First Baptist Church of North Conway, NH

“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

February 1, 2026

Dear Student of the Word,

Welcome to the second month of study on knowing God.  It is my prayer that this year’s study will not only increase our knowledge about God, but vastly increase our love for Him and our desire to live wholeheartedly for Him minute by minute.

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.

Sunday, February 1, 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, February 2, 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 Job 11:7-11

“Can you find out the deep things of God? Can you find out the limit of the Almighty? 8 It is higher than heaven—what can you do? Deeper than Sheol—what can you know? 9 Its measure is longer than the earth and broader than the sea. 10 If he passes through and imprisons and summons the court, who can turn him back? 11 For he knows worthless men; when he sees iniquity, will he not consider it?”

Study Notes:

-Chapter 11 of Job is the record of what one of Job’s friends said to him when they came to comfort him after the severe losses he experienced.  Sadly, Job’s friends not only did not provide comfort, they caused quite a bit of pain because they kept insisting that Job must have sinned to incur God’s wrath, when Job (and we!) knew that he had not sinned, so the losses couldn’t have been God’s punishment.  We need to be careful to never assume that we know what someone did, why, or with what motivations.  Only God sees the heart, and only He has the right to judge.  Our job is, first, to pray daily for each other, most especially, to stay right with God.  Then, when we see something that seems wrong to us, pray for wisdom.  Consider whether this is something that can be left with God.  If not, then go to the person you are concerned about and no other.  The only exception might be to go to your pastor for godly counsel as to how best to address your concern.  Going to other people is gossiping.  When we do feel God would have us check with someone about something that didn’t seem right to us, approach the person with humility, gentleness, and love.  Ask for clarity without demanding explanation, or assuming guilt.  Consider how YOU would like to be addressed if someone felt you had done something wrong.

-Even though wrong in his assumptions and conclusions, Job’s friends DID say many things that are true in their respective speeches.  In this case, Job’s friend rightly points out that humans cannot find (know) the deep things of God or expect to know or understand His limits.

-Job’s friend rightly pointed out that God knows who is sinning and it is His place to decide what to do about it.  Matthew 18 provides a step-by-step guide for believers and churches to know how to confront sin.  We are to first go to that person and talk about the issue.  If they listen and  either give a God-honoring explanation or make things right, all is well.  If they are belligerent or unwilling to listen or make reparation, it’s time to take two or three witnesses with you (to eliminate any “he said/she said” accusations).  Finally, if the person refuses to turn from their sin, it’s time to call in the church family.  The prayer, focus, and attention is ALWAYS for the guilty party to turn away from their sin and return to a right relationship with God and God’s people.  A God-honoring Christian will use their speech and actions to encourage this however, and wherever they can.  God wants all His children to remain victorious and fruitful, and we should, too.

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

-There are “deep things” with God!

-There is nothing that limits God.

-No one is able to stop God from doing anything.

-God knows who is worthless and sees their sin.

In a nutshell? 

No human should (or can) try to compete with God in any area.  His abilities, wisdom, and understanding are infinite.  Don’t try to figure out challenges in your own strength.  Go to God first, last, and every time in between. 

Application Time!

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

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-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, February 3, 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 Job 36:26-33

Behold, God is great, and we know him not; the number of his years is unsearchable. 27 For he draws up the drops of water; they distill his mist in rain, 28 which the skies pour down and drop on mankind abundantly. 29 Can anyone understand the spreading of the clouds, the thunderings of his pavilion? 30 Behold, he scatters his lightning about him and covers the roots of the sea. 31 For by these he judges peoples; he gives food in abundance. 32 He covers his hands with the lightning and commands it to strike the mark. 33 Its crashing declares his presence; the cattle also declare that he rises.

Study Notes:

-Yet another friend is lecturing Job (in the guise of supporting him in his sorrow), yet refusing to listen to what Job has declared about his innocence regarding a specific sin against God.  God later chastises these three friends for condemning Job unjustly—and for not listening to what he was telling them.  You know, it’s easy to walk into a conversation with our minds made up about “how things happened,” but the truth is, we do not know—and assumptions are annoying at best, and disastrous at worst.  Isn’t it fair to first simply listen to the other person’s side?  Wouldn’t it be loving to simply give them the benefit of the doubt?  I was watching a humorous show the other day, and one character said to the other, “John is so judgmental. I hate it when people do that!”  The humor, of course, is that HE was judging the person he denounced for being judgmental!  How we NEED to regularly seek the Lord’s help to think, speak, and act in a way that honors Him and edifies others!

-Once again, however, what this not-that-good-of-a-friend said about God was true.  God IS great—and we humans can most definitely not fully know Him.  BUT, the fact that we are investing a year of our time studying God’s Word in order to know more about Him, means that we can—and should—learn as much as we can.  Doing so will help us draw even closer to Him, trust Him more, and please Him more.  Learning all we can about God is a tremendous privilege He gives to His children.  We need to cherish it and never give up pursuing it.

-Elihu also accurately stated that no one can get a grip on eternity.  That is, how long God has existed (always!).

-Finally, Elihu uses the example of weather to demonstrate God’s power, control of nature, provision of needs, and sovereignty.  We, too, should pause to notice and appreciate the weather God directs our way.

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

-God is great in every sense of the word.  Specifically, He is superior, and no one can even begin to compare to Him or challenge Him.

-God is eternal.  He has always been, and He will always be. 

-God is the one Who brings rain and storms.  This provides for the physical needs of creation, shows His majesty, and sometimes demonstrates His hatred of sin.

In a nutshell? 

Our God is great!  Although no one can fully understand Him, we should sure learn all we can so that we can thank Him, praise Him, and bring Him much glory.  It would be impossible to over-thank, over-praise, or over-glorify Him!

Application Time!

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

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-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.

Wednesday, February 4, 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 Job 37:23-24

“The Almighty—we cannot find him; he is great in power; justice and abundant righteousness he will not violate. 24 Therefore men fear him; he does not regard any who are wise in their own conceit.”

Study Notes:

-Job 37 is a continuation of Elihu’s lengthy challenge to Job to accept that he must have sinned because of all the tragedies that had happened to him—in spite of the fact that Job was certain that he had not sinned.  While it’s pretty easy for all humans to deny wrongdoing, either out of genuine ignorance or outright lying, Job was not lying.  God Himself pointed Job out as living righteously; that is, right according to God’s standards.

-Although the ESV says that we cannot “find” God, the idea is more that of understanding Him, specifically His power, justice, and righteousness.

-The word “power” can also be translated might, force, ability,  The word “justice” has to do with a formal decree.  “Righteousness” means, simply, rightness – always and only what God says it is.

-The only right response to God Almighty is to reverence Him, bowing before Him, obeying Him fully, and doing all we do to please and honor Him.  Humility is a huge part of this (rightly so, when we consider Who God is—and who we are not!).  In fact, God hates those who are conceited and have an inflated view of themselves.  While we should do our best in every area of our lives, which naturally leads to satisfaction, remembering that the success and abilities we have and develop are all from God’s hand. We need to remember to thank and praise God for them.  He is the One who gives us EVERYTHING, including skills, abilities, and well-working brains.

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

-God is the Almighty.

-God cannot be found/known (fully).

-God is great in power.

-God is great in justice.

-God is great in abundant righteousness.

-God will never violate what is righteous.

-God is worthy of great fear (both in the full sense of the word when sin is involved, and in the area of a VERY healthy respect from His children).

-God hates conceit.

In a nutshell? 

God is worthy of all praise, honor, and glory.  Anything that we might do that is “good” or “right” is a direct gift from 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.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

-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, February 5, 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 2 Corinthians 10:3-6

“For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, 6 being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.”

Study Notes:

-This may well be one of the most important passages in the Bible for Christians.  Why?  Because it points out that the real battle we face every day is the battle that goes on in our minds.  What we think is critical!  Paul is warning us to fight with everything we have to never, ever challenge what we know about God, as He has told us in His Word.  This includes modifying what He said to make it easier to accept, choosing what to obey and disobey (as if that were an option!), adding to what He said, even if simply trying to be helpful, or not sharing the entire truth, even if it seems harsh, unbelievable, or weird in some way. 

-The mature, victorious Christian is one who spends his life learning about God’s character and will, SO THAT they can cling to it and live according to it.  This focus will, by definition, mean that they don’t listen to or allow themselves to be swayed by people’s opinions and ideas that challenge God’s Word or conflict with it.  It is GOD’S WORD that they follow and trust.  End of story.

-Pride is a factor here as well.  Thinking that we know better than God Almighty about ANYTHING is foolish, sinful, and extremely dangerous.

-That which is “against the knowledge of God” is all what we’ve been saying:  anything that is NOT what God said.  In our current world culture, sharing of opinions and conclusions is rampant.  That’s fine when you’re talking about pie v. cake, it is never okay when it challenges God in any way or area.

-Taking every thought captive to obey Christ is a decision and a commitment.  It might begin as a life-long dedication kind of thing, but practically, it should be part of our daily prayers (and often, more than once on any given day).  We are a forgetful people—and falling back into old ungodly patterns of thinking and actions is the easy route.  Remembering that what we think needs to remain aligned with what God thinks, involves intentionality, constant vigilance, and praying without ceasing.

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

-God has told us everything that we need to know in order to remain victorious and faithful to Him.

-God expects us to have control of our thoughts.

-This means that it is possible for a child of God to control his or her mind in obedience to Christ.

-God expects us to obey Jesus Christ by keeping our thoughts aligned with His.

In a nutshell? 

What we think is critically important.  If God commands us to keep EVERY thought captive to obey Christ, then He will help us do it.

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.

Beginning today, we’ll be using I John as a bridge between the Scriptural commands to know God to Scripture that tells us about God.  This is because I John has a bounty of both kinds of “knowing” God.  It is my prayer that you’ll not only find the time in I John interesting and beneficial, but you’ll come to love the Lord even better when viewed through John’s heart of love and appreciation for our God and Savior.

Friday, February 6, 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 1 John 1:1-4 ​

“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— 2 the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— 3 that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4 And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.”

Study Notes:

-Our word “know” is found in verse 2.  It is the word “manifest.”  To manifest something is to explain it, make it known, reveal it, prove it, or otherwise make it clear.  What was John making clear?  Why Jesus Christ came to earth, what He accomplished, and why.  John, as one of the original twelve disciples of Jesus Christ, was able to give a first-hand account of all he had seen, heard, and personally experienced.  You and I have not yet been privileged to see Jesus face to face, or to speak with Him directly, but that doesn’t mean that we don’t have all sorts of personal testimony to share with others!  We can talk about the day the Holy Spirit opened our eyes to our need of a Savior, we can share the amazing things God has taught us from His Word, we can go on and on about the incredible blessings He gives moment by moment; of His faithfulness; of the blessings of a church where we can hear God’s Word being taught accurately, not to mention the joy of fellowshipping with like-minded believers.  Oh, there’s a LOT we can testify about, for sure!  Are we?

-Many people picture God as being harsh and cruel, maybe more so when some tragedy affects their lives.  However, John tells us with absolute certainty that a right relationship with God (starting with trusting in Jesus as our Savior), can—and should—lead to us have joy that is complete (full).  God WANTS us to have victory!  God WANTS to bless us!  God WANTS us to have incredible joy every day.  We are the only ones holding ourselves back from this by choosing a way that is different from the one God says is right, by disobeying Him, and by disregarding what we know He wants.  If we’re feeling moody and out-of-sorts, it’s time to prayerfully evaluate if we have wandered away from the Lord in any area (then get back on track!).

-I read the following that seemed important to include:  “John identified two dangers to readers that are still prevalent in the church today. One is the assumption that Christian fellowship is possible without common belief in Christ. The other is the assumption that someone can have a relationship with God without a relationship with Jesus Christ.” (Marshall)

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

-God is eternal.  He has always been and will always be.  This is true of all members of the trinity: Father, Son, and Spirit.

-Jesus Christ is the Word of Life.

-Jesus Christ, the Second Person of the Godhead, came to earth in a human body in order to live among us, teach us about the Father, show to us our need to become right with Him, and provide a way for our sins to be forgiven so that we could live with Him throughout all of eternity.

-God blessed thousands of people by allowing them to see His Son in the flesh when He was on earth.

-Those who have trusted in Jesus Christ as their Savior can have fellowship with Him and with the Father.

-God wants His children to have joy that is complete.

In a nutshell? 

Jesus Christ came to earth in order to make known God the Father and His incredible plan of salvation.  I’m not sure that, even in eternity with our glorified bodies and minds, if we’ll EVER be able to fully grasp the incredibleness of this gift!

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.

BONUS:  Here are today’s verses in the NLT: “We proclaim to you the one who existed from the beginning, whom we have heard and seen. We saw him with our own eyes and touched him with our own hands. He is the Word of life. 2 This one who is life itself was revealed to us, and we have seen him. And now we testify and proclaim to you that he is the one who is eternal life. He was with the Father, and then he was revealed to us. 3 We proclaim to you what we ourselves have actually seen and heard so that you may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. 4 We are writing these things so that you may fully share our joy.”

Saturday, January 7, 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 1 John 1:5-10

“This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.”

Study Notes:

-John is sharing some of what Jesus Christ, the Son of God, taught him and the other disciples while He was on earth.  That sure ought to cause us to sit up and take notice!  Hearing what Jesus Christ Himself taught as important ought to be supremely important to us.  That all being true, we also need to remind ourselves that the ENTIRE BIBLE is God’s Word, written for instruction and edification.  We need to value all of it, since it contains exactly what God wanted us to know—no more, no less.

-One of the chief characteristics Jesus wanted us to know about God the Father is that He IS light.  Stated another way, there is absolutely no darkness in Him at all.  This is, of course, analogous to righteousness v. sin.  God has never sinned, nor could He ever sin.  He has zero tolerance for sin, in fact, and that’s why once sin entered the world in Genesis 3, mankind immediately became condemned to spending eternity in the Lake of Fire once they died.  PRAISE GOD, that’s not the end of the story (but we should never forget that God did not HAVE TO create a plan to save us!).  God loved us enough to make a way for our sin to be paid for so that we could be in His presence, once again righteous and free from sin.  It wasn’t possible for a human to do this, so God assigned the task to His Son, Who always willingly and joyfully does the Father’s will.  Because Jesus is God and also became Man, He was the only One Who could have made salvation possible. We should be waking every single morning with gratitude on our lips and in our hearts because Jesus is our Savior!

-When those who have trusted in Jesus Christ as the Savior from their sins get their glorified bodies and no longer have a sin nature, we will be light as Jesus is light (we will never become deity, of course!), and our fellowship with the Father and each other will be perfect.  In the here and now, however, we lose that fellowship (and light) every time we sin (this is NOT losing salvation, which is impossible).  Any sin, every sin, causes a break in our fellowship with God because He is light and in Him is no darkness at all.  Choosing to sin is NEVER a small thing!

-God knows our hearts.  He knows when we are free from sin (by keeping sin confessed when we realize we’ve done it) – and when we are simply SAYING that we are free from sin.  Saying things that are not true is lying.

-Part of the idea of vv.8-10, is pointing out that we might deny sin that we know in our hearts is there, and should be dealt with.  God doesn’t hold us accountable for sins we didn’t realize we committed.  That being true, it wouldn’t be wrong to regularly include in our daily prayers a request for God to show us areas where we haven’t pleased Him—so that we can make it right with Him.  Furthermore, as we grow more and more spiritually mature, our Bible study and church attendance will reveal to us more and more ways to obey and honor God, giving us a clearer picture of what might be a sin.

-I John 1:9 may well be on the top-ten list of most quoted Bible verses, and for good reason!  Our gracious, loving, righteous, holy Father forgives sin EVERY TIME WE CONFESS IT.  Not only that (which is HUGE), this verse seems to teach that He also forgives any sins that we have committed that we didn’t really realize. So, when we pray and ask God to forgive a sin (or sins), He ALSO forgives any other sins that we didn’t know about.  In those golden few minutes, we are sin-free!

-Verse 10 is a sober reminder that lying affects more than ourselves.  Even God.

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

-God is light. There is no darkness in Him.

-God can only fellowship with His children when they are not willfully sinning.

-God fellowships with His children!

-The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses from all sin.

-God is faithful and just.

-God always forgives sin when we ask Him to.  In addition, He cleanses us from all unrighteousness.

In a nutshell? 

Sweet fellowship with God and other faithful believers is available to all Christians.  All we need to do is choose to not sin and confess it to God when we do.

BONUS:  Here are today’s verses in the NLT: “This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all. 6 So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth. 7 But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. 9 But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts.”

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, February 8, 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, February 9, 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 1 John 2:1-6 ​

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. 3 And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. 4 Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, 5 but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: 6 whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

Study Notes:

-The Apostle John is an older man when writing these three epistles, and he often referred to his readers as “little children.”  I think it’s super sweet!

-One of John’s biggest goals in writing this letter is that Christians realize that they are never forced to sin.  It may sometimes feel like it, but the fact is that Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection defeated sin.  It now has no power over those who have placed their trust in Him as Savior.  The indwelling Holy Spirit we are all given upon salvation gives us the ability to say no to sin and yes to righteous, holy living.

-Once Jesus Christ returned to Heaven (Acts 1), He began taking care of several different things.  He fills the role of our Advocate with the Father.  It is because of Jesus’ work on the cross that we have access to the Father as His children (and why we should end our prayers “in Jesus’ name”), but an advocate does even more than “just” provide access.  An advocate is someone who pleads for or on behalf of another.  Another word often used is intercessor.  In other words, the Son of God Himself speaks on YOUR behalf to the Father so that He fully understands you and the situation you are praying for.  Pretty awesome, wouldn’t you say?  (AND, this ought to make us pay extra attention to not pray mindlessly or with words that we don’t actually mean.  Would you want Jesus Christ to say to the Father, “Oh, don’t listen to her right now.  She’s not even paying attention to what she’s saying.”???).

-That Jesus is our propitiation is to say that He is the full satisfactory payment.  Do you remember how a few decades ago department stores had a “layaway plan”? You could make regular periodic payments towards a purchase, but you couldn’t actually take the item home until you had made the final, full payment. Jesus Christ is the full payment for sin. There is nothing left to pay; nothing more to finish the transaction. He willingly paid the price of His life on your behalf.  Also note in verse 2 that Jesus died on behalf of the entire world, although not all will choose to trust in Him as Savior.  His death was effective for all.

-As we’ve been learning, to know God involves finding out what pleases and displeases Him.  This is then naturally followed by choosing to do what pleases Him and avoiding at all costs what displeases Him.  This is what John is speaking about in vv. 3-6.  In essence, John is saying that the proof is in the pudding as far as what we say vs. what we do.  If we’re working to live in such a way as to be “like” the Lord, trying to please Him in all we are and do, then we “know” Him and are abiding (remaining) in Him.

-To be perfected (v. 5) is to mature spiritually.

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

-Jesus Christ, the Son of God, acts as an Advocate for all Christians before the Father.

-Jesus Christ is “the Righteous”.

-Jesus Christ is the propitiation for our sins.

-The love of God is matured in all Christians who live according to His Word.

-There is a specific way God calls His children to walk/live.

In a nutshell? 

Considering Jesus’ sacrificial work on the cross to bring us eternal life and cause us to be viewed as righteous by the Father, living in such a way that He is reflected accurately and well only makes sense.  As in all things God does and gives, the more we focus on loving Him and pleasing Him, the more He helps us to grow closer to Him and have even more opportunities to love Him and please Him.

BONUS:  Here are today’s verses in the NLT: “My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. 2 He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of all the world. 3 And we can be sure that we know him if we obey his commandments. 4 If someone claims, “I know God,” but doesn’t obey God’s commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth. 5 But those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him. 6 Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.”

Application Time!

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

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-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.

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

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-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, February 10, 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 1 John 2:7-11

“Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have heard. 8 At the same time, it is a new commandment that I am writing to you, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining. 9 Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. 10 Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling. 11 But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.”

Study Notes:

-Don’t you love John’s fatherly concern for his readers?  He calls them “beloved.”  Developing a love for others in the family of God is a really important part of growing closer to the Lord.  As we come to know the Lord more and more intimately, we will not only love Him more, but we will love what He loves—including people, and especially, fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.  This should be especially true for those He has brought into the same local church family.  How?  How do we come to love someone we have trouble even liking?  Pray for them.  Really devote yourself to their spiritual and physical needs.  There’s just something about praying for someone faithfully that draws us closer to them.  Give it a try!

-The old commandment John is speaking about is to love God supremely and love neighbor as self.  It was commanded of God’s people in the Old Testament—and again in the New Testament.  Not everything commanded to Israel is pertinent to you and me (such as keeping the Sabbath), BUT loving God supremely and loving others as self IS. The new commandment is to love one another “even as I (Jesus Christ) have loved you” (John 13:34). To fulfill the new commandment is to love selflessly, sacrificially and completely, using
Christ as our role model.

-Hating someone, especially a fellow believer, is a serious thing in God’s eyes.  He created ALL humans in His image.  He loves each one—and Jesus died for each and every one.  All that being true and really important, I’m sure not going to say that some people aren’t pretty despicable.  Perhaps the hardest thing to deal with in life is finding God’s grace to love someone who has personally attacked us, or worse, a loved one.  Can these things be left with God?  Can we trust Him to deal with wrongs in His timing and manner?  Can we, instead, focus on just how much He loves us—even when we’ve been incredibly unlovable?  On how much He has forgiven us—without ever throwing it back into our faces at a later time?  There is NO DOUBT that we need the Holy Spirit’s help with this one, but as in all God commands us to do, He will help us obey, and it CAN be done.

-It’s possible for believers to be “in darkness.”  This can’t be the loss of salvation, so it’s always wise to consider what it could be besides that.  In this case, Christians are light factually because of the work of Jesus Christ. However, it’s up to us to choose to act that way—and by default, reject thinking and acting as if we were still part of the world and slaves to sin.

-Did you catch John’s words of encouragement and hope in these verses to keep on keeping on?  To not give up or give in?  He said that darkness is passing and the true light is already shining.  He was placing his hope and trust in Jesus’ soon return, which will begin the forever-end of all that is dark, sinful, and evil.  If Jesus’ return was imminent in John’s day (and it was), how much closer we are to it today!  Hang in there, dear one!  The true light IS already shining!

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

-God has been telling us about Himself and how we can obey Him right from the beginning.

-God is causing the darkness to pass away and the true light to shine.

-God is light.

-There is no cause for stumbling when abiding in the Lord.

In a nutshell? 

Jesus provided us THE example in every area of life. This includes what living as lights looks like and in what way we can love brothers and sisters in Christ.

BONUS:  Here are today’s verses in the NLT: “Dear friends, I am not writing a new commandment for you; rather it is an old one you have had from the very beginning. This old commandment—to love one another—is the same message you heard before. 8 Yet it is also new. Jesus lived the truth of this commandment, and you also are living it. For the darkness is disappearing, and the true light is already shining.
9 If anyone claims, “I am living in the light,” but hates a Christian brother or sister, that person is still living in darkness. 10 Anyone who loves another brother or sister is living in the light and does not cause others to stumble. 11 But anyone who hates another brother or sister is still living and walking in darkness. Such a person does not know the way to go, having been blinded by the darkness.”

Application Time!

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

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-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.

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

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-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.

Wednesday, February 11, 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 1 John 2:12-14

“I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven for his name’s sake.
I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning.
I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one.

I write to you, children, because you know the Father.
I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning.
I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.”

Study Notes:

-These few verses are so interesting!  They address little children – those who are newly saved and spiritually immature; fathers – those who have been saved for a while and are spiritually mature; and young men, those who are growing in their faith and learning more about God’s faithfulness in the process.

-Did you notice that John’s order seems off?  Why put the young men AFTER the fathers?  It would seem, perhaps, that the fathers may be those who have become a bit too settled in their faith—and perhaps a bit complacent, willing to think that they are “good enough” in how they are living for the Lord.  The contrast, then, would be that the young men are growing, actively serving the Lord, and eager to do bigger and better things for Him.  No matter how old we are, we should never, ever let ourselves coast.  Not only is that attitude not pleasing to the Lord, we are shortchanging our own blessings in this life and the one to come.  God always honors and rewards faithful and obedient lives.  Maybe we can’t do all the physical tasks we did as a younger person, but there are still dozens of things we can do for our family, our church family, neighbors, co-workers, and strangers at the store.  We can always bring God into our conversations, we can invite people to church services and fellowships, we can sing praises to God (literally!), and we can invest ourselves in one of the most precious and powerful ministries God has given to us: we can pray for one another.

-Nestled in the middle of the two stanzas is the blessing that the fathers know Him Who was from the beginning.  To simply know Who God is, what He’s done in the past, what He does on a daily basis, and what He will do moving ahead and into glory, well, that’s a huge, HUGE blessing and privilege.  (Incidentally, is the reason why the father’s verse is identical in both stanzas is because they stopped looking for new, bigger, and better ways to know their Father and Savior???  May it never be!)

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

-God forgives sin because of Jesus’ sacrificial death, burial, and resurrection.

-All that believers have is in and because of the name of Jesus Christ.

-He Who was from the beginning is Jesus Christ.  See John 1:1.

-God blesses us with the HUGE privilege of being able to know Him better and better as the years pass by.

-God’s Word changes people, helps them to be strong spiritually, and helps them overcome satan.

In a nutshell? 

God knows that we all have to learn how to think and act like Him and His Son.  He simply wants us to never give up and never give in.  He has given us His Word to teach us, equip us, point out when we’ve gotten off base, and encourage us to greater godliness.  As we lean on Him to live obediently day by day, we WILL grow closer to Him and come to know Him more and more fully.  This, then, leads to more love and an even bigger desire to know Him and please Him.

BONUS:  Here are today’s verses in the NLT: “I am writing to you who are God’s children because your sins have been forgiven through Jesus. 13 I am writing to you who are mature in the faith because you know Christ, who existed from the beginning. I am writing to you who are young in the faith because you have won your battle with the evil one. 14 I have written to you who are God’s children because you know the Father. I have written to you who are mature in the faith because you know Christ, who existed from the beginning. I have written to you who are young in the faith because you are strong. God’s word lives in your hearts, and you have won your battle with the evil one.”

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.

Thursday, February 12, 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 1 John 2:18-29

“Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour. 19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us. 20 But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge. 21 I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth. 22 Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son. 23 No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also. 24 Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father. 25 And this is the promise that he made to us—eternal life.
26 I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you. 27 But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him.
28 And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming. 29 If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.”

Study Notes:

-First, we need to remind ourselves that the entire book of I John is written to believers. Keeping that in mind will help us remember that nothing said could be about the loss of salvation or any other scary, yet impossible, scenarios.

-The last hour that John is referencing is the time between Jesus’ ascension back to heaven and His return.  This will, first, be to meet all who have trusted in Him as Savior in the clouds, then second, when He returns all the way to earth to set up His 1,000-year reign in Jerusalem.

-The word antichrist simply means what is against or opposed to Christ.  John is not referring to THE Antichrist (there is no definite article here), but everyone who teaches or preaches what is opposed to the teachings of Jesus Christ (or says He isn’t Who He said He was).  Obviously, there are oodles and oodles of “antichrist” in our country and world today, too.  Sadly, far too many of these are Christians who simply are not teaching the whole counsel of God.  A huge part of John’s message is to look out for this and steer clear!

-Those who “went out from us” were probably believers.  If you’ve been part of a Bible-preaching church for a while, you can probably list folks who have left for various reasons that had nothing to do with moving to a new town or state.  John is saying that if they were wholly like-minded, they would have stayed, even if there were small, inconsequential things they didn’t agree with (like whether or not we hold bake sales or if we allow coffee in the auditorium).

-The indwelling Holy Spirit has been given to all believers upon salvation to help us know what is biblical truth and what isn’t.  It’s SO IMPORTANT that all Christians learn to distinguish what is Bible truth and what is opinion, conjecture, and possibilities.  It’s fun to speculate about what we don’t know for a fact, but we need to always ONLY base our lives and our convictions on what God actually said.

-John is giving huge encouragement to stick with God’s Word—the truth.  When we do, and when we base all that we think and do on it each day and every day, when Jesus returns, and we stand before Him, we will have no cause to feel any shame.  Did you get that?  We can have CONFIDENCE when thinking ahead to the Bema Seat Judgment simply by trusting God and obeying Him.  What a wonderful encouragement!

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

-When Jesus returned to Heaven, the “last hour” was ushered in.

-God the Holy Spirit indwells all who trust in Jesus as Savior immediately and forever.

-God the Holy Spirit helps us understand biblical truth—and steer clear of false teaching.

-God the Father and God the Son abide in those who acknowledge them and abide (remain) in Him (through obedience to His Word).

-God is righteous (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit).  He expects His children to live righteously, too.

-God the Son will return one day, and all who belong to Him will give an account.  It’s possible for us to do so with confidence and joy if we have been living according to His Word (righteously).

In a nutshell? 

As much as we’d love it if everyone claiming to be teaching God’s Word was actually teaching GOD’S Word, it isn’t true, and we need to rely on the Holy Spirit using the Bible to show us what is truth and what isn’t.  Part of how the Holy Spirit does this is through reading Scripture, but also through the faithful preaching and teaching of our pastors and other mature believers.  We might even be privileged to occasionally BE a teacher of God’s Word in some way.  The most important thing, by far, is to simply retell what God said in His Word, never changing it, adding to it, or taking away from it. 

BONUS:  Here are today’s verses in the NLT: “Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. 16 For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. 17 And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever. 18 Dear children, the last hour is here. You have heard that the Antichrist is coming, and already many such antichrists have appeared. From this we know that the last hour has come. 19 These people left our churches, but they never really belonged with us; otherwise they would have stayed with us. When they left, it proved that they did not belong with us. 20 But you are not like that, for the Holy One has given you his Spirit, and all of you know the truth. 21 So I am writing to you not because you don’t know the truth but because you know the difference between truth and lies. 22 And who is a liar? Anyone who says that Jesus is not the Christ. Anyone who denies the Father and the Son is an antichrist. 23 Anyone who denies the Son doesn’t have the Father, either. But anyone who acknowledges the Son has the Father also.
24 So you must remain faithful to what you have been taught from the beginning. If you do, you will remain in fellowship with the Son and with the Father. 25 And in this fellowship we enjoy the eternal life he promised us. 26 I am writing these things to warn you about those who want to lead you astray. 27 But you have received the Holy Spirit, and he lives within you, so you don’t need anyone to teach you what is true. For the Spirit teaches you everything you need to know, and what he teaches is true—it is not a lie. So just as he has taught you, remain in fellowship with Christ.
28 And now, dear children, remain in fellowship with Christ so that when he returns, you will be full of courage and not shrink back from him in shame.
29 Since we know that Christ is righteous, we also know that all who do what is right are God’s children.”

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, February 13, 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 1 John 3:1-3 ​

“See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. 3 And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.”

Study Notes:

-If we ever have doubts about whether or not God truly loves us, remember I John 3:1, and that God CHOSE us to be His children.  That is, He chose YOU, and He chose me.  Pausing to take that in from time to time should cause us to praise and thank Him, to be encouraged and uplifted, and make us want to labor even harder to please Him in all we say and do.  (By the way, this isn’t just a title; we are literally His children. Fact.)

-Before someone becomes alive spiritually (through the work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts, causing us to recognize we are sinners and Christ is our Savior), we didn’t truly know God.  Oh, we probably knew ABOUT Him, but we had no idea of His incredible and awesome acts and character.  Neither do unsaved friends and relatives today, which naturally means that they cannot fully understand our motives, goals, and choices.  The very best way we can show love and support them is to tell them that Jesus died for THEM, too, and to pray for their salvation. 

-And even though we are privileged to learn a TON about our Father and Lord, we can’t, and won’t, know Him fully until we receive our glorified bodies, and are in His presence. Part of THAT is that we will finally be able to resemble Him more in true righteousness and holiness, because we will no longer have a sin nature, and will finally be free from the effects of sin.  I have no idea what all that will look like and feel like, but I believe that God’s Word gives all sorts of hints that it will FAR surpass even the most incredible delights that we could possibly imagine.  We have so much to look forward to!

-In the meantime, though, in the here and now, for today, we have things we can do for the Lord (the Bible is loaded with them!), but the one John mentions here is that of keeping ourselves free from sin.  This will include not only choosing to obey God over selfish desires (and otherwise to NOT sin), but placing ourselves in a position to excel in righteousness.  Part of that will be to steer clear of all ungodly influences, be they places, people, media, stores, food and drink—anything and everything that would providing for the flesh nature or that we know will be an ungodly influence on us.  And it will involve choosing to be in God’s Word daily, maintaining a meaningful prayer life, surrounding ourselves with godly friends, being in God’s House as often as possible, choosing music that turns our thoughts to the Lord, and similar things.

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

-God’s love for us is great.  So great, in fact, that He chose to adopt us into His forever family.

-God is not “knowable” to the unsaved.  He is spiritually discerned.

-God’s plan is for His children to come to resemble Him more and more.  One day, we will see Him fully (as He is).

In a nutshell? 

God called us to become His children, and His plans for us are beyond imagination.  We can do our part to prepare for all that is to come by keeping our lives free from sin and choosing to obey and please Him in our daily decisions and actions.

BONUS:  Here are today’s verses in the NLT:  “See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children because they don’t know him. 2 Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is. 3 And all who have this eager expectation will keep themselves pure, just as he is pure.”

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.

Saturday, February 14, 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 1 John 3:4-10

“Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. 5 You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. 6 No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. 7 Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. 8 Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. 9 No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God. 10 By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.”

Study Notes:

-The word lawlessness here has the idea of flagrantly disregarding God’s law/Word.  This is rebellion against God.  Jesus came to earth to die for our sins and to do away with sin, satan, and all forms of evil.  Once saved, we have been freed from the power of sin and are able, with the help of the Holy Spirit, to choose to NOT sin.  We can, however, ignore the Holy Spirit, but this leads to sorrow, anxiety, and not dealt with, hardness of hearts.

-John is not speaking of the sins that can happen throughout our day, but sin that we have chosen to do—or are allowing to remain in our lives in defiance of what we know God wants.

-Christians who choose to sin are practicing lawlessness because they are going against God. John is pretty straightforward here, pointing out that our decisions either place us as allies with the Lord—or with satan.

-When choosing to sin, we’re not abiding in Christ, nor are we “knowing ” Him

-Christians who have chosen to “keep on sinning” are definitely not acting like the children of God that they are.  Seeing such a believer might cause someone to erroneously assume they are unsaved.  Although our English translations are a bit confusing, in the original Greek, neither this passage, nor any other passage, says that a Christian who never bears fruit or who consistently sins was not a believer in the first place.  Sadly, experience provides all too many examples of people who trusted in Christ, but then never allowed it to change their habits or lives.  But, trust in Christ as Savior is all that is needed to become a child of God.  Works are our privilege AS a Christian, not proof that we placed our trust in Christ.

-God expects His children to bear fruit and to engage in good works, and those good works do provide evidence of our faith to other people (see James 2:14-26).

-It kind of seems like it’s “common knowledge” in our churches that the phrase “love your brother” is referring to how we interact with the unsaved; that we should choose to love them no matter how despicable their actions, but the lion’s share of such phrases are actually addressed to Christians ABOUT Christians.  You may have noticed that it’s sometimes easier to be patient and polite with friends and strangers more than your own family.  The same thing can be true within a church family.  This is something, however, that the Holy Spirit can help us with, too.  (Hint:  it’s going to be far harder to get into tiffs with someone you are praying for every day!)

-This quote was helpful to me:  John laid out five reasons why his readers should not sin: (1) because they needed to be ready to meet the Lord (v. 3); (2) because sin is illegal (v. 4); (3) because it is unchristian (vv. 5-7); (4) because it is diabolical (v. 8); and (5) because it is unnatural in a child of God (v. 9). (Findlay, found in Constable’s Expository Dictionary).

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

-There is no sin in God.  God wants His children to be like Him in this regard.

-Jesus Christ came to earth to do away with sin forever.  He came to utterly defeat satan.

-God is wholly righteous.  Positionally, His children are also righteous (in Christ).  He wants them to think and act righteously.

In a nutshell? 

One of the reasons—the chief reason, actually— why God created people in the first place is to bring Him glory.  Once sin entered the world, they could no longer do this, so He created the plan of salvation.  Those who trust in Christ as their Savior become His children, and as His children, He wants us to be holy as He is holy. This will obviously include NOT making it our practice to sin, and to confess it as soon as we realize we have done it.  He has given us the Indwelling Holy Spirit to make all this possible.

BONUS:  Here are today’s verses in the NLT:  “Everyone who sins is breaking God’s law, for all sin is contrary to the law of God. 5 And you know that Jesus came to take away our sins, and there is no sin in him. 6 Anyone who continues to live in him will not sin. But anyone who keeps on sinning does not know him or understand who he is. 7 Dear children, don’t let anyone deceive you about this: When people do what is right, it shows that they are righteous, even as Christ is righteous. 8 But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil. 9 Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning, because they are children of God. 10 So now we can tell who are children of God and who are children of the devil. Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love other believers does not belong to God.”

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, February 15, 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.

(Just a reminder that the focus of our study this year is on knowing God in order to appreciate Him better, love Him even more, and serve Him with even more excellence.  Scripture provided is from the ESV, but any translation is fine to use.)

Monday, February 16, 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 1 John 3:11-24

“For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. 12 We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother’s righteous. 13 Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death. 15 Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. 16 By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. 17 But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? 18 Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth. 19 By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; 20 for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. 21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; 22 and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. 23 And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. 24 Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.”

Study Notes:

-This section isn’t so much about who is a Christian and who isn’t, it’s about whether Christians are ACTING and THINKING as a child of God should or not.  As noted before, there are only two choices on the table: living for and like Christ or living for and like satan.  Humans like to pretend there are degrees of not obeying God that are “okay,” but this is NOT how God views it.  An example is given of Cain, who, in killing his brother, thought and behaved in line with satan, and definitely not God.  Clearly, God views hatred as far, far more serious than merely being “not nice” as we were told as children.

-Part of thinking and acting like a child of God will include having compassion for other believers, and in fact, going out of our way to sacrificially help them however we can. This is biblical love, which is an action, and not merely an emotion or feeling.

-v.15 is not saying that a Christian could never murder someone else, rather, it’s saying that a Christian who is not maintaining a close relationship with God will not live as he/she should (they won’t be acting as ones who have eternal life, but as someone who isn’t saved).

-Other Scripture supports the general truth that when we are walking closely with the Lord, obeying Him in all that we know to do, then our prayers will reflect this in how they fit what we know God wants and is pleased with.  When our prayers are in keeping with God’s will, they will be answered the way we hope.  Put another way, God will probably not give a “yes” to a request to know the best way to sneak a candy bar out of the store without paying for it.  =)

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

-God is love and expects His children to show love to others.

-Jesus laid down His life for us.  We can do no less for brothers and sisters in Christ, looking to help however and whenever we can.  Our actions are tangible evidence of where our hearts are.

-When providing spiritual salvation, God made it so people could pass out of death into life.

-God knows everything, including what’s in our hearts.

-God answers the prayers of those who are praying in keeping with His will and character.

-God abides in those who abide in Him.  The Indwelling Holy Spirit shows this to us.

In a nutshell? 

God expects His children to think and act like Him.  He helps us to do this—and blesses us when we do.

BONUS:  Here is our passage in the NLT: “This is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another. 12 We must not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and killed his brother. And why did he kill him? Because Cain had been doing what was evil, and his brother had been doing what was righteous. 13 So don’t be surprised, dear brothers and sisters, if the world hates you.
14 If we love our Christian brothers and sisters, it proves that we have passed from death to life. But a person who has no love is still dead. 15 Anyone who hates another brother or sister is really a murderer at heart. And you know that murderers don’t have eternal life within them.
16 We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters. 17 If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person?
18 Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. 19 Our actions will show that we belong to the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before God. 20 Even if we feel guilty, God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything.
21 Dear friends, if we don’t feel guilty, we can come to God with bold confidence. 22 And we will receive from him whatever we ask because we obey him and do the things that please him.
23 And this is his commandment: We must believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as he commanded us. 24 Those who obey God’s commandments remain in fellowship with him, and he with them. And we know he lives in us because the Spirit he gave us lives in us.”

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.

Tuesday, February 17, 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 1 John 4:1-6 ​

“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. 4 Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 5 They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.”

Study Notes:

-Verses 2, 4, and 6 are speaking about the Holy Spirit (He Who is in you), but the word “spirit” can also be referring to teachings, a policy, a trend, or a school of thought.

-John repeatedly uses the idea of what is FROM or out from the center of.  Christians are able, due to the Indwelling Holy Spirit, to know what is truth—that is, what is from the center of Who God is.  The unsaved cannot know this; therefore, everything they teach as truth will be skewed, off, and/or entirely backwards from the truth.

-John is warning Christians that not everyone who says they are teaching God’s Word is teaching God’s Word (This is true of Christians just as much as the unsaved!).  We need to be aware of this and check every single thing we hear against God’s Word.  The Bible is THE ruler by which everything else is measured.  If something doesn’t jive with the Bible, it is at fault, and never, ever God’s Word.

-One crystal clear way we can know someone is speaking falsely is if they claim that Jesus Christ isn’t God.  Not stated specifically here, also true would be denial of anything that God says about Himself (or the sinful condition of man, for that matter).  If a person or a group of some sort doesn’t acknowledge that Jesus Christ is God, nothing they say after that point should be listened to at all (although, we sure should be telling them all about the Good News of the gospel—they need the Lord!).

-Don’t miss the HUGE word of encouragement that John gives in verse 4!  As children of God, and because of Jesus’ work on Calvary, we HAVE ALREADY overcome the world. He has overcome all sin and evil—and positionally, we have too.  This means we don’t need to be overwhelmed, discouraged, or feel as if evil has won.  Evil has not only not won, the battle is over, and has been over since Christ rose from the grave.  Their end is secure and is simply waiting for God’s timetable to be completed.  So?  Live in the victory God has given to you!

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

-Jesus Christ became flesh, but He never stopped also being God.

-God gives His children the ability to know what is actually truth (and thereby, what is false).

-God also gives His children the ability to overcome satan, his agents, and his influence, by resisting his temptations to doubt, deny, disregard, and disobey the Word of God.

In a nutshell? 

Upon salvation, God has given us all we need to live faithfully and victoriously for Him.  Oh, not in our power, but His, which is unlimited!  He has also given us the ability to recognize what is truth and what is a lie.  All we need to do is use His Word as the lens through which we can know what is good and what is evil.

BONUS:  Here are is our passage in the NLT:  “Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many false prophets in the world. 2 This is how we know if they have the Spirit of God: If a person claiming to be a prophet acknowledges that Jesus Christ came in a real body, that person has the Spirit of God. 3 But if someone claims to be a prophet and does not acknowledge the truth about Jesus, that person is not from God. Such a person has the spirit of the Antichrist, which you heard is coming into the world and indeed is already here.
4 But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world. 5 Those people belong to this world, so they speak from the world’s viewpoint, and the world listens to them. 6 But we belong to God, and those who know God listen to us. If they do not belong to God, they do not listen to us. That is how we know if someone has the Spirit of truth or the spirit of deception.

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.

Wednesday, February 18, 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 1 John 4:7-12

“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.”

Study Notes:

-Part of knowing God is recognizing that He IS love, the very definition of what true love is and does.  As we study His examples throughout Scripture as His children, we will be adjusting our thinking and actions to accurately reflect His.

-Plainly put, those who have not trusted in Christ as Savior cannot love biblically.  Oh, people do nice things, kind things, and even sacrificial things, but it isn’t God’s love because they have no part of Him and are actually part of satan’s kingdom, not Christ’s.

-One HUGE way God demonstrated how He is love and how it plays out was to send His most treasured Possession to His death—SO THAT YOU, yes YOU, could become an eternal part of His family. THAT’S how much He loves—and how much He loves YOU.

-With that in mind, is it “okay” to not show great love to brothers and sisters in Christ, whether or not they “deserve” it?  Of course not!

-Propitiation means “full payment.”  We had no way or ability to pay the price for our sins, so Jesus did it on our behalf.  He Who was sinless BECAME sin in order to pay the price we could not.  He substituted Himself for us, causing God to see US as righteous!  (This is what justification is about:  Jesus took our sin, making it as if we had never sinned, then He gave us His righteousness.)

-When we choose to love in the same way God loves us (the nice ones AND the grumpy ones), we are “knowing” Him – and His love (His character) is perfected, that is completed; matured, in us.  In other words, we can learn to love better and better!

-BTW, the word translated “ought” in verse 11 is actually a much stronger word and would be better translated as “must.”

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

-Love is from God.

-God demonstrated His love by sending His only Son into the world to pay the price for sin so that we could live with Him forever.

-God chose to love us even though we hated Him and rebelled against Him.

-Jesus Christ became the full payment for sin.  His death, burial, and resurrection did everything that was required to pay for sin.  Those who trust in Him as their Savior become members of God’s family and will live in His presence throughout all of eternity (sin free!!!).

-God the Holy Spirit indwells Christians to mature us and help us be more like Christ, including in the area of loving biblically.

In a nutshell? 

All that God does is an expression of His love.  All we do should be an expression of God’s love—if we truly want to be like Him, honor Him, and bring Him glory.

BONUS:  Here is our passage in the NLT:  “Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. 8 But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9 God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. 10 This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. 12 No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us.”

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.

Thursday, February 19, 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 1 John 4:13-21

“By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 17 By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. 19 We love because he first loved us. 20 If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. 21 And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.”

Study Notes:

-This section is mostly a review of some key things John has already said (and things he said in the Gospel of John).

-All we have or are able to do—or will have or will be able to do in eternity—is entirely due to the grace of God, given to us because of the work Jesus did on the cross.  This is a huge truth and something we should be thanking God for every single day.  It should also help us to remember that there is no room for pride in the heart of a child of God.  He deserves ALL glory.

-A really huge gift that came as part of the “package” of our eternal salvation is the Indwelling Holy Spirit.  He is the One Who helps us abide in Christ, to recognize and live by the truth of Scripture, to believe in all God says, and to love Him and others.  We cannot do any of it apart from Him.

-Part of the fear mentioned in verse 18 is the concern about the upcoming Bema Judgment mentioned in verse 17.  When we are living faithfully for God, we have no need to fear standing before Him when we enter eternity.  (And don’t forget, faithful living is not living perfectly.  It’s picking ourselves up when we fall and trying again—over and over.)

-I used to struggle with fear, and different folks over the years would remind me of I John 4:18, “There is no fear in love” (or “perfect love casts out fear”), but I’ll be honest to say that this didn’t always help.  That is, until I found out that it’s not MY strength or fortitude that will help me not be afraid, but God’s!  God, Who is all-power, will help me to not be overcome by fear—when I lean on Him and look to Him for wisdom, strength, and help.  What a comfort!

-No human loved God before God loved them.  It is always God Who initiates love and gives people the ability to love others.

-John finishes by reminding us that loving God = loving brothers and sisters in Christ, and showing biblical love to brothers and sisters in Christ = loving God.  I read that God’s love is clearly seen when observing a bunch of Christians who love each other.  I’ve seen (and enjoyed!) the truth of this—and I hope you have, too!  What a blessing!

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

-God the Father has given God the Spirit to all believers.

-God the Father has given God the Son to be the Savior of all mankind.

-God abides in all who trust in His Son as their Savior.

-God is love.  His love matures and grows us so that we can stand confidently before Him one day as those who lived faithfully for Him.

-God the Father cannot be seen by those who are physically still alive.

In a nutshell? 

Because God loves us so completely, He figured out EVERYTHING.  He made a way for our sins to be paid for (at huge personal sacrifice), He made a way for us to recognize our need for a Savior, to trust in Him, to understand Him more through His Word (and through the teaching of men He called to pastor us), He made a way to obey Him and please Him, He made a way for us to be with Him forever—and He made it possible to love Him and love other believers.

BONUS:  Here is today’s passage in the NLT: “And God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us. 14 Furthermore, we have seen with our own eyes and now testify that the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 All who confess that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God. 16 We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love.
God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. 17 And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world.
18 Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. 19 We love each other because he loved us first.
20 If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a Christian brother or sister, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see? 21 And he has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their Christian brothers and sisters.”

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, February 20, 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 1 John 5:1-5 ​

“Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. 2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. 4 For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?”

Study Notes:

-John has a few things we can use as a gauge to determine if we truly love God or are just mouthing the words.  One is to love Jesus Christ, another is to love other Christians, another is to obey God’s Word.  Interestingly, all these things are tied together, and you cannot really have one without the others.

-Children of God, those who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ as the One Who paid the price for their sins, need to obey all of God’s commands.  To obey IS to love Him.

-It’s important to remember that love isn’t an emotion (although our love for God sure ought to tug strongly on our heart cords!), it is something we do.  It is in action. A decision. John is reminding us that our love for God is evidenced by our willingness to do all He says to do in His Word.  Part of that will be showing love to others of God’s family.  HOW we show love to them is found throughout Scripture, but we get a pretty good general idea when we remember that God would have us consider others and their needs as more important than our own.

-If we are obeying God’s commands as found in His Word, we WILL be doing right towards God and towards others.

-God doesn’t want us to feel like His commands to us are just one big unpleasant burden (oppressive; heavy).  That was never His plan!  He wants us to see them as our joy and privilege.  Even to be thankful for them!  Why?  Because they are there to help us be becoming more like His Son in true righteousness and holiness.  It is only when we are completely on the same page as God that we will have joy that stays in place despite hardships, and peace that continues WHILE chaos reigns around us.  It will provide stability, right goals, and delightful anticipation for the beginning of God’s next Age for this world.

-As God’s children, we are ABLE to not sin and to not be overcome by the evil around us.  Not in our own strength, but His.  This is important to remind ourselves of: 1.)  That we do not have to sin.  We are definitely able to say “no” to temptation.  And, 2.) There is never room for pride in the heart of a Christian.  There should, however, be tremendous praise and glory given to God every day about every single thing.

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

-Jesus is the Christ.  The word Christ means “Anointed One.”  He is the Savior and the Messiah, the One Who paid the price for mankind’s sin.

-God wants His children to obey Him.  In His eyes, this is how love is defined.

-God’s commands are not burdensome.

-God helps His children overcome the world.

In a nutshell? 

Faith is the key here.  God gave us the ability to recognize Jesus Christ as our Savior, which immediately meant that (in Him) we have overcome the world.  However, faith doesn’t stop there.  God ALSO gives us faith to trust Him and obey Him throughout our lives as His children.  This is seen in obedience to His Word (which IS loving Him), and obedience to His Word will lead to demonstrating love to others, most especially those of the household of faith.  God makes all this possible.  Praise His name!

BTW, I John 5:1 is a super strong argument that once a person trusts in Christ as Savior, they ARE a Christian—even if their life does not show it.  Salvation is by faith alone in Christ alone.  Our works don’t prove or disprove our salvation.

BONUS:  Here is today’s passage in the NLT: “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has become a child of God. And everyone who loves the Father loves his children, too. 2 We know we love God’s children if we love God and obey his commandments. 3 Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome. 4 For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. 5 And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.”

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.

Saturday, February 21, 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 1 John 5:6-12

“This is he who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not by the water only but by the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. 7 For there are three that testify: 8 the Spirit and the water and the blood; and these three agree. 9 If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater, for this is the testimony of God that he has borne concerning his Son. 10 Whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne concerning his Son. 11 And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.”

Study Notes:

-To better understand this passage, read what John the Baptist said in John 1:29-34, “The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, ​‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’ I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.” And John bore witness: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him.  I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.”

-Basically put, John is helping his readers recognize that Jesus Christ IS the Son of God, and that trusting in Him as Savior is what gives eternal life.  He cites the rock-solid testimony of Jesus’ baptism (water), His blood (shed on the cross), and the witness of the Holy Spirit.  In verse 9, he adds the declaration of the Father.  Additional Scripture includes Matthew 3:13-17, Mark 1:9-11, John 8:17-19.

-There are many Bible verses to support v.10-12, John 3:16 being the most famous, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”  Here are a few more: 

John 3:36, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.”;

John 5:24, “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.”;

John 14:6, “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

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

-Jesus Christ is the Son of God.  His baptism, death, and the testimony of the Spirit and the Father prove it.

-The Holy Spirit testifies to what is truth.

-Jesus Christ brought both spiritual and eternal life to all who trust in Him as Savior.

In a nutshell? 

Jesus Christ is Who He said He was, the Son of God and the Savior of the world.  God the Father and God the Holy Spirit verified this truth, and all who believe Him have eternal life.  That simple, that profound.

BONUS:  Here is today’s passage in the NLT: “And Jesus Christ was revealed as God’s Son by his baptism in water and by shedding his blood on the cross—not by water only, but by water and blood. And the Spirit, who is truth, confirms it with his testimony. 7 So we have these three witnesses—8 the Spirit, the water, and the blood—and all three agree. 9 Since we believe human testimony, surely we can believe the greater testimony that comes from God. And God has testified about his Son. 10 All who believe in the Son of God know in their hearts that this testimony is true. Those who don’t believe this are actually calling God a liar because they don’t believe what God has testified about his Son. 11 And this is what God has testified: He has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God’s Son does not have 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.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

-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, February 22, 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, February 23, 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 1 John 5:13-21

“I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life. 14 And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him. 16 If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask, and God will give him life—to those who commit sins that do not lead to death. There is sin that leads to death; I do not say that one should pray for that. 17 All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that does not lead to death. 18 We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him. 19 We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. 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. 21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols.”

Study Notes:

-It is possible to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you have eternal life.  John stresses repeatedly here, and in the gospel of John, that it is as a result in believing in the name of Jesus Christ.  That is, that He is the sinless Son of God Who died on the cross in our place and then rose to life in three days, defeating sin and death, and providing a permanent place in the family of God.  Faith alone in Christ alone.  No actions, not even prayer, are needed to have spiritual salvation.

-Once we have become Christians (believers), God’s love for us never ceases or falters.  However, He does want us to be becoming more like His Son, so a large reason why He gave us the Bible, His written Word, was to show Christians how to think, so that what they say and do will fit His standard of right and wrong.  When we are in tune with what glorifies and pleases Him, our prayers will reflect this, and He will hear (answer) them.  We should be aware, though, that God’s timing and plan may not be ours, nor will we always understand His answers.  That being true, all He does is right and rightly timed.  We simply need to trust Him.

-Prayer is more about us bending the knee to God’s will, not us trying to tell God what to do—or bend HIS will to ours!

-Even though those who have trusted in Christ as Savior are no longer prisoners of sin (they never HAVE to give in to sin and temptation), we sometimes do sin.  We can (and must!) confess this to God, and He will forgive, but God doesn’t force us to live as we should, and some Christians can begin sinning pretty heavily.  Eventually, if their testimony and the testimony of the Lord’s name is severely damaged, God might choose to bring them home early.  This is some of what verses 16-17 are about.  Brothers and sisters in Christ should definitely keep an eye on each other so as to encourage trust and obedience.  We NEED to be praying for each other daily!  Praying for one another IS showing biblical love.

-Verse 18 isn’t the idea that a Christian cannot sin (we see it all the time in others—and ourselves! Furthermore, why then would so much of the Bible be focused on teaching us how to not sin if it weren’t possible?), more that they shouldn’t choose to or want to.  To do so is going exactly opposite of all we are in Christ.

-When Jesus saved us, He made it impossible for satan to ever drag us back into His kingdom of darkness (v.18), not that we can’t choose to be influenced by the world around us to ungodliness!.  See John 10:28-29.

-“Him Who is true” is God the Father AND God the Son (and the Holy Spirit, of course).  The word means true or Genuine One.

-At first glance, verse 21 might seem out of place, but when we consider all the warnings John has given concerning false teachers and ideas that will lead us away from Christ, we can appreciate His warning to keep far, far away from ANYTHING that takes our heart away from complete loyalty to Christ.

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

-Jesus Christ came to provide eternal life to all who believe in His name.

-God grants the prayers of His children who ask according to His will.

-God will not allow His children to continue to live a sinful life forever.  He may choose to take them home prematurely.

-Jesus Christ protects believers from satan.

-Jesus Christ helps us understand God the Father.

-God is the “Genuine One”.

In a nutshell? 

It is God’s will that everyone trusts in Jesus Christ as their Savior.  Once saved, He wants them to know beyond a doubt that they are eternally secure.  He also wants them to learn more about Him and to follow the example of Christ in thought and deed. 

BONUS:  Here is today’s passage in the NLT:  “I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life. 14 And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. 15 And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for. 16 If you see a Christian brother or sister sinning in a way that does not lead to death, you should pray, and God will give that person life. But there is a sin that leads to death, and I am not saying you should pray for those who commit it. 17 All wicked actions are sin, but not every sin leads to death. 18 We know that God’s children do not make a practice of sinning, for God’s Son holds them securely, and the evil one cannot touch them. 19 We know that we are children of God and that the world around us is under the control of the evil one. 20 And we know that the Son of God has come, and he has given us understanding so that we can know the true God. And now we live in fellowship with the true God because we live in fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ. He is the only true God, and he is eternal life. 21 Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God’s place in your hearts.”

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.

Tuesday, February 24, 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 2 John 1:1-13 ​

The elder to the elect lady and her children, whom I love in truth, and not only I, but also all who know the truth, 2 because of the truth that abides in us and will be with us forever:
3 Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ the Father’s Son, in truth and love. 4 I rejoiced greatly to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as we were commanded by the Father. 5 And now I ask you, dear lady—not as though I were writing you a new commandment, but the one we have had from the beginning—that we love one another. 6 And this is love, that we walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, so that you should walk in it. 7 For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. Such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist. 8 Watch yourselves, so that you may not lose what we have worked for, but may win a full reward. 9 Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. 10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, 11 for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works. 12 Though I have much to write to you, I would rather not use paper and ink. Instead I hope to come to you and talk face to face, so that our joy may be complete. 13 The children of your elect sister greet you.

Study Notes:

-John is most likely addressing a specific church and the believers within the church.  John is now an older pastor, potentially with the task of overseeing this church spiritually; therefore, he calls himself the elder.  (FYI, The words elder, pastor, bishop, and overseer all refer to the same office of what we call the pastor in our churches.  The different terms simply designate different functions of the pastor—one man, many facets to his calling.)

-In carrying on the theme of I John, John is very concerned that believers recognize that TRUTH only ever comes from God; therefore, ANY additions, changes, or deletions from what God says is heresy.  Heresy must always be watched out for and rejected (even today)!

-Once again (sadly), just because someone is teaching and preaching heresy, it does not mean that they were never believers in the first place.  In fact, it’s all too common for Christians to develop some hobby horse of an idea, then bend Scripture to fit what they WANT it to say.  This is incredibly dangerous and should never, ever be done, nor should it be listened to.  We need to reject thoroughly ALL that is not clearly what GOD said.

-John makes an interesting point about not allowing those who teach heresy into our church—or homes.  I think that a whole lot of people feel that it’s “Christian” or “fair” to hear out someone who we know is teaching falsely.  John would disagree—and since it is God Who led John to say this, God would disagree, too.  Stay far away from any and all temptations to consider or act on anything that is not clearly from God’s Word.  This might also cause us to consider what companies, causes, and people we are supporting in some way with our hard-earned dollars.  As children of God, we need to be positive that we are not knowingly supporting anything that is against any of Christ’s teachings.  This might include charitable giving, in fact.  I’m not suggesting you follow suit, but my husband and I have made it our policy to do all of our giving through our own local church and nowhere else.  This saves us a lot of what could be hard decisions when someone wants us to give to something we are uncertain about.

-John again warns that if we truly know and love God, we WILL walk obediently according to His Word.  A huge part of that will be showing biblical love to other believers.

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

-God is truth.  He helps His children understand truth v. heresy.

-God is the Giver of grace, mercy, and peace.

-God commands His children to walk in truth (live our lives) and to love one another.

-Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and He came “in the flesh” in order to die for mankind’s sin.

-The Father and the Son abide with believers who abide in Him.

In a nutshell? 

John is concerned that Christians will fall prey to the false teaching of the many which have left their churches who were teaching God’s truth, to teach something else.  His deep desire was for every believer to stick close to God’s Word, and in so doing, to love each other sacrificially.  He also wanted them (us!) to stay far, far away from any and all evil influences, even “well-meaning” believers who are sharing false beliefs and teaching.

