Life Pursuit

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We believe God is going to do some amazing things in 2017 at Crossing Place Church.

That’s why our Dream Team wrote this devotional. We are taking the month of January to study our core values and read through the Gospel of Matthew – and as always, we’re committing the first 21 days of the year to prayer and fasting. We’re asking God to move us in line with His plan. We’re asking him to stamp our hearts with love for Him and for each other. But most of all, we are asking Him to help us focus more intently on our mission of connecting people and impacting lives.

We’re asking you to take this journey with us. Spend a few moments each day reading the suggested passage and the devotion. Decide to fast and pray. His plan is our Life’s Pursuit!

Den & Bonnie Hussey Lead Pastors ! ! ! ! ! ! !

Jesus First

Week No. 1 // Days 1 - 7 ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

Day 1: Matthew 1:18-25

By:!Bonnie!Hussey! ! Let’s!spend!some!time!this!week!considering!the!first!core!value!of!Crossing!Place! Church.!!It!is!“Jesus!First”.!!That!is!such!a!simple!statement,!but!it!is!one!of!the! most!important!things!we!can!do.!So,!why!should!Jesus!be!first!in!our!life?! ! The!heart!of!God!can!be!summarized!like!this!KK!God!wants!to!have!a!relationship! with!us.!!It’s!the!reason!He!created!us.!The!only!consideration!is!He!does!not! make!us!have!a!relationship!with!Him.!!He!created!us!with!a!free!will.!In!the! Garden!of!Eden,!Adam!chose!to!exercise!his!free!will.!!He!chose!to!sin,!and!that! decision!separated!both!him!and!us!from!God.!!Sin!caused!a!great!divide!between! God!and!man,!but!thankfully!God!wasn’t!done.!!From!the!beginning!He!had!a!plan! to!restore!his!broken!relationship!with!man.!!That!plan!came!to!earth!in!the!form! of!a!real!baby!with!real!skin!!We!read!this!in!Matthew!1!today…! ! “And%she%will%have%a%son,%and%you%are%to%name%him%Jesus,%for%he%will%% save%his%people%from%their%sins.”%(Matthew!1:21)% ! God!is!so!serious!about!having!a!relationship!with!us!that!he!sent!his!one!and!only! son!to!be!born,!live,!die,!and!be!resurrected!from!the!grave!so!he!could!be! connected!to!us!!Here’s!the!big!idea!for!today:!God!did!not!make!him!come.!Jesus! willingly!came.!!He!is!our!bridge!to!God.!!Jesus!wants!to!have!a!relationship!with! us.!!Focus!on!this!thought!today!KK!Jesus!chose!us.!!Jesus!loves!us.!!Why!do!we!put! Jesus!first?!!Because!he!put!us!first!!!As!Romans!5:8!says,!“While!we!were!still! sinning!Jesus!died!for!us.”!!He!put!us!first.! ! Let’s!choose!to!make!Jesus!priority!in!our!lives!today.!Talk!to!Him.!Read!His!word.! Tell!other!people!about!Him.!!That’s!how!we!show!others!that!Jesus!really!is!first!! ! YOUR THOUGHTS:!______! ______!

Day 2: Matthew 3:1-12

By:!Jamie!Gaspar! ! “Repent,!for!the!kingdom!of!heaven!has!come!near.”!John!the!Baptist!came! preaching!the!message!of!the!Kingdom.!Unlike!earthly!kingdoms,!there!is!no!birth!into! this!realm!without!first!hearing!the!call!to!salvation,!renouncing!one’s!sin!and!turning! one’s!heart!and!life!toward!Christ!the!Savior.!(Acts!3:19)! ! John!declares!the!kingdom!is!at!hand!and!drawing!near.!Contrary!to!our!first! impressions,!his!main!message!wasn’t!“You’re!a!sinner,!you!need!to!repent,”!but! rather!“The!Messiah!is!coming!”! ! God!has!sovereign!rule!–!He!is!King!of!the!Heavens.!Being!kind!and!faithful,!he!sent!a! head!start!message!through!John!the!Baptist!of!His!soonKcoming!King!who!would! overthrow!the!power!and!rule!of!all!evil,!both!human!and!spiritual.!Yes,!the!kingdom! was!near!because!the!King!was!here!! ! John’s!purpose!was!to!prepare!hearts!for!Jesus.!His!mission!was!to!build!a!road,!to! make!way!for!the!arrival!of!a!Savior!and!King.!How!exciting!is!this!!As!believers!and! followers!of!Christ,!we!also!have!the!great!privilege!of!using!our!positions!to!prepare! and!make!ready!for!the!coming!of!our!King.!Living!in!a!continual!state!of!putting!our! King!first!in!our!own!lives!gives!us!this!path!of!victory.!Jesus!first.!It’s!that!simple.! ! “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.”%(Matthew!3:12)! ! And!here!it!is!!Our!Jesus!will!separate!and!save!His!children!in!the!end.!In!a!time! where!things!seem!so!out!of!control,!we!have!hope!–!hope!in!our!majestic!King!who!is! completely!in!control.!We!are!to!uphold!the!message!of!the!Kingdom!daily!and! prepare!the!way!for!our!King!as!He!is!also!preparing!a!place!for!us!! ! YOUR THOUGHTS:!______! ______!

Day 3: Matthew 3:13-17

By:!Susan!Eremia! ! When!I!was!first!asked!to!write!this!devotional,!my!initial!thought!was,!“Why!me?”! Similarly,!I!soon!remembered!John!the!Baptist!said!the!same!thing!when!Jesus!asked!John! to!baptize!him.! ! “Then%Jesus%went%from%Galilee%to%the%Jordan%River%to%be%baptized%by%John.%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?’”%(Matthew!3:13K14)! ! Jesus!was!the!Son!of!God,!so!why!pick!someone!like!John!the!Baptist?!But!then!again!–! why!pick!any!of!us?! ! Here’s!my!oneKminute!testimony!–!I!used!to!be!a!broken!person,!but!I!chose!to!put!Jesus! first.!I!learned!to!follow!God’s!voice!and!was!also!water!baptized.!Many!wonderful!things! began!to!happen!in!my!life.!I!can!speak!from!experience!that!when!you!put!Jesus!first,! miracles!happen!–!whether!small!or!big,!subtle!or!obvious,!they!do!happen.!When!we! keep!our!eyes!on!Jesus!and!follow!his!will,!it!keeps!our!eyes!open!to!what!He’s!doing!in! our!life.!! ! Jesus!was!water!baptized!to!be!obedient!to!the!Father.!Being!both!fully!God!and!fully! man,!He!didn’t!opt!out!or!find!a!different!avenue!–!He!leveled!with!people!for!generations! to!come!by!exemplifying!how!to!live!a!life!that!is!pleasing!to!God.!Obedience!is!an! overflow!of!the!love!we!have!for!Him.!As!simple!as!it!is,!getting!baptized!was!an!outward! sign!of!my!love!for!Jesus!and!my!commitment!to!Him.!Since!then,!I’ve!strived!to!live!life! putting!Jesus!first.!! ! Every!morning!I!ask!God!how!I!can!be!of!service!to!the!people!that!cross!my!path.!I!ask!to! be!an!example!of!His!love.!We!are!his!messengers,!and!I!want!to!be!a!positive,!loving,! forgiving!and!encouraging!example!of!His!message!–!the!Gospel!that!is!alive!and!at!work.! When!we!put!Jesus!first,!anything!is!possible.!Continue!in!faith,!believing!He!is!for!you!and! not!against!you.! ! YOUR THOUGHTS:!______! ______!

