Make Your Day Divine

Get ready to add some spiritual spice to your daily routine with our new series of scripture reading! Each day we’ll serve up a heaping helping of wisdom straight from the Bible, covering topics like trust, gratitude, and finding peace in difficult times. Think of it like a daily vitamin for your faith. With a little bit of reflection, these verses could have you feeling closer to God than a hug from an angel. And let’s be honest, who doesn’t need a little bit of angelic love in their life? So join us, and let’s start filling our days with faith, one scripture at a time.

Here’s how it will work. We will share readings for each day of the week online, in your email inbox, and in Sunday’s bulletin. You be sure to read each day’s verse or verses. If you miss a day, catch up the following day. But try to make it a part of your daily routine. Two or three times each week, Pastors Joanie, Jason and Ryan will offer a brief reflection on a few of the verses via the church website and emails. Perhaps these pastoral reflections can help jump-start your own personal reflections. And that’s it!

We believe that if you will journey with us through these daily doses of spiritual spice, that your faith will deepen, your load will lighten, and you will begin to see God more and more in the world around you. Let’s feast on the Word!

Readings for the Remainder of This Week:

Wednesday, Jan 11: Hebrews 2:14-18 ; Psalm 105:1-4 ; Mark 1:29-39

Thursday, Jan 12: Hebrews 3:7-14 ; Psalm 95:6-7 ; Mark 1:40-45

Friday, Jan 13: Hebrews 4:1-5,11 ; Psalm 78:1-4 ; Mark 2:1-12

Saturday, Jan 14: Hebrews 4:12-16 ; Psalm 19:8-10 ; Mark 2:13-17

Sunday, Jan 15: Isaiah 49:1-7 ; Psalm 40:1-11 ; 1 Corinthians 1:1-9 ; John 1:29-42

That’s Suffer-able

Reflection for Wednesday

Hebrews 2:14-18 ; Psalm 105:1-4 ; Mark 1:29-39

“Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.”

Hebrews 2:18

Let me shorten Hebrews 2:18 a little for you: “Because he suffered, he is able.” We don’t always think about suffering as something that gives us any kind of helpful ability. But that is what this verse says about Jesus’ suffering. His suffering gave Him an ability to help us. Paul reminds us in Romans 5:3 that “suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” In other words, suffering can be a seed which sprouts into hope. Suffering does not have to leave us in the mud pit or hurt, pain, and self-pity. If we take up our cross, as Jesus did, our suffering can be a source of great ability and hope.

The suffering I endured from breaking up with those first few teenage crushes gives me the ability to have a lot of empathy for young people today who are at a similar place. Suffering through the loss of my father gives me an ability to hear more deeply the experience of someone who is in the midst of losing a parent. Suffering through long, character building lectures from my parents has given me the wisdom to share those same long lectures with my own children! Joking a little on that last one…but you get the point, I hope!

I never want to glorify suffering, but when it is present, God certainly can make light out of the darkness of our suffering. And if we are willing to receive that light, then perhaps we can be a little like Jesus using our suffering to produces something that is able to help another person.

Coming Soon…

Sunday, January 15 – Church Board Meeting & Training After Worship

Sunday, January 15 – Youth at Williams’ House, 5:00pm

Tuesday, January 24 – Hood Memorial Serves at DUMA Food Pantry 9:00am – 2:00pm