Team Bible Reading and Commentary Thoughts for January 2024
316Judith
Posts: 11,657 Member
January 2, 2024
Bible Reading
John Chapter 14
Key Verses to Meditate on to answer the following questions.
Verses 1 to 3
Commentary Thoughts
REFLECT
Do you find it hard to receive this kind of peace?
What troubles your heart?
What makes you afraid?
How can you chose peace, even though your circumstances might not change?
Bible Reading
John Chapter 14
Key Verses to Meditate on to answer the following questions.
Verses 1 to 3
Commentary Thoughts
REFLECT
Do you find it hard to receive this kind of peace?
What troubles your heart?
What makes you afraid?
How can you chose peace, even though your circumstances might not change?
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Replies
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Bible Reading
Hebrews 12:10
Romans 6:22
Commentary Thoughts
There are many roadblocks and diversions on the pathway to holiness. Let us pray that we might continue to walk in the way He has made ready for us. Let us be quick to admit when we have not lived up to the holiness He desires to find alive within us. Holiness is a gift that comes to us as we walk obediently in the light of His love and grace.
Heavenly Father, I confess that I am not holy as You are holy. I desire to be. I want to be. I strive to be.
But so often I fall short.
I confess my selfishness and my self-absorption. I know these keep me from living a holy life and from being a living demonstration of Your kingdom rule of love.
I confess that I pay far more attention to my own wants and needs than the needs of others. I do not adequately seek what You want me to do with my time, talents, and treasures.
I confess that I seek to feed my pleasures and stroke my own ego rather than pursuing Your way. Sometimes I get lost in my lust for the things I think I need rather than letting You provide for me.
Loving God, I am sorry, and I do want to do better. Forgive me for falling short. Forgive me for my laziness, greed, jealousy, envy, hate, bitterness, pride, and the other things I give in to instead of giving in to You. Forgive me for the things that keep holiness from truly manifesting itself through my life as Your kingdom disciple. Let my light shine as a beacon of holiness. In Jesus’ name, amen.
What are the things you can do to show forth more holiness in your life?0 -
Bible Reading
1 Corinthians 1:30
Ephesians 4:24
Commentary Thoughts
Let us pray that we might become more holy. We can only become holy as we walk in the light of His Word, which shows us what the path of holiness looks like when it is lived out. To be holy is to be set aside for God’s use and to be transformed in a way that all those around us can see.
Father, You have called me to a life of holiness. Thank You that you care enough to lift me higher than I ever knew possible.
Thank You that You do not toss me aside due to the sins I continue to struggle with—sins of pride, selfishness, and a lack of love for others.
Lord, holiness is the goal for my life, and I want to embody all of who You are so I can share Your love and holiness with others.
Holy God, make me holy. Make me pure. Help me take every thought captive and cast those away which are contrary to Your holiness and truth. Please convict me at the very first thought of sin. May my thoughts and actions reflect Your holiness to such a degree that I more fully reflect You. Make me holy as You are holy. In Jesus’ name, amen.
What is the relationship between holiness and purity?0 -
January 7. 2024
Bible Reading
John 14:1-28
Commentary Thoughts
CONSIDER
We are living in a society overrun by a lack of peace. It is estimated that over 40 million adults in the United States alone currently struggle with anxiety.
Do you regularly experience peace or do you find yourself experiencing anxiety and fear?
Who in your life exemplifies abiding peace?
What can you learn from his or her example?
Thank the Holy Spirit for the peace that has been made available to you today.0 -
January 8, 2024
Bible Reading
Mark 10:27
Jeremiah 32:27
Scripture Thoughts
Unfortunately, people often confuse faith and works. As a result, many Christians don’t live by faith, which has the accompaniment of works.
Rather, they live by sight while calling it faith.
They say they trust God. They wait on Him for every move.
They resign themselves to living without movement or momentum, expecting God to do everything for them.
Yet while God did everything for you and me through the gift of salvation, He expects us to do the work of faith—made manifest by obedience to Him throughout our lives.
Faith is so powerful that it can flip the natural order of things.
In Hebrews 11:35 we read that “women received back their dead by resurrection.”
This is referring to those who were brought back to life by Elijah and Elisha.
Yet, you and I will never get to see God flip the order of things in our lives if we continue to view life through the lens of this world’s perspective.
Living by faith means acting before you see the result you desire. When you do, you get to experience God reversing things in your life that are humanly impossible to reverse.
