Online Ministry for the Week 01/30 - 02/05 2017

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 (January 30, 2017): Psalm 37:1-17; Ruth 1:1-18; Philemon 1-25
• Tuesday (January 31, 2017): Psalm 37:1-17; Ruth 2:1-16; James 5:1-6
• Wednesday (February 1, 2017): Psalm 37:1-17; Ruth 3:1-13; 4:13-22; Luke 6:17-26

• Presentation of the Lord, February 2, 2017

• Friday (February 3, 2017): Psalm 112:1-9; Isaiah 29:1-12; James 3:13-18
• Saturday (February 4, 2017): Psalm 112:1-9; Isaiah 29:13-16; Mark 7:1-8

• Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany, February 5, 2017

ABUNDANT HEALTH

Catching On

The godly give good advice to their friends. Proverbs 12:26 (NLT)

Health habits are contagious. If you spend time with people who exercise and eat healthy, you are more likely to exercise and eat in a healthful way. We are more likely to be overweight if our friends are. At the same time, we are more likely to exercise and eat healthy food, to not smoke or overeat, if our friends also practice healthy habits.

—Dr. Daniel Amen

—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

The Firm Foundation of Truth (1 Corinthians 10:1–33)

Wise people determine their convictions before trouble comes, not when it comes.

We need to understand that the tensions of life will always be there, regardless of the options we choose to live by. Systems of values will always be on a collision course with one another, and we will always have to defend what we believe from the assault of a conflicting belief system. If we have no firm commitments and haven’t already determined which of our national convictions are nonnegotiable, our whole system will implode under the weight of momentary decisions. It is critical, therefore, to preserve those convictions or values that have already been tested and have proven to be a firm foundation. Only then can we test conflicting realities against what has shown itself to be reliable so that the foundation is left intact. This is as true for individuals as it is for nations.

The writers of the Bible were not ignorant of these tensions, nor is the Christian faith a stranger to this challenge. Jesus himself presented the conflict to us in stark terms in the account of his testing in the wilderness by the enemy of our souls (Matthew 4:1–11). In every instance, each temptation was a dangerous half-truth. “Change these stones into bread, and the masses will follow you,” was the first challenge posed by the Tempter. It is interesting to note that the challenge was constructed to appeal either to his power or to his word. In fact, in his second temptation, Satan used the words “it is written” to challenge Jesus to demonstrate his autonomy from any transcendent limitations (verse 6).

BRING IT TO LIFE:

Sit down with a trusted friend and have a conversation about your deepest values and priorities in life. Discuss your beliefs and evaluate your practices (both current and desired) when it comes to these things: God, church, marriage, parenting, friendships, money, work/career, hobbies. Write down your deepest convictions. See if you can come up with a better template for living intentionally.

Taken from NIV Bible for Me©2017 HarperCollins Christian Publishing

PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING

Our Heavenly Father, with great kindness you lead your people. You give wisdom to help us recognize Christ as the Lord of glory. Enlighten us by your Spirit to discern how to use the gifts that you have bestowed on us. May all of our church’s ministries serve as channels of your powerful grace to people in need of help. We dedicate these tithes and offerings through Jesus Christ, our risen Lord. Amen.