2/26-3/4 Matthew’s Gospel Lent Reading Plan

Introduction

The season of Lent began on Ash Wednesday (2/22) and will continue through Holy Saturday (4/8), which is the day before Easter. Jesus fasted for 40 days before his ministry began and immediately after he was baptized in the Jordan River (Matthew 4:1-11). Like Christ, what is the Holy Spirit inviting or asking you to deny yourself and leave behind during these 40 days of Lent? If you are unsure, invite the Spirit of the living God to reveal the fast or self denial He wants from you during this season. Which faith practices will you utilize during this season to repent and grow closer to Jesus? Observing the Sabbath? Attending weekly worship services? Daily scripture reading and prayer? Intentional and scheduled faith-focused conversations with other believers?

 

In regards to this Living Faith Devotional, formerly called “Your Faith Journey,” we are being guided to read the entire Gospel According to Matthew during this season. Matthew’s Gospel is one of four gospels within the New Testament of the Bible. If you did not begin reading it last week, you are encouraged to watch a brief video on Youtube that was created by the Bible Project which is about the Gospels before you begin:

The Gospel by the Bible Project:

 

Below are some suggestions and questions to help you as you read scripture this week:

1. Approach scripture with humility. Seek to receive what the Bible reveals without trying to make it say what you want it to say.

2. Invite the Holy Spirit to speak a message to you through the verses you read.

3. What do these verses reveal about God, Jesus, or the Holy Spirit?

4. What do these verses reveal about humanity?

5. What do these verses teach me about myself?

6. How do you see yourself in the story when reading biblical narratives?

Which of these characters would I be?

In what ways is their story similar to my story?

7. Read, study, and discuss the verses with another person or small group.

8. Use a Study Bible. The NIV, NRSV, ESV, and NLT Study Bibles are worth considering if you do not own one. There are a few available from the AUMC Library in the back of the Chapel. You can also purchase a Study Bible from ChristianBook.com, Cokesbury.com, or Amazon.com.

 

*If you do not have a Bible, consider downloading the YouVersion Bible App for free from the Apple App Store or Google Play for your smartphone or tablet. You can also use www.BibleGateway.com to look up and read various translations of Bible verses online for free.

 

Sunday (2/26)

Memory Verse(s): Matthew 5:13-14

*You are encouraged to memorize a verse or verses each week of this season of Lent. The verse for this week is Jesus’ message from Matthew 4. You can memorize the version listed below or from some other translation:

 

“You are the salt of the earth…You are the light of the world.”

-Matthew 5:13-14 NRSV

 

If you have not watched it already, you are encouraged to watch the Bible

Project video about the first thirteen chapters of Matthew. The video is available on YouTube:

Overview Matthew: 1-13 by the Bible Project:

 

Pray the following words as an invitation for God to speak to you during this devotional time:

“Lord, help me to see as you see and to do what you say.”

 

Read Matthew 4:23-25. Notice what Jesus did as he began his ministry. This is the example he set for his first disciples/apprentices. Are you following Jesus’ example within these verses by teaching others the way of life Jesus revealed, proclaiming the Good News about the Kingdom of God, and meeting the needs of others?

 

Pray for those who are sick, diseased, and in need of physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual healing. You are encouraged to conclude your prayer with the Lord’s Prayer as you have memorized it. If you do not have it memorized, you will find a version of it in Luke 11:2-4 that you can use as a guide for your prayer.

 

 

Monday (2/27)

Memory Verse(s): Matthew 5:13-14

The verses for this week are part of Jesus’ message from Matthew 4. You can memorize the version listed below or from some other translation:

 

“You are the salt of the earth…You are the light of the world.”

– Matthew 5:13-14 NRSV

 

Pray the following words as an invitation for God to speak to you during this devotional time:

“Lord, help me to see, hear, and know the message you have for me today, then empower me to live it.”

 

Read Matthew 5:1-12. If you are using a Study Bible you may find it helpful to read the study notes.

 

Pray through your day, including what you will do, or what you have already done, the people you will be with, or those you already were with, then conclude with the Lord’s Prayer as you have memorized it or read it from Luke 11:2-4.

 

 

Tuesday (2/28)

Memory Verse(s): Matthew 5:13-14

*Read the Memory Verses a few times before you pray.

 

Pray, inviting the Holy Spirit to speak to you:

“Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.” – 1 Samuel 3:9 NRSV

 

Be silent for a few minutes as you seek to be with Jesus using a physical posture that is helpful, such as kneeling, bowing down, sitting with your head bowed or chin raised high, or lying on the ground as if you were touching the feet of Christ. Consider focusing on each breath, knowing that the Lord has provided the air you breathe, and He is as close to you as the breath in your lungs.

 

Read Matthew 5:13-16. Use a suggestion or question on the list from the introduction portion of this devotional to dive deeper during your study time.

