For even more on this passage visit GotQuestions.Org – Where among other things, you will find this statement: “It is noteworthy that Jesus fed the people through the agency of His disciples. He could have simply snapped His fingers and caused everyone present to have a meal, but He didn’t. Instead, He “gave . . . to his disciples to distribute to the people” (Mark 6:41). In this way, the disciples had to trust the Lord for everything they distributed. They could only give as they received. Philip, Andrew, and the rest were put in a position of total dependence upon the Lord for the supply. God still uses people the same way today.
Then he said to them, “Where is your faith?” But they were afraid and amazed, saying to one another, “Who then is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him!”
Luke 8:25 NET
Ok, so I’m not crazy about being on a boat and I definitely do not like the wind, and a windstorm quite honestly freaks me out a little. So don’t ask me what I would do in the situation the disciples find themselves in when Jesus suggested going to the other side of the lake and a “violent windstorm came down on the lake.” To make it worse “the boat started filling up with water and they were in danger.” I would love to say that I would have been the calm one, but I have learned from experience – ok, not on a lake but in my house; Yes, I realize that’s much safer than the situation the disciples were in – but I’m just sayin’, I would have been the first shaking Jesus awake, saying “Master, Master we are about to die!” Actually my cry typically comes from the words of a treasured hymn … “mid the crash of the thunder, Precious Lord, hear my cry – Keep me safe till the storm passes by…”. I would also be the first to tell you that He has the power to calm them because I’ve seen Him do it many times over. Even sweeter, is how He speaks over me and calms the storm of fear within my mind and heart. As I call out to Him, I hear this sweet refrain, “Peace, Peace wonderful peace coming down from the Father above – sweep over my spirit forever I pray in fathomless billows of love.”
In the dark of the midnight have I oft hid my face While the storm howls above me, and there’s no hiding place ‘Mid the crash of the thunder, Precious Lord, hear my cry Keep me safe till the storm passes by
Whether it’s a true windstorm or a storm of life peace hasn’t always come easy for me. Fear was my nemesis for years and, left unchecked, it can still sneak up on me – but through the years He has trained me to look to Him. I have often heard Him whisper this very verse, making it personal as He did with them – “Where is your faith, MaryEllen, why are you shaken?” and others to follow, like Isa 41:10, “Do not be afraid for I am with you, do not be discouraged for I am your God, I will strengthen you and help you, I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.” The actual windstorms are usually accompanied by the words of Isa. 26:3, “I will keep in perfect peace all who trust in me, all whose thoughts are fixed on me.” I love to picture Him rebuking the wind and rains as He did for the disciples, and I can see their shocked faces as the noise and the rocking of the boat began to cease and they knew they were safe. I also know what it is like to feel that same safe feeling when the wind and rains still blow – because I know the One who controls them with the command of His voice. Though, I will tell you – while I may not say “who then is this?”, as the disciples did, His power to do so never ceases to amaze me and cause me to say or to remember – “He commands even the winds and the waves, and they obey him!”
It is worth noting that first Jesus spoke to the wind and waves and then to the disciples about their faith. He questions them on their faith, not simply because they were unnerved by the storm but because fear had consumed them. Second, it is worth repeating a similar question I asked in a previous post – Who do you say [Jesus] is and do you believe He can command “even” the winds and water?” I also love the awe and amazement that seemed to render them speechless. I find it encouraging that, like me, the disciples were continually seeing and learning who Jesus really was and what He could do.
May we all be encouraged to run to Jesus when the “storms” arise and rage. May we, exercise our faith and speak the words of Jesus over the storms that rage within and around us …and may we watch in awe and amazement at what He can and will do.
Father, Jesus, Spirit – I stand amazed at scenes like this – being reminded that even the winds and waves obey the Master. How often have I cried out to You just like this and stood speechless as the elements or struggles around me ceased? Perhaps, sweeter still, when the elements didn’t cease but the fears within subsided! Thank You for letting me – inviting me, even – to run to You – and for teaching me, in the midst of every “storm”, to trust You more and for deepening and strengthening the roots of my Faith through it all!
Through it all, through it all – oh I’ve learned to trust in Jesus and I’ve learned to trust in God …. Yes, I’ve learned to depend upon His Word
But he replied to them, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.”
