Tuesday, November 23, 2010

DAILY BIBLE READING GUIDE (November 22nd – 27th)

Monday – James 1.19-20 Meditation: The problem sin we will look at this week is anger. Anger is a problem for us all. Yet God warns us that anger is a great sin. A sin that we must guard against because it bears horrible fruit and as James says not the righteousness of God. You and I will get angry, but we must not let anger sit in our hearts. This week we will see why anger is so dangerous and how we can fight it. Pray for the grace of God to rid your heart of anger this week.
Tuesday – Genesis 4.1-8; Matthew 5.21-22
Meditation: Sometimes we can give anger a bit of a break. It just a reaction, an emotional response. Wrong? Yes, but certainly not dangerous. But that is not how the Bible paints anger. Anger is a grave sin, leading to even murder. Jesus even tells us that anger is on par with murder as it is essentially murder done in the heart. You and I must see anger as a dangerous sin and pray that we begin to control our anger before, as God warns Cain in Genesis, our anger begins to control us.
Wednesday – James 1.19-20; Ephesians 4.32; Colossians 3.12-13
Meditation: The problem with murder is what it produces. God demands our lives produce his righteousness, something he tells us anger does not do. Instead of anger and vengeance, we are to be filled with forgiveness and mercy. The Christian then cannot live the godly life while holding anger in his/her heart. Pray that you might live a godly life, a life filled with forgiveness and not anger.
Thursday – Genesis 4.6-8; Ephesians 4.26-27; Hebrews 12.15
Meditation: So what does anger produce? Greater and greater sin. At least that is what Scripture warns. It is anger that sits in Cain’s heart to kill his brother. In Ephesians, God warns that anger is a foothold for the devil in your life. In Hebrews, the warning is that anger will produce a root that will defile many even within God’s church. Anger is dangerous in that it will grow in your heart to produce all sorts of sinful thoughts and actions. That is why God warns us that we must rid our hearts of anger and do so quickly. Ask God to help you see how dangerous anger is.
Friday – Genesis 45.8, 50.20; 1 Peter 4.8; 1 Corinthians 13.5; Matthew 18.21-35
Meditation: So how do we fight against anger? Three things in Scripture serve as a defense against anger. First, trust in the sovereignty of God. Like Joseph sees God’s hand for your good even in the wrongs of others. Second, pray for love. Love will cover over wrongs and help protect us against anger rising in our hearts. Last, remember the gospel. Recognize just how much God has forgiven you and it will be easier to forgive others.
Saturday – Genesis 4.1-8; Matthew 18.21-35
Meditation: Do you hold onto your anger sometimes? In Cain see how dangerous anger can be. Unlike Cain, heed God’s warning there. And see in Matthew why forgiveness should come easy to us, we who have been forgiven so much.

Thursday, November 18, 2010

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DAILY BIBLE READING GUIDE (November 14-20)

Monday – Mark 10.35-45
Meditation: Selfishness is a sin that all Christians struggle with.  One of the most natural desires for all of us is the desire to seek our own interests above the interests of others.  This week we will see why selfishness cannot have any place in the life of a believer.  Begin to think of ways you can better serve others.
Tuesday Mark 10.35-45;  1 Corinthians 11.17-22
Meditation: James and John seek to promote their own interest at the expense of the other disciples.  They realize that the two places of greatest honor are next to the king, so they seek to gain these positions for themselves.  In doing so, they intentionally exclude their fellow disciples by looking out only for themselves.  We often act just like James and John by seeking to place ourselves in positions above others.  Do you think only of yourself?  If so, repent.
Wednesday – Mark 10.35-45;  Genesis 3.1-13
Meditation: Selfishness is ultimately directed towards God.  First and foremost, selfishness is a usurpation of God’s rightful position in our lives.  Anytime we live our lives as we see fit without giving any thought to the Lord, we are removing God from his rightful position and placing self at the center of everything.  Are you living for God or for yourself?  Do you only follow God out of what you can “get” from Him? 
Thursday – Mark 10.35-45;  Philippians 2.1-11
Meditation: Selfishness can also be directed towards others.  We often live in ways that show our only concern to be our well-being.  Anytime we seek our own interests above or at the expense of others we are acting selfishly.  Scripture teaches us that we are to look to the interests of others as if they were are very own.  How are you living in relation to others?  Do you look out only for yourself or are you seeking ways to promote others?
Friday – Mark 10.35-45;  Mark 15.1-41
Meditation: Jesus corrects the thinking of the disciples by showing that His kingdom does not operate like the kingdoms of this world.  He shows his disciples that greatness in His kingdom does not come through assertion of self but through the service of others.  To be a follower of Jesus Christ means being a servant to others.  Think of ways that you can serve others the rest of this week.
Saturday – Mark 10.35-45
Meditation:  Selfishness is no small matter.  Jesus teaches us that selfishness is a characteristic of sinful people while being a servant is the evidence of a true believer.  Examine your life to see if you are seeking your own good only or if you are being a servant.  Look for ways to serve others.  Begin to prepare your heart for worship tomorrow and think of one way you can be a servant as we gather tomorrow.