BONUS:  Here is II John in the NLT.  2 John  “This letter is from John, the elder. I am writing to the chosen lady and to her children, whom I love in the truth—as does everyone else who knows the truth—2 because the truth lives in us and will be with us forever. 3 Grace, mercy, and peace, which come from God the Father and from Jesus Christ—the Son of the Father—will continue to be with us who live in truth and love. 4 How happy I was to meet some of your children and find them living according to the truth, just as the Father commanded.
5 I am writing to remind you, dear friends, that we should love one another. This is not a new commandment, but one we have had from the beginning. 6 Love means doing what God has commanded us, and he has commanded us to love one another, just as you heard from the beginning. 7 I say this because many deceivers have gone out into the world. They deny that Jesus Christ came in a real body. Such a person is a deceiver and an antichrist. 8 Watch out that you do not lose what we have worked so hard to achieve. Be diligent so that you receive your full reward. 9 Anyone who wanders away from this teaching has no relationship with God. But anyone who remains in the teaching of Christ has a relationship with both the Father and the Son.
10 If anyone comes to your meeting and does not teach the truth about Christ, don’t invite that person into your home or give any kind of encouragement. 11 Anyone who encourages such people becomes a partner in their evil work. 12 I have much more to say to you, but I don’t want to do it with paper and ink. For I hope to visit you soon and talk with you face to face. Then our joy will be complete.
13 Greetings from the children of your sister, chosen by God.

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.

Wednesday, February 25, 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 3 John ​

“The elder to the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth.
2 Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul. 3 For I rejoiced greatly when the brothers came and testified to your truth, as indeed you are walking in the truth. 4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.

5 Beloved, it is a faithful thing you do in all your efforts for these brothers, strangers as they are, 6 who testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their journey in a manner worthy of God. 7 For they have gone out for the sake of the name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles. 8 Therefore we ought to support people like these, that we may be fellow workers for the truth.
9 I have written something to the church, but Diotrephes, who likes to put himself first, does not acknowledge our authority. 10 So if I come, I will bring up what he is doing, talking wicked nonsense against us. And not content with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers, and also stops those who want to and puts them out of the church.
11 Beloved, do not imitate evil but imitate good. Whoever does good is from God; whoever does evil has not seen God. 12 Demetrius has received a good testimony from everyone, and from the truth itself. We also add our testimony, and you know that our testimony is true.

13 I had much to write to you, but I would rather not write with pen and ink. 14 I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face.
15 Peace be to you. The friends greet you. Greet the friends, each by name.”

Study Notes:

-Third John is a letter to Gaius, not someone we can identify for certain from other Scripture, but someone whom John clearly loves and appreciates for his faithfulness.  God would have ALL church members be that kind of believer in their pastor’s eyes!

-John is saying to Gaius that he hopes that he is as strong and healthy physically as he is (obviously) strong and healthy spiritually.  That kind of makes you think!  What if our physical bodies always reflected how we are doing spiritually? Would we be recognized as strong and healthy—or a bit puny and sickly???

-Walking in truth is to obey what we know God wants us to do as found in His Word.  That’s a simple, but accurate, portrayal of what faithfulness is.  This pleases God greatly!

-Gaius had been taking excellent care of men who were passing through and sharing God’s Word.  This is as God would have it—and the opposite of what Diotrephes was known for.  He wanted all attention and glory on himself, creating a bit of a kingdom-for-one in his church.  NOT GOOD. 

-God definitely wants today’s churches to take excellent care of their pastors and others in full-time service.  In fact, much like a good and godly marriage, both sides should be giving their all to show love and support to each other.  In the case of pastor and people, the congregation should be eager to love and support their pastor the best that they are able, while the pastor pours out of himself to teach, preach, and minister with all that he is and has.

-Say, have you ever considered that the offering plate on Sunday is primarily for church members?  Why?  It is the responsibility and privilege of a church family to give of their tithes and offerings to their own church so that the work there can continue and flourish, and so the pastor and family are able to minister as full-time as possible.  Guests are certainly welcome to put money in the plate if they want to, but it’s the members who are charged with serving the Lord in this way.  (BONUS:  Did you know that the tithe is what we owe God?  It is 10% of all that we make.  Love offerings, however, are above and beyond the tithe.  This type of gift is something the Lord may lay on your heart to add to your tithe.)

-Verse 11 is a great life verse!  “Do not imitate evil, but imitate good.”  Doing so makes us “from God,” or “like Him.”  To do evil is to NOT “know” God or to be like Him.

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

-Just as John received joy upon hearing that believers were walking in the truth, so does the Father.

-God wants His children to show love and hospitality to one another, helping wherever and however we can.

-God is good.  Those who do good are like Him.

In a nutshell? 

Once we become members of the family of God, we are obligated to look out for and help others in the family.  This isn’t to be done reluctantly or in order to show superiority in any way, but because we are seeking to imitate our Father, Who is good.  The Bible is stuffed full of ways we can show love, offer encouragement, and build each other up in the things of the Lord.

BONUS:  Here is today’s passage in the NLT:  “This letter is from John, the elder. I am writing to Gaius, my dear friend, whom I love in the truth. 2 Dear friend, I hope all is well with you and that you are as healthy in body as you are strong in spirit. 3 Some of the traveling teachers recently returned and made me very happy by telling me about your faithfulness and that you are living according to the truth. 4 I could have no greater joy than to hear that my children are following the truth. 5 Dear friend, you are being faithful to God when you care for the traveling teachers who pass through, even though they are strangers to you. 6 They have told the church here of your loving friendship. Please continue providing for such teachers in a manner that pleases God. 7 For they are traveling for the Lord, and they accept nothing from people who are not believers. 8 So we ourselves should support them so that we can be their partners as they teach the truth. 9 I wrote to the church about this, but Diotrephes, who loves to be the leader, refuses to have anything to do with us. 10 When I come, I will report some of the things he is doing and the evil accusations he is making against us. Not only does he refuse to welcome the traveling teachers, he also tells others not to help them. And when they do help, he puts them out of the church. 11 Dear friend, don’t let this bad example influence you. Follow only what is good. Remember that those who do good prove that they are God’s children, and those who do evil prove that they do not know God. 12 Everyone speaks highly of Demetrius, as does the truth itself. We ourselves can say the same for him, and you know we speak the truth. 13 I have much more to say to you, but I don’t want to write it with pen and ink. 14 For I hope to see you soon, and then we will talk face to face. 15 Peace be with you.
Your friends here send you their greetings. Please give my personal greetings to each of our friends there.”

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.

Thursday, February 26, 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 Isaiah 40:28-31

“Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. 29 He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. 30 Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; 31 but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”

Study Notes:

-It can be really easy to feel overwhelmed, oppressed, or defeated*.  One minute we might be on top of the world, then the next, doubting anyone loves us—including God.  We might feel alone in our battles and struggles.  However, as a child of God, nothing could be further from the truth, and Isaiah points out a few essential TRUTHS to help us lift our heads and our hearts in order to rejoice in the Lord and to not be weary in well doing.

-The Lord, OUR PERSONAL Father and Savior, is the everlasting God.  He is not bound to time and space as we are.

-Our Lord is the Creator—of everything.  He knows how everything is put together—because He did it.

-Our Lord doesn’t faint or even grow weary.  Psalm 121 reminds us that He never dozes off or falls asleep at night.  He’s providing perfect care of His creation (and you!) without ceasing.  Always has, always will.

-Our Lord’s understanding is unsearchable.  What He knows, understands, and handles is something only THE GOD could do—and He does so with perfection.

-Our Lord is the One Who gives the strength to carry on and not give up.  It has never been about what we are able or unable to do.  It’s true that we cannot do what we need or want to do, but HE CAN.

-Waiting on the Lord implies dependence on Him and a willingness to accept what He does and when.

-Our Lord understands our frailties and that we get tired and exhausted.  He has never expected us to do more than what He tells us we need to do.  We are the ones who tend to impose “too much” onto ourselves.

-When we focus on Him, simply doing what we know He wants as stated in His Word, looking to Him for wisdom, strength, and direction, we will not only be able to carry on, we will be able to SOAR!  We will be able to wake up each morning with joy, faithfully doing the next right thing, all because of Him; all because of our Everlasting Lord.

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

-God is everlasting.

-God is the Creator of the ends of the earth.

-God doesn’t faint or grow weary.

-God’s understanding is unsearchable.

-God gives power to the faint and increases the strength of the one who has no might.

-God gives “wings” to all His children who wait on Him.

In a nutshell? 

God IS everything, and God provides everything to His children who look to Him for their strength, wisdom, and direction.  He not only doesn’t fail us, He cannot.

*When we feel this way, there are a few things we should carefully and prayerfully consider:

-Have we let ourselves get too tired?  Fatigue makes everything so much harder!

-Are we providing our bodies with the healthy foods that they need to thrive?  Are we staying properly hydrated?  Are we stretching and moving around enough?  The health of our bodies WILL affect us emotionally.

-Have we allowed something into our lives that is causing a battle between living for the Lord and living as the world (and/or for self)?  This might not be some “huge” sin!  It might be some small area that you know God wants you to change, but which you have stubbornly held onto.  We WILL feel “wrong” when this is the case.  The solution is simple:  fix it with the Lord’s help.

-Are we allowing feelings to win over facts?  What we feel is subjective and can fluctuate easily from moment to moment.  The facts of Who our Lord is based on today’s passage are true and never change.  This is what we must base our thoughts, actions, and feelings on.

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, February 27, 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 Isaiah 55:8-9

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

Study Notes:

-Isaiah is quoting the Lord, Who is being very blunt and very clear.  Humans cannot and will not think or act like Him, most especially while we are living with a sin nature.  It’s literally impossible.  HOWEVER, the verse prior to these two verses offers encouragement and hope.  Here’s what Isaiah 55:7 says, “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.”

Although we cannot fully think and act like our omniscient, omnipotent, and eternal Father does, we CAN make sure that our hearts are right with Him.  This is done first and foremost, by trusting in Christ as our Savior if we haven’t done so (THE all-important first step all humans need to take!), then once saved, by keeping sin confessed, choosing to not sin in the first place, and stopping trying to scheme, plan, and act outside of God’s stated will.  God is never going to reveal more of His thoughts and will to us (through His written Word) if we are living in rebellion to what we already know He wants.  He really wants our freely-given love and loyalty. Once our loyalty is given to Him, He is gracious, and merciful, and kind, and generous, and compassionate.  He ALWAYS forgives us when we ask Him to, and He ALWAYS helps us get back on track. 

-The word “way” can mean character, actions, purposes, etc.

-Also kind of embedded in the truth that God’s thoughts and ways are higher than ours is the reminder that God is not limited by time, space, ability, or knowledge the way we are.  He operates outside of time as we know it.  He’s not limited by physical things the way we are.  He has always existed and knows everything yet to come for all of eternity.  Since we don’t know any of that, and since we cannot see His big picture, why would we EVER try to rely on our thoughts or ways over His?  It just doesn’t make sense. 

-Trust in your utterly trustworthy Father!

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

-God’s thoughts are high.  Higher than anyone or anything else.

-God’s ways are high.  Competition with God is impossible (and foolish).

-God is compassionate

-God forgives His children when they ask Him to.  He forgives “abundantly.”

In a nutshell? 

Trying to compare ourselves to God in any way is just foolish.  And though we may instantly agree with that statement, every time we choose to do something the way we want instead of what we know He wants, we are defying Him and “saying” that our thoughts and ways are higher than His.  That’s a pretty scary action to take!  How thankful we should always be that He so readily forgives us when we’ve been foolish or rebellious.  It’s a dark, sad, horrible place to be when we are not in fellowship with the Father—and we should be paying super close attention that we make that right with Him the second we realize that we have stepped away.

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.

Saturday, February 28, 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 Isaiah 55:11 

“So shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.”

Study Notes:

-God does all that He says He will do.  There is never a question as to whether He will slip up in this regard.  His will ALWAYS prevails.

-The words used in this verse are interesting.  For example, “So shall My WORD…” is the same word used in the treasured Psalm 119:105, “Thy word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”  The Hebrew word, dabar, means will or plan.  God’s plan is an extension of His will.

– “Empty” means useless, meaningless, void.  In context, we can understand that what God says is His plan, and what God plans has purpose—will achieve that purpose.  In fact, that’s what He says next, “(My word) shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.”

-Here’s one HUGE thing God promised YOU: “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” (Phil. 1:6)   In other words, despite our many falls and failures, and being so thick-headed about so many things, God WILL complete the good work that He started in us upon our salvation.  What an encouragement!  The word that went out of God’s mouth concerning your spiritual growth will not return empty.  One day, you and I will stand before the Father in righteousness, oh, not because of anything we did or didn’t do, but because of the work of our Savior, and because what God says will happen ALWAYS prevails.  What should be our response to that (besides a huge PRAISE THE LORD)?  Stop fighting what we know God wants for us and from us!  To do so is displeasing to Him—and just brings heartache and sorrow upon ourselves.  Our attitude needs to change from “I have to,” to “I GET TO!”  Doing our best for the Master is an incredible privilege, and when we wake up each morning eager to do our best for Him, joy, peace, and fulfillment are ours in abundance!

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

-What God says will always happen.

-None of God’s plans fail.  It is impossible.

-Nothing God says or does is useless or worthless.  Also, an impossible happening.

In a nutshell? 

Our God is utterly faithful and trustworthy.  He is deserving of all praise, honor, glory – and obedience.

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.

“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

March 1, 2026

Dear Student of the Word,

Welcome to the third month of study on knowing God.  It is my prayer that this year’s study will not only increase our knowledge about God, but vastly increase our love for Him and our desire to live wholeheartedly for Him minute by minute.

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.

Sunday, March 1, 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.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

-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.

BONUS: 

“All the Way My Savior Leads Me”  (words by F. Crosby; music by R. Lowry)

All the way my Savior leads me—what have I to ask beside?  Can I doubt His tender mercy, Who through life has been my Guide?  Heavenly peace, divinest comfort, here by faith in Him to dwell—for I know what e’er befall me, Jesus doeth all things well; for I know what e’er befall me, Jesus doeth all things well.

All the way my Savior lead me—cheers each winding path I tread, gives me grace for every trial, feeds me with the living bread.  Though my weary steps may falter, and my soul a-thirst may be, gushing from the Rock before me, Lo! A spring of joy I see; gushing from the Rock before me, Lo! A spring of joy I see.

All the way my Savior leads me—O the fullness of His love! Perfect rest to me is promised in my Father’s house above.  When my spirit, clothed immortal, wings its flight to realms of day, this my song thru endless ages:  Jesus led me all the way; this my song thru endless ages:  Jesus led me all the way.

Monday, March 2, 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 9:7-10

“But the LORD sits enthroned forever; he has established his throne for justice, 8 and he judges the world with righteousness; he judges the peoples with uprightness. 9 The LORD is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. 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:

If you, like me, sometimes find yourself feeling pretty overwhelmed with all the lies and deceit the world has to offer (for example, I am thinking of the reality of having no idea if what we’re reading online is true—or AI-made-up nonsense), wondering who you can trust, these verses are for you.  God.  He is utterly trustworthy.  In fact, He offers you a place to go when oppressed, troubled, or forsaken.  He is the stronghold your heart has been looking for!

Obviously, this is most critical for anyone who does not know that they belong to God (which only requires faith in Jesus Christ as the One Who died to pay the price for your sins, then rose to life again three days later), but fellow Christian, this is for YOU, too.  The Lord understands our weakness, our frailties, our propensity to get ourselves in a bind.  He understands that we get overwhelmed and feel incapable of knowing what to do.  He is always right there, ready to hear our prayers, ready to use His Word to help us think right so that we can then act right, which will help us keep in control of feelings and emotions as a delightful by-product.

Do you know God?  Not just about Him, but do you know Who He is in character and action?  When you do, you will know that He is worthy of all our trust, and that He is able to deal with all our burdens and cares.

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

-The LORD (Yahweh/Jehovah) is eternally King.

-God’s throne is one of perfect justice.  He judges the world with righteousness and uprightness.

-The Lord is a stronghold for His children, a place they can go to 24/7 in times of trouble (and joy!).

-God is worthy of all trust.

-God never forsakes those who seek Him, who trust in Him.

In a nutshell? 

What a wonderful reminder of the absolute trustworthiness and righteousness of our Father in heaven!  There is nothing that is NOT trustworthy or completely righteous.  That’s incredible, especially when we consider how untrustworthy the news and information we currently receive from what ought to be trustworthy sources.  To find out TRUTH, we need only to look to God’s Word.  Equally important, we need to use God’s Word as the measuring stick by which we judge what we hear from people, then cling to God’s Word and nothing else.

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.

Tuesday, March 3, 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 135:5-6

“For I know that the LORD is great, and that our Lord is above all gods. 6 Whatever the LORD pleases, he does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps.”

Study Notes:

-Psalm 135 was sung at one of the most important Jewish feasts. Bible scholars aren’t certain, however, which one it was.

-The psalmist KNOWS that the Lord is great.  This is, first, because God has said so in His Word.  It is also, though, because the psalmist—and everyone else on earth—has experienced it in His care and provision.

-To say that the Lord is above all gods is not acknowledging that other gods exist.  The psalmist is simply saying that whatever you worship and look to for help is absolutely nothing compared to the true God, the God of the Bible.

-Because God is God, whatever He wants to do, He will do.  We can be utterly thankful that our God is righteous, holy, merciful, and patient, because if He weren’t, He might be a whole lot more like the extremely dangerous and untrustworthy gods of Greek and Roman mythology!  What a scary thought!

-God’s perfect care of creation is a reminder to us of His awesomeness in all areas.  Again, a huge comfort to us!

-Do you know the Lord is great?  What do you base this on?  If not, how could you learn the truth of this, both in a knowledge sense and in a personal experience way?

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

-The Lord is great.

-The Lord is superior to all other “gods.”

-The Lord does whatever he pleases in heaven and on earth.  His will is always accomplished.

In a nutshell? 

Our God is utterly great, utterly trustworthy, and utterly able.  Praise His name!

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.

Wednesday, March 4, 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 Ecclesiastes 3:10-14

“I have seen the business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. 12 I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; 13 also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God’s gift to man. 14 I perceived that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it. God has done it, so that people fear before him.”

Study Notes:

-The word beautiful in verse 11 is actually the idea of being appropriate or proper. God has an appropriate time for every activity.

-God has put eternity into man’s heart.  That is, we all have some understanding that life doesn’t end with our physical death.  There’s something very important beyond that point.  Those who refuse to believe what God has said about this will either be afraid, confused, or make themselves believe some fanciful lie from satan.  The only way to have certainty about what’s next is to trust that all God said is true, is true.

– “Do good” in verse 12 should be translated “enjoy themselves.”

-The idea of being happy and productive, as found in verse 12-13, can be done with either a godly view and understanding—or a human view that is leaving God out of the picture.  What we do to please, honor, and obey God WILL bring joy, contentment, and purpose, but all we do for self, and/or apart from Him, is empty, useless, and destructive.

-BUT, it’s true that being a hard worker at the things God gave us to do IS a blessing from God.  As His children, we need to have a good attitude about labor, and not fall into the grumbling habits of the unsaved, acting as if going to work every day is some sort of horrible curse.  (We might consider, as well, if we are being a good testimony to moan and groan on Mondays.)

-ALL that God does is exactly right and rightly timed because He is GOD!

-Properly viewing God and all He does should naturally lead to a right view of Him.  A right view of God will include fearing Him.  That is, both appreciating His love, grace, mercy, etc., but neither forgetting that He is God Almighty, and what He says goes.  He is the One in charge, not us.

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

-God gives people work to do for His glory, for their benefit, and for the benefit of others.

-What God does is right and rightly timed.  It is appropriate and proper.

-God has placed into man’s heart the realization of eternity.

-The work God gives us to do is a gift.

-All God does endures forever and cannot be added to or taken away from.

-God wants people to fear Him; to acknowledge Who He is.

In a nutshell? 

When we are living for God as He commands us to, there will be joy and fulfillment in what we do. 

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.

Thursday, March 5, 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 Numbers 23:19 

“God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?”

Study Notes:

-The background of today’s verse is interesting and important.  The time period was before the nation of Israel entered Canaan. In the lead-up to the conquest of Canaan, they were attacked by a few different nations and tribes.  God gave them victory and the King of Moab, Barak, was afraid.  He decided to hire a famous soothsayer named Balaam to curse Israel so that they could not defeat him. However, it was most definitely NOT God’s will for Israel to be cursed, and that didn’t happen. In fact, despite being hired by Balak to curse Israel, Balaam blessed them.  You can read about it, as well as the famous talking donkey, in Numbers 22-24.

-Before pronouncing God’s blessing on Israel, Balaam spoke the truths of today’s verse:  unlike humans, God doesn’t lie.  He does what He says He will do, and what He decrees will be fulfilled.  This was not what Barak wanted to hear, but this truth sure was a blessing to the people of Israel—and these facts about God’s character are still true today.  Our Father in heaven is utterly faithful and trustworthy.  All He has promised to you and me WILL happen—and probably far more magnificently than we can even begin to imagine.  Don’t give in!  Don’t give up!

-These few chapters recording Barak trying to persuade Balaam to do something he knew God didn’t want him to do, and Balaam caving out of greed, speak a bit about God’s perfect will v. His permissive will.  God’s perfect will, will always be accomplished when and how He determines.  He, however, sometimes allows us to do things that aren’t what we should be doing in order to teach us important things, help us grow spiritually, and draw us to a closer walk with Him.  An example might be allowing us to make a foolish money decision, only to find that we have to pay a huge debt or otherwise find ourselves in a hole.  Those kinds of crises are almost always because we didn’t ask God to help us make wise decisions ahead of time, or perhaps, we were acting out of greed.  Prayerfully, we will have learned our lesson to never act ahead of God’s will, and to be content with what we have, trusting Him to provide our needs in His timing.

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

-God is NOT man.  We shouldn’t ever attribute to Him the actions and emotions that fallen man displays.

-God doesn’t lie.

-God doesn’t change His mind.

-What God says He will do, He will do.

-What God speaks will be fulfilled.

In a nutshell? 

We can thank our Father that He is entirely faithful and trustworthy, then ask His help to look to Him for wisdom, direction, and help to follow His example.

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, March 6, 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 Jeremiah 29:11-13 

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.”

Study Notes:

-Although these verses have been used by countless Church Age believers to help them keep on keeping on, this message was written to the exiles from the southern kingdom of Judah who had been taken in captivity by Babylon.  In the first ten verses of this chapter, Jeremiah tells the people in Babylon that God wanted them to settle in, build families, and even support Babylon in prayer.  This is because they would be living there for seventy years.  Once that period was over, God would indeed bring them back to the Promised Land (see the books of Ezra and Nehemiah).  After several centuries of being scattered, persecuted and killed, Israel became a nation once again in May of 1948. Sadly, they are a nation that has rejected Christ as Messiah (though there are individual Jews who have believed in Him as Savior).  But this will not always be the case—because God has never gone back on His promise that they would be His special people forever.  Jews spread all over the world will return to Israel during the Tribulation, and they will FINALLY worship God wholeheartedly during the Millennium, when Jesus Christ will sit on the throne in Jerusalem.

-While it’s true that this promise was for the Jews in exile, you and I are also living in exile.  Our true home is Heaven, but in our current physical bodies, we are placed here on earth.  Here are a few things to keep in mind:

-Even though we live on earth, our attitudes and actions need to be fitting for a citizen of heaven.

-Our time here on earth is limited.  Whether by death or the Rapture, we don’t know how long we have.  This should encourage us to give each and every day our very best for the Lord, and by extension, to help and bless others (we don’t know how long they will be here, either!).

-The Lord knew that most of the Jews would not serve Him wholeheartedly until a future time, but that sure doesn’t need to define us!  We can—and must—serve the Lord with everything we’ve got TODAY.  This is our reasonable service, but also our great privilege.

-God DOES have plans for each and every one of His children.  God has plans for YOU.

-God’s plans are always for our spiritual good and for His glory.  If we learn to believe this Bible truth and evaluate things that come into our lives in light of this truth, we will stop seeing God’s direction in our lives as “bad.” Some things may indeed be unpleasant or unwanted, but if God is in charge, then they are not bad.

-God hears our prayers!  God hears YOUR prayers.

-God always hears and responds to the sincere “calls” from His children.  He’s not going to necessarily drop the money we need to pay a bill into our laps, but when we call for help to think according to His Word so that we can act in a way that pleases and glorifies Him, He will hear—and He will help.

-Christians above all others have hope.  That is, we can know beyond a shadow of doubt that we belong to God, that He loves us unconditionally, that He will send His Son to meet us in the clouds and bring us to Heaven, and that we will live in His presence for all of eternity.  This hope—and all that is attached to it—is entirely of God’s grace.  He deserves all praise and all glory!

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

-God has plans for His children.  He has had them in place since before time began, and nothing can thwart them.

-God’s plan is for the good of His children, never for evil.

-God’s plans are reason for His children to have hope (confidence) in their secure future.

-God hears the prayers of His children; He makes Himself available to them constantly.

In a nutshell? 

God has never NOT had a plan—a tremendous plan full of hope and joy.  YOU have always been a part of that plan.  Keeping this incredible truth in mind will help us to never give up and never give in.

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.

Saturday, March 7, 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 Jeremiah 32:17-19

“Ah, Lord GOD! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you. 18 You show steadfast love to thousands, but you repay the guilt of fathers to their children after them, O great and mighty God, whose name is the LORD of hosts, 19 great in counsel and mighty in deed, whose eyes are open to all the ways of the children of man, rewarding each one according to his ways and according to the fruit of his deeds.”

Study Notes:

-Once again, there are important things happening pertinent to God’s chosen people, the Jews, but there is also a lot here that is true in a general sense, too.

-As Creator, nothing is too hard for God.  We would do well to remember this when OUR crisis seems “impossible.”

-Our Father is One Who shows steadfast love to thousands (I believe Jeremiah is specifically addressing those who live faithfully for the Lord).  This is the Hebrew word, hesed, that Pastor Brown and Rachel speak often about.  It’s a concept so huge that no one (or two!) English words seem to be able to contain it.  It is often translated as lovingkindness, mercy, kindness, and faithfulness. Our Father’s love and perfect care for us is… divine!

-God’s holiness means that He cannot allow sin to go unpunished.  He is holy, but He is also just.

-The idea of children and grandchildren paying the price for the sin of their fathers is probably not for today, however, we’ve all seen the relatives and loved ones of someone living an ungodly life suffering in some way.  We like to think our sins don’t affect others, but they do.  This may be physically, but this may be emotionally or mentally, too.  For example, as a daughter of a very hard-to-please father, I still struggle with feelings of not being good enough.

-The LORD of hosts is referring to angelic armies!

-God is great in counsel and mighty in deed—and He cares about YOU and your needs!

-God is not tricked or fooled by men’s “ways.”  He knows what we are doing and why.  Things done for Him and for the right reasons will be rewarded.  God rewards what we do for Him, not merely our intention to do it.

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

-God created the heavens and the earth by His great power and outstretched arm.

-Nothing is too hard for God.

-God shows steadfast love to thousands.

-God repays the guilt of the fathers to their children after them.

-God is great and mighty.

-God is the Lord of hosts.

-God is great in counsel and mighty in deeds.

-God knows the ways of man.

-God rewards each according to the fruit of his deeds.

In a nutshell? 

Our God, Who is mighty in every possible way, knows and loves us.  He rewards those who live obediently according to His Word, but there are consequences for willful disobedience.

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, March 8, 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.

BONUS:

“Lord, You’ve Been Faithful”  (words and music by R. Hamilton)

Great is the faithfulness You’ve shown to me—each day new blessings flow from Calvary.  Though others change, You are the same.  You are my God and evermore shall be.  Lord, You’ve been faithful through all these years—through every joy, through every tear.  You’ve kept Your promises; You’ve seen me through. Now keep us faithful, Lord, to You.  Now keep us faithful, Lord, to You.

Though friends may turn away, Your love is true.  Each time I stray, You draw me back to You.  You see my heart, You know my name.  You are my God and faithful will remain. Lord, You’ve been faithful through all these years—through every joy, through every tear.  You’ve kept Your promises; You’ve seen me through. Now keep us faithful, Lord, to You.  Now keep us faithful, Lord, to You.

(Just a reminder that the focus of our study this year is on knowing God in order to appreciate Him better, love Him even more, and serve Him with even more excellence.  Scripture provided is from the ESV, but any translation is fine to use.)

Monday, March 9, 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 Genesis 1:1, 31

“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. . . And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.”

Study Notes:

-These opening words to God’s Written Word are extremely well known, and probably just as equally unappreciated (at least at times).  To be fair, I doubt any human could ever even begin to grasp all that God did—with just a word.  And God, Who is perfect in every single way, observed what He had made, and He said it was good.  VERY good. When God declares something good, no argument could possibly be made to challenge that!

-Pausing from time to time in order to appreciate a teeny bit of what God did in order to try to know Him better (and give Him praise and glory!), consider these few facts:

-There are 60,000 miles of blood vessels in the human body.

-The heart will beat roughly 35 million times in a year.

-There are over 18,000 species of butterflies in the world.

-Bees can fly as high as 25,000 feet, though they mostly fly 10-50 feet off the ground.

-The Cuvier’s beaked whale can hold its breath underwater over 3 hours.

-Bamboo can grow 35 inches in a single day.

-An average-sized tree can produce over 170,000 pencils.

-Babies double their birth weight by 5 months and triple it by a year.

-Babies are born with a reflex that causes them to hold their breath if submerged in water.

-There is so much water in oceans that it is literally impossible to measure.

-Earth is placed at exactly the right distance from the sun to avoid burning to a crisp or freezing into an ice cube.  Also true, however, is that Earth completes one orbit around the Sun approximately every 365.25 days, but its exact position changes with each rotation and orbit. The Sun’s own movement through the Milky Way, and the galaxy’s movement through the universe, mean that even the solar system is not stationary.

-About 8.2 billion people shared our earth in 2025.

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

-God existed before “the beginning.”

-It was God Who created the heavens and the earth.

-God made everything, noting when He was done that it was very good.

-God created everything in six literal days.

In a nutshell? 

We simply cannot take our God for granted!  While we deeply appreciate that we can go into His throne room at any time for any reason, we would be foolish to forget just Who He is.  At least part of the reason for this study on knowing Him, is to come to a deeper love for Him, and to praise and worship Him even more fully.

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.

Tuesday, March 10, 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 Micah 6:8 

“He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”

Study Notes:

I feel like it’s not an uncommon theme in a movie to hear the main character, in a horrible plight, look up to the sky and scream to God, “What do you want from me!”  Sadly, many a child of God sort of stumbles through their days and years, more or less guessing what they believe is a “good” way to live.  All the while, God has given us an entire Book which tells us exactly what He wants for us and from us.  This is a bit of what’s behind Micah 6:8.  Maybe it’s a bit of a stall technique that we use to avoid doing what we know we’re supposed to be doing, much like a child saying that they didn’t realize that they were expected to brush their teeth every single day (hoping once a week was enough).  =)

So, what DOES God require?  What does He consider “good”?

– To do justice.  Other translations say to do right.  How do we know what is right?  After all, if we poll ten people on what is right (or just) in any particular situation, we’re likely to get ten different answers.  The problem is that we’re not going to the correct source.  Only God can define what is right and wrong, therefore, we need to use the Bible as THE guidebook for how we define right and wrong.  Once we find out what God wants, then we are obligated to do it (which He will help us to do).

-To love kindness. This word is also translated as “mercy.”  Mercy is withholding what others deserve (for example, punishment, or anger or revenge).  God has certainly withheld what we deserve.  He sent Jesus, Who knew no sin, to take our place so that we could become adopted as His children.  So how can we show mercy to others?   By returning a smile for a frown.  By giving more when what we have already given is taken for granted.  By giving love to the unlovable– because God loves us, irritating quirks and all. 

-To walk humbly with your God. This one has some important word choices!  To walk denotes our daily habits and actions, to be humble is a right view of ourselves, especially when considering Who God is.  Our walk is WITH God, not ahead of His will, nor behind it.  Walk with God every step of the journey.  Include Him in all your thoughts, plans, dreams, and goals.  Be motivated by the desire to please Him.  Enjoy His fellowship and control in your life. Be mindful that walking WITH God is not putting your spouse in God’s place, nor your children,  friends,  hobbies, community activities, or even church responsibilities.  There is certainly a place for all of these, but our task is to walk with the Lord above all else.

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

-God has a standard of right and wrong for His children.  We can find it in His Word.

-God is good, just, and kind.

-God is the God of all who have trusted in His Son as their Savior.

In a nutshell? 

God never leaves us high and dry.  II Peter 3:18 tells us that the Bible contains all that we need in order to live godly lives that please the Father.   He wants us to have victory and is with us every second of our journey through 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.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

-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, March 11, 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 116:5 

“Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; our God is merciful.”

Study Notes:

-Psalm 116 is by an unnamed psalmist who was thankful to God for saving his life.

-He notes that the Lord is gracious. You can see the word “grace” right there in the word.  To be gracious/to show grace is to be kind; to show favor; to be benevolent, or show compassion.  Can the people who know you describe you as gracious?  Why or why not?

-The psalmist notes that the Lord is righteous—or just. It might also be translated as lawful or right.  Do you act in a moral, upright way?  In order to be like our Lord, we need to be.  What needs to change in how you currently think or act to make you more righteous in your thoughts, words, and actions?

-Last, the psalmist notes that the Lord is merciful.  The definition for this one is in the word, too.  “Full of mercy.”  To show mercy is to withhold some punishment or judgment that someone has earned.  This word could also be translated as compassionate. Being sympathetic and lenient also describe this word. I don’t think most people in our world show a lot of compassion for others, especially those who are offensive in some way.  Being a child of God who shows mercy and compassion pleases our Father.

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

-God is gracious.

-God is righteous.

-God is merciful.

In a nutshell? 

As we enjoy the grace, justness, and mercy of God towards us, we should be showing this towards others ourselves.  We should also be thanking the Father for His grace, righteousness, and mercy!  Can you imagine life without it?

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.

Thursday, March 12, 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 Lamentations 3:21-24

“But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; 23 they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. 24 “The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.”

Study Notes:

-These verses, beloved by believers down through the millennia, were penned by God’s prophet in a very dark place.  Looking around him at what was going on was depressing and forbidding, but then he did the only right thing for all believers, he looked to God for his strength, his help, and his hope.  He recognized what all God’s children recognize when they look to the Lord:  His faithfulness is great, His mercies never come to an end, His covenant loyalty (hesed—lovingkindness) never ceases.  Praise His name!

-One commentator said that Jeremiah’s words of trust and confidence in God in that time and place, one of Israel’s most bleak periods, were akin to an emaciated prisoner in Hitler’s death camps standing up and shouting for all to hear, “God’s faithfulness is great!”

-These verses are the basis for the beloved hymn, “Great is Thy Faithfulness.”  Prayerfully contemplate the words.  This should lead to a heartfelt “Amen!” and praise to the Father.

Great is Thy Faithfulness (words by T. Chisholm)

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father!  There is no shadow of turning with Thee.  Thou changest not, Thy compassions they fail not; as Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be.  Great is Thy faithfulness!  Great is Thy faithfulness!  Morning by morning new mercies I see.  All I have needed Thy hand hath provided—great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

Summer and winter and spring-time and harvest, sun, moon, and stars in their courses above join with all nature in manifold witness to Thy great faithfulness, mercy, and love. Great is Thy faithfulness!  Great is Thy faithfulness!  Morning by morning new mercies I see.  All I have needed Thy hand hath provided—great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth, Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide; strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow, blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!  Great is Thy faithfulness!  Great is Thy faithfulness!  Morning by morning new mercies I see.  All I have needed Thy hand hath provided—great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

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

-God’s steadfast love never ceases.

-God’s mercies never come to an end.

-God’s faithfulness is great.

-God is the portion/inheritance of His children.

-God is worthy of all of our hope/confidence.

In a nutshell? 

And so, these verses are loved and often recited for good reason!  They are worth printing out and placing where we will see them often, and remember that whatever the situation appears like, whatever lies satan might be whispering into our ears, whatever mountains seem insurmountable, our utterly faithful God is great and His mercies are new every single morning.

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, March 13, 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 18:30 

“This God—his way is perfect; the word of the Lord proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.”

Study Notes:

-God’s way (actions/character) is perfect.  This word means complete, whole, entire, whole, sound, wholesome, unimpaired, innocent, having integrity, what is complete or entirely in accord with truth and fact.

-God’s word (what He says/promises) is true.  This word “proves” means to smelt, refine, test (and demonstrate that something is genuine), to be refined/ to be a refiner.

-God is a shield (protector) for all those who take refuge in Him.  Refuge means to put trust in (God), confide or hope in (God).

-Summarizing, God is worthy of our trust, despite what circumstances look like around us or what emotions we might be dealing with.  NOT looking at feelings or circumstances, but trusting in God is what gives peace, joy, and hope.

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

-Everything about God, Who He is and what He does, is perfect.

-Everything God promises will be accomplished.  It is 100% guaranteed.

-God provides protection and a refuge for those who trust in Him (this would hint strongly that if we are not looking to Him for that protection and refuge, we will struggle and have a hard time with the challenges of life).

In a nutshell? 

We have an awesome God!  Keep your focus on Him, trusting Him explicitly and always.

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.

Saturday, March 14, 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 2 Chronicles 16:9

“For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him.”

Study Notes:

-While these words are encouraging to those choosing to live faithfully for the Lord, they are actually part of a warning of God’s judgment given by the seer, Hanani, to Asa, king of Judah, because Asa had deliberately chosen a course of action that did NOT include trusting in the Lord.  God wanted Asa to know that this was wicked and foolish, that He knew what Asa had done, and that he would be punished because of it.  In fact, Asa knew nothing but warfare and trouble for the rest of his reign.

-Though we may sometimes wish we had God’s guaranteed promise of good health and prosperity for faithfulness to Him that the Old Testament Jews had, I sure don’t miss the often swift punishment when they were disobedient!  If that were the case, I shudder to think what sort of mess I would be in!  Thank God for His unconditional love, mercy that never ceases, and forgiveness that goes on and on!  I mean it!  Thank Him!

-Whether we’re talking history or today, God IS watching everything, IS in control of everything, and DOES give strong support to those whose hearts are blameless toward Him.  That is, those of us who are simply trying to trust and obey minute by minute in whatever circumstances He has allowed into our lives, whether “nice” or maybe not-so-pleasant.  He is good.  Always.

-Did you remember that God is on your side?  That He WANTS you to succeed?  He does!  He makes Himself available to you constantly to help you to choose to do right—and to love doing right.

-Feeling a bit less than “blameless” today?  The solution is as simple as opening up your heart to the Lord so that He can show you anything that is standing between you and Him.  Ask forgiveness, of course, for what you know needs forgiving, then seek His help to gain victory in the troublesome areas you struggle with, looking to Him for His strength to do better.  Repeat as often as necessary.  This is how to walk blamelessly.  It’s a soft heart and an eagerness to trust and obey.

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

-God is always aware of everything that happens in every single place.  This includes each of us individually.

-The Lord gives strong support to those who have chosen to live in obedience to Him.

-By extension, the Lord is not going to bless those who deliberately choose to live in a way that is disobedient to Him.

In a nutshell? 

Our God is not impersonal, judging from a distance, unaware of the humans living on earth right now.  He sees us, He loves us, He wants the best for us.  He knows each one of us individually—our sorrows and woes, our fears and trepidations, our joys and victories (see John 10:3, 14). Our best is always and only going to be faithfulness to Him and obedience to His Word.  He joyfully and fully helps us to want to trust Him and obey Him, providing joy and peace, and a closer and sweeter relationship to Him as we learn to love what He loves, living that out 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.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

-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, March 15, 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.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

-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.

Bonus:

“God Sees the Heart”  (words by J. Turner; music by R. Hamilton)

Our God measures man by a standard divine, for He sees underneath every outward design.  He looks past possessions and costly attire, He studies the heart—every thought and desire.  For the eyes of the Lord are searching to and fro.  We have no secrets that our God does not know.  Our Father knows our thoughts; He understands every part.   Man sees the outside, but God sees the heart.

Our God does not judge by how tall we may stand or how much we possess or the rank we command.  His gaze goes far deeper to things that endure; He honors the man who keeps his heart pure. For the eyes of the Lord are searching to and fro.  We have no secrets that our God does not know.  Our Father knows our thoughts; He understands every part.   Man sees the outside, but God sees the heart.

(Just a reminder that the focus of our study this year is on knowing God in order to appreciate Him better, love Him even more, and serve Him with even more excellence.  Scripture provided is from the ESV, but any translation is fine to use.)

Monday, March 16, 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 Romans 11:33

“Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!”

Study Notes:

-From Constable’s Expository Bible Study Notes: “God’s “wisdom” is His ability to arrange His plan so it results in good for both Jews and Gentiles and His own glory. His “knowledge” testifies to His ability to construct such a plan-His divine ingenuity. His decisions (“judgments”) spring from logic that extends beyond human ability to comprehend. His procedures (“ways”) are so complex that humans cannot discover them without the aid of divine revelation.”

-There are many times in Paul’s writings about Who God is, what He is doing, and His incredible grace, when he just pauses in order to break out in a praise-prayer to Him.  This is one such occasion.  Paul has been teaching about God’s plan, and is so overwhelmed that he extols the DEPTH of RICHES that is God’s wisdom, knowledge, judgments, and ways.  All of God’s children should follow Paul’s example of letting themselves be touched to their core in adoration and gratitude, then telling Him!

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

-God has perfect wisdom.

-God has complete knowledge.

-God’s decisions are perfect (and far too complex for us to understand).

-God’s ways are also perfect—and also impossible for us to comprehend without His help.

In a nutshell? 

There is quite a bit of comfort in knowing that we don’t need to have all the answers, nor do we need to fuss over the many what-ifs of life.  Our all-wise, all-loving Father’s got this! All He does is right and rightly timed.

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.

Tuesday, March 17, 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 68:19

“Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears us up; God is our salvation.” Selah

Study Notes:

-After considering how God has led in the past, the psalmist makes the only right decision, to trust the Lord for today’s challenges.  In doing so, he is reminded anew that God is faithful, that He deserves praise and gratitude, that He is the Giver of all good gifts.  Have you ever noticed that it often takes making one right decision for other right decisions to follow?  And that, having made the right decision, that the feelings of peace and joy seem a byproduct?  God always blesses our right choices!

-That God is our salvation may not be referring to eternal salvation as we tend to pigeon-hole the word.  The word actually means “rescue,” and there are countless ways God “saves” us in any given day.  There may be oodles of physical and financial rescues in any given week, but this may be more along the idea of His influence to choose right attitudes and actions.  This will come, of course, as we spend time in His Word, with Him in prayer, and among godly friends and influences.

-To bear up is to uphold, help, support, and such.  As much as we might like to think we can “handle” life on our own and in our own strength, we cannot.  We NEED the Lord.  Always.

-Here’s a similar thought in Psalms 55:22, “Cast your burden on the LORD, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.”

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

-God is worthy of all praise.

-God bears us up every day, all day.

-God is our salvation.

In a nutshell? 

At the start of the day—and at the end of the day, praise and gratitude to God is always the right thing.  In the beginning of the day, it will help us have our focus on the right priorities, and at the end of the day, it will remind us Who truly deserves 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.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

-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, March 18, 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 Hebrews 1:1-4 ​

“Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. 3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.”

Study Notes:

-The author of the book of Hebrews is unknown (which sure has been a topic of debate among biblical scholars for years!).  Whoever it is, it is clear that they knew their Bible, and that their love and respect for Jesus Christ was tremendous.  Would that this could be said of all of us!

-The author begins his book by pointing out that the “way things were” is different from the “way things are.”  This is in regard to information God gave to humankind about Himself and His plan.  This used to be here and there by way of prophets, but now He speaks through His Son, Jesus Christ.  Currently, this is done through the work of the Holy Spirit, Wo is at work to implant the character of Christ in us, through His Written Word.  But we would be wise to try to remember that the past is the past in our own lives, too.  Past failures are done and gone, so living in defeat and regret today isn’t going to help us live our best for Christ now.  What’s yet to come is unknown, so fussing and fretting about it is of no value, either.  Rather, God calls us to be faithful to Him TODAY, trusting Him with past, present, and future. 

-Jesus Christ is defined as “the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of His nature.”  While we could never be sinless in this lifetime, as we labor to be like Christ in our thoughts and deeds, we, too, will be “like” the Father.  A pretty incredible thing, wouldn’t you say!

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

-God gives information and help to His people.  He used to use prophets, but once Jesus came to earth as a Man, He became God’s spokesman and representative.

-Jesus Christ is the Heir of all things.

-Jesus Christ is the Creator of the world.

-Jesus Christ is the radiance of the glory of God.

-Jesus Christ’s nature is exactly that of the Father.

-Jesus Christ upholds the universe by the word of His power.

-Jesus Christ made purification for sins.

-Once Jesus returned to heaven after His death, burial, and resurrection (and fully paid for sin), He sat down at the right hand of the Father in heaven.

-Jesus is “much superior’ to angels in every way.  He is, in fact, superior to all created things.

In a nutshell? 

The book of Hebrews is all about the superiority of Jesus Christ in every area.  Our love for Him and honor to Him ought to be off the charts.  We should be fashioning our lives to follow His example, and living in such a way to demonstrate our gratitude for His sacrificial death, and the incredible eternity He has planned for us yet to come.

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.

Thursday, March 19, 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 Matthew 24:35 

“Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.”

Study Notes:

-What God the Father and God the Son say is 100% true and will happen as They said. However, the context of this passage in Matthew has to do with Jesus teaching His disciples some of what they can expect in the future.  The content of Matthew 24 and 25 is still future to us as well.  Jesus was speaking of His second coming at the end of the Tribulation Period, which becomes the beginning of the Millennium.  He assures His disciples that everything He told them concerning this will definitely happen.  Of course, ALL of God’s words are trustworthy and true.  ALL of the Bible DID happen as recorded—and WILL happen as recorded into the future.

-A big part of what Jesus wanted His disciples (and us) to remember is the call to faithfulness.  All God has ever asked of us is to trust Him and to live our lives based on that trust.  To trust God IS to obey His Word.  The challenge, of course, is that our sin nature doesn’t want to trust and obey.  It wants to indulge any and all desires that might pop into our heads.  However, God’s Word is very clear that nothing apart from Him will satisfy—and cannot satisfy.  When we believe this (which is the same as trusting that what He said is true), we will say no to self and yes to Him.  The road may not be easy (it almost certainly will not!), but it is the right road, and is the road that brings with it peace and joy, and the certain knowledge that we are pleasing God and bringing Him glory.

-Here are some other passages that address the permanence of God’s Word:

Isaiah 40:8 “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.”

Isaiah 55:11 “So shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.”

Psalms 119:89-90 “Forever, O LORD, your word is firmly fixed in the heavens. Your faithfulness endures to all generations; you have established the earth, and it stands fast.”

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

-God will one day cause the heaven and earth to be destroyed (other Scripture tells us it will then be remade).

-Nothing God says will not come to be.  His words are eternal.

In a nutshell? 

All God says will happen.  This is a bedrock truth that we can cling to in the darkest nights.  He is faithful.  Always.

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, March 20, 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 Daniel 2:20-22

“Daniel answered and said:  “Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, to whom belong wisdom and might. 21 He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding; 22 he reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with him.”

Study Notes:

-Daniel was one of the many young men taken into captivity by Babylon in order to teach them Babylonian ways and integrate them into leadership roles on the Babylonian empire.  He, however, never stopped being faithful to God and lived his entire life obeying what he knew God wanted.

-When faced with death (along with all the false magicians and wise men of the land) because the king wanted his dream analyzed, Daniel immediately went to his three friends, who were also living in obedience to God’s Word, enlisting them to pray.  They did, and God revealed the dream and its meaning to Daniel in a vision.  Today’s verses are part of Daniel’s prayer of gratitude and praise to God.

-When God chose to reveal the king’s dream to Daniel, his first response was to praise and thank GOD.  I wonder how often this is our first response—or if we remember to thank God for answered prayer at all?  Daniel could easily have just run to the king with the answer (remember, knowing this was also saving Daniel’s life!), but the first thing he did was stop to thank God.  What a great reminder for us!  Maybe we could train ourselves to stop whatever we’re doing every few hours—in order to think about those two hours so that we can thank God for His help, provision, mercy, and grace.

-I don’t know about you, but I’m constantly in need of direction, wisdom, strength, and HELP.  THE ONLY true source of any of that—is GOD.  Go to Him first.

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

-God’s name, His character, all that He is and does, is blessed/praise-worthy forever and ever.

-God is wisdom.  He is the only trustworthy Source of truth.  He shares wisdom and knowledge with those who look to Him (and intend to listen to Him).

-It is God Who determines times, seasons, leaders, and all that happens in our world.  Men are never the ones truly in charge.

-God loves to reveal deep and hidden things to those who look to Him for answers.

-God knows what is in the darkness.

-Light dwells with God.

In a nutshell? 

We have such an incredible and faithful God!  Like Daniel, we should be turning to Him in prayer for wisdom, then just as quickly, thanking Him and praising Him for Who He is and all He does.

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.

Saturday, March 21, 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 Daniel 4:34-35

“At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever,  for his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom endures from generation to generation; 35 all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, “What have you done?”

Study Notes:

-King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had been warned by God in a dream to treat the people well and to keep a guard on his pride.  He did not heed this warning, and in a declaration giving all glory to himself and none to God, he was stuck down with a disease known as boanthropy, the belief that you are an ox.  Yikes.  He lived as a cow for seven long years.

-Note that Nebuchadnezzar’s punishment ended when he humbled himself and looked (literally) to heaven; specifically to the Sovereign God located there.  In looking to God for help and hope, his “reason” returned to him.  In other words, for the first time in seven long years, he was able to think rationally.  Did you know that looking anywhere other than God for truth, wisdom, and guidance is to think and act irrationally?  Oh, we might not think we are animals living in a field, but neither are we going to be able to make wise or good decisions.  Maybe some folks might even begin identifying as the wrong sex(!!!).

-When rational thought returned to Nebuchadnezzar, his first thoughts and words were praise to God.  Did you remember that praising God and acknowledging His holiness is what Jesus taught about in relation to how we should pray to God?  Matthew 6:9-13 “Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”

-Although we cannot know until we get to heaven, some scholars believe that Nebuchadnezzar got saved at this point and spent the rest of his life serving the God of heaven alone, no longer worshiping the false idols of the land.

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

-God is God Most High.

-God is eternal.

-God’s dominion/kingdom is eternal.

-God is sovereign over all creation.  No one and nothing can make Him do anything.  Furthermore, no one has the right to question what He does.

In a nutshell? 

God is worthy of all praise and honor.  By you, by me, by all of creation—both now and throughout 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.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

-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, March 22, 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.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

-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.

BONUS:

“My God is a Righteous God” (words and music by F. Garlock)

Jesus knows my every word and deed; Jesus longs to meet my deepest need.  He lives now to intercede—He will surely stand by me.  My God is a righteous God; my God is a holy God.  My God is a faithful God; He will surely stand by me.

Jesus’ love has drawn my heart to Him; Jesus’ blood has washed away my sin.  His Word makes me pure within—He will surely stand by me. My God is a righteous God; my God is a holy God.  My God is a faithful God; He will surely stand by me.

Christ has saved me from sin’s penalty; Christ will keep me for eternity.  He guides through life’s stormy sea—He will surely stand by me.  My God is a righteous God; my God is a holy God.  My God is a faithful God; He will surely stand by me.

(Just a reminder that the focus of our study this year is on knowing God in order to appreciate Him better, love Him even more, and serve Him with even more excellence.  Scripture provided is from the ESV, but any translation is fine to use.)

Monday, March 23, 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 119:9-11

“How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. 10 With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments! 11 I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.”

Study Notes:

-Psalm 119:9 answers a question that is common for all believers who have decided to get serious about their relationship with the Lord.  How can I learn to not sin?  How can I stay faithful to God?  How can I learn to love the Bible?  The answer is this:  the Word of God.  The more we read it, the more we will love it.  The more we love it, the more we will read it.  As we read and come to love the information and instruction God so lovingly gave us, the more it will influence how we think.  The more our thoughts are influenced by Scripture, the more our actions will be in keeping with God’s character and come to please Him and glorify Him.  Staying “pure” and choosing to not sin are byproducts of all this.  Never stray far from God’s Word, dear fellow child of God!  It’s a precious gift from our loving Father.

-Don’t you love the declaration in verse 10?  With my WHOLE heart, I seek You!  What a wonderful attitude and daily goal!

-Verse 11 is a strong plug for Bible memorization, for sure!  Would you be shocked to hear that I am horrible at memorizing Scripture?  Oh, I know bits and pieces of tons of things, but I fail at knowing what the references are (good thing for Google—you can put in part of a verse and it’s pretty good at finding it!).  =)   BUT, I am 100% confident that as long as I keep reading, keep studying, keep meditating, and keep repeating precious phrases, the Holy Spirit will bring to mind what I need to remember when I need to remember it. What a gracious, merciful God we belong to!

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

-God gave us the Bible so we can keep pure in our daily lives.

-God helps those who seek Him with their whole heart (specifically, for help to obey Him).

-God gave us the Bible, so we will know what sin is so that we can stay far away from it.  Conversely, His Word also helps us know what is right so that we can choose to do it.

In a nutshell? 

I’m guessing you’ve heard the phrase, “You lose what you don’t use.”  This is mostly used in reference to physical things, but it’s true in many areas, including spiritual ones.  If we stop studying Scripture daily, if we stop trying to use it in order to think and act right, we will also be losing its help to keep pure, to guard our hearts, to not wander away from God’s commandments, and to not sin.  Spiritual “muscles” need our constant attention, too!

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.

Tuesday, March 24, 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 84:11-12

“For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly. O Lord of hosts, blessed is the one who trusts in you!”

Study Notes:

-Psalm 84 was written by the sons of Korah, who are expressing their desire to be as close to God as possible—and the tremendous blessing they enjoy when their hearts are united with His.  The psalm is only 12 verses long.  Check it out!

-God desires to grant tremendous blessings to His children.  The only thing standing in His way is us!  How?  When we stop trusting Him enough to obey Him fully.  That simple, that critical.

-I’m an admitted sun lover.  One of my all-time favorite things is to sit in the sun first thing in the morning and just SOAK IN the warmth and vitamin D.  Those first warm spring days after five months of darkness, ice, and snow are MAGICAL.  Once I’ve enjoyed that spring sun, the dark rainy days are that much harder.  Do you think that it’s a surprise that God is light?  That the psalmist calls him his “sun and shield”?  No one is going to feel the sun’s warming rays if they are in the darkest corner of their basement.  No child of God will enjoy God’s richest and most glorious blessings if they are choosing to live in a way that is in opposition to God’s Word and God’s character.

-Unlike our sun, which can easily turn too hot and too dangerous to be out in, God’s light is nothing but GOOD.  God’s blessings, in fact, get better and sweeter the longer we walk hand-in-hand with Him.  There is NO downside to full surrender to the will of God—and no end to the “good things” He bestows on those who walk uprightly and who trust in Him.

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

-The Lord God is a sun – a bright light of truth, goodness, grace, mercy, and love.

-The Lord God is a shield – a protector, refuge, place of safety for His children.

-The Lord bestows favor and honor on those who trust Him and walk uprightly.

-The Lord doesn’t withhold any good from those who trust Him and walk uprightly.

-God is the Lord of hosts.

-The Lord blesses all who trust in Him (and demonstrate it in their upright life).

In a nutshell? 

We are no judge of what is truly good.  God is, however, and it is our privilege to trust Him in every area and in every second of every day.  Part of trusting Him will include finding out what pleases Him in order to pursue it with all our hearts.  With this attitude and action, God’s blessings will ABOUND!  (This isn’t because I said so, but because HE said so!)

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.

Wednesday, March 25, 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 Romans 8:26-27

“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. 27 And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.”

Study Notes:

-Have you ever had a toddler whom you do not know come up to you and ask you a question?  You almost certainly have no idea whatsoever what they’re trying to say.  Now, imagine a scene with your own toddler whom you spend 24 hours a day with.  You know what they know, how they spend their time, what they think is important, so there’s an excellent chance that you will be able to understand their garble.  In fact, if your toddler asks someone on the street something, you are likely to step in and translate what was said.  Furthermore, you may find yourself intervening in order to help or protect your child.  For example, if the toddler was asking for a bit of the cupcake the other person was holding, but you know they are allergic to wheat, you would ask the other person to not share the snack.  This is a kind of oversimplified way to point out some of what the Holy Spirit does for believers in regard to what we pray for.  We simply do not always know God’s will a lot of the time.  Furthermore, we may struggle with what we want versus what God may will.  Frankly, we may be so distraught as to not really even be able to form more words than “Help!”  This is one of the countless examples of God’s magnificent grace.  God the Holy Spirit steps in and relates to the Father what’s in our hearts.  Because He is God, He works with our prayers so that they become what fits with God’s character and will.  That’s pretty awesome!  When we know God’s will, our prayers should always be a humble and willing acceptance of it, but when we don’t, we can simply tell God that we are kerflummoxed and confused, then trust Him to do right.  What a joyful and peaceful position to be in, that of complete trust in our utterly trustworthy Father!

-The weakness the Holy Spirit helps us with could be any weaknesses we might be dealing with.  The example is in not knowing the “right” and best way to pray for something, but there are countless ways we struggle, physically, emotionally, spiritually—and the Holy Spirit can help us think right and act right.  He will use Scripture and help and counsel from mature believers.  Never forget, though, the rich resource of the pastor that He gave to your church family!  God put him there to teach, preach, and to help each of us grow in our walk with the Lord, and to know what pleases God in the challenges that come up.  While we’re on the subject, be sure to pray for your pastor and fellow church members every single day!  We ALL need God’s help, and we all need to stick close to His side.

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

-The Holy Spirit helps believers with their struggles.

-The Holy Spirit intercedes for believers when they pray so that what they pray for is God’s will.

-God the Father and God the Holy Spirit work in the hearts and prayers of believers together (actually, the Son is part of this, too, but that’s a lesson for another day).

In a nutshell? 

There is not one single area of our lives that God doesn’t give constant and perfect help with, including our prayer life.  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.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

-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, March 26, 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 Romans 8:28-30

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.”

Study Notes:

-These are precious verses for a reason.  Every child of God can CLING to the absolute truth that God is always working in our lives to help us become more like His Son in thought and deed.  Part of this will be using what we might label bad or unpleasant things to direct us, teach us, and conform us into the image of His Son. 

-We need to be clear that God is NEVER the author of sin.  He will, however, use the sinful things that people do, as well as the consequence of sin and satan’s destructive influences in order to bring about His will, and to teach, mold, and shape His children to become closer and closer to the image of His Son, that of true righteousness and holiness.

-From Constables’ Expository Bible Study Notes:  This verse does not say that God causes all things, period. Nowhere in Scripture do we read that God causes sin or evil. He permits these things, but that is much different than causing them. Therefore when tragedy touches a believer, we should not conclude that this is one of the “all things” that God causes. Rather, this verse says that God brings good out of all things, even tragedies, for the Christian. The causes of tragedy are Satan, the sinful choices of people, and the consequences of living in a sinful world (cf. James 1:13-14): Satan, sin, and sinners. Even though God permits or allows bad things to happen, Scripture never lays the blame for these things on God, and neither should we.

-This passage (and others) clearly teach that God chose some to become His children before the foundation of the world.  This is predestination.  Those He predestined to believe, He justified (exchanged their sin for Christ’s righteousness as a result of His work on Calvary).  He will yet give us all glorified bodies like Christ upon our death or the Rapture.  This is such a sure thing, that Paul speaks of it as already happened (this is one of the many positional truths that are so precious to us).

-One of the absolute bedrock truths that all believers should have engraved on the very front of their mind is this:  God is good and all He does is good.  When that is our utmost confidence, then we will learn to look at the hard things of life very differently.  We will ask His help to know what He wants us to see, learn, or change.  We will choose to thank Him for it, then lean on His strength to honor Him in it, through it, and on the other side of it.  Life becomes a much more peaceful and joyful place when we remember that God works all things together for our good and His glory.

-To say that Jesus is the Firstborn is to acknowledge that He is the first to come back to life after death, never to die again.  Because He did this, we will, too. Verse 29 also says that Jesus Christ—because of God’s great and loving plan—is our “Big Brother” – what a thought!

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

-God works all things together for good for His children.

-God has a very specific purpose in what He does.  It will, first, be for His glory, but it will also be to help us become more like His Son.

-God chose very specific people to become His children.  He is the One Who caused us to believe in His Son as Savior.  Part of the gift of salvation is justification and glorification.

-Jesus was the first ever to die and come back to life, never to die again.

In a nutshell? 

There are huge and incredibly important concepts in these few verses!  In the end, it is God Who deserves all glory, praise, and thanks.  What He made possible for us is beyond miraculous, beyond understanding, beyond incredible!