Luke 8:21 NET
As I was reading back through my notes on verse 21 and thinking about how to put what I had journaled into words, the words from an old church camp song came flooding through my mind. I don’t remember all the words but it included several verses about not being able to get to heaven on roller skates, or in a rocking chair, or with a limousine. If I could add one verse to these after reading today’s passage, it would be “Oh you can’t get to heaven by who you know.” That’s the jest of today’s passage and Jesus’ response to His mother and brothers desire to see Him. Actually, the commentary I read said they were concerned for His health and wanted to take Him home to rest. However, being in the middle of a very important lesson for which a very large crowd had gathered no doubt influenced His answer. No disrespect was intended only the need for them and all who were listening to understand that, first and fore-most He was God’s son and thus it was those who were “hearing the Word of God and doing it” that bore the truer family-ties.
So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ.
Romans 10:17 NLT
More than once in sharing the Gospel with someone or in response to asking someone if they are a believer, I have received answers like – “Yeah, I’ve been baptized and go to church every Sunday”, or “I’ve always tried to live the good Christian life”, or “well, I don’t go to church any more but my mom and dad took me every week when I was growing up …” Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that those who answered like that aren’t saved but we certainly can’t hang our hope of salvation on going to church or living a good Christian life. Salvation comes through faith alone in Christ alone, and as Paul wrote – faith comes through hearing and hearing by the Word of God. We are saved by grace through faith – not church, or baptism, our good works, our ‘knowledge’ of Jesus, or our earthly family ties.
It is worth noting and perhaps helpful to understand that Jesus’ response to His mother and brothers came shortly after His sharing the parable of the sower. A lesson on a sower and his seed and the responsibility of those who hear the Word to let it penetrate the heart and bring about good works. The lesson is the same for His mother and brothers. They cannot depend on who they are to Him but must respond to who He is to them.
Sandwiched in between the parable of the sower and and the response to his family came a brief statement about letting your light be seen. This follows the teaching on the seed that landed on the good soil – defined as “the ones who, after hearing the Word, cling to it with an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with steadfast endurance. One commentary explains it like this:
the meaning of Luke’s verses seems to be that listeners are to be like the good soil, accept the seed, and produce fruit (Luke 8:8). In the same way, people are to “enter” and “see the light,” working hard to understand the truth and application of Jesus’ teaching (Luke 8:18).
Bibleref.com on Luke 8:15-18
Some Application: Turning facts into action (or knowledge into wisdom)
I feel like I am constantly learning more about who Jesus is and who He has called me to be. So I loved seeing that even though Mary had the personal knowledge of who He was, backed up by the angelic announcement, she was still learning more about who He was, what it meant, and how to deal with it.
We don’t get to heaven because of who our family is or what they believe – but solely because of what we do with what we hear in the Gospel. For example Romans 3:23, 6:23; John 3:16, 6:47, and 13:34.
Response to God’s Word
Father, I have heard Your Word all of my life and I believe … You are Go, the Father-make of heaven and earth. I believe You so loved the world – me included – that You sent Your only son to live and die for me. I believe He lived a spotless life despite the pain and temptations He faced – He stayed TRUE to living out Your will for all to see. I believe He was born of the virgin Mary, and that He intercedes for me at the right hand of Your throne and is able to forgive my sins. I believe He left examples and instructions on how to live and that You have empowers me, as a believer, with the Holy Spirit so that I might live as You have called me to live – the same Spirit who teaches me all things and reminds me of everything You’ve said. He also convicts me of my sin and leads me to repentance. I believe in the Holy Spirit, and pray that I might be always yielded to His teaching, leading, and conviction toward repentance. In Jesus’ name I pray – Amen and Amen!
