Refreshing Our Spirits With Scripture

Mark 7. 20  He went on: “What comes out of a person is what defiles them. 21  For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, 22  adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. 23  All these evils come from inside and defile a person.” Psalm 2 Psalm 2 1  Why do the nations conspire [ a ]      and the peoples plot in vain? 2  The kings of the earth rise up      and the rulers band together      against the Lord and against his anointed, saying, 3  “Let us break their chains      and throw off their shackles.” 4  The One enthroned in heaven laughs;      the Lord scoffs at them. 5  He rebukes them in his anger      and terrifies them in his wrath, saying, 6  “I have installed my king      on Zion, my holy mountain.” 7  I will proclaim the Lord ’s decree: He said to me, “You are my son;      today I have become your father. 8  Ask me,      and I will make the nation

Mark 11. 22  “Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. 23  “Truly [ f ] I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. 24  Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. 25  And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.” [26]  [ g ] Psalm 1 1  Blessed is the one      who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take      or sit in the company of mockers, 2  but whose delight is in the law of the Lord ,      and who meditates on his law day and night. 3  That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,      which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—      whatever they do prospers. 4  Not so the wicked!      They are like cha

Luke 7. 36  When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. 37  A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. 38  As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them. 39  When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.” 40  Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.” “Tell me, teacher,” he said. 41  “Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, [ c ] and the other fifty. 42  Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?” 43 

John 10. 11  “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12  The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. 13  The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. 14  “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— 15  just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16  I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. 17  The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. 18  No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.” Psalm 23. The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothin

Ron Rose reminded me this morning of an early story in one of Max Lucado's books Years ago, my friend, Max Lucado, told me a story. A poor Brazilian single parent, named Maria and her daughter Christina, were living in a little village on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro. Christina was 15, strong-willed and desperate for excitement. She dreamed of the day when she would leave this "do nothing" village and live in the lights of Rio. Then one day, without warning, Christina was gone. Her note said she was headed to the city. Maria was devastated. She took on extra jobs, sold household items, gathered all her savings, and bought a bus ticket to Rio. At the station she found a photo kiosk; there she spent all she had left for pictures of herself. Once in Rio, Maria searched everywhere for her defiant daughter. She left a picture of herself at each place she visited. She didn't find Christina, or anyone who knew her, but she left lots of pictures. fi

John 3. 16  For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18  Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. 19  This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20  Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. 21  But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God. Psalm 26. Vindicate me, Lord ,      for I have led a blameless life; I have trusted in the Lord      and have not faltered. 2  Test me, Lord , and try me,      examine my he

Revelation 21. 6  He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of lif e. Psalm 63. Psalm 63 [ a ] A psalm of David. When he was in the Desert of Judah. 1  You, God, are my God,      earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you,      my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land      where there is no water. 2  I have seen you in the sanctuary      and beheld your power and your glory. 3  Because your love is better than life,      my lips will glorify you. 4  I will praise you as long as I live,      and in your name I will lift up my hands. 5  I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods;      with singing lips my mouth will praise you. 6  On my bed I remember you;      I think of you through the watches of the night. 7  Because you are my help,      I sing in the shadow of your wings. 8  I cling to you;      your right hand upholds me.