September 1st
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32 And David said to Abigail, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who sent you this day to meet me! 33 Blessed be your discretion, and blessed be you, who have kept me this day from bloodguilt and from working salvation with my own hand! 34 For as surely as the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, who has restrained me from hurting you, unless you had hurried and come to meet me, truly by morning there had not been left to Nabal so much as one male.” 35 Then David received from her hand what she had brought him. And he said to her, “Go up in peace to your house. See, I have obeyed your voice, and I have granted your petition.”
Read the rest of 1 Samuel 25. How did Abigail demonstrate wisdom, courage, and humility in her actions? What specific steps did she take to prevent disaster?
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18 Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin[e] a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. 19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
Read the rest of 1 Corinthians 6. What does it mean that “your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit”? How does this change how you view your body?
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“And you, son of man, take a brick and lay it before you, and engrave on it a city, even Jerusalem. 2 And put siegeworks against it, and build a siege wall against it, and cast up a mound against it. Set camps also against it, and plant battering rams against it all around. 3 And you, take an iron griddle, and place it as an iron wall between you and the city; and set your face toward it, and let it be in a state of siege, and press the siege against it. This is a sign for the house of Israel.
Read the rest of Ezekiel 4. How does the “siege” imagery convey the inevitability and severity of God’s Punishment?
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Psalm 40
Blessed is the man who makes
the Lord his trust,
who does not turn to the proud,
to those who go astray after a lie!
5 You have multiplied, O Lord my God,
your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us;
none can compare with you!
I will proclaim and tell of them,
yet they are more than can be told. Read the rest of Psalm 40. Read verses 1-3 aloud. What does it man to “wait patiently” for the Lord? How does this contrast with instant gratification in our culture?
Psalm 41
Blessed is the one who considers the poor![a]
In the day of trouble the Lord delivers him;
2 the Lord protects him and keeps him alive;
he is called blessed in the land;
you do not give him up to the will of his enemies.
3 The Lord sustains him on his sickbed;
in his illness you restore him to full health.[b] Read the rest of Psalm 41. What does “to consider the poor” mean in Psalm 41:1-3? How is this different from passing pity or charity?
September 2nd
Verse of the Day
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3 Send me your light and your faithful care,
let them lead me;
let them bring me to your holy mountain,
to the place where you dwell.Read the rest of Psalm 43. What does drawing near to God look like in your personal life?
Additional reading invitations
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Read 1 Samuel 26 here. What details show God’s intervention throughout this chapter?
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Read Ezekiel 5 here. How could the consequences listed in this chapter apply to any community that turns away from God?
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Read 1 Corinthians 7 here. Reflect on your current life stage, marital status, or singleness. How can you faithfully serve God in your present circumstances without comparing to others?
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Read Psalm 42 here. How do you personally experience longing for God in your daily life?
September 3rd
Verse of the Day
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8 In God we make our boast all day long,
and we will praise your name forever.Read the rest of Psalm 44 here. How does the comparison between past victories and current struggles teach us about enduring faith?
Additional reading invitations
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Read 1 Samuel 27 here. In what ways do people today face situations where fear might lead to morally complex choices?
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Read 1 Corinthians 8 here. Read verses 4-6 carefully. What does “an idol is nothing” mean in today’s cultural context?
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Read Ezekiel 6 here. In what ways can God’s mercy be seen even in a message of judgement?
September 4th
Verse of the Day
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13 Don’t you know that those who serve in the temple get their food from the temple, and that those who serve at the altar share in what is offered on the altar? 14 In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel.
Read the rest of 1 Corinthians 9 here. How can you balance your freedom in Christ with your responsibility to others?
Additional reading invitations
September 5th
Verse of the Day
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14 Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry. 15 I speak to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. 16 Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? 17 Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all share the one loaf.
Read the rest of 1 Corinthians 10 here. In what ways do you experience the “one body” reality in your own faith community?
Additional reading invitations
September 6th
Verse of the Day
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9 Within your temple, O God,
we meditate on your unfailing love.Read the rest of Psalm 48 here. How can we share the wonder of God’s faithfulness with those around us?
Additional reading invitations
September 7th
Verse of the Day
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7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8 To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.
Read the rest of 1 Corinthians 12 here. What gifts do you believe God has given you, and how have you used them so far?
Additional reading invitations
September 8th
Verse of the Day
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4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Read the rest of 1 Corinthians 13 here. In what ways does Paul’s description of love mirror God’s love for humanity?
Additional reading invitations
September 9th
Verse of the Day
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15 Open my lips, Lord,
and my mouth will declare your praise.Read the rest of Psalm 51 here. What does it mean to ask God to “open my lips” in your own spiritual life?
Additional reading invitations
September 10th
Verse of the Day
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20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man.
