Psalm 33

1 Sing joyfully to the LORD, you righteous;
it is fitting for the upright to praise him.
2 Praise the LORD with the harp;
make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre.
3 Sing to him a new song;
play skillfully, and shout for joy.
4 For the word of the LORD is right and true;

 he is faithful in all he does. 

5 The LORD loves righteousness and justice; 

the earth is full of his unfailing love.
6 By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, 

their starry host by the breath of his mouth. 

7 He gathers the waters of the sea into jars; 

he puts the deep into storehouses. 

8 Let all the earth fear the LORD; 

let all the people of the world revere him.

9 For he spoke, and it came to be; 

he commanded, and it stood firm.
10 The LORD foils the plans of the nations; 

he thwarts the purposes of the peoples. 

11 But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, 

the purposes of his heart through all generations.
12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, 

the people he chose for his inheritance. 

13 From heaven the LORD looks down 

and sees all mankind; 

14 from his dwelling place he watches 

all who live on earth— 

15 he who forms the hearts of all, 

who considers everything they do.
16 No king is saved by the size of his army; 

no warrior escapes by his great strength.

17 A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; 

despite all its great strength it cannot save. 

18 But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, 

on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, 

19 to deliver them from death 

and keep them alive in famine.

20 We wait in hope for the LORD; 

he is our help and our shield. 

21 In him our hearts rejoice, 

for we trust in his holy name. 

22 May your unfailing love be with us, LORD, 

even as we put our hope in you.

Questions to consider:

• Compare and contrast this psalm and psalm 32.
• What reasons does the psalmist give for praising God?
• How does the psalmist picture God as a creator?
• How does God treat the plans of the nations?
• What attributes of God are revealed in this psalm?
• What does God require of you?

Possibilities for prayer:

Today’s prayer suggestion is simple: take a couple minutes to reflect particularly on verses 20-22. Make them your prayer today.

Psalm 32

1 Blessed is the one 

whose transgressions are forgiven, 

whose sins are covered.

2 Blessed is the one 

whose sin the LORD does not count against them 

and in whose spirit is no deceit.

3 When I kept silent, 

my bones wasted away 

through my groaning all day long. 

4 For day and night 

your hand was heavy on me; 
my strength was sapped 

as in the heat of summer.
5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you 

and did not cover up my iniquity. 

I said, “I will confess 

my transgressions to the LORD.” 

And you forgave 
 the guilt of my sin.

6 Therefore let all the faithful pray to you 

while you may be found; 
surely the rising of the mighty waters 

will not reach them.

7 You are my hiding place; 

you will protect me from trouble 

and surround me with songs of deliverance.

8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;

 I will counsel you with my loving eye on you. 

9 Do not be like the horse or the mule, 

which have no understanding 
but must be controlled by bit and bridle 

or they will not come to you.

10 Many are the woes of the wicked, 

but the LORD’s unfailing love 

surrounds the one who trusts in him.
11 Rejoice in the LORD and be glad, you righteous; 

sing, all you who are upright in heart!

Questions to consider:

• How does verse 1 capture the main idea of the psalm?
• Who appears to be speaking in verses 8-9? What is the command?
• How have you been like a horse or a mule recently?
• What sin in your life needs to be confessed so that you can rejoice?

Possibilities for prayer:

As was brought up in the questions section, it seems as though God is speaking in verses 8 and 9--offering instruction that we can apply in our lives. Ponder the way (or ways) that you have been like a horse or mule in your life that was brought up in the questions section. Take some time to confess and repent of that thing and ask for forgiveness today. After doing so, try asking God for wisdom in how to avoid those behaviors in the future.

Psalm 31

1 In you, LORD, I have taken refuge; 

let me never be put to shame; 

deliver me in your righteousness.

2 Turn your ear to me, 

come quickly to my rescue; 
be my rock of refuge, 

a strong fortress to save me. 

3 Since you are my rock and my fortress, 

for the sake of your name lead and guide me. 

4 Keep me free from the trap that is set for me, 

for you are my refuge. 

5 Into your hands I commit my spirit; 

deliver me, LORD, my faithful God.

6 I hate those who cling to worthless idols; 

as for me, I trust in the LORD. 

7 I will be glad and rejoice in your love, 

for you saw my affliction 

and knew the anguish of my soul.

8 You have not given me into the hands of the enemy 

but have set my feet in a spacious place.

9 Be merciful to me, LORD, for I am in distress; 

my eyes grow weak with sorrow, 

my soul and body with grief.

10 My life is consumed by anguish 

and my years by groaning; 
my strength fails because of my affliction,

and my bones grow weak. 

11 Because of all my enemies, 

I am the utter contempt of my neighbors

and an object of dread to my closest friends— 

those who see me on the street flee from me.

12 I am forgotten as though I were dead; 

I have become like broken pottery. 

13 For I hear many whispering, 

“Terror on every side!” 
They conspire against me 

and plot to take my life.

14 But I trust in you, LORD; 

I say, “You are my God.” 

15 My times are in your hands; 

deliver me from the hands of my enemies, 

from those who pursue me. 

16 Let your face shine on your servant; 

save me in your unfailing love. 

17 Let me not be put to shame, LORD, 

for I have cried out to you; 
but let the wicked be put to shame 

and be silent in the realm of the dead.

18 Let their lying lips be silenced, 

for with pride and contempt 

they speak arrogantly against the righteous.

19 How abundant are the good things 

that you have stored up for those who fear you,

that you bestow in the sight of all, 

on those who take refuge in you. 

20 In the shelter of your presence you hide them 

from all human intrigues; 
you keep them safe in your dwelling 

from accusing tongues.

21 Praise be to the LORD, 

for he showed me the wonders of his love 

when I was in a city under siege.

22 In my alarm I said, 

“I am cut off from your sight!” 
Yet you heard my cry for mercy 

when I called to you for help.

23 Love the LORD, all his faithful people! 

The LORD preserves those who are true to him, 

but the proud he pays back in full. 

24 Be strong and take heart, 

all you who hope in the LORD.

Questions to consider:

• List David’s requests for help.
• Describe and categorize his problems. With which do you identify?
• Which characteristics does David attribute to God?
• What problems can you turn over to God?
• How can David’s comfort in God be helpful to you?
• What is your response to God for your experiences of rescue from anxiety, uncertainty, and suspicion from others?

Possibilities for prayer:

But I trust in you, LORD;

 I say, “You are my God.”
My times are in your hands

Trusting God in the midst of difficult times can be rather difficult. It is easy to be overwhelmed with what is happening in the here and now, how things seem to not be improving, and blind to the good things that could come. But let us, as the psalmist did, say “You are my God” and place our situations, our very lives, in God’s hands.

Psalm 30

1 I will exalt you, LORD, 

for you lifted me out of the depths 

and did not let my enemies gloat over me.

