Interesting Green: Reflection - In The Church - Deepening Relationships In Church

Source (book): "Making All Things New", 52 Reflections to Challenge the Way You Live, Chapter 29, "Deepening Relationships In Church", Page 157.
By Robert M. Solomon, Bishop of the Methodist Church in Singapore from 2000 - 2012

PHOTO: The one great mistake that the Pharisees of Christ's day made was conflating (combining) religious performance and spirituality. They wrongly thought that the heart of spirituality was living according to a written code. They had mastered the art of impersonal religion, which was essentially task-centred. They had reduced a living and dynamic relationship with God to an obsession with conforming to a largely man-made set of rules. Religion was thus distorted from a loving relationship - what it was meant to be - to technical adherence to a text.

Jesus found it necessary to challenge these false shepherds of Israel who were leading their flock astray. Their faulty understanding of the law had turn it away from the lawgiver, fashioning it into an idol, a heartless set of rules. On the contrary: the law should have been understood in terms of the lawgiver; the law made sense only in relation to grace. Obedience was meaningful only in the context of God's love. Hence, Jesus masterfully summarised the law in terms of love: to love God with all we are, and to love our neighbours as we love ourselves (Matthew 22:37-40). In so doing, He clearly defined Christian discipleship in terms of relationships.

This should not surprise us. The central doctrine of the Christian faith - the Trinity - shows relationship to be at the heart of reality. The creation account in Genesis declares that human beings were created for relationships. Our primal (early) ancestors hid in shame from God and from each other, and were banished from the garden of Eden. Such were the tragic relational consequences of human sin.

The good news is that through Christ, our broken relationships can be restored and enriched. By placing our faith in Him, we were made children of God (John 1:12). We also were once hostile foreigners to God were made God's children through Christ (Ephesians 2:19). The cross of Christ also destroys hostility among people, reconciling enemies and making them brothers and sisters (Ephesians 2:14-16). The church is essentially understood in terms of relationships. Using Paul's great metaphor, the church is the body of Christ. Since we are all related through Christ to one another, we are to love one another (1 Corinthians 12).

Scripture understands the nature of our relationships in church in terms of truth and love. In his first epistle, the apostle John makes this point. The basis of every relationship is to be truth. Without truth, we cannot relate to one another with sincerity. John writes: "If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another" (1 John 1:7). The light of God reveals truth. Without that light, we would not be able to know or love one another - we cannot love in darkness. Those who attempts to love in darkness end up with an illusion of love and superficial, mushy (excessive) sentimentality. The New Age movement, for instance, promotes the idea that we all are inter-related, which is unobjectionable in and of itself. It also talks about love. But it is love in darkness, not true love but an idealised imitation of it, and fails to address the sin and loneliness embedded in our condition. If we want true love, we must return to God, whose truth - who He is and who we are before Him - is unchanging. Only in His faithful presence can true friendship and fellowship develop among people.

The church has been entrusted with God's truth, giving authentic community a chance to flourish within it. Unfortunately, the church often fails to be a truly liberated and vibrant community. Part of the problem is the erosion of truth in the church. Where the Word is not faithfully preached and taught, so that it can be believed and put into practice, there is little hope of building Christian community with thriving relationships. Instead, we get a cold congregation of strangers who do not really know or care about one another, or a cultic huddle (religious group) of individuals brought together not so much by divine truth but by common human need. Such groups will break apart, either through selfishness or in the face of suffering. It is thus so important to fill the church with God's truth in our liturgy, preaching, and teaching. Without the light of God's truth, we cannot hope to build community or deepen relationships, our relationship being mere illusions.

John further writes that relationships in the church are to be characterised by love: "Dear friends, let us love one another" (1 John 4:7). If the basis of relationship in church is truth, its quality is love. Without love, we cannot sincerely worship God, nor can we serve our fellow human beings. The apostle Paul, too, underlines the centrality of love in all our relationships. Love is primary fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22). To form and preserve true community, the Spirit works with the Word. The faithfully preaching and studying of the Word and an open reliance on the Holy Spirit are both required for the deepening of relationships. One without the other would lead to lifeless relationships, or ones that are disorderly and superficial.

It is easy to forget in church that we are primarily called to love. If we are not careful, we can be infected with worldly ways, focusing our attention on progress, efficiency, and performance, at the expense of actually loving people. We may think more about how to use and manage individuals than how to love them.

