If you would like the reading list of the next two months, it is now posted here.
The second page of that also has a quick guide to the Walk In The Light Bible Study.
Printable bookmarks are available here.
Category: Uncategorized
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Tuesday – Pentateuch
Reading – Numbers 1-2
Highlight Verse:
“The total number was 603,550.”
Numbers 1:46 NLTWhat better way to start a study of the book of Numbers than with a number – specifically, the size of Israel’s army as they travelled through the wilderness.
If you add in the women, children, the elderly, and the Levites, the nation of Israel had about as many people as the city of Philadelphia.
That’s a relatively compact city at 140 square miles or over 90 thousand acres.
Think about that.
A population the size of Philadelphia moved around the wilderness for 40 years.
The pillar of smoke and fire that led them through the wilderness had to have been an amazing site.
But, even without the pillar, it must have been an incredible site to see all those people in one camp, much less to see the camp move.
With that in mind, keep your eyes open as we go through Numbers.
You might be surprised what we find.
Was there anything that stood out to you in today’s reading?
What do you imagine it was like to be in the nation of Israel as they wandered the wilderness? -
Monday – Gospels
Reading – Luke 18
Highlight Verse:
“Then Jesus called for the children and said to the disciples, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children.”
Luke 18:16 NLTA survey by the International Bible Society revealed that 83% of Christians come to faith between the ages of 4 and 14.
EIGHTY THREE PERCENT!
This is precisely why I have stayed involved in next-gen ministry for nearly my entire adult life.
The local church I am a part of now does an amazing job at reaching children and adults, but I have seen many that treat next generation ministry as an afterthought.
It breaks my heart when I see children’s church and youth ministries lacking support or volunteers.
Many people I have spoken to seem to think they are unqualified to help.
Unless you can’t pass a background check, you are qualified.
Many, if not most, churches have curriculum that make teaching very easy. Even if you aren’t up to teaching, ministries need people to help teachers during children’s church and student ministry times. Those who prepare curriculum and the classrooms are also important.
If nothing else, prayer is an essential part of any effective ministry.
I’ll climb down of my next-gen soapbox now as long as you promise to at least pray.
Have you had the privilege of being part of a next generation ministry and can share good stories?
What are you willing to do to help reach the next generation? -
Sunday – Poetry
Reading – Proverbs 26-27
Highlight Verse:
“Interfering in someone else’s argument is as foolish as yanking a dog’s ears.”
Proverbs 26:17 NLTI had my 2-year-old daughter on my shoulders while walking to the car in a mall parking lot when I saw someone take a parking place that someone else had been waiting for.
The catch is, this was on a street with a double yellow line. The person who had been waiting would have had to do an illegal left turn to get the space.
He didn’t care and he ripped into the parker with a string of profanities that I didn’t really want my daughter hearing.
I, being me, proceeded to point out to the profane person that he wasn’t supposed to take that space anyway.
The profanities then started hurling my way until the first guy actually pulled out of the space and the guy made the illegal turn as I hurried to my car.
All the way I was thinking that I should have kept my big mouth shut.
I proved nothing other than the truth of this proverb.
Have you ever proved a proverb true? Share it.
Have you seen any of the other of today’s proverbs proven true? -
Friday – Prophets
Reading – Hosea 3-4
Highlight Verse:
“Then the Lord said to me, “Go and love your wife again, even though she commits adultery with another lover. This will illustrate that the Lord still loves Israel, even though the people have turned to other gods and love to worship them.”
Hosea 3:1 NLTDid you notice that Hosea didn’t wait for his wife to want to return to him?
He actually paid to bring her back even while she was living an adulterous life.
Okay, that has all sorts of strange implications, but let’s not miss the point.
God paid the price to bring us back to Him even before we wanted back.
He was willing to take a risk on us, knowing that many would choose not to come to him.
He loved us so much that He had to try.
Unlike Hosea’s wife, we have a choice.
That should make us all the more willing to come back to the God who gave sacrificially for us.
We are not slaves but saved.
We are not captives but captivated by His love for us.
We are not bound but bought and beloved.
Do you realize how long God waited for you?
Do you know how much He paid for you and I to be free? -
Saturday – Open Topic
Reading – 1 Corinthians 12
Highlight Verse:
“A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other.”
1 Corinthians 12:7 NLTI grew up Lutheran. In the church I was in, this chapter would have been glossed over as pertaining only to the times before the Biblical Cannon was closed.