Day 4: Matthew 4:1-11

By:!Joe!Pasqua ! In!this!passage!we!find!Jesus!is!led!by!the!Holy!Spirit!into!the!wilderness!after!40!days!of! fasting!and!prayer,!where!he!is!then!tempted!by!the!devil.!Interestingly,!this!wellKknown! event!occurs!immediately!after!Jesus!is!baptized!in!water!by!John!the!Baptist!–!publicly! professing!his!faith!in!God!the!Father.!Could!it!possibly!be!that!like!Jesus,!temptations! come!against!us!soon!after!our!own!public!professions!of!faith?! ! Jesus!is!hungry,!thirsty,!mentally!tired!and!physically!exhausted.!He!is!weak!and! vulnerable.!Notice,!this!is!when!the!devil!comes!and!tempts.!His!first!attempt!is!to! convince!Jesus!to!turn!stones!into!bread.!Jesus!replies!that!His!strength!comes!from!the! Lord!and!not!from!anything!physical.!Time!for!attempt!No.!2.!! ! The!devil!appeals!Jesus!to!demonstrate!his!deity!and!power!by!throwing!himself!off!the! temple’s!peak!so!angels!will!have!to!protect!him!from!harm.!Jesus!resists!the!idea!and! refuses!to!tempt!God.!The!third!time!the!tempter!offers!Jesus!the!entire!world!–!if!He! would!only!bow!at!Satan’s!feet.!Jesus!rebukes!the!devil!by!reminding!him!that!only!God! shall!be!worshipped.! ! Jesus!put!God!first!while!remaining!obedient!and!faithful!in!all!three!temptations.!Relying! on!Scripture!–!our!absolute!truth!and!weapon!against!this!world!–!sent!the!devil!running,! for!it!is!the!unfailing!Word!about!the!One!we!worship.!Our!Savior!set!the!standard!for!us! in!how!to!put!the!Father!first.!In!the!same!way,!we!as!God’s!people!are!to!put!Jesus!first.! What!encouragement!and!hope!we!have!in!following!Jesus’!example.! ! ! “Therefore,%God%elevated%him%to%the%place%of%highest%honor%and%gave%him%the%name%above% all%other%names,%that%at%the%name%of%Jesus%every%knee%should%bow,%in%heaven%and%on%earth% and%under%the%earth,%and%every%tongue%declare%that%Jesus%Christ%is%Lord,% %to%the%glory%of%God%the%Father.”%(Philippians!2:9K11)% ! ! ! YOUR THOUGHTS:!______! ______!

Day 5: Matthew 4:12-17

By:!Rachel!Carline! ! In!today’s!passage,!we!learn!that!when!Jesus!heard!of!John’s!arrest!he!left!Judea! and!traveled!toward!Galilee.!While!John’s!enemies!wanted!to!stop!the!Gospel,!we! all!know!that!cannot!be!done.!So!as!John’s!ministry!ended,!Jesus’!ministry!began.! ! Let’s!use!our!imagination!and!pretend!we!are!the!people!in!Galilee.!Galilee!had! become!a!place!where!evil!ways!were!considered!normal!–!drunkenness,! gambling,!addiction,!anxiety,!fear!and!hatred!for!one’s!neighbor!was!a!way!of!life.! It!was!a!dark!time!to!live!in,!and!our!enemy!–!the!devil!–!makes!his!home!in! darkness.!! ! If!you!have!ever!been!out!in!the!swamps!at!night,!it!can!be!so!dark!that!it!is! impossible!to!see!anything!in!front!of!you.!Then!a!friend!turns!their!head!lamp!on! –!and!a!blinding!light!hits!you!right!in!the!eyes!!It’s!a!great!light,!both!bright!and! beautiful.!What!a!relief!it!is!to!be!able!to!see!what’s!actually!around!you!with!that! light!on.!Now!you!can!see!reality.!You!can!feel!safe.!You!can!move!forward.! ! “…the%people%who%sat%in%darkness%have%seen%a%great%light.%And%for%those%who%lived% in%the%land%where%death%casts%its%shadow,%a%light%has%shined.”%(Matthew!4:16)% ! Jesus’!message!to!repent!and!turn!away!from!the!lifestyle!of!this!world!broke!the! normalcy!and!complacency!of!people’s!minds.!His!message!is!not!just!for!then,! but!also!for!today.!Jesus!is!the!light.!He!is!our!hope.!He!is!the!Kingdom!of!Heaven! that!is!near!us.!While!there!will!be!days!where!we!may!not!get!it!right,!we!can! take!comfort!in!knowing!God!loves!us.!Here’s!a!reminder!for!today!–!you!are! chosen,!redeemed,!forgiven!and!sealed!with!the!Holy!Spirit.!Jesus!is!in!our!darkest! moments!shining!bright,!loving!us!and!walking!with!us!through!it!all.! ! ! YOUR THOUGHTS:!______! ______!

Day 6: Matthew 4:18-22

By:!Samantha!Hussey! ! “Jesus%called%out%to%them,%‘Come,%follow%me,%% and%I%will%show%you%how%to%fish%for%people!’”%(Matthew!4:19)% ! What!a!pivotal!time!in!Scripture!–!the!moment!Jesus!calls!out!to!the!disciples!to! follow!Him.!It!says!the!disciples!dropped!everything!to!follow!Him,!even!their!own! families.!It’s!probable!that!these!men!only!knew!Jesus!by!name!recognition!alone! and!not!on!a!personal!level.!Everyone!in!town!were!already!talking!about!this! man!who!spoke!boldly!and!performed!miracles.!Yet!without!hesitation,!they! dropped!everything!and!followed!Him.! ! Let’s!think!about!the!weight!that!came!with!following!Jesus.!This!went!beyond! walking!as!a!group!from!city!to!city.!These!disciples!–!these!students!–!learned!by! example.!They!saw!the!way!Jesus!talked,!and!they!followed.!They!witnessed!how! Jesus!interacted!with!people,!and!they!followed.!They!saw!the!way!Jesus!loved,! and!they!followed.!Day!by!day,!they!became!more!like!Jesus.! ! While!we!may!not!be!familiar!with!the!physical!act!of!leaving!everything,!Jesus!is! still!calling!us!to!put!Him!first.!In!front!of!our!spouses,!our!children,!our!jobs,!our! possessions,!our!talents!and!our!dreams!–!let!it!be!our!aim!to!put!Him!at!the!top! of!the!list.!He!wants!to!be!our!first!priority,!because!we!are!His!first!priority.! ! If!Jesus!was!asking!us!to!let!something!go!from!our!lives,!would!we!trust!Him! enough!to!follow?!Let’s!put!our!trust!in!the!One!who!gave!it!all!for!us.! ! !“Yes,%everything%else%is%worthless%when%compared%with%the%infinite%value%of% knowing%Christ%Jesus%as%my%Lord.%For%his%sake%I%have%discarded%everything%else,% counting%it%all%as%garbage,%so%that%I%could%gain%Christ.”%(Philippians!3:8)% ! YOUR THOUGHTS:!______! ______!

Day 7: Matthew 4:23-25

By:!Catherine!Berry! ! Wow!–!what!a!great!following!Jesus!gained!in!such!a!short!amount!of!time!as!He! was!performing!miracles!and!doing!ministry!in!Galilee.!In!fact,!when!people!heard! the!news!and!saw!the!miracles!that!He!performed,!they!were!amazed.!They!were! in!such!awe!that!they!began!to!leave!their!homes!and!follow!Him!throughout! Galilee.! ! We!could!all!say!it’s!easier!to!put!Jesus!first!in!life!when!He!is!performing!amazing! and!tangible!miracles!before!our!very!eyes.!We!would!stand!in!wonder!at!His! accomplishments.!So!did!the!people!of!Galilee.! ! It’s!worth!asking!though,!why!do!we!put!Jesus!first?!Could!it!be!because!of!the! things!He!does?!Because!He!answers!our!prayers?!Because!He!does!what!we! cannot?!I!think!we!can!agree!these!are!good!answers.!They!are!definitely!popular! answers.!Are!they!wrong!answers?!Not!necessarily!–!but,!are!they!answers!we! want!to!give?! ! Let’s!ask!the!question!through!a!different!perspective:!why!should!we!put!Jesus! first?!Because!He!is!God.!Because!He!is!good.!Because!He!is!worthy.!Because!He! simply!deserves!it!!Because!of!who!He!is,!not!because!of!what!He!does.! ! Be!encouraged!today.!Jesus!loves!to!heal!us.!He!loves!to!answer!our!prayers.!He! desires!to!see!us!healed!and!restored,!but!should!that!be!our!reason!to!put!Him! first?!No.!He!deserves!our!devotion!and!worship!regardless!of!His!answer!to!our! prayers.! ! Jesus!first!–!no!matter!what!His!answer!is!–!because!He!deserves!it.!!! ! ! YOUR THOUGHTS:!______! ______!

