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Date Posted: 10:43:39 07/29/23 Sat
Author: c
Subject: Supplementary Teachings 7/2023

Our Daily Bread

9/1/23

God's epic story

Life Magazine's July 12, 1968 cover displayed a horrifying photograph of starving children (in Nigeria during a civil war). A young boy, distressed, took a copy of the magazine to a pastor and asked, "Does God know about this?" The pastor replied, "I know you don't understand, but, yes, God knows about that." The boy walked out, declaring he was uninterested in such a God.

These questions disturb not only children but all of us. Alongside an affirmation of God's mysterious knowledge, I wish that boy had heard about the epic story God is continuing to write, even in places like the former nation of Biarfa.

Jesus unfolded this story for His followers, those who assumed He'd shield them from hardship. Christ told them instead that "In this world you will have trouble." What Jesus did offer, however, was His promise that these evils weren't the end. In fact, He'd already "overcome the world" (John 16:33). And in God's final chapter, every injustice will be undone, every suffering healed.

Genesis to Revelation recounts the story of God destroying every unthinkable evil, making every wrong right. The story presents the loving One Whose interest in us is unquestioned. Jesus said to His disciples, "I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace" (v. 33). May we rest in His peace and presence today.

Winn Collier

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Our Daily Bread

9/3/23

The Blessed Mask

(edited)

...One day when I needed a mask, I found just one in my car: the one I avoided wearing because it had BLESSED written across the front.

I prefer to wear masks without messages, and I believe that the word on the mask I found is overused. But I had no choice, so I reluctantly put the mask on. And when I nearly showed my annoyance with a new receptionist at the school. I caught myself, partly because of the word on my mask. I didn't want to look like a hypocrite, walking around with BLESSED scrawled across my mouth while showing impatience to a person trying to figure out a complicated system.

Though the letters on my mask reminded me of my witness for Christ, the words of Scripture in my heart should be a true reminder to be patient with others. As Paul wrote to the Corinthians, "You are a letter from Christ...written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts" (2 Corinthians 3:3). The Holy Spirit who "gives life" (v. 6), can help us live out "love, joy, peace" and yes, "patience" (Galatians 5:22). We're truly blessed by His presence within us!

Katara Patton

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Our Daily Bread

9/5/23

Everything is against me

(edited)

"This morning I thought I was worth a great deal of money, now I don't know that I have a dollar." Former US president Ulysses S. Grant said those words the day he was swindled out of his life's savings by a business partner. Months later, Grant was diagnosed with incurable cancer. Concerned about providing for his family, he accepted an offer from author Mark Twain to publish his memoirs, which he completed a week before he died.

The Bible tells us of another person who faced grave hardships. Jacob believed his son Joseph had been "torn to pieces" by a "ferocious animal" (Genesis 37:33). Then his son Simeon was held captive in a foreign country and Jacob feared his son Benjamin would be taken from him as well. Overcome, he cried out, "Everything is against me!" (42:36).

But it wasn't. Little did Jacob know that his son Joseph was very much alive and that God was at work "behind the scenes" to restore his family. Their story illustrates how He can be trusted even when we can't see His hand in our circumstances.

Grant's memoirs proved to be a great success and his family was well cared for. Though he didn't live to see it, his wife did. Our vision is limited, but God's isn't. And with Jesus as our hope, "if God is for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31). May we place our trust in Him today.

James Banks

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Our Daily Bread

9/17/23

Any Questions?

(edited)

Ann was meeting with her oral surgeon for a preliminary exam - a physician she'd known for many years. He asked her, "Do you have any questions?" she said, "Yes. Did you go to church last Sunday?" Her question wasn't intended to be judgmental, but simply to initiate a conversation about faith.

The surgeon had a less-than-positive church experience growing up, and he hadn't gone back. Because of Ann's question and their conversation, he reconsidered the role of Jesus and church in his life. When Ann later gave him a Bible with his name imprinted on it, he received it with tears.

Sometimes we fear confrontation or don't want to seem too aggressive in sharing our faith. But there can be a winsome way to witness about Jesus - ask questions.

