Walking...& Stumbling...with God

This fall I'll be doing weekly blog posts on the SPU Lectio readings in Genesis & Exodus, starting the week of September 29th.  Follow this link to get the PDF reading guide: http://blog.spu.edu/lectio/files/2014/09/Genesis-Exodus.pdf

The focus will be on the characters we encounter in the first two books of the bible, and how they demonstrate faithfulness in spite of their imperfections and outright rebellion.  Their example will teach us about how God walks with and works through sinners like us.

Going Deeper:

Throughout the series, we'll be exploring a literary concept that makes an appearance in the best-selling young adult novel The Fault in Our Stars by John Green: Hamartia, or the "fatal flaw" in one's character.  We'll consider the biblical connections to this concept in the New Testament word for sin, which happens to be the exact same word, hamartia.

We'll also be diving deeper into Christian theology through Martin Luther's famous Latin phrase "Simul Justus et Peccator" - a phrase that describes our dual status as saints and sinners, simultaneously guilty and justified by Christ.


Walking..& Stumbling...with God
How God Works In & Through Imperfect People

The Outline of Our Journey

Week	Reading	Title	Kurt’s Blog
Week 1: September 29		Introduction to Scripture
Week 2: October 6	Genesis 1:1—2:3	The Created Order	Let US make in OUR image
Week 3: October 13	Genesis 2:4—3:24	Eden and East of Eden	Eve & Adam
Week 4: October 20	Genesis 4:1—6:22	Ending It All and Starting Over	Cain
Week 5: October 27	Genesis 7:1—11:32	The Flood and Its Aftermath	Noah
Week 6: November 3	Genesis 12:1—24:67	Exclusive Election and Inclusive Purpose	Abraham
Week 7: November 10	Genesis 25:1—36:42	Seeing the Face of God	Jacob
Week 8: November 17	Genesis 37:1—38:30	Conflict in God's Family	Reuben
Week 9: November 24	Genesis 39:1—50:26	Lurking Providence	Joseph
Week 10: December 1	Exodus 1:1—4:31	Unlikely Heroes	Moses I
Week 11: December 8	Exodus 5:1—10:29	God Versus Egypt	Pharaoh
Week 12: December 15	Exodus 11:1—15:27	From the Frying Pan Into the Fire	The People
Week 13: December 22	Exodus 16:1—19:25	Survival in the Wilderness	Moses II

Romans 12 Challenge - Week 7 - Verses 19-21

September 1-7

Romans 12:19-21

 

¹⁷ Do not repay anyone evil for evil… ¹⁹ Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath… ²¹ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Take the Romans 12 Challenge!

• Memorize the weekly verse(s)
• Pray the prayer every morning/evening
• Print the reminder card, post it somewhere visible, take it with you
• Every time you see the "12" of the Seahawks' 12th man flag, think about applying these thoughts to your life.
• Post a comment to this blog to share how God is transforming you for good!






copy & print for reminder card - black & white



copy & print for reminder card - color

Think about it

Do not repay anyone evil for evil.  There are so many examples of the never-ending, escalating cycle of violence.  Payback is not an option for the Christ-follower.

Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath.  In Greek, it’s literally “do not avenge yourselves.”  Trusting in, even praying for, God’s wrathful judgment on evildoers is the preferred path.  God uses human agents in his work of wrathful judgment of evil (read forward in Romans 13:4), but this is in a different category than personal retribution which is more like “taking justice into our own hands.”  There are cases when Christians are called to join God’s effort of stopping evildoers (think of anti-human trafficking or Dietrich Bonhoeffer in the plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler), but the motivation behind these efforts is far more noble (saving the many lives of others) than personal retribution.

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.  The final phrase of the chapter summarizes Paul’s teaching. Evil will overcome us if we become perpetrators, even in retaliation for insults and injuries suffered.  Overcoming evil with good is God’s way, so very different from the pattern of this world.

 

Pray about it

God, you are the ultimate judge of human behavior; I’m not.  When others mistreat me and I’m tempted to take revenge, keep me from planning payback.  Help me to trust your rightful judgment of wrongdoers. Amen.

Apply it
Let’s keep it simple.  When someone offends or injures you, choose not to respond in kind.  Recognize when you’re tempted to say or do something to hurt them in return.  Hold tightly to the good, respond with words, set healthy boundaries, pray about it to the ultimate authority (God), even call in human authorities to intervene (parents, teachers, police). But loosen your grip on your thoughts of payback.