DBSQ 2026

January 2026 DBSQ

“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” Psalm 46:10

January 1, 2026

Dear Student of the Word,

Welcome to a new year of study in God’s Word. The Lord has laid on my heart to spend time this year on learning more about God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. I’m labeling the study, “Knowing God.”

Our Bible is rich with incredible truths about our God, and it will be a joy to study this. Of course, our study is far more than just for the sake of knowledge. God wants us to know more about Him so that we will imitate Him (Ephesians 5:1), and to become more like His Son (Galatians 2:20).

I’m confident that as we work through Scripture, we’ll find that there are several directions this huge undertaking could take us. Here are a few I found simply by looking up several different passages.

-Commands of things to “know.”

-Commands to know God.

-What we need to know about God the Father.

-What we need to know about God the Son.

-What we need to know about God the Holy Spirit.

-What we need to know in order to become a Christian.

-What we need to know in order to be a Christian who is pleasing to the Lord.

It is my earnest hope that this study is a huge blessing and help to each of you—and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for prayers for me as I study (and apply what I am learning!), and for all who are sharing in this study with us.

Comments and questions are always welcome. Contact me at: writeloriebrown@gmail.com. You can also reply to a Mailchimp email, and it comes to me (not them).

Thanks for your faithfulness to God and His Word!

By His Grace,

Lorie

For Your Information:

-I primarily use the ESV, but sometimes add other translations for clarity. You can read the Scripture in any version that you enjoy and understand.

-Our ladies meet to review our work together once a month. You are welcome to join us. We meet (generally) on the second Monday evening of the month.

-I highly encourage you to find a friend (or several) to meet with regularly to review your work with. You will find that it helps you have even deeper insight into the passages to discuss it with other believers. Iron sharpens iron! (Prov. 27:17)

-This year’s work, as well as several past years, is available on our church website under the tab, “ministries.” (firstbaptistnorthconway.org).

-You are more than welcome to share these studies with whomever the Lord lays on your heart. Contact me if someone would like to receive the email version.

-Last, but not least, thank you for praying for this ministry. It cannot succeed without the Lord’s blessing.

Thursday, January 1, 2026

-Simply put, we need God’s blessing. Commit your day—and this time in His Word—to Him, asking for insight, wisdom, and the ability to apply to your thoughts and actions what He shows you from your study. Pray, as well, for victory for other believers as they seek to live faithfully for our Lord.

-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!”

What does Psalm 46:10 say (Study Notes)?:

-God instructs us to be still. That is, to pause our frantic actions and thoughts so that we can hear what He wants us to know and meditate on. In today’s instant culture, the reminder to pause in our busyness to spend time with God is more important than ever! I guess the next thing to consider, then, is whether we are doing it? Are we giving God some of our precious time every single day? Are we setting aside time that belongs solely to Him? Are we putting in the effort to make Bible time meaningful—and not just one more thing to mark off our to-do list? Where is Bible study, prayer, and church attendance on our list of priorities? If you say that it’s right at the top, does your schedule and your recent life prove it?

-In the middle of our chaotic lives and constant demands from within and without, are we pausing often to remind ourselves that we belong to God Almighty? Are we seeking His wisdom before making decisions, taking action, or opening our mouths? Are we CHOOSING to remember that God is the One calling the shots in our lives? What about your recent behavior proves or disproves that you “pray without ceasing,” and look to the Lord for help, direction, and wisdom?

-God tells us that He WILL be exalted among the nations and in the earth. Of course, we know that far more people alive today ignore God or even openly despise Him than exalt Him. However, the life that we currently know as “normal” on earth is very, very temporary. God has designed different dispensations, or ages, since creation. A few in the past include the time of the patriarchs, the time of the kings, and the time of the judges, but now that Jesus Christ has come, died, returned to life, and returned to heaven, we are in the Church Age. No one know how long this will last, but it could end literally any day. The next event in God’s timetable is to rapture up all those who have trusted in His Son since His return to heaven. This is followed by the Tribulation Period on earth and the Bema Seat and Marriage Supper of the Lamb in heaven. These events will last seven years. At that point, Jesus will return to the earth for the first time since He left. He will imprison satan for 1,000 years, and set up His kingdom, headquartered in Jerusalem. The glories of the Millennium are spoken of often in the various prophetic books of the Old Testament, and it will be quite the thrilling millennium! After this, satan and all his followers will again try to defeat Jesus Christ, but because this is impossible, they will be cast into the Lake of Fire for eternity. All humans who have refused to trust in Jesus as their Savior from their sin will join him there. All humans who HAVE trusted in Christ will enter eternity, never to be separated from God again, and never again having to deal with sin, sorrow, or death. In the meantime… TODAY, you and I have the privilege of exalting God in our hearts, through our actions, in our words, and in our songs. We should never, ever take this for granted—and as we draw closer and closer to the Lord—we will be able to exalt Him in even bigger and better ways.

Application Time!

-List the things that you now know about God based on today’s Scripture:

-Choose at least one item named above to describe more fully, then list how this is a blessing to you, and how it can help you live in even a more pleasing way to the Lord.

-Are there things in how you are currently thinking and/or acting that need to be changed or tweaked based on today’s Scripture?

-Did this study pique your interest in other Scripture or another topic you want to study in the Bible? Jot it down here so you don’t forget.

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-Pray! Thank God for what He showed you about Himself today. Ask His help to slowly be becoming more like His Son in your thoughts and actions.

Friday, January 2, 2026

-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!”

In our last study, we looked at Psalm 46:10, “Be still, and know that I am God,” and acknowledged that it is God’s command for His children to learn about Him. And, of course, the Bible is TOTALLY all about knowing just Who God is, what He is like, what pleases Him, what displeases Him, how we can bring Him glory, the history of the world to this point, and what we can look forward to into eternity.

Where to start in this most-worthwhile quest is a daunting question! For today, let’s see what other gems Psalm 46 has for us. What does it say about our awesome God?

To the choirmaster. Of the Sons of Korah. According to Alamoth. A Song.

Psalm 46

1. God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear though the earth give way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, 3 though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah

4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High. 5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns. 6 The nations rage, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts. 7 The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

8 Come, behold the works of the Lord, how he has brought desolations on the earth. 9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the chariots with fire. 10 “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” 11 The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

Study Notes:

-The superscriptions found above many of the psalms are actually the first verse in the original language (Hebrew) they were written in. It’s important to recognize the difference between the superscription and any helpful notes that the editors of a specific English Bible translation might have added to summarize the chapters. Superscriptions are inspired by God; editor’s notes are not.

-The superscription also reminds us that the psalms are songs.

-v.1 The ESV says that God is “a very present help.” This means that He is readily available and accessible to us!

-v.4, 8-10 are speaking of the Millennium when Jesus Christ will reign as King. There will be no wars during this thousand-year time period.

-v.4. There is not a river in Jerusalem now (the “city of God), but there will be during the Millennium.

-v.6 is referring to the Tribulation Period.

-v.7 “hosts” refers to an angelic army. We can also note from this verse that God always keeps His promises, and He will always be the God of the Jewish nation.

-vv.1-11 are about God, while verse 10 is a quote from God.

-Martin Luther wrote, “A Mighty Fortress is Our God,” based on this psalm.

What can we KNOW about God based on today’s Scripture?

-God is a refuge/shelter, a place of security, safety, and rest. Can I hear an “AMEN!”?

-God is our strength. It is in Him alone that we live and have our being. There is no genuine strength outside of Him. Thank Him!

-God is ALWAYS available to His children. The second we pray, He bends down to hear us and answer us. Never discount the privilege of prayer!

-Because of the above three points, we have no reason to be afraid—even when really scary things happen around us. God’s got this!

-Jesus Christ is God Most High (v.4). Men may pretend they are mighty, but God is THE Ruler and always has been. Nothing happens outside of His perfect will.

-One day, Jesus Christ will physically return to earth and rule and reign from Jerusalem. To say that this time will be glorious is a vast, vast understatement.

-Jesus Christ will one day bring an end to all wars and all insurrection against His rule. The evil around us WILL end—and end completely and forever!

-God’s works are mighty (v.8), worthy of taking careful note of. Are you?

-Jesus Christ is the Lord of hosts, a vast angelic army. He is our Captain, too. What a privilege to follow Him!

In a nutshell?

What a God we serve! Take time every day to stop and remember. Praise Him! Tell others about Him!

Application Time!

-List the things that you now know about God based on today’s Scripture:

-Choose at least one item named above to describe more fully, then list how this is a blessing to you, and how it can help you live in even a more pleasing way to the Lord.

-Are there things in how you are currently thinking and/or acting that need to be changed or tweaked based on today’s Scripture?

-Did this study pique your interest in other Scripture or another topic you want to study in the Bible? Jot it down here so you don’t forget.

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-Pray! Thank God for what He showed you about Himself today. Ask His help to slowly be becoming more like

Saturday, January 3, 2026

-Read Hosea 6:3

“Let us know; let us press on to know the LORD; his going out is sure as the dawn; he will come to us as the showers, as the spring rains that water the earth.”

Study Notes:

-The minor prophet books are not named this because of their lack of importance, but because of their short length relative to the major prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel).

-Hosea was the last prophet before God allowed Assyria to overrun the northern kingdom of Israel. This happened because of Israel’s idolatry. The book of Hosea is God’s warning to the people to stop worshiping idols and return to a right relationship with Him, or the consequences that would follow. They did not listen, and to this day, these ten tribes have been scattered across the globe. We know that they will be restored during the Millennium, where all twelve tribes will worship the Lord Jesus Christ in Jerusalem.

-I love what the NLT Study Bible had to say about knowing God:

More than any other prophet, Hosea emphasizes the importance of knowing God. Israel would ultimately be destroyed (4:6) because they did not know God (4:1). For us, knowledge means information, facts, and concepts. But in biblical times, knowledge was centered in personal relationships. To know someone is to enter into a close relationship with that person. Knowing God involves much more than simply mastering facts and information about him. It even transcends discussions about the nature and character of God, as important as those are. Knowing God means entering into an intimate relationship with him. It means identifying with God and learning to view everything as God does. Knowing God will transform our thoughts and actions, our priorities and values, and our relationships with fellow human beings. It is far more important than religious rites, sacrifices and burnt offerings, or any other religious activities. (NLT Study Bible, Tyndale Publishers, 2017)

What can we KNOW about God based on today’s Scripture?

-If we are commanded something in Scripture, then we are able, with the Lord’s help, to obey it. We are commanded to know God; therefore, we can!

-Hosea encouraged his readers to “press on” to know the Lord. That is to commit to work at it a bit every day, to KEEP doing it, and keep doing it better with time (better isn’t necessarily time, although that might be true, but it would definitely include quality).

-The use of “LORD” in all caps is God’s name. He has many titles, but only one name. To have the privilege of calling God by name is, first, mind-blowing, but it is also an incredible joy and comfort. It indicates a close bond, a familiarity, a deep and personal love and respect. Say, did you know that God knows YOUR name, too!

