Royston First United Methodist Church

“For I am the Lord your God; sanctify yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy.” – Leviticus 11:44

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE READING: Leviticus 9-13

If you have been reading along with our Daily Bible Reading Plan, you have probably grown tired of reading about all of the laws and commandments and rituals for worship found in Exodus and Leviticus. Why do we have all of this in the Bible and how is it important to our understanding of God and faith?

When God rescued the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, God had a purpose for the Israelites. The Israelites were redeemed from Egypt for the pursuit of holiness. God wanted to set the Israelites apart as God’s people. In order to live into this new identity, there would have to be some new rules.

When I used to play basketball, every coach had a different way he or she would run their practices. If I was going to be part of the team, I had to learn therules of practice and do what my coach expected me to do. The Israelites were on a new team and needed to learn the new rules in order to attain the prize — a life of righteousness with God.

Like the Israelites, you and I also find ourselves on a journey to discover this righteousness, or holiness, or with God. Holiness is not simply an inner experience. Holiness is a way of shaping every aspect of ordinary life to please God. This involves our habits, our manners, and our behaviors. Our goal as followers of Christ is live a life of holiness as we are made perfect in love. It’s the ultimate goal for all of us, and it is a goal that we pursue daily when we are faithful and obedient to the call of Christ.

How are you pursuing holiness in your walk with Christ? How have you experienced God’s invitation into a new life with Christ?

This weekend, we are talking about how our worship can please God. After our 11:00 service, we will celebrate our Valentines Luncheon courtesy of thewomen in our Hope Circle. It’s going to be another amazing Sunday and I hope you will be there.

Have an amazing weekend and I look forward to being with you in worship at 8:45 and 11:00!

Grace and peace,
Matt

P.S. Next Wednesday, we will welcome Daulton Corbett to our Wednesday Night Supper to share with us about Winshape Summer Camps at Pleasant Grove Baptist Church in Bowman. This camp is for kids currently in Kindergarten through 8th grade and will be July 6-10. Winshape Camps is offered in partnership with Chick-Fil-A and is a wonderful opportunity for kids to experience Jesus in a fun environment. If you have kids, grandkids, nieces, nephews, neighbors, or know someone who has kids, I hope you will be with us on Wednesday and invite someone to come to dinner with you and learn more about this great opportunity in our community.