Tag Archives: Obedience

2014 Day 309 – Mark 9

05 Wednesday Nov 2014

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Back in Jesus’ time, children were often treated as second class citizens. But Jesus used children as an example of service and love to those who needed our help the most. Mark 9:36-37, 36 He took a little child and had him stand among them. Taking him by the arm, he said to them, 37 “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.” Jesus’ point was to show that our service to others is a reflection of Christ’s love and service to them. While children can be challenging at times to deal with, they are the ones who benefit from Christ’s love the most by helping them form into who God created them to be.

2014 Day 302 – Matthew 15

29 Wednesday Oct 2014

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People get very caught up in doing what they think is right vs what is wrong and trying to pin God’s approval to it. Jesus made clear what makes us unclean in God’s eyes. Matthew 15:18, But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man ‘unclean.’ There are consequences to making bad decisions for our lives, but spiritual ‘cleanliness’ comes from the condition of our heart. And the heart is reflected through the words we speak and in the manner in which we speak it.

2014 Day 295 – Matthew 9

22 Wednesday Oct 2014

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God has given us the privilege of being used by Him; not that He needs us, but He chooses to include us in His plan. Part of his plan is to show others the way to Him through us. Matthew 9:37-38 says, 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. There are plenty of people out there that need Christ in their lives and are ready to follow Him if someone would just take the time to show them the way. We must always be prepared for God to show someone the way to a personal relationship to Him through us.

2014 Day 290 – Matthew 13

17 Friday Oct 2014

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I love the way Jesus worded Matthew 13:52, He said to them, “Therefore every teacher of the law who has been instructed about the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.” Jesus is talking about the value of understanding the Old Testament law because it is a real treasure. It points the way to Jesus, the Messiah. Jesus, as our example, always upheld the law’s authority and relevance. But ultimately He came to show us the the way to salvation through His sacrifice. Both the old and the new are important and are not separated. They fulfill the importance of both to the life of a believer and follower of Christ.

2014 Day 286 – Luke 7

13 Monday Oct 2014

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It is our faith and not our actions that save us. The last verse in Luke 7 plainly shows this through Jesus’ forgiveness of the woman’s sins. Verse 50, Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” No matter how much we do for God, the reality is that He wants nothing but our faith in His ability to save us. The rest comes from that faith leading to obedience in him.

2014 Day 281 – Matthew 5

08 Wednesday Oct 2014

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Do you ever feel like you are the only one trying to stand for good in the middle of this evil world? Sometimes it is tough to be a believer in the midst of a world so determined to do everything possible to dishonor God. But we are called to be a light in the darkness. Matthew 5:14 says, “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.” A city on a hill can be seen for miles in every direction, and while it represent refuge for some, it can sometimes become a target for attack. We are like the city who stands in the darkness of this world. And while we should feel honored to be a reflection of light in the darkness, we can sometimes become an easy target for no other reason than we shine a light on bad things. It can feel scary and lonely, but we must remember The Lord never leaves us standing alone. He is always with us if we trust Him to lead and protect us.

2014 Day 279 – Mark 3

06 Monday Oct 2014

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When we first read Mark 3:35, it seems as though Jesus is being a bit harsh towards His earthly family, Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother. It’s almost as though He has chosen to set His mother and brothers aside. However, Jesus was not being disrespectful, He was instead being inclusive of everyone as members of His family. The Church (not the building) is a representation of Christ. We are the “Body” and we have the ability to give loving and personalized care as a reflection of Christ to people who can find it nowhere else. We must never take that responsibility lightly or choose to give it selectively. Our ability to give is not limited by God’s ability, but by our ability to trust and obey.

2014 Day 269 – Luke 5

26 Friday Sep 2014

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One of my favorite pictures in the beginning of Jesus’ ministry is His calling for Simon Peter, James, and John to follow Him. Just after Jesus tells Simon to drop his nets in the water and they pull out an enormous catch, Luke 5:9-11 says, 9 For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, 10 and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners. Then Jesus said to Simon, Don’t be afraid; from now on you will catch men.” 11 So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him. Like these men, when we choose to follow Christ, we do not need to be perfect or even fully equipped, we must simply be willing to do whatever He asks. Obedience, faith, and trust are the keys.

2014 Day 261 – Luke 4 – 1,000th Post!!!

18 Thursday Sep 2014

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Today is our 1,000th post. We have posted every day for almost three years and it has been a blessing to know there are people who follow along and get something out of reading God’s word together. A special thanks goes out to Brian Manning who helped start this endeavor and to Sarah Muncell who helped push through a big part of these posts. Here’s to the next 1,000!

For today’s reading, we see the beginning of Jesus’ ministry in His hometown of Nazareth. But even Jesus was not accepted in His hometown. Luke 4:24 says, “I tell you the truth,” he continued, “no prophet is accepted in his hometown.” Don’t be surprised when the people who are closest to you do not understand how God is changing and working in your life. Just be faithful to God’s call and obedient to His commands and He will be glorified.

2014 Day 259 – Luke 3

16 Tuesday Sep 2014

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As we read today’s passages in Luke 3, we once again we see John the Baptist working through his singular mission of preparing the way for Jesus. John was so focused that he never minced words and when asked a question, he answered directly. When he saw a wrong, including Herod for taking his own brother’s wife, John did not hesitate to expose the truth even though it would eventually cost his life. Part of obedience is taking on the confidence of God to do all he commands and expects us to do for His glory and according to His will.