May 31

Acts 7

In chapter 6 Stephen was one of the group appointed to take care of the food distribution. He ends up dying as a martyr after sharing his faith. God may give us gifts to take care of a task, like the distribution of food, but there are moments when God calls us to serve in a manner that has nothing to do with our gifts. We are the right person in the perfect moment to serve God. I think this is what happens to Stephen. His role is to serve food, but God needs him to bear witness to how God had acted through Jesus.

May 29

Acts 6

Acts 6:1-6 represents a huge shift for the church. The 'twelve' or the apostles were providing all the leadership for the church. But as they grew problems began to arise such as issues with the distribution of food. They made a decision to bring others into leadership rather than try to control everything themselves. If they had determined to control everything, the church would have been limited in its ability to grow. By inviting others into leadership, the potential of the church's growth was unlimited.

May 28

Acts 5

The story of Ananias and Sapphira is a powerful story filled with many questions. Ananias and Sapphira were not required to give all that they had to the church. Why did they lie about their actions? Why did Ananias die when he was confronted with his lie? When Peter confronted Sapphira about the lie, why did he say they would carry her out as her husband? Why weren't Ananias and Sapphira offered forgiveness or a second chance to speak the truth? It is little wonder that "great fear seized all who heard what had happened."

There is not another story like this in the New Testament. Obviously, this was not the norm in the early church. Maybe this story is included to teach us about our relationship with God. God calls us to live a different way, a way that moves away from sin, because sin destroys our lives. The dramatic aspect of this story clearly points out God call to us to live in the truth.

May 26

Acts 3

Reading this passage, with today's culture in mind, it's a little strange to learn how Peter reacts to the people's awe and surprise when he heals the man who could not walk.

The crowd is amazed at what they see, they know that some kind of miracle has been performed. It would have been so easy for Peter to take the credit, to be the hero, to be worshipped. One of the first things he says in his address to the crowd is this, though: "Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk?" He immediately gives the credit and the glory and the honor to God.

Do you notice all the roles that God plays in your life? When things are going well...when they are going poorly? It's easy to give ourselves the credit when things are on the up, we don't tend to think about God's place in things until the bottom falls out. We should be like Peter-always giving God the glory-for everything, good or bad.

-Jenni

May 25

Acts 2

Can you imagine being among those present when the Lord's presence came upon them? I think it is symbolic of how God works in our world. He does not limit himself to one group (those from Galilee), instead He is able to reach and communicate with everyone. His power transcends language and cultural barriers, He does not see us by our race or our heritage, He sees us solely as His creation. Joel foretold that the Lord would give his spirit to everyone, and that is what He did. I am continuously amazed at how scriptures fulfill themselves. I think this is a powerful passage that shows God's true power and love. He does not discriminate based on worldly boundaries, and He does not reserve His salvation and grace-it is for everyone who is willing to ask for it.

-Jenni

May 24

Acts 1

"It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority"

How often do I want to know WHEN something will happen? When a prayer I prayed will be answered? I probably wonder too much about this. It is easy to do when we are waiting for God to answer us in the way we want Him to, but that is not always the case. Often, He answers in ways we don't expect, so we really cannot say when exactly this happens.
In this instance, his followers want to know when He would give the Kingdom back to Israel. And wouldn't you know, as soon as He tells them not to worry about what only the Father knows, He ascends into Heaven.
I think this is true testament to the fact that we never know when God will answer us. We are assured that He always hears us, and He always works for our good, we just have to remember that it might not be on our time or on our schedule.

-Jenni

May 22

Matthew 25:14-30

God grants each of us with our own talents and abilities. He expects us to use these things for His good and for His kingdom, after all, we are the body of Christ. It is so easy to act like the third servant and not doing anything with what we have, just keep it hidden-that's a safe, foolproof way that we know we will end up with what we began with. But what about the other two servants? They took a risk, they used what they were given and were blessed with much more. God is calling each of us to use what He has given us for His glory, that is the only way which we will find ourselves blessed with more. It is hard to do this, for me at least. Who are you? Do you harvest what you've been given, or do you bury it for safekeeping? Are there different situations in which it is easier to do one over the other?

