Step Into The Story

Monday, December 6

noreply@blogger.com (Step Into The Story) — Sun, 12 Dec 2010 22:51:00 +0000

Read the passage for the day and leave a comment about WHAT you learned and HOW you can apply it to your life.

Luke 2:21-40
²¹ Eight days later, when
the baby was circumcised, he was named Jesus, the name given him by the
angel even before he was conceived.

²²
Then it was time for their purification offering, as required by the
law of Moses after the birth of a child; so his parents took him to
Jerusalem to present him to the Lord. ²³ The law of the Lord says, “If a woman’s first child is a boy, he must be dedicated to the Lord.” ²⁴ So they offered the sacrifice required in the law of the Lord—“either a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”

The Prophecy of Simeon

²⁵
At that time there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon. He was
righteous and devout and was eagerly waiting for the Messiah to come and
rescue Israel. The Holy Spirit was upon him ²⁶ and had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. ²⁷
That day the Spirit led him to the Temple. So when Mary and Joseph came
to present the baby Jesus to the Lord as the law required, ²⁸ Simeon was there. He took the child in his arms and praised God, saying,

²⁹ “Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in peace,
      as you have promised.
³⁰ I have seen your salvation,
    ³¹ which you have prepared for all people.
³² He is a light to reveal God to the nations,
      and he is the glory of your people Israel!”

³³ Jesus’ parents were amazed at what was being said about him. ³⁴
Then Simeon blessed them, and he said to Mary, the baby’s mother, “This
child is destined to cause many in Israel to fall, but he will be a joy
to many others. He has been sent as a sign from God, but many will
oppose him. ³⁵ As a result, the deepest thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your very soul.”

³⁶
Anna, a prophet, was also there in the Temple. She was the daughter of
Phanuel from the tribe of Asher, and she was very old. Her husband died
when they had been married only seven years. ³⁷ Then she lived as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the Temple but stayed there day and night, worshiping God with fasting and prayer. ³⁸
She came along just as Simeon was talking with Mary and Joseph, and she
began praising God. She talked about the child to everyone who had been
waiting expectantly for God to rescue Jerusalem.

³⁹ When Jesus’ parents had fulfilled all the requirements of the law of the Lord, they returned home to Nazareth in Galilee. ⁴⁰ There the child grew up healthy and strong. He was filled with wisdom, and God’s favor was on him.

Sunday, December 12

noreply@blogger.com (Step Into The Story) — Sun, 12 Dec 2010 22:51:00 +0000

Read the passage for the day and leave a comment about WHAT you learned and HOW you can apply it to your life.

Exodus 25

¹ The Lord said to Moses, ²
“Tell the people of Israel to bring me their sacred offerings. Accept
the contributions from all whose hearts are moved to offer them. ³ Here is a list of sacred offerings you may accept from them:

   gold, silver, and bronze;
⁴ blue, purple, and scarlet thread;
   fine linen and goat hair for cloth;
⁵ tanned ram skins and fine goatskin leather;
   acacia wood;
⁶ olive oil for the lamps;
   spices for the anointing oil and the fragrant incense;
⁷ onyx stones, and other gemstones to be set in the ephod and the priest’s chestpiece.

⁸ “Have the people of Israel build me a holy sanctuary so I can live among them. ⁹ You must build this Tabernacle and its furnishings exactly according to the pattern I will show you.

Plans for the Ark of the Covenant

¹⁰ “Have the people make an Ark of acacia wood—a sacred chest 45 inches long, 27 inches wide, and 27 inches high.^[a] ¹¹ Overlay it inside and outside with pure gold, and run a molding of gold all around it. ¹² Cast four gold rings and attach them to its four feet, two rings on each side. ¹³ Make poles from acacia wood, and overlay them with gold. ¹⁴ Insert the poles into the rings at the sides of the Ark to carry it. ¹⁵ These carrying poles must stay inside the rings; never remove them. ¹⁶ When the Ark is finished, place inside it the stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant,^[b] which I will give to you.

¹⁷ “Then make the Ark’s cover—the place of atonement—from pure gold. It must be 45 inches long and 27 inches wide.^[c] ¹⁸ Then make two cherubim from hammered gold, and place them on the two ends of the atonement cover. ¹⁹ Mold the cherubim on each end of the atonement cover, making it all of one piece of gold. ²⁰
The cherubim will face each other and look down on the atonement cover.
With their wings spread above it, they will protect it. ²¹
Place inside the Ark the stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the
covenant, which I will give to you. Then put the atonement cover on top
of the Ark. ²² I will meet
with you there and talk to you from above the atonement cover between
the gold cherubim that hover over the Ark of the Covenant.^[d] From there I will give you my commands for the people of Israel.

