FOCUS OF THE MONTH (FOM)
THE CHURCH IS THE BRIDE OF CHRIST
SCRIPTURE OF THE WEEK (SOW)
Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. — Revelation 19:7 KJV
Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; — Revelation 19:7 ESV
Wednesday Corporate Fasting Scripture – Isaiah 58 (ESV); Isaiah 58 (KJV)
Friday End of Week Scripture – Ephesians 3:20-21 (KJV)
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ESV Translation Philosophy
The ESV is an “essentially literal” translation that seeks as far as possible to reproduce the precise wording of the original text and the personal style of each Bible writer. As such, its emphasis is on “word-for-word” correspondence, at the same time taking full account of differences in grammar, syntax, and idiom between current literary English and the original languages. Thus it seeks to be transparent to the original text, letting the reader see as directly as possible the structure and exact force of the original.
In contrast to the ESV, some Bible versions have followed a “thought-for-thought” rather than “word-for-word” translation philosophy, emphasizing “dynamic equivalence” rather than the “essentially literal” meaning of the original. A “thought-for-thought” translation is of necessity more inclined to reflect the interpretive views of the translator and the influences of contemporary culture.
Every translation is at many points a trade-off between literal precision and readability, between “formal equivalence” in expression and “functional equivalence” in communication, and the ESV is no exception. Within this framework, we have sought to be “as literal as possible” while maintaining clarity of expression and literary excellence. Therefore, to the extent that plain English permits and the meaning in each case allows, we have sought to use the same English word for important recurring words in the original; and, as far as grammar and syntax allow, we have rendered Old Testament passages cited in the New in ways that show their correspondence. Thus in each of these areas, as well as throughout the Bible as a whole, we have sought to capture all the echoes and overtones of meaning that are so abundantly present in the original texts.
As an essentially literal translation, taking into account grammar and syntax, the ESV thus seeks to carry over every possible nuance of meaning in the original words of Scripture into our own language. As such, the ESV is ideally suited for in-depth study of the Bible. Indeed, with its commitment to literary excellence, the ESV is equally well suited for public reading and preaching, for private reading and reflection, for both academic and devotional study, and for Scripture memorization.
PRAISE & WORSHIP
DAILY DEVOTIONALS
Sunday, June 8, 2025 – LANGUAGE OF LOVE – Acts 2:1-12
Our Daily Bread Focus(es): Evangelism; God’s character; God’s love & care; Holy Spirit
Today’s Devotional
Mon Dieu. Lieber Gott. Drahý Bože. Aγαπητέ Θεέ. Dear God. I heard French, German, Slovak, Greek, and English prayers echo through the central Athens church as, in unison, we prayed in our native languages for people in our home countries to hear of God’s love. The beauty of the gathering was magnified when we realized our gathering was happening on Pentecost.
In the Old Testament, Pentecost was a harvest festival celebrated fifty days after the Passover festival (Leviticus 23:15-21). On the first Pentecost following Jesus’ death and resurrection, believers gathered in Jerusalem. Suddenly a sound like “violent wind” came, and “what seemed to be tongues of fire” appeared as they were filled with the Spirit and “began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them” (Acts 2:2-4). Visitors from other nations heard “the wonders of God” in their own language (v. 11). Then, after Peter “addressed the crowd” (v. 14), many believed the message that Jesus was crucified and raised to life to offer forgiveness (vv. 22-41).
The multilingual prayers of the ministry leaders assembled in Athens reminded me that Peter’s message heard at Pentecost continues to be shared around the world, and people are still responding in faith.
Let’s pray for the Spirit to empower us like the early believers in Jesus at Pentecost to tell of God’s love. And let’s pray for the message to be heard in every language spoken around the world.
Reflect & Pray
When did you first hear of God’s love for you? How can you pray for others to hear?
Holy Spirit, please empower me to share God’s love.
Find out more about God’s love by reading How God Loves Us.
Today’s Insights
An unusual thread—language—connects Acts 2 to the story of the tower of Babel. “The whole world had one language and a common speech,” says Genesis 11:1. The citizens of Babel said, “Let us build ourselves a city, . . . so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth” (v. 4). God “confuse[d] their language” (v. 7) and “scattered them from there over all the earth” (v. 8).
At Pentecost (Acts 2), people from many different nations and languages miraculously heard the good news of Jesus in their own tongue. By giving people understanding instead of confusion, God reversed what He’d done at Babel. In Acts 1:8, Christ had said, “You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Pentecost launched that worldwide mission of believers telling others of God’s love.