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, March 27, 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 Romans 8:31-39

“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 33 Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written,  “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 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.”

Study Notes:

-BECAUSE God chose us and called us to become His child for all of eternity, NOTHING can be “against” us, for who or what can stand against God Almighty?  NOTHING.  NO ONE. 

-Why did God choose us and why does He guarantee His eternal care?  His love.  His love that CANNOT be challenged or removed by anyone or anything (see all the examples in verses 35-39!!!).  Nothing within, nothing without—not even ourselves.  We cannot take ourselves out of His love, even if we were so foolish as to want to (see John 10:28-29). 

-Although satan (or others) might try to challenge our righteousness as believers (v.33), there is absolutely no validity to what he might say or accuse. This is because of the finished work of Jesus Christ on Calvary.  He is the Righteous Judge and He did all that was necessary in order to pay for the guilt of our sin.  Once again, how can we think about this without falling on our knees in grateful praise?  We will NEVER be called into account for sin—because God didn’t spare His own Son in order to give us the free gift of salvation.

-We know from verse 26 that the Holy Spirit interceded on behalf of believers when they need help with “right” prayers; here we find that Jesus Christ ALSO intercedes for us.  Our prayers are IMPORTANT!  (See also I John 2:1)

-Verse 31 is a quote from Psalm 118:6.

-Verse 36 is a quote from Psalm 44:22.

-Don’t miss the encouragement and excitement of verse 37!  Because of Christ’s work, because of God’s plan, because of the love of God, you and I ARE more than conquerors through Him.  We HAVE the victory, we HAVE the ability to say no to sin, we CAN, most definitely, live a faithful and God-honoring life!

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

-God is for His children.  None can stand against Him.

-God did not spare His own Son.  He sent Him to suffer horribly by taking the guilt and penalty of our sin upon His sinless shoulders, then giving up His life so that we could live eternally with Him.

-God continues to graciously give us all the things He promises.

-God will not allow anyone to bring charges against His children.

-It is God Who justifies (makes His children free from sin—as if we were never guilty in the first place).

-Jesus Christ died for us, was raised from the dead, and now sits at the right hand of the Father, interceding on our behalf.

-The love of God cannot and will not be taken away from His children.  This is impossible now and always.

In a nutshell? 

The key to this passage is, “God is for us.”  The reason?  His love.  It’s all about God’s great love, mercy, and grace.  He deserves our constant gratitude, praise, and loyal love.

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.

Passion Week—the week preceding Jesus’s death— occurs this year from March 29-April 5. I was hoping to make this Easter season more meaningful for all of us by using the days to review some of what happened each day of that week.  We will still keep our focus on what we can learn about God from these passages, but I believe that reading these passages just before Resurrection Sunday will help us be even more thankful for what God did for us in sending His Son to die on our behalf so that we could live with Him forever.  May this be our most meaningful and joyous Easter ever!

Saturday, March 28, 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 Luke 19:28-40

“And when he had said these things, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. 29 When he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount that is called Olivet, he sent two of the disciples, 30 saying, “Go into the village in front of you, where on entering you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever yet sat. Untie it and bring it here. 31 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ you shall say this: ‘The Lord has need of it.’” 32 So those who were sent went away and found it just as he had told them. 33 And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, “Why are you untying the colt?” 34 And they said, “The Lord has need of it.” 35 And they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. 36 And as he rode along, they spread their cloaks on the road. 37 As he was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives—the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, 38 saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” 39 And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” 40 He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”

Study Notes:

-Tomorrow is Palm Sunday by this year’s calendar, the day in history where Jesus entered Jerusalem to praise and celebration, only to be betrayed, condemned, and murdered a few days later.  The crowd did not know this, the disciples did not know this, but Jesus did.  He knew full well what He was heading into, including just how quickly people who professed love for Him would turn away and abandon Him.  Yet, He still went.  Yet, He still went willingly.  Why?  His love for you!  His utter faithfulness to the promises He made the Father.  His understand that this was THE ONLY WAY that YOU could share eternity with Him.  He did it for us.

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

-God allows us to serve Him.  Not because He needs us, but because He is giving us the privilege to do something to show our love and gratitude to Him, and to earn rewards in glory.

-Jesus rode the colt, which had apparently never had a rider before.  Did the colt recognize its Creator?  Jesus has control over all His creation (including the stones!).

-Jesus carefully and perfectly followed the Father’s plan in where He entered Jerusalem, when, and how, fulfilling prophecy made about Him centuries earlier.

-God does mighty deeds and is worthy of constant praise.

-Jesus Christ is the designated King of kings.

-Jesus Christ came to earth in the name of the Lord.  Peace and glory come from Him.

-Jesus is the Teacher.  Those who listen to Him and obey Him are His disciples.

In a nutshell? 

It’s a bit humbling to consider that we can be replaced with a stone, but we don’t need to be as long as we continue to acknowledge that Jesus Christ is King, our Savior, and our Lord.  Let’s never stop singing His praises, privately, during testimony time at church, and to all who know us!

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, March 29, 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!

Have a most blessed Psalm Sunday!

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.

BONUS:

“Hosanna, Loud Hosanna”  (words by J. Threfall; music by G. Herzogl)

Hosanna, loud hosanna, the little children sang; through pillared court and temple, the lovely anthem rang.  To Jesus, Who had blessed them, close folded to His breast the children sand their praises, the simplest and the best.

From Olive’s Mount they followed among the joyful crowd; the victory palm branch waving with praises clear and loud.  The Lord of earth and heaven rode on in lowly state, nor scorned that little children should on His bidding wait.

Hosanna in the highest! That ancient song we sing, for Christ is our Redeemer, the Lord of heaven, our King.  Oh, may we ever praise Him with heart and life and voice, and in His blissful presence eternally rejoice!

March 29-April 5, this year is known as Passion Week, the week preceding Jesus’ death and resurrection.  I was hoping to make this Easter season more meaningful for all of us by using the days to review some of what happened each day of that week.  We will still keep our focus on what we can learn about God from these passages, but I believe that reading these passages just before Resurrection Sunday will help us be even more thankful for what God did for us in sending His Son to die on our behalf so that we could live with Him forever.  May this be our most meaningful and joyous Easter ever!

Monday, March 30, 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 Luke 19:41-47

“And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, 42 saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. 43 For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side 44 and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation.”
45 And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold, 46 saying to them, “It is written, ​‘My house shall be a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a den of robbers.”
47 And he was teaching daily in the temple. The chief priests and the scribes and the principal men of the people were seeking to destroy him.”

Study Notes:

-Sometimes our lives go on in an expected way, and we find ourselves assuming they will more or less always be the same.  But when something huge happens, especially something that is painful, all of a sudden, NOTHING seems the same.  Food stops being appealing, sleep eludes us, and the things that gave us pleasure before suddenly can’t keep our attention.  In fact, what often happens in the face of tragedies (ours or others’ which have impacted us deeply), is that we find that it is the “little things” that matter, often the little routines involving our loved ones and their well-being, the most. 

Jesus knew why He was in Jerusalem.  He knew that in just a few days, the Religious leaders would finally get their way and have Him arrested.  He knew that the ultimate end would be an incredibly horrific public death—that the very people He loved and came to offer eternal life to, would reject Him and rejoice upon His death.  All this had to have been heavy on His heart, and so He wept over the city of Jerusalem, mourning over the suffering the people were bringing upon themselves, wishing they would soften their hearts, repent of their sin, and turn to the Father in obedience and trust.  But, He had created people with free will—and His heart’s desire is that they would choose to love Him, and not be forced to do so (though, He certainly could have done that).

One thing He could change that day, though, was to rid the Temple courtyard of all those who were disobeying God and flaunting it in a place that had been set aside for His worship.  AND, He could use the few minutes He had left on earth to continue to teach whoever would listen Who He was, why He came, and how much the Father loves them. 

We often think of this last week of Jesus’ life as only heartache and sorrow, most especially when considering to what lengths the Jewish leadership was willing to go so that their authority and the perks of authority weren’t messed with, but look again at those last few words.  There WERE people who were hanging on His words!  I wonder if we’ll get to meet them in heaven?  I wonder how many people who were privileged to hear the Son of God in person that week in Jerusalem also trusted in Him as Savior?  What an awesome thing to consider!

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

-Jesus felt tremendous sorrow for His chosen people, knowing what they had chosen for themselves.

-Jesus knew that Jerusalem would fall in 70 AD, and the horrific things the people would have to deal with.

-Jesus would not allow dishonest men to set up shop in the Temple courtyard.

-Jesus spent much of His life on earth teaching about the Father and all that is important to Him.

-Jesus was loved by many, but hated by many.

In a nutshell? 

-Some people were hanging on to Jesus’ every word.  Does this describe you?  Do you discipline yourself when reading God’s Word (or when someone else is reading it to you) to LISTEN, to concentrate, to think hard about how its words might be speaking to you in some way?  To teach you?  Correct you?  Help you to know how to make a specific decision?

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.

March 29-April 5, this year is known as Passion Week, the week preceding Jesus’ death and resurrection.  I was hoping to make this Easter season more meaningful for all of us by using the days to review some of what happened each day of that week.  We will still keep our focus on what we can learn about God from these passages, but I believe that reading these passages just before Resurrection Sunday will help us be even more thankful for what God did for us in sending His Son to die on our behalf so that we could live with Him forever.  May this be our most meaningful and joyous Easter ever!

Tuesday, March 31, 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 Luke 22:7-23

“Then came the day of Unleavened Bread, on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. 8 So Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat it.” 9 They said to him, “Where will you have us prepare it?” 10 He said to them, “Behold, when you have entered the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him into the house that he enters 11 and tell the master of the house, ​‘The Teacher says to you, Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ 12 And he will show you a large upper room furnished; prepare it there.” 13 And they went and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover. 14 And when the hour came, he reclined at table, and the apostles with him. 15 And he said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 16 For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” 17 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said, “Take this, and divide it among yourselves. 18 For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” 19 And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 20 And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood. 21 But behold, the hand of him who betrays me is with me on the table. 22 For the Son of Man goes as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed!” 23 And they began to question one another, which of them it could be who was going to do this.”

Study Notes:

-This is one of the kinds of passages where I look at just how much is happening, as well as the deep and important meaning behind it, and I am just overwhelmed, and feel totally unable to dissect it, let alone describe it well enough.  I pray before all study times in God’s Word, but these sorts of passages feel like they need another prayer!  Usually something like, “Help!”  =)

-The first section was kind of a disclaimer, the second disclaimer is to remind you that I am most definitely not the scholar of the family.  Things like the significance of dates, the importance of what was said in relation to Old Testament prophecy and traditions, are not in my wheelhouse at all! (BUT, Pastor Brown proofs all these studies to fix any of my errors.  =) With that in mind, if you’re the kind of person who just loves to dig deeply into theology, and the whys and wherefores of everything, make an appointment with the Pastor and he’ll be delighted to share incredible facts and truths from this passage.  In the meantime, here are a few things that blessed and challenged me:

-There are several feasts the Jews were to observe yearly, the Feast of Unleavened Bread was a biggie because Passover occurred during it.  Observing Passover was required of Jews yearly since the night God rescued the people from Egypt, all the way back in Exodus.  This was around 1,475 years earlier!  Jesus was the fulfillment of the Passover, THE only perfect lamb that could pay for sins once and for all time.

-It’s probable that the man with the water that Peter and John were to follow was John Mark, later known as Mark, the author of the second gospel.  The room may have been similar to what we would call a pavilion, with a roof, but a lot of open areas around the perimeter of it.

-Upper rooms were most likely on the roof and may have had a separate staircase to access.  In that hot climate, space was often made on roofs (they were flat) for a place to sleep during the hottest part of the year.

-I love the phrase, “and they went and found it just as He had told them.”  Jesus knew all the details of where they could eat the Passover; what He says is accurate in every way.

-Another fun phrase is, “and when the hour came.”  There’s a lot in Scripture about God’s perfect timing and how everything He does is at exactly the right time in history. Specifically here, Passover, was to begin at sunset.  Jesus obeyed the Law perfectly.

-Tables in Bible times were very low to the ground.  Diners would lie on their side on cushions, leaning on their left arm and eating with their right.  Feet would be aimed away from the table. Leonardo DaVinci got it wrong.

-As an interesting aside, the word “fruit of the vine” refers to grape juice.  We do not believe that Jesus ever drank fermented grape juice (wine).  All English translations translate “fruit of the vine” as wine, when the word means juice.  In fact, when the Bible refers to fermented grape juice, it is used in negative ways and by way of warning against something bad.

-Did you notice that Jesus gave thanks for the cup and the bread?  He was thanking the Father for the privilege of sacrificing Himself for YOU!

-Passover bread was something like pita bread, but it would not have had any yeast.

-Jesus said, “The Son of Man goes as it has been determined.”  In other words, He does the Father’s will without question and completely willingly—even to the point of His own death.

-This is, of course, the institution of “The Lord’s Supper”/Communion.  Jesus commanded all Christians to observe this regularly until His return (I Cor. 11:23-26).  When was the last time you participated in communion?  If it’s been a while, you need to make that right with Him—and go.

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

-Jesus obeyed the Law God had set for Jews while on earth.  His death and resurrection, however, ushered in a new covenant, forever negating the Law.

-No one knows when Jesus realized Who He was (as a child) or when He knew the full extent of why the Father sent Him in human flesh, but He clearly knew it when sitting this one last time with His disciples.  He knew and was eager to fulfill God’s plan, knowing it was the only way for those who trust in Him as Savior to have their sins paid for and live with Him throughout eternity.

-Jesus was thankful for a last few hours to teach and encourage His disciples to stick with it and stay true to Him in the hard days and years to follow.  They were still very much clueless about how things would play out, and it’s safe to say, they were completely shocked and astounded.

-It was Jesus’ habit to pray and give thanks to the Father—even knowing the horrible things to come.

-Jesus wanted those taking communion to see the bread as a representation of the life He gave for them, and the grape juice as a reminder of His blood freely given to usher in the new covenant.

-Jesus always did what the Father wanted.

-God does not look lightly on betrayal.

In a nutshell? 

Observing the Lord’s Table is a command for all believers.  Doing so helps us remember His sacrifice for us and what it cost Him.  But Jesus also said that we were to observe it in order to remember Him.  We are forgetful people, and too often go about our lives with our own random cares, concerns, and plans.  We need to stop often so that we can meditate upon and thank God for our Savior, for all He made possible, beginning with salvation, carrying on through every second of every day, and continuing throughout 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.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

-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.

“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

April 1, 2026

Dear Student of the Word,

Welcome to the fourth month of study on knowing God.  It is my prayer that this year’s study will not only increase our knowledge about God, but vastly increase our love for Him and our desire to live wholeheartedly for Him minute by minute.

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.

“Passion Week” is the name often given to the week before Christ’s resurrection. This year it falls in the week of March 29-April 5.  I was hoping to make this Easter season more meaningful for all of us by using the days to review some of what happened each day of that week.  We will still keep our focus on what we can learn about God from these passages, but I believe that reading these passages just before Resurrection Sunday will help us be even more thankful for what God did for us in sending His Son to die on our behalf so that we could live with Him forever.  May this be our most meaningful and joyous Easter ever!

Wednesday, April 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 Luke 22:39-53; 63-71

“And he came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him. 40 And when he came to the place, he said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.” 41 And he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, 42 saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” 43 And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. 44 And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. 45 And when he rose from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping for sorrow, 46 and he said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation.”

47 While he was still speaking, there came a crowd, and the man called Judas, one of the twelve, was leading them. He drew near to Jesus to kiss him, 48 but Jesus said to him, “Judas, would you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?” 49 And when those who were around him saw what would follow, they said, “Lord, shall we strike with the sword?” 50 And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear. 51 But Jesus said, “No more of this!” And he touched his ear and healed him. 52 Then Jesus said to the chief priests and officers of the temple and elders, who had come out against him, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs? 53 When I was with you day after day in the temple, you did not lay hands on me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness.”

63 Now the men who were holding Jesus in custody were mocking him as they beat him. 64 They also blindfolded him and kept asking him, “Prophesy! Who is it that struck you?” 65 And they said many other things against him, blaspheming him.

66 When day came, the assembly of the elders of the people gathered together, both chief priests and scribes. And they led him away to their council, and they said, 67 “If you are the Christ, tell us.” But he said to them, “If I tell you, you will not believe, 68 and if I ask you, you will not answer. 69 But from now on the Son of Man shall be seated at the right hand of the power of God.” 70 So they all said, “Are you the Son of God, then?” And he said to them, “You say that I am.” 71 Then they said, “What further testimony do we need? We have heard it ourselves from his own lips.”

Study Notes:

-What a horrible, ugly night!  I cannot even imagine how horrific it must have been for Jesus’ disciples to see His deep agony, then His betrayal by one of their own, then His arrest.  It makes me sick to my stomach to even TRY to imagine it, so their emotions must have been beyond description.  In fact, we know they were all past endurance because other Scripture mentions that they all ran away and hid after Jesus was arrested.

-Jesus’ time in prayer is interesting—as well as a good model for us.  He demonstrated how important prayer is, that we can ask for help to not be tempted to sin, that we can ask God to “fix” our problems, but ultimately, what we really need is for His will to be done.  Jesus also demonstrated that sometimes prayer is really hard work.

-Jesus told those who had come to arrest Him that “this is the hour (for the) power of darkness.”  He knew that a lot of really ugly things had to happen before His death so that all Old Testament prophecy concerning Him would be fulfilled, and sin would be paid for in full.  Of course, satan and the powers of darkness have never had the upper hand over God at any point, nor will they ever.  God allowed all of it so that you and I could become part of His permanent family.  Not only did satan not “win” when Jesus was killed, but he was forever defeated, and his eternity in the Lake of Fire was sealed.  He rejoiced too early.

-Nothing about Jesus’ trial was legal.  It was all a sham.  Even so, Jesus revealed (yet again) just Who it was they were manhandling and what was next for Him on the Father’s agenda.

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

-It was Jesus’ custom to pray often.  He sometimes agonized during prayer.

-The Lord wants us to pray, asking the Father for help to overcome temptation.

-Jesus didn’t want to have to suffer the things He was about to suffer, but His #1 priority was doing the Father’s will.

-Angels occasionally came to minister to Jesus in some way when He was on earth (see, for example, Matthew 4:11).

-Jesus was betrayed by a kiss from a friend.

-Jesus did not want His disciples to fight the men who had come to arrest Him.

-Jesus was mocked and treated cruelly once arrested—right up to and including His death.

-Jesus referred to Himself as the Son of Man and never denied that He is God’s Son.

-Jesus is currently seated at the right hand of the power of God.

In a nutshell? 

There are many hugely important and impactful things in this passage, but my favorite by far is Jesus’ humble submission to the Father’s will.  May our daily prayer also be, “Not my will, but Yours be done.”

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.

“Passion Week” is the name often given to the week before Christ’s resurrection. This year it falls in the week of March 29-April 5.  I was hoping to make this Easter season more meaningful for all of us by using the days to review some of what happened each day of that week.  We will still keep our focus on what we can learn about God from these passages, but I believe that reading these passages just before Resurrection Sunday will help us be even more thankful for what God did for us in sending His Son to die on our behalf so that we could live with Him forever.  May this be our most meaningful and joyous Easter ever!

Thursday, April 2, 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 Luke 23:1-25 ​

“Then the whole company of them arose and brought him before Pilate. 2 And they began to accuse him, saying, “We found this man misleading our nation and forbidding us to give tribute to Caesar, and saying that he himself is Christ, a king.” 3 And Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” And he answered him, “You have said so.” 4 Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, “I find no guilt in this man.” 5 But they were urgent, saying, “He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee even to this place.” 6 When Pilate heard this, he asked whether the man was a Galilean. 7 And when he learned that he belonged to Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him over to Herod, who was himself in Jerusalem at that time. 8 When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad, for he had long desired to see him, because he had heard about him, and he was hoping to see some sign done by him. 9 So he questioned him at some length, but he made no answer. 10 The chief priests and the scribes stood by, vehemently accusing him. 11 And Herod with his soldiers treated him with contempt and mocked him. Then, arraying him in splendid clothing, he sent him back to Pilate. 12 And Herod and Pilate became friends with each other that very day, for before this they had been at enmity with each other. 13 Pilate then called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people, 14 and said to them, “You brought me this man as one who was misleading the people. And after examining him before you, behold, I did not find this man guilty of any of your charges against him. 15 Neither did Herod, for he sent him back to us. Look, nothing deserving death has been done by him. 16 I will therefore punish and release him.” 18 But they all cried out together, “Away with this man, and release to us Barabbas”— 19 a man who had been thrown into prison for an insurrection started in the city and for murder. 20 Pilate addressed them once more, desiring to release Jesus, 21 but they kept shouting, “Crucify, crucify him!” 22 A third time he said to them, “Why? What evil has he done? I have found in him no guilt deserving death. I will therefore punish and release him.” 23 But they were urgent, demanding with loud cries that he should be crucified. And their voices prevailed. 24 So Pilate decided that their demand should be granted. 25 He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, for whom they asked, but he delivered Jesus over to their will.”

Study Notes:

-We’ve addressed in the past the characters in the Christmas story who were being used by God to fulfill His will unknowingly.  They thought that they were in charge, giving orders to suit their plans, when all along, God’s perfect plan and timing were being fulfilled.  This is also true of Pilate, Herod, and even the very wicked Religious leaders.  Some fought for Christ, most fought against Him, but it was God’s will that prevailed.

-The lion’s share of people get pretty unhappy with God when something happens that they don’t like, both little things and big things, but this passage and all that is to follow, surely demonstrate that God didn’t spare His Son pain, nor Himself.  Jesus’ physical suffering was immense, but I’m not sure that we’ll EVER be able to comprehend the pain the Trinity felt while the Son bore the full weight of all our sin on His shoulders, forcing the Father to turn His back on Him, and turn His horrible wrath upon Him—when He was completely innocent.  Our short-term pain here on earth cannot begin to compare with what God did for us in order to make a way for us to be forgiven of sin, become members of His family, and dwell with Him face-to-face throughout eternity.

-The Religious leaders brought Jesus to Pilate because they had no jurisdiction to do anything legally.  Remember, Israel was under Roman rule at that time.  Pilate wanted to foist off the political mess onto Herod, but that didn’t work, and he eventually caved to the people’s wishes.  Of course, we know that all this happened to fulfill God’s plan for our salvation.  The Religious leaders didn’t actually win that day, nor did Herod or the crowds, but you and I sure did!

-The hatred of the Religious leaders must have been great to not only come up with more and more ridiculous accusations, but to mock Jesus and treat Him so cruelly.

(You can read more about this in John 18:29-38)

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

-Jesus never fought against the lies and false accusations brought up against Him.  He entrusted all things, even the hateful treatment He received, to the Father. (See I Peter 2:21-23.)

-Neither did Jesus “perform” as Herod was hoping.  He maintained dignity and calm, never denying He was the Messiah, but not playing games with people, either.

-Jesus, though completely innocent, was sentenced to death, while a convicted insurrectionist and murderer was released.  

In a nutshell? 

Two important men were given the chance to listen to the Son of God and stand up for justice.  Neither did.  While it’s true that it was God’s will for Jesus to be condemned as an innocent man, these men will still have to answer for their decisions before a holy God.  We, too, are given opportunities to stand up for Jesus and freely share what He has done for us—and for all mankind.  Will we?

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.

“Passion Week” is the name often given to the week before Christ’s resurrection. This year it falls in the week of March 29-April 5.  I was hoping to make this Easter season more meaningful for all of us by using the days to review some of what happened each day of that week.  We will still keep our focus on what we can learn about God from these passages, but I believe that reading these passages just before Resurrection Sunday will help us be even more thankful for what God did for us in sending His Son to die on our behalf so that we could live with Him forever.  May this be our most meaningful and joyous Easter ever!

Friday, April 3, 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 Luke 23:26-56

“And as they led him away, they seized one Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, and laid on him the cross, to carry it behind Jesus. 27 And there followed him a great multitude of the people and of women who were mourning and lamenting for him. 28 But turning to them Jesus said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. 29 For behold, the days are coming when they will say, ​‘Blessed are the barren and the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’ 30 Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us,’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us.’ 31 For if they do these things when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?”

32 Two others, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. 33 And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. 34 And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments. 35 And the people stood by, watching, but the rulers scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!” 36 The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine 37 and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” 38 There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews.”

39 One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” 40 But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” 43 And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

44 It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, 45 while the sun’s light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. 46 Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last. 47 Now when the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God, saying, “Certainly this man was innocent!” 48 And all the crowds that had assembled for this spectacle, when they saw what had taken place, returned home beating their breasts. 49 And all his acquaintances and the women who had followed him from Galilee stood at a distance watching these things. Now there was a man named Joseph, from the Jewish town of Arimathea. He was a member of the council, a good and righteous man, 51 who had not consented to their decision and action; and he was looking for the kingdom of God. 52 This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 53 Then he took it down and wrapped it in a linen shroud and laid him in a tomb cut in stone, where no one had ever yet been laid. 54 It was the day of Preparation, and the Sabbath was beginning. 55 The women who had come with him from Galilee followed and saw the tomb and how his body was laid. 56 Then they returned and prepared spices and ointments. On the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment.”

Study Notes:

This passage is so profound and painful that I have a hard time even taking it all in.  When I read it, I am often reminded of this song.  Here are the lyrics:

“Ten Thousand Angels”  (Words and Music by Ray Overholt)

They bound the hands of Jesus in the garden where He prayed;
They led Him thro’ the streets in shame.
They spat upon the Savior so pure and free from sin;
They said, “Crucify Him; He’s to blame.”
Refrain
He could have called ten thousand angels
To destroy the world and set Him free.
He could have called ten thousand angels,
But He died alone, for you and me.

Upon His precious head they placed a crown of thorns;
They laughed and said, “Behold the King!”
They struck Him and they cursed Him and mocked His holy name
All alone He suffered everything.
Refrain
He could have called ten thousand angels
To destroy the world and set Him free.
He could have called ten thousand angels,
But He died alone, for you and me.

When they nailed Him to the cross, His mother stood nearby,
He said, “Woman, behold thy son!”
He cried, “I thirst for water,” but they gave Him none to drink.
Then the sinful work of man was done.
Refrain
He could have called ten thousand angels
To destroy the world and set Him free.
He could have called ten thousand angels,
But He died alone, for you and me.

To the howling mob He yielded; He did not for mercy cry.
The cross of shame He took alone.
And when He cried, “It’s finished,” He gave Himself to die;
Salvation’s wondrous plan was done.
Refrain
He could have called ten thousand angels
To destroy the world and set Him free.
He could have called ten thousand angels,
But He died alone, for you and me.

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

-After the long night of beatings and false trials, Jesus was too weak to carry His own cross all the way to the place of crucifixion.

-In spite of severe pain and exhaustion, literally on His way to be nailed to a piece of wood, Jesus showed love and compassion to the women who loved Him.

-Jesus not only showed compassion to the thief who was being punished next to Him, He gave him peace knowing that he would be with Christ in Paradise once dead physically (Paradise is the half of Hades that believers went to upon death.  It’s currently empty, because once Jesus died, He led all those there to heaven. Since His resurrection, all believers go directly to heaven upon death).

-While Jesus bore God’s wrath upon His person on our behalf, many things happened, including darkness upon the earth for 3 hours. 

-The ripping of the cloth in the Temple is very significant.  Because of Jesus’ sacrifice, believers can now access God the Father in prayer directly.  We don’t need a priest to do it for us.  Actually, technically, Jesus is our Priest, since it is through Him we have this precious privilege.

-No one took Jesus’ life.  He gave it up voluntarily in order to provide salvation for you and me.

In a nutshell? 

These are passages we should read and re-read often.  We need to be reminded just what the Lord did for us out of love.  Reminding ourselves will help us to stay true to Him and never give up or give in.

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.

“Passion Week” is the name often given to the week before Christ’s resurrection. This year it falls in the week of March 29-April 5.  I was hoping to make this Easter season more meaningful for all of us by using the days to review some of what happened each day of that week.  We will still keep our focus on what we can learn about God from these passages, but I believe that reading these passages just before Resurrection Sunday will help us be even more thankful for what God did for us in sending His Son to die on our behalf so that we could live with Him forever.  May this be our most meaningful and joyous Easter ever!

Saturday, April 4, 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 Luke 24:1-12 ​

“But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. 2 And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. 5 And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? 6 He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, 7 that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.” 8 And they remembered his words, 9 and returning from the tomb they told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. 10 Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles, 11 but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. 12 But Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; and he went home marveling at what had happened.”

Study Notes:

-The “they” is the women who had been following Jesus.  They faithfully stayed near while He was on the cross, then followed Joseph of Arimathea when he arranged to have Jesus’ body placed in his own new tomb.  I’ve always found it interesting that Jesus’ disciples abandoned Him, but these women did not.  I want to be that kind of woman, the one who stays faithful to the Lord NO MATTER WHAT. (Although, at least John came back, because Jesus spoke to him from the cross.)

-The women did not expect to find the stone covering the entrance to the tomb rolled away.  They had come to lovingly prepare Jesus’ body with the oils and spices used at that time (there was no time before the High Holy Day). Have you ever noticed how some of God’s most amazing blessings come our way AS we are doing some service for Him? 

-Another noteworthy item is that God cannot and should not ever be placed in some sort of box where we “know” He is going to act in a certain way.  We shouldn’t be quite so shocked when things go in a completely unexpected way—ways that we like AND the ways we are not quite so excited about.  All He does is good and timed with perfection.

-I’ve always wondered if the question the angels asked the women was because they were even more perplexed than the women were.  WHY were they looking for the Savior?  Didn’t they listen to what He had been telling them would happen?  Didn’t they know Who He is and that death cannot hold back God?

-Upon hearing the angel’s reminder, they then remembered.  This sure is a plug to (a) share what we know about God, His Word, and His character to everyone we meet, and (b) LISTEN when our pastors and others are teaching, preaching, and sharing about God and His Word.  Doing so will edify us, instruct us, and remind us of something amazing we might have forgotten.  Oh!  And this is also a great plug for working hard on memorizing Scripture!

-I can’t imagine that it wasn’t a bit frustrating for the women when the eleven didn’t believe them!  At least, Peter did the right thing and went and checked it out for himself.  The gospel of John says that he and John ran to the tomb, went in, saw the cloths set aside, and believed.  Not believing in Christ as Savior, they had already done that 3 years earlier, but believed that He had risen from the dead (and believed the report the women had given them).

-I like that Peter went home marveling at what he had seen.  We ought to cultivate a sense of marvel every time we open God’s Word, every time we go to Him in prayer and know that HE HEARS US, and every time we listen to our pastors on Sundays and Wednesdays.

P.S.  That Jesus was resurrected on the first day of the week is why we set aside Sunday as the day we worship Him in the Church Age (Sabbath for the Jews is from sunset Friday to sunset Saturday).

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

-God sometimes uses angels to give messages to humans.  Angels can appear as men.  Sometimes, though, their clothing is dazzling!

-All God says will happen will happen—including the resurrection of the dead.

-It was God’s plan that Jesus be delivered into the hands of sinful men to be killed, but it was also His plan for Him to come back to life in three days.

-Jesus DID die, but Jesus DID come back to life.

In a nutshell? 

The tomb is empty!  Jesus is alive!  THANK YOU, FATHER! 

BONUS:

“How Deep the Father’s Love for Us”  (words and music by S. Townend)

How deep the Father’s love for us, how vast beyond all measure that He should give His only Son to make a wretch His treasure.  How great the pain of searing loss; the Father turns His face away, as wounds which mar the Chosen One bring many sons to glory.

Behold the Man upon a cross, my sin upon His shoulders; ashamed, I hear my mocking voice call out among the scoffers. It was my sin that held Him there until it was accomplished.  His dying breath has brought me life; I know that it is finished.

I will not boast in anything—no gifts, no power, no wisdom, but I will boast in Jesus Christ; His death and resurrection.  Why should I gain from His reward?  I cannot give an answer.  But this I know with all my heart; His wounds have paid my ransom.

Why should I gain from His reward?  I cannot give an answer.  But this I know with all my heart; His wounds have paid my ransom.

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, April 5, 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!

Have a most blessed and joyous Easter Sunday!

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.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

-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.

BONUS:

“Christ the Lord is Risen Today” (words by C. Wesley; music from Lyra Davidica)

Christ the Lord is risen today, Alleluia!  Sons of men and angels say: Alleluia!  Raise your joys and triumphs high, Alleluia! Sing, ye heavens and earth reply: Alleluia!

Lives again our glorious King, Alleluia!  Where, O death, is now thy sting? Alleluia! Dying once He all doth save, Alleluia! Where thy victory, O grave? Alleluia!

Love’s redeeming work is done, Alleluia! Fought the fight, the battle won, Alleluia! Death in vain forbids Him rise, Alleluia! Christ has opened Paradise, Alleluia!

Soar we now where Christ has led, Alleluia! Following our exalted Head, Alleluia! Made like Him, like Him we rise, Alleluia! Ours the cross, the grave, the skies, Alleluia!

(Alleluia means, Praise the Lord.)

(Just a reminder that the focus of our study this year is on knowing God in order to appreciate Him better, love Him even more, and serve Him with even more excellence.  Scripture provided is from the ESV, but any translation is fine to use.)

Monday, April 6, 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 86:5

“For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you.”

Study Notes:

-This psalm was written by David during one of the many times in his life when his enemies sought to kill him.  David, however, knew he belonged to God and that God would protect him.  This psalm is a plea for help, but also one of confidence and trust in God.  We, too, should bring all our concerns and challenges to the Lord in prayer, but we, too, should readily acknowledge His trustworthiness and wisdom.  Our ultimate goal should be that His will be done and that He receives all glory.

-Here is yet another reminder that it is a fact that God is good—and that there is nothing about Him or what He does that is not entirely right and “good.”  (I am very confident that this critical truth will come up over and over in our year-long study in knowing God!)

-God forgives. Amen!  Praise the Lord!  Can you even IMAGINE what it would be like if our God refused to forgive us???

-The Lord gives steadfast love (hesed).  Not “just” steadfast love (covenant loyalty), but ABOUNDING steadfast love.  Who receives such a rich and immeasurable gift?  Those who call upon Him.  That is, those who are maintaining a walk with Him by way of time in His Word, an active prayer life, and obedience to all we know He wants us to do as His children and representatives of His light in the sin-darkened world.

-Calling on the Lord seems to include asking Him for wisdom, strength, and help in big tasks and little tasks.  It is depending on Him (and not self).

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

-The Lord is good.

-The Lord is forgiving.

-The Lord is abounding in steadfast love.

In a nutshell? 

Our God makes Himself accessible to us.  Isn’t that just incredible!

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.

Tuesday, April 7, 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 86:8

“There is none like you among the gods, O Lord, nor are there any works like yours.”

Study Notes:

-This is a continuation of yesterday’s work in Psalm 86, a psalm of David.

-David is providing his own “in a nutshell” truth in this verse:  there simply isn’t any other so-called god, and if there were, they could not even BEGIN to compare to Who the true God is or what He does.

-Here are two more verses that say the same thing:

Exodus 15:11 “Who is like you, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?”

Deuteronomy 3:24 “‘O Lord GOD, you have only begun to show your servant your greatness and your mighty hand. For what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do such works and mighty acts as yours?”

-Did you know that David calls God “Lord” seven times in this one psalm?  His personal relationship to the Lord is clearly super important and precious to Him!  I wonder?  Do we say “Lord” in our prayers thoughtlessly?  As if it were a common word that sort of shows up in prayers?  We need His help to NEVER forget just WHO we are talking to when praying!  There is nothing common or run-of-the-mill when we are talking to GOD!

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

-God is THE God.  There are no other gods, no matter what humans may think or make up.

-No works (actions, plans, choices, will) can compete with or improve upon God’s.

In a nutshell? 

These two simple statements should bring about profound prayerful contemplation: 

-Do we remember just Who we are praying to and addressing in prayer?  And, are we ever guilty of giving a person or a thing equal footing with God when considering what to do, say, etc.?

-Do we intentionally pause throughout our day to take note of what God has done and is doing?  Do we thank Him—for what we like AND what may not be quite what we had in mind?  ALL He does is good—and nothing we could contrive can compete with what He wills.

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.

Wednesday, April 8, 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 16:11

“You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”

Study Notes:

-There is a “path of life.”  In a spiritual sense, all humans are born already condemned to an eternity in the Lake of Fire upon death, but if we place our trust in Jesus Christ as our Savior, the One Who paid for our sin by dying on the cross and rose to life again on the third day, we will live eternally in glorified bodies in the presence of God.  I might argue, too, though, that the life we live now as a Christian is either one that reflects Christ in obedience to God’s Word (making it a path of life) – or not.  Living in rebellion and disobedience is living a path of death (even though we are saved and cannot lose our salvation).  Each and every decision is either one that is obedient to God and pleasing to Him (life), or it is one that is disobedient to Him and pleasing to satan (death-like). You can see this sort of “death” (joyless, unproductive, unsatisfactory) pathway in James 1:15, Romans 8:6, and Revelation 3:1.

-Kind of similarly, all those who have trusted in Christ for their salvation WILL live eternally in the presence of God, where there is complete fullness of joy.  BUT, we can choose to place ourselves in the position of joy now simply by living the way we know pleases Him and brings Him glory. Again, it’s our choice—even though choosing to place ourselves in rebellion against God seems so foolish and sad (and it IS foolish and sad!).  THANKFULLY, we are restored quickly and completely simply by confessing sin, and making things right with God (and anyone we might have sinned against).

-Don’t miss the awesome fact that God doesn’t make us guess as to what is the right way to think and act!  He tells us in His Word through dos and don’ts, but also in principle form and through the example of the people found throughout Scripture.  He also, of course, uses the teaching and preaching of your pastor.  Don’t miss services!

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

-God has created a “path of life.”

-Fullness (completeness) of joy is found in God’s presence.

-“Pleasures forevermore” are found in God’s presence.  This is the idea of continual and varied joys.

-God is eternal.  Those who belong to Him will live eternally with Him.

In a nutshell? 

Close to God’s side is where we NEED to be—in this life, and the one to come!!!  He will NEVER disappoint!

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.

Thursday, April 9, 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 Proverbs 3:5-6 

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

Study Notes:

-I’m guessing most of us have at one time or another been encouraged to use common sense.  What does that even mean?  Well, pretty much, it involves doing what seems right and smart in the situation.  Here’s the problem: human thinking is marred and deceived by the sin nature we are born with. What may seem the right answer or decision, might be one that goes against God’s Word and character.  As a Christian, this is something we should never knowingly do!  How can we know when we’re not thinking biblically (or “straight”)?  Ask God!  Search out the answers in His Word.  Talk to mature believers who use God’s Word as their life-manual.  God WANTS us to have victory in every area—including thinking and acting in keeping with His will. 

-I think telling someone that we love them or trust them with all our heart is a super huge thing to say.  Again, I think our sin nature is the problem—because it tends to encourage us to have a divided heart.  Maybe it’s that there is often a difference between what our mouth says and what our actions prove.  Sometimes the problem isn’t us at all, but the situation or person who has changed, causing us to reevaluate what we think of them.  Once again, we find that we are totally and completely dependent on God to say AND MEAN that we trust Him with all our heart.  And, praise His name, He definitely helps us to say what we mean and mean what we say!  Furthermore, unlike humans, God is 100% trustworthy—in every way and every single second.

-To acknowledge God is to recognize His sovereignty and right to call the shots in our lives.  The straight paths He leads us to are ones that are obedient to His Word and in keeping with His character traits of love, grace, mercy, and holiness.

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

-God is entirely and completely trustworthy.

-God is the Sovereign Ruler (and has always been so and will always be so).

-God is happy to direct His children in the way they should go.  He’s just waiting for us to ask.  (Of course, He’s also provided His Written Word and called certain men to be pastors to help us, too.)

In a nutshell? 

We CAN know what to think, what to do, and what to say in order to be becoming like Jesus Christ, and to please and glorify the Father.  We simply need to trust Him and obey Him, keeping in close communication with Him throughout the day so that He can keep us heading in the right direction.

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, April 10, 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 19:7-11

The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple; 8 the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes; 9 the fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the LORD are true, and righteous altogether. 10 More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. 11 Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.

Study Notes:

-I used to get confused about the different words used for God’s commands in the Old Testament, but a few things that I know now are helpful to me.  For one, every single word that GOD used in the writing of the Bible was EXACTLY the word He wanted there.  Second, our English translations are exactly that, a translation. As such, they are not the inspired Word of God, meaning the word the translators chose may or may not fully convey what the exact Hebrew/Greek word was.  BUT, and hear this, God is bigger than translation challenges.  He uses His Word in our hearts and lives in spectacular ways, whether or not we have THE original document in front of us.  Third, those Old Testament writers used their words carefully, and very often in a kind of witty way.  By that, I mean that they were very fond of playing on the meaning of a word to give a message within a message, things that simply do not translate into English, and even if they did, probably wouldn’t make sense to Americans living several thousand years after them. On the flip side, they probably wouldn’t understand us if we began talking about virtual meetings online from hundreds of miles away.  All that said, all the words listed in today’s passage are different aspects of the Law of God. Here are the words used in Psalm 19:

-Law (legal directive; Torah).  Perfect (whole, without blemish).

-Testimony (witness).  Sure (established).

-Precept (mandate, commandment).  Right (straight, level, correct).

-Commandment (law, ordinance). Pure (clean).

-(Knowledge of God’s law puts the fear (reverential trust) of God in people’s hearts.)

-Rule (judgment, manner). True (truth).

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

-God’s laws/directives are complete and without blemish of any kind.

-God’s laws revive our souls.

-God’s testimony/witness is established/sure and provides wisdom.

-God’s precepts are right/straight and cause hearts to rejoice.

-God’s commandments are pure and enlighten eyes.

-God’s rules are truth and entirely righteous. They teach caution and bring reward to those who heed them.  They are, in fact, “sweet” to those who heed them and appreciate them.

In a nutshell? 

God’s Word is a treasure beyond measure!  It teaches us, corrects us, guides us, encourages us, and will help us know God better and better, leading to more trust, more love, and more appreciation.

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.

Saturday, April 11, 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 Matthew 11:25-26

“At that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; 26 yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.”

Study Notes:

-I’ve sometimes wondered how things would have gone differently for the Jews when Jesus was among them had they not been prideful and negative.  As it turned out, the lion’s share of those who had attained some level of importance in Jewish eyes (namely, the Religious leaders), believed that they knew far better than Jesus, the literal Son of God.  Instead, it was the “less important” and common folk who heard Him, believed Him, and had their lives changed eternally.  (The “wise and understanding” are those who think that of themselves.  “Little children” are those who humbly recognize their need—and that the answers are in Christ.)

-If you have trusted in Jesus as your Savior, you forever belong to the family of God, but I wonder, do we ever act pridefully, thinking that we know how we ought to think or act better than what God has said in His Word?  Do we ever disregard what we know we should do for what we prefer?  Do we ever try to keep control of certain aspects of our lives, obeying in some areas, but only to a certain point? 

-Though He is God, Jesus’s role is that of the Son.  As such, He looked to the Father for direction, choosing to always do the Father’s will over His own.  He also thanked the Father for every single thing He did (which, as you recall, often meant great hardship and suffering for Him and for those He loved).  This should be our attitude even more so!

-Every single thing we are given is entirely of God’s grace.  He doesn’t owe anyone anything at all. This includes salvation.  That He chose some and not others may seem hard for us to understand, but that He chose ANY is truly incredible.  Remember, we are born His sworn enemies!  We are born wanting to destroy Him and everything He stands for.  Yet, He chose to love us.  He chose to save us.  Hallelujah!  Praise His name!

-In a similar sense, God will not reveal Himself to those who reject Him.  This includes Christians.  If we make a deliberate choice to not live according to God’s Word, rejecting Him, He will not bless us, including not giving us the joy of a deeper, closer, more intimate relationship with Him.  On the other hand, those who love the Lord, demonstrating it in cheerful obedience, will also be realizing new and marvelous things about Him day after day after day!  Since He is infinite, there is literally no end to His marvels.  In fact, as much as we can learn about Him now, it will be just a tiny drop in the bucket of what we will be thrilling over throughout all of eternity.  I can’t wait!  (BUT, we CAN get started on that today!)

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

-Jesus prayed!

-Jesus’s Father is God, Lord of heaven and earth.

-God “hides” biblical truth from those who are full of pride and reveals it to the humble who want to learn.  This is His gracious will.

-God has a definite will—and it is gracious.

In a nutshell? 

There are truly astonishing and marvelous things we can learn from God’s Word, but we must choose to want to listen, learn, and obey.  When we do, the blessings just flow and flow!

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, April 12, 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.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

-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.

BONUS:

 “He Knoweth the Way”  (words and music by M. Lynch)

O Lord, Thou art my King, and who am I to question Thy way?  Whatever the loss, whatever the cost, draw me closer to Thee every day. He knoweth the way that I take; a new heart within He’ll create.  That I may walk worthy and come forth as gold, He giveth and taketh away.

O Lord, Thou art my life, and who am I to understand why You died on a tree for a sinner like me?  Lord, to self make me willing to die. He knoweth the way that I take; a new heart within He’ll create.  That I may walk worthy and come forth as gold, He giveth and taketh away.

O Lord, Thou art my all, and who am I to walk without Thee?  My sin I forsake; Thy cross I will take—now Thy servant, dear Lord make of me. He knoweth the way that I take; a new heart within He’ll create.  That I may walk worthy and come forth as gold, He giveth and taketh away.

(Just a reminder that the focus of our study this year is on knowing God in order to appreciate Him better, love Him even more, and serve Him with even more excellence.  Scripture provided is from the ESV, but any translation is fine to use.)

Monday, April 13, 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 Matthew 11:27

“All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”

Study Notes:

-This statement from Jesus was given quite early in His ministry, though He often spoke of His willing obedience to all the Father wanted throughout His years here on earth.

-While on earth, Jesus willingly gave up the independent use of His divine attributes in order to rely on the Father and the direction of the Holy Spirit, but several passages also teach that God the Father’s plans have always included that Jesus becomes the King of kings and Lord of lords.  Here, Jesus states that “all things” have been handed over to Him by the Father.  God the Father and God the Son trust each other with a completeness that simply isn’t possible for humans.  They each have a specific role (as does the Holy Spirit), and they each fulfill them with perfection and perfect unity.

-Part of the unity of the Trinity is that of knowing one another perfectly. 

-Part of the “job” Jesus was given while living on earth was to reveal God the Father in how He acted and thought.  Another task was to reveal the Father to those He chose to receive this huge privilege.  Have you ever considered that Jesus chose YOU to reveal the Father to others?  He began that when He chose you for salvation, and He continues to do so through the Bible and through the Indwelling Spirit.  It’s kind of up to us how much we learn and appropriate.  That is, what we invest into God’s Word and living it out in our lives is what will lead to more understanding, appreciation, and blessing.

-Part of the huge glories of eternity will be, without question, getting to know God the Father and God the Son better and better and better!

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

-God the Father gave all authority to the Son.

-God the Son knows God the Father completely.

-God the Father knows God the Son completely.

-God the Son can reveal the Father to those He chooses.

In a nutshell? 

God wants us to know Him more intimately and personally.  We can do this by learning to love Scripture through frequent study, then applying what we are learning to our thoughts, words, and actions.

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.

Tuesday, April 14, 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 Proverbs 11:1

“A false balance is an abomination to the LORD, but a just weight is his delight.”

Study Notes:

-This verse is very straightforward.  It is speaking about honesty vs. deceit.  Dishonesty and lying to any degree (“white” – or any other color!), is an abomination in God’s eyes.  Did you know that the things that God says are an abomination to Him are the things that He places as the worst of the worst?  Being dishonest is very serious in His view—and thus ought to be in ours as well.

-Solomon is specifically speaking about a scale with two trays used to measure the weight of something.  It could be grain; it could be gold.  The person with the scales would have an assortment of weights to place on one side of the scale that would tell him and his customer how much whatever they were buying or selling weighed, so that they would both know the cost.  However, if the seller placed a one-pound weight on the scale that actually only weighed three-quarters of a pound, he would be getting more money than the value of goods he was charging the other person for.  This disgusts God and should never, ever be under consideration for any of His children.

-I imagine that if we were all in a circle playing a game, “Name Types of Stealing,” we would be quick to list shoplifting, porch-pirating, taking someone else’s food from the company fridge, and that kind of thing.  What about, though, stealing your employer’s time by taking longer breaks than you are allowed—or regularly clocking in late and leaving early?  What about helping yourself to office supplies?  What about speaking ill of someone?  Isn’t that “stealing” their good name?  What about stealing from God by withholding tithes?  Not giving Him personal time in Bible study or prayer? 

I’ve been addressing stealing specifically, but I think that there might be another ugly can of worms opened if we were to talk about dishonesty.  This might actually be a bit more common among Christians.  For example, how honest are we when someone asks us how we are in between church services?  Oh, I know that the automatic response is “Good!” and prayerfully, before the Lord, this is true most of the time, but how about when you COULD use someone praying with you about something?  How about when you know that the other person would really love to talk to you, but you don’t want to talk to them, so you walk off as quickly as you can get away?  Is that being dishonest?

All of these things are, of course, between you and the Lord, but I think a huge part of maturing as a Christian and learning to become like Jesus Christ is actually a refining process.  When first saved, our obedience might be a bit basic and simple (like realizing that stealing from the store—even Walmart! – is always wrong), but with time, obedience, and a tender heart, maybe we will learn that speaking the truth (in love!) is more honoring to God than being dishonest (even if we hate the idea that we might offend someone).  THANK THE LORD, He will help us every step of the way in this life—and His love for us is constant and complete, despite however many times we may flub up!

-Here are a few more verses about this: 

Deuteronomy 25:13-16, “You shall not have in your bag two kinds of weights, a large and a small. You shall not have in your house two kinds of measures, a large and a small. A full and fair weight you shall have, a full and fair measure you shall have, that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you. For all who do such things, all who act dishonestly, are an abomination to the LORD your God.”

Leviticus 19:35-37, “You shall do no wrong in judgment, in measures of length or weight or quantity. You shall have just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin: I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt. And you shall observe all my statutes and all my rules, and do them: I am the LORD.”

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

-False weights are an abomination to the Lord.

-Using accurate weights delights the Lord.

In a nutshell? 

Part of the holiness of God is a complete lack of dishonesty or lying at any time and in any form.  This should be our goal as well.

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.

Wednesday, April 15, 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 Philippians 1:6

“And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”

Study Notes:

-When life seems extra challenging and hard (most days, to be honest), isn’t it a comfort to be reminded that it is GOD Who chose us to belong to Him, it is GOD Who caused us to trust in His Son as our Savior, it is GOD Who gave us the Indwelling Holy Spirit to teach us, guide us, and help us moment by moment, and it is GOD Who has promised to mature us and help us be becoming more like Christ every day until we are called home.  We simply couldn’t get a more sure promise than this one!

-I like how confident Paul is in his statement here.  The bigger picture, however, is that because this is part of Scripture, it’s actually God Who directed Paul to write this.  In other words, God is telling us through Paul that He WILL bring to completion what He began in each of us upon salvation.

-What is the good work Paul is speaking of?  To be like Christ.  To imitate God.  To turn away from all fleshly desires and gut reactions, and to think and act in a way in keeping with God’s holy and righteous character.  Can we even do this in this lifetime with our sin nature?  The answer is a bit tricky!  The Bible tells us that because Christ won the victory over sin and our sin nature no longer has power to make us sin, it would seem that the answer is yes.  However, we do sin and flub up all the time—even when our heart’s desire is to never yield to our sin nature.  I’m sure not going to tell you I have the answers, but this one thing I know:  God can do the impossible, God never gives up on us, and our goal must be to keep trying and never give up, and never give in.  This is exactly what the Holy Spirit helps us with moment by moment.

-The official term for growing more Christlike in thought and deed is progressive sanctification.  God does the work, but we need to cooperate, or it simply will not happen.  We can all think of far too many believers who chose to stop obeying God and ended up in some pretty sad and depressing places.

-The word completion is the idea of maturity and a finished project.

-The day of Jesus Christ, is the Judgment Seat of Christ—the Bema, which will happen soon after the Rapture. At that point we will be in our glorified bodies and will be finally free of our sin nature once and for all time (Hallelujah!). 

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

-God began a good work in all believers upon salvation.

-God will bring His good work to completion on the day of Jesus Christ.

-Jesus Christ has been assigned a specific day to Rapture up the saints—and to return to earth to become King.  The first date is unknown, the second occurs seven years after the first.

In a nutshell? 

Though we sometimes feel like we are “fighting the fight” alone or that victory is always just out of reach, neither is true, but it’s all about God, and not about our abilities, strength, or wisdom.  It is God Who will keep working in us and through us to bring about His perfect will for us.  Our role is to cooperate fully!

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.

Thursday, April 16, 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 Proverbs 14:31

“Whoever oppresses a poor man insults his Maker, but he who is generous to the needy honors him.”

Study Notes:

-This saying is smack dab in the middle of what might seem random sayings about quite a variety of topics: a wrong view of money, unkind speech, bad attitudes, deceit, and a whole array of things that either please God or displease Him.  In this case, we are reminded that oppressing someone who is already down is insulting to God!  Insulting?  Curious!  I have a little note by this verse from some past sermon that says that it is God Who chooses who will be poor, so what could possibly motivate us to attack that person in some way?  The short answer is that it shouldn’t.

-Another important point that we have made previously is that all men are created in God’s image, so attacking someone else in word or deed is attacking someone made in God’s image.  That can’t be good!

-I’m guessing that in the context of the Old Testament, oppressing someone who is poor probably has something to do with their finances, as in making life even harder for them in some way.  The God-honoring action would be to not only help them, but to do so with generosity.  I think of the excellent example of Boaz upon observing a poor, widowed gal collecting barley in the edges of his fields.  He instructed his workers to leave her extra on purpose, but then he also invited her to eat lunch with his workers.  Being generous is always God honoring, because He is always generous to us.

-To insult is, at its core, belittling someone; making them appear or feel insignificant, foolish, or useless.  Insulting GOD seems really, really wrong on every single level!  At best, it displays huge foolishness and ignorance on our part, at worst, it is evil and heretical.  BUT, are we not insulting Him when we question what He did or assigning a wrong “why” to what He chose to do???

-Honoring God is certainly giving Him all glory, all credit, all honor (for EVERYTHING), but it is also demonstrated in faithful obedience to His Word.  One of the things He has commanded is that we treat others as we would want to be treated; that we consider the needs of others as more important than our own.  Being generous fits that nicely, wouldn’t you say?

-Again, I think we tend to equate generosity with money and things, and while this is true, we should also be generous with our time, with our smiles, with our hugs, with our approval, with our patience…

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

-It is God Who decides who should have much and who should have little (and He has promised to supply all our true needs).

-God is insulted when people oppress others.

-God is honored when people are generous to others.

In a nutshell? 

One of the blessings God gives to us is the privilege of being a help and a blessing to others.  Doing so with great generosity pleases and honors 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.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

-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, April 17, 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 Jude 1:24-25, part A

“Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, 25 to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.”

Study Notes:

-As beloved children of God, struggling to live well in an extremely difficult world and very challenging days, we must never forget that our God, our FATHER in Heaven, is able.  He can do anything.  He can do whatever He knows is good and right, about any situation, at any specific moment of time.  Sadly, we too quickly judge Him by our expectations and our faulty view about what is “good” and/or timed right.  When we find ourselves feeling disappointed, frustrated, or even angry, we need to do a prayerful evaluation to determine when and how we took our eyes off our good, loving, gracious, merciful, and able Father, then place our complete trust in Him and His plan once again.  It is there we will find peace and joy, comfort and delight.

-Our completely able Father can keep us from stumbling.  That is, thinking in a wrong way, which leads to acting or speaking in a wrong way.  When we do these things, it’s never His fault, but ours due to either acting before consulting Him and asking for help, and/or disregarding what we know He wants.  Praise His name, He always forgives us when we confess these sins, and helps us get right back on track.

-Our completely able Father provides all that we need to not stumble and to be faithful to Him throughout our whole lives SO THAT we can stand in His presence with great joy.  The word for joy here is the picture of jumping up and down with gladness.  The next time we entertain the thought that God might be out to get us, we need to remember that He has only ever wanted complete victory for us—so that He can bless us richly now, and reward us greatly in eternity.

-When praying, never forget that His glory is great.  Yes, we are coming to Him as our loving Father, but we are also coming to the Almighty, the Holy One.  As Jesus directed when asked how to pray, begin prayers acknowledging God’s holiness and greatness.  Give Him glory and thanks before beginning any lists of needs.  There’s an excellent chance that if we first thank Him for His constant care and goodness, what we thought we needed suddenly seems not that important—or even changes focus completely to better represent what we know He would want for us and our loved ones.

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

-God is able.

-God is able to keep His children from stumbling and going off course.

-God is able to keep His children living faithfully for Him so that they can stand before His glory one day with great joy.

-There is glory in God’s presence.

In a nutshell? 

GOD IS ABLE.  Enough said!

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.

Saturday, April 18, 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 Jude 1:24-25, part B

“Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, 25 to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.”

Study Notes:

-You wouldn’t think we would need to be reminded that there’s only one God, but as much as we know this in our heads, it’s far too easy to insert something else or someone else into God’s place when making decisions or listing priorities (maybe mostly ourselves!).  This is a matter of prayerfully evaluating what we say vs. what we actually do.  There IS but one God, one Person in charge, and it’s not us—or anyone besides God.

-God deserves all glory (honor, praise, worship), majesty (greatness), dominion (power, might), and authority (power of rule) – because He alone IS all these things.  Furthermore, He uses all this to demonstrate His love to YOU.

-God is eternal.  I don’t think this is something that is possible for humans to grasp.  Maybe in eternity???  He has always been, He has always been worthy of all glory and majesty, and He has always had all dominion and authority. This is the Father we are welcomed to pray to any time about anything!  How blessed we are!

-You know, Jude 1:24-25 are pretty great verses to have posted someplace where you will see them often and be reminded of just how amazing our God is.  They’re also awesome verses to recite in prayer frequently to your Father, Savior, and God.

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

-God is One.  There is but one God.

-God, through Jesus Christ our Lord, is our Savior.

-God is worthy of all glory, majesty, dominion, and authority.

-God is eternal.  He is before time as we know it, and He will continue forever.

In a nutshell? 

Putting both verses together, our Father in heaven is fully in control in every area and at all times.  This includes helping us to live faithfully for Him, for which He deserves all glory and honor now and forever.

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, April 19, 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.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

-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.

BONUS:

“He Is My Strength”  (words by S. Amerson; music by P. Johnson)

Tho’ the road ahead may be uncertain, tho’ the path we travel be unknown, our God has given an assurance; we can have peace, we can have joy, we can be strong.  He is our strength; He is our fortress, we can be sure we are secure within His hands.  He is our joy, our hope of life eternal.  He is the Rock, the solid Rock on which we stand.

Even when I cannot see tomorrow, His Word is like a lamp unto my feet.  And when the laughter turns to sorrow, in His embrace we find His grace when we are weak. He is our strength; He is our fortress, we can be sure we are secure within His hands.  He is our joy, our hope of life eternal.  He is the Rock, the solid Rock on which we stand.

(Just a reminder that the focus of our study this year is on knowing God in order to appreciate Him better, love Him even more, and serve Him with even more excellence.  Scripture provided is from the ESV, but any translation is fine to use.)

Monday, April 20, 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 62:5-6

“For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken.”

Study Notes:

-David is the author of the psalm (song).

-This psalm is sometimes called the “only” psalm because the word “only” is used four times.

-If you are a woman, you understand that there can be mild to severe concerns about your future.  If you’re married and your husband is the breadwinner, what do you do to survive if he dies before you?  If you’re the main income for yourself or your family, what happens if your job is lost for some reason?  Perhaps you own a home and don’t have to worry that you’ll have someplace to live, but what if it were burned down or taken away?  Maybe you have a comfortable retirement fund and feel confident that you’ll have “enough” come retirement, but what if the stock market crashes again and you lose it all? 

It can be a hard, hard lesson to learn that, in the end, we cannot trust in people (even if they are completely trustworthy, they might not be able to do what they promised for reasons out of their control), we cannot trust employment to always be an option, we cannot trust that our health will always be good, and we sure can’t rely on the government to meet our needs.  That’s scary stuff!  BUT, and we cannot gloss over this game-changer, we CAN trust in the Lord.  In fact, He has ALWAYS been the only One completely trustworthy and faithful.  Even though other things and people seemed to be what we needed, anything that is not God cannot be what only God can be.

