We're all human, but... (part two)
First of all, I want to start off by apologizing for the long hiatus from my venture into the world of blogging. As it seems true for everyone, these last couple months have been rather busy, and blogging was not at the top of my to do list. That being said, as I continue to get the ball rolling, I hope that I can pick up some momentum and make writing a more regular part of my routine.
Now to where I left off in my last post. I had begun to share about some thoughts that had been nagging me recently and they still are--questions such as: "Is this really the life I am meant to live? Am I truly living to my full potential or have I settled for something less because of fear, or my own insecurities, or simply because it's comfortable?" Hand in hand with these thoughts are deeper questions that strike more at my core: "Am I capable of something more? Do I have what it takes to really make a difference or am I just fooling myself?"
In this place, it's easy to get overwhelmed and soon be defeated by all these feelings of regret and self-doubt. However, as I began the downward spiral of doubt and despair, God thankfully brought me across a profound thought in chapter 11 of the book Hebrews that spoke exactly to my struggle with fear and insecurities. I know for some of you what I'm about to share may not be anything new, but whether this is first time or the hundredth time you've heard this, I pray that you will be encouraged as much as I was and still need to be.
Superheroes of the Bible (or were they?)
Hebrews 11 has often been nicknamed the Hall of Fame of Faith because it goes down a list of people in the Bible that were famous for their faith. One by one it gives a quick summary of famous names like Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Rahab, Gideon, Samson, and David. Growing up in church (and in the recent series on the History Channel, "The Bible"), these people were often made out to be like ancient superheroes of the Bible, and their lives--while meant to encourage our faith--often discourage us because it's easy to think thoughts like, "Well, of course they did amazing things because they were in the Bible, but I could never have faith like them."
At first glance, the short summaries in Hebrews 11 seem to reinforce this superhero image because they tend to focus on the many great feats of faith while failing to mention the times when they wrestled with doubt, insecurities, and temptation. However, as the author wraps up his list faith heroes, you'll come to some very encouraging words for regular, non-superhero types like you and me. It's just a short phrase, so unless you slow down and read carefully, you might miss it.
"And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign enemies. Women received back their dead, raised to life again. Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated--the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground. These were all commended for their faith..." (vv. 32-39)
Did you see it? It's short but so critical. "[Who] quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength..."
Human just like you and me
It's so important for us to not miss these few words. In these few words, these Bible superheroes are stripped of their superhero status and brought down on the same level as regular, ordinary people like you and me. Although it's just a short phrase, it's as though the writer of Hebrews doesn't want us to forget that the full stories of these "superheroes" reveals that they are no more special than you and me. Their humanity is quickly seen if we go back and read their stories when they first appear in the Bible.
Noah sometime got a little tipsy (Genesis 9:21). Among other things, Abraham was not always the greatest husband--two times he asked his wife to lie and say she was his sister, so that he could save his own butt while giving her up to other men (Genesis 12:10-20; 20:1-18). Isaac obviously did not learn from his father's mistakes, and he too says his wife is his sister and lets the exact same man that took Abraham's wife take his wife too (Genesis 26:1-16).
I can keep going. Jacob was a liar and deceiver, manipulating his own brother and father. Joseph was daddy's favorite son, and he wasn't shy about it--twice in his arrogance, he told his brothers he had a dream that one day they would bow down to him. Moses often had problems controlling his anger and even murdered another man in his rage. Later in his years after God spoke to him out of the burning bush and miraculously turned his staff into live snake, Moses still begged God to send someone else in his place because of his speech impediment. Rahab was a prostitute. Gideon too struggled with insecurity, fear of others, and doubts about God, asking God to prove Himself three different times with a sign before he would believe Him. Samson had a weakness for women.
And finally, David too had a weakness for women and his most famous sins happened after he slept with another man's wife, and then when she became pregnant, he devised a scheme to cover up his adultery. When that didn't work, he sent the woman's husband back to war with David's written orders to have the commander put this man on the front lines and then pull back the troops so that he'd be sure to be killed in battle.
As you can see, these famous men and women had struggles and weaknesses like every one of you and me. But, in spite of their shortcomings, sins, and failures, God still chose to do amazing things through them. As I said in my first post, God never stopped believing in them, but showed them a grace and an unending love and patience time and time again. And even more crazy, at times God even worked through their sin and failures, turning these very sins into part of His perfect plan.
But their faith was still greater than mine, right?
In spite of all this evidence against them, some of you may still try and make the argument, "But their faith was still greater than mine, right? Even though they had these weaknesses, they had a lot of faith, and this is why they are heroes of the Bible."
To this argument I would respond, "Yes, and no." Maybe from our perspective, it seems like their faith is huge, but was their faith really all that big? According to Jesus, all that's needed is faith the size of a mustard seed. In case you don't know just how small a mustard seed is, it's about the size of the tip of a pencil. If you ask me, that's quite small.
