Scripture
Intro Questions
- God is ... What do we learn about God in this passage?
- We are ... What do we learn about people in this passage?
- I will ... What has the Holy Spirit revealed to us in this passage? How can I apply it to my life this week?
- You can ... Who do you know who needs to hear this? Feel free to share with others by social media links at the bottom of this.
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Other Resources:
Unfading Glory
What is it about social media that compels people to brag about their follies? The BBC News service compiled a list of criminals
who were laughably foolish in their antics. Predictably, alcohol figured in a number of incidents, but a surprising number of crooks just can’t resist boasting about their exploits for the entire world to view. Benjamin
Robinson and Daniel Hutchinson stole thousands from gambling machines in England—but they also posted photos of themselves. In Norfolk, England, Andrew Hennells posted a selfie with a knife and the caption, “Doing. Tesco.
Over.” Minutes later he was arrested with over $500 and the knife, having robbed a Tesco supermarket.
Logan James was wanted for parole violation when he noticed a police Facebook appeal for information about him. He commented, “Haha
catch me if you can you wont see me slipping.” They could and they did later the same day, thanking him for drawing attention to their efforts. Ashley Keast used a stolen SIM card to snap a photo of himself burgling a house,
then uploaded the picture to Whatsapp® but accidentally sent the photo to colleagues of the burglary victim. Officers met him at his house where the loot was discovered. And it’s not just the UK. One of our own, “Chip”
Pugh of Lima, Ohio, texted police a better photo of himself, complaining that the one on the arrest warrant made him look like “James Brown on the run.” He was picked up in Florida. These are people who seem to be proud
of what should make them ashamed.
“Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things.
But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will
be like his glorious body” (Philippians 3:19-21 NIV).
I suppose these—and others—publicize their illicit exploits because they think somehow their rebellious acts are thrilling and
admirable. They think it’s glorious to be outrageous. Yet the people who are truly admirable, who are celebrated and blessed and thanked over and over, are those who sacrifice for the good of others. Creative teachers make
even distance learning fun and interesting. Honor guards at the Tomb of the Unknowns march their unrelenting post heedless of weather and coronavirus hysteria. Low-level technicians pull overtime in obscure research facilities
developing treatments and cures. Truckers pound mind-numbing miles of concrete delivering daily bread. And they don’t post selfies.
Our glory isn’t something that depends on photos and self-promotion. As followers of Jesus Christ, we just go to work and do our
duty in the best way we know how. Observing that God works within our labors, songwriter Paul Overstreet once wrote, “Sometimes just going to work is the most important thing you can do.” As citizens of the kingdom of
heaven, we look forward to the ultimate makeover, the final redemption of our bodies so that we will forever be like our Savior, Jesus Christ. And that day will show the triumph of goodness and the eternal glory of lowly people
serving the exalted God.
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“…..one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the
goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:13-14
The memories of the past are God's gift to us. If we are not careful, however,our past can keep us from moving forward. There are people all around us that
need us to live now...to love now...to be there for them now. Continually going back to what used to be, and either spending time and energy desiring it again, is not what life is suppose to be about.
God has given us this day. He has called us to live today for Him and each other. I thank God for the memories of the past and all that He has done and
has taught me. I thank God for past friendships, and what they have meant to me. I am grateful for the lessons of life, and the times the Lord saved me from harm when I made poor decisions. I am thankful for my past...but
I know I don’t need to live there.
One of the grand schemes of Satan is to consume us with guilt from our past. He knows that if he can do that, he can effectively keep us from serving God
today. One of the primary reasons the Lord forgives our sins is to set us free from the guilt of those sins. Guilt paralyzes us, it keeps us from living today.
The Devil works through guilt because guilt has nowhere to go, it just consumes us. The Devil wants us to be overwhelmed with our past as it distracts us
from what God has for us today.
Paul was one who was guilty, along with others, for participating in the stoning of Stephen. He said he was the chiefest of sinners (1 Timothy 1:15). But Paul buried that guilt in the grave of God's forgetfulness.
Maybe you've done something so horrible that you're gripped with fear to think someone would find out what you've done.
Thought of the Day: Have you done something worse than being an accessory to the murder of one of the leaders of the New Testament Church? If Paul can
be forgiven, my friend, you can be forgiven!
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