October 13 - Studiously Helpful

Today's Readings:
New Testament -
Luke 8:40-56 / Acts 18:18-28
Old Testament -
Psalms 30 / Exodus 19-20
Click on Text Links to Read Online

Focus Verses: Acts 18:27-28
27 When Apollos wanted to go to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples there to welcome him. On arriving, he was a great help to those who by grace had believed. 28 For he vigorously refuted the Jews in public debate, proving from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ.

Insight:
Apollos was from Alexandria, Egypt, the second most important city in the Roman Empire, a center of academic excellence, and home to a large Jewish population. He was very educated (v.24), a passionate speaker (v.25), and a skillful debater (v.28). He would have certainly been conversant in Western thought, Hebrew Scriptures, and dominant world-views of his day. His education and ability to communicate effectively and persuasively made him a "great help" to believers.

Response & Action:
Christians who are well-educated, critical thinkers, strong communicators, knowledgeable of scripture, and instructed in the way of the Lord Jesus, can be a great help to other believers. I am very thankful for the wonderful help I have received from intelligent and articulate people like G.K. Chesterton, C.S. Lewis, Francis Schaeffer, N.T. Wright, Dallas Willard, Darrell Bock, Ravi Zacharias, Scot McKnight, John Stott, James Sire, and many, many others. I want to grow in my understanding of the world, the scriptures, religion, philosophy, history, and theology.

O God, you know all things. All truth and understanding belong to you. Reverence for you is the beginning of wisdom. Help me to love you with all my mind. Strengthen my faith through learning, and give me wisdom and insight that I might be a great help and encouragement to others. Through Christ, I pray. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: 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.

Resources:
Discipleship of the Mind: Learning to Love God in the Ways We Think
by James W. Sire

October 12 - The God Who Sees Me

Today's Readings:
New Testament -
Luke 8:26-39 / Acts 18:1-17
Old Testament -
Psalms 29 / Genesis 16-18
Click on Text Links to Read Online

Focus Verses: Genesis 16:13-16
13 She gave this name to the LORD who spoke to her: "You are the God who sees me," for she said, "I have now seen the One who sees me." 14 That is why the well was called Beer Lahai Roi; it is still there, between Kadesh and Bered. 15 So Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram gave the name Ishmael to the son she had borne. 16 Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore him Ishmael.

Insight:
Hagar was brought front and center into the story of God's plan when Abram and Sarai struggled and stumbled with understanding God's promise to give them a son. They took matters into their own hands and tried to produce an heir through Sarai's maidservant. Not surprisingly, things went sour between Sarai and Hagar. Sarai wanted Hagar's child, and Hagar despised Sarai.

God, however, looked with compassion upon all concerned. He did not back away from his promise to Abram and Sarai, but neither did he disregard the needs and future of Hagar. Instead, God promised that her son, Ishmael, would also become a great nation--though not the son of the covenant he had made with Abraham.

God is compassionate toward his people even as they struggle to understand how to live by faith. Even when they fail, God's faithfulness and grace abound. Even their mistakes are redeemable by God. The name Ishmael means "God hears." The name Beer Lahai Roi means "the well of the One who sees me."

Response & Action:
I need to remember that God is full of grace and compassion. When I am faithless, he remains faithful. When I fail, he is able to redeem my failures for good. God gives direction and hope to all who look to him in faith. I will trust God because he hears me and sees me, just as he heard and saw Abram, Sarai, and Hagar.

O Lord, provide for my needs and protect me from discouragement. When I fall, please pick me up. Redeem me from my sins and mistakes as I stumble in the way of faith. Protect me from the failures and sins of others. Be my strength, my savior, and my guide. I pray through Christ Jesus, my Lord, who lives and reigns with you, and the Holy Spirit, One God now and forever. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: 2 Chronicles 16:9a
9a For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.

Resources:
Genesis: The Story We Haven't Heard
by Paul Carlton Borgman

Reading Schedule for October 12 - 17

Romans 15:4
"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."

