Day 6 - Matthew 3:13-17

13 Then Jesus went from Galilee to the Jordan River to be baptized by John. 14 But John tried to talk him out of it. “I am the one who needs to be baptized by you,” he said, “so why are you coming to me?”

15 But Jesus said, “It should be done, for we must carry out all that God requires.” So John agreed to baptize him.

16 After his baptism, as Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and settling on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.”

Terrie's Comments:

This would have been a glorious day... the Son of God, who chose to become fully man, being filled with the Holy Spirit and in a sense He was reunited with God directly.  The thing that amazes me is the same Holy Spirit that guided Jesus as he carried out his ministry here on earth is the same Holy Spirit that in dwells every believer now and empowers us to carry out what He has for us to do.  That is a sobering thought and one that brings great comfort and hope to my spirit!

Tori's Comments:

Again, through Jesus fulfilling all of these prophecies, He is proving who He is... all that we hoped He would be! 

It's also interesting that this is where Jesus receives the Holy Spirit, and from this point on begins His ministry.

Take our personal comments or leave them. We would love to hear what stood out to you about today`s passage and how it encouraged you. Tell us in the comments below!

Day 5 - Matthew 3:1-12

In those days John the Baptist came to the Judean wilderness and began preaching. His message was, 2 “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.” 3 The prophet Isaiah was speaking about John when he said,

“He is a voice shouting in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord’s coming!
    Clear the road for him!’”

4 John’s clothes were woven from coarse camel hair, and he wore a leather belt around his waist. For food he ate locusts and wild honey. 5 People from Jerusalem and from all of Judea and all over the Jordan Valley went out to see and hear John. 6 And when they confessed their sins, he baptized them in the Jordan River.

7 But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to watch him baptize, he denounced them. “You brood of snakes!” he exclaimed. “Who warned you to flee the coming wrath? 8 Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God. 9 Don’t just say to each other, ‘We’re safe, for we are descendants of Abraham.’ That means nothing, for I tell you, God can create children of Abraham from these very stones. 10 Even now the ax of God’s judgment is poised, ready to sever the roots of the trees. Yes, every tree that does not produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire.

11 “I baptize with water those who repent of their sins and turn to God. But someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not worthy even to be his slave and carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.12 He is ready to separate the chaff from the wheat with his winnowing fork. Then he will clean up the threshing area, gathering the wheat into his barn but burning the chaff with never-ending fire.”

Tori's Comments:

Can you imagine being called a brood of snakes by Jesus? Of course, in this scenario, you wouldn't believe it's really the messiah in the first place. Verse 9 just reminds us how much we rely on God for everything, and that we glorify Him for a reason! He is mighty and powerful yet full of love and mercy in His righteousness.

Terrie's Comments:

The word repent has stuck out to me in this passage often.  John's message was to repent.  To turn away from your own will to a life directed by God.  This is exactly what we are to do.  When we choose to follow Jesus we are choosing to turn away from our selfish, sinful desires, our fleshly desires and instead we follow the Holy Spirit's leading in our lives.  I thank God every day for His word and the Holy Spirit to help direct my steps every day!!!

Take our personal comments or leave them. We would love to hear what stood out to you about today`s passage and how it encouraged you. Tell us in the comments below!

Day 4 - Matthew 2:13-23

13 After the wise men were gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up! Flee to Egypt with the child and his mother,” the angel said. “Stay there until I tell you to return, because Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”

14 That night Joseph left for Egypt with the child and Mary, his mother, 15 and they stayed there until Herod’s death. This fulfilled what the Lord had spoken through the prophet: “I called my Son out of Egypt.”

16 Herod was furious when he realized that the wise men had outwitted him. He sent soldiers to kill all the boys in and around Bethlehem who were two years old and under, based on the wise men’s report of the star’s first appearance. 17 Herod’s brutal action fulfilled what God had spoken through the prophet Jeremiah:

18 “A cry was heard in Ramah—
    weeping and great mourning.
Rachel weeps for her children,
    refusing to be comforted,
    for they are dead.”

19 When Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt.20 “Get up!” the angel said. “Take the child and his mother back to the land of Israel, because those who were trying to kill the child are dead.”