-To say that the LORD’s going out is as sure as the dawn is to point out His trustworthiness and faithfulness. By the time most of us hit adulthood, we have come to understand that not very many things in our world are entirely trustworthy. Certainly not our cars, or our computers, or our bodies! And definitely not people. Even those who love us and would do “anything” for us, either have limits for what they’re willing or able to do, or they die before fulfilling all the promises they made. Only God is entirely trustworthy and faithful, and our loyalty should always be first and foremost to Him. (Just a word of caution here—along with a reminder that there is often a difference between our stated theology and our practical theology. For example, most of us would quickly say that we DO trust God first and foremost, but if we prayerfully consider the last twenty-four hours or so, did we? Did we turn to God first, or did we look to Google, or a spouse, or a friend? Don’t lose heart! This, too, is something God can help us slowly and steadily improve on!)

-Not living in a desert climate, I’m not sure we can fully appreciate the picture Hosea gives of the LORD coming to them like showers and spring rain. Maybe we can liken it to the first pleasantly warm day once the snows have receded after five months of winter. =) The idea is that of joy, relief, comfort, encouragement, and hope. The Bible warns about the danger of Christians losing their “first love,” of becoming a bit blasé about all the glories of our God and all the blessings of belonging to Him and walking closely by His side. If this describes you, the first step is (always) to fall on your knees in prayer, seeking God’s help and blessing. It may be that you have some unconfessed sin. It may be that you need to make something right with another believer. It may be that you have sloughed off in personal devotions and/or prayer time. It may be that you’re skipping one too many church services. It may be that you aren’t actively seeking the fellowship and edification of other mature believers. Another possibility is simply spending too much time watching or listening to worldly music, internet, movies, or books. Ruthlessly root out anything that is tripping you up—and eagerly grasp all that will draw you close to the LORD and keep you there.

In a nutshell?

God is always, always, always faithful and trustworthy.

Application Time!

-List the things that you now know about God based on today’s Scripture:

-Choose at least one item named above to describe more fully, then list how this is a blessing to you, and how it can help you live in even a more pleasing way to the Lord.

-Are there things in how you are currently thinking and/or acting that need to be changed or tweaked based on today’s Scripture?

-Did this study pique your interest in other Scripture or another topic you want to study in the Bible? Jot it down here so you don’t forget.

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-Pray! Thank God for what He showed you about Himself today. Ask His help to slowly be becoming more like

Sunday, January 4, 2026

It’s Sunday! Fully enjoy this day set aside to worship the Lord and fellowship with other believers! Don’t let anything or anyone interfere with the privilege of being in God’s House with God’s people!

What can we do to give this special day our best?

-Pray! Pray for a great attitude about being in church for as many services as possible. Pray for forgiveness for anything and everything that might stand between you and the Lord so that you can listen, learn, and grow. Pray for your pastor, other leaders, and teachers, and every aspect of the service. Pray for opportunities to be a blessing and build brothers and sisters up in the things of the Lord.

-Prepare! This might even begin on Saturday by setting out clothes, Bible, lessons, and anything else you will need to get out in the morning. It might include having something to pop into a crockpot so that lunch is all hot and ready when you get home.

-Percolate! Jot down a few things that touched your heart, were a challenge to you, or simply is worth remembering. Perhaps jot down a verse or part of a verse that sums up something that would help you remember what you learned today.

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-Praise! Thank God for the day and the blessings within it. Seek His wisdom, strength, and help to please and honor Him with the new week before you.

Monday, January 5, 2026

-Read Philippians 3:7-11

“But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— 10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.”

Study Notes:

-Paul wrote this letter to the believers in the area of Philippi (a small Roman colony in Macedonia, a province of Greece). These believers were going through a hard time—and he was able to offer real encouragement and hope, because he himself was imprisoned in Rome while writing it.

-Just prior to the verses printed above, Paul lists some of the impressive accolades he had earned in his life as one of the most elite Hebrew men. However, his point wasn’t to receive praise over his past, but to say that knowing Christ changed his life so dramatically, that he now realizes that HE isn’t the most important person at all, rather it is the Lord, and the goal of living in such a way as to be like Him in thought, word, action, and goals.

-Knowing God (v.8) is far more than knowledge as in book learning. It is the idea of coming to know someone because you’re spending time with them, interacting with them, and learning who they are and what’s important to them. And of course, the logical next step in a relationship like that is to do the things that the other person likes—and stay away from the things they do not. True friendship supports and appreciates, it isn’t selfish and demanding.

-To know Him (v.10) is more the idea of relating to or understanding. One example given is that of suffering. No one WANTS to suffer, but when a believer is given a hard time because they are living wholeheartedly for Christ, it is an honor—and in that way, they are “sharing” a bit of the unfair suffering Christ endured.

What can we KNOW about God based on today’s Scripture?

-The “value” in coming to know Christ Jesus is of surpassing worth, that is, it is incredibly precious and worthwhile.

-Christ Jesus is our Lord. The word “lord” means master. In other words, He gets to call the shots! It is to Him we owe our undying allegiance and love.

-Christ Jesus is wholly righteous, and those who have trusted in Him as their Savior share in His righteousness. Because of Him, God the Father sees us as being righteous as well.

-God’s power is evident in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Not merely that He was returned to life physically, but that He defeated sin and death.

-Jesus suffered greatly on the cross, not just physically, but He bore the tremendous pain of a first-ever break in perfect communion with the Father while bearing our sin on His shoulders. That means that God the Father suffered in that dark hour as well. They did so for you and for me, knowing it was the only way for us to live with Them forever. That’s how much God loves us!

-Jesus was resurrected from the dead, never to die again—and all who trust in Him as their Savior will be given glorified bodies upon their death (or the Rapture), living forever in the presence of God in bodies that no longer bear the sin nature and that no longer have to deal with pain, decay, or death.

In a nutshell?

It’s never, ever been “all about me.” It has always been all about GOD and about JESUS CHRIST. If there’s something about your priorities or life that is not reflecting this, prayerfully figure out how to make it right. As Paul learned, rejoicing will follow!

Application Time!

-List the things that you now know about God based on today’s Scripture:

-Choose at least one item named above to describe more fully, then list how this is a blessing to you, and how it can help you live in even a more pleasing way to the Lord.

-Are there things in how you are currently thinking and/or acting that need to be changed or tweaked based on today’s Scripture?

-Did this study pique your interest in other Scripture or another topic you want to study in the Bible? Jot it down here so you don’t forget.

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-Pray! Thank God for what He showed you about Himself today. Ask His help to slowly be becoming more like His Son in your thoughts and actions.

Tuesday, January 6, 2026

-Read Micah 7:18

“Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in steadfast love.”

Study Notes:

-Micah prophesied in Judah about the same time as Isaiah, in the 700s BC.

-Micah very clearly told what God said: that He WOULD judge the sin of both Israel and Judah (the northern kingdom and the southern kingdom), and in fact, Israel was overtaken by Assyria during Micah’s years as a prophet of God.

-Micah was also, however, a prophet of hope. Yes, God’s punishment for the Jewish people’s sins would be harsh, but God was not yet done with them, and would one day restore them to far beyond the best days they had ever had. This was referring, of course, to the Millennium, where God’s own Son, Jesus Christ, will establish His righteous kingdom—and all Jews will gather together in Israel to enjoy tremendous blessings because they are finally and fully worshiping the true God.

-Micah is pretty famous come December every year when people begin quoting chapter 5. It is here that the prophecy is given that the King of the Jews would be born in Bethlehem.

-FYI, the name “Micah” means “Who is like the Lord?”

What can we KNOW about God based on today’s Scripture?

-Who is a God like You? What an awesome question! The answer is clear. God is beyond description and expectation in every single way. Here are a few marvelous things He does, specifically for the Jewish Nation (and according to today’s Scripture):

-He pardons iniquity. Iniquity is another word for sin. What is sin? Sin is any rebellion against God’s authority. It is to outright disobey something you know He wants you to do, it is to obey, but only the parts you like, it is to question His sovereignty and right to call the shots in your life, it is to treat Him as “common,” perhaps speaking His name flippantly or in a curse (or, for that matter, when really pleased, such as “O my God!”). Although written to the Jews, the command to not sin is for ALL believers. We are told in the New Testament that, because the Holy Spirit begins to indwell us upon our salvation, we do not have to give in to the temptation to sin. He can and does help us say “no” to sin. If, however, we DO sin, we can confess it to God (agree with Him that we did sin), and He will always forgive us. Every single time. Choosing to sin is ALWAYS a horrible idea, but confessing it right away is always the right thing.

-God does not hold onto His anger forever. Wow, wouldn’t we be in huge trouble if He did! Because God doesn’t hoard all the ways we have wronged Him in order to pay us back at a future date, should we do that with fellow Christians? Should we make a list of the ways someone has wronged us, keeping them at arm’s length, always wary of them? According to I Corinthians 13, this is NOT showing biblical love.

-God DELIGHTS in steadfast love. He ENJOYS lavishing love on those who belong to Him, most especially, those who love Him—and demonstrate it by abiding in Him, by obeying Him, by thanking Him often, by praising His name privately and publicly, and by bringing Him glory in how we live.

In a nutshell?

-Praise God that He forgives sin! Have you asked Him yet today if there is something that you need to make right with Him (or with another believer)? It’s an important habit to develop on a daily basis.

-Praise God that He doesn’t hold onto anger, but instead, brings new mercies every single morning!

-Praise God that He blesses us with His steadfast love constantly. Even though it’s not always easy to see, even the hard things of life are given to us to draw us closer to His side.

-The answer to Micah’s question is that there is NO OTHER like our God! How blessed we are to belong to Him!

Application Time!

-List the things that you now know about God based on today’s Scripture:

-Choose at least one item named above to describe more fully, then list how this is a blessing to you, and how it can help you live in even a more pleasing way to the Lord.

-Are there things in how you are currently thinking and/or acting that need to be changed or tweaked based on today’s Scripture?

-Did this study pique your interest in other Scripture or another topic you want to study in the Bible? Jot it down here so you don’t forget.

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-Pray! Thank God for what He showed you about Himself today. Ask His help to slowly be becoming more like His Son in your thoughts and actions.

Wednesday, January 7, 2026

-Read II Peter 1:1-8

“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, 4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. 5 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. 8 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Study Notes:

-The more we spend time with someone, the better we get to know them. The more we spend time with God in His Word, in prayer, and by sitting under the teaching of our pastors, the more we will learn about life and godliness. God’s unlimited power gives us this privilege.

-The better we know God, the more we will love and appreciate Him, which will call attention to His glory and excellence. This happens in our hearts, in actions that please and reflect Him well, and in our words. When our hearts are full of God’s glory and excellence, our mouths can’t help but talk about it with others. (If you haven’t felt the urge to speak about God’s glory and excellence lately, it might be time to carefully and prayerfully evaluate why.)

-God WANTS all of His children to become “partakers” of His divine nature. He wants us to learn to be holy as He is holy, ever growing more like the image of His Son.

