Lectio Divina

by Veronica Morrison, Pastor of Women’s Ministry

…but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
and who meditates on his law day and night.
That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
    which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither
  whatever they do prospers.
 –Psalm 1:2-3 (NIV)

I love studying God’s Word! Not so that I can know more information or look smart; but I find that studying is the process that leads me to an intimate, transformational encounter with the Lord. God’s Word teaches me about who God is, what He is like, what is important to Him, how He sees me, and how He wants me to live.

A mentor once told me that the Word of God is something to be chewed—meaning we are to savor it. So, when studying, it is good to take small portions of Scripture to meditate on the context, the meaning, and the significance.

There are seasons in my life where the Lord will have me study one passage of Scripture for months on end. Each reading is unique in what the Lord brings to my awareness. And one of my favorite tools for studying it is Lectio Divina.

Lectio Divina is Latin for Divine Reading. Hebrews 4:12 tells us that God’s Word is alive and active. In our Life Group Leadership Handbook we reference Chris Eaton’s definition of Lectio Divina as: a Bible reading method that allows the Holy Spirit to speak to us, teach us, and guide us through prayerful listening.

Below is the process we use to facilitate a time of Lectio Divina. You can use this with a group, or you can simply walk yourself through some intentional study.

I pray that it blesses you as much as it blesses me.  

Lectio Divina

Choose a passage of Scripture. You will read this  passage several times. Listen and record the Lord’s prompting for each reading.

Reading #1: Eyes to See

Pray: Father, you have told us that your Word is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword. I pray your Word would pierce my heart with what it is you want me to learn. I pray that, as I read this passage the first time, you would highlight to me a word or phrase.

For this first reading, be on the lookout for a word or phrase from the text that jumps out at you.

Read this through twice. Feel free to write down the word or phrase that you hear. After reading the passage twice, spend about a minute in silence.

Reading #2: Ears to Hear

Now read the passage a third time. This time think about the word or phrase that you wrote down. Be on the lookout for what God is teaching you or saying to you through this passage. Have a conversation with God, and ask Him what He is wanting to teach you. Ask for Him to reveal more to you. Feel free to write anything that you hear.

Reading #3: Change to Make

Pray for this reading: Father, you have told us that the Word became human and made His home among us—full of unfailing love and faithfulness. (John 1:14). May my encounter with you through your Word be as real as if Jesus were here in the room speaking with me face-to-face. Grant me the wisdom to know what changes to make and the strength to do it.

In this reading, ask God to show you anything you need to change. It could be something you need to start (or stop) doing. Maybe it’s a change in perspective. It might be something big, or something small.

Read the passage slowly one final time.

Write down anything that God is asking you to change. Give yourself a few minutes of silence to reflect on this.

Peace in a Time of Trouble

Some Scriptures for Meditation:

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
–Jeremiah 29:11

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
–Romans 15:13

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
–John 14:27

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
–John 16:33

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
–1 Peter 5:7

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!  Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.  Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
–Philippians 4:47

This is a crazy time. Covid-19 has changed the world. And while we are all in isolation, our emotions can range from anxiety to frustration to fear.

One thing is for certain: we all need the Lord. And we all need to remember that He is on His throne and He has a plan. He is a mighty God. He’s got this. And He’s got us.

If you’re feeling a little uptight right now, why not re-read these Scriptures several times slowly, one by one. Be still for a while and invite the Lord to speak to your heart.

Good Friday

You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!
– Romans 5:6-10

“…when we were still powerless.” How good is God that He would care enough about our inability to help ourselves; that “while we were God’s enemies…,” He would send His Son to live among us, teach us, be an example for us. And then, even though innocent, Jesus would willingly submit to being mocked, beaten and cruelly crucified in our place. All so that we could be reconciled to Him.

Good Friday is the perfect time to humble ourselves and reflect on just how great God’s love really is. The God of the universe sent His Son to humble Himself and die for us. It is unimaginable—but true.

Think on this: Jesus could have saved Himself; but instead, He chose to save us. Don’t we owe Him everything? 

Who Am I?

by Veronica Morrison, Pastor of Women’s Ministry

Surrender your anxiety! Be silent and stop your striving and you will see that I am God. I am the God above all the nations, and I will be exalted throughout the whole earth. – Psalm 46:10 (TPT)

I was talking with a friend yesterday who had been looking forward to her graduation from ASU this May. We were processing together the disappointment and all the emotions that have come up in light of the pandemic, and the loss of her hopes and dreams with graduation. The big question that has come up for her, myself, and many others during this time is “If I am not what I do, then who am I?”

You may be feeling like me—more aware than ever before how I have let my everyday tasks define me. It was never my intention to do so, but somehow I let my hectic life become a part of the definition of who I am.

Who am I? Well, who was I? A few weeks ago I was a busy person who was constantly moving from one task to the other so that, at the end of the day, I could feel like I had value. But now all that is gone. I am left with myself. 

This forced stillness has been quite revealing. A good example of what has been revealed to me is actually seen in my reflection of my own children. Observing my children I have discovered that kids with nothing to do are actually quite amazing. At first, they are whiny and, well, frankly, annoying. But give them enough time with their boredom and something incredible happens. They turn a corner and become deeply themselves. It’s so fun to watch. They start to become silly and creative. They become fascinated with the things around them. They look at the clouds and make up stories, and play games with one another, and laugh until they cry or pee their pants. Few things give me greater joy then watching my kids be fully themselves. 

I think that is probably how the Lord is looking at all of us during this season. We may have complained a little bit at first. We may even have been a little whiny and annoying. But after a while we start to become our authentic selves. We started enjoying God’s creation, being present with our families and friends, laughing and delighting in things we forgot give us joy. 

There is so much loss in this time. And I am so grieved by all the suffering. But our God always makes beauty from ashes. And some of the beauty in this might be us becoming fully alive as we stop defining ourselves by our to-do lists. As we slow down and become more ourselves, we allow our very beings to be a blessing to our Heavenly Father. God takes joy in watching us take notice of Him and the beauty around us. 

I pray that, when this crisis passes, we won’t go back and get caught again in the net of striving. That we will rely on the peace of God. That we will take joy in Him and the goodness He surrounds us with. That we really would allow Him to be exalted in our lives and in the world. 

Why Spiritual Formation?

by Daniel Riccio
Living Streams Church Elder (and Bible scholar)

Why do we talk about spiritual formation? Sometimes, when I look back at my life, I’m embarrassed by my past struggles or naïve things that I thought while considering myself mature. I am, however, encouraged that I can look back and see change. But then I think, “What might future me think of current me?”  I realize I will continue to be formed and changed over the course of my entire life. 

The shape of our lives is most influenced by how we answer the question "What do you want?” Our struggles in life come from disordered loves; promoting the wrong things to the place of our ultimate pursuit. The aim of spiritual formation is to put our hearts in order. 

Some discipleship approaches only teach correct answers to the question “What do you Want?” If we stop at right answers, we won’t reach the affections of the heart and remain unchanged. 

Consider the fictional story of explorers who find a magical place that grants whatever they truly want—not what they say they want, but their deepest unspoken desires. The explorers realize the danger of entering the enchanted place. They hesitate and consider the devastation that might ensue if they don’t want the right things. We too can pause and ask, “What would happen if the things we desire most were granted?” Not what we say we want, but what we really want. 

In order to bridge the gap between "what is good for us to want" and "what we actually want", we engage in practices of spiritual formation. Reaction to our out-of-place desires can come in two extremes: either suppressing them or indulging and allowing our longings to rule over us. As a biblical third option, we can learn to have our desires reshaped. Our desires can be formed. 

It’s a bit like my taste for coffee.  As a young adult I occasionally “tolerated” a cup of coffee. But then I was introduced to frozen, sweetened coffee drinks.  In a short time, I developed a habit. I eventually learned that the cost and calories of stylized coffee was too much. So, I eliminated the expensive sweeteners, but not the rich, dark, caffeinated daily retreat. Now, some twenty years later, I rarely go a day without it.  

We don’t need to eliminate our desires—we need them reshaped. Addictive behaviors, whether substances or forbidden romance (real or in images), signal a deeper, unmet desire. Underneath these fruitless searches is the desire to find what satisfies the deepest longings of the soul. Desire is not the problem.  Shaping or connecting to the deepest human desire is the way forward. We’ve settled for a pottage of bad stew when our birthright tells us we’ve been invited to a banquet of endless delight. 