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

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DAILY BIBLE READING GUIDE (November 8th – 13th)

Monday – Ephesians 4.29; Proverbs 6.16-19
Meditation: Again this week we will look at the problem of the corrupting talk that can come out of our mouths. The things we say can destroy those we love the most and can even destroy us. Remember the warnings from last week and ask God to show you how your speech has been in the last several days. Pray for the grace to guard your tongue and for the wisdom to know when you just need to shut up.

Tuesday – Proverbs 16.27-28; Hebrews 12.15
Meditation: This week we are looking at discord, causing problems in the church. Why is God so adamant against those who stir up the church? Because this type of talk is so dangerous. It is a scorching fire. And it is a fire that burns well. As Hebrews warns us if we don’t stop it, it will end up defiling many. Griping about the church or the people in it is a dangerous tool of Satan and unfortunately it is often the Christian hand that wealds it. Pray that God would empty your hand and shut your mouth before you say anything negative about his body and your church home.

Wednesday – 1 Corinthians 6.7-8; Hebrews 13.17
Meditation: Well aren’t I obligated to say something? Apparently not, according to the Bible. The Bible says it is better for us to be wronged or cheated than to fight against one another. In Hebrews, it tells us that it is to no advantage to us to gripe or complain. Better to keep my mouth shut. This is a hard thing for us to realize and even a harder thing for us to do. So what do you and I need…grace! Pray for God to give you the grace you need see how unimportant what we have to say really is.

Thursday – Titus 3.10-11
Meditation: This is one of the most striking passages and warnings on how seriously God takes the sin of causing trouble in the church. Here a pastor, Titus, is told to not just get on to someone who causes division but to have nothing to do with them after warning them a couple of times. Not only that. God says that this type of talk gives a window to the heart of the person talking and demonstrates that their heart is going in the wrong direction. What does your window show? What is your mouth testifying about where your heart is?

Friday – Ephesians 4.1-3; Ephesians 4.29
Meditation: So what am I supposed to say? Guarding our mouths is about stopping harmful talk and substituting it with good “edifying” talk. What is that good talk? Humility, gentleness, patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain unity. Is that how you talk? Would someone describe your words in this way? That’s not just how they should be. That’s how God commands they must be.

Saturday – Ephesians 4.29
Meditation: What type of talk comes out of your mouth? Do you think about what you say? What should we do with our tongue? 1) Give attention to it. 2) Submit our tongue to God’s word. Have you done that this week? Pray that you would.

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

DAILY BIBLE READING GUIDE (November 1st – 6th)