Plans for the Table

²³ “Then make a table of acacia wood, 36 inches long, 18 inches wide, and 27 inches high.^[e] ²⁴ Overlay it with pure gold and run a gold molding around the edge. ²⁵ Decorate it with a 3-inch border^[f] all around, and run a gold molding along the border. ²⁶ Make four gold rings for the table and attach them at the four corners next to the four legs. ²⁷ Attach the rings near the border to hold the poles that are used to carry the table. ²⁸ Make these poles from acacia wood, and overlay them with gold. ²⁹ Make special containers of pure gold for the table—bowls, pans, pitchers, and jars—to be used in pouring out liquid offerings. ³⁰ Place the Bread of the Presence on the table to remain before me at all times.

Plans for the Lampstand

³¹
“Make a lampstand of pure, hammered gold. Make the entire lampstand and
its decorations of one piece—the base, center stem, lamp cups, buds,
and petals. ³² Make it with six branches going out from the center stem, three on each side. ³³ Each of the six branches will have three lamp cups shaped like almond blossoms, complete with buds and petals. ³⁴ Craft the center stem of the lampstand with four lamp cups shaped like almond blossoms, complete with buds and petals. ³⁵ There will also be an almond bud beneath each pair of branches where the six branches extend from the center stem. ³⁶ The almond buds and branches must all be of one piece with the center stem, and they must be hammered from pure gold. ³⁷ Then make the seven lamps for the lampstand, and set them so they reflect their light forward. ³⁸ The lamp snuffers and trays must also be made of pure gold. ³⁹ You will need seventy-five pounds^[g] of pure gold for the lampstand and its accessories.

⁴⁰ “Be sure that you make everything according to the pattern I have shown you here on the mountain.

Tuesday, December 7

noreply@blogger.com (Step Into The Story) — Sun, 05 Dec 2010 23:18:00 +0000

Read the passage for the day and leave a comment about WHAT you learned and HOW you can apply it to your life.

Matthew 1
¹ This is a record of the ancestors of Jesus the Messiah, a descendant of David^[a] and of Abraham:
² Abraham was the father of Isaac.
   Isaac was the father of Jacob.
   Jacob was the father of Judah and his brothers.
³ Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah (whose mother was Tamar).
   Perez was the father of Hezron.
   Hezron was the father of Ram.^[b]
⁴ Ram was the father of Amminadab.
   Amminadab was the father of Nahshon.
   Nahshon was the father of Salmon.
⁵ Salmon was the father of Boaz (whose mother was Rahab).
   Boaz was the father of Obed (whose mother was Ruth).
   Obed was the father of Jesse.
⁶ Jesse was the father of King David.
   David was the father of Solomon (whose mother was Bathsheba, the widow of Uriah).
⁷ Solomon was the father of Rehoboam.
   Rehoboam was the father of Abijah.
   Abijah was the father of Asa.^[c]
⁸ Asa was the father of Jehoshaphat.
   Jehoshaphat was the father of Jehoram.^[d]
   Jehoram was the father^[e] of Uzziah.
⁹ Uzziah was the father of Jotham.
   Jotham was the father of Ahaz.
   Ahaz was the father of Hezekiah.
¹⁰ Hezekiah was the father of Manasseh.
   Manasseh was the father of Amon.^[f]
   Amon was the father of Josiah.
¹¹ Josiah was the father of Jehoiachin^[g] and his brothers (born at the time of the exile to Babylon).
¹² After the Babylonian exile:
   Jehoiachin was the father of Shealtiel.
   Shealtiel was the father of Zerubbabel.
¹³ Zerubbabel was the father of Abiud.
   Abiud was the father of Eliakim.
   Eliakim was the father of Azor.
¹⁴ Azor was the father of Zadok.
   Zadok was the father of Akim.
   Akim was the father of Eliud.
¹⁵ Eliud was the father of Eleazar.
   Eleazar was the father of Matthan.
   Matthan was the father of Jacob.
¹⁶ Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary.
   Mary gave birth to Jesus, who is called the Messiah.
¹⁷
All those listed above include fourteen generations from Abraham to
David, fourteen from David to the Babylonian exile, and fourteen from
the Babylonian exile to the Messiah.
The Birth of Jesus the Messiah
¹⁸
This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged
to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she
was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy
Spirit. ¹⁹ Joseph, her fiancé, was a good man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement^[h] quietly.
²⁰
As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream.
“Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary
as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit.
²¹ And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”
²² All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet:
²³ “Look! The virgin will conceive a child!
      She will give birth to a son,
   and they will call him Immanuel,
      which means ‘God is with us.’”
²⁴ When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife. ²⁵ But he did not have sexual relations with her until her son was born. And Joseph named him Jesus.

