Read through the Bible in 2 years: Proverbs 13, John 13
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.”
John 13:34 ESV
When Jesus knew that His hour had come to give up His life and return to his Father, He didn’t look to a bucket list of “Top 100 Things to Do Before You Die.” No, he washed His disciples’ feet. The most important thing to Him before His death was to leave an example of true love for His followers.
He gives them this “new commandment” – a very old commandment actually, but made even more difficult by the addition of “JUST AS I HAVE LOVED YOU.” It’s really, really hard to love your neighbor as yourself. (Mark 12:31) This takes supernatural power. But to love others sacrificially as Jesus did – washing your friends’ feet, your students’ feet, even your betrayer’s feet – and even to lay down your own life for someone else, this is impossible apart from being born again, having a new will and new power working in you. (Philippians 2:13)
Will you please pray with me for the Lord to give you this strength?
Heavenly Father, I confess to you how hard it is for me to love others as myself, how totally impossible it is for me to love them as you have loved me. Help me to remember that what is impossible for man is possible for God. Nothing is impossible for You. I need You to give me both the strength and the desire!
Help me to remember that You loved me while I was a sinner, your enemy. You ran after me while I was running away from You.Help me to feel – and express – that kind of love for others, even when I don’t feel like it. Help me to pursue others like You pursued me.
Help me to consider others more highly than myself. Help me to serve my family and my friends, people who love me. Help me to serve my children and my students, people who are under my authority. Help me to serve the stranger and alien and even my enemy, remembering that You loved me when I was a stranger and alien and even Your enemy.
I need Your help. Please. In the strong and kind name of Jesus my Savior and Lord, I pray, Amen.
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Read Through the Bible in Two Years: Proverbs 10; John 10
“So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep…. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”
– John 10:7, 10 ESV
This reminds me of when I was a child and our house was broken into. A thief took a baseball bat from our front porch and smashed the panel of glass in our front door so he could enter.
Thieves come to steal, kill, and destroy, but Jesus came that we may have abundant life. Jesus is Himself the door for the sheep. If we want to meet the Father, we must come through Jesus, the only door. We can’t break our way in. There is no secret back entrance. Jesus is the only way. No man comes to the Father except through Him. (John 14:6)
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.”
– John 10:11-15 ESV
Jesus isn’t just any ol’ shepherd. Jesus is the good shepherd. Jesus isn’t just a hired hand who is getting paid to watch the sheep like “Little Boy Blue” or “The Boy who Cried Wolf.” Jesus is the good shepherd who willingly laid down His life for His sheep.
One of the most compelling reasons I have to believe that the Bible is true is that Jesus’s disciples were willing to be martyred for their faith. If they had known they were preaching a lie, would they have been willing to die for their faith? I don’t think so.
Jesus, too, was willing to die for His testimony that He was the Son of God, and Jesus was willing to die for us, His lost sheep who needed a good shepherd to rescue them.
Jesus is such a good shepherd. He doesn’t drive His sheep; He leads His sheep. He goes first and says, “Follow me.”
Are we good shepherds for our children and others we are leading?
Do we go first, leading by our good example, saying with love, “Follow me?”
Or do we stand behind them (or sit on the couch) yelling and pointing, “Do this! Do that! Don’t go that way! You’re doing it wrong! Don’t you hear me?”
“Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name bear witness about me, but you do not believe because you are not among my sheep. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.”
– John 10:25-27 ESV
Jesus both spoke compelling truths and did compelling signs in the presence of thousands of witnesses so that His sheep would believe that He truly was the Son of God and Savior of the World. Yet, many did not believe? Why? Because they were not among Jesus’s sheep. They couldn’t understand what Jesus was saying. They couldn’t believe what Jesus was doing because they weren’t His sheep. It reminds me of 1 Corinthians 2:14, “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.”
Just like you would never expect a chicken or hamster to understand you, you mustn’t be surprised when people can’t understand God’s Word. Like those Jewish men who heard Jesus’s words, “I and the Father are one,” and rather than worshipping Him they accused Him of blasphemy, saying “you, being a man, make yourself God.” (John 10:30, 33). It’s like we read last week in Proverbs 1, wisdom cries aloud in the streets and markets, yet the people do not hear. Instead they close their ears and scoff, ignoring wisdom’s counsel and reproof.
