Scripture Readings: Psalm 82, Judges 10-11, Mark 6:30-56 Reflection Verses: Judges 10:15-16 Reflection: In the text, the people of God repented from their sins, put away their foreign gods and promised to serve God. They asked God to deliver them in their time of distress from their enemies. And once again, God relented and rescued…
Scripture Readings: Psalm 102:13-22, 2 Samuel 12-13:22, I Corinthians 9:1-23 Reflection Verses: I Corinthians 9:22-23 Prayer: Lord God, Paul was about winning the lost to Christ. He did what he needed to do to fit in with people.  As he did, he presented the Gospel to them that they might be saved. His entire life…
Scripture Readings: Psalm 102:1-12, 2 Samuel 9-11, I Corinthians 8 Reflection Verses: I Corinthians 8:11-12 Prayer: Lord God, help us to be careful about how we use the knowledge we have. We are to be discerning in what to say, how to say things, what to do and how to do things. We are not…
Scripture Readings:Â Psalm 101, 2 Samuel 7-8, I Corinthians 7 Reflection Verse: I Corinthians 7:16 Prayer: Father God, a non-believer is sanctified through their spouse, so their children are holy. If a non-believer stays in a marriage with a believer, then salvation is possible because of the believing spouse. This is a mystery, but there…
Scripture Readings:Â Psalm 100, 2 Samuel 5-6, I Corinthians 6 Reflection Verses:Â I Corinthians 6:5-6 Prayer: Father God, what a sad commentary. Paul is saying that Christians would rather go to a non-believer to decide an issue between them. Wouldn’t it be better if the Christians would work things out among themselves or trust a…
Scripture Readings:Â Psalm 99, 2 Samuel 3-4, I Corinthians 5 Reflection Verse:Â I Corinthians 5:1 Prayer: Eternal God our Father, the Apostle Paul is addressing the sexual sin that was going on in the Church in Corinth that would not even be accepted as okay even outside the church. Yet, it is going on and…
Scripture Readings: Psalm 98, 2 Samuel 1-2, I Corinthians 4 Reflection Verses:Â I Corinthians 4:14-15 Prayer: Father God, most of us have someone who lead us to Christ and then disciple us in the ways of the faith. This person we could call a father or mother in the faith. After this we have mentors…
Scripture Readings:Â Psalm 97, 1 Samuel 30-31, I Corinthians 3 Reflection Verse: I Corinthians 3:8-9 Prayer: Lord God, we do our work in Your Kingdom according to Your instructions. We are fellow workers with You as to what You are accomplishing among us. Each of us then is rewarded according to what we do. I…
Scripture Readings:Â Psalm 96, I Samuel 27-29, I Corinthians 2 Reflection Verse:Â I Corinthians 2:14 Prayer: Lord God, a person who has not come to salvation in Christ is still in his old natural state and its lostness. This person can’t understand what You are doing nor does he have any capacity to comprehend what…
Scripture Readings: Psalm 95, I Samuel 25-26, I Corinthians 1 Reflection Verse: I Corinthians 1:18 Prayer: Lord God, who could ever believe that Jesus’ death on the cross would bring salvation to those who believe? Sounds impossible but this is the truth and the power for us who believe, but absolute foolishness to those who…
Scripture Readings: Psalm 94:12-23, I Samuel 23:7-24, Mark 16 Reflection Verse:Â Mark 16:14 Prayer: Father God, the disciples were reproached by Jesus because they did not believe His message to them concerning His resurrection. Jesus told them what was going to happen and when it did, the disciples did not believe those who came to…
Scripture Readings:Â Psalm 94:1-11, I Samuel 20:35-23:6, Mark 15:21-47 Reflection Verse:Â Mark 15:46 Prayer: Lord God, Jesus was given a proper burial according to the customs of the time. His body was not neglected but taken care of. He was wrapped in a cloth, laid in a rock tomb and the door was securely shut. …
Scripture Readings: Psalm 93, I Samuel 19-20:34, Mark 15:1-20 Reflection Verse: Psalm 93:5 Prayer: Lord God, what You say we can know is always true. It does not change to fit current circumstances. You are Holy and all that You do is Holy. You are established forever. You are the one sure being who I…
Scripture Readings: Psalm 89:38-45, I Samuel 10:9-12, Mark 12:18-44Reflection Verses: Mark 12:41-42Prayer: Lord God, Jesus watched people put in their offering – both rich and poor. This money box was in plain view of everyone. People were under no obligation, but they put in money as they chose to do so. No one was recording…