-Verses 5-8 are kind of a diagnostic tool for believers. It begins with faith, that is salvation. This, then should grow into virtue (moral excellence; worthy of admiration and praise), knowledge (personal closeness with Christ), self-control (not giving in to our sin nature), steadfastness (perseverance; not giving up or giving in), godliness (understanding the difference between sacred and common), brotherly affection (the special bond between brothers and sisters in Christ), and love (treating others as more important than self).

-It is possible to be effective and fruitful as children of God—even in this world that is corrupt because of sinful desire.

-We should never make the mistake of thinking the world is “okay” in any area. Because of sin, it is entirely corrupt. Any “good” we see is entirely the product of God’s grace.

What can we KNOW about God based on today’s Scripture?

-God has power that is divine—and He uses it to help us grow mature and strong spiritually.

-God’s divine power has granted to us ALL THINGS that pertain to life and godliness. In other words, we are lacking nothing in order to know His will and obey His Word. This is a HUGE truth!

-God deserves all glory.

-God’s promises are precious and very great (and rock-solid. He will never go back on a promise).

-God granted those He called to be His children an escape from the world’s corruption.

In a nutshell?

God gave us everything we need to live godly lives for Him. Not just to live, but to EXCEL!

Application Time!

-List the things that you now know about God based on today’s Scripture:

-Choose at least one item named above to describe more fully, then list how this is a blessing to you, and how it can help you live in even a more pleasing way to the Lord.

-Are there things in how you are currently thinking and/or acting that need to be changed or tweaked based on today’s Scripture?

-Did this study pique your interest in other Scripture or another topic you want to study in the Bible? Jot it down here so you don’t forget.

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-Pray! Thank God for what He showed you about Himself today. Ask His help to slowly be becoming more like His Son in your thoughts and actions.

Thursday, January 8, 2026

-Read 2 Peter 3:18

“But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.”

Study Notes:

-Peter has been addressing the certainty of Jesus’ Second Coming, the destruction of the current earth and heavens, and the re-creation of a new earth and heavens that contain no unrighteousness, to a people who had been lied to and deceived, and who were uncertain and afraid. He wanted them to trust that God always keeps His Word.

-Once that important information and encouragement were stated, Peter then went on to give a charge to trust God—and prove it through obedience to His Word. And not just obedience, but growing more mature in Christ, and learning to excel still more in all areas of the Christian life. Then comes today’s verse of focus, “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen”

-To grow in knowledge or spiritual maturity has much in common with how a child grows physically and emotionally. It’s daily, it’s pointed, it’s choosing the good and helpful things, while rejecting the harmful and bad things. For example, playing outside and building muscles vs. sitting in front of a video game for endless hours. Spiritually, it will be spending time in God’s Word and with God’s people (especially for church services), while avoiding ungodly and worldly media, and/or spending time with and listening to advice from unbelievers.

-Grace is all God gives us that we don’t deserve (while mercy is the withholding of what we DO deserve). As in all areas of godly living, what God gifts to us, we should pass on to others, especially other believers who are our brothers and sisters in the family of God. What might this look like? Giving others the benefit of the doubt, giving our time and attention whether or not we “like” them or they say thank you, forgiving them every time they ask, not keeping a list of the things they’ve done that you didn’t like, loving them in spite of weird or unpleasant personality quirks, encouraging them by way of noticing when they’ve made good decisions or taken right actions, building them up in the things of the Lord—and many other ways. Perhaps a useful guide is to consider how God and others have shown grace to you, then pass that on to others.

-Knowledge, as we’ve learned already, is more than just facts. It is a relationship that grows closer and more precious as the years pass. It requires time, attention, and determination.

What can we KNOW about God based on today’s Scripture?

-If God commands us to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, we CAN grow in grace and knowledge. It’s not going to happen in a vacuum, however. We ALL need daily meaningful study of Scripture, regular times of prayer, to worship, serve, and learn in a local Bible-teaching church, and time with mature believers who are able to help us learn and grow spiritually.

-Grace comes from God. He is the Author of Grace.

-Genuine, meaningful knowledge comes from God alone. Knowledge apart from His Word will be false and misleading.

-Jesus Christ is our Lord. That is, our Master.

-Jesus Christ is our Savior. He is the One Who took the penalty that we deserved for sin (death) upon His shoulders, paying the ultimate price which we were unable to pay. It is only through His death, burial, and resurrection that a person can become a child of God. God requires belief (faith) in what Jesus did—and that He did it to pay for YOUR sins.

– “Christ” means Messiah. He is the One that God began promising all the way back in the Garden of Eden. Although the Hebrew people were looking for Him for centuries, most did not recognize Him when He came (John 1), and few people expected that the Messiah would be God’s own Son.

-Jesus Christ deserves all glory (praise). Nothing we do—or any other human does—is by their strength, wit, or ability. ALL is ultimately from God.

-Jesus Christ is eternal. He has always existed, and He will always exist. Therefore, He has always been deserving of all glory, and He will always be deserving of all glory. Giving Him that glory will be a huge part of our eternity, something we will all be beyond thrilled to do!

In a nutshell?

We are commanded to keep growing in our knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, so it is something we need to apply ourselves to do, but this is also an incredible privilege and joy. Doing so brings Him great glory—our #1 priority in life.

Application Time!

-List the things that you now know about God based on today’s Scripture:

-Choose at least one item named above to describe more fully, then list how this is a blessing to you, and how it can help you live in even a more pleasing way to the Lord.

-Are there things in how you are currently thinking and/or acting that need to be changed or tweaked based on today’s Scripture?

-Did this study pique your interest in other Scripture or another topic you want to study in the Bible? Jot it down here so you don’t forget.

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-Pray! Thank God for what He showed you about Himself today. Ask His help to slowly be becoming more like His Son in your thoughts and actions.

Friday, January 9, 2026

-Read 1 John 5:20

“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.”

Study Notes:

-Jesus came to explain Who God is. He exactly represented God’s values, desires, thoughts, goals—everything. The “how” is easy— He IS God.

-Because of what Jesus did in saving us, we are able to represent Him to others. We can’t do it with 100% perfection, because we still have a sin nature (although it has no power to force us to sin). However, we CAN, with the help of the Holy Spirit, keep aiming toward representing God better and better in our values, desires, thoughts, goals, and actions.

-Studying what Jesus did and why He did it will help us understand God better, and help us better know how we should be acting and why.

– “True” as used in today’s verse means “Genuine One” in the original language. The opposite would be what is fictitious, counterfeit, imaginary, or pretended.

-Truth is what God says it is. Humans constantly lie, both intentionally and unintentionally. The ONLY completely trustworthy Person is God, and the only trustworthy facts are the ones He tells us.

-To be “in Christ” is to be spiritually located in His care, family, love, protection and security. The one who is “in Christ” is the one who has place his or her trust in Jesus as Savior.

What can we KNOW about God based on today’s Scripture?

-The Son of God, Jesus Christ, HAS come (to earth).

-The Son of God came to earth in order to give understanding. That is, truth.

-The Son of God came to earth in order to give understanding of truth, which is found in God alone.

-God is truth. Truth is God.

-Eternal life is found only in the Son.

-Those who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ as their Savior are forever “in” Him.

In a nutshell?

If we want to know God’s desires and thoughts, we need to pay attention to what Jesus said and did. He is our window into the heart of God. God WANTS us to know Him intimately and to have sweet fellowship with Him. That is why He created a way for our sins to be forgiven!

Application Time!

-List the things that you now know about God based on today’s Scripture:

-Choose at least one item named above to describe more fully, then list how this is a blessing to you, and how it can help you live in even a more pleasing way to the Lord.

-Are there things in how you are currently thinking and/or acting that need to be changed or tweaked based on today’s Scripture?

-Did this study pique your interest in other Scripture or another topic you want to study in the Bible? Jot it down here so you don’t forget.

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-Pray! Thank God for what He showed you about Himself today. Ask His help to slowly be becoming more like His Son in your thoughts and actions.

Saturday, January 10, 2026

-Read Jeremiah 9:23-24

“Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.”

Study Notes:

-Jeremiah was called by God to be His prophet around 627 B.C. when he was about 20 years old. His mission was to warn the Southern Kingdom of Judah that Jerusalem would fall because of their disobedience to God. He was treated cruelly and abused greatly, yet he kept speaking for God and trusting in Him for more than 40 years. It’s been said that Jeremiah is the prophet who is most like Jesus Christ during His ministry, both in the abuse he suffered and in his trust in the Lord’s timing and will.

-The Lord’s message in the verses we have printed above is simple: boasting in anyone or anything besides God is wasteful, wrong, and wicked.

-Nothing is more important than knowing Who God is, what pleases Him, and how to bring Him glory. He is deserving of all praise, honor, and gratitude.

-Jeremiah preached in a time when men believed their wisdom was “right,” and this describes our world today, too. With the “shrinking” of our world thanks to instant news from literally around the world, many people believe they are getting smarter and more superior than ever before. They are very, very wrong. The more people fight against the wisdom and righteousness of God, the more foolish and “ignorant” they become. As in Jeremiah’s time, there is an endpoint to every person’s chance to turn to the Lord. ALL have sinned, and ALL need to trust in Christ as Savior.

What can we KNOW about God based on today’s Scripture?

-God “delights” in demonstrating loyal love (hesed), justice, and righteousness.

-God detests those who boast about their wisdom, strength, or wealth. All gifts such as these are from His hand, therefore, He deserves all praise (and humble gratitude). That aside, what’s truly valuable in this life is our relationship to Him, beginning with salvation and continuing through a lifetime of trusting Him and serving Him.

In a nutshell?

It’s not our intelligence, skill, or stockpile of “things” that brings security and joy. It is learning about God’s steadfast loyal love, perfect justice, and perfect righteousness so that we can depend on Him more fully and so that we can display these same characteristics in our own lives as His beloved children. Doing that brings contentment, joy, peace, and a confidence about the what-ifs of this life and the one to come. Let us all boast IN THE LORD.

Application Time!

-List the things that you now know about God based on today’s Scripture:

-Choose at least one item named above to describe more fully, then list how this is a blessing to you, and how it can help you live in even a more pleasing way to the Lord.

-Are there things in how you are currently thinking and/or acting that need to be changed or tweaked based on today’s Scripture?

-Did this study pique your interest in other Scripture or another topic you want to study in the Bible? Jot it down here so you don’t forget.

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-Pray! Thank God for what He showed you about Himself today. Ask His help to slowly be becoming more like His Son in your thoughts and actions.

Sunday, January 11, 2026

What can we do to give this special day our best?

-Praise! Thank God for the day and the blessings within it. Seek His wisdom, strength, and help to please and honor Him with the new week before you.

