January 2025 DBSQ
January 1, 2025
Dear Student of the Word,
Welcome to a new year of Daily Bible Study Questions (DBSQs)! There’s something exciting about new things—and new Bible studies are no exception. It is my heartfelt prayer that these Bible studies honor and glorify God and edify and challenge spiritually all who read them. Me, too! Don’t think that every single challenge that comes up as a result of this Bible study doesn’t also challenge me mightily! It’s a tremendous privilege to share with you what God has shown me from His Word, but it’s also a huge responsibility that I do not take lightly. In fact, I ask you most sincerely to pray for me—that I’m accurate biblically, that I only ever say what GOD wants me to say (and NOT my agenda), and that He gets all the glory. Thank you!
God laid on my heart to search out Scripture that uses the word “all” this year. For some time, I have been fascinated by the little words that either turn an idea on its head or greatly add to the thought. The word “but” is a great example and definitely one that we should keep an eye out for (and all words of contrast). “Therefore” and “because” (and similar words) are also quite important because they direct our attention to previous things said, things that will help us understand what’s currently being mentioned.
The word “all” seems like it could be a really important word in many situations. Keep in mind, though, that our English translations may sometimes use different words that are, in Hebrew and Greek, the word “all.” A few other ways it’s translated into English include: every, any, the whole, always, anyone, everyone, and no doubt, more similar words.
There are several well-loved Bible verses that use “all.” Proverbs 3:5-6, for example. Psalm 23:6, I Corinthians 10:31, and Proverbs 4:4-7 also use this word. In addition, many of our favorite hymns use it, such as, “All for Jesus,” “All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name,” “All the Way My Savior Leads Me,” “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing,” “O Come, All Ye Faithful,” and countless others.
I guess, what I’m most praying for us this year, is that we can grasp a bit of the ALL God gives to us—and in return, give Him our all—our time, our talents, and our treasures—holding nothing back.
May God bless YOU as you study His Word and seek to live it out in your life!
By His Grace,
Lorie Brown
Just so you know. . .
-I mainly use the ESV (courtesy of either Bible Gateway.com or Olive Tree.com), but sometimes it’s necessary to use another English translation in order to see the word of focus more clearly.
-There are several years’ worth of past Bible studies I have been blessed to write that can be found on our church website under the tab “Ministries” at firstbaptistnorthconway.org.
-Our church has an in-house publishing ministry, some of which can be found for free download on solidrockpublishing.org. There are many kinds of Bible studies as well as stories for kids available as hardcopies in the back of our church auditorium.
-Our ladies (in North Conway, NH) meet the second Monday of each month to review these studies and you are welcome to join us if you are in the area. If not, I highly recommend reviewing them with one or more friends—simply because doing Bible studies with other people is a huge blessing and help.
-You are welcome to pass these studies along to whoever the Lord lays on your heart. If someone wants to receive them directly from Mailchimp, just contact me and I can sign them up.
-If you reply to my Mailchimp email with a comment or question, it comes directly to me—and I love hearing from you!
-Again, thanks for praying for me and for all who are doing these studies! We NEED God’s help and blessing to listen, learn, and grow!
Wednesday, January 1, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Titus 2:11-14
“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.”
-Background/Context:
The book of Titus is a letter Paul wrote to Titus, the new pastor on the small island of Crete. Titus is a book rich in information on how God expects His children to behave in their different roles: pastors, older men, younger men, older women, younger women, employees, and employers—and Christians in general. It’s a short, but excellent, book. Check it out!
-Something to Think About:
What is the grace of God that has appeared bringing salvation to all people? It’s not a “what,” but a Who! Jesus Christ appeared, that is, became a human Man SO THAT He could die in our place and provide spiritual salvation for every single man, woman, and child who places their trust in Him as their Savior.
This is such an incredibly awesome thing (literally life-saving!) that most people want an opportunity to say thank you. Paul gives us some concrete ways to do this in his letter to Titus. In fact, the book is loaded with some great do’s and don’t of God-honoring living (along with some marvelous doctrine!). Here are a few found in the four verses printed out for you above:
-Renounce ungodliness. To renounce is to voluntarily give up and to no longer allow in your head, your heart, or your actions. Ungodliness is everything that goes against Who God is and what is important to Him.
-Renounce worldly passions. These are all the things the world holds dear: fame, fortune, selfishness, etc.
-Live a life that is self-controlled (not giving in to every whim that comes into your head).
-Live a life that is upright. To be upright is to be righteous—“good” as God defines it.
-Live a life that is godly—even in the middle of the ungodliness that literally surrounds us.
-Wake every single day with eagerness that today might be the day the Lord Jesus calls us to meet Him in the clouds!
-Wake every day with eagerness to honor God, bless and encourage people, witness to the lost—and do all that God defines as “good works.”
Don’t miss that Paul tells Titus that God’s Word is training us to live this way. No one will live perfectly for God from the moment of salvation. For one thing, much as a kindergartener on the first day of school, we don’t even KNOW the full story of what is right and good and godly when we are young Christians. Instead, God blesses us with each new day to learn a little bit more so that we can put what we’ve learned from the Bible into practice in our daily lives. THIS is what He defines as faithfulness—and that pleases Him a lot!
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Thursday, January 2, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read I John 2:16
“For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.”
-Background/Context:
For a bit more information, here is the verse before and after verse 16:
“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.”
-Something to Think About:
Obviously, John is not speaking about God’s marvelous creation (including people!) when he is warning us to not love the things of the world. “The world” in Bible passages such as this one is referring to the world system and all that is being influenced by sin and satan*. Basically, it’s anything that is NOT pleasing to God and is not in line with His holy character.
Although all humans are tempted to sin and act selfishly and in their own best interest, have you ever noticed how we tend to have different triggers? Some, for example, might really struggle to not spend money willy nilly and desire to buy every new piece of clothing that catches their eye, while others are really good managers of money, but can’t pass an éclair to save their life. =)
With that in mind, “loving the world,” will be slightly different for each of us—and perhaps slightly different for each of us personally during different times in our lives. Things that tempted us away from a wholehearted devotion to God as a teenager may no longer be a problem when we’re fully grown, but there may be other challenges that we face. Let me rephrase that, there WILL be other challenges we face. That’s because, although no Christian has to sin (Jesus won the battle against sin on our behalf and, unlike the unsaved, we are no longer imprisoned by sin and can now choose to do right), we do still carry the sin nature around in us—and that ol’ sin nature, though technically dead, sure seems to have some strong preferences to do wrong!
Did you know that when God makes a clear statement such as “do not love the world or the things in the world” that He ALSO makes it possible to obey it? We CAN have victory. It’s done through His strength, not ours (because we have none apart from Him), and it’s done through the constant input of Scripture and Bible study (including hearing our pastor Sundays and Wednesdays), through the constant output of prayer, and through the support, encouragement, and edification of other faithful Christians—both in person, through biblically sound media, and through God-honoring music.
We would all be wise to spend a few minutes at the beginning of each day to ask the Father’s help to not be swayed by worldly things and to prayerfully contemplate at the end of the day areas of victory and areas that we need to be more careful of moving ahead. Among other blessings to this intentional behavior is the joy of knowing that it’s the kind of thing that abides forever!
*I refuse to give satan the honor of capitalizing his name!
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Friday, January 3, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Psalm 148
“Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise him in the heights! Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his hosts! Praise him, sun and moon, praise him, all you shining stars! Praise him, you highest heavens, and you waters above the heavens! Let them praise the name of the Lord! For he commanded and they were created. And he established them forever and ever; he gave a decree, and it shall not pass away. Praise the Lord from the earth, you great sea creatures and all deeps, fire and hail, snow and mist, stormy wind fulfilling his word! Mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars! Beasts and all livestock, creeping things and flying birds! Kings of the earth and all peoples, princes and all rulers of the earth! Young men and maidens together, old men and children! Let them praise the name of the Lord, for his name alone is exalted; his majesty is above earth and heaven. He has raised up a horn for his people, praise for all his saints, for the people of Israel who are near to him. Praise the Lord!”
-Background/Context:
Not meaning any disrespect whatsoever, but this psalm reads a bit like a Dr. Suess book! For all of Dr. Suess’ wacky drawings and concepts, he remains a beloved author for children for over 80 years BECAUSE what he writes is simple, to the point, and memorable. Who can argue against that winning strategy? No one! The psalmist of Psalm 148 simply wants everyone and everything to praise the Lord. This is as it should be. End of story—and “Amen!”
-Something to Think About:
The reason that the entire psalm made our study of the word “all” today (as opposed to a single verse) is simply because the entire psalm either says the word repeatedly or it is understood as being there in all the other locations. The theme of praising the Lord is crystal clear—and the point is that everyone in every place and at every time should be doing it.
I guess the big question is, are we? Are we praising the Lord when we wake up? This includes the dark, snowy, freezing cold January days just as much as the sunny, gorgeous days of June. Do we look around at God’s creation and praise His name? This includes mud season just as much as fall foliage. Do we praise the Lord just as much when the day did not go as we had hoped as when everything fell smoothly into place? Do we thank Him equally for a cold, limp sandwich as for a hot and tasty steak? Do we thank Him after a rough night with little sleep as much as after one of the rare and elusive wonderful nights?
There doesn’t seem to be any stipulations about why God is being praised in this psalm other than He deserves ALL praise for EVERY thing. And who should be leading that praise song more than sinful, arrogant, rebellious humans—who have been redeemed, justified, made new, and heirs along with Christ of eternal riches?
How is your song of praise today? Are you giving it your “all”?
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Saturday, January 4, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read I Peter 2:1
“So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander.”
-Background/Context:
I Peter 2:1 actually goes with what Peter was speaking about in chapter 1 (remember, the original documents of Scripture did not have chapters or verses, so once in a while there are chapter breaks where it doesn’t make sense). I Peter 1 is speaking about, among other blessed truths, the goal of every Christian to be holy as God is holy. Therefore, I Peter 2:1 makes for a nice concluding admonition before Peter moves on to new thoughts.
-Something to Think About:
Malice is another word for wickedness, evil, or troublemaking. Dictionary.com defines it: a desire to inflict injury, harm, or suffering on another, either because of a hostile impulse or out of deep-seated meanness.
Deceit is also translated as guile. Dictionary.com defines it: insidious cunning in attaining a goal; crafty or artful deception; duplicity. Synonyms: craft, fraud, trickery.
Hypocrisy is acting under a feigned part; deceit. Dictionary.com defines it: a pretense of having a virtuous character, moral, or religious beliefs or principles that one does not really possess.
Envy is defined as a feeling of discontent or covetousness with regard to another’s advantages, success, possessions, etc. by Dictionary.com.
Slander is defamation/evil speaking. Dictionary.com defines it: a malicious, false, and defamatory statement or report.
To be holy as God is holy, His children need to get rid of ALL desires and actions that are harmful to others, both in our heads and in our words and actions. All.
THANKFULLY, the Bible gives a remedy for wrong thoughts—and it is to be thankful (see Ephesians 4:29 and 5:3). Instead of being envious of someone or something, give thanks to God for what you have (and to be genuinely thankful that the other person has been blessed with what they have). Instead of speaking ill of someone, thank God for them and pray for their salvation and/or spiritual growth. Rather than justifying some action or words you want to say to make a point or feel superior, thank God for His perfect sovereignty and rule.
Put away ALL ugliness and be thankful in ALL circumstances. This is to be Christlike and this is to be pleasing to God.
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Sunday, January 5, 2025
Praise God, it’s Sunday! Before we do anything else, let’s pray and ask God for His blessing on the day!
Things to consider praying for and doing:
-Pray for your pastor or whoever is preaching, for clarity, for accuracy, and the freedom to speak exactly what God is laying on their hearts. Pray as well for their health, strength, and well-being.
-Pray for all who God wants to be there, that nothing would interfere with them coming and once there, to listen, learn, and grow.
-Pray for all ministries of the church: Sunday School, music, ushers, greeters, nursery, offerings—everything.
-Pray for your own heart, first to be sure there is no unconfessed sin between you and God, then that you would be receptive to the Word and be able to be a blessing and encouragement to all you cross paths with.
Other things God is laying on your heart to pray for today:
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As you have opportunity during the day (or at the end of it), jot down some lessons and blessings God showed you:
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BONUS! God-honoring music is such a tremendous blessing that I thought we could use Sundays to focus on a few hymns that use “all” in them to read through (and sing, if you want!).
“All for Jesus” (by Mary D. James)
All for Jesus! All for Jesus! All my being’s ransomed powers; all my thoughts and words and doings, all my days and all my hours. All for Jesus! All for Jesus! All my days and all my hours; All for Jesus! All for Jesus! All my days and all my hours.
Let my hands perform His bidding; let my feet run in His ways. Let my eyes see Jesus only; let my lips speak forth His praise. All for Jesus! All for Jesus! Let my lips speak forth His praise; All for Jesus! All for Jesus! Let my lips speak forth His praise.
Since my eyes were fixed on Jesus, I’ve lost sight of all beside. So enchained my spirit’s vision, looking at the Crucified. All for Jesus! All for Jesus! Looking at the Crucified; All for Jesus! All for Jesus! Looking at the Crucified.
O what wonder! How amazing! Jesus, glorious King of kings. Deigns to call me His beloved, lets me rest beneath His wings. All for Jesus! All for Jesus! Resting now beneath His wings; All for Jesus! All for Jesus! Resting now beneath His wings.
Monday, January 6, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Philippians 1:3
“I thank my God in all my remembrance of you.”
-Background/Context:
Paul is the author of the book of Philippians. It’s actually a letter to the church family that was established in the city of Philippi (Philippians is one of the books of the New Testament known as the epistles. “Epistle” is another word for letter. The others are Romans, Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Colossians, Thessalonians, Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Hebrews, James, Peter, John, and Jude.). Philippi was a Roman colony located in Macedonia.
Paul was extremely fond of the church family in Philippi. You can read about the beginnings of the church in Acts 16. Paul, by the way, wrote this letter while imprisoned.
-Something to Think About:
I’ve used this verse in many a thank you card! Have you? It’s short, sweet, and conveys the appreciation I feel when people I love and appreciate have done something kind, generous, and loving towards me and/or my family.
Really, if you think about it, the verse all on its own (without the rest of the context around it) could be used in all sorts of situations and occasions. Paul, of course, is using it, no doubt, for some of the same reasons I mentioned above, but mostly for spiritual reasons. Paul LOVES that the believers in Philippi love the Lord and are doing their best to live wholeheartedly for Him. They’ve done this, among other ways, by showing love and support for him—and he is very appreciative.
Say, if I were to ask you who has been an encouragement to you spiritually, who comes to mind? Why? Do they know it? Have you told them? Have you prayed for them to keep on keeping on for the Lord? Have you prayed about who you might encourage in a similar way yourself? I think the Bible is pretty clear that God wants His children to be thankful. With the help of His indwelling Spirit, we CAN be—and we can, with time, get better and better at it!
I suppose we should take a moment, too, to contemplate if the way we have lived and interacted with other people in the last week has been something they might thank the Lord for—or have the need to go to Him in prayer for help to not have hurt feelings over. It’s WAY too easy to allow an unkind word to slip off our tongue or to cause someone hurt simply because we went blindly on our way without considering others—and recognizing that they are at least as important as me, if not more important. We would do well to prayerfully contemplate our interactions every day at the close of the day to see if there was some opportunity for encouragement, blessing, or witness that we missed due to a willful choice or simple lack of thought. Though this might not be a lot of fun, we can use it to thank God for helping us do the right things when we did—and ask Him to help us do better for the next opportunity we might have muffed or missed.
Lastly, and most importantly, don’t miss that all thanksgiving belongs first and foremost to GOD. He is the Giver of all good gifts and He deserves praise and thanks constantly!
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Tuesday, January 7, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read I Thessalonians 5:5
“For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness.”
-Background/Context:
Paul is reminding the believers in Thessalonica that they don’t need to fear the wrath of God on the earth during the Tribulation because all Christians living up to the point of the Rapture will be removed from the earth and transported to heaven “in the blink of an eye.”
The reference to children of light/day versus night/dark is pretty universal for those who belong to God versus all those who are siding with satan in rebellion against God (more specifically, those who have trusted in Christ as their Savior from the sin they were born with as opposed to all who have not). We find many references to light and dark throughout the entire Bible.
In this particular reference (I Thessalonians), Paul is speaking about the tremendous danger all unsaved people are in, in contrast to the security and confidence all those who have trusted in Christ as Savior have. It’s because of this, in fact, that we can—and must—think and act differently than the world.
-Something to Think About:
When I was a teenager and a member of the Pine Valley Baptist Church, I joined the ladies’ softball team. There were several fellowshipping churches within an hour or so of Pine Valley, NY, and we often did things together with these sister churches such as singspirations, youth rallies, and sports.
I cannot claim to be much of an athlete. In fact, it’s my nature to be shy and reserved in situations like that. However, all the other women who were part of our team were friends, family members, and loved ones from my church family, so we bonded nicely and came to really enjoy playing the game together. God also blessed us with a really good coach, so we all got a whole lot better at the sport the more we practiced and played together as a team and I came to really enjoy growing some skills over time.
Now, you would think that all that practice and all the skills learned with my church team would help me out during high school gym class. It did not! I felt awkward, stupid, and extremely uncoordinated when forced to play with the girls from my school—girls who did not know and love the Lord and with whom I had nothing in common.
In many ways, this is kind of a picture of children of light (Christians) interacting with children of the darkness (the unsaved). We don’t really have anything in common—and, in fact, we are pursuing very different goals and purposes in life. Obviously, I’m not suggesting unbelievers are our enemies (but neither should an unsaved person be a close personal “buddy” – because the Bible commands us to not be unequally yoked). I’m just saying that light is the opposite of dark, BUT dark can influence light and light can influence dark. Christians need to be on guard all the time lest we allow the influences of ungodly thinking to infiltrate our minds, leading to ungodly decisions and actions—things that are not in keeping with Christlikeness. On the contrary, if we are following the example of Jesus Christ, obeying what the Bible tells us to do, and leaning on the Lord to help us think and act biblically, we can “shine” the light of God into the dark world around us and point others to Christ. This is something we need to be aware of 24/7. If we are Christians, we ARE light (ALL of us!), but that’s not to say that we always think like it or act like it. It should be our daily prayer that we never forget that we are not of the night or of the darkness.
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Wednesday, January 8, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read II Timothy 2:21
“Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.”
-Background/Context:
Paul is writing to Timothy in II Timothy to encourage him as a pastor and leader. In the specific context of chapter 2, Paul is warning Timothy to steer clear of everything (and everyone!) that might trip him up and lead to confusion, discouragement, misdirection, or outright sin. Rather, Timothy (and us as the children of God alive today) should focus on what God’s Word says is good, “honorable,” and beneficial.
-Something to Think About:
A pretty popular topic of many a homemaking influencer on YouTube these days is that of being more organized with what fills our houses so that we can be more efficient and decrease the likelihood of wasting time and money. Before anyone can organize properly, however, comes the necessary stage of decluttering and minimalizing what we’ve got. My daughter, Rebekah, did a whole workshop on this from a Christian’s perspective at our church’s Striving for the Mastery Training Conference—and if you want a copy, email me and I’ll get one to you.
In a nutshell? Before you can make “X” (whatever needs organizing) neat and accessible, you need to get rid of items that are (a) clearly junk, (b) things you never use, (c) things that don’t even belong in that spot, and (d) repeats and other unnecessary items.
Have you ever considered that Christians should be doing this with their lives, if not daily, very often? As we go through our day, interacting with the world’s influences (which surround us constantly), and fending off our own sin natures, we pick up wrong views, ungodly thoughts, ugly words, and suggestions that are “dishonorable.” In order to be “a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the Master,” we need to cleanse ourselves from all that “clutter.” We need to ruthlessly clean out that phonebook drawer (which hasn’t had a literal phonebook in it for several years) and throw out the pens that don’t actually write, reduce the paperclip number to less than 1,000, get rid of the collection of keys that no one has any idea what they belong to—and haven’t for more than five years—and that kind of thing. When we do, when we need a pen that works and a piece of paper to write a note, we’ll be able to lay our hands right on them. And, spiritually, when sin has been confessed in our hearts, when ungodly media has been deleted from our phones, and when we’ve spent time in God’s Word filling our hearts with God’s precious truth, we will be useful to the Master, ready for every good work!
This same concept is what the Lord Jesus had in mind when He spoke about—and demonstrated—washing the disciples’ feet in John 13:4-16. In verse 10 He said that those who have already had a bath don’t need another bath, but after walking through the dusty streets and paths of the city, they did need their feet washed. (Of course, Jesus was also giving a lesson about servanthood and humility in this scene.) It is inevitable that Christians will pick up the dust and grime of the world’s influences and attitudes as we traverse our daily lives. We don’t need to get saved all over again (the “bath”), but we do need to wash our feet through confession and realigning our thought patterns. Clean out the phone book drawer of your heart!
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Thursday, January 9, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Matthew 4:4
“But he answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
-Background/Context:
This quote is from Jesus Christ to satan. Jesus was at the very beginning of His public ministry (He was roughly 30 years old at this time) and in order to prepare for it, He went into the wilderness for 40 days. In that time, He did not eat. He was obviously extremely hungry and satan tried to use this very normal human need to tempt Jesus to step outside of God’s timing and will. Jesus refused to do this, knowing that what satan wanted was far more than Jesus satisfying His hunger by using His power as the Creator to transform a stone into bread. Jesus had come to earth as a human to give His life as a substitute for the death penalty you and I owed God due to our sin. During His time on earth, Jesus never used His divine powers for His own will. He relied on God’s Word and the power of the Holy Spirit.
-Something to Think About:
In case you haven’t heard this before, you should be aware that, as a child of God, someone who has trusted in Jesus Christ as your Savior, you have the ability to say no to sin, to walk obediently with God all day every day, and to otherwise please God with your life and be a useful vessel for His purposes. This is because (a) Jesus’ death and resurrection brought us victory over sin. He defeated death and sin—and positionally, we did too. Because of His victory, Christians no longer HAVE TO sin (this is not true of those who have not yet trusted in Him as Savior. They are still imprisoned by their sin natures), and (b) we have the same all-powerful “tools” that Jesus used when He was on earth: the Word of God and the Holy Spirit.
When I was a teen, it was kind of trendy for a young adult to go on a hunger strike for some cause they felt was important. They would literally refuse to eat (and sometimes drink) until someone “listened” to them. If they kept it up long enough, usually an authority of some sort would step in and force hydration and food on them so that they wouldn’t die. I think that Christians sometimes forget that God’s Word is THAT important to us. We sometimes treat the Bible as a nice place to find Bible verses that comfort us or make us feel good about some situation or other—or as just another important thing to bring to church with us along with an umbrella on rainy days and a jacket during the cool weather months.
Jesus taught in Matthew 6 that our first priority is our relationship to God and that when this is correctly in place, that He would see to our physical needs. In other words, despite being dangerously hungry, Jesus chose obeying God and following His will for His life over satisfying His physical needs. We, too, need to remember that there should be no thought, no word, and no action that is not in line with the Word of God and in which we are following the lead of the Holy Spirit.
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Friday, January 10, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Romans 3:23
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
-Background/Context:
Short, simple, but of literal life and death importance!
Paul wrote the book of Romans as a letter to the believers in Rome, Italy. He used the first several chapters to point out how keeping the Law is impossible and that it was actually designed to demonstrate that no human can obey it perfectly. It was given so that we could appreciate that true, lasting, perfect salvation can only ever be found in trusting in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, as our Savior from sin. That’s because He was the only man EVER who was perfect and entirely without sin—and God the Father could only accept a perfect sacrifice to pay for sin. If Jesus hadn’t died in our place, NO ONE would have eternal life and we would all have eternal death in the Lake of Fire. This is important stuff!
-Something to Think About:
Keeping in mind our theme of study this year of the word “all,” we read in Romans 3:23 that ALL have sinned and that ALL fall short of the glory of God. All is all without any wiggle room whatsoever.
A little later in this same letter, Paul wrote this (6:23): “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” This is the classic good news/bad news scenario! Because ALL have sinned, the wages (result) is death; that is, physical death AND spiritual death. BUT (always pay attention to the word “but” in the Bible!), the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. In other words, if you’d just as soon NOT spend all of eternity burning in the Lake of Fire and never, ever having any glimpses of the grace of God, there’s a free ticket out. In fact, salvation is far more than “just” not being punished for eternity. Believing that Jesus Christ died and rose again to pay the wages of sin for us keeps us out of Hell—and it makes us adopted children of God! We become part of His permanent family! But, there’s more! We also get
-the gift of the Holy Spirit, Who comes to live within us to help us to choose to do right and help us understand Scripture.
-the gift of being able to show gratitude to God through service opportunities.
-the gift of being able to talk to God directly in prayer—any time, about anything.
-the gift of comfort in storms, of peace in trials, of joy in the midst of sorrowful circumstances.
-the gift of telling others this good news so that they, too, can be saved from their sins.
-the gift of learning more about God and His mercy in and within a church family.
-the gift of being able to honor God with our words, actions, and attitudes.
Really, the list is endless—and continues into forever.
BUT, this doesn’t happen automatically, nor does it happen because we read our Bibles, go to church, or help the poor. All that God requires for our eternal salvation from the penalty of sin is faith—the belief that Jesus Christ died and rose again for YOU. The very second we place our trust in Christ as Savior is the very second we become new creatures—alive in Christ—for all of eternity.
John 3:16 sums it up nicely, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Saturday, January 11, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Acts 1:14
“All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.”
-Background/Context:
The location is Jerusalem. The occasion is just after Jesus ascended back to heaven and just before the birth of the Church on the day of Pentecost. The eleven remaining disciples had been through some incredibly huge things in the previous few months and they were now seeking God’s will for what was next. With them, Luke says, were Jesus’ mother and brothers (indicating that Jesus’ brothers got saved sometime between Jesus’ death and then). Also present were “the women.” There are a few different verses that talk about the women who followed Jesus and helped support Him however they could during the years of His public ministry. Some are also listed in different gospel accounts at the crucifixion and His tomb.
-Something to Think About:
What’s pretty neat about this verse is the note that this entire group was of “one accord.” That is, they were like-minded in their desire to do whatever God wanted them to do now that Jesus had returned to the Father’s side. And how were they seeking God’s will? Through prayer. I’m confident, too, that they were searching the Word of God and rehashing the things that Jesus had taught them the past three years that He was with them.
Have you ever noticed that people who belong together (speaking specifically of church families here) tend to draw very close together when a tragedy or very difficult circumstances have happened in and among the group? When life is carefree and easy, we all tend to go our own way and forget just how desperately we need the support, encouragement, and edification of other faithful brothers and sisters in Christ. But when something happens—a crisis of some sort—we huddle together, seek God’s help in prayer together, look for ways to bless one another, and support one another together. This is, of course, how it should be all the time. God wants all of His children, young or old, new believers or mature believers, male or female, to ALL come together and be of one accord. He wants us to trust Him, praise Him, be thankful to Him, and together, search His Word for godly responses and attitudes to whatever challenge comes our way.
I LOVE the picture of the disciples, Mary, Jesus’ family, and others who loved Him praying together and seeking God’s direction for what was next! I love, too, that you and I can follow this wonderful example in our own church families.
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Sunday, January 12, 2025
Praise God, it’s Sunday! Before we do anything else, let’s pray and ask God for His blessing on the day!
Things to consider praying for and doing:
-Pray for your pastor or whoever is preaching, for clarity, for accuracy, and the freedom to speak exactly what God is laying on their hearts. Pray as well for their health, strength, and well-being.
-Pray for all who God wants to be there, that nothing would interfere with them coming and once there, to listen, learn, and grow.
-Pray for all ministries of the church: Sunday School, music, ushers, greeters, nursery, offerings—everything.
-Pray for your own heart, first to be sure there is no unconfessed sin between you and God, then that you would be receptive to the Word and be able to be a blessing and encouragement to all you cross paths with.
Other things God is laying on your heart to pray for today:
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As you have opportunity during the day (or at the end of it), jot down some lessons and blessings God showed you:
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BONUS! God-honoring music is such a tremendous blessing that I thought we could use Sundays to focus on a few hymns that use “all” in them to read through (and sing, if you want!).
“Come, All Christians, Be Committed” (Words by Eva B. Lloyd; Music by B.F. White)
Come, all Christians, be committed to the service of the Lord;
Make your lives for Him more fitted; tune your hearts with one accord.
Come into His courts with gladness; all your sacred vows renew.
Turn away from sin and sadness; be transformed with life anew.
Of your time and talents give now, they are gifts from God above,
To be used by Christians freely to proclaim His wondrous love.
Come again to serve the Savior; tithes and offerings with you bring.
In your work with Christ find favor, and with joy His praises sing.
Come, in praise and adoration, all who on Christ’s name believe.
Worship Him with consecration; grace and love will you receive.
For His grace give Christ the glory, for the Spirit and the Word;
And repeat the gospel story until all His name have heard.
Monday, January 13, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Proverbs 31:12
“She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life.”
-Background/Context:
This verse is part of the last several verses of the book of Proverbs, authored by Solomon. It is known as the excellent or virtuous woman passage. Although this passage is commonly preached on Mother’s Day and is a frequent topic of devotions during ladies’ meetings, it’s actually written for a young man in order to know what sort of woman to look for to obtain an excellent wife. That being true, it’s definitely a great resource for girls and women seeking to honor God with their lives!
Did you know that these 21 verses are an acrostic poem? Each verse begins with a successive letter of the alphabet (for easier memorization by children). Not seeing it? That’s because it follows the Hebrew alphabet. =)
-Something to Think About:
As a daughter of the King and a writer of ladies’ Bible studies, I am a big fan of Proverbs 31. There are all sorts of important and wonderful things found there (summed up really well in verse 31—check it out!). BUT, in looking at only verse 12, I can see the value in applying its words to all our relationships. I mean, why WOULDN’T someone representing Jesus Christ do their dead-level best to do good and not harm to the people God has placed in her life—and why would we not do that for our entire lives?
I will be the first to admit that doing good to others is WAY easier if you love the person, a lot easier if you like them, and tolerable if they aren’t people you dislike (or who dislike you!). This is, of course, how the world looks at things. “I’ll scratch your back if you scratch mine.” “Tit for tat.” Basically, it’s “I’ll love you. . . as long as you meet my expectations.”
Christians must be different. We need to give without expecting return—BUT—if we’ve been given something, we SHOULD return, be it just a simple heartfelt “Thank you.” Here are a few things to think about from Proverbs 31:12:
-Christians should help, not harm, others.
-Doing good is what God says it is—and not the world’s false ideas about it. Sometimes “good” is lovingly and humbly pointing out to someone that they are not pleasing God in some way! Not fun, but definitely for their spiritual good.
-Doing good (like love) is mostly about words and deeds and less about feelings, although we can cultivate the proper feelings about someone if we pray for them and choose to see them in the same way that God does.
-Choosing to do something harmful or painful to another person is never honoring or pleasing to God—no matter what they might have done to you or to your loved ones. Vengeance belongs to God alone.
-Doing all that pleases and honors God is a lifelong pursuit, from the moment of salvation to the moment we get promoted to glory. Knowing this, accepting this, and embracing this will help us be eager to go out of our way in order to do good to all, especially those of the household of faith (Galatians 6:10).
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Tuesday, January 14, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read John 8:1-2
“But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them.”
-Background/Context:
Jesus traveled a lot during the three and a half years of public ministry, but He also spent time in Jerusalem teaching in the Temple complex. If you look up what Herod’s Temple was like, you’ll see that the part that was only for the priests was only a small part of the entire complex. Some of the bigger areas were the courtyards. Some of these were only for Jews, some only for Jewish men, and one was open to Gentiles as well. It was here that Jesus often taught His followers about God and what God wanted of them and for them.
By this time in His ministry, the Religious leaders had concluded that Jesus was a threat and were looking for ways to have Him arrested. The crowds of people were sometimes unsure what to think of Him. Many recognized that He was the Messiah they had been waiting for, for hundreds of years, but many others did not. A very common misconception, even among those closest to Him (the disciples), was that He was going to drive the Roman soldiers out and set up His kingdom then and there. Jesus WILL set up His kingdom, but not until after the Tribulation Period (yet to come).
-Something to Think About:
I love the sentence “All the people came to Him and He sat down and taught them.” I envy those people! I have often tried to imagine what it must have been like to see Him and hear Him talk about His Father. I hope and pray that the Holy Spirit would have opened my eyes right away to recognize He was Who He claimed to be—so that I could soak up every word and cherish every minute.
Two millennia have passed since the time of this account from John, and you and I are STILL being given the chance to listen to what Jesus had to say about His Father. The difference is that we cannot see Jesus face to face (yet! We’ll get that chance soon, though!), BUT He Himself said that His leaving was to our advantage—because He was leaving us with the Indwelling Holy Spirit and the written Word of God. With time, we also found that He gifted us with under-shepherds of His choosing, our pastors, and the incredible gift of local church families where we can come to listen, learn, grow, fellowship, and serve.
I guess we need to check in to see if we are one of the “all” mentioned in John 8. Are we “coming to Jesus” to hear Him teach through personal Bible study, through what He laid on our pastor’s heart to preach on Sundays and Wednesdays, and by way of other sources of biblically accurate media?
The crowds who got to hear Jesus personally were very blessed, but so are we as members of the Church Age. Are we taking advantage of it? Are we giving Him our all as far as Bible study, prayer, and church attendance?
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Wednesday, January 15, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Psalm 145
A Song of Praise. Of David.
“I will extol you, my God and King, and bless your name forever and ever.
2 Every day I will bless you and praise your name forever and ever.
3 Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable.
4 One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts.
5 On the glorious splendor of your majesty, and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.
6 They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds, and I will declare your greatness.
7 They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.
8 The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
9 The Lord is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made.
10 All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord, and all your saints shall bless you!
11 They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom and tell of your power,
12 to make known to the children of man your mighty deeds, and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures throughout all generations. The Lord is faithful in all his words and kind in all his works.
14 The Lord upholds all who are falling and raises up all who are bowed down.
15 The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food in due season.
16 You open your hand; you satisfy the desire of every living thing.
17 The Lord is righteous in all his ways and kind in all his works.
18 The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.
19 He fulfills the desire of those who fear him; he also hears their cry and saves them.
20 The Lord preserves all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy.
21 My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord, and let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.
-Background/Context:
This psalm identifies itself as being authored by David and David’s purpose was simply to praise God. In Hebrew, what is seen as a superscription in our English translations, is actually the first verse. That makes it just as much Scripture as the remainder of the psalm. We do need to be careful, however, to note the difference between a superscription and a title or description added by the translators to try to help us know what the psalm is about. These are NOT Scripture. Along those lines, we must also be careful to not give study notes and study aids the same weight as Scripture. They are written by humans and the Bible is written by God. We certainly appreciate helps, notes ,and aids, but only the Bible has complete authority.
-Something to Think About:
I think David named this psalm well, don’t you! It’s all about the many reasons to praise and thank God—and for the purposes of our studies this year, it’s liberally sprinkled with the word “all.” In fact, there are several places that don’t say “all,” but it’s clearly an understood fact. Verse 3 could say “. . . All God’s greatness is unsearchable.” Verse 4 could say that “all God’s works are commendable. . . all His acts are mighty.” and so on.
You know, in our unreliable world with its machines and doo-dads that never seem to last as long as the warranty, with our friends and family who don’t always do what they say will, with our bodies that fail and let us down, it’s sure a tremendous blessing to know that ALL God does is perfect, that NOTHING He says will not come to pass, that He is worthy of ALL praise and glory and honor. In fact, no one or nothing can compare to Him in any way or at any time. To even try to do so is literally insane!
BUT, it’s also true that as God’s children, we get to wake up each morning and try our best to imitate the Father, to be becoming more like Christ, to think, act, and speak more in keeping with His character than our old, sinful self. Just the fact that we can work on this is such a blessing—something to give God all praise for!
If you are a child of God, you have the joy and privilege of listing all the reasons to praise God every single day you are alive—and—you have the opportunity and challenge (because the Holy Spirit lives within us to help us) to try to show the grace, mercy, kindness, and love to others in a similar way God does to us.
Praise the Lord!
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Thursday, January 16, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Jude 1:24-25
“Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.”
-Background/Context:
The book of Jude was written by one of Jesus’ half-brothers (he couldn’t be His full brother because Joseph was not His physical father as he was of Jesus’ other siblings). We don’t know how big Jesus’ family was, although we know He had at least two brothers (James and Jude) and at least two sisters (there is a reference to His sisters in the plural).
Jude is warning his listeners to have nothing to do with apostasy. Apostasy has to do with departing from the truth and/or refuting some major part of biblical Christianity—as opposed to backsliding, which is more along the lines of no longer living as a child of God should live. Carnality is living a life that indulges our fleshy nature and desires. Christians can do any or all of these things—and that is what Jude is warning against.
-Something to Think About:
I love how Jude ends his letter, though, after these super serious warnings. He reminds you and me that GOD IS ABLE. He IS able to keep us from stumbling (getting caught up in wrong thinking or actions) and He IS able to present us to God blameless (not perfect, but faithful). And not JUST help us in these wonderful ways, but with great joy!
Are you “hearing” this? It is completely possible to joyfully remain faithful to God as His child—even in this whacky messed-up world! GOD is able. Maybe some sin has gotten a hold of your life and you are struggling to defeat it. God is able! Are you tired of being overlooked, not appreciated—maybe even abandoned? God is able! Are you discouraged, downtrodden, and worn out? God is able!
Our proper response to this wonderful, refreshing truth? “To the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be GLORY, MAJESTY, DOMINION, and AUTHORITY—before ALL time now and forever!” AMEN!
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Friday, January 17, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Proverbs 3:5-7
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.”
-Background/Context:
The book of Proverbs was written by Solomon, son of David. As a young king, God offered Solomon anything he wanted and when Solomon asked God for wisdom and help to rule God’s people well and in a manner pleasing to God, God was so pleased that He made Solomon the wisest man who ever lived. The book of Proverbs reflects some of the wisdom God granted to Solomon and part of that great wisdom includes knowing that it is God Who we must trust and obey, not our own ideas and opinions.
-Something to Think About:
GPS devices have come a long way from those early years of being told to turn right—only to find a huge lake or cliff on the right. They (mostly) help you navigate exits, one-way roads, and the long series of turns needed to arrive at your destination. However, they are far from foolproof and sometimes we might know a wiser route than the GPS has in mind due to factors it can’t know about because it’s a machine and not a human.
Much like a human recognizing that, no, we cannot turn right or we would fall over the edge of a cliff, or no, we don’t WANT to take Route 95 and go through the middle of New York City at rush hour, so we’re going to stick with Route 84 instead, GOD knows what’s best for us as we travel the course of our lives and He is the One we need to listen to and follow.
Of course, there is NO comparison between God and a GPS—or God and a human!!! But the point is more about who or what we are trusting and following to get from point a to point b. And when we are discussing our LIFE, well, we NEED our Father in Heaven to show us what to do and how to do it with literally every single breath. We NEED to trust Him with ALL our hearts—in every way and at all times. We need to lean on Him for ALL our understanding and to obey Him in ALL things. Turning it around the other way, Proverbs 3:7 reminds us to not be a fool and try to be wise in our own eyes. Rather, look to the Lord and follow His direction in all paths of life. He will never, ever lead us astray.
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Saturday, January 18, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Revelation 1:1-2
“The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw.”
-Background/Context:
The apostle John is the author of the book of Revelation (singular—the book title is not “Revelations.” It is the revelation of Jesus Christ as King of kings and Lord of lords.). John wrote out the things God showed him about the future while exiled on the island of Patmos. John was about 80 years old at this point. John also authored the gospel of John as well as I, II, and III John.
-Something to Think About:
The reason Revelation 1:1-2 made our study of verses using the word “all,” is because I appreciated John’s determination to share ALL that God showed him concerning what was yet to come in the world’s history. If you’ve ever been through the book of Revelation, you know that it’s a super heavy, super detailed, super hard book to read and try to understand. John says, in fact, on more than one occasion, he was so blown out of the water that his only response was to fall prostrate on the ground.
Of course, if you stick with it, the ending is some of the most encouraging and precious promises for Christians to cling to while living in this fallen and ugly world. We are privileged to catch a tiny glimpse of great glory and joy yet to come—and this should cause us to tighten our grip on our Bibles, make us even more faithful to our Lord and our church family, and just live in a pleasing manner to our God.
Also, reading the book of Revelation should cause us to be bolder and more vigilant in telling the unsaved just what trusting Christ Jesus as Savior saves them from!
BUT, besides all that important stuff, I wanted you and me to follow John’s example of telling others ALL we know about our amazing Father in Heaven and our glorious Savior. Praise for the Lord should NEVER be far from our lips and when we’re given the chance to share a testimony at church, the only problem should be which marvelous thing we want to share (and not IF we will speak up).
Prayerfully consider how God has worked in your life to this point in a general sense, then how He has blessed and helped you in the last few days. What word of praise do you want to share first?
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Sunday, January 19, 2025
Praise God, it’s Sunday! Before we do anything else, let’s pray and ask God for His blessing on the day!
Things to consider praying for and doing:
-Pray for your pastor or whoever is preaching, for clarity, for accuracy, and the freedom to speak exactly what God is laying on their hearts. Pray as well for their health, strength, and well-being.
-Pray for all who God wants to be there, that nothing would interfere with them coming and once there, to listen, learn, and grow.
-Pray for all ministries of the church: Sunday School, music, ushers, greeters, nursery, offerings—everything.
-Pray for your own heart, first to be sure there is no unconfessed sin between you and God, then that you would be receptive to the Word and be able to be a blessing and encouragement to all you cross paths with.
Other things God is laying on your heart to pray for today:
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As you have opportunity during the day (or at the end of it), jot down some lessons and blessings God showed you:
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BONUS! God-honoring music is such a tremendous blessing that I thought we could use Sundays to focus on a few hymns that use “all” in them to read through (and sing, if you want!).
“Jesus Led Me All the Way” (words & music by John w. Peterson)
Some day life’s journey will be o’er, and I shall reach that distant shore. I’ll sing while ent’ring heaven’s door, “Jesus led me all the way.”
Jesus led me all the way; led me step by step each day. I will tell the saints and angels as I lay my burdens down, “Jesus led me all the way.”
If God should let me there review the winding paths I knew, it would be proven clear and true—“Jesus led me all the way.”
Jesus led me all the way; led me step by step each day. I will tell the saints and angels as I lay my burdens down, “Jesus led me all the way.”
And hitherto my Lord hath led; today He guides each step I tread; and soon in heav’n it will be said, “Jesus led me all the way.”
Jesus led me all the way; led me step by step each day. I will tell the saints and angels as I lay my burdens down, “Jesus led me all the way.”
Monday, January 20, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Genesis 7:5
“And Noah did all that the Lord had commanded him.”
-Background/Context:
In the years after sin entered the world, mankind became more and more corrupt. So corrupt, in fact, that the Bible records that God was sorry He made man! But God made a promise in Genesis 3 to one day bring a Savior to make a way for humans to be reconciled to Him, so He chose Noah and his family to save from the destruction of a worldwide flood.
-Something to Think About:
From everything we can tell, God tapping Noah on the shoulder for this gigantic task was quite out of the blue. I’m not sure God had personally interacted with any humans for quite some time—which is so sad considering how God used to walk with Adam and Eve in the cool of the day in the Garden of Eden! Sin is destructive and horrible. Always.
I’ve also heard that up to the day the torrential rains began falling on the completed ark, the world had never even SEEN rain. So, when God contacted Noah, told Noah about a flood when he’d never seen rain, and instructed him to build an enormous boat AND stock it with some of all the animals on the earth, well, no one would blame Noah for thinking he was just having a scary hallucination!
But that’s not how Noah reacted. You see, Noah was one of the only people on the whole earth who had CHOSEN to remain faithful to God. Did he live perfectly? Of course not, no one besides Jesus Christ lived—or could live—perfectly. Noah was faithful. And we see this in real life in his response to the extremely long and detailed instructions he was given about the ark and filling it. The Bible says that he did ALL that the Lord commanded him.
And, dear ones, this is ALL God asks of you and me too—to simply do all that we know He wants us to do to the best of our ability and with a joyful, willing heart. He’s not asking us to do the things we don’t yet know we should, nor is He asking us to do these things in our own strength. He, Himself, will be with us, giving us the strength and wisdom moment by moment. We just need to be willing.
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Tuesday, January 21, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Exodus 3:13-15
“Then Moses said to God, “If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I am has sent me to you.’” God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations.”
-Background/Context:
This is the epic moment in human history where God tapped Moses on his shoulder to be the one to lead His people, the Jewish nation, out of slavery in Egypt. Not only that, but this is an epic moment because God, for the first time ever, identified Himself by name. God has many titles throughout Scripture, but just one name: I AM.
I AM (I AM WHO I AM) means the Self-Existing One. God was not “created” and not only has He always existed, He will always exist. Obviously, He is the only One EVER that this is true of.
I AM comes across in many English translations as all caps (LORD). This is true of the Old Testament alone, though, since it was written in Hebrew and the New Testament was written in Greek.
I AM looks like this: Yahweh (though Hebrew has no vowels, so it was originally written YWH), and to the best of our knowledge, it is pronounced Yah-way (no one knows for certain because of the passage of time).
Incidentally, we sometimes see the word Jehovah used for Lord, but this is merely a transliteration from Latin to English. You might also be interested to know that the title “Christ” is not a title of deity. It means “anointed” and is the same word as “messiah.”
-Something to Think About:
I hope the background section was interesting and informative, but I really wanted to focus on the last thing God said in the above quote. He said, “This is My* name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations.”
I find it fascinating that God has a personal name—and that He wants those who are part of His family to not only know it, but to not forget it! This is an honor and this is a privilege. We need to KNOW Who our God is and we need to respect Him, honor Him, and glorify Him. There is NO QUESTION that this should be the response of EVERY living creature, but none so more than humans who have been made in His image. And of humans, none so more than those bought by the blood of Christ and brought permanently into the family of God!
This would ALSO mean that we remain vigilant to never speak God’s name lightly or disrespectfully in any way or at any time. This may mean that we don’t wear certain slogans on our sweatshirts that speak of God too casually, that we think long and hard about what bumper stickers we place on our vehicles, and we consider carefully the humor we share online. Maybe following my Sunday school teacher’s advice from fifth grade is the best; if in doubt, DON’T.
*While many modern English translations have stopped capitalizing all pronouns referring to God, I will always continue to do so because, to me, it’s a matter of respect. It’s a conviction of mine. On the other side of things, no matter how “proper” it is to capitalize names in English, I refuse to capitalize satan because I am purposefully showing him DISrespect.
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Wednesday, January 22, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Luke 24:25
“And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!”
-Background/Context:
This is a part of a quote from Jesus on the Emmaus Road. Read the whole thing in Luke 24:13-35. It’s a joyful and encouraging read!
This scene takes place late Sunday afternoon—mere hours after Jesus’ resurrection. All of those who loved Him dearly were still reeling from His crucifixion. In addition, they were confused and unsure about the reports of His resurrection. As you might imagine, they were all talking about it, seeking comfort and answers.
In walks Jesus Himself (literally!)! But, Cleopas and his wife (the two people walking home on the Emmaus Road) didn’t recognize Him until much later. Jesus asked them what they were talking about and they answered, sharing their confusion and doubt. This is the first part of what Jesus said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow to heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!”
In other words, “Didn’t you even READ Scripture??? And if you read it, didn’t you BELIEVE it???
You see, the answers to their questions were there all along. They just didn’t have eyes to see or ears to hear. They hadn’t put the facts together and BELIEVED what it said.
BUT, being the gracious, patient, and loving God that He always is, Jesus took the time to explain what God said needed to happen to buy their redemption (and ours!) – and THEN let them recognize Him as the very Savior they had been wondering about. Praise the Lord!
-Something to Think About:
Our focus word, all, comes into play in this story. When Jesus explained what Scripture had to say about Himself, He took the time to tell them ALL the facts—and encouraged them to believe ALL that was written in His Word.
I wonder if we are every guilty of not reading ALL the Bible, if we are reading it all, but not really thinking that it’s ALL relevant or important or necessary to obey? I wonder if we are reading Scripture, but picking and choosing what we want to do and ignoring the rest (or pretending we didn’t read it ALL)?
A lot could be said about lazy Bible study or lackadaisical Christianity, but maybe we would rethink our commitment to Christ in how we think and live simply by remembering that Christ did ALL that was necessary to redeem us from Hell and that God gives us ALL we need in EVERY area ALL the time. Besides, there’s really no way we could outgive God. Even when we give our all, it cannot compare to His amazing love! BUT, that doesn’t mean we cannot keep CHOOSING to try to match His excellence in all we do as His children!
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Thursday, January 23, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read I Peter 3:8-9
“Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing.”
-Background/Context:
I Peter is a great book and one I encourage you to read carefully. In the immediate context of today’s Scripture, Paul has been addressing how Christians should act and interact out in the world, in the family unit, and now, within the church family. In a nutshell? Sacrificially thinking and acting to benefit others. This will include a lot of physical behavior (doing good deeds), but it starts in our head with our attitude – which flows into our heart, displaying in ways such as kindness and concern.
-Something to Think About:
Peter is saying quite clearly that ALL Christians have a specific “code of conduct” dealing with our relationships with ALL other Christians. This will be especially pertinent within our church family since we spend the lion’s share of our time with these brothers and sisters in Christ. “All” means that we all give 100% – without expecting return (though if we are giving 100%, there SHOULD be “return”). Really, the picture of how God’s children interact with one another ought to be a bit of a preview of life in heaven!
We, first, need unity of mind. Obviously, this HAS TO BE a focus on God’s Word as the final authority for EVERYTHING. It also has to NOT be human opinion, human “wishes,” and definitely not human feelings.
We need to have sympathy for one another—really caring about one another’s burdens.
We need to demonstrate brotherly love—a stick-to-it-ivness that is generally only seen in the closest of siblings or friends.
We need tender hearts. The world around us generally wears hard hearts that are immune to the plight of people around them. That is not how we should view our fellow church family members.
Humility is always so important! It’s a reminder that WE are not the center of ANYTHING, which means our focus and care can be directed to others.
And, it kind of goes without saying that attitudes and actions that are done as some sort of punishment or retribution for bad behavior should never be on the radar of a Christian. I read that returning evil for good is the satanic level, returning good for good and evil for evil is the human level, and returning good for evil is the divine level—the one Jesus lived out for our example.
Great reminders to start our day!
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Friday, January 24, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Job 31:4
“Does not he see my ways and number all my steps?”
-Background/Context:
Satan wanted to prove to God that His children only loved Him for what He did for them, so he got permission to cause Job tremendous loss. Job, however, refused to curse God or to not trust Him throughout some incredibly hard days. There are some huge applications only considering this one truth, but there’s more! Job had friends who came to support him in his suffering, though their idea of comfort was to try to force Job to admit to sin that Job kept telling them he didn’t do. They simply would not take his word for it and hounded him for a very long time.
Chapter 31 is Job recounting his choices in life to honor God with his heart by way of his purity and his dealings with others. Why did he have this conviction? Because God sees ALL our ways and numbers ALL our steps.
-Something to Think About:
There are always two ways to look at things: the positive (to do) side and the negative (to not do) side. Job was fully aware that God is watching His children all the time – and though he could have been a little oppressed by this (as the writer of Psalm 139 seemed to be for a little while), he chose to see it as the blessing and comfort that it is. So he CHOSE to live in such a way that God would be honored and glorified. He CHOSE to live a godly life (which is what satan was so opposed to!).
The “not do” side of Job’s realization that God sees all He does (and only gives each of us a certain number of days to live for Him), was to choose to NOT sin in what he allowed his eyes to see, to not sin by not taking excellent care of the people in his life, to not sin in his dealings with others, be it a business matter or just matters of friendship.
What a terrific example Job is to you and me living all these centuries later! God is STILL watching over ALL that His children do and He still numbers all our steps. We can grumble, complain, and make excuses why that doesn’t seem fair to us—or we could joyfully step up to the plate, seize the marvelous resources He has gifted to us (the Bible, the Indwelling Spirit, our pastor, godly friends, and even the time, talents, and treasure we have!) and live our very best for Him and because of Him!
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Saturday, January 25, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Galatians 6:1-10
“Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. For each will have to bear his own load.
Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches. Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.”
-Background/Context:
Paul is speaking about how Christians interact with other Christians in this passage. The word “all” is used twice. Even though these thoughts may appear as separate topics, they are not—and are summarized nicely with the much-loved and well-known verse 10, “As we have opportunities, let us do good to everyone (all), and especially to those who are of the household of faith. This will include (v.4) to share “all good things” with those who are faithfully teaching and leading us (speaking primarily of financial support).
-Something to Think About:
This snapshot of how Christians should treat other Christians is interesting and helpful. A huge component is that of fulfilling the law of Christ. What is the law of Christ? To love God supremely and to love others as self. When we love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, we will be obeying His Word—which gives us tons and tons of do’s and don’ts in regard to how to treat others. Biblically loving other Christians is certainly going to involve seeing them as brothers and sisters in Christ, fellow heirs, and those made in the image of God, but the playing out of this right view will be actions—what we do and say.
So, Paul reminds us to “bear one another’s burdens.” That is, help people out when they have needs! At the same time, he encourages us to “bear our own load,” an admonition to not expect others to do what you should be doing yourself. In other words, there are responsibilities that we each have that are ours alone; and then there are heavy loads that require other people to help us to carry them. There are times when we SHOULD call on others to help us with some struggle, but that’s not the same thing as not doing all that you know God wants you to do first.
Verse 1 reminds us that a huge and important way to show biblical love to brothers and sisters in Christ is to gently, kindly, lovingly, and humbly help those who have strayed spiritually to get back on track.
Keeping all this in mind, verse 10 is a summary of sorts encouraging Christians to keep their eyes open for opportunities to bless, help, encourage, and otherwise “do good” for all people, BUT especially for brothers and sisters in Christ. Family sticks close together—none more than the household of faith.
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Sunday, January 26, 2025
Praise God, it’s Sunday! Before we do anything else, let’s pray and ask God for His blessing on the day!
Things to consider praying for and doing:
-Pray for your pastor or whoever is preaching, for clarity, for accuracy, and the freedom to speak exactly what God is laying on their hearts. Pray as well for their health, strength, and well-being.
-Pray for all who God wants to be there, that nothing would interfere with them coming and once there, to listen, learn, and grow.
-Pray for all ministries of the church: Sunday School, music, ushers, greeters, nursery, offerings—everything.
-Pray for your own heart, first to be sure there is no unconfessed sin between you and God, then that you would be receptive to the Word and be able to be a blessing and encouragement to all you cross paths with.
Other things God is laying on your heart to pray for today:
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As you have opportunity during the day (or at the end of it), jot down some lessons and blessings God showed you:
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BONUS! God-honoring music is such a tremendous blessing that I thought we could use Sundays to focus on a few hymns that use “all” in them to read through (and sing, if you want!).
“All the Way My Savior Leads Me” (words by Fanny Crosby, music by Robert Lowry)
All the way my Savior leads me—what have I to ask beside? Can I doubt His tender mercy, Who through life has been my Guide? Heav’nly peace, divinest comfort, here by faith in Him to dwell—for I know what-e’re befall me, Jesus doeth all things well; for I know what-e’re befall me, Jesus doeth all things well.
All the way my Savior leads me—cheers each winding path I tread, gives me grace for every trial, feeds me with the living bread. Though my weary steps may falter, and my soul a-thirst may be, gushing from the Rock before me, Lo! A spring of joy I see; gushing from the Rock before me, Lo! A spring of joy I see.
All the way my Savior leads me—O the fullness of his love! Perfect rest to me is promised in my Father’s house above. When my spirit, clothed immortal, wings its flight to realms of day, this my song thru endless ages: Jesus led me all the way; this my song thru endless ages: Jesus led me all the way.
Monday, January 27, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Romans 13:7
“Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.”
-Background/Context:
Paul has been reminding the believers in Rome that part of being a good Christian is to be a good citizen. This will include obeying the laws of where you live, being an exemplary citizen, and paying the taxes and fees that you owe as a citizen.
-Something to Think About:
I think it’s part of human nature to want to argue about what we owe others. Oh, I think most people are willing to pay for things we agree we owe (such as merchandise), but we get our dander up when people order us to pay for something we don’t want or think we need. These might include things like taxes, shipping and handling fees, insurance, and interest fees. Our “natural” tendency is to try to weasel out of these things. In fact, I think that some of the worst offenders are sometimes Christians who are trying to get something for free because it’s something for church. I’m not suggesting that all charitable donations are bad, but I think that the name of Christ can definitely be harmed when it is used to try to force businesses to give away their products for free. Do they TRULY owe us just because we’re a church? Wouldn’t it be better to wait and see how God wants to provide?
That aside, Paul commands believers to pay to ALL what is owed them. He even delves deeper than money matters, he mentions respect and honor. Is there someone in your life you don’t really get along with whom you have short-changed on respect or honor? Has our attitude toward someone (or a group of someones) dishonored the name of Christ in some way?
These are sobering questions and ones all Christians should prayerfully consider on a regular basis. I believe, considering ALL that God freely blesses us with constantly, that we should, in turn, be generous to others in every way and at all times.
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Tuesday, January 28, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Psalm 145:13
“Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures throughout all generations. The Lord is faithful in all his words and kind in all his works.”
-Background/Context:
This is a psalm of praise written by David. It is a part of a series of six psalms (the last six of the book) all focused on praise to God. The title, “A psalm of praise” occurs only here in the entire book of Psalms.*
Psalm 145 was written as an acrostic psalm, meaning the verses follow the Hebrew alphabet in order.
*Some Bibles put the last part of Psalm 145:13 in a parenthesis, casting some doubt as to whether it was part of the original. Here is what my Hebrew-scholar son said about this: “Sometimes when Psalms was copied, it was copied with the poetry set out in different lines (as often is the case in modern translations). That makes it easier to recognize the poetry, but it also makes it easier for a scribe who’s maybe not completely focused to skip over a whole line, which is what I think happened here. And, as you probably know, with the longer line, it completes the Hebrew acrostic.” In other words, Psalm 145:13 is a part of the Bible.
-Something to Think About:
This verse is stuffed full of absolutes! God’s kingdom is EVERLASTING, God’s dominion ENDURES throughout ALL generations, God is faithful in ALL He says, and God is kind in ALL He does.
Wow! In our world that is loaded with conflicting information, doubts, and constant changes, what a comfort and blessing it is to consider that our God has always been Who He says He is, that He never changes, and that He never will change. If He were a cruel, unfair God, this would be a bad thing, but He’s not! He is faithful, trustworthy, merciful, gracious, and kind in every single thing He says and does.
Just pausing to consider this for even a few minutes makes me shake my head in sorrow and regret when I remember times I may have doubted God, falsely accused Him of things He’s not capable of doing, or otherwise not trusted Him as He deserves and is completely worthy of.
Although none of us can change how we have acted or reacted in the past, we can sure ask God’s forgiveness, then seek His help to think more accurately in the future—beginning with right this very second. We can, perhaps, take some of our precious (busy) minutes to compile a list of the ways God HAS been faithful in His words and kind in His works—and then thank Him for these specific incidents. In fact, doing this daily or even weekly, would be a marvelous addition to our daily Bible time!
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Wednesday, January 29, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Proverbs 17:17
“A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.”
-Background/Context:
The book of Proverbs is a collection of practical sayings/truisms to help people understand what is God honoring and what isn’t (therefore, evil or “foolish”) in God’s estimation (the only one that counts!). It’s a book that teaches what wisdom is, the value of pursuing it, and the dangers of disregarding it. There are 31 chapters in the book—and some have encouraged reading one chapter a day in order to read the entire thing daily in a month.
-Something to Think About:
As is true of every important part of life, the Bible has the information we need to know in order to be a good and godly friend. Basically put, it’s about giving, not getting. It’s about focusing on others and allowing God to see to our own needs. It’s about showing grace, mercy, kindness, sacrifice, and stick-to-itiveness.
Proverbs 17:17 reminds us that a true friend loves at ALL times. Obviously inferred here, is that we don’t give up on the other person because it suddenly got complicated, because they never say “thank you,” because they aren’t “holding up their end of the bargain” – none of that. In fact, the proverb goes on to say that a true friend SHINES when the other party has some sort of problem.
There are actually many Bible verses that address what, biblically speaking, a true friend is and isn’t. In fact, I added this topical study idea to my master list page (where I keep all the various potential “list” study ideas to one day do). Colossians 3:12-14 gives us a good start:
“Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.”
There’s SO MUCH here, but, perhaps, an underlying truth we should keep in mind when considering how to be a God-honoring friend is to remember the kind of Friend the Lord is to us. Even taking just a few minutes to consider His grace, mercy, and patience should help us to show a wee bit of that to others.
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Thursday, January 30, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Proverbs 4:23
“Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.”
-Background/Context:
The book of Proverbs contains oodles and oodles of practical Christian living instructions. Sprinkled here and there are essential core truths that, once established, set the course for all the “other” things that happen from hour to hour in our daily lives. Guarding our hearts is a critically important focus for ALL believers.
-Something to Think About:
It has taken me an embarrassing amount of my life to recognize that if I watch too much of a certain kind of movie or read too much of a certain kind of novel (those with a lot of sorrow, violence, or where the main character is one big stress-ball), that MY emotions, words, and action begin to take on a gloom-and-doom attitude. Why is that, do you think? It’s because our heart is what controls how we think, and how we think controls how we view the world, and how we view the world—the lens of perspective we are looking through—dictates how we act.
Solomon said it pretty plainly: keep (guard) your heart extremely carefully because it’s the source location of all you are and do.
For those of you who have followed me for a bit, you know that I am a list maker and a schedule follower. Writing things down helps to keep my brain less cluttered, leading to less stress about what I might be forgetting. An earlier me would keep pen and paper close by to jot down things I needed to remember as the day progressed (and, I guess, there’s still a fair amount of this that still happens!), but the current me ALSO uses my phone to jot down questions, things I need to check on, and a reminder of promises I made. I do have a memo app, but I find the most effective thing for me is to shoot myself a quick email. I don’t like clutter in my inbox, which encourages me to handle whatever task I sent to myself so I can get rid of the email. =) This works well for me—and is a completely free tip-of-the-day for you!
I got off on that organizing tip because I wanted to say that one of the ways I handle time needed for something is to look at the problem backwards. For example, if I have a deadline for a project, I consider what has to be done in order to be ready by that date. And if I want to guard my heart, what do I need to do to do that? What preparations can I make in order to protect it from ugly things BEFORE they enter in? Well, I feel these sorts of questions always have a do and do not. DO soak up God’s Word every single day through daily devotions, through choosing God-honoring literature, music, and media. Do make it a priority to be in God’s House whenever the doors are open and seek out godly brothers and sisters in Christ to encourage and be encouraged in the things of the Lord. Do memorize Scripture, stop often to pray and thank God for His help and blessing, etc. The do nots are basically the opposite of the do’s. Don’t read worldly books, watch worldly media, or listen to the world’s music. Don’t hang out with people or in places that encourage thinking and acting in a way that is contrary to God’s character and Word. Don’t focus on selfish desires or give all your attention to yourself.
When we guard our hearts against sinful thinking, we’ll be better able to go about our day joyfully and willingly imitating Christ and praising our Father in word and deed.
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Friday, January 31, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Jeremiah 32:17-19
“Ah, Lord God! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you. You show steadfast love to thousands, but you repay the guilt of fathers to their children after them, O great and mighty God, whose name is the Lord of hosts, great in counsel and mighty in deed, whose eyes are open to all the ways of the children of man, rewarding each one according to his ways and according to the fruit of his deeds.”
-Background/Context:
Jeremiah is praying this as a prisoner in Babylon. His homeland no longer belonged to Israel, yet Jeremiah placed great trust in God when He promised to one day restore it to them. So great was Jeremiah’s trust, he purchased a plot of land (earlier in this passage) even though it was currently part of the battlefield with Babylon and technically didn’t even belong to the man selling it. God said Israel would one day be free again and that promise was enough for Jeremiah.
-Something to Think About:
In his prayer, Jeremiah pointed out that God is aware of ALL of the ways of humans—and that He WILL reward each and every person according to how we lived and acted.
Of course, this could be taken as a scary warning (and it would be right to soberly consider if our “ways” are God-honoring or not!), but it could also be taken as a tremendous encouragement. You see, whether or not it “feels” like it, God is ALWAYS aware of every single part of every single day for every single one of us (what a staggering thought! AMAZING!). Not only is He aware, but He is working ALL things out for our good and His glory (Romans 8:28). He is giving us constant opportunities to shine for Him (Matthew 6) and to do “works” to honor His name and bless His people (Ephesians 2:10). And all the while we are choosing to obey His Word and make the right decisions that please and honor Him, He is not only helping us and guiding us, but He is keeping track. Then, on that amazing day we stand before Jesus Christ at the Bema Judgment Seat in Heaven, He will reward us for each and every way we chose His way over ours. He won’t miss the tiniest good deed or the biggest sacrifices we made in His name. ALL will be rewarded in ways that are (currently) too incredible to even imagine.
Keep on keeping on, dear one! God is SO HONORED and pleased when we simply do the next right thing!
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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February 2025 DBSQ
February 1, 2025
Dear Student of the Word,
Welcome to the second month of a word study in Scripture of the word “all” to remind us of all God has given to us and how we can, in turn, give our all to Him.
May God bless YOU as you study His Word and seek to live it out in your life!
By His Grace,
Lorie Brown
Just so you know. . .
-I mainly use the ESV (courtesy of either Bible Gateway.com or Olive Tree.com), but sometimes it’s necessary to use another English translation in order to see the word of focus more clearly.
-Previous months of this year’s study can be found on our church website under the tab “Ministries” at firstbaptistnorthconway.org. In addition, several studies from former years are there too.
-Our church has an in-house publishing ministry, some of which can be found for free download on solidrockpublishing.org. There are many kinds of Bible studies as well as stories for kids available as hardcopies in the back of our church auditorium.
-Our ladies (in North Conway, NH) meet the second Monday of each month to review these studies and you are welcome to join us if you are in the area. If not, I highly recommend reviewing them with one or more friends—simply because doing Bible studies with other people is a huge blessing and help.
-You are welcome to pass these studies along to whoever the Lord lays on your heart. If someone wants to receive them directly from Mailchimp, just contact me and I can sign them up.
-If you reply to my Mailchimp email with a comment or question, it comes directly to me—and I love hearing from you!
-Again, thanks for praying for me and for all who are doing these studies! We NEED God’s help and blessing to listen, learn, and grow!
Saturday, February 1, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Romans 8:28-29
“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.”
-Background/Context:
The big picture of the book of Romans is, first, a look back at how sin ruined our world and everything in it. Second, it is a look at how Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross defeated sin so that one day all will be made anew, even more glorious than before. Finally, it is a look at how the Holy Spirit works in the hearts and lives of those who have placed their faith in Christ as their Savior right now, helping us to be becoming more like Jesus Christ, to better imitate the Father, and to say “no” to sin and self and “yes” to righteous, holy living.
-Something to Think About:
Romans 8:28 and 29 address how we are to view the hard things that happen to us and around us in the here and now—this point in history BEFORE sin has forever been removed from the world. Because satan still has free reign to encourage rebellion against God and because we still carry the sin nature inside us (although once saved, it no longer has any power over us that we, ourselves, don’t give it), there are going to be problems in our lives. There will be sickness, unkindness, violence, and assorted struggles. HOWEVER, as a beloved child of God, we can KNOW that He WILL work out all these things for our spiritual good and for His glory. He said so—and all He says is a certainty.
Notice the goal we are shooting towards in verse 29. It is to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ—to be becoming more like Him. That is, to think like He did (as seen in Scripture), to respond as He did, to have the goals He did. In a nutshell? To do “good” and obey all the Father commanded; to seek His will, not our own. This would, in fact, be a great prayer request when we get up in the morning—to look at all the ups and downs as an opportunity to be incrementally more conformed to the image of the Son than we were the day before! Having goals like this will help us remember that God works ALL things together for our good and His glory.
P.S. When reading verses like this, we must not get the wrong idea that God is ever the Author of sin or evil. He literally cannot be. He is wholly righteous and completely holy. It is satan, the sinful choices of people, and the consequences of living in a sinful world, that cause pain and tragedies. God never causes these things, but He can (and does) help us to mature and grow spiritually when impacted by the results of sin.
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Sunday, February 2, 2025
Praise God, it’s Sunday! Before we do anything else, let’s pray and ask God for His blessing on the day!
Things to consider praying for and doing:
-Pray for your pastor or whoever is preaching, for clarity, for accuracy, and the freedom to speak exactly what God is laying on their hearts. Pray as well for their health, strength, and well-being.
-Pray for all who God wants to be there, that nothing would interfere with them coming and once there, to listen, learn, and grow.
-Pray for all ministries of the church: Sunday School, music, ushers, greeters, nursery, offerings—everything.
-Pray for your own heart, first to be sure there is no unconfessed sin between you and God, then that you would be receptive to the Word and be able to be a blessing and encouragement to all you cross paths with.
Other things God is laying on your heart to pray for today:
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As you have opportunity during the day (or at the end of it), jot down some lessons and blessings God showed you:
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BONUS! God-honoring music is such a tremendous blessing that I thought we could use Sundays to focus on a few hymns that use “all” in them to read through (and sing, if you want!).
Almighty Father (words by J.P. Williams; music by B. Harlan)
Almighty Father, You alone are holy. You are my refuge; I will trust in You. You are a tower, a mighty fortress. You are my strength and shield. You are God.
Almighty Father, You alone are holy. You guide my footsteps that I may not fall. In joy or sorrow, I will exalt You. You are my righteousness. You are God.
Almighty Father, You alone are holy. You are Creator; You are all in all. Yours is the power; Yours is the glory. Yours is the majesty. You are God.
Monday, February 3, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read II Thessalonians 3:16
“Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all.”
-Background/Context:
Paul wrote this second letter to the believers in Thessalonica because they had gotten a bit scared thinking the Rapture had happened and they were living in the Tribulation (that would scare me too!). Paul reminds them of God’s order of events in that regard (Rapture –still yet to come, followed by Christians in heaven for the Bema Seat and the Marriage Supper of the Lamb while unbelievers down here on Earth endure the 7-year Tribulation, followed by Christ returning to earth as THE King, the Battle of Armageddon, the Millennium, the Battle of Gog and Magog, and the establishment of the new heavens and new earth—and eternity).
Paul also wrote to the Thessalonian believers to encourage those who weren’t putting in their fair share of work, as is only right. Lastly, he asked for prayer for himself and others who continued to share the Good News near and far.
-Something to Think About:
II Thessalonians 3:16 is part of Paul’s last words to the believers he just wrote a letter to. Basically, when we trust God at His Word, proven by living obediently to all we know He wants us to do, then we have no need for fear, distress, or doubts. When we are simply trusting and obeying, then the Lord, Who IS peace, will help us be calm, at rest (in our hearts—not from our labors), and . . . at peace. In fact, God’s peace is not something that is dependent on circumstances. We can be calm in our hearts—even when we’ve just been given a scary medical diagnosis, even when our income was reduced, even when we’ve been misunderstood and someone dear to us is unhappy with us. Peace isn’t a lack of conflict (in this world we WILL have tribulation!), it’s a reliance on the Lord of peace—in a certainty that He’s in control and so all is as well.
The word “all” is used three times in this short verse! Our Father is able to give us peace at ALL times in ALL ways because He is with ALL of us. Amen—and Amen!
When something happens to cause your adrenaline to spike (and “things” happen all the time), remember that your loving Father in heaven is the Lord of peace. Entrust your problem to Him. He’s got this!
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Tuesday, February 4, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Matthew 19:26
“But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
-Background/Context:
Jesus spent a lot of time teaching about His kingdom, but this was commonly misunderstood and even His disciples thought that Jesus was going to overthrow Rome and set up His kingdom imminently. With the benefit of the entire New Testament, you and I know that Jesus was referring to spiritual truths and what being part of the family of God was all about. He WILL definitely have a literal kingdom on earth with its center in Jerusalem, but that comes at least seven years from now. The next item on God’s agenda is to rapture up all those who have trusted in Christ as their Savior since Jesus’ resurrection. This will also trigger the beginning of the seven-year Tribulation for those left behind. Until that begins, though, followers of Christ have a standard of holiness and commitment to God to dedicate themselves to—and that is what Jesus said God will help us with in Matthew 19:26.
-Something to Think About:
Don’t you think that it’s super easy to (mistakenly) think about God’s abilities and actions from our human knowledge and experience? By that, I mean that it’s easy to think of God’s emotions and motivations being similar to what ours tend to be and what we see in others. That’s because these are the thoughts and actions we know—what we’ve experienced since birth.
God, however, is nothing like man. Everything about Him is perfect and without the possibility of flaws. He wasn’t created and has always existed – and will always exist. He is the One Who thought up our universe, including the earth, and every single speck in it. He is the One Who keeps everything running. Every. Single. Thing.
God is perfectly holy, perfectly righteous, perfectly faithful, perfectly just, perfectly good. These are just not things that we EVER see inside ourselves or outside of ourselves apart from Him! AND God can do what to us is impossible. There is literally nothing He cannot do apart from acting against His holy character. That CANNOT happen. Ever.
And so, when, as a child of God you are asked to put God first, to seek His will and not your own, to do right and shun evil, to love God supremely and your neighbor as self, you CAN do it—because God is the One Who helps you to be victorious and faithful!
What an incredibly wonderful thing that is! Because we belong to God, we CAN choose to please and obey God!
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Wednesday, February 5, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Ephesians 4:1-3
“I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”
-Background/Context:
Chapters 1-3 of Ephesians contain much essential doctrine (teaching) while chapters 4-6 provide application for the doctrine: how to live it out in our daily lives as children of God.
Paul is the author of Ephesians and he wrote this letter while in prison. He actually wrote several of the letters that are part of our Bible while imprisoned. While I’m sure it wasn’t easy to be incarcerated so much, Paul used this time to be productive through correspondence, one-on-one teaching and counseling, and witnessing to his guards and anyone who was within his hearing. Paul didn’t waste the hours God gave him—whether out on missionary journeys or locked up in jail.
-Something to Think About:
Christians, upon salvation and the freeing from the prison of our sin nature, have been given the privilege of living according to our new nature, one that is patterned after Christ. Walking in a manner worthy of our calling is simply living our daily lives in a way that honors God and accurately reflects Jesus Christ.
One of the ways this can be seen is in our dedication to (“all”) humility, gentleness, patience, bearing with one another, and choosing to maintain unity as a family of God in regards to other believers (although, much of these characteristics will also be how we interact with the world too).
Humility is a right view of ourselves in God’s plan (the opposite of arrogance/thinking we are more important than others). Gentleness is not using more force than is necessary; not asserting our “rights”. Patience is enduring under affliction and not allowing ourselves to get annoyed easily or quickly. Bearing with one another is accepting people for who they are and not shunning those who don’t meet our expectations. Maintaining unity is not rocking the boat and looking to cause rifts, cliques, or separation among members of our church family. It is to remember that we are all one body in Christ.
Of course, we’re not speaking of issues of sin when we talk about overlooking assorted issues and bad behavior. We cannot allow known and rebellious sin to remain in our church family, but we CAN work with the person patiently, gently, and humbly in order to restore them to a right relationship with God (and with the body).
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Thursday, February 6, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Psalm 115:8
“Those who make them (idols) become like them; so do all who trust in them.”
-Background/Context:
Psalm 115 is one of the places in Scripture that talks about not only the evil of worshiping idols and placing trust in them for safety and well-being, but the utter foolishness of it. A few others to check out include: Isaiah 44:9-20; Jeremiah 10:1-16; Psalm 135:15-18. There are also many general verses forbidding idolatry and warning about it. Here are a few specific to the New Testament: I John 5:21; I Corinthians 10:14; Colossians 3:5; Matthew 4:8-10.
-Something to Think About:
Psalm 115:8 (and some of the other Scripture listed) warns that ALL who trust in idols—everything that is not God—will become like them. WILL become like them. Well, what are they like? Useless. Fake. Offering false hope. Turning people away from God and from truth.
Instead, Colossians 3:10 tells us to “put on” our new self (the heart that became alive spiritually upon salvation), which is to be “after the image of its Creator.” That is, exactly like Jesus Christ. It would be accurate to say (in contrast to Psalm 115:8): “Those who worship Jesus Christ and trust in Him will ALL become like Him.”
Even though people are fond of making the Bible complicated or declaring that living for God is “hard,” that’s simply not true. God’s Word is actually quite simple and quite straightforward (though, of course, as we grow in our understanding and spiritual maturity we find the Word to be as challenging and deep as could be). God made us, He is the Rule Maker. What He says goes. We are the created ones and are the rule followers. Of course, all God does is out of His steadfast love for us and His goodness, so worshiping Him and obeying His Word is a privilege and a delight. Further, when we do, the blessings, the joy, the peace. . . well, they know no bounds.
Why, oh why, would we EVER focus on some “thing,” some concept, some person instead of our God and Savior???
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Friday, February 7, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Psalm 62:8
“Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us.”
-Background/Context:
Here are a few more verses in Psalm 62 (v.5-8) to fill out today’s verse:
“For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God. Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us.”
This is a psalm of David. He has learned that God alone is utterly trustworthy and he wants to share these precious truths with others.
-Something to Think About:
Did you remember that any given Scripture has but one truth, but many potential applications? Here are a few applications that God showed to me:
A biggie is the obvious blessed truth that God alone is worthy of ALL our trust and we would be foolish to the extreme to not trust Him at ALL times with ALL our lives.
Second, we tend to find it, perhaps, a bit more automatic to turn to God when we are in deep distress and we desperately need miracles RIGHT NOW (which we absolutely should do!), but I wonder how faithful we are in our trust in God for everyday matters? How should I spend my morning? What people should I contact today? How should I use the money that is left over after bills are paid? Should I see a doctor for that rash? What should I buy my friend for Christmas? Should I go to that event I was invited to?
Trusting God at ALL times means ALL times. Let’s not neglect the small things—because the big things are jammed full of small things.
Third, I love that David was so very thankful for the refuge he found in God that he wanted to share that with others. Do we? Do we talk to others about how wonderful our God is? Do we pause often throughout our day and thank Him? Do we LOOK for all the ways He helps us in any given hour?
Last, humans are so prone to trusting other humans in all the wrong ways and times. God definitely gave us great family members, friends, and experts to help us in a myriad of ways, but we need to be uber-careful to not trust ANY human over God. In fact, humans can only be truly right and helpful when they are reflecting God’s Word, values, and character.
What are some of the applications you saw?
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Saturday, February 8, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Exodus 20:1
“And God spoke all these words, saying,”
-Background/Context:
Exodus 20:1 is the introduction to the Ten Commandments. Here they are (v.2-17):
“And God spoke all these words, saying,
2 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
3 “You shall have no other gods before me.
4 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 5 You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.
7 “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.
8 “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. 11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
12 “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
13 “You shall not murder.
14 “You shall not commit adultery.
15 “You shall not steal.
16 “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
17 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.”
When God, the Son, lived on earth, He summarized all of it this way (Luke 10:27): “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”
-Something to Think About:
While there are all sorts of awesome things to talk about in these two passages, I actually wanted to address only Exodus 20:1. Why? Because it says that God spoke ALL these words (contextually, the giving of the entire Law) and I was arrested at the thought that the Bible—all of it—are the words of God. As such, we need to pay attention to them! GOD HIMSELF took the time and trouble to gift us with these 66 books for a reason! Will we understand all of them in this lifetime? No way! Will we ever come to LOVE reading through endless genealogies? Maybe you will, but I won’t. Will we ever “enjoy” all the books of prophecy or not blush our way through the Song of Solomon? Probably not. BUT, God chose each and every word with purpose and we would be utter fools to not study it deeply, consider it thoroughly, obey it with all our might, and CHOOSE to love it and cherish it.
As a pastor’s wife, one of the most common things I hear people say who are visiting our church on their way back out is how much they appreciated hearing GOD’S WORD being read and taught. It seems like fewer and fewer churches are basing what they say and do on the Bible, so when Christians get a chance to hear it being taught and taught well, it is a deep joy to them. If YOU have that kind of pastor and church, PRAISE GOD! Do NOT take it for granted! Be there! Listen! Learn! Grow! If not, perhaps it’s time to pray about finding a church that does teach ALL of God’s Word.
For today? Praise God that He gave us His Written Word. No, I mean it. Pause right now to thank and praise Him. I suspect that when we get to Heaven, we’ll begin to TRULY recognize what a priceless treasure it is!
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Sunday, February 9, 2025
Praise God, it’s Sunday! Before we do anything else, let’s pray and ask God for His blessing on the day!
Things to consider praying for and doing:
-Pray for your pastor or whoever is preaching, for clarity, for accuracy, and the freedom to speak exactly what God is laying on their hearts. Pray as well for their health, strength, and well-being.
-Pray for all who God wants to be there, that nothing would interfere with them coming and once there, to listen, learn, and grow.
-Pray for all ministries of the church: Sunday School, music, ushers, greeters, nursery, offerings—everything.
-Pray for your own heart, first to be sure there is no unconfessed sin between you and God, then that you would be receptive to the Word and be able to be a blessing and encouragement to all you cross paths with.
Other things God is laying on your heart to pray for today:
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As you have opportunity during the day (or at the end of it), jot down some lessons and blessings God showed you:
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BONUS! God-honoring music is such a tremendous blessing that I thought we could use Sundays to focus on a few hymns that use “all” in them to read through (and sing, if you want!).
O Great God (words and music by B. Kauflin)
O great God of highest heav’n, occupy my lowly heart. Own it all and reign supreme; conquer every rebel pow’r. Let no vice or sin remain that resists Your holy war. You have loved and purchased me; make me Yours forever more.
I was blinded by my sin, had no ear to hear Your voice, did not know Your love within, had no taste for heaven’s joys. Then Your Spirit gave me life, opened up Your Word to me thru the gospel of Your Son, gave me endless hope and peace.
Help me now to live a life that’s dependent on Your grace. Keep my heart and guard my soul from the evils that I face. You are worthy to be praised with my every thought and deed. O great God of highest heav’n, glorify Your name through me.
Monday, February 10, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Matthew 28:18-20
“And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
-Background/Context:
This statement and command by Jesus Christ was given after His resurrection and before He returned to Heaven. Even though every single thing Jesus said while on earth was important, we can certainly understand how these “last” words would be extra special to the eleven apostles!
-Something to Think About:
The word “all” is used three times in these three verses—with an “always” thrown in for good measure. Let’s look at them.
Jesus let the apostles know that God the Father had given Him ALL authority in every place, THEREFORE, what He said was of utter importance and MUST be obeyed. His teachings, in fact, would be essential in moving forward and establishing churches. Jesus further pointed out His authority by mentioning His place in the Godhead. God is One, but exists eternally in three Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Jesus commanded them (and all Christians) to “make” disciples—everywhere. No longer is the message of Christ’s salvation only for the Jews. All people are invited to trust in Him as their Savior. A disciple is a student or follower, but in order to be baptized (the word means to be submerged), you need to have trusted in Jesus Christ as your Savior. So the order is this: tell others what Jesus did for them by His death and resurrection; when they have trusted in Him as their Savior, teach them about God and about what God-honoring living looks like as found in Scripture, then when they are ready to give public testimony of their commitment to Christ, baptize them. Many churches link baptism with membership (as seen in Acts 2:41), so important are both actions in the life of a believer. Finally, that new believer should, himself, begin to tell others about what Jesus did for them.
EVERYTHING that God commands us is our responsibility to obey. We don’t get to pick and choose what we’ll do—or even to what degree we’ll do it. Jesus gave His all for us, we surely should give our all back to Him! Besides, never forget that upon salvation, God gave us the incredible Gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit. This Third Person of the Trinity is with us 24/7 to guide and help us in all we say and do as a Child of God.
Lastly, Jesus gives this most precious promise: He will be with us ALWAYS—every day of this life, every day of all of eternity. We may sometimes feel alone, but He assures us that this is never the case. Jesus is with YOU always.
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Tuesday, February 11, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read II Corinthians 1:3
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,”
-Background/Context:
Here is the full paragraph written by Paul to the believers in Corinth (1:3-11):
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort. For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.”
-Something to Think About:
So, a couple of HUGE things in this passage! First and foremost, God provides the comfort we need in ALL situations and crises, big and small. He lacks NOTHING in this regard. A logical application, then, would be to go to Him first when faced with some challenge!
Next, it’s important to note that trials of all shapes and sizes have a purpose. Furthermore, the comfort that God provides in and through our trials ALSO has a purpose (beyond helping us feel better/stronger).
-Challenges can be a means for us to pause in our busy lives to thank and praise God. Paul says, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” ALL God does is exactly right and rightly timed—and while He may allow hard things into our lives, He is also the One Who comforts us and shows us how to handle it biblically, then brings us into a closer relationship to Him and other believers as we do as His Word says.
-The help, blessings, direction, and lessons we learn from our trials should be passed on to fellow believers when they find themselves in a hard place. Simply pointing out God’s faithfulness can be an encouragement to them to hang in there and keep trusting God.
-Everyone has had and will have trials and challenges. We shouldn’t look at it as a personal attack, but rather a means to grow closer to God, to develop sweeter relationships with fellow Christians, and to be used as a great witness to the lost.
-Trials help us learn the lesson that we (obviously) need to learn over and over and over: we need to trust God. Always and for everything.
-Trials and hardships can (and should) cause us to grow in the area of prayer. We tend to turn to God more often and more sincerely when faced with a hard thing. Furthermore, we may enlist the prayer support of other believers (which is great for all parties concerned), and encourage others to pray more as they see and hear us.
-Trials generate gratitude. As we experience God’s comfort, as we see Him work, as we are blessed by the prayers and good deeds of those who love us, we are blessed—and we are thankful.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort!
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Wednesday, February 12, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Numbers 14:2
“And all the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron.”
-Background/Context:
Here is the rest of the paragraph Numbers 14:2 is taken from (Numbers 14:1-12):
“Then all the congregation raised a loud cry, and the people wept that night. And all the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The whole congregation said to them, “Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness! Why is the LORD bringing us into this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will become a prey. Would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt?” And they said to one another, “Let us choose a leader and go back to Egypt.”
Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the people of Israel. And Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes and said to all the congregation of the people of Israel, “The land, which we passed through to spy it out, is an exceedingly good land. If the LORD delights in us, he will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land that flows with milk and honey. Only do not rebel against the LORD. And do not fear the people of the land, for they are bread for us. Their protection is removed from them, and the LORD is with us; do not fear them.” Then all the congregation said to stone them with stones. But the glory of the LORD appeared at the tent of meeting to all the people of Israel.
And the LORD said to Moses, “How long will this people despise me? And how long will they not believe in me, in spite of all the signs that I have done among them? I will strike them with the pestilence and disinherit them, and I will make of you a nation greater and mightier than they.”
This scene takes place immediately after the twelve spies sent into the Promised Land returned with their report. All of Israel was on the brink of entering the land God had promised to them, but in the final hour, almost all of them chose to listen to the ten men who doubted God would/could do what He promised and turned their back on the two men who said that God DID give them the land and it was theirs for the taking.
Those who doubted God were immediately thrown into major crisis mode, panicked, and said all sorts of ridiculous and heretical things. When GOD heard them, He said that they were “despising” Him, not believing Him, choosing to not remember the many miracles He had performed for them to date (including crossing the Red Sea on dry land!) – and He was done with them.
-Something to Think About:
A day that should have been one of massive celebration and joy turned into one of not only great sorrow and anger, but one in which the people of Israel were forfeiting their inheritance—and their lives. All because they decided to not take God at His word.
The “all” mentioned in verse 2 is obviously referring to all the people of Israel—except the four men who DID trust God (Moses, Aaron, Joshua, Caleb), who DID know that though it wouldn’t be easy, they WOULD defeat the “giants in the land” and they would enjoy the outstanding land that God had set apart for their use. That’s 4 against literally millions—and yet, they didn’t back down. They stood firm for God.
You know, we may find ourselves feeling kind of alone in our commitment to live for God wholeheartedly too, but that should never stop us from standing firm for God either. Whatever the odds: you and dozens of others or you alone, standing firm for God is ALWAYS the right action to take; the right commitment to make.
Did you notice what God said to Moses when the people rebelled against Him? He said that they “despised” Him! How sad! How awful! How WRONG!!! The God Who created all things, holds all things together, watches over us every second of every day, Who made a way for us to be forgiven AND become part of His permanent family, Who created Heaven and eternal glories. . . despise Him? NEVER! He is worthy of ALL praise, ALL glory, ALL thanksgiving—and ALL our allegiance every second of ALL our lives.
Let’s ask for God’s help to never be found in that group of despisers and always in the group of trusting and obedient followers of God!
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Thursday, February 13, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read II Timothy 3:16
“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”
-Background/Context:
“Scripture” means sacred writings. “Breathed out” describes the truth we call “Inspiration.” It means that God literally breathed out His words—the exact words that He wanted to be there—into the original manuscripts. Interestingly, God did this through human authors. He didn’t cause a haze to fall over them and they woke up having written Scripture. No, He used their personalities, experiences, and characteristics to write exactly what He wanted, but from their hearts. SO INTERESTING!
We need to keep in mind that only the original documents written are inspired, inerrant (no mistakes), infallible, and authoritative, but that’s not to say that the copies and translations done throughout the centuries aren’t also trustworthy and “profitable for teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness.”
We need to remember, too, that the original God-breathed text was written in Hebrew (Old Testament) and Greek and some Aramaic (Old and New Testament). ANY Bible that is not in Hebrew and Greek is a translation—and as a translation, will have a few small changes to help a reader in a different language understand a concept the information contains. BUT, many of the modern translations are closer to the original than ones done in, say 1600, because, over the centuries, more and more pieces of early translations have been found, making it easier to compare for accuracy. Pastor Brown had a great mini-series on all this on our church’s website. It’s called, “The Amazing Word of God.” Check it out on our YouTube channel!
-Something to Think About:
That was a lot of background, but for today’s look at “all,” we can appreciate that every single bit of the original text of Scripture is God-breathed. It is a reflection of Who God is, what’s important to Him, and what He wants us to know and do. ALL Scripture is able to teach us, reprove us (show us where we have deviated from God’s truth), correct us (show us how to return to the right path), and train us in righteousness (right/holy living). And all this SO THAT we will be ready and able to do the good works God designed ahead of time for us to do (Ephesians 2:10).
In other words, God thought of EVERYTHING! Are we taking advantage of our precious Bibles, the written Word of God?
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Friday, February 14, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read I Peter 1:24-25
“ ‘All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever’. And this word is the good news that was preached to you.”
-Background/Context:
The quotation is from Isaiah 40:6-8. In that location, the words are part of the section of comfort that God provides to Israel after learning about the tremendous troubles they have coming to their nation as a result of their idolatry and rebellion against God. Because God chose them and loves them everlastingly, He will not leave them in bondage and miserable forever. He will yet restore Israel as a nation and all Jews will one day gladly claim Jesus Christ as their Messiah and Savior. This will begin during the Tribulation Period, but the full restoration occurs during the Millennium.
-Something to Think About:
One of the inevitable things that happens more and more frequently as you age is hearing about the deaths of friends and family. As of the time I am writing this, just in the last few days I have heard of the sudden deaths of three (THREE) different men—one I knew pretty well and one who was a huge part of my teen years. These things are painful and not something anyone wants to have happen, but you gotta admit, they sure make you pause and consider again the transitory nature of “all flesh.” No one and nothing on the earth lasts forever and it will all go away at some time and in some way.
BUT (SUCH an important word in Scripture!), this is NOT true of the Word of God, nor of the impact it has on human hearts. ALL humans will die and ALL will go to some sort of eternity. Whether it’s eternity in a glorified body in the presence of God or an eternity of constant sorrow and pain in the Lake of Fire is dependent on whether or not we believe the message of the Bible—whether or not we believe the gospel.
Did you know that the word gospel literally means “good news”? God’s eternal Word tells us that we are born with sin in our hearts that condemns us to Hell and an eternity separate from God, BUT that if we simply believe that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, died in our place on the cross and rose to life three days later to pay for the sin we could not pay for, that ALL changes. Upon placing our faith in the Son of God for salvation, we become adopted children of God, we receive the Indwelling Holy Spirit immediately and permanently, our sin nature no longer has power to force us to sin, we are given a new nature, one that is able to obey God’s Word and grow into becoming more like Jesus Christ in holiness and righteous living, and the promise of an incredible eternity in the presence of God Himself. That’s quite the good news!
The RESULTS of God’s living Word don’t fade away either. As a new child of God, we can learn what pleases God in order to do it and what displeases Him in order to choose to not do it. And as we keep reading Scripture and keep doing what it says, God reveals bigger and better ways to obey Him, to be becoming like the Son, and to mature spiritually. We have literally every single day from the point of salvation to the point we are called home to rely on the living Word of God and honor God more and more. We have SO MUCH to be thankful for!
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Saturday, February 15, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read I Timothy 6:10
“For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.”
-Background/Context:
Paul addressed the dangers of listening to false teachers throughout this letter to Timothy and the paragraph that contains today’s verse is one of them.
What is a false teacher or what makes what someone teaches false? Any deviation whatsoever from God’s Word. This can be adding our own conclusions and thoughts to what God said (ones that alter what God said or meant) or taking away from it (leaving parts out that you don’t like, don’t agree with, or have no intention of obeying or submitting to). These are very, very serious offenses—and they WILL lead to all sorts of ugliness. Some of the ugliness of rebellion against God’s Word that is quite common is a wrong view of money and what money is “worth.”
-Something to Think About:
To have “love for money” is to place it above your love for God or for people.
To be fair, our current world SATURATES everyone with constant messages to buy this or that in order to be happy, secure, productive, worthwhile, and successful (and a million other adjectives that are all lies and deceit). It’s kind of hard to get away from it! But ALL desires that take our eyes away from loving God supremely and showing love to other humans, especially other Christians, will become a problem (because the ONLY way any of us can truly be thinking the right things and doing the right things is when we are doing them exactly the way God’s Word says to). A wrong focus, when not corrected, becomes bigger and bigger, eventually snaring us in a horrible kind of trap – and if not confessed and dealt with, leads to a break in fellowship with God, a break in fellowship with His children, and being “pierced with many pangs.” NOT GOOD.
How to avoid it? Be content with what you have. Use what you currently have to honor God and be a blessing to others. Remember that possessions are simply “things” that God has entrusted to us to use for His glory and to benefit others (especially spiritually). Live here on earth, but with eternal values in view—those values GOD says are important. Focus on getting to the end of this life and standing before your Savior and hearing Him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter now into the joy of your Master!”
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Sunday, February 16, 2025
Praise God, it’s Sunday! Before we do anything else, let’s pray and ask God for His blessing on the day!
Things to consider praying for and doing:
-Pray for your pastor or whoever is preaching, for clarity, for accuracy, and the freedom to speak exactly what God is laying on their hearts. Pray as well for their health, strength, and well-being.
-Pray for all who God wants to be there, that nothing would interfere with them coming and once there, to listen, learn, and grow.
-Pray for all ministries of the church: Sunday School, music, ushers, greeters, nursery, offerings—everything.
-Pray for your own heart, first to be sure there is no unconfessed sin between you and God, then that you would be receptive to the Word and be able to be a blessing and encouragement to all you cross paths with.
Other things God is laying on your heart to pray for today:
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As you have opportunity during the day (or at the end of it), jot down some lessons and blessings God showed you:
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BONUS! God-honoring music is such a tremendous blessing that I thought we could use Sundays to focus on a few hymns that use “all” in them to read through (and sing, if you want!).
All Creatures of our God and King (words by St.Francis of Assisi; music from the German hymnal, Geistliche Kirchengesesange)
All creatures of our God and King, lift up your voice and with us sing—Alleluia! Alleluia! Thou burning sun with golden beam, thou silver moon with softer gleam—O praise Him! O praise Him! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Thou rushing wind that art so strong, ye clouds that sail in heav’n along—O praise Him! Alleluia! Thou rising morn in praise rejoice; ye lights of evening, find a voice—O praise Him! O praise Him! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Thou flowing water, pure and clear, make music for thy Lord to hear. Alleluia! Alleluia! Thou fire so masterful and bright, that gives man both warmth and light—O praise Him! O praise Him! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
And all ye men of tender heart, forgiving others, take your part. O sing ye! Alleluia! Ye who long pain and sorrow bear, praise God and on Him cast your care. O praise Him! O praise Him! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Let all things their Creator bless and worship Him in humbleness. O praise Him! Alleluia! Praise, praise the Father, praise the Son, and praise the Spirit, Three in One. O praise Him! O praise Him! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Monday, February 17, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read I Corinthians 15:51
“Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,”
-Background/Context:
“Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” (I Corinthians 15:51-58)
“Behold” is a call to listen up—to pay attention— because something important is coming. This announcement concerned a hitherto unknown fact (a mystery). The brand new information is that Christians would not only go straight to heaven upon death/at the Rapture, but all Christians will also instantaneously receive glorified bodies, bodies that will last forever and not be corrupt in any way or at any time. Big, glorious news!
-Something to Think About:
Many a church nursery has the plaque, “We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,” on the door. We smile at the silliness of it, but the glorious truth is something to shout from the mountaintops. Our bodies, which are literally falling apart as we wear them, and which still contain a horrible tendency to sin —will forever be changed to bodies that NEVER fall apart and which NEVER contain sin of any kind! Praise God! This cannot happen too soon!
And as we know from Scripture, this transformation COULD happen at literally any moment.
So what should be our response (besides constant praise to God and fervent words of thanksgiving)? To remain steadfast. That is consistently, reliably, faithful. To be immovable. To keep our eyes on our Savior, making all decisions with His approval in mind. To be eagerly listening every second for that trumpet sound that calls us up to the clouds to meet Him face to face. To ABOUND in the work of the Lord, giving Him our ALL and at all times. To enjoy and relish the fact that God sees every single thing we do in His name—and nothing we do for Him is ever useless or unimportant.
Behold! Changes are on their way! Be ready!
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Tuesday, February 18, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Psalm 119:14
“In the way of your testimonies I delight as much as in all riches.”
“I find joy in the path of your decrees, as if I owned all kinds of riches.” (ISV)
-Background/Context:
(I included the ISV translation of this verse because I liked how it was worded.)
There are several words that are used to describe God’s Law in the Psalms that have slightly different nuances. Here is a great summary from my son, Pastor Stephen Brown:
Psalm 119 is the longest of the psalms and centers on God’s communication to us. The psalmist uses eight principal Hebrew words to describe this communication. Here they are with their usual translation and a brief explanation:
Torah, “law,” referring to teaching (whether general or specific directives to the Israelites, as in the Law of Moses, or more general principles, as throughout the Bible).
Edot, “testimonies,” referring to the written records of God’s laws, especially the Ten Commandments written on two stone tablets.
Pikudim, “precepts,” the orders of or organizational principles adopted by a superior officer.
Khukim, “statutes,” public regulations of civil and ceremonial life.
Mitsvot, “commandments,” the specific directives of an authority.
Mishpatim, “judgments,” the rulings of a “shophet,” a local or national leader with judicial, civil, and/or military authority.
Davar, “word,” the content of communication.
Imra, “word,” almost of a synonym of davar, but with connotations of the powerful or majestic.
-Something to Think About:
The ESV says, “in the way of Your testimonies,” and the ISV says, “I find joy in the path of Your decrees.” The two together help us to see that the psalmist is talking about day-to-day living for God and obeying His Word. Being faithful to God in the big things and little things of life is not what anyone would describe as “easy,” but, without question, it’s the right thing—and the joyful thing.
How different words are described by different people varies tremendously. Some of this is determined by how we were raised and where. Some are tempered by life experiences and/or the use of sarcasm or exaggeration. “Riches” is one such word. It’s probably going to first be thought of concerning money matters, but the word is also used to describe a surplus of other things such as family, health, accomplishments, etc. Truly, all riches of all kinds are from God’s hand—and in that, we should both be extremely thankful to Him and good stewards of it.
I love, however, how the psalmist is using the word here. I like, too, how the ISV words it: I find joy in the path of Your decrees—as if I owned all kinds of riches. In other words, he LOVES the fulfillment, the excitement, the contentment, the rewards, and the blessings of understanding and then simply living in a way that is in keeping with the Bible. The opposite would be the Christian who grumbles about what he or she “has” to do, unhappiness upon being given a ministry, procrastination over personal Bible study and prayer, reluctant church attendance, etc. I guarantee that this kind of person is not finding joy in life, nor is he or she displaying the joy of the Lord to others. God is not glorified in attitudes and actions such as these, nor is that believer experiencing the peace of God that is beyond understanding, nor the joy that is not dependent on “good” circumstances.
The solution is actually pretty simple (and easy, even though we may not feel like it is!). We need to bow our heads, humble our hearts, and ask the Father for forgiveness for distrust, disobedience, and dishonoring attitudes. We then need to ask His divine help to repent. That is, to turn away from sinful actions and attitudes and to embrace a godly mentality. When we do—and when we begin to do the things that we know God wants us to do—the most AMAZING thing happens: we WANT to do them! We WANT to do them more! And when we do, it’s as if we owned ALL sorts of riches!
Is there something big (or little) standing between you and the riches God wants to give you? Talk to Him about it right now!
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Wednesday, February 19, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Luke 22:22
When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”
-Background/Context:
Read more for context:
“And a ruler asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.’” And he said, “All these I have kept from my youth.” When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich. Jesus, seeing that he had become sad, said, “How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” Those who heard it said, “Then who can be saved?” But he said, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.” And Peter said, “See, we have left our homes and followed you.” And he said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the age to come eternal life.” (Luke 22:18-30)
First, Jesus is not addressing spiritual salvation from Hell here. It cannot be—because the Bible is very clear that salvation is by faith alone in Christ alone. Jesus is teaching about “kingdom living”. That is, what His kingdom will be like and what won’t be there—things like too much focus on money.
The young ruler in this account had placed love for money and things over his love for the Lord—and this is what Jesus was challenging him with (which goes nicely with yesterday’s study!). This fellow was doing a lot of things spot on, but he hadn’t yet totally committed to Christ or made pleasing Him the centerpiece of his life.
-Something to Think About:
The phrase, “one thing you still lack” seems quite important in Jesus’ response to the young ruler. In his case, the young man placed too much emphasis on his wealth, but I think ALL Christians should pause often to consider what “one thing” we might be holding back from God. What “one thing” we aren’t yielding to Him. What “one thing” we are keeping for ourselves.
It could be anything, of course. It may be our time, a secret obsession, a refusal to use some talent for Him, a hoarding of something or someone. It may be just skimming by in life and not giving it our all. It may be love for someone or something that’s given priority over our love for God.
The end of Jesus’ conversation in Luke 22 is pretty encouraging. When asked “what’s in it for me” by His disciples in regard to their wholehearted commitment to Him, Jesus said, in essence, that the rewards and wonders to be revealed will be AWESOME—more than we could possibly even imagine.
Before we get pictures in our mind of gold, prestige, and possessions (like the rich young ruler in our story!), however, if we consider Scripture and read what God calls “great reward,” we will come to recognize that NO REWARD could be better than a deeper, closer bond with the Lord and bigger and better ways to display our gratitude and love. And, great news! We can be growing that bond TODAY and we can CHOOSE to serve God even more wholeheartedly today than we did yesterday. That kind of “treasure” just grows and grows and GROWS!
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Thursday, February 20, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read I Timothy 6:17
“As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.”
-Background/Context:
Did you notice that Paul wasn’t condemning those who were rich? As we’ve seen, it’s not wealth that’s the problem, it’s a wrong view of it. In this case, Paul is reminding young Pastor Timothy to remind the men in his church who have money to not be arrogant about it or to look to their assets for security. Security is always and only found in the Lord. He goes on to remind Timothy to encourage them (and all believers!) to be “rich” in good works, generosity, sharing, and basically giving great care to the needs and blessing of others. When we do, Paul reminds us, we are “taking hold” (firmly grasping/understanding) what is TRULY life.
(I Timothy 6:17-19) “As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.”
-Something to Think About:
So, we’ve already addressed a wrong view of money and “stuff,” but I wanted to focus a tiny bit on the phrase, “God richly provides us with everything (all) to enjoy.” In the context, the focus of this is pretty clear, but I think that we sometimes get so caught up in the big things of life (which are, of course, super important) that we miss the little things—the “everything” that God so richly provides for us to enjoy. I hope that you will add a bunch of examples onto the bottom of the list I’m going to provide, but more importantly, that it will lead to you and me pausing often throughout our days to thoroughly enjoy the constant riches God provides for our pleasure and edification—and for His glory.
God richly provides:
-gentle rain after several long hot summer days
-gorgeous leaves in the fall—a stunning display of color and astonishing beauty
-babies who smile just because they saw you
-giggling toddlers
-a note given to you by a child, 90% of it which you cannot decipher, but which they are SO PROUD of
-a silly text from a friend “just because”
-pulling into your driveway after a hard day away from home
-family. YOUR family.
-comfy chairs.
-a warm bed at night.
-unexpected laughter
-tender hugs
-spotting a hummingbird
-a cuddly pet
-warm clothes out of the dryer
-delicious food
-the sky full of stars
-a glorious and unexpected sunrise
-walking into your church auditorium and seeing a roomful of people who love YOU and care for you
-inside jokes with a good friend
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-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Friday, February 21, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Psalm 34:1
“I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth.”
-Background/Context:
A psalm of David, written after he had escaped being killed by the king of the Philistines by acting insane (read about it in I Samuel 21:1-15). It is a psalm of thanksgiving and to encourage others to be loyal to God.
“I/me/my,” personal accountability.
“will,” (used twice) a commitment; a promise; determination.
“bless,” talk about God’s greatness; praise; acknowledge His goodness.
“the Lord,” LORD, God’s name—a personal relationship.
“at all times,” ALL times—for things I like, things I don’t like, sadness, hardship, times of plenty.
“His praise will always/continually/constantly be in my mouth/on my lips” – never far from our conscious thought or speech.
“praise,” spoken or sung words of gratitude and glory directed to God/about God—to give Him credit and honor for Who He is (from Old French, to value; to prize).
-Something to Think About:
-It is a privilege and a joy for all Christians to talk, sing, and pray about God’s greatness and glory.
-Although all Christians SHOULD do this, not all do—or do very often or with much enthusiasm. However, I can determine to excel in this regard. I can make a hard and fast commitment to praise the Lord often, sincerely, publicly, and privately.
-Praising God just makes sense! He does everything for us—including bringing us into His forever-family and creating a glorious eternal home to share with us!
-My praise should never be limited to times when I am pleased with how my life is going. God is the giver of good gifts—whether I’m able to recognize the “good” at the time or not. He is 100% trustworthy, making Him 100% praiseworthy.
-I get to prize and value God above all else!
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Saturday, February 22, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Psalm 34:4
“I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears.”
-Background/Context:
This great psalm was written by David after the Lord saved his life from the Philistine king.
-Something to Think About:
As an adult, it’s pretty easy to recognize that the fears a child has are very often things that actually warrant no fear whatsoever. Maybe it’s a fear of something big and hairy coming out from under the bed, maybe it’s a fear of a stranger (who is actually a relative who loves them, but whom they never met). I even knew a child who was afraid of the carbonation in a can of soda! A good deal of their fear is of the unknown—and who can blame them? Even as adults, we can easily feel a bit of stress over the things we haven’t yet experienced.
That being true, as an adult, there are countless things that a child in our care might be afraid of where we can reassure them that everything is okay because we’ve seen it, done, it, and know how to deal with it. We can hold their hand and help them onto the escalator, we can tell them what’s making that funny noise in the basement, we can pet the big dog with them.
Have you ever considered that our Father in heaven is like the all-time “perfect” parent in the above illustration? We do know a lot a child doesn’t, but we cannot guarantee that there ISN’T a spider or mouse under the bed, that a stranger isn’t out to harm us, that the dog that appears friendly isn’t. But God is all-knowing. He is all-powerful. All-sufficient. He is eternal and He knows everything that has happened in the past AND everything that will happen in the future. We, even as adults, can figuratively place our hand in His (literally, place our complete trust in Him) and carry on with our day—because our good God is in complete control. He will not allow anything to come our way that isn’t for our spiritual good and for His glory. We can enjoy being delivered from ALL our fears, simply by trusting the One Who can do something about them.
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Sunday, February 23, 2025
Praise God, it’s Sunday! Before we do anything else, let’s pray and ask God for His blessing on the day!
Things to consider praying for and doing:
-Pray for your pastor or whoever is preaching, for clarity, for accuracy, and the freedom to speak exactly what God is laying on their hearts. Pray as well for their health, strength, and well-being.
-Pray for all who God wants to be there, that nothing would interfere with them coming and once there, to listen, learn, and grow.
-Pray for all ministries of the church: Sunday School, music, ushers, greeters, nursery, offerings—everything.
