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.

Reading today from Ephesians 5:1 10 from the Message Wake up from your sleep.

Watch what God does and then do it like children who learn proper behavior from their parents.

Mostly what God does is love.

You keep company with him and learn a life of love.

Observe how Christ loved us.

His love is not cautious but extravagant.

He didn't love in order to get something from us, but to give everything of Himself to us.

Love like that.

Don't allow love to turn into lust, setting off a downhill slide into sexual promiscuity, filthy practices or bullying greed.

Though some tongues just love the taste of gossip, those who follow Jesus have better uses of language than that.

Don't talk dirty or silly.

That kind of talk doesn't fit our style.

Thanksgiving is our dialect.

You can be sure that using people or religion or things just for what you can get out of them.

The usual variations on idolatry will get you nowhere and certainly nowhere near the kingdom of Christ, the kingdom of God.

Don't let yourselves get taken in by religious smooth talk.

God gets furious with people who are full of religious sales talk but want nothing to do with Him.

Don't even hang around with people like that.

You groped your way through the murk once, but no longer.

You're out in the open now.

The bright light of Christ makes your way plain.

So no more stumbling around.

Get on with it.

The good, the right, the true.

These are the actions appropriate for daylight hours.

Figure out what will please Christ and then do it.

Wow.

What a powerful message from this scripture here today.

So I'm glad you joined me as we get into this, a little bit deeper.

So let's get into some points to ponder.

The first one Is this extravagant love is the center, not control.

Paul says mostly what God does is love you and calls us to love like Christ.

Not cautious, but extravagant.

And a progressive understanding of this scripture reminds us that the heart of faith isn't gatekeeping.

It's radical, inclusive care that refuses to use people or religion as leverage.

If love becomes about control or getting something back, it stops being love and becomes idolatry, using God language to prop up our own desires.

You, in my own life, have been married to the same amazing woman for over 34 years.

And we've raised three amazing adult children and have some great bright grandchildren.

One of my favorite activities is telling stories and laughing and having giggling times with them.

And that is a time of extravagant love.

No transaction, no hey, what do I get out of this kind of thing?

Just joy and presence and Christlike love looks like that in community too.

Centering consent, dignity, mutual flourishing.

It asks who's being used, who's being excluded?

And how can we love in ways that give, not take?

Gratitude is our dialect.

Paul is policing vocabulary for the sake of propriety.

He's pointing to speech that builds up rather than tears down.

In a progressive framework, avoid demeaning.

Talk and gossip isn't about moral squeamishness.

It's about communal health.

Words can wound or heal, especially for people carrying a heavy load.

I host a weekly podcast for folks impacted by cancer, where hope and humor are a part of the language that we use.

And some days the only daylight we see is a chuckle or a kind word.

Thanksgiving is our dialect.

Isn't denial or pain.

It's choosing the name, the good, the right and the true, even when times are hard.

And this line in this passage here about religious smooth talk, well, that's a warning about slick slogans.

Without embodied care, we can form spiritual gaslighting.

Faith shows up as food delivered, a ride to the appointment, a hand on the shoulder.

It's less hype and more help.

I'm a big fan of my local sports teams, the Colts, Pacers, Fever, IU football and basketball, Indiana University.

And when you follow sports teams, it teaches you between that there is a life between the thrilling wins and the tough losses.

You learn patience, you learn encouragement.

And how do you keep keep on keeping on as a fan of your team and to keep speaking life even when the scoreboard isn't friendly.

That's a gospel shaped language.

Truthful, grounded, grateful.

Let's talk about an action step for for today.

Practice a daylight triple today.

What's that?

A daylight triple.

The first is extravagant love.

Do one tangible, no strings attached act of love.

Text somebody who's struggling.

Bring a meal tip a waitress or waiter generously give your time without expecting something back in return.

That's the first one, extravagant love.

The second is grateful speech.

Replace gossip or snarky comments with a simple thank you or word of gratitude.

Say it out loud or write it out the third so it's extravagant love, it's grateful speech.

And the third is truthful courage.

Name one hard truth kindly, that is Set some boundaries, apologize or speak up for somebody being sidelined.

And kind of as a bonus, go on a hike in a wooded park or someplace and let that pathway remind you that the bright light of Christ makes all these ways plain.

We're going to come back and have

a prayer here in just a minute.

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Let's pray.

God of extravagant love.

Thank you for that.

Mostly what you give us, what you do is love us.

So teach us to love like you do in ways that give, not grasp to be people who light up the trail for others.

When we're tempted by religious smooth talk, ground us in small, honest acts of care.

When Gospel tugs at our tongues, make Thanksgiving our dialect.

Be close to friends in our lives who are having troubled times.

Cancer and other heavy diagnoses bring comfort, good humor and hope for today.

Bless our families, our spouses, our children, grandchildren, people in our lives and guide our steps like a steady hike through the woods and our wins and losses on our courts and fields and hospital rooms.

And keep us walking in the good, the right and the true and show us what will please Christ and help us to do it.

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.