Some of the best things in life happen when we take simple steps that are unplanned responses to unexpected opportunities that God gives us. Today we are giving everyone the opportunity to get baptized. 

What you eat does not defile you, but what comes out of your mouth can. In Matthew 15:12, the elders of the church came to Jesus with a complaint about eating the wrong foods. Jesus says we should worry more about what comes out of our mouth than what goes into it. 

Some of us have been deprived of having an earthly father. Maybe we have been taken advantage of, abused, neglected, harmed, or experienced pain from our fathers. But, there is a father in heaven who loves us so much that he gave his only begotten son. Our heavenly father loves us, and he removed the barriers of sin and death for us. We have access to God, the Father, no matter what our earthly father is or was like. He gave himself to reconcile with us.

Our God is rich in mercy. You may feel rich in sin, shame, regret, but no matter how much negativity you’ve got, our God has more mercy. He’s got more mercy than you have sin. He’s got more mercy than you have failure. He’s got more mercy than you have shame. He’s got more mercy than you have mistakes. 

Thank God that you have accepted these truths: You are a child of God, you are blessed, and you are adopted. Paul is giving thanks for the faith of the church, but he wants us to know that there is more. 

The lie that Eve believed was that her identity could be achieved. Sin and destruction entered the earth through Adam and Eve believing the lie that they could become more than what they were through something that they did. Through Paul’s letter, we learn that our identity is either in Adam or in Christ--it is either achieved or received.