Monday – Ephesians 4.29
Meditation: Words are powerful things and we are commanded to guard what we say. Words are dangerous. Because the wrong words can cause great damage, we must remember that there is no “free speech” for God’s people. You and I are commanded to stay away from talk that corrupts and instead only talk in ways that will build up. We must guard our mouths, because sins of the tongue are sins that can do great damage to both ourselves and others. Pray that God would give you the grace to guard your tongue.
Tuesday Proverbs 6.12-19;
Meditation: Sometimes we think that what we say isn’t really that big of a deal compared to all the other sins there are we could be doing, but that is the farthest thing from what the Bible says. God uses some of the harshest language in Scripture to describe how he feels about the sins of our mouths. When our view of sin differs from God’s view, we are setting ourselves up for trouble. Pray that God would help you to recognize just how much he hates this type of sin in our lives.
Wednesday – James 3.5-8
Meditation: The Bible warns us that God hates it when we talk certain ways, because what we say is so dangerous. Words work like a fire and can burn up ourselves, our friends, our churches. We don’t think of our words like that, which is part of the danger. We say what we want to say when we want to say it. God says we must be careful because words can kill. Ask God to help you understand just how careful you need to be with what you say and why.
Thursday – Proverbs 12.17-22; Proverbs 26.24
Meditation: Liars. Nobody likes one, everybody is one. Lying, deceiving are sins that God specifically says are an abomination to him. Lying unites us not with God but with the Father of Lies, Satan. Satan doesn’t care what you lie about. He just wants you to resemble him with your speech. And when we lie, we show which father we believe in, which father we trust in. Pray that God would tie your tongue to him by tying your tongue to the truth.
Friday – Proverbs 11.9; Proverbs 30.32; Proverbs 27.2; James 4.10-11
Meditation: “You won’t believe what I heard about so-and-so.” Well, you won’t believe what the Bible says about people who gossip. Gossip and boasting are nothing more than trying to tear others down or lift ourselves up. God says we don’t have to do that. Trust him, speak the way he tells you to and let him be the one who exalts you. That’s the only exaltation that really matters anyway.
Saturday – Ephesians 4.29
Meditation: What type of talk comes out of your mouth? Do you think about what you say? What should we do with our tongue? 1) Give attention to it. 2) Submit our tongue to God’s word. Pray for God to give you the grace to speak as you should.

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Tuesday, October 26, 2010

This Week's Sermon

Due to some technical difficulties, there will be no podcast from this Sunday's (October 24) sermons.

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Daily Bible Readings October 11- October 16th

Monday- Matthew 6. 25-34
Meditation:  In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus lays out for us what life is like in the kingdom of God. It is a life filled with prayer, fasting, love, obedience, evangelism. But there is one thing he says has no place among God’s people: anxiety. Are you an anxious person? Do you often find yourself worrying? That is a sin that in this week, we will learn the Christian cannot and must not accept in their life.

Tuesday – Matthew 6.26-30; Psalm 139.13-16
Meditation: Why should we not be anxious? Jesus gives us two reasons: who God is and who we are. We don’t have to anxious because God is our heavenly Father and he wants to and will take care of us. We also should never anxious because our anxiety can’t accomplish anything. Whether we worry needlessly or not, you and I can’t change anything in our lives. If we will remember God’s great strength and our complete weakness, we will know why anxiety makes no sense for the Christian.

Wednesday – Matthew 6.30-32
Meditation: What is the problem with anxiety? Jesus shows us three things. First, it demonstrates how little faith we have in God. It also shows us where our vision really is. Worrying about these things happens when our eyes are on these things rather than God or his kingdom. Lastly, anxiety is a problem because it means you don’t really trust God. He knows you need these things, why don’t you trust him to give them to you?

Thursday – Matthew 6.33-34; Philippians 4.4-7
Meditation: So what are we supposed to do? Anxiety fills out hearts the easiest when we are idle. Jesus doesn’t tell us to just relax. He tells us seek the right things and everything else he will take care of. We are to seek God’s kingdom. That is where our eyes should be. That should be our worry. If we will fix our eyes on him, then he will give us all that we need and give us a peace that surpasses all understanding.

Friday – Matthew 6.25-34; Matthew 7.7-11
Meditation: This was obviously a problem for Christ’s followers then and continues to be a problem today. So what do you do if you struggle with being anxious? First, believe him. We must understand where anxiety springs from. God tells us that he will take care of us, we worry because we aren’t sure if he really will. We need to start believing what he says. Second, we need to trust him. We can know that whatever God gives us, it will be used by him for our good. Third, we need to repent. Anxiety isn’t just a personality quark, it is sin. As sin, we must hate it. We must run from it and pray that God will protect our weak hearts.

Saturday – Matthew 6.25-34
Meditation: Would you have considered yourself an anxious person?  God helps us here to see that you and I have no reason to be anxious, and that we have no right to be anxious.  We live a blessed life led by our heavenly Father.  Let's live that way.

