Walk in the Light

December 4, 2023

December 4th, 2023

Monday – Gospels

Reading – Matthew 24

Highlight Verses:

““Then if anyone tells you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah,’ or ‘There he is,’ don’t believe it. For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform great signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God’s chosen ones.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭24‬:‭23‬-‭24‬ ‭NLT‬‬

As I was praying for guidance as to what verse(s) to pick for today’s study, the idea popped into my head that I should choose the verse that causes me the most pain.

Don’t worry, that won’t be my main criteria going forward.

But today, verse 24 stood out immediately.

The idea that even faithful followers of Jesus could be deceived is not just alarming, but saddening.

That’s especially true when I think of those I know who have walked away from faith in Jesus.

Some have followed other religions.

Some have followed their own pride.

Some have just let their own sins drag them to a place of unbelief.

I’ve seen it far too often.

In my case, I protect my faith by daily getting into God’s Word and by staying in connection with fellow believers in a strong local church.

Have you ever been tempted to believe the lies of false religion?
How have you maintained the strength of your faith?
December 3, 2023

December 3rd, 2023

Sunday – Poetry

Reading – Proverbs 1

Highlight Verse:

“But all who listen to me will live in peace, untroubled by fear of harm.””
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭1‬:‭33‬ ‭NLT‬‬

In case you didn’t read the context, this is wisdom speaking.

At the risk of sounding like a Boomer (which I technically am), This chapter sounds a lot like our society today.

Wisdom calls out with sage advice and people ignore it.

At the same time that wisdom is ignored anxiety is at an all-time high.

And here in this little-studied book of the Bible lies a simple solution for all that unrest and anxiety.

If only people will listen.

I’ve known people who read through this book every month because of the abundance of excellent advice contained in its pages.

For the next 30 Sundays, we’ll be digging into it in the hopes of soaking in some of that sage advice.

Hang on, it’s gonna be a wild ride!

What sage advice have you ignored in the past only to have life prove the advice correct?
Have you been able to share wisdom that has helped people improve their lives?
December 2, 2023

December 2nd, 2023

Saturday – Open Topic

Reading – 1 Peter 3:8-22

Highlight Verse:

“Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it.”
‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭3‬:‭15‬ ‭NLT‬‬

We recently heard a sermon at our church about drawing our prodigal children back to God by continuing to love them abundantly and unconditionally.

Then last Wednesday, we discussed with our middle school students about how love will draw people to Jesus far more that arguing.

So, what about when they see that love and that joy in us and start asking questions?

That’s where this verse comes into play.

We should always be ready to talk about our faith in a way that would meet people where they are. That way they may come to an understanding of how they can enter into a relationship with Jesus.

The shape of that conversation will vary from person to person.

We need to be diligent not only in learning out to express the hope we have in Jesus but also in listening to people so that we know how to relate that hope in terms they would respond to.

Do you have specific people you hope to be able to relay the Gospel too?
Have you listened to them enough to know what to say to them?
December 1, 2023

December 1st, 2023

Friday – Prophets

Reading – Ezekiel 7-9

Highlight Verse:

““They will throw their money in the streets, tossing it out like worthless trash. Their silver and gold won’t save them on that day of the Lord’s anger. It will neither satisfy nor feed them, for their greed can only trip them up.”
‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭7‬:‭19‬ ‭NLT‬‬

This verse and all of Ezekiel has a unique context of Israel going into exile.

The Lord allows this to happen because of the sin that has gone rampant throughout Judah and Israel.

I’ve never been wealthy by American standards but compared to many throughout the world, I have plenty.

One of the most impoverished times in my life was when I was the age of the middle school kids I teach on Wednesdays. My single mom couldn’t afford the little house we lived in, so we moved to an even smaller apartment on a poorer side of town.

Our next-door neighbors were an upper class, very wealthy family – until the Shah of Iran was overthrown.

The head of the family was a high ranking general in the Shah’s army, so they fled to the US. They had barely enough to afford that cheap two-bedroom apartment that they shared with about 10 family members.

We are all one disaster or war away from our money being as worthless as the Israelites money at the time of the exile.

Most of us would be nearly broke if computers suddenly went permanently offline.

