Sin often begins quietly. It may start with a harsh word, a selfish choice, a neglected prayer, or a heart that slowly drifts from God. At first, we may excuse it or ignore it. Yet over time, sin creates distance — not because God abandons us, but because we turn away from the life and peace God desires for us.
King David understood this deeply. After his great failure, he prayed in Psalm 51, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me.” David did not pretend he was innocent. He brought his brokenness honestly before God. That is the beginning of repentance.
Repentance is more than feeling guilty. It is turning around. It is choosing to leave behind the path that leads away from God and returning to the One whose mercy never fails. True repentance requires humility, honesty, and trust that God’s grace is greater than our sin.
The good news of the gospel is that God does not delight in condemnation. In Jesus Christ, we see a Savior who welcomes sinners, restores the broken, and offers forgiveness freely. No failure is too great, no heart too far gone, for the redeeming love of God.
Repentance is not a one-time event but a daily practice. Each day we are invited to examine our hearts, confess what separates us from God, and receive anew the mercy that is already waiting for us.
When we repent, we do not lose ourselves — we find ourselves again in the grace of God.
Prayer
Merciful God, we confess that we have sinned in thought, word, and deed. Too often we follow our own way instead of yours. Forgive us, renew us, and turn our hearts back to you. Create in us clean hearts and lead us in the way of life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

According to the CDC, a little more than 36% of American adults don't get enough sleep. The national average is 36.8% while the average in Virginia is a little lower, 33-36%. Some of the main reasons that people are sleep deprived are: a sleep disorder like insomnia, or restless leg syndrome; age is a factor. People over 65 have a higher degree of sleep issues, usually due to medication or medical issues; and those suffering from depression, anxiety and stress issues.

Scripture has a lot to say about anxiety and stress. the Bible says "do not fear" or "do not be afraid" over 100 times. Jesus says in Matthew 11, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

As Christians, we are called to put our trust in God, and yet, we continue to wrestle with anxiety, stress, and sleep deprivation. It is all too easy to fall into the trap of thinking that we are alone, left to our own devices, and we have to solve everything on our own. After all, this is what the world teaches us. However, leaning a little more into the arms of Jesus, we find that we can find that peace, that shalom, that Jesus offers us. Spending more time in prayer, more time in God's Word and allowing the Spirit the time and space to move in our hearts and lives is the pathway to experiencing this "rest for your souls" that Jesus talks about. I'm not promising an overnight fix! God works on this own time. But, if we are willing to be patient, do the spiritual work required, being devoted to prayer and Scripture, then we find that God's solutions are so much better than what we could have ever come up with on our own. Trust God!

In our first lesson on Genesis, the book asked us a question that I thought needed a bit more exploration. Mainly because I don't know the answer. The question is on pg. 21 in our Wiersbe book. The question is asked in relation to how Christians care for the earth, and how this caring for the earth has become a political football. "Is it possible to strip away the political from the spiritual when it comes to caring for the earth?" In class, the group noted that politics have taken over more topics than how Christians care about creation. Immigration. Caring for the poor. Healing the sick. If someone hears these topics preached from the pulpit, preachers are accused of "preaching politics." In response, most preachers, including myself, claim we are just preaching the Gospel. We are not preaching politics as much as we are preaching topics that have become politicized.  So back to Wiersbe's question. How does the church reclaim these as spiritual topics that have real and true spiritual impacts, not just on the church, but on the nation? Again, I ask this question because I don't know the answer.

This discussion led the class to another question. One person told the story of a friend who had changed churches because she heard politics that she didn't agree with talked about in her church. She chose to go to another church that agreed with her politics. Two questions arose from this discussion: who/what are we truly worshiping? If going to church is all about being transformed by the Word, then do you want to go to a church that doesn't challenge your thinking, your voting, your actions? If the answer to the last question is "yes," then how does transformation happen without some form of challenge to our beliefs?

I'm anxious to hear your thoughts! Please reply in the comments!