The Gospels
John 14:15-21 - By Our Love
Key Verses: (NRSV)
ü      15:  "If you love me, you will keep my commandments." - Being like Christ and doing as He would have us do is an act of love.
ü       16-17:  "And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever.  This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him.  You know Him, because He abides...

The Songs
Psalm 66:8-20 - What God has Done
Key Verses: (NCV)
ü      9:  "He protects our lives and does not let us be defeated." - We may experience pain and suffering but never defeat.
ü      10:  "God, you have tested us; you have purified us like silver." - Silver is purified by fire.  God's objective is to make us holy; even Christ-like.  He will do everything in His power to make that happen even if it means that we will face the purifying...

 The Letters
1 Peter 3:13-22 - Being Ready
Key Verses:  (CEV)
ü      13-14:  "Can anyone really harm you for being eager to do good deeds? Even if you have to suffer for doing good things, God will bless you. So stop being afraid and don't worry about what people might do." - God raises us up over the storms of life in order to do good things without fear or worry of the consequences.
ü      15:  "Honor Christ and let Him be the...

The Scriptures
Acts 17:22-31 - Finding God, Today
Key Verses: (NCV)
ü      23:  "As I was going through your city, I saw the objects you worship, I found an altar that had these words written on it: To a God who is not known. You worship a god that you don't know, and this is the God I am telling you about!" - Paul was in Athens, upset by the amount of idol worship he witnessed.  And then, in the midst of it...

Week's End Meditation - Loving the Unlovable
Reflections:
ü      In Acts we experience the stoning death of Stephen.  But this is not a story about death.  Instead, it is a story of life - lives were changed because Stephen had learned to trust in the leading of the Holy Spirit. The more we choose to follow the Holy Spirit in our lives the more the glory of God is revealed to us and to the world around us.  The question is not:...

The Gospels
John 14:1-14 - The Christ
Key Verses: (CEV)
ü      1:  "Jesus said to His disciples, 'Don't be worried! Have faith in God and have faith in me.'" - Don't worry!  Have no fear!  For Christ is with you.
ü      2:  "There are many rooms in my Father's house. I wouldn't tell you this, unless it was true. I am going there to prepare a place for each of you." - Christ has prepared a room for each of us; the sheets...

The Songs
Psalm 31:1-5, 15-16 - Found, Delivered, and Redeemed
Key Verses: (NRSV)
ü      1:  "In you, O LORD, I seek refuge; do not let me ever be put to shame; in your righteousness deliver me." - We all, at times, seek shelter from the storms of life and as we learn to turn to God we find Him ready to envelope us with His love and eager to show us the way towards a life of righteousness.
ü      2:  "Incline your ear to me; rescue...

 The Letters
1 Peter 2:2-10 - A Priesthood of Believers
Key Verses:  (MSG)
ü      2:  “Now, like infants at the breast, drink deep of God's pure kindness. Then you'll grow up mature and whole in God." - Our spiritual appetite to fully know God increases as we drink from His love.
ü      4:    "Welcome to the living Stone, the source of life. The workmen took one look and threw it out; God set it in the place of honor." - The ways of...

Week's End Meditation - A Dialogue of Faith
Reflections:
ü      In Acts, Peter stands before the Pentecost crowd and explains the basics of the Gospel.  Jesus died for our sins, God raised Him from the dead in acceptance of His Holy sacrifice, and we have received the promise of eternal life.  In response, Peter calls us to repent, turn from our life of sin, and towards a life in Christ.  In our baptism, the symbolic gesture that we choose to follow Christ,...

 The Gospels
Luke 24:13-35 - Eyes Finally Opened
Key Verses: (NCV)
ü      13-14:  "That same day two of Jesus' followers were going to a town named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem.  They were talking about everything that had happened." - The events of the previous few days with the Crucifixion and the empty tomb created many unanswered questions. These disciples, however, were walking the wrong direction; away from Jerusalem where the truth was being revealed.
ü      25-26:  "Then Jesus said to them, 'You...

The Songs
Psalm 116:1-4, 12-19 - A Cup of Worship
Key Verses: (NLT)
ü      1-2:  "I love the Lord because He hears and answers my prayers. Because He bends down and listens, I will pray as long as I have breath!" - God avidly awaits our prayers, not as a steady stream of verbiage passing His way but actively sitting on the edge of His chair and leaning in.  He hears, listens, and answers.
ü      3-4:  "Death had its hands around my throat; the...

 The Letters
1 Peter 1:17-23 - Born Again and Again
Key Verses:  (NCV)
ü      17:  "You pray to God and call Him Father, and He judges each person's work equally.  So while you are here on earth, you should live with respect for God." - We are to live in "reverent fear" (NRSV) of God not for fear of what He might do but because of the love, grace, and mercy He has already provided.
ü      18-19:  "You know that in the past...

The Scriptures
Acts 2:14a, 36-41 - Making a U-Turn
Key Verses: (NRSV)
ü      36:  “Therefore let the entire house of Israel know with certainty that God has made Him both Lord and Messiah, this Jesus whom you crucified." - Peter continues his Pentecost sermon by reiterating the facts of the Crucifixion and the Resurrection.
ü      37-38:  "Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and to the other apostles, 'Brothers, what should we do?' Peter said...

The Gospels
John 20:19-31 - Unleashing the Power of Peace
Key Verses: (NRSV)
ü      19:  "When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house were the disciples had met were locked for the fear." - The disciples were fearful of persecution.
ü      19b:  "Jesus came and stood among them and said, 'Peace be with you.'" - The locked door had no power, Jesus stood among them in their fear and grief offering peace.
ü      20: ...

The Songs
Psalm 16 - Every Good Thing
Key Verses: (NCV)
ü      2:  "I said to the Lord, 'You are my Lord.  Every good thing I have comes from you." - Through our relationship with God we are blessed.
ü      3-4a:  "As for the godly people in the world, they are the wonderful ones I enjoy.  But those who turn to idols will have much pain." - Those that are blessed are a blessing to others.
ü      5:  "No, the Lord is all I need. ...