I hope you are enjoying your time reading through scripture.  If you are on track, there are a few days to either get ahead or study something else.  If you are caught up, it is a good time to go back and reread stories or passages that spoke to you.  Whatever you do, just keep going.  Don't give up!

Here are a few notes form my reading today - 

Genesis 50 - At the end of Jacob's life, Joseph's brothers were concerned that he would pay them back for what they did to him.  His response - "Am I God that I should punish you?"  He told them that what they intended for evil, God used for good.  He recognized that God can use any circumstance or situation to tell a better story if we trust him through it.  

Psalm 23 - This Psalm is about God as our good shepherd.  He provides, protects, guides, feeds, and gives us rest and peace.  A sheep is completely dependent on God and it would do us good to remember our need for him.  Also, it is a reminder as a pastor/shepherd, that he is our model for how to care for his flock.  

Matthew 10:1-20 - Jesus sent the 12 out to take the message of the gospel to the Jews.  He warned them that there would be those that rejected them and to not allow that to worry them.  Their responsibility was to carry the message.  

Acts 15:1-21 - This is a prime example of the religious people attempting to merge the old with the new.  The new wine, in old wine skins.  They wanted the gentiles to become Jews in their their practice of religion and this was a hurdle for many of the Gentiles coming to faith.  Paul took the concern to the council in Jerusalem and their final conclusion was that they should not make it difficult for those turning to Christ.  Salvation is by faith in Christ alone.  

Genesis 49 - In Jacob's blessing for Judah, we see the prophecy of the Messiah coming through his family.  In this passage, he addresses all of his kids and Joseph's kids that he adopted as his own who will eventual form the 12 tribes of Israel.  Each family had a specific blessing, or lack there of, based on their faithfulness to God.  This who acted wickedly, Jacob told them that they would eventually lose their influence as a family.  Our choices don't only affect us, but they can have an impact for generations to come. 

Psalm 22:12-38 - When you seek God, he will fill you with joy and give you reason to praise Him.

Matthew 9:18-38 - The little girl was dead, but Jesus said she is only asleep.  In this story, he proved God's power over death.  What seemed final in human terms, was only temporary to Jesus.  The crowd that laughed at him didn't get to stay around and see the miracle.  They were put outside.  Surround yourself with people who encourage big faith. The spiritual harvest is huge.  We need workers who will step up and serve in the ministry of the church, to be part of the harvest. 

Acts 14 - Those who once received Paul and Barnabas, were convinced by the Jews to turn against them.  They continued to do miracles.  Paul saw that a man had faith to be heal, so he healed him.  He saw with spiritual eyes the opportunity.  God give me those eyes.  V. 15 - Paul and Barnabas don't want the people to worship them.  They tell them that they are just humans like them. I think this strikes a chord in me because of the fascination today with "celebrity Pastors".  There are many who seek or at least play to that kind of praise, and I don't think it is healthy.  Pastors are just humans that God has called to shepherd his people.  
Everywhere that Paul and Barnabas took the gospel, they set up a local church with local leaders to care for and lead the church.  The local church is essential for believers to grow in their faith as they function as part of the body of Christ.  I Christian without a local church is like a spiritual orphan.  We need the family of believers to help us follow Christ. 

Genesis 48 - Jacob passes on the blessing to the next generation.  He puts his right hand, the hand of blessing, on the head of the second born.  This could be a foreshadowing of the truth that the blessing for all mankind came through the "second Adam", aka. Jesus. (1 Corinthians 15:45-49)

Psalm 22:1-11- In times of trouble, we can call on God and he will answer.  He is near and he cares. 

Matthew 9:14-26 - John's disciples are asking basically why Jesus' followers aren't following the customs of the Jewish religion by fasting.  Jesus' response is a foreshadowing of what is to come with Jesus as the groom and His church, the bride.  He then turns and uses a reference to the new wine and old wineskin.  He is essentially saying, you can't put this new relationship into your old religion.  Jesus came and created a new covenant with mankind and the new covenant does what the old covenant could not.  The old way couldn't save you, but rather exposed our need for a savior.  The new covenant saves us and it is by putting our faith in Jesus that we enter into this new covenant.  This new covenant is a new relationship.  A relationship that isn't based on religious behavior, but is based on trusting Jesus with our lives as we follow him.

Acts 13:26-52 - Paul and Barnabas used proof from the prophecies to show that Jesus was the Messiah.  They recognized that he law of Moses, the old covenant couldn't save you, but rather showed us a need for a savior.  Religion won't save us.  Only a genuine relationship with Jesus saves us.  
V 52 - Here it says the believers in Iconium accepted Paul and Barnabus and they were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.  It is clear in the stories of Acts the importance of the filling of the Holy Spirit. 

Was up late last night and didn't get time to post yesterday's notes - so here they are.

Genesis 46-47 - I think one thing this story reminds me is that my faithfulness to God doesn't only affect me.  It affects those around me and has the potential to make an impact for generations to come.  Joseph was faithful, even when he didn't understand and things were not fair and God blessed his faithfulness.  His family was spared and taken care of when the world around them was in chaos due to the famine. 