Love People

Week No. 2 // Days 8 - 14

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Day 8: Matthew 5:1-12

By:!Gidget!Everitt! ! Aren’t!we!God’s!disciples?!Of!course!we!are!!The!very!message!that!Jesus!shared! with!His!disciples!is!as!much!for!us!today!as!it!was!for!them!back!then.! ! Jesus!lists!several!virtues!that!we!should!possess!as!well!as!how!we!should! respond!when!we!are!persecuted.!If!these!seem!contrary!to!how!we!typically!live,! there’s!a!good!reason!for!that!–!it’s!because!they!are.!God’s!ways!don’t!line!up! with!the!expectations!of!society!around!us.! ! Think!about!it.!God!actually!tells!us!to!be!happy!and!very!glad!about!the! opposition!we!may!face!for!following!Him.!This!could!seem!foolish!to!us!because! of!the!kind!of!world!we!live!in.!Instead!of!being!happy,!our!natural!reaction!is!to! get!even,!defend!ourselves!and!fight!for!what!we!are!convinced!we!deserve,!but! God!reminds!us!that!our!responses!should!be!merciful,!humble!and!peaceful.!Just! like!those!who!came!before!us,!our!reward!is!in!heaven.! ! Now!this!doesn’t!mean!that!God!doesn’t!want!us!to!live!a!happy,!fulfilled!life! while!on!earth.!It!just!means!that!when!we!do!face!trials,!setbacks!and!even! persecution,!we!respond!differently!because!we!are!different.!We!are!in!divine! relationship!with!the!King!of!Kings!and!Lord!of!Lords.!We!are!destined!for!eternity! in!His!presence.!No!matter!what!we!face,!let’s!keep!our!eyes!on!Him!and!be! reminded!to!live!out!His!godly!characteristics,!described!in!the!verses!we!read.! ! “God%blesses%those%who%are%poor%and%realize%their%need%for%him,%for%the%Kingdom% of%Heaven%is%theirs.%God%blesses%those%who%mourn,%for%they%will%be%comforted.%% God%blesses%those%who%are%humble,%for%they%will%inherit%the%whole%earth…”%% %(Matthew!5:3K5)% ! ! YOUR THOUGHTS:!______! ______!

Day 9: Matthew 5:13-26

By:!Matt!Marcantonio! ! What!happens!when!you!shine!a!light!in!a!dark!room?!The!light!captures!our! attention.!Despite!how!small!the!glimmer!may!seem,!the!room!doesn’t!appear!as! dark!as!it!did!once!before.! ! ! “You%are%the%light%of%the%world%–%like%a%city%on%a%hilltop%that%cannot%be%hidden.%No% one%lights%a%lamp%and%then%puts%it%under%a%basket.%Instead,%a%lamp%is%placed%on%a% stand%where%it%gives%light%to%everyone%in%the%house.”%%(Matthew!5:14K15)% ! There’s!a!distinction!between!being!light!and!giving!light.!As!a!follower!of!Jesus,! we!become!light.!We’re!expected!to!look!and!operate!differently!than!the! darkness!(AKA,!the!culture!around!us.)!In!other!words,!through!our!relationship! with!Jesus!we!are!tasked!with!shaping!culture.! ! However,!it’s!not!simply!the!fact!that!we’re!the!light!in!a!dark!world.!The!reality!is! that!our!lives!must!give!light!to!others!around!us.! ! How!do!we!go!about!this?!We!do!this!by!preferring!others!over!ourselves.!In! every!facet!of!His!life,!Jesus!lived!this!way.!He!looked!at!situations!and! relationships!as!an!opportunity!to!love!others,!and!in!the!end!He!endured!a! criminal’s!sentence!of!death!and!humiliation!for!us.!Jesus!preferred!others!over! himself.! ! When!we!love!others!–!when!we!give!light!–!we!create!a!contagious!effect!that! points!directly!to!Jesus.!In!a!culture!that!is!selfKcentered!and!selfKindulged,!loving! people!over!ourselves!is!contrary!to!normal.!Ultimately!though,!this!behavior!will! show!the!light!in!the!darkness.! ! YOUR THOUGHTS:!______! ______!

Day 10: Matthew 5:38-48

By:!Julie!Barnes! ! When!we!are!wronged,!our!initial!instinct!is!to!retaliate!and!seek!revenge.!If!we! are!hurt!by!others,!we!naturally!want!to!hurt!them!back!–!sometimes!seeking!to! hurt!them!worse!than!they!hurt!us.!! ! This!world!often!urges!people!to!fight!fire!with!fire!and!hate!those!who!appear!to! be!in!opposition.!Contrary!to!this,!Jesus!teaches!us!to!love!everyone,!including!our! enemies.! ! “You%have%heard%the%law%that%says,%‘Love%your%neighbor%and%hate%your%enemy.%But% I%say,%love%your%enemies!%Pray%for%those%who%persecute%you!%In%that%way,%you%will% be%acting%as%true%children%of%your%Father%in%heaven...’”%%(Matthew!5:43K45)! % Loving!friends,!family!and!people!we!get!along!with!seems!effortless.!However,! Jesus!encourages!us!to!care!and!pray!for!the!people!that!aren’t!so!easy!to!love.! Truly!loving!others!despite!their!wrongKdoing!can!seem!daunting!and!almost! impossible.!Even!so,!our!Father!has!modeled!this!type!of!unconditional!love!by! sending!Jesus!to!die!for!our!sins!and!wrongKdoings.!God!loves!and!blesses!those! who!even!rebel!against!Him.! % “For%he%gives%his%sunlight%to%both%the%evil%and%the%good,%% and%he%sends%rain%on%the%just%and%unjust%alike.”%(Matthew!5:45)% % When!we!love!everyone!the!way!our!Father!loves!us,!we!are!reflecting!God!and! His!perfection.!It!is!our!calling!as!His!children!to!exclude!no!one!from!this!life!of! love!–!and!to!even!love!those!who!will!never!love!us!back.!Make!this!great! decision!today,!the!choice!to!love!unconditionally.% ! ! YOUR THOUGHTS:!______! ______!

Day 11: Matthew 6:1-4

By:!Brennan!Daniels! ! “Jesus%replied,%‘You%must%love%the%Lord%your%God%with%all%your%heart,%all%your%soul,% and%all%your%mind.%This%is%the%first%and%greatest%commandment.’”%% (Matthew!22:37K38)% % Let’s!narrow!our!focus!for!a!moment!on!this!one!commandment.!The!same!God! who!is!mentioned!in!this!verse!is!the!same!God!who!performed!the!single! greatest!act!of!love!in!history!by!sending!his!son!Jesus!to!die!for!our!sins.!He!sent! a!perfect!Savior!to!pay!the!price!of!our!sins!when!we!couldn’t!pay!the!price! ourselves.!If!above!everything!else!we!spend!our!days!returning!that!love!to!Him,! our!focus!will!never!be!on!what!brings!us!recognition.!Instead,!all!of!our!actions! will!be!routed!to!focus!the!recognition!on!God.! ! In!Matthew!6:1K4,!Jesus!tackles!an!issue!that!has!almost!always!been!around!–! being!generous!for!the!sake!of!receiving!recognition.!Ultimately,!it’s!giving! because!others!will!think!well!of!the!one!doing!the!giving.!Unfortunately,!giving! and!donating!for!the!sake!of!public!admiration!does!not!bring!honor!to!God.! ! The!purpose!behind!our!generosity!goes!far!beyond!selfKimage,!for!the!reason! someone!is!giving!matters!more!than!the!amount.!It’s!not!about!the!value!in!a! monetary!sense!but!rather!about!the!value!of!the!heart!behind!the!action.! ! For!this!reason,!let!your!purpose!be!to:! 1)!Glorify!God,!and!2)!Love!people!in!all!that!you!do.!! ! I’ll!leave!you!with!the!statement!I!include!every!morning!when!I!pray!–!“God,!let! me!be!a!beacon!of!you!in!everything!I!do.”!For!every!person!we!come!across,!let’s! be!an!example!of!Christ!through!giving!what’s!needed!for!His!glory.! ! YOUR THOUGHTS:!______! ______!

