Scripture: 5 You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. 6 Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. 7 Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, 8 he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. 9 Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. [Philippians 2:5-11 NLT] When I was in college a friend of mine got me into running. I had been attempting to jog and get in better shape in order to try out for the baseball team. I was never a very good runner and was having a difficult time. This friend of mine offered to run with me. She was a much better runner than I was. She could run faster and a lot farther than I could. Despite her superior running skills and experience, she was willing to come down to the level I was at in order to help me. She humbled herself and ran slower in order to make me stronger. My friend didn’t stay there though. Every time we ran she would push me to go faster and farther than the time before. Eventually, I was able to continually beat my previous best time and distance. I was continually getting better because of my friend's willingness to humble herself on my behalf. The best part of my friend's encouragement was that she helped me to go farther than I had ever gone before. Before she started working with me I had only ever run one mile, a very slow mile. After several months of us running together, I was running three to four miles a day at a pretty respectable pace. Then it happened! I had been running about four days a week with my friend, but her schedule changed. I ended up running most days by myself. One day I decided, rather than the three or four miles I normally ran, I would go until I got tired. That day it was up to me to push myself and go farther than I had ever gone. In the words of Forrest Gump, “I just kept running.” When I finally got tired I had run a little over six miles, which might as well have been a marathon as far as I’m concerned. I had never run that far ever. Because of my friend’s willingness to be humble and help me, I was able to go even further than I ever had. Our Scripture today is a story of even greater humility. Jesus was willing to humble himself on our behalf to save us from sin and death. Jesus was willing to go even further. Jesus, in the greatest act of humility and love ever, was willing to die on the cross for you and me. He who knew no sin became sin for you and me. Jesus did this for one reason alone. Jesus died for you and me so that our sins would be forgiven and so that we would be restored to a right relationship with God. Before Jesus Christ’s life, ministry, suffering, death, and resurrection we could only go so far in our relationship with God. Sin always got in the way. But because of Jesus’ act of selfless, humble love we can now go even further. Because of our Savior’s willingness to be humble and save us, we are able to go even further in our relationship with God. Today thank God for the gift of his Son Jesus Christ. Praise Jesus for being a humble servant who gave himself for you. Today look around you and see who you can humble yourself for and serve. Who can you help go further in their understanding of who God is and how much God loves them? Be the example of a humble servant for at least one person today. Encourage them to go that one step further in faith. Who knows, you may even be the one who helps them receive the amazing gift of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. How amazing would that be? That would truly be helping them go even further. Prayer: Almighty God, thank you for Christ’s willingness to humble himself for me. Through the power and guidance of yourHoly Spirit, help me to humble myself and help others today. I desire to help others grow closer to you. Amen.

Scripture: 36 This is the message of Good News for the people of Israel—that there is peace with God through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. [Acts 10:36 NLT] I was at someone’s house not too long ago and there was a piece of furniture I really liked. I complimented the owner on it and told them I really liked it. Their response was, “That old thing? We’ve had that forever.” The reaction surprised me a little because they had grown accustomed to the piece being in their life forever. They, at one point in time, had really liked it or it would not be in their home. Over time it had all but disappeared to them. They probably walked past it several times a day and just ceased to notice it anymore. This got me thinking about how many things become invisible to us over time. How many things in our life do we think of as “That old thing?” It seems inevitable that we will become interested, and almost infatuated, with whatever is new. The things in our life that we once thought were so great become passé. This is human nature in most areas of our life. That is why we need to be very intentional with the things that are most important to us. Our family should never become passé. Our marriage should never become passé. Can you imagine if someone complimented you concerning your spouse and your reply was, “That old thing?” I imagine that would not go over well at all. The one area we need to be most intentional about not allowing it to become passé, our faith. I believe that our faith is one of the easiest areas of our life to neglect. I also believe that it is the most important area of our life, period. In our Scripture for today this is made evident in two ways: 1) The work of God in the life of his people is called the “Good News” and 2) Jesus is said to be Lord of all. The Good News of God giving his one and only Son to the world so that whoever would believe in him would not perish but have eternal life is the greatest news in all of history. This, the greatest of all news, should never be allowed to become passé. If the work of Jesus Christ in our own life is not the greatest thing that has ever happened to us, something is wrong with our faith. Our abiding relationship with Jesus Christ should be the foundation of everything we do. In every moment of every day we should intentionally strive to live in remembrance of God’s mighty acts in Jesus Christ. We should strive to offer ourselves in praise and thanksgiving as a holy and living sacrifice, in the same way Christ sacrificed himself on our behalf. We should also strive every day to live with Jesus as Lord of all of our life. There should be nothing in our life that is not under the Lordship of Christ. Today we should take stock of our life and look for any part of it that we are hanging onto. These are the areas where we need to surrender to Christ. If Christ is not the Lord of all, there will be competing loyalties. We must surrender to Jesus Christ as Lord of all. Get on your knees today and surrender your whole life to Jesus. Throughout your day continually surrender each moment to Jesus. Surrender the moments where someone upsets you. Surrender the moments where you get anxious. Surrender your need to be right. Jesus is Lord of all and we must surrender to his authority. There certainly is nothing passé about that! Prayer: Lord of all creation, I praise you for the life you have given me. I surrender all of my life to you today. If there is any part of my life that I am holding onto, help me release it to you. May you be my only focus today and may my life bring honor and glory to you. Amen.