So, I would ask you to consider, maybe we are looking at things all wrong. Although from our perspective it seems like God is asking us to take an enormous leap of faith, maybe all that God is truly asking of us is to take a tiny, itty-bitty, millimeter step of faith in the midst of all our doubts and fears. And when we do, He's going to meet us at that millimeter step forward and transform it into a leap of a mile. (For you math and science minds, please pardon my mixing of metric and US units, but "millimeter step of faith" sounds so much better than "sixteenth of an inch step of faith.")
If we go back to those stories again, isn't this so much closer to the reality. Did these people really exercise such enormous faith or was their faith really more the size of a mustard seed? I mean really, Moses still doubted God even after God spoke to him out of a burning bush, turned his staff into a live snake, and then made his hand turn leprous and miraculously healed it again just by Moses putting it in and out his pocket.
And again, Gideon asked God THREE times to show him a sign to prove that He was really God and would do what He said He would do. Just to show how small his faith was, even Gideon knew his third request was pressing his luck. Before asking for a third sign, he prefaces his request by saying to God, "Do not be angry with me. Let me make just one more request..." (Judges 6:39). Yet, in spite of his glaring lack of faith, God still grants his request and shows him yet another sign.
"...whose weakness was turned to strength..."
I don't know about you, but these short few words from the writer of Hebrews offer a huge encouragement to me in the midst of my struggle with fears, doubts, insecurities, and sin.
God wants to do amazing and extraordinary things in this world, but He's not looking for people who've got everything together and to top it all of have superhero faith too. On the contrary, He is simply looking for regular, ordinary people like you and me that will stop trying to hide their sins and weakness or run away from their doubts and fears, and instead, in the face of all these things (and not to mention often overwhelming circumstances), take that tiny, itty-bitty, millimeter step of faith forward toward Him. And when we do, I think we'll all be blown away by how over and over He chooses to work through ordinary people like you and me to do extraordinary things, far greater than we could ever begin to wrap our minds around.
And why does He do this? First, I think He does this to show us just how much He loves us, that He chooses to work in and through us even with all our flaws and weaknesses. Second, I believe He does this to show the world just how great He is because we can be certain of this--that when we choose to step toward Him in these tiny, itty-bitty, millimeter steps of faith, it will be clear to everyone watching that whatever extraordinary things happened were definitely not accomplished by the efforts or abilities of human hands alone but could only be explained by the powerful and loving work of a miraculous and great God.
APPENDIX: Some additional encouraging words for us regular, ordinary people
2 Corinthians 12:5, 8-10
5 ...but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses... 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Genesis 50:19, 20
19 But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? 20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.
Isaiah 43:1-7, 10-13
1 But now, this is what the Lord Yahweh says—
he who created you, Jacob,
he who formed you, Israel:
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
2 When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze.
3 For I am the Lord Yahweh your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;
I give Egypt for your ransom,
Cush and Seba in your stead.
4 Since you are precious and honored in my sight,
and because I love you,
I will give people in exchange for you,
nations in exchange for your life.
5 Do not be afraid, for I am with you;
I will bring your children from the east
and gather you from the west.
6 I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’
and to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’
Bring my sons from afar
and my daughters from the ends of the earth—
7 everyone who is called by my name,
whom I created for my glory,
whom I formed and made.”
so that they may see your good works and praise
10 “You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord Yahweh,
“and my servant whom I have chosen,
so that you may know and believe me
and understand that I am he.
Before me no god was formed,
nor will there be one after me.
11 I, even I, am the Lord Yahweh,
and apart from me there is no savior.
12 I have revealed and saved and proclaimed—
I, and not some foreign god among you.
You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord Yahweh, “that I am God.
13 Yes, and from ancient days I am he.
Isaiah 44:21-24
21 “Remember these things, Jacob,
for you, Israel, are my servant.
I have made you, you are my servant;
Israel, I will not forget you.
22 I have swept away your offenses like a cloud,
your sins like the morning mist.
Return to me,
for I have redeemed you.”
24 “This is what the Lord Yahweh says—
your Redeemer, who formed you in the womb:
Matthew 5:14-16
14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven."
1 Corinthians 1:18-31
18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written:
26 Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him. 30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 31 Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord."
John 15:5-17
5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing... 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love... 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. 17 This is my command: Love each other.
Mark 9:21-27
21 Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?”
“From childhood,” he answered. 22 “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.”
23 “‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.”
24 Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”
25 When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the impure spirit. “You deaf and mute spirit,” he said, “I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.”
26 The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, “He’s dead.” 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up.