-Pray for your own heart, first to be sure there is no unconfessed sin between you and God, then that you would be receptive to the Word and be able to be a blessing and encouragement to all you cross paths with.
Other things God is laying on your heart to pray for today:
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As you have opportunity during the day (or at the end of it), jot down some lessons and blessings God showed you:
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BONUS! God-honoring music is such a tremendous blessing that I thought we could use Sundays to focus on a few hymns that use “all” in them to read through (and sing, if you want!).
Blessed Be the Name (words by W. Clark; music by R. Hudson)
All praise to Him who reigns above in majesty supreme, Who gave His Son for man to die that He might man redeem! Blessed by the name, blessed be the name, blessed be the name of the Lord. Blessed be the name, blessed be the name, blessed be the name of the Lord.
His name above all names shall stand, exalted more and more, at God the Father’s own right hand where angel hosts adore. Blessed by the name, blessed be the name, blessed be the name of the Lord. Blessed be the name, blessed be the name, blessed be the name of the Lord.
His name shall be the Counselor, the mighty Prince of Peace, of all earth’s kingdoms Conqueror, Whose reign shall never cease. Blessed by the name, blessed be the name, blessed be the name of the Lord. Blessed be the name, blessed be the name, blessed be the name of the Lord.
Monday, February 24, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read II Corinthians 9:11
“You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God.”
-Background/Context:
Paul encourages the believers in the church in Corinth to be generous in their giving—not just money and possessions, but in sacrificial acts and service. He points out more than once that ALL we do for God is seen by Him, rewarded by Him, is a blessing and good example to others, is a good witness, and brings Him much glory.
-Something to Think About:
A common misconception is that God gives us tit for tat in money values (well, or that He always gives more than what we gave). And while God is extremely generous and may opt to bless us financially when we’ve sacrificially given financially to another, the “return for our investment” is actually more along the lines of more opportunities to give, bless, encourage, and help others. Of course, in doing so, God is ALSO giving us the opportunity to honor Him in even bigger ways, the chance to be an even greater witness and testimony, the pleasure of being an even bigger blessing and encouragement to other believers, and the joy of knowing we are earning treasures of eternal value, piling up for us in heaven.
I’ve included more of II Corinthians 9 for you because there are some awesome truths in this passage to prayerfully consider (and it has a ton of uses of “all”!):
II Corinthians 9:6-15 “The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. As it is written,
“He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.” He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God. For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God. By their approval of this service, they will glorify God because of your submission that comes from your confession of the gospel of Christ, and the generosity of your contribution for them and for all others, while they long for you and pray for you, because of the surpassing grace of God upon you. Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!”
-When we invest ourselves generously in the service of others, God will bless us with even greater opportunities to help, bless, and encourage others.
-Giving to others (which is also giving to God) is something that requires the right attitude, one of excitement and joy—and not one of grudging obedience, grumbling reluctance, etc.
-God ALWAYS gives us what we need to “spend” on others—including the desire to do it and the joy and gratitude once done.
-God is the One Who supplies all we have, so we are simply sharing of the abundance He has given to us (whether we’re talking money, food, goods, labor, skills—whatever).
-What we do for others for the Lord produces gratitude to God.
-Others glorify God when we show generosity to them in some way.
-Giving sacrificially often results in prayers on our behalf by the recipients and others who may have heard about it.
-Both giving and receiving should remind us of the incredible and wondrous grace of God!
-Jesus Christ is THE “inexpressible Gift” that God gave to all of us—and, oh, how we should thank Him for that every single day!
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Tuesday, February 25, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Psalm 104:24
“O Lord, how manifold are your works! In wisdom have you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.”
-Background/Context:
Here’s what a British clergyman, Godfrey Thring, wrote about Psalm 104 in 1863:
All that’s good, and great, and true,
All that is and is to be, be it old or be it new,
Comes, O Father, comes from Thee.
Mercies dawn with every day,
Newer, brighter than before;
And the sun’s declining ray layeth others up in store.
Not a bird that doth not sing sweetest praises to Thy Name;
Not an insect on the wing but Thy wonders doth proclaim.
Every blade and every tree all in happy concert ring,
And in wondrous harmony join in praises to their King.
Fill us, then, with love divine;
Grant that we, though toiling here,
May in spirit, being Thine, see and hear Thee everywhere.
-Something to Think About:
Here are GOD’S words—the entirety of Psalm 104:
“Bless the Lord, O my soul! O Lord my God, you are very great! You are clothed with splendor and majesty,
2 covering yourself with light as with a garment, stretching out the heavens like a tent.
3 He lays the beams of his chambers on the waters; he makes the clouds his chariot; he rides on the wings of the wind;
4 he makes his messengers winds, his ministers a flaming fire.
5 He set the earth on its foundations, so that it should never be moved.
6 You covered it with the deep as with a garment; the waters stood above the mountains.
7 At your rebuke they fled; at the sound of your thunder they took to flight.
8 The mountains rose, the valleys sank down to the place that you appointed for them.
9 You set a boundary that they may not pass, so that they might not again cover the earth.
10 You make springs gush forth in the valleys; they flow between the hills;
11 they give drink to every beast of the field; the wild donkeys quench their thirst.
12 Beside them the birds of the heavens dwell; they sing among the branches.
13 From your lofty abode you water the mountains; the earth is satisfied with the fruit of your work.
14 You cause the grass to grow for the livestock and plants for man to cultivate,
that he may bring forth food from the earth
15 and wine to gladden the heart of man, oil to make his face shine and bread to strengthen man’s heart.
16 The trees of the Lord are watered abundantly, the cedars of Lebanon that he planted.
17 In them the birds build their nests; the stork has her home in the fir trees.
18 The high mountains are for the wild goats; the rocks are a refuge for the rock badgers.
19 He made the moon to mark the seasons; the sun knows its time for setting.
20 You make darkness, and it is night, when all the beasts of the forest creep about.
21 The young lions roar for their prey, seeking their food from God.
22 When the sun rises, they steal away and lie down in their dens.
23 Man goes out to his work and to his labor until the evening.
24 O Lord, how manifold are your works! In wisdom have you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.
25 Here is the sea, great and wide, which teems with creatures innumerable, living things both small and great.
26 There go the ships, and Leviathan, which you formed to play in it.
27 These all look to you, to give them their food in due season.
28 When you give it to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are filled with good things.
29 When you hide your face, they are dismayed; when you take away their breath, they die and return to their dust.
30 When you send forth your Spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the ground.
31 May the glory of the Lord endure forever; may the Lord rejoice in his works,
32 who looks on the earth and it trembles, who touches the mountains and they smoke!
33 I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have being.
34 May my meditation be pleasing to him, for I rejoice in the Lord.
35 Let sinners be consumed from the earth, and let the wicked be no more! Bless the Lord, O my soul! Praise the Lord!”
And what more can I say? Can you say? Bless the Lord, O my soul! I will sing praise to my God while I have my being! Praise the Lord!
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Wednesday, February 26, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Psalm 139:16
“Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.”
-Background/Context:
The author of this psalm, David, praises God for His omniscience, omnipotence, and omnipresence. God knows all, can do all, and is everywhere (although, unlike some cults teach, He is not “in” blades of grass or other objects.)
One of David’s main goals in this psalm is the desire for God to show to David any and all sin in his heart and life so that he can get rid of it. He knew that none of us can have a preciously close relationship with God while allowing sin to dominate us in any way.
-Something to Think About:
Psalm 139 is pretty famous because of its reminder of God’s sovereignty, eternality, knowledge—and a host of other things, maybe most personal to us, the reminder that He created us and knows every single thing about us—past, present, and future.
Verse 16 specifically addresses the pretty astonishing truth that God knew/knows about our entire lives before they happen. He knew (and chose it to be so) when we would be born, who our parents and ancestors would be, who would come after us—everything. He knows, too, what our days would contain: the bumps and bruises of childhood, the trauma and stress of the teen years, the joys and struggles of young adulthood, the battles endured in middle age, and the changes and challenges as we approach the latter years of our lives.
He has been and will be with us EVERY SINGLE DAY and every single moment of every day. He already knows the joys, the sorrows, the victories, the pain. He has either orchestrated it or allowed it—all because of His love for us, His yearning for our supreme closeness to Him (a tender, heartfelt relationship with Him moment by moment), His desire for us to mature spiritually and be becoming more like His beloved Son, and for His own glory—because He is always worthy of all glory at all times and for everything!
Whether we’ve seen His goodness, love, mercy, and grace in our past, we sure can CHOOSE to “see” it and trust it today—and or any tomorrows we might have. We can choose to say, “Thank You, Father!” and “Praise Your Name!” for awesome things like spending time with precious friends and family members, a great health report, unexpected money to pay a bill—AND—for car accidents, an unwelcome health report, and a painful encounter with another person. All these things are things God knew about and planned for our good and His glory. All these things demonstrate His love and sovereignty. All these things should cause us to bring Him much glory.
We simply need eyes that see and a heart that is tender to the leading of our loving Father in heaven.
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Thursday, February 27, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Mark 7:37
“And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, “He has done all things well. He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”
-Background/Context:
This was recorded early in Jesus’ public ministry. He had been miraculously healing people morning, noon, and night, which astonished those who had been witnessing it.
-Something to Think About:
There are a few applications we can take from this one simple verse! For one, simply recognizing that ALL the Lord does for us IS good (whether it appears to us as a good thing or not) is an incredibly important step to take as a child of God. If we face each new day with the realization that God does ALL THINGS well (good/right), we won’t immediately jump to the wrong conclusion that something that happened that feels bad or wrong IS bad or wrong. We accept by faith that God has a good plan in it and through it, thank Him, praise Him, then carry on living obediently and faithfully for Him.
Another possible application for this verse is to prayerfully contemplate if WE are doing all that we do well. Are we giving the tasks that God has given to us our very best—or are we just getting by or even not doing them at all? This might include something like teaching Sunday school or singing in the choir, but it may also include cleaning our houses, cooking healthy meals, or making sure we’re getting enough sleep at night.
A third potential application is to question whether we, as God’s adopted family, redeemed by the blood of the Lamb and citizens of Heaven, ever stop in order to be “astonished beyond measure” at the incredible blessings and miracles God performs in our lives every single day. We tend to take so much for granted! We would all do well to work to develop the habit of stopping regularly throughout our days to think about what God has done well and to thank Him, praise Him, and even tell others about it—with wonder and awe.
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Friday, February 28, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Luke 6:26
“Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets.”
-Background/Context:
The following verses are quotes from Luke 6:20-36, where Jesus that point out what pleases and honors God and what doesn’t.
“And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. “Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied. “Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh. “Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man! Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets.” “But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. “Woe to you who are full now, for you shall be hungry. “Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep. “Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets.” “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.” “If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.”
-Something to Think About:
Jesus’ statement of truth in verse 26 struck me as being kind of funny, maybe not in a ha-ha kind of way, but in a “isn’t that EXACTLY what many people (foolishly) are looking for—to be admired and exalted in some way?” Really, the whole passage is Jesus pointing out how humans tend to think apart from having God’s view and how they CAN think more accurately WITH His help. The final verse summarized it nicely: be…as your Father…”.
So, looking at verse 26 again, why is Jesus warning against having people speak well of us? Shouldn’t that be good? Wouldn’t that mean that our testimony is a good one? The key is the word “all.” If, by all, we’re referring to faithful Christians who are walking obediently with God observing our attitude and actions, and concluding it is well-pleasing to God, then, yes, that’s great! BUT, that’s not what Jesus is talking about. He’s talking about unsaved people, people who don’t know Him, people who might be saved, but are out of fellowship with Him. If these folks (who are not living according to God’s Word) approve of you, you’re doing something wrong. The Bible is pretty clear that ALL who do not belong to God or who are living in rebellion against Him, will NOT approve of what we do because there is no fellowship between light and darkness, between holiness and sin.
The cautions in this passage? Living for worldly “riches,” accolades, paybacks, vengeance, popularity, etc. is possible, but temporary and not of eternal value (or of any true value, for that matter). However, living in a godly manner, following the example of Jesus Christ, results in peace, joy, and fulfillment now AND rewards in glory that will be worth leaping for joy over! So? Love God wholeheartedly! Love others sacrificially, with kindness, and with mercy. In this, we are being “like” God—and He is pleased and glorified.
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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March 2025 DBSQ
March 1, 2025
Dear Student of the Word,
Welcome to the third month of a word study in Scripture of the word “all” to remind us of all God has given to us and how we can, in turn, give our all to Him.
May God bless YOU as you study His Word and seek to live it out in your life!
By His Grace,
Lorie Brown
Just so you know. . .
-I mainly use the ESV (courtesy of either Bible Gateway.com or Olive Tree.com), but sometimes it’s necessary to use another English translation in order to see the word of focus more clearly.
-Previous months of this year’s study can be found on our church website under the tab “Ministries” at firstbaptistnorthconway.org. In addition, several studies from former years are there too.
-Our church has an in-house publishing ministry, some of which can be found for free download on solidrockpublishing.org. There are many kinds of Bible studies as well as stories for kids available as hardcopies in the back of our church auditorium.
-Our ladies (in North Conway, NH) meet the second Monday of each month to review these studies and you are welcome to join us if you are in the area. If not, I highly recommend reviewing them with one or more friends—simply because doing Bible studies with other people is a huge blessing and help.
-You are welcome to pass these studies along to whoever the Lord lays on your heart. If someone wants to receive them directly from Mailchimp, just contact me and I can sign them up.
-If you reply to my Mailchimp email with a comment or question, it comes directly to me—and I love hearing from you!
-Again, thanks for praying for me and for all who are doing these studies! We NEED God’s help and blessing to listen, learn, and grow!
Saturday, March 1, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read II Timothy 4:7-8
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.”
-Background/Context:
II Timothy is a letter the Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy to encourage him in his role as pastor in the Ephesus area. Paul wanted to encourage Timothy to stay faithful to God and God’s Word and to teach others to do the same. This was Paul’s last letter (that we know of) before he was martyred while imprisoned in Rome. It is a tender, yet powerful document both due to its teaching and Paul’s love for his spiritual son, Timothy.
I and II Timothy and Titus are considered “pastoral epistles” since they provide much instruction for pastors and for pastors to pass on to their flock.
-Something to Think About:
Paul seemed to know that his life was about to end and in reflecting on his years as an apostle of Jesus Christ, he was thankful for the faithfulness God had enabled him to have as he traveled, preached, and had a big ministry of writing to churches and believers to encourage, edify, and instruct. Paul would be the first to say that he was far from perfect and that this was never the goal. Rather, simply getting up each morning and choosing to remain steadfast in obedience to God’s Word was his goal—and this is what faithfulness is all about.
Because of his choice to never give up on living faithfully for God, Paul knew that he would be rewarded once he entered eternity and met his Lord face to face. Interestingly, he ALSO knew that ALL Christians who are endeavoring to live God-honoring lives day after day, year after year are acknowledged by God and will be rewarded by Him. Paul says that there is a crown of righteousness, which will be given by the Righteous Judge, the Lord Jesus Christ. He adds to this by saying it will be given to everyone who loves Jesus’ appearing.
The crown is possibly a literal crown, which is the Father’s approval of our faithfulness to Him here on earth, and perhaps also a symbol of our appointment to a new rank of service and authority—along with the ability to carry out that assignment in the Millennium and possibly beyond. We should not be dogmatic on this point, because we simply don’t know for sure what the crowns will be, but we can be confident that whatever God chooses to bestow on His faithful children in glory will be far beyond our current understanding of what is “awesome.”
Loving the appearing of Jesus Christ has to do with the believer who is eager for the Rapture to occur, not just to get away from this wicked world (though, that sounds great!), but to simply SEE Jesus face to face, to fall on our knees in gratitude for what He’s done for us, to FINALLY be able to praise and worship Him without a sin nature nagging us in the background. Further, those who are looking for Jesus’ imminent return are living for Him to the best of their ability RIGHT NOW. They are in their Bibles so that they know how to think, feel, and act in order to please God and bring Him glory.
So, I think most Christians understand any hesitancy other Christians might have concerning the Rapture (we may not want it to happen before our kids are saved, before we get married, before we have kids—a million reasons!), but having hopes and dreams for this life does not need to compete with an eager anticipation for God to give the signal for the trumpet to blow—and for the next age of this world to begin, the one where we are no longer dealing with sin, sickness, sorrow, or death. Even so, Lord Jesus, come swiftly!
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Sunday, March 2, 2025
Praise God, it’s Sunday! Before we do anything else, let’s pray and ask God for His blessing on the day!
Things to consider praying for and doing:
-Pray for your pastor or whoever is preaching, for clarity, for accuracy, and the freedom to speak exactly what God is laying on their hearts. Pray as well for their health, strength, and well-being.
-Pray for all who God wants to be there, that nothing would interfere with them coming and once there, to listen, learn, and grow.
-Pray for all ministries of the church: Sunday School, music, ushers, greeters, nursery, offerings—everything.
-Pray for your own heart, first to be sure there is no unconfessed sin between you and God, then that you would be receptive to the Word and be able to be a blessing and encouragement to all you cross paths with.
Other things God is laying on your heart to pray for today:
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As you have opportunity during the day (or at the end of it), jot down some lessons and blessings God showed you:
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BONUS! God-honoring music is such a tremendous blessing that I thought we could use Sundays to focus on a few hymns that use “all” in them to read through (and sing, if you want!).
Face to Face (words by C. Breck; music by G. Tullar)
Face to face with Christ my Savior, face to face—what will it be when with rapture I behold Him, Jesus Christ Who died for me? Face to face I shall behold Him far beyond the starry sky; face to face in all His glory I shall see Him by and by.
Only faintly now I see Him with the darkened veil between, but a blessed day is coming when His glory shall be seen. Face to face I shall behold Him far beyond the starry sky; face to face in all His glory I shall see Him by and by.
What rejoicing in His presence when are banished grief and pain, when the crooked ways are straightened and the dark things shall be plain. Face to face I shall behold Him far beyond the starry sky; face to face in all His glory I shall see Him by and by.
Face to face—O blissful moment! Face to face—to see and know; face to face with my Redeemer, Jesus Christ Who loves me so! Face to face I shall behold Him far beyond the starry sky; face to face in all His glory I shall see Him by and by.
Monday, March 3, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read I Corinthians 9:24
“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it.”
-Background/Context:
From Constable’s Expository Bible Study Notes: The Corinthians were familiar with athletic contests. The Isthmian Games took place in a nearby town every two or three years. They were second only to the Olympic Games in importance, in all of Greece. The Greek word translated “race” is stadion, the word used to describe the measurement of the standard 600-foot Greek race.
-Something to Think About:
We’re used to races being one person against all the others in the race, but the way Paul is using the illustration here is more along the lines of a competition we are having with ourselves—any kind of challenge to not give in or give up in our desire to honor God, please Him, and be becoming more like Christ in what we say, think, and do—and why.
It’s not uncommon to hear Christians deflect gratitude over a job well done or the recognition of some act of love they gave, thinking it’s out of place. But while our acts of obedience and kindness shouldn’t have the goal of applause or accolades, if comments are given out of gratitude and appreciation, a simple, “You’re welcome, praise the Lord,” is a great response.
BUT, on another hand, Christians SHOULD be shooting for excellence in their daily walk with the Lord in part because we know that God is looking forward to rewarding us once we get to glory! There are all sorts of Bible verses and passages that support this—and today’s verse is one of them. We ARE running a race together as long as we live here on earth and we SHOULD be giving it our all! We SHOULD be running so as to obtain “the prize.” This is well pleasing to our Father in heaven.
In fact, I think keeping the picture of a finish line followed by an award ceremony hosted by none other than the LORD Whom we have eagerly been waiting to see face to face, is a GREAT way to live every single day. Doing so will help us to say “no” to temptation to indulge self, say things that do not reflect the holiness and goodness of God, and give our precious energy or resources to unworthy goals and ideals. Running so as to win the prize will keep us pushing to excel still more and to encourage fellow brothers and sisters in Christ to do so too. Who knows? We might just ALSO begin to see the fun and joy that God wants His children to have along the course of life as they live for Him!
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Tuesday, March 4, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read I Thessalonians 5:21-22
“But test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.”
-Background/Context:
Paul first visited Thessalonica during his second missionary journey. You can read about it in Acts 17.
Paul was writing to the believers here to encourage them in their quest to grow spiritually and honor God. He also wanted to thank them for a gift they had sent him, to reassure them in an area where they had some confusion, and to instruct them in Christlike attitudes and actions. This latter purpose is what is being addressed in this part of I Thessalonians 5.
-Something to Think About:
The word “all” is found in both verses 21 and 22, translated as “everything” and “every.” The first instruction Paul gives the believers is to test everything SO THAT they could hold fast (or cling to) what is good, then the second instruction carries the thought further by telling them to abstain (choose to not be a part of) every form of evil. Great advice! Well, because it’s Scripture, it’s more than “advice,” it’s what God expects from His children.
Turning the entire thought back to front, in order to know what to hold tight to because it’s good and what to avoid because it’s evil, we need to test it. How do we do that? By using God’s Word as the measuring stick. It’s really that simple! If God is honored, pleased with, or commands us to do something, then it is something we, too, should hold fast to. If God is dishonored, displeased, or commands us to not do something, then it is to be avoided. Other Scripture fleshes this out a bit more by labeling evil as anything opposed to the perfect holiness of God or deviating from His standards.
Paul encourages the believers in this challenge in the next few verses by pointing out that God, the God of peace, will Himself help us (sanctify us COMPLETELY) to be kept blameless (not perfect, but faithful) right up to the day when Jesus Christ returns for us. He’ll do this, not because of any strength we have, but because of His perfect faithfulness (P.S. Don’t miss the reminder to pray for each other in this regard!). Read it here:
1 Thessalonians 5:21-25 “But test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.
Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.
Brothers, pray for us.”
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Wednesday, March 5, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Psalm 23:6
“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”
-Background/Context:
Psalm 23:6 is the culmination of precious truths found in Psalm 23 concerning the perfect care the Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, provides for all those who have trusted in Him as their Savior. For an in-depth study of the Psalm (I’m talking an entire year’s worth!), check out our 2024 Bible study found on our website: firstbaptistnorthconway.org.
-Something to Think About:
Psalm 23:6 is kind of magical, don’t you think? It is promising two HUGE things ALL the days of our lives—and it is assuring us that we will be in the House of the Lord for all of eternity. These truths should encourage us in the here and now (today!) and they should cause us to anticipate and get excited about what God has yet in store for those who love Him (I Corinthians 2:9). The Bible says that they are so wonderful, we’re not even capable of understanding them now. This is where trust comes in, of course. We trusted God to save us (when we placed our faith in Jesus as the Savior from our sins) – and we need to also live our daily lives trusting that all God said is true and will happen (Hebrews 10:23). How do we display our trust? By obeying His Word. Simple obedience to all we know to do demonstrates that we know that what God said is correct and trustworthy and by thinking and acting in accordance with it, all is right and good (despite appearances or the discouragement of seeing others who seem to be doing fine, but who aren’t living for God).
While God’s goodness and mercy will still be an essential part of eternity, we sure don’t want to miss the fact that it’s with us right now—in fact, all the days of our lives!
“Goodness” is what is genuinely beneficial and morally upright. “Mercy” is the Hebrew word often translated as lovingkindness, faithful love, steadfast love, and more. It’s a huge concept that includes “committed kindness,” a love/friendship that signs up for seeking the good of the other party over the long haul. It’s a useful love that’s an action and a promise.
Just knowing that the God of creation, the Almighty, the great I AM, loves and cares for us in this way should be a huge boost to our daily commitment to live for Him, that is, to choose His will over our own and to think of others as more important than self. Not only can it be a behind-the-scenes blessing and encouragement, we can, with the help of the Holy Spirit, LOOK for it, appreciate it, thank God for it, and tell others about it.
GOD’S goodness and mercy are following YOU all the days of your life! Praise His name!
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Thursday, March 6, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read II Corinthians 5:15
“And he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.”
-Background/Context:
-Jesus died for the sin of the whole world, but not all people will trust in Him as their Savior.
-Those who because of the quickening of the Holy Spirit, DID trust in the substitutionary work of Christ on their behalf, have been spared eternal punishment in the Lake of Fire.
-Jesus coming to earth to become a Human was, in part, setting aside His will in order to do the Father’s will. It was an obviously HUGE sacrifice, but one He willingly made because of His love for the Father (and us).
-Those who have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb receive blessing upon blessing—beyond “just” spiritual salvation, so it makes sense that they would want to GIVE to God every part of their lives in gratitude and appreciation.
-Something to Think About:
Just as Jesus Christ didn’t live for Himself, we, His brothers and sisters (that’s us—adopted into the family of God!), should follow His example and not live for ourselves, either. Like Him, we should DELIGHT in living to do the Father’s will. We should be super pleased to find ways to honor God, serve Him, praise Him, please Him, obey Him, and otherwise bring Him glory.
How, though? Is living for God something we have to make up ourselves? Is it a “what looks right to me” kind of thing? Thankfully, no! The Bible is pretty clear that, apart from the guidance, direction, and instruction of God’s Word, we’re going to reach the wrong conclusions and act in opposition to biblical truth. And so, our answer is right there in that last sentence: we will find answers, direction, examples, guidance, and clear cut do’s and don’t in the Bible.
In addition, God has given us the indwelling Holy Spirit to help us first to desire to read and obey the Bible, then, second, to understand it and apply it to our lives—both in big picture ways and the minutia of life.
I wonder if this topic would make another good “list” study? As we do our daily devotions, as we hear Scripture being taught Sundays and Wednesdays, as God’s Word is brought to mind other ways (perhaps through music, wall art, conversations, etc.), we could jot down ways children of God can live for the Lord—and ways we might be living that are actually for self and not Him. Could be fun—and it would DEFINITELY be beneficial!
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Friday, March 7, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read James 1:21
“Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.”
-Background/Context:
To “put away” is to get rid of something completely and fully. “Filthiness” comes from the Greek word that means dirt or filth (the exact word is only used here in James 1:21). Dictionary.com defines filth as: offensive or disgusting dirt or refuse; foul matter, foul condition; moral impurity, corruption, or obscenity; vulgar or obscene language or thought.
“Wickedness” is malice, depravity, evil—and, of course, rampant wickedness gives the picture that it is out of control or even escalating.
The “implanted word” is speaking about the Bible, God’s written Word. Something that is implanted becomes part of us; something integral to who we are and how we function.
-Something to Think About:
James is writing this command TO CHRISTIANS. He is saying that God’s Word helps us live a life that is useful to God—and to not be wasting our time and our resources.
Let’s clear one thing up. James is NOT saying that getting rid of wicked things and reading the Bible can save us spiritually. We know this because that would be a works-based salvation and the Bible is very clear that spiritual salvation happens only through faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior. James is saying that Christians will grow spiritually by steering clear of everything God names as wicked and by not only immersing ourselves in God’s Word, but making it a part of who we are and the “why” behind what we do.
Since we’re trying to focus on the word “all” in the Bible, we need to pay attention that James is commanding believers to get rid of ALL ugly, filthy, dirty, wicked things, attitudes, and actions that dishonor God and which are not holy as He is holy. How do we know what these things might be? Well, one possible way is to consider saying them in front of your pastor. Would that seem awkward or wrong? Then don’t do it at all! Is the movie you are going to watch one you would feel comfortable watching with your pastor sitting next to you reading his Bible? Then maybe that movie is not one that should EVER be watched. Would your pastor be offended if you read the book you are reading out loud to him? Then that book may not be the right book for Christians who are trying to avoid all worldliness.
Of course, you understand that these examples would be even more profound if I asked you to do them in the presence of Jesus Christ (which SHOULD be true!). I just know that sometimes it’s easier to place someone we really respect in the spot of what’s acceptable and what’s not. BUT, you do whatever you need to do to remind yourself that God wants us all to give our all to be becoming more like Christ. We will not achieve that if we are trying to mix holiness with filthiness and rampant wickedness.
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Saturday, March 8, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Proverbs 16:2
“All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the spirit.”
-Background/Context:
The “ways” of a person is the idea of the direction we’re choosing to go, the paths we are taking, how we are choosing to live, and the decisions we make.
“Pure” is the word clean; righteous.
“In his own eyes” seems significant. It is that person’s opinion.
“But,” a word of strong contrast designed for the reader to take note of what’s coming next.
“The LORD” – God (YHWH). The Creator. The Sovereign Ruler.
“Weighs.” Measures, estimates, tests.
“The spirit,” Literally “breath” or “wind,” but here indicating our motives and purpose.
-Something to Think About:
I sense some arrogance here, do you? Or perhaps not arrogance, but more along the lines of simply not thinking clearly (or the right way). Basically, this verse seems to be talking about how people tend to make plans based on their calculations of what seems right and good—but without necessarily having God in view. Or in an even worse thought, making plans based on the goal of pleasing self, or being seen as superior, or doing what it takes to come out on top (not caring at all what God thinks).
I don’t think any of us would argue that a common auto-default of all humans, even Christians, is self-justification and rationalization. We just don’t like other people questioning our ideas or plans. We tend to want to feel like we are totally in charge (and right about it!). Once we are saved, however, and able to think spiritually (that is, how God views things), we recognize that our ways are often NOT pure and that our motives are too often selfish and ungodly.
The answer? The next verse in Proverbs 16 helps us out nicely! It says, “Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.” In other words, upon waking, thank the Lord for the new day He has gifted to you, then ask His help to think and act in keeping with His perfect will and in a way that lines up with His Word, the Bible, and His holy character. When we do this, then our “ways” will be God-honoring. This is not a once-a-day prescription, however. We will all need to repeat this prayer many times every single day.
Praise God, He is ready to help us in whatever way we need EVERY SINGLE TIME we ask!
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Sunday, March 9, 2025
Praise God, it’s Sunday! Before we do anything else, let’s pray and ask God for His blessing on the day!
Things to consider praying for and doing:
-Pray for your pastor or whoever is preaching, for clarity, for accuracy, and the freedom to speak exactly what God is laying on their hearts. Pray as well for their health, strength, and well-being.
-Pray for all who God wants to be there, that nothing would interfere with them coming and once there, to listen, learn, and grow.
-Pray for all ministries of the church: Sunday School, music, ushers, greeters, nursery, offerings—everything.
-Pray for your own heart, first to be sure there is no unconfessed sin between you and God, then that you would be receptive to the Word and be able to be a blessing and encouragement to all you cross paths with.
Other things God is laying on your heart to pray for today:
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As you have opportunity during the day (or at the end of it), jot down some lessons and blessings God showed you:
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BONUS! God-honoring music is such a tremendous blessing that I thought we could use Sundays to focus on a few hymns that use “all” in them to read through (and sing, if you want!).
I Will Praise Him (words and music by M. Harris)
When I saw the cleansing fountain, open wide for all my sin, I obeyed the Spirit’s wooing when He said, “Wilt thou be clean?” I will praise Him! I will praise Him! Praise the Lamb for sinners slain; give Him glory, all ye people, for His blood can wash away each stain.
Though the way seems straight and narrow, all I claimed was swept away; my ambitions, plans, and wishes at my feet in ashes lay. I will praise Him! I will praise Him! Praise the Lamb for sinners slain; give Him glory, all ye people, for His blood can wash away each stain.
Blessed be the name of Jesus! I’m so glad He took me in. He’s forgiven my transgressions; He has cleansed my heart from sin. I will praise Him! I will praise Him! Praise the Lamb for sinners slain; give Him glory, all ye people, for His blood can wash away each stain.
Glory, glory to the Father! Glory, glory to the Son! Glory, glory to the Spirit! Glory to the Three in One! I will praise Him! I will praise Him! Praise the Lamb for sinners slain; give Him glory, all ye people, for His blood can wash away each stain.
Monday, March 10, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read I Peter 5:5
“Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
-Background/Context:
The first four verses of I Peter are addressed to pastors, but then Peter tells those “who are younger” to be subject to the elders (same word as “pastor”). How? By “clothing” ourselves with humility toward one another. Why? God is opposed (against) arrogance/pride, but rewards humbleness.
-Something to Think About:
Did you know you can be assertive AND humble? I guess what I mean is that humbleness doesn’t always mean never speaking up, never stepping forward to offer advice or help, or never challenging someone’s unbiblical words or actions. The Bible actually tells us to do this—but with humility, patience, kindness, and biblical love.
There are other passages that use a similar picture of putting on garments that are actually attitudes and actions. It’s kind of a fun picture. Let’s say it’s winter, so we put on warm pants, long-sleeved shirts, fuzzy socks, then a snuggly jacket if we’re especially cold. Similarly, spiritually, when we get up, we can pray and ask God to help us remember who we are and Who He is (never forgetting that God is the only One in charge will go a long way toward having a right view of ourselves). We can ask His help to remember that our first priority every minute and in every situation is going to be to love Him supremely (thus, joyfully obeying all we know to do) – and loving neighbor as self.
We don’t generally act all superior to those who we truly and deeply love, do we? Those special few are the ones we sacrifice for, do our best to help however we can, and pray for regularly. This attitude is the right one to have towards all fellow Christians.
I come from a family of pretty aggressive take-charge kind of people. It can be hard for folks like that to sit meekly and quietly in front of someone else who is “in charge” – even pastors at times. BUT, God is pretty clear in regards to what pleases and honors Him. It is humility before Him and before others, knowing He will provide the grace to obey Him in this as well as all areas of Christlikeness, that will help us moment to moment, day to day to “dress” appropriately as a child of the King.
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Tuesday, March 11, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Luke 17:17
“Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine?” (NIV)
-Background/Context:
Here’s the rest of the account this verse is taken from in Luke 17:11-19.
“Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed. One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan. Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”
-Something to Think About:
There’s obviously a lot that could be pointed out in this account, but it occurred to me to wonder if being a thankful person (when you never were before) suddenly happens out of a vacuum. I mean, did this one man, who lived his entire life focused on his own needs and wants, suddenly realize he should thank Jesus for healing him? Probably not.
I guess my point is that it’s likely this man took the time to be grateful and state his gratitude before this morning, making his deliberate decision to fall at Jesus’ feet a no-brainer. How might this look for you and me in 2025? To wake with a prayer of gratitude on our lips for the new day the Lord has given—and thankfulness for rest and safety in the night. To thank God for food and drink. To thank Him for creature comforts throughout the day such as clothes, a warm house, a car to drive, and food and water almost always at our ready disposal. To thank Him for family, friends, church family, and pastor. To thank Him for money to survive on and pay the bills. For brains to think. For hearts to feel and appreciate. And, of course, for God’s love, mercy, and grace—including our salvation and eternal security. When you think about it, gratitude SHOULD be pretty much constant!
Backing up a bit, it’s true that there does need to be a starting point (and often a re-starting point), but the important thing is that we prayerfully and carefully consider whether we would be among the nine—or with the one—based on how much we thanked God in the last 24 hours or week. I expect all of us could stand a bit of “excelling still more.”
One last point, it’s very likely the nine who didn’t return immediately to Jesus were still extremely thankful (how could they not be!). The problem is, that they didn’t say so. Are you good about thanking people for what they do for you? Whether it’s everyday things such as what people living in your home do—or unexpected things friends, family, co-workers, and even strangers do. We should be expressing thankfulness. Every time. To everyone.
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Wednesday, March 12, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read I Corinthians 13:3
“If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.”
-Background/Context:
I think we need to read all of I Corinthians 13 to get the full picture.
“If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”
-Something to Think About:
This passage about what true biblical love is like is pretty famous—and for good reason. It points out one of the things humans are pretty good at: diversionary tactics. Instead of showing biblical love to someone, we cover it up with flowery words or empty actions. Other times, we may seek to excel in some way, but without a care in our hearts for the well-being of people around us. I Corinthians 13:3 points out that we can deny ourselves food, creature comforts, or some other necessity of life to “show love,” but if what we’re doing isn’t due to true biblical love, then it’s pointless and empty.
So, what is true biblical love? Well, first, we see that it’s not limited to feelings. I think that when we love biblically, we WILL have feelings of love for others, but the feelings are not the definition of true love. The most famous part of this chapter (verses 4-8a) tells us exactly what biblical love is—it’s sacrificial actions and attitudes that seek to bless and benefit the other person. It’s putting others before self. It’s looking at others through the eyes of Christ.
We’re even given several concrete do’s and don’ts!
-Do show patience. Don’t get quickly or easily riled by the behavior of others.
-Do show kindness.
-Don’t envy what others have– either possessions, talents, friends, or status.
-Don’t boast, a focusing on self (as if we have success apart from God—we don’t!).
-Don’t be proud or arrogant. All have sinned; none are righteous.
-Don’t dishonor others—putting them down, pointing out their flaws or errors (publicly or privately).
-Don’t do what you do with the goal of getting praise or attention.
-Don’t have a short fuse.
-Don’t keep a list in your head or otherwise of ways others have “done you wrong.”
-Rejoice when someone does something that pleases the Lord, but don’t smile over sin of any kind for any reason.
-Protect others, physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
-Give others the benefit of the doubt.
-Look for things to praise and encourage in others.
-Don’t give up on others.
-Never stop doing any of the above, remembering that it is the Lord Who will help you think and act in a God-honoring way, but that this will not happen in a void. We need to be in God’s Word daily, we need to maintain a tender prayer relationship with God, and we need to be in church and in and among mature, godly believers.
Maybe we could simplify the whole thing to say don’t ACT as if you are a loving person, BE a child of God who demonstrates love in word, deed, and attitude.
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Thursday, March 13, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Psalm 100:4-5
“Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.”
-Background/Context:
Psalm 100 is a psalm of praise and thanksgiving to God, the only One worthy of all praise, thanksgiving, and worship.
The psalmist is suggesting that the Israelites enter “His gates,” referring to the Temple complex. In our modern world of easy transportation and local churches in most communities, we sometimes forget that the Israelites had to travel to Jerusalem to worship God, to observe the mandatory feasts, and to offer sacrifices to God at specific times and for specific reasons—and this would have required a lot of preparation and potentially long days of travel. Just entering Jerusalem’s gates would have been a staggering and wonderful thing for most Jews, but to then enter the Temple complex would have been a huge and important event. They were to do so with thanksgiving in their hearts, with praise to God on their lips, and joy over the privilege of coming close to God in this way. This does kind of make me wonder if we have the same focus and feelings they would have when we come to church on Sunday?
-Something to Think About:
When you picture Adam and Eve walking with the Lord in the cool of the day in the Garden of Eden, do you ever think that this is the same God you pray to before you eat?
When you picture the Almighty giving Moses the Law on top of the mountain with thunder and lightning all around, that this is the God Who hears you when you ask for strength to do some task for Him?
When you picture God ordering Gabriel to bring messages about the imminent arrival of the Messiah to Zechariah and Mary, do you remember that this is the God you pray to for wisdom and insight?
When you think about God the Father giving the signal for the trumpet to blast and Jesus to, at last, meet all Christians in the clouds to bring us to our forever-home, do you remember that He has YOU in mind as being one of that glorious crowd?
The God of Psalm 100, the One Who is GOOD, Whose steadfast love endures FOREVER, and Whose faithfulness is constant—is our God, YOUR God. Thank Him, praise Him, give thanks to Him, bless His name!
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Friday, March 14, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Acts 13:10
“You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord?”
-Background/Context:
Whoa! What in the world is Paul (Saul) so upset about? Those are really strong words! We need to read what’s going on in Acts 13.
Acts 13:1-12 “Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a lifelong friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.
So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus. When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. And they had John to assist them. When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they came upon a certain magician, a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus. He was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence, who summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God. But Elymas the magician (for that is the meaning of his name) opposed them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith. But Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him and said, “You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord? And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and unable to see the sun for a time.” Immediately mist and darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking people to lead him by the hand. Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had occurred, for he was astonished at the teaching of the Lord.”
There’s a lot here to unpack, beginning with how and when God calls a man into full-time service, but let’s focus on this interaction with Elymas. Paul was outraged at Elymas’ behavior—and Luke, the author of this book, tells us why. Elymas was a magician (a trickster/deceiver), he fought against Paul and the others witnessing to Sergius Paulus, he was in cahoots with satan, making him an enemy of righteousness, he was full of deceit and villainy, and all this was to “make crooked” the “straight paths” of the Lord. In other words, he was an enemy of God—an ACTIVE enemy of God.
God’s hand of justice isn’t always immediate, but it was this time – and Elymas became blind. BUT, another result of Paul’s interaction with Elymas was the salvation of Sergius Paulus. Praise the Lord!
P.S. Did you notice that it is in this passage where Saul’s name officially changes to Paul (v.9)?
-Something to Think About:
Although we don’t always like to think so, God is a God of black and white. Either we are obeying Him—or we are rebelling against Him. In kind of the same way and kind of a different way, partial obedience in God’s eyes is DISobedience.
Our culture in America has been working for a long time to create a happy gray area in most situations—something that is “okay,” without being controversial or upsetting. Even our schools have moved to playing games where “everyone is a winner” and no behavior is “wrong.” Kids aren’t always encouraged to not give up or to accept a low grade as an incentive to work a whole lot harder next time. These kinds of “I’m okay, you’re okay” thinking have infiltrated the workplace and other grownup areas.
Paul told Elymas that he was following in the footsteps of satan—which has as its goal making God’s straight paths crooked. This is a reminder that God takes sin very seriously and that every sin DOES matter. Thankfully, there’s a way out. With the help of the Holy Spirit, we CAN live our lives in obedience to God’s Word, we CAN be holy as God is holy, we CAN make decisions about what we’ll do, say, and think based on God’s measuring stick of what is righteous and glorifying to Him. Of course, we need to be Christians for this to be true—and once saved, we also need to keep sin confessed in order for this to be true. God will not use a “dirty vessel,” so confessing sin often is a daily necessity for us all, as is daily time in God’s Word personally and with our church families when services and fellowships are being held.
In some ways, knowing that God has a very clear view of right and wrong can help us. As my Sunday school teacher so wisely counseled some fifty years ago, “When in doubt, don’t.”
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Saturday, March 15, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read John 21:17
“He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.”
-Background/Context:
Today’s Scripture is taken from the tender scene between Jesus and Peter after Jesus had risen from the dead—and after Peter had denied knowing Jesus three times during Jesus’ trial. I imagine this was a pretty emotional scene—and one that was life-changing for Peter. Jesus asked Peter if he truly loved Him, giving him the commission to take care of His sheep. That is, to see to the spiritual needs of believers, the new ones, the growing ones, and the mature ones. It’s a very special passage and I encourage you to read the entire chapter.
-Something to Think About:
We’ve addressed the significance of why Jesus asked Peter what He did and the uses of “love” in this passage in the past, but I actually wanted to focus on verse 17 alone because it has our word “all” in it. Peter rightfully declares, “Lord, you know all.” And He does!
The omniscience (all-knowledge) of our God is a far bigger topic than I can handle, but even small brains like mine can be staggered at the thought that God’s knowledge is perfect and eternal. I can MAYBE “get” a teeny bit about how He would know everything that has happened in the past, but I’m not sure I’m wired to understand how He knows everything yet to take place. That’s just too big!
Further, He knows what’s going to happen TODAY. To you. To me.
In perhaps an even bigger mystery of amazingness, God not only knows what’s going to happen, He cares about every detail. He directs every detail. Nothing that happens is out of His control—and everything that’s going to happen is designed by Him for His glory and our spiritual good. It’s designed to help us love Him more, trust Him more, to be becoming more like His Son, to help us to hate sin and love righteousness—and dozens of other important goals.
So, if the Father already knows all this, doesn’t it stand to reason that we would want to seek His wisdom and direction CONSTANTLY? I mean, would we want to navigate a dangerous desert environment that we know has dozens of poisonous insects and animals on our own—IF we have a desert expert standing next to us, one who cares about our well-being? Of course not! Well, God the Father stands ready to hear our prayers morning, noon, and night.
Sometimes I realize my husband is struggling with some task—a task I could have made easier for him if he had just asked me what or how to do whatever it was. I sometimes tell him to next time simply, “A.S.K.,” because maybe I can help. Well, fellow children of God, how many times could God tell us to simply A.S.K. Maybe, with His all-knowing and all-power, what we’re facing isn’t so hard after all!
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Sunday, March 16, 2025
Praise God, it’s Sunday! Before we do anything else, let’s pray and ask God for His blessing on the day!
Things to consider praying for and doing:
-Pray for your pastor or whoever is preaching, for clarity, for accuracy, and the freedom to speak exactly what God is laying on their hearts. Pray as well for their health, strength, and well-being.
-Pray for all who God wants to be there, that nothing would interfere with them coming and once there, to listen, learn, and grow.
-Pray for all ministries of the church: Sunday School, music, ushers, greeters, nursery, offerings—everything.
-Pray for your own heart, first to be sure there is no unconfessed sin between you and God, then that you would be receptive to the Word and be able to be a blessing and encouragement to all you cross paths with.
Other things God is laying on your heart to pray for today:
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As you have opportunity during the day (or at the end of it), jot down some lessons and blessings God showed you:
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BONUS! God-honoring music is such a tremendous blessing that I thought we could use Sundays to focus on a few hymns that use “all” in them to read through (and sing, if you want!).
All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name (words by E. Perronet; music by O. Holden)
All hail the power of Jesus’ name! Let angels prostrate fall. Bring forth the royal diadem, and crown Him Lord of all; bring forth the royal diadem, and crown Him Lord of all!
Ye chosen seed of Israel’s race, ye ransomed from the fall, hail Him Who saves you by His grace, and crown Him Lord of all; hail Him Who saves you by His grace, and crown Him Lord of all!
Let every kindred, every tribe on this terrestrial ball to Him all majesty ascribe, and crown Him Lord of all; to Him all majesty ascribe, and crown Him Lord of all!
O that with yonder sacred throng we at His feet may fall! We’ll join the everlasting song and crown Him Lord of all; we’ll join the everlasting song and crown Him Lord of all!
Monday, March 17, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Psalm 5:11
“But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy, and spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may exult in you.”
-Background/Context:
David wrote this psalm and it was a prayer he prayed in the morning. It is a psalm that points out how God hates the wicked, listing a few of the ways they are displeasing God. David then moved on to God’s loving character and how He is pleased with those who choose to live in a manner in keeping with His excellent name.
-Something to Think About:
This verse tells me two things: not everyone knows enough to take refuge in God Almighty and not everyone who takes refuge in the Lord chooses to rejoice and sing for joy when they do. Neither ought to be a “thing.”
There are several Bible verses that speak about God being a place of refuge. He is called our Rock, a Strong Tower, and is even described using the picture of a mother bird protecting her chicks from any and all dangers. The point is that in this world of uncertainty, distrust, dangers, and anxiety, GOD is THE place of refuge. He alone provides safety, security, hope, and direction as to what to do and how to think. There is literally no one or no thing that can say this besides God. It should be a no-brainer for us to seek His help and wisdom constantly!
Secondly, KNOWING and EXPERIENCING the peace, security, and comfort the Father gives His children really ought to cause us all to rejoice—literally, sing for joy. There is NOTHING God does or is that isn’t worthy of constant praise and glory—and thanksgiving.
So, when we feel distress (for any reason), we should know to go to the Lord, then rejoice in His stability and help, but we should also apply these great truths to the people God places in our path. We are constantly bombarded with family members, friends, co-workers, fellow church members, and even complete strangers who are fearful, angry, sad, upset, and confused. They have big problems and little problems. No advice we give them, no words of comfort we may have to share, can compare with encouraging them to find their refuge in our Almighty God. Pointing to Him is always the right answer.
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Tuesday, March 18, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Genesis 6:22
“Noah did this; he did all that God commanded him.”
-Background/Context:
God had made a perfect world, but the first man and woman disobeyed God’s one command and sin entered the world, bringing death, disease, hardship, and sorrow. Now, a mere 1,600 or so years later, the world was so corrupt and evil that God decided to destroy all living things. Well, all, except Noah and his family.
Why did God choose Noah? Was Noah sinless? Special in some way? Well, definitely not sinless. The only human born sinless since creation was Jesus Christ, God’s own Son. No, Noah wasn’t sinless or perfect, but he did believe God, and he did try to live faithfully for God—and faithfulness is something God highly treasures.
-Something to Think About:
Do we have examples of Noah’s faithfulness? Well, for one, we read in today’s verse that once God told Noah some really astonishing news and gave him a herculean task, Noah didn’t argue or defy God, he simply said, “Okay, Lord,” and began the task. Not only did he begin the task, but he did ALL that God commanded him.
There are (at least) two huge challenges for you and me in this one verse. One would be to just do what we know God wants us to do. Perhaps even pausing right now to open your heart to the Holy Spirit’s prompting would be enough for you to recall some area, big or little, that God has nudged you to do (or stop doing) that you haven’t quite gotten around to yet.
Second, with more prayerful contemplation, is there some task, some action, some attitude that you committed to doing for the Lord that you allowed to peter out? Something you started with enthusiasm, but got overwhelmed—or just too tired? Ask for God’s help to do ALL He commanded you, then get going, refusing to give up or give in (just be sure it’s something HE asked you to do. We need to be careful to not overload ourselves with tasks that are not actually ones God gave us.).
I would LOVE to get to the other side of my life and have it accurately said, Lorie did ALL that God commanded her! How about you?
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Wednesday, March 19, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Matthew 5:17-18
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.”
-Background/Context:
Jesus is teaching His disciples what living in His kingdom will be like—with the application that Christians can and should be following these principles now. This is part of the Sermon on the Mount. The entire thing is Matthew 5-7.
Iota and dot in the ESV are probably better known as jot and tittle from the KJV—funny words! What they are, though, are the smallest Hebrew letter (iota/jot) and a tiny part of Hebrew letters (dot/tittle) – parts that can completely change the meaning of the word if added in the wrong place or left out by accident.
-Something to Think About:
When Jesus said that He had not come to abolish the Law or the Prophets, He was referring to the Old Testament. He had come, in fact, to fulfill all that God had promised in them! He was the Messiah (Savior) promised in Genesis 3 after sin entered the world, and the One the Hebrew people had been waiting for the 4,000 years since.
How would Jesus fulfill the Old Testament? Through His death, burial, and resurrection. He did what God promised, He made a way for sinful man to be righteous in God’s sight through simple faith in the work of Jesus on the cross. By the way, Jesus’ advent on earth brought an end to the old covenant given in the Old Testament and ushered in the new covenant mentioned in the New Testament.
There are several reasons to praise and thank God from these two small verses, but a biggie is certainly that God fulfills all He has promised and that Jesus DID come and DID pay for our sin so that we could live by His side for all of eternity. Have no fear, ALL God said WILL be accomplished—including our Rapture, new glorified bodies, and a home with God eternally.
Though not really the lesson from this particular Scripture, I don’t think it would be wrong to take away an appreciation for keeping our word, for not being quitters, for being known as people who obey God’s Word fully, not ignoring parts we don’t like, nor adding things that we think should be there.
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Thursday, March 20, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Psalm 51:9
“Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities.”
-Background/Context:
Psalm 51 is David’s heartfelt prayer to God after the prophet Nathan confronted him with his sin with Bathsheba. It’s worth reading the entire thing.
Psalms 51:1 – 52:1
TO THE CHOIRMASTER. A PSALM OF DAVID, WHEN NATHAN THE PROPHET WENT TO HIM, AFTER HE HAD GONE IN TO BATHSHEBA.
“Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment. Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken rejoice. Hide your face from my sins,
and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and uphold me with a willing spirit. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you.
Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, O God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness. O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. Do good to Zion in your good pleasure; build up the walls of Jerusalem; then will you delight in right sacrifices, in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings; then bulls will be offered on your altar.”
-Something to Think About:
Being a child of God for literally decades, I have appreciated deeply how “simple” it is to confess sin and have your heart renewed so that your relationship with God is good again. I mean, how hard is it to say “Forgive me for my sin of ___” in order to return to a place where God can bless us and use us?
There are often two hang-ups, though (well, maybe more, but let’s focus on these two biggies). One is that many Christians, upon realizing they’ve sinned, feel horrible (feeling sorrow over sin is GOOD), but even after making it right with God (by confessing it), they continue to carry the guilt and/or devise ways to punish themselves for the sin. The problem is that this is not biblical or God-honoring. I John 1:9 says that God freely forgives us when we confess our sin and cleanses us from all unrighteousness. When we carry the guilt or punish ourselves, aren’t we saying that God’s forgiveness isn’t adequate or “enough.” Aren’t we kind of saying that our idea of punishment is better than His love? The right (biblical) way to look at God’s forgiveness is first gratitude, then praise, then a commitment to choose obedience to God over disobedience the next time similar temptations come up. David put it like this, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” In other words, “Help me to think right so that I’ll do right.”
Another consideration when dealing with our sin and the glories of God’s forgiveness is to not think of sin as a small thing EVER. Just because God makes it easy to confess and He forgives quickly and completely does not mean that sin isn’t a big deal It cost Jesus Christ His life! It caused a rift between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit while Jesus bore our sins on His body! It brings about rebellion, evil, sorrow, and destruction! Sin is NEVER a “small thing” and we should never, ever think of it as such. In God’s eyes, lying to someone about something that we don’t think matters is just as much a sin as murder. Sin is ALWAYS horrible and always an affront to our holy God. BUT, did you HEAR what today’s Bible verse said? God blots out ALL our sins. Wow. We have SO MUCH to be thankful for! To drop on our knees in gratitude and worship for! David said it like this, “Restore to me the joy of your salvation. . . my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness. O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.”
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Friday, March 21, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Acts 9:42
“And it became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed in the Lord.”
-Background/Context:
It’s pretty obvious that we need more! Here’s the entire context:
Acts 9:36-43 “Now there was in Joppa a disciple named Tabitha, which, translated, means Dorcas. She was full of good works and acts of charity. In those days she became ill and died, and when they had washed her, they laid her in an upper room. Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, hearing that Peter was there, sent two men to him, urging him, “Please come to us without delay.” So Peter rose and went with them. And when he arrived, they took him to the upper room. All the widows stood beside him weeping and showing tunics and other garments that Dorcas made while she was with them. But Peter put them all outside, and knelt down and prayed; and turning to the body he said, “Tabitha, arise.” And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter she sat up. And he gave her his hand and raised her up. Then, calling the saints and widows, he presented her alive. And it became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed in the Lord. And he stayed in Joppa for many days with one Simon, a tanner.”
Did you know that the word “disciple” simply means a student or follower of someone? We tend to think of “the” disciples when we hear that term, but Jesus had many followers when alive—and you and I can also be characterized as this even now!
Tabitha is the only female in the New Testament specifically defined as a disciple (though, we know that many women trusted Jesus as Savior and followed Him).
-Something to Think About:
I don’t know anyone who doesn’t love Tabitha’s story. It’s a super sweet account and one that touches our heartstrings, not just Tabitha’s labor of love for others (the word “charity” means to benefit others), but how much the widows appreciated her and went out of their way to find Peter to help her.
There’s a strong lesson here to both be a Tabitha AND to show love and appreciation for the Tabithas in your life. But, I don’t want to miss the use of “all” in this passage. Tabitha’s testimony and subsequent return to life was heard about all around town. As a result, many believed in Jesus Christ as their Savior. In addition, God used this to bring Peter to that town to teach and to witness.
Sometimes we wonder why God allowed some hard thing to happen to us or to someone we love and as much as we all would love to know why, God usually doesn’t tell us. Sometimes, though, we figure out some huge blessings on our own—and Tabitha’s account is one of those kinds of stories. You may not know the reason behind some painful situation in your life, but if you trust God with it, telling everyone near and far of His goodness, grace, and mercy, who knows what wonderful things He will do with that? Maybe some will even come to trust in Jesus as Savior as a result. Maybe a saved brother or sister in Christ who has wandered away will return and really begin living wholeheartedly for Christ. Maybe YOU will lean on the Lord a bit stronger and live for Him with more commitment. Thank God that He always has reasons for all He does—and that all He does is right and rightly timed.
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Saturday, March 22, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Psalm 71:8
“My mouth is filled with your praise, and with your glory all the day.”
-Background/Context:
The author of this psalm is unknown, though it’s clear that it is an older saint who has trusted God in his life and with his life for many long years. He has found God to be trustworthy and faithful and because of this, he knows He will continue to be trustworthy and faithful in the unknowns yet to come.
-Something to Think About:
Have you realized that even though we may not be able to change our circumstances, we can, with the Lord’s help, change our attitude about them?
I remember as a child my mom occasionally telling me to “pull in your horns” when I was being too aggressive or hasty, or in general, had a bad attitude. I will confess that I thought she was referring to the devil and his horns and was telling me to not be like satan. While being like satan in attitude and action is DEFINITELY something to stay far away from, the phrase “pull in your horns” is actually more along the lines of holding back and showing some restraint. Nonetheless, my mother was not wrong to correct me when I allowed a poor attitude to show in word or deed. One might even question if a poor attitude is EVER “right” for a child of God!
The psalmist of Psalm 71 chose a different path. He chose to keep his mouth filled with praise to God, for God, and about God. He chose to stand in awe of His glory ALL DAY LONG.
What if today were the day that you and I could look back on from some distant future time as THE DAY we chose to not allow poor attitudes of any kind and for any reason fill our mouths or spill over into our facial expressions and actions? What if, with the help of the Lord, we refused to allow negative and ungodly thoughts, conclusions, or beliefs to stay in our heads or hearts for a second longer than it takes to reject them and sweep them out, locking the door behind them, and instead, turning that sour thought into a praise!
At some point in my young adulthood, someone said something that caused me to picture my brain as having long corridors with countless rooms in them—rooms with doors that have locks that cannot be reopened. All ugly thoughts of any kind can get shoved into one of the rooms and the door is locked Fort Knox tight. BUT, that leaves hundreds of miles of open corridors for thoughts about things that are excellent, praiseworthy, true, honorable, pure, and lovely to roam the hallways, leaving peace and joy in their wake.
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Sunday, March 23, 2025
Praise God, it’s Sunday! Before we do anything else, let’s pray and ask God for His blessing on the day!
Things to consider praying for and doing:
-Pray for your pastor or whoever is preaching, for clarity, for accuracy, and the freedom to speak exactly what God is laying on their hearts. Pray as well for their health, strength, and well-being.
-Pray for all who God wants to be there, that nothing would interfere with them coming and once there, to listen, learn, and grow.
-Pray for all ministries of the church: Sunday School, music, ushers, greeters, nursery, offerings—everything.
-Pray for your own heart, first to be sure there is no unconfessed sin between you and God, then that you would be receptive to the Word and be able to be a blessing and encouragement to all you cross paths with.
Other things God is laying on your heart to pray for today:
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As you have opportunity during the day (or at the end of it), jot down some lessons and blessings God showed you:
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BONUS! God-honoring music is such a tremendous blessing that I thought we could use Sundays to focus on a few hymns that use “all” in them to read through (and sing, if you want!).
To God Be the Glory (words by F. Crosby; music by W. Doane)
To God be the glory, great things He hast done; so loved He the world that He gave us His Son, Who yielded His life an atonement for sin, and opened the life-gate that all my go in. Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! Let the earth hear His voice! Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! Let the people rejoice! O come to the Father thru Jesus the Son, and give Him the glory! Great things He hath done.
O perfect redemption, the purchase of blood, to every believer the promise of God; the vilest offender who truly believes, that moment from Jesus a pardon receives. Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! Let the earth hear His voice! Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! Let the people rejoice! O come to the Father thru Jesus the Son, and give Him the glory! Great things He hath done.
Great things He hath taught us, great things He hath done, and great our rejoicing thru Jesus the Son; but purer, and higher, and greater will be our wonder, our transport, when Jesus we see. Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! Let the earth hear His voice! Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! Let the people rejoice! O come to the Father thru Jesus the Son, and give Him the glory! Great things He hath done.
Monday, March 24, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Psalm 71:17-18
“O God, from my youth you have taught me, and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds. So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim your might to another generation, your power to all those to come.”
-Background/Context:
As noted yesterday, Psalm 71 was written by an older saint who had learned the value of trusting God in his life. He wanted to pass on this joy to his readers.
-Something to Think About:
Today’s portion of Psalm 71 is, among other things, a plug for getting involved in your church’s Sunday School, Junior Church, VBS, teen group, and other ministries focused on children and young people. Why? Because the things we learn as children WILL impact us for our entire lives!
My testimony is much like the psalmist here. My parents were raised in a Catholic church world, but like a lot of Catholics, they didn’t actually go to church. Then, one day when I was seven years old or so, a Sunday School teacher from the Pine Valley Baptist Church, Pine Valley, New York, was driving by our country home and upon seeing several children playing in the yard, chose to stop and invite the whole family to Sunday School and church. In what became a world-shifting decision, my parents agreed and in the years to follow, all the family trusted in Christ as Savior and several of us grew up to serve God wholeheartedly in our own churches.
I think with great fondness of a whole parade of people, most of whom I no longer remember their names, who taught me in Sunday School, in summer Vacation Bible Schools, in teen groups—as well as in their homes, on the church bus, and through unplanned chats before and after services. God used all these to shape me into the woman of God He wanted me to be today.
The big question –and an important focus of Psalm 71:18—is what are we doing with what God has taught us and shown us in the time that we’ve belonged to Him (be it decades like me or a few short months or years)? Are we sharing His wondrous deeds with others, especially the next generations coming up behind us? Are we encouraging children to love and obey God? Are we helping teenagers and young adults to make godly decisions with their lives? Are we mentoring young wives and moms to know how to balance their personal spiritual growth with the constant demands they face at home and work?
God HAS taught us some pretty important things. Things about Himself, things about loving Him supremely and loving others as self. Are we LIVING out these truths? Are we sharing these precious gems with others?
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Tuesday, March 25, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read I Kings 19:18
“Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.”
-Background/Context:
This is God talking to Elijah after the incredible defeat of the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. You should most definitely read the whole thing for yourself in I Kings 18 & 19!
-Something to Think About:
Today’s verse is part of what God said to Elijah, who was very weary and discouraged after a tremendous victory for the Lord. Elijah had kind of sunk into a “woe is me” mentality and God wanted him to recognize that He was still in control and not everything was as it appeared to Elijah. Elijah felt alone and that maybe he was the only one in all of Israel who was still loyal to the Lord. God pointed out that not only was this not true, He had set aside SEVEN THOUSAND others who were all loyal to Him as well.
You know, this is something all humans seem to struggle with from time to time, maybe especially after we’ve had some sort of great victory for the Lord. Perhaps our defenses are down and everything just appears a bit darker to us. Perhaps we’re not feeling the best due to high cortisol levels followed by low ones. Perhaps we’re simply tired! Also possible is that after intense time of prayer and pouring over God’s Word, we slacked off a bit and have “taken a break” from Bible study and prayer.
The huge blessing here is that God is always aware of how we’re doing, God always cares about us, God is always working, God’s plan WILL always be fulfilled, and we are NOT alone. There are faithful believers all over the globe giving their all to the Lord wherever they are in whatever their particular situation might be. We should be praying for each other!
In the meantime, don’t let satan lie to you about ANYTHING that God has said is truth – and don’t let even one day go by without meaningful time in God’s Word and a heartfelt chat with the Lord in prayer. Don’t, either, miss out on church services and fellowships! They are God’s gift to you and how He is working during this current dispensation.
P.S. God not only encouraged Elijah and built him up by helping him see what was true versus what he was “feeling,” He let him know a bit of what was next for Israel and Judah—and that help was coming in the form of Elisha.
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Wednesday, March 26, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Mark 14:36
“And he said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”
-Background/Context:
This is a heartfelt precious prayer from Jesus Christ, the Son of God, in the Garden of Gethsemane just short minutes before His arrest and crucifixion. Jesus Christ, Who knew no sin, knew that He would shortly bear the pain and horror of ALL sin on His shoulders (on our behalf!), but as horrible as that would be, because of your sin and mine, Jesus would endure the first-ever rift in the Trinity because God the Father could not look on the sin that His Son bore in that hour. This was the “cup” Jesus would have avoided if there was any other way, but because there wasn’t, He yielded to His Father’s will. Kind of puts into place our selfishness when we choose to not obey God in ANY way today, doesn’t it?
-Something to Think About:
I recently came across the words to a Fanny Crosby hymn that I have never heard.
God does not give me all I ask,
Nor answer as I pray;
But, O, my cup is brimming o’er
With blessings day by day.
How oft the joy I thought withheld
Delights my longing eyes,
And so I thank Him from my heart
For what His love denies.
(From: Morgan, Robert J.. All to Jesus: A Year of Devotions (p. 83). B&H Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.)
“And so I thank Him from my heart for what His love denies.” What an eye-opening reminder that the things we pray for that God doesn’t give us are because He loves us—because He knows that it’s not the right time, the right thing, or the right way.
Today’s Bible verse tells of a prayer from the Son of God that was answered with a “No,” which would have DESTROYED all of mankind for all of eternity if God had answered, “Yes.” If Jesus hadn’t died in our place, all humans EVER would spend eternity suffering in the Lake of Fire—forever apart from God—with no hope whatsoever. There is no worse nightmare than that! BUT, God didn’t spare His Son, and Jesus DID die on our behalf—and God DID raise Him to life after three days—and sin, satan, and death were FOREVER DEFEATED.
Perhaps when we have some prayer that “seems” unanswered, rather than feeling dejected, abandoned, or angry, we can remember that God’s ways are perfect and that His plan is the only one that is right for us—and we can humbly thank Him from our heart for what His love denies.
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Thursday, March 27, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read 1 Corinthians 10:31
“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”
-Background/Context:
Paul has been speaking about whether or not it’s okay to eat meat that has been sacrificed to idols (in that time and culture, meat that the pagans had sacrificed to their gods, would then be sold at markets for consumption). The answer was yes, no, and sometimes. He said that there’s nothing wrong with the meat—UNLESS it bugs you that it was used for idol worship or that it bothers another believer who is with you (or who will hear that you ate it). In other words, if your conviction is to never eat meat offered to idols, it would be a sin for you to do so. If, however, you realize that meat is meat and it has nothing to do with your relationship with God, then go ahead and eat it and enjoy it. BUT, if another believer would be offended by what you’re doing, then it’s showing Christian love to not eat it in order to not upset or offend them in any way. I don’t think it would be wrong to humbly, kindly, and patiently teach a younger believer when and why something is “wrong” and when it isn’t, but in the end, doing all to the glory of God will include not doing things that might cause another person to be upset or stumble in their own faith.
-Something to Think About:
Pastor Brown said in a sermon last week (totally unrelated to this specific passage) that the chief goal of all Christians never stops being to glorify God. That’s what Paul is talking about here. When making decisions, when choosing upon a course of action, when beginning to talk—EVERYTHING (“all”) MUST BE to bring God glory. If it doesn’t, if it’s focused more on something self-gratifying, then simply don’t do it! We, as humans (maybe ESPECIALLY females), tend to make things complicated and hard. They need not be. Does this thing, first and foremost, bring God glory? Then, yes, do it. Does it fall short of bringing Him glory (for any reason)? Don’t—or at the least—wait, modify, and do what you need to, in order to make bringing God glory the main focus.
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Friday, March 28, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Luke 6:12
“In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God.”
-Background/Context:
Luke is referring to Jesus Christ here. Specifically, this was the night before Jesus chose the twelve men who would become His apostles. A pretty big decision for sure!
This is not the only occasion where we know Jesus prayed. More accurately, when we were told of a specific time and place Jesus prayed. It seems very clear from Scripture that prayer was something essentially important to Jesus Christ—which has always been a bit curious to me because He is, after all, ALSO God. I think, though, that there are at least two big reasons. One was that Jesus had set aside the independent use of His divine attributes while living on earth as a Man and so He did what you I am must do, pray for wisdom, for direction, and simply to thank God often and regularly. The second reason goes with the first, Jesus prayed to be an example to us and to show us the importance of prayer.
-Something to Think About:
Have you ever prayed literally all night long? I can actually only think of a handful of times when I was AWAKE all night, let alone praying. They include several New Year’s Eve church youth activities and, later, work responsibilities (I was on call as a surgical technician for several years and when accidents happened, we worked no matter what time day or night).
I CAN think of dozens and dozens of times when I prayed off and on all night. These kinds of vigils are overwhelmingly due to reasons of hardship and trouble. Perhaps a loved one is very sick, or someone important to you is traveling overnight in a scary situation, or maybe there’s been some huge upset in the family or your church family. These sorts of crises tend to bring us to our knees—where we need to be! How I thank God for hearing us when our hearts our heavy and burdened!
There’s another kind of long prayer time that I’ve heard about, but never done. It’s very intriguing, however! It’s to take an entire day for just you and the Lord. I think a key component is probably going to have to be to go somewhere that’s NOT home—mostly because if we’re home, there WILL be distractions. I think people have written entire books about a day away with the Lord, but here are a few things you might do to make the day a super huge blessing and encouragement:
-First, do it! Actually get it scheduled and on the calendar. Treat it as just as important as a doctor’s visit or a work obligation.
-Figure out where you can go to be alone and without distractions. Sometimes, especially as moms, we can’t literally leave the house, but figure out where you can go for the least amount of distractions, then CHOOSE to focus on what you’re doing and NOT on what you COULD/SHOULD be doing. You may have heard of a “prayer closet.” This is simply somewhere to go to be with the Lord away from other distractions. It could be a room—or literally a closet set aside for that purpose. Make it pretty! Make it comfy!
-You’ll absolutely want your Bible—maybe a few of them!
-You’ll want paper and a pen.
-You may want sacred instrumental music playing (music with words will make it harder to concentrate on prayer).
-You would be wise to have snacks and a beverage or two depending on how long you have to stay in your little spiritual oasis.
-You may enjoy having a hymn book with you so that you can sing praises to God as part of your special day.
-You’ll want to turn your phone off—or at least place it on silent.
What to do:
-First, pray and ask God to direct your time.
-Go back and forth between Scripture and prayer. Talk to God about what you just read. Ask Him to help you understand it—and—apply it to your current life’s challenges and circumstances.
-Use your paper to note prayer requests and praises as you think of them. You might also want to keep a spot to note the things you need to do later that day or later that week—’cuz you KNOW that to-do’s are going to pop into your head at random times (just don’t let yourself dwell on that and not the Lord).
-Pray for people as the Lord brings them to mind. Jot down any prods to do something nice for someone (a note, a call, a text, an outing, a treat of some sort, etc.)
-Pray for your pastor, deacons, church family, and church ministries.
-Pray for believers to be faithful to God and for unsaved family and friends to trust in Christ.
Really, this Day-with-the-Lord can be anything and everything that God wants it to be for YOU. You just need to ask Him—then follow through and do it!
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Saturday, March 29, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Matthew 11:28-30
“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
-Background/Context:
When Jesus began His public ministry, people were astonished at the miracles He was able to do and that what He said differed quite a bit from what they were regularly taught by the Religious Leaders, yet had the unmistakable ring of true authority. Of the many students/followers (“disciples”) Jesus started with, many fell away after a time because they were not willing to commit to God as they needed to. In addition, the Religious Leaders became more and more threatened by Jesus and began to collude as to what they could do to get rid of Him. All through this, Jesus simply told people what God wanted for them and from them, teaching what true righteousness and holiness were actually about. He was, in fact, “showing” them what God is like—what He values, what pleases Him, and what brings Him sorrow.
-Something to Think About:
I am one of the rare teenagers who didn’t really want to learn to drive. The idea terrified me, but what sealed the deal to force me to learn (besides the fact that this was non-negotiable!), was the truly horrible thought of riding the school bus for even one more year! So, one day I found myself behind the wheel of a gigantic Cadillac in our driveway with my mother in the passenger seat trying to convince me to take my foot off the brake. We had a private road between the house and a barn and my mission was to drive there and back. I did, BUT without ever touching the gas. The idle on the beast was fast enough for me! Once we got to the barn, I had to turn around to come back, so I turned the wheel as far left as it would go, but it didn’t seem to be working right. My mom said, “You need to release it a bit, then it will be easier.” That didn’t make any sense to me, like I was giving up control in a dangerous manner, but, I did what she insisted on—and it WAS easier. By releasing some of my control, the car was able to do what it was supposed to do with no trouble.
Do you think that we, as beloved children of God, sometimes take on burdens that aren’t really ours to take? That we “wrest the wheel” away from God—only to find life hard and burdensome? Jesus gently, lovingly, and patiently reminds us (ALL of us!) in Matthew 11 that we need to trust HIM, to simply do as He said, leaving to Him all the details, all the challenges, and whatever the outcome may be. Our job is to trust and obey, His is everything else. When that’s in place, living faithfully and victoriously is not burdensome.
Is something in your life today causing you tremendous fatigue and difficulty? Have you asked the Father what you should do, or perhaps, stop doing? Sometimes our emotional crises are due to refusing to do something we know God wants us to do, other times it is because we stubbornly continue to do something that He never asked us to do in the first place. If you sense something is wrong, but can’t figure it out, perhaps seek out a mature believer to talk it over with. No matter what, be sure to bathe the situation in prayer, being willing to do whatever God shows you He wants. It may SEEM hard, but yielding to Him is, in the end, restful.
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Sunday, March 30, 2025
Praise God, it’s Sunday! Before we do anything else, let’s pray and ask God for His blessing on the day!
Things to consider praying for and doing:
-Pray for your pastor or whoever is preaching, for clarity, for accuracy, and the freedom to speak exactly what God is laying on their hearts. Pray as well for their health, strength, and well-being.
-Pray for all who God wants to be there, that nothing would interfere with them coming and once there, to listen, learn, and grow.
-Pray for all ministries of the church: Sunday School, music, ushers, greeters, nursery, offerings—everything.
-Pray for your own heart, first to be sure there is no unconfessed sin between you and God, then that you would be receptive to the Word and be able to be a blessing and encouragement to all you cross paths with.
Other things God is laying on your heart to pray for today:
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As you have opportunity during the day (or at the end of it), jot down some lessons and blessings God showed you:
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BONUS! God-honoring music is such a tremendous blessing that I thought we could use Sundays to focus on a few hymns that use “all” in them to read through (and sing, if you want!).
I Surrender All (words by J. VanDeVenter; music by W. Weeden)
All to Jesus I surrender; all to Him I freely give. I will ever love and trust Him, in His presence daily live. I surrender all; I surrender all. All to Thee my blessed Savior—I surrender all.
All to Jesus I surrender, humbly at His feet I bow. Worldly pleasures all forsaken, take me, Jesus, take me now. I surrender all; I surrender all. All to Thee my blessed Savior—I surrender all.
All to Jesus I surrender, Lord, I give myself to Thee. Fill me with Thy love and power, let Thy blessings fall on me. I surrender all; I surrender all. All to Thee my blessed Savior—I surrender all.
Monday, March 31, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Revelation 7:11
“And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God.”
-Background/Context:
Read the powerful context our verse is taken from:
Revelation 7:9-17 “After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.” Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?” I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. “Therefore they are before the throne of God,
and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence.
They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water,
and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
-Something to Think About:
Although there is quite a bit that could be (joyfully) talked about from this passage, verse 11 gave me pause because it mentioned “all the angels.”
And what are all the angels doing? Praising, worshiping, and glorifying God. In fact, all throughout Scripture, we find angels giving praise to God. We ALSO find that they themselves will not allow humans to worship them. If someone tries to worship an angel, the angel immediately stops them and directs worship to God, to Whom ALL worship belongs.
With this in mind, should Christians glorify angels by wearing angel pins, by speaking of them as if they were some sort of small “gods,” or by supporting movies, books, and songs that give focus and praise where it doesn’t belong? It may seem like a small thing, but the one sin that plunged the entire human race into condemnation was a bite of a tantalizing piece of fruit!
Do angels deserve our respect? Of course! They are God’s servants and serve Him wholeheartedly night and day. Should angels be the focus of our intense study? Well, learning a bit more about ANYTHING from the Bible is probably a good thing, I just think we should always ALSO be super cautious that our study doesn’t lead itself to too much focus—or that our increased knowledge doesn’t lead to worshiping the creation over the Creator.
BONUS:
Just for fun, here are a few facts about angels that you may or may not have known:
-Angels seem to be only male.
-Only two (good) angels are named (Gabriel & Michael). While Satan, the fallen angel, is often assumed to be a third named angel (“Lucifer”), that may not be accurate.
-There are a types or ranks of angels/angelic beings—including cherubim and seraphim (principalities, powers and thrones are possibly other names for ranks or echelons of angels).
-Other than angelic beings like the cherubim and seraphim, the Bible doesn’t say that angels have wings (Ezekiel 1, 10; Isaiah 6).
-There are angelic armies.
-It seems true that all Christians are assigned a guardian angel.
-Angels sometimes appear as humans and are not recognized for what they are (Hebrews 13:2).
-Angels watch Christians because they are a bit confounded as to why God would choose to love such sinful creatures. When we obey God and live faithfully for Him, they glorify God.
-When we see the phrase, “the angel of the Lord,” in the Old Testament, it refers to the incarnate Son of God (Jesus Christ before He came to earth as a human).
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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April 2025 DBSQ
April 1, 2025
Dear Student of the Word,
Welcome to the fourth month of a word study in Scripture of the word “all” to remind us of all God has given to us and how we can, in turn, give our all to Him.
May God bless YOU as you study His Word and seek to live it out in your life!
By His Grace,
Lorie Brown
Just so you know. . .
-I mainly use the ESV (courtesy of either Bible Gateway.com or Olive Tree.com), but sometimes it’s necessary to use another English translation in order to see the word of focus more clearly.
-Previous months of this year’s study can be found on our church website under the tab “Ministries” at firstbaptistnorthconway.org. In addition, several studies from former years are there too.
-Our church has an in-house publishing ministry, some of which can be found for free download on solidrockpublishing.org. There are many kinds of Bible studies as well as stories for kids available as hardcopies in the back of our church auditorium.
-Our ladies (in North Conway, NH) meet the second Monday of each month to review these studies and you are welcome to join us if you are in the area. If not, I highly recommend reviewing them with one or more friends—simply because doing Bible studies with other people is a huge blessing and help.
-You are welcome to pass these studies along to whoever the Lord lays on your heart. If someone wants to receive them directly from Mailchimp, just contact me and I can sign them up.
-If you reply to my Mailchimp email with a comment or question, it comes directly to me—and I love hearing from you!
-Again, thanks for praying for me and for all who are doing these studies! We NEED God’s help and blessing to listen, learn, and grow!
Tuesday, April 1, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Romans 13:9
“For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are (all) summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
-Background/Context:
Here is the whole thought expressed by Paul to the believers in Rome.
Romans 13:8-10 “Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.”
-Something to Think About:
First, Paul is not saying that Christians must never borrow from each other, though NO Christian should ever, ever borrow something and never return it—whether this is money, possession, or a cup of flour. We should be known for honesty and going-above-the-call-of-duty in every area.
That aside, Paul is summarizing a few of the Ten Commandments that were part of the Law given to Israel in the Old Testament that have to do with interactions between people in view of the “new” command Jesus gave to Church Age believers to love God supremely and love neighbors as self, knowing that we tend to naturally want good and nice things for ourselves (Matthew 22:37-39). Basically, it’s this: simply making a commitment to do no wrong to others IS showing biblical love.
What would be “wrong?” Well, the Bible is FULL of the do’s and don’ts of interacting with others. Some of them are found in the commands Paul listed—to not be unfaithful in relationships, to not kill others (literally or by ruining their reputation), to not steal (take ANYTHING that doesn’t belong to you), and to not covet/wish that you had what they have—or that you WERE them. Jesus expands on these thoughts a lot in Matthew 5-7, pointing out that all ugly behaviors begin with an ugly heart. Turned backwards, when we have decided to love others with care and concern, we won’t be thinking about how we might harm or take advantage of them. Instead, we’ll be thinking of ways to bless, encourage, look out for, and sacrifice on behalf of. By the way, doing this for other people is ALSO doing it for the Lord!
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Wednesday, April 2, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Acts 8:1
“And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.”
-Background/Context:
Acts 8:1 comes immediately after one of the very first deacons chosen was murdered because of his strong testimony for Christ. In fact, Stephen’s death is also the introduction to Saul (later known as Paul). Saul was a very devout Hebrew scholar and was convinced that Christianity was evil, so he gave everything he had to destroying anyone and everything associated with it. That is, until Jesus Christ Himself stopped him (literally) and changed the direction of his life and ministry forever. You can read about Stephen in Acts 7 and you can read about Saul’s salvation in Acts 9.
-Something to Think About:
The day that Stephen was stoned to death (what a gruesome murder!), there arose a tremendous persecution against the brand new church in Jerusalem. And by “church,” we mean people like you and me who had trusted in Christ as their Savior and who were trying to live in such a way as to please and honor God.
These very real people were being hunted down so they could be jailed or even killed. This persecution led to hundreds—maybe even thousands— of people fleeing Jerusalem and going to other towns, cities, and villages. I can only imagine their fear and the hardships they faced having to quickly pack up their possessions, children, elderly relatives, and animals—and GET AWAY. It wouldn’t be surprising that many of them felt like life was unfair or that God wasn’t taking good enough care of them.
But what happened as a result of them spreading out and away from Jerusalem? Well, Acts 8:4 says, “Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word.” Did you hear that? God’s Word was now spreading to many areas beyond Judea! Soon, it would spread farther and farther away, eventually leading to the entire Mediterranean world, fulfilling Jesus’ command in Acts 1:8 to spread the gospel to the whole world.
NO ONE likes hardship, pain, or distress. But it sure helps us to deal with it when we have chosen to trust that God is never not in control and that ALL He does is ALWAYS for our good and His glory. Simply cementing this truth into our hearts and heads will turn an “OH NO!” into “Praise the Lord! He’s doing something awesome for me and in me!”
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Thursday, April 3, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Matthew 5:15
“Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.”
-Background/Context:
This is one section of what is known as the Sermon on the Mount, part of what Jesus wanted those who had chosen to follow Him to know about appropriate thoughts, attitudes, and actions that are in keeping with what life would be like when He rules during the Millennium. Here’s the rest of this section.
Matthew 5:13-16 “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”
-Something to Think About:
If we’re thinking about modern houses, we know that a lamp in the back corner room of the house will NOT give light to an entire two-story house with eight rooms, but if we picture Bible time homes, we’ll have a better picture of the lesson presented here. Bible time homes were one (usually modest sized) room where everything happened (though sometimes the roof was used as an extra space). We would also do well to remember that a Bible time lamp was generally pretty small and didn’t give off a ton of light, but without other sources of light (such as street lights!), that little flame in a clay pot would be pretty important.
Jesus’s point? God chose you for salvation and adopted you as His child not only to show His great love, mercy, and grace, but ALSO so you would represent Him well in your life. Doing so is an encouragement to other Christians, a testimony to the unsaved, and it brings God great glory. What God doesn’t want is for us to “hide” our light and disguise who we are as a child of God and WHOSE we are.
How do we shine our lights for Him? It’s all going to BEGIN in our hearts. What we put into it by way of personal Bible study and prayer, listening to sermons, Sunday school lessons, and other Bible studies, fellowship with godly believers, and listening to God-honoring music and other media. It bears mentioning, as well, that all these things hint at what NOT to do, NOT to listen to, and how to NOT spend our precious hours.
When we are filling our hearts with biblical truth and reminders of God’s holiness and goodness, it will reflect on our faces, in our words, and in how we spend our time. People should SEE that we love God supremely and others as self. THIS is the light that shines brightly that both blesses people, testifies about God, and brings Him honor and glory.
How is your light today?
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Friday, April 4, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Luke 10:41
“But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things.” (ESV)
“But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details!” (NLT)
“The Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha! You worry and fuss about a lot of things.” (ISV)
“But the Lord answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things.” (NASB95)
-Background/Context:
Luke 10:38-42 “Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”
-Something to Think About:
I’ve said it before—and I’ll almost certainly say it again: I feel bad for Martha having this low point in her life written out in full detail for all the world to see. I doubt ANY of us would appreciate thousands and thousands of people reading about an ugly moment and standing in judgment of it for at least two millennia!
That being true, I kind of suspect that Martha, now enjoying eternity without a sin nature, is just as happy to have this little scene recorded so that you and I can learn from her poor attitude as we face our own “many things.” Because, WOW, life just gets busier and more complicated all the time! My husband and I have discussed many times our extremely naïve “picture” as young marrieds about what life would look like as we approach retirement age. We had a foolish notion that things would be slowing down; that we’d be in a position to maybe take a few just-for-fun trips. Not happening. Life just seems to get fuller and busier every year!
Jesus’ point to Martha (and us!) is that we should not get all worked up about things that don’t truly matter in the big (eternal) picture. I smiled at the wording of some of the other English translations, maybe especially the ISV: “Martha! You worry and fuss about a lot of things!” One lesson, then, would be to not be a worrier and fusser. A second, to know what IS important to think about, spend time and attention on, and to pursue. This is, first and foremost, our relationship with God. Mary knew this—and in all of the little vignettes we are given in Scripture of Mary, she is calm, focused, and intent on worshiping the Lord.
PS God knows that we have to feed our families, do the wash, clean the house, run errands, work, etc. He also knows, however, that we’ll do all these things better (and with a better attitude) when we have spent time at His feet learning of Him and conversing with Him in prayer first.)
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Saturday, April 5, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Matthew 10:30
“But even the hairs of your head are all numbered.”
-Background/Context:
This is a pretty precious verse, for sure! But, when we read the context it is written in, we find that there’s quite a huge lesson Jesus is imparting to His disciples.
Matthew 10:16-34 “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues, and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles. When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next, for truly, I say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.
A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household.
So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.
Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.”
-Something to Think About:
As we see from the context, Jesus is warning His disciples about what’s to come for them—probably more in the years after His ascension than right away. It probably also refers to witnessing for Him during the Tribulation (still in the future— after the Rapture).
A few points:
-Life will not be easy for those who are teaching and preaching about Jesus Christ. People didn’t want to listen to Jesus in person—and they will be even less inclined to listen to those who come preaching Christ and Him crucified years later.
-To be wise as serpents and innocent as doves speaks of wisdom and discretion.
-The disciples had yet to receive the indwelling Holy Spirit (this happened on the Day of Pentecost, Acts 2), so Jesus was letting them know that divine help would be theirs when they needed it.
-Standing for Christ WILL divide families and friends.
-The promise of salvation for those who endure cannot be spiritual salvation since we are saved through faith alone in Christ alone. This is addressing some sort of shortening of these extreme troubles and dangers, perhaps referring to the Tribulation Period.
-It is our tremendous privilege as those redeemed by the blood of the Lamb to work hard every day to be becoming more and more like Him (and less and less like satan and the world!).
-BECAUSE of Whose we are, we do not need to live in fear. God knows exactly what we need and when. He knows, in fact, the very number of hairs on our head at any given moment!
-It’s impossible to fully identify or even understand the great value God places on each of us.
-Because of who we are in Christ and all He did to ransom us, joyfully and proudly telling one and all that we belong to Him only makes sense, but because God is God, He will reward our faithful testimony for Him (and will be sorrowful when we don’t!).
-Jesus was very clear that this period in history is NOT one of peace. In fact, He warned over and over again that standing for Him will bring conflicts and challenges in our lives. The thing is, however, that standing for Him is THE RIGHT WAY TO LIVE—and doing so will be “paid back” throughout eternity in ways more glorious than our finite minds can even imagine.
Don’t give up! Don’t give in!
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Sunday, April 6, 2025
Praise God, it’s Sunday! Before we do anything else, let’s pray and ask God for His blessing on the day!
Things to consider praying for and doing:
-Pray for your pastor or whoever is preaching, for clarity, for accuracy, and the freedom to speak exactly what God is laying on their hearts. Pray as well for their health, strength, and well-being.
-Pray for all who God wants to be there, that nothing would interfere with them coming and once there, to listen, learn, and grow.
-Pray for all ministries of the church: Sunday School, music, ushers, greeters, nursery, offerings—everything.
-Pray for your own heart, first to be sure there is no unconfessed sin between you and God, then that you would be receptive to the Word and be able to be a blessing and encouragement to all you cross paths with.
Other things God is laying on your heart to pray for today:
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As you have opportunity during the day (or at the end of it), jot down some lessons and blessings God showed you:
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BONUS! God-honoring music is such a tremendous blessing that I thought we could use Sundays to focus on a few hymns that use “all” in them to read through (and sing, if you want!).
My Faith Looks Up to Thee (words by R. Palmer; music by L. Mason)
My faith looks up to Thee, Thou Lamb of Calvary, Savior divine! Now hear me while I pray; take all my guilt away, O let me from this day be wholly Thine!
May Thy rich grace impart strength to my fainting heart, my zeal inspire. As Thou hast died for me, O may my love to Thee pure, warm, and changeless be, a living fire!
While life’s dark maze I tread, and griefs around me spread, be Thou my guide. Bid darkness turn to day; wipe sorrow’s tears away, nor let me every stray from Thee aside.
When ends life’s transient dreams, when death’s cold sullen stream shall o’er me roll, blest Savior, then, in love fear and distrust remove, O bear me safe above, a ransomed soul!
Monday, April 7, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Proverbs 4:26-27
“Ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure. Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil.”
Background/Context:
Going back to look at Proverbs 4, I see that the entire chapter would be very beneficial in addressing “pondering the path of our feet.”
Proverbs 4 “Hear, O sons, a father’s instruction, and be attentive, that you may gain insight, for I give you good precepts; do not forsake my teaching. When I was a son with my father, tender, the only one in the sight of my mother, he taught me and said to me, “Let your heart hold fast my words; keep my commandments, and live. Get wisdom; get insight; do not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth. Do not forsake her, and she will keep you; love her, and she will guard you.
The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever you get, get insight. Prize her highly, and she will exalt you; she will honor you if you embrace her. She will place on your head a graceful garland; she will bestow on you a beautiful crown.” Hear, my son, and accept my words, that the years of your life may be many.
I have taught you the way of wisdom; I have led you in the paths of uprightness. When you walk, your step will not be hampered, and if you run, you will not stumble. Keep hold of instruction; do not let go; guard her, for she is your life.
Do not enter the path of the wicked, and do not walk in the way of the evil. Avoid it; do not go on it; turn away from it and pass on. For they cannot sleep unless they have done wrong; they are robbed of sleep unless they have made someone stumble. For they eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence. But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day. The way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know over what they stumble.
My son, be attentive to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Let them not escape from your sight; keep them within your heart. For they are life to those who find them, and healing to all their flesh. Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. Put away from you crooked speech, and put devious talk far from you. Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you. Ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure. Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil.”
-Something to Think About:
In other words, pay attention to what you’re doing! Steer clear of anything that is in opposition to God’s holy character and will—and cling to what honors Him, pleases Him, and brings Him glory.
To ponder the path of your feet is to consider your lifestyle and habits. When a child of God is living according to the principles of God’s Word, then ALL our “ways” will be sure. That is, steadfast, righteous, and faithful to God. For sure, this is strongly cautioning that paying attention to what we are thinking and doing is not something we can afford to only do once in a while. This is something we need to be vigilant about on a daily basis. And part of being vigilant daily will include feeding our hearts and heads with God’s Word in our daily personal time with God and seeking His counsel and help in prayer.
I think I appreciate, too, the reminder that following God’s path is a straight course and that deviating to the left or right (even slightly) is going to draw us to paths that are not God-honoring or helpful to us.
May God help ALL of us ponder the path of our feet so that our ways will be sure!
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Tuesday, April 8, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Philippians 4:10-14
“I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that once again you renewed your care for me. You were, in fact, concerned about me but lacked the opportunity to show it. I don’t say this out of need, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know both how to have a little, and I know how to have a lot. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being content—whether well fed or hungry, whether in abundance or in need. I am able to do all things through Him who strengthens me. Still, you did well by sharing with me in my hardship.”
-Background/Context:
Paul had received a love-gift of money from the church family in Philippi. He was grateful to them and very much appreciated their support and show of love, especially since they had not always been able to give him the financial help that they would have loved to give. But he wanted them to know that he (or any of us) wasn’t dependent on having a certain balance in his checkbook. As much as he was thankful to be the recipient of their kindness, God had shown him that contentment doesn’t depend on “things.” Contentment is a matter of relying on God’s strength. And in HIS strength, he could do anything—including be content, whatever the circumstances.
-Something to Think About:
Sometimes we make the mistake of promising to make changes in our lives, but then proceed to try to tackle it in our own strength. The problem with that is that our strength is as weak as you can get! BUT, when we rely on Christ’s strength – by obeying what His Word tells us to do – the strength He gives us becomes limitless. The difference between success and failure is our focus. If it is on ourselves, we will fail; if it is on what HE wants us to do and be (and have), we will succeed.
Look ahead to verse 19. It is a wonderful verse of exciting promise and hope:
“And my God WILL meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” Wow. Who could promise more than that!
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Wednesday, April 9, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read 2 Kings 18:1-7
“In the third year of Hoshea son of Elah, king of Israel, Hezekiah the son of Ahaz, king of Judah, began to reign. He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Abi the daughter of Zechariah. And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, according to all that David his father had done. He removed the high places and broke the pillars and cut down the Asherah. And he broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the people of Israel had made offerings to it (it was called Nehushtan). He trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel, so that there was none like him among all the kings of Judah after him, nor among those who were before him. For he held fast to the LORD. He did not depart from following him, but kept the commandments that the LORD commanded Moses. And the LORD was with him; wherever he went out, he prospered. He rebelled against the king of Assyria and would not serve him.”
-Background/Context:
These verses give us an idea about what kind of man King Hezekiah was. First, he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord (v.3). We’ve noted many times that what is “right” is what GOD says is right. He also obeyed God by removing everything that wasn’t for worshiping God, or in the way God said He wanted to be worshiped (v.4). Verse 5 tells us that Hezekiah trusted in the Lord. He held fast to the Lord and did not stop following Him (v.6). When Hezekiah was facing a great threat, he turned to God’s prophet and prayed to God for help personally (19:1-2; 14-19). In other words, Hezekiah was one of the very rare kings who did things the way God said to do them!
-Something to Think About:
Did you know that all these centuries later, it is STILL quite difficult to find a believer who does things the way God wants them done? A child of God who does right according to God’s standard of right, who worships God the way God wants to be worshiped, who trusts God, who obeys Him, and who turns TO God in times of distress, and not away from Him?
But YOU can be that extraordinary Christian in a time of pervasive mediocrity! You can determine to live for God—even if you are the only one! You can live your entire life to God’s glory, rejoicing that God is pleased with your life.
The result is found in verse 7. “The LORD was with him.” I want the Lord to be with me, don’t you? I want His blessing – and – His smile of approval, don’t you? I want to hear Him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant!” don’t you?
It all begins with doing what is right in GOD’S eyes.
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Thursday, April 10, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Psalm 103:1-5
“Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”
-Background/Context:
Some commentators suggest that Psalm 103 is David’s praise to God for answering prayer requests made in Psalm 102.
Psalm 103 is all about praising and gratitude and makes no requests of God. It is the inspiration behind H. F. Lyte’s hymn, “Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven.”
-Something to Think About:
Why does David say that he praises God with his entire body and soul? Well, the entire Psalm lists several reasons, but the first five verses printed out for us today give some great ones!
-God gives countless “benefits.” This has to do with the many gifts God gives as well as the blessings granted on a daily basis.
-God forgives sin! Can you even IMAGINE what life would be like if God held grudges or refused to forgive sin until we were “punished enough”!
-God heals diseases. This isn’t necessarily addressing only physical challenges, but mental, emotional, and spiritual ones as well. We do need, however, to be aware that we cannot ever equate God’s love with health and wealth in the Church Age. God DID promise health, long life, and financial blessings to the Jews in the Old Testament when they were living in obedience to His Word, but even then, God’s love was never contingent on anything people do or don’t do, it’s guaranteed because HE promised to love—and God always keeps His promises. Bringing it to today, we can KNOW that God’s love for us is steady, secure, and eternal—even if we have chronic health conditions, we are living off food stamps, or all our family has disowned us. Bringing it to “God heals diseases,” God can help us to live victoriously, faithfully, and joyfully in the midst of sickness, poverty, and rejection when our eyes are fixed on Him and His faithfulness.
-God redeems our life from the pit. The pit refers to Sheol, the place of the dead. Only those who trust in Jesus as Savior will dwell in God’s presence for all of eternity. Those who do not are condemned to spending eternity in the Lake of Fire because of our sin.
-God SURROUNDS us with His tender love, covenant loyalty, and mercy (hesed).
-God SATISFIES. He alone provides true needs and gives true direction in life. Following His path keeps us strong and energetic spiritually (and gives us “enough” physically, too!).
I encourage you to read more from Psalm 103 and list more of the wonderful reasons to bless the Lord with all that is within you!
BONUS:
Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven
Praise, my soul, the King of heaven. To His feet thy tribute bring. Ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven, evermore His praises sing. Alleluia! Alleluia! Praise the everlasting King!
Father-like, He tends and spares us; well our feeble frame He knows. In His hands He gently bears us, rescues us from all our foes. Alleluia! Alleluia! Widely yet His mercy flows.
Angels in the height adore Him; ye behold Him face to face. Saints triumphant, bow before Him, gathered in from every race. Alleluia! Alleluia! Praise with us the God of grace.
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Friday, April 11, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Ephesians 3:21
“To him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”
-Background/Context:
Paul wrote this letter to the churches in the Ephesus area around 60 A.D. He wrote it from Rome.
Paul wanted to teach just what the grace of God was all about (especially in regard to all we are in Christ and because of Him), then how it impacts not only who we are, but our attitudes and actions. The book concludes with the famous Christian soldier passage in chapter 6.
You can read about Paul’s time in the area of Ephesus in Acts 18-20.
-Something to Think About:
Have you ever given thought to the generations yet to come who will be the ones running and serving in local churches? Have you considered specifically YOUR family members, perhaps yet to be born, as the ones teaching Sunday school, singing in the choir, serving as deacons, or even being called by God to pastor?
I think it’s both an exciting prospect—and maybe a bit daunting. I mean, as adults, we understand the dangers and pitfalls the world poses around us (as well as our own sin natures within us). We know that it’s no cakewalk to stay faithful to the Lord. I’m also fairly confident that most of us are hoping that the Rapture occurs in our lifetime (and that all our loved ones are saved before it happens!).
But, if God’s timetable for ending the Church Age is still a ways out, how can we help our children, grandchildren, and others stay faithful to God and to bring glory to Christ Jesus regardless of how terrible our world gets? Certainly, prayer. Not that prayer is the magic that makes everything the way we want, rather that the One we pray to is ABLE. In fact, the verse before today’s focus verse says this: “Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us.”
We are not “able,” our loved ones are not “able,” but God sure is! In fact, Ephesians 3:20 brings tremendous encouragement that God is able to do the least—and the most— “FAR MORE abundantly that we can even ask or think!”. How does He work in our hearts and lives, though? The verse answers this by saying “according to the power at work within us.” What power? HIS power—the power of the Indwelling Holy Spirit.
Just as Jesus stood up against satan’s attacks in the wilderness when He was literally starving, we have the strength of the Holy Spirit and the direction and instruction of the Word of God to help us to do the will of the Father and to live wholeheartedly for Him. And so do however many generations follow us.
Pray—and stay faithful yourself. BE the godly Christians you are hoping future generations will become.
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Saturday, April 12, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Matthew 21:1-11
“Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will send them at once.” This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying,
“Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’”
The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them. Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?” And the crowds said, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.”
-Background/Context:
-Bethphage was probably located on the eastern slope of the Mount of Olives between Bethany and Jerusalem.
-This event was prophesied in the Book of Zechariah (chapter 9). In fact, multiple facets of the entire crucifixion/resurrection are fulfillments of Old Testament prophecies.
-This is the only mention of Jesus riding anything. Riding into the city was an announcement that He was, indeed, the King. However, Jesus was coming in peace here (that’s why He was on a donkey). Later (Revelation 19), He will return on a war horse (at the end of the Tribulation Period).
-Hosanna means “save us now!”.
-Jesus has entered Jerusalem for the last time before being crucified. What emotions He must have experienced that day!
-The crowds recognized Jesus as a prophet and that He was from Nazareth, but very few recognized Who He truly was: Son of God and the Savior of mankind. (The crowds were in Jerusalem to celebrate Passover. There could have easily been 3,000,000 people in (and around) the city for Passover.)
-You can read about this event also in Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:28-42; and John 12:12-14.
-Something to Think About:
Have you ever been part of a huge crowd of people who are super excited about something that’s about to happen? There’s just something infectious and exciting in the very air. Furthermore, the anticipation and exhilaration the group feels is contagious—and before you know it, everyone has smiles on their faces and are eager for what’s next.
Can you IMAGINE what it must have been like that day in Jerusalem? People young and old were lining the streets, outer garments and palm branches were thrown down in front of Jesus, the crowds were shouting praise. . . Wow. What joy there must have been!
Even though the crowd that day was super excited and seemingly supportive of Jesus coming to Jerusalem, just a few days later they would just as enthusiastically shout, “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!. Sad. And troubling.
Did you know that there is coming a day when you and I will be rejoicing greatly that Jesus is entering Jerusalem? We will be there as glorified saints, HE will be there to, at last, reign as King of kings and Lord of lords in Jerusalem (this occurs at the end of the Tribulation and the beginning of the Millennium—so seven years from the starting point of the Rapture). If anyone in attendance that day in Matthew 21 were also to be present at the one we get to attend, the joy, shouts of victory, and praise of the Son of David Who comes in the name of the Lord could not even begin to be compared. Maybe even more than that, I think of the scenes in Heaven where Jesus is praised by myriads and myriads—ALL who know exactly Who He is and ALL who give Him all praise, glory, and honor. How exciting these times of celebration will be—and how grateful we should be every single day that we will get to be a part of them – ALL because of what Jesus did for us – beginning that day He entered Jerusalem on a donkey in order to be killed to secure our eternal salvation. The crowds on that day in Matthew 21 were shouting, “Save, we pray!” but, we will be shouting, “Thank You for saving us!” And you know what? We can start in today—right now.
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Sunday, April 13, 2025
Praise God, it’s Sunday! Before we do anything else, let’s pray and ask God for His blessing on the day!
Things to consider praying for and doing:
-Pray for your pastor or whoever is preaching, for clarity, for accuracy, and the freedom to speak exactly what God is laying on their hearts. Pray as well for their health, strength, and well-being.
-Pray for all who God wants to be there, that nothing would interfere with them coming and once there, to listen, learn, and grow.
-Pray for all ministries of the church: Sunday School, music, ushers, greeters, nursery, offerings—everything.
-Pray for your own heart, first to be sure there is no unconfessed sin between you and God, then that you would be receptive to the Word and be able to be a blessing and encouragement to all you cross paths with.
Other things God is laying on your heart to pray for today:
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As you have opportunity during the day (or at the end of it), jot down some lessons and blessings God showed you:
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BONUS! God-honoring music is such a tremendous blessing that I thought we could use Sundays to focus on a few hymns that use “all” in them to read through (and sing, if you want!).
When I Survey the Wondrous Cross (words by I. Watts; music by L. Mason)
When I survey the wondrous cross on which the Prince of glory died, my richest gain I count but loss and pour contempt on all my pride.
Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast, save in the death of Christ my God; all the vain things that charm me most—I sacrifice them to His blood.
See, from His head, His hands, His feet, sorrow and love flow mingled down; did e’re such love and sorrow meet or thorn compose so rich a crown?
Were the whole realm of nature mine, that were a present far too small; love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, may all.
Monday, April 14, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Matthew 26:1-19
“When Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said to his disciples, “You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified.” Then the chief priests and the elders of the people gathered in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, and plotted together in order to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him. But they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar among the people.”
Now when Jesus was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, a woman came up to him with an alabaster flask of very expensive ointment, and she poured it on his head as he reclined at table. And when the disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, “Why this waste? For this could have been sold for a large sum and given to the poor.” But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a beautiful thing to me. For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me. In pouring this ointment on my body, she has done it to prepare me for burial. Truly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.”
Then one of the twelve, whose name was Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, “What will you give me if I deliver him over to you?” And they paid him thirty pieces of silver. And from that moment he sought an opportunity to betray him.
Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Where will you have us prepare for you to eat the Passover?” He said, “Go into the city to a certain man and say to him, ‘The Teacher says, My time is at hand. I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples.’” And the disciples did as Jesus had directed them, and they prepared the Passover.”
-Background/Context:
-The “all these sayings” mentioned in verse 1 includes all Jesus taught since entering Jerusalem for the Triumphal Entry (Matthew 21). It also includes Matthew chapters 24 and 25, material that is known as the Olivet Discourse.
-Today’s passage occurs just a few days before Jesus’ arrest, crucifixion, and death. His three plus years of ministry while on earth was coming to a close.
-That the Passover was imminent was incredibly significant. The command to sacrifice a perfect lamb on Passover established in Exodus 15 was a very powerful foreshadowing, a picture, of what Jesus Christ, the perfect Son of God, was about to do on the behalf of all sinful humans.
-Multiple times during Jesus’ ministry, He stated that His “time” was not at hand. Here, however, He says that it IS at hand. He was speaking about fulfilling the mission the Father sent Him to do: paying the price for sin that you and I could never have done for ourselves.
-Something to Think About:
In this lull before the storm, we read about two actions of two people that are quite opposite. Judas Iscariot determined to betray Jesus to the Religious leaders for a price of thirty pieces of silver. It seems like he had been stealing from the money bag that Jesus and the apostles were living off of. The thirty pieces of silver might have been to pay back what was stolen before it was noticed. We find that once Judas had followed through and Jesus was arrested that he felt so very sick at heart—that he killed himself. What a horrible and sad tale of one who let money become an idol to his heart.
The other action is as lovely as the first was despicable. The woman who anointed Jesus did it out of love, devotion, and sacrifice. Jesus Himself said that it was a “beautiful thing.” It’s unclear if the woman knew Jesus was about to die and so she was anointing Him with oil while she could still do it personally or not, but Jesus took it that way—and it was a blessing to Him. It was such a big deal, in fact, that He proclaimed that it would be remembered for generations to come—and you and I are, in fact, reading about it some 2,000 years later. (John 12 identifies this woman as Mary, sister of Martha and Lazarus).
Of course, we are ALSO reading about Judas’ betrayal 2,000 years later—and about his remorse. I think that this is a powerful reminder that the things we do each day MATTER. None of us know how much more time we have on earth before being called home. None of us know what actions we have done we will be remembered for. My prayer is that it is similar to Mary’s, actions that display my love and gratitude toward my Lord and Savior!
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Tuesday, April 15, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Matthew 26:20-46
“When it was evening, he reclined at table with the twelve. And as they were eating, he said, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” And they were very sorrowful and began to say to him one after another, “Is it I, Lord?” He answered, “He who has dipped his hand in the dish with me will betray me. The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.” Judas, who would betray him, answered, “Is it I, Rabbi?” He said to him, “You have said so.”
Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”
And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. Then Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away because of me this night. For it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.” Peter answered him, “Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away.” Jesus said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” Peter said to him, “Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you!” And all the disciples said the same.
Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.” And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.” And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, “So, could you not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.” And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. So, leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words again. Then he came to the disciples and said to them, “Sleep and take your rest later on. See, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.”
-Background/Context:
-Additional details and information about this passage can be found in the other gospels: Mark 14:17-42, Luke 22:14-46, and John 13:21-30, 36-38; 18:1.
-It’s impossible to read this passage without sensing the confusion, the sorrow, and the fear of the disciples, but also the deep love Jesus has for the Father (and us!) that caused Him to commit fully to the Father’s will despite the great personal sacrifice involved.
-Despite knowing that Jesus knew of his imminent betrayal, Judas carried out his plan. The other gospels mention that he left the group at the end of the meal and before everyone traveled to the Garden of Gethsemane.
-Peter was not the only one to swear that he would not abandon Jesus. All the disciples also made this promise. Nonetheless, they all ended up scattering when the soldiers arrested Him.
-Jesus understood them. He understood their confusion, their sorrow, their desire to be loyal, yet inability to do so, and even their need for sleep. His #1 reminder to them? Pray!
-Something to Think About:
There is so much of significance here! I want to focus on the time in the Garden of Gethsemane, though. Did I ever tell you that I was there? I was privileged to be part of a Holy Land trip with many other believers in 1983 which changed my life forever. The Garden Tomb, most especially, was a place of such joy, just contemplating what Jesus did for me in His death, burial, and resurrection! SO amazing.
That night just before His arrest, however, couldn’t have been harder on Jesus—and on His disciples. We’ve seen repeatedly that they didn’t really know all that Jesus was talking about—and they sure didn’t understand how He could be killed as He had warned them would happen. None of it made sense.
Luke (22:43-44) tells us that Jesus’ anguish was so great during those prayers to the Father that sweat drops fell off of Him like blood and that an angel was sent to minister to Him. Other accounts also mention that one of the reasons that Peter, James, and John couldn’t stay awake as Jesus asked, was because of their deep sorrow.
Again, I say, what a night! The tension must have been palpable. All of creation has been waiting for this event from the point sin entered the world—and satan was fighting with everything he had to try to ruin God’s plan for your redemption and mine. Here’s the thing, though, God’s plan CANNOT be thwarted. And even though it caused incredible hardship and pain for Himself and Jesus to be at odds while Jesus bore our sin, and even though Jesus endured indescribable suffering physically before His death, and even though the disciples had some horrendous days and hours, it was all necessary to create a way for sin to be paid for so that those who trust in Jesus as their Savior can live with God for all of eternity. It was necessary, so God got it done.