Scripture: I solemnly urge you in the presence of God and Christ Jesus, who will someday judge the living and the dead when he comes to set up his Kingdom: 2 Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching. 3 For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will reject the truth and chase after myths. 5 But you should keep a clear mind in every situation. Don’t be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Work at telling others the Good News, and fully carry out the ministry God has given you. [2 Timothy 4:1-5 NLT] The fastest land animal in the world is the Cheetah, which has been clocked at speeds of over 60 mph. The fastest bird is the Peregrine Falcon, which has been clocked at 242 mph in the air. The fastest sea animal is the Sail Fish, which has been clocked at just over 68 mph. The fastest human being, claimed to be Usain Bolt of Jamaica, has been clocked at speeds of just over 23 mph. All of these animals, and one human, are incredibly fast or quick. I would never win a race against any of them. In fact, being quick is something I have never been accused of in my life. I remember the Presidential Fitness program in elementary school when we had to run the 50 yard dash. Almost all of my classmates were faster than me. When it came to my turn I looked like my tennis shoes were made from cement. Being quick is just something I have never been. Maybe this is why I like the passage of Scripture we are reading today. It is one occasion where I can be called “quick.” Most of the more recent translations of 2 Timothy 4 verse 1 use the word “living.” The King James Version translates the word using the old English term “quick.” The Greek word that is being translated is a form of the word Zoe, which literally means life. So when you use the old English term “quick” to mean living …I am quick, and so are you. Of course, what Paul is saying to Timothy is that Jesus is the judge of both the living and the dead. So no matter how quick you are here in this world, we all will meet Jesus one day. Being quick, or living, for Jesus is the most important thing we will do with our life. There are plenty of things to live for like family, friends, finances, fun, our vision of the future, and many more. The only thing that matters in the end is living for Jesus. When Paul writes to Timothy he goes on to instruct him to preach the word of God persistently, to patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage the people he teaches. He writes that there will be a time when people won’t listen. They will follow false teaching and chase after teachers who will tell them easy teachings. Timothy is to keep focused on the fact that one day he will have to answer to Jesus Christ. Timothy should continue working on bringing others to Christ. I believe that today is the day for you and me to be quick for Jesus Christ. We should tell others about the amazing grace of God available to them through a growing relationship with Jesus Christ. Living for Jesus means we are persistently following after Him in every moment of our day. Today leverage your relationship with Jesus through the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit to encourage someone. We are called to help people see how deeply God loves them. Today is the day to be quick for Christ. Prayer: Lord God Almighty, you have given me every breath I take and I am quick because of you. Today I long to be alive for you. Help me to live for you today in the name of Jesus. May others experience the life you have given me through the life I live before them. I pray that you will receive all honor, glory, and praise through my living. Amen.