So how do we shape desire? The church word for spiritual practices that shape us is liturgy. Simply defined, liturgy is the work of the people. Besides “church” liturgies, we live in the midst of cultural liturgies without recognizing them. Imagine two young fish swimming along when an older fish comes swimming past. The older greets the two younger fish saying “How’s the water, boys?” The two younger fish swim away and finally one fish asks “What the hell is water?”  We don’t realize the “secular” liturgies we live in. We might say, with the fish, “what the hell is a secular liturgy?”  

Consider how culture shapes what we want. In ritual fashion we check our phones. We watch our TV’s and take in messages about what the good life is. These are liturgies that have power to form our desires as they whisper the promise that obtaining what’s offered will provide satisfaction for our souls. If we buy in, we will give our life’s energy to obtain what we’ve been led to believe will satisfy our heart. The more energy we spend chasing, the more devoted our hearts become to any given desire.

With spiritual formation, we engage in practices that free us from settling for bad stew. We want to be oriented to true north—to know what’s behind the different versions of the good life being offered.  We take part in what frees us from spending our life’s resources on empty things.  

The Prophet Isaiah said it like this:

“Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk, without money and without cost.  Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy?  Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare.”  – Isaiah 55:1-2  

Holy Week – A Family Devotional

Holy Week - A Family Devotional

Jump to:

Day 1 The Triumphal Entry - Palm Sunday
Day 2 Cleansing the Temple
Day 3 Feet Washing
Day 4 The Passover
Day 5 Praying in the Garden
Day 6 The Crucifixion
Day 7 An Impossible Situation
Day 8 The Resurrection - Easter Sunday

Day 1

The Triumphal Entry – Palm Sunday

Matthew 21:1-11

As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”

This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:

“Say to Daughter Zion,
    ‘See, your king comes to you,
gentle and riding on a donkey,
    and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”

The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,

“Hosanna to the Son of David!”

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”

“Hosanna in the highest heaven!”

When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”

The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”

On Palm Sunday, we reflect and celebrate the triumphal entry of Jesus as he entered the city of Jerusalem. The Jews were expecting this grand, elaborate entrance of their new leader—one who was going to rescue them from the Romans. Yet Jesus entered humbly, on a donkey, as their king.

During this time, riding a horse into a city meant his mission was to declare war, or he was there to conquer; but Jesus rode a donkey, which meant he came in peace.

Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament prophecy from Zechariah 9:9:

“he is righteous and victorious, humble and riding on a donkey.”

Jesus came to tell the people that He was the son of God and his mission here on Earth was to rescue us from sin and death. 

The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,

“Hosanna to the Son of David!”

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”

“Hosanna in the highest heaven!” – Matthew 21:9

 The Good News: Jesus came not only to save the Jews, but he came to save the rest of us too! Hosanna means “come save us now!” He came to rescue us from our sin and death. He came so we can worship Him and have Him as our king!

Question of the Day: What does it mean to have Jesus as your King? 

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Day 2

Cleansing the Temple

Matthew 21:12-17

Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. And He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’ ”

Then the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them. But when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the children crying out in the temple and saying, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant and said to Him, “Do You hear what these are saying?”

And Jesus said to them, “Yes. Have you never read,

‘Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants
You have perfected praise’?”

Then He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, and He lodged there.

After Jesus made His entry into Jerusalem, he went to the temple. It was there he saw people buying and selling goods. Jesus was furious. This was His Father’s house, and the people were not using the temple for its intended purpose of worship and prayer.

In his passion, Jesus threw over the tables and cleared the temple of all the people who were only there to make money. Then he invited in the blind and lame and healed them. He invited in the children and they worshiped Him, shouting “Hosanna to the Son of David!” He invited the least inside!

The Good News: Jesus cleared the temple of its impurities. He brought it back to a place of healing prayer and worship for all of us! We are a part of His church! This is how He spreads His love to the world through His church, His people, that’s us! 

Question of the Day: What part, or role, does Jesus want you to play in the church?

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Day 3

Feet Washing

John 13:1-17

It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had comefor him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.

The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”

Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”

“No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.”

Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”

“Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”

Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.

When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

Jesus knew His time on earth was coming to an end. Before He left, He wanted to show His disciples what it means to truly lead and love well. Jesus displayed servant leadership by doing the job that a household servant usually does. He washed His disciples’ feet!

They were so surprised by this and they questioned Jesus as to why He would do such a thing. This was just the beginning. Little did they know that Jesus would humble Himself to death on the cross. 

Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.   – John 13:3-5

The good news: Jesus lead by example and showed us what it means to truly love and lead others. 

Question of the Day: How can I love and serve someone in my family or neighborhood today? 

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Day 4

PASSOVer

Luke 22:7-38

Now the Festival of Unleavened Bread arrived, when the Passover lamb is sacrificed. Jesus sent Peter and John ahead and said, “Go and prepare the Passover meal, so we can eat it together.”

“Where do you want us to prepare it?” they asked him.

He replied, “As soon as you enter Jerusalem, a man carrying a pitcher of water will meet you. Follow him. At the house he enters, say to the owner, ‘The Teacher asks: Where is the guest room where I can eat the Passover meal with my disciples?’ He will take you upstairs to a large room that is already set up. That is where you should prepare our meal.” They went off to the city and found everything just as Jesus had said, and they prepared the Passover meal there.

When the time came, Jesus and the apostles sat down together at the table.Jesus said, “I have been very eager to eat this Passover meal with you before my suffering begins. For I tell you now that I won’t eat this meal again until its meaning is fulfilled in the Kingdom of God.”

Then he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. Then he said, “Take this and share it among yourselves. For I will not drink wine again until the Kingdom of God has come.”

He took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

After supper he took another cup of wine and said, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood, which is poured out as a sacrifice for you.

“But here at this table, sitting among us as a friend, is the man who will betray me. For it has been determined that the Son of Man must die. But what sorrow awaits the one who betrays him.” The disciples began to ask each other which of them would ever do such a thing.

Then they began to argue among themselves about who would be the greatest among them. Jesus told them, “In this world the kings and great men lord it over their people, yet they are called ‘friends of the people.’ But among you it will be different. Those who are the greatest among you should take the lowest rank, and the leader should be like a servant. Who is more important, the one who sits at the table or the one who serves? The one who sits at the table, of course. But not here! For I am among you as one who serves.

“You have stayed with me in my time of trial. And just as my Father has granted me a Kingdom, I now grant you the right to eat and drink at my table in my Kingdom. And you will sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

“Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift each of you like wheat. But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. So when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen your brothers.”

Peter said, “Lord, I am ready to go to prison with you, and even to die with you.”

But Jesus said, “Peter, let me tell you something. Before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know me.”

Then Jesus asked them, “When I sent you out to preach the Good News and you did not have money, a traveler’s bag, or an extra pair of sandals, did you need anything?”

“No,” they replied.

“But now,” he said, “take your money and a traveler’s bag. And if you don’t have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one! For the time has come for this prophecy about me to be fulfilled: ‘He was counted among the rebels.’[d] Yes, everything written about me by the prophets will come true.”

“Look, Lord,” they replied, “we have two swords among us.”

“That’s enough,” he said.

After Jesus was finished washing His disciple’s feet, He shared a meal with them called Passover. This meal was something the Jews celebrated yearly to remember what God had done for them and how He had rescued them from slavery in Egypt. It was at this final meal with them that Jesus shared that He was going to be the final sacrifice so that they can be freed from the bondage of sin forever! 

Matthew 26:26-28:

While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.”

Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the[b] covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

The Good News: Jesus died on the cross for you! This means that He has taken all your sin so that you can live with Him in eternity. This is a free gift! All you have to do is confess you are a sinner and ask Him to come into your heart!

Question of the Day: Do you know Jesus as your Lord and savior? If not pray and ask Jesus to wash away your sins and come into your heart today!

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Day 5

Praying in the Garden

Mark 14:32-42

They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,” he said to them. “Stay here and keep watch.”

Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hourmight pass from him. “Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”

Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Simon,” he said to Peter, “are you asleep? Couldn’t you keep watch for one hour? Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

Once more he went away and prayed the same thing. When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. They did not know what to say to him.

Returning the third time, he said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough! The hour has come. Look, the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners. Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!”

Jesus knew that the time was coming for Him to be arrested. Before He left this earth, He needed to take some time in prayer with His Father. He asked God if there was any other way to take care of the sin of the world. He was so sad and overwhelmed not only by the thought of death on the cross, but His heart was so heavy for all of us as He took on our sin!

In Mark 14:36 Jesus said, “Abba, Father! All things are possible for you. Take this cup away from me. Nevertheless, not what I will, but what you will.”

Jesus prayed for another way, but then told His Father that He wanted to do His will and not His own. He was open and honest about how He was feeling. He knew He could always be honest with His Father. 

