Today’s Verse – 1 Timothy 6:9
People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. —1 Timothy 6:9 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… This is not a message for folks who are already financially rich. No, this is for all of us who WANT to have that wealth. Craving it, coveting it, and going in pursuit of earthly wealth exposes us to many grave dangers. In a world so prodded and lured by advertising and social media messages that lead us to want all we see, we must remember, “You shall not covet…” is still one of God’s Ten Commandments. Jesus reminded us of the positive command to help prevent this coveting: “Seek first God’s Kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33). My Prayer… Thank you, dear Father, for your many blessings. Please help me to be satisfied and generous with the blessings you have already given me. Please help me keep my focus on you and your Son and allow you to make me a conduit of your blessings to others! I pray in the name of your Son and my Savior, Jesus. Amen. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
Today’s Verse – Genesis 6:8
But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD. —Genesis 6:8 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… This statement reminds me of what God told Jesus at his baptism — “… in you I am well pleased” (Luke 3:21-22). Even in the middle of a culture steeped in sin when Noah lived, Noah was blessedly different! God found Noah’s heart loyal to him and suitable for Noah and his family to be a blessing and to provide the world with a future. Living with righteous character, gracious compassion, and faithfulness to God is hard in a world in rebellion to him and his ways. “But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.” May the same be said of each of us in our day as we live for God in a world so devoid of his light. Let’s be that light in our jobs, schools, neighborhoods, friendships, and recreation. Can you imagine the difference we would ultimately make if each of us decided to be like Noah? My Prayer… Loving Shepherd and Holy God, please bless me as I seek to passionately live a life that pleases you and brings you joy. Please use me and my church family to make a difference in the world for good. In the name of the LORD Jesus, I pray. Amen. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
Today’s Verse – Galatians 6:7
Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. —Galatians 6:7 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… We’re not going to fool God. We will not escape a fundamental principle on which our world works. While we might put up a facade for others, God knows our hearts. What our hearts invest in our lives will ultimately display. We reap what we sow! So, if we spend our wealth, time, and interest in other things for ourselves and only give God the crumbs, we need to know that we will not reap a bounteous spiritual harvest. What we do to others is equally vital in sowing what is good. We must love our neighbors as we love ourselves, doing good to them because each person matters to God, and each should matter to us. Let’s sow the seed that God loves so we can harvest what blesses us and those around us! Video Commentary… ToGather Worship Guide | More ToGather Videos My Prayer… O LORD God Almighty, who sees all things and knows all hearts, please give me the wisdom to see the people in whom I need to invest myself and help them find your grace. Help me, O LORD, to seize the opportunities you place before me to do good to others and sow love and grace into their lives. I ask for this help, in Jesus’ name, and to honor Jesus as I serve others. Amen. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
Today’s Verse – Matthew 6:6
[Jesus taught his disciples, “When] you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” —Matthew 6:6 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… Prayer is an incredible invitation from God to share what is on our hearts with him. Even when we don’t have words, he helps us through his Spirit in those moments to assure us that we are heard fully (Romans 8:26-27). This incredibly intimate conversation, sustained by the precious and powerful Spirit of God within us, must never be debased by crass showmanship or pride (Matthew 6:5). Prayer is not done to prove our holiness to others but to deepen our relationship with Almighty God and reassure our hearts that our Father hears us and cares about us — our dreams and hopes as well as our struggles and concerns! My Prayer… Abba Father, thank you so much for the incredible gift of prayer. Thank you for listening to both my words and my heart. Thank you for being near and not far off. Thank you for blessing me with the Holy Spirit within me to intercede for me when I can’t quite find the words to say. Please forgive me when I don’t call upon you as often as I should or when I take your gracious listening ear for granted. In Jesus’ name, I am humbled and blessed when I pray with you. Amen. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
Today’s Verse – Romans 6:5
If we have been united with [Christ] like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. —Romans 6:5 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… So, here’s the great news: if we have died with Christ through faith and baptism, we’ve already died the one death that really matters. Our lives are joined with Jesus’ life, so we can be confident that we will share in the LORD’s glory when he returns (Colossians 3:1-4). Even death cannot separate us from Jesus’ presence in our lives (Romans 8:35-39) because we have been given the victory over death through Christ Jesus our LORD (1 Corinthians 15:55-57). We do not have to fear the future judgment or the second death because we have already passed over from death into life (John 5:24). As Paul so confidently states, “We will certainly also be united with [Jesus] in his resurrection”! My Prayer… Paul exclaimed with a prayer we can repeat: “Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God — through Jesus Christ our LORD!” Thanks be to God for this gift too wonderful for words to describe or our mortal lives to limit! Amen, and hallelujah! (Romans 7:24-25) All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
