Today’s Verse – Mark 4:24-25
“Consider carefully what you hear,” [Jesus] continued. “With the measure you use, it will be measured to you — and even more. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.” —Mark 4:24-25 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… “O be careful little ears what you hear … for the Father up above is looking down in love, so be careful little ears what you hear.” Sometimes, our children’s songs say things in the easiest ways to understand. God doesn’t want just to be heard aloud; he wants his Word to enter our systems and change our lives. We must carefully filter out things we don’t need to hear and focus more intentionally on what we do need to hear! The more we receive the gift of God’s words and apply them, the more they will change us and bless us. My Prayer… Please open my eyes, ears, heart, and mind, dear Father, so that I can appropriate your message into my life. I want to hear your messages, and I want to apply each of those messages in my life each day. Bless me, please, dear Father, so that what I hear in your word becomes displayed in my life. In Jesus’ precious 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.
‘Be Unshakable’
Note from Jesus Dear Precious One, The writer of the “word of exhortation” (Hebrews 13:22) that you call the book of Hebrews wrote this: When God spoke from Mount Sinai his voice shook the earth, but now He makes another promise: “Once again I will shake not only the earth but the heavens also.” This means that all of creation will be shaken and removed, so that only unshakable things will remain. Since we are receiving a Kingdom that is unshakable, let us be thankful… (Hebrews 12:26-28 NLT) Do you hear the profound truth in these words? As My disciple, you are part of something that can’t be shaken. You are part of an unshakable kingdom. The world will pass away. Your body will die. Your riches will fade. Your homes, clothes, mementos, and valuables will rust, rot, decay, fall apart and be lost. However, this is not true of you! You are eternal! What you believe and the One in Whom you believe connect you to what is unshakable. My resurrection from the dead means so many things that are good and precious for you, but today I want you to hear the apostle Paul’s words of exhortation in verses below: “be unshakeable!” What you do matters to Me. Everything done to honor Me is remembered forever. Who you are matters to Me. Your future matters to Me. I faced death, enduring the horrors and humiliations of the cross so that you could know My love. My lifeless body was wrapped in burial clothes and placed in a new tomb. The stone across My tomb was sealed, and a guard was posted to ensure that no one took My lifeless body from the tomb. However, I defeated the powers of sin, death, and hell. Then, on resurrection Sunday, the ground shook (Matthew 28:1-6), and all the powers of evil in all of its manifested forms were shaken — evil was shaken to its core and its grip was shaken loose from your life and your future. I arose from death and the tomb victorious… for you! Verses to Live Everything not eternal was shaken that resurrection day, but not Me, not My promises for you, not the future I purchased for you, and not My victory for you! So spend extra time pondering the last words in Paul’s powerful statement in the verses below. Contemplate what My resurrection means for you. Go “be unshakable” in your faith as you live for Me! Now listen to this: brothers and sisters, this present body is not able to inherit the kingdom of God any more than decay can inherit that which lasts forever. Stay close because I am going to tell you a mystery — something you may have trouble understanding: we will not all fall asleep in death, but we will all be transformed. It will all happen so fast, in a blink, a mere flutter of the eye. The last trumpet will call, and the dead will be raised from their graves with a body that does not, cannot decay. All of us will be changed! We’ll step out of our mortal clothes and slide into immortal bodies, replacing everything that is subject to death with eternal life. And, when we are all redressed with bodies that do not, cannot decay, when we put immortality over our mortal frames, then it will be as Scripture says: Life everlasting has victoriously swallowed death. Hey, Death! What happened to your big win? Hey, Death! What happened to your sting? Sin came into this world, and death’s sting followed. Then sin took aim at the law and gained power over those who follow the law. Thank God, then, for our Lord Jesus, the Anointed, the Liberating King, Who brought us victory over the grave. My dear brothers and sisters, stay firmly planted — be unshakable — do many good works in the name of God, and know that all your labor is not for nothing when it is for God. (1 Corinthians 15:50-58) Response in Prayer O Father, I look around and see the realities of my mortal world. I see the wounds that death afflicts on my heart and the hearts of those that I love. As I experience these things, I have to confess that I do not feel unshakable! Sometimes I feel very vulnerable to the earthquakes of life and death that I encounter. I ask for the Holy Spirit’s help. I ask that the Spirit work deep within my heart to help me truly believe in the power of Jesus’ resurrection for me and those I love. Help me believe that Jesus’ resurrection changed everything. I want to be unshakable. So I ask, dear Father, for the power of Jesus’ resurrection — the Holy Spirit — to awaken my heart to life eternal with the conviction that what I hold dear is truly unshakable. I pray this in the powerful name of Jesus. Amen. ‘A Year with Jesus’ is written by Phil Ware. © 1998-2024, Heartlight, Inc. ‘A Year with Jesus‘ is part of the Heartlight Network.All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Voice™. © 2008 by Ecclesia Bible Society. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Today’s Verse – John 4:23-24
[Jesus continued his message, saying:] “Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.” —John 4:23-24 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… God seeks true worshipers. He seeks those who long to praise him passionately and authentically as they praise him spirit to spirit. To help us in our quest, he gives us his Spirit to help us worship (Ephesians 5:18-21; Philippians 3:3; Jude 20; Romans 8:26-27). Most of all, our Father wants us to worship him genuinely, according to his revealed will in Scripture, with each heart yielded to him in daily living. My Prayer… Loving Heavenly Father, thank you for your Holy Spirit, who is now interceding to perfect this prayer. My heart thrills at the knowledge that you not only know me but also desire for me to come into your presence. Please accept my feeble words and hear the emotion of my heart as I say, “Thank you!” for all you have done for me. In Jesus’ name, I pray and praise 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.
