Reflecting God - Embrace Holy Living from The Global Church of the Nazarene in Lenexa, Kansas, United States for Thusday, 6 August 2015 - "Giving It All" Scripture: Galations 6:1-10

Reflecting God - Embrace Holy Living from The Global Church of the Nazarene in Lenexa, Kansas, United States for Thusday, 6 August 2015 - "Giving It All" Scripture: Galations 6:1-10RG AUDIO 080615

Galatians 6:1 Brothers, suppose someone is caught doing something wrong. You who have the Spirit should set him right, but in a spirit of humility, keeping an eye on yourselves so that you won’t be tempted too. 2 Bear one another’s burdens — in this way you will be fulfilling the Torah’s true meaning, which the Messiah upholds. 3 For if anyone thinks he is something when he is really nothing, he is fooling himself. 4 So let each of you scrutinize his own actions. Then if you do find something to boast about, at least the boasting will be based on what you have actually done and not merely on a judgment that you are better than someone else; 5 for each person will carry his own load. 6 But whoever is being instructed in the Word should share all the good things he has with his instructor. 7 Don’t delude yourselves: no one makes a fool of God! A person reaps what he sows. 8 Those who keep sowing in the field of their old nature, in order to meet its demands, will eventually reap ruin; but those who keep sowing in the field of the Spirit will reap from the Spirit everlasting life. 9 So let us not grow weary of doing what is good; for if we don’t give up, we will in due time reap the harvest. 10 Therefore, as the opportunity arises, let us do what is good to everyone, and especially to the family of those who are trustingly faithful.
"Giving It All" by Author: Stephen Mayes
Every person is born selfish; measuring the value of everything upon its ability to serve our needs. From the moment Adam and Eve chose their personal desires over God’s instruction, self-centered living has become the soil that sprouts all sin. Pride, greed, lustful desire, sins of every kind, arise when personal pleasure is placed above all.
God calls His people to “love each other deeply” (1 Peter 4:8). This is at odds with the norm. The life motivated by His love willingly sacrifices its own interests for the sake of others. Jesus described this love in John 15:13, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” Laying down ones rights, opportunities, and freedoms for the sake of others is the type of radical living God not only asks of His people, but He makes it possible. When God’s Spirit is guiding and empowering us we are “sow[ing] to please the Spirit” and “from the Spirit [we] will reap eternal life” (Galatians 6:8).
What if we lived that way today? What if we asked for eyes to see the needs around us, for strength to do what is needed, and hearts that love extravagantly?

Hymn for Today: "Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee" by Henry van Dyke

1. Joyful, joyful, we adore You,

God of glory, Lord of love;

Hearts unfold like flow'rs before You,

Op'ning to the sun above.

Melt the clouds of sin and sadness;

Drive the dark of doubt away;

Giver of immortal gladness,

Fill us with the light of day!

2. All Your works with joy surround You,

Earth and heav'n reflect Your rays,

Stars and angels sing around You,

Center of unbroken praise;

Field and forest, vale and mountain,

Flow'ry meadow, flashing sea,

Chanting bird and flowing fountain

Praising You eternally!

3. Always giving and forgiving,

Ever blessing, ever blest,

Well-spring of the joy of living,

Ocean-depth of happy rest!

Loving Father, Christ our Brother,

Let Your light upon us shine;

Teach us how to love each other,

Lift us to the joy divine.

4. Mortals, join the mighty chorus,

Which the morning stars began;

God's own love is reigning o’er us,

Joining people hand in hand.

Ever singing, march we onward,

Victors in the midst of strife;

Joyful music leads us sunward

In the triumph song of life.

Thought for Today:
"As each one has received some spiritual gift, he should use it to serve others, like good managers of God’s many-sided grace —" [1 Peter 4:10]

Please pray:
That many people in sierra Leone will come to know Yeshua the Messiah and receive the fullness of the Holy Spirit.
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