Today’s Verse – Ephesians 6:4
Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord. —Ephesians 6:4 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… In Malachi 4:6, God promised that fathers and children in God’s coming Kingdom would be reunited in heart. Let’s make that real in our homes today by nurturing and correcting our children, using a balance of nurture and correction. Let’s not make our faith so full of rules and restrictions that it becomes impossible for our children to obey or hear that they are our beloved children, with whom we are well pleased! Let’s not grant so much freedom, however, that our children feel neglected and uncertain about how to live in today’s morally chaotic world. Let’s turn our hearts toward them and pray for God to turn children’s hearts toward their homes with us and our Father in heaven! My Prayer… O LORD God Almighty, Abba Father, our land lies under a curse because many Fathers have spiritually and physically abandoned their children. Please raise up parents, especially fathers, daddies, who will balance the challenging tasks of love, nurture, and correction and heal our families so our children may know your love and grace. In Jesus’ name, we beg you to help our fathers. Amen. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
Today’s Verse – Romans 6:3
Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? —Romans 6:3 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… More than an outward symbol, baptism is coming to the core of the gospel (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) and sharing in it by grace (Romans 6:1-15) based on our faith (Galatians 3:26-29). What an incredible blessing to be able to do what Jesus did at the beginning of his ministry to please God (Luke 3:21-22), and also know that through our faith in God’s power to raise Jesus from the dead, God joins our lives with Christ until we can share in his glory (Colossians 2:12; 3:1-4). My Prayer… Loving Father, thank you for your grace. Thank you for raising Jesus from death. Thank you for letting me share in his death, burial, and resurrection through faith. Thank you for reassuring me that I will share in his glory. Thank you for letting me be your beloved child who brings you delight and pleasure! Thank you, in Jesus’ name. Amen. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
Today’s Verse – Galatians 6:2
Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. —Galatians 6:2 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… “I didn’t know Jesus had a law!” He doesn’t have a written one like we find in the Old Testament (2 Corinthians 3:2-10). Jesus is Spirit-imprinted on our hearts and transforms our character. We love our neighbor as we love ourselves. We love God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength. This kind of “law” gives us liberty from a law written on tablets of stone (James 2:12-17) and emphasizes the undergirding principle that guided Jesus’ life, sacrifice, and service for others (Philippians 2:5-11). We are going to love others. Far more than a written law, this is a passion for Christ and a commitment to be like Christ. My Prayer… Almighty and compassionate Father, may Jesus’ passion for helping others be my passion so that others may see your love and grace through my life and glorify you! In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
Today’s Verse – Luke 5:31-32
[When accused of being a friend of sinners,] Jesus answered [his critics], “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” —Luke 5:31-32 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… Jesus’ religious adversaries frequently criticized him for deliberately associating with people who were suspect in their eyes. Jesus, however, had a reason for this behavior. He wasn’t associating with sinners to be popular, weird, bizarre, or hip. The LORD associated with all kinds of people because he loved all types of people! He came to redeem the enslaved, find the lost, mend the broken, and reclaim the sinner. So, Jesus associated with all sorts of people! As Jesus’ bodily presence today in the church, can we strive for anything less than following Jesus’ example of seeking to save all people? Video Commentary… ToGather Worship Guide | More ToGather Videos My Prayer… Forgive me, Father, when I choose security in my acquaintances and avoid potentially messy entanglements in my relationships. Change my heart to be different in those ways and be open toward those around me. Please open my eyes to see the lost, the lonely, the forgotten, and the needy. Use me to lead them to your grace and to help them find their family with your people as they turn their lives around to honor you. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
Today’s Verse – Acts 5:30
[Peter continued the apostles’ defense for proclaiming Jesus as Messiah and Lord:] “The God of our fathers raised Jesus from the dead — whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree.” —Acts 5:30 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… Peter is making clear that his faith in Jesus didn’t just begin with Jesus. It began with God’s promise to the Patriarchs, the great Jewish fathers. The God who blessed them also raised Jesus from the dead! These Jewish opponents threatening the early believers had made sure that Jesus had been executed in the most heinous and degrading way possible for a faithful Jew — he was nailed to a cross, hung on a pole in front of a jeering mob, something that was both illegal and a sign of being cursed under Jewish Law (Deuteronomy 21:23; Galatians 3:13). But God raised Jesus from the dead and exalted him and made him our Savior and our LORD (Acts 5:31). Praise God! No wonder Peter was bold in his defense. My Prayer… Thank you, Father, for showing your power over evil, sin, hate, jealousy, scandals, curses, and death. In the name of Jesus, my LORD and Savior, I offer my praise and thanksgiving as I commit to boldly proclaiming Jesus as my resurrected Lord and Savior. Amen. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.