FOCUS OF THE MONTH (FOM)
PRESSING TOWARD THE HIGHER KNOWLEDGE OF GOD
SCRIPTURE OF THE WEEK (SOW)
THEREFORE, leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God. – Hebrews 6:1 KJV
Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, – Hebrews 6:1 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!
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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 14, 2026 – SERVING SIDE BY SIDE – Nehemiah 2:17-18; 3:6-12
Our Daily Bread Topic(s): Community; Living with other believers; Service
5AM Focus(s):
Scripture(s):
Today’s Devotional
Serendipity Bookstore, a popular spot in Chelsea, Michigan, needed to expand. The owner found a building twice the size just a block away. She wanted to make the move quickly instead of closing the store for days and boxing up all the books. So she requested help from the community. More than three hundred people showed up! They stood shoulder to shoulder, forming a human conveyor belt, and passed the books from one person to the next, moving 9,100 books in just under two hours. The owner said, “[The bookstore] is really a part of the community, and [the people] have ownership.” They all enthusiastically worked side by side.
When Nehemiah, a Jew who was the trusted cupbearer to the Persian king, learned that the wall surrounding Jerusalem lay in shambles, he cried out for God’s guidance (Nehemiah 1:3-11). The Babylonians had destroyed the walls in 587 bc. After investigating, Nehemiah recruited help from the community. He said to the Jewish leaders, “You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins . . . . Come, let us rebuild the wall” (2:17). Chapter 3 describes how leaders and citizens alike willingly repaired the section of the wall that was right in front of each one. They worked side by side.
We too can impact our community by serving together under God’s direction and in His strength.
Reflect & Pray
What are your God-given abilities? How might He be calling you to work side by side with others?
Please open my eyes, dear God, to those around me so I might serve You in ways that help my community.
Today’s Insights
Cooperation is on display in Nehemiah 3 as people with various gifts, talents, and callings stacked their hands to accomplish one good work. Among them were priests (vv. 1, 22, 28) and Levites (v. 17); goldsmiths, perfumers, and merchants (vv. 8, 31-32); rulers (vv. 12-19), and others.
The wall-building project, like other worthwhile community endeavors, required good leadership, and Nehemiah provided that. A survey of his qualities reveals that he was a man of prayer (1:4; 2:4), vision (2:5, 11-16), good communication skills (2:7-8, 17-18), and courage (vv. 19-20). Today, we can also serve others by working together with God’s strength.
Learn more about the gifts of the spirit.
Monday, June 15, 2026 – GIVING FROM GOD’S GIFTS – 2 Corinthians 9:6-15
Our Daily Bread Topic(s): Generosity
5AM Focus(s): It takes faith to give cheerfully from the heart
Scripture(s): Romans 12:6-8
Today’s Devotional
Stanley’s generosity never ceased to amaze me. He often bought meals and gifts for elderly church members, cleaners in his neighborhood, or anyone who needed cheering up.
Equally amazing was that even though Stanley wasn’t wealthy or savvy at investing, his small investment did impressively well, enabling him to keep giving. Whenever someone thanked him, he’d point upwards and smile, as if to say, “It came from God, not me.” God, he often said, helped him to help others.
This was what Paul alluded to in 2 Corinthians 9 as he wrote about giving. Proud of the Corinthians’ readiness to help fellow believers (v. 2), he hoped to pick up a collection they had started (v. 3). Imploring them to give generously and cheerfully, he noted that God would not only reward those who gave (vv. 6-7) but also bless people so they could give even more (v. 8).
God doesn’t expect us to give what we’re unable to give (8:12). Rather, He entrusts us with money, time, or talent to “abound in every good work” (9:8), and He supplies what we need so we “can be generous on every occasion” (v. 11). That’s why we can give in faith and with a cheerful heart (v. 7), knowing that we give only from what we’ve been given. In the process, we bring praise to God’s name (v. 13).
Reflect & Pray
What has God given to you? To whom can you give today, sharing from what you’ve received?
Dear God, please open my eyes to Your blessings and open my heart to bless others generously and cheerfully.
Go deeper into go.odb.org/0615262 Corinthians.
Today’s Insights
The instructions in 2 Corinthians 9:6-15 about the generous giving believers in Jesus at Corinth should employ weren’t given in a vacuum. In the previous chapter, Paul had described the ultimate model for giving—what Christ has given us (8:9)—as the example that should also characterize our giving.
