Category: Daily Readings

October 19 (Daily reading: Matthew 15; Mark 7) “Neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men” (Mk. 7:8). That one phrase says so much! In our country’s legalized position on abortion, or on sexuality, have we not placed human tradition over God’s word? And in our individual practices, are we guilty…

October 18 (Daily reading: John 6) Jesus often taught by doing the unexplainable. All four gospels give the story of feeding the five thousand. The disciples saw only the problem of a large hungry crowd, but Jesus challenged them to find a solution. When He fed the crowd by multiplying five loaves of bread and…

October 17 (Daily reading: Matthew 14; Mark 6; Luke 9) This lesson is adapted from my book, “We Love Because God First Loved Us,” pages 41-42. In Luke 9, Jesus presented three conditions of discipleship: deny yourself, take up your cross daily, and follow Christ (v. 23). He then talked about three potential disciples and…

October 16 (Daily reading: Matthew 10) Matthew listed the apostles, writing: “Jesus summoned His twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness” (10:1). We review His call to the disciples in the order of our readings. He first…

October 15 (Daily reading; Mark 4-5) Earlier this year, when the day arrived for Judy and me to receive our second Covid vaccination, I was a little anxious because of Judy’s Alzheimer’s. Two different nurses attending her told me they could not work after the second shot because they ached so bad. I was concerned…

October 14 Daily reading: Matthew 13; Luke 8. In Matthew 13:44-46, Jesus told two short parables, “the Hidden Treasure” and “the Pearl of Great Price.” The emphasis is on the immense value of the treasure and the pearl. They are compared to the kingdom of Heaven (the kingdom of God), which is more valuable than…

October 14 (Daily reading: Matthew 13; Luke 8) In Matthew 13:44-46, Jesus told two short parables, “the Hidden Treasure” and “the Pearl of Great Price.” The emphasis is on the immense value of the treasure and the pearl. They are compared to the kingdom of Heaven (the kingdom of God), which is more valuable than…

October 13 (Daily reading: Luke 11) Jesus used the same illustration in Luke 11:33 that He gave in Luke 8:16. We do not light a lamp and then hide it. We put the lamp on a lampstand “so that those who come in may see the light.” Think of the light as revelation. We receive…

October 12 (Daily reading: Matthew 11) Jesus’s praise, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth” (v. 25), came during a time of sadness. John the Baptist was in prison and would soon die (Mt. 14:10). Jesus had spoken a kind of eulogy about him (vv. 7-11). There was sadness in the hypocrisy of…

October 11 (Daily reading: Matthew 9; Luke 7) In Matthew 9, we see the common thread of faith in cases where Jesus healed someone. The paralytic’s friends brought him to Jesus, and Jesus healed him because of their faith. The synagogue official had faith in Jesus, even though his daughter had died. “My daughter has…