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.
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.

SCRIPTURE FOCUS | Today’s reading is from John 8:31-59, Romans 6:15-18 & Galatians 5:1
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…
Until the last few years I don’t think I really grasped what it meant when it is said that God’s grace is a “Costly grace.” I went to church, I tithed, I even confessed my sins. But the part that I always missed was the second part of repentance or “the turn away from sin”. Grace cost Jesus - he made the payment for our sin by dying on the cross to freely give us the gift of life in return. Our “cost” is not to receive this gift, but the sacrifice we make in response by making an actual change in our lives to turn away from our sins. In Galatians 5, Paul refers to our sin as a yoke of slavery that we must shed before we can experience the freedom bought for us when Jesus died on the cross. I think I struggle sometimes with the terminology used when we talk about sin. Slavery is a big one. I had myself convinced I wasn’t a slave to my sins because I thought I could change whenever I wanted to. I am a slave to having control of my life and too often set aside the humility needed to ask for help or guidance. Thinking back, I never used to completely “repent” for my sins, I just added them to the list of things to confess on Sunday and then re-entered the slavery of my disobedience I was trying to ignore. Obviously I have a ways to go but I am slowly removing the disobedience from my life that distorts the image of God I was created to display. I still don’t like words like “slavery,” but I am using my dislike as encouragement to truly repent and live free. Plus, I enjoy the freedom bought by my repentance more than I enjoyed the other mess. This makes our slogan resonate with me so much more… God loves you just the way you are, not the way you should be - but He loves you too much to let you stay that way. - Scott Rose

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!