FOCUS OF THE MONTH (FOM)
Move Forward In Faith
SCRIPTURE OF THE WEEK (SOW)
And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive. – Matthew 21:22 KJV
And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.” – Matthew 21:22 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
OPEN INVITATION FROM CLASS 7
Please join us whenever your Teacher is absent
1-605-313-4831; access code 259-748#
Did you miss your class today? Do you want an evangelism tool?
If yes — call or share the Class 7 Instant Replay
1-605-313-4904; access code 259-748#
You Are Welcome To Listen To Class Review Instant Replays
Class 5 – (605) 468-8114; access code 694-591#
Class 6 – (605) 313-4899; access code 943-172#
Class 7 – (605) 313-4904; access code 259-748#
Visit here to submit Prayer Requests
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, March 22, 2026 – GOD OF MY SISTER – Genesis 24:1-4; 10-12
Our Daily Bread Focuses: Evangelism; God’s character; Stories of Faith
Today’s Devotional
Amina had come to Christ in a country where Christianity was illegal. She began to share her new faith with her brother, who rejected her appeals. Then he contracted a dangerous lung condition. Alone in a dark hospital room, he gasped for breath. He wasn’t ready to acknowledge Jesus as God’s Son, and he feared speaking the name of Christ aloud. (Someone might hear him!) So he called out, “God of my sister, please help me now!” Suddenly, he could breathe easily, and the room brightened inexplicably. His journey to belief in Jesus began that day.
In Genesis, Abraham’s servant went on a quest to find a wife for his master’s son. First, he prayed to the “God of my master Abraham” (24:12). Why? The servant knew God had told Abraham, “I will make you into a great nation” (12:2). God repeated that promise (15:2-5), and “Abram believed the Lord, and [God] credited it to him as righteousness” (v. 6). The servant could trust “the God of my master Abraham” (24:27, 42, 48) because he’d witnessed the reality of Abraham’s faith.
With our words, we invite others to follow Jesus. More important, however, is the way we live before them. The reality of genuine faith in the one true God speaks volumes.
May the God of Abraham and of Amina use our lives to draw others to Him.
Reflect & Pray
How have you sensed God intervening in your life? In what ways does your life reveal your trust in Him?
Wise Father, may my life reflect the light of Jesus in everything I do. May others see in me a genuine faith in You—the God who hears us.
Today’s Insights
Genesis 24:1 says, “Abraham was now very old, and the LORD had blessed him in every way,” affirming God’s covenantal faithfulness to him. Abraham had sought to be faithful to the covenant by preparing for Isaac’s posterity and finding him a wife. He wasn’t to marry a Canaanite woman, for she might lead him into idolatry (see Exodus 34:15; Deuteronomy 7:3-4). Isaac was also to remain in the promised land (Genesis 15:18-21; 24:6-8).
This task of finding the right wife would be difficult, but Abraham was sure that God would provide (24:7). His servant, a man of faith like Abraham, asked God to lead him, a prayer which was quickly answered (vv. 12-15). This account closes with the servant affirming God’s “kindness” (v. 27, Hebrew hesed or “unfailing steadfast love”) and faithfulness to Abraham. Today, we show others the genuineness of our faith when we trust in God’s faithfulness
Find out how God is writing your story by watching this video.
Monday, March 23, 2026 – FAITHFUL STEWARDS – 1 Corinthians 4:1-2; 8-13
Daily Bread Focus(es): Stewardship
Scripture(s): 2 Timothy 2:15
Today’s Devotional
In March 2024, a US aerospace corporation failed a safety audit conducted by the Federal Aviation Administration. The audit came on the heels of multiple safety incidents, including a flight that had experienced a dangerous drop in cabin pressure when a door-plug panel on the jet had torn away. A spokesman for the company acknowledged that the failures were due to instructions for employees being difficult to understand and altered too often, resulting in them not faithfully adhering to approved procedures.
Paul told the church at Corinth that they should view him and other leaders as faithful and approved “servants of Christ” and declared that he’d been “entrusted” with being a steward for God (1 Corinthians 4:1-2). Stewards in Paul’s day were entrusted with overseeing the management and distribution of household resources. Above everything else, a fundamental requirement for those given these responsibilities was faithfulness. Paul labeled himself as a steward who “[worked] hard with [his] own hands” to live out his responsibilities (v. 12)—carefully using what God had given him, especially the wisdom He’d been given and the mysteries of the gospel (vv. 1-2).
As Jesus provides, let’s strive to be faithful stewards, adhering to His approved and flawless standard in our spiritual practices, work duties, and personal relationships.