2 LORD my God, I called to you for help, 

and you healed me. 

3 You, LORD, brought me up from the realm of the dead; 

you spared me from going down to the pit.

4 Sing the praises of the LORD, you his faithful people; 

praise his holy name.

5 For his anger lasts only a moment, 

but his favor lasts a lifetime;

weeping may stay for the night, 

but rejoicing comes in the morning.
6 When I felt secure, I said, 

“I will never be shaken.”


7 LORD, when you favored me, 

you made my royal mountain stand firm; 
but when you hid your face, 

I was dismayed.
8 To you, LORD, I called; 

to the Lord I cried for mercy: 

9 “What is gained if I am silenced, 

if I go down to the pit? 
Will the dust praise you? 

Will it proclaim your faithfulness? 

10 Hear, LORD, and be merciful to me; 

LORD, be my help.”

11 You turned my wailing into dancing; 

you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,

12 that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent. 

LORD my God, I will praise you forever.
Questions to consider:

• What has been David’s experience of security? What is the apparent source of security he mentions in verse 6?
• What happens to shake his confidence?
• What is the source of a more solid sense of security?
• Compare and contrast David’s despair with the final release from despair.
• Honestly, what is your basis of security?

Possibilities for prayer:

Can you tell of a tale in which God lifted you out of “depths?” Think of some time in your life in which God has proven himself victor over difficult circumstances in your life. If you currently find yourself in a position in which you need God’s rescuing, ask for it! God wants to turn wailing into dancing and clothe us with joy--we just need ask and have faith.

Psalm 29

1 Ascribe to the LORD, you heavenly beings, 

ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. 

2 Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; 

worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness.
3 The voice of the LORD is over the waters; 

the God of glory thunders,

 the LORD thunders over the mighty waters. 

4 The voice of the LORD is powerful;

 the voice of the LORD is majestic.

5 The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars; 

the LORD breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.

6 He makes Lebanon leap like a calf, 

Sirion like a young wild ox.

7 The voice of the LORD strikes 

with flashes of lightning. 

8 The voice of the LORD shakes the desert; 

the LORD shakes the Desert of Kadesh.

9 The voice of the LORD twists the oaks

and strips the forests bare. 
And in his temple all cry, “Glory!”
10 The LORD sits enthroned over the flood; 
 the LORD is enthroned as King forever. 

11 The LORD gives strength to his people; 
 the LORD blesses his people with peace.

Questions to consider:

• Rephrase verses 1 and 2 so that they constitute a definition of worship.
• Trace the course of the storm. What qualities of God are revealed in the storm and its aftermath?
• Recreate imaginatively the whole picture presented in this psalm.
• How does this psalm help you to ascribe glory and strength to the Lord?
• How would you entitle this psalm?

Possibilities for prayer:

As you hopefully noticed, this psalm seems to be attributing good things to God in the midst of a storm. Maybe it feels as though you are enduring a storm yourself, whether it be related to the actual weather outside or your emotional state inside! Today, declare the Lord’s goodness in the midst of hard times; proclaim his strength and victory over the storms in your life.

Psalm 11

1 In the LORD I take refuge. 

How then can you say to me: 


“Flee like a bird to your mountain.

2 For look, the wicked bend their bows; 

they set their arrows against the strings 
to shoot from the shadows 

at the upright in heart.

3 When the foundations are being destroyed, 

what can the righteous do?”

4 The LORD is in his holy temple; 

the LORD is on his heavenly throne. 

He observes everyone on earth; 

his eyes examine them.

5 The LORD examines the righteous, 

but the wicked, those who love violence, 

he hates with a passion.

6 On the wicked he will rain 

fiery coals and burning sulfur; 

a scorching wind will be their lot.

7 For the LORD is righteous,

 he loves justice; 

the upright will see his face.

Questions to consider:

• In verse 1, what two sources of refuge are mentioned? Which one does David choose?
• What is the target of the wicked? What does he hope to do?
• What is the difference in God’s dealing with the wicked and the righteous?
• How is God dealing with you now? Do you know why?
• Can a man see God? How have you seen him recently?

Possibilities for prayer:

Do you actively take refuge in the Lord? What can (or does) that mean in our lives? In our prayers today, let’s seek refuge in God. Maybe that means turning over things we’ve been hanging onto that are not helpful or are not being dealt with in a helpful way, trusting God to (as we prayed yesterday) have victory or maybe that means asking God to be in some ways an actual physical space of refuge, or to provide that space. Let’s rest in God, our refuge, today.

Psalm 10

1 Why, LORD, do you stand far off?
Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?

2 In his arrogance the wicked man hunts down the weak, 

who are caught in the schemes he devises. 

3 He boasts about the cravings of his heart; 

he blesses the greedy and reviles the LORD. 

4 In his pride the wicked man does not seek him; 

in all his thoughts there is no room for God.

5 His ways are always prosperous; 

your laws are rejected by him; 

he sneers at all his enemies.

6 He says to himself, “Nothing will ever shake me.” 

He swears, “No one will ever do me harm.”

7 His mouth is full of lies and threats; 

trouble and evil are under his tongue. 

8 He lies in wait near the villages; 

from ambush he murders the innocent. 

His eyes watch in secret for his victims; 

9 like a lion in cover he lies in wait. 
He lies in wait to catch the helpless; 

he catches the helpless and drags them off in his net.

10 His victims are crushed, they collapse; 

they fall under his strength.

11 He says to himself, “God will never notice; 

he covers his face and never sees.”

12 Arise, LORD! Lift up your hand, O God. 

Do not forget the helpless.

13 Why does the wicked man revile God? 

Why does he say to himself, 

“He won’t call me to account”?

14 But you, God, see the trouble of the afflicted; 

you consider their grief and take it in hand. 

The victims commit themselves to you; 

you are the helper of the fatherless.

15 Break the arm of the wicked man; 

call the evildoer to account for his wickedness 

that would not otherwise be found out.
16 The LORD is King for ever and ever; 

the nations will perish from his land.

17 You, LORD, hear the desire of the afflicted; 

you encourage them, and you listen to their cry, 

18 defending the fatherless and the oppressed, 

so that mere earthly mortals 

will never again strike terror.

Questions to consider:

• What problem is expressed here?
• What is said about the attitude of the wicked?
• What does the psalmist ask God to do? On what basis does he make his appeal?
• List the characteristics of God’s rule.
• Contrast the present and final situations of man.

Possibilities for prayer:

At the beginning of this psalm, it may be easy to feel discouraged for the author, who is clearly enduring trials and desiring God to come and be his rescuer. But much as our experience in life may be, we need to declare God as the victor, even if we haven’t yet seen his victory. So let’s take some time to think about the things in our lives in which we need God’s victory, and let’s declare God’s victory over those things (using verses 16-18 might be a good starting point).

