Awakening to Authentic Living Wisdom from Ephesians 5, 15, 20 on the Daily Bible refresh with Dr.

Brad Miller.

Hello good people.

Dr.

Brad Miller here with Daily Bible Refresh, a daily reading of the New Testament to bring it into your life and make it understandable, relatable and applicable.

We read from the Revised Common Lectionary where in year C of a three year cycle or in the Pentecost season, we make the reading of the Bible understandable by reading from the Message version.

Relatable by giving you some points to ponder and applicable.

We'll give you an action step to take and we have a prayer.

We do all of that in under 10 minutes.

It's all brought to you by voiceofgoddaily.com that's the home of the ABC 1, 2, 3 Bible Study Method.

Please join us in our vision to get the audible Word of God into two millionaires by 2028.

Let's get into our reading of the Scriptures today.

Today from Ephesians 5, 15, 20 reading from the Message don't waste your time on useless work, mere busy work, the barren pursuits of darkness.

Expose these things for the sham they are.

It's a scandal when people waste their lives on things they must do in the darkness where no one will see.

Rip the COVID off these frauds and see how attractive they look in the light of Christ.

Wake up from your sleep.

Climb out of your coffins.

Christ will show you the light.

So watch your step, Use your head.

Make the most of every chance you get.

These are desperate times.

Don't live carelessly, unthinkingly.

Make sure you understand what the Master wants.

Don't drink too much wine, this cheapens your life.

Drink the spirit of God, huge drafts of him.

Sing hymns instead of drinking songs.

Sing songs from your heart in Christ.

Sing praises over everything, any excuse for a song to God the Father.

In the name of our Master, Jesus Christ.

Well, what a great verse.

A passage of scripture about awakening to authentic living, about intentional living, spiritual awareness.

So let's look at some insights into this that may be helpful to you.

The first one is about radical awareness.

There is the call to wake up and climb out of your coffins.

It's really more than a metaphor, it's an invitation to radical consciousness.

In progressive theology, this awakening often means becoming aware of systematic injustices, environmental crises, and the ways our actions impact others.

The light of Christ reveals not just personal sin, but collective shadows that need addressing by our world.

Another point is It's a sacred time as resistance.

Quote make the most of every chance you get, it says, and it says to take on new meaning in our burnout culture rather than another product productivity mandate.

This can be read as resistance against a system that wastes our time with quote mere busy work.

Using time wisely might mean choosing justice work over profit, relationship over efficiency, or rest over endless production.

Another point is about collective joy as a spiritual practice.

The passage contrasts drinking wine with being filled with the spirit.

But the focus isn't on prohibition.

It's about finding authentic sources of joy and community.

Singing together, celebrating life, practicing gratitude are all parts of basically acts of spiritual resistance against a culture of numbing, consumption and isolation.

Here's your action step.

Identify an area of quote busy work, an activity that doesn't align with your values or contribute to meaningful change.

Replace that time with either some direct action for justice, community building or intentional rest.

And document how this shift affects your spiritual your spiritual and emotional well being of a Closing Prayer Just a minute.

Always want you to know we've got a resource for you.

It is called the ABC 123 Bible Study Method.

It's going to help you with your daily at home Bible study practices.

It's a point by point process.

You will find it helpful.

You just head over to our website voiceofgoddaily.com there's a link there.

Boop.

You hit the link and you're on your way.

It'll be in your inbox before you know it.

Here to be serving to you.

Let's pray.

God, you are the source of light and love.

Wake us up from our comfortable numbness when we're tempted to lose ourselves in mindless distractions.

Guide us toward meaningful engagement with our world and each other.

Help us recognize the difference between urgent and important, between busy and purposeful, between numbing ourselves and true joy.

Give us courage to examine our use of time, wisdom to choose justice over convenience and strength to live intentionally in these challenging days.

Fill us with your spirit of creativity and courage that our songs may be songs of hope, our celebrations, acts of resistance and our joy.

A light for others in the spirit of Christ who awakens us.

Amen.

I love being with you here on Daily Bible Refresh and we have a goal that I hope that you'll just join me in to get the audible word of God into two millionaires.

That's a million people by 2028.

That can happen when you join me every day here on the Daily Bible Refresh.

We usually drop our episodes by 6:00am Eastern Time and subscribe to the podcast and invite others to join us it's just that simple.

Go to voiceofgoddaily.com I'll see you again tomorrow.

Until that time, remember that God's loyal love doesn't run out.

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

Every.