Today’s Scripture: Luke 7:18-50; SOAP / Luke 7:47-50
Therefore I tell you, her sins, which were many, are forgiven, thus she loved much; but the one who is forgiven little loves little.” 48 Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” 49 But those who were at the table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?” 50 He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
Luke 7:47-50 NET
The Whole Picture
The Alabaster Jar
Have you ever come in on the end of movie and wondered what in the world was going on, or what those closing words meant? It’s like starting a book at the ending paragraph and reading “… and they lived happily ever after”, which leaves you wondering who “they” were and what led up to the “happily ever after.” Today’s focus passage, like much of Scripture, is the happily ever after but the story starts in verse thirty-six, where a Pharisee invited Jesus to have dinner with him. The story isn’t so much that Jesus went – but what happened at the dinner. A woman, described only as a sinner, learns that Jesus is going to have dinner at the Pharisees house and she decides not only to go but to take with her a costly jar of “perfumed oil”, which she uses – along with her tears and hair – to anoint the feet of Jesus.
Then when a woman of that town, who was a sinner, learned that Jesus was dining at the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfumed oil. 38 As she stood behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. She wiped them with her hair, kissed them, and anointed them with the perfumed oil.
Luke 7:37-38
She’s a Sinner
It’s a beautiful picture and event that Jesus turns into a teachable moment for the Pharisee and for all who were listening then or reading it now. Luke writes that when the Pharisee saw what the woman did, “He said to himself, ‘If this man were a prophet, he would know who and what kind of woman this is who is touching him, that she is a sinner.‘” Jesus responds to Simon’s thought with a lesson on cancelled debts between two debtors, one who owed much and one who owed little. His point being, that when both debts were freely forgiven, the one whose debt was greater would have more “love” for the creditor. This story is followed by a more pointed lesson, as Jesus uses a comparison of how they had each treated Jesus from the time He entered Simon’s house.
Simon
Simon recognized Jesus as a teacher and nothing more. Unlike, Simon Peter, who compared or saw himself in the light of Jesus’ righteousness – Simon, the Pharisee, compares himself to the sinner and sees himself as righteous and worthy of Jesus’ being in his home – but the woman as unworthy to even touch Jesus. When he does compare himself with Jesus, it is to acknowledge that he could see the woman for who she was but Jesus couldn’t.
He gave Jesus no water for His feet
He gave Jesus no kiss of greeting
He did not anoint Jesus’ head with oil
The woman/Sinner
She knew about Jesus but didn’t let her sin hold her back from Him. She went to where He was. She saw Jesus for who He was and she treated Him as such. Her love bearing witness to her faith and the forgiveness she had known.
She wet Jesus’ feet with her tears and wiped them with her tears
She did not stop kissing Jesus’ feet
She anointed Jesus’ feet with perfumed oil
The Meaning
Jesus, then sums up the lesson and the comparison with the revelation that even though the woman’s sins were many – she was completely forgiven; and her love, poured out in tears and oil and the use of her hair, showed her understanding of this. However, while Jesus’ illustration pointed out the Pharisee, who was a strict and religious follower of the law, had sinned less, didn’t understand the depth and debt of his few sins, and placed no value on the forgiveness of the debt or the forgiver.
As the end of our focus passage reveals, those at the table did not truly understand who Jesus was, as they questioned his authority to forgive sins. You may remember this question being asked before in Luke 5:20-21, but it is a vital question we should all ask at some time:
Who do I believe Jesus is?
AND – Do I believe He can forgive sins, be they ‘big’ or ‘little’, many or few?
Don’t miss that the woman understood exactly who Jesus was and it showed, but it wasn’t the evidence of her love that saved her, rather it was the evidence of her faith – as Jesus tells her, “Your faith has saved you, go in peace.”
Some Applications / Turning facts into action (or knowledge into wisdom)
The Apostle Paul says that we are to be honest in our evaluation of ourselves, measuring ourselves by the faith that we have been given – Romans 12:3-5.
In other words we are to see (judge/measure) ourselves in the light of Jesus not the light of others – Romans 12:1-2.
Seeing our sins, seeking, and finding forgiveness should promote, provoke, and reveal evidence of our love and appreciation for Jesus and what He has done for us
Response to God’s Word
Father, how deep Your love is for us, so vast beyond all measure – that You should forgive one, let alone the multitude of our sins. YET! in love, in kindness, compassion, abundant grace, and mercies that are NEW EVERY MORNING, You have forgiven much – and I am forever grateful! Thank You Father for the reminder to not judge others by their sins and to not think I am better or more righteous than another. May my love bear witness of who You are to me and what You have done for me – and may I respond to You accordingly!