Reflect & Pray
How can we be faithful to the trust God has given us? What does it mean for you to be a steward for Him?
Heavenly Father, please help me be a faithful steward for You.
Today’s Insights
Paul wrote 1 Corinthians to address specific problems that had arisen in the Corinthian church: criticism of his ministry (chs. 1-4); sexual immorality (ch. 5); lawsuits (ch. 6); marriage, divorce, and singleness (ch. 7); food offered to idols (chs. 8-10); women in ministry and the Lord’s Supper (ch. 11); use of spiritual gifts (chs. 12-14); resurrection (ch. 15); and offerings (ch. 16).
In chapter 4, he deals with the root cause of these problems. The Corinthians’ arrogance, self-importance, and self-sufficiency (vv. 6-13) had caused division in the church. The apostle deliberately and confidently uses himself as an example of how to be a faithful servant of Christ (vv. 1-2) and to live a Christlike life of simplicity, transparency, integrity, and humility. Today, we can ask God to help us be faithful stewards of what God has given us.
Find out more about being faithful stewards by reading 5 Biblical Truths About Dominion & Stewardship.
Tuesday, March 24, 2026 – REMINDER OF GOD’S PRESENCE – Joshua 8:1; 18-19; 24-27
Daily Bread Focus(es): Trust in God
Scripture(s): Genesis 9:14-15
Today’s Devotional
With branches of scraggly leaves growing upward like hands raised to the heavens, the unique trees we saw while hiking Joshua Tree National Park in California intrigued us. Many believe the trees were dubbed “Joshua Trees” by pioneers, who were reminded by the trees of an Old Testament story where Joshua lifted high a javelin as a sign of God’s presence and help.
After entering Canaan, the Israelites needed God’s help in battle. After being defeated at the city of Ai due to their sin (Joshua 7:11-12), the Israelites were likely afraid to fight the city again. But God encouraged Joshua, “Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged” (8:1). Then God told Joshua to “hold out toward Ai the javelin that is in your hand, for into your hand I will deliver the city” (v. 18). Joshua obeyed God and “did not draw back the hand that held out his javelin” until the battle was won (v. 26). It wasn’t the javelin in Joshua’s outstretched hand that secured the victory. Instead, it was a symbol of God’s promise to help them and be with them.
Reminders of God’s presence with us can be helpful when we face difficult challenges. A Bible verse displayed in our homes, a stunning picture of God’s creation, a cross necklace: These things don’t provide assistance, but God can use them to remind us of His promised presence and power.
Reflect & Pray
What reminds you of God’s presence? How does this reminder help you face challenging situations?
Heavenly Father, in the challenges I face today, please help me to remember Your presence with me.
Today’s Insights
In the Bible, God has given us physical reminders of His love and grace. As the Israelites faced the challenges of the wilderness journey, “by day [God] led them with a pillar of cloud, and by night with a pillar of fire” (Nehemiah 9:12). Joshua’s holding out his spear reminded the Israelites God was leading them in battle (Joshua 8:18, 26).
In the New Testament, Thomas refused to believe that Jesus was alive until he saw and touched His crucifixion wounds (John 20:24-29). The Lord’s Supper helps us remember Christ’s sacrificial death on the cross (1 Corinthians 11:23-26). In our journey of faith, these physical reminders assure us that God is with us “always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).
Need help noticing God in your daily life? Check out these 5 steps that will help you draw closer to God everyday.
Wednesday, March 25, 2026 – ONE IN JESUS – Galatians 3:23-29
Daily Bread Focus(es): Love
Scripture(s): Ephesians 4:11-13
Today’s Devotional
Watching sporting competitions and meeting athletes was a dream come true for me when I attended a Summer and Winter Olympics as a young reporter. I was enthralled by hearing people from all over the world speaking in different languages and celebrating their various countries.
I’d been fascinated with the Olympics since I was a teen, but it had become an obsession. After I said yes to following God while at the Summer Games, I felt God was asking me to lay down my idol of sports. But I still had a love for the nations. I still enjoy watching the Olympics, but my heart is truly stirred when people of different backgrounds and from different nations come together during a church service or gathering to pray and to worship the King of kings. What a sweet taste of heaven on earth (Revelation 7:9)!
When we remember who we are in Christ, we remember that we belong to God’s family and His family is international.
The apostle Paul declared to the believers in Galatia, “So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith” (Galatians 3:26). “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (v. 28).
No matter where we’re from or where we live, let’s rejoice that as believers we’re one in Christ with our brothers and sisters around the world.
Reflect & Pray
How can you show love to people of different backgrounds? How can you pray for the nations?