Wednesday, December 8

noreply@blogger.com (Step Into The Story) — Sun, 05 Dec 2010 23:17:00 +0000

Read the passage for the day and leave a comment about WHAT you learned and HOW you can apply it to your life.

Luke 2:1-20
¹ At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. ² (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) ³ All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census. ⁴
And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to
Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the
village of Nazareth in Galilee. ⁵ He took with him Mary, his fiancée, who was now obviously pregnant.
⁶ And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. ⁷
She gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him snugly in
strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging
available for them.
The Shepherds and Angels
⁸ That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. ⁹ Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, ¹⁰ but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. ¹¹ The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! ¹² And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”
¹³ Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying,
¹⁴ “Glory to God in highest heaven,
      and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”
¹⁵
When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each
other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened,
which the Lord has told us about.”
¹⁶ They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. ¹⁷ After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. ¹⁸ All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, ¹⁹ but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often. ²⁰
The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God
for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them.

Thursday, December 9

noreply@blogger.com (Step Into The Story) — Sun, 05 Dec 2010 23:17:00 +0000

Read the passage for the day and leave a comment about WHAT you learned and HOW you can apply it to your life.

Mark 9:33-37
³³ After they arrived at Capernaum and settled in a house, Jesus asked his disciples, “What were you discussing out on the road?” ³⁴ But they didn’t answer, because they had been arguing about which of them was the greatest. ³⁵ He sat down, called the twelve disciples over to him, and said, “Whoever wants to be first must take last place and be the servant of everyone else.”
³⁶ Then he put a little child among them. Taking the child in his arms, he said to them, ³⁷ “Anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf^[a] welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes not only me but also my Father who sent me.”

Friday, December 10

noreply@blogger.com (Step Into The Story) — Sun, 05 Dec 2010 23:17:00 +0000

Read the passage for the day and leave a comment about WHAT you learned and HOW you can apply it to your life.

Matthew 4:12-17
¹² When Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he left Judea and returned to Galilee. ¹³
He went first to Nazareth, then left there and moved to Capernaum,
beside the Sea of Galilee, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali. ¹⁴ This fulfilled what God said through the prophet Isaiah:
¹⁵ “In the land of Zebulun and of Naphtali,
      beside the sea, beyond the Jordan River,
      in Galilee where so many Gentiles live,
¹⁶ the people who sat in darkness
      have seen a great light.
   And for those who lived in the land where death casts its shadow,
      a light has shined.”^[a]
¹⁷ From then on Jesus began to preach, “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.^[b]”
Isaiah 9:1-3

¹ ^[a]Nevertheless,
that time of darkness and despair will not go on forever. The land of
Zebulun and Naphtali will be humbled, but there will be a time in the
future when Galilee of the Gentiles, which lies along the road that runs
between the Jordan and the sea, will be filled with glory.
² ^[b] The people who walk in darkness
      will see a great light.
   For those who live in a land of deep darkness,^[c]
      a light will shine.
³ You will enlarge the nation of Israel,
      and its people will rejoice.
   They will rejoice before you
      as people rejoice at the harvest
      and like warriors dividing the plunder.
Matthew 5:14-16

¹⁴ “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ No
one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is
placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. ¹⁶ In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.

Saturday, December 11

noreply@blogger.com (Step Into The Story) — Sun, 05 Dec 2010 23:17:00 +0000

Read the passage for the day and leave a comment about WHAT you learned and HOW you can apply it to your life.

Acts 20:35

³⁵ And I have been a
constant example of how you can help those in need by working hard. You
should remember the words of the Lord Jesus: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

1 John 4:10

¹⁰ This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.

Monday, November 22

noreply@blogger.com (Step Into The Story) — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 22:45:00 +0000

Read the passage for the day and leave a comment about WHAT you learned and HOW you can apply it to your life.