Instead of being angry with those simple scoffers and fools, let’s humbly pray for them, remembering that we once we blind, too. Just like you wouldn’t be angry when a chicken or hamster doesn’t do what you tell it to, don’t be angry when a friend can’t understand what you’re talking about. Instead, let’s always be prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks, correcting our opponents with gentleness and respect. (2 Timothy 2:24-26, 1 Peter 3:14-17)
Lord God,
Thank You for opening my eyes and calling me into Your flock. Help me to always be prepared to give a reason for the hope that is in me and to do it with gentleness and respect. Help me to be patient and kind to those who are still in the darkness. Give me a humble and grateful heart.
Help me to hear Your voice crying above the noise of the world saying, “This is the way. Walk in it.” Give me eyes to see the door and the straight and narrow path to it.
Thank You for sending the Good Shepherd, the Perfect Shepherd, to lay down His life for me. Help me to be willing to lay down my life for my friends – and even for my enemies. Give me the wisdom I need to discern the enemy’s voice and let me not be deceived by the devil’s lies and schemes.
Help me to remember that my Good Shepherd Jesus said again and again, “Follow me.” Jesus came to earth, taking on flesh, Son of God and Son of Man, that we could know and follow You because we know and follow Him.
In the Name of Jesus Christ Our Savior, Lord, and Shepherd we pray. Amen.
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WHEREAS God is holy and righteous and true, WHEREAS God is merciful and gracious and kind, WHEREAS God is always with me, wherever I go, seeing my every step, knowing my every thought and every word even before I speak it, WHEREAS I have been created for His glory and pleasure with good works prepared in advance for me to do, WHEREAS my life is not my own, but fully His,
I purpose this day to live a holy life, pleasing to my Heavenly Father and Creator.
I purpose to draw near to my God and keep in unhindered relationship with Him, avoiding evil and pursuing righteousness, loving Him with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength, and loving my neighbor as myself.
I purpose to daily read His Word, consistently and persistently drawing near to Him, humbling myself before His perfect counsel, actively choosing to know and obey the Truth, submitting myself to Him rather than the wisdom of this world or my human emotions, so that I might be able to resist the schemes of the devil.
I purpose to treat my body as a temple of the Holy Spirit, being careful what I see, hear, and think about, where I go, and with whom I befriend, remembering the wisdom of Proverbs 13:20 that “whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.”
I purpose to abstain from alcohol and drugs so that my mind, will, conscience, and emotions will not be clouded or confused by their influence.
I purpose to be above-reproach in my relationships with the other sex, treating women as sisters and men as brothers, recognizing that they are my joint-heirs with Christ and fellow image-bearers, rather than objects or idols.
These I do endeavor, for the glory of God, as well as for my good and the good of my fellow man.
When the Israelites returned to Israel after years of living in exile in Babylon, their first desire was to rebuild the Temple and begin making offerings to God. Unfortunately, it takes time to rebuild a temple, so they simply set up an altar where the temple once had been and began celebrating the feasts and offerings there.
When I read this, I thought about the saying, “Delayed obedience is disobedience,” and wondered to myself what things I’m waiting on, what ducks I’m trying to get in a row, before I start doing what God has called me to do.
God wants us to obey Him today. Now. Right now. Here. Where you are. Wherever you are.
How many times have I thought —
When I know more about the Bible …
When I have a bigger house …
When I have more money …
When I’m not so busy …
God called some to go back to Jerusalem, and those who weren’t called to return were called to give generously to those who were. Both of these jobs were important – to go and to give – and God equipped both groups to obey Him.
If God has called you to do something, He will equip you to do it.
Maybe you’re wondering, “What is God calling me to do?”
I don’t know the specific plans that God has for you, those good works that He has prepared in advance for you (Ephesians 2:10), but I do know God has called you to love Him with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself.
Start there.
And sometimes what you’re supposed to be doing now to obey God is to be working on those things He’s called you to do.
Do you need to know the Bible better for the task He’s called you to do? Alright, then, what are you doing to work towards that goal.
Do you need a bigger house or more money for a task He’s given to you? How are you working toward that? Paying down debt … Saving money … Getting a higher paying job … Working a little on the side?
Do you need more margin to have the time for a job He has for you? How are you working toward that? Skipping your nightly TV shows or scrolling through your favorite social media platform might be a good place to start.
The Israelites began making offerings, but they also began working on the temple. Let’s start in the here and now, today, while also working toward the future and the generations to come.
Heavenly Father, I lift up every man and woman who is reading this message at this moment in time and space. Please draw them to know You, to seek You, to love You, and trust You, and obey You. You are worthy to be trusted. You are worthy to be obeyed. Please lead these men and women on the paths of righteousness for Your Name’s Sake. Show them that straight and narrow path with the light of Your Word and the perfect wisdom of Your Holy Spirit. Provide for their every need – the wisdom, the time, the finances – to accomplish the tasks that You have prepared in advance for them to do. For Your glory and for our good I pray. Amen.
