FOCUS OF THE MONTH
The Splendor of God’s Love
SCRIPTURE OF THE WEEK
And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. — 1 Samuel 18:1 (KJV)
As soon as he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.– 1 Samuel 18:1 (ESV)
Wednesday Corporate Fasting Scripture – Isaiah 58 (ESV); Isaiah 58 (KJV)
Friday End of Week Scripture – Ephesians 3:20-21 (KJV)
!!!! HAPPY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY !!!!
Sister Gwen Clark Gliss – February 2 – Introduction Class
Sister Elner Davis – February 4 – Class 09
Call (605) 472-5694, access code 4558-62#; Reference 82# to listen to a review of these lessons.
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Join the Introduction Class on 1-605-313-4831; access code 2597-48, whenever your Class Facilitator is absent
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This Week’s Overview:
Sunday – The just shall live by faith. Remember, God is our hope in times of despair and He will give us a crown of beauty for ashes.
Monday – We live in a fallen world and the presence of sin could possibly lure us into situations that we don’t belong. However, if we rely on the fire of the Holy Spirit to convict us, He will lead us to repentance. Subsequently, our souls will be purified to, live a godly life for the Lord.
Tuesday – In this world, every living thing needs, God-size love. Christians must make a conscious effort to help those who are less fortunate. In particular, those who have no hope and are not able to make restitution. Let’s reach out to them today.
Wednesday – When we can’t see our way and don’t know how to help others in need, listen to the Holy Spirit and obey His instructions. He will direct our paths and keep us on the right track.
Thursday – While considering some of our youth today, don’t we anguish over their future? Let’s begin to lament on their behalf and ask God for mercy. Remember, God understands our grief and He will give us oil of joy instead of mourning to help overcome our pain.
Friday – We must be sensitive while ministering to people who are very fragile in nature. It’s not what we do on a day to day basis, but it’s important that we exhibit Christ-like characteristics in a manner that will nourish them spiritually and always bring glory to God.
***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, February 2, 2020 – A Time for Beauty – Isaiah 61:1-7
Our Daily Bread Topic: Life Struggles; Trust in God
Reflect & Pray
How can you turn to God when you’re in trouble? What rewards can come from this practice?
Faithful God, give me the faith I need to make it through today and help me to see You at work as I face adversity.
To learn more about helping people, visit christianuniversity.org/CC205.
Monday, February 3, 2020 – A Fire Called Holy – Luke 3:15-18
Focus: To overcome sin, we must repent and allow the fire of the Holy Spirit to purify our souls in order to live a godly life.
Scripture(s): John 3:5-6; Malachi 3:1-3
Our Daily Bread Topic: Holy Spirit
Reflect & Pray
How has your life been affected by the work of the Holy Spirit? What does it mean for you to pursue a holy—set apart—life before God?
Father in heaven, please replace our fear of Your Holy Spirit with a love, joy, and peace that is as priceless as our stubborn ways are worthless.
Tuesday, February 4, 2020 – God-Sized Love – Matthew 5:43-48
Focus: God-Sized love is needed in every life. Let’s make an effort to help the unfortunate who are not able to make restitution.
Scripture(s): Romans 5:1-5; Luke 14:21-24
Our Daily Bread Topic: God’s Love; Serving; Love for Others
Reflect & Pray
How would you describe the difference between human love and godly love? Who can you bless today who can’t repay you?
Jesus, pour Your love into me so I may pour it out to others—even to those who can’t repay the favor.
Wednesday, February 5, 2020 – How to Stay on Track – 1 John 2:18-27
Focus: We must listen to the Holy Spirit and obey His instructions. He will direct our paths and keep us on the right track.
Scripture(s): John 15:5; 1 John 2: 20, 27
Our Daily Bread Topic: Holy Spirit
Reflect & Pray
How attuned are you to the Holy Spirit’s guidance? How can you listen better when He guides, warns, and directs?
Dear God, attune our hearts to Your Holy Spirit’s guidance so we’ll run to Your truth and not to lies.
Read about the filling of the Spirit at discoveryseries.org/q0301.
Thursday, February 6, 2020 – Mercy’s Lament – Lamentations 2:10-13, 18-19
Focus: God understands our grief. If we are lamenting over children, ask God for strength to overcome the pain.
Scripture(s): 1 Corinthians 10:13; Jeremiah 31:15
Daily Bread Topic: Coping with Disease
Reflect & Pray
How do you handle the painful situations in your life? How might it help you to write it down and share your journal with a friend?
Dear God, I’m hurting because of ____________________. You see my grief. Please show Your strength in my life today.
Friday, February 7, 2020 – Does What We Do Matter? – Colossians 3:12-17
Focus: What we do on a day to day basis is not as important as how we do it. Let’s do everything in a Christ-like manner to glorify God.
Scripture(s): 1 Peter 4:11; Ecclesiastes 9:10
Our Daily Bread Topic: Living like Christ; Serving
Reflect & Pray
In what ways do you do things out of need or obligation rather than for God’s glory? How do you think meaning is found in Christ rather than accomplishments?
Jesus, forgive me for the times I stress over what I’m trying to accomplish. Help me to instead seek to accomplish things for Your glory.
Saturday, February 8, 2020 – Raise Praise – Psalm 48
Our Daily Bread Topic: Evangelism; Worship
Reflect & Pray
How have you spread God’s fame this week? What else might you do?
Father, use me to spread Your fame to the ends of the earth.
To learn more about the Psalms, visit christianuniversity.org/OT222.
Inspirational Thoughts from Sister Clovia Thompson
Choice for the Day
The most remarkable thing about life is, that we have a choice each day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. Joshua made his choice. In Joshua 24:15, he said. “Choose you this day whom you will serve…..but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” The Apostle Paul made his choice. He wrote to the Colossians church: “Whatever you do work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.” Colossians 3:23
Let’s choose this day:
– to practice peace, not stress
– to live by choice, not by chance
– to be motivated, not manipulated
– to be useful, not used
– to be happy, not depressed
Let’s choose to listen to our inner voice, not the random opinions of others. It is your decision to make. Start each day with a smile and root for that extra mile. You will not just have a good day, but a great day in the Lord.
“My friends, make time for God every day because He always has time for you.” — Sister Clovia