Vital and Revealing Questions
Who do you say Jesus is?
Do you believe he can forgive your sins – big or little, many or few?
Fear seized them all, and they began to glorify God, saying, “A great prophet has appeared among us!” and “God has come to help his people!”
Luke 7:16
There were two miracles in today’s passage. The first emphasizes the faith of a Centurion, the second the compassion of Jesus for a widow whose only son had died. While our focus verse is on the second miracle I can’t help but pause a minute to shine light on the first one as well. It excites and amazes me every time I read it. First of all that Jesus said of the Centurion, who was not a Jew (from the people of God) but a gentile, “… not even in Israel have I found such faith!” Second of all, that without even going to the home of the Centurion or being near his servant, Jesus healed him, not because of what a good man the people told Jesus the servant was – but because of the Centurion’s great faith.
“I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith!”
Luke 7:9
The focus verse is equally exciting and amazing, as we see Jesus raise a dead man to life. not because of any words of faith but from what appears to be Jesus’ compassion for a widowed mother whose only son had died. Unlike the other miracles we have seen, this isn’t about a someone seeking out Jesus and asking Him to heal or help. Instead , this one paints a picture of God’s sovereignty and perfect timing, as Jesus enters a town right when people are carrying the dead man out of town for the burial. Jesus stops the procession, tells the mother’s son to “get up! So the dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him back to his mother.” A man raised to life out of compassion, a miracle witnessed both by the crowd with Jesus and by the crowd accompanying the mother in the funeral procession. That’s pretty exciting stuff, right? Yet, it is what happens next that must not be missed. I mean it isn’t uncommon for fear to be aroused by this miracle – considering no one had ever seen someone raised from death to life – but this “fear” seems to provoke an awe at what Jesus had done, which led to the people “glorifying God,” as they realized Jesus must be “a” (inferring one of many) “great prophet,” not The Messiah, God had promised – but admittedly, “one” whom, “God had come to help.”
A Response to God’s Word
Father, may we let the acts You do – big or small, significant or seemingly insignificant – move us to glorify You. May we stop and stand in awe of You. May we also, like Jesus, stop and show compassion for those who are hurting or struggling around us – and this that – You, like in the story we read today, might be glorified for who You are!
Now it was during this time that Jesus went out to the mountain to pray, and he spent all night in prayer to God.
Luke 6:12 NET
I hope you enjoy this bit of a different view today – straight from inside the pages of my journal, the heart (my heart) of the study. Whether you journal on the pages of your Bibles, or in a notebook, or an LGG Journal, or on post-it-notes it doesn’t matter. I believe what matters is that you journal. One word or 50 – more or less … the amount isn’t the point the journaling is. It’s a place to capture your thoughts or questions or even the title of a song that came to mind. When you look back in your journal it will tell a story of what God was teaching you and so much more. In the weeks ahead my goal is to share more of these pages and give some pointers on journaling for those who are interested.
I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
Luke 5:32 NET
Jesus makes it clear that His purpose was not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance. He said this in response to a question that had been raised by the Pharisees concerning why He and His disciples were eating and drinking with the tax collectors and sinners. To be righteous is said to mean you are morally right or justifiable, which is exactly how the Pharisees and experts of the law saw themselves. However, we would do well to understand and remember that Scripture says – “There is none righteous not even one.”, but that – “all have sinned“, and having done so, face the penalty of death. It is this group of people that Jesus says He is calling to repentance. Which, in relation to salvation is changing your mind from rejection of Christ to faith in Christ. Summarizing a quote from Gotquestions.org, repentance is not something we do but something God gives; and that it is only possible because of His grace – Acts 5:31, 11:18; John 6:44; Romans 2:4 and 2 Peter 3:9
He Took The Time
The conversation between Jesus and the Pharisees doesn’t stop with our focus verse, but is followed up with more questions and lessons from Jesus, as well as details about another healing which I hope you’ll read. If you were to look at my Scripture reference page for this day you would see many red highlights around the words “Jesus answered them” or “He said to them”. You would also find where I scribbled in the margin how “I love that Jesus took the time to not only listen to them but to answer them, to try to relate to them, and to teach/show them His ways and power.” Whether we are filled with mindless rage, as the Pharisees were after Jesus healed a man’s withered hand on the Sabbath or we simply have yet to repent – we are all left with this one question – “What will we do with Jesus?”