Matthew 13:1-23
Parable of the Farmer Scattering Seed
¹ Later that same day Jesus left the house and sat beside the lake. ² A large crowd soon gathered around him, so he got into a boat. Then he sat there and taught as the people stood on the shore. ³ He told many stories in the form of parables, such as this one:
   “Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seeds. ⁴ As he scattered them across his field, some seeds fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate them. ⁵ Other seeds fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seeds sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow. ⁶ But the plants soon wilted under the hot sun, and since they didn’t have deep roots, they died. ⁷ Other seeds fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants. ⁸ Still
other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they produced a crop that was
thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted! ⁹ Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.”
¹⁰ His disciples came and asked him, “Why do you use parables when you talk to the people?”
¹¹ He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secrets^[a] of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others are not. ¹² To
those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and
they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not
listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away
from them. ¹³ That is why I use these parables,
   For they look, but they don’t really see.
      They hear, but they don’t really listen or understand.
¹⁴ This fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah that says,
   ‘When you hear what I say,
      you will not understand.
   When you see what I do,
      you will not comprehend.
   ¹⁵ For the hearts of these people are hardened,
      and their ears cannot hear,
   and they have closed their eyes—
      so their eyes cannot see,
   and their ears cannot hear,
      and their hearts cannot understand,
   and they cannot turn to me
      and let me heal them.’^[b]
¹⁶ “But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. ¹⁷ I
tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous people longed to see
what you see, but they didn’t see it. And they longed to hear what you
hear, but they didn’t hear it.
¹⁸ “Now listen to the explanation of the parable about the farmer planting seeds: ¹⁹ The
seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message
about the Kingdom and don’t understand it. Then the evil one comes and
snatches away the seed that was planted in their hearts. ²⁰ The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. ²¹ But
since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away
as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s
word. ²² The
seed that fell among the thorns represents those who hear God’s word,
but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this
life and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced. ²³ The
seed that fell on good soil represents those who truly hear and
understand God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a
hundred times as much as had been planted!”

Sunday, November 21

noreply@blogger.com (Step Into The Story) — Sun, 21 Nov 2010 22:45:00 +0000

Read the passage for the day and leave a comment about WHAT you learned and HOW you can apply it to your life.

Matthew 8:1-13
Jesus Heals a Man with Leprosy
¹ Large crowds followed Jesus as he came down the mountainside. ²
Suddenly, a man with leprosy approached him and knelt before him.
“Lord,” the man said, “if you are willing, you can heal me and make me
clean.”
³ Jesus reached out and touched him. “I am willing,” he said. “Be healed!” And instantly the leprosy disappeared. ⁴ Then Jesus said to him, “Don’t
tell anyone about this. Instead, go to the priest and let him examine
you. Take along the offering required in the law of Moses for those who
have been healed of leprosy.^[a] This will be a public testimony that you have been cleansed.”
The Faith of a Roman Officer
⁵ When Jesus returned to Capernaum, a Roman officer^[b] came and pleaded with him, ⁶ “Lord, my young servant^[c] lies in bed, paralyzed and in terrible pain.”
⁷ Jesus said, “I will come and heal him.”
⁸
But the officer said, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come into my
home. Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be
healed. ⁹ I know this
because I am under the authority of my superior officers, and I have
authority over my soldiers. I only need to say, ‘Go,’ and they go, or
‘Come,’ and they come. And if I say to my slaves, ‘Do this,’ they do
it.”
¹⁰ When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. Turning to those who were following him, he said, “I tell you the truth, I haven’t seen faith like this in all Israel! ¹¹ And
I tell you this, that many Gentiles will come from all over the
world—from east and west—and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at
the feast in the Kingdom of Heaven. ¹² But
many Israelites—those for whom the Kingdom was prepared—will be thrown
into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
¹³ Then Jesus said to the Roman officer, “Go back home. Because you believed, it has happened.” And the young servant was healed that same hour.

Saturday, November 20

noreply@blogger.com (Step Into The Story) — Sat, 20 Nov 2010 22:45:00 +0000

Read the passage for the day and leave a comment about WHAT you learned and HOW you can apply it to your life.

Matthew 6:5-18
Teaching about Prayer and Fasting
⁵ “When
you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on
street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell
you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get. ⁶ But
when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray
to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will
reward you.
⁷ “When
you pray, don’t babble on and on as people of other religions do. They
think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again
and again. ⁸ Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him! ⁹ Pray like this:
   Our Father in heaven,
      may your name be kept holy.
   ¹⁰ May your Kingdom come soon.
   May your will be done on earth,
      as it is in heaven.
   ¹¹ Give us today the food we need,^[a]
   ¹² and forgive us our sins,
      as we have forgiven those who sin against us.
   ¹³ And don’t let us yield to temptation,^[b]
      but rescue us from the evil one.^[c]
¹⁴ “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. ¹⁵ But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.
¹⁶ “And
when you fast, don’t make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they
try to look miserable and disheveled so people will admire them for
their fasting. I tell you the truth, that is the only reward they will
ever get. ¹⁷ But when you fast, comb your hair and wash your face. ¹⁸ Then
no one will notice that you are fasting, except your Father, who knows
what you do in private. And your Father, who sees everything, will
reward you.

