7 Reasons for Doing Gospel-Cartwheels

June 17, 2023 Heavenward SCOTTY SMITH 7 Reasons for Doing Gospel-Cartwheels SCOTTY SMITH   Behold, ponder, contemplate—be astonished, smitten and speechless “at the great love the Father has lavished on us.” 1 John 3:1   Heavenly Father, thank you for being the Father we long for, always wanted, and desperately need. We call tomorrow Father’s Day; but in the Gospel, every day is Father’s Day. Here’s 7 of multiple reasons we’re grateful this is true. If I could do cartwheels, I’d do 7—one for each of these. Thank you for actually adopting us—not metaphorically, but for real and eternity. We are your children, Jesus our righteousness, and your sovereignty our sanity. Hallelujah! Thank you for giving us the “Spirit of sonship” (Rom.8:15-16)—the Holy Spirit as our permanent heart-guest. He’s always telling about Jesus and how much you love us. Because we easily forget and easily disbelieve. Thank you for being “the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort” (2 Cor. 1:3). We need both right now, for various scenarios and stories. Thank you for promising to finish the work you began in us (Phil. 1:6). A HUGE, “Whew!” for that one. We will be like Jesus. Thank you for the promise of no separation from your love, and that you’ll only discipline us in love (Heb. 12:6). Abba, help us believe the unbelievable: You love us as much as you love Jesus. Thank you for grace to forgive our earthly fathers—none of whom could be or replace you; grace for the ways we dads haven’t been the father we hoped; and grace to trust you for stories of healing and redemption on our way Home. Thank you for the spiritual dads you’ve given us—our Gospel-Fathers and grace-Papa’s who help us know you better and live for your glory. Thank you, and So Very Amen.   Wish you had a roundup of our best content? Subscribe to our weekly Update. SIGN ME UP! About Us    |     Council    |     Donate ©2023 The Gospel Coalition, All Rights Reserved. P.O. Box 170346 — Austin, TX 78717 Update Email  |  Unsubscribe

Loved This Much All of the Time—No Exceptions

June 16, 2023 Heavenward SCOTTY SMITH Loved This Much All of the Time—No Exceptions SCOTTY SMITH “While he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.” Luke 15:20   Heavenly Father, we’re still tempted to think of this kind of “heavenly-PDA” (public display of affection) as hyperbole, metaphor, poetry—or reserved for those who are worthy. Even we who have a great theology of the Gospel struggle with unbelief at times. It seems too good to be true. Our grace-allergies, Gospel-amnesia, and performance-based wiring—each of these wage war against our enjoyment of your love. And then there’s the lies of the enemy. On this “Father’s Day” weekend, continue to heal, free, and renew us. This story reveals the way you love each of your daughters and sons all the time, no exceptions. You see us—whether we have run far from you geographically, emotionally, theologically, morally, or by nothing more than busy indifference. You feel compassion—not disappointment, disapproval, or disgust. You run to us in the Gospel—our only hope and perpetual welcome. You embrace us—not a pat on the shoulders, the “right hand of fellowship,” or an awkward side hug. You kiss us. If it wasn’t in your Word, Father—if Jesus himself hadn’t given us this revelation of who you are… we wouldn’t believe it’s for us. Right now, you are running towards us—and after our loved ones and friends who remain strangers to your mercy and grace. Indeed, because of Jesus’ finished work on our behalf, you greatly delight in us, are committed to quiet us with your love, and rejoice over us with singing (Zeph. 3:17). Hallelujah, SO Very Amen, and heal our unbelief. Wish you had a roundup of our best content? Subscribe to our weekly Update. SIGN ME UP! About Us    |     Council    |     Donate ©2023 The Gospel Coalition, All Rights Reserved. P.O. Box 170346 — Austin, TX 78717 Update Email  |  Unsubscribe

Building, Praying, Keeping, Waiting—Participles for Knowing Jesus

June 15, 2023 Heavenward SCOTTY SMITH Building, Praying, Keeping, Waiting—Participles for Knowing Jesus SCOTTY SMITH “Dear friends, continue to build yourselves up in your most holy faith, pray in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in God’s love, as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.” (Jude 20-21)   Lord Jesus, there are so many things in life we have zero control over. Like, our loved one’s happiness, our favorite team winning, weather fronts, whether or not we’ll finally catch a 20” + brown trout, or a toddler’s sleeping. But your half-brother, Jude, gave us four things we can always do, irrespective of circumstances and happenstances: Building ourselves up in the faith: How do we do this, Jesus? There’s certainly more than one way, but it always involves hiding your Word in our hearts—looking for you everywhere in the Bible, Jesus. For you are the “Yes” to every promise God has made (2Cor.1:20)—our righteousness, life, hero, Bridegroom, and King. Praying in the Holy Spirit: Not just “saying our prayers”—but adoring you, communing with you, seeking you, Jesus—meditating on your truth, goodness, and beauty. First and foremost, prayer is getting more of you, not getting more “Yeses” from you. It’s a life of communing with you, not controlling outcomes. Keeping ourselves in your love: Though this sounds like earning your love, it’s the opposite. The issue is preoccupation with your love and loveliness, not procuring them. Something(s), someone(s) will seize our attention, pondering, emotional bandwidth, and longings. May it always be you, and your multidimensional love, Jesus (Eph.3:19-20). Waiting for the mercy of your return: Not waiting to be adored by our kids, idolized by a spouse, having enough money, or for things/people to change. But waiting for the Day of your return—the most mercy-pregnant Day in the remainder of history. So Very Amen.     Wish you had a roundup of our best content? Subscribe to our weekly Update. SIGN ME UP! About Us    |     Council    |     Donate ©2023 The Gospel Coalition, All Rights Reserved. P.O. Box 170346 — Austin, TX 78717 Update Email  |  Unsubscribe