Psalm 9:11-20

11 Sing the praises of the LORD, enthroned in Zion; 

proclaim among the nations what he has done.


12 For he who avenges blood remembers; 

he does not ignore the cries of the afflicted.

13 LORD, see how my enemies persecute me! 

Have mercy and lift me up from the gates of death,


14 that I may declare your praises 

in the gates of Daughter Zion, 

and there rejoice in your salvation.

15 The nations have fallen into the pit they have dug;

 their feet are caught in the net they have hidden.


16 The LORD is known by his acts of justice; 

the wicked are ensnared by the work of their hands.


17 The wicked go down to the realm of the dead, 

all the nations that forget God. 


18 But God will never forget the needy; 

the hope of the afflicted will never perish.

19 Arise, LORD, do not let mortals triumph; 

let the nations be judged in your presence.


20 Strike them with terror, LORD; 

let the nations know they are only mortal.

Questions to consider:

• What reasons are given for praising God?
• Compare the “nations” and “wicked.”
• Contrast the enemy and the Lord.
• Considering the world situation, to what extent can you make this your prayer?
• Title this psalm as to its content.

Possibilities for prayer:

The LORD is known by his acts of justice; 
 the wicked are ensnared by the work of their hands.
The God that we serve is a just God--known by acts of justice. As we go through our lives trying to walk with Jesus in deep relationship, one thing we can be seeking is greater understanding of what justice is and opportunities to live lives that are reflective of that justice. Let’s ask God for both of these things today: greater understanding of God’s justice and the opportunity to live it out.

Psalm 9:1-10

1 I will give thanks to you, LORD, with all my heart; 

I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.


2 I will be glad and rejoice in you;

 I will sing the praises of your name, O Most High.

3 My enemies turn back; 

they stumble and perish before you. 


4 For you have upheld my right and my cause, 

sitting enthroned as the righteous judge.


5 You have rebuked the nations and destroyed the wicked; 

you have blotted out their name for ever and ever.


6 Endless ruin has overtaken my enemies, 

you have uprooted their cities; 

even the memory of them has perished.

7 The LORD reigns forever; 

he has established his throne for judgment.


8 He rules the world in righteousness 

and judges the peoples with equity.


9 The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed, 

a stronghold in times of trouble. 


10 Those who know your name trust in you, 

for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.

Questions to consider:

• In the opening verses, what does David say he will do?
• Which of these are presently a part of your life?
• What is the experience of the enemies? Why?

Possibilities for prayer:

Have you ever tried to sing the praises of God’s name, just as it comes from your heart? Many of us have likely wandered around with a song in our hearts--perhaps something we sang at church or something similar--and even have sung that out. But have you ever sung praises direct from your heart? Those praises don’t have to have a beautiful melody or perfect harmonies, but should come from your experience of God in your life. Today, make a song of praise your prayer to God, whatever that might look like--something that is all your own, or a song that has touched your heart.

Psalm 8

1 LORD, our Lord, 
 how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory 

in the heavens. 


2 Through the praise of children and infants 

you have established a stronghold against your enemies, 

to silence the foe and the avenger. 

3 When I consider your heavens, 

the work of your fingers, 
the moon and the stars, 

which you have set in place,

4 what is mankind that you are mindful of them, 

human beings that you care for them?

5 You have made them a little lower than the angels

and crowned them with glory and honor.

6 You made them rulers over the works of your hands;

 you put everything under their feet: 

7 all flocks and herds, 

and the animals of the wild, 
8 the birds in the sky, 

and the fish in the sea, 

all that swim the paths of the seas.

9 LORD, our Lord, 

how majestic is your name in all the earth!

Questions to consider:

• Compare verse 1 with verse 9. What purpose do these verses have in the psalm?
• Can you include yourself in the use of “our”? Why?
• What things are said about God? about man? Compare and contrast God and man?
• What is the significance of the questions in verse 4? How does verse 4 relate to verse 3?
• How does verse 2 fit in with the remainder of the psalm?
• How would you describe and title this psalm? Why?

Possibilities for prayer:

This psalm seems to declare the greatness and majesty of God--something that we all too often fail to successfully and appropriately acknowledge. Today, let’s simply take some time to glorify God in all that greatness and majesty. Look more closely at the world around you today, and see the way in which God has so beautifully fashioned things, for example. Let us declare together:

“LORD, our Lord, 

how majestic is your name in all the earth!”

1 John 5:13-21

13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. 14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.
16 If you see any brother or sister commit a sin that does not lead to death, you should pray and God will give them life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that you should pray about that. 17 All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death.
18 We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the One who was born of God keeps them safe, and the evil one cannot harm them. 19 We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. 20 We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true by being in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.
21 Dear children, keep yourselves from idols.

Questions to consider:

• Has John’s purpose in writing this letter been accomplished in your life?
• How can you be confident that God will answer your requests?
• How do you respond when you see a brother in sin? Why?
• How are John’s emphasis on love for your brothers and sisters and the recommended prayer in verse 16 related?
• What three great truths does John know?
• What kind of idols do you need to keep yourself from today?

Possibilities for prayer:

This particular passage is rather reassuring as we think about prayer and what that looks like in our lives. We worship and serve a God who wants to give us whatever we ask according to his will. It seems that the key phrase here is “according to his will.” Today, let’s pray that God would help us to have desires so lined up with that will that fulfilling the “according to his will” component would not even need to be a thought in our minds. This way, we can approach God confidently, knowing that He hears us.

1 John 5:1-12

1 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. 2 This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. 3 In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, 4 for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.
6 This is the one who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. 7 For there are three that testify: 8 the Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement. 9 We accept human testimony, but God’s testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which he has given about his Son. 10 Whoever believes in the Son of God accepts this testimony. Whoever does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because they have not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. 11 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

Questions to consider:

• Who is a child of God?
• How is loving God related to loving the children of God?
• What is the source of faith?
• To what extent do you triumphantly overcome the temptations and discouragements of the world?
• How can you know that Jesus is the Son of God? that you have eternal life?

Possibilities for prayer:

What do you think about eternal life? This can be a concept that is difficult to understand completely, but one that John is careful to bring up in this passage. He makes clear that Jesus is the source of this life, and we can probably agree that life is generally a good thing. Let’s offer up some prayers of gratitude for the life that Christ offers to us, and ask that we might be better at making the most of the life on this earth that we have been given--seeking and following God with our whole hearts.

1 John 4:13-21

13 This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. 16 And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.
God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. 17 This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. 18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
19 We love because he first loved us. 20 Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. 21 And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.

Questions to consider:

• What are the two basic tests to assess whether God abides in your life?
• List the effects of love in a person’s life. What is the source of this love?
• What is the source of confidence here? What is the context here?
• Why are loving God and hating your brother incompatible here?

