January 16 | Living by Faith
Genesis 12:2, “I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.” When God gave the above promise to Abraham, he didn’t have a child, his wife was barren and in her sixties; and, he was seventy-five years old. As a…
Read MoreJanuary 15 | Loving God, Loving People
Matthew 22:37-39, “37 Jesus replied: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.” Did you know that Jesus was a genius at making complicated things…
Read MoreJanuary 14 | Wholly Holy
1 Peter 1:15-16, ”15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: Be holy, because I am holy.” Imagine you’ve been playing volleyball in your friend’s backyard all afternoon, on a hot sunny summer day, with temperatures in the 90’s. After the last…
Read MoreJanuary 13 | Jesus is My Sensei
Luke 6:46, “Why do you call me, Lord, Lord, and do not do what I say?” “Wax on, wax off!” Do you remember Mr. Miyagi from the movie Karate Kid? Mr. Miyagi was the karate sensei (expert teacher) to young Daniel LaRusso in the movie. “Daniel-San,” as Mr. Miyagi liked to call him, came to him…
Read MoreJanuary 12 | Cross-Eyed
1 Corinthians 2:2, “For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” If someone were to ask you, “What is your main focus in life?” Or “What do you look to for inspiration?” Some might say, “My family,” “our country,” or “helping people.” When Paul reflected on what…
Read MoreActs 2:37-41 (Part 3)
ACTS 2:37-41 37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the…
Read MoreMark 1:40-45
Mark 1:40-45 40 A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.” 41 Jesus was indignant. He reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” 42 Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cleansed.…
Read MoreLesson 2: The Tithe Was Revealed Before the Law of Moses to Abraham.
Definition The tithe is 10% of our total income given to God faithfully. Scripture Reading Genesis 14:18-20, “18 Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, 19 and he blessed Abram, saying, ‘Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. 20 And praise…
Read MoreJanuary 11 | Empowered to Prosper
3 John 1:2, “Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers.” What is the common response to someone sneezing in our culture? Saying, “God bless you!” Have you ever thought about why we give “blessings” to strangers when they have a physical response to…
Read MoreJanuary 10 | Your Counselor
John 14:16, “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever.” Have you ever been in a tough situation and said to yourself, “I wish I had an expert to talk to about this and get their help?” Maybe you felt you needed a “marriage expert” during…
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