Daily Bread Focuses: Salvation; Spiritual Growth
Today’s Devotional
Some years ago, after exchanging heated words, Carolyn and I resolved our conflict through compassion and love for each other. I confessed my wrongdoing, and she prayed for me, referencing Ezekiel 36:26: “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.” I sensed that God was conducting a form of spiritual heart surgery on me, taking away my fears and bitterness as He enfolded me in His love.
God delights for us to engage with the Scriptures as I did back then, but it’s important to note the passage’s original context. Ezekiel spoke on God’s behalf to His people with the promise that He would cleanse them. Why? “It is not for your sake . . . I am going to do these things, but for the sake of my holy name” (v. 22). God would do His purifying work among His people so that all the nations would revere Him and know that He is God.
God works His purposes in our lives not only to help us flourish and grow, but so we would bring Him honor. Even as He gave the Israelites the promise of a new heart and a new spirit, so through the inward work of the Holy Spirit, God replaces our cold and hardened hearts with those that receive and share His love and life.
Reflect & Pray
How have you experienced God’s “heart surgery”? How have others noticed the changes that He’s brought about in your life?
God of all life, thank You for changing me, for forming in me a new self that’s rooted in You. Please pour out Your love on me today.
Learn more about having a personal relationship with God.
Today’s Insights
Ezekiel, exiled in Babylon (Ezekiel 1:1), ministered to the exiled Jewish community during and after the destruction of Jerusalem. God promised restoration and a bright future to His people if they’d repent of their covenantal unfaithfulness. He’d forgive them and transform them into a holy nation. Only with a new heart and a new spirit would they be able to honor God (36:26-28; see 11:19-20). This new heart and spirit are central to God’s redemption plan.
The prophet Jeremiah also prophesied of God’s new covenant in Jeremiah 31:31-34. And Jesus spoke of “the new covenant in [His] blood” (Luke 22:20) hours before He died on the cross. He’s the mediator of the new covenant through “the sprinkled blood, which speaks of forgiveness” (Hebrews 12:24 nlt). And He alone can change our hearts.
Today’s Devotional
Small-town physician Ezdan nurtured a grand dream for his young daughter Eleanor. She has Down syndrome, and he hoped to open a business to provide paid work for her future. Feeling “terrified” to pursue his dream, he took an online course on how to start a business. Then he and his wife launched a family bakery in their Wyoming town, and it’s thriving. “It has become a real business, with a staff,” Ezdan said. Eleanor, now grown, works the cash register and connects with online customers. “Everybody in town knows who she is,” says Ezdan. His leap of faith in planning for Eleanor’s future reflects his choice to be prudent.
It’s a classic biblical virtue. Prudence is an element of wisdom that God ordains for our current and future planning. “The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways,” says Proverbs 14:8, “but the folly of fools is deception.” Rather than worry about the future, or do nothing about it, prudent people look to God for wisdom to plan for it.
In fact, prudence comes directly from the Latin word prudentia, meaning “foresight.” “The simple believe anything, but the prudent give thought to their steps” (v. 15). Foreseeing what could happen, they work sensibly to build a safety net—a strong course of action for the wise!
With clear-eyed faith, may we live prudently, in step with God.
Reflect & Pray
What has God shown you about how to plan in a way that honors Him? By faith, how are you prudently planning for a wise future?
Thank You, Father, for inspiring me to plan prudently.
Today’s Insights
The word translated “prudent” (Proverbs 14:8, 15, 18) can also be translated as “crafty,” “sensible,” or “shrewd.” In Proverbs, the prudent are presented as the opposite of “fools” (14:8). Fools may think rejecting God’s wisdom and the instruction of others gives them power and security (v. 16), but in reality, their refusal to seek the truth is self-destructive (vv. 11-12). They lack knowledge (v. 7), and their advice can only mislead and deceive (v. 8). They’re driven by their whims and tempers (v. 17), while the prudent are guided by reliable knowledge (v. 18). The contrast between the lives of the foolish and the prudent illustrates that “the fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, turning a person from the snares of death” (v. 27).
Examine the book of Proverbs in its ancient Near Eastern context.
Today’s Devotional
Betty is ready. She began following Jesus as a teenager and has taken opportunities her whole life to serve and please Him. She attends Bible studies, worship services, and prayer meetings. She’s taught studies, visited mission fields, worked in the nursery, served alongside her pastor-husband, and she loves being with God’s people every chance she gets. And remarkably she’s 102 years old and is still ready to do whatever pleases God. She’s an inspiration to many who might not feel like gathering with other believers some days. Then they remember, Betty will be there. I certainly can get there! Betty now says she’s eager to get to heaven to be with her Savior. She says, “I’m ready to see Jesus; I love Him so.”