Monday, January 12, 2026

-Read Proverbs 1:7

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

Study Notes:

From the NLT Study Bible notes:

“The main theme of Proverbs can be summed up in just ten words that appear near the beginning of the book: “Fear of the LORD is the foundation of true knowledge” (1:7). Fear implies respect, awe, and (at times) knee-knocking terror. It also acknowledges that everything, including knowledge and wisdom, comes from total dependence on God. The fear of the Lord leads people toward humility and away from pride (3:7; 15:33). With such an attitude, readers of Proverbs are more apt to listen to God than to their own independent judgment.
Fear of the Lord recognizes God’s central place in the order of the world. God is the Creator and Master of all things. This is why Ps 14:1 labels those who reject God as “fools.” Those who fear the Lord receive wisdom because they begin to understand that everything is under God’s rule and in his service. This is more than just an attitude; it is a way of living that takes into account God’s power and authority and our ultimate accountability to him. Wisdom is closely connected with a proper relationship with God—both require choices in line with God’s character (see 14:2; Job 28:28; Eccl 12:13). Do you want wisdom? Then you must enter into a relationship with the one who has all wisdom (see 1 Cor 1–2; Col 2:3).”

What can we KNOW about God based on today’s Scripture?

-God is Someone to fear! As the study notes mentioned, a right view of God HAS TO include His sovereignty (right to rule), His omnipotence (He has the might to do anything!), His omniscience (He knows everything and His knowledge is perfect), AND His unconditional love for YOU.

-God wants those who belong to Him to know about Him. That’s why He gave us His Word in written form (the Bible). He actually DELIGHTS in sharing amazing things about Himself so that we can stand firm for Him and so we can bring Him much glory.

-God labels those who choose to not learn more about Him “fools.” We may think that this is only talking about the unsaved (which is certainly true), but an alarming number of believers have wandered away from Him and have stopped reading His Word, praying to Him, attending church services, fellowshipping with brothers and sisters in Christ, and instead, are living for their own desires and goals. This is not only incredibly sad, but very, very foolish. God won’t ever stop loving us, but He will not bless the life of someone who despises wisdom and instruction.

-Another danger that this verse and many others warn about is Christians who begin to place more value in their opinion about God’s Word, rather than God’s Word itself. Sadly, a very large percentage of preachers and teachers who reach millions with their books or broadcasts fall into this category. Why? Those who stay 100% true to God’s Word will NOT be popular with the masses. If “everyone” loves someone’s teaching, there’s an excellent chance that much of what they say is “people pleasing” more than God honoring. We need to be really careful and cautious, always comparing what people say with God’s Word. God’s Word is always THE authority, never the other way around.

In a nutshell?

Having a right view of God, that is, truly hearing what He says about Himself in His Word and what He wants and doesn’t want, is absolutely necessary to knowing how to think about everything that happens in any given day. How we think WILL affect how we act.

Application Time!

-List the things that you now know about God based on today’s Scripture:

-Choose at least one item named above to describe more fully, then list how this is a blessing to you, and how it can help you live in even a more pleasing way to the Lord.

-Are there things in how you are currently thinking and/or acting that need to be changed or tweaked based on today’s Scripture?

-Did this study pique your interest in other Scripture or another topic you want to study in the Bible? Jot it down here so you don’t forget.

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-Pray! Thank God for what He showed you about Himself today. Ask His help to slowly be becoming more like

Tuesday, January 13, 2026

-Read Luke 8:22-25

“One day he got into a boat with his disciples, and he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side of the lake.” So they set out, and as they sailed he fell asleep. And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water and were in danger. And they went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” And he awoke and rebuked the wind and the raging waves, and they ceased, and there was a calm. He said to them, “Where is your faith?” And they were afraid, and they marveled, saying to one another, “Who then is this, that he commands even winds and water, and they obey him?”

Study Notes:

-The miracle of Jesus Christ calming the wind and waves with just a word is pretty staggering—and a wonderful reminder of just how amazing our God is!

-The lesson here, though, isn’t really in the miracle itself, but a personal challenge concerning our faith. Do we have faith? How much? In what or who are we placing our faith? The only right answer is to place ALL our faith IN the Lord. And immediately after we give the “right” answers, we should pause to prayerfully and carefully consider if our actions, thoughts, and words in the last few days demonstrated that we are trusting God for everything that comes our way—or not.

-Faith in the Lord begins upon our salvation, but that’s just the essential first step. From the moment we become a child of God until the moment we step into eternity, we are given constant opportunity to trust God with the nitty gritty of life—the hard things, the welcome things, the times of plenty, the times of want. When we are slowly but surely learning more about our incredible God, we will also be learning about His wisdom, mercy, grace, and will. As we learn this and believe all He has said, our faith will grow, and we will learn to thank and praise Him for WHATEVER comes our way. THIS is what Jesus wanted from His disciples that stormy night.

-The disciples called Jesus “Master,” and He is! We would all do well to never, ever forget this!

-Humans MIGHT have fallen into an exhausted sleep and slept through a vicious storm, not knowing what was going on, but God wouldn’t have. Jesus was able to sleep because He had 100% confidence that nothing happens outside of God’s control. You and I can have that same confidence!

-The ESV says, “Who then is this that…?” while other English translations say, “What manner of Man is this…?”. The answer? GOD! Our God can do ANYTHING! Have you thanked Him lately?

What can we KNOW about God based on today’s Scripture?

-When the Son of God lived on earth, He was misunderstood and underestimated all the time.

-When the Son of God lived on earth, His physical body was just like ours. He got tired. He needed sleep.

-Jesus Christ is our Master; our Lord. We are here to do His bidding, not the other way around (something we get mixed up in our prayers all the time!).

-Jesus Christ is the Creator. He has the power and authority to tell creation to do whatever He wants. He is not limited by what we consider the “laws” of nature. The laws of nature are merely what we recognize as “normal.” God exists outside of our perception of time and place. He CREATED time and place!

-God wants us to trust Him. First, for salvation, then for every single part of every single day—for ourselves and for our loved ones.

-Jesus Christ is God. He is the Second Person of the Trinity. He executes the will of the Father. As such, He is the Creator, Sustainer, Savior, King of kings and Lord of lords – and our Master and Friend.

In a nutshell?

Having a close and sweet walk with God is an incredibly precious gift, one we should guard with all our being. However, we should never forget Who we are praying to, Who we are depending on, Who has chosen us to become a permanent part of His family. It is GOD ALMIGHTY. Love Him, appreciate Him with all your heart, but respect Him as Sovereign Lord.

Application Time!

-List the things that you now know about God based on today’s Scripture:

-Choose at least one item named above to describe more fully, then list how this is a blessing to you, and how it can help you live in even a more pleasing way to the Lord.

-Are there things in how you are currently thinking and/or acting that need to be changed or tweaked based on today’s Scripture?

-Did this study pique your interest in other Scripture or another topic you want to study in the Bible? Jot it down here so you don’t forget.

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-Pray! Thank God for what He showed you about Himself today. Ask His help to slowly be becoming more like His Son in your thoughts and actions.

Wednesday, January 14, 2026

-Read Ephesians 1:17-18

“That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints.”

Study Notes:

-Part of Paul’s prayer for believers had to do with increased knowledge of God in several specific areas. I’ve only included verses 17 & 18 here, but there are more gems in the entire first chapter of Ephesians that are well worth your time looking up.

-I thought it might be fun to do something different today and give you part of a devotional I wrote many years ago based on Ephesians 1:17-18. I pray it is a blessing to you! (If you want to read the entire devotional, it’s called “Looking at Life Through God’s Eyes,” and is part of my Heart-to-Heart series, which is part of our church’s Solid Rock Publications.)

“The Hope of His calling.”

Hope in Scripture isn’t the wishy-washy sentiment we express when we say, “Oh, I hope my new dress looks nice on me!” Scriptural hope means confidence—confidence in our future based on the power and attributes of God Himself. This is a huge, wonderful truth. God is all-powerful, and He is our Father! When our eyes are enlightened, we can see the hope of His calling. Therefore, there is nothing hopeless about our daily grind of duties and responsibilities, as we so often tend to feel there is. Don’t believe it. This is a very effective lie from satan. We have been called by God, called to great confidence in Him, never to defeat or depression.

The word “calling” means to “designate, appoint, or name.” God has said, “You belong to Me.” We no longer belong to ourselves; we are God’s—to do with as He pleases. In addition, this means that we can be 100% sure of our eternal security. Our future is wonderful because God ordained it. Our future is bright because God called us and chose us.

Our calling as children of God leads to some responsibility, though. I Peter 1:15 instructs us to be holy as God is holy. Ephesians 4:1 commands us to walk in a manner worthy of our calling. I Peter 2:9 instructs us to proclaim the excellencies of Him Who called us out of darkness. Maybe we can understand this better by thinking of the analogy of being given the gift of a house. The house is ours free and clear, and we will never have any financial obligations as part of the gift. However, do we have some responsibilities? Sure, we do if we want to show gratitude and demonstrate ourselves to be a worthy recipient. What would it “say” to the person who gave us the house if the yard was a tangle of weeds and the windows were all dirty and dingy? What gratitude would be expressed in a filthy, cluttered interior emitting a horrible smell? It would be insulting and ungrateful. We have been called by God. We bear His name in all we do and say and think—and what is in our hearts. How are you thanking Him? Our calling is to live for Christ, not self.

Second, we can be blessed, too, by the “Riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints.”

The glory of His inheritance is a hard concept for us to grasp. What is glory? What is our inheritance? We can think about it a little bit like a treasure chest in heaven—assigned just for us. We don’t really know exactly all that it contains, but we know for certain that it is glorious and it will be worth all our efforts in this lifetime. It is much like trying to get a toddler to understand his birthday. We tell him, “You will get presents!” “You will have a big cake with candles on it!” He might get excited at our excitement, but he has no idea what we are trying to describe to him. Not until he sees a shiny gift and opens it to find a wonderful, bright new toy or tastes a luscious piece of chocolate cake, will he begin to understand. Even then, he cannot understand the real joys. He is too young to fully grasp the sacrifice made just for him and the love that has been demonstrated on his behalf.

God has an inheritance for us. It is based on the riches of glory. It will absolutely be worth it all. The songwriter summed it up perfectly when she wrote,

Oft times the day seems long, our trials hard to bear, We’re tempted to complain, to murmur and despair, but Christ will soon appear to catch His bride away, all tears forever over in God’s eternal day. It will be worth it all when we see Jesus, life’s trials will seem so small when we see Christ. One glimpse of His dear face, all sorrow will erase, so bravely run the race ‘til we see Christ. -Esther Kerr Rusthoi

Third, we see the blessing of the “Surpassing greatness of His power toward us.”

“Surpassing” means to go beyond or throw higher than the mark. “Great” means mega or big. “Power” is further defined in verses 19-21 by comparing it to the same power that raised Christ from the dead. This is our power source, too! The word “toward” means into or inside (us). God’s power is not only toward us, it is in us! We can be energized in our souls and make right decisions and glorify God in the difficulties of our lives because His power comes into us.

Christian, we can know the huge, more-than-you-can-imagine, power of God in our lives. We can experience His strength and majesty, and power in us and through us. It is what will get us through the darkest night, or past the most laborious task, or help us deal with the most hurtful people around us. We don’t need to flounder helplessly as we serve God. His power is there for the asking. God wants to enlighten our eyes to see a bright future with the certainty that our reward is far greater than we can possibly imagine. He wants us to claim His surpassing power to live for Him, and He wants us to see life properly through His perfect 20/20 vision.

