Thursday, October 13, 2005

Good Morning!

Quick message this morning -- I'm running behind this morning.

Note that I will be there on Sunday. I've gotten feedback on the our next study --- if you have a preference or a suggestion, let me know.

The new unit for this week is Unit 24, The Way Methodists Live

Focus Scripture for the Week:

Micah 6:8

He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

Today's Scriptures: 1 Timothy 6:11-16

Today's Discussion:

-- this scripture is a great, encouraging call for the kind of life we are supposed to lead as Christians.

-- "flee from all this" Paul writes, and he referring to the dangers that he has just mentioned in the previous verses, primarily the love of money. But it easily is direction for all of us, covering a multitude of traps, snares and sins that seek to lead us astray, not just the love of money.

-- but like a lot of instruction in Paul's letters -- he just doesn't say "don't do this", he also says "do this instead". These verses are no different -- Paul urges us to pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance -- he urges us to be proactive in our faith, not just reactive. And that is what really distinguishes the Methodist Christian -- one who is proactive, who is invested not just in the "thou shall nots" but also the "thou shall" -- actively pursuing a daily relationship with Christ through prayer and reading, while also actively engaging with others in love to meet their needs.

Question for Sunday:

-- this is an interesting question, though one that takes things out of context a bit. In the US Constitution, it is stated that one of the fundamental rights of man is the "pursuit of happiness"

In Timothy, Paul urges us to pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness, not expressed as a right, but as goal or obligation.

To me, there is something instructive about thinking about the difference in the focus of those two statements. How does it strike you to see those two "pursuits" side by side?

Today's prayer request: Tyrone Prothro.

This is the player who was severely injuried in the Alabama/Florida game, and he is still in the hospital, apparently running a fever from some sort of infection, while also trying to recover from the surgery to insert a steel rod in the leg that was broken. I don't know, but it just seems like his recovery from all of that isn't going well.

Today's class member prayer:

Wes Russell

Have a great day.

Jay