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.

GET FOCUSED | Worship can be as simple as thanking God for who He is & what He does. (Psalm 100:4)
Spend a few moments in silence, meditating on scripture, or writing/saying 3-5 things you’re thankful for.
Play or sing some worship music you love, or use a playlist from Paradox on Spotify.

MORNING PRAYER FOCUS | Prayer is a conversation that involves both talking and listening to God.
Simply pray the prayer Jesus taught his followers: the Lord’s Prayer, or pray it using this Lord’s Prayer guide.

SCRIPTURE FOCUS | Today’s reading is from John 12:37-50 & Isaiah 53:1-6
Pray a simple prayer before reading, asking the Holy Spirit to guide you into all truth. (John 14:26)
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…
”…for they loved human praise more than praise from God.” (Jn 12:43) Ouch! John shares that there were Jewish leaders who believed Jesus was the Messiah, and yet would not acknowledge him as such for fear of being put out of the synagogue. Granted, being put out of the synagogue was no small thing. We are talking loss of job, community, and social acceptance. However, Jesus was recorded (Mt 10:32-33) as saying that whoever acknowledges him before others will be acknowledged by Jesus before the Father in heaven, but whoever disowns Jesus before others will be disowned by Jesus before the Father. Double ouch!! The leaders of Jesus’ day had a conundrum. Do they maintain their earthly status and risk future standing with God…or risk earthly status but secure their eternal future? This doesn’t sound like a tough choice at all when you’re on the outside looking in.
So let’s get real and apply this to our lives…
Are we acknowledging Jesus before others? Are there times and places where we could/should share our faith, yet we don’t? Are there certain people or situations that carry potential consequences should we acknowledge our love for Jesus? Maybe in our family? Our job? A friendship? What’s at stake? What’s our “synagogue”? What might happen if we proclaim we are among the millions in this world who call Jesus their Lord? Might we lose a friend, someone’s respect, a job…yep. Me might.
But…
We may gain an opportunity to be a witness to someone who desperately needs a savior (#everyone). We might get to be part of a story of redemption, just like someone in our past was a part of our story. We might strengthen a friendship, redeem a family member, or be in a position to be blessed by a better job. A lot MIGHT happen, but remember if we acknowledge Jesus before others we WILL be acknowledged by Jesus before God the Father. That is a lock.
Gut check: Do we love human acceptance/praise more than God’s? Hopefully the answer is “no”. Then let’s be ready for a chance to proclaim Jesus to someone TODAY.
- Mike Nank

EVENING PRAYER FOCUS | Re-Focus on Jesus by praying a Daily Examen each evening.
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.
Refocus = 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. 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!