46 And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord 47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48 for he has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant. Luke 1:46-48 (NIV)
Glory to the Lord our God!
… 50 His mercy extends to those who fear him,
from generation to generation. 51 He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. 52 He has brought down rulers from their thrones
but has lifted up the humble. 53 He has filled the hungry with good things
but has sent the rich away empty.” Luke 1:50-53 (NIV)
Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Father, we ask you for the patience we need to with one another to provide careful instruction and the wisdom to use Your word as our foundation. Amen.
So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.
Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
Opening Prayer: Today is referred to as Trinity Sunday. It is a day to recognize and celebrate the Holy Trinity – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Father God, may we be touched in a special way today. Such a mystery is found in the Trinity. May the nature of the Trinity be fully revealed to us today. This I pray, in the name of Jesus, by the power of the Holy Spirit, and all to the glory to the heavenly Father. Amen.
Message [used with permission from A Sermon for Every Sunday]: “When Religion Makes Things Worse” by Jim Somerville, pastor of Richmond’s First Baptist Church and co-founder of A Sermon for Every Sunday.
Is your conception of God radically true? Is the [tree] trunk straight, the limbs strong, the branches full of good fruit? It’s a question I’d like every Christian to consider,” begins Jim Somerville. He continues, “How can we be absolutely, positively, one hundred percent certain that our conception of God is true and not false?…I think that’s the question that got Nicodemus out of bed in the middle of the night.” What can we learn from Nicodemus in John 3: 1-17? Listen as Somerville explains how we can be sure that our conception of God is true.
Closing Prayer: Father God, may our understanding of You, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit be radically true. As we draw closer to Jesus, may we grow faithfully in this truth. May our steps be guided by the Holy Spirit. May the fruit we bear point directly to You. May we also work tirelessly to advance Your kingdom. In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.
“I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.”John 16:12-15 (NIV)
Today is referred to as Trinity Sunday. May we celebrate God, three persons in one, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Get Wisdom at Any Cost
4 Listen, my sons, to a father’s instruction;
pay attention and gain understanding. 2 I give you sound learning,
so do not forsake my teaching. 3 For I too was a son to my father,
still tender, and cherished by my mother. 4 Then he taught me, and he said to me,
“Take hold of my words with all your heart;
keep my commands, and you will live. 5 Get wisdom, get understanding;
do not forget my words or turn away from them. 6 Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you;
love her, and she will watch over you. 7 The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom.
Though it cost all you have, get understanding. 8 Cherish her, and she will exalt you;
embrace her, and she will honor you. 9 She will give you a garland to grace your head
and present you with a glorious crown. Proverbs 4:1-9 (NIV)
Faithfully Yours Forever 