Good Morning!
Let’s focus our day by spending some time with Jesus before it begins.

WORSHIP | 5-15 Minutes
Worship can be as simple as thanking God for who He is & what He’s done.
Start by playing some worship music you love, or choose from one of our Spotify Playlists.
Journal or say out loud 3-5 things you’re thankful for in the last 24 hours.
Going Deeper: Pray Isaiah 61. Focus on one truth about who God is & thank Him for it.

PRAYER | 5-15 Minutes
Prayer is a conversation that involves both talking and listening to God.
Start praying for yourself using the Lord’s Prayer or pray for others using a Ripple Prayer.
Going Deeper: Learn more about prayer & try out a practice at paradoxchurch.com/pray.

SCRIPTURE | 5-25 Minutes
Our scripture focus for this study is Romans 3:23-24. Try memorizing it!
Today’s reading is from Romans 7
Ask the following SOS Questions & journal your thoughts…
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
I love Paul. I am so thankful for his writings. His instructive and encouraging letters to many earlier churches and church leaders have rang true throughout the centuries. If I am honest though, there are a few places in his letters where he sounds like a lawyer and can be a little confusing. Romans 7 is one of those parts for me. Here is what I believe Paul is saying…
The Law (God’s commandments for his people) is meant for our good. The rules are meant to help us see where we are behaving outside of what is best for us and acceptable to God.
We are not capable of always following all the rules. Our sinful nature sometimes, or often, wins and we break the rules. Thus we are not right with God.
BUT, Jesus’ sacrifice changed everything. We are now made alive through Jesus’ death.
So, are the rules now moot? No, they were always good for us and we should still strive to live a life that God commands. We should just also THANK JESUS that he bridges the gap when we fall short.
- Mike Nank

SHARE | 1-5 Minutes
Text someone a prayer/encouragement, or share a thought/question with us in the Forum.
Going Deeper: 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!