There are three precious things God has given us as found in Ephesians 1:17-18: hope, riches, and power.

Hope in His calling of us as His children, riches of the glory of His inheritance for us as His saints, and power, that is, surpassing power, to live for Him and please Him.

Application Time!

-List the things that you now know about God based on today’s Scripture:

-Choose at least one item named above to describe more fully, then list how this is a blessing to you, and how it can help you live in even a more pleasing way to the Lord.

-Are there things in how you are currently thinking and/or acting that need to be changed or tweaked based on today’s Scripture?

-Did this study pique your interest in other Scripture or another topic you want to study in the Bible? Jot it down here so you don’t forget.

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-Pray! Thank God for what He showed you about Himself today. Ask His help to slowly be becoming more like His Son in your thoughts and actions.

Thursday, January 15, 2026

-Read Ephesians 3:14-19

“For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”

Study Notes:

-Verse 19 uses the word “know” and “knowledge,” but in order to know what it is talking about we needed the context of verses 14-21.

-Verses 14-19 are one sentence in the Greek text.

-Verses 14, 16, and 17 reference all members of the Trinity.

-Verse 14 begins, “For this reason.” In order to know what reason Paul is speaking about, we need to look at previous verses. Paul had been speaking of the role God gave him to preach to the Gentiles, how God has included the Gentiles in His invitation to become part of His family by trusting in Jesus as Savior, and how incredible treasures are ours—all because of the work of Jesus Christ.

-In considering the lavish grace and mercy of God’s plan for Jew and Gentile alike, Paul falls into a prayer for the believers in the area of Ephesus, asking God to help them grow spiritually and in their understanding of just Who God is: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

-Paul’s reaction to both hard things and joyful things, was to fall on his knees before the Father. What an excellent example to follow! (By the way, kneeling is an act of submission. Not all of us are able to literally kneel, but we can all acknowledge God’s sovereignty in all areas.)

-Have you ever considered that families, including your family, are named by God? It kind of blows the mind to consider the millions of moving pieces He put into place to create YOU—and all the details of your life. His love for each of us is beyond our understanding! It “surpasses knowledge,” in fact.

-Growing spiritually is “according to the riches of His glory.” In other words, there are no limits to what God can do with a willing vessel.

-How can we know the love of Christ? This will come through daily Bible study, through pouring our heart out in prayer, through trusting Him with the big things and little things in our lives, by doing the things we know He wants us to do as stated in His Word, by following the example He left us in His Word, by meditating on all He has done, is doing, and will do, by praising and thanking Him, by seeking to bring Him glory through what we think, say, and do, and by otherwise choosing to imitate God and be becoming like Christ.

-Here’s another reminder about just how lavish God’s love is, “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.” (Romans 8:38-39)

What can we KNOW about God based on today’s Scripture?

-God the Father names every family, both spiritually and physically; here on earth and those in heaven.

-God the Holy Spirit strengthens the believer spiritually by means of the riches of God’s glory.

-Christ dwells in our hearts through faith, leading to being rooted and grounded in faith, leading to having the strength to comprehend the love of Christ.

-The love of Christ surpasses knowledge.

-God enables His children to be filled with the fullness of God.

In a nutshell?

Marvelous things are available to all people who place their faith in Jesus Christ as Savior. It begins with eternal security and becoming a member of God’s family, and continues with the opportunity to learn and enjoy what the lavish love of the Lord is all about.

Application Time!

-List the things that you now know about God based on today’s Scripture:

-Choose at least one item named above to describe more fully, then list how this is a blessing to you, and how it can help you live in even a more pleasing way to the Lord.

-Are there things in how you are currently thinking and/or acting that need to be changed or tweaked based on today’s Scripture?

-Did this study pique your interest in other Scripture or another topic you want to study in the Bible? Jot it down here so you don’t forget.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

-Pray! Thank God for what He showed you about Himself today. Ask His help to slowly be becoming more like His Son in your thoughts and actions.

Friday, January 16, 2026

-Read Ephesians 4:11-16

“And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

Study Notes:

-Although it is commonly taught that Ephesians 4 is speaking about supernatural gifts, the text demonstrates that these men ARE the gift. Since the apostles and prophets have long since died out, the office that remains for today’s dispensation (the Church Age, also known as the Age of Grace) is the pastor (evangelism has become one of the roles of the pastor). Pastors aren’t “gifted,” they ARE the gift.

-Another important fact to know, based on the original Greek text that Ephesians was written in, the shepherds and teachers mentioned would be more accurately translated as “pastors, who are teachers.” It is referring to the same man.

-The One Who gave pastors to the churches is, of course, Christ, the Son of God. Later in this passage, as well as in other Scripture, we find that Jesus Christ is also the Head of the church.

-Another name for the church is the body of Christ.

-Pastors have been given a job to do. It is to equip believers for the work of the ministry in order to build up the body of Christ. Did you get that? The pastor is not the only one God expects to be going out into the community to tell others the good news of the gospel. That’s the job for you and me (although, as a member of his church, he would be doing this, too. It’s just not accurate to say that evangelism is primarily the pastor’s job.)

-The man of God that He chooses for different church families is to equip the believers there for the work of the ministry. He is to help each person grow spiritually, to come to know God deeper and more intimately, and to help them learn how to live according to God’s Word, applying it to the different decisions and actions they take on a daily basis, and life as a whole.

-To equip is to give the necessary skills and tools. The pastor does this through sermons, through Bible studies, and through personal interaction with people. Obviously, he needs to be in God’s Word daily himself in order to know what to share with the congregation. This takes hours and hours of time each week, one of the reasons why the church family should constantly be stepping up to the plate to help with the 1,001 physical needs that the church family and church building needs on a regular basis.

-Unity in and among believers, especially a church family, is critical. True unity can only be found in Christ and 100% faithfulness to God’s Word.

-A unified, God-pleasing church family looks out for one another. They help the less mature and weaker members steer clear of things that might trip them up spiritually, and they encourage and edify one another, doing all they do in love.

What can we KNOW about God based on today’s Scripture?

-It is God Who designates (calls) specific men to specific tasks. At one time, it was to be an apostle or prophet; currently, it is to be pastors. Pastoring isn’t a vocation in the same way carpentry or banking is. Only men who have been called by God are to be pastors. And even though God calls specific men to full time ministry, they can disqualify themselves through not living in a godly manner. II Timothy and Titus speak about qualifications for the pastor and for deacons. These are basic things that must be in place before someone can be considered for these critically important offices.

-Jesus Christ is the head of the church. The church is known as the body of Christ.

-A proper view of Jesus Christ and faithful obedience to God’s Word will lead to individual growth as well as maturity in a church family as a whole.

-A major goal for all believers is to come to resemble Jesus Christ.

In a nutshell?

Our Bibles aren’t just for information; they are for transformation. God has given pastors to churches to help believers learn about God’s Word, USE God’s Word in their lives, and mature spiritually as they put it into practice and become more like Christ in thought and deed.

Application Time!

-List the things that you now know about God based on today’s Scripture:

-Choose at least one item named above to describe more fully, then list how this is a blessing to you, and how it can help you live in even a more pleasing way to the Lord.

-Are there things in how you are currently thinking and/or acting that need to be changed or tweaked based on today’s Scripture?

-Did this study pique your interest in other Scripture or another topic you want to study in the Bible? Jot it down here so you don’t forget.

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-Pray! Thank God for what He showed you about Himself today. Ask His help to slowly be becoming more like His Son in your thoughts and actions.

Saturday, January 17, 2026

-Read Jeremiah 24:7

“I will give them a heart to know that I am the Lord, and they shall be my people and I will be their God, for they shall return to me with their whole heart.”

Study Notes:

-It is the Lord Who is speaking to the prophet Jeremiah in today’s verse.

-King Nebuchadnezzar had taken into captivity the “cream of the crop” of Judah’s leadership in order to use them in his own administration.

-Once the King of Judah had been taken captive, Zedekiah became king in his place, but he was a wicked king. The rest of Jeremiah 24 tells of how God intended to punish Zedekiah and all who followed him.

-Those who stayed faithful to the Lord, however, would be blessed richly. God Himself would cause their hearts to KNOW that He is the Lord. He would “remember” His covenant to be their God in a special and unique way—and as a result, the Jewish people would return to Him with their whole hearts.

-Although there was definitely revival and some good years left for the Jewish nation, the full realization of this promise from God will not be seen until the Millennium, when Jesus Himself rules in Jerusalem as the King of kings and Lord of lords.

-You and I, as Church Age believers, will be there to witness this! When Jesus returns to earth to set up His kingdom at the end of the Tribulation, we will be by His side. What an incredible thing to look forward to!

What can we KNOW about God based on today’s Scripture?

-It is God and God alone Who can change a heart.

-When God changes a heart, it is a done deal.

-What God promises, He ALWAYS fulfills. His timing may not be what is expected from our human viewpoint, but it is His viewpoint that is the right one, not ours.

-God is THE only God. There is no other.

-God has the right to choose who He wants to become His special possession. He chose the Jewish nation up to and including the establishment of the Church, then He added a new, unique group to His family: anyone who trusted in His Son as their Savior, Jew OR Gentile. Both groups will ALWAYS belong to Him for all of eternity. Not because of any merit of our own, but because of His.

-God wants wholehearted devotion. He DESERVES wholehearted devotion!

In a nutshell?

God is faithful and always does what He says. He chose the Jewish nation to belong to Him, and they will one day be restored and live wholeheartedly for Him forever. Meanwhile, God has given you and me the opportunity to live wholeheartedly for Him TODAY. Are we? How could we excel still more?

Application Time!

-List the things that you now know about God based on today’s Scripture:

-Choose at least one item named above to describe more fully, then list how this is a blessing to you, and how it can help you live in even a more pleasing way to the Lord.

-Are there things in how you are currently thinking and/or acting that need to be changed or tweaked based on today’s Scripture?

-Did this study pique your interest in other Scripture or another topic you want to study in the Bible? Jot it down here so you don’t forget.

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-Pray! Thank God for what He showed you about Himself today. Ask His help to slowly be becoming more like His Son in your thoughts and actions.

Sunday, January 18, 2026

What can we do to give this special day our best?

-Praise! Thank God for the day and the blessings within it. Seek His wisdom, strength, and help to please and honor Him with the new week before you.

Monday, January 19, 2026

-Read John 17:3

“And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.”

Study Notes:

-This is a quote by Jesus Christ, and it is part of a prayer that He prayed moments before His arrest, crucifixion, death, and resurrection. This prayer was on behalf of not only the disciples and those following Him in that time and place, it was a prayer for you and me!

-Eternal life is only for those who have trusted in Jesus Christ as their Savior from the sin that all humans are born with. There are multiple Bible verses that say the same thing: whoever believes in Jesus will not die (spiritually), but have everlasting life.