For a man who was God and knew everything, Jesus sure asked a lot of questions. While we don't know His purposes, it's clear His questions prompted others to respond. He asked His disciple Andrew, "What do you want? (John 1:38). He asked blind Bartimaeus, "What do you want Me to do for you?" (Mark 10:51, Luke 18:41). He asked the paralyzed man, "Do you want to get well?" (John 5:6). Transformation happened for each of these individuals after Jesus' initial question.

Is there someone you want to approach about matters of faith? Ask God to give you the right questions to ask.

Dave Branon

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Our Daily Bread

9/24/23

Compassion in action

(edited)

Building benches isn't James Warren's job. He started building them, however, when he noticed a woman Denver sitting in the dirt while waiting for a bus. That's "undignified," Warren worried. So, the twenty-eight-year old workforce consultant found some scrap wood, built a bench, and placed it at the bus stop. It quickly got used. Realizing many of the nine thousand bus stops in his city lacked seating, he made another bench, then several more, inscribing "Be Kind" on each one. His goal? "To make people's lives just a little bit better, in any way I can," Warren said.

Compassion is another way of describing such action. As practiced by Jesus, compassion is a feeling so strong that it leads us to take action to meet another's need. When crowds of desperate people pursued Jesus, 'He had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd" (Mark 6:34). He turned that compassion into action by healing their sick (Matthew 14:14).

We should "clothe [ourselves] with compassion," Paul urged (Colossians 3:12). The benefits? As Warren says, 'It fills me up. It's air in my tires."

All around us are needs, and God will bring them to our attention. Those needs can motivate us to put our compassion into action, and those actions will encourage others as we show them the love of Christ.

Patricia Raybon

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Our Daily Bread

September Topic - Biblical Theology of Mission

Hope Deeper Than Death

(edited)


If there's one thing the tremendous trauma and pain experienced globally during the COVID-19 pandemic has revealed, it's that our world is wounded - and in deep need of hope that's sustained by more than optimism and good advice.

We need hope that's deeper than death.

Of late, I'm hearing more and more conversations by church leaders who've come to realize the need for the church to regain a central focus on the cross and resurrection of Christ - the story of God's cosmic defeat of the principalities and powers of death and evil - for truly sustaining hope.

Sadly, some faith communities have lost this robust emphasis on the story of cosmic redemption through the death and resurrection of Jesus in exchange for an individualistic emphasis - one focused on a personal experience of forgiveness merged with positive advice for a happy life.

But during the pandemic, some days church leaders began to realize the kind of messages popular before - on topics like raising your children, how to be a good worker, and adding spark to your marriage - were failing to meet the needs of their congregation. To those grieving the loss of loved ones or a livable income, or those simply weighed down by the suffering they saw all around them, messages focused on individual success and happiness were beginning to ring hollow. Because people were wrestling with something much deeper than small hurdles to unsuccessful lives; they were grappling with the weight of very real tragedies in a world still under the grip of what Paul calls "principalities" and "powers" (Ephesians 6:12) of evil, injustice, and death.

As has always been true, the kind of hope we need as humans is one that fully reckons with and faces the true weight of sin and death's wounding of our world and that witnesses to hope grounded in the fullness of Christ's victory.

The gospel is the story of God's redemption of a wounded cosmos through the death and resurrection of Jesus. An event that has changed the fabric of reality and that, in God's grace, we've been invited to live into and to share with the world.

Only when we fully reckon with the bad news - the depth of evil's wounding of creation, the ongoing tragedy of death in our world - can we grasp the unexpected wonder of the good news, that through Christ's victory "creation itself will be liberated from bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God" (Romans 8:21). "For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not have, we wait for it patiently (vv. 24- 25).

Even as we lament honestly the "groaning" of creation (v. 22), we can experience the good news that Jesus is alive. Even as we journey through the valley of the shadow of death, He's alive and on the move, working through the Spirit to bring life.

Working through us.

This is the good news, the priceless gift that we've been entrusted to share. Jesus is alive! Working through small communities of people filled with the Spirit and with hope. Carrying all of us - creation itself - from death into glorious resurrection life.

Monica La Rose, Our Daily Bread author

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Turning Points daily devotion 7/20/23

Consequences

And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die. However, because by this deed you have given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child also who is born to you shall surely die.”

