The Burning Question:
It’s National Freedom From Fear of Speaking Day. When were you the most nervous to speak?
Morning Devotional:
Do you ever find yourself bothered or even tormented by a mistake you’ve made? For me yesterday, it was a spelling mistake. It was one I could correct rather easily but it was also one that led someone else astray. Those are the mistakes I have a hard time recovering from.
My mistake was nothing compared to a story I read a while back about an NFL referee who made a bad call in a critical playoff game. The bad call essentially decided the game, and fans for the losing team were furious about the referee’s mistake. The ridicule and threats toward this man went on for weeks and during that time, the man experienced crippling panic attacks. Eventually, he was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.
In the book of John chapter 8, a woman was caught in a huge mistake – the sin of adultery, which made her the target of scorn, shame and ridicule. Pharisees wanting to trap Jesus asked Him if she should be stoned. What did Jesus do? In that moment, Jesus is known for what He didn’t do. He didn’t shame her, He didn’t even raise His voice against her. He wrote in the sand and said to them, “Let the one who has never sinned throw the stone.”
I hope you’re not in that boat today, but I will be honest with you by saying I have sailed it. I have made some mistakes in my life that rank right up there. Some of those mistakes made me the target of accusers and in others, I was the sole accuser. The only person who legitimately could accuse me or you chooses not to out of His great love for you. In Christ, there is no condemnation – only grace.
– Beth
Bible Quiz:
Question: What was the material used in making the basket the infant Moses was floating in?
Answer: Papyrus (bulrushes, reeds, or wicker) daubed with tar (bitumen, slime) and pitch (Exodus 2:3)
Storytime: The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.