Scripture: 39 “And we apostles are witnesses of all he did throughout Judea and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a cross, 40 but God raised him to life on the third day. Then God allowed him to appear, 41 not to the general public, but to us whom God had chosen in advance to be his witnesses. We were those who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42 And he ordered us to preach everywhere and to testify that Jesus is the one appointed by God to be the judge of all—the living and the dead. 43 He is the one all the prophets testified about, saying that everyone who believes in him will have their sins forgiven through his name.” [Acts 10:39-43 NLT] There have been many famous television attorneys such as Perry Mason, Ben Matlock, and Ally McBeal. There have been fewer television judges. Two of my favorites were Judge Harry Stone of "Night Court" (think 1980s) and Judge Joseph Wapner of "The People’s Court" (also the 80s). Joseph Wapner passed away last month at the age of 97. On "The People’s Court" he was tasked with presiding over real, small claims court cases. He started this role after his retirement in 1979 as a Superior Court Judge in California. The show was interesting because it was the first of its kind. It was also interesting because Judge Wapner definitely was in charge of the courtroom. When people came into the courtroom they knew that he was in charge and that he would make the final decision on their case. "The People’s Court" ran for 12 years and almost 2,500 episodes. Joseph Wapner was the judge for all of that time. Do you remember the story of another first judge in the Old Testament? The Book of Exodus chapter eighteen recounts how Moses had become a judge and counselor for the people of Israel. Whenever a complaint against each other arose the Israelites would come and seek Moses’s guidance. Jethro, Moses’s father-in-law, saw this and told Moses there was no way he could be the judge of all of Israel alone. Jethro suggested dividing the people and appointing others to help with the task of settling complaints. This is exactly what Moses did because of Jethro’s advice. He appointed capable men as judges over groups of one thousand, one hundred, fifty, and ten people. Moses realized he could not be the judge of all. The New Testament reality is that God moved from the way things were with Moses to a new set up. Our New Testament reading for today bears witness to the fact that “Jesus Christ is ordained by God to be the judge of all – the living and the dead.” Jesus is the One that all of the prophets pointed to concerning the forgiveness of sins and the judgement for those who do not seek forgiveness. Jesus is the judge of all. Ironically, we tend to try and take this position away from Jesus. Usually we do this unwittingly. We judge other people’s actions as being wrong or less than acceptable. We also judge our own actions as being justifiable or at least acceptable. The problem with this type of thinking is that we are not the judge. Matthew 7:4-5 makes this very clear with an illustration of a speck, a log, and an eye. We are not to put ourselves in the position of judging. Jesus is the only judge of all. Today make your goal to please Jesus with all of your life. The reality is that one day we will be face-to-face with Jesus. We will be asked to give an account of how we lived for Christ. Make today count! The amazing part of Jesus being the judge of all is that we have a judge who knows us better than anyone and one that we know intimately as well. Live today for Jesus in everything you do. Then when that day does come you will have one day after another where you can truly answer Jesus saying, “I made every day count for you.” One last thing … we also have a judge who promises to be with us every moment as we strive to make each moment count. Jesus is judge of all, but a different kind of judge than any we have ever known. Prayer: Holy God, thank you for sending Jesus to know me, love me, save me, and even judge me. I pray that I will make today count for Christ. I praise you that my judge goes with me today and knows me intimately. I also praise you that my judge allows me to know Him intimately. I am counting on Christ today as I know Christ is counting on me. Amen.