The church is the place for the deepening of relationships. What a wonderful agenda! But success is possible only if we cling to God's truth and love, virtues that should direct and characterise the church. Then we can truly deepen our relationships. And what a wonderful testimony that would be to the truth of God's Word and the power of His Spirit!
Picture posted by James Rosenquist, 4elect.com on 02 April 2019
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJm3JMXvHdU_1gxcXnjJ5EcJQ6KiqN9K2XX7uSGd3sYiFspZ32McCSnvGD8CTQDo1sphkSe6jhVM1sVa9nxyT6xlPNH-qT1V2ts0XVE97A1pz3vGvkCr9PbQPCcuutH_W6iC2Z4aMHjm0QCSWVlKzjZlJ2iqxIShN1wRxFEJkJnV41bfn7NCCXaULDNA4/s1500/rings-684944_1920.jpg
https://www.4elect.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/rings-684944_1920.jpg
https://www.4elect.com/the-spirit-and-the-word/

The one great mistake that the Pharisees of Christ's day made was conflating (combining) religious performance and spirituality. They wrongly thought that the heart of spirituality was living according to a written code. They had mastered the art of impersonal religion, which was essentially task-centred. They had reduced a living and dynamic relationship with God to an obsession with conforming to a largely man-made set of rules. Religion was thus distorted from a loving relationship - what it was meant to be - to technical adherence to a text.

PHOTO: The one great mistake that the Pharisees of Christ's day made was conflating (combining) religious performance and spirituality. They wrongly thought that the heart of spirituality was living according to a written code. They had mastered the art of impersonal religion, which was essentially task-centred. They had reduced a living and dynamic relationship with God to an obsession with conforming to a largely man-made set of rules. Religion was thus distorted from a loving relationship - what it was meant to be - to technical adherence to a text.
Picture posted by Bill Muehlenberg on 07 May 2024
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqnQNfGpdQm3L4Fr6HPXFtt3XJI6xJQd7Ls3msy5eQZGV0CFz8398Uw4hHzJPuuEqxSp_oI5zRz1s_R8m6HTiv7qfd10tyqOIn2kUoRXLLOEwt9zGJgCoBNXCIOAbkPncmG1Lc7nYVe0kFy6fCXJfY7YKRFzPRCsV8liT_J29pVGXttMUPlu1t6R2LCKk/s720/pharisees-1.jpg
https://billmuehlenberg.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/pharisees-1.jpg
https://billmuehlenberg.com/2024/05/07/evangelical-pharisees-and-the-god-we-serve/
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2024/06/reflection-nurturing-inner-life-shadow.html

Jesus found it necessary to challenge these false shepherds of Israel who were leading their flock astray. Their faulty understanding of the law had turn it away from the lawgiver, fashioning it into an idol, a heartless set of rules. On the contrary: the law should have been understood in terms of the lawgiver; the law made sense only in relation to grace. Obedience was meaningful only in the context of God's love. Hence, Jesus masterfully summarised the law in terms of love: to love God with all we are, and to love our neighbours as we love ourselves (Matthew 22:37-40). In so doing, He clearly defined Christian discipleship in terms of relationships.

PHOTO: Jesus found it necessary to challenge these false shepherds of Israel who were leading their flock astray. Their faulty understanding of the law had turn it away from the lawgiver, fashioning it into an idol, a heartless set of rules. On the contrary: the law should have been understood in terms of the lawgiver; the law made sense only in relation to grace. Obedience was meaningful only in the context of God's love. Hence, Jesus masterfully summarised the law in terms of love: to love God with all we are, and to love our neighbours as we love ourselves (Matthew 22:37-40). In so doing, He clearly defined Christian discipleship in terms of relationships.
Picture posted by Grow In Christ on 06 January 2018
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxt16jVHveWhSqnmagPFwlqIbIUDIXDFVlW-FtPwwuoadJsUavJyqx2mkim0n7gq2zAEp2Q1xDaPjamGNAbE3LDlyFAd8vBF1omqq4X15FQf1iyTPlItkrgCYKduUCDbK0tUZLpqCo0nvp47TIEfU9nVCumOmVjaBhHL297L9HCBz3fvHmnBk8h-4oLmI/s600/The-Lord-Jesus-Rebukes-the-Pharisees.jpg
https://www.rainbowtoken.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/The-Lord-Jesus-Rebukes-the-Pharisees.jpg
https://www.rainbowtoken.com/the-lord-jesus-rebukes-the-pharisees-bible-story.html

This should not surprise us. The central doctrine of the Christian faith - the Trinity - shows relationship to be at the heart of reality. The creation account in Genesis declares that human beings were created for relationships. Our primal (early) ancestors hid in shame from God and from each other, and were banished from the garden of Eden. Such were the tragic relational consequences of human sin.

