deaf devo Through the Bible Series #4 Jesus, God s Son

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1 deaf devo Through the Bible Series #4 Jesus, God s Son

2 Dear Friend, Are you ready for an exciting study of the New Testament Gospel books? All of the devotions in this issue are based on verses from the New Testament books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. This book is part of our continuing study through the Bible during 2018 and In this book we will learn about Jesus life on earth His birth, baptism, miracles, special followers, parables, prayers, death and resurrection. We will also see how God fulfilled His plan to send Jesus to earth to die so our sins can be forgiven. Jesus wants you to be His friend and follower. If you do not know Jesus, I hope these devotions will teach you about His love and plan for your life. If you are already a Christian, I pray that this study will increase your faith and encourage you to stay close to Jesus every day. Living for Jesus, Jo Krueger Editor

3 Volume 40 January, February, March, April 2019 Issue 1 Editor-in-chief: Chad Entinger Editor: Jo Krueger Assistant Editor: Mavis Brink Layout: Joseph D. Josselyn DEAF DEVO (ISSN ) is published every four months by Deaf Missions, Greenview Road, Council Bluffs, Iowa (Phone: 712/ Voice/ TTY; Videophone: 712/ ; Fax: 712/ ; Website: com). No subscription fee is charged, unless more than one copy of each book is sent to an address. Freewill offerings are accepted to help pay for the publication. Third-class postage paid at Council Bluffs, Iowa Copyright Printed in the United States. Scripture quotations, except where noted elsewhere, are from The Holy Bible: Easy-to-Read Version (formerly English Version for the Deaf), published by World Bible Translation Center, Inc. Copyright 1987, 1999, 2006, 2010 by World Bible Translation Center, Inc., Fort Worth, Texas Used by permission. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Deaf Missions, Greenview Road, Council Bluffs, Iowa

4 New Testament The Bible is divided into the Old Testament and the New Testament. All of the devotions for January through April are about people and events from the New Testament books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. There are three very important reasons why Christians should read and study the New Testament. First, the New Testament tells us about Jesus life on earth, His death and resurrection. Second, we can learn from the New Testament how to become a Christian. Third, the New Testament shows us how to grow as a Christian. When we studied the Old Testament, we learned about God s people, the Israelites. In our study through the New Testament, we will see how God worked through those people to prepare the world for Jesus coming. The Old Testament has many prophecies about Jesus. In the New Testament we can learn that those prophecies really happened. The New Testament is filled with Jesus message for the world. We can find Jesus message in Matthew 4:17. From that time Jesus began to tell people his message: Change your hearts and lives, because God s kingdom is now very near. Change your heart and life and follow Jesus today! Gospel Books The first four books of the New Testament are often called Gospels. The word Gospel means Good News. What is the Good News in these four books? The Good News is that God sent Jesus to earth to die for our sins. The books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John tell us about Jesus life on earth. Each author wrote his book for a different reason. Matthew wrote to tell Jewish people about Jesus. Mark wrote to non-jews. Luke wrote so that people would know the facts about Jesus life and work. John wrote to show Jewish people that Jesus is truly God s Son. If we read and study the Gospel books, we will want to follow and obey Jesus. Then we will be excited to share the Good News about Jesus with other people. In Mark 16:15, Jesus told His followers to tell others about Him. He said to them, Go everywhere in the world. Tell the Good News to everyone. Jesus message is for you and me today, too! Jesus wants us to tell other people about Him every day of our lives. It doesn t matter if we tell our friends at home or if we travel to a foreign country. Think about some people you know who need to learn about Jesus. Share the Good News with them today! Matthew 4:12-17 Tuesday, January 1 2 Mark 16:9-20 Wednesday, January 2

5 Matthew, the Book Matthew is the first book in the New Testament. It was written by a man named Matthew, who was one of Jesus special followers. The book of Matthew is like a bridge between the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Old Testament tells us about people who loved and followed God Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Ruth, David, Solomon and many more. In Matthew 1:1, Matthew begins his book by connecting these people to Jesus. This is the family history of Jesus the Messiah. He came from the family of David, who was from the family of Abraham. Matthew goes on to list many people in Jesus earthly family line. It may seem boring to read through all these names. But it is important for us to know that the Old Testament prophets said Jesus would be born into this family line. The book of Matthew shows us that these prophecies came true. Matthew tells the story of Jesus life from His birth to His ascension into heaven. Matthew worked with Jesus and learned from Him, so we can know that the book of Matthew is true. Praise God for this wonderful story about Jesus love and salvation! Matthew, the Writer Matthew was a Jewish man. He was also called Levi. Matthew collected taxes for the Roman government. Most Jewish people did not like tax collectors. Why? Because often they cheated people and kept some of the tax money for themselves. One day while Matthew was collecting taxes, Jesus came to him. Matthew 9:9 tells us about this. When Jesus was leaving, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the place for collecting taxes. Jesus said to him, Follow me. So he got up and followed Jesus. Matthew left his job and followed Jesus. Matthew worked with Jesus for about three years. After Jesus returned to heaven, Matthew worked with the other disciples in Jerusalem to start the first church. We don t know a lot about Matthew, but we do know that he gave up his job to follow Jesus. Are you willing to give up something to follow Jesus? Maybe God wants you to give up your job and become a missionary in a foreign country. Or maybe God wants you to give up a bad habit so you can serve Him in a better way. Think about your life today. Tell God that you are willing to be like Matthew and serve Him every day. Matthew 1:1-17 Matthew 9:9-13 Thursday, January 3 3 Friday, January 4

