The resources God has given us to live a thriving life are His Word, Spirit, and People.
Read God’s Word:
Psalms 49, 84, 85, 87
Act 2: God’s Covenant People
Scene 5: Kings and Prophets: God shapes a kingdom people
Background Information: Psalms 49, 84, 85, 87
Man’s glory is empty; it is a mere facade. Riches cannot rescue a soul from the grave. Only God can do that. “How lovely is your dwelling place” refers to the temple, the place where “heaven met earth.” The psalmist, however, is not ultimately pining for a place, but for the God who met with his people in that place. The holy mount is where the temple was built, and Zion is Jerusalem. The greatness of the place was again because it was where God had chosen to meet directly with his people. It was the place where sacrifices were made for the atonement of sin. The temple is gone from Jerusalem, and in its place stands a Muslim mosque. Jesus predicted that the temple would be destroyed, and in AD 70 it was. He also said that his body, the true temple of God, would be destroyed but would be “rebuilt” in three days. On resurrection Sunday, it was. Now the Church, the people of God, are the temple of God, made of living stones. We have been brought from death to life not by any human wealth or power, not by visiting any physical temple, and not by animal sacrifice. Instead, we’ve been bought by the precious blood of Christ, whose body was both the temple (the place where heaven and earth met) and the temple offering (the atonement for our sins).
Pray:
Praise God for…
Thank God for…
Confess your sins to God
Pray for those in our church with health concerns. Below are a few names to pray for:
– Bruce Brown recovering in Oklahoma. Pray for him and Rachel.
– Wendy Paige and April Townsend. Wendy is having bone marrow transplant from April.
– Ed Giesen – Congestive heart failure.
– Jace Jefferson – In the hospital because of abscess.
Our help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth. Lift this people up to him.
Ask God for… (what else concerns you?)
Reflect:
Write down one passage of scripture that stood out to you today.
Write down why this passage stood out to you.
Engage Community:
Text or call someone now and tell them…
– What you are praying for.
– What stood out from God’s word today.