Passages like 1 Kings 2 are hard to digest.  Earlier in the chapter, Solomon receives some good advice from his father David as he lay on his deathbed.
Be strong, and show yourself a man, and keep the charge of the Lord your God, walking in his ways and keeping his statutes, his commandments, his rules, and his testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn. (vv.2-3)
However, David then shares some thoughts about a few people who may cause his son problems as he tries to establish his kingdom.  David, in essence, instructs Solomon to liquidate them.  One such person is Shimei and these verses describe how Solomon deals with him.
- Chris Adomanis

[ EXAMINE ] the passage. At this point, answer some questions about the meaning of the text. Take time to reflect.
+ Read the story of Shimei found in 2 Samuel 16:5-8 and 2 Samuel 19:16-23.  Then, read David’s advice to Solomon concerning Shimei found in 1 Kings 2:8-9 before rereading today’s passage.
   - What was David actually asking Solomon to do with Shimei?
   - What was Solomon actually asking Shimei to do in return for his own “safety”?
   - Did Solomon “do the right thing” in his dealing with Shimei as found in today’s   passage?

[ APPLY ] the passage to your own life.
+ Is there sin to confess or a next step to take? How has it gone since last time?
+ Have you ever done something that you considered “within the letter of the law” but you knew, either when you did it or even later in life, it was not the right course of action?  Discuss within your Community Group.

[ PRAY ] through the passage and your application, and ask God to change your heart and your life.
+ Pray with me:
Heavenly Father, we are a sinful people, looking at our own interests instead of how our actions may affect others and, even more importantly, go against Your standards and commands.  Forgive us of our trespasses and lead us in the way of truth.  Amen.
Philippians 2:3-5:  3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus...

[ SHARE ] what God is teaching you with at least one person: your roommate,
your spouse, your kids, or your coworkers. Don’t keep what God taught you to
yourself.
(e.g., your family around the dinner table, a friend, co-worker or neighbor- for help join a community group at downtownhope.org/community-groups)
yourself:
+ Talk today’s message over with someone who is discipling you, and someone you are discipling.
+ Who in your circles of influence needs Godly, biblical counsel?  Who needs to hear about a God who is immutable, never changing in nature?  (Numbers 23:19, James 1:17)

There are two verses in this passage that the Lord highlights to me as I read and meditate on these words. The first is 1 Kings 2:15, “[Adonijah] said, “You know that the kingdom was mine, and that all Israel fully expected me to reign. However, the kingdom has turned about and become my brother's, for it was his from the Lord.”
When I was a kid… and then a teenager… and then a young adult… My mom has said the same thing to me my whole life.
“You know what I always say… We plan, and God laughs.”
Let me be honest, I am–to this day–still learning to ask the Lord to give me wisdom and strength to deal with rejection and changes in my plans. Ever since I could remember, I had a plan for my life. I was going to do something with music, then specifically musical theatre, then specifically Broadway. I auditioned for every show I could, I went to college for my Acting degree, I sent out many professional auditions. At the same time, I also always knew I wanted to get married, have children, be a stay-at-home mom (because my SAHM was so amazing, it’s all I could think I could give to my kids one day to do a fraction of the job my own mother did). As I expressed these plans to loved ones, I remember being asked, “How are you going to act and travel and also be stay-at-home with your kids? What if your husband isn’t okay with it?” and “That’s great, but what if acting doesn’t work out?” While fair questions, I always thought, “I don’t have a plan B–  because if I did have a plan B, when this gets too hard or scary, I’ll let myself give up. This just has to be it, and I have to succeed.”
Then senior year of high school, supposedly my big finale in my school, I didn’t get the lead I thought I’d get. Then when I got into my dream school and dream musical theatre program, we couldn’t afford it and I had to turn it down. Then when I went to Towson on an acting scholarship, 3 of my 7 semesters there were over Zoom. Then later on when I got a job teaching Creative Writing & Drama at Wiley H. Bates Middle School, I left because I really believed in my plan to act professionally. Every step that I had meticulously planned to go one way, went another.
Yet I can look back, saying and truly meaning, “Thank You Father, that where I expected me to reign, You turned the kingdom about; for the plans You had for me are greater.”
At my ripe old age of 26 [cue 91% of the people reading this laughing at me], I still feel surprised when my plans don’t work out. I still get anxious that I’ve done something to deserve punishment. I still ask God why and wonder if He’s abandoned me because He won’t show me why the minute I ask. But that segues right into the second passage that stands out to me. In 1 Kings 2:26, King Solomon says, “Go to Anathoth, to your estate, for you deserve death. But I will not at this time put you to death, because you carried the ark of the Lord God before David my father, and because you shared in all my father's affliction.”
All I can think is that, all of these plans of what I wanted or what I thought was better, the Lord told me no because He had something greater, because He did. Everything I have and experience now is so much greater than any plans I had 10 years ago, 5 years ago, or even 3 months ago. And yet, “for [I] deserve death”. He spares my life because He didn’t spare His own Son’s life. Even in this verse, Solomon grants something that the priest did as the reason he would spare his life, saying “because you shared in all my father’s affliction”.
The Father has reversed the roles through the life, death and resurrection of His Son for us. Though we deserve death, though we have done nothing to deserve being spared, Jesus carried us. God inspires the apostles Paul and Peter to write:
“The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.” Romans 8:16-17
“But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.” 1 Peter 4:13
“For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.” 2 Corinthians 1:5
Man spares life according to what another has done to benefit us, God spares us according to what He gave up for us.
- Danielle Parker

[ EXAMINE ] the passage. At this point, answer some questions about the meaning of the text. Take time to reflect.
+ Do you read this passage and hear a story about things you would “never do”? Or do you relate to anyone here?
+ Why do you think Adonijah sends Bathsheba on his behalf? Does this parallel how Jesus advocates for us to the Father?

[ APPLY ] the passage to your own life.
+ Is there sin to confess or a next step to take? How has it gone since last time?
+ Where are you still clinging to your own plans? Are you okay with your plans being changed or turned upside down?
+ When’s the last time you looked at your own plans and asked God what’s His and what’s yours?

[ PRAY ] through the passage and your application, and ask God to change your heart and your life.
+ Pray with me:
Lord, help me to choose in the afflictions of Christ. Help me to have the wisdom, grace, and mercy to treat others according to what You have done for me, not according to what they have done to me. I release all of my plans to You, for I can see now and understand ahead that nothing you withhold from me is out of spite, but out of love. Nothing You give to me is for the sake of burdening me, but for the sake of stretching me. The comfort zone and the growth zone cannot coexist, so help me to choose righteous growth in every season, every moment, every relationship. Strengthen me where I am weak, and break me where I think I’ve got this on my own. Your word assures me that the plans You have for me are good, prosperous, and hopeful. Thank You, Lord. It’s in the name of Jesus that I pray, amen.

[ SHARE ] what God is teaching you with at least one person: your roommate,
your spouse, your kids, or your coworkers. Don’t keep what God taught you to
yourself.
(e.g., your family around the dinner table, a friend, co-worker or neighbor- for help join a community group at downtownhope.org/community-groups)
yourself:
+ Talk today’s message over with someone who is discipling you, and someone you are discipling.
+ Who can you ask to hold you accountable to offering your own plans to the Lord?

I have two daughters, and I know that the first four verses are David’s instructions to his son. But regardless of gender, these are terrific commandments. Imagine living your life with these charges in your head:
+ Walk in His ways
+ Keep His statutes
+ Be strong
+ Show yourself
How much stronger would the church be? We’ve talked a lot about the church as a collection of broken sinners, individuals within a broader community. How much different would the church look if those individuals walked strong in the confidence of Christ, keeping His statutes and standing firm in His ways?
What’s stopping us?
- Brandon Beylo

[ EXAMINE ] the passage. At this point, answer some questions about the meaning of the text. Take time to reflect.
+ David offers a textbook example of how to live at the end of your life and the power of the spoken word to the ones you love.

[ APPLY ] the passage to your own life.
+ Is there sin to confess or a next step to take? How has it gone since last time?
+ What are some ways you can instill this type of encouragement to your loved ones and friends?
+ How can we stand firm in His statutes during our everyday, quiet life? At work, at home, etc.

[ PRAY ] through the passage and your application, and ask God to change your heart and your life.
+ Pray with me:
Lord, thank you for sending your Son to die on the cross for our sins. I pray that you give me the strength to Stand Firm in your Statutes. Help me to never be ashamed of the Gospel, of your story, and of who you are in my life.

[ SHARE ] what God is teaching you with at least one person: your roommate,
your spouse, your kids, or your coworkers. Don’t keep what God taught you to
yourself.
(e.g., your family around the dinner table, a friend, co-worker or neighbor- for help join a community group at downtownhope.org/community-groups)
yourself:
+ Talk today’s message over with someone who is discipling you, and someone you are discipling.