-So, “knowing God” in the sense of trusting Jesus Christ as Savior, is the essential first step that must be taken to begin a close, intimate relationship with God, but there’s so much more that God wants us to know and experience as His children! He wants us to learn about, experience, and enjoy the “essence” of eternal life right now—even while living in a world that is dominated by sin. Believers are citizens of heaven RIGHT NOW. Because of Christ’s blood, God sees us a righteous and holy RIGHT NOW. We can, by trusting His Word enough to obey it and implement into our daily thoughts, goals, and actions, DELIGHT in a bit of the wonders of what it will be like to live face-to-face with God the Father and our Savior RIGHT NOW. This is part of what Jesus prays for on our behalf when He says, “This is eternal life, that they know You.”

What can we KNOW about God based on today’s Scripture?

-God is the only true God.

-People can know God, initially upon salvation, then experientially through a close relationship with Him.

-God WANTS His children to come to know Him in a deep, intimate way!

-God the Father sent God the Son so that humans could be saved from eternal damnation.

-God is the Provider of eternal life. Those who reject Him will suffer eternal death.

In a nutshell?

One of the biggest privileges of becoming a child of God is that we can come to know God better and better as we study His Word, develop a precious prayer life, do the things His Word tells us to do, and trust that all He says is not only true and trustworthy, but is, by definition, good.

Application Time!

-List the things that you now know about God based on today’s Scripture:

-Choose at least one item named above to describe more fully, then list how this is a blessing to you, and how it can help you live in even a more pleasing way to the Lord.

-Are there things in how you are currently thinking and/or acting that need to be changed or tweaked based on today’s Scripture?

-Did this study pique your interest in other Scripture or another topic you want to study in the Bible? Jot it down here so you don’t forget.

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-Pray! Thank God for what He showed you about Himself today. Ask His help to slowly be becoming more like His Son in your thoughts and actions.

Tuesday, January 20, 2026

-Read Psalm 34:8

“Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!”

Study Notes:

-To taste, as mentioned in today’s verse, is to experience; to experientially find something out for yourself. This is going to happen, for sure, by reading about God in Scripture, and definitely also by listening to our pastors teach, preach, and explain the Bible to us on Sundays, Wednesdays, and at any other meetings and fellowships. But, it’s also going to come about as we begin to believe what God says in His Word and put it into practice in what we do in our daily schedules. As we take Him at His word, and do the things He says to do, avoid the things He warns us against, and live as citizens of Heaven, we will SEE and EXPERIENCE for ourselves that He is, indeed, good.

-1 Peter 2:2-3 “Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.”

-To taste can mean to judge, that is, to determine for yourself. When I was a child, it was common for kids to quote a popular commercial to each other, “Try it! You’ll like it!”

-The use of LORD here in all caps is God’s name, Yahweh. He has many titles, but just one name. To use it is to indicate a close, personal relationship to Him. ALL believers are encouraged by God to have a super duper extra close relationship to Him and with Him. He is always there, ready and eager to gather us in. We are the ones who hold back or otherwise choose to keep ourselves at a distance. Praise God, all we need to do is confess any sin that is between us and Him, then DELIGHT in pouring our hearts out at His feet in prayer anytime, any place.

-Humans tend to judge what is good based solely on whether we like something or whether or not it benefits us in some way. You will probably not be surprised to hear that this is not how God defines the word—or that it is always God’s definition of words and concepts that is the right one. =) Good, as God defines it, might be easier to define as to what it is not, and to be honest, I have a hard time defining it without saying something that is also true of the word, holy. To be holy is to be completely separate from anything God names as sin. To be good is to be completely separate from anything God names as bad. Is there overlap? Probably, but there are also differences. Suffice it to say that when we get to know God closely and intimately, we will discover that there is nothing bad or wrong with Him or what He does EVER. This is quite a comforting truth (especially when we see nothing BUT corruption all around us in our current world situation)!

-To be blessed is far more than just to be happy, although there is no doubt that a sweet walk with the Lord is an incredibly joyful thing! To be blessed has to do with being benefitted,

-I wonder how often we pause to truly appreciate the refuge that God offers to us—and the security that He offers to all of His children? Like everything else He does, is, and gives, God’s place of refuge is perfect in every way. We literally couldn’t find anything better in any area.

-There seems to be a connection between tasting to see that the Lord is good, followed by the joy and security of taking refuge (trusting) in Him. Would it be accurate to say that if we aren’t feeling like God is a good refuge, that maybe we have stopped taking the time to appreciate that He is good? Something to think about!

What can we KNOW about God based on today’s Scripture?

-God is good.

-God welcomes His children to learn about His goodness—not just once, but every day and for their entire lives (and almost certainly the one to come, too!).

-God is our refuge.

-God’s children who come to Him as their refuge find themselves blessed.

In a nutshell?

God WANTS His children to be blessed, so He invites us to learn more about Him through His Word and through trusting and obeying.

Application Time!

-List the things that you now know about God based on today’s Scripture:

-Choose at least one item named above to describe more fully, then list how this is a blessing to you, and how it can help you live in even a more pleasing way to the Lord.

-Are there things in how you are currently thinking and/or acting that need to be changed or tweaked based on today’s Scripture?

-Did this study pique your interest in other Scripture or another topic you want to study in the Bible? Jot it down here so you don’t forget.

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-Pray! Thank God for what He showed you about Himself today. Ask His help to slowly be becoming more like His Son in your thoughts and actions.

Wednesday, January 21, 2026

-Read Psalm 9:10

“And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek you.”

Study Notes:

-Psalm 9 was written by King David. David wrote 73 psalms that we know of (because his name is attached to them), but there may be a few more that he wrote that are not specifically ascribed to him. We tend to think of David as a warrior and mighty king, and he was, but he also loved to talk to God by way of songs. In them, he expresses confusion, sorrow, and even despair, but also trust in God, leading to praise and thanksgiving. Have you ever tried writing any of your prayers out? It might help you, like David, to come to an even closer relationship with God, which will inevitably lead to praising Him and thanking Him for His goodness, mercy, and love.

-To know someone’s name is to know who they are deep inside. It’s something we do when we are trying to get to know someone really well. Say, a friend or a potential spouse. We don’t tend to really commit to a relationship before finding out that we are likeminded in certain core values. Those who know Who God is, trust Him. In fact, He is literally the only One who is 100% trustworthy. Even people who intend to be as honest and reliable as possible, occasionally say something that isn’t entirely true because they didn’t have all the facts (or the correct facts), and they might not be able to keep their word due to unforeseen circumstances. God is never hindered in this way. He knows all—past, present, and future.

-One commentator suggested that when Old Testament writers mentioned knowing the Lord, they were identifying as believers. This may or may not be true, but even if it is, it doesn’t change the previous paragraph. After all, no one can truly know the Lord until they have been born again spiritually.

-David calls God by name (LORD, Yahweh). He is very close to God personally.

-David accurately exclaims that God has never, ever forsaken ANYONE who has sincerely looked to Him for wisdom and help. God will never leave or forsake you, either.

What can we KNOW about God based on today’s Scripture?

-God is worthy of complete trust. He is entirely trustworthy.

-It is possible to come to know God in a deep and intimate way.

-God does not forsake those who seek Him.

In a nutshell?

Once the Holy Spirit causes a person to spark to life spiritually, they begin a lifelong quest to learn about God and to know Him in greater depth and understanding. This will happen through Bible study, prayer, church attendance, and doing the things that His Word tells us to do. As we trust and obey, the blessings we enjoy just keep getting better and better—only to get even better once we enter eternity!

Application Time!

-List the things that you now know about God based on today’s Scripture:

-Choose at least one item named above to describe more fully, then list how this is a blessing to you, and how it can help you live in even a more pleasing way to the Lord.

-Are there things in how you are currently thinking and/or acting that need to be changed or tweaked based on today’s Scripture?

-Did this study pique your interest in other Scripture or another topic you want to study in the Bible? Jot it down here so you don’t forget.

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-Pray! Thank God for what He showed you about Himself today. Ask His help to slowly be becoming more like His Son in your thoughts and actions.

Thursday, January 22, 2026

-Read Psalm 77:13-14

“Your way, O God, is holy. What god is great like our God? 14 You are the God who works wonders; you have made known your might among the peoples.”

Study Notes:

-Psalm 77 was written by Asaph. He was troubled in the night, so he chose to recall God’s faithfulness in the past. This helped him to trust God with the current trouble Israel was facing.

-The question, “What god is great like our God?” isn’t suggesting that there are other gods. It’s simply stating that no one and nothing can even begin to compare to the true God in any area or at any time. In the United States, we (mostly) no longer look to statues for wisdom and help (though we need to be mighty careful to not “give” angel pins, cross jewelry, or any other symbol credit for ANYTHING). We might, however, rely on the wisdom of friends, the influence of YouTube, a favorite author, or some other “nugget” that is not from God’s Word. When we remember that only God’s way is the right way, it will help us sort out opinion v. fact; partial truth v. whole truth. And when ASKED for advice, the only truly helpful words are going to be Scripture and biblical truth.

-When Asaph wrote that God has made Himself known among the peoples, he was thinking specifically of the miracles God did to free the Hebrews from slavery in Egypt. He showed Himself to be God Almighty to the Jews, but also to the Egyptians—and to everyone who has read the account in the Bible in the millennia since! God STILL shows Himself in a myriad of ways, but one that is especially pertinent to you and me is that He shows Himself to people THROUGH US! He uses our daily testimony as a witness of His love, grace, and mercy. You may have heard the phrase “You are the only Bible some people will ever read.” There’s some truth to that. When people know we are Christians, our attitudes and actions are watched, and what they see will be what they believe is true about our Savior. This is all pretty sobering, but don’t forget that God has given us the Holy Spirit to help us to reflect Him well—and that He can do the impossible. This includes helping you and me reflect Him well.

What can we KNOW about God based on today’s Scripture?

-God’s “way” – or Who He is – is that of holiness. He has absolutely nothing to do with sin or unrighteousness. In fact, He defines what is holy and what is not.

-God is great. Nothing can ever even begin to compare itself to Him or challenge Him. This includes that great liar, satan. When you feel him whispering some untruth in your ear, refuse to listen to him, and instead cling to the truths found in God’s Word. He will have no choice but to flee!

-God works wonders. He does the impossible. We humans are limited in not only what we can do or not do, but also in our understanding of what is possible. God has no limitations. He is not bound by what we perceive to be the “rules” of nature. He is the Creator, and He can do anything He likes with His creation. That being true, how magnificent He is to let us stand in awe of an exquisite sunset, or the stunning beauty of sunlight on a body of water, or the beauty of a fragile butterfly, or the delight of a double rainbow! God also blows us out of the water repeatedly daily with things like saving us from a fall or accident, providing unexpected healing from a serious disease, providing money when we least expect it—and a million other things. We do, indeed, have a God Who works wonders!

In a nutshell?

Our God is an awesome God! Don’t ever forget it. Tell Him! Tell others. Thank Him for making Himself known to YOU.

Application Time!

-List the things that you now know about God based on today’s Scripture:

-Choose at least one item named above to describe more fully, then list how this is a blessing to you, and how it can help you live in even a more pleasing way to the Lord.

-Are there things in how you are currently thinking and/or acting that need to be changed or tweaked based on today’s Scripture?

