2 Corinthians_10
Scripture 2 Corinthians 10:3-4
For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. Observation-What does it say? In Paul’s second letter to the church at Corinth, we see a deep concern for their spiritual progress. This letter is deeply personal and comes on the heels of the division seen within the church during the first letter. One of the themes within the letter is that of his authority as an apostle. In chapter ten, he turns his attention to a group who are hostile to the authority given to him. During this chapter, he makes mention of his meek personality, which is in contrast to his boldness in writing. However, not only does he remind them that our battle is not against humans or physical, but it is spiritual and only spiritual weapons will be of any use. Paul echoes the words of David, from Psalm 20:7-9, “Some boast in chariots and some in horses, But we will boast in the name of the Lord, our God. They have bowed down and fallen,But we have risen and stood upright. Save, O Lord; May the King answer us in the day we call.” Understanding-What does it mean? I was scrolling through the available movies on our Disney Plus subscription and came across one of my childhood favorites, “Mighty Ducks.” Feeling a little nostalgic, I started it and watched while working on a small project. Within the first ten minutes, a character named Fulton Reed. He is introduced as a larger than life character, who comes out of nowhere to protect some less fortunate kids. As the movie progresses, he takes the roll of the “enforcer” on the ice, the big guy who does all of the hitting. In some instances, just his mere presence causes the opposing players to turn tail and run. In our spiritual lives, the Holy Spirit is the ultimate enforcer. He is more reliable than Fulton Reed, not to mention more powerful. Several times in his writings, Paul makes mention that we have a fight that is in the spiritual realm and not the physical. To the Ephesians he wrote, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.” In this battle, our best weapon is the help of the Holy Spirit, who Jesus told us would be our helper. Life Application Holy Spirit, I ask that you would help guide me through my day. Help me not to run away from spiritual fights, but in your power meet them head on. And when my enemy is my own flesh, help me to rest in knowing that Jesus overcame my flesh when he died on the cross. -Tyler Galloway
Genesis_16
Scripture - What stood out?
Genesis 16:5 And Sarai said to Abram, “May the wrong done to me be on you! I gave my servant to your embrace, and when she saw that she had conceived, she looked on me with contempt. May the Lord judge between you and me!” Observation - What does it say?Ten years had passed in the land of Canaan where God had promised to give Abram and Sarai an heir. Already passed their child bearing prime and beginning to doubt God’s promise Sarai and Abram decide to take matters into their own hands.They decide to use Hagar, Sarai’s servant, to create an heir that clearly was no longer on the way. Understanding - What does it mean?Ten years is a long time. To wait for anything. In a culture where having an heir and having offspring period was a necessity, I can only imagine the weight of waiting growing heavier each day that passed in Abram and Sarai’s already old age. And so the hatch and execute this plot to speed up God’s process. Only it backfires. Sarai had not expected Hagar to treat her with contempt (other translations use the word despise as something trifling) due to her impending and expected rise in status within the home about to deliver Abram’s only child. And in the heat of one of these moments Sarai cries out to her husband - DO SOMETHING! Abram informs his wife of her own empowerment, Hagar runs away, and an angel of the Lord tells her to go back to Sarai and submit. Hagar looks on Sarai with contempt, because in certain respects she was about to rise above her boss. And so I wonder how God felt, when he promises this elderly couple a child and they...choose not to wait on his promise. I wonder if God maybe felt that Sarai and Abram had treated His promise with contempt, perhaps despising it as something trifling. Life Application - How can I apply this to my life today?I believe God was trying to teach Sarai and her husband a lesson through Hagar. I don’t know what it would be like to live with an “enemy” in my home for 14 years. It sounds like torture. But I believe God’s ultimate message to Sarai is very similar to His message to Hagar - submit. Hagar was required to submit to Sarai. Sarai was required to submit to God. He had promised her a child, and had required her submission, he had required her to wait. And so Lord I ask you to reveal an area of my life where I have been disobedient to you. Where have I treated Your promise as trifling? Forgive me for my sin. Help me to follow in obedience. Help me to submit to You. In the name of Jesus do I pray, amen.-kenneh lee
Genesis__15
Scripture
Genesis 15:6
“And Abram believed the Lord, and the Lord counted him as righteous because of his faith.”
Observation-What does it say?
God spoke to Abram in a vision. God reassures Abram that He will protect him, and He will reward Abram and give him many blessings. But Abram questions God. Abram doesn’t see the point to all these blessings if he doesn’t even have a son to share them with and carry on his legacy. God then takes Abram outside, shows him the stars in the sky, and promises Abram his descendants will be as many as the stars that he sees in the sky. Abram decides to trust God at His word, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.
Understanding-What does it mean?
It is by our faith-(in Jesus), not by our works, that we are saved.
“If his good deeds had made him acceptable to God, he would have had something to boast about. But that was not God’s way.”-Romans 4:2
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.” -Ephesians 2:8-9
“We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.”-Romans 3:22
There are many other verses you can choose from in the Bible that show us that it is by our faith, and not by our works that we are saved. It is the mainstay of our Christian faith, and what separates Christianity from other religions. While other religions focus on what you do that get you in Heaven, Christianity is about what has been done (Jesus dying for our sins, and rising again, defeating death). Putting our faith in Jesus, believing he is the Son of God, knowing he died for our sins, and that he rose again gives us a hope and a certainty that we too will be with Him for eternity in Heaven. 
Life Application
Trust in God and His Word even if the odds are stacked against me.
Abraham did have some reasons to question and doubt God. After all, God was promising him descendants that would outnumber the stars in the sky and the sands along the seashore. One problem though...Abraham and his wife Sarah were already well past their years of childbearing. But God makes the impossible possible. Nothing is too hard for God. The God who spoke the universe into existence, can do anything for those who believe and trust in Him. So I choose to trust in God. No matter how bleak or grim a situation I am in, I trust that my God is all powerful, all knowing, merciful, compassionate, just, loving, and filled with grace. I trust that God’s way is better than mine, and I choose to follow Him. May I too be considered righteous because of my faith in Jesus.
-Moses Gaddi