August 24 2023 … Hearts of Fearless Faith …

Berry Patch Devotions in 2023 - Day 237 

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...   Please take the time to take in this song with lyrics from Kim Walker-Smith and the group Jesus Culture singing … Fearless … powerfully singing of how we we Christians can be fearless in sharing Christ’s generous good news with others.    

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Highlight Passage: … 2Timothy 1:7 [NLT] … 

7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. 

… Paul show Timothy (and all Christians) that we can fearlessly share the gospel with Spirit- empowered hearts of generosity                                                 

                         

Highlight Passage (Context): … 2Timothy 1:6-14 [NLT] …  USE THIS LINK …  

… Paul encourages Timothy (and all fellow Christians) to live lives exhibiting Christlike  and Spirit-empowered hearts of generosity.                                                                       .                    

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Reference Passage: … Psalms 27:3 [NLT] …  

3 Though a mighty army surrounds me, my heart will not be afraid  Even if I am attacked, I will remain confident.. 

…  King David sings of his fearless confidence in God’s strength.           

Reference Passage: … Isaiah 41:10 [NLT] …  

10 Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.  Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God.   I will strengthen you and help you.  I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.   

… God, thru Isaiah, promises His strength to support His remnant of believers.  

Reference Passage: … Romans 1:16 [NLT] …  

16 For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile 

… Paul declares his confidence in the power of the Gospel for all who believe in Christ as Lord.

Reference Passage: … 1Corinthians 16:13 [NLT] …  

13 Be on guard.  Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous.  Be strong.    

… Paul courages fellow Christians to be strong in the faith.      

Reference Passage:… 1John 3:12 [NLT] …  

18 Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love..  

… John teaches truth about the power of Christ’s perfect love to expel all fear as we Christians share the love of our Lord with others.  

                                                                                                                                         

My Devotional Journal: Today's Our Daily Bread author, Monica La Rose  … AT THIS LINK …  quoted from a commencement address by author Parker Palmer, who, in encouraging the graduates saying they would have to cultivate a “beginner’s mind,”  and “walk straight into your not-knowing, and take the risk of failing and failing, again and again—then getting up to learn again and again.”

And that’s what the Apostle Paul often tried to get across to fellow Christians (see Pauline Scriptures above),, encouraging them to be willing to strike out with fearless faith and to share God’s good news of saving grace with others.  Oh, how I pray that we meditate on all the Scriptures above and then take n God’s empowering grace to share His love with others today.  

My THANKFULNESS: ... Oh, Abba Father, thank You, King Jesus, …for calling and empowering Your servants to share Your grace and love with others today.   

My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... . I pray that all reading here will join me, … to reach out fearlessly share God’s good news with others today.       … AMEN 

Blogger Note:  Everyday during this year, my daily devotional blogs are influenced by the reading and study of the online devotional blog entitled “Our Daily Bread,” distributed online via email by RBC Ministries.  If you GO TO THIS LINK on the date of my blog, you can read/study the ODB blogs; or you can subscribe to the blog via email at that site.