Knowledge Into Wisdom
Taking the facts from this passage and what Jesus said we should be – is a great reminder that:
We can talk to ‘sinners’, eat dinner with them, and even invite them to church. While we must not be like them our goal should not be to avoid them but to demonstrate and to share the love of Christ with them.
We should, as has already been pointed out, never forget Paul’s words to the church at Rome when he wrote, “There is no one righteous, not even one,there is no one who understands, there is no one who seeks God.All have turned away, together they have become worthless;there is no one who shows kindness, not even one.” (Romans 3:10-12). To be clear, “not only one” means “not even me”. Only through God’s grace have we been clothed in the righteousness of Christ – to forget this will quickly lead to attitudes like those of the Pharisees and the experts of the law.
Which leads to this last statement –
We should daily rejoice in the grace of God, without which we would still be a sinner condemned unclean.
Responding to God’s Word
Father, I was a sinner condemned unclean but You called my name and I was forever changed! You set me free! You changed my name from too far gone to saved by grace! No longer condemned for I am Yours, a chosen child of God! Thank You for Jesus! Thank You for the cross and the empty tomb – without which I would still be lost, a sinner condemned unclean! Thank You God for Christ’s righteousness which You have imputed or credited to me. Jesus, thank You for Your example not just with the sinners and tax collectors but with ALL – so that all might come to know You – including me! Oh Yes Holy Three in One! Thank You, thank You, thank You! It is in Your name I pray and trust – Amen and Amen!
But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralyzed man—“I tell you, stand up, take your stretcher and go home.”
Luke 5:24 NET
Luke packed a lot of information in these 15 verses …
You Can Make Me Clean
We see a man with leprosy, who comes to Jesus and is so moved that He bowed down at the very sight of Jesus. He begged Jesus for healing, saying: “Lord, if you are willing, You can make me clean.” His words were evidence of his heart that he firmly believed in the power and work of Jesus. So great was the man’s faith that Jesus healed him immediately.
His Need To Be Alone
Luke pauses between this miracle and the next to tell us two things
crowds were gathering “to hear Him and to be healed of their diseases”
and that, “Jesus Himself frequently withdrew to the wilderness and prayed.”
Don’t you love knowing that Jesus found the need to both withdraw from people and to pray? Please note, His need to withdraw was more than a need to be away from the people – He needed to be alone to talk with His Father (God).
Faith moves mountains and stirs the heart of Jesus
Then we meet a paralyzed man, unable to walk on his own, he is carried on a stretcher and finding no other way to get him past the crowd and into the house where Jesus was, those carrying him lowered him through the roof “right in front of Jesus”, and “when Jesus saw their faith,” He said to the paralyzed man, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.” Do you see it? It seems to me that their actions demonstrate how ‘faith moves mountains’. For when it seemed impossible to get through the crowd, instead of their faith being shaken it appears that their faith increased their determination bit it also moved the heart of Jesus. It’s important to note that the initial response wasn’t – “get up and walk” as I’m sure everyone expected. Instead, what they heard was – “your sins are forgiven’ – a pointed statement signifying to all listening that not only could Jesus heal but He could forgive sins. This was an important milestone in Jesus’ ministry. The response of forgiveness was also what prompted ‘the experts in the law’ and the Pharisees to begin wondering “to themselves”, who Jesus was and how he could so boldly speak such blasphemies, for they knew that only God could forgive sins. I’m sure they were surprised when Jesus, who knew what they were thinking to themselves, not only questioned them – saying, “Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Stand up and walk?” but He also said to the paralyzed man – “I tell you, stand up, take your stretcher and go home.” Which he immediately did.
“God honors the faith of those who seek to bring others to Christ. When we pray, we orient our attention toward the issue and watch for God to work. God performs mighty deeds that no one realizes. When we are paying attention, however, we have the opportunity to be seized with amazement, filled with awe, and glorify God, declaring, “We have seen extraordinary things today” (Luke 5:26).