Possibilities for prayer:

There is no fear in love...perfect love drives out fear

Many of us have likely seen or heard this verse before. But we may not have taken the time to consider the importance of such a statement. At many times in our lives, we will likely encounter situations that are frightening, and the temptation to succumb to fear will be present. But the love of God is able to overcome that fear, if only we’ll let it! Today, let’s ask for an understanding of what this “perfect love” is and for the faith and trust in its ability to drive out fear.

1 John 4:1-12

1 Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.
4 You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 5 They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.
7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

Questions to consider:

• What three tests does John give for determining whether a person truly knows God? Do you know him?
• How can you distinguish truth from error?
• Why is error accepted and propagated?
• What is the highest expression of God’s love? In what context is His love expressed?
• If you have submitted to God’s love, how has your life been affected?

Possibilities for prayer:

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God.

Isn’t it a beautiful thing to know that love comes from God? We are called to love one another, and that love that we have for others is a small reflection of God in our lives. Today, let’s ask God to show us those people in our lives that we have not done such a great job loving, and make an extra effort throughout the coming days and weeks to love that person or those people well. Ask God to show you what that might look like, if you are having a difficult time with that.

1 John 3:11-24

11 For this is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another. 12 Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous. 13 Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters, if the world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death. 15 Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him.
16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. 17 If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.
19 This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: 20 If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. 21 Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God 22 and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him. 23 And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. 24 The one who keeps God’s commands lives in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.

Questions to consider:

• What happens to evil when confronted by righteousness?
• What are some civilized ways to “murder” your brother or sister?
• How does God regard hatred?
• How do you respond to the fact that God knows everything about your love for your brothers and sisters?
• What characteristics are essential in your life to give you confidence before God and the assurance that your prayers will be answered?

Possibilities for prayer:

Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.

Do we love with our actions? In my house, we often tell each other that we love each other. But hopefully, we are doing things (even little things like doing each other’s dishes, lending clothes or other items) to show each other that that love we have spoken is real, is truthful. Today, let’s pray that we have the courage and desire to demonstrate our love with actions and in truth, rather than simply speaking the words.

1 John 3:19-24

19 This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: 20 If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. 21 Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God 22 and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him. 23 And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. 24 The one who keeps God’s commands lives in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.

Questions to consider:

• How do you respond to the fact that God knows everything about your love for your brother or sister?
• What characteristics are essential in your life to give you confidence before God and the assurance that your prayers will be answered?

Possibilities for prayer:

My guess is that we want to be living in God. According to John, the way that we can accomplish this is through the keeping of God’s commands. John clearly lays out what those commands are: to believe in the name of Jesus and to love one another (are you noticing that loving others is a pretty important thing?). Let’s ask God for continued courage and strength in loving one another (the good, the bad, and the ugly of each person) with God’s love. And as we did earlier this week, let’s boldly claim Jesus for ourselves, as we are commanded to do.

1 John 3:11-18

11 For this is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another. 12 Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous. 13 Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters, if the world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death. 15 Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him.
16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. 17 If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.

Questions to consider:

• What happens to evil when confronted by righteousness?
• What are some “civilized” way to “murder” your brother?
• How does God regard hatred?
• In contrast, if you really love your brother, how will you express it?
• According to this criteria, whom do you love?

Possibilities for prayer:

Loving one another? This message (or command) is one that Jesus gave over and over again throughout His life. And John suggests that love is tied to life. Today, let’s ask for the ability to love others well--even when they’re difficult, or mean, or rude, or any other negative thing we want to ascribe to them. As John says, let our love be about more than just words; may our love be demonstrated with actions and truth.

1 John 3:1-10

1 See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 3 All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.
4 Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. 5 But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. 6 No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.
7 Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. 8 The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. 9 No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. 10 This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister.

Questions to consider:

• What has happened to you because of God’s love?
• How will seeing God affect you? What is the result of God’s hope in your daily living?
• What is the source of sin? What is the logical conclusion about a person who habitually sins?
• Why did Christ become a man?

Possibilities for prayer:

How wonderful is it to be considered children of God! This passage is a beautiful testament to the way that God loves us, without us even being worthy of it. Today, let’s take some time to relish that love that God has lavished upon us. Let’s praise and thank God for that love and the ways that we have seen it in our lives. Let’s also ask God for the ability to share even a small bit of the love we have received with others in our lives.

1 John 2:24-29

24 As for you, see that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. 25 And this is what he promised us—eternal life.
26 I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray. 27 As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him.
28 And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming.
29 If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone who does what is right has been born of him.

Questions to consider:

• In contrast to anti-christs, what are the characteristics of one who knows God and has eternal life?
• What is your relationship with God?
• In the face of false teaching, who is our true teacher?
• What will abiding in the Son mean in the specific attitudes and actions of your life today?

Possibilities for prayer:

What does it mean for you to “remain” in God? We see similar language in the Gospel of John when he talks about the vine and the branches (see John 15), so it is likely an important concept for the writer (and for us). Today, let’s ask for wisdom in learning how to remain in God, as well as for the ability to trust the anointing that we have been granted by God’s spirit.

1 John 2:18-24

18 Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour. 19 They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us.
20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth. 21 I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it and because no lie comes from the truth. 22 Who is the liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a person is the antichrist—denying the Father and the Son. 23 No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also.

Questions to consider:

• What are the distinguishing characteristics of antichrists?
• To what extent do you know people with similar beliefs in your workplace, campus, neighborhood, etc?

Possibilities for prayer:

John makes quite clear who “the liar” is--anyone who denies Jesus is the Christ. But our end of the situation is a kind of two-for-one deal. When we claim Jesus, we get His Father too. Today, let’s claim Jesus. Maybe that looks like being more diligent in spending time with Him or in the Bible. Maybe that looks like being more open about faith with a friend. Whatever “claiming” Jesus means for you, make an extra effort at it today. Ask God for help in determining what it means to claim Him and for the perseverance to make it so.

1 John 2:11-17

12 I am writing to you, dear children,
because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name.
13 I am writing to you, fathers,
because you know him who is from the beginning.
I am writing to you, young men,
because you have overcome the evil one.
14 I write to you, dear children, 
 because you know the Father. 
I write to you, fathers, 
 because you know him who is from the beginning. 
I write to you, young men, 
 because you are strong, 
 and the word of God lives in you, 
 and you have overcome the evil one.
15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. 16 For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. 17 The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.

Questions to consider:

• What is the Christian experience of the people to whom John writes?
• How does love for the world in verses 15-17 differ from the love in verses 7-11?
• List examples of the three kinds of lust mentioned. To what extent are any present in your life? What will you do about it?
• How can you tell if you love God?