21 So Joseph got up and returned to the land of Israel with Jesus and his mother. 22 But when he learned that the new ruler of Judea was Herod’s son Archelaus, he was afraid to go there. Then, after being warned in a dream, he left for the region of Galilee. 23 So the family went and lived in a town called Nazareth. This fulfilled what the prophets had said: “He will be called a Nazarene.”

Terrie's Comments:
Once again we see that Joseph is a great man of God who trusts what God says and follows him by faith.  This devotion not only saved our savior but also fulfilled more prophecies that were found in scriptures.

Tori's Comments:

Man, Jesus is fulfilling prophecies right and left. From HUNDREDS OF YEARS AGO. Even down to the town He lives in! It's awe-inspiring, and confirms just who He is, the beginning and the end.

Take our personal comments or leave them. We would love to hear what stood out to you about today`s passage and how it encouraged you. Tell us in the comments below!

Day 3 - Matthew 2:1-12

Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, 2 “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.”

3 King Herod was deeply disturbed when he heard this, as was everyone in Jerusalem.4 He called a meeting of the leading priests and teachers of religious law and asked, “Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?”

5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they said, “for this is what the prophet wrote:

6 ‘And you, O Bethlehem in the land of Judah,
    are not least among the ruling cities of Judah,
for a ruler will come from you
    who will be the shepherd for my people Israel.’”

7 Then Herod called for a private meeting with the wise men, and he learned from them the time when the star first appeared. 8 Then he told them, “Go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the child. And when you find him, come back and tell me so that I can go and worship him, too!”

9 After this interview the wise men went their way. And the star they had seen in the east guided them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were filled with joy! 11 They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

12 When it was time to leave, they returned to their own country by another route, for God had warned them in a dream not to return to Herod.

Tori's Comments:

This star must have been really odd to attract the attention of so many.
I am curious what the significance of the wise men really was. Why did God choose them to follow and tell King Herod? 

Terrie's Comments:

It amazes me that when asked about the savior the leaders were able to quote scriptures perfectly but years later they somehow forgot what the scriptures said even when Jesus obviously fulfilled so many of the prophecies found there.

Take our personal comments or leave them. We would love to hear what stood out to you about today`s passage and how it encouraged you. Tell us in the comments below!

Day 2 - Matthew 1:18-25

18 This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. 19 Joseph, to whom she was engaged, was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly.

20 As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. 21 And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

22 All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet:

23 “Look! The virgin will conceive a child!
    She will give birth to a son,
and they will call him Immanuel,
    which means ‘God is with us.’”

24 When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife. 25 But he did not have sexual relations with her until her son was born. And Joseph named him Jesus.

Terrie's Comments:

Joseph was a man of great integrity and faith in God.  Just his intentions and his response in this passage alone show this.

Tori's Comments:

I can't even imagine what this would have been like for Joseph. Or Mary. Their faith was as simple as obeying what they were told. If I were told that I was going to have a kid through the Holy Spirit....well.... But that's focusing on the natural. When you think of the supernatural side of it, the God Almighty who time and time again has come through for His people and everything is subject to Him has just invited me into His story. I can have faith and know that He is good and sovereign.

Take our personal comments or leave them. We would love to hear what stood out to you about today`s passage and how it encouraged you. Tell us in the comments below!

Day 69 - John 11:45-57

45 Many of the people who were with Mary believed in Jesus when they saw this happen. 46 But some went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done.47 Then the leading priests and Pharisees called the high council together. “What are we going to do?” they asked each other. “This man certainly performs many miraculous signs. 48 If we allow him to go on like this, soon everyone will believe in him. Then the Roman army will come and destroy both our Temple and our nation.”49 Caiaphas, who was high priest at that time, said, “You don’t know what you’re talking about! 50 You don’t realize that it’s better for you that one man should die for the people than for the whole nation to be destroyed.”51 He did not say this on his own; as high priest at that time he was led to prophesy that Jesus would die for the entire nation. 52 And not only for that nation, but to bring together and unite all the children of God scattered around the world.53 So from that time on, the Jewish leaders began to plot Jesus’ death. 54 As a result, Jesus stopped his public ministry among the people and left Jerusalem. He went to a place near the wilderness, to the village of Ephraim, and stayed there with his disciples.55 It was now almost time for the Jewish Passover celebration, and many people from all over the country arrived in Jerusalem several days early so they could go through the purification ceremony before Passover began. 56 They kept looking for Jesus, but as they stood around in the Temple, they said to each other, “What do you think? He won’t come for Passover, will he?” 57 Meanwhile, the leading priests and Pharisees had publicly ordered that anyone seeing Jesus must report it immediately so they could arrest him.

