Here's our Bible reading for the week of August 28th through September 3rd:
* Sunday (Epistles): 2 Timothy 1-2
* Monday (Law): Numbers 9-12
* Tuesday (History): 1 Chronicles 15-19
* Wednesday (Psalms): Psalms 102-104
* Thursday (Poetry): Proverbs 20-21
* Friday (Prophecy): Hosea 8-14
* Saturday (Gospels): John 10-12
Scripture
Psalm 103:10-14:
10 He does not punish us for all our sins;
he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve.
11 For his unfailing love toward those who fear him
is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth.
12 He has removed our sins as far from us
as the east is from the west.
13 The LORD is like a father to his children,
tender and compassionate to those who fear him.
14 For he knows how weak we are;
he remembers we are only dust.
Observation
In this psalm of praise, King David extols the Lord for his mercy and compassion. Although we deserve to be treated harshly because of our many sins, God, says David, treats us tenderly. Even though we fail, God's love toward us is unfailing. His forgiveness is complete and absolute. God is tender and compassionate toward us...remembering that we are frail creatures.
Application
The most powerful motivating force in the universe is not guilt; it is grace. The message in this passage of Scripture is that when we fail, we can always turn back to God and know that he receives us back into his loving embrace. He knows us better than we know ourselves...and he loves us unconditionally.
We need to remember that our relationship with God is not based on how well we do, but on how much God loves us. God wants us to keep turning back to him when we stray. He welcomes us with open arms. If you feel you don't deserve God's grace, you are probably in the best place to receive God's grace!
Prayer
O Lord, thank you for not punishing us as we deserve. Thank you for lavishing us with a love that is higher than the heavens above the earth. Thank you for removing our sins as far from us as the east is from the west. Thank you for being tender and compassionate toward us, as a father is to his children. Thank you most of all for Jesus, whose life, death, and resurrection have sealed our hope and secured for us an eternal inheritance with you in glory. Amen.
Have a great week!
Faithfully,
Chuck
Friday, August 26, 2011
Monday, August 22, 2011
Week 34: Shout for Joy!
Here is this week's reading:
Sunday (Epistles): 1 Timothy 4-6
Monday (Law): Numbers 5-8
Tuesday (History): 1 Chronicles 10-14
Wednesday (Psalms): Psalms 99-101
Thursday (Poetry): Proverbs 19
Friday (Prophecy): Hosea 1-7
Saturday (Gospels): John 7-9
Soap:
Scripture: Psalm 100
Observation: Sometimes we just need to be reminded of why we are here and Who we worship and how we can do so!
Application: No matter what season of life I am in I need to remember this Psalm and its promise.
Prayer: Lord, thanks for your creation, you Son and for the Spirit that moves us. My prayer is that I will keep you as #1 in my life and that I have the strength to lead others to that reality as well. Amen.
Have a great week!
-Mike
Sunday (Epistles): 1 Timothy 4-6
Monday (Law): Numbers 5-8
Tuesday (History): 1 Chronicles 10-14
Wednesday (Psalms): Psalms 99-101
Thursday (Poetry): Proverbs 19
Friday (Prophecy): Hosea 1-7
Saturday (Gospels): John 7-9
Soap:
Scripture: Psalm 100
Observation: Sometimes we just need to be reminded of why we are here and Who we worship and how we can do so!
Application: No matter what season of life I am in I need to remember this Psalm and its promise.
Prayer: Lord, thanks for your creation, you Son and for the Spirit that moves us. My prayer is that I will keep you as #1 in my life and that I have the strength to lead others to that reality as well. Amen.
Have a great week!
-Mike
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Week 33: Our Behavior in God's House
This week's reading plan is as follows:
* Sunday (epistles): I Timothy 1-3
* Monday (the Law): Numbers 1-4
* Tuesday (history): I Chronicles 5-9
* Wednesday (psalms): Psalms 96-98
* Thursday (poetry): Proverbs 17-18
* Friday (prophecy): Daniel 7-12
* Saturday (gospels): John 5-6
You've probably figured out by now that there is a lot of reading going on on Tuesdays (history) and Fridays (prophecy). That is because proportionally, there is more history and prophecy in the Bible than any of the other genres. If you want to spread the reading out more evenly, you can save some history reading for Wednesday, as the Psalms are usually a light read, and you can start early on your prophecy reading on Thursdays, which is also a light read.
This week's SOAP exercise is from I Timothy:
Scripture
14 Although I hope to come to you soon, I am writing you these instructions so that, 15 if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God's household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth.
Observation
The letters from Paul to Timothy and also Titus are called the 'pastoral letters', because Paul gives many 'pastoral instructions' to his companions Timothy and Titus. He instructs them on the 'appropriate behavior' in God's house, and in the verse above he explains why: "So you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God's household...". When the church started to expand, many different people joined the church, both Jewish people as well as 'Gentiles', non-Jewish people who were saved by God's grace. That combination of different people provided for an interesting mix in social and cultural behavior, that could sometimes lead to friction within the church.