Friday, November 19

noreply@blogger.com (Step Into The Story) — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 22:45:00 +0000

Read the passage for the day and leave a comment about WHAT you learned and HOW you can apply it to your life.

Matthew 1:18-25
The Birth of Jesus the Messiah
¹⁸
This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged
to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she
was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy
Spirit. ¹⁹ Joseph, her fiancé, was a good man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement^[a] quietly.
²⁰
As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream.
“Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary
as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit.
²¹ And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus,^[b] for he will save his people from their sins.”
²² All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet:
²³ “Look! The virgin will conceive a child!
      She will give birth to a son,
   and they will call him Immanuel,^[c]
      which means ‘God is with us.’”
²⁴ When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife. ²⁵ But he did not have sexual relations with her until her son was born. And Joseph named him Jesus.

Thursday, November 18

noreply@blogger.com (Step Into The Story) — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 22:45:00 +0000

Read the passage for the day and leave a comment about WHAT you learned and HOW you can apply it to your life.

Psalms 124
A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem. A psalm of David.
¹ What if the Lord had not been on our side?
      Let all Israel repeat:
² What if the Lord had not been on our side
      when people attacked us?
³ They would have swallowed us alive
      in their burning anger.
⁴ The waters would have engulfed us;
      a torrent would have overwhelmed us.
⁵ Yes, the raging waters of their fury
      would have overwhelmed our very lives.
⁶ Praise the Lord,
      who did not let their teeth tear us apart!
⁷ We escaped like a bird from a hunter’s trap.
      The trap is broken, and we are free!
⁸ Our help is from the Lord,
      who made heaven and earth.

Wedneday, November 17

noreply@blogger.com (Step Into The Story) — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 22:45:00 +0000

Read the passage for the day and leave a comment about WHAT you learned and HOW you can apply it to your life.

2 Corinthians 9
The Collection for Christians in Jerusalem
¹ I really don’t need to write to you about this ministry of giving for the believers in Jerusalem.^[a] ² For I know how eager you are to help, and I have been boasting to the churches in Macedonia that you in Greece^[b]
were ready to send an offering a year ago. In fact, it was your
enthusiasm that stirred up many of the Macedonian believers to begin
giving.
³ But I am
sending these brothers to be sure you really are ready, as I have been
telling them, and that your money is all collected. I don’t want to be
wrong in my boasting about you. ⁴
We would be embarrassed—not to mention your own embarrassment—if some
Macedonian believers came with me and found that you weren’t ready after
all I had told them! ⁵ So
I thought I should send these brothers ahead of me to make sure the
gift you promised is ready. But I want it to be a willing gift, not one
given grudgingly.
⁶
Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small
crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. ⁷
You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give
reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who
gives cheerfully.”^[c] ⁸
And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have
everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. ⁹ As the Scriptures say,
   “They share freely and give generously to the poor.
      Their good deeds will be remembered forever.”^[d]
¹⁰
For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to
eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and
then produce a great harvest of generosity^[e] in you.
¹¹
Yes, you will be enriched in every way so that you can always be
generous. And when we take your gifts to those who need them, they will
thank God. ¹² So two good things will result from this ministry of giving—the needs of the believers in Jerusalem^[f] will be met, and they will joyfully express their thanks to God.
¹³
As a result of your ministry, they will give glory to God. For your
generosity to them and to all believers will prove that you are obedient
to the Good News of Christ. ¹⁴ And they will pray for you with deep affection because of the overflowing grace God has given to you. ¹⁵ Thank God for this gift^[g] too wonderful for words!

Tuesday, November 16

noreply@blogger.com (Step Into The Story) — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 22:45:00 +0000

Read the passage for the day and leave a comment about WHAT you learned and HOW you can apply it to your life.

2 Corinthians 5:1-10
New Bodies
¹ For
we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is,
when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in
heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human
hands. ² We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing. ³ For we will put on heavenly bodies; we will not be spirits without bodies.^[a] ⁴
While we live in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh, but it’s not
that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us. Rather,
we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be
swallowed up by life. ⁵ God himself has prepared us for this, and as a guarantee he has given us his Holy Spirit.
⁶ So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies we are not at home with the Lord. ⁷ For we live by believing and not by seeing. ⁸ Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord. ⁹ So whether we are here in this body or away from this body, our goal is to please him. ¹⁰
For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive
whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly
body.

Monday, November 15

noreply@blogger.com (Step Into The Story) — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 22:45:00 +0000

Read the passage for the day and leave a comment about WHAT you learned and HOW you can apply it to your life.

