November 30 - Grace and Community

Today's Readings:
New Testament -
Luke 20:1-8 / Romans 15:1-13
Old Testament -
Psalms 69:19-36 / Deuteronomy 29-31
Click on Text Links to Read Online

Focus Verses: Romans 15:1-6
1 We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. 2 Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. 3 For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: "The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me." 4 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 5 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, 6 so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Insight:
Acceptance of others is essential to unity within the Christian community. The strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak. The weak should be thankful for the guidance and help of those who are strong. We should work to build up our neighbors and do what is pleasing for their good. We should seek to grow in Christ and be receptive to the ways others are helping us to mature in our faith and become more Christ-like in our living. True community produces true disciples who glorify God in both word and deed.

Response & Action:
I want to experience healthy Christian community marked by unity and acceptance. I must bear with the weaknesses of others and do my best to help them grow in their faith. I must acknowledge my own weaknesses and be responsive to the patience and counsel of Christian brothers and sisters who are doing what they can to help me grow. I will look to God for the grace, encouragement, and strength I need to help my church family to experience unity and maturity. I want my church family to be a strength for each other, a blessing and witness to the world around us, and a praise to God.

O God, give me a love for others. Help me to accept those who are weak and commit myself to helping them grow strong. When I am weak, move others to come around to encourage and help me. By the power of your Spirit and the guidance of your written word, help your people to become servants to each other. Help us to follow Jesus with all our hearts and to bring honor and glory to you, Dear Father. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: Ephesians 4:1-3
1 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.

Resources:
Community and Submission (Spiritual Disciplines Bible Study)
by Jan Johnson

Reading Schedule for Nov. 30 - Dec. 5

2 Timothy 2:15
15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.


Schedule and Tips
2009-10 Reading Schedule
Tips for Daily Bible Readers

November 30 -
Luke 20:1-8 / Romans 15:1-13
Psalms 69:19-36 / Deuteronomy 29-31

December 1 -
Luke 20:9-19 / Romans 15:14-33
Psalms 70 / Deuteronomy 32

December 2 -
Luke 20:20-26 / Romans 16
Psalms 71 / Deuteronomy 33-34

December 3 -
Luke 20:27-40 / 1 Corinthians 1:1-17
Psalms 72 / Joshua 1-2

December 4 -
Luke 20:41-47 / 1 Corinthians 1:18-31
Psalms 73 / Joshua 3-5

December 5 -
Luke 21:1-19 / 1 Corinthians 2
Psalms 74 / Joshua 6-7

November 28 - Differing Views

Today's Readings:
New Testament -
Luke 19:39-48 / Romans 14
Old Testament -
Psalms 69:1-18 / Deuteronomy 27-28
Click on Text Links to Read Online

Focus Verses: Romans 14:1-5
1 Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters. 2 One man's faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. 3 The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him. 4 Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand. 5 One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.

Insight:
Some matters are disputable. People of genuine faith may have differing views on what to do and how it should be done, especially when there is no clear "thus sayeth the Lord" available to them. Christians may have very different backgrounds, perspectives, freedoms, and weaknesses. These differences can result (and will perhaps require) that Christians live out their faith in very different ways.

In such matters of opinion, believers should not judge or look down on each other. Christians should be fully convinced about their own perspectives and convictions, and live according to them out of reverence for God. They should grant that same freedom and responsibility to others who may disagree with them.

Response & Action:
I need to be realistic and accept the fact that Christians will disagree on some matters in life. I need to make sure that my viewpoints and actions are guided by my faith in God and my submission to his will. In disputable matters, I need to graciously respect the viewpoints and actions of others. I can learn and grow as I interact in healthy and loving ways with those who have opinions and perspectives different from my own. I will live my life according to my convictions, while graciously granting that same freedom to others.

O God, help me to love you with all my heart, soul, mind and strength. Guide me by your Spirit and by your written word. Help me to live out my faith in my daily life. Give me a humble heart and graciousness toward others who live out their faith differently than I do. Help all of us who follow Christ to be an encouragement to each other. Help us to respect, understand, and forebear each other. In Jesus Name, I pray. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: Philippians 3:14-16
14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. 15 All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. 16 Only let us live up to what we have already attained.

Resources:
Mere Christianity
by C.S. Lewis

November 27 - Love Fulfills

Today's Readings:
New Testament -
Luke 19:28-38 / Romans 13
Old Testament -
Psalms 68 / Deuteronomy 22-26
Click on Text Links to Read Online

Focus Verses: Romans 13:8-10
8 Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. 9 The commandments, "Do not commit adultery," "Do not murder," "Do not steal," "Do not covet," and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: "Love your neighbor as yourself." 10 Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

Insight:
It's important to keep Romans 12 in mind as I think about today's reading, Romans 13. The life God has called me to live in the world begins with my surrendered relationship with him. My relationship with God is to be lived in Christian community where I serve and encourage others, and, in turn, receive love and support from them. Christian community must relate to the world around it--other religions, competing worldviews, persecution, enemies, governing authorities, political tensions, and social obligations. In all these things, love for God and love toward others should guide our behavior, choices, and attitudes.