Romans 8:26-39
26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written:
Eph 3:14-21
14 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
Now to where I left off in my last post. I had begun to share about some thoughts that had been nagging me recently and they still are--questions such as: "Is this really the life I am meant to live? Am I truly living to my full potential or have I settled for something less because of fear, or my own insecurities, or simply because it's comfortable?" Hand in hand with these thoughts are deeper questions that strike more at my core: "Am I capable of something more? Do I have what it takes to really make a difference or am I just fooling myself?"
In this place, it's easy to get overwhelmed and soon be defeated by all these feelings of regret and self-doubt. However, as I began the downward spiral of doubt and despair, God thankfully brought me across a profound thought in chapter 11 of the book Hebrews that spoke exactly to my struggle with fear and insecurities. I know for some of you what I'm about to share may not be anything new, but whether this is first time or the hundredth time you've heard this, I pray that you will be encouraged as much as I was and still need to be.
Superheroes of the Bible (or were they?)
Hebrews 11 has often been nicknamed the Hall of Fame of Faith because it goes down a list of people in the Bible that were famous for their faith. One by one it gives a quick summary of famous names like Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Rahab, Gideon, Samson, and David. Growing up in church (and in the recent series on the History Channel, "The Bible"), these people were often made out to be like ancient superheroes of the Bible, and their lives--while meant to encourage our faith--often discourage us because it's easy to think thoughts like, "Well, of course they did amazing things because they were in the Bible, but I could never have faith like them."
At first glance, the short summaries in Hebrews 11 seem to reinforce this superhero image because they tend to focus on the many great feats of faith while failing to mention the times when they wrestled with doubt, insecurities, and temptation. However, as the author wraps up his list faith heroes, you'll come to some very encouraging words for regular, non-superhero types like you and me. It's just a short phrase, so unless you slow down and read carefully, you might miss it.
"And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign enemies. Women received back their dead, raised to life again. Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated--the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground. These were all commended for their faith..." (vv. 32-39)
Did you see it? It's short but so critical. "[Who] quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength..."
Human just like you and me
It's so important for us to not miss these few words. In these few words, these Bible superheroes are stripped of their superhero status and brought down on the same level as regular, ordinary people like you and me. Although it's just a short phrase, it's as though the writer of Hebrews doesn't want us to forget that the full stories of these "superheroes" reveals that they are no more special than you and me. Their humanity is quickly seen if we go back and read their stories when they first appear in the Bible.
Noah sometime got a little tipsy (Genesis 9:21). Among other things, Abraham was not always the greatest husband--two times he asked his wife to lie and say she was his sister, so that he could save his own butt while giving her up to other men (Genesis 12:10-20; 20:1-18). Isaac obviously did not learn from his father's mistakes, and he too says his wife is his sister and lets the exact same man that took Abraham's wife take his wife too (Genesis 26:1-16).
I can keep going. Jacob was a liar and deceiver, manipulating his own brother and father. Joseph was daddy's favorite son, and he wasn't shy about it--twice in his arrogance, he told his brothers he had a dream that one day they would bow down to him. Moses often had problems controlling his anger and even murdered another man in his rage. Later in his years after God spoke to him out of the burning bush and miraculously turned his staff into live snake, Moses still begged God to send someone else in his place because of his speech impediment. Rahab was a prostitute. Gideon too struggled with insecurity, fear of others, and doubts about God, asking God to prove Himself three different times with a sign before he would believe Him. Samson had a weakness for women.
And finally, David too had a weakness for women and his most famous sins happened after he slept with another man's wife, and then when she became pregnant, he devised a scheme to cover up his adultery. When that didn't work, he sent the woman's husband back to war with David's written orders to have the commander put this man on the front lines and then pull back the troops so that he'd be sure to be killed in battle.
As you can see, these famous men and women had struggles and weaknesses like every one of you and me. But, in spite of their shortcomings, sins, and failures, God still chose to do amazing things through them. As I said in my first post, God never stopped believing in them, but showed them a grace and an unending love and patience time and time again. And even more crazy, at times God even worked through their sin and failures, turning these very sins into part of His perfect plan.
But their faith was still greater than mine, right?
In spite of all this evidence against them, some of you may still try and make the argument, "But their faith was still greater than mine, right? Even though they had these weaknesses, they had a lot of faith, and this is why they are heroes of the Bible."
To this argument I would respond, "Yes, and no." Maybe from our perspective, it seems like their faith is huge, but was their faith really all that big? According to Jesus, all that's needed is faith the size of a mustard seed. In case you don't know just how small a mustard seed is, it's about the size of the tip of a pencil. If you ask me, that's quite small.
So, I would ask you to consider, maybe we are looking at things all wrong. Although from our perspective it seems like God is asking us to take an enormous leap of faith, maybe all that God is truly asking of us is to take a tiny, itty-bitty, millimeter step of faith in the midst of all our doubts and fears. And when we do, He's going to meet us at that millimeter step forward and transform it into a leap of a mile. (For you math and science minds, please pardon my mixing of metric and US units, but "millimeter step of faith" sounds so much better than "sixteenth of an inch step of faith.")
