ALL – Psalm 8:1-9
ALL – Proverbs 18:23-24
OT – 1 Chronicles 9:1-10:14
NT – Acts 27:21-44
Interesting passage for the day: “For last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me, and said, ‘Don’t be afraid, Paul—for you will surely stand trial before Caesar! What’s more, God has granted your request and will save the lives of all those sailing with you.’ ” – Acts 27:23-24, The Living Bible
Thought: If I were in a boat riding through the storm of my life, expecting the ship to go down, what would I be doing? I’d be praying for safety and keeping my eye on the nearest lifeboat, making sure that I could get to it quickly! That’s what I’d be doing!
But what was Paul doing? He was praying, but his focus was a bit less selfish than mine would be. He was praying for the rest of the men on board the ship with him—all 276 of them. And in response to Paul’s prayers, God sent an angel with a message of hope. Every single man would live, because God had granted Paul’s request!
Question: When trouble comes, do you look out only for yourself? Do you pray only for yourself? Or do you work and pray for the good of everyone around you?
To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.
Showing posts with label Acts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Acts. Show all posts
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Friday, July 9, 2010
Experts…(N)ever Wrong?
ALL – Psalm 7:1-17
ALL – Proverbs 18:22
OT – 1 Chronicles 7:1-8:40
NT – Acts 27:1-20
Interesting passage for the day: “Sirs,” he said, “I believe there is trouble ahead if we go on—perhaps shipwreck, loss of cargo, injuries, and death.” But the officers in charge of the prisoners listened more to the ship’s captain and the owner than to Paul. – Acts 27:10-11, The Living Bible
Thought: Does anyone else think that, if we were the officers, we would listen more to a ship’s captain and owner about whether to keep sailing than to a missionary?
And yet, as the story goes on, it turns out that Paul was right. They shouldn’t have kept sailing. They sailed right into a storm, and by the end of today’s reading, all hope is lost. At least, as far as they can tell. They’ve done everything they know to do and the storm has outlasted them. All that’s left for them to do is to die.
The world’s experts aren’t always as expert as they believe they are. Sometimes it’s better not to be an expert, but to know the Creator, Designer, and Director of the cosmos. In fact, if you were able to make a choice between the two, you’d always be better off knowing God than being the greatest human expert ever.
Question: Have human experts ever made you doubt whether holding on to your relationship with God was worthwhile? How?
To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.
ALL – Proverbs 18:22
OT – 1 Chronicles 7:1-8:40
NT – Acts 27:1-20
Interesting passage for the day: “Sirs,” he said, “I believe there is trouble ahead if we go on—perhaps shipwreck, loss of cargo, injuries, and death.” But the officers in charge of the prisoners listened more to the ship’s captain and the owner than to Paul. – Acts 27:10-11, The Living Bible
Thought: Does anyone else think that, if we were the officers, we would listen more to a ship’s captain and owner about whether to keep sailing than to a missionary?
And yet, as the story goes on, it turns out that Paul was right. They shouldn’t have kept sailing. They sailed right into a storm, and by the end of today’s reading, all hope is lost. At least, as far as they can tell. They’ve done everything they know to do and the storm has outlasted them. All that’s left for them to do is to die.
The world’s experts aren’t always as expert as they believe they are. Sometimes it’s better not to be an expert, but to know the Creator, Designer, and Director of the cosmos. In fact, if you were able to make a choice between the two, you’d always be better off knowing God than being the greatest human expert ever.
Question: Have human experts ever made you doubt whether holding on to your relationship with God was worthwhile? How?
To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.