Response & Action:
I want to honor God and live in the way of Christ. This is very challenging a world filled with pluralistic beliefs, hostile conflicts, competing political systems, complex laws, and multi-layered governing structures.

In all this complexity, I will be guided by a few straightforward principles: 1) I will surrender my life to God and follow Christ; 2) I will make Christian community a priority in my life--giving my time, sharing myself, exercising my talents, and building authentic relationships; 3) I will love God with my all, and love my neighbors with the same love and concern I would want them to extend to me.

O God, life in this world is more than I can face on my own. By your power and grace, help me to navigate through the many challenges, complexities, and conflicts. Help me to love you with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. Help me to live with integrity and care toward others in authentic Christian community. Help my Christian community to be an instrument of your grace, truth, peace, and blessing to the world around us. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: 1 John 4:14-16
14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. 16 And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.

Resources:
The Hole in Our Gospel: What does God expect of Us?
by Richard Stearns

November 26 - Blessed Curse

Today's Readings:
New Testament -
Luke 19:11-27 / Romans 12:9-21
Old Testament -
Psalms 67 / Deuteronomy 18-21
Click on Text Links to Read Online

Focus Verses: Deuteronomy 21:22-23
22 If a man guilty of a capital offense is put to death and his body is hung on a tree, 23 you must not leave his body on the tree overnight. Be sure to bury him that same day, because anyone who is hung on a tree is under God's curse. You must not desecrate the land the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance.

Insight:
The Apostle Paul unexpectedly quotes and appropriates these verses in his letter to the Galatians (3:10-14) when he says, "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: 'Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.' He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit."

Jesus' death on the cross was perceived as a curse, but in reality it was the source of great blessing. It was the way God would fulfill his covenant promise to Abraham. It was the way God subverted our lost condition and made a way for us to receive life.

By suffering death and dignity at the hands of sinful humanity, Jesus fully embraced the tragic human condition, for every person has suffered the consequences of the sins committed by others. But Jesus, unlike every other human who has ever lived, was without sin. He committed no sin! None of the brokenness and death in the world can be traced to him.

Jesus is the only human who suffered sin, and yet lived without sin. That is why he is the only one who is able to save. It is God's justice that grants resurrection and eternal life to Jesus. It is God's grace, through Christ Jesus, that makes new life and the promise of the Spirit available to all who place their hope and faith in him.

Response & Action:
My hope for life is in Jesus. I am broken and hurt from sin in the world, but I am also a sinner who has contributed to the sinful mess the world is in. I am thankful the sinless Christ has been given the authority to graciously share the life, forgiveness, hope, and the resurrection power he has received with all those who love him. I will seek Christ with all my heart. I will take hold of the promise and life he died to give me. I will take hold of the blessings he is able to freely give because he was willing to suffer the curse of the cross.

O God, when I survey the cross on which the Prince of Glory died. My richest gain I count but loss and I pour contempt on all my pride. Forbid it, God, that I should boast in anything but death of Christ, my Lord. All the vain things that charm me most, I sacrifice them to his blood. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: Galatians 2:20-21
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. 21 I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!

Resources:
The Nature of the Atonement: Four Views
by Thomas R. Schreiner

November 25 - Seeking and Sought

Today's Readings:
New Testament -
Luke 19:1-10 / Romans 12:1-8
Old Testament -
Psalms 66 / Numbers 13-17
Click on Text Links to Read Online

Focus Verses: Luke 19:3-6
3 [Zacchaeus] wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. 5 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today." 6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.

Insight:
Zacchaeus was so motivated to see Jesus he was willing to climb a tree if that's what it took. It must have been quite a sight to see a wealthy man like Zacchaeus up a tree. This wholehearted effort was hard to miss, and when Jesus saw him, he looked up and said something to this effect: "Come down here! You're obviously a man with a story, and I've just got to hear it. Let's go to your house."

Zacchaeus was seeking out Jesus; and Jesus was "seeking the lost" (Lk. 19:10). That was a very happy convergence of searches. Today there are many people seeking a glimpse of Jesus, and it’s good to know that Jesus is still seeking them through his church and by his Spirit. Those who have found Christ need to join him in seeking out those who are still searching for him.

Response & Action:
I will join Jesus in his mission to seek and save the lost. I will continually seek Christ and draw near to him, keeping my eyes open for others who are searching for the truth, salvation, hope, forgiveness, restoration, and purpose he has for them. When I seek Jesus, I find him. And having found Jesus, I must become a seeker like him.