So, what about some takeaways and applications? Certainly, praise and gratitude to God! Sharing the great news of salvation with others ought to be a priority as well. But, I actually think a biggie from this passage is the reminder of the importance of prayer. Jesus reminded His disciples to pray and He Himself agonized in prayer, finding comfort and direction in doing so. We, too, ought to follow Jesus’ example and pray often, pray intensely, and pray purposefully (avoiding meaningless phrases and generalizations that, in the end, don’t really mean much). God hears, God cares, God answers.
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Wednesday, April 16, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Matthew 26:47-75
“While he was still speaking, Judas came, one of the twelve, and with him a great crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the elders of the people. Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “The one I will kiss is the man; seize him.” And he came up to Jesus at once and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” And he kissed him. Jesus said to him, “Friend, do what you came to do.” Then they came up and laid hands on Jesus and seized him. And behold, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear. Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword. Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?” At that hour Jesus said to the crowds, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to capture me? Day after day I sat in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me. But all this has taken place that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples left him and fled.
Then those who had seized Jesus led him to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders had gathered. And Peter was following him at a distance, as far as the courtyard of the high priest, and going inside he sat with the guards to see the end. Now the chief priests and the whole council were seeking false testimony against Jesus that they might put him to death, but they found none, though many false witnesses came forward. At last two came forward and said, “This man said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to rebuild it in three days.’” And the high priest stood up and said, “Have you no answer to make? What is it that these men testify against you?” But Jesus remained silent. And the high priest said to him, “I adjure you by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.” Jesus said to him, “You have said so. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.” Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “He has uttered blasphemy. What further witnesses do we need? You have now heard his blasphemy. What is your judgment?” They answered, “He deserves death.” Then they spit in his face and struck him. And some slapped him, saying, “Prophesy to us, you Christ! Who is it that struck you?”
Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came up to him and said, “You also were with Jesus the Galilean.” But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you mean.” And when he went out to the entrance, another servant girl saw him, and she said to the bystanders, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.” And again he denied it with an oath: “I do not know the man.” After a little while the bystanders came up and said to Peter, “Certainly you too are one of them, for your accent betrays you.” Then he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, “I do not know the man.” And immediately the rooster crowed. And Peter remembered the saying of Jesus, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.”
-Background/Context:
-Read what the other Gospel writers said about this section: Mark 14:43-72; Luke 22:47-71; John 18:3-27.
-Although the Religious leaders could have arrested Jesus at any time, they chose to be sneaks and cowards, not only bringing all sorts of unnecessary soldiers and weapons, but coming at night.
-Judas’ betrayal was especially hurtful because he did so by means of a kiss. Even knowing what Judas was doing, Jesus still loved him and called him, “Friend.”
-It was Peter who drew a sword to defend Jesus. I don’t think the apostles normally carried weapons, so they must have all been on edge after Jesus’ repeated warnings about what was about to take place. Their emotions would have been very high.
-If needed, Jesus could have called 72,000 angels to come to His aid (“twelve legions”)! He did not, because everything happening was Scripture prophecy being fulfilled before their very eyes.
-As Jesus knew would happen, ALL the disciples fled for fear.
-Everything about the trials was illegal and underhanded. It was lies and treachery, YET, it was fulfilling prophecy.
-Something to Think About:
Now that I’m in my 60s, I can recount more than one occasion in my life where my adrenaline was incredibly high and my emotions were in great turmoil. Although there were several, let’s say, “challenges,” while a teenager, one stands out in my mind as being especially traumatic.
I’ll spare you all the details, but the youth leader and a few of the teen boys pulled a prank on the rest of us one evening when we were all hanging out at the youth leader’s home. The prank left me very traumatized. They had gone out squirrel hunting (in the dark!), which really didn’t seem all that wise to me, so when they rushed back in a panic carrying one of the boys (a close friend of mine), shouting to get help because he was shot, my worst fears were confirmed and my adrenaline spiked past the red line. Having some first-aid training, I jumped into action, sprinting up the stairs to grab some clean towels to hold against the wound to stop the bleeding. As I was sprinting back down the stairs with towels, I heard laughing and someone saying, “Did you see her face!!!” I then realized that it was all a joke—and I was MORTIFIED. I did the only thing I could think of, I hid in a closet in an empty room (my heart STILL pounding like crazy), waiting until the coast was clear, then walked home.
I tell you all that to tell you that I feel REALLY bad for Peter during Jesus’ arrest, his running away from the scene, then panicking when identified by several people around the fire. I’m sure he was exhausted, grieving, and TERRIFIED. Poor Peter. I understand the bitter tears after the rooster crowed. I suspect the whole night was an exceedingly painful memory to him the rest of his life.
But, this is not the whole picture. Why, you ask? Luke 22:31-32 is a short clip of Jesus speaking with Peter before any of this happened. He told him that satan wanted to sift him like wheat, but that He Himself would be praying for Peter to not only make it through the upcoming trials he would face, but that once he got on the other side, that Peter would stand tall for the Lord and teach and preach with his whole heart (and Peter did just that).
There are several important things to meditate over in all of this, but I guess I wanted to offer you the comfort and assurance that Jesus is currently praying for YOU. He is probably doing a ton of things in Heaven just now. A few that we know about include preparing the place where Church Age saints will reside once they get to Heaven AND He is interceding on our behalf to the Father when we pray (Romans 8:34: Hebrews 7:22-25; I John 2:1). Isn’t that incredible? We will all face challenges, temptations, and hardships while on this earth, but Jesus is praying for us – and He will help us be faithful and victorious. Amen! Praise the Lord!
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Thursday, April 17, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Matthew 27:1-44
“When morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death. And they bound him and led him away and delivered him over to Pilate the governor.
Then when Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus was condemned, he changed his mind and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders, saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” They said, “What is that to us? See to it yourself.” And throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple, he departed, and he went and hanged himself. But the chief priests, taking the pieces of silver, said, “It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, since it is blood money.” So they took counsel and bought with them the potter’s field as a burial place for strangers. Therefore that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day. Then was fulfilled what had been spoken by the prophet Jeremiah, saying, “And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him on whom a price had been set by some of the sons of Israel, and they gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord directed me.”
Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus said, “You have said so.” But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he gave no answer. Then Pilate said to him, “Do you not hear how many things they testify against you?” But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed.
Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release for the crowd any one prisoner whom they wanted. And they had then a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. So when they had gathered, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?” For he knew that it was out of envy that they had delivered him up. Besides, while he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, “Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered much because of him today in a dream.” Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus. The governor again said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” And they said, “Barabbas.” Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They all said, “Let him be crucified!” And he said, “Why? What evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Let him be crucified!”
So when Pilate saw that he was gaining nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood; see to it yourselves.” And all the people answered, “His blood be on us and on our children!” Then he released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, delivered him to be crucified.
Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor’s headquarters, and they gathered the whole battalion before him. And they stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they spit on him and took the reed and struck him on the head. And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him and led him away to crucify him.
As they went out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. They compelled this man to carry his cross. And when they came to a place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull), they offered him wine to drink, mixed with gall, but when he tasted it, he would not drink it. And when they had crucified him, they divided his garments among them by casting lots. Then they sat down and kept watch over him there. And over his head they put the charge against him, which read, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.” Then two robbers were crucified with him, one on the right and one on the left. And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads and saying, “You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” So also the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked him, saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him. For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” And the robbers who were crucified with him also reviled him in the same way.”
-Background/Context:
-Additional details of this portion of Scripture can be found in Mark 15, Luke 23, and John 18.
-The Jews could not sentence someone to death, because they were occupied by the Roman military and the Roman imperial government. They needed the Roman authorities to do it.
-It was Roman custom to release a prisoner each year during this feast, but the people would not consider releasing an actual evil criminal, having been riled up by the Religious leaders.
-Cyrene was a city in northern Africa that was populated by many Jews.
-The crossbeam was the part of the cross the condemned were made to carry. The upright post would have already been in place where the crucifixion would take place.
-Golgotha would have been outside the city gates. It was near cliffs with depressions in the rock that made it appear skull-like, thus the name.
-There is much irony in what the soldiers did, what people said, and the sign placed over Jesus’ head. He WAS the Son of God, He WAS able to save Himself, He WAS the King of the Jews.
-Something to Think About:
Our word “all” comes up quite a bit in this passage—and it’s all for negative reasons. Basically, all the people were ganging up together to make sure that Jesus was not only killed, but treated as cruelly as possible first. What a sad, sad day! You see, these were the very people Jesus created and these were the very people He had come to, to offer eternal life to them. But as a nation and as individuals that day, they rejected Him.
So, while groups of people often band together for something horrific (none more so than today’s example), groups of people can ALSO band together for something wonderful. And, dear one, as fellow members of the family of God, we are members of the Universal Church (the group of all believers from the coming of the indwelling Spirit of God [Acts chapter 2] to the Rapture), and (prayerfully) members of a local church body, WE can band together to honor God. To glorify God. To obey God. To live faithfully for God. To praise God. To tell others what Jesus did for all mankind. To show biblical love to one and all. To “do good.” To encourage other believers. To edify and build up other believers in the things of the Lord. To meditate on God’s Word, memorize it, and share it with EVERYONE. To pray, trusting and believing, without ceasing. And so much more.
All humans are kind of in one camp or the other. The camp who fights God or the camp who fellowships with Him. Where do you fit? Where do your loved ones fit?
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Friday, April 18, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Matthew 27:45-66
“Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” And some of the bystanders, hearing it, said, “This man is calling Elijah.” And one of them at once ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine, and put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink. But the others said, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.” And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit.
And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many. When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!”
There were also many women there, looking on from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to him, among whom were Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Joseph and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.
When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who also was a disciple of Jesus. He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen shroud and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had cut in the rock. And he rolled a great stone to the entrance of the tomb and went away. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb.
The next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate and said, “Sir, we remember how that impostor said, while he was still alive, ‘After three days I will rise.’ Therefore order the tomb to be made secure until the third day, lest his disciples go and steal him away and tell the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,’ and the last fraud will be worse than the first.” Pilate said to them, “You have a guard of soldiers. Go, make it as secure as you can.” So they went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and setting a guard.”
-Background/Context:
-Read more in Mark 15:33-47; Luke 23:44-56; John 19:28-42.
-The time mentioned was noon to 3pm (Jesus was nailed to the cross around 9am). Darkness reigned over the land because of the hideousness of sin that was being punished upon the Savior’s shoulders.
-The point where Jesus cried out is when God the Father had to turn His back on His Son because He carried our sin.
-The Temple curtain being torn signifies new open access to God the Father for those who are His children. For the Hebrew people, only the high priest could access the Holy of Holies once a year, but since Christ’s return to Heaven, all who belong to God can come to His throne room at any time in prayer because of Jesus’ work on Calvary.
-All creation reacted to its Creator’s death.
-Scripture is clear that Jesus gave up His spirit, that is, He allowed Himself to die. No human can kill God. Jesus died so that you and I can live.
-Nicodemus joined Joseph of Arimathea in preparing Jesus’ body for burial.
-The two Marys did not stay at the tomb overnight since the Law commanded all Jews to prepare themselves for the Sabbath.
-The Religious leaders stayed underhanded and despicable even after Jesus’ death.
-Something to Think About:
Did you notice that although Jesus’ disciples ran off when He was arrested, several women seemed to have stayed near Him the whole time—including when His body was taken to the tomb? Nothing is said about them being there when Jesus was arrested (though, it doesn’t say they weren’t), but they ARE there while He is hanging on the cross.
And they saw EVERYTHING (all!).
Can you even begin to imagine!
Between the four gospels, several women are named, but other unnamed women seem to have also been there. Jesus’ mother being there makes sense (though, who can even imagine the pain she must have felt!), but Mary Magdalene, out of whom Jesus had cast demons, was there the whole time as well. We also know that Mary’s sister, Salome (mother to James and John), was there. Do you think their presence was a comfort to Jesus? I’m certain it was!
How I thank God for the faithful women in our churches! Having godly men pastor, teach, and lead is ESSENTIAL to a God-honoring and pleasing church family, but we should never take for granted the women who labor for the Lord and for the people endlessly, quietly, and more often than not, at great personal sacrifice.
Thank you to the teachers and leaders! To the nursery workers! To the musicians and singers! To the kitchen workers! To the church cleaners and neateners! Thank you to those who deliver food! Who act as taxi drivers! Who show love and attention to the elderly and homebound! Thank you to those who make praying for one another a huge priority! Thank you if you’re one of those who go around on Sundays and Wednesdays to dispense hugs and smiles! Thank you to those who have card ministries! Thank you to those who sneak money and gifts to others to be a blessing! Thank you to everyone who loves the Lord wholeheartedly and seeks to bring Him honor and glory in all you do day after day, year after year!
I don’t always see all of you (though I try!), BUT God does. God sees—and you are bringing Him much joy! Keep on keeping on!
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Saturday, April 19, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Matthew 28:1-15
“Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.” So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.”
While they were going, behold, some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests all that had taken place. And when they had assembled with the elders and taken counsel, they gave a sufficient sum of money to the soldiers and said, “Tell people, ‘His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ And if this comes to the governor’s ears, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” So they took the money and did as they were directed. And this story has been spread among the Jews to this day.”
-Background/Context:
-Read additional information about this in Mark 16:1-8, Luke 24:1-12, and John 20:1-18.
-It is because Jesus was resurrected on a Sunday morning that we have our church services on Sundays. Jews continue to observe Saturday as their Sabbath.
-One study guide pointed out that an angel was used to announce the birth of the Messiah, now another has come to announce His resurrection. I wonder if it could have been Gabriel that glorious Resurrection Sunday?
-The guards put in place to not allow anyone to tamper with the tomb were terrified to the point of unconsciousness, but the women, though initially afraid, were enabled to recognize the spectacular miracle that had happened, “just as Jesus had said.”
-Women faithfully followed Jesus throughout His ministry to help Him as they could, women stood nearby while He suffered on the cross, women came the first minute they were allowed to leave their home to lovingly take care of His body, and women were the first to see the resurrected Lord. What an incredible privilege and joy!
-Meanwhile, sin still remains in human hearts and the Religious leaders continued in their deception by lying to everyone about what happened.
-Something to Think About:
The word “all” occurs in verse 11, “While they were going, behold, some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests all that had taken place.”
It is a sad fact that the chief priests and elders—even after hearing about the supernatural earthquake, the angel rolling away the stone—decided to bribe the guards and to begin a lie. The guards were complicit in the lie, which was that they fell asleep and Jesus’s disciples came and stole the dead body. Matthew records that this lie spread widely among the Jews and was still known a long time later.
One obvious application is to be mighty careful about what we say. It’s human nature to color our words so that we look a bit better and whoever we’re talking about looks bad, wrong, or otherwise unacceptable. This is never the right thing to do, but we need to show even more caution when “quoting” Scripture or telling someone that something is what God wants. Oh, for sure, we need to share God’s Word and share what pleases and displeases God, but we need to be sure we are repeating what HE said—without adding something not there or leaving out something that is. This would be a good argument for Scripture memorization, but I think the chief point is to be careful to be accurate and, if not certain, say so. Perhaps something like, “As I understand it, this is what the Bible says. . .”, with encouragement for them to research it for themselves.
A second obvious application is to pause and praise God that you and I know THE TRUTH. Jesus DID return to life, Jesus DID pay the price that sin demanded. Jesus DID defeat sin, satan, and death. ALL those who trust in Jesus as their Savior from their sin WILL, like Mary and these other ladies, see Jesus face to face so that we, too, can fall at His feet to worship Him, thank Him, and praise Him.
Have a MOST glorious Resurrection celebration! He is alive! Amen! Hallelujah!
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Sunday, April 20, 2025
Praise God, it’s Sunday! Before we do anything else, let’s pray and ask God for His blessing on the day!
Things to consider praying for and doing:
-Pray for your pastor or whoever is preaching, for clarity, for accuracy, and the freedom to speak exactly what God is laying on their hearts. Pray as well for their health, strength, and well-being.
-Pray for all who God wants to be there, that nothing would interfere with them coming and once there, to listen, learn, and grow.
-Pray for all ministries of the church: Sunday School, music, ushers, greeters, nursery, offerings—everything.
-Pray for your own heart, first to be sure there is no unconfessed sin between you and God, then that you would be receptive to the Word and be able to be a blessing and encouragement to all you cross paths with.
Other things God is laying on your heart to pray for today:
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As you have opportunity during the day (or at the end of it), jot down some lessons and blessings God showed you:
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BONUS! God-honoring music is such a tremendous blessing that I thought we could use Sundays to focus on a few hymns that use “all” in them to read through (and sing, if you want!).
Christ the Lord is Risen Today (words by C. Wesley; music by L. Davidica)
Christ the Lord is ris’n today, Alleluia! Sons of me and angles say: Alleluia! Raise your joys and triumph high, Alleluia! Sing, ye heav’ns and earth reply: Alleluia!
Lives again our glorious King, Alleluia! Where, O death, is now thy sting? Alleluia! Dying once He all doth save, Alleluia! Where thy victory, O grave? Alleluia!
Love’s redeeming work is done, Alleluia! Fought the fight, the battle won, Alleluia! Death in vain forbids Him rise, Alleluia! Christ has opened Paradise, Alleluia!
Soar we now where Christ has led, Alleluia! Following our exalted Head, Alleluia! Made like Him, like Him we rise, Alleluia! Ours the cross, the grave, the skies, Alleluia!
Monday, April 21, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Psalm 9:1-2
“I will thank the Lord with all my heart; I will declare all your wondrous works. I will rejoice and boast about you; I will sing about your name, Most High.” (NLT)
-Background/Context:
David is the author of this psalm. Did you know that at least 73 psalms are attributed to David? Obviously, writing songs and poetry was a very important part of David’s entire life!
Psalm 9 is about giving praise to God as a just and righteous Judge.
-Something to Think About:
There are actually a fair number of psalms that have words to the effect, “I will thank the Lord with ALL my heart,” and I think that this sentiment is something that all children of God should express every single day in their thoughts, words, labors, goals, and general attitude. God is DEFINITELY worthy of praise and glory with ALL our hearts!
I actually hunted down the NLT translation of verse 2 because I liked the word “boast” in it (other translations say exult). When I saw it, I was thinking that we sure boast about a lot of things, and if we’re being really honest, they mostly have to do with something that is self-focused (even boasting about a cute grandchild reflects somewhat on ourselves!).
What do we boast about? Conquering some insane deadline, losing a few pounds, finding a great deal on something we purchased, the color of our car, the nice things someone said about us, that we managed to get out of bed that morning. . . a million things! Now, I’m sure not saying all boasting is wrong. We can (and should) recount the many blessings God gives to us day after day, moment by moment. And it is okay to “take pride in our work” – meaning, to do the very best we can for the honor of Lord. But the problem with boasting is taking credit and elevating OUR cleverness or ability—when we know full well that ALL good gifts are from our Father in heaven and the ability to do even the tiniest good thing is from His hand.
That aside, what if we were to all put as much effort into boasting about the Lord as we do when we’re trying to look good to others? What if, when we meet up with a bestie for coffee, instead of saying, “You’ll never guess what I did!,” we say, “You’ll never guess what my Lord did!”?
Think about it. Pray about it. What’s the first boast that comes to mind? Start a list!
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Tuesday, April 22, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read I Samuel 30:6
“And David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because all the people were bitter in soul, each for his sons and daughters. But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God.”
-Background/Context:
Although lengthy, here’s the entire chapter of I Samuel 30 so you can read the whole story.
1 Samuel 30 “Now when David and his men came to Ziklag on the third day, the Amalekites had made a raid against the Negeb and against Ziklag. They had overcome Ziklag and burned it with fire and taken captive the women and all who were in it, both small and great. They killed no one, but carried them off and went their way. And when David and his men came to the city, they found it burned with fire, and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive. Then David and the people who were with him raised their voices and wept until they had no more strength to weep. David’s two wives also had been taken captive, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel. And David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because all the people were bitter in soul, each for his sons and daughters. But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God.
And David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, “Bring me the ephod.” So Abiathar brought the ephod to David. And David inquired of the LORD, “Shall I pursue after this band? Shall I overtake them?” He answered him, “Pursue, for you shall surely overtake and shall surely rescue.” So David set out, and the six hundred men who were with him, and they came to the brook Besor, where those who were left behind stayed. But David pursued, he and four hundred men. Two hundred stayed behind, who were too exhausted to cross the brook Besor.
They found an Egyptian in the open country and brought him to David. And they gave him bread and he ate. They gave him water to drink, and they gave him a piece of a cake of figs and two clusters of raisins. And when he had eaten, his spirit revived, for he had not eaten bread or drunk water for three days and three nights. And David said to him, “To whom do you belong? And where are you from?” He said, “I am a young man of Egypt, servant to an Amalekite, and my master left me behind because I fell sick three days ago. We had made a raid against the Negeb of the Cherethites and against that which belongs to Judah and against the Negeb of Caleb, and we burned Ziklag with fire.” And David said to him, “Will you take me down to this band?” And he said, “Swear to me by God that you will not kill me or deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will take you down to this band.”
And when he had taken him down, behold, they were spread abroad over all the land, eating and drinking and dancing, because of all the great spoil they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from the land of Judah. And David struck them down from twilight until the evening of the next day, and not a man of them escaped, except four hundred young men, who mounted camels and fled. David recovered all that the Amalekites had taken, and David rescued his two wives. Nothing was missing, whether small or great, sons or daughters, spoil or anything that had been taken. David brought back all. David also captured all the flocks and herds, and the people drove the livestock before him, and said, “This is David’s spoil.”
Then David came to the two hundred men who had been too exhausted to follow David, and who had been left at the brook Besor. And they went out to meet David and to meet the people who were with him. And when David came near to the people he greeted them. Then all the wicked and worthless fellows among the men who had gone with David said, “Because they did not go with us, we will not give them any of the spoil that we have recovered, except that each man may lead away his wife and children, and depart.” But David said, “You shall not do so, my brothers, with what the LORD has given us. He has preserved us and given into our hand the band that came against us. Who would listen to you in this matter? For as his share is who goes down into the battle, so shall his share be who stays by the baggage. They shall share alike.” And he made it a statute and a rule for Israel from that day forward to this day.
When David came to Ziklag, he sent part of the spoil to his friends, the elders of Judah, saying, “Here is a present for you from the spoil of the enemies of the LORD.” It was for those in Bethel, in Ramoth of the Negeb, in Jattir, in Aroer, in Siphmoth, in Eshtemoa, in Racal, in the cities of the Jerahmeelites, in the cities of the Kenites, in Hormah, in Bor-ashan, in Athach, in Hebron, for all the places where David and his men had roamed.”
-Something to Think About:
If you’re into highlighting or underlining meaningful verses and phrases in your Bible, “David strengthened himself in the Lord” is definitely worth noting. It was, in fact, a pivotal turning point in the story—and, perhaps, David’s whole life. Why, though? What does it mean to strengthen yourself in the Lord?
Certainly, a key here is turning the focus from your emotions and deep concern to GOD. It is focusing on what HE may want for you and from you. It’s looking at the situation from His perspective and with His goals of your spiritual good and His glory in mind. It’s accepting that you are, indeed, powerless, but with God, nothing shall be impossible. It is, as well, kneeling before the Father and saying, “Not my will, but Yours be done.”
I read in a devotional about a man who was facing an extremely dark period in his life. Not wanting to stay there, he got out a piece of paper and listed all the emotions he was facing due to the crisis: depression, discouragement, anger, confusion, and hopelessness. But he didn’t stop there. He drew a line down the middle of the paper and began listing Bible verses that provide the biblical “antidote” to the negative thoughts, feelings, and actions we humans are so prone to.
For example, opposite the word depression, he wrote out Philippians 4:6-7, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Opposite the word hopelessness, he wrote out Psalm 40:1-3, “I waited patiently for the Lord; he inclined to me and heard my cry. He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the Lord.”
What are you battling with today? What Bible verses can help you strengthen yourself in the Lord?
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Wednesday, April 23, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Deuteronomy 17:19
“And it shall be with him, and he shall read in it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the LORD his God by keeping all the words of this law and these statutes, and doing them.”
-Background/Context:
Today’s verse is part of the rules and instructions for future kings of the Israelites. Here’s the section it was taken from:
Deuteronomy 17:14-20 “When you come to the land that the LORD your God is giving you, and you possess it and dwell in it and then say, ‘I will set a king over me, like all the nations that are around me,’ you may indeed set a king over you whom the LORD your God will choose. One from among your brothers you shall set as king over you. You may not put a foreigner over you, who is not your brother. Only he must not acquire many horses for himself or cause the people to return to Egypt in order to acquire many horses, since the LORD has said to you, ‘You shall never return that way again.’ And he shall not acquire many wives for himself, lest his heart turn away, nor shall he acquire for himself excessive silver and gold.
“And when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself in a book a copy of this law, approved by the Levitical priests. And it shall be with him, and he shall read in it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the LORD his God by keeping all the words of this law and these statutes, and doing them, that his heart may not be lifted up above his brothers, and that he may not turn aside from the commandment, either to the right hand or to the left, so that he may continue long in his kingdom, he and his children, in Israel.”
-Something to Think About:
If you know about the horrible history of ungodly kings in Israel’s timeline, it might surprise you to find out that these rules for kings were given a long, long time before Saul was named the first king. In addition, God had intended for Israel to eventually have kings, the problem that developed when they insisted on a king was that the people were not waiting for God’s timing. Instead, they demanded to have one when they wanted one—and stepping out of God’s perfect timing and will ALWAYS causes trouble and heartache.
That aside, what did God say was necessary for the one chosen to rule over His people? First, that the king be one HE chose, second, that he be a Hebrew and not a foreigner. The king was not allowed to gather a large amount of horses, wives, or wealth. The Hebrew nation was NEVER to be “like” the pagan nations around them in their actions or pagan idolatry. They belonged to God – and God does things very differently from the world.
In order to keep the king thinking accurately (that is, in keeping with God’s Word), he was to write out by hand the entire book of Leviticus, then he was to read it daily and to obey it fully. Why? So that he would have a right view of God (to “fear” Him), which would then help him to obey God fully, allowing him to then rule the people with excellence.
We, of course, are not part of the Jewish nation and most of this doesn’t apply to Church Age believers. . . EXCEPT the part about reading God’s Word daily and living our lives based on what it says. THAT has always been a daily necessity for children of God—and always will be. Do you remember Luke’s comment about the people in the town of Berea? When Paul preached there, Luke noted about the people, “Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so” (Acts 17:11). Daily reading the Word of God, meditating on it, and examining it makes one “noble!”
P.S. Don’t miss that the king was to read God’s Word ALL the days of his life (for us, from salvation until we are called home to glory) and to obey ALL of it (and this is definitely true for us too—ALL of it!).
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Thursday, April 24, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Philippians 4:6-7
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
-Background/Context:
Paul is the author of this letter to the believers in Philippi. With today’s verse in mind, it should be noted that Paul wrote this letter that speaks much about rejoicing in the Lord while he himself was imprisoned.
-Something to Think About:
Sometimes it’s hard to know if we should commit a Bible verse to memory or not—or whether a specific verse is one that would be good to frame and hang on the wall. Well, Philippians 4:6-7 most definitely is a keeper! It’s stuffed full of wisdom and encouragement.
First, a command (and remember that God never gives us a command without also giving us the means to obey it). Simply stated, anxiety and worry have NO place in the life of a child of God. We have no need to be anxious about ANYTHING.
Why? Because we can (and must) bring EVERYTHING (“all”) to God in prayer. When something has us upset or riled, our first thought and action should be to take it to the Lord in prayer.
How? With thanksgiving. Do I mean we should be thankful for something that seems horrible to us? Yes. We’re simply not equipped to gauge what is good and what is bad. That’s God’s job. Ours is to trust Him in every way and at all times, and His is to bring spiritual good out of it for us and glory for Himself.
The result? Peace! Blessed calmness and trust that surpasses (is far bigger) than any and all crises, trials, hardships, and storms in our lives.
THIS is the God we serve. THIS is the One Who is our heavenly Father. Simply choosing to bring all our cares to Him (and refusing to fuss, fret, or fume) leads to hearts and minds that are guarded with peace. Time to pause to pray right now to thank Him (through the Son) for making this possible for us!
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Friday, April 25, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Joshua 21:43-45
“Thus the LORD gave to Israel all the land that he swore to give to their fathers. And they took possession of it, and they settled there. And the LORD gave them rest on every side just as he had sworn to their fathers. Not one of all their enemies had withstood them, for the LORD had given all their enemies into their hands. Not one word of all the good promises that the LORD had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass.”
-Background/Context:
This Scripture comes after the Hebrew people had entered and conquered the Promised Land and were now claiming their allotted portions of land to begin settling in.
-Something to Think About:
Our word “all” is found five times in these three verses (and inferred a few more!) – and each one is referring to the trustworthiness and faithfulness of our Father in heaven. Verse 45 sums it up nicely: not one word of ALL the good promises that the LORD had made failed. . . ALL came to pass.
What an exciting thing to read about in this ancient history account, but even more, what encouragement to remember that this is the same God Who is our Father! The God that created the world and everything in it, the God Who loved us so much that He arranged the only possible way for mankind to be spared eternal punishment in the Lake of Fire due to our sin, the God Who saved Noah from a world-wide flood, the God Who parted the Red Sea, the God Who chose David to be the ancestor of His Son and preserved that line for centuries, the God Whose Son became a Man so that He could die in our place, the God Who resurrects, the God Who defeats sin, satan, and all satan’s followers forever. . . THIS is YOUR God. This is the God Who is standing at the ready to hear your every prayer, Who gifted you with the Third Person of the Godhead, the Holy Spirit, to indwell you to help you in your life as His beloved child, and Who yearns for you to be by His side and living in His presence forever.
Are there hard things in your life today? Is there confusion and uncertainty about something? Does the world seem out of control and unstable? God keeps all the promises He makes and not one of them will fail. Not one.
Trust Him. Thank Him. Commit to loving Him and obeying Him wholeheartedly today and every day!
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Saturday, April 26, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read II Thessalonians 1:10
“When he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed.”
-Background/Context:
This verse is speaking about Jesus’ Second Coming as opposed to the Rapture. Here’s the rest of the context:
2 Thessalonians 1:5-12 “This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering— since indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed. To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
-Something to Think About:
So, I’m sure that you’ll agree with me that there’s a lot in these eight verses! I’m even okay with admitting that a lot of it is hard for me to understand. Let me share a few things about it anyway. =)
-As noted, Paul is teaching the Thessalonians a bit about what things will be like after the Tribulation Period has come to a close—which is also the time when Jesus Christ returns to earth as THE KING. He came the first time as a Baby in order to die for our sins, but this second time He is coming on a war horse to root out sin and unrighteousness and set up His righteous and just kingdom.
-Church Age believers will not be on earth to see Jesus descend from heaven and war against satan and his followers. Instead we will be WITH HIM as part of His host returning to earth from Heaven.
-Paul is also speaking a bit about suffering and being “worthy” of the kingdom of God. I’m not going to try to explain this fully, but I DO know that all those who belong to God because they’ve placed their faith in Jesus Christ as Savior are given opportunity every day to obey Him, to choose to please Him, to do things that bring Him glory—and when we do—are living in a manner worthy of the kingdom. You may have also heard your pastor encourage you to live as citizens of heaven in attitude and action today—a similar concept. But, don’t miss out that faithful living now WILL BE rewarded during the Millennium (and probably throughout eternity as well).
-Just as faithful living will be “paid back” (recompensed) for Christians, disobedience and rebellion against God will also be paid back to the unsaved. For the unsaved, this is in the form of eternal suffering, part of which includes never, ever being in the presence of God. As unimaginable as it is to think of the horrors of eternally burning in the Lake of Fire, I think never having even the tiniest bit of being aware of the presence of God is a far worse punishment.
-There are some pretty unpleasant things in this passage that should make us want to witness to the unsaved more than ever before, but don’t miss the huge excitement believers will enjoy upon Jesus’ return to earth. Our verse of focus says that we will MARVEL at Jesus. One commentator said: “The idea is that the glory of that day will far surpass anything of which we can have any idea before we behold it, and when we do behold it we shall be lost in amazement.”*
*Leon Morris, The Epistles of Paul to the Thessalonians, p. 120.
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Sunday, April 27, 2025
Praise God, it’s Sunday! Before we do anything else, let’s pray and ask God for His blessing on the day!
Things to consider praying for and doing:
-Pray for your pastor or whoever is preaching, for clarity, for accuracy, and the freedom to speak exactly what God is laying on their hearts. Pray as well for their health, strength, and well-being.
-Pray for all who God wants to be there, that nothing would interfere with them coming and once there, to listen, learn, and grow.
-Pray for all ministries of the church: Sunday School, music, ushers, greeters, nursery, offerings—everything.
-Pray for your own heart, first to be sure there is no unconfessed sin between you and God, then that you would be receptive to the Word and be able to be a blessing and encouragement to all you cross paths with.
Other things God is laying on your heart to pray for today:
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As you have opportunity during the day (or at the end of it), jot down some lessons and blessings God showed you:
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BONUS! God-honoring music is such a tremendous blessing that I thought we could use Sundays to focus on a few hymns that use “all” in them to read through (and sing, if you want!).
What a Day That Will Be (words and music by J. Hill)
There is coming a day when no heartaches shall come—no more clouds in the sky, no more tears to dim the eye. All is peace forevermore on that happy golden shore. What a day, glorious day that will be! What a day that will be when my Jesus I shall see – and I look upon His face, the One Who saved me by His grace. When He takes me by the hand and leads me through the Promised Land. What a day, glorious day that will be!
They’ll be no sorrow there, no more burdens to bear, no more sickness, no pain, no more parting over there. And forever I will be with the One Who died for me. What a day, glorious day that will be! What a day that will be when my Jesus I shall see – and I look upon His face, the One Who saved me by His grace. When He takes me by the hand and leads me through the Promised Land. What a day, glorious day that will be!
Monday, April 28, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Psalm 139:1-6
TO THE CHOIRMASTER. A PSALM OF DAVID.
“O LORD, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, you know it altogether. You hem me in, behind and before,
and lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it.”
-Background/Context:
We are told that David authored this song and that he addressed it to the choirmaster. It is a song about God’s omniscience, omnipresence, and omnipotence (all-knowledge, present-everywhere, and all-power).
-Something to Think About:
I remember several humorous games of hide-and-seek with my children when they were little. If they were young enough, they would sometimes assume that as long as THEIR eyes were covered and they couldn’t see, that no one could see them, either. Other times, they might be behind a curtain, causing it to stick out several inches more than it normally would—and are surprised when they’re “found.” Haha! It would be nice if all the things we lost or misplaced were found that easily!
Here we are, all these decades later, all grown up—and yet we still sometimes get this impression that God can’t see everything we are doing or that there are things in our hearts and lives that we can hide from Him. A parent may not notice their child hiding behind a piece of furniture immediately (unless their little rear is sticking out!), but God ALWAYS knows where we are, what we’re doing, and what’s going on in our hearts and heads. He is God, after all!
There’s a hint here in this psalm that the author is a little overwhelmed, afraid, or even a bit peeved about this at first, but then he begins to realize that God’s sovereignty, authority, and omnipresence are magnificent things. He says that it is “too wonderful” and that he can’t fully grasp it. And, you know, there will ALWAYS be things about God that we simply cannot “get.” He is God, after all!
What can we know? God loves us unconditionally. There is nothing we can do good or bad that will change His love for us. God knows us intimately and deeply and we would be fools to try to hide things from Him or pretend that we have “secrets.” He knows—and He cares. He wants to comfort us and help us with our burdens and sorrows and He wants to strengthen us and direct us in shunning the evil and clinging to the good.
God wants us to be so close to Him that a prayer to Him is as close as the next breath and praises and requests are “without ceasing.” God wants us to look to Him for His divine help to slowly, but surely be becoming more like His Son and He wants to give us an eagerness to be in His presence a bit more every day on this earth. These are things God can MOST DEFINITELY help us with. He is God, after all!
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Tuesday, April 29, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Hebrews 4:13
“And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”
-Background/Context:
The book of Hebrews is a doctrinally rich book whose author isn’t known for certain. One of its chief aims is to present Jesus Christ as our great High Priest, demonstrating how He has perfectly fulfilled this role and the many benefits and glories that are ours because of Him.
-Something to Think About:
Simply reading Hebrews 4:13 all by itself might make us believe that this is addressing the unsaved and the judgment that awaits them upon death. It is, however, written to believers! It is a reminder that we cannot fool God with what we’re doing or our motives for doing them. We may APPEAR godly and it may superficially look like we’re doing things to honor God and bless others, but God sees our hearts and He knows what’s really going on there. When will we give account to Him? At the Bema Seat Judgment of all believers once we have gone with Christ to heaven upon the Rapture.
Remember, though, that the Bema isn’t a judgment of sin. Our sin was fully paid for on the cross and we will never be held accountable for it again. What God is looking into, instead, is how we lived for Him once saved. Those who choose to obey His Word in the big and little decisions of life WILL be rewarded in the Millennium—and probably throughout eternity. Those who have chosen to not live obediently according to God’s Word will still enjoy eternity in the presence of God, but they won’t have the opportunities to honor and serve Jesus Christ to the same degree as those who have been faithful.
All this sounds very serious and maybe even a little scary—and though it IS serious business, we can also take heart in knowing that God is on our side, that He WANTS us to have tremendous victory and joy in our daily lives here on earth as His children. In fact, just a few short verses later, here’s what it says,
Hebrews 4:14-16 “Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
Did you see it? Jesus Himself is the One we can look to as our Example of victorious, faithful living AND we can, at any time day or night, CONFIDENTLY draw near to the throne of GRACE to receive mercy—and to find the grace we need to help us in our time of need! God has never, nor will He ever, abandon us to handle life on our own! He is constantly with us and constantly available to us. We CAN, with His help, get to the other side of this life and stand before Him with joy and gratitude that we lived faithfully for Him. Oh, not perfect, but we didn’t give up or give in. Not because of our ability or strength, but because of His. Amen! Praise the Lord!
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Wednesday, April 30, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Colossians 1:15
“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.”
-Background/Context:
Here are some important things to know about this extra-special verse:
-The term “firstborn” notes that Jesus is the Executor of the Father’s will and has the position of supreme authority at His right hand.
-In this case, the term, “firstborn” refers to a position, not birth order. Jesus was not created. He is God and has always existed.
– “Image” means “representation”. Interestingly, it’s the same word used during creation week in regards to mankind being made in the image of God!
-The Bible is pretty clear that no man can see God and live, which makes you wonder about the different times people DID see God (referred to in the Old Testament). The answer is pretty easy. These incidents are always God the Son. We call this the “preincarnate” Lord, meaning Jesus Christ before He became a Man. Knowing this kind of changes your mental picture of a few key Bible events, doesn’t it!
-Jesus wasn’t created before all creation, He is THE CREATOR of everything—and He has supremacy and sovereignty over all.
-Something to Think About:
This one sentence is rich in doctrine and just plain awesome truth! (Spoiler alert: there’s so much more in the next several verses too!)
Jesus Christ is the exact image of God the Father, so much so that He Himself said that to see Him IS to see the Father (John 14:9). I wonder? As redeemed, justified, new creatures in Christ, just how well do WE reflect Jesus Christ and God the Father? When people hear us speak, who or what do they hear? Is it a reflection of worldly attitudes and philosophy—or the Bible? When people see how we use our time and resources, what priorities do they see? The same as everyone else—or eternal goals and values? When strangers see our countenance, what impression do they get? Is it just one more disillusioned, defeated soul merely biding their time on the face of the earth—or do we reflect the joy of the Lord, the calmness of one who has entrusted their all to the Lord, someone eager to be an encouragement and blessing?
What an INCREDIBLE gift God gave us in sending His Son and recording three years of His life so that we could “see” Him a bit better—and so that we could have THE perfect example of what God-honoring living looks like! What an INCREDIBLE privilege it is to, with the help of the Holy Spirit, seek to be “just like” Him!
Prayerfully consider these last 24 hours and how you did reflect the image of God and when you could have, perhaps, done something differently. Ask God’s help to be becoming more like the Son every single day!
BONUS: more Scripture on this topic—II Corinthians 4:4; Hebrews 1:3; John 1:18; I Timothy 1:17; Philippians 2:6-7
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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May 2025 DBSQ
May 1, 2025
Dear Student of the Word,
Welcome to the fifth month of a word study in Scripture of the word “all” to remind us of all God has given to us and how we can, in turn, give our all to Him.
May God bless YOU as you study His Word and seek to live it out in your life!
By His Grace,
Lorie Brown
Just so you know. . .
-I mainly use the ESV (courtesy of either Bible Gateway.com or Olive Tree.com), but sometimes it’s necessary to use another English translation in order to see the word of focus more clearly.
-Previous months of this year’s study can be found on our church website under the tab “Ministries” at firstbaptistnorthconway.org. In addition, several studies from former years are there too.
-Our church has an in-house publishing ministry, some of which can be found for free download on solidrockpublishing.org. There are many kinds of Bible studies as well as stories for kids available as hardcopies in the back of our church auditorium.
-Our ladies (in North Conway, NH) meet the second Monday of each month to review these studies and you are welcome to join us if you are in the area. If not, I highly recommend reviewing them with one or more friends—simply because doing Bible studies with other people is a huge blessing and help.
-You are welcome to pass these studies along to whoever the Lord lays on your heart. If someone wants to receive them directly from Mailchimp, just contact me and I can sign them up.
-If you reply to my Mailchimp email with a comment or question, it comes directly to me—and I love hearing from you!
-Again, thanks for praying for me and for all who are doing these studies! We NEED God’s help and blessing to listen, learn, and grow!
Thursday, May 1, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Colossians 1:16
“For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.”
-Background/Context:
Colossians was written to point out the supremacy of Jesus Christ.
I think I have mentioned this before, but I was fully adult before I heard and understood that it was actually Jesus Christ, not the Father, Who created “the heavens and the earth” in Genesis 1. It, for sure, caused a big shift in my mental picture of the event! Here’s how everything works: God the Father is the Architect. That is, He is the One Who designs the who, what, where, how, etc. Jesus Christ is the Executor, the One Who does the Father’s will, carrying out His plan perfectly and completely. The Holy Spirit is the Activator, the Power Source. Do I understand the fine workings of the Trinity? Not even a tiny bit, but I don’t have to. Of course, that doesn’t mean that I don’t hope we’ll all have greater insight and understanding about a TON of things once we get our glorified bodies!
-Something to Think About:
I’m not going to embarrass myself by telling you the last time I said (or THOUGHT), “You’re not the boss of me!” I’ll just go ahead and skip over all that to appreciate that, despite what most people like to imagine, GOD, specifically, Jesus Christ, is the One Who has been given “all authority.” He is the Creator, He is the Sustainer, He is the One Who created EVERYTHING (including the whole invisible-to-us angelic realm!) – and all was created FOR HIM.
What is involved in all creation being made for Jesus Christ? Well, since creation, God has been moving all things along so that every created thing gives glory to Christ. Philippians 2:1-11 speaks of this:
“Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Did you notice how acknowledging Jesus Christ as Lord ALSO brings glory to the Father? Simply put, when we think and act according to biblical principles, we are happy, blessed, and purposeful—and God receives great glory both now and into eternity.
BONUS: more Scripture on this topic: John 1:3; Hebrews 1:2; Revelation 3:14; Ephesians 1:21, 3:10, 6:12; Colossians 2:10-15
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Friday, May 2, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Colossians 1:17
“And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”
-Background/Context:
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, created all things—and He continues to keep creation “together.”
-Something to Think About:
Here is Google’s AI answer to “Do scientists know how the universe holds together?”: While scientists understand that the force primarily responsible for holding the universe together is gravity, they don’t fully know how the universe stays together due to the mysterious nature of “dark energy,” which is believed to be driving the accelerating expansion of the universe and counteracting gravity on a cosmic scale; essentially, we know gravity plays a key role, but the full picture is still unclear and involves unknown forces like dark energy.
Haha! Professing to be wise, they became fools (Romans 1:22)!
How does the universe and every single particle in it hold together? Jesus Christ! God, the Son, is holding all things together. AND since Jesus Christ is holding all the planets in their place, and controls gravity to keep our earth running correctly, and tells your heart how many times it has to beat in any given day, don’t you think you can trust Him to take care of that burden you’ve been carrying around? Don’t you think He can help you break that addiction you’ve been struggling with? Don’t you think He can help you to get up in the morning with a heart of praise and go to bed with a heart of gratitude every single day?
He can! He keeps the universe running perfectly, literally every single second—and He can keep us “together” too. Thank Him!
BONUS: Is it possible that the following verses are talking about when Jesus lets His control loose in order to introduce the new heaven and the new earth? If yes, if no, we would be wise to pay attention to the warning in the middle of this paragraph to live lives of holiness and godliness. It’s not only the way to live as child of God which pleases Him, but it is how we bring Him much glory and cause others to want to know more about Him.
2 Peter 3:10-13 “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed. Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.”
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Saturday, May 3, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read 1 Peter 1:14-16
“As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”
-Background/Context:
God told the Hebrew people on several occasions that because of His holiness, they should live holy lives too. Here are a few to check out: Leviticus 11:44-45; 19:2; 20:7.
Peter, the author of this book, is known to use many quotes from the Old Testament.
It was thought that Peter wrote this book around AD 60, roughly 30 years after Jesus’ ascension.
-Something to Think About:
Holiness is, as you know, the absence of sin. Only God is completely holy, yet He commands us to be holy as He is holy, which means it is possible.
To be holy is kind of two sides of the same coin. It is both to choose to do what is in keeping with God’s character and all that He calls honorable and “right,” while choosing to steer clear of anything and everything that He opposes and which is NOT in keeping with what He tells us is wrong and displeasing to Him.
The word “conduct” means behavior/manner of life/a way of acting—and God wants ALL our conduct to be holy.
Maybe at least a bit of the key to working on this command is at the beginning of verse 14, “as obedient children,” and “do not be conformed to the passions of your FORMER ignorance.” So, consider every decision as one that is either obedient to God’s Word or disobedient in light of what our desires (passions) were before getting saved versus what they should be as a beloved member of God’s family. One of the biggest goals of every child of God is to be like Jesus Christ and to imitate God as beloved children (Ephesians 5:1) – and striving to be becoming holy in thought and action will be a huge part of that. Perhaps a weak analogy might be that of a gal who recently got married. Up to the point of her marriage, she was under the authority of her parents and lived according to their rules and wishes. However, once she says “I do,” her loyalties now lie with her new husband. It is his wishes and desires that now drive what she does and how she does it. She used to do things as her parents wanted, but now she loves to please and honor her husband. It’s a joy to her! And, as a child of God, we are a new creation, one that has been born into the family of God, where holiness and righteousness reign. Our joy should be to please and honor God. Part of that will be to be holy as He is holy, one day at a time, one decision at a time.
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Sunday, May 4, 2025
Praise God, it’s Sunday! Before we do anything else, let’s pray and ask God for His blessing on the day!
Things to consider praying for and doing:
-Pray for your pastor or whoever is preaching, for clarity, for accuracy, and the freedom to speak exactly what God is laying on their hearts. Pray as well for their health, strength, and well-being.
-Pray for all who God wants to be there, that nothing would interfere with them coming and once there, to listen, learn, and grow.
-Pray for all ministries of the church: Sunday School, music, ushers, greeters, nursery, offerings—everything.
-Pray for your own heart, first to be sure there is no unconfessed sin between you and God, then that you would be receptive to the Word and be able to be a blessing and encouragement to all you cross paths with.
Other things God is laying on your heart to pray for today:
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As you have opportunity during the day (or at the end of it), jot down some lessons and blessings God showed you:
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BONUS! God-honoring music is such a tremendous blessing that I thought we could use Sundays to focus on a few hymns that use “all” in them to read through (and sing, if you want!).
All Glory, Laud, and Honor (words by T. Orleans; music by M. Teschner)
All glory, laud, and honor to Thee, Redeemer, King. To Whom the lips of children made sweet hosannas ring. Thou art the King of Israel, Thou David’s royal Son—Who in the Lord’s name comest, the King and Blessed One!
The company of angels are praising Thee on high, and mortal men and all things created make reply. The people of the Hebrews with palms before Thee went; our praise and prayer and anthems before Thee we present.
To Thee, before Thy passion they sang their hymns of praise. To Thee, now high exalted, our melody we raise. Thou didst accept their praises, accept the praise we bring, Who in all good delightest, Thou good and gracious King!
Monday, May 5, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Galatians 3:23-29
“Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.”
-Background/Context:
I think that, in many ways, life could be pretty hard for believers in those first many years after the church was established. First, you have all the Jews who were raised to think of the Law as the most important thing EVER, but now were being asked to come to terms with the fact that the Law actually had a greater purpose most people never saw. The Law was given to point out that people cannot defeat sin in their own strength and that they NEED a Savior; Someone who could pay the penalty of sin on their behalf. The Law pointed to their desperate need for Christ.
Besides this truth which was difficult for them to grasp, as THE chosen people of God for centuries, they were being asked to recognize that God was now including non-Jews (Gentiles/Greeks) into the family of God—and that their salvation happened in exactly the same way theirs did—through faith in the Son of God as Savior. They, who had always stayed completely separate from Gentiles, were being folded into church families of Jews, Gentiles, males, females, slaves, and free men. That was a LOT for them to process.
Another huge challenge these early church members had was widespread persecution and trying to live for Christ in incredibly ungodly and idolatrous places.
-Something to Think About:
Some two thousand years later—and Christians can STILL be a bit persnickety about who they will let into their cliques and groups. Sadly, I think we tend to retain a bit of the hostility found in high school between the cool kids and the geeks, between the jocks and the nerds. This should never be. In Christ—because of Christ—we are ALL one family. We ALL belong to God and we must ALL band together to honor Him, please Him, encourage each other, help each other, and think of each other as more important than ourselves.
Isn’t it super cool how God brings people together in local churches? In our church, we have a fair number of locals, but many others from all over the country. We have executives in huge companies and people who never finished high school. We have people in their 90s down to infants, mostly Caucasian, but also of other ethnicities. We have people who are happy to serve the Lord out in front of people and others who joyfully serve the Lord as behind-the-scenes as possible.
My church, in particular, is blessed to have visitors come from all over our country as well as literally all around the world. Not everyone even speaks English, but do you know what we have in common? The Lord. Christians come to be with other Christians to hear God’s Word and to fellowship and be encouraged and built up in the things of the Lord. What an amazing thing God did when He created the Church Age!
F.Y.I. Although Jews and Gentiles are one as Christians in our local churches, Israel is not the Church and the Church is not Israel. Furthermore, God did not dissolve Israel as His chosen people when He began the Church. Israel as a nation has simply been set aside for a time. They will come into their own and really begin focusing on God once again during the Tribulation—and more so during the Millennium. God has special plans for them in eternity as well.
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Tuesday, May 6, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Genesis 1:31
“And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.”
-Background/Context:
Pop Quiz! Can you name what God created on the six days of creation without looking? (answers will be at the end—or you could just read Genesis 1!)
-Day 1 _______________________________________________________________________________
-Day 2 _______________________________________________________________________________
-Day 3 _______________________________________________________________________________
-Day 4 _______________________________________________________________________________
-Day 5 ________________________________________________________________________________
-Day 6 ________________________________________________________________________________
And on Day 7, God rested. Not rested as in He was tired, but rested as in, “stopped” because the job was complete and it was GOOD.
-Something to Think About:
God created our entire world in just six days, noting SEVEN times that it was “good.” He then concluded at the end of day six that ALL was good.
The use of the word “good” indicates beauty as well as purpose and order.
There’s no question that something most women struggle with is a poor body image and/or discontent with one or more features that they have. Have you ever noticed how gals with naturally curly hair admire straight hair and how those born without a curl to their name wish they had curly hair? This can happen with height, eye color, fingernail shape—about anything. Why, do you suppose? Why do we question how God made us—when we know for a fact that everything He made was good?
I suppose a key is the simple fact that the sin natures we are born with cause us to see things a bit crooked and fuzzy. Our spiritual eyesight is faulty! BUT, once we have trusted in Jesus as our Savior and the Holy Spirit has taken up residence in our hearts, we CAN see ourselves (and others!) the way God sees us.
Does that give us license to let ourselves go and stop taking care of ourselves? Of course not. God has given us our bodies to use for Him and we are being poor stewards of that incredible gift if we are not taking care to eat well, hydrate, and exercise our muscles. Even when we do that, God may allow disabilities, handicaps, and just plain good ‘ol aging to slow us down or even stop us from being able to do certain things. I know well how discouraging this can be, but our basic purpose for living and our basic goal for each day does not change just because our bodies no longer keep up. With whatever health we have, with whatever strength we still can still muster, our goal is to bring God all glory and to live wholeheartedly and faithfully for Him—however that looks for each of us. Some will do this through great flurries of activities, others will do it by faithfully praying while seated or reclining. God is honored with it all, as long as we are giving Him our ALL.
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Day 1: Light
Day 2: Atmosphere / Firmament
Day 3: Dry ground, seas, & plants
Day 4: Sun, moon & stars
Day 5: Birds & sea creatures
Day 6: Land animals & humans
Wednesday, May 7, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Judges 2:7-15
“And the people served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great work that the LORD had done for Israel. And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died at the age of 110 years. And they buried him within the boundaries of his inheritance in Timnath-heres, in the hill country of Ephraim, north of the mountain of Gaash. And all that generation also were gathered to their fathers. And there arose another generation after them who did not know the LORD or the work that he had done for Israel.
And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the LORD and served the Baals. And they abandoned the LORD, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt. They went after other gods, from among the gods of the peoples who were around them, and bowed down to them. And they provoked the LORD to anger. They abandoned the LORD and served the Baals and the Ashtaroth. So the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he gave them over to plunderers, who plundered them. And he sold them into the hand of their surrounding enemies, so that they could no longer withstand their enemies. Whenever they marched out, the hand of the LORD was against them for harm, as the LORD had warned, and as the LORD had sworn to them. And they were in terrible distress.”
-Background/Context:
God had rescued the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, then because they didn’t trust Him to conquer the “giants in the land,” the nation had to wander in the wilderness for forty years before the new generation was old enough to conquer the land. That had been done, and now the people were settled, but as life always does, things began to change. First (before entering the Promised Land), Moses and Aaron died, then just after the land was settled, Joshua died. For a time, the people still followed God because of the great leadership Joshua had provided, but then “another generation” came who did NOT know the Lord or about all He had done for them.
-Something to Think About:
Doesn’t this make you wonder who dropped the ball? Once the leaders who knew God and led the people to do the same had all died, no one seemed to step up to the plate to keep things moving in the right direction. No matter how mature we are in the Lord, if we don’t maintain a close walk with Him, we will begin to slide—and no Christian is immune from falling into sin, even deep sin. All in all, this is a pretty sad account from Scripture!
So, what can we learn from it and how can we apply it to today? Well, first, we each NEED to choose to live for God wholeheartedly each and every day and we each NEED to be in Scripture daily, maintain a meaningful prayer life, and not neglect the meeting together with other believers in a local Bible teaching church.
While following the spiritual lead of a godly and biblically accurate pastor is super important, we (as a congregation) can’t not also labor to keep learning God’s Word and living it out in our lives as individuals. We need to develop Scriptural convictions* and live by them. That way, should God take the pastor home or move him away, the church family will be strong IN THE LORD and continue to live for Him while waiting for God to send the new pastor of His choosing. God uses younger believers in HUGE ways (for example, Pastor Brown became a full-time pastor at the age of 23!).
In addition, as adults, we cannot EVER give up on teaching, mentoring, and leading the next generation to also be strong in the Lord. They need to hear us talking about what God-honoring living looks like—and they need to OBSERVE us living that way publicly and privately.
And if you are of the younger generation, be committed to God, develop convictions from God’s Word, be a leader to others your age who are not as mature in the Lord. Never give up. Never give in.
*Convictions are beliefs that lead to specific behaviors that cannot be compromised or shaken because they are commands from God’s Word. Convictions must be differentiated from preferences, which are things we like and desire, but are not commanded in God’s Word. Not lying should be a conviction of all Christians, but staying away from movie theaters for appearance’s sake is a preference.
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Thursday, May 8, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Philemon 1:18-19
“If he (Onesimus) has wronged you (Philemon) at all, or owes you anything, charge that to my account. I, Paul, write this with my own hand: I will repay it—to say nothing of your owing me even your own self.”
-Background/Context:
Paul normally dictated his letters to an amanuensis (kind of like a secretary), but this letter to Philemon was very personal, so he wrote it himself.
The letter to Philemon is a plea by Paul to Philemon to receive back a runaway slave named Onesimus—and to do so with kindness, grace, and mercy. Apparently, Onesimus ran away from Philemon, his owner, perhaps taking something that belonged to Philemon before he left (it’s also possible that Paul is referring to the work Onesimus wasn’t there to do that he was responsible for). The reason why Paul is asking Philemon to show grace is that Onesimus ended up spending time with Paul—and he got saved. Paul wanted Philemon to recognize that Onesimus might still be his property, but he was ALSO a brother in Christ. This should make a huge difference in how Philemon regarded his contrite slave.
-Something to Think About:
There are all sorts of interesting things to observe and contemplate in this short letter, but the word “all” appears in reference to Paul being willing to pay any debt that Onesimus might have incurred in relation to Philemon (note that it does not say that he did, just that “if” he did). This made me want to consider just how forgiving we might be when others wrong us and to what degree we are willing to go to help another believer out of a pickle.
Forgiveness is mandatory for believers. If someone asks us to forgive them, we need to do it. That basic truth aside, as children of God, our interactions SHOULDN’T be such that we constantly need to ask for forgiveness in the first place. If each party is seeking the best for the other, if we are both placing the other person’s needs above our own, if we are loving them more than self, then it doesn’t make sense that we would repeatedly say things and do things that offend, irk, or hurt them.
NOR, however, is it God-honoring to BE so sensitive that we are easily offended, irked, or hurt. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 addresses this well: “Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”
So, ARE we generous with our forgiveness? Are we generous with helping a brother or sister in Christ out—even if they brought the trouble onto themselves? I would conclude that if we consider all God forgave us for (and forgives us for on a daily basis!), and if we conclude how generous God is with His help and blessings to us (when we DESERVE nothing!), there is no such thing as being “too” kind, too generous, or too forgiving.
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Friday, May 9, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Philippians 2:14-15
“Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,”
-Background/Context:
Philippians 2 is about how God’s children should treat one another, maybe especially within a church family. The ultimate example to follow is Jesus Christ, Who though God, humbled Himself and became a servant to all. Choosing to have a humble, sacrificial servant’s heart pleases and honors God.
I saw a meme a few days ago that said something like this: People sometimes think about what they would do with their day if they knew it was the last one they would have. Jesus knew—and He washed the disciples’ feet. He. washed. feet. This made me pause and think!
-Something to Think About:
I don’t know about you, but a command to do absolutely NO grumbling or arguing seems a pretty tall order. In fact, I’ve always looked with awe at the rare people in this world who never seem to engage in either! Of course, I know that it’s possible (for even me!) since God commanded it. . .
Let’s define the words used:
-Grumbling: murmuring, grudging, with a secret displeasure not stated aloud.
-Disputing: arguing, questioning.
-Blamelessness: deserving no censure; free from fault or defect.
-Innocent: free from guile; harmless.
-Blemish: faultless, unblameable.
-Crooked: perverse, wicked.
-Twisted: to distort, oppose, corrupt.
When we need to think long and hard about how we are to NOT be like the world, it, for sure, helps to think about the why—the goal. What does Paul say it is in these verses? To shine as lights in the world. Not just any lights, but lights that only the children of God can be—because they belong to God, the Father of lights and to Jesus Christ, the Light of the world.
I suspect that one of the keys to avoiding the “don’t” list as Christians is to focus on Who God is and who we are in Him and because of Him. If we remember that we were rescued from the kingdom of darkness and now reside in the kingdom of light, then we will also want to ACT as citizens of this most wonderful place. When we remember that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all, and that we want nothing more than to please, honor, and glorify Him, then choosing to think and act in keeping with His character will be more of our go-to than the worldly, “twisted” go-to of those who are still under satan’s rule.
Praise God for His instruction in His Word—AND—for the excellent reminders of all we are and can be as His children!
BONUS: More verses to look up that fit this topic:
-I Corinthians 10:10
-I Peter 4:9
-Jude 1:16
-Matthew 5:14-16
-Colossians 1:13
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Saturday, May 10, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Leviticus 10:1-3
“Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it and laid incense on it and offered unauthorized fire before the LORD, which he had not commanded them. And fire came out from before the LORD and consumed them, and they died before the LORD. Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the LORD has said: ‘Among those who are near me I will be sanctified, and before all the people I will be glorified.’” And Aaron held his peace.”
-Background/Context:
Leviticus is the sequel to Exodus and was also authored by Moses. It’s an instructional book about a lot of things, but at its core, it is about God’s holiness, love, and grace – and how this should affect how His people think and act.
The title of Leviticus has to do with all the information and instruction given to the men of the tribe of Levi, those set apart to serve God as priests and in the care of the Tabernacle (and later, the Temple).
Leviticus is quoted something like forty times in the New Testament, hinting not so subtly that what it had to say remained important into the Church Age.
The word “all” is used over 100 times in the Book of Leviticus, but there are countless other ways the main concept is taught and emphasized – that of God’s holiness and how essential it is to live exactly as He commands.
-Something to Think About:
What an incredibly hard day this must have been for all of Israel, and especially Aaron and the rest of his family! Why did this happen? What did Nadab and Abihu do to deserve God’s wrath?
The short answer, the one people tend to gloss over or think not that important, is they did not do what God said to do. That simple, yet clearly really, really important!
Thank God (and I mean that most sincerely) that He doesn’t burn all of us up the second we choose to disobey Him! If so, none of us would make it to adolescence, let alone through our adult years! Because God generally does NOT impart immediate punishment when we sin, it can be easy to think that it isn’t really that big of a deal—or that some sins are more fire-worthy than others. This is, of course, NOT what God thinks (and has said repeatedly in His Word). Any sin, all sin, is intolerable to Him and all sin, any sin, is punishable by instant death. It is His mercy and grace that provides us second chances (and third and fourth) to decide to stop rebelling against Him in some way (as evidenced by doing something the way we want instead of how He said to) and to choose obedience. Where would we be without God’s grace! On the fast track to eternity in the Lake of Fire—with a whole lot of horror in the here and now first.
Oh, how we need to remind ourselves DAILY about God’s holiness and just how all-essential being holy as He is holy is to Him! We need to remind ourselves, as well, of His mercy, grace, and love that created a way for our sin to be permanently dealt with so that we CAN please and obey Him today AND spend eternity in His presence—a place of holiness, righteousness, mercy, grace, and love. Perhaps when we do, we can slowly, but steadily, come to view disobedience and disregarding God’s will as heinous, hideous, and totally unacceptable as an “option.”
In the Book of Leviticus, God commanded His people to do ALL exactly as He instructed. We, too, belong to Him via adoption. How could we not also do all exactly as He instructed in order to thank Him, be a good testimony and witness, and to bring Him great glory?
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Sunday, May 11, 2025
Praise God, it’s Sunday! Before we do anything else, let’s pray and ask God for His blessing on the day!
Things to consider praying for and doing:
-Pray for your pastor or whoever is preaching, for clarity, for accuracy, and the freedom to speak exactly what God is laying on their hearts. Pray as well for their health, strength, and well-being.
-Pray for all who God wants to be there, that nothing would interfere with them coming and once there, to listen, learn, and grow.
-Pray for all ministries of the church: Sunday School, music, ushers, greeters, nursery, offerings—everything.
-Pray for your own heart, first to be sure there is no unconfessed sin between you and God, then that you would be receptive to the Word and be able to be a blessing and encouragement to all you cross paths with.
Other things God is laying on your heart to pray for today:
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As you have opportunity during the day (or at the end of it), jot down some lessons and blessings God showed you:
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BONUS! God-honoring music is such a tremendous blessing that I thought we could use Sundays to focus on a few hymns that use “all” in them to read through (and sing, if you want!).
Lord, Bless Our Home (words and music by R. Hamilton)
Families all around us are crumbling every day, yielding to the enemy and throwing life away. Bind our lives together, guard us with Your truth. When the struggle seems too great, Lord, keep our eyes on You. Lord, bless our home; protect our home. Let it be a refuge in this world of sin, Lord, reign within; keep us strong and true. And when we need You most, Lord, draw us close, committed to each other. Lord, bless our home, we give our home to You.
Thank You for Your goodness, our love was in Your plan. Help us face the future always trusting in Your hand. Keep us warm and tender, keep us clean and pure. Drive us to each other’s arms and make our love endure. Lord, bless our home; protect our home. Let it be a refuge in this world of sin, Lord, reign within; keep us strong and true. And when we need You most, Lord, draw us close, committed to each other. Lord, bless our home, we give our home to You.
Monday, May 12, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Matthew 7:12
“So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” (ESV)
“Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.” (NLT)
-Background/Context:
Constable’s Expository Bible Study Notes, in talking about Matthew 7:12 says this, “The “golden rule” sums up the teaching of the Old Testament (cf. Exod. 23:4; Lev. 19:18; Deut. 15:7-8; Prov. 24:17; 25:21; Luke 6:31). The title “golden rule” traditionally comes from “the Roman Emperor Alexander Severus (A.D. 222-35), who, though not a Christian, was reputedly so impressed by the comprehensiveness of this maxim of Jesus . . . that he had it inscribed in gold on the wall of his chamber.”
It was also noted that Matthew 7:12 was kind of a summary of what Jesus had taught thus far in His “Sermon on the Mount” in Matthew 5-7.
-Something to Think About:
Do you remember reciting this during elementary school? I do—and it was a secular school! I don’t think the phrase “the golden rule” (“do unto others as you would have them do unto you”) is unfamiliar in the world outside of churches. It kind of got adopted into our culture as one of the many truisms people tend to quote to make a point. “You catch more flies with honey than vinegar” is another, as is “You can’t make a leopard change its spots.” Interestingly, many of these sayings are based on Scripture, if not outright quotes (such as the leopard one—Jeremiah 13:23).
Much like Jesus said that the entire Law could be summed up in loving God supremely and loving others as self (because if we do, we WILL be thinking and acting in a way that obeys His Word and pleases Him), here He says that the essence of how to know how to treat other people can be summarized and understood simply by pausing to THINK before speaking or acting. Is what I’m about to say to someone something I would appreciate hearing? Would it encourage me? Edify me? Or would it demoralize me? Squash me? Put me in my place? Is what I’m about to do to someone or for someone something that would bless me? Encourage me? Cause me to thank God? Or would it cause me to have to come to Him on my knees for comfort, direction, and help?
Another saying that’s been bandied about forever is, “Think before you act.” I think Matthew 7:12 would agree with that—and give direction to Christians on how we should think and with what goals we should act. And just for the record, Alexander Severus had the right idea about posting this powerful little verse somewhere where we can see it often (you just don’t need to do it in gold—though, it would be pretty to do!). =)
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Tuesday, May 13, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Ruth 1:19
“So the two of them went on until they came to Bethlehem. And when they came to Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them. And the women said, “Is this Naomi?”
-Background/Context:
Ruth 1 “In the days when the judges ruled there was a famine in the land, and a man of Bethlehem in Judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons. The name of the man was Elimelech and the name of his wife Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They went into the country of Moab and remained there. But Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, died, and she was left with her two sons. These took Moabite wives; the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. They lived there about ten years, and both Mahlon and Chilion died, so that the woman was left without her two sons and her husband.
Then she arose with her daughters-in-law to return from the country of Moab, for she had heard in the fields of Moab that the LORD had visited his people and given them food. So she set out from the place where she was with her two daughters-in-law, and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah. But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go, return each of you to her mother’s house. May the LORD deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me. The LORD grant that you may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband!” Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices and wept. And they said to her, “No, we will return with you to your people.” But Naomi said, “Turn back, my daughters; why will you go with me? Have I yet sons in my womb that they may become your husbands? Turn back, my daughters; go your way, for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say I have hope, even if I should have a husband this night and should bear sons, would you therefore wait till they were grown? Would you therefore refrain from marrying? No, my daughters, for it is exceedingly bitter to me for your sake that the hand of the LORD has gone out against me.” Then they lifted up their voices and wept again. And Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her. And she said, “See, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law.” But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. May the LORD do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you.” And when Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more.
So the two of them went on until they came to Bethlehem. And when they came to Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them. And the women said, “Is this Naomi?” She said to them, “Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. I went away full, and the LORD has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi, when the LORD has testified against me and the Almighty has brought calamity upon me?”
So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabite her daughter-in-law with her, who returned from the country of Moab. And they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest.”
-Something to Think About:
Do you enjoy human interest stories? I do! I find the account of Naomi’s family very interesting. I admit, though, that I have many questions. How old were Naomi and Elimelech when they left Bethlehem? How old were the boys? Just how bad was the famine that caused Elimelech to want to leave (which was a VERY big deal in those days)? How long did Elimelech live in Moab before dying? What did he die of? How old were the boys when they got married and how long did they live after they married? Why were there no children? Why did the sons die—and was it at the same time?
Looking at the story as a Christian, my questions include things like wondering if Elimelech stepped outside of God’s will to move to Moab—or did God lead him there? Was Naomi always negative? If not, did her negativity start when her husband died? Her sons? Was returning to Bethlehem a relief to her or did she feel guilt for leaving in the first place?
Did Naomi worship and live for God while in Moab? Did she teach her sons to do so? Her daughters-in-law? Why would she encourage her daughters-in-law to return to their family’s false gods??? It appears that Ruth turned to the true God due to her marriage, but did Orpah?
I’m not sure we can go as far as to say that the whole town “gossiped” about Naomi upon her return, but her return sure caused a ruckus—and if they doubted how she was doing, she sure told them quite clearly that she had become a bitter woman. While there are all sorts of applications that can be made from this first chapter of Ruth, addressing our testimony seems an obvious one today. First, of course, Naomi shouldn’t have allowed herself to become bitter in the first place. She most definitely endured some extremely hard years, but she was the one who chose to look at things from a wrong viewpoint. She could have chosen to look to God in trust, allowing Him to help her bear the burdens with her and for her. She would have still had some extremely difficult days and years, but they could have been ones of peace and joy instead of anger and bitterness.
Second, Naomi’s choice to feel persecuted and attacked by God not only affected her; it was also, no doubt, hard to see and live with for her daughters-in-law. We have no information about this from Scripture, but it is kind of telling that Naomi encouraged them to return to their parents’ home—and their family’s false gods. Encouraging someone to look to ANYTHING besides God is cruel and utterly foolish.
Third, Naomi’s bitterness was a poor testimony to all the Jews living in Bethlehem. I kind of doubt anyone wanted to invite her to their homes for dinner! I’ve been around bitter people—and it’s a real downer. More to the point, I have been a poor testimony at times in my life, which is so disappointing to think about now. How I wish I NEVER turned my eyes off the Lord or chose to think and do things apart from what He wants! Doing so leads to misery within and misery without. THANKFULLY, God never forsakes us and continues to use people and events in our lives to draw us back to a right relationship with Him. In fact, that’s exactly why He brought Naomi and Ruth back to Bethlehem!
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Wednesday, May 14, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Ruth 2:11
“But Boaz answered her, “All that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband has been fully told to me, and how you left your father and mother and your native land and came to a people that you did not know before.”
-Background/Context:
Ruth 2 “Now Naomi had a relative of her husband’s, a worthy man of the clan of Elimelech, whose name was Boaz. And Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, “Let me go to the field and glean among the ears of grain after him in whose sight I shall find favor.” And she said to her, “Go, my daughter.” So she set out and went and gleaned in the field after the reapers, and she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the clan of Elimelech. And behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem. And he said to the reapers, “The LORD be with you!” And they answered, “The LORD bless you.” Then Boaz said to his young man who was in charge of the reapers, “Whose young woman is this?” And the servant who was in charge of the reapers answered, “She is the young Moabite woman, who came back with Naomi from the country of Moab. She said, ‘Please let me glean and gather among the sheaves after the reapers.’ So she came, and she has continued from early morning until now, except for a short rest.”
Then Boaz said to Ruth, “Now, listen, my daughter, do not go to glean in another field or leave this one, but keep close to my young women. Let your eyes be on the field that they are reaping, and go after them. Have I not charged the young men not to touch you? And when you are thirsty, go to the vessels and drink what the young men have drawn.” Then she fell on her face, bowing to the ground, and said to him, “Why have I found favor in your eyes, that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?” But Boaz answered her, “All that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband has been fully told to me, and how you left your father and mother and your native land and came to a people that you did not know before. The LORD repay you for what you have done, and a full reward be given you by the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge!” Then she said, “I have found favor in your eyes, my lord, for you have comforted me and spoken kindly to your servant, though I am not one of your servants.”
And at mealtime Boaz said to her, “Come here and eat some bread and dip your morsel in the wine.” So she sat beside the reapers, and he passed to her roasted grain. And she ate until she was satisfied, and she had some left over. When she rose to glean, Boaz instructed his young men, saying, “Let her glean even among the sheaves, and do not reproach her. And also pull out some from the bundles for her and leave it for her to glean, and do not rebuke her.”
So she gleaned in the field until evening. Then she beat out what she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah of barley. And she took it up and went into the city. Her mother-in-law saw what she had gleaned. She also brought out and gave her what food she had left over after being satisfied. And her mother-in-law said to her, “Where did you glean today? And where have you worked? Blessed be the man who took notice of you.” So she told her mother-in-law with whom she had worked and said, “The man’s name with whom I worked today is Boaz.” And Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “May he be blessed by the LORD, whose kindness has not forsaken the living or the dead!” Naomi also said to her, “The man is a close relative of ours, one of our redeemers.” And Ruth the Moabite said, “Besides, he said to me, ‘You shall keep close by my young men until they have finished all my harvest.’” And Naomi said to Ruth, her daughter-in-law, “It is good, my daughter, that you go out with his young women, lest in another field you be assaulted.” So she kept close to the young women of Boaz, gleaning until the end of the barley and wheat harvests. And she lived with her mother-in-law.
-Something to Think About:
Naomi’s testimony in chapter 1 wasn’t really a good one (and there’s reason to question Elimelech’s testimony too, for that matter), but in chapter 2, we find that Ruth’s testimony is a great one. The same people who could hardly recognize Naomi due to the length of time she had been gone AND her poor testimony, were observing this young foreigner who lived with Naomi. The difference is that in Ruth, they saw a sweet spirit, a good worker, and a kind heart. Her testimony was such that when the owner of the fields she was gleaning in asked his workers who she was, they knew what she was like and how she had been taking excellent care of Naomi. (It’s true that Naomi lost her husband and two sons—a VERY painful thing, but Ruth ALSO lost a husband, a brother-in-law, and a father-in-law, not to mention the dream of children.)
Even though we shouldn’t be looking around us in order to judge people, we need to be aware that people ARE looking around and noticing what sort of people WE are. This may ESPECIALLY be true if they also know we are Christians, and if they know where we go to church, our church will be judged based on our attitudes, actions, and words. II Corinthians 5:20 says that Christians are ambassadors of Christ. That is, we are representing Him in all we say and do and how we interact with others. Impatience, a lack of gratitude, a me-first attitude, and a lack of kindness and grace do not describe Jesus Christ—and neither should they describe children of God.
BONUS: Did you notice how gloomy Naomi’s attitude began to change when Ruth came home from gleaning with such an encouraging account of her day? Just as bad attitudes are “catchy,” so are God-honoring ones! Be one of those delightful children of God who make other people smile just by thinking of them!
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Thursday, May 15, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Ruth 3:11-12
“And now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you all that you ask, for all my fellow townsmen know that you are a worthy woman. And now it is true that I am a redeemer. Yet there is a redeemer nearer than I.”
-Background/Context:
Ruth 3 “Then Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, “My daughter, should I not seek rest for you, that it may be well with you? Is not Boaz our relative, with whose young women you were? See, he is winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor. Wash therefore and anoint yourself, and put on your cloak and go down to the threshing floor, but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking. But when he lies down, observe the place where he lies. Then go and uncover his feet and lie down, and he will tell you what to do.” And she replied, “All that you say I will do.”
So she went down to the threshing floor and did just as her mother-in-law had commanded her. And when Boaz had eaten and drunk, and his heart was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain. Then she came softly and uncovered his feet and lay down. At midnight the man was startled and turned over, and behold, a woman lay at his feet! He said, “Who are you?” And she answered, “I am Ruth, your servant. Spread your wings over your servant, for you are a redeemer.” And he said, “May you be blessed by the LORD, my daughter. You have made this last kindness greater than the first in that you have not gone after young men, whether poor or rich. And now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you all that you ask, for all my fellow townsmen know that you are a worthy woman. And now it is true that I am a redeemer. Yet there is a redeemer nearer than I. Remain tonight, and in the morning, if he will redeem you, good; let him do it. But if he is not willing to redeem you, then, as the LORD lives, I will redeem you. Lie down until the morning.”
So she lay at his feet until the morning, but arose before one could recognize another. And he said, “Let it not be known that the woman came to the threshing floor.” And he said, “Bring the garment you are wearing and hold it out.” So she held it, and he measured out six measures of barley and put it on her. Then she went into the city. And when she came to her mother-in-law, she said, “How did you fare, my daughter?” Then she told her all that the man had done for her, saying, “These six measures of barley he gave to me, for he said to me, ‘You must not go back empty-handed to your mother-in-law.’” She replied, “Wait, my daughter, until you learn how the matter turns out, for the man will not rest but will settle the matter today.”
-Something to Think About:
There is a lot here—and I would highly recommend you get a copy of my daughter Rachel’s devotional on the Book of Ruth to find out a million and one details and the importance of what happens. It’s super interesting! It is printed as a title in our church’s Solid Rock Publications.
The climax of our story is unfolding right before our eyes! Naomi understood the custom of her people and knew Ruth had a chance at marriage if Boaz chose to redeem her. One way he would know that Ruth was willing to marry him was by presenting herself as a bride while he slept. Boaz had already shown that he wanted to protect Ruth, so it seemed likely he would welcome Ruth’s encouragement to propose.
Everything Naomi suggested to Ruth was proper and pure. Ruth’s actions were a request for marriage and nothing else. All three people in this story did things the right way. We may sometimes get excited about an idea and do whatever is necessary to bring it about as quickly as possible however we can manage it. God wants us to act quickly when He shows us something to do (or stop doing), but He also wants us to wait and allow Him to bring things about in His timing and way. Pray and ask God to help you not “jump the gun” in your life. He will give you the wisdom to know when the time is right to act and give you the wisdom to go about it the right way.
Ruth left early, not because she and Boaz had done anything inappropriate, but because she was guarding their privacy. They both knew that their reputations were incredibly important. Do you protect your loved ones’ reputation by not telling stories about them to other people? Even well-meant humor can be hurtful. Our loved ones ought to know their personal information is safe with us.
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Friday, May 16, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Ruth 4:9
“Then Boaz said to the elders and all the people, “You are witnesses this day that I have bought from the hand of Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech and all that belonged to Chilion and to Mahlon.”
-Background/Context:
Ruth 4 “Now Boaz had gone up to the gate and sat down there. And behold, the redeemer, of whom Boaz had spoken, came by. So Boaz said, “Turn aside, friend; sit down here.” And he turned aside and sat down. And he took ten men of the elders of the city and said, “Sit down here.” So they sat down. Then he said to the redeemer, “Naomi, who has come back from the country of Moab, is selling the parcel of land that belonged to our relative Elimelech. So I thought I would tell you of it and say, ‘Buy it in the presence of those sitting here and in the presence of the elders of my people.’ If you will redeem it, redeem it. But if you will not, tell me, that I may know, for there is no one besides you to redeem it, and I come after you.” And he said, “I will redeem it.” Then Boaz said, “The day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you also acquire Ruth the Moabite, the widow of the dead, in order to perpetuate the name of the dead in his inheritance.” Then the redeemer said, “I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I impair my own inheritance. Take my right of redemption yourself, for I cannot redeem it.”
Now this was the custom in former times in Israel concerning redeeming and exchanging: to confirm a transaction, the one drew off his sandal and gave it to the other, and this was the manner of attesting in Israel. So when the redeemer said to Boaz, “Buy it for yourself,” he drew off his sandal. Then Boaz said to the elders and all the people, “You are witnesses this day that I have bought from the hand of Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech and all that belonged to Chilion and to Mahlon. Also Ruth the Moabite, the widow of Mahlon, I have bought to be my wife, to perpetuate the name of the dead in his inheritance, that the name of the dead may not be cut off from among his brothers and from the gate of his native place. You are witnesses this day.” Then all the people who were at the gate and the elders said, “We are witnesses. May the LORD make the woman, who is coming into your house, like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the house of Israel. May you act worthily in Ephrathah and be renowned in Bethlehem, and may your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, because of the offspring that the LORD will give you by this young woman.”
So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife. And he went in to her, and the LORD gave her conception, and she bore a son. Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the LORD, who has not left you this day without a redeemer, and may his name be renowned in Israel! He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age, for your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is more to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.” Then Naomi took the child and laid him on her lap and became his nurse. And the women of the neighborhood gave him a name, saying, “A son has been born to Naomi.” They named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.
Now these are the generations of Perez: Perez fathered Hezron, Hezron fathered Ram, Ram fathered Amminadab, Amminadab fathered Nahshon, Nahshon fathered Salmon, Salmon fathered Boaz, Boaz fathered Obed, Obed fathered Jesse, and Jesse fathered David.”
-Something to Think About:
Boaz followed through on his promise and gathered the correct number of men (ten) needed for legal transactions. He gave the closest relative the chance to redeem Naomi’s land (and Ruth as his wife), but he refused. Boaz then took on the responsibility himself, and God’s blessing began to multiply: he and Ruth entered into a happy marriage, Naomi’s needs were met for the remainder of her life, Boaz and Ruth had a son and an heir for Naomi, AND God allowed all of them to become part of the lineage of King David – and Jesus Christ.
Don’t you just love happy endings? Verse 17 is one of my favorites because it shows so much promise. It clearly shows God’s hand in the past, the present, and the future. Because Ruth chose to follow Naomi’s God, she was given the honor of becoming King David’s great-grandmother. And, of course, David was an ancestor of Jesus Christ. Amazing. Why would we turn anywhere else, but to God?
Most of us smile when we see Ruth’s name. Why? It is because Ruth was an excellent example of sacrifice, loyalty, obedience, and kindness.
Ruth didn’t know what we know. She didn’t know there would be a Book of the Bible named after her. she didn’t know God was using her life to prepare the way for King David, and later, the Messiah Himself. She didn’t know that her story would become a beautiful picture of how Christ Jesus would become our “Kinsman Redeemer,” saving us from an eternity in Hell, providing instead a home with Him forever in Heaven. Ruth simply did her best to live faithfully for God each day.
Until we reach Heaven, we will not know the end of our story, either. God has a master plan for us, too! Will you be a Ruth? Will you choose to live faithfully for Him every day He gives you?
“…for all my people in the city know that you are a woman of excellence.” Ruth 3:11
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Saturday, May 17, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Isaiah 40:26
“Lift up your eyes on high and see: who created these? He who brings out their host by number, calling them all by name; by the greatness of his might and because he is strong in power, not one is missing.”
-Background/Context:
Here are some additional Bible verses about stars:
Genesis 1:1,16 “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. . . And God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars.”
Deuteronomy 4:19 “And beware lest you raise your eyes to heaven, and when you see the sun and the moon and the stars, all the host of heaven, you be drawn away and bow down to them and serve them, things that the Lord your God has allotted to all the peoples under the whole heaven.”
Psalm 8:3-4 “When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?”
Psalm 19:1 “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.”
Psalm 147:4 “He determines the number of the stars; he gives to all of them their names.”
Psalm 148:3 “ Praise him, sun and moon, praise him, all you shining stars!”
-Something to Think About:
I’ve always felt bad for people who live in places where you cannot see the stars at night. I don’t mean just regular night stuff (which is still pretty cool!), I mean something like the opportunity to lay down on the grass someplace that you’re in pretty near total darkness so that when you look up on a clear night . . . WOW. The stars are magnificent! Your heart is trying to soak in the beauty while your mind is just boggled at the sheer number of them. Doing this as a Christian adds the dimension of praise and awe for the Creator and what glories He has given to us to enjoy!
Isaiah 40:26 and the other provided verses give us information about the stars, a warning to not worship them, and an example to follow. If they can praise God (Psalm 148:3), we sure can (and must!) too! And if God knows each star by name, leads them in their course each night, and makes sure that not even one goes missing, then we, people created in His image, can certainly have confidence that He knows us BY NAME, that He is watching over every second of our lives, and that nothing can happen to us apart from His express will.
When you look up at the sky at night and observe the stars, use it as a reminder to (1) praise God for His might and creative genius, (2) stand in awe over all He does, (3) thank Him that He knows YOU intimately and cares for you constantly and perfectly, (4) be reminded that He alone deserves worship and glory, and (5) be reminded to “shine” His glory for others to see so they will praise His name and worship Him—and not His creation.
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Sunday, May 18, 2025
Praise God, it’s Sunday! Before we do anything else, let’s pray and ask God for His blessing on the day!
Things to consider praying for and doing:
-Pray for your pastor or whoever is preaching, for clarity, for accuracy, and the freedom to speak exactly what God is laying on their hearts. Pray as well for their health, strength, and well-being.
-Pray for all who God wants to be there, that nothing would interfere with them coming and once there, to listen, learn, and grow.
-Pray for all ministries of the church: Sunday School, music, ushers, greeters, nursery, offerings—everything.
-Pray for your own heart, first to be sure there is no unconfessed sin between you and God, then that you would be receptive to the Word and be able to be a blessing and encouragement to all you cross paths with.
Other things God is laying on your heart to pray for today:
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As you have opportunity during the day (or at the end of it), jot down some lessons and blessings God showed you:
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BONUS! God-honoring music is such a tremendous blessing that I thought we could use Sundays to focus on a few hymns that use “all” in them to read through (and sing, if you want!).
The Wonder of it All (words and music by G. Shea)
There’s the wonder of sunset at evening, the wonder as sunshine I see; but the wonder of wonders that thrills my soul is the wonder that God loves me. O the wonder of it all, the wonder of it all—just to think that God loves me! The wonder of it all, the wonder of it all—just to think that God loves me!
There’s the wonder of springtime and harvest, the sky, the stars, the sun, but the wonder of wonders that thrills my soul is the wonder that’s only begun. O the wonder of it all, the wonder of it all—just to think that God loves me! The wonder of it all, the wonder of it all—just to think that God loves me!
There’s the wonder of God’s revelation: the Word Who dwelt among men, but the wonder of wonders that thrills my soul is that Jesus is coming again. O the wonder of it all, the wonder of it all—just to think that God loves me! The wonder of it all, the wonder of it all—just to think that God loves me!
Monday, May 19, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Matthew 7:7-11
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!”
-Background/Context:
Matthew 5-7 is known as the Sermon on the Mount. It was given by Jesus to His disciples to help them to know how to think and act in keeping with His kingdom. This is not because Jesus was setting up His kingdom at that time, but so that they (and us) could know how to live now as we look forward to that wondrous time during the Millennium.
-Something to Think About:
I think that it’s really common for Christians to have a wrong view of verses like this (Luke 11:1-13 and 18:1-8 are a few similar examples). The common understanding is that Christians need to pray for whatever it is they’re praying for A LOT. It’s as if the harder and more often we pray, the more likely it is that our prayer will be answered. Logically, if you turn that around, if we don’t pray “enough,” God won’t bother to answer us. Does that sound like the Father Who sacrificed His Son on the cross in order to make a way for you to live by His side throughout eternity?
So, what ARE these prayer passages teaching? What’s the takeaway?
The clue is in verse 11: “How much more will your Father Who is in Heaven give GOOD THINGS to those who ask Him!” Our Father is NOT like the examples of those who give dangerous gifts or who don’t listen to those who need them. Our Father ONLY gives GOOD answers to our prayers. The question we need to ask ourselves is whether or not we TRUST God with the prayers we are sending His way!
Is it wrong to ask for the same things more than once? Not at all! The tense of the words above could accurately be translated, “Keep on asking, keep on seeking, keep on knocking.” These are, of course, followed by a promise. We will get, find, and have the answer opened to us.
Here’s something kind of important to consider: how often are we guilty of praying for something while in our heads we are thinking that the answer we are praying for is OBVIOUSLY the right and only answer? What if it is, perhaps, a reasonable answer, but not right according to God’s view (or timing) — or “good” according to His standard? What if, instead when we pray, we do so with an open heart, considering Who God is, what pleases Him, what brings Him glory, etc. SO THAT what we’re praying for is in keeping with HIS will and not merely our own (often faulty) one? What if we look at prayer as a huge and important means to demonstrate our trust in our good God? What if our prayers were more along the lines of, “Father, it seems to be that such-and-such would be the right answer to this situation I’m praying about, but You, Father, are good and holy and righteous and just. I trust You to answer in keeping with Your perfect will and in Your perfect timing. Help me to recognize what You are doing so that I can adjust my thinking to reflect Yours. Thank You for being the Giver of Good Gifts! Thank You for always hearing, always answering, and for Your gentle, patient, and gracious leading in my life so that I am slowly, but surely, becoming more like Your Beloved Son. In His name, I pray. Amen.”
BONUS THOUGHT: What if at least some of the point of repeated praying, seeking, and knocking is so that, with time, the Holy Spirit can work in our hearts to help us see that what we had thought was the “perfect” answer might not be GOD’S perfect answer or timing? What if repeated prayer has at its heart the goal of learning to pray more biblically and God-honoring?
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Tuesday, May 20, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read James 1:5
“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.”
-Background/Context:
The book of James is authored by Jesus’ half-brother, James. James eventually became the pastor of the church in Jerusalem.
James jumps right into his epistle by trying to help Christians understand the purpose and goal of trials and how they can help us grow in our faith and improve our testimony for Christ. Today’s verse of focus is very practical and encouraging all on its own, but when coupled with the thought of learning to consider trials as “joyful,” we can quickly see how looking to God for wisdom would be a pretty important part of things.
-Something to Think About:
James begins, “If any of you lacks wisdom.” This seems pretty rhetorical, wouldn’t you say? OF COURSE we lack wisdom! Apart from God’s help and direction, we have NO wisdom.
What is wisdom, anyway? Well, it’s not the same as knowledge; that’s an important distinction to understand. Knowledge is about facts and information, wisdom is what to do with it. Applied to the Christian, wisdom is the application of Scripture and biblical truths to the nitty gritty of life. It’s using what we know honors and pleases God as the “why” we do what we do (and why we have chosen to not do other things).
“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God.” That just makes sense, doesn’t it? If you want to know why the red light is blinking on your dash, you consult a car mechanic. If you want to know why something green is growing between your toes, you consult your doctor (or a botanist). If you want to know whether they’re, their, or there is right (correct!), you consult a teacher or someone super smart like my husband. If we want to know how to apply GOD’S word in a God-honoring way, we need to consult God. This is done through prayer, through Scripture study, through godly counsel from the pastor (or other mature believer). It BEGINS by simply doing what we already know we should be doing. God loves to reward obedience by giving us bigger and better ways to obey. This is for our good, His glory, and so He can reward us in tremendous ways in eternity.
“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, Who gives generously and without reproach.” The God we love and belong to is an extremely generous God. He never stops giving to us and He especially loves it when we come to Him in trust, laying some question or petition at His feet. We should be aware, however, that the next verse in James 1 is a warning to not ask God for answers while INTENDING to only consider what He says—maybe doing it or maybe doing what we think is a “better” option. That kind of thinking does not please or honor God.
BONUS: Here’s the whole section today’s verse is found in. It’s a great one!
James 1:2-18 “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass he will pass away. For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits.
Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.
Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.”
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Wednesday, May 21, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read 2 Chronicles 34:31
“And the king stood in his place and made a covenant before the LORD, to walk after the LORD and to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes, with all his heart and all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant that were written in this book.”
-Background/Context:
I apologize for the length, but I feel it would be very helpful to read the entire context of today’s verse:
2 Chronicles 34:1-33 “Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem. And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, and walked in the ways of David his father; and he did not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet a boy, he began to seek the God of David his father, and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of the high places, the Asherim, and the carved and the metal images. And they chopped down the altars of the Baals in his presence, and he cut down the incense altars that stood above them. And he broke in pieces the Asherim and the carved and the metal images, and he made dust of them and scattered it over the graves of those who had sacrificed to them. He also burned the bones of the priests on their altars and cleansed Judah and Jerusalem. And in the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, and Simeon, and as far as Naphtali, in their ruins all around, he broke down the altars and beat the Asherim and the images into powder and cut down all the incense altars throughout all the land of Israel. Then he returned to Jerusalem.
Now in the eighteenth year of his reign, when he had cleansed the land and the house, he sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, and Maaseiah the governor of the city, and Joah the son of Joahaz, the recorder, to repair the house of the LORD his God. They came to Hilkiah the high priest and gave him the money that had been brought into the house of God, which the Levites, the keepers of the threshold, had collected from Manasseh and Ephraim and from all the remnant of Israel and from all Judah and Benjamin and from the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And they gave it to the workmen who were working in the house of the LORD. And the workmen who were working in the house of the LORD gave it for repairing and restoring the house. They gave it to the carpenters and the builders to buy quarried stone, and timber for binders and beams for the buildings that the kings of Judah had let go to ruin. And the men did the work faithfully. Over them were set Jahath and Obadiah the Levites, of the sons of Merari, and Zechariah and Meshullam, of the sons of the Kohathites, to have oversight. The Levites, all who were skillful with instruments of music, were over the burden-bearers and directed all who did work in every kind of service, and some of the Levites were scribes and officials and gatekeepers.
While they were bringing out the money that had been brought into the house of the LORD, Hilkiah the priest found the Book of the Law of the LORD given through Moses. Then Hilkiah answered and said to Shaphan the secretary, “I have found the Book of the Law in the house of the LORD.” And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan. Shaphan brought the book to the king, and further reported to the king, “All that was committed to your servants they are doing. They have emptied out the money that was found in the house of the LORD and have given it into the hand of the overseers and the workmen.” Then Shaphan the secretary told the king, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.” And Shaphan read from it before the king.
And when the king heard the words of the Law, he tore his clothes. And the king commanded Hilkiah, Ahikam the son of Shaphan, Abdon the son of Micah, Shaphan the secretary, and Asaiah the king’s servant, saying, “Go, inquire of the LORD for me and for those who are left in Israel and in Judah, concerning the words of the book that has been found. For great is the wrath of the LORD that is poured out on us, because our fathers have not kept the word of the LORD, to do according to all that is written in this book.”
So Hilkiah and those whom the king had sent went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tokhath, son of Hasrah, keeper of the wardrobe (now she lived in Jerusalem in the Second Quarter) and spoke to her to that effect. And she said to them, “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: ‘Tell the man who sent you to me, Thus says the LORD, Behold, I will bring disaster upon this place and upon its inhabitants, all the curses that are written in the book that was read before the king of Judah. Because they have forsaken me and have made offerings to other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the works of their hands, therefore my wrath will be poured out on this place and will not be quenched. But to the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the LORD, thus shall you say to him, Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Regarding the words that you have heard, because your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before God when you heard his words against this place and its inhabitants, and you have humbled yourself before me and have torn your clothes and wept before me, I also have heard you, declares the LORD. Behold, I will gather you to your fathers, and you shall be gathered to your grave in peace, and your eyes shall not see all the disaster that I will bring upon this place and its inhabitants.’” And they brought back word to the king.
Then the king sent and gathered together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. And the king went up to the house of the LORD, with all the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and the priests and the Levites, all the people both great and small. And he read in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant that had been found in the house of the LORD. And the king stood in his place and made a covenant before the LORD, to walk after the LORD and to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes, with all his heart and all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant that were written in this book. Then he made all who were present in Jerusalem and in Benjamin join in it. And the inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers. And Josiah took away all the abominations from all the territory that belonged to the people of Israel and made all who were present in Israel serve the LORD their God. All his days they did not turn away from following the LORD, the God of their fathers.”
-Something to Think About:
There are multiple uses of “all” in this passage (with several more inferred). What are some of the key points to note—and what can we learn from them?
-You’re never too young to commit yourself to living for the Lord wholeheartedly. Josiah was 8.
-SOMEONE must have been teaching Josiah about the Lord and the importance of obeying Him before today’s account. In what ways are YOU actively seeking to teach, encourage, and be a godly example to the children in your life?
-If you’ve read about the kings of Israel and Judah, you know that there were only a few who “did what was right in the eyes of the LORD.” Josiah was an exception. Are YOU an exception among your family and friends in regard to your allegiance to God?
-I also love that Josiah “did not turn aside to the right hand or to the left.” In other words, he didn’t flip-flop back and forth between following God one minute, but not following Him the next. Does this also describe your walk with the Lord?
-Josiah did more than express his commitment to obeying God, he was a man of action. He intentionally looked for things that needed to be made right, then fixed them. It sounds like a lengthy and challenging prospect to remove all idol worship and places where this happened, but he followed through until the job was done. When God points out something that needs to change in your life, do you follow through to completion?
-The House of the Lord (the Temple) had been allowed to go into major disrepair and the money collected for its upkeep hadn’t been used for that. Josiah made that right. What kind of steward are you with the talents, treasures, and time God gave/gives you? Talents would include skills and abilities. Treasures would include money and assets such as your home and vehicle. Time is exactly that—how we are spending the twenty-four hours He gifts to each of us daily.
-God’s Word (the Law) had been LOST. Worse, it kind of seems like no one knew it was missing! Our Bibles ought to be among our most treasured possessions, but far more than one more thing we own, we ought to have them close by, reading them every single day.
-Once again, we find that when Josiah found out that something was not the way God wanted, he immediately jumped into action to make it right. This is a great way for us to think and act too!
-God had been very clear with Israel from day one. Obedience equals blessing and disobedience brings punishment. God always keeps His word—even in regards to consequences for sin.
-BUT, God is also just, merciful, and full of grace. The Bible says that He saw Josiah’s tender and obedient heart, was pleased with his decisions, and would thus spare him from the disaster that Israel would have to deal with at a future time.
-Josiah personally read the entire Law to all the people. He wanted to know for certain that everyone heard it. We can do our part today by displaying Scripture on our walls, reciting it when we have an opening, talking about it to others, sharing what we were blessed or challenged with in our devotions during testimony time at church—and if given the opportunity, teach children or adults in a Bible study or Sunday school setting.
-Josiah recommitted his life to the Lord (he was now a full adult). If you have never taken the time to pause and talk to God about living your life completely for Him, there’s no better time than the present. If you have done this in the past, do you need to recommit to Him today?
-The last line in today’s included Scripture states that Josiah continued to obey God his entire life. I’ve often considered what might make a good tombstone inscription (more specifically, what I would love to be true about my life), and the fact that so-and-so did not turn to the left or to the right in their commitment to the Lord is a pretty good one!
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Thursday, May 22, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read 2 Peter 1:3
“His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence.”
-Background/Context:
Peter is writing to help Christians grasp a bit of the magnitude of what Jesus Christ did for us on the cross in order to, among other things, help us realize that we CAN become a bit more like Him day by day as we read His Word and live our lives based on what we find there. Interestingly, Peter states in this letter that he is aware that his life is about to end, so much like Paul’s heartfelt letter to Timothy in II Timothy, Peter wants his readers to know and “get” several crucial things.
-Something to Think About:
If you’ve been reading my thoughts on Scripture for very long, you will be aware that I make reference to II Peter 1:3 fairly often. I just find it such an encouragement to know that (a) it is GOD’S power (and does not rely on me!) that is working to help me understand Him and imitate Him, that (b) God has not overlooked one thing that is necessary for us to live godly, victorious lives, that (c) God has left us an entire book so that we can know exactly what He wants us to know about Him—and what He gave us is “enough,” and (d) when we believe that all this is true and act upon what we know, God will receive glory and honor.
An important thing to note in today’s verse is that learning to live a life that honors and pleases God WILL involve getting to know the Father and the Son. I’m sure all of us have had more than one experience of “growing” a close friendship. If we can think back to how it all began, we’ll remember that there was a time when we didn’t know that other person at all, but recognized that we would like to know them better. Following that, there would have been conversations, one-on-one get togethers, phone calls, notes, and general times of choosing to be with that other person. In short, you needed to spend time with them to get to know them and for them to get to know you. And while there are lots of friendships that are really nice, we sometimes get the opportunity to develop an especially close bond with someone. So close, in fact, that you often know what they’re going to say or think before they say it or think it. That’s a pretty precious friendship to have! Did you know that we can have an even more precious friendship with God? This is because He doesn’t have any of the propensity to selfishness or envy that we sometimes feel. His love is unconditional and His grace, mercy, and forgiveness is infinite.
How? How can we have this treasure? Peter tells us. It is “through the knowledge of Him.” We need to take time daily and often to read God’s Word and meditate on it, we need to pause our busy lives to engage in meaningful prayer time, we need to be open to the Spirit’s leading in our thoughts and actions, we need to make church services a priority, and we need to seek out godly friendships and influences. As we do, slowly, but surely, we find out more about our incredible God and Savior and are able to fine-tune what we say and do to better reflect His character and to better imitate Him. This is a super huge privilege that God gives to all His children, though not all take advantage of it.
In what ways can you take better advantage of God’s plan to help you know Him better and have even more victory in your Christian walk?
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Friday, May 23, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Mark 9:35
“And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.”
-Background/Context:
Mark 9:33-37 “And they came to Capernaum. And when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?” But they kept silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” And he took a child and put him in the midst of them, and taking him in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me.”
This is the last time it is recorded that Jesus was in Capernaum before His death. The house in question is probably Peter’s—and the child mentioned may well have been Peter’s child.
In sitting down, Jesus indicated to His disciples that He was ready to teach, as is Hebrew custom.
-Something to Think About:
It’s not a lot of fun to be embarrassed. I mean the kind when you DESERVE to be embarrassed, not the kind where something happens unexpectedly that makes you feel foolish (though, that’s not much fun either!). No, the kind I’m speaking about is clearly what the disciples felt when Jesus made them admit the subject of their foolish argument. What’s worse about the timing of their argument is that other gospels say the argument took place immediately after Jesus told them that He was going to die! Rather than focus on what JESUS said, they focused on His future kingdom—and their status within it.
Jesus was not telling His disciples (and us!) that it’s wrong to seek after greatness. We should all seek to do our dead-level best in ALL we do! The Bible heartily endorses the pursuit of greatness. He was pointing out that God has a different definition of greatness than humans do (in fact, God’s definitions will pretty much ALWAYS be different than humans unless their definitions match His). Jesus wanted His disciples to understand that while they SHOULD seek greatness, genuine biblical greatness is actually a life of service and humility, putting God first and others before self.
I read that the word “servant” here isn’t the same word for slave, a person who really has no choice but to obey those over them. Rather, it’s a word that has the idea of voluntarily choosing to help, benefit, and otherwise think of others before self. Of course, Jesus Himself demonstrated how a servant of God thought and acted throughout His entire life on earth and we would do well to study how He responded and acted, keeping in mind that His overarching goal was to do the Father’s will and not His own, in order to bring Him glory. Since you and I have the same Father, we too can have exactly the same goals in how we interact with others, especially those of the household of faith.
In a nutshell? You and I can practice ahead of time being “great” when living in Jesus’ kingdom by willingly seeing to the needs of others and looking for ways to be a blessing.
(Read more about this in Matthew 18:1-5 and Luke 9:46-48.)
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Saturday, May 24, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Ecclesiastes 12:13-14
“The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.”
-Background/Context:
-The Book of Ecclesiastes was authored by Solomon, probably towards the end of his life.
-Ecclesiastes is Hebrew poetry, specifically, wisdom poetry (intended to teach a lesson).
-The title “Ecclesiastes” is a transliteration of the Septuagint’s title of Ekklesiastes, which means “assembly” in Greek. The Hebrew title is actually all of verse 1 and means literally something like, “The Preacher” (teacher, leader).
-The end of verse 13, translated, “for this is the whole duty of man,” (ESV) might better be understood that ALL people need to do this—or these truths apply to everyone.
-Something to Think About:
I’m certainly not qualified to present to you what Ecclesiastes is all about, but here are a few things that I hope you will find helpful:
-Solomon wanted his readers to understand that a God-centered worldview is the only way to find meaning and purpose in life (as opposed to a self-centered view).
-All done apart from God being THE reason and purpose is ultimately “vanity,” that is, empty/useless.
-One commentator said, “To dethrone God is to lose the key to life.”
-When we have a right view of God: Who He is, what He wants from us and for us (part of “fearing” Him), we will recognize that the only intelligent way to live is in obedience to all He says. This is not only our “duty,” but a tremendous privilege because we are (a) fulfilling our purpose in being alive, (b) we are honoring God and being a good testimony to others, AND, (c) we are laying up treasures in heaven. That is, we are earning the opportunity to serve the Lord in bigger and better ways during the Millennium and throughout eternity.
Of course, we must all realize that God cannot work in us and through us until we belong to Him and we cannot belong to Him until we have placed our faith in His Son, Jesus Christ, as our Savior. Once saved, our eyes are now open to understand what is truly important in our lives and how much eternal values matter in our moment-to-moment decisions. Christians don’t need to live hopelessly and helplessly! We have a Father in Heaven! We have the Good Shepherd guiding and guarding! We have the Indwelling Spirit teaching and leading! There’s nothing useless or “vanity” about that!
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Sunday, May 25, 2025
Praise God, it’s Sunday! Before we do anything else, let’s pray and ask God for His blessing on the day!
Things to consider praying for and doing:
-Pray for your pastor or whoever is preaching, for clarity, for accuracy, and the freedom to speak exactly what God is laying on their hearts. Pray as well for their health, strength, and well-being.
-Pray for all who God wants to be there, that nothing would interfere with them coming and once there, to listen, learn, and grow.
-Pray for all ministries of the church: Sunday School, music, ushers, greeters, nursery, offerings—everything.
-Pray for your own heart, first to be sure there is no unconfessed sin between you and God, then that you would be receptive to the Word and be able to be a blessing and encouragement to all you cross paths with.
Other things God is laying on your heart to pray for today:
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As you have opportunity during the day (or at the end of it), jot down some lessons and blessings God showed you:
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BONUS! God-honoring music is such a tremendous blessing that I thought we could use Sundays to focus on a few hymns that use “all” in them to read through (and sing, if you want!).
Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah (Word by W. Williams; music by J. Hughes)
Guide me, O Thou great Jehovah, pilgrim through this barren land. I am weak, but Thou art mighty—hold me with Thy powerful hand. Bread of Heaven, Bread of Heaven, feed me till I want to more; feed me till I want no more.
Open now the crystal fountain whence the healing stream doth flow. Let the fire and cloudy pillar lead me all my journey through. Strong Deliverer, strong Deliverer, be Thou still my strength and shield; be Thou still my strength and shield.
When I tread the verge of Jordan, bid my anxious fears subside. Bear me through the swelling current; land me safe on Canaan’s side. Songs of praises, songs of praises I will ever give to Thee; I will ever give to Thee.
Monday, May 26, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Psalm 86:5
“For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you.”
-Background/Context:
David wrote this psalm in order to ask for God’s help when he was being threatened by enemies and to express his trust in God, specifically that God always fulfills His promises and that He stays true to His character. In our verse of focus today, David is thankful that God is good, forgiving, and abounding in steadfast love when His children call on Him in prayer.
-Something to Think About:
We’ve enjoyed looking at some of these amazing qualities of God in recent studies, namely His goodness and steadfast love (hesed), but I wanted to pause for a minute to appreciate His forgiveness.
If we were to consider how humans fail in the area of forgiveness, both others to us and sometimes us to others, we might have to work a bit harder to appreciate that when God says He forgives, it is a complete and done deal. He will not bring it up with us again, nor will He hold it against us at a future time (both of which humans are prone to!).
We should probably take a minute to differentiate between God’s forgiveness for the sin we are born with and the sin that we commit after salvation. When the Holy Spirit opens the eyes of an individual so that they are able to realize that they are a sinner and Jesus paid the price for their sin on their behalf—and that individual places his or her faith in Christ for salvation, the sin they are born with (Adamic guilt) is forgiven. Additionally, so are all the sins we have committed or will commit in our lives. That’s a pretty huge thing to do—and worth a huge THANK YOU, LORD, every single day!
