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Scripture Reading — James 1:12-18 Each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. James 1:14 Temptations are thoughts. We see things or people that appeal to us, and we want them for ourselves, even though we know that would be wrong. Humans will always...

Scripture Reading — Romans 12:1-2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Romans 12:2 Notice the big contrast in this text. We can follow the “pattern”— or the behaviors, standards, and customs—of the world. Or we can follow the will of...

Scripture Reading — Genesis 6:5-8 Every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. Genesis 6:5 Wow! The people in those days must have been really, really bad. Look at all those totalizing terms: every, only, all the time. And all of this troubled God deeply...

Scripture Reading — Matthew 6:25-34 “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:33 Did you play hide-and-seek as a child? I did, and I play it now with my grandchildren. (They are easy to find when they’re under a blanket on the...

Scripture Reading — Mark 12:28-34 “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’” Mark 12:30 As Jesus answers a question about the greatest commandment, he quotes from Deuteronomy 6 in the Old Testament. He emphasizes...

Scripture Reading — 1 Peter 2:4-10 You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession. . . . 1 Peter 2:9 We are often our own worst critics. I find that many of my inner thoughts tend to be negative about myself. “Kent, what were you thinking?” “You keep doing...

Scripture Reading — 1 Peter 2:4-10 You are a chosen people . . . a holy nation, God’s special possession. . . . 1 Peter 2:9 While God is busy preparing the new creation, he is working on a special project. He is building a chosen people, a holy nation, the “special possession” that Peter talks...

Scripture Reading — Romans 16:13 Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother, who has been a mother to me, too. Romans 16:13 Today let’s look at one more set of people whom Paul mentions in Romans 16: Rufus and his mother. First, Rufus: Paul’s comment about Rufus is that he is “chosen in...

Scripture Reading — Romans 16:12 Greet Tryphena and Tryphosa, those women who work hard in the Lord. . . . [And] Persis, another woman who has worked very hard in the Lord. Romans 16:12 For the past few days we’ve looked through Paul’s greetings to helpers, coworkers, and other saints here in...

Scripture Reading — Romans 16:7 Andronicus and Julius, my fellow Jews who have been in prison with me . . . are outstanding among the apostles, and they were in Christ before I was. Romans 16:7 The text that has shaped our month’s devotions (2 Corinthians 5:17) has an important, little phrase...

One of the verses most sorely and regularly taken out of context is Psalm 46:10, “Be still, and know that I am God.” We (rightfully) understand that the Bible calls individual believers into supernatural peace and practical rest. But this tranquil, green-pasture, Christ-my-shepherd picture is...

Scripture Reading — Romans 16:1-5 They risked their lives for me. Not only I but all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them. Romans 16:4 What level of risk are you comfortable with? Are you willing to invest your money in something that could make a great profit but could also make...

Scripture Reading — 1 Thessalonians 3:6-10 Timothy has . . . brought good news about your faith and love. 1 Thessalonians 3:6 Paul was overjoyed! He had sent his disciple, Timothy, back to the city of Thessalonica to check on the church they had recently planted there. And Timothy had returned...

Scripture Reading — Acts 16:11-15 The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message. Acts 16:14 I would love to have been there, watching Lydia turn into a new creation. As our story begins, she has no idea who Jesus is. She worships and prays to God, but she doesn’t know Jesus, God’s...

Scripture Reading — Acts 10:1-23 “Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them.” Acts 10:20 What happens when you hear God give you an instruction? You do what he says. But what if God tells you something, and it doesn’t seem to make sense? In Acts 10 we read about a strange dream...

Scripture Reading — Acts 16:1-5 Paul came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where a disciple named Timothy lived. . . . Acts 16:1 In the United States, where I live, it is common for people to have parents and grandparents from different countries or ethnic backgrounds. A neighbor or coworker might...

Scripture Reading — Acts 13:1-3 The Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Acts 13:2 When we see orange barrels on the roadway, that’s usually a sign of work going on. If we see a bag of flour, eggs, and measuring cups on the kitchen...

Scripture Reading — Acts 9:1-19 “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel.” Acts 9:15 Would you expect wine to come from a jug of motor oil? What if you cracked open an egg and found maple syrup inside? Or how about...

Scripture Reading — Acts 4:32-37 Joseph . . . sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet. Acts 4:36-37 When you see a person who has met Jesus and who is changing to live more and more like Jesus, you know that something new is going on. It means that Jesus is...

Scripture Reading — Acts 4:1-22 They were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. Acts 4:13 When the Jewish religious leaders in our text for today saw two ordinary, unschooled men, Peter and John, speaking courageously and with certainty about the Scriptures, they...