July 14 - Changing Everything

Today's Reading:
Ezekiel 21:1-22:31
Matthew 13:24-46
Proverbs 14:15-24
Click on Text Link to Read Online

Focus Verses:
Matthew 13:31-33
31 He told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. 32 Though it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches." 33 He told them still another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough."

Insight:
Once the Kingdom of God gets a little foothold in your life, it takes over. A mustard seed might be the smallest thing a gardener could plant, but eventually it dominates and becomes bigger than anything else in the garden. A minuscule amount of yeast in a large amount of dough will eventually work its way through the whole batch. It changes everything!

Response & Action:
I desire the mustard seed and the yeast of the Kingdom of God to take root and take over in my life. Like the gardener, I must exercise my desire by giving the mustard seed a place in my garden. Like the woman making bread, I must mix the yeast into the dough of my life. I am doing this through faith in Jesus, following him, praying, taking in the Scriptures, obeying, surrendering, thinking, applying, living, and seeking the Kingdom first.

If I am faithful to plant and mix, I will see the seed and the yeast (the truth and life of the Kingdom) become the most dominant and influential element of my life. The transforming power of the Kingdom of Christ will change everything.

O God, I long to be receptive and fertile soil for the seed of your Kingdom. May the power and grace of your Holy Spirit work its way through every aspect and dimension of my life. I want your ways to be my ways. I want my heart and mind to be controlled and shaped by your truth. Guide me, give me wisdom, and transform me that I might delight in your will and walk in your ways to the glory of your name. Through Christ, I pray. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: Galatians 2:20
20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Resources:
The New Conspirators: Creating the Future One Mustard Seed at a Time
by Tom Sine and Shane Claiborne

July 13 - Receiving the Word

Today's Reading:
Ezekiel 20:1-49
Matthew 12:46-13:23
Proverbs 14:5-14
Click on Text Link to Read Online

Focus Verses:
Matthew 13:22-23
22 The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. 23 But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown."

Insight:
Both worries and wealth—the burdens and the blessings—have the capacity to choke out the productivity of God's word in our lives. Problems and needs can lead to stress. Wealth and comfort can lead to apathy and half-heartedness. Those who are eager to receive God's word, ready to understand and respond to it, are like rich soil that welcomes a seed, letting it put down deep roots and push up a bountiful crop.

Response and Action:
I will be careful to not let the worries and concerns of life distract me from God's word. I will be just as careful to not let the comforts and blessings of life lull me into apathy toward God's word. God's word must be more important to me than worries or wealth. I must be quick to receive God's word and ready to respond to it.

Allowing God's word to take deep root in my heart and mind is what prepares me for hardship and gives me peace in stressful circumstances. God’s word planted in my heart helps me remember what is most important in times of comfort and blessing.

O God, protect from the worries of life. Do not let them distract me from your guiding and sustaining word. O God, protect me from the blessings and comforts of life. Do not let them cause me to trust in them or love them more than you. Give me a love and a hunger for your word. May it teach, rebuke, correct, and train me in order that I might live a fruitful life that honors you. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: 2 Timothy 3:16-17
16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Resources:
Transforming Bible Study:
Understanding Scripture Like You've Never Read It Before
by Bob Grahmann

July 12 - Turn Away from Sin

Today's Reading:
Ezekiel 18:1-19:14
Matthew 12:22-45
Proverbs 13:20-14:4
Click on Text Link to Read Online

Focus Verses:
Ezekiel 18:30-32
30 "Therefore, O house of Israel, I will judge you, each one according to his ways, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent! Turn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your downfall. 31 Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, O house of Israel? 32 For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent and live!

Insight:
Every person is accountable to God for his or her own sins. God does not condemn children because of the sins of their parents, and God does not condemn parents for the sins of their children. God judges "each one according to his ways."

The whole of chapter eighteen makes it clear that God is just. He looks at each person as an individual. He calls everyone to turn away from sin. He promises a new heart and a new spirit to those who repent. He takes no pleasure in condemning people, but would rather redeem and forgive.

Response and Action:
God deals with me as an individual. The sin I need to be most concerned about is my own. I do not need to worry about God condemning me because of the sins of others. The way I deal with my own sin is the chief concern in my relationship with God and my hope in his promises.

