Living: The Attempt
by Michael Doyle

It's in replacing us with you,
That we find the gospel true.
Anchored in His abundant life,
Through grace, we are removed from strife.

God's riches at Christ's bloody expense,
The hard truth strips us of our pretense.
As God's holy truth is revealed,
We find our hidden pressures cannot be concealed.

We, as works in progress, pass the test
By putting our faith in Jesus, that we might rest.
Knowing that we are lifted up when we fall,
So long that is, as we answer when our Lord calls.

The road turns our blindness toward the light.
We find our souls finally get it somewhat right.
As human candles, we illuminate the way,
By living our praise throughout our days.

Our heritage is rich in its deep legacy, 
We look back on courage that is legendary.
The cross before us leads the way - 
Our trust and faith carry the day. 

Beseeched to be living sacrifices, leading others
Into loving God and loving one another.
Teaching and reaching well teamed together,
We can help the world to do and be better.

In God's goodness, He gave the world His son,
And with the crucifixion, the battle with Satan was done.
Salvation sets us free from our set of sins.
Sanctification and glorification lead us to find our friend.

We walk our lives in perfected harmony,
Through all the days that we live unto eternity.
Strengthening of spiritual growth is our measure.
The gates of Heaven hold our greatest treasure. 

While this brings us to great emotion,
We must turn our eyes toward our devotion.
Driven by God's sweet  and loving mercy,
We find living for God is truth, not heresy.

The push and pull of our twin motivations,
Trigger the grace of our loving devotion.
We awake as new creatures wearing our best "good"
As Jesus insists, and it is best understood.

With all God gives and has accomplished,
Our path with God is one well-established.
Heart and soul, we are driven by purpose - 
To live our lives in God's good service.

Belonging as one of God's holy family,
We step into each step as a step of agency.
Purified  to live life, not in commotion,
But doing all we do in God's devotion. 

Giving all of ourselves for God's glory, 
Sacrificed as we are as part of God's story.
The wages of sin are a penalty of death.
Living for our God, we are sanctified by His breath.

In doing this, we learn to fix our attitudes.
We learn to live our lives with gratitude.
No longer distracted by unintentional drift,
Instead, we surrender to God's greatest gift.

We need to avoid strategic incompetence, 
Becoming more skilled as we grow into repentance.
Doing our part to live out the best of our hearts.
This is how it should be, if it were from the start.

Making our best attempts at consecration,
We live our mission in full concentration.
In the face of the flow of God's authority,
We are to live our lives with good quality.

This is the quality that leads to fulfillment,
Living life for God as it's truly meant.
This applied to life, is our reasonable service,
Governed as we are to live out our purpose.

Knowing what we believe and have believed,
We walk in truth, not easily deceived. 
These are practical steps for faith received,
We grow stronger lives in how they are to be lived.

We are to live well to the extent that we can,
Living in peace toward everyone, every woman and man.
Each day renewed in buoyancy to keep heads above water,
We are simply on the path of following our Father.

Transformed in souls and minds with enormity,
We rise above the human need to seek worldly conformity.
We are renewed every day, focused as a living prayer,
Forever mindful that our God is always there. 

(c) September 7, 2025   Michael Doyle
All Rights Reserved