Silence and Centering

Psalm 46:10

“Be still, and know that I am God!

Confession:

Gracious God, we confess that we are often dissatisfied with our lives. We recognize the gap that exists between what we are and what we want to be. Lord, like the woman at the well, we know our failures, and we feel guilty 
because You know them. We feel shame because others also know. Grant that we may hear and believe the Good News, 
that in our Lord Jesus Christ, 
we are loved in spite of our failures, forgiven in spite of our guilt, 
and accepted in spite of our shame. Inspire us by Your love and grace 
and grant us the spiritual strength
to follow and serve You. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen

PAUSE FOR 2 MINUTES OF SILENCE

Devotional – By Ron Ovitt

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. — For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:1, 38-39 (NIV)

It is so hard for me to accept the love that God has for me. I want to believe that He loves me with an unconditional love and then I slip up. I fail to do something right, make a mistake, get someone mad at me and my life starts to unravel. The lies begin to fill my head and I find myself hopelessly loss in a system of “works” gone awry. A tyrannical voice banishes me to annihilation. After all, I have fallen from perfection. Does this sound extreme? For so many it is not. We strive for perfection, saying God loves us but in reality, we do everything we can to make sure He will love us.

We fear that He will reject us if we commit the “unforgivable sin”. The sad truth is, in our perfectionist mindset, every sin is unforgivable. We need to see this for what it is–a lie straight from the pit of Hell itself. The truth is, there is nothing we can do to have Jesus love us one ounce more. At the same time, there is nothing we can do to have Jesus love us one ounce less! Paul’s declaration cuts through our chains, “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus!” Let the truth of today’s passage set us free—nothing, not even our own mistakes, can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Today, settle it once and for all. Accept the unconditional love that God has for you.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Thank You, dear Jesus, for Your death and resurrection. Thank You for becoming the sacrifice for my sin. Thank You for Your salvation and your unconditional love for me. AMEN

2 Minutes of SILENT PRAYER & REFLECTION.