Sunday review: July 19-24

“All to Jesus, I surrender . . .” The aspiration of the old hymn threads through each of this week’s posts. Choose one or two to read again. Then decide which of your friends would be helped if you shared a post with them.

July 19
Without daily surrender to practice the grace and mercy of Jesus, we can easily slip into patterns of behavior that make us spiritual “hall monitors” whose job is to make sure the other believers are following our understanding of Scripture and living by our set of rules. It’s really easy to think our biases and preferences aren’t really bias or preference and that they actually are equal to God’s Word.
Read more.

July 20
It seems that being alone with the Father is better than simply trying to go it alone. Isolation might feel good for a while, but it isn’t a good long-term strategy. We were created for relationships. The original and most important relationship is with our Father in Heaven. Once we connect with God in prayer, capacity for relationships with others increases. Prayer also connects us to the source of wisdom that allows us to think, plan, and discover solutions to the problems we are facing.
Read more.

July 21
Pharisees are often offended. They don’t like anyone rocking the boat. They have clear protocols that demand adherence. Pharisees believe just following their plans keeps things running smoothly. They also get to keep the best seats as a part of the plan. And everyone who desires the favor of God should always follow the plan.
Read more.

July 22
I can’t help but think about the different feelings I had in the grand Getty Center compared to this modest patio in Cuba. God was in both places. His creativity was visible in both places. But in Cuba, there was more joy and in some ways more beauty. I witnessed people who were walking through poverty and oppression and yet moving from “strength to strength, “ as the psalmist put it in this psalm.
Read more.

July 23
You can say all you want, but the wisdom of God and the purposes of God will go forward. You might embarrass yourself, damage otherwise healthy relationships, or cause some pain for someone, but your words even aligned with Satan himself will not stop the Kingdom. They may impact your spiritual condition, but they will never stop God’s love, mercy, grace, or purpose from happening.
Read more.

July 24
Do I serve out of a latent desire to try to prove to God (and to myself) that I’m one of his? Intellectually, I believe I can’t earn points in Heaven by editing a blog or leading a Bible study, but has my upbringing created a cloud of works righteousness that hovers over me even though I may not see it? Would I feel secure in my salvation if I turned away from my volunteering to travel the world or perfect my golf game?
Read more.

Photo by Jeremy Perkins on Unsplash

To receive daily posts delivered directly to your inbox, complete the form at the bottom of our home page.
To download a printable version of today’s post, click here.