David knew this—and God very lovingly had him pen it into Scripture so that you and I can also know it.  And not just read it and say, “That’s nice.”  No, read it and breathe a sigh of relief, because hope, stability, strength, comfort, surety, are found in GOD, the Almighty, the Creator and Sustainer.  And the God Who keeps the entire universe running perfectly down to the tiniest detail, is the One Who is YOUR hope.  There is no reason to be shaken.  Ever.

-Quote from Pastor Brown:  “God alone is the source of our provision, whether physical or spiritual.  There is a tendency for the wealthy believer to say they rely on God, but then mostly rely on their own money to solve problems and achieve security for the future.  There is a tendency for the well-connected Christian to say that they trust the Lord, but in reality they are using their network of friends for advancement and help.  There is a tendency for the intelligent to say he’s depending on God, but mostly he’s just relying on his own smarts.  David, in Psalm 62, is saying that he trusts in God ONLY.  Everything else in life that we might lean on is actually just a tool or means that God uses to take care of us.  The more that trials and issues remind us that everything but God is unreliable, and that He alone is our security and  provision, the more we will continuously trust in Him.”

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

-God alone is our hope.

-God alone is our Rock.

-God alone is our salvation.

-God alone is our Fortress.

In a nutshell? 

When God is the One we look to for everything, both today and into the future, we can have peace, comfort, and never be shaken.

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.

Tuesday, April 21, 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 Proverbs 31:30

“Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.”

Study Notes:

-The entire book of Proverbs is about right attitudes and actions, and the application of wisdom to everyday situations and decisions.  At its core, only God can think and do what is right, so if humans want to have a shot at thinking and acting right, they need to follow God’s instructions and example.  In order to do THAT, we need a right relationship with Him.  This only happens when we trust in Jesus Christ as the Savior from our sins. Sin, we know, is rebellion against God, and it renders us unable to please Him or glorify Him.  When we have trusted in Christ, however, we now have the ability to choose to obey Him, please Him, and bring Him glory in and through our lives, but we need His help in order to view Him accurately.  This is where having the fear of the Lord, the very serious acknowledgment of His sovereignty and rule in every area, comes into place.  All Christians, young or old, male or female, lovely to look at—or not so much, are able to shine in God’s eyes.  This is probably the believer’s highest goal and privilege, to live our lives based on a right view of who we are and Who God is. Doing so brings tremendous joy, blessing, and peace to us, and much glory to Him.

-I think it’s easy to look at this verse and conclude that charm and beauty are NOT something a woman should work to achieve, but I don’t think that it’s saying that at all!  I think it’s pointing out that no one is going to be truly beautiful or charming if they’re living for self and not the Lord.  They can try to fake it, but what’s in our hearts will always show.  So…  what is charm?  Charm is to be attractive, but more due to actions and attitudes than outward physical appearance.  It’s to be likable, pleasant, kind.  Some opposites might include being self-centered, standoffish, selfish, abrasive, greedy, impatient, etc.  CLEARLY, a child of the King ought to be charming!  Doing so would represent her Father well.

What about beauty?  This is a bit trickier, because arguments are made that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and I imagine we’ve all had experiences where we’ve met someone for the first time and felt that they were not very attractive, but then we got to know them and saw their sweet spirit and love for the Lord—and they became more attractive to us physically, too.  Interesting!  Could it be that beauty is as beauty does?  Like charm, the Christian SHOULD work on their appearance so that they reflect well their heavenly Father and their Savior. How they appear (and act!) is a great testimony for the Lord and for the church they attend.

Basically, we should all be taking everything that God has given us: our time, our talents, and our treasures, and using them to the very best of our ability.

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

-God is honored when His children have the right view of Him and live according to it.

In a nutshell? 

Almighty God does not have to give us anything, listen to our prayers, and He most definitely didn’t need to save us from our sins and provide a home in eternity for us, but He did.  Our response should be one of awe, reverence, deepest respect, gratitude, and eager obedience to all He wills.

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.

Wednesday, April 22, 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 139

TO THE CHOIRMASTER. A PSALM OF DAVID.
​O LORD, you have searched me and known me! 2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. 3 You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. 4 Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, you know it altogether. 5 You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it. 7 Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? 8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! 9 If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, 10 even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me. 11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,” 12 even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you. 13 For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. 15 My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth. 16 Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. 17 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! 18 If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you. 19 Oh that you would slay the wicked, O God! O men of blood, depart from me! 20 They speak against you with malicious intent; your enemies take your name in vain.
21 Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD? And do I not loathe those who rise up against you? 22 I hate them with complete hatred; I count them my enemies. 23 Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! 24 And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!

Study Notes:

-This beautiful and famous psalm is a precious reminder that God knows each of us as thoroughly and completely as only the One Who created us and sustains us can.  It’s also a sobering reminder that it’s impossible to hide from God—either physically, emotionally, spiritually, or intellectually.  To do so is as foolish as a newborn suddenly insisting on becoming the president of the United States of America.

What a comfort to know that no darkness is too dark for our Lord; that the most remote place on our planet is known and easily accessible to Him.

The second half of the psalm, though, contains some pretty serious challenges for all of us to prayerfully and carefully consider.

-Are God’s thoughts PRECIOUS to us?

-When we wake up each morning, do we remember that God is constantly with us?  Are our thoughts those of praise and a deep desire to please Him and glorify Him in every area that day?

-Do you literally count God’s glories?  Of course, they are infinite, so we aren’t even going to reach the end of them, but what a thrill to keep listing them one by one!

-Do we pray for His help to steer clear of anyone and anything that might cause us to sin? 

-Do we stand up for our Lord, humbly and kindly, letting people know that we will not let people slander our Lord or use His name in vain?

-Do we ask the Lord to point out sin in our lives, wrong thoughts, and poor motives? 

-Are we embracing His answers, eager to be rid of “any grievous way”?

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

-God searches us and knows us, our activities, our thoughts, our ways, and our words.

-There is no place that God is not already there.

-God holds us with His right hand.

-Darkness has no impact on the Lord.

-God created us fearfully and wonderfully.

-God’s works are wonderful.

-God has determined our life span even before we were formed in our mother’s womb.

-God’s thoughts are precious and vast.

-God searches our hearts and can help us walk in the way everlasting.

In a nutshell? 

Psalm 139 is a great place to go to when we are feeling too big for our britches—or unseen and insignificant.  He chose to create us exactly the way He wanted for His glory and our 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.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

-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, April 23, 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 23

A PSALM OF DAVID.
​“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. 3 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. 4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.”

Study Notes:

-Psalm 23 is unquestionably the most beloved and well-known chapter in the Bible—and for good reason.  It’s a picture of comfort, security, hope, and care.  I dream a lot at night.  The lion’s share of my dreams are weird at best and pretty troubling at worst.  Occasionally, however, I get one that I like.  Being able to fly is one of those (do you think we’ll be able to fly in our glorified bodies?  I hope so!).  Another favorite is finding myself in a warm, secure hug.  In that hug, I feel perfectly content.  And that, dear one, is exactly what the Good Shepherd, the Lord Jesus Christ, offers to all believers.  When we look to His leading, are following His example, and trusting wholeheartedly in Him, we are happy, content sheep.  This doesn’t mean there aren’t shadowy valleys in this life (we are guaranteed there will be all sorts of challenges), but the Shepherd walks through them with us—and He carries a rod and a staff.  His promise of perfect leadership is for today, and it is for all of eternity.  We can all confidently say, “The Lord is my Shepherd, I want for nothing.”

FYI, if you want an extremely in-depth look at Psalm 23, go to the Daily Bible Studies of 2024 at firstbaptistnorthcoway.org.  Look under the tab, “ministries.”

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

-The LORD (Yahweh) is the Shepherd of all who have trusted in Him as their Savior.

-The Lord provides green pastures and still waters; exactly what we need to stay strong and healthy spiritually.

-The Lord restores our souls and leads us in paths of righteousness.  He shows us how to think and act, helping us get back on track when we’ve wandered off.

-The Lord walks through the dark valleys with us, providing comfort and making it so we don’t need to be afraid.

-The Lord provides for all needs, spiritually, physically, emotionally—in the face of the sinful world that we live in.  He blesses so much, in fact, that our cups overflow.

-The Lord gives goodness and mercy all of this life and throughout eternity.

-The Lord provides a permanent residence in His presence for all believers.

In a nutshell? 

Verse 1 sums this psalm up nicely, “The LORD is my Shepherd; I shall not want.”  Amen!

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, April 24, 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 1 Corinthians 13:12

“For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.”

Study Notes:

-Today’s verse is an excellent example of why context is important (context is the words before a specific verse—and potentially those after).  Why do I say this?  This verse could easily be applied in a bunch of different ways, but guess what?  It’s part of the famous “love chapter”!  The first eight verses of I Corinthians 13 explain in clear dos and don’ts what biblical love is and isn’t. But that’s not all, Paul then goes on to teach that love will always be a super important part of the believer’s actions and life, but some of the things that were once important, specifically the supernatural gifts that God gave to some folks in order to boost the growth of the brand new church (prophecy, tongues, etc.), have either disappeared, or would soon disappear because they were no longer needed.  The only thing that all of us now need is God’s Word, the Bible.  It contains all we need to know about God, to know what sin is and what it does, how to trust in Christ as Savior,  how to live in a God-honoring way as a believer, and some of what is yet to be. 

-So, what IS I Corinthians 13:12 saying?  At least part of it has to do with the completed Bible.  As Paul was writing this letter (through the leading and guidance of the Holy Spirit), it would BECOME part of Scripture, as would his other letters, the four gospels, John’s work, and the others that are a part of the completed canon that you and I are so privileged to hold in our hands.  During Paul’s time, no one knew what the finished Bible would be like, so they only knew it “in part.”  Even today, however, there are SO MANY things about the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit that we have no idea about (no “full” picture).  We see as in a mirror dimly.  BUT, this will not always be true, and one day we will see our Father and our Savior face to face!  One day, we will enter glory and see our heavenly home!  One day, we will no longer have a sin nature that dims our understanding and ability to see deep spiritual truths!  One day, we will for the first time EVER, see clearly—and it will be far, far beyond our ability to even imagine in the here and now.

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

-God gives us the privilege of knowing quite a lot about Him and His plan for mankind through Scripture, but one day He will reveal far more when we stand in His presence and see Him face to face.

In a nutshell? 

As we have read in Psalm 139 and other places in Scripture, God knows us inside and out—far better than we even know ourselves.  The same cannot be said for our knowledge of Him at this time and in these limited bodies. But that will not always be the case, one day we will get to see Him face to face, which begins the eternity-long joy of coming to know Him better and better!

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.

Saturday, April 25, 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 Malachi 3:6-12

“For I the LORD do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed. 7 From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the LORD of hosts. But you say, ‘How shall we return?’ 8 Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. 9 You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. 10 Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. 11 I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the LORD of hosts. 12 Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the LORD of hosts.”

Study Notes:

-As I’m sure you’re aware, the books of prophecies in the Old Testament are part history, part censure and warnings for the Jewish nation, and part prophecy of what was yet to come.  A good deal of the prophecy, in fact, is STILL in the future!

-In chapter three, Malachi presents a series of questions the people asked of God (primarily trying to sound innocent of the sins they were being judged for), and God’s answer.  This section specifically addresses the fact that God told them that they were robbing Him.  When they asked Him how, He pointed out that they were not tithing and giving love gifts the way they were commanded to.  God’s promise of blessing to them individually and as a nation was contingent on their obedience to Him.  When they obeyed, He poured out the blessing of good health, good crops, and safety from their enemies.  When they did not, they could expect sickness, poverty, and oppression.  However, people, being the defensive and demanding creatures that they are, wanted everything, but were not willing to give anything.

-Though clearly addressed to Old Testament Jews, the principle of God expecting a 10% tithe from His people has always been in place.  It is mentioned long before the Law was given (Genesis 14:20), and it seems like God STILL expects His children to tithe 10% of all that they earn to Him.  Although we can’t expect wealth and excellent health when we are faithful with the tithe the way the Israelites could in the Old Testament, we will definitely be blessed with joy and peace knowing we obeyed God, honored Him, pleased Him, and were part of supporting our local church and the ministries God has given to it (including taking care of the shepherd He gifted to that church). 

-Just a reminder:  tithing is not optional, love gifts are.  Tithing probably ought to be given to the church you belong to, but love gifts are the above-and-beyond giving we do, and might go into the offering plate to be used as the church family sees best, or it might go to someone in your church family who could use a little help, or in some other way so as to honor God and encourage God’s people. 

-Something to prayerfully contemplate: should your tithe to God be from the number on your paycheck—or the total amount you actually earned?

-P.S.  It’s not that God NEEDS our money!  He owns EVERYTHING.  It’s that He is giving us a chance to express our love to Him and to share in the awesome things He does for us and others.  All forms of obedience are also earning rewards in glory.

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

-God does not change.  All He says stands; the promises He made will be granted.

-God says that those who don’t tithe are robbing Him.

-God uses tithes to help and bless His people.

-God is the LORD of hosts, a vast angelic army.

In a nutshell? 

-There are consequences when people choose to disobey God, just as there are blessings when we choose to obey Him.  This looks different for Old Testament Jews versus you and me living today, but either way, obeying and pleasing God is ALWAYS the right and good choice.

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, April 26, 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.

BONUS:

“Under His Wings” (words by W. Cushing; music by I. Sankey)

Under His wings, I am safely abiding.  Though the night deepens and tempests are wild, still I can trust him—I know He will keep me.  He has redeemed me and I am Hic child.  Under His wings, under His wings—who from His love can sever?  Under His wings  my soul shall abide, safely abide forever.

Under His wings—what a refuge in sorrow!  How the heart yearningly turns to His rest!  Often when earth has no balm for my healing—there I find comfort, and there I am blest. Under His wings, under His wings—who from His love can sever?  Under His wings  my soul shall abide, safely abide forever.

Under His wings—O what precious enjoyment!  There will I hide till life’s trials are o’er.  Sheltered, protected, no evil can harm me—resting in Jesus I’m safe evermore. Under His wings, under His wings—who from His love can sever?  Under His wings  my soul shall abide, safely abide forever.

(Just a reminder that the focus of our study this year is on knowing God in order to appreciate Him better, love Him even more, and serve Him with even more excellence.  Scripture provided is from the ESV, but any translation is fine to use.)

Monday, April 27, 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 Malachi 3:16

“Then those who feared the LORD spoke with one another. The LORD paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the LORD and esteemed his name.”

Study Notes:

-Did you know that God has a library?  Different places in Scripture mention some of the books He keeps*. One of the books is mentioned here, The Book of Remembrance.  Another mention of this same book can be found here: “You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book?” (Psalm 56:8).

-Did you know that God is always keeping an eye on you?  That He never misses even one sacrificial labor done for His sake?  That He sees—and cherishes—every tear you weep because you’ve been hurt in some way while living for Him?  That each and every time you chose to obey Him instead of doing something different, He was glorified?  Honored?  Pleased?

-Did you know that NO attitude or action that esteems God’s name and/or demonstrates that you fear the Lord (have a right view of His character and sovereignty) is unrewarded?  That God has a treasure chest in heaven with your name on it—filling up bit by bit with each obedient act, each prayer of submission, each Christ-like attitude and action?

-Never listen to satan’s lies that you are not an incredibly cherished member of God’s family.  He wants us to doubt God and dismiss God’s Word, knowing that doing so will do nothing but cause us sorrow, regret, and bitter disappointment.  Trust and obey, for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

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

-The Lord pays attention to those who choose to fear Him.

-The Lord “hears” all who make the conscious decision to live their lives with a right view of Him and a desire to esteem His name.

-The Lord keeps a record of those who fear Him and esteem His name.

In a nutshell? 

Regardless of what we may sometimes “feel,” regardless of the lies of satan, regardless of the lies of the unsaved world, God watches over all of His children constantly, and is pleased when we choose to obey Him, fear Him, and esteem His name.

*Pastor Brown has a Solid Rock Publication called God’s Library.  In it, he discusses five different books that God has and what they are about.  We, as a church family, have self-published dozens of Bible study books, and all are free for the taking.  Most are on the back wall of our auditorium, but some are available for free download at solidrockpublishing.org.

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.

Tuesday, April 28, 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 Hebrews 13:16

“Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.”

Study Notes:

-When we’re told to not neglect something, we are being told to do what we need to do in order to not forget it in the general busyness of life.  I don’t think any of us would argue that it’s super easy to miss opportunities to be a blessing or to place something we wanted to do for someone else on the bottom of the list (knowing full well that we probably won’t be able to get to it).  This is not necessarily even because we’re CHOOSING to not be a help and blessing, but simply because our days, weeks, and months just whiz by at incredible speed.  This is, however, exactly why we need to choose to target people and situations regularly.  God understands this is a sacrifice, and as such, He is pleased with our choice to show biblical love.

-So, what is “good”?   Like pretty much everything else in life, different people are going to have different ideas about what is good.  For example, a 7-year-old boy might want a video game for Christmas, while his grandma thinks PJs are better.  =)  To cut to the chase, ALL answers about EVERYTHING can be found in Scripture, either in clear dos and don’ts or in principle form.  Therefore, what is good is what God says is good.  We can even take that a step further by acknowledging that all that is truly good is what will build others up in their walk with the Lord.  Does that mean that money gifts, gifts of food or other provisions, or labor gifts done for others aren’t useful?  Of course not!  These sorts of good works demonstrate biblical love and are definitely pleasing to the Lord.  I guess the caution here would be to prayerfully consider what GOD would have you to do, why, and when.  Ultimately, all we do should bring Him glory, and be a help and a blessing to others.

-Have you ever considered that what you “have” is yours from God, but it’s also yours in order to be a good steward with?  That at least some of the things God blesses you with are given to you so that you can share them in some way with others of His children?

-Our gauge for what might be considered generous or sacrificial is the same amount of generosity and sacrifice God has shown, is showing, and will show to us.

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

-God wants His children to “do good.”  He understands that much of what we do for others is a sacrifice.

-God is pleased when we sacrificially help others.  This could be in a million different ways:  physically, spiritually, emotionally, and the most important, prayer.

-God gives to us so that we can share with others.

In a nutshell? 

To be “like God,” we need to look for opportunities to do good to others, even if it seems a sacrifice to us in some way.  Attitudes and actions such as this please our Father.

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.

Wednesday, April 29, 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 68:19

“Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears us up; God is our salvation. Selah”

Study Notes:

-This is a Psalm of David.  He wrote it to remind the readers that God has been completely faithful in the past (giving several specific examples), so they could know that He would continue to be faithful in the future.  What was true then is STILL true of God.  He is faithful and He will always keep His word.

-The phrase “bears us up” is the idea of lifting up into one’s arms.  In other words, it is God Who carries us and gives us all we need to live joy-filled, faithful, victorious lives as His children.  We have never been left alone to labor in our own strength.  He has always made Himself available to those who look to Him in trust.

-The word salvation is most thought of in regard to spiritual salvation by those of us living in the Church Age.  The word, however, means rescue or deliverance.  Yes, praise God, He has saved us from eternal damnation, but that’s just the first and most basic way He rescues us on a daily basis.  True, there are all sorts of ways He rescues us physically, both in areas of our health and safety, but what about in areas of temptation?  What about rescue from those who would influence us for evil?  What about a computer that suddenly stops working, preventing us from listening to some less-than-edifying movie or music?  What about gentle reminders in our head to NOT say that unkind thing we were about to say?  To not get angry when someone is impatient or mean to us?  To not tailgate someone who is going too slow?  Examples of how our loving Father rescues us are literally impossible to all name, and our response should echo that of David’s:  to bless His name and thank Him!

-The word “daily” in this verse is a nice reminder to begin each and every day with prayer, asking for the Father’s help to obey Him, use the day well, and to be a help and blessing to others, then to pray again at the end of the day, listing all the ways He answered that prayer, thanking Him for each one, confessing areas where you could have done better.  If God daily bears us up, shouldn’t we be thanking Him every single day?

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

-The Lord deserves all honor and glory.

-The Lord bears His children up every single day.

-It is God Who rescues/delivers us constantly and daily.

In a nutshell? 

God’s care for us is perfect!  Thank Him!  Praise 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.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

-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, April 30, 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 Hebrews 13:20-21

“Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, 21 equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.”

Study Notes:

-Today’s two verses are the benediction of this amazing letter written by an unknown author.  A benediction is, in very simple terms, a word of encouragement or blessing, but which might also contain a charge of some sort.  Although pastors in our independent Baptist churches don’t usually offer benedictions in the same formal sense you might find in an Episcopal church, they do often say things at the very end of a sermon that sort of sum up what they were trying to get across, and/or add words to encourage the listeners to heed God’s words.  This might be in the conclusion or the closing prayer.

-These two verses contain a ton of encouraging and important facts that every child of God can cling to when life seems a bit too complicated or painful:

-God is the God of PEACE.  As such, He generously supplies peace to all those who trust Him and obey Him. (We can use this as a sort of gauge in our lives.  If we are feeling out-of-sorts and anything but at peace, we need to prayerfully consider where we might have stopped trusting and/or obeying God.

-God raised from the dead Jesus Christ, Who even right this second, is our Shepherd, leading us, guiding us, caring for our every need. 

-ALL God provided to us through the sacrificial blood of His Son is eternal (as opposed to the temporary nature of Old Testament sacrifices for sin). Christ’s death was once, but that one time was sufficient for all who believe in Him as their Savior, and it is “good” for all of eternity.

-God equips His children with “everything good” so that we can do His will.  (Did you catch that?  God’s gifts to us are to be used to do His will, not ours—or anyone else’s.)

-God constantly works in us, helping us to do what is pleasing in His sight.  (Again, the focus is on what is pleasing in HIS view.  No matter how good our intentions or motives, if something isn’t pleasing in God’s sight, it is not “good.”)

-All that we are given, which is too huge to even list, is ours through Jesus Christ—because of His willingness to take our sin upon His shoulders and die in our place.  He deserves all glory forever and ever.

-The word amen means “so be it,” or “I agree,” or “may it be fulfilled.”  When you add an “amen” after a public prayer, you are agreeing with what the person praying said. 

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

-God is the God of peace, never discord or confusion.

-God the Father raised God the Son from death to life.  His blood brought into being God’s eternal covenant.

-Jesus Christ is the Great Shepherd of God’s children.

-God equips (provides) His children with all that they need (which is everything good), so that they can do His will and live in such a way as to be pleasing in His sight.

-God deserve all glory forever and ever.

In a nutshell? 

Words of focus on God’s greatness and listing some of His promises and blessings are always a great thing to mention in prayer—and in conversations with others.  After all, all glory belongs to Him forever and ever. Amen!

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.

“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

May 1, 2026

Dear Student of the Word,

Welcome to the fifth month of study on knowing God.  It is my prayer that this year’s study will not only increase our knowledge about God, but vastly increase our love for Him and our desire to live wholeheartedly for Him minute by minute.

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.

Friday, May 1, 2026

-Pause before starting your Bible study to pray and ask God for help to concentrate on what you are reading, to understand what it is saying, and then to apply it to your life as you go through your day.  Thank Him for the privilege of having a copy of His Word in your language and in your hand!

-Read 1 Corinthians 2:9-10

“But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”—10 these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit.”

Study Notes:

-Verse 9 is a quote from Isaiah 64:4, “From of old no one has heard or perceived by the ear, no eye has seen a God besides you, who acts for those who wait for him.”

-According to the context, Paul is speaking about what a believer can understand about spiritual things versus an unbeliever.  The text goes on to say that an unbeliever is not able to understand spiritual things at all because it takes the work of the Holy Spirit for any of us to (a) come to recognize we need a Savior in the first place, and (b) understand and apply God’s Word.

-There’s just something truly inspiring about the words: “no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor heart imagined.”  It’s kind of like a secret you tell your best friend—something uber special and amazing.  What is this super awesome secret here?  All that God prepared for us upon our salvation, which is simply too incredible to put into words or understand even if it could be described.  In short, God never disappoints!

-Did you notice the caveat in verse 9?  God’s richest blessings are for those who love Him.  Does that mean people who really appreciate that there is a God?  Well… not really.  Does it mean those who are religious and try to “be nice”?  Nope.  As in all that is important and truth, we need to go to God’s Word in order to find out what HE says demonstrates that we love Him.  What is it?  Obedience.  Faithfulness.  Our decision to do what He wants instead of what we might want to do.  Living and making decisions based on what we know pleases and glorifies Him.  This is what loving God looks like.  Not perfection, but not giving up or giving in. (John 14:15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”)

-Verse 10 is a reminder that it is the indwelling Holy Spirit, the third member of the Trinity, Who reveals to us what God wants us to see and understand.  He is also the One Who helps us to not only obey God, but WANT to obey Him.  We should be thanking the Father regularly for the gift of the indwelling Spirit!

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

-God keeps some things a mystery. Some are from the unsaved, but some are also from His children (at least for a time—and for our joy!).

-God has prepared marvelous things for His children, especially those who love Him.

-God reveals things to His children through the Holy Spirit (the Holy Spirit uses Scripture to teach us, lead us, and rebuke us).

In a nutshell? 

The incredible gift of salvation is just the first of uncountable wonders that God intends to lavish upon His children.  Look for them!  Thank Him!  Tell others of His wondrous love and 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.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

-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, May 2, 2026

-Pause before starting your Bible study to pray and ask God for help to concentrate on what you are reading, to understand what it is saying, and then to apply it to your life as you go through your day.  Thank Him for the privilege of having a copy of His Word in your language and in your hand!

-Read Psalm 150:2

“Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his excellent greatness!”

Study Notes:

-Psalm 150 is the final song in the Book of Psalms, rightly concluding the entire (long) book by praising God with excitement and abandon.  The psalmist chose to name two broad categories:  His mighty deeds and His excellent greatness.  Each of these categories are such that we could literally list examples all day long, every day (and it wouldn’t be wrong to do so!).

-Our standard for how we praise God isn’t our personal feelings, but His excellent greatness – which is beyond counting.

-We are made to praise God. If we’re not doing it, we are not fulfilling our purpose.

-I’m not sure what else to say other than, let’s get praising!

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

-God is worthy of constant praise.

-All of God’s deeds are mighty.

-God’s greatness is “excellent.”

In a nutshell? 

ALL of creation should be praising God morning, noon, and night.  It is what we’ve been created for!  Besides that, God is worthy of constant praise, adoration, and gratitude simply for Who He is.

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, May 3, 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.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

-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.

BONUS:

“Praise the Savior”  (words by T. Kelly; music traditional German melody)

Praise the Savior, ye who know Him!  Who can tell how much we owe Him?  Gladly let us render to Him all we are and have.

Jesus is the name that charms us; He for conflict fits and arms us.  Nothing moves and nothing harms us while we trust in Him.

Keep us, Lord, O keep us cleaving to Thyself and still believing till the hour of our receiving promised joys with Thee.

Then we shall be where we would be; then we shall be what we should be. Things that are not now, nor could be, soon shall be our own.

(Just a reminder that the focus of our study this year is on knowing God in order to appreciate Him better, love Him even more, and serve Him with even more excellence.  Scripture provided is from the ESV, but any translation is fine to use.)

Monday, May 4, 2026

-Pause before starting your Bible study to pray and ask God for help to concentrate on what you are reading, to understand what it is saying, and then to apply it to your life as you go through your day.  Thank Him for the privilege of having a copy of His Word in your language and in your hand!

-Read Psalm 119:162

“I rejoice at your word like one who finds great spoil.”

Study Notes:

-Psalm 119 is the longest chapter in the Bible—and almost every single verse is dedicated to the love of God’s Word.  It’s a great psalm and well worth taking the time to read from time to time.

-Psalm 119 is also an acrostic psalm in its original language of Hebrew.  Each section uses a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet.  In fact, each sentence within each section also begins with that same letter.  This was, in part, so that children could memorize it more easily.

-Speaking of memorizing…  have you tried memorizing Scripture since you were young and forced to do it in Sunday school?  Why would you want to?  Well, for several reasons, but the psalmist gives one huge reason in today’s verse:  God’s Word is a treasure!   Here are a few other reasons:

1. We are commanded to think on things that are true, righteous, and of excellence (Phil. 4:8-9), and God’s Word is all of that and more!

2. We don’t always have a Bible handy, but we may want to share a verse with someone, or even remind ourselves of some truth, and the Holy Spirit will bring memorized verses to our minds when we need them.

3. In order to know God (our year’s goal!), we need to be in His Word.  When we’re in the Word, we’ll be finding many treasures (today’s verse!) – and we’ll want to remember them. 

4. The more we memorize Scripture, the more we will come to love it deeply.

5. Memorizing forces you to notice each word, each phrase, each section.  As you do that, your appreciation for it will just grow and grow.

6. The more you memorize Scripture, the more you will love God, the more you love God, the more you will DELIGHT to obey Him and please Him.  The more you live to please God and make Him smile, the more you will recognize God’s blessings moment to moment.

7. When you have memorized Scripture, you can use it when you pray, praying God’s words back to Him.  It will also help you pray more accurately and meaningfully.

8. Memorizing Scripture is a tremendous use of down time or otherwise wasted minutes waiting for something (sitting in your car, waiting rooms, while waiting for the wash to finish so you can move it into the dryer…).  It will keep you occupied while also building you up in the things of the Lord!

9. Memorized Scripture will be a comfort and encouragement to you during times of stress, when you’re sick or injured, and when you cannot sleep at night.

10. Memorizing Scripture will help us think like God thinks, act like He acts, and slowly, but surely, help us be becoming more like Christ.

11. God’s Word in our hearts will help us to not sin (Psalm 119:9, 11).

There are lots more excellent reasons to memorize Scripture (and meditate on it), but I sure would love to hear what you have to say about the benefits of memorizing Scripture!  Reply to this email or let me know when you see me.  =)

BONUS:  challenge a friend to memorize a chapter—or even a whole book—with you.  It will be fun—and the blessings for both of you will multiply!

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

-God’s Word is a great treasure!

In a nutshell? 

The Word of God is far more than a collection of facts and fascinating stories.  It’s meant to not just teach us, but to transform us.  It’s meant to challenge us, but also richly bless us.  Our attitude toward it ought to be exactly like today’s author, one of great delight in reading it, meditating on what we’ve read, memorizing portions of it, and then applying it to our thoughts and actions.

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.

Tuesday, May 5, 2026

-Pause before starting your Bible study to pray and ask God for help to concentrate on what you are reading, to understand what it is saying, and then to apply it to your life as you go through your day.  Thank Him for the privilege of having a copy of His Word in your language and in your hand!

-Read Micah 7:7

“But as for me, I will look to the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me.”

Study Notes:

-In chapter 7, Micah has been noting the really awful things that were happening all around him (his nation was a horrible mess because they were not living as God had commanded them to and were close to facing God’s promised judgment!).  Thanks to the internet, you and I are able to get pretty much instant updates on a lot of truly horrific happenings in our towns, country, and the world.  Besides that, friends and family (even church family) sometimes make bad decisions, which can cause a lot of pain.  BUT, Micah made a decision; a commitment.  He chose to look to the Lord for stability, for peace, for joy, and for security in God’s character and promises.  He knew that God hears the cry of His children, and he knew that God would ultimately save (rescue) him—because He promised He would do so.  This is YOUR God, too.  Always faithful.  Always true.

-I appreciate Micah’s commitment that even if he were the only one, he would trust God and obey Him.  Maybe you’re someone who lives alone—or maybe you live with others, but none of them are living for the Lord.  That’s hard!  It’s nicest, for sure, to have a spouse or close friend who you can go to for godly advice and encouragement to hang in there, but never, ever forget that you have THE most powerful Person available every second of every day.  Furthermore, the Lord is the only One Who can do something about your true needs—and—He wants to bless you and help you live victoriously for Him.  Will you look to the Lord no matter what?  Even if you’re the only one?

-Did you know that there is a thing called Christian mythology?  It’s common sayings that you hear a lot in our circles that may or may not be accurate biblically.  A biggie is “prayer changes things.”  Is that true?  Does prayer change things—or is it the God Who answers prayer?  This may seem picayune to some folks, but if God chose each and every single word in the Bible to be exactly the one He wanted, doesn’t it seem reasonable that we should try to be precise and accurate when we’re speaking about spiritual things, too?  This “myth” is a corollary to the common idea that God hears every prayer from everyone.  While technically true, what we mean by that is that God hears—and answers.  But is this true for the unsaved?  God is Creator of everyone, but He’s only the Father of those who have placed their trust in Christ.  He is a God of grace, so He may choose to answer some prayers of the unsaved, but He’s not obligated to.  On the other hand, will God always “hear” the prayer of one of His children who is knowingly in rebellion to Him, living in a sinful manner on purpose?  (See Psalm 66:18.) Once again, God will certainly hear, but He may or may not answer.  In addition, God will not say “yes” to prayer requests that are for things that are sinful or wrong for us.  In Micah’s case, he WAS obeying God, and he WAS trusting Him with the immediate problems and those of the future, therefore he had confidence to say, “My God will hear me.”

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

-God is sovereign and all-wise.  He is the One we should always look to.

-Salvation is from the Lord.

-God will hear the prayers of His children who are calling on Him in trust and obedience.

In a nutshell? 

When our confidence is in the Lord, we will have peace even if the world around us is imploding.

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, May 6, 2026

-Pause before starting your Bible study to pray and ask God for help to concentrate on what you are reading, to understand what it is saying, and then to apply it to your life as you go through your day.  Thank Him for the privilege of having a copy of His Word in your language and in your hand!

-Read Hebrews 13:5

“Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Study Notes:

Keep your life free from the love of money… that’s a hard one in today’s culture.  Until television was a thing, people weren’t as tempted by things they didn’t even know existed, because they had to either wait for a catalog to come in the mail, or travel to a store to see things that takes money to buy.  Then television came along and commercials began to show all sorts of treasures that they wanted you to believe you had to have to be happy.  At the same time, owning a car became the norm, so leaving the house to wander the mall or explore some shop became easier.  Finally, the nail in the coffin of commercialism and major influence, the internet, started and grew into an instant gratification source.  We might have no idea whatsoever that we need a nifty gadget to keep crumbs from falling between the stove and counter until the internet told us we do!

Where to draw the line?  Where to decipher true needs vs. impulse buys?  How to recognize the difference between being a good steward with our money and loving what it can buy and do a bit too much?

Did you see the last part of this verse?  It says, “I will never leave you or forsake you.”  This is the Lord speaking, of course.  Do you think that He can be the key to this whole problem?  Focusing first and foremost on His character, what pleases and displeases Him? On pausing often to thank Him for what we already have?  On asking His wisdom and direction in regard to all purchases (not “when” to buy something, but “if” He wants us to have it)?

Not loving money and what it can buy is a hard one!  BUT, loving God supremely and loving neighbor as self, are the two most important commandments.  As such, wouldn’t that help us have better priorities?  Choosing best over good?  Balancing what we might want versus how that money could be used to glorify God and/or bless another believer?

In the end, hasn’t God promised to provide all our true needs?  If we truly believe that, then our possessions (and our time and talents) can be used for His glory.  Perhaps then, we’ll have a much clearer understanding of the difference between appreciating what we have as opposed to always wanting something new or different.  Hard lessons, but lessons the Lord is eager to help us with.

1 Timothy 6:6-10, “But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.”

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

-God does not want His children to love money.

-God wants His children to be content with what He has provided.

-God will absolutely never, ever leave us or forsake us (abandon/desert).  God’s promises are 100% trustworthy and true.

In a nutshell? 

Everything about this world is temporary and tainted by sin.  God, however, is eternal and entirely righteous, and our relationship with Him can grow closer and sweeter each and every day as we focus on Him and not on the temptations around us.

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.

Thursday, May 7, 2026

-Pause before starting your Bible study to pray and ask God for help to concentrate on what you are reading, to understand what it is saying, and then to apply it to your life as you go through your day.  Thank Him for the privilege of having a copy of His Word in your language and in your hand!

-Read Hebrews 13:8

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”

Study Notes:

-A lot of the book of Hebrews addresses the Law the Hebrew people were commanded to follow, in contrast with the new way to think and act as followers of Christ and adopted children of God.  You see, the Law was not given to make people holy by obeying; it was to demonstrate that we cannot be sinless in our own strength.  We needed a Savior, Someone Who could pay the price for our sin once and for all time, so that we could have a personal relationship with God and choose obedience to Him over satisfying our endless urges for gratification. I say all that to make note that the Hebrew people, especially, had a hard time learning how to turn away from the Law, rules, and regulations, to considering how to show biblical love to one another and live in the freedom that Christ provided.

-While the fact that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and has always been perfect, holy, righteous, just, and loving is FANTASTIC, and such a comfort and inspiration to us, one of the reasons this seems to be here in Hebrews 13 is to remind Christians to not look in other places for answers, hope, comfort, or direction.  Almost immediately after the Church was born in Acts 2, people began adding their own ideas to what Jesus taught—or taking away parts they didn’t like.  This is what is called heresy.  Not only is that sinful and really destructive, it cannot be trusted, because people are constantly changing their mind about what is okay and what isn’t.  ONLY Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.  He doesn’t change.  He doesn’t change His mind.  He is never untrustworthy—and He is always perfect, holy, righteous, just, and loving (and much more!).  Look to Him, and Him alone, for all that you need today and every day to come.

-In case you didn’t make the connection, people, including Christians— even prominent ones on the radio, internet, and in books—are STILL doing the same thing today.  They add to, take away from, alter, or otherwise change God’s Word to make it say what they want.  For sure, some do it in ignorance and don’t mean to, but many others do it to gain popularity and fame, to sound important and wise, or simply to promote some theory they developed, a “pet doctrine,” if you will.  All Christians need to show extreme caution in what we read and listen to, always comparing everything to what GOD said in His Word.

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

-Jesus Christ does not change.

In a nutshell? 

The only sure foundation is God and His Word.  ALL else is anything BUT a sure foundation.

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, May 8, 2026

-Pause before starting your Bible study to pray and ask God for help to concentrate on what you are reading, to understand what it is saying, and then to apply it to your life as you go through your day.  Thank Him for the privilege of having a copy of His Word in your language and in your hand!

-Read Hebrews 13:16a

“Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.”

Study Notes:

-Neglect is kind of a sad word, don’t you think?  It brings up images of those heart-rending commercials from the SPCA of emaciated dogs!  The poor things!!!  In fact, I’m not sure I can think of a positive use of the word.  Can you?  To neglect conjures up something negative—and on purpose.  So, to neglect doing what is good gives a picture of the people who DIDN’T stop to help the poor, beaten up man in the tale of the Good Samaritan.  Three of the four men who saw this man in a desperate plight not only didn’t stop to help, they deliberately avoided him.  Do you remember the point of this parable that Jesus told in Luke 10?  It was to demonstrate what biblical love is.  Biblical love is an action, a choice, a “sacrifice,” if you will.  It’s lending a hand to someone, even though you kind of wish someone would lend you one.  It’s slipping someone some money when it will mean cutting back in some other area of the budget.  It’s offering a ride, even when it may make you late or otherwise inconvenience you.  Of course, doing good could also be getting up out of your pew to go greet someone, it could be including someone in a conversation who seems a bit lonely, it could be volunteering for some task at church that will ease someone else’s load.

Doing good is DEFINITELY between you and the Lord.  The more we listen to the nudges of the Holy Spirit to do something (even if it’s as simple as offering a smile to someone from across the room), the more He will open our eyes to needs.  The more needs we see, the more good we can do for others—and—the more our lives will be pleasing to God. 

Did you know that there’s an important difference between pleasing God and doing things so He will love us more?  God’s love is not like human love that comes and goes, often having to be earned.  No, God chose to love us—and He ALWAYS loves us.  His love does not come and go, nor does it wax and wane depending on how well we are living for Him.  His love is constant and perfect, which should be a cause for much gratitude and thanksgiving.  BUT, our attitudes and actions either please God—or not!  THIS is something we choose when we deliberately neglect doing good—or trust and obey Him by sacrificially showing love to someone in some way.  I guess the important question we must all carefully and prayerfully evaluate is whether or not we are pleasing God with sacrificial actions and attitudes.

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

-God wants His children to do good.

-God wants His children to share what they have.

-God is pleased when we sacrifice in some way for others because of our love for Him.

In a nutshell? 

Doing good is a responsibility—and it is a privilege.

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.

Saturday, May 9, 2026

-Pause before starting your Bible study to pray and ask God for help to concentrate on what you are reading, to understand what it is saying, and then to apply it to your life as you go through your day.  Thank Him for the privilege of having a copy of His Word in your language and in your hand!

-Read Hebrews 13:16, part b

“Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.”

Study Notes:

-Recently in a sermon, I heard something that has been pounding in my heart ever since. What was said is that God only asks us to use what we HAVE for Him and others, not what we don’t have.  Although the speaker was using the illustration of Jesus asking His disciples what they already had on hand in order to feed the 4,000 (Mt. 15), the concept is in today’s verse, too, in the area of doing good and sacrificing on behalf of others (if you missed yesterday’s study, this was addressed).

The point is that we cannot get hung up on what we used to have – or even what we hope to one day have.  Rather, today, this moment, what did the Lord give us that we can use for Him?

So, for me, I have gone through (and to be honest, am still going through) a period of mourning over losing my singing voice. In the past, I have enjoyed doing all sorts of solos and other specials, led the choir, and kept the congregation on-point with some of the harder Sunday hymns, but then I got Muscle Tension Dysphonia, and now there is almost nothing left.  This is a huge, huge sorrow to me.  The ability to sing is not something I currently have, nor is it likely to return in this lifetime, so I have to let that one go – and croak along as best I’m able WITH THE RIGHT ATTITUDE.  I cannot make my voice work, but I can choose to praise the Lord with what sound does come out.

I’ve also had continuing physical issues that have made life in general more difficult, but especially some of the ministries I really love.  I don’t have the strength, stamina, energy, or health I used to have, but I still need to serve God wholeheartedly with what I DO have.  Will it look different from how it used to?  Yes.  Does that make it bad?  No.

I guess there’s a lot of attitude mixed in with all this, isn’t there?  A choice between serving God with joy the way He has currently allowed, and refusing to give up or give in—or moping, groaning, or sitting in the pew like a lump because I cannot do what I want to do.  I definitely see the “sacrifice” in this, don’t you?  Doing things that are not our first choice, moving out of our comfort zone, accepting how things are, rather than what they were, are all sacrifices that we can make to please the Lord, bring Him glory, and be a help and blessing to others.

What do you currently HAVE that you aren’t using for the Lord—or could use better?  Not sure?  Ask Him!  Ask mature members of your church. Sometimes others are better able to spot these kinds of things than we are.

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

– God does not want His children to neglect sharing from what He has given to them.

In a nutshell? 

God gives to all His children certain talents, skills, and possessions (including the people in our lives).  He doesn’t want us to hoard these things, however.  He wants us to use them, share them, and honor Him with them.  Specifically addressed today, He wants us to use what we CURRENTLY have for 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.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

-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, May 10, 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.

BONUS:

“I Want to Be Faithful”  (words and music by F. Garlock)

God gives to all His children talents both great and small.  My gifts belong to Jesus, I’ll let Him use them all.  I want to be faithful; I want to be true.  I want to be faithful in all that I do.  I want to be faithful through every test.  I want to be faithful; I’ll give Him my best.

When we are serving Jesus, no task can be too small.  If we obey the Savior, then we will hear His call. I want to be faithful; I want to be true.  I want to be faithful in all that I do.  I want to be faithful through every test.  I want to be faithful; I’ll give Him my best.

I want to live for Jesus;  I want to please God’s Son.  If He has found me faithful, I’ll hear Him say, “Well done!”  I want to be faithful; I want to be true.  I want to be faithful in all that I do.  I want to be faithful through every test.  I want to be faithful; I’ll give Him my best.

(Just a reminder that the focus of our study this year is on knowing God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit better.  As part of this study, we will be working in the Gospel of John for several weeks.)

Monday, May 11, 2026

-Pause before starting your Bible study to pray and ask God for help to concentrate on what you are reading, to understand what it is saying, and then to apply it to your life as you go through your day.  Thank Him for the privilege of having a copy of His Word in your language and in your hand!

-Read John 1:1-5 ​

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

Study Notes:

-One of the twelve disciples authored this gospel, John, also known as the disciple whom Jesus loved.  John also wrote I, II, and III John, as well as the book of Revelation.

-John chose to begin his recounting of Jesus’ life in the same grand way Moses began Genesis, “In the beginning.”   That is, God has always existed.  No matter how far back we go in time, He was already there.  This is true of all members of the Trinity:  Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

-Jesus Christ is known as the Word.  It is He Who taught about God the Father in His teaching, but also in how He lived His life here on earth.  He is also EVERYTHING when it comes to spiritual salvation.  He was THE ONLY One Who could have paid the price our sin demanded, and He had to make incredible, unbelievable, and miraculous sacrifices in order for that to even be possible.  He did it because of His great love for us, and because it was the Father’s will, which He always did willingly and perfectly.

-It is here that we find that the Creator we are so blown out of the water with in Genesis 1 and 2, was actually the Son of God, and not the Father.  In all great plans and actions in the history of the universe, it is the Father Who is the Architect, the Son Who is the Agent (the One Who carries it out), and the Spirit Who is the Activator.  The doctrine of the Trinity is that God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit are one, yet each are unique and with different roles, while always still being God. (BTW, the term “firstborn son” when speaking of Jesus has to do with His position, not procreation.  He is God’s Son, His Heir, but not God’s born-child.)

-Jesus is the life-giver.  This is not only physical life, but spiritual life.  If He hadn’t followed the Father’s plan to perfect completion, all humans would go to the Lake of Fire when their life here on earth was over.

-Jesus is the light-giver.  He did this physically and spiritually.  Light is often used to stand for knowledge and understanding.  Without Jesus, we would have neither.

-Darkness, that is sin and satan, stand no chance against the Holy, Righteous, Just Savior. Darkness cannot understand light.  They are completely separate.

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

-Jesus Christ, also known as the Word, has always existed as God AND with God.  He is the perfect reflection of God the Father in what He said and did.

-Jesus Christ is the Creator of everything.

-Jesus Christ is the Giver of life and light.

-Jesus’ light overcomes the darkness.

In a nutshell? 

These are magnificent truths, truths that we should read and meditate on often.  It can be easy to think of the meek and kind Teacher found in the gospels as “just” Jesus, but He is SO MUCH MORE. 

 “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.” (Rev. 4:11)

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.

Tuesday, May 12, 2026

-Pause before starting your Bible study to pray and ask God for help to concentrate on what you are reading, to understand what it is saying, and then to apply it to your life as you go through your day.  Thank Him for the privilege of having a copy of His Word in your language and in your hand!

-Read John 1:6-13 ​

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. 9 The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

Study Notes:

-(I’ve included additional verses in the chapter for context and continuity.)

-v.6  John (the Baptist, or more accurately, Baptizer) was sent from God.  In other words, God had a very specific mission for John the Baptizer, which is identified in the next few verses, but also in Luke 1 before his birth to Zechariah and Elizabeth.  God has specific jobs for us to do for Him, too!  Ephesians 2:10 speaks about this, but we definitely don’t always have the same clear-cut purpose John was given.  Nonetheless, as we study God’s Word and live it out in our day-to-day happenings, He will open up opportunities for service and ministering to others.  Praying for eyes to see these, as well as a willing and humble spirit, is always a great morning prayer!

-Did you know that the gospel accounts are more Old Testament than New Testament?  Jesus brought all the “new” stuff with Him, including the birth of the church, once He returned to heaven after His resurrection.

-John is the last of the Old Testament prophets, men commissioned by God to bring a message from Him.  The Jewish people, due to their idolatry and hardness of hearts, had not had direct messages from God in about 400 years prior to Gabriel announcing John’s upcoming birth, then Jesus Himself.  Those were exciting days!

-v.7 John the Baptizer’s job was to be a witness for Jesus Christ, preaching and teaching Who He was and how critical it is to get right with God.

-v.8-9 John was to witness about the Light, but the actual Light is clearly Jesus Christ, God’s Son (“true” means genuine or authentic here).  Light, of course, can be brightness as in the sun or a lamp, but it’s also illumination, as in understanding something that was otherwise not known.  Both kinds of lights reveal things that were otherwise in darkness.

-v.10-11 The Creator of the world and everything in the world, including humans, came to the world in human flesh, but they didn’t know/recognize Who He was.  In fact, the Jewish nation, whom God chose to belong to Him forever, rejected Him, refusing to believe He was Who He said He was, the Messiah, the Savior.

-v.12 “But…” such an important word!  But those who DID believe that Jesus is God and the Savior, they were given the right (authentication) to become children of God—permanent members of God’s family.  Even once saved, we still sometimes reject what God has to say in His Word, either outright, or simply by choosing to not obey it.  May it never be!  May we always have tender hearts, “receiving” all we hear from Him!

-v.13  Spiritual salvation is entirely a gift of grace from the Father.  It cannot be born into (no matter how many godly ancestors someone has, each one of us has to trust in Christ ourselves), nor can it be earned through doing good things, attending church, or praying.  Salvation comes from faith alone in Christ alone.  John’s gospel repeats this often, so important it is to know.

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

-God uses people to do things for Him and to tell others about Him.  This is a huge privilege!

-Jesus is the Light.

-Jesus is the Creator.

-Jesus came in the flesh to the people He created, but most rejected Him.

-God saves those who believe in the name of Jesus (Who He is and what He did on the cross), making them part of His family, and providing a home in His presence for all of eternity.

-God saves those whom He chooses.  This is entirely of His grace.  He didn’t have to choose anyone!

In a nutshell? 

These magnificent verses remind us that God created a plan to save you and me, and He did it by sending His own Son into a world where He knew He would be rejected and killed.  But His love for you and me was greater than our sin, so His will was accomplished.  John got to be a small part of that, and when you and I share the good news of Jesus Christ with others, we get to be a part of it, too!

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.

Wednesday, May 13, 2026

-Pause before starting your Bible study to pray and ask God for help to concentrate on what you are reading, to understand what it is saying, and then to apply it to your life as you go through your day.  Thank Him for the privilege of having a copy of His Word in your language and in your hand!

-Read John 1:14-18 ​

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.
9 The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ​‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’”) 16 For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.”

Study Notes:

-(I’ve included additional verses in the chapter for context and continuity.)

-Those of us living today, some 2,000 years after the events of John’s Gospel—and—having the benefits of the completed Word of God, can sort of take for granted the incredible fact that God BECAME a human.  Not one single person in that time period, however, would not have been completely overwhelmed at the thought of even the POSSIBILITY of such a thing happening.  It had never happened before—and would never happen again.  The Second Person of the Godhead became “flesh,” while never stopping also being fully God.  Jesus Christ is 100% God and 100% Man.

-Jesus didn’t just come to tell us what He knows about God (although He did teach constantly about the Father), He spoke and acted like God, because He IS God.  These are hard things to wrap our brains around!

-v.14 Only means unique.  Glory is something that belongs to God (God-like characteristics).  Grace is goodness and unmerited favor; truth is that which is fully accurate. 

-Although John the Baptizer was born something like six months before Jesus, Jesus has always existed, therefore He is above John in importance/birth order/”rank.”  He is superior in every way.

-The phrase “grace upon grace” means grace stacked up on grace.  In other words, heaps of it in volume and variety.  Certainly, there is the grace that provided us spiritual salvation, but God’s grace is evidenced constantly in our daily lives in every area and at all times.  Without His grace, we are and have NOTHING.

-The Law, the first five books of the Old Testament, were given to demonstrate that people cannot keep it, that we needed Someone like Jesus Christ to come and pay the price for our sin on our behalf.

-No one alive has seen God the Father.  All accounts of someone seeing God were records of people seeing the Son.  Before His birth (incarnation), they saw the preincarnate Christ.  In the Old Testament, He is often identified as “the Angel of the Lord.”

-v.18  Jesus Christ made the Father known, that is, Jesus revealed/explained the Father to us. He demonstrated His character and what is important to Him.

-Once again, those of us living today probably take for granted just a bit the jaw-dropping truth that God came to earth as a human, and people saw Him, spoke with Him, touched Him, and had opportunities to listen to what He said.  Although we can’t currently do this face to face, we CAN open our Bibles and “hear” Him anytime we want (and we should “want” this a lot!).

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

-God became flesh.  Jesus Christ became a human being.  For about 33 years, God could be seen, touched, and heard.

-Jesus demonstrated what the glory of God was all about.  He also demonstrated grace and truth.

-Jesus has always existed.

-Jesus not only is grace, but He gives it to those who believe in Him and obey His Word.

-God the Father and God the Son have an incredibly close relationship.  To have had to part ways for a time must have been very, very hard.

-There is but one God.

-Jesus demonstrated to the world what God was like through His teaching and actions.

In a nutshell? 

Being able to see God has been a huge heart’s desire of billions of people since creation.  When Jesus came to earth,  this finally happened.  Because of what Jesus did on Calvary, all those who have placed their trust in Him as their Savior WILL see God face to face—and be able to spend eternity in His presence.  Now THAT’S grace!  Thank You, Lord Jesus!

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.

Thursday, May 14, 2026

-Pause before starting your Bible study to pray and ask God for help to concentrate on what you are reading, to understand what it is saying, and then to apply it to your life as you go through your day.  Thank Him for the privilege of having a copy of His Word in your language and in your hand!

-Read John 1:19-28 ​

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.
9 The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ​‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’”) 16 For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.

19 And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” 20 He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” 21 And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” 22 So they said to him, “Who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” 23 He said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.”
24 (Now they had been sent from the Pharisees.) 25 They asked him, “Then why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” 26 John answered them, “I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know, 27 even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.” 28 These things took place in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

Study Notes:

-(I’ve included additional verses in the chapter for context and continuity.)

-For several centuries, God had been sending men to give His people, the Jewish nation, information, prophecy, and warnings.  However, due to the nation disregarding God for a very long time, ten of the twelve tribes were taken away by Assyria and more or less disappeared, and then the last two tribes, Judah and Benjamin, were ruled by the Babylonians for seventy years.  Eventually, the Jews were allowed to return to Israel, but they had not heard a peep from God in 400 years.  That is, until Gabriel came to Zechariah and Mary, and until John the Baptizer grew up and began fulfilling His ministry in the desert.  This was CLEARLY something the Religious leaders needed to look into.  Sadly, very few listened with an open mind and open heart, and as a result, very few recognized God’s Son when He came shortly after John began letting people know that His arrival was imminent. In fact, they seem to have deliberately rejected Him as Messiah.

-John the Baptizer denied that he was “the Christ” (the Messiah, the Anointed One—the One whom God promised to send to save them), that he was Elijah (there was Old Testament prophecy that Elijah would one day return—and he will during the Tribulation Period!), and that he was “the Prophet” (a reference to a special spokesman from God [one of Christ’s roles]).  He was, rather, God’s forerunner or herald sent to prepare the way for the Messiah (as prophesied by Isaiah).

-Say, when someone asks you to tell them who you are, do your first thoughts go to the most important thing?  That you are a child of the King?

-There were several groups or sects of Jewish religious and cultural leadership in the first century world. Among them were the Pharisees, who took the Old Testament as truth from God, but were legalistic and hypocritical; the Saducees, who accepted only the Pentateuch as from God, and denied the reality of the resurrection, spirits and angels; the Levites were the Jews qualified to serve in the Temple and were mostly associated with the Sadducees; the Herodians were Jews who had mostly “secularized” under the influence of Greco-Roman culture—they were largely wealthy and appreciated the sophistication and elite status of associating with Roman officials. Another group mentioned in the New Testament is the Zealots, who were ultra-nationalist Jews who despised Gentiles in general and Romans in particular; they also hated Jews whom they viewed as “collaborators.” Scribes and Lawyers are markers of occupations or professions (copyists and those who rendered legal decisions in relation to Mosaic law); they were mostly associate with the Pharisees.

-John’s big message to the Religious leaders that day was that God’s Messiah would be far more than they expected—and they had better prepare their hearts by repenting of sin and getting their hearts right with God.  No surprise, they didn’t really want to consider that their hearts were not already right with God!  We should be careful to humbly and prayerfully check our hearts daily to make sure that we have confessed all the sin we know about, and are ready to obey God in all areas.

-John knew from day 1 that Jesus was the Son of God and that he himself was just a lowly servant, not even important enough to be in charge of taking care of His shoes.  In those days, only the lowliest servant dealt with people’s footwear, and John humbly knew that he wasn’t even worthy to do that.  Recognizing Who God is and who we are not is always a great place to be.  True humility pleases God; pride causes Him to sorrow and disappointment.

-If you don’t know where Bethany is, look up a Bible times map in your Bible or online.  Familiarize yourself with the places Jesus frequented while on earth.

-Fun Facts:  Nicodemus and the Apostle Paul were two Pharisees who did trust in Jesus as Savior.

-Fun Facts:  John the Baptizer was six months older than Jesus, a cousin, and he and Jesus died at about the same age, their early 30s.

-Fun Facts:  John was not baptizing people as part of their spiritual salvation.  Salvation is by faith alone in Christ alone.  His baptism was more of a ritual cleansing for the Jewish people—an outward action to show a desire to return to covenant loyalty and obedience to God.  In this case, it was to show that they were listening to God and recognized that they needed to get right with God so that they would be able to hear His message (that which Jesus brought to them).

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

-God sent a prophet to instruct the people to prepare their hearts for the advent of His Messiah.

-In the past, God had sent prophets to let the people know that He would send a Deliverer.  No one knew, however, that it would be His own Son, or the price He would have to pay in order for sin to be dealt with.

-I’m not sure if anyone ever counted up the number of times that God told His people to get right with Him, but it was A LOT.

-God Himself came to earth as a Man to teach about Himself and explain how to become a child of God.  He gave His all; He gave His best.

In a nutshell? 

It seems that the Religious leaders spent a lot of time questioning John, but not really listening to what God was telling them through John’s message.  May we be MUCH better listeners when we are studying the Bible and listening to our pastors preach and teach!

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, May 15, 2026

-Pause before starting your Bible study to pray and ask God for help to concentrate on what you are reading, to understand what it is saying, and then to apply it to your life as you go through your day.  Thank Him for the privilege of having a copy of His Word in your language and in your hand!

-Read John 1:29-42

“And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” 20 He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” 21 And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” 22 So they said to him, “Who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” 23 He said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.” 24 (Now they had been sent from the Pharisees.) 25 They asked him, “Then why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” 26 John answered them, “I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know, 27 even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.” 28 These things took place in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is he of whom I said, ​‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’ 31 I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.” 32 And John bore witness: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. 33 I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.”

The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, 36 and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” 37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. 38 Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, “What are you seeking?” And they said to him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?” 39 He said to them, “Come and you will see.” So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour. 40 One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. 41 He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ). 42 He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Cephas” (which means Peter).”

Study Notes:

-(I’ve included additional verses in the chapter for context and continuity.)

-I think that there are probably oodles of things in the Bible that we don’t understand or don’t understand fully simply due to the fact that it was written in a very different place, from a very different time period, with people coming from a very different background.  With that in mind, we tend to tie the word disciple with Jesus and the twelve, but the word means student or follower.  In fact, when we speak of discipling someone, we are talking about teaching them (which in our case, DOES mean about Jesus Christ and what it means to be a Christian).

-Interestingly, John the Baptizer did not know Who he was preparing the way for until the day Jesus came to him to be baptized.  John had apparently gotten word from God that the one on whom the Holy Spirit descended and remained (He did this in the form of a dove), would be the Messiah. What an incredible day that must have been! (You can read more about Jesus’ baptism in Matthew 3, Mark 1, and Luke 3.)

-John the Baptizer was one of the few who knew that Jesus was more than “just” the political Messiah that many Jews were anticipating, He was also the Son of God—deity!  We tend to equate the word Messiah (Hebrew)/Christ (Greek) with deity, but the word means anointed one, and the Jews would have equated that with someone sent from God to save them (and by save them, they thought it meant from Roman oppression and rule).  Few people expected the long-awaited Messiah would be God’s Son.

-The two disciples were Andrew and __ (no one knows for sure!).  I especially love how Andrew’s first thought was to go tell his brother, Peter, this incredible news: the Messiah had come!

-The tenth hour is 4pm.  Did you know that the Hebrew people count a day from sunset to sunset?

-Bible characters often had multiple names.  Sometimes this was because a Hebrew name is also given the Greek version. Sometimes someone’s name is changed entirely.  Sometimes a new name is given to them, such as Simon becoming Cephas/Peter.  Cephas means rock or stone.  Later, we find that Simon Peter would be the foundation for the newly formed church, with Jesus Christ as the Cornerstone.  (Simon is Hebrew, Cephas is Aramaic, and Peter is Greek.)

