Passage of the week:
Life Through the Spirit
8 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
5 Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6 The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. 7 The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8 Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.
9 You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ.10 But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness.11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.”
– Romans 8:1-11
Hey Everyone,
This week’s passage speaks about life and the constant battle between the way of the world and the way of the spirit. This has been a message that my parents spoke to me about at an early age. Now that I’m a parent of my own, I have a different perspective on the same message I’ve been hearing my entire life. When I was younger I thought it was my parent’s way of telling me that money or fancy things don’t buy happiness. As Nolan is getting older and more aware, I realized that this message isn’t so much about WHAT we have but how much power we give worldly things. Focusing on things of the flesh isn’t only related to material things but also the pieces of our heart that we give to the things of this world that are not of the spirit. While we struggle every day to perfectly balance how much love and focus we give to each of the competing priorities in our life, God does not sparse apart His love for us. He does not give His heart in pieces but gives us the whole thing. Slowly, but surely, I am learning to give larger pieces of my heart to God, not just what I can spare.
– Josh
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