Day 12: Matthew 6:5-15

By:!Jessica!LeBlanc! ! Have!you!ever!imagined!what!it!would!be!like!if!God!immediately!acted!on!His! feelings,!like!we!do!so!often?!We!know!He!loves!us.!That!fact!is!portrayed! throughout!the!entire!Bible.!But,!what!if!God!chose!not!to!forgive!us!because!He! didn’t!feel!like!it?!What!if!he!became!so!angry!with!us!that!He!decided!to!act!on! that!anger!and!hold!back!His!forgiveness?!What!a!poor!position!we!would!be!in.!! ! Thankfully,!we!do!not!serve!that!kind!of!God.!We!serve!a!God!who!chooses!us.!In! fact,!He!chose!us!first!before!we!ever!chose!Him.!He!chose!love!and!forgiveness! when!He!sent!His!one!and!only!Son!to!die!on!a!cross.!He!chooses!to!love!us!and! forgive!us!even!when!we!do!things!that!hurt!His!heart.!!That’s!the!kind!of!God! that!we!serve.! ! So,!is!it!a!stretch!to!think!that!He!expects!us!to!treat!others!the!same?!No!matter! how!we!feel,!we!have!the!choice!to!love!–!and!through!choosing!love,!we!have! the!pathway!to!choose!forgiveness,!even!if!our!feelings!do!not!coincide!with!our! choices.! ! “If%you%forgive%those%who%sin%against%you,%your%heavenly%Father%will%forgive%you.% But%if%you%refuse%to%forgive%others,%your%Father%will%not%forgive%your%sins.”% (Matthew!6:14K15)% ! So,!Jesus!said!it!himself.!If!we!make!the!choice!to!not!show!love!and!not!forgive! others,!God!has!no!choice!but!to!hold!us!to!the!same!standard!that!we!hold! others.!It!forces!His!hand!because!we!will!not!give!what!we!have!received.!! ! With!this!in!mind,!let!us!continue!today!with!an!attitude!that!gives!grace!and! forgiveness!freely!as!it!is!needed!in!others’!lives.! ! YOUR THOUGHTS:!______! ______!

Day 13: Matthew 6:16-21

By:!Ryan!Yager! ! In!Matthew!6:16K18,!Jesus!talks!to!us!about!fasting.!He!reminds!us!that!we!do!not! fast!for!the!approval!of!others;!instead,!we!are!fasting!so!we!may!become!closer! to!Christ.!Zoning!in!on!the!second!verses,!it’s!important!to!take!care!of!our! appearance!while!fasting.!This!is!to!ensure!no!one!will!notice!our!fasting,!except! for!the!one!person!who!matters!most!to!us!–!Our!Father.!This!is!not!because!we! are!embarrassed!of!the!fast!but!rather!to!ensure!we!are!doing!it!for!the!right! reasons,!for!personal!relationship!and!not!for!personal!gain!in!the!eyes!of!others.! ! Jesus!continues!his!message,!turning!to!the!topic!of!money!and!possessions.!He! reminds!us!not!to!store!up!treasures!on!Earth!where!they!will!ultimately!waste! away!or!be!stolen,!but!rather,!we!should!store!up!those!treasures!in!Heaven.! Leaving!us!with!one!profound!thought,!the!whole!focus!is!summed!up!in!one!line.! ! “Wherever%your%treasure%is,%there%the%desires%of%your%heart%will%also%be.”%% (Matthew!6:21)% ! Thinking!on!this!further,!we!must!remember!that!we!cannot!live!for!this!life! alone.!Instead,!our!focus!should!remain!outward!as!we!continue!to!live!for!Jesus! and!other!people.!While!some!may!find!it!a!burden,!our!hearts!should!find!it!an! honor!to!be!called!a!slave!of!God!and!a!servant!of!people.!We!are!merely!pilgrims! on!a!journey!passing!through!this!life,!therefore,!we!pass!through!with!the!focus! of!bringing!people!with!us!and!the!Hope!that!Christ!gives!us.! ! Let!us!not!store!up!our!treasures!on!Earth.!Let’s!store!up!treasures!in!Heaven,! with!those!treasures!including!people.!This!is!the!Father’s!heart,!that!we!may! know!Him!and!that!others!come!to!know!the!truth!as!well.!! ! ! YOUR THOUGHTS:!______! ______!

Day 14: Matthew 7:1-12

By:!Meg!Persilver! ! “Do%to%others%whatever%you%would%like%them%to%do%to%you.%This%is%the%essence%of%all% that%is%taught%in%the%law%and%the%prophets.”%(Matthew!7:12)% % We!see!the!Golden!Rule!all!the!time.!You!can!find!it!posted!in!classrooms,! churches!and!even!the!workplace.!Just!take!a!look!at!the!definition!for!the!Golden! Rule!as!defined!by!Merriam!Webster:!“a!general!rule!for!how!to!behave!that!says! you!should!treat!people!the!way!you!would!like!other!people!to!treat!you.”! ! Jesus!commands!us!to!behave!this!way.!The!issue!some!find!with!this!rule!is!that! others!may!not!always!reciprocate!with!the!same!kindness.!That!is!when!we!as! Christ!followers!should!love!people,!even!when!they!do!not!love!us!back.!This! type!of!love!goes!beyond!the!simple!love!within!our!relationships.!Instead,!it!is! sacrificial!love.!It!is!the!epitome!of!love!lived!out!loud.!It’s!the!type!of!love!Christ! showed!us!when!he!died!on!the!cross!for!our!sins,!dying!for!those!in!the!present! and!future!who!may!never!even!love!Him!back.!! ! “But%God%demonstrates%his%own%love%for%us%in%this:%While%we%were%still%sinners,% Christ%died%for%us.”%(Romans!5:8)% % While!this!Golden!Rule!command!may!have!become!ordinary!to!us,!it’s!words!go! beyond!the!school!yard!playground.!This!command!is!a!call!to!action.!Every!day! we!must!choose!to!love!people!with!our!actions.!So!today,!let’s!take!action!!Serve! others,!show!kindness!and!love!people.!! % “Dear%children,%let’s%not%merely%say%that%we%love%each%other;%let%us%show%the%truth% by%our%actions.”%(1!John!3:18)%

YOUR THOUGHTS:!______! ______!

Keep Moving

Week No. 3 // Days 15 - 21 ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

Day 15: Matthew 7:21-29

By:!Brian!McEndree! ! A!foundation!is!the!ground!on!which!you!stand.!So,!what!does!it!mean!in!our!faith! walk!to!build!a!solid!foundation?!! % “Anyone%who%listens%to%my%teaching%and%follows%it%is%wise,% %like%a%person%who%builds%a%house%on%solid%rock.”%(Matthew!7:24)% % Jesus!broke!down!how!important!his!teachings!are!in!such!a!way!that!we!could!all! understand.!!Sometimes!we!can!be!so!overwhelmed!by!our!situations!that!it!feels! like!we!will!never!get!through!the!chaos!around!us,!but!as!long!as!we!stay! centered!and!founded!on!Jesus,!there!is!hope!for!the!future.!He!taught!on!specific! things!for!a!reason.!His!words!are!life!and!peace!for!us!when!everything!else!feels! like!wind!and!rain!in!our!life.! ! “But%anyone%who%hears%my%teaching%and%doesn’t%obey%it%is%foolish,% %like%a%person%who%builds%a%house%sand.”%(Matthew!7:26)% ! Have!you!ever!been!that!person?!I!know!I!have.!I!was!standing!in!the!desert! thirsting!for!more!with!no!compass!to!guide!me.!Once!I!gave!my!heart!to!Jesus,!he! lifted!me!out!of!the!sand!and!placed!me!on!The!Rock.!He!quenched!my!thirst!and! gave!words!to!comfort!and!guide!me.!These!words!of!knowledge!show!me!how!to! be!the!person!that!God!intended!me!to!be.!They!can!do!the!same!for!you!as!well.! ! Jesus!loves!you!so!much!that!he!left!behind!a!clear!pathway!to!take!on!how!to! live.!He!did!not!forsake!us!but!rather!gave!us!words!of!instruction!to!help!us!keep! moving!in!the!right!direction.!To!know!is!to!grow,!so!let!us!listen!intently!to!Jesus’! words!and!grow!with!Him.! ! YOUR THOUGHTS:!______! ______! ! ! Day 16: Matthew 9:35-38