Job 42
Job Responds to the Lord
¹ Then Job replied to the Lord:
² “I know that you can do anything,
      and no one can stop you.
³ You asked, ‘Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorance?’
      It is I—and I was talking about things I knew nothing about,
      things far too wonderful for me.
⁴ You said, ‘Listen and I will speak!
      I have some questions for you,
      and you must answer them.’
⁵ I had only heard about you before,
      but now I have seen you with my own eyes.
⁶ I take back everything I said,
      and I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance.”
Conclusion: The Lord Blesses Job
⁷ After the Lord
had finished speaking to Job, he said to Eliphaz the Temanite: “I am
angry with you and your two friends, for you have not spoken accurately
about me, as my servant Job has. ⁸
So take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and offer a
burnt offering for yourselves. My servant Job will pray for you, and I
will accept his prayer on your behalf. I will not treat you as you
deserve, for you have not spoken accurately about me, as my servant Job
has.” ⁹ So Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite did as the Lord commanded them, and the Lord accepted Job’s prayer.
¹⁰ When Job prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortunes. In fact, the Lord gave him twice as much as before! ¹¹
Then all his brothers, sisters, and former friends came and feasted
with him in his home. And they consoled him and comforted him because of
all the trials the Lord had brought against him. And each of them brought him a gift of money^[a] and a gold ring.
¹² So the Lord
blessed Job in the second half of his life even more than in the
beginning. For now he had 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 teams of
oxen, and 1,000 female donkeys. ¹³ He also gave Job seven more sons and three more daughters. ¹⁴ He named his first daughter Jemimah, the second Keziah, and the third Keren-happuch. ¹⁵
In all the land no women were as lovely as the daughters of Job. And
their father put them into his will along with their brothers.
¹⁶ Job lived 140 years after that, living to see four generations of his children and grandchildren. ¹⁷ Then he died, an old man who had lived a long, full life.

Sunday, November 14

noreply@blogger.com (Step Into The Story) — Sun, 14 Nov 2010 22:45:00 +0000

Read the passage for the day and leave a comment about WHAT you learned and HOW you can apply it to your life.

Psalms 149
¹ Praise the Lord!
   Sing to the Lord a new song.
      Sing his praises in the assembly of the faithful.
² O Israel, rejoice in your Maker.
      O people of Jerusalem,^[a] exult in your King.
³ Praise his name with dancing,
      accompanied by tambourine and harp.
⁴ For the Lord delights in his people;
      he crowns the humble with victory.
⁵ Let the faithful rejoice that he honors them.
      Let them sing for joy as they lie on their beds.
⁶ Let the praises of God be in their mouths,
      and a sharp sword in their hands—
⁷ to execute vengeance on the nations
      and punishment on the peoples,
⁸ to bind their kings with shackles
      and their leaders with iron chains,
⁹ to execute the judgment written against them.
      This is the glorious privilege of his faithful ones.
   Praise the Lord!

Saturday, November 13

noreply@blogger.com (Step Into The Story) — Sat, 13 Nov 2010 22:45:00 +0000

Read the passage for the day and leave a comment about WHAT you learned and HOW you can apply it to your life.

Job 40
¹ Then the Lord said to Job,
² “Do you still want to argue with the Almighty?
      You are God’s critic, but do you have the answers?”
Job Responds to the Lord
³ Then Job replied to the Lord,
⁴ “I am nothing—how could I ever find the answers?
      I will cover my mouth with my hand.
⁵ I have said too much already.
      I have nothing more to say.”
The Lord Challenges Job Again
⁶ Then the Lord answered Job from the whirlwind:
⁷ “Brace yourself like a man,
      because I have some questions for you,
      and you must answer them.
⁸ “Will you discredit my justice
      and condemn me just to prove you are right?
⁹ Are you as strong as God?
      Can you thunder with a voice like his?
¹⁰ All right, put on your glory and splendor,
      your honor and majesty.
¹¹ Give vent to your anger.
      Let it overflow against the proud.
¹² Humiliate the proud with a glance;
      walk on the wicked where they stand.
¹³ Bury them in the dust.
      Imprison them in the world of the dead.
¹⁴ Then even I would praise you,
      for your own strength would save you.
¹⁵ “Take a look at Behemoth,^[a]
      which I made, just as I made you.
      It eats grass like an ox.
¹⁶ See its powerful loins
      and the muscles of its belly.
¹⁷ Its tail is as strong as a cedar.
      The sinews of its thighs are knit tightly together.
¹⁸ Its bones are tubes of bronze.
      Its limbs are bars of iron.
¹⁹ It is a prime example of God’s handiwork,
      and only its Creator can threaten it.
²⁰ The mountains offer it their best food,
      where all the wild animals play.
²¹ It lies under the lotus plants,^[b]
      hidden by the reeds in the marsh.
²² The lotus plants give it shade
      among the willows beside the stream.
²³ It is not disturbed by the raging river,
      not concerned when the swelling Jordan rushes around it.
²⁴ No one can catch it off guard
      or put a ring in its nose and lead it away.