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

-The Lamb of God refers to the Passover lamb—and why Jesus came: to become the once-for-all time sacrifice for sin.  His death, burial, and resurrection would pay for sin permanently for all who trusted in Him as their Savior.

-Jesus’ death was sufficient to take away the sin of the entire world, Jew and Gentile

-Jesus would baptize in the Holy Spirit (not “with”).

-Jesus is the Son of God.

-Jesus is rightly called Rabbi.  Rabbi is the word for teacher.

In a nutshell? 

John the Baptizer and Andrew were both excited and eager to introduce others to the Son of God.  Are 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.

Saturday, May 16, 2026

-Pause before starting your Bible study to pray and ask God for help to concentrate on what you are reading, to understand what it is saying, and then to apply it to your life as you go through your day.  Thank Him for the privilege of having a copy of His Word in your language and in your hand!

-Read John 1:43-51

The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, 36 and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” 37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. 38 Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, “What are you seeking?” And they said to him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?” 39 He said to them, “Come and you will see.” So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour. 40 One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. 41 He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ). 42 He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Cephas” (which means Peter).”

The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” 44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” 46 Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” 47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” 48 Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” 49 Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” 50 Jesus answered him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” 51 And he said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

Study Notes:

-(I’ve included additional verses in the chapter for context and continuity.)

-Galilee was the region of northern Israel around the Sea of Galilee. Bethsaida (“house of fishing”) was a village on Galilee’s north shore and the home of Peter, Andrew, Nathanael, and Philip.

-Like Andrew the day before, Philip found his friend Nathaniel and beckoned him to come meet Jesus. All these men mentioned are finding family or friends to hear the good news of the arrival of the Messiah.  We, too, should make sure our family, friends, co-workers, and everyone we know, hears all about the Savior and is invited to find out more about Him.

-Nazareth was a tiny and relatively insignificant town, so the idea of the Messiah coming from there just didn’t make sense to the average Jew.

-Philip told Nathanael to come and see.  This is a great reminder that it is JESUS that we need to talk about and focus on when we are witnessing to others.  They need to hear what He had to say (in His Word).  It is Scripture that has the words of life, not us.

-Jesus wasn’t overly impressed with a lot of people He met, but Nathanael was one of them.  Jesus appreciated that he was honest and forthright.  This is a great reminder to us to never be deceitful, less-than-honest, or sneaky in what we say or do.

-Jesus did not use His powers as God while on earth at that time. He relied on what the Father and/or the Holy Spirit revealed to Him.  This is how He knew that Nathanael was under a fig tree when Philip found him.  Nathanael was clearly really impressed, and immediately realized that Jesus was the Son of God and King of Israel.  God loves it when we immediately believe all He says and act on it, too.

-Jesus rewarded Nathanael with a glimpse of what was to come:  great things.  And as we know (because we’ve read the Bible), there were INCREDIBLE things to come into the lives of the Twelve Jesus chose to be His disciples and apostles.  God has marvelous things to show us, too!  We simply need to have an open heart to see them.  His grace and mercy are great every single day!

-The words “truly, truly” (verily, verily) mean, “this is the absolute truth.”  The use of double words in Scripture conveys emphasis.  Be on the lookout for other times Jesus says this in John’s gospel.

-From Constable’s Expository Bible Study Notes, At least 16 different names and titles of Jesus appear in chapter one: the Word (vv. 1, 14), the Light (vv. 7-9), the Only Begotten of the Father (v. 14), Jesus Christ (v. 17), the Only Begotten God (v. 18), the Lord (v. 23), the Lamb of God (vv. 29, 36), a Man (v. 30), the Son of God (v. 34), Rabbi (Teacher, vv. 38, 49), Messiah (v. 41), Jesus of Nazareth (v. 45), the son of Joseph (v. 45), the Son of God (v. 49), the King of Israel (v. 49), and the Son of Man (v. 51). Clearly one of John’s purposes in this Gospel was to draw attention to who Jesus is.

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

-Jesus traveled all over Israel during His time on earth, but He was in the area of Galilee the most.

-Moses and many other Old Testament prophets told of the Messiah Who would one day come.

-Jesus was called Jesus of Nazareth because that’s where He grew up.  He was known as the Son of Joseph, even though Joseph was His adopted father only.

-God the Father and God the Holy Spirit revealed things to Jesus while He was on earth, and gave Him power to do the miracles that God willed Him to do.

-God loves honesty.

-Jesus is the Son of God and the King of Israel.

-God performs miracles all the time!

In a nutshell? 

Have you ever wondered what Jesus might have said about you, had He met you when He was on earth?  Would He be pleased with your good testimony for Him?  Why or why not?

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, May 17, 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.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

-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.

BONUS:

“I Am Thine, O Lord”  (words by F. Crosby; music by W. Doane)

I am Thine, O Lord; I have heard Thy voice, and it told Thy love to me.  But I long to rise in the arms of faith and be closer drawn to Thee.  Draw me nearer, nearer, blessed Lord, to the cross where Thou hast died; draw me nearer, nearer, nearer, blessed Lord, to Thy precious, bleeding side.

Consecrate me now to Thy service, Lord, by the power of grace divine; let my soul look up with a steadfast hope and my will be lost in Thine.  Draw me nearer, nearer, blessed Lord, to the cross where Thou hast died; draw me nearer, nearer, nearer, blessed Lord, to Thy precious, bleeding side.

O the pure delight of a single hour that before Thy throne I spend, when I kneel in prayer, and with Thee, my God, I commune as friend with friend!  Draw me nearer, nearer, blessed Lord, to the cross where Thou hast died; draw me nearer, nearer, nearer, blessed Lord, to Thy precious, bleeding side.

There are depths of love that I cannot know till I cross the narrow sea; there are heights of joy that I may not reach till I rest in peace with Thee.  Draw me nearer, nearer, blessed Lord, to the cross where Thou hast died; draw me nearer, nearer, nearer, blessed Lord, to Thy precious, bleeding side.

(Just a reminder that the focus of our study this year is on knowing God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit better.  As part of this study, we will be working in the Gospel of John for several weeks.)

Monday, May 18, 2026

-Pause before starting your Bible study to pray and ask God for help to concentrate on what you are reading, to understand what it is saying, and then to apply it to your life as you go through your day.  Thank Him for the privilege of having a copy of His Word in your language and in your hand!

-Read John 2:1-12 ​

“On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples. 3 When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” 4 And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” 5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”
6 Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. 7 Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. 8 And he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.” So they took it. 9 When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom 10 and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.” 11 This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him. 12 After this he went down to Capernaum, with his mother and his brothers and his disciples, and they stayed there for a few days.”

Study Notes:

-Weddings in Bible times were huge affairs, often lasting an entire week.  It was a community affair and very well attended.  This account, by the way, is the first recorded miracle Jesus did once He began His public ministry.

-This is the first reference to Mary in relation to Jesus since He was 12 years old.  There is no information given about Jesus from that age until now, when He is about 30 years old.  No one knows what happened to Joseph, but it is assumed he died since there is no further mention of him.  We know that Mary & Joseph had at least 3 more sons and at least 2 daughters, but no specific numbers are given. 

-I’ve always found the dialogue between Jesus and His mother interesting.  It sounds like He isn’t going to do as she wanted (she did sound a tad bossy to me!), but in the end, He did.  One thing I do know is that Jesus only ever did what He did in the timing and will of God the Father—and Jesus would not perform miracles outside of this.  However, He did, so the Father must have given the go-ahead.

-As a kind of a side note here, I think that women need to be careful to not be too bossy, especially in areas where it’s not really our “job” to give orders or take charge.  The application for this caution fits tons of situations, but specifically here, once our “kids” are grown up, they are now responsible for making their own decisions, especially our sons.  We need to be careful to not abuse our position as their mothers in order to force them to do something that God might not want them to do (or in the timing that YOU think best).

-On another side note, if you have grown children who are living for the Lord and following His lead, praise the Lord—and keep praying for them and encouraging them to keep on keeping on!  If not, keep praying for them, and keep living the kind of life that you want them to live (keeping little digs and not-so-subtle hints to yourself).

-All the above being true, I love Mary’s words to the servants, “Do whatever He tells you.”  This should be our daily goal, too, to do ALL that the Lord tells us to do!

-v.10 “drunk,” past tense of drink, “I have had my full and more than enough.”

-The wine mentioned here would not have been alcohol. Would God’s Son wait until everyone was falling over drunk to provide one more keg??? Even those believers who say it’s okay to have alcohol say that it should be a modest amount only, and we should never get drunk.  The word translated as wine is “fruit of the vine,” and means juice.

-v.11 The sign is a miracle that made Jesus’ glory known. 

-v.11 It is here (or potentially before this) that all of Jesus’ disciples trusted in Him as their Savior.  The phrase, “His disciples believed in Him” is actually “into Him.”  That is, they believed Him to be Who He said He was, the Savior of the world, and they had placed their faith in Him.

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

-Jesus had a family and a social life.

-Jesus had disciples who followed Him and learned from Him as He taught about His Father.

-Jesus turned water into the best-tasting juice anyone had ever had before.  This was a miracle.  The Creator of everything changed the composition of water into something else completely. God is not limited by what we might consider “impossible.”  There is nothing that God cannot do.

-Jesus’ actions manifested His glory.

In a nutshell? 

God’s timing is always the right timing.  Our job is to remember this when something feels too soon or too late.  It’s a matter of trust, of faith.  When feeling stressed, remember that our Father is utterly faithful in every area and at all times.

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.

Tuesday, May 19, 2026

-Pause before starting your Bible study to pray and ask God for help to concentrate on what you are reading, to understand what it is saying, and then to apply it to your life as you go through your day.  Thank Him for the privilege of having a copy of His Word in your language and in your hand!

-Read John 2:13-25

“The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers sitting there. 15 And making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen. And he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. 16 And he told those who sold the pigeons, “Take these things away; do not make my Father’s house a house of trade.” 17 His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.”
18 So the Jews said to him, “What sign do you show us for doing these things?” 19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” 20 The Jews then said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?” 21 But he was speaking about the temple of his body. 22 When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.
23 Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing. 24 But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people 25 and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man.”

Study Notes:

-The Passover was a yearly feast that Jews were required to observe.  It has been speculated that some 3 million Jews would have been in Jerusalem for it.  An important part of the feast was sacrificing animals to the Lord, but since traveling long distances with an animal was difficult, markets were opened so people could purchase their sacrificial animal once they arrived. The problem here is that the buying and selling of animals was being done in part of the Temple complex.  If that wasn’t bad enough, there was a lot of cheating and unfair pricing going on, taking advantage of people who wanted to worship God.  Jesus said that it needed to stop!

-There are a few kinds of anger: the fly-off-the-handle-in-a-rage kind, the calculated, I’ll-get-even-no-matter-what kind, and what we would define as righteous anger.  Righteous anger is different because it is anger that is directed at sin and the effects of sin.  This was the kind of anger Jesus demonstrated—and He was definitely never out of control, nor did He sin in His anger.  In fact, Jesus didn’t just find a whip, He fashioned one, which would have taken time and care.  Once done, He drove everyone associated with this money-making endeavor out of His Father’s “house.”  This was the first time Jesus did this.  He did it again the week of His crucifixion.

-You will not be surprised to hear that the Religious leaders were the ones gaining monetarily from the sale of animals and such, therefore, this started their dislike of Jesus, and led to increasing hostility throughout Jesus’ public ministry.

-The Religious leaders wanted to know with what authority Jesus did this, wanting some sort of sign from Him.  His answer was to make a statement that was true, but which wouldn’t be understood by anyone except those who wanted to know spiritual truth/listen to His teaching.  He was speaking about His own death and resurrection, but all they heard was that Jesus was somehow going to raise up a destroyed temple complex in just three years.  It was a massive complex that had taken years and years to build.  They had no idea what He was talking about (later, we find that they had “ears which could not hear” in regard to spiritual truth).

-v.16 is Old Testament prophecy about the Messiah.  It can be found in Psalm 69:9.

-v.22 Sometimes it takes hindsight to understand something God has said to us.

-v.23-25  It’s not entirely certain what was happening here, but we do know that just because someone heard Jesus and were impressed with His miracles, it didn’t mean that they placed their trust in Him as their Savior.  Jesus, as Creator and Savior, certainly understood the struggles in mankind’s hearts—and just how messed up sin made them.  As He said, apart from the help of the Holy Spirit once someone has become saved, our hearts are entirely untrustworthy (even in what they tell ourselves!).

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

-Jesus always obeyed the Law when He was on earth.

-Jesus had zeal for the Father’s House.

-Jesus told everyone that He would be killed and resurrected after three days.  Almost no one understood this.

-Scripture tells us about the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, past, present, and future.

-Jesus did not entrust Himself to humans because He knows all people. He knows what is inside man.

In a nutshell? 

God takes seriously those who are worshiping Him—and those who are interfering with them.  He determines the right way to worship Him, and it should be our joy to obey Him fully in it, being careful to not cause others to stumble.

BONUS:  This passage has made me wonder if it’s a good idea to bring various money-making propaganda to church.  Things like home-party catalogs and party requests, the kid’s school fund-raiser items, Avon catalogs, etc.?  There are six other days every week where we can “talk money.”  Maybe Sunday (especially in church) should be reserved for worshiping the Lord.  Just something to think 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.

Wednesday, May 20, 2026

-Pause before starting your Bible study to pray and ask God for help to concentrate on what you are reading, to understand what it is saying, and then to apply it to your life as you go through your day.  Thank Him for the privilege of having a copy of His Word in your language and in your hand!

-Read John 3:1-21 ​

“Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” 3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
9 Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” 10 Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things? 11 Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony. 12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. 16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. 20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. 21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

Study Notes:

-The Pharisees were among the Religious leaders of that time who adhered strictly to the Law, but maybe more so with the traditions that they had added to the Law.  Nicodemus, specifically, was a member of the Sanhedrin, the ruling body of the Pharisees.

-Because the Religious leaders were not quite sure what to make of Jesus, Nicodemus came to Jesus by night—a bit on the sneaky side.  Being one of the elite Religious leaders was a big deal, and my guess is that he didn’t want to mess up the good thing he had going.  BUT, he was also curious about Jesus’ message.  If what Jesus had to say was true, then he wanted to know it!  While we might feel a bit critical of the whole coming-to-Jesus-by-night thing, the important part is that Nicodemus DID come, he did ask questions, and he did listen to the answers.  God is the only Source of truth, and we ALL need to seek His wisdom and help daily—through studying Scripture, through prayer, through the teaching of our pastors, and through the godly counsel of mature believers.  Jesus never condemned anyone for asking.  His sorrow was when they refused to ask, refused to listen, and refused to obey.  May we always have tender hearts to the things of the Word!

-We know that getting saved is becoming a new creation, but we can easily understand poor Nicodemus’s confusion, hearing everything Jesus said, but not understanding how it could possibly work!  Praise God for His gift to us of being able to be born again!

-You should definitely take the time to read about the serpent in the wilderness to understand how that was a foreshadowing of what Jesus would do for all of mankind.  You can read about it in Number 21:4-9.

-v.15-18 is the gospel clearly presented:  mankind is born condemned due to Adam’s sin, but God sent Jesus to make a way for people to be saved from their just punishment.  How?  Faith.  Belief.  Belief that Jesus took the punishment for sin upon Himself, and paid its price through His death.  The result when someone trusts in Jesus as their personal Savior?  Eternal life instead of the eternal punishment they were destined to.  May we never take this for granted!  God didn’t have to do any of this!  It’s His grace, and His grace alone, that made a way for our salvation to happen!

-v.19-21 gives a bit of a background of just how big a deal what God did was.  Humankind didn’t WANT the light of Jesus!  We LIKED our darkness and wickedness!  It took God’s grace, love, and mercy to save us in spite of ourselves, and bring us to the light.  May we be praying every day to live as lights, and may we be praying every day for all those still in the darkness to come to trust in Christ as their Savior.

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

-v.1-2 When on earth, Jesus WAS a teacher sent by God.  This was evidenced to people because of the miracles (signs) He did.

-v.3-8  There is a kingdom of God that cannot be seen apart from a spiritual rebirth (trusting in Jesus as Savior).

-v.9-18 The Son of Man (Jesus) came from heaven in order to make a way for mankind, who is born condemned to eternity in hell due to sin, to be redeemed.  This redemption is brought about only through belief in Jesus’s death, burial, and resurrection.   All this is due to the Father’s love.

-v.19-21  God is light, all those apart from Him are darkness.

In a nutshell? 

John 3:16 is among the most beloved Bible verses of all time—because it says all we need to know:  God loves us, and because of this love, He sent His Son, the ONLY One Who could pay the price that our sin demanded, so that through His sacrificial death, we could become part of His family for eternity.  All this, simply by believing in the name of Jesus!  Wow!  Who do you know who needs to hear this great news?

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.

Thursday, May 21, 2026

-Pause before starting your Bible study to pray and ask God for help to concentrate on what you are reading, to understand what it is saying, and then to apply it to your life as you go through your day.  Thank Him for the privilege of having a copy of His Word in your language and in your hand!

-Read John 3:22-36

“After this Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean countryside, and he remained there with them and was baptizing. 23 John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because water was plentiful there, and people were coming and being baptized 24 (for John had not yet been put in prison).
25 Now a discussion arose between some of John’s disciples and a Jew over purification. 26 And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, he who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you bore witness—look, he is baptizing, and all are going to him.” 27 John answered, “A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven. 28 You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ​‘I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.’ 29 The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete. 30 He must increase, but I must decrease.”
31 He who comes from above is above all. He who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks in an earthly way. He who comes from heaven is above all. 32 He bears witness to what he has seen and heard, yet no one receives his testimony. 33 Whoever receives his testimony sets his seal to this, that God is true. 34 For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure. 35 The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand. 36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.”

Study Notes:

-v.22 The “after this” is referring to Jesus’ nighttime chat with Nicodemus.

-The baptism that both Jesus and John the Baptizer were doing was not a post-salvation kind of baptism that we do in our churches today.  This was specifically for Jews, and was a baptism of repentance.  It was for those who recognized that they had not been following God’s Law, and wanted to make that right with Him, and get back on track.  Neither kind of baptism “saves” anyone.  Spiritual salvation is through faith alone in Christ alone.  Today’s baptism is a testimony to others of someone’s salvation, as well as a public demonstration of a commitment to live for the Lord for the rest of their lives.  In some churches, baptism is also connected with church membership.  The baptism John and Jesus did was also a public demonstration of a change of heart.  It, too, showed others that someone was serious about living as God wanted.

-This is the only mention of Jesus baptizing in the gospels, although we learn in John 4:2 that it was Jesus’ disciples doing the actual baptizing.

-John the Baptizer pointed out something basic, but super important:  all focus, all glory, and all honor goes to God, and God alone.  What we do, who we are—the complete package—should cause others to look to Christ, and give Him glory.  Part of this is that precious statement that should be emblazoned on all our hearts, “He must increase, but I must decrease.”  In other words, recognizing that we are not the center of everything, He is.

-v.34  The author mentions that Jesus was sent from God 39 times in this book.  Each of the four gospels has a different main point.  John’s was to demonstrate that Jesus is the Son of God (Matthew’s is that Jesus is the King of Israel, Mark’s was that Jesus is the Perfect Servant, and Luke’s is that Jesus is the Perfect Man).

-v.36 John repeats the precious reminder that eternal life comes through faith in the Son of God (and those who refuse to believe in Him remain condemned).

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

-Jesus preached, taught, and baptized during His public ministry on earth.

-Jesus must increase in importance and focus in our lives, while we must decrease.

-God/Jesus is above all.

-Jesus bore witness of heaven, the Father, and all He has seen and heard (yet no one believed Him).

-God is true.

-The Father loves the Son and gave all things into His hand.

-God gives eternal life to those who believe in the name of His Son.

In a nutshell? 

John the Baptizer summed it up nicely, “He must increase, but I must decrease.”  May this be our heart’s cry when we get up in the morning, throughout each and every day, and when we go to bed at night!

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, May 22, 2026

-Pause before starting your Bible study to pray and ask God for help to concentrate on what you are reading, to understand what it is saying, and then to apply it to your life as you go through your day.  Thank Him for the privilege of having a copy of His Word in your language and in your hand!

-Read John 4:1-26 ​

“Now when Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John 2 (although Jesus himself did not baptize, but only his disciples), 3 he left Judea and departed again for Galilee. 4 And he had to pass through Samaria. 5 So he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the field that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 6 Jacob’s well was there; so Jesus, wearied as he was from his journey, was sitting beside the well. It was about the sixth hour.
7 A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” 8 (For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.) 9 The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) 10 Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” 11 The woman said to him, “Sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? 12 Are you greater than our father Jacob? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock.” 13 Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” 15 The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.”
16 Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.” 17 The woman answered him, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’; 18 for you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true.” 19 The woman said to him, “Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.” 21 Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. 22 You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” 25 The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things.” 26 Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am he.”

Study Notes:

-The people of Samaria were, in essence, half-Jews, but because they were not fully Jewish, the Jewish people despised them.  In return, the Samaritans didn’t have very good feelings toward the Jews, either.  For that reason, Jews traveling from the upper part of Israel to the lower part would often go around Samaria rather than through it.  Jesus chose to go through Samaria, and as the story unfolds, we find out why.  Say, do you pray for the Lord to lead your steps each morning?  He may want YOU to take some sort of unplanned detour for His glory and your good.  When those unexpected things happen in your day, rather than fretting because it’s slowing you down, look to the Lord to find out what He wants to teach you or who He might want you to talk to.

-The sixth hour is noon, a very hot time of the day in that land!  Normally, water was drawn early and late, that the woman was out at this time may have meant she wanted to avoid those who knew about her sinful life, but I don’t think that we can deny that on that specific day, it was because God had chosen her for salvation, and she needed to meet with the Lord.

-The town well was a very important part of every community.  Besides the fact that it contained the water that was necessary to remain alive, it was a meeting place for neighbors to catch up.  And in Jesus’ case on that day, a place to rest for a bit.

-Though extremely tired, Jesus didn’t waste the opportunity to speak with the stranger.  He started the conversation by asking a simple request.  What a great example for us!  How many witnessing opportunities might come our way by asking a stranger how they’re doing, or complimenting them on their top, or some other statement that fits the situation?  If we pray in the morning for a chance to speak about the Lord (and that’s a great morning prayer!), we should then be on the lookout for any and all opportunities to name the name of Christ, even if it’s a simple, “Praise the Lord” when someone comments on a nice weather day.  Who knows where it might lead?  On that day in Samaria, an entire town learned about the true Messiah!

-Did you ever notice that Jesus didn’t always say clearly that He is the Messiah—or that He often spoke in parables that would have been very hard to understand?  That’s because Jesus knew the difference between someone who had an open heart and was actually listening to what He was saying, versus those who were listening simply to maybe get to see a miracle, or worse, listening in order to catch Him saying something so they could have Him arrested.  Even as Christians living today, God wants us to read His Word and listen to people teaching from His Word with an open heart that is ready to listen, learn, and grow.  Are you the kind of listener that Jesus would have happily spoken with for hours?

-Another great example in speaking with people that Jesus gave here was not allowing Himself to get distracted from the most important thing this woman needed to hear.  She brought up several topics that could provide debate for hours, but Jesus knew that what she REALLY needed was a Savior, to trust in Him.  This is something we need to remember, too. When someone knows we are a Christian, there may be all sorts of topics they want to discuss:  evolution, global warming, the state of our nation and world, gender issues, and dozens of other things, but what they NEED is to know that we are all born sinners, and unless we trust in Christ for salvation, we are condemned to spending eternity in the Lake of Fire.

-Have you ever considered that you may well get the chance to speak with this woman in glory?  To hear her testimony about coming to know Christ?  Did you remember that you, too, have a testimony that you can share with her?  How the Holy Spirit opened your eyes to your need of a Savior, then how God blessed you richly as His child throughout your life?

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

-Jesus never stopped being God, but as a Man, He got tired, hungry, and thirsty.

-Jesus didn’t ostracize people for reasons that the society at that time did.  As a Jewish male and a Rabbi (Teacher), according to social standards, He shouldn’t have spoken with a Samaritan woman.  However, Jesus did what the Father directed, and the Father loves all people and wants all people to come to know Christ as Savior.

-Jesus is able to give living water.  Jesus IS Living Water. 

-Jesus sometimes knew things about people that only a prophet of God could have known (someone who had been given information only God could give).  He didn’t use His divine power to do this, but the power of the Holy Spirit (while a Man).

-Salvation is of the Jews, because Jesus was a Jew.

-Jesus was alluding to the Church in vv. 21-24.

-The Father is seeking people to worship Him in spirit and truth (spirit and truth are two aspects in one, not “in spirit” and “in truth”).

-Jesus said to those who were truly listening, that He is I AM, Yahweh, God.

In a nutshell? 

God the Father used the fatigue and thirst of Jesus to tell some “random” woman living in Samaria the truth of Who Jesus was and why He had come.  That same God cares about YOU as a person.  You are not random 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.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

-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, May 23, 2026

-Pause before starting your Bible study to pray and ask God for help to concentrate on what you are reading, to understand what it is saying, and then to apply it to your life as you go through your day.  Thank Him for the privilege of having a copy of His Word in your language and in your hand!

-Read John 4:27–45

“Now when Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John (although Jesus himself did not baptize, but only his disciples), 3 he left Judea and departed again for Galilee. 4 And he had to pass through Samaria. 5 So he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the field that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 6 Jacob’s well was there; so Jesus, wearied as he was from his journey, was sitting beside the well. It was about the sixth hour.
7 A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” 8 (For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.) 9 The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) 10 Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” 11 The woman said to him, “Sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? 12 Are you greater than our father Jacob? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock.” 13 Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” 15 The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.”
16 Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.” 17 The woman answered him, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’; 18 for you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true.” 19 The woman said to him, “Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.” 21 Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. 22 You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” 25 The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things.” 26 Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am he.”

Just then his disciples came back. They marveled that he was talking with a woman, but no one said, “What do you seek?” or, “Why are you talking with her?” 28 So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people, 29 “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?” 30 They went out of the town and were coming to him.
31 Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.” 32 But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” 33 So the disciples said to one another, “Has anyone brought him something to eat?” 34 Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work. 35 Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest. 36 Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. 37 For here the saying holds true, ​‘One sows and another reaps.’ 38 I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.”
39 Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me all that I ever did.” 40 So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days. 41 And many more believed because of his word. 42 They said to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.”
43 After the two days he departed for Galilee. 44 (For Jesus himself had testified that a prophet has no honor in his own hometown.) 45 So when he came to Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him, having seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the feast. For they too had gone to the feast.

Study Notes:

-(I’ve included additional verses in the chapter for context and continuity.)

-I don’t know if it’s true, but I’ve always pictured this woman scurrying away once the disciples returned (which would have been the right thing to do socially as one woman among so many men, especially since they were all Jews). But, and this is a big “but,” she didn’t keep the good news of the Savior to herself.  She told a bunch of people what Jesus said and did, eventually resulting in many people getting saved.  Who knows what impact our simple words of sharing what Jesus has done for us will lead to!  We simply need to be faithful.  God does all the work in people’s hearts and lives.

-Meanwhile… the poor disciples were a bit confused, and a bit too focused on the physical.  Because of that, they had trouble grasping the spiritual truths Jesus was trying to convey.  We too quickly get caught up in our to-do lists, our plans, and the busyness of our lives, and sometimes don’t give prayer and Bible reading the time and attention they need.  Too, it’s far too easy to hear some great point in a sermon and think of “someone” who really ought to be listening to it, while not realizing that maybe we are the ones who need to hear it more.

-Jesus said that His “food” was to do the will of Him Who sent Him and to accomplish His Work.  As Christians, Ephesians 2:10 says that God has jobs for us to do for Him during our lives, too.  Sometimes we can figure some of them out (such as the clear “job” of a wife is to give her best to her husband, helping him in the tasks God has assigned him, and as a mom, to raise your children up in the fear and admonition of the Lord).  Other times, it’s a bit of a mystery.  However, I’ve going to give you a huge hint.  It is AS we are faithfully living for the Lord, trusting Him and obeying Him, that these jobs will show up.  You may not even recognize them as jobs, but ALL we do for the Lord will be used in mighty ways by Him, and all we do for Him pleases Him, brings Him glory, and earns rewards in heaven.  A daily morning prayer for God’s help in knowing and obeying the will of the Father is an excellent plan.

-vv. 37-38 are a reminder that we may not always see results in the people we invest in, but on the other hand, we may see results in someone’s life who others have invested in.  Basically put, our job is to testify of Christ, how people respond is between them and the Lord.

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

-Jesus’ primary focus while ministering on earth was to do the will of the Father and accomplish the task He was sent to do.

-God expects Christians to tell others about Christ.

-Jesus is the Savior of the world.

-Jesus was often not welcomed by His own people, the Jews.  Gentiles, however, generally DID welcome Him.

In a nutshell? 

Jesus cares about all people, and He cares about each and every person.  He wants everyone to trust in Him as Savior.  Once we do, He wants us to tell others about Him so that they, too, can become part of God’s eternal family.

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, May 24, 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.

BONUS:

“At the Name of Jesus”  (words by C. Noel; music by S. Hamilton)

At the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, every tongue confess Him, King of glory now.  Praise and adoration to the living Word, Who from the beginning was the mighty Lord.

Humbled for a season in the form of man, left His throne in glory, suffered as the Lamb.  On the cross of Calvary dying in our place, Jesus paid the ransom through His matchless grace.

We should all adore Him, give to Him our praise, in our hearts enthrone Him, follow all His ways.  Praise the King of heaven, holy is His name; He will come in power all His own to claim.

Let us love and serve Him, we who are His own, tell of His salvation, make His glories known; by His grace be faithful in this final hour, trust Him for the victory through His might and power.

(Just a reminder that the focus of our study this year is on knowing God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit better.  As part of this study, we will be working in the Gospel of John for several weeks.)

Monday, May 25, 2026

-Pause before starting your Bible study to pray and ask God for help to concentrate on what you are reading, to understand what it is saying, and then to apply it to your life as you go through your day.  Thank Him for the privilege of having a copy of His Word in your language and in your hand!

-Read John 4:46-54

“So he came again to Cana in Galilee, where he had made the water wine. And at Capernaum there was an official whose son was ill. 47 When this man heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went to him and asked him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. 48 So Jesus said to him, “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.” 49 The official said to him, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” 50 Jesus said to him, “Go; your son will live.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went on his way. 51 As he was going down, his servants met him and told him that his son was recovering. 52 So he asked them the hour when he began to get better, and they said to him, “Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.” 53 The father knew that was the hour when Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live.” And he himself believed, and all his household. 54 This was now the second sign that Jesus did when he had come from Judea to Galilee.”

Study Notes:

-Jesus had been in Judea preaching and teaching, but then He decided to return to Galilee to avoid too much conflict with the Religious leaders (since it was not time for all that to ramp up yet).  He traveled through Samaria, where several people got saved.  He is now back in Cana, where an official came from Capernaum to ask Him to heal his son. (He was probably on the staff of King Herod in some capacity.) The walk from Judea to Galilee was anywhere from one day’s long walk (5-8 hours), to a day or two, depending on where you began, where you ended, and how fast you could walk.  Jesus did a LOT of walking in His life and would have been very fit!

-Aren’t you thankful that we don’t need to be in Jesus’ literal presence for Him to heal, hear, and take care of us and our loved ones!  Although the official wanted Jesus to go to his son, Jesus didn’t need to be there to save his life.  The official learned about faith, the healing powers of the Lord, and God’s mercy that day.

-Because of this man’s testimony of faith, not only did he believe in Jesus, so did his entire household.  This would include family and servants, but I’m sure that other townspeople heard and believed.  We never know how our testimony of God’s goodness and grace will be used in the hearts and lives of others.  Bravely speak His praises!

-As noted by John, this was Jesus’ second recorded miracle once He began His full-time ministry.

-It doesn’t please God when people ask Him to prove Himself.  He wants us to simply trust Him and obey Him.

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

-Jesus traveled a lot during His public ministry and spoke with many people.

-Jesus didn’t want people to believe He was the Messiah because He could do miracles.  Actually, the miracles were part of the proof that all Jews needed to identify a true prophet from God versus someone who simply said they were from God.  Once someone was proven to be from God, the people were supposed to believe the message that God was giving through that prophet.  What was Jesus’ message?  That He was the Son of God and the Savior from sin.

-All that Jesus said would happen did happen.

-Jesus did many miracles throughout  His public ministry.

In a nutshell? 

Our God is compassionate and kind.  More than that, He can do anything.  Our job is to trust and obey.

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.

Tuesday, May 26, 2026

-Pause before starting your Bible study to pray and ask God for help to concentrate on what you are reading, to understand what it is saying, and then to apply it to your life as you go through your day.  Thank Him for the privilege of having a copy of His Word in your language and in your hand!

-Read John 5:1-18 ​

“After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
2 Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Aramaic called Bethesda, which has five roofed colonnades. 3 In these lay a multitude of invalids—blind, lame, and paralyzed. 5 One man was there who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?” 7 The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me.” 8 Jesus said to him, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” 9 And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked.
Now that day was the Sabbath. 10 So the Jews said to the man who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath, and it is not lawful for you to take up your bed.” 11 But he answered them, “The man who healed me, that man said to me, ‘Take up your bed, and walk.’” 12 They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Take up your bed and walk’?” 13 Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, as there was a crowd in the place. 14 Afterward Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, “See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you.” 15 The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had healed him. 16 And this was why the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because he was doing these things on the Sabbath. 17 But Jesus answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I am working.” 18 This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.”

Study Notes:

-v. 1 All Jewish men were required to attend three Jewish feasts/festivals every year in Jerusalem:  Passover, Booths, and Pentecost.  We don’t know which feast this was.

-v. 2 Jerusalem was surrounded by high walls with several gates, which allowed people and animals access.  The Sheep Gate was along the northern part of the wall. A pool was located near this gate.  People had placed columns and a roof over it.  It was a gathering place for invalids, because there was a common belief that if someone got into the water when it bubbled, they would be healed. 

-For reasons known only to God, Jesus targeted just one man that day that we know of.  This man had been paralyzed for 38 years, but when Jesus told him to get up and walk, he was healed perfectly, and could not only walk, but was strong enough to carry his mat.  This is a miracle.  In most cases, this person would need months, if not years, of physical therapy to learn to walk again, and to make his muscles strong enough to carry something, but a true miracle is perfect and complete healing.  This is something only God can do (though it’s certainly true that regular slow healing is also a gift from His hand).

-v. 9 Jesus never broke God’s Law, however, over the centuries, the Religious leaders had added hundreds of man-made rules to what the Law said, eventually giving far more importance to their add-ons than God’s Word itself.  Jesus pointed this out to them regularly, and they definitely did not appreciate it.  They had a huge problem with pride!  And to be fair, in this day and age, not very many people appreciate being told they were wrong.  We need to follow Jesus’ example and be bold in the matters of testifying about our Lord, but humble in areas that are personal or inconsequential in the grand scheme of things.

-v. 14 Although we can’t say that every illness or injury is due to sin, it sometimes is, and was in this particular case.  In fact, it’s hard to say if this man ever softened his heart to the Lord, since once he found out that it was Jesus Who healed him, he ran off to report to the Jews Who had healed him.  He most likely did this to save his own skin, since he didn’t want to be punished for “working” on the Sabbath.

-v. 17 Jesus made a clear statement of deity here, claiming to be the Son of God, and claiming that He has the same right to work on the Sabbath as God the Father did.  Don’t you wonder how their lives would have been different if they just believed Jesus that day?  Before we tsk too loudly, we need to humbly acknowledge that we don’t always believe what God has said in His Word either.  If we did, why would we sometimes choose to not obey it?  Why would we question His character or actions?

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

-Jesus obeyed all of God’s Laws, including attending the required feasts.

-Of the “multitude” of invalids present that day, Jesus chose one to heal.  God has a reason and a purpose for all He does, even the giving of grace and mercy to some and not all.

-Jesus did many miracles during His time on earth.

-God does not want anyone to sin.  There are consequences when we do.

-God has work He does—some of that is keeping us alive and well, and holding our world together!

-Jesus is God’s Son, God, and equal with God.

In a nutshell? 

God’s grace is such a gift!   That He would choose you and me to become His children after opening our eyes to the need of a Savior!  We should never take His grace for granted.  Gratitude should be in our hearts and on our lips daily.

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.

Wednesday, May 27, 2026

-Pause before starting your Bible study to pray and ask God for help to concentrate on what you are reading, to understand what it is saying, and then to apply it to your life as you go through your day.  Thank Him for the privilege of having a copy of His Word in your language and in your hand!

-Read John 5:19-29

15 The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had healed him. 16 And this was why the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because he was doing these things on the Sabbath. 17 But Jesus answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I am working.” 18 This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.

“So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise. 20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel. 21 For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will. 22 For the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, 23 that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. 24 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.
25 “Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. 26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. 27 And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. 28 Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice 29 and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.”

Study Notes:

-(I’ve included additional verses in the chapter for context and continuity.)

-Jesus did not back down from explaining to the Jews Who He was, what His mission was, or that it was God the Father Who was calling the shots.  Jesus also explained pretty clearly that those who trust in Him as Savior can look forward to eternal life with Him and the Father, but those who don’t remain condemned to judgment; that is, eternity in the Lake of Fire.

-In v.21, Jesus’ will is so closely linked with the Father’s as to be identical.  It should be our earnest desire to slowly, but surely, be working toward the goal of wanting only what Jesus wants so that our will is closely linked with His.

-One of the things that Jesus did while His body was in the tomb after His crucifixion, was to go to Hades, the place where everyone ever born went after their death.  Hades has two sides, one side (Hades proper) is for all who have not trusted God that He would send a Savior.  The other side, Paradise (also sometimes referred to as Abraham’s Bosom), is where those who have trusted God that a Savior would be coming to take their sin away.  When Jesus arrived there after His death, He led all the believers to heaven, where they are now.  Paradise is currently empty, because since that time, everyone who is a Christian goes directly to heaven upon their death.  Hades proper, however, is still being filled.  One day, everyone there will face the final judgment.  Because their names are not in the Lamb’s Book of Life, they will be thrown into the Lake of Fire and be there for all of eternity.  We need to tell people how to avoid this horrific end!

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

-Jesus did not act according to His own will while on earth, but the Father’s.

-Jesus imitated all the Father did.  (We should be doing that, too!  See Ephesians 5:1)

-The Father loves the Son.

-Part of why the Father had the Son do certain things was so that you and I would marvel (and, of course, give Him great glory).

-Jesus gives life to whom He will.  Jesus IS life.

-Jesus is the One Who will judge sin.

-God the Father and God the Son deserve all honor at all times.  To not honor One is to not honor the Other.

-Jesus came to bring eternal life to all who believe Him.

-God has life in Himself.

In a nutshell? 

Jesus said, “Truly, truly” three times in this section.  He is saying, “Listen up!  This is true—and this is critical to know and understand!”  The question is, are we truly listening to all He says?

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.

Thursday, May 28, 2026

-Pause before starting your Bible study to pray and ask God for help to concentrate on what you are reading, to understand what it is saying, and then to apply it to your life as you go through your day.  Thank Him for the privilege of having a copy of His Word in your language and in your hand!

-Read John 5:30-47

“So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise. 20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel. 21 For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will. 22 For the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, 23 that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. 24 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.
25 “Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. 26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. 27 And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. 28 Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice 29 and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.”

“I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me. 31 If I alone bear witness about myself, my testimony is not true. 32 There is another who bears witness about me, and I know that the testimony that he bears about me is true. 33 You sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth. 34 Not that the testimony that I receive is from man, but I say these things so that you may be saved. 35 He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light. 36 But the testimony that I have is greater than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to accomplish, the very works that I am doing, bear witness about me that the Father has sent me. 37 And the Father who sent me has himself borne witness about me. His voice you have never heard, his form you have never seen, 38 and you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe the one whom he has sent. 39 You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, 40 yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life. 41 I do not receive glory from people. 42 But I know that you do not have the love of God within you. 43 I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not receive me. If another comes in his own name, you will receive him. 44 How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God? 45 Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. There is one who accuses you: Moses, on whom you have set your hope. 46 For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me. 47 But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?”

Study Notes:

-(I’ve included additional verses in the chapter for context and continuity.)

-Although there is a lot of important doctrine here, I believe we could summarize it by asserting that Jesus is saying that the people were choosing to believe one another about Who He was, rather than what He was telling them, what He was doing (miracles that only someone from God could do), what God has prophesied about in His Word (which would be the Old Testament for them), and what God has told them through John the Baptizer’s preaching in the wilderness.  There was AMPLE evidence that Jesus was Who He said He was, but they chose to listen to sinful, fallen man.  I’m sure that made satan very happy!

-Have you ever noticed how people tend to listen to non-experts over experts, maybe especially if they don’t WANT to believe what the expert is telling them?  For example, the doctor might say to begin to use a special lotion for extra dry skin, but the person listens instead to their friend’s cousin who swears by bacon grease.  Then there’s car advice given by your hairdresser, or great haircare advice given by your dental hygienist.  That’s not to say that these people aren’t right, but we sometimes tend to buck authority, or just feel that we “know what’s right for me” (which is something the internet HIGHLY encourages, but may not be what GOD says!).

-Lotions, good car care, and taking care of hair and bodies are important, it’s part of being a good steward about what God has entrusted to us. However, what really matters is that our Source for knowing how to think, act, speak, and live absolutely HAS TO BE God’s Word.  We DO NOT know “what’s right for me” apart from it.  We all need to be in God’s Word daily, do our dead level best to not miss church services, take advantage of fellowships, Bible studies, and meetings with other faithful Christians, and bring EVERY thought and concern to the Father in prayer BEFORE acting.  He is the One Who actually knows what’s best—and He is the One Who loves us more than anyone else.  Today—and forever.

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

-While on earth, Jesus never acted on His own.  He always did what the Father willed.

-God’s judgment is just.

-Many bore witness that Jesus was Who He said He was: the Son of God, the Son of Man, the Savior (Messiah).

-God desires that all people get saved.

-Jesus’ testimony is greater than people’s.

-What Jesus did testifies that He is Who He said He was.

-The Bible testifies that Jesus is Who He said He was.

-Jesus came in His Father’s name.

In a nutshell? 

Believe God at His word, and a whole lot of confusion, pain, and heartache will be avoided.

Application Time!

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

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-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, May 29, 2026

-Pause before starting your Bible study to pray and ask God for help to concentrate on what you are reading, to understand what it is saying, and then to apply it to your life as you go through your day.  Thank Him for the privilege of having a copy of His Word in your language and in your hand!

-Read John 6:1-15 ​

“After this Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias. 2 And a large crowd was following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick. 3 Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples. 4 Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand. 5 Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a large crowd was coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?” 6 He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do. 7 Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread would not be enough for each of them to get a little.” 8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, 9 “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?” 10 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, about five thousand in number. 11 Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated. So also the fish, as much as they wanted. 12 And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost.” 13 So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves left by those who had eaten. 14 When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!”
15 Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself.”

Study Notes:

-First, can you IMAGINE the doorbell ringing, and when you open the door, FIVE THOUSAND people were outside coming for supper?  I’ve fed a lot of people in my day (a lot!!!), but I confess freely that 5,000 would rattle me.  =) 

What to do?  What to do?

Well, that was the disciples’ dilemma, but the answer for them is the same answer for me when I have a problem, big or little: bring in to the Lord.  Ask Him to deal with it.  Seek His will in the matter.

Jesus gave them a chance, you know.  In verse 5, He asked Philip about buying bread.  Other gospel writers note that the disciples scrambled a bit trying to figure out the answer—when Jesus, the Son of God, the Creator, was literally right in front of them.  They just needed to ask.  They just needed to act on what they already knew about their faithful God.

We definitely can’t come down too hard on the disciples, because how often do we get worried, frazzled, or angry before doing what we should have done first, turn to the Lord in prayer, seeking wisdom and help?  The disciples learned a lesson that day from the Lord (He can do ANYTHING) – and they TAUGHT you and me a lesson that day.  Turn to the Lord first, trusting Him fully, following His commands to the T.

Fun Facts/Things to Consider:

-The Sea of Galilee is also sometimes known as the Sea of Tiberias.  I crossed it in a boat in 1983!

-Sometimes the challenges that come our way are actually a test of our faith in God, and are not, as we too often think, some sort of punishment from God.  He doesn’t operate like that.

-Money isn’t always the answer.  Jesus took the little they had and made it much.  When we have a need of some kind, rather than rushing out to purchase something new, consider what you already have that could perhaps work just as well—or better.

-There were probably MANY more people eating that day than 5,000.  That number was just the men.  There would have been wives and children, too.

-Jesus gave thanks for the food.  Do you?  Do you pray before meals sincerely, or are you just repeating words you’ve said a thousand times before without really paying attention to what you’re saying or Who you are saying them to?

-When God is the One providing, there’s always “enough,” and often, a lot more than that.  This story is similar to how God fed the Israelites manna in the wilderness. There was enough for everyone then, too.  Read about it in Exodus 16.

-Jesus didn’t waste the leftovers.  Are we good stewards with what He blesses us with?

-Jesus thanked God for the food BEFORE it was multiplied. Do we pause and appreciate it when God does something huge for us?  How about “just” the regular things, things like food, air to breathe, a house to live in, family…?

-Our timing may not be God’s timing; God’s timing may not be ours.  The important difference is that He is God and we’re not.  We need to remind ourselves of this fairly often.

-You can read parallel accounts of this here: Matthew 14:13-21; Mark 6:30-44; Luke 9:10-17.

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

-Jesus often had massive crowds of people following Him.  They were there mostly to get healed or watch Him heal others.  Comparatively, not that many were there to listen to Him teach about His Father.

-Jesus was aware and was concerned about the physical needs of the crowds. He cares about you and me, too.

-Jesus was organized.

-Jesus thanked the Father for things.

-Jesus didn’t waste what God provided.

-Jesus allowed people to learn how to be servants.

-Jesus lived by God’s timetable.  This included not allowing Himself to become King before the right time.

In a nutshell? 

Go to God first, then faithfully do what you know He wants you to do.  He will provide the what, when, and how.  Trust 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.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

-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, May 30, 2026

-Pause before starting your Bible study to pray and ask God for help to concentrate on what you are reading, to understand what it is saying, and then to apply it to your life as you go through your day.  Thank Him for the privilege of having a copy of His Word in your language and in your hand!

-Read John 6:16-21

“Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated. So also the fish, as much as they wanted. 12 And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost.” 13 So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves left by those who had eaten. 14 When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!”
15 Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself.”

When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, 17 got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. 18 The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing. 19 When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were frightened. 20 But he said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” 21 Then they were glad to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.”

Study Notes:

-(I’ve included additional verses in the chapter for context and continuity.)

-For whatever reason, I always picture Jesus feeding the 5,000 as happening in the evening when it’s getting dark.  Maybe that’s because it’s already dark by supper time a good deal of the year in New England!  My wrong mental picture, however, is a reminder to pay attention to context and what the Bible says, so that your mental pictures are as accurate as they can be.  It’s also wise (and a lot of fun!) to have a good Bible-times dictionary or encyclopedia so that you can have a better understanding of what life was like in Israel at the time of the different events.  Rose’s Book of Bible Charts and Maps is an excellent resource (and is available at Walmart).

-Because Jesus had gone by Himself to the mountain (which He loved to do so that He could have time in prayer), the disciples were sent to return to Capernaum, their home base, across the Sea of Galilee.

-The Sea of Galilee is notorious for extremely strong winds coming up suddenly, causing tremendous danger for any boats on it at that time.

-I know that the disciples get a lot of guff for not always “getting it,” but I admit freely that if I saw someone walking ON THE WATER in a storm, I’d be getting a major adrenaline squirt, too!  (by the way, this was around 3:00 in the morning—a time when scary things seem even scarier!)

-The most important sentence comes next, “It is I; do not be afraid.”  Jesus makes THE difference.  Just knowing He’s our Savior, He’s watching over us all the time, He’s interceding on our behalf before the Father, and we are part of the family of God, is definitely enough to reassure us when stressed, give direction when confused, give us comfort when sad, and cause tremendous rejoicing even when our world is all whack-a-doodle.

-The disciples were glad to take Jesus into the boat!  What a good reminder that we’re never alone.  The Lord is with us 24/7.  Trying to do things on our own is unnecessary—and foolish.

-One minute, the boat was in tremendous danger of going under, and the disciples were in great fear of their lives, BUT GOD.  Once Jesus was in the boat, they were immediately not only safe, but they were at the land to which they were going.  God is good.  Always.

BONUS: 

The gospel of Matthew gives additional information of this event.

Matthew 14:22-33   “Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. 23 And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, 24 but the boat by this time was a long way from the land, beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them. 25 And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. 26 But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear. 27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.”
28 And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” 29 He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” 31 Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” 32 And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. 33 And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

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

-Jesus could walk on water.  He created it—why not!

-The elements have no choice but to obey their Creator.

-Jesus told the disciples to not be afraid because it was He.  This is literally, I AM, God’s name.  Jesus is God, the Self-existing One; the Eternal One.

In a nutshell? 

Those who belong to Jesus have no need to fear.  We have an utterly trustworthy God Who only always does what is for our good and for His glory.  Our job is simply to trust Him and obey 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.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

-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, May 31, 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.

BONUS:

Master, the Tempest is Raging (words by M. Baker; music by H. Palmer)

Master, the tempest is raging!  The billows are tossing high!  The sky is o’er shadowed with blackness, no shelter or help is nigh.  Carest Thou not that we perish?  How canst Thou lie asleep when each moment so madly is threating a grave in the angry deep? 

The winds and the waves shall obey Thy will; Peace, be still!  Whether the wrath of the storm-tossed sea, or demons, or men, or whatever it be, no water can swallow the ship where lies the Master of ocean and earth and skies.  They all shall sweetly obey Thy will.  Peace, be still!  Peace, be still!  They all shall sweetly obey Thy will.  Peace, peace, be still!

Master, with anguish of spirit, I bow in my grief today.  The depths of my sad heart are troubled, O waken and save, I pray!  Torrents of sin and of anguish sweep o’er my sinking soul!  And I perish!  I perish, dear Master, O hasten and take control! 

The winds and the waves shall obey Thy will; Peace, be still!  Whether the wrath of the storm-tossed sea, or demons, or men, or whatever it be, no water can swallow the ship where lies the Master of ocean and earth and skies.  They all shall sweetly obey Thy will.  Peace, be still!  Peace, be still!  They all shall sweetly obey Thy will.  Peace, peace, be still!

Master, the terror is over, the elements sweetly rest. Earth’s sun in the calm lake is mirrored, and heaven’s within my breast.  Linger, O blessed Redeemer, leave me alone no more; and with joy I shall make the blest harbor and rest on the blissful shore.

The winds and the waves shall obey Thy will; Peace, be still!  Whether the wrath of the storm-tossed sea, or demons, or men, or whatever it be, no water can swallow the ship where lies the Master of ocean and earth and skies.  They all shall sweetly obey Thy will.  Peace, be still!  Peace, be still!  They all shall sweetly obey Thy will.  Peace, peace, be still!

“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

June 1, 2026

Dear Student of the Word,

Welcome to the sixth month of study on knowing God. If you’ve just joined us, we are in pursuit of knowing God better—and using His Word to do so. 

Here is what we have studied this far this year:

-Commands involving what God wants us to know (truth about Him and general truth),

-Assorted verses that talk about the Father, Son, & Holy Spirit (separately & together),

-What the Gospel of John teaches about the Lord (our current study—which will take a few months).

It is my earnest prayer that this study is a huge blessing to you, and that it draws you to a closer and more sweet relationship with the Lord.

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).

Thank you 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.

-The ladies at FBC meet to review our work together once a month.  You are welcome to join us if you find yourself in the North Conway area.  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.

Monday, June 1, 2026

-Pause before starting your Bible study to pray and ask God for help to concentrate on what you are reading, to understand what it is saying, and then to apply it to your life as you go through your day.  Thank Him for the privilege of having a copy of His Word in your language and in your hand!

-Read John 6:22-34

16 When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, 17 got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. 18 The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing. 19 When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were frightened. 20 But he said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” 21 Then they were glad to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.

22 On the next day the crowd that remained on the other side of the sea saw that there had been only one boat there, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone. 23 Other boats from Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. 24 So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum, seeking Jesus.
25 When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” 26 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. 27 Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.” 28 Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” 29 Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” 30 So they said to him, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform? 31 Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ​‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” 32 Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 34 They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.”

Study Notes:

-(I’ve included additional verses in the chapter for context and continuity.)

-I wonder where all those people slept that night?  Did they eat the 12 baskets of leftovers for breakfast?  HOW did that many people find their way to Capernaum?  That must have been a lot of boats!

-There are a couple of important points from this passage that we’ll get to, but even though a good deal of the crowd that worked hard to find Jesus again may have done it with wrong motives, I really appreciate their determination.  They were (presumably) far from home, they didn’t have many provisions with them, there was a sea between them and their goal (and they didn’t know for sure Jesus was even there), YET they found a way to find Him, so sincere was their desire to be with Him.  So, fast forward some 2,000 years.  We have church services scheduled at the same time week after week (so, there shouldn’t be any “accidental” appointments scheduled that conflict with it), for the lion’s share of us, the building isn’t too far away (AND we have cars to jump in for speed and comfort)…  Basically, we just need to get up, get dressed, get there, and go in and sit down.  Very little effort is needed to HEAR GOD’S WORD.  I’m guessing that the people who had to work hard to get to Jesus would be a little jealous of just how easy it is for us to come and worship God.  I’m guessing they might be kind of shocked and disappointed at just how easily we decide to skip services or come in crazy late.  Just something to prayerfully consider.  God gives EVERYTHING to us, what are we sacrificing for Him?

-Tomorrow’s study goes into more detail about what Jesus wanted them to hear about Bread from Heaven, but notice in verse 29 that Jesus said quite clearly that salvation comes from believing in Him; that He is the One Who gives life to the world. 

-The crowd was primarily interested in what they could get out of Jesus, especially free food.  However, Jesus wanted them to understand essential spiritual truths.  This is often still true of people today, and our “do this and give me that” prayer lists may reflect this.  While it’s most definitely okay to pray for physical needs, we know (because God told us) that He cares for all our true needs.  This frees us up to talk to Him about more important things, our spiritual health and that of our loved ones.

-The seal mentioned in verse 27 is God giving Jesus authority to speak and act on His behalf.

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

-Jesus didn’t answer all the questions asked of Him, especially if the person asking had no intention of believing what He said, if they were asking for selfish reasons, or if they were trying to trick Him into saying something they could arrest Him for.

-God knows the motives of our hearts.

-God wants us to focus on eternal values first and foremost.

-Jesus is the Giver of eternal life.  God wants everyone to place their trust in Jesus as their Savior.

-God the Father gave Jesus His seal, that is, authority to represent Him in all areas.

-God is the One Who provides for all needs, physically and spiritually.

-Jesus is the Bread from Heaven; the Bread of God.

In a nutshell? 

It’s SO EASY to focus on the million-and-one things that vie for our attention all day long, but if we want to give our best to all of that, our focus must first be on Jesus Christ and the Word of God.  When He is the reason why we do what we do, all will fall into place exactly as God wills.

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.

Tuesday, June 2, 2026

-Pause before starting your Bible study to pray and ask God for help to concentrate on what you are reading, to understand what it is saying, and then to apply it to your life as you go through your day.  Thank Him for the privilege of having a copy of His Word in your language and in your hand!

-Read John 6:35-59

30 So they said to him, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform? 31 Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ​‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” 32 Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 34 They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.”
35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. 36 But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. 37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. 38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. 40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”
41 So the Jews grumbled about him, because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” 42 They said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” 43 Jesus answered them, “Do not grumble among yourselves. 44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. 45 It is written in the Prophets, ​‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me— 46 not that anyone has seen the Father except he who is from God; he has seen the Father. 47 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 50 This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”
52 The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” 53 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. 55 For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. 56 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread the fathers ate, and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” 59 Jesus said these things in the synagogue, as he taught at Capernaum.

Study Notes:

-(I’ve included additional verses in the chapter for context and continuity.)

– “I AM the Bread of Life” is one of the seven famous and critically important “I AMs” of Jesus Christ.  He is the Resurrection and the Life, the Door, the Light of the World, the Good Shepherd, the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and the True Vine—all found in the gospel of John.  Each is a clear statement of deity, since I AM is God’s name, revealed first to Moses in Exodus 3.

-Today, we have huge grocery stores we can visit, many open 24 hours a day. We have online stores that deliver food to us within an hour, if necessary.  We have restaurants that will send our choices through services like DoorDash, and we usually have pantries and freezers with all sorts of food items to choose from.  This was definitely NOT the case in Bible times.  Everything they ate was hard to come by and represented a lot of hard labor.  As such, bread was their number one food, and it was eaten at every meal.  By the way, it bore no resemblance whatsoever to sliced white bread.  It was very hearty loaves of whole grain, primarily barley, but also wheat and sometimes spelt.  With this in mind, for Jesus to say that He was the Bread of Life was a VERY big deal—and would have made a huge impact on all the listeners.

-While Jesus wasn’t saying He was literally bread to eat (although He is the One Who provides all our needs!), He was saying that He is the means of eternal life. This is far more important than the bread that they relied on to live physically.  But they, like us, tend to have trouble seeing the value of eternal truths over the here-and-now wants, needs, and desires that we all have from day to day.  Jesus wanted them to accept what was THE biggest gift of ALL TIME, while they wanted a source of food, a quick way to get well from sickness, and someone who would overthrow Roman rule.

-This passage is LOADED with assurance of eternal security to all who place their trust in Jesus Christ as Savior (v.37, 38, 39, 40, 44, 47, 50, 51, 54, 58).  Our security isn’t based on our feeble attempts to hold Christ, but His sure grip on us! AMEN!!!!!!!!

-v.42 is kind of an important reminder that though we may think we know something about someone, we often don’t.  The Jews listening to Jesus that day disregarded Him because they KNEW He was the son of Joseph, but what they didn’t acknowledge was that He was the ADOPTED son of Joseph, and His actual Father is God Almighty.  We need to be careful to not “know” what we cannot truly know about others, either.  I Corinthians 13 reminds us to make the decision to think the best of someone, never the worst.

-Scholars seem to agree that part of this discourse was in one location, while part of it was in another (see the reference in verse 59 to the synagogue).

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

-Jesus is the Bread of Life, providing eternal salvation for all who believe.

-God has chosen who will become a member of His family, and none who come to Jesus will be rejected.  Once saved always saved.

-Jesus always did the Father’s will.  Specifically here, to save those whom He has chosen and to keep them eternally secure.

-Jesus taught people about God.

-No one alive has seen God.  Only those who are in heaven.

In a nutshell? 

God’s plan to save mankind from their sin involved sending His Son, Jesus Christ, to come to earth as a Man, so that He could be the perfect sacrifice to be killed, because the price of sin is death.  As such, those who trust in Him as their Savior are partaking of Him as the Bread of 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.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

-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, June 3, 2026

-Pause before starting your Bible study to pray and ask God for help to concentrate on what you are reading, to understand what it is saying, and then to apply it to your life as you go through your day.  Thank Him for the privilege of having a copy of His Word in your language and in your hand!

-Read John 6:60-71

52 The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” 53 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. 55 For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. 56 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread the fathers ate, and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” 59 Jesus said these things in the synagogue, as he taught at Capernaum.

60 When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” 61 But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, “Do you take offense at this? 62 Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? 63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. 64 But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) 65 And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”
66 After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. 67 So Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” 68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, 69 and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.” 70 Jesus answered them, “Did I not choose you, the twelve? And yet one of you is a devil.” 71 He spoke of Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the twelve, was going to betray him.

Study Notes:

-(I’ve included additional verses in the chapter for context and continuity.)

-Jesus mentioned more than once that much of what He said needed to be spiritually discerned.  That is, only those who were ready to hear what He said, choosing to believe that what He said is true, would be able to understand the deeper meaning behind His words.  On the other hand, Jesus was also completely open about Who He was, why He had come, and how to live eternally with Him and the Father.

-In verse 60, there is a reference to “many of His disciples,” while verse 66 states that many of them left, but then Jesus mentions specifically the twelve in verse 70.  The word disciple simply means student or follower.  We sometimes think of Jesus only always having 12 men with Him, but especially this early in His ministry, He had dozens and even hundreds of people following Him to hear what He had to say.  Later, we even learn that there were also many women who followed Him regularly, some even providing for the group monetarily.  All that being the case, it’s true that much of what Jesus taught was to only the twelve disciples (later called apostles).

