FOCUS OF THE MONTH
Lift our Savior up so others can see Him in you
SCRIPTURE OF THE WEEK
For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. –1 Thessalonians 4:7 (KJV) (ESV)
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Overview:
Sunday – If we’re facing fears today, stand and be courageous. God’s favor is with us therefore, don’t allow our hearts to be troubled.
Monday – In those hard places where circumstances are overwhelming and out of our control, put our hope in God. He will restore our joy.
Tuesday – As we mature in the faith, continue in prayer and do what we have learned in order to overcome any obstacle. We must realize that it is important for us to leave a foundation legacy for the next generation to follow.
Wednesday – Life comes at each of us hard. However, when we are in dire circumstances, remember to surrender ourselves to God. He will turn our wailing into worship and our sons and daughters will witness the peace and joy that only comes from God.
Thursday – We are co-laborers with God. He created us to express our praise and thanks to Him for life experiences that helped shape our lives for His glory. Despite the trials that we face, let’s continue to allow God to perfect the work that He has begun in us and continue to do what He ordained us to do.
Friday – Don’t grow weary in well doing. Many of us have suffered injustices; however, God does not want this to hinder us from doing His bidding in the earth realm. We must not seek revenge; instead, forgive, as Christ has forgiven us when He bore our wrongs on that old rugged cross.
***The English Standard Version (ESV) stands in the classic mainstream of English Bible translations over the past half-millennium. The fountainhead of that stream was William Tyndale’s New Testament of 1526; marking its course were the King James Version of 1611 (KJV), the English Revised Version of 1885 (RV), the American Standard Version of 1901 (ASV), and the Revised Standard Version of 1952 and 1971 (RSV). In that stream, faithfulness to the text and vigorous pursuit of accuracy were combined with simplicity, beauty, and dignity of expression. Our goal has been to carry forward this legacy for a new century.
To this end each word and phrase in the ESV has been carefully weighed against the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek, to ensure the fullest accuracy and clarity and to avoid under-translating or overlooking any nuance of the original text. The words and phrases themselves grow out of the Tyndale-King James legacy, and most recently out of the RSV, with the 1971 RSV text providing the starting point for our work. Archaic language has been brought to current usage and significant corrections have been made in the translation of key texts. But throughout, our goal has been to retain the depth of meaning and enduring language that have made their indelible mark on the English-speaking world and have defined the life and doctrine of the church over the last four centuries.
The ESV is an “essentially literal” translation that seeks as far as possible to capture the precise wording of the original text and the personal style of each Bible writer. It seeks to be transparent to the original text, letting the reader see as directly as possible the structure and meaning of the original. More about the ESV translation philosophy….***
Sunday, March 17, 2019 – Standing with Courage – Deuteronomy 31:1-8
Our Daily Bread Topic: Fear; Trust In God
Monday, March 18, 2019 – Joy in Hard Places – Habakkuk 3:16-19
Focus: When we experience overwhelming circumstances out of our control, put our hope in God. He will give us joy.
Scripture(s): Psalm 27:1, 5, 14; Philippians 4:11; Nehemiah 8:10
Our Daily Bread Topic: Joy; Life Struggles
Tuesday, March 19, 2019 – Marked by Momma – 2 Timothy 1:3-7
Focus: Those who are maturing in the faith through life’s difficult experiences are obligated to leave a foundation legacy for the next generation.
Scripture(s): 1 Timothy 4:14-16; Philippians 4:9; Psalm 71:16-19
Our Daily Bread Topic: Mentoring
Wednesday, March 20, 2019 – From Wailing to Worship – Psalm 30
Focus: When we’re in dire circumstances, surrender ourselves to God. He will turn our wailing into worship.
Scripture(s): Psalm 149:3-4; Psalm 150; Jeremiah 9:17-24
Our Daily Bread Topic: Worship
Thursday, March 21, 2019 – Hand Made for You – Ephesians 2:4-10
Focus: God created us to be able to express our thanks to Him for shaping the details of our lives for His glory. Let’s continue to do good works.
Scripture(s): Ephesians 4:8, 11-15; Philippians 1:6
Our Daily Bread Topic: God’s Love; Love For Others
Friday, March 22, 2019 – Bearing the Burden of Wrongs – 1 Peter 3:8-14
Focus: Most of us who have suffered injustices must extend forgiveness rather than seeking revenge. Remember, Jesus bore the burdens of our wrongs on Calvary.
Scripture(s): Romans 12:14, 17-21; Luke 23:34
Our Daily Bread Topic: Forgiving Others; Injustice
Saturday, March 16, 2019 – Obscured by Clouds – 2 Corinthians 4:16-18
Our Daily Bread Topic: Life Struggles
Thoughts from Sister Clovia Thompson
Mourning to Joy
The promise of the Lord is to lead us, to transform our mourning and our sorrow and to bring us joy and gladness in Him. God says in Jeremiah 31:13 “only I can turn your mourning into joy”. But how can this possibly happen?
Sorrow is like a wound forever open and we mourn what is lost. The really deep sorrow, like the tragic loss of someone we love — how can these sorrows be turned to joy? But if you really have faith in this promise of the Lord, then we also have something more. We have hope. In faith and in hope, we know that God has made our sorrows His own. He has borne them all the way to Calvary.
Hold onto to this promise. God will turn our mourning into dancing. Our feet will be filled with His praise. We will be clothed in His Spirit with a robe of joy. God will cast our sorrow away in an unexpected blessing. God often uses our deepest pain as the launching pad for our greatest joy. Hold on – joy comes in the morning, weeping only lasts for the night but our darkest hour means dawn is just in sight.
“My friends, make time for God every day because He always has time for you.” — Sister Clovia