Category: The Grand Story

Psalm 107:1-9 NIV
¹ Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
his love endures forever.
² Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story—
those he redeemed from the hand of the foe,
³ those he gathered from the lands,
from east and west, from north and south.
⁴ Some wandered in desert wastelands,
finding no way to a city where they could settle.
⁵ They were hungry and thirsty,
and their lives ebbed away.
⁶ Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble,
and he delivered them from their distress.
⁷ He led them by a straight way
to a city where they could settle.
⁸ Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love
and his wonderful deeds for mankind,
⁹ for he satisfies the thirsty
and fills the hungry with good things.

“We participate in this story through Jesus Christ. We are all participants in the Grand Story of God. When the weight of history impacts our lives, we become part of God’s mission to make history in this generation. We bear the ‘burden,’ the same’ word of the Lord’ that Malachi preached to his generation, expectant and longing for salvation – how much more, our generation in this time in history!” (P. Nate)

Let’s close by praying, “Lord, may I be a messenger of your Grand Story in this generation. Fill me with the Spirit, that I may proclaim your love in power, truth and love to my generation! In Jesus’ name. Amen. “

Let’s close by singing, “Hosanna” by Hillsong Worship – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnMevXQutyE

– NB

 

Deuteronomy 7:6 NIV
For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession.

1 Peter 2:9 NIV
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

“This is the story of God’s people, and the story of our lives when we participate in The Grand Story. God calls people to himself, out of the dark, broken world. He adopts children into his family. He names people, giving them new purpose and identity. This is how our new history begins. History repeats itself through Jesus – we are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation! Just as Israel began this journey, history is repeated through Jesus who redeems the lives of all who follow him. The Grand Story of the Bible tells us that God planned to redeem humanity and all of creation from the bondage of sin. God desired to bring his people back to himself, that they would be his people, and he would be their God, enjoying his presence forever in glory.” (P. Nate)

Let’s pray, “Lord, may my deepest cares and priorities be rooted in your purposes and plans for my life. May my emotions ever more flow from the ways of your heart. In Jesus’ name. Amen.“

Let’s close by singing, “More to Come” by Passion (click here).

– NB

Genesis 3:1 NIV
Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”

Judges 21:25 NIV
²⁵ In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit.

“In the beginning, he created the heavens and the earth, and he called it good. Yet, sin crept in, through the disobedience of Adam and Eve, and corrupted the good creation, including humankind. As we see how the serpent asked, ‘Did God really say that?’ This is the beginning of meaninglessness, sin creates confusion, breaks us from the meaning and purpose that God intended, so that we are left to try to find meaning in our own solitary existence. Sin is a distortion of this repetition of history. But the good news is that the burden and weight of the Word of the Lord breaks the cycle. Just as God said, ‘let there by light,’ so God creates meaning in this world, and purpose to our lives. God’s Word gives us meaning, because God rewrites and redeems our story.” (P. Nate)

Let’s close in prayer: “Father, thank you that you have created me for your purposes and plans, within the care of your heart. May your love breathe meaning and purpose into my daily living. Let your love break the old patterns, and bring me into the story of Jesus! In Jesus’ name. Amen.“

Let’s close by singing, “Your Love So High” by Matt Redman (click here).

– NB

Malachi 1:1 KJV
The burden of the word of the Lord to Israel by Malachi.

Genesis 1:1, 3 NIV
¹ In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
³ And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.

John 1:1, 4 NIV
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…  In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.

“The word translated ‘burden’ begins the book of Malachi. It is not simply the Word of the Lord, but the burden of the Word of the Lord. The word ‘burden’ conveys the idea of a ‘weight’ or a ‘load’ that is carried by the speaker. Malachi announces God’s Word with the weight of history on his shoulders. The weight of history comes through the Word of God. It all began with creation–God spoke the universe into being. In John 1:1, we see that Jesus, the Word, was with God in the beginning, and everything was created through him. History began with Jesus, is repeated through Jesus bringing the kingdom of God through the church, and will be redeemed finally through Jesus in the new heavens and the new earth. This is the beginning of our story.” (P. Nate)

Let’s close in prayer today by praying, “Father, you are the creator of the heavens and the earth. May my life bear the weight of your word, so that I would be part of your story today. In Jesus’ name. Amen. “

Let’s close by singing, “Touch of Heaven” by Hillsong Worship (click here).

– NB

Let’s read aloud together the following passage and prayer:

Ephesians 1:3-10 NIV
³ Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. ⁴ For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love ⁵ he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— ⁶ to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. ⁷ In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace ⁸ that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, ⁹ he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, ¹⁰ to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.

Prayer:
Praise be to you, Father, that you have blessed us with every blessing in the Holy Spirit in Christ. Open my life to the lavish blessing of your love, that has redeemed my story, and that rewrites history. May everything in my life be brought into the story of Christ Jesus. In Jesus’ name. Amen.“

Let’s close by singing, “My All In All You” by Phil Wickham (click here).

– NB