S – Psalm 48:9 “O God, we meditate on Your unfailing love as we worship in Your Temple.”

O – O God:

• We meditate (Damah – to liken, to think) on Your unfailing love
  • As we worship in Your temple.

A – I want to meditate on God’s love for me today.  I want to spend time thinking about it.  To really live out the verse, I want to look for the chance to focus on His love for me as I “worship” in a church sanctuary.

P – Lord, You are good and Your love endures.  Thank You for loving me unconditionally and sacrificially.

When can you meditate on God’s love for you today? 

2013 Bible Reading Challenge: The Bible is the Word of God and the power of God is released in our life when we apply it. Join us as we follow the One Year Bible plan. Links to read digitally can be found online at www.pcbc.org/bible.

S – Mark 9:2-3 “…Jesus took Peter, James, and John, and led them up a high mountain to be alone. As the men watched, Jesus’ appearance was transformed, and His clothes became dazzling white, far whiter than any earthly bleach could ever make them.”

Mt. Tabor, believed by many to be the site of the Transfiguration of Jesus

O – Jesus was not just a man. He was completely God and completely man (Phil 2:6-7). The disciples got to see glimpses of both.  Here, they see Christ transformed (metamorphosed).

A – Jesus was the perfect (God) sacrifice (man).  Today, I want to make a point to consciously worship Him (God) and follow His example (man).  Specifically, I’m seeking a chance to humble myself to serve someone else – like He did for us (God becoming man).

P – Lord, keep me from seeing and responding to only one side of our Savior and King.  Help me to immitate His humility.

Does the appearance of Christ need to be “transformed” in your life? 

2013 Bible Reading Challenge: The Bible is the Word of God and the power of God is released in our life when we apply it. Join us as we follow the One Year Bible plan. Links to read digitally can be found online at www.pcbc.org/bible.

S – Mark 8:34-35 “Then, calling the crowd to join His disciples, He said, “If any of you wants to be My follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow Me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for My sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it.”

0 – This is after Jesus asks His disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” (v. 27)  They profess He is the Messiah.  Jesus tells them He will have to die and then rise again… and if you want to follow Me, “you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow Me.”

A – I must deny myself to follow Jesus.  Today, I want to look for ways God is calling me to take up my cross.

P – Lord, I don’t want to just say you are the Messiah, I want to follow You with my life.  Give me the supernatural ability to lay down my life to follow You.  I confess I am selfish.  Help me want to live like Jesus.

How can you “give up your life… for the sake of the Good News” today?

2013 Bible Reading Challenge: The Bible is the Word of God and the power of God is released in our life when we apply it. Join us as we follow the One Year Bible plan. Links to read digitally can be found online at www.pcbc.org/bible.

S – Mark 4:18-19 “The seed that fell among the thorns represents others who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things, so no fruit is produced.”

O – Things that prohibit fruit production: “worries of this life, lure of wealth, and the desire for other things.”  As our reading in Psalms revealed: “It is better to be godly and have little than to be evil and rich” (Ps. 37:16).

A – I must weed out the thorns that choke out fruit production.  Today, I want to be sensitive to my “desire for other things” and repent.

P – Lord, supernaturally pull the desire for other things out of my life through the Holy Spirit.

How are the “worries of this life, lure of wealth, and the desire for other things” keeping you from producing fruit?

2013 Bible Reading Challenge: The Bible is the Word of God and the power of God is released in our life when we apply it. Join us as we follow the One Year Bible plan. Links to read digitally can be found online at www.pcbc.org/bible.

S – Mark 2:15 “Later, Levi invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners. (There were many people of this kind among Jesus’ followers.)”

O – Jesus hung out with people who were considered the “sinners” of his time.  Two verses later we read Jesus words: “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.”

A – I want to make a point to put myself in the company of “disreputable” people.  I want to look for opportunities to help those who are sick spiritually.

P – Lord, help me see the opportunities you give me to minister to people that the religious world looks down on.

Are you loving sinners well?  What needs to change in your life to love them better?