The Macedonians had already embraced this heart of generosity (vv. 1-6), and as the Corinthians had displayed growth in so many other areas, the apostle wanted them to know the joy of giving as well (v. 7). Today, we can experience the blessing and privilege of giving cheerfully from what God has given us.
Tuesday, June 16, 2026 – THE WAY OF HOLINESS – Isaiah 35:8-10
Our Daily Bread Topic(s): Holiness; Hope; Suffering
5AM Focus: Whenever the redeemed face trials and tribulations in this life, God will lead the Way of Holiness
Scripture(s): 1 Peter 1:15-16
Today’s Devotional
After Jennifer was diagnosed with early onset dementia, she couldn’t read the Bible easily, so she started listening to it. Scripture passages now mean something new to her. For example, she gets lost easily, often doesn’t know who people are, and sees hallucinations of wild animals. When she’s disoriented and fearful, she receives God’s comfort as she hears Isaiah speak of “the Way of Holiness” set aside “for those who walk on that Way” (Isaiah 35:8). On that road will be no wicked fools, “nor any ravenous beast”; instead, “only the redeemed will walk there,” those whom God rescues (v. 9).
The prophet Isaiah shared God’s promises to His people, those exiled from their home. Away from the temple, where they would experience His presence, they must have felt bereft and forlorn. The promises, therefore, of the Way of Holiness, the path to God, would give them hope and strength. To think of entering “Zion with singing,” without fear or sorrow, would lead them to rejoice (v. 10).
Even as Jennifer holds on to these assurances from centuries ago, so too can we who believe in Jesus trust that as we journey with Him, we’ll know gladness and joy (v. 10). Whatever trials we face in this life—however taxing or life-altering—we know that God’s way leads us home to Him.
Reflect & Pray
What do these promises from God mean to you? As you experience trials outside of your control, how can you turn to Him?
Saving God, please help me to release my fears to You as I walk on the Way of Holiness. I long to be with You.
Today’s Insights
Isaiah prophesied that the Israelites would be disciplined and exiled to Babylon for their covenantal unfaithfulness (Isaiah 39:6-7; see Jeremiah 25:11). He also prophesied that once the seventy-year chastisement was completed, God would bring them back to the promised land and restore and prosper their land (29:10-11).
Isaiah pictures them making their way back to Him on “the Highway of Holiness,” traversing “a great road . . . through that once deserted land . . . only for those who walk in God’s ways” (Isaiah 35:8 nlt). In our journey of faith, God wants us to come to Him with our fears and struggles. The prophet says, “Let us go to the house of God. There he will teach us his ways, and we will walk in his path” (2:3 nlt). This road of repentance, redemption, trust, and obedience is the road He wants us to take: “This is the way; walk in it” (30:21).
Learn more about the promises of God.
Wednesday, June 17, 2026 – WITH FRIENDS LIKE THESE . . . – Job 11:7-20
Our Daily Bread Topic(s): Encouragement
5AM Focus: To properly counsel friends, it is important to be slow to speak while seeking God’s wisdom.
Scripture(s): Colossians 3:12
Today’s Devotional
“I know you better than you know yourself!” As a young man, I heard that confident declaration from a friend. Her intentions were good, but my complicated life as an adopted missionary kid had been shaped across four continents and cultures. She didn’t really know me.
Zophar, a friend of Job’s, sounded wise in his assessment of Job’s difficulties. “Can you fathom the mysteries of God?” Zophar asked him (Job 11:7). “They are higher than the heavens above” (v. 8). Who can argue with that? But then Zophar dared speak of something he couldn’t know: Job’s heart. Without evidence, he proclaimed, “If you put away the sin that is in your hand and allow no evil to dwell in your tent, then . . . you will stand firm and without fear” (vv. 14-15).
Job responded sarcastically, “Wisdom will die with you! But I have a mind as well as you; I am not inferior to you. Who does not know all these things?” (12:2-3). Job’s reality was so complex that even he didn’t know what was taking place (see Job 1-2). He correctly said, “To God belong wisdom and power” (12:13). It didn’t come from Zophar, who presumed to have authority and insight that weren’t his.
Our friends may need our loving counsel from time to time. But usually friends in crisis need us to bring their names in prayer to the one who truly does know them.
