March 31 - Clothe Yourselves

Today's Reading:
2 Chronicles 21:1-23:21
Colossians 3:1-17
Psalm 117:1-2
Click on Text Link to Read Online

Focus Verses:
Colossians 3:12-15
12 Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. 15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.

Insight:
Compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience are all prominent characteristics of God's people. These qualities are essential if people who follow Christ are to become a "people"--a community. Forbearance and forgiveness are also essential to community. Love is at the heart of all of this. Christ's love, peace, and forgiveness are what make it possible for his people to love each other and live together in unity.

Response & Action:
Are compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience prominent characteristics of my life? Are these the qualities I am known for by others? I need to think about Christ's great love and forgiveness for me. I need to consider how I can follow his example and exercise love, forbearance, grace, and mercy toward others.

Paul says instructs Christians to "clothe themselves" with these virtues. This instruction makes it clear that action on my part is needed for this to happen. I will give effort to the things that will help me cultivate, learn, and live out these virtues.

O God, thank you for the love, mercy, and forgiveness you have for your people. Help me to clothe myself with the virtues of love, humility, gentleness, and patience, that I might experience true Christian community and make a positive contribution to it. Help me to graciously forgive and forbear others and live in peace with everyone as much as is possible. Help me, and my circle of Christian friends, to be a testimony of your truth and grace as we live in unity. Help our community to be marked by love, gentleness, service, and peace. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: Romans 15:5-6
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.

Resources:
Life Together
by Dietrich Bonhoeffer

March 30 - Rooted and Built Up

Today's Reading:
2 Chronicles 19:1-20:37
Colossians 2:8-23
Psalm 116:12-19
Click on Text Link to Read Online

Focus Verses:
Colossians 2:6-10
6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, 7 rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. 8 See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. 9 For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, 10 and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority.

Insight:
Putting faith in Christ Jesus and surrendering to his authority is the beginning to a new life that must be continued and lived out. As our roots grow deep into Christ and our hearts are strengthened by faith in him, our lives are built up; we are able to do what we've been taught, and thankfulness flows out of us.

Response & Action:
I must not let my faith in Christ become a powerless list of rules, beliefs, and traditions, or be reduced to a philosophical system of principles. My faith is rooted in Christ. He is my hope because he embodies the fullness of Deity. As I receive Christ, his fullness becomes my fullness. He is greater than every power and authority. It is by his power and authority that my life can be transformed.

I desire to live a transformed life, and to be built up with Christ as my foundation. He is the one who saves me--not religion, not a set of ideas, not traditions, not spiritual disciplines, and not rules. All these become distractions unless they lead me to a deeper love and relationship with Jesus. They are only valuable to me as a means of growing into and building upon Jesus, who is the hope of my life and the power for living.

O God, help me to know and experience Christ Jesus more each day. My faith and hope are in him. Strengthen and increase my faith, as I put down deep roots through the study of scripture, prayer, service, obedience, and fellowship with other believers. O Jesus, all authority and power belong to you. Lead me, teach me, and transform me into your likeness. May my life overflow with thanksgiving as I continue to build my life on you. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: Ephesians 3:16-19
16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Resources:
Deep-Rooted in Christ: The Way of Transformation
by Joshua Choonmin Kang

March 29 - I Was Overcome by Trouble

Today's Reading:
2 Chronicles 17:1-18:34
Colossians 1:18-2:7
Psalm 116:1-11
Click on Text Link to Read Online

Focus Verses:
Psalm 116:1-5
1 I love the LORD, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy. 2 Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live. 3 The cords of death entangled me, the anguish of the grave came upon me; I was overcome by trouble and sorrow. 4 Then I called on the name of the LORD : "O LORD, save me!" 5 The LORD is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion.

Insight:
The person who lives by faith trusts that God is not distant or unconcerned. We believe he hears our voice and is responsive to our cries for help. When we are tied up in the stress and struggles of our lives, we call on the Lord. We believe he is gracious and righteous and full of compassion, and so we ask him to save us. And because we cry out to him, we experience his help. We discover that he does indeed hear our cries and he does meet us in our times of need.

Having faith, we are moved to prayer. Having prayed, we are more able to recognize God's saving response. Having recognized God's response, we grow in faith. Having grown in our faith, we find ourselves more apt to pray and more confident in God's grace. Having grown more confident in God's grace, we find ourselves more able to live by faith.