If we go back to those stories again, isn't this so much closer to the reality. Did these people really exercise such enormous faith or was their faith really more the size of a mustard seed? I mean really, Moses still doubted God even after God spoke to him out of a burning bush, turned his staff into a live snake, and then made his hand turn leprous and miraculously healed it again just by Moses putting it in and out his pocket.
And again, Gideon asked God THREE times to show him a sign to prove that He was really God and would do what He said He would do. Just to show how small his faith was, even Gideon knew his third request was pressing his luck. Before asking for a third sign, he prefaces his request by saying to God, "Do not be angry with me. Let me make just one more request..." (Judges 6:39). Yet, in spite of his glaring lack of faith, God still grants his request and shows him yet another sign.
"...whose weakness was turned to strength..."
I don't know about you, but these short few words from the writer of Hebrews offer a huge encouragement to me in the midst of my struggle with fears, doubts, insecurities, and sin.
God wants to do amazing and extraordinary things in this world, but He's not looking for people who've got everything together and to top it all of have superhero faith too. On the contrary, He is simply looking for regular, ordinary people like you and me that will stop trying to hide their sins and weakness or run away from their doubts and fears, and instead, in the face of all these things (and not to mention often overwhelming circumstances), take that tiny, itty-bitty, millimeter step of faith forward toward Him. And when we do, I think we'll all be blown away by how over and over He chooses to work through ordinary people like you and me to do extraordinary things, far greater than we could ever begin to wrap our minds around.
And why does He do this? First, I think He does this to show us just how much He loves us, that He chooses to work in and through us even with all our flaws and weaknesses. Second, I believe He does this to show the world just how great He is because we can be certain of this--that when we choose to step toward Him in these tiny, itty-bitty, millimeter steps of faith, it will be clear to everyone watching that whatever extraordinary things happened were definitely not accomplished by the efforts or abilities of human hands alone but could only be explained by the powerful and loving work of a miraculous and great God.
APPENDIX: Some additional encouraging words for us regular, ordinary people
2 Corinthians 12:5, 8-10
5 ...but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses... 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Genesis 50:19, 20
19 But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? 20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.
Isaiah 43:1-7, 10-13
1 But now, this is what the Lord Yahweh says—
he who created you, Jacob,
he who formed you, Israel:
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
2 When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze.
3 For I am the Lord Yahweh your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;
I give Egypt for your ransom,
Cush and Seba in your stead.
4 Since you are precious and honored in my sight,
and because I love you,
I will give people in exchange for you,
nations in exchange for your life.
5 Do not be afraid, for I am with you;
I will bring your children from the east
and gather you from the west.
6 I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’
and to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’
Bring my sons from afar
and my daughters from the ends of the earth—
7 everyone who is called by my name,
whom I created for my glory,
whom I formed and made.”
so that they may see your good works and praise
10 “You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord Yahweh,
“and my servant whom I have chosen,
so that you may know and believe me
and understand that I am he.
Before me no god was formed,
nor will there be one after me.
11 I, even I, am the Lord Yahweh,
and apart from me there is no savior.
12 I have revealed and saved and proclaimed—
I, and not some foreign god among you.
You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord Yahweh, “that I am God.
13 Yes, and from ancient days I am he.
Isaiah 44:21-24
21 “Remember these things, Jacob,
for you, Israel, are my servant.
I have made you, you are my servant;
Israel, I will not forget you.
22 I have swept away your offenses like a cloud,
your sins like the morning mist.
Return to me,
for I have redeemed you.”
23 Sing for joy, you heavens, for the Lord Yahweh has done this;
shout aloud, you earth beneath.
Burst into song, you mountains,
you forests and all your trees,
for the Lord Yahweh has redeemed Jacob,
he displays his glory in Israel.
shout aloud, you earth beneath.
Burst into song, you mountains,
you forests and all your trees,
for the Lord Yahweh has redeemed Jacob,
he displays his glory in Israel.
your Redeemer, who formed you in the womb:
I am the Lord Yahweh,
the Maker of all things,
who stretches out the heavens,
who spreads out the earth by myself."
the Maker of all things,
who stretches out the heavens,
who spreads out the earth by myself."
Matthew 5:14-16
14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven."
1 Corinthians 1:18-31
18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written:
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;
the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”
the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”
20 Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. 22 Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.
26 Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him. 30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 31 Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord."
John 15:5-17
5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing... 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love... 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. 17 This is my command: Love each other.
Mark 9:21-27
21 Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?”
“From childhood,” he answered. 22 “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.”
23 “‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.”
24 Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”
25 When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the impure spirit. “You deaf and mute spirit,” he said, “I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.”
26 The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, “He’s dead.” 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up.
Romans 8:26-39
26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written:
“For your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Eph 3:14-21
14 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
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