Online Ministry for the Week 10/10 - 10/16 2016

PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION

Prepare our hearts, O God, to accept you Word. Silence in us any voices but your own, so that we may hear your Word and also do it; through Christ our Lord. Amen.

DAILY READING

• Monday (October 10, 2016): Psalm 102:1-17; Jeremiah 29:8-23; Acts 26:24-29 OR Psalm 61; 2 Kings 5:15-19a; Acts 26:24-29
• Tuesday (October 11, 2016): Psalm 102:1-17; Jeremiah 29:24-32; Ephesians 6:10-20 OR Psalm 61; 2 Kings 5:19b-27; Ephesians 6:10-20
• Wednesday (October 12, 2016): Psalm 102:1-17; Jeremiah 25:15-32; Matthew 10:5-15 OR Psalm 61; 2 Kings 15:1-7; Matthew 10:5-15
• Thursday (October 13, 2016): Psalm 119:97-104; Jeremiah 26:1-15; Acts 17:22-34 OR Psalm 121; Isaiah 54:11-17; Acts 17:22-34
• Friday (October 14, 2016): Psalm 119:97-104; Jeremiah 26:16-24; 2 Timothy 2:14-26 OR Psalm 121; Genesis 31:43-32:2; 2 Timothy 2:14-26
• Saturday (October 15, 2016): Psalm 119:97-104; Jeremiah 31:15-26; Mark 10:46-52 OR Psalm 121; Genesis 32:3-21; Mark 10:46-52

ABUNDANT HEALTH

The Secret Sauce

You can develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God and enjoy its results only if you do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and honor. James 3:18 (The Message)

If you want to sustain a healthy lifestyle for the long-term, and if you want to have fun doing it as well, you need friends. Community, when you embrace it, doesn’t just help you succeed in your goals. It can bring you joy.

—The Daniel Plan brief excerpt from The Daniel Plan: 40 Days to a Healthier Life by Rick Warren, DMin; Daniel Amen, MD; & Mark Hyman, MD (Zondervan). © 2013 by The Daniel Plan. Used with permission. All rights reserved.

NIV DAILY

A Friend to Comfort (Job 2:12–13)

If you were in pain, which friend (or friends) would you want by your side? Why?

Which friend would you definitely not want around when you’re in pain? Why?

After Job lost his family and possessions, three of his friends came to comfort him. We can learn a lot—good and bad—from their example. The first thing Job’s friends did right was to visit Job in person. They didn’t send a card wishing him well. They didn’t let their discomfort or awkwardness keep them away. They went to grieve with him.

They also gave Job the space he needed to grieve. Job 2:13 says Job’s friends sat in silence for seven days and seven nights. They saw how badly Job was hurting, and they were content to grieve quietly with him. They gave him time to process his thoughts and feelings. They didn’t try to force a conversation.

That’s not to say Job’s friends did everything right. In their arrogance, they were convinced they knew the reason for his suffering. They believed Job was being punished for sin and kept urging him to repent. They were wrong, and as a result, they added to his misery.

Let’s learn from the example of Job’s friends. Each of us will have opportunities to help friends who are hurting. The way we respond to those opportunities will say a lot about us and about the God we serve.

Prayer

Dear God, make us aware of the people around us who need our help. Give us the strength and wisdom to comfort those who are hurting. Amen.

Taken from Once a Day At the Table ©2014 HarperCollins Christian Publishing

PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING

Generous God, thank you for the gift of salvation through Christ your Son. You bring joy to our hearts! Help us to respond to your grace by sharing our faith, talents, and monetary blessings through the ministries of this church. May your loving Spirit shine through all that we say and do. Accept these gifts that we offer through Jesus, our risen Lord. Amen. (2 Timothy 3:14–4:5)