Response & Action:
I believe God is gracious, righteous, and compassionate. Because I trust him, I will cry out to him. Problems, heartaches, struggles, losses, defeats, and threats will drive me to the God I trust. I will cry out to him as long as I live.

O God. I believe in your goodness, therefore I pray. Though the world is filled with liars and lies, you speak and act in truth. Though the world is full of death, you offer life. Though life is difficult and demanding, you are attentive and faithful. Though the world is entangled in the lie that everything is meaningless, you give meaning a purpose and hope. Thank you for the salvation, the strength, and the stability you have given through Christ Jesus, my Savior, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: Romans 12:11-12
11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

Resources:
Prayer: Finding the Heart's True Home
by Richard Foster

March 28 - When We Pray for You

Today's Reading:
2 Chronicles 14:1-16:14
Colossians 1:1-17
Psalm 115:12-18
Click on Text Link to Read Online

Focus Verses:
Colossians 1:3-6
3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4 because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints— 5 the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel 6 that has come to you. All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God's grace in all its truth.

Insight:
The truth of God and the good news of Jesus is bearing fruit all over the world. Christianity is not a private thing or a western culture thing. In fact, there are now more Christians in the southern hemisphere than in the northern. English is not the first language of most Christians.

People all around the globe are putting their faith in Jesus, which is resulting in changed lives. Hope for life and love for others flows out of an understanding of God's grace in all its truth. Hearing about the worldwide response to Christ should make me thankful and move me to prayer.

Response & Action:
I want to be a world Christian who appreciates being part of global community of faith in Christ. I want to pray for Christians around the world. I want to grow in my own faith as I gain understanding and encouragement from Christians living in other cultures and circumstances. I want to understand and experience God's grace in all its truth.

Dear Lord, thank you for your grace and mercy to all people. Thank you for extending your love to the whole world. Thank you for saving all who put their faith in Christ. Help me to understand and remember that my faith in Christ is not just a personal, individual affair, but is, rather, a reality to be experienced in a global community of believers. Help me to be faithful to pray for Christians around the world. Help all who follow Christ to be a light and witness, that the household of faith will extend to and include people from every tribe, language, ethnicity, and nation. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: Revelation 5:9
9 And they sang a new song: "You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. 10 You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth."

Resources:
Praying: Finding Our Way Through Duty to Delight
by J. I. Packer and Carolyn Nystrom

March 27 - Peace for Heart and Mind

Today's Reading:
2 Chronicles 11:1-13:22
Philippians 4:1-23
Psalm 115:1-11
Click on Text Link to Read Online

Focus Verses:
Philippians 4:6-7
6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Insight:
It's not hard to be stressed out. Life is filled with burdens and problems that can lead to worry and fear. Rather than being consumed with anxiety, Paul advises prayer, petition, and thanksgiving. Worry and stress accomplish nothing, but lifting up my needs to God in a spirit praise and thanksgiving accomplishes something beneficial. There is a peace only God can give, and only those who cast their anxieties upon the Lord experience that peace in their hearts and minds.

Response & Action:
Instead of letting the concerns and difficulties of life fill me with anxiety, I will let them push and prompt me toward prayer. I will make my needs and concerns known to God, trusting that he will provide and care for me. As I pray, I will praise God for his goodness and thank him for all the ways I believe he has blessed me.

O Lord, you are gracious and righteous and full of compassion. I know you see my needs and hear my prayers. Guard my heart and mind with the peace of Christ. When I am stressed, give me rest as I trust in you. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: John 14:26-27
26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. 27 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.

