Happy Monday Madness!
90 and humid here.
Cooling off Tuesday.
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Bible in a Year :
Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with him, we will also live with him.
For more than two centuries, the hymn placed first in the Methodist hymnbook was āO for a Thousand Tongues to Sing.ā Written by Charles Wesley and originally titled āFor the Anniversary Day of Oneās Conversion,ā the song was composed to commemorate the radical renewal sparked by his faith in Jesus. It has eighteen stanzas proclaiming the glory of Godās goodness to those who repent and follow Christ.
Such faith is worth celebratingāand worth sharing. In 2 Timothy 2, Paul encourages Timothy to remain steadfast in his faith and to persevere in sharing it. He noted, āThis is my gospel, for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminalā (vv. 8-9). Rather than second-guess his choices, Paul reminds Timothy to remember the good-news message: āJesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from Davidā (v. 8), came not to rule but to serve and ultimately to die for the sins of the world so that we may have peace with God. Death didnāt win. Jesus rose from the grave.
And just as it set free those who believe, the message itself isnāt bound. āGodās word is not chained,ā said Paul (v. 9), not even from places where death seems to have won: prison cells, hospital beds, gravesides. In Christ, thereās hope for all people. Thatās news worth celebrating!
Reflect & Pray
How do you celebrate the good news of Jesus in your daily life? Whom can you share this good news with?
Father, thank You for saving me and giving me opportunities to share the good news with everyone.
For further study, read Gospel Conversations: Sharing the Story of Jesus.
Yikes! That is very hot for you, right?