The Good News: Jesus knows exactly how you feel, no matter what you are going through. He has felt every bit of sadness, fear, anger and joy that you have felt. You can be completely honest with God about your emotions. He wants you to share everything with Him. 

Question of the Day: Has God ever comforted you when you were afraid? If not, next time you are, ask Him to comfort you.  

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Day 6

THE CRUCIFIXION

Luke 23:26-43

As the soldiers led him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in from the country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus. A large number of people followed him, including women who mourned and wailed for him. Jesus turned and said to them, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children. For the time will come when you will say, ‘Blessed are the childless women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’ Then

“‘they will say to the mountains, “Fall on us!”
    and to the hills, “Cover us!”’

For if people do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?”

Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.

The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.”

The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar and said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.”

There was a written notice above him, which read: this is the king of the jews.

One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”

But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”

Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

Jesus was the only perfect man who walked here on earth. He was free from sin, yet He died the worst possible criminal’s death.

While praying in the garden, Judas, one of His twelve disciples, betrayed him, and led the chief priests to Him. After he was arrested and tried, Jesus was sentenced to death on a cross. The people shouted, “Crucify him!” Jesus was then whipped, beaten and forced to carry His cross to a place called Golgotha outside of the city of Jerusalem. It was there that Jesus hung, and in a loud voice he called out:

“Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last. – Luke 23:46

The Good News: Jesus died for us so that our sins could be washed away! We are clean, completely pure because of His ultimate sacrifice for us. “We love because He first loved us!” – 1 John 4:19

Question of the Day: How can you live freely since Jesus died for you? 

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Day 7

A DAY OF GRIEF

Matthew 27:62-66

The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate. “Sir,” they said, “we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’ So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first.”

“Take a guard,” Pilate answered. “Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how.” So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard.

The day after Jesus was crucified, His followers must have felt so alone, sad and discouraged. God didn’t answer their prayers the way they wanted Him to. Jesus was dead and buried. And now the Roman authorities had a huge stone sealed over his tomb, with soldiers guarding it. 

It might have seemed like everything was over. Many of Jesus’ followers probably stopped believing the things that Jesus had told them. They wondered if He really was the Son of God. The problem was, they didn’t understand God’s plan, so they didn’t know what was going to happen next.

The Good News: God doesn’t always do things the way we want. He has a bigger, better plan than anything we could imagine. Jeremiah 29:11 says:

 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Question of the Day: When it feels like God says “no” to your prayer, can you still trust Him? Can you believe that He has a bigger, better plan than you could dream of?

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Day 8

THE RESURRECTION – Easter Sunday

Matthew 28:1-10

After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.

There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.

The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”

So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”

Jesus conquered death! Mary the mother of Jesus and His dear friend Mary Magdalene went to the tomb where Jesus’ body was laid, to mourn Him. When they got there the huge bolder in front of the tomb had been rolled to the side, and the tomb was empty.

The Marys could not believe their eyes. They were so sad, thinking someone had taken Him. Then an angel appeared and said:

“Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay...”  – Matthew 28:5-6 

The Good News: We were once separated from God because of our sin. Jesus came and walked on earth so that He could make the ultimate sacrifice. He died and rose again, taking on all our sin. And he conquered death.

We are now united with Him. All we have to do is confess that we are sinners, ask Jesus to come into our hearts, and live life in unity with Him. It’s a free gift! We do not deserve it, but He loves us so much. He has a unique plan and purpose for your life. There is nothing you can do to make Him love you less.

 Question of the Day: Is there anything standing in your way of accepting this incredible free gift? Praise Jesus and share with Him what a good Father He is! 

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The Invitation

by Morgan Breitling
Worship Coordinator/Operations Administrative Assistant

Matthew 11:28 (ESV) — “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Jesus doesn’t say, “Come to me, but only if you’ve got it all together. Come to me, but you can’t be afraid. Why would I want your mess? I only want the very best—the ones who are perfect…never worry…easily trust me…always have a clean home…well behaved kids…exercise every day…never say anything offensive…”

What he does say is, “Come to me. Bring your heavy hearts, your burdens, your mistakes. Cast your cares on me because I care about you. Let me give you my peace and light in exchange for your weariness. Lean against me, feel my heartbeat. I love you simply because you are mine, not because of how good or impressive you are. Let me care for you.” (See also 1 Peter 5:7.)

Social media is flooded right now with so many posts and ideas suggesting how to make the most out of this Covid-19 situation: We should eat healthy, spend quality time with our families, exercise, create, bake, clean. The list goes on. None of these are bad—in fact, they’re all quite beneficial. However, we aren’t to disregard our emotional states. We are living in an uncertain, scary time in history. It’s okay if life at home doesn’t look ideal.

I face a great deal of anxiety on a regular basis, and I’m finding myself staring down even more anxiety and grief every day as this pandemic unfolds. It causes me to freeze, worry, and forget to drink enough water.

But Jesus doesn’t ask me to sort all of that out on my own and come to him only when I’m joyful or steady. He doesn’t condemn me for my concern or the heaviness I feel. Instead, he offers an open invitation to sit with him. To lean closely against him. And if distraction pulls me away, he still doesn’t condemn me. If I react out of my fear and sadness, he doesn’t revoke his invitation. If time with him doesn’t look how I think it should, he doesn’t say I’m unwanted the next time. His arms remain open, always willing to embrace me when I run to him.

He extends this to all of us, regardless of how well we are handling the situation at hand or our emotional, mental, and physical reactions to it. All we must do now is accept the invitation. Let’s sit in his mercies that are new every day. Let’s lean into his grace and love for us.

If My People...

by Tammy Valdez
Executive Director of Ministry/Human Resources/Development

“If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray, seek my face and turn from their wicked ways; then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” 
– 2 Chronicles 7:14

Why would He say “If”?
Oh, maybe He knew we would be addicted to busyness and/or needing to be entertained. We can even grow weary doing good by taking on everyone else’s problems.

“…my people who are called by my name…”
That’s us—His Church. 

“…will humble themselves…” 
Humbling ourselves has to do with realizing our complete dependence on Him. It is acknowledging that He is God and we are not. It is letting go of worry—not trying to be in control.

“…and pray…”
Praying is simply talking to God. It doesn’t need to be eloquent, because He knows our heart. We don’t have to kneel or be in church—we can just talk to God inside our heart or aloud. Talking with Him helps change our perspective.

“…seek my face…”
Pursue a relationship with Him. Throughout the Bible the Lord uses relationships that we understand to describe our relationship with Him: friend, family member, spouse or child. He does this to demystify what it means to be in a relationship with Him. What do we do in these earthly relationships? We spend time with them, talk with them, and love them. We even get frustrated with them; however, we don’t quit working on the relationship.

“…and turn from their wicked ways;…”
This means to repent. To follow the Lord wholeheartedly—to be fully surrendered. Sure, we make mistakes and have to ask forgiveness. But this means we are intentionally following God’s ways (outlined in the Bible) to the best of our abilities, and not choosing only those things we agree with.

“…then…”
So if we humble ourselves and pray, as well as seek His face and turn from our wicked ways, then God will… It is a condition.

“…I will hear from heaven…”
God will hear us and He will understand us. We have a God who came to earth to experience life as we experience it through Christ. He hears our heart. He is so interested in us, He wants to know the thoughts, feelings and emotions that are behind the words we speak. He longs for us to speak with Him.

“…and will forgive their sin…”
God will forgive our sin. He says all we have to do is ask and we will receive.

“…and will heal their land.”
God will heal our land: 

“Remember that all creation is eagerly waiting for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God.” – Romans 8:19-21

God can make all things new.

The Shaking and the Glory

by Kurt Cotter
Pastor of Men’s, Marriage, and Pastoral Care Ministries

“For thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘Once more (it is a little while) I will shake heaven and earth, the sea and dry land; and I will shake all nations, and they shall come to the Desire of All Nations, and I will fill this temple with glory,’ says the LORD of hosts. ‘The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine,’ says the LORD of hosts. ‘The glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former,’ says the LORD of hosts. ‘And in this place I will give peace,’ says the LORD of hosts.”
– Haggai 2:6-9

I recently returned from a mission trip to Rocky Point, Mexico with a team of seven amazing people. We facilitated a men’s retreat with eighty men from various small churches plus a drug rehab home.

On the night before the event, while we were praying as a team, a 5.5 earthquake occurred. We all felt it while sitting in our chairs, and we saw things moving in the room. I actually got excited because I saw it as a sign of what God was about to do at the retreat. The reason for my excitement is because I truly believe that the glory of God is released in greater measure in an individual—or even in a nation—when there is a "shaking.” 

