MATTHEW 11:28-30 (MSG) “ARE YOU TIRED? WORN OUT? BURNED OUT ON RELIGION? COME TO ME. GET AWAY WITH ME AND YOU’LL RECOVER YOUR LIFE. I’LL SHOW YOU HOW TO TAKE A REAL REST. WALK WITH ME AND WORK WITH ME—WATCH HOW I DO IT. LEARN THE UNFORCED RHYTHMS OF GRACE. I WON’T LAY ANYTHING HEAVY OR ILL- FITTING ON YOU. KEEP COMPANY WITH ME AND YOU’LL LEARN TO LIVE FREELY AND LIGHTLY.”

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GALATIANS 3:6-14 (NLT) 6 IN THE SAME WAY, “ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND GOD COUNTED HIM AS RIGHTEOUS BECAUSE OF HIS FAITH.” 7 THE REAL CHILDREN OF ABRAHAM, THEN, ARE THOSE WHO PUT THEIR FAITH IN GOD. 8 WHAT’S MORE, THE SCRIPTURES LOOKED FORWARD TO THIS TIME WHEN GOD WOULD DECLARE THE GENTILES TO BE RIGHTEOUS BECAUSE OF THEIR FAITH. GOD PROCLAIMED THIS GOOD NEWS TO ABRAHAM LONG AGO WHEN HE SAID, “ALL NATIONS WILL BE BLESSED THROUGH YOU.”

GALATIANS 3:6-14 (NLT) 9 SO ALL WHO PUT THEIR FAITH IN CHRIST SHARE THE SAME BLESSING ABRAHAM RECEIVED BECAUSE OF HIS FAITH. 10 BUT THOSE WHO DEPEND ON THE LAW TO MAKE THEM RIGHT WITH GOD ARE UNDER HIS CURSE, FOR THE SCRIPTURES SAY, “CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO DOES NOT OBSERVE AND OBEY ALL THE COMMANDS THAT ARE WRITTEN IN GOD’S BOOK OF THE LAW.” 11 SO IT IS CLEAR THAT NO ONE CAN BE MADE RIGHT WITH GOD BY TRYING TO KEEP THE LAW.

GALATIANS 3:6-14 (NLT) FOR THE SCRIPTURES SAY, “IT IS THROUGH FAITH THAT A RIGHTEOUS PERSON HAS LIFE.” 12 THIS WAY OF FAITH IS VERY DIFFERENT FROM THE WAY OF LAW, WHICH SAYS, “IT IS THROUGH OBEYING THE LAW THAT A PERSON HAS LIFE.” 13 BUT CHRIST HAS RESCUED US FROM THE CURSE PRONOUNCED BY THE LAW. WHEN HE WAS HUNG ON THE CROSS, HE TOOK UPON HIMSELF THE CURSE FOR OUR WRONGDOING.

GALATIANS 3:6-14 (NLT) FOR IT IS WRITTEN IN THE SCRIPTURES, “CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO IS HUNG ON A TREE.” 14 THROUGH CHRIST JESUS, GOD HAS BLESSED THE GENTILES WITH THE SAME BLESSING HE PROMISED TO ABRAHAM, SO THAT WE WHO ARE BELIEVERS MIGHT RECEIVE THE PROMISED HOLY SPIRIT THROUGH FAITH.

GENESIS 12:1-3 (NLT) 1 THE LORD HAD SAID TO ABRAM, “GO FROM YOUR COUNTRY, YOUR PEOPLE AND YOUR FATHER’S HOUSEHOLD TO THE LAND I WILL SHOW YOU. 2 “I WILL MAKE YOU INTO A GREAT NATION, AND I WILL BLESS YOU; I WILL MAKE YOUR NAME GREAT, AND YOU WILL BE A BLESSING. 3 I WILL BLESS THOSE WHO BLESS YOU, AND WHOEVER CURSES YOU I WILL CURSE; AND ALL PEOPLES ON EARTH WILL BE BLESSED THROUGH YOU.”

THE BLESSING OF GOD

RIGHT BELIEVING PRODUCES RIGHT LIVING

WE ARE BLESSED BY GOD’S MERCY NOT BY OUR MERITS

WE ARE BLESSED TO BE A BLESSING

GENESIS 12:2 (NLT) 2 “I WILL MAKE YOU INTO A GREAT NATION, AND I WILL BLESS YOU; I WILL MAKE YOUR NAME GREAT, AND YOU WILL BE A BLESSING.

WHAT IS THE DELAY DISTRACTION DETOUR IN YOUR LIFE?

LEAVE WHAT WAS, IN ORDER TO FIND WHAT IS GIVE WHAT WE HAVE, TO FULFILL WHO WE ARE

PHILIPPIANS 3:12-14 (NLT) 12 I DON’T MEAN TO SAY THAT I HAVE ALREADY ACHIEVED THESE THINGS OR THAT I HAVE ALREADY REACHED PERFECTION. BUT I PRESS ON TO POSSESS THAT PERFECTION FOR WHICH CHRIST JESUS FIRST POSSESSED ME. 13 NO, DEAR BROTHERS AND SISTERS, I HAVE NOT ACHIEVED IT, BUT I FOCUS ON THIS ONE THING: FORGETTING THE PAST AND LOOKING FORWARD TO WHAT LIES AHEAD, 14 I PRESS ON TO REACH THE END OF THE RACE AND RECEIVE THE HEAVENLY PRIZE FOR WHICH GOD, THROUGH CHRIST JESUS, IS CALLING US.

THE CHURCH IS THE CHURCH ONLY WHEN IT EXISTS FOR OTHERS DIETRICHBONHOEFFER

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