Category: Daily Readings

05.02.12 “Do not forget!”

By Admin 1 on May 02, 2012 in Daily Readings

Scripture Reading: Galatians 4:4-7

⁴ But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, ⁵ to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.

⁶ Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” ⁷ So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.

Read additional translations at Biblegateway.com or youversion.com

Reflection Questions

At the time of this writing, being the first born son in a family held special significance in that this child received a large portion of the family inheritance. For most families, this meant that their family land was passed down through the eldest son. In the verses that precede our text for today, Paul uses this practice to speak of our “shared inheritance” when he says, “. . . you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.” By faith, we all receive a tremendous gift, the “full rights” of God’s children.

Paul writes that it is “. . . the Spirit who calls out, ‘Abba, Father.’” Here we find another element of the Spirit’s work in our lives! In Romans 8:16, Paul says it this way, “The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.” The Holy Spirit works to help us remember what we too easily forget. You are loved and accepted as a precious child of God. Take a moment today to thank God for this gift and the Spirit living within you that will not let you forget it.

Weekly Prayer

Holy Spirit, help me this day to cultivate an awareness of your work in my heart. I know that your presence in my life represents the same power at work in me that raised Jesus from the dead. Bring your power to bear on my life as I seek to honor you with my every thought, word and deed today and every day. I offer this prayer in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. AMEN.

05.01.12 “Living in You”

By Admin 1 on May 01, 2012 in Daily Readings

Scripture Reading: Romans 8:9-11

⁹ You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. ¹⁰ But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. ¹¹ And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.

Read additional translations at Biblegateway.com or youversion.com

Reflection Questions

Today’s reading highlights a key theme we find throughout Paul’s writing. In
Galatians 5, Paul contrasts the “acts of the sinful nature” and the “fruits of the spirit.” Here, in Romans, we also see him emphasizing the inner struggle between the “sinful nature” and “the Spirit of God” which Paul says “lives in you.”

In The Message translation of the Bible, Paul’s words in Colossians 1:27 read, “The mystery in a nutshell is just this: Christ is in you, therefore you can look forward to sharing in God’s glory.” As Christ had taken up residence in our world in his earthly life, Paul believed that Jesus now takes up residence in our hearts by his spirit. Paul describes this as “the secret” of the Christian life.

Do you believe that Christ is living in you?
How might that belief change how you will live this day?

Weekly Prayer

04.30.12 “Do you need a translator?”

By Admin 1 on Apr 30, 2012 in Daily Readings

Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 2:9-12

⁹ However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived” — the things God has prepared for those who love him— ¹⁰ these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.

¹¹ For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. ¹² What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us.

Read additional translations at Biblegateway.com or youversion.com

Reflection Questions

This week we will look at the writings of the Apostle Paul to engage how the first followers of Jesus understood the Holy Spirit. Acts chapter 9 records Paul’s initial experience with the Spirit as he was blinded on the road to Damascus. A former adversary of the early church, Paul was converted to Christianity after being struck blind for three days following this miraculous encounter.

Verse 11 from today’s reading states, “. . . no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.” This simple truth undergirds the importance of how the Spirit bridges the gap in our understanding, helping us to “understand what God has freely given us.” In other words, the Spirit is a translator who enables us to understand God’s language.

How has the Spirit “translated” for you?
What might the Spirit be trying to communicate to you today?

Weekly Prayer

04.28.12 GPS for Families

By Admin on Apr 28, 2012 in Daily Readings, Family

GPS for Families

Read: Acts 1:8, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Show: Your kids a glove.

Ask: “What shape is the glove?” (a hand) “If it looks like a hand, it should be able do everything a hand can, right? Let’s see if that works.” Tell the glove to do something for you. (When the kids look at you like you’re crazy, go ahead with the test.)

Say: “Glove, will you please go get a pen for me?” Watch and wait for a few seconds. Keep trying to talk the glove into doing something for you. Finally, in frustration say, “I guess we need to put a hand in that glove to get it to do something.” Put the glove on and have it “do” a few things.

