Jesus, Anybody Can Whimper. We Want to Worship

July 5, 2023 Heavenward SCOTTY SMITH Jesus, Anybody Can Whimper. We Want to Worship SCOTTY SMITH    “My soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him.” (Ps. 62:5)   Lord Jesus, nothing compares with being enveloped in your love, ruled by your peace, and alive to the hope of the Gospel. May this heart-centering triad permeate the rest of July—August too. Until you return, there will be upheaval in our world—a constant reminded the only City that lasts will arrive with you (Heb. 13:14-16; Rev. 21:1-5). Until you return, every sphere of the cosmos will be marked by “frustration, decay, and groaning” (Rom. 8:18-25). The good news is, the groaning speaks of life, not death. Everywhere is pregnant with hope. If “things are getting worse” it’s because we’ve never been more on the cusp of “all things new.” Because of you, Jesus, we’re in “labor and delivery,” not on ventilators right next to the morgue. So how do we love and live in the “waiting room” of our broken world and these aching bodies? We pray and talk to ourselves as King David did. “Soul, find your rest in God alone. Don’t medicate foolishly, default to unbelief, or give into fear(s). Don’t minimize or exaggerate the brokenness you see everywhere. Keep going to Jesus. Live in Christ, on mission, for the good of your neighbors.” Indeed Jesus, may we feast on the grace and truth of the Gospel 10-fold more so than we snack on the inanity, banality, vanity, and insanity of our world. Anybody can whimper; we want to worship. We’re not holding on; we’re being held. 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

Our Declaration of Dependence

July 4, 2023 Heavenward SCOTTY SMITH Our Declaration of Dependence SCOTTY SMITH  “This happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead… He will deliver us, yet again, as you help us by your prayers.”  2 Cor. 1:9-11   Heavenly Father, even as the Apostle Paul was tabbed “the apostle of grace,” so he’s also our model of dependence. The myth of self-sufficiency, lies of autonomy, and faux promises of isolation no longer enticed him. A core value for Paul became “I am not enough.” The Gospel freed Paul from any “need” to be omni-competent and impressive. We’ll search in vain in all his writings for a verse that is remotely close to, “You guys go on. I’ve got this one” (1st Foolishness 3:16). Being responsible to carry our weight is one thing (Gal.6:1), but putting ‘lipstick” on our helplessness is quite another. Pride guarantees your resistance; but humbling ourselves and getting low is where we’ll find your grace running and pooling up. Father, help each of us forsake the illusion of our “enough-ness.” Free us to declare our dependence on you— “the God who raises the dead.” We aren’t facing Paul’s perils, but July 4th 2023 finds many of us overwhelmed, under-resourced, out of “magic sauce.” Hallelujah for being out of “magic sauce.” May we cry, “Uncle!”, then cry “Abba!” Thank you for being “the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort” (2 Cor. 1:3). We need both, as do many of our friends. Together, may we fulfill the “as you help us by your prayers” part of today’s Scripture. 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

Our Most Defining Identity, Race, Calling, and Freedom

July 3, 2023 Heavenward SCOTTY SMITH Our Most Defining Identity, Race, Calling, and Freedom SCOTTY SMITH “You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you had no identity as a people; now you are God’s people.” 1 Pet. 2:9-10   Heavenly Father, many of us love to sing the line, “I am who you say I am,” and for good reason. We spend a lot of energy making a name for ourselves, and/or getting disentangled from the identity(ies) we inherited, passively absorbed, or got squeezed into by our culture. That being said, everything changed when you gave us our “new birth certificate.” Through the Gospel you gave us an identity, “nationhood,” and calling that transcend everything that previously defined us. We’re probably alive to about 3.7% of the grace riches you gave us when you brought us from death to life in Jesus. So who do you say we are in Jesus? “A chosen race” – Not choice people, but chosen—not bearing a self-generated identity, but sharing a grace-gifted reality and eternity. In full view of our skin color and passports, we are your from-every-nation grace-race. “A royal priesthood” – In Jesus, you made us kings and priests—mercy-servants in your kingdom, and conduits of kindness and grace. “A holy nation” – Holy in Christ and united by the Spirit, we are set apart for your purposes among all the nations. “God’s own possession” – Father, nothing means more to us than this. We are no longer our own. We are your own treasured possession. “Proclaiming the excellencies of him” – With our next and last breath, with everything we have and are, we want to show and tell the nations what a glorious and gracious God you are. 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

Freedom from Under-Believing Jesus and the Gospel

July 2, 2023 Heavenward SCOTTY SMITH Freedom from Under-Believing Jesus and the Gospel SCOTTY SMITH 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