Friday, November 12

noreply@blogger.com (Step Into The Story) — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 22:45:00 +0000

Read the passage for the day and leave a comment about WHAT you learned and HOW you can apply it to your life.

1 Corinthians 12:1-11
¹ Now, dear brothers and sisters, regarding your question about the special abilities the Spirit gives us. I don’t want you to misunderstand this. ² You know that when you were still pagans, you were led astray and swept along in worshiping speechless idols. ³
So I want you to know that no one speaking by the Spirit of God will
curse Jesus, and no one can say Jesus is Lord, except by the Holy
Spirit.
⁴ There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. ⁵ There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord. ⁶ God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us.
⁷ A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. ⁸ To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge. ⁹ The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing. ¹⁰
He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the
ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern
whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit.
Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages, while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said. ¹¹ It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have.

Thursday, November 11

noreply@blogger.com (Step Into The Story) — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 22:45:00 +0000

Read the passage for the day and leave a comment about WHAT you learned and HOW you can apply it to your life.

Psalms 122
¹ I was glad when they said to me,
      “Let us go to the house of the Lord.”
² And now here we are,
      standing inside your gates, O Jerusalem.
³ Jerusalem is a well-built city;
      its seamless walls cannot be breached.
⁴ All the tribes of Israel—the Lord’s people—
      make their pilgrimage here.
   They come to give thanks to the name of the Lord,
      as the law requires of Israel.
⁵ Here stand the thrones where judgment is given,
      the thrones of the dynasty of David.
⁶ Pray for peace in Jerusalem.
      May all who love this city prosper.
⁷ O Jerusalem, may there be peace within your walls
      and prosperity in your palaces.
⁸ For the sake of my family and friends, I will say,
      “May you have peace.”
⁹ For the sake of the house of the Lord our God,
      I will seek what is best for you, O Jerusalem.

Wedensday, November 10

noreply@blogger.com (Step Into The Story) — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 22:45:00 +0000

Read the passage for the day and leave a comment about WHAT you learned and HOW you can apply it to your life.

1 Corinthians 7:1-9
¹ Now regarding the questions you asked in your letter. Yes, it is good to live a celibate life. ² But because there is so much sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman should have her own husband.
³ The husband should fulfill his wife’s sexual needs, and the wife should fulfill her husband’s needs. ⁴ The wife gives authority over her body to her husband, and the husband gives authority over his body to his wife.
⁵
Do not deprive each other of sexual relations, unless you both agree to
refrain from sexual intimacy for a limited time so you can give
yourselves more completely to prayer. Afterward, you should come
together again so that Satan won’t be able to tempt you because of your
lack of self-control. ⁶ I say this as a concession, not as a command. ⁷
But I wish everyone were single, just as I am. But God gives to some
the gift of marriage, and to others the gift of singleness.
⁸ So I say to those who aren’t married and to widows—it’s better to stay unmarried, just as I am. ⁹ But if they can’t control themselves, they should go ahead and marry. It’s better to marry than to burn with lust.

Tuesday, November 9

noreply@blogger.com (Step Into The Story) — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 22:45:00 +0000

Read the passage for the day and leave a comment about WHAT you learned and HOW you can apply it to your life.

1 Corinthians 4:1-5
¹ So look at Apollos and me as mere servants of Christ who have been put in charge of explaining God’s mysteries. ² Now, a person who is put in charge as a manager must be faithful. ³
As for me, it matters very little how I might be evaluated by you or by
any human authority. I don’t even trust my own judgment on this point. ⁴ My conscience is clear, but that doesn’t prove I’m right. It is the Lord himself who will examine me and decide.
⁵
So don’t make judgments about anyone ahead of time—before the Lord
returns. For he will bring our darkest secrets to light and will reveal
our private motives. Then God will give to each one whatever praise is
due.

Monday, November 8

noreply@blogger.com (Step Into The Story) — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 22:45:00 +0000

Read the passage for the day and leave a comment about WHAT you learned and HOW you can apply it to your life.