By:!Brittney!Landry! ! What!is!our!driving!force!to!share!Jesus!with!other!people?!What!fuels!us!inside! to!reach!people!who!don’t!know!the!Good!News!about!Christ?!If!we!want!to! spread!the!love!of!Jesus,!we!need!to!ask!God!to!give!us!the!same!heart!and! kindness!that!Jesus!had!for!the!lost.! ! We!need!to!see!as!Jesus!sees.!We!need!to!feel!as!Jesus!feels.!That!way,!we!can! do!what!Jesus!does.! ! Jesus!saw!a!great!need!in!Matthew!9:35K38.!He!saw!the!great!harvest!to!come! and!noticed!the!need!for!workers!in!the!field!of!people.!Deep!inside,!Jesus!felt! compassion!for!the!people!instead!of!being!angry!with!them!for!the!spiritual!mess! they!were!in.!Jesus!then!asked!the!disciples!to!pray!to!the!Lord!for!more!workers! for!the!harvest.! ! Jesus!wants!us!to!open!our!own!eyes!and!see!the!great!harvest!around!us!so!we! can!bring!souls!to!Him.!If!people!feel!our!love,!the!will!be!more!inclined!to!listen! to!our!message.!While!praying!for!more!workers,!what!if!God!taps!you!on!the! shoulder!and!says,!“What!about!you?!Will!you!be!my!worker!in!the!harvest?”! ! Our!motive!for!sharing!Jesus!is!the!great!love!of!our!Savior,!who!literally!walked!in! this!world,!saw!the!needs!of!the!lost,!felt!great!compassion!for!them!and!served! them!with!the!Good!News!of!salvation.!How!do!we!keep!moving!in!our! relationship!with!Jesus?!To!see!as!He!saw,!to!feel!as!He!felt,!and!to!do!as!He!did.! Let’s!keep!moving!forward!to!reach!the!lost!and!love!them!as!well.! ! “So%pray%to%the%Lord%who%is%in%charge%of%the%harvest;%ask%him%to%send%more%workers% into%his%fields.”%%(Matthew!9:38)% ! YOUR THOUGHTS:!______! ______!

Day 17: Matthew 10:1-15

By:!Kylie!Hussey! ! Jesus!called!His!twelve!disciples.!He!didn’t!draft!them,!force!them!or!ask!them!to! volunteer.!He!chose!them!to!serve!Him!in!a!special!way.!Christ!calls!us!in!that! same!way!today.!He!doesn’t!twist!our!arm!or!make!us!do!anything!that!we!aren’t! willing!to!do.!As!with!all!things!involving!our!free!will,!we!can!choose!to!serve!Him! or!to!not.! ! Why!didn’t!Jesus!send!the!disciples!to!the!Gentiles!or!Samaritans?!Jesus!asked!his! disciples!to!go!only!to!the!Jews!because!he!came!first!for!the!Jews.!God!chose! them!as!a!special!group!of!people!to!tell!the!rest!of!the!world!about!Him.!Jewish! disciples!and!apostles!preached!the!Gospel!of!the!risen!Christ!all!around!the! Roman!empire,!and!soon!enough,!Gentiles!(nonKJews)!were!suddenly!pouring!into! the!Church.!! ! The!Bible!clearly!teaches!us!that!God’s!message!is!for!all!people,!regardless!of! race,!sex!or!nationality.!Jesus!gave!the!disciples!a!principle!to!guide!their!actions! as!they!ministered!to!others…! ! “…%Give%as%freely%as%you%have%received!”%(Matthew!10:8)! ! Because!God!has!showered!us!with!His!grace!and!His!blessings,!we!should!give! generously!to!others!in!return.!Jesus!doesn’t!work!the!way!our!culture!does.!Jesus! freely!gives!salvation!and!grace!to!us!who!do!not!deserve!it,!despite!the!fact!that! we!can!never!pay!Him!back.!That’s!grace!freely!received!and!freely!given.!So,!let’s! be!challenged!–!keep!moving!in!faith!as!you!keep!receiving!and!keep!giving!freely! that!which!was!given!to!you!! ! ! ! YOUR THOUGHTS:!______! ______!

Day 18: Matthew 13:1-23

By:!Josef!Barr! ! In!this!passage,!Jesus!quickly!begins!to!point!out!the!importance!of!our!heart! condition.!He!speaks!about!the!soil,!the!seed!and!the!growth.!When!He!refers!to! the!soil,!He!is!referring!to!our!hearts.!The!seed!is!God’s!Word,!but!how!we!receive! God’s!Word!is!dependent!on!the!soil,!or!rather!on!the!condition!of!our!heart.!So,! it!leads!into!this!question:!How!is!our!heart?!Or!rather,!are!we!good!soil?!The!Lord! is!deeply!concerned!with!the!conditions!of!our!hearts.!! ! “God%blesses%those%who%are%the%pure%in%heart,%for%they%will%see%God.”%(Matt.%5:8)! ! Do!you!want!to!hear!from!God?!Keep!your!heart!pure.!Do!you!want!to!know! God’s!secrets?!Keep!your!heart!pure.! ! How!do!we!keep!our!heart!pure?!The!word!says!that!when!we!invite!Jesus!into! our!lives!–!when!we!believe!in!our!heart!and!confess!with!our!mouth!that!Jesus!is! Lord!–!then!we!will!be!saved.!Still!when!Jesus!comes!into!our!life,!there!is!more! than!just!salvation!and!eternity.!Jesus!begins!to!come!in!and!change!us,!shape!us! and!mold!us.!Remember,!Scripture!says…! !! “For%it%is%by%believing%in%your%heart%that%you%are%made%right%with%God,%and%it%is%by% confessing%with%your%mouth%that%you%are%saved.”%(Romans!10:10)! ! When!we!receive!salvation!and!confess!Jesus’!lordship,!Jesus!begins!to!prepare! our!soil.!Like!a!farmer,!He!begins!to!remove!the!rocks,!the!weeds,!and!the!thorns! of!our!life.!Through!God’s!Word,!He!begins!to!work!on!our!hearts.!His!Word!keeps! us!moving!forward!in!the!right!direction.! ! ! ! YOUR THOUGHTS:!______! ______!

Day 19: Matthew 18:1-6

By:!Renee!Wiggins! ! Who!is!the!greatest!in!the!kingdom!of!Heaven?! ! Close!your!eyes!and!meditate!on!these!Words.!What!do!you!see?!Immediately,!I! see!a!child!with!a!Superman!cape!standing!on!a!hill!with!hands!on!his!hips,! proclaiming!and!boasting!these!words!out!loud!!I’m!certain!we!can!all!relate.! Somewhere!in!our!growing!up!we!are!the!one!on!the!hill!–!or!the!one!looking!at! the!one!on!the!hill.! ! Our!Wonderful!Savior!knows!exactly!what!is!in!our!heart!of!hearts.!As!we!read! further,!we!pick!up!on!the!real!question!his!selfKcentered!disciples!were!arguing! about.!Jesus!uses!a!child!to!make!a!clear!point.! ! “So%anyone%who%becomes%as%humble%as%this%little%child%is%the%greatest%in%the% Kingdom%of%Heaven.”%(Matthew!18:4)! ! Jesus!tells!us!we!are!not!to!be!childish!like!the!disciples!–!arguing!over!petty! issues!–!but!rather!childKlike!with!humble!and!sincere!hearts.!(1!Corinthians!3:11)! ! Children!are!trusting!by!nature.!They!trust!adults.!Through!that!trust,!their! capacity!to!trust!God!grows.!Perhaps!you!find!yourself!lacking!in!being!able!to! trust!God.!Are!you!struggling!with!trusting?!In!any!area!of!life!–!home,!work,!or! friendships?! ! God!loves!us!too!much!to!leave!us!stuck!in!our!ways!that!do!not!glorify!Him.! Today,!let’s!choose!to!be!childKlike!and!allow!our!Father!to!free!us!so!we!may! keep!moving!in!faith.!(Check!out!the!video!“Warrior!is!a!child”!by!Gary!Valenciano! on!YouTube)! ! YOUR THOUGHTS:!______! ______!