O God, give me the grace and discernment to see those who are seeking Jesus. Help me to draw nearer to Jesus every day, so that I might be more able to help others do the same. Thank you that Jesus came to seek and save the lost. Help me to join him in seeking out those who are searching for him and all he has to offer. Through Christ, I pray. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: Luke 19:10
10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost."

Resources:
Searching for God Knows What
by Donald Miller

November 24 - These Words

Today's Readings:
New Testament -
Luke 18:31-43 / Romans 11:25-36
Old Testament -
Psalms 65 / Deuteronomy 9-12
Click on Text Links to Read Online

Focus Verses: Deuteronomy 10:18-21
18 Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 19 Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 20 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates, 21 so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land that the LORD swore to give your forefathers, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth.

Insight:
As Moses was recounting the experiences of Israel's journey, the instruction they had received from God, and the possibilities that were now before them, he stressed the importance of keeping God's word alive in their lives. He told them to fix God's words in their hearts and minds; to talk about God's words with their families--at mealtimes, on walks, at bedtimes; to make God's words a part of everyday life--as everyday as walking through the front doors of their homes. Faithfulness to God's word, Moses said, would lead them to long, blessed, and fulfilling lives in the new land God was giving them.

Response & Action:
God's Word--his instruction, his commands, and the story of his interaction with humankind--should be part of my everyday life. That's why I spend a little time reading Bible each and every day. It's why I spend a little time thinking, journaling, and praying about what I've read. It's why I enjoy talking about the Bible with friends and family whenever I can. It's why I love singing Scripture songs. It's why I commit verses to memory. It's why I enjoy art and books and blogs and movies and poetry and lectures and anything else that causes me to remember and delight in God's Word.

O God, I want your words to be part of my everyday life—as common as waking with the new day, as typical as a morning cup of coffee, as usual as driving to work, as frequent as checking email, as normal as brushing my teeth. Through the Scriptures, remind me of your love, spur me on toward love and good deed, and lead me in the ways of truth. May your Word be alive in my heart and mind, be heard on my lips as I talk with friends and family, and be made visible as it shapes my attitudes and actions. Through Christ, I pray. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: Ephesians 5:19-20
19 Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Resources:
Holy Conversation
by Richard Peace

November 23 - Wonder and Glory

Today's Readings:
New Testament -
Luke 18:18-30 / Romans 11:1-24
Old Testament -
Psalms 64 / Deuteronomy 6-8
Click on Text Links to Read Online

Focus Verses: Romans 11:33-36
33 Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! 34 "Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?" 35 "Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?" 36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.

Insight:
God's will and work to save humankind is beyond human comprehension. Why some respond to God's grace and mercy, why others reject it, and how both groups relate and interact with each other is something only the infinite knowledge and wisdom of God can trace out. And just how is God involved in all of that? When is he pushing, calling, influencing, revealing, or waiting? It's a mystery beyond our knowledge or reason. But in faith, we accept that all things are from God and through God and for God, and so we give him praise and honor forever.

Response & Action:
My faith rests in God. The scriptures testify that he is loving, just, all-wise, and all-powerful. I know that life, truth, and even knowledge of myself are too wonderful and deep for me to grasp and comprehend. In humble recognition of my weakness, the limitations of my understanding, the smallness of my being, and the frailty of my life, I place all my hope and trust in God.

In faith, I will take hold of the salvation and hope God has given me through Christ. In faith, I will surrender to the leading and shaping of the Holy Spirit. In faith, I will hide the Scriptures in my heart that I might be an obedient disciple. Since all I have comes from God, I will commit my all to bringing glory and honor to Him.

O magnify the Lord with me and let us exalt his name together! O God, you are my God, and I will glorify you. I will seek you in the morning. My hope is in you all day long. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: 1 Corinthians 1:25
25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength.

Resources:
I Give You Glory, O God: Honoring His Righteousness in Your Private Worship
by Jerry Bridges

Reading Schedule for Nov. 23 - 28

Mark 4:13-20
13 Then Jesus said to them, "Don't you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? 14 The farmer sows the word. 15 Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. 16 Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. 17 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 18 Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; 19 but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. 20 Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—thirty, sixty or even a hundred times what was sown."

Schedule and Tips
2009-10 Reading Schedule
Tips for Daily Bible Readers

November 23 -
Luke 18:18-30 / Romans 11:1-24
Psalms 64 / Deuteronomy 6-8

November 24 -
Luke 18:31-43 / Romans 11:25-36
Psalms 65 / Deuteronomy 9-12

November 25 -
Luke 19:1-10 / Romans 12:1-8
Psalms 66 / Deuteronomy 13-17

November 26 -
Luke 19:11-27 / Romans 12:9-21
Psalms 67 / Deuteronomy 18-21

November 27 -
Luke 19:28-38 / Romans 13
Psalms 68 / Deuteronomy 22-26

November 28 -
Luke 19:39-48 / Romans 14
Psalms 69:1-18 / Deuteronomy 27-28

November 21 - Humble

Today's Readings:
New Testament -
Luke 18:9-17 / Romans 10
Old Testament -
Psalms 63 / Deuteronomy 4-5
Click on Text Links to Read Online

Focus Verses: Luke 18:13-14
13 "But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.' 14 "I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

Insight:
Jesus taught that God sees the injustices of our world and will one day bring justice and set all things right. Jesus warned those who looked down at others and felt a little too sure of their own goodness. He told them that truly righteous people understand they are sinners, and have a deep sense of their need for mercy. Humility is the mark of true righteousness.