King David, flawed though he may have been, was a man after God’s own heart. And so, naturally, he would like to have his successor, his son, likewise follow after Yahweh. What we see in these first couple chapters of Kings, and in particular this passage, is two very different brothers.
Let’s look at Adonijah. Earlier in chapter 1 (vv. 5-10) we see Adonijah, the rightful next born heir, declare “I will be king” (1:5), he then sacrifices animals (notice there is no affirmation that these sacrifices were made “unto the Lord”), and gathers together his friends and allies to presumably celebrate his self-proclaimed ascent to the throne.
Now consider Solomon… no selfish declaration of his kingship (even though David had likely told him he would be heir), no sacrifices for show, and instead of gathering the military leaders and those who David had warned against, Solomon stands with the priests and the prophets.
Adonijah would soon be put to death. This is not something the horns of the altar would defend against. And Solomon would be gifted immeasurable wisdom.
The Lord established Solomon’s throne where Adonijah sought to establish himself.
The question I often ponder: am I desiring, pursuing or resting on my own achievements, or I am handing the reins to the eternal King?
When we let go and trust in the word of the Lord, like David and Solomon, we find peace and sometimes even a reward.
Final note: look who David called upon to make sure he was doing the wise thing… his wife, his priest, and his prophet (who represented the mouthpiece of God). Before he died, David said, in the midst of his people, “blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who has granted someone to sit on my throne this day, my own eyes seeing it.” It wasn’t his legacy, it was simply the Lord upholding his end of the covenant.
- Hayden Van Dyke

[ EXAMINE ] the passage. At this point, answer some questions about the meaning of the text. Take time to reflect.
+ How does King David ensure that Solomon’s coronation is recognized as legitimate and sanctioned by God?
+ Contrast Adonijah’s reaction to Solomon’s coronation with how his supporters reacted. What does this reveal about his leadership?

[ APPLY ] the passage to your own life.
+ Is there sin to confess or a next step to take? How has it gone since last time?
+ In what areas of your life are you tempted to say "I will be king" (like Adonijah) by taking matters into your own hands rather than waiting on God's timing?
+ Solomon offered Adonijah mercy based on whether he would "show himself a worthy man." How can you extend grace and mercy to someone in your life while still maintaining healthy, wise boundaries?

[ PRAY ] through the passage and your application, and ask God to change your heart and your life.
+ Pray with me:
O Lord, King of Kings, without you, I am dust in the wind. Would you reveal to me where I try to make much of myself and help me instead to glorify you? Show me where I need to let go. Father, I thank you for the people in my life who can give me wisdom when I’m unsure – people I know hear from you and pray for me. I pray for those people right now: God help me to speak the truth in love to them. And finally, thank you for your son, Jesus Christ, who is the perfect King – the one who can sit at the right hand of the Father, and invites us to sit at His feet. It’s in His name that I pray, amen.

[ SHARE ] what God is teaching you with at least one person: your roommate,
your spouse, your kids, or your coworkers. Don’t keep what God taught you to
yourself.
(e.g., your family around the dinner table, a friend, co-worker or neighbor- for help join a community group at downtownhope.org/community-groups)
yourself:
+ Talk today’s message over with someone who is discipling you, and someone you are discipling.
+ Ask your friend or loved one to help you see what throne you might be trying to establish in your own life. Have them hold you accountable.

As the scene opens, we find that “when King David was very old, he could not keep warm even when they put covers over him” (1 Kings 1:1).  He had aged prematurely, for scholars say he was only 70 at the time of this writing.
How often families are stirred to action when the patriarch is feeble; and so, with the case of David’s oldest son, Adonijah, who made an attempt to get his father’s throne.
Yet God had other plans.  Nathan, the prophet, gave religious training to Solomon. In fact, he loved Solomon so much that he gave him the name Jedidiah, which means “loved by the Lord” (2 Samuel 12:25).  So Nathan approached Bathsheba, the mother of Solomon, to tell her what Adonijah was preparing to do:
12 Now therefore come, let me give you advice, that you may save your own life and the life of your son Solomon. 13 Go in at once to King David, and say to him, ‘Did you not, my lord the king, swear to your servant, saying, “Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne”? Why then is Adonijah king?’ 14 Then while you are still speaking with the king, I also will come in after you and confirm your words.
And so the story goes that Solomon became king, at only 19 years of age.  We will learn how Solomon leads his kingdom throughout our time in 1 and 2 Kings, but for now, how wonderful is the hand of God that he works through us to procure his story, or what we know as History, through Jeremiah, who most scholars believe wrote 1 and 2 Kings.
- Eileen Dowd

[ EXAMINE ] the passage. At this point, answer some questions about the meaning of the text. Take time to reflect.
+ What do we learn about David’s condition at the beginning of the chapter, and why does his weakness create an opportunity for Adonijah?
+ What does Adonijah’s statement, “I will be king,” reveal about his heart? Where do we see the difference between pursuing what we want and waiting for what God desires?

[ APPLY ] the passage to your own life.
+ Is there sin to confess or a next step to take? How has it gone since last time?
+ Where might I be tempted to say, like Adonijah, “I will…” without first asking, “Lord, what do you want?
+ Is there an area of my life where personal ambition, recognition, control, or pride may be competing with obedience to God?
+ Who are the “Nathans” in my life - people who are willing to tell me the truth even when it is difficult?  Am I willing to listen to them?

[ PRAY ] through the passage and your application, and ask God to change your heart and your life.
+ Pray with me:
Lord, please direct my steps this week. Before I establish any plans, my prayer is that I will put my trust in your purposes and will courageously obey you. In Jesus’s name, amen.

[ SHARE ] what God is teaching you with at least one person: your roommate,
your spouse, your kids, or your coworkers. Don’t keep what God taught you to
yourself.
(e.g., your family around the dinner table, a friend, co-worker or neighbor- for help join a community group at downtownhope.org/community-groups)
yourself:
+ Talk today’s message over with someone who is discipling you, and someone you are discipling.

Biblical miracles may be categorized in at least two ways: purpose and type. Examples of purpose include restoration (e.g., healing the blind; cleansing the lepers) and judgment (e.g., the plagues of Egypt; the withered fig tree). Examples of type include the suspension of natural law (e.g., walking on water; parting the Red Sea) and creative provision (e.g., the widow's oil; feeding the five thousand). Ultimately, miracles reveal God's sovereignty and dominion over all creation.
In this passage from John, the disciples witness Jesus appearing in a locked room without entering through the door (i.e., the miracle's type is the suspension of natural law). And its purpose? Divine revelation. That leads to the next question: Why?
Why did our Savior appear in this way?
Here are three compelling answers, though there are certainly others.
1. To demonstrate the transformed nature of the resurrection body.
Many theologians, including Augustine and Thomas Aquinas, viewed Jesus' appearance in the locked room as evidence that His resurrected body was truly physical while also possessing the glorified qualities of the new creation.
2. To reveal that no barrier can prevent Christ from coming to His people.
John Calvin emphasized that the locked doors highlight Christ's sovereign ability to be present with His fearful disciples despite every human obstacle, particularly as they are commissioned to share the Gospel.
3. To demonstrate continuity with the crucified Jesus.
Jesus shows them His hands and His side so they may know that the One who entered the room is the same Jesus who was crucified, not an apparition.
I confess that I would love to have witnessed that moment. What believer wouldn't? Perhaps John included this account not to satisfy our curiosity about the mechanics of the miracle, but to deepen our confidence in the identity of the One who performed it. The same Lord who could not be kept out by locked doors could not be held by the grave and no barrier can keep Him from accomplishing His purposes today.
- Jason Rimmer

[ EXAMINE ] the passage. At this point, answer some questions about the meaning of the text. Take time to reflect.
+ What would witnessing this miracle have done for my courage and conviction to spread the Gospel?
+ Do I trust the veracity of the scripture enough for it to bolster my courage and conviction today, so many years after the miracle?

[ APPLY ] the passage to your own life.
+ Is there sin to confess or a next step to take? How has it gone since last time?

[ PRAY ] through the passage and your application, and ask God to change your heart and your life.
+ Pray with me:
Lord, grow my faith as I repeat the words of Thomas, “my Lord and my God!” Let disbelief and doubt be far from me. Bring your words to the forefront of my thoughts. Give me courage to share knowing that we serve a risen Savior who is in the world today and always.  Amen.

[ SHARE ] what God is teaching you with at least one person: your roommate,
your spouse, your kids, or your coworkers. Don’t keep what God taught you to
yourself.
(e.g., your family around the dinner table, a friend, co-worker or neighbor- for help join a community group at downtownhope.org/community-groups)
yourself:
+ Talk today’s message over with someone who is discipling you, and someone you are discipling.
+ With what friend or mentor could I discuss this passage?