Scripture: 3 Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. 2 Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. 3 For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory. [Colossians 3:1-4 NLT] When I was a kid I loved magicians. There was a guy who would come to my dad’s store and perform for the kids in the children’s department for special events. I would watch him intently to see if I could figure out how he was doing the magic. I would always get at least one of the magic tricks and believe I knew how he did it. Then after the show he would let us come up and see his props. Even after seeing the props close up I couldn’t really figure out what he had done. Whether it was pulling a rabbit out of a hat or a dove out of a metal tin … I couldn’t quite figure it out. Then one Christmas I received a magic set as a gift. I started working on learning the tricks and some of them were the same as the magician I had been watching. It wasn’t until I learned what was really going on that I could attempt to do the trick myself. The above story taught me a valuable life lesson: there is a difference between reality and perception. I would perceive what I thought the magician was doing. In reality the magician was usually doing something else. There are a lot of things in life that are like that. We perceive certain things in life one way, but the reality is very different. One area I see this regularly is in premarital counseling. Sometimes a couple’s perception of what married life will be is very different from reality. Married life is wonderful and can be one of the most rewarding aspects of life. Marriage is also work. If a couple doesn’t know the reality of that before they get married they will soon find out. There is a difference between reality and perception. The Apostle Paul learned this lesson as well. Initially, his perception of those who followed Jesus was that they were heretics and blasphemers. They were perverting the Old Testament laws and dishonoring God. It wasn’t until his Damascus Road experience that Paul saw the reality of Jesus. Jesus was the one who fulfilled the Old Testament law. Jesus was the one who brought real life to those who believed in Him. As we know, Paul’s life was changed when he realized the reality of what it meant to follow Jesus. This is why Paul wrote to the church at Colossae and told them that because Jesus Christ sits at God’s right hand their real life is hidden with Christ in God. One day Christ will come again and we will all be with Him for all of eternity. Until that day, Christ is the one who gives you your real life here and now. Your real life is hidden with Christ Jesus in God. Take some time today to meditate on your life. Is Christ truly your real life? How has your relationship with Jesus Christ transformed your life? Because our real life is hidden with Christ in God, we are to live for Christ. Our reality, like Paul’s, is very different with Christ. What we experience here today is a glimpse of what we will experience with Christ for all eternity. Live into that reality today. Know that your real life is with Christ. Prayer: Holy God, thank you for my real life in Jesus Christ, your Son, my Savior. Help me to see through the perception of life the world around wants me to see. Through the power of your Holy Spirit, and in the name of Jesus, empower me to see the real life you have given me today. Amen.

Scripture: 14 She turned to leave and saw someone standing there. It was Jesus, but she didn’t recognize him. 15 “Dear woman, why are you crying?” Jesus asked her. “Who are you looking for?” She thought he was the gardener. “Sir,” she said, “if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and get him.” 16 “Mary!” Jesus said. She turned to him and cried out, “Rabboni!” (which is Hebrew for “Teacher”). 17 “Don’t cling to me,” Jesus said, “for I haven’t yet ascended to the Father. But go find my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” 18 Mary Magdalene found the disciples and told them, “I have seen the Lord!” Then she gave them his message. [John 20:14-18 NLT] It has only happened to me a couple of times, but both times it was pretty embarrassing. I had been going about my normal day and routine without even noticing. Yet the very thing that was supposed to prevent this sort of thing from happening was the source of my embarrassment. How could it be that this item could turn on me in such a way? As I realized what had happened I was left to ponder all of these things in my heart. The embarrassment came when a Bounce dryer sheet was clinging to my clothes even after I had folded the clothes, put them away, and put them on for the day. The dryer sheet was clinging to me and I had no idea. Of course, once I found out I truly was left wondering how many people had seen it and not said anything. Clinging to something usually shows affection for the object to which we are clinging. It means we do not want to let it go and we want to hang on to it tightly. A child clings to their blanket or favorite toy. A teenager clings to their cell phone. As adults we may cling to many things including our finances. Clinging to something means it is important to us. It denotes meaning that is drawn from the object of our affection. We don’t cling to things that are meaningless or unimportant. Instead we jettison them from our life and don’t give them another thought. When we cling to something we are making a statement of value. In our Scripture for today we read of the encounter the risen Christ has with Mary. She goes to the grave site to mourn her friend. While there Jesus appears and asks her why she is crying and who she is looking for. Then Jesus calls her by her name and she recognizes him. John then records Jesus as saying, “Don’t cling to me.” Why does Jesus say this? I have come to believe that Mary probably either threw her arms around Jesus, or tried to. I can only imagine the relief and excitement she would have felt over seeing Jesus alive! Because he is the most important part of her life, she tries to cling to him. It’s a statement of value and she is trying to cling to her savior and friend. Jesus tells her not to cling to him because he has not yet ascended. He is alive, but not yet where God the Father wants him to be. When he appears to his friends he reminds them of all they are called to do. He also reminds them that he will be going to be with the Father. This is important. Jesus wants us to cling to the resurrected, risen, and glorified Jesus. Jesus seated at the right hand of God the Father, He is ready to intercede on our behalf. We cling to the risen Jesus who interceded on our behalf. Today you may face some hardship, difficulty, or temptation. This is the best time to cling to Jesus. The resurrected and risen Jesus would encourage you to “Cling to me.” You can place all of your trust, all of your cares, all of your worries, all of your doubts, all of your fear in the risen Savior. Cling to Jesus today and He will be there all the way. This is the message Christ offered his disciples in John 15 when he told them to abide in Him. A branch clings to the vine and intertwines itself to the vine. This closeness will sustain you today. Cling to Jesus. Prayer: Holy God, what a gift you have given us in Jesus Christ, your only Son. There is nothing else we would rather cling to than Christ. Help us to cling to Christ in the moments we are tempted to rely on ourselves. Empower us through your Holy Spirit to follow you and stay close to you. Amen.