PHOTO: This should not surprise us. The central doctrine of the Christian faith - the Trinity - shows relationship to be at the heart of reality. The creation account in Genesis declares that human beings were created for relationships. Our primal (early) ancestors hid in shame from God and from each other, and were banished from the garden of Eden. Such were the tragic relational consequences of human sin.
Picture posted by Adelson Gomes
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicBgW-NJR5j76mQPrNL0bSZJb67P4Zo4cgSc7t8i2kRNTZGAOnlSwW1A2Twv1iaQmk9LKFzTTsp75HDvRe6UqLndyLf-y_NSHX0KYJ2TKVcgMz5oYMY0u8RIJxm1_WBOIfblgisRCRmIagHthzLPoIQ2B2CJoOF3oFSOU7N3vp-L4iew9_ayu3gZPzLiY/s1248/6a403244-cbe9-44f6-bd96-9b46794e9e56.jpg
https://assets.playgroundai.com/6a403244-cbe9-44f6-bd96-9b46794e9e56.jpg
https://playground.com/post/adam-and-eve-entwined-in-a-moment-of-temptation-as-they-sha-cioe7hz9jfz0kp98ejav42ir3
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2024/07/reflection-nurturing-inner-life-can-you.html

The good news is that through Christ, our broken relationships can be restored and enriched. By placing our faith in Him, we were made children of God (John 1:12). We also were once hostile foreigners to God were made God's children through Christ (Ephesians 2:19). The cross of Christ also destroys hostility among people, reconciling enemies and making them brothers and sisters (Ephesians 2:14-16). The church is essentially understood in terms of relationships. Using Paul's great metaphor, the church is the body of Christ. Since we are all related through Christ to one another, we are to love one another (1 Corinthians 12).

PHOTO: The good news is that through Christ, our broken relationships can be restored and enriched. By placing our faith in Him, we were made children of God (John 1:12). We also were once hostile foreigners to God were made God's children through Christ (Ephesians 2:19). The cross of Christ also destroys hostility among people, reconciling enemies and making them brothers and sisters (Ephesians 2:14-16). The church is essentially understood in terms of relationships. Using Paul's great metaphor, the church is the body of Christ. Since we are all related through Christ to one another, we are to love one another (1 Corinthians 12).
Picture posted by Lulu Anggoman
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBaBohnngVnRmvQy9ifmlrORIGd9QhYZ_ztLQ3RLWgIjyUBGlcHnjv-hoeFGflPNaQKUfWCTWywCXL35ppo1PaeVaUqRplVjxW56wLOwPHFdm5BYWFuFjEZJICpDSi4AaPRPhRAtzrIsJO-FJX4oojTFtJIk688j1hgVslwqLggAgkJXa7XVVaANlOPvA/s1920/7ffe75caf4f09a27071be5103d2d37b7.jpg
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/7f/fe/75/7ffe75caf4f09a27071be5103d2d37b7.jpg
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/29625310044769603/
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2024/07/reflection-nurturing-inner-life-can-you.html

Scripture understands the nature of our relationships in church in terms of truth and love. In his first epistle, the apostle John makes this point. The basis of every relationship is to be truth. Without truth, we cannot relate to one another with sincerity. John writes: "If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another" (1 John 1:7). The light of God reveals truth. Without that light, we would not be able to know or love one another - we cannot love in darkness. Those who attempts to love in darkness end up with an illusion of love and superficial, mushy (excessive) sentimentality. The New Age movement, for instance, promotes the idea that we all are inter-related, which is unobjectionable in and of itself. It also talks about love. But it is love in darkness, not true love but an idealised imitation of it, and fails to address the sin and loneliness embedded in our condition. If we want true love, we must return to God, whose truth - who He is and who we are before Him - is unchanging. Only in His faithful presence can true friendship and fellowship develop among people.