 

Pray for:

• Those closest to you (family members & friends)
• Those who point others towards God (pastors, teachers, mentors, authors, musicians, filmmakers, etc.)
• Leaders (locally, nationally, and globally)
• People in need throughout the world (the people of Turkey and Syria, Ukrainians, Russians, etc.)

• Yourself (share your needs and invite the Lord to guide you)

 

Conclude with the Lord’s Prayer as you have memorized it or read it from Luke 11:2-4.

 

 

Wednesday (3/1)

*You are encouraged to spend some time trying to memorize them before you pray.

 

Pray, inviting the Holy Spirit to speak to you:

“Yes, Lord, I’m listening.” – 1 Samuel 3:9 TLB

 

Read Matthew 5:17-20. Which word, phrase, or verse is God using to speak to you today from what you read?

 

Pray for sisters and brothers in Christ throughout the world of all denominations who are observing Lent with us, then conclude with the Lord’s Prayer as you have memorized it or read it from Luke 11:2-4.

 

 

 

Thursday (3/2)

Memory Verse(s): Matthew 5:13-14

*Read the Memory Verses a few times before you pray.

 

Pray, inviting the Holy Spirit to speak to you:

“Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.” – 1 Samuel 3:9 NRSV

 

Be silent for a few minutes as you imagine being alone with Jesus. You may find it helpful to sit, lay down with your face towards the ground, or kneel in awe of our King, the Messiah.

 

Read Matthew 5:21-26. Use a suggestion or question on the list from the introduction portion of this devotional to dive deeper during your study time.

 

Pray for the Lord to help you to let go of sins committed against you and to forgive others as you have been forgiven through Christ. Offer thanksgiving for the forgiveness, grace, and blessings from God you have received, then conclude with the Lord’s Prayer as you have memorized it or read it from Luke 11:2-4.

 

 

Friday (3/3)

Memory Verse(s): Matthew 5:13-14

*You are encouraged to spend some time trying to memorize them before you pray.

 

Pray the following words as an invitation for God to speak to you:

“Lord, help me to receive the message you have for me today and live in response to it.”

 

Read Matthew 5:27-30. If you are using a Study Bible you may find it helpful to read the study notes.

 

Pray that the Holy Spirit helps you and our congregation to live the AUMC virtues revealed in Jesus, which includes humility, compassion, forgiveness, and love. Afterwards, conclude with the Lord’s Prayer as you have memorized it or read it from Luke 11:2-4.

 

 

Saturday (3/4)

How are you going to remember and observe the Sabbath this weekend? The Sabbath is a day each week that is set apart from the others to stop, rest, worship, and delight in the Lord and what he has given us. You may need to incrementally observe the Sabbath by setting aside an increasing portion of a day each week beginning with an hour, then increasing it to multiple hours or part of a day the next weekend, and eventually designating an entire day for remembering and observing the Sabbath.

 

Read Psalm 46:10 and Psalm 37:7. These verses are a reminder to stop and “be still” in God’s presence. Our Sabbath theme for this weekend

is “STOP.”

 

• How does stopping and “being still” help you to remember that God is in control?

 

• What are the things you need to stop worrying about today and during this season that you can offer to God in prayer?

 

• What work do you need to set aside for another day so that you can stop and focus on the Lord as you observe the Sabbath?

 

• How are you going to help others to stop working for at least a few hours this weekend?

 

Solitude and Silence. You are encouraged to spend ten, twenty, or thirty minutes alone with God seeking to rest in the peace that can only be found in and from the Lord. If you struggle to stop and rest, consider laying down, kneeling, or sitting on a very comfortable chair or seat. If you need a nap, then sleep so that your mind and body receive the rest that you need.

 

Read Genesis 1:1-2:3. Notice what God did on the seventh day of creation. God set an example for us and established a rhythm for life by working six days then stopping on the seventh day. If you are not finished with the work you have been doing during the past week perhaps the verses from Genesis are your reminded that you are not God. Your limitations are part of your humanity and reveal our dependency upon God.

 

• How are you going to set the Sabbath apart this weekend as you follow God’s example?

 

If the weather cooperates and you are physically able, go for a prayer walk outside. You may find it helpful to go to a local park or nature preserve to observe God’s creation and spend time with our Creator.

• What does the created world, including the sun, moon, stars, nature bodies of water, sky, land, plants, animals, and people, reveal

about God?

 

• Thank our Creator for the things you see and hear that were not created by human hands.

 

• Thank God for the people you know and come into contact with remembering that they were created in the Lord’s image. Invite the Holy Spirit to help you to see people as God sees them.

 

Read Matthew 5:13-14, the memory verses for this past week. If you have not memorized them simply let Jesus’ words be a reminder of who you are because of the God who created you.