FOCUS OF THE MONTH (FOM)
Sowing and Reaping God’s Harvest
SCRIPTURE OF THE WEEK (SOW)
(For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. — Galatians 6:8 KJV
For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. — Galatians 6:8 ESV
MINISTRY RESOURCES
Wednesday Corporate Fasting Scripture – Isaiah 58 (ESV); Isaiah 58 (KJV)
Friday End of Week Scripture – Ephesians 3:20-21 (KJV)
LET’S CELEBRATE YOUR NEW YEAR!
ANNOUNCEMENTS
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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, October 5, 2025 – SYMPATHY PAIN – 1 Corinthians 12:21-26
Our Daily Bread Focuses: Community; Suffering
Today’s Devotional
When I injured my ring finger, I expected months of pain before regaining its full function. As I practiced the prescribed exercises, the finger next to it began to throb, so I consulted my doctor. “Sympathy pain,” he said. A branching between the nerves of the ring and pinky fingers causes dependence on one another. If one finger hurts, the other aches in sympathy.
The apostle Paul uses the human body to illustrate the uniqueness and unity of God’s people. In 1 Corinthians 12:21-26, he reinforces how valuable each individual member is to the healthy functioning of the whole. Then he turns his attention to the unity achieved when we connect with each other: “If one part suffers, every part suffers with it” (v. 26). His description of the church’s interconnectedness is echoed in these verses, as we ought to “mourn with those who mourn,” and “carry each other’s burdens” (Romans 12:15; Galatians 6:2).
Today, as I extend my hand to greet someone or grab a spoon to prepare a meal for guests, I notice the strain in both my ring finger and my pinky. The various parts of our physical bodies work together to express pain and to strengthen each other toward health. I thank God that He reveals our need for connection to each other in His spiritual body, the church, through sympathy pain..
Reflect & Pray
How is God inviting you to suffer with another in order to strengthen you both? How have others suffered with you?
Dear God, please help me be open to Your invitation to suffer with my brothers and sisters that we might all be strengthened.
Discover how to best help people through their pain.
Today’s Insights
Of the many metaphors Paul uses to describe the church’s identity and mission (for example, temple, fellow citizens, God’s family), “the body” is probably his favorite, using it often to promote the oneness, unity, and solidarity of all believers in Jesus under the headship of Christ (see Ephesians 5:23).
He uses the body metaphor in 1 Corinthians 12:12: “Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ.” He highlights the church’s unity in diversity and instructs believers to prioritize their mutual concern for each other’s well-being, saying that everyone “should have equal concern for each other” (v. 25). Elsewhere, he instructs believers to “be devoted to one another in love” (Romans 12:10) and to step up to serve each other in practical ways (vv. 3-13). Particularly, he tells believers to “be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep” (v. 15 nlt).
Monday, October 6, 2025 – MAKING ROOM FOR OTHERS – Philippians 2:1-11
Daily Bread Focuses: Humility; Love; Union with Christ
Scriptures: James 4:10; Luke 14:11; 1 Corinthians 12:12-13; John 13:34-35
Today’s Devotional
At electric vehicle charging stations across the United States, some drivers overstay their time at “fast-chargers,” which are designed to help drivers quickly charge their cars and get back on the road. To resolve this unkind behavior, one of the largest charging networks has implemented strict time limits at some of its busiest stations. When a vehicle’s battery charge reaches eighty-five percent, the driver must make room for the next car in need of a charge.
The apostle Paul encouraged believers in Jesus to humbly “value others above [themselves]” (Philippians 2:3). He addressed an issue that was grating the Philippian church—self-centeredness. The people desired recognition and distinction, not from pure motives but from “selfish ambition” (v. 3). Paul urged the believers to have the mind of Christ and to look “to the interests of the others” (v. 4). This didn’t mean that they should forget their own needs in an unhealthy way, but that they would care for others’ needs as those who “have the same mindset as Christ Jesus” (v. 5). The apostle encouraged the Philippians to empty themselves of pride and to humbly make room for others. The ultimate motivation for making room? Love.
As we seek to imitate Christ’s example each day (vv. 6-11), He can help us make room for others by viewing them with His loving eyes.
Reflect & Pray
How can you place others’ needs above your own? What does it mean to see others through God’s eyes?
Dear God, please help me empty myself and make room for others.
