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. (John 3:16)

This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. (1 John 3:16)

John 3:16 is the life-source description of God’s saving work in our lives. 1 John 3:16 also offers a deep truth of the life we are saved to live.

Much of the Christian world has only experienced the first half of the gospel, the John 3:16 portion of Truth. 1 John 3:16 ushers us into the second half of the gospel, the transformation of being conformed to the image and character of Christ. As we are changed, so are those around us. J. D. Walt says, “The journey of awakening is the Spirit-empowered, hard-fought movement of John 3:16 to 1 John 3:16. Our calling is to press beyond adolescent faith and grow up into the maturity of love, which is nothing less than the fullness of Jesus Christ. When the people of God learn to live in 1 John 3:16, the watching world will begin to believe John 3:16. When one generation embraces the calling into the second half of the gospel, the next generation will risk the faith to trust the first half.”

Ask the Lord of the Harvest to lead you into the beautiful dimensions of the second half of the gospel.

Prayer Focus: Sanctuary Youth

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By wisdom, a house is built,
    and through understanding it is established;
⁴ through knowledge its rooms are filled
    with rare and beautiful treasures.

⁵ The wise prevail through great power
and those who have knowledge muster their strength.
⁶ Surely you need guidance to wage war,
    and victory is won through many advisers. (Proverbs 24:3–6)

Solomon was the great poet of Proverbs, extolling the wisdom with which God had gifted him. The book of Proverbs speaks to how the God-fearing man should live instead of living for the world.

Men and women are tempted to envy those around them that appear to be most prosperous, the trap of comparison that leads to death. In this passage, we are reminded that the life of stability is one that seeks the Lord and is dependent upon God’s power. Here it is recommended that wisdom has the greatest influence on the prosperity of our life. Let us seek the wisdom on which we should build our lives and allow God to direct us according to His good ways.

What are you seeking to build today? Seek God’s wisdom first, relying on His ways. Find comfort in trusting God for His wisdom above anything offered by the world.

Prayer Focus: Blue Skies

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Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.²⁵ Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. ²⁶ Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other. (Galatians 5:24–26)

Paul is writing to the Galatians to defend the authority of the gospel, as many were turning from faith to legalism. Today this concept is prevalent in our culture; we try to earn God’s favor or we become complacent in “doing good works” outside the dependency of the leading of the Spirit.

Ask the Spirit to guide you today, to give you discernment and courage to respond as He’s calling you. Ask God to place His will as the desire of your heart, recognizing that your old ways, the desires of your flesh, have been crucified with Christ. Pray for the Spirit to facilitate your conversations today and for God to guide your steps and protect your mind from the ways of the flesh.

Prayer Focus: FCA

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Where can I go from your Spirit?
    Where can I flee from your presence?
⁸ If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
    if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
⁹ If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
    if I settle on the far side of the sea,
¹⁰ even there your hand will guide me,
    your right hand will hold me fast.
¹¹ If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
    and the light become night around me,”
¹² even the darkness will not be dark to you;
    the night will shine like the day,
    for darkness is as light to you. (Psalm 139:7–12)

This psalm of David recognizes God’s omnipresence. He knows the depths of our hearts and yet loves us the same. As the psalm states, there is nowhere we can go to escape the presence of our God.

Do you live in recognition of God’s presence in your everyday life? Today, seek to stay alert to the light in your day, giving praise to God for His constant presence. Ask God to make you aware of His presence as you go throughout the different aspects of your day: work, routine, carpool, laundry, meetings, travels, meals. Whatever composes your day, be assured that He ordered this day and is with you in it.

Prayer Focus: Women at Sanctuary

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Arise, cry out in the night,
    as the watches of the night begin;
pour out your heart like water
    in the presence of the Lord.
Lift up your hands to him
    for the lives of your children,
who faint from hunger
    at every street corner. (Lamentations 2:19)

Deep grief is expressed in Lamentations, grief at the destruction of Jerusalem and the devastation of its nation. In the midst of tragedy and desolation, there is still space for hope and to realize the mercy of God as He turns all sin, damage, and loss to be used for His good.

