Good morning! Raising children and seeing their various personalities, people will often say, “oh they remind me of … when they were younger or look at mini me.” However, people have a lot more in common than you may think. There were times in my teens and twenties that I made decisions that weren’t the best and had many regrets. While I grew and learned from good and poor decisions, I know now that if it had not been for the grace of God on my life that I would be lost and weary. Today we will continue in 1 Corinthians chapter six, with Paul continuing his address to the Corinthian church and the behaviors that had become acceptable within the church.

“⁹ Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, ¹⁰ or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people—none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God. ¹¹ Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” – 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 NLT

Paul was direct in his address to the church. He didn’t say one sin was greater than the other, he classified them all as sinful behaviors. At the time or era when this was written, Corinthians outside of church were did whatever they deemed fit and those practices were brought into the church. Generally, when people become Christians you can see the old self falling away. Through Christ people begin to transform and become more like Christ, but in Corinth not all members within the church were being transformed, instead their behaviors were transforming the church. Paul, quickly responded to address the unacceptable behaviors with ‘don’t fool yourselves into thinking that you will inherit the Kingdom of God.’

Paul also reminded those who are living as Christians who had been able to overcome those behaviors or continue to persevere and fight those struggles that they we were once like that.

Sisters and brothers we were also once like that. We lived our lives as we deemed fit, but by grace we were cleansed; we were made holy; we were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. It is only by God’s grace that we have been changed.

However, if you are still struggling with being a Christian and being in the world, today is the day that you can ask God to help you change.

Are you ready for God to change you? ________

If you want to give your life to Jesus Christ and ask him to come into your life or if you want to recommit your life to Jesus Christ pray with me.

“Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner and that I cannot save myself. No longer will I close the door when I hear you knocking. By faith I gratefully receive your gift of salvation. I am ready to trust you as my Lord and Savior. Lord Jesus, thank you for coming to earth. I believe you are the Son of God who died on the cross for my sins and rose from the dead on the third day. Thank you for bearing my sins and giving me the gift of eternal life. I believe your words are true. Come into my heart, Lord Jesus, and be my Savior. Amen.“

Lord, change us!

Father God, thank you for today. Thank you for another opportunity to receive your grace and mercy in our lives. Thank you for the word that corrects and redirects our moral behavior and changes our hearts. Lord, we want to live a life that is pleasing to you. Lord, we no longer want to live in bondage or be enslaved to the things that separate us from you. Lord, forgive us for the times we have sinned against you. Forgive us for the things that are known and unknown and break us from those sins right now. Lord, remove our desires to chase after or remain in the things that do not align to your will. Lord, cleanse us and make us right in you. Lord, we pray for our families, friends, coworkers and communities who do not know you. Lord, we pray that they will begin to seek you for themselves. Lord, we ask for you to heal their brokenness, restore them back to you and transform them into the godly people you have called them to be. Lord, where hope is gone, show them that there is hope in you. Lord, were their faith is weak, give them strength and help them to trust you more. Lord, continue to work in us and transform us into the women and men of God that you have designed us to be. Help us to flourish in your word and relationships that expand your kingdom. In Jesus name, amen!

Keep praying! Keep Trusting! Keep believing!

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