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Tuesday, October 5, 2010

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Daily Bible Readings: October 3-9

Monday – Daniel 4.28-37
Meditation: Thomas Watson says, “Pride is the mother of hell.”  Pride is an obvious sin that all Christians know is to be avoided.  However, pride is something that is a struggle for all.  This week we will look at pride to see the heinous nature of this sin.  Pray that God would reveal to you areas of pride in your life.

Tuesday – Daniel 4.28-30; 1 Corinthians 4.6-7
Meditation: Nebuchadnezzar was a man who was filled with pride.  He looked at all he had accomplished and credited himself instead of giving glory to God.  Pride at its core is vertical in nature.  When we fail to recognize God’s hand in our successes but rather take all the credit for ourselves, we are being proud.  We must realize that everything we have is a gift from God, and he is the ultimate source of all our successes not ourselves.

Wednesday – Daniel 4.31-33; Proverbs 16.5; Proverbs 18:12
Meditation: Living in pride is a great danger.  Nebuchadnezzar learned the hard way that God opposes the proud.  His entire world was stripped from him, and he became like a madman until he learned that God alone was King.  The reason that pride is so dangerous is that God explicitly says the proud person is his enemy.  We do not want God as our enemy.  Thus, let us be wise and forsake pride.

Thursday – Daniel 4.34-37; Isaiah 66.2; 1 Peter 5.5-6
Meditation: What is the cure for a proud heart?  A big helping of humble pie.  Once Nebuchadnezzar’s sanity was restored to him, he immediately confessed that God alone was the ruler of the universe.  He had learned his lesson well.  No longer did Nebuchadnezzar take praise and glory for himself but now extolled the glory of God.  Ask yourself today  if there is any success or accomplishment in your life that you take the credit for?  If so, do not praise yourself but praise God instead.

Friday – Daniel 4.34; Isaiah 40.1-31
Meditation: One way we can promote humility in our lives is by having a view of God’s greatness.  Those in the Bible who encounter the Living God find themselves humbled before his majestic splendor.  So often, pride rises in our hearts because we forget just how great God is.  Today, think about the greatness of God and be humbled before him.

Saturday – Daniel 4.35; Psalm 8.3-4; Ecclesiastes 3.18-20
Meditation:  Another way we can keep pride at bay and promote humility in our lives is by having a proper view of self.  Whenever we begin to think great thoughts about ourselves, we must contemplate just how little and insignificant we are.  Remember that we are made from the dust, and we will one day return to it.  Remember that we are little more than a vapor, here for a moment then gone.  Be humbled because of your own finitude.

Thursday, September 30, 2010

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Podcast now available!

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Daily Bible Readings: September 20th- September 25th

Monday- Romans 1:18
Meditation: As we look at sins, there is one sin that stands as the root to all others: ungodliness. A person can live what we would consider a good life (i.e. do certain things; not do other things) and still be an ungodly person. Ungodliness is living our lives with little or no thought toward God. It is any life where God is not right smack in the center of all that we do. Pray that God would show you whether or not you live a godly, God-centered life.

Tuesday – Psalm 19.14; Philippians 4.8-9; 1 Corinthians 10.31
Meditation: What does the Bible tell us the godly life is supposed to look like? The answer: God is to consume all that we are and all that we do. We are to be utterly God-centered. He is to be the meditation of our heart. He is to be what we fill our minds with. Everything we do is to be done for him. Is that what your life is like? That is what the godly life is like. Pray for godliness.

Wednesday – James 4.13-15; Colossians 1.9-10; Luke 9.23
Meditation: What does it look like when that happens? Here we see the two of the four things that should be in the minds of those who are living God-centered lives. First, our total dependence upon him. We can’t do anything in this world without him. Every breath, every intention, every wish or hope, God is the one who is in control of our lives and everything that happens or doesn’t happen is because of him. We must remember that. Second, his will. We must always recognize that our lives are no longer our own. They are God’s. That means the wishes and dreams we have aren’t supposed to be based on what we want, but rather all come back to our great purpose in life…living for his name and his glory. Is that how you live / think?

Thursday – Psalm 119.9-16; Psalm 42.1-2; Psalm 63.1
Meditation: Next, our minds are to be on his word. There is only one place where we can learn anything or know anything about God…in his word. We have to be people whose thoughts and lives are consumed with God’s word. Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, our thoughts are to always be on him. The godly life is a life filled with just wanting to know him. What is your purpose in life? Your greatest goal? Pray that God would make you to desire him more than anything else in this world.

