Our Daily Bread -- The Restoration Business May 1, 2016

Read: Philippians 3:1-8 Bible in a Year: 1 Kings 10-11; Luke 21:20-38 I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ. —nkjv —Philippians 3:8 Adam Minter is in the junk business. The son of a junkyard owner, he circles the globe researching junk. In his book Junkyard Planet, he chronicles the multibillion-dollar industry of waste recycling. He notes that entrepreneurs around the world devote themselves to locating discarded materials such as copper wire, dirty rags, and plastics and repurposing them to make something new and useful. After the apostle Paul turned his life over to the Savior, he realized his own achievements and abilities amounted to little more than trash. But Jesus transformed it all into something new and useful. Paul said, “Whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ” (Phil. 3:7-8). Having been trained in Jewish religious law, he had been an angry and violent man toward those who followed Christ (Acts 9:1-2). After being transformed by Christ, the tangled wreckage of his angry past was transformed into the love of Christ for others (2 Cor. 5:14-17). If you feel that your life is just an accumulation of junk, remember that God has always been in the restoration business. When we turn our lives over to Him, He makes us into something new and useful for Him and others. —Dennis Fisher Are you wondering how to become a new person? Romans 3:23 and 6:23 tell us that when we admit we are sinners and ask for God’s forgiveness, He gives us the free gift of eternal life that was paid for by the death and resurrection of Jesus. Talk to Him now about your need. Christ makes all things new. INSIGHT: The change Paul experienced as a result of his encounter with Christ on the Damascus Road is evidenced in today’s Bible passage. Paul warns believers about enemies of the faith who seek to impose on them the old legalism he used to champion before he encountered the grace of God in Christ. Paul understood that physical circumcision in the tradition of Judaism can do nothing to redeem the human heart. Instead, redemption comes through Christ: “For it is we who are the circumcision, we who serve God by his Spirit, who boast in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh” (v. 3). Dennis Fisher Share your thoughts on today’s devotional on Facebook or odb.org.

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Day 183 - Parents Must Model Healthy Grief

365 daily emails to help you through the grieving process Grief support groups: Click here to find a GriefShare group near you. If you would like to find a group for a friend or relative, try our Search Page. Want to read ahead or resend a previous daily email? Click Here Parents Must Model Healthy Grief Day 183 Children need their parents to model healthy behaviors. They need to see their parents dealing with grief in a healthy way so that they can learn to do the same. "I was real open with my grief at first," says Jodie of her husband's death. "I think that is why the boys were comfortable bringing up their dad and saying, 'I really miss Dad.' We could talk about it, and that was good because my oldest is not real expressive about his emotions. That made it easier for me to pull his emotions out too." Jodie's sons followed her lead in coping with grief. You may desire to model healthy grief, but are not sure how to do so. Take heart; you are better equipped than you think. These daily devotions are a guide for your journey, not only your journey of grief, but also your journey of knowledge and wisdom. You are learning from others who have traveled before you and are seeking truth and healing in God's Word. Teach your children the source of true healing and make it your priority. Lead them to Jesus. "Jesus said, 'Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these'" (Matthew 19:14). Heavenly Jesus, I want to learn more and more about You so that I can teach my children the certainty and assurance found in a life with You. 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. If you would like to recommend these daily emails to a friend, please click here and choose one of the options under Share. For more information about GriefShare, including how to sign up for these daily emails, please click here. 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. You subscribed to this daily email through www.griefshare.org. We value your privacy! We will never give, sell, rent, or otherwise share your email or personal information with any other organization — EVER. To remove this email address from further mailings Click Here while connected to the internet. If you have any problems or concerns, please contact dailyemailsupport@griefshare.org. GriefShare 250 S. Allen Rd. Wake Forest, NC 27587 (800) 395-5755

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Conference Schedule

9:00 – 10:30 a.m. Session 1: Stay Connected Dr. James Banks, author of Praying the Prayers of the Bible Bill Crowder, Bible Teacher, Our Daily Bread Ministries

10:45 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Session 2: Let God Work Marvin Williams, author of Radical Generosity Elisa Morgan, Bible Teacher, Our Daily Bread Ministries

1:15 – 2:30 p.m. Session 3: Never Give Up Jessie Clemence, author of If I Plug My Ears, God Can’t Tell Me What to Do Sheila Bailey, Bible Teacher, Sheila B. Ministries

2:45 – 4:00 p.m. Session 4: Make an Impact Rick DeHaan, President, Our Daily Bread Ministries Dr. Eric Moore, Bible Teacher, Moody Theological Seminary - Michigan

Copyright © 2016, Our Daily Bread Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI 49512 USA. Written permission must be obtained from Our Daily Bread Ministries for any further posting or distribution. Our Daily Bread Ministries produces a variety of Bible resources, which are available for the asking. Our Daily Bread Ministries is not funded by any group or denomination, and support comes voluntarily from its members and friends. Manage your subscription