I remember being a kid in Sunday School and hearing this phrase, thinking: “what on earth is Jesus talking about salt for?” Salt wasn’t just flavor for people’s food, but a preservative for it; a valuable resource for those who had access to it. We have to put ourselves in an “ancient mind” so to speak to understand a world that might not have a refrigerator, or a light fixture at midnight. Salt and Light are necessities in the same way our electricity is. It's dependable. I usually don’t have to think twice about hitting my light switch to make sure I don’t stub my toe, or having a cold glass of milk from the fridge. Jesus calls us to be not only a luxury to those around us, but dependable and valuable so our actions point only to Him. Our actions point others to Christ! Let's not waste that opportunity. Don’t hide His love from the world!
The second half of each set of statements is a warning. Don’t lose your saltiness. Don’t lose your brightness. This sounds similar to Galatians 6 when Paul is encouraging the church in verse 9 to “not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up”. Let us not lose our functionality as Christians because we grow complacent. During the day I teach people firearms safety and marksmanship and I always tell my students “There is no such thing as an accident with firearms, only complacency and lack of training”. When we are complacent we fail to follow through on the things we ought to do, which is a recipe for us to stumble. We have to remember that the things Jesus teaches aren’t instructions for the sake of instructions, He instructs because He knows what is best for us! We should seek training in godliness (1 Timothy 4:8) so we can prevent complacency, keep our saltiness and finish well (2 Timothy 4:7).
- Quentin Parker

[ EXAMINE ] the passage. At this point, answer some questions about the meaning of the text. Take time to reflect.
+ Why do you think this portion of the Sermon on the Mount was given immediately after the beatitudes?

[ APPLY ] the passage to your own life.
+ Is there sin to confess or a next step to take? How has it gone since last time?
+ What is one way you might have “lost your saltiness”? How can you get it back?

[ PRAY ] through the passage and your application, and ask God to change your heart and your life.
+ Pray with me:
Father, thank you for the breath of life and the ability to worship you in all we do. Show us the ways we can be the light as you call us to be. Convict us and sanctify us as we lean into your Word and instruction. Thank you for being the author and perfector of our faith. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

[ SHARE ] what God is teaching you with at least one person: your roommate,
your spouse, your kids, or your coworkers. Don’t keep what God taught you to
yourself.
(e.g., your family around the dinner table, a friend, co-worker or neighbor- for help join a community group at downtownhope.org/community-groups)
yourself:
+ Talk today’s message over with someone who is discipling you, and someone you are discipling.

Isaiah opens Chapter 6 with a vision of the Lord seated on His throne, surrounded by seraphim calling to one another, “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” Their voices shake the thresholds, and the temple fills with smoke.
Isaiah doesn’t immediately respond by gleefully shouting, “Here I am! Send me!” Overwhelmed by God’s holiness, he instead laments, “Woe is me!” He recognizes that he is “a man of unclean lips” living among “a people of unclean lips.”
A seraph touches Isaiah’s mouth with a burning coal and declares that Isaiah’s guilt has been taken away and his sin atoned for. The very lips Isaiah confessed as unclean are now cleansed by God and will soon be used to speak His Word. Grace comes before mission.
It is then that Isaiah hears the Lord ask, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Not yet knowing what God will ask of him, Isaiah makes himself available: “Here I am! Send me.” God’s grace moves Isaiah from “Woe is me!” to “Here I am! Send me.”
Centuries later, John tells us that Isaiah “saw his glory and spoke of him,” referring to Jesus (John 12:41). Through Christ, our guilt is taken away; we are reconciled to God! We don’t serve to earn God’s acceptance; we serve because we have already received His grace. God sends us to live on mission in the places He has already put us—our homes, workplaces, neighborhoods, church, and city.
- Jenna Connor

[ EXAMINE ] the passage. At this point, answer some questions about the meaning of the text. Take time to reflect.
+ What does God do for Isaiah before asking, “Whom shall I send?” Why is that order important?
+ What does Isaiah’s response, “Woe is me!” reveal about what happens when we truly see God’s holiness?
+ How does God’s grace move Isaiah from “Woe is me!” to “Here I am! Send me”?

[ APPLY ] the passage to your own life.
+ Is there sin to confess or a next step to take? How has it gone since last time?
+ What keeps you from fully embracing God’s grace? What would it look and feel like for you to say to Him “Here I am! Send me”?
+ How might God be calling you to live on mission right where you are?  Where has He already placed you—at home, at work, in your neighborhood, church, or community?

[ PRAY ] through the passage and your application, and ask God to change your heart and your life.
+ Pray with me:
Father God, I fall short of your perfect holiness, but through Jesus Christ you have cleansed me and forgiven my sins.
Help me to remember that I do not serve to earn your love, but because you love me, saved me, and made me your own.
When I feel inadequate or uncertain about what you would have me do or where you want me to go, please help me to persevere and follow through with whatever mission(s) you have for me.
Mold me into a disciple who is available to you, and ready to say “Here I am! Send me.”
I ask these things in the name of Jesus. Amen.

[ SHARE ] what God is teaching you with at least one person: your roommate,
your spouse, your kids, or your coworkers. Don’t keep what God taught you to
yourself.
(e.g., your family around the dinner table, a friend, co-worker or neighbor- for help join a community group at downtownhope.org/community-groups)
yourself:
+ Talk today’s message over with someone who is discipling you, and someone you are discipling.

God's call to Abraham did not end with Abraham. "I will bless you... and you shall be a blessing." That one small word, “and”, changes everything. The blessing was never a destination. It was a pipeline.
Abraham stood against his family, his culture, his whole known world, and left everything familiar behind. His father's household had already answered one call and left Ur, but they stopped at Haran. Halfway felt like enough. God did not let it be enough, because the blessing God had in mind could not be contained in Haran. It had to keep moving, all the way to Canaan, and beyond, to all the families of the earth.
Sarah was barren. Rich in silver, rich in livestock, but empty where it mattered most. How could a people be a blessing if there was no offspring? Barrenness is a metaphor for hopelessness. Abraham was unqualified, standing in the one place hope could not reach on its own. And it was there, before any evidence, before any son, that God spoke blessing over him.
This is how grace works. The blessing comes first. The fruit comes later. God did not wait for Abraham to prove himself useful before promising to bless the nations through him. He blessed a barren, unqualified man and then sent him out to be poured out.
Under it all, one promise: a son. Isaac, born of grace, points us to another Son. Jesus left His Father's house, gave up the ultimate security, and became homeless and fatherless so that the blessing could reach us too.
We have been blessed. Not so it would stop with us, but so it would move through us.
Who is waiting on the other side of your obedience?
- Mary Gunther

[ EXAMINE ] the passage. At this point, answer some questions about the meaning of the text. Take time to reflect.
+ God tells Abraham, "I will bless you... and you shall be a blessing" (v.2). Why do you think blessing was never meant to end with Abraham?
+ Abraham was blessed before he had done anything to earn it, while he was still barren of any evidence that God would come through. What does that order, blessing before result, teach us about grace?
+ Verse 3 says, "all the families of the earth shall be blessed" through Abraham. How does this one promise stretch all the way from Genesis to Jesus?

[ APPLY ] the passage to your own life.
+ Is there sin to confess or a next step to take? How has it gone since last time?
+ Where has God blessed you, materially, relationally, spiritually, that you have quietly kept for yourself instead of passing on?
+ Paul says God comforts us so that we can comfort others (2 Corinthians 1:3-4). Who around you needs the specific comfort or blessing you've already received from God?

[ PRAY ] through the passage and your application, and ask God to change your heart and your life.
+ Pray with me:
Father, You blessed Abraham not so the blessing would stop with him, but so it would flow through him to every family on earth. Forgive me for the times I have received Your blessings and held them tightly, as if they were mine to keep rather than mine to share. Show me who is waiting for the comfort, provision, or hope You have already given me. Remind me that just as You made Abraham a blessing, and just as You sent Jesus, the ultimate blessing, to the nations, You have made me a blessing too. Give me eyes to see the barren and hopeless places around me, and courage to carry Your grace to them. In Jesus' name, Amen.

[ SHARE ] what God is teaching you with at least one person: your roommate,
your spouse, your kids, or your coworkers. Don’t keep what God taught you to
yourself.
(e.g., your family around the dinner table, a friend, co-worker or neighbor- for help join a community group at downtownhope.org/community-groups)
yourself:
+ Talk today’s message over with someone who is discipling you, and someone you are discipling.
+ Who is one person you could bless this week simply because God has first blessed you? Tell someone what you're planning to do, and do it.

One thing that struck me as I read this passage is the flow of thought between verses 1 and 2.  In vs. 1 Jesus sends out his disciples and in vs. 2 he commands them to pray for the Lord to send out workers, the very thing he is doing. As I pray for laborers or perhaps for financial support for a missionary, or help for someone in need I also ask myself where or in what way am I part of the answer to that prayer?
As Jesus sends his disciples he instructs them.  One bit of guidance is to not go from house to house (Luke 10:7).  If a stranger came into town the custom was for each neighbor to invite the stranger to dine and stay with them.  A stranger who was interested in the finest fare or most comfortable lodging could accept an offer and if a better one was presented could “trade up” to a better arrangement.  The implication of this passage is that Jesus’s disciples were to be moving from town to town.  They were not supposed to be looking for comfortable places to remain.  As we share the Good News with others a present day application could be to “keep the main thing the main thing” which is reaching others and not our personal gain or comfort.
- Gary Gunther

[ EXAMINE ] the passage. At this point, answer some questions about the meaning of the text. Take time to reflect.
+ What word or phrase in this passage grabs my attention?  Why?

