FOCUS OF THE MONTH
Loving At All Times
SCRIPTURE OF THE WEEK
A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. — Proverbs 17:17 (ESV)
Wednesday Corporate Fasting Scripture – Isaiah 58 (ESV); Isaiah 58 (KJV)
Friday End of Week Scripture – Ephesians 3:20-21 (KJV)
!!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY !!!!
We do not have any birthday celebrations this week.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Open Invitation – Introduction Class
Join the Introduction Class on 1-605-313-4831; access code 259-748#, whenever your Class Facilitator is absent
Did you miss your class today? Do you want an evangelism tool?
If yes — call or share the Introduction Class Instant Replay
1-605-313-4904; access code 259-748#
Open Invitation – Intercessory Prayer
Join the Intercessory Team every 2nd Saturday each month
1-605-313-5671; access code 563-972#
start time is 4:45AM
Instant Replay # 605-313-4106; access code 563-972#
Visit here to submit Prayer Requests
***The English Standard Version (ESV) stands in the classic mainstream of English Bible translations over half-millennium. The fountainhead of that stream was William Tyndale’s New Testament of 1526; marking its course was 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). Faithfulness to the text and vigorous pursuit of accuracy were combined with simplicity, beauty, and dignity of expression in that stream. 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 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 translating 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 the structure and meaning of the original as directly as possible. More about the ESV translation philosophy….***
Sunday, February 6, 2022 – SWEET SLEEP – Proverbs 3:19-24
Our Daily Bread Focus: Prayer; Trust in God; Worry
Reflect & Pray
How might turning to God when you can’t sleep give you peace? What song, prayer, or Scripture can you meditate on to help you focus on God?
Dear God, thank You for loving me. Help me to focus on Your faithfulness instead of the worries of this life.
Reflect & Pray
What do your desires and goals tell you about your heart? What do you need to give to God today?
Dear God, please help me fill the role You’ve given me and not to covet more. Help me trust You in everything.
Reflect & Pray
How has the quest for success affected your life? Why is it sometimes difficult to align our values with what matters to God?
Heavenly Father, I want to be successful in Your eyes. Teach me how to love others the way You love me.
Reflect & Pray
What does this story of the Roman generals and the phrase Memento mori say to you? Why do you need to remember your mortality?
God, I like to think that my life is in my control. I sometimes act as though I’ll live forever. Humble me. Help me find life only in You.
Reflect & Pray
What amazing help have you seen God bring in a dire situation? How does His help encourage your faith?
Amazing God, I bow at Your feet, humbled by Your merciful help whenever it comes. Thank You for encouraging my faith with Your sovereign power throughout the earth.
When have you heard the Father’s voice speak reassuring words to you? How can you reach out to others today and encourage them with that same reassurance?
Father, thank You so much for Your reassuring voice telling me whose I am and how much I’m loved.
Learn more about the life of Christ.
Saturday, February 12, 2022 – LIVING BY FAITH – 1 Samuel 17:32, 40-47
Our Daily Bread Focus: Trust In God
Reflect & Pray
What are you struggling with? What might it mean to walk by faith in God during this season?
Show me what it means in my struggles to trust You and Your character, dear God. You’re powerful and loving.
This Week’s Thoughts by Sister Clovia Thompson
God’s Gift of Sleep
Oh, what a beautiful gift from our Heavenly Father! Sleep allows us to process, rest, and strengthen our bodies and minds. Since He created us, He knows just what our bodies need; God created sleep. So not only do our physical bodies need sleep, but our spirits need God’s proper rest.
Often, when sleep eludes us, it is because we are holding on to the cares of this life. We struggle to let go of them because we struggle to trust God. We forget that God is sovereign over us, and He has given us sleep as a gift.
Sleep is a daily reminder that God is God and that we are not Him. Our Creator is not nearly as impressed with our late nights and early mornings as He is with the peaceful hearts that trust Him. The hearts that cast all anxieties onto Him then go to sleep secure in the knowledge that God already has a solution. God makes us lie down in green pastures so that we can rise again refreshed and restored.
I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety. — Psalm 4:8
“My friends, make time for God every day because He always has time for you.” — Sister Clovia