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.

GET FOCUSED | Worship can be as simple as thanking God for who He is & what He does. (Psalm 100:4)
Spend a few moments in silence, meditating on scripture, or writing/saying 3-5 things you’re thankful for.
Play or sing some worship music you love, or use a playlist from Paradox on Spotify.

MORNING PRAYER FOCUS | Prayer is a conversation that involves both talking and listening to God.
Use the PRAY acronym to guide your prayer this morning. 
P = Pause. As you start your time of prayer, begin by pausing and being still before the Lord.
R = Read. Read the Scripture Focus slowly and focus on words/phrases the Holy Spirit highlights as you read.
A = Ask. Ask God to come and speak to you. Open up your heart to Him as your heavenly Father.
Y = Yield. We want to yield our lives to the words we have prayed and commit to follow Jesus’s way.

SCRIPTURE FOCUS | Today’s reading is from 1 Corinthians 10:1-22
Pray a simple prayer before reading, asking the Holy Spirit to guide you into all truth. (John 14:26)
Highlight verses that capture your attention, and ask three simple questions as you read…
S = Say. What is the main point? What does it teach about God (Jesus) & yourself?
O = Obey. What can you apply (practice) from this passage today?
S = Share. Who can you share what you’re learning with today?

A THOUGHT FROM TODAY’S READING…
Awareness. It’s a word that’s pretty common these days - with everything from rallies to fundraisers to social media and marketing campaigns aimed at raising it. Awareness of the past is a good thing - but it’s meaningless if we don’t learn lessons from it. That’s Paul’s appeal in today’s reading. He tells the Corinthians, and us, to look to the Israelites as examples when it comes to the dangers of “idolatry.” It's easy to think we won't fall into the same traps as the Israelites. We might say, "I'd never worship an idol" or "I can handle a little temptation." But Paul warns us not to be overconfident. Despite seeing God’s work firsthand and enjoying the blessings of knowing and following God, the Israelites still turned away. They craved evil things, worshipped idols, and indulged in immorality. As a result, they faced serious consequences. Paul’s warning: Learn from their mistakes. FLEE your idols. Idols always lead to destruction. How can we avoid the same end?

What are my Desires? Destruction starts with desire. The Israelites desired evil things - and when you desire something long enough, it has a way of growing and coming out in your attitudes and actions. Check James 1:15 - what starts small will always grow and lead to destruction. Don’t play nice with “harmless” little idols.
How Disciplined am I? What are your habits? Your lifestyle? Priorities? The Israelites sat down to eat and drink, got up to party, and practiced sexual immorality - which is any sexual expression outside of God’s design for one biological man and woman inside marriage. Idols thrive in an undisciplined life.
Where am I Delaying? We test God when we delay obedience - often because things are going well for us and we want to see how long we can wait or how far we can go before the blessings run out. The places you’re delaying obedience are often the places we’re harboring idols.
What is my Demeanor? Despite all God’s goodness and faithfulness, the Israelites actually grumbled against God. Take a look at where you're most prone to complain - you’ll often find idols hiding nearby.

An idol is anything that draws us away from God. Maybe it’s a habit, a relationship, or even our own pride. And when it comes to idols, remember - you’re entertaining demons, and every one of us will fall. We just can’t do it on our own - we’re not strong enough. Good news… you don’t have to. God is faithful. So here’s your “way out.” Stay vigilant. Don’t toe the line or sit on the fence when it comes to idols. FLEE. Get active. Do an idol check before you get up from this moment with God, and stay focused on Him today. - Dave Kubiak

EVENING PRAYER FOCUS | Re-Focus on Jesus by praying a Daily Examen each evening.
Replay = Replay your day. What made you happy or joyful? What made you 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 = Commit to walk with Jesus tomorrow. Ask for grace to see His presence more clearly.
*For help or an audio prayer version, use the Lectio 365 app.

SHARE THE FOCUS |
1. Text someone a prayer/encouragement, or share a thought/question with us in the Forum.
2. Invite someone to read the Focus with you. Text “FOCUS” to (586) 200-6277.

That’s all for today.
Stay focused on Jesus, and make it a great one!