Tag: faith

Morning Reading: Luke 18:15-17 NLT – kids of the Kingdom

Reading: Luke 18:15-17 NLT

Christ with ChildrenChristopher SanterPacem Studio
Christ with Children
Christopher Santer, Pacem Studio

One day some parents brought their little children to Jesus so he could touch and bless them. But when the disciples saw this, they scolded the parents for bothering him.

Then Jesus called for the children and said to the disciples, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children. I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.”

Prayer: Lord Jesus -Restore in me the sheer joy and wonder of knowing you. Make every day an adventure… exploring your Kingdom. Amen.

Kid’s of the Kingdom: “Every move I make”  – Hillsong Kids

Na– na– na na na na na  / Na– na– na na na na na / Na– na– na na na na na

Every move I make  I make in You / You make me move, Jesus / Every breath I take I breathe in You

Every step I take  I take in You / You are my way, Jesus / Every breath I take I breathe in You

Waves of mercy / Waves of grace / Everywhere I look / I see Your face / Your love has captured me / Oh my God, this love / How can it be

Morning Reading: Luke 18.9-14 (NLT) – humble yourself

Reading: Luke 18.9-14 (NLT)

Then Jesus told this story to some who had great confidence in their own righteousness and scorned everyone else: “Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a despised tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer: ‘I thank you, God, that I am not a sinner like everyone else. For I don’t cheat, I don’t sin, and I don’t commit adultery. I’m certainly not like that tax collector! I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.’

humble yourself“But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.’ I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

Scripture Song: “Humble Thyself in the Sight of the Lord” – James 4.10

Morning Reading: Luke 18:1-8 NLT – persistent prayer

Reading: Luke 18:1-8 NLT

One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up.

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“There was a judge in a certain city,” he said, “who neither feared God nor cared about people. A widow of that city came to him repeatedly, saying, ‘Give me justice in this dispute with my enemy.’

The judge ignored her for a while, but finally he said to himself, ‘I don’t fear God or care about people, but this woman is driving me crazy. I’m going to see that she gets justice, because she is wearing me out with her constant requests!’”

Then the Lord said, “Learn a lesson from this unjust judge. Even he rendered a just decision in the end. So don’t you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly!”

“But when the Son of Man returns, how many will he find on the earth who have faith?”

Prayer: Lord Jesus – Make me as persistent in my love for you… as you are in your love for me. Holy Spirit – Help me to express my love for you in prayer. Heavenly Father – Hear the cries of my heart… and grant me your peace. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Spiritual Song: “One Thing Remains” – Jesus Culture

Morning Reading: Luke 17.20-37 (NLT) – Kingdom come

Reading: Luke 17.20-37 (NLT)

One day the Pharisees asked Jesus, “When will the Kingdom of God come?”

Jesus replied, “The Kingdom of God can’t be detected by visible signs. You won’t be able to say, ‘Here it is!’ or ‘It’s over there!’ For the Kingdom of God is already among you.”

awesome-lightning_1683593iThen he said to his disciples, “The time is coming when you will long to see the day when the Son of Man returns, but you won’t see it. People will tell you, ‘Look, there is the Son of Man,’ or ‘Here he is,’ but don’t go out and follow them. For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other, so it will be on the day when the Son of Man comes. But first the Son of Man must suffer terribly and be rejected by this generation.

“When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day. In those days, the people enjoyed banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat and the flood came and destroyed them all.

“And the world will be as it was in the days of Lot. People went about their daily business — eating and drinking, buying and selling, farming and building — until the morning Lot left Sodom. Then fire and burning sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all. Yes, it will be ‘business as usual’ right up to the day when the Son of Man is revealed. On that day a person out on the deck of a roof must not go down into the house to pack. A person out in the field must not return home. Remember what happened to Lot’s wife! If you cling to your life, you will lose it, and if you let your life go, you will save it. That night two people will be asleep in one bed; one will be taken, the other left. Two women will be grinding flour together at the mill; one will be taken, the other left.”

“Where will this happen, Lord?” the disciples asked.

Jesus replied, “Just as the gathering of vultures shows there is a carcass nearby, so these signs indicate that the end is near.”

Prayer: Lord Jesus – prepare my heart, my life, for your return. May I hold all things lightly. And come quickly. Amen.

Spiritual Song: “Never Saw You Coming” – Bebo Norman

2nd Sunday of Easter: John 20:24-29 NLT – believing without seeing

Reading: John 20:24-29 NLT

One of the twelve disciples, Thomas (nicknamed the Twin), was not with the others when Jesus came. They told him, “We have seen the Lord!”

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The Incredulity of Saint Thomas
(Caravaggio, 1601-1602)

But he replied, “I won’t believe it unless I see the nail wounds in his hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hand into the wound in his side.”

Eight days later the disciples were together again, and this time Thomas was with them. The doors were locked; but suddenly, as before, Jesus was standing among them. “Peace be with you,” he said. Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!”

“My Lord and my God!” Thomas exclaimed.

Then Jesus told him, “You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.”

Prayer/Video: “Open the eyes of my heart, Lord” – by Michael W Smith