[ APPLY ] the passage to your own life.
+ Is there sin to confess or a next step to take? How has it gone since last time?
+ Am I praying for workers for the expansion of God’s kingdom?
+ Where am I or can I be a part of answering the Father’s call for workers?

[ PRAY ] through the passage and your application, and ask God to change your heart and your life.
+ Pray with me:
Lord of the Harvest, send workers into the fields which are white for harvest. Show me the area where my gifts can be best used.  Enable me to love others with the same love you have shown me.

[ SHARE ] what God is teaching you with at least one person: your roommate,
your spouse, your kids, or your coworkers. Don’t keep what God taught you to
yourself.
(e.g., your family around the dinner table, a friend, co-worker or neighbor- for help join a community group at downtownhope.org/community-groups)
yourself:
+ Talk today’s message over with someone who is discipling you, and someone you are discipling.
+ When the disciples returned they came with joy, Luke 10:17.  What story do you have that encourages you and would encourage others?

For what purpose does the messenger of God toil? Paul answers this question directly in verse 28 – “that we may present everyone mature in Christ”. For this, Paul says, “I toil, struggling with all His energy that He powerfully works within me”.
We know that we are filled with the same Spirit that urged Paul into ministry. Of course, our efforts may manifest in different ways, but the source remains the same: The Lord’s energy, “that He powerfully works within” us.
The Church is called to labor for the maturity of believers, preparing them to be presented mature in Christ. How is the Church to do this? Again, we look to verse 28 for our answer: “proclaim”; further, we “warn” and “teach”.
We proclaim Christ and Him crucified – “the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints”. As Paul reminds us in Romans 10, “How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in Him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent?” Friends, proclaim!
We warn – this present world is passing away. Again, Paul puts it succinctly in Romans 14: “We will all stand before the judgment seat of God; for it is written, ‘As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.’ So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.” Let us not do our brethren the disservice of shying away from the sometimes-uncomfortable responsibility that we have of warning each other regarding the dire consequences of falling away from the faith.
We teach – and we do so “with all wisdom”. The expositor Matthew Henry exegetes these words as follows: “We must choose the fittest seasons, and use the likeliest means, and accommodate ourselves to the different circumstances and capacities of [all people], and teach them as they are able to bear.” The “gentleness and respect” that Peter speaks of in 1 Peter 3:15 comes to mind here – for what good is knowledge if it is not tempered by and communicated with love?
These actions are inseparable: our proclamation of Christ takes concrete form through wise admonition and teaching. As a church, let us embody proclamation through admonition and teaching, as we look forward to the coming marriage supper of the Lamb.
- Kidus Kebede

[ EXAMINE ] the passage. At this point, answer some questions about the meaning of the text. Take time to reflect.
+ What does it mean to be a “mature” believer?
+ What does Paul mean when he says that he is “filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church”?

[ APPLY ] the passage to your own life.
+ Is there sin to confess or a next step to take? How has it gone since last time?
+ Do you “proclaim” regularly? Asked differently – do you make an effort to warn and teach those around you in all wisdom?
+ Do you have someone in your life – a more mature believer – that warns and teaches you? Do you have someone in your life that you lean on for wise counsel and accountability?

[ PRAY ] through the passage and your application, and ask God to change your heart and your life.
+ Pray with me:
Father, we are Yours. You call us your own; adopted in Christ, and united in His Body. Help us support each other in the maturity of our faith, that we may be presented to you as “the spirits of the righteous made perfect”. In our Savior Christ’s name we pray – Amen.

[ SHARE ] what God is teaching you with at least one person: your roommate,
your spouse, your kids, or your coworkers. Don’t keep what God taught you to
yourself.
(e.g., your family around the dinner table, a friend, co-worker or neighbor- for help join a community group at downtownhope.org/community-groups)
yourself:
+ Talk today’s message over with someone who is discipling you, and someone you are discipling.

Paul uses three relatable examples to encourage his protégé: soldiers, athletes, and farmers. He wants Timothy to stay focused on the task at hand and be persistent through suffering. I think Paul is wanting to convey comfort to Timothy as well as exhortation. The word “child” in verse 1 is the same word that Jesus used in Mark 2:5 to the paralytic when he says, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” This word has the connotation of great endearment!
If I had to summarize this passage it would be this: be strong. Remain steadfast in suffering. Don't get distracted from your calling. Play by the rules and you will reap the rewards.
- Cara Fowler

[ EXAMINE ] the passage. At this point, answer some questions about the meaning of the text. Take time to reflect.
+ What does it mean to be a good servant of Christ Jesus?
+ What valuable characteristics do we glean from this passage?

[ APPLY ] the passage to your own life.
+ Is there sin to confess or a next step to take? How has it gone since last time?
+ Are you getting "entangled in civilian pursuits"? How might you be getting distracted from what God has called you to?
+ Is your aim to please the One who enlisted you?

[ PRAY ] through the passage and your application, and ask God to change your heart and your life.
+ Pray with me:
God I pray you would strengthen us by the grace that is in Christ Jesus. Would you help us be good soldiers in the faith and share in the sufferings of brothers and sisters around us. Above all, Lord, would you give us understanding in everything and help us listen to Your voice. Amen.

[ SHARE ] what God is teaching you with at least one person: your roommate,
your spouse, your kids, or your coworkers. Don’t keep what God taught you to
yourself.
(e.g., your family around the dinner table, a friend, co-worker or neighbor- for help join a community group at downtownhope.org/community-groups)
yourself:
+ Talk today’s message over with someone who is discipling you, and someone you are discipling.
+ How might you “share in suffering” with other soldiers in Christ Jesus?

Verse 40 gets me every time I read it: “Everyone, when fully trained, will be like their teacher.”
That’s the goal. Not just to know what Jesus knows. Not just to be able to explain what Jesus taught. To become like him.
And if I’m honest, I know there are days when what comes out of me doesn’t look much like Jesus.
Maybe that’s why what Jesus says next hits so hard. He starts talking about a person with a log in their own eye trying to help somebody else with a speck in theirs. And I don’t love how much I recognize myself in that picture.
It’s easy to see what’s wrong with somebody else. Their marriage. Their parenting. Their decisions. Their theology. Their doubt. Meanwhile, Jesus says, “Pay attention to what’s happening in you.”
Then he gives us another picture: a tree and its fruit.
A tree eventually produces what’s actually growing inside of it. You can call yourself whatever you want. You can have good intentions. You can know all the right answers. But eventually, the fruit tells the truth.
And I think that’s what I keep coming back to in this passage.
If we are going to help other people follow Jesus, then following Jesus has to be doing something in us first.
That doesn’t mean we have to have it all together. None of us do. It means discipleship is more than having something to teach somebody else. It’s becoming the kind of person whose life is increasingly pointing them toward Jesus.
So here’s the question I’m sitting with today:
If someone became more like me because they followed me, would they become more like Jesus?
- David Bempong

[ EXAMINE ] the passage. At this point, answer some questions about the meaning of the text. Take time to reflect.
+ What happens when a blind person tries to guide another blind person (v. 39)?
+ Why does Jesus move straight from "fully trained will be like their teacher" (v. 40) into the speck and the log (vv. 41–42)? What is he connecting between formation and correction?
+ What separates the person who hears and does what Jesus says from the person who only hears (vv. 46–49)?

[ APPLY ] the passage to your own life.
+ Is there sin to confess or a next step to take? How has it gone since last time?
+ Think of someone who shaped you well. What did they give you that wasn't a lesson, just who they were around you? How might God be inviting you to become that for someone else?

[ PRAY ] through the passage and your application, and ask God to change your heart and your life.
+ Pray with me:
Jesus, I want to be useful to the people around me. But I don't want to hand them a version of you I haven't actually lived with. Take out what's in me that isn't yours yet. Slow me down enough to be shaped before I try to shape anyone else. I trust you to keep doing this work in me, even on the days I can't see it happening. Amen.

[ SHARE ] what God is teaching you with at least one person: your roommate,
your spouse, your kids, or your coworkers. Don’t keep what God taught you to
yourself.
(e.g., your family around the dinner table, a friend, co-worker or neighbor- for help join a community group at downtownhope.org/community-groups)
yourself:
+ Talk today’s message over with someone who is discipling you, and someone you are discipling.

Jesus has begun his ministry and is gathering his followers. Among those are the appointed twelve which we are told he names apostles, which means sent ones. What does he appoint them to do? 1) To be with him, spend time with him, be discipled by him, and 2) to be sent out to preach about the kingdom of God and minister with authority to cast out demons. Jesus captures two important aspects of following him here–to learn from him (discipleship) and to proclaim the Gospel wherever we are sent.
- Monica Godfrey

[ EXAMINE ] the passage. At this point, answer some questions about the meaning of the text. Take time to reflect.
+ There are many followers, but only a few appointed apostles. Why do you think that is?
+ What is the connection between being discipled by Jesus and being sent by Jesus?

