Sunday (1/30)

This Your Faith Journey devotional is walking through the first two books of the Bible, Genesis and Exodus, during January and February. There will be opportunities to continue reading the Old Testament books after the Lenten season in March and April. Below are some questions and suggestions to help you as you read scripture this week:

1. 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?

2. Are you using a Study Bible?

A Study Bible is a very helpful tool for understanding each book of the Bible. They include information shared by scholars about historical and cultural realities during the time depicted or the era of the document, the author, when the book might have been written, the intended audience of the document, themes and messages within a book or letter, and more.

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.

3. What do these verses reveal about humanity?

4. What do these verses teach me about myself?

5. What do these verses reveal about God?

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

7. Read, study, and discuss scripture with a small group or another person.

Sunday (1/23)

We are on a journey through the Old Testament in 2022. During January and February, this Your Faith Journey devotional will guide you through the first two books of the Bible, Genesis and Exodus. There will be opportunities to continue reading the Old Testament books after the Lenten season in March and April. Below are some questions and suggestions to help you as you read scripture this year:

1. 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?

2. Are you using a Study Bible?

A Study Bible is a very helpful tool for understanding each book of the Bible. They include information shared by scholars about historical and cultural realities during the time depicted or the era of the document, the author, when the book might have been written, the intended audience of the document, themes and messages within a book or letter, and more.

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.

3. What do these verses reveal about humanity?

4. What do these verses teach me about myself?

5. What do these verses reveal about God?

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

7. Read, study, and discuss scripture with a small group or another person.

 

*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 (1/16)

We are on a journey through the Old Testament in 2022. During the next two months this Your Faith Journey devotional will guide you through the first two books of the Bible, Genesis and Exodus. There will be opportunities to continue reading the Old Testament books after the Lenten season in March and April. Below are some questions and suggestions to help you as you read scripture this year:

Sunday (1/9)

If you have not started already, you are invited on a journey through the Old Testament in 2022. During the next two months, this Your Faith Journey devotional will guide you through the first two books of the Bible, Genesis and Exodus. There will be opportunities to continue reading the Old Testament books after the Lenten season in March and April. Below are some questions and suggestions to help you as you read scripture this year:

Sunday (1/2/22)

As a new year begins, you are invited to embark on a unique journey through the Old Testament in 2022. During the next two months, this Your Faith Journey devotional will guide you through the first two books of the Bible, Genesis and Exodus. There will be opportunities to continue reading the Old Testament books after the Lenten season. Before you begin to read Genesis, you are encouraged to watch the following Bible Project videos about the Old Testament and the first eleven chapters of Genesis. The videos are available on YouTube:

TaNaK/Old Testament by the Bible Project:

 

Overview Genesis: 1-11 by the Bible Project:

 

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

Sunday (12/26)

“Come and worship, come and worship, worship Christ, the newborn King.” These lyrics from the hymn, Angels from the Realms of Glory, are a reminder of our celebration of Christmas. Like the wise men from the east, we are in a continuation of the season of coming together to worship the newborn King of kings, Christ the Lord. Come and worship Christ the newborn King!

As we continue our journey with Jesus beyond Christmas, this daily devotional for the week after the Advent season will help you walk with our Lord through the end of 2021 and into the New Year.

Sunday (12/19)

The time has arrived! This is the week of Christmas. Are you ready? Are you ready to celebrate Jesus the Christ, the source of peace, joy, hope, and love?

 

John, the gospel writer, wrote three short letters that are included in the New Testament of the Bible. In his first of the three short letters, John wrote, “God showed how much he loves us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love — not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins” (John 4:9-10 NLT). This love expressed in and through the gift of Jesus is not only for us to receive, but we are meant to share God’s love with others. John’s letter continues with these words, “Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other…if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us” (1 John 4:11-12 NLT).

 

This Christmas and Advent season, let us continue to love each other as God lives in us, with his Spirit enabling us to fully express his love. Time spent together with family members, friends, and our brothers and sisters in Christ is an expression of God’s love given through Immanuel, God with us. The gifts we give one another are an expression of the love given to us by our heavenly Father when he sent his Son to the world that first Christmas day. The words we say to encourage and bless one another are an expression of Jesus, “the Word,” becoming flesh in and through us (John 1:14). By serving others, including people in need, we are sharing the love of the One who came “to serve others and to give his life…for many” (Mark 10:45 NLT).

 

As we continue our journey towards Christmas and celebrating the birth of our Savior and King, this daily devotional for the fourth week of Advent is designed to help you focus on Jesus each day. In and through Jesus we have peace, joy, hope, and love. If you receive the gifts of Christ, you will be able to offer them to others.

Sunday (12/12)

In his first letter to the Thessalonians Paul wrote, “you received the message with joy from the Holy Spirit in spite of the severe suffering it brought you” (1 Thessalonians 1:6 NLT). “The message” Paul was referring to was the good news about Jesus Christ. Believing in and living in response to the gospel message led to suffering for many who converted to Christianity in the Roman Empire during the first century. Although our experience in America is different from the earliest Christians in regards to suffering because of persecution, becoming a follower of Christ does not make us exempt from suffering. Yet in the midst of our suffering, whatever the cause may be, we can experience “joy from the Holy Spirit.” One of the candles of the Advent wreath that we light each December is a reminder of the joy of Christ given to us from the Holy Spirit. You’re encouraged to receive the gifts of Advent and Christmas, made possible in and through Christ, with joy.

 

As we continue our journey towards Christmas and celebrating the birth of our Lord, this daily devotional for the third week of Advent is designed to help you focus on Jesus each day as you prioritize spending time with the One who is the source of hope, love, peace, and joy.

Sunday (11/28)

In his letter to the Galatians, the apostle Paul wrote, “when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. God sent him…so that he could adopt us as his very own children” (Galatians 4:4-5 NLT). One of the gifts of Christmas is that God came to be with us here on earth (Matthew 1:23). As we begin this Advent season preparing for the celebration of Christmas that will take place at various times throughout December, including Christmas Eve during AUMC worship services and Christmas day within homes throughout the world, we also remember that Christ will return on an unknown day in the future. Spending time preparing for the celebration of the birth of our Savior, as well as evaluating our readiness for his return, are import focuses during a season that could tempt us to direct our attention elsewhere. In the midst of the busy holiday season, we can find ourselves so consumed with buying gifts, attending parties, and doing things that we miss the presence of hope, love, joy, and peace found in and through Christ. This daily devotional for the first week of Advent is designed to help you focus on Jesus each day as you prioritize spending time with the God who wants to be with you.