May 11Scripture Readings: Psalm 89:30-37, I Samuel 8-10:8, Mark 11:27-12:17Reflection Verse: Mark 12:17Prayer: Lord God, the religious leaders sought to trap Jesus in one of His statements so they could use it against him. This particular question about paying taxes was designed to make trouble for Him with the Roman government. His answer surprised all…
HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY TO ALL HCBC MOTHERSScripture Readings: Psalm 89:19-29, I Samuel 5-7, Mark 11:1-26Reflection Verses: Mark 11:15-16Prayer: Lord, the exchanging of money for animals for people who came to Jerusalem was needed for people to present their sacrifices in worship to You. These practices had taken on a corrupt life of their own to…
Scripture Readings: Psalm 89:9-18, I Samuel 2:27-4, Mark 10:32-52Reflection Verses: Mark 10:36-39Prayer: Lord God, James and John show their lack of understanding of how Jesus’ Kingdom will function. It is totally different than what was in place then or now. They are now part of Jesus’ Kingdom as His disciples, so they will experience what…
Scripture Readings: Psalm 89:1-8, I Samuel 1-2:26, Mark 10:1-31Reflection Verse: Mark 10:14Prayer: Lord God, many people do not see children as being able to comprehend spiritual things. Jesus believes they are fully capable of coming to Him, believing in Him and being involved in the work of His Kingdom. In fact, Jesus is indignant when…
Scripture Readings: Psalm 88, Ruth 1-4, Mark 9:33-50 Reflection Verses: Mark 9:49-50 Prayer: Lord God, the mark of a disciple of Jesus is to be an influence on the culture in which we live. We, like the disciples, have issues with one another occasionally. We are to apply to these relationships our preservative quality to…
Scripture Readings: Psalm 87, Judges 20:19-21, Mark 9:14-32Reflection Verse: Mark 9:29Prayer: Lord God, as Christians we are told that we need to pray. The disciples had even asked Jesus to teach them how to pray. Then they were confronted with a situation in which they could not get results. Jesus told them it takes prayer…
Scripture Readings: Psalm 81, Judges 9, Mark 6:1-29 Reflection Verse: Mark 6:3 Prayer: Father God, our preconceived ideas and our prejudices do not allow us to view people as You view them. Through these lenses we do not see these people doing Your work among us, so we discount them, often ignore them and are…
Scripture Readings: Psalm 80, Judges 7-8, Mark 5:21-43 Reflection Verse: Mark 5:36 Prayer: Lord God, the synagogue ruler asked Jesus to heal his daughter. Jesus started on His way to do what was asked of Him, taking three disciples with Him. Before He arrived, word came that the ruler’s daughter had died. Jesus told the…
Scripture Readings: Psalm 79, Judges 5-6, Mark 5:1-20 Reflection Verses: Mark 5:7-8 Prayer: Father God, this man is obviously being controlled by another spirit. This spirit does not want to be sent to the place of torment. This spirit knows who Jesus is and knows Jesus has the authority to deal with him. Lord, You…
Scripture Readings: Psalm 78:65-72, Judges 3-4, Mark 4:21-41 Reflection Verse: Mark 4:38 Prayer: Lord God, where is Jesus in the midst of this storm that is threatening these disciples? He is asleep at the control point of the boat. He is at rest and in control. The disciples are in a panic! The way we…
Scripture Readings: Psalm 78:56-64, Judges 1-2, Mark 4:1-20 Reflection Verses: Mark 4:18-19 Prayer: Gracious God, the only way that Your Word becomes unfruitful in my life is for me to do nothing with it. If I receive Your Word and it is planted in me, then it yields fruit in my life and affects the…
Scripture Readings: Psalm 78:40-55, Joshua 22:21-24, Mark 3:13-35 Reflection Verses: Mark 3:14-15 Prayer: Father God, a disciple is one who is committed to learn from a teacher. Jesus chose twelve disciples to be with Him to learn how to teach and operate in His authority. Every Christian, I is a disciple of Jesus with full…
Scripture Readings: Psalm 78:32-39, Joshua 21-22:20, Mark 2:23-3:12 Reflection Verse: Mark 3:4 Prayer: Father God, it is always best to do good or save a life no matter when this is. Jesus words expose the hypocrisy of those to whom He is speaking. Their very silence convicts them of their legalism. My silence exposes my…
Scripture Readings: Psalm 78:17-31, Joshua 19:10-20, Mark 2:1-22 Reflection Verses: Mark 2:4-5 Prayer: Lord God, these four friends of this paralytic were determined to get their friend to Jesus to be healed. They found a way where there seemed to be no way to get their friend to Jesus. With God all things are possible…