-A good deal of the folks who followed Jesus simply weren’t willing to believe everything He said, or felt what He said was just too hard to have to deal with (and they didn’t want to do what He said), so they left and returned to their regular disbelieving lives.  Sad.  We, too, have countless people coming into our church services, fellowships, and other events where God’s Word is opened, many of whom we may only see that one time.  BUT, they have heard some of God’s Word, and we need to pray that God would use it in their lives, and bring others to them to tell them more about their need of a Savior.

-Verse 69 should be highlighted in your Bible and emblazoned on your mind.  “Lord, to Who else would we go.  YOU have the words of eternal life. You are the Holy One of God.  We KNOW it!”

-The word devil (v.70) means accuser, adversary, or prone to slander.  Jesus is not saying that Judas Iscariot was satan, just that he would act in a similar way to satan.

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

-Not everyone who heard Jesus believed Him, but Jesus knew this would happen.

-Jesus would return to heaven from where He came (several days after His resurrection).

-The Holy Spirit gives spiritual life in individuals of God’s choosing.

-Jesus knew who would believe, who wouldn’t, and which of His disciples would ultimately betray Him.

-Jesus is the only One Who can provide spiritual life.  He is the Holy One of God.

-Jesus is the One Who chose who would be His 12 disciples/apostles.

In a nutshell? 

There is no other person, place, or thing to go to that can provide, protect, and lead us besides Jesus Christ, the Holy One of God!

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.

Thursday, June 4, 2026

-Pause before starting your Bible study to pray and ask God for help to concentrate on what you are reading, to understand what it is saying, and then to apply it to your life as you go through your day.  Thank Him for the privilege of having a copy of His Word in your language and in your hand!

-Read John 7:1-24 ​

After this Jesus went about in Galilee. He would not go about in Judea, because the Jews were seeking to kill him. 2 Now the Jews’ Feast of Booths was at hand. 3 So his brothers said to him, “Leave here and go to Judea, that your disciples also may see the works you are doing. 4 For no one works in secret if he seeks to be known openly. If you do these things, show yourself to the world.” 5 For not even his brothers believed in him. 6 Jesus said to them, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always here. 7 The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify about it that its works are evil. 8 You go up to the feast. I am not going up to this feast, for my time has not yet fully come.” 9 After saying this, he remained in Galilee.
10 But after his brothers had gone up to the feast, then he also went up, not publicly but in private. 11 The Jews were looking for him at the feast, and saying, “Where is he?” 12 And there was much muttering about him among the people. While some said, “He is a good man,” others said, “No, he is leading the people astray.” 13 Yet for fear of the Jews no one spoke openly of him.
14 About the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and began teaching. 15 The Jews therefore marveled, saying, “How is it that this man has learning, when he has never studied?” 16 So Jesus answered them, “My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me. 17 If anyone’s will is to do God’s will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority. 18 The one who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory; but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and in him there is no falsehood. 19 Has not Moses given you the law? Yet none of you keeps the law. Why do you seek to kill me?” 20 The crowd answered, “You have a demon! Who is seeking to kill you?” 21 Jesus answered them, “I did one work, and you all marvel at it. 22 Moses gave you circumcision (not that it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath. 23 If on the Sabbath a man receives circumcision, so that the law of Moses may not be broken, are you angry with me because on the Sabbath I made a man’s whole body well? 24 Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.”

Study Notes:

-(From Constable’s Expository Bible Study Notes) The Feast of Tabernacles (“Booths”) occurred six months after Passover (6:4). (Matthew 12-17 and 21 record some events that happened during this six-month period, which John passed over without comment.) That year the Feast of Tabernacles fell on September 10-17, A.D. 32. It was a fall grape and olive harvest festival (Exod. 23:16; Lev. 23:33-36, 39-43; Deut. 16:13-15). In Jesus’ day it was the most popular of the three required Jewish feasts. It commemorated the Israelites’ sojourn in the wilderness. Many devout Jews built temporary shelters out of branches and lived in them for the week, in order to simulate the wilderness conditions in which their forefathers had lived.

-The Religious leaders had become more and more intent on catching Jesus in some arrest-worthy act, and since it was not time for Him to be arrested yet, Jesus held off on going to the Feast until He knew it was the Father’s timing.

-When we get sorrowful over disbelieving family members and friends, remember that this, too, is something Jesus faced.  We don’t know what became of all of His half-brothers and sisters, but we do know that two, James and Jude, did come to trust in Him as their Savior, and in fact, two books of the Bible were written by them (with the guidance of the Holy Spirit).  Keep praying!  We never know how or when God might open hearts up to Himself!

-Jewish teachers (rabbis) were generally trained under other rabbis.  Jesus was a huge exception, which confused and/or annoyed some Jews.  He explained to them that His teacher was none other than God the Father.  Jesus then goes on to say something super important.  He told them (and us) that God will reveal Himself to those who FIRST do His will.  In other words, we don’t need to FEEL like we want to obey God in any given area, we just need to do it.  When we do, however, He blesses us by, among other things, providing the feelings of joy, satisfaction, and contentment.  What a great lesson for all of us!

-In verse 20, the people were saying, in essence, “You’re crazy!” (not that He was satan, as He was later accused so foolishly).

-The whole thing about Moses and the Sabbath had to do with the foolishness of the man-made traditions that the Religious leaders held onto more tightly than what God’s Law actually said.  In this case, God never said that doing good for another person was forbidden on the Sabbath.  Even though the Religious leaders regularly circumcised infant males on their eighth day of life, regardless if that fell on a Sabbath, they were angry at Jesus for healing a full-grown man of paralysis on a Sabbath.  Basically, Jesus reminds them that we are obligated to do what is the right thing to do, regardless of the day of the week it falls on.

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

-During Jesus’ public ministry, the Religious leaders were increasingly determined to get rid of Him.

-Jesus had half-brothers and sisters.  At the time of this account, the brothers mentioned did not believe He was the Messiah.

-Jesus operated within the Father’s timetable, always refusing to do anything others wanted Him to do that was not God’s will for that time and place.

-The world hated Jesus because He pointed out that their deeds were evil.  Christians are hated to this day for the same reason.

-Everything Jesus taught was what the Father had told Him to teach.  He was operating under the Father’s authority.

In a nutshell? 

I kind of think that verse 24 might be translated today as, “Know what you’re talking about.”  In order to know what is right and what is wrong; what is evil and what is good, we need to define things from God’s dictionary, never a human one.

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, June 5, 2026

-Pause before starting your Bible study to pray and ask God for help to concentrate on what you are reading, to understand what it is saying, and then to apply it to your life as you go through your day.  Thank Him for the privilege of having a copy of His Word in your language and in your hand!

-Read John 7:25-36

14 About the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and began teaching. 15 The Jews therefore marveled, saying, “How is it that this man has learning, when he has never studied?” 16 So Jesus answered them, “My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me.

25 Some of the people of Jerusalem therefore said, “Is not this the man whom they seek to kill? 26 And here he is, speaking openly, and they say nothing to him! Can it be that the authorities really know that this is the Christ? 27 But we know where this man comes from, and when the Christ appears, no one will know where he comes from.” 28 So Jesus proclaimed, as he taught in the temple, “You know me, and you know where I come from. But I have not come of my own accord. He who sent me is true, and him you do not know. 29 I know him, for I come from him, and he sent me.” 30 So they were seeking to arrest him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come. 31 Yet many of the people believed in him. They said, “When the Christ appears, will he do more signs than this man has done?”

32 The Pharisees heard the crowd muttering these things about him, and the chief priests and Pharisees sent officers to arrest him. 33 Jesus then said, “I will be with you a little longer, and then I am going to him who sent me. 34 You will seek me and you will not find me. Where I am you cannot come.” 35 The Jews said to one another, “Where does this man intend to go that we will not find him? Does he intend to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks? 36 What does he mean by saying, ​‘You will seek me and you will not find me,’ and, ‘Where I am you cannot come’?”

Study Notes:

-(I’ve included additional verses in the chapter for context and continuity.)

-Clearly, there was a lot of confusion about Who Jesus was, why He was there, and even why He said that they were seeking to kill Him.  Apparently, the general public did not know just how agitated their Religious leaders had become, nor for that matter, the plan of God.  No matter what anyone at that time THOUGHT, God had the plan for redemption happening right before them, and ALL God’s plans WILL be carried out.  You know, we are in a similar state in our time, too.  Things happen around us and in our world that confuse and upset us, but God’s control has never wavered for a millisecond.  The next item on His timetable is the rapture of the church, which will herald the Tribulation Period.  Our task is simply to trust Him and demonstrate our love by faithful obedience to His Word in the big areas  – and all the tiny ones.  One decision at a time; one action at a time.

-Here’s another example of what people thought they knew versus what the facts were:  They knew a few things about the One Who would come to save them, but most had no idea that the bigger picture was salvation from sin, and not Roman oppression (or free food and healing, as so many of them wanted).  A few seemed to understand that the Messiah would come for their spiritual salvation, but God sending His own Son for this task, was a huge and incredible surprise, one that was super hard for them to grasp.  And to be fair, I’m not sure that WE fully grasp just what God did for us out of His great and amazing love.  I sincerely hope that when we get our glorified bodies in heaven, that we’ll understand a ton more, so that we can praise Him with even more heartfelt enthusiasm than we can currently imagine having.

-As is true today, far more people doubted Jesus than believed in Him.  Sadly, it’s also true that far more believers mostly live their lives on their own terms, rather than living wholeheartedly for Christ.  Which camp do you fall into?  Consider prayerfully and carefully the answer, then how you might live with even more excellence.  God LOVES prayers of commitment to excellence—and He will help us every step of the way!

-(The Dispersion is referring to Jews who had left Israel and lived other places.  Some thought that if this were the case, Jesus would begin teaching the Gentiles, too.)

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

-Although the people thought they knew where Jesus was from, they did not.  The idea that He would appear out of nowhere was a tradition which is not from the Bible.  In fact, the Bible prophesied that He would be born in Bethlehem.  Even so, people assumed Jesus was born in Nazareth. I wonder if anyone bothered to ask Him?

-Jesus was very clear that He was the Son of God and that God the Father sent Him to do His will.  It would take a long time, but eventually some understood that His mission was to die on behalf of all mankind in order to pay the price sin demanded for us, because we had no way to pay it for ourselves.  Some would also realize that the place He was going to was back to Heaven—and that He would return to earth one day as THE King.  How PRIVILEGED you and I are to know this now!

-God is true/genuine.

-Jesus could not be arrested or killed outside of God’s timetable.  Neither can anything happen to us outside of His timetable.

In a nutshell? 

The confusion these people felt in this account makes me even more thankful to have God’s completed Word in my hands and available to read any time day or night.  Thank the Father for the precious treasure which is His Written Word!

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.

Saturday, June 6, 2026

-Pause before starting your Bible study to pray and ask God for help to concentrate on what you are reading, to understand what it is saying, and then to apply it to your life as you go through your day.  Thank Him for the privilege of having a copy of His Word in your language and in your hand!

-Read John 7:37-52

The Pharisees heard the crowd muttering these things about him, and the chief priests and Pharisees sent officers to arrest him. 33 Jesus then said, “I will be with you a little longer, and then I am going to him who sent me. 34 You will seek me and you will not find me. Where I am you cannot come.” 35 The Jews said to one another, “Where does this man intend to go that we will not find him? Does he intend to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks? 36 What does he mean by saying, ​‘You will seek me and you will not find me,’ and, ‘Where I am you cannot come’?”

37 On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ​‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” 39 Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

40 When they heard these words, some of the people said, “This really is the Prophet.” 41 Others said, “This is the Christ.” But some said, “Is the Christ to come from Galilee? 42 Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the offspring of David, and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David was?” 43 So there was a division among the people over him. 44 Some of them wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him.

45 The officers then came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, “Why did you not bring him?” 46 The officers answered, “No one ever spoke like this man!” 47 The Pharisees answered them, “Have you also been deceived? 48 Have any of the authorities or the Pharisees believed in him? 49 But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed.” 50 Nicodemus, who had gone to him before, and who was one of them, said to them, 51 “Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does?” 52 They replied, “Are you from Galilee too? Search and see that no prophet arises from Galilee.”

Study Notes:

-(I’ve included additional verses in the chapter for context and continuity.)

-You may recall that this whole section occurs during the Feast of Booths, one of the 3 main feasts that Jewish men were required to attend (in Jerusalem) each year.  During the Feast, there was a daily water ceremony, where the priests poured water onto the altar while praying to God for rain during the growing season.  The last day, this ceremony was performed 7 times, making Jesus’ offer of living water even more significant.

-Jesus was referring to God’s gift of the Indwelling Holy Spirit for all believers upon their salvation, although this did not begin until the Day of Pentecost after Jesus’ return to heaven post-resurrection.

-Once again, people were of mixed opinion about what Jesus said.  It also seems that some believed “the” Prophet and the Messiah would be two different people (although Jesus is both).  This time, some people knew the Messiah was going to be born in Bethlehem, but they believed Jesus was from Galilee (specifically, Nazareth).

-The officers sent by the Religious leaders to arrest Jesus were not willing to do so because they recognized that His words were not those of a mere human.  They were shamed, however, by the leaders, who continued to ignore facts, and instead, based their decisions on emotions and what was best for them. They even shamed Nicodemus, one of their own, for suggesting that they should probably hear Jesus out before condemning Him.

-I’ve mentioned before that I’m an avid reader, and one of the things that confounds me repeatedly in stories is how easily a problem could be solved if people just talked it out.  I suppose the story would be super short without all the hesitations, doubts, and confusion the characters go through before FINALLY just spitting out what they should have said in chapter 1, but this should not be how things are in real life.  We need to communicate with one another, but it needs to be done in love and humility, thinking of the needs of the other person more than our own.  As a pastor’s wife, I’ve seen many blowouts among people that could have been avoided if addressed early on—and from a heart of love.  And, I personally, have also benefited from someone showing me grace and giving me the benefit of the doubt.  I want to be the kind of Christian who is known for being encouraging and uplifting, but who doesn’t expect others to read their mind, or hold people accountable for something they may not even have known about.  All of this involves a lot of prayer, a lot of humility, and a lot of choosing to look at people through the lens of God’s love, mercy, and grace.

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

-Jesus was not afraid to share biblical truth publicly, and He did so often.  He did not speak as a mere man would—or could.

-Jesus is the Source of Living Water.

-The Lord gives the Indwelling Holy Spirit to those who trust in Jesus as their Savior. 

In a nutshell? 

Jesus’ people were often confused and unsure about Who He was or wasn’t, but you and I are richly blessed to be able to open our Bibles and study thoroughly everything it teaches about Him.  And don’t forget, the Old Testament is loaded with references to Him, too!

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, June 7, 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.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

-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.

BONUS:

“What A Friend We Have in Jesus” (words by J. Scriven; music by C. Converse)

What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!  What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!  Oh, what peace we often forfeit; oh, what needless pain we bear all because we do not carry everything to god in prayer.

Have we trials and temptations?  Is there trouble anywhere?  We should never be discouraged—take it to the Lord in prayer!  Can we find a friend so faithful Who will all our sorrows share?  Jesus knows our every weakness—take it to the Lord in prayer!

Are we weak and heavy laden, cumbered with a load of care?  Precious Savior, still our refuge—take it to the Lord in prayer!  Do thy friends despise, forsake thee? Take it to the Lord in prayer!  In His arms He’ll take and shield thee  thou wilt find a solace there.

(Just a reminder that the focus of our study this year is on knowing God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit better.  As part of this study, we will be working in the Gospel of John for several weeks.)

Monday, June 8, 2026

-Pause before starting your Bible study to pray and ask God for help to concentrate on what you are reading, to understand what it is saying, and then to apply it to your life as you go through your day.  Thank Him for the privilege of having a copy of His Word in your language and in your hand!

-Read John 8:1-11*

They went each to his own house, but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2 Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them. 3 The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst 4 they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. 5 Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” 6 This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. 7 And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. 9 But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. 10 Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” 11 She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”

*These verses are debated among scholars concerning whether or not they are part of the original inspired Scripture manuscripts.  We believe they are.

Study Notes:

-In that culture, the rabbis stood up to read God’s Word, then sat down to teach.  The Temple complex was really huge, and there were courtyards in the outer edges that were often used for gatherings and teaching purposes.  The closer you got to the actual Temple, the more restricted it became (for example, women and Gentiles could only use the outer courtyards), until finally, only the priests could enter.

-Clearly, the scribes and Pharisees hunted down this woman so that they could use her to trip Jesus up in order to arrest Him.  It didn’t work out that way, because this was not God’s will.

-Jesus never broke God’s Law (which would have been a sin—and He lived a completely sinless life).  The law that these men were referring to wasn’t actually enforced much in that time, but a bigger issue is that the man that the woman was with should have been present for judgment, too.  It’s even possible that these men made arrangements SO THAT a woman would be caught—so that they could use her to trap Jesus into saying something that would discredit Him or lead to His arrest.

-No one knows what Jesus wrote on the ground.  Could it be something they themselves had done that was sin?  Could it be some portion of God’s Word meant to teach mercy?  Could it be Jesus telling them that He knew what they were trying to do?  Whatever it was, they left without further words.

-This is the only record of Jesus writing in the New Testament.

-It’s interesting that it is noted that the older men left first.  Was this because they were the quickest to realize that they had sin in their lives, too?  Was it to be an example to the younger men?  Did they need to leave first before the younger men would be allowed?  One scholar suggested that these men may well have been adulterers themselves, and their guilt caused them to clear out.

-Think about the sentence, “And Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before Him.”  You and I will also one day stand before Jesus face to face—just us and Him.  Praise God, because of Jesus’ sacrifice, we will not be facing Him because of sin (because He paid for all of it and it was dealt with once and for all time).  We will stand before Him so that He can evaluate how we used the time, treasures, and talents He gave us in this lifetime; whether or not we took advantage of all the opportunities given to us to obey the Word, to listen, learn and grow through preaching and Scripture study, to have a servant’s heart toward others, and to share the good news of the gospel when we had openings to do so.

-Jesus did not condemn the woman, not because she was sinless, but because there were not two witnesses, as was necessary in the Law.  That being true, it’s clear that He was also showing great mercy.  The bigger thing here was His command to stop sinning.  I sure hope she listened!  Maybe that was the day her life took a drastic turn, and she began living wholeheartedly for the Lord.  That would be awesome!

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

-Jesus often spent nights on the Mount of Olives when He was in Jerusalem for feasts.  He then taught about His Father during the day.

-Jesus did not allow Himself to get riled easily, and He was never angry in a sinful way.  He was, however, disappointed and grieved over the sin in people’s hearts, and their hard-heartedness to spiritual things.

-Jesus was aware that no one is without sin.  It is His will, however, that we do not choose to sin.

-Jesus had tremendous wisdom, grace, and mercy.

In a nutshell? 

This is an interesting account, one that should teach us the wickedness of judging others for things when we have all sorts of sin in our own lives.  As Jesus said in Matthew 7, first get the log out of your own eye before giving someone else a hard time for the speck in theirs!

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.

Tuesday, June 9, 2026

-Pause before starting your Bible study to pray and ask God for help to concentrate on what you are reading, to understand what it is saying, and then to apply it to your life as you go through your day.  Thank Him for the privilege of having a copy of His Word in your language and in your hand!

-Read John 8:12-30

7:14 About the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and began teaching….7:37 On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ​‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’”

12 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” 13 So the Pharisees said to him, “You are bearing witness about yourself; your testimony is not true.” 14 Jesus answered, “Even if I do bear witness about myself, my testimony is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going, but you do not know where I come from or where I am going. 15 You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one. 16 Yet even if I do judge, my judgment is true, for it is not I alone who judge, but I and the Father who sent me. 17 In your Law it is written that the testimony of two people is true. 18 I am the one who bears witness about myself, and the Father who sent me bears witness about me.” 19 They said to him therefore, “Where is your Father?” Jesus answered, “You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also.” 20 These words he spoke in the treasury, as he taught in the temple; but no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come.
21 So he said to them again, “I am going away, and you will seek me, and you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come.” 22 So the Jews said, “Will he kill himself, since he says, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come’?” 23 He said to them, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. 24 I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins.” 25 So they said to him, “Who are you?” Jesus said to them, “Just what I have been telling you from the beginning. 26 I have much to say about you and much to judge, but he who sent me is true, and I declare to the world what I have heard from him.” 27 They did not understand that he had been speaking to them about the Father. 28 So Jesus said to them, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me. 29 And he who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him.” 30 As he was saying these things, many believed in him.

Study Notes:

-(I’ve included additional verses in the chapter for context and continuity.)

–A major feature of the Feast of Tabernacles was the lighting of giant lamps in the women’s court in the temple. The wicks were made from the priests’ worn-out garments. The light illuminated the temple area and the people gathered to sing praises and dance. The light reminded the Jewish people of how God was with them in their wanderings in the wilderness in a pillar of cloud which turned to fire at night (Num. 9:15-23). (Bible Knowledge Commentary)

-This is the second great “I AM” Jesus proclaimed in His public ministry.

-The Jews listening to Jesus that day would have understood well the concept of light being associated with God.  Not only did they have the record of creation in Genesis 1, but the record of how God led their ancestors in the wilderness by means of a pillar of cloud during the day and fire at night.  Light has long been associated with good, whereas black is associated with sin and evil.  Even to this day, black is worn at funerals to show sorrow and that something dark/unpleasant has happened.

-v.13-14  Mosaic Law required two witnesses to prove that something said is true, but even if there is just one witness, it does not mean that what was said is untrue.  Equally important, two witnesses can both be lying, as was the case at Jesus’ trial.  In the end, what God says is TRUTH, and Jesus, Who is God, spoke the truth to them.  They were the ones who refused to listen.

-The Pharisees continued to tell Jesus Who He was/wasn’t based on their opinion and bias, and definitely not on fact.  The very Scripture that they claimed proved He couldn’t be the Messiah is the same Scripture that prophesied many things about Jesus that He was fulfilling one by one.  It was their stubborn, hard hearts that were the problem, not anything Jesus said or did.

-Jesus continued to tell people that they needed to believe in Him in order to understand truth, to get saved, to “see” the Father, and to join Him in eternity.

-If you are looking for one verse to base your every attitude and action on as a believer, verse 29 is a keeper: “I always do the things that are pleasing to Him (the Father).”

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

-Jesus is the Light of the world.  He gives the light of life to all who believe in Him/follow Him.

-All that Jesus testifies about Himself and the Father is true.

-All that Jesus judges is true.  He and the Father work as One.

-To “know” Jesus is to know the Father.

-Only those who trust in Jesus as Savior can follow Him to heaven/eternity.

-God is true/genuine.

-Jesus was aware that He would be crucified.

-Jesus never acted on His own authority.  He did the will of the Father.

-Jesus always did the things that are pleasing to the Father.

In a nutshell? 

How can we, like Jesus, be pleasing to the Father?  First, unlike the lion’s share of the Religious leaders, LISTEN to what He said (the entirety of the Bible), BELIEVE that everything He says is true, then ACT on it.  Get rid of everything displeasing and “black,” and eagerly seek all that is light and pleasing to Him.  Just as Jesus said in verse 29, the Lord will always be with us, too!

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.

Wednesday, June 10, 2026

-Pause before starting your Bible study to pray and ask God for help to concentrate on what you are reading, to understand what it is saying, and then to apply it to your life as you go through your day.  Thank Him for the privilege of having a copy of His Word in your language and in your hand!

-Read John 8:31-47 

28 So Jesus said to them, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me. 29 And he who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him.” 30 As he was saying these things, many believed in him.

31 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 33 They answered him, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?”
34 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. 35 The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. 37 I know that you are offspring of Abraham; yet you seek to kill me because my word finds no place in you. 38 I speak of what I have seen with my Father, and you do what you have heard from your father.”
39 They answered him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would be doing the works Abraham did, 40 but now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. This is not what Abraham did. 41 You are doing the works your father did.” They said to him, “We were not born of sexual immorality. We have one Father—even God.” 42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here. I came not of my own accord, but he sent me. 43 Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word. 44 You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. 45 But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me. 46 Which one of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me? 47 Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God.”

Study Notes:

-(I’ve included additional verses in the chapter for context and continuity.)

-v.31  Some of the Jews believed some of what Jesus said, but that is not the same as them trusting in Him as their Savior.  Someone is a disciple/student of someone while they continue to listen to their teaching and do what that teacher says.  You and I can be disciples of Christ, but we can also choose to walk away from His teaching and live life according to our own ideas.  All those who trust in Christ are Christians, but not all Christians are disciples.

-v.32 “The truth will set you free” was misunderstood in Jesus’ day, and it’s still misunderstood today.  It is frequently used to encourage finding out facts and information, which should then help you in some way.  However, Jesus is teaching a spiritual truth.  Until the Holy Spirit causes someone to become alive spiritually, they are dead (spiritually) and unable to understand spiritual truth—including what Jesus was trying to teach in John 8.  Once someone has placed their faith in Christ, however, they have become spiritually alive and are now able to understand God’s Word.  They have become “free” to understand AND apply it to their thoughts and actions.

-v.34 All those who choose to sin are enslaved by it.  The unsaved have no choice, they cannot do good due to being spiritually dead.  Sadly, however, Christians can CHOOSE to act as if they are still enslaved to sin.  They do this by disregarding what they know God wants, and choosing to please themselves instead.  It’s much like someone who has kicked an addiction to heroin.  They are no longer enslaved to the addiction, but they can choose to have some if they want to.  Like drugs, however, sin is equally addictive—and a little could well lead to a lot.  Be warned!  It’s always best to give sin a firm “No!”

-Verse 37 and following have to do with a whole lot of misunderstanding.  That is, Jesus told the Jews truth and what they needed to hear, but they were unwilling to consider giving up their traditions and belief that they were fine simply because they were descendants of Abraham (much like some folks today feel like they’re okay with God because they were raised by Christian parents).  The fact is that until someone places their faith in Christ as their Savior from sin, they are not God’s child.  All people were created by God, but He is the Father only of those who believe.  If not a child of God, then they are children of satan, in that they lie and seek to do evil just as He does.  Once again, however, it needs to be noted that even Christians can choose to act as if satan were their father and not God, simply by living in rebellion to God’s Word.  All our attitudes and actions are either pleasing God and glorifying Him—or are making satan happy and giving him glee.  There is no middle ground or “almost.”

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

-God is truth and is able to help His children recognize truth.

-Jesus is able to free people from enslavement to sin. 

-All Jesus said and did while on earth was what the Father wanted Him to say and do.

-Jesus came to earth because the Father sent Him to do His will.

In a nutshell? 

There’s a lot here, but maybe a simple summary would be to choose to believe God and obey Him.  Incredible blessings come to those who do, and those who do not will endure incredible sorrow, despair, and pain.

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 action

Thursday, June 11, 2026

-Pause before starting your Bible study to pray and ask God for help to concentrate on what you are reading, to understand what it is saying, and then to apply it to your life as you go through your day.  Thank Him for the privilege of having a copy of His Word in your language and in your hand!

-Read John 8:48-59

44 You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. 45 But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me. 46 Which one of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me? 47 Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God.”

48 The Jews answered him, “Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?” 49 Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon, but I honor my Father, and you dishonor me. 50 Yet I do not seek my own glory; there is One who seeks it, and he is the judge. 51 Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.” 52 The Jews said to him, “Now we know that you have a demon! Abraham died, as did the prophets, yet you say, ‘If anyone keeps my word, he will never taste death.’ 53 Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? And the prophets died! Who do you make yourself out to be?” 54 Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God.’ 55 But you have not known him. I know him. If I were to say that I do not know him, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and I keep his word. 56 Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad.” 57 So the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?” 58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” 59 So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.

Study Notes:

-(I’ve included additional verses in the chapter for context and continuity.)

-Have you ever tried communicating something important to someone who doesn’t know English very well?  How about trying to have a conversation with someone who has extremely poor hearing?  How about working to convince a toddler that he does NOT need to eat a piece of candy he found outside on the ground? Or, maybe, trying to explain a feminine thought process to a man who isn’t married and has no sisters.  Basically, you are operating on different wavelengths in each of these examples.  You might WANT to understand the other’s viewpoint, but can’t for one reason or another.  Well, except for the toddler.  He just wants to eat candy.  =)

In some ways, this is what is happening here.  Jesus is telling the Jewish people exactly Who He is and Who is calling the shots (God the Father).  They, however, are not hearing Him with listening ears. Since they refuse to believe that Jesus is being forthright and completely honest, they’re kind of forcing themselves to believe He is making things up and is untrustworthy. What a tragedy!  They, in fact, got so worked up, that they began to accuse Him of truly awful things (like having a demon).  I can only hope that some of them eventually came to believe Him and saw the wickedness of their words and actions.

-The people DID recognize that Jesus was saying He is God when He said in verse 58, “I AM.”  Because of their refusal to believe Him, they wanted to stone Him.  It was not the time, place, or method that God had planned for Jesus’ death, so it did not happen.

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

-Jesus always honored the Father in what He said and did.

-Jesus’ goal was to bring glory to the Father.

-God is the Judge of all.

-Those who trust in Jesus as Savior will not see spiritual death.

-Jesus IS “greater” than Abraham, and Jesus, as God, is eternal, so He certainly is older than him, too.  (A scholar said this, “It is eternity of being and not simply being that has lasted through several centuries that the expression indicates.” -Morris)

-Jesus didn’t glorify Himself, but the Father did.

-Jesus knows God the Father intimately and keeps His word.

-Jesus is I AM, the Self-Existing One.

-Jesus could not be arrested or killed before the time God had ordained for it to happen.

In a nutshell? 

-Nothing is more important than reading God’s Word, believing everything it says, then obeying it wholeheartedly.  When we do, God will reveal Himself to us more and more so that we can know Him better and better.  As we do, our love and awe will also grow more and 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.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

-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, June 12, 2026

-Pause before starting your Bible study to pray and ask God for help to concentrate on what you are reading, to understand what it is saying, and then to apply it to your life as you go through your day.  Thank Him for the privilege of having a copy of His Word in your language and in your hand!

-Read John 9:1-23 ​

As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” 3 Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. 4 We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. 5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” 6 Having said these things, he spit on the ground and made mud with the saliva. Then he anointed the man’s eyes with the mud 7 and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing.
8 The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar were saying, “Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?” 9 Some said, “It is he.” Others said, “No, but he is like him.” He kept saying, “I am the man.” 10 So they said to him, “Then how were your eyes opened?” 11 He answered, “The man called Jesus made mud and anointed my eyes and said to me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ So I went and washed and received my sight.” 12 They said to him, “Where is he?” He said, “I do not know.”
13 They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind. 14 Now it was a Sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes. 15 So the Pharisees again asked him how he had received his sight. And he said to them, “He put mud on my eyes, and I washed, and I see.” 16 Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.” But others said, “How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?” And there was a division among them. 17 So they said again to the blind man, “What do you say about him, since he has opened your eyes?” He said, “He is a prophet.”
18 The Jews did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight, until they called the parents of the man who had received his sight 19 and asked them, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?” 20 His parents answered, “We know that this is our son and that he was born blind. 21 But how he now sees we do not know, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age. He will speak for himself.” 22 (His parents said these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone should confess Jesus to be Christ, he was to be put out of the synagogue.) 23 Therefore his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.”

Study Notes:

-Right off the bat, we find that Jesus saw the man.  Others saw a blind person and a beggar, but not really that he was another human.  Fast forward to today, are we seeing people for the color of their skin, the clothes they are wearing, or simply as fellow humans who were created in God’s image, and whom God loves?

-In the Old Testament, disobedience to God (sin) was punished in a variety of ways, sickness being one of them.  Over time, the Jewish people developed the assumption that all sickness and disabilities were a result of sin. This was not true, nor is it true today.  However, when we do get sick or injured, we would be wise to spend time with the Father making sure that we haven’t wandered away from His side.  And whether or not sin was involved, if we find ourselves out for the count for a short while or long one, we would be wise to take advantage of that time to spend a ton of time in God’s Word and in prayer, knowing that as soon as we are back up and at ‘em, our hours will be filled up, and we won’t have this precious privilege anymore.

-Jesus told His disciples that this specific man’s blindness was given for a specific reason, much of which we get to find out about in this passage.  Ultimately, it was for the blind man’s salvation, for God’s glory, and so that the people involved could learn critical things about Jesus and God the Father.  It’s ALSO there to teach you and me a thing or two!

-While Jesus was on earth, He was Light personally, and in what He taught.  He had a specific job to do for God, and only so much time to do it.  He was always aware of this, and He never wasted opportunities to do what He knew God wanted Him to do.  Now that Jesus has returned to heaven, WE are His lights.  We, too, are given opportunities to speak of the Lord, to live lives that reflect Him well, and to obey His Word at all times, and in every place.  As we do, He receives glory, and we are doing what we are supposed to be doing with our lives.

-No one seems quite certain why Jesus made mud with His spit, so I’m sure not going to add my two cents.  I did find out, however, that the Pool of Siloam is the source of the water that was used for the celebrations during the Feast of Booths/Tabernacles.  That’s pretty cool!

-The focus here is that a man born completely blind is given perfect sight in an instant.  Part of this incredible miracle, though, is that he immediately knew what he was seeing once healed.  This is NOT how it goes when man’s medical techniques are used.  It’s a long process to restore someone’s sight, and an even longer process for them to teach their brain what they are seeing.  I’ve heard that it’s actually quite traumatic for them, and many can’t take all the lights, movements, and chaos around them that we all tend to take for granted. 

-Apparently, the man who was once blind, but now able to see, seemed so different, that even those who knew him well didn’t recognize him.  You know, people SHOULD be able to recognize that we belong to God—and we shouldn’t really blend in, in the sense that we look exactly like the unsaved in how we dress, that we sound like them in our use of words, or that we act and react like them when angry, hurt, or upset.

-The Pharisees never did see this man as a human, nor did they recognize the miracle that happened. They mostly “saw” an opportunity to accuse Jesus of breaking a law.  How sad!  How foolish!

-Apparently, the Jewish leaders had previously made the decision to excommunicate anyone who named Jesus Christ (the Messiah). It was a very big deal for someone to be excommunicated from the Jewish synagogue, because they would be cut off from all family, friends, and even chances to earn money.  The blind man’s parents were not willing to risk it.

-Once again, we find that people were divided when it came to Christ.  Some placed their faith in Him, some simply wanted to use Him to be healed, some utterly rejected Him, and some were so angry that their sinful hearts were being challenged, that the wanted to kill Him.  Even today, naming the name of Christ brings division.  That’s sad, for sure, but it should never stop us from joyfully sharing the good news of the gospel, and gladly singing His praises with all we meet.

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

-God sees us.  He knows each and every one of us by name, personally, and fully.  Have you ever heard someone say that if you were the only person in all of creation who sinned, that Jesus would still have suffered and died for only you?  It’s true!  We are SO IMPORTANT and loved by God!

-God displays His work in us and through us.

-Jesus is the Light of the world.

-Jesus is able to heal someone born blind.

In a nutshell? 

It’s really easy to overlook people in the busyness of our days and weeks, but Jesus never did that.  He SAW people, He had compassion, He helped them, and He did it all to bring glory to the Father.  How could we do less—especially considering how He gave His life for us, so that we could live eternally with 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.

Saturday, June 13, 2026

-Pause before starting your Bible study to pray and ask God for help to concentrate on what you are reading, to understand what it is saying, and then to apply it to your life as you go through your day.  Thank Him for the privilege of having a copy of His Word in your language and in your hand!

-Read John 9:24-41

18 The Jews did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight, until they called the parents of the man who had received his sight 19 and asked them, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?” 20 His parents answered, “We know that this is our son and that he was born blind. 21 But how he now sees we do not know, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age. He will speak for himself.” 22 (His parents said these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone should confess Jesus to be Christ, he was to be put out of the synagogue.) 23 Therefore his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.”
24 So for the second time they called the man who had been blind and said to him, “Give glory to God. We know that this man is a sinner.” 25 He answered, “Whether he is a sinner I do not know. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.” 26 They said to him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” 27 He answered them, “I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?” 28 And they reviled him, saying, “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. 29 We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from.” 30 The man answered, “Why, this is an amazing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. 31 We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him. 32 Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind. 33 If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.” 34 They answered him, “You were born in utter sin, and would you teach us?” And they cast him out.
35 Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” 36 He answered, “And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” 37 Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and it is he who is speaking to you.” 38 He said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him. 39 Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.” 40 Some of the Pharisees near him heard these things, and said to him, “Are we also blind?” 41 Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains.

Study Notes:

-(I’ve included additional verses in the chapter for context and continuity.)

-This passage is such an interesting blend of physical blindness turned to perfect sight, spiritual blindness turned to spiritual life, and physical sight which was faulty due to spiritual blindness.  God can heal all of these, but the truly critical one is spiritual blindness.  This is first restored by placing our faith in Christ as the Savior from our sin, but even Christians can dull their ability to see spiritual truths if they allow sin to remain in their lives, if they are not spending meaningful time in Scripture and prayer, and if they’re neglecting the meeting together with other Christians in a church where God’s Word is being taught.

-Pastor Brown loves to use this passage as a great example of what it means to witness to others about Christ.  The blind man didn’t have the answers to many of the questions the Pharisees were asking, but he told what he knew.  He was born blind, but now he could see perfectly.  We, too, don’t have to have hundreds of verses ready to recite for any given scenario, we don’t need to know Greek or Hebrew, we don’t even have to know how to find Zephaniah in our Bibles.  We simply need to share what God in His great mercy and grace did for us.  We were once dead in our sins, condemned to spend eternity in Hell, but when we placed our faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ on our behalf, we became alive spiritually, and we will spend all of eternity in His presence.  (Of course, we’ll want to point out that they can have the same gift from God, too!)

-The formerly blind man paid a steep price for testifying to what Jesus did for him, and he was excommunicated from the synagogue, however, what he received later when he placed his faith in Christ as his Savior, far, far exceeded any and all hardship.  We, too, need to remember what God did on our behalf, as well as all we have to look forward to in glory, when our lives here seem heavy and burdensome. 

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

-Jesus was able to restore the sight of a man who was born blind (the first time this ever happened).

-God doesn’t listen to sinners.  He does listen to those who belong to Him and who are obeying Him.

-The miracles that Jesus did showed that He was a Prophet from God. As such, the people should have believed what He said.  The blind man did.  Most of the Religious leaders did not.

-Jesus referred to Himself as the Son of Man.

-Jesus came to offer (spiritual) eyesight to the blind, but He knew that many would not listen/believe.

In a nutshell? 

The Pharisees were guilty of great pride, stubbornness, and hard heartedness.  It should be our daily prayer that, as children of God, we remember that there can be no pride in the child of God since all we are and have is entirely because of His grace, His power, and His mercy.  We should be praying that our stubbornness is focused on serving Him and obeying Him wholeheartedly—and not on getting our own way.  We should also be praying for tender hearts; hearts that are open to His leading, conviction, and direction, always desiring to do His will and to bring Him much 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.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

-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, June 14, 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.

BONUS:

“Jesus, I Am Resting, Resting”  (words by J. Pigott; music by J. Mountain)

Jesus, I am resting, resting in the joy of what Thou art.  I am finding out the greatness of Thy loving heart.  Thou hast bid me gaze upon Thee, and Thy beauty fills my soul; for by Thy transforming power, Thou hast made me whole.

Oh how great Thy loving kindness, vaster, broader than the sea!  Oh how marvelous Thy goodness, lavished all on me!  Yes, I rest in Thee, Beloved.  Know what wealth of grace is Thee. Know Thy certainty of promise and have made it mine.

Simply trusting Thee. Lord Jesus, I behold Thee as Thou art; and Thy love, so pure, so changeless, satisfies my heart.  Satisfies its deepest longings, meets, supplies its every need, compasseth me round with blessings, Thine is love indeed!

Ever lift Thy face upon me as I work and wait for Thee. Resting ‘neath Thy smile, Lord Jesus, earth’s dark shadows flee.  Brightness of my Father’s glory, sunshine of my Father’s face.  Keep me ever trusting, resting, fill me with Thy grace.

(Just a reminder that the focus of our study this year is on knowing God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit better.  As part of this study, we will be working in the Gospel of John for several weeks.)

Monday, June 15, 2026

-Pause before starting your Bible study to pray and ask God for help to concentrate on what you are reading, to understand what it is saying, and then to apply it to your life as you go through your day.  Thank Him for the privilege of having a copy of His Word in your language and in your hand!

-Read John 10:1-21 ​

 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. 2 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5 A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” 6 This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.
7 So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. 11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13 He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. 17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”
19 There was again a division among the Jews because of these words. 20 Many of them said, “He has a demon, and is insane; why listen to him?” 21 Others said, “These are not the words of one who is oppressed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”

Study Notes:

-Just as you and I understand the ins and outs of living in this century, in this country, in the part of the country we are in, those hearing Jesus that day would have fully understood all the references to sheep, shepherds, wolves, and thieves.  What many missed, however, was the spiritual impact of what He was saying.

-One of the important parts of going to church Sunday is not only to hear God’s Word being taught, but to prayerfully and carefully consider how the Lord wants to use whatever was said to change you and grow you.  Was something said you didn’t understand?  Pursue it!  Ask the Pastor (he loves that kind of question!).  Was there something convicting?  Something that’s in your life that needs to be gotten rid of?  Do it.  Do it NOW.  Was there something missing?  Something that you were convicted to do or do better?  Don’t delay, address it today.  All of God’s Word is meant to teach us and instruct us, but also to transform us into the image of the Son, our Good Shepherd.

-v.9  Note that one is saved by entering through Christ (eternal life), and then “go in and out” through Christ for daily living, food, water, abundant spiritual provision.

-The clear picture here is of a good shepherd who has built a safe shelter for his sheep for sleeping, and who sees to their every need day and night.  It is in clear contrast to shepherds or hired hands who are cruel to their animals, or are not taking care of them at all.  Also in the picture are wolves and thieves, those who want to steal, harm, and cause destruction.  Among other lessons, Jesus was clearly pointing out poor leadership on the part of the current Religious leaders.

-The bigger picture is that of eternal security—as well as excellent direction and help in the here and now.

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

-What Jesus said and taught was often not understood or misunderstood.  He often spoke in parables, intending for only a specific audience to understand the deeper meaning of what He said.

-Jesus is the Door (I AM).  He is the only way to spiritual life.

-Jesus came to give abundant life to all who trust in Him.  This is beyond the incredible gift of eternal life, this is fulfilling, joyous, purposeful daily living.

-Jesus is the Good Shepherd (I AM).  As such, He lays down His life for those who belong to Him.

-Jesus knows all who belong to Him, and they know Him.

-Jesus knows the Father, and the Father knows the Son.

-Jesus died for Jews  – and for Gentiles (the “other sheep” of v.16).

-The Father loves the Son because of His willingness to die for you and me.

-Jesus’ sacrifice was His own choice.  He had the authority to lay down His life and to take it up again.  It is a charge the Father gave Him.

-Jesus’ words caused division among those who believed Him and those who did not.

In a nutshell? 

Our lives are full of dangers, trials, and untrustworthiness.  Apart from Christ, what happens after our death is far worse!  THE door, THE source of security both now and eternally, has always and only been Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd.  Pray for the salvation of the unsaved!

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.

Tuesday, June 16, 2026

-Pause before starting your Bible study to pray and ask God for help to concentrate on what you are reading, to understand what it is saying, and then to apply it to your life as you go through your day.  Thank Him for the privilege of having a copy of His Word in your language and in your hand!

-Read John 10:22-42

At that time the Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem. It was winter, 23 and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the colonnade of Solomon. 24 So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” 25 Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name bear witness about me, 26 but you do not believe because you are not among my sheep. 27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”
31 The Jews picked up stones again to stone him. 32 Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you going to stone me?” 33 The Jews answered him, “It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God.” 34 Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, ​‘I said, you are gods’? 35 If he called them gods to whom the word of God came—and Scripture cannot be broken— 36 do you say of him whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? 37 If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me; 38 but if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.” 39 Again they sought to arrest him, but he escaped from their hands.
40 He went away again across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing at first, and there he remained. 41 And many came to him. And they said, “John did no sign, but everything that John said about this man was true.” 42 And many believed in him there.

Study Notes:

-The Feast of Dedication is currently known as Hanukkah.  It isn’t one of the three mandated feasts in the Law, but was/is widely celebrated. From Constable’s Expository Bible Study Notes:  The eight-day Feast of Dedication, now called “Chanukah” (or Hanukkah), the Feast of Lights, was not one of the feasts prescribed in the Mosaic Law. . . This feast commemorated the purification and rededication of the temple by Judas Maccabeus (“Judas the Hammer”) on the twenty-fifth of Chislev (modern late December and early January), 164 B.C. The Syrian invader Antiochus IV (Epiphanes) had profaned the temple, three years earlier, by replacing the brazen altar with a pagan one, on which he offered a pig as a sacrifice to Jupiter. Antiochus attempted to Hellenize Judea, but the Jewish patriot Judas Maccabeus was able to lead a guerilla revolt that has borne his name ever since. After three years he defeated the Syrians and liberated the Jews. It was the last great deliverance that the Jews had known, and therefore it must have been in people’s minds a symbol of their hope that God would again deliver his people.

-The colonnade of Solomon was a part of the Temple complex that was roofed over for protection from bad weather.  It was at this spot that early church members often met once Jesus had returned to heaven.

-Until this event, Jesus had not said outright to the Jewish leaders that He was God, although He showed it in a multitude of ways. He held off telling them because He knew they would react as they did, by immediately wanting to stone Him to death.  Since it was not time for His arrest and death, He was careful to avoid capture.  However, the time was growing close.

-The unbelief of the people wasn’t because Jesus wasn’t being clear, but because of their choice to not believe Him.

-Verses 27-30 are one of the most clear and precious passages assuring Christians of their eternal security.  Once we belong to Christ, it is impossible to leave His grasp.  We are His forever—and nothing and no one can ever change that.  This includes believers themselves. They cannot “change their mind,” nor does suicide remove anyone from belonging to God forever.

-Verse 34 is a quote from Psalm 82:6.

-As often happened, the people living in the holy city of Jerusalem seldom believed Jesus, but those outside of it did (v.40-42).

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

-The miracles that Jesus did when on earth testified that He was Who He said He was:  the Messiah and the Son of God.

-All that Jesus did, He did in the Father’s name.

-All those who belong to Jesus (those who trust in Him as Savior) will forever be His and no one can snatch them out of His hand or the Father’s hand.  They belong to Him for all of eternity.

-God the Father and God the Son are two Members of the Trinity, but they are one in their purpose and action.

In a nutshell? 

It’s not actually too uncommon to hear that someone is afraid that they can lose their salvation.  This isn’t helped by well-meaning believers who say that if you’re not obeying God with your life “enough,” you probably weren’t saved to begin with.  Here’s what God says:  ALL those who believe in the name of Jesus Christ (that is, that He is the Son of God, that He died to take pay the price of sin for you, and that He came to life again as He said He would), ARE children of God.  Faith alone in Christ alone, by His grace alone (meaning, there is nothing we can do to earn it, it’s His gift that we simply receive).  If you have done that as a young child, an elderly person, or anywhere in between, YOU BELONG TO GOD, and cannot, under any circumstance, lose your salvation.  PRAISE GOD!!!  (John 1:12; John 3:16; Eph. 2:8-9; Acts 16:30; I Cor. 15:1-3).

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.

Wednesday, June 17, 2026

-Pause before starting your Bible study to pray and ask God for help to concentrate on what you are reading, to understand what it is saying, and then to apply it to your life as you go through your day.  Thank Him for the privilege of having a copy of His Word in your language and in your hand!

-Read John 11:1-16 ​

Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. 3 So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” 4 But when Jesus heard it he said, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”
5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. 7 Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” 8 The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?” 9 Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. 10 But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” 11 After saying these things, he said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.” 12 The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” 13 Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. 14 Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died, 15 and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” 16 So Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”

Study Notes:

-I love the accounts of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus.  I love to read about the love they had for Jesus, and the love He had for them.  I appreciate hearing how they showed their love to Him, and how Jesus showed His love.  Meeting these three siblings in heaven is high on my list of folks to talk to, maybe Martha the most.  She and I will “get” each other.  =)  You can read more about this family in Luke 10 and John 12.

-Bethany was a small village, about two miles east of Jerusalem.

-When Mary & Martha had a crisis, their first action was to turn to the Lord.  This should be our first reaction, too, before turning to a friend, Google, or the doctor.  God gives us many sources for help and information, but He is the only One Who can fully deal with the issue, and going to Him in trust will grow our relationship with Him even sweeter.

-In verse 4, Jesus knew that Lazarus’ illness would bring glory to God and to Himself.  It would not, however, be pain-free for Mary, Martha, OR Jesus.  Trusting God and being at peace with His will is not the same as never feeling pain (physically or emotionally), but it does mean that we don’t have to stress or freak out as those who don’t know Him do.  Knowing all He does is for our spiritual good and His glory will help us to do what we can (calmly and in control), but trust Him for all the rest (whether or not the outcome is what we had hoped for).

-Although it was true that the Religious leaders were seeking to stone Jesus to death, He had work to do for the Father, and only so much time to do it in.  Obeying the Father in spite of challenging circumstances is always the right choice.

-The disciples didn’t understand that Lazarus had actually died, so there must have been some tricky Hebrew wordplay in what Jesus said (Hebrew has a ton of that kind of thing, which doesn’t come across in our English translations).  That Jesus was glad that Lazarus’ death would cause the disciples to believe, was not believe as in salvation since they had already trusted in Him.  This is the belief that resurrection from death is possible.

-Thomas gets a bad rap for wanting to see Jesus personally after His resurrection, but his willingness to die for and with Jesus here is very admirable.  I like Thomas!

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

-Jesus loved Mary, Martha, and Lazarus.

-Things that happen to us are meant to bring glory to God.

-Jesus taught the disciples many things, including that He could resurrect the dead.

In a nutshell? 

Verse 5 says, “Now Jesus loved ______________.”  Insert your name there.  It’s true!  Jesus loves YOU.  We may not always “feel” like this is true, but God says it is true, and He never, ever lies.  He wants to bless you, grow you, and help you develop a tight and precious bond with Him.  Sometimes this is done with super welcome happenings, but sometimes He uses challenges and hardships to remind us to trust Him and lean on 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.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

-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, June 18, 2026

-Pause before starting your Bible study to pray and ask God for help to concentrate on what you are reading, to understand what it is saying, and then to apply it to your life as you go through your day.  Thank Him for the privilege of having a copy of His Word in your language and in your hand!

-Read John 11:17-37 ​

1 Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha.

17 Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. 18 Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off, 19 and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. 20 So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. 21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” 23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” 27 She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”

When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying in private, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” 29 And when she heard it, she rose quickly and went to him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met him. 31 When the Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary rise quickly and go out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there. 32 Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. 34 And he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Jesus wept. 36 So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” 37 But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?”

Study Notes:

-(I’ve included additional verses in the chapter for context and continuity.)

-Like Thomas, Martha gets a bad rap from one brief excerpt of her whole life (Luke 10), but we see here that she clearly loves the Lord, trusts in Him, and knows Scripture.  She understands that one day, all who trust in Christ will live eternally with Him after death. What she didn’t know (and, how could she?) was that Jesus intended to return Lazarus to physical life that very day.

-Verse 25 is a precious truth and promise, Jesus IS the Resurrection and the Life (I AM).

-By this time, we know that some words and phrases in Scripture can have multiple applications.  For example, earlier Jesus used the word sleep to mean death.  Now, in verse 26, Jesus said that those who believe in Him will never die.  He was, of course, speaking of spiritual life (which is every bit as “real” as physical life).

-Verse 27 is a wonderful testimony from Martha, “I believe that You are the Christ (Messiah/Savior), the Son of God, Who is coming into the world.”  Amen!

-When Mary heard that Jesus was outside, she got up as quickly as she could so that she could be near Him.  She, too, expressed trust that Jesus could have healed Lazarus had He come sooner.  Following is a precious verse, a clear picture that God hurts when we hurt, “Jesus wept.”  What a tender and comforting reminder that God always cares, and that He shares in our joys and our sorrows.

-Immediately following this moment of joined sorrow, came the questions that seems to always get asked when things happen that seem sad, harsh, unfair, or just unwelcome.  Doesn’t God care?  Why did He allow this to happen?  Is He a loving God or not?  First, we can know beyond a shadow of a doubt that God loves us.  Scripture passage after Scripture passages say it and demonstrate it in hundreds of ways.  At the core, however, is always John 3:16, “For God SO LOVED the world that He gave His one and only Son…”  I heard a song once that said something along the lines that if God never did one more kind and loving thing for us, simply remembering what He did in order to pay for our sin and name us as His child is enough, more than enough.  Are there answers in this lifetime for every question we might ask in regards to some tragedy?  Definitely not!  God’s ways are not our ways, His decisions are beyond our comprehension, because we do not know everything from eternity past through eternity to come—like He does.  Our job is to trust Him, to take Him at His word that ALL He does is for our good and His glory.  I expect we may get some answers when we get to glory, but I’m also confident that if we never find out all we’ve been wondering, it won’t matter, because nothing will be more important and incredible than being in the presence of God the Father and God the Son.

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

-Jesus can step in and prevent death.  He can also resurrect the dead.

-Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life.  All who believe in Him will not die.

-Jesus has great compassion for those who are suffering.  He cares deeply.

In a nutshell? 

The account of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus in John 11 is a reminder that often we are not able to understand, appreciate, or even want God’s plans.  However, we must try to grasp just how much God loves us and just how much He cares.  He had a greater purpose in Lazarus’ sickness than healing him.  We need to trust God’s timing and way, and that He keeps all His promises.

Just for fun…  did you know that John 11:35 is the shortest verse in the Bible IN ENGLISH?  In Greek, it actually says, “wept the Jesus,” making I Thessalonians 5:16, the shortest verse (“Rejoice always”).

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, June 19, 2026

-Pause before starting your Bible study to pray and ask God for help to concentrate on what you are reading, to understand what it is saying, and then to apply it to your life as you go through your day.  Thank Him for the privilege of having a copy of His Word in your language and in your hand!

-Read John 11:38-44

33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. 34 And he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Jesus wept. 36 So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” 37 But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?”

38 Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. 39 Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.” 40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” 41 So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.” 43 When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” 44 The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”

Study Notes:

-(I’ve included additional verses in the chapter for context and continuity.)

-Jesus Christ, fully God and fully Man, had great compassion for Mary, Martha, and all who were gathered there that day to mourn Lazarus.  Lazarus was His friend, too, so He empathized with them fully.  Yet, Jesus knew that He was about to raise Lazarus from the dead, so He knew that his death was quite temporary.  Furthermore, Jesus knows far more than any of us could that those who have trusted in Him as Savior will live eternally with Him, so why the sorrow?  I think that a huge part—beyond the pain we feel upon the loss of a loved one—was the awareness of just how horrible and destructive sin is, yet people embrace it willingly and fully.  He knew intimately just how utterly evil is—and that He was literally there to sacrifice His own life to pay the price it demanded—yet, He sorrows along with us at the consequences it brings, which included, among many other things, the deterioration and death of our physical bodies.  Oh, how we need to view sin as God does!  Maybe then we would be quicker to say no to it and yes to obeying and pleasing God!

-Martha’s concern is kind of funny to us, but I’m guessing she was genuinely stressed—and laughing at someone’s stress isn’t very nice.  And for the record, she was probably right!  (I wonder, if at the moment Lazarus’ body came back to life, if the smell left, too???)

-I love that Jesus thanked the Father for hearing His prayer.  He said, “I know that You always hear me…” and this is true for us, too.  Amazing!  Thank Him!

-There is much about Lazarus’ resurrection that is a foreshadowing of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection, about to happen in just a few days.

-Jesus can conquer death!  Why would we not think He can handle whatever crisis we are dealing with today?

-I’ve always wondered if Lazarus was kind of disappointed to be resurrected.  I mean, he was in PARADISE, the holding compartment for believers until Jesus’ resurrection.  He went from feeling GREAT and not having a care in the world, to the challenges of daily life, getting older, people dying, etc.  In fact, he, Mary, and Martha would soon have to watch their beloved Savior tortured and killed! 

-I also wonder what he saw while in Paradise and if he was allowed to tell anyone…

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

-Jesus is deeply moved by our heartaches and suffering.  He cares.

-All Jesus did displayed the glory of God.  We get to see His glories all the time—if we have eyes to see!

-Prayer was important to Jesus. 

-God hears our prayers.

-Being thankful is always good, right, and important.

-Jesus has the power to raise people from the dead.

In a nutshell? 

We never quite know what a day will bring, do we?  Sometimes it’s a regular day until suddenly it brings great sorrow.  Sometimes it’s a sad day that turns into great joy.  The point is that God knows—and He is good.  ALWAYS.  We can trust Him, lean on Him, talk to Him in prayer, and with His help, keep on doing the next right thing, knowing that in the end, our joy will be full as we enjoy His presence throughout 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.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

-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, June 20, 2026

-Pause before starting your Bible study to pray and ask God for help to concentrate on what you are reading, to understand what it is saying, and then to apply it to your life as you go through your day.  Thank Him for the privilege of having a copy of His Word in your language and in your hand!

-Read John 11:45-57

43 When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” 44 The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”

45 Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what he did, believed in him, 46 but some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. 47 So the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the council and said, “What are we to do? For this man performs many signs. 48 If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.” 49 But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all. 50 Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish.” 51 He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, 52 and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad. 53 So from that day on they made plans to put him to death.
54 Jesus therefore no longer walked openly among the Jews, but went from there to the region near the wilderness, to a town called Ephraim, and there he stayed with the disciples.
55 Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and many went up from the country to Jerusalem before the Passover to purify themselves. 56 They were looking for Jesus and saying to one another as they stood in the temple, “What do you think? That he will not come to the feast at all?” 57 Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that if anyone knew where he was, he should let them know, so that they might arrest him.

Study Notes:

-(I’ve included additional verses in the chapter for context and continuity.)

-Bringing someone back to life was a pretty huge deal.  Not surprisingly, many then believed that Jesus was Who He said He was after seeing Lazarus return to life.  It is also not that surprising, knowing human nature, that others chose to run to the Pharisees to report what they had seen.  This caused quite the buzz among the Religious leaders because they were concerned for their positions of importance among the people. 

-The high priest at that time was Caiaphas. He ruled, along with Pontius Pilate, to keep the peace with Rome.  Caiphas was a Jew, Pilate was not.

-Caiaphas basically said that if they killed Jesus, it might save their jobs and even the nation itself. They were afraid that if the Jews caused trouble, Rome would step in and dismantle their leadership, and even destroy the Temple and city (which they did in another 40 years or so).  Unbeknownst to Caiphas, Jesus’ death WOULD save, just not in the way he said.  His death was for the spiritual salvation of all people, but in the time and manner that God prescribed, not the Jewish Religious leaders.

-Because of all this brouhaha, Jesus had to more or less hide out.  This wasn’t out of fear, He was simply waiting for the right time to enter Jerusalem for the last time before His death.  That would be during the Passover feast, which is mentioned here.

-The information in verses 53 and 57, points out that the illegal trial they later gave Jesus was even more of a farce than anyone knew, since they had already decided to have Him killed well before His arrest.

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

-Jesus had enemies while on earth.  This was primarily the Religious leaders, which seems horribly ironic.

-God allowed Caiaphas to speak truth about Jesus, even though he didn’t recognize it as spiritual truth.

-After raising Lazarus from the dead, Jesus was unable to teach and preach openly in Jerusalem because there was a warrant out for His arrest.

-People were aware that Jesus did not miss any of the required feasts.

In a nutshell? 

It’s interesting how different people react to the things that God does.  Some believe, praise the Lord, but others feel threatened, or even want to manipulate things for their personal gain.  Jesus raised a man back to life with the result of His own arrest warrant, an eventual death.  But this was all God’s plan, and nothing that happened was out of His control.  What the unrighteous men planned was used by our righteous Father to make a way for you and me to be forever forgiven, a member of His family, and live in His presence forever, no longer affected by sin.  Jesus paid a steep price to demonstrate His deep love.

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, June 21, 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.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

-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.

BONUS:

“No One Ever Cared for Me Like Jesus” (words and music by C. Wiegle)

I would love to tell you what I think of Jesus since I found in Him a Friend so strong and true.  I would tell you how He changed my life completely—He did something that no other friend could do.  No one ever cared for me like Jesus; there’s no other friend so kind as He.  No one else could take the sin and darkness from me—O how much He cared for me.

All my life was full of sin when Jesus found me; all my heart was full of misery and woe.  Jesus placed His strong and loving arms around me, and He led me in the way I ought to go.  No one ever cared for me like Jesus; there’s no other friend so kind as He.  No one else could take the sin and darkness from me—O how much He cared for me.

