Read the Bible in One YearHere's a Bible reading plan for each day of the week. This plan was found at bible-reading.com. (It prints in Adobe Acrobat format so if you don't have Adobe Acrobat, click here Adobe Acrobat and download a free copy.) Inspiring ReadingsHere are some readings from Thomas Oden's and Cindy Crosby's Ancient Christian Devotional (IVP Books, 2007), with scriptures to help you in your Christian Life.The Giver of Life God is all-powerful, bringing life from death (Ezek 37:1:-14), just as his Son, Jesus, has the power over life and death (Jn 11:1-45). We wait patiently for him to help us in the midst of our troubles, knowing that his love for us is unwavering (Ps 130); we submit to God, setting our minds on spiritual things, rather than the things of the flesh, and letting Christ dwell in us (Rom 8:6-11). Jesus is the giver of life and has the power over life and death (Jn 11:1-45). God’s Promises Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice Isaac shows his complete confidence in God’s promises (Gen 22:1-14). Although we sometimes question how long we will have to endure certain trials, we trust God to see us through them (Ps 13). Therefore, we need to yield to God, who offers us eternal life, not giving in to sin (Rom 6:12-23) and offering hospitality in God’s name to others (Mt 10:40-42). God Is Near We seek God, remembering that he is always near (Acts 17:22-31), even when we suffer for his sake (1 Pet 3:13-22). We seek him through prayer, knowing that he listens to our prayers. In turn, we tell others what he has done for us and stories of our experiences (Ps 66:8-20). When we love Jesus, we joyfully submit to his will and diligently try to keep his commandments, with the help of the Holy Spirit (Jn 14:15-21). The Remedy Against Sin Adam succumbed to temptation and brought sin on all generations of people (Gen 2:15-17; 3:1-7). We confess our sin and rejoice in God’s forgiveness (Ps 32). Just as Adam’s sin brought sin on all humankind, so is Christ’s redemption of sin available for all (Rom 5:12-19), because Jesus alone was able to resist temptation (Mt 4:1-11). The Gift of the Holy Spirit On Pentecost, we celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-21). Through Christ, we are given the living water of the Holy Spirit, poured out on believers on Pentecost, so that we might “thirst” no more (Jn 7:37-39) and that we might use the spiritual gifts we are given to his glory (1 Cor 12:3b-13). We look at the wonders of creation and cannot help but praise God for his wisdom, originality and the beauty of the world around us (Ps 104:24-34, 35b). Rest in God Almighty God is faithful to care for us (Ps 145:8-14) and is actively involved in our lives (Gen 24:34-38, 42-67). We long to live sinless lives, but we struggle: we seem to do the very things we do not want to do (Rom 7:15-25a). Jesus invites us to come to him when we are weary and discouraged, and he will give us rest (Mt 11:16-19, 25-30). Asking God for Help Just as Esau did with his birthright, we treat with indifference that which is most important (Gen 25:19-34). If God lives in us, we are no longer controlled by our sinful nature (Rom 8:1-11). We need to put down deep roots in our faith, letting the word of God fall on fertile soil (Mt 13:1-9, 18-23). Desiring this, we pray to God for help and direction (Ps 119:105-112). Obedience God does not want lip service, he wants obedience from us (Amos 5:18-24). God is our help and deliverer (Ps70); because we love him we seek a pure heart and pure motives (Mt 25:1-13), knowing that in Jesus, we have the assurance of salvation and eternal life (1 Thess 4:13-18). Quietness and Rest Moses was given the law, which calls us to honor the Lord as the one true God and to observe the Sabbath (Ex 20:1-4, 7-9, 12-20). God is the creator and giver of the law: all we have to do is look to the heavens to see his handiwork and majesty (Ps 19). We press forward, desiring what is right, knowing that everything pales before what Christ offers (Phil 3:4b-14) and recognizing the sacrifice Christ made for our salvation and that our foundation in him is rock solid (Mt 21:33-46). Seeking God’s Kingdom God’s power and glory are impossible for us to understand (Ex 33:12-23), yet we recognize that God is great and to be praised (Ps 96:1-9, 10-13). We marvel at Jesus’ wisdom (Mt 22:15-22) and eagerly anticipate his return (1 Thess 1:1-10). Living Holy Lives God is eternal, while our time on earth is fleeting (Ps 90:1-6, 13-17). Because of this, we seek to share the gospel as Paul did (1 Thess 2:1-8), loving the Lord and loving our neighbor as ourselves (Mt 22:34-46) and living holy lives, as much as possible (Lev 19:1-2, 15-18). For more readings click here. |
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