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Throughout the Bible, we find the promise of transformation. One of my favorites is found in this week’s reading. Hebrews 10:14 says, “…because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.” I love that picture. Because of the sacrifice of Jesus, we are made perfect, complete, whole, and finished. The passage doesn’t say we won’t struggle with sin, just that the blood of Jesus, shed on the cross, forgives our sin and heals the rift that sin creates in our relationship with God. The passage does not say that I will not struggle; it tells me that Jesus joins me in the struggle and walks beside me. He completes the picture and gives me the strength and encouragement to walk through life. It is a picture of a parent who lovingly helps a child develop through life. Offering encouragement, lending strength, picking us up when we fall. A parent who looks at His children through a lens of love. He calls us to account and guides our steps. And despite our failings and our short fallings, Jesus tells us that we are made perfect, not because of what we do, but because we live with Him.

As the Book of Hebrews opens, the writer builds a framework that shapes the whole book. Jesus is supreme. Jesus is superior to the angels. Jesus is superior to Moses. Jesus is superior to any king or ruler in the history of man. The writer wants us to see that Jesus is the authority and standard for everything we deal with or know. Jesus shows us what truth is. Jesus shows us how to live. Jesus shapes the way we think. Jesus is superior. As we read through Hebrews and embed the Bible on our hearts, we will see that what is so amazing about this book is that Jesus, the One who is superior, the One who holds authority, the One who sets the standard, is moving to call us closer to God. Jesus is passionate about connecting man to God. We will see pictures of Jesus the High Priest, mediating God’s grace to man. We will see Jesus the sacrificial lamb who brings forgiveness and shapes our holiness. We will Jesus, the authority, inviting us to dwell with God.

This week we will be reading 1 and 2 Timothy. Next week we will read through the Book of Titus. Together they form what we call the “pastoral epistles.” Simply put, they are letters (epistles) written to help guide someone that Paul loves. Timothy and Titus were young men that Paul walked with and mentored in their faith. Here we see how they each have grown and are ministering to others. Paul continues to guide them in their faith and encourage them in their lives. I am always reminded of my own mentors when I read these books. Those people who have helped me grow in faith and in my love for Jesus. People who have, and still do, open my eyes to the wonder of walking with God. Mentors are important. Mentors help us see God, hear His voice, and follow His lead. Mentors also hold us accountable to the standard of Jesus. Gently, or not so gently, reminding us of our relationship with Him. Mentors are spiritual friends who help us look like Jesus. I hope you have a couple of mentors in your life. I hope you are fostering spiritual relationships that help guide you to deeper and stronger faith. I hope that you are taking the time to mentor someone else.

I love to read through 1 Thessalonians. As Paul writes to the church in Thessalonica, you can feel the love that pours out from his heart onto the page. He speaks of their faith and their love for each other. He talks about how they make a difference in the lives of their community. Paul writes about his longing to return and spend time with the family of God that meets in Thessalonica. Paul talks about his thankfulness for the church and their dedication to God. It is a picture of community. The community that God provides us with as we walk with Him. Embedding the Bible in our hearts creates a longing for this God-given community. You and I were never meant to live life alone. God is always pursuing us. God is always inviting us. And God is always providing a place where we can experience His love, hear His voice, and feel his grace. The church is a community of people who are connected by the blood of Jesus and called to live life together as we walk with God. Community is a gift from God.

Written by John Newton and published in 1779, the song “Amazing Grace” holds a dear spot in the hearts of many. It is a song that calls us to see Jesus in both the moments that create today and in the days that will come. Philippians 2:5-11 always makes me think of the amazing grace Jesus offers us. As Paul writes, he paints a remarkable picture. God leaves heaven to come to earth. Jesus takes on the struggles of humanity and lives in obedience. Jesus conquers fear and the cross to offer redemption and relationship to all mankind. Overcoming even death, Jesus makes the return trip home to be with God. All of this to offer us grace. Grace that forgives sin. Grace that empowers obedience. Grace that conquers fear. Grace that overcomes death and leads us home to be with Jesus for all eternity. Embedded throughout the Bible is the amazing grace that God continually gives to those who would follow Him. As we embed the Bible on our hearts, we embed this truth in our lives. Jesus offers us amazing grace!

“Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” – Ephesians 5:1-2
Throughout the Bible, God calls us to look like Jesus. In both Leviticus and 1 Peter, we are told to be holy because God is holy. We are faithful because God is faithful. We love because God first loved us. We seek truth and Jesus is the truth. We have peace because God is peace. Over and over, the call of the disciple is the call to become like Jesus, the Teacher. Here in the book of Ephesians, it is no different. Paul points the people of God to the standard of Jesus. He calls us to be imitators of God. To pattern and model our lives after the nature and character of God. To live a life of sacrifice and surrender, just like Jesus. Embedding the Bible is about taking on the nature and character of Jesus. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we are able to be transformed. Changed into something beyond our own imaginings. What a hope!

Galatians 4:4 holds one of those phrases that seems to have embedded itself in my heart. “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son…” With these words, Paul paints a picture of the time from creation to the cross as a time of building excitement. A time when God watched man and planned for his entrance into the family of God. It is a picture of God as an excited parent, waiting for the moment when the adoption can become final. Planning the most opportune moment to extend an invitation to live a life of love and of grace. A God who prepares for our acceptance, not leaving it to chance, but shaping the ages and the nations to bring about the best moment to introduce Jesus. I love this picture because it shows me who God is. God is an active participant in the story of man. He is willing to send His Son to die for our sin, waiting until just the right moment so that all can see and hear how God pursues us. Embedding the Bible helps us to see and remember that God is an active part of our individual stories. Each life is a life that God wants to enter and change…in the fullness of time.

“But, ‘Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.’” – 2 Corinthians 10:17
Paul quotes Jeremiah 9:24 here as he talks to the church in Corinth. His reminder is clear, if there is anything that is praiseworthy in life, it is because God is moving. It is an important reminder for us today. God is on the move and we, as His children, get to see what He is doing. We are invited to walk with God and point others to see His movement. How do we learn to see God moving? As we embed the Bible this year, we are exposed to the movement of God throughout human history. We see how God touches lives and molds His people. David’s Psalms, Moses’ prayers, Haggai’s prophecy, all point to the work of God in the lives of people. With every new day, each breath of life, and each glorious sunset, we see the work of God. A new baby, a child at play, and little hands reaching out for a hug are all pictures of God’s grace. A mother’s hug, a father’s laugh, a grandparent’s smile are all reflections of God’s love. We see it every day. But what do we do with it? Do we keep it to ourselves, or do we boast in what God has gifted us with?

It is always funny to me to watch as a new baby comes into the church building. People flock around to congratulate the new parents and to see “who the baby looks like.” Does the baby have the father’s nose or the mother’s eyes? Maybe the ears or the hair color is familiar. Everybody looks for a resemblance. As I get older, I too am looking for a resemblance. I can see a little more of my dad and my grandfather each time I look in the mirror. Sometimes it’s funny, sometimes it’s scary, but it’s also reassuring. A family resemblance tells us that we belong. It reminds us we are connected. In 2 Corinthians 3:18, Paul tells us that God is transforming us into the likeness of His Son. God is imprinting us with a family resemblance. As we embed the Bible this year, we continually take on more and more of the characteristics that identify us as part of the family of God. We are growing to look like Jesus.

One of the most often quoted and best loved portions of the Bible is found in our reading this week. First Corinthians 13 is a chapter that speaks about love. When I was in college, I got a card in the mail from my mom. The front of the card had a picture of Snoopy (a cartoon dog from the comic strip “Peanuts”) sitting on top of his familiar red dog house. The caption read, “When I think of you…” Open the card and there is Snoopy. He is a big ball of fur, hair sticking out all over, a big smile on his face as he hugs himself tight. The inside caption reads, “…I get the warm fuzzies!” It was a great card. A message from home about how much my mom loves me. It does make me think though. The world often defines love as an uncontrollable feeling that just sort of takes over. Paul writes differently for us. He tells us that love is concrete and personal. When we decide to love, we express our love in very tangible ways. Love is the decision to be patient and kind. Love shows humility. With each word, he tells us how we can share the love of God with others.