2 Samuel 12:13-14
 
One of the hardest but most valuable lessons for children to learn is that there are consequences for their sins. Sins may be forgiven, but the impact of the sin does not disappear with forgiveness. If an older child willfully breaks a toy belonging to a younger sibling, the guilty child can be forgiven, but there will be a consequence. He will have to use his weekly allowance to purchase a replacement toy.

Recommended Reading:
Numbers 14:18

Mercy is the biblical term for not getting the punishment we deserve. But mercy does not do away with consequences. Even though God is “longsuffering and abundant in mercy,” He reserved the right to visit the consequences of sin on future generations (Numbers 14:18). Even though David was forgiven for his double sins of adultery and murder, the consequence of his sins would be the death of the child conceived in immorality.

Mercy spares you from punishment. But it doesn’t always spare you or others from the consequences of your sin.
 
We are free to choose, but not free to choose the consequences of our choice.

Spiros Zodhiates

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intouch.org daily devotion July 20, 2023

The Beauty of the Yoke

The difficulties of this life are opportunities to walk closely with our Savior and know Him better.

Matthew 11:28-30

Jesus invites all burdened individuals to come to Him for rest, yet so often we misunderstand what He is asking of us. We can’t just dump our problems on the Lord and walk away unchanged. Using an agricultural image, He asks us to join Him in the “yoke” so we can walk and work together. In other words, He doesn’t want just our burdens; He wants us!

The yoke of Christ is a symbol of discipleship, characterized by submission and obedience to Him. God’s goal isn’t simply to remove a weighty trial or affliction; He longs to draw us to Himself in a close and trusting relationship. Remember, the “yoke is comfortable” and the “burden is light” when our Savior is helping us bear it (v. 30). That’s why those who take Him up on His offer will experience an amazing transformation.

The process of sharing the load begins with learning to know and understand the Lord. The burden is not necessarily removed, but the weight of the affliction shifts from our shoulders to His. Life’s pressures may not lessen, but if we are intimately linked with Jesus, our soul will be free from anxiety, and His peace will rule in our heart.

---------------------------=

Turning Points daily devotion July 24, 2023

Union With God

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

1 John 1:9
 
The New Testament word fellowship (koinonia) comes from a root word that means “common.” From that idea come the notions of commonality, community, and communion. The apostle John in his first epistle wrote about the fellowship we have “with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ” (1 John 1:3)—and, therefore, the fellowship we have with others who are in fellowship with God. But the idea of fellowship (commonality, union) with God raises the question: What happens to our union with God when we sin?

Recommended Reading:
1 John 1:1-10

John anticipated the question and went on to write, “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). He then put this theology in practical terms: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” No one lives a sinless life, so we all need to know how to enjoy our fellowship, our oneness, our communion with God through confession and forgiveness.

Never doubt God’s desire to fellowship with you. Confess your failures to Him and receive His forgiveness.
 
The fellowship of God is delightful beyond all telling.

A.W. Tozer

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intouch.org daily devotion July 24, 2023


Discerning God’s Goodness

Whether we are on the mountaintop or in the valley, God's love is the same.

Psalm 31:19-24

We’ve often heard people say, “God is good!” when all is going well, but what about when life doesn’t look like what we expect? The Lord expresses kindness in more ways than wealth, health, and relationships. Some of His gifts are experiences we would never choose, but God knows we need them in order to grow in faith, obedience, and perseverance. Consider the following expressions of God’s goodness toward us:

• Loving discipline. In His perfect, unfailing love, God corrects us when we refuse to follow Him. The process is painful but results in “the peaceful fruit of righteousness” (Heb. 12:11).

• Wise Limitations. There are opportunities and possessions that seem to promise happiness but ultimately draw us away from God. With great wisdom, the Lord lovingly withholds those things that would prove detrimental to our spiritual life.

• Useful suffering. God knows which refining experiences we need in order to become fruitful in His Kingdom. What appears to us as a valley of weeping is God’s valley of preparation for godliness and service.