Scripture: 39 “And we apostles are witnesses of all he did throughout Judea and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a cross, 40 but God raised him to life on the third day. Then God allowed him to appear, 41 not to the general public, but to us whom God had chosen in advance to be his witnesses. We were those who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42 And he ordered us to preach everywhere and to testify that Jesus is the one appointed by God to be the judge of all — the living and the dead. 43 He is the one all the prophets testified about, saying that everyone who believes in him will have their sins forgiven through his name.” [Acts 10:39-43 NLT] There are those in society who pretty much believe what they see, hear, or read about in the news. There are others who question everything. Then there are those who look for and/or see conspiracies. Before I go any farther, conspiracies are a reality in some cases, but not in every case. I know a guy who has spent a lot of time and energy looking into various conspiracy theories throughout history. Because I know him I have learned that there are far more of these conspiracy theories than I ever thought possible. I have also learned that there are far more conspiracy theorists than I ever thought possible. Maybe there is a conspiracy behind conspiracy theories? There is a link between conspiracy theories and the Bible. Usually, conspiracy theories happen because there is something that happens that people cannot immediately, or easily, explain. For instance, so many of the conspiracy theories behind President John F. Kennedy’s assassination try to explain away how one man could make two pretty accurate shots from a lousy position in such a short amount of time. The New Testament sparked a few conspiracy theories of its own as the authors wrote out the account of Jesus’s resurrection. You have to admit that at first take it is a pretty amazing claim that a controversial religious teacher was alive after being crucified, dead, and buried. It would be pretty difficult to explain that one away using the conventional knowledge of the day. Some have conspired to say that Jesus fainted on the cross and wasn’t really dead, or the disciples stole his body, or that the disciples were hallucinating when they saw Jesus alive after his crucifixion. Whatever the conspiracy might be, believers in Jesus have rejected them and claimed the resurrection. The resurrection is the central defining doctrine and claim of the Christian faith. To explain it away would be to deny the truth of the Old Testament prophecy, eyewitness accounts, and the claims of Jesus himself. As author, pastor, and theologian Justo Gonzalez has written, “Without the resurrection there really isn’t much to Christianity.” There is a simple phrase in The Book of Acts that helps us understand the truth of today’s Scripture. The phrase is only two words long. Luke writes that The Apostle Peter told the crowds about how Jesus had been put to death by crucifixion. Then we read the two simple words of Peter, “But God.” Peter tells them that Jesus had been put to death by human hands, BUT GOD raised him to life three days later! It’s hard to conspire against God! The reason I believe, and millions of Christians believe, is because of those two words. The darkness tried to overcome God’s plan of salvation in the light of Jesus. But God would not let that happen. God’s plan was to send his one and only Son into the world so that all who believe in Him would not perish but have eternal life. Death thought it had won, BUT GOD! What will be your BUT GOD moment today? What has seemed to get the best of you and you are about to, or have, given up? These are the “but God” moments in our life. These are the times when things seem the darkest and we can’t see a way out, but God knows the way out and God’s light will never be overcome by the darkness. As dark as the grave was for Jesus the light of God’s loving plan of salvation was brighter. Keep your eyes and heart open to your BUT GOD moment today. Trust that the same God that raised Jesus from the dead can resurrect the broken parts of your life as well. Prayer: God of resurrection hope, thank you for raising Jesus to life on the third day. Thank you for giving me new life by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. I know I don’t deserve your grace, but God! Empower me through your Holy Spirit and in the name of Jesus to help others to experience your grace today. Amen.