Psalm 21 - God is the one who gives victory.  Trust in him will all that you are and he will keep you from stumbling.

Matthew 9:1-13 - The passage has the phrase, "...seeing their faith...".  Their faith was demonstrated by their bold action.  This continues in the theme that God is saying to me this year that faith stories follow faith steps.  Faith steps seem crazy until God turns them into faith stories.  Take the faith steps and let God write the stories!
- I love Matthew's response to Jesus' invitation.  He left everything behind and followed, then invited his friends from his previous life to meet Jesus as well.  As a tax collector, Matthew was normally treated as a traitor by other Jews because he was employed by the Roman government to collect taxes from his own people.  Most tax collectors would collect a little extra to keep for themselves.  Jesus' call to Matthew reminds us that his call isn't for us to work harder and act better so we can follow him. His call is to follow him and let him change our lives.  He came for those who know they are sick and need a doctor.  Our church is a place where the sick can find that doctor!

Acts 13:1-25 - In this passage, again it refers to Paul being filled with the Holy Spirit.  His filling enabled him to deal properly with the spiritual battle in the moment.  We must be continually filled with the Holy Spirit because there is a spiritual battle going on every day, and we need the Holy Spirit's help to fight that battle. 
- Here he refers to David as a man after God's own heart, then explains what he means by saying that David was willing to do everything God asked him to do.  A man after God's own heart is fully surrendered to God!

Genesis 44-45 - In this story, we also see the change of heart in Judah.  He went from selling one brother into slavery to offering his life in exchange for his brother.  Joseph recognized that God had used their evil deeds to carry out his divine purpose.  Even in the things that seem unfair, God is still in control.  He essentially says, God sent me here, not you.  He did not carry bitterness toward his brothers.

Psalm 20 - We can find confidence, not in our own abilities or what we have, but in the power of our God.

Matthew 8:23-34 - Fear is an expression of our lack of faith.  We allow fear to steer our decisions rather than faith.  Often it is the fear of missing out that leads to disobedience/sin.  We are afraid that doing things God's way will cause us to miss out on something that the world offers.  For the people of this town, they allowed fear of what Jesus might do/change in their lives to cause them to ask him to leave.  They didn't really want Jesus to mess with their lives, even though he had delivered these men.  To the Jews, pigs were unclean animals and had no true value, which is who Matthew is writing this for.  In this story, he shows how too often we value comfort and what we can control over what is truly valuable. 

Acts 12 - There was nothing that could keep Peter captive. God can deliver us from captivity, no matter how bad things look.  The church was gathered in prayer when Peter was delivered.  There is power when people gather to pray. I want to see God to these kind of miracles as we pray for people as a church. In this story, we see that Herod lived for the praise of people, and ultimately it led to his death.  God alone deserves worship.  If we live for the praise of people, it will kill us.  Maybe not physically, but it will kill our identity, our purpose, our joy, and our peace. 

Below are a few of my notes from my reading today - 

Genesis 42-43 - Joseph remembered the dream that God had given him as a child, and now could see it being fulfilled.  It didn't happen the way he would have ever imagined.  It is also interesting that Judah was the brother who had the idea to sale his brother into slavery and tell their dad that he died, but now he is willing to give his own life to protect Benjamin.  I feel like this indicates a heart change for Judah, which may have happened when he was humiliated by the situation with Tamar.  I think when we refuse to humble ourselves, God will allow a humiliating experience to humble us.  Humility is often a condition of our heart that God desires so the he can use us to do great things.  It is also significant to understand that Benjamin was Joseph's only full-blooded brother from their mother Rachel.  

Psalm 19 - This is one of my favorite Psalms.  God's glory is on display all around us everyday, we just need to slow down and notice it.  His commands are for our own good, to protect us from the damaging effects of sin.  This is why they are more valuable than gold and a great reward for those who follow them.  It also points out that we don't know what is lurking in our hearts and we need God to cleanse those things that are sinful or leads to sin.  Psalm 19:14 is a great memory verse: "May the words of my mouth, and the meditations of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord my rock and my redeemer. "  If this were a daily cry of our hearts, it would affect what we say and what we allow ourselves to think about.

Matthew 8:14-22 - Because Matthew recorded the story of Jesus' life for the Jewish mind, he often points out how Jesus' life fulfilled the prophecies that would have been familiar to the Jews.  Here he connected the healing of Peter's mother-in-law with Isaiah 53:4.  
-Following Jesus isn't about finding personal comfort, which is often why people want to follow Jesus.  It will also mean that you will have to forsake the things that the spiritually dead value, in order to experience the fullness of life found following Jesus.  It is a calling to purpose, not comfort. 