It can be tempting to interpret God’s character on the basis of our circumstances. If evidence compels us to doubt His goodness, we must remember that while His gifts come in a variety of wrappings, they are always beneficial. As Psalm 34:8 says, “O taste and see that the Lord is good.”

--------------------------------=

PowerPoint with Pastor Jack Graham daily devotion 7/24/23

How to defeat discouragement

“I have said these things to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

--John 16:33

I once heard a story about an auction they were having in hell. God said, “satan, you need to reduce your arsenal.” So they were auctioning off some of the weapons of the enemy. And the one auctioned off at the highest price was the tool of discouragement because it is such a powerful weapon against us.

We all get discouraged from time to time. And discouragement can range from the moody blues all the way to clinical, and even severe, depression. Even some of the greatest saints of all time have been discouraged… biblical heroes such as Moses, Elijah, Jonah, David, and Peter.

Discouragement can come in all kinds of phases. One is that of listlessness – that feeling of just “blah.” And if that’s not dealt with, it moves to sadness, and eventually to helplessness as the chains of discouragement grow stronger and stronger in our lives.

But in Christ, you can overcome discouragement. As the Lord Jesus tells us in today’s passage, the peace that can overcome discouragement is found only in Him. Yes, there will be trouble in this world, but we can have victory because Christ has overcome. So whenever you feel discouraged, lean on Jesus, Who has overcome so that you can have abundant life!

WHEN DISCOURAGEMENT HITS, TRUST IN JESUS BECAUSE HE HAS OVERCOME THE TROUBLES OF THE world!

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From the Pastor's Heart - July 2023

Dr. Charles Stanley

Following the Lord’s lead, step by step—whether big or small—was a central focus of Charles Stanley’s life and ministry. And it’s just as vital to our walk with Christ. We hope these words encourage you today toward an ever greater, joyful obedience.

Friend, I’d like you to take a moment right now and ask yourself what is really guiding your life.

How do you operate, form desires, and make decisions on a daily basis? Are you led by a mental perspective, by feelings, by another person? Those motivations are all common, but they won’t lead to a healthy and growing spiritual life, nor are they what God wants for you.

No, God wants you to live according to one thing only—the relationship you have with Him, the One Who gives you strength, clarity, and guidance. If you’ll heed Him, trust Him, and make His will your own, He will lead you flawlessly in every area of your life.

Do you recall how God led the Hebrews out of Egypt and into the Promised Land? Well, that journey should have taken several weeks, but instead it took 40 years. Why? It’s simply because they didn’t live by God’s guidance. They became fearful, rebellious, and doubtful. Because of that, a generation died in the desert before God’s people entered the land they’d been promised.

We can have a different outcome—if we keep our eyes on the Lord. Now, something people have asked me about often over the years is—How do I follow God? How do I know His will? Many believers think that’s a mystery, but it isn’t.

There are things you can, indeed must, do to live according to God’s guidance each day.

So, let’s consider how to walk in step with the Lord.

First, meditate on the Word of God.

In the wilderness, the Hebrews didn’t have God’s Word preserved and accessible. But we do. Later, in Israel, David wrote, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105). God’s Word will ensure you get to the right place at the right time, for every situation you face in life. No matter what you are going through, Scripture will direct you—if you read it, stay familiar with it, and keep it foremost in your thoughts.

Second, remain sensitive to the Holy Spirit.

Before Jesus ascended to the Father, He promised to send His disciples a Helper. The Holy Spirit would come to indwell every believer: “When He, the Spirit of truth, comes,” Jesus said, “He will guide you into all the truth” (John 16:13). You have someone living within Who will guide you according to the will of God in all things. But it’s necessary to pay attention and spend time in prayer, in order to be sensitive to His voice.

Third, wait for God’s timing.

This verse has always been especially meaningful to me: “From days of old they have not heard or perceived by ear… a God besides You, Who acts in behalf of one who waits for Him” (Isaiah 64:4). Sometimes God makes us wait, not only for His actions, but also for His guidance. Patience in prayer is essential if you want to hear what God desires to share.

Fourth, follow Him even when you don’t understand.

It can be difficult to follow the Lord when you don’t understand why He’s guiding you in a particular direction. But God does not require you to understand His will, only to obey it, even when it seems unreasonable. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5-6).