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

October 12 -
Luke 8:26-39 / Acts 18:1-17
Psalms 29 / Genesis 16-18

October 13 -
Luke 8:40-56 / Acts 18:18-28
Psalms 30 / Exodus 19-20

October 14 -
Luke 9:1-17 / Acts 19:1-22
Psalms 31 / Exodus 21-23

October 15 -
Luke 9:18-27 / Acts 19:23-41
Psalms 32 / Exodus 24-26

October 16 -
Luke 9:28-36 / Acts 20:1-12
Psalms 33 / Exodus 27-29

October 17 -
Luke 9:37-50 / Acts 20:13-38
Psalms 34 / Exodus 30-31

October 10 - Good News

Today's Readings:
New Testament -
Luke 8:16-25 / Acts 17:16-34
Old Testament -
Psalms 28 / Exodus 13-15
Click on Text Links to Read Online

Focus Verses: Acts 17:16-18
16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. 17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there. 18 A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to dispute with him. Some of them asked, "What is this babbler trying to say?" Others remarked, "He seems to be advocating foreign gods." They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection.

Insight:
I want to share Jesus with others. To do this, I need to be a disciple of Jesus and a student of the Scriptures. I also need to know and understand the people around me. I need to be a student of my world--it's cultures, beliefs, questions, religions, philosophies, literature, and arts. True faith in Jesus, coupled with a commitment to study, think, and learn, makes it possible to engage the world in the marketplace of ideas. I want a vibrant faith that does not retreat from the world, but, rather, interacts with it in thoughtful and challenging ways.

Response & Action:
I want to be a person of the Word. I will commit myself to reading, studying, memorizing, and applying the Scriptures. I want to grow deeper and deeper in my understanding of God's Word and be able to help others understand it too. I will keep my eyes open for people who are seeking to know and understand the Bible. I will come alongside them to study, discuss, and apply the truth of the written Word.

O God, thank you for Jesus, the Christ, who came into the world and suffered for my sake. Thank you for his resurrection and victory over death--the validation of his claims and promises. Give me the wisdom and the will to guard my heart, feed my spirit, stimulate my mind, and care for my body. Help me to grow in my understanding and experience of the salvation and hope Christ brings. Give me the wisdom and the skill to share and communicate my faith with others in thoughtful and meaningful ways. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: Romans 1:16-17
16 I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. 17 For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith."

Resources:
True Story: A Christianity Worth Believing In
by James Choung

October 9 - I Will Seek

Today's Readings:
New Testament -
Luke 8:1-15 / Acts 17:1-15
Old Testament -
Psalms 27 / Exodus 10-12
Click on Text Links to Read Online

Focus Verses: Psalm 27:7-8
7 Hear my voice when I call, O LORD; be merciful to me and answer me. 8 My heart says of you, "Seek his face!" Your face, LORD, I will seek.

Insight:
David was determined to seek God. It wasn't just his need or external circumstances that caused him to seek God; his heart also told him to "seek God's face!"

Response & Action:
I will seek God with all my heart. I do not want to be a person who seeks God only in times of need. I want a heart that desires to draw near to God so that I am ready for difficult situations. I will seek God through prayer, through the Scriptures, through fellowship with others who seek him, and through every true and beautiful thing in the world around me.

O God, help me to seek you with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. Show yourself to me through your word, your people, your promises, and all that is beautiful and true. Help me to desire and delight in your will and to walk in your ways to the glory of your Name. Through Christ, I pray. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: Colossians 3:1-3
1 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.

Resources:
Learning to Pray Through the Psalms
by James Sire

October 8 - When Someone Asks

Today's Readings:
New Testament -
Luke 7:36-50 / Acts 16:16-40
Old Testament -
Psalms 26 / Exodus 7-9
Click on Text Links to Read Online

Focus Verses: Acts 16:29-34
29 The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 He then brought them out and asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" 31 They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household." 32 Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. 33 At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his family were baptized. 34 The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole family.

Insight:
What would make this jailer ask, "What must I do to be saved?" Was it the hymns he heard Paul and Silas singing? Was it the way they conducted themselves as prisoners? Was it the fact that they stopped him from killing himself? And was it a miracle that none of the prisoners had escaped when an earthquake shook the prison doors open and the prisoners chains were loosed?

When the question was asked, Paul and Silas instructed the man to "believe in the Lord Jesus." The Philippian jailer probably had absolutely no idea who Jesus was, so Paul and Silas "spoke the word of the Lord" to him.