Read the rest of 1 Corinthians 15 here. Are there areas of fear, doubt, or temptation in your life that the resurrection could help address?
Additional reading invitations
September 11th
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16 As for me, I call to God,
and the Lord saves me.Read the rest of Psalm 55 here. Can you think of situations in your own life where you have the same feelings that David expresses in this Psalm?
Verse of the Day
Additional reading invitations
September 12th
Verse of the Day
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5 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
let your glory be over all the earth.Read the rest of Psalm 57 here. How can the themes of steadfast love and mercy guide your own prayers in challenging situations?
Additional reading invitations
September 13th
Verse of the Day
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9 You are my strength, I watch for you;
you, God, are my fortress,
10 my God on whom I can rely.Read the rest of Psalm 59 here. How does God’s laughter at nations symbolize divine justice?
Additional reading invitations
September 14th
Verse of the Day
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1 Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, like some people, letters of recommendation to you or from you? 2 You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone. 3 You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.
Read the rest of 2 Corinthians 3 here. How does Paul describe the transformation of believers as part of the new covenant?
Additional reading invitations
September 15th
Verse of the Day
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11 For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. 12 So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.
Read the rest of 2 Corinthians 4 here. What does the “life” in verse 12 reveal about believer’s identity in Christ?
Additional reading invitations
September 16th
Verse of the Day
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7 Then Nathan said to David, “You are the man! This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. 8 I gave your master’s house to you, and your master’s wives into your arms. I gave you all Israel and Judah. And if all this had been too little, I would have given you even more. 9 Why did you despise the word of the Lord by doing what is evil in his eyes? You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own. You killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. 10 Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.’
Read the rest of 2 Samuel 12 here. Why might God choose storytelling to confront sin?
Today’s additional reading invitations
September 17th
Verse of the Day
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As God’s co-workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. 2 For he says,
“In the time of my favor I heard you,
and in the day of salvation I helped you.”I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.
Read the rest of 2 Corinthians 6 here. What does it mean to receive God’s grace in vain?
Additional reading invitations
September 18th
Verse of the Day
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4 Sing to God, sing in praise of his name,
extol him who rides on the clouds;
rejoice before him—his name is the Lord.Read the rest of Psalm 68 here. How does Psalm 68 shape your understanding of worship?
Additional reading invitations
September 19th
Verse of the Day
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5 You, God, know my folly;
my guilt is not hidden from you.Read the rest of Psalm 69 here. In what ways can you relate to the psalmist’s feelings of distress and despair in today’s world?
Additional reading invitations
September 20th
Verse of the Day
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6 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7 Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
Read the rest of 2 Corinthians 9 here. In what ways does modeling generosity in your family, church, or community encourage others to give?
Additional reading invitations
September 21st
Verse of the Day
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12 We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise.
Read the rest of 2 Corinthians 10 here. How can comparison with others affect spiritual growth or ministry today?
Additional reading invitations
September 22nd
Verse of the Day
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27 Those who are far from you will perish;
you destroy all who are unfaithful to you.
28 But as for me, it is good to be near God.
I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge;
I will tell of all your deeds.Read the rest of Psalm 73 here. How could Psalm 73 help encourage someone who feels discouraged by the success of those who seem unjust?
Additional reading invitations
September 23rd
Verse of the Day
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12 But God is my King from long ago;
he brings salvation on the earth.Read the rest of Psalm 74 here. How does the psalmist recall God’s past deeds to comfort himself and others?
Additional reading invitations
September 24th
Verse of the Day
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5 Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?
Read the rest of 2 Corinthians 13 here. How can you apply self-examination in your daily spiritual life?
Additional reading invitations
September 25th
Verse of the Day
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3 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5 to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Read the rest of Galatians 1 here. How might Paul's warning against accepting a gospel contrary to the one delivered to him apply to our lives today?
Additional reading invitations
September 26th
Verse of the Day
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16 know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified.
Read the rest of Galatians 2 here. What does Galatians 2 teach about the relationship between law and grace?
Additional reading invitations
September 27th
Verse of the Day
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5 “If my house were not right with God,
surely he would not have made with me an everlasting covenant,
arranged and secured in every part;
surely he would not bring to fruition my salvation
and grant me my every desire.
Additional reading invitations
September 28th
Verse of the Day
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8 Do not hold against us the sins of past generations;
may your mercy come quickly to meet us,
for we are in desperate need.
Additional reading invitations
September 29th
Verse of the Day
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14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.
Read the rest of Galatians 5 here. Why might love be considered the fulfillment of the law?
Additional reading invitations
September 30th
Verse of the Day
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2 Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.
Read the rest of Galatians 6 here. How does Paul contrast “carrying each other’s burdens” with “each one should carry their own load”?