Heavenly Father, thank You for making me one in Christ with other believers.
Today’s Insights
In Galatians 3:28, Paul isn’t abolishing all ethnic, economic, social, or gender distinctions in the church. Rather, in speaking of our salvation, the apostle says that God treats everyone—Jew, gentile, male, female, slave, and free—on the same basis. All have sinned (Romans 3:23) and all need a Savior (Acts 3:19; 17:30). Both Jews and gentiles need to believe in Jesus (Romans 3:22-24; 10:9-12) because everyone is saved in the same way: by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9).
God gives everyone who believes in Christ a privileged status: “In Christ Jesus [we] are all children of God through faith” (Galatians 3:26). Whether male or female, rich or poor, Jews or gentiles, we’re part of the “great multitude . . . from every nation, tribe, people and language” (Revelation 7:9) who will stand before God’s throne in heaven worshiping and proclaiming, “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb” (v. 10).
Thursday, March 26, 2026 – DEFINED BY CHRIST – Luke 12:13-21
Daily Bread Focus(es): Generosity; Identity in Christ; Union with Christ
Scripture(s): Matthew 6:19-21
Today’s Devotional
Some years ago, artist Michael Landy counted up everything he owned, making a list of 7,227 possessions. What he did next was eye-opening. Setting up a factory in London’s busiest shopping district, Landy publicly destroyed it all. Clothes, artwork, love letters, even his car, were broken down, placed on a conveyor belt, and fed into grinders. As consumers darted in and out of department stores nearby, Landy’s performance art asked, “Who are we without our possessions?”
It’s an important question because most of us buy things to define ourselves or secure our futures. Jesus told a parable about a man who horded his wealth and embraced a consumerist lifestyle. “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years,” the man tells himself. “Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry” (Luke 12:19). But what was left when his life was “demanded” from him that night? Only God’s rebuke at having missed what’s most important (vv. 20-21).
It isn’t a sin to own things. Michael Landy still needed clothes. But when we’re tempted to find life and identity in what we own, Jesus reminds us that “life does not consist in an abundance of possessions” (v. 15). Who would you be without all your goods? Still a dearly loved child of God (Psalm 103:17; Ephesians 5:1). Out of this secure identity, we can be rich toward God and others.ttend church?”
Reflect & Pray
What do your possessions say about you? What might being “rich toward God” (v. 21) mean for you?
Dear Father, please help me resist the lie that I am what I own, and live richly toward You and others instead.
Today’s Insights
Luke’s gospel emphasizes God’s justice for the poor (1:52-53; 14:12-14). Luke describes a reversal in God’s kingdom, where the poor are blessed while the unjust wealthy are judged. In Luke 16:19-31, for example, a rich man ignores a suffering beggar, but in death, their roles are reversed. Jesus’ parable in Luke 12:16-21 warns against greed (v. 15) through depicting a rich man who shows no concern for using material possessions justly.
In Jewish tradition, material abundance was considered something entrusted for the sake of others (see Proverbs 19:17; Deuteronomy 15:7-11). But the rich man thinks only of himself, as seen in his self-referential language (Luke 12:19). He’s identified by God as a “fool” (v. 20). In contrast to the rich fool, those who know they’re loved by God are freed to invest in what truly lasts—God’s kingdom and the needs of others (vv. 32-34).
Friday, March 27, 2026 – GOD IN THE DETAILS – Nehemiah 9:19-21
Daily Bread Focus(es): God’s love and care; Love
Scripture(s): Lamentations 3:20-21
Today’s Devotional
My niece, a college freshman, was busy with schoolwork and adjusting to a new residence. Because of recent security issues, her school required a vehicle pass. Since applying for this would be one more task on her long to-do list, I offered to do it. “Thanks!” she later said, surprised it had taken me only minutes in the campus office.
What she didn’t know was that the otherwise simple task had taken half a day of coordinating with the office, fixing a glitch in her application, and gathering unexpected documents. But I didn’t tell her this. “Anytime!” I said.
Love is in the details. Here, it was in taking care of details my niece was unaware of. Scripture tells us of God’s love as seen in two seemingly small details of the Israelites’ life in the wilderness: their clothes and shoes. Throughout forty years of walking, their “clothes did not wear out, nor did the sandals on [their] feet” (Deuteronomy 29:5). In fact, their feet didn’t even swell! (8:4).
God’s people had been unfaithful, but He showed “great compassion,” not abandoning them (Nehemiah 9:19). “They lacked nothing” (v. 21). God provided the “big” things, such as His presence, the counsel of His Spirit, and food and water (vv. 19-20); and the “smaller” but necessary things, such as clothes and shoes.
