The Guard
April 12, 2020 • Kevin Zeller • Matthew 28:1–10, Mark 9:31
This is ridiculous,” I said, adjusting my helmet while keeping my spear crooked in my arm. “Why do we need all of these soldiers here. The man is dead, isn’t he?” . The guard next to me shrugged. “They say he made lots of noise about rising from the dead. So they are worried about his disciples coming back and stealing the body.” . “Well,” I said, glancing back at the crowd of soldiers gathered outside the small garden tomb, “Good luck to them. It’s all sealed up, and they would have to get through all that.” . I shifted on my feet, wishing for my cot. “Nice morning anyway.” . He grunted, signaling the end of the conversation. . Resentful, I stepped a few paces away. I looked up into the night sky, seeing a few stars remaining, even as the sky was brightening. Strange, one of the stars was moving... . A roar filled the garden, and the earth shook with an impact. I was thrown to the ground, my spear clattering on some stones. It took me a moment to regain my breath, and, when I did, I shrank back against a tree. . A bright figure, completely clad in what looked like glowing robes, was stalking toward the tomb. His footprints left the ground smoking. . The other guards were shrieking, stumbling over each other to get away even as he raised his bright hand, placed it on the stone, and pushed. . The last thing I remember before fainting was the sound of stone ripping. • Kevin Zeller . • How would you have reacted if you had been one of the guards at the tomb? . • Read Romans 8:11-24, 2 Corinthians 5, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, and Revelation 21:1-5. How did Jesus’ resurrection begin the new creation breaking into our world? . He [Jesus] said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of his enemies. He will be killed, but three days later he will rise from the dead.” Mark 9:31 (NLT)
Purple
April 9, 2020 • Melissa Yeagle • Mark 15:16–20, Romans 5:8
Traditionally, purple means “royalty.” For example, Roman magistrates wore white togas with a wide purple border, and Roman emperors and victorious generals wore purple togas with gold trim. Purple also happens to be my favorite color, and I wear it quite a bit. . Did you know Jesus wore purple, and He was made fun of? It happened right before He died on the cross for our sins. . Jesus, who is God and King of the universe, was giving the ultimate gift of His life to defeat sin and death so we could live forever with Him. . But the authorities were mocking Him because He claimed to be a king. They clothed Him in purple and beat and ridiculed Him. The very people He came to rescue were being outright mean to Him. . As Christians, we have a God and King who loves us so much He was willing to take our punishment for us. Even when we were nothing but cruel to Him, He died to save us from sin and death. His mercy and love are so great toward us. . Now, when I see purple, it reminds me of God’s great love for me. I serve a King who was willing to be mocked, beaten, and killed so I could know Him. A King who was willing to die for His people, even when they hated Him. • Melissa Yeagle . • God is perfectly good and just, so our sin—the wrong things we do—separates us from Him (Isaiah 59:2; Romans 3:23; 6:23). Read Romans 5:6-8. Why is it important to know that Jesus loved us even when we were still caught in sin? . • Why is it important to continue to remember God’s love for us—even after we have put our trust in Jesus? . • Read Romans 8:38-39. Can anything separate us from Jesus’ love? . • If you have questions about what Jesus has done, check out our "Know Jesus" page. . But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. Romans 5:8 (NLT)
Day 3 - Rooster Crow
April 7, 2020 • Deborah del Villar • Mark 14:66–72
A rooster crowed at the moment of the apostle Peter’s biggest failure. . Let’s back up to a few hours before that awful choice. On the night of His betrayal, Jesus warned His disciples that they would scatter when He was taken from them. . That’s when Peter spoke up: no matter what the others would do, he would not deny Jesus! But Jesus had sad news for Peter. That very night, he would deny Jesus three times before the rooster crowed. . Sure enough, as we read in today’s Bible passage, Peter denied knowing Jesus. But upon hearing the rooster crow and realizing what he had done, Peter wept because he loved Jesus and wanted to be faithful. . Have you had any rooster-crow moments? Times when you were sure you would follow what God’s Word said? Times when a quick decision had to be made, and you made the wrong one? Times when you chose sin over Jesus? Then, when you realized what you had done, you stopped and wept. You mourned a choice that couldn’t be unmade. The rooster was crowing in the background. . But here’s the good news. Jesus loves us and knows our struggles against sin. He has not left us alone. When we trust Him as our