Dead to the World
Note from Jesus Dear Disciple, Don’t fall in love with what cannot ultimately satisfy or eternally sustain you. Many around you chase after things that do not last and cannot supply them with genuine satisfaction. The world and the things of the world are passing away. They are in the process of decay. That doesn’t mean that the physical world is inherently evil. However, the allure to focus on the stuff of your world rather than focusing on Me is strong. Your trust in Me and your being joined to Me through faith and baptism mean that you have died to the world. You are now alive with Me. Your life and your future are tied to Me (Colossians 3:1-4). My indwelling presence within you through the Holy Spirit will sustain you and transform you (2 Corinthians 3:18). My life is alive in you, and this means that you “will never cease to be.” You trusted in My death to ransom you from sin. You believed in the power of My resurrection to give you new life. This life, empowered by the Holy Spirit, does not end with your physical death. No one can take this life from you. My resurrection from the dead is not just a historical fact that happened on a specific day nearly two thousand years ago. My resurrection also happens again, each day, as you offer yourself to Me. Verses to Live As you read these verses from My apostles John and Paul, notice the emphasis on being dead to the world that is passing away and alive to Me and through My power at work within you. Don’t fall in love with this corrupt world or worship the things it can offer. Those who love its corrupt ways don’t have the Father’s love living within them. All the things the world can offer to you — the allure of pleasure, the passion to have things, and the pompous sense of superiority — do not come from the Father. These are the rotten fruits of this world. This corrupt world is already wasting away, as are its selfish desires. But the person really doing God’s will — that person will never cease to be. (1 John 2:15-17) May I never put anything above the cross of our Lord Jesus the Anointed. Through Him, the world has been crucified to me and I to this world. (Galatians 6:14) I have been crucified with the Anointed One — I am no longer alive — but the Anointed is living in me; and whatever life I have left in this failing body I live by the faithfulness of God’s Son, the One Who loves me and gave His body on the cross for me. (Galatians 2:20) For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized. And with him you were raised to new life because you trusted the mighty power of God, Who raised Christ from the dead. (Colossians 2:12 NLT) Response in Prayer Father, may I never boast in what I can do, but only in what You have done, in what You are doing, and in what You will do in Me. I ask this in the name of Jesus, Who was and Who is and Who is to come, the great I AM. Amen. ‘A Year with Jesus’ is written by Phil Ware. © 1998-2024, Heartlight, Inc. ‘A Year with Jesus‘ is part of the Heartlight Network.All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Voice™. © 2008 by Ecclesia Bible Society. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Today’s Verse – Ephesians 4:22-23
You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds… —Ephesians 4:22-23 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… God makes us new when we become disciples of Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:17). Most of us, however, have moments when the old way of life erupts, makes its presence known, and tries to drag us back into the old way of living. So, being new is a lifetime decision we must make each day, offering ourselves to God, putting off our old self, and inviting the Holy Spirit to renew us (Romans 12:1-2). Throughout Ephesians, Paul talks about the Holy Spirit’s power working in us (Ephesians 1:17-20, 3:14-21, 5:15-21). As we commit daily to following the Lordship of Jesus, the Holy Spirit empowers and matures us to be more and more like him (Ephesians 4:12-16; 2 Corinthians 3:18). The newness of our life in Jesus never has to become old or stale! My Prayer… Almighty God and dear Heavenly Father, please bless me today as I seek to live as a new person — cleansed, made holy, and empowered by your Spirit. Give me a new and clean mind as I intentionally put aside my old habits and desires to pursue Jesus. In his name, and based on his authority, 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.
