Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Thought for Wednesday June 1

Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Praise the LORD from the heavens;
praise him in the heights.
Praise him, all you his angels;
praise him, all you his hosts.
Heaven and earth are full of your glory.

John 16: 12 – 15 Jesus said to his disciples: “I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now.”

Am I excited about the possibility of Jesus telling me something new or does it scare me? Have I accepted everything that Jesus will teach me?

Action: Identify those things in your life that could inhibit you from accepting a new mission from Jesus and work to free yourself from the hold those things have over you.

Monday, May 30, 2011

Thought for Tuesday May 31

Among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.
God indeed is my savior;
I am confident and unafraid.
My strength and my courage is the LORD,
and he has been my savior.
With joy you will draw water
at the fountain of salvation.
Among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.


Romans 12: 9 – 16 Brothers and sisters: Let love be sincere; hate what is evil, hold on to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; anticipate one another in showing honor.

What is sincere love? How do I show honor?

Action: Be sincere and loving and anticipate others needs.

Sunday, May 29, 2011

Thought for Monday May 30

The Lord takes delight in his people.
Let the faithful exult in glory;
let them sing for joy upon their couches.
Let the high praises of God be in their throats.
This is the glory of all his faithful. Alleluia.
The Lord takes delight in his people.

John 15: 26 – 16: 4 They will expel you from the synagogues; in fact, the hour is coming when everyone who kills you will think he is offering worship to God.

Would I be willing to give me life for what I believe in? Am I investing my life working for what I believe in?

Action: Spend some time today thinking of all those who gave their lives to preserve what they believed in and all of those who spent their lives working to make your life better.



Thursday, May 26, 2011

Thought for Friday May 27

I will give you thanks among the peoples, O Lord.
My heart is steadfast, O God; my heart is steadfast;
I will sing and chant praise.
Awake, O my soul; awake, lyre and harp!
I will wake the dawn.
I will give you thanks among the peoples, O Lord.


John 15: 12 – 17 I have called you friends, because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father.

Who do I call friends? Why?

Action: Do something with a friend this weekend.



Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Thought for Thursday May 26

Proclaim God’s marvelous deeds to all the nations.
Sing to the LORD a new song;
sing to the LORD, all you lands.
Sing to the LORD; bless his name.
Proclaim God’s marvelous deeds to all the nations.

John 15: 9 – 11 “I have told you this so that my joy might be in you and your joy might be complete.”

When was the last time I expressed joy? Do I ever feel guilty expressing joy around others who may be experiencing sorrow?


Action: Find a way to express joy in a way that lifts up those around you.

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Thought for Wednesday May 25

Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
I rejoiced because they said to me,
“We will go up to the house of the LORD.”
And now we have set foot
within your gates, O Jerusalem.
Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.


John 15: 1 – 8 Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me.

What good am I doing in my community? Have I ever tried to change the world, or even a small corner of it, without Jesus and the community of believers?

Action: Remain in Jesus and bear some fruit.

Monday, May 23, 2011

Thought for Tuesday May 24

Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
May my mouth speak the praise of the LORD,
and may all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.
Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your kingdom.


John 14: 27 – 31 Jesus said to his disciples: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.”

How does the world try to give peace? How is the Peace of Christ different?

Action: Bring peace into your interactions with others this week.


Sunday, May 22, 2011

Thought for Monday May 23

Not to us, O Lord, but to your name give the glory.
May you be blessed by the LORD,
who made heaven and earth.
Heaven is the heaven of the LORD,
but the earth he has given to the children of men.
Not to us, O Lord, but to your name give the glory.

John 14: 21 – 26 Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; yet the word you hear is not mine but that of the Father who sent me.

Do I love Jesus? Do I keep his words?

Action: Spend some time thinking about how you can love Jesus more and keep his words better.


Thursday, May 19, 2011

Thought for Friday May 20

You are my Son; this day I have begotten you.
“Ask of me and I will give you
the nations for an inheritance
and the ends of the earth for your possession.
You shall rule them with an iron rod;
you shall shatter them like an earthen dish.”
You are my Son; this day I have begotten you.


John 14: 1 – 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

If I knew the world was going to end Saturday, what would I do differently than I have been doing? Can I do anything to earn my way into heaven?


Action: Relax and have a good weekend – I think a lot of people need it right now.

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Thought for Thursday May 19

For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
The favors of the LORD I will sing forever;
through all generations my mouth shall proclaim your faithfulness.
For you have said, “My kindness is established forever”;
in heaven you have confirmed your faithfulness.
For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.


John 13: 16 – 20 Amen, amen, I say to you, no slave is greater than his master nor any messenger greater than the one who sent him.

Who is my master? What message have I been given to deliver?

Action: Pay attention to the message you are delivering by the way you talk, write, drive, etc. and identify any changes you should make.

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Thought for Wednesday May 18

O God, let all the nations praise you!
May God have pity on us and bless us;
may he let his face shine upon us.
So may your way be known upon earth;
among all nations, your salvation.
O God, let all the nations praise you!


John 12: 44 – 50 Whoever rejects me and does not accept my words has something to judge him: the word that I spoke, it will condemn him on the last day, because I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and speak.

Do I take Jesus’ words this seriously? Is there anything Jesus said that I regard as just “nice to do”?

