Sunday (3/20)

During this Lenten season you are invited to read and study the Gospel According to Luke using this Your Faith Journey devotional. Our read through of Luke will continue through April 20th. Luke’s Gospel is one of four accounts of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection within the New Testament of the Bible. If you have not started reading, you are encouraged to watch a brief video on Youtube that will help you understand what the gospels are:

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. In regards to the verses you read, what do these verses reveal about humanity?

4. What do these verses teach me about myself?

5. How do I see myself in the story when reading biblical narratives?

Which of these characters would I be?

In what ways is their story similar to my story?

6. What do these verses reveal about God and Jesus?

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

8. Use 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.

 

*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.

 

 

Monday (3/21)

Memory Verse: Jesus said, “Do to others as you would have them do to you.” – Luke 6:31 NIV

 

If you have not watched it already, you are encouraged to watch the Bible Project video about the first nine chapters of Luke. It may help you to understand the beginning portion of this gospel more clearly. The video is available on YouTube:

Overview Luke: 1-9 by the Bible Project:

 

Pray or sing the following words from the hymn “I Surrender All” by J. W. Van Deventer:

All to Jesus I surrender; make me, Savior, wholly thine;

let me feel the Holy Spirit, truly know that thou art mine.

I surrender all, I surrender all,

all to thee, my blessed Savior,

I surrender all.

 

Read Luke 6:12-49. If you have not read the previous chapters and verses before Luke 6:12, it will be helpful for you to read them or listen to them via an audio version of scripture. You can find multiple Bible translations and audio versions of scripture using the YouVersion Bible App. In regards to the verses for today, you are encouraged to use the suggestions and questions on the list from the Sunday portion of this devotional during your study time.

 

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 your prayer time with the prayer Jesus taught from Matthew 6:9-13 (NLT):

 

Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy.

May your Kingdom come soon.

May your will be done on earth,

as it is in heaven.

Give us today the food we need,

and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us.

And don’t let us yield to temptations,

but rescue us from the evil one.

 

 

Tuesday (3/22)

Memory Verse: Luke 6:31

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

 

Say, sing, or pray the following words from the song “The Lost Are Found” by David Fielding and Samuel David Knock of Hillsong Worship:

The lost are found

The blind will see

The lame will walk

The dead will live

And You, our God,

Forever You will reign

 

Be silent for a few minutes as you seek to be with Jesus as fully as you are able. You may find it helpful to let the memory verse, or the lyrics above, roll around in your mind as you focus on the God of miracles and the One who reigns throughout eternity.

 

Read Luke 7:1-35. Use the suggestions and questions on the list from the Sunday 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, etc.)
• Leaders (locally, nationally, and globally)
• People in need throughout the world (the Ukrainian people, as well as those who are hungry, thirsty, homeless, sick, imprisoned, neglected, abused, lost, etc.)
• Yourself (share your needs and invite the Lord to guide you)

 

Conclude your time of prayer by praying the Lord’s Prayer as you have memorized it.

 

 

Wednesday (3/23)

Memory Verse: Luke 6:31

*You are encouraged to spend some time trying to memorize it before you pray, using whichever translation you prefer.

 

Pray or sing the following words from the hymn “I Surrender All”:

All to Jesus I surrender; make me, Savior, wholly thine;

let me feel the Holy Spirit, truly know that thou art mine.

I surrender all, I surrender all,

all to thee, my blessed Savior,

I surrender all.

 

Read Luke 7:36-50. Which word, phrase, or verse is God using to speak to you today from what you read?

 

Pray however you feel led to pray, then conclude your prayer time with the prayer Jesus taught from Matthew 6:9-13 (MSG):

Our Father in heaven,

Reveal who you are.

Set the world right;

Do what’s best —

as above, so below.

Keep us alive with three square meals.

Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others.

Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil.

You’re in charge!

You can do anything you want!

You’re ablaze in beauty!

Yes. Yes. Yes.

 

 

Thursday (3/24)

Memory Verse: Luke 6:31

*Read the Memory Verse a few times.

 

Say, sing, or pray the following words from the song “The Lost Are Found”:

The lost are found

The blind will see

The lame will walk

The dead will live

And You, our God,

Forever You will reign

 

Be silent for a few minutes as you imagine seeing Jesus step down from his throne over all of creation to seek and find those who are lost, give sight to the blind, enable people who couldn’t walk to be able to walk, and to bring the dead back to life. You may find it helpful to sit, kneel, or lay face down on the ground as a position of submission and awe.

 

Read Luke 8:1-21. You are encouraged to use the suggestions and questions on the list from the Sunday portion of this devotional during your study time.

 

Pray in response to God using the ACTS acronym as a guide:

Adoration (praise the Lord)

Confession

Thanksgiving

Supplication (share your needs & the needs of others)

 

Conclude your time of prayer by praying the Lord’s Prayer as you have memorized it.

 

 

Friday (3/25)

Memory Verse: Luke 6:31

*You are encouraged to spend some time trying to memorize it before you pray, using whichever translation you prefer.

 

Pray or sing the following words from the hymn “I Surrender All”:

All to Jesus I surrender; make me, Savior, wholly thine;

let me feel the Holy Spirit, truly know that thou art mine.

I surrender all, I surrender all,

all to thee, my blessed Savior,

I surrender all.

 

Read Luke 8:22-56. Which word, phrase, or verse is God using to speak to you today from what you read?

 

Pray that the Lord helps you and our congregation to live the AUMC virtues revealed in Christ, which includes humility, compassion, forgiveness, and love. Afterwards, conclude your prayer time with the prayer Jesus taught from Matthew 6:9-13 (NRSV):

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.

Your kingdom come.

Your will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

And do not bring us to the time of trial,

but rescue us from the evil one.

 

 

Saturday (3/26)

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 worship God, rest, and be refreshed. You may need to begin by setting aside an hour on Saturday or Sunday to develop a new habit of observing the Sabbath. It might be helpful for you to incrementally observe the Sabbath by setting aside an increasing portion of a day each weekend until you are eventually able to worship and rest an entire day each week.

 

Read Luke 6:31, the memory verse for this past week.

 

Solitude and Silence. You are encouraged to find a place where you can quietly be alone for at least ten, twenty, or thirty minutes. During your time of solitude & silence with the Lord, you may want to lay down, sit on a comfortable chair, couch, or swing, or go for a walk. During the solitude, silently listen for the internal whisper of the Holy Spirit. Focus on the memory verse as if you are hearing Jesus speak it directly to you. Allow Jesus’ words to roll around in your mind and transform your heart.

 

Read Luke 9:1-17. What community, workplace, neighborhood, group of friends, and family have you been sent to as a representative of Christ? Like the twelve disciples when they were sent out by Jesus in Luke 9, are you sharing the gospel with others? Why or why not?

 

Listen to “Nobody” by Casting Crowns and Matthew West using the YouTube link below:

Nobody by Casting Crowns

 

Pray for the Lord to reveal to you who is part of your life that needs to hear the gospel message this Lenten season, then invite the Holy Spirit to guide you to do something about it. Conclude your time of prayer by praying the Lord’s Prayer the way you have memorized it.

 

Spend some time writing out a summary of the Good News about Jesus. How would you share it with others in a simple and concise way? Consider writing your answer in a journal as well as spending some time talking to your spouse, another family member, or friend about it.