Joined!
Note from Jesus Dear Partner in Grace, You and I are joined! You believe that I died for your sins, was buried, and was raised from the dead. By now, you should have shared in baptism with Me based on that faith. In immersion based upon your faith, we are “joined” together! Not only are you saved by My death, burial, and resurrection, but you also shared them with Me when you called on My name for salvation and were baptized. As you saw two days ago, the good news story of My saving grace is built on My death, burial, and resurrection. Your faith in Me and what I did make salvation from sin and death available to you. Your baptism is not just a step or a symbol, and it is not a work that merits your salvation. Rather, because of your faith in Me and through your immersion, we were joined in My death, burial, and resurrection (Romans 6:3-7). My sacrifice on the cross and My resurrection are what save you. Your faith that what I did — on the cross, in the tomb, and in being raised from the dead — satisfied all of God’s demands for righteousness is how you receive My grace. By faith, as you are baptized, we are joined together in these events and My new resurrected life becomes your new life. My future is now your new future. You don’t have to earn this grace. You don’t have to win the Father’s favor. You don’t have to pay for past sins. You are joined to Me. I paid the debt. I defeated death. I AM alive forever to the glory of God. And you are joined to Me and share in each of these eternity-changing realities! Paul explained it this way: Therefore, if anyone is united with the Anointed One [Jesus], that person is a new creation. The old life is gone — and see — a new life has begun! … He [the Creator God] orchestrated this: the Anointed One, Who had never experienced sin, became sin for us so that in Him we might embody the very righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:17; 2 Corinthians 5:21) Verses to Live Notice the simplicity of the message and how you are “joined” with Me in My sacrifice to save you and “united” with Me as in the verse above! Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death? For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives. (Romans 6:3-4 NLT) For I passed down to you the crux of it all which I had also received from others, that the Anointed One, the Liberating King, died for our sins and was buried and raised from the dead on the third day. All this happened to fulfill the Scriptures; it was the perfect climax to God’s covenant story. (1 Corinthians 15:3-4) Response in Prayer Holy and Almighty God, I know that You are awesome in holiness and completely righteous. I confess that it is hard for me to understand how Jesus could become sin for me so that I could become Your righteousness. But, dear Father, I recognize Your overwhelming grace given to me in the gift of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection. I come to You in prayer rejoicing that I am joined with Him and share in His triumph over sin and death. I am thankful that I don’t have to earn your love and grace. I am thankful that you chose to pay the price for my sins through the sacrifice of Jesus. I ask for the power of the Holy Spirit so I will live up to what You have made me by Your grace. In Jesus’ name and because of Jesus’ sacrifice, I thank You. Amen. ‘A Year with Jesus’ is written by Phil Ware. © 1998-2024, Heartlight, Inc. ‘A Year with Jesus‘ is part of the Heartlight Network.All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Voice™. © 2008 by Ecclesia Bible Society. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Today’s Verse – 1 John 4:21
And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother. —1 John 4:21 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… Some things are very simple. We can’t love God and refuse to love each other. This is not hard to understand. On the other hand, some of our “kinfolks” in the LORD and in our families are just downright hard to love because they can be so difficult. But, we need to remember who we were when Christ died for us —powerless, ungodly, sinners, and enemiesof God (Romans 5:6-11). Yet God loved us and sent Jesus to save us even when we weren’t deserving. So before we whine about our “hard-to-live-with” fellow believers, we had better give thanks that God loved us when we were “hard-to-love” sinners. Then, we need to thank God for his grace by being more loving with each other. My Prayer… Almighty God, please give me the strength, compassion, and courage to love my fellow Christians as you have loved me. 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.
