Tuesday, August 9, 2005

Good Morning!

The new unit for this week is Unit 15 -- Holiness of Life

Focus Scripture for the Week: 1 Peter 1:15

As he who called you in holy, be holy yourselves in all your conduct.

Today's Scriptures: James 1:19-27

Today's Discussion:

-- like yesterday's passage, this is a brief teaching on how we as Christians should live our lives.

-- the picture that is coming into focus, from yesterday's reading and today's, is perhaps a much more complex picture about holiness than we may have first thought. In this section of scripture, there is talk about the things we would expect -- turning away from immorality and evil -- but there is also talk about being slow to anger, about humility, about keeping a tight rein on our tongues, and helping windows and orphans.

-- being holy is not just about the "thou shalt nots" - not just stopping your cussin' or drinkin' or lyin' or chasin' women (or men) or whatever other personal contact that is considered unChristian -- there is more to it

-- holiness encompasses the time we set aside for God everyday for prayer and study, the way that we related to people in terms of respecting them, and the things that we do to help others, either with resources or just with our kindness and consideration.

-- the readings this week from John Wesley will give us some more perspective and depth to this idea as we move through the week.


Question for Sunday:

-- what behavior in your life is the biggest barrier to you moving towards holiness? Is it something that you need to stop doing, or start doing?

Today's prayer request: Natalee Holloway's family and friends.

Natalee's mother just returned to Aruba after coming back to the U.S. for a few days. One of the main things she did was to attend the regular prayer service that Natalee's friends and classmates had been having every week since she went missing. It was going to be one of the last services that everyone could attend since they were about to go their separate ways to colleges and work. She wanted to tell them that it was OK to move on with their lives.

I think we need to pray for God to give her family some resolution -- either to find Natalee, or to give them permission to move on with their lives.

Today's class member prayer:

April Walker

Have a great day.

Jay