God does not take pleasure in condemning and punishing sinners; he would rather save and redeem them. Because of this, my primary image of God will be that of Redeemer and Savior. When I think of God as a judge, it will be as a benevolent judge who is reluctant to condemn, and who grieves over those he is judging.

O God, thank you for looking on me as an individual and for offering me hope and life. Save and redeem me. Help me to see my sins for what they are and to turn away from them. Lead me away from temptation, and deliver me from evil. Help me to walk in faithfulness to you. Grant me the wisdom and the will to guard my heart, feed my spirit, stimulate my mind, and care for my body. Help my life to be a praise to your glorious grace. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: John 3:16-17
16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

Resources:
Grace: The Power to Change
by James B. Richards

July 11 - When Is It Right to Do Good?

Today's Reading:
Ezekiel 16:42-17:24
Matthew 12:1-21
Proverbs 13:10-19
Click on Text Link to Read Online

Focus Verses:
Matthew 12:9-12
9 Going on from that place, he went into their synagogue, 10 and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, they asked him, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?" 11 He said to them, "If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out? 12 How much more valuable is a man than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath."

Insight:
It is always right to do good. Jesus clearly counters any suggestion that God has more concern about rituals or laws than he has for the people they are intended to help.

Response and Action:
I need to be careful to notice anytime laws are moral precepts are used as a way to stop anyone from doing what is good. God's instructions and commands are not an end in and of themselves, but instead are intended to serve the very best interests of people. When applying and interpreting the commands of scripture, I will always consider what would be the most redemptive, caring, and helpful for all involved.

O God, help me to seek you and obey you with all my being. Help me to understand your word and to be obedient to your commands. Help me to grasp the spirit and heart behind your commands in order that I might apply and obey them for the right reasons and the right attitude with the right ends in mind. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: John 13:34-35
34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

Resources:
What's So Amazing About Grace?
by Philip Yancey

July 10 - Walking Beside Jesus

Today's Reading:
Ezekiel 14:12-16:41
Matthew 11:7-30
Proverbs 12:28-13:9
Click on Text Link to Read Online

Focus Verses:
Matthew 11:27-30
27 "All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. 28 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

Insight:
According to Jesus, no one knows God like he does. Those who want to know God need to know Jesus. He is the only one who can truly show us who God is, what God is like, what God wants, and how God leads. Jesus offers rest for the weary and burdened. He does not add to the burden of those he teaches. He is gentle and humble and gives peace.

Walking beside Jesus—being yoked with him—is the way to learn from him. Just as a young ox would have been trained for work by being yoked with an older well-trained animal, we learn how to live by keeping in step with Jesus. Knowing Jesus and following his example and instruction for life is the sure path to knowing God.

Response & Action:
I will read and study the Gospels closely to make sure I am deeply acquainted with Jesus' actions and words. I will give careful and prayerful consideration to how my words and actions compare to his. I will do my best to take on his "yoke" and walk in his ways. I will endeavor to keep his pace and match his stride, not rushing ahead or lagging behind. I need his strength, guidance, and experience. I'm thankful for his promise to share the load and burden of every step I take.

Show me your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God, my savior. My hope is in you all day long. Thank you for your son, Jesus. Help me follow his example, walk in his ways, and keep in step with his Spirit. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: 1 John 2:5-6
5 But if anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: 6 Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.

Resources:
The Divine Conspiracy: Rediscovering Our Hidden Life In God
Dallas Willard

Reading Schedule for July 10-16

1 Corinthians 2:12-14
12 We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. 13 This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. 14 The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.

Schedule and Tips:
2010-11 Reading Schedule
Tips for Daily Bible Readers

July 10 -
Ezekiel 14:12-16:41 / Matthew 11:7-30 / Proverbs 12:28-13:9

July 11 -
Ezekiel 16:42-17:24 / Matthew 12:1-21 / Proverbs 13:10-19

July 12 -
Ezekiel 18:1-19:14 / Matthew 12:22-45 / Proverbs 13:20-14:4

July 13 -
Ezekiel 20:1-49 / Matthew 12:46-13:23 / Proverbs 14:5-14

July 14 -
Ezekiel 21:1-22:31 / Matthew 13:24-46 / Proverbs 14:15-24

July 15 -
Ezekiel 23:1-49 / Matthew 13:47-14:12 / Proverbs 14:25-35

July 16 -
Ezekiel 24:1-26:21 / Matthew 14:13-36 / Proverbs 15:1-10

July 9 - More than Me

Today's Reading:
Ezekiel 12:1-14:11
Matthew 10:24-11:6
Proverbs 12:18-27
Click on Text Link to Read Online

Focus Verses:
Matthew 10:37-39
37 "Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; 38 and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it."

