Hello my friend Dr. Brad Miller here with the Daily Bible Refresh.

This is your daily reading of the Bible from a progressive point of view.

In a bit I will read the New Testament lessons selected from the Revised Common Lectionary for this very day.

The reading is understandable.

I use the Message version relatable.

Please listen to the points to ponder and applicable with action steps you can take.

We pray and are done in less than 10 minutes.

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Here's today's reading and we're reading today from First John 5:1:5.

This is the epistle or the letter of First John as a differentiated from the Gospel of John.

We're reading from the message.

Every person who believes that Jesus is in fact the Messiah is God born.

If we love the one who conceives the child will surely love the child who who was conceived.

The reality test on whether or not we love God's children is this do we love God?

Do we keep his commands?

The proof that we love God comes when we keep his commandments and they are not at all troublesome.

The Power that Brings the World to its knees Every God born person conquers the world, the world's ways.

The conquering power that brings the world to its knees is our faith.

The person who wins out over the world's ways is simply the one who believes Jesus is the Son of God.

Then is the reading and welcome good people to our conversation here today.

I just want to thank you for making some space for Bible study in your life.

Our reading is from First John 5:1:5 in the message, the epistle, First John or the letter and John's Pulling together Pulling together a simple thread here.

If we love God, we'll love God's kids.

Keeping God's commands isn't burdensome and faith in Jesus helps us resist the world's ways.

So talking about this, let's look at three points to ponder through a progressive lens.

Love is the command and it's communal.

John ties love of God to love of God's children.

In plain terms, if we claim to love God, we practice care for people, especially those sidelined by the world's ways.

Commands aren't a checklist They're a way of life that centers mercy, justice and dignity.

And progressive faith sees the commands through Jesus.

Summary Love God, Love neighbor.

If the outcome of our obedience isolates our harms, we miss the point.

Love bends us towards inclusion.

Welcoming our neighbors.

Be the immigrants.

Be the LBGTQ folks.

Advocating for equitable health care.

Honoring all of our neighbors whatever their background or language or heritage or racial makeup.

It is all about honoring the image of God in every person.

Second point to ponder Faith isn't a vibe, it's trust in action.

It says here, quote the conquering power is our faith, not conquest, not domination.

Faith subverts the world's ways of trusting by trusting Jesus's path of self giving love.

That looks like choosing truth over spin, presence over performance, service over status.

I do work with cancer impacted people in my other podcast, Cancer and Comedy and they're the really brave folks, I tell you that.

And the bravest faith that I see isn't loud, isn't boisterous.

It's steady.

It's giving rides to appointments.

It's being present.

It's meals on hard days.

It's laughter in waiting rooms and hospital rooms.

Faith wins over the world's ways when we resist cynicism and show up.

Third point to ponder God's commands aren't burdensome because they align with joy when love is the command.

Obedience isn't drudgery, it's liberation.

We're freer when we stop living for approval and start living from belovedness.

If you ever watched a great basketball or football team play like Indian University this year in football, man, you've seen teamwork that is unselfish.

Or maybe you've hiked a trail with a partner and you just breathe easier.

When you're doing it together, you feel alignment.

You feel the synergy of the act creates joy.

Loving God and neighbor puts us in rhythm with the way we are made to be spiritual beings and relational beings.

It's less grind, more grace.

Let's talk about an action step for this week, a Love as Logistics challenge.

Pick one concrete, non heroic act that relieves someone else's burden.

Take somebody a meal.

Offer a ride to somebody who needs a ride to a medical appointment.

Babysit for somebody for an hour or two.

Maybe pay for somebody's groceries.

Or maybe pay for somebody's coffee when you're in line at Starbucks.

Send a handwritten note or a small gift or card to someone that you just want to encourage for no particular reason.

Or maybe volunteer at your local food pantry or shelter.

Add a Justice thread.

If your ACT touches health care, for instance, or food or housing, send a respectful email to any leaders or people who have been supporting policies to encourage them, particularly if they are doing things to help protect the vulnerable.

Likewise, if someone is doing things to harm the vulnerable, let them know that too.

Keep it simple.

Love is the command.

Logistics are the expression we're going to come back and have a prayer here.

In just a minute.

In the meantime, I really would like for you to go over to our website, Voice of God Daily and pick up our free Bible Study Guide.

It's called the ABC 123 Bible Study Guide.

Let's pray.

O God of unburdensome Love, Love, thank you for making your commands feel like oxygen, not weight.

Teach us to trust Jesus in small, repeatable ways.

In the carpool, in the waiting room, the checkout line.

When the world's ways shout for power, anchor us in service, mercy and truth.

Bless our families, our teams, and our trails.

Fill our homes with laughter and let that joy spill into someone else's day.

Help Help us.

Love your children like they're ours.

Because they are.

Amen.

My friend.

I am delighted you chose to join me for today's reading.

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Thanks much.

My name is Dr. Brad Miller and I'll be right here tomorrow with your Daily Bible Refresh.

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Remember, God's loyal love doesn't run out.

His merciful love hasn't dried up, it's created new every morning.