-Did this study pique your interest in other Scripture or another topic you want to study in the Bible? Jot it down here so you don’t forget.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

-Pray! Thank God for what He showed you about Himself today. Ask His help to slowly be becoming more like His Son in your thoughts and actions.

Friday, January 23, 2026

-Read Hebrews 11:6

“And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.”

Study Notes:

-God wants His children to seek Him! That is, to get to know Him deeply, intimately, and thoroughly.

-In order to know God, the first step is faith. We must, first and foremost, place our trust (faith) in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, as our Savior. We must then learn to trust God in every detail of every day.

-Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”

-Proof is in the pudding, so the saying goes. In this case, the proof that we believe God is Who He says He is, is to obey everything we know that He wants us to do. This pleases Him—and pleasing God should be our top priority in life.

-It is possible to please God. TO PLEASE GOD. Think about that for a second. What a privilege! What a joy! As teeny-tiny specs in God’s universe, you and I are able to please God! Why wouldn’t we give this our very all?

-As redeemed ones, ones bought by the precious blood of the Lamb, we are invited to draw near to God Almighty. Again, this is something we should pause to give careful thought to, then drop to our knees in grateful praise. The God of the universe welcomes YOU to come to Him for comfort, for wisdom, for mercy, and for grace. He joyfully and willingly gives all good gifts to those who love Him (as seen in their trusting and obeying Him).

-Hebrews 11 shows a very clear relationship between faith and reward.

-One commentator noted that learning to have stronger faith will grow by spending time with other believers who are faithful. In other words, faithful believers can help each other! If that’s not a strong plug for faithful church attendance, I don’t know what is!

What can we KNOW about God based on today’s Scripture?

-God rewards those who seek Him.

-God requires faith in His children.

-God wants His children to believe Him, to draw near to Him, and to please Him.

In a nutshell?

According to God’s viewpoint (the only right viewpoint), faith is the essential starting point to a precious relationship with Him—and faith is what causes that relationship to grow deeper and more precious every day.

Application Time!

-List the things that you now know about God based on today’s Scripture:

-Choose at least one item named above to describe more fully, then list how this is a blessing to you, and how it can help you live in even a more pleasing way to the Lord.

-Are there things in how you are currently thinking and/or acting that need to be changed or tweaked based on today’s Scripture?

-Did this study pique your interest in other Scripture or another topic you want to study in the Bible? Jot it down here so you don’t forget.

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-Pray! Thank God for what He showed you about Himself today. Ask His help to slowly be becoming more like His Son in your thoughts and actions.

Saturday, January 24, 2026

-Read Colossians 1:9-14

“And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. 13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”

Study Notes:

-v.9 We can know God’s will!

-Knowing God’s will comes through studying His Word, but that’s not enough. It should be a springboard to verse 10, to live in a way that is pleasing to God, bearing fruit, doing good things, and growing in the full knowledge of God.

-Reading our Bibles provides much of God’s will. He will reveal the rest when we need it.

-It’s entirely appropriate (and good) that we pray for fellow believers: for them to know what God’s will is, that they walk in a manner that is fully pleasing to God, that they bear fruit, that they come to know God better and better, that they are strengthened by God’s power to endure patiently and with joy, and that they are a grateful people – grateful to God, grateful to others.

-v.10 Trouble brews when we settle for less than being FULLY pleasing to God.

-There is a difference between worthy and worthily. We can never be worthy, but we can live worthily. This is evidenced in living in a manner that is fully pleasing to Him and bearing fruit.

-It is always God’s will that we learn more about Him.

-Bearing fruit in every good work will include our hearts and our actions.

-v.12-13 Upon birth, we were born into the domain of darkness due to the Adamic curse, but once Jesus Christ paid the price for our sin and we trusted in Him as our Savior, He transferred us to the Kingdom of light permanently.

What can we KNOW about God based on today’s Scripture?

-God has a specific will for how and when He wants things to happen.

-God wants His children to know and understand His will, then live according to it.

-God wants His children to live in such a way that we are fully pleasing to Him. He helps us with this through His written Word and through the power of the Holy Spirit Who indwells us.

-God wants His children to bear fruit for Him.

-God has qualified His children to share in the inheritance of the saints in light, delivering us from the domain of darkness, and transferring us to the kingdom of His beloved Son.

-God gave His children redemption, the forgiveness of sins through His Son, Jesus Christ.

In a nutshell?

God WANTS us to have victory, to mature spiritually, to learn more and more about Him, and to live fully pleasing to Him—and we can, because He has made it possible through the sacrifice of His Son.

Application Time!

-List the things that you now know about God based on today’s Scripture:

-Choose at least one item named above to describe more fully, then list how this is a blessing to you, and how it can help you live in even a more pleasing way to the Lord.

-Are there things in how you are currently thinking and/or acting that need to be changed or tweaked based on today’s Scripture?

-Did this study pique your interest in other Scripture or another topic you want to study in the Bible? Jot it down here so you don’t forget.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

-Pray! Thank God for what He showed you about Himself today. Ask His help to slowly be becoming more like His Son in your thoughts and actions.

Sunday, January 25, 2026

What can we do to give this special day our best?

-Praise! Thank God for the day and the blessings within it. Seek His wisdom, strength, and help to please and honor Him with the new week before you.

Monday, January 26, 2026

-Read Colossians 2:1-3

“For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, 2 that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”

Study Notes:

-The first use of “know” in today’s passage isn’t really the word we are looking at this year, but it is still a heartfelt concern from a pastor to believers. Did you know that your pastor prays for YOU? That he is concerned for your spiritual and physical well being? That he considers it an honor to serve you and help you however you need? God truly gave special “gifts” when He picked out certain men to become pastors of churches!

-A great prayer request for your church family is that everyone’s hearts are knit together in love (unity!) and that everyone truly understands and is assured of the incredible gift of Jesus Christ—Who He is, what He has done for us in paying the price for sin that we could not, and that He is THE Source of “all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”

-Do you want godly wisdom? Godly understanding? Look to Jesus Christ. Find out what He said and did in your Bible.

-All those who have come to know Jesus as Savior in the millennia since His resurrection and return to Heaven are greatly privileged. We know some of the “mystery” that those who came before us did not know. No one expected God to send His Son to be the Savior for sin. God gave His very best. How could we do any less in our deep gratitude and appreciation?

-Have you considered biblical wisdom a treasure before? God says that it is! True knowledge, truly worthy goals, the truth about what was, is, and is yet to come, is all found in God’s Word—and all of God’s Word is centered around God’s Son, Jesus Christ.

-Wisdom is more than a collection of facts. It is in knowing how to use facts. Biblical wisdom is further defined as applying the knowledge of God to the circumstances of our lives. The opposite is true, too. Being a fool is defined biblically as disregarding God’s Word and living according to your own ideas.

-Knowledge in this passage is from the Greek word “to know.” The Bible is THE only source of truth. When we ignore it, add to it, take away from it, or modify it in any way in action or application, we are living life based on lies. God’s Word is very clear: even a smidgen of not fully following God is COMPLETE disobedience.

What can we KNOW about God based on today’s Scripture?

-God gives humans mysteries. There have been many since creation began. Today’s verses involve the riches that are the Person of Jesus Christ, but I don’t think anyone can challenge that one of the greatest mysteries of all is how God can choose to love you and me unconditionally. This is something we can KNOW—and delight in every single day!

-God reveals many of His mysteries in His Word. There are many yet to come in eternity, however!

-Jesus Christ “hides” treasures of wisdom and knowledge simply in Who He is and what He does.

In a nutshell?

We can know and appreciate true riches simply in giving our lives to learning all about Jesus Christ and why He did what He did, then applying those truths to how we think and act.

Application Time!

-List the things that you now know about God based on today’s Scripture:

-Choose at least one item named above to describe more fully, then list how this is a blessing to you, and how it can help you live in even a more pleasing way to the Lord.

-Are there things in how you are currently thinking and/or acting that need to be changed or tweaked based on today’s Scripture?

-Did this study pique your interest in other Scripture or another topic you want to study in the Bible? Jot it down here so you don’t forget.

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-Pray! Thank God for what He showed you about Himself today. Ask His help to slowly be becoming more like His Son in your thoughts and actions.

Tuesday, January 27, 2026

-Read Isaiah 55:6-7

“Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.”

Study Notes:

-Finding a verse such as this in the book of Isaiah should definitely clue us in that it is probably speaking to Israel. It is! This is one of God’s many, many pleas to His people to forsake idolatry, return to worshiping Him and obeying Him as He commands—or else. This verse specifically warns that there is a point of no return. God gives you and me many second chances, but we would be foolish to EXPECT them. Not only is He not obligated to give us chance after chance to confess sin and get right with Him, we, too, do not have endless opportunities. Our lives could all end at any time, at any age, or for any reason. Furthermore, the Rapture could happen any second. We need to get right with the Lord, stay right with Him (by confessing sin when we realize we have done it), and we need to serve Him wholeheartedly with every breath. This isn’t to “keep” His love, because His love is constant and unending. It is so that we are ABLE to please Him and be used by Him to bring Him glory. Doing so brings tremendous joy and reward now and into eternity.

-While this verse isn’t a verse that is speaking about salvation (trusting Jesus Christ as your Savior from sin—it can’t be, since it says something about a person changing their thoughts and behavior and no one who is dead spiritually can do ANYTHING before the Holy Spirit sparks their hearts to life spiritually. Only then, can someone—a believer—change, and only then, with the Holy Spirit’s help), it’s certainly true that the gift of spiritual/eternal life is a limited-time offer. No one has any idea when they will die. Putting off the decision to trust Christ for a more convenient time is, possibly, THE worst idea ever! As Christians, ignoring opportunities to tell others of their need for a Savior is ALSO a really bad decision. Perhaps spending some time in our Bibles reading about the horror that awaits those who are unsaved will help us to stop being shy or reticent in sharing the GOOD NEWS of the gospel. Tick tock! How much time do we have left???

-While neither you nor I are Old Testament Jews, we would be wise to heed the warning found in Isaiah 55. Do not let ANYTHING stand between you and a vibrant, joyful, DELIGHTFUL walk with your Lord! In fact, we would all do well to prayerfully and carefully evaluate every single part of our hearts and our lives to make sure that we are obeying God wholeheartedly in every single area and in every single minute of every day. Not sure? Ask Him! He will lovingly, but clearly, point out to you areas of full disobedience, partial disobedience, or potentially areas that you didn’t even know could be refined and improved. There is NOTHING as joyful as walking hand-in-hand with the Lord with no guilt, no hesitations, and no doubts! In fact, that’s exactly what He wants for you!

-Can we say, “Amen! Praise the Lord” for His compassion, mercy, and grace!!!

What can we KNOW about God based on today’s Scripture?

-God makes Himself known to man, but as in all of life, He sets the parameters.

-In tremendous love, grace, and mercy, God provided a way for sinful mankind to reconcile with Him. This is a limited-time offer, however, and we need to turn to Him the second we realize our need.

-God will not tolerate wickedness or unrighteousness.

-God is a God Who pardons abundantly.

In a nutshell?