Possibilities for prayer:

The last verse of this passage kind of helps us put our choices and desires in perspective, doesn’t it? John tells us fairly clearly that the world and its desires pass away, so we should probably be prioritizing things of a heavenly nature. Let’s ask to be able to see life with a heavenly perspective, prioritizing our desires and choices with eyes that see the grand plan and understand the way that things of the earth are not permanent.

1 John 2:7-11

7 Dear friends, I am not writing you a new command but an old one, which you have had since the beginning. This old command is the message you have heard. 8 Yet I am writing you a new command; its truth is seen in him and in you, because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining.
9 Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness. 10 Anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble. 11 But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them.

Questions to consider:

• What is the commandment which is neither old nor new?
• What does your attitude toward your brother reveal?
• What are the advantages of being in the light?
• What are the disadvantages of being in the darkness?

Possibilities for prayer:

John seems to indicate that love is a pretty important component of living in the light--it is loving each other that indicates that we are living in the light and hating one another that indicates if we are living in the darkness. Let’s ask God for a greater understanding of what it means to love one another, and for the strength to do so well.

1 John 2: 1-6

1 My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2 He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.
3 We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. 4 Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. 5 But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: 6 Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.

Questions to consider:

• Since John does not teach sinless perfection nor a life of licentiousness, what does he teach?
• To what extent are you experiencing God’s forgiveness when you sin?
• What criteria does John give for knowing you are a Christian?
• How did Jesus Christ walk?

Possibilities for prayer:

The challenge to live as Jesus did is one not easily met. Jesus lived a life without sin, with love for all, and in constant pursuit of heavenly justice. Even though we inevitably fall short of this call, we can be at peace with the knowledge that we have an advocate in Jesus Christ. Today, let’s ask for the courage to respond to the challenge to live lives that look like Jesus’s. It will not be easy, but this is what we are being called into by God. Let’s ask for the ability to love when we don’t want to love, and to pursue justice even when it is uncomfortable. Let’s ask God to transform our hearts so that our desire is for God’s love to be made complete in us.

1 John 1:5-10

5 This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.

Questions to consider:

• How is God like light?
• What are the four false assumptions that John warns against?
• What are the contrasting truths?
• What then is the basis of fellowship? How is the fellowship between individuals related to the fellowship of each one with God (it may be helpful to look back to the first few verses of this chapter)?

Possibilities for prayer:

Images of light and darkness occur throughout the book of 1 John and can be rather helpful in understanding who God is. As humans, we tend to associate light with safety and security and darkness with fear and danger. God represents light--and Jesus gives us the ability to be in the “light” through the forgiveness of our sins (the darkness in our lives). God provides us this safety and security through fellowship with Him. Let’s thank God for the ability to experience the light, despite our tendency toward sin and darkness, for the welcome that God extends to us to fellowship with Him.

1 John 1:1-4

1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. 2 The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. 3 We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. 4 We write this to make our joy complete.

Questions to consider:

• Why do you think John is writing this letter (it might help to first read the whole thing through, as though you have just received it)?
• What evidence do you have for Jesus’ becoming man? Why is the issue important?
• What do you have in common with other Christians?

Possibilities for prayer:

Do you feel as though you are in fellowship with the Father and the Son, Jesus Christ? What does that (or could that) look like in your life? It seems that John’s hope in writing this letter is that those who read it might encounter God and fellowship with Him. Today, let’s ask for the ability to have greater fellowship with God--that we might know God more deeply and intimately, and that, as John writes, our joy may be complete.

Hebrews 13:17-25

17 Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you.
18 Pray for us. We are sure that we have a clear conscience and desire to live honorably in every way. 19 I particularly urge you to pray so that I may be restored to you soon.
20 Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, 21 equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
22 Brothers and sisters, I urge you to bear with my word of exhortation, for in fact I have written to you quite briefly.
23 I want you to know that our brother Timothy has been released. If he arrives soon, I will come with him to see you.
24 Greet all your leaders and all the Lord’s people. Those from Italy send you their greetings.
25 Grace be with you all.

Questions to consider:

• What is you responsibility to those in “spiritual” authority? Why?
• How does the author regard intercessory prayer?
• How does the benediction summarize the teaching of the letter concerning what God has done for the Hebrews and will do in them?
• Rephrase verse 21 as God’s personal promise to you.
• What is your response to this letter as we reach its end.

Possibilities for prayer:

It can sometimes be difficult to submit to the authority of people above us. But as the author of Hebrews says, the person in authority has much responsibility and often bears a heavy burden. Let’s ask God to make us people that make the work of those in authority a joy. Let’s ask for a spirit of humility, of collaboration, in order to benefit not only those in authority above us but also to bring glory to God.

Hebrews 13:9-16

9 Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings. It is good for our hearts to be strengthened by grace, not by eating ceremonial foods, which is of no benefit to those who do so. 10 We have an altar from which those who minister at the tabernacle have no right to eat.
11 The high priest carries the blood of animals into the Most Holy Place as a sin offering, but the bodies are burned outside the camp. 12 And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood. 13 Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore. 14 For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come.
15 Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. 16 And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

Questions to consider:

• Relate verse 8 to verse 9.
• What truths, does the author claim, are opposed to the strange teachings?
• To what extent do you identify with Christ? Why?
• What is your response to abuse and intellectual opposition?
• What are the suitable sacrifices and offerings to God? In what ways will you “make” them today?

Possibilities for prayer:

The understanding of “sacrifices” as doing good and sharing with others is one that may have been unfamiliar for the Hebrews. Sacrifices to God involved the ritual killing and offering of animals in order to atone for sins. But here, we are asked not to make sacrifices of burnt offerings but of choosing to live lives that reflect pieces of the character of God. Today, let’s thank God for the ability to offer these “new” sacrifices instead of the old ones, and ask for the courage to live the type of lives that God is calling us into.

Hebrews 13:1-8

1 Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. 2 Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. 3Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.
4 Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral. 5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said,
“Never will I leave you; 
 never will I forsake you.”
6 So we say with confidence,
“The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. 
 What can mere mortals do to me?”
7 Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. 8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

Questions to consider:

• What characteristics of the new kingdom are given here?
• What attitudes toward God should result from an understanding of the privileges of the new covenant?
• List the actions and qualities which the author urges.
• With which of the above do you have problems? Why?

Possibilities for prayer:

“Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.”

Do you remember the story of Lot from the book of Genesis, who showed hospitality to strangers in his town, only to eventually discover that those strangers were actually angels. It seems that this story serves as an indication of the way in which we need to think carefully about the way we treat strangers who come into our lives. It is an encouragement to be hospitable to all people, those we know as well as those we don’t. Today, let’s pray for hearts of hospitality--that we might actually “entertain angels” without even knowing it.

