Daily Reading Week 17
Sunday
Matthew 28
DISCOVER
How does Matthew 28:18-20 describe the process of “making disciples?”
What does it mean to “teach them to observe all that I have commanded?”
What do you think is the connection between Jesus’ claim of all authority, and his command to make disciples of all nations?
As we go and make disciples, what great promise is given by Jesus in verse 20?
RESPOND
Matthew 28 begins with the resurrection of Jesus. For the followers of Jesus, the past few days were extremely challenging and sad. Leading up to these final days of Jesus’ life, these disciples walked with Jesus, they saw Him perform miracles, experienced personal growth, and witnessed countless lives transformed. In this post resurrection appearance of Jesus, He takes a few moments to ensure that His disciples keep the ministry going. While some of the disciples fell down and worshiped, there were a few that battled doubt. It’s at this moment that Matthew records what is often referred to as The Great Commission. There is so much more to this passage than evangelism, or telling others about Jesus. The word “therefore” in v 19 is directly linked to the declaration of Jesus’ authority in v 18. Embedded in this commission given by Jesus is the process of making disciples, maturing disciples, and multiplying disciples. R.T. France captures the theological thrust of Jesus’ command to go when he says, “Jesus’ vision of the future heavenly enthronement of the Son of Man in Matthew 24:30 led naturally into a mission to gather his chosen people from all over the earth...But the agents of this ingathering are not now to be angels... but those who are already Jesus’ disciples.” At the end of the day, we’re not only called to be a disciple, we’re commanded to be disciple makers!
monday
Jeremiah 20
DISCOVER
According to verse 8, how did other people view Jeremiah?
Despite his inner struggles and anguish, Jeremiah never stopped sharing God’s message. What is the reason for his persistence? (v 9)
In verse 9, what does Jeremiah compare God’s Word to?
What did Jeremiah state that he heard the people saying about him in verse 10?
RESPOND
The first part of Jeremiah 20 reveals that Jeremiah has been through some pretty rough days. He was arrested, whipped, put in stocks, and embarrassed as others walked by him as he was at the temple gate. Warren Wiersbe said, “The stocks were located at a prominent place in the temple area, in order to add shame to pain.” Being beaten and put into stocks was the first of several occasions when Jeremiah was persecuted by the religious leaders of Jerusalem. The next day he is released and he then speaks truth into the life of the priest, Pashur. Jeremiah 20:9 begins with the conjunction “but.” Clearly this verse is intended to stick out; to stand in contrast to the previous verses. Jeremiah literally said, “Everyone is laughing at me, they think I’m a joke when I tell them about the power and the might of the Lord. However, I just can’t keep my mouth shut.”
God has given us His word to share with others. At times we’re going to encounter people who really don’t want to hear what we have to say, but we can’t overlook the reality that God’s Word has been given to us so we might share it with others.
tuesday
Romans 10
DISCOVER
What is Paul’s greatest desire? (v 1)
Look back at verses 9-10. What are the simple instructions for a person to be saved?
What is Paul’s main objective in verses 14-15?
RESPOND
In verse 14 Paul asked a series of rhetorical questions with the end goal of the readers seeing and understanding how important it is to go and tell the good news. In verse 15 Paul quotes Isaiah 52:7 by restating how beautiful are the feet of those who understand the questions in verse 14, but more importantly move to action. The “feet” mentioned by Paul give reference to activity, motion, or movement. In this particular phrase the feet that move carrying the good news message are described as beautiful. The word here means “timely, or at the right hour.” The idea in this passage is how timely is the arrival of those who proclaim the Good News. In Acts 3 we see a man who was born lame sitting at a gate called "Beautiful" and he receives and believes the Good News which sets him free from his physical setback, but more importantly set him free from his bondage to sin which had crippled all attempts at a "spiritual walk." In short, this miracle happened at the right time.
Can you name a few people in your life who exercised “their beautiful feet” by sharing the good news (Gospel) with you? Take a few minutes and offer a prayer of thanksgiving for their work in your life. Now ask the Lord to give you that same desire.
WEDNESDAY
Psalm 71
DISCOVER
What renewed commitment does the psalmist make in verses 14-18?
As you look back over verses 22-24, notice the “I will” statements. What do the statements suggest about the tenacity of the psalmist? What do they suggest about his focus?
Of the four “I will” statements, which one comes most naturally to you?
What does this psalm teach us about the character of God?
