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"Only God" July 29 Readings: Matthew 13:53-14:36, Mark 6, Luke 9:1-17, John 6:1-21

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   Reading the Bible Chronologically in 2026 This year, we will read the Bible chronologically, as it happened, instead of simply reading from Genesis to Revelation. The Old Testament is approximately 3/4 of the Bible, but we will give more emphasis to the New Testament, spending half the year in the Old Testament and half in the New.  Bible Readings :   Matthew 13:53-14:36, Mark 6, Luke 9:1-17, John 6:1-21 In Bible Gateway, we will link to the NIV this year, though you can choose any version you prefer.  Background:     Today's readings focus on two stories that are among the most familiar in the life of Christ. First is the story of Jesus feeding the 5000 with the food of one young man. It is one of the few stories recorded in all four gospels. It is followed in three of the four gospels by the story of Jesus walking on water. Both stories remind us of the amazing and miraculous power of Jesus Christ. Matthew and Mark follow with stories of Jesus hea...
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"Free!" July 28 Readings: Mark 5, Luke 8:26-56

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   Reading the Bible Chronologically in 2026 This year, we will read the Bible chronologically, as it happened, instead of simply reading from Genesis to Revelation. The Old Testament is approximately 3/4 of the Bible, but we will give more emphasis to the New Testament, spending half the year in the Old Testament and half in the New.  Bible Readings :   Mark 5, Luke 8:26-56 In Bible Gateway, we will link to the NIV this year, though you can choose any version you prefer.  Background:     These three stories (or two, the second having two parts) again demonstrate the amazing power of Christ. He casts out the legion of demons, showing his remarkable power; he heals the woman with the issue of blood, and he raises a young woman from the dead. Demons, disease, and death - Jesus dominates them all. Anyone wonder why there were 2000 pigs in Israel? The answer is simple. The Decapolis, or ten cities, were Roman cities around the Galilee region. Gentiles didn...
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"Kingdom Living" July 27 Readings: Matthew 13:24-52, Mark 4:26-34

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   Reading the Bible Chronologically in 2026 This year, we will read the Bible chronologically, as it happened, instead of simply reading from Genesis to Revelation. The Old Testament is approximately 3/4 of the Bible, but we will give more emphasis to the New Testament, spending half the year in the Old Testament and half in the New.  Bible Readings :   Matthew 13:24-52, Mark 4:26-34 In Bible Gateway, we will link to the NIV this year, though you can choose any version you prefer.  Background:     The parade of parables continues in today's readings. Matthew records six different parables here, and Mark has two of them, variations on those that Matthew told. Here are some principles for reading the parables and understanding them. Jesus, according to his own words, told parables to communicate truth to his disciples while hiding it from the world. Only those whose minds are illumined by the Spirit can hope to understand the truths of God.  The pa...
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"Seeds, Soils, and God's Word" July 26 Readings: Matthew 13:1-23, Mark 4:1-25, Luke 8:4-18

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   Reading the Bible Chronologically in 2026 This year, we will read the Bible chronologically, as it happened, instead of simply reading from Genesis to Revelation. The Old Testament is approximately 3/4 of the Bible, but we will give more emphasis to the New Testament, spending half the year in the Old Testament and half in the New.  Bible Readings :   Matthew 13:1-23, Mark 4:1-25, Luke 8:4-18 In Bible Gateway, we will link to the NIV this year, though you can choose any version you prefer.  Background:     "Jesus told stories so that people would understand him better." So many preachers have used Jesus' love for parables as a reason to be a storyteller in their messages. They reference Jesus' parables as their reason for such a tactic. He told stories to make his sermons understandable to the masses. The only problem with that is that Jesus said just the opposite. It is one of the more difficult-to-understand themes of the gospel story, but Jesus o...
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"Yokes on You"July 25 Readings: Matthew 11:20-12:50

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   Reading the Bible Chronologically in 2026 This year, we will read the Bible chronologically, as it happened, instead of simply reading from Genesis to Revelation. The Old Testament is approximately 3/4 of the Bible, but we will give more emphasis to the New Testament, spending half the year in the Old Testament and half in the New.  Bible Readings :   Matthew 11:20-12:50 In Bible Gateway, we will link to the NIV this year, though you can choose any version you prefer.  Background:     Matthew's treatment of the early Galilean ministry of Jesus wraps up in today's readings. He has called, challenged, and empowered his disciples. He has done miracles that would amaze even the jaded people of the 21st Century. And, as we see in chapter 12, his battle with the religionists continues to escalate. Chapter 12 begins with two stories that provoked the Pharisees. First, Jesus' disciples picked grain on the Sabbath - a handful or two for food. Jesus did the u...
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"Giving Up the Glory" July 24 Readings: Matthew 11:1-19, Luke 7:18-35

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   Reading the Bible Chronologically in 2026 This year, we will read the Bible chronologically, as it happened, instead of simply reading from Genesis to Revelation. The Old Testament is approximately 3/4 of the Bible, but we will give more emphasis to the New Testament, spending half the year in the Old Testament and half in the New.  Bible Readings :   Matthew 11:1-19, Luke 7:18-35 In Bible Gateway, we will link to the NIV this year, though you can choose any version you prefer.  Background:     Today's reading is brief - the Matthew and Luke readings are virtually identical. They speak of the ebb and flow of the ministries of John and Jesus. John steps back in humility to prepare the way of the Lord, fading into the background so Jesus can take his place as the focus of the nation. His humility and kingdom focus are great examples.  Daily Devotional:   Giving Up the Glory John the Baptist was unique - Jesus called him the greatest of men. ...
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"No Fear" July 23 Readings: Matthew 10

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   Reading the Bible Chronologically in 2026 This year, we will read the Bible chronologically, as it happened, instead of simply reading from Genesis to Revelation. The Old Testament is approximately 3/4 of the Bible, but we will give more emphasis to the New Testament, spending half the year in the Old Testament and half in the New.  Bible Readings :   Matthew 10 In Bible Gateway, we will link to the NIV this year, though you can choose any version you prefer.  Background:     Jesus reveals much of his leadership philosophy in Matthew 10. In the opening verses, he names his inner circle, the "Twelve" who would form the leadership core of his work (well, 11 of them would!). Volumes could be written about Jesus as a leader, but a few highlights must suffice here. Jesus did not pick the best and the brightest - a serious error according to most leadership gurus. But Jesus chose those who would obey him, and he worked his power through them. His kingdom ...
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