What will not fail us is our faith.

Worthless money will not save us from disaster.

While I have seen the miraculous, there is no guarantee that our faith will save us from all harm.

But faith, or more specifically, our God, will bring us through anything that comes our way!

Do you have the kind of faith that will bring you through any disaster that could come your way?
Have you kept your faith 100 percent on God, or have you placed some of your faith in wealth?
November 30, 2023

November 30th, 2023

Thursday – Letters

Reading – 1 Timothy 4

Highlight Verse:

“Do not waste time arguing over godless ideas and old wives’ tales. Instead, train yourself to be godly.”
‭‭1 Timothy‬ ‭4‬:‭7‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I told myself that I wasn’t going to pick this verse because it stands out too much.

But it kept standing out despite my attempts to ignore it. Perhaps the Holy Spirit is trying to tell me something.

It seems a strange contrast to put arguing and training next to each other in the same verse. But I think that’s the idea.

If one is truly training to be godly, they won’t waste their time arguing over godless ideas.

What are the godless ideas and old wives tales (myths in some versions)? It is generally believed that these are extrapolations from Old Testament Scripture that go beyond the scope of Scripture. At the time these would be aesthetic beliefs common among the gnostics of the time. Today they could be any number of beliefs often derived from taking Scripture out of context.

To stay true to the verse, I will go into no further detail.

Instead, I believe we do well to concentrate on training for godliness.

That is accomplished by studying Scripture (as we are doing now) and putting what we learn into action.

How is your training for godliness coming along?
Have you been distracted by godless ideas along the way?
November 29, 2023

November 29th, 2023

Wednesday – History

Reading – 1 Kings 1

Highlight Verses:

“And the king repeated his vow: “As surely as the Lord lives, who has rescued me from every danger, your son Solomon will be the next king and will sit on my throne this very day, just as I vowed to you before the Lord, the God of Israel.””
‭‭1 Kings‬ ‭1‬:‭29‬-‭30‬ ‭NLT‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

I have always placed a high value on being true to my word.

I give my card out to customers so they can call and hold me accountable to what I say.

For me, it is an integral part of integrity.

I believe it was for David as well.

As he slipped into poor health in his last years, people would have understood if had let Adonijah succeed at succeeding him.

But, when he was informed of Adonijah’s plans to take the throne, he took immediate action.

As promised, Soloman was made the next king and David died as a man of integrity.

Have people been able to rely on you? In what situations?
Has it ever been painful to keep your word?
November 28, 2023

November 28th, 2023

Tuesday – Pentateuch

Reading – Exodus 27-28

Highlight Verse:

““Command the people of Israel to bring you pure oil of pressed olives for the light, to keep the lamps burning continually.”
‭‭Exodus‬ ‭27‬:‭20‬ ‭NLT‬‬

It has always been my understanding that the Old Testament was all about the priests interceding for the people. All the people did was bring animals to sacrifice and the priests took it from there.

I was wrong.

This verse doesn’t say to command the people to run over to the Walmart Supercenter and buy some olive oil to bring to the priests.

This command involves work.

The people needed to find olive trees, harvest the olives, and press them to get oil.

This command involves all the people of Israel.

It doesn’t say to have the Levites, or the off-duty priests get the oil. It says the people.

This command involves consistency.

The lamp was the symbol of Israel’s special relationship with God. To indicate that active relationship, it was to be keep burning constantly that the relationship should never die.

We may not have a symbolic light to keep burning constantly (except in some denominations), but we should remain diligent to always keep our relationship with God alive and on fire.

What are you doing to keep the light of your relationship with God burning consistently?
If that light has burned out in your life, what’s keeping you from rekindling it?
November 27, 2023

November 27th, 2023

Monday – Gospel

Reading – Matthew 23

Highlight Verse:

“So practice and obey whatever they tell you, but don’t follow their example. For they don’t practice what they teach.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭23‬:‭3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

It’s confession time again.

While I strive to always practice what I teach, there have been times when I catch myself doing something that I just taught students not to do.

Even more common, I’ll be studying for a lesson when I realize that I need to change a behavior if I want to teach the lesson honestly.

I’ve jokingly said, “Do what I say, not what I do.” But, I know that’s not the way to works.