I believe that Haggai 2:6-9 gives us so much wisdom and comfort to understand God’s ways in this current time of upheaval. God said He would “shake all nations.” Why? So they will turn from their sins to “The Desire of All Nations.”

He also said He will fill His temple with His glory and the glory of this latter house will be greater than before. God’s glory is His presence. God desires to fill us with His presence—as individuals and as nations. But what is required is repentance. As Peter said:

“Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord”
–Acts 3:19

When we humble ourselves and turn to Jesus with all of our hearts, God brings times of refreshing from His presence. The Greek word for “refreshing” is “catching of breath” or “revival.” God desires to bring revival to our hearts and to the nations.

“The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine,’ says the LORD of hosts…”

Many of you who are reading this have gone through tremendous financial loss; and some have even lost your jobs. I’m so sorry. I believe this little phrase is put here to assure you that your Father in heaven will continue to supply your needs according to His riches in glory.

So, back to my story. As we started our men’s retreat in Mexico that Saturday morning, the glory of God truly fell. Many men were transformed in His presence. We saw fifteen salvations and fourteen healings for the glory of Jesus!

“In this place, I will give peace.”

This is the promise Jesus gave:

“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”
–John 14:27

In the midst of the shaking and turmoil around you, may He calm the storm and grant to you His peace.

He Is With Us

by Faith Cummings
Pastor of Women’s, Drive Through Prayer, and Counseling Ministries

And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.
–Matthew 28:20

Recently my dear friend Karen North shared her blog post with me regarding hidden anxiety.  

Some people’s anxiety is apparent. We hear it in their voice, in their reactions to these times of national and global upheaval, and even in their prayers. 

For others of us who don’t feel anxious it expresses itself in ways such as an inability to quiet the mind enough to concentrate for extended periods of time, or the continual twitching of a foot when forced to sit still.  

Anxiety, whether hidden or glaringly apparent, needs to be brought to Jesus if we are to find peace. 

When I recognized my “hidden” anxiety, I became very honest with God about why I believed it to be reasonable. So many very painful things happen in this life and we never know when another painful event will happen. During days when the whole world seems to be in danger, the possibility of bad circumstances seems to escalate.  

The Lord’s answer to my fear is simply, “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” So, no matter how painful circumstances become, I can trust that I will have a friend who knows my heart, cares deeply about what happens to me, and will stand, sit, or cry with me.  

My trust is in Him, not that everything will turn out great, but that He will carry my heart.

What Is Our Response?

by Eddie Morales
Director of Student Ministries / Missions

Let’s be real. We can’t ignore all that is going on right now in our world. We look at news reports. We look at the economy. We look at ourselves and our past experiences. Don’t get me wrong, we shouldn’t be ignorant or act blindly, but we need to keep our eyes on Jesus so much more than anything else. Because, if we are not careful, if our attention is focused on ourselves and the world around us, we can end up being mastered by fear and worry.

As I was praying and thinking about what to share, I was drawn to 2 Chronicles. The Lord highlighted a few things that I want to share in response to fearful times.

In 2 Chronicles 20, we find Jehoshaphat, King of Judah, faced with a very troubling situation. He had just finished some spiritual “house cleaning,” making sure that his people were following God and going about their business in a God-honoring way. Shortly after, he received word that several enemy nations were coming together to attack him and his land. This was very abrupt and unexpected news. Under the pressure and weight of the news, Jehoshaphat was afraid (verse 3). In some translations, it says that he was terrified, alarmed and shaken.

I think that we can all relate to this right now in one way or another. What is happening in our society has been in many ways abrupt and unexpected. There’s a lot of uncertainty surrounding health, travel, jobs, school, family, the future.

However, Jehoshaphat’s response to his own fear is what captured my attention:

“Then Jehoshaphat was afraid and set his face to seek the Lord,” (ESV).

He resolved to seek the Lord! He went to God for help and ordered a nationwide fast.

Jehoshaphat then prayed a prayer of recognition, remembering God…

“are you not the God who is in heaven…power and might are in your hand…are you not the God who…” (verses 6 – 12, CSB).

He remembered God and what he had done. He ended his prayer with an authentic plea:

“We do not know what to do, but we look to you” (verse 12, CSB).

Then the Lord responds—the Almighty God, Creator of the heavens and the earth, and all that is seen and unseen—the God who appoints kings, who provides for the sparrows and clothes the wildflowers—our God, the Faithful One, answered:

“This is what the Lord says: DO NOT BE AFRAID OR DISCOURAGED BECAUSE OF THIS VAST NUMBER, FOR THE BATTLE IS NOT YOURS, BUT GOD’S…YOU DO NOT HAVE TO FIGHT THIS BATTLE. POSITION yourselves, STAND STILL and SEE the SALVATION of the Lord. HE IS WITH YOU, Judah and Jerusalem.” (verse 15 & 17). [Emphasis mine.]

Do not be afraid. He is with you. This is a reminder and an encouragement, and it is echoed throughout the Bible.

I think of the song, “Surrounded.” The lyrics say:

“It may look like I'm surrounded
But I'm surrounded by You
This is how I fight my battles
This is how I fight my battles.”

Maybe this is just a moment of pause. There is not much we can do other than to take the necessary precautions. And, yes, it may look like the walls are closing in a bit, and that can be scary, but I invite you to position yourself by seeking the Lord in prayer, worship, fasting. Then stand still and be present. Wait for the Lord to show up like he has done before and like he will continue to do in the future. Resolve to seek the Lord and choose to be surrounded by Him today.

An 18-Day Devotional

Spiritual Practices - An 18-day devotional

Jump to:
Introduction
How to Use This Study
Day 1 Stillness
Day 2 Stillness
Day 3 Prayer
Day 4 Prayer
Day 5 Scripture
Day 6 Scripture
Day 7 Obedience
Day 8 Obedience
Day 9 Cooperating with the Holy Spirit
Day 10 Cooperating with the Holy Spirit
Day 11 Worship
Day 12 Worship
Day 13 Community
Day 14 Community
Day 15 Serving the Poor
Day 16 Serving the Poor
Day 17 Sharing Your Faith
Day 18 Sharing Your Faith

Introduction

So, the world seems crazy right now! I heard someone say, ”We are living through a future generation’s history class.”

It’s just weird and confusing. It all can feel a bit dizzying. 

I went to the store the other day and was almost trampled by people running for toilet paper. I walked down empty aisles, and I couldn’t find hand soap to save my life. People seemed desperate and scared.  

It would be easy to be swept up in the hysteria of it all. Easy to panic. Easy to freak out. Easy to get spun around again and again.

But doing so would be forgetting God. In the uncertainty of the moment, He is certain. In the confusion, He is clear and steady. In the fear and hysteria, He is calm and faithful. 

He is a God who has walked His people through famine, through war, through walls of water! He has been there while His people were in exile, in slavery, and as they wandered in the wilderness. He is no stranger to wild and crazy times. 

When a dancer spins around and around and around, they are only able to stay up, by “spotting.” They whip their head around and then fix their eyes on a single location. This enables them to be steady through the spinning. 

For the next 18 days, we hope to equip you to do the same. To whip your head around, and focus on what is steady and constant: Jesus. Then when the world seems dizzy, we can show them why we’re not. 

— Brittany Stockton

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How to Use This Study

This study is meant to be used daily. We cannot congregate, so we are hoping to stay on the same page until we can meet again! We will be going through the spiritual disciplines, just like we would be on Sunday mornings!

The guide is meant to be used by your household. This can be your family, your roommates, or if you have to be alone during this time, by you and God (remember you’re never really alone). 

You will read a passage of scripture each day, and then discuss, or if it just you, journal the following...

1. Retell the passage. You can do this creatively (act it out, tell one part and then tag a person to tell the next till you have finished, rewrite it in your own words…).

2. What does this passage tell us about God, Jesus, or His plan?

3. What does this passage tell us about humans?

4. According to this passage, what am I doing well? What do I need to change?

5. Who needs to hear this story and how can I tell them?

Then there is an activity that goes along with the discipline for the day. We encourage you to do it, even if it sounds a little silly. Make it work for your household even if you have to change it just a bit. 

We want to stay connected, so if you want to, feel free to post your pictures, your songs, your best time (I promise that will make sense) or anything the Lord is teaching you to Living Streams social media (@livingstreamschurch)

Also, if you need someone to talk to you can call the church 602-957-7500 during working hours (there is always a pastor on call). Or, contact your ministry leader, or your life group leader. We are praying for you, and we love you!!!  