Insight:
Loving God more than you love your family is actually the way to love your family the best. It may seem counterintuitive, but loving God first and foremost is the surest path to loving others and yourself. We will have a bigger and better love for everyone else when God is the object of our biggest and best love.

It's only when we lose our lives in surrender to Jesus that we are able to find our deepest and richest selves. By loving Jesus above all else, I am so enriched and fulfilled that I become truly ready to love others. Jesus calls me to love him above all others because my relationship with him is what prepares and teaches me how to love others. Loving him first is what makes me able to love others best.

Response & Action:
I will put Jesus first in my life. By putting him first I hope to become the truest, deepest, and most loving person I can be. By loving him more than others, I hope to be able to love others more.

O Christ, help me to love you above all else. Help me to find myself in you. By the power and grace of your Spirit and the guidance of your word, lead teach, transform, shape, and strengthen me, that I might become more and more able to serve and love others. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: John 13:34-35
34 "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

Resources:
The Life You've Always Wanted
by John Ortberg

July 8 - An Undivided Heart

Today's Reading:
Ezekiel 10:1-11:25
Matthew 10:1-23
Proverbs 12:8-17
Click on Text Link to Read Online

Focus Verses:
Ezekiel 11:17-20
17 "Therefore say: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will gather you from the nations and bring you back from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you back the land of Israel again.' 18 "They will return to it and remove all its vile images and detestable idols. 19 I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. 20 Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. They will be my people, and I will be their God."

Insight:
Because of the sin and rebellion of his people, God withdrew his glorious presence from their temple and handed them over to captivity and exile. Even as this was happening, God gave Ezekiel a vision of restoration and a new and better relationship with his people.

God says he will gather up his people and give them a new spirit. Their heart of stone would one day be replaced with a heart of flesh. Instead of a hardhearted nation that needed the law to restrain them, they would become a softhearted people with a genuine love for God. Righteousness would be not the result of external rule keeping, but instead be the natural outflow of hearts shaped by God.

Response and Action:
God is drawing people to relationship with him. To those who seek him and yield themselves to him, he will give new hearts and the gift of his Spirit.

O God, give me a heart of flesh. By the power and grace of your Holy Spirit, lead me, shape me, and transform me. Help me to delight in your will and walk in your ways. Turn my heart toward you that my actions are the natural result of your shaping and renewing work in my life. Help me to be so renewed and rooted in you that I do what is right without being reminded of rules and regulations. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: 2 Corinthians 3:2-3
2 You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone. 3 You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.

Resources:
Renovation of the Heart: Putting on the Character of Christ
by Dallas Willard

July 7 - Lamenting Detestable Things

Today's Reading:
Ezekiel 7:1-9:11
Matthew 9:18-38
Proverbs 11:29-12:7
Click on Text Link to Read Online

Focus Verses:
Ezekiel 8:12-13
12 He said to me, "Son of man, have you seen what the elders of the house of Israel are doing in the darkness, each at the shrine of his own idol? They say, 'The LORD does not see us; the LORD has forsaken the land.' " 13 Again, he said, "You will see them doing things that are even more detestable."

Ezekiel 9:3-4
3 Now the glory of the God of Israel went up from above the cherubim, where it had been, and moved to the threshold of the temple. Then the LORD called to the man clothed in linen who had the writing kit at his side 4 and said to him, "Go throughout the city of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of those who grieve and lament over all the detestable things that are done in it."

Insight:
The corruption and idolatry of God’s people was pervasive and deep. Even the elders who were to be the spiritual leaders of Israel had turned away from God. They had even brought idols into the temple and offered up prayer and worship to them. As their nation was falling apart, they lost faith in God and turned to superstition and pagan Gods. [Ezekiel 8:12-13]

Yet, in the midst of all this apostasy and unfaithfulness, there were people who remained faithful to God. Their faithfulness was demonstrated by the grief and sorrow they had about the sins of their nation. When judgment was poured out on Israel, God took special note of those who trusted in him. They were spared from death and survived the storm of destruction that left Israel in ruins. [Ezekiel 9:3-4]

Response and Action:
God holds people accountable for their actions. God recognizes those who are seeking him and trusting in him. God delivers those who look to him in faith. I must seek God with my whole heart. I must remain faithful to God and turn away from the sin and corruption that pervades my world. The things that grieve God's heart should grieve my heart too.