Resources:
Living Peacefully in a Stressful World: A Stategy for Replacing Stress With Peace
by Ronald Hutchcraft and Ray C. Stedman

Reading Schedule for March 27 - April 2

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:
2010-11 Reading Schedule
Tips for Daily Bible Readers

March 27 -
2 Chronicles 11:1-13:22 / Philippians 4:1-23 / Psalm 115:1-11

March 28 -
2 Chronicles 14:1-16:14 / Colossians 1:1-17 / Psalm 115:12-18

March 29 -
2 Chronicles 17:1-18:34 / Colossians 1:18-2:7 / Psalm 116:1-11

March 30 -
2 Chronicles 19:1-20:37 / Colossians 2:8-23 / Psalm 116:12-19

March 31 -
2 Chronicles 21:1-23:21 / Colossians 3:1-17 / Psalm 117:1-2

April 1 -
2 Chronicles 24:1-25:28 / Colossians 3:18-4:18 / Psalm 118:1-16

April 2 -
2 Chronicles 26:1-28:27 / 1 Thessalonians 1:1-2:8 / Psalm 118:17-29

Lenten Readings
In addition to the regular Useful Breath reading schedule, you're invited to join me in reading/watching the Gospel of Mark in the weeks leading up to Easter. Just click over to my Altered Faces blog. That's where I'll be posting the weekly reading schedules. I'll also be posting videos of Max McLean's interpretive recitation of each chapter.

March 26 - Pressing Toward the Prize

Today's Reading:
2 Chronicles 8:11-10:19
Philippians 3:4-21
Psalm 114:1-8
Click on Text Link to Read Online

Focus Verses:
Philippians 3:12b-14
12b I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Insight:
For the Christian who is growing and maturing, nothing comes before Christ. The center and priority of life is to know him and all he has for us--experiencing the transformation and purpose he brings. This requires effort.

Paul says he "presses on" and "strains toward what is ahead." Implicit in these words is the idea that Christians face pressures and resistance as they endeavor to move ahead in their pursuit of Christ. Paul also says that in order to move forward he "forgets what is behind." The habits and burdens from the past can also drag Christians down and hold them back.

Response & Action:
If knowing Christ and taking hold of his plan for me is my greatest desire and priority, I must fix my eyes on Jesus and direct my energies toward him and the purposes he has for me. I must let go of the past and be prepared to face challenges in the future. I do this in the confidence that his grace and power will sustain me.

Dear Lord, help me to keep my eyes on you and to desire you more than anything else in life. You are my life. I want to know you and the power of your resurrection. Lead, teach, transform, shape, and strengthen me. Help me to let go of the past, to break free from old patterns and habits, and to shake off the sin that so easily entangles. Help me to press forward through the challenges and pressures that would hinder me from knowing and serving you. Help me to mature in Christ and give me confidence in your grace and power to help me win the prize of my upward calling. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: Hebrews 12:2-3
2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

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

March 25 - From the Rising of the Sun

Today's Reading:
2 Chronicles 6:12-8:10
Philippians 2:19-3:3
Psalm 113:1-9
Click on Text Link to Read Online

Focus Verses: Psalm 113:2-4
2 Let the name of the LORD be praised, both now and forevermore. 3 From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the LORD is to be praised. 4 The LORD is exalted over all the nations, his glory above the heavens.

Insight:
From the beginning of the day to its ending, the Lord is worthy of my praise. From the beginning of my week through its conclusion, the Lord is worthy of honor each and every day. His love is higher than the heavens, and his faithfulness reaches beyond the skies. The contemplation of all God has made and has done call for a response of worship and thanksgiving.

Response & Action:
I want praise and thanksgiving to be the central ingredient of my day. I want to lift up praise to the Lord. I will worship him and stand in awe of his mighty acts. I will thank him for his grace and his faithfulness. I will wake up to all of the reasons to give glory to God.

O God, give me the eyes to see your goodness, and the mind to remember your faithfulness to your people throughout history. Give me a heart that is ready to worship you all day every day, and a voice that is quick to sing your praise. Thank you for your grace and mercy toward me, a sinner. Thank you for the redemption you have given through Christ. Thank you for the transformation and renewal you make possible by the power of your Holy Spirit. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: Romans 12:1-2
1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. 2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Resources:
Reflections on the Psalms
by C. S. Lewis

March 24 - The Interests of Others

Today's Reading:
2 Chronicles 4:1-6:11
Philippians 1:27-2:18
Psalm 112:1-10
Click on Text Link to Read Online

Focus Verses:
Philippians 2:3-8
3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross!