—Brittany Stockton 

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Day 1 - Stillness

Elijah

1 Kings 19:11-17 (NIV)

The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.”

Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.

Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”

The Lord said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. Also, anointJehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu.       

Discuss or journal the following:

1. Retell the passage. If you are reading with children, you can retell it creatively. Act it out, tell one part and then tag a person to tell the next until you have finished, rewrite it in your own words, or…

2. What does this passage tell us about God, about Jesus, or about His plan?

3. What does this passage tell us about humans?

4. According to this passage, what am I doing well? What do I need to change?

5. Who needs to hear this story and how can I tell them?

Activity

 Play the “Quiet Game” as a household. Post best time!

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Day 2 - Stillness

Moses

Exodus 14:10-14 (NLT)

As Pharaoh approached, the people of Israel looked up and panicked when they saw the Egyptians overtaking them. They cried out to the Lord, and they said to Moses, “Why did you bring us out here to die in the wilderness? Weren’t there enough graves for us in Egypt? What have you done to us? Why did you make us leave Egypt? Didn’t we tell you this would happen while we were still in Egypt? We said, ‘Leave us alone! Let us be slaves to the Egyptians. It’s better to be a slave in Egypt than a corpse in the wilderness!’”

But Moses told the people, “Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today. The Egyptians you see today will never be seen again. The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.”       

Discuss or journal the following:

Retell the passage. If you are reading with children, you can retell it creatively. Act it out, tell one part and then tag a person to tell the next until you have finished, rewrite it in your own words, or…

1. What does this passage tell us about God, about Jesus, or about His plan?

2. What does this passage tell us about humans?

3. According to this passage, what am I doing well? What do I need to change?

4. Who needs to hear this story and how can I tell them?

Activity

Watch the sunset with your household (or enjoy it by yourself, if alone). This could mean opening the curtains, walking down the street, or going for a drive or hike. Turn off the media, and, instead of talking, sit silently. If you want to take a journal handwrite things down, you can, but try to be silent.

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Day 3 - Prayer

Joshua and Moses

Exodus 33 (NIV)

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Leave this place, you and the people you brought up out of Egypt, and go up to the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, saying, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’  I will send an angel before you and drive out the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. Go up to the land flowing with milk and honey. But I will not go with you, because you are a stiff-necked people and I might destroy you on the way.”

When the people heard these distressing words, they began to mourn and no one put on any ornaments. For the Lord had said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites, ‘You are a stiff-necked people. If I were to go with you even for a moment, I might destroy you. Now take off your ornaments and I will decide what to do with you.’” So the Israelites stripped off their ornaments at Mount Horeb.

The Tent of Meeting

Now Moses used to take a tent and pitch it outside the camp some distance away, calling it the “tent of meeting.” Anyone inquiring of the Lord would go to the tent of meeting outside the camp. And whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people rose and stood at the entrances to their tents, watching Moses until he entered the tent. As Moses went into the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and stay at the entrance, while the Lord spoke with Moses. Whenever the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance to the tent, they all stood and worshiped, each at the entrance to their tent.  The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshua son of Nun did not leave the tent.

Moses and the Glory of the Lord

Moses said to the Lord, “You have been telling me, ‘Lead these people,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. You have said, ‘I know you by name and you have found favor with me.’  If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people.”

The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”

Then Moses said to him, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?”

And the Lord said to Moses, “I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name.”

Then Moses said, “Now show me your glory.”

And the Lord said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.”

hen the Lord said, “There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock.When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen.”

Discuss or journal the following:

Retell the passage. If you are reading with children, you can retell it creatively. Act it out, tell one part and then tag a person to tell the next until you have finished, rewrite it in your own words, or…

1. What does this passage tell us about God, about Jesus, or about His plan?

2. What does this passage tell us about humans?

3. According to this passage, what am I doing well? What do I need to change?

4. Who needs to hear this story and how can I tell them?

Activity

Designate a prayer tent for the next few weeks. This could be an actual tent, a closet, or even under a bed. Spend some time there as a household, and on your own.

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Day 4 - Prayer

Hezekiah’s Prayer

2 Kings 19 (NIV)

When King Hezekiah heard this, he tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and went into the temple of the Lord. He sent Eliakim the palace administrator, Shebna the secretary and the leading priests, all wearing sackcloth, to the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz. They told him, “This is what Hezekiah says: This day is a day of distress and rebuke and disgrace, as when children come to the moment of birth and there is no strength to deliver them. It may be that the Lord your God will hear all the words of the field commander, whom his master, the king of Assyria, has sent to ridicule the living God, and that he will rebuke him for the words the Lord your God has heard. Therefore pray for the remnant that still survives.”

When King Hezekiah’s officials came to Isaiah, Isaiah said to them, “Tell your master, ‘This is what the Lord says: Do not be afraid of what you have heard—those words with which the underlings of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me. Listen! When he hears a certain report, I will make him want to return to his own country, and there I will have him cut down with the sword.’”

When the field commander heard that the king of Assyria had left Lachish, he withdrew and found the king fighting against Libnah.

Now Sennacherib received a report that Tirhakah, the king of Cush, was marching out to fight against him. So he again sent messengers to Hezekiah with this word:  “Say to Hezekiah king of Judah: Do not let the god you depend on deceive you when he says, ‘Jerusalem will not be given into the hands of the king of Assyria.’  Surely you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all the countries, destroying them completely. And will you be delivered?  Did the gods of the nations that were destroyed by my predecessors deliver them—the gods of Gozan, Harran, Rezeph and the people of Eden who were in Tel Assar?  Where is the king of Hamath or the king of Arpad? Where are the kings of Lair, Sepharvaim, Hena and Ivvah?”

Hezekiah’s Prayer

Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers and read it. Then he went up to the temple of the Lord and spread it out before the Lord. And Hezekiah prayed to the Lord: “Lord, the God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. Give ear, Lord, and hear; open your eyes, Lord, and see; listen to the words Sennacherib has sent to ridicule the living God.

“It is true, Lord, that the Assyrian kings have laid waste these nations and their lands. They have thrown their gods into the fire and destroyed them, for they were not gods but only wood and stone, fashioned by human hands. Now, Lord our God, deliver us from his hand, so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you alone, Lord, are God.”

Isaiah Prophesies Sennacherib’s Fall

Then Isaiah son of Amoz sent a message to Hezekiah: “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I have heard your prayer concerning Sennacherib king of Assyria. This is the word that the Lord has spoken against him:

“‘Virgin Daughter Zion
    despises you and mocks you.
Daughter Jerusalem
    tosses her head as you flee.
 Who is it you have ridiculed and blasphemed?
    Against whom have you raised your voice
and lifted your eyes in pride?
    Against the Holy One of Israel!
By your messengers
    you have ridiculed the Lord.
And you have said,
    “With my many chariots
I have ascended the heights of the mountains,
    the utmost heights of Lebanon.
I have cut down its tallest cedars,
    the choicest of its junipers.
I have reached its remotest parts,
    the finest of its forests.
I have dug wells in foreign lands
    and drunk the water there.
With the soles of my feet
    I have dried up all the streams of Egypt.”

“‘Have you not heard?
    Long ago I ordained it.
In days of old I planned it;
    now I have brought it to pass,
that you have turned fortified cities
    into piles of stone.
Their people, drained of power,
    are dismayed and put to shame.
They are like plants in the field,
    like tender green shoots,
like grass sprouting on the roof,
    scorched before it grows up.

“‘But I know where you are
    and when you come and go
    and how you rage against me.
Because you rage against me
    and because your insolence has reached my ears,
I will put my hook in your nose
    and my bit in your mouth,
and I will make you return
    by the way you came.’

“This will be the sign for you, Hezekiah:

“This year you will eat what grows by itself,
    and the second year what springs from that.
But in the third year sow and reap,
    plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
Once more a remnant of the kingdom of Judah
    will take root below and bear fruit above.
For out of Jerusalem will come a remnant,
    and out of Mount Zion a band of survivors.

“The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.

“Therefore this is what the Lord says concerning the king of Assyria:

“‘He will not enter this city
    or shoot an arrow here.
He will not come before it with shield
    or build a siege ramp against it.
By the way that he came he will return;
    he will not enter this city,
declares the Lord.
I will defend this city and save it,
    for my sake and for the sake of David my servant.’”

That night the angel of the Lord went out and put to death a hundred and eighty-five thousand in the Assyrian camp. When the people got up the next morning—there were all the dead bodies! So Sennacherib king of Assyria broke camp and withdrew. He returned to Nineveh and stayed there.