Response & Action:
I want to be humble before God and others. I want to be quicker to see the sin in my own life than to notice the faults of others. I will deal with the log in my own eye before trying to help others with the speck in theirs. I want to draw upon God’s grace for living a righteous life. I will be careful to give God glory for any good thing he does in me. I will put aside arrogance and self-congratulation and depend on God to lift me up at the right time.

O God, have mercy on me, a sinner. Thank you for your son, Jesus, who has brought your grace and forgiveness to me. Help me to follow him in humility and full surrender. Thank you for the promise of redemption Christ brings for me and for the whole world. Give me the wisdom and the strength to join him in his redemptive work today, as he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: 1 Peter 5:6-7
6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

Resources:
Why Sin Matters: The Surprising Relationship between Our Sin and God's Grace
by Mark R. McMinn

November 20 - Watched Over

Today's Readings:
New Testament -
Luke 18:1-8 / Romans 9:19-33
Old Testament -
Psalms 62 / Deuteronomy 1-3
Click on Text Links to Read Online

Focus Verses: Deuteronomy 2:7
7 The LORD your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He has watched over your journey through this vast desert. These forty years the LORD your God has been with you, and you have not lacked anything.

Insight:
God took care of the Israelites during all their travels in the wilderness. Though their wandering in the wilderness was a punishment for lack of faith and obedience, God did not abandon his children or fail to meet their needs.

Response & Action:
My failures to believe in God or obey God can result in missed blessings and a more difficult journey. But even when God's hand of discipline or punishment is on me, he will not abandon me or fail to provide for me.

O God, make me quick to obey you and strong in faith toward you. Thank you for being faithful to take care of me even when I fail you. Be my guide, my strength, and my provider, by the power grace of your Spirit, through Christ Jesus. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: Hebrews 12:11
11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

Resources:
Hope Has Its Reasons: The Search to Satisfy Our Deepest Longings
by Rebecca Manley Pippert

November 19 - Choosing Christ

Today's Readings:
New Testament -
Luke 17:20-37 / Romans 9:1-18
Old Testament -
Psalms 61 / Numbers 33-36
Click on Text Links to Read Online

Focus Verses: Romans 9:14-16; 30-33
14 What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all! 15 For he says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion." 16 It does not, therefore, depend on man's desire or effort, but on God's mercy.
- - - 30 What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith; 31 but Israel, who pursued a law of righteousness, has not attained it. 32 Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the "stumbling stone." 33 As it is written: "See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame."

Insight:
This chapter of Romans is often very misunderstood because it is not read in context with the entire book of Romans. When we ask, "Who is chosen by God to receive his mercy (9:14)?" The greater context answers, "The one who pursues righteousness by faith (9:30-31) in Christ (9:33)."

God's sovereign choice ("compassion on whom I have compassion") is not some willy-nilly arbitrary groundless whim. The sovereign God has made a way to life and salvation-- Jesus. To pursue righteousness through placing faith in Christ is a choice I make. God's sovereign choice is to save all who choose place faith in Christ Jesus.

Read all of Romans and notice how God holds people accountable for rejecting Christ. Notice that those who do not receive mercy are those who are obstinate toward God's mercy (10:21) Though God has been extending his open arms of love to them, they are unwilling to accept his love. Instead of choosing righteousness through Christ, they exchange the truth of God for a lie (1:25). The sovereign God chooses to hold us responsible for our choices.

Response & Action:
I choose Jesus, who first chose me. I surrender to God and embrace the salvation and forgiveness he extends to me through faith in Christ Jesus. My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus. I would have no hope or choice apart from God's grace, but God in his sovereignty has offered life for the choosing through Christ.

O God, thank you for extending your compassion and mercy to mankind. Help me to know your compassion and mercy in deeper and fuller ways with each new day. O Lord, I pray that you would soften hearts and open eyes so that more and more people would come to know the hope of Christ and the joy of salvation. Help me to be a witness of your mercy and a testimony of your compassion. Thank you for your promise to save all who put their faith in Christ. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: 1 Timothy 2:4-6
4 [God our Savior] 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, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all men—the testimony given in its proper time.

Resources:
Chosen But Free
by Norman Geisler