Friday – 1 Timothy 4.7-8
Meditation: Godliness doesn’t just happen. It must be our pursuit and we must be disciplined to seek it. How committed are you to being godly? Are you willing to do anything to achieve this goal of your life? Pray that God would help train you to godliness, that you might throw off the temptation of ungodliness.

Saturday – Psalm 19.14; 1 Timothy 4.7-8

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Daily Bible Readings: September 6th- September 11th

Monday- Romans 3:10-19; Acts 19:18-20
Meditation: Sin is a problem.  It is a problem for the world.  It is a problem for you and me. To remove sin from our lives we must first see the problem of sin. To either ignore sin or to be too embarrassed to admit our problem is to either be foolish or prideful. The world doesn’t need us to be perfect nor does God expect us to be. What the world needs and what God demands is that we hate sin and love him. Admit that sin is a problem and ask God to help you fight the fight that will bring him praise.

Tuesday – 1 John 3.4; James 2.10; Genesis 3.1-24
Meditation: “Sin is lawlessness.” What a simple and yet profound statement. Direct, to the point, no qualifiers. There is no such thing as a small sin. Any sin we refuse to deal with is a sin great enough to send us to hell. When we decide that certain sins are okay, we are saying our sins are more important to us than God. How can that be? God tells us to get rid of all sin, he tells us how bad sin is, and yet we love that sin more than we love following him otherwise we would get rid of it. Holding onto sins tell us something about ourselves and about what is most important in our lives.

Wednesday – Ephesians 4.15-16; 1 Corinthians 5.6; Ephesians 4.29
Meditation: Sin is a cancer. It affects the whole body. Not just your body but the body of Christ. You and I are not on an island. Our lives affect the lives of our brothers and sisters in the church. And it doesn’t just affect them, sin will spread into their hearts as well. Every sin in our heart is a sin that could tear our church apart. We must get rid of it, because destruction is what it wants.

Thursday – Galatians 5.17; Hebrews 3.13; Proverbs 6.32
Meditation: Sin is subtle and deceitful. It grows undetected and is never satisfied until it destroys both you and the body of Christ. Sin wars against the soul. It lusts against the Spirit. We never know where sin will take us until it becomes what we never thought it would. A stray thought wants to be become an action. Bitterness in our heart wants to become murder. We must get rid of sin because it will never be quiet. It will never be satisfied until it has your whole heart. Ask God to help you search out sin in your heart today and to help you remove any speck of it.

Friday – Ephesians 4.30; Ephesians 1.3-23
Meditation: Sin is also destructive in how it affects our relationship with God. Our sin grieves God who loves and cares for us as our Father. When we sin, it says something about what we think about the grace of God. If God has really been as good to us as we say, how can we even think about sinning against him? Every sin is ultimately against him. How can we celebrate his grace in our lives and then turn our hearts back to the very thing his grace saved us from?

Saturday – Romans 3.10-19

Monday, August 30, 2010

August 29th Podcast

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Daily Bible Readings: August 30th- September 4th

Monday- Psalm 150:1-6
Meditation: We finish our look at the book of psalms with a very appropriate call to praise. The message of Psalm 150 provides depth in its simplicity. The summary of all that we’ve seen in the last 2 ½ years: Praise the Lord! After all this time spent in the psalms giving us reasons and motivation, command and directions, how has your praise for God grown? Could you say that your life meets the call to praise Him?

Tuesday – Psalm 150.1; Psalm 84.10-12; Jeremiah 20.9
Meditation: From where does God’s praise originate? It should come from everywhere. But if some of the world sits in ignorant silence, there is one group whose voice should never be quiet: his people. God has pulled us out of a horrible life and he continues to bless us as long as we live. It is not possible for those who love God to even be able to hold back his praise. How vocal is your life? Does it ring loudly about how great your God is or is there an eerie, uncomfortable silence?