Scripture: 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. 17 God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. [John 3:16-17 NLT] My favorite music artist of my lifetime is Sting. When I was in high school Sting was just making it big with the band The Police. One of the reasons that I like Sting is because his voice is so distinct. When one of his songs comes on the radio you can tell almost instantly that it is Sting. While I never had the pleasure of seeing The Police in concert, many years ago I was able to go to a Sting concert. I was mesmerized by the way that Sting performed. I thought his voice was incredible and the musicians he chose for his band were all phenomenal. At the beginning of the concert the announcer said these words, “Ladies and gentlemen, the one and only, Sting.” I truly believe that there is only one Sting. When I gave my life to Christ back in 1986 I learned there is a much more important “one and only.” The Scripture for today in The Gospel of John tells us just who the most important one and only is. John tells us that God “gave us his one and only Son.” In the older translations the term used is “only begotten” Son. The term begotten is probably best translated as “having no peer, unique.” This means that Jesus is truly the one and only Son of God. There is no other and never will be another like Jesus. When I realized this and gave my life to Jesus, the one and only, everything changed. Jesus is unique in his Sonship and unique in what he came to accomplish for us. Jesus is the one and only Messiah, our Savior. John goes on to tell us that Jesus, the one and only, came so that whoever believes in him would have eternal life. Not only is he the one and only Son, Jesus is also the one and only Savior in whom we are to place our trust and surrender our lives. Jesus is the one and only Savior through whom we receive the promise of eternal life by God’s grace when we place our faith in Jesus. There is none like Him. A friend of mine wrote a great worship song that says this so well: Fix my eyes on your glory, turn my heart to you. No other god can save us, Jesus you’re the one, I surrender. This is what makes Jesus the one and only Savior of my life. John goes on to say that Jesus, the one and only, did not come to condemn the world, but to save it. There is no one else who could accomplish that. Jesus is the one and only worthy of our honor, glory, and faith. When we surrender our life to Jesus He saves us from the consequences of our sin. In Christ alone are we saved. Today meditate on the uniqueness of Jesus Christ in your life. Is your life different because of what Jesus has done for you? It is a good practice to daily surrender to the Lordship of Christ for your life. Will you surrender today? Will you turn your heart to Jesus today? Fix your eyes on Christ’s glory because there is no other god who can save us. Jesus is the only one. In our daily surrender to Christ we acknowledge Christ’s place as the one and only in our life. Live your life today, and every day, in surrender to the one and only, Jesus. Prayer: Lord Jesus, you are the one and only Savior. I surrender my life to you today. Empower me to live for you in every way throughout this day. May you be honored, glorified, praised, and exalted through my thoughts, words, and actions. I pray that others come to know you as their one and only Savior, in part, by the way I live today. Amen.

Scripture: 1 This letter is from Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ. I am writing to God’s chosen people who are living as foreigners in the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia. 2 God the Father knew you and chose you long ago, and his Spirit has made you holy. As a result, you have obeyed him and have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ. May God give you more and more grace and peace. [1 Peter 1:1-2 NLT] Most everyone has gone through the experience of being selected for something. Early in life it is the pick-up game in sports. Two people are chosen as captains and then the captains chose the rest of the team. It was an awkward and alternating selection process until the last two were standing, waiting to be selected. If you were the last one picked … join the club. There is always a last one picked. It is a terrible feeling to be the last option for either team, but remember this … there are a lot of last picks making good money in professional sports these days. The important thing is being chosen. One of those experiences in my life was being chosen for college. I have shared that I did not have the greatest grades coming out of high school. They would have been considered above average, but not by a lot. When I went to community college straight out of high school it only got worse. So I stopped going to school for a while. When I decided to go back to school, few schools would give me a chance. Several turned me down and the one I wanted to attend was one of those schools. However, they did tell me they would consider accepting me if I went back to community college and proved that I could do the work. So I did just that and they accepted me. It was a great feeling knowing that I was now chosen to go to the school I really wanted to attend. In today’s Scripture we read where Peter uses this same language to refer to the people of God following Jesus Christ. He writes, “God the Father knew you and chose you long ago, and his Spirit has made you holy.” I cannot even describe the feelings I have whenever I think that God chose me. Peter not only says that God chose me, but that God knew me as well. This is even more amazing to me. God knew me AND STILL chose me? That is absolutely nothing short of amazing. As we say in the communion liturgy, “… while we were yet sinners Christ died for us, this shows God’s love for us.” God chose us long ago says Peter. Long ago before we ever thought of getting right with God. Long ago before we even realized we needed God. Long ago before we surrendered to God, we were already chosen. God chose you, long ago, to be a part of God’s family. God CHOSE YOU! Today remember that God chose you! When the little things seem to be trying to pull you down, remember God chose you! When things aren’t going your way, remember that God chose you! When you aren’t sure if you should talk to your coworker about your faith, remember God chose you! When you think that parenting is too hard, remember God chose you! When you are trying to drum up the courage to change jobs, remember God chose you! Remember, God chose you! Prayer: Loving God, you truly know me and you chose me. Help me to believe and live this simple and profound truth today. Amen.