How have you seen God “flip” the natural order of things through faith?0 -
Bible Reading
Hebrews 11:39-40
1 Corinthians 3:11-14
Commentary Thoughts
Sometimes living by faith will make you come across as different. You may even appear weird to other people, just as Noah did.
But as Hebrews 11:38 says, those who live by faith are the men and women of whom “the world was not worthy.” What makes the world not worthy of certain people?
It’s when they live so high in the spiritual realm that those around them in the earthly realm often can’t understand what they’re doing or why. The world thinks they’re odd. They think they’ve lost their minds. They call them fanatics. Freaks. Or any other name people can come up with.
But the author of Hebrews reminds us the world, consisting of those who live according to the precepts of worldliness, is not worthy of those who truly live by faith. It’s not worthy of those who know how to function from a higher vantage point.
Those who live with an eternal perspective outwit, outplay and outlast those who don’t. That doesn’t mean they will always get their rewards while on earth, but in eternity, they will be richly rewarded. Faith gives us a future to look forward to.
What’s the best way to respond to people who don’t understand how your faith affects your life?0 -
Bible Reading
John 14:1-3
John 14:25-28
Commentary Thoughts by “YouVersion”
Theme: 21 Days of Peace
YouVersion Bible Plan Reading
ACT
Slow down. Sometimes, the greatest step we can take toward discovering personal peace is to simply practice mindfulness. Mindfulness is slowing down enough that you are able to pay attention to the present moment — your thoughts, your surroundings, how you feel both physically and mentally. As you practice mindfulness, with God’s help you are able to exercise the “muscle” of your attention on the present moment and receive the moment as a gift from God.
Right now, in this moment, stop, close your eyes, take a few deep breaths, and simply pay attention to the present moment. As you do, remind yourself that “God is with you”, no matter what else may be going on in your heart, mind, and life.
Notice when you begin to feel more at peace.
Know that if you don’t feel it right away, there's no need to worry: this is called ‘practice’ for a reason.
The more you practice being grounded in the present moment, the more beneficial this activity will become.
If it’s helpful, set a timer for five minutes and use this prayer to help ground you.0 -
Bible Reading
John 14:1-28
Commentary Thoughts
IMAGINE
Spend a few minutes imagining what it would be like if you were full of deep, substantial peace.
How would it impact your physical life?
How would it impact your emotional life?
Your relationships?
What would it feel like to wake up in the morning with a sense of peace?
Or as you move through your day?
And as you go to bed at night?
Journal a short description of what comes to mind.0 -
What would I imagine if my life would be at "peace". I would be able to get restful sleep. I would be able to focus my mind on things that Philippians 4:3 talks about. "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." That would be wonderful! My outside environment would not affect my inward thoughts. I will try to keep this in mind as I go through my day today.1
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Bible Reading
Mark 11:12-14, and verse 22
Commentary Thoughts
Spiritual authority is rooted in the knowledge of God.
Jesus’s specific response to Peter’s surprise at the withered fig tree was a command to have faith in God:
"And Jesus answered saying to them, 'Have faith in God.'"(Mark 11:22).
In other words, the power that Peter observed in the withering of the tree flowed from a single power source: God. Authority simply means the right to use an already existing power, but the key is to know how to access that power source.
Throughout His life, Jesus had modeled to the disciples how His own power and authority flowed out of His intimate relationship with God as His Father. If the disciples were to exercise the authority to move mountains, they must first know the God who has the power to move the mountains.
A believer’s lack of spiritual authority can often originate from a lack of intimacy with the Source of all authority.
Are you struggling to scale an insurmountable obstacle in your life without first going to the
Source of all power and authority?0 -
January 14, 2024
Bible Reading
2 Peter 1:3
Mark 11:24
Commentary Thoughts
Spiritual authority is activated by the believer’s response of faith.
Faith can be defined as not only the content of what we believe, but the action taken, based upon who God reveals Himself to be. As we come to know God more intimately through prayer and study of Scripture, we can confidently respond in faith to whatever spiritual struggles, or mountains, we face.
Faith is the word for the action of exercising spiritual authority. If we are to pray with spiritual authority, asking for all things and believing that we have received them (Mark 11:24), we must first appropriate in faith what God has already done.
When speaking to unbelievers, we will often encourage them to come to faith by assuring them that God has already paid the price for their sins and has accomplished all that is needed to be reconciled to Him. What we often forget is that this is no less true for the believer:
God has already given us all that we need for every spiritual struggle we may face (2 Peter 1:3).
As you plunge deeper into an intimate relationship with God, will you act on the truth that He reveals to you?
