Sunday (5/8) Mother’s Day

The prophetic words of the scriptures of the Israelites that pointed towards the coming Messiah and suffering servant of the Lord were fulfilled in and through Christ. As the apostles were interacting with their resurrected Savior in the days after the first Easter Sunday, Jesus “opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures” (Luke 24:45 NIV). We too are searching and studying the Hebrew scriptures of the Old Testament in 2022. May the Spirit of Christ open our minds so that we understand and then respond to them in a way that pleases our Lord.

 

Since January we have been reading Old Testament books as part of this Your Faith Journey devotional. This week we will conclude our journey through the Torah, which is also known as “the Law of Moses” (Luke 24:44). If you did not read the books of Genesis and Exodus, nor parts of Leviticus and Numbers, before today, you are encouraged to watch the Bible Project video about the Old Testament. The video is a summary of the Hebrew scriptures. It is available on YouTube.

Sunday (5/1)

Jesus’ earliest disciples had a living relationship with the holy scriptures. Those of us who are Jesus’ followers today need a living relationship with The Holy Bible. As part of our living relationship with the Bible, we are reading and studying the Old Testament in 2022. This Your Faith Journey devotional will provide you with a reading plan to help you to read and study much of the Old Testament this year. Throughout January and February, we read and studied the books of Genesis and Exodus. During the Lenten season, we turned our focus to the Gospel According to Luke, but now we are returning to the Old Testament books. Since Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy are a continuation of the story in Exodus, we will turn our attention to Numbers this week. If you did not read the books of Genesis and Exodus, you are encouraged to watch the Bible Project video about the Old Testament. The video is available on YouTube.

Sunday (4/24)

Before there was a Holy Bible with both the Old and New Testaments there were sacred Hebrew scriptures of the ancient Israelites. Jesus said this about the Hebrew scriptures and himself, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets: I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them” (Matthew 5:17 NIV). The phrase “Law and Prophets” was a first-century way of describing what we know of today as the books of the Old Testament. In the decades after Jesus ascended to heaven documents were written by Christians that formed the New Testament. Centuries later they were combined with the Hebrew scriptures into what became The Holy Bible.

 

Jesus’ earliest disciples had a living relationship with the holy scriptures. Those of us who are Jesus’ followers today need a living relationship with The Holy Bible. As part of our living relationship with the Bible we are reading and studying the “Law” and “the Prophets,” a.k.a. The Old Testament, in 2022. This Your Faith Journey devotional will provide you with a reading plan to help you to read and study much of the Old Testament this year. Throughout January and February, we read and studied the books of Genesis and Exodus. During the Lenten season, we turned our focus to the Gospel According to Luke, but now we are returning to the Old Testament books. Since Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy are connect with the story in Exodus, we will turn our attention to Leviticus and Numbers this week. If you did not read the books of Genesis and Exodus, you are encouraged to watch the Bible Project video about the Old Testament. The video is available on YouTube.

Easter Sunday (4/17)

Although the gospel accounts reveal that Jesus endured torture and experienced an excruciating death upon the Roman cross, that was not the end of the story. Just as Jesus foretold, he arose from the grave. Hallelujah, Christ arose! The angels at the tomb told the women who had gone there that first Easter morning, “He is risen!” Yes, Jesus conquered sin and death. Through faith in Jesus, we can too. Hallelujah!

 

During the season of Lent we have been on a journey through the Gospel According to Luke, reading and studying it as part of worship services and the Your Faith Journey weekly devotionals. Our read through of Luke will conclude this week. Even if you have not read the previous chapters, you are strongly encouraged to read chapter 24.

Sunday (4/10)

This is the final week of the Lenten season. During the past five weeks we have been on a journey through the Gospel According to Luke, reading and studying it as part of worship services and the Your Faith Journey weekly devotionals. Our read through of Luke will conclude on April 20th. Even if you have not read the previous chapters, you are strongly encouraged to read the chapters for Holy Week (4/10 – 4/16). Luke’s Gospel is one of four accounts of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection within the New Testament of the Bible. If you have not been reading it with us, you can watch two Bible Project videos about this gospel to understand it more clearly. The videos are available on YouTube:

Overview Luke: 1-9 by the Bible Project:

Sunday (4/4)

During this Lenten season we are reading and studying the Gospel According to Luke as part of worship services and this Your Faith Journey devotional. Our read through of Luke will continue through April 20th. Luke’s Gospel is one of four accounts of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection within the New Testament of the Bible. If you have not started reading it, you are encouraged to watch a brief video on Youtube that will help you understand the gospels:

Sunday (3/27)

During this Lenten season you are invited to read and study the Gospel According to Luke using this Your Faith Journey devotional. Our read through of Luke will continue through April 20th. Luke’s Gospel is one of four accounts of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection within the New Testament of the Bible. If you have not started reading, you are encouraged to watch a brief video on Youtube that will help you understand what the gospels are:

Sunday (3/20)

During this Lenten season you are invited to read and study the Gospel According to Luke using this Your Faith Journey devotional. Our read through of Luke will continue through April 20th. Luke’s Gospel is one of four accounts of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection within the New Testament of the Bible. If you have not started reading, you are encouraged to watch a brief video on Youtube that will help you understand what the gospels are:

The Gospel by the Bible Project:

Sunday (3/13)

During this Lenten season you are invited to read and study the Gospel According to Luke using this Your Faith Journey devotional. Our read through of Luke will continue through April 20th. Luke’s Gospel is one of four gospels within the New Testament of the Bible. If you have not started reading, you are encouraged to watch a brief video on Youtube that was created by the Bible Project which is about the Gospels:

The Gospel by the Bible Project:

Sunday (3/6)

Lent is a season of forty days beginning on Ash Wednesday and ending on Holy Saturday, which is the day before Easter. The United Methodist Book of Worship reminds us that, “Historically, Lent began as a period of fasting and preparation for baptism by converts and then became a time of penance by all Christians” (page 320). You are encouraged to set this season apart. Moses spent 40 days on Mount Sinai with the Lord (Exodus 34), and Jesus spend 40 days fasting in the wilderness as the Spirit of God guided him (Luke 4). What will you leave behind or give up during these 40 days to be with the Lord? What faith practices/spiritual disciplines/holy habits will you utilize during this season to be shaped and formed more and more into the likeness of Christ?