Insight:
Selfishness, pride, and self-serving ambition are contrary to following Christ. Jesus demonstrated true humility, selfless concern, and a willingness to sacrifice for the needs of others. Though he existed in the very nature of God, he emptied himself for our sake and for God's glory. He was humble and obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Response & Action:
As a follower of Jesus, my attitude and my actions should be like his. With God's guidance, and by his grace, I must cultivate a genuine concern for the needs of others. I must become self-giving and humble. I must let go of any selfish agenda and any attitude that runs contrary to the pattern of Christ. I must seek God's will and strive to honor him in all my ways.

O God, help me to turn away from what is wrong and do what is right. By the power and grace of your Holy Spirit, shape me and help me to have the mind of Christ. Teach me through your word and give me the readiness and willingness to obey. Help me to serve you and honor you even if it means sacrifice and hardship for me. Help me to delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your name. Through Christ Jesus my Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: Ephesians 4:1-2
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.

Resources:
The Jesus Creed: Loving God, Loving Others
by Scot McKnight

March 23 - By Life or By Death

Today's Reading:
2 Chronicles 1:1-3:17
Philippians 1:1-26
Psalm 111:1-10
Click on Text Link to Read Online

Focus Verses:
Philippians 1:19-21
19 ...for I know that through your prayers and God’s provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance. 20 I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. 21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

Insight:
Paul was in prison and facing the real possibility of death. He wasn't sure whether he would be released and given more opportunities to minister, or whether he would be silenced by long-term imprisonment or even death. His faith in God was so much deeper than his fear of circumstances that he could imagine how God might use either possibility to accomplish his will. Paul could entertain the possibility of dying for Christ as easily as living for Christ.

Paul believed that by the provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, and through prayers of his Christian brothers and sisters, God's purposes would be accomplished. Paul was convinced that he personally would not be ashamed in either outcome—death or in life. For Paul, to live meant fruitful labor for God, and to die meant the great gain of being with the Lord.

Response & Action:
I want the driving motivation in my life to be centered on serving God's purposes and bringing glory to God. I want to draw so near to God, and be so convinced of his provision and good will, that I am willing to risk all and face anything. I want to grow so deep in my faith that I see every moment of life as the opportunity to serve and honor God, and see the possibilities and realities of death as gain.

O Father, help me to live for you and through you in thought, word, and deed. Help me to seize every opportunity to know you, serve you, and love you. Give me a heart that seeks your guidance for life, and trusts your provision and promise in death. Help me to know you and experience you so deeply that I am able to say with Paul, "To live is Christ, and to die is gain." Give me eyes to see how you are able to make all things work toward the ultimate good of your redemptive and saving will. Help me to remember that there is more to life than my circumstances, and that life in Christ is bigger and truer than death. I pray all this in the name of Jesus, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: Romans 8:38-39
38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Resources:
Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church
by N. T. Wright

March 22 - Stand Your Ground

Today's Reading:
1 Chronicles 28:1-29:30
Ephesians 6:1-24
Psalm 110:1-7
Click on Text Link to Read Online

Focus Verses:
Ephesians 6:11-13
11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.

Insight:
The struggle for good and evil has a spiritual, cosmic dimension. Paul reminds us that the struggles of humanity are part of a much larger picture. There is a spiritual dimension to the problems we face. To address difficult life issues effectively, we must recognize the spiritual roots and principles at work: hate, greed, malice, dehumanization, fear, rage, envy, pride, lust for power, possessions, self-gratification, godlessness, rebellion, and blasphemy.

To be truly concerned about spiritual issues in our world, we must also recognize and counter the problems and systems that grow out of spiritual depravity: social injustice and war; corporate greed; systemic poverty, starvation, and disease; political corruption; abuse and discrimination; human trafficking, and so much more. Our struggle is not merely with flesh and blood; it is against spiritual powers and principalities. Neither is our struggle merely spiritual; it is against the very material systems and evils brought on by dark powers at work in our world.

Response & Action:
I must recognize the spiritual root of all the evil and human suffering in my world. I must recognize the very practical and physical ways that spiritual evil is corrupting human affairs in my world. I must put on the full armor of God—his truth, his counsel, his word, his righteousness, his peace, and his Spirit—if I am to stand firm in the fight against evil. As a follower of Jesus, in the strength of the Lord, I need to oppose evil and stand up for what is right.