2013 Bible Reading Challenge: The Bible is the Word of God and the power of God is released in our life when we apply it. Join us as we follow the One Year Bible plan. Links to read digitally can be found online at www.pcbc.org/bible.

S – Mark 1:17 – “Jesus called out to them, ‘Come, follow Me, and I will show you how to fish for people.’”

O – From the context of chapter one.  John the Baptist and Jesus were fishing for people by sharing with authority these things:

1. The Kingdom of God is near!  The time has come!
2. Repent of your sins.
3. Believe the Good News.

A – I want to be used by God to fish for people.  I want be prayerful, loving and intentional with every conversation today.

P – Lord, don’t let me waist my life.  I want to follow You and fish for men.  Help me to share the Good News the way You would desire.

What do you think it means to fish for men?  Are you doing it?

2013 Bible Reading Challenge: The Bible is the Word of God and the power of God is released in our life when we apply it. Join us as we follow the One Year Bible plan. Links to read digitally can be found online at www.pcbc.org/bible.

S – Psalm 34:18 “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.”

O – God is near to those who are brokenhearted.  He saves those who are crushed.

A – I must remember that, “even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,” God is with me.  Today is Valentines Day.  Heartbreak will take center stage in so many lives.  God meets us there.

P – Lord, Be with those I know (praying specific names that I will not post on my blog) who are heartbroken.  Be close to them.  Help me to allow You to embrace me in my pain.

Are you heartbroken?  Let God rescue you.

2013 Bible Reading Challenge: The Bible is the Word of God and the power of God is released in our life when we apply it. Join us as we follow the One Year Bible plan. Links to read digitally can be found online at www.pcbc.org/bible.

S – Matthew 25:19 “After a long time their master returned from his trip and called them to give an account of how they had used his money.”

Roman coins found in Old City Jerusalem

O – God will hold us accountable for what we do with what He has given us.

A – I must intentionally invest what God has given me for kingdom growth.  This story encourages me to take risks for God’s glory.

P – Lord, show me how you want me to use my time, my resources, and my influence today.  Give me the boldness to take risks.

Have you been given much?  What is expected of you?

2013 Bible Reading Challenge: The Bible is the Word of God and the power of God is released in our life when we apply it. Join us as we follow the One Year Bible plan. Links to read digitally can be found online at www.pcbc.org/bible.

S – Psalm 29:6 “He makes Lebanon’s mountains skip like a calf; He makes Mount Hermon leap like a young wild ox.”

Skiing with my best friend.

O – The Lord is powerful.  He moves mountains.

A – I will be in the mountains today.  I want to think about His power.  He creates and moves mountains.

P – Lord, You are powerful.  Help me to worship You in response to Your power today.

Have you seen God’s power in creation recently?  Look around you. 

2013 Bible Reading Challenge: The Bible is the Word of God and the power of God is released in our life when we apply it. Join us as we follow the One Year Bible plan. Links to read digitally can be found online at www.pcbc.org/bible.

S – Exodus 16:29 “They must realize that the Sabbath is the Lord’s gift to you. That is why he gives you a two-day supply on the sixth day, so there will be enough for two days. On the Sabbath day you must each stay in your place. Do not go out to pick up food on the seventh day.”

O – They must realize (raah – see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider) that the Sabbath is the Lord’s gift to you.  He will give you enough (a two-day supply) to rest.

A – Jesus said: “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27).  When I don’t rest I rob myself from “the Lord’s gift” to me.  I’ve heard Sabbath defined as a day (or period of time – feast, years) when you do no ordinary work and focus on God.  I want to discipline myself to do this.  One of my goals for 2013 is to find ways to Sabbath.

P – Lord, thank You for gifting us with rest.  Help me to trust that You will provide and learn to find regular times of rest in You.

Look at your calendar.  When can you schedule a time to Sabbath?

2013 Bible Reading Challenge: The Bible is the Word of God and the power of God is released in our life when we apply it. Join us as we follow the One Year Bible plan. Links to read digitally can be found online at www.pcbc.org/bible.