PHOTO: Scripture understands the nature of our relationships in church in terms of truth and love. In his first epistle, the apostle John makes this point. The basis of every relationship is to be truth. Without truth, we cannot relate to one another with sincerity. John writes: "If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another" (1 John 1:7). The light of God reveals truth. Without that light, we would not be able to know or love one another - we cannot love in darkness. Those who attempts to love in darkness end up with an illusion of love and superficial, mushy (excessive) sentimentality. The New Age movement, for instance, promotes the idea that we all are inter-related, which is unobjectionable in and of itself. It also talks about love. But it is love in darkness, not true love but an idealised imitation of it, and fails to address the sin and loneliness embedded in our condition. If we want true love, we must return to God, whose truth - who He is and who we are before Him - is unchanging. Only in His faithful presence can true friendship and fellowship develop among people.
Picture posted by Santie Carelse
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdQbFZfEslzxkYi4N0YepyMoJx5L2cptAzixNi82sklH-jdpSZmynmJ8TGI9njVDCbhbsSFMEfL-RgZoFqrA6oK85yxfaRxAQiSRT8dwTAc0Gp5K1ZCbHXJetZjJbXEircLjSwHcMVZ1IjA7TDCJxFJdd0f7lQsKbP8UJxZXE9ldRs1oIm06G4P9hRZxk/s1024/785bcca89d06e075089fc200ec909b0e.jpg
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/78/5b/cc/785bcca89d06e075089fc200ec909b0e.jpg
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/4714774603307156/

The church has been entrusted with God's truth, giving authentic community a chance to flourish within it. Unfortunately, the church often fails to be a truly liberated and vibrant community. Part of the problem is the erosion of truth in the church. Where the Word is not faithfully preached and taught, so that it can be believed and put into practice, there is little hope of building Christian community with thriving relationships. Instead, we get a cold congregation of strangers who do not really know or care about one another, or a cultic huddle (religious group) of individuals brought together not so much by divine truth but by common human need. Such groups will break apart, either through selfishness or in the face of suffering. It is thus so important to fill the church with God's truth in our liturgy, preaching, and teaching. Without the light of God's truth, we cannot hope to build community or deepen relationships, our relationship being mere illusions.

PHOTO: The church has been entrusted with God's truth, giving authentic community a chance to flourish within it. Unfortunately, the church often fails to be a truly liberated and vibrant community. Part of the problem is the erosion of truth in the church. Where the Word is not faithfully preached and taught, so that it can be believed and put into practice, there is little hope of building Christian community with thriving relationships. Instead, we get a cold congregation of strangers who do not really know or care about one another, or a cultic huddle (religious group) of individuals brought together not so much by divine truth but by common human need. Such groups will break apart, either through selfishness or in the face of suffering. It is thus so important to fill the church with God's truth in our liturgy, preaching, and teaching. Without the light of God's truth, we cannot hope to build community or deepen relationships, our relationship being mere illusions.
Picture posted by Lets Learn Slang
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP9iLBYqhlnEvhcP942XDsFqQ1lj-rhEn2rVeLC4YeBGnX9DwOnll8PFpdvo7dBsGCIU4kEIZ1vQwMP0_pskIqYzTxXMMEerVGaQieuP-N7S3BAHsC00OSDWHQe9_qjBTRL5yZVdndCkq6waut4x_cSZXPNgG1ZKy7q5wq7QmYuX_ZhxTqdFv1yl9CYbs/s1334/v2-4573d-4y6g8.jpg
https://koala.sh/api/image/v2-4573d-4y6g8.jpg?width=768&height=1344&dream=
https://letslearnslang.com/333-angel-number-meaning/

John further writes that relationships in the church are to be characterised by love: "Dear friends, let us love one another" (1 John 4:7). If the basis of relationship in church is truth, its quality is love. Without love, we cannot sincerely worship God, nor can we serve our fellow human beings. The apostle Paul, too, underlines the centrality of love in all our relationships. Love is primary fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22). To form and preserve true community, the Spirit works with the Word. The faithfully preaching and studying of the Word and an open reliance on the Holy Spirit are both required for the deepening of relationships. One without the other would lead to lifeless relationships, or ones that are disorderly and superficial.