Acts 11:19-30 - Again we see the power of the Holy Spirit at work.  Because the "Power of the Lord" was with them, many believed.  Then when Barnabas came, it said he was full of the Holy Spirit, and many believed.  The Holy Spirit does the work of the heart.  The secret of the early church was their reliance on the Holy Spirit. Also, the faith of the early church was seen in their generosity.  A famine was prophesied - meaning it hadn't even happened yet, but they believed it would happen, so it says each person gave as much as they could.  This is not the typical attitude of our christian culture.  The attitude we often have is what is the least amount of money I can give that will keep God happy.  God change our hearts!

Here are a few thoughts from my reading today - 

Genesis 41 - This story reminds us that God uses every trial to prepare us.  Nothing is wasted.  During the trials and sorrow, Joseph could have turned from God or learned to trust him more.  He did the latter and it prepared him for his future.  Also, notice that when Joseph interprets dreams, he does not take credit for it. He says interpreting dreams is God's job.  I believe God still speaks through dreams, and he will interpret it for you if you will ask and listen.  

Psalm 18:25-50 - I think the thing that stands out to me most is the satinet that God's way is perfect and his promises always prove true.  This is difficult for my human brain to accept when things happen that I don't understand.  I'm sure Joseph had some questions in his journey, but just as God used Joseph's struggles and sorrow to write a greater story, we must trust that He can and will in our lives.  He is God and we are not.

Matthew 8:1-13 - I have always wondered why Jesus tells people not to tell anyone after he heals them.  I wonder if it is because he knows they would attempt to use it for their own good, rather than point people to Jesus.  The story of the Roman officer is one of my favorites because it is one of the few times that Jesus was amazed at how great someone's faith was and it wasn't even a religious person.  Actually, it was normally the religious people that caused him to be amazed at their unbelief, or lack of faith. 

Acts 11:1-18 - When God does things that have not been done before, it will often be met with criticism and skepticism.  Gentiles were considered by the Jews as heathens and unclean.  They often looked at them as "less than".  As the apostles listened to the story, they came to the conclusion that God did come for even the gentiles - which is good news for us!  To show Peter and the apostles that the gentiles were part of those who Jesus came to save, he gave them the same sign of the Holy Spirit that he had given when they received the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. 

Genesis 39-40 - Multiple times we see that it says the Lord was with Joseph so he succeeded in everything he did.  It probably did not feel like God was with him in the midst of his trial, yet he continued to trust God and God's favor was on him.  Things did not seem fair for Joseph, but he continued to serve God through the way he served others and God blessed his faithfulness.  

Psalm 18 - Even when Satan attacks, I have no reason to fear or be anxious because God is my defender and protector.  In this passage he describes God as - Rock, Fortress, Savior, Shield, Strength, and worthy of praise.  I believe a right view of God with change the way we see our circumstances and give us peace.

Matthew 7:15-29 - There should be fruit of change in our lives if we have truly put our faith in Jesus.  Faith in Jesus means that we trust him with every area of our lives and allow him to change us.  It is possible to know about God and yet not trust him with our lives which is why there are many who say they are followers of Jesus, but don't truly follow him and demonstrate it in the way they live.  A changed heart always leads to a changed behavior.  It is along the lines of what we talked about this past weekend at Grace that a new you will lead to a new "do". Or like it said it this weekend - Identity determines activity.  Check it out here  - New You, New Do 

Acts 10:24-48 - Peter tells them that he is human, just like him.  It is important for us to not allow what God is doing in us and through us to give us an inflated view of ourselves.  Apart from Christ, we can do nothing.  
God shows no favoritism and neither should we.  What God desires and finds acceptable isn't religious behavior but a fear of God and obedience to him.  
Peter tells them that he and the other Apostles are eyewitnesses to Jesus' ministry, life, death and resurrection.  This is significant because he isn't talking about what he heard about from others that Jesus did, but rather he is talking about what he saw and experienced for himself.  What he is saying isn't hearsay, but personal experience.  Sharing your personal experience is powerful!

Genesis 37-38 - God gives Joseph a picture about how things will be one day, but doesn't tell him how it will happen.  The dream he gave him was in a way, a promise of what was to come.  I'm sure that when Joseph was sold into slavery, he probably thought the dream was dead, but we will see that God didn't fail to fulfill his promise as we read this story.
The story of Tamar is significant because that was the lineage from which Jesus would come.  She is mentioned again in Matthew 1:3.  I love that God used imperfect people to carry out his perfect plan.

Psalm 17 - God is our provider and protector.  We need to keep focussed on following him, regardless of what anyone else is doing, and trust him with the outcome.

Matthew 7:1-14 - It talks about not judging and that we will be judged by the same standard we judge by.  I think for me, this is a reminder to be generous with grace, so that I might experience grace when I need it too. 
It's often easier to complain about what other people are doing wrong than to identify and deal with our own struggles.  It may be that we would rather justify our own shortcomings by pointing out the faults of others.  Either way, our responsibility is our lives.  
The part about praying is a tough one because it says to keep on praying and you will receive because God is a good father who gives good gifts.  My struggle sometimes comes from the idea that I have prayed persistently about things that did not happen.  I don't know why, but I trust that God is a good father and that his reason and purposes for what he does are more important than what I think He should do.  This is where faith/trust comes in.

