The Sinner and The Saint

What is our Life anthem? Do we suffer well? Or wallow like it's our job? How can we use our everyday interactions to point people to God? " I'm headed for His place to offer anthems that will raise the roof! Already I'm singing God-songs; I'm making music to God." Psalm 27:6 MSG Scripture reference -  Psalm 27:5-10 (MSG)

John 11 - Jesus brings Lazarus back to life.  29-32 The moment she heard that, she jumped up and ran out to him. Jesus had not yet entered the town but was still at the place where Martha had met him. When her sympathizing Jewish friends saw Mary run off, they followed her, thinking she was on her way to the tomb to weep there. Mary came to where Jesus was waiting and fell at his feet, saying, “Ma...

Ephesians 5:17-20 Don’t live carelessly, unthinkingly. Make sure you understand what the Master wants. Don’t drink too much wine. That cheapens your life. Drink the Spirit of God, huge drafts of him. Sing hymns instead of drinking songs! Sing songs from your heart to Christ. Sing praises over everything, any excuse for a song to God the Father in the name of our Master, Jesus Christ.

This week we are feeling ALL of the feelings that come with Big life transitions. Join us as we dive into our own recent experiences and discover "Holes in Our Healing", things that make us CRINGE and how to get out of AWKWARD conversations and situations.  Bonus points if you send us your tips and tricks :)

How do you pray? Raw and honest or buttoned up and polite? The pattern of prayer in the Psalms Call out to God Complain Make your Requests Remember and Praise Psalm 5 1-3 Listen, God! Please, pay attention!     Can you make sense of these ramblings,     my groans and cries?     King-God, I need your help. Every morning     you’ll hear me at it again. Every morning     I lay out the pieces of my li...

Who are you? What are you living for? What road has God called you to travel? Ephesians 1:11-14 Ephesians 4:1-3

Keep me from lying to myself; give me the privilege of knowing your instructions. Psalm 119:29 What causes us to pretend? Why do we pretend with God? Pretending only leads to the destruction of relationships, spiritual & emotional growth, happiness, and peace.  How do we stop pretending?

What does it mean to walk in God's ways? What are spiritual boundaries? Deuteronomy 28:1-6 If you listen obediently to the Voice of God, your God, and heartily obey all his commandments that I command you today, God, your God, will place you on high, high above all the nations of the world. All these blessings will come down on you and spread out beyond you because you have responded to the V...

Proverbs 12:35 Worry weighs us down; a cheerful word picks us up.  We are reminded over and over again in scripture not to worry.  Matt. 6:31 - Jesus says instead of worrying, seek the Kingdom of God Matt. 6:33 - Paul says instead of worrying, pray with Thanksgiving.  Phil. 4:6 - Paul says anxiety will cease if God's peace guards our hearts and minds John 14:16 - Jesus reminds us that we have...

1 Corinthians 5:9-13   I wrote you in my earlier letter that you shouldn’t make yourselves at home among the sexually promiscuous. I didn’t mean that you should have nothing at all to do with outsiders of that sort. Or with criminals, whether blue- or white-collar. Or with spiritual phonies, for that matter. You’d have to leave the world entirely to do that! But I am saying that you shouldn’t act...

Just kidding  . . . I mean, maybe they did, but not in 2 Timothy 2:3-7: When the going gets rough, take it on the chin with the rest of us, the way Jesus did. A soldier on duty doesn’t get caught up in making deals at the marketplace. He concentrates on carrying out orders. An athlete who refuses to play by the rules will never get anywhere. It’s the diligent farmer who gets the produce. Think it...

What keeps us from ignoring or refusing to accept the great mystery of salvation? What's the best way to share the great mystery? Who in your life still thinks the mystery is unsolved? 1 Corinthians 2:6-8 We, of course, have plenty of wisdom to pass on to you once you get your feet on firm spiritual ground, but it’s not popular wisdom, the fashionable wisdom of high-priced experts that will b...

2 Corinthians 3:16-18 (MSG) Whenever, though, they turn to face God as Moses did, God removes the veil and there they are—face-to-face! They suddenly recognize that God is a living, personal presence, not a piece of chiseled stone. And when God is personally present, a living Spirit, that old, constricting legislation is recognized as obsolete. We’re free of it! All of us! Nothing between us and G...

It’s better to have a partner than go it alone. Share the work, share the wealth. And if one falls down, the other helps, But if there’s no one to help, tough. Two in a bed warm each other. Alone, you shiver all night. By yourself you’re unprotected. With a friend you can face the worst. Can you round up a third? A three-stranded rope isn’t easily snapped. Ecclesiastes 4:8-12 (MSG) 

2 Samuel 22:18-25 (MSG)  They hit me when I was down,     but God stuck by me. He stood me up on a wide-open field;     I stood there saved—surprised to be loved! God made my life complete     when I placed all the pieces before him. When I cleaned up my act,     he gave me a fresh start. Indeed, I’ve kept alert to God’s ways;     I haven’t taken God for granted. Every day I review the ways he wor...

How often are we like the two guys on the Road to Emmaus who are walking and talking with Jesus and have no clue? Luke 24:25-27 Then he said to them, “So thick-headed! So slow-hearted! Why can’t you simply believe all that the prophets said? Don’t you see that these things had to happen, that the Messiah had to suffer and only then enter into his glory?” Then he started at the beginning, with the...

A closer look at the naysayers in story of David & Goliath 

Friends -each of us has a unique calling on our lives from God - It's what we are created for. When we step into the calling God has place on our lives we will receive a lot of negativity and "smack talk".  But have no fear - the Bible has a solution for that. Join us thus week as discuss 3 places we receive criticism and how to persevere in the midst of your haters! Scripture Refer...

“The heart is hopelessly dark and deceitful,     a puzzle that no one can figure out. But I, God, search the heart     and examine the mind. I get to the heart of the human.     I get to the root of things. I treat them as they really are,     not as they pretend to be.” Jeremiah 17:9-10 What happens when we realize we can't trust our hearts or figure them out - it's only God who can sor...

Don’t fool yourself into thinking that you are a listener when you are anything but, letting the Word go in one ear and out the other. Act on what you hear! Those who hear and don’t act are like those who glance in the mirror, walk away, and two minutes later have no idea who they are, what they look like. James 1:22-24 Instead of sitting with God and acting on what we hear from Him about the cond...

We have woven three powerful sections of scripture into this one episode. It's packed and takes you on a journey from wearing love, how to wear it, splash it on everyone, and stay away from self-righteous judgment.  Colossians 3:12-15  . . . . And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It's your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it.  1 Thessalonians 3:11-13  . . .  and...

A look at the difference between testing and temptation - the role we play and the role God plays in each and how  Adam & Eve and the temptation of Jesus in the desert give us insight. Don’t let anyone under pressure to give in to evil say, “God is trying to trip me up.” God is impervious to evil, and puts evil in no one’s way. The temptation to give in to evil comes from us and only us. We ha...

The four main D's that keep us out of scripture: Distractions  Doubt Desires  Discipline