Hebrews 12:25-29

25 See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven? 26 At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” 27 The words “once more” indicate the removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain.
28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, 29 for our “God is a consuming fire.”

Questions to consider:

• Who are "they" in this section?
• How is God’s dealing with "them" a warning to the Hebrews?
• How does the author show the superiority of the new revelation here?

Possibilities for prayer:

The goal to worship God acceptably--with reverence and awe-- seems to be one that has been around for awhile. Worship seems to be a space in which people are more easily able to encounter God, which is a great thing. But sometimes it can be easy to forget that when we are worshiping, we are worshiping the GOD of the UNIVERSE, which is a pretty serious thing, and rightly deserves reverence and awe. Today, let’s ask God to show us what reverence and awe in worship looks like, and try to act that out in our times of worship.

Hebrews 12:14-24

14 Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. 15 See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. 16 See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son. 17 Afterward, as you know, when he wanted to inherit this blessing, he was rejected. Even though he sought the blessing with tears, he could not change what he had done.

18 You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm; 19 to a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them, 20 because they could not bear what was commanded: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death.” 21 The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, “I am trembling with fear.”

22 But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, 23 to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, 24 to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.


Questions to consider:

• List the commands the author gives and the reasons for each.
• How does your relationship to God affect your attitude toward others?
• Under what circumstances have people in the past approached God? What have been their reactions?
• Where do people meet God now?
• What is your response?

Possibilities for prayer:

What does it mean to live in peace with everyone? That seems like a pretty large challenge...since “everyone” is a pretty large group of people. Peace is a word that is thrown around fairly regularly, and has maybe lost some of its power and intensity. Of course, there are different ways of interpreting the word. Many would suggest that peace is the absence of conflict, but what if God is calling us to something more than simply an absence, but rather a presence-- the presence of contentment, of tranquility. So today, let’s pray about how we can make peace an active thing and ask God what can we do in our lives to bring peace and live in peace, with everyone.

Hebrews 12:1-13

1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
4 In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5 And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says,
“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, 
 and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, 
6 because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, 
 and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.”
7 Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? 8 If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. 9 Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! 10 They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. 11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.
12 Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. 13 “Make level paths for your feet,” so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.

Questions to consider:

• Describe the race you run.
• In what ways are the Old Testament believers examples to you?
• What specific sins cling closely to you? What can you do today to get rid of them?
• Compare the discipline of a father and God.
• What is your attitude toward God during the training process? Why?
• What attitudes show that you are accepting the challenge of God’s discipline?

Possibilities for prayer:

This new take on discipline and what it means for us is a helpful one. It helps us understand what discipline is really for and about, and encourages us to look for the “harvest of righteousness and peace.” Maybe there are ways that you feel God is disciplining you in your life right now, or ways that you have felt this way before. Today, let’s take some time to thank God for discipline--for way that even though it can be difficult and unpleasant, it reveals the way that God has claimed us and loves us and desires good things for us.

Hebrews 11:27-40

27 By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible. 28 By faith he kept the Passover and the application of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel.
29 By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned.
30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the army had marched around them for seven days.
31 By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.
32 And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, 33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. 35 Women received back their dead, raised to life again. There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. 36 Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. 37 They were put to death by stoning; they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— 38 the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground.
39 These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, 40 since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.

Questions to consider:

• Relate faith and action.
• Account for (a) the Israelites’ safety and (b) the Egyptians’ drowning in doing the same thing.
• Contrast the results of faith in verses 35b-38.
• Will your faith be affected by the results which come to you? Why?
• What unity do you have with Old Testament believers?
• How does this unity affect your daily living?

Possibilities for prayer:

WHOA. This is a pretty intense piece of scripture-- we see powerful acts of God that are nothing but encouraging, and we also see the ways in which people of faith suffered for Christ. Let’s think a little bit about what these things mean for our lives, in the present. Today, let’s ask for increased encouragement and eyes to see the ways that God’s power is at work in our community, in our lives and for courage to, as we’ve been asking throughout this week, live lives of faith.

Hebrews 11:13-26

13 All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. 14 People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. 15 If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.
17 By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, 18 even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” 19 Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death.
20 By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future.
21 By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons, and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.
22 By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions concerning the burial of his bones.
23 By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.
24 By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. 25 He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. 26 He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.

Questions to consider:

• What are the attitudes of the people to whom God made promises?
• What is God’s attitude toward these people?
• Where will God ultimately fulfill his promises?
• How will you (a) identification with Christ and (b) faith in God’s promises affect the choices you face today? in the future?

Possibilities for prayer:

It’s kind of intense to think that the aforementioned people did not receive the things that they were promised, and yet lived lives of FAITH. It seems challenging to us that these people were longing after something better than they could obtain here in this world--are we seeking after the same thing? God’s plan for us, the “city that is to come” that God has prepared and is preparing for us? Today, let’s ask for the ability to have vision for the city that God has for us, and to be counted among those who live lives by faith.

Hebrews 11:1-12

1 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. 2 This is what the ancients were commended for.
3 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.
4 By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead.
5 By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: “He could not be found, because God had taken him away.” For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. 6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
7 By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith.
8 By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. 9 By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. 10 For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. 11 And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered him faithful who had made the promise. 12 And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.

Questions to consider:

• Relate faith and hope.
• Relate faith and reality.
• Relate faith and God’s revealed word.
• In what areas and circumstances is God now asking for your faith? With what results?

Possibilities for prayer:

So yesterday we were classified as people of faith, and now we have an understanding of what faith actually is: confidence in what we hope for and assurance of what we do not see. Today, let’s be thankful for faith--for what it is and the role that it plays in our lives. And as we did yesterday, let’s ask for an increase in our faith, that we might live lives that are characterized by faith, lives that don’t really make sense to the world without the power and provision of God.

Hebrews 10:26-39

26 If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, 27 but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. 28 Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 How much more severely do you think someone deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified them, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know him who said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” and again, “The Lord will judge his people.” 31 It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
32 Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you endured in a great conflict full of suffering. 33 Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated. 34 You suffered along with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions. 35 So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.
36 You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. 37 For,
“In just a little while, 
 he who is coming will come 
 and will not delay.”
38 And,
“But my righteous one will live by faith. 
 And I take no pleasure 
 in the one who shrinks back.”
39 But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved.

Questions to consider:

• What is the purpose of “for” in verse 26?
• What attributes of God are revealed here?
• Describe the good beginnings of these Hebrew Christians.
• What is their great need? Why?
• What is your plight if you throw away your confidence in Jesus Christ? How can you avoid this plight?

Possibilities for prayer:

I like the way in which the author of Hebrews ascribes to us the category of people who have faith and are saved--not to the category of those who “shrink back.” Hopefully, we all actually belong in that category, the category of faithful people. This seems to me to be a challenge to the way we live our lives. Today, let’s ask God for an increase of faith, that we might be appropriately labeled people of faith, not only by the author of Hebrews, but by those who encounter us today as well.