God shows His love in ways we may overlook or be unaware of. Such is His love, that He sees every detail of our life.
Reflect & Pray
What details in your life show God’s love? How do they help you trust Him?
Heavenly Father, thank You for Your enduring love.
Today’s Insights
Nehemiah 9:5-37 is a prayer of thanksgiving and praise to God by the Levites as the people were assembled. They listened to a reading of “the Book of the Law of the Lord their God” and then confessed their sins and worshiped “the Lord their God” (v. 3). When the Levites prayed, “For forty years you sustained [the Israelites] in the wilderness” (v. 21), we might forget that their time in the wilderness refers to God’s discipline of them.
Because of Israel’s constant complaining and faithless lack of gratitude, every adult over the age of twenty had to die so the next generation could inhabit the promised land. And yet, God still cared for His wayward people. Now, as His perpetually wayward people were re-entering the promised land from their exile, He still showed His love for them by faithfully caring for their every need. Today, God still shows His care for us in the details of our lives.
For further study, read Love in a Minor Key.
Saturday, March 28, 2026 – PRAYING GOD’S PROMISES – Psalm 119:49-56
Our Daily Bread Focuses: God’s character; God’s love and care
Today’s Devotional
“No, you can’t go to the lake,” I said to my daughter with my head tucked under the sink as I fixed a broken pipe. “Dad, you promised that after I had finished my chores, I could go,” she reminded me. I’d forgotten what I had said because I was preoccupied. My problem blinded me to my promise.
As my daughter did with me, the psalmist reminded God of His promises. “Remember your word to your servant,” he wrote, “for you have given me hope” (119:49). Thankfully we don’t have a heavenly Father who’s distracted and forgetful. We can come to Him not only with our hurts, problems, and disappointments but also in confidence knowing He’s a good Father: “My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise preserves my life” (v. 50).
God invites us to meditate on the Scriptures so we can remind Him of His promises—not because He forgets but because He desires that we know Him well. That’s why the psalmist says, “I remember, Lord, your ancient laws, and I find comfort in them. . . . Your decrees are the theme of my song” (vv. 52, 54).
Because of my distractions, my daughter needed to remind me of my promise. When she did, I gladly let her go to the lake. We can be thankful that our heavenly Father is never preoccupied or too busy. He loves to hear us pray His words back to Him.
Reflect & Pray
What’s one of your favorite promises from God? How will you thank Him for faithfully keeping it?
Father in heaven, I easily get overwhelmed with the busyness of life. Please help me to remember Your promises to me.
Today’s Insights
Psalm 119, the longest psalm in the Bible, is an acrostic poem structured alphabetically as a mnemonic device for aid in memorization. It contains twenty-two stanzas of eight verses each, which correspond to each letter of the Hebrew alphabet. For example, verses 1-8 each begin with aleph, the first letter in the Hebrew alphabet; verses 49-56 each begin with zayin, the seventh letter. The singular focus of all 176 verses is God and the Scriptures.
The unnamed psalmist, ridiculed and persecuted for his faith in God, declares his determination to obey and make God’s word his delight and wholehearted devotion. The psalmist asks God to “remember [His] word” to him (v. 49), for it sustains and preserves life (vv. 49-52). God is omniscient; He can’t forget anything. The psalmist is imploring Him to remember His promises to him. God is faithful and is never too busy for us. Praying God’s promises found in Scripture can bring us hope and comfort.
THIS WEEK’S INSPIRATIONAL THOUGHT BY SISTER CLOVIA
THE WAY TO THE CROSS
What’s So Good About Good Friday?
1. Sacrificial Love: The ultimate demonstration of God’s love, where Jesus took the punishment for our sins.
2. Redemption: Good Friday represents a “great exchange” where Jesus bore the consequences of our sins so we could receive forgiveness.
3. The Bridge to Easter: Without the death on Good Friday, there could be no resurrection on Easter Sunday. The “goodness” is fully realized in light of Jesus’s rising from the dead three days later.
4. Hope in Suffering: Good Friday is a reminder that God is present even in deep suffering, and that the worst thing is never the last thing
Jesus, our Lord, changed the
world in such a beautiful way
That today, even after 2000 years
We remember Him every day.
This Good Friday, let us take time
To ponder on His great sacrifice.
Let us promise to be good
Christians every day of our lives.
May His light shine upon you this
Have a blessed Good Friday!
CHRISTIAN-BASED MOVIE FOR THE MONTH
***The Daily Devotionals are taken from Our Daily Bread Ministries and the Scriptures are from the BibleGateway.***
-END OF PAGE-