• Holy Path of Doing

    Psalm 147:12-20, 1 Chronicles 28:1-10, 1 Corinthians 3:10-17

    “[God] has not this for every ; they do not know his judgments…”
    Psalm 147:20

    “Realize now that the LORD has you to build a house for the sanctuary. Be strong and do it.”
    1 Chronicles 28:10

    “If anyone destroys God’s , God will destroy him; for God’s temple is , and that is what you are.”
    1 Corinthians 3:10-17

    Israel was chosen. From the time of Abraham, its was to bless the world. There was a time when it seemed that all was . Solomon had been chosen as king, and had been chosen to build the Temple. Solomon knew what his tasks and paths were. Yet, he wandered off. Israel, through , ultimately fulfilled God’s to bless the world, but not without many generations failing and paying the price of not following God.

    Each of us has been chosen for a task. If we have been blessed (especially with discernment), we may know what task God has chosen for us. Otherwise, we could be blessed with people who know us, and are able to guide us onto God’s chosen path. Then there is the most frustrating path of all: doing your best, and not knowing if that is God’s path for you.

    Paul does provide some guidance for us, if we are able to accept it. Our path is to be God’s holy temple here on earth. All of us. “,” you may say, “how can I be a holy temple?” Let God build the temple inside of you. “Wait,” you may say, “what am I supposed to do?” That’s the rub, isn’t it. Do? Let God build the temple inside of you. Do? Let God build the temple inside of you, while the world attempts to destroy it from the outside-in.

    Do? Be strong.

    1) Why do we often feel inadequate unless we are “doing”?

    2) In light of God building the temple inside of you, how do you now , “be still and know that I am God”?

    3) In what new way can you be strong to allow the building of God’s temple inside of you?

    KD) If God’s temple inside of you was an actual building, what would it look like?

  • Hear the Roar

    Hear the Roar

    Psalm 85:8–13; Amos 3:1–12; Colossians 4:2–18 The Psalm speaks of the land of Israel having God’s blessings. It needed it. God’s blessing was both a protection and a source of bounty. The gist is that if Israel’s people were being blessed by the land, including peace from war, bountiful crops, and growing families, then God…

  • Know Justice. Know Peace.

    Know Justice. Know Peace.

    Speaking peace to people often seems to be a lost cause. First, many people don’t want peace. Actually, many people don’t want peace. Oh, they want peace from war (most). That often is the most common form of “peace” we use in everyday language. There is another one that is often used in Christian circles,…

  • Promising Places

    Promising Places

    …formative episodes often become dramatic retellings of identity. They form identity. Often, however, the dark sides of those events are often glossed over. Many patriotic events gloss over crimes against humanity, war, bloodshed, death of innocents.

  • Facing It

    Facing It

    Psalm 119:81–88; Jeremiah 16:1–13; James 5:7–12 The yearning in Psalm 119:81–88 is almost palpable. The need for relief with a counterbalance of trust produces a huge amount of tension within a few verses. This tension is often part of our own lives as we desire immediate relief from our trials, the fulfillment of our hopes…