[ APPLY ] the passage to your own life.
+ Is there sin to confess or a next step to take? How has it gone since last time?
+ Are you willing to be discipled and sent by Jesus?
+ Do you have a sense for whom the Lord might be sending you to?

[ PRAY ] through the passage and your application, and ask God to change your heart and your life.
+ Pray with me:
Lord, we thank you that we are equipped by you as you send us where you call us. Make us bold to speak the truth in love. Soften the hearts of those we love and interact with. Open doors for the Gospel in their hearts and in our relationships. Thank you for the Holy Spirit that goes with us and does the work of changing lives. Help us to walk faithfully with you, keeping our eyes on Jesus.

[ SHARE ] what God is teaching you with at least one person: your roommate,
your spouse, your kids, or your coworkers. Don’t keep what God taught you to
yourself.
(e.g., your family around the dinner table, a friend, co-worker or neighbor- for help join a community group at downtownhope.org/community-groups)
yourself:
+ Talk today’s message over with someone who is discipling you, and someone you are discipling.

Paul’s whole letter to the Ephesians bursts with abundant promises, provision and real hope in Christ. This section is no different.
Imagine that unity in the faith will happen. Mature manhood and womanhood can be attained in Christ.
God gives all we need to grow as a tree planted by streams of water one ring at a time. As each individual accepts God’s call to follow Him and teach others, the Body is strengthened in Christ! Lies are debunked. People flourish. Blessed hope pulses in each person and the church in Christ!
Who are you placing your hope in? What is your current spiritual temperature? Where are you planting yourself? How are you using your spiritual gifts to serve the body? Why might your life reflect or not reflect the hope in this passage?
- Kim Williams

[ EXAMINE ] the passage. At this point, answer some questions about the meaning of the text. Take time to reflect.
+ Who was given to equip and build up the body of Christ? Was this just for Paul’s generation? How does verse 13 inform your answer? If not, who are they in this generation? Are you called to be one in your sphere of influence? What might that look like?
+ What is the ultimate goal of the equipping and building up according to verse 13 and 15? What will it prevent according to verse 14?
+ What is the means to spiritual growth according to verse 15?
+ The phrase “when each part is working properly” is a bit daunting in this day and age. What does it mean to you? How have you seen it done well? How are you personally using your position in Christ to do your part in the Body?

[ APPLY ] the passage to your own life.
+ Is there sin to confess or a next step to take? How has it gone since last time?
+ What did the promised Holy Spirit illuminate in this passage today for you personally? How will you respond?
+ Is there a place in your life where you are prone to being tossed about? Ask the Lord to illuminate truth in love and guide your steps in this particular area. Is there a person in the body who could help you be steadfast in this area?

[ PRAY ] through the passage and your application, and ask God to change your heart and your life.
+ Pray with me:
Dear Jesus, thank you for your abundant promises, provision, and hope! In you nothing is impossible! The unity that in our mind seems fleeting, bring it through your Spirit! When it seems easier to stay stuck, rather than progressing to maturity, show us why we should move to become more like you. Illuminate, Lord Jesus, places in our life where we are prone to being deceived. Open our eyes. Bring truth to us through Your Word, Your Spirit, and Your people. Help us give and receive this truth in love.
Thank you for your love and that we don’t have to do anything to earn it. As you have extended grace to us as we grow to maturity, give us grace to extend to others as they are growing as well. It’s in your powerful and precious name, Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.

[ SHARE ] what God is teaching you with at least one person: your roommate,
your spouse, your kids, or your coworkers. Don’t keep what God taught you to
yourself.
(e.g., your family around the dinner table, a friend, co-worker or neighbor- for help join a community group at downtownhope.org/community-groups)
yourself:
+ Talk today’s message over with someone who is discipling you, and someone you are discipling.
+ Look to be one of those in the body mentioned in verse 11. God will equip you! You could start with what the Spirit illuminated to you and share this truth and what you did with it with love with another.

“I just love mushrooms and onions on my pizza”.
So, did I really mean that or was I being facetious?  Because this is the written word and you can’t see my facial expression or hear the particular tone in my voice, you cannot really tell.  This thought came to me as I read some of the verses in Psalm 139, especially verse 7:
7 Where shall I go from your Spirit?
    Or where shall I flee from your presence?
One can question the actual meaning of this verse because we know from the introduction (which is part of the actual text from Scripture), this psalm was written by David.  Remember David also wrote Psalm 51, where he pours out his contrition to God after being “found out” in his sin of adultery with Bathsheba and the subsequent conspiracy to murder her husband Uriah.  Could David actually be “complaining” that no matter where he goes, he cannot escape the gaze of the Almighty God?  Maybe you can relate that sometimes being “known” by someone so well is not such a great feeling!  As we read the rest of this beautiful Psalm, we see that David may not always take comfort concerning God’s omniscience and omnipresence in his own life, but it does lead him to awe, reverence, praise, worship and devotion, as we should as well!
BTW, Joan and I regularly request both mushrooms and onions as toppings for our pizza, but you would know that if you really knew us!
- Chris Adomanis

[ EXAMINE ] the passage. At this point, answer some questions about the meaning of the text. Take time to reflect.
+ Define in general and “specific to you” terms what it means that God is
      omniscient (verses 1-6)
      omnipresent (verses 7-12)
      creator (verses 13-16)
      steadfast in His love (verses 17-18)
+ Verses 19-24 are David’s response to God’s greatness that he just described in verses 1-18.  What does it mean and how can we properly “hate those who hate God” (verses 19-22)?  What do you think David concluded about God in his request to Him found in verses 23-24?  What’s your conclusion?

[ APPLY ] the passage to your own life.
+ Is there sin to confess or a next step to take? How has it gone since last time?
+ Are there areas in your life that you hide, not only from the people around you, but from the Omniscient, Omnipresent God?  Repent and be assured that this same God has nothing but precious thoughts toward you that cannot even be counted!
Lamentations 3:22-23: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

[ PRAY ] through the passage and your application, and ask God to change your heart and your life.
+ I can find no better prayer than what David offered to close this wonderful Psalm, taken from the New Living Translation.  But before you do, read these words of caution from two great Bible scholars concerning these verses.
“It is a serious thing to pray, because it invites painful exposures and surgery, if we truly mean it. Still it is what every wise believer should desire.” (Dr. James Boice 1938-2000)
“I call upon you to be cautious in using this prayer. It is easy to mock God, by asking him to search you whilst you have made but little effort to search yourselves, and perhaps still less to act upon the result of the scrutiny.” (Henry Melvill 1809-71).

If you are ready and willing, pray with me…
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24 Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.
Amen

[ SHARE ] what God is teaching you with at least one person: your roommate,
your spouse, your kids, or your coworkers. Don’t keep what God taught you to
yourself.
(e.g., your family around the dinner table, a friend, co-worker or neighbor- for help join a community group at downtownhope.org/community-groups)
yourself:
+ Talk today’s message over with someone who is discipling you, and someone you are discipling.
+ Who in your sphere of influence needs to hear about the all knowing, all seeing, creator who is steadfast in His love for those who call upon His Name?

In the first verse, is David acknowledging other gods as capital G gods? Of course not. All throughout scriptures, the Lord rebukes His people when they have made idols (or gods) out of material things, other nations’ “gods”, or any other thing. Today, we are no stranger to making gods of other things. I believe to crown anything as a god is simply to give something (typically designed as good, but sadly perverted and twisted) the priority and place in our lives that only YHWH deserves. When David says, “I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart; before the gods I sing your praise”, I believe this is to do what we are charged with so often here at Downtown Hope. To unabashedly, unashamed, boldly proclaim that our God is Lord of all, before every other thing in our lives, He is God. Before what the world calls good, before our children, before our marriages, before our jobs, before our flesh, He is Lord of it all. We should praise Him and shout this truth before everything that breathes. After all, Jesus said "I tell you, if these [people] were silent, the very stones would cry out.” (Luke 19:40) Don’t let a rock cry out to the Lord, who has been gracious upon gracious to you, before you do.
Verse 3 strikes me as well, because as David writes “On the day I called, you answered me;  my strength of soul you increased”, I am reminded that there is not one prayer that our God does not answer. I think sometimes we forget that “no” and “wait” and “I have something better planned” are answers, too. And in fact, those answers are just as worthy, if not more, of our praise and worship. God cares enough about us to tell us no. He cares enough to see our plans, and say If I give you this, how could I give you what you don’t see yet? I’d way prefer our God who has our life plan in the palm of His hands to tell me no, so that I may draw closer to Him and His presence, than for Him to just tell me sure, go ahead, even if it destroys my very soul.
I will echo David’s final words of this Psalm, “The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.” Merriam-Webster defines forsake as "to renounce, or turn away from entirely". Do not “renounce, or turn away from [me] entirely” Jesus.
- Danielle Parker

[ EXAMINE ] the passage. At this point, answer some questions about the meaning of the text. Take time to reflect.
+ What does it mean to be forsaken? (Hint: Definition in the bottom of the devotional) Why does David in many Psalms beg the Lord not to forsake him? Is there anything of this world worth it?
+ Read verse 7. Reflect on the troubles that life has presented you, and what troubles you currently find yourself contending with. Identify how God has preserved your soul even still.

