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I have appreciated this prayer … trusting that God’s Spirit is guiding - WE GO WITH GOD and One Another!  Thanks be to God!

 ”O Lord God, who has called us Your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden & through perils unknown:  give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go, but only that Your hand is leading us & Your love supporting us.  Amen“ 

 As we journey may we constantly enjoy God and the privilege of life secured in Christ!  Pastor Greg Mannel

SCRIPTURE: Matthew 17:2-3 As the men watched, Jesus’ appearance was transformed so that his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as light. Suddenly, Moses and Elijah appeared and began talking with Jesus.

OBSERVATION: I notice that in verse 22 of this chapter Jesus predicts His death and the disciples grieve.  I have come to believe that the transfiguration was a time when God clarified and established Jesus’ status for the disciples.  He was above Moses and Elijah.  This establishment was all the more important because of the way Jesus would die.

APPLICATION:  Even today I think we sometimes make others the equal of Jesus, or even sometimes the superior.  Jesus is the King of kings and Lord of lords.  He is to have the ultimate place of authority in our lives and his teaching is to be understood as the ultimate truth.

PRAYER: Lord help us to honor you with the highest place of authority in our lives.  Help us to look to your life and words to shape our own.  Thank you for the privilege of being your servants. AMEN

SCRIPTURE: Psalm 139:23-24 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.

OBSERVATION: The Psalmist wants to be right with God and understands that there may be things in his life that he had not noticed for which he needs to repent.

APPLICATION: Being right with God is not simply a matter of my doing what I think is right.  It is a matter of yielding to God and what God thinks is right.  We too would do well to ask God to examine us and to ask God to open our hearts to the convictions of the Holy Spirit so that we can repent and walk in God’s way.

PRAYER:  Search me, O God and know my heart.  Give me understanding from your Holy Spirit so that I can give over to you every aspect of my life. AMEN

SCRIPTURE:  Matthew 15:12-14 Then the disciples came to him and asked, “Do you realize you offended the Pharisees by what you just said?” 13 Jesus replied, “Every plant not planted by my heavenly Father will be uprooted, 14 so ignore them. They are blind guides leading the blind, and if one blind person guides another, they will both fall into a ditch.”

OBSERVATION:  The disciples are concerned that Jesus has offended some of the religious leaders.  Jesus is concerned that the people are being misled by the misguided Pharisees.

APPLICATION:  If other leaders are offended by the truth, so be it.  God is concerned about the people being led rightly.

PRAYER:  Gracious God, help us to listen to you and to teach what you teach so that all your children will be led where you want them to go. AMEN

SCRIPTURE: Psalm 142:3 When I am overwhelmed, you alone know the way I should turn.

SCRIPTURE: Matthew 13:12 To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them.

OBSERVATION:  The key to more understanding and obtaining an abundance of knowledge is listening to Jesus’ teaching.  And, those who have knowledge will lose it if they do not listen.

APPLICATION:  In this age of enlightenment, we sometimes are deceived into believing that we know more on our own then Jesus.  We come to believe that we do not need the help of Jesus teaching.  This text reminds us as people of faith that our understanding and knowledge do indeed come from Jesus and we rely on His teaching for our lives.

PRAYER:  Lord, help us to both listen and desire to listen to your teachings.  Help us to grow in understanding so that we can live and respond to the challenges of our lives in ways that honor you and produce fruit that will last.  AMEN

SCRIPTURE: Matthew 12:25 Jesus knew their thoughts and replied, “Any kingdom divided by civil war is doomed. A town or family splintered by feuding will fall apart.

OBSERVATION:  Division dooms a community.  

APPLICATION:  We really do need each other, NEED EACH OTHER.  And so when we are divided, our needs are not met, we become vulnerable.  It is like when someones immune system begins attacking their own body.  This condition must be stopped or the body dies.  But, long before the body dies, it is sick and ineffective.  Communities that are not standing together are also ineffective.

PRAYER:  Lord, help us to learn how not to tear each other down.  Help us to so focus on you that we move together as a community in the same direction.  AMEN