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God Is Here
Once, there was a little fish swimming in the ocean. He swam up to an older, Read More
Amy Oden | Read Matthew 16:13-20
What is it like when you feel seen? This phrase has come into parlance in recent years to name a subtle yet powerful experience of being recognized for who we really are. Being known not for the category or box others put us in, not for who others assume we...
Strip away false labels and show me myself as you see me, God. I long to be seen by you. Amen.
Our passages share a common theme of being free for the full life God desires for us. In Exodus, we see the stark contrast between Pharaoh’s death-dealing fear and the fearless women who step forward to bring life. The psalm celebrates the soaring aliveness that comes with the freedom only God can provide. In Romans, Paul describes being free to not conform to the world’s values so that we live our everyday life completely transformed. In Matthew, Jesus offers another kind of freedom. He shows Peter who he truly is, free from labels that have defined him up to this point. Instead, Jesus offers Peter a wider freedom than ever before.
Read Exodus 1:8–2:10. How do you long to be free from fear in your life? What might be God’s invitation for you?
Read Psalm 124. Where does being overwhelmed hold your life captive? What’s it like to trust that God is for us, setting us free?
Read Romans 12:1-8. What helps you pay attention and listen to your body’s wisdom? How might God be speaking to you through your body in everyday life?
Read Matthew 16:13-20. How does Christ show you who you really are? Who does Jesus free you to become?
Respond by posting a prayer.