Acts 10:1-23 - God wants to talk to us, but the question is are we listening? Are we hearing and trying to understand? Will we do what he tells us to do regardless of if we understand? It is also good to remember when dealing with this topic, that God will never tell us to do something that violates scripture or the character of God.

Genesis 36 - Esau moved to another land because there wasn't enough space anymore.  Because he traded his birthright (his rights as the first born) to Jacob for a bowl of beans, he is the one who had to go because Jacob had family rights for the land where they were living.

Psalm 16 - The writer acknowledges that everything he has comes from God. It is good for us to realize that we aren't owner, but stewards of all that God has given us.  Also, in verse 10 and 11, it is a good reminder that God does not forget us.

Matthew 6:25-34 - If God takes care of the bird, how much more will he take care of us.  The birds and flowers are completely dependent on God for provision.  We allow our lives to be driven by the pursuit of provision and security, and forget that God is the provider.  When we allow our worry about these things to drive our lives, it is an indicator of little faith.  If we will pursue God with our lives above everything else, He will take care of all our needs. 

Acts 9:20-43 - In verse 31 it says they grew numerically with the encouragement of the Holy Spirit.  We need the Holy Spirit to move in our church so that many more will come to know God for themselves.
- Dorcas had a reputation for kind deeds and taking care of the poor.  She put on display the kindness of God and pointed people to Jesus without preaching a single message.  God's kindness leads people to repentance.  

Genesis 34 - Jacob's sons deceived Shechem, and as a result they had to leave the land they were in for the sake of their safety.  This is the same thing that happened to Jacob when he deceived his father.  This is a good picture of generational sin and how so often we carry on the sin cycle and we must recognize the cycle and break it. 
Genesis 35 - Rachel died giving birth to Benjamin, and when she realized she was dying, she attempted to name her child son of my sorrow, but Jacob named him Son of my right hand instead.  We can either focus on the sorrow, or see the blessing even in the midst of the sorrow.  The have a choice as to what we will name our sorrows. 

Psalm 15 - Pursuing righteousness is the pathway to experiencing God's presences. 

Matthew 6:16-24 - Notice it says "when you fast".  This is something Jesus followers don't do much but it is something that seems to be assumed that they will do.  Can't serve God and money/mammon.  We will look to something for provision, security, comfort and peace.  Which one do you look to first?

Acts 9:1-19 - God stopped Paul in his tracks and changed his life completely.  Ananias was hesitant to go pray for him because of his reputation, but he went because he trusted God.  The first thing Paul did after he could see was he was baptized.  He went and made his life change public.  

Today is a double post because I didn't post last night. Here are some thoughts from my day 14 reading - 

Genesis 32 -  Jacob realized his need for God's protection but recognized God's grace in his life.  He understood that God did not owe him anything.  His faith was in God's character - faithfulness, unfailing love - not in what he thought he deserved.  
v.24 - I love this part of this story.  Jacob already got His brother's blessing, but it wasn't enough.  It didn't satisfy because it wasn't meant for him.  He deceived his dad to get it, but didn't even get to stay and enjoy it.  God had a blessing for him too, but he first had to embrace his own identity along with his shortcomings.  It was when he was truthful about himself, that God gave him his own blessing.  God can't bless who you pretend to be.  He has a blessing for you too, so quit trying to be someone else
Genesis 33 - Forgiveness is essential for reconciliation.

Psalm 14 - It is foolish to ignore the reality of God or to live as if he doesn't exist.  Obedience to God is a display of wisdom and God is with those who obey. 

Matthew 6 - Good deeds should be about making much of God, not yourself.  When you do something good, who are you doing it for? 
Don't pray to impress, instead use prayer to press into know God more.  An unforgiving heart is an insult to God's grace. 

Acts 8:26-40 - Phillip responded to what God told him to do without knowing why.  As a result, the Ethiopian eunuch received Christ.  Many believe this is how the gospel spread to the African continent.  

Here are a few thoughts from my reading this morning.

Genesis 31 - Jacob realized that God had protected him and provided for him despite Laban's ill intent.  Recognizing God's blessing in the midst of struggle is difficult, but encouraging.  Despite the unfair treatment, Jacob did not take matters into his own hands, but rather simply continued to trust God until God directed him to go back home.  He probably wanted to leave the tough situation earlier, yet he endured it until God told him to leave.  We often want God to deliver us from the very situation that God wants to use to grow our faith.  He will often bless us in the midst of our storms, and if we try to walk away from it too early, we will miss the blessing.

Psalm 13 - Paints a picture of an honest prayer in the midst of struggle, yet at the end he reminds himself of what is true.  He/we can trust God  because of His unfailing love, he has rescued in the past, and he has proven that he is good. 

Matthew 5:33-48 - Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you - in that way you will be acting as true children of your father in heaven. - Our response to those who treat us wrong or unfairly should reflect the story of God's love for us, even when we were his enemies. 

