FOCUS OF THE MONTH (FOM)
CHRIST IS THE WAY TO LIBERTY
SCRIPTURE OF THE WEEK (SOW)
And I will walk at liberty: for I seek thy precepts. — Psalm 119:45 KJV
and I shall walk in a wide place, for I have sought your precepts. — Psalm 119:45 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, July 13, 2025 – RUNNING THE RACE WITH CHRIST – Proverbs 1:1-9
Our Daily Bread Focus(es): Parenting
Tom, age seven, admired his dad’s shiny trophies from school track events sitting on a shelf. He thought, I want one of those for my bedroom. So he asked, “Dad, can I have one of your trophies?” The man surprisingly answered, “No, Tom, those are mine. I earned them, and you can earn your own.” Then they made a plan that if he ran around the block in a certain amount of time (he knew his son could do it), he would give him a trophy of his own. Tom practiced with his dad’s guidance, and a week later his dad cheered him on as he ran the race in time. Tom learned lessons in self-discipline and hard work, and his dad congratulated him with an award.
Proverbs 1:8 encourages children to “listen . . . to your father’s instruction.” Tom’s dad also taught him about running the race of life with Jesus and listening to His leading. He instructed him about choosing “what is right and just and fair,” as the father in Proverbs did (v. 3). A father’s teachings are valuable: “a garland to grace your head and a chain to adorn your neck” (v. 9).
You may not have an earthly father to instruct you in your race with Christ. But God can lead you to a mentor who can pass along their wisdom. Or perhaps God is calling you to mentor someone. He’ll give you guidance as you’re active with others in running the race.
Reflect & Pray
Who in your circle might be one you can learn from about life in Christ? Who might you help?
Father, thank You for the Scriptures that instruct me. Please give me a mentor who knows You well and can share Your wisdom.
Today’s Insights
In the prelude to the book of Proverbs (1:1-7), the theme of this book and other biblical wisdom literature is introduced: “the fear of the Lord” (v. 7). This grand theme not only bookends the first major section of Proverbs (1:7–9:10), it frames the entire book (see 31:30). From the beginning to the end, the goal is that readers—young and old—would major on honoring God with the whole of their lives.
To “fear the Lord” (Psalm 33:8) is to stand in wonder, respect, reverence, and adoration of Him. The fear of God is essential for running the race of faith with Christ. It’s good for mentors and mentees. It’s good for parents to possess and pass on to their children (Proverbs 1:8-9). According to Psalm 34:11, this guiding life-principle can be taught: “Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord.”
We have a new puppy, Winston. He bites. Sleeps. Eats. (Does one or two other things.) Oh, and he digs. Winston doesn’t dig casually. He tunnels. Like he’s escaping from prison. It’s compulsive, ferocious, and filthy.
Why does that dog dig so much? I wondered recently. Then it hit me: I’m a digger too—prone to “digging” into myriad things I hope will make me happy. They’re not always even bad things. But when I fixate on finding satisfaction in something apart from God, I become a digger. Digging for meaning apart from God leaves me covered in dirt and longing for something more.
Jeremiah rebuked Israel for being diggers: “They have forsaken me,” God said through the prophet, “and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water” (Jeremiah 2:13). God disciplined His people for neglecting to seek Him. They’d dug their own wells in an attempt to quench their deepest thirst. But God reminded them that He alone is the “spring of living water” (v. 13). In John 4, Jesus offered this living water to the woman at the well, who’d also done her share of digging elsewhere (vv. 10-26).
We’re all diggers sometimes. But God graciously offers to replace our fruitless digging with vital fulfillment with His water, which alone satisfies the deep thirst of our souls.
Reflect & Pray
Where do you tend to dig in search of meaning, hope, or satisfaction? How can you entrust this area of your life to God?
Father, please help me taste and see that You’re what my soul longs for, and to put my shovel down as I rest in You.
