“I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive. For your obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice over you, but I want you to be wise as to what is good and innocent as to what is evil. The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭16:17-20‬ ‭ESV‬‬

All,This stands out because Paul says, “watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them.” What’s division? The world will tell you that you are divisive if you don’t follow the current belief of the day. Biblical division is going against God’s Word. Notice how Satan will paint a Bible believing christian as divisive, but paint a non Bible believing person as a unifier. Please pray that we and our friends read and know what the Bible says. Please pray for the children who pray for a family.

“I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf, that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, so that by God’s will I may come to you with joy and be refreshed in your company. May the God of peace be with you all. Amen.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭15:30-33‬ ‭ESV‬‬

All,This stands out because Paul’s says, “to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf”. Who comes to your mind when I say missionary? Do you have a specific person? How about the person that brought the Word of God to you? We all have Paul’s in our lives that need prayer. They are battling spiritual warfare daily and need our prayers and encouragement. Please pray that we and our friends encourage them all the more. Please pray for a good friend having back surgery today.

“Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭13:8-10‬ ‭ESV‬‬

All,This stands out because Paul says, “Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.” What does love mean to you? Agree with a person? Promote everything they do? Be ok if they are destroying themselves? The world will tell you those traits, however can’t we love a person for who they are and not have to love their faults? Can we see the child of God in everyone and not the flesh side of them? Please pray that we and our friends see the child of God in others. Please pray for a great friend whose mom may be close to going to heaven.

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭12:1-3‬ ‭ESV‬‬

All,This stands out because Paul says, “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice”. Do we see our lives as a living sacrifice? Do we want control because of pride or a zeal for God’s purpose? How do we know which? We will submit if we know it’s God’s purpose or we will charge forward. Just tell us which. Please pray that we and our friends pray to God, know the Bible and seek wise council. Please pray for the victims of sex trafficking.

“Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?” “Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?” For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭11:33-36‬ ‭ESV‬‬

All,This stands out because Paul says, “ Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! “ Do we worship a small god or a Big God? Do we, at times, assume we may know a little more than He knows about what’s good for us? I do and it’s crazy that I do. When I really get alone with God and think about who I worship, I realize how I can’t comprehend how great He is. Please pray that we and our friends worship the God that is. Please pray for something that only He can do.

“I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he appeals to God against Israel? “Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life.” But what is God’s reply to him? “I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace. But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭11:1-6‬ ‭ESV‬‬

All,This stands out because God says, “I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” This is very reassuring in our current time. God isn’t surprised by anything that happens in the world in which we live. More and more people seem to be blinded to the reality of abortion and willingly elect officials who champion it. More people are blinded to sex trafficking, while caring more about the color of someone’s skin. The world will always have people that kneel to Baal, but we are also in this world and have a chance to introduce them to Christ in gentleness so the scales will fall off their eyes. Please pray that we and our friends continue to point people to a relationship with Jesus. Please pray for all the unbelievers.

“But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.””
‭‭Romans‬ ‭10:8-13‬ ‭ESV‬‬

All,This stands out because Paul says, “if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” This is a great CLC memory verse. Only we and Jesus know what we believe in our heart. Also, some may believe in their heart but ashamed to confess with their mouth. Please pray that we and our friends ask the Holy Spirit to help us if we struggle with either. Linda Hadden’s surgery went well on Friday.

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭8:1-8‬ ‭ESV‬‬

All,Boom! This stands out because Paul says, “but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.” This paragraph has so much packed into it! Do we really comprehend what it says in these 8 sentences? There is no neutral. There is only flesh or Spirit and we chose throughout the day. Please pray that we and our friends are conscious of both natures and chose Spirit. Please pray for Linda Hadden’s surgery today at 10:30.

“So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭7:21-25‬ ‭ESV‬‬

All,This stands out because Paul says, “So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.” It’s a joy when I hear men refer to this passage as we are growing closer to God. It signals an awaking to the power of the flesh, but also to how much MORE power is in the Spirit. We now know we can chose to live in the flesh or the Spirit. It really comes down to which one we feed. Review Galatians 5:19-23(flesh and Spirit) and see which characteristics describe you today. Please pray that we and our friends abide in Christ today and live out the fruit of the Spirit. Please pray for Linda Hadden as she will be in surgery on Friday.

“For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭6:20-23‬ ‭ESV‬‬

All,This stands out because Paul says, “the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life.” Which fruit do we want? Sometimes it’s difficult to choose because sin has a way of enticing us in the present, but is very costly in the future. The fruit of righteousness has a peace and sanctifies us to see the unseen through the eyes of Christ. Please pray that we and our friends are always absolutely dependent on Jesus and nothing else. Please pray for all the victims of sex trafficking and for our society to see and help the millions that are hurting.