The apostle Paul said he “would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8). But he knew God had work for him to do in encouraging believers in many churches (Philippians 1:23-24). So he kept serving and living “by faith” and “not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7). Paul remained ready and kept serving under God’s direction.
Whatever our age and stage in life, let’s ask God to help us make it our heart’s goal “to please [Christ]” (v. 9) and stay ready. Betty is ready. And if someday she isn’t ready, it’s because she’s already seeing Jesus face-to-face.
Reflect & Pray
In what ways can you practice answering God’s call to service? How can you become more ready for His call to heaven?
Dear God, I love You with all my heart and want to please You in whatever ways You want. I look forward to seeing You soon!
Use this resource to find and follow your God-given calling.
Today’s Insights
In 2 Corinthians 5:6-9, Paul describes the tension of living on earth (“at home in the body,” v. 6) and life after death for believers in Jesus (“at home with the Lord,” v. 8). Metaphors like “jars of clay” (4:7) and “earthly tent” (5:1) point to our mortality. But Paul assures us that “we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself” (v. 1 nlt). We will “put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing” (v. 2 nlt).
As we answer the call to serve Christ, our goal is “to please” Him (v. 9). We’ll receive or suffer the loss of rewards depending on how we’ve lived (1 Corinthians 3:12-15). And by staying ready and serving in God’s strength, we’ll truly live well.
Thursday, June 12, 2025 – A GENEROUS HEART – Hebrews 13:15-21
Daily Bread Focus: Generosity
Scripture(s): Romans 12:10-13; Ephesians 4:28
Today’s Devotional
When soccer star Sadio Mané from Senegal was playing for Liverpool in the English Premier League, he was one of the world’s highest-paid African players, making millions of dollars per year. Fans spotted a picture of Mané carrying an iPhone with a cracked screen and joked about him using the damaged device. His response was unflustered. “Why would I want ten Ferraris, twenty diamond watches, and two jet planes?” he asked. “I starved, I worked in the fields, played barefoot, and didn’t go to school. Now I can help people. I prefer to build schools and give poor people food or clothing. . . . [Give] some of what life has given me.”
Mané knew how selfish it would be to hoard all his prosperity when so many of his neighbors back home struggled under crushing conditions. Hebrews reminds us that this generous way of life is for all of us, not only for those who are wealthy. “Do not forget to do good and to share with others,” the writer says, “for with such sacrifices God is pleased” (13:16). Nurturing a generous heart isn’t only the right thing to do, but according to Scripture, generosity also makes God smile. Who doesn’t want to make God pleased?
Generosity isn’t defined simply by how much we give. Instead, generosity refers to the posture of our heart. One thing we can do that’s “pleasing to [God]” (v. 21) is to simply open our hands and share what we have.
Reflect & Pray
How have you shown generosity? What helps you cultivate a generous heart?
Dear God, thank You for the generous heart You’ve shown me. Please help me to be generous too.
Today’s Insights
The letter to the Hebrews is anonymous. This, however, hasn’t prevented centuries of scholarly speculation as to the identity of the author, which includes Paul, Luke, Apollos, as well as Barnabas, Priscilla, Silas, and Philip the evangelist. While human authorship can be debated, the divine authorship of the Holy Spirit is unquestioned. The audience for the letter was Jewish believers who’d been through great hardship and were in danger of abandoning their faith in Jesus the Messiah due to their struggles.
This letter encourages them to keep on believing and trusting in God, with a series of warnings to that effect (2:1-3; 3:7–4:11; 6:4-6; 12:25-26). To encourage them, the author sets out to show the superiority of Jesus over everything—angels, Moses, Joshua, the priesthood, the sacrificial system, and more. And not only is He superior; He’s also the model of true sacrifice and generosity. As we practice generosity, we reflect His heart.
Today’s Devotional
On my walk to catch the train to work a few years ago, I saw a woman with a ferocious-looking dog heading toward me. I grew up around pet dogs, so I’m usually not afraid of furry friends, but this one looked menacing. As the dog got closer, he barked at me. I tried to laugh it off. But then he lunged at me, so I screamed. Thankfully the dog couldn’t harm me because he couldn’t reach me. His owner held on tightly to his leash.
That scary encounter reminded me that as believers in Jesus, Satan is also “on a leash” but waiting to attack if we give him the opportunity. In 1 Peter, the apostle Peter warns us, “Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (5:8). He growls and snarls and lunges at us to try to scare and intimidate us and to paralyze us with fear, but we can stand firm in our faith and “resist him” (v. 9).
