marianne Brown. 

If you're a United Methodist, then she'll be your Pastor one day. And you will be blessed by her ministry.

Habakkuk 1:1-4; 2:1-4

Proverbs 11:25

Read Proverbs 11:25

How do you measure prosperity?


[Art credit: http://www.extrafaith.com/2012/04/proverbs-11-25/]

Matthew 6:9-15; Matthew 26:39

Read Matthew 6:9-15; Matthew 26:39

Think about the saints - persons who lived faithfully - in your life. 

How did they receive God's daily gifts? 
How do you?

How did they receive God's will?
How do you?



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Matthew 6:9-15; Matthew 26:39 What does God want you to give?

Read Matthew 6:9-15; Matthew 26:39

Consider what God wants to give to you.

In teaching his disciples to pray, Jesus is confident that God wants to meet our daily needs. Praying before his arrest and crucifixion, Jesus acknowledges that God wants to give us God's purpose - God's will - for our lives.

What does God want you to give?

What does God want you to live?

[Art credit: http://worshipsounds.wordpress.com/2012/03/22/worship-its-all-about-giving-2/]

Luke 18:9-14 Lord, have mercy on me

Read Luke 18:9-14

Kyrie eleison means, Lord, have mercy.

Jesus' parable of two would-be faithfuls invites disciples to be honest with themselves. 

Is there something haughty in you that distracts people from seeing Jesus in you? 

[Art credit: http://www.keepcalm-o-matic.co.uk/p/keep-calm-and-kyrie-eleison/]