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: Genesis 3:1-10
+ 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 139:7-12
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 Matthew 4:1-11, Romans 5:12-21, & 1 Corinthians 15:45-49
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…
When a little child breaks something in the house, what is often their next step? Hide the evidence? Shift the blame? Hide themselves? These were the natural reactions of Adam and Eve after disobeying God by listening to Satan and eating the fruit of the forbidden tree. We can look back at their actions in hindsight and know how silly that was. For as the Psalmist said to God in today’s reading, “where can I flee from your presence?”. But let’s not be too hard on Adam and Eve because as the first people, they really didn’t have much hind to sight. They saw something that looked pleasing and beneficial to them and they took it, though it was forbidden. They didn’t know how God would react. They would come to see that God is holy and can not abide with sin. They would learn that disobedience has consequences in this life, but doesn’t and relationship with God.

Unlike our original ancestral parents, we have a lot more history of interaction with God to look back on. Here’s what we see from today’s readings:
+ Jesus, when tempted by the same “snake”, Satan, doesn’t buy the lies as A&E did. Instead, he quotes God’s word and stands firm on what’s true. Namely that God is sovereign and that anything Satan was trying to offer him was ultimately God’s to give.
+ Jesus, though the only person ever to walk the planet not under Adam’s curse of sin, and thus the only person not deserving of punishment…paid the ultimate price for us. In fact, the truth that he was untemptable and incapable of sin shows us that he WAS God, and the only perfect sacrifice for sin. “For if by the sin of the one man (Adam), death reigned through that man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!” (Romans 5:17)

Why do kids hide when they do wrong? They fear wrath from their parents and/or loss of relationship. A good parent welcomes their admonition of guilt (aka repentance) with joy, firmly but gently applies appropriate next steps to help the child avoid the bad behavior in the future, and reaffirms that the bonds of their relationship cannot be broken by the child’s actions. This is what God does for us. He is a good, loving parent!  - Mike Nank

For the past 3 years, we’ve worked hard to deliver the Daily Focus straight to your phone every day at no cost to you! If these have helped you connect with Jesus every day, would you consider giving back to support the work God is doing through Paradox Church this Giving Tuesday?
Learn more about how to give at http://www.paradoxchurch.com/give

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!