6 Mark, the Book The book of Mark was written by Mark, who was also a follower of Jesus. Mark wrote his book for non-jewish people. Mark carefully explained Jewish customs to help his readers understand about Jesus life on earth. Some people believe that Mark may have learned a lot about Jesus from Peter. They also believe that Matthew and Luke used Mark s information to help them write their books about Jesus. The book of Mark is the shortest Gospel book. Mark does not begin his book by telling about Jesus birth like Matthew does. Instead he begins by talking about John the Baptizer. Mark 1:1-2 tells us about this. The Good News about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God, begins with what the prophet Isaiah said would happen. He wrote: Listen! I will send my messenger ahead of you. He will prepare the way for you. John the Baptizer preached about repentance and prepared the Jewish people for Jesus message of salvation. Mark wrote his book to show us that even though Jesus was God s Son, He was also a humble servant. Mark does this by telling about the things that Jesus did while He was on earth His miracles and the things He did to help people. Follow Jesus example. Be a humble servant and show God s love to people you meet today. Mark 1:1-6 Saturday, January 5 4 Mark, the Writer The Bible does not give us a lot of information about Mark. But we do know that he was often called John Mark. In Acts, chapter 12, we learn that Mark s mother was named Mary. She was a follower of Jesus. A group of Christians were meeting at her house when God freed Peter from prison. Paul s writings tell us that Mark worked with Paul, Barnabas and Peter. Mark probably learned more about Jesus from them. Colossians 4:10 tells us that Mark was Barnabas cousin. Mark may have been in the garden when Jesus was arrested. Mark tells us what happened in Mark 14: Then all of Jesus followers left him and ran away. One of those following Jesus was a young man wearing only a linen cloth. When the people tried to grab him, he left the cloth in their hands and ran away naked. Most people think that Mark was talking about himself in these verses. Mark was the young man in the garden who ran away when Jesus was arrested. But the rest of the New Testament shows us that Mark continued to follow Jesus and help in churches around the world. Sometimes we may be like Mark. We may run away from something that God wants us to do. But God is always willing to forgive us if we repent and continue to follow Him. Will you follow Jesus and do what He wants? Mark 14:27-52 Sunday, January 6

7 Luke, the Book The book of Luke was written by a man named Luke. He also wrote the New Testament book of Acts. Both of these books were written to a man named Theophilus. Luke 1:3-4 tells us why Luke wrote these books. I studied it all carefully from the beginning. Then I decided to write it all down for you in an organized way. I did this so that you can be sure that what you have been taught is true. Luke was a very skilled writer. His book begins with the story of John the Baptizer s birth. Then Luke moves on to tell us many wonderful facts about the birth of Jesus. Like Matthew, Luke also includes a list of Jesus earthly ancestors. Through Luke s writings, we can see that Jesus birth was truly an amazing event! The book of Luke mentions many women Elizabeth, Mary, Martha and Mary from Bethany, and the women who went to Jesus tomb. This shows us that Luke honored women and their importance in the ministry of Jesus. Luke also tells about Jesus working with people who were poor and outcast. This shows us how much Jesus loved those people and that His ministry was for all people who were willing to love and follow God. That includes you and me! Jesus came to earth and died on the cross so we can live with Him forever. Luke, the Writer Colossians 4:14 tells us that Luke was a doctor. He was also a friend to Paul and traveled with him as he preached around the world. How do we know that Luke traveled with Paul? There are several sections in the book of Acts where Luke uses the word we. This shows us that Luke was with Paul when those events occurred. When Luke was writing about Jesus to Theophilus, he was very careful and organized. He began his book in Luke 1:1-2. Most Honorable Theophilus: Many others have tried to give a report of the things that happened among us to complete God s plan. What they have written agrees with what we learned from the people who saw these events from the beginning. They also served God by telling people his message. Luke learned about Jesus from people who lived and worked with Him. Throughout his Gospel, Luke presented Jesus as someone who came to live among sinners, love them, help them and die for them. Luke often used the term Son of Man for Jesus. Jesus was God s Son, but He was also a man who served and helped people all of His earthly life. Jesus cared about the people He lived with. He also cares about you! He wants you to love and trust Him and faithfully serve Him every day. Luke 1:1-4 Luke 1:1-4 Monday, January 7 5 Tuesday, January 8

8 John, the Book The book of John was written by John, one of Jesus special followers. He wrote this book to both Jews and non-jews. John s message was that Jesus is the Son of God. As John finishes his book, he tells us in John 20:31why he wrote his book. Jesus did many other miraculous signs that his followers saw, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you can believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God. Then, by believing, you can have life through his name. Matthew, Mark and Luke described many events in the life of Jesus. But John emphasized the meaning of those events. All four Gospel writers tell about the time Jesus fed more than 5000 people. But only John records Jesus message after that miracle happened. In that message Jesus called Himself the Bread of Life. John begins his book by explaining that Jesus was with God from the beginning. Then he tells about John the Baptizer and the beginning of Jesus ministry. John gives a long account of what happened before and after Jesus was crucified. Because John was with Jesus for almost three years, his writing can be trusted. John wanted people to read his account of Jesus life and believe that He is truly God s Son. Do you believe that Jesus is the Son of God? John, the Writer John, and his brother, James, were part of the twelve men that Jesus taught for several years. Often Jesus asked John, James and Peter to stay with Him so He could give them special training. In his book, John sometimes referred to himself as the follower that Jesus loved very much. Many of John s experiences with Jesus were centered around Lake Galilee. That is where John fished and where Jesus called him to be a special follower. John ends his book by telling about Jesus on the shore of Lake Galilee after His resurrection. The book of Galatians tells us that after Jesus ascended to heaven, John was one of the leaders in the church in Jerusalem. He boldly preached about Jesus and His plan of salvation. The New Testament also contains more of John s writing. The books of 1 John, 2 John, 3 John and Revelation were all written by John. John knew that Jesus was God s Son and that He was the light God had sent to shine in the darkness of sin. John wrote about this in John 1:4. In him there was life, and that life was a light for the people of the world. John wanted to share this news with everyone he met. Will you share Jesus with someone today? John 20:30-31 John 1:1-5 Wednesday, January 9 6 Thursday, January 10