-Jenni

May 21

Matthew 19:16-30

I used to have a hard time with that passage. I used to think that Jesus was saying that it is impossible for a rich man to get into heaven. I thought that if I worked hard to earn a nice living then I would not get in to heaven. This is not what He is saying. First, "it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God." Jesus is not using needle in the sense of a needle and thread. A needle is a small gate or doorway at the entrance to a city. It seems that it would be very difficult for a camel to enter through a small opening, especially with the load that one would be carrying, but not entirely impossible. So why is Jesus teaching us this lesson? I think it is because He realizes that we sometimes put too much focus on things and possessions. We judge worth by what we have. God does not judge us by what we possess or the amount of money to our name, He looks to the inside, to the things that will remain long after we are gone. There is no amount of money that will get us into His gates, we cannot buy our way in. It is only because of Him that we will one day be blessed enough to enter. It takes a lot to be a follower of Jesus; sometimes it means suffering today for a better tomorrow, for a life eternal.

-Jenni

May 20

Matthew 13

Is there anything that has such great value to you that you would be willing to sell all that you have? Would you sell everything for your health? For the health of someone you love? To restore a relationship? To undo a mistake? To have a fresh start in life? The parable of the man discovering the treasure in the field prompts us to consider our own lives and what has the greatest value to us. Where does your relationship with God fit in the treasures of your life?

May 19

Matthew 6

The last half of this chapter is about money. Jesus deals a great deal with how we feel about and respond to money. When I read this, it sounds as if it were written in our day, rather than 2000 years ago. People have always struggled with money and the role it plays in their lives. Part of what it means to follow Jesus is to keep God at the center of our lives rather than money. I read the passage in the Message translation. Here is one line from the Message, "What I'm trying to do here is get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God's giving."

May 18

2 Corinthians 9

"The service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God."

Paul continues his exhortation to the Corinthians as to why they should give in this chapter. One of his closing reasons is the thought that giving is an "expression of thanks to God." One of the ways that we give thanks to God for all that of God's generosity is by being generous to others.

May 17

2 Corinthians 8

2 Corinthians chapters 8 and 9 are Paul's appeal to the church in Corinth to complete the task of collecting an offering to help the poor in Jerusalem. They have promised to take the offering but have failed to do so. In these two chapters he lists a variety of reasons why they should give. As you read the ways Paul tries to inspire them to give, think about your life. Why do you give?

5/15

1 Samuel 2-3

Do you think it is possible that God has called you but you did not realize it was God? That is what happens to Samuel. God calls us in many ways. Sometimes it by God speaking directly to us, other times it is through a teaching we hear or the words that a friend speaks to us. I believe the most likely way that God speaks to us is through scripture. It is very rare for the voice of God to speak to us. Yet God has given us scripture to be a daily guide for our lives.

May 14

1 Samuel 1

Hannah was desperate for a child. She made a vow to God. The vow that if she had a child she would give the child to the Lord. It is not unusual to a make a vow to God. What we tend to do, however, is forget the vow once God has given us what we want. Can you imagine how difficult it was for Hannah to take her small son to the house of God and leave him there? I wonder over the centuries how many couples have a made a vow similar to Hannah's but forgotten their vow once they had their child?

May 13

Ruth 4

Ruth's faithfulness to Naomi is rewarded with marriage and a child. The amazing aspect of this is that her son is Obed, who has a son named Jesse, who has a son named David. That is the David who becomes the King of Israel. Her faithfulness leads her from being a Moabite widow to being the great grand mother of the greatest King of Israel. We never know where our faith will lead us.

May 12

Ruth 3

Obviously the manner in which people in ancient Israel chose a spouse was very different than how we do. They had a custom that if a woman's husband died, the next closet relative to her husband would marry her. Normally, this would be a brother-in-law. But Ruth brother-in-law had died. That is why Naomi told Ruth to go back to her family. There was no one in the immediate family for Ruth to marry. That is what makes Ruth's decision to go with Naomi amazing. We can see Ruth carrying for Naomi by going out and gathering food. The question is who will care for Ruth as she grows old. She will have no family. A woman alone in that culture was most likely a disaster for the woman. Ruth was willing to sacrifice her future to care for Naomi.