Today’s Insights
God told Jeremiah that Judah and Jerusalem were about to be invaded by nations from the north because His people worshiped idols (Jeremiah 1:14-16) instead of the living God who loved them. He asked, “What fault did your ancestors find in me?” (2:5). Their idolatry persisted across generations, so God would “bring charges against [them] again [and] bring charges against [their] children’s children” (v. 9). Yet He urged them, “Return, faithless people” (3:14). One day, He’d give them “shepherds after [His] own heart” who would lead “with knowledge and understanding” (v. 15). God pursues His people, and He alone provides what will truly satisfy their souls.
Today’s Devotional
Jesus, how are You praying for me? I’d never thought to ask that question until my friend Lou shared the experience of his heart-cry to Christ when he was faced with a situation that required more wisdom and strength than he was able to muster. Hearing him voice that noteworthy question in prayer has helped me add a fresh dimension to my understanding and practice of prayer.
In Luke 22, there was no mystery as to how Jesus was praying for Simon Peter: “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail” (vv. 31-32). When Peter was battered through trial, his faith flickered. But because of Christ’s grace, it didn’t fail.
The book of Acts tells us how Jesus’ prayers for Peter—His eager but weak disciple—were answered. God used him to preach the good news about Christ to Jews and gentiles alike. And Jesus’ prayer ministry hasn’t ended. Paul reminds us that “Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us” (Romans 8:34). When you find yourself in the throes of trial or temptation, remember that Jesus, who prayed for His disciples, remains in prayer for those who have believed their message about Him (see John 17:13-20).
Reflect & Pray
How does remembering that Jesus is praying for you affect how you pray? In view of His prayer ministry, how might you live and serve differently?
Dear Jesus, thank You for Your prayers on my behalf. Please help me to pray and live with this awareness.
Today’s Insights
Satan had to ask Christ for permission to test Peter and was permitted to sift him “as wheat” (Luke 22:31). This would entail forceful shaking, but Satan wasn’t allowed to destroy Peter. On the contrary, this sifting would remove the chaff from his life. This is reminiscent of Satan asking for God’s permission to test Job (Job 1:9-12; 2:3-6) and Job affirming that “when [God] has tested me, I will come forth as gold” (23:10).
Jesus’ sovereignty is evident in His prayers that Peter’s faith wouldn’t fail (Luke 22:32). His courage failed, however, as he denied knowing Christ three times (vv. 54-62). But though he momentarily faltered, his faith didn’t fail. Jesus’ prayer that Peter would turn back to strengthen his brothers (v. 32) was fulfilled when he repented (v. 62). He was later restored and commissioned by Christ to pastoral ministry (John 21:15-17). We can be encouraged when we remember that Christ also prays for us.
Today’s Devotional
“Did you grow up around here?” It was difficult to answer my dental hygienist’s question because her teeth-cleaning tools were still inside my mouth. She explained that in 1945, our city became the first in the world to add fluoride to public drinking water. Thought to prevent cavities, the treatment doesn’t require much: just 0.7 milligrams of fluoride to a liter of water. Its positive effects are obvious to a trained professional. But, I had no idea, I’d been drinking it all my life!
The things we consume every day can affect us over time. That applies not only to food and drink but also to entertainment, friends, and social media messages. The apostle Paul cautioned, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2). While the Holy Spirit is making disciples of Jesus to be more like Him, the process takes a lifetime. Our habits can help or hinder His work. It’s not always easy to recognize what we’re consuming, but we can ask the one who’s rich in “wisdom and knowledge” to show us (11:33). Wisdom and discernment help us “test and approve what God’s will is” (12:2), while considering ourselves with “sober judgment” (v. 3).
Whatever He might be asking us to add to or remove from our daily lives is worth the price. All things are “from him and through him and for him” (11:36). He knows best.
Reflect & Pray
What’s one habit that reveals the Holy Spirit’s work in your life? What’s one that might be hindering His work?
Holy Spirit, thank You for working in and through my life.