O God, help me to be faithful to you. Give me the wisdom to recognize sin and corruption and to turn away from it. Give me a heart that grieves over the things that grieve you. Show me your ways, and by your grace, give me the strength and will to walk in them. Though all around me should turn away from you, help me to remain true to you and to follow you with my whole heart. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: Galatians 6:7-8
7 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8 Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.

Resources:
Walking Away from Faith: Unraveling the Mystery of Belief and Unbelief
by Ruth Tucker

July 6 - Dinner at Matthew's House

Today's Reading:
Ezekiel 3:16-6:14
Matthew 9:1-17
Proverbs 11:19-28
Click on Text Link to Read Online

Focus Verses: Matthew 9:10-13
10 While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew's house, many tax collectors and "sinners" came and ate with him and his disciples. 11 When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?" 12 On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

Insight:
The question: "Why does Jesus eat with sinners?" The answer: "Mercy." Religion that has lost sight of redemption is very far from what God desires. God desires mercy!

Having a zeal for rules is not the same thing as having a heart for God. The whole point of identifying sin is to help sinners find redemption and forgiveness. Even the mosaic laws regarding sacrifice were intended to accomplish mercy.

We’re all spiritually sick and in need of a doctor. Only the arrogant, those blind to their own sinfulness and need for forgiveness, can look at the sins of others with contempt.

Response & Action:
I will humble myself before God and look to his hand for mercy and redemption. I will follow Jesus' example of merciful fellowship and redemptive friendship. I will eat with sinners. I will not love religion at the expense of loving people. I will not think of myself as better than others. I will break down the walls of self-righteousness that become barriers to the giving and receiving of God's grace. I must live with humility, always remembering that I am a sinner saved by the mercy and grace of God.

Have mercy on me, O God, a sinner. Thank you for the hope and healing that you offer to me through Jesus. Thank you that he emptied himself and lived among us, touching us, and sharing our humanity. Help me, through the presence of your Holy Spirit, to live out the mercy of Jesus in my daily life. Help me share hope, healing, and redemption with everyone around me. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: James 1:8-9
8 Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. 9 Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.

Resources:
Eats with Sinners
by Arron Chambers

July 5 - I Heard the Voice

Today's Reading:
Ezekiel 1:1-3:15
Matthew 8:18-34
Proverbs 11:9-18
Click on Text Link to Read Online

Focus Verses:
Ezekiel 1:26-28
26 Above the expanse over their heads was what looked like a throne of sapphire, and high above on the throne was a figure like that of a man. 27 I saw that from what appeared to be his waist up he looked like glowing metal, as if full of fire, and that from there down he looked like fire; and brilliant light surrounded him. 28 Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. When I saw it, I fell facedown, and I heard the voice of one speaking.

Insight:
Ezekiel was among the first Jews driven away from Judah and taken to Babylon by King Nebuchadnezzar in 597 b.c. He was from a priestly family, and during his early days in exile he received a prophetic calling. His received his first vision and calling among the exiles by the Kebar River in the land of the Babylonians.

Though God's people were scattered and captive, and Jerusalem was under siege, and the Temple was destroyed, God was still powerful and glorious upon his heavenly throne. The destruction of Jerusalem had not destroyed God!

God had allowed exile and destruction to purify his people and save them from the idolatry and paganism Jerusalem had become. God would dismantle everything and start over, if that's what it would take to turn the hearts of his people back to him and make them holy.

Response and Action:
Human traditions, practices, institutions, and power structures are vulnerable to corruption. Temples erected for worshiping God can become places of idolatry. Kings called to serve God can become tyrants who oppose and dishonor him. Systems and traditions, intended to help people understand and follow God, can become burdensome rules and empty ritual that become barriers to knowing God.

When these things fall apart and tumble down, God does not fall or tumble with them. When churches, traditions, and leaders fail, those who know and serve the One True God soon discover that God is still alive and well. God is faithful to reveal himself to those who seek him. Even in times of exile and destruction, God calls and gives purpose to those faithful to him.