1 Corinthians 3:10-23
¹⁰ Because of God’s
grace to me, I have laid the foundation like an expert builder. Now
others are building on it. But whoever is building on this foundation
must be very careful. ¹¹ For no one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have—Jesus Christ.
¹² Anyone who builds on that foundation may use a variety of materials—gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. ¹³
But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each
builder has done. The fire will show if a person’s work has any value. ¹⁴ If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward. ¹⁵
But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The
builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall
of flames.
¹⁶ Don’t you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you? ¹⁷ God will destroy anyone who destroys this temple. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.
¹⁸ Stop deceiving yourselves. If you think you are wise by this world’s standards, you need to become a fool to be truly wise. ¹⁹ For the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God. As the Scriptures say,
   “He traps the wise
      in the snare of their own cleverness.”
²⁰ And again,
   “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise;
      he knows they are worthless.”
²¹ So don’t boast about following a particular human leader. For everything belongs to you—²² whether Paul or Apollos or Peter, or the world, or life and death, or the present and the future. Everything belongs to you, ²³ and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.

Sunday, Novmeber 7

noreply@blogger.com (Step Into The Story) — Sun, 07 Nov 2010 22:45:00 +0000

Read the passage for the day and leave a comment about WHAT you learned and HOW you can apply it to your life.

Galatians 6:1-10
¹ Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly
should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And
be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. ² Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. ³ If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important.
⁴
Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the
satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself
to anyone else. ⁵ For we are each responsible for our own conduct.
⁶ Those who are taught the word of God should provide for their teachers, sharing all good things with them.
⁷ Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. ⁸
Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest
decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please
the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. ⁹ So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. ¹⁰ Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith.

Saturday, November 6

noreply@blogger.com (Step Into The Story) — Sat, 06 Nov 2010 21:45:00 +0000

Read the passage for the day and leave a comment about WHAT you learned and HOW you can apply it to your life.

Galatians 3:15-29
¹⁵ Dear brothers and sisters, here’s an example from everyday life. Just as no one can set aside or amend an irrevocable agreement, so it is in this case. ¹⁶ God gave the promises to Abraham and his child. And notice that the Scripture doesn’t say “to his children,” as if it meant many descendants. Rather, it says “to his child”—and that, of course, means Christ. ¹⁷
This is what I am trying to say: The agreement God made with Abraham
could not be canceled 430 years later when God gave the law to Moses.
God would be breaking his promise. ¹⁸
For if the inheritance could be received by keeping the law, then it
would not be the result of accepting God’s promise. But God graciously
gave it to Abraham as a promise.
¹⁹
Why, then, was the law given? It was given alongside the promise to
show people their sins. But the law was designed to last only until the
coming of the child who was promised. God gave his law through angels to
Moses, who was the mediator between God and the people. ²⁰
Now a mediator is helpful if more than one party must reach an
agreement. But God, who is one, did not use a mediator when he gave his
promise to Abraham.
²¹ Is there a conflict, then, between God’s law and God’s promises? Absolutely not! If the law could give us new life, we could be made right with God by obeying it. ²²
But the Scriptures declare that we are all prisoners of sin, so we
receive God’s promise of freedom only by believing in Jesus Christ.
²³
Before the way of faith in Christ was available to us, we were placed
under guard by the law. We were kept in protective custody, so to speak,
until the way of faith was revealed.
²⁴
Let me put it another way. The law was our guardian until Christ came;
it protected us until we could be made right with God through faith. ²⁵ And now that the way of faith has come, we no longer need the law as our guardian.
²⁶ For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. ²⁷ And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes. ²⁸ There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus. ²⁹ And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham. You are his heirs, and God’s promise to Abraham belongs to you.

Friday, Novmeber 5

noreply@blogger.com (Step Into The Story) — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 21:45:00 +0000

Read the passage for the day and leave a comment about WHAT you learned and HOW you can apply it to your life.

Galatians 2:6-10
⁶ And the leaders of
the church had nothing to add to what I was preaching. (By the way,
their reputation as great leaders made no difference to me, for God has
no favorites.) ⁷ Instead,
they saw that God had given me the responsibility of preaching the
gospel to the Gentiles, just as he had given Peter the responsibility of
preaching to the Jews. ⁸ For the same God who worked through Peter as the apostle to the Jews also worked through me as the apostle to the Gentiles.
⁹ In fact, James, Peter,
and John, who were known as pillars of the church, recognized the gift
God had given me, and they accepted Barnabas and me as their co-workers.
They encouraged us to keep preaching to the Gentiles, while they
continued their work with the Jews. ¹⁰ Their only suggestion was that we keep on helping the poor, which I have always been eager to do.