Day 20: Matthew 19:16-30

By:!Patrick!Skiles! ! “But%many%who%are%the%greatest%now%will%be%the%least%important%then,%and%those% who%seem%least%important%now%will%be%the%greatest%then.”%(Matthew!19:30)! ! As!humans,!we!often!dwell!in!the!flesh!and!have!an!earthly!perspective!of! things.!!Nothing!is!wrong!with!that!–!it!is!simply!part!of!our!humanity.!!To!be! human!is!to!have!feelings,!emotions!and!free!will.!!God!did!not!create!us!to!be! robots,!and!He!understands!this!better!than!anyone.!!Here,!Jesus!is!giving!us!a! heavenly!perspective!–!He!is!reminding!us!that!if!we!put!others!first!or!give!up! something!valuable!for!his!sake!(through!our!own!free!will),!we!will!be!repaid! many!times!over!in!this!life.! !! God!gives!rewards!to!his!people!according!to!his!justice.!!Obedience!to!God!will! bring!reward,!but!obedience!and!immediate!reward!are!not!always!linked.!!If!they! were,!good!people!would!always!be!rich,!and!suffering!would!always!be!a!sign!of! sin.!!As!believers,!our!reward!is!God’s!presence!and!power!through!his!indwelling! of!the!Holy!Spirit.!!Later!in!eternity,!we!will!be!rewarded!for!our!faith!and! service.!!If!material!rewards!in!this!life!came!to!us!for!every!faithful!deed,!we! would!be!tempted!to!boast!about!our!achievements!and!act!out!of!wrong! motivations.! !! Jesus!turned!the!world’s!values!upside!down.!!Consider!the!most!powerful!or! wellKknown!people!in!our!world!–!how!many!got!where!they!are!by!being!humble,! selfKeffacing!and!gentle?!!Not!many!!!But!in!the!life!to!come,!the!last!will!be! first.!!Don’t!forfeit!eternal!rewards!for!temporary!benefits.!!Be!willing!to!make! sacrifices!now!for!greater!rewards!later.!!Be!willing!to!accept!human!disapproval,! while!knowing!you!have!God’s!approval.! ! !! YOUR THOUGHTS:!______! ______!

Day 21: Matthew 25:14-29

By:!Kayla!Marcantonio! ! The!lesson!of!investment!typically!involves!financial!wisdom!set!aside!for! stockholders!and!lenders,!but!at!the!end!of!his!teaching!ministry!we!find!Jesus! himself!speaking!on!such!an!important!topic.!While!usually!interpreted!as!a! parable!about!using!what!God!has!given!to!us,!this!story!also!points!to!important! attributes!in!the!life!of!a!good!steward!–!faithful!with!what!is!given,!trustworthy,! full!of!character!and!a!true!servant!who!works!with!excellence.! % “…%Well%done%my%good%and%faithful%servant.%You%have%been%faithful%in%handling%this% small%amount,%so%now%I%will%give%you%many%more%responsibilities…”% %(Matthew!25:21)! ! Because!the!master!makes!a!reference!to!the!financial!amount!being!small,!we! tend!to!imagine!this!story!as!the!boss!handing!out!pennies!or!nickels!to!his! workers.!On!the!contrary,!one!talent!alone!was!worth!at!that!time!thousands!of! dollars!–!with!some!scholars!even!concluding!each!talent!being!worth!a!normal! year’s!salary.!Yet,!these!servants!were!entrusted!with!several!talents!altogether.! What!a!weight!of!responsibility!to!take!on!while!the!master!was!away!! ! Investment!isn’t!solely!about!making!small!things!big!or!making!bad!things!good!–! in!God’s!Kingdom,!it’s!about!making!good!things!great.! ! What!good!things!has!God!put!in!your!life?!Your!family,!your!job,!your!talents,! your!passions!–!the!list!goes!on!forever.!Now,!think!for!a!moment!and!ask! yourself,!“How!can!I!invest!in!these!good!things!and!make!them!great?”!This! question!alone!will!probe!us!to!keep!moving!forward!and!ensure!we!don’t! become!complacent!and!lazy!with!the!good!things!He!has!graced!us!with.!It’s!our! job!to!show!His!glory!to!others!by!investing!our!time!and!efforts!into!each!one.! ! YOUR THOUGHTS:!______! ______!

Live Generously

Week No. 4 // Days 22 - 28 ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

Day 22: Matthew 26:1-13

By:!Amy!LeBlanc! ! Within!our!passage,!there!are!two!scenarios!unfolding!at!the!same!time.!The!first! one!is!scandalous.!The!second!one!is!pure!love,!adoration!and!generosity!at!its! finest.! ! The!head!Rabbis!and!the!other!elders!were!conspiring!and!plotting!to!arrest!and! kill!Jesus.!Jesus!and!the!disciples!are!in!Bethany!at!Simon’s!house!having!dinner.! The!same!Simon!who!use!to!be!a!leper!before!his!encounter!with!Jesus!has!now! opened!his!home!to!the!Savior!of!the!world.! ! Almost!out!of!nowhere,!a!woman!brings!a!jar!of!very!expensive!perfume!and! breaks!it!over!Jesus’!head.!Not!only!was!the!alabaster!jar!very!valuable,!but!the! perfume!she!used!to!anoint!her!Lord!was!said!to!be!worth!approximately!300! denari.!Back!then,!that!was!equivalent!to!$20,000!! ! The!disciples!were!furious!!What!was!this!woman!thinking!–!she!could!have!sold! such!an!expensive!item!for!profit!!Oh,!what!they!could!have!done!with!that! money.!What!a!waste,!I’m!sure!they!thought.!But,!Jesus!didn’t!think!that.!He!even! told!her!this!act!would!forever!be!remembered.!This!was!not!a!waste!but!rather! an!act!of!worship!and!love.!This!woman!gave!all!she!had,!her!most!treasured!gift.! ! We!too!should!pour!out!everything!we!own!over!to!Jesus,!embarrassingly!so!if!He! sees!fit.!He!laid!it!all!down!for!us.!How!can!we!not!do!the!same!for!Him?!! ! “Is!anything!wasted!which!is!all!for!Jesus?!It!might!rather!seem!as!if!all!would!be! wasted!which!was!not!given!to!Him.”!(Charles!Spurgeon)!! ! ! YOUR THOUGHTS:!______! ______! ! ! Day 23: Matthew 26:17-30