Acts 8:1-25 - I talk often about Paul's (Saul's) life change.  Here we see the pre Jesus Paul who persecuted the church.  And even though Christians were scattered because of persecution, the Apostles continued to preach the gospel.  Simon, who was once a sorcerer came to believe and was baptized, then wanted to pay for the Holy Spirt.  He didn't realize that God and his favor cannot be bought or earned.  Ministry isn't about money and we should never allow money to change the way we look at or treat those we minister to. 

Here are a few thoughts from my journal about the reading today - 

Genesis 29 - Rachel was a shepherd.  I think this is significant because it shows that what is often thought was a man's job, there were women who did it as well.  I think it is interesting that the shepherds told Jacob - we don't remove the stone until all the sheep are here - but then Jacob decides to remove the stone to the well himself to help water Rachel's flock.  He didn't follow tradition.  It seems that the tradition didn't make sense to him.  He felt as if tradition needed to violated in order to care for the needs of the sheep.  I feel that this is the case with human tradition in church.  There are many things that we believe or think churches should or must do that are rooted in tradition, not scripture.  We must make sure we don't neglect the needs of the church for the sake of tradition.  
Also - this family would have made a really great reality tv show.  They seem to be all kinds of dysfunctional.  Jacob's deception is what led him there in the first place, and ends up being deceived.  Deception breeds deception.  Even in the midst of a situation that seemed unfair and Jacob having to experience the natural consequences of sin, it was clear that God was still blessing Jacob.  

Matthew 5 - Jesus didn't come to lower the standards.  He raised them.  No longer was following God about the outward appearance, but about the condition of our heart.  

Acts 7 - Stephen's charge against them is that they were uncircumcised at heart.  They may appear religious by they outward behavior, but their hearts were still full of flesh.  They resisted the Holy Spirit, seeming to imply that the Holy Spirit was drawing them, but they refused.  Rejection of Jesus is a result of resisting the Holy Spirit.

I am a day late for this post - I got home late and didn't have the energy to do it, so today I will make a double post. 

Here are a few thoughts from my journal yesterday from the Bible reading - 

Genesis 27-28 - Jacob's journey is a journey of struggle.  In the womb he struggled and was born grasping the heal of his brother and was given the name "heal grabber" which also could mean deceiver, schemer, liar.  He was different from his brother, yet desired what was rightfully his brothers.  He deceived to get the blessing that belonged to his brother, and the result was he had to go live with his uncle.  He got what he wanted but didn't even get to stay around and enjoy it.  Not only that, his brother wanted to kill him.  Here is a principle - deception destroys relationship.  Truth, even difficult truth, is better than deception.  
Esau wanted to kill his brother for what he did, but there is a principle in the blessing that Isaac gave to Esau.  He told him that he would live and die by the sword, and essentially that life would be a struggle.  It is a picture of a person who is angry and frustrated and lacks peace.  I've been there. Maybe you have been too.  Maybe you are there now.  But then Isaac says something that we must realize - he says - when you choose to break free - you will shake free from the yoke of Jacob - meaning you will find freedom from what your brother did to you.  Until you choose to forgive, you will continue to be angry, frustrated, and lack peace.  The situation will continue to control you.  You may feel like it isn't fair to forgive, but I would say it isn't far to yourself not to.  Let it go and trust God.  

Psalm 11 - says the wicked like to take shots at people from the shadows.  They like to try to destroy character, reputation, joy, and peace from the darkness.  First - don't be that person because it says God hates those who love violence.  Second - trust God's Justice - he will destroy the wicked

Matthew 5:13-20 - We are called to be salt by living in such a way that stirs people's appetite for the Gospel, and to be light that exposes the lies of the darkness, so people can experience can see truth.  Jesus didn't come to get rid of the truth God has already revealed, but to be the solution to the problem that the truth exposed.  That problem is that no one can be good enough on their own - they need Jesus because the "law", the truth about what is right and wrong, is impossible for anyone to follow perfectly.

Acts 7 - Stephen builds the case for Jesus as the messiah by connecting Jesus to the promise made to Abraham.  

Here are a few notes from my reading this morning - 

Genesis 25 - It says that Abraham lived a long and satisfying life.  His life was not easy, or without struggle, but it was satisfying.  There is satisfaction that comes from living out God's plan for our lives.  
The struggle between Jacob and Esau began in the womb.  Our struggle begins in the womb because we are born from the seed of mankind and it is through the seed of man that sin is passed down to us.  
v.32 - Our unchecked appetites will cause us to trade what we want most for momentary pleasure.  Also, Isaac and Rebekah did not help the struggle between their sons with the way they treated them.  It is important that we as parents don't allow/create division within the family by choosing favorites.  
Genesis 26 - God confirms the promise to Abraham's son, but not because of the son's commitment but rather because of Abraham's obedience.  Isaac inherited the blessing of his father's obedience.  Our obedience and faithfulness to God has an impact for generations.  We also see generational sin as Isaac lies about his wife just as Abraham did.  We must break cycles of generational sin and begin new cycles of obedience that leads to blessing.