Friday, July 2, 2010
Custom-Free
ALL – Psalm 150:1-6
ALL – Proverbs 18:9-10
OT – 2 Kings 20:1-22:2
NT – Acts 21:18-36
Interesting passage for the day: As for the Gentile Christians, we aren’t asking them to follow these Jewish customs at all—except for the ones we wrote to them about: not to eat food offered to idols, not to eat unbled meat from strangled animals, and not to commit fornication. – Acts 21:25, The Living Bible
Thought: On the one hand, the Jewish believers were VERY serious about having Jewish believers continue to follow Jewish customs. This verse comes in the midst of a section where Paul has returned to Jerusalem amid rumors that he teaches not only non-Jews, but also Jews, to stop acting like Jews once they put their faith in Jesus Christ. In reality, all he was teaching was that Jews and Gentiles could both come to Christ by faith without becoming something they weren’t—Gentiles didn’t have to become Jews to follow Jesus. So Paul was being asked to prove to the Jews that he was for Jewish Christians living like Jews—he wasn’t against a Jewish lifestyle. But on the other hand, it is important to notice that Gentiles (non-Jews) are allowed to follow Jesus as Gentiles. We who are not Jews may still know and walk with God. Jesus’ blood is enough to make us clean. We don’t have to adopt a whole new nationality and learn to apply the entire set of Jewish laws and customs. All we’re asked to do is to avoid a couple of foods and to be sexually pure. The rest of God’s commands are commands that we can live out in distinctly non-Jewish ways.
Question: What kinds of things make you feel restricted by the call to walk with Jesus? Compare what makes you feel restricted to how much more restricted you would be if you had to follow all the Jewish rituals and customs just to follow Jesus.
To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.
ALL – Proverbs 18:9-10
OT – 2 Kings 20:1-22:2
NT – Acts 21:18-36
Interesting passage for the day: As for the Gentile Christians, we aren’t asking them to follow these Jewish customs at all—except for the ones we wrote to them about: not to eat food offered to idols, not to eat unbled meat from strangled animals, and not to commit fornication. – Acts 21:25, The Living Bible
Thought: On the one hand, the Jewish believers were VERY serious about having Jewish believers continue to follow Jewish customs. This verse comes in the midst of a section where Paul has returned to Jerusalem amid rumors that he teaches not only non-Jews, but also Jews, to stop acting like Jews once they put their faith in Jesus Christ. In reality, all he was teaching was that Jews and Gentiles could both come to Christ by faith without becoming something they weren’t—Gentiles didn’t have to become Jews to follow Jesus. So Paul was being asked to prove to the Jews that he was for Jewish Christians living like Jews—he wasn’t against a Jewish lifestyle. But on the other hand, it is important to notice that Gentiles (non-Jews) are allowed to follow Jesus as Gentiles. We who are not Jews may still know and walk with God. Jesus’ blood is enough to make us clean. We don’t have to adopt a whole new nationality and learn to apply the entire set of Jewish laws and customs. All we’re asked to do is to avoid a couple of foods and to be sexually pure. The rest of God’s commands are commands that we can live out in distinctly non-Jewish ways.
Question: What kinds of things make you feel restricted by the call to walk with Jesus? Compare what makes you feel restricted to how much more restricted you would be if you had to follow all the Jewish rituals and customs just to follow Jesus.
To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Heading for Trouble
ALL – Psalm 149:1-9
ALL – Proverbs 18:8
OT – 2 Kings 18:13-19:37
NT – Acts 21:1-17
Interesting passage for the day: When it was clear that he wouldn’t be dissuaded, we gave up and said, “The will of the Lord be done.” – Acts 21:14, The Living Bible
Thought: Sometimes God leads believers into challenging and dangerous situations. No one could have been more certain than Paul that danger lay ahead for him. He had been warned repeatedly that the path to Jerusalem would put him in harm’s way (Acts 21:4, 10-12). His brother and sister disciples were begging him not to go. And yet he pressed on. Was he sinning to continue on despite their warnings? Despite the Holy Spirit’s warning? No, he wasn’t. He was still walking with Christ and His Holy Spirit. And so the believers couldn’t confront him. They couldn’t rebuke him or say anything against Paul’s plans. When it became clear that neither their warnings nor their pleas would change Paul’s mind, they did the only thing left for them to do: they put their trust and hope in God and His will. They could trust God’s plan.
Question: Have you ever watched a fellow believer follow plans that led toward some kind of certain trouble? Did you get angry at them? Or were you able to seek their best and leave them in God’s hands and will?
To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.