People, especially children, will follow what you do far more often than what you say.

So, those of you who catch people acting differently than they teach, make sure you find the correct path and follow it.

And those of us who teach – and that includes all parents – watch out for how you act. Make sure it lines up with what you teach.

And if it doesn’t, don’t be afraid to fess up and change your behavior.

Have you ever caught yourself acting differently than what you teach?
Have you been able to change that behavior? Share your experience that we all may do better.
November 26, 2023

November 26th, 2023

Sunday – Poetry

Reading – Psalms 147-150

Highlight Verses:

“He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds. He counts the stars and calls them all by name.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭147‬:‭3‬-‭4‬ ‭NLT‬‬

We wrap up Psalms as we enter the Advent Season.

For some, this can be a tough season.

Some have lost loved ones during this time of year. Others are affected by loneliness. Some, like me, are affected by the lack of light and the cold days.

When I saw these two verses side by side, I realized that was no accident.

First, God provides healing for our hearts. He binds the wounds of loss with His love, He comforts the lonely with His presence, and He brings hope to those who struggle with darkness.

Then there’s the stars.

Keep in mind that the writer of this Psalm would have seen the stars as just tiny specks in the sky. If God knows each and every one of those billions of tiny specks, how much more would he notice each of us.

He knows each of us. He heals, he comforts, and He strengthens each of us according to our needs and our callings.

Are there things you struggle with through this time of year?
Have you turned to God for His healing, comfort, and hope?
November 25, 2023

November 25th, 2023

Saturday – Open Topic

Reading – Esther 4

Highlight Verses:

“Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: “Go and gather together all the Jews of Susa and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will do the same. And then, though it is against the law, I will go in to see the king. If I must die, I must die.””
‭‭Esther‬ ‭4‬:‭15‬-‭16‬ ‭NLT‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

The holidays are upon us. For many that means pressure.

Year-end deadlines at work are fast approaching.

There’s a house full of family to buy gifts for.

Many get last minute surgeries done to beat the deductible and out of pocket limits for insurance.

Then there’s the parties and that uncle that drank too much last Christmas.

And on and on.

All that was nothing compared to the pressure Esther faced.

Her people needed her to confront King Xerxes. That was a big deal. One did not approach the king unbidden.

But she must.

The pressure was on.

And then she showed us the right way to handle that pressure.

Pray.

In fact, flood it with prayer.

That’s what she did.

Not only did she do that, but she got everyone she trusted praying too.

She was still stressed under a ridiculous amount of pressure. But she did what she had to do.

Oh, and just in case you aren’t familiar with the story, in doing what she had to do, she saved the nation of Israel.

What kind of pressures are you facing this season?
Are you flooding those situations with prayer?
Can we help with that prayer?

The idea that even faithful followers of Jesus could be deceived is not just alarming, but saddening.

In my case, I protect my faith by daily getting into God’s Word and by staying in connection with fellow believers in a strong local church.

Wisdom calls out with sage advice and people ignore it.

If only people will listen.

Hang on, it’s gonna be a wild ride!

So, what about when they see that love and that joy in us and start asking questions?

We need to be diligent not only in learning out to express the hope we have in Jesus but also in listening to people so that we know how to relate that hope in terms they would respond to.

This verse and all of Ezekiel has a unique context of Israel going into exile.

We are all one disaster or war away from our money being as worthless as the Israelites money at the time of the exile.

But faith, or more specifically, our God, will bring us through anything that comes our way!

It seems a strange contrast to put arguing and training next to each other in the same verse. But I think that’s the idea.

Instead, I believe we do well to concentrate on training for godliness.

I have always placed a high value on being true to my word.

As promised, Soloman was made the next king and David died as a man of integrity.

This command involves work.

This command involves all the people of Israel.

This command involves consistency.

People, especially children, will follow what you do far more often than what you say.

And if it doesn’t, don’t be afraid to fess up and change your behavior.

For some, this can be a tough season.

He knows each of us. He heals, he comforts, and He strengthens each of us according to our needs and our callings.

The holidays are upon us. For many that means pressure.

All that was nothing compared to the pressure Esther faced.

In fact, flood it with prayer.