For further study, read Loving Your Neighbor through Prayer.
Today’s Insights
Paul’s teaching in Philippians 2:1-11 describes the core values that believers in Jesus are to exhibit. Christ exemplified these principles by becoming a man, living as a servant, and surrendering to death by crucifixion (vv. 7-8). Jesus’ example and teaching in John 13 amplify the need for believers to serve others. Hours before His crucifixion, John describes Christ having “a towel around his waist” (v. 4).
Jesus ignored His status as their leader and washed the dusty feet of all present: “After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him” (v. 5). His actions were complemented with these words: “Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet” (v. 14). Christ calls us to imitate His example of love and humility and serve others.
Tuesday, October 7, 2025 – WHAT WILL GOD DO – John 16:31-33
Daily Bread Focus: Trust in God
Scriptures: 1 John 4:4; 1 John 5:13-15
Today’s Devotional
During the Blitz on London on December 29, 1940, a bomb destroyed a warehouse near St. Paul’s Cathedral. When Biddy Chambers received the news that all 40,000 copies of Oswald Chambers’ books stored there were lost—which she had compiled and edited but not insured—she set down her teacup and remarked to her daughter, “Well, God has used the books for His glory, but now that is over. We’ll wait and see what God will do now.”
Perhaps Biddy was remembering what her late husband, Oswald, had written at the start of the First World War. He noted how Jesus had spoken to His disciples about “the inevitability of peril” so that when horrible things happened, they would “not be scared” because He was with them.
Jesus told His friends, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). He wanted them to remain strong in their faith in His Father so they could withstand the trials and challenges they would endure.
Biddy’s quiet confidence in God carried her through, and eventually the books were reprinted and became classics for generations. We too can find encouragement and hope in Jesus’ promises that He has overcome the world. We know that He won’t leave us (14:18) and will give us peace (v. 27), no matter what we face..
Reflect & Pray
How do you respond to Biddy’s reaction when she heard the devastating news of the books burning? How could you follow her example of trusting God?
Loving Jesus, please help me to “overcome the world” in my daily life as I share Your love with others.
For further study, listen to A Psalm of Trust.
Today’s Insights
As we face uncertainty in this world (as was the case with the disciples in John 16), receiving words of comfort can be like a two-sided coin. One side is stamped with the words, “Take heart!” (v. 33) or “Fear not!” We can take this command seriously and trust God in the face of all kinds of fears. Then we see the other side of the comfort coin: “I [Jesus] have overcome the world” (v. 33).
The words of Christ, prophetic and anticipatory at the time they were spoken, have even greater meaning today on this side of the cross and resurrection. Jesus was indeed victorious! He conquered death, and because He did, “We are more than conquerors through him who loved us” (Romans 8:37). No matter what we face, because of our faith in Christ, God will be with us and will give us peace.
Wednesday, October 8, 2025 – JESUS’ WORK – Ephesians 4:1-6, 11-16
Daily Bread Focuses: Identity in Christ; Service
Scriptures: Romans 12:1-2; Colossians 1:10; Philippians 1:27
Today’s Devotional
In 1997, Iowa State University named its football stadium after the school’s first black athlete: Jack Trice. Tragically, Trice had never even played in Ames, Iowa—he died from internal injuries sustained during a play in his second college game, played in Minneapolis, Minnesota on October 6, 1923.
Trice wrote a note to himself the night before the game, bearing witness to his determination:
“The honor of my race, family, and self are at stake. Everyone is expecting me to do big things. I will! My whole body and soul are to be thrown recklessly about on the field tomorrow. Every time the ball is snapped, I will be trying to do more than my part.” Trice profoundly understood that what he did flowed from the honor and dignity of who he was, infusing his character with courage.
The apostle Paul says something similar in his letter to the Ephesians, challenging believers to let who they were in Christ influence every decision: “As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received” (Ephesians 4:1). Paul challenges us to embrace a way of living shaped by Jesus’ work for us, in us, and through us, which yields humility, gentleness, patience, unity, love, and peace (vv. 2-3) as we use our God-given gifts to serve one another (vv. 15-16).
Reflect & Pray
What’s the connection between our beliefs and actions? What gifts has God given you to serve others?
Dear Father, thank You for inviting me into a life filled with meaning and significance. Please help me to love and serve others with the gifts You’ve given.
