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FOCUS OF THE MONTH (FOM)

LIVING A VICTORIOUS LIFE

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SCRIPTURE OF THE WEEK (SOW)

Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. — Romans 8:37 KJV

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No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. – Romans 8:37 ESV

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MINISTRY RESOURCES

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Wednesday Corporate Fasting Scripture – Isaiah 58 (ESV); Isaiah 58 (KJV)

Friday End of Week Scripture – Ephesians 3:20-21 (KJV)

MINISTRY FORMS & HANDOUTS

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LET’S CELEBRATE YOUR NEW YEAR!

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AN OPEN INVITATION FROM CLASS 9
Please join us whenever your Teacher is absent, 
or you just want to visit
425-666-4453

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Visit here to submit Prayer Requests

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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, it emphasizes “word-for-word” correspondence while fully accounting for 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 so abundantly present in the original texts.

As an essentially literal translation that takes into account grammar and syntax, the ESV 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 Bible study. Indeed, with its commitment to literary excellence, the ESV is equally well suited for public reading and preaching, private reading and reflection, academic and devotional study, and Scripture memorization.

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PRAISE & WORSHIP

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DAILY DEVOTIONALS

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Sunday, September 13, 2026 – DEADLY CONFUSION – Proverbs 16:20-25

Our Daily Bread Index Topic(s): Trust in God; Worry

ODB Scripture:  There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death.  [Proverbs 16:25]

Today’s Devotional

A loud thump came from a window in the classroom where I was teaching and startled the students. Then another thump! A bird had flown headlong into the glass and bounced off, only to make another run for yet another crash. Later, I read that more than a billion birds die each year from hitting windows in the United States alone. Collisions happen when they catch reflections of vegetation in the window and go after them, convinced they see food or nesting material. Sometimes they also catch their own reflection and think another bird needs to be fended off. They’re sure they see clearly, but they’re confused.

It’s dangerous to think that we always see what’s true—that we possess internal clarity about our lives. However, we suffer from a deadly confusion and repeatedly demonstrate that even our best wisdom—left to itself—eventually yields misery. “There is a way that appears to be right,” Proverbs says, “but in the end it leads to death” (16:25). We think we see what’s real, but too often we’re confused. Even our keenest insight is riddled with misperceptions. Even our clearest vision is still cloudy, imperfect, and often ruinous.

That’s why we need God’s wisdom (vv. 20-21). We need Him to illuminate the truth and guide us into what’s real. We need Him to lead us out of our deadly confusion and into wholeness and life.

Reflect & Pray

When has false perception led you into confusion? How does God’s wisdom offer a better way?

Dear God, I need Your wisdom. Please show me the way out of confusion and into life.

Today’s Insights

Proverbs 16 emphasizes our dependence on God in all things (vv. 1-3, 10, 11, 33). In verses 20-25, the focus narrows to hearing and speaking words wisely. The two are closely related. Verse 20 spells it out: “Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers, and blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord.”

That is, a person who’s living in humble, trusting reliance on God is also someone who’s able to listen to wise instruction from others. Their reliance on God’s wisdom to illuminate truth equips them to be “discerning” and to speak “gracious words” that “promote instruction” (v. 21). Those who humbly learn from Him and others are able to speak words that flow from His wisdom (v. 23) and bring healing (v. 24).

For further study, read: Satan: Master of the Almost True

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Today’s Devotional

While driving her nine-year-old son to camp, a mother got lost after taking a wrong turn and getting the car stuck on a rural forest road in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California. Her GPS and phone quit working because of the remote area, so they were unable to retrace their way back. In desperation after being stranded for more than twenty-four hours and sleeping in their car overnight, they began to walk. They left a trail of notes along the way: “HELP. Me and my son are stranded with no service and can’t call 9-1-1.” Because they didn’t arrive at the camp on time, search-and-rescue teams went out looking. They discovered the car, the notes, and then quickly found them.

The Israelites desperately cried out to God for help because they were being severely mistreated by the Egyptians, who had enslaved them (Exodus 1:11-12). Working them ruthlessly, “they made their lives bitter with harsh labor” (vv. 13-14). The Israelites must have wondered if they’d even survive the cruelty. But God heard their cries and raised up Moses to deliver them (3:4-10). Eventually God used him to rescue them and lead them out of Egypt (see Exodus 14-15).

Whether we’re feeling lost or mistreated, God is always near and His ear is open to our cries. In His time and in His way, He’ll send the help we need.

