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.
THANK. Write down or say out loud 3-5 things you’re thankful for from the last 24 hours.
PRAY. Pray the Lord’s Prayer, a Ripple Prayer, or find more at paradoxchurch.com/pray.
FOCUS. Our memorization & meditation focus for this study is John 1:12-13.
READ. Today’s reading is from 1 Samuel 15:16-23, 1 Chronicles 2:11-15, 1 Samuel 16:1-13, 2 Samuel 5:4-12, 2 Samuel 7:1-24 & Psalm 51:1-9 *Families: Read 1 Samuel 16:1-16 with your kids.
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 read these passages, I kept coming back to I Samuel 16:7, “...for the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” David was so undervalued by his family that he was forgotten when Samuel asked Jesse to bring all of his sons. One by one, God tells Samuel, “Not this one.” It is only then that Jesse informs Samuel, “Oh yeah, I have one more son, but he’s the youngest, and he’s tending to the sheep.” The one God has chosen is not the oldest, firstborn son; he’s the youngest one out in the field, dirty and hanging out with the sheep. Do you ever find yourself there? Have you felt undervalued, dirty, and passed over by people? Maybe it’s even your own opinion of yourself not spoken by any other human, just a reel going round and round in your head? I, too, struggled with these lies running through my head. My family valued me, but for too many years, I believed the lies of not being good enough. But God looks on the inside; He looks at the heart. God revealed to me how He saw me and how He valued and loved me. The lies running through my head were replaced by the truths of God. The opinion of God is so much greater than the opinion of people. When God saw David, He saw a man after His own heart. (1 Samuel 13:14, Acts 13:22) People saw the youngest son who watched the sheep and hadn’t earned his status yet. God knew the young man who played the lyre and sang songs of worship to Him while on those fields with the sheep. He saw the young man who trusted in Him when facing lions and bears to defend those sheep. He saw a young man who would always love God and would always come back to God, even after sinning and dishonoring God. David was a man after God’s own heart.
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!