PHOTO: John further writes that relationships in the church are to be characterised by love: "Dear friends, let us love one another" (1 John 4:7). If the basis of relationship in church is truth, its quality is love. Without love, we cannot sincerely worship God, nor can we serve our fellow human beings. The apostle Paul, too, underlines the centrality of love in all our relationships. Love is primary fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22). To form and preserve true community, the Spirit works with the Word. The faithfully preaching and studying of the Word and an open reliance on the Holy Spirit are both required for the deepening of relationships. One without the other would lead to lifeless relationships, or ones that are disorderly and superficial.
Picture posted by Alexandra Serafina
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrrdAZcNVzJDcTzLoR8byqI0wAqKIqdqrunyO3brknanf_47yis5FhtzSHR3_fy7Jo0zjUa4_qMiQC68YztWh-6OmRTayMCqLZ-A01OSRQ3E9j3FJ5KPAfo2iOZ_zjyGJfJKOiNH0OdXOh8uzBq2lmmR78q5f4VAnJmQ_5MeJ4i3teZXu04OD2McKe1Ew/s1024/10b0ba3482cd4cb6173ab1c7727dc526.jpg
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/10/b0/ba/10b0ba3482cd4cb6173ab1c7727dc526.jpg
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/11892386511948590/

It is easy to forget in church that we are primarily called to love. If we are not careful, we can be infected with worldly ways, focusing our attention on progress, efficiency, and performance, at the expense of actually loving people. We may think more about how to use and manage individuals than how to love them.

PHOTO: It is easy to forget in church that we are primarily called to love. If we are not careful, we can be infected with worldly ways, focusing our attention on progress, efficiency, and performance, at the expense of actually loving people. We may think more about how to use and manage individuals than how to love them.
Picture posted by Etsy
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzKb7KT8Y5mE-kL3xFqeMtY2KVNVhwgvBRF9f-DH2WNP0TjoQkLfvJyGeO52TPxAhazM-mT1ScV2FikyYuSCZGXW65YxPaEcak-5JDeqsqU6vSamyFeBO6cvLOJnWRBMkGurdgqYOmTwiJDG3iiTwvKfwcAGGzGD-cXs29lPvtIjRvSmUmhuuzinVW2c0/s1191/il_794xN.6065857417_jp93.webp
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The church is the place for the deepening of relationships. What a wonderful agenda! But success is possible only if we cling to God's truth and love, virtues that should direct and characterise the church. Then we can truly deepen our relationships. And what a wonderful testimony that would be to the truth of God's Word and the power of His Spirit!

PHOTO: The church is the place for the deepening of relationships. What a wonderful agenda! But success is possible only if we cling to God's truth and love, virtues that should direct and characterise the church. Then we can truly deepen our relationships. And what a wonderful testimony that would be to the truth of God's Word and the power of His Spirit!
Picture posted by FabrIArt
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY62FPuZXog9nbmrUxF8b9mG3-eb3Xpn8SOFkG8GR3pPipnYx2lnski8_8N4zf_oU2x0jtKlMvcMqux4oyu-SwuD3zGiR__PiAsY33rB3Vnpbw_yzXPe7A7qN6YPZSb5SDJFPKX1iLM0zmAOfOCvts0BvU9RnHsR0NVv8BoXiN5wXE_C3uQlrKbFb4c_4/s1024/6d44be53df670ce3c31e70804db69501.jpg
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/6d/44/be/6d44be53df670ce3c31e70804db69501.jpg
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/109493834683910670/

PHOTO: "Dear Lord, we pray that the church is the place for the deepening of relationships. May we cling to God's truth and love, virtues that should direct and characterise the church.

May we remember that in church we are primarily called to love. May we focus our attention on loving people, instead of only on progress, efficiency, and performance. May we think more about how to love individuals in church, than of using and managing them.

May we know that the Spirit works with the Word. May we faithfully preach and study the Word, and an open reliance on the Holy Spirit for the deepening of relationships.

Through Lord Jesus Christ we pray. Amen."
Picture posted by Jesus is the way the truth and the life
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqZ2Q13pXLbh5A3vFyOgLYPcRXo9MVxufrJGiXzZsutcas4mgbkrXaJ28JRSxLg2KdEnqrIGVKJIs90YSG5w3rzFUmRX5eYapa-etiYonCh5UN28GAaVaZ5sTV5sjwq5I154vIm3RNFAybQcmmyAbwYTVbPd6xoJ0yeKUzq0zp_RD_2Mu62Rg1Xa9q-oQ/s1024/174495657f7dcdb80bbe7f3354e6ffd8.jpg
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/17/44/95/174495657f7dcdb80bbe7f3354e6ffd8.jpg
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/1055390493920806212/