Response & Action:
What brings people to a place where they sense their spiritual need and cry out for salvation? There are so many influences. It could be something as simple as the lyrics of a song. It could be the difference they see Jesus making in someone's life. It could be a sense of wonder. It could be an act of kindness. When people ask, I need to be ready to point them to Jesus. They may not have a clue about who he is or what it means to believe in him, so I need to be ready to "speak the word of the Lord" to them.

O God, may the words of my mouth and the actions of life be a testimony of the difference you make in the lives of those who believe in Jesus. When people around me become aware of their need for your salvation and love, help me to point them to Jesus and speak words of life. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: Colossians 4:5-6
5 Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. 6 Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

Resources:
Salvation Belongs to Our God: Celebrating the Bible's Central Story
by Christopher J. H. Wright

October 7 - Created to Do

Today's Readings:
New Testament -
Luke 7:18-35 / Acts 16:1-15
Old Testament -
Psalms 25 / Exodus 4-6
Click on Text Links to Read Online

Focus Verses: Exodus 4:2-5
2 Then the LORD said to him, "What is that in your hand?" "A staff," he replied. 3 The LORD said, "Throw it on the ground." Moses threw it on the ground and it became a snake, and he ran from it. 4 Then the LORD said to him, "Reach out your hand and take it by the tail." So Moses reached out and took hold of the snake and it turned back into a staff in his hand. 5 "This," said the LORD, "is so that they may believe that the LORD, the God of their fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob—has appeared to you."

Insight:
Moses felt insufficient and was reluctant to accept God's call to go to Egypt. He asked God, "What if no one believes me? What if I don't know what to say or how to say it?"

God asked Moses, "What's that in your hand?" And then God demonstrated what could happen with his help and power. God asked him, "Who made your mouth?" After all, if God could make Moses' mouth, surely he could help Moses speak!

Moses still felt inadequate to the task and said, "Please send someone else!" But God was determined to use Moses. God was not pleased with Moses' slowness to accept his calling, but God continued to do whatever needed to be done to give Moses more confidence.

Response & Action:
What am I holding in my hand? How can God use that for his purpose and glory? What am I holding back, or slow to do, because I lack confidence? I need to trust in God and trust that he has the power to use whatever I have, however small or weak it may seem to me. God made me, and God can use me for his good purpose.

O God, help me to remember that you can use me to do things I could never do on my own. Help me to trust in you and look to you for the strength and guidance I need for life. Give me a strong faith in you, and a readiness to serve you. Through Christ, I pray. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: Ephesians 2:8-10
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Resources:
Courage & Calling: Embracing Your God-Given Potential
by Gordon T. Smith

October 6 - Big Picture

Today's Readings:
New Testament -
Luke 7:11-17 / Acts 15:22-41
Old Testament -
Psalms 24 / Exodus 1-3
Click on Text Links to Read Online

Focus Verses: Exodus 1:8-10
8 Then a new king, who did not know about Joseph, came to power in Egypt. 9 "Look," he said to his people, "the Israelites have become much too numerous for us. 10 Come, we must deal shrewdly with them or they will become even more numerous and, if war breaks out, will join our enemies, fight against us and leave the country."

Insight:
The children of Israel had done very well in Egypt. They had done so well and become so numerous that eventually the Pharaoh perceived them to be a threat to his sovereignty. The good Joseph had done and the reason the Israelites had come to Egypt was long forgotten.

Now, instead of just Joseph enduring prison and hardship in Egypt, his entire family, the Israelites, found themselves in bondage. God had promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob that he would make them into a nation, but how would God work to bring them freedom and lead them back to the land he had promised them?

The story of the birth of Moses reminds us that God was not absent from their situation, but was actively involved. Even in their bondage, God was helping them to prosper. Even under oppression, God was on the move with a plan to lead them out of Egypt.

Response & Action:
Life has its seasons. In the big picture, there are good times and bad times. God is not absent in the bad times. His promises are still true. Faith holds on to hope in God even during seasons of hardship. I will trust that God is at work and able to sustain me during difficult times. I will also trust God to bring me through those times and fulfill his promises to me.