O God, no matter where I am at, no matter what my circumstance, show yourself to me and give me a sense of calling and purpose. Give me a priestly heart that moves me to lift up the needs of others to you in prayer. Give me a prophetic spirit that causes me to speak your truth to my family, church, and neighbors. Help me to remember that though kingdoms rise and fall, your throne is forever. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: 1 Peter 2:9
24 To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— 25 to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.

Resources:
The Message of Ezekiel: A New Heart and a New Spirit (The Bible Speaks Today)
by Christopher J.H. Wright

July 4 - If You Are Willing

Today's Reading:
Lamentations 4:1-5:22
Matthew 8:1-17
Proverbs 10:31-11:8
Click on Text Link to Read Online

Focus Verses:
Matthew 8:1-3
1 When he came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him. 2 A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, "Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean." 3 Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!" Immediately he was cured of his leprosy.

Insight:
The leper asked Jesus "if he was willing" to heal. He was! The overwhelming testimony of scripture is that God is both ready and willing to heal and save those who call out to him. The eighth chapter of Matthew demonstrates Jesus' authority over disease, sin, nature, mental illness, and evil spirits. He willingly spoke the word, and his word was powerful to save.

Response & Action:
I am thankful that God is both ready and willing to restore and save. By faith, I acknowledge that God's word is powerful to save me and truthful to guide me. I will look to God for his saving word. I delight in the words of scripture. I will turn to Jesus, the good shepherd, trusting him to seek and save me. I will seek him with all my heart and he will not let me stray from his commands (Ps. 119:10).

O God, thank you for your powerful, healing, and sustaining word. Thank you for your readiness and willingness to save all who cry out to you. Give me a heart that delights in your word and make me ready and willing to follow you. Help me to grow in faith and confidence as I walk in your ways. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: 1 Timothy 2:3-5
3 This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,

Resources:
The Ragamuffin Gospel: Good News for the Bedraggled, Beat-Up, and Burnt Out
by Brennan Manning

July 3 - Ask, Seek, Knock

Today's Reading:
Lamentations 3:1-66
Matthew 7:15-29
Proverbs 10:21-30
Click on Text Link to Read Online

Focus Verses:
Matthew 7:7-8
7 "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

Insight:
Giving and receiving are central to meaningful and loving relationships. The bonds of love are both demonstrated and deepened when one has the freedom to make a request and another has the will to grant it. Just as neighbors open their doors for each other, and just as parents are ready to provide for their children, our Father in heaven is ready to give us good gifts. He also calls us to be ready to treat others with the same goodwill we would like to receive.

Response & Action:
God has invited me to a relationship with him through Christ Jesus. He wants me to seek him out, to knock on his door, and to ask him for help. He promises I will find, the door to be opened, and my needs provided. This is the way God demonstrates his love for me; it is also the way I can demonstrate love for others. In the same way that I receive grace and love in my relationship with God, I should extend grace and love in my relationships with others.

O God, help me to love you with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love others as myself. Thank you that I can come to you with my requests and needs--that you can be found, your door is open, and you are giving. Grant me a sensitivity toward the needs of others around me. Help me to be available, approachable, and generous. In Jesus name, I pray. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: James 1:17-18
17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. 18 He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.

Resources:
The Divine Conspiracy: Rediscovering Our Hidden Life In God
Dallas Willard

Reading Schedule for July 3-9

Psalm 119:9-11, 36-37
9 How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word. 10 I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. 11 I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. - - - 36 Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain. 37 Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word.


Schedule and Tips:
2010-11 Reading Schedule
Tips for Daily Bible Readers

July 3 -
Lamentations 3:1-66 / Matthew 7:15-29 / Proverbs 10:21-30

July 4 -
Lamentations 4:1-5:22 / Matthew 8:1-17 / Proverbs 10:31-11:8

July 5 -
Ezekiel 1:1-3:15 / Matthew 8:18-34 / Proverbs 11:9-18

July 6 -
Ezekiel 3:16-6:14 / Matthew 9:1-17 / Proverbs 11:19-28

July 7 -
Ezekiel 7:1-9:11 / Matthew 9:18-38 / Proverbs 11:29-12:7

July 8 -
Ezekiel 10:1-11:25 / Matthew 10:1-23 / Proverbs 12:8-17

July 9 -
Ezekiel 12:1-14:11 / Matthew 10:24-11:6 / Proverbs 12:18-27

July 2 - I Have Been Most Rebellious

Today's Reading:
Lamentations 1:1-2:22
Matthew 6:25-7:14
Proverbs 10:11-20
Click on Text Link to Read Online