Will you come to trust God more, so that you are emboldened to respond in obedience to what He calls you to do?0 -
Bible Reading
Mark 11:25-26
Commentary Thoughts
Spiritual authority can be diminished by the presence of sin in the life of the believer.
Jesus ended His response to Peter by warning the disciples that their spiritual authority in prayer would be compromised by a lack of forgiveness in their lives:
“Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you your transgressions” (Mark 11:25).
The presence of sin not confessed is often the root cause of a lack of power and spiritual authority in the life of the believer. In this situation, Jesus challenges us to remember that the particular sin of begrudging forgiveness to those who have sinned against us will block the flow of forgiveness for our own sins:
“But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your transgressions” (Mark 11:26).
Jesus’s words to the disciples to understand that their prayers could have the spiritual authority to move mountains should not be understood as a step toward the excesses of a “name it and claim it” theology.
Our spiritual authority in prayer is derived from the authority that God grants; we should neither ask nor expect to receive things that God has not explicitly authorized. We must remember that even as Jesus gave the disciples the promise of authority to move mountains, He was living out His final days in obedience to the Father under the shadow of His soon coming death on a cross.
Jesus’s promise should likewise challenge us in the opposite extreme of going through life without experiencing the supernatural intervention of God in our lives.
As we grow deeper in our knowledge of God, who He is and what He has done, we will be emboldened in our faith as we receive spiritual authority to scale our seemingly impassable mountains.
Are you seeking His will for your needs or, in your prayer life, are you treating God as a genie in a bottle?
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Bible Reading
John chapter 1
Commentary Thoughts
NEXT STEPS
Peace is possible. And it begins with us.
Let us live like people who have been saved and who know the end of the story.
Let us be aware of those things that steal our peace, and address them.
Let us have courage and kindness toward ourselves as we practice peace, again and again.
Let us un-clench our fists and begin to receive the peace of Jesus. And let us be on the lookout for ways that we can extend that same peace.
Spend a few minutes reviewing this past week.
What new insights did you gain through the scriptures?
How has your personal experience of God’s peace and presence shifted?
How can you begin to extend this peace to others in your life?0 -
January 20, 2024
Bible Reading
Mark 11: 25-26
Commentary Thoughts
Spiritual authority can be diminished by the presence of sin in the life of the believer.
Jesus ended His response to Peter by warning the disciples that their spiritual authority in prayer would be compromised by a lack of forgiveness in their lives:
“Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you your transgressions” (Mark 11:25).
The presence of sin not confessed is often the root cause of a lack of power and spiritual authority in the life of the believer.
In this situation, Jesus challenges us to remember that the particular sin of begrudging forgiveness to those who have sinned against us will block the flow of forgiveness for our own sins:
“But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your transgressions” (Mark 11:26).
Jesus’s words to the disciples to understand that their prayers could have the spiritual authority to move mountains should not be understood as a step toward the excesses of a “name it and claim it” theology.
Our spiritual authority in prayer is derived from the authority that God grants; we should neither ask nor expect to receive things that God has not explicitly authorized.
We must remember that even as Jesus gave the disciples the promise of authority to move mountains, He was living out His final days in obedience to the Father under the shadow of His soon coming death on a cross.
Jesus’s promise should likewise challenge us in the opposite extreme of going through life without experiencing the supernatural intervention of God in our lives.
As we grow deeper in our knowledge of God, who He is and what He has done, we will be emboldened in our faith as we receive spiritual authority to scale our seemingly impassable mountains.
Are you seeking His will for your needs or, in your prayer life, are you treating God as a genie in a bottle?0 -
January 21, 2024
Bible Reading
Ephesians 2:8-10
James 2:18
Commentary Thoughts
Sometimes we mix up the roles of salvation and faith, so I want to set the record straight. When you accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior by placing your faith in Him alone for the forgiveness of your sins, you are given eternal life.
But while you trust Christ through faith, you are now supposed to live your life by faith. These are two very different things. Trusting Christ for salvation is akin to receiving a gift. Living by faith is doing a work.
That’s why James says faith without works is dead (James 2:26).
He isn’t talking about getting to heaven; he’s talking about getting heaven down into you.
Accepting Christ as your Savior takes you to heaven; living by faith brings heaven’s power and God’s experiential presence and authority to you on earth.