Say: That glove is a lot like us without the Holy Spirit. We may look like we can do things, but without the hand in the glove or the Holy Spirit in us, we really cannot accomplish much for God. God gave us the Holy Spirit so that we always have his power with us. The Holy Spirit gives us the power to do the work of God every day.

Weekly Prayer

04.27.12 “Wait for the Holy Spirit”

By Admin on Apr 27, 2012 in Daily Readings

Scripture Reading: Acts 7:54-60

54 When they heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him. 55 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56 “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”

57 At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, 58 dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul.

59 While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep.

Read additional translations at Biblegateway.com or youversion.com

Reflection Questions

The seventh chapter of Acts represents a turning point in the life of the early Church. It follows the decision by the apostles to recruit additional leaders to care for the needs of the rapidly expanding community. Stephen was one of the men appointed to help care for the needs of widows in this new, burgeoning community. He would also become the first person to be martyred for his commitment to Jesus.

We were reminded on Monday of John 14:12 where Jesus says, “Anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing.” As bold as this claim must have sounded to his original disciples, we see this happening here in the violent death of Stephen. Just as Jesus had prayed for the forgiveness of his executioners, Stephen prays for the men who had condemned him. It is another reminder that the power that had been at work in Jesus was now at work in his followers.

The power displayed here and the courage we saw earlier in the week in Peter and John’s response to the Sanhedrin may seem like a foreign idea to you right now. The promise Jesus offers in Acts 1 remains. “Wait for the gift my Father promised.” Spend a few moments in prayer today and express to God your openness and desire to receive the power that is the gift of the Holy Spirit at work in your life.

Weekly Prayer

04.26.12 “The spirit moves through a community”

By Admin on Apr 26, 2012 in Daily Readings

Scripture Reading: Acts 4:31-33

31 After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.

32 All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. 33 With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all.

Read additional translations at Biblegateway.com or youversion.com

Reflection Questions

Yesterday we looked at the questioning of Peter and John before the Sanhedrin, the Jewish ruling council. Acts 4:22 describes the end of that confrontation by saying, “After further threats, they let them go. They could not decide how to punish them because all the people were praising God for what had happened.” This led to the believers “raising their voices together in prayer to God” in celebration of their release.

In verse 32, how does Luke describe the way the Holy Spirit affected the community of people who had shared this experience together?
Can you think of an experience where you observed the Holy Spirit working in a community of people in a similar way?
What part do other people play in helping you understand the work of the Holy Spirit in your life? Who in your life plays a key role in this?

Weekly Prayer

04.25.12 “Changed Men”

By Admin on Apr 25, 2012 in Daily Readings

Scripture Reading: Acts 4:7-13

7 They had Peter and John brought before them and began to question them: “By what power or what name did you do this?”

8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people! 9 If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a cripple and are asked how he was healed, 10 then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. 11 He is

“‘the stone you builders rejected,
which has become the capstone.’

12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”

13 When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.

Read additional translations at Biblegateway.com or youversion.com

Reflection Questions

The scene in our text for today follows Peter’s healing of a crippled beggar in Jerusalem. As the crowd stood in awe of what happened, Peter took the opportunity to once again speak to the onlookers about Jesus. Peter’s words about Jesus’ resurrection angered the Jewish leadership who seized the two disciples and brought them before the Jewish ruling council where they were asked, “By what power or what name did you do this?”

One of the last images of Peter that we receive from the Gospels is of a frightened man who denied knowing Jesus. How do we see Peter responding in this similar situation before the Jewish ruling council? What does the contrast between his earlier denial and the answers he provides here indicate about the “power” of the Holy Spirit?
How does Luke describe the impression that Peter and John leave with these authorities?

Weekly Prayer

04.24.12 “Beyond our own capabilities”

By Admin on Apr 24, 2012 in Daily Readings

Scripture Reading: Acts 2:1-4

1 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

Read additional translations at Biblegateway.com or youversion.com

Reflection Questions

In our reading yesterday from the first chapter of Acts, Jesus had said, “Wait for the gift my Father promised.” He further indicated, “In a few days, you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” That gift was shared on Pentecost, a day we continue to mark as the “birth” of the Church.