9 Jesus Birth (1) Today and for the next few days, we will look at what the New Testament tells us about Jesus birth. Each day we will learn about the people who were part of this wonderful story. Today we will talk about God s Son, Jesus. Jesus is the most important character in this story. The Old Testament prophets said that Jesus would be born someday. The angels announced His birth to the shepherds. Both rich and poor people worshiped Jesus. An angel came to Joseph and told him that Mary would give birth to a special baby. In Matthew 1:21, the angel told Joseph about the baby s name. She will give birth to a son. You will name him Jesus. Give him that name because he will save his people from their sins. Jesus name tells us why He came to earth to save us from the punishment for our sins. Many religions are just a set of rules. But we need more than rules. We need someone who was willing to die for us. Jesus is that person. Without Jesus, we have no hope of eternal life with God. It is good for us to remember the story about Jesus birth all year long. Every day we should praise His name! Dale Erickson Jesus Birth (2) Today we will learn about Jesus mother, Mary. The angel Gabriel came to Mary. Luke 1:31 tells what the angel told Mary. Listen! You will become pregnant and have a baby boy. You will name him Jesus. Gabriel told Mary that Jesus would be the Son of the Most High God and that He would rule over a kingdom that would never end. Mary was confused about how all this would happen. But Gabriel explained that she would become pregnant through God s Holy Spirit. He also reminded her that God can do anything. Mary is a good example for us. First, she was a humble servant. Mary was willing to give birth to God s Son. We should trust and obey God like Mary did. Second, Mary was brave. She could have been scared of criticism from other people. But Mary had the courage to follow God s plan for her life. We should be courageous and follow God s plan for our life, too. Third, Mary believed that God could do this wonderful miracle. She believed that God could do what He had promised. We should believe in God s promises, too. Will you be humble, brave and trusting like Mary? Dale Erickson Matthew 1:18-21 Luke 1:26-38 Friday, January 11 7 Saturday, January 12

10 Jesus Birth (3) When Jesus was born, the angel did not tell a king and other important government officials about Jesus birth. Instead, the angel told some shepherds who were in the fields watching their sheep. The angel told the shepherds that their Savior had been born. Then a large group of angels came and praised God. Luke 2:16 tells us what the shepherds did after the angels left. So they went running and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the feeding box. The shepherds trusted the angel s words and went immediately to find the baby. What did the shepherds do after they saw baby Jesus? They told other people what they had seen. They also praised God and thanked Him. The shepherds were not important people. They were not rich or famous. But God chose them to be the first people to receive the Good News about Jesus birth. This shows us that God loves all people. He loves rich people and poor people. God loves all people, no matter where they come from or the color of their skin. God loves you and wants you to follow His Son, Jesus. Share the Good News about Jesus with someone today. Dale Erickson Wise Men (1) We have been learning about Jesus birth. The wise men are also important characters in this story. Today and for the next five days, we will read about these men and learn some lessons from them. God gave the wise men a star to lead them to Jesus. When the star first appeared in the sky, the wise men gathered gifts to give to the king. They loaded supplies for the journey. When they arrived in Jerusalem, the wise men asked King Herod where they could find the new king. The wise men did everything that was necessary to prepare themselves to meet Jesus. Matthew 2:1 tells us when the wise men took their journey. Jesus was born in the town of Bethlehem in Judea during the time when Herod was king. After Jesus was born, some wise men from the east came to Jerusalem. That happened over 2000 years ago. Then Jesus grew up, died on the cross, arose and returned to heaven to live with God forever. But Jesus promised that He would come back someday and take His followers to live forever with Him. How can we prepare for Jesus to return? We can read and obey the Bible and continue to grow closer to God every day. We can also tell other people about Jesus and show them His love. Luke 2:1-20 Sunday, January 13 8 Are you ready to meet Jesus? Gayle Thorn Matthew 2:1-12 Monday, January 14

11 Wise Men (2) Matthew 2:2 tells us that when the wise men came to Jerusalem, they asked people a question. They asked the people, Where is the child who has been born the king of the Jews? We saw the star that shows he was born. We saw it rise in the sky in the east and have come to worship him. The wise men were very clear about the purpose for their visit to Jerusalem. They wanted to worship the new king. Worshiping Jesus must have been very important to them they made a long, hard journey to worship Him. That makes me wonder what it means to truly worship God. True worship is more than just our actions. It means that we have a deep love for God. The Bible tells us many times that we need to have a special kind of love for God. And true worship is the way we show God our love and respect. The Bible is full of examples of people who truly worshiped God. They dedicated their lives to Him. They offered sacrifices and shared their money and possessions. They sang and danced and praised God. These are just some of the ways we can worship God today. Will you be like the wise men and worship God every day of your life? Gayle Thorn Wise Men (3) The wise men probably expected to find the new king in Jerusalem. Why? Because Jerusalem was the most important city in Israel, and the king usually lived there. After traveling so far, the wise men may have been disappointed that they had to continue to look for Jesus. When the wise men did not find Jesus in Jerusalem, they could have turned around and gone home. But they did not give up. Matthew 2:9 tells us that they faithfully continued to follow God s star. After the wise men heard the king, they left. They saw the star they had seen in the east, and they followed it. The star went before them until it stopped above the place where the child was. Sometimes in life we may face difficult times like sickness, death, financial struggles, divorce or family problems. But we should not let those problems stop us from following God. Instead, we should be like the wise men and continue faithfully to follow God s leading. The wise men followed a star. We need to follow God and His Word, the Bible. God has promised us that He will never leave us alone. He will be with us to encourage, teach and lead us. No matter what is happening in your life today, stay faithful to God! Matthew 2:1-12 Matthew 2:1-12 Tuesday, January 15 9 Wednesday, January 16