[ APPLY ] the passage to your own life.
+ Is there sin to confess or a next step to take? How has it gone since last time?
+ Do you find that you understand why we worship God? Not just why we follow Him, but why we sing songs of praise, write poems, create and dedicate to Him? Do you believe that your worship and prayer life reflects the gratitude you have for all He has done?

[ PRAY ] through the passage and your application, and ask God to change your heart and your life.
+ Pray with me:
Lord, do not forsake me. Thank you for promising that He who began a good work in me will see it to completion. If there are any works in me that I have begun myself without your yes, crush them. Lift my eyes to the hills to see where my help comes from, and show me what is right. Show me what work you are trying to do in me, and I beg you Lord, judge and change me where I am not following you. You have been my best friend, and there is no other who cares for me as You do. Help me to remember that. Help me to love others as you have loved me. I couldn’t know love without knowing You first. Thank You for everything Lord. Thank You for it all. It’s in the mighty name of Jesus that we pray, amen

[ SHARE ] what God is teaching you with at least one person: your roommate,
your spouse, your kids, or your coworkers. Don’t keep what God taught you to
yourself.
(e.g., your family around the dinner table, a friend, co-worker or neighbor- for help join a community group at downtownhope.org/community-groups)
yourself:
+ Talk today’s message over with someone who is discipling you, and someone you are discipling.
+ Discuss what it means to worship and praise with someone close to you today. What does your time, money, and effort point to you worshipping?

This was an interesting chapter to read. Initially, I didn’t know what to write about or where to go. These verses read like cryptographic poems, and I had to read them three times before finding an idea of what to write.
I want to focus on the following verses:
4 How shall we sing the Lord's song
    in a foreign land?
5 If I forget you, O Jerusalem,
    let my right hand forget its skill!
6 Let my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth,
    if I do not remember you,
if I do not set Jerusalem
    above my highest joy!
I went to a very secular college, Syracuse University. It was my first time away from home and, more importantly, my first time away from mandatory church attendance. At college, I didn’t have to go to church. I could sleep in, play video games, drink or smoke. Really whatever I wanted.
In other words, being in a foreign land is often the first test of your faith. Is it real or not? Will you still sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land?
I love the way these verses explain the consequences of not doing that. My right hand forgetting its skill and my tongue sticking to the roof of my mouth symbolize the death of our spiritual self.
Forgetting Jerusalem, or God, so to speak, means we forget who we are as God’s creation. And that sounds horrible.
But that’s why I love foreign lands. It tests your faith and proves that it’s real.
- Brandon Beylo

[ EXAMINE ] the passage. At this point, answer some questions about the meaning of the text. Take time to reflect.
+ What verses stand out to you most in this text?
+ What part of these verses confuses you the most? And why?

[ APPLY ] the passage to your own life.
+ Is there sin to confess or a next step to take? How has it gone since last time?
+ Was there a period in your life where you lived in a “foreign land” and found it hard to sing the song of God?

[ PRAY ] through the passage and your application, and ask God to change your heart and your life.
+ Pray with me:
Lord, pray that I continue to sing your song in foreign lands. Give me the courage to boast in your name and sing your praises despite enemies or fears.

[ SHARE ] what God is teaching you with at least one person: your roommate,
your spouse, your kids, or your coworkers. Don’t keep what God taught you to
yourself.
(e.g., your family around the dinner table, a friend, co-worker or neighbor- for help join a community group at downtownhope.org/community-groups)
yourself:
+ Talk today’s message over with someone who is discipling you, and someone you are discipling.
+ Who is in a foreign land currently that needs your support and prayer?

The pattern here is pretty evident – in all things, past, present and future, His steadfast love endures forever. The psalmist proclaims God’s omnipotence then recounts the evidence of His relationship with His creation from the beginning to the present. Certainly, we can continue this movement:
He gave us His Son, His only Son to cover our sins,
For his steadfast love endures forever.
He sent his Holy Spirit to all who call upon His name,
For his steadfast love endures forever.
He has established and guided his church, the bride of Christ,
For his steadfast love endures forever.
When we fall short, His grace is sufficient,
For his love endures forever.
He has gifted us family and community,
For his love endures forever.
We could go on and on… maybe that’s how you spend your time this morning. Recall God’s steadfast love in your life – before you were formed in the womb, and beyond your last breath, his love is the common thread. How great is the Lord! How kind and loving is the Father!
- Hayden Van Dyke

[ EXAMINE ] the passage. At this point, answer some questions about the meaning of the text. Take time to reflect.
+ How has God shown his steadfast and enduring love to his creation?
+ What do the first 3 verses reveal about the nature of God?

[ APPLY ] the passage to your own life.
+ Is there sin to confess or a next step to take? How has it gone since last time?
+ If you were to continue this prayer or hymn, how would you praise God specifically for revealing his steadfast love in your life?
+ What experience or truth has opened your heart to appreciate the love of God in your life?

[ PRAY ] through the passage and your application, and ask God to change your heart and your life.
+ Pray with me:
Heavenly Father, your steadfast love endures forever! Thank you for ordering your creation and humanity and time in such a way that I am alive and breathing today. As I breathe in the very air you have given me, I breathe out your praise. Hallelujah, Amen.

[ SHARE ] what God is teaching you with at least one person: your roommate,
your spouse, your kids, or your coworkers. Don’t keep what God taught you to
yourself.
(e.g., your family around the dinner table, a friend, co-worker or neighbor- for help join a community group at downtownhope.org/community-groups)
yourself:
+ Talk today’s message over with someone who is discipling you, and someone you are discipling.
+ How can you encourage someone to remember God’s steadfast love in their life?

Psalm 135 begins with an exhortation: Praise the LORD!
The author calls upon Israel to remember what the LORD has done for them: He chose Jacob as His own possession, delivered His people from slavery in Egypt, defeated mighty kings and kingdoms, and led them to their promised inheritance—the land of Canaan. Israel's history reveals the faithfulness of YHWH—the LORD, their covenant God.
But the LORD is so much more than the God of Israel's past. His people are called to recognize who He is now: the sovereign God who rules over all creation and “does whatever He pleases.” His name endures forever. His people can rest in what He will do: have compassion on them, and vindicate them.
The psalmist then contrasts the living LORD with the lifeless idols of the nations. These objects, made by human hands, cannot speak, see, hear, or breathe. The LORD acts; idols cannot. Why trust in something powerless when the living God has demonstrated His faithfulness throughout the generations?
For Christians, the faithfulness of the covenant-keeping God is fully revealed in Jesus Christ. God carried forward His plan of redemption throughout history, ultimately sending us the promised Messiah.
And just as the Psalm opens with the directive to “Praise the LORD,” so too, it ends the same way.
The LORD is ever faithful. How, then, can we His people not speak and sing His praises every day?  
- Jenna Connor

[ EXAMINE ] the passage. At this point, answer some questions about the meaning of the text. Take time to reflect.
+ Look again at what the LORD has done, what He continues to do, and what He promises to do. How do these past, present, and future actions demonstrate His enduring faithfulness?
+ Why does the psalmist contrast everything the LORD does with idols that cannot speak, see, hear, or breathe? What does this reveal about the difference between the living God and the gods of the nations?

[ APPLY ] the passage to your own life.
+ Is there sin to confess or a next step to take? How has it gone since last time?
+ Do I turn toward God in the midst of struggles? Do I remember His faithfulness in my life every day? Do I speak or sing His praises regularly?
+ Whom, or what, are you tempted to trust for security, satisfaction, or control that only the living God can ultimately provide?

[ PRAY ] through the passage and your application, and ask God to change your heart and your life.
+ Pray with me:
Father, You are the living and ever-faithful God. You have shown Your faithfulness throughout the generations, and You alone are worthy of our trust and praise.
Forgive us when we look to the idols of this world for the security, comfort, satisfaction, or control that only You can provide. Help us recognize the things we are tempted to rely upon instead of You, and turn our hearts away from them.
Teach us to remember Your faithfulness, recognize Your sovereign hand in our lives, and rest in Your care. Especially when life is difficult or uncertain, help us praise You—not only for what You have done, but simply for who You are. Make praise a regular rhythm of our lives, turning our hearts and minds toward You and deepening our trust and reliance on You.
Thank You for Your faithfulness displayed most fully in Jesus Christ. By Your Spirit, keep our hearts fixed on You, confident that the God who has been faithful throughout all generations will remain faithful forever.
In Jesus' name, Amen

[ SHARE ] what God is teaching you with at least one person: your roommate,
your spouse, your kids, or your coworkers. Don’t keep what God taught you to
yourself.
(e.g., your family around the dinner table, a friend, co-worker or neighbor- for help join a community group at downtownhope.org/community-groups)
yourself:
+ Talk today’s message over with someone who is discipling you, and someone you are discipling.