When you feel the enemy taunting or tempting you, remember this: He’s no match for Jesus. We can cry out to Him and He’ll help us. He “will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast” (v. 10).
When we’re under spiritual attack, we can choose faith over fear because Jesus is always with us.
Reflect & Pray
How do you react when you feel the enemy taunting or tempting you? How can you focus on Christ during spiritual battles?
Dear Jesus, thank You for always being there for me even during the toughest trials.
For further study, read Taking Sin Seriously.
Today’s Insights
There’s a stark difference between how believers in Jesus are to relate to God and how we’re to respond to the devil. To confuse the two is unwise and dangerous. Humility—to trustingly bring oneself low in non-anxious dependence—is always in order before God Almighty (1 Peter 5:6-7). On the other hand, we’re to be “alert and of sober mind” and must “resist” the devil (vv. 8-9), for he’s a prowling spiritual predator—the adversary of those who believe in Jesus.
James’ words echo those of Peter: “ ‘God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.’ Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you” (James 4:6-8). Revelation 12:9 speaks of the devil as “that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray.” In Christ, however, by faith we can resist the devil and stand strong.
Saturday, June 14, 2025 – WHAT YOUR FATHER WANTS – Romans 8:14-17
Our Daily Bread Focus(es): Living for Christ; Living like Christ; Obedience
Today’s Devotional
Steve grabbed his chainsaw and headed out to the woods. That’s when he heard five-year-old August. “Wait for me, Dad! I want to come!” Grabbing his toy chainsaw, work gloves, and earmuffs, August followed Steve out the door. Steve set out a couple of logs for him a safe distance away. After ten minutes, August was worn out. Cutting logs with a fake chainsaw is hard work! But he was happy to “help” his dad, and his dad was delighted to spend time with his son.
Isn’t this how it is with our heavenly Father? We suppose we’re helping. “Wait for me, Dad! I need to get my chainsaw!” But our chainsaw is the least important thing about us. We’re not helping as much as we think. God cares far more about the first part, “Wait for me, Dad!” He doesn’t need our output.
If you love His Son, Jesus, God has adopted you into His family and given you His Spirit. “The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship” (Romans 8:15). You’re not a servant who earns his place by hard work. You’re a child who’s loved by your Father, no matter what. “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!” (1 John 3:1).
Our heavenly Father is delighted when we serve Him. But He doesn’t need us. He simply wants us.
Reflect & Pray
What do you think of when you consider what God wants from you? How will you spend time with Him today?
Heavenly Father, thank You for adopting me into Your family as Your child.
Today’s Insights
In John 14-16, Jesus revealed the work of the Holy Spirit, whom he called “the Advocate” and “the Spirit of truth” (14:16-17, 26; 15:26; 16:7, 13). In Romans 8, Paul tells us more about the importance and the work of the Spirit in the life of the believer in Christ. Calling Him “the Spirit of God” and “the Spirit of Christ,” the apostle says that if anyone doesn’t have the Spirit, “they do not belong to Christ” (v. 9). He’s the source of our life (vv. 10-11); He’s the seal and deposit guaranteeing that we belong to God (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14).
Through the Spirit, God now lives in every believer (Romans 8:11) and we’re called “heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ” (v. 17). The Spirit enables us to affectionately call out, “Abba, Father” (v. 15), empowers us to live godly lives (vv. 5-13), and helps us to pray by interceding for us and with us (v. 26).
THIS WEEK’S INSPIRATIONAL THOUGHT BY SISTER CLOVIA
A BURNING HEART FOR JESUS
The concept of a burning heart is rooted in scripture in Luke 24:32, where two disciples on the road to Emmaus reflect on their encounter with Jesus: “Did not our heart burn within us, while He talked with us by the way, and while He opened to us the Scriptures?”
Luke 24:32 verse highlights the transformative power of encountering Jesus through the Scriptures, which should lead us to a passionate and fervent love for Him.
A burning heart for Jesus is marked by a deeper hunger for His Word, a fervent desire for prayer, and a thirst for righteousness. It’s a heart that longs to worship Him in spirit and in truth, surrendering all to His will and His ways.
Let’s cultivate a burning heart for God, allowing His love to consume you completely and radiate brightly for all to see. Be filled with the Spirit to light your life in love to burn bright for Jesus, drawing others into the warmth of His divine comfort.
Jesus! Come be the fire inside of us. Come be the Flame upon our hearts.
You are welcome in this place!
CHRISTIAN-BASED MOVIE OF THE MONTH
***The Daily Devotionals are taken from Our Daily Bread Ministries and the Scriptures are from the BibleGateway.***
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