Hebrews 10:15-25

15 The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First he says:
16 “This is the covenant I will make with them 
 after that time, says the Lord. 
I will put my laws in their hearts, 
 and I will write them on their minds.”
17 Then he adds:
“Their sins and lawless acts 
 I will remember no more.”
18 And where these have been forgiven, sacrifice for sin is no longer necessary.
19 Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Questions to consider:

• How does “therefore” connect verses 11-18 to verses 19-25?
• How does the author urge the Hebrews to approach God?
• Through what creative means can you make love and good works a part of your life and others lives?

Possibilities for prayer:

“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds...”

Our God is faithful. Chapter 11 will give us a good definition of what faith looks like, and examples of people of faith. But for now, let’s make the verses above our prayer. May we cling to the hope we profess and be about encouraging others to love and good deeds.

Hebrews 10:1-14

1 The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. 2 Otherwise, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. 3 But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins. 4 It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
5 Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said:
“Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, 
 but a body you prepared for me; 
6 with burnt offerings and sin offerings 
 you were not pleased. 
7 Then I said, ‘Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll— 
 I have come to do your will, my God.’”
8 First he said, “Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them”—though they were offered in accordance with the law. 9 Then he said, “Here I am, I have come to do your will.” He sets aside the first to establish the second. 10 And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
11 Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13 and since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool. 14 For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.

Questions to consider:

• What characteristics of the Old Testament sacrifices indicate that they are only preparatory?
• What is revealed here about Jesus’s relationship to God and God’s will?
• How do you know that Christ’s death is no tragic mistake or accident?
• What is the result of Christ’s sacrifice for you? What is your response?

Possibilities for prayer:

The image of Jesus waiting “for his enemies to be made his footstool” is pretty intense one! It gives us a good sense of the kind of power that Jesus wields--we’re not given an image of him cowering in a corner, or even breaking a sweat in battle for supremacy. Instead, he is sitting at the right hand of God, waiting. Because God’s triumph is inevitable. Today, let’s take some time to celebrate the triumph and victory that already belongs to our God.

Hebrews 9:15-28

15 For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.
16 In the case of a will, it is necessary to prove the death of the one who made it, 17 because a will is in force only when somebody has died; it never takes effect while the one who made it is living. 18 This is why even the first covenant was not put into effect without blood. 19 When Moses had proclaimed every command of the law to all the people, he took the blood of calves, together with water, scarlet wool and branches of hyssop, and sprinkled the scroll and all the people. 20 He said, “This is the blood of the covenant, which God has commanded you to keep.” 21 In the same way, he sprinkled with the blood both the tabernacle and everything used in its ceremonies. 22 In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.

23 It was necessary, then, for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 24 For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with human hands that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence. 25 Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. 26 Otherwise Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But he has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27 Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, 28 so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.

Questions to consider:

• What does the death of Christ accomplish in regard to (a) Old Testament believers, (b) the symbolic ratification of the first covenant and (c) ratification of the new covenant?
• How then, is the death of Christ necessary?
• How does Christ’s death affect you? What is your response?
• Summarize the similarities and differences of the earthly and heavenly sanctuaries.

Possibilities for prayer:

What does it mean for Christ to be the mediator of a new covenant? It seems that this is a pretty important concept--Christ’s death sets us free from our sins. Today, let’s ask that we would not take advantage of that fact, but instead live lives in gratefulness for the forgiveness and freedom that we have been given through Jesus’s death on the cross.

Hebrews 9:1-14

1 Now the first covenant had regulations for worship and also an earthly sanctuary. 2 A tabernacle was set up. In its first room were the lampstand and the table with its consecrated bread; this was called the Holy Place. 3 Behind the second curtain was a room called the Most Holy Place, 4 which had the golden altar of incense and the gold-covered ark of the covenant. This ark contained the gold jar of manna, Aaron’s staff that had budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant. 5 Above the ark were the cherubim of the Glory, overshadowing the atonement cover. But we cannot discuss these things in detail now.

6 When everything had been arranged like this, the priests entered regularly into the outer room to carry on their ministry. 7 But only the high priest entered the inner room, and that only once a year, and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance. 8 The Holy Spirit was showing by this that the way into the Most Holy Place had not yet been disclosed as long as the first tabernacle was still functioning. 9 This is an illustration for the present time, indicating that the gifts and sacrifices being offered were not able to clear the conscience of the worshiper. 10 They are only a matter of food and drink and various ceremonial washings—external regulations applying until the time of the new order.
11 But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that are now already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not made with human hands, that is to say, is not a part of this creation. 12 He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption. 13 The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. 14 How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!

Questions to consider:

• Where do priests perform their duties?
• What is the significance of (a) the curtain dividing the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies (b) the blood taken into the Holy of Holies, and (c) the sacrifices and regulation of the old covenant?
• List reasons that Christ’s blood has unique significance.
• To what extent is your conscience changed because of Christ’s blood?
• How does Christ’s sacrifice release you from dead works?

Possibilities for prayer:

The idea of Jesus as a high priest is a pretty common theme thus far in the book of Hebrews. For the Jewish people, this metaphor would have been particularly powerful and relevant, since the old covenant dictated in large part the way in which they lived their lives. Most of us have likely not lived under a set of stringent laws like the Jewish people, but I think we can still appreciate the way in which Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross has made such a way of living “obsolete” (see yesterday’s passage). So let’s be thankful for the new covenant, for the way in which we are now able to, with clean consciences, serve the living God, without the burden of the sacrificial requirements previously prescribed.

Hebrews 8:7-13

7 For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another. 8 But God found fault with the people and said:
“The days are coming, declares the Lord, 
 when I will make a new covenant 
with the house of Israel 
 and with the house of Judah. 
9 It will not be like the covenant 
 I made with their ancestors 
when I took them by the hand 
 to lead them out of Egypt, 
because they did not remain faithful to my covenant, 
 and I turned away from them, 
 declares the Lord. 
10 This is the covenant I will establish with the house of Israel 
 after that time, declares the Lord. 
I will put my laws in their minds 
 and write them on their hearts. 
I will be their God, 
 and they will be my people. 
11 No longer will they teach their neighbors, 
 or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’ 
because they will all know me, 
 from the least of them to the greatest. 
12 For I will forgive their wickedness 
 and will remember their sins no more.”
13 By calling this covenant “new,” he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and outdated will soon disappear.

Questions to consider:

• List the characteristics of the old and new covenants.
• Among whom are the covenants made?
• Can you come up with two reasons why the old covenant is inadequate for salvation?
• In what ways does God overcome these difficulties?
• What happens to the old covenant when God initiates the new one?
• Explain how the new covenant is superior to the old.