Paul gives practical instructions about how to use the law (1 Tim.1:8-11), how to pray (1 Tim.2:1-8), how to clothe oneself (1 Tim.2:9-10), instructions for elders (1 Tim.3:1-7), and for deacons (1 Tim.3:8-13), just to name a few. He gives these instructions so that the church is well organized. The reason why he does this becomes clear in the second part of our verse today: the church is not just a gathering place where Christians socialize, but it is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth!
Application
It is good to be reminded that the church is the residence of the living God. He is the one who is present when we come together. How many times have we come to church to either be fed, or to try to feed or please other people when we serve. How many Sundays do we come to the church in full realization that it is the house of the living God. Not just that, it is also the pillar and foundation of the truth. It is the one place where we find the real truth. If we fully realize that, our behavior in God's house will be appropriate and be dictated by the fruits of the Holy Spirit, and God will be honored in his own house.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank you for the mystery of the gospel, for the mystery of bringing together different cultures from all over the world, into one house, your church. Lord, help us to adapt our behavior, so that we conduct ourselves according to your will and your truth, and so that your church becomes a lighthouse in a dark world. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
Have a blessed week.
Dick
* Sunday (epistles): I Timothy 1-3
* Monday (the Law): Numbers 1-4
* Tuesday (history): I Chronicles 5-9
* Wednesday (psalms): Psalms 96-98
* Thursday (poetry): Proverbs 17-18
* Friday (prophecy): Daniel 7-12
* Saturday (gospels): John 5-6
You've probably figured out by now that there is a lot of reading going on on Tuesdays (history) and Fridays (prophecy). That is because proportionally, there is more history and prophecy in the Bible than any of the other genres. If you want to spread the reading out more evenly, you can save some history reading for Wednesday, as the Psalms are usually a light read, and you can start early on your prophecy reading on Thursdays, which is also a light read.
This week's SOAP exercise is from I Timothy:
Scripture
14 Although I hope to come to you soon, I am writing you these instructions so that, 15 if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God's household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth.
Observation
The letters from Paul to Timothy and also Titus are called the 'pastoral letters', because Paul gives many 'pastoral instructions' to his companions Timothy and Titus. He instructs them on the 'appropriate behavior' in God's house, and in the verse above he explains why: "So you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God's household...". When the church started to expand, many different people joined the church, both Jewish people as well as 'Gentiles', non-Jewish people who were saved by God's grace. That combination of different people provided for an interesting mix in social and cultural behavior, that could sometimes lead to friction within the church.
Paul gives practical instructions about how to use the law (1 Tim.1:8-11), how to pray (1 Tim.2:1-8), how to clothe oneself (1 Tim.2:9-10), instructions for elders (1 Tim.3:1-7), and for deacons (1 Tim.3:8-13), just to name a few. He gives these instructions so that the church is well organized. The reason why he does this becomes clear in the second part of our verse today: the church is not just a gathering place where Christians socialize, but it is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth!
Application
It is good to be reminded that the church is the residence of the living God. He is the one who is present when we come together. How many times have we come to church to either be fed, or to try to feed or please other people when we serve. How many Sundays do we come to the church in full realization that it is the house of the living God. Not just that, it is also the pillar and foundation of the truth. It is the one place where we find the real truth. If we fully realize that, our behavior in God's house will be appropriate and be dictated by the fruits of the Holy Spirit, and God will be honored in his own house.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank you for the mystery of the gospel, for the mystery of bringing together different cultures from all over the world, into one house, your church. Lord, help us to adapt our behavior, so that we conduct ourselves according to your will and your truth, and so that your church becomes a lighthouse in a dark world. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
Have a blessed week.
Dick
Week 32
This week the reading plan is as follows:
* Sunday (epistles): II Thessalonians
* Monday (the Law): Leviticus 25-27
* Tuesday (history): I Chronicles 1-4
* Wednesday (psalms): Psalms 93-95
* Thursday (poetry): Proverbs 16
* Friday (prophecy): Daniel 1-6
* Saturday (gospels): John 3-4
* Sunday (epistles): II Thessalonians
* Monday (the Law): Leviticus 25-27
* Tuesday (history): I Chronicles 1-4
* Wednesday (psalms): Psalms 93-95
* Thursday (poetry): Proverbs 16
* Friday (prophecy): Daniel 1-6
* Saturday (gospels): John 3-4
Week 31
This week the reading plan is as follows:
* Sunday (epistles): I Thessalonians 4-5
* Monday (the Law): Leviticus 22-24
* Tuesday (history): II Kings 21-25
* Wednesday (psalms): Psalms 90-92
* Thursday (poetry): Proverbs 14-15
* Friday (prophecy): Ezekiel 43-48
* Saturday (gospels): John 1-2
* Sunday (epistles): I Thessalonians 4-5
* Monday (the Law): Leviticus 22-24
* Tuesday (history): II Kings 21-25
* Wednesday (psalms): Psalms 90-92
* Thursday (poetry): Proverbs 14-15
* Friday (prophecy): Ezekiel 43-48
* Saturday (gospels): John 1-2
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