"A Long Way Off"

11 And he said, “There was a man who had two sons. 12 And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided his property between them. 13 Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living. 14 And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to[b] one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. 16 And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything.

17 “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father's hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.”’ 20 And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. 21 And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’[c] 22 But the father said to his servants,[d] ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. 23 And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. 24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate.
- Luke 15:11-24

17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation;
- 2 Corinthians 5:17-18

Reconciliation - To restore friendly relations between. 

 

"What Do I Do?"

Injustices exist in our world.

“...And what does the Lord require of you?”
- Micah 6:8

God cares deeply and directly about injustice in our world.

They covet fields and seize them, and houses, and take them. They defraud people of their homes, they rob them of their inheritance.
- Micah 2:2

If a liar and deceiver comes and says, ‘I will prophesy for you plenty of wine and beer,’ that would be just the prophet for this people!
- Micah 2:11

Listen to what the Lord says: “Stand up, plead my case before the mountains;let the hills hear what you have to say. “Hear, you mountains, the Lord’s accusation; listen, you everlasting foundations of the earth. For the Lord has a case against his people; he is lodging a charge against Israel.
- Micah 6:1-2

God addresses the hurt by first adjusting our hearts.

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. (NIV)
- Micah 6:8

Adjusting our hearts prepares us to address our world.

1. Act justly

27 He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.
- Luke 10:27

2. Love mercy

34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.
- John 13:34

3. Walk humbly with your God

5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!
- Philippians 2:5-8
 

"Crossing the Line"

28 And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” 29 Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
- Mark 12:28-31

30 Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. 32 So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. 34 He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ 36 Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” 37 He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”
- Luke 10:30-37 

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. 4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
- 1 Corinthians 13:1-7

  1. Start with Yourself

  2. Find common ground. You have more in common than you think

  3. Don’t let past experiences dictate the future.

  4. Be who Jesus made you to be and get used to crossing the line

9 After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!“
- Revelation 7:9-10

9 Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. 10 Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
- Matthew 6:9-10

"Catch Me If You Can"

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.  3 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
- Psalm 23:1-5

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
- Psalm 23: 6

As we follow the Lord, His goodness and mercy follows us

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
- Psalm 23:6

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
- Psalm 23:6

17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
- James 1:17

Not everything you go through is good, but God will always bring good things out of what you go through.

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
- Psalm 23:6

Radaph - to pursue with extreme energy; to chase; to run after

Jesus says My sheep hear my voice, I know them and they follow me.
- John 10:27

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
- Psalm 23:6

God is good in this life and the next

Jesus says I am the good shepherd, He laid his life down for his sheep. Because of what Jesus did on the cross, we can be assured that we will continue to dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
- John 10:11 

In the Battle

5 You prepare a table before me...
- Psalm 23:5

Life is interrupted by battles.

5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies...
- Psalm 23:5

Most of us want to leave our battles.

11 When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid
- 1 Samuel 17:11

God wants us to receive in our battles!

Three Ways We Can Receive in Our Battle:

1. God can bless us in our battles.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies...
- Psalm 23:5

2. God prepares us in our battles.

“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil…”
- Psalm 23:5

36 Your servant has struck down both lions and bears, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God.” 
- 1 Samuel 17:36

3. God can use us in the battle.

“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.”
- Psalm 23:5

We receive in the battle when we resolve to follow God forward.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
- Psalm 23:6

"God’s Presence in the Valley"

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
- Psalm 23:4

Valleys are temporary

God’s divine presence is always with you

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
- Psalm 23:4

18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
- Matthew 28:18-20

We have assurance in God’s guidance and protection

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
- Psalm 23:4

"Mother's Day"

9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
- 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

God’s Grace is Sufficient

2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.
- James 1:2-3

Mothers are made perfect “IN” God’s grace

God turns your weakness into strength

12 Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.
- James 1:12

"Project: Restoration"

He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
- Psalm 23:3

HE RESTORES MY SOUL

“You don’t have a soul. You are a soul. You have a body.” 
- George Macdonald 

OUR SOULS ARE PRONE TO FAIL

 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
- Psalm 23:3

 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
- Psalm 23:3

THE LORD TAKES OWNERSHIP OF YOUR WELL BEING

"Living Backwards"

2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.  
- Psalm 23:2

“In pastures green He makes me to lie down Beside the waters still He leads me.”
-Psalm 23:2, written from right-to-left as it was in Classical Hebrew.

God designed us to begin from a place of rest.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
- John 1:1

24 you loved me before the foundation of the world.
-
John 17:24

And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.
-
Genesis 1:5

We’re trying to navigate a restless world with our restless hearts.

2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.  
- Psalm 23:2

A Cycle of Works

  1. Work

  2. Significance

  3. Sustenance

  4. Acceptance

Jesus lived in our restless world with a rested heart.

28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
- Matthew 11:28-29

Jesus restores us to God and the way He designed us to live.

A Cycle of Grace

  1. Acceptance

  2. Sustenance

  3. Significance

  4. Work



"Is God your Guide or Your Ride?"

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
- Psalm 23:1

THE LORD

Jehovah or Yahweh - the self revealing God

Rohi - To feed; to lead.

the Lord IS

Is - Present tense. God is with you right now

the Lord is MY 

David’s relationship was personal and intimate 

4 “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?
-  Luke 15:4

The Lord is my SHEPHERD

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not WANT

My sheep hear my voice, I know them and they follow me.
- John 10:27