?he is like a man building a house, who dug deep? ? Luke 6:48

I invite my audience to DIG DEEP.
      In many ways, I invite them to think (Something we avoid doing!)
      To ask questions. To struggle with complexities. To wrestle with disturbing,  controversial questions. To confront doubts.
      For example, why does God allow tsunamis and earthquakes? Why?
      And why does God allow cancers and rebellious teenagers and poverty?
      And why did God create us?if He knew that there?s a danger that many will reject Him and thus go to Hell? Isn?t that unjust?
      Is God really a God of rewards and punishment? Doesn?t He have better things to do than list our sins? What?s so loving about that?
      Sure, not all our questions will be answered. But taking the effort to struggle with our doubts makes our faith tougher in a very different level: Our faith will learn to be comfortable with our doubts.
      Many Christians insist on being shallow, thinking it?s safe. But shallow isn?t safe. Shallow means there?s no growth. We continue to mouth the faith taught to us in kindergarten?untested and untried. My friends, dig deep. Bo S.

REFLECTION:
Storms will come. You have to get used to storms. Are you getting ready?

Lord, give me courage to struggle with my doubts. Deepen my faith in You.

1 Corinthians 10:14-22

Idolatry can take numerous forms. Any sort of attachment to things of this world to the exclusion of God as our main priority in life is a form of idolatry. Thus, sport, work, recreation, and hobbies can all fit into this category. The imperative we face is to ensure that we do not allow these pursuits to take priority in our lives and that we pursue balanced life. Let us pray for the grace to keep the right priority in the midst of pursuing our careers, hobbies and interests. May Jesus always be number one in our lives.

  14 Therefore, my beloved, avoid idolatry. 15 I am speaking as to sensible people. Judge for yourselves what I am saying. 16 The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? 17 Because the loaf of bread is one, we, though many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf. 18 Look at Israel according to the flesh. Are not those who eat the sacrifices participants in the altar? 19 So what am I saying? That meat sacrificed to idols is anything? Or that an idol is anything? 20 No, I mean that what they sacrifice, [they sacrifice] to demons, not to God, and I do not want you to become participants with demons. 21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and also the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and of the table of demons. 22 Or are we provoking the Lord to jealous anger? Are we stronger than he is?

P S A L M

Psalm 116:12-13, 17-18

R: To you, Lord, I will offer a sacrifice of praise.

12 How shall I make a return to the LORD for all the good he has done for me? 13 The cup of salvation I will take up, and I will call upon the name of the LORD. (R) 17 To you will I offer sacrifice of thanksgiving, and I will call upon the name of the LORD. 18 My vows to the LORD I will pay in the presence of all his people. (R)

G O S P E L

Luke 6:43-49

We should never allow ourselves to tolerate a little evil on the grounds that the overall impression that our life leaves is a good one. Good and evil can never be played off against one another! They cannot be measured one against the other. Evil is always and at every time and place to be avoided and that is that! Let us seek to produce only good fruit in our lives. In this way we will be better able to keep the bad fruit away as who wants anything to do with rotten fruit when there is good fruit near at hand?

43 ?A good tree does not bear rotten fruit, nor does a rotten tree bear good fruit. 44 For every tree is known by its own fruit. For people do not pick figs from thornbushes, nor do they gather grapes from brambles. 45 A good person out of the store of goodness in his heart produces good, but an evil person out of a store of evil produces evil. For from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks. 46 ?Why do you call me, ?Lord, Lord,? but not do what I command? 47 I will show you what someone is like who comes to me, listens to my words, and acts on them. 48 That one is like a person building a house, who dug deeply and laid the foundation on rock. When the flood came, the river burst against that house but could not shake it because it had been well built. 49 But the one who listens and does not act is like a person who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the river burst against it, it collapsed at once and was completely destroyed.?

my reflections
think: Idolatry can take numerous forms.

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