Reflect & Pray
When has someone been truly helpful to you in a crisis? How can you help another in a difficult situation today?
Heavenly Father, please help me rejoice and relax in the wonderful truth that you truly know me and still love me.
Today’s Insights
Some scholars have claimed that the remarkable story of Job is mere allegory and didn’t really happen. The Scriptures, however, refer to Job as an historical figure. Ezekiel twice mentions “Noah, Daniel, and Job” (Ezekiel 14:14, 20).
And James writes of Job’s perseverance and how God used it (James 5:11). These writers of inspired Scripture considered Job to be real. His story warns us against the dangers of offering mere words instead of compassion and understanding as we comfort suffering friends. Instead of telling them where they’re wrong, how much better it is to listen to them and pray with them.
Read a prayer for when you struggle to ask for help.
Thursday, June 18, 2026 – TAKING REFUGE IN GOD – Psalm 91:9-16
Our Daily Bread Topic(s): Suffering; Trust in God
5AM Focus: God is able to protect you in any storm.
Scripture(s): 2 Timothy 2:22-26
Today’s Devotional
As the outdoor concert started, I felt a single raindrop on my cheek. Looking up, I saw ominous dark clouds. Having paid a steep price for tickets, however, I wasn’t inclined to leave because of a little bad weather. Then umbrellas began to pop open. One woman pulled a plastic grocery bag over her hair. It took just one deafening boom of thunder for the performer to grab her microphone and beg us to take refuge somewhere.
As the rain began to come in torrents, we splashed through muddy puddles and rushed into a nearby school gym. Thoroughly soaked, we huddled with strangers for the next half hour, still hoping the storm would end. When we ventured back out, we saw that the band was packed up and ready to leave.
When the storms of life come, where can we run? Sorrow, worry, illness, and confusion can make us fearful and in need of refuge. We need a strong shelter that’ll protect us. Psalm 91 reminds us that God has promised to rescue us and to be with us in trouble. “Because he loves me . . . I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name” (v. 14). When we need help, we can call on His name and He “will answer” us (v. 15).
When our courage fails us, we can lean into His strength. He’s our shelter in any storm.
Reflect & Pray
What storms are you experiencing? How can you gain the shelter and refuge that God has promised you?
Gracious God, I take refuge in You. Please be my place of protection and shelter as I trust in You.
Today’s Insights
Both Psalms 90 and 91 focus on the similar theme of making God our “dwelling place” (90:1; see 91:2, 9)—a place of safety and security. Some scholars suggest that Moses wrote both psalms as an elaboration of Deuteronomy 33:27-28: “The eternal God is your refuge, . . . [you] will live in safety; . . . [you] will dwell secure.”
The psalmist warns that we live in a wicked and dangerous world where we’ll encounter the schemes and attacks of men and suffer from disease, disasters, and trouble (91:3-6). He doesn’t say that those who trust in God will be immune from such adversities. Rather, he assures us that when we trust in God and make Him “[our] refuge and fortress . . . [our] dwelling” (v. 9), He’ll “rescue” and “protect” us (v. 14). Today, as we face adversity, we can “[dwell] in the shelter of the Most High [and] rest in the shadow of the Almighty” (v. 1).
Friday, June 19, 2026 – THE PATH OF LIFE – Proverbs 3:1-6
Our Daily Bread Topic(s): Holy Spirit; Living for Christ; Racism
5AM Focus: Despite disappointments and setbacks, acknowledge God and He will direct your path.
Scriptures(s): Matthew 6:33
Today’s Devotional
He was born a slave in the 1860s. A sickly baby, he was sold to a slave owner for the cost of a horse. As a teenager, he witnessed the killing of a black man by a group of white people. Remarkably, George excelled in school, but when he applied to Highland University in Kansas, he was denied admission because of his skin color. Yet through it all, the young man maintained a deep faith in God. George Washington Carver’s life verse was Proverbs 3:6: “In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”
We sometimes feel overwhelmed by our circumstances. We experience setbacks. We find ourselves at a loss for where we should go. But Proverbs encourages us, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding” (v. 5). This is the Bible’s way of saying, “Let go and let God” lead your life.