So, you may ask, if that’s true, why do we need to ask God for forgiveness once we are a Christian? Although once we’re saved, we will never be held guilty for sin, sin STILL sullies, corrodes, and damages everything it touches. First, sin causes a rift in our fellowship with God. Often, this sin then leads to additional sins in any number of areas, including sinning against other people. Left unconfessed, sin can cause a (sometimes) extremely quick downward spiral from a vibrant, faithful, joyous believer to a depressed, angry, rebellious child of God who lives as if they are of the world and not a member of the Kingdom of Light. It’s sad and completely unnecessary. Why? Because our God is a God Who forgives sin. All we need to do is to acknowledge our sin (sin is anything that we think, say, or do that is contrary to God’s commands and/or character; a choosing of our will over His) to God in prayer—and God WILL forgive us EVERY SINGLE TIME. It doesn’t matter if we need to confess sin 100 times a day, He will forgive us 100 times a day (though, prayerfully, we will be learning from Him how to make more God-honoring decisions with time).
Lest someone think that it’s okay to sin because we can just make it right with God and all is well, this is definitely NOT pleasing to God—or particularly respectful of Him (or showing gratitude for Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross on our behalf). Ideally, it should be our DELIGHT to do the Father’s will, our JOY to look for ways to please Him and honor Him, our HIGHEST GOAL to choose to not sin (which is to choose to think and live biblically).
To summarize, once an individual has trusted Jesus Christ as Savior, he or she will never be held legally accountable before God for any sins of any kind. However, as a child of God, we can and do sin, resulting in our fellowship with God being blocked and damaged, and our effectiveness for Him being thwarted.
Here are a few additional verses on the topic to meditate on and pray about:
-Psalm 130:3-4 “If you, O LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared.”
-Psalm 103:8-12 “The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever. He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.”
-Psalm 145:8-9 “The LORD is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. The LORD is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made.”
-Psalm 85:2 “You forgave the iniquity of your people; you covered all their sin. Selah”
-Psalm 32:5 “I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah”
-1 John 1:8-9 “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Tuesday, May 27, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Deuteronomy 6:4-6
“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.”
-Background/Context:
This is part of what the Jews know as the Shema. The Shema is the fundamental statement of Israel’s faith.
Although clearly given to Israel, Jesus repeats this command in the New Testament, calling it the greatest command, adding loving neighbor as yourself as the second most important (Matthew 22:36-40 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”).
In other words, if you were to condense the entire law into two sentences, it would be to love God supremely and love others as self. To this day, keeping these two overarching commands as the what and why of our thinking and behavior is smart, God-honoring, and helps us have a whole lot more clarity as to what is worthy to do and what isn’t.
-Something to Think About:
Deuteronomy 6:4 begins with “hear” (which is actually the Hebrew word “shema”). It simply means, listen. That is, stop what you’re doing, pay attention to what is about to be said—because this is very important. And as we know, what came next was the command to love God with all that we are and have.
I appreciated the reminder to hear/listen. I think that this is quickly becoming a lost art in our age of fast-paced living, being bombarded with headlines and new information on our phones 24/7, and media that is using shorter and shorter sound bites to tell their story. Did you know that in an average movie, the point of view often changes every few seconds? Did you know that the average attention span of an adult dropped by a fairly large percentage just since 2000?
As a child of God, one who is a citizen of Heaven and actually an exile here on earth, a Christian with the Holy Spirit indwelling us, don’t you think we would be wise to follow the command of Deuteronomy 6:4 to LISTEN? Not to just anything, but to what GOD has to say—in His Word, through the message our pastor presents to us on Sunday, through biblically accurate media.
Is stepping aside from the wonky world around us easy? No! Will it involve some intentional schedule changing and, perhaps, not-often-used intense concentration? Yes! Is it worth it? YES. Will it help us love God more? Love others more closely to how God loves them? Definitely.
I guess the question is, how are you going to do it? Perhaps the best and first step would simply be to pause to pray and ask God for His plan for you. Give it a try!
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Wednesday, May 28, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read I John 1
“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.
This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.”
-Background/Context:
This book was written by the Apostle John, the author of the Gospel of John, where he refers to himself as “the disciple the Lord loved” (John 21). This was written somewhere around 80-90AD from Ephesus and was written before John was exiled to the island of Patmos.
-Something to Think About:
Since it has been about sixty years since Jesus’ ascension, new generations of people had been born who had not had the opportunity to see or hear Jesus personally (as John had). Furthermore, in that time, false teachers with false doctrine had sprung up everywhere and John felt the need to remind the believers of a few basic truths.
One of the biggest truths, of course, is that truth is only ever what GOD says it is and it is never based on human opinion, ideas, or desires. In other words, God’s Word is THE authority for all people in all areas of life—whether or not we agree with it, like it, or respect it.
When we live according to what God’s Word says, we are walking in light and in fellowship with God and with other believers who are also living according to it. The opposite is also true, deviating from God’s Word (or outright disobeying it) means we are walking in darkness, we are out of fellowship with God, and we are out of fellowship with believers who are living obediently (remember that John is writing to Christians, not the unsaved).
It’s all pretty straightforward, actually.
If God hadn’t made provision for sinners to trust in His Son for salvation, no one would be exempt from eternity in the Lake of Fire. He did, though, and once a child of God, always a child of God. BUT, even children of God/Christians sometimes choose to sin. While we cannot lose our salvation, we can (and do) mar our fellowship with God and fellow believers. THANKFULLY, God made provision for that, too. We simply need to acknowledge that we have sinned against Him in prayer—and He forgives us! Of course, it’s not really much of a confession if we INTEND to turn around and do it all over again. Confession assumes that we aren’t also choosing to continue in the sin. But, when we do find ourselves yet again having sinned in some way, we can again confess it to the Father and be forgiven again. And in that forgiveness and a restored relationship to God, there is joy. Full joy.
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Thursday, May 29, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read 1 John 2
“My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.
Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have heard. At the same time, it is a new commandment that I am writing to you, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining. Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling. But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven for his name’s sake.
I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning.
I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one.
I write to you, children, because you know the Father.
I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning.
I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.
Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.
Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us. But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge. I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth. Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also. Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father. And this is the promise that he made to us—eternal life.
I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you. But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him.
And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming. If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.”
-Background/Context:
A lot of what John is trying to convey to his readers has to do with the facts of who we are in Christ and Who we belong to and how this should radically change how we think and act. John is addressing those who have already trusted in Jesus as their Savior, so he is never, not even once, suggesting it is our spiritual salvation that can be lost. He’s telling his listeners that Christians can choose to think and act as if they do not “know” God. That is, they had no real knowledge or concern about what’s important to God. These believers are not living in a way that honors God, reflects Him well, or is a testimony to the unsaved.
John is also warning Christians to be really, really careful that they are not listening to and believing “Bible” teachers who are not actually teaching what the Bible says. This is an even more serious danger in our age of ready internet access. We need to constantly check what we are seeing and hearing against God’s Word. It is the only Standard of Truth.
The “last hour” John is speaking about includes right now. It is the time period between Jesus’ ascension and the Rapture. Like us, John had no idea how long the Church Age would last on God’s timetable, but because none of us know, we must ALL not give up or give in on demonstrating that we know Who God is by means of our attitudes and actions.
-Something to Think About:
When John is warning the believers about antichrists, he is not speaking about THE antichrist who shows up during the Tribulation to try to deceive the whole world that he is the savior. Because the word “antichrist” does not have a definite article in Greek (“the”), it must be defined as “the character of” antichrist. So, what is that? Well, John actually talks about it a few times. At its most basic, it is anything that is telling lies about or misrepresenting God, Jesus Christ, or the Word of God. Our English prefix “anti” means “against” or “opposed to.”
I think that when we think about false teachers (“antichrists”), we picture someone famous and well-known and clearly a “bad guy.” However, John said that some of these false teachers sharing untruths about Jesus were at one time part of their fellowship—and sad to say, but I can personally think of men and women who once attended here (and may even have been members) who got off on some tangent (almost always because of some radio or online teacher) and began to cling to ideas that just aren’t supported by the Bible. The sober truth is that whenever ANY of us begins to view anything apart from what God has to say about it, we will not be seeing it accurately and it will eventually lead to heartache and disappointment.
That’s pretty gloomy (maybe because it can happen so easily and quickly!), but John is quick to remind us that ALL believers have the indwelling Holy Spirit with us every second of every day to help us understand God’s Word and obey it in our lives. God has never, nor will He ever, leave us high and dry. He has given us His Spirit 24/7, He has given us His Written Word, the Bible, to study and apply to our hearts and lives, He has given us shepherds to teach us and guide us in right paths, and He has given us fellow believers to be encouraged by, edified by, and occasionally chastised (lovingly, of course) by.
AND, as John comforts us at the beginning of this chapter, if we do mess up, if we do sin, we simply need to confess it in order to make it right—because of what Jesus Christ did (and currently does) on our behalf. Praise the Lord!
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Friday, May 30, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read 1 John 3
“See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.
Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God. By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.
For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother’s righteous. Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you. We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death. Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.
By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.
By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.”
-Background/Context:
John offers his readers great instruction, great truth, great warning, and great hope. He wanted them to know just Who God is (what He is like) and how horrible satan is—so that we can be like our Father and steer clear of everything that resembles satan. Those who practice (regularly do) what is righteous are acting like God the Father, while those who regularly do what is opposed to God are acting like satan.
John also wanted to remind his readers just how incredible God’s love is for us and how this can help us to show love to others, especially brothers and sisters in Christ. In fact, showing biblical love to others is not optional for the child of God. That’s how important it is to Him.
-Something to Think About:
When I started training to become a surgical technician, I was given an overview of what a surgical technician does and doesn’t do, how they were to behave in a variety of situations, and expectations of knowledge and skills once on the job. Of course, my classmates and I had to learn what all those things even meant. We also had to complete dozens of hours of practical experience before we earned our certificate of completion. Even then, once we all dispersed and began jobs as certified surgical technologists, that sure didn’t guarantee that we acted like it or that we automatically knew everything about every surgery ever invented. We each had the responsibility to represent well our profession and to give effort to learning as much as we could in order to be a real asset to the surgical team.
Do you see any correlations between all of that and life for a child of God? Our adoption begins once we’ve trusted in Christ as Savior, but belonging to God’s family and acting like a child of God should is not the same thing at all! Although we SHOULD live every second of every day desiring and working hard to honor, please, and obey God (I mean, THINK about ALL He has done, is doing, and will yet do for us!), we don’t always do this—or we do it somewhat sporadically, with ups and downs.
Once, when working full-time as a surgical technician, I had a cast on one hand for a few weeks. Since I couldn’t scrub my hands and put sterile gloves on, I could not do the tasks that I was hired to do. Instead, I helped in other areas that are necessary in the department. Did that mean I wasn’t a surgical technician any longer? Well, it was pretty frustrating to my boss, but no, I was still very much a surgical technician, just an inactive one. Christians who aren’t acting like Christians do not prove that they were never saved in the first place. Should Christians always act like Christians? YES. DO Christians always act like Christians? No. I believe John is giving a very detailed and very useful job description of what children of God should be like. He also gives several reasons why, the biggie being God’s great love and Jesus’ great sacrifice. In addition, he offered great encouragement by reminding us that we CAN “be” like a faithful child of God because of the gift of the Indwelling Holy Spirit.
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Saturday, May 31, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read 1 John 4
“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. 4 Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 5 They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.
13 By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 17 By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. 19 We love because he first loved us. 20 If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. 21 And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.”
-Background/Context:
First of all, you may have noticed that this chapter doesn’t have an “all.” It’s included because I was on a roll in I John—and chapter 4 has all sorts of great stuff. =)
Here are just a few things to note from this chapter:
-When John warns us to not believe every “spirit” (v.1), he is speaking about a person, a school of thought, a trend, or a belief, but not the Holy Spirit. He is speaking about the Holy Spirit, however, in the next few verses when identifying who or what is from God. Simply put, sharing God’s Word as written is from God, but any deviation, change, or omission is not from Him. His point, of course, is to be really careful to not follow false teaching.
-Verse 4-6 are encouraging reminders that we have God the Holy Spirit residing in us, Who is FAR more capable and wise than anything in the world (including satan and all his followers!). Our task is to listen to HIM and base all we are and do from His instruction and leading.
-God doesn’t just demonstrate love (although He does this to an incredible level), God IS love. It’s His very character. His children are supposed to be imitating Him in this area. For us, this is primarily about actions and decisions—and not feelings. However, when we choose to see people in the same way God views them, very often the “feeling” of love grows, too.
-The presence of the Holy Spirit (v.13) is both proof of our salvation AND God’s love for us.
-Verses 17 & 18 are speaking a bit about the Bema Seat Judgment, the time after the Rapture when the things we have done for God once saved are evaluated to determine if they were done for self or for God. When we are living our days simply doing our best to trust God and obey Him, then we have no need to fear that judgment. The antidote to fear is love—His love (it’s not our love that casts out fear, but His love for us).
-Verse 19 reads, “We love HIM because He first loved us” in the original. We can do NOTHING good apart from Him giving us the ability to do so—even loving Him.
-Verses 20-21 are reminders that what we do carries far more weight than what we say.
-Something to Think About:
Verse 11 says, “Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” The word the ESV translates as “ought” is actually a much stronger word in Greek. It is, in fact, an imperative—a command. This is further emphasized in verse 21, “And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.”
I’ve long been troubled by the VERY common, VERY much accepted concept that Christians are all about loving “the world.” By that, people seem to mean that we should have benevolent and sacrificial thoughts and actions to the unsaved world—all the time and in every situation.
Do I think we SHOULDN’T, as a group, be known as kind, generous, “nice” people? Of course not! Anything less than that surely wouldn’t reflect well on God the Father or Jesus our Savior. But did you see that word used repeatedly in this chapter (and book—and other New Testament books)? It’s “brother” (understood as brothers and sisters IN CHRIST). The ones we are commanded to show biblical love—God-like love—are fellow Christians.
Do we do that??? Do we sometimes shortchange our fellow church members because some other “cause,” club, or situation could use some “love”? Shouldn’t our family come first???
I am NOT claiming to have all the answers, but I do think that these questions need some deep thought and prayer (which MUST contain searching Scripture to see what God says). I believe that Church Age Christians can get just as caught up in tradition and the “way we’ve always done it” as the Jews did in the Gospel. Jesus came to them to teach them what GOD said, asking them to set aside “you have heard it said” kinds of thoughts. Can we do any less?
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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June 2025 DBSQ
June 1, 2025
Dear Student of the Word,
Welcome to the sixth month of a word study in Scripture of the word “all” to remind us of all God has given to us and how we can, in turn, give our all to Him.
May God bless YOU as you study His Word and seek to live it out in your life!
By His Grace,
Lorie Brown
Just so you know. . .
-I mainly use the ESV (courtesy of either Bible Gateway.com or Olive Tree.com), but sometimes it’s necessary to use another English translation in order to see the word of focus more clearly.
-Previous months of this year’s study can be found on our church website under the tab “Ministries” at firstbaptistnorthconway.org. In addition, several studies from former years are there too.
-Our church has an in-house publishing ministry, some of which can be found for free download on solidrockpublishing.org. There are many kinds of Bible studies as well as stories for kids available as hardcopies in the back of our church auditorium.
-Our ladies (in North Conway, NH) meet the second Monday of each month to review these studies and you are welcome to join us if you are in the area. If not, I highly recommend reviewing them with one or more friends—simply because doing Bible studies with other people is a huge blessing and help.
-You are welcome to pass these studies along to whoever the Lord lays on your heart. If someone wants to receive them directly from Mailchimp, just contact me and I can sign them up.
-If you reply to my Mailchimp email with a comment or question, it comes directly to me—and I love hearing from you!
-Again, thanks for praying for me and for all who are doing these studies! We NEED God’s help and blessing to listen, learn, and grow!
Sunday, June 1, 2025
Praise God, it’s Sunday! Before we do anything else, let’s pray and ask God for His blessing on the day!
Things to consider praying for and doing:
-Pray for your pastor or whoever is preaching, for clarity, for accuracy, and the freedom to speak exactly what God is laying on their hearts. Pray as well for their health, strength, and well-being.
-Pray for all who God wants to be there, that nothing would interfere with them coming and once there, to listen, learn, and grow.
-Pray for all ministries of the church: Sunday School, music, ushers, greeters, nursery, offerings—everything.
-Pray for your own heart, first to be sure there is no unconfessed sin between you and God, then that you would be receptive to the Word and be able to be a blessing and encouragement to all you cross paths with.
Other things God is laying on your heart to pray for today:
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As you have opportunity during the day (or at the end of it), jot down some lessons and blessings God showed you:
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BONUS! God-honoring music is such a tremendous blessing that I thought we could use Sundays to focus on a few hymns that use “all” in them to read through (and sing, if you want!).
I Would be Like Jesus (words by J Rowe; music by B. Ackley)
Earthly pleasures vainly call me; I would be like Jesus. Nothing worldly shall enthrall me, I would be like Jesus. Be like Jesus, this my song in the home and in the throng; be like Jeus all day long! I would be like Jesus.
He has broken every fetter, I would be like Jesus. That my soul may serve Him better, I would be like Jesus. Be like Jesus, this my song in the home and in the throng; be like Jeus all day long! I would be like Jesus.
All the way from earth to glory, I would be like Jesus; telling o’er and o’er the story, I would be like Jesus. Be like Jesus, this my song in the home and in the throng; be like Jeus all day long! I would be like Jesus.
That in heaven He may meet me, I would be like Jesus. That His words “Well done” may greet me, I would be like Jesus. Be like Jesus, this my song in the home and in the throng; be like Jeus all day long! I would be like Jesus.
Monday, June 2, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read 1 John 5
“Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
This is he who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not by the water only but by the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. For there are three that testify: the Spirit and the water and the blood; and these three agree. If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater, for this is the testimony of God that he has borne concerning his Son. Whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne concerning his Son. And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.
I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life. And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.
If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask, and God will give him life—to those who commit sins that do not lead to death. There is sin that leads to death; I do not say that one should pray for that. All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that does not lead to death. We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him. We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.
And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. Little children, keep yourselves from idols.”
-Background/Context:
Trusting in Jesus Christ as our Savior changes EVERYTHING: Who we belong to, what we are able to do (because of His work in us), what our goals should be, and what governs how we act and react. In fact, there are two very distinct “sides” all around us. Those who want to and are able to love God and love all children of God—and those who cannot (and don’t really want to anyway). The first are of the family of God (because of what HE did, not us!) and the latter are of the family of satan and are children of disobedience (something we are all born into because of that first sin way back in the Garden of Eden).
While witnessing to the unsaved is always the right thing to do and the important thing to do, the focus here in I John is really more on the relationship of the Christian to God and to other Christians. Part of staying on the right course WILL be staying far, far away from anything that opposes Who God is and what He stands for.
-Something to Think About:
Can you see how this all holds together in a kind of circle?
-God loves us.
-God sent His Son to die for us to pay for our sin and so that His righteousness is passed on to us.
-Jesus loves the Father and obeys Him.
-As fellow-heirs with Christ (because of what He did for us through His death, burial, and resurrection), we can also love the Father and obey Him.
-Loving the Father is the same thing as obeying Him. We can even put an equal sign between the two: Love = obedience.
-Obeying the Father IS how love is demonstrated (I Corinthians 13 reminds us we can say we love someone morning, noon, and night, but if it cannot be seen in what we do, it’s just worthless words).
-Our love for God will be demonstrated by loving the ones He told us to love, namely, other Christians.
From The Bible Knowledge Commentary, “If a further question is asked about what it means to love God, the answer is, to obey His commands. Thus the apostle, by this series of statements, reduces love for God and one’s fellow Christians to its fundamental character. A person who obeys God’s commands is doing what is right, both toward God and toward his fellow believers and is thus loving both God and them.”
“Whether or not a believer exhibits an admirable life, he should be an object of his fellow Christian’s love. This love does not spring from something lovable in the person himself, but from his paternity, since everyone who loves the Father loves His child as well. Moreover, love for God’s children is not mere sentiment or verbal expression, but is inseparable from loving God and obeying His commands.”
From Constable’s Expository Bible Study Notes, “Love for God and God’s children is essentially obedience to God’s commands. It is not so much how we feel about God and other believers as how we choose to relate to them that is crucial.”
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Tuesday, June 3, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read 2 John
“The elder to the elect lady and her children, whom I love in truth, and not only I, but also all who know the truth, because of the truth that abides in us and will be with us forever:
Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ the Father’s Son, in truth and love.
I rejoiced greatly to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as we were commanded by the Father. And now I ask you, dear lady—not as though I were writing you a new commandment, but the one we have had from the beginning—that we love one another. And this is love, that we walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, so that you should walk in it. For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. Such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist. Watch yourselves, so that you may not lose what we have worked for, but may win a full reward. Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works.
Though I have much to write to you, I would rather not use paper and ink. Instead I hope to come to you and talk face to face, so that our joy may be complete. The children of your elect sister greet you.”
-Background/Context:
-The Apostle John is the author of this letter, though the original title is actually “The Elder.” That John was the elder in question was common knowledge.
-John addressed this letter to “the elect lady and her children.” This was most likely a reference to a specific church and the members there. One commentator suggested the possibility that a specific church wasn’t named in order to protect it, since there was a lot of persecution at that time. John ends the letter by referencing his own church family (the children of your elect sister).
-John’s main focus in this letter was to point out that knowing God’s truth (Scripture) and living according to it will help us to love others properly and to help guard against false teachers.
-What is translated as paper and ink at the end of the letter is more accurately parchment (animal skin) and ink.
-Something to Think About:
I liked John’s opening greeting because he not only writes to whatever church family he was writing to, but to ALL who know the truth of what God did for us through Jesus Christ. I have no idea if John knew that you and I would be reading his words some 2,000 years later, but God did. He knew that you and I would also benefit from what He directed John to tell believers in the first century.
John uses this short letter to summarize a bit of what he said in I John. A critical thing for ALL believers is to know what God wanted us to know as found in the Bible, not just for knowledge sake (as some people do), but to USE IT and to implement it in our daily lives. Because God’s Word isn’t just another book, its truth is able to penetrate our hearts so that how we think about things changes, so that what we do and why we do it changes. Ultimately, it’s to help all of God’s children be a bit more like Jesus Christ.
Part of becoming more like Jesus Christ is that we learn to love others the way He loves them, which will definitely include helping with assorted needs they might have, but first and foremost, in regards to their spiritual needs. Does a brother or sister in Christ you know need some encouragement to not give up or give in? Does a brother or sister in Christ need a spiritual mentor, someone who can help them understand the Bible a bit better? Does a brother or sister need someone to get together with from time to time for encouragement, support, and edification? Would someone be blessed to receive a note acknowledging that their service to the Lord was a help or blessing to you?
There’s obviously a lot more to read about and discover in this short letter, and I encourage you to read it another few times in order to jot down a few things you noticed or were interested in finding out more about.
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Wednesday, June 4, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read 3 John
“The elder to the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth.
Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul. For I rejoiced greatly when the brothers came and testified to your truth, as indeed you are walking in the truth. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.
Beloved, it is a faithful thing you do in all your efforts for these brothers, strangers as they are, who testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their journey in a manner worthy of God. For they have gone out for the sake of the name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles. Therefore we ought to support people like these, that we may be fellow workers for the truth.
I have written something to the church, but Diotrephes, who likes to put himself first, does not acknowledge our authority. So if I come, I will bring up what he is doing, talking wicked nonsense against us. And not content with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers, and also stops those who want to and puts them out of the church.
Beloved, do not imitate evil but imitate good. Whoever does good is from God; whoever does evil has not seen God. Demetrius has received a good testimony from everyone, and from the truth itself. We also add our testimony, and you know that our testimony is true.
I had much to write to you, but I would rather not write with pen and ink. I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face. Peace be to you. The friends greet you. Greet the friends, each by name.”
-Background/Context:
-III John was written by the Apostle John. He also wrote the Gospel of John, I & II John, and Revelation.
-John is writing to Gaius. Gaius was a common name in that time and was probably not the same man mentioned elsewhere in the New Testament.
-III John may have been the only personal letter included in the canon. Although other letters are addressed to specific people (Philemon, Timothy, and Titus, for example), they were clearly meant to be shared with churches, where this one is clearly to Gaius.
-John refers to himself as the elder in these three epistles. He was definitely an older man at this point and had been saved for many years. As such, he had much experience and spiritual insight to share with others. It will be interesting to get to heaven to find out how many folks were saved under John’s ministry and how many Christians were influenced to live even more faithfully for God once they were encouraged by John’s tender, but clear, instruction.
-Something to Think About:
This short book has several important and useful things to note.
-John loved Gaius as a person, but he especially loved him because of his faithful walk with the Lord. In mentioning that Gaius walked in truth, John meant that he was obedient to God’s Word—something you and I can aim to do every day too!
-John knew that Gaius was doing super well spiritually, and he paused to note that it was his heart’s desire that he was doing equally well physically. Christians should definitely support each other in prayer in both physical and spiritual things. An interesting point to ponder: what if we, and all believers, had exactly the same level of physical health and well-being as we did spiritual health and well-being? In other words, our bodies operated and felt as good as our walk with Christ? How many of us would be healthy, strong, and well-functioning? kind
-John had heard about the excellent testimony Gaius had, and it was a huge blessing to him. It’s possible that Gaius got saved under John’s ministry, but it’s also possible that John just had such a huge heart that he considered all believers his “children.” When we see a believer with an excellent testimony, do we tell them that they’ve been a blessing to us? Do we rejoice over them? Do we thank God for them? Do we pray that their walk with the Lord continues to be excellent?
-Gaius was faithful in ALL his efforts for the Lord. Specifically mentioned here was helping and being a blessing to Christians who came to his church and into his life. He welcomed them, encouraged them, and helped them in physical and financial ways. All Christians should be on the lookout to help other Christians, most especially those in our own churches.
-Christians should be the ones to support other Christians, and churches should not look to the world or those not saved for help, including financially (the word “Gentiles” here means the unsaved).
-Gaius is an example of a God-honoring believer. Diotrephes is not! He was all about establishing his own little kingdom in this church and fighting against anyone who challenged his rule. This has never, nor will ever, be what honors God in any church. Diotrephes would need to answer to John—and to God upon his death. Much harm can be done to the name of Christ when Christians think and act in a way contrary to God’s Word and God’s character.
-I LOVE verse 11, “Do not imitate evil but imitate good”! What a great saying to place on a huge sign in our homes where we’ll see it every day.
-The person who does good (as God defines it) is “like” Him, while the one who chooses to do what is NOT like God is acting like someone who is unsaved—someone who doesn’t know what God is like at all. (This can definitely be the actions of a Christian. Christians belong to God, but they can choose to act as if they still belong to satan. Not good!)
-I’m curious. What blessed or challenged YOU from this book?
-Are you a Gaius in your church and to your pastor? How? How not? In what ways could you do better?
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Thursday, June 5, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Psalm 33:4-5
“For the word of the LORD is upright, and all his work is done in faithfulness. He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the steadfast love of the LORD.”
-Background/Context:
-This, simply put, is a praise song to and about the Lord.
-The author isn’t known for certain, but the Septuagint attributes it to David.
-If you’re a member of FBC, you may have noticed that our theme verse for 2025 is from this Psalm. The quiz question for you is this: which verse? Double bonus points if you can quote it!
-Something to Think About:
This is a great Psalm and I encourage you to look it up and read it in its entirety. As mentioned, it’s a praise psalm which notes God’s righteousness and trustworthiness to all He has promised to do.
Even though the word “all” is only translated once in these two verses, I think that we can also see that it is an understood truth throughout the whole psalm.
-For ALL the word of the Lord is upright. That is, completely morally good, straight; without even a hint of anything that is corrupt or crooked.
-For ALL the LORD’S work is done in faithfulness. He is never, ever unfaithful or unreliable.
-For the LORD loves righteousness.
-For the LORD loves justice.
-For ALL the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord (hesed).
(Reminder: “steadfast” and “love” are one word in Hebrew, hesed. It is God’s covenant loyalty and is such a huge concept that no one English word can contain it. It is often translated as lovingkindness, mercy, and goodness.)
So, if these are characteristics of God, shouldn’t they also define His children? Shouldn’t we, too, be known for upright thinking and actions? Shouldn’t we be reliable and trustworthy? Shouldn’t we love righteousness and justice and hate wickedness and unfairness?
Prayerfully consider your thoughts, words, and actions over the last day or two. How were you like your Father and how were you more resembling the unsaved world? Ask the Father for help and direction to be becoming more and more like His Son each day you are granted here on earth.
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Friday, June 6, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Proverbs 21:25-26
“The desire of the sluggard kills him, for his hands refuse to labor. All day long he craves and craves, but the righteous gives and does not hold back.”
-Background/Context:
Proverbs is a book of truisms. They are generally true statements and should not be taken as promises. That being said, they are meant to build wisdom into the heart of children of God and are full of valuable insights and truth. Solomon, David’s son, is the author of this book.
-Something to Think About:
When we read about the sluggard in the book of Proverbs, Solomon is referring to people who are lazy. The descriptors of the sluggard are pretty derogatory and include some serious warnings, but I do think that we should remember that there’s a huge difference between someone simply taking breaks or relaxing after putting in a hard day’s work and someone who lays around all day, choosing to not be productive or useful. It is this person that Solomon is condemning. God expects His children to be good and hard workers and not assume that others will take care of what He has given us the time, ability, and resources to do for ourselves.
The person who Solomon refers to as “righteous” are those who are living according to biblical principles. Although an unsaved person can be a hard worker and a nice person, only those who have trusted in Christ as Savior can truly be defined as righteous*. Even then, it is Christ’s righteousness in us and not righteousness of our own accord (because we have none without Him).
So what is Solomon commending in the righteous? That they not only work hard and faithfully at what God has entrusted them to do, they are generous with the results of their hard work. This might be helping others financially, but it can also be with skills, with possessions, with advice and wisdom, with food—any number of things. Other Scripture talks about this (note the excellent testimony that the church in Philippi had as a result of their generosity):
2 Corinthians 8:1-5 “We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints— and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us.”
Ephesians 4:28 “Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.”
II Thessalonians 3:10-12 “For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living.”
I Timothy 5:8 “But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”
Galatians 6:9 “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.”
*We would be remiss to not note that just because someone is a Christian does NOT mean that they are living as one. Christians can most definitely be guilty of being sluggards, something that does NOT reflect the desires or character of Jesus Christ.
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Saturday, June 7, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Acts 2:1-12
“When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?”
-Background/Context:
This passage is quite important to those of us living in the Church Age. Here are a few things to note:
-This is the official birth of the Church.
-The day of Pentecost (meaning “fifty”) was a feast that occurred fifty days after the Passover. It was also known as the Feast of Weeks and the Feast of Harvest. It was one of the three festivals where Jewish males within twenty miles of Jerusalem were required to attend. This explains why there was such a large crowd in Jerusalem that day. Pentecost happened late May or early June.
-The “all” mentioned in verse 1 is identified in Acts 1. Included in that number would be the newly-chosen apostle who would take Judas’ place, Mattias.
-The coming of the Holy Spirit was mentioned by John the Baptist (Luke 3:16) and Jesus (Acts 1:8).
-God is often spoken about in conjunction with fire (Exodus 3:2-6; 13:21-22—and many more).
-The word “spirit” (pneuma, the Spirit part of Holy Spirit) means “spirit” or “wind,” so the “mighty rushing wind” sound that they heard is very interesting.
-Not only were all the believers present that Pentecost morning filled with the Holy Spirit once and for all time, positionally so were you and I—and all who have trusted in the name of Jesus as Savior from that day on.
-Some believe that speaking in tongues is some ecstatic experience which you alone can understand, but what happened that day was clearly real languages which were understood by natives of the land where these languages were spoken. Furthermore, what they spoke was praise to God for His mighty works. We do not believe that tongues are for today nor that the practice of so-called speaking in tongues is honoring to God. (Speaking in tongues occurred different times while the church was still young and growing, but it eventually died out because it was no longer needed once the canon, the completed Bible, was done.)
-Something to Think About:
So, WHO was there in Jerusalem to personally watch, hear, and feel the official beginning of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, the birth of the Church, and the beginning of all nations being included in the invitation to trust Christ as Savior? Those who had not stayed home that day. Those who had chosen to be with other believers to pray together to seek God’s will moving ahead, and to worship Him.
Makes you wonder what we might miss if we opt out of Sunday School, or Morning Worship, or the Evening Service, or Prayer Meeting?
(God certainly understands when we are sick or other occasions where we just can’t make it, but I believe that He is honored and pleased when we CHOOSE to make it a priority to attend all that we can. And I know for a fact that WE are always blessed when we are there!)
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Sunday, June 8, 2025
Praise God, it’s Sunday! Before we do anything else, let’s pray and ask God for His blessing on the day!
Things to consider praying for and doing:
-Pray for your pastor or whoever is preaching, for clarity, for accuracy, and the freedom to speak exactly what God is laying on their hearts. Pray as well for their health, strength, and well-being.
-Pray for all who God wants to be there, that nothing would interfere with them coming and once there, to listen, learn, and grow.
-Pray for all ministries of the church: Sunday School, music, ushers, greeters, nursery, offerings—everything.
-Pray for your own heart, first to be sure there is no unconfessed sin between you and God, then that you would be receptive to the Word and be able to be a blessing and encouragement to all you cross paths with.
Other things God is laying on your heart to pray for today:
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As you have opportunity during the day (or at the end of it), jot down some lessons and blessings God showed you:
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BONUS! God-honoring music is such a tremendous blessing that I thought we could use Sundays to focus on a few hymns that use “all” in them to read through (and sing, if you want!).
The Church’s One Foundation (words by S. Stone; music by S. Wesley)
The church’s one foundation is Jesus Christ her Lord. She is His new creation by water and the Word. From heav’n He came and sought her to be His holy bride. With His own blood he bought her and for her life He died.
Elect from every nation, yet one o’er all the earth. Her charter of salvation, one Lord, one faith, one birth. One holy name she blesses, partakes one holy food, and to one hope she presses with ev’ry grace endued.
‘Mid toil and tribulation and tumult of her war, she waits the consummation of peace forevermore, till with the vision glorious, her longing eyes are blest, and the great church victorious shall be the church at rest.
Yet she on earth hath union with God, the Three in One, and mystic sweet communion with those whose rest is won. O happy one and holy! Lord, give us grace that we, like them, the meek and lowly, on high may dwell with Thee.
Monday, June 9, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read 2 Thessalonians 1:1-3
“Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy,
To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing.”
-Background/Context:
-Paul is the author of this letter. He is writing it from Corinth. Silas (Silvanus) and Timothy are there with him and share this letter with him. Chronologically, this was probably Paul’s third letter (Galatians being the first).
-This second letter to the believers in Thessalonica was probably sent within a year of the first one. In that time, the believers there were growing and doing well—and Paul was thankful for that.
-Something to Think About:
Mercy is God withholding what we deserve (eternal suffering in the Lake of Fire because of our sin). Grace can be seen as the other side of the same coin: God giving us something which we cannot earn. You may have heard it described as “unmerited favor” and/or “God’s riches at Christ’s expense” (this uses the letters of grace in order). Obviously, this hugely important concept is almost impossible to fully grasp—while also being among one of THE most precious gifts from God to us. After all, it is by grace we are saved—and as the author of “Amazing Grace” says, grace will lead us home, so God’s grace is EVERYTHING from beginning to end!
Peace is the ceasing of hostility (our hostility against God!) because of Christ’s work on the cross. We, as children of God, can both have peace WITH God and the peace OF God (also because of Christ Jesus). Hard circumstances, crises, and storms of life, be they physical or emotional, need not make us frazzled and stressed out because the God of peace is our Father and our trust is in His unlimited power and wisdom (and grace!).
God is honored and pleased when our faith is growing. You may recall that faith kind of has two parts or “phases.” There is the initial faith we place in Jesus Christ as the Savior from our sins, but faith doesn’t end there. Once saved, we are now given the opportunity to trust (have faith) in God in all the ups and downs we experience from moment to moment, day after day, year after year. If we’re reading our Bible, believing what it says, and are applying Bible truth to our thoughts and actions (trusting and obeying), then with time, our faith will grow. This will be seen by MORE trust and MORE obedience (which also provides more peace!). Sadly, less time in the Word and less time applying the Bible to life causes our faith to become a bit weak and sad (which will affect our joy and peace, too).
As our faith in God grows, something else happens: our love for other believers ALSO grows! Isn’t that so cool! Actually, ALL Christian virtues (love, joy, peace, patience, etc.) mature and develop when we are trusting and obeying God. Not just these actions, though, the sheer JOY of doing them grows, too. It’s a pretty awesome thing—one ALL Christians are invited to jump into with great enthusiasm! Trust and obey, for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey!*
P.S. Know any brothers or sisters in Christ whose faith has been growing? Thank God for them! Pray for them to keep growing! TELL THEM that they are a blessing and an encouragement!
*From “Trust and Obey” (words by J. Sammis; music by D. Towner)
When we walk with the Lord In the light of His Word, What a glory He sheds on our way; While we do His good will, He abides with us still. And with all who will trust and obey. Trust and obey, For there’s no other way To be happy in Jesus, But to trust and obey.
Not a shadow can rise. Not a cloud in the skies, But His smile quickly drives it away; Not a doubt or a fear, Not a sigh or a tear, Can abide while we trust and obey. Trust and obey, For there’s no other way To be happy in Jesus, But to trust and obey.
Not a burden we bear, Not a sorrow we share, But our toil He doth richly repay; Not a grief or a loss, Not a frown or a cross. But is blest if we trust and obey. Trust and obey, For there’s no other way To be happy in Jesus, But to trust and obey.
But we never can prove The delights of His love, Until all on the altar we lay; For the favor He shows, And the joy He bestows, Are for them who will trust and obey. Trust and obey, For there’s no other way To be happy in Jesus, But to trust and obey.
Then in fellowship sweet We will sit at His feet, Or we’ll walk by His side in the way; What He says we will do; Where He sends, we will go, Never fear, only trust and obey. Trust and obey, For there’s no other way To be happy in Jesus, But to trust and obey.
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Tuesday, June 10, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Romans 8:31-39
“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
-Background/Context:
-The “what shall we say to these things” is what Paul has been teaching up to this point, namely that the believer’s eternal salvation is 100% secure in God’s hands. ALL God promised, He WILL do!
-The rhetorical questions that follow are not saying that believers will never stand opposed, never be martyred for their faith, or never face severe hardships (history reveals LOTS of that!), BUT that no one and no thing will ever prevail or in any way “win.” In fact, upon His resurrection, Jesus Christ won the victory over sin, satan, death, and all that is opposed to God’s righteousness. Positionally, we did too. In other words, NOTHING can stand against those who belong to God. NOTHING.
-The “all things” God graciously gives (v.32) isn’t every little creature comfort we could ever hope for; rather, it is His amazing grace which provided all we need for our eternal salvation, past, present, and future. Now, THAT deserves a huge “Amen!”.
-Something to Think About:
Have you ever been part of a debate club? You know, where some topic was introduced and half the people argue for one side and half argue for the other side. I remember one Bible study in my youth group where the youth pastor divided us up to debate a doctrine from the Bible and half the group had to pretend they were unbelievers and very opposed to God’s Word. I wasn’t willing to even pretend that!
In today’s Scripture, Paul is kind of setting up a debate. “What shall we say then. . . “ followed by arguments, potential “problems,” and a few basic facts. What he did, of course, was to demonstrate that God’s love for us CANNOT be taken from us EVER or for any reason whatsoever. Why? Because it is GOD Who is “for us.” It is GOD Who chose to love us—and God absolutely will not change His mind, nor can anyone cause Him to do so. Just saying He will always love His children is enough, but He took it a huge step further by proving it by sending His own Son to a horrific death for our sakes and so we would have eternal life in His presence.
Take the time to read today’s Scripture again.
What do YOU say about all “these things”? How could it be anything besides a HUGE “Praise the LORD! Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!”?
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Wednesday, June 11, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Mark 8:22-26
“And they came to Bethsaida. And some people brought to him a blind man and begged him to touch him. And he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village, and when he had spit on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him, “Do you see anything?” And he looked up and said, “I see people, but they look like trees, walking.” Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again; and he opened his eyes, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. And he sent him to his home, saying, “Do not even enter the village.”
-Background/Context:
Only the Gospel of Mark contains this account of the healing of this blind man. A second miracle unique to this book is found in 7:31-36.
Bethsaida is a small fishing village on the northeast shore of the Sea of Galilee. It was the home of Philip, Peter, Andrew, James, and John.
That God could/would open the eyes of the blind is prophesied in Psalm 146:8, Isaiah 35:5-6, and Isaiah 29:18.
This is the only two-part healing by Jesus mentioned in Scripture.
-Something to Think About:
This miracle is unique in a few different ways—including that only Mark mentioned it. Another fact is that Mark mentions that the man’s eyesight was restored. That, plus the fact that while his vision was still blurry, he knew enough to describe people as trees. How would he know what trees looked like if he never had vision in his life? A third thing is the use of the wording, that Jesus “laid His hands on him.” Is it possible that Jesus used some sort of physical maneuver on the man, similar to what a chiropractor might do? Who knows better what our bodies need than the One Who created them? A fourth unusual component to this healing is that Jesus used His saliva (it might have been more like He spit into His hands, then applied it to the man’s eyes, a not uncommon treatment in those days). There are many mysteries here that we may well not find out fully until we reach glory!
The result of Jesus’ ministrations? The man’s sight was fully restored. What a day it must have been for him! Mark says that he saw ALL clearly.
After, Jesus warned the man to go home, not re-entering the village. It would seem that He did this to try to discourage people from spreading word that He has come to overthrow Rome and set up His own kingdom. Roman officials would, of course, have put a stop to that right away, making it harder for Jesus to travel throughout Israel to spread His true message: He was the Messiah they had been promised since sin entered the world and was, in fact, the Son of God.
I wonder if this man obeyed God? We find in several other similar situations that the people told not to talk about their miracle didn’t listen and shared it near and far. It SEEMS like that would be a good thing, doesn’t it? To tell everyone the wonders that Jesus had done? BUT, and here’s a critical-to-living-in-a-manner-pleasing-to-the-Lord truth: Jesus told him to NOT do it. We have never, nor will we ever, be the ones who get to make up the rules. God, the Creator, the Sustainer, the Savior, HE makes the rules. Whether we agree with them or disagree, like them or resent them, is never the point. Cheerful and complete obedience is. When we do? Well, perhaps we’ll see and understand a bit more of the “everything” God wants us to see, too!
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Thursday, June 12, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Colossians 3:17
“And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”
-Background/Context:
Paul is the author of this letter to the believers in the city of Colossae. He wrote it while in prison in Rome around 60 A.D. Paul’s purpose was to clear up some heresy that the believers had heard. Paul wanted the believers to understand a bit more about the supremacy of Christ and to instruct them in some of the nitty-gritty day-to-day living practices and attitudes as children of God.
-Something to Think About:
I have been privileged to speak at different ladies’ events over the years. When it’s my turn to stand up and speak, I am aware (very keenly) that I am not only representing myself, but my home church. My husband, too, when speaking somewhere other than our home church, always gives greetings from our church family. This is because we are representing them and they are sharing in our ministry because we are all from the same church family. What we say and do will represent them accurately and well—or inaccurately and poorly.
In an even bigger and more important way, ALL Christians are representing Jesus Christ every second of every day and every night from the point of our salvation until we are called home. That’s what Paul means when he says to do everything IN THE NAME of the Lord Jesus.
Just what constitutes accurately reflecting Jesus Christ (which will also bring glory to God) will be located in Scripture. God placed in His written Word exactly what we need to know about Who He is and what’s important to Him, as well as hard facts about what pleases Him and displeases Him. We can find both clear-cut “dos” and “don’ts” and more subtle direction in principles, the examples of people who have gone before us, and in parables and stories.
Of course, we cannot be perfect, nor can we know “everything” and do every single thing with perfection. God never asked us to be perfect nor does He demand eventual perfection in our lives here on earth. What He wants is for us to WANT to do our dead-level best to please Him, obey Him, and bring Him glory—with what we know to do right now. He also wants us to desire to learn more so that we can mature and refine what we know is good and pleasing now, in order for it to be even more pleasing and good in the days and years to come. ALL Christians can and should be growing in our knowledge of God all the time—with the goal of being able to show our gratitude and love in bigger and better ways each year we are granted life here on this earth.
P.S. It can often be helpful to turn biblical principles of living around to view them from the other side. What I mean here is that BEFORE we’re about to say something or do something, we would be wise to prayerfully consider, based on what we know to be true from God’s Word, whether or not that thought, action, or word would be a POOR representation of our Lord and Savior. If so (even a little), how could we change it so that it does represent the name of the Lord accurately and well?
P.P.S. Having a thankful attitude is ALWAYS the right and God-honoring attitude to have!
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Friday, June 13, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Amos 3:1-2
“Hear this word that the LORD has spoken against you, O people of Israel, against the whole family that I brought up out of the land of Egypt: “You only have I known of all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.”
-Background/Context:
Amos was called to warn both the northern kingdom (Israel) and the southern kingdom (Judah) that God was very aware of their sin and that they would be punished. Amos is also given warnings to share about the gentile nations surrounding Israel and Judah (chapters 1 & 2). Amos was written around 755 B.C., around thirty years before Israel was annihilated and the people were all carted away by Assyria.
-Something to Think About:
After delivering God’s warning to the gentile nations that He saw their atrocities and would punish them, He turns closer to home to have Amos address both Judah (the southern kingdom) and Israel (the northern kingdom). Today’s verse (that holds two “alls”) is part of the warning to Israel. God, first, reminds them that He chose them from all the nations in the entire world to belong to HIM. He gave them blessing after blessing, privilege after privilege, yet they continued to defy Him, disobey Him, and act as if they were just another pagan nation and not one that belonged to THE holy God.
As a mother of five adult children, I have seen a lot of good parenting and bad parenting in my lifetime. One of the things that breaks my heart is to see a child who is allowed to say what they want whenever they take a fancy to say it, to do whatever seems right to them in the moment, to demand what their little hearts might want immediately and exactly as ordered, and otherwise be allowed to think that they are the king or queen of the universe. This is actually a horrible unkindness to that child—because, who wants to be around that kind of kid! No one enjoys a child like that. As a result, they won’t have friends, adults will avoid them, and they may struggle with feeling loved. They WILL struggle with understanding parameters and what is a right thought and action—and what isn’t. It will be a hard life for them as a child, and if never corrected or taught, a hard and unpleasant life as an adult.
What they need is someone to teach them right or wrong. To praise good behaviors and attitudes and discipline the wrong ones. They need to know where they fit in their family unit, among their classmates—even how to behave in stores and restaurants. Who better to do all this than parents? That is one of their primary jobs!
Returning to the book of Amos, God reminded Israel that they belong to HIM and that because they belong to Him, He is going to punish their wrong behavior. But, because God is also just, merciful, and full of grace, He will never stop loving them—and He will, one day, fully restore the entire nation so that they can know the full joy of living in a manner pleasing to Him and the innumerable blessings that come as a result of that.
And you and I, dear fellow child of God, ALSO belong to God, therefore, He DOES know what we are thinking, saying, and doing and He WILL reward all that is done out of love and obedience to His Word—and He will show us where we have gone off track when necessary. He does this through nudges from the Holy Spirit during prayer, through Scripture, through sermons and Bible lessons, and through counsel and conversation with mature and godly brothers and sisters in Christ.
Basically put, God loves us too much to let a break in our relationship with Him due to sin continue. Thank and praise Him for this most marvelous grace AND seek His help to stay on track to slowly, but surely, be becoming more and more like His Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ.
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Saturday, June 14, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Colossians 2:3
“In whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”
-Background/Context:
In chapter 2 of Colossians, Paul seeks to help the believers in the church at Colossae recognize the false teaching that was taking root all around them so they didn’t get sucked in and led astray. How could they know what was false versus truth? Look to Jesus Christ.
-Something to Think About:
Are you a fan of mysteries and puzzles? My husband has a collection of puzzle boxes. All the boxes are made in such a way that you have to move this and switch that in a very specific order so you can open the box and/or reveal any secrets it has. They almost never come with clues as to how to do it, and I confess freely that figuring it out is NOT how my brain works! I think they’re neat and I applaud people who are good at figuring out the secret, but that’s just not me. If I were the rat in the maze looking for the way out, I’d no doubt be stuck in there forever.
And THAT’S why I appreciate that God richly and freely provides all the wisdom and knowledge that we as believers need in order to live victoriously and faithfully—and even to be earning rewards in heaven as we do! The “secret” is this: look to Jesus Christ. God revealed Himself through His Son. All we need to do is to devote ourselves to Scripture, make note of all it teaches us about God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, Three-in-One, and then apply what we learn to how we think. Knowing how to think will then direct us in how we act.
Knowledge is the collection of facts and information, while wisdom is applying that knowledge to the nitty gritty of life. God the Father wrote His Word, Jesus Christ explained it in what He said and how He lived, and the indwelling Spirit helps us understand it and apply it. We simply need to listen, learn, and grow (and determinedly NOT listen to anyone who tries to teach things that are contrary to God’s Word).
Here are a few other Bible passages that go well with today’s short, but incredibly wonderful, verse:
Isaiah 11:1-2 “There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.”
Ephesians 3:8-11 “To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Ephesians 3:14-19 “For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”
Hebrews 1:1-3 “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,”
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Sunday, June 15, 2025
Praise God, it’s Sunday! Before we do anything else, let’s pray and ask God for His blessing on the day!
Things to consider praying for and doing:
-Pray for your pastor or whoever is preaching, for clarity, for accuracy, and the freedom to speak exactly what God is laying on their hearts. Pray as well for their health, strength, and well-being.
-Pray for all who God wants to be there, that nothing would interfere with them coming and once there, to listen, learn, and grow.
-Pray for all ministries of the church: Sunday School, music, ushers, greeters, nursery, offerings—everything.
-Pray for your own heart, first to be sure there is no unconfessed sin between you and God, then that you would be receptive to the Word and be able to be a blessing and encouragement to all you cross paths with.
Other things God is laying on your heart to pray for today:
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As you have opportunity during the day (or at the end of it), jot down some lessons and blessings God showed you:
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BONUS! God-honoring music is such a tremendous blessing that I thought we could use Sundays to focus on a few hymns that use “all” in them to read through (and sing, if you want!).
Great is Thy Faithfulness (words by T. Chisholm; music by W. Runyan)
Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father! There is no shadow of turning with Thee. Thou changest not, Thy compassions they fail not; As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be. Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness! Morning by morning, new mercies I see. All I have needed Thy hand hath provided. Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!
Summer and winter and springtime and harvest, Sun, moon, and stars in their courses above Join with all nature in manifold witness To Thy great faithfulness, mercy, and love. Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness! Morning by morning, new mercies I see. All I have needed Thy hand hath provided. Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!
Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth, Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide; Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow, Blessings all mine with ten thousand beside! Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness! Morning by morning, new mercies I see. All I have needed Thy hand hath provided. Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!
Monday, June 16, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Titus 3:1-2
“Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people.”
-Background/Context:
Paul had just finished giving Titus instructions about what to teach the members of his church. The instruction included older men, younger men, older women, and younger women. One huge and important goal taught here is that the Word of God must not be maligned or misrepresented to unbelievers by those who claim to be Christians through actions and attitudes that are not Christlike.
-Something to Think About:
If it’s been a while since you read Titus 2, I highly encourage you to pause and do so now. It’s stuffed full of gems of how members of a church should act toward one another in order to be a blessing to one another and so everyone gets along and is honoring to God.
Paul moved on to provide additional reminders of how children of God should be thinking and acting as members of their community and citizens of the country they are living in. They are to:
-Be submissive to rulers and authorities (Romans 13:1-7). It is God Who places rulers in authority and it is the duty of every citizen to observe laws and rules. (Of course, the exception of this is if we are told to act in direct opposition to God’s Word. We must obey God over man.)
-Be obedient. Obviously, obedience to God’s Word is the #1, but obedience to God will also lend itself to obeying those in authority over us. Paul already mentioned rulers and authorities (obeying laws—including laws of the road!), but there are many other authorities placed over us. Some are all the time, but some are temporary—such as public events, attending a workshop or class—all sorts of things.
-Be ready for every (all) good work (Ephesians 2:10). When we look around us WITH THE GOAL of being kind, helpful, and sacrificial, guess what? We’ll find all sorts of ways to do it! Being kind, helpful, and sacrificial is a huge blessing to the recipients, brings honor to God, is an excellent testimony to the unsaved, and sure makes us feel good, too!
-Not speak evil of anyone. Just as we are to do unto others as we would have them do to us, it seems right and good to speak of others as we would have them speak of us.
-Avoid quarreling (James 1:20). Ever heard the phrase, “so-and-so is always spoiling for a fight”? Don’t be that person.
-Be gentle (peaceable). The opposite of this would be to be pushy, aggressive, and abrasive.
-Show perfect courtesy toward all people (actually, the word here is humility/meekness). I like this one! “Perfect courtesy,” something that is DEFINITELY gone out of style in many public settings (maybe Walmart, in particular!). We don’t need to be like that, though. We can open doors for others and allow others to go first into the line. We can pick up items that others dropped and say please and thank you. We can ask the other person how they are doing (and really listen to their answer) and we can wear a smile and display patience when someone holds us back from what we REALLY want to do. Courtesy. Give it a try!
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Tuesday, June 17, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Ephesians 1:3-4
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.”
-Background/Context:
Did you know that Ephesians 1:3-14 is one sentence in Greek? That’s one looong sentence! BUT, it is absolutely stuffed full of all the amazing benefits and blessings God gives to His children “in Christ.” Check it out!
The first “blessed” here means praise and glory given to God. The second (“who has blessed us in Christ Jesus”) has to do with the countless benefits God gives to His children. In the Old Testament, the lion’s share of blessings God gave were physical ones. You and I, on the other hand, enjoy primarily SPIRITUAL blessings (though God is very generous with the physical blessings, too!).
-Something to Think About:
Paul is saying to give great praise to God the Father because He has chosen to use His Son to make us His for all of eternity (“in” Christ) – providing all sorts of spiritual blessings— the kind of blessings found in heaven. Among the many blessings is that Christians are holy and blameless in His sight.
Oh, we don’t ACT holy and blameless all the time right now in these unglorified bodies that still house a sin nature. BUT, positionally, we ARE holy and blameless—all because of the plan of salvation God the Father created, Jesus carried out, and the Holy Spirit empowered.
Even though we fail and fall all the time, just reading a passage such as this is an encouragement to not give up in TRYING to live holy and blamelessly, learning as we go more of the why and what it means as we study Scripture and observe mature, godly believers with the goal that we become a tad holier (set apart from sin and set toward God) and blameless (without fault or blemish) each year we belong to Christ.
Paul begins verse 3, “Blessed be God.” The word “blessed” means to praise. The word “praise” means to speak well of, eulogize, or extol. When you and I pause to consider the countless and incredible gifts God gives us “in Christ,” shouldn’t we always, always, always then praise Him? Speak well of Him? Extol Him? FOR SURE!!!!!!!!!
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Wednesday, June 18, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Psalm 143
A PSALM OF DAVID.
‘Hear my prayer, O LORD; give ear to my pleas for mercy! In your faithfulness answer me, in your righteousness! Enter not into judgment with your servant, for no one living is righteous before you.
For the enemy has pursued my soul; he has crushed my life to the ground; he has made me sit in darkness like those long dead. Therefore my spirit faints within me; my heart within me is appalled.
I remember the days of old; I meditate on all that you have done; I ponder the work of your hands. I stretch out my hands to you; my soul thirsts for you like a parched land. Selah
Answer me quickly, O LORD! My spirit fails! Hide not your face from me, lest I be like those who go down to the pit. Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, for in you I trust. Make me know the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul.
Deliver me from my enemies, O LORD! I have fled to you for refuge. Teach me to do your will, for you are my God! Let your good Spirit lead me on level ground! For your name’s sake, O LORD, preserve my life! In your righteousness bring my soul out of trouble! And in your steadfast love you will cut off my enemies, and you will destroy all the adversaries of my soul, for I am your servant.”
-Background/Context:
As noted in the superscription, the author of this psalm is David. It is considered a “penitential” psalm, meaning a psalm of repentance. As opposed to many of David’s psalms, this one is personal and is not addressing Israel as a nation.
-Something to Think About:
I really love all the personal references David makes both of himself to God—and God to him! He calls himself God’s servant (twice!), he thinks long and hard about all the ways God has blessed and helped in the past, he expresses his complete trust in God to show him the way to take now—and chose to simply be encouraged and uplifted in spite of his trial.
David calls God by His name, Yahweh (LORD), demonstrating his personal relationship to Him as well as acknowledging Him as his God and his Sovereign Ruler. He even acknowledged the supernatural leading of the Holy Spirit, that it is only He Who can show David what is “level” ground.
What a great pattern of prayer for us all these centuries later! God is OUR God. It is He Who made us and ordains all the days of our lives. We belong to Him—and He belongs to us. It is ONLY by His wisdom, strength, and leading that we could POSSIBLY know how to think and act and find our own “level ground.” AND, like David, we can (and must) have complete trust in God’s goodness, wisdom, mercy, faithfulness, righteousness, and steadfast love.
When is the last time you paused to meditate on ALL that God has done? This is a privilege and a great joy!
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Thursday, June 19, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read James 4:13-16
“Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.”
-Background/Context:
James, Jesus’ half-brother, is the author of this book. He lives in Jerusalem and is writing to encourage believers in their faith while they’re facing quite a bit of persecution. James is a book of straight-talking instruction on living in a God-honoring way.
-Something to Think About:
Phrases such as “God willing” can become meaningless if we are saying them without thinking about what we are saying—and if we don’t mean what we are saying.
James points out quite clearly that taking God out of the picture is foolish at best and deadly at worst. Christians, of all people, ought to KNOW that it is God Who runs every single component of our lives from beginning to end, and then even far beyond that. He has always existed and will always exist. These are concepts too big for our brains to grasp, so a pretty common technique of human nature is to put them out of our minds, thinking, perhaps, that if we don’t think about it, it’s not real).
Basically put, mankind was created to glorify God and to be stewards of His creation. Once saved, our focus should be even more on doing every single thing in a way that honors God, pleases God, and is in keeping with His perfect will. We should also be acknowledging God’s sovereignty and right to call all the shots. SO, what we do from minute to minute should be prayed about BEFOREHAND in order to find out what GOD wants. Phrases such as “God willing” are awesome phrases—as long as they’re more than just words. They need to be the desire of our hearts. And as such, they should be uttered before any and all named plans for the day, week, or our lives.
P.S. Don’t miss the component of a time limit noted here. None of us knows how much time God has allotted for us to live, so putting off what we know to do is never a good idea, nor is allowing ourselves a certain amount of “free time” to continue to do something that we know dishonors and displeases God. Staying right with God and serving Him wholeheartedly every day is ALWAYS the right choice.
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Friday, June 20, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Matthew 7:15-20
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.”
-Background/Context:
Matthew is quoting Jesus here while He is giving the Sermon on the Mount. These words (chapter 5-7) were addressed to believers, so while some of the warnings are sometimes taught in regard to the unsaved, read them again, keeping in mind how they might be a blessing and challenge to YOU.
-Something to Think About:
Christians today might need this warning to beware of false prophets even more than the believers of the first century! In those days, preachers, teachers, and philosophers could only be in one place at a time and could only be heard if you took the trouble to go and hear them. Today, however, anybody and everybody can speak in front of a camera and/or microphone and say ANYTHING THEY WANT. Posted in the right place – and literally millions will listen to what they are saying. What a dangerous thing!
And while seeing a literal wolf with a literal sheep fleece over its back would not truly fool anyone, how many experts and influencers on YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, etc. APPEAR to be really wholesome and really “nice” people? LOTS and LOTS! (And being nice doesn’t mean that they can’t be very wrong in what they think and say.)
We need to be CAREFUL!
How then can we know who to listen to and who to flee from? God’s Word is ALWAYS the answer. How does what that person is saying line up with Scripture? Perfectly? “Almost”? Not at all?
Not sure? Ask your pastor! One of the reasons God called certain men to pastor His churches was so they could explain from God’s Word what is trustworthy and what isn’t.
Jesus also gave us a way to decipher the good teacher from the false one. It is to look at their “fruit.” What kind of people are they really, deep down underneath what they show to the public? How do they spend their time? Their money? What’s important to them? Do they say one thing in front of the camera, but live a very different life apart from it? What is their source of information (human or God’s Word)? What sorts of causes do they support? What sorts of people and businesses support THEM?
Certainly, this is an area to be bathed in prayer. God will use Scripture and godly counsel to help us to not only identify people worth listening to, but to be genuine and trustworthy in what WE say and do.
BONUS: Prayerfully and carefully contemplate what your life has been like in the last week or so (what you did, said, paid money for, etc.) in order to evaluate what sort of fruit you are growing.
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Saturday, June 21, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Proverbs 15:15
“All the days of the afflicted are evil, but the cheerful of heart has a continual feast.”
-Background/Context:
The book of Proverbs, written by Solomon, son of David, are a collection of sayings concerning right, godly, “wise” living, versus foolish, ungodly, and dishonoring actions and thoughts. Solomon points out clearly and concisely that true wisdom begins with a right view of God—and a right view of God is needed in order to get to the end of this life having lived in a manner that is pleasing to Him.
-Something to Think About:
It’s time to play a game! Who said:
– “If it is a good morning, which I doubt.”
– “Could be worse. Not sure how, but it could be.”
– “It’s the only cloud in the sky—and it’s drizzling right on me. Somehow, I’m not surprised.”
– “I never get my hopes up, so I never get let down.”
– “Not much of a house, just right for not much of a donkey.”
And, perhaps the most famous,
– “Thanks for noticin’ me.”
It’s Eeyore, of course, the somewhat pessimistic, but adorable, donkey from Winnie the Pooh!
I’m actually a huge Winnie the Pooh fan—and I think Eeyore is funny and sweet. HOWEVER (and this is a really important point), I think Eeyore was created SO THAT children (and their parents!) would learn to NOT be “an Eeyore.” I have no idea if the author of Winnie the Pooh was a Christian, but he nailed Proverbs 15:15. He wanted those who read about Christopher Robin’s adventures to catch the silliness of Eeyore’s pessimism—and Solomon would agree! If we CHOOSE to be negative and “afflicted,” we WILL find all sorts of reasons to be discontented, put upon, and otherwise, unhappy.
But, A.A. Milne did not stop with only Eeyore! He gave us Tigger for the “cheerful heart” half of Proverbs 15:15. Tigger may have been a bit dense at times (I LOVE Tigger!), but he CHOSE to be happy, joyful, and optimistic. For him, life was a “continual feast.”
So. . . fellow child of God, which of these two Winnie the Pooh characters do you most often think like? Something to carefully and prayerfully consider! While God wouldn’t have us be in denial about the hard things around us and in our world, when our focus is on HIM and His faithfulness and trustworthiness, then we can keep a smile on our face and enjoy peace in our hearts.
P.S. A.A. Milne represented some of the other challenges humans tend to struggle with on a daily basis: little Piglet, who worried about everything, Rabbit, who was a good worker, but not very patient with others, and Owl, who loved to hear himself speak. Even Winnie himself may have had a few things to learn about common sense and gluttony. There are some valuable lessons in these characters, too! =)
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Sunday, June 22, 2025
Praise God, it’s Sunday! Before we do anything else, let’s pray and ask God for His blessing on the day!
Things to consider praying for and doing:
-Pray for your pastor or whoever is preaching, for clarity, for accuracy, and the freedom to speak exactly what God is laying on their hearts. Pray as well for their health, strength, and well-being.
-Pray for all who God wants to be there, that nothing would interfere with them coming and once there, to listen, learn, and grow.
-Pray for all ministries of the church: Sunday School, music, ushers, greeters, nursery, offerings—everything.
-Pray for your own heart, first to be sure there is no unconfessed sin between you and God, then that you would be receptive to the Word and be able to be a blessing and encouragement to all you cross paths with.
Other things God is laying on your heart to pray for today:
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As you have opportunity during the day (or at the end of it), jot down some lessons and blessings God showed you:
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BONUS! God-honoring music is such a tremendous blessing that I thought we could use Sundays to focus on a few hymns that use “all” in them to read through (and sing, if you want!).
My Father Planned it All (words by H.H. Pierson; music by A. Smith)
What though the way be lonely and dark the shadows fall; I know where’er it leadeth, my Father planned it all. I sing through the shade and the sunshine; I’ll trust Him whatever befall. I sing for I cannot be silent—my Father planned it all.
There may be sunshine tomorrow; shadows may break and flee. ‘Twill be the way He chooses, the Father’s plan for me. I sing through the shade and the sunshine; I’ll trust Him whatever befall. I sing for I cannot be silent—my Father planned it all.
He guides my falt’ring footsteps along the weary way, for well He knows the pathway will lead to endless day. I sing through the shade and the sunshine; I’ll trust Him whatever befall. I sing for I cannot be silent—my Father planned it all.
A day of light and gladness on which no shade will fall, ‘Tis this at last awaits me—my Father planned it all. I sing through the shade and the sunshine; I’ll trust Him whatever befall. I sing for I cannot be silent—my Father planned it all.
Monday, June 23, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Psalm 8
TO THE CHOIRMASTER: ACCORDING TO THE GITTITH. A PSALM OF DAVID.
“O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens.
Out of the mouth of babies and infants, you have established strength because of your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger. When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the seas. O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!”
-Background/Context:
David is the author of Psalm 8, a hymn often sung during the Feast of Booths. What a “gittith” is remains a bit of a mystery. Potentially, it’s a harp or some other stringed instrument; alternatively, it could be the name of a musical tune.
-Something to Think About:
Up until I was in my mid-teens, I was privileged to live way out in the country, far from street lights, villages, or even other houses. Many a summer night, the family would sit in the dark on our big farmhouse porch to simply enjoy the still of the night and gaze at the glory of stars overhead.
Nights like that always brought Psalm 8 to mind. “O LORD (MY God!!!), our Lord (Sovereign Ruler of EVERYTHING and at all times!) how majestic (mighty, incredible, powerful) is Your name (Your character—all You are and do!), in ALL the earth (every single place we can see—and all the places we are unable to see).
Then, after being blown out of the water at the immensity and glory of the night sky, one can’t help but wonder, what is man that He—the Creator-God of all things—is mindful of him? In other words, just getting a tiny glimpse of God’s power and majesty seen in the glory and beauty of His creation, we have to wonder WHY He gave human beings SUCH privilege to make us in His own image and give us the job of caring for His creation? It’s staggering—and a bit discouraging when we look around us honestly, recognizing all the ways we fail miserably.
BUT (and don’t miss this critical truth in this psalm!), although man has fallen down on the job in every way since sin entered the world, Jesus Christ, the Perfect Man, did NOT fall down. He did NOT fail God—and one day, because of His work on Calvary, ALL that God made (including mankind) will be restored to what God intended from the beginning! What a glorious day that will be!
In the meantime, you and I can choose to notice God’s glory in creation (and everywhere) and choose to praise Him and thank Him. We can choose to be excellent stewards of all we have and to do our best to do and be what God created us to do and be. With His help, we can honor and glorify Him in our little corners of the world!
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Tuesday, June 24, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read 2 Timothy 2:3-7
“Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him. An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. It is the hard-working farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops. Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.”
-Background/Context:
Paul is the author of this second letter to Timothy. It’s purpose was, among other things, to encourage Timothy to remain faithful to God in spite of hardships and suffering.
-Something to Think About:
Two millennia later, I believe we can STILL relate to the three illustrations Paul used to encourage Timothy to be committed to whole-hearted Christian living and service.
He first used the illustration of the good soldier (as opposed to a bad/useless one), who makes it THE point every day to do what he has been called to do. Part of that necessitates not getting sidetracked. As a Christian, there are many areas that may attract our attention as to what to do, what to spend money on, what to focus on, etc. An important reminder here is to choose first what is good, then if there is better, pick that, then if there is best, make that your goal. Choosing excellence is always God honoring.
Paul next speaks about an athlete who works hard every single day because he has A GOAL. He wants to attain the prize that is only awarded to the ones who prepare and compete according to the rules. This is too important to him to try to cut corners, disregard what he’s been instructed to do, or not dedicate every day to effort and discipline.
Finally, Pal mentions the farmer who knows that the long, hard days, the sore muscles, and the sacrifices will be worth it when his crops fill his barns and feed his family.
All have a mission, all have a goal. As Christians, we, too, have the goal of becoming like Jesus Christ through trusting God enough to obey what He says in His Word. Our reward is both pleasing God and bringing Him glory, but also knowing that God has some sort of “payment” planned for us once we get to Heaven—something that will be the means of pleasing Him even more and bringing Him even more glory.
The final verse in this short section is the reminder to meditate on all this, trusting the Lord to help us “get it,” in order to not only do it, but be excited to try – and blessed in the process.
BONUS: Other verses on these topics: I Corinthians 9:7-27; Ephesians 6:11-18; Hebrews 12:1-2; II Timothy 4:7-8; James 1:5.
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Wednesday, June 25, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read 2 Timothy 2:14-19
“Remind them of these things, and charge them before God not to quarrel about words, which does no good, but only ruins the hearers. Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness, and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, who have swerved from the truth, saying that the resurrection has already happened. They are upsetting the faith of some. But God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.”
-Background/Context:
Today’s passage is a continuation of Paul’s encouragement to Pastor Timothy to be a strong leader, helping his church family to know what is God’s truth, and to stay true to it by staying far away from false teachers, heresy, and all that is opposed to what God says in His Word.
-Something to Think About:
First, there is a reminder that quarreling about words is not only a waste of time, it can cause damage. One example given in the text has to do with two men who were causing confusion and dissension by telling others really wrong “facts” concerning resurrection truths for believers.
Those of us living in twenty-first century America need to be even MORE cautious about what we say and who we are listening to. Paul names two guys who caused a lot of trouble because of their wrong doctrine. You and I not only have input from all the people we meet face to face, but hundreds more online and through various social media. AND anyone can say pretty much anything they want, and if they are winsome enough and state their beliefs with enough conviction, people WILL listen—and believe them. Studying God’s Word daily and thoroughly has never been more important!
When I worked in the operating room, one of the surgeries that I may never forget was the surgery on a man who had great lengths of his intestines die. When we opened him up, the smell was so bad that everyone was retching and the circulating nurse had to run out and find menthol ointment to apply to everyone’s nose to try to block the smell enough for us to do the job that needed to be done. What was the job? To get rid of everything dead in order to try to keep the good tissue from being affected by the bad tissue. Not doing this would have led to the patient’s certain death.
“Irreverent babble” (meaningless, worthless discussion) leads to ungodliness and ungodliness spreads like gangrene—or dead bowel. There is no good that can come from it, only bad.
Christian, let’s be careful what we say. Let’s be careful what we spread as TRUTH. Let’s be certain that the things we hold to and live by are GOD’S words—and not words that distort it or deny it. Like Timothy was charged to do, let’s be a worker for Christ who has no need to be ashamed because we are rightly handling God’s Word.
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Thursday, June 26, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Acts 3:1-10
“Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. And a man lame from birth was being carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple that is called the Beautiful Gate to ask alms of those entering the temple. Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked to receive alms. And Peter directed his gaze at him, as did John, and said, “Look at us.” And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. But Peter said, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!” And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. And leaping up, he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. And all the people saw him walking and praising God, and recognized him as the one who sat at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, asking for alms. And they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.”
-Background/Context:
This is the first recorded miracle that God allowed the apostles to perform after the birth of the church on Pentecost (read all about those exciting days in Acts 1 & 2!).
Luke, the author of this book, writes with great detail as a physician, a historian, and a Christian. As a physician, details of health-related incidents would have been especially interesting to him. As a child of God, however, he was MOST interested in sharing the incredible things God caused to happen “in the name” of His Son.
Note some details of this story:
-Peter and John continued to be faithful to their Jewish heritage, praying at the prescribed time and place. The ninth hour is 3:00 pm.
-Those who were handicapped or otherwise unable to provide for themselves, hung out near the various openings into the city and the Temple complex itself to beg for money. This made sense since this is where great crowds of people passed by regularly.
-The man focused on had been lame since birth. Later, we find that he was older than 40 (v.22). I wonder who carried him to the gate every day? Family? Friends?
-Having two men stare directly at him (just as is true today, beggars, the homeless, and handicapped people are often treated as if they are invisible), it made every bit of sense to expect to receive money, but what Peter and John had to give was of much, much greater value.
-This is clearly a miracle. The man who had never stood or walked could now leap up, stand, and walk—all without drugs, therapy, or any human treatments.
-Peter knew—and stated—that this healing was (and could only be) done in the name of Jesus Christ.
-The man’s response was the right one. He not only leaped for joy, he gave all praise to God.
-When people pause to take note of God and Who He is and all He does, they are filled with wonder and amazement.
-Something to Think About:
Did you remember that Scripture has just one truth, but often many applications? The truth here is that God can do anything and that He chose to give Jesus’ apostles the ability to do miraculous things in the name of His Son for a time in order to aid the growth of the new church. We believe that the Bible teaches that spiritual gifts such as healing are no longer in effect. Once the Bible was completed, they (and other spiritual gifts) died out (that is not to say that God doesn’t give His children all sorts of talents and abilities to use to bring Him glory).
The word “all” is found in this passage in relation to the response of the people upon seeing the formerly lame man now leaping for joy and praising God’s name. And, for sure, we ought to ALL be amazed at the wondrous things God does all the time, but who better to speak about God with wonder and great joy than those who have been redeemed, justified, and made new creatures in Christ? This enormous miracle ought to cause us to stop in our tracks on a regular basis and leap for joy while praising God! There is no bigger miracle than the saving of a soul from the Lake of Fire! And maybe, just maybe, someone observing our joy and hearing our praise of the Father and our Savior, might be interested enough to ask us the reason for the joy within us. Perhaps our demeanor, actions, and words might give us opportunity to testify of Christ and to share with others what God did for THEM. In fact, in the next lesson, we’ll see that Peter got exactly that opportunity after God healed the lame man!
We don’t know who is watching and listening and how our testimony might affect them, but God sure does!
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Friday, June 27, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Acts 3:11 “While he clung to Peter and John, all the people, utterly astounded, ran together to them in the portico called Solomon’s.”
-Background/Context:
Here is the rest of the paragraph:
Acts 3:11-26 “While he clung to Peter and John, all the people, utterly astounded, ran together to them in the portico called Solomon’s. And when Peter saw it he addressed the people: “Men of Israel, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we have made him walk? The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified his servant Jesus, whom you delivered over and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release him. But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses. And his name—by faith in his name—has made this man strong whom you see and know, and the faith that is through Jesus has given the man this perfect health in the presence of you all.
“And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ would suffer, he thus fulfilled. Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago. Moses said, ‘The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers. You shall listen to him in whatever he tells you. And it shall be that every soul who does not listen to that prophet shall be destroyed from the people.’ And all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and those who came after him, also proclaimed these days. You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed.’ God, having raised up his servant, sent him to you first, to bless you by turning every one of you from your wickedness.”
-Something to Think About:
Here are a few helpful facts to help us understand what Peter is speaking about:
-First, Peter is addressing Jews using their common Jewish heritage. He quotes freely from the Old Testament, all of which they would have recognized and known.
-Solomon’s Colonnade is a portico (covered area) of columns running the length of the east side of the outer court. There are other references to teaching done here, including by Jesus (John 10:23; Acts 5:12).
-Peter didn’t waste the opportunity of a huge crowd gathered and immediately began teaching and preaching about Jesus Christ and what their response should be to Him.
-Peter made it very clear that the healing of the lame man (read about it in Acts 3:1-10) had nothing to do with his personal abilities or powers. All glory goes to God, specifically, Jesus Christ.
-Peter referred to Jesus in several ways: God’s Servant, the Holy & Righteous One, the Author of Life. God’s Christ (Messiah), The Christ appointed for you, Prophet, Offspring of Abraham (through Whom all the families on earth would be blessed).
-Peter pointed out that Jesus fulfilled all sorts of prophecies they were very familiar with from the Old Testament.
-Peter did NOT mince words. He told it like it was, but he also offered hope. The people HAD done wicked and horrible things, but if they turned to God in faith, He would forgive them.
-Repentance is not part of spiritual salvation, meaning we don’t need to repent before trusting in Christ as our Savior. Salvation has always been faith alone in Christ alone. However, it is almost always the case that a brand new believer “repents,” that is, changes how they think about sin—and the need to stop doing it. To repent is to change your mind, to have a brand new mentality. In the area of sin, it is to begin to view sin as God does (which is total evil; total destruction) and not as simply a mistake, bad idea, or something that’s anything less that HORRIBLE and completely unacceptable on any level (there are no big v. little sins in God’s eyes. ALL sin is despicable and abhorrent to Him.). Repentance is a Christian doctrine because an unbeliever cannot spiritually change (and repentance is a spiritual change). Christians, however, with the help of the Holy Spirit, can grow in their understanding of Who God is and what pleases Him so that we can begin to conform our thoughts, words, and actions to His. This is a lifelong process—a bit more every single day (known as progressive sanctification).
-Peter knew full well that ALL humans need to trust in Jesus Christ as the Savior from their sin in order to become a child of God. He, as a Jew, ALSO wanted Israel as a nation to “repent” of their idolatry and disobedience to God so that they could be all that God created them to be. This, however, did not (and will not) fully happen until the Millennium, though many, many Jews will trust in Christ during the Tribulation Period.
While there are all sorts of Jewish warnings and points to ponder in what Peter said, one application for you and me might simply be to seize opportunities to talk about Jesus Christ and what He did to provide eternal life for all who believe in Him. These opportunities might be a crowd of people such as happened in Acts 3, but more likely it will be with one or two people at a time. Perhaps at work, in a store, walking in a parking lot, or sitting in a doctor’s office waiting room. We never know, but we can be ready by having a plan of action ahead of time: daily prayer for God to use us, a commitment to use our words to focus more on God and less on self, some memorized Scripture, and a heart that feels compassion for the lost all around us every day. Remember, our job is simply to share the good news of Jesus Christ, GOD does the saving and working in people’s hearts.
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Saturday, June 28, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Acts 4:10
“Let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well.”
-Background/Context:
The full context of today’s verse is found in Acts 3 and has been studied the last two lessons. Here is the immediate context:
Acts 4:1-12 “And as they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them, greatly annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. And they arrested them and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. But many of those who had heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand.
On the next day their rulers and elders and scribes gathered together in Jerusalem, with Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?” Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
-Something to Think About:
Here are a few important things to note from this passage:
-The Religious leaders consisted of Pharisees and Sadducees, but there were many others: scribes, rabbis, lawyers, priests, and more. Some of these groups overlapped a great deal in their values and work. Other groups did not agree on a lot of things and did not always get along.
-The Sadducees did not believe in resurrection. They didn’t like Jesus teaching on it—and they didn’t like Peter and John teaching it. The phrase “greatly annoyed” is probably a vast understatement.
-I’m a very visual person. As such, my mind always forms pictures to go with what I am reading or hearing. I mention that to say that I’m very confident that we are probably often getting a wrong picture in our head when we read a verse or Bible passage. A classic example would be picturing Joseph and Mary all alone on their journey to Bethlehem to register for the census (with Mary on a donkey). Studying history (including reading other Scripture) shows us that it’s more likely that Joseph and Mary traveled to Bethlehem with a group of people (they weren’t the only ones who needed to register) – and the donkey isn’t mentioned as existing anywhere. And all THAT to say that we might have pictured Peter and John telling people that they were only able to heal in Jesus’ name to maybe a dozen or so people who just happened to be nearby, BUT in Acts 4, of the hearers, FIVE THOUSAND got saved! Wow! That must have been quite the crowd! No wonder the Religious leaders got perturbed!
-Peter and John were brought before the biggest of the bigwigs, yet Peter spoke boldly, enabled by the Holy Spirit to be brave, to speak clearly, and to say what God wanted him to say—as promised in Matthew 10, Luke 12, and John 14, to name a few.
-The translation “filled with the Holy Spirit” is not what the original language says. Because Peter already had the Holy Spirit (since Pentecost) and since there is no definite article (“the”) present, a more accurate understanding might be something like, “Peter, being led by the Spirit, said. . .”. Or perhaps, “Peter, being filled with power from the Holy Spirit…”
-Peter then goes on to be crystal clear in telling them that it was in JESUS’ name and power that the healing took place—and, in fact, Jesus’ name is the ONLY way to become a child of God – to be “saved.” What an awesome testimony Peter gave that day!
I hope you’ll take the time to prayerfully consider a few applications the Holy Spirit might want you to make from this passage, but one to consider is how God took a once-proud Peter, who then was a broken, defeated man, and helped him become a strong, confident, and joyful preacher of the good news of the Gospel. We may have failed time and time again, we might have fault after fault, BUT GOD can do incredible things with and through His children who just want to be faithful to Him. It’s never been about us. It’s always about HIM. Praise His name!
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Sunday, June 29, 2025
Praise God, it’s Sunday! Before we do anything else, let’s pray and ask God for His blessing on the day!
Things to consider praying for and doing:
-Pray for your pastor or whoever is preaching, for clarity, for accuracy, and the freedom to speak exactly what God is laying on their hearts. Pray as well for their health, strength, and well-being.
-Pray for all who God wants to be there, that nothing would interfere with them coming and once there, to listen, learn, and grow.
-Pray for all ministries of the church: Sunday School, music, ushers, greeters, nursery, offerings—everything.
-Pray for your own heart, first to be sure there is no unconfessed sin between you and God, then that you would be receptive to the Word and be able to be a blessing and encouragement to all you cross paths with.
Other things God is laying on your heart to pray for today:
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As you have opportunity during the day (or at the end of it), jot down some lessons and blessings God showed you:
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BONUS! God-honoring music is such a tremendous blessing that I thought we could use Sundays to focus on a few hymns that use “all” in them to read through (and sing, if you want!).
Praise to the Lord, the Almighty (words by J. Neader; music by S. Gesangbuch)
Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation! O my soul praise Him, for He is they health and salvation! All ye who hear, now to His temple draw near; join me in glad adoration!
Praise to the Lord, Who o’er all things so wondrously reigneth, shelters thee under His wings, yea, so gently sustaineth! Hast thou not seen how they desires e’er have been granted in what He ordaineth?
Praise to the Lord, Who with marvelous wisdom hath made thee, decked thee with health and with loving hand guided and stayed thee! How oft in grief hath He not brought thee relief, spreading His wings for to shade thee!
Praise to the Lord! O let all that is in me adore Him! All that hath life and breath, come now with praises before Him! Let the Amen sound from His people again; gladly for aye we adore Him!
Monday, June 30, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Acts 4:21
“And when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way to punish them, because of the people, for all were praising God for what had happened.”
-Background/Context:
The full context of today’s verse begins in chapter 3 of Acts. We have been looking at it the last few days if you want to review what was said. Here is the context for today’s verse:
Acts 4:13-22 “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus. But seeing the man who was healed standing beside them, they had nothing to say in opposition. But when they had commanded them to leave the council, they conferred with one another, saying, “What shall we do with these men? For that a notable sign has been performed through them is evident to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. But in order that it may spread no further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more to anyone in this name.” So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.” And when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way to punish them, because of the people, for all were praising God for what had happened. For the man on whom this sign of healing was performed was more than forty years old.”
-Something to Think About:
There are several hugely important things in these verses that are interesting, a blessing, and an encouragement to you and me to keep on keeping on for the Lord.
-Peter and John’s testimony for the Lord (and their boldness in speaking clearly and fully) was very obvious to all who had heard them personally or heard about it later. You and I have nothing to be ashamed about when we’re talking about our Lord, either. What God has done for us through the sacrificial act of His Son ought to be shouted from the rooftops! Many people speak boldly about foolish and erroneous things, we have TRUTH to share joyfully, confidently, and eagerly.
-I can’t help but smile at the insulting “(they) perceived that (Peter & John) were uneducated, common men” (which astonished them). Haha! I am MOST DEFINITELY uneducated and common, but PRAISE THE LORD, God LOVES to use simple, regular folk to do mighty things!
-I LOVE that they recognized that these men “had been with Jesus.” They, no doubt, meant that it was obvious that Peter and John were saying all the same things Jesus taught when He was on earth, but I think we would all be wise to prayerfully and carefully check often to see if our attitudes, our goals, our words, and our actions demonstrate that WE’VE been spending time with Jesus in Bible study, prayer, church attendance, etc.
-The miracle that God allowed Peter and John to do in Jesus’ name was known (and marveled at) by literally thousands. We have NO IDEA how God might use what we say or some deed we have done, who might have been blessed by it, or what came as a result of it, but we can be sure that God DOES multiply our small acts of faithfulness into amazing things that bring Him great glory. There is no “little” service done for the Lord and meant to be a blessing to another.
-Peter and John could not obey the Religious leaders’ command to stop speaking about Jesus. That’s because God told them to do it—and what God commands MUST be obeyed and must be given top priority. In other words, if something a person says to do directly contradicts something God said to do, we must obey God over man (but these men clearly wanted to keep talking about their Lord!).
-What other applications did the Holy Spirit show YOU today?
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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July 2025 DBSQ
July 1, 2025
Dear Student of the Word,
Can you believe we are entering the second half of the year in our word study of “all” found in Scripture? The year is flying by and it is my prayer that you are being blessed in God’s Word, encouraged to greater godliness, and challenged to put into action the wonderful things God is showing you in your Bible study.
You are in my prayers in this regard—and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your prayers for me and this ministry, too! May God draw us all ever closer to Himself and to each other as we love Him supremely and love others as self.
By His Grace,
Lorie Brown
Just so you know. . .
-I mainly use the ESV (courtesy of either Bible Gateway.com or Olive Tree.com), but sometimes it’s necessary to use another English translation in order to see the word of focus more clearly.
-I highlight the word “all” in the verse of focus each day.
-Previous months of this year’s study can be found on our church website under the tab “Ministries” at
firstbaptistnorthconway.org. In addition, several studies from previous years are also available.
-Our church has an in-house publishing ministry, some of which can be found for free download on
solidrockpublishing.org. There are Bible studies, stories for kids, and other practical Christian living topics available as hard copies in the back of our church auditorium.
-Our ladies (in North Conway, NH) meet in the evening on the second Monday of each month to review these studies and you are welcome to join us if you are in the area. If not, I highly recommend reviewing them with one or more friends—simply because doing Bible studies with others can be a huge blessing and help.
-You are welcome to pass these studies along to whoever the Lord lays on your heart. If someone wants to receive them directly from Mailchimp, just contact me and I can sign them up.
-If you reply to my Mailchimp email with a comment or question, it comes directly to me—and I love hearing from you!
-Again, thanks for praying for me and for all who are doing these studies! We NEED God’s help and blessing to listen, learn, and grow!
Tuesday, July 1, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Acts 4:29 “And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness.”
-Background/Context:
This is the fifth study in a row from Acts. It begins with chapter 3 if you want to back up and read the whole account. The context for today’s verse is here:
Acts 4:23-31 “When they were released, they went to their friends and reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them. And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God and said, “Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them, who through the mouth of our father David, your servant, said by the Holy Spirit, “‘Why did the Gentiles rage, and the peoples plot in vain?
The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers were gathered together, against the Lord and against his Anointed’— for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place. And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.”
-Something to Think About:
-Peter and John, fresh from being chastised for preaching and teaching about Jesus, went immediately to a gathering of other Christians and reported all that had happened. Their response? To pray to God! And note that they weren’t praying that God would incinerate all the Religious leaders—nor were they praying that “hard things” would never happen to them. They asked God for help and strength to honor Him, please Him, and obey Him IN SPITE OF and THROUGHOUT the persecution and challenges.
-The Christians prayed TOGETHER. Although personal prayer should be a daily (without ceasing) treasure for all believers, there is MUCH to say about praying with another believer—or even a whole group of them (say, Sunday services and Prayer Meeting!).
-These Christians began their prayer by acknowledging and praising God for His sovereignty (rulership) and role as the Creator. They noted, as well, the perfect way He has shaped history to this point (expressing trust in what was, as of yet, unknown).
-They acknowledged that believers in Jesus Christ WILL suffer persecution and that all such animosity is first against God.
-The main part of their prayer was for boldness to continue to speak freely of Jesus Christ and the eternal life He made possible. This is a great prayer to pray for ourselves, fellow Christians, and for our pastors, Bible teachers, and missionaries.
-God chose to do many extraordinary miracles during those early days after the Church was born, all of which eventually ceased with the completion of the canon (the Bible). Whatever happened to cause the place where these Christians were praying to shake is one such example.
-Once again, the definite article (the) is not found with the words Holy Spirit, meaning it wasn’t that the people were re-filled with the Holy Spirit here. All Christians are given the indwelling Holy Spirit upon salvation—and that once is more than enough! A better understanding might be something like: “they were filled with holy spiritual power” or “power from the Holy Spirit” (to keep speaking boldly for Christ).
In short? They asked God for boldness to keep speaking for Him—and He gave them assurance that He heard and would, indeed, provide all that they needed when they needed it. And though God doesn’t generally shake buildings when we pray, we can be assured that He STILL hears and He STILL answers in the right way and the right timing. He will help you and me to live boldly for Him, too!
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Wednesday, July 2, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Acts 4:33
“And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all.”
-Background/Context:
Today’s verse is a continuation of a study began in Acts 3. You can find the study in the last several days of Bible studies. This is the context for today’s verse:
Acts 4:32-35 “Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common. And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold and laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need.”
-Something to Think About:
What joyful verses! After praying for boldness in talking about Jesus Christ and His resurrection from the dead, the new believers were enthused with giving their all to God and becoming a new kind of family to each other. Part of that was to share all their money and possessions so that no one went without. They did this willingly and of “one heart and soul.” How pleased God must have been with them! How glorified He must have been by their actions!
Though sharing with each other of our time, talents, and treasures should ALWAYS be a “thing” among members of a local church, I don’t believe that living in communes or having a common pot is really for today. I’ve wondered, in fact, if at least some of the actions taken by these brand-new believers when the church was so new, was based on their belief that Jesus was going to return to set up His kingdom within a few months at the most. I don’t know, but I still deeply appreciate their enthusiasm for giving their all to the Lord and to each other.
One of the things that will make followers of Jesus Christ stick out more and more as we hurtle toward the end of this age is common courtesy, generosity, kindness, patience, joy, peace. . . something like the Fruit of the Spirit! The more we are like Jesus Christ in our attitudes and actions, the less we will be like the selfish, self-seeking, rude members of the human race that seem to be becoming MORE so as each year passes. We can be different—because we are members of the family of God and have the Holy Spirit to help us imitate God and to abhor satan and sinful actions and attitudes. Of course, this won’t happen without us being willing participants in our sanctification! We need to cooperate with the Holy Spirit’s leading, to be in God’s Word often, to maintain a meaningful prayer life, and to not forsake the assembling of ourselves together. When we do, we will enjoy great fellowship and being “of one heart and soul” with other believers who also want to live for God wholeheartedly.
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Thursday, July 3, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Acts 5:11
“And great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard of these things.”
-Background/Context:
We’ve been in Acts for several days (if you want to go back and read what happened previously to today’s story). Here is the context for today’s verse:
Acts 4:36-5:11 “Thus Joseph, who was also called by the apostles Barnabas (which means son of encouragement), a Levite, a native of Cyprus, sold a field that belonged to him and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet. But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, and with his wife’s knowledge he kept back for himself some of the proceeds and brought only a part of it and laid it at the apostles’ feet. But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land? While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to man but to God.” When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and breathed his last. And great fear came upon all who heard of it. The young men rose and wrapped him up and carried him out and buried him. After an interval of about three hours his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. And Peter said to her, “Tell me whether you sold the land for so much.” And she said, “Yes, for so much.” But Peter said to her, “How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.” Immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. When the young men came in they found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. And great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard of these things.”
-Something to Think About:
Today’s account is a good example of how chapter breaks might not always fit what’s being said. You may recall that in Acts 4, those who had trusted in Christ as Savior decided to all band together. Part of that was to pool their resources so that no one went without. At the end of that information, we are given a specific illustration of what Barnabas (Joseph) gave. This is then used to contrast with poor Ananias and Sapphira, a couple of infamy in Christian circles ever since!
As Peter pointed out to Ananias, no one FORCED anyone to sell their possessions to add to the supply used to help the group as a whole. Therefore, lying about the amount he and Sapphira had to give was totally unnecessary and was, in fact, a very serious thing. They had chosen to be influenced by satan—which led to them lying to God! I bet satan was pretty happy with his success that day!
Another note from this account is the one-mindedness of Ananias and Sapphira. Normally, a unified husband and wife is a GREAT thing, but never, ever in order to sin in any way or at any time. Neither husband nor wife, separately or together, are EVER given liberty to sin against God in any way or at any time.
Next, the punishment for their sin was instant death. This may seem really harsh, but (a) it’s never our place to judge God’s punishment (nor His blessing, for that matter), (b) this was a clear lesson from God just how seriously He takes ALL sin, and (c), the punishment spoke VOLUMES to all who saw or heard what happened, causing them to think long and hard about their own walk with the Lord. God knows that all humans very quickly forget what we are told—and sometimes a very memorable illustration is what is needed.
In the end, all this could have been prevented simply by being honest. This story was a HUGE life-lesson for the first-century believers—and it’s a huge life-lesson for us, too.
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Friday, July 4, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Acts 5:12 “Now many signs and wonders were regularly done among the people by the hands of the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon’s Portico.”
-Background/Context:
What started as observing a simple verse that used the word “all” in Acts 3 has become a continuing saga for two reasons: it’s all super interesting—and each new day’s study has at least one “all” in it. Here is the context from today’s verse:
Acts 5:12-16 “Now many signs and wonders were regularly done among the people by the hands of the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon’s Portico. None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem. And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, so that they even carried out the sick into the streets and laid them on cots and mats, that as Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on some of them. The people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all healed.
-Something to Think About:
I’ve read that Luke’s purpose in including this short section was wholly to set the stage for what happens next, so be sure to come back tomorrow to find out what that is!
Sometimes it’s hard for us living in this century to picture a time when there were no local churches—anywhere. They’re very common now (and too often taken for granted!). But at the time of Acts 3-5, the Church was brand new. In order to help it grow, God did several things. One was to use Jesus’s apostles in a huge way, giving them the strength and ability to do literally miraculous things in Jesus’ name. God used their preaching and teaching to draw thousands of people to Himself. Luke simply says here that “multitudes” were being saved and joining the church—as if there were just too many to even count anymore. Praise the Lord!
Other ways God helped the new church grow was through supernatural gifts (such as healing, tongues, prophecy, supernatural knowledge) – AND, though not something any of us CHOOSE, persecution. Yes, persecution forced hundreds (and maybe thousands) of Christians out of Jerusalem and into neighboring towns, cities, and countries so that, eventually the gospel was being shared all over the world.
This makes me wonder if one of our responses to hardships ought to be to ask God who He wants us to tell about His goodness? We already know that a wrong response to hard things is to complain, get angry, worry, become sullen, or stop going to church and church fellowships. That not only hurts us, but all those who love us! No, rather, hardships should first, cause us to turn TO God in trust and confidence, and then to ask what He wants us to learn, do, change, etc. It should cause us to step up our game in our personal devotions and prayer life—while easing up considerably on social media and other areas of worldly distractions. And, as God provides us peace beyond understanding and joy despite pain, we will be provided with multiple ways to praise God and tell others about His goodness. (As a bonus, we’ll also be able to be a better help, comfort, and encouragement to others when they are facing trouble.)
I’ve sometimes thought that living during the exciting days of the early church would have been really incredible, but you know what? You and I are ALSO living in a time of transition—a time where more and more people are turning away from God to empty, pointless, and harmful substitutions. They need to hear about Jesus, THE Way, THE Truth, THE Life! Will you tell them?
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Saturday, July 5, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Acts 5:20
“Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life.”
-Background/Context:
If you are interested in finding out all that happened before today’s account, we began working in the book of Acts on June 26th. Here is the context for today’s verse:
Acts 5:17-29 “But the high priest rose up, and all who were with him (that is, the party of the Sadducees), and filled with jealousy they arrested the apostles and put them in the public prison. But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, “Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life.” And when they heard this, they entered the temple at daybreak and began to teach.
Now when the high priest came, and those who were with him, they called together the council, all the senate of the people of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought. But when the officers came, they did not find them in the prison, so they returned and reported, “We found the prison securely locked and the guards standing at the doors, but when we opened them we found no one inside.” Now when the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these words, they were greatly perplexed about them, wondering what this would come to. And someone came and told them, “Look! The men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people.” Then the captain with the officers went and brought them, but not by force, for they were afraid of being stoned by the people.
And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest questioned them, saying, “We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.” But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.”
-Something to Think About:
There is much to rejoice over in this passage, but also a few things to chuckle about. For example, the tremendous confusion felt by all those “important” Jewish officials when not only was the jail cell empty, the men who were in it were right back in the Temple complex preaching about Jesus!
I imagine the guards were pretty confused and possibly afraid since missing prisoners would be considered their fault (and could even result in their death).
I even wonder what the reaction of the Apostles was when an angel of the Lord let them out during the night!
What I love is the passion Peter and the others showed in their relentless preaching and teaching about Jesus Christ: why He came, what happened to Him, and how to be assured of eternal life by His side. They didn’t let people or things get in their way, knowing full well that they were literally taking their lives in their hands by disobeying the Religious leaders. They were given a job to do by God the Son, so they did it. That simple, that profound.
And at the end of today’s quoted passage is the verse we referred to yesterday, “We must obey God rather than men.” THE most important “rule” to being a child of God is this: obey GOD. Nothing and no one is more important to listen to than God the Father. It when we deviate from trusting and obeying Him that we bring all sorts of trouble upon ourselves—and it is when we confess our sin and return to a right relationship with Him that we enjoy peace, joy, direction, and stability (despite poor health, tough circumstances, and any other hardships).
God gave His all to us, how could we give anything less?
P.S. The opposite of Peter’s declaration is also true: we are obligated to obey our government unless it is a sin to do so.
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Sunday, July 6, 2025
(Thank the Father for this special day set aside for Him. Ask Him to help you know Him better by the day’s end and to have many opportunities to tell others about His praiseworthiness.)
-Be sure to spend some time in prayer first thing this morning so that you know that your heart is right with God. Make sure sin is confessed and dealt with, then ask Him to help you listen, learn, and grow. Ask not to be distracted by other thoughts during sermons and Bible studies, and not to be a distraction to others.
-Pray for your pastor and others who will be serving God today.
-Ask the Father for opportunities to speak of Him to others, to build others up in the things of the Lord, and to find tasks that you can do for Him and for others of His children today and this week.
-Ask at least one person how you can pray for them this week. What is their prayer request?
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-Take time before day’s end to note at least 5 things that you thank God for based on time spent in His House, hearing His Word, and being among His people.
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BONUS! God-honoring music is such a tremendous blessing that I thought we could use Sundays to focus on a few hymns that use “all” in them to read through (and sing, if you want!).
Like a River Glorious (words by F. Havergal; music by J. Mountain)
Like a river glorious is God’s perfect peace, over all victorious in its bright increase. Perfect yet it floweth fuller every day; perfect yet it growth deeper all the way. Stayed upon Jehovah, hearts are fully blest—finding as He promised, perfect peace and rest.
Hidden in the hollow of His blessed hand, never foe can follow, never traitor stand. Not a surge of worry, not a shade of care, not a blast of hurry touch the spirit there. . Stayed upon Jehovah, hearts are fully blest—finding as He promised, perfect peace and rest.
Every joy or trial falleth from above, traced upon our dial by the Son of Love. We may trust Him fully all for us to do; they who trust Him wholly, find Him wholly true. . Stayed upon Jehovah, hearts are fully blest—finding as He promised, perfect peace and rest.
Monday, July 7, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Acts 5:34 “But a Pharisee in the council named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law held in honor by all the people, stood up and gave orders to put the men outside for a little while.”
-Background/Context:
Our study in Acts began on June 26th if you want to go back and read from the beginning. Today’s verse is from this context:
Acts 5:27-42 “And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest questioned them, saying, “We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.” But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”
When they heard this, they were enraged and wanted to kill them. But a Pharisee in the council named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law held in honor by all the people, stood up and gave orders to put the men outside for a little while. And he said to them, “Men of Israel, take care what you are about to do with these men. For before these days Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a number of men, about four hundred, joined him. He was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and came to nothing. After him Judas the Galilean rose up in the days of the census and drew away some of the people after him. He too perished, and all who followed him were scattered. So in the present case I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or this undertaking is of man, it will fail; but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You might even be found opposing God!” So they took his advice, and when they had called in the apostles, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name. And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching that the Christ is Jesus.
-Something to Think About:
What an interesting passage!
One huge thing to note is that these men who are boldly teaching and preaching that Jesus is the Messiah were the same men who ran away and hid the night Jesus was arrested. They are the same men who, even while Jesus was foretelling His own death, were arguing over who would be the greatest in the kingdom. They are the same men who repeatedly lacked faith in the Son of God—while He was literally walking among them! BUT, God can do anything—including taking frail, faulty, forgetful humans and doing tremendous things through us WHEN we are ready and willing servants of His. This was true for the apostles, and it’s true for you and me.
Another pretty interesting thing in this account is how God used Gamaliel and his good reputation among the people to sway a room full of very angry, very jealous men. Growing a good reputation doesn’t happen overnight. As we seek to please God first and foremost in our lives, how we treat others, we will be becoming more patient, more forgiving, more merciful, and more helpful. As we reflect Christ, God will be able to use us in the lives of others. It may never be something huge like Gamaliel did*, but even one heart influenced for Christ is a huge deal.
Third, don’t you just LOVE the enthusiasm and excitement of the apostles! They did what they knew Jesus had commissioned them to do—in spite of (severe) hardship and oppression. They KNEW that they must tell others about Jesus Christ, so they did. They were so pleased to do so, in fact, that even a sound beating led to rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer a tiny bit in Jesus’ name. This seems to speak to having the right attitude about persecution. Trouble we bring on ourselves isn’t welcome (unless we learn some hard lessons!), but trouble delivered to us BECAUSE we were testifying of Christ in some way is something to be thankful for—because it brings God glory and gives us more opportunity to talk about Jesus Christ.
FYI, Peter’s statement, “the Holy Spirit, Whom God has given to those who obey Him,” was speaking about obeying God by trusting in His Son as Savior. All people are commanded to believe in the name of Jesus, and when we do, we are given the Indwelling Holy Spirit immediately and permanently.
*Although Gamaliel believed in the sovereignty of God, he was not a Christian. He was simply a wise unbeliever. By the way, he was the man who was Saul’s teacher and mentor.
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Tuesday, July 8, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Acts 6:15
“And gazing at him, all who sat in the council saw that his face was like the face of an angel.”
-Background/Context:
We began work in the book of Acts in chapter 3. The study began on June 26th. Here is the context for today’s verse:
Acts 6 “Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them.
And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.
And Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people. Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), and of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of those from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and disputed with Stephen. But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking. Then they secretly instigated men who said, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.” And they stirred up the people and the elders and the scribes, and they came upon him and seized him and brought him before the council, and they set up false witnesses who said, “This man never ceases to speak words against this holy place and the law, for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and will change the customs that Moses delivered to us.” And gazing at him, all who sat in the council saw that his face was like the face of an angel.”
-Something to Think About:
-It’s helpful at this point in reading about the early church to make a distinction between the Apostles and disciples. Disciples are students or followers (and the Apostles were originally referred to as Jesus’ disciples). The word “apostle,” though, is “one sent out with a commission.” It’s a specific designation. In this case, Jesus chose the Twelve to be not only His students, but His Apostles in order to teach and preach about Him and what salvation is all about as the new Church Age was being set up. As these men died, so did the office of apostle.
-Hellenistic Jews were Hebrew people who grew up outside of Israel. They spoke Greek and the language of wherever they were from. The Jews in Israel spoke Hebrew and Aramaic. The two groups worshiped in different synagogues, but now they were all members of one church, so new adjustments needed to be made on both sides.
– Concern was raised because the Hellenistic Jews felt their widows were not being given the same care as those who were native to Israel. It’s not really stated whether or not this was true, nonetheless, the Apostles addressed the situation quickly.
-The Apostles knew that the role that God had given specifically to them was that of teaching and preaching about Jesus Christ (and bathing everything in prayer!). This was so important and so time-consuming that they needed others who could also see to physical and financial needs of the church members. These men were chosen, first, because they already had reputations of spiritual maturity. (Please note that, once again, it isn’t that the men were “filled with the Spirit,” it is that they were spiritually mature and living according to God’s Word.)
-To this day, our churches use deacons (literally, “servants”) to handle tons of the challenges that inherently come with groups of people. In fact, our word “deacon” is really just taking the sounds of the word servant out of Greek and dumping them into English. The phrase “serve tables” in today’s Scripture is really “deaconize tables.” This is not to say that the pastor can’t or won’t help with work days, handing out food at a fellowship, or shoveling snow after a snowstorm, but if no one in the church is jumping in to help with all of that kind of work, when is he going to be able to spend hours in God’s Word in order to share it with God’s people. Similarly, while deacons are dealing with physical and financial questions and concerns, because they are to be spiritually mature and faithful to God, they can be wonderful spiritual mentors and counselors, too.
-Stephen, one of these original deacons, was apparently an exceptional man of God with an exceptional testimony for Christ. As Jesus warned, however, it is because of Stephen’s stand for Him that he was targeted for persecution and harassment.
-In this passage, the verse with “all” in it is the last one. Stephen’s love for the Lord was so great that even the evil men trying to destroy him were impacted by the look of joy and peace on Stephen’s face. This made me feel like it would be wise for you and me to consider what our faces look like on different occasions and in different places. For example, do we look kind and approachable at church, but closed off and unapproachable at Walmart? Does our face light up when we talk about something God did that was a blessing to us—or only when recounting a pretty new top we found on sale? Do songs that make us focus on God cause our faces to light up more than a snappy tune on the radio? There are definitely times for sober faces and quiet, comforting words, but even then, when we have come to the place where we realized that God is good and ALL He does is good, then even the hard stuff and frustrating stuff shouldn’t erase the expression of peace on the face of ones who belong to the Lord of lords and King of kings. We may never have a model type of beauty, but displaying the beauty of the Lord is far, far better!
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Wednesday, July 9, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Acts 7:50 “Did not My hand make all these things?”
-Background/Context:
Daily study in the book of Acts began on June 26th if you would like to go back and review. Today’s verse comes from Stephen’s address to the Religious leaders. Although this is a long passage, it’s actually kind of a Cliff Notes of much of Genesis and Exodus, with a bit of prophecy about Jesus Christ in there, too. Check it out!
Acts 7:1-54 “And the high priest said, “Are these things so?” And Stephen said: “Brothers and fathers, hear me. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran, and said to him, ‘Go out from your land and from your kindred and go into the land that I will show you.’ Then he went out from the land of the Chaldeans and lived in Haran. And after his father died, God removed him from there into this land in which you are now living. Yet he gave him no inheritance in it, not even a foot’s length, but promised to give it to him as a possession and to his offspring after him, though he had no child. And God spoke to this effect—that his offspring would be sojourners in a land belonging to others, who would enslave them and afflict them four hundred years. ‘But I will judge the nation that they serve,’ said God, ‘and after that they shall come out and worship me in this place.’ And he gave him the covenant of circumcision. And so Abraham became the father of Isaac, and circumcised him on the eighth day, and Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob of the twelve patriarchs.
“And the patriarchs, jealous of Joseph, sold him into Egypt; but God was with him and rescued him out of all his afflictions and gave him favor and wisdom before Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who made him ruler over Egypt and over all his household. Now there came a famine throughout all Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction, and our fathers could find no food. But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent out our fathers on their first visit. And on the second visit Joseph made himself known to his brothers, and Joseph’s family became known to Pharaoh. And Joseph sent and summoned Jacob his father and all his kindred, seventy-five persons in all. And Jacob went down into Egypt, and he died, he and our fathers, and they were carried back to Shechem and laid in the tomb that Abraham had bought for a sum of silver from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.
“But as the time of the promise drew near, which God had granted to Abraham, the people increased and multiplied in Egypt until there arose over Egypt another king who did not know Joseph. He dealt shrewdly with our race and forced our fathers to expose their infants, so that they would not be kept alive. At this time Moses was born; and he was beautiful in God’s sight. And he was brought up for three months in his father’s house, and when he was exposed, Pharaoh’s daughter adopted him and brought him up as her own son. And Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was mighty in his words and deeds.
“When he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brothers, the children of Israel. And seeing one of them being wronged, he defended the oppressed man and avenged him by striking down the Egyptian. He supposed that his brothers would understand that God was giving them salvation by his hand, but they did not understand. And on the following day he appeared to them as they were quarreling and tried to reconcile them, saying, ‘Men, you are brothers. Why do you wrong each other?’ But the man who was wronging his neighbor thrust him aside, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge over us? Do you want to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?’ At this retort Moses fled and became an exile in the land of Midian, where he became the father of two sons.
“Now when forty years had passed, an angel appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, in a flame of fire in a bush. When Moses saw it, he was amazed at the sight, and as he drew near to look, there came the voice of the Lord: ‘I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob.’ And Moses trembled and did not dare to look. Then the Lord said to him, ‘Take off the sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground. I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt, and have heard their groaning, and I have come down to deliver them. And now come, I will send you to Egypt.’
