Category: Daily Readings

November 18 (Daily reading: Acts 7-8) We were briefly introduced in Acts 6 to seven men who were appointed to a ministry of service in the church. These men were not relegated to a place of lesser importance or obscurity. Luke told the story of two, Stephen and Philip. “Stephen, full of grace and power,…

November 17 (Daily reading: Acts 4-6) The miraculous events in the early chapters of Acts culminated in a great spiritual awakening. People “from every nation under heaven” (2:5) heard the preaching of the gospel. About three thousand believed in Christ and were baptized (2:41). After God used Peter and John to heal a man crippled…

November 16 (Daily reading: Acts 1-3) Acts 2:41-47 gives the activities of the church, which is composed of baptized believers (v. 41). “They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer” (v. 42). The first activity, and the last activity, is prayer. The church…

November 15 (Daily reading: Luke 24; John 20-21) The Gospel of John closes with a dialogue between Jesus and Peter. Three times in chapter 21, Jesus asked Peter a question: “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” Peter answered in the affirmative all three times. Jesus replied to him: “Tend My lambs,” “Shepherd My…

November 14 (Daily reading: Matthew 28; Mark 16) The Great Commission (Mt. 28:18-20) is directly linked to the resurrection of Jesus. Before Jesus said to those who had gathered for His ascension, “Go and make disciples of all the nations,” an angel had said to the women on that glorious Sunday morning: “Go quickly and…

November 13 (Daily reading: Luke 23; John 18-19) We benefit from the writings of Luke because of his attention to detail—perhaps because he was a physician. We are particularly indebted to him for being the only gospel writer to quote two things that Jesus said while on the cross. The first is found in Luke…

November 12 (Daily reading: Matthew 27; Mark 15) Pilate’s actions during Jesus’s trial leaves us with some impressions. Pilate asked a question that every person must ask: “Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” (Mt. 27:22). He admitted that Jesus had done nothing worthy of death, but he did not want…

November 11 (Daily reading: John 14-17) When Jesus was in the upper room with His disciples on the evening before His death, He prepared them for His departure. He told them that the Holy Spirit would come and what that meant for them. He set the scene by telling them: “He who believes in Me,…

November 10 (Daily reading: Luke 22; John 13) Today’s commentary is adapted from my book, “We Love Because God First Loved Us,” pages 45-46. On the eve of His crucifixion, Jesus did something that shocked His disciples. John 13 begins with words that make us think a trumpet will resound and something spectacular will happen:…

November 9 (Daily reading: Matthew 26; Mark 14) Looking ahead in the life of Peter, we find him saying to the Sanhedrin to explain how a crippled beggar had been healed: “(It was) by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead” (Ac. 4:10). When they told…