Saturday, March 30, 2019

Bank on Jesus

The Fourth Sunday in Lent

Those who love money will never have enough. How meaningless to think that wealth brings true happiness! ~ Ecclesiastes 5:10 (NLT)

Sell your possessions and give to those in need. This will store up treasure for you in heaven! And the purses of heaven never get old or develop holes. Your treasure will be safe; no thief can steal it and no moth can destroy it. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be. ~ Luke 12:33-34 (NLT)

KEY IDEA:
Invest your life exclusively in things which have lasting meaning and true fulfillment.
PRAYER:
Generous God, you have already entrusted me with more than I deserve. Thank you for your kindness. Forgive me for turning your gifts into the objects of my affections. Help me to realize exactly what it is that you want me to pursue. I am going to bank on Jesus and his alternative Kingdom. Amen.

Friday, March 29, 2019

Love

You must not follow the crowd in doing wrong... ~ Exodus 23:2a (NLT)

Keep loving each other like family. ~ Hebrews 13:1 (CEB)

KEY IDEA:
Even if it is not a popular thing to do, stay committed to each other as brothers and sisters in Christ.
PRAYER:
God, I confess it is easy to let a crowd influence my judgment, whether it be booing at a sporting event or blindly following a political or religious leader. Empower me to make love the litmus test of my actions. Help me to avoid blindly following the crowd. Instead, guide me to act with love for my brothers and sisters. Amen. (Daily Texts, Mount Carmel Ministries edition)

Thursday, March 28, 2019

Power and Glory

Like a shepherd taking care of his sheep, this ruler will lead and care for his people by the power and glorious name of the Lord his God. ~ Micah 5:4 (CEV)

Then the sign of the Human One will appear in the sky. At that time all the tribes of the earth will be full of sadness, and they will see the Human One coming in the heavenly clouds with power and great splendor. ~ Matthew 24:30 (CEB)

KEY IDEA:
God's power and splendor will eventually become evident to all.
PRAYER:
Great God, thank you for being our shepherd. Forgive me for living like I can take care of myself. But I am seeing that life is way too complex for that. I need to be led by someone who is all powerful and all glorious. I'm going to devote myself to honoring you so that I don't end up sad and disappointed. Amen.

Wednesday, March 27, 2019

God's agenda

Do not test the Lord your God... ~ Deuteronomy 6:16 (NCV)

Bring in your kingdom so that your will is done on earth as it’s done in heaven. ~ Matthew 6:10 (NCV)

KEY IDEA:
If you want the good life just do what God says to do.
PRAYER:
Dear God, thank you for including me. I, however, don't always include you as I am planning my life. I make everything I can line up with my own personal agenda -- my kingdom. Help me to learn how to take you and your agenda seriously. I want to change so that I am 100% about you and your agenda. Amen.

DAILYTEXTS.ORG

*ABOUT THE
DAILY TEXTS

The Daily Texts have been published by the Moravian Church since 1731. In 2015 I started posting these Bible verses for my spiritual formation students at Pacific Islands University. In the process of responding to the verses, I found the rhythm of looking for a common thread and writing a prayer based on that key idea to be helpful for my own soul.

The prayers are more or less modeled on the TRIP method, which is what I ask my students to do in their journaling. ~ Brad Boydston

TRANSLATIONS

ABP = Authorized Boydston Paraphrase -- a freestyle biblical adaptation -- somewhere between paraphrase, commentary, and sermon

CEB = Common English Bible (©2011, the Common English Bible)

CEV = Contemporary English Version (©1995, American Bible Society)

EEB = EasyEnglish Bible (©2015, MissionAssist)

ERV = Easy-To-Read Version (©2006, World Bible Translation Center)

GNT = Good News Translation (©1992, American Bible Society)

MSG = The Message (©1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson)

NCB = New Catholic Bible (©2019 by Catholic Book Publishing Corp.)

NCV = New Century Version (©2005, Thomas Nelson Inc)

NIRV = New International Reader's Version (©1996, 1998, Biblica)

NIV = New International Version (©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011, Biblica)

NLT = New Living Translation (©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, Tyndale House Foundation)

NRSV = New Revised Standard Version (© 1989 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.)

NTE = New Testament for Everyone (©2011 Nicolas Thomas Wright.)

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