Every day He comes to me with new assurance; more and more I understand His words of love but I’ll never know just why He came to save me till some day I see His blessed face above. No one ever cared for me like Jesus; there’s no other friend so kind as He.  No one else could take the sin and darkness from me—O how much He cared for me.

(Just a reminder that the focus of our study this year is on knowing God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit better.  As part of this study, we will be working in the Gospel of John for several weeks.)

Monday, June 22, 2026

-Pause before starting your Bible study to pray and ask God for help to concentrate on what you are reading, to understand what it is saying, and then to apply it to your life as you go through your day.  Thank Him for the privilege of having a copy of His Word in your language and in your hand!

-Read John 12:1-11 ​

Six days before the Passover, Jesus therefore came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 So they gave a dinner for him there. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at table. 3 Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 4 But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, 5 “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” 6 He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it. 7 Jesus said, “Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my burial. 8 For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me.”

9 When the large crowd of the Jews learned that Jesus was there, they came, not only on account of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 10 So the chief priests made plans to put Lazarus to death as well, 11 because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus.

Study Notes:

-The Passover mentioned was the one during which Jesus would die.  I wonder if Jesus came to the home of Simon, where Mary, Martha, and Lazarus were visiting, for friendship, comfort, and love?  I’m sure that, one week later, these three siblings were extra thankful for that evening they shared with the Lord.  You know, as stressful as it may seem to consider having someone over for a meal or to play a game, once they are there, it becomes a joy.  There’s something extra special about fellowshipping one-on-one with other members of the household of God!

-Mary’s act of love and devotion is pretty beautiful, wouldn’t you say?  I wonder if she had spent time thinking and praying about how she, personally, could show her Lord her love and appreciation?  I wonder if she was frustrated that there was no “big” thing she could do on her own?  And then, perhaps, it hit her.  The only possession that she owned that was of any value was this special ointment.  Could she lavish it upon the Lord Who meant so much to her?  She could—and she did—and Jesus was deeply touched.  In fact, Matthew 26:13 notes that He said,  “Truly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.”  And here you and I are, some 2,000 years later, still marveling at Mary’s devotion!

-One commentator noted that bringing flowers to a funeral is really nice, but how much nicer to do something special for loved ones BEFORE they’re gone.

-Verses 4-6 expose, for the first time, some very unpleasant truths about Judas Iscariot.  The disciples themselves did not know of his thievery until well after the fact.  They never saw his betrayal coming.

-The Religious leaders’ greed and sin were so great that they were planning to not only kill Jesus, but Lazarus, simply because too many people were believing in Jesus because of Lazarus’ resurrection.  While not all people are as wicked as they could be, many choose some pretty horrific actions because of pride, greed, and self-service.

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

-Jesus spent time with friends.

-Jesus understood why Mary anointed Him and appreciated her act of love.

In a nutshell? 

Several aspects of human nature are exposed here:  love and sacrifice, greed and hatred.  Through it all, Jesus marched toward His own horrific death out of a deep and lasting love for you and me.  What act of sacrifice might we give Him to show our love and appreciation?

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.

Tuesday, June 23, 2026

-Pause before starting your Bible study to pray and ask God for help to concentrate on what you are reading, to understand what it is saying, and then to apply it to your life as you go through your day.  Thank Him for the privilege of having a copy of His Word in your language and in your hand!

-Read John 12:12-19

9 When the large crowd of the Jews learned that Jesus was there, they came, not only on account of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 10 So the chief priests made plans to put Lazarus to death as well, 11 because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus.

12 The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. 13 So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” 14 And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written, 15 “Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt!”
16 His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him. 17 The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to bear witness. 18 The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign. 19 So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the world has gone after him.”

Study Notes:

-(I’ve included additional verses in the chapter for context and continuity.)

-Jerusalem was crowded with tens of thousands of people who had come to celebrate the Passover Feast.  Many of these pilgrims had heard of Jesus’ miracles, and they wanted to see Him for themselves. 

-Hosanna is a transliteration of the Hebrew, “give salvation now.”  Verse 13 is a quote from Psalm 118, ascribing to Jesus the title of Messiah/Savior, but they almost certainly meant salvation from Roman oppression, not their sins.  They were looking for a Jewish king to take over and kick Rome out.  Jesus IS the King, but He will not ascend the throne in Jerusalem until the Millennium.

-The waving of date palm branches was a national symbol of celebration.

-Verse 15 is a quote (prophecy) from Zechariah 9:9.

-An incredible number of things happened that last week of Jesus’ life.  It took a while for the disciples to think about things, remember things, and put things together.  Even so, they were living in the series of events and major changes in their entire way of life, while we have the luxury of reading about it and being able to see the whole picture.  It must have been quite a journey meeting Jesus, learning Who He was, trying to understand what He was teaching, then watch His arrest, crucifixion, resurrection, then return to the Father.  We may not see the big picture of the twists and turns of our lives, either, but like them, we can trust God to do right in each situation, and for us personally.

-The other gospels give a lot more detail of this event, known as the triumphal entry.  Read about it in Matthew  21:1-11; Mark 11:1-11; and Luke 19:28-38.

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

-Jesus was celebrated as the Messiah upon entering Jerusalem for Passover just before His arrest.

-The crowd said the right things about Jesus, although they didn’t understand the full implications of what He was doing and why.

-Jesus is the rightful King of Israel, the One promised to David 1,000 years earlier.

-Jesus entered Jerusalem on a donkey, indicating peace.  The next time He comes, it will be on a war horse.

In a nutshell? 

Very few people understood what Jesus was doing, or why, the day of His triumphal entry.  They were right to celebrate Him, but they were shortsighted concerning the true miracle He was about to bring, that of eternal life for all who believe.  Even the believers at that time did not have the indwelling Holy Spirit as we do, nor of course, did they have the completed Word of God which explains everything nicely.  We have much to thank God for!

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.

Wednesday, June 24, 2026

-Pause before starting your Bible study to pray and ask God for help to concentrate on what you are reading, to understand what it is saying, and then to apply it to your life as you go through your day.  Thank Him for the privilege of having a copy of His Word in your language and in your hand!

-Read John 12:20-26

Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks. 21 So these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” 22 Philip went and told Andrew; Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. 23 And Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25 Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.

Study Notes:

-At this point in John’s relaying of Jesus’ life, he acknowledges that not only were some Jews getting saved, but so were some Gentiles (Greeks).  The Jews looked down on non-Jews, and the Gentiles didn’t know how to approach Jews, so these Gentile men chose to speak to Philip, possibly because they knew his name (Philip is Greek; it means “horse-lover”). 

-Did you notice that Philip and Andrew continued to bring people to Jesus?  This should be our joy, too.  The focus of our testimony toward others ought always to be to point out our wonderful Lord and our gracious Father in heaven.  The words of life are those found in God’s Word.

-There was something about the introduction of the Gentiles that caused Jesus to say for the first time that the hour had arrived for Him to be glorified.  Jesus’ death was effective for the sin of all of mankind, male and female, Jew and Gentile.

-To say that no one should love their life (v.24) is the idea of living for self over living for God.  A life lived for self is wasted, but the one focused on trusting God and obeying Him (serving Him, v.26) is a rich and abundant life now, and it is a life that is growing rewards in heaven.  This is not addressing spiritual salvation.  Rather, it is addressing how one lives as a believer.

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

-Jesus knew when it was time for Him to be glorified.

-Jesus knew that His death was necessary in order to bring spiritual life to those who trusted in Him.

-Jesus wants those who trust in Him to obey Him, to love Him more than self, and to serve Him wholeheartedly.

-God honors those who serve Him.

In a nutshell? 

Jesus knew that His death was necessary in order for you and me to become children of God and fellow heirs with Him.  He said that this would glorify Him.  Of course it does, but we are also given the opportunity to bring Him glory every day through our attitudes, actions, words—everything. Are we?

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.

Thursday, June 25, 2026

-Pause before starting your Bible study to pray and ask God for help to concentrate on what you are reading, to understand what it is saying, and then to apply it to your life as you go through your day.  Thank Him for the privilege of having a copy of His Word in your language and in your hand!

-Read John 12:27-36a

27 “Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. 28 Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” 29 The crowd that stood there and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.” 30 Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not mine. 31 Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. 32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” 33 He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die. 34 So the crowd answered him, “We have heard from the Law that the Christ remains forever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?” 35 So Jesus said to them, “The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. 36 While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.”

Study Notes:

-In verse 27, Jesus states that His soul is troubled upon thinking of the agony He will undergo in just a few days, most especially the separation from the Father while He was becoming sin for us.  This is the same word used in chapter 11 to describe His great heartache and angst in witnessing the deep sorrow of Mary, Martha, and all who loved Lazarus.  But in spite of His dread, Jesus had determined to do the Father’s will.

-Even in great turmoil of heart and soul, Jesus’ deepest desire was to bring glory to the Father.  In a rare and incredible occurrence, the Father spoke audibly to the Son from heaven.  He assured Jesus that He was glorifying His name—and would continue to bring Him glory (probably specifically through His sacrificial death).  Clearly, not everyone heard or understood what the Father said.

-Other times the Father spoke to/about Jesus:  Matthew 3:17; 17:5; Mark 1:11; 9:7; Luke 3:22; 9:35; 2 Peter 1:17-18.

-Jesus explained yet again why He was going to die, and how, but no one really understood it at the time.  In fact, they continued to get hung up by what they THOUGHT would happen when the Messiah came, missing the incredible miracle happening right before their eyes.  We would all be wise to pray for “eyes that see” and “ears that hear” what God wants us to see, hear, and understand from His Word.  Because we have the indwelling Spirit, we CAN understand spiritual truth and apply it to our lives, but we have to want to, and part of wanting to will include keeping sin confessed and living obediently according to God’s Word.

-Jesus wanted everyone present to listen and learn from Him while He was still there—because He wouldn’t be too much longer, and life would get a whole lot harder.  While we do not have the Lord present with us physically, we DO have the written Word of God, and we DO have our pastor and church family to learn from and minister to and with.  We, too, have no idea how long we’ll have these privileges, so don’t waste even a second!

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

-Jesus came to earth for the purpose of doing the Father’s will, that is, becoming the sinless substitute, paying the price for sin that we could not.

-The Father could have saved Jesus from suffering and death, but if He did, all humans would end up in the Lake of Fire, having no way to pay the debt that our sin requires.

-Jesus glorifies the Father, past, present, and future.

-Jesus’ death and resurrection would forever defeat sin, death, and satan.  It would result in Him becoming King of kings and Lord of lords eternally.

-Jesus is the Light, although His time on earth at that time was for a brief period only.

In a nutshell? 

In spite of suffering beyond our ability to understand, Jesus chose to do the Father’s will, bringing Him much glory.  We can be like Him simply by trusting God and obeying Him.  This, too, brings God much 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.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

-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, June 26, 2026

-Pause before starting your Bible study to pray and ask God for help to concentrate on what you are reading, to understand what it is saying, and then to apply it to your life as you go through your day.  Thank Him for the privilege of having a copy of His Word in your language and in your hand!

-Read John 12:36b-43

34 So the crowd answered him, “We have heard from the Law that the Christ remains forever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?” 35 So Jesus said to them, “The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. 36 While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.”

When Jesus had said these things, he departed and hid himself from them. 37 Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him, 38 so that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:
“Lord, who has believed what he heard from us, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” 39 Therefore they could not believe. For again Isaiah said, 40 “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, lest they see with their eyes, and understand with their heart, and turn, and I would heal them.” 41 Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory and spoke of him. 42 Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; 43 for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.

Study Notes:

-(I’ve included additional verses in the chapter for context and continuity.)

-You should know that I don’t share passages like this with you without quite a bit of prayer, asking the Lord to help me know what to say, what NOT to say, and especially, not saying things that are wrong or misleading.  There are some very deep truths in the gospel of John, and it’s not without great caution that I share some of what blessed and/or challenged me!   If I set aside the harder stuff for a minute, I would love to focus on verse 43.  It sure sounds like an important cautionary tale to me!  “For they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.”

My first thought was to consider if this is what happens when I know I should say something about the Lord to someone (by way of witnessing to them), but am too chicken to spit it out.  Am I more concerned with not looking foolish or being ridiculed  – more than I am of bringing glory to God?  What about when asked to join the choir or sing a special in church?  Is my hesitation because I don’t want people to hear I don’t sing perfectly or figure out that I don’t know what I am doing— than I want to bring God glory by singing praise to Him (which will, of course, also be a blessing to His people)?  Is “showing off” before other Christians by answering all the Bible quiz questions bringing glory to God—or hoping for glory from other believers?

I will never, ever say that witnessing is easy (nor is doing the right thing over the easy thing in other situations).  One thing that I heard my husband say a few times, though, is to consider what horrors await those who have not trusted in Christ, and THEN decide if you want to tell them about the good news of the gospel. What if YOU were the one God had placed in their path that day and time and circumstance, knowing they would listen and trust?

Maybe the key to this (and much of a God-honoring life as a believer) is to stop focusing on self, and focus more on what God wants, and how to bless, encourage, and build up others in the faith.

-Verse 38 is a quote from Isaiah 53:1.

-Verse 40 is a quote from Isaiah 6:10.

-Read about Isaiah’s vision of the Lord in Isaiah 6.

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

-Jesus had spoken frequently and openly about Who He was, Who His Father was, and why He had come to earth.  Some listened, most did not. 

-Jesus only had a few years to teach and be the Light.  This included fulfilling every prophecy made about Him from the beginning until that day—and what was to come.

-Jesus performed many miracles (signs) while on earth.

-God may choose to harden the hearts of those who repeatedly refuse to believe in Him and/or obey Him so that they are no longer able to believe.  God is the Sovereign.

-God wants us to live to bring Him glory.

In a nutshell? 

Accepting Christ as Savior is a limited-time deal.  That is, none of us knows how long we have on earth, so telling people about what Christ did for them as if this were their last day on earth seems a wise way to look at it.  Turning it back to self, we don’t know how long we have, either, so waiting on obeying the Lord fully and completely isn’t a good decision, either, and only brings regret and shame.  Do right.  Do it now.

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.

Saturday, June 27, 2026

-Pause before starting your Bible study to pray and ask God for help to concentrate on what you are reading, to understand what it is saying, and then to apply it to your life as you go through your day.  Thank Him for the privilege of having a copy of His Word in your language and in your hand!

-Read John 12:44-50

41 Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory and spoke of him. 42 Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; 43 for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.

44 And Jesus cried out and said, “Whoever believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me. 45 And whoever sees me sees him who sent me. 46 I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness. 47 If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. 48 The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day. 49 For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment—what to say and what to speak. 50 And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told me.”

Study Notes:

-(I’ve included additional verses in the chapter for context and continuity.)

In essence, what Jesus shouted (what the word “cried” means in v.44) was a summary of all that He had taught during His three and a half years of public ministry:

-To believe in Jesus is to believe in God.  God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are one God.

-God the Father sent Jesus to earth to show people what He is like.

-Jesus came into the world as a light and the means to once-and-for-all-time dispel the darkness that is sin (see Colossians 1:13-14).

-Jesus came to bring salvation.  He was not here to judge sin at that time.

-Those who reject the salvation Jesus brought will face judgment at the Great White Throne Judgment (“the last day,”  see Revelation 20:11-15).

-All Jesus said and did was based on the authority the Father gave Him, and He obeyed every single command with perfection.

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

(already listed in the study notes)

In a nutshell? 

In a few sentences, Jesus named several essential things to know and believe.  To trust in Jesus as Savior is life, light, peace, joy, and purpose.  To reject Him is to reject your Creator and forever seal your doom in the Lake of Fire for all of eternity.  To consider that anyone would not choose Jesus is to get a tiny glimpse of just how destructive and horrible total depravity actually is.  Pray for those who do not know Christ as Savior; don’t pass up opportunities to tell them what they so desperately need to know.

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, June 28, 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.

BONUS:

“O Wondrous Love”  (words and music by S & V Cook)

O wondrous love that will not let me go, I cling to You with all my strength and soul.  Yet if my hold should ever fail, this wondrous love will never let me go.

O wondrous love that’s come to dwell in me!  Lord, who am I that I should come to know Your tender voice assuring me Your wondrous love will never let me go?

O wondrous love that sings of Calvary, the sweetest sound this sinner’s ever known, the song of Your redeeming Son Whose wondrous love will never let me go.

O wondrous love that rushes over me, I can’t escape this river’s glorious flow.  You overwhelm my days with good.  Your wondrous love will never let me go.

(Just a reminder that the focus of our study this year is on knowing God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit better.  As part of this study, we will be working in the Gospel of John for several weeks.)

Monday, June 29, 2026

-Pause before starting your Bible study to pray and ask God for help to concentrate on what you are reading, to understand what it is saying, and then to apply it to your life as you go through your day.  Thank Him for the privilege of having a copy of His Word in your language and in your hand!

-Read John 13:1-20 ​

Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. 2 During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him, 3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, 4 rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. 5 Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. 6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” 7 Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.” 8 Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” 9 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” 10 Jesus said to him, “The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you.” 11 For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, “Not all of you are clean.”
12 When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? 13 You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. 16 Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. 18 I am not speaking of all of you; I know whom I have chosen. But the Scripture will be fulfilled, ​‘He who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me.’ 19 I am telling you this now, before it takes place, that when it does take place you may believe that I am he. 20 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.”

Study Notes:

-The Passover Feast was instituted by God the night He would rescue His people, the Hebrews, from slavery in Egypt.  You can look up all the details in Exodus 12, but basically, the people were to slaughter a lamb with no blemishes at all, apply its blood to their doorposts, and eat the roasted (whole) lamb, dressed and ready to leave at a moment’s notice.  Later in Scripture, we find out that this was a foreshadowing of what Jesus Christ, God’s Perfect Lamb, would do on behalf of all people in order to pay the price for the sin that we are born with, and make a way for us to escape the Lake of Fire.  He Who had no sin, took our sin upon Himself – your sin and my sin – so that we could be forgiven and become a child of God, living in His presence for eternity.  Fast forward 1480 years, and Jesus is spending a few last hours with His disciples before His crucifixion.  We know all of that—because we have the incredible gift of the finished Word of God in our hands.  The disciples didn’t know it, and we should keep that in mind when reading about their reactions before and after Jesus’ death and resurrection.

-It is not insignificant that the last thing Jesus did while with His disciples was to take on the role of the lowliest kind of servant there is, the one who washes people’s dusty, dirty, smelly feet.  For one, Jesus came to earth to BE a Servant.  For another, if we are paying attention to the entire rest of the New Testament, a HUGE part of how we show love, obedience, faithfulness, and worship for God IS BY SERVING one another in big ways, little ways, sacrificial ways, and ways that show great love and humility.  As in every area of our lives as God’s children, Jesus showed us a perfect example of what this would look like.

-I liked this quote: “The world asks, ‘How many people work for you?’ but the Lord asks, ‘For how many people do you work?‘” (Wiersbe)

-In verse 19, Jesus is claiming once again to be I AM; God Almighty.

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

-Jesus knew when it was time for Him to die and return to heaven.

-Jesus loved all those who belonged to Him—and never stopped loving them.

-Jesus knew who belongs to Him.  He also knew who would betray Him.

-Jesus is both our Teacher and Lord.  He is also our example of what it means to be a true servant of the Lord.

In a nutshell? 

A key verse in this passage, and one that fits every area of thought and deed in the life of a believer, is verse 17, “If you know these things (what God wants and is pleasing to Him), blessed are you if you do them.”  Amen!  So be it!

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.

Tuesday, June 30, 2026

-Pause before starting your Bible study to pray and ask God for help to concentrate on what you are reading, to understand what it is saying, and then to apply it to your life as you go through your day.  Thank Him for the privilege of having a copy of His Word in your language and in your hand!

-Read John 13:21-35

After saying these things, Jesus was troubled in his spirit, and testified, “Truly, truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” 22 The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom he spoke. 23 One of his disciples, whom Jesus loved, was reclining at table at Jesus’ side, 24 so Simon Peter motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking. 25 So that disciple, leaning back against Jesus, said to him, “Lord, who is it?” 26 Jesus answered, “It is he to whom I will give this morsel of bread when I have dipped it.” So when he had dipped the morsel, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. 27 Then after he had taken the morsel, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, “What you are going to do, do quickly.” 28 Now no one at the table knew why he said this to him. 29 Some thought that, because Judas had the moneybag, Jesus was telling him, “Buy what we need for the feast,” or that he should give something to the poor. 30 So, after receiving the morsel of bread, he immediately went out. And it was night.

31 When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. 32 If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and glorify him at once. 33 Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You will seek me, and just as I said to the Jews, so now I also say to you, ‘Where I am going you cannot come.’ 34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Study Notes:

-v.23  This is the first time John, the author of this gospel, referred to himself as the one whom Jesus loved.  What a precious thing that each of us can also claim this incredible truth, too!

-It’s always confused me a bit that the disciples didn’t seem to realize that Judas Iscariot would betray Jesus, even though it seems Jesus was pretty clear about it in giving him the morsel of bread.  However, I know that all sorts of what should be obvious truths to us aren’t always very obvious right away.  We can look back at some situation later and see things we clearly missed while living it, and there sure was a lot going on for the disciples that night!  Furthermore, Scripture is pretty clear that God doesn’t always allow us to understand everything right away, and sometimes, not at all.  Because He is God, if He does that, it is always right, good, and just.

-The departure of Judas to set up Jesus’ betrayal was the beginning of what would result in Jesus’ arrest, false trials, crucifixion, and resurrection—ALL God’s plan.  What God does ALWAYS brings Him glory.  He is God!

-The “new” command that Jesus was giving the disciples (and which is for us, too), is to love another “AS I HAVE LOVED YOU.”  The command to love God supremely and love neighbor as self has always been in place, but now we are to love with grace, with selflessness, with enduring patience, just as the Lord loves us.  It’s an action, for sure, but it’s also love with intention; love with the good of the other person in mind.  It’s a sacrificial love, a love that edifies, blesses, and encourages a stronger relationship with the Lord.  If we want people to know that we belong to Jesus Christ, learn to love this way.

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

-Jesus became troubled in spirit when on the earth.  In this specific example, it may not have been so much that He was about to be betrayed, but sorrow over the pain and suffering that Judas would bear as a result of his action.

-Much of what Jesus said was misunderstood or not understood at all.

-Jesus’ life and death brought glory to God.  God the Father, in return, glorified the Son.

-Jesus would soon return to heaven, a place inaccessible until death (or the Rapture), and even so, only for those who have placed their trust in Christ as Savior.

-Jesus gave a new command to all His disciples (students, followers), that of loving others in the same way He loved.  He loves sacrificially.

-The other three gospels share a lot more about Jesus’ last evening with His disciples.  It’s well worth checking out.

In a nutshell? 

There are three mentions of Jesus being deeply and profoundly troubled in John 11-13.  Each time, it is because He sees the pain and heartache of people He loves.  I’m sure, too, it’s a deep sorrow over the horrible consequences sin has brought upon mankind, His most special creation, made in His own image.  Would that we had such compassion for the people in our lives, and a greater concern for their pain, than that of our own.

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.

“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

July 1, 2026

Dear Student of the Word,

Welcome to the seventh month of study on knowing God. If you’ve just joined us, we are in pursuit of knowing God better—and using His Word to do so. 

Here is what we have studied this far this year:

-Commands involving what God wants us to know (truth about Him and general truth),

-Assorted verses that talk about the Father, Son, & Holy Spirit (separately & together),

-What the Gospel of John teaches about the Lord (our current study, finishing this month).

It is my earnest prayer that this study is a huge blessing to you, and that it draws you to a closer and more sweet relationship with the Lord.

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).

Thank you 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.

-The ladies at FBC meet to review our work together once a month.  You are welcome to join us if you find yourself in the North Conway area.  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.

Wednesday, July 1, 2026

-Pause before starting your Bible study to pray and ask God for help to concentrate on what you are reading, to understand what it is saying, and then to apply it to your life as you go through your day.  Thank Him for the privilege of having a copy of His Word in your language and in your hand!

-Read John 14:1-7 ​

“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. 4 And you know the way to where I am going.” 5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”

Study Notes:

-While reading this passage, keep in mind that Jesus is speaking to His disciples, who are already saved.  What He is telling them is for believers.  It’s for you and me.

-It’s easy to read passages such as today’s portion, and picture Jesus speaking to His disciples.  The fact is, however, that He is also speaking to you!  He wants you to hear, understand, and apply His words.

-v.1  Let not your heart be troubled is the idea of a continual action: “Don’t keep being troubled (about what I’m telling you).”

-Since the disciples are already saved, Jesus is telling them to KEEP believing what they know about God the Father and Himself.  He is trustworthy and faithful.  He will do all He promised.  He will help all believers to learn about Him, grow closer to Him, and obey Him.

-In verse 2, Jesus revealed part of what He would be doing when He returned to heaven.  He’s doing some sort of preparation for when all those who belong to God will be in residence there.

-Jesus also promises to come and retrieve believers when the time is right (v.3).  These are precious promises!

-The disciples didn’t yet understand all what Jesus was saying to them.  For one thing, this was all happening quickly, and many of Jesus’ words seem a bit cryptic.  For another, they did not have the benefit of the indwelling Holy Spirit to help them understand, as we do.

-Although we tend to think of John 14:6 as one to use in witnessing,  and it’s not wrong to use as a witnessing tool, Jesus is speaking to believers.  He will always be available to us to help us know the right way to think and act.  He instructs us currently primarily through His Written Word, which we can study personally, and be instructed in by our pastors.

-v.6  Salvation is through Jesus Christ, but so is everything we are and have once saved.  We also have access to the Father in prayer through Jesus Christ.

-Once again, Jesus points out that we can know God the Father through listening and watching Him.  As Christians, “little Christs,” people should be able to see Christ in our words and actions.

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

-God is completely trustworthy.

-God’s House has room for all believers.  Jesus is currently preparing things in some way right now.

-Jesus will meet and bring all believers into heaven.

-Jesus is THE way, THE truth, and THE life (an I AM verse).

-It is through Jesus Christ that we have access to the Father.

-Jesus Christ perfectly mirrors the Father in every way.

In a nutshell? 

These verses are full of promise and excitement.  God has TREMENDOUS plans for us.  It’s merely a matter of time before everything kicks off in a grand celebration.  Don’t give in!  Don’t give up!

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.

Thursday, July 2, 2026

-Pause before starting your Bible study to pray and ask God for help to concentrate on what you are reading, to understand what it is saying, and then to apply it to your life as you go through your day.  Thank Him for the privilege of having a copy of His Word in your language and in your hand!

-Read John 14:8-17

6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”
8 Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.
12 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. 13 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.
15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.

Study Notes:

-(I’ve included additional verses in the chapter for context and continuity.)

-It’s interesting, but not surprising, that the disciples had been with Jesus for over three years of teaching, but there were still many very essential truths that they just didn’t get or fully comprehend.  As noted before, at least part of that is because everything was happening in real time, and they didn’t have the benefit of hindsight as we do.  Furthermore, without the indwelling Holy Spirit, I don’t know how much spiritual truth they were able to understand and appropriate.  If we look at what these men wrote later in the Epistles, the Holy Spirit and the benefit of hindsight clearly made a huge difference in understanding Who Jesus was, why He came, and what He wants from us and for us. 

-Among other applications, I think the above paragraph is surely a huge encouragement for us to be in God’s Word often to read and re-read passages so that we can “get it.”  It’s also a huge plug to be in church services in order to hear what the Lord has laid on the pastor’s heart to teach and instruct us on from His Word.

-Believing in Jesus and that what God says is true is an essential starting point, however, we are also expected to act on it – to obey what we know He wants us to do.

-To ask in Jesus’ name indicates that what we are asking is in keeping with His character and wishes.  When we pray for the things that God says are His will, we can be confident that He will answer.  We also need to remember, however, that God’s timing and the way in which He answers prayer may or may not be what we expect.  Our job is to thank and praise Him for what He does, and not just for what we had thought was the “right” thing.

-In God’s eyes, saying that we love Him isn’t enough.  He wants to see the proof in our obedience to His Word.

-Verses 16 and 17 are a world-changing promise; something no one could have guessed, nor imagined how incredible it would be.  The third Person of the Godhead, the Holy Spirit, would indwell every person who trusts in Christ as Savior beginning on the day of Pentecost. This is a permanent Gift, meaning the Holy Spirit will continue to indwell us throughout eternity.  If that doesn’t bring a “Praise the Lord!” I don’t know what will!

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

-To see and know Jesus is to see and know the Father.  They are One.

-Jesus spoke based on the authority of the Father.

-God wants His children to believe that everything He says is truth (it is!).  He also wants us to obey Him.

-God will grant the prayer requests of those who pray in Jesus’ name and according to His character.

-God promised the Gift of the Indwelling Holy Spirit permanently for all believers.

In a nutshell? 

Some of Jesus’ very last words while on earth included reminders to live wholeheartedly for God in what we do, in our prayers, and in our hearts.  He has given us everything we need to do that—and do it with excellence.

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, July 3, 2026

-Pause before starting your Bible study to pray and ask God for help to concentrate on what you are reading, to understand what it is saying, and then to apply it to your life as you go through your day.  Thank Him for the privilege of having a copy of His Word in your language and in your hand!

-Read John 14:18-31

15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.

18 “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. 21 Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.” 22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?” 23 Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me.
25 “These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. 28 You heard me say to you, ​‘I am going away, and I will come to you.’ If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. 29 And now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place you may believe. 30 I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me, 31 but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us go from here.

Study Notes:

-(I’ve included additional verses in the chapter for context and continuity.)

-These last words of Jesus are truly precious.  They are filled with promises (which are certainties when spoken by God), with hope (utmost confidence in their truth), and comfort.

-In the middle is one of my all-time favorite verses, verse 27. “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”

-God’s view of time is not something we are able to understand.  He is outside of time and is not limited by it the way we are.  We cannot know what “a little while” (v.19) means to God, but we can take great comfort in the fact that Jesus WILL return for us, and we WILL see Him face to face, and live with Him eternally.

-Once again, Jesus points out that anyone can SAY that they love Him.  Only those who obey His Word prove it, however.  They are the ones He will manifest Himself to (make Himself known—our word of study for this year!).

-Verse 23 is the idea of sweet fellowship.  We could even picture a cozy living room, with fire blazing, peaceful music coming from the speakers, and the family all gathered around, enjoying simply being together.  This is the picture of the fellowship God’s children can have with Him and each other when we are all living faithfully according to His Word—and how delightful that can be in the here and now (then, just imagine how incredible it will be when we leave our sin natures behind when we enter heaven!).

-One of the critical roles that the Holy Spirit plays in the life of believers is that of understanding and remembering.  It is He Who helps us “get” God’s Word, apply it to our daily circumstances, remember what we learned, and grow into maturity spiritually.  The gift of the Holy Spirit is a HUGE deal!

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

-God never leaves His children alone (orphans).  Jesus will return for all believers before the Tribulation begins.  In the meantime, all who trust in Christ as Savior receive the Holy Spirit to indwell them permanently.

-Because Jesus conquered death, death cannot conquer any who trust in Him as Savior.  We may die physically, but the real us will live in God’s presence eternally.

-God will develop a close relationship with all believers who prove their love for the Lord by obeying Him.  He will reveal more and more of Himself to those who walk closely with Him.

-The Holy Spirit is given by the Father in Jesus’ name.  The Holy Spirit (the “Helper”) will teach believers from God’s Word and help them obey it.

-God is the Giver of genuine and lasting peace.

-Although Jesus died for our sins, it was not satan’s victory (satan could never defeat God!), but God’s, because it paid the price for the sin of mankind which they could not pay for themselves.

-Jesus always does all that the Father commands Him to do.

In a nutshell? 

There’s a famous hymn about prayer that speaks of what we forfeit (peace!) when we opt to not bring all our cares to God in prayer.  I believe that this passage reminds us of a TON of incredible blessings that we forfeit when we choose to not live according to God’s Word.  At the same time, it lists blessing after blessing when we do!

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.

Saturday, July 4, 2026

-Pause before starting your Bible study to pray and ask God for help to concentrate on what you are reading, to understand what it is saying, and then to apply it to your life as you go through your day.  Thank Him for the privilege of having a copy of His Word in your language and in your hand!

-Read John 15:1-11 ​

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. 9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. 11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

Study Notes:

-As we read this famous section in John’s gospel, keep in mind that Jesus is speaking to His disciples, who were already saved.  What all verses like 2 & 6 mean  (that branches might be taken away, and/or burned), cannot be loss of salvation, so we must consider other options.  If we stop obeying God and growing, will He take away our opportunities for service, which would also take away the ability to earn rewards in heaven?  If we walk far enough away from our faith and begin to cause harm to the name of Christ, will He take away our physical life?  Let’s look at what else Jesus said here:

-While God the Father is the gardener/vinedresser in this passage, Jesus is the vine through which the branches are alive and able to bear fruit.  Verse 1 is an I AM declaration.

-Branches that are fruitful, that is, Christians who are obeying God’s Word, maturing, and seeking to be a help and blessing to others, will be worked with in order to grow even stronger and more fruitful.  Sometimes this is done through adversity and challenges, as the pruning hints at.  However, it’s also clear that pruning is a good thing, and for excellent reasons and benefits.

-A branch that is not attached to a vine or tree cannot do anything or be anything, neither can a Christian be truly God-honoring without a close daily walk with the Lord.

-v.7 When we are living our lives based on God’s Word and for His glory, our prayers will reflect this, making them prayers that God will answer. His word abiding in us leads to a more powerful and accurate prayer life.

-v.8 Once again, we find that the proof is in the pudding.  Anyone can claim to be a follower, or disciple, of Jesus Christ, but how we live our lives will either prove it or disprove it.

-Jesus spoke often of the incredible love He has for the Father and the Father has for Him.  It is this same quality and quantity that Jesus offers you and me.  We simply need to abide/remain in it.  Verse 10 includes that abiding and obeying are forever linked and cannot be separated.

-Jesus wants each and every Christian to have deep, abiding, “full” joy.  Walking closely with Him is the only requirement for this joyous, victorious, abundant life.

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

-Jesus Christ, God’s Son, is THE True Vine.  He is the only way to access the Father.

-God the Father is the Vinedresser; the Architect behind everything!

-God works with Christians to help them become more fruitful, but if they refuse to cooperate, He may allow them to live as they want.

-God answers prayers that are in keeping with His Word and will.

-God is glorified when Christians are obeying Him and bearing fruit as a result.

-God the Father loves the Son, the Son loves the Father, and God loves all believers.

-Jesus obeyed all of God’s commands and abides in His love.

-Jesus wants to give all believers abundant joy. 

In a nutshell? 

Once saved, we forever belong to Christ (amen!).  However, God has given us free will, and we may choose to either walk closely with Jesus, obeying His Word, and living as He did—or—we can choose to disregard the One Who died in our place and live life for ourselves.  One choice brings abundant joy and delightful growth, the other leads to uselessness, pain, and sorrow.

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, July 5, 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.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

-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.

BONUS:

“Near to the Heart of God” (word and music by C. McAfee)

There is a place of quiet rest near to the heart of God, a place where sin cannot molest near to the heart of God.  O Jesus, blest Redeemer, sent from the heart of God, hold us who wait before Thee near to the heart of God.

There is a place of comfort sweet near to the heart of God, a place where we our Savior meet near to the heart of God. O Jesus, blest Redeemer, sent from the heart of God, hold us who wait before Thee near to the heart of God.

There is a place of full release near to the heart of God, a place where all is joy and peace near to the heart of God. O Jesus, blest Redeemer, sent from the heart of God, hold us who wait before Thee near to the heart of God.

(Just a reminder that the focus of our study this year is on knowing God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit better.  As part of this study, we will be working in the Gospel of John for several weeks.)

Monday, July 6, 2026

-Pause before starting your Bible study to pray and ask God for help to concentrate on what you are reading, to understand what it is saying, and then to apply it to your life as you go through your day.  Thank Him for the privilege of having a copy of His Word in your language and in your hand!

-Read John 15:12-17

10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. 11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.
12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. 17 These things I command you, so that you will love one another.

Study Notes:

-(I’ve included additional verses in the chapter for context and continuity.)

-Christians showing biblical love to other Christians isn’t optional.  It is a command.  We’re given further instruction to love as Jesus loved us.  How He loved us is also mentioned:  He gave His life for us!  While literally giving up our lives for another is pretty rare (though it does happen!) There are certainly a multitude of ways one person might sacrifice to help another. In fact, we might even consider how there might be two kinds of giving, the kind of giving that doesn’t really cost us, and the kind that might hurt a little.  I don’t believe God asks us to give away our last penny, or to labor to the point of exhaustion and sickness, but if we’re being fair, we kind of like to be comfortable, so giving our time, talents, and treasures in a sacrificial way might require some time in prayer with the Lord to know who, what, where, when, and how.

-The whole concept of servants v. friends is so interesting!  Of course, we should be servants of God Almighty!  He is God!  He is our Savior!  However, He also wants something even better for us—and with us.  God wants to be our Friend.  He wants to make Himself known to us, so that we can come to think like He does, and see sin and righteousness the way He does.  The more we think and act like Him, the more we will want to, and the more we want to, the closer friends we will be.  Quite a sweet deal!

-Did you know that all Christians have a job to do for the Lord?  It’s to bear fruit.  This is a concept that is found in several places in the Bible.  What is fruit?  Well, a lot of it is hinted at in this passage:  to love others as Christ loves us. 

-We’re not on our own in any of this.  Asking God for help to love and obey Him, and love and help others, are prayers that He WILL answer “yes” to!

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

-God loves us and expects us to love others similarly.

-Jesus showed the greatest kind of love by giving His life for us.

-God offers friendship to believers when the obey Him.

-God chose who would belong to Him.  Once saved, He wants them to abide in Him and bear fruit.

In a nutshell? 

I think that sometimes we look at God’s commands as a bit of a burden or a tad too hard to consider actually doing, but passages like this remind us that God wants to bless us, grow a close bond with us, and give us all sorts of help—if we simply choose to step up and do what He says is right.  We’re the ones who tie our own hands or make life seem too hard.  Trust and obey, for there’s not other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

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.

Tuesday, July 7, 2026

-Pause before starting your Bible study to pray and ask God for help to concentrate on what you are reading, to understand what it is saying, and then to apply it to your life as you go through your day.  Thank Him for the privilege of having a copy of His Word in your language and in your hand!

-Read John 15:18 – 16:4

“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. ¹⁹ If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. ²⁰ Remember the word that I said to you: ​‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. ²¹ But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me. ²² If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. ²³ Whoever hates me hates my Father also. ²⁴ If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. ²⁵ But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: ​‘They hated me without a cause.’
²⁶ “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. ²⁷ And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning.
​¹ “I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away. ² They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God. ³ And they will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor me. ⁴ But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told them to you.

Study Notes:

-Jesus wanted to prepare His disciples a bit for what lay ahead:  suffering, persecution, and rejection for all who stayed true to Him.  However, He also reminded them that they would have help in the form of the Third Member of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit.  It wasn’t until Pentecost and the beginning of the permanent indwelling of the Holy Spirit that they could really begin to sort through these many critical things Jesus was saying, and see what all He had done, why, and what their role would be once Jesus had returned to heaven.

-No one likes to have their faults and failures pointed out, so Jesus coming to tell the Jewish people, who considered themselves to be extremely righteous BECAUSE they were Jews, was a hard pill to swallow, and left much bitterness and anger.  The fact that Jesus had come to save them (and all mankind) from their sin, and provide a way to be forever righteous in the eyes of God, was largely rejected and dismissed.  Jesus wanted the disciples to know that all those who taught in His name, that is, pointed out that all men are sinners and need a Savior, will also face rejection and abuse.  It’s simply how it is in this time and place.  However, that doesn’t give us a free pass to not talk about our Savior and what He did to pay for sin.  This good news should be in the conversation of Christians with unbelievers at every opportunity, regardless of the response of the listeners.

-The Greek word for the Holy Spirit is paraclete, translated, “Helper” here means, one who comes alongside, as in helping, comforting, guiding, encouraging, etc.  The help of the Holy Spirit in a believer’s life is so important, that Jesus said that it was to our advantage for Him to no longer be on earth SO THAT the Holy Spirit could begin His ministry in and for believers.

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

-The world (the unsaved) hates Jesus Christ.

-Jesus chose some to belong to Him out of the world.

-Jesus’ words and life pointed out to people that they are sinners and unable to do any good apart from Him.

-The world does not know the Father in the same way Christians can and do.

-To hate the Son is to hate the Father.

-Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to believers from the Father.

-The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth.  One of His main jobs is to bear witness about Christ Jesus.  He would also remind believers what Jesus said and taught.

In a nutshell? 

One of the biggest reasons why Jesus was telling the disciples so many critical things is that He didn’t want even one of them to “fall away.”  That is, He didn’t want them to become so overwhelmed that they walked away from God and returned to living as if they were never saved in the first place.  This is STILL a huge danger in today’s world.  Christian, stay true to the Lord!  Never give in, never give up!  God has promised to make everything worth it all when we see Him face to face!

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.

Wednesday, July 8, 2026

-Pause before starting your Bible study to pray and ask God for help to concentrate on what you are reading, to understand what it is saying, and then to apply it to your life as you go through your day.  Thank Him for the privilege of having a copy of His Word in your language and in your hand!

-Read John 16:5-15 ​

1 “I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away. 2 They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God. 3 And they will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor me. 4 But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told them to you.

“I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. 5 But now I am going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ 6 But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. 7 Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. 8 And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; 10 concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; 11 concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.
12 “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14 He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 15 All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

Study Notes:

-(I’ve included additional verses in the chapter for context and continuity.)

-Have you ever been sat down and told news that was so significant that you couldn’t really take it all in?  Later, you might think about it and realize that there are pretty big gaps in your mind about what was said, by whom, and what all it might mean to you and whoever else is involved.  I feel deep empathy for the disciples the night of Jesus’ betrayal and arrest.  Although Jesus had tried to prepare them, there’s only so much our minds and hearts can understand and retain at once.  In fact, Jesus told them that it was to their advantage that He return to heaven so that the Holy Spirit could begin His ministry in believers’ hearts and lives.  How incredibly thankful we should be that we have the indwelling Spirit right now!  If we’ve ever been reminded of a Bible verse when in a moment of need, if we’ve ever been able to say “no” to some temptation, if we’ve ever received a light of understanding about what God meant when listening to a sermon, this is all the work of the Holy Spirit.  The disciples did not have this advantage, and confusion and sorrow must have twisted their guts and made them feel sick to their stomachs as they began to realize that their time with Jesus was over.

-Speaking of time being over, we are so prone to taking things for granted, aren’t we!  We have no idea how long we’ll have strength, energy, or ability to love God supremely and love others as self.  Don’t waste even a minute!  Follow the Holy Spirit’s prompting to always do the next right thing, and to never give up or give in!

-On kind of a base level, Jesus is telling the disciples that though they will be losing something (Him!), He is also telling them that they will be gaining Something that will be super important in the days and centuries to come (the indwelling Spirit).  Although we may have some things taken away from us, some more important than others, we can trust God that He is ALWAYS invested in giving to us what is for our spiritual good, which will also bring Him much glory.  Not our will, but His, is always the right attitude and goal.

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

-Jesus taught many critical things while on earth, but not everything He could have said.  He passed on only what the Father wanted Him to say—and at the time He wanted it shared.

-Jesus’ time on earth was limited.  He came from the Father to be born as a human Baby, then He would return to the Father once sin was paid for.

-Jesus’ return to the Father would actually be helpful to the disciples—and all believers.  His ascension would usher in the permanent indwelling of the Holy Spirit upon all believers at the time of their salvation.  This was a “first” in all of eternity.

-Each of the three Persons of the Godhead have a specific role (though they are One).  Many of the Holy Spirit’s roles are listed here.  He will convict the world of sin, He will teach what righteousness and judgment is, He will guide believers in the truth (God’s Word), He will glorify Christ in what He speaks and teaches.

-Although it is certainly right to worship God fully, it seems like Scripture does not focus on worshiping the Holy Spirit by Himself.  His role seems to be to give attention and glory to Jesus Christ.  I don’t believe there is any Scripture anywhere that says that a believer should pray to or address the Holy Spirit directly.  Jesus Himself taught that our prayers should always be directed to God the Father, although since we have access to the Father because of Jesus, our prayers should end, “in Jesus’ name.”

In a nutshell? 

I cannot imagine that it would be easy for the disciples to believe that Jesus leaving could be a good thing!  The thing is, though, that Jesus said it was.  Our job isn’t ever to second-guess or critique what God says.  It’s simply to trust and obey.  When God removes something we cherish from our lives, it’s because of His love and His understanding of the eternal picture.  We may or may not understand in this lifetime, but I’m pretty confident that when we see Him face to face, all doubts will be immediately erased.

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.

Thursday, July 9, 2026

-Pause before starting your Bible study to pray and ask God for help to concentrate on what you are reading, to understand what it is saying, and then to apply it to your life as you go through your day.  Thank Him for the privilege of having a copy of His Word in your language and in your hand!

-Read John 16:16-33

“A little while, and you will see me no longer; and again a little while, and you will see me.” 17 So some of his disciples said to one another, “What is this that he says to us, ​‘A little while, and you will not see me, and again a little while, and you will see me’; and, ​‘because I am going to the Father’?” 18 So they were saying, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We do not know what he is talking about.” 19 Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him, so he said to them, “Is this what you are asking yourselves, what I meant by saying, ‘A little while and you will not see me, and again a little while and you will see me’? 20 Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy. 21 When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. 22 So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you. 23 In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. 24 Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.

25 “I have said these things to you in figures of speech. The hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures of speech but will tell you plainly about the Father. 26 In that day you will ask in my name, and I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf; 27 for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. 28 I came from the Father and have come into the world, and now I am leaving the world and going to the Father.”
29 His disciples said, “Ah, now you are speaking plainly and not using figurative speech! 30 Now we know that you know all things and do not need anyone to question you; this is why we believe that you came from God.” 31 Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe? 32 Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me. 33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

Study Notes:

-It’s passages like this that give me a picture of Jesus speaking, then the disciples breaking up in little groups to find out if anyone had any idea what He was saying or meant.  Of course, all they needed to do was turn to Him and ask.  We, too, sometimes have these long discussions with others (or ourselves!), wondering what if this, what if that, when all we also need to do is turn to the Father in prayer and ask.  There is peace, comfort, and healing in the throne room of God Almighty.

-Jesus reminded the men (and us!) that there will be sorrow in the here and now, but a world full of sin and sinful people is temporary.  There is coming a day soon when Jesus will reign in righteousness, holiness, and justice.  And when the new heavens and earth are made, sin, darkness, and satan will never, ever be there.  Christians have nothing but abundant joy in eternity!

-The same confidence that Jesus had that He was never truly alone, despite being abandoned by people, is the same confidence you and I can have in Christ.  Because we belong to Him, God will never leave us or forsake us, either.  We are never truly alone.

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

-Jesus’ time on earth as Man was temporary, although He will always be 100% God and 100% Man.

-Jesus will return.  He returns as far as the clouds to retrieve believers at the Rapture, then He returns fully to earth at the beginning of the Millennium to reign as King for 1,000 years.

-God knows our questions and doubts.

-God gives to His children what is asked for in Jesus’ name.  He does this to provide joy that is full/complete.

-Jesus often spoke in parables and figures of speech when on earth.  This will not always be the case.

-The Father loves all those who love the Son.

-Peace of heart is available to all believers because Jesus has overcome the world.

In a nutshell? 

My second favorite verse from the gospel of John is found in this passage.  Verse 33 says, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” When our insane world seems “too much,” take heart.  Be encouraged.  Lift your head. Our Savior has already overcome the world.  His victory has been accomplished.  Sin, death, and satan are already defeated.  It’s simply a matter of time until it is seen.  In the meantime, walk in the victory that is yours in Christ Jesus—and do so with joy, peace, and confidence!

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, July 10, 2026

-Pause before starting your Bible study to pray and ask God for help to concentrate on what you are reading, to understand what it is saying, and then to apply it to your life as you go through your day.  Thank Him for the privilege of having a copy of His Word in your language and in your hand!

-Read John 17 ​

When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, 2 since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. 3 And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. 4 I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. 5 And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.
6 “I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. 7 Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you. 8 For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. 9 I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. 10 All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. 11 And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. 12 While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. 13 But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. 14 I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15 I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. 19 And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.
20 “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, 21 that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, 23 I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. 24 Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. 25 O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me. 26 I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”

Study Notes:

-John 17 is known as the High Priestly Prayer, and although all Scripture is “special,” this seems one of the extra-special passages.  Why?  Because we have recorded for us what the Son of God prayed to the Father mere hours before His arrest and crucifixion.  What was His focus? YOU!  He was asking the Father for YOUR well-being and protection, most especially spiritually.  Jesus wants YOU to maintain a close and ever-increasing sweet relationship with the Father.  To help us do this, He was leaving behind two HUGE gifts:  the Indwelling Holy Spirit and His Written Word, the Bible.

-Did you notice that Jesus was praying more for others than Himself—even though He was facing His imminent death?

-I love Jesus’ simple, yet profound statement in verse 4, that He has glorified the Father by accomplishing the work that He was given to do.  You and I can also have the goal of bringing God glory by doing all that we know He wants us to do from moment to moment.  As we obey God in little areas, we will discover that we’ve also obeyed Him in the big ones, slowly but surely accomplishing the good works that He has chosen for us to do (Ephesians 2:10).  Don’t be overwhelmed by the big picture, just seek His wisdom, strength, and help to do the next right thing, then the one after that.  One decision at a time, one word at a time, one attitude at a time.

-In verse 6, Jesus said that He had manifested, or made known, the Father’s name by way of what He said and did.  This, too, is an honor you and I are given to do.  We can show people God’s grace, mercy, and love through our actions and words.  Pretty cool!

-God the Father and Son enjoy incredible unity and love—and He wants that for you and me, too.  In fact, there are tons and tons of Bible verses that address how to think and act toward others, most especially fellow members of the household of faith.  As we choose to love God supremely and others as self, we will be drawing closer to the Lord AND closer to other believers who are also seeking to give Him their all.  It’s an incredibly delightful place to be—and one that can grow sweeter and sweeter as the years roll by.

-Although Jesus has stated many times throughout His ministry that His time had not yet come, it has now arrived.

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

-Jesus’ goal has always been to bring glory to the Father.

-The Father also glorifies the Son, giving Him authority over all people, and the gift of eternal life to those He has chosen for salvation.

-Eternal life is to know God, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, Whom He sent into the world.

-Jesus accomplished the work that the Father gave Him to do while on earth.

-Jesus manifested (made known) the Father’s name (character) in what He did and said.

-v.17 To sanctify is to set apart for God’s service.

-God wants all believers to be one in His name; to be unified and of one heart.  Doing so will bring the kind of joy that is only possible when someone is right with the Lord and with fellow believers.

-God’s Word is truth.

In a nutshell? 

While much could be said about this amazing prayer, maybe we should stop for a minute to simply compare it to our own typical prayers.  What about our prayers don’t mimic Jesus’ prayer? In what way?  What about our prayers do reflect His earnest pleas and concerns?  Prayerfully contemplate how you might mature in your prayer life based on John 17.

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.

Saturday, July 11, 2026

-Pause before starting your Bible study to pray and ask God for help to concentrate on what you are reading, to understand what it is saying, and then to apply it to your life as you go through your day.  Thank Him for the privilege of having a copy of His Word in your language and in your hand!

-Read John 18:1-14 ​

When Jesus had spoken these words, he went out with his disciples across the brook Kidron, where there was a garden, which he and his disciples entered. 2 Now Judas, who betrayed him, also knew the place, for Jesus often met there with his disciples. 3 So Judas, having procured a band of soldiers and some officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, went there with lanterns and torches and weapons. 4 Then Jesus, knowing all that would happen to him, came forward and said to them, “Whom do you seek?” 5 They answered him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said to them, “I am he.” Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them. 6 When Jesus said to them, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground. 7 So he asked them again, “Whom do you seek?” And they said, “Jesus of Nazareth.” 8 Jesus answered, “I told you that I am he. So, if you seek me, let these men go.” 9 This was to fulfill the word that he had spoken: “Of those whom you gave me I have lost not one.” 10 Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant and cut off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.) 11 So Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword into its sheath; shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?”
12 So the band of soldiers and their captain and the officers of the Jews arrested Jesus and bound him. 13 First they led him to Annas, for he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was high priest that year. 14 It was Caiaphas who had advised the Jews that it would be expedient that one man should die for the people.

Study Notes:

-I know that we looked at Jesus’ last days and resurrection at Easter time, so forgive me if I repeat some thoughts and conclusions. I appreciate gaining new insights and perspectives on these critical passages that we hear about at least once a year, but I think certain aspects of it will always lay heavy on my heart.  One of them is to feel bad for Judas.  I read one commentator who noted that Judas was just a regular guy who dealt with the pretty common issue of greed with a series of really bad decisions.  If we didn’t know who Judas was, what sin he was struggling with, or what “really bad thing” he did, couldn’t that describe most of us?  Who hasn’t struggled with something?  Pride? Jealousy?  Anger?  Worry?  Until we get our glorified bodies, we still have a sin nature which can be hard to stay no to (even though it’s actually dead and has no power to MAKE us sin).  Sometimes our sins are private; other times they involve others, so the consequences are more humbling and impactful.  Judas’s sin was VERY well known—and the horror he felt was so great that he committed suicide.  So sad!  I hope this will make me MORE sensitive to sin (so I don’t do it!), but also more compassionate toward others who are struggling with something.  While we’re alive on earth, there’s still a chance to repent, make things right with God, and live a victorious and pleasing life for Him.  Oh, how we need to pray for one another and encourage each other!

-Because Jerusalem was filled with tens of thousands of people who had come to celebrate Passover, many people camped in the hills and fields surrounding Jerusalem.  This was true of Jesus and the disciples, too.

-Jesus knew that it was time for His crucifixion, so He met the soldiers who had come to arrest Him, quickly identifying Himself as the Man they had come for.

-No one is quite sure why the men fell back when Jesus identified Himself; theoretically, they had a sudden awareness of His righteousness.

-Peter was brave to want to fight for Jesus, but it wasn’t the time or place—because it WAS the time for Jesus’ life to be given for you and me.

-There were several false/illegal trials that Jesus endured throughout the night.  Although Caiaphas was the official high priest of the Jews, his father-in-law, Annas, had once been the high priest and people continued to view him as the “real” high priest.

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

-Jesus often took His disciples to the Garden of Gethsemane for conversations and to rest overnight.

-Jesus knew what would happen as far as the betrayal, arrest, and crucifixion.  He met the soldiers willingly because He knew this was the Father’s plan, and He always did all the Father asked.

-Jesus protected His disciples from the soldiers.

-Jesus didn’t allow violence upon His arrest.  We read in the book of Luke that Jesus healed the ear of the man who had been injured.

-Even though Jesus wasn’t running away, the soldiers bound His hands and brought Him to the home of the High Priest.

In a nutshell? 

Jesus knew what the Father’s will was, and He trusted in the Father, so He didn’t fight back, but willingly went with the men who were wrongly arresting Him. The great Old Testament prophetic chapter about the Messiah’s crucifixion (Isaiah 53), said that Jesus was like a lamb being led to slaughter, silent and accepting. We, too, must trust the Father’s good plan when things happen that seem unfair or wrong.  As Jesus did, we should stand up for the Lord—but allow Him to take care of us.

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, July 12, 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.

BONUS:

“It’s Just Like His Great Love”  (words by E. Worrell; music by C. Stouse)

A friend I have called Jesus, Whose love is strong and true, and never fails howe’er ‘tis tried, no matter what I do.  I’ve sinned against this love of His, but when I knelt to pray, confessing all my guilt to Him, the sin-clouds rolled away.  It’s just like Jesus to roll the clouds away; it’s just like Jesus to keep me day by day.  It’s just like Jesus all along the way; it’s just like His great love.

Sometimes when clouds of trouble blot out the sky above, I cannot see my Savior’s face; I doubt His wondrous love.  But He, from heaven’s mercy seat, beholding my despair, in love removes the clouds between, and shows me He is there.  It’s just like Jesus to roll the clouds away; it’s just like Jesus to keep me day by day.  It’s just like Jesus all along the way; it’s just like His great love.

Oh, I could sing forever of Jesus’ love divine, of all His care and tenderness for this poor life of mine.  His love is in and over all, and wind and waves obey when Jesus whispers “Peace, be still!” and rolls the clouds away.  It’s just like Jesus to roll the clouds away; it’s just like Jesus to keep me day by day.  It’s just like Jesus all along the way; it’s just like His great love.

(Just a reminder that the focus of our study this year is on knowing God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit better.  As part of this study, we will be working in the Gospel of John for several weeks.)

Monday, July 13, 2026

-Pause before starting your Bible study to pray and ask God for help to concentrate on what you are reading, to understand what it is saying, and then to apply it to your life as you go through your day.  Thank Him for the privilege of having a copy of His Word in your language and in your hand!

-Read John 18:19-40
19 The high priest then questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching. 20 Jesus answered him, “I have spoken openly to the world. I have always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where all Jews come together. I have said nothing in secret. 21 Why do you ask me? Ask those who have heard me what I said to them; they know what I said.” 22 When he had said these things, one of the officers standing by struck Jesus with his hand, saying, “Is that how you answer the high priest?” 23 Jesus answered him, “If what I said is wrong, bear witness about the wrong; but if what I said is right, why do you strike me?” 24 Annas then sent him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.

25 Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. So they said to him, “You also are not one of his disciples, are you?” He denied it and said, “I am not.” 26 One of the servants of the high priest, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked, “Did I not see you in the garden with him?” 27 Peter again denied it, and at once a rooster crowed.

28 Then they led Jesus from the house of Caiaphas to the governor’s headquarters. It was early morning. They themselves did not enter the governor’s headquarters, so that they would not be defiled, but could eat the Passover. 29 So Pilate went outside to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this man?” 30 They answered him, “If this man were not doing evil, we would not have delivered him over to you.” 31 Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law.” The Jews said to him, “It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death.” 32 This was to fulfill the word that Jesus had spoken to show by what kind of death he was going to die.

33 So Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” 34 Jesus answered, “Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?” 35 Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done?” 36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” 37 Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” 38 Pilate said to him, “What is truth?”
After he had said this, he went back outside to the Jews and told them, “I find no guilt in him. 39 But you have a custom that I should release one man for you at the Passover. So do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?” 40 They cried out again, “Not this man, but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a robber.

Study Notes:

This is powerful stuff, and to be honest, I’m a bit overwhelmed considering all Jesus and His disciples went through in just a few short days.  I also find it incredibly sad that the very people Jesus had come to save, the ones who were trying to keep themselves “clean” in order to celebrate a festival where they would eat a “perfect” lamb to commemorate God saving them from slavery in Egypt, were boldly lying and deceiving in order to have the Lamb of God killed in the most horrific way possible.  Pilate, too, was given an opportunity to interview God’s Son, yet he blew it off and allowed the Jews to do what they wanted so that he wouldn’t have to face any personal inconvenience.

It’s all so ugly—and yet, how am I any different when I disregard what I know God wants me to do because I’m tired, or in a bad mood, or it doesn’t suit my agenda?  I know better.  I have the Holy Spirit living within my heart to show me what is right and wrong—and give me the strength and ability to choose right. 

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me.

May none of us easily disregard God or dishonor Him.  May it always cut us to the quick.  May we develop hearts that are more and more tender to Him each and every day.  May we never lose sight of our Savior’s sacrifice—and the privilege we have been given to live for Him moment by moment.

-You can read more about what happened once Jesus was arrested in Matthew 26:57-27:31, Mark 14:53-15:20, and Luke 22:54-23:25.

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

-Jesus taught openly, never teaching sedition against the Roman government as the Religious leaders accused Him of doing.

-Jesus was not being disrespectful when questioned; He simply pointed out illegal questions.  He was slapped violently anyway.

-Jesus knew that Peter would deny knowing Him, but He readily forgave Him, and later gave him an essential job to do for Him.

-None of the accusations against Jesus were true.  He didn’t deny that He was King, but not in the sense that He intended to overthrow Rome.  He pointed out that His kingdom was not from the world.

-Jesus came to bear witness to the truth.

In a nutshell? 

Although Jesus’ trials were illegal and none of the charges were accurate, even though He was treated as badly as one human can treat another, this was all part of God’s plan.  Sin had to be paid for, and in order for us to be forgiven, Jesus had to be the One to suffer.  Have you thanked God for this lately?

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.

