FOCUS OF THE MONTH
Where God is there is Unity and/or Strength
SCRIPTURE OF THE WEEK
Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! — Psalm 133:1 (KJV)
Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! — Psalm 133:1 (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 Earnestine Jones-Jennings – August 16 – Class 02
Sister Vanita Adams – August 19 – Introduction Class
Sister LaVonda Yankey – August 21 – Class 09/10
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This Week’s Overview:
Sunday – No one knows all the answers to life. Therefore, we must be big enough to humble ourselves like little children to truly know the omniscience power and heart of God.
Monday – God desires to know that our faith is genuine. If there is dross in our lives, God will try us by the fire. This inevitably will cause us pain, however, it will challenge our faith to trust God more during our hardships and also rid us of sinful habits. Ultimately, this process will purify us for God’s use and glory.
Tuesday – God’s expectation is that we are united in the Spirit. We must not allow our differences over non essentials divide us. Celebrate, as a community of believers, our oneness in Christ.
Wednesday – During this pandemic, COVID -19, we all are experiencing desperate times. We are admonished not to worry but to keep a clear focus on God and trust Him to supply our daily needs.
Thursday – Remember, as we have opportunity to do good, let’s support the household of faith. We are God’s co-laborers and He will equip us with the resources we need to accomplish difficult tasks as we build up and encourage one another.
Friday – When life is bleak, trust God to send a ray of hope. Let’s continue to thank and praise Him for His compassion and marvelous deeds in our lives.
***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, August 16, 2020 – Big Enough – Luke 18:15-17
Our Daily Bread Topic: God’s Love
Reflect & Pray
How might you need to remain small in order to know God? What does His love, the love of a heavenly Father, mean to you?
Dear God, help me embrace my need for You today that You might draw me closer, like a child, to Your heart.
To learn more about Jesus and His life, visit christianuniversity.org/courses/life-of-christ/.
Monday, August 17, 2020 – Refined in the Fire – 1 Peter 1:6-9
Focus: When there’s dross in our lives, God may try us by the fire. Though it may be painful, allow Him to purify us for His glory.
Scripture(s): James 1:2-3, 12; Zechariah 13:9; Job 23:10
Our Daily Bread Topic: Trust in God; Suffering; Spiritual Growth
Reflect & Pray
What challenges have you faced that led to your growth? How did you respond to them?
Father God, help me see how the trials of my life bring out the gold in me.
Tuesday, August 18, 2020 – Rivals or Allies? – 1 Corinthians 1:10-17
Focus: We must never allow our differences over non essentials to divide us. Instead, as a community, celebrate our oneness in Christ.
Scripture(s): 1 Corinthians 12:25; Mark 3:25; Romans 12:5-8
Our Daily Bread Topic: Unity
Reflect & Pray
Over what nonessential spiritual issues are you likely to allow division? How can you foster unity instead?
God, help me to remain focused on You and Your sacrifice for Your people. May I not be distracted by the less important issues but call others to oneness as a community of faith.
Wednesday, August 19, 2020 – Only Trust – 1 Kings 17:8-16
Focus: Despite desperate times, we must not worry about our daily needs. Keep our focus on God and trust Him as our Provider.
Scripture(s): Philippians 4:19; Matthew 6:33; Habakkuk 3:17-19
Our Daily Bread Topic: God’s Love
Reflect & Pray
What’s been your experience when you’ve focused on securing provision before seeking the Provider in prayer? What current needs will you bring before God?
Father, sharpen my vision of You as the Provider for all my needs. Forgive me for times I have futilely sought to find my way without seeking You first.
Thursday, August 20, 2020 – Working with God – 1 Corinthians 3:1-9
Focus: We are co-laborers with God. Serve others in love and build up one another in the faith. Trust God to help us with difficult tasks.
Scripture(s): Ephesians 4:15-16; Galatians 6:9-10
Our Daily Bread Topic: Serving; Spiritual Growth
Reflect & Pray
How does leaving the results to God give you the courage to risk doing what seems impossible? What hard thing has He invited you to do with His help?
Father, thank You for providing all I need as You continue to accomplish great things in me.
Friday, August 21, 2020 – Bright Spots in Bleak Places – Psalm 86:1-13
Focus: When life is bleak, trust God to send a ray of hope. Thank and praise Him for His compassion and His marvelous deeds.
Scripture(s): Psalm 27:6, 13-14; Isaiah 58:10-12, 14
Daily Bread Topic: Prayer; Trust in God
Reflect & Pray
Out of what difficult place has God delivered you? During that time, did you experience any “sunflowers” that helped you persevere?
Loving God, thank You for being compassionate and gracious. Help me to remember how You’ve been faithful and answered my prayers in the past—and will again in the future.
Saturday, August 22, 2020 – Faithful Until The Harvest – Galatians 6:7-10
Our Daily Bread Topic: Trust in God
Reflect & Pray
What best-laid plans of yours have gone wrong? How can you learn to trust God with the outcome despite disappointment?
God, I’m grateful that You’re the one in charge of the results. You’re the one at work. Help me to do what You ask no matter what.
Inspirational Thoughts from Sister Clovia Thompson
Child-Like Faith
It is often said that, as Christians, we should have “child-like faith”. While this term is not in the Bible, the concept is readily seen when one takes a closer look. Jesus clearly said there is something about the attitude of the child that is important for admittance into His kingdom.
A child’s faith is simple. A child does not try to figure everything out and make a detailed blueprint of exactly how he gets what he needs. He simply believes because his parents said they would take care of him.
Thankfully, the same is true for us. As believers, our joy and our peace are not based on doing and achieving, trying to figure everything out and fix it ourselves. They come with believing.
Jesus calls us to recapture child-like faith; a faith that is open to moments of awe and wonder. The child-like faith is something mature Christians need to keep our entire life. Jesus said in Matthew 19:14 “suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.”
“My friends, make time for God every day because He always has time for you.” — Sister Clovia