Our Father, who fills the heavens, holy is your name. I long to see your Kingdom come to earth—your will lived out on earth as it is in heaven. Strengthen me, protect me, and help me to stand firm in the face of evil. Help me to raise my voice, give my energy, and exercise my abilities as a force for truth and good against those powers of evil that are destroying the lives of so many in our world. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: James 4:7-8
7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

Resources:
Good News About Injustice: A Witness of Courage in a Hurting World
by Gary A. Haugen

March 21 - Now You Are Light

Today's Reading:
1 Chronicles 26:12-27:34
Ephesians 5:1-33
Psalm 109:21-31
Click on Text Link to Read Online

Focus Verses:
Ephesians 5:8-14
8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10 and find out what pleases the Lord. 11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. 13 But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, 14 for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said: "Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you."

Insight:
The light of life and truth is in Christ. To surrender to Christ and follow him is to embrace the light and come out of the darkness of sin, corruption, and shame. In Christ, we not only follow the light, we become light--"now you are light in the Lord." We are to live as "children of the light." Rather than participating in the fruitless acts of the darkness, we expose them for what they are. We see sin for the empty thing it is and the death it brings. We wake up and rise from the dead when we come out of the darkness of sin into the bright light of Christ.

Response & Action:
I see darkness and sin for what they are. I see the shame, destruction, and death they bring. I see Christ Jesus for who he is. I see the light and truth and life he gives. My faith is in Jesus. He is my Lord and my savior. He is my light. I will love and follow him with all my heart. I want to walk in his light. I want to break free from the darkness and become light in Him. I want to have nothing to do with the darkness. With faith in Christ's grace and power, I will put aside the fruitless acts of darkness and, instead, live in truth, goodness, and righteousness.

O God. Show me your ways; guide me in your truth and lead me. Be the light that guides my way. Raise me from the darkness. Help me to follow Christ so wholeheartedly that I am changed so completely that I too become light. Help me to be honest about the darkness in my life and in the world around me. Expose it for the emptiness and death it is, O God, so that it would have no attraction for me. Fill my heart with a desire to know and experience the true light of Christ and to live in it all my days. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: Matthew 5:14-16
14 "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

Resources:
Reflecting the Glory: Meditations for Living Christ's Life in the World
by N.T. Wright

March 20 - Getting RId of Bitterness

Today's Reading:
1 Chronicles 24:1-26:11
Ephesians 4:17-32
Psalm 109:1-20
Click on Text Link to Read Online

Focus Verses:
Ephesians 4:31-32
31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Insight:
Fellowship and friendship among Christians requires care and effort. There are many things that threaten to destroy unity within the body of Christ. Paul warns the Ephesians of some of the things they must guard against: falsehood, failure to speak truthfully, uncontrolled anger, holding grudges, stealing, laziness, selfishness, careless words, bitterness, rage, fighting, slander, lack of compassion, ignoring the Spirit, and the failure to forgive. All these things give the devil a foothold and sabotage Christian community.

Response & Action:
I want to both enjoy and extend the blessing of Christian fellowship. I understand that this will require effort, humility, and obedience on my part. I will strive to live with integrity. I will speak truthfully and carefully because I want my words to be helpful and beneficial to others. I will keep my attitude and my temper in check. I will not allow anger to slip into rage or bitterness. I will not hold grudges, but will instead learn to forgive and extend grace. I will do my best to be a responsible and hardworking person. I will cultivate a compassionate and generous attitude toward others. I will look to the Holy Spirit for the guidance, strength, and transformation I need to be a life-giving member of the body of Christ.

O God, protect your people from the sins and weaknesses that destroy fellowship. By the power and grace of your Holy Spirit, shape and create a community of Christ-followers that honor you, love each other, and bless the world. Forgive us for the times we are careless and allow anger, malice, and selfishness divide us from each other. Help us to turn away from careless words, ugly attitudes, and foolish actions that cause dissension. Give us hearts that seek to love you with everything we've got, and seek to love others as ourselves. Through Christ, I pray. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: Philippians 2:1-4
1 If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Resources:
Life Together
by Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Reading Schedule for March 20-26

Psalm 119:50-55
50 My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise preserves my life. 51 The arrogant mock me without restraint, but I do not turn from your law. 52 I remember your ancient laws, O LORD, and I find comfort in them. 53 Indignation grips me because of the wicked, who have forsaken your law. 54 Your decrees are the theme of my song wherever I lodge. 55 In the night I remember your name, O LORD, and I will keep your law.