Savior and Lord, He wraps us in His righteousness (or sinlessness) (2 Corinthians 5:21). It’s like we have never done anything wrong. God has given us His Word and His Spirit to teach us the way and to empower us to walk in it. . When we are tempted to sin, we can listen to the Holy Spirit, rejecting sin and remembering who we are in Christ (Titus 2:11-14). And when we do sin, we can run to Jesus because we are held in His love and forgiveness—even in our rooster-crow moments (Hebrews 4:14-16; 1 John 1:9–2:1). • Deborah del Villar . • Read John 21:15-19. After Peter failed, was Jesus done with him? . • Read 1 Corinthians 10:13 and Hebrews 4:14-16. When we sin or are tempted to sin, who should we run to? . My little children, I am writing you these things so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ the righteous one. 1 John 2:1 (CSB)
Rooster Crow
April 7, 2020 • Deborah del Villar • Mark 14:66–72, 1 John 2:1
A rooster crowed at the moment of the apostle Peter’s biggest failure. . Let’s back up to a few hours before that awful choice. On the night of His betrayal, Jesus warned His disciples that they would scatter when He was taken from them. . That’s when Peter spoke up: no matter what the others would do, he would not deny Jesus! But Jesus had sad news for Peter. That very night, he would deny Jesus three times before the rooster crowed. . Sure enough, as we read in today’s Bible passage, Peter denied knowing Jesus. But upon hearing the rooster crow and realizing what he had done, Peter wept because he loved Jesus and wanted to be faithful. . Have you had any rooster-crow moments? Times when you were sure you would follow what God’s Word said? Times when a quick decision had to be made, and you made the wrong one? Times when you chose sin over Jesus? Then, when you realized what you had done, you stopped and wept. You mourned a choice that couldn’t be unmade. The rooster was crowing in the background. . But here’s the good news. Jesus loves us and knows our struggles against sin. He has not left us alone. When we trust Him as our Savior and Lord, He wraps us in His righteousness (or sinlessness) (2 Corinthians 5:21). It’s like we have never done anything wrong. God has given us His Word and His Spirit to teach us the way and to empower us to walk in it. . When we are tempted to sin, we can listen to the Holy Spirit, rejecting sin and remembering who we are in Christ (Titus 2:11-14). And when we do sin, we can run to Jesus because we are held in His love and forgiveness—even in our rooster-crow moments (Hebrews 4:14-16; 1 John 1:9–2:1). • Deborah del Villar . • Read John 21:15-19. After Peter failed, was Jesus done with him? . • Read 1 Corinthians 10:13 and Hebrews 4:14-16. When we sin or are tempted to sin, who should we run to? . My little children, I am writing you these things so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ the righteous one. 1 John 2:1 (CSB)
The Reflective Life
November 23, 2019 • Courtney Lasater • Mark 7:20–23, Romans 3:10–18, Romans 3:23–24, 1 Timothy 1:15–16, 2 Corinthians 5:17
It didn’t matter how good people tried to make themselves look. The mirror never lied. Not to Amiah. She could see a person’s true image in their reflection. And what she saw were monsters. . She didn’t know why no one else saw them, but the monsters were always there, flickering across sheets of glass and curves of metal. A spoon at a restaurant would betray the maniacal rage of a friendly waitress, her yellow, blood-rimmed eyes popping out of her head. A subway window would illuminate the green, slimy jealousy of the well-dressed man sitting next to her. On the street, the side of each building became its own danse macabre as grotesque figures stumbled across the glass. . But they weren’t the reason she avoided reflective surfaces: she was. She was the worst monster of them all. Whenever she looked in the mirror, she shuddered at the horrifying creature gazing back at her, hatred and rage rotting the flesh off her bones. She wanted to scream and run away, but it followed her from one pane of glass to the next. . One day, a man sat down across from her on the subway. He had long, stringy hair and wore a faded T-shirt and tattered jeans. Before she could stop herself, Amiah turned toward the window to see what monster he was hiding—and felt the air go out of her lungs. There was no monster. Only his pure reflection smiling back at her. . She was suddenly pierced with the realization that he could see the monster she was, and her face grew hot with shame. But as the train screeched to a halt, he nodded toward the exit. "Come," his eyes said. "Follow me." . He pushed open the doors and walked out. This wasn’t her stop, but everything in her propelled her to follow him off the train. She hurried toward the beeping doors and stepped out just as they swooshed close behind her. She joined him on the platform, and as the train pulled away, she caught a glimpse of herself in the window and gasped. For the first time ever, she saw her face. Soft black curls fell across her shoulders, and her eyes shone clear and bright. . The monster was gone. • Courtney Lasater . • What monsters (sin and brokenness) have you seen in the mirror—even if no one else can see them? . • Read 1 Samuel 16:7. How does God’s view of people differ from the way humans see each other? . • Read 2 Corinthians 5:17. What does it say about how God sees those who belong to Jesus? How should this change the way we see ourselves? . This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NLT)