Action: Read the Gospel until you find something Jesus said that you regard as less than a commandment and then do something to live it out.



Monday, May 16, 2011

Thought for Tuesday May 17

All you nations, praise the Lord.
His foundation upon the holy mountains
the LORD loves:
The gates of Zion,
more than any dwelling of Jacob.
Glorious things are said of you,
O city of God!
All you nations, praise the Lord.

Acts 11: 19 – 26 For a whole year they met with the Church and taught a large number of people, and it was in Antioch that the disciples were first called Christians.

When did I first think of myself as a Christian? What does it mean to be called a Christian?
Action: Live up to the name Christian.


Sunday, May 15, 2011

Thought for Monday May 16

Athirst is my soul for the living God.
Send forth your light and your fidelity;
they shall lead me on
And bring me to your holy mountain,
to your dwelling-place.
Athirst is my soul for the living God.


John 10: 11 – 18 A hired man, who is not a shepherd and whose sheep are not his own, sees a wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away, and the wolf catches and scatters them. This is because he works for pay and has no concern for the sheep.

Do I approach my work as hired help or as a shepherd who cares? Do I look to Jesus as my shepherd or just as God’s hired savior?

Action: Invest your time working for things you care about.

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Thought for Thursday May 12

Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
Bless our God, you peoples,
loudly sound his praise;
He has given life to our souls,
and has not let our feet slip.
Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.

John 6: 44 – 51 Jesus said to the crowds: "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draw him”

How has God drawn me? What have I done in response to God’s call to me?

Action: Do something to thank God for drawing you to him.

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Thought for Wednesday May 11

Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
Shout joyfully to God, all the earth,
sing praise to the glory of his name;
proclaim his glorious praise.
Say to God, “How tremendous are your deeds!”
Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.


John 6: 35 - 40 Everything that the Father gives me will come to me, and I will not reject anyone who comes to me, because I came down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of the one who sent me.

Do I reject anyone or group? Have I ever been rejected?

Action: Do something special for someone you know who is feeling rejected.

Monday, May 9, 2011

Thought for Tuesday May 10

Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.
Be my rock of refuge,
a stronghold to give me safety.
You are my rock and my fortress;
for your name’s sake you will lead and guide me.
Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.


John 6: 30 – 35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.”

What do I hunger and thirst for? Are my needs satisfied in Jesus?

Action: Start working on something your community is really hungering for, and ask Jesus to help you.

Sunday, May 8, 2011

Thought for Monday May 9

Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!
I declared my ways, and you answered me;
teach me your statutes.
Make me understand the way of your precepts,
and I will meditate on your wondrous deeds.
Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!

John 6: 22 – 29 Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.

What am I working for? Do I expect to see the final results of all of my work in my lifetime?

Action: Make a change in your life that you know bears witness to Christ even though you know you won’t actually be able to see the results.



Thursday, May 5, 2011

Thought for Friday May 6

One thing I seek: to dwell in the house of the Lord.
One thing I ask of the LORD
this I seek:
To dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
That I may gaze on the loveliness of the LORD
and contemplate his temple.
One thing I seek: to dwell in the house of the Lord.

John 6: 1 – 15 Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, said to him, "There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what good are these for so many?"

Do I ever think that what I have to offer isn’t enough to make a difference? Have I ever seen my efforts multiplied into something great?

Action: Give whatever you can and trust in God to multiply it.



Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Thought for Thursday May 5

The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
I will bless the LORD at all times;
his praise shall be ever in my mouth.
Taste and see how good the LORD is;
blessed the man who takes refuge in him.
The Lord hears the cry of the poor.


John 3: 31 – 36 The one who comes from above is above all. The one who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of earthly things.

How often do I rise above being “earthly”? How can I respond to al of the earthly events that are going on right now; earthquakes, floods, tornados, etc.?

Action: Rise above earthly things, but don’t ignore the pain that comes from earthly disasters.

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Thought for Wednesday May 4

The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
Look to him that you may be radiant with joy,
and your faces may not blush with shame.
When the poor one called out, the LORD heard,
and from all his distress he saved him.
The Lord hears the cry of the poor.


John 3: 16 – 21 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come toward the light, so that his works might not be exposed. But whoever lives the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God.

Are all works either wicked or good? Am I living in the light or the dark?

Action: Live the truth and do works that may be clearly seen as done in God.

Monday, May 2, 2011

Thought for Tuesday May 3

Their message goes out through all the earth.
The heavens declare the glory of God;
and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.
Day pours out the word to day;
and night to night imparts knowledge.
Their message goes out through all the earth.


John 14: 6 – 14 Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father.

Can I name the works Jesus did? Do I do the works Jesus did?

Action: Look up the works of mercy and practice them.

Sunday, May 1, 2011

Thought for Monday May 2

Blessed are all who take refuge in the Lord.
The LORD said to me, “You are my Son;
this day I have begotten you.
Ask of me and I will give you
the nations for an inheritance
and the ends of the earth for your possession.
You shall rule them with an iron rod;
you shall shatter them like an earthen dish.”
Blessed are all who take refuge in the Lord.


John 3: 1 – 8 The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes; so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.

Do the people who see my works and hear my words know that I am born of the Spirit? Do I see others who are obviously born of the Spirit?

Action: Do something for someone who is suffering from windstorms, floods or other problems.