Daily Bible Reading Guide (Nov. 21st – Nov. 26th)

DAILY BIBLE READING GUIDE (Nov. 21st – Nov. 26th)
Monday – John 13.31-38
Meditation: What is the mark of a true Christian? What quality/characteristic would I find to tell me “Hey, this person is a Christian!”? We’ll look this week at what Jesus says every Christian must possess. Are you a Christian? What about your family, friends? Then you and they must have the marks of genuine faith: love for one another.

Tuesday – John 13.31-38; 1 John 3.14; 1 John 4.7-8
Meditation: Jesus gives us a new command in this passage. His command: love one another. We always want to know what a Christian should look like, and here Jesus tells us – a Christian will love other Christians. This teaching from Jesus about the importance of loving one another will be found repeatedly in the rest of the New Testament. To be a Christian is to love other Christians – that is what Jesus tells us. How about you? When you look at your life do you see the type of love that Jesus says will be there?

Wednesday – John 13.31-38; Matthew 5.23-24; 1 Corinthians 6.7; 1 John 5.2
Meditation: We like to define love. And we often define it whatever way best fits us. What does loving the Christian look like? Well we aren’t supposed to just come up with our own definition. Scripture gives us guidelines on what real love looks like, and not surprisingly it looks a lot like how Jesus lived – humble and not self-seeking. When there are disagreements, what does the Bible say we must do? “Be reconciled.” Not go somewhere else. Not avoid. Be reconciled. But what if we are right? “Be wronged, be cheated.” Why? Because our love for one another is more important than any minor issue of saving face. In the end, it’s not about you – it’s bigger than you and bigger than me. It’s about the gospel and the type of love that the bride of Christ must possess. Is this the love you show to other Christians?

Thursday – John 13.31-38, esp. v. 35
Meditation: Why is God so adamant that we fix our relationships and that love be obvious in our fellowship? Why does he tell us to seek reconciliation and to be wronged if that’s what it takes? Because our love for one another affects the spread of the gospel. The world is watching us and the way they will know we are truly disciples of the Savior is by our love for one another. Why doesn’t the world believe? Maybe it’s because what’s supposed to convince them isn’t there. Or maybe its been covered up by things we think will convince them even more. Yet God tells us, “You want the world to believe? Then love one another.” Would you say your love for others is helping or hurting the spread of the gospel?

Friday – John 13.18-30; 1 Peter 2.3; 1 Peter 4.8
Meditation: What drives us to this type of love? Seeing and understanding the love of Christ for us. A love that is powerful enough to promise us eternity (“you will follow afterward” – v. 36) and a love greater than our disloyalty (ex. Peter). It is a “grace that is greater than all our sin” and we must show that same grace to all within the family of God. Not because they deserve it or have earned it, but because we didn’t either and yet by the grace of God love is what we got anyway. Praise God. Bring him glory – by loving one another.

Saturday – John 14.1-31