One day, while he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisrok, his sons Adrammelek and Sharezer killed him with the sword, and they escaped to the land of Ararat. And Esarhaddon his son succeeded him as king.

Discuss or journal the following:

Retell the passage. If you are reading with children, you can retell it creatively. Act it out, tell one part and then tag a person to tell the next until you have finished, rewrite it in your own words, or…

1. What does this passage tell us about God, about Jesus, or about His plan?

2. What does this passage tell us about humans?

3. According to this passage, what am I doing well? What do I need to change?

4. Who needs to hear this story and how can I tell them?

Activity

Go through the ACTS prayer:
A – Adoration (who God is)
C – Confession
T – Thankfulness
S – Supplication (bring your requests to God)

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Day 5 - Scripture

A Psalm of David

Psalm 19:7-10 (NIV)

The law of the Lord is perfect,
    refreshing the soul.
The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy,
    making wise the simple.
The precepts of the Lord are right,
    giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are radiant,
    giving light to the eyes.
The fear of the Lord is pure,
    enduring forever.
The decrees of the Lord are firm,
    and all of them are righteous.
They are more precious than gold,
    than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey,
    than honey from the honeycomb.

Discuss or journal the following:

Retell the passage. If you are reading with children, you can retell it creatively. Act it out, tell one part and then tag a person to tell the next until you have finished, rewrite it in your own words, or…

1. What does this passage tell us about God, about Jesus, or about His plan?

2. What does this passage tell us about humans?

3. According to this passage, what am I doing well? What do I need to change?

4. Who needs to hear this story and how can I tell them?

Activity

Take the time to pray about, and start memorizing a household Bible verse. This could be one for this season, for the year, or one that represents you for all time. 

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Day 6 - Scripture

Reading the Law

Nehemiah 8:1-8 (NIV)

All the people came together as one in the square before the Water Gate. They told Ezra the teacher of the Law to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded for Israel.

So on the first day of the seventh month Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, which was made up of men and women and all who were able to understand. He read it aloud from daybreak till noon as he faced the square before the Water Gate in the presence of the men, women and others who could understand. And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law.

Ezra the teacher of the Law stood on a high wooden platform built for the occasion. Beside him on his right stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah and Maaseiah; and on his left were Pedaiah, Mishael, Malkijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah and Meshullam.

Ezra opened the book. All the people could see him because he was standingabove them; and as he opened it, the people all stood up. Ezra praised the Lord, the great God; and all the people lifted their hands and responded, “Amen! Amen!” Then they bowed down and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground.

The Levites—Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan and Pelaiah—instructed the people in the Law while the people were standing there. They read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear[a] and giving the meaning so that the people understood what was being read.

Discuss or journal the following:

Retell the passage. If you are reading with children, you can retell it creatively. Act it out, tell one part and then tag a person to tell the next until you have finished, rewrite it in your own words, or…

1. What does this passage tell us about God, about Jesus, or about His plan?

2. What does this passage tell us about humans?

3. According to this passage, what am I doing well? What do I need to change?

4. Who needs to hear this story and how can I tell them?

Activity

Continue the memorization (see the Activity from Day 5). 

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Day 7 - Obedience

Noah

Genesis 6:11–7:5 (NIV)

Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight and was full of violence. God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways. So God said to Noah, “I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth. So make yourself an ark of cypress[c] wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out. This is how you are to build it: The ark is to be three hundred cubits long, fifty cubits wide and thirty cubits high. Make a roof for it, leaving below the roof an opening one cubit high all around, Put a door in the side of the ark and make lower, middle and upper decks. I am going to bring floodwaters on the earth to destroy all life under the heavens, every creature that has the breath of life in it. Everything on earth will perish. But I will establish my covenant with you, and you will enter the ark—you and your sons and your wife and your sons’ wives with you. You are to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you. Two of every kind of bird, of every kind of animal and of every kind of creature that moves along the ground will come to you to be kept alive. You are to take every kind of food that is to be eaten and store it away as food for you and for them.”

Noah did everything just as God commanded him.

The Lord then said to Noah, “Go into the ark, you and your whole family,because I have found you righteous in this generation. Take with you seven pairs of every kind of clean animal, a male and its mate, and one pair of every kind of unclean animal, a male and its mate, and also seven pairs of every kind of bird, male and female, to keep their various kinds alive throughout the earth. Seven days from now I will send rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights, and I will wipe from the face of the earth every living creature I have made.”

And Noah did all that the Lord commanded him.

Discuss or journal the following:

Retell the passage. If you are reading with children, you can retell it creatively. Act it out, tell one part and then tag a person to tell the next until you have finished, rewrite it in your own words, or…

1. What does this passage tell us about God, about Jesus, or about His plan?

2. What does this passage tell us about humans?

3. According to this passage, what am I doing well? What do I need to change?

4. Who needs to hear this story and how can I tell them?

Activity

Play Simon Says or Mother May I. If you are older and that does not appeal to you, try asking the Lord if there are any places you need to be obedient to Him. Sometimes we know when we are being disobedient, and sometimes we are clueless. Write it down and hang it up somewhere!

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Day 8 - Obedience

Jericho

Joshua 6:1-20 (NIV)

Now the gates of Jericho were securely barred because of the Israelites. No one went out and no one came in.

Then the Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men. March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days. Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams’ horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have the whole army give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the army will go up, everyone straight in.”

So Joshua son of Nun called the priests and said to them, “Take up the ark of the covenant of the Lord and have seven priests carry trumpets in front of it.” And he ordered the army, “Advance! March around the city, with an armed guard going ahead of the ark of the Lord.”

When Joshua had spoken to the people, the seven priests carrying the seven trumpets before the Lord went forward, blowing their trumpets, and the ark of the Lord’s covenant followed them. The armed guard marched ahead of the priests who blew the trumpets, and the rear guard followed the ark. All this time the trumpets were sounding. But Joshua had commanded the army, “Do not give a war cry, do not raise your voices, do not say a word until the day I tell you to shout. Then shout!” So he had the ark of the Lord carried around the city, circling it once. Then the army returned to camp and spent the night there.

Joshua got up early the next morning and the priests took up the ark of the Lord. The seven priests carrying the seven trumpets went forward, marching before the ark of the Lord and blowing the trumpets. The armed men went ahead of them and the rear guard followed the ark of the Lord, while the trumpets kept sounding. So on the second day they marched around the city once and returned to the camp. They did this for six days.

On the seventh day, they got up at daybreak and marched around the city seven times in the same manner, except that on that day they circled the city seven times. The seventh time around, when the priests sounded the trumpet blast, Joshua commanded the army, “Shout! For the Lord has given you the city! The city and all that is in it are to be devoted[a] to the Lord. Only Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in her house shall be spared, because she hid the spies we sent. But keep away from the devoted things, so that you will not bring about your own destruction by taking any of them. Otherwise you will make the camp of Israel liable to destruction and bring trouble on it. All the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron are sacred to the Lord and must go into his treasury.”

When the trumpets sounded, the army shouted, and at the sound of the trumpet, when the men gave a loud shout, the wall collapsed; so everyone charged straight in, and they took the city.

Discuss or journal the following:

Retell the passage. If you are reading with children, you can retell it creatively. Act it out, tell one part and then tag a person to tell the next until you have finished, rewrite it in your own words, or…

1. What does this passage tell us about God, about Jesus, or about His plan?

2. What does this passage tell us about humans?

3. According to this passage, what am I doing well? What do I need to change?

4. Who needs to hear this story and how can I tell them?

Activity

Everyone sit down. Now stand up. Now spin around. Sit down. Did you do it? You passed today’s assignment. 

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Day 9 - Cooperating with the Holy Spirit

The Year of the Lord’s Favor

Isaiah 61 (NIV)

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
    because the Lord has anointed me
    to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
    to proclaim freedom for the captives
    and release from darkness for the prisoners,
 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor
    and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
    and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
    instead of ashes,
the oil of joy
    instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
    instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
    a planting of the Lord
    for the display of his splendor.

 They will rebuild the ancient ruins
    and restore the places long devastated;
they will renew the ruined cities
    that have been devastated for generations.
 Strangers will shepherd your flocks;
    foreigners will work your fields and vineyards.
 And you will be called priests of the Lord,
    you will be named ministers of our God.
You will feed on the wealth of nations,
    and in their riches you will boast.

 Instead of your shame
    you will receive a double portion,
and instead of disgrace
    you will rejoice in your inheritance.
And so you will inherit a double portion in your land,
    and everlasting joy will be yours.

