Daily Scripture: Psalm 68:3 (2) Drive them away as smoke is driven away;
like wax melting in the presence of a fire,
let the wicked perish in the presence of God.
4 (3) But let the righteous rejoice and be glad in God’s presence;
yes, let them exult and rejoice.
5 (4) Sing to God, sing praises to his name;
extol him who rides on the clouds
by his name, Yah;
and be glad in his presence.
Matthew 11:28 “Come to me, all of you who are struggling and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.[Matthew 11:29 Jeremiah 6:16] 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Reflection Questions:
Much-loved Royals’ reliever Dan Quisenberry said, “Preschoolers have a way of grabbing your attention. Mine help me not to be a baseball player at home.” Quiz’s kids were fortunate to have a dad who was that attentive to their needs. Whether we had an earthly father like that, or not so much, God said through the psalmist that he is the uniquely reliable parent for even the orphaned or lonely.- As we note every time we baptize a child, God’s design is that earthly parents model God’s love and holiness for their child. Sadly, in the ancient world and still today, that design doesn’t always work out. When, in either a brief period of crisis or over a longer time (even a lifetime), have you had to turn to God for nurture and comfort? In what ways did God provide you the “family” you needed? In what ways can you join in God’s work of blessing orphans, widows, the lonely and prisoners? Do you know anyone who may not technically be an “orphan” or “widow,” but who you could bless by extending God’s love and care?
Today’s Prayer:
O God, thank you for always being with me, in times of joy or pain. Give me eyes to see others who are hurting, and use me to bless them with your love and caring. Amen.
Family Activity:
Just as many memories and legacies fill the timeless game of baseball, memories and legacies also filled the timeless story of faith. As a family, create a family faith timeline. Attach several sheets of paper together horizontally. Draw a horizontal line down the middle of the paper. Ask the oldest person in the family to place his/her date of birth at the left and today’s date at the right. Ask each family member to use a colored marker to identify his/her birthday, then to represent his/her faith milestones on the line. Using these milestones, practice telling your faith story to one another. As you listen to each other’s stories, be encouraging and supportive. Share your story outside your family, too! Thank God for His faithfulness throughout your life. If you and your family are new to faith, begin a timeline and continue adding to it as you grow in God!Insights from Carol Cartmill
Carol Cartmill serves as the Executive Director of Adult Discipleship at The Church of the Resurrection.
Images of Christian perfection always break down when measured against human performance. It’s no different with the image of a perfect heavenly Father. There are no perfect earthly fathers (or mothers, for that matter). There are varying degrees of success as it relates to our earthly fathers painting a picture of the love and holiness of God, our Father.
Experiences with my earthly father certainly fell short. He left our family when I was an infant. When I began to learn about God as Father, I started with a blank slate. I had to begin building my perceptions from what I learned through Scripture, especially the picture Jesus painted of his “Abba.” That is, until Jim and I became parents. Watching Jim father our two daughters made God’s unconditional love for me more real.
I’m profoundly grateful for the picture Jim’s fathering paints to help me better understand my heavenly Father, but it’s what I have learned through studying the Bible and the life and teachings of Jesus that ultimately gives me confidence. God is my uniquely reliable parent.
The challenge for us is to intentionally and continually deepen our understanding of, and relationship with, our Father who is in heaven. As we do, the relentless love of God will become more real, shaping us into the women and men we, as God’s image-bearing children, are meant to be. We will be people–dads, moms, sisters, brothers, sons, daughters, aunts, uncles and friends–who bear witness to God’s love and care.
Download the GPS App
The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
13720 Roe Avenue
O God, thank you for always being with me, in times of joy or pain. Give me eyes to see others who are hurting, and use me to bless them with your love and caring. Amen.
Family Activity:
Just as many memories and legacies fill the timeless game of baseball, memories and legacies also filled the timeless story of faith. As a family, create a family faith timeline. Attach several sheets of paper together horizontally. Draw a horizontal line down the middle of the paper. Ask the oldest person in the family to place his/her date of birth at the left and today’s date at the right. Ask each family member to use a colored marker to identify his/her birthday, then to represent his/her faith milestones on the line. Using these milestones, practice telling your faith story to one another. As you listen to each other’s stories, be encouraging and supportive. Share your story outside your family, too! Thank God for His faithfulness throughout your life. If you and your family are new to faith, begin a timeline and continue adding to it as you grow in God!Insights from Carol Cartmill
Carol Cartmill serves as the Executive Director of Adult Discipleship at The Church of the Resurrection.
Images of Christian perfection always break down when measured against human performance. It’s no different with the image of a perfect heavenly Father. There are no perfect earthly fathers (or mothers, for that matter). There are varying degrees of success as it relates to our earthly fathers painting a picture of the love and holiness of God, our Father.
Experiences with my earthly father certainly fell short. He left our family when I was an infant. When I began to learn about God as Father, I started with a blank slate. I had to begin building my perceptions from what I learned through Scripture, especially the picture Jesus painted of his “Abba.” That is, until Jim and I became parents. Watching Jim father our two daughters made God’s unconditional love for me more real.
I’m profoundly grateful for the picture Jim’s fathering paints to help me better understand my heavenly Father, but it’s what I have learned through studying the Bible and the life and teachings of Jesus that ultimately gives me confidence. God is my uniquely reliable parent.
The challenge for us is to intentionally and continually deepen our understanding of, and relationship with, our Father who is in heaven. As we do, the relentless love of God will become more real, shaping us into the women and men we, as God’s image-bearing children, are meant to be. We will be people–dads, moms, sisters, brothers, sons, daughters, aunts, uncles and friends–who bear witness to God’s love and care.
Download the GPS App
The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
13720 Roe Avenue
Leawood, Kansas 66224 United States
913.897.0120
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