Finally, be strong and courageous.

To walk in the Spirit of God requires deep conviction and courage to resist other pressures. The world is full of external influences that will pull you from God’s will, and your own heart may be an even greater temptation. Decide today to live by the guidance of God, no matter what He says or where He leads you. Remember what He told Joshua as the Hebrews were finally about to enter their promised land:

“Be strong and courageous! Do not be terrified nor dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9). God is with you. I hope you’ll follow Him today.

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Turning Points by Dr. David Jeremiah daily devotion July 26, 2023

Rediscover God’s Love

You are My servant, I have chosen you and have not cast you away: Fear not, for I am with you.

Isaiah 41:9-10
 
Rejection is a punch in the stomach. We all know the feeling, and some rejections can impact our mental health. Being rejected by a parent is hurtful beyond description. Imagine the pain of a young man whose marriage proposal is rejected. We can fall into depression when a college rejects our application or an employer hires someone else for the job we wanted.

Recommended Reading:
Isaiah 41:8-10

The Lord will never reject us when we come to Him needing His grace. Even when we sin, God’s love for us remains. Thank Him that His love doesn’t stop even when we fail Him.

Maybe you’ve done something that makes you feel so unworthy or guilty you think the Lord cannot or will not forgive you. He is more willing to forgive you than you are to seek His forgiveness! Come to Him in humble repentance, confess your sin, trust His grace, and rediscover His love.

Jesus was despised and rejected by men (Isaiah 53:3) that you might be accepted and embraced by God.
 
Through Christ, you have forgiveness…. The guilt you continue to carry around because of past sins is unnecessary.

Charles Stanley

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PowerPoint with Pastor Jack Graham daily devotion 7/27/23

Life is short. So what?


“And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”

--Joshua 24:15

You may remember an advertising campaign back in the 1990s by a popular running shoe with the tagline, “Life is short; play hard.” I remember thinking, when I first saw those commercials that most people probably want to live that way. Life is short; play hard! Have a blast while you last!

But I have a better theme I think everyone should follow: Life is short; think hard. Think hard because once you get to the end of your life, all your excuses will break down. That’s why we must all break down today and say, “Lord Jesus, You are my only hope and it’s You or nothing!” As you and I face the end of our ropes and the endless eternity that is before us, we must trust in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.

While the world will say we need to live it up today because it’s all over once we die, the truth is that the decisions we make today will have eternal ramifications.

Yes, our life on earth is short. But our life in eternity will last forever. So choose today whom you will serve, because the choices you make today will impact where you will spend eternity. Life is short, so think hard about serving Jesus, the only One who can give you eternal life with God!

LIFE IS SHORT, BUT THINK HARD AND CHOOSE TO SERVE JESUS, THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN GIVE you ETERNAL LIFE!

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PowerPoint with Pastor Jack Graham Daily devotion July 28, 2023

How to cure spiritual stagnation

The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases;
His mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is Your faithfulness.

--Lamentations 3:22-23

Have you ever noticed in the Christian life that there’s always the next step of dedication? We always strive to love more, to learn more, and to grow beyond what we’ve been. The Christian life is a series of new beginnings.

The most exciting part about being a believer in Jesus Christ is the next chapter, the next day, and the next open door that we have. And when it comes to the next step of our growth, we must be aware of the peril of the plateau… of becoming stagnant and still, rather than moving forward for the cause of Christ.

Perhaps as you look at your own life today, you would have to say you’ve plateaued spiritually. Maybe you’ve become sort of laissez faire in your spiritual life and you need to take the next step by renewing your commitment to Jesus Christ.  

In the Christian life, it’s never too late for a new beginning. So whether you’ve been in a holding pattern for days, months or even years, start new and afresh this day. Remember God’s faithfulness in your life, recommit yourself to growing in His grace, and experience a whole new fullness of life!

WHEN you FEEL SPIRITUALLY STAGNANT, RECOMMIT yourself TO GOD’S PURPOSES, REMEMBER HIS FAITHFULNESS, AND EXPERIENCE HIS MERCIES ANEW EVERY DAY!

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