Scripture: 3 As we pray to our God and Father about you, we think of your faithful work, your loving deeds, and the enduring hope you have because of our Lord Jesus Christ. [1 Thessalonians 1:1-3 NLT] Every year around June I attend an event, within an event, that reminds me that I belong. It is a meeting where everyone is at the same level of connection to a greater institutional structure. We all have the same distinction that allows us to both be invited to and be participants in the event. There is even a moment at this event where a special exception has to be made to allow others into the event who are not members with the same distinction. I know many of you are thinking this is some sort of secret society and/or a cult. I assure you it is neither one of those. Every year in June I attend the clergy session of The Florida Annual Conference Event. Everyone in the room is a clergyperson, or at least until we approve letting others in. One of the really interesting aspects of this annual meeting of The Florida Conference clergy is the sense of belonging. Those who are clergy in The Florida Conference of The United Methodist Church have all gone through a process of accreditation and credentialing before they are considered clergy. For now, once you are ordained as a clergy member in The United Methodist Church you are guaranteed an appointment. This means that we belong to a group of people who have been set apart, or ordained, for specific work within the local church. In Florida there are somewhere in the neighborhood of 600 clergypersons. We belong to a pretty small and select group of people. It is a good feeling to belong to this group, especially knowing the gifts, talents, and abilities of those in this group. In today’s Scripture Paul reminds the believers in Thessalonica that they belong as well. He tells them that they belong to God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. They have answered the call to surrender their lives to God the Father by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. They belong to the One who created the universe and who continues to care for them. What a feeling to belong to this group of people. When Paul was writing this letter the church was in its infancy. It was almost brand new, but it was growing like crazy. When Paul tells them they belong, what an amazing statement that would have been. They are part of the new movement of God right in their midst. They belong to God who is actively redeeming all of creation through His Son Jesus Christ. That is a pretty awesome movement of which to belong. The even more amazing thing is that 2,000 years later we belong to that same movement. All those who believe in Jesus Christ as the Lord of their lives belong. You belong and I belong. God is still doing the work of redeeming all of creation. We belong to that same work which the Apostle Paul and the believers at Thessalonica belonged. When Paul writes, “We are writing to the church in Thessalonica, to you who belong to God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ,” that’s us too. We belong. Today live like you belong. Live out today as a partner with God the Father in redeeming all of creation. One way to start is through the redemptive work of bringing the Holy Spirit into every moment of your day. Ask the Holy Spirit to give you the words to say to your family, coworkers, and friends. Ask the Holy Spirit to make you aware of who might need your love and care today. When the opportunities arise ask the Holy Spirit to give you the strength, courage, and boldness to act. Live today as one who belongs to God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Prayer: God, thank you for allowing me to belong. Thank you for choosing me. I promise to live today as one who belongs to you. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Scripture: 15 So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. 16 Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. 17 Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. 18 Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, 19 singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts. 20 And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. [Ephesians 5:15-20 NLT] It’s relatively easy to give thanks for everything when things are going well. We tend to remember to thank God for our food when we have a large meal in front of us. We thank God for our family when we are all getting along. We thank God for our work when we are gainfully employed. We give thanks to God when we are living in a nation where peace prevails and there is no war. There are times when always giving thanks is a little easier than others. We should always give thanks in these times for sure. What about the times when life isn’t as good and everything isn’t going well? Should we give thanks then as well? In the Scripture for today the Apostle Paul says we should “always give thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” There are three parts to that small sentence that call for us to pay attention. First, Paul tells the church at Ephesus to always give thanks to God the Father. The word "always" means all the time