"But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!" So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God."
– Galatians 4:4-7 ESV
25 years ago we were packing our bags to travel to Russia to finalize the adoption process for our son. Adopted as a six-month-old, Nick learned to sit and crawl on our carpeted living room floor. He learned to cruise along our comfy brown couch. He learned to say “Daddy” and “Mommy” on my lap. From the moment he became a part of our family, he was given equal standing with his older sister who had grown in my womb. There were no extra rules to keep. He was our son, and we were his parents. End of story.
Thank You, Father, for adopting me as Your daughter, for placing Your Holy Spirit in my heart as a seal of the genuineness of my faith. You have engraved my name on the palms of Your hands (Isaiah 49:16) and You have caused me to bear the name of Christ. Thank You for causing me to be born again, creating me anew after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness (Ephesians 4:24). In the Name of Jesus Christ I pray. Amen.
Thank You for the gift of faith, the grace given to me through Jesus Christ, the righteous for the unrighteous. Thank You for the example of Abraham who was counted righteous by his FAITH, not by his works. I pray that my children would indeed be made sons and daughters of Abraham, being recipients of Your blessings because of their faith in Your Son.
Thank You for the gift of the law as a tutor and guardian to protect me and my children until our eyes might be opened by Your grace to the beauty of that Savior hanging on the cross. Please help me to be a good steward of the Law. Let me not breed little Pharisees who take pride in their own good deeds. I don’t want to raise better liars, better hiders, better sin-concealers. Rather may I point them to the perfect Lamb who kept the Law in every point, training them to be quick to repent, to run toward reconciliation with Jesus, with their parents, and with others.
Protect my children from believing the lie that they can be good enough to deserve Your mercy or merit Your grace. Help them to recognize that this is a lie sent from that liar, tempter, and accuser, Satan, who tempts us to sin and then accuses us when we fall.
I pray that my children would receive the gift of redemption found in the gospel of Jesus Christ. May they receive that inheritance found not in the blood running through my blood but in the blood of Christ poured out on the cross.
Help them to believe the truth of Galatians 3:26-28, that we are sons of God through faith in Jesus Christ, that when we are baptized into Christ, we are clothed in Christ, and that we are all one in Christ Jesus. Help my sons take joy in being boys, and help my daughters take joy in being girls. Protect them from the sin of pride, thinking they know better than You do. May they humbly recognize that their inheritance begins and ends in You.
May our faith be in Christ and His grace alone, trusting that He is able to do more than we can ask or imagine.
May we not grow weary of well-doing, knowing that at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not lose heart.
May we open our mouths with wisdom and may the teaching of kindness be on our tongues.
May we look well to the ways of our households and not eat the bread of idleness.
May we refuse to put our hope in wealth, beauty, or popularity because we believe that “charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.”
May our husband and children rise up and bless us, saying, “Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all.”
From Ephesians 3:20, Galatians 6:9, Proverbs 31:26-30
Twenty years have passed since I first heard Bev Bradley’s talk titled, “Loving and Teaching the Difficult Child.” I was in the thick of homeschooling my two oldest children along with taking care of a toddler. Mrs. Bradley shared from her heart about how much she had damaged her son (and her relationship with him) through harsh words and critical attitude.
I remember how often I reacted with sinful anger when my child absolutely, positively refused to obey my commands. I remember how often I spanked and shouted and screamed in anger, sin upon sin, in my attempts to get this child to comply. I walked around with a perpetual chip on my shoulder. I was angry at my husband, angry at my child, angry at the world. And underneath it all, I was angry at God.
Why had He done this to me? Why had He given me this difficult, disobedient child?
I went to Mrs. Bradley’s talk looking for some tips for training my child to obey, and I left with a dagger in my heart. Her words brought conviction of sin. I finally saw the log in my own eye, how much my own anger was contributing to this ongoing battle between two very strong-willed individual sinners. It was a turning point in my life as a mom.
But I also remember Mrs. Bradley’s words, “The Lord is restoring the years that the locusts have eaten.”
At the time I wasn’t familiar with the book of Joel. I thought she was referring to the locust plague that God sent on Egypt in Moses’s day, but still, those words encouraged me that it wasn’t too late, that there was still hope.