ALL – Proverbs 18:8
OT – 2 Kings 18:13-19:37
NT – Acts 21:1-17
Interesting passage for the day: When it was clear that he wouldn’t be dissuaded, we gave up and said, “The will of the Lord be done.” – Acts 21:14, The Living Bible
Thought: Sometimes God leads believers into challenging and dangerous situations. No one could have been more certain than Paul that danger lay ahead for him. He had been warned repeatedly that the path to Jerusalem would put him in harm’s way (Acts 21:4, 10-12). His brother and sister disciples were begging him not to go. And yet he pressed on. Was he sinning to continue on despite their warnings? Despite the Holy Spirit’s warning? No, he wasn’t. He was still walking with Christ and His Holy Spirit. And so the believers couldn’t confront him. They couldn’t rebuke him or say anything against Paul’s plans. When it became clear that neither their warnings nor their pleas would change Paul’s mind, they did the only thing left for them to do: they put their trust and hope in God and His will. They could trust God’s plan.
Question: Have you ever watched a fellow believer follow plans that led toward some kind of certain trouble? Did you get angry at them? Or were you able to seek their best and leave them in God’s hands and will?
To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Gods Provoke Emotions
ALL – Psalm 147:1-20
ALL – Proverbs 18:4-5
OT – 2 Kings 15:1-16:20
NT – Acts 19:13-41
Interesting passage for the day: At this their anger boiled and they began shouting, “Great is Diana of the Ephesians!” – Acts 19:28, The Living Bible
Thought: People like to blame the world’s wars on religion. They push their blame a bit too far, but the charge is not without evidence. Passions get aroused by religion. And why not? If (since) there is a Creator God who oversees the entire universe and sent His Son to redeem sinful humanity, as I believe there is, He deserves the adoration of the world. People who believe in other gods likewise want their gods to be honored. And when a person’s god begins to be ignored, it is natural to try to draw attention back to the honor of the deity that person believes in. I am not advocating the harmful and violent methods that people have used throughout history to promote their gods—false gods don’t deserve such allegiance, and the true God who gives and takes every person’s life in His time doesn’t need our violence to achieve His goals. But I am trying to make a point: My God deserves my feelings. My God calls me to be reasonable, but not to such a point that I don’t care whether people love, respect and adore Him or not. I am to be His faithful witness, no matter what responses I get from those who deny my God’s authority and care for them. And the people I speak to are right (even if they respond wrongly) to take God seriously enough to respond not just with their heads, but with their hearts. God matters. Love Him or hate Him, but don’t think of Him with apathy.
Question: Do you love God? Do you care about God? Or do you just like to think of yourself as someone who loves God? What convinces you that you love God as you should?
To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.
ALL – Proverbs 18:4-5
OT – 2 Kings 15:1-16:20
NT – Acts 19:13-41
Interesting passage for the day: At this their anger boiled and they began shouting, “Great is Diana of the Ephesians!” – Acts 19:28, The Living Bible
Thought: People like to blame the world’s wars on religion. They push their blame a bit too far, but the charge is not without evidence. Passions get aroused by religion. And why not? If (since) there is a Creator God who oversees the entire universe and sent His Son to redeem sinful humanity, as I believe there is, He deserves the adoration of the world. People who believe in other gods likewise want their gods to be honored. And when a person’s god begins to be ignored, it is natural to try to draw attention back to the honor of the deity that person believes in. I am not advocating the harmful and violent methods that people have used throughout history to promote their gods—false gods don’t deserve such allegiance, and the true God who gives and takes every person’s life in His time doesn’t need our violence to achieve His goals. But I am trying to make a point: My God deserves my feelings. My God calls me to be reasonable, but not to such a point that I don’t care whether people love, respect and adore Him or not. I am to be His faithful witness, no matter what responses I get from those who deny my God’s authority and care for them. And the people I speak to are right (even if they respond wrongly) to take God seriously enough to respond not just with their heads, but with their hearts. God matters. Love Him or hate Him, but don’t think of Him with apathy.
Question: Do you love God? Do you care about God? Or do you just like to think of yourself as someone who loves God? What convinces you that you love God as you should?