It allows you to see God enter history by showing up in your circumstances. When you live by faith,
God brings the supernatural to bear in the midst
of the natural situations of your existence on earth.0 -
January 23, 2024
Bible Reading
Mark 10:27
Jeremiah 32:27
Commentary Thoughts
Unfortunately, people often confuse faith and works. As a result, many Christians don’t live by faith, which has the accompaniment of works. Rather, they live by sight while calling it faith. They say they trust God. They wait on Him for every move. They resign themselves to living without movement or momentum, expecting God to do everything for them. Yet while God did everything for you and me through the gift of salvation, He expects us to do the work of faith—made manifest by obedience to Him throughout our lives.
Faith is so powerful that it can flip the natural order of things. In Hebrews 11:35 we read that “women received back their dead by resurrection.” This is referring to those who were brought back to life by Elijah and Elisha. Yet, you and I will never get to see God flip the order of things in our lives if we continue to view life through the lens of this world’s perspective.
Living by faith means acting before you see the result you desire. When you do, you get to experience God reversing things in your life that are humanly impossible to reverse.0 -
January 24, 20/4
Bible Reading
1 Corinthians3:11-14
Hebrews 11:39-40
Commentary Thoughts
Sometimes living by faith will make you come across as different. You may even appear weird to other people, just as Noah did. But as Hebrews 11:38 says, those who live by faith are the men and women of whom “the world was not worthy.” What makes the world not worthy of certain people?
It’s when they live so high in the spiritual realm that those around them in the earthly realm often can’t understand what they’re doing or why.
The world thinks they’re odd. They think they’ve lost their minds. They call them fanatics. Freaks.
Or any other name people can come up with.
But the author of Hebrews reminds us the world, consisting of those who live according to the precepts of worldliness, is not worthy of those who truly live by faith. It’s not worthy of those who know how to function from a higher vantage point.
Those who live with an eternal perspective outwit, outplay and outlast those who don’t. That doesn’t mean they will always get their rewards while on
earth, but in eternity, they will be richly rewarded.
Faith gives us a future to look forward to.0 -
January 25, 2024
Bible Reading
Ephesians 5:22-27
Commentary Thoughts
DAY ONE: Why Intimacy With God is Important
Relationship with God is the substance of Christianity. It is the foundation of all spirituality. It is the purpose for Jesus’ sacrifice, the culmination of the gospel, the bedrock of your life. Everything you do, think, experience, and believe is rooted in the quality of this relationship. Knowing what kind of relationship God is looking for, understanding what the terms of this relationship are, and knowing what kind of person you are entering a relationship with are essential parts of getting the most out of that relationship.
I have been married for nearly twelve years now, and still my relationship with my wife is an ever-unraveling mystery. Every day I learn more about who she is and how to love her. I still learn how to do life with her, how to connect more with her, and how to build a bright future with her.
The Bible uses the metaphor of marriage on several occasions to draw a picture of the relationship between God and humankind.
I love this because it so beautifully captures the intimacy, mystery, and progression of a relationship with God.
We are always discovering more of who He is, more of how He loves us, and more of how we can love Him.
This Devotion and Commentary Thoughts are put
out by “Charisma House” found on YouVersion Bible Reading Plans0 -
January 26, 2024
Bible Reading
1 Peter 1:22-25
2 Timothy 3:16-17
Commentary Thoughts
DAY TWO: The Word
Knowing what God has said is the first step in becoming indestructible. It is important that we protect our hearts when responding to Scripture’s necessity.
It can easily cause some of us to study the Word out of obligation rather than passion.
If you find yourself in this state, do not let the trap of shame overcomplicate your plight.
All relationships have ebbs and flows, mountains and valleys, even your relationship with God. The measure of your relationship with God is not in whether you have more mountains or valleys; it is in what you decide to do when you find yourself in the valley.
If reading the Bible is boring and stale for you, then make rekindling your passion for God’s Word more important than how many verses you read in a day. Find people who are passionate about the Bible and have them pray for you.
Listen to sermons by those who have a rich relationship with the Word. Read until you find a verse that strikes you, then stop and carry it with you in your mind for the rest of the day.
The Word of God is a living thing. You will not have to go far to find the life in it.
This Devotion and Commentary Thoughts are put
out by “Charisma House” found on YouVersion for Bible Reading Plans!0 -
January 28, 2024
Bible Reading
Psalm 36:5
Lamentations 3.22-23
Commentary Thoughts Names of God!
DAY 1: EL EMUNAH – THE FAITHFUL GOD
We like to think we’re faithful people. We get to work on time (well, usually) and do our job with diligence. We make time for family and friends. We’re involved in our church and sign up for committees and volunteer opportunities. But no matter how hard we try to be faithful, we’re not perfect. Inevitably, we’re going to miss a meeting or skip a child’s soccer game or forget about that volunteer assignment.
