Topic:Asking for Help October 3, 2018 Read: Mark 10:46–52 Bible in a Year: Isaiah 17–19; Ephesians 5:17–33 “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him. Mark 10:51 Her email arrived late in a long day. In truth, I didn’t open it. I was working overtime to help a family member manage his serious illness. I didn’t …
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Topic:God’s Brand October 2, 2018 Read: Zechariah 3:1–7 Bible in a Year: Isaiah 14–16; Ephesians 5:1–16 I have taken away your sin, and I will put fine garments on you. Zechariah 3:4 Scooping up the smallest children, a frantic maid raced out of the flaming house. As she ran, she called loudly to five-year-old Jacky. But Jacky didn’t follow. Outside, …
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Topic:For Our Friends October 1, 2018 Read: John 15:5–17 Bible in a Year: Isaiah 11–13; Ephesians 4 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. John 15:12 In Emily Bronte’s novel Wuthering Heights, a cantankerous man who often quotes the Bible to criticize others is memorably described as “the wearisomest self-righteous Pharisee that ever ransacked a …
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Topic:Gleaning the Fields September 29, 2018 Read: Ruth 2:1–12 Bible in a Year: Isaiah 7–8; Ephesians 2 Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, “Let me go to the fields and pick up the leftover grain behind anyone in whose eyes I find favor.” Ruth 2:2 A Tanzanian friend has a vision for redeeming a piece of desolate land in the …
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Topic:Asking God First September 28, 2018 Read: Psalm 37:3–7, 23–24 Bible in a Year: Isaiah 5–6; Ephesians 1 Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4 Early in our marriage, I struggled to figure out my wife’s preferences. Did she want a quiet dinner at home or a meal at a …
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Topic:When We’re Weary September 27, 2018 Read: Galatians 6:1–10 Bible in a Year: Isaiah 3–4; Galatians 6 Let us not become weary in doing good. Galatians 6:9 Sometimes trying to do the right thing can be exhausting. We may wonder, Do my well-intentioned words and actions make any difference at all? I wondered this recently when I sent a prayerfully …
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Topic:Many Beautiful Things September 25, 2018 Read: Mark 14:1–9 Bible in a Year: Song of Solomon 6–8; Galatians 4 She has done a beautiful thing to me. Mark 14:6 Just before her death, artist and missionary Lilias Trotter looked out a window and saw a vision of a heavenly chariot. According to her biographer, a friend asked, “Are you seeing …
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Topic:Walking God’s Way September 24, 2018 Read: Isaiah 30:15–21 Bible in a Year: Song of Solomon 4–5; Galatians 3 Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” Isaiah 30:21 “We’re going this way,” I said as I touched my son’s shoulder and …
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Topic:Listening to Your Brother September 23, 2018 Read: Matthew 18:15–20 Bible in a Year: Song of Solomon 1–3; Galatians 2 Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins. James 5:20 “You need to listen to me, I’m your brother!” The plea came from a concerned older …
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Topic:The Blessing of Encouragers September 22, 2018 Read: Acts 9:26–31 Bible in a Year: Ecclesiastes 10–12; Galatians 1 But Barnabas took [Saul] and brought him to the apostles. Acts 9:27 The 2010 movie The King’s Speech tells the story of England’s King George VI, who unexpectedly became monarch when his brother abandoned the throne. With the country on the brink …
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