“Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.”
‭‭Galatians‬ ‭3:23-29‬ ‭ESV‬‬

All,This stands out because Paul says, “the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith.” It’s tempting to try to earn our salvation. It gives us a semblance of control like all other religions. However, as Christians, we are saved by Christ alone. He came to us, not us to Him. We get to walk in relationship with Him every moment. Obedience for us is motivated by gratitude not earning. Please pray that we and our friends enjoy walking w Jesus today. Please pray for Casey and Brian and their group is forming.

“We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.”
‭‭Galatians‬ ‭2:15-16‬ ‭ESV‬‬

All,This stands out because Paul says, “we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ”. Is your Faith in Jesus? I know we all have faith in Jesus, but is there anything else that has creeped in in which you are putting more faith? Sometimes we can put our faith in our morality or works or any number of “good” things and miss the peace of knowing our faith is in Jesus and Him alone. Please pray that we and our friends honestly ask ourselves where we are putting our faith. Please pray for Ben and Blake’s group as it’s forming.

“For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.”
‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭10:3-6‬ ‭ESV‬‬

All,This stands out because Paul says, “We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ”. Do you find yourself in a conversations in which you feel odd expressing truth? Are there times when you keep quiet because you don’t want to be one of those Christians who take the Bible as truth? Paul had those same issues and relied on the divine power of the Holy Spirit to break strongholds in people. We are called to love everyone and be gentle in our defense of the gospel, not to demean the person and win the argument. Remember there are a lot of people who have been deceived by the enemy. Please pray that we and our friends trust the Holy Spirit to empower us in these conversations. Please pray for Randall Reading’s family.

“The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. As it is written, “He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.” He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God.”
‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭9:6-11‬ ‭ESV‬‬

All,This stands out because Paul says, “whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.” Has God nudged you to do something lately? Does it involve a sacrifice of your time, talents or treasure? Did God give you the very time, talent and treasure that He is asking you to sacrifice? Do we really believe that there will be a bountiful harvest if we follow His commands? If we don’t, we should stop what we are doing right now and ask why not. Please pray that we and our friends are empowered by the Holy Spirit to do God’s purpose for our lives today. Please pray for Ron Pfohl’s family as he is with Jesus now. I will send out more details later about Ron. He is a dear friend who is living in ultimate joy right now with Jesus.

“For even if I made you grieve with my letter, I do not regret it—though I did regret it, for I see that that letter grieved you, though only for a while. As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us. For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.”
‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭7:8-10‬ ‭ESV‬‬

All,This stands out because Paul says, “As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting.” Do you have a friend that needs to hear a truth in love? This can be very difficult because sometimes the desire comes from pride, but God may be truly putting it on your heart for His purpose. Through prayer He will reveal His intentions and then we must act. Repentance is a hard but wonderful things for all so us. As Paul’s says also, “For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.” Please pray that we and our friends love our friends enough to speak truth to them. Please pray for Ben and Blake’s group as it’s forming.

“But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away. Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts. But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.”
‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭3:14-18‬ ‭ESV‬‬

All,This stands out because Paul says, “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” Do we walk in freedom? Do we have anything that bounds us? A certain habit? The opinion of a particular person? The comparison of another? We could go on and on, but the point is the freedom we have when we care about a audience of one. Jesus came to give us life to the full(John 10:10). Please pray that we and our friends walk in freedom with Jesus all day today. Please pray for Lexi Lee as she is recovering from multiple surgeries.

“For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.”
‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭1:8-11‬ ‭ESV‬‬

All,This stands out because Paul says, “But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.” Does your purpose today rely on you or on God? It’s tempting to rely on ourselves, but what can we really accomplish on our own? God has given us all certain gifts and talents for His purpose, but we get to walk with the Holy Spirit and see what He does. Please pray that we and our friends enjoy walking with the Holy Spirit today. Please pray that we make the U.S. free of human trafficking.

“I will visit you after passing through Macedonia, for I intend to pass through Macedonia, and perhaps I will stay with you or even spend the winter, so that you may help me on my journey, wherever I go. For I do not want to see you now just in passing. I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord permits. But I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost, for a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.”
‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭16:5-9‬ ‭ESV‬‬

All,This stands out because Paul says, “for a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.” Along with a wide door of effective work comes many adversaries. How true is that! Spiritual warfare does not sit idly by when we are about God’s purpose. So it shouldn’t surprise us, but we also know we are empowered by the Holy Spirit. What’s God’s purpose for you today? Please pray that we and our friends rely on the Holy Spirit as we are about God’s purpose today. Please pray for our country to care about the victims of human trafficking.

“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”
‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭13:1-7, 13‬ ‭ESV‬‬

All,This stands out because Paul says, “it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.” Love is talked about so much today especially when concerning truth. The world seems to use it as a noble way to let people believe their own truth and somehow everything will be ok. However, is it truly love if it isn’t truth? Shouldn’t we be about seeking truth with people that we love? Isn’t it harmful for a person to live with cognitive dissonance? Please pray that we and our friends seek truth. Please pray for foster parents.

“For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.”
‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭12:14-20‬ ‭ESV‬‬

All,This stands out because Paul says, “But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose.” What is your Spiritual gift? Are we putting it to use? Do we have a obligation to the rest of the body to do our part? Yes. Will we hurt them if we don’t do our part? Yes. Does busyness or entertainment distract us? Please pray that we and our friends ask God to empower us to be our part of the body today. Please pray for Brian and Casey’s group as it’s forming.