At The Movies | Saturday
Saturday | July 18
This Week's Focus:
Our culture often tells us, "Your past defines you." But in Christ, we are forgiven and released from our past, so we can be set free to experience real, hopeful joy grounded in the present and looking to the future.
Our culture often tells us, "Your past defines you." But in Christ, we are forgiven and released from our past, so we can be set free to experience real, hopeful joy grounded in the present and looking to the future.
Scripture
Scripture Helps Us Hear God And Live His Truth.
"Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him. In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us.”
Colossians 3:9-11 NLT
Colossians 3:9-11 NLT
New Life
As we end this week, what better place to conclude then with the promise of new life? Through his words to the Colossians, Paul invites us to take the bold steps of stripping off the old sinful nature and putting on a new nature, renewed by God to become more and more like Him every day.
We may wrestle with the effects of bitterness, guilt, and shame. But we can also realize the truth of how Christ atones for our guilt, steps into our shame, and renews our hearts so we can let go of bitterness. It is through Christ, our focus on Him, that we can finally release the past, move forward, and accept our identity as a child of God.
But the restoration and new life Paul talks about aren't just for us - they're for everyone. We are unified in Christ, all sinners in our own right, yet found, forgiven, and freed (Romans 3:23). Jesus becomes the peace that tears down the walls separating us, so that we can experience genuine and lasting reconciliation (1 Corinthians 12:12–13).
May you step into that new life, for yourself and others, so you can be set free to experience real, hopeful joy grounded in the present and looking to the future.
We may wrestle with the effects of bitterness, guilt, and shame. But we can also realize the truth of how Christ atones for our guilt, steps into our shame, and renews our hearts so we can let go of bitterness. It is through Christ, our focus on Him, that we can finally release the past, move forward, and accept our identity as a child of God.
But the restoration and new life Paul talks about aren't just for us - they're for everyone. We are unified in Christ, all sinners in our own right, yet found, forgiven, and freed (Romans 3:23). Jesus becomes the peace that tears down the walls separating us, so that we can experience genuine and lasting reconciliation (1 Corinthians 12:12–13).
May you step into that new life, for yourself and others, so you can be set free to experience real, hopeful joy grounded in the present and looking to the future.
Reflection
Reflection Helps Us Pause, Listen, And Let God Speak To Our Hearts.
- How does my identity as a child of God reshape the way I view my past mistakes?
- Am I withholding the good news of Jesus from someone because of something they did?
- What "old" things am I holding onto that are keeping me from becoming more and more like Christ?
Weekly Memory Verse
Read It Once A Day. Let It Shape How You Think And Pray This Week.
"Love prospers when a fault is forgiven, but dwelling on it separates close friends."
Proverbs 17:9 NLT
Proverbs 17:9 NLT
Prayer
Through Prayer, We Talk To God And Listen For His Guidance.
Lord, thank you for saving me. Help me to have the courage to use every opportunity to share who you are with those around me. Even those who have hurt me. I praise you for continually making me more like you. Amen.
Come Back Tomorrow
Join us Monday as we seek to learn how to choose hope in all circumstances.