Our Daily Bread -- Doing Right in God’s Sight April 30, 2016

Read: 2 Kings 12:1-15 Bible in a Year: 1 Kings 8-9; Luke 21:1-19 Joash did what was right . . . all the years Jehoiada the priest instructed him. —2 Kings 12:2 “Cowboy builders” is a term many British homeowners use for tradespeople who do shoddy construction work. The term is bandied about with fear or regret, often because of bad experiences. No doubt there were rogue carpenters, masons, and stonecutters in biblical times, but tucked away in the story of King Joash repairing the temple is a line about the complete honesty of those who oversaw and did the work (2 Kings 12:15). However, King Joash “did what was right in the eyes of the Lord” (v. 2) only when Jehoiada the priest instructed him. As we see in 2 Chronicles 24:17-27, after Jehoiada died Joash turned from the Lord and was persuaded to worship other gods. The mixed legacy of a king who enjoyed a season of fruitfulness only while under the spiritual counsel of a godly priest makes me stop and think. What will our legacies be? Will we continue to grow and develop in our faith throughout our lives, producing good fruit? Or will we become distracted by the things of this world and turn to modern-day idols—such as comfort, materialism, and self-promotion? —Amy Boucher Pye Go deeper: How does this passage compare with Jesus’ letter to the church at Ephesus in Revelation 2? How do these passages apply to your life? For help in understanding and applying the Bible, read A Message for All Time at discoveryseries.org/hp142 Living well and doing right require perseverance and spiritual direction. INSIGHT: When a rival attempted to exterminate the royal family, Joash (whose name means “Yahweh has helped”) was rescued and protected by the high priest Jehoiada (whose name means “Yahweh knows”). Jehoiada would later see Joash installed as king (2 Kings 11:1-16). Joash was the eighth king of Judah, and he became king when he was only seven years old. Dennis Moles Share your thoughts on today’s devotional on Facebook or odb.org.

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Day 182 - Children in Grief May Act Out Their Hurt

365 daily emails to help you through the grieving process Grief support groups: Click here to find a GriefShare group near you. If you would like to find a group for a friend or relative, try our Search Page. Want to read ahead or resend a previous daily email? Click Here Children in Grief May Act Out Their Hurt Day 182 Your children may surprise you by the misbehavior they display while grieving. But you need to remember the source of their misbehavior: They feel hurt and do not know what to do with that feeling. Shelly, whose son passed away, talks about the response of her other son: "He was the passive child between two demanding children. He often didn't express himself and held everything inside. So it was so out of character for him to rise up with anger and to put holes in the walls and to be so frustrated in the way that he was. "After seeking God, what I felt in my heart was that it was his survival he was going through. He was dealing with pain so deep, and he was too young to understand that death is a permanent thing. It's something you can't change; you can't go back; there's no way to rectify what has happened. You just have to accept it. That was so hard for him to deal with. It's almost like he came out fighting. "And when we were able to accept that this was a part of the process that he had to go through and just cover it in love, we removed some of the stressors in his life, and we allowed him that time." You still have to be the parent, and your children need you to continue to communicate clear boundaries to them. But choose the issues that you want to address. Over everything else give them oceans of love and grace. "As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him" (Psalm 103:13). Lord, show me how to be there for my child. Show me how to remove the stressors in his or her life, and open the flow of love and understanding between us. Amen. Through a Season of Grief The daily email messages you are receiving are also available in a book format. Purchase as a gift for a friend or buy a print copy for yourself. Through a Season of Grief by Bill Dunn and Kathy Leonard is available at online and local bookstores or at griefshare.org/devotional. If you would like to recommend these daily emails to a friend, please click here and choose one of the options under Share. For more information about GriefShare, including how to sign up for these daily emails, please click here. 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. You subscribed to this daily email through www.griefshare.org. We value your privacy! We will never give, sell, rent, or otherwise share your email or personal information with any other organization — EVER. To remove this email address from further mailings Click Here while connected to the internet. If you have any problems or concerns, please contact dailyemailsupport@griefshare.org. GriefShare 250 S. Allen Rd. Wake Forest, NC 27587 (800) 395-5755

Our Daily Bread -- The Fragrance of Christ April 29, 2016

Read: 2 Corinthians 2:14-17 Bible in a Year: 1 Kings 6-7; Luke 20:27-47 We are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ. —2 Corinthians 2:15 Which of the five senses brings back your memories most sharply? For me it is definitely the sense of smell. A certain kind of sun oil takes me instantly to a French beach. The smell of chicken mash brings back childhood visits to my grandmother. A hint of pine says “Christmas,” and a certain kind of aftershave reminds me of my son’s teenage years. Paul reminded the Corinthians that they were the aroma of Christ: “For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ” (2 Cor. 2:15). He may have been referring to Roman victory parades. The Romans made sure everyone knew they had been victorious by burning incense on altars throughout the city. For the victors, the aroma was pleasing; for the prisoners it meant certain slavery or death. So as believers, we are victorious soldiers. And when the gospel of Christ is preached, it is a pleasing fragrance to God. As the aroma of Christ, what perfumes do Christians bring with them as they walk into a room? It’s not something that can be bought in a bottle or a jar. When we spend a lot of time with someone, we begin to think and act like that person. Spending time with Jesus will help us spread a pleasing fragrance to those around us. —Marion Stroud Lord, please shape my thoughts and actions so people may sense that I have been with You. When we walk with God, people will notice. INSIGHT: The imagery of a pleasing aroma coming up before the Lord appears in several different ways in Scripture. In the Old Testament, one of the pieces of furniture in the tabernacle was the altar for burning incense (Ex. 30:1). Along with the lampstand and the table for the bread of the Presence, the incense altar was in the holy place—just outside the Holy of Holies. In Revelation 8:3-4 incense is offered on the altar in heaven. This incense is connected to the prayers of the people of God. We see that not only can our lives be a pleasing aroma to God, but our prayers can be as well. Bill Crowder Share your thoughts on today’s devotional on Facebook or odb.org.

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Our mission is to make the life-changing wisdom of the Bible understandable and accessible to all. Our vision is to see people of all nations experiencing a personal relationship with Christ, growing to be more like Him, and serving in a local body of His family. To read today's Our Daily Bread online visit www.odb.org. Copyright © 2016, Our Daily Bread Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI 49555 USA. Written permission must be obtained from Our Daily Bread Ministries for any further posting or distribution. Scriptures taken from Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved.   Our Daily Bread Ministries | 3000 Kraft Ave | Grand Rapids, MI 49512 Manage Your Subscription.