Daily Read

Psalm 126 (NIV) 

----------REFLECT----------

1. What word or phrase stands out to you?

2. What might this word or phrase mean?

3. How is the LORD inviting you to respond?

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Psalm 125 (NIV)

----------REFLECT----------

1. What word or phrase stands out to you?

2. What might this word or phrase mean?

3. How is the LORD inviting you to respond?

----------MORE----------

intervarsity.org

Psalm 124 (NIV) 

----------REFLECT----------

1. What word or phrase stands out to you?

2. What might this word or phrase mean?

3. How is the LORD inviting you to respond?

----------MORE----------

Here is the prayer offered at the end of the episode: 

From: Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals

Lamb of God,

For the unbearable toil of our sinful world,

Lamb of God,

Exodus 33:12-18 (NIV)

At this point in Exodus, God has heard the cries of his people, he’s rescued them from the hands of the Egyptians, and he has brought them out into the wilderness. Their time in the wilderness has been full of moments of disobedience and repentance. God providing, the people failing and God showing mercy. But at this point in Chapter 33 the LORD has instructed them to go ahead into the promise land but has told them that he does not plan to go with them. This causes the Israelites great distress, and Moses goes to the LORD to plead for mercy on their behalf.

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1. What stood out to you about Moses’ posture towards the LORD?

2. What struck you about the LORDs posture towards Moses?

3. Where in your life today are you being called, knowing that if the LORD does not go with you it will be a disaster. Ask the LORD today, to send His presence with you, ask him to give you rest?

Luke 12:22-34 (NIV) 

At this point in Luke’s Gospel, Jesus has been calling people to Follow him, he’s been sending out his disciples to announce the good news of the Kingdom, and now he’s on a long journey to Jerusalem where his Kingdom announcement will create a confrontation with the powers . So along the way, he begins to teach the people around him about what this Kingdom will look like.

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1. As you listen, allow the holy spirit to draw your attention to a particular word or phrase. And ask the Lord why that word, why that phrase?

2. As the passage is read again, think about what this word or phrase might mean within the context of Jesus’ teaching.

3. As you hear the passage one last time, ask the LORD how he might be inviting you to respond to him today. What might need to change? What might need to stay the same?

Ephesians 1:3-14 (NIV)

Paul is writing this letter to gentiles in Ephesus while he’s in prison. The first half of this letter is a soaring exhortation to the Ephesians about the gospel and how all of history had been leading to this moment. In today’s passage Paul is praising God for his faithfulness to his promise to gather his covenant people, which now even includes the gentiles! Sometimes this passage can drag us down into endless discussions of predestination and God’s will… but in that we can miss the point.

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1. What stood out to you in this passage. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you know why.

2. When you hear this passage read again, pay attention to who you are in relationship to the Father, the son, and the holy spirit? What does it do to you know your status in relationship to the trinity?

3. As you listen again, ask the Father how he is inviting you to respond. What needs to be different? What might need to stay the same?

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Psalm 27 (NIV)

----------REFLECT----------

- What word of phrase stand out?

- What does this word or phrase mean? 

- What might the LORD be inviting you into? How is He inviting you to respond?

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Isaiah 11:1-9 (NIV) 

Prior to this point in Isaiah, Yahweh has been looking for the qualities of justice and righteousness among his people Israel, but instead of Justice he found bloodshed, instead of righteousness, he heard a cry. The reign of the kings of Israel had failed. They needed a new kind of king. This passage is among those that introduce that king and describe what it will look like when he shows up.

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Mark 8:27-9:1 (NTE)

At this point in the gospel of Mark, Jesus has been traveling and announcing the Kingdom of God. And as he’s been teaching, performing signs and wonders and casting out demons, he’s been calling people to follow him. But he’s alluded to this motif in Israels prophets about having ears to hear or eyes to see…. And Mark situated todays passage between to stirrings about seeing and blindness.

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1. Just as Jesus asked his disciples, think about your own answer to the question. Who do you say Jesus is?

2. In our world of self-promotion, Jesus’ call to “deny yourself, take up your cross and follow me” is about the most counter-cultural thing we can imagine. However, seeing ourselves as God’s beautiful, well-made creations and loving ourselves is essential to our ability to love others. How then, should we read and understand this command from Jesus? How do you deal with the tension between self denial and your sense of dignity?

3. When you think about your life, what kind of sacrifices might Jesus be calling you to make in order to follow him today?

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Matthew 5:1-12 (NIV) 

Today’s passage comes from Matthew 5, and up until this point Jesus has been announcing the Kingdom. And for Jews at this time, there would have been a wide range of expectations for what Jesus meant by “The Kingdom.” As word has spread about Jesus, people begin to gather around him to hear his teaching. They are being oppressed by the romans, they are dealing with Jewish tax collectors and royalty who have sold out to Rome, as well as religious leaders who are convinced that Messiah will only come once Israel gets it’s act together.

So when a crowd gathers on a mountain side to hear Jesus teach, he is speaking into all these narratives and presumptions about what the kingdom is supposed to look like.

You and I be also bring presumptions to the table when it comes to Jesus and his kingdom, we have our own ideas of what it should like like when Jesus is in charge. And if we are honest the words from Jesus’ sermon on the mount will challenge and shape us. Just like it has for all the generations before us.

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1. How do you react at Jesus saying, “Blessed are those who mourn?” There is blessedness in seeing the pain, seeing injustice and brokenness in the world. The comfort of God is available to us as we mourn. Where in your life do you need to acknowledge pain, injustice or brokenness?

2. The word righteousness here means "rightness," "justness"—that things would be right—in our lives and in the world. What are you seeing or experiencing today that needs to be set right? How do you thirst for righteousness?

3. Our desire for things to be set right cannot proceed without mercy, purity of heart, and the desire for peace. Where in your life can you extend mercy, where in your life can you be an agent of peace?

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