 “For I, the Lord, love justice;
    I hate robbery and wrongdoing.
In my faithfulness I will reward my people
    and make an everlasting covenant with them.
 Their descendants will be known among the nations
    and their offspring among the peoples.
All who see them will acknowledge
    that they are a people the Lord has blessed.”

 I delight greatly in the Lord;
    my soul rejoices in my God.
For he has clothed me with garments of salvation
    and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness,
as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest,
    and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
 For as the soil makes the sprout come up
    and a garden causes seeds to grow,
so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness
    and praise spring up before all nations.

Discuss or journal the following:

Retell the passage. If you are reading with children, you can retell it creatively. Act it out, tell one part and then tag a person to tell the next until you have finished, rewrite it in your own words, or…

1. What does this passage tell us about God, about Jesus, or about His plan?

2. What does this passage tell us about humans?

3. According to this passage, what am I doing well? What do I need to change?

4. Who needs to hear this story and how can I tell them?

Activity

Write on a piece of paper, “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me, because He has anointed me to…”

Then listen. See if the Lord gives anything specific to you!

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Day 10 - Cooperating with the Holy Spirit

Sampson

Judges 15:14-17 (NIV)

As he approached Lehi, the Philistines came toward him shouting. The Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon him. The ropes on his arms became like charred flax, and the bindings dropped from his hands. Finding a fresh jawbone of a donkey, he grabbed it and struck down a thousand men.

Then Samson said,

“With a donkey’s jawbone
    I have made donkeys of them
With a donkey’s jawbone
    I have killed a thousand men.”

When he finished speaking, he threw away the jawbone; and the place was called Ramath Lehi.

Discuss or journal the following:

Retell the passage. If you are reading with children, you can retell it creatively. Act it out, tell one part and then tag a person to tell the next until you have finished, rewrite it in your own words, or…

1. What does this passage tell us about God, about Jesus, or about His plan?

2. What does this passage tell us about humans?

3. According to this passage, what am I doing well? What do I need to change?

4. Who needs to hear this story and how can I tell them?

Activity

In order to cooperate with the Spirit, we have to know the Spirit. In order to know the Spirit we have to spend time in the presence of God. As a household, find a way to do that. You could worship, go for a hike, sit in silence… whatever works for your crew!

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Day 11 - Worship

Miriam’s Song

Exodus 15:1-21 (NIV)

Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the Lord:

“I will sing to the Lord,
    for he is highly exalted.
Both horse and driver
    he has hurled into the sea.

“The Lord is my strength and my defense;
    he has become my salvation.
He is my God, and I will praise him,
    my father’s God, and I will exalt him.
The Lord is a warrior;
    the Lord is his name.
Pharaoh’s chariots and his army
    he has hurled into the sea.
The best of Pharaoh’s officers
    are drowned in the Red Sea.
The deep waters have covered them;
    they sank to the depths like a stone.
 Your right hand, Lord,
    was majestic in power.
Your right hand, Lord,
    shattered the enemy.

“In the greatness of your majesty
    you threw down those who opposed you.
You unleashed your burning anger;
    it consumed them like stubble.
By the blast of your nostrils
    the waters piled up.
The surging waters stood up like a wall;
    the deep waters congealed in the heart of the sea.
The enemy boasted,
    ‘I will pursue, I will overtake them.
I will divide the spoils;
    I will gorge myself on them.
I will draw my sword
    and my hand will destroy them.’
But you blew with your breath,
    and the sea covered them.
They sank like lead
    in the mighty waters.
Who among the gods
    is like you, Lord?
Who is like you—
    majestic in holiness,
awesome in glory,
    working wonders?

“You stretch out your right hand,
    and the earth swallows your enemies.
In your unfailing love you will lead
    the people you have redeemed.
In your strength you will guide them
    to your holy dwelling.
The nations will hear and tremble;
    anguish will grip the people of Philistia.
The chiefs of Edom will be terrified,
    the leaders of Moab will be seized with trembling,
the people of Canaan will melt away;
     terror and dread will fall on them.
By the power of your arm
    they will be as still as a stone—
until your people pass by, Lord,
    until the people you bought pass by.
 You will bring them in and plant them
    on the mountain of your inheritance—
the place, Lord, you made for your dwelling,
    the sanctuary, Lord, your hands established.

“The Lord reigns
    for ever and ever.”

When Pharaoh’s horses, chariots and horsemen[e] went into the sea, the Lordbrought the waters of the sea back over them, but the Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground. Then Miriam the prophet, Aaron’s sister, took a timbrel in her hand, and all the women followed her, with timbrels and dancing. Miriam sang to them:

“Sing to the Lord,
    for he is highly exalted.
Both horse and driver
    he has hurled into the sea.”

Discuss or journal the following:

Retell the passage. If you are reading with children, you can retell it creatively. Act it out, tell one part and then tag a person to tell the next until you have finished, rewrite it in your own words, or…

1. What does this passage tell us about God, about Jesus, or about His plan?

2. What does this passage tell us about humans?

3. According to this passage, what am I doing well? What do I need to change?

4. Who needs to hear this story and how can I tell them?

Activity

Pass one sheet of paper around. When it’s your turn, write one line to a worship song. (Think about something God has done, or something you like about him.) Read it aloud when you’re done.

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Day 12 - Worship

A Psalm of David

Psalm 103 (NIV)

Praise the Lord, my soul;
    all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
Praise the Lord, my soul,
    and forget not all his benefits—
who forgives all your sins
    and heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit
    and crowns you with love and compassion,
who satisfies your desires with good things
    so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

The Lord works righteousness
    and justice for all the oppressed.

He made known his ways to Moses,
    his deeds to the people of Israel:
The Lord is compassionate and gracious,
    slow to anger, abounding in love.
He will not always accuse,
    nor will he harbor his anger forever;
he does not treat us as our sins deserve
    or repay us according to our iniquities.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
    so great is his love for those who fear him;
as far as the east is from the west,
    so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

As a father has compassion on his children,
    so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;
for he knows how we are formed,
    he remembers that we are dust.
The life of mortals is like grass,
    they flourish like a flower of the field;
 the wind blows over it and it is gone,
    and its place remembers it no more.
 But from everlasting to everlasting
    the Lord’s love is with those who fear him,
    and his righteousness with their children’s children—
 with those who keep his covenant
    and remember to obey his precepts.

 The Lord has established his throne in heaven,
    and his kingdom rules over all.

 Praise the Lord, you his angels,
    you mighty ones who do his bidding,
    who obey his word.
 Praise the Lord, all his heavenly hosts,
    you his servants who do his will.
 Praise the Lord, all his works
    everywhere in his dominion.

Praise the Lord, my soul.

Discuss or journal the following:

Retell the passage. If you are reading with children, you can retell it creatively. Act it out, tell one part and then tag a person to tell the next until you have finished, rewrite it in your own words, or…

1. What does this passage tell us about God, about Jesus, or about His plan?

2. What does this passage tell us about humans?

3. According to this passage, what am I doing well? What do I need to change?

4. Who needs to hear this story and how can I tell them?

Activity

Spend some time in worship as a household. Maybe someone can play or maybe you just put on a song. (Challenge yourself to close your eyes if you never have, raised your hands, get on your knees or dance around!) 

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Day 13 - Community

David’s Mighty Men

Samuel 22:1-2 (NIV)

David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam. When his brothers and his father’s household heard about it, they went down to him there. All those who were in distress or in debt or discontented gathered around him, and he became their commander. About four hundred men were with him.

Discuss or journal the following:

Retell the passage. If you are reading with children, you can retell it creatively. Act it out, tell one part and then tag a person to tell the next until you have finished, rewrite it in your own words, or…

1. What does this passage tell us about God, about Jesus, or about His plan?

2. What does this passage tell us about humans?

3. According to this passage, what am I doing well? What do I need to change?

4. Who needs to hear this story and how can I tell them?

Activity

Play a game together with those in your household—maybe a favorite, or try something new! If you have to be alone at this time, make a list of all the people who are part of your community and connect with them somehow (text, call, pray for, write a letter).

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Day 14 - Community

Naomi & Ruth

Ruth 1:1-17 (NIV)

In the days when the judges ruled,[a] there was a famine in the land. So a man from Bethlehem in Judah, together with his wife and two sons, went to live for a while in the country of Moab. The man’s name was Elimelek, his wife’s name was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Kilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem, Judah. And they went to Moab and lived there.

Now Elimelek, Naomi’s husband, died, and she was left with her two sons. They married Moabite women, one named Orpah and the other Ruth. After they had lived there about ten years, both Mahlon and Kilion also died, and Naomi was left without her two sons and her husband.