I spent most of my adult life in Pentecostal churches. This chapter was expounded upon in great detail and with great fervor and conviction.
While my beliefs lean more toward the Pentecostal,
I think we sometimes miss the point.
It’s not about the gifts, it’s about the purpose of the gifts.
The gifts along with every other part of the Christian life should be geared toward helping our fellow humans find Jesus and grow in their faith.
Let’s not ignore any of God’s gifts to us no matter how amazing or mundane they may be, and let’s employ them to bring God glory by bringing people to Him.
How have you seen Spiritual gifts bring people closer to God?
Have you had to deal with off balanced (one way or another) teaching about spiritual gifts. How did you deal with that? -
Thursday – Letters
Reading – James 3
Highlight Verse:
“In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches. But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire.”
James 3:5 NLT“Fourscore and Seven years ago, Our forefathers…”
“Ask not what your country can do for you…”
“I have a dream…”
“Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!”
These are little snippets from famous speeches in American History.
Those speeches changed history for the better by inspiring millions.
“You’ll never amount to anything.”
“Don’t be so stupid.”
“Why can’t you get that right?”
Those words (some of which I heard from my stepfather) inspire people to give up and fulfill the negative image painted for them.
They are easy to say while the inspiring speeches take great effort.
But the effort is worth it!
While I make great effort not to demean anyone with my words, I have had my share of words I needed to apologize for. I’m sure I have spoken accidentally careless or hurtful words and never noticed.
Words of kindness, encouragement, and joy have given me the strength to carry on.
Have you ever caught yourself verbally discouraging someone?
What can you do to create opportunities to encourage others? -
Wednesday – History
Reading – 1 Chronicles 10-12
Highlight Verse:
“God forbid that I should drink this!” he exclaimed. “This water is as precious as the blood of these men who risked their lives to bring it to me.” So David did not drink it. These are examples of the exploits of the Three.”
1 Chronicles 11:19 NLTThe first time I read this I thought, “How rude. These guys risked their lives for this water and David just pours it out.”
I now realize that David was making sure his warriors knew who was really worthy of their sacrifice.
He poured out the water before the Lord that they would know that it was God who was worthy, not him.
Would I have done the same?
Well, I’ve never had someone risk their life to get me a drink of water.
But I have had people complement me.
While I want to continue doing things worthy of compliments, what is more important to me is that I would direct people to the One who is truly worthy of all praise.
My hope is that my life would cause people to want to follow Jesus, not me.
Do people know that the good things you are doing are directing them to Jesus?
What are ways that your words and actions would deflect their praise to Jesus? -
Tuesday – Pentateuch
Reading – Leviticus 26-27
Highlight Verse:
“I will give you peace in the land, and you will be able to sleep with no cause for fear. I will rid the land of wild animals and keep your enemies out of your land.”
Leviticus 26:6 NLTThis is one of those verses that would look good on a Facebook post with a tranquil scene.
That’s not why I highlighted it.
In context, many of those good things in today’s reading are a result of obedience.
The same principle holds true today.
I’m not saying life will be perfect if you only behave.
I am saying that God’s way of doing things will naturally have good results.
Likewise, going against God’s principles may naturally have bad results.
God created us.
He knows what works best for us.
He wrote a bunch of what works best down for us to benefit from.
I say, we should take advantage of that and follow His instructions.
Have you resisted Biblical principles for living because they seemed too restrictive or legalistic? (I have in the past).
Have you considered the possibility that those principles were given for our good? -
Monday – Gospels
Reading – Luke 17
Highlight Verse:
“Jesus asked, “Didn’t I heal ten men? Where are the other nine?”
Luke 17:17 NLTThis verse will preach. In fact, it did.
As it happens, our pastor used this verse yesterday to illustrate how Jesus understands when we are unappreciated.
I don’t think he would mind if I filled you in on the point he made that struck a chord with me.
What is unseen by people is often what is most significant to God.
Often, the most significant impact comes from what happens behind the scenes.
Your faithful actions may be unseen by others but God sees each kind word, each kind and helpful act, and each prayer lifted in silence and He will reward you for it (Matthew 6:4).
Does it frustrate you when people don’t acknowledge the good things you have done for them?
Do you realize that Jesus can sympathize with that and will reward you for your faithfulness in the hidden things?
Walk in the Light 