Good Morning!
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. Our memorization & meditation focus for this study is Amos 5:24.
Breathe in & out slowly. Pray, Jesus, you are just & righteous. Flow through me.
THANK. Write down or say out loud 3-5 things you’re thankful for from the last 24 hours.
WORSHIP. Read Hosea 6:1-3. 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 Amos 4 & Hebrews 12:1-14
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 Renee Richter
When I used to read the Old Testament, especially passages like Amos 4, I would wonder, “Why is God so angry in the Old Testament?” I have heard people say, “I like the New Testament and Jesus because the God of the Old Testament is all about anger and wrath.”Then, I read more of the Old Testament with the lens of wanting to see the love of God because I knew Jesus/New Testament and God/Old Testament are the same God, and I wanted to see the similarities. It was then I began to see the longsuffering and steadfast love of God. I began to look at dates and the length of time God waited to discipline His children. We see that here in Amos chapter 4. One commentary describes Israel as prosperous and politically secure and living off the fat of the land. They have forgotten the previous warnings of the Lord to return to obedience. Yeah, they’re making sacrifices, but in their hearts, they are greedy and trampling the poor. The Lord’s discipline is coming. His love is steadfast, and He is longsuffering, but He is also holy, and obedience is required to experience His love in the way He longs to give it. Hebrews shows us the motive behind the suffering, wrath, and discipline. Love. Fatherly  love. If the Lord didn’t love us, there would be no discipline.When you listen to and read the news, do you wonder, “What is going on? Where is God?”God is right here, longing to display His love to those He has created, those He longs to be in a relationship with. He is still longsuffering, and His love is steadfast. He is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. But there will be punishment for sin and discipline. He isn’t giving up on any of us and will stop at nothing to get our attention in an attempt to bring us back home, back to His love. So when you’re overwhelmed with the circumstances of this world or the current events of your own life, turn to Him. Pray. Go back home and fall into His arm of love. Seek forgiveness if needed. Go back to the Lord where you belong.
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!