Thursday, July 21, 2005

Good Morning!

Remember that I will have new books this weekend -- if you need a book, let me know, even if you won't be able to make it to class - I can figure out how to get it to you.

The new unit for this week is Unit 12, Holiness of Heart

Focus Scripture for the Week: Hebrews 4:7

Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your heart.

Today's topic: Psalm 51-1:17 (yesterday), Joel 2:12-13

-- back in the saddle today with my book.

-- yesterday and today a couple of Old Testament readings. The one from Psalms is particularly vibrant and familiar to me, because part of it serves as the lyric for a well-known choir piece that I have sung numerous times -- "Create in me a clean heart, O God" -- I can't really read it without singing it.

-- in the little introduction to the Psalm 51, it says that this is David's plea for mercy, forgiveness and cleansing, and God wants our hearts to be right with him. And I think that last is a very good point - and it is the same point made in the Joel passage -- God wants us to come unto him. Salvation and grace is not like the really good bargain that a store owner will advertise to bring in traffic to his store, but then hides so that he won't have to honor the sale price -- God puts out there what his "deal" is, and he wants everyone to take advantage of it.

-- Wesley's passages in this week's unit keep hitting the similar point as well - but he is about the need to change - to start being the person God wants us to be, it starts with a real change in the heart. The third Wesley reading is particularly challenging -- it is about those who "imagine themselves Christians" but they are not, and Wesley simply but powerfully outlines how it can be shown that they are not Christians, based on where their heart is, and where their focus is. Read in another way, it is a way of reviewing how we can move from being a superficial Christian to living an authentic Christian life.

Today's prayer request: Alex Lloyd, Monica's nephew

Alex is a long term prayer request, due to his hip condition and the treatment he is receiving to correct it. He is currently recovering from his surgery of a few weeks ago, and appears to be doing well, but there is a long way to go yet.

Today's class member prayer:

Brandon Herring

Have a great day.

Jay