Tuesday, July 14, 2026

-Pause before starting your Bible study to pray and ask God for help to concentrate on what you are reading, to understand what it is saying, and then to apply it to your life as you go through your day.  Thank Him for the privilege of having a copy of His Word in your language and in your hand!

-Read John 19:1-16 ​

Then Pilate took Jesus and flogged him. 2 And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head and arrayed him in a purple robe. 3 They came up to him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and struck him with their hands. 4 Pilate went out again and said to them, “See, I am bringing him out to you that you may know that I find no guilt in him.” 5 So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, “Behold the man!” 6 When the chief priests and the officers saw him, they cried out, “Crucify him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and crucify him, for I find no guilt in him.” 7 The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die because he has made himself the Son of God.” 8 When Pilate heard this statement, he was even more afraid. 9 He entered his headquarters again and said to Jesus, “Where are you from?” But Jesus gave him no answer. 10 So Pilate said to him, “You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you?” 11 Jesus answered him, “You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above. Therefore he who delivered me over to you has the greater sin.”
12 From then on Pilate sought to release him, but the Jews cried out, “If you release this man, you are not Caesar’s friend. Everyone who makes himself a king opposes Caesar.” 13 So when Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called The Stone Pavement, and in Aramaic Gabbatha. 14 Now it was the day of Preparation of the Passover. It was about the sixth hour. He said to the Jews, “Behold your King!” 15 They cried out, “Away with him, away with him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.” 16 So he delivered him over to them to be crucified.

Study Notes:

-Pilate knew that Jesus had done nothing that warranted punishment, and certainly not death, but neither did he want Caesar to hear that he allowed unrest in those he was in charge of, potentially losing not only his job, but his life, and so he turned his back on justice and allowed the people to get what they wanted.

-The Jews did not have the authority to have Jesus killed.  The Roman occupation of Judea did not allow the Jews to carry out the death sentence. If the Jews had that authority, they would have stoned Him.  Crucifixion was something the Romans did to the very worst of the worst.

-The Jews would never have claimed Caesar to be their king, but they made an exception that day to back Pilate into a corner politically, so that he would issue the order to have Jesus crucified.

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

-Jesus was treated exceptionally cruelly throughout His arrest and illegal trials.

-Jesus was mocked as the King of the Jews, but He IS the King of the Jews—and of the world.

-The Religious leaders lied about Jesus so He would be convicted by the Roman leaders.

-In verse 8, Pilate became more afraid, likely because the Romans believed that some men could be demigods, so he didn’t know if Jesus would exact revenge on him for his role in this charade.

-Any and all authority men have is granted to them by God.

-There was a specific place where Pilate gave verdicts, the governor’s judgment seat.  You might be interested to know that in Greek, this is called the Bema seat.

-All this happened before Passover officially began (which is at sunset).

In a nutshell? 

When I was a teenager and young adult, I was part of our church’s music ministry and choir.  One Easter cantata impacted me deeply, and I still think of it often to this day.  If you’re not familiar, cantatas typically have speaking parts that are interjected between songs that fit whatever is going on in the speaking parts.  This particular cantata used as many exact Scripture readings as they could (as opposed to made-up dialogue).  Why I bring this all up is because the choir members were supposed to become the crowd who shouted for Jesus to be crucified during the Scripture listed today.  The piano was playing some tune in the background, which supported a feeling of anger and chaos, and we were schooled to shout in anger, “Crucify Him!”  several times.

I hated it.  I most definitely did NOT want to shout “Crucify Him!”  He’s my Savior!  He took my sinful, wretched self and gave me new life!  He adopted me into His family!

But the crowd did shout to have Jesus punished cruelly and unjustly that day, and Jesus went willingly and meekly—for me, and for 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.

Wednesday, July 15, 2026

-Pause before starting your Bible study to pray and ask God for help to concentrate on what you are reading, to understand what it is saying, and then to apply it to your life as you go through your day.  Thank Him for the privilege of having a copy of His Word in your language and in your hand!

-Read John 19:16-30

So they took Jesus, 17 and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called The Place of a Skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha. 18 There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, and Jesus between them. 19 Pilate also wrote an inscription and put it on the cross. It read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” 20 Many of the Jews read this inscription, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and it was written in Aramaic, in Latin, and in Greek. 21 So the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but rather, ‘This man said, I am King of the Jews.’” 22 Pilate answered, “What I have written I have written.”
23 When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his garments and divided them into four parts, one part for each soldier; also his tunic. But the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom, 24 so they said to one another, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it shall be.” This was to fulfill the Scripture which says,  “They divided my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.”
So the soldiers did these things, 25 but standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” 27 Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.

28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.” 29 A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. 30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

Study Notes:

-I’ve always been horrified at savage cruelty, and refuse to watch movies and TV shows that show in living color the atrocities that humans commit on other humans.  I cannot even BEGIN to imagine Mary’s horror at what happened to her Son.  It all just makes me sick physically and emotionally.  BUT, Mary stayed faithfully near her Son and her Savior, and others stayed with her, although it must have been more than any of them could bear.

Yet in the middle of all the horror, there is love.  Love that Mary showed Jesus, love which Mary’s friends showed Mary, love John showed Mary and Jesus, and especially, love Jesus showed to everyone present, even the very ones pounding nails into His flesh and thrusting the pole into the hole in the ground.  He showed love for you, too.  He endured all that with grace in order for you to trust in Him as Savior—and to live your life reflecting His love, holiness, grace, mercy, and forgiveness.

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

-Jesus suffered tremendously before and during His crucifixion, yet He uttered no complaints.

-The Place of the Skull/Golgotha may have been a cliff where rocks and holes resemble that of a skull (it is “Calvary” in Latin), but it may also have simply been a location where many executions took place.  It was just outside the gates of Jerusalem.

-Jesus was not crucified alone.  Other Scripture points out that the other two men alongside Him were guilty, whereas Jesus was not.  We also read that Jesus showed them compassion, and one of the two trusted in Jesus as his Savior before his death.

-The title “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews” may have been meant ironically, but it was literal truth.

-Many “little” parts of Jesus’ arrest, trials, crucifixion, and death were prophesied many hundreds of years earlier.  Check these out: Psalm 22:18; Psalm 69:21; Isaiah 53.

-Jesus’ mother, relatives, and loved ones were standing near Him while He was on the cross.

-Jesus entrusted John with His mother’s care, asking both of them to move ahead as mother and son.  Jesus’ words were legal words, transferring official care from Himself as the eldest Son in the family to John, who was His cousin.

-Jesus did not allow Himself to die until every last Scripture was fulfilled.  He had done everything required, therefore was able to say, “It is finished.”  I read that this same Greek word (teleō) was found on papyri, indicating a sale was “paid in full.”

-See also Matthew 27:31-56; Mark 15:20-41; Luke 23:26-49.

In a nutshell? 

Jesus didn’t have His life taken from Him.  That’s impossible because He is God.  He gave it up willingly—for you and for me.  What are we willing to give up for 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.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

-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, July 16, 2026

-Pause before starting your Bible study to pray and ask God for help to concentrate on what you are reading, to understand what it is saying, and then to apply it to your life as you go through your day.  Thank Him for the privilege of having a copy of His Word in your language and in your hand!

-Read John 19:31-42

Since it was the day of Preparation, and so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken and that they might be taken away. 32 So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first, and of the other who had been crucified with him. 33 But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. 34 But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water. 35 He who saw it has borne witness—his testimony is true, and he knows that he is telling the truth—that you also may believe. 36 For these things took place that the Scripture might be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken.” 37 And again another Scripture says, “They will look on him whom they have pierced.”

38 After these things Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus, and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took away his body. 39 Nicodemus also, who earlier had come to Jesus by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds in weight. 40 So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. 41 Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. 42 So because of the Jewish day of Preparation, since the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there.

Study Notes:

From NLT Study Bible Notes:  According to Luke, Joseph of Arimathea was a courageous man who was waiting for the Kingdom of God (Luke 23:50-51). He was a wealthy (Matt 27:57) and influential leader in Jerusalem and a member of the high council (Mark 15:43) who disagreed with the decision to kill Jesus. He asked Pilate for the favor of burying Jesus in his personal tomb. • Joseph was a secret disciple, but his bold deed brought him out in public support of Jesus. Nicodemus, a member of the high council, understood that these bodies had to be buried before the upcoming Sabbath (19:31, 42). His public support, as with Joseph of Arimathea, might indicate that he, too, was becoming a disciple. • Myrrh was a commonly used aromatic powder. • The aloes were fragrant powdered sandalwood often used as perfume. • seventy-five pounds. This enormous amount of spices was appropriate for royalty; Jesus, the king, was given a royal burial.

-Scripture that prophesied events in this passage includes Psalm 34:20 and Zechariah 12:10.  In addition, there are the passages in Exodus and Numbers which explain the rules to prepare the Passover lamb.

-There are three important people mentioned in this passage: John, who did not hide that he loved Jesus and stayed by His side throughout His trials and crucifixion (and who wrote about all he witnessed), but also Joseph and Nicodemus, both important members of the Religious leaders who had, until now, kept their allegiance to Jesus a secret.  It took Jesus’ death to cause them to stand up and be known as His followers.  It’s my prayer that I am much closer to the open and public John, and less the secret disciple like the other two men.  That being true, I admire these men for stepping up and giving their best to Jesus in His death.  They almost certainly paid a price for it, although Scripture doesn’t mention it.

-The timing of sunset, and an important Passover Sabbath, caused the men to hurry with what they were doing to prepare Jesus’ body for burial.  They didn’t have time for everything they wanted to do, and that’s why the women came as soon as possible after Sabbath was over.

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

-Soldiers did not break Jesus’ legs while He was on the cross, but they did spear His side, demonstrating that Jesus had indeed died.  Both of these things fulfilled Scripture.

-Jesus had disciples who kept it a secret, but loved Him nonetheless.

-Jesus’ body was prepared with loving hands and tremendous respect.

In a nutshell? 

If you’re the kind of person who reads the end of a book in order to find out what happened before you finish the actual story, you can appreciate that we know what none of the people in John 19 knew.  To them, Jesus had died—and their grief, confusion, and sorrow were too great to even describe.  That sabbath would have been a heart-rending one, but joy would come in the morning.  If you are going through some tough things, keep trusting the Lord every single second, no matter how hard things get.  The Lord has joy planned in the morning for you, too!

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, July 17, 2026

-Pause before starting your Bible study to pray and ask God for help to concentrate on what you are reading, to understand what it is saying, and then to apply it to your life as you go through your day.  Thank Him for the privilege of having a copy of His Word in your language and in your hand!

-Read John 20:1-18 ​

Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. 2 So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” 3 So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb. 4 Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there, 7 and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself. 8 Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; 9 for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead. 10 Then the disciples went back to their homes.

11 But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. 12 And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. 13 They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” 14 Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). 17 Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ​‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” 18 Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”—and that he had said these things to her.

Study Notes:

-The first day of the week is Sunday.  That Jesus was resurrected from the dead on Sunday is why we have church services on that day each week.

-Mary Magdalene’s story is found in just one verse in the Bible.  Luke 8:1-3 tells how Jesus healed her from seven demons.  This so intensely changed her whole life, that it appears that she dedicated her life to following Jesus and supporting Him however she could.  She is listed among the ladies who supported Jesus and the disciples financially, and she is the only woman mentioned in every gospel account as far as being near Jesus at the cross, then going to check on Him as soon as the sabbath was over.  She was ALSO the first person who Jesus spoke with post resurrection.  What an incredible privilege!  Her heart-rending sorrow was immediately turned to indescribable joy upon hearing her Savior state her name.  I’m excited to meet this Mary in heaven and hear all her wonderful accounts of our Lord!

-It took being an eyewitness to the empty tomb to make Peter and John believe that Jesus had risen from the dead.

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

-Jesus was resurrected from the dead sometime very early Sunday morning.  He folded the folded the cloth that had been covering His face, put the linen wrappings that had been around His dead body on the stone bench and left the tomb, alive forevermore. An angel came and rolled the stone door away from the doorway so Mary and the disciples could see the empty tomb (Matt. 28:1,2).

-There was something different about Jesus’ post-resurrection body that made identifying Him difficult.  His voice, however, seemed to be recognizable.

-We don’t know where all Jesus went once resurrected, but He was near the tomb when Mary Magdalene came.  When He spoke her name to her, she realized Who He was.  What could be more precious than Jesus speaking YOUR name?  He will, you know.  When you stand before Him face to face, He will know your name, and His love for you will shine out.

-Jesus had died and been resurrected, but had not yet ascended to the Father.

-Once saved, Jesus’ Father becomes our Father; His God is our God. (WOW!)

-Jesus showed Himself to hundreds of people after He was resurrected before returning to heaven.

In a nutshell? 

I was privileged to sing hymns about Jesus being alive in a garden in Jerusalem that had an empty tomb.  Whether it was THE tomb where Jesus lay is hardly of importance.  The point is that it was empty.  Jesus DID rise, forever defeating sin and death.  Because He did, you and I will also live eternally in His presence.  An AMEN!  and Hallelujah!  hardly seem enough, but let’s say them anyway!

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.

Saturday, July 18, 2026

-Pause before starting your Bible study to pray and ask God for help to concentrate on what you are reading, to understand what it is saying, and then to apply it to your life as you go through your day.  Thank Him for the privilege of having a copy of His Word in your language and in your hand!

-Read John 20:19-31

On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” 22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”

24 Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”
26 Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” 28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

Study Notes:

-The disciples were afraid for their lives when Jesus was arrested—and they were STILL terrified. That is, until Jesus stood in their midst.  Although we may not be able to see the Lord physically just now, we are constantly in His care and presence (by means of the Holy Spirit), too!  Peace, joy, and purpose are always found in keeping our gaze on our Savior.

-Once again, we find that Jesus’ appearance may have been slightly different post-resurrection.  Either way, when He showed them the marks of His crucifixion, they knew beyond a doubt that it was Him.

-I don’t blame Thomas for doubting his friends, but I sure am happy that he got the privilege of seeing his resurrected Savior face to face.  I can’t wait for my turn!

-Thomas’s declaration ought to be ours, “MY Lord and MY God!”  Let us never forget just Who saved us and Who sustains us moment by moment.  He’s a Friend, for sure, but so much more!

-Jesus is speaking about you in Verse 29.  “Blessed are those who have not seen (Me) and yet believed.”  Amen!  Praise His name!

-The author of this book, John, states the reason why he wrote all that he did.  It was, especially, so that everyone who read the words about Jesus would believe that He is the Christ, the Son of God.  Why?  Because it is believing in Him that gives eternal life.  This crucial message is what we need to be telling all our friends, family members, co-workers, and even strangers!

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

-Jesus walked into a room even though the doors were locked in His post-resurrection body.

-Jesus is the One Who can grant peace.

-Jesus bore the scars of His crucifixion post-resurrection.

-Jesus has a job for the disciples to do.

-Jesus was always patient and gracious.

-Jesus is the Lord and God of all who place their faith in Him.

-Jesus is pleased with those who believe in Him, even though they haven’t seen Him personally.

-Jesus provides life, both physically and spiritually.  To have spiritual life, you have to place your faith in His name (believe what He said about Himself: that He is God, that He paid the price for sin that people could not, and that He died and rose again, forever defeating sin, satan, and death.)

In a nutshell? 

It’s possible that the disciples thought everything was over when Jesus died, but it was actually just the beginning.  With His resurrection, He made a way for all people to live eternally in His presence, just by believing in Him.  When we do, the peace and joy we can experience—even in the face of scary and hard things—is indescribable!

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, July 19, 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.

BONUS:

“He Lives” (words and music by A. Ackley)

I serve a risen Savior; He’s in the world today, I know that He is living, whatever man may say.  I see His hand of mercy; I hear His voice of cheer, and just the time I need Him, He’s always near.  He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today!  He walks with me and talks with me along life’s narrow way.  He lives, He lives, salvation to impart!  You ask me how I know He lives?  He lives within my heart.

In all the world around me I see His loving care, and though my heart grows weary, I never will despair.  I know that He is leading through all the stormy blast; the day of His appearing will come at last. He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today!  He walks with me and talks with me along life’s narrow way.  He lives, He lives, salvation to impart!  You ask me how I know He lives?  He lives within my heart.

Rejoice, rejoice, O Christian, lift up your voice and sing eternal hallelujahs to Jesus Christ the King!  The Hope of all who seek Him, the Help of all who find, none other is so loving, so good and kind.  He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today!  He walks with me and talks with me along life’s narrow way.  He lives, He lives, salvation to impart!  You ask me how I know He lives?  He lives within my heart.

(Just a reminder that the focus of our study this year is on knowing God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit better.  As part of this study, we will be working in the Gospel of John for several weeks.)

Monday, July 20, 2026

-Pause before starting your Bible study to pray and ask God for help to concentrate on what you are reading, to understand what it is saying, and then to apply it to your life as you go through your day.  Thank Him for the privilege of having a copy of His Word in your language and in your hand!

-Read John 21:1-14 ​

After this Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias, and he revealed himself in this way. 2 Simon Peter, Thomas (called the Twin), Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples were together. 3 Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.
4 Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5 Jesus said to them, “Children, do you have any fish?” They answered him, “No.” 6 He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish. 7 That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea. 8 The other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, but about a hundred yards off.
9 When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire in place, with fish laid out on it, and bread. 10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” 11 So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, 153 of them. And although there were so many, the net was not torn. 12 Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. 13 Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so with the fish. 14 This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.

Study Notes:

-This is such an interesting passage—full of intrigue and unknowns!  Why didn’t the disciples recognize Jesus?  They had been with Him for over three years!  Why did Jesus need to “reveal” Himself?  Why did Jesus give the disciples a huge catch of fish?  I can’t think of other mentions of Jesus cooking for anyone.  Can you?

-As in most passages, there are a lot of things we could address, but I wanted to note the people involved.  First, of course, is Jesus Christ, newly resurrected from the dead, and only on earth a very short amount of time before returning to His Father.  He took some of those precious days to reassure His disciples, provide for their physical needs, and give them a few more hints about what they would be doing for Him once He went back to heaven.

-Peter, Thomas, Nathanael, James, John (the author of this gospel), and two other unnamed were present.  All the disciples were obeying God’s command to stick around until the Day of Pentecost.  They used their time wisely by fishing, perhaps to earn some money to take care of their families.  By God’s design, however, they didn’t catch anything until they obeyed Jesus’ command to move their nets to the other side of the boat.  That they did so without scoffing shows that they may have learned some lessons from similar commands from Jesus in the past.  We, too, are wise to ask the Lord’s help to actually remember the lessons we learned from past happenings.

-John was the first to recognize that it was Jesus Who was calling to them—and his excitement is clear.

-Peter, upon hearing that it was Jesus, throws on his outer garment (they generally worked in a lighter-weight undergarment), and leaps into the water to get to Jesus as quickly as possible.  I imagine God loves it when we are enthusiastic to read His Word, to pray to Him, and to come to church services to be taught from His Word and to fellowship with others of His children.  We also know from other Scripture, that God is very pleased when His children are eager and excited for Jesus to return for them in the clouds at the Rapture.

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

-Jesus revealed Himself to the disciples three times before returning to heaven.  Other Scripture mentions others who saw Him post-resurrection.  Check out I Corinthians 15:3-8.

-Jesus can do anything—including causing 153 fish to swim into a net where there were none just moments before.

-Jesus provides for our needs, including physical ones.

In a nutshell? 

Although there was something very different about Jesus after His resurrection, there was something about His manners and words that helped people recognize Who He was.  It should be our heart’s desire that our facial expressions, the tone of our words and what we say, and the ways we spend our time and money demonstrate to people who know us and those who don’t, that we love the Lord and are trying to be like Him.  Are people able to identify you as belonging to the Lord?  Why or why not?

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.

Tuesday, July 21, 2026

-Pause before starting your Bible study to pray and ask God for help to concentrate on what you are reading, to understand what it is saying, and then to apply it to your life as you go through your day.  Thank Him for the privilege of having a copy of His Word in your language and in your hand!

-Read John 21:15-25

When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” 16 He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” 17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. 18 Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” 19 (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, “Follow me.”

20 Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them, the one who also had leaned back against him during the supper and had said, “Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?” 21 When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?” 22 Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!” 23 So the saying spread abroad among the brothers that this disciple was not to die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he was not to die, but, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?”
24 This is the disciple who is bearing witness about these things, and who has written these things, and we know that his testimony is true.

25 Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.

Study Notes:

-This tender scene between Jesus and Peter is both a commissioning of Peter to teach and preach, but it is also restoration for Peter’s heart after denying that he knew Jesus after Jesus’ arrest.

Jesus asks Peter three times if he truly loves Him and is willing to follow Him his whole life, perhaps three times for three denials.  But also found here are three different directions for Peter’s life as a pastor and leader of the church that is about to be launched on Pentecost.  Peter is told to take care of those who trust in Jesus (sheep!) in three areas.  He is told to feed the lambs. That is, to take careful care of new believers and those who are young in the Lord, teaching them what they need to know, and watching over them to keep them from harm.  He is also told to tend the sheep.  That is, to watch out for the entire flock of believers, seeing to their spiritual needs and encouraging their spiritual growth.  Third, Jesus tells Peter to feed His sheep.  Peter must not only teach the basics to believers who don’t know them, but he must provide advanced teaching and concepts to the more mature believers so that they can continue to learn, grow, and become more like Christ.

By the way, this passage serves as a great job description for shepherds—pastors– in the soon to be established church. A Christ-honoring pastor seeks to provide spiritual food and protection for every level of spiritual development. Newborn lambs (young Christians) need food suited to their comprehension and needs. Older Christians need food that is challenging and has depth. And pastoral care is not just feeding, but also love, protection, and even sometimes rebuking.

Much is made of the word “love” in these three questions of Jesus, and often more emphasis is placed on the word agape (the word used the first two times Jesus asked), over Peter’s answer each time, where he used the word phileo, another word for love.  This thinking hints that agape is a more perfect kind of love, and that’s why Jesus kept asking Peter the same question.  However, Scripture doesn’t support this.  Rather, these are different aspects of love, each important in its own right.  The word  phileo in Greek is a love that has counted the cost, evaluated what is required and made a decision to seek the benefit of the object of love. Agape is a love that flows out of the character of the lover. One is not holier nor more “divine” than the other. Jesus is using both words to describe that His followers are to love Him, both because of a changed heart, and because they have thought it through and made the decision to be loyal to Him, no matter what.

-Perhaps feeling a bit hot under the collar, Peter did what mankind has done since Adam, and he turned to another person to point fingers at them.  What about John? Peter asked.  Jesus’ answer is a super important one that we all need to give much attention to.  In essence, Jesus said, “Your job isn’t to worry about other people, but pay attention to YOUR relationship to Me.”  You and I might have a whole parade of people in our lives (or just one really annoying one!) who just aren’t doing things quite right in our opinion, BUT, we are the ones who will stand before Jesus Christ face to face to give account for what WE did for Him*.  We will not give account for what others did or how they responded to our advice.

* There is one exception to this.  Pastors will give an account of how their congregation listened to God’s Word and applied it to their lives (See Hebrews 13:17).

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

-Jesus sometimes had one-on-one time with His disciples.

-Jesus has jobs for believers to do.  There are many jobs we have in common, but there are also specific ones for each of us.  Generally speaking, as we live our days according to His Word, we will also be accomplishing the jobs He has for us by way of course.

-Jesus is the Great Shepherd of all believers.

-Jesus knows everything.

-What Jesus wills is what will happen.

-Jesus did so much during His years on earth that it was too much to try to record in written form.

In a nutshell? 

Don’t you love the last verse of John’s gospel account? “Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.”  It’s a statement that makes us awed and curious about our magnificent Lord.  I wonder if we’ll get to hear about more when we get to glory?  I hope so!  In the meantime, keep your own account of the many wonders He does in your 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.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

-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, July 22, 2026

-Pause before starting your Bible study to pray and ask God for help to concentrate on what you are reading, to understand what it is saying, and then to apply it to your life as you go through your day.  Thank Him for the privilege of having a copy of His Word in your language and in your hand!

-Read Psalm 1 ​

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; 2 but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. 3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. 4 The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. 5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; 6 for the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.

Study Notes:

-To be blessed is more than happiness.  It is more of a truth.  It has to do with the peace and joy that a Christian experiences when they are walking faithfully with the Lord.  It’s the knowledge and security we feel knowing we are a cherished member of God’s family, and that His love for us is constant and unconditional.  It’s also the confidence He gives us in recognizing that though our own strength to do right is at a zero, HIS strength to help us do right is surpassing in greatness and literally has no limit.  Of course, it also needs to be pointed out that we forfeit the joyful feeling of all this when we knowingly choose a path of thought or action that is not aligned with God’s Word.  THANKFULLY, this is easily remedied by confessing to Him our sin, then leaning on Him to return to biblical thinking, and to stay there.

-It’s been pointed out to me in the past that verse 1 of this psalm shows a progression in thinking and action.  It talks about walking, then standing (or lingering), then sitting (settling in).  In other words, Christians don’t generally wake up one morning and immediately begin living a seriously ungodly lifestyle.  It begins with little things.  Things like immersing ourselves in ungodly music, ungodly literature, or ungodly internet sites.  Maybe we have become good friends with someone at work and began hanging out with them, but they are unsaved and beginning to influence our thinking.  Maybe we simply stopped attending all the church services or never fellowship with mature believers.  Whatever it is, we need to stay in daily communication with the Lord, asking for a tender heart to see and steer clear of anything that might tamper our love for God and His Word (this is what verse 2 is speaking about).

-Verses 3 & 4 demonstrate what we give up when we turn away from wholehearted allegiance to God.  Though this may be talking about sinners vs. the unsaved, when we are living for self, we are living as if we were still unsaved, and though we cannot lose our salvation, we can sure stop yielding fruit and feel withered!

-I like the reminder in verse 3 to be patient as far as “bearing fruit” goes.  The tree yields its fruit IN SEASON.  In other words, we may not immediately see the outcome of what we are doing for God and God’s people, but God IS working, and He WILL bring about some awesome results in His timing and way.

-Verse 6 can be either a verse of tremendous comfort and delight, or one of conviction and heartache, depending on whether we are living for the Lord or self.  If we are living for the  Lord—He knows it, and it delights Him greatly!  Our God knows every time YOU are doing things to please and honor Him!

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

-God blesses the believer who loves His Word and chooses to live according to its principles.

-Those who choose to live in rebellion against God (unsaved) will be judged.

-There will come a day when those who belong to God (by way of trusting in Christ as their Savior) will forever be separated from those who do not.  Sin and satan have a definite terminal point.

-God knows who belongs to Him and when they are living in obedience to His Word.

In a nutshell? 

I think that we sometimes discount the critical lessons we are taught as tiny children.  To obey our parents brings smiles (and often, rewards), to disobey brings disappointment and punishment.  Don’t you think that this sums up our lives with the Lord, too?  Trust and obey.  It brings blessings to us and pleasure to our Father.

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.

Thursday, July 23, 2026

-Pause before starting your Bible study to pray and ask God for help to concentrate on what you are reading, to understand what it is saying, and then to apply it to your life as you go through your day.  Thank Him for the privilege of having a copy of His Word in your language and in your hand!

-Read Isaiah 6:1-5 ​

In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one called to another and said:
“Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!”
4 And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. 5 And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!”

Study Notes:

-Isaiah saw God the Son that unforgettable day recorded for us above.  We know this because (a) no man can see God the Father and live (Exodus 33:20), and (b) John mentions this event in John 12:41 and identified Isaiah as having seen Jesus Christ.  Incidentally, this would mean that every time someone in the Old Testament saw God, it was the preincarnate Christ—including Adam and Eve!

-One commentator noted that if the train of the Son’s robe filled the Temple, how overwhelming and magnificent must have been the robe itself—and the One wearing it!

-The Seraphim are only mentioned here and in Revelation.  Little is known about them.  In fact, their name is a transliteration of the Hebrew, and not a full translation.  They are clearly angelic beings, and it looks like their entire job is to declare God’s holiness night and day.  Wow!  Just how often do we, those redeemed eternally by the blood of the Lamb, pause to stand in awe of His holiness?  One commentator said that God is not just a bigger and better entity than we are, He is an entirely unique Being, a Being that is completely holy.

-The three-fold use of the word holy might indicate a few things.  In Hebrew, three uses of a word indicates emphasis, of course, but also perfection and completion.  It’s also possible that the Seraphim are declaring all three Persons holy, hence one for each Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

-There are NO records of people meeting and recognizing God who don’t fall on their faces and immediately recognize their unworthiness and sin.  While we as Church Age believers enjoy a really special relationship to the Father and the Son as adopted members of His family, we must never forget that He is God Almighty or that His holiness is Who He is.  We SHOULD talk to God the Father in prayer as His much-loved child, opening our heart and sharing with Him our longings and needs, but we need to be careful to not cross the line of being too flippant or casual with the Lord, either, giving Him the honor and glory He deserves.

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

-God sits on a magnificent throne in heaven, high and lifted up.  Merely the train of His robe impressed Isaiah greatly.

-God has Seraphim near Him who declare His holiness.

-When God spoke, the foundations of the threshold shook and the house was filled with smoke.

-Jesus is the King, the LORD of hosts.

In a nutshell? 

Isaiah noted that the Seraphim viewed the whole earth as filled with the glory of the Lord. We tend to see a lot of sin and destruction.  But as believers, surely we should also be able to see God’s glory! Are you looking for it?  Praising Him about it?  Lifting your own voice to declare it?

Application Time!

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

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-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.

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

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-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, July 24, 2026

-Pause before starting your Bible study to pray and ask God for help to concentrate on what you are reading, to understand what it is saying, and then to apply it to your life as you go through your day.  Thank Him for the privilege of having a copy of His Word in your language and in your hand!

-Read Mark 6:1-6

He went away from there and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. 2 And on the Sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished, saying, “Where did this man get these things? What is the wisdom given to him? How are such mighty works done by his hands? 3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. 4 And Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household.” 5 And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. 6 And he marveled because of their unbelief.
And he went about among the villages teaching.

Study Notes:

-This takes place early in Jesus’ public ministry.  Although Jesus was very well received many places He went, the place where He should have gotten the most acceptance and support, was the place He was rejected the most severely.

-The phrase, “is this not the carpenter,” supports the supposition that Joseph had died before this, and Jesus was now the head of the home in Joseph’s place.  This is also what gave Jesus the authority to transfer His mother’s care into John’s hands when Jesus was on the cross.

-We learn here that Jesus had at least four brothers and two sisters. It doesn’t appear that His brothers, at least, trusted in Him as Savior until after His death.  We know nothing about His sisters other than what is written here.  James and Judas (Jude) later authored the Epistles named after them.  In fact, James became the pastor of the church in Jerusalem.  Never stop praying for your family members!

-Verse 5 is interesting.  The wording hints that Jesus did no miraculous healing in Nazareth, but He did do a form of healing that kind of hints at something like chiropractic care.  Of course, as the Creator of our human bodies, He would know exactly what to do to adjust joints and such that have come out of place.

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

-Jesus taught in the synagogues on the Sabbath in the towns He visited.  Check out Luke 4:16-30 to find out what Scripture He read to those living in His hometown of Nazareth—and how the people threatened His life because of it.

-The people of Jesus’ hometown refused to see Him as anything other than the boy they knew Who grew up in Joseph and Mary’s home.

-Jesus had at least four brothers and two sisters.

-Jesus was unable to do miracles in His hometown because of the unbelief of the residents.

-Jesus marvels at blatant unbelief.

In a nutshell? 

Of all these verses, verse 6 ought to impact us the most.  Jesus “marveled” at the unbelief of the people in His hometown.  In other words, it was so bad that He had no words to describe it.  Personally, I want Jesus to marvel at my faith, my love for Him, my choices to show His love to the people in my life—and never my unbelief or disregard for all that He values and commands.

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.

Saturday, July 25, 2026

-Pause before starting your Bible study to pray and ask God for help to concentrate on what you are reading, to understand what it is saying, and then to apply it to your life as you go through your day.  Thank Him for the privilege of having a copy of His Word in your language and in your hand!

-Read Romans 4:13-25

For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith. 14 For if it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. 15 For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression.
16 That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, 17 as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. 18 In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.” 19 He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. 20 No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, 21 fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. 22 That is why his faith was “counted to him as righteousness.” 23 But the words “it was counted to him” were not written for his sake alone, 24 but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, 25 who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.

Study Notes:

-Please forgive me if I begin too many studies, saying things like, “Wow, there’s a lot here!” or “I’m totally out of my element with this passage!”  To be honest, that is how I feel for MOST passages!  I’m sharing this truth with you now, simply to encourage you to hang in there with your own personal Bible studies.  God certainly doesn’t expect us to know every little detail about every little thing, especially when it involves complicated doctrine about the Law vs. grace, how God fulfilled His promise to Abraham through dozens of generations, the nitty-gritty of righteousness, faith, and justification, and a million other things.  BUT, and hear this, this is not a free pass to not TRY.  And another huge point is this:  even if our brain goes all dark and foggy when we read heavy duty doctrinal passages, we can still look for that ONE THING the Holy Spirit wants us to see so that we can praise the Lord, be challenged to greater godliness, or simply be better informed about what God felt was so important that He included it in His written Word for us to read.

With all that in mind, I think that I might not try to explain some of the important background and doctrine found in today’s passage, but home in, instead, on a few things that stood out to me—the things I believe the Holy Spirit wanted me to see TODAY.

1. Faith is a huge deal in God’s eyes, probably mostly because it helps us drop the notion that we can do anything good apart from God’s grace.  Faith is something that makes us drop our jaws in gratitude at what God has done in the past to bring our world to where it is today (the Church Age, the Age of Grace—especially that Christ’s death and resurrection has already been accomplished), keeps us thankful and keeping on moment to moment, day by day, AND brings us tremendous joy and gratitude contemplating the glorious future in God’s presence.  Abraham saw that—and Abraham’s faith not only greatly pleased God, but caused God to consider him a “friend” (WOW!).

2. Verse 17 is pretty cool!  God gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.  God, of course, is the one Who gives life to everyone and everything physically, but He is also the One Who gives spiritual life, making all who place their trust in Christ as Savior new creations (insert another huge wow here).

3. Verses 18 and 19 talk about Abraham’s CHOICE to believe God—and act on it.  This is what we are called to do, too.  We don’t need to know the all whys of life, or even the what-ifs.  What we need to do is simply show that we trust God by obeying all the things that we know He wants us to do.  As we do, well, look at point 4 for that.  =)

4. Verse 20 is worth highlighting.  Want stronger faith in God?  GIVE HIM GLORY because you are confident that He will do every single thing that He promised.  Did you know that a huge part of the “secret” to becoming a mature, God-honoring Christian is simply to do what you currently know you should be doing in order to honor and obey God?  It is AS we trust His Word and obey Him that we come to recognize how trustworthy He is—and how delightful it is to obey Him.  AND, that’s the kind of joyful discovering that will continue to get bigger and better every time we do it.  We simply cannot out give or out-love God in any area.  He just keeps extending more grace, showing us more of His glory, and drawing us ever closer to Him in a very personal one-on-one kind of way. 

5.  Verse 21, God is able.  Repeat that often.  This is a huge and amazing truth!

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

-God promised Abraham that he would have an Heir Who would be over the whole world.

-God is pleased when people believe Him and live their lives in obedience to His Word’s/promises.

-God gives life to the dead and calls into being that which did not exist.

-Jesus Christ, God’s Son, was delivered up (to death) for our sins, then raised to life so that we could be justified (be seen as sinless in God’s eyes when seen through Jesus’ blood after salvation).

In a nutshell? 

This passage is a lot about trusting God, obeying Him because He’s utterly trustworthy, and being amazed at God’s grace—in the past, today, and throughout forever.

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, July 26, 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.

BONUS:

“Take Time to be Holy” (words by W. Longstaff; music by G. Stebbins)

Take time to be holy, speak oft with thy Lord.  Abide in Him always, and feed on His Word.  Make friends of God’s children, help those who are weak, forgetting in nothing His blessing to seek.

Take time to be holy, the world rushes on.  Spend much time in secret with Jesus alone.  By looking to Jesus, like Him thou shalt be.  Thy friends and thy conduct His likeness shall see.

Take time to be  holy, let Him be thy Guide.  And run not before Him, whatever betide.  In joy or in sorrow, still follow thy Lord, and looking to Jesus, still trust in His Word.

(Just a reminder that the focus of our study this year is on knowing God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit better.)

Monday, July 27, 2026

-Pause before starting your Bible study to pray and ask God for help to concentrate on what you are reading, to understand what it is saying, and then to apply it to your life as you go through your day.  Thank Him for the privilege of having a copy of His Word in your language and in your hand!

-Read 2 Chronicles 19:4-7

“Jehoshaphat lived at Jerusalem. And he went out again among the people, from Beersheba to the hill country of Ephraim, and brought them back to the LORD, the God of their fathers. 5 He appointed judges in the land in all the fortified cities of Judah, city by city, 6 and said to the judges, “Consider what you do, for you judge not for man but for the LORD. He is with you in giving judgment. 7 Now then, let the fear of the LORD be upon you. Be careful what you do, for there is no injustice with the LORD our God, or partiality or taking bribes.”

Study Notes:

-Jehoshaphat was a king of Judah, the southern kingdom, when Israel split in two after Solomon’s son, Jeroboam, led ten of the twelve tribes away from Jerusalem, setting himself up as king.  Jehoshaphat was mostly a godly king, although he did align himself with ungodly Ahab in battle, which did not please the Lord.

-In Exodus 18, we read how Moses established judges throughout the land in order to help keep the peace among the people.  Apparently, this fell by the wayside somewhere along the line, and now Jehoshaphat is starting it again.  This is a good thing, because it is what God wanted.

-Jehoshaphat warned the men who were appointed judges to not forget that they needed to judge according to GOD’S standards, not their own ideas of right and wrong. 

-Verse 7 is actually the one I wanted to focus on for our quest to know God better.  It says that there is no injustice with the Lord, nor is there partiality or bribery influence.  What a marvelous thing to remember about our God in the face of a very corrupt society!  There is NO injustice with the Lord.  Justice is, of course, the “right” course of action—something sinful mankind pretty much fails at epically (apart from the Lord), because everyone kind of has their own view of what is right and wrong—and to what degree.  God’s standard for right and wrong is THE only right standard, and anything that deviates from His standard IS wrong by its very definition.  GOD CANNOT BE UNJUST.  Amen!

-Romans 2:11 states point-blank that there is no partiality with God.  To be partial is to favor one thing over another.  This is not how our righteous Lord judges.  Personally, I think that humans absolutely need the Lord’s help to not be impartial.  There may be a million reasons why we might choose to favor one person over another, but to do so is to be unlike God, exactly what Jehoshaphat was warning the judges against.

-Bribe-taking!  That one sure speaks to our propensity toward greed and wanting things that we don’t currently have—or more of the things we love!  God cannot be bribed, nor should godly leaders or judges.

-Here are the original instructions on this topic given to Israel way back in Deuteronomy: “You shall appoint judges and officers in all your towns that the LORD your God is giving you, according to your tribes, and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment. You shall not pervert justice. You shall not show partiality, and you shall not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and subverts the cause of the righteous. Justice, and only justice, you shall follow, that you may live and inherit the land that the LORD your God is giving you (Deut. 16:18-20).

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

-God is entirely just.

-God is impartial.

-God does not take bribes.

In a nutshell? 

As members of God’s family living in the Twenty-first century, we are also to do what we do and say what we say FOR THE LORD.  We are representing Him in our actions and attitudes.  If we want people to know what God is like, we need to imitate Him in all areas.  Praise God, this is something He will help us with every second of 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.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

-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, July 28, 2026

-Pause before starting your Bible study to pray and ask God for help to concentrate on what you are reading, to understand what it is saying, and then to apply it to your life as you go through your day.  Thank Him for the privilege of having a copy of His Word in your language and in your hand!

-Read Joshua 1:1-9 ​

“After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, the LORD said to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, 2 “Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the people of Israel. 3 Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses. 4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun shall be your territory. 5 No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you. 6 Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them. 7 Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. 8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

Study Notes:

-God chose Joshua to be Israel’s next leader, not merely because he was Moses’ assistant, but because he, like Moses, was the servant of the LORD.  He personally obeyed God in his life and led others to do the same.

-But, it is true that Joshua was Moses’ assistant for many years.  In that time, he was learning from Moses about the importance of obeying God completely (and the consequences of not doing it!), how to lead God’s people, and a million other things that he would need upon becoming the new leader.  To this day, leaders in the church don’t become good, godly leaders in a vacuum.  They need to be studying God’s Word and living out its principles for a long time before they are ready to show others how to do it in a God-honoring way.  Even then, God chooses what role He wants each of us to play.  Our task is to seize every opportunity to honor Him, and serve and bless others.  Joshua did this—and continued to do it his entire life.

-Just being strong and courageous isn’t enough.  Our strength and courage come FROM God.  It is given by Him WHEN we are trusting Him and obeying Him, living our lives based on what we know He wants, as stated in His Word.  Of course, if we’re not studying His Word daily, we won’t know what pleases and displeases Him, making us unable to completely fulfill the purpose He has planned for us.  It always, always, always comes back to God:  what He says and Who He is in character and action.

-In case Joshua was tempted to do what we often do when faced with some big task—to look at it as a whole and feel defeat even before he began – the Lord promised in verse 9 that He would never leave him or forsake him.  In other words, He would be with Joshua every step of the way.  Did you remember that we are promised this, too, in Hebrews 13:5-6, “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”  We are also blessed with Matthew 28:20, “Teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

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

-After the man God chose to lead His people out of Egypt died, God appointed another man to lead His people, a man who was currently living a life of obedience to Him.

-God gave Joshua very specific instructions on where to lead His people—and how.  God’s instructions to Church Age believers can be found in the Bible.  The Bible contains all we need to know in order to live obedient, joyful lives for the Lord.

-God does not leave or forsake those who belong to Him.

-It is God Who helps His children live faithfully, and have strength and courage while we do it.

In a nutshell? 

Joshua was commanded to speak God’s words, to study and think deeply about God’s Word, and to obey God’s Word in every way and at all times.  If that seemed overwhelming and frightening, Joshua was to never forget that God Himself would help him to do it, and God would be with Him every single step of the way.  These great commands and truths can give us great direction and hope, too!

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.

Wednesday, July 29, 2026

-Pause before starting your Bible study to pray and ask God for help to concentrate on what you are reading, to understand what it is saying, and then to apply it to your life as you go through your day.  Thank Him for the privilege of having a copy of His Word in your language and in your hand!

-Read 2 Corinthians 9:6-8

“The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.”

Study Notes:

-Paul spent roughly five years going to different churches in Asia Minor in order to collect money to send to the church in Jerusalem.  The members of that church were having a hard time financially due to several reasons.  Two biggies were the persecution they faced as believers, and also a famine in the land.  In today’s passage, Paul is reminding the believers in Corinth that he was on his way to collect what they had promised roughly a year earlier.  He was encouraging them to give with a right heart (willingly, cheerfully, generously).  He was also reminding them that there is no such thing as out-giving God.  He always blesses and rewards what we do out of faithfulness to Him (though this is not the same as saying that He always gives us more money when we give money).

-Although I think I’ve heard these verses quoted in conjunction with the offering plate, this sort of giving is not referring to the 10% tithe that God requires of all His children.  10% of what we earn BELONGS to Him, and to not give it is to steal from Him (which should go in the offering plate on Sunday).  No, this has to do with what the Lord lays on our hearts in relation to being a help and a blessing to others.

-While this passage is referring to money, there are many additional ways we can be generous with others.  We could sure look around in our homes to see what items we are no longer using which could be a blessing to someone else.  We could look through our stash of gift cards and pray about who we could secretly sneak one to.  We could invite someone out to lunch or some other special outing.  And we can certainly invest in people by texting, emailing, and mailing notes of encouragement and reminders that we are praying for them.  Perhaps spend some time in thinking about things that people have done for you in the past that was a huge pick-me-up, then do that for someone else.  Maybe consider what you WISH someone would do, and do that for someone else.  That particular blessing might be even bigger than if you had been the recipient.  =)

-Attitude and motives seem to play a big part here.  God wants us to WANT to give generously and joyfully, but not because we feel pressured to do it, or that we want to “look good.” 

-Here are a few other translations of verse 8 that might be interesting and encouraging to you:

“Besides, God is able to make every blessing of yours overflow for you, so that in every situation you will always have all you need for any good work.” (ISV)

“And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.” (NLT)

“And God is able to make every grace overflow to you, so that in every way, always having everything you need, you may excel in every good work.” (CSB)

BONUS:  There are many times in Scripture where sowing and reaping is mentioned.  Check out a few! Job 4:8; Psalm 126:5; Proverbs 22:8; Jeremiah 12:13; Matthew 6:26; John 4:36–37; Galatians 6:7.

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

-God loves those who give to others cheerfully.

-God provides all that we truly need—and so much more (partly, SO THAT, we can be a blessing to others).

In a nutshell? 

Give to others with the same generosity and goals that the Lord demonstrates to you every second of 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.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

-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, July 30, 2026

-Pause before starting your Bible study to pray and ask God for help to concentrate on what you are reading, to understand what it is saying, and then to apply it to your life as you go through your day.  Thank Him for the privilege of having a copy of His Word in your language and in your hand!

-Read 2 Timothy 1:12

“which is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that day what has been entrusted to me.”

Study Notes:

-The verse before this one supplies why Paul is suffering.  It is because he is a teacher, apostle, and preacher of Jesus Christ.  Paul was never sorry, however, to suffer in any way for the Lord.  He counted it an honor and a privilege.

-Paul says that he wasn’t ashamed to be in prison.  He trusted the Lord with every part of his life: the fun things associated with his calling to preach and teach about the Lord, the hard things that inevitably arise when people are confronted with sin, and the challenges for him personally.  He was ready and willing to accept it all, knowing it was from God’s hand, and thus was “good.”  His goal was to bring God glory in all circumstances.

-“I know Whom I have believed.”  When we have trusted in Christ as Savior, we begin a daily journey with Him that not only never ends, but just gets better and better as we know Him more deeply.  In fact, when I say that our journey with the Lord never ends, I mean that literally.  We have the opportunity and privilege to get to know Him better in the here and now through studying His Word, then applying it to our daily lives, but we also have the incredible joy of one day seeing Him face-to-face every day and for forever! 

-Our goal of study in 2026 is to know God better.  Paul worked on that, too.  He told Timothy that he knows Whom he believed in.  This can be our claim, too!

-What is Jesus guarding?  What was entrusted to Paul?  What “day”?  The day Paul is speaking about is probably the Bema Seat Judgment, where Christians will stand before the Lord to have their lives evaluated.  Not for sin, but for faithfulness.  What has been entrusted to Paul was opportunities to live for God, to serve Him, to be a blessing to others, and general obedience to God’s Word.  God is entrusting all this to us, too, and as we choose God’s will over our own, and walk in obedience and biblical love, we are earning rewards in glory.  These rewards are what the Lord is guarding.  God has promised to reward faithful service—and He always keeps His promises.

-The word “entrust” can also be translated as “deposit.”  Interesting!

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

-God guards/protects the rewards He has planned for obedient/faithful actions from His children.

-God entrusts things to His children that He later rewards.  These include opportunities to trust Him, to obey Him, to show biblical love, to consider others as more important than self, and a whole host of other things that are outlined in Scripture.

In a nutshell? 

God knows what you have done for Him and for others, whether or not they acknowledged it, and some day He will richly reward you.  Keep on keeping on!

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, July 31, 2026

-Pause before starting your Bible study to pray and ask God for help to concentrate on what you are reading, to understand what it is saying, and then to apply it to your life as you go through your day.  Thank Him for the privilege of having a copy of His Word in your language and in your hand!

-Read Hebrews 2:14-18

“Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. 16 For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham. 17 Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. 18 For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.”

Study Notes:

-The “He” in verse 14 is Jesus Christ, Who is the subject of the most importance throughout the book of Hebrews.  One of the objectives of the entire book is to demonstrate how Jesus is superior in every role He has:  prophet, priest, king, and more!

-In order for Jesus to take on the sin-debt that all men are born with in order to pay the price for it that we could not, He had to become flesh and blood.  As a flesh and blood Man, He dealt with many of the same things we deal with.  These include physical dangers and hardships, but it also included struggles with emotions.  The difference is that Jesus never disobeyed God in attitude or action, despite the severity of the temptation (and I don’t think we can even begin to guess how hard He had it until we get to glory!).  He did this to honor and obey God, for sure, but He also did it to encourage you and me to do the same.  Because of His victory over sin and death on the cross, we are no longer imprisoned by sin or satan, and we never have to give in to the temptation to disobey God.

-The fear of death (v.15) is certainly a huge shadow in many people’s lives.  An enormous “perk” of having trusted Christ as Savior is that we no longer need to fear death.  If we should die physically before the Father raptures up the Church, we know that we will immediately be transported into the presence of our Savior, never to have sorrow or pain ever again.  These incredible truths are definitely something to keep in mind when you have opportunity to witness to someone who is “subject to lifelong slavery (to the fear of death).”

-Verse 16 is probably referring to all believers as the offspring of Abraham (and not just the Jewish nation). 

-I read that verses 17 & 18 give a picture of an older brother paving the way for younger siblings by way of example, and in helping them in all the ways he can.  This is a sweet picture, made one hundred times better when we remember that it is Jesus, God Almighty, Who is looking out and helping US.  He does this with great mercy and faithfulness (He never gives up or gives in).  Read more about this beginning in Hebrews 4.

-The role of a high priest is administering the functions of the temple service, and in making atonement on the Day of Atonement by going into the Holy of Holies in the temple and sprinkling blood on the mercy seat.

-The word propitiation is a word that means full-payment.  In order for you and me to be permanent members of God’s family, Jesus had to step in and take our place before the holy God, paying the penalty for our sin in our place, because we could not.

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

-Jesus Christ became a human so that he could know exactly what we deal with and so He could die in our place to defeat the devil.

-Jesus’ death and resurrection forever defeated death for those who trust in Him as Savior.

-Jesus helps believers.  He became a merciful and faithful High Priest in the service of God the Father.  He suffered in order to help us honor and obey God when undergoing suffering.

In a nutshell? 

God’s Word says that because Jesus didn’t sin when tempted, we don’t need to either.  In fact, He is helping us both through His example, and through the power of the Indwelling Holy Spirit.  With His help, we CAN learn to not fall back on any auto-default responses such as anger, greed, or defeat.

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.

“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

August 1, 2026

Dear Student of the Word,

Welcome to the eighth month of study on knowing God. If you’ve just joined us, we are in pursuit of knowing God better—and using His Word to do so. 

Here is what we have studied this far this year:

-Commands involving what God wants us to know (truth about Him and general truth),

-Assorted verses that talk about the Father, Son, & Holy Spirit (separately & together),

-What the Gospel of John teaches about the Lord.

It is my earnest prayer that this study is a huge blessing to you, and that it draws you to a closer and more sweet relationship with the Lord.

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).

Thank you 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.

-The ladies at FBC meet to review our work together once a month.  You are welcome to join us if you find yourself in the North Conway area.  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: 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 directly.

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

***If you used to receive these via email, but unsubscribed (either on purpose or by accident), you need to go to the website to request being added back in.  They won’t let me do it.  Go to: https://mailchi.mp/8b37afb2936b/first-baptist-bible-study

Saturday, August 1, 2026

-Pause before starting your Bible study to pray and ask God for help to concentrate on what you are reading, to understand what it is saying, and then to apply it to your life as you go through your day.  Thank Him for the privilege of having a copy of His Word in your language and in your hand!

-Read Psalm 41

TO THE CHOIRMASTER. A PSALM OF DAVID.
​1 Blessed is the one who considers the poor! In the day of trouble the LORD delivers him; 2 the LORD protects him and keeps him alive; he is called blessed in the land; you do not give him up to the will of his enemies. 3 The LORD sustains him on his sickbed; in his illness you restore him to full health. 4 As for me, I said, “O LORD, be gracious to me; heal me, for I have sinned against you!” 5 My enemies say of me in malice, “When will he die, and his name perish?” 6 And when one comes to see me, he utters empty words, while his heart gathers iniquity; when he goes out, he tells it abroad. 7 All who hate me whisper together about me; they imagine the worst for me. 8 They say, “A deadly thing is poured out on him; he will not rise again from where he lies.” 9 Even my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me. 10 But you, O LORD, be gracious to me, and raise me up, that I may repay them! 11 By this I know that you delight in me: my enemy will not shout in triumph over me. 12 But you have upheld me because of my integrity, and set me in your presence forever. 13 Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting!
Amen and Amen.

Study Notes:

-If anyone had an up and down life, it was David!  He had kind of an ideal childhood, being able to spend time in the fields, caring for the sheep while composing songs to the Lord, but once he was anointed king of Israel, there followed some incredibly rough years before he was actually sitting on the throne.  Even then, though there were some especially wonderful years for the nation, David faced great temptation and great torture by means of betrayal and deceit.  Still, through it all, he wrote songs such as Psalm 41. In them, he displayed trust in the Lord, confidence that He would right all wrongs, and faith that He would do all He said He would do.  David also praised God often and with great enthusiasm.

-Our lives can be pretty up and down, too, can’t they?  We may be doing well in our walk with the Lord, then something happens, and we find ourselves doubting, or anxious, or even angry.  Sometimes we face one of the hardest things of all, betrayal by a loved one—something Jesus faced, too.  We can do what Jesus did.  He entrusted it all, the welcome and the not-so-welcome, to His Father, knowing that He had a plan, and His plan was perfect.  We can use these dark times as means to draw CLOSER to the Lord, trusting Him more deeply, and thanking Him for His constant love, mercy, and grace.  As we do, we’ll be able to fall into praise, just as David did.

-Jesus quoted verse 9 when Judas betrayed Him in John 13:18.

-v.10  It’s important to remember that David was the king chosen by God over Israel in Old Testament times.  To challenge him was to speak against God.  David was right to deal harshly with those who defied God.  However, we are not Israel, nor do we live in Old Testament times.  We are called on to show biblical love to everyone, not just the people we like and get along with.  We are called to forgive, even if the other person never apologizes.  We are called to imitate God, and He is a God of mercy, grace, and generosity.  BUT, we should also strive with His help to never BE the person who causes others pain.  If we have (by accident or design), then we need to hasten to make that right with them—and with God.

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

-The LORD delivers, protects, keeps, sustains, and upholds those who love Him and obey Him.

-The Lord will gather all that belong to Him to live in His presence forever one day.

-God is worthy of all glory from everlasting to everlasting.

In a nutshell? 

David was born with a sin nature, just like you and me.  He did some awful things, but he is spoken of highly in Scripture because he turned to God in times of trouble, and he returned to God when he had walked away.  Through it all, he trusted God, worshiped God, and gave Him great glory.  This is an excellent example for us to follow.  Wherever you are with the Lord today, look to Him for help and hope, trust Him with all the details, and give Him great glory NO MATTER WHAT.

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, August 2, 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.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

-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.

BONUS:

“O to Be Like Thee”  (words by T. Chisholm; music by W. Kirkpatrick)

O to be like Thee!  Blessed Redeemer, this is my constant longing and prayer.  Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures, Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.  O to be like Thee!  O to be like Thee, Blessed Redeemer, pure as Thou art!  Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness.  Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.

O to be like Thee!  Full of compassion, loving, forgiving, tender, and kind.  Helping the helpless, cheering the fainting, seeking the wandering sinner to find!  O to be like Thee!  O to be like Thee, Blessed Redeemer, pure as Thou art!  Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness.  Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.

O to be like Thee!  While I am pleading pour out Thy Spirit, fill with Thy love.  Make me a temple meet for Thy dwelling; fit me for life and heaven above.  O to be like Thee!  O to be like Thee, Blessed Redeemer, pure as Thou art!  Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness.  Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.

(Just a reminder that the focus of our study this year is on knowing God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit better.)

Monday, August 3, 2026

-Pause before starting your Bible study to pray and ask God for help to concentrate on what you are reading, to understand what it is saying, and then to apply it to your life as you go through your day.  Thank Him for the privilege of having a copy of His Word in your language and in your hand!

-Read Philippians 3:20 – 4:1

“But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself. 1 Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved.”

Study Notes:

-I’ve only been across the ocean and out of the United States for several days once in my life, and I will tell you that when our plane returned to JFK International Airport, and we saw the huge sign on the wall, “Welcome to the United States of America,” tears were in my eyes.  I was so thankful to be HOME.  I’ll be completely honest to tell you that I really have no idea what it will be like to enter my REAL home in glory one day.  The images I have are extremely fuzzy and vague.  However, I am also 100% positive that it will be perfect, because it is where my God is, and He only always does what is PERFECT.

-The idea of waiting for the Savior is more than just a casual making-note-of-an-upcoming-appointment kind of awareness.  No, this is a jumping-up-and-down-shouting-with-glee kind of waiting.  We are waiting for OUR SAVIOR!  Wow.  Just blows your mind to imagine what will happen when that long-awaited trumpet sounds! 

-Another incredible aspect of watching for the Lord to return for us is the anticipation of Him using the omnipotence that is only found in God to transform our bodies to be like His post-resurrection body.  This includes never getting sick or injured anymore, but even better, no longer being tempted by the sin natures we were born with.  THAT is hard to imagine—and—deeply longed for.

-With these glories in mind, we can stand firm (in the power and Person of the Lord) to be faithful and obedient moment by moment.  The whole thing reminds me a tiny bit of anticipating Christmas gifts as a child.  When I was little, my parents wouldn’t put any gifts under the tree ahead of time, then after we fell asleep on Christmas Eve, they would load up the tree with gifts (with six kids, there were a lot of packages!).  Then, in what seemed to us to be the middle of the night (though I’m guessing it was probably more like midnight), they would wake us from a dead sleep to come downstairs and open gifts.  It was SO COOL!  We loved it.  But, backing up, no child that I knew of would CHOOSE to be naughty in the last days before Christmas!  We didn’t want to do anything to jeopardize a super fun holiday.  The illustration of Christmas and the Lord’s return falls short in a million ways, but there’s something about the choice to behave in a way that pleases our parents that coincides a bit with Christians choosing to live in a way that pleases the Lord as opposed to living for selfish gain, no matter who we stomp on along the way. 

-Paul considered believers he knows who are faithful to the Lord his joy and crown.  You and I can live in such a way that our pastors view us similarly!

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

-Jesus Christ is the Savior of all those who believe in Him.

-Jesus Christ will one day gather all Christians and bring them to heaven.  Our bodies will then be transformed to glorified ones, similar to His glorified body.

-Jesus has power to subject all things to Himself. 

In a nutshell? 

You and I are living in the United States, and are citizens of the US, however our REAL and permanent home is heaven, and it is to heaven that our allegiance lies. We have wonderful and amazing things to look forward to when we finally get there, but in the meantime, our focus needs to be to stand firm in the Lord—to not give in or give up.

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.

Tuesday, August 4, 2026

-Pause before starting your Bible study to pray and ask God for help to concentrate on what you are reading, to understand what it is saying, and then to apply it to your life as you go through your day.  Thank Him for the privilege of having a copy of His Word in your language and in your hand!

-Read Psalm 33 ​

“Shout for joy in the LORD, O you righteous! Praise befits the upright. 2 Give thanks to the LORD with the lyre; make melody to him with the harp of ten strings! 3 Sing to him a new song; play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts. 4 For the word of the LORD is upright, and all his work is done in faithfulness. 5 He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the steadfast love of the LORD. 6 By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their host. 7 He gathers the waters of the sea as a heap; he puts the deeps in storehouses. 8 Let all the earth fear the LORD;
let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him! 9 For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm. 10 The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; he frustrates the plans of the peoples. 11 The counsel of the LORD stands forever, the plans of his heart to all generations. 12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people whom he has chosen as his heritage! 13 The LORD looks down from heaven; he sees all the children of man; 14 from where he sits enthroned he looks out on all the inhabitants of the earth, 15 he who fashions the hearts of them all and observes all their deeds. 16 The king is not saved by his great army; a warrior is not delivered by his great strength.
17 The war horse is a false hope for salvation, and by its great might it cannot rescue. 18 Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love, 19 that he may deliver their soul from death and keep them alive in famine. 20 Our soul waits for the LORD; he is our help and our shield. 21 For our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name. 22 Let your steadfast love, O LORD, be upon us, even as we hope in you.”

Study Notes –and -What can we KNOW about God based on today’s Scripture:

(I’m combining these two categories today—just for fun!)

-v.2-5.  The word of the Lord is upright, all that He does is done in faithfulness, He loves righteousness, He loves justice, and He fills the earth with His steadfast love.  So… shout for joy in the Lord! Give praise to the Lord!  Give thanks to the Lord by means of music, both with your voice and instruments!