We are called to confession and a posture of repentance as we become aware of sin in our lives. Take some time today to ask God to expose and reveal to you the sins lurking in your depths, those lying in dark, hidden spaces. Ask Him to bring them into the light for repentance and for healing.

As we repent, we can praise God for the price that has been paid for our sins by the power of the cross. Ask God for a greater understanding of His grace, grace that covers our multitude of sins.

“Sin is the second most powerful force in the universe, for it sent Jesus to the cross. Only one force is greater—the love of God.” —Billy Graham

Prayer Focus: Men at Sanctuary

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Your beginnings will seem humble,
    so prosperous will your future be. (Job 8:7)

Job’s friends each gave him advice. Eliphaz was gentle and indirect; Bildad, the speaker here, was impatient and insensitive. While Bildad’s words are true, it appears that Bildad’s theology was far more important to him than Job himself.

God’s invitation to transformation is at the heart of all that we desire to do and be as a Faith Family. The ministry expansion at Sanctuary allows us each the opportunity to be reminded that hearts and souls and lives are at the heart of the Great Commission—not our comfort or preferences.

We have been given the high honor of being entrusted with being stewards and sowers of The Great Story of God. In that posture, what small, humble step can you take toward one of His children today?

Prayer Focus: Children’s Ministry Sowers

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Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
    How unsearchable his judgments,
    and his paths beyond tracing out!
³⁴ “Who has known the mind of the Lord?
    Or who has been his counselor?”
³⁵ “Who has ever given to God,
    that God should repay them?”
³⁶ For from him and through him and for him are all things.
    To him be the glory forever! Amen. (Romans 11:33–36)

In this chapter, Paul expresses the sovereignty of God, arguing that the Lord did not reject His people, Israel. The close of the chapter is an expression of adoration to God for His mercies, which are far beyond our understanding.

Our God has no counselor. He is the one above all things. He knows our every thought. We often try to give back to God what cost us nothing. We can be free from our self-sufficiency and self-idolization and live freely, trusting in the Creator of and over all.

Praise God today for already knowing the path ahead of you. Praise God for His wisdom and knowledge and for His sovereignty, which is beyond our comprehension. Ask God to give you a greater understanding of His character. Ask God to give you an understanding of the things He wants you to know and a peace to surrender the things that are not for you to know today.

Prayer Focus: Global Team

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Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! ⁵ Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. ⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. ⁸ Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. ⁹ Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4:4–9)

 Paul’s exhortation to the church at Philippi was to communicate the need to live in unity and in a posture of joy and truth. He closed his remarks to the church with thanksgiving and prayer for their people, expressing gratitude for their prayers and support while he was on his journey.

No matter your circumstances on earth, they are incomparable to heaven. Seek God for help to place your mind today on what is right, pure, noble, and praiseworthy. Each time you are tempted to start to focus on the things around you set your thoughts on the hope before you. Rejoice today, and rest in the unending peace of our Sovereign God.

Prayer Focus: Divorce Care

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Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” And it was so. (Genesis 1:11)

At the beginning of creation, God created plants to be seed-bearing. They would be reproducible. No plant or fruit would ever be exactly the same, but each would be unique to its own inherent, God-infused nature. It’s not just nature that has the inherent nature of God, but humankind as well—including you.

God’s desire is to partner with you in bringing small seeds to a full harvest. That process takes time. Soul work is slow work. But from the beginning of time, God has been writing a Harvest Story. J. D. Walt says, “Awakening begins in a lifeless valley filled with dry bones. It comes to full fruition on the lush banks of a rushing river, bringing life wherever it goes. The story of awakening runs an epic course of deep sleep to an awe-inspiring movement of everlasting life. It winds along the way of the cross. It ends in the country of eternal possibility—nothing short of resurrection life.” And it was so. And it is so. Thank God for being the “author and perfecter of our faith.”

Prayer Focus: Men’s Ministry Sowers

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