Naomi and Ruth Return to Bethlehem

When Naomi heard in Moab that the Lord had come to the aid of his people by providing food for them, she and her daughters-in-law prepared to return home from there. With her two daughters-in-law she left the place where she had been living and set out on the road that would take them back to the land of Judah.

Then Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back, each of you, to your mother’s home. May the Lord show you kindness, as you have shown kindness to your dead husbands and to me. May the Lord grant that each of you will find restin the home of another husband.”

Then she kissed them goodbye and they wept aloud and said to her, “We will go back with you to your people.”

But Naomi said, “Return home, my daughters. Why would you come with me? Am I going to have any more sons, who could become your husbands? Return home, my daughters; I am too old to have another husband. Even if I thought there was still hope for me—even if I had a husband tonight and then gave birth to sons—would you wait until they grew up? Would you remain unmarried for them? No, my daughters. It is more bitter for me than for you, because the Lord’s hand has turned against me!”

At this they wept aloud again. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye,but Ruth clung to her.

“Look,” said Naomi, “your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods. Go back with her.”

But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.”

Discuss or journal the following:

Retell the passage. If you are reading with children, you can retell it creatively. Act it out, tell one part and then tag a person to tell the next until you have finished, rewrite it in your own words, or…

1. What does this passage tell us about God, about Jesus, or about His plan?

2. What does this passage tell us about humans?

3. According to this passage, what am I doing well? What do I need to change?

4. Who needs to hear this story and how can I tell them?

Activity

As a household, talk about the people you are the most grateful for. Then, think about people who you know are lonely. Get out some paper and write a letter to those both groups, those you are grateful for, and people who might be lonely. You can drive and deliver the letters, or mail them!

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Day 15 - Serving the Poor

Boaz & Ruth

Ruth 2:1-10 (NIV)

Now Naomi had a relative on her husband’s side, a man of standing from the clan of Elimelek, whose name was Boaz.

And Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, “Let me go to the fields and pick up the leftover grain behind anyone in whose eyes I find favor.”

Naomi said to her, “Go ahead, my daughter.” So she went out, entered a field and began to glean behind the harvesters. As it turned out, she was working in a field belonging to Boaz, who was from the clan of Elimelek.

Just then Boaz arrived from Bethlehem and greeted the harvesters, “The Lord be with you!”

“The Lord bless you!” they answered.

Boaz asked the overseer of his harvesters, “Who does that young woman belong to?”

The overseer replied, “She is the Moabite who came back from Moab with Naomi. She said, ‘Please let me glean and gather among the sheaves behind the harvesters.’ She came into the field and has remained here from morning till now, except for a short rest in the shelter.”

So Boaz said to Ruth, “My daughter, listen to me. Don’t go and glean in another field and don’t go away from here. Stay here with the women who work for me. Watch the field where the men are harvesting, and follow along after the women. I have told the men not to lay a hand on you. And whenever you are thirsty, go and get a drink from the water jars the men have filled.”

At this, she bowed down with her face to the ground. She asked him, “Why have I found such favor in your eyes that you notice me—a foreigner?”

Discuss or journal the following:

Retell the passage. If you are reading with children, you can retell it creatively. Act it out, tell one part and then tag a person to tell the next until you have finished, rewrite it in your own words, or…

1. What does this passage tell us about God, about Jesus, or about His plan?

2. What does this passage tell us about humans?

3. According to this passage, what am I doing well? What do I need to change?

4. Who needs to hear this story and how can I tell them?

Activity

Collect a few items (this could be from your own pantry, or someone could brave the store. (As we are dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic, please take the proper precautions, and follow the instructions of your local leadership!) Make a small box to donate. You could donate to the Living Streams Food Pantry. There are also numerous other places who would take a donation. 

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Day 16 - Serving the Poor

A Proverb

Proverbs 19:17 (NIV)

Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord,
    and he will reward them for what they have done.

Discuss or journal the following:

Retell the passage. If you are reading with children, you can retell it creatively. Act it out, tell one part and then tag a person to tell the next until you have finished, rewrite it in your own words, or…

1. What does this passage tell us about God, about Jesus, or about His plan?

2. What does this passage tell us about humans?

3. According to this passage, what am I doing well? What do I need to change?

4. Who needs to hear this story and how can I tell them?

Activity

Pray and ask God if there is someone you could serve—and how. There are so many ways to serve those in need. You could write a letter, send a video, help financially, drop off a goodie basket, donate clothing or food. Listen! And be creative.

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Day 17 - Sharing Your Faith

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego

Daniel 3:5-30 (NIV)

As soon as you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music, you must fall down and worship the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. Whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace.”

Therefore, as soon as they heard the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp and all kinds of music, all the nations and peoples of every language fell down and worshiped the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

At this time some astrologers[a] came forward and denounced the Jews. They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “May the king live forever! Your Majesty has issued a decree that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music must fall down and worship the image of gold, and that whoever does not fall down and worship will be thrown into a blazing furnace. But there are some Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon—Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego—who pay no attention to you, Your Majesty. They neither serve your gods nor worship the image of gold you have set up.”

Furious with rage, Nebuchadnezzar summoned Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. So these men were brought before the king, and Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have set up? Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what godwill be able to rescue you from my hand?”

 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us[b] from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”

Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and his attitude toward them changed. He ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual and commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace. So these men, wearing their robes, trousers, turbans and other clothes, were bound and thrown into the blazing furnace. The king’s command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and these three men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace.

Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, “Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?”

They replied, “Certainly, Your Majesty.”

He said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.”

Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, “Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God,come out! Come here!”

So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire, and the satraps, prefects, governors and royal advisers crowded around them. They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them.

Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way.”

Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the province of Babylon.

Discuss or journal the following:

Retell the passage. If you are reading with children, you can retell it creatively. Act it out, tell one part and then tag a person to tell the next until you have finished, rewrite it in your own words, or…

1. What does this passage tell us about God, about Jesus, or about His plan?

2. What does this passage tell us about humans?

3. According to this passage, what am I doing well? What do I need to change?

4. Who needs to hear this story and how can I tell them?

Activity

Think about someone you know that does not know the Lord. Start today by praying for them, and praying for a way to share your faith with them. Ask God for specifics and also ask that He would ready their heart to hear. 

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Day 18 - Sharing Your Faith

Elijah

1 Kings 18:22-39 (NIV)

Then Elijah said to them, “I am the only one of the Lord’s prophets left, but Baal has four hundred and fifty prophets. Get two bulls for us. Let Baal’s prophets choose one for themselves, and let them cut it into pieces and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. I will prepare the other bull and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord. The god who answers by fire—he is God.”

Then all the people said, “What you say is good.”

Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose one of the bulls and prepare it first, since there are so many of you. Call on the name of your god, but do not light the fire.” So they took the bull given them and prepared it.

Then they called on the name of Baal from morning till noon. “Baal, answer us!” they shouted. But there was no response; no one answered. And they danced around the altar they had made.

At noon Elijah began to taunt them. “Shout louder!” he said. “Surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened.” So they shouted louder and slashed themselves with swords and spears, as was their custom, until their blood flowed. Midday passed, and they continued their frantic prophesying until the time for the evening sacrifice. But there was no response, no one answered, no one paid attention.

Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come here to me.” They came to him, and he repaired the altar of the Lord, which had been torn down. Elijah took twelve stones, one for each of the tribes descended from Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord had come, saying, “Your name shall be Israel.” With the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord, and he dug a trench around it large enough to hold two seahs of seed. He arranged the wood, cut the bull into pieces and laid it on the wood. Then he said to them, “Fill four large jars with water and pour it on the offering and on the wood.”

“Do it again,” he said, and they did it again.

“Do it a third time,” he ordered, and they did it the third time. The water ran down around the altar and even filled the trench.

At the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: “Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. Answer me, Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.”

Then the fire of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench.

When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, “The Lord—he is God! The Lord—he is God!”

Discuss or journal the following:

Retell the passage. If you are reading with children, you can retell it creatively. Act it out, tell one part and then tag a person to tell the next until you have finished, rewrite it in your own words, or…

1. What does this passage tell us about God, about Jesus, or about His plan?

2. What does this passage tell us about humans?

3. According to this passage, what am I doing well? What do I need to change?

4. Who needs to hear this story and how can I tell them?

Activity

Today, put the plan from Day 17 into action. Or if you sense it is not time, pray more, but continue to ask for an opportunity. You can share your faith face to face (if it is prudent to do so during this time of Covid-19 awareness). You can call someone, text back and forth, or write a letter. God uses all kinds of scenarios for this. So just pray and trust Him.

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