“This Moses, whom they rejected, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge?’—this man God sent as both ruler and redeemer by the hand of the angel who appeared to him in the bush. This man led them out, performing wonders and signs in Egypt and at the Red Sea and in the wilderness for forty years. This is the Moses who said to the Israelites, ‘God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers.’ This is the one who was in the congregation in the wilderness with the angel who spoke to him at Mount Sinai, and with our fathers. He received living oracles to give to us. Our fathers refused to obey him, but thrust him aside, and in their hearts they turned to Egypt, saying to Aaron, ‘Make for us gods who will go before us. As for this Moses who led us out from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’ And they made a calf in those days, and offered a sacrifice to the idol and were rejoicing in the works of their hands. But God turned away and gave them over to worship the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the prophets:
“‘Did you bring to me slain beasts and sacrifices, during the forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel?
You took up the tent of Moloch and the star of your god Rephan, the images that you made to worship; and I will send you into exile beyond Babylon.’
“Our fathers had the tent of witness in the wilderness, just as he who spoke to Moses directed him to make it, according to the pattern that he had seen. Our fathers in turn brought it in with Joshua when they dispossessed the nations that God drove out before our fathers. So it was until the days of David, who found favor in the sight of God and asked to find a dwelling place for the God of Jacob. But it was Solomon who built a house for him. Yet the Most High does not dwell in houses made by hands, as the prophet says,
“‘Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house will you build for me, says the Lord,
or what is the place of my rest? Did not my hand make all these things?’
“You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered, you who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it.”
-Something to Think About:
Sometimes God nudges us to speak His truth to someone—and Stephen sure obeyed that leading of God on this day! (Of course, we’re MUCH more prone to spouting off OUR opinion – and sure need the help of the Holy Spirit to know what to say, when, and to whom!).
Basically, Stephen was accusing the Religious leaders of the same thing that God had accused the Jews of many times over the course of history: hard hearts, loves not focused on Him, and a refusal to listen to His voice.
Did you know that when people accuse us of something, instead of jumping right in with a defense, we should pause to pray, asking God to show us if there is some kernel of truth in the accusation? Perhaps we CAN say, “No, what you think you heard or saw is not what happened AT ALL.” Other times, though, we MAY be completely guilty and need to ask forgiveness from them (and God!). Still other times, most of what someone said/thinks may be wrong, but in our heart, we recognize that there might have been a wrong motive or goal in what we said or did—or that we did the right thing the wrong way.
Being confronted about something is ALWAYS unpleasant, and I don’t know anyone EVER who “enjoys” it. However, since all things are from God’s hand, prayerfully considering what was said and what God might be trying to teach us is wise, helpful, and ultimately pleasant when it leads to a closer walk with the Lord (and a brother or sister in Christ). Just imagine how things might have been different if the Religious leaders had listened to Stephen with their hearts open to what GOD was telling them!
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Thursday, July 10, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Acts 8:1
“And Saul approved of his execution. And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.”
-Background/Context:
Stephen, one of the first deacons in the newly born Church, had bravely and honestly shared with the Religious leaders how God had chosen the Hebrew people to belong to Him, how He had cared for and protected them down through the centuries, AND how they had turned their back on Him and refused to love Him or listen to Him. Stephen ended his impassioned speech by pointing out that God has sent Jesus Christ, the Righteous Son and Messiah, to save them, but because of their hard hearts, they not only refused to listen to Him, but murdered Him. This so enraged the leaders that they tore into Stephen WITH THEIR TEETH, then brutally murdered him by hurling stones at him until he died. Wow.
Acts 7:54 – 8:3 “Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him. But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. And he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him. Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
And Saul approved of his execution. And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. Devout men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him. But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison.”
-Something to Think About:
Stephen is well known as the first Christian martyr, but his attitude and trust in God were INCREDIBLE. Also amazing, God allowed Stephen to gaze into heaven, see the glory of God, and see Jesus standing at the Father’s right hand. What an incredible gift God gave him! Last, but not least, Stephen’s heart was so in touch with the Lord’s that he prayed for his murderers even as he died. What an incredible testimony Stephen had!
While it is my heart’s desire to have a life and testimony that brings great honor to God and causes Him to smile upon me, I definitely do NOT wish to become a martyr! But maybe what we want isn’t the point. Maybe this is one of countless examples in our lives where our focus needs to be on living faithfully and wholeheartedly for God minute by minute, trusting HIM for all the details, all the outcomes, and what all our ending here on earth looks like. We already know that He is utterly trustworthy and constantly full of grace and love, so fussing about it is pretty pointless and unnecessary.
The verse with “all” in it has to do with the introduction to Saul, probably the most famous man in the New Testament after Jesus Himself. Sadly, at his introduction, Saul is the one who was most famous for causing tremendous pain, fear, and persecution to Christians. BUT, Saul was the one God used in incredible and far-reaching ways. You see, God’s plan WILL happen—even if there are relentless trials and opposition in our lives.
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Friday, July 11, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Psalm 18:30
‘This God—his way is perfect; the word of the LORD proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.”
-Background/Context:
David authored this psalm—and you can find a near duplicate in II Samuel 22.
David was writing after God had protected him from enemies and established him as king over Israel. It’s a psalm of praise to God, thanking Him for His protection throughout years of attack—as well a psalm of praise and gratitude to God for Who He is, for the refuge and help He constantly provides, and how all His ways are what is best.
-Something to Think About:
In Psalm 18, David is expressing deep gratitude to God and praising His name for something God had already done in his life. Sometimes, though, when still in the middle of some “hard thing,” we can find great comfort and reassurance in KNOWING that God’s way is, indeed, perfect. I could say a lot about that, but instead, enjoy the lyrics from a song that has been a tremendous blessing to me for many years:
His Way Is Perfect (Music and lyrics by Betsy Kistler)
When my way seems dark and drear and the future I don’t know,
My heart feels so empty as the tears unending flow.
When my heart breaks with sorrow and a tempest fills my soul,
This one thing I know for sure: my God is in control.
Chorus
His way is perfect, His way is perfect.
Though I don’t understand His wise and loving plan,
His way is perfect. His way is perfect.
Take my life and make a vessel purified.
God makes no mistakes, His way is best.
When the toils of life are come and my heart is worn with care,
I faint ‘neath the burden of a cross I cannot bear.
When the joy has departed from my sorrow stricken soul,
This one thing I know for sure: my God is in control.
(You can listen to it by going to YouTube and placing “His Way is Perfect”, the Wilds, in the search bar.)
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Saturday, July 12, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read John 5:19-24
“So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel. For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will. For the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.”
-Background/Context:
Jesus said this in the Galilee region, where He was gaining in popularity with the people, but causing the Religious leaders to become more and more antagonistic toward Him. They had hard hearts and absolutely refused to believe that what Jesus said about Himself was true. Imagine how their lives would have been different if they had!
-Something to Think About:
Jesus paused often in His teaching, preaching, and healing ministry to clear up some misconceptions—or simply tell people basic things they needed to know. In this case, Jesus related a bit more about Who He is, what His relationship is to God the Father, and what His mission was while on earth at that time. In spite of the animosity that so many people showed Him, Jesus Christ was standing before them because He loved them—and because the Father loved them. He stood before them knowing full well what it would cost to stand in our place and pay the debt of sin on behalf of all people everywhere and of every time period.
Jesus told His disciples (and us by way of His written Word) that ALL He did was because it was God the Father wanted Him to do. In fact, He didn’t do anything that WASN’T the Father’s will either. If you and I, children of God in the twenty-first century, want to follow Jesus’ example, we should also be paying attention to choosing God’s will over our own!
Just as Jesus did whatever the Father did, we too can do what Jesus did by way of attitude and action. Obviously, this doesn’t mean we can do miracles or anything only God can do, but we can choose to be holy as He is holy, to live righteously, to treat others with fairness and kindness, and we can sacrificially put others before self. We can look for opportunities to be a servant to one and all—and we can do so with love, just as the Father and the Son have loved us.
P.S. Don’t miss the huge, huge truth that those who have trusted in Jesus Christ as their Savior HAVE eternal life RIGHT NOW. We (already) have passed from (spiritual) death to life. It’s a fact, and we’re just waiting for the realization of it through either death or the Rapture. How awesome!
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Sunday, July 13, 2025
(Thank the Father for this special day set aside for Him. Ask Him to help you know Him better by the day’s end and to have many opportunities to tell others about His praiseworthiness.)
-Be sure to spend some time in prayer first thing this morning so that you know that your heart is right with God. Make sure sin is confessed and dealt with, then ask Him to help you listen, learn, and grow. Ask not to be distracted by other thoughts during sermons and Bible studies, and not to be a distraction to others.
-Pray for your pastor and others who will be serving God today.
-Ask the Father for opportunities to speak of Him to others, to build others up in the things of the Lord, and to find tasks that you can do for Him and for others of His children today and this week.
-Ask at least one person how you can pray for them this week. What is their prayer request?
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-Take time before day’s end to note at least 5 things that you thank God for based on time spent in His House, hearing His Word, and being among His people.
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BONUS! God-honoring music is such a tremendous blessing that I thought we could use Sundays to focus on a few hymns that use “all” in them to read through (and sing, if you want!).
What a Friend We Have in Jesus (words by J. Scriven; music by C. Converse)
What a friend we have in Jesus, all our griefs and sins to bear! What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer! Oh, what peace we often forfeit; oh, what needless pain we bear all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.
Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere? We should never be discouraged—take it to the Lord in prayer! Can we find a friend so faithful who will all our sorrows bear? Jesus knows our every weakness—take it to the Lord in prayer!
Are we weak and heavy laden, cumbered with a load of care? Precious Savior, still our refuge—take it to the Lord in prayer! Do thy friends despise, forsake thee? Take it to the Lord in prayer! In His arms He’ll take and shield thee—thou wilt find a solace there.
Monday, July 14, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Romans 16:19
“For your obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice over you, but I want you to be wise as to what is good and innocent as to what is evil”
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-Background/Context:
Romans 16:17-20 “I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive. For your obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice over you, but I want you to be wise as to what is good and innocent as to what is evil. The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.”
-Something to Think About:
Today’s Scripture is part of the last of the long letter Paul wrote to the believers in Rome. He clearly loved them and wanted the best for them in their life-walk with the Lord.
In verse 19, he commends them for having an excellent reputation among other believers—something we should all strive for personally and as a church family. But Paul also brings a warning based on the rest of that paragraph: to be on guard against people within their church family (or other places) who are saying things that cause divisions (Christian against Christian) or who are creating obstacles (troublemaking of any kind). Though the people being warned against ARE believers, there is something about their thoughts, attitudes, words, and/or actions that is NOT in keeping with Scripture.
ANYTHING that is not completely obedient to God’s Word is a huge, huge problem. In this case, Paul states that these folks are really only focusing on themselves and wanting attention and accolades for their “superior” brains. They have forgotten, perhaps, that apart from Christ, our hearts are filled with only wickedness and utter foolishness. As Paul points out, serving self is NOT serving Christ.
Sadly, it’s far too easy to take our eyes off the Lord and try to act as if we are our own boss (or the boss of others!), looking to (as one preacher I recently heard say) “make a kingdom of our own.” These things should not be. Ever. Jesus Christ is Lord of lords and King of kings—not anyone else, and not ourselves.
Paul gives some awesome encouragement, though. Did you see it? He said that God WILL bring judgment and justice—and—that, ultimately, peace will reign, and the grace of the Lord Jesus will be with us as we carry on day by day doing our best to please and honor God and be a help and a blessing to others.
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Tuesday, July 15, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read I Corinthians 16:14
“Let all that you do be done in love.”
-Background/Context:
1 Corinthians 16:12-18 “Now concerning our brother Apollos, I strongly urged him to visit you with the other brothers, but it was not at all his will to come now. He will come when he has opportunity. Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love. Now I urge you, brothers—you know that the household of Stephanas were the first converts in Achaia, and that they have devoted themselves to the service of the saints— be subject to such as these, and to every fellow worker and laborer. I rejoice at the coming of Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus, because they have made up for your absence, for they refreshed my spirit as well as yours. Give recognition to such people.”
-Something to Think About:
I TOTALLY admire people who almost always have a good attitude. Mine isn’t like that. Mine is often a bit more. . . Hmmm. . . Shall we say, “rough.”
That’s what Paul is saying in I Corinthians 16:14. It’s not just that we need to think of others as more important than ourselves and to have a servant’s heart, it’s that we need to do it IN LOVE. We need to have the attitude of desiring what’s best for the other person; what would help them in their Christian walk; what would be a special blessing.
It reminds me a bit of a fairly classic parental reaction to a child stomping out of a room and slamming the door when they’ve been told to do something they didn’t want to do. My parents would call us back into their presence and insist that we repeat our exit—but with “pleasant” steps and “gentle” door closing. Of course, that was most parents’ solution. A Christian parent might also point out to the child that they needed to pray and ask God to forgive their bad attitude—and to ask their forgiveness, too, for being rude and disrespectful.
Attitude is important, dear Christian siblings!
There are a few other parental-pointers Paul gives the church family in Corinth in these few verses. It should be a joy to spend time with one another as well as to have regular times of prayer for each other so we can all be on guard against temptation and worldly influences around us. We could also pray that we would all stand strong for the Lord and in complete obedience to Scripture, that we would think and act as mature Christians should, and that none of us would give up or give in. I like, too, the reminder to respect and appreciate those who devote themselves to being of service to others, whether this is the pastor, deacons, teachers—or the folks who keep the bathrooms cleaned and stocked with toilet paper. There is also a gentle reminder to be subject to those who have been given spiritual leadership in and among the flock.
One last thing. I imagine that most of us could, if asked, sit down and make a list of ways we could be a help or blessing to others in our church family—and I imagine most of us would do so in an attitude of love. The challenge, I think, is when our sacrifice and service is forced on us—when someone else assigns us something to do for someone else. That may be when we have to ESPECIALLY remember God’s charge to “let ALL we do be done in love.” What a great area to pray for one another in!
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Wednesday, July 16, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Ephesians 6:23-24
“Peace be to the brothers, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible.”
-Background/Context:
These two verses are the very end of Paul’s letters to the believers in Ephesus. In this letter, Paul talks about the supremacy of Christ, that all believers are one in Christ, and what living as a God-honoring Christian looks like.
-Something to Think About:
-The word “peace” has to do with calmness, rest, and tranquility that is found when one is right with God. This begins with trusting in His Son as Savior, but continues as we trust Him with every detail of every day—which will be seen by our obedience to His Word.
-“Brothers” is the generic term for all those who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ as the Savior from their sin. It includes male and female, young and old.
-“Love” (in both verses) is the Greek word agape, a love that flows from one’s character. As we imitate God more and more and are becoming more like Christ in how He thinks and acts, we will naturally be showing a love toward others that is similar to God’s love for us. This is more than a feeling, it’s a decision to be a help and a blessing, especially concerning their walk with the Lord.
-“Faith” is trust/belief. Just having faith isn’t enough—or maybe better worded: faith is only as good as what or who we are trusting in. When our faith is in God, it is rock solid, because HE is utterly trustworthy.
-The ability to experience peace, love, faith, and grace are gifts from God. Any other source is a pale imitation—or even a dangerous counterfeit.
-“Grace” is unmerited favor; gifts given to us that we didn’t earn, nor deserve. Ephesians 6:24 states that when God’s children love the Lord Jesus with a sincere and pure love, we WILL have grace. (The opposite of love incorruptible is a love that is tainted in some way—perhaps not wholehearted, or with some element of self-serving in some way.)
So, basically, the blessings God gives to those of His children who are living wholeheartedly for Him are OUT OF THIS WORLD! Sure makes you wonder why we would EVER get distracted or look anywhere else for satisfaction and joy!
BONUS: Just for fun, here are these two verses from a few other translations:
“Peace to the brothers and sisters, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be with all who have undying love for our Lord Jesus Christ.” (CSB)
“Peace be with you, dear brothers and sisters, and may God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you love with faithfulness. May God’s grace be eternally upon all who love our Lord Jesus Christ.” (NLT)
“May peace and love, with faith, be with the brothers, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus, the Messiah! May grace be with all who sincerely love the Lord Jesus, the Messiah!” (ISV)
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Thursday, July 17, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Philippians 4:20-23
“To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen. “Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The brothers who are with me greet you. All the saints greet you, especially those of Caesar’s household. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.”
-Background/Context:
Philippians is a letter that the Apostle Paul wrote while imprisoned in Rome to the church in Philippi. He wanted to thank them for their support, but also remind them of the unity all Christians have in Christ and because of God’s grace. This was true in AD 60 and it’s true in 2025.
-Something to Think About:
Today’s verses are the last few lines of Paul’s letter to the Philippian believers. He first gives praise and honor to God the Father, as we should all do first thing in the morning, last thing at night, and all throughout the day. Even IMAGINING life without God’s grace and mercy is the worst horror ever!
Paul goes on to pass greetings from his group of believers in Rome to the group of believers in Philippi. We could just read over this and think nothing more of it, but consider for a minute that God is calling people to join His family ALL OVER THE WORLD—and because He has done so, they and we are brothers and sisters in Christ. Forever! This is a huge deal! We should all be praying daily for our brothers and sisters in Christ whom we know, but also for all those around the world whom we don’t know and may never know (before glory).
I was just talking with some sisters in Christ a few days ago about some of the things we wonder about in glory. I, personally, am pretty confident that God will show us two things about our prayers (well, at least two things!). One is who prayed for us over the course of our lifetime—and how God answered their prayers (and I’m guessing there will be all sorts of shocks and surprises in that information), AND, how He used our prayers for other people. This might include prayers for unknown believers living in foreign lands. Just because we don’t know them, it doesn’t mean that God doesn’t know—and know exactly what they need by way of help, direction, strength, and wisdom. OUR PRAYERS MATTER.
Who are you praying for today? In what way are you praying? Are you relying on generic words only (such as “bless so-and-so,” or “help so-and-so”) – or are you putting effort into praying for the things you know need prayer as well as the things you don’t know? For example, we ALL need prayers to say “yes” to God’s leading and “no” to self. We all need prayers to be good stewards of our time, talents, and treasures. We all need help to keep God’s Word in the front of our thinking so that what we say and do will honor God and be a help and a blessing to people.
Praying for people’s health and well-being is nice, too, but it seems likely that if someone is walking wholeheartedly with God, that challenges such as health, finances, and so on would be able to be viewed from a godly perspective and with the reassurance that their Father in Heaven always gives good and what He does is designed to draw us closer to Him and help us grow spiritually.
How’s your prayer life for the “brethren”?
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Friday, July 18, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Colossians 4:12
“Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you, always struggling on your behalf in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God.”
-Background/Context:
Paul wrote this letter to the believers in Colossae about the same time he wrote to the Ephesians. The Colossian believers needed instruction and direction about some of the necessary and unnecessary things Church Age believers are to do (as opposed to following the Law of the Old Testament). In addition, Paul taught about the supremacy of Christ Jesus and how following all He taught is THE way to think and behave. This would, of course, mean that they needed to be extra careful about listening to those who wanted to add to, take away, or otherwise change what Jesus actually taught. This is a huge danger in our day and age, too.
-Something to Think About:
Colossians 4:12 is part of Paul’s final words in this letter. He includes greetings from several people (which you can check out in verses 7-17). Specifically in verse 12, Paul mentions Epaphras.
What do we know about Epaphras? For one, he was from Colossae, so the church family there knew him well. I imagine that they were praying for him as he worked alongside Paul and whatever else God had for him to do while apart from them. Do you personally know someone in the ministry who lives somewhere else in our country or another part of the world? Do you pray for them? Do you contact them from time to time to let them know you are praying and to ask if they have specific things you can pray for? There’s just something about a letter from home that is a huge blessing and comfort! Really, if you think about it, most men who are pastoring are probably living someplace different from their parents and hometown. Their wives, too, have likely moved away from their own families! Don’t forget to pray for them as well!
It’s clear that Epaphras cared deeply for the believers in Colossae. The word for “struggle” (in his prayers for them) is a word that means “to agonize.” In other words, he isn’t just saying words that have no meaning, then slapping on an “Amen!”. He’s spending time and effort praying for them in ways that matter, not giving up or giving in.
Epaphras is called a servant. He has voluntarily placed himself in a position to do things to be a help and a blessing to others—and based on the other things we read about him—he is first and foremost a servant of Christ Jesus. God doesn’t call us all to full-time service, nor does he call all of us to do something for Him that places us in leadership positions, but that’s not to say that we shouldn’t all have a servant’s heart and look for ways to help, encourage, strengthen, and build each other up in the things of the Lord.
Epaphras’ heart’s desire was to see each and every member of his church become mature spiritually so that they would be confident in both how to live to show their love for God and confident in God’s love for them. THAT’S an awesome goal when praying for one another!
I suspect that Epaphras will be an awesome guy to meet in glory!
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Saturday, July 19, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read 2 Timothy 4:18
“The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.”
-Background/Context:
Here is the entirely of the end of Paul’s second letter to Timothy:
2 Timothy 4:9-22 “Do your best to come to me soon. For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia. Luke alone is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry. Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus. When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, also the books, and above all the parchments. Alexander the coppersmith did me great harm; the Lord will repay him according to his deeds. Beware of him yourself, for he strongly opposed our message. At my first defense no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me. May it not be charged against them! But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen. Greet Prisca and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus. Erastus remained at Corinth, and I left Trophimus, who was ill, at Miletus. Do your best to come before winter. Eubulus sends greetings to you, as do Pudens and Linus and Claudia and all the brothers. The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you.”
-Something to Think About:
Being an effective minister of the Lord generally doesn’t happen when we keep to ourselves and avoid people. That being true, there are vital ministries that shut-ins, those with handicaps, and those healing from a severe illness or injury can do. The most important being prayer. I’ve told those who feel that they aren’t doing “enough” for their church or the Lord because they cannot leave their home that it may well be THEIR prayers that God is answering that allows those who are mobile to do what they are doing. In other words, if they weren’t home “just” praying, would the pastor get the million-and-one tasks he needs to do on any given day done? Would the Sunday school teachers do a good job preparing and teaching their lessons? Would the choir be prepared and able to sing on Sundays? Would the work of the Lord come to a grinding halt if faithful Christians stopped praying?
Obviously, God is going to do His will perfectly and exquisitely timed, but He clearly wants His children to stay close to Him in prayer—and to be open to serve in whatever ways He opens up to them. For some, it’s a ton of physical labor and for others, it’s “praying without ceasing” from their home.
All that was kind of free, because the verse of focus is Paul pausing in the middle of his reminiscing about brothers and sisters in Christ who have deeply blessed him and those who have deeply hurt him—and/or hurt the cause of Christ. He pauses to express complete trust in God’s goodness and plan, knowing that his eventual admittance into God’s eternal kingdom is a sure thing. He even pauses to breathe out a quick prayer of praise, “To God be the glory forever and ever, Amen!” We, too, can have utmost confidence that God will help us every single step of the way today, ALL the days of our lives, and WILL bring us into His presence when the time is perfect. To Him be the glory forever and ever! Amen!
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Sunday, July 20, 2025
(Thank the Father for this special day set aside for Him. Ask Him to help you know Him better by the day’s end and to have many opportunities to tell others about His praiseworthiness.)
-Be sure to spend some time in prayer first thing this morning so that you know that your heart is right with God. Make sure sin is confessed and dealt with, then ask Him to help you listen, learn, and grow. Ask not to be distracted by other thoughts during sermons and Bible studies, and not to be a distraction to others.
-Pray for your pastor and others who will be serving God today.
-Ask the Father for opportunities to speak of Him to others, to build others up in the things of the Lord, and to find tasks that you can do for Him and for others of His children today and this week.
-Ask at least one person how you can pray for them this week. What is their prayer request?
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-Take time before day’s end to note at least 5 things that you thank God for based on time spent in His House, hearing His Word, and being among His people.
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BONUS! God-honoring music is such a tremendous blessing that I thought we could use Sundays to focus on a few hymns that use “all” in them to read through (and sing, if you want!).
I Must Tell Jesus (words and music by E. Hoffman)
I must tell Jesus all of my trials; I cannot bear these burdens alone. In my distress He kindly will help me, He ever loves and cares for His own. I must tell Jesus! I must tell Jesus! I cannot bear my burdens alone. I must tell Jesus! I must tell Jesus! Jesus can help me, Jesus alone.
I must tell Jesus all of my troubles; He is a kind, compassionate friend. If I but ask Him, He will deliver, make of my troubles quickly an end. I must tell Jesus! I must tell Jesus! I cannot bear my burdens alone. I must tell Jesus! I must tell Jesus! Jesus can help me, Jesus alone.
Tempted and tried, I need a great Savior; One Who can help my burdens to bear. I must tell Jesus, I must tell Jesus, He all my cares and sorrows will share. I must tell Jesus! I must tell Jesus! I cannot bear my burdens alone. I must tell Jesus! I must tell Jesus! Jesus can help me, Jesus alone.
O how the world to evil allures me! O how my heart is tempted to sin! I must tell Jesus, and He will help me over the world the victory to win. I must tell Jesus! I must tell Jesus! I cannot bear my burdens alone. I must tell Jesus! I must tell Jesus! Jesus can help me, Jesus alone.
Monday, July 21, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Titus 3:12-15
“When I send Artemas or Tychicus to you, do your best to come to me at Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there. Do your best to speed Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their way; see that they lack nothing. And let our people learn to devote themselves to good works, so as to help cases of urgent need, and not be unfruitful. All who are with me send greetings to you. Greet those who love us in the faith. Grace be with you all.”
-Background/Context:
Paul is the author of this letter to Titus, a pastor on the Island of Crete. Paul was encouraging Titus in the care of these new believers, stressing in particular the necessity to base everything on sound doctrine (2:1) – with the ultimate goal of the Word of God not being misrepresented by believers who were not acting as children of God (2:5).
Interestingly, some citizens of the Island of Crete were present on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:11) and may have been the seed group for this church. Paul, however, established the church on one of his missionary journeys.
This letter was written around AD 63—about the same time as I & II Timothy.
Other Scripture shows that Tychicus went to Ephesus (II Timothy 4:12), so it may be that Artemas became Titus’ replacement when God moved him elsewhere. Apollos was probably the same man who worked with Priscilla and Aquila in Acts 18 & 19 (and other places). Apollos and Zenas were the likely couriers of this letter.
-Something to Think About:
Paul reminds the readers of this letter (knowing Titus will share it with many other believers) that Christians take care of other Christians. It’s who we are as fellow children of God! Paul is both encouraging the generous care of those in the ministry and those with urgent needs, but he is also encouraging care and concern for all those within their church family (as well as special needs that come to their attention). Interestingly, he says that they will be able to do this simply by being hard workers in their regular jobs and activities (built into the phrase to not be unfruitful).
Also part of what Paul is saying here is that the best help and encouragement any believer can give to another believer is going to be spiritual help. Even to this day, most people can find some help with food, gas, and housing through assorted government resources, but God’s truth and spiritual direction are only going to be found among people who use God’s Word as their foundation and Guide for living. We wouldn’t be providing true help and true hope without pointing others to Jesus Christ.
Last, we would be wise to note that Paul is instructing that EVERYONE should be taking part in being a help and a blessing to other believers. True Christianity is not a spectator sport. There’s ALWAYS something to do for the Lord!
P.S. Did you know that “grace” appears at the beginning and the end of every single one of Paul’s letters? He learned what we should also learn: God’s grace is magnificent and we would be nothing without it!
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Tuesday, July 22, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Hebrews 13:20-21
“Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.”
-Background/Context:
The book of Hebrews is a pretty amazing book—full of really helpful information as well as practical and important Christian-living tips. Its most important focus, however, is in pointing out the supremacy of Jesus Christ in every area and how important this is to us. It’s well worth studying carefully and prayerfully.
No one knows who the author of Hebrews was, other than to say that it was almost certainly not Paul. Top contenders include Apollos and the beloved physician, Luke.
-Something to Think About:
The benediction of Hebrews is pretty neat. The author points out that God the Father is the God of peace, that He caused the Lord Jesus (OUR Lord Jesus!) to return to life after death, that He equips His children (you and me!) with “everything good” SO THAT we are able to do His will, AND helps us to do what is pleasing in His sight. In other words, it’s all about God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. He has created us, saved us, helps us to live faithfully, and will continue to do so throughout eternity.
After studying Psalm 23 throughout 2024 (the Lord is our Shepherd), it’s fun to have the author refer to Jesus as the Great Shepherd of the sheep. That is, to all who have trusted in Him as their Savior. He is our Leader, our Example, and our Guide in godly living.
By the way, the word “equip” used here is that of making something ready for use. In this case, Jesus Christ is working in the hearts and lives of Christians to help us prepare for ruling and reigning alongside Him in eternity. He does this through Scripture, through prayer, through preaching, through teaching, and through fellowship in and among our church family. He also graciously helps us in living out what we know He wants (following the example He left us) in our daily lives. All these things are equipping us for glory.
We have much to praise our God for today! Let’s get to it!
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Wednesday, July 23, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read 1 Peter 5:7
“Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.”
-Background/Context:
I Peter is written by, as you might have guessed, Peter, probably the most famous of the original thirteen Apostles of the Lord Jesus. Peter is known for being a bit too quick to speak in younger years, but when he wrote this heartfelt letter to encourage and build up believers who were suffering, he was older physically AND spiritually. Jesus had prayed for Peter to come through the spiritual challenges he would face after His resurrection stronger in the Lord and more mature—and this obviously happened.
It’s believed that Peter was probably around 60 when he wrote this letter.
-Something to Think About:
Dictionary.com defines “anxiety” as: distress or uneasiness of mind caused by fear of danger or misfortune.
Synonyms: disquiet, worry, foreboding, fear.
Antonyms: tranquility, serenity, certainty.
Did you know that I Peter 5:7 is a command? Did you know that if God gives His children a command that He will also give them the wherewithal to obey it? If that’s true (and it is!), then we never need to stay anxious, worried, or fretful. Never.
Did you notice I said “stay” anxious? Much like fear, when we are first presented with something confusing, scary, uncertain, or disagreeable for some reason, I think a “normal” reaction is to have some concern. BUT, here’s where trust in our utterly faithful Father comes into play: we don’t need to STAY anxious. The moment we begin to feel “disquiet, worry, foreboding, or fear,” we can pray and ask the Father for help to know how to think, how to react, and what we should do (or not do). We can—and must—entrust whatever the situation is to Him, knowing that He is only always good and that all He does is always for our good and His glory.
Is all that easier said than done? YES. Is it still how God expects His children to respond? Yes. Will it make a huge, huge difference to our emotional, physical, and mental state to cast all our anxieties on Him (knowing in our heart of hearts that He DOES care for us)? YES. Each and every time. And, if we feel stress levels begin to return, simply do some more “casting.”
The exact Greek word for “casting” found here is only used one other place. It is Luke 19:36, “And as he rode along, they spread their cloaks on the road.” It means to place upon or throw upon. What’s got you stressed today? A demanding day? Tight finances? A scary health concern? Disquiet about the future? Or simply how to show love to a brother or sister in Christ who isn’t easy to love? Cast the concern on Father’s strong, unfailing shoulders in prayer. Ask Him for direction and help, then commit to trust Him with the answer and the timing of His answer. He’s got this! Thank Him!
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Thursday, July 24, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read 1 Peter 4:7-9
“The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. Show hospitality to one another without grumbling.”
-Background/Context:
The Apostle Peter, now an older man, wanted his listeners to grasp the grace of God and how it would help them face hardship and live in a pleasing manner to their Father in heaven, both within their church families and out in the community.
-Something to Think About:
Peter tells his readers that the end of all things is at hand. The moment the Lord Jesus returned to heaven after He was resurrected from the dead, the clock began ticking towards His return as King of kings and Lord of lords. Yes, Peter (and all the believers in those early years) likely believed Jesus’ return was imminent, that is, at literally any moment—and they were not wrong. What they didn’t know was that God the Father had decided to give several more million people a chance to trust in His Son before calling an end to the Church Age—and aren’t you glad He did! Some 2,000 years after Peter wrote this, the Holy Spirit opened up my eyes to the need of a Savior—and He opened yours. That all being true, the end is STILL at hand. The Rapture could occur at any moment, followed seven years later by Jesus setting up His kingdom on earth.
Peter then goes on to say that, BECAUSE the end is imminent, we should be living lives that are self-controlled and focused on doing what God says to do and how He says to do it (staying far away from all that the world does and thinks). This should be our #1 priority. As we do, our prayers will reflect this. Are your prayers fluffy and not very meaningful? Perhaps you need to consider if you are thinking deeply enough about ALL God has done, is doing, and will yet do!
Peter then reminds his readers that love—seeking the spiritual best for others in word and deed—needs to be the focus of how we are spending our time and energies. Part of showing biblical love to others will be an open home and an open schedule to keep ourselves available to brothers and sisters in Christ, most especially, fellow church members. Did you know that when Peter wrote this, hospitality was mostly limited to blood relatives? “Strangers” were not invited into someone’s home. Peter wanted believers to recognize that the old ways were gone and the new way was to joyfully, willingly, and sacrificially invite people into our private lives so that we can invest in them in whatever manner is edifying, encouraging, and a blessing.
By the way, “love covers a multitude of sins” doesn’t mean that we hide sin or allow some sinful behavior to go unaddressed. It’s the idea of not allowing ourselves to get all worked up over every tiny little thing someone might have said or done that we didn’t think was “right.” It’s giving grace to others—a lot of grace. It’s reacting to others with the same mercy, grace, and forgiveness God extends to us on a minute-to-minute basis.
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Friday, July 25, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read 2 Peter 3:3-4
“Knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.”
-Background/Context:
The Apostle Peter was writing to Christians to help them face persecution in a God-honoring way (and for the right reasons), but he also wanted to warn them and instruct them in some of the forms persecution might take. In today’s verses, persecution against Christians may come as a result of scoffers. Scoffing is mocking, belittling, and making fun of the truth.
-Something to Think About:
When Peter says, “first of all,” he is saying, “Listen up. This is important!” What does he want his readers to pay attention to? The truth that the “last days” will be characterized (among other things) by scoffers who want to question what God has said and sow discontent and confusion.
I’ve always assumed that these scoffers were unsaved men and women who were eager to argue against the Bible and Christianity, and though many were, even Christians can fit this category. How? Anyone who changes what God’s Word says by adding to it or not including something that is there, then talking about it as God’s truth, is spreading heresy. That simple. Sure, it’s true that some mistakes we make when retelling something from the Bible are (mostly) harmless (like attributing some awesome happening to Elijah when it was Elisha—who can tell those two guys apart!!!), but it is much more dangerous to alter biblical truth. To that end, ALL Christians are reminded that we need to be in God’s Word daily so that we recognize what is God’s Word and what isn’t.
What about the “last days”? What does Peter mean by that? Peter is referring to the time period after Jesus’ resurrection and before He returns to earth a second time to set up His kingdom (at the beginning of the Millennium and after the Tribulation). We are in the last days! We need to be on our guard against those who question God and God’s Word.
As far as the scoffers suggesting that things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation, well, that’s just utter foolishness. God has worked in countless miraculous ways in the past, He IS working right this second (in many areas, but consider the incredible miracle of every single person who is saved from the Lake of Fire because of the Lord Jesus’ work on the cross!), and He is (even as we read this) moving history along until He says, “It’s time!” and the trumpet is blown and we are out of here, ushering in the next dispensation. God IS working—and it’s never a human’s job to challenge this.
The application? Just as God commanded the disciples immediately after Jesus’ transfiguration, “Listen to Jesus Christ.” Stick to God’s Word as THE authority in every area of life.
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Saturday, July 26, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Psalm 135:18
“Those who make them become like them, so do all who trust in them.”
-Background/Context:
Here are a few more verses from Psalm 135 (15-18) for context: “The idols of the nations are silver and gold, the work of human hands. They have mouths, but do not speak; they have eyes, but do not see; they have ears, but do not hear, nor is there any breath in their mouths. Those who make them become like them, so do all who trust in them.”
-Something to Think About:
Have you ever seen those baby dolls that are hyper-realistic? If you glance at them quickly, you would totally not know it wasn’t an actual baby. They are made the correct size of a newborn, they are given human hair, and all their features are painted on as carefully and as realistically as possible. In addition, they weigh the correct amount for a newborn and can wear newborn clothes from the store.
Here’s a problem, though: their eyes are empty. They have no expression. They do not breathe. There is no heartbeat. Their appearance is that of a human infant, but they are nothing more than an empty shell of plastic and fabric.
Psalm 135 reminds us that ALL idols (things we give more importance to than God) are as empty as the fake eyes of the fake babies. If someone were to “adopt” one of these fake babies (and that’s exactly what the sellers call purchasing their creations), they might pretend they have a baby, but they do not. That baby cannot snuggle, hug them, call them “Mommy,” or do anything a real baby can do. Similarly, ONLY God can satisfy, provide wisdom, give us purpose and goals for our lives, tell us TRUTH, and give us all that we need for this life and for all of eternity.
Fulfillment, joy, peace, and wisdom will only ever be found in the Lord. Prayerfully contemplate your current habits, possessions, goals, and what brings you satisfaction. Is it the Lord?
Our REAL, ALIVE, ALL-WISE, and LOVING Father WILL provide all we need for life and godliness. Ask Him to help you look only to Him!
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Sunday, July 27, 2025
(Thank the Father for this special day set aside for Him. Ask Him to help you know Him better by the day’s end and to have many opportunities to tell others about His praiseworthiness.)
-Be sure to spend some time in prayer first thing this morning so that you know that your heart is right with God. Make sure sin is confessed and dealt with, then ask Him to help you listen, learn, and grow. Ask not to be distracted by other thoughts during sermons and Bible studies, and not to be a distraction to others.
-Pray for your pastor and others who will be serving God today.
-Ask the Father for opportunities to speak of Him to others, to build others up in the things of the Lord, and to find tasks that you can do for Him and for others of His children today and this week.
-Ask at least one person how you can pray for them this week. What is their prayer request?
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-Take time before day’s end to note at least 5 things that you thank God for based on time spent in His House, hearing His Word, and being among His people.
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BONUS! God-honoring music is such a tremendous blessing that I thought we could use Sundays to focus on a few hymns that use “all” in them to read through (and sing, if you want!).
My Jesus, I Love Thee (words and music by S. Frye)
My Jesus, I love Thee, I know Thou art mine; for Thee all the follies of sin I resign. My gracious Redeemer, my Savior art Thou; if ever I loved Thee, my Jesus tis now.
I love Thee because Thou hast first loved me and purchased my pardon on Calvary’s tree. I love Thee for wearing the thorns on Thy brow; if ever I loved Thee, my Jesus tis now.
I’ll love Thee in life; I will love Thee in death. And praise Thee as long as Thou lendest me breath; and say when the death-dew lies cold on my brow; if ever I loved Thee, my Jesus tis now.
In mansions of glory and endless delight, I’ll ever adore Thee in heaven so bright. I’ll sing with the glittering crown on my brown; if ever I loved Thee, my Jesus tis now.
Monday, July 28, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read 2 Corinthians 10:4-5
“For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.”
-Background/Context:
The Apostle Paul wrote this second letter to the believers in Corinth from Macedonia. He wrote it about a year after the first letter, around 56 A.D. He had a few different things he was addressing, but it was at least partly to instruct in godly living. This topic was important to the members of the early church—and it’s important for those of us living in Twenty-first century America.
-Something to Think About:
First, don’t miss that Christians— you and me—are at war! It’s easy to pretend that this isn’t so, that we aren’t under attack by evil angelic forces under the leadership of satan—or by our own nasty sin natures, but we are. The Bible has many passages that address this, but an important starting point is that we are aware of it so that we can be prepared (see Ephesians 6:11-18).
Second, these verses remind us that the battle is being held primarily IN OUR MINDS. What we put into our brains is so utterly essential to help us stand firm for the Lord and not be wishy washy or easily confused and led astray, that I think we don’t always realize it. The only right ammunition for a strong mind is God’s Word, and the dangerous content is anything and everything that opposes or twists God’s Word.
So, how do we stand strong? How do we get victory? By focusing on God’s Word and using it to give us knowledge and wisdom. Knowledge is, for sure, a collection of information, but in this case, it’s a collection of information ABOUT GOD—Who He is, what He loves and hates, how He intervenes on our behalf, how He wants us to think and act… everything (all!). Wisdom is to then apply what we know God is like and what pleases and glorifies Him to every single thing we say and do. But, it’s important to remember that all we say and do STARTS in our mind. How we think affects how we act. Always.
II Corinthians 10:4-5 reminds us that we need to take EVERY thought captive to obey Christ. It seems important to remind ourselves, then, who we are NOT to obey—namely, ourselves! Pride and a me-first mentality is not honoring to God, nor is it Christlike. He gave His ALL to us, how could we not give our ALL to Him! The victory in this passage is the conquering of rebellious thought patterns and bringing them into subjection to the Lord Jesus Christ.
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Tuesday, July 29, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Romans 14:11-12
“For it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.” So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.”
-Background/Context:
This part of the book of Romans (written by the Apostle Paul) is addressing how Christians are to think and act towards other Christians. Specifically, Paul is pointing out that it’s not really our “job” to look at the actions of others in order to condemn them (in our opinion) or feel superior because we do something they don’t do—that kind of thing. Of course, this isn’t addressing areas of sin. It’s more along the lines of preferences and personal opinion about “proper” behaviors. Paul wants Christians to understand that it is GOD Who is the One Who decides what’s okay and what isn’t about our actions (and our attitudes while doing them!) – and not you or me.
-Something to Think About:
So, I have to tell you that I was taken aback a bit when I read today’s verse—and the context of the verse. That’s because, to this point, I’ve always thought of “every knee shall bow and every tongue confess” in relation to Philippians 2:10-11—believing that, in the end, even ungodly haters WILL acknowledge that Jesus Christ IS God and that He is THE KING. But, if we look at the context of both Romans 14:11 and Philippians 2:10-11, we find that it is talking to believers about believers. Specifically, in relation to what was said above, that GOD is the Judge of His children—His children are not given authority as judges over each other.
What are some takeaways, then? The Christians who are living their lives for appearance’s sake and not for the Lord, will one day realize BIG TIME that God is the only One to live for and to live to please. It’s not other people, nor is it self. The Christians who spend their precious minutes looking down on other Christians—for whatever reason—will one day BE judged by God Almighty.
This will happen at the Bema Judgment (in heaven, after the Rapture, and before the Millennium). And just a reminder, the Bema isn’t a judgment of sin. All our sin past, present, and future was taken care of on the cross. This is a judgment of how we used our lives for God—the ways we obeyed what we knew He wanted us to, our good stewardship as far as our time, talents, and treasures, our faithfulness to witness to the lost and disciple believers—all of it.
There are Bible verses that speak about God wiping away our tears. This is such a comfort to us today when we’ve had some great sorrow, when we or a loved one is experiencing tremendous pain, when we’ve been hated because of our stand for Christ, or any number of “hard things” we are entrusted with in this life. And while heaven and eternity are places without sickness, sorrow, or pain, I wonder if some of the tears mentioned are tears of God’s children who regret attitudes and actions toward others of God’s children that were not in keeping with God’s command to love others as self and to treat others as we would want to be treated?
None of us can change the past (though, if we haven’t made something right with God or people we have hurt, we sure need to jump right on that!), BUT, we can, with God’s help, choose to not allow ourselves to think or act that way moving ahead. Praise God, He will help us each and every time we ask Him for His strength and wisdom to do what is right and not do what is dishonoring to Him and hurtful to others!
More Scripture on this topic:
-Isaiah 45:23
-I Corinthians 3:12-15
-I Corinthians 4:5
-II Corinthians 5:9-10
-John 5:22-23
-And, of course, the context for today’s verse, all of Romans 14.
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Wednesday, July 30, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Romans 15:5-6
“May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
-Background/Context:
Paul has just spent several minutes talking to the Christians in Rome concerning the ins and outs of getting along. This included how to not be easily offended and to not be offensive to one another in a local church family. Basically, it can be summarized in doing your dead level best to not irritate or hurt others in attitude or action, either on purpose or through careless speech or actions. “Getting along” is always going to include showing much grace.
-Something to Think About:
First, you may have noted that I kind of snuck these verses in without a clear “all” printed into the text. Although not stated using that word, it’s sure seen in the concept of the unity that is being called for.
I think you’ll agree that we all work toward some sort of goal in short term areas (such as cleaning up after a meal with the goal of maintain a clean and useful home), to ongoing ones (such as showing up to work every day with the goal of getting paid to, in turn, pay our bills), to long-term goals such as retirement. Did you know that all humans have one overarching goal, inherited simply because they are alive? It is to glorify God. Sadly, once sin entered the world, this critical goal was ignored and despised, leading to an exceedingly sorrowful downward spiral of sin, suffering, and pain.
BUT (and here is a stand-up-and-notice kind of “but”!), as a child of God—one redeemed by the blood of the Lamb—we CAN (and must!) have as our #1 life’s goal that of glorifying God. One HUGE way we do this, according to today’s Scripture, is choosing to maintain unity with brothers and sisters in Christ as much as possible. Are you listening? Getting along with other believers is super important!
How? How can we do this when we are all so flawed and so easily offended and offensive? Because of GOD and because of who we are IN CHRIST. ALL our strength, wisdom, ability to obey, desire to do right—all of it is always and only from God and because of Him. In fact, it’s when any one of us begins to think we can think right and act right apart from Him that disunity begins (and major trouble starts). Thinking and acting apart from Him causes a break in fellowship with God—and with other Christians. Thankfully, confessing it to God and making things right with others restores the unity.
The picture presented in Romans 15:5-6 is one of great focus—like a hungry toddler spotting an ice-cream cone and reaching for it with concentration and determination, tuning all else out. As Christians, we can individually AND as a church family, get on board with humanity’s #1 goal, that of glorifying God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ.
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Thursday, July 31, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Romans 15:13
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”
-Background/Context:
I felt it could be fun (and useful) to read this verse in a few other translations:
“I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.” (NLT)
“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (CSB)
“Now may God, the source of hope, fill you with all joy and peace as you believe, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” ISV)
-Something to Think About:
Here are a few observations:
-God is the God of hope. He is the only Source for genuine hope (because He is the only One Who has all-power and Who always keeps His word).
-God is willing to fill His children with joy and peace. To “fill” is to stuff to the brim. Joy, in Scripture, is not the same as our understanding of what happiness is. It is a satisfaction and confidence that God’s got this and all is well (regardless of how chaotic things may appear). Peace is contentment and calmness (also regardless of turmoil and trouble around us). These feelings (more like “truths,” “understanding”) come from God and God alone.
-Joy, peace, and hope that overflows any sort of boundary, are ours from our Father, AS WE believe. That is, IN THE ACT OF trusting that God is in control, that He is good, that all He does is good, we are able to enjoy tremendous blessings and comfort—even when in the midst of some trial.
-The power to trust God and appreciate the hope, joy, and peace He provides is one of the many things the Indwelling Holy Spirit makes possible for children of God.
So, what’s the application here? Well, a biggie sure might be to pause and remember this verse when you find yourself lacking in hope—or peace, or joy. The first question we must always ask is if there is some sin in our hearts and/or lives that we haven’t made right with God and/or with another person. God cannot bless us if we are rebelling against Him in some way. Second, though, based on this verse, are we not trusting that God is good? Are we looking at the problem and not God? Are we trying to solve the problem in our own strength and wisdom? If we SAY we trust God, but aren’t obeying His Word in some area, are we REALLY trusting Him?
I think that thinking about these sorts of things while studying God’s Word regularly will help us to know how to think and act when a crisis occurs. In other words, don’t wait until a trial comes your way before preparing your heart and head to place all your trust and confidence in the God of hope.
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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August 2025 DBSQ
August 1, 2025
Dear Student of the Word,
We’ve been working on a study of the word “all” found throughout the entire Bible that I pray has been both a blessing to you and a challenge to greater godliness. It has been to me!
This month I thought it might be fun to shake it up a bit and look over verses that use “none” or “nothing” in them—the opposite of all. I hope you enjoy the slightly different focus. In the end, I’m confident that we will find the same message that we’ve found all along: God always gives His all to us and He keeps all His promises.
I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your prayers for me and this ministry! You are my prayers as well. May God draw us all ever closer to Himself and to each other as we love Him supremely and love others as self.
By His Grace,
Lorie Brown
Just so you know. . .
-I mainly use the ESV (courtesy of either Bible Gateway.com or Olive Tree.com), but sometimes it’s necessary to use another English translation in order to see the word of focus more clearly.
-I try to remember to highlight the word “nothing” in the verse of focus each day.
-Previous months of this year’s study can be found on our church website under the tab “Ministries” at
firstbaptistnorthconway.org. In addition, several studies from previous years are also available.
-Our church has an in-house publishing ministry, some of which can be found for free download on
solidrockpublishing.org. There are Bible studies, stories for kids, and other practical Christian living topics available as hard copies in the back of our church auditorium.
-Our ladies (in North Conway, NH) meet in the evening on the second Monday of each month to review these studies and you are welcome to join us if you are in the area. If not, I highly recommend reviewing them with one or more friends—simply because doing Bible studies with others can be a huge blessing and help.
-You are welcome to pass these studies along to whoever the Lord lays on your heart. If someone wants to receive them directly from Mailchimp, just contact me and I can sign them up.
-If you reply to my Mailchimp email with a comment or question, it comes directly to me—and I love hearing from you!
-Again, thanks for praying for me and for all who are doing these studies! We NEED God’s help and blessing to listen, learn, and grow!
Friday, August 1, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read John 8:28-29
“So Jesus said to them, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me. And he who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him.”
-Background/Context:
This is part of what Jesus said at the Great Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem (where He proclaimed that He is the Light of the world, one of the great I AMs).
From Constable’s Expository Bible Study Notes:
Isaiah had predicted that the Servant of the Lord would be a “light to the nations” (Isa. 49:6). God Himself would illuminate His people in the messianic age (Isa. 60:19-22; Zech. 14:5b-7; cf. Rev. 21:23-24). However, in Jesus’ day the “light of righteousness” was in mortal conflict with the “darkness of sin” (1:4, 9; 3:19-21). Many religions contain the “light and darkness” symbolism, but John presented Jesus as the “true Light.” It is particularly the aspect of light as revelation that constituted the focus of the controversy surrounding Jesus’ claim. The Jews considered the Old Testament and their traditions as authoritative revelation, the true light. They also spoke of Torah, the temple, Adam, and Johanan ben Zakkai, one of their leaders, as the light of the world. Now Jesus challenged that authority by claiming to be the true (final and full, cf. 1:9) revelation from God (cf. Heb. 1:1-3). He invited the Jews to “follow” Him as the true light (cf. the pillar of fire in the wilderness).
-Something to Think About:
Jesus said many super important things in John 8, and I encourage you to go check it out. For the purposes of our bunny trail on the word “nothing,” Jesus made it clear that every single thing He did was from the Father and because the Father wanted Him to do it and/or say it. He said that NOTHING was done on His own authority.
Tied hand-in-hand with this is another declaration that He ALWAYS does what is pleasing to the Father.
So… what can we do with these facts personally and in our own thoughts and actions? Well, Jesus’ coming was more than just the incredible gift of salvation, He also provided for us an example of how we should be thinking and acting as children of God. With that in mind, if He did NOTHING on His own authority, should we? Should we just jump into our day willy-nilly, making decisions on the fly, and deciding things based on what we want and what fits our desires? No! This is, of course, how the world around us acts and expects us to act, but we are new creatures. We have a new heart, a new life, and a new goal. If we want to “always do the things that are pleasing” to the Father, we need to do only what He wants us to do.
How will we know what that is? I mean, not every single situation is spelled out in the Bible. The answer STILL lies in Scripture. Some things will be lined out (do not grumble!), while many other things come across more in principle and in the example of people’s lives. Since God has promised that His Word contains everything we need to live godly lives (and we are commanded to live godly lives), if we simply do what we know to do as right (because they are defined as such by the truth of the Bible) when questions come up, God will be honored by that—and—He will show us in time more and more refined ways to please, honor, and obey Him. Maybe it’s a bit like how we might work with a child. We usually begin with “No, no! Ouch!” when our toddler is heading directly to the hot oven. Later, when they’re a bit older, we might add, “Don’t touch! It’s hot and you will get hurt!” Then, eventually, we teach caution when the oven is on, how to safely open it and remove hot items, etc. (though, to this day, I almost never remember to wait a second when opening the oven door—and consequently, steam up my glasses from the heat!).
Obviously, a lot could be said about the ins and outs of learning to live in a pleasing manner to God and to live based on His authority (and this should be our lifelong pursuit!), but let me stop by just suggesting that beginning every single day with a prayer asking God to help us remember to not speak or act BEFORE considering what God would want in each situation is the best way to start the day. And when we find that we have wandered off and are acting in a manner that pleases us more than Him, we can make that right with Him and get right back on track. All of us would be wise to know that our Father is not the sort Who is watching our every move in order to send fire down to chastise us. Rather, He WANTS us to have victory and He WANTS to bless us—and He is super pleased when we pause to ask His help to live more faithfully.
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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As a reminder, we are using the month of August to study the word “nothing” by way of contrast to the “all” passages we have been looking at this year.
Saturday, August 2, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read John 15:5
“I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”
-Background/Context:
John 15:1-11 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.
-Something to Think About:
This precious passage from the Gospel of John is written to believers. That means the warnings about pruning and such are for Christians (and they are not a warning to the unsaved). It’s important to know this going in so that we take heed to the important lessons and blessings the Lord Jesus is conveying to us here.
-A key concept FOR SURE is that which is found in verse 5: all we are, all we do that is God-honoring, all that we learn and is a help and blessing to us, is because of Jesus Christ. Because He saved us and transferred His righteousness to us; because He gifted us with the indwelling Holy Spirit so we can think and act right in God’s eyes; because belief in Him as our Savior causes us to become God’s children and fellow heirs with Him, we must NEVER forget how essential it is to abide in Him.
-To abide means to continue; to remain.
-Bearing fruit has to do with living faithfully, acting in keeping with God’s Word, and pleasing the Father in attitude, in our words, and in our deeds. God’s blessing is seen in both how we bless and help others as we live as servants and put others’ interests above our own—as well as the peace, joy, and contentment God gives to those who are living faithfully for Him (that is, abiding in Christ).
-The Bible speaks in other places about God disciplining and chastising His children who are NOT living as they know they should (God never asks us to obey what we don’t know we need to, but He does expect us to do what we do know). The “taking away” mentioned here cannot be the loss of salvation (which is impossible), but it can mean loss of opportunity to serve God, which then means loss of opportunity to earn rewards in heaven. The great news is that simply confessing sin and making things right with God puts us back on track!
-Pruning isn’t punishment. It’s actually the tool of the Vinedresser to help the plant grow stronger and bear even more fruit. We shouldn’t look at every challenge that comes our way as a bad thing! God might be using roadblocks, challenges, and trials to draw us closer to Himself—so that our relationship with Him will be even sweeter, more meaningful, and more fruitful.
-Remaining close to the Lord, that is, keeping sin confessed, studying His Word daily, then living it out in our lives, maintaining a meaningful prayer life, staying active in and among our church family, all help us develop a better prayer life—one that is focused and accurate according to God’s Word. When we pray God’s words after Him, our requests will be the right ones and will be answered.
-Do you want deep and abiding joy as a child of God? Stick close to your Savior. He will lead you, guide you, help you, and be there constantly as you seek to live for Him. Because, you see, we can do NOTHING apart from Him.
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Sunday, August 3, 2025
(Thank the Father for this special day set aside for Him. Ask Him to help you know Him better by the day’s end and to have many opportunities to tell others about His praiseworthiness.)
-Be sure to spend some time in prayer first thing this morning so that you know that your heart is right with God. Make sure sin is confessed and dealt with, then ask Him to help you listen, learn, and grow. Ask not to be distracted by other thoughts during sermons and Bible studies, and not to be a distraction to others.
-Pray for your pastor and others who will be serving God today.
-Ask the Father for opportunities to speak of Him to others, to build others up in the things of the Lord, and to find tasks that you can do for Him and for others of His children today and this week.
-Ask at least one person how you can pray for them this week. What is their prayer request?
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-Take time before day’s end to note at least 5 things that you thank God for based on time spent in His House, hearing His Word, and being among His people.
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BONUS! God-honoring music is such a tremendous blessing that I thought we could use Sundays to focus on a few hymns that use “all” in them to read through (and sing, if you want!).
Nothing Between (words and music by C.A. Tindley)
Nothing between my soul and the Savior, naught of this world’s delusive dream; I have renounced all sinful pleasure—Jesus is mine! There’s nothing between. Nothing between my soul and the Savior, so that His blessed face may be seen; nothing preventing the least of His favor: keep the way clear! Let nothing between.
Nothing between, like worldly pleasure, habits of life, though harmless they seem, must not my heart from Jesus be severed—He is my all! There’s nothing between. Nothing between my soul and the Savior, so that His blessed face may be seen; nothing preventing the least of His favor: keep the way clear! Let nothing between.
Nothing between, like pride or station, self or friends shall not intervene, tho’ it may cost me much tribulation, I am resolved; there’s nothing between. Nothing between my soul and the Savior, so that His blessed face may be seen; nothing preventing the least of His favor: keep the way clear! Let nothing between.
Nothing between, when burdened with trials, though the whole world against me convene; watching with prayer and much self-denial—I’ll triumph at last! With nothing between. Nothing between my soul and the Savior, so that His blessed face may be seen; nothing preventing the least of His favor: keep the way clear! Let nothing between.
As a reminder, we are using the month of August to study the word “nothing” by way of contrast to the “all” passages we have been looking at this year.
Monday, August 4, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Genesis 14:17-24
“After his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley). And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. (He was priest of God Most High.) And he blessed him and said, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand!” And Abram gave him a tenth of everything.
And the king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the persons, but take the goods for yourself.” But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have lifted my hand to the LORD, God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth, that I would not take a thread or a sandal strap or anything that is yours, lest you should say, ‘I have made Abram rich.’ I will take nothing but what the young men have eaten, and the share of the men who went with me. Let Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre take their share.”
-Background/Context:
This is the resolution of the epic battle Abram fought in order to save his nephew, Lot, and his family from marauding kings from other lands. You can read about it in the rest of Genesis 14.
Almost nothing is known of Melchizedek, except to note that Psalm 110 and Hebrews 7 speak of Jesus as being a Priest after the order of Melchizedek. This is a HUGE and mysterious subject and one of the MANY things it will be exciting to learn more about in glory!
-Something to Think About:
Abraham, leading his 318 trained household men, defeated the four kings and their armies and retrieved all that they had stolen, yet he refused to take any of the loot for himself. (It was the accepted custom in the ancient world that all the belongings of a defeated enemy belonged to the victor.) Why?
The answer is two-sided (as many answers are!). Abram tied himself completely to God and gave Him all the glory. As such, he did not want anyone to think for even one second that anyone besides God had anything to do with Abram’s success or riches.
In addition, if he had accepted part of the spoils from the king of Sodom, he would be aligning himself with him—and Abram understood that God’s people must not be yoked with unbelievers. This is STILL true and you can read about it in II Corinthians 6:14-15, although a lot of additional Scripture speaks about this concept in terms of godliness v. ungodliness; light v. darkness; good v. evil, etc.
So, does that mean we should never take government handouts? Should we not sign up for state insurance or accept help with food? No, sometimes God uses systems like this to help meet our needs. We should be clear, however, that it is God Who gets all the glory for taking care of all our needs (and we sure should be excellent stewards of all He gives to us!).
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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As a reminder, we are using the month of August to study the word “nothing” by way of contrast to the “all” passages we have been looking at this year.
Tuesday, August 5, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Psalm 119:165
“Great peace have those who love your law; nothing can make them stumble.”
-Background/Context:
Psalm 119 is the longest chapter in the Bible. It’s also unique because its 22 stanzas each begin with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Not only does each section begin with a new Hebrew letter, but the sentences within each section also begin with that same letter. The focus of the 176 verses found in this chapter is love for God’s Word.
-Something to Think About:
While it is important and useful to spend some time in Psalm 119 to see how verse 165 fits in its immediate context (the Hebrew letter Shin/sin; verses 161-168), let’s just enjoy the simple, yet profound message/reminder found in this one verse.
“Peace” is a Hebrew word most of us are already familiar with because it is often used as both a greeting and a goodbye between Jews. It is the word shalom, meaning peace/a sense of well-being/the fullness of God’s blessing. So, as you can see, an important and desirable concept!
And what kind of peace is mentioned? Great peace. That is, peace that is abundant, abounding, numerous.
How? Who can find huge vats of internal calmness and peace? Those who love God’s Word. Well, specifically, those who love God’s LAW, which directs attention to all God wants His family to do and/or not do. Notice, though, that the psalmist says that great peace belongs to those who LOVE God’s law. This hints (not so subtly) that they LOOK FORWARD TO and enjoy finding what is pleasing to the Lord in order to do it (and avoid all that they know does not please Him). It’s an action, for sure, but it’s also an attitude.
I think that one of the sweetest things a mother can experience is recognizing that her child did some task, not because they were ordered to, not under duress, not with a lot of grumbling and complaining, but because they wanted to surprise her—to please her, and to show her that they love her. This kind of attitude and action is a precious thing—and I am certain that our Father in heaven feels the same way. When we love Him, we ought to also love His Word. When we love Him and His Word, we ought to be eager and excited to obey it—and not just obey what we know, but search it often to look for bigger and better ways to obey it in order to demonstrate our love and gratitude for all He has done for us.
When God’s children love God’s Word, obeying all they know to obey, a side effect or by-product is peace. Great peace. Another is that we are not easily ruffled, upset, discouraged, or tempted to sin. Simply focusing on God and His Word is an incredibly powerful “weapon” in the arsenal of a Christian! Trust and obey, for there’s no other way, to be happy (at peace!) in Jesus, but to trust and obey.
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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As a reminder, we are using the month of August to study the word “nothing” by way of contrast to the “all” passages we have been looking at this year.
Wednesday, August 6, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Proverbs 3:15
“She (wisdom) is more precious than jewels, and nothing you desire can compare with her.”
-Background/Context:
By way of context, here is the rest of the section where Proverbs 3:15 is found:
Proverbs 3:13-27 “Blessed is the one who finds wisdom, and the one who gets understanding, for the gain from her is better than gain from silver and her profit better than gold. She is more precious than jewels, and nothing you desire can compare with her. Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor.
Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her; those who hold her fast are called blessed. The LORD by wisdom founded the earth; by understanding he established the heavens; by his knowledge the deeps broke open, and the clouds drop down the dew. My son, do not lose sight of these— keep sound wisdom and discretion, and they will be life for your soul and adornment for your neck. Then you will walk on your way securely, and your foot will not stumble. If you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. Do not be afraid of sudden terror or of the ruin of the wicked, when it comes, for the LORD will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught. Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it.”
-Something to Think About:
When one of my daughters was little, she was totally and completely enamored with shiny jewelry and all things that were glitzy and sparkly. She would admire ladies’ jewelry and was often gifted with old costume jewelry that was big and bright. She loved it all and would enjoy looking over each piece as if it were great treasure.
Here’s the thing: other than the diamonds on engagement rings and a few necklaces here and there, the exciting gems she thought were so gorgeous were just cheap imitations and fakes. To her young eyes, there was no difference between a diamond that costs hundreds of dollars and a shiny “diamond” found on a play crown. She had no idea that some stones are the real deal, while others are a child’s plaything.
Solomon, in addressing the importance of godly and biblical wisdom, says that it is truly (genuinely) valuable and precious, and that NO other thing that we might desire compares to it on any level. What kinds of things might a Christian desire more than knowing God and His Word? Certainly, “treasures” of wealth in any of the countless forms it’s available in this world. We desire prestige, fame, and being thought well of. We desire things that aren’t in and of themselves “bad,” just not always viewed the right way. Things like friends, safety and security, and food, to name a few! We desire fun, relaxation, and a certain amount of “me time” on a daily basis.
Here’s the deal: anything that we have that is not from God and used to bring Him glory is of no real value. It may APPEAR shiny, bright, and worth having, but the fact is that it is NOTHING. On the other hand, when our lives are squared up with God and we are leaning on Him, trusting Him, and obeying Him in what we think, say, and do, then we’ll have treasure after treasure! Things like a peace in our hearts that stays in place despite any turmoil happening around us, things like confidence in Whose you are and where you are heading—both from day to day, in your life here on earth, and throughout eternity. Living according to God’s Word dispels fear about all the what-ifs of life and, surprisingly, helps us to be a help and blessing to others from day to day.
The Bible actually has a lot to say about what is real and worthwhile and what is fake, foolish, temporary, and a waste of our time and attention. It would be very beneficial to look out for more of these “gems” while studying Scripture, while listening to a sermon or Bible study, while enjoying God-honoring music, and while fellowshipping with other Christians who are also looking for wisdom in the Person and work of God the Father and God the Son.
By the way, did you recognize this chapter as the one that has the oh-so-important reminder for all of God’s children? It’s definitely helpful for today’s topic, too! Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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As a reminder, we are using the month of August to study the word “nothing” by way of contrast to the “all” passages we have been looking at this year.
Thursday, August 7, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Joshua 11:15
“Just as the LORD had commanded Moses his servant, so Moses commanded Joshua, and so Joshua did. He left nothing undone of all that the LORD had commanded Moses.”
-Background/Context:
Having already defeated the southern cities of Canaan, chapter 11 is a summary of the victories in the northern cities that God gave to the Israelites under the leadership of Joshua. If you want to be impressed by all the astonishing things God did in giving the Israelites the Promised Land, read the book of Joshua! The battles Israel faced were not small. They came against armies that were in the hundreds of thousands, but as we know, nothing is impossible for God.
-Something to Think About:
Joshua was a pretty amazing guy, and I think he may not be given enough attention when we consider spiritual greats in the Bible. He isn’t ever really introduced to us in the book of Exodus and is just sort of there as Moses’ helper. Yet, he is with Moses through literally decades of ups and downs with Israel and eventually becomes their leader in the same way Moses was. He even met the preincarnate Lord face to face!
Setting aside Joshua’s faithful service to Moses, his confidence along with Caleb that Israel could defeat the “giants in the land,” and his tremendous military leadership in countless battles, Joshua’s #1 trait to be admired and copied is found in today’s verse. Joshua left NOTHING undone of what God had commanded. You see, Joshua trusted God completely and he understood that God meant what He said and said what He meant, therefore, his “job” was to trust and obey, so that’s what he did. AND he kept on doing it! Did you know that those horrendous battles lasted about five years? Joshua did NOT have an easy life, but he had a marvelous life because he did ALL that God commanded him to do.
I think that a whole lot of Christians will want to meet Joshua and tell him how his faithfulness to God encouraged and blessed them. Have you ever considered, though, that if you and I are faithful to God with OUR lives, and if we are obeying ALL that we know God wants us to do (leaving NOTHING undone), that Joshua might well want to look US up and tell us that WE were a blessing to him! Quite the thought, but I am positive that I know how delightful conversations like this would end. They would, without question, end with both of us praising the Lord and standing in awe of His goodness, grace, mercy, and covenant loyalty (hesed).
Not up (spiritually) to having that conversation with Joshua (or Moses, Mary, David, or Paul)? Today is a new day, and God’s mercies are new every morning. Today is the day to leave nothing undone of all God asks of you! And then, if given a tomorrow, we can choose to trust and obey then, too. God is good! Thank Him!
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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As a reminder, we are using the month of August to study the word “nothing” by way of contrast to the “all” passages we have been looking at this year.
Friday, August 8, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read 1 Timothy 4:7
“Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness.”
-Background/Context:
This letter, written by Paul to Timothy, contains all sorts of help and instruction from an older man of God to a young pastor. It’s rich in doctrine, essential information about who is qualified to be considered as a pastor or deacon, and many other important truths helpful for ALL Christians.
-Something to Think About:
There’s more that Paul said to Timothy, along with the command to have nothing to do with irreverent and silly myths, but sometimes it’s nice to just pause on one verse to consider what it’s teaching.
First, this is a command, and I suspect that most of us need to remind ourselves that very little from Scripture is a “suggestion” or “do this only if it sounds fun to you” kind of thing. What God tells us to do are the things He expects us to do. Thankfully, He also provides the help, strength, and wisdom to do them. Furthermore, He never demands that any of us be perfect right out of the gate. He knows our human frailties and challenges. He just wants us to WANT to obey Him, to keep on trying, and to not give up or give in. Faithfulness is steadfastness/not giving up. It is not perfection.
Things that are irreverent (and the word “silly” further defines it) are, in a broad sense, what is not godly. They are actions, attitudes, doctrine, behavior, words, songs… ANYTHING that thumbs its nose at God, God’s words, or godliness. There are many, many things that fit in this category—from “harmless” jokes and fiction, all the way to doctrine and teaching that is opposed to God and is rebelling against Him.
I think that most Christians kind of look at things like this as kind of a 1-10 scale, and as long as we keep our less-than-God honoring humor, media, and words towards the “1” side of the scale, we’re doing okay (or, at least, we’re better than most). Does that kind of reasoning seem to fit what God led Paul to write in this verse?
The biblically correct thing to do, instead, is to train ourselves for godliness. The word “train” here is the same word used to describe a very serious athlete working on perfecting his skills. It denotes daily labor, dedication, and a lot of hard work. “Godliness” is simply to be like God in thought, action, goal, etc. It is to take what we know about God from His Word in order to implement it into our thinking and actions, so that, with time, we can be becoming more like Christ. Once again, it is something God helps us with (which is awesome, because it’s not something anyone can do in their own strength).
It seems like this verse is a pretty clear “do this and do not do that kind of thing,” and it would make a great guardrail to keep in the front of our brains when considering decisions, words, and every use of our time, talents, and treasures. Is it helping us be more godly—or leading us away from godliness?
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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As a reminder, we are using the month of August to study the word “nothing” by way of contrast to the “all” passages we have been looking at this year.
Saturday, August 9, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read 1 Timothy 6:6-8
“But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.”
-Background/Context:
These pretty well-known verses are part of a much bigger teaching and godly way of thinking. Reading all of I Timothy would be helpful, but reading chapter 6 will give you a broader picture of what Paul wants Timothy to learn and remember.
-Something to Think About:
Are you a “Little House on the Prairie fan? As is almost always true, if you want the REAL story Laura Ingalls Wilder wanted to tell, you need to read the books. However, the made-for-TV shows have been beloved by many for decades—for good reason. They’re heartwarming, often funny, and teach some important life lessons along the way. One character everyone loves to hate is Nellie Olsen (and her mother, for that matter!). Nellie is the quintessential spoiled girl who does everything that she does for herself. She’s greedy, arrogant, and rude, and the only time that she is nice is when she’s trying to deceive someone to get what she wants.
Believe it or not, this sort of attitude is not far off from what Paul is warning Timothy about in our Scripture today. Paul has been giving Timothy all sorts of instruction about how a godly pastor acts and thinks, but now he switches to talk about wrong actions, motivations, and goals. Chief among wrong motivations and goals is to become a pastor or church leader in order to get riches, possessions, and prestige. I think no one will argue when I point out that today’s most famous internet, TV, and radio preachers are also very wealthy. I’m certainly not going to pretend to know their motivations in getting there and staying there (that’s between them and the Lord), but it just seems unlikely that this sort of fame and prestige just “happens” without a lot of deliberate work.
What happened in those early church days (and what still happens) is as simple as people (including Christians) getting even slightly away from thinking, speaking, and acting exactly as God said to in the Bible. When this happens, trouble follows. Of course, I mostly mean those who are deliberately going a different path than Scripture. ALL Christians, immature and mature, need to “daily check the Scriptures” to be certain that what they are thinking and saying is, indeed, what God said. Then, if we realize that we were slightly off, we do whatever we need to do to realign our thinking with God’s.
Part of right thinking is to not give more focus on wealth, possessions, and prestige than we ought. Our goal is to bring glory to God by loving Him supremely and loving others as self. Along the way, He will provide all that we need, giving us opportunities to be good stewards of it. In this, there is much contentment.
F.Y.I.
We all know that we cannot take physical possessions and treasures with us to heaven when we die, but have you ever considered that we CAN “take” a few things? Those we have witnessed to, who have then trusted in Christ as their Savior, will be with us in glory! The things that we have done for the Lord, the works that He created beforehand for us to do for Him, produce rewards that we will receive when we get to heaven. So you see, when we live faithfully for the Lord in this lifetime, there are some pretty huge treasures that we’ll enjoy in eons to come!
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Sunday, August 10, 2025
(Thank the Father for this special day set aside for Him. Ask Him to help you know Him better by the day’s end and to have many opportunities to tell others about His praiseworthiness.)
-Be sure to spend some time in prayer first thing this morning so that you know that your heart is right with God. Make sure sin is confessed and dealt with, then ask Him to help you listen, learn, and grow. Ask not to be distracted by other thoughts during sermons and Bible studies, and not to be a distraction to others.
-Pray for your pastor and others who will be serving God today.
-Ask the Father for opportunities to speak of Him to others, to build others up in the things of the Lord, and to find tasks that you can do for Him and for others of His children today and this week.
-Ask at least one person how you can pray for them this week. What is their prayer request?
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-Take time before day’s end to note at least 5 things that you thank God for based on time spent in His House, hearing His Word, and being among His people.
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BONUS! God-honoring music is such a tremendous blessing that I thought we could use Sundays to focus on a few hymns that use “all” in them to read through (and sing, if you want!).
Nothing is Impossible (words and music by E. Clark)
Nothing is impossible when you put your trust in God. Nothing is impossible when you’re trusting in His Word. Hearken to the voice of God to thee, “Is there anything to hard for Me?” Then put your trust in God above and rest upon His Word; for everything, oh, everything, yes everything is possible with God!
As a reminder, we are using the month of August to study the word “nothing” by way of contrast to the “all” passages we have been looking at this year.
Monday, August 11, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Mark 10:18
“And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.”
-Background/Context:
Mark 10 takes place in the middle of a series of things Jesus said and did with great crowds around Him. In the beginning of His ministry, there were frequently huge crowds surrounding Him. Although some wanted to hear what He was teaching about God, many were there to be healed or simply to enjoy the sensationalism of the incredible things that were happening. Later in His ministry, Jesus avoided the crowds and focused His teaching on the twelve apostles.
-Something to Think About:
Today’s verse caught my attention because of the use of “no one” (nothing), but as I was studying the context, I was impressed at the number of uses of all and none throughout the passage, so I’ve included it in the bonus section. I’m not going to do a lot of explaining of it, but I will caution you to remember that entering the kingdom is not spiritual salvation (when we see the word “saved,” it is not always referring to spiritual salvation). Spiritual salvation happens by faith alone in Christ alone, and has nothing to do with what we do, our wealth, or anything other than placing our trust in Christ as the One Who paid the price for our sin on our behalf. So that aside, read the Scripture and consider what Jesus might be saying to those who already belong to God.
Now, back to today’s lesson…
While Jesus was teaching and preaching, an earnest young man came up to Him with a question, addressing Jesus as “Good Teacher.” I read in some Bible study notes that this wasn’t actually a common way to greet a teacher (as most people thought of Jesus). Maybe that’s what arrested Jesus’ attention and why He paused to question why this man would address Him as such.
Without pausing to let the man answer, Jesus told him (and ALL who were within earshot – and us, too!) that it is only God Who can rightly be called good. To be good is mostly how we would define a “good person,” someone who is honorable, upright, beneficial, and that kind of thing. God is, in fact, the standard and definition of what “good” actually is. This is true of everything else, of course. We humans have our own idea of how to define good, bad, love, hate, righteous, sinful, and so on, but the only correct basis for what is TRUE is what God says about it. Such a simple, but essential truth to establish in our hearts and heads—and live according to!
BUT, as important as all that is (and it is VERY important), when reading that Jesus said that God alone is good, it made me remember the number of times I’ve heard people say that so-and-so is such a good person, inferring a bit that maybe they don’t need to hear about their need to trust in Christ as Savior. That, perhaps, because they already do good things, are polite, are kind, and are sacrificial, that maybe we should focus more on people who clearly aren’t “good.” Surely, we can all see the dangers of such thinking! ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Nice people don’t automatically go to heaven because they’re nice. As those who know the good news of the gospel, we NEED to be telling EVERYONE how they can join the family of God and escape the Lake of Fire—even those who are nicer to be around than some of the believers we know.
Did the Holy Spirit bring someone to mind just now who needs to hear about the Lord?
BONUS:
Mark 10:17-31 “And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’” And he said to him, “Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.” And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” And the disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, “Then who can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.” Peter began to say to him, “See, we have left everything and followed you.” Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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As a reminder, we are using the month of August to study the word “nothing” by way of contrast to the “all” passages we have been looking at this year.
Tuesday, August 12, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Mark 13:32
“But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”
-Background/Context:
Today’s verse is a quote from Jesus. It is part of what’s known as the Olivet Discourse and Jesus is speaking about the end of the Tribulation Period and the beginning of the Millennium when He will return to earth as King.
While it’s very true that the Rapture, the moment in time when God will call all who have trusted in Christ as Savior up to the clouds to meet Jesus to go Heaven, is at an undisclosed time, Jesus’ Second Coming is also unknown. This is especially true before the Rapture happens. Once this occurs, those who are reading the Bible will discover that the Tribulation Period is seven years long and that Jesus will return at the end of that time period.
Being alive during the Tribulation Period will be pretty challenging. The Jewish people, especially, will be targeted and tormented during the second half of the Tribulation, though Christians will be, too.
During that time period, there will be all sorts of liars and people trying to deceive those who belong to Christ, especially, so Jesus provided clear instruction about what people alive at that time are to watch for. You can read about it in the rest of Mark 13 as well as other Scripture.
-Something to Think About:
Read the rest of what Jesus said following today’s focus verse:
“But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come. It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake. Therefore stay awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning— lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake.” (Mark 13:32-27)
While we already know that Jesus is warning Tribulation saints specifically, those of us living today would be wise to also heed Jesus’ words. Since we do not know when we will be called to heaven, either by death or the Rapture, we wouldn’t want to be caught unaware, either. It reminds me of grade school and the teacher walking out of the room, expecting to find the class working on their assignments when she returns. Many students choose to use those minutes to do anything BUT what their teacher said to do, hoping to make it LOOK like they were obeying when they see the door knob turning. I suspect she is aware of who was being diligent and who wasn’t!
We know that we each only have so much time to live for God, to do the works that He established for us to do, and when the time is up, it’s up. Frittering away that time is opportunity wasted forever. It will never be ours again.
What “frittering” is may end up being a bit different for each of us. I think that you know by this time that I have a very strong conviction that Christians need to become members of a Bible teaching church, and as such, they should be attending all the services they can, and they should be serving in all the areas God calls them to serve in. To not do so, for me, is “frittering.” Other possibilities may include dabbling in less-than-godly activities, opting to read or watch media that is unbecoming for a child of God, or simply disregarding something we know God wants us to do or stop doing, saving our obedience for “another day.”
I suspect that most all of us who are reading this are the ones who want to be found laboring for our Master when He returns. Whatever our failures in the past, TODAY is the perfect day to live wholeheartedly for Him—and to stay awake!
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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As a reminder, we are using the month of August to study the word “nothing” by way of contrast to the “all” passages we have been looking at this year.
Wednesday, August 13, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Matthew 6:24
“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”
-Background/Context:
Jesus is the One speaking in this quote. It’s part of what is known as the Sermon on the Mount. The entire thing is found in Matthew 5-7.
Here is a fun “extra” for you to consider: many English Bibles put words from Jesus in red ink so that they will stand out. Because of this, some have considered these red words to be the most important words in the entire Bible. While I sure am not going to argue that the things Jesus said while on earth aren’t super important and worth much prayerful thought, it is just as true that ALL of God’s Word is, well, God’s words. =) Our Bibles have exactly the information God wanted us to know, so ALL of it is worth much prayerful thought.
-Something to Think About:
Today’s Bible verse (and others having to do with money and riches) are generally pretty well known. That doesn’t mean, however, that they’re not important to return to from time to time to use as a checklist to make sure that our thoughts and actions are still in keeping with what God wants. I guess I’m suggesting that we all tend to make commitments that can, with time, become watered down, change direction a bit, or simply stop. We may not even realize it unless we not only read Scripture, but pray about it, asking God to show us if we need to start something, stop something, or step up our game—to “excel still more.”
Humans are wired to serve only one master. That means that if we have chosen something to worship, obey, follow, etc., we are at the same time choosing to NOT worship, obey, follow, etc., something else. In this case, Jesus is teaching that no one can say they are living wholeheartedly for God if they insist on pursuing riches and/or give possessions and treasures too much emphasis or focus.
It’s probably important when addressing topics like this to remember that humans tend to SAY something, but their actions demonstrate something else. We may say that God is number one in our hearts and lives, but if we look back at our calendar, our TV/internet time, our use of money, etc., what does that show as a fact? This is not to say that God expects us to never go shopping, stop using the internet, or put 100% of our money in the offering plate. It does mean, however, that we should pray before doing all our activities to be sure they are what He wants, that we use Scripture to guide us in right words, decisions, and attitudes, and that we do ALL to the glory of God. Will we be perfect? Of course not! But when we sincerely choose God as our Master, He will help us slowly, but surely, be becoming more like His Son in righteousness and holiness.
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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As a reminder, we are using the month of August to study the word “nothing” by way of contrast to the “all” passages we have been looking at this year.
Thursday, August 14, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Matthew 9:16
“No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch tears away from the garment, and a worse tear is made.”
-Background/Context:
At face value, today’s Bible verse just seems like good advice. I sew—and I can verify that it doesn’t work to slap a patch on a piece of rotten cloth. BUT, although true, this isn’t really what Jesus is getting at, at all. Here’s the context:
Matthew 9:14-17 “Then the disciples of John came to him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” And Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch tears away from the garment, and a worse tear is made. Neither is new wine put into old wineskins. If it is, the skins burst and the wine is spilled and the skins are destroyed. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved.”
One of the chief things people hated Jesus for was pointing out that the way they were doing something was NOT what God wanted (or how He said to do it). The Religious leaders had developed a ton of rules to live by to demonstrate you are a godly Jew, but sadly, their rules were manmade and not what God had said at all. When they accused Jesus of breaking some law, it always ended up being one of their laws, not God’s. Jesus never broke any of God’s laws—because He never sinned.
There are all sorts of interesting and important things happening in this short paragraph, but germane to our verse of focus, Jesus was letting the Jewish people know that huge changes were coming. Because you and I are privileged to view history and read about it after the fact, we know that the Law was coming to an end and a new covenant was beginning. Part of THAT, would be the birth of the Church and Gentiles being included into the family of God.
-Something to Think About:
I’m writing this on a Monday morning—and my Monday mornings are LOADED with interruptions and tons of things happening. There can be so many distractions!
One of the distractions this morning was an email from Pinterest with some ideas that they were sure I would want to keep forever and ever (ha ha!). In the batch of ideas was a cartoon meme of a man standing at the counter in a shop, with a sack slung over his shoulder that says, “My past.” Nailed over the counter was a big sign that said, “God has new things for you,” and I thought to myself, “Wow, that kind of fits today’s verse (well, in a loose kind of way)! =)
Here’s my thought: Jesus is demonstrating that containers that are “old” are no longer suitable to hold what is new/fresh. Once we placed our faith in Christ as our Savior, we became new creatures, and the old has forever gone—and the new has come. As such, we shouldn’t be wasting our time trying to “fit” God-honoring characteristics and behaviors into our old lifestyle. We should toss out ALL old habits, thoughts, behaviors, and sometimes even friends, and replace them with what God says is good, right, holy, loving, kind, etc.
Maybe I’m a bit off in my application to Matthew 9:16, but it was a good reminder to me to check to make sure I’m not foolishly trying to mix godly with ungodly in my life. It will NOT work!
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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As a reminder, we are using the month of August to study the word “nothing” by way of contrast to the “all” passages we have been looking at this year.
Friday, August 15, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Acts 9:1-8
“But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.” The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. Saul rose from the ground, and although his eyes were opened, he saw nothing. So they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus.”
-Background/Context:
Acts 9 is a super exciting chapter. Read a bit more about Paul’s story:
Acts 9:9-22 “And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank. Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” And the Lord said to him, “Rise and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying, and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.” But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem. And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name.” But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized; and taking food, he was strengthened. For some days he was with the disciples at Damascus. And immediately he proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.” And all who heard him were amazed and said, “Is not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem of those who called upon this name? And has he not come here for this purpose, to bring them bound before the chief priests?” But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus was the Christ.”
(read more accounts of Paul’s salvation in Acts 22 & 26)
-Something to Think About:
Such a fascinating story! Not everyone has such a radical change of direction in their life as Paul did, but perhaps Paul’s personality was such that God knew that nothing short of this dramatic personal talk with the Lord Jesus was needed for Paul to not only believe in Him as Savior, but to set aside his many huge prejudices and become a preacher, teacher, and mentor to the Gentiles.
There are all sorts of interesting and important things we can take note of from this passage, but I guess I was blessed by the very personal contact Jesus made with Paul. He knew all about Paul: his past, his present, and his future (!!). He knew the heretical things Paul had said against Him and the horrible things he had done to His followers. Yet, He loved him. He called him to belong to His family. He gifted him with an incredible ministry that would affect literally millions. And Paul said, “Yes.”
You know, almost none of us are going to be famous—or even known beyond our small family and church family groups. Most of us will not go on to do something that will affect millions of people. BUT, we have ALL been chosen by God to become part of His family. We are ALL loved fully and forever. We are all given one day at a time to live for God, bring Him honor and glory, and build treasures in heaven. We are all given people to influence for Christ in our mannerisms, words, and actions. We are all given the privilege of saying “Yes” to the things God asks us to do, the situations He brings about for us to go through, and to choose to be light as He is light, holy as He is holy.
Our story and Paul’s story will always be different, but you and I can choose to live just as wholeheartedly for the Lord as Paul did—and God will be just as pleased with us as He was with Paul when we do.
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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As a reminder, we are using the month of August to study the word “nothing” by way of contrast to the “all” passages we have been looking at this year.
Saturday, August 16, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Romans 6:6
“We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.”
-Background/Context:
Romans 6:6-14 “We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.
Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.”
-Something to Think About:
Until March 24, 1984, I was a single woman. I grew up under the authority of my parents, but when I became an adult, I needed to make wise decisions in order to have a place to live, food to keep healthy and alive, money to pay the bills, etc. I also needed to act in a way that made me a good citizen of my country, a good employee to my employer, and someone others I respected would want to be friends with. Of course, as a Christian, there was another even more important standard and goal to live by.
At about 8:00 pm on March 24th, I said “I do,” and my role as a single woman was now behind me. I now had God-given differences in how I was to think, act, and live. I was now under the authority of a husband, and needed to learn what being a godly wife was like.
Now, I’m not sure if there are ANY secular illustrations that can fully represent a sacred truth, but there are definitely a few similarities between marriage to what happens to someone once they’ve trusted Christ as Savior (just on a much bigger and eternal scale!). Before trusting in Christ, all people are enslaved by sin and literally can do nothing right (righteousness). Even things that are considered “nice” by other people are not righteous in God’s eyes because we are His enemy due to the sin we are born with (and if we’re being honest, it’s not hard to think of examples of how we rebel against God’s authority in most every area of life by choice).
Once a person trusts in Christ, however, a lot of incredible things happen. For one, according to Romans 6 and many other places, they have become positionally dead to sin and alive to righteousness. The sin nature they were born with, and which has dominated their every thought and deed, no longer has any power to MAKE them sin. Along with that, because the Holy Spirit indwells them, they are able to think and act in a way that is in keeping with the holy character of God, and they are able, with time and obedience to God’s Word, be becoming more like Christ (a life-long goal for all believers).
Much like a new wife has to set aside the I-live-for-me mentality of being single, to embrace life as her new husband’s helpmeet, the Christian needs to realize that their way of thinking and the reason why they did what they did before salvation, will change dramatically now that they belong to the family of God. Just as a new wife will make some radical changes in how she spends her time and money, setting aside several things that are not fitting for a married woman, the Christian needs to not only reach toward godly attitudes and actions, but avoid ungodly ones and steer clear of anything or anyone that might cause them to stumble or which simply should no longer be a part of our new lives as Christians.
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Sunday, August 17, 2025
(Thank the Father for this special day set aside for Him. Ask Him to help you know Him better by the day’s end and to have many opportunities to tell others about His praiseworthiness.)
-Be sure to spend some time in prayer first thing this morning so that you know that your heart is right with God. Make sure sin is confessed and dealt with, then ask Him to help you listen, learn, and grow. Ask not to be distracted by other thoughts during sermons and Bible studies, and not to be a distraction to others.
-Pray for your pastor and others who will be serving God today.
-Ask the Father for opportunities to speak of Him to others, to build others up in the things of the Lord, and to find tasks that you can do for Him and for others of His children today and this week.
-Ask at least one person how you can pray for them this week. What is their prayer request?
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-Take time before day’s end to note at least 5 things that you thank God for based on time spent in His House, hearing His Word, and being among His people.
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BONUS! God-honoring music is such a tremendous blessing that I thought we could use Sundays to focus on a few hymns that use “all” in them to read through (and sing, if you want!).
No One Ever Cared for Me Like Jesus (words and music by C. Weigle)
I would love to tell you what I think of Jesus since I found in Him a Friend so strong and true. I would tell you that He changed my life completely—He did something that no other friend could do. No one ever cared for me like Jesus; there’s no other friend so kind as He. No one else could take the sin and darkness from me. O how much He cared for me.
All my life was full of sin when Jesus found me; all my heart was full of misery and woe. Jesus placed His strong and loving arms around me, and He led me in the way I ought to go. No one ever cared for me like Jesus; there’s no other friend so kind as He. No one else could take the sin and darkness from me. O how much He cared for me.
Every day He comes to me with new assurance; more and more I understand His words of love; but I’ll never know just why He came to save me till some day I see His blessed face above. No one ever cared for me like Jesus; there’s no other friend so kind as He. No one else could take the sin and darkness from me. O how much He cared for me.
As a reminder, we are using the month of August to study the word “nothing” by way of contrast to the “all” passages we have been looking at this year.
Monday, August 18, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Philippians 2:3
“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.”
-Background/Context:
Philippians 2:1-11 “So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
-Something to Think About:
This famous passage is loaded with wonderful truths about God the Father and God the Son, as well as important ways we can be like Jesus in our attitudes and actions. The summary is what today’s verse of focus says:
(1) Do NOTHING for selfish reasons or to look or feel superior.
(2) Have a constant spirit of humility; a right view of self.
(3) Choose to put the needs that other people have before your own; think of their needs as more “significant” than yours.
Doing nothing out of a goal of promoting ourselves definitely doesn’t come naturally (to the sin nature we are born with), that’s for sure! Paul encourages us, however, to remember that as new creatures in Christ, we can CHOOSE to “have the mind of Christ” as far as putting others before self and learning how to selflessly live to bring great honor to God. A huge part of that will be living in obedience to God’s will.
Did you notice that this passage says that God highly exalted Jesus and gave Him the name that is above every name BECAUSE of His choice to do God’s will by living His life on earth as a Servant? It is Jesus’s willing and wholehearted obedience to what God wanted that God glorifies and exalts.
I believe that we can easily find example after example, parable after parable, that all teach the same thing: God is honored, pleased, and glorified when His children delight in doing His will and give time and attention every day to living their lives following the example of Jesus Christ in having a servant’s heart, putting self aside, and looking for ways to be a help and blessing to others.
P.S. It is when believers are living faithfully and obediently that they enjoy great unity of heart and mind (“in full accord and of one mind,” v.2).
P.P.S. Did you know that this passage is known as the “kenosis” or “emptying” passage? This cannot mean that Jesus emptied Himself of His deity. That’s impossible. He did, however, voluntarily give up the independent use of His divine attributes while on earth, relying instead on the word of the Father and the power of the Holy Spirit. Because of His work on the cross on our behalf, we are ABLE to live a victorious and faithful life for God by also relying on God’s Word (the Bible) and the guidance and help of the Indwelling Holy Spirit. Praise the Lord!
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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As a reminder, we are using the month of August to study the word “nothing” by way of contrast to the “all” passages we have been looking at this year.
Tuesday, August 19, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Psalm 33:10
“The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; he frustrates the plans of the peoples.”
-Background/Context:
Psalm 33
“Shout for joy in the LORD, O you righteous! Praise befits the upright. Give thanks to the LORD with the lyre; make melody to him with the harp of ten strings! Sing to him a new song; play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts.
For the word of the LORD is upright, and all his work is done in faithfulness. He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the steadfast love of the LORD.
By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their host. He gathers the waters of the sea as a heap; he puts the deeps in storehouses.
Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him! For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm.
The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; he frustrates the plans of the peoples. The counsel of the LORD stands forever, the plans of his heart to all generations. Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people whom he has chosen as his heritage! The LORD looks down from heaven; he sees all the children of man; from where he sits enthroned he looks out on all the inhabitants of the earth, he who fashions the hearts of them all and observes all their deeds.
The king is not saved by his great army; a warrior is not delivered by his great strength. The war horse is a false hope for salvation, and by its great might it cannot rescue. Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love, that he may deliver their soul from death and keep them alive in famine.
Our soul waits for the LORD; he is our help and our shield. For our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name. Let your steadfast love, O LORD, be upon us, even as we hope in you.”
-Something to Think About:
I can’t remember if I ever told you that I REALLY dislike talking about politics. There’s really nothing about it that I want to discuss, ESPECIALLY corruption, what-ifs, uncertainties, and all the LIES. So many lies!
While I appreciate mature believers who keep apprised of what’s going on, I am content to rely on the foundational truth that it is GOD Who is in charge. Although all sorts of shenanigans are going on everywhere (and lots of it, pure evil), the counsel of nations is brought to NOTHING when it is not part of God’s plan. God’s plans cannot be thwarted, despite mankind’s relentless efforts—or even those of satan himself.
Of course, all children of God everywhere ought to be praying for our government and wise leadership. Our prayers should be, first and foremost, for the salvation of the men and women leading our citizens in the many areas of governing. Second, for these men and women to be looking to God for wisdom and direction so that the things they say and do would reflect God’s will according to Scripture.
I believe it’s also always the right thing to pray for spiritual revival in our entire country. Does that seem likely to happen given the current mess we’ve gotten ourselves in? Not at all. But, we serve the One Who created all and Who keeps everything running in perfect order. He spoke—and it came to be. He commanded—and it stood firm. He is in charge, and He can do whatever He wants, despite “appearances.”
In the meantime, you and I can wait for the Lord, relying on Him as our help and shield. We can maintain a glad heart because we trust Him and know that His steadfast love is forever upon us.
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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As a reminder, we are using the month of August to study the word “nothing” by way of contrast to the “all” passages we have been looking at this year.
Wednesday, August 20, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Exodus 9:4
“But the LORD will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt, so that nothing of all that belongs to the people of Israel shall die.”
-Background/Context:
Today’s verse is part of the fifth plague against Egypt that God caused in order to set His people free from slavery in Egypt. You can read about this plague below, but the entire ten plagues can be found in Exodus 7-14 (this includes crossing the Red Sea).
Exodus 9:1-7 “Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘Thus says the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, “Let my people go, that they may serve me. For if you refuse to let them go and still hold them, behold, the hand of the LORD will fall with a very severe plague upon your livestock that are in the field, the horses, the donkeys, the camels, the herds, and the flocks. But the LORD will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt, so that nothing of all that belongs to the people of Israel shall die.”’” And the LORD set a time, saying, “Tomorrow the LORD will do this thing in the land.” And the next day the LORD did this thing. All the livestock of the Egyptians died, but not one of the livestock of the people of Israel died. And Pharaoh sent, and behold, not one of the livestock of Israel was dead. But the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the people go.”
-Something to Think About:
Sadly, I think it’s easy, and even common, for people to underestimate God and/or forget that He can do ANYTHING. Literally nothing is impossible for Him. I suppose some of this is because we ARE very limited in what we can do—and even when we say someone has “created” something, what we really mean is that they adapted, built upon, or otherwise changed something that was already there. Only God can actually create.
In this fifth plague upon Egypt, God chose to harm ALL the livestock of the Egyptians, BUT not harm even one of the livestock of the Israelites. Wow! I imagine that this must have had a huge, huge impact on people!
God did this in some of the other plagues, but not all of them. The biggest one, by far, was the final plague, the death of all firstborns. This time, however, the Israelites were only spared if they believed and obeyed God fully by placing the blood of a perfect lamb on the frames of their doors. We later find out just how significant the entire process given to the people to obey was, when we read that Jesus Christ, God’s Son, came to earth to be the once-for-all-time Perfect Substitute (the Lamb of God) for sinful man, and that believing in Him as our Savior from sin makes it so we are no longer sentenced to eternity in the Lake of Fire, but instead, become members of God’s family with a guaranteed home in His presence forever!
This incredible gift reminds me of some precious hymns that use our “all” and “nothing.”
-What can wash away my sin? NOTHING but the blood of Jesus!
-My hope is in the Lord, Who gave Himself for me, and paid the price of ALL my sin at Calvary.
-Free from the law, O happy condition! Jesus hath bled and there is remission. Cursed by the law and bruised by the fall, grace has redeemed us once for ALL. Once for ALL, O sinner, receive it. Once for ALL, O brother, believe it. Cling to the cross; the burden will fall; Christ hath redeemed us once for ALL.
-I’ve found a Friend Who is ALL to me; His love is ever true. I love to tell how He lifted me and what His grace can do for you. Saved by His power divine, saved to new life sublime! Life now is sweet and my joy is complete for I’m saved, saved, saved!
-Jesus paid it ALL; ALL to Him I owe. Sin had left a crimson stain—He washed it white as snow.
-I cling to Christ and marvel at the cost; Jesus forsaken, God estranged from God. Bought by such love, my life is not my own; my praise, my ALL, shall be for Christ alone.
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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As a reminder, we are using the month of August to study the word “nothing” by way of contrast to the “all” passages we have been looking at this year.
Thursday, August 21, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Acts 20:24
“But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.” (NLT)
-Background/Context:
Today’s verse is part of a very emotional parting speech Paul gave to several pastors from Ephesus before traveling to Jerusalem, where he knew he would be arrested and carted off to Rome. Paul wanted them to know that he was completely content to endure whatever God had in mind for him and that NOTHING would stop him from preaching and teaching ALL God wanted him to, to whomever He sent to him to hear about the Lord Jesus. He also used this going-away speech to encourage the pastors to stay true to the Lord, to give their best to the Lord in their various ministries, and to be aware of those who might try to destroy their churches through lies and deception. These are all awesome prayer requests for us to pray for the pastors we know, too!
-Something to Think About:
Acts 20:24 is actually taped on the wall next to my desk so that I can see it, think about it, and seek God’s help to make this my life goal as well. I love how it demonstrates a crystal clear life-goal and that this goal is not something I made up, but is a goal assigned to me upon my salvation. You see, our lives have never been only about our hopes, dreams, and wants. We were ALL created to bring honor and glory to God, but it isn’t until we have become members of God’s family after trusting in Christ for our salvation, that we truly can fulfill our chief purpose in life, to bring God glory.
Paul says that the work the Lord Jesus assigned to him was to tell others the Good News (the word for “gospel”) about the wonderful grace of God. And while Paul probably told thousands of people (personally!) how they needed to trust in Christ as their Savior from the sin they were born with, we know that Paul also did tons and tons of teaching to believers about what living as a Christian looks like. This, too, is part of sharing with others the “wonderful grace of God.” Our salvation is merely the first essential step in a lifetime of trusting God enough to obey all His Word says. In doing so, in living out the gospel in the nitty-gritty of life, we WILL be demonstrating the wonderful grace of God, giving us opportunity along the way to also tell others what God did for them, too.
Do you have a life verse? How has it impacted you in the past? Is it still changing how you think and act today? If not, what needs to change? If so, how can you excel still more?
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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As a reminder, we are using the month of August to study the word “nothing” by way of contrast to the “all” passages we have been looking at this year.
Friday, August 22, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read James 1:2-4
“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”
-Background/Context:
This passage was studied a bit on May 20th of this year, so if you want a bit more background, check it out!
-Something to Think About:
James, the half-brother of Jesus and the pastor of the church in Jerusalem, jumps right into his letter by helping Christians have a right view of trials. Considering some of the heartache he must have endured watching his brother be crucified, followed by the intense persecution of the newly-formed church, James knew what he was talking about!
James reminds us that attitude is everything. And part of a right attitude is to see the big picture and to have goals and the end-game in sight. In order to view trials, hardships, pain, and distress with a right attitude, we need to keep in mind that God wants all of His children to be maturing in their walk with Him, slowly but surely becoming more like Christ Jesus in attitude, action, appearance—everything. Part of the process of this WILL BE trials—but, trials with a purpose. As we view both good things and bad things from God’s hand (Who can only ever do good), then we will learn to see them as opportunities to trust God, to testify of Him, to bless and encourage others, and a host of other things. With time, our steadfastness (faithfulness) will “grow” us spiritually, leading to maturity (“perfect and complete”).
Will we ever run out of these sorts of lessons while still on earth? Nope. They’re going to keep on coming. However, when we remember that each and every curve in the road is from the Father of love and is a gift to us to draw us ever closer to His side, then we will also be able to count each one (“consider”) a joy.
You know, it might be a huge blessing to pause right now and take the time to list a few trials, troubles, or heartbreaks from your past SO THAT you can (due to time and spiritual growth) see them in light of God working in you and through you for your good, for His glory, and in order for you to be a blessings or witness to others. Make a list, count it all joy, then thank God for His wisdom, grace, and mercy!
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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As a reminder, we are using the month of August to study the word “nothing” by way of contrast to the “all” passages we have been looking at this year.
Saturday, August 23, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read 1 Kings 17:12
“And she said, “As the LORD your God lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. And now I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it and die.”
-Background/Context:
Here is the rest of the story:
1 Kings 17:8-16 “Then the word of the LORD came to him, “Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. Behold, I have commanded a widow there to feed you.” So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, a widow was there gathering sticks. And he called to her and said, “Bring me a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.” And as she was going to bring it, he called to her and said, “Bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.” And she said, “As the LORD your God lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. And now I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it and die.” And Elijah said to her, “Do not fear; go and do as you have said. But first make me a little cake of it and bring it to me, and afterward make something for yourself and your son. For thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, ‘The jar of flour shall not be spent, and the jug of oil shall not be empty, until the day that the LORD sends rain upon the earth.’” And she went and did as Elijah said. And she and he and her household ate for many days. The jar of flour was not spent, neither did the jug of oil become empty, according to the word of the LORD that he spoke by Elijah.”
-Something to Think About:
I don’t know about you, but there has been many an occasion over my decades of supper making when I’ve had no idea what to make for supper – or have had to be creative with the ingredients on hand to make something tasty, filling, and nutritious. I did the math, and if I have made one meal every day of my marriage, that’s roughly 15,000 meals. FIFTEEN THOUSAND. Wowzers! BUT, I cannot say that I have ever been in a place where I accepted that the food I had would be the last before my family and I literally starved to death. As it turned out, this was not God’s plan for the widow of Zarephath or her son, either.
God intervened in a most miraculous way for the desperate and defeated woman—and He intervenes for us in countless ways every single day, too. For real! I’m not sure our brains are even CAPABLE of beginning to recognize God’s constant care, direction, and help with literally every single part of every single moment. Even the fact that our heart is beating, our lungs are breathing, and our cells are doing what cells are supposed to do, is entirely His doing.
There are several super interesting parts to this story: a prophet of God who acts in keeping with God’s direction, but who has no idea what that might be from day to day; how God spoke to people in those days directly and through His prophets; how the widow recognized that Elijah served THE Lord God; how obedience dissolves fear, how obedience comes BEFORE the “feeling” of peace, and maybe especially, how God always keeps His word.
What especially blessed YOU in this account?
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Sunday, August 24, 2025
(Thank the Father for this special day set aside for Him. Ask Him to help you know Him better by the day’s end and to have many opportunities to tell others about His praiseworthiness.)
-Be sure to spend some time in prayer first thing this morning so that you know that your heart is right with God. Make sure sin is confessed and dealt with, then ask Him to help you listen, learn, and grow. Ask not to be distracted by other thoughts during sermons and Bible studies, and not to be a distraction to others.
-Pray for your pastor and others who will be serving God today.
-Ask the Father for opportunities to speak of Him to others, to build others up in the things of the Lord, and to find tasks that you can do for Him and for others of His children today and this week.
-Ask at least one person how you can pray for them this week. What is their prayer request?
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-Take time before day’s end to note at least 5 things that you thank God for based on time spent in His House, hearing His Word, and being among His people.
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BONUS! God-honoring music is such a tremendous blessing that I thought we could use Sundays to focus on a few hymns that use “all” in them to read through (and sing, if you want!).
Nothing but the Blood (words and music by R. Lowry)
What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. O! Precious is the flow that makes me white as snow; no other fount I know, nothing but the blood of Jesus.
For my pardon this I see—nothing but the blood of Jesus. For my cleansing, this my plea—nothing but the blood of Jesus. O! Precious is the flow that makes me white as snow; no other fount I know, nothing but the blood of Jesus.
Nothing can for sin atone—nothing but the blood of Jesus. Naught of good that I have done—nothing but the blood of Jesus. O! Precious is the flow that makes me white as snow; no other fount I know, nothing but the blood of Jesus.
This is all my hope and peace—nothing but the blood of Jesus. This is all my righteousness—nothing but the blood of Jesus. O! Precious is the flow that makes me white as snow; no other fount I know, nothing but the blood of Jesus.
As a reminder, we are using the month of August to study the word “nothing” by way of contrast to the “all” passages we have been looking at this year.
Monday, August 25, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read 1 Kings 18:43
“And he said to his servant, “Go up now, look toward the sea.” And he went up and looked and said, “There is nothing.” And he said, “Go again,” seven times.”
-Background/Context:
I try not to give you a single verse that’s too obscure, but I thought it might be fun to give you this one verse with “nothing” in it in order to let you guess what the story associated with it is.
Well, can you guess? Clue #1 is that it is found in I Kings. Clue #2 is that it is found just one chapter after the account of the widow being supplied with flour and oil during the famine. Clue #3 is the famine.
It’s the account of God’s prophet, Elijah, against wicked King Ahab and the 450 prophets of Baal, and 400 prophets of Asherah, false gods of the Canaanite people (and which Israel worshiped, too, instead of the true God!).
Did you get it right? Read the whole story here:
1 Kings 18:17 – 19:1 “When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, “Is it you, you troubler of Israel?” And he answered, “I have not troubled Israel, but you have, and your father’s house, because you have abandoned the commandments of the LORD and followed the Baals. Now therefore send and gather all Israel to me at Mount Carmel, and the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.
”So Ahab sent to all the people of Israel and gathered the prophets together at Mount Carmel. And Elijah came near to all the people and said, “How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.” And the people did not answer him a word. Then Elijah said to the people, “I, even I only, am left a prophet of the LORD, but Baal’s prophets are 450 men. Let two bulls be given to us, and let them choose one bull for themselves and cut it in pieces and lay it on the wood, but put no fire to it. And I will prepare the other bull and lay it on the wood and put no fire to it. And you call upon the name of your god, and I will call upon the name of the LORD, and the God who answers by fire, he is God.”
And all the people answered, “It is well spoken.” Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose for yourselves one bull and prepare it first, for you are many, and call upon the name of your god, but put no fire to it.” And they took the bull that was given them, and they prepared it and called upon the name of Baal from morning until noon, saying, “O Baal, answer us!” But there was no voice, and no one answered. And they limped around the altar that they had made. And at noon Elijah mocked them, saying, “Cry aloud, for he is a god. Either he is musing, or he is relieving himself, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened.” And they cried aloud and cut themselves after their custom with swords and lances, until the blood gushed out upon them. And as midday passed, they raved on until the time of the offering of the oblation, but there was no voice. No one answered; no one paid attention.
Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come near to me.” And all the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of the LORD that had been thrown down. Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the LORD came, saying, “Israel shall be your name,” and with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD. And he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two seahs of seed. And he put the wood in order and cut the bull in pieces and laid it on the wood. And he said, “Fill four jars with water and pour it on the burnt offering and on the wood.” And he said, “Do it a second time.” And they did it a second time. And he said, “Do it a third time.” And they did it a third time. And the water ran around the altar and filled the trench also with water.
And at the time of the offering of the oblation, Elijah the prophet came near and said, “O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel, and that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your word. Answer me, O LORD, answer me, that this people may know that you, O LORD, are God, and that you have turned their hearts back.” Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and said, “The LORD, he is God; the LORD, he is God.” And Elijah said to them, “Seize the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape.” And they seized them. And Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon and slaughtered them there.
And Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink, for there is a sound of the rushing of rain.” So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Mount Carmel. And he bowed himself down on the earth and put his face between his knees. And he said to his servant, “Go up now, look toward the sea.” And he went up and looked and said, “There is nothing.” And he said, “Go again,” seven times. And at the seventh time he said, “Behold, a little cloud like a man’s hand is rising from the sea.” And he said, “Go up, say to Ahab, ‘Prepare your chariot and go down, lest the rain stop you.’” And in a little while the heavens grew black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode and went to Jezreel. And the hand of the LORD was on Elijah, and he gathered up his garment and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.”
-Something to Think About:
This is already kind of long—and a ton could be said about this passage, but I think that one really huge lesson here, maybe THE lesson, is that there is only one God—and worshiping anything else is foolish, harmful, and a sin. On the other hand, choosing to love God wholeheartedly and obey Him fully is not only the clear right decision, it’s one that brings joy unspeakable, peace beyond understanding, and blessings galore in the here and now—and throughout all of eternity.
Prayerfully and carefully ask yourself who or what you have worshiped in the last week.
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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As a reminder, we are using the month of August to study the word “nothing” by way of contrast to the “all” passages we have been looking at this year.
Tuesday, August 26, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Luke 3:12-13
“Tax collectors also came to be baptized and said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Collect no more than you are authorized to do.”
-Background/Context:
Today’s verse is part of what John the Baptizer was preaching in the wilderness during those early days of ministry. His message was to God’s people, the Israelites, and the goal was for them as a nation and as individuals, to get their hearts right with God. John wanted them to see that they were not thinking and acting according to what God had commanded in the Law, so they needed to repent (change their thinking) and return to what God wanted them to be as His chosen people. Here is a bit more of what John said that day:
Luke 3:7-14 “He said therefore to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruits in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”
And the crowds asked him, “What then shall we do?” And he answered them, “Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise.” Tax collectors also came to be baptized and said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Collect no more than you are authorized to do.” Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your wages.”
-Something to Think About:
John wanted the Jewish nation to know that simply having a Jewish heritage was not what pleases God. He wanted them to recognize that they had a responsibility to think like and act like people who belonged to GOD. Furthermore, it isn’t enough to SAY “I am a Hebrew.” Their actions should be demonstrating it every day, all day.
While a good many Hebrews scoffed at John, some listened and wanted to obey God. John gave them some examples. They included sacrificially sharing of your possessions, not taking advantage of others, and being content with what you have.
Does this sound familiar? Could the command to all of today’s Christians to love God supremely and love others as self fit these examples given to the Hebrews? Of course! We are not Israel, and Israel is not the Church, however, we ALL belong to God, and we ALL need to demonstrate our love for Him by obeying His Word and learning to think and act in a way that is in keeping with His holy and righteous character. A big part of this will be how we interact with others.
So. . . are we sacrificially sharing our time, talents, and treasures with others? Are we, in any way at all, taking advantage of others or being greedy in some way? Are we being bossy, superior, or throwing our weight around in order to turn something to our favor? All things to carefully—and prayerfully—consider.
Being called into the family of God is a privilege far above all other privileges EVER. God didn’t have to include ANY humans, but He did—and He chose you and me. How are we thanking Him?
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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As a reminder, we are using the month of August to study the word “nothing” by way of contrast to the “all” passages we have been looking at this year.
Wednesday, August 27, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Exodus 16:18
“But when they measured it with an omer, whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack. Each of them gathered as much as he could eat.”
-Background/Context:
Once again, the context chapter is a little long, but reading it provides all sorts of important information—and applications.
Exodus 16 “They set out from Elim, and all the congregation of the people of Israel came to the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had departed from the land of Egypt. And the whole congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness, and the people of Israel said to them, “Would that we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the meat pots and ate bread to the full, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in my law or not. On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather daily.” So Moses and Aaron said to all the people of Israel, “At evening you shall know that it was the LORD who brought you out of the land of Egypt, and in the morning you shall see the glory of the LORD, because he has heard your grumbling against the LORD. For what are we, that you grumble against us?” And Moses said, “When the LORD gives you in the evening meat to eat and in the morning bread to the full, because the LORD has heard your grumbling that you grumble against him—what are we? Your grumbling is not against us but against the LORD.”
Then Moses said to Aaron, “Say to the whole congregation of the people of Israel, ‘Come near before the LORD, for he has heard your grumbling.’” And as soon as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the people of Israel, they looked toward the wilderness, and behold, the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud. And the LORD said to Moses, “I have heard the grumbling of the people of Israel. Say to them, ‘At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread. Then you shall know that I am the LORD your God.’”
In the evening quail came up and covered the camp, and in the morning dew lay around the camp. And when the dew had gone up, there was on the face of the wilderness a fine, flake-like thing, fine as frost on the ground. When the people of Israel saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, “It is the bread that the LORD has given you to eat. This is what the LORD has commanded: ‘Gather of it, each one of you, as much as he can eat. You shall each take an omer, according to the number of the persons that each of you has in his tent.’” And the people of Israel did so. They gathered, some more, some less. But when they measured it with an omer, whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack. Each of them gathered as much as he could eat. And Moses said to them, “Let no one leave any of it over till the morning.” But they did not listen to Moses. Some left part of it till the morning, and it bred worms and stank. And Moses was angry with them. Morning by morning they gathered it, each as much as he could eat; but when the sun grew hot, it melted.
On the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers each. And when all the leaders of the congregation came and told Moses, he said to them, “This is what the LORD has commanded: ‘Tomorrow is a day of solemn rest, a holy Sabbath to the LORD; bake what you will bake and boil what you will boil, and all that is left over lay aside to be kept till the morning.’” So they laid it aside till the morning, as Moses commanded them, and it did not stink, and there were no worms in it. Moses said, “Eat it today, for today is a Sabbath to the LORD; today you will not find it in the field. Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day, which is a Sabbath, there will be none.”
On the seventh day some of the people went out to gather, but they found none. And the LORD said to Moses, “How long will you refuse to keep my commandments and my laws? See! The LORD has given you the Sabbath; therefore on the sixth day he gives you bread for two days. Remain each of you in his place; let no one go out of his place on the seventh day.” So the people rested on the seventh day.
Now the house of Israel called its name manna. It was like coriander seed, white, and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey. Moses said, “This is what the LORD has commanded: ‘Let an omer of it be kept throughout your generations, so that they may see the bread with which I fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you out of the land of Egypt.’” And Moses said to Aaron, “Take a jar, and put an omer of manna in it, and place it before the LORD to be kept throughout your generations.” As the LORD commanded Moses, so Aaron placed it before the testimony to be kept. The people of Israel ate the manna forty years, till they came to a habitable land. They ate the manna till they came to the border of the land of Canaan. (An omer is the tenth part of an ephah.)”
-Something to Think About:
-This account occurs shortly after God (miraculously!) parted the Red Sea so that all the Hebrews (probably around five million!) could pass through it (on dry ground!) in order to escape their slavery in Egypt.
-God had already (miraculously!) provided water for them (out of a rock! Enough for millions of people and huge numbers of livestock), but the people got hungry and “forgot” just Who was leading them and taking care of them. They also conveniently forgot how horribly miserable they were in Egypt.
-God said that grumbling against His human leaders is grumbling against HIM.
-We’re quite familiar with the amazing miracle, but I wonder what Moses pictured in his head when God told him that He was going to “rain bread from heaven”? =)
-God’s decision as to how He was going to feed the people was, definitely, to care for their needs with perfection, but we find that it was also a test of their trust in Him. A test that they failed pretty epically.
-Part of God’s test of trust in Him was to ask the people to trust Him daily—and one day at a time.
-God wants ALL His children to recognize that it is He Who leads us, guides us, and provides all our true needs. This should lead us to giving Him glory and honor—and thanksgiving.
-God hears our grumbling. GOD HEARS OUR GRUMBLING!
-The word manna means “what is this?” in Hebrew. (Check out John 6:47-51 to read how manna was a foreshadowing of Jesus Christ.)
-God provides exactly what we need from day to day—and it is wrong to be greedy for more, or for something different than what He so graciously provided.
-There are consequences when we don’t listen to God.
-This is the very first mention of a sabbath in Scripture. FYI, the sabbath was for the Israelites, and though we honor God on Sunday, Christians do not have a sabbath.
-Disobeying God’s Word is a deliberate choice we make—and it is rebellion against Him.
-God fed literally millions of people DAILY for the entire forty years the nation wandered in the wilderness. He, of course, continues to meet our every need!
There are all sorts of applications that can be made from this chapter! What are a few that the Holy Spirit showed YOU?
(Because you wanted to know, an omer is about two quarts by dry measure.)
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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As a reminder, we are using the month of August to study the word “nothing” by way of contrast to the “all” passages we have been looking at this year.
Thursday, August 28, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read 1 Thessalonians 4:9-12
“Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another, for that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more, and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one.”
-Background/Context:
Paul is instructing believers on how they are to think and act, specifically with one another. He goes on to point out that living in a God-honoring way is to help personally, in and among the body of Christ, and is a good testimony to the unsaved in the community.
-Something to Think About:
Evidently, the believers in Thessalonica had a good testimony to other Christians in surrounding towns and throughout Macedonia. Paul says, specifically, that they were demonstrating brotherly love to each other.
I love the next part, though. Paul encouraged them to show God’s love to each other “more and more.” Other translations say that Paul wanted them to “excel still more.” And you know what, dear fellow child of God, what a wonderful reminder to all of us! There will always be new things we learn that we can say and do to be more Christlike, but there will also be new applications and thoughts about the things that we already know to do. We should never be stagnant in our Christian walk. Rather, we should be studying God’s Word, listening intently on Sundays, Wednesdays, and in other Bible studies and fellowships, we should be chatting with other believers about living victoriously for the Lord, and of course, praying all the time about applying God’s Word to our daily situations and circumstances. As we do, we will discover all sorts of ways we can be a tad more faithful, a bit more focused, and serve others even more graciously. It should be our joy to pray daily to excel still more in some way.
Paul then goes on to give reminders about how to have a good testimony to unbelievers in our neighborhoods, in our workplaces, and wherever we might be going about our business. Basically, it’s this: do the jobs you are supposed to be doing, take care of the stuff you’re supposed to be taking care of, pay attention to what YOU should be paying attention to—and don’t make a pest of yourself to others. Maybe especially, don’t depend on others to do the things you are perfectly capable of doing for yourself.
Obviously, this is not talking about those who NEED help due to age, or any number of handicaps or disabilities (sometimes temporary and sometimes permanent). This is talking about people who purposefully live off of the hard work of others, and take advantage of others so that they don’t have to do it themselves. This does not honor God—and is a very poor testimony of Christianity to all those who are aware of it.
When is the last time you asked God to show you someone to help or some task to do to be a help to someone else?
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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As a reminder, we are using the month of August to study the word “nothing” by way of contrast to the “all” passages we have been looking at this year.
Friday, August 29, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read 1 Timothy 5:14
“So I would have younger widows marry, bear children, manage their households, and give the adversary no occasion for slander.”
-Background/Context:
Apparently, the care and concern for widows became kind of a big deal, and Paul gave quite a large portion of his letter to talking about it. Read what he said:
1 Timothy 5:3-16 “Honor widows who are truly widows. But if a widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show godliness to their own household and to make some return to their parents, for this is pleasing in the sight of God. She who is truly a widow, left all alone, has set her hope on God and continues in supplications and prayers night and day, but she who is self-indulgent is dead even while she lives. Command these things as well, so that they may be without reproach. But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
Let a widow be enrolled if she is not less than sixty years of age, having been the wife of one husband, and having a reputation for good works: if she has brought up children, has shown hospitality, has washed the feet of the saints, has cared for the afflicted, and has devoted herself to every good work. But refuse to enroll younger widows, for when their passions draw them away from Christ, they desire to marry and so incur condemnation for having abandoned their former faith. Besides that, they learn to be idlers, going about from house to house, and not only idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying what they should not. So I would have younger widows marry, bear children, manage their households, and give the adversary no occasion for slander. For some have already strayed after Satan. If any believing woman has relatives who are widows, let her care for them. Let the church not be burdened, so that it may care for those who are truly widows.”
(see also Acts 6:16; James 1:27; Deuteronomy 10:17-19; Isaiah 1:17)
-Something to Think About:
Basically put, the church family should take care of their own—and never take advantage of each other. That being true, this does not take away from a physical family unit taking excellent care of each other. In other words, if someone in your family needs some help, their family should be the ones to step up and help. This should not be left to the church. Stated another way, the support and help of the church for an individual happens when there is no family around to help them.
Even so, Paul makes it very clear here (and other places in Scripture) that help is readily available—to those who truly need it. No one should be taking advantage of others when they have the means and ability to take care of themselves. Doing so depletes the funds and resources from those who truly need them.
In a specific illustration, Paul is giving some guidelines for the care of widows. He points out that there are widows who NEED the church’s help (and who should be cared for wholeheartedly and with much love), but that other widows either have family members who can help them, or they are young and strong and can take care of themselves.
I think that ALL women should read this passage from time to time simply to be encouraged and excited about how to live our best lives as Christian women—and be warned and on our guard against some of the ugly things that women seem to be sort of susceptible to.
-DO take care of your own! Make sure all the people in your life are doing okay, both physically and spiritually. DO NOT leave their care and well-being to others.
-DO keep your hope in the Lord, not letting your eyes wander to ungodly influences or temptations.
-DO maintain an active personal time in God’s Word and prayer daily.
-DO NOT live for yourself (no matter how many online influencers tell you that you should!). God is honored when we have a servant’s heart, trusting Him to take care of whatever needs we might have.
-DO have a reputation for good works. That is, sacrificially putting the needs of others before self.
-DO show hospitality. This might be in your home, but it might also be an invitation to coffee or some other time of fellowship, encouragement, and building others up in the faith.
-DO not be a busybody, a gossip, or someone who talks about others under the guise of a “prayer need.” God knows our heart, and when we are grumping about someone, or simply sincerely sharing a need.
-DO NOT do or say things that would cause others to think poorly of Christians, and thus, God.
What else did you see here that was a blessing or challenge to you? I love just how rich Scripture is—just loaded with so much to think about and use to help us be becoming more like Christ!
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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As a reminder, we are using the month of August to study the word “nothing” by way of contrast to the “all” passages we have been looking at this year.
Saturday, August 30, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Revelation 21:27
“But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.”
-Background/Context:
This is speaking of the new Jerusalem. You can read about it in Revelation 21 & 22, but here’s the immediate context for today’s verse:
Revelation 21:22-27 “And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there. They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.”
-Something to Think About:
Have you ever wondered if the lion’s share of what Heaven and eternity will be like has been kept a secret from us on purpose? For sure, I don’t think we are currently equipped to grasp MOST of Who God is and all He does, and will yet do (and what we do know, just blows our minds in how incredible it is!). But, in thinking of the pattern of Scripture, we find specific times, places, and people who have something blinded from their sight and/or understanding, and I can’t help but think that all that happens once this life is over is one of these mysterious things that God is waiting to delight us with.
However, there are some pretty astonishing and interesting things we find out about the New Jerusalem in Revelation 21 & 22 (you should check it out if it’s been a while), but just the few verses I printed out here contain both amazing things—and a lot of questions. =)
BUT (and never forget to sit up and take notice when you see these words of contrast), one of the awesome things that will NOT be in the New Jerusalem, is anything that is unclean, and no one who does what is “detestable or false.” In other words, only Christians will be there, and the only things we do will be God honoring. AMEN! Hallelujah! In our current world situation, where we really cannot believe almost anything presented to us as news, and where sin and ugliness abound everywhere, what a joy it will be to no longer have to EVER deal with anything that God says is bad! This will, for sure, be a brand new experience none of us have ever had in this lifetime—and I’m guessing it will never get old in our new roles as daughters and sons of our Heavenly Father.
This seems worthy of pausing to thank Him, wouldn’t you say?
(It’s also a stark reminder that we need to be telling others how they can get into that marvelous city, too!)
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Sunday, August 31, 2025
(Thank the Father for this special day set aside for Him. Ask Him to help you know Him better by the day’s end and to have many opportunities to tell others about His praiseworthiness.)
-Be sure to spend some time in prayer first thing this morning so that you know that your heart is right with God. Make sure sin is confessed and dealt with, then ask Him to help you listen, learn, and grow. Ask not to be distracted by other thoughts during sermons and Bible studies, and not to be a distraction to others.
-Pray for your pastor and others who will be serving God today.
-Ask the Father for opportunities to speak of Him to others, to build others up in the things of the Lord, and to find tasks that you can do for Him and for others of His children today and this week.
-Ask at least one person how you can pray for them this week. What is their prayer request?
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-Take time before day’s end to note at least 5 things that you thank God for based on time spent in His House, hearing His Word, and being among His people.
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BONUS! God-honoring music is such a tremendous blessing that I thought we could use Sundays to focus on a few hymns that use “all” in them to read through (and sing, if you want!).
I Have Decided to Follow Jesus (words unknown; music from a folk melody from India)
I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
No turning back, no turning back.
The world behind me, the cross before me;
The world behind me, the cross before me;
The world behind me, the cross before me;
No turning back, no turning back.
Though none go with me, still I will follow;
Though none go with me, still I will follow;
Though none go with me, still I will follow;
No turning back, no turning back.
September 2025 DBSQ
September 1, 2025
Dear Student of the Word,
We’ve been working this year on a study of the word “all” found throughout the entire Bible that I pray has been both a blessing to you and a challenge to greater godliness. It has been to me!
After a month looking at the opposite of “all,” we’re returning to our study—because God’s Word has a ton to say about the many, many ways He is worthy of ALL praise, ALL adoration, and ALL faithfulness to Him on our part.
I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your prayers for me and this ministry! You are my prayers as well. May God draw us all ever closer to Himself and to each other as we love Him supremely and love others as self.
By His Grace,
Lorie Brown
Just so you know. . .
-I mainly use the ESV (courtesy of either Bible Gateway.com or Olive Tree.com), but sometimes it’s necessary to use another English translation in order to see the word of focus more clearly.
-I try to remember to highlight the word “all” (sometimes translated as “every” or “everything”) in the verse of focus each day.
-Previous months of this year’s study can be found on our church website under the tab “Ministries” at
firstbaptistnorthconway.org. In addition, several studies from previous years are also available.
-Our church has an in-house publishing ministry, some of which can be found for free download on
solidrockpublishing.org. There are Bible studies, stories for kids, and other practical Christian living topics available as hard copies in the back of our church auditorium.
-Our ladies (in North Conway, NH) meet in the evening on the second Monday of each month to review these studies and you are welcome to join us if you are in the area. If not, I highly recommend reviewing them with one or more friends—simply because doing Bible studies with others can be a huge blessing and help.
-You are welcome to pass these studies along to whoever the Lord lays on your heart. If someone wants to receive them directly from Mailchimp, just contact me and I can sign them up.
-If you reply to my Mailchimp email with a comment or question, it comes directly to me—and I love hearing from you!
-Again, thanks for praying for me and for all who are doing these studies! We NEED God’s help and blessing to listen, learn, and grow!
Monday, September 1, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Romans 12:17
“Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all.”
-Background/Context:
This verse is part of a set of “one another” passages found throughout the New Testament. They are worth hunting down and studying because they give very clear goals and directions as to how a church family (and fellow Christians in general) should think and act toward one another. This section of “one another” verses is found in Romans 12:9-21. Check it out!
-Something to Think About:
Giving tit for tat and otherwise repaying “evil for evil” is definitely a big part of American culture today. Far too many people have gotten so far away from God’s principles on how people are to interact with other people, that they believe that they are not only within their rights to give as good as they get, but that they SHOULD do this so as to not get taken advantage of or otherwise be treated beneath what they “deserve.”
As is true of ALL we are commanded to do from God in relation to others (ALL of whom were ALSO created in His image!), there are two sides to consider. We must not repay evil for evil to ANYONE, but neither should we be acting in such a way that someone feels they need to “pay us back.” Our actions and attitudes should be “honorable in the sight of all” from our side of things—and when wronged, we shouldn’t jump right to planning something “big” to get even. Note that Romans 12:17 says we need to “give thought” to our response, which implies not allowing ourselves to lash out impulsively or react rashly (or even think vengeful thoughts towards a brother or sister).
How should we react when wronged? Well, first, bring the hurt and confusion to God’s throne of grace before you do anything else. It is there where we will find comfort and the strength and wisdom to know when something needs to be lovingly and humbly addressed—and when something can be let go. Jesus entrusted vengeance to the Father, and we can do no less.
By the way, the Greek word for evil, MEANS evil. It can also be translated as wicked, troublesome, injurious, pernicious, or destructive. In other words, God definitely sees lashing out at someone as a very bad thing!
P.S. The Bible says a lot about forgiveness and dealing with hurt, both of which would also make great personal Bible studies (along with the “one another” passages).
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Tuesday, September 2, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read 1 Chronicles 29:10-13
“Therefore David blessed the LORD in the presence of all the assembly. And David said: “Blessed are you, O LORD, the God of Israel our father, forever and ever. Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O LORD, and you are exalted as head above all. Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are power and might, and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all. And now we thank you, our God, and praise your glorious name.”
-Background/Context:
King David is praying to thank God for His provision of supplies to build the Temple. David had wanted to build the Temple himself, but God told him that He wanted Solomon to build it. So, instead, David decided to collect as many of the supplies that would be needed as he could. He personally donated tons of things (see earlier in chapter 29), but his generosity (and joy at being able to give to these most worthy projects) caused many others of Israel’s leaders also to want to give to God—and tremendous amounts of items were joyfully donated (literally over 23 tons!). This, then, caused David to fall on his knees in prayer.
-Something to Think About:
New Englanders can be a stoic lot. On the rare occasion a visitor shouts a loud “Amen!,” in our service, people definitely take notice, potentially feeling a little uncomfortable. However, David, for sure, had the right idea! He was just so blown out of the water over God’s goodness and grace that he just HAD to stop and praise Him. Whether or not we do this quietly in our hearts or a tad louder so others can hear, gratitude and praise to God should never be far from our hearts, minds, AND lips.
-First, David praised God publicly. This, for sure, would be a plug for giving a testimony when your pastor asks for one!
-Next, David praised God for Who He is and that he and all of Israel belonged to Him. We, too, as members of God’s family because of Christ’s sacrifice on our behalf, BELONG to GOD. Praise His name!
-ALL true greatness is out of God and from God.
-ALL that is in the heavens and earth is God’s. Therefore, His is the greatness, power, glory, victory, and majesty.
-God is the only true Ruler, and He is exalted above every single other thing. He chooses who will rule, giving strength as needed.
-God is the giver of ALL, both riches and honor, but also the very air we breathe in order to live.
-Finally, David once again praises God and thanks God—a great way for us to begin and end our prayers as well.
(FYI, this is one of David’s last public speeches as the king. His next step was to declare Solomon his successor. It’s quite a blessing to hear David’s love for God all the way to the end of his reign and life. There are quite a few Bible characters who started off fervently loving and obeying God, but then somewhere along the way became dismal failures. There are fewer records of Bible men and women who finished well. We, too, must never give in or give up serving God wholeheartedly and seeking to be a blessing to others!)
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Wednesday, September 3, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Ephesians 3:14-19
“For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”
-Background/Context:
At the beginning of this chapter, Paul is describing for his readers what was once a great mystery to the Hebrew people. The mystery was kind of two-fold. First, it was the very unexpected inclusion of non-Jews (Gentiles) into God’s family (upon trust in Christ as Savior). Second, it was the ushering in of the Church, which is a combination of Jews and Gentiles, bonded by their faith in Jesus Christ. Being Gentiles (and living about 2,000 years later than Paul’s time), I don’t think we could possibly understand what an earth-shaking revelation this was to the Jews. Paul was, very personally, one individual who was especially shocked over God’s plan. He was also, however, one person who having absorbed the truth that a new era had dawned, enthusiastically embraced it, got on board, and dedicated the remainder of his life to teaching God’s truth to Jew and Gentile alike.
-Something to Think About:
Additional context to the super huge statement Paul makes in today’s verses is that of suffering. Paul’s life was all about being persecuted both physically, intellectually, and spiritually because he refused to back away from preaching and teaching about Jesus Christ accurately and fully. BUT, take a look at Paul’s heart in what he said here:
-God the Father is the Source from Whom every family in heaven on earth is named.
-God the Father can (and does) strengthen us through the power of the Holy Spirit—and this is according to the RICHES of His GLORY.
-The strength that He gives His children – those who have trusted in Christ as their Savior (because He called us to do so—is not anything we could or would have done on our own) – is to see, recognize, appreciate, and revel in the love of God, which will also help us appropriate the fullness of God.
What does all that even mean? Well, I personally don’t think that we are able to fully comprehend even a fraction of the wonders of God’s love, BUT as we embrace our roles as beloved members of His family, we will be able to draw ever closer to God, which will then help us, bit by bit, to “see” more of God’s love in its endless depth, slowly, but surely, standing in awe at the riches of His glory. We will, of course, be able to “see” so much more once we get to glory, and I’ve no doubt that the love of the Father and Son will be the theme of the ages upon ages of eternity.
What an incredible privilege God gives to each of His children! All we need to do is stay close to Him by listening to what He has to say through His Word and obeying Him as the Holy Spirit prompts us to. AND He will help us and enable us every step of the way! Praise His name!
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Thursday, September 4, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Hebrews 1:1-4
“Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.”
-Background/Context:
The book of Hebrews, written to believers who were undergoing some pretty serious trials, is first and foremost a book that outlines how Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is superior in every way and in every role that is His.
-Something to Think About:
I used to do a lot of rubber stamping. In fact, I worked as a demonstrator for the company, Stampin’ Up!, in the early 2000s. I would stand before a roomful of women and show the best ways to press a stamped image onto an ink pad and then transfer it to whatever media we were stamping onto. There are oodles of fancy things that can be done, but at its core, it’s really only using ink to stamp duplicate images of something that has been carved onto a piece of rubber.
Jesus Christ is the EXACT image of God the Father. He is not merely a likeness of Him, like an artist’s rendition of Him, or any other representation. His thoughts, actions, goals, and character all exactly align with those of God the Father. This is an incredible and staggering truth! Before Jesus came to earth to become a man, no one had seen God the Father, and almost no one had personal interactions with Him. What was known about God was what He revealed through prophets (some of whom were also leaders, such as Moses and David). BUT, when God the Son came to earth as a baby and grew into a man, people could now LOOK at God and HEAR Him teach and preach. They could witness true biblical love, mercy, grace, and what it looked like to be angry, yet without sin. They also learned much about how God has been working behind the scenes even before our world was created, how He designed history to progress, and even a bit about what He has planned for the future and eternity beyond that! These are not small things!
And, good news, God chose several men to write a whole lot of these things down in exactly the way He wanted them told, so that you and I can also “see” God through what the Bible says about Jesus Christ. What we see in Him is an exact representation—image—of God the Father. Pretty incredible! Now, that’s what I call grace!
BONUS:
-v.1-4 is one sentence in Greek.
-The subject of God is so important to the author that he referred to God, on average, every seventy-three words, far more than any other New Testament book.
-These verses list SEVEN unique areas of greatness in Jesus Christ.
-That Jesus is the Creator of the world is more than just all the physical things we see (and what is unseen); He is also in charge of time and how history has progressed and will progress in the future.
-The author uses the word “better” thirteen times in this book, all pointing out how Jesus Christ is superior to all others who came before or after (kings, prophets, priests, etc.).
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Friday, September 5, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Psalm 46:10
“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”
“Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world.” (NLT)
-Background/Context:
Psalm 46 has been a much-loved psalm for something like 3,000 years by hundreds of thousands of believers. Here’s the whole thing to read slowly and thankfully:
“TO THE CHOIRMASTER. OF THE SONS OF KORAH. ACCORDING TO ALAMOTH. A SONG.
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah
There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns. The nations rage, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah
Come, behold the works of the LORD, how he has brought desolations on the earth. He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the chariots with fire. “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah”
-Something to Think About:
Psalm 46:10 seems to have several inferred “alls.” “EVERYONE, be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among ALL the nations; I will be exalted in ALL the earth!”
Another fun and helpful thing is to read it in a few other versions:
-ISV “Be in awe and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations. I will be exalted throughout the earth.”
-CSB “Stop fighting, and know that I am God, exalted among the nations, exalted on the earth.”
-NASB95 “Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
BECAUSE God is our refuge and strength, BECAUSE He is a very present (available) help when trouble comes, BECAUSE we have no reason to fear (because of His perfect control and care), BECAUSE God cannot and will not be moved, BECAUSE God is ultimately the One Who controls all kings, all battles, and all storms, you and I are freed from ever needing to panic, to fret, to get angry, and to act as if we are the ones who need to “fix” things. God is, well, GOD. No one and nothing can compete with that! He IS currently above ALL (“exalted”), and in time, everyone on the whole earth will know it.
If you’re like me, some days, don’t you just long to stop overthinking and stressing about this and that? We not only can (with the Lord’s help), we must! God, OUR God, is on the job—and He does all things well.
Looking for peace in your heart today? It’s a close as a prayer acknowledging and thanking God for His sovereignty over all.
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Saturday, September 6, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Colossians 4:5-6
“Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.”
-Background/Context:
The book of Colossians was written by the Apostle Paul. This is the last chapter of the book (or more technically, the end of the letter), so these verses are part of his closing remarks. Immediately prior to these two verses is a request that the believers there in the region of Colossae, pray that he would have open doors to speak of the Lord Jesus, and that his words would be exactly what God wanted him to say. These are excellent prayer requests for all Christians on behalf of other Christians!
-Something to Think About:
I’m aware that I talk far more frequently about how Christians should be acting, thinking, and speaking toward other Christians (and I have a reason for that), but in these verses, Paul is specifically addressing how Christians should be acting toward and speaking with unbelievers.
First, he is pointing out that we need God’s wisdom and help to know what to say and do—and when. Most of us are not very good at both. We might know a great thing to tell someone, but our timing is completely off. Or we might realize that now is the perfect time to speak, but we have zero idea what to say. God, through the Holy Spirit, can help us with that!
Second, and closely tied with the rest of these commands, is the reminder to make the best of the opportunities we are given. Although this might occasionally be in some sort of more formal setting, speaking with unbelievers about biblical truth is mostly going to be woven into normal conversations. Of course, this is assuming that we are immersing ourselves in God’s Word, are engaged in a vibrant prayer life, and are spending much time with other Christians, so that our thoughts and words will automatically be about the goodness of the Lord and our appreciation for all He’s done and is doing.
The salt part of this command is a further description of “gracious.” For sure, this is going to exclude conversations that are bossy, arrogant, insulting, abrasive, or otherwise unpleasant. I suspect that simply living by the command to do unto others as we would like done to ourselves will help us to speak graciously and invitingly.
There’s a hint here, too, that not every person will respond well to a cookie-cutter, pre-memorized, tract-like response. Asking God for His help to know just what to say to different people in different circumstances is a daily necessity, but when we are ready and willing to be His vessel, truly amazing and miraculous things can happen.
Can you think of occasions when you KNOW that God spoke through you? Can you think of other occasions when you just blustered in on your own? How did that go? What do you now know that can help you next time? And perhaps a bigger question, ARE you telling others what an incredible Father and Savior you have? Do they even know that you are a member of God’s family—and that they can be, too?
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Sunday, September 7, 2025
(Thank the Father for this special day set aside for Him. Ask Him to help you know Him better by the day’s end and to have many opportunities to tell others about His praiseworthiness.)
-Be sure to spend some time in prayer first thing this morning so that you know that your heart is right with God. Make sure sin is confessed and dealt with, then ask Him to help you listen, learn, and grow. Ask not to be distracted by other thoughts during sermons and Bible studies, and not to be a distraction to others.
-Pray for your pastor and others who will be serving God today.
-Ask the Father for opportunities to speak of Him to others, to build others up in the things of the Lord, and to find tasks that you can do for Him and for others of His children today and this week.
-Ask at least one person how you can pray for them this week. What is their prayer request?
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-Take time before day’s end to note at least 5 things that you thank God for based on time spent in His House, hearing His Word, and being among His people.
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BONUS! God-honoring music is such a tremendous blessing that I thought we could use Sundays to focus on a few hymns that use “all” in them to read through (and sing, if you want!).
A Passion for Thee (words and music by J. Zichterman)
Set my heart, O dear Father, on Thee and Thee only. Give me a thirst for Thy presence divine. Lord, keep my focus on loving Thee wholly. Purge me from earth; turn my heart after Thine. A passion for Thee—O Lord, set a fire in my soul and a thirst for my God. Hear Thou my prayer. Lord, Thy power impart—not just to serve, but to love Thee with all of my heart.
Father, fill with Thy Spirit, and fit me for service. Let love for Christ every motive inspire. Teach me to follow in selfless submission. Be Thou my joy and my soul’s one desire. A passion for Thee—O Lord, set a fire in my soul and a thirst for my God. Hear Thou my prayer. Lord, Thy power impart—not just to serve, but to love Thee with all of my heart.
Monday, September 8, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Acts 20:33-35
“I coveted no one’s silver or gold or apparel. You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities and to those who were with me. In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
-Background/Context:
These verses are part of the Apostle Paul’s farewell speech to some of the pastors in the Ephesus area. He was about to board a ship headed to Jerusalem, where the Holy Spirit had shown him he would be put in chains, eventually ending up in Rome. Even knowing hardship was ahead for him, Paul did not shrink from what he knew God wanted him to do: continue to share the good news of Jesus Christ with ALL.
-Something to Think About:
Paul is addressing the important topic of the Christian and his work ethic. Christians should be hard workers and not expect others to pick up their slack, most especially when they have deliberately been lazy or are EXPECTING others to give them things (freeing them to not work hard to earn their own living). Of course, Paul is not talking about those who cannot provide for themselves for legitimate reasons.
Since Paul was addressing pastors (the word “elder” here is another word for the office of pastor and is used interchangeably), Paul is specifically pointing out that it doesn’t please God when pastors serve with their eye on financial compensation. Of course, our pastors need an income in order to take care of their families and pay their bills. The principle that’s in view here is that they should not be in the ministry to get rich. The relationship between pastor and church should be similar to all other God-honoring relationships, one where each party is doing their best to help and bless the other party. In this case, the pastor preaches, teaches, and ministers with all he’s got, and the congregation supports him financially (and other ways) as much as they possibly can. It’s a constant show of love, each side giving their best—and aiming for excelling still more.
Did you know that Paul’s quote of the Lord, “It is more blessed to give than to receive,” is only recorded here? It is not mentioned in any of the four gospels. It makes me wonder just how many other gems never got recorded. I wonder if we’ll find out about them when we get to glory! I also feel that it’s a marvelous principle to keep in mind in the area of work ethics, helping others out, and doing our best in regard to our interactions with family, church family, friends, and co-workers. Here’s my humble paraphrase as I currently understand it: it is a much bigger blessing to give time and effort into being a help and a blessing to others over conniving to get out of work and encouraging others to give things to us.
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Tuesday, September 9, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read 1 Corinthians 1:1-3
“Paul, called by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and our brother Sosthenes, To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
-Background/Context:
You can read about how the church in Corinth was established in Acts 18.
Corinth was located on an important trade crossroads, and it was a large, cosmopolitan city. Because of this, there were a lot of evil practices going on everywhere, bringing all sorts of challenges to the church. Paul is writing to warn them about these dangers and to teach them things they needed to know in order to live victoriously for Christ and unified as a body of Christ. These truths are still valuable all these years later.
Sosthenes may have been Paul’s amanuensis (secretary) for this letter.
-Something to Think About:
Several years ago, I joined my sister in making a photo project for the wall of my parents’ home. Everything started out wonderfully as we gathered the pictures and got the frame set up and ready to go, but when we got to the part of which picture went where, why, and how, we ran into trouble. Why? Because we are both take-charge kinds of people, and as grownups, we were both used to doing things the way we believed to be the best way. I imagine you can see where this is going. Because more than one person was involved, there was more than one opinion about how it should be done. In order for there to be peace and to get the job done, one person needed to be in charge. (And, of course, a God-honoring leader will listen to the advice of others before making their final decision.)
A problem many churches have is that they forget that it is not man who is in charge. It is God. In Paul’s opening statement to the church family in Corinth, he says, “To the church OF GOD that is in Corinth.” Keeping this absolutely essential truth in mind is key to every single church family having the right foundation for what they say and do.
Paul next notes something pretty neat. All those who have been set apart by God (sanctified) in Christ Jesus (because of His work on the cross) are named saints (holy ones) TOGETHER with all others who have also placed their trust in Christ as their Savior. This is what the “Universal Church” is all about. The Universal Church consists of every single man, woman, and child who has trusted in Jesus Christ for salvation from the time of His resurrection to whenever the Rapture happens. Whatever gender, whatever age, whatever place they live in the entire world, we are all one family in Christ Jesus. Pretty awesome!
So, it’s fairly easy to pray for the people we see frequently and for prayer needs we know about on a personal level, but it’s not quite as easy to pray for the millions of Christians out there who we do not know, nor do we have any idea what they might be going through. The good news is that we don’t need to know—because GOD KNOWS. He knows ALL our needs (better than we do!), so we can pray as simply or as detailed as we want to, but the point is that we ought to be praying for ALL our brothers and sisters in Christ—everywhere. By the way, there ARE several great things to pray for on behalf of other Christians. We can pray that they stay faithful to the Lord (or return to Him if they have wandered away), we can pray for a vibrant daily personal devotions time, we can pray for meaningful times of prayer, we can pray for encouragement, for victory, and that they shine the light of Christ to others as they go about their day. There are, of course, any number of physical needs we all have, too.
What a privilege to be able to pray for ALL those in every place who call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours!
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Wednesday, September 10, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Genesis 6:22
“Noah did this; he did all that God commanded him.”
-Background/Context:
To get a little taste of the ALL that Noah so willingly did, read Genesis 6, 7, 8, and the beginning of 9. The scope of the project God asked him to take care of is so huge as to almost be impossible to grasp.
-Something to Think About:
In 2019, my husband and I decided that it was finally time to mark a huge item off our bucket list. We jumped into our Toyota Rav4 and drove across the country. We started in North Conway, New Hampshire, and drove to the Pacific coast in Oregon! It was an incredible journey, and we are so very grateful that we got to do it (especially since 2020 brought so many travel restrictions due to Covid-19!).
I tell you this to talk about one of the highlights of the trip. We were able to go and visit the recreation of Noah’s ark in Williamstown, Kentucky. What an incredible privilege that was! The life-sized boat was LOADED with Bible facts, reasonable speculations of what life would have been like for Noah’s family based on knowledge of history, and all sorts of visuals—with the goal of allowing each visitor to get a glimpse of the project Noah said “yes” to. But as impressive as the three levels of life-like recreations were, I have to say that what blew me out of the water (pardon the pun!) the most was the sheer size of the boat as viewed from the outside. WOW! And to think that Noah and his small family made the whole thing, trusting that God had a reason for what it was to be and how He wanted it built.
Gigantic boat aside, filling it with provisions for eight people and hundreds of animals for a year or more aside, dealing with the mocking and cruelty of the people living near him, and living with the knowledge that God was going to destroy all flesh, the thing that is truly amazing and a blessing here is that Noah did ALL that God commanded him—and it says this more than once! Noah was told to build a boat to live in because of a massive earth-wide flood, although it had never rained before this. Noah was told that specific animals would come at the right time to be in the boat with him and his family (on their own!). Noah was told that he and his family would be the only humans on the face of the earth when all was said and done (and millions of people lived on the earth at that time). And Noah did ALL that God commanded him to do.
Why? How? How can you and I be ready and willing to do all that God asks us to do?
Noah trusted God. Noah lived his life in a manner pleasing to God because he trusted Him. Because God knew that Noah was already obeying Him with his life, God rewarded his obedience and faith by entrusting a task to him.
Do you think that this was an easy task? A happy one? One that Noah understood from day one? Definitely not! BUT, it was what God wanted—and that’s all that mattered to Noah. And, dear one, that’s how we can view the challenges and tasks that come our way, too! We can trust God enough to obey all we know that He wants us to do—and as we do, He entrusts ministries, responsibilities, jobs, and people to us to invest in, It may well be that not a lot of it is what we would have chosen for ourselves, but if you think about it, do you REALLY want what you, just one more human being born with a sin nature, would think is good, or would rather have the all-wise, loving Almighty choose what is good and right for you?
Think back carefully and prayerfully to the last few days or so. Were you trusting and obeying God with how you spent your time, energies, and resources? If given some unexpected task, did you do it willingly and in a way pleasing to the Lord? In what ways did you do ALL the Lord commanded—and what areas do you need to seek forgiveness for? I think that if we get into the habit of evaluating our days (and heart) frequently, we’ll be helping ourselves to remember that doing things God’s way is ALWAYS the right way. He’ll help us every minute of every day if we but ask.
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Thursday, September 11, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Joshua 1:5
“No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you.”
-Background/Context:
After decades of faithfully following God’s leading by bringing His people out of Egypt and caring for their spiritual and physical needs, Moses has died. But God was not done taking care of Israel, and He chose Joshua, a man who had been by Moses’ side through thick and thin, to be the new leader. Here is the context of today’s verse:
Joshua 1:1-9 “After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, the LORD said to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, “Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the people of Israel. Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun shall be your territory. No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you. Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”
-Something to Think About:
Being chosen as the man to replace MOSES must have been pretty overwhelming to Joshua! Furthermore, God was calling him to do some pretty huge things, such as conquering several mighty nations in order to claim the land God had promised to Israel.
HOWEVER—and this is big—God Himself was directing every single step, every single day. Joshua’s job was to trust and obey—and God would do the rest.
And, fellow child of God, this is STILL true for you and me! We may get overwhelmed thinking about the prospect of a lifetime of living victoriously for Christ (or, even just one day!), but it is God Who is the One Who will provide victory, we just need to lean on Him. We just need to demonstrate our trust in Him by doing the things that we know He wants us to do. And as we find new and/or better ways to obey God and bring Him honor, we jump right in to do those things, too.
I love these reminders:
– “Just as I promised”
– “Just as I was with ___, I will be with you” (insert whatever great example you have in mind in the empty spot—God was with them and He will be with YOU).
– “I will not leave you or forsake you. . . ALL the days of your life.”
– “Be strong and courageous FOR I will be with you.”
– “Do ALL My Word has commanded, not turning to the right or to the left.”
– “My Word should not depart from your mouth ever, and you should meditate on it day and night, so that you can be careful to do ALL that it says.”
– “Do not be frightened or dismayed because I, the LORD YOUR GOD, am with you wherever you go.”
Of course, we need to remember that the promises of health and wealth promised to Israel in the Old Testament are not something God guarantees for those of us living in the Church Age, but we CAN be certain of blessings such as peace, joy, gratitude, and a right view of both hardships and “good” things—not to mention, security about eternity and the joys that will be ours.
All of these reminders should be a huge boost to our hearts this morning so that we are ready to live in a God honoring way TODAY. Our God is with us every single step of the way! Be strong. Be courageous.
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Friday, September 12, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Joshua 23:14
“And now I am about to go the way of all the earth, and you know in your hearts and souls, all of you, that not one word has failed of all the good things that the LORD your God promised concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one of them has failed.”
-Background/Context:
Joshua is addressing all of the people of Israel at the end of his life. The essential last-things he chose to tell them included the warning to not miss out on the blessed truth that not even one of the many things God promised to them didn’t happen. Later, he also instructs them to be just as faithful to God with all they are and have as He has been to them. Good reminders for us, too!
-Something to Think About:
I thought it might be fun to provide all of Joshua 23 so that you can see (by way of underlines and highlights) what I thought was important to take note of and/or to implement in my own walk with the Lord. Then I am repeating it so that you can do the same. Feel free to write out why you noted what you did or other things you don’t want to forget. I’m a HUGE fan of making notes about important things—LOTS of notes!
*Please keep in mind that Joshua is repeating the blessings and curses that God gave to Israel. These are not for the Church, although God will not bless the lives of believers who choose to live disobediently, nor will He bless a church family whose members are living in known sin. The principle of God’s people being as faithful to Him as He is to them is timeless..
Joshua 23 “A long time afterward, when the LORD had given rest to Israel from all their surrounding enemies, and Joshua was old and well advanced in years, Joshua summoned all Israel, its elders and heads, its judges and officers, and said to them, “I am now old and well advanced in years. And you have seen all that the LORD your God has done to all these nations for your sake, for it is the LORD your God who has fought for you. Behold, I have allotted to you as an inheritance for your tribes those nations that remain, along with all the nations that I have already cut off, from the Jordan to the Great Sea in the west. The LORD your God will push them back before you and drive them out of your sight. And you shall possess their land, just as the LORD your God promised you. Therefore, be very strong to keep and to do all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, turning aside from it neither to the right hand nor to the left, that you may not mix with these nations remaining among you or make mention of the names of their gods or swear by them or serve them or bow down to them, but you shall cling to the LORD your God just as you have done to this day. For the LORD has driven out before you great and strong nations. And as for you, no man has been able to stand before you to this day. One man of you puts to flight a thousand, since it is the LORD your God who fights for you, just as he promised you. Be very careful, therefore, to love the LORD your God. For if you turn back and cling to the remnant of these nations remaining among you and make marriages with them, so that you associate with them and they with you, know for certain that the LORD your God will no longer drive out these nations before you, but they shall be a snare and a trap for you, a whip on your sides and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from off this good ground that the LORD your God has given you.
“And now I am about to go the way of all the earth, and you know in your hearts and souls, all of you, that not one word has failed of all the good things that the LORD your God promised concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one of them has failed. But just as all the good things that the LORD your God promised concerning you have been fulfilled for you, so the LORD will bring upon you all the evil things, until he has destroyed you from off this good land that the LORD your God has given you, if you transgress the covenant of the LORD your God, which he commanded you, and go and serve other gods and bow down to them. Then the anger of the LORD will be kindled against you, and you shall perish quickly from off the good land that he has given to you.”
Joshua 23 “A long time afterward, when the LORD had given rest to Israel from all their surrounding enemies, and Joshua was old and well advanced in years, Joshua summoned all Israel, its elders and heads, its judges and officers, and said to them, “I am now old and well advanced in years. And you have seen all that the LORD your God has done to all these nations for your sake, for it is the LORD your God who has fought for you. Behold, I have allotted to you as an inheritance for your tribes those nations that remain, along with all the nations that I have already cut off, from the Jordan to the Great Sea in the west. The LORD your God will push them back before you and drive them out of your sight. And you shall possess their land, just as the LORD your God promised you. Therefore, be very strong to keep and to do all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, turning aside from it neither to the right hand nor to the left, that you may not mix with these nations remaining among you or make mention of the names of their gods or swear by them or serve them or bow down to them, but you shall cling to the LORD your God just as you have done to this day. For the LORD has driven out before you great and strong nations. And as for you, no man has been able to stand before you to this day. One man of you puts to flight a thousand, since it is the LORD your God who fights for you, just as he promised you. Be very careful, therefore, to love the LORD your God. For if you turn back and cling to the remnant of these nations remaining among you and make marriages with them, so that you associate with them and they with you, know for certain that the LORD your God will no longer drive out these nations before you, but they shall be a snare and a trap for you, a whip on your sides and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from off this good ground that the LORD your God has given you.
“And now I am about to go the way of all the earth, and you know in your hearts and souls, all of you, that not one word has failed of all the good things that the LORD your God promised concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one of them has failed. But just as all the good things that the LORD your God promised concerning you have been fulfilled for you, so the LORD will bring upon you all the evil things, until he has destroyed you from off this good land that the LORD your God has given you, if you transgress the covenant of the LORD your God, which he commanded you, and go and serve other gods and bow down to them. Then the anger of the LORD will be kindled against you, and you shall perish quickly from off the good land that he has given to you.”
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-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Saturday, September 13, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Judges 6:36-40
“Then Gideon said to God, “If you will save Israel by my hand, as you have said, behold, I am laying a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If there is dew on the fleece alone, and it is dry on all the ground, then I shall know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you have said.” And it was so. When he rose early next morning and squeezed the fleece, he wrung enough dew from the fleece to fill a bowl with water. Then Gideon said to God, “Let not your anger burn against me; let me speak just once more. Please let me test just once more with the fleece. Please let it be dry on the fleece only, and on all the ground let there be dew.” And God did so that night; and it was dry on the fleece only, and on all the ground there was dew.”
-Background/Context:
After Joshua had died, and the other men who were great spiritual leaders for Israel died, the people began to wander away from the Lord. They began worshiping the idols of the land and disobeying and dishonoring God. As He promised, He sent invading armies to overtake their land and cause great hardship. When things got bad enough, the people “suddenly” remembered that they belonged to God Almighty, and they called on His name. God heard their cry and sent deliverers. This pattern is what the book of Judges is about. When we meet Gideon, the Midianites are the current oppressors of Israel, and God is about to intervene. He has chosen Gideon to be His warrior.
-Something to Think About:
I grew up in church—including regular Sunday school attendance (which I loved!). Of the many glorious Bible events that were often taught, the accounts surrounding Gideon were a favorite: the wet and dry fleece, the Israeli army that was way too big to fight against a ginormous army, the use of clay jars and oil lamps to trick the enemy… it was all fascinating stuff to a child!
But now that I’m grown up and have a bit more discipline in how to study God’s Word more carefully, I have to question if what Gideon asked the Lord to do that day with the fleece was something to be lauded.
You may remember the scene just before this. The Lord (the pre-incarnate Christ, referred to here as the Angel of the Lord*) came to Gideon to tell him that he had been chosen to lead an army of Israelites to defeat the much bigger army of the Midianites. Gideon was (justifiably) pretty surprised and uncertain, but the Lord assured him that He would give the victory. Gideon whines and complains a bit that he can’t do this, but then the Lord says something HUGE. He said, “But I will be with you.” We could stop right there and make the application that ALL of us can do ALL that God asks of us—because He is always with us. HUGE truth!!!
Gideon then proceeded to ask the Lord for a sign that He was Who He said He was (and that He would do what He promised) – and the Lord graciously gave him a great one. So…why would Gideon ask God for another sign? Isn’t this “putting God to the test,” and trying to get God to answer to his bidding? How is this showing trust and honor? Furthermore, Gideon did this TWICE. Despite the fact that God did as Gideon asked, how much more do you think God would have been honored and pleased if Gideon simply took Him at His word and followed His instructions immediately and exactly?
We can learn from this! When we read in the Bible about something God wants us to do (or stop doing), rather than questioning it, rather than looking for loopholes, rather than trying to figure out the least we can do and still be “obeying,” why not jump in with a hearty, “Yes, Lord! I know that I cannot do this, but I also know that you will be with me and that I can do ALL things through Christ Who strengthens me. I choose to trust Your word.”
(*The fact that the Angel of the Lord accepted Gideon’s sacrifice/worship proves that this was the pre-incarnate Christ. Good angels never accept worship because it belongs to God alone.)
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Sunday, September 14, 2025
(Thank the Father for this special day set aside for Him. Ask Him to help you know Him better by the day’s end and to have many opportunities to tell others about His praiseworthiness.)
-Be sure to spend some time in prayer first thing this morning so that you know that your heart is right with God. Make sure sin is confessed and dealt with, then ask Him to help you listen, learn, and grow. Ask not to be distracted by other thoughts during sermons and Bible studies, and not to be a distraction to others.
-Pray for your pastor and others who will be serving God today.
-Ask the Father for opportunities to speak of Him to others, to build others up in the things of the Lord, and to find tasks that you can do for Him and for others of His children today and this week.
-Ask at least one person how you can pray for them this week. What is their prayer request?
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-Take time before day’s end to note at least 5 things that you thank God for based on time spent in His House, hearing His Word, and being among His people.
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BONUS! God-honoring music is such a tremendous blessing that I thought we could use Sundays to focus on a few hymns that use “all” in them to read through (and sing, if you want!).
Living for Jesus (words by T. Chrisholm; music by C.H. Lowden)
Living for Jesus a life that is true, striving to please Him in all that I do. Yielding allegiance, glad-hearted and free, this is the pathway of blessing for me. O Jesus, Lord and Savior, I give myself to Thee, for Thou in Thy atonement didst give Thyself for me. I own no other Master, my heart shall be Thy throne! My life I give, henceforth to live, O Christ, for Thee alone.
Living for Jesus Who died in my place, bearing on Calv’ry my sin and disgrace—such love constrains me to answer His call, follow His leading and give Him my all. O Jesus, Lord and Savior, I give myself to Thee, for Thou in Thy atonement didst give Thyself for me. I own no other Master, my heart shall be Thy throne! My life I give, henceforth to live, O Christ, for Thee alone.
Living for Jesus wherever I am, doing each duty in His holy name, willing to suffer affliction and loss, deeming each trial a part of my cross. O Jesus, Lord and Savior, I give myself to Thee, for Thou in Thy atonement didst give Thyself for me. I own no other Master, my heart shall be Thy throne! My life I give, henceforth to live, O Christ, for Thee alone.
Living for Jesus thru earth’s little while, my dearest treasure, the light of His smile, seeking the lost ones He died to redeem, bringing the weary to find rest in Him. O Jesus, Lord and Savior, I give myself to Thee, for Thou in Thy atonement didst give Thyself for me. I own no other Master, my heart shall be Thy throne! My life I give, henceforth to live, O Christ, for Thee alone.
Monday, September 15, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Psalm 31:24
“Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the LORD!”
-Background/Context:
David authored this Psalm when he was in a time of great distress. His overriding thought throughout the Psalm is one of trust in God, finding refuge in Him, and thanking Him for His perfect and constant care.
-Something to Think About:
I can quite easily think of a few different moments in my life when I was about as low as a person can get. One instance that comes to mind was at the time of a severe personal attack. Another was when my husband was seriously ill. Another that comes vividly to my mind had to do with a major financial hardship.
We’ve all had them—and, probably, we ought to know that “in this world we will have trouble,” but I also acknowledge that each and every instance is pretty hard to deal with and not particularly welcome (no matter how much we are told that it’s for our ultimate good—at least at the time of the lowest low point!).
What are we to do? How are we to respond?
Well, the situation might be ugly, our ability to cope might be pathetically weak, BUT GOD. As beloved members of God’s much-loved family, bought by the blood of His own Son, we can lean on HIM to be strong. We can look to His direction to take courage, we can have hope, encouragement, and even joy AS WE wait for Him.
All of us.
The experience of peace in the middle of the storms, of joy in the face of unpleasant hardship, of courage in the midst of a serious battle, is available to ALL believers. It’s not limited to pastors, to missionaries, to “good” Christians – it’s available to all believers who are waiting for the Lord.
What does it mean to wait for the Lord, anyway? It’s a matter of trusting that He is in control; that He has a plan that is for our good and for His glory; that He is always near and always a sure and safe refuge; that He will provide mercy and grace in our time of need; that He will give us wisdom minute by minute if we but ask. . . that, and ALL we might need—for always.
Are you feeling weak today? Unable to cope with what’s happening now or what you’re afraid is heading your way? Be strong and take courage in GOD’S strength and might. Join David in declaring, “But I trust in You, O LORD; You are my God.” (v.14)
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Tuesday, September 16, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
-Background/Context:
After teaching a bit about what to expect as far as what immediately follows the Church Age, Paul talks about how Christians should be thinking and acting in relationships. Basically, our testimony toward outsiders should always be Christlike so that they may want to know more about trusting in Christ themselves. But our testimony toward brothers and sisters in Christ should be one of giving, sacrificial service, going above and beyond, and viewing others with the same love, grace, and forgiveness God gives to us.
-Something to Think About:
I remember an incident when I was a young mom of five small children. We had overnight guests coming, and I had been dashing here and there to make everything neat and clean. I also needed to make a fresh batch of bread. Knowing that it needed rising time, I got the dough all set and left it to rise on the counter while I jogged back upstairs to finish up the guest room. When I returned a mere 15 minutes later, I found my 2-year-old standing on a chair in front of the bread dough, having an absolutely grand time smacking the flour and watching it go flying. To say I was frustrated and annoyed would be a fair statement, and I picked her up by her flour-covered elbows and gently tossed her onto the couch with the command to “Stay!”. Much to my frustration, when she landed on the couch, a vast cloud of flour puffed off of her and onto the couch and the recently vacuumed rug. Sigh. Mothering is not for the weak! Even as I felt my blood pressure rise at the additional work she and I had just created, I could also see the humor in the situation. The white flour releasing itself from her clothing and body and traveling all around her was a lot like something you would see in a cartoon! I even remember thinking to myself that later, when I wasn’t in such a tight time crunch, that all that would seem really funny!
Why do I even tell you all that? Because my friends, attitude is everything.
Did you know that I Thessalonians 5:16-18 is all about choosing to have a godly attitude? When frustrating things absolutely destroy the plan we had in mind for the day, do we choose to growl, grump, and complain, or do we rejoice and give thanks to God? When we are being tailgated by an aggressive driver on snow-covered and slippery roads, do we get furious and shake our fist, or do we pray for calmness of nerves and patience for the person behind us? When we have been treated unkindly and unfairly, do we begin plotting revenge, or do we rejoice because God knows our heart and our motives—and even when we ARE at fault, His love is everlasting and consistent? Do we pray, asking for His help to know how to honor Him in and through the situation, seeking His will above all else?
Our days are stuffed full of decision after decision. Will we CHOOSE right now, ahead of time, to rejoice always? To pray without ceasing? To give God thanks in ALL circumstances?
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Wednesday, September 17, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Psalm 121:7
“The LORD will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life.”
-Background/Context:
Psalm 121
A SONG OF ASCENTS.
“I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD is your keeper; the LORD is your shade on your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD will keep you from all evil;
he will keep your life. The LORD will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.”
If you’ve been coming to adult Sunday School at FBC since January of this year, you know as much about this Psalm as I do—and you may even be able to quote the whole thing from memory (awesome if you can!!!). If you do attend FBC, but haven’t been to adult Sunday School, why would you miss such a valuable service! If you didn’t know, this service is LOADED with valuable information and truths from the Bible, and is more than worth coming to. Give it a try! (Or if you have your own church family, don’t miss your services!)
-Something to Think About:
Songs of ascent were special songs sung by folks traveling to Jerusalem for feasts and special occasions. They are called “ascent” because the city of Jerusalem is at a high elevation. Check out some pictures online and see for yourself!
The psalmist, simply put, is thanking God and praising Him for His constant and perfect care—that he doesn’t have to wonder where help will come from, because he belongs to GOD.
He is reminded that God never dozes off in the middle of our prayers, nor does He fall asleep overnight. His care is continual, and unlike us, His mind never wanders off someplace vague and undefined when people are talking to Him. Can I hear a “praise the Lord” for that huge and wonderful truth!
Day AND night, God, the Creator, “keeps” us and helps us from going the wrong way in life (assuming we’re not ignoring Him and choosing our own path). He is ready, willing, and able to keep us from wrong choices, wrong thoughts, and even going to wrong places—places that are not His will for us. He keeps us from ALL evil.
In fact, God’s perfect care is both for today and into forever. Does that mean we will never get sick, have an accident, or lose a job? No, these things, because HE is only always good.
Praise the Lord!
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Thursday, September 18, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Daniel 1:3-4
“Then the king commanded Ashpenaz, his chief eunuch, to bring some of the people of Israel, both of the royal family and of the nobility, youths without blemish, of good appearance and skillful in all wisdom, endowed with knowledge, understanding learning, and competent to stand in the king’s palace, and to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans.”
-Background/Context:
Daniel 1:1-7
“In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with some of the vessels of the house of God. And he brought them to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, and placed the vessels in the treasury of his god. Then the king commanded Ashpenaz, his chief eunuch, to bring some of the people of Israel, both of the royal family and of the nobility, youths without blemish, of good appearance and skillful in all wisdom, endowed with knowledge, understanding learning, and competent to stand in the king’s palace, and to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans. The king assigned them a daily portion of the food that the king ate, and of the wine that he drank. They were to be educated for three years, and at the end of that time they were to stand before the king. Among these were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah of the tribe of Judah. And the chief of the eunuchs gave them names: Daniel he called Belteshazzar, Hananiah he called Shadrach, Mishael he called Meshach, and Azariah he called Abednego.”
-Something to Think About:
Babylon was able to defeat Jerusalem because the Jews had forsaken God. God warned them repeatedly for centuries that obedience to Him would bring tremendous victory in battle, as well as prosperity and health, but disobedience (which was seen mainly through idolatry) would be punished with being given into the hands of enemies, a lack of productivity of the land, and many other hardships.
All that being true, listen to this critical truth about our Father in Heaven: God’s mercy is ALWAYS evident – even in the midst of punishment. The four men in our text for today, so casually listed as being among the many young men taken from their homes and transplanted into Babylon, would be used of God in mighty and magnificent ways. God was not—and is not—finished with Israel. They will yet be restored, and they will one day be (during the Millennium) ALL that God intended from the beginning. What a day that will be!
As members of God’s family, because of the work of Jesus Christ on the cross on our behalf, God always bathes us in His grace and mercy, too. When hardships come our way—either deserved due to some sinful action on our part or out of the blue—look for God’s kindness, love, and help. It’s there! It may be extra comfort found in Scripture, it might be a closer bond with Him through prayer, it might be through the words or actions of a brother or sister in Christ, or it might be through some unexpected gift or help. God will NEVER leave us and He will NEVER forsake us. In addition, when our focus is on Him throughout, we will grow in spiritual maturity and be able to serve Him and bless others in even bigger and better ways.
BONUS: The Babylonian people wanted to try to force these four young men to leave their God behind and become one of them. One way they did this was by changing their names. The record in the book of Daniel demonstrates that their parents had a relationship with God—because His name was part of their names. The Babylonians chose names that reflected false gods, which would have been abhorrent to God-fearing Jews. Would that God would help us live in a way that our names reflect Him in a wonderful way!
Daniel (God is my Judge) was changed to Belteshazzar (lady, protect the kind).
Hananiah (Yahweh has been gracious) was changed to Shadrach (I am fearful of a god).
Mishael (Who is what God is?) was changed to Meshach (I am despised, contemptible, humbled before my god).
Azariah (Yahweh has helped) was changed to Abednego (servant of nebo).
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Friday, September 19, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Daniel 1:15
“At the end of ten days it was seen that they were better in appearance and fatter in flesh than all the youths who ate the king’s food.”
-Background/Context:
Daniel 1:8-16 “But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king’s food, or with the wine that he drank. Therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself. And God gave Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the chief of the eunuchs, and the chief of the eunuchs said to Daniel, “I fear my lord the king, who assigned your food and your drink; for why should he see that you were in worse condition than the youths who are of your own age? So you would endanger my head with the king.” Then Daniel said to the steward whom the chief of the eunuchs had assigned over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, “Test your servants for ten days; let us be given vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then let our appearance and the appearance of the youths who eat the king’s food be observed by you, and deal with your servants according to what you see.” So he listened to them in this matter, and tested them for ten days. At the end of ten days it was seen that they were better in appearance and fatter in flesh than all the youths who ate the king’s food. So the steward took away their food and the wine they were to drink, and gave them vegetables.”
-Something to Think About:
Daniel’s commitment to eat vegetables and drink only water wasn’t necessarily because it’s more godly to be a vegan, but because he didn’t want any part of the food that was used in the worship of false gods and idols. Daniel (and his three friends) wanted to keep himself separate FOR GOD. In addition, the Jews had strict eat-this-and-not-that regulations in the Law, and Daniel was not willing to break God’s Law—even if the consequences were severe.
This is what “Be holy as I am holy” is all about. It isn’t living in a compound with walls and gates, it isn’t refusing all types of western medicine in favor of oils and botanicals, it isn’t dressing completely different as the Amish do. It’s a heart that is focused intensely on what pleases God and brings Him glory. Of course, this will naturally lead to NOT living certain lifestyles, NOT putting trust in medicine or doctors over God, or NOT dressing in such a way that you couldn’t be picked out as a child of God from a crowd of inappropriate or slovenly-dressed Walmart shoppers. It may, in fact, look a bit different in different situations and places. For Daniel and his friends, looking and acting in a God-honoring way was to have nothing to do with idolatry—including food that may not have ALL been “bad.”
I LOVE that God gave Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the man who was in charge! This man was a bit afraid (with good reason), but God also gave Daniel calmness and presence of mind to politely suggest a trial period. Ranting and raving about something is not something a child of God should choose to do.
How God might help us in our lives to stay true to Him (no matter what) might be completely unknown ahead of time, but we can be certain that God WILL help us. The Bible is full of all sorts of examples of how God intervenes and helps those who love Him to not sin, and to do the next right thing. Here is one such verse that’s right on the nose on this topic:
“No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” I Corinthians 10:13
BONUS: Did you know that peer pressure is not just a problem for teens? Every age level struggles with wanting to fit in with the people around them. Perhaps, though, we should give some serious thought to the truth that God’s family WON’T fit in with the world around us while here in these bodies. Instead, we fit in with the citizens of heaven! The Bible is loaded with examples of what God’s family should think and act like. Make a list as you read and study it!
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Saturday, September 20, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Daniel 1:17
“As for these four youths, God gave them learning and skill in all literature and wisdom, and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.”
-Background/Context:
Daniel 1:17-21
“As for these four youths, God gave them learning and skill in all literature and wisdom, and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. At the end of the time, when the king had commanded that they should be brought in, the chief of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar. And the king spoke with them, and among all of them none was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Therefore they stood before the king. And in every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters that were in all his kingdom. And Daniel was there until the first year of King Cyrus.”
-Something to Think About:
Hyperbole is a big word that means exaggeration. An oft-heard hyperbolic phrase is, “I have told you a million times…”. It seems unlikely that someone would repeat the same bit of information a literal one million times, but their point is really that the other person should have gotten the message by that time. When King Nebuchadnezzar interviewed Daniel and the other three young men (probably about 20 years old now), he found them to be exceptional. The phrase “ten times better” is an idiom for “many times more.”
Why, though? Was it the vegetables? Their youth? The answer is (as always!) in Scripture. GOD gave them learning, skill, and understanding—and what God does is always excellent.
Why did God choose these four men to give such great brains and wisdom to? Well, God can do what He wants, when He wants, that’s for sure (and humans never have the right to sit in judgment on God or His actions!), but I believe the Bible gives us this answer, too. Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah COMMITTED to living exactly the way God had commanded all Jews to act—even though they were living far from home, completely surrounded by pagan enemies. God rewarded their faithfulness with exceptional brains to grasp information, then insight as to how to understand and use it. God also gave to Daniel revelation concerning dreams and prophecy, as seen throughout the rest of the book.
Another huge blessing about all this is that these men stayed faithful to God their whole lives. I’m not sure we know what happened to Daniel’s three friends after the fiery furnace event, but Daniel served in the Babylonian leadership for something like 65 years, from roughly age 16 to 85. That’s impressive AND a wonderful incentive to you and me to not give in or give up. Our God is only, always, ever faithful—and He will help us be only, always, ever faithful to HIM, if we but choose to do so. Like Daniel, we can commit to living in the way we know honors and pleases God, and trust Him for all the rest. He is able! He is a million times able (and that is NOT hyperbole!).
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Sunday, September 21, 2025
(Thank the Father for this special day set aside for Him. Ask Him to help you know Him better by the day’s end and to have many opportunities to tell others about His praiseworthiness.)
-Be sure to spend some time in prayer first thing this morning so that you know that your heart is right with God. Make sure sin is confessed and dealt with, then ask Him to help you listen, learn, and grow. Ask not to be distracted by other thoughts during sermons and Bible studies, and not to be a distraction to others.
-Pray for your pastor and others who will be serving God today.
-Ask the Father for opportunities to speak of Him to others, to build others up in the things of the Lord, and to find tasks that you can do for Him and for others of His children today and this week.
-Ask at least one person how you can pray for them this week. What is their prayer request?
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-Take time before day’s end to note at least 5 things that you thank God for based on time spent in His House, hearing His Word, and being among His people.
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BONUS! God-honoring music is such a tremendous blessing that I thought we could use Sundays to focus on a few hymns that use “all” in them to read through (and sing, if you want!).
Jesus, I Am Resting, Resting (words by J. Pigott, music by J. Mountain)
Jesus, I am resting, resting in the joy of what Thou art, I am finding out the greatness of Thy loving heart. Thou hast bid me gaze upon Thee, and Thy beauty fills my soul; for by Thy transforming power, Thou hast made me whole.
O how great Thy loving kindness, vaster, broader than the sea! O how marvelous Thy goodness, lavished all on me! Yes, I rest in Thee, Beloved, know what wealth of grace is Thine, know Thy certainty of promise and have made it mine.
Simply trusting Thee, Lord Jesus, I behold Thee as Thou art; and Thy love, so pure, so changeless, satisfies my heart, satisfies its deepest longings, meets, supplies its every need, compasseth me round with blessings; Thine is love indeed!
Ever lift Thy face upon me as I work and wait for Thee, resting neath Thy smile, Lord Jesus, earth’s dark shadows flee. Brightness of my Father’s glory, sunshine of my Father’s face, keep me ever trusting, resting, fill me with Thy grace.
Monday, September 22, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Romans 16:3-4
“Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks but all the churches of the Gentiles give thanks as well.”
-Background/Context:
Paul, in the conclusion of this long and important letter to Christians in Rome, begins naming names of many Christians who are important to him, who are living for Christ wholeheartedly, and who might be known to them.
Romans 16:1-16 “I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church at Cenchreae, that you may welcome her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints, and help her in whatever she may need from you, for she has been a patron of many and of myself as well.
Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks but all the churches of the Gentiles give thanks as well. Greet also the church in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in Asia. Greet Mary, who has worked hard for you. Greet Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners. They are well known to the apostles, and they were in Christ before me. Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord. Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and my beloved Stachys. Greet Apelles, who is approved in Christ. Greet those who belong to the family of Aristobulus. Greet my kinsman Herodion. Greet those in the Lord who belong to the family of Narcissus. Greet those workers in the Lord, Tryphaena and Tryphosa. Greet the beloved Persis, who has worked hard in the Lord. Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord; also his mother, who has been a mother to me as well. Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers who are with them. Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them. Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you.”
-Something to Think About:
Over the course of Paul’s many letters to churches, he spoke often about how Christians should think and act. Very often, he taught how we should interact with one another. In chapter 16 of Romans, Paul mentions THIRTY-SIX people by name who have been a blessing to him and to other believers. It only stands to reason, then, that looking at what Paul mentioned about these people would make for a wonderful list to incorporate into our own lives!
Here are a few highlights:
-Phoebe is mentioned first, probably because she was the one who carried this letter from Paul to Rome. She is called a servant of the church (some translations say “deacon,” but the word means “ female servant”). Phoebe has, apparently, helped Paul and many other Christians financially. Can you rightly be called a servant in and among your church family? Are you investing some of the finances God has blessed you with in others?
-Priscilla and Aquila are a pretty well-known Bible couple (read about them in Acts 18 & 19). Paul worked with them in their shared profession of tent-makers, but he also worked extensively with them in teaching and preaching God’s Word. This chapter tells us that they were one (of many) of the families that hosted church services in their home (church buildings didn’t become a “thing” until a couple hundred years later). Is there some way you can “work alongside” your pastor? For some, it may be teaching Sunday school, leading the choir, or volunteering for the church nursery. For others, it may be contacting others in the church family to check on them and encourage them (either in person or on the phone). For others, it may be that there is some job (big or little) that you could do to save the pastor from having to do it. Have you asked him for a job lately?
-Priscilla and Aquila literally risked their life for Paul (the wording is such that they did this together). Paul was extremely thankful to them and for them— as were many, many other believers who heard about it. God may not ask us to literally risk our lives for one another, but He often gives us opportunities to sacrifice our time by way of a listening ear, through providing a ride or running an errand, or through small gifts like thinking-of-you cards, a treat of some kind, or a meal. Has the Holy Spirit brought someone to your mind who could use some of your time?
-The mother of Rufus is mentioned as not only helping him, but being like a mother to Paul, too. I wonder what she did? Did she bake him cookies? Did she see a tear in his traveling cloak and mend it for him? Did she pray for him in the special way a mom prays for her children? Did she send him notes of encouragement? Did she do things that made Paul feel special and loved as a person and not just as someone to be held at arm’s length due to his position or fame? Say, is there someone in your church family who could use a loving mom (or aunt or sister)? Prayerfully consider how you might be a blessing to all those God points out to you.
-The phrase “greet one another with a holy kiss” is simply a first-century version of a hearty handshake and/or a loving hug. Christians, most especially fellow members of a church family, ought to make it a point to greet each other by name. And not just greet each other, but look each other in the eyes, show appreciation and concern for their well-being, shake hands with meaning, and otherwise show Christ’s love.
There’s a lot more here, and I encourage you to see if you can find some of these names in other places in Scripture, but more importantly, copy the attitudes and actions that were a blessing to Paul and which brought great glory to God.
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Tuesday, September 23, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Romans 16:25-27
“Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith— to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.”
-Background/Context:
These last few verses of the book of Romans are a doxology. A doxology is a hymn, statement, or prayer that praises God. Actually, it wasn’t uncommon at all for Paul, when writing about some amazing thing God does, to pause and offer a quick prayer of praise right in the middle of his text. It would be fun to search for them and make a list of them.
-Something to Think About:
Paul first points out that it is God the Father Who is able. He is able in every single area and at every single second, but the thing that Paul wants to encourage believers with specifically is that God is able to strengthen those who belong to Him to live obediently and faithfully according to His Word.
How? All that we are, have, will have, and are becoming is through Jesus Christ. He is the One Who gave us the gift of salvation and the myriad of gifts that are part of it.
How did people even KNOW about what God the Father did for us through Jesus Christ, His Son? Because even moments after sin entered the world, God began to give hints about His master plan to provide a way for sinners to be reconciled to Him. You and I, because of the completed Bible and the indwelling Holy Spirit, are able to look back and see how God worked through people, through nations, and through circumstances to bring about His perfect plan in His perfect timing. Before this, most especially in Old Testament times, people only had hints about God’s plans (this is what Paul calls the prophetic writings).
Note, too, that connected to the huge mystery of salvation through the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ was the birth of the Church—and—maybe even more so, the inclusion of non-Jews into the family of God. I’m not sure that we, as Gentiles, can fully understand just how hard a concept this must have been for all the Jews at the time of Christ to accept and adjust to, but we can fully appreciate what God did for us in sending His Son. And when we think of that AND all the ways He strengthens us from day to day now, AND all the joys He has promised for our eternity, well, how could we NOT offer our own doxology of praise to God, giving Him all glory, squarely where it is deserved!
BONUS:
Here’s another great doxology:
Ephesians 3:20-21 “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Wednesday, September 24, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read 1 Corinthians 6:12
“All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be dominated by anything.”
-Background/Context:
Paul had a lot of really important things to teach the Christians in Corinth about, and assorted addictions were high on the list. Corinth was a pretty ungodly place, and these new converts to Christlike living had much to learn.
-Something to Think About:
So, I guess I used to think that Paul was quoting himself when he said, “All things are lawful for me…,” but this was actually a common saying—which didn’t always mean exactly what it was saying. We have a lot of these in our culture, too. Things like “There’s more than one way to skin a cat.” No one that I know of wants to skin a cat, let alone school themselves on all the ways this is possible (at least, I hope not!). They might, however, want an assortment of options how a specific problem might be resolved.
Here’s what was going on: some of the Christians in the Corinth church were using reasoning and excuses that were commonly used (though not biblical) to justify behaviors that they wanted to do. Specifically, some were engaging in prostitution, stating that it was their souls that matter and not their bodies, therefore, indulging their bodies didn’t count as ungodliness. This thinking also included overeating and a number of other activities that were self-gratifying and self-indulgent.
Here’s the thing: as new creatures in Christ, we belong to Him and we belong to God the Father. As such, our attitudes and actions should reflect His as closely as possible—and what we do with our bodies most definitely matters! Another huge aspect that Paul brings out repeatedly in this book has to do with our attitudes and actions as Christians NOT causing other Christians to be confused, be offended, or stumble in their walk with the Lord. Something that one Christian believes is completely fine between them and the Lord MIGHT be something that a different believer does NOT think is fine. In that case, the loving and right thing for the first believer to do, is to not do it. Loving others and helping them grow biblically is far more important than our personal preferences and habits.
Paul also points out that, though some action might be “lawful” (not condemned by God), if it is something that we, personally, are obsessed with (or likely to GET obsessed with), then we should just stay away from it completely. Of course, it’s easy to come up with a list of things that humans quickly become “dominated” by. Things such as anything having to do with sex, foods and drinks, shopping & money, sports, pets—and our phones and the internet, just to name a few. There are many made-for-TV shows that highlight the many and troubling areas where people can become obsessed and dominated (controlled; brought under the power of).
A few verses later, Paul shares the important reminder that THE THING all of God’s children need to remember is that all we do (including how we use our bodies) is to glorify God. “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
BONUS: Paul speaks more about food and sex dos and don’ts in chapters 6-8.
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Thursday, September 25, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Daniel 2:44
“And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever.”
-Background/Context:
Today’s verse is talking about the coming of Jesus Christ, the King of kings, during the beginning of the Millennium. Exciting stuff!
You may choose to read or not read this lengthy bit of Scripture, but for context sake, here is Daniel, chapter 2:
“In the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; his spirit was troubled, and his sleep left him. Then the king commanded that the magicians, the enchanters, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans be summoned to tell the king his dreams. So they came in and stood before the king. And the king said to them, “I had a dream, and my spirit is troubled to know the dream.” Then the Chaldeans said to the king in Aramaic, “O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation.” The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, “The word from me is firm: if you do not make known to me the dream and its interpretation, you shall be torn limb from limb, and your houses shall be laid in ruins. But if you show the dream and its interpretation, you shall receive from me gifts and rewards and great honor. Therefore show me the dream and its interpretation.” They answered a second time and said, “Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will show its interpretation.” The king answered and said, “I know with certainty that you are trying to gain time, because you see that the word from me is firm— if you do not make the dream known to me, there is but one sentence for you. You have agreed to speak lying and corrupt words before me till the times change. Therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that you can show me its interpretation.” The Chaldeans answered the king and said, “There is not a man on earth who can meet the king’s demand, for no great and powerful king has asked such a thing of any magician or enchanter or Chaldean. The thing that the king asks is difficult, and no one can show it to the king except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.”
“Because of this the king was angry and very furious, and commanded that all the wise men of Babylon be destroyed. So the decree went out, and the wise men were about to be killed; and they sought Daniel and his companions, to kill them. Then Daniel replied with prudence and discretion to Arioch, the captain of the king’s guard, who had gone out to kill the wise men of Babylon. He declared to Arioch, the king’s captain, “Why is the decree of the king so urgent?” Then Arioch made the matter known to Daniel. And Daniel went in and requested the king to appoint him a time, that he might show the interpretation to the king.”
“Then Daniel went to his house and made the matter known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions, and told them to seek mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that Daniel and his companions might not be destroyed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. Then the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision of the night. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven. Daniel answered and said:
“Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, to whom belong wisdom and might. He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding; he reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with him. To you, O God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise, for you have given me wisdom and might, and have now made known to me what we asked of you, for you have made known to us the king’s matter.”
“Therefore Daniel went in to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon. He went and said thus to him: “Do not destroy the wise men of Babylon; bring me in before the king, and I will show the king the interpretation.” Then Arioch brought in Daniel before the king in haste and said thus to him: “I have found among the exiles from Judah a man who will make known to the king the interpretation.”
“The king declared to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, “Are you able to make known to me the dream that I have seen and its interpretation?” Daniel answered the king and said, “No wise men, enchanters, magicians, or astrologers can show to the king the mystery that the king has asked, but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and he has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days. Your dream and the visions of your head as you lay in bed are these: To you, O king, as you lay in bed came thoughts of what would be after this, and he who reveals mysteries made known to you what is to be. But as for me, this mystery has been revealed to me, not because of any wisdom that I have more than all the living, but in order that the interpretation may be made known to the king, and that you may know the thoughts of your mind.”
“You saw, O king, and behold, a great image. This image, mighty and of exceeding brightness, stood before you, and its appearance was frightening. The head of this image was of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its middle and thighs of bronze, its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay. As you looked, a stone was cut out by no human hand, and it struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces. Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold, all together were broken in pieces, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away, so that not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.”
“This was the dream. Now we will tell the king its interpretation. You, O king, the king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, and the might, and the glory, and into whose hand he has given, wherever they dwell, the children of man, the beasts of the field, and the birds of the heavens, making you rule over them all—you are the head of gold. Another kingdom inferior to you shall arise after you, and yet a third kingdom of bronze, which shall rule over all the earth. And there shall be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron, because iron breaks to pieces and shatters all things. And like iron that crushes, it shall break and crush all these. And as you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter’s clay and partly of iron, it shall be a divided kingdom, but some of the firmness of iron shall be in it, just as you saw iron mixed with the soft clay. And as the toes of the feet were partly iron and partly clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly brittle. As you saw the iron mixed with soft clay, so they will mix with one another in marriage, but they will not hold together, just as iron does not mix with clay. And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever, just as you saw that a stone was cut from a mountain by no human hand, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold. A great God has made known to the king what shall be after this. The dream is certain, and its interpretation sure.”
“Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face and paid homage to Daniel, and commanded that an offering and incense be offered up to him. The king answered and said to Daniel, “Truly, your God is God of gods and Lord of kings, and a revealer of mysteries, for you have been able to reveal this mystery.” Then the king gave Daniel high honors and many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon and chief prefect over all the wise men of Babylon. Daniel made a request of the king, and he appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego over the affairs of the province of Babylon. But Daniel remained at the king’s court.”
-Something to Think About:
A lot happens here, much of which is way above my ability to explain fully to you (but you can definitely ask the Pastor about it!). What I can tell you in my own simple way is that King Nebuchadnezzar was given a dream BY GOD of really important things that would happen in the years to come. He desperately wanted to know what the dream meant, but he did not trust his own wise men because he knew that what they did was tricks and lies. He was ready to kill the whole lot of them off, but because God had work yet for Daniel to do, He warned him by means of the king’s captain.
I LOVE Daniel’s response! His immediate thought and plan were to pray to God and seek His help. Furthermore, he enlisted the prayer support of three others whom he knew to be faithful to God in their lives. What a wonderful example to us! When a question comes to our minds, pray. When a problem arises, pray. When our hearts are deeply burdened, pray—and enlist a few faithful believers to pray with you and for you, too! And just for the record, when we are blessed, encouraged, or otherwise have “happy” surprises, these should also be reasons to jump immediately into prayer. God loves to hear about our needs, but He also loves to be acknowledged with thanksgiving and praise.
God revealed to Daniel what the king had dreamed and what it meant. Daniel went to the king to explain this to him, but he took no credit for himself. What he said is among my all-time favorite phrases from Scripture, “BUT, there is a God in heaven…” THAT, my friends, is THE game changer! Despite long, hard days, despite uncertain futures, despite what appears to be evil winning out, THERE IS A GOD IN HEAVEN. And this God, OUR God, can do the impossible. Nothing and no one can defeat Him. His will WILL be done. What a comfort (and thrill) it is to belong to God Almighty!
Did you catch the response of the king to the revelation God gave to Daniel concerning the dream? He fell on his face before Daniel! He paid homage to him! He commanded that an offering and incense be made for him! He ALSO praised the God of heaven, recognizing His majesty. In the end, Daniel was given great wealth and an extremely prominent position in the Babylonian court. Daniel did not forget his three friends, and they, too, were given prestigious positions.
We have NO IDEA how God might use our faithfulness and loyalty to Him, but whether or not we see any visible results or not, know that God IS pleased, God IS honored, God WILL use it in some awesome way, and God WILL reward us greatly into eternity. Faithfulness to God is ALWAYS the right choice.
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Friday, September 26, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Daniel 4:1-3
“King Nebuchadnezzar to all peoples, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied to you! It has seemed good to me to show the signs and wonders that the Most High God has done for me.
How great are his signs, how mighty his wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion endures from generation to generation.”
-Background/Context:
Why did the pagan king suddenly declare praise to the Most High God? Read about it in Daniel 3:1-4:3.
“King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, whose height was sixty cubits and its breadth six cubits. He set it up on the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon. Then King Nebuchadnezzar sent to gather the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the justices, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces to come to the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. Then the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the justices, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces gathered for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. And they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up. And the herald proclaimed aloud, “You are commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages, that when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, you are to fall down and worship the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. And whoever does not fall down and worship shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace.” Therefore, as soon as all the peoples heard the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, all the peoples, nations, and languages fell down and worshiped the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.”
“Therefore at that time certain Chaldeans came forward and maliciously accused the Jews. They declared to King Nebuchadnezzar, “O king, live forever! You, O king, have made a decree, that every man who hears the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, shall fall down and worship the golden image. And whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast into a burning fiery furnace. There are certain Jews whom you have appointed over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These men, O king, pay no attention to you; they do not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”
“Then Nebuchadnezzar in furious rage commanded that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be brought. So they brought these men before the king. Nebuchadnezzar answered and said to them, “Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the golden image that I have set up? Now if you are ready when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, to fall down and worship the image that I have made, well and good. But if you do not worship, you shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you out of my hands?”
“Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”
“Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with fury, and the expression of his face was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He ordered the furnace heated seven times more than it was usually heated. And he ordered some of the mighty men of his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace. Then these men were bound in their cloaks, their tunics, their hats, and their other garments, and they were thrown into the burning fiery furnace. Because the king’s order was urgent and the furnace overheated, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell bound into the burning fiery furnace.
“Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up in haste. He declared to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?” They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.” He answered and said, “But I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.”
“Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the burning fiery furnace; he declared, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here!” Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out from the fire. And the satraps, the prefects, the governors, and the king’s counselors gathered together and saw that the fire had not had any power over the bodies of those men. The hair of their heads was not singed, their cloaks were not harmed, and no smell of fire had come upon them. Nebuchadnezzar answered and said, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants, who trusted in him, and set aside the king’s command, and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own God. Therefore I make a decree: Any people, nation, or language that speaks anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be torn limb from limb, and their houses laid in ruins, for there is no other god who is able to rescue in this way.” Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon.
“King Nebuchadnezzar to all peoples, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied to you! It has seemed good to me to show the signs and wonders that the Most High God has done for me. How great are his signs, how mighty his wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion endures from generation to generation.”
-Something to Think About:
Wowzers! It’s no wonder that this Bible event has been told and retold in every Sunday School class for eons! It’s full of men standing firm for God Almighty in the face of incredible pressure and danger. THEN, as if that were not enough, while they were in the middle of a fiery furnace hot enough to kill men who got too close to the outside, the preincarnate Christ visited the men while they were in the flames!
What did He say? What did Shadrach and his friends say to Him? How shocked were they to not die a horrible death? How shocked were they to see God the Son appear among them??? It’s all just incredibly stunning. And this, my dear fellow students of the Word, is the God you and I belong to. The One Who loves us—you. Me. Mind-blowing!
King Nebuchadnezzar’s response was a great one: astonishment, a recognition of God’s supreme might, and praise and glory given to His name.
Say, you might not have needed to be saved from any fiery furnaces lately, but has God done something recently in your life that made you think, “Wow!”? Did you thank Him? Did you praise Him—and share this praise with others?
I sure don’t want to think about a time when I might have to choose between standing firm for God or face torture (what a horrific possibility!), BUT, I feel it’s legitimate to ask if I would. Would you?
If our relationship with God is not precious enough to be confident that the answer would be 100% (like these three men), what’s holding you back? Is there something in your life that shouldn’t be there that’s creating a valley between you and God? Is there something you haven’t yet yielded to Him that you know He wants you to? Is it simply because you’re not giving the Lord the time He deserves in Bible study, prayer, or church attendance?
Thinking about these sorts of things isn’t particularly “happy,” but it’s definitely a worthwhile area to pray about and work on. Our Father and Savior IS glorious in every way and worth our total and complete loyalty—no matter what!
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Saturday, September 27, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Daniel 4:37
“Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, for all his works are right and his ways are just; and those who walk in pride he is able to humble.”
-Background/Context:
King Nebuchadnezzar had a second dream which Daniel was again able to interpret for him. This one, however, carried a dire warning. Because God had said the dream would happen, it did happen a mere one year later. The dream and interpretation can be found in Daniel 4:4-27, but here is the fulfillment of the dream:
Daniel 4:28-37
“All this came upon King Nebuchadnezzar. At the end of twelve months he was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, and the king answered and said, “Is not this great Babylon, which I have built by my mighty power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?”
While the words were still in the king’s mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, “O King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: The kingdom has departed from you, and you shall be driven from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. And you shall be made to eat grass like an ox, and seven periods of time shall pass over you, until you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will.” Immediately the word was fulfilled against Nebuchadnezzar. He was driven from among men and ate grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven till his hair grew as long as eagles’ feathers, and his nails were like birds’ claws.
At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever, for his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom endures from generation to generation; all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth;
and none can stay his hand or say to him, “What have you done?” At the same time my reason returned to me, and for the glory of my kingdom, my majesty and splendor returned to me. My counselors and my lords sought me, and I was established in my kingdom, and still more greatness was added to me. Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, for all his works are right and his ways are just; and those who walk in pride he is able to humble.”
-Something to Think About:
Okay, so in our culture, it’s almost expected for people to complain about the “bad” things that happen to us (including weather that’s not exactly what we had hoped for!) – then take all the good things as our “due.” After reading just how seriously God takes pride and disregarding His grace, mercy, and love, do you think that this is right thinking for a Christian? Of course not! And, if we’re being honest, we would admit that we probably deserve pretty often to be turned into a wild animal living in a field. I’ll confess freely that I’m glad God doesn’t do that too often!!!
Don’t you just love the major attitude adjustment Nebuchadnezzar had? He started out talking about just what a magnificent fellow he was—to— “Look at my God!! Stand in awe of Him! He is the ONLY One worthy of praise and glory! ALL He does is exactly right and rightly timed! ALL He decides is just and fair! Praise His name!”
All this from the king of a pagan nation in 600 B.C.! Don’t you think a child of God, redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, indwelt by the Holy Spirit of God, enjoying the great riches of the Church Age, ought to have even MORE reason to praise and extol God Almighty? Should there EVER be reason for pride in a human who can do nothing and is nothing apart from Him?
We serve such an amazing God. Be sure to praise and thank Him upon rising, before closing your eyes at night, and every single minute in between!
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Sunday, September 28, 2025
(Thank the Father for this special day set aside for Him. Ask Him to help you know Him better by the day’s end and to have many opportunities to tell others about His praiseworthiness.)
-Be sure to spend some time in prayer first thing this morning so that you know that your heart is right with God. Make sure sin is confessed and dealt with, then ask Him to help you listen, learn, and grow. Ask not to be distracted by other thoughts during sermons and Bible studies, and not to be a distraction to others.
-Pray for your pastor and others who will be serving God today.
-Ask the Father for opportunities to speak of Him to others, to build others up in the things of the Lord, and to find tasks that you can do for Him and for others of His children today and this week.
-Ask at least one person how you can pray for them this week. What is their prayer request?
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-Take time before day’s end to note at least 5 things that you thank God for based on time spent in His House, hearing His Word, and being among His people.
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BONUS! God-honoring music is such a tremendous blessing that I thought we could use Sundays to focus on a few hymns that use “all” in them to read through (and sing, if you want!).
How Great Thou Art (words by S. Kline; Swedish folk melody, adapted by S. Kline)
O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder, consider all the worlds Thy hands have made. I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder, Thy power throughout the universe displayed. Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee; how great Thou art! How great Thou art! Then sings my soul! My Savior God, to Thee; how great Thou art! How great Thou art!
And when I think that God, His Son not sparing, sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in, that on the cross, my burden gladly bearing, He bled and died to take away my sin. Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee; how great Thou art! How great Thou art! Then sings my soul! My Savior God, to Thee; how great Thou art! How great Thou art!
When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation and take me home, what joy shall fill my heart! Then I shall bow in humble adoration and there proclaim, my God how great Thou art! Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee; how great Thou art! How great Thou art! Then sings my soul! My Savior God, to Thee; how great Thou art! How great Thou art!
Monday, September 29, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Daniel 6:25-27
“Then King Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth: “Peace be multiplied to you. I make a decree, that in all my royal dominion people are to tremble and fear before the God of Daniel, for he is the living God, enduring forever; his kingdom shall never be destroyed, and his dominion shall be to the end. He delivers and rescues; he works signs and wonders in heaven and on earth, he who has saved Daniel from the power of the lions.”
-Background/Context:
Several years pass between Daniel chapter 4 and chapter 6. As God said would happen, Babylon was overpowered by Persia, and a new king sat on the most powerful throne in the world at that time. Even through this massive change, however, Daniel is still a very important person in the kingdom. More importantly, he is still just as faithful to God as he was as a young man (he’s now in his 80s). Read what happened before King Darius made his decree in our verses of focus for today:
Daniel 6
“It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom 120 satraps, to be throughout the whole kingdom; and over them three high officials, of whom Daniel was one, to whom these satraps should give account, so that the king might suffer no loss. Then this Daniel became distinguished above all the other high officials and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him. And the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. Then the high officials and the satraps sought to find a ground for complaint against Daniel with regard to the kingdom, but they could find no ground for complaint or any fault, because he was faithful, and no error or fault was found in him. Then these men said, “We shall not find any ground for complaint against this Daniel unless we find it in connection with the law of his God.”
“Then these high officials and satraps came by agreement to the king and said to him, “O King Darius, live forever! All the high officials of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the counselors and the governors are agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce an injunction, that whoever makes petition to any god or man for thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions. Now, O king, establish the injunction and sign the document, so that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and the Persians, which cannot be revoked.”
“Therefore King Darius signed the document and injunction. When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously. Then these men came by agreement and found Daniel making petition and plea before his God. Then they came near and said before the king, concerning the injunction, “O king! Did you not sign an injunction, that anyone who makes petition to any god or man within thirty days except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions?” The king answered and said, “The thing stands fast, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be revoked.” Then they answered and said before the king, “Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, O king, or the injunction you have signed, but makes his petition three times a day.”
“Then the king, when he heard these words, was much distressed and set his mind to deliver Daniel. And he labored till the sun went down to rescue him. Then these men came by agreement to the king and said to the king, “Know, O king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians that no injunction or ordinance that the king establishes can be changed.” Then the king commanded, and Daniel was brought and cast into the den of lions. The king declared to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, deliver you!” And a stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet and with the signet of his lords, that nothing might be changed concerning Daniel. Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; no diversions were brought to him, and sleep fled from him.
“Then, at break of day, the king arose and went in haste to the den of lions. As he came near to the den where Daniel was, he cried out in a tone of anguish. The king declared to Daniel, “O Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?” Then Daniel said to the king, “O king, live forever! My God sent his angel and shut the lions’ mouths, and they have not harmed me, because I was found blameless before him; and also before you, O king, I have done no harm.” Then the king was exceedingly glad, and commanded that Daniel be taken up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no kind of harm was found on him, because he had trusted in his God. And the king commanded, and those men who had maliciously accused Daniel were brought and cast into the den of lions—they, their children, and their wives. And before they reached the bottom of the den, the lions overpowered them and broke all their bones in pieces.
Then King Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth: “Peace be multiplied to you. I make a decree, that in all my royal dominion people are to tremble and fear before the God of Daniel, for he is the living God, enduring forever; his kingdom shall never be destroyed, and his dominion shall be to the end. He delivers and rescues; he works signs and wonders in heaven and on earth, he who has saved Daniel from the power of the lions.”
“So this Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian.”
-Something to Think About:
Adam and Eve, Noah’s flood, the Tower of Babel, Moses in a basket in the river, the crossing of the Red Sea, the fall of the walls of Jericho, the life of David, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace… and Daniel in the Lion’s Den. What do these have in common? They are all Sunday school curriculum favorites—and it’s easy to see why! God did some pretty massive and incredible things in each of these stories—and each one also demonstrates someone honoring God in word and deed.
There are quite a few things that are noteworthy in this one chapter—and I challenge you to pick out a few of your favorites besides the ones I’ve noted (I’ll try not to steal them all!).
-Daniel, now in his 80s, after spending more than six decades in a very ungodly land, far away from his home country and people, STILL lives for God wholeheartedly and still maintains an excellent testimony to all who knew him. In fact, the other leaders noodled a plan to destroy Daniel BECAUSE he unashamedly served and obeyed God. I wonder? Who knows that you are a child of God? Who doesn’t know, who ought to? How has your testimony been consistent over the course of your adult life? Is there something holding you back from being fully committed to Him?
-I can’t help but feel, based on how people responded to Daniel, that Daniel was a pleasant fellow and nice to spend time with. This is just conjecture, but after Darius realized he’d been a prideful fool in signing a law that would harm Daniel, he was beside himself with anxiety and sorrow. He couldn’t eat or sleep, then checked on Daniel the very first thing the next morning. Are you purposefully thinking and acting in such a way that others enjoy having you around? Obviously, I don’t mean that people like you because you’ll “do anything” or are “the life of the party.” I’m thinking of something more like Daniel, a person who is at peace with himself because he is at peace with God, someone who puts the interests of others before their own wants and desires, someone who is known for a dependence on God in prayer and for regular and faithful church attendance. Someone who is generous, thoughtful, not easily angered, patient… kind of like I Corinthians 13 and Galatians 5:22-23!
-I wonder if Darius was putting his rule in jeopardy by commanding all the people under his rule to “tremble and fear before the God of Daniel”? Those nations had a ton of gods that they were pretty fond of. I wonder if they thought Darius was nutsy-cuckoo? OR, I wonder if anyone listened and actually DID begin worshiping God and recognized that He is the only true God? How bold are you with your witness? I mean, after all, we DO know the true God in a very personal way. We DO know how to become a member of His family for all eternity. We DO know the horrible consequences of NOT believing. Who are you telling?
Your turn!
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Tuesday, September 30, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read 2 Peter 3:9
“The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.”
-Background/Context:
II Peter 3 is written to Christians so that they will know what God has planned once the Church Age is over. No one knows when this date will occur, not even Jesus Christ, interestingly enough. However, we are given some insight into where believers will be for the next seven years, AND the horrors that will happen down here on earth. We’re also given some fascinating facts concerning Jesus’ thousand-year reign on earth and how the Jews, especially, will finally and truly be what God intended them to be all along. II Peter also warns us that this earth will be destroyed by fire before a new one is created to be used in eternity. There’s more—check it out!
-Something to Think About:
We KNOW that God loves the whole world (John 3:16), and that Christ’s sacrifice on the cross was sufficient to cover all sin (Hebrews 7:27), and we can then be completely confident that it is God’s desire for every human being to trust in Christ as their personal Savior. BUT, we also know that most people reject this precious gift and refuse to trust Christ, dooming themselves to an eternity in the Lake of Fire.
So, if II Peter 3:9 is not talking to the unsaved, what is it saying to Christians? First, it might help to remember that just because certain words are most often defined in a very specific way, it does not mean that this is the only way they can be understood. For example, the word “perish” in this verse doesn’t only mean to die. It can also mean to render useless or be lost. Could it mean that not all Christians will receive rewards for faithful service when they get to heaven? I think we can say with certainty, that they will not. The Bible is crystal clear that salvation is a free gift, but then God expects certain behavior and attitudes from His children—all of which He helps us to do AS LONG AS WE ARE WILLING. God will not force us to love Him and obey Him or to put others before self. When we do, however, He blesses us in the here and now—and lays up treasure for us when we get to glory.
In addition, although the word repentance is often used in the context of salvation (by humans), this is not how God uses the word. It’s actually a Christian concept. Why? How? The word means to change one’s thinking or to turn and go another direction. This is not something someone who is spiritually dead can do! BUT, someone who has the Indwelling Holy Spirit can definitely be convicted that something they are doing doesn’t please God, so they make the changes that need to be made to rectify it with the Lord’s help.
There’s also the misunderstanding of the passage of time. All of us have a pretty good understanding of seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, and years, and that it all keeps on rolling as it has since creation. God, however, is not bound to time as we are. He is outside time. He OWNS time. I wonder if we’ll even be able to understand that in glory? I don’t know! But Peter helps us to remember that what may SEEM like an unbearable amount of time since the promise of the Rapture, is actually only our perception. And, in fact, God has a really important purpose in the amount of time He has chosen between Jesus’ resurrection and the Rapture. It’s so His children—you and I—can repent from any and all sin that might be between Him and us, and begin to live faithfully, SO THAT our eternity is primed and ready to serve God in even bigger and more joyous ways.
Thank God for HIS view of time—and for His patience and mercy!
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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October 2025 DBSQ
October 1, 2025
Dear Student of the Word,
We’ve been working this year on a study of the word “all” found throughout the entire Bible that I pray has been both a blessing to you and a challenge to greater godliness. It has been to me!
After a month looking at the opposite of “all,” we’re returning to our study—because God’s Word has a ton to say about the many, many ways He is worthy of ALL praise, ALL adoration, and ALL faithfulness to Him on our part.
I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your prayers for me and this ministry! You are my prayers as well. May God draw us all ever closer to Himself and to each other as we love Him supremely and love others as self.
By His Grace,
Lorie Brown
Just so you know. . .
-I mainly use the ESV (courtesy of either Bible Gateway.com or Olive Tree.com), but sometimes it’s necessary to use another English translation in order to see the word of focus more clearly.
-I try to remember to highlight the word “all” (sometimes translated as “every” or “everything”) in the verse of focus each day.
-Previous months of this year’s study can be found on our church website under the tab “Ministries” at
firstbaptistnorthconway.org. In addition, several studies from previous years are also available.
-Our church has an in-house publishing ministry, some of which can be found for free download on
solidrockpublishing.org. There are Bible studies, stories for kids, and other practical Christian living topics available as hard copies in the back of our church auditorium.
-Our ladies (in North Conway, NH) meet in the evening on the second Monday of each month to review these studies and you are welcome to join us if you are in the area. If not, I highly recommend reviewing them with one or more friends—simply because doing Bible studies with others can be a huge blessing and help.
-You are welcome to pass these studies along to whoever the Lord lays on your heart. If someone wants to receive them directly from Mailchimp, just contact me and I can sign them up.
-If you reply to my Mailchimp email with a comment or question, it comes directly to me—and I love hearing from you!
-Again, thanks for praying for me and for all who are doing these studies! We NEED God’s help and blessing to listen, learn, and grow!
Wednesday, October 1, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His
Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Jeremiah 17:9
“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?”
-Background/Context:
The context of this well-known verse is interesting. It is part of God’s curse on Judah for their idolatry. Please note that, as always, God’s mercy and grace are found even in the punishments He gives (that are so rightly deserved!). God also, however, gives the solution to the problem. Look for both of these in the following.
Jeremiah 17:5-10
“Thus says the LORD: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the LORD. He is like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see any good come. He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land.
“Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.”
“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? “I the LORD search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.”
-Something to Think About:
Did you know that I used to hold the hearts of people while surgeons were fixing their blocked arteries? (Just so you don’t get the wrong picture—the heart stayed inside the body the whole time!) =)
But, of course, God, through Jeremiah, is not talking about our physical hearts. Rather, He is warning us just how important what we fill our hearts is in a spiritual and moral sense. We are told in no uncertain terms that upon birth, our hearts are only ever wicked (and a great deal of other Scripture supports this, too). In fact, there’s really no end to just how evil our hearts can be! It takes the Holy Spirit giving new life to them—spiritual life—in order for us to even ATTEMPT to think right and feel right. When He does, however, incredible and glorious things follow. For one thing, we are now able, for the first time ever, to turn TO the Lord; to TRUST Him and obey Him. We are able to soak up His Word and become green and vibrant spiritually, no longer needing to worry about all the what-ifs of life. We can (miraculously!) begin to bear fruit, that is, to mature into Christlikeness and do the works that He chose for us to do from before time began. AND, we can keep on growing, keep on learning, and keep on honoring God in bigger and better ways the longer we walk faithfully with Him and according to His Word!
Did you catch the answer to the question, “Who can understand the deceitful and desperately sick heart?” God can! The Lord searches our hearts and tests our minds! This can be really concerning when we are living for self (and it should be concerning enough for us to get right with God as quickly as possible!), but it’s also a huge blessing and incentive when we are going through our day, simply trying to do the next right thing according to God’s standard of right. In that case, God WILL give to us recompense for our faithfulness. I, for sure, cannot define that for you, but I am 100% confident that it will be beyond anything we could think or imagine right now.
How is YOUR heart today, dear fellow child of God?
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Thursday, October 2, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Zechariah 14:9
“And the LORD will be king over all the earth. On that day the LORD will be one and his name one.”
-Background/Context:
The following is an account of the INCREDIBLE day when Jesus Christ returns to earth to set up His kingdom, ruling forevermore as the King of kings and Lord of lords. Although prophecy isn’t always easy to understand, take your time reading this to try to get a feel for what all happens on that one day that will change EVERYTHING forever.
Zechariah 14
“Behold, a day is coming for the LORD, when the spoil taken from you will be divided in your midst. For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city shall be taken and the houses plundered and the women raped. Half of the city shall go out into exile, but the rest of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then the LORD will go out and fight against those nations as when he fights on a day of battle.
On that day his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley, so that one half of the Mount shall move northward, and the other half southward. And you shall flee to the valley of my mountains, for the valley of the mountains shall reach to Azal. And you shall flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the LORD my God will come, and all the holy ones with him.
On that day there shall be no light, cold, or frost. And there shall be a unique day, which is known to the LORD, neither day nor night, but at evening time there shall be light.
On that day living waters shall flow out from Jerusalem, half of them to the eastern sea and half of them to the western sea. It shall continue in summer as in winter.
And the LORD will be king over all the earth. On that day the LORD will be one and his name one.
The whole land shall be turned into a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem. But Jerusalem shall remain aloft on its site from the Gate of Benjamin to the place of the former gate, to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the king’s winepresses. And it shall be inhabited, for there shall never again be a decree of utter destruction. Jerusalem shall dwell in security.
And this shall be the plague with which the LORD will strike all the peoples that wage war against Jerusalem: their flesh will rot while they are still standing on their feet, their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths.
And on that day a great panic from the LORD shall fall on them, so that each will seize the hand of another, and the hand of the one will be raised against the hand of the other. Even Judah will fight at Jerusalem. And the wealth of all the surrounding nations shall be collected, gold, silver, and garments in great abundance. And a plague like this plague shall fall on the horses, the mules, the camels, the donkeys, and whatever beasts may be in those camps.
Then everyone who survives of all the nations that have come against Jerusalem shall go up year after year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Booths. And if any of the families of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, there will be no rain on them. And if the family of Egypt does not go up and present themselves, then on them there shall be no rain; there shall be the plague with which the LORD afflicts the nations that do not go up to keep the Feast of Booths. This shall be the punishment to Egypt and the punishment to all the nations that do not go up to keep the Feast of Booths.
And on that day there shall be inscribed on the bells of the horses, “Holy to the LORD.” And the pots in the house of the LORD shall be as the bowls before the altar. And every pot in Jerusalem and Judah shall be holy to the LORD of hosts, so that all who sacrifice may come and take of them and boil the meat of the sacrifice in them. And there shall no longer be a trader in the house of the LORD of hosts on that day.”
-Something to Think About:
Anticipation. Sometimes it’s great (like looking forward to an extra special vacation or a long-wished for celebration). Sometimes anticipation is not as welcome (like seeing the date on the calendar for a root canal!). But NOTHING can compare with the anticipation of Jesus Christ returning to earth for the first time since His ascension sometime around 33 A.D.! NOTHING can compare with the anticipation of the people chosen by God, the Jews, on the arrival of the Messiah, the One they’ve been looking for, for thousands of years. NOTHING can compare with the perfection, righteousness, and justice that will come with Jesus’ reign after the last seven years of horror during the Tribulation Period.
Did you know that you and I will be there to witness it? We are among the “holy ones” mentioned in v.5 (“Then the LORD my God will come, and all the holy ones with him.”). We will get to revel in the glorious revelation of Jesus Christ in all the majesty He has had all along, but which was missed by so many upon His first advent. We will get to SEE Him stand on the Mount of Olives, causing it to split in two, see Him defeat every single enemy at the Battle of Armageddon, and see Him sit on His rightful throne, receiving the worship that belongs entirely to Him. We will be privileged to see the fulfillment of Zechariah 14:9, “And the LORD will be king over all the earth. On that day the LORD will be one and his name one.”
Hang in there, dear fellow child of God! The evil around us has a most definite endpoint! As much as we are eager for the Rapture and to be done with our wretched sin natures, every day that God gifts us with in the here and now is one more day to trust Him, to praise His name privately and publicly, to learn more about Him, to witness to others about Him, and to faithfully do whatever works He has for us to do day by day. Any and all sacrifice now will seem oh, so small when we witness the majesty of the return of the King!
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Friday, October 3, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read I Corinthians 1:1-4
“For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ.”
-Background/Context:
Did you know that there was a time when all of Israel were believers? This was shortly after being rescued from Egypt and during those first few months following their escape. You can read about what Paul is referencing in these verses in Exodus 15-17, but here’s a bit more of I Corinthians 10 to read:
1 Corinthians 10:1-13
“For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ. Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness.
Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did. Do not be idolaters as some of them were; as it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.” We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day. We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents, nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer. Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come. Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”
-Something to Think About:
Paul wanted the Christians in Corinth to hear these important warnings, and because it’s part of inspired Scripture, we know that God wants you and me to hear it, too. Paul first told these first-century believers that those who belonged to the Hebrew nation just after the exodus from Egypt, had all trusted that God would one day send a Savior (the Messiah) to pay the price for sin for everyone. This is, of course, a huge deal—and quite the praise to God! Sadly, Paul had more to tell them – tales of idolatry, sexual immorality, grumbling against God, and all sorts of evil. That is, choosing to think and act in rebellion to God and His Word.
Paul told them (and us!) all this SO THAT we would be warned. Paul told them this so that they could observe the ungodly, ugly, and destructive behavior of the exodus generation SO THAT they (the Corinthian believers) would stay true to the Father and to the Savior. He implores them to “not desire evil.” All this is to encourage today’s believers to (a) not have the extremely foolish idea that we can be Christ-like on our own—or steer clear of evil by means of our own strength, and (b) understand that GOD can and will help us to not give in to any and all temptation that we might face in any given moment. Because He is utterly faithful, we can be, too.
In the area of those we look to as examples, like everything else in life, there are great examples and there are examples of what NOT to do. Paul warns Christians both then and now to take heed to the areas that tripped people up in the past, and instead, look to God for help to be among those who chose to obey and honor Him, even in the face of trials and temptations.
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Saturday, October 4, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Proverbs 15:3
“The eyes of the LORD are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good.”
-Background/Context:
Proverbs is, first, a book that teaches what true wisdom is and the consequences of acting outside of God’s will and timing. Chapter 15, specifically, contains truism after truism, designed to help us keep our eyes on the Lord and not wander from the path or righteousness.
-Something to Think About:
Once again, we have a verse that is a huge blessing and comfort to children of God who are “trusting and obeying” in their daily lives—and—a verse that should cause those who are living for self to repent and return to a right relationship with God.
There is literally no such thing as keeping secrets from God. It doesn’t matter who you are, where you are, or what you are doing. God sees all, and He not only knows all about it, He knows the motives of our hearts, our intentions, and our attitude!
While we SHOULD remember this in order to not foolishly step outside of God’s will on purpose, these truths can also provide tremendous comfort, joyful anticipation, and encouragement to keep on keeping on. God knows when YOU are choosing Him over other things—and He is pleased, glorified, and setting aside recompense for you for when you get to glory. How amazing!
Here are a few other verses on this topic:
Proverbs 5:21
“For a man’s ways are before the eyes of the LORD, and he ponders all his paths.”
Hebrews 4:13
“And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”
2 Chronicles 16:9
“For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him.”
Psalm 139:23-24
“Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!”
Psalm 19:14
“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.”
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Sunday, October 5, 2025
(Thank the Father for this special day set aside for Him. Ask Him to help you know Him better by the day’s end and to have many opportunities to tell others about His praiseworthiness.)
-Be sure to spend some time in prayer first thing this morning so that you know that your heart is right with God. Make sure sin is confessed and dealt with, then ask Him to help you listen, learn, and grow. Ask not to be distracted by other thoughts during sermons and Bible studies, and not to be a distraction to others.
-Pray for your pastor and others who will be serving God today.
-Ask the Father for opportunities to speak of Him to others, to build others up in the things of the Lord, and to find tasks that you can do for Him and for others of His children today and this week.
-Ask at least one person how you can pray for them this week. What is their prayer request?
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-Take time before day’s end to note at least 5 things that you thank God for based on time spent in His House, hearing His Word, and being among His people.
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BONUS! God-honoring music is such a tremendous blessing that I thought we could use Sundays to focus on a few hymns that use “all” in them to read through (and sing, if you want!).
Praise to the Lord, the Almighty (words by J. Neader; music from the Sralsund Gesangbuch)
Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation! O my soul praise Him for He is thy health and salvation! All ye who hear, now to His temple draw near; join me in glad adoration!
Praise to the Lord, Who o’er all things so wondrously reigneth, shelters thee under His wings, yea, so gently sustaineth! Hast thou not seen how they desires e’re have been granted in what He ordaineth?
Praise to the Lord, Who with marvelous wisdom hath made thee, decked thee with health and with loving hand guided and stayed thee! How oft in grief hath He not brought thee relief, spreading His wings for to shade thee!
Praise to the Lord! O let all that is in me adore Him! All that hath life and breath, come now with praises before Him! Let the Amen sound from His people again; gladly for aye we adore Him!
Monday, October 6, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Colossians 1:18
“And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.”
-Background/Context:
Sometimes we picture all the people in the New Testament as having known Christ personally—or at least maybe knew someone who knew someone who knew Him. Obviously, living 2,000 years later, we’ve never had that privilege. The truth of the matter is that once we get past Acts 2, very few people had seen Jesus personally or heard Him teach. In that respect, these young Christians are just the same as you and me. Paul devotes much time in his letters to help all of us know just Who Jesus is, what all makes Him so incredibly special and unique, and what a huge blessing this is to all of us.
-Something to Think About:
The Greek word “preeminent” means first in rank or importance. Dictionary.com defines it as superior; surpassing.
Jesus Christ is, simply put, superior in every single area and way, and His ranking on the importance scale is #1. In fact, He has NO competition in any category!
Why, then, do you suppose so many people challenge Him? Why do you and I, far too often, act according to our wisdom, not bothering to consult the Lord first? Why do God’s children look at what God wants us to think like and act like, then turn our backs and do something completely different?
It’s the same old, extremely tragic story of sin. Sin is the great destroyer. And sin’s #1 tool? Encouraging you and me to fight the Lord for first place. It’s only when a person acknowledges that Jesus Christ is the One Who calls the shots that they can live their lives to the fullest that God wanted them to have. And it’s only those who have placed their trust in Jesus Christ as their Savior who can recognize right and wrong according to God’s standard.
Jesus Christ IS First. Does how you intend to spend today demonstrate that you are aware of this and are embracing it?
By the way, the Bible encourages us to be great. This doesn’t mean that we should ever try to steal Jesus’ ranking, but we SHOULD focus on giving Him our first and our best. How? By proving that we love Him with all our heart, mind, body, and strength—by obeying His Word in the big things and little things. And, by having a servant’s heart, considering the needs of others as more important than our own.
One day soon, our topsy-turvy world will be made right, and sin, satan, and darkness will no longer be in the picture. On that glorious day, ALL will recognize Jesus as the King of kings and Lord of lords, and will gladly bow their knees to Him. BUT, you and I can do that right this very second. We can rejoice in His Lordship and delight in living wholeheartedly for His glory and His smile of approval.
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Tuesday, October 7, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Psalm 138:2
“I bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word.”
-Background/Context:
Psalm 138 OF DAVID.
“I give you thanks, O LORD, with my whole heart; before the gods I sing your praise; I bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word. On the day I called, you answered me; my strength of soul you increased.
All the kings of the earth shall give you thanks, O LORD, for they have heard the words of your mouth, and they shall sing of the ways of the LORD, for great is the glory of the LORD. For though the LORD is high, he regards the lowly, but the haughty he knows from afar. Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life; you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and your right hand delivers me. The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O LORD, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.”
-Something to Think About:
Have you ever tried to make a toddler take a medicine that they don’t want to take? Let’s just say that there are tears (from child AND parent), determination (same!), willful vocalization (same!), and some serious muscle strain. But, whether or not your child wants medicine, if they need it, a loving parent will not give up—and that child WILL get medication (even though it sometimes makes you wish the child was a dog and you could sneak it in peanut butter without them ever being the wiser!).
The Lord WILL fulfil His purpose in His children. Psalm 138:8 says so. And because this isn’t only David’s words, but God’s, it’s a done deal. I guess the question is how we are viewing this truth? As an incredible and amazing blessing from God—or as an intrusion or challenge to overcome in order to do what we want or get what we think is best?
Once in a while, a toddler happens to enjoy the taste of grape medicine, and they happily slurp it all up. The parent is happy, and the child feels better. Wouldn’t you and I be wise to view ALL God brings into our lives as from His loving hand, given to us in order to fulfill His purpose for us and in us?
All that was totally and completely free (because I love that verse!), but it’s verse 2 that has our word “all.” =)
David gives thanks to his Lord and God (with ALL his heart), David SINGS praise to Him, David BOWS DOWN before Him, thanking Him for His steadfast love (hesed) and faithfulness—and—because His name and word are exalted above ALL things.
David goes on to thank and praise God for answering his prayers, for giving him the strength he needed, when he needed it (and why), for the glory of His ways, for how He is pleased with those who are properly humble, and for His deliverance and righteous vengeance. AND, David thanks and praises God because He knows that God WILL fulfill all His purposes in his life and that He won’t ever forsake the work of His hands.
These are definitely ALL things that you and I can thank and praise God for, too! There’s no time like the present! Where do you want to begin?
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Wednesday, October 8, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Luke 5:26
“And amazement seized them all, and they glorified God and were filled with awe, saying, “We have seen extraordinary things today.”
-Background/Context:
Here’s what they were amazed about:
Luke 5:17-26
“On one of those days, as he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there, who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with him to heal. And behold, some men were bringing on a bed a man who was paralyzed, and they were seeking to bring him in and lay him before Jesus, but finding no way to bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down with his bed through the tiles into the midst before Jesus. And when he saw their faith, he said, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.” And the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, saying, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” When Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answered them, “Why do you question in your hearts? Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the man who was paralyzed—“I say to you, rise, pick up your bed and go home.” And immediately he rose up before them and picked up what he had been lying on and went home, glorifying God. And amazement seized them all, and they glorified God and were filled with awe, saying, “We have seen extraordinary things today.”
(This account can also be found in Matthew 9:1-8 and Mark 2:1-12.)
-Something to Think About:
This must have been quite the exciting day! HUGE crowds of people, the ever-present Religious leaders lurking in the background ready to pounce, who knows how many sick, crippled, or injured people desperate for help (plus their family members)—and Jesus in the middle of all the chaos, simply trying to explain to people Who His Father is and what He wants them to know as His chosen people.
Enter stage left, four determined men who wanted—no, resolved!— to see their friend healed by this incredible Man from Galilee. Were they, at first, despondent to see no way to get to Jesus? Did they move back to a quieter spot to regroup and deliberate how to accomplish their goal? How desperate they must have been to decide to open up the roof of some stranger’s home!
I’ve often wondered just when the people in the room wondered about the scratching-digging sounds over their heads. Did Jesus hear and choose to ignore it until the job was done? (My husband is really, really good about choosing to “not notice” distractions while he is preaching so as not to disturb the flow of the message for the listeners, so I imagine Jesus was VERY good at this! PS pastors see far more than you might realize!)
But, of course, having a full-grown man lowered into the middle of the room is, at some point, impossible to not acknowledge—and what followed was a gracious miracle from the hand of the Savior. Well, TWO miracles, actually, The man’s paralysis was immediately and fully healed—AND—he became a member of the family of God on that day, because he placed his faith in Jesus Christ. I’ll bet he never forgot that day on the calendar again his whole life—and probably no one else in the room did, either!
Say, when is the last time you allowed yourself to be amazed at something the Lord did, or some blessed truth from His Word, or even over some extra-special fellowship with another child of God (something that couldn’t happen apart from your relationship to God)? Have you participated in your church family’s communion service lately? If so, did you really and truly pour your heart and mind into the soberness and joy of that special ordinance? Frankly, ALL Christians should regularly be amazed at the goodness, love, mercy, and grace of our Heavenly Father and our Savior. If that hasn’t happened in a bit, it might be time to readjust some priorities, to prayerfully evaluate for any hidden sin, or to double your efforts in Bible study and prayer. Our God does OUTSTANDING things in us and around us constantly! Ask His help to see them and enjoy them, so you can, in turn, praise Him, thank Him, and tell of His wonders to others.
FYI, it’s interesting to note that Luke says that the “power of the Lord” was with Jesus to heal on the day of question. Stated another way, perhaps it’s not always God’s will to bring healing, or to bring it quickly. The best prayer for sickness and all situations will always be, “Your will be done.”
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Thursday, October 9, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read 1 Peter 4:10-11
“As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”
-Background/Context:
There’s a lot of misunderstanding about the word “gift” in the New Testament. While it’s true that God gave several amazing supernatural abilities to a few people when the Church was brand new (primarily the Apostles), these gifts were meant to give the new Church a boost, and as the early leaders died out, so did the supernatural, Holy Spirit-endowed gifts. In fact, once the Bible was completely written, IT became the Guidebook and Source of help and direction for the believer—and it still is to this day, so these supernatural gifts were no longer needed.
Generally, when you see the word “gift” in regard to today’s Christian, we should understand it to mean talents and abilities (this is supported by the talents and abilities noted in Romans chapter 12). God wants us to use the assorted skills and know-how we have for His glory and to be a help and blessing to others. In this particular passage, “gift” seems to refer to God’s grace, of which every believer is a steward or manager. God has shown you grace so that you can show grace, mercy, and compassion to others.
-Something to Think About:
Peter has been teaching Christians about time issues, and about how Jesus had come and left again, leaving us jobs to do for the glory of God with whatever time He has gifted to us in this body on this earth.
The gift mentioned in verse 10 has no definite article and is a general term having to do with ALL that God gives to His children by way of His grace and blessings. It shouldn’t take any of us more than a few seconds to count our blessings and name them one by one, because they are many and they are constant!
The biggest and first gift God gave, of course, is our salvation. Once we’ve become new creatures in Christ, everything about us changes, including our purpose for living and how and why we spend our time. Peter reminds us that we need to be good stewards (managers) of all we are and have, doing everything so that God will be glorified.
Did you see something super exciting about this call to live for God by way of blessing others with our time, talents, and treasures? It says that what we do, we are ABLE to do—because God supplies the strength that we need. Isn’t that awesome! What an encouragement! We are not, nor have ever been, abandoned to “find the strength within” to live for God, serve others, and be good stewards of all God has blessed us with. HE helps us every second of every day! Praise the Lord!
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Friday, October 10, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read 2 Samuel 6:5
“And David and all the house of Israel were celebrating before the LORD, with songs and lyres and harps and tambourines and castanets and cymbals.”
-Background/Context:
Paul Harvey was famous at one time for his news stories that contained the phrase, “the rest of the story.” These reports provided a lot more information about some news item that was a hot topic at the time, because there’s almost always way more to the stories that we hear. For example, why was David celebrating before the Lord? Who was with him? That, my friends, is what context is. Here’s a bit more of II Samuel 6:
2 Samuel 6:1-15
“David again gathered all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand. And David arose and went with all the people who were with him from Baale-judah to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the name of the LORD of hosts who sits enthroned on the cherubim. And they carried the ark of God on a new cart and brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. And Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, were driving the new cart, with the ark of God, and Ahio went before the ark.
“And David and all the house of Israel were celebrating before the LORD, with songs and lyres and harps and tambourines and castanets and cymbals. And when they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled. And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzzah, and God struck him down there because of his error, and he died there beside the ark of God. And David was angry because the LORD had broken out against Uzzah. And that place is called Perez-uzzah to this day. And David was afraid of the LORD that day, and he said, “How can the ark of the LORD come to me?” So David was not willing to take the ark of the LORD into the city of David. But David took it aside to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite. And the ark of the LORD remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite three months, and the LORD blessed Obed-edom and all his household.
“And it was told King David, “The LORD has blessed the household of Obed-edom and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of God.” So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom to the city of David with rejoicing. And when those who bore the ark of the LORD had gone six steps, he sacrificed an ox and a fattened animal. And David danced before the LORD with all his might. And David was wearing a linen ephod. So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouting and with the sound of the horn.”
-Something to Think About:
As many of you know, I love to read, and read at least a little bit almost every day. Yesterday, I was reading a story where one character was trying to explain to another character that what we fear most WILL drive our actions. The illustration he used was that of a woman who is deathly afraid of swimming, but who will jump into a pool to save her baby because her fear of losing her baby is greater than her fear of water. He went on to say that humans will make decisions based on who or what we fear the most. His point was that if we feared God the most (fearing His disappointment; fearing rebelling against Him), then we will choose to act and react in the way that we know HE wants—more than what we might want or what others are tempting us to do. It was a pretty deep and thought-provoking statement and one I want to give a lot more thought to.
The timing of reading that was interesting to me, because the heart of all the problems David (and poor Uzzah) had was that they acted outside of how God had said He wanted things done. Was it a WONDERFUL thing to have the stolen Ark of the Covenant returned to Israel? Of course! Was it reason for TREMENDOUS celebration to be part of the parade bringing it home? Yes! BUT, God had given very clear instruction as to how the Ark was to be moved, and who could move it. A pretty big one was that it could not be touched by human hands. So, God’s people should not be surprised when God reminds us that we have disobeyed or rebelled. What’s astonishing is that He doesn’t zap us all every time we go our own way on any given day!
We humans are pretty fond of making our own rules—and one of the hardest lessons we may ever face is learning that God does not dance to our wishes. nor does He NEED to act in a way that seems to us the right one or the expected one. He is God. We are not. That simple, but that critical to a thriving, joyful, faithful, victorious life as a child of God.
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Saturday, October 11, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Ezra 1:2
“Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah.”
-Background/Context:
Ezra 1
“In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing:
“Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever is among you of all his people, may his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and rebuild the house of the LORD, the God of Israel—he is the God who is in Jerusalem. And let each survivor, in whatever place he sojourns, be assisted by the men of his place with silver and gold, with goods and with beasts, besides freewill offerings for the house of God that is in Jerusalem.”
“Then rose up the heads of the fathers’ houses of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and the Levites, everyone whose spirit God had stirred to go up to rebuild the house of the LORD that is in Jerusalem. And all who were about them aided them with vessels of silver, with gold, with goods, with beasts, and with costly wares, besides all that was freely offered. Cyrus the king also brought out the vessels of the house of the LORD that Nebuchadnezzar had carried away from Jerusalem and placed in the house of his gods. Cyrus king of Persia brought these out in the charge of Mithredath the treasurer, who counted them out to Sheshbazzar the prince of Judah. And this was the number of them: 30 basins of gold, 1,000 basins of silver, 29 censers, 30 bowls of gold, 410 bowls of silver, and 1,000 other vessels; all the vessels of gold and of silver were 5,400. All these did Sheshbazzar bring up, when the exiles were brought up from Babylonia to Jerusalem.”
-Something to Think About:
There are some pretty fascinating things to note here in Ezra 1.
-The books of Ezra and Nehemiah are joined together in the Hebrew Bible. Chronologically, Ezra follows the book of II Chronicles, and Nehemiah follows the book of Ezra.
-The book of Ezra spans 92 years of Hebrew history.
-Cyrus was the pagan King of Persia, the nation that ruled the world at that time. They did this by overtaking the mighty kingdom of Babylon about a year earlier (539 BC). And yet, Cyrus is being used to fulfill a prophecy that Jeremiah was given by God many decades earlier.
-According to the Persians’ own laws, what was proclaimed and put into writing was irreversible. The thing that Cyrus proclaimed was that the Jews who had been held in captivity for 70 years were not only being freed, but were being given funds and goods to rebuild the Temple for God. Furthermore, Cyrus commanded his people in every place to help the Jews as much as they could.
-God then worked in the hearts of many of His people, including the heads of the houses of Judah and Benjamin (the southern kingdom of Israel), as well as some priests and Levites, to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple. Remember, these people had been out of the Promised Land for several decades. This was a big deal! By the way, not all Jews chose to return. Some loved their life in Babylon and stayed. This did not please the Lord.
-70 years after being stolen, many of the treasures of God’s House were being returned. Praise the Lord!
-Cyrus did all that he said he would do. By the way, it might seem like Cyrus believed in God as THE God, but he also believed in other gods. Since God IS the only God, Cyrus was NOT a believer. Salvation is only what God says salvation is: faith alone in Christ alone.
-Despite some opposition and challenge, the Temple was rebuilt in 515 BC. In 458, Ezra led the second of three waves of refugees back to Jerusalem, where he found the people not living fully for God. He preached to them, and they repented and returned to a faithful walk with the Lord.
-None of this could have happened or would have happened without God guiding every single step. All these centuries later, and God is STILL guiding our every step and He is STILL accomplishing His will. The only question is whether we are joyfully cooperating with Him—or kicking and screaming to fight for what we think is better than His plan. May God help each of us be as Cyrus was in chapter 1—open to God’s will and seeing it through to the end. Who knows what mighty things He might yet do through us!
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Sunday, October 12, 2025
(Thank the Father for this special day set aside for Him. Ask Him to help you know Him better by the day’s end and to have many opportunities to tell others about His praiseworthiness.)
-Be sure to spend some time in prayer first thing this morning so that you know that your heart is right with God. Make sure sin is confessed and dealt with, then ask Him to help you listen, learn, and grow. Ask not to be distracted by other thoughts during sermons and Bible studies, and not to be a distraction to others.
-Pray for your pastor and others who will be serving God today.
-Ask the Father for opportunities to speak of Him to others, to build others up in the things of the Lord, and to find tasks that you can do for Him and for others of His children today and this week.
-Ask at least one person how you can pray for them this week. What is their prayer request?
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-Take time before day’s end to note at least 5 things that you thank God for based on time spent in His House, hearing His Word, and being among His people.
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BONUS! God-honoring music is such a tremendous blessing that I thought we could use Sundays to focus on a few hymns that use “all” in them to read through (and sing, if you want!).
Worthy of Worship (words by T. York; music by M. Blankenship)
Worthy of worship, worthy of praise, worthy of honor and glory. Worthy of all the glad songs we can sing, worthy of all of the offerings we bring. You are worthy, Father, Creator. You are worthy, Savior, Sustainer. You are worthy, worthy and wonderful! Worthy of all worship and praise!
Worthy of reverence, worthy of fear, worthy of love and devotion. Worthy of bowing and bending of knees, worthy of all this and added to these. You are worthy, Father, Creator. You are worthy, Savior, Sustainer. You are worthy, worthy and wonderful! Worthy of all worship and praise!
Almighty Father, Master and Lord, King of all kings and Redeemer. Wonderful Counselor, Comforter, Friend, Savior and Source of our life without end! You are worthy, Father, Creator. You are worthy, Savior, Sustainer. You are worthy, worthy and wonderful! Worthy of all worship and praise!
Monday, October 13, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Nehemiah 4:6
“So we built the wall. And all the wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.”
-Background/Context:
Ezra led some of the Jews who had been taken captive by Babylon several decades earlier back to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple. Now, sometime later, Nehemiah, who bore the prestigious position of cupbearer to the king, heard that the walls surrounding Jerusalem were in horrible disrepair. This meant that the people inside had no protection from invaders. Nehemiah’s first response upon hearing this troubling news was to pray to God for help and for wisdom to know what to do. God answered by leading the king to allow Nehemiah to go to Jerusalem to oversee the rebuilding of the wall. He also made provision for obtaining the supplies. Isn’t our God amazing!
The rebuilding of the walls was not without a lot of trouble. Read the following (but, if you want a much fuller picture, start in chapter 1):
Nehemiah 4:1-14
“Now when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he was angry and greatly enraged, and he jeered at the Jews. And he said in the presence of his brothers and of the army of Samaria, “What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they restore it for themselves? Will they sacrifice? Will they finish up in a day? Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish, and burned ones at that?” Tobiah the Ammonite was beside him, and he said, “Yes, what they are building—if a fox goes up on it he will break down their stone wall!” Hear, O our God, for we are despised. Turn back their taunt on their own heads and give them up to be plundered in a land where they are captives. Do not cover their guilt, and let not their sin be blotted out from your sight, for they have provoked you to anger in the presence of the builders.
“So we built the wall. And all the wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a mind to work. But when Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabs and the Ammonites and the Ashdodites heard that the repairing of the walls of Jerusalem was going forward and that the breaches were beginning to be closed, they were very angry. And they all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and to cause confusion in it. And we prayed to our God and set a guard as a protection against them day and night.
“In Judah it was said, “The strength of those who bear the burdens is failing. There is too much rubble. By ourselves we will not be able to rebuild the wall.” And our enemies said, “They will not know or see till we come among them and kill them and stop the work.” At that time the Jews who lived near them came from all directions and said to us ten times, “You must return to us.” So in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, in open places, I stationed the people by their clans, with their swords, their spears, and their bows. And I looked and arose and said to the nobles and to the officials and to the rest of the people, “Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes.”
-Something to Think About:
When I was a teenager, I joined our church youth group’s Bible quiz team. Nehemiah was one of the books assigned to us, so I got pretty familiar with it, and my experience is that any and all Scripture that we work to become familiar with will become our “favorite” for the rest of our lives!
There are two phrases in this passage that are a special delight to me. The first is in today’s verse, “for the people had a mind to work.” What a JOY it is when God’s people come together to pray, to seek God’s will, and then to work together to carry it out! This might be something like praying for a fellow member with a medical need, it might be gathering together for a church workday, it might be signing up to make meals for someone who just had surgery… any number of things. The point is that when God’s people, in our case, a local church family, all join together to please God by doing something for one another, the blessings just abound!
The other phrase is, “Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome…” (v.14). When we remember just WHO we are serving, just WHO is the One helping and guiding, why would we need to be stressed? Frustrated? Afraid? Anxious? Our God is Great! Our God is awesome! He WILL accomplish His will—and when we as His children unite together to serve Him, obey Him, and please Him, we get to share in the wonders as they take place. What an encouragement! What a blessing!
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Tuesday, October 14, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Jonah 2:3
“For you cast me into the deep, into the heart of the seas, and the flood surrounded me; all your waves and your billows passed over me.”
-Background/Context:
The book of Jonah is one of the Minor Prophets. These books are not called this because of importance, but because of their short length, especially as compared to books such as Isaiah and such.
Jonah’s story is pretty well known. Not that many people are swallowed by a great fish and live to tell about it! More importantly, however, Jonah learned to not run from God and to not fight against His will. The book of Jonah is also very much about God’s tremendous mercy and grace!
-Something to Think About:
Part of Jonah’s prayer was, “For you cast me into the deep, into the heart of the seas, and the flood surrounded me; all your waves and your billows passed over me.” Of course, he was speaking about being in literal deep water with literal dangerous currents where he was about to actually drown, but I’ve had many occasions over the course of my life where I’ve felt the same feeling: utterly overwhelmed, distressed, and not really knowing which way was up. I’m sure you have, too. In fact, some synonyms for “overwhelmed” include being engulfed, flooded, and even drowned. We all live in a fallen world where hard things happen. Really hard things. But, I love what Jonah did when about to lose his life. Read all his prayer here:
Jonah 2
“Then Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from the belly of the fish, saying, “I called out to the LORD, out of my distress, and he answered me; out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and you heard my voice. For you cast me into the deep, into the heart of the seas, and the flood surrounded me; all your waves and your billows passed over me. Then I said, ‘I am driven away from your sight; yet I shall again look upon your holy temple.’ The waters closed in over me to take my life; the deep surrounded me; weeds were wrapped about my head at the roots of the mountains. I went down to the land whose bars closed upon me forever; yet you brought up my life from the pit, O LORD my God. When my life was fainting away, I remembered the LORD, and my prayer came to you, into your holy temple. Those who pay regard to vain idols forsake their hope of steadfast love. But I with the voice of thanksgiving will sacrifice to you; what I have vowed I will pay. Salvation belongs to the LORD!” And the LORD spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah out upon the dry land.”
Jonah turned to the Lord in prayer. He “remembered” that he wasn’t alone—even in the depths of the ocean and in the stomach of a huge fish. God will always hear the prayers of His children, most especially when we are crying to Him to confess our sin and ask His help to walk obediently and faithfully for Him moving ahead. He may or may not deliver us from whatever crisis situation we are in (He might have a reason to allow the trial to continue that we’re unaware of), but He will always be with us in and throughout the trial—as well as when we are past it. Sometimes God needs to put us in a hard place simply BECAUSE we’ve sort of forgotten Him in our day to day life, getting the very wrong idea that because things are going smoothly, we can “handle” life on our own.
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Wednesday, October 15, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Esther 1:17
“For the queen’s behavior will be made known to all women, causing them to look at their husbands with contempt, since they will say, ‘King Ahasuerus commanded Queen Vashti to be brought before him, and she did not come.’”
-Background/Context:
Esther lived during the years when many Jews were in captivity in Persia. The author of the book is unknown, but some have suggested that it could have been Mordecai, Esther’s uncle, who is prominently featured throughout the book giving godly advice to Esther.
Read all of chapter 1 for better context to today’s verse:
Esther 1
“Now in the days of Ahasuerus, the Ahasuerus who reigned from India to Ethiopia over 127 provinces, in those days when King Ahasuerus sat on his royal throne in Susa, the citadel, in the third year of his reign he gave a feast for all his officials and servants. The army of Persia and Media and the nobles and governors of the provinces were before him, while he showed the riches of his royal glory and the splendor and pomp of his greatness for many days, 180 days. And when these days were completed, the king gave for all the people present in Susa the citadel, both great and small, a feast lasting for seven days in the court of the garden of the king’s palace. There were white cotton curtains and violet hangings fastened with cords of fine linen and purple to silver rods and marble pillars, and also couches of gold and silver on a mosaic pavement of porphyry, marble, mother-of-pearl, and precious stones. Drinks were served in golden vessels, vessels of different kinds, and the royal wine was lavished according to the bounty of the king. And drinking was according to this edict: “There is no compulsion.” For the king had given orders to all the staff of his palace to do as each man desired. Queen Vashti also gave a feast for the women in the palace that belonged to King Ahasuerus.
“On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with wine, he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha and Abagtha, Zethar and Carkas, the seven eunuchs who served in the presence of King Ahasuerus, to bring Queen Vashti before the king with her royal crown, in order to show the peoples and the princes her beauty, for she was lovely to look at. But Queen Vashti refused to come at the king’s command delivered by the eunuchs. At this the king became enraged, and his anger burned within him.
Then the king said to the wise men who knew the times (for this was the king’s procedure toward all who were versed in law and judgment, the men next to him being Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven princes of Persia and Media, who saw the king’s face, and sat first in the kingdom): “According to the law, what is to be done to Queen Vashti, because she has not performed the command of King Ahasuerus delivered by the eunuchs?” Then Memucan said in the presence of the king and the officials, “Not only against the king has Queen Vashti done wrong, but also against all the officials and all the peoples who are in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus. For the queen’s behavior will be made known to all women, causing them to look at their husbands with contempt, since they will say, ‘King Ahasuerus commanded Queen Vashti to be brought before him, and she did not come.’ This very day the noble women of Persia and Media who have heard of the queen’s behavior will say the same to all the king’s officials, and there will be contempt and wrath in plenty. If it please the king, let a royal order go out from him, and let it be written among the laws of the Persians and the Medes so that it may not be repealed, that Vashti is never again to come before King Ahasuerus. And let the king give her royal position to another who is better than she. So when the decree made by the king is proclaimed throughout all his kingdom, for it is vast, all women will give honor to their husbands, high and low alike.” This advice pleased the king and the princes, and the king did as Memucan proposed. He sent letters to all the royal provinces, to every province in its own script and to every people in its own language, that every man be master in his own household and speak according to the language of his people.”
-Something to Think About:
There’s a lot to be said about the book of Esther and how God used a pagan king’s command to his wife (both of whom had been drinking and partying heavily for several days) to precipitate the saving of the entire Jewish nation from annihilation. You can (and should) read Esther for yourself soon. It’s quite an exciting tale!
However, if I’m going to focus on Esther 1:17, the thing that came to my mind was our testimony and reputation as not only Christians (which should drive us to excellence in all areas of life in order to bring honor to God), but as wives, husbands, parents, grandparents, daughters, sons, friends, co-workers, fellow church members—and even as a complete stranger in the middle of the chaos that is Walmart.
King Ahasuerus’s advisors warned him that if he pretended to not notice Queen Vashti ignore his command to come (he WAS the king, after all!), it would set a nationwide precedent for all wives to feel free to ignore their husbands and even look upon them with contempt.
I think by this time we all know that God has chosen to create areas of authority for all humans. It’s when someone operates outside of this that huge trouble follows, both inside our hearts and in consequences for rebelling against God’s authority. What are some of these roles? Obeying God is always, always, always the most important. All humans are told to obey the governmental authorities set over them, wives are to submit themselves to their own husbands, children are to obey parents, employees are to obey their employers, etc. Of course, we need to keep in mind that since obeying God is always #1, even if ordered to sin by someone in authority over us, we must obey God, not them. BUT, this is quite rare in our culture and country. We are all more likely to be upset about something that is our opinion or a preference as opposed to an actual sin.
Here are a few things to prayerfully consider in regard to our testimony and reputation:
-A Christian should never ask another Christian to do something that is a sin—or against a conviction the other person might have.
-A Christian should not do things that are confusing or offensive to another believer, even if they are not actually something the Bible says is wrong (this would be the proper putting of others’ needs before your own).
-When we think about our testimony, we usually think of interactions with people, maybe mostly in regard to being in public and among strangers. However, how we act and react in the presence of our family is also a super important thing. In addition, how we act and react in private matters, too. God is aware of our thoughts, actions, and motivations at all times. Furthermore, Christians have the Holy Spirit within us, so we’re kind of bringing God along with us when we go to less-than-honorable places or participate in questionable activities.
-When in doubt, don’t. If you’re not 100% sure that where you’re going, what you’re seeing, what you’re listening to, or what you are about to do is pleasing to God, don’t. Just say no!
-Even if our reputation has been poor in the past, today is a new day just stuffed full of God’s mercies. Confess any sin that is still hanging there between you and God (and against another person, if applicable), then start out brand-new and guilt-free. Live for God RIGHT NOW, and slowly, but surely, your reputation will become one that is Christ-like, and a light to all who observe you!
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Thursday, October 16, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read John 1:1-5
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
-Background/Context:
The gospel of John was written by John the Apostle. Did you know that each of the gospels have a different focus? Matthew’s is to point out Christ as King, Mark’s is to point out Christ as the perfect Servant, Luke’s is to point out that Christ is the perfect Man, and John’s is to point out that Christ is the Son of God.
-Something to Think About:
I’m sure that you have heard before that the opening verses of John harken back to the majesty of Genesis 1 (“In the beginning…GOD”). God Almighty has always existed and He has always existed in Three Persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. They are equal and One (“Trinity” – tri-unity), yet They each have separate roles. This fact alone should help us to look at the authority structure God has given to us as humans as a blessing, not as a restriction or something to be endured. Jesus Christ, Who IS God, considered it a joy and a privilege to carry out the Father’s will to perfection, and the Holy Spirit is working all the time to give all focus to the Son. How could we, created beings, bought by the precious blood of the Lamb, fight against the Father’s will for us!
I mentioned the other day about something I read in a Christian fiction story that gave me pause for thought. Well, this morning I found another. The main character was reaching for a specific goal, but encountering some pretty major hurdles before reaching it, kind of thinking of some as good and others as bad—and maybe at the same time, making a very wrong assumption that it was God Who was either showing love—or not (depending on her analysis of what she felt was smooth sailing v. stormy travel). In the end, however, she said this: “God is enough—and everything else He gives us are gifts.”
What she meant was that the greatest gift God gives to us is eternal salvation from the one-way ticket to Hell we are all born with. The cost to Him was tremendous, yet He gladly put the only plan into action that could save us—and saw it through to the end. THE one thing in life that is, without question, the most important thing anyone can do is to trust in Jesus Christ as their Savior. Even if God never blessed us in any other way EVER, that’s still enough. BUT HE DOES BLESS US MORE. Every. Single. Day.
Remember that awesome song, “Count Your Blessings”? The author of that song had the right idea! We should ALL be getting up each morning with words of gratitude and praise on our lips. Were we to do so, it would help us face the day with the right attitude, and we all know that attitude is everything. The only caution that I can think of when considering the beginning of counting our blessings is that there is no place we can stop! The blessings from our loving Father are constant and continuous. Even so, why not get started right now!
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Friday, October 17, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Job 1:5
“And when the days of the feast had run their course, Job would send and consecrate them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, “It may be that my children have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts.” Thus Job did continually.”
-Background/Context:
Job 1:1-5
“There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job, and that man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil. There were born to him seven sons and three daughters. He possessed 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, and 500 female donkeys, and very many servants, so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the east. His sons used to go and hold a feast in the house of each one on his day, and they would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. And when the days of the feast had run their course, Job would send and consecrate them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, “It may be that my children have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts.” Thus Job did continually.”
-Something to Think About:
My son, Pastor Stephen Brown, has translated the book of Job from its original Hebrew in order to provide an easy-to-understand paraphrase. Here is his paraphrase of verses 1-5:
“A man named Job lived in the land of Uz. He was characterized by integrity and uprightness; he feared God and shunned evil. He had seven sons and three daughters. In the course of time, he came to have a flock of 7,000 sheep and goats, 3,000 camels, and 500 teams of oxen, 500 donkeys, and many servants. Job was more notable than all the famous men of the east. Each year, his sons would throw a lavish birthday party in the home of the one having a birthday, and they would invite all their sisters to come and join in. When this would happen, Job would arrange to have them set apart by him to God, and early in the morning, he would offer one burnt offering for each of them. He did this because he reasoned to himself, “It is possible that my sons have sinned, and have cursed God in their hearts.” Such was Job’s continual practice.”
This opening to the very famous book of Job is simply an introduction to the man Job and what his life was like. The key thought is not that Job had a big family, nor was it that he had a lot of possessions. It isn’t even that He was the richest fellow around. The important thing for readers to take away is that Job was a man who was characterized by integrity and uprightness. That is, he was honest and trustworthy in every area and at all times. This is, for sure, something ALL believers should be known for! Our testimony among family members, friends, co-workers, and church family ought to be one of excellence.
The other notable thing about Job in these first five verses is how he made a “continual practice” of paying attention to the spiritual well-being of his family. You and I are not asked to make sacrifices as the Hebrews were in the Old Testament, BUT, there are many, many ways we can look after the spiritual health of our loved ones. We can:
-Pray for them daily, often, and very specifically.
-Share Bible verses often in order to encourage, strengthen, and direct thinking and action.
-Encourage church attendance whenever the doors are open (and this will partly be through our own example of not letting other things take priority over being in God’s House).
-Begin a Bible study with them. We do this with friends and even strangers, why not our own family?
-Gift them with things that build them up in the Lord—and not things that encourage love of the world or agreement with it. I’m thinking of using caution in gifting secular books, t-shirts with worldly slogans or images, music that is less than clearly God-honoring, movies that have ugly words or ungodly attitudes and actions, and even toys for the little ones that are promoting a way of life that is in contrast to God’s Word.
-Speak often of God’s goodness in their presence (and through emails, texts, etc.).
-Give them just as much love, support, and patience that we tend to give friends and even co-workers (sometimes our family members get our leftovers and not our best).
What else? I would love to hear your ideas!
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Saturday, October 18, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Job 1:10
“Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land.”
-Background/Context:
Job 1:6-12
“Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them. The LORD said to Satan, “From where have you come?” Satan answered the LORD and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.” And the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?” Then Satan answered the LORD and said, “Does Job fear God for no reason? Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.” And the LORD said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand.” So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD.”
Pastor Stephen’s paraphrase:
“On one of these birthdays, the angelic host, satan among them, came to give an account of their actions to the Lord. The Lord asked satan, “What have you been doing? “Roaming all over the earth,” satan answered. Then the Lord asked satan, “Have you noticed My servant Job? He stands out—a man of uniquely unimpeachable character!” “It’s hardly a coincidence that Job serves You!” Satan sneered in reply. “You have protected him, and all that he has, from harm, and given him great prosperity. At Your command, his cattle have practically overrun the land! But take that blessing away from him, and he will curse You to Your face!” I’m giving you permission to attack anything in Job’s orbit,” said the Lord. “As long as you do not harm the man himself.” Then satan left the Lord’s presence.”
-Something to Think About:
Chapter 1 began by introducing Job, but then the scene switches to heaven, where angelic beings are giving an account to God. In this scene, satan joins them, and God wants him to tell Him what he’s been doing. God, of course, knows all things, and knows this, but perhaps He wanted to point out someone that satan had no doubt observed, Job. In God’s view, Job was outstanding in his attitudes and actions, and God was very pleased with him. Satan insultingly states that Job’s faithfulness to God is only skin deep and should God take away Job’s riches and abundance, he would not only stop worshiping God, but would turn against Him and curse Him.
A few things to note:
-Satan is NOT free to do anything and everything he wants. He must report in to God—and he has strict parameters on what he’s allowed to do.
-Job stood out because of his faithfulness to God and his determination to obey and please God. This leads us to conclude two things: not that many Christians are sold out for God (so sad!) – and— God sees each and every one of our sacrifices done in His name, and when we are giving our best to living wholeheartedly for Him, this is very pleasing to Him—and perhaps He even brags about us to His angels!
-Satan, too, may well ESPECIALLY notice Christians who are living wholeheartedly for God. He is not omnipresent nor omnipotent, so he would want to spend his time trying to take down faithful Christians, not the unfaithful ones. Christians need to stay on their guard, standing strong in the Lord, leaning on God’s Word, and never giving in or giving up!
-Christians will also one day give an account to God face-to-face. This won’t be for sin, since Jesus’ blood made us righteous in God’s sight, but we WILL need to answer for our choices and how well we used our time, talents, and treasures for His glory, to bless others, and to help them spiritually. We can’t change what we did or didn’t do yesterday, but we CAN choose to live wholeheartedly for Him TODAY.
-Satan was right about one thing: ALL our blessings DO come from God! Praise Him! Thank Him!
-When some blessing is taken away from us, choose to not look at it as an attack from God, but that He has a bigger blessing in store. Trust Him that He knows best.
What other applications did you see? I would love to know!
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Sunday, October 19, 2025
(Thank the Father for this special day set aside for Him. Ask Him to help you know Him better by the day’s end and to have many opportunities to tell others about His praiseworthiness.)
-Be sure to spend some time in prayer first thing this morning so that you know that your heart is right with God. Make sure sin is confessed and dealt with, then ask Him to help you listen, learn, and grow. Ask not to be distracted by other thoughts during sermons and Bible studies, and not to be a distraction to others.
-Pray for your pastor and others who will be serving God today.
-Ask the Father for opportunities to speak of Him to others, to build others up in the things of the Lord, and to find tasks that you can do for Him and for others of His children today and this week.
-Ask at least one person how you can pray for them this week. What is their prayer request?
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-Take time before day’s end to note at least 5 things that you thank God for based on time spent in His House, hearing His Word, and being among His people.
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BONUS! God-honoring music is such a tremendous blessing that I thought we could use Sundays to focus on a few hymns that use “all” in them to read through (and sing, if you want!).
Near to the Heart of God (words and music by C. McAfee)
There is a place of quiet rest near to the heart of God, a place where sin cannot molest near to the heart of God. O Jesus, blest Redeemer, sent from the heart of God, hold us who wait before Thee near to the heart of God.
There is a place of comfort sweet near to the heart of God, a place where we our Savior meet near to the heart of God. O Jesus, blest Redeemer, sent from the heart of God, hold us who wait before Thee near to the heart of God.
There is a place of full release near to the heart of God, a place where all is joy and peace near to the heart of God. O Jesus, blest Redeemer, sent from the heart of God, hold us who wait before Thee near to the heart of God.
Monday, October 20, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Job 1:22
“In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong.”
-Background/Context:
Job 1:13-22
“Now there was a day when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, and there came a messenger to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them, and the Sabeans fell upon them and took them and struck down the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, “The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants and consumed them, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, “The Chaldeans formed three groups and made a raid on the camels and took them and struck down the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, “Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, and behold, a great wind came across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young people, and they are dead, and I alone have escaped to tell you.”
Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped. And he said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.”
In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong.”
Pastor Stephen’s paraphrase:
“That same day, a messenger came to Job and shouted, “The oxen were plowing, and the donkeys grazing nearby, when suddenly Sheban raiders attacked, seizing the animals and killing the servants. I am the only one who survived to tell you!” While he was still speaking, another messenger came and shouted, “A fireball from God came down from the skies, and burned up the flock and the servants. I am the only one who escaped to tell you!” While he was still speaking, another messenger came and shouted, “Chaldean warriors in three groups stole the camels and killed the servants. I am the only one who survived to tell you!” While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, “Your children were enjoying their feast in the house of the oldest, and suddenly a terrible wind came from the far side of the desert, and utterly flattened the house, crushing the young men and women in it. I am the only one who survived to tell you!” Then Job deliberately tore his clothes in grief, shaved his head, sank to the ground, and worshiped God, saying, “I was born with nothing, and I will die with nothing. The Lord has given me many good things, and now the Lord has taken away all these things; yet may the Lord’s character be considered blessed!” In the midst of all this calamity, Job remained free from sin and refrained from criticizing God.”
-Something to Think About:
One of the main things theologians point out when considering the book of Job is that we, the reader, know from the get-go why Job suddenly found himself in such a hard place, but Job didn’t know, nor to our knowledge, EVER found out. BUT, do any of us know ahead of time when tragedy is going to strike? Oh, I suppose there are times when a loved one has a terminal illness and it’s clear that death will be very soon. I have known of a few women who found out that the baby they were carrying had died, but they still had to go through the delivery process (which would be an incredibly hard thing for her and her husband!). And, of course, our loved ones who have lived to a very old age are not expected to live forever, so in some way, we are able to prepare our hearts ahead of time a bit. However, I feel like it’s kind of impossible to totally prepare for the things that are a complete surprise and shock.
So, what are we to do? How can we, like Job, accept the grief that sudden loss brings—and—praise and worship God in His sovereignty and perfect wisdom and way?
For one—maybe the main one—Job’s relationship with God was well established BEFORE these tragedies struck. He walked closely with God, he worshiped Him, he obeyed Him, he was careful to deal with sin quickly and as God instructed, and he clearly trusted God implicitly. These are all things you and I can be developing in our own lives as well. The more we are in God’s Word on a daily basis, then applying it to the “little” things we come across day by day, the more we will be ready to see His hand of goodness in the bigger challenges and troubling circumstances. The more we praise God and thank Him for all our blessings, “counting them one by one,” the more we will be able to thank Him for the hard things, too.
Don’t be mistaken, though, there are many incredibly difficult things that can happen that result in similar gut reactions as Job. He tore his clothes and shaved his head (a sign of deep heartache), BUT, even as he sank to the ground because his legs could hold him no longer, he turned TO the Lord in trust and confidence that His will is best, that ALL He does is good.
It’s fairly standard to ask “Why me!” when painful things happen, but as I heard in a recent sermon, the answer is ALWAYS going to be at least partly, “to glorify God.” With His help, we CAN do just that as our gut-reaction—and as an ongoing attitude.
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Tuesday, October 21, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Job 2:10
“Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die.” But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips.”
-Background/Context:
Job 2:1-10
“Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them to present himself before the LORD. And the LORD said to Satan, “From where have you come?” Satan answered the LORD and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.” And the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil? He still holds fast his integrity, although you incited me against him to destroy him without reason.” Then Satan answered the LORD and said, “Skin for skin! All that a man has he will give for his life. But stretch out your hand and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse you to your face.” And the LORD said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your hand; only spare his life.”
So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD and struck Job with loathsome sores from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. And he took a piece of broken pottery with which to scrape himself while he sat in the ashes.
Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die.” But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips.”
Pastor Stephen’s paraphrase:
“The time again came when the angelic host, satan among them, came to give an account of their actions to the Lord. The Lord asked satan, “What have you been doing?” “Roaming all over the earth,” satan answered. Then the Lord asked satan, “Have you noticed My servant Job? He still stands out as a man of uniquely unimpeachable character, and he still maintains this character, even though you, for no good reason, asked Me to ruin his life!” “One man’s gain for his friend’s pain!” satan shot back. “Wouldn’t anybody accept the loss of his possessions if it meant that he himself would be fine? But if You would harm his body, without a doubt he would curse You to Your face!” Then the Lord said to satan, “Alright, I give you permission to harm him as you see fit, except that you must spare his life.” Then satan left the Lord’s presence, and he caused Job to suffer from malignant boils all over his body. So Job, sitting in the dumping area for garbage outside the city, used a potsherd to scrape the pus from his body. His wife said to him, “I can’t believe you maintain your faithfulness to God in the midst of all this suffering! Curse God so that you’ll die, and be free from your pain!” “That sounds like what a godless person would say, not you,” Job replied. “If we allow God to give us pleasant things, it is surely reasonable to allow Him to give us painful times.” In spite of all these calamities, Job still refused to criticize God.”
-Something to Think About:
So, a LOT to unpack here!
-First, I don’t know about you, but I squirm a bit when reading this, imagining what Job was going through, and doubting just how God-honoring MY response would be. I suppose, perhaps, that this in itself is an important lesson, that of planning AHEAD of a “calamity” to CHOOSE to trust that God is always good, so that our reaction would be one that glorifies God, and is a good testimony to any who observe us.
-Next, don’t you just love how God bragged on Job! It’s an important reminder that God isn’t observing us from heaven just waiting to shake His head over our failures, but He is cheering us on to victories and faithfulness. In fact, He has given us tool after tool, help after help, to have victory, and to NOT sin. Maybe if our to-go view of God was that of His joy upon each right decision v. His disappointment over each wrong one, it would help us focus more on the joy of serving God, rather than any imagined drudgery. Attitude, my friends, it’s SO IMPORTANT!
-The conversation between God and satan is an important reminder that satan is ALL ABOUT negativity, accusations, lies, anger, and inciting sin. He should never be taken lightly, and we should always be on guard against Him. Remember, too, that God has told us that if we resist him (James 4:7), he has no recourse but to flee from us. FIGHT him! God will give the victory!
-God knows what satan is up to at all times, and satan has been given very firm restrictions. Furthermore, satan’s time is almost up. Once the Millennium is over, so is he—for forever. God, however, is eternal. Never forget Whose side you belong to: the Victor.
-Poor Mrs. Job! She sure lost her way. Don’t forget that she ALSO lost all her children as well as the security and position of prominence she had because of her husband’s wealth. She was grieving, too. BUT, unlike her husband, she gave in to bitterness and said things that are just plain wrong. Pastor Stephen’s paraphrase indicates that Mrs. Job was a believer in God and had been living for Him, however, in her grief and hurt, she began talking as if she didn’t know or trust God. From a human standpoint, this is understandable, but at least part of the point of Job is for us to recognize that this should NOT be our response. Our response should be Job’s, one of trusting in the goodness of God. With His help, it can be.
-Job’s simple words of wisdom and trust in 2:10 are timeless, precious, and utterly valuable for ALL believers to engrave in our brains and in our hearts: WHATEVER God gives is exactly right, because it is from Him. In other words, praising God is always the right response; criticizing Him is never the right thing.
What else did you see that was a blessing or spiritual challenge to you? Let me know!
(We addressed suffering more on August 22nd of this year.)
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Wednesday, October 22, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Job 38:1-7
“Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind and said: “Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? Dress for action like a man; I will question you, and you make it known to me.
“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements—surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? On what were its bases sunk,
or who laid its cornerstone, when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?”
-Background/Context:
Job 2:11-37:24 contains dialogue between Job and three “friends” who have come to comfort him. Sadly, their comfort consisted of increasingly heated debate, trying to get Job to confess to sin that they were certain he had committed, even though Job told them repeatedly that they were wrong.
Interestingly, even though Job got increasingly frustrated with his friends and began to question God’s fairness in the area of justice, he still trusted God completely and remained loyal to Him. In fact, one extra precious declaration from Job is one of utmost confidence in God’s promise of eternal life for those who trust in God’s plan of redemption. It concerns the incredible truth that He would one day send a Savior, “For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth.” (Job 19:25)
P.S. I know that it is super long, but if you haven’t read Job 38-42, it’s a great read.
-Something to Think About:
Job 38 opens with a storm—a windy storm with God, Himself, addressing Job, then later (chapter 42), his three less-than-helpful friends.
God doesn’t tell Job why He allowed the calamities to befall him, nor does He tell him the great blessings He has yet in store for him (chapter 42). Neither does God defend Himself, explain Himself, or in any way demonstrate that anything He does is answerable to man. In fact, the opposite is true! Man is answerable to God—never the other way around. What God does is ALWAYS right, always good, always just—whether or not anyone sees it, recognizes it, or especially, “approves” of it. God is God, and man is His creation, created to bring Him glory, to honor Him, to obey Him, and to stand in awe of Him.
Job needed to be reminded of his place—and he most certainly was! Job’s response was exactly right. He repented, showed immediate humility, and immediately began giving glory to God. In the end, Job saw that he didn’t need answers, nor did he need vindication from his friends. All he truly needed was a right relationship to God—and that is what he returned to. I can only imagine the peace that flooded his soul upon recognizing this uber critical truth: ALL we truly need is the Lord. This is true in hard times—and it is true in good times. The Lord gives, the Lord takes away, BLESSED be the name of the Lord.
In the end, all faithful children of God prove satan wrong by loving God, not for all He gives us, but for Who He is.
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Thursday, October 23, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Galatians 1:1-5
“Paul, an apostle—not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead— and all the brothers who are with me, Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.”
-Something to Think About:
Sometimes it’s helpful (and fun!) to take a verse or a few verses that go together and break them down into bullet points. It’s important to get a thought or application in an overall sense, but it’s also good to not miss out on the details. Sometimes there are some awesome gems tucked in there!
-Paul (the author of this letter) is an apostle, just as much as Peter, John, Andrew, and the rest.
-It was important to Paul to be certain that people understood that he wasn’t the one naming himself an apostle, but that the designation came directly from Jesus Christ and God the Father, just as much as the other twelve. His was a divine appointment (as is today’s call of certain men to become pastors!).
-Paul pauses to note that God the Father raised Jesus the Son from the dead—SUCH a critical and precious fact to all we hold dear!
-Paul wasn’t completely alone here. He had other believers with him. Our pastors are oh-so-important to our local churches, but they are merely the under-shepherds of Jesus Christ, the Great Shepherd and the Head of the Church. In addition to the pastor, there are countless members, each a critical and beloved member of “the body.” Paul might be authoring this letter, but he has any number of people helping him in his ministry and praying for him. Our pastor might be the one preaching, teaching, and ministering, but his congregation is part of all that through their prayer support and areas of service and participation.
-Grace is God’s unmerited favor (undeserved). Peace is a calmness and steadiness that is not affected by circumstances because it is based on the faithfulness and trustworthiness of God. True grace and true peace are only from and through Him.
-Jesus Christ gave His life for us. Stop and think about that hugely important fact!
-Jesus Christ gave His life in order to pay the sin-debt we were born with—and which we were 100% unable to pay on our own behalf. Without His sacrifice, we WOULD be doomed to the Lake of Fire for eternity.
-Jesus Christ gave His life to pay for our sin to save us from eternal damnation—AND—the imprisonment to our sin nature right now. His resurrection from the dead made us dead to sin and alive to righteousness. We do not have to sin—ever, nor do we need to allow ourselves to be influenced by sin. He always provides a way of escape so that we can remain free from sin and pleasing to Him. AND, when we do sin, He readily forgives us and cleanses us from all unrighteousness when we simply confess it to Him. (These are HUGE and incredible truths!)
-It was God the Father’s will for all of the above to happen. Have you thanked Him yet today?
-Because of all God the Father and God the Son have done for us, are doing for us, and will yet do for us, there is no question but that they deserve ALL glory now and forever and ever. It is our PRIVILEGE to do so!
By the way: the several precious truths lined out above are from Paul’s INTRODUCTION to a letter! What he’s saying is meaningful, impactful, and of eternal worth. Kind of makes you want to think twice about what your conversations have been about recently, doesn’t it?
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Friday, October 24, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Hebrews 10:23-25
“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”
-Background/Context:
The book of Hebrews is, at least in part, an incredible laying out of the facts of the magnificence of our Savior in every area—and how that helps us immensely as members of God’s family. That is, those who have trusted in Jesus Christ as their Savior from sin. Personally, I do not think that Hebrews is an easy book to read or understand, but that doesn’t mean that it’s not an incredibly valuable book to at least TRY to learn from!
-Something to Think About:
Our verses of focus today point first, and most critically, to the fact that our God is faithful. Pause for a second and read it again: our God is faithful.
In the world that we live in, who or what is truly faithful? I mean, 100% of the time. In truly awful examples, faithfulness to promises made is not only not a “thing,” but the attitude of stomping on others in order to get what they want is the norm. This describes quite a large percentage of people; and, sadly, sometimes Christians, too. In a good example of faithfulness, say a believer who is doing their best to live Christlike, their effort to do what they promise can be really good, but is it perfect? Well, no. Maybe the failures have nothing to do with that person’s efforts, but they simply could not due to a sudden illness, their car breaking down, an unexpected work obligation, or dozens of other legitimate reasons. People are, in this time and in these unglorified bodies, unable to be perfectly faithful. God, however, OUR God, IS faithful. All the time. Praise Him! Thank Him!
Then, even as you are rejoicing in your faithful Father and thanking Him, turn your thoughts to your brothers and sisters in Christ—and how you can, in turn, show some of the Father’s faithfulness to them. Think deeply (“consider”) how you might encourage (“stir up) someone to excel in their Christian walk in areas of love and good works (putting the needs of others before self, living sacrificially, looking for ways to be a help and a blessing, etc.). Give hard thought to encouraging them… where? IN CHURCH! All the services, meetings, and fellowships your church offers are EXACTLY the right place to encourage and lift up fellow believers! It’s not me saying this, it is the Lord through the author of Hebrews!
Perhaps some of us are looking at church attendance the wrong way—as in, “What’s in it for me?” and “Do I really need to be there today???” That’s not how our Father wants us to view it. He wants us to, of course, love going, so we can worship and glorify Him, but He also wants us to look forward to it in order to see our brothers and sisters in Christ, so that we can stir them up to love and good works, and encourage them to never give up or give in.
How long should we do this? How often? How hard? With all we’ve got—without wavering. Our God is faithful, and He will help us to be faithful, too. AND, keep on keeping on right up until our death or we are all raptured up to meet the Lord Christ in the air! We have no idea how long that might be, so don’t waste even a second!
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Saturday, October 25, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Romans 15:14
“I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another.”
-Background/Context:
The Apostle Paul is writing to believers in Rome, a church family he has not visited yet at this point. Today’s verse is part of his concluding remarks.
-Something to Think About:
This sentence from Paul to the Christians in Rome must have been so encouraging to them! Paul is commending them for their faithful and upright walk with the Lord (“full of goodness”), and is encouraging them to use their knowledge of God’s Word to be a help and a blessing to each other.
The word “instruct” in this verse is actually the word for “counsel.” To counsel someone is to help them understand something important, maybe especially as to how it impacts their daily life, and how they think about things. This is ABSOLUTELY something all Christians should be doing for each other! It doesn’t even have to be in a formal setting (although, if God opens a door for this kind of one-on-one, we should willingly and joyfully follow His lead). There is a ton of chatting that happens between fellow church members throughout the day on Sunday (as well as other days of the week). When we are using those precious minutes to share things God has shown us in His Word, ways He has blessed and helped us through the week, and quoting bits of Scripture that are meaningful to us, we are ALSO “instructing” one another in biblical truth.
The opposite of this is true, too. If we aren’t in God’s Word daily, or are reading it, but not letting it affect our hearts and our actions, we won’t be “filled with all knowledge.” If we aren’t filled with God’s Word, neither will we be able to encourage, instruct, edify, or otherwise help others with their spiritual walk. While this is all kind of depressing to acknowledge—and might be true of us now or in the past—the huge blessing is that God’s mercies are new every morning, and each new day is a new opportunity to choose to spend quality time in God’s Word SO THAT we can learn and be amazed, SO THAT we can share His wonders with anyone and everyone, SO THAT they, too, can come to know our amazing Father and precious Savior a bit better, too.
Maybe about now is a good time to prayerfully and carefully evaluate if Paul could honestly be speaking to us in Romans 15:14. If not, what needs to change? If yes, how could you excel still more?
P.S. Paul goes on in the next verse with a “but.” Basically, he is reminding all Christians that we can always be a bit more faithful to God in big ways and little ones. He says that it’s part of his responsibility as a pastor to point out what God wants, and what God doesn’t want for us and from us. These two centuries later, God gives us the pastors of our own local churches to also help in this area. Our job is to listen to them!
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Sunday, October 26, 2025
(Thank the Father for this special day set aside for Him. Ask Him to help you know Him better by the day’s end and to have many opportunities to tell others about His praiseworthiness.)
-Be sure to spend some time in prayer first thing this morning so that you know that your heart is right with God. Make sure sin is confessed and dealt with, then ask Him to help you listen, learn, and grow. Ask not to be distracted by other thoughts during sermons and Bible studies, and not to be a distraction to others.
-Pray for your pastor and others who will be serving God today.
-Ask the Father for opportunities to speak of Him to others, to build others up in the things of the Lord, and to find tasks that you can do for Him and for others of His children today and this week.
-Ask at least one person how you can pray for them this week. What is their prayer request?
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-Take time before day’s end to note at least 5 things that you thank God for based on time spent in His House, hearing His Word, and being among His people.
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BONUS! God-honoring music is such a tremendous blessing that I thought we could use Sundays to focus on a few hymns that use “all” in them to read through (and sing, if you want!).
Seek Ye First (words and music by K. Lafferty)
Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Allelu, alleluia.
Ask and it shall be given unto you, seek and ye shall find. Knock and the door shall be opened unto you. Allelu, alleluia.
Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. Allelu, alleluia.
(This chorus is based on Matthew 6:33. Alleluia means “praise the Lord”.)
Monday, October 27, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Hebrews 11:39-40
“And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.”
-Background/Context:
The “all these” mentioned in today’s verses are the dozens of men and women highlighted as having great faith—and who acted upon it. Unlike us, who have the joy of looking into the past to stand in awe at just how incredibly God provided a way for sin to be paid for once and for all time, these folks had to trust that God would one day, in an unknown way, provide a way of salvation. God said He would, they believed Him, and lived their lives based on their faith in the God Who keeps His promises. This greatly pleased God and glorified Him—and that is why they are listed in this “Faith Hall of Fame.” Take some time soon to read chapter 11 to be reminded the many ways these folks obeyed and honored God.
-Something to Think About:
Once again, I’m going to point out that I am far from an expert when trying to figure what books such as Hebrews are teaching. They are deep, making it all the more exciting when explained to me by my pastor and other scholars. BUT, understanding every theological point fully does NOT get in the way of you and me recognizing some pretty awesome things in these two verses! Here are a few that come to my mind (and I’d love to hear what the Holy Spirit showed you!):
-Even though we can easily get discouraged when we look around us and see Christians who have fallen away from a close walk with the Lord, there HAVE BEEN and ARE many Christians who ARE living wholeheartedly for the Lord. Hebrews 11 is an excellent resource of a whole bunch of them all in one place, but from the very beginning, there are examples of believer after believer who trusted and obeyed. We can be one of their number!
-Part of the reason God has placed the account of so many people’s lives into Scripture is so that we can learn the lessons from the wrong actions and attitudes in order to avoid them in our own lives, and to follow the examples of those who did right according to God’s standard. Our lives, too, can be an example to others of what allegiance to God looks like in someone living in the Twenty-first century.
-Trusting God is not just something we say during testimony time on Sunday evenings. Trusting God is demonstrated in how we live. We are either obeying God’s Word (demonstrating trust) or we are choosing our own wisdom (demonstrating distrust of God).
-Those who trusted that God would one day send a Redeemer to pay the price for their sin didn’t all live to see Jesus walking on the face of the earth, but that’s okay. God’s timing is always right. Something similar has happened for all those saved after Jesus’ resurrection. They all desired deeply to see Jesus return to set up His kingdom, but it’s not yet God’s timing for that either. BUT, this does not change the fact that every single thing God promised WILL happen. It’s such a sure thing, for example, that many of the things God promised are currently true positionally (for example, Christians are citizens of heaven right now, we’re just not there physically yet. We are sanctified and holy positionally, but don’t fully act that way right now in our unglorified bodies).
-Part of the “delay” in these Old Testament saints not “receiving what was promised” (although it’s not truly delayed), is because God wanted you and me to trust in Christ as Savior! He didn’t complete His full plan of salvation because He was waiting for YOU! Thank You, Lord!
-God will one day soon complete all His plan of redemption. We know bits and pieces of what’s ahead, but very little about eternity. One thing we CAN know, however, is that whatever God has planned, it will be INCREDIBLE and GOOD. Our Father never does anything else!
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Tuesday, October 28, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Hebrews 12:1-2
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”
-Background/Context:
The word “therefore” points us to what we looked at in our last study, the example of all the believers who have gone before us who lived out their faith in God in how they thought, spoke, and acted.
If you don’t have a life-verse yet, Hebrews 12:1-2 is a strong contender!
-Something to Think About:
Have you ever run a three-legged race? You know, where two people race together attached by a rope of some kind around their legs? Or, perhaps, a race where you were plunked into a potato sack and had to hop your way towards the finish line? These sorts of races are meant to be fun, but they sure don’t showcase speed or skill (at least not the way I would do it!).
Now picture an Olympic runner, crouched in front of the starting line, every muscle tensed and ready to launch themselves forward once the gun sounds. Their clothes were designed with great care to be comfortable and not restrict the runner in any way. Their shoes may well cost more than my college tuition. Their hair is cut or bound so as to not get in the way. They have been coached, trained, and worked with for YEARS for this moment. They are in a serious race, and the runner will do everything in their power to run to the best of their ability, focusing intently on the end goal.
This is the kind of “race” God wants you and me to run as redeemed ones, ones bought by the blood of the Lamb. Oh, it’s not that we can’t have a lot of joy along the journey (it even mentions the joy that Jesus looked forward to on His race when here on earth), but it DOES give the picture of determination, great focus, and a willingness to set aside anything that might slow us down or trip us up.
Say, did you know that the “weight” that might slow us down can be things that aren’t even sin? Of course, any and all sin will cause a ton of trouble, but there are many “good” things we may get distracted by that could cause us to lose our focus, become distracted for a bit, or even lead to a stumble or fall. Things like… people! Yes, even other Christians. You see, when we put people-pleasing ahead of God-pleasing, we will not be living fully FOR THE LORD. This might even include husband, children, or dearly-loved friends. OF COURSE, we need to sacrificially love, serve, help, and bless our family and friends, but we cannot use them as an excuse to neglect Bible study, prayer, church attendance, or doing the things we know God wants us to do, but things we keep running out of time to do—because we’re doing something with someone or for someone. It’s a balance, for sure. It can be a thin line, for sure. But, I think that if we commit this kind of thing to God each and every morning, He will help us run the race that HE wants us to run.
AND, good news! We ALL have the excellent example of Jesus Christ and how He ran His race when on earth. He set aside the “good things” people demanded of Him in order to do only what the Father wanted (and in His timing). He focused on THE GOAL of the cross, He fulfilled ALL of what God required of Him before allowing Himself to die, and when raised to life after three days, He moved to the next thing on the Father’s agenda, being seated at His right hand in His throne room in heaven. The Bible tells us that if He could do it, so can we!
Will all this be easy? No, not at all (it says that distractions and sin CLINGS closely to us!), but God wouldn’t command it if it could not be done. So? Do it! Pray for one another to run our races with endurance (not giving up, not giving in). Pray that none of us would forget to keep our eyes on JESUS the entire time, from salvation to meeting Him face to face. Pray and keep on keeping on!
By the way, this verse isn’t actually saying that we are being watched by a great cloud of witnesses. It’s pointing out that all the believers mentioned in the Faith Hall of Fame lived their lives by faith, so we can, too.
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Wednesday, October 29, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Hebrews 12:11
“For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.”
-Background/Context:
After speaking about the examples of faith and encouraging today’s reader to not give up on living a life of faith, the author of Hebrews turns to the blessing of discipline. Read these few verses before today’s verse of focus:
Hebrews 12:5-11
“My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.” It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.”
-Something to Think About:
It may surprise you to hear that my children were not perfect. =) They challenged my husband and me. They defied my husband and me. They needed, from time to time, to experience the consequences of their disobedience. NOT doing this for them would have been unkind, unloving, and distinctly unhelpful for them as they learned what was okay and not okay in life. Oh, and we did this because they belonged to us. If they didn’t, it wouldn’t have been our job to do.
These earthly parenting truths are great reminders of spiritual truth, namely that God the Father cares about His children—and part of caring about them will involve discipline.
As the author of Hebrews points out here, how much MORE will our loving, righteous, holy, faithful Father point out to us when we have gotten distracted from our “race”? When we have placed a few weights on our legs, making it so we cannot run? When we have lost sight of the finish line?
A key word found in the passage may be the word “regard” (v.5—a quote, by the way, from Proverbs 3:11-12). As used here, to regard is to consider thoughtfully and to think of in the correct way. While not all the hard things that happen to us on any given day are God’s discipline, it would be wise to pause and consider if they might be. If not, then what other lesson might God be wanting us to learn from them? A few clear definite answers in either case will always be to (1) bring Him glory and (2) to trust Him. AND, it might well be that an answer is to get back into the race, drop some of the weights and encumbrances we’ve picked up, and/or return our focus to Jesus Christ and the finish line.
AND, we would all be wise to remember that suffering, hardships, AND discipline are evidence not that our Heavenly Father doesn’t love us, but that He does. Remembering this precious fact should help us have a right view of them.
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Thursday, October 30, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Hebrews 12:14
“Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.”
-Background/Context:
The author of Hebrews makes an application based on the previous reminders to have a right view of discipline from God’s hand. We know this because of the word “therefore.”
Hebrews 12:12-17
“Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed. Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled; that no one is sexually immoral or unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal. For you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears.”
-Something to Think About:
This section is about focusing on the destination (as well as Who we belong to), determination to choose the right path (which will, by default, mean we actively avoid wrong paths and distractions), and attitude in the journey (that of focusing on the grace of God—all He is and does).
I can think of many occasions in my life where I wanted to give in to fatigue, but I could not. Well, not if I wanted to meet a need, reach a goal, or finish some task. The reminder in Hebrews 12 that you and I are running a race is an apt one, don’t you think? There’s just so much that goes into prepping for some long trip—and there are a million and one decisions to make along the way that will either help you to your goal or lead to delays or outright failure. BUT, this isn’t just any race, and our goal is not some temporary and unimportant thing! We are members of the family of GOD, and we have been given a very limited amount of time to press on to the prize of the upward call of Jesus Christ; to slowly, but surely be becoming more like Him; to be lights in the dark world around us; to bring glory to God. As we focus on Him, relying on His Word, and the power of the Holy Spirit, we can lift up our tired bodies, redirect our feet to the “narrow path,” choose to avoid conflicts with others of God’s family, and focus on God’s grace in order to not allow ourselves to feel bitterness about all that didn’t go our way, irked us, and otherwise disappointed us. Remembering that God only ever always does what is good, helps us to reject the feelings and opinions we sometimes get that are false and based on lies or wrong thinking.
The part about Esau is a warning to not forget that sin brings about consequences. As Christians, all our sins have been paid for by the blood of Christ (past ones and future ones), but we still might have to live with the consequences they caused.
(The idea of not seeing the Lord (v.14) cannot be a loss of salvation. Rather, it is the all-too-critical truth that sin mars our perfect fellowship with the Father. If we allow sin to go unconfessed and/or continue to live in a way God says not to, we are also forfeiting the close bond God has with His children who are choosing His will over their own. This is NOT a small and unimportant point. The other side of this truth is that when we are choosing to do our best to live wholeheartedly for God, our relationship with Him will just keep getting sweeter and sweeter. Reminds me of that old chorus, “Every day with Jesus is sweeter than the day before! Every day with Jesus, I love Him more and more! Jesus saves and keeps me—and He’s the One I’m waiting for! Every day with Jesus is sweeter than the day before!” THAT’S what God wants for us!)
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Friday, October 31, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Hebrews 13:4
“Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.”
-Background/Context:
Hebrews 11 gave us many examples of people who lived by faith, now chapter 13 provides some direction for those of us living in the Church Age.
Hebrews 13:1-6
“Let brotherly love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body. Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous. Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”
-Something to Think About:
– “Let brotherly love continue.” I read that when love for Christ fades, so does love for brothers and sisters in Christ. The opposite would also be true: the more we focus on the wonders of our Savior, the more we will be able to see others through His eyes—and love them as He loves them. Words to remember!
– “Do not neglect to show hospitality.” Since we know that biblical love is an action, sacrificially opening our hearts and homes seems an easy and practical way to demonstrate love. “Some have entertained angels” may refer to Abraham, but the word “angel” means “messenger,” so in some ways, when we host pastors, missionaries, and others who are sharing God’s Word, we are entertaining “messengers.” BUT, that’s not to say that we don’t have contact with angels from heaven and have no idea who they truly are!
-Could “remembering those in prison” (and following) have to do with being aware when others in your church family have needs, hardships, or are going through a difficult time for some reason? Make it a point to find out so that you can pray and lend a hand however, whatever, and whenever!
-Marriage is a far more sacred and important institution than our world knows. In fact, it’s as if satan has specifically targeted the sanctity of marriage and its representation of Jesus Christ and the Church in order to make it cheap, unimportant, and easy to “dishonor.” Christians should not only hold marriage in highest esteem, but stay far, far away from anything and everything that cheapens it. This might include music with lyrics that speak of cheating and divorce in a positive light, books and movies that demonstrate sleeping around as “normal,” and supporting programs, people, or media that encourages ungodly views of a very godly institution. I doubt anyone would agree that our country is way, way off base in this area!
-Money itself isn’t evil, but ANYTHING that we cherish more than our walk with God is going to lead to endless heartache and disappointment. ONLY GOD satisfies—and clinging to Him will keep us content (and thankful!) for what we have, and help us to not fear today or the future.
There was a lot in these few verses! What else did you see?
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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November 2025 DBSQ
November 1, 2025
Dear Student of the Word,
We’ve been working this year on a study of the word “all” found throughout the entire Bible that I pray has been both a blessing to you and a challenge to greater godliness. It has been to me!
This month, we will be focusing on the word “all” from the Psalms. This seemed appropriate this month when we are reminded just how thankful we should be.
I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your prayers for me and this ministry! You are in my prayers as well. May God draw us all ever closer to Himself and to each other as we love Him supremely and love others as self.
By His Grace,
Lorie Brown
Just so you know. . .
-I mainly use the ESV (courtesy of either Bible Gateway.com or Olive Tree.com), but sometimes it’s necessary to use another English translation in order to see the word of focus more clearly.
-I try to remember to highlight the word “all” (sometimes translated as “every” or “everything”) in the verse of focus each day.
-Previous months of this year’s study can be found on our church website under the tab “Ministries” at
firstbaptistnorthconway.org. In addition, several studies from previous years are also available.
-Our church has an in-house publishing ministry, some of which can be found for free download on
solidrockpublishing.org. There are Bible studies, stories for kids, and other practical Christian living topics available as hard copies in the back of our church auditorium.
-Our ladies (in North Conway, NH) meet in the evening on the second Monday of each month to review these studies and you are welcome to join us if you are in the area. If not, I highly recommend reviewing them with one or more friends—simply because doing Bible studies with others can be a huge blessing and help.
-You are welcome to pass these studies along to whoever the Lord lays on your heart. If someone wants to receive them directly from Mailchimp, just contact me and I can sign them up.
-If you reply to my Mailchimp email with a comment or question, it comes directly to me—and I love hearing from you!
-Again, thanks for praying for me and for all who are doing these studies! We NEED God’s help and blessing to listen, learn, and grow!
Saturday, November 1, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Hebrews 13:18
“Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a clear conscience, desiring to act honorably in all things.”
-Background/Context:
The author of Hebrews is wrapping up his letter, about to give the final benediction and personal greetings. Here are just a few more instructions he has first.
Hebrews 13:16-18
“Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.
Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.
Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a clear conscience, desiring to act honorably in all things.”
-Something to Think About:
If we were going to line these few verses out for our do/do not list, here’s how I would probably do it:
-Do not neglect to do good.
-Do not neglect to share what you have (with others).
-Do keep in mind that the sacrifices we make in the Lord’s name are pleasing to God.
-Do keep in mind that our choices can be pleasing to God!
We can pause right there and list the opposites, too. These can also be helpful.
-Do keep an open eye for opportunities given to us to do something good for someone else (whether or not they ever know that you did it!).
-Do purposefully look for ways you can share with others. This may be some “thing,” but it may also be a smile, a hug, a note of encouragement/appreciation, a verse of Scripture, or some other pick-me-up.
-Do all you do with the goal of honoring God.
-Do keep the goal of pleasing the Lord in the very front of your brain. This will help us to make the right decisions and to discard the wrong ones.
Moving on…
-Do obey the leaders God has placed in your life.
-Specifically, obey the SPIRITUAL leaders, namely, your pastor. Why? They have to give an account to God OF YOU, of each one of the people God has brought into their spiritual care.
-Do live in such a way that your pastor is able to give an account to the Lord about you WITH JOY.
-Do not live in such a way that your pastor is forced to give an account that causes him sorrow and heartache.
-Do pray for pastors and other spiritual leaders. This is a critical daily necessity in all areas, but named specifically here, so that they would act honorably in all things.
I love that daily goal, don’t you? To “act honorably in all things.” To DESIRE to act honorably in all things. This is a good one! A great goal to jot down on a piece of paper and stick someplace where it will be seen often!
There was a ton here! What especially blessed you? What did you find challenging? Why?
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Sunday, November 2, 2025
(Thank the Father for this special day set aside for Him. Ask Him to help you know Him better by the day’s end and to have many opportunities to tell others about His praiseworthiness.)
-Be sure to spend some time in prayer first thing this morning so that you know that your heart is right with God. Make sure sin is confessed and dealt with, then ask Him to help you listen, learn, and grow. Ask not to be distracted by other thoughts during sermons and Bible studies, and not to be a distraction to others.
-Pray for your pastor and others who will be serving God today.
-Ask the Father for opportunities to speak of Him to others, to build others up in the things of the Lord, and to find tasks that you can do for Him and for others of His children today and this week.
-Ask at least one person how you can pray for them this week. What is their prayer request?
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-Take time before day’s end to note at least 5 things that you thank God for based on time spent in His House, hearing His Word, and being among His people.
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BONUS! God-honoring music is such a tremendous blessing that I thought we could use Sundays to focus on a few hymns that use “all” in them to read through (and sing, if you want!).
Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing (words by R. Robinson, music by J. Wyeth)
Come, Thou Fount of every blessing, tune my heart to sing Thy grace. Steams of mercy, never ceasing, call for songs of loudest praise. Teach me some melodious sonnet, sung by flaming tongues above. Praise the mount—I’m fixed upon it—Mount of Thy redeeming love.
Here I raise mine Ebenezer—hither by Thy help I’m come; and I hope by Thy good pleasure, safely to arrive at home. Jesus sought me when a stranger; wandering from the fold of God; He, to rescue me from danger, interposed His precious blood.
O, to grace how great a debtor daily I’m constrained to be! Let Thy goodness, like a fetter, bind my wandering heart to Thee. Prone to wander—Lord, I feel it—prone to leave the God I love; here’s my heart, O take and seal it, seal it for Thy courts above.
Monday, November 3, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Psalm 16:3
“As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight.”
-Background/Context:
Psalm 16
A MIKTAM OF DAVID.
“Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge. I say to the LORD, “You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you.” As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight. The sorrows of those who run after another god shall multiply; their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out or take their names on my lips.
The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot. The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance. I bless the LORD who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me. I have set the LORD always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.
Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure. For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption.
You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”
-Something to Think About:
In a general sense, Psalm 16 is about David being thankful for his relationship with God, for how God has taken excellent care of him throughout his life, and his confidence in being in God’s presence eternally after his physical death (where there is fullness of joy!). Some of this Psalm is Messianic, that is, it also refers to Jesus Christ, and is quoted in part in Acts 2:25-28 and Acts 13:35-37.
Psalm 16:3, the verse with the word “all” in it, is interesting. Basically, David is saying that he deeply appreciates other believers who are living wholeheartedly for God—and these are the people he intends to hang out with. He states the opposite in the following verse, saying he has chosen to steer clear of those who choose to live in a way that is wicked, be it in “big” ways or small ones. ANY rebellion against God is big in God’s eyes, and consequently, David’s.
Our world has gone literally insane in the area that they call “inclusion,” stating that every single person must accept whatever any other person is doing—no matter what. This is NOT a biblical thought at all! Because I’m a pretty simple thinker, I’ll summarize what I believe the Bible says in matters of how we view others.
First, all (everyone. Every. Single. Person.) is born with sin and every heart is desperately wicked. That is, they can come up with endless ways to be evil. (Romans 3:23; Romans 3:10; Jeremiah 17:9)
Second, all people NEED to trust in Jesus Christ as their Savior from this sin in order to (a) no longer be condemned to the Lake of Fire for all of eternity, to (b) live in the presence of God for all of eternity (no longer bearing a sin nature!), (c) and to be able to please God, glorify God, and be becoming like the Son in this earthly lifetime. (Romans 6:23; John 1:12; John 3:16)
Third, once saved, believers need to find a local church to join so that they can learn more about God and serve Him in and among others of His children. ALSO, a huge part of belonging to a church family will be encouraging, edifying, and building fellow members up in the things of the Lord. (see the pattern of Acts 2 as soon as the church was “born,” in addition to the many “one another” passages.)
Fourth, once saved, believers need to live in such a way that the unsaved see that they are different and want to have the peace and joy we have because of Christ. Believers also need to verbally share the good news of Jesus Christ (the “gospel”) every single time they are given an opportunity. (I Peter 3:15; Matthew 5:16; Colossians 4:2-6 II Corinthians 5:17)
BUT, being a witness to the lost is NOT dressing like or acting like the unsaved in order to “be one of them,” nor is it doing the things they do in order to not make them feel uncomfortable (or some other reason). David is right. Light has no fellowship with darkness. We (of course!) need to be “nice,” kind, helpful, considerate, sacrificial, and an all-around “good” person, but without compromising any of the standards God asks of us in His Word. As we live this way, He will give us opportunities to talk about His Son and to share all the incredible things He does for us day by day, moment by moment. (II Corinthians 6:4; Matthew 5:16)
I think a pretty sobering question to prayerfully consider based on Psalm 16:3, would David want to hang around us—or not? Would Jesus????
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Tuesday, November 4, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Psalm 25:16-18
“Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted. The troubles of my heart are enlarged;
bring me out of my distresses. Consider my affliction and my trouble, and forgive all my sins.”
-Background/Context:
This psalm was written by David. It is an expression of trust in God, of sorrow over sin, and confidence in God’s help. David knew well that God is only, ever, and always, faithful.
-Something to Think About:
I don’t know about you, but I don’t like to remember the occasions where I have been lonely, or afflicted, or with extra-large troubles of my heart! In fact, I ESPECIALLY dislike these sorts of memories crowding into my brain just before I fall asleep at night. All the hard things of life loom extra large at night!
But, like David, you and I are PRIVILEGED to turn to the Lord in prayer. We can send out the plea-type of prayer, asking for help to NOT think about sad, scary, or otherwise unpleasant things. Instead, we can concentrate on the grace of our Lord, counting His blessings from the day, one by one—like precious pearls on a cherished necklace.
We can also use that quiet time before sleep to pray for the needs of family members, church family members, other loved ones, and even people we’ve never met. I like to pray for “all those who need You in a special way this night.” Of course, I know that we ALL need the Lord every single second of every single day, but I love that God knows exactly who I mean—and He will, indeed, take care of each and every struggle and challenge.
David brings up an excellent point in verse 18, though. Did you catch it? He knows that God will not hear the prayers of His children who have chosen to remain in sin. This isn’t really the “Whoops! I said or did something I know didn’t honor God,” and so we confess it and make it right. Rather, this is the kind of sin that we are NOT confessing, and which we allow to remain in our lives, even though we know it is dishonoring to God and damaging to ourselves, and negatively affecting the people we come into contact with (because sin ALWAYS affects more than just us!). This could be so many things that it would be impossible to name them all, but I feel that if we are actively studying God’s Word, attending church services, praying consistently, and praying for God to help us be holy as He is holy, that He WILL show us what needs to be discarded, avoided, or otherwise eliminated. When He HAS shown us and we ignore Him, that’s the kind of sin that harms our relationship with Him—and all other faithful believers, for that matter. BUT, like David did here, simply asking God for forgiveness gives us a clean slate to start over again with. His mercies are new every single morning, praise His name! His grace is abounding and limitless!
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Wednesday, November 5, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read 1 Timothy 2:5-6
“For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.”
-Background/Context:
The Apostle Paul is giving instruction to Timothy on some of the essentials of being a pastor, and in the verses prior to our verses today, he emphasized just how important prayer is to individual believers, and to all the members of the church family, along with the pastor and any other leaders. I Timothy 2:1 says this,
“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people.”
(Note TWO more uses of the word “all” in this one verse!) Simply stated, prayer is very important to us personally and to any and all ministries our churches undertake.
-Something to Think About:
People use a lot of different objects to attempt to get God to hear their prayers. Some use beads, stones, and tiny statues of “saints” long dead. Some call on angels, deceased relatives, or other entities. The Bible, authored by the One Who created all and keeps everything running, states in no uncertain terms that there is just one Mediator—or way to communicate with God—and that is Jesus Christ, His Son.
This hasn’t always been true. In the Old Testament, God used priests and prophets to convey messages to people and nations, and very few people received communication from God directly. You see, once sin entered the world shortly after creation, an uncrossable rift developed between mankind and God, because God cannot be near sin. This sin was so horrific, in fact, that it condemned everyone to an eternity in the Lake of Fire upon death—separated from God forever. BUT, God loves us. He loves us so much, in fact, that He created a way to bridge that horrible rift and to have the price of our sin paid for on our behalf, giving us access to Him via prayer in the here and now, and in His presence throughout eternity.
This was due completely to the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, Who gave His life as a ransom for ALL. All that we need to do to obtain the salvation God freely offers is to believe that Jesus Christ, God’s Son, came to earth and died in our place, then rose again to life after three days. When we believe this, we are forgiven the sin debt we are born with, we become adopted into the family of God, we will reside in God’s presence for all of eternity—and—we have prayer access to the Father’s throne room any time, night or day for any reason—ALL through Jesus Christ. In fact, that is WHY we end our prayers by saying, “In Jesus’ name, amen.”
These are all pretty good reasons to shout “Hallelujah!” and “Praise the Lord!”
Have you thanked God lately for the access He gives you to Him through Jesus Christ, our Mediator?
If you’re not sure you have that access, if you are not certain of your relationship to God, don’t let this day end without talking to someone and being certain!
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Thursday, November 6, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Psalm 26:6-7
“I wash my hands in innocence and go around your altar, O LORD, proclaiming thanksgiving aloud,
and telling all your wondrous deeds.”
-Background/Context:
Read David’s short prayer to the Lord to be blessed and to get context for verses 6 & 7. Note David’s frequent use of LORD in all caps. This is God’s personal name, indicating David’s close walk with Him.
Psalm 26
OF DAVID.
“Vindicate me, O LORD, for I have walked in my integrity, and I have trusted in the LORD without wavering.
Prove me, O LORD, and try me; test my heart and my mind. For your steadfast love is before my eyes, and I walk in your faithfulness. I do not sit with men of falsehood, nor do I consort with hypocrites. I hate the assembly of evildoers, and I will not sit with the wicked. I wash my hands in innocence and go around your altar, O LORD, proclaiming thanksgiving aloud, and telling all your wondrous deeds. O LORD, I love the habitation of your house and the place where your glory dwells. Do not sweep my soul away with sinners, nor my life with bloodthirsty men, in whose hands are evil devices, and whose right hands are full of bribes. But as for me, I shall walk in my integrity; redeem me, and be gracious to me. My foot stands on level ground; in the great assembly I will bless the LORD.”
-Something to Think About:
Did you know that I am an avid note-taker during sermons and Bible studies? This is for a few reasons. One biggie is simply to help me focus and concentrate. I find it extremely difficult to TRULY listen if I’m not taking notes. A close second is that I’m even worse at remembering things if I don’t take notes. Taking notes DEFINITELY helps me retain things longer and more accurately. Third, taking notes helps me to be less distracted by all the stuff happening in the room (and there can be a LOT of comings and goings in the auditorium during a sermon! I find that trend disturbing, but that’s a topic for another day). =)
Why in the world am I talking about note-taking today? Because when I read Psalm 26 on my Olive Tree Bible App, I saw a little box that let me know that I had made a note on these verses from some sermon I heard in the past. Here’s what it said, “Personal holiness comes before giving thanks.”
Now, I’m the first one to confess that when I look back at notes hastily scrawled during a sermon so I won’t forget it—or—miss out on whatever was said next, that they can be a bit poorly worded or even confusing. However, I think the note coupled with the verse tells me what I need to know (and be reminded of). It is this: we cannot fully and wholeheartedly give thanks to God for Who He is and all He does if we are ignoring sin in our hearts and/or lives. BUT, when we humbly and contritely go to God in prayer, confessing our sin to Him, something pretty awesome happens. Factually, we are, for that moment, free from all sin, the one we’ve committed and ones we didn’t realize we’d committed. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us for that sin—and—cleanse us from ALL unrighteousness” (I John 1:9). So, the fact is that we are forgiven and right with God, AND the FEELING is one of a light heart, a lifted face, eyes that shine, lips that smile, and a demeanor of joy—and this, naturally leads to a deep heart’s desire to thank and praise the Lord. It just sort of wells up from our soul and spills out of our mouth.
We could even use this as a sort of gauge to determine if maybe, just maybe, there’s something unconfessed or some habit we have that is less than pleasing to the Lord. If we struggle to think of things to give thanks for, if our words of thanks are more habit than heart, if we are feeling burdened and weighted down, perhaps there’s something that needs to be made right between us and the Lord. Perhaps there’s something between us and another believer that needs to be made right.
Whatever is going on, when we make sure we are right with God, a natural response is going to be to delight in proclaiming thanksgiving aloud and telling of all our Father’s wondrous deeds!
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Friday, November 7, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Psalm 119:160
“The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever.”
-Background/Context:
Psalm 119 is an acrostic poem in the Hebrew language. Verse 160 is part of the section (v. 153-160), representing the Hebrew letter resh.
Here is Psalm 119:160 in a few different English translations:
“The sum of your word is truth, and each righteous ordinance of yours is everlasting.” (ISV)
“The entirety of your word is truth, each of your righteous judgments endures forever.” (CSB)
“The very essence of your words is truth; all your just regulations will stand forever.” (NLT)
“Your instructions are totally reliable; all your just regulations endure.” (NET)
-Something to Think About:
Here are a few summaries based on the variety of translations:
-The word that the psalmist calls truth is GOD’S word. It is further described as instructions.
-It is not merely that “a” word of God is truth, rather, the sum total/entirety/very essence of His word is truth.
– “Truth” is all that is NOT false in any way or at any time. Truth is one of the concepts that MUST be viewed from God’s perspective. Human truth apart from Him will always be at least partly wrong, if not (more commonly) completely wrong (because of the sin nature we are born with).
-God’s ordinances are also called judgments and regulations. Each and every one of these is everlasting. That is, they endure forever/stand forever. What God says goes. Always.
Applications?
In today’s world, LOADED with deception by way of AI (and just the simple human propensity to lie), what a comfort and joy it is to know that what God says IS. He speaks only, ever, always, TRUTH. And all He says has stood the test of time—and will always stand the test of time. He is the One we can and must put our trust in. His words must be the words we base our every decision and action upon. His words must be our hope and confidence for today—and for every moment moving into and through eternity. Our God is THAT faithful and true!
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Saturday, November 8, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Proverbs 10:12
“Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses.”
-Background/Context:
Chapters 1-9 in the book of Proverbs cover an introduction to godly wisdom and its importance, then chapters 10-15 cover some of the dos and don’ts for godly living. That is, the application of godly wisdom to our attitudes and actions. The subject of what we say (or don’t say!) is taught quite thoroughly (and I think we all know why!).
-Something to Think About:
Have you ever been betrayed by someone’s words? Perhaps you told them something confidential in a moment of stress, assuming your words would be kept private, but that’s not what happened. Something happened that angered or upset the other person—and their response was to tell others what you confided in them. To make it all even more painful, they did it in such a way as to picture you in a very bad light, potentially leading to all sorts of unpleasant consequences.
Then there’s the other side, the rarer one (sorry to say!). Perhaps you lashed out at someone, saying or doing things that were unkind, unthoughtful, or even intentionally hurtful. AND THEY DID NOTHING. They didn’t lash back, they didn’t give you the silent treatment, and they didn’t share your awful offense with anyone else. They simply gave it to the Lord, forgave you, and kept on loving you.
Oh, how I want to always be that second person—and never the first one!
I’m sorry to say (very sorry, in fact), that I’ve too often been that first person. Oh, maybe not in the harshest sense of the word. Not deliberately setting out to destroy someone. BUT, I happen to know that God doesn’t look at sin in degrees, some sins being a light gray, so not very bad, and others being the blackest-black, rotten to the core. No. Sin is sin. ALL sin is blackest-black! That means that things like grumbling and complaining about someone is sin. That means gossiping about someone is sin. That means that using our words to tear down is sin.
BUT, praise the Lord, because of what Christ did for us on the cross, we are new creatures—and we are able, through His power, to learn to choose grace, mercy, kindness, forgiveness, and love. We can slowly, but surely, be becoming Christlike in how we view offenses, learning to leave all-thing-vengeance in His hands, freeing us to want to pray intensively for others, and to help them view things through the lens of Scripture so that they can mature spiritually and also learn to respond better to upsets and pain.
As noted, the Bible has a TON to say about our words—and the attitudes behind them. We would ALL be wise to remind ourselves about them frequently so that the right reactions and actions become our go-to, rather than the old ones that hurt others, hurt ourselves, and hurt our Lord.
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Sunday, November 9, 2025
(Thank the Father for this special day set aside for Him. Ask Him to help you know Him better by the day’s end and to have many opportunities to tell others about His praiseworthiness.)
-Be sure to spend some time in prayer first thing this morning so that you know that your heart is right with God. Make sure sin is confessed and dealt with, then ask Him to help you listen, learn, and grow. Ask not to be distracted by other thoughts during sermons and Bible studies, and not to be a distraction to others.
-Pray for your pastor and others who will be serving God today.
-Ask the Father for opportunities to speak of Him to others, to build others up in the things of the Lord, and to find tasks that you can do for Him and for others of His children today and this week.
-Ask at least one person how you can pray for them this week. What is their prayer request?
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-Take time before day’s end to note at least 5 things that you thank God for based on time spent in His House, hearing His Word, and being among His people.
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BONUS! God-honoring music is such a tremendous blessing that I thought we could use Sundays to focus on a few hymns that use “all” in them to read through (and sing, if you want!).
Now Thank We All Our God (words by M. Rinkart; music by J. Cruger)
Now thank we all our God with heart and hands and voices, Who wondrous things hath done, in Whom His world rejoices. Who from our mother’s arms hath blest us on our way with countless gifts of love and still is ours today.
O may this bounteous God through all our life be near us with ever joyful hearts and blessed peace to cheer us; and keep us in His grace, and guide us when perplexed, and free us from all ills in this world and the next.
All praise and thanks to God the Father now be given, the Son and Him Who reigns with them in highest heaven, the one eternal God, Whom earth and heaven adore; for thus it was, is now, and shall be evermore.
Monday, November 10, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Proverbs 24:3-4
“By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches.”
-Background/Context:
The book of Proverbs is an instruction manual concerning what biblical wisdom is and practical ways it should be utilized in the life of a believer. Of course, it also speaks extensively about ungodly and wicked substitutes for godly wisdom and the destruction they bring about for those who choose them.
-Something to Think About:
Have you ever watched a toddler build a tower for the first time? They don’t really have the coordination to stack the blocks neatly on top of each other, nor do they have the wisdom to realize that their building needs a wide and strong foundation. They just put item on top of item until the inevitable happens, and it crashes to the floor.
Don’t you love just how practical Scripture is! OF COURSE, Proverbs 24:3-4 is speaking about more than literally building a house, BUT I sure would want my contractor to know what they were doing before sinking thousands of dollars into a building project! Not just the how-tos of what to do in which order, but wisdom to help guide in the million-and-one decisions that will come up along the way.
You and I are building something every day. We are building our lives individually with the Lord, we are building our lives with family and friends, and we are building our lives with our church family. We NEED the wisdom from God’s Word to know what a sure foundation is (the Word of God and a close relationship to the Father!), who we are in the Lord, Whose we are, what to say and not say, what to do and not do, help to make God-honoring decisions, help to have godly attitudes—EVERYTHING! (ALL!)
When we look to God’s Word for instruction and direction (and often, correction and reproof!), we will be slowly, but surely, filling our lives (our houses!) with precious and pleasant riches. Oh, probably not the latest high-tech kitchen appliances, maybe not a deluxe swimming pool with an awesome hot tub, and almost certainly not museum-quality artwork on the walls (although none of these things are wrong if used for God’s glory). No, the precious and pleasant riches that ALL humans long for are genuine and lasting peace in their hearts, confidence that they BELONG, and are a forever-cherished member of the family, delightful joy that continues even when circumstances are unpleasant, TRUST that all is well today (and forever), because the One Who promises is utterly faithful. There are, too, the riches of understanding a bit more of God’s Word with time and study, the comfort of being able to go into the throne room of God any time for any reason to pour our hearts out to Him (and know He hears and answers—always). The riches of godly, loving brothers and sisters in Christ, the fulfillment of doing labor and tasks for others, the encouragement of singing praises to the Lord, and the satisfaction of the beauty of creation, because we know the Creator intimately. There are riches to look forward to in glory, maybe most especially, being able to see our Father and our Savior face to face, never again to be separated from Him!
I’m not going to take the time to point out what our hearts and lives (and homes) are like when we are not living according to God’s Word; not trusting and obeying, but I think you know already—because we just need to look at the sorrow, despair, and wickedness of the world around us. They need the Lord! They need to hear that they don’t have to live that way! Will you tell them?
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Tuesday, November 11, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Luke 12:6-7
“Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.”
-Background/Context:
Jesus Christ is being quoted here in the book of Luke. He is speaking to His disciples and telling them to not fear man, but boldly witness, sharing the good news of the Gospel, trusting the Father with their safety—and for whatever happens due to their bold witness. In essence, He is teaching that doing all that God wants is, by far, the most important thing we’ll do on any given day, and that obeying Him must be the priority even if it is hard or seems dangerous or uncomfortable.
-Something to Think About:
Did you know that your hair texture changes every six or seven years? Did you know that it can change pretty radically if you have some major health crisis or injury? This includes large clumps falling out several months after the incident! Did you know that not only does your hair turn grey as you work your way through menopause, it can drastically change in texture, and the way it has “always” behaved may no longer be true?
Who knew!
Well, God.
I think it’s kind of easy to shortchange God. Don’t you? I mean, on the one hand, we say God is awesome because He did something unexpected and very welcome, but on the other hand, how often do we take for granted the ability to stand up and walk whenever we want to? We look with awe at the glories of a particularly beautiful sunset, but forget to thank God for getting us to and from work safely every single day. Every. Single. Day.
God never, ever, ever forgets YOU.
Have you read A Series of Unfortunate Events? There are a lot of bizarre things in there for sure, but I also enjoy the author’s clever use of common words and thoughts in humorous ways. One of these has forever stuck in my mind. It was to note that so-and-so knew that you must never do such-and-such. What was funny about that was that the author wrote never so many times that it took several pages of the book to show it! Haha! I guess he wanted the point to be noticed! WELL, God our Father, YOUR Father, never ever forgets you. He sees all, He knows all—including whether your hair is thick and straight or thin and curly.
He knows, because He cares. Because He loves you.
When the next tough day descends (and they absolutely do!), remember that the Lord God Almighty values YOU. Stand in awe of that. Stand in awe of HIM. Spend a few minutes praising Him and giving Him thanks. He is worthy!
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Wednesday, November 12, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Psalm 111:2
“Great are the works of the LORD, studied by all who delight in them.”
-Background/Context:
This delightful praise psalm has several “alls” in it. See how many you can spot as you read it and are blessed by it. (P.S. Did you know “Praise the Lord” is what Hallelujah means?)
Psalm 111
“Praise the LORD! I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart, in the company of the upright, in the congregation. Great are the works of the LORD, studied by all who delight in them. Full of splendor and majesty is his work, and his righteousness endures forever. He has caused his wondrous works to be remembered;
the LORD is gracious and merciful. He provides food for those who fear him; he remembers his covenant forever. He has shown his people the power of his works, in giving them the inheritance of the nations. The works of his hands are faithful and just; all his precepts are trustworthy; they are established forever and ever,
to be performed with faithfulness and uprightness. He sent redemption to his people; he has commanded his covenant forever. Holy and awesome is his name! The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!”
-Something to Think About:
Learning to love something is somewhat circular. Have you ever noticed that? When your attention is grabbed by something, you generally pause to look at it more closely, then if it continues to interest you, you study it, learn more about it, and otherwise spend time with it, which usually makes you like it more. This is true of objects, people, music, activities—and it is true of our love for and relationship with the Lord. The more we invest in Bible study, in digging deeply into Scripture, in finding out ALL God has done, is doing, and will yet do, the more we come to love and appreciate Him. As we come to love and appreciate Him, we WANT to learn more, dig deeper, and try even harder to please Him in our actions and attitudes.
One of the (many!) nifty things about this, however, is that learning to cherish God and His Word is not the same as enjoying a new craft or a particularly beautiful sunset. That’s because God is, well, GOD! He is infinite. He is the meaning behind love, and mercy, and grace, and kindness, and patience—and everything that is GOOD, truly good! AND, God LOVES it when we invest in Him—and demonstrates it by giving us deeper and more delightful insights into what makes Him tick, what He loves, and how He loves to bless those who love Him and obey Him. Really, there is literally no end to delighting in the works of the Lord (v.2) – and the blessings from doing so.
The author of Psalm 111 lists some of the things he has learned to love more deeply while studying the works of the Lord, things like how they are full of splendor and majesty, how His righteousness endures forever, how He helps us remember His wondrous works, how gracious He is, how merciful. . . and on, and on. . . into and through eternity.
I hope this encourages YOU to delve more deeply into the wondrous works of your Lord. It’s a lifelong passion that is incredibly rewarding and valuable beyond any compare.
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Thursday, November 13, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Psalm 116:12
“What shall I render to the LORD for all his benefits to me?”
-Background/Context:
The author of this psalm is not given, but he clearly was in a hard place, facing imminent death before the Lord saved him. His psalm is one of thanksgiving and dedication to serving the Lord wholeheartedly.
Psalm 116 is also special because it was sung by Jews during the Passover feast—and Jesus would have sung this the night before His crucifixion. Read the whole psalm, keeping in mind what He knew He was about to face even as He sang the words.
Psalm 116
“I love the LORD, because he has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy. Because he inclined his ear to me,
therefore I will call on him as long as I live. The snares of death encompassed me; the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me; I suffered distress and anguish. Then I called on the name of the LORD: “O LORD, I pray, deliver my soul!” Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; our God is merciful. The LORD preserves the simple; when I was brought low, he saved me. Return, O my soul, to your rest; for the LORD has dealt bountifully with you.
For you have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling; I will walk before the LORD in the land of the living. I believed, even when I spoke: “I am greatly afflicted”; I said in my alarm,
“All mankind are liars.” What shall I render to the LORD for all his benefits to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD, I will pay my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people.
Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints. O LORD, I am your servant; I am your servant, the son of your maidservant. You have loosed my bonds. I will offer to you the sacrifice of thanksgiving and call on the name of the LORD. I will pay my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people, in the courts of the house of the LORD, in your midst, O Jerusalem. Praise the LORD!”
By the way, did you notice that this is the psalm with the verse that has consoled millions of believers upon the homegoing of a saved loved one, “Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.” (v.15) What a comfort to know that our Father knows our sorrows—and cares deeply!
-Something to Think About:
The psalmist faced a near-death experience, but God chose to save him; therefore, his one pursuit is to thank Him and praise Him—and to do so publicly.
How has the Lord saved YOU? For sure, each of us can (and should!) count our spiritual salvation right at the top of the list, but there are almost certainly dozens and dozens of examples in any given year of additional ways God has protected us.
-Have you ever come across a bad accident that you just missed?
-Have you ever missed a step on the stairs, but caught yourself before you fell?
-Have you ever slipped on the ice and perhaps even fallen, yet not been seriously hurt?
-Have you ever gotten super sick, yet got better?
-Have you faced major surgery, but healed up well?
There are other kinds of rescue, too! A toxic friendship, road rage, walking home on a lonely road alone after dark, the loss of a job, a bad work situation—and many other things.
BUT, the Lord hears our voice and our pleas for mercy. Our response? Thank Him. Praise Him. And to do so publicly.
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Friday, November 14, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read James 3:2
“For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body.”
-Background/Context:
James has some important things to say about our words. Read the context of verse 2 here:
James 3:1-12
“Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things.
How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.”
BONUS: a few notes on the above passage:
-Sometimes people choose the role of teacher in order to feel important or move up the social ladder—even in and among churches. James warns us here that those who teach God’s Word WILL be held to a higher standard. Make sure it is God Who is nudging you to accept a teaching role, then, as in all of our actions, do so humbly, with the goal of honoring God and blessing and edifying others, not for any personal glory.
-No human is perfect in this body. Don’t act like you are—and give grace to the others in your life. Pray for each other!
-A Christian who has learned to be careful with his/her words is a mature Christian, and that discipline will help them in other areas of their walk with the Lord (“perfect’ means mature).
-Humans are made in the image of God. Therefore, to curse one is to curse God. Don’t do it!
-Our words reveal what’s in our hearts, especially in moments of great stress. Prayerfully evaluate what you say when angry, really upset, or really sad. Are you trusting and praising God—or are you grumbling, disparaging others, or otherwise spewing forth ugliness?
-Something to Think About:
I’m not sure if you have to work hard to not dwell on past hurts and the pain that they caused. I sometimes do. There’s no value in that kind of thing, though, and potentially a lot of harm (such as becoming bitter or making lists that I Corinthians 13 commands us not to do). One good thing that I can think of right this moment, though, is that it reminds me to thank God that it is in the past, how He helped me through it, and for the lessons I might have learned about how NOT to act and react should something like this happen again.
However, when I am reminded of some of the ugliest and most painful situations in the past, words were always a part of it. Sometimes they were extremely harsh and angry words. Sometimes they were words that sounded friendly upon hearing them, but which I later found out were lies and deceit. Some words were even spoken “for my good,” but hurt and belittled me in the process.
Worse than ALL of those unpleasant and painful memories, however, is the realization that sometimes I was the one who did all that to someone else. MY words caused pain, heartache, and trouble. How horrible! How heart-wrenching. As James said, “These things ought not to be so!”
Oh, Christian, how we need the help of the Holy Spirit when it comes to what we say (and how we say it)! How we ALL need His help every minute of every day! Our tongues are possibly THE biggest troublemakers as we seek to be more like Christ and to turn away from the influences of the world.
God knew this would be the case, of course (He knows ALL!). He provided dozens—maybe hundreds—of verses on what God-honoring speech looks like, and all the horrible ugliness of speech that is not pleasing to Him. Here are a few to prayerfully consider:
Proverbs 18:21
“Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.”
Ephesians 4:29
“Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.”
Proverbs 12:18
“There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.”
Matthew 12:36 “I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak,”
Proverbs 16:24
“Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body.”
Proverbs 15:1
“A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”
Proverbs 21:23
“Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble.”
Proverbs 15:4
“A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.”
James 1:26
“If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless.”
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Saturday, November 15, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read James 5:12
“But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.”
-Background/Context:
James is quoting Jesus in Matthew 5.
Matthew 5:33-37
“Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’ But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.”
-Something to Think About:
Humans are pretty good at deliberately choosing words in order to say something, without maybe saying what we’re really saying. This is mostly, of course, to protect ourselves in some way, and/or to get an outcome that we want. This begins in childhood with siblings tricking each other for the biggest piece of cake or explaining some incident to a parent by making themselves look more innocent and a sibling more guilty.
In a nutshell, Jesus said that this sort of nonsense should not be. This is especially true for those who profess to be children of the Almighty Father, in Whom there is no darkness. Jesus (and James in today’s verse) says that the only right words are truthful words. Don’t qualify, don’t leave out necessary facts, don’t add in opinion and elaborations. Just. Speak. Truth.
Now, a pretty common question that comes up is, “What about when saying something truthful to someone would hurt them?” Say, they ask you if you like their new top, but you think it makes them look like they just got released from the hospital and are feeling poorly. Maybe this would fall under the category of praying Psalm 19:14 at the start of each new day, “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to You, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.” Certainly, lying and telling them that you think they look beautiful in the top, would be wrong, but perhaps God would give you something to say that would be a blessing to them that wasn’t displeasing to Him and hurtful to the other person.