12 Wise Men (4) Matthew 2:10 tells us how the wise men felt as they traveled to see Jesus. They were happy and excited to see the star. When the wise men saw the star, they rejoiced. They were happy to see the special sign about Jesus birth. I imagine that the wise men were happy when they told King Herod about the birth of a new king. And they must have been very happy to finally find Jesus, worship Him and give Him their gifts. As Christians, our sins are forgiven and we are saved from eternal separation from God. We should be happy that Jesus was willing to die for us. We should also be excited to be close to Jesus and share the Good News about Him with other people. There are many ways we can express our happiness to God. One way is to worship Him through songs or dance. Another way we can share our happiness is to serve other people preparing a meal for someone, visiting a person who is in the hospital or prison, mowing the lawn for an elderly neighbor or baby sitting for a young mother. Think about ways you can show your happiness to God today. Gayle Thorn Wise Men (5) After the wise men talked with King Herod in Jerusalem, the star led them to finally find Jesus. Matthew 2:11 tells us what happened when they found Jesus. The wise men came to the house where the child was with his mother Mary. They bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their boxes of gifts they had brought for him. They gave him treasures of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. The wise men were probably well-educated men. They must have been wealthy, too. They had to be wealthy in order to give such expensive gifts to Jesus. We all know that gold is expensive. And frankincense and myrrh were very valuable spices at that time. The wise men were willing to give these wonderful gifts to a young child. It is interesting that these educated and wealthy men bowed down and worshiped a young child. These men were wise enough to know that Jesus was worthy of their honor, respect and worship. They were also humble and bowed before Him. How can you be like the wise men? First, recognize that Jesus is God s Son and that He is worthy of your praise, adoration and worship. Then, show your humility by worshiping and serving Jesus every day. Gayle Thorn Matthew 2:1-12 Thusday, January Matthew 2:1-12 Friday, January 18

13 Wise Men (6) Today is our last devotion about the wise men. Let s review what we have learned about these men. God gave the wise men a sign to lead them to Jesus. That sign was a star. The wise men faithful obeyed God and followed the star. They knew it would lead them to Jesus who was the new king born on earth. After the wise men saw Mary, Joseph and Jesus, God gave them a warning message. Matthew 2:12 tells us this message. But God warned the wise men in a dream not to go back to Herod. So they went home to their own country a different way. Again, the wise men obeyed God and took a different route home. Like the wise men, we should faithfully obey God. We should devote our lives to doing what God wants us to do. And we should avoid things that God says are wrong. We can learn about those things by reading and studying the Bible. We don t have a star to lead us to Jesus today. Instead, we have the Bible. When we study God s Word, we can find the way to Jesus. Are you like the wise men? Are you faithfully obeying God and following His Word every day? Gayle Thorn Simeon s Faith God promised the Israelites that He would send them a Savior. They waited and waited many years for the Savior to come. A man named Simeon was waiting for God to send a Savior. Simeon lived in Jerusalem. He was very old. The one thing that Simeon wanted most of all was to see God s Savior. The Holy Spirit told Simeon that he would not die before he saw the Savior. One day the Holy Spirit led Simeon to the temple. While he was there, Mary and Joseph brought baby Jesus to dedicate Him to God. The Spirit told Simeon that Jesus was the promised Savior. Luke 2:28-31 tells us what Simeon did. Simeon took the baby in his arms and thanked God: Now Lord, you can let me, your servant, die in peace as you said. I have seen with my own eyes how you will save your people. Now all people will see your plan. Simeon was happy to see Jesus. The Bible tells us that someday we will see Jesus, too. While we are waiting to see Jesus, we need to follow God and obey His Word. And we also need to tell other people about Jesus. Are you waiting for Jesus to come again? Tell someone the Good News about Him today. Donna Howard Matthew 2:1-12 Saturday, January Luke 2:25-35 Sunday, January 20

14 Waiting A woman was expecting her second child. Her five-year-old son thought that nine months was a long time to wait for the baby to arrive. One day he told his mother, I want that baby now! Yesterday we talked about Simeon, who was waiting for God to send a Savior for the Jews. Many Jews thought this person would be an earthly king who would free them from the Roman government. But their ideas were wrong. God sent His Son, Jesus, to be the Savior for all people. He sent Jesus to earth as a baby. Anna was another person who was waiting to see the promised Savior. Anna was a prophetess, and she was 84 years old. She was always at the Temple worshiping and praising God. Luke 2:38 tells us what happened when Anna saw baby Jesus. Anna was there when Joseph and Mary came to the Temple. She praised God and talked about Jesus to all those who were waiting for God to free Jerusalem. Anna praised God because she was thankful that He had finally sent a Savior for the Jews. We can t physically see Jesus today like Anna did. But we can learn about Him from the Bible. We can be thankful that Jesus is our Savior, too. And we can praise God for His wonderful gift of salvation. Jesus, the Son When Jesus was 12 years old, he and his parents went to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover feast. They were in Jerusalem for several days. When it was time to leave, Mary and Joseph left Jerusalem with other people. They thought Jesus was in the group of travelers. But Mary and Joseph soon realized that Jesus was not with them. So they went back to Jerusalem to find Him. Mary and Joseph found Jesus in the Temple area, talking with the religious teachers. Jesus said that He was there doing God s work. He wanted to stay in the Temple and talk about God. But Luke 2:51 tells us what Jesus did. Jesus went with them to Nazareth and obeyed them. His mother was still thinking about all these things. Jesus knew that God expected Him to obey His earthly mother and father. Jesus was the Son of God. He lived a sinless life on earth. He always did what God wanted Him to do. And He was also willing to submit to His parents and obey them. There are many young people in the world today who do not obey and respect their parents. Help the young people around you to know that God wants them to be obedient and respectful. Teach them to follow Jesus example. Gayle Thorn Eileen Wood Luke 2:36-40 Monday, January Luke 2:41-52 Tuesday, January 22