George Washington Carver followed God’s path, persevering against all odds, teaching himself botany and geology and eventually becoming a renowned scientist. He famously developed hundreds of uses for the peanut plant but also developed methods of crop rotation that revolutionized agriculture in the United States. God has a way of making the best out of bad situations. Whatever you’re facing today, the key is to “acknowledge Him” and listen for His voice. Watch Him open up the paths of your life.
Reflect & Pray
What circumstances are troubling you? How can you seek God’s direction for your life?
Loving God, please help me focus on You always and listen for Your direction for my life.
For further study, read Hope in Sorrow.
Today’s Insights
Proverbs 3 emphasizes the benefits of aligning one’s life with wisdom. The advantages of being guided by wisdom as described in this chapter—“peace and prosperity” (v. 2), “a good name” or reputation (v. 4), and “health” (v. 8)—shouldn’t be understood as promises of an easy life. Throughout Scripture, we also find that in this fallen world God’s people often experience great hardship. Instead, the chapter points to the principle that since the world was created by God’s wisdom, human beings are most likely to thrive when they live in alignment with that wisdom.
Peace in verse 2 is the Hebrew word shalom, a rich word capturing not just absence of conflict but flourishing. It describes a rich and abundant life. Shalom points to the world as it’s meant to be. When there’s harmony between God and creation, everyone thrives. Whatever we face, seeking God’s wisdom and direction can bring new life and hope to our situation.
Saturday, June 20, 2026 – RECEIVING FROM GOD – Galatians 5:13-25
Our Daily Bread Topic(s): Living for Christ; Temptation
5AM Focus:
Scripture(s):
Today’s Devotional
In his 1937 book Think and Grow Rich, author Napoleon Hill said, “Whatever your mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve.” Hill’s quote epitomizes the American Dream: If you work hard, you can achieve your wildest dreams.
Hard work may lead to earthly benefits; many passages of Scripture—especially in Proverbs—link those things. But as I grow older, I also see a real danger in following Hill’s ideas: My grasping attempts to achieve my dreams can be a self-focused attempt to live independently from God.
In Galatians 5, Paul contrasts two ways of life: “Walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh” (v. 16). Eugene Petersen paraphrases it this way: “Live freely, animated and motivated by God’s Spirit. Then you won’t feed the compulsions of selfishness” (The Message). A few verses later, Paul describes what a flourishing life in Christ looks like: “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (vv. 22-23).
Many voices in this world compel us to grasp our desires with both hands. The life we long for, though, is not one we earn but one we receive as we yield to the Holy Spirit—freely walking with Him—rather than striving desperately to grasp blessing on our own terms.
Reflect & Pray
How have you tried to achieve your dreams? What habits help you to be in a posture to receive blessings from God?
Dear Father, sometimes I try to fill myself apart from You. Please help me yield to Your Spirit’s guidance and trust You to fill me.
Today’s Insights
In Galatians, Paul sternly warns against believing that the law will make us right with God. He wrote, “A person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ” (2:16). But the apostle knew this might cause some to believe it no longer matters how we live (v. 17). So he cautioned, “Do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh” (5:13). The role of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer is crucial here. As we yield to the Spirit, He’ll fill us. The apostle urges, “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit” (v. 25).
AN INSPIRATIONAL THOUGHT BY SISTER CLOVIA
WE ARE FRIENDS OF JESUS CHRIST
John 15:12-17 declares that we are friends of Jesus Christ. Imagine that!
Friendship means many things to us—loyalty, trust, equality, dependability, truth, safety, comfort, compassion, and honesty. Jesus is all that and much, much more as our friend. In John 15, Jesus asked two things of us as His friends.
First, He tells us we are His friends if we do what He commands—that we love each other. We are called to love others out of the abundant love we already experience from Him. This command is both simple and complex. It’s not always easy, but we must simply love one another.
Second, Jesus says that we are His friends and we are privy to the mind and heart of God. God reveals to us what is important to Him, so we can follow Jesus out of knowing and understanding, rather than out of blind or fearful obedience. That’s what it means to be a friend.
The Bible defines a true friend’s characteristics as self-sacrifice, constant loyalty, constructive honesty, mutual growth, compassion, and giving.
Friends come and go (various seasons of life or fairweather friends), but Jesus comes and stays! Jesus is my best friend! Jesus is your best friend, too! He is the Brother “born for adversity,” the one who “sticks closer than a brother,” who will never leave and never forsake us.
What a Friend we truly have in Jesus!
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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