By:!Aaron!Galey! ! In!today’s!text!we!see!Matthew’s!last!account!of!the!Last!Supper!with!Jesus!and! his!disciples,!a!significant!meal!he!shared!with!his!closest!followers!in!the!shadow! of!the!cross.!At!this!table!he!grants!the!gift!of!his!life!to!them!and!to!us.!But!at!the! same!table!of!belonging!and!wholeness,!betrayal!and!death!lurked!not!far!behind.! ! Imagine!the!setting!within!that!room.!Jesus!is!reclining!back!in!his!chair!while! enjoying!the!company!of!his!closest!friends.!Everyone!is!having!a!great!time!with! friends!and!food!!But!suddenly,!Jesus’!words!pierce!the!atmosphere.! ! “He%replied,%‘One%of%you%who%has%just%eaten%from%this%bowl%with%me%will%betray% me.”%(Matthew!26:23)! ! All!the!disciples!except!one!said,!“Surely!you!don’t!mean!me,!Lord.”!But!Judas! replied!by!saying,!“Surely!you!don't!mean!me,!Teacher,”!In!that!moment,!Jesus! knew!Judas!was!going!to!betray!him.!His!response!said!everything.!All!the!other! disciples!saw!Jesus!as!their!Lord.!Judas!only!saw!Jesus!as!his!teacher.! ! Jesus!doesn't!see!things!the!way!you!and!I!see!them.!The!fact!that!Jesus!chose!to! love!Judas!in!the!midst!of!his!betrayal!is!mind!blowing.!Jesus!was!saying!yes!to!the! will!of!God!while!evil!was!dining!at!the!same!table!as!Him.!When!we!make!the! choice!and!allow!Jesus!to!become!Lord!of!our!lives,!we!can!overcome!everything! the!enemy!tries!to!throw!at!us!through!His!power!and!spirit.!! ! Be!encouraged!today,!for!our!God!is!a!generous!God!who!chooses!to!forgive! others,!offer!His!love,!and!shine!His!light!through!hurts!and!wounds.! ! ! YOUR THOUGHTS:!______! ______! ! ! Day 24: Matthew 26:36-56

By:!Michelle!Gomez! ! When!reading!this!passage,!we!tend!to!focus!on!just!the!betrayal!of!Jesus,!and!we! often!dismiss!a!quick!remark!that!he!gave!to!one!of!his!followers.!Scripture!tells! us!that!after!Judas!walked!up!to!Jesus!and!betrayed!him!that!Peter!(the!disciple)! pulled!out!his!sword!and!cut!off!the!ear!of!one!of!the!guardsmen!who!was!there! to!take!Jesus!away.!At!this!time,!Jesus!turned!to!Peter!and!said:! ! “…%‘Put%your%sword%back%into%its%place.%For%all%who%take%the%sword%will%perish%by% the%sword.’”%(Matthew!26:52)% ! What!a!comment!about!living!generously!that!could!also!be!so!easily!missed.!It’s!a! new!way!to!live!generously!–!to!not!seek!revenge!on!negative!actions!done!to!us! or!to!people!we!love.!It’s!living!generous!through!unity!and!freely!giving!peace.! ! Many!translations!state!that!the!meaning!of!“all!who!take!the!sword!will!perish!by! the!sword”!refers!to!the!fact!that!if!we!act!violently,!then!violence!will!eventually! lead!to!our!end.!If!that!is!the!case,!then!offering!peace!will!always!end!in!peace.!! ! Living!generously!is!defined!as!having!a!kind!spirit.!As!followers!of!Jesus,!others! already!have!the!expectation!that!we!should!have!a!kind!spirit!(like!Christ! himself),!but!when!someone!hurts!us!we!are!usually!quick!to!let!our!flesh!take! over!and!seek!retaliation.!! ! Let!our!thoughts!of!the!day!remain!on!this!KK!Jesus!reminds!us!that!even!in! moments!of!pain,!our!greatest!aim!should!be!to!live!generously!and!offer! kindness!toward!offenders!even!when!temptation!wants!us!to!do!otherwise.! ! ! YOUR THOUGHTS:!______! ______! !

Day 25: Matthew 27:11-26

By:!Larry!Hotard! ! In!Matthew!27:11K26,!we!see!Christ!standing!before!the!governor!and!being! unjustly!accused!by!the!religious!leaders.!Jesus!never!defended!himself!because! he!came!to!die!for!the!sins!of!the!world.!Pilate!knew!that!Jesus!wasn’t!guilty!and! wanted!to!free!Him,!but!instead!of!following!that!wish,!he!gives!the!people!a! choice!between!freeing!Jesus!or!Barabbas.!In!the!people!choosing!Jesus!to!die,! the!governor!washed!his!hands!for!he!did!not!want!Jesus’!blood!on!hands.!Due!to! pressure,!the!governor!scourged!Jesus!and!turned!him!over!to!be!crucified.! ! Within!this!story,!we!see!a!king,!a!political!leader,!and!a!murderer!(Barabbas).!The! governor!gave!in!to!the!demands!of!the!people,!and!yet!he!wanted!no! responsibility!for!his!actions;!the!religious!leaders!hated!Jesus!so!much!that!they! influenced!the!people!and!had!a!murderer!released!from!prison!in!the!place!of! Jesus.! ! Barabbas!was!a!sinner,!but!in!the!same!light!–!we!are!sinners!as!well.!Barabbas! was!set!free,!but!the!one!who!took!his!place!physically!could!have!also!set!him! free!spiritually.!Barabbas’!freedom!in!this!world!was!temporary!when!it!could! have!also!been!eternal.! ! Jesus!stood!before!them!as!the!King!of!Kings!ready!to!pay!the!price!for!their!sins,! and!they!never!recognized!Him.!In!Christ,!we!are!set!free!from!sin.!In!Him,!we! have!peace,!joy,!hope!and!eternal!life.!Aside!from!eternal,!this!life!is!also!an! abundant!life.!It!is!a!life!that!shines!His!light!through!our!lives!so!we!may! generously!give!His!love,!hope!and!joy!to!a!lost!and!dying!world.! % “The%thief’s%purpose%is%to%steal%and%kill%and%destroy.%% My%purpose%is%to%give%them%a%rich%and%satisfying%life.”%(John!10:10)% ! YOUR THOUGHTS:!______! ______! ! Day 26: Matthew 27:27-44

By:!Carolyn!Dupuy! ! Do!your!present!circumstances!seem!too!much!to!bear?!Do!you!find!yourself! waking!up!each!morning!asking!God!why!the!turmoil!continues!in!your!life?!1! Peter!4:12K13!reminds!us!that!we!are!in!a!time!of!testing!and!pruning!away!of! dead!things!in!our!lives!that!do!not!bring!glory!to!God.!Scripture!also!says!this:! ! “Dear%brothers%and%sisters,%when%troubles%of%any%kind%come%your%way,%consider%it% an%opportunity%for%great%joy.%For%you%know%that%when%your%faith%is%tested,%your% endurance%has%a%chance%to%grow.%So%let%it%grow,%for%when%your%endurance%is%fully% developed,%you%will%be%perfect%and%complete,%needing%nothing.”% (Matthew!26:52)! ! Wow!!When!you!pray!to!become!more!like!Jesus,!do!you!really!mean!it?!If!the! answer!is!yes,!then!begin!to!praise!Him!even!in!the!midst!of!your!pain!and!trial.! ! Remember,!things!are!not!always!as!them!seem.!In!Matthew!27:27K44,!what! appeared!to!be!the!greatest!victory!for!Satan!was!actually!his!greatest!defeat.! Jesus!was!rejected!by!the!very!people!He!came!to!save.!He!was!accepted!and! celebrated!as!long!as!they!thought!He!would!become!their!next!king.!When!they! realized!He!was!going!to!the!cross!instead,!they!rejected!and!turned!away!from! Him.! ! If!you!sometimes!feel!that!even!though!you!are!serving!God!and!doing!all!you! know!how!to!do,!bad!things!still!happen!to!you.!Jesus!was!the!Son!of!God!and! perfect!in!every!way!yet!rejected!and!despised!by!humanity,!particularly!by!His! own!people.!So!be!encouraged!and!stand!strong.!You!are!in!good!company.!God! is!on!your!side!and!is!giving!you!a!generous!dose!of!grace!to!walk!through!your! current!and!future!battles,!leaning!on!His!strength!and!might.! ! YOUR THOUGHTS:!______! ______! ! Day 27: Matthew 27:45-61