Reflect & Pray

How can you learn to share your desperate cries with God? What desperate cry might you need to pray right now?

Please help me, loving God. I’m always in need of Your mercy. I bring my heart’s burdens to You now.

Today’s Insights

God worked through Joseph to preserve His people, who at the time of their migration to Egypt four hundred years earlier had been seventy in number (Exodus 1:5). Now, as the King James Version so poetically renders it, “There arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph” (v. 8). This pharaoh enslaved the Hebrews, who were now numerous, and he began to commit infanticide against them (v. 22). But Pharaoh’s murderous net failed to get the baby Moses (2:1-10).

As God had used Joseph to establish His people, He’d now use Moses to deliver them. But it would take time. Forty years would pass before Moses futilely tried to help his own people (Acts 7:23), and forty more would go by until God called him out of the desert (v. 30). Still another forty years would transpire as God corrected and instructed His disobedient people (v. 36; Deuteronomy 2:7; Joshua 5:6). As God was faithful to His people, He’ll also be near to us in our trials.

For further study, read: The Mercy of God

The God Who Helps

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Tuesday, September 15, 2026 – BE PATIENT – Ephesians 4:1-6

Our Daily Bread Index Topic(s): Church; Fruit of the Spirit

ODB Scripture: Be patient, bearing with one another in love.  [Ephesians 4:2]

5 AM Focus(es):  The Church body must learn to love and to be patient with each other, always exhibiting the fruit of the spirit.

5 AM Supporting Focus Scripture(s):  Colossians 3:12-16 

Today’s Devotional

Shiro Oguni once visited a group home for adults with dementia. Heartbroken at their isolation from the hum of society, he felt there ought to be a better way. Oguni’s creative genius led to what is known as the Restaurant of Mistaken Orders, an actual restaurant with this added twist—all the wait staff struggle with memory loss. Yes, you read that correctly. Every person in that pivotal role, which requires a strong memory, suffers in that exact area. Now, from the usual business perspective, the results were poor—thirty-seven percent of the time, the guests did not receive what they ordered. But those guests also expect such problems, so they understand. After these “surprises,” apologies and hearty laughter ensue, and customers leave happy.

Paul writes, “Be patient” (Ephesians 4:2)—and we all know that’s so much easier said than done because it involves bearing with each other, a word that can mean everything from “carrying” to “enduring” to “supporting.” In other words, effort is involved. Yet if the effort has its source in God’s love as opposed to our own strength, the burden is lightened and leads to a lighthearted way of living, full of surprises and apologies and even laughter. It’s a way of living where you may not get what you asked for, but you end up getting what we all really want—“a life worthy of the calling you have received” (v. 1).

Reflect & Pray

Who are two people you have little to no patience for? How will you show them patience this week?


Dear God, I want to be patient. Please help my impatience.


For further study, read Speaking in the Love of the Spirit at odbm.org.

Today’s Insights

At the start of his letter to the Ephesian church, Paul reminds us how much God loves us: “Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ . . . to adopt us into his own family” (1:4-5 nlt). To this undeserved love, the apostle urges us “to live a life worthy of the calling [we] have received” (4:1) and to manifest the Christlike virtues of humility, gentleness, patience, and love (v. 2).

In humility, we “value others above [ourselves], not looking to [our] own interests but . . . to the interests of the others” (Philippians 2:3-4). In gentleness and patience, “we bear with each other and forgive one another . . . as the Lord forgave [us]” (Colossians 3:12-13). Because “God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us” (1 John 4:12 nlt), He’ll help us demonstrate His love to others by being patient with them.

For further study, read: Speaking in the Love of the Spirit

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Today’s Devotional

On England’s south coast, two women who are both named Kate run the Coffin Club. They created this place for people to prepare for their eventual death through selecting and decorating their coffins. Kate’s dad died when she was thirteen, and she said, “It was horrendous. No one wanted to talk about death.” Their club is a way to normalize an experience we will all go through one day.

Death may be “normal” because it will happen to everyone. But those who love and serve Jesus can prepare for their death without fear, as we see in Jesus’ conversation with His beloved friend Martha after her brother had died. Jesus promised her that Lazarus would “rise again” (John 11:23). He told her that He is “the resurrection and the life” and that “the one who believes in [Him] will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in [Him] will never die” (vv. 25-26). Martha responded by making one of the few professions in the New Testament that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of God (v. 27). She believed.

