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Monday, January 3, 2011
DAILY BIBLE READING GUIDE (January 3rd – 8th)
Monday – John 1.1-18, esp. 1-3; John 20.31
Meditation: John’s purpose in this gospel is that people may believe Jesus to be the Son of God and therefore find life in him. The first thing John wants the people to know is that Jesus is none other than God himself. John explicitly calls him “God” and also notes that Jesus is eternal and that he is the Creator. These are titles and descriptions that are only true of God himself. This is important. If Jesus is indeed God then what he says and does carries with it an authority like never before and means that John is right…our eternity hangs in whether we believe him or not.
Tuesday – John 1.4-9
Meditation: Jesus comes and brings with him life and light. John is making it clear: Jesus has come to save. He will bring a light to open the eyes of the blind and life to bring the dead back to life. And Jesus will succeed in what he sets out to do. The darkness may try to overcome the light and continue to blind the world, but it will fail. Jesus’ work cannot be stopped. Thank God today for the light in which you live and the life that he has given your once dead heart.
Wednesday – John 1.10-13
Meditation: The great grace that is the coming of the Word is met not with joy but with opposition. The world refuses to recognize it. Even God’s own people love sin too much to run for their Savior. But Jesus does not leave us without hope. God promises that he will cause people to be born again, that his will will make sons and daughters even out of those in love with the world. Thank God today for your salvation and pray that you would never seek the things of the world over him again.
Thursday – John 1.14-17; 1 John 1.1-4
Meditation: How does God save? Not from a distance. The Savior is here. In Jesus, God’s glory is now on display like never before. It has left the temple and now shines for all to see. Jesus is also the fulfillment of grace and truth. Jesus doesn’t just speak the word of God, he is the Word. He doesn’t just promise salvation, he is the salvation. God’s promises are true, they are real, they are here. Thank God that you can trust him to keep his word. Pray for greater faith to always believe it.
Friday – John 1.18; Isaiah 6.1-7
Meditation: No one has ever seen God, yet in Jesus not only is God seen, he is made known. Relationship with God that should be impossible for sinners like you and me is now ours because of what Jesus has done. If you pray to God, recognize how undeserving you are to have an audience with the One True God and thank Jesus who not only reveals God to you, he makes him known.
Saturday – John 1.19-34
Meditation: Prepare your hearts for worship tomorrow by soaking up these next verses. Tomorrow, we hear the first witness to who Jesus is. John the Baptist will make it very clear. This is no mere man; this is the one we have been waiting for.
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.
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
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
Podcast Now Available!
The podcast is now available for this Sunday's sermons! (November 7th)
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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.
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.
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