Psalm 10 - v. 3 says they brag about their evil desires, praise the greedy, curse God - this feels like a description of our culture today.  We see in movies, hear it in music, and experience it in every day life.  V. 16 says that the Godless nation will vanish.  I believe this is a warning our nation should heed. 

Matthew 5:1-12 - The way Jesus wanted people to live was counter intuitive and counter cultural then and still is today.  This way of living was Jesus' plan to change the world.  It worked then and will work again if we will trust him.  

Here are a few of my thought from my journal as I read today - 

Genesis 24 - This is a great story and speaks of the way that God works.  First of all, Abraham was committed to making sure his son was prepared to carry on the mission of the family.  He knew who his son married would make a difference, so he established a standard that was aligned with God's plan.  As parents, it is our job to prepare our kids to be great adults, but their success spiritually is of utmost importance.  We must work to equip them to carry out God's mission for their life, not our human desires.  We tend to give more effort to the academic and athletic development of our kids, than their spiritual development and when we do this, we set them up for failure.  I know the challenge I feel is to ensure I am intentional about preparing my boys spiritually to carry out God's plan and purpose for their lives.  

Then I love how God answered the servants prayer specifically.  But what the servant prayed for shows us what is truly important.  She had outer beauty, but that wasn't what was most important.  Her inner beauty, displayed through her servants heart, is what was most important.  It reminds me of the verse that says that man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart.  What is on the inside matters more than the outside.

Psalm 9 - 15-17 - the wicked will eventually destroy themselves.  Death and destruction is the destiny for those who ignore God

Matt. 4 - 18-22 - When Peter, Andrew, James and John were called - the scripture indicates that they left immediately.  I wonder what caused them to be so quick to respond? While I don't know the answer for sure, I do know that their response positioned them to get to share in the story of Jesus.  We must not hesitate when God  calls.  Who knows what we could miss out on if we do. 

Acts 5 - There is nothing impossible for God.  If he can deliver these guys from a prison that was being watched by guards, he can rescue us from anything in our lives.  The thing that sticks out in this chapter the most is what is said in verse 39.  There had been other false messiahs who had come before but those movements failed after those false messiahs died.  The reason - none of those false messiahs rose from the dead.  The leader who spoke up said - if this movement isn't from God, it will fail too, but if it is from God, you better watch out because you will find yourself fighting against God.  The fact that we are still following Jesus today is evidence to the truth of who Jesus was.  And the reason these guys went from hiding for their lives to being willing to suffer for preaching the gospel is because they saw Jesus risen from the grave.  They were witnesses to the truth of who Jesus was and they counted it a privilege to suffer for the gospel.  

Feel free to share any thoughts you had!

If you are reading through this and wondering what reading plan I am doing, you can find it at www.gf.church/biblereading.  There are links to two reading plans - Whole Bible in a Year and New Testament in a year.  I am doing the former.  I would love for you to join us as we journey through scripture this year!

Here are a few thoughts from my reading this morning. 

Genesis 21 - The chapter starts by saying the God did exactly what he said he would do for Sarah. We must remember that God is a God of truth and will always do exactly what he says he will do.  Then I thought it was funny that Sarah said - all who hears that God gave Abraham a son in his old age will laugh with us.  Humans finds what God is capable of "laughable."  God is Able.  Then in Genesis 22, Abraham obeys God even though he doesn't know how it will work out, he is confident that God will provide.  This goes along with the them of Mega Faith that God wants us to have.  Faith stories follow faith steps.  If you never take faith steps, you will never get to tell faith stories.  Let me say that again for those in the back - if you never take faith steps, you will never tell faith stories... this feels like it could turn into a message sometime.

Psalm 8 - God's glory is evident in all creation.  I think it is important for us to remind ourselves that God is God and we are not.  We do not compare to his greatness.

Matthew 4:17 - Jesus' call to us, and the repeated theme throughout the new testament - repent of sin and turn to God.  Following God requires change.  

Acts 5:4 - I'm not sure why Ananias and Saphira Lied, but maybe they just wanted to appear more Godly than they were.  They wanted to use their faith to impress people.  Faith is meant to point people to God's goodness, not our own.  Their appearance of faith was fake - it was a lie.  Fake faith is futile.  God is truth and truth brings life.  Lies lead to death.  
Then towards the end of Acts, people brought the sick into the streets so that Peter's shadow could fall on them.  I'm not sure if that helped or not, but I do know this - the more God fills us with His Holy Spirit, the more the Power of His spirit in us and through us will spill out on those around us.  