Discover 4 Simple Ways to Serve Others.
Today’s Insights
God’s love poured out through the creation of a new community made up of believing Jews and gentiles—something Paul calls “the mystery of Christ” (Ephesians 3:4)—is the foundation for the apostle’s encouragement to “live a life worthy of the calling you have received” (4:1).
Jews and gentiles—two groups long estranged from each other—were called to devote themselves to cultivating the unity created through Christ’s Spirit (v. 3). They needed to serve one another “with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love” (v. 2 esv). Today, we’re also called to love and serve others with the gifts we’ve been given.
Thursday, October 9, 2025 – A CAUTIONARY TALE – Ecclesiastes 5:13-20
Daily Bread Focuses: God’s character; Wisdom
Scriptures: 1 John 2:5-6; 1 Timothy 6:17-19
Today’s Devotional
In the classic film Citizen Kane, Charles Foster Kane amasses wealth and power by building a newspaper empire. In a story reminiscent of Ecclesiastes 2:4-11, Kane spares himself no pleasure, building a castle with grand gardens full of artistic treasures.
Like other tycoons, what Kane really wants is adulation. He bankrolls his own political career and, when it fails, he blames the defeat on voter “fraud” to save face. He builds his wife an opera house and forces her into an ill-suited singing career to make him look good. Here too Kane’s story echoes Ecclesiastes, where wealth is found to harm those who chase and hoard it (5:10-15), leaving them eating “in darkness, with great frustration” (5:17). By the end of his life, Charlie Kane lives in that castle alone, isolated and angry.
Citizen Kane ends with the revelation that Charlie’s pursuits have been driven to fill a void in his heart—the parental love he lost as a child. I can imagine the author of Ecclesiastes agreeing. Our Father God has “set eternity in the human heart” (3:11), and life can only be enjoyed with Him (2:25). Charlie Kane’s cautionary tale speaks to us all: Don’t seek spiritual fulfillment through wealth and power, but through the one who pours His love into our hearts (Romans 5:5).
Reflect & Pray
How do you see yourself imitating Charlie Kane? What spiritual need does God need to meet in you today?
Loving God, please forgive my attempts to feel important through buying things or seeking praise. My spiritual need can only be met by You!
For further study read, Translucent Fruit: The Cost of Wealth.
Today’s Insights
In Ecclesiastes, Solomon seeks to answer the perplexing question of the meaning of life. He shows that life without God is futile, unfulfilling, miserable, and meaningless “under the sun” (see 1:3, 13-14; 12:8). Then he explains how and why God must fit into our lives (2:24-26; 3:11-14; 5:7, 18-20). He examines human accomplishments, pleasures, and intellectual pursuits (chs. 1-2); the repetitive mundane existential/experiential life (ch. 3); and social interactions and community (ch. 4).
Though accumulating wealth through hard work in itself isn’t wrong, pursuing materialism for its own sake brings disillusionment and despair (chs. 5-6). But the person who reverently worships and fears God (5:1-7) will see and enjoy the fruit of his labor as a gift from God (vv. 18-20). Solomon offers us this recipe for a fulfilled life: “Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind” (12:13).
See how the wisdom of Ecclesiastes matches the teaching of Jesus.
Friday, October 10, 2025 – PRAYER OF THE DESPERATE – Psalm 88:1, 6-18
Daily Bread Focus: Mental illness
Scriptures: Psalm 31:11; Psalm 34:17-18; Psalm 38:11
Today’s Devotional
Charles had sunk into depression. Despite having a loving family, he felt all alone. “The overwhelming pressure of supporting them was continuing to build,” he said, “and I felt like taking my own life.” Surprisingly—or perhaps not—Charles Morris also led a Christian ministry.
A wise friend told him that when faced with depression, “We should soak in the Psalms.” Charles got through his deep despondency by reading relatable Bible passages, accepting prudent medical care, and pouring his heart out to God.
The Psalms are often brutally honest. Heman the Ezrahite wrote one of the most bitter. Hope is found only in the opening lines: “Lord, you are the God who saves me” (88:1). Heman seems to accuse God: “You have put me in the lowest pit” (v. 6). “You have overwhelmed me” (v. 7). And he had questions: “Why, Lord, do you reject me and hide your face from me?” (v. 14). Most psalms end with a message of hope. Not this one. Heman concludes, “Darkness is my closest friend” (v. 18). This is the prayer of a truly desperate man. Yet Heman directed all his pain to God.