According to the Scriptures
Note from Jesus Dear Friends, My resurrection should not have been such a big surprise to My disciples. While My resurrection was not something anyone would have expected in normal life, I lived My life in tune with the will of the Father and in fulfillment of the Scriptures. As I began to make My way to Jerusalem for the final time in My earthly ministry, I repeatedly talked about My death and My resurrection that would occur three days later (Mark 8:31; Mark 9:30-31; Mark 10:33-34). I also used earlier Scriptures that carry strong hints about My life, death, and resurrection (Mark 15:34 with Psalm 22:1-31) Later My followers did likewise (Acts 13:32-35 with Psalm 2:1-12 and Psalm 16:7-11; Acts 2:31 with Psalm 16:7-11; Acts 8:26-40 with Isaiah 53:7-12). Even those who viewed Me as their enemy worried about My prediction that I would rise from the dead after three days. They went so far as to take precautions to keep anyone from stealing My dead body and making a claim of resurrection (Matthew 27:62-66). As I had promised, as the scriptures had suggested, and as My enemies inadvertently had helped to validate, I rose from the dead. However, grief and loss closed My disciples to any expectation of a good outcome to the horrific events of the cross. I had to go to great lengths to show them that I was alive. I had to open their minds to understand the scriptures about My resurrection and their upcoming mission (Luke 24:45-49). What do I want you to do with this important insight into My resurrection that I have shared with you today? What difference does it make whether or not the scriptures spoke of My resurrection? Here are a few real-life applications that I want you to take away with you from the verses below. There are others, but please grab hold of these implications from what I have told you. First, what you call the Bible is really My family story. In fact, because you are joined to Me, it is also your family story. It is a gift to help you understand how grace worked its way through the religions of humankind and brought all blood sacrifices to an end in My sacrifice (Hebrews 9:22; Hebrews 10:12 NLT). All humanity, regardless of race or social standing or gender or anything else, comes to the Father on equal ground — the ground at the foot of My cross — and can receive grace to be the Father’s children through faith in what I did (Galatians 3:26-29). Second, My life on earth was a fulfillment of that great story of grace (Matthew 5:17-20), and all of its greatest promises find their fulfillment in Me (2 Corinthians 1:18-20). So if you want to know Me more completely, then use the Scriptures of what you call the Old Testament. Learn more about Me and use your faith in Me to help you understand how to use those Scriptures to bring salvation to you and others (2 Timothy 3:14-17). Finally, realize that My resurrection helps you look at everything in a new way. My closest disciples weren’t bad or dumb because they didn’t expect My resurrection; they were grieving and broken and hopeless. However, My resurrection changed all of that for them… and for you… and “All this happened to fulfill the Scriptures.” Verses to Live As you read these verses, notice especially the last sentence. The cross and My resurrection were no accident. They were God’s plan… to redeem you! Let me remind you, brothers and sisters, of the good news that I preached to you when we first met. It’s the essential message that you have taken to heart, the central story you now base your life on; and through this gospel, you are liberated — unless, of course, your faith has come to nothing. For I passed down to you the crux of it all which I had also received from others, that the Anointed One, the Liberating King, died for our sins and was buried and raised from the dead on the third day. All this happened to fulfill the Scriptures; it was the perfect climax to God’s covenant story. (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) Response in Prayer O Father, thank You for the Scriptures. Forgive me when I have taken them lightly and neglected to use them to draw me closer to Jesus and His wonderful gift. I ask that You use the Holy Spirit, Lord Jesus, to help me understand the message inspired by the Spirit’s grace. I ask this to honor You — Father, Son, and Spirit — in the name of Jesus. Amen. ‘A Year with Jesus’ is written by Phil Ware. © 1998-2024, Heartlight, Inc. ‘A Year with Jesus‘ is part of the Heartlight Network.All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Voice™. © 2008 by Ecclesia Bible Society. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Today’s Verse – Philippians 4:20
To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen. —Philippians 4:20 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… When was the last time you prayed and didn’t request anything from God? You simply thanked and praised God. Why not use today as a day of thanks and praise? Don’t ask for anything; commit to offering praise and thanksgiving to the Father without requesting anything in return! Praise him for who he is, what he has done, and what he is going to do! Thank him for blessing you, saving you, and bringing you into his glorious future! Let today be a day of thanks and praise to “Our God and Father” to whom belong “glory forever and ever. Amen.” My Prayer… You are worthy, dear Father, of every word of praise my imagination can find and every word of thanks my tongue can pronounce. You are glorious, majestic, holy, mighty, and awesome. You are patient, forgiving, sacrificial, loving, and tender. You are more than I can imagine and yet closer to me than my very breath. Your greatness exhausts my vocabulary, while your generosity overwhelms my heart. Please be glorified in my every thought, deed, and word. In Jesus’ name, I praise 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.