Possibilities for prayer:

Verses 8b-12 are originally found in Jeremiah 31:31-34. What’s really cool about that fact is the way in which the author of Hebrews’s use of this Old Testament text only further serves to identify the way in which the NEW covenant is the fulfillment and improvement of the old one. Jeremiah spoke of a time when the old covenant would become obsolete, and Jesus’s death was the fulfillment of that prophecy and promise.

Sometimes it can be difficult to trust in the promises that God has made to us--we feel as though we have waited a long time for them to come true, but we still don’t see them becoming real in our lives. Today, let’s praise God because this text is an example of the way in which God is faithful to fulfill promises. Let’s also ask for an increase in faith, that we might be able to wait with patience and with confidence for the completion and fulfillment of what we have been promised.

Hebrews 8:1-6

1 Now the main point of what we are saying is this: We do have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, 2 and who serves in the sanctuary, the true tabernacle set up by the Lord, not by a mere human being.
3 Every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices, and so it was necessary for this one also to have something to offer. 4 If he were on earth, he would not be a priest, for there are already priests who offer the gifts prescribed by the law. 5 They serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven. This is why Moses was warned when he was about to build the tabernacle: “See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.” 6 But in fact the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one, since the new covenant is established on better promises.

Questions to consider:

• What is the duty of a priest?
• Where and how is Christ fulfilling his priestly duty?
• How is the earthly sanctuary a model for Christ’s ministry? How is it an expression of the mind of God?
• How is the setting of Christ’s ministry as high priest superior to the setting of the ministry of earthly priests?

Possibilities for prayer:

What is this talk of covenants? Old one? New one? Well, it’s actually pretty important stuff--the old covenant refers to the covenant that was made between God and the people of Israel around Moses’s time (which is why there are explanations of many and varied laws in the beginning of the Old Testament). The new covenant is the one we have through Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross. We are no longer tied in the same way to the very specific laws laid out in the Old Testament, and have the opportunity to have a relationship with God without needing to make sacrifices for our sins. Take a minute to think about what your life would look like if you were required to make a sacrificial offering for every sin you committed--it would be a lot, would it not? Today, praise God for the new covenant you are privileged to find yourself a part of.

Hebrews 7:18-28

18 The former regulation is set aside because it was weak and useless 19 (for the law made nothing perfect), and a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God.
20 And it was not without an oath! Others became priests without any oath, 21 but he became a priest with an oath when God said to him:
“The Lord has sworn 
 and will not change his mind: 
 ‘You are a priest forever.’”
22 Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantor of a better covenant.
23 Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; 24 but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. 25 Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.
26 Such a high priest truly meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. 27 Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself. 28 For the law appoints as high priests men in all their weakness; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever.

Questions to consider:

• In what way is the (a) hope and (b) covenant through Christ better than these things through the law?
• Determine the meaning of “covenant.”
• Summarize the characteristics of Jesus as high priest.
• What is the impact of these truths in your thinking? In your daily living?

Possibilities for prayer:

The idea of Jesus being able to “save completely” those who come to God through Him is an encouraging one--I really appreciate how Jesus is described as being always alive and able to intercede. Jesus is also very set-apart in this passage, as the distinction between Jesus as high priest and a human as high priest is made quite clear. Jesus’ sacrifice covers all sins for all time, which eradicates our need for a human priest to make sacrifices on our behalf (and our need to present those sacrifices to the priest). Let’s take some time to just bask in the generosity that Jesus’s sacrifice represents; and after that, thank God for it.

Hebrews 7:11-17

11 If perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood—and indeed the law given to the people established that priesthood—why was there still need for another priest to come, one in the order of Melchizedek, not in the order of Aaron? 12 For when the priesthood is changed, the law must be changed also. 13 He of whom these things are said belonged to a different tribe, and no one from that tribe has ever served at the altar. 14 For it is clear that our Lord descended from Judah, and in regard to that tribe Moses said nothing about priests. 15 And what we have said is even more clear if another priest like Melchizedek appears, 16 one who has become a priest not on the basis of a regulation as to his ancestry but on the basis of the power of an indestructible life. 17 For it is declared:
“You are a priest forever, 
 in the order of Melchizedek.”

Questions to consider:

• Explain the relationship between the priesthood and the law in Judaism.
• To what tribe does Jesus belong? How does this disqualify him from serving as a priest at the altar?
• To what does “this” in verse 15 refer?
• What is Jesus’ qualification to be a priest?
• How does this qualification supersede the law?

Possibilities for prayer:

Jesus, apparently, broke a lot of rules. If you take some time to read through the Gospels, that truth becomes pretty apparent--we see many interactions in which the Pharisees and Sadducees (important, pious, religious people of the day) are rather frustrated with the ways in which Jesus bends the rules that were laid out in the law of the Torah (the Jewish Bible). Today, let’s ask for God to make us rule-benders as well. Not rule-benders just for the sake of breaking the rules, but rule-benders for Jesus. Let’s ask that Jesus would give us the courage and boldness to pursue lives truly after Jesus’s heart, even when that looks different than the established “rules” of our culture, and to be excited about the good things that can come from that.

Hebrews 7:1-10

1 This Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings and blessed him, 2 and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. First, the name Melchizedek means “king of righteousness”; then also, “king of Salem” means “king of peace.” 3 Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, resembling the Son of God, he remains a priest forever.
4 Just think how great he was: Even the patriarch Abraham gave him a tenth of the plunder! 5 Now the law requires the descendants of Levi who become priests to collect a tenth from the people—that is, from their kindred—even though their kindred are descended from Abraham. 6 This man, however, did not trace his descent from Levi, yet he collected a tenth from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. 7 And without doubt the lesser is blessed by the greater. 8 In the one case, the tenth is collected by those who die; but in the other case, by him who is declared to be living. 9 One might even say that Levi, who collects the tenth, paid the tenth through Abraham, 10 because when Melchizedek met Abraham, Levi was still in the body of his ancestor.

Questions to consider:

• List and explain the facts of Melchizedek.
• In what ways is he an excellent representation of Christ?
• Summarize the ways that Christ is superior to (a) angels, (b) man, (c) Moses, and (d) Abraham.
• Imagine the effect of these arguments on the Hebrews.
• How do these truths affect you? What is your response?

Possibilities for prayer:

Christ’s superiority has been a pretty important theme thus far in the book of Hebrews. As we learn about how much greater Jesus is than anything--or anyone--else, we may find ourselves humbled in our human frailty. Let’s take some time to acknowledge our weaknesses, as well as the way in which they are made whole in Christ. Let’s thank God for the grace we are given and the way that we are chosen to be God’s children even in the midst of our shortcomings and Christ’s perfection.