O God, thank you for the hope and promise you have extended to me. Help me to trust you in difficult times. Give me eyes to see the ways you are present and at work in my life--even during seasons of hardship. You are my salvation and deliverance, O Lord. My hope is in you. Help me to persevere. Strengthen and sustain me by your Spirit, your word, your promises, your people, and all that is beautiful and true. Through Christ, I pray. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: James 1:2-4
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Resources:
Where Is God When It Hurts?
by Philip Yancey

October 5 - Great Faith

Today's Readings:
New Testament -
Luke 7:1-10 / Acts 15:1-21
Old Testament -
Psalms 23 / Genesis 50
Click on Text Links to Read Online

Focus Verses: Luke 7:9-10
9 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, "I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel." 10 Then the men who had been sent returned to the house and found the servant well.

Insight:
I love the story of the centurion and his amazing faith. His faith in Christ was so complete that even Jesus "was amazed at him." He wanted Jesus to heal his servant, but didn't need Jesus to come to his house (he didn't even need to see Jesus face to face, but instead sent friends to make his request). He had such faith in the authority of Jesus that he only needed Jesus to "say the word." If Jesus declared his servant healed, that would be enough. He would simply take that word as true and expect his servant to be healed.

Response & Action:
I would like to amaze Jesus with my faith. I would like to have such confidence in his power and authority that I am satisfied to make my needs known to him. No matter what my circumstances or needs are, I will ask Jesus to simply say the word and trust in his power. I will also trust in God's goodness and purposes, believing that he also has the authority to deny my requests.

O God, my faith and my hope are in you, your son, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. I believe that you are powerful and able meet my needs. I believe that you are personal and that you care about my burdens and my circumstances. I believe you are persuadable--that you hear my prayers and that you are responsive to the cries of my heart. I believe that you are present with me, that you are closer than the air I breathe, that you are good and just and gracious and merciful. Help me to live with confidence that comes from recognizing and embracing your authority. Through Christ, I pray. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: Hebrews 11:6
6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

Resources:
Faith & Doubt
by John Ortberg

Reading Schedule for October 5 - 10

Matthew 7:24-25
"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock."

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

October 5 -
Luke 7:1-10 / Acts 15:1-21
Psalms 23 / Genesis 50

October 6 -
Luke 7:11-17 / Acts 15:22-41
Psalms 24 / Exodus 1-3

October 7 -
Luke 7:18-35 / Acts 16:1-15
Psalms 25 / Exodus 4-6

October 8 -
Luke 7:36-50 / Acts 16:16-40
Psalms 26 / Exodus 7-9

October 9 -
Luke 8:1-15 / Acts 17:1-15
Psalms 27 / Exodus 10-12

October 10 -
Luke 8:16-25 / Acts 17:16-34
Psalms 28 / Exodus 13-15

October 3 - Good News

Today's Readings:
New Testament -
Luke 6:43-49 / Acts 14
Old Testament -
Psalms 22:12-31 / Genesis 49
Click on Text Links to Read Online

Focus Verses: Acts 14:14-18
14 But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of this, they tore their clothes and rushed out into the crowd, shouting: 15 "Men, why are you doing this? We too are only men, human like you. We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea and everything in them. 16 In the past, he let all nations go their own way. 17 Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy." 18 Even with these words, they had difficulty keeping the crowd from sacrificing to them.

Insight:
Paul and Barnabas proclaimed to the people of Lystra the good news that the true God who made heaven and earth was now showing himself to them. The living God was calling them to come to him and to turn away from worthless things.

Paul explained that their worship of false Gods had resulted from a long history of ignoring God and going their own way instead. He pointed to creation, the seasonal rains, and bountiful crops as witnesses of provision from their Creator. The abundance of blessing and joy in their lives, he said, were testimonies of God's kindness to them.

Response & Action:
The good news is that God is calling people to himself. In proclaiming this good news, it is important to help people see evidence of the true and living God who is already at work among them with love and kindness. It is also necessary to help them recognize what is false and worthless.