Core Gospel
Note from Jesus Dear Beloved, Yesterday, I used parts of one of Paul’s letters to the Corinthian Christians to emphasize the authenticity of the gospel message. Today, I am using the same verses to focus your attention on the essential aspects of the good news message about Me. This note is especially important because it addresses the very core, the bedrock, of your faith. You will find certain phrases highlighted in the verses below to help you see the core gospel and what your response to the gospel should be. This core gospel is the central truth of your faith. It is the good news that I want to be preached about Me. It is the foundation upon which you are to build your life, your values, and your witness before others. This core gospel is emphasized, proclaimed, and used in Paul’s letters to the Corinthians as motivation and assurance for faithful living and authentic ministry. Notice three aspects of this core gospel in the verses below. These three truths are the foundation of much of what your New Testament teaches. Core Gospel Emphasized: The first few phrases in bold emphasize the foundational nature of the core gospel. It is “the essential message,” “the central story,” and the “gospel” by which “you are liberated” from sin and death because this core gospel is “the crux of it all.” Core Gospel Proclaimed: There are phrases in bold and underlined that summarize the proclaimed message of the gospel. I, the Christ and “the Anointed One, the Liberating King, died for” your sins and “was buried and raised from the dead on the third day,” and I subsequently “appeared alive” to many witnesses who knew Me both before and after My resurrection. Tomorrow we will look at Scriptures that foretold My sacrifice and that illustrated how My disciples and I used those Scriptures. Core Gospel Used to Inspire Faithful Living: The phrases in bold toward the end of the verses leverage your faith in the core gospel to inspire and encourage you to holy living. “What matters is… that you have faith in this message,” that “you now base your life on” this gospel, and that you “stay firmly planted — be unshakeable — [and] do many good works in the name of God” because you know that “your labor” is not wasted, is not in vain, and “is not for nothing.” As the year progresses, more will be said about how you are to live your life as My disciple. Verses to Live I endured death to defeat its hold on you. I was raised victoriously back to life to share that life with you. To show the power of God over Satan, hell, and death, I appeared after My resurrection to those who knew Me best. I did this to help you know that your life matters — not just to you and to those you love, but it matters to the Father. What you do because you are My disciple will never be forgotten! Following, beloved, is the core gospel, the good news that saves you. Let me remind you, brothers and sisters, of the good news that I preached to you when we first met. It’s the essential message that you have taken to heart, the central story you now base your life on; and through this gospel, you are liberated — unless, of course, your faith has come to nothing. For I passed down to you the crux of it all which I had also received from others, that the Anointed One, the Liberating King, died for our sins and was buried and raised from the dead on the third day. All this happened to fulfill the Scriptures; it was the perfect climax to God’s covenant story. Afterward He appeared alive to Cephas (you may know him as Simon Peter), then to the rest of the twelve. If that were not amazing enough, on one occasion, He appeared to more than 500 believers at one time. Many of those brothers and sisters are still around to tell the story, though some have fallen asleep in Jesus. Soon He appeared to James, His brother and the leader of the Jerusalem church, and then to all the rest of the emissaries He Himself commissioned. Last of all, He appeared to me [Paul]; I was like a child snatched from his mother’s womb. You see, I am the least of all His emissaries, not fit to be called His emissary because I hunted down and persecuted God’s church. Today I am who I am because of God’s grace, and I have made sure that the grace He offered me has not been wasted. I have worked harder, longer, and smarter than all the rest; but I realize it is not me — it is God’s grace with me that has made the difference. In the end, it doesn’t matter whether it was I or the other witnesses who brought you the message. What matters is that we keep preaching and that you have faith in this message. … Sin came into this world, and death’s sting followed. Then sin took aim at the law and gained power over those who follow the law. Thank God, then, for our Lord Jesus, the Anointed, the Liberating King, Who brought us victory over the grave. My dear brothers and sisters, stay firmly planted — be unshakable — do many good works in the name of God, and know that all your labor is not for nothing when it is for God. (1 Corinthians 15:1-11; 1 Corinthians 15:56-58) Response in Prayer Almighty God, I humble myself before You as I think of Your wondrous grace! Thank You for making the core gospel so plain, so clear, and so powerful. I believe that Jesus died for my sins. I believe that He was buried. I believe that He was raised to life on the third day and showed Himself alive to those who knew Him.