July 5 - Not By Might

WE KEEP LOOKING IN THE WRONG DIRECTION

"Don't put your confidence in powerful people; there is no help for you there. When they breathe their last, they return to the earth, and all their plans die with them. But joyful are those who have the God of Israel as their helper, whose hope is in the Lord their God."

— Psalm 146:3–5 (NLT)

WHAT MICAH ACTUALLY SAID IN THE OT

"He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."

— Micah 6:8 (NLT)

Three things:

Act justly. Love mercy. Walk humbly.

THE FRUIT DOESN'T LIE

"But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control."

— Galatians 5:22–23 (NLT)

Love. Joy. Peace. Patience. Kindness. Goodness. Faithfulness. Gentleness. Self-control.

Fruit grows when something is alive.

"Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing."

— John 15:5 (NLT)

GREATNESS DOESN'T LOOK LIKE WHAT WE THINK

• We have confused greatness with dominance.
• We've mistaken loudness for strength.
• We've confused winning with flourishing.

But that's not the way of Jesus.

"You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave."

— Matthew 20:25–27 (NLT)

• Whoever wants to be great must be a servant.
• The greatest nation doesn't bully the smallest one.
• The strongest leader doesn't humiliate the weakest follower.

GRACE ALONE. FAITH ALONE. CHRIST ALONE.

"God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God's masterpiece."

— Ephesians 2:8–10 (NLT)

The hope of America does not live in Washington D.C. It lives in you.

"It is not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of Heaven's Armies."

— Zechariah 4:6 (NLT)

• By my Spirit.
• By grace alone.
• Through faith alone.
• In Christ alone.

The invitation is not to a political party. It's to a Person.