Tori's Comments:

Verse 50 has me chuckling so much. How ironic!!! 

Terrie's Comments:
I find it interesting how Jesus behaves during this time.  It was not his time yet and so he vanishes.  They didn't tell him that they were looking for him or that they wanted to kill him.  He just knew... another thing that was revealed to Him through the Holy Spirit.  That was a pretty significant word of knowledge right there!  

The people who supposedly "knew" the scriptures like the back of their own hands, had no idea that prophecies were being fulfilled right in front of them and they were helping to bring them to fruition!!  

Take our personal comments or leave them. We would love to hear what stood out to you about today`s passage and how it encouraged you. Tell us in the comments below!

Day 9 - 1 Timothy 5:1-10

Never speak harshly to an older man, but appeal to him respectfully as you would to your own father. Talk to younger men as you would to your own brothers. 2 Treat older women as you would your mother, and treat younger women with all purity as you would your own sisters.

3 Take care of any widow who has no one else to care for her. 4 But if she has children or grandchildren, their first responsibility is to show godliness at home and repay their parents by taking care of them. This is something that pleases God.

5 Now a true widow, a woman who is truly alone in this world, has placed her hope in God. She prays night and day, asking God for his help. 6 But the widow who lives only for pleasure is spiritually dead even while she lives. 7 Give these instructions to the church so that no one will be open to criticism.

8 But those who won’t care for their relatives, especially those in their own household, have denied the true faith. Such people are worse than unbelievers.

9 A widow who is put on the list for support must be a woman who is at least sixty years old and was faithful to her husband. 10 She must be well respected by everyone because of the good she has done. Has she brought up her children well? Has she been kind to strangers and served other believers humbly? Has she helped those who are in trouble? Has she always been ready to do good?

Tori's Comments:

We are a family, and we need to act like it!

"prays night and day" To be able to depend wholly on Christ...

Terrie's Comments:
This passage is so practical.  Treat those in Christ's family, no matter who they are, as if they are part of your own family.  

Taking care of our own relatives should be a priority.  And taking care of those who have no one else in this world to care for them.

If I live my life in full dependence on God then if I am ever in the position of widow it would be my automated response to rely on Him even then.  This should be the goal of every  believer.  Dying to our own needs and living fully as a servant of Jesus Christ.

Take our personal comments or leave them. We would love to hear what stood out to you about today`s passage and how it encouraged you. Tell us in the comments below!

Day 7 - 1 Timothy 4: 1-8

Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from the true faith; they will follow deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons. 2 These people are hypocrites and liars, and their consciences are dead.

3 They will say it is wrong to be married and wrong to eat certain foods. But God created those foods to be eaten with thanks by faithful people who know the truth. 4 Since everything God created is good, we should not reject any of it but receive it with thanks. 5 For we know it is made acceptable by the word of God and prayer.

6 If you explain these things to the brothers and sisters, Timothy, you will be a worthy servant of Christ Jesus, one who is nourished by the message of faith and the good teaching you have followed. 7 Do not waste time arguing over godless ideas and old wives’ tales. Instead, train yourself to be godly. 8 “Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.”


Tori's Comments:

"everything God created is good" let us be known as a thankful people.

Terrie's Comments:

Once again the idea of not wasting time on arguing over things has come into this letter.  It sounds like it was something that was happening a lot.  This time Paul is encouraging people to not argue about godless ideas or old wives' tales.  