Today’s Insights
When interpreting Scripture, the key words are often nouns and verbs because they tend to contribute the most to the understanding of the text. In Romans 12:1-3, however, a case could be made that the key word is therefore. This word indicates that we understand what follows is based on what has preceded it. “Therefore . . . in view of God’s mercy” (v. 1) tells us that the practical exhortations that follow are rooted in God’s great grace and forgiveness, which have been thoroughly explained in chapters 1-11.
When we consider the greatness of God’s love that’s been poured out over our lives through the gift of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, no command of Scripture should seem grievous. In fact, as Paul says, offering our lives as “a living sacrifice” is our “true and proper worship” (12:1). We can ask the Holy Spirit to show us how to worship God with our lives and how to exhibit Christlike habits.
Thursday, July 17, 2025 – LOVING JESUS MOST – Deuteronomy 15:1-11
Daily Bread Focuses: Generosity; Stewardship; Obedience
Scriptures: Proverbs 11:24-25; Isaiah 58:10-11; Matthew 25:40
Today’s Devotional
The members asked why their church was buying a steeple. Was this the best use of God’s resources? What about feeding the poor? The pastor replied that the funds came from donors and needed to be spent as they wished. “Besides,” he quoted Jesus, “you will always have the poor among you” (John 12:8).
The pastor quickly apologized for his flippant, out-of-context remark, which led me to wonder, What was Jesus’ context? Six days before His death, a woman anointed Jesus’ feet with expensive perfume. The disciples were disgusted. Why wasn’t this perfume sold to help the poor? Jesus replied by quoting Deuteronomy 15:11: “You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me” (John 12:8).
Jesus often cited Deuteronomy, so He knew what was written a few sentences earlier: “There need be no poor people among you, for in the land the Lord your God is giving you . . . , he will richly bless you, if only you fully obey the Lord your God” (Deuteronomy 15:4-5). Perhaps this was another reason for Jesus’ rebuke. Poor people existed only because Israel hadn’t obeyed God’s instructions. Now the poor were being used to distract from Jesus—the true Israelite who would fully obey to the end.
We need not choose between Jesus and the poor. We love people best by loving Him most, and loving Him most inspires us to love others best.
Reflect & Pray
How do you help those less fortunate? How does the life of Jesus and the things He taught inspire you to share with those in need?
Dear Jesus, You’re beautiful and worthy of all my praise.
For further study, read Missing the Mission: Disciples in an Age of Abundance.
Today’s Insights
In the first century bc, the Jews practiced what was known as prozbul, where a lender could transfer a personal loan to an institution or bank, making it exempt from the law of debt forgiveness in Deuteronomy 15. This attempted to encourage rich Jews to continue lending to the poor because it meant they’d still get their money back.
In the New Testament, Jesus often spoke about money and challenged His disciples to live radical lives: “Love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back” (Luke 6:35). When we love Christ, He helps us to love those in need.
Today’s Devotional
After I joined the board of trustees of a seminary, the long-term leader announced his retirement. I found myself among those tasked with searching for a new president. Together, we amassed a daunting list of qualifications. How would we find someone to fulfill such a complicated and vital role?
I wondered the same as I read God’s specifications for the tabernacle’s lampstand to be crafted of pure gold, with flower-like cups and almond flowers and six branches (Exodus 25:31-36). And the courtyard was “to have curtains of finely twisted linen, with twenty posts and twenty bronze bases and with silver hooks and bands on the posts” (27:9-10). Who could fulfill such assignments?
God answered, “I have chosen Bezalel . . . and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills . . . to engage in all kinds of crafts” (31:2-5). God also said, “I have given ability to all the skilled workers to make everything I have commanded you” (v. 6).
Where do we turn to fill a vacant role for a high-level leader, a volunteer at church or to orchestrate an event? To the God who calls and equips His people. God laid out an ambitious design for His temple. Then He chose and equipped His people to implement it. God’s answer to His plans is God’s people.