Tuesday, May 11

Ruth 2

Gleaning is the way the poor were helped. A farmer, like Boaz, would harvest his crop. The farmer would leave the corners unharvested. They were left for the poor to come and harvest food. Naomi knows about this practice, so she sends Ruth to the fields to glean. At least they will have something to eat. Boaz has heard the story of Ruth's commitment to Naomi. He responds by helping her as he can.

I believe it is a general rule in life, that the manner in which we treat others, that is how we will be treated. Boaz responds in kindness to Ruth because of the kindness Ruth has shown Naomi.

May 10

Ruth 1

Ruth's commitment to Naomi is amazing. When Naomi urges her daughter-in-laws to return to their families, Ruth remains committed to Naomi. Her response in verses 16-17 have become famous.

Ruth has a deep commitment to Naomi. She is willing to give up everything she has known to stay with her. As you consider your life, what are your deepest commitments? Is there anyone/anything for which you would be willing to give up everything?

5/8 - 2 Corinthians 9

2 Corinthians 9

"God loves a cheerful giver"

I am not a great gift giver. It is not that I don't enjoy giving gifts. My struggle is finding the right gift. But occasionally I feel like I have just the right gift and am excited about giving the gift. When I am excited about giving a gift to someone, I can't wait to give the gift. In those moments I am a very cheerful giver.

What is your perspective about giving to God? Are you cheerful in that? That is what God loves. When our giving is not out of obligation but out of the joy of relationship.

5/7 - 2 Corinthians 8

2 Corinthians 8

2 Corinthians 8 & 9 reflect the first stewardship campaign in the early church. There is a famine in Jerusalem. Paul has agreed to raise an offering from the other churches to offer support to the church in Jerusalem. The Corinth church had previously committed to give to this offering. Time has passed and they have done nothing. These two chapters are Paul's encouragement to them to give.

The first encouragement he gives them is the generosity of the Macedonian church. "Their trial exposed their true colors: They were incredibly happy, though desperately poor. The pressure triggered something totally unexpected: an outpouring of pure and generous gifts... What explains it was that they had given themselves unreservedly to God and to us." (The Message) What is fascinating for us to hear is that people were "incredibly happy, though desperately poor." As Americans we struggle to conceive how someone can be desperately poor and happy. We associate wealth and happiness, poverty and despair. The other part of his statement is they gave because they had given themselves "unreservedly to God and us."

Two questions for you to consider today. To you connect wealth to happiness? Have you given yourself unreservedly to God?

5/6 - Acts 6:1-6

Acts 6:1-6

This passage is a pivotal moment in the life of the early church. The "Twelve" or the apostles, cannot take care of all the needs. They have a choice to make of trying to keep in control of everything or they can appoint other leaders who can expand the ministry of the church. They decide to turn the ministry of feeding the widows over to another group of leaders. The end result was that the widows were cared for and "the word of God spread".

May 5

1 Corinthians 14

"women should remain silent in the churches."

This verse has had a powerful influence in shaping Christianity. Many denominations/churches do not allow women in leadership. Some allow women in leadership but only in dealing with children. As Methodist we take a different approach. We feel that Paul was addressing a specific situation in the Corinthian Church. In other letters Paul writes, he speaks of women in leadership. We believe that the passage must be taken in the broader context of all the scripture. When taken in the broader context where there is "no Jew nor Greek, male nor female, slave or free" (Galatians 3:28). We believe that the Spirit has gifted male and female for leadership.

5/4 - 1 Corinthians 13

1 Corinthians 13

1 Corinthians 12-14 deals with the community of faith and specifically how spiritual gifts are part of the community. In the middle of this discussion, Paul inserts this teaching on love. What he is telling us is that spiritual gifts are from God. They are to be used in doing the work of God. However, love is at the center of all that we do. We can have incredible gifts and do amazing acts of faith, but if we do not have love, "I gain nothing".

The community of faith is built on love. A love we extend to those in our community and beyond our community.

May 3

1 Corinthians 12

We are part of the body of Christ. We are all connected. Everyone has significance because we are all needed to complete the body. But our significance can't be overblown, because we are incomplete without every other part. I can't do it alone.

What is vital is seeking to understand how God has gifted me. As I understand how God has gifted me, I can understand my role in the body of Christ, the church.

May 1