I believe for me it takes just as much, if not more discipline and effort to train myself spiritually as it does to train physically.  But we are assured not only here by Paul but also by the Holy Spirit himself that there are promising benefits here and in heaven for training ourselves spiritually.  Physical training is only beneficial here on earth.

Take our personal comments or leave them. We would love to hear what stood out to you about today`s passage and how it encouraged you. Tell us in the comments below!

Day 1 - 1 Timothy 1:1-11

1 This letter is from Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus, appointed by the command of God our Savior and Christ Jesus, who gives us hope.

2 I am writing to Timothy, my true son in the faith.

May God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord give you grace, mercy, and peace.

3 When I left for Macedonia, I urged you to stay there in Ephesus and stop those whose teaching is contrary to the truth. 4 Don’t let them waste their time in endless discussion of myths and spiritual pedigrees. These things only lead to meaningless speculations, which don’t help people live a life of faith in God.

5 The purpose of my instruction is that all believers would be filled with love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and genuine faith. 6 But some people have missed this whole point. They have turned away from these things and spend their time in meaningless discussions. 7 They want to be known as teachers of the law of Moses, but they don’t know what they are talking about, even though they speak so confidently.

8 We know that the law is good when used correctly. 9 For the law was not intended for people who do what is right. It is for people who are lawless and rebellious, who are ungodly and sinful, who consider nothing sacred and defile what is holy, who kill their father or mother or commit other murders. 10 The law is for people who are sexually immoral, or who practice homosexuality, or are slave traders, liars, promise breakers, or who do anything else that contradicts the wholesome teaching 11 that comes from the glorious Good News entrusted to me by our blessed God.

Tori's Comments:

Speculations don't help us in the faith, and I feel like it's because we get into a territory of truths we can't cling to. We should instead invest in a life of love and faith we can count on, faith we know to be true.

This is something that I want to guard against at bible college. I don't want to suddenly start talking about God as if he could be contained in a laboratory to perform experiments on. I want to remember how He pursued me in love. I want to remember just how real He is. How real His love is.

Terrie's Comments:
I have read through 1 and 2 Timothy a few times lately in preparing for this challenge and in preparing for leading another Bible study in my home.  Each time I have read this particular portion of the letter the word "meaningless" stands out to me.  

How often do I engage in "meaningless" speculations or discussions  that don't help people live a life of faith in God?  I seem to be around plenty of people who LOVE to debate and discuss theology and more often than not it is just a waste of time and it hasn't deepened anyone's faith or brought us any closer in relationship with each other.  On the other hand I have plenty of people who LOVE to talk about things that are truth and are able to connect me at a deeper level with my Savior Jesus Christ... these are sweet friends and sweet times for sure :-)  I hope that I can learn to be more a friend that helps them live a life of faith in God and learn to engage less often in "meaningless" speculations and discussions!

WELCOME TO TIMOTHY!

Take our personal comments or leave them. We would love to hear what stood out to you about today`s passage and how it encouraged you. Tell us in the comments below!

The Forgotten Freedom

Written by Tori

It wasn't too long ago that I felt the weight of the world on my shoulders. But as a Christian, why I should feel the weight of the world, of all things, was beyond me.

It could be construed as anxiety, stress, or a number of things we seem to brush off as normal. That somehow if you had prepared better, or just were better, you wouldn't be so worried, stressed, or insecure.

Of course, I was going by my worldly diagnosis, and it wasn't long after that a random thought hit me.

Who told me I had to always be reaching for someone different than I was? Since when did the world's approval begin to mean so much to me?

And it did. I hadn't realized it, but that need was like a leech sucking life and joy from me with every insecure taunt the devil threw at me.

With this new revelation came a new perspective.

God doesn't ask us to be the most beautiful, the cleverest, the strongest... He doesn't require us to be liked by everyone.

He requires us to love.

To love and recognize we are loved. We need to realize just how much God pours out His love and mercy, and we in turn just need to pour it out on others. That's all.

Don't feel the need to be witty. To be brilliant. To be the best.

Feel the need to love. 

Because that's who you are. That's who God has made you to be.

That's all. 

"For we speak as messengers approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News. Our purpose is to please God, not people. He alone examines the motives of our hearts." -1 Thessalonians 2:4