S – Isaiah 45:19 “I publicly proclaim bold promises. I do not whisper obscurities in some dark corner. I would not have told the people of Israel to seek me if I could not be found. I, the Lord, speak only what is true and declare only what is right.”

O – Anna loves playing hide and seek right now.  Sometimes I hide in a place where I know she can’t find me unless I give her verbal clues.  God is telling the people of Israel that He is not hiding from them in a dark corner.  He can be found!  He is speaking bolding into their lives.

A – I need to look and listen for God today.  I want to watch for Him to reveal himself to me.

P – Lord, thank you that you “do not whisper obscurities in some dark corner.”  Publically proclaim bold promises to me today.

Do you think God is hiding from you?  Open your eyes and look for Him.

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 – Ephesians 3:10-11 – “God’s purpose in all this was to use the church to display his wisdom in its rich variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was his eternal plan, which he carried out through Christ Jesus our Lord.”

O – God is using Jesus’ work in the church to display the “manifold wisdom of God” (ESV) to the “rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.”  This happens through the unity found in its rich variety.  Jesus brings together all things.

A – I am part of leading a local church.  I’m blown away by the “heavenly” eyes that are on what I do.  Today, I need to posture myself in complete submission to the Holy Spirit as I prep for a sermon series on the local church.

P – Lord, I’m not able to lead your church apart from your Holy Spirit guiding my every thought and action.  Use Park Cities Baptist Church to display your manifold wisdom to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places!

Did you know that God is using your church to display his wisdom to supernatural eyes?

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 57:8-9 “Wake up, my heart! Wake up, O lyre and harp! I will wake the dawn with my song. I will thank you, Lord, among all the people. I will sing your praises among the nations.”

In the mountains this week. Those are Big Horn sheep behind Anna.

O – David is calling his heart out.  How?  He is thanking God through worship in song.

A – Just yesterday I was talking with a mentor about the need to wake my heart.  God is speaking directly into my life through my Bible reading this morning.  I will wake my heart through thankful praise.

P – Lord, thank you for showing me again that Your mercies are new every morning.  You are good and Your love endures.

Is your heart awake?  Thankfully praise God through song.

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 – Ecclesiastes 2:24 “So I decided there is nothing better than to enjoy food and drink and to find satisfaction in work. Then I realized that these pleasures are from the hand of God.”

Lord, use me!

O – Part of why God has given us work is so we can “enjoy” and “find satisfaction” in it.  Also in our reading today, Solomon writes “there is nothing better for people than to be happy in their work” (Eccles. 3:22).  I’m reminded that God gave Adam and Eve jobs in the garden (multiply, subdue the earth, name every creature) before sin.

A – I want to spend time thanking God for the gift of work.  I want to adjust my eyes to see Labor Day the way God does.

P – Lord, thank you for giving me things to accomplish with my hands through your strength and for your glory.  Thank you for the satisfaction I find in my vocation.

Enjoy Labor Day by finding joy in your labor.  

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 – Proverbs 21:27 “The sacrifice of an evil person is detestable, especially when it is offered with wrong motives.”

Heading to Nepal to worship God… praying for the right motives.

O – God detests the worship offering (sacrifice) of an evil person (through Christ, believers are declared righteous) especially when it is offered with wrong motives (selfish not selfless, glorify self not God).

A – In vocational ministry I must constantly fight wrong motives.  Christ’s love compels me to offer my life to God (Romans 12:1) with a pure heart.

P – “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!” Psalms 139:23–24

Are you worshiping God with wrong motives?

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 – Psalms 32:5 “Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.” And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone.”

O – A few verses earlier we read: “what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt, whose lives are lived in complete honesty!  When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long.”  The gospel reveals God’s forgiving heart.  Those who are not centered on the gospel run away from God when they sin.  Gospel centered people run to God when they sin.

A – I want to live my life in constant confession.  Today I will spend time asking God to search my heart, reveal sin (Psalms 139), and forgive me.

P – Lord, thank you for sending Jesus to forgive me.

Are you hiding guilt from God?  Confess.

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 – 2 Chronicles 29:5 – “He said to them, ‘Listen to me, you Levites! Purify yourselves, and purify the Temple of the Lord, the God of your ancestors. Remove all the defiled things from the sanctuary.’”

O – The first thing King Hezekiah, a good king, did was call the nation to purify themselves and their worship.  Over a month ago, I was in a meeting with lay leaders at our church.  On man said: “The first thing the good kings did was tear down all of the idols.  If we are going to be good leaders, we need to be ready to tear down our idols.”  It has stuck with me.  Spiritual leaders clean house spiritually.

A – Lord, show me how I need to purify myself personally and our church corporately.

P – “Create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me.”

Is there anything you know that needs to be purified in order for God to be worship in your life or in your church?

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 – Romans 8:6 “For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.”

O – Paul said in the previous verse: “…those who live according to the flesh set their minds on things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.”  If we set our minds on the thing of the Spirit, live according to the Spirit, and find life and peace.”

A – I want to make a point not to think continually about or let myself focus on the stuff in this fallen world.  Instead, I want to focus my mind on the things of God.  I want to think about the gospel of Jesus Christ and what the Holy Spirit has enabled me to do.

P – Lord, transform me by the renewing of my mind.  Help me to set my mind on the Spirit.

Have you found life and peace?  Where is your mind?

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 – Psalms 12:5 “The Lord replies, ‘I have seen violence done to the helpless, and I have heard the groans of the poor. Now I will rise up to rescue them, as they have longed for me to do.’”

A spot where I used to stop and pray at Pine Cove.

O – God sees our pain and hears our prayers. He is in the rescuing business.

A – At times I feel like God is silent in response to my prayers. I am reminded today that He hears my prayers and will rise up and rescue in His time.

P – Lord, thank you for seeing and hearing the needs I pray for.  Choose to rise up and rescue like you did for the people of Israel.

Do you believe that God hears your prayers?

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 – Acts 26:28-29 – Agrippa interrupted him. “Do you think you can persuade me to become a Christian so quickly?”  Paul replied, “Whether quickly or not, I pray to God that both you and everyone here in this audience might become the same as I am, except for these chains.”

O – Paul’s prayer was for everyone in his audience to become a Christian.

A – I must be on my knees – asking God to save!

P – Lord, bring salvation to the people I come in contact with.  Help me articulate the gospel clearly and through the Holy Spirit, make the gift of salvation real to their hearts.

Are you praying for God to save lives through 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.