In the first verses of chapter 2, we see the Holy Spirit enabling these first followers
to do something they would not normally be able to do as they communicate in languages that were foreign to them. Can you think of an experience where the power of the Holy Spirit enabled you to do something beyond your own capability?

Perhaps you have heard or even said to yourself, “I did something that I never thought I was capable of doing.” How might this statement be a reflection of the Holy Spirit’s power at work?

Weekly Prayer

04.23.12 “The same power”

By Admin on Apr 23, 2012 in Daily Readings

Scripture Reading: Acts 1:4-8

4 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

6 So when they met together, they asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”

7 He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Read additional translations at Biblegateway.com or youversion.com

Reflection Questions

One of the dominant questions for the disciples following the resurrection of Jesus was, “What now?” We hear this question expressed in verse 6 of today’s reading. It had always been assumed that the Messiah would complete the work of “restoring the kingdom of Israel.” Jesus’ response indicates that his departure would leave this mission unfulfilled. Instead, the power that had been at work in Jesus would now be at work in his followers.

In John 14:12, Jesus says, “Anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing.”

Have you ever considered the idea that the power that was at work in Jesus is now at work in you?
If that is a new idea, how does this impact the way you see your life and your purpose?
Are you living with an openness to that power? Why or why not?

Weekly Prayer

04.21.12 GPS for Families

By Admin on Apr 21, 2012 in Daily Readings, Family

GPS for Families

Read: John 20:21-22 again. Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent Me, I am sending you.” And with that He breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” If you have young children, read from a children’s Bible.

Say: This scripture is about Jesus’ time on earth after He died and was resurrected. He is talking with His disciples, and they are concerned because Jesus will not be on earth with them anymore. In verse 22, when it says He breathed on them, Jesus was giving them the Holy Spirit. He was leaving that part of Himself with the disciples. The Holy Spirit is like God’s breath in us. It’s like the air. It is always available to us, and we carry it around with us wherever we go. So, though we cannot see Jesus, we always have Him with us.

Ask: Have you ever thought of doing something, but somewhere inside you had this feeling that it was a bad choice? That is the Holy Spirit talking to you, trying to guide you. In that circumstance, you can choose to listen to that voice or ignore it, right? If we are followers of Jesus, we must learn to listen to the Holy Spirit. The next time you have a choice to make, stop. Take a deep breath, and feel the Holy Spirit filling you up just like the air you are breathing. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you make the right choice. Then do what He says.

Weekly Prayer

04.20.12 “The breath of life”

By Admin on Apr 20, 2012 in Daily Readings

Scripture Reading: John 20:19-22

19 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.

21 Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” 22 And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.

Read additional translations at Biblegateway.com or youversion.com

Reflection Questions

In Genesis chapter 2:7, the beginning of human history is described in the words, “The Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and the man became a living being.” The scene recorded in John 20 is Jesus’ first appearance to His disciples after His resurrection, and in it, we find Jesus again sharing the gift of new life as He breathes on His disciples and says, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” In this moment, this misfit band of flawed men becomes something they never imagined they could be as they receive the power of the Holy Spirit.

Recognizing and cultivating an awareness of the Holy Spirit is in many ways a mystery for all believers. At the same time, we are reminded that this amazing gift of God is as near to each of us as the very air we breathe. As you consider how you might access the power of the Holy Spirit in your life today, take a few extra minutes to take some deep breathes. As you do, remind yourself that in this simple act, you are receiving again the breathe of God who sustains and empowers our lives.

As you spend a moment in silence, give God thanks for the relationship that is available to you through the presence of God’s Holy Spirit.

Weekly Prayer

04.19.12 “It’s for our own good”

By Admin on Apr 19, 2012 in Daily Readings

Scripture Reading: John 16:5-7

5 “Now I am going to him who sent me, yet none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ 6 Because I have said these things, you are filled with grief. 7 But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.