Wednesday – Psalm 150.2; 1 Corinthians 3.16-17; Exodus 15.11; Isaiah 45.5
Meditation: We have every reason to praise God. We should never have to ask the question “Why?” Two things about God that should drive us to praise: what he has done and who he is. God has done so much for us. He has worked “mighty deeds” on our behalf. But really even without the many great things God has done for us, we have reason to praise him just for the fact that he is God. If our lives are not lives of praise it isn’t because God doesn’t deserve it or hasn’t done enough, it is because we refuse to give to him what is rightly his: our lives.

Thursday – Psalm 150.3-5
Meditation: How are we as Christians supposed to praise God? Simple…with everything we have. These instruments are not here to describe a heavenly band but rather to show us that no matter what is going on or where we are, we can praise God. From the battlefields of our lives, to times of victory, even when we are alone and nothing is going on, we can and should praise him. So don’t worry about how, just do it.

Friday – Psalm 150.6; Psalm 148.1-14
Meditation: If you are alive, this psalm is for you. The life of praise is not just for the mature Christian or even just Christians in general. Everyone on earth should be praising God. This call to praise isn’t about making God feel special or important, it’s simply the truth. There is only one God, only one hope for this world and he deserves our praise and admiration. He deserves our lives.

Saturday – Psalm 150.1-6

Monday, August 23, 2010

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Psalm 149:6-9
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Daily Bible Readings: August 23rd-28th

Monday- Psalm 149:1-9
Meditation: What is the church, the people of God, Supposed to be doing?  What will our lives look like? What is the work of the church? Here God gives us some answers to that question that every church asks. He lays out two areas of church life: the church at praise and the church at war. Last week we looked at praise. This week we will look at the church at war. Pray that God would call you and our body to faithfully fulfill both of these calls, that we might live and fight for the glory of God.

Tuesday – Psalm 149.6-9; Psalm 119.11; Ephesians 6.13-17
Meditation: The first aspect to the Christian fight is our preparedness. God calls on the Christian to have his praise in their throats and a sword in their hands. We know that our sword is none other than the word of God. God’s word is to be on our tongues and in our hands. Our success in our fight centers on what we do with God’s word. If we intend to fight, his word alone will serve our needs.

Wednesday – Psalm 149.6-9; Ephesians 6.12; Matthew 28.18-20; Acts 1.8;
Meditation: With this preparedness, the Christian now goes into battle. The first object of our fight is the conquest of the nations. Our fight is not for the land of the nations but for their hearts. So how do we win this fight? With the word of God, our sword. The nations are defeated as the gospel comes and conquers them. That is why we must take the word into the world, because it is the word alone that can set free the world. If we are going to win the world, we must know the word. Do you?

Thursday – Psalm 149.6-9; Ephesians 2.1-3; Colossians 2.13-15; Hebrews 4.12
Meditation: The next fight in our war is against the rulers of our world. The king of this world is none other than Satan himself. The work of the gospel is to declare that Satan has been defeated and it binds him and steals his very family. But the word also works in our own hearts. In the battle against sin, only God’s word can provide victory. Pray that you might fight the battle and that God might have victory over sin, over Satan, and over yourself.

Friday – Psalm 149.6-9; Romans 3.23-25; John 3.16-19; Colossians 2.13-15
Meditation: The last job of the church at war is to work judgment. The church calls the world to see that it has no hope. That it faces sure judgment. And in that it calls the world to see the hope that only the gospel provides. We must tell the world of the bad news so that the good news of God’s grace might shine that much brighter. There is only one hope for the world and only one hope for us: Jesus Christ. When is the last time you remembered how hopeless your life was? Thank him today for the hope only he can provide, the hope that brought you life out of judgment.

Saturday – Psalm 149.1-9

Monday, August 16, 2010

Daily Bible Readings: August 16th-21st

Monday – Psalm 149.1-9
Meditation: While Psalm 148 was about the duty of all of creation to praise their Creator, this week it is the church that fills the verses of Psalm 149. If Psalm 148 was a praise of the Creator, Psalm 149 is a praise to the Redeemer. What is God calling on his people to do? What is the life of his people supposed to look like? Pray that God would help you to see what it is he demands from you and pray he would help you to believe and accomplish what he demands.

Tuesday – Psalm 149.1-5; Lamentations 3.22-23
Meditation: As God’s people are called to praise him, what is the content of their praise? What drives his people to give up their very lives and follow him? We see in this psalm that there is no one moment, but rather new moments, “new songs”, every day where God adds content to our praise. Every day lived in allegiance to him is a day filled with blessing and a life filled with reasons to praise our great God.

