The Daily

by Grace Hunter

Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. Matthew 6:12 NIV

This week we focus on our individual and corporate need for forgiveness, as well as our individual and corporate need to forgive other people. The course of action in this verse is vital. This is a petition: it is an asking of God to forgive us of our sins, of our misdeeds, of our offenses done against God and against others. There are many Psalms that express petition in beautiful and expressive language. Look at David’s language in Psalm 51:

Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion
blot out my transgressions.

Wash away all my iniquity
and cleanse me from my sin.

For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is always before me. Psalm 51:1-3

Did you notice that He asks God for his personal forgiveness? David wrote this Psalm and prayed this prayer after committing adultery with Bathsheba and after committing the murder of her husband. David had definitely sinned against other people in this situation, but first he asks for forgiveness of God. He acknowledges that God alone can forgive our sins.  

You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;
you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart,
O God, you will not despise. Psalm 51:16-17

In this section of Psalm 51, David’s humility is clearly expressed. We are not able to seek forgiveness from God or from anyone else if we do not first see that sin clearly in ourselves. But sin rarely only affects us. Usually at least one other person has been affected, hurt, or offended by our sinful actions. So, back to the order of Jesus’ prayer. Once we have asked for our own forgiveness, then we need to acknowledge and ask for forgiveness for “our” sins, those that have been committed by us as a family, as a city, as a nation, as a people.

You have set our iniquities before you,
our secret sins in the light of your presence.

Relent, O LORD ! How long will it be?
Have compassion on your servants.

Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love,
that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.

May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us;
establish the work of our hands for us-
yes, establish the work of our hands. Psalm 90:8, 13-14, 17 NIV

Moses prayed for the Nation of Israel in Psalm 90. He acknowledged God as the one who can forgive, who can show compassion, and the one who can restore the relationship between God and His people, Israel.

Only after we have asked for forgiveness, are we able to see clearly, and are able to offer forgiveness to those who have hurt, offended or sinned against us.

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Ephesians 4:32 NIV

Note. To access scripture links that don’t appear in the email version, read the web version in your browser.

Sermon Conversations with Alex and Aaron

There’s only so much we can cover in a Sunday morning gathering!
Each week, you’re invited to tune into our podcast at 11 am on Thursdays – recorded (and sometimes prerecorded) for later, online viewing.

What can you expect? Pastors Alex, Aaron and the occasional guest, having a casual conversation diving deeper into ideas related to last Sunday’s teaching:

Sermon on the Mount

Matthew 7:9-11

Feel free to ask questions about the sermon series
  — before or during the live Thursday conversation.

Questions may be sent through
https://redcouchtheology.com/  

Blog sites:

Youtube:  https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCWnNSTN-6XA7oYy6TBfS0LAxqxPvxVjH

Apple Podcast:  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/guys-drinking-tea/id1616539767 

by Grace Hunter

Give us today our daily bread. Matthew 6:11 NIV

“Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.” Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?” Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.” John 6:27-29 NIV

As I read through John chapter 6, I see several themes. One of them is bread. John 6:1-15 relates the feeding of the 5000 with five barley loaves of bread and two fish. Starting in John 6:25, Jesus teaches using bread and manna as metaphors. Many in the crowd at the feeding of the 5000 wanted Jesus to explain the phenomenon of how he got to Capernaum, while others wanted Jesus to simply perform even more miracles and signs. But Jesus chose to use manna and bread to describe himself, to plainly describe God’s gift of manna, and to teach about eternal life.

Jesus made several profound “I” statements in this chapter. “I am the bread of life,” John 6:35a, “For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me,” John 6:38, “I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life,” John 6:47. 

Again Jesus says, “I am the bread of life. Your forefathers ate the manna in the desert, yet they died. But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which a man may eat and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world,” John 6:48-51 NIV.

Jesus called himself the bread of life, living bread and bread that has come down from heaven. He goes on to elaborate on what is required of us in order to obtain eternal life. The crowds were primarily interested in seeing more signs and wonders, but the Pharisees understood Jesus’ references to himself — calling himself the Son of God, and as having come from heaven.

I suggest you read through the whole chapter of John 6. Look for the many references to bread. Notice what Jesus calls himself and what He says He will do on behalf of those who believe in Him. Take note of how Jesus says God draws people to Himself. When Jesus instructed His disciples to pray: “Give us today our daily bread”, I believe He is talking about our daily need for Himself, for His teaching, for His influence in our lives, in our decisions, in our attitudes. As you read through John 6, ask the Holy Spirit to teach you and reveal to you what you need to see and understand in this passage today. Then thank Him for drawing you to Himself.

Note. To access scripture links that don’t appear in the email version, read the web version in your browser.

by Kathleen Petersen

Give us today our daily bread. Matthew 6:11 CSB

This portion of the Lord’s Prayer confirms Our Father in Heaven’s desire to daily provide for his children. But which concerns are most critical — physical issues or those centered in the mysterious, unseen realm? A contest between “sacred” and “secular” is unnecessary. The term for this false struggle is Dualism. Here’s a definition:   

Dualism is the idea that all of life can be separated into two main categories: the sacred and the secular. This fragmented vision of reality puts “spiritual” things in the “sacred” category and “worldly” things in the “secular” category.

Scripture makes no such division. In the first chapters of Genesis, God declares both his physical creation and his simple spiritual order as very good.
Genesis 1:31

As we observe and experience the continuing chaos ensuing from man’s attempts to disengage from God, we are presented with a variety of approaches to settle the resulting discomfort. For instance, if your personal chaos is related to a physical illness, does it display greater faith to ask for a certifiable miracle or is it more practical to skip that step and enlist the nearest competent medical professional? Is it okay to relieve emotional distress with just the right amount of counseling, pain relievers or engrossing entertainment or should your first action always be scripture, prayer and fasting?