Serving the God of Life (Part 1)
November 16, 2019 • Taylor Eising • Isaiah 42:5, Mark 10:13–16, John 1:1–5
Editor’s Note: Today’s reading addresses abortion. . Our God loves life. Every creature on this planet is alive because of His incredible love. And He calls that life “very good” (Genesis 1:31). The natural consequence of God’s presence in the world is abundant life, but the natural consequence of sin’s presence in the world is death. One example of death in our world is abortion. . The Bible talks about life inside the womb several times. In Genesis 25:21-26, we hear about Jacob and Esau fighting before they are even born. In Luke 1:41, John the Baptist leaps in his mother’s womb when he meets the pre-born Jesus. God also makes it clear He knows and loves us before we are even born (Psalm 139:13-14; Jeremiah 1:5). . Although God loves life, sometimes people feel they have no choice but to abort their baby. Abortion is a heartbreaking decision to make. It comes from feeling alone, helpless, and hopeless. Satan loves to isolate us, insisting that there is no solution to the problems before us, so the only way out is death. . But that is a lie straight from the pit of hell. God, who is in absolute control over life and death, is with us in every circumstance. If He has created a life, however that life was created, He will provide a way to care for it. We are never, ever alone. God is with us, He loves us, and He is lavishing His incredible grace on us. . God loves life so much that He sent Jesus to defeat sin and death. He did that so all life, including ours, could be reconciled to Him in love and peace (Colossians 1:20). One day, He will come back to resurrect all His people from the dead, killing death once and for all (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). In the meantime, celebrate the God of Life. • Taylor Eising . • How can you show God’s love to people who have had or who are considering an abortion? . • How can living as a loving community of believers focused on Jesus make it easier for people with unexpected pregnancies to care for their babies? . He [God] created the earth and everything in it. He gives breath to everyone, life to everyone who walks the earth. Isaiah 42:5 (NLT)
When Fear Takes Hold
November 1, 2019 • Kristi Dennis • Mark 4:35–41, Matthew 6:25–34
"It’s scary.” . “How can I feel safe when all of these things keep happening on the news?” . “What if it happens here?” . “It’s not safe out there. Maybe I should just stay home.” . These are all things we begin to think when fear takes hold. And we’re not the only ones. Jesus’ disciples had a moment when fear was all they saw too. . The storm was raging around their tiny little fishing boat. And what was their Teacher doing? SLEEPING! . The disciples had watched Jesus heal incurable diseases and go toe-to-toe with the religious leaders of the time. But now, in the midst of the storm, while they ran around trying to keep the vessel above water, they said, “Teacher! Don’t you care that we’re going to die?” (Mark 4:38). They were so afraid that they forgot that Jesus had called each of them by name (Matthew 4:18-22). When fear took hold, all they saw was the storm. . With just a few words, Jesus calmed the storm. He asked His disciples, “Why are you afraid?” (Mark 4:40). In that moment, the words of His Sermon on the Mount may have echoed in their ears: “Consider the birds of the sky: They don’t sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than they?” (Matthew 6:26) . So, when fear takes hold, know that Jesus is the sovereign God in control of even the wind and waves. He is the One who is always with us (Matthew 28:20). And He is the One who promises to one day destroy all that is fearful (Revelation 21:1-5). • Kristi Dennis . • When was the last time fear took hold of you? How did you respond? . • If you know Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you are one of God’s people, who He promises to care and provide for. What are some examples of God’s provision and faithfulness in your own life? What about from history (Hebrews 11:1–12:3)? . • How can you focus on Jesus—and His promises to make all things new—the next time fear tries to take hold? . Consider the birds of the sky: They don’t sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than they? Matthew 6:26 (CSB)