15 John the Baptizer John the Baptizer was Jesus cousin. John s parents knew that God had chosen him to do something very special. What was John s special job? God wanted John to prepare the Jewish people for Jesus and His teachings. John told the people that the Messiah, God s Son, was coming. John also told the people that they needed to repent and change their hearts. John was very popular. Many people came to hear him preach. But when Jesus started teaching, John knew that his job was finished. John 1:26-27 tells us what John said about Jesus. John answered, I baptize people with water. But there is someone here with you that you don t know. He is the one who is coming later. I am not good enough to be the slave who unties the strings on his sandals. People started following Jesus instead of John. That was what God wanted to happen. John was not jealous of Jesus popularity. He knew that he was God s servant. John humbly obeyed and served God. John the Baptizer must have felt peace and joy because he knew that he was doing what God wanted him to do. We can have peace, too, if we will obey God and follow His Word. How will you obey God today? Naomi Wiederkehr Jesus, our Example John the Baptizer preached in the desert region around the Jordan River. He told the Jewish people to change their hearts. Why? Because the kingdom of heaven was coming. People repented of their sins, and John baptized them by immersing them under the water. One day Jesus came to John. Jesus asked John to baptize Him. John tried to stop Jesus. He said that Jesus should baptize him instead. John knew that Jesus was God s Son and that He had never sinned. Jesus did not need to repent and change His life. But Jesus told John to baptize Him because it was the right thing to do. After Jesus was baptized, God showed that He was pleased with Jesus. When Jesus came up out of the water, the sky opened. God s Spirit came down on Jesus like a dove. Matthew 3:17 tells us what God said. A voice from heaven said, This is my Son, the one I love. I am very pleased with him. Jesus was baptized to show us that baptism is important. He also showed us that we should always do what is right. Jesus wants us to follow His example in every part of our lives. Are you willing to follow Jesus example? Jolynn Stinehagen John 1:19-34 Matthew 3:13-17 Wednesday, January Thursday, January 24

16 Jesus was Human Jesus was God s Son, but He was also human. Mary gave birth to Jesus, just like other babies are born. That shows us that Jesus was human. Throughout His life, Jesus experienced the same things you and I experience. Matthew, chapter 4, tells us that Jesus ate nothing for 40 days and nights. After that, He was very hungry. And John 4:6-7 tells us that Jesus experienced tiredness and thirst. Jacob s well was there. Jesus was tired from his long trip, so he sat down beside the well. It was about noon. A Samaritan woman came to the well to get some water, and Jesus said to her, Please give me a drink. Sometimes Jesus was sad or upset just like you and me! John, chapter 11, tells us that when Jesus friend, Lazarus, died, Jesus cried and was very upset. Why did Jesus become human? He became a man so He could die on the cross and save us from our sins. Even though Jesus was human, He lived a perfect life because He was God, too. Whatever happens to you today, remember that Jesus experienced both good and bad things, too. Thank Jesus for becoming like us! Chad Entinger Jesus was Tempted While Jesus lived on earth as a human, the devil tempted Him to do things that were wrong. One time Jesus experienced three temptations from the devil. These temptations happened after Jesus was in the desert for 40 days. Jesus was very hungry because He had not eaten any food during those 40 days. The devil approached Jesus and tempted Him. First, he tried to get Jesus to change a rock into bread. Jesus answered the devil with a Bible verse. He said it is God s Word, not food, that keeps people alive. Then the devil tried to get Jesus to worship him instead of worshiping God. Luke 4:8 tells us that again Jesus answered the devil with a Bible verse. Jesus answered, The Scriptures say, You must worship the Lord your God. Serve only him. Finally, the devil tempted Jesus to jump from a high place at the edge of the Temple. Jesus quoted a Bible verse that says we should not test God. How did Jesus resist temptation? He remembered verses from God s Word. Jesus was tempted many times, but He never sinned. We can be like Jesus. We can depend on God s Word, the Bible, to help us resist temptation and stand strong for God. Chad Entinger Friday, January 25 John 4: Luke 4:1-13 Saturday, January 26

17 Jesus, Our Healer Simon Peter s mother-in-law was very sick. She had a high fever. People asked Jesus to do something to help her. Jesus helped her. He commanded the sickness to go away. Luke 4:39 tells us what happened. He stood very close to her and ordered the sickness to go away. The sickness left her, and she got up and began serving them. That was a miracle something that can only be done by God s power. Because Jesus is God, He can perform miracles. Later that same day, other people brought their sick friends to Jesus. They had different kinds of sicknesses. Jesus healed each one of them. Jesus also made demons, evil spirits from the devil, come out of some people. They came out of the people because they knew that Jesus was the Son of God. They knew that Jesus had God s power. Throughout His life, Jesus met many people who were sick or hurt. He healed them and also showed them God s love and power. Are you sick? Pray for Jesus to heal you of your sickness. Is there someone you know who is sick? Ask Jesus to heal them. Chad Entinger Jesus, Our Leader In Luke, chapter 5, we can see that Jesus truly was a leader. He got into a boat that belonged to Simon Peter. Jesus asked Simon to push the boat out a little from the shore. Then He taught the people while He sat in the boat. Later, Jesus told Simon to take his boat into deep water. Jesus assured Simon that if he put his nets into the water, he would catch some fish. Even though Simon had not caught any fish the night before, he did what Jesus told him to do. Simon and the other fishermen put their nets in the water. The nets were filled with so many fish that they started to break! They had to call friends in other boats to come and help them. They were all amazed. Luke 5:10 tells us what Jesus told those amazed people. James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were amazed too. (James and John worked together with Simon.) Jesus said to Simon, Don t be afraid. From now on your work will be to bring in people, not fish! These men brought their boats to shore. They left everything and followed Jesus as their leader. Jesus is our leader, too. Be like Simon, James and John. Follow Jesus. Obey everything He has commanded us in the Bible. Chad Entinger Luke 4:38-41 Luke 5:1-11 Sunday, January Monday, January 28

