Good Morning!
Let’s focus our day by spending some time with Jesus before it begins.
Play or sing some worship music you love, or use a playlist from Paradox on Spotify.
If you’re new to the Daily Focus, read this first.

WEEKLY 40 FOR 40 FOCUS | Life-on-Life Discipleship (2 Timothy 2:2)
Over the 40 Days of Lent, add 40 minutes of prayer to your week - either 1x/week or 7 minutes/day.
This week, pray that we would faithfully be & make disciples of Jesus. We’re praying for 40+ Discipling Relationships at Paradox in 2024
Ask, Who can I ask to disciple me in this season? Who can I invite into a discipling relationship?

DAILY PRAYER FOCUS | Use the PRAY acronym each morning. 
P = Pause. As you start your time of prayer, begin by pausing and being still before the Lord.
R = Read. Read the Scripture Focus slowly and focus on words/phrases the Holy Spirit highlights as you read.
A = Ask. Ask God to come and speak to you. Open up your heart to Him as your heavenly Father.
Y = Yield. We want to yield our lives to the words we have prayed and commit to follow Jesus’s way.
Begin your prayer with “Father, I remember your faithfulness to…” and respond with, “Give me faith to…”

SCRIPTURE FOCUS | Today’s reading is from Deuteronomy 11
Highlight verses that capture your attention, and ask three simple questions as you read…
S = Say. What is the main point? What does it teach about God (Jesus) & yourself?
O = Obey. What can you apply (practice) from this passage today?
S = Share. Who can you share what you’re learning with today?

A THOUGHT FROM TODAY’S READING…
”Back in my day.” The phrase has become a punchline of sorts - usually ending with something like, “We used to walk to school uphill both ways in the snow.” It’s one generation’s way of telling the next how different things were - but it’s often delivered with a bit of judgement, and received with a bit of sarcasm. But what if it could be encouraging? In today’s reading, Moses highlights the importance of storytelling. He says to remember the next generation hasn’t seen or experienced the things the previous one had. And because they hadn’t, they didn’t (yet) know God the way the older generation did. No matter where you are in your walk with God, you have a story! You’ve experienced things and seen more of His goodness in your life than someone else. And if you have a story, then you have a story to tell. You also have a story to live - to demonstrate for others. Telling the story of God’s faithfulness and what He’s done in your life informs others, but it also transforms us. We hear the story too. We’re reminded. Rehearsing is how stories make their way off of paper and into our mind and heart. So, what is the story you’re living out? What are the stories you’re telling? Don’t take it for granted. Even the smallest details of a life lived with God are more than someone else has heard, seen, known or experienced - and the only way they will is by seeing it in you and hearing it from you. If the uphill, both ways, in the snow path you’ve walked with God is truly better - then help someone else follow in your footsteps as you follow in Jesus’ in every aspect of your life today. Let’s be storytellers. - Dave Kubiak

REMEMBERING PRACTICE | (Optional) Practice remembering with a Daily Examen each evening.
The Examen prayer was made popular by Ignatius of Loyola (1491 – 1556). It has helped Christians for centuries to re-center themselves on Jesus as they come to the end of long days. We are using a variation creat-ed by Pete Greig from his book, How to Pray, to help us remember Jesus at the close of our days.
Replay = Replay your day. What made you happy or joyful? What made you anxious or burdened?
Rejoice = Give thanks to God for the small and the significant things from the day.
Repent = Ask God for forgiveness where you need. Receive His forgiveness afresh.
Reboot = Commit to walk with Jesus tomorrow. Ask for grace to see His presence more clearly.
*For help or an audio prayer version, use the Lectio 365 app.

SHARE THE FOCUS | 1-5 Minutes
1. Text someone a prayer/encouragement, or share a thought/question with us in the Forum.
2. Invite someone to read the Focus with you. Text “FOCUS” to (586) 200-6277.

That’s all for today.
Stay focused on Jesus, and make it a great one!