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TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, “I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel.” Luke 7:9

Read: Luke 7:6-9
Listen: Luke 7

TODAY’S MESSAGE

We learn a lot about the character of this centurion in this story. We see that he cares about his servant and treats the Jews with enough respect to gain the support of the elders. However, what stands out the most is his remarkable faith. Faced with the impending death of his servant, the centurion puts his trust in Jesus. The soldier heard about Jesus’s healing and respected his authority and power. The centurion trusts so much in Jesus’s power and authority he believes Jesus can heal from a distance. This faith in the authority of Jesus amazes Jesus himself.

This story teaches us something about the heart of God. God is pleased when someone chooses to trust in him when in a complicated situation. God wants us to turn to him amid hard times whether it’s the third round of treatments, work challenges or deep disappointment. Pastor Jeff Manion has given us a great prayer for these times, “God, I don’t like this space. I don’t want this space. I don’t understand this space, but I trust you in this space.”

IN YOUR CHAIR TIME TODAY

Identify the space where you most need to trust Jesus right now. With that in mind, pray, “God, I don’t like this space. I don’t want this space. I don’t understand this space, but I trust you in this space.” If you struggle to identify an area where you need to trust Jesus, pray for others in our church seeking to trust him in challenging spaces today.

2023 SPIRITUAL PRACTICES

Join us all of 2023 developing a different spiritual practice each month. SPIRITUAL PRACTICES are intentional regular activities to deepen our relationship with God and mold us to be more like Jesus.

June is WORSHIP. Keep track of our spiritual practices at beyondtheweekend.org/spiritualpractices.

Download a printable PDF of the BTW week here.