18 Jesus, Our Teacher Jesus is the best teacher I know! He was a very skilled teacher when He lived as a human on earth. Jesus had many opportunities to teach His disciples as well as large groups of people. And, Jesus continues to teach us through His Word, the Bible, today. One reason Jesus was a very good teacher is that He taught using simple stories. One time Jesus used a simple illustration about a man building a house. Luke 6:48 tells us this story. They are like a man building a house. He digs deep and builds his house on rock. The floods come, and the water crashes against the house. But the flood cannot move the house, because it was built well. Jesus went on to also talk about another man who built a house without preparing the foundation. When the floods came, that house was completely destroyed. Jesus used this simple illustration to teach spiritual truths. In this story, Jesus taught people to listen to Him and obey His words. Jesus also warned that people who do not listen to Him will be like the man who built his house on a weak foundation. Those people will be destroyed. Be like the man who built his house on the firm foundation of rock. Depend on Jesus teachings in the Bible. And obey Him every day! Jesus, Our Master A master is a person with the ability or power to control people or things. Jesus is truly our Master. Why? Because Jesus has the ability and power to control everything in the world. Luke, chapter 8, shows us that Jesus has the power to control the weather. One day Jesus was with His followers in a boat. While they were sailing, Jesus fell asleep. A big storm came, and the boat began to fill with water. It was a dangerous situation! Luke 8:24 tells us how Jesus handled this situation. The followers went to Jesus and woke him. They said, Master! Master! We will drown! Jesus got up. He gave a command to the wind and the waves. The wind stopped, and the lake became calm. This was truly a miracle! The followers were both afraid and amazed. They learned that Jesus had power over the wind and the waves. And they learned that Jesus was the Master over their lives. Jesus wants to be your Master, too. Let Jesus take control of your life. Depend on His ability and power to guide you every day of your life. Chad Entinger Chad Entinger Luke 6:46-49 Tuesday, January Luke 8:22-25 Wednesday, January 30

19 Do Good Things I am sure that you have experienced times when people were kind to you. Maybe you had a bad day and someone gave you a hug. Perhaps you were in a busy store and someone let you go in front of them in the check-out line. Maybe you were sick and a friend brought you a meal. Or someone smiled at you or sent you a card that made you laugh. When we are kind and do good things, we are showing God s love to other people. In Matthew 5:16, Jesus told His followers how they should live. In the same way, you should be a light for other people. Live so that they will see the good things you do and praise your Father in heaven. We should not do good things just so people will praise us. But we should show love and kindness to other people so that they can learn more about God and His great love. And when we do good things, God is pleased with us. When someone is kind to you today, thank them and praise God. Then look for opportunities for you to do good things for your family members, friends and coworkers. And don t forget to be kind to strangers that you meet. Linda Lamb On a Mountain (1) One time Jesus and His disciples went up on a mountain. He sat down and started teaching a large group of people. Sometimes this teaching is called Jesus sermon on the mount. We can find this in Matthew, chapters 5 through 7. Jesus began His teaching by talking about some great blessings that God gives to His people. One of these great blessings is found in Matthew 5:4. Great blessings belong to those who are sad now. God will comfort them. God blesses us all the time, but there are special times that He comforts and blesses us even more. God comforts us when we are sad because someone we love has died. God gives us His peace during these difficult times. We are also sad when we realize that we are sinners and need Jesus to be our Savior. When we confess our sins and obey God, He comforts us and blesses us with His Son, Jesus, and His Holy Spirit. You can have all of the blessings that Jesus talked about in His sermon on the mountain. Follow and obey Jesus teachings and live for Him every day. Suzanne Austin-Hill Matthew 5:13-16 Matthew 5:3-12 Thursday, January Friday, February 1

20 On a Mountain (2) Sometimes people say that they do not know how to pray to God. Praying to God does not have to be fancy or complicated. God just wants us to talk to Him. When we pray, we should talk to God honestly and tell Him how we feel. God will pay attention to our prayers. While Jesus was teaching on the mountain, He talked about prayer. In Matthew 6:7-8, Jesus reminded His followers that they didn t have to repeat fancy words when they prayed. And when you pray, don t be like the people who don t know God. They say the same things again and again. They think that if they say it enough, their god will hear them. Don t be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Jesus went on to give His followers a model prayer. This prayer begins by showing respect for God and asking that God s will be done. Next, this prayer asks God to provide the food we need, to forgive our sins and to keep us away from temptation. This is a good model for us to follow when we pray to God. You can pray to God at any time and in any place. No matter what is happening in your life, you can talk with God and He will listen to you. Take time right now to talk with your heavenly Father! Suzanne Austin-Hill On a Mountain (3) Jesus continued teaching the large group of people. He told them that they should serve God and not worry about things in life. Then in Matthew 7:1-2, Jesus talked about how we should act toward other people. Don t judge others, and God will not judge you. If you judge others, you will be judged the same way you judge them. God will treat you the same way you treat others. That reminds me of a woman who had a special lipstick case. One day she couldn t find it. She saw a lipstick case in her granddaughter s room. The woman assumed that her granddaughter had taken her lipstick case, so she took the case back. Later that day, she found her own lipstick case in her purse. The woman had judged her granddaughter to be guilty of stealing, but she was wrong. Jesus went on to say that before we criticize someone for doing wrong things, we need to first remove the wrong things from our life. If we don t, we are being a hypocrite. The next time you think about judging someone, stop and think about your own life. Ask God to forgive your sins and to show you how you can be patient with other people. Suzanne Austin-Hill Matthew 6:5-15 Saturday, February 2 18 Matthew 7:1-6 Sunday, February 3