27 When the fourteenth night had come, as we were being driven across the Adriatic Sea, about midnight the sailors suspected that they were nearing land. 28 So they took a sounding and found twenty fathoms. A little farther on they took a sounding again and found fifteen fathoms. 29 And fearing that we might run on the rocks, they let down four anchors from the stern and prayed for day to come. 30 And as the sailors were seeking to escape from the ship, and had lowered the ship's boat into the sea under pretense of laying out anchors from the bow, 31 Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men stay in the ship, you cannot be saved.” 32 Then the soldiers cut away the ropes of the ship's boat and let it go.
33 As day was about to dawn, Paul urged them all to take some food, saying, “Today is the fourteenth day that you have continued in suspense and without food, having taken nothing. 34 Therefore I urge you to take some food. For it will give you strength, for not a hair is to perish from the head of any of you.” 35 And when he had said these things, he took bread, and giving thanks to God in the presence of all he broke it and began to eat. 36 Then they all were encouraged and ate some food themselves. 37 (We were in all 276 persons in the ship.) 38 And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, throwing out the wheat into the sea.
The Shipwreck
39 Now when it was day, they did not recognize the land, but they noticed a bay with a beach, on which they planned if possible to run the ship ashore. 40 So they cast off the anchors and left them in the sea, at the same time loosening the ropes that tied the rudders. Then hoisting the foresail to the wind they made for the beach. 41 But striking a reef,[h] they ran the vessel aground. The bow stuck and remained immovable, and the stern was being broken up by the surf. 42 The soldiers' plan was to kill the prisoners, lest any should swim away and escape. 43 But the centurion, wishing to save Paul, kept them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and make for the land, 44 and the rest on planks or on pieces of the ship. And so it was that all were brought safely to land.
Paul on Malta
28 After we were brought safely through, we then learned that the island was called Malta. 2 The native people showed us unusual kindness, for they kindled a fire and welcomed us all, because it had begun to rain and was cold. 3 When Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and put them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat and fastened on his hand. 4 When the native people saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, “No doubt this man is a murderer. Though he has escaped from the sea, Justice has not allowed him to live.” 5 He, however, shook off the creature into the fire and suffered no harm. 6 They were waiting for him to swell up or suddenly fall down dead. But when they had waited a long time and saw no misfortune come to him, they changed their minds and said that he was a god.
7 Now in the neighborhood of that place were lands belonging to the chief man of the island, named Publius, who received us and entertained us hospitably for three days. 8 It happened that the father of Publius lay sick with fever and dysentery. And Paul visited him and prayed, and putting his hands on him, healed him. 9 And when this had taken place, the rest of the people on the island who had diseases also came and were cured. 10 They also honored us greatly, and when we were about to sail, they put on board whatever we needed.
Paul Arrives at Rome
11 After three months we set sail in a ship that had wintered in the island, a ship of Alexandria, with the twin gods as a figurehead. 12 Putting in at Syracuse, we stayed there for three days. 13 And from there we made a circuit and arrived at Rhegium. And after one day a south wind sprang up, and on the second day we came to Puteoli. 14 There we found brothers and were invited to stay with them for seven days. And so we came to Rome. 15 And the brothers there, when they heard about us, came as far as the Forum of Appius and Three Taverns to meet us. On seeing them, Paul thanked God and took courage. 16 And when we came into Rome, Paul was allowed to stay by himself, with the soldier who guarded him.
Paul in Rome
17 After three days he called together the local leaders of the Jews, and when they had gathered, he said to them, “Brothers, though I had done nothing against our people or the customs of our fathers, yet I was delivered as a prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans. 18 When they had examined me, they wished to set me at liberty, because there was no reason for the death penalty in my case. 19 But because the Jews objected, I was compelled to appeal to Caesar—though I had no charge to bring against my nation. 20 For this reason, therefore, I have asked to see you and speak with you, since it is because of the hope of Israel that I am wearing this chain.” 21 And they said to him, “We have received no letters from Judea about you, and none of the brothers coming here has reported or spoken any evil about you. 22 But we desire to hear from you what your views are, for with regard to this sect we know that everywhere it is spoken against.”
23 When they had appointed a day for him, they came to him at his lodging in greater numbers. From morning till evening he expounded to them, testifying to the kingdom of God and trying to convince them about Jesus both from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets. 24 And some were convinced by what he said, but others disbelieved. 25 And disagreeing among themselves, they departed after Paul had made one statement: “The Holy Spirit was right in saying to your fathers through Isaiah the prophet:
26 “‘Go to this people, and say,
“You will indeed hear but never understand,
    and you will indeed see but never perceive.”
27 For this people's heart has grown dull,
    and with their ears they can barely hear,
    and their eyes they have closed;
lest they should see with their eyes
    and hear with their ears
and understand with their heart
    and turn, and I would heal them.’
28 Therefore let it be known to you that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles; they will listen.”
30 He lived there two whole years at his own expense, and welcomed all who came to him, 31 proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance.

This passage rivals Jonah's voyage as one of the most dramatic sea stories in Scripture. If we step back, we see that God is sovereignly directing every circumstance that leads to Paul's arrival in Rome. No storm, seasickness, soldier, nor snake can prevent God's appointed messenger from reaching the city that would, in time, become the center of gravity for the Gentile church.
We also observe a series of seemingly ordinary actions by unnamed individuals that all move the story toward God's intended outcome:
The lifeboat is cut away → the crew and passengers remain with the ship.
The remaining food is thrown overboard → there is no turning back; survival now depends on reaching land.
The anchors are cut loose → the crew commits to running the ship aground.
The soldiers are ordered not to kill the prisoners → Paul's life is preserved.
The significance of this story is far greater than the circumstances we typically face. Yet it reminds us of a timeless truth: God accomplishes His purposes not only through miracles, but also through ordinary decisions, unexpected events, and the actions of people who may never realize they are instruments in His providential plan. We can therefore rest in the confidence that God is faithfully working through all circumstances to accomplish His perfect will.
- Jason Rimmer

[ EXAMINE ] the passage. At this point, answer some questions about the meaning of the text. Take time to reflect.
+ Where in my own life have I observed - particularly in retrospect - clear evidence of God’s sovereign will and timing?

[ APPLY ] the passage to your own life.
+ Is there sin to confess or a next step to take? How has it gone since last time?
+ Have I matured as a believer to trust in God’s sovereignty and be patient as his plan unfolds?

[ PRAY ] through the passage and your application, and ask God to change your heart and your life.
+ Pray with me:
Lord, grant me patience to wait on you, faith to believe your promises, and wisdom to know and recognize your working in my life.  I am humbled that the God of the universe would hear my prayer, love me, and have a plan for me.  Thank you.  In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.

[ SHARE ] what God is teaching you with at least one person: your roommate,
your spouse, your kids, or your coworkers. Don’t keep what God taught you to
yourself.
(e.g., your family around the dinner table, a friend, co-worker or neighbor- for help join a community group at downtownhope.org/community-groups)
yourself:
+ Talk today’s message over with someone who is discipling you, and someone you are discipling.
+ With what friend, family or mentor could I discuss this passage?

Paul is standing before King Agrippa, the great grandson of Herod the Great (yes, the one who tried to kill baby Jesus), grand nephew of Antipas (beheaded John the Baptist) and son of Agrippa I (who killed James). Paul is in the process of his appeal to Caesar and again we hear his testimony. He tells us again that he was as evil and zealous as they come, but Jesus. Agrippa says something quite astounding after Paul's defense “would you persuade me to be a Christian?” (vs 29)
Spurgeon said:
“O that men were wise enough to see that suffering for Christ is honour, that loss for truth is gain, that the truest dignity rests in wearing the chain upon the arm rather than endure the chain upon the soul.”
Paul was in chains, happy and viewed it as fortunate to be able to share the Gospel (vs 3). Paul answers Agrippa with only his heart wishing that everyone who could hear the words he spoke would become saved. Can I be bold enough to wish only salvation upon others? Can I be bold enough to stand in front of my enemies and tell them the Gospel? Can I trust God enough that even when I am in chains I have joy?
- Quentin Parker

[ EXAMINE ] the passage. At this point, answer some questions about the meaning of the text. Take time to reflect.
+ What stands out about this retelling of Paul’s testimony?

[ APPLY ] the passage to your own life.
+ Is there sin to confess or a next step to take? How has it gone since last time?
+ How can you find boldness & joy in the place(s) that feels like chains in your life?