So I began to pray for that. I began to ask God to do that for me and my child, my family, to restore and heal the barrenness that my sharp tongue had caused.
Lord, please, will You please restore the years that the locusts have eaten?
Give me a new heart. Help me to be patient and kind. Help me to discipline with tenderness and righteousness. Keep my tongue from evil. Forgive me. Do a new thing in our family, Father, please. I need You. My family needs You. Please help us!
I wish I could say that things changed overnight, but that wouldn’t be true. I was still struggling and so was my child, but year after year, the Lord has grown us both. He gave me beauty for ashes and seedlings have sprouted in a desert land.
God has taught us more about the nature of love – that love and forgiveness and grace are intricately woven together.
And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”
Mark 11:25 ESV
Heavenly Father, Thank You for Your grace and mercy and forgiveness. You have forgiven me, not because I deserve it, not because I’ll never do it again, but because of the blood of Jesus shed on my behalf. Help me to trust You more, to trust that You are good and faithful, that You are sovereign Lord over heaven and earth. And as I trust You, help me to forgive others, to lay them once and for all at Your feet, to stop punishing them myself and let Your justice be enough. In the Name of Jesus Christ, my Savior and Judge and Ruler, I pray. Amen.
And [Jesus and His disciples] came to Capernaum. And when [Jesus] was in the house he asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?”
But they kept silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. And he sat down and called the twelve.
And he said to them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.”
And he took a child and put him in the midst of them, and taking him in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me.”
Mark 9:33-37 ESV
For as much as I love teaching and writing for adults, I think my true calling is to teach children. They have my heart. There is something so special about the childlike faith of a child, their wonder and interest in learning new things, that really gets me excited.
I’m afraid that in the past I preferred focusing my energies on adults because it was a straighter path to becoming “known,” to garnering a larger audience. Like Jesus’s disciples who were arguing about which of them was the greatest, I fear that I was looking for fame, rather than simply being faithful to the Lord’s call.
Which reminds me of the lesson I taught this morning to the 5th-12th graders at my local Community Bible Study class. Here’s an excerpt from the lesson I shared after our study on Joshua 1-5. I hope it blesses you.
So, this week we began our study of the book of Joshua. This year we have already studied Ruth, 1st and 2nd Kings, and Job. These five books feature some of the most famous people in the Bible, people like Ruth, King Saul, King David, Job, and now Joshua.
But what about the two spies whom Rahab hid… Their names were not recorded for us in the scriptures, but they were still vitally important to God. Those two men’s faith was just as valuable as Rahab’s. Or what about the priests who carried the ark of the covenant, or the 12 men who carried the stones, across the Jordan – was their faith any less remarkable?
What about the parents who circumcised their children by faith? Or all those Israelites who kept the Passover by faith?
According to Statista.com, in a 2021 survey, 3,670 American teens between the ages of 13-17 were asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?”
What do you think these top 5 professions have in common?
Our culture is way too focused on being famous and way too lax about being faithful, simply doing the next thing that God has called us to. We are chasing after “fame and fortune,” instead of “God and goodness.”
If you have been born again, then you have been given the gift of the indwelling of the Holy spirit. The Holy Spirit of God dwells in you. Think about that.
And now He is calling you to just do the next thing, do the next deed of faith.
That may be as simple as reading your Bible and completing your Bible study lesson and then coming here and sharing with your classmates what God taught you that week. That may be as simple as sitting next to or striking up a conversation with someone you don’t know very well. That may be as simple as telling the truth when you want to lie.
Whatever it is, I want you to listen to the Holy Spirit and follow Him. He will never lead you astray.
He might ask you to step out in faith someday, to follow the example of Rahab and hide a fellow believer who is being persecuted for their faith.
He might ask you to step out into your own Jordan River in sharing the gospel with someone, whether a stranger or a friend, trusting that He will keep His promises to be with You as you take that first step.
Your name may never appear on any timeline or any top 10 of anything. You may never be a world-famous athlete or gamer or musician. You may never be a social media influencer or have a YouTube channel with millions of followers and you may never invent anything world-changing.
But, oh think of it, think of this, your name, YOUR name, can be written in the Lamb’s Book of Life! And if your name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, you can KNOW beyond any doubt that He has a good plan and purpose for you!
Heavenly Father, I pray that You will raise up more parents and more teachers who will invest their lives in training up children in the way that they should go so that the next generation will place their trust in You. Please, Father, stop us from this crazy pursuit of becoming rich and famous, and help us instead to be faithful to do the next thing. By Your grace and for Your glory. Amen.
Teach What is Good 
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