Good Morning! And Happy Birthday to April Nank! Love you, babe.
Let’s focus our day by spending some time with Jesus before it begins.
Pick a song from one of our Spotify Playlists & let it play in the background.
FOCUS. Breathe in & out slowly. Pray, because of Jesus’ resurrection, I have hope today.
THANK. Write down or say out loud 3-5 things you’re thankful for from the last 24 hours.
WORSHIP. Read Psalm 15. Focus on one truth about who God is & thank Him for it.
PRAY. Pray the Lord’s Prayer, a Ripple Prayer, or find more at paradoxchurch.com/pray.
READ. Today’s reading is from Matthew 5:1-20, 33-48, Matthew 20:26-28 & Philippians 3:6-8
ASK. After reading, ask the following SOS Questions & journal your thoughts.
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?
THINK. A Thought from Pastor Mike
In the movie Groundhog’s Day, a narcissistic, self-centered weatherman named Phil Connors gets stuck in a time loop, reliving the same day over and over again. The loop is finally broken after decades, not just because he finds the right combination of choices through the day, but because his morals and character actually change.
We are a lot like Phil. Our human nature is self-centered. We want what we deserve. We want whatever will bring us pleasure. We want revenge on those who wrong us or the ones we love. We want to be in control and in charge. BUT…what Jesus said on the side of a hill 2000-ish years ago is just the opposite. “Turn the other cheek”. “Be peacemakers”. “Be meek”. And to his disciples: “whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant”. And Paul, who was once near the top of the religious and societal food chain, after being changed by an encounter with Jesus and filled with the Holy Spirit, would go on to write in his letter to the Philippians: {paraphrase} “I lost all that I had when I met Jesus, but it was all poop compared to the love of Christ that I have gained”
Phil Connors was changed over time by his love for his coworker Rita. We are changed in an instant, and perfected over time by God’s Holy Spirit when we fall in love with Jesus.
TALK. That was our take - what’s yours? Share thoughts & ask questions in the forum.
SHARE. Stay focused with a friend! Invite them to text “FOCUS” to (586) 200-6277.

Stay focused on Jesus today, and make it a great one!