To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Wonder of Wonders
ALL – Psalm 146:1-10
ALL – Proverbs 18:2-3
OT – 2 Kings 13:1-14:29
NT – Acts 18:22-19:12
Interesting passage for the day: And God gave Paul the power to do unusual miracles... – Acts 19:11, The Living Bible
Thought: I’ve been thinking more about miracles lately. And you know what I think? I think that part of the reason that we don’t see more miracles here in America is because for us they would often be either a convenience or an entertainment. Think about it. *Cough, cough.* “I have a cold. But I really don’t want to go to the doctor. How about a miracle?” Or perhaps… *Yawn.* “That was an awesome concert. But they’re getting to be pretty much the same. Different singers, different styles, but eventually, if you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all. But hey, wouldn’t it be cool if miracles really happened?” God is not a convenience. He’s our need. God is not our entertainment—He’s not our court jester. He’s our King. God gives power for miracles, but not to those of us who are just looking for fun or for an easier, more convenient life. God gives power for miracles to those whose lives are in His hands, who are willing to die for Him, who are willing to wait until Jesus’ return to see His blessings, and yet who yearn for more life to introduce more people to the King of kings. God gives miracles to people who are not desperate just for miracles, but for His Son Jesus Christ.
Question: Have you ever seen a miracle? A real miracle, not just a normal-thing-that-happens-everyday-but-is-miraculous? How did it fit with my thoughts?
To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.
ALL – Proverbs 18:2-3
OT – 2 Kings 13:1-14:29
NT – Acts 18:22-19:12
Interesting passage for the day: And God gave Paul the power to do unusual miracles... – Acts 19:11, The Living Bible
Thought: I’ve been thinking more about miracles lately. And you know what I think? I think that part of the reason that we don’t see more miracles here in America is because for us they would often be either a convenience or an entertainment. Think about it. *Cough, cough.* “I have a cold. But I really don’t want to go to the doctor. How about a miracle?” Or perhaps… *Yawn.* “That was an awesome concert. But they’re getting to be pretty much the same. Different singers, different styles, but eventually, if you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all. But hey, wouldn’t it be cool if miracles really happened?” God is not a convenience. He’s our need. God is not our entertainment—He’s not our court jester. He’s our King. God gives power for miracles, but not to those of us who are just looking for fun or for an easier, more convenient life. God gives power for miracles to those whose lives are in His hands, who are willing to die for Him, who are willing to wait until Jesus’ return to see His blessings, and yet who yearn for more life to introduce more people to the King of kings. God gives miracles to people who are not desperate just for miracles, but for His Son Jesus Christ.
Question: Have you ever seen a miracle? A real miracle, not just a normal-thing-that-happens-everyday-but-is-miraculous? How did it fit with my thoughts?
To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Learn What You Need
ALL – Psalm 130:1-8
ALL – Proverbs 17:2-3
OT – 1 Kings 9:1-10:29
NT – Acts 8:14-40
Interesting passage for the day: As soon as they (Peter and John) arrived, they began praying for these new Christians to receive the Holy Spirit, for as yet he had not come upon any of them. For they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. – Acts 8:15-16, The Living Bible
Thought: One important reason that Peter and John came to Samaria was so that Jewish believers were participants in the Holy Spirit’s coming upon the Samarian believers, keeping the church united. But what if there’s another reason? What if the Samarian believers were only baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus (rather than the names of the Father, the Lord Jesus, and the Holy Spirit) because the Lord Jesus is the only member of the Trinity they had been taught to trust in? Perhaps they had been taught the good news that Jesus Christ was the Son of God and the son of man who died on the cross to pay the penalty for their sins, but what if they hadn’t been taught that Jesus pours out His Holy Spirit on His people? What if part of Peter and John’s trip was to complete the good news by sharing how Jesus provides the Holy Spirit so that we can not only be forgiven for our sins, but can live in righteousness even now? If that’s the case (and I’m not saying it is, but it could be), then it could be that sometimes believers who have access to God’s blessings in reality don’t receive His blessings because they don’t know to ask God for them. We need to learn (and teach) the whole truth of the Bible so that we may ask the Father for all the help He’s willing to give us as we serve Him in this world.
Question: Have you stopped trying to learn more about God, leaving that for the “more spiritual” people you know? What ways do you struggle that you might not have to struggle if you found out what God offers you and asked Him for it?
To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.