Focus Verses:
Lamentations 1:18-20
18 "The LORD is righteous, yet I rebelled against his command. Listen, all you peoples; look upon my suffering. My young men and maidens have gone into exile. 19 "I called to my allies but they betrayed me. My priests and my elders perished in the city while they searched for food to keep themselves alive. 20 "See, O LORD, how distressed I am! I am in torment within, and in my heart I am disturbed, for I have been most rebellious. Outside, the sword bereaves; inside, there is only death."

Insight:
Lamentations is the song of mourning and repentance the prophet Jeremiah offers up to God in the wake of the destruction of Jerusalem and the exile of its people into captivity. The prophets didn't just point a finger and deliver words of judgment, they identified with the sin of their people—the very sin they spoke against. Notice how Jeremiah says, "I have rebelled. I am distressed. I am in torment within. I have been most rebellious."

No person, even the person who is declaring God's righteousness and warning of God's judgment, has the right to judge or condemn. Jeremiah was wise enough and humble enough to see that even he was guilty before God. Even though he was in the position of preaching against sin, he was able to identify with his people and recognize the sin in himself.

Response & Action:
I want to recognize sin, take it seriously, and turn away from it. I want to speak out against sin and encourage others to turn away from it. I must be careful to always see my own sin. I must never speak out against sin or condemn others as though I am without sin or above them.

I will always give my attention to the plank in my own eye before I worry about the speck in someone else's eye. I will identify with other sinners and come alongside them in their struggles to overcome sin. In every thought and conversation about sin, I will examine my own life first and then consider how I and others can turn toward God for forgiveness and redemption.

Have mercy on me, O God. I am a sinner. Help me to turn away from what is wrong and to do what is right. Lead me away from temptation. Deliver me from evil. Create in me a clean heart. Renew a right spirit within me. Restore and redeem me. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: Proverbs: 20:9
"Who can say, "I have kept my heart pure; I am clean and without sin"?

Resources:
Never Beyond Hope: How God Touches & Uses Imperfect People
by J. I. Packer and Carolyn Nystrom

July 1 - Wrong about Righteousness

Today's Reading:
Jeremiah 51:54-52:34
Matthew 6:1-24
Proverbs 10:1-10
Click on Text Link to Read Online

Focus Verses:
Matthew 6:1
1"Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.

Insight:
Even righteous deeds can be done with unrighteous motives. Self-sacrifice can be self-centered. In order to guard against self-centered motives, Jesus taught that we should be secretive about our devotion and spiritual practices. True devotion toward God does not seek to draw attention to self. Private piety is less likely to be pretentious.

When we give to the poor, we should do so quietly. When we pray, we should seek out a place where we can be alone. When we fast, we should avoid any appearance or behavior that attracts special notice or concern. The same is true of nearly everything we do for God and for others.

The problem, of course, is not that others know or notice acts of righteousness (of course they will because"a city on a hill is not easily hid"). The real problem Jesus is getting at is the motives of our hearts. In order to be truly righteous, we must acknowledge our potential for selfishness and false motives. We must realize that true righteousness is directed toward God, not centered in self. We must not let righteous deeds become a way to achieve self-gain, self-esteem, self-aggrandizement, or self-gratification. The way of true righteousness is self-denial.

Response and Action:
I will do all I can to practice righteous deeds in quiet and unassuming ways. I will guard against drawing attention to myself. And if something I do for God does draw undue attention to me, I will be careful to give God the glory. I will seek God's blessing, not the praise of people.

O God, give me a heart to do what is right, and to do it for you. It is your glory and your approval that I desire, not the notice or applause of others. Help me, by faith, to do the good things you have prepared in advance for me to do. Help me to be faithful, fruitful, and effective as your servant: as a husband, father, son, brother, friend, neighbor, pastor, and colleague. Through Jesus Christ my Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God now and forever. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: Isaiah 29:13
13 The Lord says: "These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men.

Resources:
The Message of the Sermon on the Mount: Christian Counter-Culture
by John Stott