The LORD God is the Creator of the ends of the earth. He has established laws in nature which govern all the processes of life–planting, growth, cultivation and harvest. These principles give us insight on how to conduct our lives, families, churches, and societies (to continue reading this essay, click on image above).
God’s Triumphant Love, Romans 5:1-5
The triune God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit has worked salvation for his own, not by what we do to perform, but according to God’s gracious provision in Christ. Our salvation establishes us in an unshakeable position of peace and favor with God, providing present security and future hope that transcends temporal circumstances. Because of God’s working, we can persevere when we encounter trials and sufferings. Now believers can embrace trials as divine instruments for character formation, knowing that God sovereignly uses our difficulties to deepen our spiritual maturity and strengthen our hope. The presence of the Holy Spirit within us serves as both the guarantee of God’s love and the power source for experiencing joy and perseverance, even amid life’s most challenging seasons.
Our Focus Today
Through Christ, We Have Access into the Grace of God, Romans 5:2
We who believe gain entrance into God’s unmerited favor and protection through his Son, whom we have been granted access by faith through grace.
Invocation
Gracious Lord, thank you that through Jesus Christ we who believe have been granted access into your very presence, as beloved children who stand permanently in your grace, and not as intruders or strangers. Help me to fully comprehend the wonder of this access—that the holy God of the universe has opened the way for me to approach him with confidence and freedom. May I never take for granted this incredible privilege, but ever learn to approach your throne with reverence and boldness. Amen.
Gloria Patri
Glory be to the Father,
And to the Son and to the Holy Spirit:
As it was in the beginning,
Is now, and ever shall be,
World without end. Amen, amen.
Chronological Scripture Readings for Today
These Scriptures allow us to read through the entire Bible in one year in chronological order.
Tuesday: Isaiah 30-33
Psalms and Proverb for Today
These Scriptures allow us to read through the Psalms and Proverbs each month.
Tuesday: Psalm 17, 47, 77, 107, 137 and Proverbs 17
Through Christ, We Have Access into the Grace of God, Romans 5:2
We who believe gain entrance into God’s unmerited favor and protection through his Son, whom we have been granted access by faith through grace.
Reflection
The concept of having “access” to God’s grace reveals that what was once impossible for humanity—approaching the holy God—has been made permanently available through Christ’s mediating work. Our standing in grace is not a precarious position resting on our daily performance, but a secure and unchanging status God has established for all who believe. This truth can shape our prayer life, worship, and daily communion with God. We are not strangers approaching God on our efforts to seek entry, but heirs who already possess full access to him and his favor. When we truly understand that we stand in grace rather than under judgment, our confidence in approaching God grows, our fear diminishes, and our hope in his promises becomes our foundation, joy, and strength.
Engaging God’s Word Today
How does knowing that you have permanent access to God’s grace through Christ change the way you should approach him in prayer and worship? What specific fears or hesitations about coming to God might be rooted in forgetting that he has already secured you in his favor in Christ?
Nicene Creed
We believe in one God, The Father Almighty,
Maker of heaven and earth and of all things visible and invisible.
We believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only Begotten Son of God,
Begotten of the Father before all ages,
God from God, Light from Light, True God from True God,
Begotten not created, of the same essence as the Father,
through Whom all things were made.
Who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven
and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary and became human.
Who for us too, was crucified under Pontius Pilate, suffered and was buried.
The third day He rose again according to the Scriptures, ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and His kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and life-giver,
Who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
Who together with the Father and Son is worshiped and glorified.
Who spoke by the prophets.
We believe in one holy, catholic, and apostolic church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sin,
and we look for the resurrection of the dead
and the life of the age to come. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the Kingdom, and the power, and the glory for ever. Amen.
Doxology
Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him all creatures here below;
Praise Him above ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Amen.
Benediction
Eternal Father, remind me today that I stand securely in your grace, having full access to your presence and all the resources of your love. May my hope in the glory of God be a constant source of joy and strength to me, and may I come to know more and more that my position in Christ is unshakeable and my future with you is secure. Build up my confidence, helping me to live as one who has been granted permanent residence in your favor through my Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Scripture Memory for this season
2 Corinthians 9:6-8 (ESV):
6 “The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.”
Scripture Engagement
As disciples of Jesus, the Churches of Christ the King strongly seek to engage the Scriptures to discover the centrality of Christ and his Kingdom in the prophetic and apostolic writings. You will find a rich treasure of resources on engaging Scripture at the Center for Scripture Engagement of Taylor University.
Book Reading and Reflection
“We do not change by snapping our fingers and deciding to be someone entirely new. We change bit by bit, day by day, habit by habit. We are continually undergoing microevolutions of the self. Each habit is like a suggestion: “Hey, maybe this is who I am.” If you finish a book, then perhaps you are the type of person who likes reading. If you go to the gym, then perhaps you are the type of person who likes exercise. If you practice playing the guitar, perhaps you are the type of person who likes music. Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become. No single instance will transform your beliefs, but as the votes build up, so does the evidence of your new identity. This is one reason why meaningful change does not require radical change. Small habits can make a meaningful difference by providing evidence of a new identity. And if a change is meaningful, it actually is big. That’s the paradox of making small improvements.
Putting this all together, you can see that habits are the path to changing your identity. The most practical way to change who you are is to change what you do. Each time you write a page, you are a writer. Each time you practice the violin, you are a musician. Each time you start a workout, you are an athlete. Each time you encourage your employees, you are a leader. Each habit not only gets results but also teaches you something far more important: to trust yourself. You start to believe you can actually accomplish these things. When the votes mount up and the evidence begins to change, the story you tell yourself begins to change as well.”
~ Clear, James, Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones. Penguin Random House UK, 2018. Electronic Edition.
Seedling Focus for the Season: Whoever Sows Generously Will Reap Generously
Description: Generosity is like sowing seeds that will one day yield a great harvest, 2 Cor. 9:6-8.
On Eagles Wings Prayer Focus: A Long Time Comin‘
God’s Triumphant Love, Romans 5:1-5.
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