Today is October 11
  
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace through the power of the Holy Spirit.    
  
Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”    
   
Today’s reading is from the book of Jude, chapter 1, read from the MSG version.   
  
17 –19      But remember, dear friends, that the apostles of our Master, Jesus Christ, told us this would happen: “In the last days there will be people who don’t take these things seriously anymore. They’ll treat them like a joke, and make a religion of their own whims and lusts.” These are the ones who split churches, thinking only of themselves. There’s nothing to them, no sign of the Spirit!  
20–21       But you, dear friends, carefully build yourselves up in this most holy faith by praying in the Holy Spirit, staying right at the center of God’s love, keeping your arms open and outstretched, ready for the mercy of our Master, Jesus Christ. This is the unending life, the real life!  
22–23       Go easy on those who hesitate in the faith. Go after those who take the wrong way. Be tender with sinners, but not soft on sin.   

Think about how you act toward people who sin. Everyone is a sinner, we simply sin in different ways. Are you tender with everyone when they sin? Do you extend the love and mercy of Christ to sinners around you? What about you? Are you tender toward yourself when you sin? Because this verse says you're supposed to be. "Be tender with sinners," also applies to you, if you're a sinner. Are you harder on yourself than you are on others?  Or, do you allow God’s mercy and love to fill you? 

Jude wrote to be tender with sinners, but not the sins themselves. We aren't supposed to take sin lightly, but we aren't supposed to live in condemnation, either. The people who sat above everyone and judged them, because they believed they were so holy, were the people Jesus called out. Jesus is the only one who can condemn us, and in giving up his life as a sacrifice for all of our sins, he showed us that he chooses not to. Listen again, and think about how God’s arms are outstretched toward you today.   

How do we go about living without condemnation and avoid being soft on sin? We try. That's all. We try as hard as we can to live like Jesus, but we let go when we don't measure up, because it's impossible to be perfect. But if our constant goal is to be as much like Jesus as we can, we can rest assured that his grace is sufficient. Today, try to focus on doing things the way Jesus would do them, instead of on doing everything right, and see if it shifts your perspective, and be tender toward yourself when you fall short.  

Music: "Abounding Grace" - Vineyard Soul 
Abounding Grace (feat. Alicia Shepherd & Dee Wilson)