Our Daily Bread -- Growing Up

February 28, 2016

Read: Ephesians 4:1-16
Bible in a Year: Numbers 20-22; Mark 7:1-13

From him the whole body . . . grows and builds itself up in love. —Ephesians 4:16

Watching my young grandson and his friends play T-Ball is entertaining. In this version of baseball, young players often run to the wrong base or don’t know what to do with the ball if they happen to catch it. If we were watching a professional baseball game, these mistakes would not be so funny.

It’s all a matter of maturity.

It’s okay for young athletes to struggle—not knowing what to do or not getting everything exactly right. They are trying and learning. So we coach them and patiently guide them toward maturity. Then we celebrate their success as later they play with skill as a team.

Something similar happens in the life of those who follow Jesus. Paul pointed out that the church needs people who will “be patient, bearing with one another in love” (Eph. 4:2). And we need a variety of “coaches” (pastors, teachers, spiritual mentors) to help us all move toward “unity in the faith” as we strive to “become mature” (v. 13).

The goal as we listen to preaching and teaching and enjoy life together in the church is to grow up to maturity in Christ (v. 15). Each of us is on this journey, and we can encourage each other on the road to maturity in Jesus. —Dave Branon

Lord, help me to strive for maturity. Thank You for equipping the church with men and women who can help me grow in my faith. Show me who I can encourage today.

There’s joy in the journey as we walk alongside each other.

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Day 120 - Shared Identity

365 daily emails to help you through the grieving process

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Shared Identity
Day 120

You shared a one-flesh relationship. Your identities, your very beings, were interwoven with each other. When your spouse died, you lost a large part of your identity, leaving you unsure of who you are.

Marie, whose husband passed away, says, "It was like trying to discover who I was all over again. For so many years you're a wife and a mother, and now all of a sudden, I'm no longer ——'s wife. After being married seventeen years, I had to figure out, what do I do with my life now?"

In order to find yourself, you must first find the Lord Jesus. And if you already know the Lord, then just as He established your identity during your marriage, He will show you who you are now.

"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned" (John 15:5-6).

Lord, my life is an outgrowth of Yours. May I build my new identity on this strong foundation. Amen

Through a Season of Grief

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All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

Copyright © 2003-2013 by The Church Initiative, Inc., All rights reserved. No part of this material may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without explicit permission in writing from Church Initiative.

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Our Daily Bread -- Taking Notice

February 27, 2016

Read: Job 40:1-14
Bible in a Year: Numbers 17-19; Mark 6:30-56

“Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?” —Job 38:4

When I clean my house for a special event, I become discouraged because I think that guests won’t notice what I clean, only what I don't clean. This brings to mind a larger philosophical and spiritual question: Why do humans more quickly see what's wrong than what's right? We are more likely to remember rudeness than kindness. Crimes seem to receive more attention than acts of generosity. And disasters grab our attention more quickly than the profound beauty all around us.

But then I realize I am the same way with God. I tend to focus on what He hasn't done rather than on what He has, on what I don't have rather than on what I have, on the situations that He has not yet resolved rather than on the many He has.

When I read the book of Job, I am reminded that the Lord doesn't like this any more than I do. After years of experiencing prosperity, Job suffered a series of disasters. Suddenly those became the focus of his life and conversations. Finally, God intervened and asked Job some hard questions, reminding him of His sovereignty and of everything Job didn't know and hadn't seen (Job 38–40).

Whenever I start focusing on the negative, I hope I remember to stop, consider the life of Job, and take notice of all the wonders God has done and continues to do. —Julie Ackerman Link

What has the Lord done for you this week? Share it with us on Facebook.

When you think of all that’s good, give thanks to God.

INSIGHT: When confronted with God’s power, Job said, “I am unworthy—how can I reply to you? I put my hand over my mouth” (Job 40:4). His reaction is consistent with the reaction of others in the Bible. After seeing a vision of heaven’s throne room, Isaiah declared, “Woe to me! . . . I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips” (Isa. 6:5). After Jesus provided a miraculous catch of fish, Peter cried out, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” (Luke 5:8). When we see God’s power, we can begin to grasp that our sin is no match for His great love.

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Day 119 - Shared Knowledge of Each Other

365 daily emails to help you through the grieving process

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Shared Knowledge of Each Other
Day 119

"When you're married so long, you know what the other person is thinking before he even speaks. Your minds are so close that you miss that too," says Nancy after the death of her husband.

What a blessing to have someone who knew you so well and who loved you just the way you are.

Let God fill this need in your life. He knows you inside and out. He knows even the number of hairs on your head (Luke 12:7). Nothing about you is hidden from God. He loves you unconditionally.

"O LORD, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD" (Psalm 139:1-4).

Lord God, You know me better than I know myself. I want our relationship to grow deep and strong. Amen.

Grieving with Hope

This GriefShare-based book contains short, topical chapters addressing issues that grieving people face but are often hesitant to mention to others; it gently guides people to determine whether they're grieving in a way that leads to hope and ultimate healing. Look for Grieving with Hope by Samuel Hodges and Kathy Leonard at a local or online bookstore or at griefshare.org/hope.

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All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

Copyright © 2003-2013 by The Church Initiative, Inc., All rights reserved. No part of this material may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without explicit permission in writing from Church Initiative.

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Our Daily Bread -- How to Grow Old

February 26, 2016

Read: Isaiah 46:4-13
Bible in a Year: Numbers 15-16; Mark 6:1-29

I will sustain you and I will rescue you. —Isaiah 46:4

“How are you today, Mama?” I asked casually. My 84-year-old friend, pointing to aches and pains in her joints, whispered, "Old age is tough!" Then she added earnestly, "But God has been good to me."

“Growing old has been the greatest surprise of my life,” says Billy Graham in his book Nearing Home. "I am an old man now, and believe me, it's not easy." However, Graham notes, "While the Bible doesn't gloss over the problems we face as we grow older, neither does it paint old age as a time to be despised or a burden to be endured with gritted teeth.” He then mentions some of the questions he has been forced to deal with as he has aged, such as, “How can we not only learn to cope with the fears and struggles and growing limitations we face but also actually grow stronger inwardly in the midst of these difficulties?"

In Isaiah 46 we have God's assurance: "Even to your old age and gray hairs . . . I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you" (v. 4).

We don’t know how many years we will live on this earth or what we might face as we age. But one thing is certain: God will care for us throughout our life. —Lawrence Darmani

Lord, please teach us to number our days so that we may gain a heart of wisdom. (See Psalm 90:12)

Don't be afraid to grow old; God goes with you!

INSIGHT: Isaiah presents a stark contrast between the chief gods of Babylon—Bel (or Baal) and Nebo—and the God of Israel. The Babylonian gods needed their worshipers to care for and protect them (Isa. 46:1-2). But the God of Israel would care for, carry, sustain, and rescue His worshipers even when they were old and gray (v. 4).

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