We may or may not be keen to decorate our own coffins, but we all can prepare for death by placing our hope in God, trusting in the salvation Jesus offers. Knowing that we will continue to live after we die gives us true comfort, hope, and peace. We can join Martha in believing that Jesus is the Messiah, the one who saves.

Reflect & Pray

How do you react to the idea of a “Coffin Club”? What could you do today to celebrate life and eternity with God?

Dear Jesus, You’re the Messiah. Please help me to trust in You now and always.

Today’s Insights

During Jesus’ earthly ministry, He demonstrated His power over death by raising several individuals from death to life. These included Jairus’ daughter (Mark 5:21-24, 35-43), the son of the widow of Nain (Luke 7:11-17), and Lazarus (John 11:1-44). Christ not only had power over death, but He had within Himself the power of life: “In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind” (1:4).

The cross of Christ was the necessary payment to rescue us from our sins, and His resurrection offers to us the way of eternal life (see 1 Corinthians 15:54-58). When we place our trust in Jesus, His resurrected life becomes ours—forever. Because of His resurrection, we can confidently say, “Death has been swallowed up in victory” (v. 54).

For further study, read: 3 Ways Celebration Connects Us to God

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Thursday, September 17, 2026 – LOOK TO GOD – Nehemiah 4:6-14

Our Daily Bread Topic(s): Healing; Hope; Suffering

ODB Scripture:  By ourselves we will not be able to rebuild the wall…. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome.  [Nehemiah 4:10, 14]

5 AM Focus:  In times of trouble look to God and trust that He will provide the help, strength, wisdom and outcome we seek. 

5 AM Supporting Focus Scripture(s): Psalm 121:1-3

Today’s Devotional

Elise felt the panic rising. The book layout was due the next day, but the printer had rejected the photos. It could take days to sort it out.

“Don’t worry,” said her husband, Sam. “Let’s ask God for help. Then we’ll work through the night. This software might help us fix the photos quickly.”

As they prayed, Elise started to feel more assured. Just keep looking to God, she told herself. With this God-given peace of mind and Sam’s practical tip, she went to work—and completed the task in time.

As she did so, Elise recalled the Israelites’ mammoth task of rebuilding their city wall (Nehemiah 4). As if it wasn’t difficult enough, enemies mocked them and conspired to sabotage their work. But Nehemiah encouraged them to keep looking to God. “By ourselves we will not be able to rebuild the wall,” Judah said, but Nehemiah replied, “Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome.” (vv. 10, 14 esv). Then he deployed the men to work on the wall and guard against attackers, with leaders behind them (v. 16). He also encouraged them, saying, “Our God will fight for us” (v. 20).

Whenever we face overwhelming challenges, let’s keep looking to God for help and strength. We can pray for wisdom to find practical solutions, take the necessary steps, and trust in God for the outcome—whatever it might be.

Reflect & Pray

What challenges are you facing? What will help you keep your eyes on God, and what will you pray for?

All-powerful, all-loving God, no matter how big my task, I can rely on Your help and strength. Please teach me to keep trusting in You.

Today’s Insights

A central theme in the grand narrative of Scripture is that God is a God of rescue. In Nehemiah 4, the wise decisions and prayers of God’s people countered the plots of their enemies, resulting in safety (vv. 8-9). In Exodus 2, the Israelites “cried out, and their cry for help because of their slavery went up to God” (v. 23).

He heard “their groaning” and “remembered his covenant . . . . [He] looked on the Israelites and was concerned about them” (vv. 24-25). Today, when we’re faced with the menacing challenges of life, we can remember how great and awesome God is and trust in Him.

For further study, watch the following video devotional: God Will See You Through

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Today’s Devotional

My young grandson was spending the night in our new home, in a bed unfamiliar to him. He giggled with excitement as we read books under the dinosaur tent I’d pitched atop his cozy comforter, but when it was time to sleep, his eyes widened with worry. “How will I find you if I need you?” he asked. An idea emerged, and I grabbed a roll of ribbon from the gift wrap stash in the closet. Together we unspooled it from his bed, onto the floor, down the hall, and into my bedroom. “Don’t worry,” I said. “If you need me in the night, follow the string and you’ll find me!” He beamed in response.