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

March 20 -
1 Chronicles 24:1-26:11 / Ephesians 4:17-32 / Psalm 109:1-20

March 21 -
1 Chronicles 26:12-27:34 / Ephesians 5:1-33 / Psalm 109:21-31

March 22 -
1 Chronicles 28:1-29:30 / Ephesians 6:1-24 / Psalm 110:1-7

March 23 -
2 Chronicles 1:1-3:17 / Philippians 1:1-26 / Psalm 111:1-10

March 24 -
2 Chronicles 4:1-6:11 / Philippians 1:27-2:18 / Psalm 112:1-10

March 25 -
2 Chronicles 6:12-8:10 / Philippians 2:19-3:3 / Psalm 113:1-9

March 26 -
2 Chronicles 8:11-10:19 / Philippians 3:4-21 / Psalm 114:1-8

Lenten Readings
In addition to the regular Useful Breath reading schedule, you're invited to join me in reading/watching the Gospel of Mark in the weeks leading up to Easter. Just click over to my Altered Faces blog. That's where I'll be posting the weekly reading schedules. I'll also be posting videos of Max McLean's interpretive recitation of each chapter.

March 19 - Worthy of the Calling

Today's Reading:
1 Chronicles 22:1-23:32
Ephesians 4:1-16
Psalm 108:6-13
Click on Text Link to Read Online

Focus Verses:
Ephesians 4:1-6
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. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

Insight:
Paul urged the Ephesian Christians to live up to their calling in Christ. He reminded them that God was not only over all, but through all, and in all. The life of the person who answers Christ's call is a life empowered and filled by the grace of the Holy Spirit. Humility, gentleness, patience, forbearance, love, and unity are all the fruit of God's transforming work in the believer's life—his authority (over), his power (through), and his indwelling presence (in).

Response & Action:
To live a life worthy of the calling I have received, I must live out my salvation as fully as possible. Paul urged the Ephesians to take hold of God's grace and power for all its worth. I want to take hold of all God has in store for me. Half-heartedness and apathy are opposed to living a life worthy of the call of Christ.

Jesus calls me to more than belief, and more than forgiveness. He calls me to transformation and the fullness of God. By the strength and guidance of the Holy Spirit who indwells my mortal body, I can and must grow into likeness of Christ. When I am taking hold of all God offers to me (taking hold for all its worth), I will grow in humility, patience, endurance, tolerance, love, and concern for others.

O God, help me to live for you and through you in thought, word, and deed. Help me to turn away from what is wrong and do what is right. Help me to love you with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love my neighbor as myself. By the power and grace of your Holy Spirit, lead, teach, transform, shape, and strengthen 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: Colossians 1:9b-13
9b We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, 10 so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, 12 and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. 13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

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

March 18 - The Fullness of God

Today's Reading:
1 Chronicles 19:1-21:30
Ephesians 3:1-21
Psalm 108:1-5
Click on Text Link to Read Online

Focus Verses:
Ephesians 3:14-19
14 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Insight:
With great passion, the Apostle Paul prays for the Ephesian Christians to be strengthened by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. He prays for them to be rooted in love. He prays that they will be able to grasp, know, experience all God has for them. He prays that they be filled with the fullness of Christ's love.

Response & Action:
I want to live and pray with an intensity and vision like that of the Apostle Paul. I want to be passionate in my devotion to Christ. I want to know the love of Christ experience the fullest measure of the life he gives. I want to be strengthened, guided, and shaped by the Holy Spirit. This must be my highest priority, the foundation for all my life, and the object of all my intentions. This is also my prayer for others others in Christ—my family, my friends, my neighbors, and my colleagues.

O God. I believe that knowing you and growing in you must be the passion of my life. I believe that living life to the fullest can only happen by knowing and experiencing the love of Christ to the fullest. Help me as I desire to seek him first—his kingdom and his righteousness. Strengthen me and guide me by your Spirit. Help me, by your grace, to stretch and to focus my energies and intentions on every good thing that draws me closer to you—further, deeper, higher, and wider into Christ. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: Matthew 6:33
33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Resources:
Spiritual Disciplines Handbook: Practices That Transform Us
by Adele Ahlberg Calhoun