O Living and True God, I want to be responsive to your invitation. Help me to turn away from all that is worthless and false. Help me to recognize the evidences of your truth and kindness toward me. As I respond and surrender to you, help me to share this good news with others. Help me be a witness of your truth and kindness. Help me to humbly and gently expose falsehoods and point others to you. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: Matthew 28:18-20
18 Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Resources:
Growing Your Faith By Giving It Away: Telling the Gospel Story With Grace and Passion
by R. York Moore

October 2 - Confidence

Today's Readings:
New Testament -
Luke 6:37-42 / Acts 13:26-52
Old Testament -
Psalms 22:1-11 / Genesis 48
Click on Text Links to Read Online

Focus Verses: Psalm 22:1-5
1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning? 2 O my God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, and am not silent. 3 Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the praise of Israel. 4 In you our fathers put their trust; they trusted and you delivered them. 5 They cried to you and were saved; in you they trusted and were not disappointed.

Insight:
When Jesus cried out, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me," he was quoting the opening lines of Psalm 22, a psalm of David. He must have known, recited, and pondered over this song many times, especially as he knew the time of his death was drawing near. I think he was quoting or alluding to the last words of this Psalm ("he has done it") when he said, "It is finished." The account of the crucifixion in Mark 15 and the words of Psalm 22 are amazingly interconnected considering the Psalm was written hundreds of years before the time of Christ.

Jesus was not forsaken by God. He didn't think he had been forsaken by God. His quotation of Psalm 22 was actually a way for him to declare his confidence that God would never forsake him. Jesus knew the last verse of Psalm 22 as well as he knew the first verse. While people mocked and treated him as though he had been forsaken by God, Jesus quoted a song that declared his faith and hope that God would vindicate him. He expected to be victorious over death.

Response & Action:
I will trust in God's promises, even in the face of adversity and the threat of death. I believe that God is able to save. When it looks like I have been forsaken, I will, like Jesus, cling to the belief that God will save and restore me. I believe that nothing can separate me from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus.

O God, thank you for the hope of salvation. Lead me away from temptation. Deliver me from evil. Provide for my needs today. Protect me from discouragement, and encourage me by your Spirit through your word, your people, your promises, and all that is beautiful and true. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: 2 Corinthians 4:16-18
16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Resources:
Praying the Psalms of Jesus
by James Sire

October 1 - Fruitful Increase

Today's Readings:
New Testament -
Luke 6:27-36 / Acts 13:1-25
Old Testament -
Psalms 21 / Genesis 46-47
Click on Text Links to Read Online

Focus Verses: Genesis 47:5-6, 27
5 Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Your father and your brothers have come to you, 6 and the land of Egypt is before you; settle your father and your brothers in the best part of the land. Let them live in Goshen. And if you know of any among them with special ability, put them in charge of my own livestock. - - - 27 Now the Israelites settled in Egypt in the region of Goshen. They acquired property there and were fruitful and increased greatly in number."

Insight:
Joseph's brothers had sold him into slavery with evil intentions, but God unexpectedly took the wrong that had been done to Joseph and turned it into good. He took care of Joseph and helped him prosper to a place where he would one day be able to save his family from famine.

When Jacob's family went down into Egypt, they were marginalized because of their occupation and ethnicity. The Egyptians considered nomadic shepherds to be detestable and did not want to associate with them. Joseph had told his family to describe themselves as life-long shepherds, knowing full well that his relatives would be sent to settle in the land of Goshen.

What looked like marginalization actually turned into blessing. Here the family of Israel was able to live undisturbed as a people group. Though it was a time of famine and foreclosure for the Egyptians, the children of Israel were able to acquire land, raise crops and flocks, and prosper. Though they began as a clan of seventy, they grew in number and would one day be a nation of millions.

Response & Action:
I need to trust God to be working for my good even when times seem bad. I need to remember that God can take things intended for evil and turn them for good. God can take the things that look like limitations and turn them into strengths. If I am pushed aside or marginalized, God can turn that into an opportunity for growth and blessing. I need to entrust my life and my hopes to God. I need to remember that God is the master of taking what seems weak and worthless and turning it into unexpected blessing.

O God, give me the faith to expect blessing in the hard places and difficult circumstances that only you can bless. Give me a trust that sees beyond the struggles of today. Give me a joy and a hope that runs deeper than my circumstances. Help me to recognize the way you have blessed me in my past, and encourage me to trust and follow you into my future. I pray this in the name of Jesus, who by your power and grace turned the tragedy of the cross into blessing and life for all who will believe. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: 1 Corinthians 1:27-29
27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him.

Resources:
The Fight: A Practical Handbook for Christian Living
by John White