Because we can’t always be faithful people, it’s reassuring to know that we serve a faithful God. His name El Emunah means “the faithful God,” and He can always be counted on to show up, roll up His sleeves and get to work in our lives. Always keeps His promises? Check. Always hears our prayers? Check. Always remains with us? Check.
Things happen in our lives that keep us from being totally faithful to others. Because we’re human, we’re tempted to make choices based on our own self-preservation, selfishness and greed. Quite simply, we can’t be perfect all the time. But when we don’t show up, God does. And He gently guides us back to the work He has especially for us to do—the work of being faithful and showing up for others. When we turn to His perfection in our times of imperfection, His faithfulness transforms us.0 -
January 29, 2024
Bible Reading
Hebrews 4:16
Ephesians 2:4-5
Commentary Thoughts
DAY 2: ELOHE CHASEDDI – GOD OF MERCY
Life doesn’t always guarantee us second chances.
There are times when our poor decisions—harsh words spoken to a friend, mistakes made on the job, life choices that aren’t healthy—cost us.
We lose the friendship.
We’re dismissed from our job.
Our health suffers.
Even if we have a change of heart, there’s no assurance that everything will be okay.
God’s mercy, though, gives us second chance after second chance. Elohe Chaseddi—God of mercy— showers us with forgiveness and bathes us with lovingkindness. He is always truthful.
Always merciful. Always compassionate. If we love Him and ask Him for His forgiveness, He grants it. Always.
Because He is a God of mercy, we can live unafraid. We always have access to the peace of mind and heart that He so freely gives in abundance.
He promises to always be with us and to bring us through every troubling situation and every difficult season.
Even when the mistakes are of our own doing, He is forever willing to offer forgiveness to a repentant heart.
Instead of worrying about yesterday, God wants us to focus on today.
How can we serve Him today?
What plans does He have for us to accomplish today?
How can we share Him with others today?
That’s the beauty of mercy—second chances, looking ahead, with a focus on the future He has for us.0 -
January 30, 2024
Bible Reading.
Philippians 4:19
Matthew 7:11
Commentary Thoughts
DAY 3: JEHOVAH JIREH – THE LORD WILL PROVIDE
You’re uncertain of how you’re going to pay your bills this month. The status of your relationship is up in the air. You’ve heard that job cuts are coming at work, and your position with the company is uncertain. When the basics of life are at stake—health, finances, shelter, food, family, employment—it’s natural to feel terrified, as if you have nowhere to turn.
That’s when you need to call on Jehovah Jireh.
This blessed name of God means “the Lord will provide,” and it’s a name filled with power and might.
When we feel fearful about our future, it’s imperative that we turn to God and call on His name. Every good and perfect gift comes from Him, and there’s no limit to the gifts and blessings He provides.
Putting our faith in Him can sometimes be the only way to calm our fears and maintain a positive mindset.
It can be a hard lesson to learn, but trials here on earth strengthen our spiritual muscles and draw us closer to God.
Through our struggles, He shows us firsthand how He provides air for our lungs to breathe and light for our eyes to see. He gives us exactly what we need to produce the greatest growth in us and the most far-reaching impact for His kingdom. And He always gives it in a spirit of love.0 -
January 31, 2024
Bible Reading
Deuteronomy 4:24
Hebrews 12:28-29
Commentary Thoughts
DAY 4: ESH OKLAH – CONSUMING FIRE
Have you ever witnessed the destruction wrought by a forest fire? It consumes everything in its path, jumping quickly over roads and bridges and even rivers. Now imagine a consuming fire that is larger than the universe, and you’ll begin to get a small glimpse of the power of God.
We should have respect for God’s overwhelming power, but we also need to remember that He is a highly personal God who cares deeply for us. And because of this, He is a God who deserves our praise and worship at all times. We shouldn’t take Him lightly, but we also shouldn’t be afraid to cry out to Him and to enter into a relationship with Him.
God’s magnitude can be hard to reckon with, as can His attention to every detail of our lives. How can so mighty a being be so concerned with the seeming trivialities of our lives? It’s because He cares about us so deeply. And that’s why we need to allow His consuming fire to blaze strong in our hearts.
He is Esh Oklah, a consuming fire, but a fire filled with grace and patience and compassion. He draws us to Him with the goal of us making Him first in our hearts, minds and souls. And in the midst of the fire, He cultivates love in our hearts.0