RESPOND
One of the greatest ways for us to live as a disciple is to ensure that our commitment to God is not driven by earthly circumstances. Clearly when we read through this psalm the psalmist has experienced some hard days. People have whispered about him. In addition, they have done harmful and hurtful things to him. It appears at one point in his life some people were plotting to kill him. Yet, in all of this, the psalmist seeks to maintain a heart of worship and praise to God. If you look back over this song, you see in verses 18-19 the yearning of the writer. He wants to make sure that the “next generation” will hear of how he handled hard times. He wants to ensure that the “next generation” will see how he responded to adverse circumstances. God’s great acts of the past are meant to benefit people in the future. We’ve been tasked with the joy and responsibility of leading the generations behind us with a great message and truth, that being God’s faithfulness.
Thursday
2 Corinthians 5
DISCOVER
What is the end product of us understanding our responsibility to the Lord? (v 11)
Once we have entered into a personal relationship with Christ, what responsibility do we have to others? (v 18)
As an ambassador, who are we speaking on behalf of? (v 20)
RESPOND
An ambassador is a respected official acting as a representative of a nation. Sent to a foreign land, the ambassador’s role is to reflect the official position of the sovereign body that gave the authority. Writing to the Corinthians, Paul relates his own calling to that of an ambassador, and he calls for all Christians to consider themselves ambassadors for Christ.
As an ambassador, we represent Jesus everyday, everywhere, and in everything. Part of our duty is to speak to others on God’s behalf, telling them that they don’t have to remain alienated from Him. As His ambassadors we’re given the authority, privilege, and power to speak for Him, and we’re to speak as if God were speaking through us.
The focus of 2 Corinthians 5 is reconciliation. Once we’re reconciled with Christ, we become His ambassador and He gives us the ministry of reconciliation. The ministry of reconciliation is not a message of what we’ve done, nor is it a message on how to be a better person. The ministry of reconciliation is a synonym for the good news of Jesus Christ (the gospel) and the power that He has to make us new. G Campbell Morgan writes, “What urgency breathes through these words! The subject is that of the reconciliation made possible between man and God, because ‘God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself.’ That word of reconciliation is committed to those called to serve Christ. They are ambassadors on behalf of Christ. Therefore the urgency.”
We represent Jesus whenever and wherever we are. The question is this: how well do you represent Jesus? How well are you being an ambassador of Christ?
Friday
Philippians 1:1-19
DISCOVER
Who is this letter written to? (v 1)
According to verse 6, what certainty does Paul have?
What is at the heart of Paul’s prayer? (v 9-11)
Paul is writing from prison. He is chained 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to a guard. What does Paul see as a positive about his captivity? Why is it often challenging for us to remain positive in difficult times?
RESPOND
When reading the book of Philippians there’s an idea that repeats itself through all each chapter. That idea is joy. No other book in the Bible speaks more about joy than Philippians. Some form of the word “joy” is used sixteen times. Paul’s bottom line is about living life joyfully regardless of circumstances. In fact, he stresses this truth in Philippians 4:4. What makes this all the more extraordinary is understanding his current situation. He’s not on a remote island in the Caribbean. He’s not sitting in some 5-star resort with an attendant waiting on him and his every move. He is in prison, chained a bunch of guys and has no idea what tomorrow holds.
This passage really challenges us to guard how we respond to the adverse moments in life. Paul's imprisonment was helping spread the gospel. All of the guards knew about his faith, so he was clearly willing to preach to his own captors. As a result, other believers grew in boldness to speak about Christ. In fact, his imprisonment has even made him more courageous.
Paul understands the human tendency to look for joy in a lot of different places and things in the midst of our trying days. Chuck Swindoll said, “the pace and the pressure of life often squeeze the joy from us. Our shoulders slumped and our heads bowed, we find some days—or months—very difficult to get through. Desperate, we often search for joy in all kinds of ways—acquiring possessions, visiting places, or seeing people.” Where do you find your joy in trying circumstances?
Saturday
Jude
DISCOVER
What’s the purpose of the book of Jude? (v 3)
According to verse 4, why is it important for us to contend for the faith?
What advice does Jude give in verses 20-21 to build oneself up in the faith?
In his doxology (v 24), what does Jude say God is able to do?
RESPOND
The Greek word meaning “beloved” or “dear friend,” serves to show the tenderness and the affectionate nature of Jude towards his readers. Jude notes that while he intended to write about a certain topic (salvation), he felt compelled to address a different topic which gives this letter a sense of urgency. He encourages these believers to fight or to contend for the faith. The word “fight or contend” is where we get our word “agonize.” It appears in both a military and an athletic context. It means to struggle with intense effort. The fight that Jude calls for his readers to engage in is in response to the false teachers that have gotten into the church. The author is calling for the reader to keep their spiritual antennas up and strive for spiritual discernment. These false ideas have created havoc and confusion. Jude basically says in verse 4, theology does matter. The greatest way for us not to get swept away by smooth talkers, creative ideas, and false statements is by knowing the truth. In addition, for those who are more spiritually mature, there’s an implied understanding of helping the younger believers.