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.
Choose one of the Names of God using this guide. Take time to Thank God for the ways you’ve seen Him be/do that in the past, Worship Him for it today, and Intercede (pray for) that truth for yourself and others.

SCRIPTURE FOCUS | Today’s reading is from 1 Corinthians 8
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…
Today we are discussing the topic of Christian freedom and what that means. This chapter reveals how the mature believer's actions can impact someone that is newer to the faith.  To start, let's think about how, if not careful, knowledge can puff up the mature Christian.  The more important issue here is for the mature believer to exhibit love and focus on strengthening the faith of your brother or sister in Christ. Christian freedom does not mean that we can just do anything.  It is knowing that our salvation comes not by good deeds or being legalistic, but it is a free gift from God. 1 Corinthian 8  talks about meat being purchased in the marketplace, that originated from pagan worship that was killed before an idol.  The newer Christian doesn’t have the faith to eat the meat and believes that in eating they would be participating in idol worship.  Whereas, the mature  Christian believes it is ok to eat the meat, because idols are false and therefore eating it is meaningless.
Paul advises against the more mature believer taking this action in front of someone who hasn’t yet reached maturity in their faith.  Because they have a more sensitive conscience in this area, they believe that eating the meat is a sinful act.   Although you may have the freedom of doing so, you shouldn’t do something that would cause a fellow believer to stumble and fall. (v. 12, 13) “When you sin against them in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother or sister to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause them to fall.” Let’s consider how we disciple others and make sure we are leading with love and compassion. - Colleen Payton

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!