When we read psalms such as this one, we realize we’re not alone. Others have experienced desperate feelings and have dared to put voice to them. God could take such honesty from Heman. He can take it from you too. He’s there, and He’s listening.
Reflect & Pray
What part of Psalm 88 do you most relate to? What will you ask God today?
Heavenly Father, sometimes I hurt too much even to pray. Thank You that You’re big enough to take all my pain and honesty.
Learn how to take wisdom from the book of Psalms.
Today’s Insights
Psalm 88 is an unusual song of lament. Lament psalms typically include a call for God’s help, a specific complaint or reason for lamenting, and an expression of trust in God. Some also offer thanksgiving after He responds. (Psalm 44 is a lament psalm that contains all these elements.) Psalm 88 includes the call for God’s aid (vv. 1-2) and reasons for lament (vv. 3-9, 15-18) but omits any expressions of trust in God.
Instead, the psalmist asks accusatory questions (vv. 10-12, 14) and describes being completely alone and in excruciating pain (v. 18). That this psalm is part of inspired Scripture demonstrates that God welcomes complete honesty before Him when we’re struggling. In our pain, we can be assured that He’s there and He’s listening.
Saturday, October 11, 2025 – ACCESS THROUGH CHRIST – Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:1-6
Our Daily Bread Focuses: Prayer
Today’s Devotional
As a young journalist, I quickly learned about the power of a “press pass.” That one credential—displaying my name, picture, and media outlet—granted me access to meet and interview athletes and celebrities before or after major events.
However, after I received Jesus as my Savior, I realized sports and my career had become my idols. Following God’s call elsewhere, I lost my press pass but gained access to God’s heavenly throne room through prayer because of Jesus’ sacrificial death and resurrection.
The writer of Hebrews points out that a high priest was selected from among the Israelites, specifically one of Aaron’s descendants, and appointed as the go-between representing the people before God. He alone could enter the Most Holy Place in the temple once a year “to offer gifts and sacrifice” to atone for his and the people’s sins (5:1), for he too was a mortal man.
Then Christ came, our great and perfect high priest. When He died, the veil in the temple was torn and the barrier that existed between God and humanity was removed (Matthew 27:51).
Because our loving Redeemer has reconciled us to His Father, we can freely pray to God: “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).
What a privilege to have access to God’s throne room as we talk to Him in prayer.
Reflect & Pray
How can you make time to pray more often? What stops you from praying?
Dear Jesus, thank You for giving me access to the Father.
Discover why we pray and why it is important.
Today’s Insights
Jesus, our “great high priest” (Hebrews 4:14), is able to sympathize with us because He’s lived as a man, although without sin (vv. 14-15; 5:1-2). Christ took on “flesh and blood . . . for only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil” and offer “a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people” (2:14, 17 nlt).
“Because of what Christ has done for us” (Ephesians 2:18 nlt), “we can now come boldly and confidently into God’s presence” (3:12 nlt). What a great privilege to offer prayers before “God’s throne of grace” (Hebrews 4:16), for He’s our King and our Father.
THIS WEEK’S INSPIRATIONAL THOUGHT BY SISTER CLOVIA
WHEN IT IS HARD TO PRAY
Someone said, “Pray hardest when it is hardest to pray.” This quote means that when things get tough, it is precisely the time when you should seek the Lord the most. This is the time when we should be calling out to God. Jesus didn’t quit on prayer when the pain got worse, but instead He prayed fervently.
Some of the greatest prayers are in silence. Some of our greatest prayers are when words never came because the pain is too intense. The heart can speak, and God hears the prayers of a broken heart. Sometimes all you can say is “God, You know, help me!” It is not the length of the prayer. It’s about the heart. Allow your heart to speak powerful words to God, and let Him pour out His love.
Allow God to speak truth and life into you. Remember His faithful words in your moment of darkness in Psalm 34:17-18, “The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles. The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.”
Groanings, which cannot be uttered, are often prayers which cannot be refused. —- Charles Spurgeon
CHRISTIAN-BASED MOVIE FOR THE MONTH
***The Daily Devotionals are taken from Our Daily Bread Ministries and the Scriptures are from the BibleGateway.***
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