In Matthew 6, Jesus speaks straight to our struggle with worry about what we’ll eat and drink, about our body and what we’ll wear (v. 25). The Greek root of the word translated “worry” means to be torn in two directions—the direction of faith versus self-reliance. In verse 33, Jesus offers the solution to worry: “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” It’s a challenge to us to choose and follow the one direction that leads straight to His heart.

When we struggle with worries, we can follow the “string” that directs us to God’s kingdom, His ways, and His presence, knowing that He will provide all we need.

Reflect & Pray

How does knowing that God has given His presence in your days and nights help you resolve your worries? How might you follow the “string” to find God’s presence today?

Dear God, please help me seek Your kingdom each day, knowing that You long to meet my needs.

Today’s Insights

In Matthew 6:25-33, Jesus used a principle for logic and interpretation sometimes called qal wahomer, Hebrew for “light and heavy.” It argues that if something is true for something less important (“light”), it’s also true for something more important (“heavy”). Christ used this principle to emphasize that if God cares for the birds and clothes the fields, how much more must He care for His beloved children (Matthew 6:26-30).

When we trust God, we exchange our preoccupation on what’s less important for a devotion to what’s most important. Today, when we struggle with worry, God can help us focus on Him, knowing that He’ll take care of all our needs (v. 33).

For further study, read: Our Help, His Presence

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Saturday, September 19, 2026 – GOD’S RESCUE PLAN – Genesis 3:8-15

Our Daily Bread Topic(s): Christ, person/work; God’s love

ODB Scripture:  He will crush your head and you will strike his heel.  [Genesis 3:15]

Today’s Devotional

When a father learned his five-year-old daughter had fallen overboard from the fourth deck of the cruise ship they were on, he plunged into the ocean forty feet below to rescue her. He held on to his daughter while treading water for more than ten minutes before the ship’s rescue team brought them safely back on board. As soon as the father heard his daughter was in trouble, he risked everything to save her.

All throughout the Bible, we read how our heavenly Father’s love compelled Him to give His all to rescue us from drowning in our sin. God first declared His divine rescue plan in the garden of Eden. After Adam and Eve were tempted by the serpent and sinned, God cursed the serpent and said, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel” (Genesis 3:15). This verse refers to the spiritual battle between Satan and God’s children and how at His appointed time God would send His Son, Jesus, to redeem the world through His Son’s sacrificial death and resurrection.

God has been ready to save us long before we realized we needed His help. Whenever we feel like we’re sinking in an ocean of sin, we can be encouraged that Jesus is our divine lifeline. We can cry out to Him. He will rescue and restore us.

Reflect & Pray

When have you experienced God’s forgiveness? How does it feel knowing He loves you?

Heavenly Father, thank You for loving and rescuing me.

Today’s Insights

When Adam and Eve sinned, the consequences were both immediate and future. Immediately, they lost access to the garden and the presence of the Creator (Genesis 3:23-24), and eventually, they’d physically die. In between, the life that they’d enjoyed in a paradise created specifically for them would now be tainted with pain, loss, frustration, and failure (vv. 16-19). This is what makes Jesus’ death and resurrection so vital.

Only by what Christ did on our behalf can we be rescued and restored to the heavenly Father and have a hope of life after death (Romans 8:1-4). Life continues to be difficult in this world that’s been broken by sin. But when we cry out to Jesus, He’ll rescue us. And one day, God “will wipe every tear from [our] eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain” (Revelation 21:4).

For further study, read: The Forgiveness of God

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THIS WEEK’S INSPIRATIONAL THOUGHT BY SISTER CLOVIA

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Worry vs. Prayer

Worry? Why worry? What can worry do? 
It never keeps trouble from overtaking you. 
It gives you indigestion, and wakeful hours at night, 
And fills the day with gloom, however fair and bright. 
It puts a frown upon the face, and sharpness in the tone, 
We’re not fit to live with others, and unfit to live alone. 

Pray? Why pray? What can praying do? 
Praying really changes things, arranges life anew, 
It’s good for your digestion, gives peaceful sleep at night, 
And fills the grayest, gloomiest day, with rays of glowing light. 
It puts a smile upon your face, the love note in your tone, 
Makes you fit to live with others, and fit to live alone. 

Pray? Why pray? What can praying do?
It brings God down from Heaven, to live and work with you.

— Author unknown

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CHRISTIAN-BASED MOVIE FOR THE MONTH

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***The Daily Devotionals are taken from Our Daily Bread Ministries and the Scriptures are from the BibleGateway.***

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