Yesterday was a very emotional day...
Even though Jason, our youngest, has been at college for 2 weeks and the house has been empty, yesterday was the day for parent/freshmen orientation and the official goodbye at the college. Tears flowed as we prayed and hugged before leaving the campus. I am so thankful for the emotions that let each of us know how much love there is between us. Now it is a quiet day at home after many road trips over the last couple of weeks. God is healing and I am preparing for the chemo days ahead. I need to take advantage of these days to accomplish some book work and study of upcoming events.
My run through 1 John 3:11-24 brought me full circle on John's main points. I am going to take the 4 tests and give them a number and the 5 things we receive from God and give them a letter and then go through this verse by verse and list number and letter the references. John, I think, has given us all the material and now he is going to circle back around to it again and again.
This passage also contains the story of Cain and Abel. I think this will be a major teaching point this Sunday. One gave just "an offering" while the other gave the "firstborn". Cain was corrected by God on his leftover gift and given the opportunity to make it right but he didn't. After the dirty deed, Cain covered his sin rather than confessed it. "God knows" as a good friend of mine used to say. When we don't give God's way, we are like Cain and our countenance is downcast and I think not only God but others can tell it. When we give God our leftovers and not our best, it shows up in our attitude and outlook. That giving goes way beyond our wallet but that one is sometimes the hardest one to surrender. I have seen people struggle to give God their first fruits and watched them grow distance from God. I have also seen people put it into practice and you can see the change in their lives. God knew what He was talking about when it comes to this.
Adam
My run through 1 John 3:11-24 brought me full circle on John's main points. I am going to take the 4 tests and give them a number and the 5 things we receive from God and give them a letter and then go through this verse by verse and list number and letter the references. John, I think, has given us all the material and now he is going to circle back around to it again and again.
This passage also contains the story of Cain and Abel. I think this will be a major teaching point this Sunday. One gave just "an offering" while the other gave the "firstborn". Cain was corrected by God on his leftover gift and given the opportunity to make it right but he didn't. After the dirty deed, Cain covered his sin rather than confessed it. "God knows" as a good friend of mine used to say. When we don't give God's way, we are like Cain and our countenance is downcast and I think not only God but others can tell it. When we give God our leftovers and not our best, it shows up in our attitude and outlook. That giving goes way beyond our wallet but that one is sometimes the hardest one to surrender. I have seen people struggle to give God their first fruits and watched them grow distance from God. I have also seen people put it into practice and you can see the change in their lives. God knew what He was talking about when it comes to this.
Adam
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