Good Morning!
Let’s focus our day by spending some time with Jesus before it begins.
If you’re new to the Daily Focus, read this first, & use as much or little as you’d like.

GET FOCUSED | Start by simply thanking God for who He is & what He’s done.
+ Practice gratitude while singing/playing some worship music from Paradox on Spotify.
+ Spend a few moments meditating on today’s Old Testament Scripture: Nehemiah 4
+ From your reading, finish the sentence “God, you are ___.”
Take time to thank & worship God for the ways you’ve seen Him be/do that in your life.

MORNING PRAYER FOCUS | Prayer involves both talking and listening to God.
+ Pray the Lord’s Prayer, or slow down to pray it using this Lord’s Prayer guide.
+ Use “Lectio Divina” to listen to God in this morning’s Psalm: Psalm 35:11-18
Reading 1 = Focus. What is one word or phrase that Holy Spirit puts on your heart?
Reading 2 = Feelings. Focus on that word or phrase while you read. What do you feel? What specific situation in your life today relates? Reflect and talk with God about it.
Reading 3 = Invitation. What is God’s personal invitation to you from the Scripture?
Take time to journal anything you feel the Lord might be saying to you.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE FOCUS | Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you into all truth.
Today’s New Testament reading is from Romans 3:19-31
Highlight verses that capture your attention, and ask three simple questions as you read…
Observe. Pay attention to what the text says. Ask who, what, when, where, & why.
Interpret. What’s the main point or meaning? What does it teach about God? Yourself?
Apply. Apply this truth to your own life. What can you put into practice today?

A THOUGHT FROM TODAY’S READING…
The book of Romans is one of my favorite parts of the gospel. In it, Paul explains so much of what the Lord wants from and for us. In these passages, Paul is trying to explain to his Jewish audience that it is not just “following the law” or simply “having faith” that is going to reconcile us to God - but that we need to actually have both. Let’s face it, most of us are either “this or that” type of people. We like our perceptions and ideas one way or another. You could also say that we want to put everyone and everything into a box and tie it up with a lovely bow. The idea of someone or something being “this and that” is something hard for many of us to comprehend.  Perhaps one of the reasons we struggle sometimes to understand God and His word is because He does not fit in one of our little boxes. It is hard for us to understand that God is both loving and He can be wrathful. We need to understand that on the day of judgment we will be held accountable for both our hearts and our actions. Let’s take a look at what Paul is trying to say when he refers to the law. God’s laws were handed down to Moses - we call them the ten commandments. We are to live under those laws. Through the ten commandments, we all have a personal knowledge of what sin is. Sadly, we have all broken one or two of those laws - and because they exist, we are aware that we’ve broken them. Now, if we want to experience God’s righteousness, Paul tells us in verse 22 “The righteousness of God is through faith in Jesus Christ…” (Romans 3:22). This means that through our faith in Jesus, we will gain God’s righteousness. Paul goes on to say that, yes, the ten commandments were handed down to the Jewish people, but that in Jesus, both Jews and Gentiles have the opportunity to be reconciled to God. It is by our faith in Jesus, through His sacrifice, that we have atonement for our sins. It is by our faith (our obedience to God), that we are justified rather than following a specific law. In verse 31 Paul sums it all up, “Do we then nullify the law by this faith? Not at all. Rather, we uphold the law.” Paul means by saying this is that we are not disregarding the law by having faith in Jesus, but we are fulfilling the law in a deeper and more meaningful way when our actions are motivated by our love and obedience to God. Remember, Jesus told us in John 14:15, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” So essentially, following the ten commandments or just “having faith” are not a “this or that” situation, but rather it is about us trying to live every day in all ways to become more like Jesus, from the inside out. - Dawn Marie Custer

EVENING PRAYER FOCUS | Re-Focus on Jesus by returning to prayer each evening.
Replay = Replay your day. What made you happy, joyful, 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.
Refocus = Ask to see God’s presence more clearly & walk w/ Him more closely tomorrow.
+ Practice hearing from God by asking questions like, “Father, what do you want me to know about you?” or “Father, what do you want to say about your love for me?” Simply be still and listen, or journal anything that comes to mind. Learn more about hearing from God using the Tending Your Heart guide.

SHARE THE FOCUS |
+ Pray a Ripple Prayer or use Nations Prayer to pray for the nations & those serving them.
+ Text someone an encouragement, or share a thought/question with us in the Forum.
+ Invite someone to read the Focus with you. Text “FOCUS” to (586) 200-6277.
+ Who can you share what you’re learning with today personally?

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