Oh, that the Spirit’s Fruit Grew Like Zucchini

June 5, 2021 Heavenward SCOTTY SMITH Oh, that the Spirit's Fruit Grew Like Zucchini SCOTTY SMITH “The Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives:” Galatians 5:22 Lord Jesus, I wish the Spirit’s fruit were like zucchini—easy to grow, and always plenty to share. Please grow a bumper crop of these delicacies in our hearts this summer. Love – Renew us in your every-dimension love (Eph. 3:18-19), that we may love others as you love us (John 13:34-35). Joy – Grant us a joy that transcends our circumstances, sabotages our excuses, and turns our worries into worship. Peace – May your peace tame our anxieties and shrink our fears. Patience – Jesus, enable us to see your heart and hand at work in all things and people. Free us from our controlling, rigid, grumpy ways. Kindness – There’s no justification for us ever being curt, rude, and harsh. Goodness – We’re not saved by our works, but for a life of good works. Order our heart and hands accordingly. Faithfulness – Forgive us when we make promises lightly, and fail to follow through on stuff. Gentleness – Gentle our rough edges, edgy words, and tart reactions. Grow a non-anxious, kind spirit within us—one that embraces conflicts as a part of life. Self-control – Whether our default mode is workaholism or couch-potato-ness, OCD-ness about food, or “carbs-make-me-happy,” may we live at grace’s pace, and by heaven’s wisdom and Gospel-values, for our neighbor’s good. We can’t grow this fruit; but you can, will, and are. Make us more like yourself, Jesus. Hallelujah, and Amen.   Wish you had roundup of our best content? Subscribe to our weekly Update. SIGN ME UP! About Us    |     Council    |     Donate ©2020 The Gospel Coalition, All Rights Reserved. P.O. Box 170346 — Austin, TX 78717 Update Email  |  Unsubscribe

A Redemptive-Attitude in a Bad-Attitude Culture

June 4, 2021 Heavenward SCOTTY SMITH A Redemptive-Attitude in a Bad-Attitude Culture SCOTTY SMITH “Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many.” (Heb. 12:15); “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” (Eph. 4:31-32) Heavenly Father, we are your in-Christ, cherished daughters and sons. We’re also your Spirit-convicted children. In a culture of hair-trigger faultfinding, quick-to-take-offense sensitivity, grudge-nursing snarkiness, you call us to be different. Grant us fresh grace, thicker skin, and bigger hearts. You’ve called us to be the firstfruits of your Kingdom of grace and peace, not a religious version of the world around us. In any conflict (among friends, in marriage, on boards, at work) we can “play to win,” or position ourselves to serve. Using “Gospel-Round Up,” may we spray-and-kill every root of resentment, bitterness, and spite growing in the garden of our hearts. May we swim in the ocean of your grace more often than we wallow in pigsty of our gripes; and abide in Jesus’ love longer than we linger in the toxins of our anger. May we build more listening-bridges, and throw fewer diatribe-grenades. Father—all the time and everywhere, you are writing stories of redemption, with the ink of the Gospel and stylus of your sovereignty. It’s what history is all about. Rescue us when we forget. So very Amen we pray, in Jesus’ tender and triumphant name.   Wish you had roundup of our best content? Subscribe to our weekly Update. SIGN ME UP! About Us    |     Council    |     Donate ©2020 The Gospel Coalition, All Rights Reserved. P.O. Box 170346 — Austin, TX 78717 Update Email  |  Unsubscribe

Trusting God with Huge, Middle-sized, and Smallish Stuff

June 3, 2021 Heavenward SCOTTY SMITH Trusting God with Huge, Middle-sized, and Smallish Stuff SCOTTY SMITH “To him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine… to him be glory.” Eph. 3:20-21 Heavenly Father, we stand two-footed and whole-hearted on Paul’s hope-filled declaration. May we worry measurably less and trust measurably quicker, as you do immeasurably more. We pray for pastors and missionaries impacted by the lingering complexities of the pandemic. Though the virus is waning in many places, discouragement, stress, and burnout continue to increase. Bring your Fatherly presence to bear in supernatural ways. Use us as tangible expressions of your mercy and grace. We continue to pray for our friends, spouses, and children who have yet to receive the free gift of eternal life. May Jesus become irresistible to them, whatever it takes. Only your Spirit can give them life, but we can certainly give them your welcome, kindness, and love. We pray for single moms juggling the challenges of parenthood, finances, and loneliness. We also pray for friends and family members needing employment, health care, and tangible/touchable hope. In the “beyond-all-we-can-imagine” prayer-category, we ask you for a major outpouring of your Holy Spirit on our church families—a veritable revival in the U.S.A, and beyond. You’ve called us to be “salt and light” in the world, but in recent years, we lived more like “old mold and unlit candles,” bitter herbs and bickering children, “the yeast of indifference” and cocked-and-loaded criticizers. Forgive us Father. Can dry bones live again? Heck yes (Ezekiel 37). So very Amen we pray, in Jesus’ mighty and merciful name. Wish you had roundup of our best content? Subscribe to our weekly Update. SIGN ME UP! About Us    |     Council    |     Donate ©2020 The Gospel Coalition, All Rights Reserved. P.O. Box 170346 — Austin, TX 78717 Update Email  |  Unsubscribe