ALL – Proverbs 17:2-3
OT – 1 Kings 9:1-10:29
NT – Acts 8:14-40
Interesting passage for the day: As soon as they (Peter and John) arrived, they began praying for these new Christians to receive the Holy Spirit, for as yet he had not come upon any of them. For they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. – Acts 8:15-16, The Living Bible
Thought: One important reason that Peter and John came to Samaria was so that Jewish believers were participants in the Holy Spirit’s coming upon the Samarian believers, keeping the church united. But what if there’s another reason? What if the Samarian believers were only baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus (rather than the names of the Father, the Lord Jesus, and the Holy Spirit) because the Lord Jesus is the only member of the Trinity they had been taught to trust in? Perhaps they had been taught the good news that Jesus Christ was the Son of God and the son of man who died on the cross to pay the penalty for their sins, but what if they hadn’t been taught that Jesus pours out His Holy Spirit on His people? What if part of Peter and John’s trip was to complete the good news by sharing how Jesus provides the Holy Spirit so that we can not only be forgiven for our sins, but can live in righteousness even now? If that’s the case (and I’m not saying it is, but it could be), then it could be that sometimes believers who have access to God’s blessings in reality don’t receive His blessings because they don’t know to ask God for them. We need to learn (and teach) the whole truth of the Bible so that we may ask the Father for all the help He’s willing to give us as we serve Him in this world.
Question: Have you stopped trying to learn more about God, leaving that for the “more spiritual” people you know? What ways do you struggle that you might not have to struggle if you found out what God offers you and asked Him for it?
To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Get Off My Back
ALL – Psalm 128:1-6
ALL – Proverbs 16:31-33
OT – 1 Kings 7:1-51
NT – Acts 7:30-50
Interesting passage for the day: And so God sent back the same man his people had previously rejected by demanding, “Who made you a ruler and judge over us?” Moses was sent to be their ruler and savior. – Acts 7:35, The Living Bible
Thought: We don’t like authority, even authority that’s put in charge of us for our own good. And we have a really hard time, for some reason, discerning between men who just want to run our lives and men appointed by God to care for and lead us. We give them all the same response: “What gives you the right…?” The Israelites responded this way to Moses. People are still talking back to Jesus this way. Children say this to their parents. Adults say it to policemen. No one wants to submit.
Question: Whose authority are you rejecting? Are you rejecting their authority for God-given reasons, or just because you came up with things you don’t like about having them in charge? How can you show proper respect to authorities?
To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.
ALL – Proverbs 16:31-33
OT – 1 Kings 7:1-51
NT – Acts 7:30-50
Interesting passage for the day: And so God sent back the same man his people had previously rejected by demanding, “Who made you a ruler and judge over us?” Moses was sent to be their ruler and savior. – Acts 7:35, The Living Bible
Thought: We don’t like authority, even authority that’s put in charge of us for our own good. And we have a really hard time, for some reason, discerning between men who just want to run our lives and men appointed by God to care for and lead us. We give them all the same response: “What gives you the right…?” The Israelites responded this way to Moses. People are still talking back to Jesus this way. Children say this to their parents. Adults say it to policemen. No one wants to submit.
Question: Whose authority are you rejecting? Are you rejecting their authority for God-given reasons, or just because you came up with things you don’t like about having them in charge? How can you show proper respect to authorities?
To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.
Friday, June 4, 2010
Baptized for Life
ALL – Psalm 122:1-9
ALL – Proverbs 16:19-20
OT – 2 Samuel 22:21-23:23
NT – Acts 2:1-47
Interesting passage for the day: And those who believed Peter were baptized—about 3,000 in all! – Acts 2:41, The Living Bible
Thought: Baptism is a public statement that we belong to a certain way of living, thinking, etc. When these people were baptized after believing Peter’s message, their baptism publicly declared that they belonged to Jesus—the no-longer-dead Messiah, God’s anointed King.
Question: What did your baptism mean to you? Are you living the way you said you would live?
To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.
ALL – Proverbs 16:19-20
OT – 2 Samuel 22:21-23:23
NT – Acts 2:1-47
Interesting passage for the day: And those who believed Peter were baptized—about 3,000 in all! – Acts 2:41, The Living Bible
Thought: Baptism is a public statement that we belong to a certain way of living, thinking, etc. When these people were baptized after believing Peter’s message, their baptism publicly declared that they belonged to Jesus—the no-longer-dead Messiah, God’s anointed King.
Question: What did your baptism mean to you? Are you living the way you said you would live?
To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.
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