Heart-fullness, Healing Words, and a Core of Peace

June 14, 2023 Heavenward SCOTTY SMITH Heart-fullness, Healing Words, and a Core of Peace SCOTTY SMITH “The Sovereign LORD has given me a well-instructed tongue, to know the word that comforts the weary” (Isa. 50:4). “What you say flows from what is in your heart” (Luke 6:45). “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger” (Prov. 15:1).   Lord Jesus, what if… what if our hearts were full-to-overflowing with these three things? (1) The assurance of your unwavering, only-grace-can-explain-it love for us. (2) Humility fueled from realizing you know our worse and never wince, or regret saving us. (3) Peace anchored in your sovereign rule over all things, and your unrelenting commitment to work in all things for our good. Jesus, if these three realities filled our hearts, the flow and overflow would radically shape how we speak to others. Our words would comfort the weary and heal the hurting—even disarm the angry. For “a gentle tongue can break a bone” (Prov.25:15. Gentleness is 1000 times more powerful than harshness. Your kindness first led us to repentance, and it continues to do so. Our reactionary snarkiness will only lead others to shame, shutdown, or snarkiness coming right back at us. We really don’t want that, Jesus. What we do want is to honor you. So fill us with your Holy Spirit afresh. Lord Jesus, enable us to see you sitting comfortably and joyfully atop your throne of grace, vested with authority over every personal crisis, family challenge, and threat to life as you designed it—over everything that robs us of sleep, peace, and hope. So Very Amen.   Wish you had a roundup of our best content? Subscribe to our weekly Update. SIGN ME UP! About Us    |     Council    |     Donate ©2023 The Gospel Coalition, All Rights Reserved. P.O. Box 170346 — Austin, TX 78717 Update Email  |  Unsubscribe

Jesus Unavoidably Beautiful and Precious to Us

June 13, 2023 Heavenward SCOTTY SMITH Jesus Unavoidably Beautiful and Precious to Us SCOTTY SMITH   “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you.” Eph.1:18   Heavenly Father, thank you for making hope our non-optional calling—the heart and life vocation of those you save by your grace, for your glory. What is the hope you have given us, to which you call us? The assurance that you will complete the good work you have begun in us (Phil. 1:6). One Day we will be as lovely and as loving as Jesus (1 John 3:1-3). There’s no chance we’ll ever be “un-born again,” “dis-adopted” as your beloved children, or snatched out of Jesus’ hand and heart. Hallelujah, our hope also includes everything broken becoming “all things new.” All sin, evil, disease, and anti-grace have an expiration date. No eye has seen, ear heard, or mind imagined all the goodness and grandeur you have planned for us. Thank you, Father. Free us from under-believing the Gospel and over-believing our fears—especially when life gets hard. We’re tired of being wimpy in our faith, too easily discouraged, and too immersed in our “selfism.” We know better than to be tricked by the lies of the enemy and the weakness of our flesh. So… For the rest of summer 2023, our prayer is as core, basic, and impassioned as this: Father, Abba, Father… restore to us our first love for Jesus. Fill us to over-flowing with the Holy Spirit. Make the Gospel so palpably real again, Jesus so unavoidably beautiful and precious to us, and the life of heaven so alluring … we will live and love to your glory all the way Home. So Very Amen.       Wish you had a roundup of our best content? Subscribe to our weekly Update. SIGN ME UP! About Us    |     Council    |     Donate ©2023 The Gospel Coalition, All Rights Reserved. P.O. Box 170346 — Austin, TX 78717 Update Email  |  Unsubscribe

Heart and Tongue Kindness

June 12, 2023 Heavenward SCOTTY SMITH Heart and Tongue Kindness SCOTTY SMITH “When the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us...” (Tit.3:4). “The kindness of God leads you to repentance…” (Rom.2:4). “Clothe yourselves with… kindness” (Col.3:12). “The fruit of the Spirit is… kindness” (Gal.5:22). “Show kindness and mercy to one another” (Zech.7:9). “Kindness is on her tongue” (Prov.31:26)   Lord Jesus, no matter how many carbs I cut and crunches I do, I’m never going to have “6-pack abs.” But, hallelujah, one Day my (our) whole being will be transformed, “toned,” and filled with your kindness. Hasten that Day. As the Scriptures above make clear, we’re never more like you than when we have kindness in our hearts and on our tongues. Help us, free us, change us. In our most irritation-fueling moments, conflict-laden situations, and grace-needy relationships, there is always a kinder way forward. No one can make us snarky, mean, and spiteful. Those are choices we make, just like the choice to be filled and controlled by your Holy Spirit. On this June Monday, whatever attire we’re donning for the day, we remain under-dressed until we clothe ourselves with your kindness (Col. 3:12). Not the external kindness of “southern niceness” but the revolutionary kindness our Father gives to “the ungrateful and wicked” (Luke 6:35)—the epiphany-like kindness we experienced the day you saved us (Tit.3:4). All day and weeklong, help us think, feel, speak, and act in line with the truth of the Gospel today (Gal. 2:14). So Very Amen.     Wish you had a roundup of our best content? Subscribe to our weekly Update. SIGN ME UP! About Us    |     Council    |     Donate ©2023 The Gospel Coalition, All Rights Reserved. P.O. Box 170346 — Austin, TX 78717 Update Email  |  Unsubscribe