Wednesday – Psalm 149.1-5; Hebrews 10.24-25; 1 Corinthians 6.9-11
Meditation: Who is called to this life? Called to praise God anew every day? The praise of God rings out from an assembly of the godly. Meeting together is good for Christians and healthy and essential for spiritual growth. But that gathering must be one of total humility. We are not godly because of who we are, we are godly because of what God has done for us. And it is that work of God, that grace, that drives us to praise him and drives us together in his name and for his glory.

Thursday – Psalm 149.1-5; Exodus 15.19-22
Meditation: How are we to praise God? That is a question asked by church worship people and has been a part of modern church debate for over a decade. Yet here God highlights just one aspect of praise: rejoicing. When thinking about God, the people rejoice with unfettered joy (dancing, music, etc.) If someone from the outside were to see our worship service is that what they would see, people celebrating / rejoicing together? Would they see that in your life today?

Friday – Psalm 149.1-5; John 3.16; Ephesians 3.20-21; Psalm 63.6-7
Meditation: The psalm finishes with four reasons we have to praise God: God’s delight in us, our salvation, the promise of glory, and the coming victory. We have every reason to praise God. Every reason to have every day of our lives filled with praise. How is it that praise is a struggle? How is it that praising God with every minute of our lives seems like a fairy tale, an exaggeration? Could it be that we haven’t spent enough time really understanding the why of our praise? If we will see what God has done for us, praising God won’t be what we do; it will be who we are.

Saturday – Psalm 149.1-9
Meditation: Look over this week’s meditations. Not only is God our Creator, he is our Redeemer. We have every reason to praise him and new reasons that will arise every day. Make sure this week you understand the call of God’s people to praise him.

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Pastor Gore's Guest Editorial

Baptist Messenger Guest Editorial: Whose Rights?

Daily Bible Readings: August 9th-14th

Monday – Psalm 148.1-14
Meditation: What does it mean that God is “Creator”? Being Creator carries with it great authority. But it also calls for a response from the created. Psalm 148 is going to praise God for who is he is in creation and what he has done on behalf of us his created, and how we are to respond to our great Creator. Pray that God would help you marvel not just at creation but at him.

Tuesday – Psalm 148.1-10; Psalm 19
Meditation: The Bible loves to highlight the greatness of God and of his creation and our psalm is no different. God has made the heavens and the earth and all that is in them. We must be amazed by the one who crafted them in his own hand. And not only did God make the heavens and the earth, he continues to sustain them. Thank God that he not only creates but upholds his creation.

Wednesday – Psalm 148.11-14; Psalm 139.13-18
Meditation: God didn’t just craft creation. He made us. He didn’t just make the stage. He makes the performers. From the least to the greatest, all are works of his hand and owe their lives to him. And as with creation God didn’t just make us and move on. He is in control of every day of our lives. The God of the universe guiding your life. What a blessing. God’s care for us is not about a moment in the past, but is highlighted anew every day, for it is God that sustains both us and our world.

Thursday – Psalm 148.13-14
Meditation: What should our response be as we grow to understand more about our great God? It should come as no surprise that the answer is…praise! This psalm gives us two reasons to praise God as creator. The first is just the simple fact that there is no one else like him. There is one creator for this entire world. The God of the Bible alone carries that title. It just makes sense to fall down in worship before the one who made all this. Pray that God would grab your heart with who he is and lift your eyes to be amazed at what he has done.

Friday – Psalm 148.13-14; Psalm 18.2, Luke 1.68-69
Meditation: The second reason we have to praise God is that he takes all that power he possesses as creator and uses it on our behalf. He applies his power to protect, to save us. The “horn” he raises for us is none other than his own Son. God doesn’t just make us, nor is his care for us finished in that he makes and sustains us. Our God goes infinitely beyond the bounds. Our God saves us. For that he deserves our praise.

Saturday – Psalm 148.1-14
Meditation: Look over this week’s meditations. There is one Creator. Only one. And he deserves our praise, our lives. Can you say that you have treated God as he deserves to be treated? Have you given him the praise due the one true God?