[ PRAY ] through the passage and your application, and ask God to change your heart and your life.
+ Pray with me:
Father, thank you for who You are and all You have done for us. We believe in You, help our unbelief. God, reveal to us where we must have boldness and equip us to be Your good and faithful servants…in Jesus’ name, amen.

[ SHARE ] what God is teaching you with at least one person: your roommate,
your spouse, your kids, or your coworkers. Don’t keep what God taught you to
yourself.
(e.g., your family around the dinner table, a friend, co-worker or neighbor- for help join a community group at downtownhope.org/community-groups)
yourself:
+ Talk today’s message over with someone who is discipling you, and someone you are discipling.

By this point in Acts, Paul has spent two years trapped in prison. Jewish leaders are hatching a plot to kill him.  As Festus appears on the scene, his concern seems to be perhaps more with the politics of pleasing influential people than with administering justice.
In Acts 23, Jesus had exhorted Paul to "Take courage... you must testify also in Rome.” We are starting to see in Acts 25 that Paul won’t reach Rome despite the trials; he reaches Rome through them.
God's redemptive plan advances and continues to unfold even with the obstacles in Paul’s path. The schemes of the Jewish council, Festus' political maneuvering, and Paul's appeal to Caesar all become the means by which Christ carries His witness toward Rome.
Luke also reminds us where the true issue lies. Festus describes the dispute as being "about a certain Jesus, who was dead, but whom Paul asserted to be alive" (v. 19). To Festus, it is perhaps merely a religious disagreement. Yet Luke knows that everything hinges on this one truth: Jesus died, and Jesus is alive. The risen Christ is quietly directing every event to accomplish God's sovereign purposes.
- Jenna Connor

[ EXAMINE ] the passage. At this point, answer some questions about the meaning of the text. Take time to reflect.
+ How do the actions of the Jewish leaders, Festus, and Paul ultimately serve God’s purpose of bringing Paul’s witness toward Rome?
+ What does Festus’ description of “a certain Jesus, who was dead, but whom Paul asserted to be alive” reveal about the true issue at the heart of this passage?

[ APPLY ] the passage to your own life.
+ Is there sin to confess or a next step to take? How has it gone since last time?
+ Where in your life does it currently feel as though nothing is moving forward?
+ How might trusting Christ’s sovereign purposes change the way you respond to delay, opposition, or circumstances you cannot control?

[ PRAY ] through the passage and your application, and ask God to change your heart and your life.
+ Pray with me:
Lord Jesus, thank You that Your sovereign purposes cannot be thwarted. Deepen our relationship with You so that our trust in You continues to grow. Teach us to rely on Your strength as we face the inevitable obstacles in our path. Help us to persevere with confidence, knowing that You are always at work, accomplishing Your redemptive purposes even when we cannot yet see them. May our lives faithfully bear witness to the risen King. Amen.

[ SHARE ] what God is teaching you with at least one person: your roommate,
your spouse, your kids, or your coworkers. Don’t keep what God taught you to
yourself.
(e.g., your family around the dinner table, a friend, co-worker or neighbor- for help join a community group at downtownhope.org/community-groups)
yourself:
+ Talk today’s message over with someone who is discipling you, and someone you are discipling.
+ As your faith in and relationship with Christ deepens and strengthens, have you considered discipling someone in your church? Your movement group? Mens/Women’s group?

The Accuser. Tertullus opens with flattery, praising Felix for a peace and reform he never brought. Judea seethed with unrest; this was no golden age. Lawyers, like debaters, can master every detail of a brief and still miss the truth. The charge: Paul stirs civil strife, the very word used of Barabbas, the very charge leveled at Jesus. He's called a ringleader, accused of defiling the temple. Notice what's missing: no witnesses. Rome wanted no trouble because Rome needed Egypt's grain. And trouble in Caesarea interrupts trade.  Paul is caught in currents far bigger than himself.
The Defendant. Paul doesn't posture. He's calm, precise, almost restrained. No one can prove the charges, he says so plainly. Then he does something remarkable: he claims the high ground. Yes, he worships the God of his ancestors. The Way isn't a strange new sect; it's the fulfillment of the Scriptures he's always trusted. NT Wright notes, “Knowing God in the face of Jesus didn't mean abandoning father Abraham's faith—it meant finally reaching its heart”. Paul's hope is Israel's hope: that God will judge justly, right every wrong, and one day overturn decay and death itself. Paul isn't leaning on his Roman citizenship. He's reminding the court of who they're supposed to be.
A Delayed Verdict. Felix adjourns,not from justice, but self-interest. He's an energy-taker, not a giver: he'd stolen another man's wife, and now he stalls Paul's case for two years, hoping for a bribe, tossing the Jews a bone by leaving Paul confined.
God is the true energy-giver, working even through delay. When our case seems shelved, when the verdict doesn't come, the Judge of all the earth is still setting things right.
- Mary Gunther

[ EXAMINE ] the passage. At this point, answer some questions about the meaning of the text. Take time to reflect.
+ Paul is charged with "stirring up" trouble—the same charge brought against Jesus and Barabbas. Why do you think the gospel so often gets mistaken for civil unrest rather than recognized as good news?
+ Paul's hope rests on the resurrection and a God who will "judge justly" and set all things right—not on his own innocence or his Roman citizenship. What does this reveal about where Paul locates his security?

[ APPLY ] the passage to your own life.
+ Is there sin to confess or a next step to take? How has it gone since last time?
+ Where in your life are you tempted to smooth over real trouble with flattering language—about yourself, your family, your work—rather than naming what's actually true?
+ Paul stayed calm and did not need to win the room to trust God with the outcome. Where do you find yourself needing the last word, rather than resting in God's justice?

[ PRAY ] through the passage and your application, and ask God to change your heart and your life.
+ Pray with me:
Father, you are the Judge who cannot be bribed and the God who sees what flattery tries to hide. Forgive me for the times I've smoothed over hard truths to keep an easy peace. Give me Paul's steadiness—not resting on my own record, but on your justice and your resurrection hope. When I'm waiting on you, in seasons that feel stalled or shelved, remind me that you are never idle, even in delay. Make me an energy giver like you, not an energy taker like Felix. Use this waiting to shape me, and use me to put right what's broken around me. In Jesus' name, Amen.

[ SHARE ] what God is teaching you with at least one person: your roommate,
your spouse, your kids, or your coworkers. Don’t keep what God taught you to
yourself.
(e.g., your family around the dinner table, a friend, co-worker or neighbor- for help join a community group at downtownhope.org/community-groups)
yourself:
+ Talk today’s message over with someone who is discipling you, and someone you are discipling.
+ Who in your life is currently in a "waiting room"—a stalled diagnosis, a pending decision, an unresolved relationship? Share this passage with them this week as a reminder that God is still at work in the delay.

Paul has been going through some rough times in his visit to Jerusalem.  A crowd tried to kill him and members of the Jewish council were on the verge of tearing him apart, but both times Roman soldiers provided protection.  The Romans can’t find a law he has broken and the Pharisees in the council say they can find nothing wrong with him.  Nevertheless, there are over 40 men who take an oath to neither eat nor drink anything until they have killed him.  Imagine the degree of hatred that would motivate such an oath.  Imagine the degree of love and compassion enabling Paul to continue preaching to those who opposed him as he likely considered that once he was such a one going about killing and imprisoning those of The Way.
In Acts 23:11 Paul receives assurance and comfort from a visit from the Lord during a vision.  He understands that this is not the end but he will be going to Rome to testify of the Lord.  The next day a nephew hears of the plot and informs Paul.  Paul in turn takes action by calling a centurion to pass the news to a tribune.  A nephew in the right place who has access to Paul, a centurion doing the right thing, a tribune seeing the need to get Paul out of town and a night journey escorted by 270 warriors.  The plot is foiled.
- Gary Gunther

[ EXAMINE ] the passage. At this point, answer some questions about the meaning of the text. Take time to reflect.
+ What relationship do you see between waiting on God to act and the need to take personal action?
+ Once they discovered Paul was in Cesarea imagine the dilemma facing the 40 plus men who had taken the oath.  Do you think any actually kept it?

[ APPLY ] the passage to your own life.
+ Is there sin to confess or a next step to take? How has it gone since last time?
+ Is there a circumstance in your life in which you feel you know God’s will and you need to act?  Is there a place you sense the need to wait?
+ Looking back on your life, is there a time you made a foolish promise?

[ PRAY ] through the passage and your application, and ask God to change your heart and your life.
+ Pray with me:
Father, give me the wisdom to know when to act and when to wait.  May I remember you are always present.   May I rest in the assurance of your love knowing that for all your children there is nothing that can separate us from your love.

[ SHARE ] what God is teaching you with at least one person: your roommate,
your spouse, your kids, or your coworkers. Don’t keep what God taught you to
yourself.
(e.g., your family around the dinner table, a friend, co-worker or neighbor- for help join a community group at downtownhope.org/community-groups)
+ Talk today’s message over with someone who is discipling you, and someone you are discipling.
+ What is one time when you waited on God or took action that you think would encourage others if you shared it?