Reflect & Pray
How have you seen God gift people to do His work? What has He equipped you to do?
Holy God, I look to You to choose and equip the people needed in my life, my church, and in my place of work.
Today’s Insights
Having given Moses a series of instructions for the people of Israel, God now begins to show him how these will be carried out (see Exodus 31:1-11). Many of these commands included plans for work that must be done. God equipped the people with the appropriate skills to complete His work, and Bezalel and Oholiab were to lead much of that effort.
According to scholar John D. Barry, Bezalel’s name can be literally interpreted “in the shadow of El [God]”—another way of saying that his gifts came from God. Barry notes that El was an older name for the Supreme Being, not the name of Yah that had only recently been revealed by God to His chosen people. Similarly, Oholiab’s name means “father is my tent.” This is fitting, as he would be designing the tent of meeting (see Exodus 26). As He did with Oholiab, God also enables us to accomplish the tasks He gives us.
Saturday, July 19, 2025 – BY GOD’S TRUTH – John 17:1-5, 13-19
Our Daily Bread Focus(es): Bible study; Christ, person/work; wisdom
Merriam-Webster’s 2023 Word of the Year was authentic. It means “not false or imitation” and “true to one’s own personality, spirit, or character.” People search for truth, but discerning fact from fiction can be challenging. Editor Peter Sokolowski said, “Can we trust whether a student wrote this paper [or] . . . whether a politician made this statement? We don’t always trust what we see anymore. We sometimes don’t believe our own eyes or our own ears. We are now recognizing that authenticity is a performance itself.”
As what is real becomes less clear, authenticity is something most people crave. This kind of “crisis of authenticity” can be averted as we take in and live out the wisdom of Scripture. Jesus spoke to His disciples just before His arrest, trial, and death (John 13-17). Preparing His disciples for His departure from earth, He also “looked toward heaven and prayed” for them (17:1). He prayed that the Father might “sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth” (v. 17). This implies that what God has revealed in the Bible doesn’t conform to some other standard of what’s true, but it is truth itself and the standard by which everything else is judged.
God calls us to align our lives with Scripture, to conduct ourselves according to its truth. Only by doing so can we become truly authentic, which is very much what the world needs today.
Reflect & Pray
How does the Bible reveal God’s truth? How is it truly authentic?
Dear God, please sanctify me with the truth of Scripture as I serve You.
Today’s Insights
In John 1:1-18, readers are introduced to biblically weighty words that appear throughout the book, such as life and light (v. 4) and believe (v. 7). John 17 includes significant words that are also found in John 1—Word, glory/glorify, and truth. In John 1:14, these words are clustered together: “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.
We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” Of note is the word truth. There’s perfect harmony between Jesus, the living Word who declared Himself to be “the truth” (14:6), and the written Word (17:14, 17). Christ, the living Word, helps us to be authentic by aligning our lives according to His truth.
THIS WEEK’S INSPIRATIONAL THOUGHT BY SISTER CLOVIA
GOD’S PLAN FOR A HOPE AND A FUTURE
“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” — Jeremiah 29:11
This is a beautiful promise, showing that God is in control and that He loves His children. Though these words were written directly to the Israelites, the principles still apply to us today. God is a good God, even when our circumstances are not.
God may not fix every hardship immediately, but He will always walk with us (omnipresent) in our suffering. Here’s the good news: the Promised Messiah came more than 2,000 years ago to save all people from the punishment of sin.
This means that you can receive forgiveness for your sins through believing in Jesus and experiencing God’s good plan for your life by building a relationship with Jesus!
By saying, “I know the thoughts I have for you,” God was reassuring the people that their faith in Him would be rewarded. He wasn’t saying He’d swoop down and make everything easy for them. He merely told them that even though it’s hard right now, they must have faith.
The Lord is omnipotent (all-powerful). He knows everything (omniscient) that will or won’t happen to us. Even though some things may seem horrible or troubling for us at the time, we must have faith that God’s plan for us is what is best.
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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