Reflection - In The Church - Deepening Relationships In Church
Source (book): "Making All Things New", 52 Reflections to Challenge the Way You Live, Chapter 29, "Deepening Relationships In Church", Page 157.
By Robert M. Solomon, Bishop of the Methodist Church in Singapore from 2000 - 2012

Other Books (Links)

"Faithful to the end", A Preacher's Exposition of 2 Timothy, @ 2014 by Robert M. Solomon

Reflection - Faithful to the end (Links)
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2017/06/reflection-faithful-to-end-links.html

"Finding rest for the soul" Responding to Jesus' Invitation in Matthew 11:28-29, © 2016 by Robert M. Solomon

Reflection - Finding rest for the soul (Links)
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2018/10/reflection-finding-rest-for-soul-links.html

"God in Pursuit" Lessons from the Book of Jonah, © 2016 by Robert M. Solomon

Reflection - God in Pursuit (Links) - PART I-III, posted on Saturday, 10 August 2019
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2019/08/reflection-god-in-pursuit-links-part-i.html

"God in Pursuit" Lessons from the Book of Jonah, © 2016 by Robert M. Solomon

Reflection - God in Pursuit (Links) - PART IV, posted on Saturday, 10 August 2019
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2019/08/reflection-god-in-pursuit-links-part-iv.html

"Songs of Christmas", The Stories and Significance of 20 Well-Loved Carols, © 2018 by Robert M. Solomon

Reflection - Songs of Christmas (Links), posted on Friday, 24 April 2020
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2020/04/reflection-songs-of-christmas-links.html

"Growing Old Gracefully", Following Jesus to the End, © 2019 by Robert M. Solomon

Reflection - Growing Old Gracefully, Part I - III (Links), posted on Wednesday, 09 December 2020
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2020/12/reflection-growing-old-gracefully-part.html

Reflection - Growing Old Gracefully, Part IV - V (Links), posted on Thursday, 22 April 2021
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2020/12/reflection-growing-old-gracefully-part_9.html

"Teach Us to Number Our Days", © 2008 by David Roper

Reflection - Number Our Days, Chapter 1 - 40 (Links), posted on Tuesday, 16 November 2021
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2021/11/reflection-number-our-days-chapter-1-40.html

Reflection - Number Our Days, Chapter 41 - 64 (Links), posted on Wednesday, 16 March 2022
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2022/03/reflection-number-our-days-chapter-41.html

"He Walks with Me - Devotions for Your Caregiving Journey with God", © 2018 by Our Daily Bread Ministries, Shelly Beach

Reflection - He Walks with Me (Links), posted on Tuesday, 16 August 2022
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2022/08/reflection-he-walks-with-me-links.html

"Classic Gem: Timeless Devotions from Our Daily Bread Authors", Copyright © 2021 by Our Daily Bread Ministries

Reflection - Classic Gem, Chapter 1 - 45 (Links), posted on 03 April 2023
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2023/04/reflection-classic-gem-chapter-1-45.html

"Classic Gem: Timeless Devotions from Our Daily Bread Authors", Copyright © 2021 by Our Daily Bread Ministries

Reflection - Classic Gem, Chapter 46 - 90 (Links), posted on Tuesday, 24 October 2023
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2023/10/reflection-classic-gem-chapter-46-90.html

"Making All Things New", 52 Reflections to Challenge the Way You Live, Copyright @ 2022 by Robert M. Solomon

Reflection - Making All Things New, Chapter 1 - 28 (Links), posted on Saturday, 04 August 2024
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2024/08/reflection-making-all-things-new.html

Reference

[1] From "Making All Things New", 52 Reflections to Challenge the Way You Live, Copyright @ 2022 by Robert M. Solomon, Chapter 29, "Deepening Relationships In Church", Page 157.

Links

Other Books (Links) - https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2020/10/reflection-books-links.html

1 Corinthians 12 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Corinthians+12&version=NIV

1 John 1:7 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+John+1%3A7&version=NIV

1 John 4:7 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+John+4%3A7&version=NIV

Ephesians 2:14-16 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians+2%3A14-16&version=NIV

Ephesians 2:19 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians+2%3A19&version=NIV

Galatians 5:22 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Galatians+5%3A22&version=NIV

John 1:12 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+1%3A12&version=NIV

Matthew 11:28-29 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+11%3A28-29&version=NIV

Matthew 22:37-40 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+22%3A37-40&version=NIV