Good Morning!
Let’s focus our day by spending some time with Jesus before it begins.
If you’re new to the Daily Focus, read this first, & use as much or little as you’d like.
GET FOCUSED | Start by simply thanking God for who He is & what He’s done.
+ Practice gratitude while singing/playing some worship music from Paradox on Spotify.
+ Spend a few moments meditating on today’s Old Testament Scripture: 1 Chronicles 16:1-36
+ From your reading, finish the sentence “God, you are ___.”
Take time to thank & worship God for the ways you’ve seen Him be/do that in your life.
MORNING PRAYER FOCUS | Prayer involves both talking and listening to God.
+ Pray the Lord’s Prayer, or slow down to pray it using this Lord’s Prayer guide.
+ Use “Lectio Divina” to listen to God in this morning’s Psalm: Psalm 11
Reading 1 = Focus. What is one word or phrase that Holy Spirit puts on your heart?
Reading 2 = Feelings. Focus on that word or phrase while you read. What do you feel? What specific situation in your life today relates? Reflect and talk with God about it.
Reading 3 = Invitation. What is God’s personal invitation to you from the Scripture?
Take time to journal anything you feel the Lord might be saying to you.
TODAY’S SCRIPTURE FOCUS | Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you into all truth.
Today’s New Testament reading is from Acts 13:34-47
Highlight verses that capture your attention, and ask three simple questions as you read…
Observe. Pay attention to what the text says. Ask who, what, when, where, & why.
Interpret. What’s the main point or meaning? What does it teach about God? Yourself?
Apply. Apply this truth to your own life. What can you put into practice today?
A THOUGHT FROM TODAY’S READING…
Today’s reading is about the beginning of Paul and Barnabas' first missionary journey. Acts 13 takes place in Antioch, a city in modern-day Turkey that was an early center of Christianity. Antioch was a predominantly Gentile city, but it also had a Jewish presence. Paul and Barnabas went to the local synagogues, and were given an opportunity to share the good news of Jesus Christ to all those in attendance, including jews, gentiles and Jewish religious leaders.
There are two things to gather from Acts 13. Number one, that Jesus is a far better and more complete king than David was. King David lived to about 70 before he died. The Bible says that eventually, his body decayed, like all human bodies do. On the contrary, Jesus died, but his body never decayed because Paul explains how Jesus is the fulfillment of God's promise to David, and how Jesus' resurrection is prophesied all the way back in the Old Testament: God would not allow the Holy One, which is Jesus Christ, to experience decay.
The second interesting thing to take from this passage is the fact that the message of the resurrection of Jesus Christ is not isolated to the Jewish people only, but this good news is for everyone, Jew and gentile. In verse 38, Paul explains that Jesus' death and resurrection provide forgiveness of sins and justification by his righteousness. Paul quotes the end of Isaiah 49:6, which says that God wants more than just the Jews, but the world. Paul applies this verse to his ministry, which involves telling the Jews about Jesus and building churches with the Gentiles who accept his message. The Bible says after Paul and Barnabas explain this good news, the gentiles rejoiced because the plan of God was not just for the Jewish people, but for any and every person who would be willing to receive and believe in Christ. The Gentile was no longer excluded from relationship with God, but can now be engrafted into the family of God. Not as a second-class citizen, but as true sons and daughters of the King. And this was not something new, but something that was always a part of God’s original plan for humanity. The gentiles (people who are not Jewish) are not an afterthought, but part of the prophesied plan of God the Father - to make one new man (Jew and gentile) in Christ Jesus. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever you are, whatever your nationality, you have an opportunity to be a part of something bigger than yourself - something eternal. - Jewaun Glenn
EVENING PRAYER FOCUS | Re-Focus on Jesus by returning to prayer each evening.
Replay = Replay your day. What made you happy, joyful, anxious, or burdened?
Rejoice = Give thanks to God for the small and the significant things from the day.
Repent = Ask God for forgiveness where you need. Receive His forgiveness afresh.
Refocus = Ask to see God’s presence more clearly & walk w/ Him more closely tomorrow.
+ Practice hearing from God by asking questions like, “Father, what do you want me to know about you?” or “Father, what do you want to say about your love for me?” Simply be still and listen, or journal anything that comes to mind. Learn more about hearing from God using the Tending Your Heart guide.
SHARE THE FOCUS |
+ Pray a Ripple Prayer or use Nations Prayer to pray for the nations & those serving them.
+ Text someone an encouragement, or share a thought/question with us in the Forum.
+ Invite someone to read the Focus with you. Text “FOCUS” to (586) 200-6277.
+ Who can you share what you’re learning with today personally?
That’s all for today.
Stay focused on Jesus, and make it a great one!