By:!Farryl!Wiggins! ! Is!this!it?!Is!this!how!it!ends?!This!was!not!how!it!was!supposed!to!be.!He!said!he! came!to!set!us!free.!He!said!he!was!there!to!bring!new!life!and!abundant!life,!yet! instead!he!is!hanging!on!a!cross,!dying!and!falsely!accused.!The!disciples!were!all! there!watching.!Even!the!soldiers!who!nailed!him!to!the!cross!and!the!women! that!would!minister!to!him!were!all!silent,!expecting!and!observing.!The!whole! universe!appeared!to!be!falling!apart!because!the!Creator!himself!was!dying.! Could!it!get!any!worse?! ! “At%noon,%darkness%fell%across%the%whole%land%until%three%o’clock.%At%about%three% o’clock,%Jesus%called%out%with%a%loud%voice,%‘Eli,%Eli,%lema%sabachthani?’%which% means%‘My%God,%my%God,%why%have%you%abandoned%me?’”%(Matthew!27:45K46)% ! Even!Jesus!at!this!point!seemed!full!of!despair,!but!not!all!is!lost.!This!moment! here!at!the!cross!took!all!the!trust!Jesus!could!muster!to!live!out!the!very!purpose! of!why!he!came!to!earth.!! ! “For%I%have%come%down%from%heaven%to%do%the%will%of%God%who%sent%me,%not%to%do% my%own%will.”%(John!6:38)% ! See!how!the!Father!loves!you?!Can!we!find!it!in!ourselves!to!trust!the!Father!with! our!own!life!as!Jesus!did?!No!matter!how!dark!the!day,!no!matter!how!bleak!the! circumstance!–!Jesus!has!the!last!word.!On!the!cross!he!said,!“It!is!finished!”!Our! separation!from!God,!our!pains,!our!sorrow,!our!sicknesses!–!they!are!all!finished.! ! Jesus!suffered!the!pain!of!the!cross!so!we!could!have!fellowship!once!again.! Thinking!on!living!generously,!Christ!paid!a!payment!in!full!so!we!could!have!life! with!Him.!So!today,!child!of!God!–!trust!Him,!for!He!gave!his!life!with!you!in!mind.! ! YOUR THOUGHTS:!______! ______!

Day 28: Matthew 28:1-20

By:!Allie!Vincent! ! The!definition!of!generous!is!to!be!kind!and!give!more!than!what!is!necessary.!So! to!live!generously!is!to!consistently!give!more!than!expected!and!always!be!kind! to!those!around!us.!! ! There!is!an!overwhelming!amount!of!ways!to!live!out!our!generosity,!but!one!way! that!we!can!be!generous!in!all!areas!of!life!is!by!serving!others.!Allowing!God’s! light!to!shine!through!can!happen!even!in!instances!that!we!find!simple,!such!as! helping!someone!load!groceries!into!their!car,!or!meeting!a!need!with!food!for!a! household.!Just!by!giving!our!time!and!resources!generously,!we!can!make!an! impact!in!God’s!Kingdom.! ! Matthew!28:1K20!details!Jesus’!last!conversation!before!his!ascension!into! heaven.!At!that!point!in!time!the!resurrection!was!difficult!for!even!some! eyewitnesses!to!accept,!so!telling!others!would!not!be!an!easy!task.!! ! “Jesus%came%and%told%his%disciples,%‘I%have%been%given%all%authority%in%heaven%and% earth.%Therefore,%go%and%make%disciples%of%all%the%nations,%baptizing%them%in%the% name%of%the%Father%and%the%Son%and%the%Holy%Spirit.%Teach%these%new%disciples%to% obey%all%the%commands%I%have%given%you.%And%be%sure%of%this:%I%am%with%you% always,%even%to%the%end%of%the%age.’”%(Matthew!28:18K20)% ! Jesus!tells!his!disciples!to!spread!the!word!that!He,!the!son!of!God,!has!conquered! death.!This!was!an!act!of!great!service!for!the!disciples.!Christ!greatly!emphasizes! his!need!for!us!to!serve!others!in!Scripture.!Let’s!serve!others!and!live!generously! by!sharing!about!God’s!great!gift!of!eternal!life!with!those!who!do!not!yet!know.! % ! ! YOUR THOUGHTS:!______! ______!

Keep it up!

| Read through Mark, Luke & John in 90 days |

!! Day!1!//!Mark!1:1K12! !! Day!16!//!Mark!9:1K13!

!! Day!2!//!Mark!1:13K20! !! Day!17!//!Mark!9:14K29!

!! Day!3!//!Mark!1:21K45! !! Day!18!//!Mark!9:30K50!

!! Day!4!//!Mark!2:1K22! !! Day!19!//!Mark!10:1K16!

!! Day!5!//!Mark!2:18!–!3:6! !! Day!20!//!Mark!10:17K34!

!! Day!6!//!Mark!3:7K34! !! Day!21!//!Mark!10:35K42!

!! Day!7!//!Mark!4:1K34! !! Day!22!//!Mark!11:1K11!

!! Day!8!//!Mark!4:35K41! !! Day!23!//!Mark!11:12K33!

!! Day!9!//!Mark!5! !! Day!24!//!Mark!12:1K27!

!! Day!10!//!Mark!6:1K29! !! Day!25!//!Mark!12:28K44!

!! Day!11!//!Mark!6:30K56! !! Day!26!//!Mark!13!

!! Day!12!//!Mark!7:1K23! !! Day!27!//!Mark!14:1K42!

!! Day!13!//!Mark!7:24K37! !! Day!28!//!Mark!14:43K72!

!! Day!14!//!Mark!8:1K26! !! Day!29!//!Mark!15!

!! Day!15!//!Mark!8:27K38! !! Day!30!//!Mark!16!

! !

!! Day!31!//!Luke!1:1-38! !! Day!46!//!Luke!12:1-21!

!! Day!32!//!Luke!1:39-80! !! Day!47!//!Luke!12:22-59!

!! Day!33!//!Luke!2! !! Day!48!//!Luke!13!

!! Day!34!//!Luke!3! !! Day!49!//!Luke!14!

!! Day!35!//!Luke!4! !! Day!50!//!Luke!15!

!! Day!36!//!Luke!5:1-32! !! Day!51!//!Luke!16!

!! Day!37!//!Luke!5:33!-!6:11! !! Day!52!//!Luke!17!

!! Day!38!//!Luke!6! !! Day!53!//!Luke!18!

!! Day!39!//!Luke!7! !! Day!54!//!Luke!19!

!! Day!40!//!Luke!8:1-21! !! Day!55!//!Luke!20!

!! Day!41!//!Luke!8:22-56! !! Day!56!//!Luke!21!

!! Day!42!//!Luke!9:1-50! !! Day!57!//!Luke!22:1-38!

!! Day!43!//!Luke!9:51!–!10:37! !! Day!58!//!Luke!22:39-71!

!! Day!44!//!Luke!10:38!–!11:28! !! Day!59!//!Like!23!

!! Day!45!//!Luke!11:29-54! !! Day!60!//!Luke!24!

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

!! Day!61!//!John!1! !! Day!76!//!John!14:1-14!

!! Day!62!//!John!2! !! Day!77!//!John!14:15-31!

!! Day!63!//!John!3! !! Day!78!//!John!15!

!! Day!64!//!John!4! !! Day!79!//!John!16:1-15!

!! Day!65!//!John!5! !! Day!80!//!John!16:16-33!

!! Day!66!//!John!6:1-29! !! Day!81!//!John!17!

!! Day!67!//!John!6:30-71! !! Day!82!//!John!18:1-14!

!! Day!68!//!John!7! !! Day!83!//!John!18:15-27!

!! Day!69!//!John!8! !! Day!84!//!John!18:28-40!

!! Day!70!//!John!9! !! Day!85!//!John!19:1-15!

!! Day!71!//!John!10:1-21! !! Day!86!//!John!19:16-30!

!! Day!72!//!John!10:22-42! !! Day!87!//!John!19:31-42!

!! Day!73!//!John!11! !! Day!88!//!John!20:1-18!

!! Day!74!//!John!12! !! Day!89!//!John!20:19-31!

!! Day!75!//!John!13! !! Day!90!//!John!21!

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My Prayer Journal

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My Prayer Journal

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My Prayer Journal

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My Prayer Journal

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