or every time. This means that we first must remember to give thanks to God the Father AND when we do give thanks we do it every time. Another way of looking at this teaching of Paul’s is to say that we always give thanks, i.e. there is never a time that we are not giving praise. I believe that the Apostle Paul was telling the Ephesian Christians to live in this way. There is never a time we are not giving praise to God the Father, never. We are always giving thanks to God the Father. The second part of this sentence, or verse, is why I believe this. Paul tells them they are always giving thanks to God the Father for everything. Yes, it is what you think it is … everything means EVERYTHING. There is not one thing in our life as Christians for which we should not give thanks. We are to thank God for everything. As counterintuitive as it seems, we are to even give thanks to God when things are not going well. This is obviously the most difficult time to give thanks. If we truly believe in God the Father, maker of heaven and earth, we must believe that God is in everything we experience. We are always giving thanks to God the Father for everything no matter if it seems good to us or bad. The last part of this verse is why we can give thanks whether good or bad. We give thanks always to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. We give thanks in Jesus' name knowing that Jesus experienced everything we are going through. Jesus experienced the highest high of being in heaven with God the Father. Jesus experienced the lowest low of torture and death. There isn’t anything that we will ever face that Jesus does not know. We give thanks in the name of the One who knows our every circumstance. We can give thanks with the confidence that Jesus knows that for which we are thankful. Today, give thanks for everything, at all times, to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Don’t think of anything as too small or insignificant. Don’t think of anything as too difficult or too easy. Give thanks for everything all day long. Keep track of all the things you are giving thanks for throughout the day. At the end of the day, read over your list of everything for which you are thankful. Give thanks again to God the Father for revealing to you the many blessings in your life, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Prayer: Gracious God, you have given us so much for which we can give thanks. Help me to thank you for everything in my day today, whether I perceive it as good or bad. Empower me to experience your presence through my gratitude for everything. May you receive the honor, glory, and praise through my life today. Amen.

Scripture: 5 God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. [Ephesians 1:2-5 NLT] Before we ever had our first child we knew that we wanted the best for them. We planned to provide for their every need. We knew before we ever laid eyes on them we would love them. We had dreams of all the experiences we would share with them. We anticipated the pride we would have in their accomplishments. We even thought about the tears that would be wiped away as they skinned their knee or were hurt by careless words. There is something amazing about being able to love your children before they are even a reality. However, there is something even more amazing about loving them once they arrive. God loved us long before we were ever born. God loved us as God was knitting us together in our mother’s womb. God loved us when we were born into this world. God loves us now through everything. The promise of Scripture is that God will love us through all eternity. How amazing is God’s love for us? In the words of the contemporary worship song by Stuart Townend … How deep the Father’s love for us, how vast beyond all measure that He should give His only son to make a wretch His treasure. God the Father loved you and me even while we were yet sinners, wretches. This proves God’s great love for you and for me. The Apostle Paul writes that God the Father loved us so much that God “had blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we belong to Christ.” God loved us and chose us to be sons and daughters of the most high king. Our adoption into the family of God by grace through our faith in Jesus Christ releases every spiritual blessing. We are heirs with Christ to the kingdom of God. That is how much God loves us. Today spend time meditating on what it means to be known by God and loved by God the Father. You know what you have done in your life, the sin you have committed. Meditate on what it means for God the Father to love you enough to send Jesus Christ the Son to save you. Reflect on the fact that God made you, a wretch, his treasure. Meditate on and give thanks for God releasing every spiritual blessing on you as a daughter or son. Give God all honor, glory, and praise in everything today. Prayer: God of all blessing, thank you for adopting me into your family. Thank you for loving me when I was unlovable and stuck in my sin. Help me to live a life worthy of that gift of love today. Empower me to understand the depths of your love for me that I might share that love with others. Amen.