Here’s another angle to consider. If you have an overabundance of food squirreled away and overstocked grocery stores nearby, praying “Give us today our daily bread” seems extraneous. But if you focus on the “us” part, the petition may morph into “Lord, what do you want me to do with my excess?

In summary, this part of Jesus’ model prayer encourages meditation on how to use God’s intertwined physical and spiritual resources. Furthermore, it prompts us to serve the broken world around us. 

Just for today, look in the refrigerator, freezer or food storage areas of your home while you pray this line of the Lord’s Prayer. Tell a family member or friend about your experience.

Note. To access scripture links that don’t appear in the email version, read the web version in your browser.

Sermon Conversations with Alex and Aaron

There’s only so much we can cover in a Sunday morning gathering!
Each week, you’re invited to tune into our podcast at 11 am on Thursdays – recorded (and sometimes prerecorded) for later, online viewing.

What can you expect? Pastors Alex, Aaron and the occasional guest, having a casual conversation diving deeper into ideas related to last Sunday’s teaching:

Sermon on the Mount

“Bringing Heaven to Earth” 

John 17:18

Feel free to ask questions about the sermon series
  — before or during the live Thursday conversation.

Questions may be sent through
https://redcouchtheology.com/  

Blog sites:

Youtube:  https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCWnNSTN-6XA7oYy6TBfS0LAxqxPvxVjH

Apple Podcast:  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/guys-drinking-tea/id1616539767 

by Bruce Hanson

“Your kingdom come,
Your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.” Matthew 6:10

When we met to discuss our devotionals for this week, Pastor Aaron told us that in regards to the Kingdom in the passage above, more than truly anything else, he wanted to be a part of a kingdom where Jesus reigned supreme, dominating the landscape wherever anyone looked. The words above don’t say your kingdom, or my kingdom. They are about the manifestation of God’s Kingdom here on earth. And in that Kingdom, Jesus Wins!!

Now that will be awesome, but that isn’t actually going to be complete until there is a new heaven and a new earth, Revelation 21. There is a temporary fix though.

When I was a midgie, my neighborhood didn’t yet have a local library. We would go to the strip mall by our house, the Brentwood Shopping Center, and the Bookmobile would bring books to us. It was the highlight of my week. I wore out every single Nancy Drew book.

So back to our story. Gathered all over that hill where Jesus was delivering the Sermon on the Mount was a hodgepodge of needy people. For the most part,
they weren’t the Richie Riches of the world. It was people whose lives had not measured up to their dreams. They were desperate for a new kingdom: one that held promise; one that wasn’t based on possessions they would never have. Jesus offered the one thing they were all desperate for — hope!! Whatever their backgrounds, all needed hope, as do you and I.

Corporately, we won’t see God’s Kingdom here on earth until Revelation 20 becomes our reality. But for the time being, we can take Jesus’ Kingdom to our world, just like the librarian who drove the Bookmobile brought books to me. And I can tell you that those I meet will get more than they need of the Kingdom of Jesus if the kingdom I carry wherever I go looks like this:

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.  Love never fails.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a

If I carry that to those around me, they will be blessed with a glimpse of the kingdom.  And guess what?

Jesus Wins!!!

Where’s My Library Card??

Note. To access scripture links that don’t appear in the email version, read the web version in your browser.

by Grace Hunter

Sing to the LORD , you saints of his; praise his holy name. Psalm 30:4 NIV

“…hallowed be your name,” Matthew 6:9b NIV

What does this phrase mean? “Hallowed” is old English for holy – which means set apart, consecrated, revered, or sacred. Whose name are we to revere? God’s name.  Here is an example, “Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness,” Psalm 29:2 NIV. Why should we revere God’s name? Because God’s name is so much more than just what we call Him. It includes the manifestation of His character — it signifies God Himself.

“So Moses chiseled out two stone tablets like the first ones and went up Mount Sinai early in the morning, as the LORD had commanded him; and he carried the two stone tablets in his hands. Then the LORD came down in the cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed his name, the LORD.  And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness,  maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.” Exodus 34:4-7a NIV 

Do you see how God proclaimed His name and His character to Moses at the same time? Samuel tells us God’s name is great, “For the sake of his great name the LORD will not reject his people, because the LORD was pleased to make you his own.” 1 Samuel 12:22. Daniel and Nehemiah both speak of the reputation of God’s name. “Now, O Lord our God, who brought your people out of Egypt with a mighty hand and who made for yourself a name that endures to this day, we have sinned, we have done wrong.” Daniel 9:15 NIV. “You sent miraculous signs and wonders against Pharaoh, against all his officials and all the people of his land, for you knew how arrogantly the Egyptians treated them. You made a name for yourself, which remains to this day.” Nehemiah 9:10 NIV.

I too should care about God’s reputation, His name, His character. I pray that God’s character is revealed in me, in my life, and in my actions, more and more each day. Also, I should care about God’s reputation, His renown in the world, that His name is glorified, that His name and His desires win in the world I live in. I can pray for protection for others using God’s name, (Proverbs 18:10), (John 17:11-12), I can pray for God’s name to save (Psalm 54:1-2), and I can trust in God’s name (Psalm 20:7), (Psalm 33:21). Let’s make sure we keep God’s name holy, set apart, and always remember,    

O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory
above the heavens. Psalm 8:1 NIV

Note. To access scripture links that don’t appear in the email version, read the web version in your browser.