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 Deuteronomy 32:3-12. 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 9:1-18
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?
Going Deeper: Read Ephesians 1:3-6. List all of God’s actions, and why God does them.

A THOUGHT FROM TODAY’S READING
So track with this here. Paul starts out with a little history and genealogy. Everything was always passed down through the firstborn son. So if now, in light of this new covenant of grace in Jesus, access was being given to all (not just the “sons of Abraham,”) Paul asks whether or not it’s because the old covenant “failed.” Have you ever felt like that? Have you wondered if perhaps God’s love, grace, mercy and kindness was cancelled out or moving on because of your failure and imperfection? Paul says that isn’t the case at all. Faith has never been about your spiritual resume - it’s always been about the promise. (Romans 9:8) He reminds us that even the “proper lineage” that Israel would have claimed is off - Esau was the rightful “firstborn,” but it was actually Jacob that inherited God’s promise. What Paul is saying here is that everyone - not just the Jews or the gentiles - traces their lineage back to God’s promise and undeserved favor. When the work is God’s and God’s alone, everyone is equal, and everyone can be included. Paul continues - if our standing with God doesn’t have anything to do with what we’ve done but only on God’s mercy, then isn’t that unfair, or unjust? Again, Paul flips the question. God’s mercy isn’t deserved by anyone, so it can only be counted as a blessing when it is received, and justice when it is not. I’m not going to lie - this can be a hard word… but it is intended to produce humility and gratitude in us for the completely undeserved mercy God has shown us - ALL of us - in Jesus. Thank God this morning that our relationship with God doesn’t depend on our own will or effort (verse 16), otherwise we’d ALL be out. Thank God for His mercy, and respond by letting the world know just who it is that has done the work in your life. - Dave Kubiak

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!