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Scripture Reading — Genesis 12:10-20 Pharaoh . . . sent [Abram] on his way, with his wife and everything he had. Genesis 12:20 It was a time of famine, and Abram and Sarai needed food. There was food in Egypt, but going there could be dangerous. (This would not be the first time God’s people...

Scripture Reading — Genesis 12:1-8 “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.” Genesis 12:1 Abram and Sarai will become key figures in the story of God’s covenant and his plan for salvation. When we first meet this couple, they do not have...

Scripture Reading — Genesis 9:1-17 God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant . . . between me and all life on the earth.” Genesis 9:17 God works in line with his character and principles—and he has made those clear to us, as we can see in this passage and in others. For example...

Scripture Reading — Genesis 4:1-12, 25-26 “God has granted me another child in place of Abel, since Cain killed him.” Genesis 4:25 God had told Adam and Eve that there would be consequences for their sin. When Eve gave birth to Cain and then Abel, she experienced the pain of childbirth—but...

Scripture Reading — Genesis 3:1-15 “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” Genesis 3:15 The story in Genesis 3 is often described as “the fall into sin.” Adam and Eve started with a wonderful...

Scripture Reading — Lamentations 3:19-26 His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23 Have you ever lost sleep because your mind and heart were busy or burdened? You can lie down and try to fall asleep, but sleep won’t come. Jeremiah...

Scripture Reading — Psalm 23:1-6 Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me. . . . Psalm 23:4 Bible teachers have often wondered about the setting of this song of David. When was it written? In Psalm 23 we find descriptions of the work of a young...

Scripture Reading — 2 Kings 5:1-19 “If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.” 2 Kings 5:3 I love this Bible story for many reasons. Naaman was a guy who had everything. As an army commander, he could tell people what to do and where to go. He...

Scripture Reading — Luke 3:10-18 John answered, “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.” Luke 3:10-11 The man had been invited in, and he had become part of the church. He lived on a pension and struggled with a mental...

Scripture Reading — Ephesians 4:1-6 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. Ephesians 4:3 Years ago, when we served a church in the community of Terrace Bay, Ontario, we were far away (17 hours by car) from our extended family. If we wanted to get home...

Scripture Reading — Matthew 13:31-32 “Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds . . . perch in its branches.” Matthew 13:32 The door opened, and in walked a woman I did not know. She explained that she...

Scripture Reading — Philippians 2:1-4 [Look] not . . . to your own interests but . . . to the interests of the others. Philippians 2:4 I live in an area where snow falls in winter, and I would prefer that it would stay off my driveway. My husband looked outside at the snow one day and scowled...

Scripture Reading — Luke 5:17-26 They went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles . . . right in front of Jesus. Luke 5:19 Have you ever lost your house key? I am so thankful that our house has a keypad entry so that all I have to remember is a code. On that note, have...

Scripture Reading — Luke 24:28-34 They urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening. . . .” So he went in to stay with them. Luke 24:29 One of the intriguing details of this story in Luke is that the two disciples who were walking and talking with Jesus didn’t know it was him...

Scripture Reading — 3 John 3-8 It gave me great joy when . . . [I heard] about your faithfulness to the truth. . . . 3 John 3 Last year I watched the televised funeral of a godly leader and statesman. Tributes from a friend and a family member reminded me of a leader who worked diligently to...

Scripture Reading — Exodus 2:15-25 “And where is he?” . . . “Why did you leave him? Invite him to have something to eat.” Exodus 2:20 Church planting can bring lots of excitement and challenges. Have you ever met a church planter? They give up many of the comforts and expectations of a...

Scripture Reading — 1 Peter 4:8-11 Use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace. . . . 1 Peter 4:10 It was Easter morning, and I was excited to be part of the church service that day. My ideas and sermon were ready to go. I was anticipating a great...

Scripture Reading — Acts 28:1-10 Publius . . . welcomed us to his home and showed us generous hospitality for three days. Acts 28:7 Paul was on a ship with 275 other men riding out a storm that they could have avoided. Nevertheless, God had a plan. They were shipwrecked on an island where...

Scripture Reading — 2 Kings 4:8-17 “Let’s make a small room . . . for him. Then he can stay there whenever he comes to us.” 2 Kings 4:10 We have a guest room in our house. It gets used on a regular basis. My mother uses it when she comes to visit, our grandkids use it for sleepovers, and...

Scripture Reading — Jeremiah 29:4-7 “Seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you. . . . Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” Jeremiah 29:7 Carrots and potatoes and peas—oh, my! Actually many kinds of vegetables show up in this...