Genesis 18-20 - Sarah's response to hearing that she will have a child always makes me laugh.  I think it is good for us to see the humor in scripture to help us remember that these are real people.  
18:14 is a phrase that I am holding on to right now.  I feel like one of the things God has said to me this year is that we need to have Mega Faith.  God's response to Sarah's laughter - Is anything too difficult for God?  I was reminded that faith stories follow faith steps.  We want the story first before we take the steps.  We don't want to take the faith step for fear of looking stupid.  I feel like God is saying - seek him, listen to what he wants to do, believe He will do it, and demonstrate your faith by taking "stupid steps".  Those steps may feel stupid in the moment, but when God moves, and you get to look back to tell the story of what God did, they aren't stupid anymore.  They are steps of Mega Faith.

Genesis 20 - I still struggle with why Abraham and Sarah Lied about their relationship twice.  God protected them and took care of them anyway.  I guess for me it is comforting to know that God doesn't give up on us, even when we are repeat offenders.  

Psalm 7:9 - This is something I feel like we should pray - that God would end the evil deeds of the wicked.  I think often we pray against people rather that understanding our battle isn't with flesh and blood.  Our prayer should be that God would end the evil, and that the wicked would come to know him and their lives transformed by the love of Jesus. 

Acts 4- First of all - I love the stories in Acts.  The 2 biggest things that stand out to me (and there are many) - V.20 - we cannot stop telling people about what we have seen and heard.  I hope this will be true of me and other followers of Jesus.  Then I really like the prayer in verse 29 because it is largely what I would love to see happen at Grace.  Give us boldness in our preaching, show us your power, do the miraculous through the name of Jesus.  I hope to tell many stories of how God does these things at Grace!

(I didn't take time to do this last night, but here it is a day late)

Here are a few of my notes I took from this section of reading.

Genesis 15-17 - It starts out with Abraham basically saying, God your promises are no good if I don't have a son.  In other words, I don't see any way that this could work out.  But God reaffirms his promise.  I feel like this whole section shows God's patience with people.  I think at times we see God as a strict authoritarian who is ready to strike us down but that isn't the picture of God we see as Abram interacts with him.  Even though God re-affirmed his promise with Abraham, he and Sarah still took matters into their own hands.  We must be careful not to attempt to accomplish God's plan our own way.  God's got it.  He doesn't need us to bail him out.   This section ended with God making a covenant with Abraham.  You may not realize this, but the picture of a covenant that we see here is seen in wedding ceremonies.  the crowd is split in half and the bride passes through the middle as a picture of a covenant being made. God promises Abraham that his people would always be his people and He would always be their God.  I feel like we see that promise fulfilled in the way that God has caused the nation of Israel to survive throughout history, despite many attempts to wipe them out.  

Psalm 6 - Verse 4 reminds me that God saves me not because I deserve it, but because of his love. 

Matthew 3:15 - The case Jesus presented John for why He needed to be baptized was to carry out all that God required.  I feel like this is great grounds for why people must be Baptized once they have put their faith in Jesus.  It is something that God has made clear is important to Him.

Acts 4:12 - There is no other way for someone to be saved except by believing in the name of Jesus.  You can believe in God and not be saved.  You can be a good person by the world's standards and not be saved.  The only way we are saved is by believing in Jesus as our savior - not from being bad or from being a bad person, but from being sinners, separated from God.  

Here are a few of my thoughts from my reading today - 

Genesis 12 - God told Abram to leave what was familiar and go to an unknown, un-named place. Abram demonstrated real faith by taking steps to follow, even when he didn't know how the story would end.  A phrase God has put in my heart the last few days is this - Faith stories follow faith steps.  We often want to know the story before we take the step, but that isn't faith.  Faith is doing what God tells us. Period. While Abram took huge faith steps, he still struggled along the way.  He feared the Egyptians would kill him for his wife, so instead of trusting that God would take care of them, he lied.  His sin had natural consequences, but it did not keep God from fulfilling his promise.  Following God isn't about perfection, but direction.  Keep moving. Keep following. 

Genesis 13 - Lot took the land that appeared to be the better place because of how good and fertile the land looked, but he did not take into account the spiritual condition of the land, nor did he realize how the poor spiritual condition would affect him and his family.  As we consider what God wants us to do and where God wants us to go, what jobs he may want you to take or careers we should pursue - we must learn to ask God to show us where he wants us to go and where would be a place where we can flourish spiritually.  Too often we chase after opportunities that would be considered successful by the worlds standards, and don't realize we are sacrificing our spiritual health in the process.

Psalm 5 - v6 - The lord detest deceivers and murders - he will destroy liars.  I thought it was interesting that he groups liars and murders together.  We would all agree that murder is awful.  God detests lying just as much - so much that it says he will destroy liars.  I would also point out that it says deceivers.  At times we may not be out right lying, yet we use information to deceive people.  This is the way that we manipulate people.  If we cannot lead someone without deception or manipulation, then we should reconsider if what we are trying to do is rooted in truth.  Truth wins.  And when we lie, we are displaying characteristics of Satan who is the father of lies and the great deceiver.  Jesus is the Truth.  Let's be people of truth that reflect the very character of God.