Maintaining a close walk with the Lord is vital. Confess sin and make things right with Him the second you recognize you have sinned. Praise and thank Him for His ready forgiveness, unending compassion, and tremendous grace.

Application Time!

-List the things that you now know about God based on today’s Scripture:

-Choose at least one item named above to describe more fully, then list how this is a blessing to you, and how it can help you live in even a more pleasing way to the Lord.

-Are there things in how you are currently thinking and/or acting that need to be changed or tweaked based on today’s Scripture?

-Did this study pique your interest in other Scripture or another topic you want to study in the Bible? Jot it down here so you don’t forget.

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-Pray! Thank God for what He showed you about Himself today. Ask His help to slowly be becoming more like His Son in your thoughts and actions.

Wednesday, January 28, 2026

-Read Galatians 4:8-9

“Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods. But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more?”

Study Notes:

-The Christians in the area of Galatia had started out strong in their walk with the Lord, which brought them much joy. However, somewhere along the way, they got the idea that they needed to DO something in order to keep God’s love. This is NOT how our God operates, and when we attribute something to Him that isn’t accurate, we don’t “know Him” – or understand Who He truly is or is not.

-It’s important for all of us to remember (and believe!) that God’s love for us is not dependent on our obedience v. disobedience, how often we go to church, whether or not we tithe, or how many Scripture verses we can recite. These things are all FANTASTIC things to do in order to draw ever closer to the Lord, to please Him, and to bring Him glory, but His love for us is constant, unending, and NOT fickle. KNOWING this will keep us from fear over losing His love and falling back into a pattern of behavior that we might feel we NEED to do in order for God to bless us.

-Serving anyone or anything that is not God will lead to being enslaved by it. ONLY God is worthy of all praise, adoration, and love.

-We sometimes talk about trusting Christ as our Savior as “coming to know Him.” While the correct wording concerning spiritual salvation will be that of belief (faith) in the finished work of Christ on our behalf (it’s a very personal thing!), using the phrase “to know Him” is okay—as long as we explain what we mean by that. For one thing, as an unbeliever, we can know nothing! The Bible says that we are dead spiritually. BUT, when the Holy Spirit sparks our hearts to life spiritually and we understand what Jesus did for us on the cross, we begin to know Him a bit then and there. Our desire and life goal, however, should definitely be to dive deeply into God’s Word to get to know, not only about God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, but what They love and hate, what pleases Them and displeases Them, and general and specific things about Them in order to grow in our reverential fear of Them, to love Them more deeply all the time, and to grow closer to Them through trusting and obeying moment by moment our entire lives. In that sense, we are definitely “coming to know Him.”

What can we KNOW about God based on today’s Scripture?

-There is only one God. He alone is worthy of worship.

-God knows us!

-To belong to God is to be truly free.

In a nutshell?

God wants us to know Him, and part of that knowledge is to realize that serving Him is not the worthless and empty bondage that is true of serving anyone or anything else. That sort of thinking enslaves us, defeats us, and is a sinful waste of time and energy. Worshipping and serving THE GOD, however, is nothing but fantastic in every single area—both for today and for all of eternity.

Application Time!

-List the things that you now know about God based on today’s Scripture:

-Choose at least one item named above to describe more fully, then list how this is a blessing to you, and how it can help you live in even a more pleasing way to the Lord.

-Are there things in how you are currently thinking and/or acting that need to be changed or tweaked based on today’s Scripture?

-Did this study pique your interest in other Scripture or another topic you want to study in the Bible? Jot it down here so you don’t forget.

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-Pray! Thank God for what He showed you about Himself today. Ask His help to slowly be becoming more like His Son in your thoughts and actions.

Thursday, January 29, 2026

-Read Romans 1:18-32

“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.
Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.
For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error. And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.”

Study Notes:

-God speaks to His people directly through His Word, which is called special revelation. He also speaks indirectly by way of His creation and power as seen in nature and other ways. This is known as natural revelation.

-Romans 1 speaks of how God has made Himself known through His invisible attributes, specifically His eternal power and divine nature. He has made these obvious in the creation and sustaining of our universe. To not see that is to CHOOSE to not see it. This displeases God greatly.

-Adam’s sin is what caused this disregard. Until the Holy Spirit causes a heart to come alive spiritually, we will not only disregard God as seen in what He has done and is doing, but we will reject Him, and even substitute countless other things in the place that belongs to God alone.

-Praise the Lord, His grace can cause us to see the incredible wonders of His majesty all around us in huge things and in microscopic and extremely detailed things. Part of the joy of living is to look for things in order to delight in them and to give God great glory and praise.

-Ungodliness means a lack of proper reverence toward God. Man’s neglect of God and rebellion against Him are evidence of this.

-Unrighteousness or wickedness has to do with treating others poorly and unfairly. It is attitudes and actions that are unloving.

-Although it’s easiest to look at this list of heinous sins and pin it all on the unsaved, as children of God, we need to make sure daily that we are not guilty in part or whole of any of these: “all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless.” (v.29-31)

What can we KNOW about God based on today’s Scripture?

-God hates sin.

-God punishes sin.

-God has made Himself known through His written word and in creation. He has shown both His love and His hatred for sin and sinful behavior throughout history.

-God expects honor and gratitude. They belong to Him!

-God sometimes lets people have what they think they want. Anything besides Him will be horrible in every possible way.

-God’s punishment for sin is death. Ultimately, those who refuse to trust in His Son as Savior will be separated from Him eternally in the Lake of Fire.

In a nutshell?

As the sovereign Creator, God is the One Who determines right and wrong. As OUR sovereign Creator and Lord, we need to live according to His standard of right and wrong. This is true in all the huge things listed in today’s passage, as well as all the tiny nuances that make up our day-to-day lives. God deserves all glory!

Application Time!

-List the things that you now know about God based on today’s Scripture:

-Choose at least one item named above to describe more fully, then list how this is a blessing to you, and how it can help you live in even a more pleasing way to the Lord.

-Are there things in how you are currently thinking and/or acting that need to be changed or tweaked based on today’s Scripture?

-Did this study pique your interest in other Scripture or another topic you want to study in the Bible? Jot it down here so you don’t forget.

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-Pray! Thank God for what He showed you about Himself today. Ask His help to slowly be becoming more like His Son in your thoughts and actions.

Friday, January 30, 2026

-Read Romans 11:33-36

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! 34 “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?” 35 “Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?” 36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.

Study Notes:

-These verses are actually a doxology. You can read another one of Paul’s doxologies in chapter 8 of this same book (8:31-39). We might even consider them something akin to poetry. Say, have you ever written a poem that expresses something you are thankful to God for, some attribute that blows you out of the water, or simply His goodness and grace? Give it a try! Sometimes writing things like that down really helps us focus on things that truly matter, and I have no doubt that they bring God great glory. Another option is to write out prayers from time to time.

-v.34 is a quote from Isaiah 40:13, “Who has measured the Spirit of the LORD, or what man shows him his counsel?” Did you know that literally quoting Scripture is a great way to talk about God, pray to Him, and testify about Him to others?

-Here is another time Paul said something similar to v.36: “Yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.” (I Corinthians 8:6)

-Another passage pertinent to v. 36 is speaking of the Lord Jesus Christ. “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. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” (Colossians 1:16-17)

What can we KNOW about God based on today’s Scripture?

-God’s wisdom and knowledge are rich—so deep that they cannot be even partially understood or depleted.

-God’s judgments are unsearchable.

-God’s ways are inscrutable.

-No one knows God’s mind. He needs no advice from anyone about anything.

-God’s gifts are not something that can be repaid.

-From God, through God, and to God are all things.

-All glory belongs to God now and for forever.

In a nutshell?

God’s power, wisdom, and EVERYTHING is not just enough; it’s far beyond any human’s ability to comprehend. He NEEDS nothing and no one—and yet, He lovingly, graciously, kindly welcomes us into His family, sharing with us riches of many kinds; riches that are unsearchable, inscrutable, and incredibly deep. Praise Him! Give Him all glory!

Application Time!

-List the things that you now know about God based on today’s Scripture:

-Choose at least one item named above to describe more fully, then list how this is a blessing to you, and how it can help you live in even a more pleasing way to the Lord.

-Are there things in how you are currently thinking and/or acting that need to be changed or tweaked based on today’s Scripture?

-Did this study pique your interest in other Scripture or another topic you want to study in the Bible? Jot it down here so you don’t forget.

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-Pray! Thank God for what He showed you about Himself today. Ask His help to slowly be becoming more like His Son in your thoughts and actions.

Saturday, January 31, 2026

-Read Psalm 19:1-6 

The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. 2 Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. 3 There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard. 4 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, 5 which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber, and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy. 6 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.

Study Notes:

-As we saw in other recent studies, creation itself reveals not only that there is a divine Creator, but that He deserves all glory. Our passage today speaks specifically of the skies, both near the surface of the earth and into the atmosphere.

-Did you know that the Bible speaks of a few different heavens? A good deal of this is simply because, as English speakers, we tend to think of only one definition or application of a word, when this is often not true. While the word “wicked” means evil, in New England, it often means good, impressive, or just plain “big.” The word heavens in Scripture might be referring to the skies over our heads. The space above our skies, where the sun, moon, and stars are, is sometimes called the second heaven. The third heaven is the abode of God. Where exactly that is, is unknown. One day, the heavens (and earth) will be remade—and—God’s dwelling place will be among men!

-Did you know that the signs of the Zodiac have biblical significance? They begin with Virgo, the virgin, and end with Leo, the Lion (the Messiah was to be born of a virgin and would be of the tribe of Judah, symbolized by a lion). So cool! (BTW, the study of stars, astronomy, is great, but astrology is not.)

-The presence of the sun, moon, and stars are a non-verbal demonstration of the might and glory of its Creator. People all around the globe see His splendor every day.

-Have you ever considered how we take for granted the sun coming up in the morning and going down at night? That the sun is the perfect distance from the earth, never burning us up, nor freezing us to death? How God set the sun and moon in the sky to show us the passage of time? There are an infinite number of incredible things all around us (and in us!) that we can easily assume will do what they’re supposed to do. However, we know that God is controlling every single minuscule part of every single cell. We ought to be thanking and praising Him a whole lot more, don’t you think?

What can we KNOW about God based on today’s Scripture?

-God’s physical creation brings Him glory simply in its existence. It “tells” of His wonders. This is true over the surface of the entire planet.

-God created the heavens, the sky, day, night, the sun—everything.

-God has jobs for all of His creation, including the heavens.

In a nutshell?

God’s glory is clearly evident in the skies. We only need to look, appreciate, and thank Him.

Application Time!

-List the things that you now know about God based on today’s Scripture:

-Choose at least one item named above to describe more fully, then list how this is a blessing to you, and how it can help you live in even a more pleasing way to the Lord.

-Are there things in how you are currently thinking and/or acting that need to be changed or tweaked based on today’s Scripture?

-Did this study pique your interest in other Scripture or another topic you want to study in the Bible? Jot it down here so you don’t forget.

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-Pray! Thank God for what He showed you about Himself today. Ask His help to slowly be becoming more like His Son in your thoughts and actions.