Father, thank You for instilling in me an ever deepening faith in You, the Holy-Three-In-One. Jesus, thank You for responding to my prayers and faith. May faith in You always move me toward You – moving the mountains that are in my way – and may I stand in the gap for others who need You – lifting them up and bringing them to where You are! – Amen! in Your Holy and powerful name!
8 But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!” 9 For Peter and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken, 10 and so were James and John, Zebedee’s sons, who were Simon’s business partners. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people!” 11 So when they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him.
Luke 5:8-11 NET
Oh, how I hope you read the full passage today (and everyday) as each day has so much to offer. For as Paul wrote, “All Scripture is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness; so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” But honestly, outside of that truth – I hope you read it just because it is interesting and full of insight, intrigue, hope, and so much more. Like today’s story about Jesus and the demons knowing His name …
Our focus passage today picks up sometime after Jesus’ encounter with the demons. The crowds were growing in size and pressing Jesus for more of the miracles they had seen or heard about. However, He kept moving on, telling the people He had to proclaim the good news of the Kingdom of God to the other towns, reminding them it was what He was sent to do. On one occasion when the crowd was pressing around Him to hear what He was teaching, He got into a boat by the lake, He “put out a little way from the shore, and taught the crowds from the boat. Luke writes that when Jesus finished speaking, he said to Simon Peter, the boat’s owner – “Put out into the deep water and lower your nets for a catch.” Simon explained that they had already done that, they had worked hard and had caught nothing, “But”, Simon said, “at Your word I will lower the nets.” You probably know the rest of the story, how that when he did as Jesus said they caught so many fish that their nets started to tear. So, Simon enlisted their partners to help and still there were so many fish that their boats were about to sink. Simon was moved beyond words and fell down before Jesus, which is where our focus verse comes in today. Read it again –
“But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!” 9 For Peter and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken, 10 and so were James and John, Zebedee’s sons, who were Simon’s business partners. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people!” 11 So when they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him.“
THE POWERFUL EFFECTS OF OBEDIENCE
It’s not always easy doing what Jesus asks of us or going where He sends us. Fear and uncomfortableness, tiredness and lack of understanding can be some of the mitigating circumstances that cause us to hold back. No doubt, this is how Simon Peter was feeling when Jesus told him to – “put out into the deep water and lower [his] nets for a catch.” Despite how Simon felt about it, he submitted to Jesus’ request and did just as He was told. And, because he did, his life was changed – as he not only realized the greatness of Jesus but, in comparison, the greatness of his own sin. Realizing the depth of His sin, he told Jesus, “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!” Simon’s reaction is, no doubt, a beautiful picture of what happens when we truly see ourselves in the light of who Jesus really is. However, we must not miss that Simon Peter wasn’t the only one impressed and drawn to Jesus that day, for we read in verse 11, that “all who were with Him left everything to follow [Jesus].” I believe this is important, as it teaches us that our obedience to even the silliest and seemingly unnecessary tasks can have a huge and lasting impact that we may never realize this side of heaven.
But, Simon Peter said, at Your word I will lower the nets.
Luke 5:11 NET
The Recap
I see at least three things about obedience that we can learn from Simon Peter’s statement. First of all, obeying a request or a command that we do not understand, such as lowering nets again after you’ve already had them lowered and caught nothing, reveals our trust and/or respect for the one we obey. Not only that, but our obedience can lead to a broken and contrite heart, which can lead to a right relationship with Jesus, which leads to worship, and possibly to others seeing, knowing, and following Jesus.
Response to the Word of God
Father, let the greatness of Jesus wash over me every day. In the light of who He is, may the depth of my sin and unworthiness move my heart to yield in confession and to worship You – Holy three in one! Help me to faithfully encourage and invite others to share in what You’ve done and who You are! Let nothing Lord, absolutely NOTHING – stand in the way of You! In the great and mighty name of Jesus, I pray – Amen!
Worship in Song
Have you decided to follow Jesus today? I would love to know and rejoice with you.
Would you like to know more about following Jesus? I would love to share more of the good news and help you understand what it’s all about. Visit Know These Truths [link below] for more details –
If you answered yes to either question please leave a comment here or email me, m.black@lmbc.org – i would love to send you a small gift in celebration or in answer to your questions.
Me From the Inside Out 