21 Disciples Prayer (1) We have already talked a little about the model prayer that Jesus taught when He was on the mountain. Today and for the next few days we will learn more about this prayer. This prayer is one way Jesus taught His disciples to pray. So we will call it the disciples prayer. It is our prayer, too. It is a wonderful model prayer that we can use in our own prayer life. This prayer is very short. In some English Bibles, it is only sixty-six words. We can sign or say it in less than a minute. But many people in the world today have memorized this prayer. When we repeat this prayer, we need to understand what it means and make it our sincere prayer to God. Jesus taught this prayer at least twice. Once, in Matthew 6:9-13 when He was on a mountain in Galilee and again in Luke 11:1-4. Luke 11:1 tells us why Jesus prayed this prayer. One time Jesus was out praying, and when he finished, one of his followers said to him, John taught his followers how to pray. Lord, teach us how to pray, too. We should have the same attitude as Jesus disciples. We should want to improve our prayer life and be closer to God. Disciples Prayer (2) This is how the disciples prayer begins in Matthew 6:9. So this is how you should pray: Our Father in heaven, we pray that your name will always be kept holy. Today we will look at the words, Our Father in heaven. These four words could be a prayer by themselves. These words are a confession that God is our Father in heaven. When we begin our prayers by acknowledging God as our Father, we show Him our faith, hope and love. Paul said in 1 Corinthians that these three things will continue when other things have passed away. It is important for us to have faith that God is our Father. This is a basic part of our Christian life. When we say that God is in heaven, we show our hope that we will live in heaven with Him forever. And when we call God our Father, we show that we love Him and belong to Him. When we become a Christian, we are born into His family. We are His children, and He is our Father. When you pray, follow Jesus example. Open up your heart and mind to God. And show God your faith, hope and love. Harold Noe Harold Noe Luke 11:1-4 Matthew 6:9-13 Monday, February 4 19 Tuesday, February 5

22 Disciples Prayer (3) After Jesus opened His prayer, He listed six things that we should pray for. Three of them are things we pray will happen that bring honor and praise to God. These first three things are not for ourselves. They are for God. The first thing we should pray for is found in Luke 11:2. Jesus said to the followers, This is how you should pray: Father, we pray that your name will always be kept holy. This is a prayer for reverence and holiness. In the book of Revelation, John described that kind of reverence in heaven. Many people today do not love and respect God. Wouldn t it be wonderful if people on earth had this same heavenly reverence for God? We can help that to happen by showing respect for God s name. Our signs and speech reflect our thoughts. If we remember God s power and holiness, we will never use God s name as a curse word or in a bad way. Let your love and reverence for God show through your communication today. Always use God s name in a reverent and holy way. That will encourage other people to love and worship God. Harold Noe Disciples Prayer (4) The disciples prayer continues with another thing we should pray for God s kingdom on earth. We read about this in Matthew 6:10. We pray that your kingdom will come that what you want will be done here on earth, the same as in heaven. God has always had a kingdom. His kingdom is made up of people who accept His authority and obey Him. God will always have a kingdom. However, our prayer should be that His rule here on earth will be like it is in heaven. In heaven, God s rule is complete and perfect! Our prayer should be that people will allow God to rule over their hearts and lives. What if everyone in the world followed and obeyed God? The world would certainly be a different place. There would be peace and happiness everywhere, and people would show love and kindness to everyone. The Bible tells us that not everyone in the world will follow God. Many people will refuse to obey Him. But it is still our duty to live for Jesus every day and to make sure that we are allowing God to rule over us here on earth. Submit to God and follow Him completely today. Harold Noe Luke 11:1-4 Wednesday, February 6 20 Matthew 6:9-13 Thursday, February 7

23 Disciples Prayer (5) Yesterday we looked at Matthew 6:10. In that verse, Jesus prayed that God s will be done here on earth just like it is in heaven. Sometimes we may feel that God s will is something connected to a disaster that we experience in life. People try to explain some terrible happening by saying, Well, it is God s will. Sickness, sorrow, pain and death are not God s will. These things happen because there is sin and rebellion in the world. We should not blame God for these tragedies and pain. Living in God s will is the happiest and easiest way to live. That means that we do what God wants us to do. Jesus explained about this in Matthew 12:50. Yes, anyone who does what my Father in heaven wants is my true brother and sister and mother. When we do what God wants, we will have a final victory when our life is over. Surrendering to God s will is the only way to live. When we do that, we don t have to be afraid of the future. If all the people on earth would do what God wanted, we would all be part of God s family. Jesus prayed that this would happen. Pray that other people will follow and obey God, too. Disciples Prayer (6) In the disciples prayer, Jesus said to first pray for the things that honor God: His name, His kingdom and His will. After this, Jesus teaches us to pray for our own needs. Jesus gave us this example in Matthew 6:11. Give us the food we need for today. God is concerned about the physical things we need in life. Jesus said that God knows what we need before we ask, but He wants us to ask Him anyway. While Jesus was on earth, He was concerned about people s physical needs. He noticed the widow who only had two small coins. Jesus told about another widow who lost a coin. He talked about people needing patches on old clothes, and He fed more than 5000 people who were hungry. Notice that Jesus said we should ask for the food we need for today. Each day we should pray for what we need. We should not expect God to give us enough to store up for all our future days. No, we should pray only about what we need today. Remember that God has taken care of you in the past. Ask Him to take care of you today. Harold Noe Harold Noe Matthew 12:46-50 Matthew 6:9-13 Friday, February 8 21 Saturday, February 9