Matthew 3 - This passage focuses on true repentance.  If we are going to be forgiven, true repentance is required.  True repentance proceeded fruit of a changed life.  Here John the Baptist sees the Pharisees and Sadducees coming and he calls them snakes.  They believed it was their religious behavior that made them righteous, yet it was only self-righteousness rooted in pride.  They had a false sense of security because they did not understand their need for repentance and ultimately rejected the message of Jesus.  Real repentance bears fruit.  No fruit - no repentance. 

Acts 3:19 - Here Peter repeats the same message that we see in Matthew - repent and turn to God.  To follow Jesus and be forgiven, there must be a recognition of our sin, and a change in direction.  That we don't just admit that we sin, but we admit it is a problem and we choose to begin to trust God's way over our own.  That we give up on chasing sin so that we can go in the opposite direction in order to follow Jesus. 

Lots of thoughts today.  Would love to hear what stood out for you today!

Here are a few of my notes from my reading plan. 

Genesis 9-11 - I found this section very interesting.  The first verse of Chapter 9, God tells Noah and his family to be fruitful, multiply and fill the earth.  Then in chapter 11, they say - let's build this tower and it will keep us from being scattered all over the world.  In other words, let's build this tower so we don't have to do what God has told us to do.  So God caused them to scatter and fill the earth by giving them different languages.  They had the opportunity to obey, yet they chose their own way, but it did not keep God's plan from being accomplished.  God's plan will prevail.  

Psalm 4:4 - Don't respond in anger.  Sleep on it to help ensure when you respond, you aren't being controlled by anger.

Matt. 2:13-23 - love this passage where Matthew points out 3 prophesies that were fulfilled after Jesus was born which is simply overwhelming proof of who Jesus was.

Acts 2:22 - Here it says that many saw the signs and wonders which were evidence and proof of Jesus' identity.  

Acts 2:42-47 - I love the picture that we see here of the early church and what "The Church" could and probably should look like.  They were devoted to listening to the teaching of the apostles, to each other in community, sharing meals together, taking the Lord's supper together, and praying together.  They were "devoted" to these things meaning they were things that were priority in their lives.  I think about the things that we are devoted to and when we are truly devoted to something, there is very little that can keep us from those things.  I think this is something Christ followers need to return to - devoting themselves to gathering to hear the teaching of scripture, finding and building intentional community in the local church through serving and small groups, inviting people from church into their homes to eat and grow together, and to truly be devoted to prayer understanding that prayer is the foundation of all ministry.  

I would love to hear what stood out to you or any thoughts you have on these passages!

Here are a few of my notes from today's reading.  If you are on this journey through scripture with us, I would love to hear from you what stood out to you. 

Genesis 5 - God create human beings in his image - like himself - both male and female in the likeness of God.  The more we begin to understand about God and who he is, the more we will understand who he made us to be.  

Verse 22 - Enoch lived in close fellowship with God for 365 years.  What does it look like to live in close fellowship with God?  What keeps me from this kind of fellowship?  Also thought it was slightly funny when it says - and then he disappeared because God took him.  He didn't die - God just took him. I think it's a good reminder that staying here isn't the goal whether we die or God takes us - the goal is to be with Him.

Genesis 6
Verse 6 - God was sorry he made mankind - their wickedness broke his heart.  
Verse 8 - Noah found favor with God - he was the only person who honored God.  Even when no one else did what was right, he did.  He was perfectly positioned to be used by God by simply doing what was right according to God's standard.  Throughout scripture we see God preserve and use the righteous remnant. 

Genesis 8 - After Noah and the animals had spent several months in the boat, it says that God "remembered" Noah and the animals in the boat.  I think this statement is comforting to know that the even in the midst of the longest storm, God did not forget Noah.  

Psalm 3:5-6 - the writer found peace and rest despite being surrounded by danger.  His peace and rest was not dictated by his circumstances, but by his faith. 

Acts 2:21 - All who call upon the Lord will be saved - to call upon the Lord for salvation a person must first recognize their need for salvation.  Often we call upon the Lord for backup, not salvation.  We think we can still handle it, we just need God for support and good luck.  Salvation requires recognizing that we can't do it on our own so that we can learn to rely on God instead. 

A few thoughts from my reading today - 

Genesis 3:22 - Adam and Eve had access to the tree of life before they sinned.  Apparently the tree of life would keep them from ever dying, but access was removed so that sin would not remain forever.  We now have access to eternal, never ending life through faith in Jesus.  In a way, the cross of death, became the new "tree of life". 

Psalm 2 - Those who reject God as their Lord think they are gaining freedom from God, when in reality they are just becoming slaves to an evil master.  Freedom from God is slavery to sin.  

Acts 1:14 - "They were constantly united in Prayer." This is the kind of community I want to see today.  Prayer is one of the most unifying practices of believers.  
Also - I think it is pretty significant that it mentions Jesus' mother, Mary, being there with them.  For those who wonder if Jesus really didn't sin, even was a teenager, don't you think it is pretty significant that his mother was a follower?  If anyone could have known of sin in his life, she would have.