Another form of potentially painful truthfulness is when we find we need to talk to another believer about something that appeared to be a sin to us. First and foremost, this needs a lot of prayer beforehand! Second, the Bible warns us that confronting another person must be done in great humility—and with great love. That is, with the goal of helping the other person grow spiritually and looking out for their best interests. A confrontation like this might also best begin with a question, rather than an accusation. For example, “Sally, I think something happened that concerns me. Could you tell me what happened on such-and-such an occasion?” Perhaps you heard wrong, or what Sally said or did was something very different from what it appeared to you. If, however, Sally did say something displeasing to God, if she responds biblically, she will admit her sin and ask forgiveness of anyone she has hurt. Prayer is going to be a HUGE part of this! Your prayer before talking to someone, prayer WITH that person as they seek to do the God-honoring thing, and prayer after for restoration and a renewed walk with the Lord. Prayer, too, that no one involved would hold a grudge or let it lead to further sins.
And of course, if you are the one being confronted, take it as from the Lord. If wrongly accused, thank them for their concern, and in simple words, tell the truth. If they are right and you did need to be confronted, thank them for their concern, and ask for their godly advice to get back on track. And, of course, pray together!
I’m pretty sure that a ton of trouble between people could be nipped in the bud if we all learned to keep our yeses, yes, and our nos, no. But, thank God, He can help us learn to do this—and look for ways to encourage brothers and sisters in Christ in this regard as well.
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Sunday, November 16, 2025
(Thank the Father for this special day set aside for Him. Ask Him to help you know Him better by the day’s end and to have many opportunities to tell others about His praiseworthiness.)
-Be sure to spend some time in prayer first thing this morning so that you know that your heart is right with God. Make sure sin is confessed and dealt with, then ask Him to help you listen, learn, and grow. Ask not to be distracted by other thoughts during sermons and Bible studies, and not to be a distraction to others.
-Pray for your pastor and others who will be serving God today.
-Ask the Father for opportunities to speak of Him to others, to build others up in the things of the Lord, and to find tasks that you can do for Him and for others of His children today and this week.
-Ask at least one person how you can pray for them this week. What is their prayer request?
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-Take time before day’s end to note at least 5 things that you thank God for based on time spent in His House, hearing His Word, and being among His people.
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BONUS! God-honoring music is such a tremendous blessing that I thought we could use Sundays to focus on a few hymns that use “all” in them to read through (and sing, if you want!).
For the Beauty of the Earth (words by F. Pierpoint; music by C. Kocher)
For the beauty of the earth, for the glory of the skies, for the love which from our birth over and around us lies—Lord of all, to Thee we raise this our hymn of grateful praise.
For the wonder of each hour of the day and of the night, hill and vale, and tree and flower, sun and moon, and stars of light—Lord of all, to Thee we raise this our hymn of grateful praise.
For the joy of human love, brother, sister, parent, child, friends on earth, and friends above, for all gentle thoughts and mild—Lord of all, to Thee we raise this our hymn of grateful praise.
For Thyself, best Gift Divine, to our race so freely given, for that great, great love of Thine, peace on earth, and joy in heaven—Lord of all, to Thee we raise this our hymn of grateful praise.
Monday, November 17, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read II Peter 1:20-21
“Knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”
-Background/Context:
Peter is giving account here in this first chapter of the experience that he, James, and John got to witness on the Mount of Transfiguration, when Jesus exposed a bit of His glory, and the Father spoke audibly. You may remember that Peter got a bit distracted by seeing two of the Jews’ biggest Old Testament heroes, Moses and Elijah, when his focus should have been entirely on the Son of God. This, all by itself, is a good reminder to us to not become so involved with people that we forget Who created them and what His purpose is for them—and us. (Read about the Transfiguration in Matthew 17:1-6; Luke 9:28-32.)
Peter moves past his eye-witness account of Jesus’s Transfiguration to point out that his readers (including you and me) have something far better than mere testimony from men. We have the very Word of God! Read what he says here:
2 Peter 1:16-21
“For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,” we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain. And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”
-Something to Think About:
Do you enjoy movies that are based on a book? How about if you read the book first, love the book, and the movie changed EVERYTHING? Do you still love it? Do you trust the “facts” it presents?
How about this? Have you ever witnessed something unusual happening with other people present, only to find that in the retelling, the others are giving very different conclusions and interpretations than you have? It kind of makes you wonder what REALLY happened on other occasions where you weren’t present to see it for yourself.
Peter, James, and John SAW Jesus for Who He is (God!)—for just a brief second. They HEARD the Father tell them that Jesus is His Son and that He is well pleased with Him (He also told them to listen to what Jesus had to say!). But, even though this incredible scene would forever be etched into their brains and was something they would never, ever forget, Peter states that an even MORE sure thing is God’s Written Word, what we currently know as the Bible (or Scripture). The certainty of the Bible trumps fallible human experience. Furthermore, Peter wants us to all KNOW that the words that we find in the sixty-six books of the Bible are NOT human concepts and ideas. They are exactly what GOD wanted them to be. Oh, for sure, He used human authors. He even used their style of writing and the experiences they had in life in their writings, but be sure of this one thing: the original writings of the Bible are GOD’S WORDS. Each and every word was chosen by Him, and each and every word has a reason for being there.
So, Peter says, learn from it! Rejoice in it! Obey it! Cling to it—right up to the day we see our Savior face to face and enter the presence of our Heavenly Father!
Do you love God’s Word? What about your actions and attitudes shows that you do? What demonstrates that you might need to keep working on it?
Praise God, He will MOST DEFINITELY help His children who call on Him for help to love and understand His Word more fully and accurately. He loves for us to love His Word.
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Tuesday, November 18, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Titus 2:6-8
“Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled. Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us.”
-Background/Context:
In this book, Paul is writing to Titus, the pastor of the church on the island of Crete. The first few chapters provide very specific dos and don’ts for different groups of believers. Chapter 1 provides some of the qualifications for pastors (more can be found in I Timothy), then chapter 2 discusses older men, older women, younger women, younger men, and slaves (or employees in today’s world). An overarching goal for all believers is to live in such a way that God’s Word is not seen in a poor light.
-Something to Think About:
Titus 2:6-8 is specifically addressed to younger men. As in other categories in Titus 2, this probably is most focused on men who are physically younger, but in some essence, these categories could also be viewed as those who are spiritually mature (“older”) and those who are not as mature in their walk and understanding of Bible-living.
To be self-controlled is to not allow yourself to fly off the handle at every little thing; to show restraint. Integrity is trustworthiness and honesty. Dignity has to do with respectability. Sound speech is speech that is based on Bible truth. Young men are prone to want to talk freely about their views of EVERYTHING, but it’s critical that they make careful distinctions between fact and opinion, and what God’s Word actually says v. speculation and conjecture.
Tucked in there, though, is the admonition to “show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works.” Obviously, what good works are is defined in part by the words we just discussed. It’s also going to strongly be reflected in the end of Paul’s admonition to be careful to speak and live in such a way that nothing evil can be said about us (keeping in mind that we cannot control if people choose to lie about what we did—or what they believe our motivations were when we did it).
While you and I may not be a younger man in any sense of the term, there are no double standards in Scripture, so these reminders are great reminders for ALL believers. I guess an important question about now is to ask what sort of models we are RIGHT NOW? What needs to change? What needs to be nurtured? With the help of the Holy Spirit, we can ALL be becoming excellent examples to others of Christlike behavior in ALL areas of our lives.
BONUS:
Paul says something similar to Timothy (a young pastor) in 1 Timothy 4:12. “Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.”
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Wednesday, November 19, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Deuteronomy 4:9
“Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. Make them known to your children and your children’s children.”
-Background/Context:
Today’s verse is part of a warning and a plea from Moses to the Israelites. He is reminding them how absolutely critical it is to obey God fully and at all times, while at the same time avoiding any and all forms of idolatry. Idolatry is worshiping figurines representing the false gods the people in Canaan worshiped; but at its heart, idolatry is ANYTHING that is given more importance than God Himself. We could even be idols in our hearts if we choose pleasing ourselves as our #1 goal and pursuit! Here is additional context to today’s verse:
Deuteronomy 4:9-14
“Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. Make them known to your children and your children’s children— how on the day that you stood before the LORD your God at Horeb, the LORD said to me, ‘Gather the people to me, that I may let them hear my words, so that they may learn to fear me all the days that they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children so.’ And you came near and stood at the foot of the mountain, while the mountain burned with fire to the heart of heaven, wrapped in darkness, cloud, and gloom. Then the LORD spoke to you out of the midst of the fire. You heard the sound of words, but saw no form; there was only a voice. And he declared to you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, that is, the Ten Commandments, and he wrote them on two tablets of stone. And the LORD commanded me at that time to teach you statutes and rules, that you might do them in the land that you are going over to possess.”
-Something to Think About:
Notice that Moses is referencing the day the Hebrews were TERRIFIED of God because of the booming sounds and alarming sights associated with God addressing them directly. They were so afraid, in fact, that they begged Moses to be their spokesman so that he would be the one to talk to God first, relating what He said later to them. Moses wanted them to remember just Who it was they would be “cheating on” if they chose to worship an idol or stop obeying Him in any way or at any time. We would be foolish to not recognize and appreciate that the God of Israel is OUR GOD, too! We, too, need to have a strong sense of the fear of the Lord. Yes, He is incredibly gracious. Yes, His mercy is new every morning. Yes, His love for us is constant and unconditional. But, YES, He HATES sin and He will not tolerate idolatry. That was true for Israel, and it is true for you and for me.
Looking specifically at today’s verse, Moses gives the very wise counsel to be super-duper careful to never forget Who God Almighty is, nor all He has done, is doing, and will yet do. This should be right at the front of our minds and affect how we think, which will in turn affect what we say and do. In fact, our attention to this critical truth should be kept DILIGENTLY. That is, with great effort; with all our might.
But, that’s not all! Not only do we NEED to work hard to never forget we are children of GOD, and that He has strict codes of conduct (“be holy as I am holy”), we need to pass this crucial information on to others. Namely, our children and grandchildren. There are a lot of things we can teach our children and grandchildren (for example, I’m working on my one-year-old grandson to be able to do a great fake sneeze!), but NOTHING is more important than teaching what they need to know about our incredible God and Savior—both in words, and by example. Whether or not we are truly trusting God and obeying God will be evident to them in how we use our time, talents, and treasures, as well as in how we react and respond to challenges and hardships.
It may well be that one of THE most critical things we can do with our lives, apart from trusting Christ as Savior and living for Him all the hours of our lives, is what we teach by way of words and example to others, including any children and young people in our lives. This is something to carefully and prayerfully consider!
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Thursday, November 20, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Psalm 1:3
“He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers”
-Background/Context:
Who is like a tree? Why is he “yielding fruit”? Read the verses surrounding Psalm 1:3 here:
Psalm 1
“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.
He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; for the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.”
-Something to Think About:
I’ve been blessed in my life to be able to learn an assortment of crafts, homemaking skills, and such. Some I really enjoy and have nurtured to become better at, some I have given up on (like fancy cake decorating!). Flower arranging is one of the skills that I’ve had to work especially hard at—and I would never even consider comparing anything I do to the skill of a professional. One of the things I have learned over the years is that fresh-cut flowers need care and attention if you want them to stay nice for more than a day or two. A huge part of that is to provide fresh water and to cut the stems a little every day or two. Even though the plants are technically dead, the water keeps them plump and colorful sometimes for several days.
Did you know that the most vibrant, mature, GLOWING Christian you know cannot stay that way apart from time in God’s Word, sweet moments of fellowship with the Lord in prayer, and regular fellowship with and among God’s people, specifically in their own church family? How do I know? God said so! He says so right here in Psalm 1!
Did you notice that God not only provides the critical dos to godly maturity and growth, but He provides the do nots? Do not hang around people who scoff at God’s Word and God’s people. And if that’s dangerous (and it is), definitely don’t CHOOSE to spend time listening to and taking part in what the ungodly have to say is good or fun. Finally, joining and agreeing with those who do not and cannot see things from God’s perspective is going to lead us away from God. It 100% will. BUT, there’s a simple solution. Don’t do it! And DO spend time in God’s Word. Learn to LOVE IT. Learn to yearn for it. Learn to take delight in hearing about your Lord and how you can give Him more and more glory in what you do—and why. As you do, God will be growing wonderful fruit in you. Fruit such as true, genuine biblical love, a peace and calmness despite turbulent times, a joy that is always there, even when serious and sober things happen – because it’s in your heart which is trusting wholeheartedly in God’s perfect plan.
Are you taking care of your roots today, dear Christian?
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Friday, November 21, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Psalm 2:12
“Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.”
-Background/Context:
Psalm 2 is a Messianic Psalm. This means that it is speaking of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, Who will one day be crowned the King of kings and the Lord of lords. Read the entire psalm.
Psalm 2
“Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against his Anointed, saying, “Let us burst their bonds apart
and cast away their cords from us.” He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision. Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying, “As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.” I will tell of the decree: The LORD said to me, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you.
Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.” Now therefore, O kings, be wise;
be warned, O rulers of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.”
-Something to Think About:
Did you ever play “King of the Mountain” when you were a child? Basically, it’s a game played on a dirt hill or snow pile where each child tries to get to the top first, then prevents other kids from taking their place. It can get kind of aggressive, but it definitely shows the true colors of human nature. Ever since the fall, humans have wanted to be kings and queens of their little domains. Some fight (sometimes literally!) to get some sort of huge domain, while the rest of us are content to “be the boss” in our homes and personal circles.
After reading this psalm, do you think that this pleases the Lord? The word “laugh,” used to describe God Almighty looking down on those who believe that they could replace Him as King, is not a haha, you’re cute, kind of laugh. It’s a laugh that fits the derision which He feels for all who rebel against Him and seek to assume they can dominate Him in any way at any time. No one can. No one should even CONSIDER trying!
But, do we? Oh, I doubt any of us act specifically like these evil kings and rulers, but any time we insert our plan in place of what we know He wants, we are fighting His rule. Anytime we ignore what we know we SHOULD do or say, substituting something else in its place, we are fighting His rule.
What SHOULD be our attitude and response? Submitting to the Lordship of Christ, serving the LORD with fear, rejoicing in Him with awe, taking refuge in Him, and trusting Him for all things at all times. These attitudes of humility and reverence please Him—and He, in turn, blesses us greatly.
Plodding along day by day in our current world situations, it’s easy to forget that all this ugly politicking is very, very temporary. The Father could give the Son the signal to gather up the elect AT ANY MOMENT—and from that very second, changes are beginning. HUGE changes. Ultimately, Jesus Christ, the Righteous One, will be on the throne in Jerusalem, taking up the role that is His, that of King of kings and Lord of lords. We need but hang on. We need but choose to never give in and never give up. That same mighty and awesome God is helping us every single second of every single day!
BONUS: Psalm 2 is one of the most quoted psalms in the New Testament. Here are a few references to check out: Acts 13:33; Acts 4:25; 1 Corinthians 15:25-27; Hebrews 1:5; 5:5; Revelation 19:15.
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Saturday, November 22, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Psalm 3:6
“I will not be afraid of many thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around.”
-Background/Context:
The superscription of Psalm 3 tells us that the author of this psalm was David, and that David wrote it during the painful time in his life as king when his own son, Absalom, was working behind the scenes to dethrone him. You can read about it in II Samuel 15-18. (By the way, in the original Hebrew text, when there is a superscription or title, the superscription counts as verse 1. This is true for all the psalms which have a superscription.)
Psalm 3
A PSALM OF DAVID, WHEN HE FLED FROM ABSALOM HIS SON.
“O LORD, how many are my foes! Many are rising against me; many are saying of my soul, “There is no salvation for him in God. Selah
But you, O LORD, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head. I cried aloud to the LORD, and he answered me from his holy hill. Selah
I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the LORD sustained me. I will not be afraid of many thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around. Arise, O LORD! Save me, O my God! For you strike all my enemies on the cheek; you break the teeth of the wicked. Salvation belongs to the LORD; your blessing be on your people!” Selah
(The word “selah” remains a mystery to biblical scholars. Their best guess is that it’s a musical or literary term. They believe it is there to remind the reader (or singer, since the Psalms are hymns) to pause and think about what was just said.)
-Something to Think About:
Don’t judge me too harshly, but one of the funniest things I ever saw at our county fair growing up was my younger brother running out of the glass house to meet up with the rest of us—and running straight into a glass panel, confusing it for the opening. The whole house shook with the impact! He didn’t actually get hurt, but part of what was funny was his complete confidence that he had chosen the correct route and his dumbfounded expression when he realized that he had not!
You know, a lot of our lives can be like trying to find our way through a glasshouse. It can be really hard to figure out what is reality and what is an illusion. That is, unless you have something you can always count on; something that will never, ever lead you astray. Don’t you think that is what kept David sane during Absalom’s betrayal and the many other severe hardships David faced? David had 100% confidence IN THE LORD. He KNEW that God is always faithful and that His Word is completely trustworthy. Even though it may have appeared that God had taken His eyes off David, David knew in his heart of hearts that He had not, and that He was always guarding and guiding. Did that mean that David sailed through life with nary a care? David had a hard life—from the moment he was anointed king as a teenager right up to his death! But David was called a man after God’s own heart because he remained loyal to God, and because even when he sinned, he confessed it and got right with Him.
The next time you feel your life is spiraling out of control, repeat David’s words of trust and confidence, “BUT You, O LORD, are a shield around me, my glory, and the lifter of my head. I cry to You, O LORD, and I know you will answer me!” You may not find circumstances changing all that much, but you will enjoy the peace and joy that all who trust in the Lord feel. HE is a sure refuge in the time of storm.
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Sunday, November 23, 2025
(Thank the Father for this special day set aside for Him. Ask Him to help you know Him better by the day’s end and to have many opportunities to tell others about His praiseworthiness.)
-Be sure to spend some time in prayer first thing this morning so that you know that your heart is right with God. Make sure sin is confessed and dealt with, then ask Him to help you listen, learn, and grow. Ask not to be distracted by other thoughts during sermons and Bible studies, and not to be a distraction to others.
-Pray for your pastor and others who will be serving God today.
-Ask the Father for opportunities to speak of Him to others, to build others up in the things of the Lord, and to find tasks that you can do for Him and for others of His children today and this week.
-Ask at least one person how you can pray for them this week. What is their prayer request?
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-Take time before day’s end to note at least 5 things that you thank God for based on time spent in His House, hearing His Word, and being among His people.
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BONUS! God-honoring music is such a tremendous blessing that I thought we could use Sundays to focus on a few hymns that use “all” in them to read through (and sing, if you want!).
Come, Ye Thankful People, Come (words by H. Alford; music by G. Elvey)
Come, ye thankful people, come—raise the song of harvest home. All is safely gathered in, ere the winter storms begin. God, our Maker, doth provide for our wants to be supplied; come to God’s own temple, come—raise the song of harvest home.
All the world is God’s own field, fruit unto His praise to yield; wheat and tares together sown, unto joy or sorrow grown. First the blade and then the ear, then the full corn shall appear. Lord of harvest, grant that we, wholesome grain and pure may be.
For the Lord our God shall come and shall take His harvest home; from His field shall in that day all offenses purge away; give His angels charge at last in the fires the tares to cast, but the fruitful ears to store in His garner evermore.
Even so, Lord, quickly come to Thy final harvest home; gather Thou Thy people in, free from sorrow, free from sin. There forever purified, in Thy presence to abide; come with all Thine angels, come—raise the glorious harvest home.
Monday, November 24, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Psalm 6:8
“Depart from me, all you workers of evil, for the LORD has heard the sound of my weeping.”
-Background/Context:
Psalm 6 is the first of seven “penitential” psalms, where the psalmist is sorry about something and is asking God for mercy and help. David doesn’t say what he is sorry for, but he turns to God for help in the midst of his suffering, then trusts the outcome to Him before he knows what that might even be. This is what faith is all about.
Psalm 6
TO THE CHOIRMASTER: WITH STRINGED INSTRUMENTS; ACCORDING TO THE SHEMINITH. A PSALM OF DAVID.
“O LORD, rebuke me not in your anger, nor discipline me in your wrath. Be gracious to me, O LORD, for I am languishing; heal me, O LORD, for my bones are troubled. My soul also is greatly troubled. But you, O LORD—how long? Turn, O LORD, deliver my life; save me for the sake of your steadfast love. For in death there is no remembrance of you; in Sheol who will give you praise? I am weary with my moaning; every night I flood my bed with tears; I drench my couch with my weeping. My eye wastes away because of grief; it grows weak because of all my foes. Depart from me, all you workers of evil, for the LORD has heard the sound of my weeping. The LORD has heard my plea; the LORD accepts my prayer. All my enemies shall be ashamed and greatly troubled; they shall turn back and be put to shame in a moment.”
-Something to Think About:
As believers living in the Church Age, we need to be careful to not take promises meant for Israel as also belonging to us. For example, unlike what often happened in the Old Testament, confessing sin and having a restored relationship with God does not mean that our problems will suddenly disappear or that we will be immediately healed from some sickness. In fact, David, while asking for relief from his agony, isn’t necessarily expecting immediate healing. He mostly wants to have his heart right with God so that he can please Him once again and enjoy singing His praises publicly. Interestingly enough, David is so sure the Lord will answer him, that he warns his enemies to back off immediately because God is not finished with him yet, and they will not have the victory over him.
What lessons are there here for us?
-David was honest with the Lord about his pain and frustration. Doing so helped him to not get bogged down in anger or bitterness, but rather to turn to the Lord to seek His help and direction. God knows us intimately. He knows our hearts. He knows our thoughts. Be open and honest with Him in prayer. He has the answers!
-David wasn’t saying that those who are dead can no longer praise God (in fact, those who have died as believers know far more how wondrous our God is than us—because they’ve seen Him!). He was saying that, should he remain alive, it would give him many more opportunities to sing God’s praise. Singing God’s praise daily should absolutely be a part of every Christian’s everyday. There should be no end to the things we thank and praise God for—because there is no end to the wondrous things He does for us every single second!
-God understands our tears. He understands that we sometimes get overwhelmed. The solution to tears is always, always, always to turn to Him. It is at His feet that we find grace and mercy to not only carry on, but to do so victoriously, joyfully, and with great hope (Hebrews 4:16).
-We might not have physical enemies like David did, but we do sometimes have people in our lives who make life a bit difficult, either because they’re trying to be unkind, or because of words that are meant to be helpful, but which are a bit hurtful or frustrating. Our biggest enemy, however, is ourselves. We are often the ones to lie to ourselves, say mean things to ourselves, or on the other end of the spectrum, tell ourselves we did the right thing when we know very well that we did not. I don’t know about you, but I often find the need to tell myself most sternly to “Depart from me and stop lying about God!” He DOES hear my cries. He DOES love me and want the best for me. He DOES help me second by second to think and act in a way that is in keeping with His holy character—for His praise and for my benefit.
BONUS:
Here are two quotes based on this psalm that I found to be a blessing:
-“. . . this psalm gives words to those who scarcely have the heart to pray, and brings them within sight of victory.” (Kidner)
-“From my own experience and pastoral ministry, I’ve learned that sickness and pain either make us better or bitter, and the difference is faith.” (Wiersbe)
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Tuesday, November 25, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Psalm 7:1
“O LORD my God, in you do I take refuge; save me from all my pursuers and deliver me,”
-Background/Context:
David was being pursued by Cush of the tribe of Benjamin (the tribe King Saul was from!). No one really knows what happened to lead to David writing this psalm (no additional information is given in Scripture), but David was obviously troubled. On the other hand, David was confident that he was innocent and that God would, in the end, right all wrongs. Read the whole psalm here:
Psalm 7
A SHIGGAION OF DAVID, WHICH HE SANG TO THE LORD CONCERNING THE WORDS OF CUSH, A BENJAMINITE.
“O LORD my God, in you do I take refuge; save me from all my pursuers and deliver me, lest like a lion they tear my soul apart, rending it in pieces, with none to deliver. O LORD my God, if I have done this, if there is wrong in my hands, if I have repaid my friend with evil or plundered my enemy without cause, let the enemy pursue my soul and overtake it, and let him trample my life to the ground and lay my glory in the dust. Selah
Arise, O LORD, in your anger; lift yourself up against the fury of my enemies; awake for me; you have appointed a judgment. Let the assembly of the peoples be gathered about you; over it return on high. The LORD judges the peoples; judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness and according to the integrity that is in me. Oh, let the evil of the wicked come to an end, and may you establish the righteous— you who test the minds and hearts, O righteous God!
My shield is with God, who saves the upright in heart. God is a righteous judge, and a God who feels indignation every day. If a man does not repent, God will whet his sword; he has bent and readied his bow; he has prepared for him his deadly weapons, making his arrows fiery shafts.
Behold, the wicked man conceives evil and is pregnant with mischief and gives birth to lies. He makes a pit, digging it out, and falls into the hole that he has made. His mischief returns upon his own head, and on his own skull his violence descends.
I will give to the LORD the thanks due to his righteousness, and I will sing praise to the name of the LORD, the Most High.”
(A Shiggaion is a poem of intense emotions.)
-Something to Think About:
When reading Psalms and Proverbs, we need to keep in mind that God’s promise of blessing and cursing for obedience and disobedience is for the Jewish nation. Those of us living in the Church Age are part of a new covenant. Furthermore, much of what David is talking about in this psalm specifically references promises and help God promised to him as His chosen king of Israel. David had special privileges as God’s chosen one (but also special responsibilities). With that in mind, there are still several valuable things we can make note of in this psalm that can be an encouragement to right thinking for us today and in twenty-first century America.
-THE only true Refuge is God. This has always been true and will always be true. Looking for help and direction anywhere else will be ineffective at the least and severely damaging at the worst.
-I appreciated David’s comment that this attack tore his soul apart. I, too, have been deeply, deeply hurt by the words and actions of others—and I’m sure that you have, too. Thank God, our faithful, loving, merciful, and gracious God, that He helps us see things from a right perspective, and to find healing and encouragement in Him! (We might also pause here to pray and ask the Father to help us never be the one who CAUSES this sort of heartache in another person!)
-David knew that he was innocent—and was willing to be punished if he had been guilty. When we are falsely accused of something, it’s still wise to carefully and prayerfully consider if we DO bear guilt in some way, even if it’s not what we’re being accused of. It could be a bad attitude in our heart, an unkind face, or even a decision to NOT do something to be a blessing when we knew we should. Having a clean slate with God and with others is of paramount importance both to our heart-health, and so that we can remain useful and pleasing to our Master.
-God will indeed deal with all wickedness and wrongdoing. Vengeance is His job, never ours. Our job is to love God supremely and love neighbor as self.
-James 1:13-15 also warns about how easily sin is “born” in our hearts, then carried out with our words and actions, “Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.”
-Before trouble comes, WHILE trouble is upon us, and after the trouble is gone, our privilege is to trust God, thank Him, and give Him great praise.
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Wednesday, November 26, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Psalm 19:1-6
“The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard. Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them he has set a tent for the sun, which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber, and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy. Its rising is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the end of them, and there is nothing hidden from its heat.”
-Background/Context:
This is one of David’s more famous psalms and one I tend to think of in a few parts. The first is what we’re looking at today, then verses 7-11, David focuses on the glories of the Word of God and how it helps us stay the course. Finally, in verses 12-14, he prays to the Lord for help to not sin and to live in a way that pleases and glorifies God.
-Something to Think About:
I love the word pictures of these first six verses, don’t you! Looking at the magnificent night sky, staring with wonder at the majestic clouds during the day, both appreciating the sun’s warmth—and recognizing its dangerous heat, all of these marvels of God’s creation, David says, points us to our Creator. It can teach us a thing or two about our Almighty God if we but pause long enough to reflect on Him. AND, David points out, every single person on the earth is privileged to witness God’s glory in the skies.
I love, too, the metaphor of the sun rising from its “tent,” joyful and exuberant, much like a strong young man waits at the end of the aisle for his bride to come to him. His face is beaming with joy! David is saying that THE SUN is THRILLED to do what it does in order to obey God, to testify of His might and goodness, and to bring Him glory.
So, I then think, “But, the sun isn’t alive… it cannot feel joy, can it?” Well, no. Only humans have a soul. However, I’ve long wondered just how much of creation DOES praise and glorify God in their actions, sounds, and songs. Are birds twittering their praise to God? Is some of the reason lions roar at dawn to give God glory for the new day? These examples are of critters, but what about plants? They’re not aware in the same way animals are, but do they bring God glory through their vibrant colors, immense strength, or usefulness?
I think it’s dangerous to attribute to animals and plants qualities only humans possess (and to give them the same respect and worth as humans), but all of these speculations SHOULD lead to one important question: if nature “tells” of God’s glory and displays His majesty, do we, the only ones created in His image, do the same? More so, as men and women who have been bought by the precious blood of the Lamb, those who are adopted into God’s permanent family, are WE talking of God’s wonders, mercy, and grace? Are we saying, “Praise the Lord!” a lot (and meaning it!)? Are we giving Him thanks privately and publicly for His constant care, guidance, and help? Do we show the same joy as the sun does in the jobs He has given us to do for Him?
Whether we can say a resounding, “Yes, by the grace of God, I have done that,” or “No, I’ve mostly been quiet,” we are ALL given new mercies every single morning—along with a new chance—to speak out, to “display” God’s glory, and to choose to be aware of just Who we belong to.
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Thursday, November 27, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Read Psalm 95:1-7 and meditate on the incredible God Who chose YOU and named you as one of His own. Doing so will automatically give you many more items on this year’s thank-you list! (P.S. Don’t just make the list—actually thank God for each item you placed on it!)
“Oh come, let us sing to the LORD; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker! For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.”
-Something to Think About:
The author of this psalm gave us several things to get us started with our own songs and words of praise to the Lord. Here are a few:
-He is the Rock of salvation. Without Him, there would be NO hope for eternal life for ANYONE!
-Our God, THE God, is a great God. There is nothing about Him that is less than absolute perfection. He cannot be improved upon in any way.
-There is no power—real or imagined—that can stand up against the true God. He is the Supreme Ruler—and has always been the Supreme Ruler.
-God is the Creator of all we see and all that is unseen. He not only created everything, He keeps it all going from second to second.
-God, the Creator, created YOU. You are a product of His hands!
-God leads those who belong to Him with perfect care and protection. They are a special, much-loved, possession, and His attention is constantly on them to help, guide, and sometimes chastise, for their good and His glory.
Your turn! What do you, specifically, want to thank and praise God for this Thanksgiving?
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Friday, November 28, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Psalm 98:4
“Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises!”
-Background/Context:
Psalm 98
“Oh sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things! His right hand and his holy arm
have worked salvation for him. The LORD has made known his salvation; he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations. He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises! Sing praises to the LORD with the lyre, with the lyre and the sound of melody! With trumpets and the sound of the horn make a joyful noise before the King, the LORD! Let the sea roar, and all that fills it; the world and those who dwell in it! Let the rivers clap their hands; let the hills sing for joy together before the LORD, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness,
and the peoples with equity.”
-Something to Think About:
Did you take music lessons as a child? Piano lessons are pretty common, but I never had any (although I learned to pick out the notes of hymns later in life). In 4th grade, it was mandatory for all children to attend music class, and part of that was learning the Flutophone. This is another word for the Recorder. I played basic tunes along with the rest of my class in 4th grade, but when I was a teen, I had a friend who bullied me into learning the recorder well enough to play many songs. I may not have appreciated being forced to learn at the time, but have enjoyed playing through the hymn book in all the decades since. The other instrument that I had lessons on was the Celtic harp. I always thought harps were super cool, so I owned one for a bit and enjoyed working at playing it. I’m a firm believer that ALL talents should be used to honor the Lord, so I did play the harp more than once for special music in church, but it sure stressed me out! It’s like the notes I painstakingly learned in the privacy of my home became Swahili when in public! Haha! The “instrument” that I have been privileged to use for the Lord the most over the years is my voice. I have loved singing for as long as I can remember, and think back fondly on the year or two when I was able to take voice lessons and learn how to use my voice smarter and better.
Why am I reminiscing about musical instruments and singing? Because Psalm 98 reminds us that it is our joy, privilege, AND responsibility to sing praises to the Lord. “Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises!” Why? For He has done MARVELOUS things! He has provided salvation, He is righteous, He shows constant steadfast love (hesed) and faithfulness, He is the Righteous Judge—and so much more.
You may not play an instrument, but if you do, give it your all for the Lord! You may or may not be able to sing well, but you can still sing your little heart out in praise to the God of your salvation. And when you’re singing along with the congregation Sundays, be sure you are paying attention to the words in order to mean what you are singing, and to remember that you are singing for HIM—and He is listening.
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Saturday, November 29, 2025
-Pray! Take a moment to ask the Lord to help you pay attention to what you are reading, to understand His Word, and to apply it to your life however, wherever, and whenever He shows you.
-Read Psalm 77:12
“I will ponder all your work, and meditate on your mighty deeds.”
-Background/Context:
When the psalmist was awake and distressed in the night, he chose to find comfort, consolation, and encouragement in remembering all that God had done in the past. This helped him to trust Him in his future.
Psalm 77:11-14
“I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember your wonders of old. I will ponder all your work, and meditate on your mighty deeds. Your way, O God, is holy. What god is great like our God? You are the God who works wonders; you have made known your might among the peoples.”
-Something to Think About:
When our children were young, my husband required them to make goal sheets for the new year by the end of December. He wanted them to prayerfully consider how to best use their time, talents, and treasures. They may not have always appreciated this enforced task, but doing so helped them then—and this would be wise for all of us, even as adults, to do (you know who I am talking to, kids!).
In fact, today’s verses reminded me of New Year’s goals, and as we approach the end of an entire year looking at the word “all” in Scripture, it is my prayer that all of us might commit along with this psalmist to choose to remember the deeds of the Lord—ALL the “wonders” that He has done in our lives (and is doing today!). That we might meditate on it so that we can stand in awe of Him, and as a result, wish to live with even more excellence in order to bring Him glory.
After all, what god is great like our God? No one! No “thing”! He is holy. All He does is exactly right and rightly timed; every act of His mighty power is exactly in keeping with His totally good character. What fools we would be to ignore Him, defy Him, or choose our path over His!
Oh, fellow child of God, let’s commit to pray for one another that we would honor and glorify God in ALL areas, ALL of our lives! This is the core of what makes a life worthwhile and of eternal value.
-Between You and the Lord:
Use this space to write your own thoughts about today’s Bible verse and how God spoke to your heart through it (or the thought section). Make note of things you want to remember, things God is asking you to do, and people He has laid on your heart to pray for (and potentially contact in some way).
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-Reread today’s Bible verse/passage and consider how it might be encouraging you to give your ALL for the Lord in some specific way.
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-Meditation Time!
Try to develop the habit of looking at one Bible verse at least a few times throughout the day. To make it easier, you will find the verse in a cut-out section in the back of this packet. As you think about the verse, jot down additional applications and thoughts about it that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Jot them down here:
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Sunday, November 30, 2025
(Thank the Father for this special day set aside for Him. Ask Him to help you know Him better by the day’s end and to have many opportunities to tell others about His praiseworthiness.)
-Be sure to spend some time in prayer first thing this morning so that you know that your heart is right with God. Make sure sin is confessed and dealt with, then ask Him to help you listen, learn, and grow. Ask not to be distracted by other thoughts during sermons and Bible studies, and not to be a distraction to others.
-Pray for your pastor and others who will be serving God today.
-Ask the Father for opportunities to speak of Him to others, to build others up in the things of the Lord, and to find tasks that you can do for Him and for others of His children today and this week.
-Ask at least one person how you can pray for them this week. What is their prayer request?
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-Take time before day’s end to note at least 5 things that you thank God for based on time spent in His House, hearing His Word, and being among His people.
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BONUS! God-honoring music is such a tremendous blessing that I thought we could use Sundays to focus on a few hymns that use “all” in them to read through (and sing, if you want!).
We Gather Together (words by T. Baker; music by E. Kremser)
We gather together to ask the Lord’s blessing; He chastens and hastens His will to make known; the wicked oppressing now cease from distressing; sing praises to His name—He forgets not His own.
Beside us to guide us, our God with us joining, ordaining, maintaining His kingdom divine; so from the beginning the fight we were winning; Thou, Lord, wast at our side—the glory be Thine!
We all do extol Thee, Thou Leader triumphant, and pray that Thou still our Defender wilt be. Let Thy congregation escape tribulation; Thy name be ever praised, O Lord, make us free!
December 2025 DBSQ
December 1, 2025
Dear Student of the Word,
Thank you so much for joining me in this year-long pursuit of the word “all” in Scripture! It is such a joy for me to be able to share with you some of the wonders I enjoy from the Word of God!
As we enter one of the busiest months of the year, in order not to lose sight of what’s of true value and attention, I thought we could search for the word “all” in the Scripture associated with the Christmas account. It is my prayer that our time in God’s Word will help you be in awe all over again at all our loving Father and Savior did—because They love you and me.
The study we’ll be working on is taken from work I did many years ago. Our work here is just select portions of the study. You can find the entire study in our church’s Solid Rock Publications books, under the title, “My Song of Christmas.”
Blessings!
Lorie
P.S. Stick with me until the end of the year to get a sneak peek at what we will be working on in 2026!
Monday, December 1, 2025
Always begin Bible Study by praying and asking the Father to help you concentrate, see what He wants you to see, and implement His Word into your heart and life—beginning today.
-Read Genesis 3:1-15
“Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths. And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” The Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”
Something to Think About:
Okay, I’ve got to confess that it isn’t very nice to have to relive the whole sin-enters-the-world thing! What an incredibly awful day! Adam and Eve’s ONE act of rebellion against God changed the course of history for every single part of creation—all the way down to you and me! Because of that ONE act, what God had created to be eternally wonderful—a unique close bond between humankind and Himself—was severed! Just makes you want to hang your head and cry, doesn’t it?
HOWEVER, this passage is very much related to our second most precious holiday. You see, God is infinite in His power, wisdom, love, and sovereignty. Nothing can possibly take Him by surprise—and so He had an impossibly amazing plan in mind to restore the fellowship between Himself and mankind the second it was severed (before, really!). It was to commission His own dearly cherished Son to come to earth at just the right time to become fully a Man (but fully remaining God) so that the ONLY PERFECT, SIN-FREE MAN ever born could bear the punishment ALL mankind earned the day sin entered the world. What we could not do for ourselves, Jesus Christ did on our behalf! This is so huge and so amazing that I believe we’ll be learning more about it and praising God for it every day for all of eternity!
Where, you may ask, is all that found in Genesis 3? Look again at God’s judgment on the serpent. Verse 14-15 says, “The Lord God said to the serpent, ‘Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.’”
These famous verses are the first hint to mankind that God would send a Redeemer. More hints are scattered throughout the Old Testament, but no one could really get the whole picture until Jesus Christ came as an infant some 4,000 years after creation. In fact, you and I, as those who live in the Church Age, are extremely privileged to be able to read all that God did from creation to the birth of His Son to His death and resurrection—and even what is yet to be– in our Bibles. We could kind of look at Genesis 3:15 as GOD’S promise of Christmas—and it sure is a beautiful one!
Applications:
-Even one sin affects our communion with God. As Christians, we are no longer condemned by our sin, but it DOES stand between us and God in the sense of our fellowship with God. Be sure to confess your sins the moment you realize you’ve done them. Keep a clean slate with God.
-Thinking about sin is pretty awful, but dwelling on God’s grace is marvelous. Are you doing that?
-Are you taking advantage of owning the completed Word of God? Its treasures are endless!
-Other things the Holy Spirit is pointing out to YOU:
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Tuesday, December 2, 2025
Always begin Bible Study by praying and asking the Father to help you concentrate, see what He wants you to see, and implement His Word into your heart and life—beginning today.
-Read Isaiah 9:2, 6-7
“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone. . . For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.”
-Something to Think About:
I have to confess that I have stared at these verses for several days, unable to know what to write about them. They are just so staggering! There is the reminder that, apart from God, all is darkness—and worse than darkness! It is ugly, evil, horrific, hopeless, and full of true despair. BUT God did not leave us in that state, the state that we brought upon ourselves! He, the One Who DEFINES light, came so that we could be delivered from the darkness. That was true for the Jews living in the Old Testament—and it is true for us. What God did for us was to not only turn despair into gladness, but to provide endless joy and fulfillment in the presence of the Almighty. How could we possibly give God enough thanks for that!
And then, to further the sense of being overwhelmed, Isaiah goes on to give us a tiny glimpse of the majesty and glory of Jesus Christ. Whatever amazing role there could possibly ever be, Jesus fulfilled—and fulfilled it to perfection. He is the King of kings, He is the Wonderful Counselor, providing genuine truth, help, and hope. He is the Mighty God! Did you get that? We have constant access to THE MIGHTY GOD! How quick we are to forget Who created us, saved us, keeps us, and calls us His own!
He is the Everlasting Father. Nothing about Him is temporary or lacking in any way. He is the Prince of Peace. Jesus Christ came so that mankind could have a restored relationship with God, so that we could be at peace with the Almighty. This is seen in a grand way in our spiritual salvation, but it is also seen millions of times in our lives—every time we confess to Him that what we have done in defiance of His Word is sin and ask for forgiveness. And, Jesus Christ is our Peace in that simply knowing His love, mercy, kindness, justice, and grace are ours when we align ourselves with Him and “seek first His righteousness.”
Many people see all the delightful lights at Christmas time and simply enjoy how pretty they are. But you and I, children of the King, we know the truth. We should be looking at those lights and falling on our knees in gratitude for God the Father sending His Righteous Son to be our Light and salvation!
Applications:
-When you see symbols of Christmas, do you deliberately turn your thoughts to honoring God? When you see symbols of Christmas that turn people’s eyes away from the thought of God, do you grieve over the darkness and rebellion in which the unsaved exist? Have you considered using both the good and bad of Christmas decorations to tell others about Christ?
-Has it been a while since you deliberately considered just Who God is and what He has done, is doing, and will yet do? Today might be a good day for this grand action!
-Other things the Holy Spirit is pointing out to YOU:
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Wednesday, December 3, 2025
Always begin Bible Study by praying and asking the Father to help you concentrate, see what He wants you to see, and implement His Word into your heart and life—beginning today.
-Read Isaiah 53
“Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.”
Something to think About:
I doubt it is a new thought to any of you that perspective makes all the difference in the world. What one person sees from his or her perspective may be the completely opposite view of someone else (and often is!). While we tend to think of Jesus Christ coming to earth as a Human Baby some 2,000 years ago as sweet and tender and glorious (which from our perspective is true!), this is NOT how Jesus would have viewed it. He knew He was coming to be despised, rejected by the very people He created and came to die for! He came, knowing He would be “acquainted” with grief and carry OUR sorrows. He came, knowing that when the time was right, God the Father, the One He always had perfect harmony with, would CRUSH Him. He knew that He would be bearing on His shoulders the horrific ugliness of the sin of mankind, causing the Father to turn His back on Him in rejection and anger!
So, why did He do it? God asked Him to! Jesus Christ loves the Father with every ounce of His being—and He was delighted to do His will, including suffering in agony for the very ones who hated Him and ridiculed Him. Furthermore, as further rock-solid proof that God’s perspective is always good, righteous, and full of grace, once Jesus was brutally murdered, had been raised to life again, and had returned to the Father’s side in Heaven, having made the way for a restored relationship with Him, He continually offers intercession for the very people who despised Him. This is yet one more reminder of how our thoughts should continually be focused on praising God and how we should not take lightly our salvation.
Applications:
-Another, smaller, but perhaps noteworthy problem with perspective is seen in the simple fact that this passage says that Jesus was not what anyone would call handsome. There was nothing about His physical appearance that caused people to be attracted to Him. As we are all very aware of, humans ARE attracted to what we consider beautiful and handsome. We would do well to do what God does—look at people with the eyes of love. We would do well to remember that what God truly values is in our hearts, not our outward appearance. Furthermore, why should ANYONE look at ANYTHING God created with a critical eye! God cannot do anything flawed—and we would do well to remember that when we aren’t that happy with what we see in the mirror. =)
-Other things the Holy Spirit is pointing out to YOU:
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Thursday, December 4, 2025
Always begin Bible Study by praying and asking the Father to help you concentrate, see what He wants you to see, and implement His Word into your heart and life—beginning today.
-Read Matthew 1:1-17
“The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram, and Ram the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David the king. And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah, and Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asaph, and Asaph the father of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah, and Uzziah the father of Jotham, and Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, and Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, and Manasseh the father of Amos, and Amos the father of Josiah, and Josiah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon. And after the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah was the father of Shealtiel, and Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, and Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, and Abiud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor, and Azor the father of Zadok, and Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud, and Eliud the father of Eleazar, and Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ. So all the generations from Abraham to David were fourteen generations, and from David to the deportation to Babylon fourteen generations, and from the deportation to Babylon to the Christ fourteen generations.”
Something to Think About:
Did you know that each of the four Gospels is written to a specific audience and thus has specific goals? The Gospel of Matthew, for example, was written to a Jewish audience with the purpose of showing the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah promised by God from the time of Abraham (and even before, to Adam and Eve). That is why he goes into great detail to list Jesus’ lineage in these first seventeen verses of his book. He wanted to prove to the people that a) Jesus was a direct descendant of King David, giving Him the right to sit on the throne (obviously, there were more requirements than being a descendant of David, though this was an essential starting point), and b) he wanted to prove to the Jews that Jesus was also a descendant of Abraham, the person that God gave covenant promises to. In other words, Jesus’ lineage was such that He was qualified to be the Messiah and/or a King. It didn’t PROVE that He was either of these (though He is!), but it made Him eligible—an extremely important thing in Jewish eyes.
Another interesting fact about Matthew is that the original readers would have understood exactly what Matthew was doing in giving this lengthy lineage (and they would have understood the dozens of illustrations and points Matthew made throughout his gospel as they read it). We are the ones who are pretty clueless about most of it. It would be much like taking someone living in Matthew’s time and dropping them into a Starbucks and telling them to grab a Grande Caramel Macchiato and then listening to you tell them about the challenges you face as a Christian in today’s world. You would need to do a LOT of explaining for them to even begin to understand. BUT, even that is kind of amazing, because even though we know pretty much nothing about first-century Jewish life, God is able to help us treasure the many thrilling lessons and applications from this Gospel to help us know how to better praise God and live for Him!
My point in all this? God knew EXACTLY what He was doing in directing Matthew to write what he wrote—and He knew EXACTLY what was necessary to arrange the thousands and thousands of lives represented in that lineage so that Jesus Christ was born in THE right time with THE right ancestors. This same God cares about YOUR concerns! He is trustworthy! He is all-wise! He can do ANYTHING!
FYI: Matthew wasn’t trying to pull the wool over anyone’s eyes about who Joseph was to Jesus. Scripture is clear that Joseph is Jesus’ ADOPTIVE father. But as His adoptive father, Jesus inherited all the legal rights that transferred from any Jewish father to his firstborn son. Mary’s lineage brought different, but also important, rights to Jesus, as her Son by blood. The Jews would have known this.
BONUS: Mark’s Gospel presents Jesus Christ as the “Perfect Servant,” Luke shows Him as the “Son of Man,” and John’s presentation of Christ is as the “Son of God.”
Applications:
-There are six women mentioned in these verses (which would have been a surprise to the Jews since women weren’t really considered an important part of these things). What’s interesting about these women is that only a few of them were Jews. More than that, more than one was a harlot! How extraordinarily gracious of God to use His flawed and pitiful people in grand ways. We may fail over and over, but He never does. His kindness and wisdom can create beauty out of ashes and bring Himself great glory. Whatever your past, are you allowing Him to be honored through you today?
-Other things the Holy Spirit is pointing out to YOU:
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Friday, December 5, 2025
Always begin Bible Study by praying and asking the Father to help you concentrate, see what He wants you to see, and implement His Word into your heart and life—beginning today.
-Read Luke 1:5-17
“In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, of the division of Abijah. And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years. “Now while he was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty, according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense. “And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.”
Something to Think About:
We’ve spoken before about how we might be thought of by others. Certainly, like this account of Zechariah and Elizabeth, people are often known by first and last name, where they live, what they do, what their job is, etc. But in the grand scheme of things, that information is simply facts. What truly matters is the next part: Zechariah and Elizabeth were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord.
Does that mean they were perfect? Of course not! Only Jesus Christ was a perfect Human. The rest of us are born with a sin nature that entirely controls us until the Holy Spirit opens our hearts to the saving grace given to us by the work of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary. Even then, we will not be perfect in this lifetime, but we most definitely CAN say “yes” to God and “no” to sin! We can CHOOSE to obey what we know God wants us to do as written in the Bible—and we can choose to NOT do what we know displeases Him. THIS is what Zechariah and Elizabeth did, though it would have been harder for them because they did not have the indwelling Holy Spirit to help them and guide them in right thinking and behavior as Church Age believers do. They simply acknowledged that God was in charge of every part of their lives, and lived in obedience to what they knew He wanted from them. THIS, dear ones, is something we can do, too. WE can be righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all His commandments and statutes. It is God Himself Who helps us do this.
Applications:
-The Christmas account is riddled with notations concerning the timing of events. It is a strong reminder that God is in perfect charge of everything—including the who, what, when, and how of every detail of OUR lives. He is worthy of our utter trust. What He determines is exactly right and good.
-Although Zechariah and Elizabeth were known for their faithfulness to God, they still had a huge burden to bear. I’m certain that every single woman since time began who was barren carries a huge burden in their heart, but in Elizabeth’s time, it was more than “just” a huge hurt. It was cause to be looked down on, and it was a concern about their future. Children were the “old age policy” of the parents, and without them, there might not be a home or food in their future.
-Luke also points out that Elizabeth was not young. This makes the miracle of her pregnancy even more exciting, but that aside, it is also a reminder that God is not finished with us until we take our last breath. There is no such thing as “retiring” as a Christian! There is ALWAYS work to do for the Lord and for His people, though what it is usually shifts pertaining to our current circumstances (for example, a mom with little children serves God the best by raising them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. She may not be able to also head seven committees and work a full-time job).
-Other things the Holy Spirit is pointing out to YOU:
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Saturday, December 6, 2025
Always begin Bible Study by praying and asking the Father to help you concentrate, see what He wants you to see, and implement His Word into your heart and life—beginning today.
-Read Luke 1:26-33
“In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
Something to Think About:
Roughly six months (though it could be more) after Gabriel was sent to Zechariah with the message from God of good news, he was sent by God to Bethlehem to give Mary a pretty astounding message. There are several differences here, however. For one thing, Mary was not a wife yet, so she had not been praying earnestly for decades for a child of her own. She, no doubt, prayed for this while looking ahead to marriage, but not at that time. To become pregnant out of wedlock was a very serious thing, possibly leading to being stoned to death.
Gabriel’s message to Mary was a wonderful thing! She had been favored by God; chosen to become the mother of His own Son! Though the Jewish people knew that God would one day send a Redeemer (the Messiah), I don’t think anyone had even a tiny clue that the Messiah would be God. This was—and is—a staggering thing!
I cannot even begin to imagine all the questions in Mary’s mind as Gabriel delivered God’s message to her:
-she had been NOTICED by GOD!,
-she was going to conceive—and bear the Son of the Most High!,
-she was to give Him the name Jesus, “Jehovah Saves”!,
-He would be the forever-King of Israel, with a kingdom that has no end!
That was a lot for one girl to take in! Gabriel’s message to Mary was the beginning of the most important event in all of history: the Son of God coming to die for the sin of mankind. From that day forward, nothing would ever be the same again for Mary—or for you and me.
Applications:
-Mary is definitely one of the women from Scripture who is going to be busy in heaven because of all the believers who want to talk to her personally. Certainly, some of that is because of her role as mother of the Messiah, but more than that, because God found her faithful. And dear one, we can ALSO be found faithful by our Father! We, too, can live according to God’s Word, choosing to please Him and not self. We, too, can find “favor with God.” If your track record isn’t that great in the past, cheer up! Today is a new day in which to live for God with every ounce of your being!
-Mary is yet another example of how God doesn’t choose to bless people based on popularity or fame. Mary was a poor peasant girl from a small town. She was betrothed to a poor carpenter. Other than their faithfulness to God, there wasn’t anything super special about either one of them. BUT, in God’s eyes, their faithfulness to Him was EVERYTHING!
-Other things the Holy Spirit is pointing out to YOU:
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Sunday, December 7, 2025
(Thank the Father for this special day set aside for Him. Ask Him to help you know Him better by the day’s end and to have many opportunities to tell others about His praiseworthiness.)
-Be sure to spend some time in prayer first thing this morning so that you know that your heart is right with God. Make sure sin is confessed and dealt with, then ask Him to help you listen, learn, and grow. Ask not to be distracted by other thoughts during sermons and Bible studies, and not to be a distraction to others.
-Pray for your pastor and others who will be serving God today.
-Ask the Father for opportunities to speak of Him to others, to build others up in the things of the Lord, and to find tasks that you can do for Him and for others of His children today and this week.
-Ask at least one person how you can pray for them this week. What is their prayer request?
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-Take time before day’s end to note at least 5 things that you thank God for based on time spent in His House, hearing His Word, and being among His people.
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BONUS! God-honoring music is such a tremendous blessing that I thought we could use Sundays to focus on a few hymns that use “all” in them to read through (and sing, if you want!).
O Come, All Ye Faithful (words and music attributed to J. F. Wade)
O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant. O come ye, o come ye to Bethlehem! Come and behold Him, born the King of angels! O come, let us adore Him! O come, let us adore Him! O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord!
Sing, choirs of angels; sing in exultation. O sing, all ye citizens of heaven above! Glory to God, all glory in the highest! O come, let us adore Him! O come, let us adore Him! O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord!
Yea, Lord, we greet Thee, born this happy morning. Jesus, to Thee be all glory given! Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing! O come, let us adore Him! O come, let us adore Him! O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord!
Monday, December 8, 2025
Always begin Bible Study by praying and asking the Father to help you concentrate, see what He wants you to see, and implement His Word into your heart and life—beginning today.
-Read Luke 1:34-38
“And Mary said to the angel, ‘How will this be, since I am a virgin?’ And the angel answered her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.’ And Mary said, ‘Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.’ And the angel departed from her.”
Something to Think About:
Gabriel’s message in these verses is that nothing will be impossible with God. This is a verse that we should have written out and posted where we can see it often. We so often get caught up in the challenges of everyday life and forget just WHO our Father is and what He is capable of. We fuss about any number of little problems on any given day, forgetting that with God, nothing is impossible. We gasp and cry over the big issues, forgetting that nothing will be impossible with God. This Christmas season, as we get busy in the hustle and bustle of preparation, let’s not forget that it was our Father, Who can do the impossible, Who used a humble peasant girl to become the mother of His beloved Son. Let’s not forget that this same God will fashion us into the image of His Son, if we but kneel at His feet in trust and obedience.
Applications:
-It is clear that Mary’s question to Gabriel was not like Zechariah’s. While he was questioning whether such a thing was even possible, Mary was simply wondering in what manner God would bring about His plan. It’s okay to ask God questions. In fact, it is a good thing. The problem is when we ask Him questions while doubting Him or with an attitude of entitlement, accusation, or thinking that He owes us an answer. Humility, thankfulness, words of confidence—these please Him.
-It is interesting that Gabriel mentioned Elizabeth and the miracle that God performed for her. I think one of the things any of us can do when we are feeling a bit down is to recount the wonders God has worked for others, the wonders He has worked throughout Scripture, and the wonders you know that He has yet in mind for you. We can be confident of this because He has promised to keep perfecting us until the return of His Son.
-Other things the Holy Spirit is pointing out to YOU:
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Tuesday, December 9, 2025
Always begin Bible Study by praying and asking the Father to help you concentrate, see what He wants you to see, and implement His Word into your heart and life—beginning today.
-Read Luke 1:46-56
“And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever.” And Mary remained with her about three months and returned to her home.”
Something to Think About:
Mary’s words of praise, known as the Magnificat (“magnifies”) because of the first word of the Latin translation, are a delightful expression of her joy and gratitude to God the Father for what He is about to bring to pass—and how it fulfills all His promises of old. It is loaded with Scripture and Scriptural promises. It is heavily patterned after Hannah’s praise song in I Samuel, which demonstrated that Mary was very familiar with the Old Testament.
She, first and foremost, magnified and praised God. She extoled His greatness and holiness, His mercy and kindness. She pointed out His justice and deliverance, and that He always keeps His promises. Scattered throughout are how these things affected her personally. It isn’t empty words! She clearly recognized God’s magnificence and used His own attributes to make her point. This is a pretty good pattern for us to follow, too! If we want to use accurate and grand terms to describe God, we need only open our Bibles and recite what we find there. God helps us in every aspect of our Christian walk—including knowing how to praise Him with excellence!
Say, have YOU ever written a letter to God expressing your deep appreciation for Who He is and how He has shown His mercy, love, and might in your own life? The time between Thanksgiving and Christmas is a perfect time to do so. We have endless reasons to “magnify the Lord” and “rejoice in God our Savior.”
Applications:
-What Mary did in this recitation was to give her testimony. How often do YOU tell others what wonderful things God has done for you when the pastor gives you a chance to share your testimony? Doing so honors God—and encourages others. Consider thinking in advance about having a fresh word of praise to the Lord for the next time there is a testimony meeting in your church—something out of your walk with the Lord right now.
-The Catholics have created whole doctrines and behaviors around Mary, perhaps not reading Luke 1:47, where she acknowledges that she, too, needed a Savior. Mary was not sinless. She was a sinner saved by grace, just like the rest of us.
-Because of Mary’s extensive quotes from Hannah’s praise testimony, I’ve wondered if Mary considered Hannah a spiritual mentor. If she followed Hannah’s example as given in Scripture about how to trust God and honor Him? It is a great idea to look around and follow the excellent example of faithful believers. Those who have walked the paths before us can be a tremendous help and blessing. Don’t forget, too, to BE the kind of child of the King who is living in such a way that others can benefit from your example.
-Other things the Holy Spirit is pointing out to YOU:
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Wednesday, December 10, 2025
Always begin Bible Study by praying and asking the Father to help you concentrate, see what He wants you to see, and implement His Word into your heart and life—beginning today.
-Read Matthew 1:18-25
“Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.”
Something to Think About:
I really like Joseph, don’t you? He just seemed like an amazing fellow. When he heard that his fiancée was expecting, knowing of course that he wasn’t the father, he had the right to let other people know—which would probably have led to her death! But he chose to release her from their pre-marriage promise quietly and privately so that she would not be harmed or humiliated.
Then, as God does constantly in our lives, He intervened for our good and His glory. He delivered the message to Joseph that Mary had not been unfaithful, and in fact, the Baby in her womb was the Son of God! It just staggers the mind to think of what a shocker that would have been to Joseph, but he listened and immediately acted upon what God had told him. THAT is why I love Joseph so much. He heard some pretty hard-to-believe things—and he didn’t question them (because the message was from GOD), and instead obeyed right away. This is surely an example that we ALL need to follow! Obey God right away!
Did you notice that the name Joseph and Mary were instructed to give the Baby was Jesus (“Jehovah saves”), but that the prophecy about Jesus (from Isaiah) said that His name would be Immanuel (“God with us”)? This is for several reasons, not the least being that our Savior has MANY facets, titles, and roles. Another may simply be the distinction between the name people would know Jesus by—and WHO He was. God wanted people (beginning with Joseph) to understand EXACTLY Who Jesus was from day one. He may have been Mary’s Baby, but He was also “God with us.” Pretty incredible!
Applications:
-One of the things that seems to make most people pretty happy is to find a nice, comfy rut. We just love to find circumstances that are pleasant to us (which usually means doing our own thing and not being bothered by others!). We would be happy to stay there forever. However, God is NOT happy with ruts, or stagnant believers, or His children who live a life of complacency! He wants to use us. He wants us to grow more and more into His image. He wants us to keep moving forward in our spiritual maturity. And so, He often digs us out of our comfy little ruts and either gives us a job to do for Him, or perhaps a challenge designed to help us trust in Him more deeply. Whatever it is, will you respond like Joseph? Will you willingly and quickly do as God’s Word instructs?
-When you find out that another believer has done something “wrong,” what is your response? Are you quick to gossip to others about them? Do you condemn them—without even hearing their side? Or do you pray for the situation, then go to them and gently inquire about what you heard? If you have heard false information, then you might need to chat with the one who was spreading rumors. If what you heard was right, perhaps God will use you to help that brother or sister return to a right relationship with God. Neither condemnation nor gossip is ever the right solution.
-Other things the Holy Spirit is pointing out to YOU:
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Thursday, December 11, 2025
Always begin Bible Study by praying and asking the Father to help you concentrate, see what He wants you to see, and implement His Word into your heart and life—beginning today.
-Read Luke 2:1-3
“In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town.”
Something to Think About:
Sometimes we may get the impression that God only uses Christians for His tasks, but that isn’t true. God can use anyone—or anything— to do His bidding. In fact, the Bible is pretty clear that God doesn’t NEED any of us! When the Jewish leadership tried to get Jesus to quiet the crowds upon His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, Jesus said that if the people were quiet, even the rocks would cry out! I’m pretty sure He meant that literally.
I’m fairly confident that Caesar Augustus didn’t know he would become part of the Christmas story. It is doubtful he ever gave his order for the millions of people under Roman rule to be registered a second thought. He almost certainly gave no thought to all the hardship his edict resulted in: the loss of income, the difficulty of travel, the challenges for the old and infirm. He wanted the people counted, so counted they would be.
Even if he did think about the challenges associated with his order, I am sure that he had no idea that his edict would lead to the fulfillment of prophecy given hundreds of years earlier concerning the Jewish Messiah. He didn’t know that the registration would mean that Joseph and Mary would need to travel to Bethlehem, the birthplace of their ancestor, David, or that the timing was such that Mary would give birth there, far from their home in Nazareth.
BUT God knew. God uses even kings to cause His plan to come about. Willing or unwilling, all creatures will ultimately do what God decrees. In this case, that His Son be born in Bethlehem. This should provide tremendous comfort to us, knowing that with God, nothing is impossible. He will do His will—and He WILL keep His promises.
Applications:
-Caesar was an ungodly and powerful man, yet God wasn’t challenged by him one iota. Move forward 2,000 years, and we don’t need to worry about poor decisions our government makes either. God is still on His throne, and all is right with the world.
-If you need something to be thankful for today, be glad you aren’t named Quirinius! No one would be able to pronounce it—or spell it!
-Other things the Holy Spirit is pointing out to YOU:
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Friday, December 12, 2025
Always begin Bible Study by praying and asking the Father to help you concentrate, see what He wants you to see, and implement His Word into your heart and life—beginning today.
-Read Luke 2:4-7
“And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.”
Something to Think About:
This is definitely one of the Bible accounts where it is good to try to stop and picture yourself there. It is so extremely well known that it is easy to not really think about it. For example, because we know some of what happened after Jesus’ birth, we know that Joseph and Mary did not return to Nazareth for several years! I wonder if they prepared against that possibility? I’ve heard someone say that Joseph probably packed his woodworking tools and used his skills to support his family while in Bethlehem. But knowing he needed to do that, immediately challenges all the Christmas card pictures that show Joseph, Mary, a donkey – and nothing else. History indicates that it was often unsafe to make trips with only a few people, and in fact, traveling with all your family was common. In this case, Joseph and Mary would not have been the only two people in Nazareth who needed to register in Bethlehem. Both of their families would have had to go, too.
That aside, if you’ve ever been pregnant—and heavily pregnant— you can imagine how difficult it would have been to pack for an extended trip, and to go on a very long journey. It would have taken at least a few days, and maybe several days, probably camping along the road. To camp would mean making preparations for food and for bedding. Mary, knowing she was near the end of her pregnancy, probably also packed the items she would need for a newborn baby. It was a busy time!
Sunday School plays about this passage usually portray the innkeeper as a mean fellow without compassion, but the truth of the matter was that the tiny village of Bethlehem would have been overrun by hundreds, potentially even thousands, of people coming to register. It is possible that even if there had been a room in an inn available, Joseph and Mary couldn’t have afforded it. Everyone knows how prices rise when there is a shortage! They probably ended up in a cave near someone’s sheep field—and that would have been a very welcome refuge. I kind of doubt Mary was grumping because there was no Hilton Garden Inn.
We tend to picture Mary entering Bethlehem at midnight, writhing in agony of labor, only to discover there is no nice, neat place to have her baby, but the Bible gives no indication how long they were there before the Baby was born. For all we know, they could have been there for days or weeks.
Another likely fallacy is the picture we have (because of Christmas cards) of Mary and Joseph all alone at the birth, but it is more likely that Mary’s female relatives would have been prepared and ready to help her during the birth.
If these realities have dimmed your imagination of that very special night, don’t let it bother you. The precious, incredible, outstanding truth is this: Jesus Christ, the Son of GOD, was born as a Human in the middle of all that chaos in Bethlehem. God came down to earth. God now resided with man. Wow!
Applications:
-While I’m not sure we need to deliberately wander around at Christmas time pointing out the errors of pictures and songs, it is a good thing to recognize the facts the Bible gives us and base our doctrine on THAT. We need to be sure that what we KNOW about Bible events are facts from Scripture, not something someone made up to fill the gaps.
-Other things the Holy Spirit is pointing out to YOU:
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Saturday, December 13, 2025
Always begin Bible Study by praying and asking the Father to help you concentrate, see what He wants you to see, and implement His Word into your heart and life—beginning today.
-Read Luke 2:8-14
“And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
Something to Think About:
One of the things I keep trying to remind myself about when reading these treasured, well-known passages is that it was NOT a mundane event for ANYONE involved. This was a once-in -ETERNITY kind of thing! It never happened before, and it will never happen again. The Second Person of the Godhead began that night to dwell among men—by BECOMING a Man. But as inconceivable as that is, the reason why the angels of heaven could not contain their joy and awe was because Jesus Christ had come as the Savior of all mankind. He had come as The Christ, the Anointed One, the only One Who could—and would—restore peace between God and man.
Oh, dear one, let’s all commit to the Lord our desire to not lose sight of the true splendor and majesty of Christmas time—even as we plan our gifts, buy special foods and treats, listen to once-a-year music, and even as we watch the “holiday” movies. December is the time for all of mankind, but especially those who belong to God, to celebrate the good news of great joy that is for all. It is our golden opportunity to remember Christ our Savior, Who did not remain that Baby in a manger, but did what He came to do—pay the price our sin demanded. It is our joy to thank the Father that He provided the way to have peace with Him to all who have trusted in His Son as Savior and who live in a manner that pleases Him.
Applications:
-We know very little about the shepherds. It is supposed that these particular sheep could be the ones that would eventually be made available for the sacrificial requirement of the Jews in Jerusalem. What we do know is that these men probably had not heard about Gabriel’s visit to Zechariah or Mary, and that as far as they knew, it had been some 400 years since anyone had heard directly from God. To say that they were in shock to find themselves recipients of this incredible angelic announcement would be the understatement of their century! The thing to note, though, is that they were just regular people going about their regular day—until everything was exceptionally irregular. We don’t know when God is going to show us something amazing or how He is going to use us. Our job is just to faithfully do what He asks us to do in our little corner of the world, trusting the rest to Him, knowing that in His eyes, even the mundane done wholeheartedly for Him is grand and glorious.
-The shepherds felt a perfectly understandable fear; however, they did not need to STAY afraid. The solution was to look to God and the great things He had done. That is our antidote to fear as well: keep our eyes on Christ.
-The sign that the angel gave to the shepherds so they would know which Baby was Jesus wasn’t that He would be wrapped in swaddling cloths. This was the normal way to snuggly wrap all newborns. The unusual thing was that He would be using an animal feed trough as His bed.
-The word “good news” is our word for “gospel.”
-Other things the Holy Spirit is pointing out to YOU:
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Sunday, December 14, 2025
(Thank the Father for this special day set aside for Him. Ask Him to help you know Him better by the day’s end and to have many opportunities to tell others about His praiseworthiness.)
-Be sure to spend some time in prayer first thing this morning so that you know that your heart is right with God. Make sure sin is confessed and dealt with, then ask Him to help you listen, learn, and grow. Ask not to be distracted by other thoughts during sermons and Bible studies, and not to be a distraction to others.
-Pray for your pastor and others who will be serving God today.
-Ask the Father for opportunities to speak of Him to others, to build others up in the things of the Lord, and to find tasks that you can do for Him and for others of His children today and this week.
-Ask at least one person how you can pray for them this week. What is their prayer request?
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-Take time before day’s end to note at least 5 things that you thank God for based on time spent in His House, hearing His Word, and being among His people.
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BONUS! God-honoring music is such a tremendous blessing that I thought we could use Sundays to focus on a few hymns that use “all” in them to read through (and sing, if you want!).
Silent Night, Holy Night (words by J. Mohr; music by F. Gruber)
Silent night, holy night, all is calm, all is bright. Round yon virgin mother and child, Holy Infant so tender and mild, sleep in heavenly peace, sleep in heavenly peace.
Silent night, holy night, shepherds quake at the sight, glories stream from heaven afar, heavenly hosts sing alleluia. Christ the Savior is born! Christ the Savior is born!
Silent night, holy night, Son of God, love’s pure light, radiant beams from Thy holy face with the dawn of redeeming grace, Jesus, Lord at Thy birth. Jesus, Lord at Thy birth.
Silent night, holy night, wondrous star, lend thy light. With the angels let us sing alleluia to our King; Christ the Savior is born. Christ the Savior is born.
Monday, December 15, 2025
Always begin Bible Study by praying and asking the Father to help you concentrate, see what He wants you to see, and implement His Word into your heart and life—beginning today.
-Read Luke 2:15-18
“When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them.”
Something to Think About:
Generally speaking, we tend to have stronger feelings about things that we have seen, heard, or experienced personally than we do about things we only distantly think about. In this account, the shepherds were the ones God chose to first give this world-shattering news to, but others heard as they spread the news. God further blessed the shepherds by letting them see with their own eyes the truth of what they had been told. The birth of the Messiah wasn’t just words, they saw for themselves the newly born Baby—and they knew Who He was and why He had come. Theirs was a first-hand account.
We don’t all get first-hand accounts of things, and though it is interesting and helpful to hear other people’s reflections and experiences, it isn’t the same as being there yourself. For example, growing up in church, I was told more than once what wonders await those who can visit the Holy Land, Israel, for themselves: to walk the streets where Jesus might have walked, to get a feel for the land He so deeply loved. Then, when I was 21, I was given an opportunity to take a tour along with others from my church family who could get time off from work and afford to take the trip. God orchestrated it so I could go—and WOW! It was indescribable, and to this day I remember sights, sounds, and smells that make my appreciation of Scripture that much richer.
You and I might not have seen that angelic host loudly declare the coming of the Messiah. We might not have had a chance to witness Baby Jesus lying in the manger. We might not have ever been to Israel to know what it looks like and feels like. But child of the King, we HAVE had a personal encounter with God. He reached down from heaven, opened our eyes to our need of a Savior from our sin, and He saved us and called us to forever become His adopted child! It was a personal, life-changing event—one that we can share with others! We can, like the shepherds, tell everyone we come across “what the Lord has made known to us.” We can share the good news of a Messiah, come some 2,000 years ago, Who died on THEIR behalf, too. We can share with others all the glories of God that we have learned firsthand since becoming a Christian. We CAN share a blessed firsthand account. Are we?
Applications:
-I think there can be no doubt that the people who heard what the shepherds had to share were impacted deeply. Whether or not they believed them, or whether they checked it out for themselves, we may never know. The same is true for all the people we have spoken to about our Lord. We may never know how what the Holy Spirit prompted us to say may be used in their lives, but we can be sure of this: God’s Word does not return void (empty). Those who have heard biblical truth are not only now accountable for what they heard, they may not be able to forget what they heard—and perhaps, just perhaps—somewhere down the road they might get saved, or if already saved, really begin growing as a believer. Our job is to faithfully declare the glories of our God. His job is to use it when and how He thinks best.
-A related thought about what might happen (or not) with what we tell others about God is what others do with what they hear. It is not uncommon for believers to talk to someone and give them all the right words with all the right attitudes and motives, only to have it thrown back into their faces with rejection of some kind. The thing to keep in mind is that we cannot make people change. That is God’s job. Our job is to faithfully and wholeheartedly do what we know He wants us to do—in every situation and at all times—and then leave the results to Him. And it is our job to do right regardless of how it is received or if it is never acknowledged or thanked. We will stand before God one day to give account for what we did or didn’t do, while others will have to stand before Him in regards to their actions and responses. Our mission is to do what is right.
-Did you notice that the shepherds gave GOD the credit for what they had heard concerning Jesus and not the angels? God alone deserves all the glory. One of the things that distinguishes God’s angels v. fallen angels is that God’s angels never allow themselves to be honored or worshipped. They only want God to receive glory (to Whom it rightly belongs). As God’s children, that should be our policy as well.
-Other things the Holy Spirit is pointing out to YOU:
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Tuesday, December 16, 2025
Always begin Bible Study by praying and asking the Father to help you concentrate, see what He wants you to see, and implement His Word into your heart and life—beginning today.
-Read Luke 2:21
“And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.”
Something to Think About:
This simple verse is about obedience—and it is about astounding happenings.
It is about obedience because Joseph and Mary obeyed the Law that God had given to Moses all those centuries ago, stating that baby boys must be circumcised on their eighth day of life. I’m not sure if the official naming of a son on circumcision day was law or tradition, but in choosing the name Jesus, Joseph and Mary obeyed God in this regard as well. They might have preferred Joseph junior, Gabriel, Abraham, or the name of someone they admired in their family. But they chose “Jesus” because God told them to.
The name Jesus represents the astounding happenings that we’ve been studying. As I’m sure you’re aware, names in Bible times were extremely significant. Children were named based on the circumstances of their birth, something God was showing to the parents at the time of the birth, and even sometimes because God Himself told the parents what to name their child (because He would use them in some particular way).
“Jesus” is the Greek form of the Hebrew “Joshua” (Yeshua’/Yehoshua’). It means “Yahweh saves,” “the Lord saves,” or “salvation is from the Lord.” Matthew’s account of this adds that Jesus was to be thus named because He would save His people from their sins (Mt. 1:21).
When people heard that Joseph and Mary named their Son, Jesus, they would have recognized that His name was a reminder that God gave to the Jewish people the promise that He would one day send a Messiah (Savior) to rescue them. So great was the hope of the Hebrew people, the name Jesus was not an uncommon name to choose for their sons. However, those who heard about Mary’s Son didn’t know that Jesus was THE Savior, nor did they know that Jesus was not there at that time to rescue them from Roman oppression. His mission was much larger. It was the beginning of the fulfillment of the promise God made to Adam and Eve after sin ruined the perfect harmony between God and Man. Jesus had come to save mankind from the penalty of their sin. He had come to bring SPIRITUAL salvation.
Applications:
-Has God asked YOU to do something that you have not yet done? Make that right with Him by beginning to obey today.
-Joseph, Mary, Zechariah, and Elizabeth were all faithfully following God’s Law in their corners of the world. They had no idea that God had chosen them for a task—or just how important that task would be. God has very specific plans for us, too! Though we may never know the importance of what we do for God, we can be certain that God WILL use what we do for Him out of humble obedience and love.
-Though I’ve harped on it before, the reminder of the importance of Jesus’ name should be a challenge to us that our names mean something, too. It isn’t generally what the definition of our name is, however. In this century and in this place, our names stand for who we are, what we are like, and what others know of our life and testimony. When people hear your name, do they think, “child of God”?
-Other things the Holy Spirit is pointing out to YOU:
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Wednesday, December 17, 2025
Always begin Bible Study by praying and asking the Father to help you concentrate, see what He wants you to see, and implement His Word into your heart and life—beginning today.
-Read Luke 2:25-35
“Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel. “And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him. “And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”
Something to Think About:
This account of Simeon is pretty amazing. I love to picture Simeon standing in the Temple area gazing at the hundreds of people that were there for whatever reason had brought them: offering sacrifices out of duty, or perhaps, thanksgiving, listening to the teaching of some rabbi, simply enjoying the beauty of the buildings and grounds that Herod had restored so grandly—and then his eyes catch sight of a young couple with a very small baby. The Holy Spirit, for reasons unknown to us and probably even to Simeon, told him that THIS is the One he had been waiting for his entire life. This was the Infant Christ. This was the One God had sent to bring His salvation for all mankind—and for Simeon himself. What joy must have flooded his soul! What praise to God must have poured from his heart!
Sometimes we Independent Baptists struggle with showing our emotions in regards to our gratitude, praise, and sheer joy in God our Savior. We feel super uncomfortable at the thought of whispering an “Amen” when something the pastor said touched our heart, let alone shouting it. When the occasional visitor in our midst says, “Amen” and “Hallelujah” frequently, we may feel thankful we aren’t sitting too close to them.
Why is that? Why would we hesitate to express our joy, thankfulness, and praise of God audibly? Oh, I know it is mostly how we were raised and what is considered “normal” in our churches, but I think Simeon got it right. He had been waiting his entire life to see God’s “Salvation,” and when he did, he prayed to God out loud and with great emotion. He also didn’t hesitate to share what he knew to be true about this tiny Baby. He told all who were there that Jesus was God’s Salvation that He had prepared in the presence of all peoples; that He was a Light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for God’s people, the Israelites.
I’ve often wondered what the other people there thought. Did they think he was batty? Did they also feel a huge rush of astonishment, hope, and awe? Did they praise God that His promises were coming true before their very eyes? If not, how sad for them to have missed out on this incredibly special event!
I am not fooled that I have convinced anyone to be a bit more vocal with “amens” and “hallelujahs” during sermons, but I do pray that we will all ask the Father to help our hearts grow more sensitive and tender each year, so that at the very least, inside our head we are SHOUTING, “Praise the Lord from Whom all blessings flow!”
Applications:
-The word “consolation” in verse 25 is the word “comfort.” It is the hope (which biblically means “confidence”) that God WOULD rescue His people from their oppressors. It also involved, though, their spiritual rescue. Jesus did what He came to do, and though we may not currently be in heaven, our eternity IS happening right now. In addition, our salvation has happened, and all who have trusted in Christ as Savior ARE righteous in God’s eyes now. Amazing! Marvelous! Some of those praises to God might be coming out right now!
-If it has been a while since you looked up pictures of Herod’s Temple complex at the time of Jesus, try to work it in soon. It is interesting, as well as being helpful to picture things a bit better when reading the New Testament. For example, the public areas were in the courtyard, not in the main part of the Temple (that area was restricted to the Levites). The main courtyard (“The Court of Women”) was able to hold about 6,000 people. It was not restricted to only women, but the women were not allowed to go further than this in the Temple complex.
-Did you notice more reference to the light that God was bringing? Christmas time is a great time to see the symbolism in every single twinkle light we come across!
-Other things the Holy Spirit is pointing out to YOU:
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Thursday, December 18, 2025
Always begin Bible Study by praying and asking the Father to help you concentrate, see what He wants you to see, and implement His Word into your heart and life—beginning today.
-Read Luke 2:36-38
“And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin, and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.”
Something to Think About:
Anna’s story is a joy to hear. She loved God. It’s that simple. She loved Him so much, in fact, that she stayed in the Temple complex for decades. Furthermore, she didn’t just live there, she dedicated her life to worshiping with fasting and prayers night and day. God rewarded her by allowing her to meet the Savior! She responded by sharing the good news of His advent to every single person she could find.
You know, not everyone can be a prayer warrior. Oh, don’t get me wrong, EVERYONE should be devoted to prayer, and everyone should work hard at it to get better (and by “better,” I don’t necessarily mean longer or more often, I mean more biblically accurate in what we ask for and what we praise God for). But it often seems like God arranges for those who are sick, infirm, or elderly to have the opportunity to use larger amounts of time and/or energy to pray for the needs of those He has brought to their attention. Those who are wheelchair-bound, for example, are often dependent on others to go places and often find themselves in one spot for hours at a time. They could watch TV or read novels (and these things aren’t bad in and of themselves), but they could also dedicate some of that time to praying for the spiritual and physical needs of others, for the items listed in the latest missionary newsletters, for the state of the nation, for the well-being and spiritual wisdom of the pastor, and for countless other essential happenings in our churches.
I am 100% certain that the lion’s share of what my husband and I do for the Lord in the ministry would be more difficult or complicated if we didn’t have prayer warriors lifting us up before the Lord. To pray for others is the most important job we can have from God—and I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that God will richly reward those who do it well in glory.
Applications:
-Although Anna was named a prophetess, most prophets were male. However, both male and female prophets were done away with after the Bible was completed. Those of us living in the Church Age have God’s Word in written form to consult for God’s truth. It contains everything we need for life and godliness. (By the way, it looks like God will appoint a few new prophets during the Tribulation period.)
-I’d be surprised if you had never noticed that most of our churches usually have several “older” ladies who are often widows. Very often, these are the ones who are exceedingly faithful in their attendance, who provide meals for those who need them, and who help things run smoothly when we have church dinners. I hope you have thanked God for your older ladies—and thanked them. They are an extra special blessing straight from the hand of God. I also hope that you are living faithfully for God right now, so that if it is His plan for YOU to be one of the older ladies someday, He’ll be able to use you right up until the time He calls you home.
-Other things the Holy Spirit is pointing out to YOU:
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Friday, December 19, 2025
Always begin Bible Study by praying and asking the Father to help you concentrate, see what He wants you to see, and implement His Word into your heart and life—beginning today.
-Read Matthew 2:1-2
“Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”
Something to Think About:
There is quite a bit we do not know about these wise men! How many were there? WHO were they? Where exactly in the “east” did they come from? What star??? How did this star rising lead them to the certain knowledge the King of the Jews had been born—and that they NEEDED to worship Him?
There is, of course, a lot of speculation about these facts, but what I love about these verses is that in a few simple words, great focus and determination are described. These men (at least two due to the use of the plural, but not necessarily only three!) had been studying the sky, and when they saw “His star,” they packed their bags and hightailed it to Jerusalem (the center of worship for Jews) to find this new King. And, students of the Word, this journey took them close to TWO YEARS! This was not three men who jumped on camels and off they went! They would have needed to pack and prepare for a long journey. It is likely that they brought servants, animals, provisions, tents, guards, and whatever they would need for a long, difficult journey. It is even probable that their families joined them, because if it took them close to two years to get to Bethlehem, it took at least that long to return. Their mission was so important that they were willing to give up more than four years to fulfill it.
And what was this mission? To worship Jesus Christ.
Wow. That kind of puts into perspective the difficulty they faced—and the ease of our worship in twenty-first-century America! They had to work hard and long to find Him, we simply need to take the time to remember Who He is and give Him the honor and glory that He deserves. They needed to intensely study obscure and hard-to-find documents and interview the Jews living in their city. We simply need to open our readily available Bibles and read them in our own language. They had no personal direct access to God. We simply need to begin talking to our Father to enter His holy throne room! They had no right to enter a Jewish synagogue, but we only need to show up in our warm church buildings on Sundays and Wednesdays to sit in comfy chairs and enjoy the teaching and preaching from God’s Holy Word—by the pastor God Himself gave to that work.
But do we? Do we take the time and effort to worship Jesus Christ? When we ARE in church, are we always truly “there”? Are we singing TO HIM during congregational hymns? Are we praying WITH the pastor or other leader who is praying on behalf of the group? Are we engaged in God’s Word as it is being taught, eager to find out what the Holy Spirit wants us to know and to mature in? In all our comfort and ease, are we still seeking to worship the King of the Jews?
How easy it is to take our special relationship with God for granted! May God help us to stop doing that, and by His help, to seek to worship Him with the praise and attention due His name.
Applications:
Here are a few facts and suppositions about this passage:
-Matthew mentioned that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, marking Him as from the tribe of Judah and from the city that produced Davidic kings. Bethlehem was roughly five miles south of Jerusalem.
-The wise men were most likely astronomers and/or priests from Babylon or Persia, located east of Jerusalem. The main trade route between Babylon and Jerusalem was 800 miles long.
-In Numbers 24:7, Balaam prophesied about a star and a Ruler Who would come out of Israel. The Jews saw that as pointing to a messianic deliverer. It is supposed that the wise men were in communication with Jews in Babylon and this is how they knew what the star meant and why they should follow it.
-The movement of the star suggests it was not a constellation, supernova, or a conjunction of planets. Some even believe it could have been a guiding angel! A Christian astronomer who has carefully studied the evidence thinks it might have been a comet.
-Other things the Holy Spirit is pointing out to YOU:
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Saturday, December 20, 2025
Always begin Bible Study by praying and asking the Father to help you concentrate, see what He wants you to see, and implement His Word into your heart and life—beginning today.
-Read Matthew 2:3-8
“When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet: “‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’” Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.”
Something to Think About:
Herod is another character of Christmas who wasn’t necessarily a willing participant. Herod the Great was known for his incredible architectural improvements in and around Jerusalem, but he was also known as a madman. His paranoia about maintaining the rule Rome gave to him over Israel was so great that he had several people murdered who he felt were a threat—including wives and children! In this account, we can see a bit of Herod’s obsession with HIS rule when he showed great concern about this new “king.” As we know from a few verses later, Herod’s goal in talking to the wise men was so he could eliminate this threat, and that was why he was deceitful with them.
However, Herod IS a part of the Christmas account, and Herod DID play a role in things, though an extremely ugly part. His behavior was paranoid. He sought to find out the facts for his own gain and to plot to destroy what could have been eternity-changing for him. In other words, he rejected a chance that God had given to him PERSONALLY to find out how the Hope of all nations was residing only a few miles from his palace, a palace that didn’t truly belong to him (he wasn’t a Jew, let alone from the line of David), but which DID belong to the true King of the Jews. Herod blew it.
Before we get too down on Herod, do WE ever reject God? Do we ever, by design or apathy, fail to see some blessing or privilege that God wants to give us? Do we ever know what God wants from us—and refuse to do it?
What a shame! What a tragedy!
I wonder how many astronomical things we have missed out on simply because we were a bit too focused on our goals, our plans, our agendas—and were not tender to the leading of God in His Word, through His people, or in any of the hundreds of ways God gently pulls us towards Himself on any given day or week. Oh, how we need to keep right with God so that He can use us and so that we can bring Him glory in all we say and do!
Applications:
-Matthew 2:3 said that Herod was troubled—and all Jerusalem with him. This is a reminder to me that our attitudes and actions can be contagious. When we are grumpy with our family and friends, they often also become grumpy. However, when we are upbeat and optimistic (because we are trusting fully in God’s timing and plan), then those around us tend to also be upbeat and optimistic. I would MUCH rather that my behaviors cause others to rejoice in Christ than to be “troubled,” wouldn’t you?
-Even though a wicked man, Herod knew where to go to get facts about God. Do people know that they can go to YOU to find out more about God? Why or why not?
-The religious scholars, though often proved to be hypocritical, at least knew that the answers to life’s questions are in God’s Word. When asked about the Messiah, they knew to turn to the Book of Micah.
-Herod was very secretive about telling the wise men that the King could be found in Bethlehem. That was because he didn’t want others to hear about Him and perhaps crown Him King, leaving Herod out of a job (and probably his life). There are definitely times where seeking godly counsel and help should remain a private affair, but it also seems that conversations involving gossip or plotting against people are usually done “secretly” – as if God cannot hear if we speak quietly enough. God has said that He is everywhere and that there are no such things as secrets from Him. How much better to only speak words of love, encouragement, and edification—in public and in private.
-Other things the Holy Spirit is pointing out to YOU:
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Sunday, December 21, 2025
(Thank the Father for this special day set aside for Him. Ask Him to help you know Him better by the day’s end and to have many opportunities to tell others about His praiseworthiness.)
-Be sure to spend some time in prayer first thing this morning so that you know that your heart is right with God. Make sure sin is confessed and dealt with, then ask Him to help you listen, learn, and grow. Ask not to be distracted by other thoughts during sermons and Bible studies, and not to be a distraction to others.
-Pray for your pastor and others who will be serving God today.
-Ask the Father for opportunities to speak of Him to others, to build others up in the things of the Lord, and to find tasks that you can do for Him and for others of His children today and this week.
-Ask at least one person how you can pray for them this week. What is their prayer request?
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-Take time before day’s end to note at least 5 things that you thank God for based on time spent in His House, hearing His Word, and being among His people.
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BONUS! God-honoring music is such a tremendous blessing that I thought we could use Sundays to focus on a few hymns that use “all” in them to read through (and sing, if you want!).
Joy to the World (words by I. Watts; music by G. Handel)
Joy to the world! The Lord is come! Let earth receive her King! Let every heart prepare Him room, and heaven and nature sing, and heaven and nature sing, and heaven and heaven and nature sing.
Joy to the earth! The Savior reigns! Let men their songs employ! While fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains repeat the sound joy, repeat the sounding joy, repeat, repeat, the sounding joy.
No more let sins and sorrows grow nor thorns infest the ground; He comes to make His blessings flow far as the curse is found, far as the curse is found, far as, far as the curse is found.
He rules the world with truth and grace and makes the nations prove the glories of His righteousness, and wonders of His love, and wonders of His love, and wonders, wonders, of His love.
Monday, December 22, 2025
Always begin Bible Study by praying and asking the Father to help you concentrate, see what He wants you to see, and implement His Word into your heart and life—beginning today.
-Read Matthew 2:9-12
“After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.”
Something to Think About:
I love these verses! I love how God continued to use the star to lead the men to Jesus’ current location (the star’s movement may have been suspended while they were in Jerusalem). I love that they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy in the certain knowledge that they were very close to their goal. I love that the second they saw the young Child, Jesus, that they fell down and worshiped Him. I love that they had carefully guarded the treasures that they had brought on that long, long trip for Him. I love that the gifts represent a clear knowledge of Who Jesus was and what He had come to do. And I love that God intervened in their lives (and in that of Joseph, Mary, and Jesus!), and sent them home in a way that would keep them far away from wicked Herod.
The gifts that the wise men had packed before leaving their home were gifts that were pretty spectacular and seem to have been given a lot of thought in relation to Who Jesus was—and what He had come to do.
I think that knowing who we are giving a gift to makes all the difference in the world. A random gift to someone on some “secret santa” list is likely to be generic and may or may not be something the recipient actually wants. When we know and love the person we are choosing a gift for, though, what we end up with will reflect what we know about them and how we want to demonstrate our love. And THAT makes me question if sometimes we give “gifts” to God that aren’t really something that we KNOW He will love. For example, we may give God the gift of helping to redecorate and spruce up the church kitchen. Perhaps we were volunteered for this job without our knowledge, perhaps we agreed only because we thought it would look bad to say no. Maybe we agreed to work on it so that others would see what an awesome church member we are. None of these seem like very good reasons—and even indicate that there might be something lacking in our attitude and outlook. For the gift to please God, it should come from a heart of love for Him, love for God’s people, and gratitude for the building God gave you. It should come out of a desire to be a help and a blessing—even if redoing a kitchen is not your first pick for a fun project. It is choosing to be excited and enthusiastic, giving every ounce of your abilities and energies to doing the best job you can possibly do. God is well pleased with that kind of gift.
There are endless examples of what we “bring” to God that could be pleasing to Him—or not so much. As we come to know Him more and love Him better, what we do for Him will be more what His Word says brings Him great honor.
Applications:
-I love that the wise men completed their mission. Too often we give up halfway through some task for Him—or even before we’ve even begun! I can’t imagine how difficult it would have been for these men to pack up so much and travel so far to bring gifts to a Child. But they knew they needed to do it—and they did. Would that we would be as faithful!
-I don’t know if the wise men understood that it wasn’t the star that was leading them to Jesus, but God. I DO know that one of the things that believers can be a witness about is the truth that luck, lucky stars, dead ancestors, karma, fate, and astrology charts do NOT do anything for anyone. It is always only GOD Who is the One Who blesses, leads, guides, and helps any of us. He is the One Who deserves all thanksgiving and praise.
-It is probable that the gifts the wise men brought were helpful in funding the family as they traveled to Egypt, then later returned to Nazareth. It’s also probably that Joseph would also have been using his carpentry skills to pay their way, too.
-Other things the Holy Spirit is pointing out to YOU:
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Tuesday, December 23, 2025
Always begin Bible Study by praying and asking the Father to help you concentrate, see what He wants you to see, and implement His Word into your heart and life—beginning today.
-Read Galatians 4:4-5
“But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.”
Something to Think About:
Aren’t these beautiful verses? They are so rich with promise and assurance! From before time as we know it began, God was weaving an incredible tapestry of love, pulling together impossible-to-count details of events, people, places, and actions that resulted—in THE perfect time—for the birth of His Son as a Man in order to make a way for YOU to become His adopted child! THAT is worthy of stopping and breathing it all in. THAT is worthy of stopping to say, “Thank You!” to your Father, the Architect of it all.
Redeemed! Redeemed!
Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb;
Redeemed! Redeemed
His child and forever I am!
Redeemed, how I love to proclaim it!
Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb;
Redeemed through His infinite mercy,
His child and forever I am!
Redeemed, and so happy in Jesus,
No language my rapture can tell;
I know that the light of His presence
With me doth continually dwell.
I think of my blessed Redeemer,
I think of Him all the day long:
I sing, for I cannot be silent;
His love is the theme of my song.
I know I shall see in His beauty
The King in whose law I delight;
Who lovingly guardeth my footsteps,
And giveth me songs in the night.
I know there’s a crown that is waiting
In yonder bright mansion for me,
And soon, with the spirits made perfect,
At home with the Lord I shall be.
Redeemed! Redeemed!
Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb;
Redeemed! Redeemed
His child and forever I am!
(by Fanny Crosby)
Wednesday, December 24, 2025
Always begin Bible Study by praying and asking the Father to help you concentrate, see what He wants you to see, and implement His Word into your heart and life—beginning today.
-Read John 3:16
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (ESV)
“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his uniquely existing Son so that everyone who believes in him would not be lost but have eternal life.” (ISV)
“For God so [greatly] loved and dearly prized the world, that He [even] gave His [One and] only begotten Son, so that whoever believes and trusts in Him [as Savior] shall not perish, but have eternal life.” (AMP)
Something to Think About:
Because this verse is so well known, and so magnificent, I have included three different translations of it so that we can try to appreciate it anew.
“This is how God loved the world.” When we wonder what true love is, when we doubt that God actually loves US, when we feel alone and abandoned, we need but remember that God showed His love for every single human being since Adam and Eve BY giving us His Son! We need to remember that God dearly prizes every single one of us.
And Who was this Son? He exists in a “unique” way; He was the only One of His kind. We know from many other Bible passages that He was loved and cherished by the Father; that the harmony between Father and Son was absolutely PERFECT. We know that the Son determined to do His Father’s will. We know that the Son is every bit as much God as the Father. We know that the Son, too, loves every single human being—even though every single one of us chose to be His enemy!
Why did God send His precious, utterly Faithful Son? So that we wouldn’t stay in the state of being doomed to an eternity of spiritual death and separation from God in the Lake of Fire. He sent the Second Person of the Godhead so that we could not only be saved from death and the punishment we deserved –and wanted—but so He could adopt us as HIS CHILDREN, heirs together with His own Son!
And what is the means of our salvation? How do we claim this most magnificent Christmas gift ever? Believe. We simply believe that what God said is true: that we are sinners, that Christ is the Savior, that because of the sacrifice He made on our behalf in dying and being resurrected to new life, we become new creatures—creatures of God who BELONG to Him forever and always.
Now THAT is a Christmas gift! THAT is a Christmas gift worth sharing with every single person we know this holiday season! Who are you going to tell first?
Thursday, December 25, 2025
Don’t miss the privilege of beginning your Christmas Day thanking the Father for making a way for you to belong to Him forever!
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Christmas A-B-C’s
A Luke 1:30-31 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.”
B Luke 2:15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”
C Isaiah 9:6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given.
D Luke 2:11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
E James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.
F John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the
only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
G Luke 2:20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
H Luke 2:14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
I Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
J Matthew 1:21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”
K Matthew 2:2 “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”
L Matthew 28:20 Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.
M Luke 2:7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
N Philippians 2:9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name.
O Luke 1:35 And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God.
P Isaiah 9:6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Q Luke 2:1-5 1 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.
R Micah 5:2 But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from
ancient days.
S Matthew 2:10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.
T Matthew 2:11 And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.
U Matthew 1:23 They shall call his name Immanuel (which means, God with us).
V Matthew 1:23 Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son.
W John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
X Acts 5:30-31 The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.
Y Luke 2:12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”
Z 1 Peter 2:6 For it stands in Scripture: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and
precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”
Friday, December 26, 2025
Always begin Bible Study by praying and asking the Father to help you concentrate, see what He wants you to see, and implement His Word into your heart and life—beginning today.
-Read Ephesians 2:1-10
“And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”
Something to Think About:
We spent the last several weeks looking at various personal perspectives of the Christmas account. We have seen how God looked down through the corridors of time, saw what wickedness mankind would do, and prepared a way to bring us back to a right relationship to Him—never to be parted from Him again. We saw how the coming of the Messiah was prophesied for thousands of years, culminating in the surprise of the ages: our Savior was God’s own Son.
We have seen what God did to bring about the timing and details of His Son’s birth—and even why: His great love and mercy. And now it is time to consider our response. What should OUR response be? How can we thank God for rescuing us from the prince of the power of the air and our existence as spiritually dead in trespasses and sins? How can we demonstrate our gratitude that He transformed us from children of wrath into HIS children, children of righteousness and light? With what eagerness shall we grasp that He delights to teach us about the immeasurable riches of His grace and kindness toward us in Christ Jesus? How can ANYONE adequately say “Thank You” for the gift of salvation????
Ephesians 2:10—and pretty much the lion’s share of the New Testament—is all about how God says we can show Him the glory, honor, and praise due His name; how we can live the lives He created us to live, how we can do the things that He “prepared beforehand” for us to do.
God left us His Written Word, the Bible, as our instruction Book. In it, we will find all that we need to know about life and godliness. In it, we will find clear-cut dos and don’ts—as well as countless principles and examples of godly living. Furthermore, once we’ve trusted in Christ as Savior, God gave us another priceless Gift—He gave us the third Member of the Godhead, the Holy Spirit, to reside within us to help us not only understand God’s Word, but to obey it—to guide us into WHO we are and WHY we do what we do.
The believer’s response to the Christmas story begins with salvation and continues every single day that God gives us here on earth. It is to love God supremely, seen in our obedience to His Word, and it is to love others, seen in how we encourage them to greater godliness.
Other things the Holy Spirit is pointing out to you:
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Saturday, December 27, 2025
Always begin Bible Study by praying and asking the Father to help you concentrate, see what He wants you to see, and implement His Word into your heart and life—beginning today.
-Read Ephesians 4:1-3; 17-23
“I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. . . Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. But that is not the way you learned Christ!— assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds.”
Something to Think About:
It seemed appropriate to me (and useful!) to use these last few days of the year to note a few of the “good works” that God has called His children to walk in. As noted yesterday, the Bible is full of these essential truths, but there are many in this same letter to the Ephesians where Paul mentioned them (in chapter 2).
First, and certainly in an overarching way, we should walk (live) in a manner worthy of the calling (as God’s children) which we have been called to (by the way, this is a command, not a “suggestion”). AND we are to do so humbly, gently, patiently, lovingly, and with eagerness to maintain the unity of the Spirit. In other words, as one big happy family in the Lord.
There is living the way that is technically obeying God’s Word, but doing so in a way that is arrogant, abrasive, impatient, condescending, and with no regard for the feelings of others. God is best honored when we obey Him IN THE MANNER that reflects His own sacrificial love and mercy shown to us.
There are always two ways to look at things. Yes, we need to be becoming more like Christ and to obey what God says to do, but we also need to stop living like what we were before coming to know Christ as Savior. We are no longer of the world, so we should no longer look like them, think like them, or act like them. The old us, the one that is just like the world, is concerned with selfish pursuits and will do whatever it takes to get what it wants. This is the opposite of Christlikeness, which strives to honor God supremely and love others as self—including joyfully sacrificing our goals and ideas in lieu of blessing others.
Thanks to God, we CAN please God with our lives—and find tremendous joy and peace in doing so. Our past is in the past, but today we can lean on the power of the Holy Spirit to help us live “just like” our Father.
What has the Holy Spirit laid on your heart based on this passage?
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Sunday, December 28, 2025
(Thank the Father for this special day set aside for Him. Ask Him to help you know Him better by the day’s end and to have many opportunities to tell others about His praiseworthiness.)
-Be sure to spend some time in prayer first thing this morning so that you know that your heart is right with God. Make sure sin is confessed and dealt with, then ask Him to help you listen, learn, and grow. Ask not to be distracted by other thoughts during sermons and Bible studies, and not to be a distraction to others.
-Pray for your pastor and others who will be serving God today.
-Ask the Father for opportunities to speak of Him to others, to build others up in the things of the Lord, and to find tasks that you can do for Him and for others of His children today and this week.
-Ask at least one person how you can pray for them this week. What is their prayer request?
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-Take time before day’s end to note at least 5 things that you thank God for based on time spent in His House, hearing His Word, and being among His people.
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BONUS! God-honoring music is such a tremendous blessing that I thought we could use Sundays to focus on a few hymns that use “all” in them to read through (and sing, if you want!).
‘Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus (words by L. Stead; music by W. Kirkpatrick)
“Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus, just to take Him at His word; just to rest upon His promise, just to know, “Thus saith the Lord.” Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him! How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er! Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus! O for grace to trust Him more!
O how sweet to trust in Jesus, just to trust His cleansing blood; just in simple faith to plunge me ‘neath the healing, cleansing flood! Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him! How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er! Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus! O for grace to trust Him more!
Yes, ‘tis sweet to trust in Jesus, just from sin and self to cease; just from Jesus simply taking life and rest and joy and peace. Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him! How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er! Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus! O for grace to trust Him more!
I’m so glad I learned to trust Him, Precious Jesus, Savior, Friend; and I know that He is with me, will be with me to the end. Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him! How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er! Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus! O for grace to trust Him more!
Monday, December 29, 2025
Always begin Bible Study by praying and asking the Father to help you concentrate, see what He wants you to see, and implement His Word into your heart and life—beginning today.
-Read Ephesians 4:24-5:1,10
“Put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil. Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. . . and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord.”
Something to Think About:
One of the amazing things about God’s Word that we discover over time is that it always provides the biblical solution to the worldly way of thinking or acting. Ephesians 4 is a prime example of this. Some have labeled it the “put off/put on” principle, because in it we find several ungodly actions that are to be replaced by the godly ones.
Making your own list of Bible antidotes is an extremely useful thing. Simply make note of the dos and don’ts as you find them, along with what God says pleases Him. Let’s practice in this section:
Do Not: lie.
Do: speak truth.
(Why? Because we are members one of another—obviously speaking about fellow believers.)
Do Not: sin due to uncontrolled anger.
Do: deal with it biblically and quickly.
(Why? Allowing ourselves to get angry and stay angry gives satan an open door to encourage us in all sorts of other sins.)
Do Not: steal.
Do: work.
(Why? You can be a help to others!)
Do Not: use ugly words.
Do: use words that build others up in the things of the Lord.
(Why? Our words can encourage and bless others, but they can also grieve the Holy Spirit.)
Do Not: be bitter.
Do Not: be a person who is full of anger or quickly upset.
Do Not: speak slanderous or spiteful words about others.
(Why? These things grieve the Holy Spirit.)
Do: be kind.
Do: be tenderhearted.
Do: forgive others in the same manner God in Christ forgave you.
(Why? We were created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness (v.24).
It’s kind of fun, don’t you think? If we were to keep a running list like this every time we open God’s Word—and every time we hear it preached and taught—we would quickly have a good handle on what God-honoring living is like. And lest we be discouraged at how far we have to go, keep in mind that God isn’t asking us to be perfect, He simply wants us to keep trying. AND, don’t forget that He is with us every single minute of every single day, helping us to become what He has made us to be.
Here are a few more overarching goals for believers: imitate God, love as Christ loved us, and do what pleases the Lord.
First, we are to imitate God. Studying God’s Word teaches us what God likes—and hates; what pleases Him—and displeases Him; what brings Him glory—and what dishonors Him (which is sin!). As Paul says earlier in the book, put off the ugly worldly stuff and put on your new self created to be like Him.
Next, we are to love as Christ loved us. How did He do that? Sacrificially! He gave Himself up for us as a “fragrant offering” and “sacrifice” to God! Living for God is a whole-hearted kind of thing. It is giving our very best, without expecting anything in return. It is remembering that as we demonstrate godly love to others, that we are doing it out of love for our Father—Who loves us unconditionally and eternally. Meditating on His love and that of our Savior makes it so we can love others as we go through our days and weeks.
Finally, we are to try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. As noted before, we don’t really need to guess what God likes because God has told us what we need to know in His Word. We do, though, need to be in our Bibles to learn it—and we do need to rely on the power of the Holy Spirit to help us do it. God has provided for our spiritual growth and usefulness to Him in an interesting way. He does all the actual work, including giving us the desire to please Him, but He does ask that we “try.” He expects us simply to faithfully obey Him, WHILE giving us the ability to do it—and then He blesses us wirh victory that He provides! Would that we were that generous with the people in our lives!
What else has the Holy Spirit pointed out to you?
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Tuesday, December 30, 2025
Always begin Bible Study by praying and asking the Father to help you concentrate, see what He wants you to see, and implement His Word into your heart and life—beginning today.
It’s time to review 2025!!!
How do we summarize an entire year’s worth of work in just a few sentences? The truth is, we probably cannot! That being true, it’s still a valuable exercise to try to go back to older studies we’ve done to remind ourselves of what we learned and what God impressed on our hearts about what areas need change or growth. I don’t know about you, but I forget even valuable lessons far too quickly!
I would strongly encourage you to take some time to review at least some of your work in 2025. If you don’t have the hard copies, or if you just want to make it a tad easier, the entire year can be found on our church’s website (firstbaptistnorthconway.org) under the tab “ministries.”
Here are a few takeaways from my review:
-God loves the whole world—ALL people.
-God loved us so much, in fact, that He sent His sinless Son, Jesus Christ, to die in the place of ALL people.
-God will not force anyone to place their trust in Christ as their Savior, but ALL who do not are born already condemned to spend eternity in the Lake of Fire.
-ALL who do trust in Christ become members of God’s family and will live in His presence for ALL of eternity.
The above truths are very basic facts that are critical for ALL men, women, and children to know. Once saved, however, we are given a lifetime (however long God sees fit) to show our gratitude to the Lord in how we live. Did you know that the Bible is primarily written to show believers how to live? It’s true, and verse after verse, passage after passage, example after example, and principle after principle, ALL talk about Who God is (so we can imitate Him) and what pleases Him and glorifies Him. It is our privilege to keep learning and keep obeying. When we do, God blesses us in the here and now with such things as joy and peace despite troubles and difficult circumstances, and He rewards us throughout eternity with things too wonderful for us to even fully grasp right now. ALL we do for the Lord is seen by God and rewarded by Him.
Here are just a few of the hundreds of great passages that teach this:
Titus 2:11-14
“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.”
Jude 1:24-25
“Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.”
Proverbs 3:5-7
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.”
I Peter 3:8-9
“Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing.”
Jeremiah 32:17-19
“Ah, Lord God! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you. You show steadfast love to thousands, but you repay the guilt of fathers to their children after them, O great and mighty God, whose name is the Lord of hosts, great in counsel and mighty in deed, whose eyes are open to all the ways of the children of man, rewarding each one according to his ways and according to the fruit of his deeds.”
Romans 8:28-29
“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.”
Things to note and remember:
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Wednesday, December 31, 2025
Always begin Bible Study by praying and asking the Father to help you concentrate, see what He wants you to see, and implement His Word into your heart and life—beginning today.
And now, on the eve of 2026, let’s talk about what the Lord has laid on my heart to study with you in 2026 (I’m pretty excited about it!).
“Be still and know that I am God,” “Let us press on to know the LORD,” “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord,” “that I might know Him,” “Who is a God like You?”… and many other Bible verses like these charge all of God’s children to give great attention and effort to find out just Who our Father in heaven is; to appreciate what the three members of the Godhead did in order to make a way for our salvation; the roles They played in time past, those They play today, and what we have to look forward to throughout eternity.
Down through history, many have placed a high value on seeking knowledge and, perhaps, finding out something amazing that no one else has discovered. While this is laudable, there is no more important pursuit for any created being than the study of God Almighty. Although it would be impossible to learn everything about the LORD, laboring to learn as much as possible is, perhaps, the most important thing we can do with our lives.
With that in mind, Lord willing, we will be spending 2026 diving deeply into Scripture to learn what we can about our heavenly Father, our Savior, Jesus Christ, and the Indwelling Holy Spirit. This is a pretty formidable task, one that will require a lot of prayer for insight and wisdom, however, one thing I know for sure, is that God LOVES to reveal Himself to those who seek Him with a heart to learn more in order to love Him more and to apply what they learn to how they think, speak, and act.
Though the task IS big, like all of life, God only asks that we be faithful one day at a time, trusting Him for the rest.
FBC DBSQs 2026: To Know God
To get you started, here is a precious verse to read, re-read, and cherish:
Isaiah 40:28-31
“Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint,
and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”
1. Thank God for Who He says He is and what He does based on this verse.
2. Jot down how these incredible truths can help you throughout 2026.
3. Commit 2026 in prayer to learn more about God in order to love Him even more, serve Him even better, and bring Him greater glory.
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First Baptist Church of North Conway, NH 