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 lesson 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.

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Here's today's reading.

So we're reading from Hebrews 13:7 21 from the Message Appreciate your pastoral leaders who gave you the Word of God.

Take a good look at the way they live and let their faithfulness instruct you as well as their truthfulness.

There should be a consistency that runs through us all.

For Jesus doesn't change yesterday, today, tomorrow.

He's always totally himself.

Don't be lured away from him by the latest speculations about Him.

The grace of Christ is the only good ground for life.

Products named after Christ don't seem to do much for those who buy them.

The altar from which God gives us the gift of himself is not for exploitation by insiders who grab and loot.

In the old system, the animals were.

Killed and the bodies disposed of outside the camp.

The blood is then brought inside to the altar as a sacrifice for sin.

It's the same with Jesus.

He was crucified outside the city gates.

That is where he poured out the sacrificial blood that was brought to God's altar to cleanse his people.

So let's go outside where Jesus is, where the action is not trying to be privileged insiders, but taking our share in the abuse of Jesus.

This inside world is not our home.

We have our eyes peeled for the city about to come.

Let's take our place outside with Jesus no longer pouring out the sacrificial blood of animals, but pouring out the sacrificial praises from our lips to God in Jesus name.

Make sure you don't take things for granted and go slack in working for the common good.

Share what you have with others.

God takes particular pleasure and acts of worship.

A different kind of sacrifice that takes place in kitchen and workplace and on the streets.

Be responsive to your pastoral leaders.

Listen to their counsel.

They are alert to the condition of your lives.

And work under the strict supervision of God contributed to the joy of their leadership, not its drudgery.

Why would you want to make things harder for them?

Pray for us.

We have no doubts about what we're doing or why, but it's hard going and we need your prayers.

All we care about is living well before God.

Pray that we may be together soon.

May God, who puts all things together, makes all things whole, who makes a lasting mark through the sacrifices of Jesus Christ, the sacrifice of blood that sealed the eternal covenant, who led Jesus, our great shepherd, up and alive from the dead.

Now put you together, provide you with everything you need to please him.

Make us into what gives him most pleasure by means of the sacrifice of Jesus the Messiah.

All glory to Jesus forever and always.

Oh, yes, yes, yes.

Well, friends, this is a reading here which is about living faith outside the gates.

My friends, it's me, Dr. Brad Miller here.

And today we're diving into a powerful message from Hebrews that really challenges us to think about what authentic, authentic faith looks like in our modern world.

You know, it reminds me of some conversations that I've had with, with my granddaughters while we're taking walks.

And they may ask me why some people seem to care more about being inside special groups than helping others.

And wow, did that connect with today's scripture.

So let's explore this passage, Hebrews 13, 7:21, which talks about stepping outside our comfort zones and breaking down barriers.

Something that really resonates with progressive Christianity's emphasis on inclusive love and social justice.

Let me give you some points to ponder.

The first is about breaking down insider outsider dynamics.

Just as Jesus was crucified outside the city gates, we're called to move beyond exclusive religious spaces and and comfortable church walls.

It reminds me when my wife and I were traveling and we found some of our most meaningful spiritual moments were in the woods and we were serving in such a place that we could just see God's real presence there.

The author of Hebrews challenges us to stop creating privileged insider groups and instead meet people where they are redefining sacrifice.

This passage transforms our understanding of sacrifice from ritual offerings to practical acts of love and justice.

I work with cancer patients from time to time through my podcast and I've learned that true worship often happens in soup kitchens and other places, not just in sanctuaries.

And this text specifically mentions that God takes pleasure in acts of worship the that happen in kitchens and workplaces and streets.

Leadership with Accountability the scripture talks about appreciating spiritual leaders while maintaining healthy accountability.

In my 30 years of marriage, I've learned that the best relationships, whether in church or family or community, thrive on mutual, open dialogue.

This isn't about blind obedience, but about collaborative spiritual growth.

Here's your action step this week.

Identify one inside the gate's comfort zone in your life and intentionally step outside of it.

Maybe it's having coffee with someone whose beliefs differ from yours, or joining some sort of a local justice movement, or serving in a community unlike your own.

Share your experience with someone else to multiply its impact.

Let's pray.

Oh God, you are the source of divine love and we sometimes find ourselves building walls when you call us to build bridges.

Help us laugh at our own prejudices as easily as I may laugh with my granddaughters at dumb dad jokes.

Give us courage to step outside our gates of privilege and comfort.

Guide us in redefining worship through acts of justice and compassion.

Maybe it's even like a good basketball game.

Help us to play as a team, supporting each other while holding each other accountable.

Transform our hearts and to see you in the unexpected places and faces.

Amen.

My friend.

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

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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.