The World to Come and Our Story to Live

June 2, 2021 Heavenward SCOTTY SMITH The World to Come and Our Story to Live SCOTTY SMITH “It is not to angels that he has subjected the world to come, about which we are speaking.” Hebrews 2:5 Lord Jesus, because of your finished work, there is “a world to come.” It’s what meant when you taught us to pray, “your Kingdom come, your will be done on earth, as in heaven.” Providence, not happenstance, rules. Beauty, not brokenness will prevail. We’re not waiting for “pie in the sky,” but for you on the earth. When you return, Jesus, you will usher in “the new heaven and new earth.” It will be the best of Eden, but so very much more. If Eden was a tiny glory-bud, the new heaven and new earth will be a gigantic grace-garden. This very earth—not a re-do or replacement, will be filled with the knowledge of our God. Your every-nation Bride will be gathered and glorified. Hallelujah, and therefore… Faith—not fear Generosity—not hoarding Gospel-neighboring—not privacy fences Kingdom partnerships—not retirement planning Bold, loving mission—not navel-gazing in-grown-ness… These things are the order of this, and every day, until the great, grace-Day of your return. Lord Jesus, thank you for making us characters in, and carriers of, your great Story of redemption and restoration. Who are we? We are in Christ and on mission. That pretty well sums it up. You are the rest (peace) of our lives, and for the rest of our days, free us to love and serve you. So very Amen we pray, in your triumphant and trustworthy name. Wish you had roundup of our best content? Subscribe to our weekly Update. SIGN ME UP! About Us    |     Council    |     Donate ©2020 The Gospel Coalition, All Rights Reserved. P.O. Box 170346 — Austin, TX 78717 Update Email  |  Unsubscribe

Let’s Live As “One-sies” in a World of “Many’s”

June 1, 2021 Heavenward SCOTTY SMITH Let's Live As "One-sies" in a World of "Many's" SCOTTY SMITH The Apostle Paul: “One thing I do…” Phil. 3:13 King David: “One thing have I desired of the LORD…” Ps. 27:4 Jesus: “Only one thing is necessary, and Mary chose it.” Luke 10:42 Lord Jesus, “clutter” is like zucchini and crabgrass. It keeps growing and multiplying. Once a treasure, now a dust-catching bother. Once an obsessive fear of missing out (FOMO), now a deep craving for quiet. Closets and schedules are one thing; but our hearts are an altogether different matter. The older we get, the less heart-space we have. In our most Gospel-sane moments, none of us really craves “busy-ness” and “more-ness”—except more of you. So, help us de-clutter and re-center on you, Jesus. In a world of driven “Many’s,” we want to be focused “One-sies.” Like Paul, living heavenward. Like David, craving your beauty. Like Mary, choosing communing with you, over doing for you. Do a fresh work in our hearts, Jesus, one that will lead us to say with childlike wonder and singular joy, “I consider all things rubbish compared to the surpassing excellency of knowing Jesus” (Phil. 3:7-10). “Whom have I in heaven but you? I desire you more than anything on earth.” (Psalm 73:25) May our schedules, choices, and attitudes demonstrate that our delight is in you, and our desire is for you. We will never regret loving you more, and other stuff less. So very Amen we pray, in your beautiful and loving name.   Wish you had roundup of our best content? Subscribe to our weekly Update. SIGN ME UP! About Us    |     Council    |     Donate ©2020 The Gospel Coalition, All Rights Reserved. P.O. Box 170346 — Austin, TX 78717 Update Email  |  Unsubscribe

Gentleness Is Gorgeousness

May 31, 2021 Heavenward SCOTTY SMITH Gentleness Is Gorgeousness SCOTTY SMITH Learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart. Matt. 11:29 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Phil. 4:5 Lord Jesus, I want to be more like you, especially your gentleness. No one is more kind to the broken, understanding of strugglers, and patient with the wayward than you. Unlike me, you never get flustered, agitated, or hurried. That is so attractive—even gorgeous. Gentle me with the truth and riches of the Gospel, when Satan accuses me of things I didn’t do, and condemns me for things I did do. I am so glad you are my righteousness, not my second chance. Gentle me by the power of the Holy Spirit, when I’m with people who see faith, life choices, and government matters quite differently from me. Jesus, you haven’t made me anybody’s boss or sheriff; but you have called me to be kind, respectful, and gentle towards all. Gentle me with your other-centered-love, when everybody else is catching fish, but me; and when other guys fix things so easily, and my brain just doesn’t work that way. Comparing ourselves to others usually results in envy, and you tell us envy makes our bones rot (Prov.14:30). Lord Jesus, as Paul stated, you are “near.” You are so near us in the Gospel; in fact, you live in our hearts. You are also near in terms of coming back to finish making all things new. May that happen soon. So very Amen we pray, in your powerful and loving name.     Wish you had roundup of our best content? Subscribe to our weekly Update. SIGN ME UP! About Us    |     Council    |     Donate ©2020 The Gospel Coalition, All Rights Reserved. P.O. Box 170346 — Austin, TX 78717 Update Email  |  Unsubscribe