Read additional translations at Biblegateway.com or youversion.com

Reflection Questions

Our final reading from the Last Supper comes near the end of the words that Jesus shared in that setting. In John 16:12, which follows today’s passage, Jesus says, “I have much more to say to you,” but He adds, “When He, the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth.” Jesus makes it clear that the disciples, like each of us, have much more to learn, but that He is entrusting that future learning to the work of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus makes His boldest claim yet about the work of the Holy Spirit when He says, “It is for your good that I am going away.” What do you think Jesus means by this? In what way does this illustrate the great power that is available by the work of the Holy Spirit?
How are you harnessing that power in your life today?

Weekly Prayer

04.18.12 “Peace in the midst of the storm”

By Admin on Apr 18, 2012 in Daily Readings

Scripture Reading: John 14:25-27

25 “All this I have spoken while still with you. 26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

Read additional translations at Biblegateway.com or youversion.com

Reflection Questions

Our reading today is a continuation of the teaching which Jesus shared with His disciples at the Last Supper immediately prior to His arrest, His trial and crucifixion. In verse 26, Jesus identifies two things which the Holy Spirit will do for us when He says the Spirit will “teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” Jesus had no intention of “abandoning” His disciples. This promise remains for you as well.

“Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid,” Jesus said. In advance of the confusion and fear that these disciples would soon face, Jesus promises that the gift He will leave with them is peace. Do you have a sense of that peace? If so, take time today to consider how the Holy Spirit has fostered that peace in your life.

Weekly Prayer

04.17.12 “The spirit of truth”

By Admin on Apr 17, 2012 in Daily Readings

Scripture Reading: John 14:15-17

15 “If you love me, you will obey what I command. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be[c] in you.

Read additional translations at Biblegateway.com or youversion.com

Reflection Questions

Today’s reading is the first of three that come from an important section of John’s Gospel. The words spoken by Jesus are part of the larger teaching found in John, chapters 14-17, in which Jesus shares with His disciples at the Last Supper. As the final hours of His life drew near, we see Jesus preparing His disciples for His departure and inviting them to anticipate the gift of the Holy Spirit.

In verse 15, Jesus makes an important connection. Our love for Him is made evident by our obedience, but He adds an important note. Our obedience will be supported by “another Counselor” who Jesus identifies as “the Spirit of truth.”

Do you believe that understanding “truth” enables our obedience? In what way?
What truths about you and your relationship with God might the Holy Spirit want to affirm in your life today?

Weekly Prayer

04.16.12 “Streams of Living Water”

By Admin on Apr 16, 2012 in Daily Readings

Scripture Reading: John 7:37-39

37 On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” 39 By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.

Read additional translations at Biblegateway.com or youversion.com

Reflection Questions

Today we begin our six-week emphasis on the Holy Spirit. In this first week, each of our readings will come from John’s Gospel as we look at how Jesus communicates the forthcoming gift of the Holy Spirit to His disciples. In verse 39, John provides a note to not only help us understand what Jesus has just been teaching but to also connect this with our understanding of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus describes the Holy Spirit as a “stream of living water.” How does this imagery speak to you about the work of the Holy Spirit? In your understanding, how does the Holy Spirit provide life to Christians? How have you experienced that life as a result of the Spirit working in you? In what way?
Would you describe the Holy Spirit’s work in your life currently as a gushing river or a dried up stream? Why?

Weekly Prayer

Category: Daily Readings

05.02.12 “Do not forget!”

05.01.12 “Living in You”

04.30.12 “Do you need a translator?”

04.28.12 GPS for Families

04.27.12 “Wait for the Holy Spirit”

04.26.12 “The spirit moves through a community”

04.25.12 “Changed Men”

04.24.12 “Beyond our own capabilities”

04.23.12 “The same power”

04.21.12 GPS for Families

04.20.12 “The breath of life”

04.19.12 “It’s for our own good”

04.18.12 “Peace in the midst of the storm”

04.17.12 “The spirit of truth”

04.16.12 “Streams of Living Water”

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