24 Disciples Prayer (7) The second thing in the disciples prayer that we should ask for ourselves is forgiveness for our sins. Jesus talked about this in Matthew 6:12. Forgive our sins, just as we have forgiven those who did wrong to us. The Greek word Jesus used here for sin means that we have done something to offend or hurt someone. Every person on earth has sinned. I am a sinner, and you are a sinner. We all do wrong things every day. When we sin, we need to ask God to forgive us for what we have done wrong. And when we offend or hurt someone, we need to also ask them to forgive us. Sometimes people do wrong things to us. Maybe they tell a lie about us or call us bad names. Even though it is difficult to do, we need to forgive those people. Jesus reminds us that God s forgiveness depends on our forgiveness of others. God will forgive us the same way we forgive other people. This may be the hardest part of the disciples prayer for us to do. We all need God s forgiveness. And we all need to forgive other people. Follow Jesus example of forgiveness and love! Harold Noe Disciples Prayer (8) In the disciples prayer, Jesus taught us to pray about three things for ourselves. These things cover the present (daily food), the past (forgiveness) and the future (temptations). Here is what Jesus prayed in Matthew 6:13. Don t let us be tempted, but save us from the Evil One. When we think about the future, we probably don t think much about temptations. We usually think about finances, sickness, suffering and death. But Jesus did not say we should pray to be saved from those things. Instead, He said we should pray to be saved from the temptations of the devil. Maybe you think that you are spiritually strong and don t need to think about temptations. You don t think you need to pray about the devil tempting you. But Jesus knows us better than we do. He is concerned about our spiritual lives. Jesus wants us to stay close to God. One time Jesus said that we could gain everything in the world but still miss out on eternal life with Him. When you pray today, ask God to keep you strong so you can resist the devil and his temptations. Harold Noe Matthew 6:9-13 Sunday, February Matthew 6:9-13 Monday, February 11

25 Nazareth One day Jesus went to Nazareth. Nazareth is the town where Joseph and Mary lived and where Jesus grew up. When the people in Nazareth saw Jesus, they were amazed that He could teach them. Some of these people had known Jesus since He was a child. They thought He was just a simple carpenter like Joseph. They did not understand how important Jesus was. The people of Nazareth could not see the truth about Jesus. They did not want to understand. Jesus showed them proof that He was God s Son, but they did not believe. Luke 4:24 tells us what Jesus said about Nazareth. Then he said, The truth is, a prophet is not accepted in his own hometown. Jesus was talking about the fact that these people did not understand who He really was. Sometimes we are like those people from Nazareth. We think it is easy to understand Jesus. We may think we already know everything about Him. But we must think about Jesus and continue to learn about Him from the Bible every day. Then we will understand that He is God s Son and our Savior. Study God s Word and learn more about Jesus today! Matt Keller Zacchaeus Jesus traveled to the city of Jericho where there lived a man named Zacchaeus. Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus, so he went to a place where he knew Jesus would be. Then he climbed a tree so he could see Jesus. Zacchaeus was a tax collector. Many Jewish people did not like tax collectors. But Jesus paid attention to Zacchaeus anyway. Jesus went to Zacchaeus house. We do not know what Jesus said to Zacchaeus, but it changed him forever. Zacchaeus became a different man. He said he wanted to start doing good things. But some people complained that Jesus was with a sinner like Zacchaeus. The people who complained did not realize that God can change a person s life. Luke 19:9-10 tells us what Jesus said about Zacchaeus. Jesus said, Today is the day for this family to be saved from sin. Yes, even this tax collector is one of God s chosen people. The Son of Man came to find lost people and save them. Maybe you know people who you think will never follow Jesus. Be patient with them. Keep sharing the Good News about Jesus with them. And pray that they will allow God to change their lives. Diana French Luke 4:14-30 Luke 19:1-10 Tuesday, February Wednesday, February 13

26 Rest We live in a busy world. Many people have a long commute to their jobs. Then they work 8 hours and drive home again. By the time they arrive, they may have been gone 10 hours from home. Then they have family responsibilities and things to do around their home. By bedtime they are very tired. All they want to do is go to bed and rest. Physical rest is important. But Christians need another kind of rest, too. We need rest from the frustrations and worries in our lives. Some people think they will find rest by using alcohol and drugs. But true rest can only come from Jesus. One time Jesus was talking to His followers. He knew that they were tired of all the religious rules that the Jewish leaders had made for them. Jesus told His followers that He was gentle and humble. Jesus continued to talk about His teaching in Matthew 11:30. Yes, the teaching that I ask you to accept is easy. The load I give you to carry is light. Maybe you are spiritually tired today. Be like Jesus. Follow His example of gentleness and humility. Then you can have peace and rest from the troubles in life. Apostles (1) Today we will begin learning about Jesus apostles. The word apostle means one who is sent. The apostles were men that Jesus chose to be His special followers. Twelve apostles followed Jesus for about three years. They saw Jesus miracles and listened to Him teach. And eleven of these twelve men witnessed Jesus resurrection. (One man, Judas Iscariot, died before Jesus resurrection.) For the next few days we will look at each of these twelve men and learn from their lives. Sometimes when we need to make a hard decision, we worry and become upset. What did Jesus do when He had to make an important decision? The night before Jesus chose His apostles, He went out on a mountain to pray. He prayed all night to God. Luke 6:13 tells us what happened next. The next morning he called his followers. He chose twelve of them and called them apostles. Jesus set a good example for us. When we have an important decision to make, we should pray and ask God to give us help and wisdom. Talk to God today and let Him guide your actions and your decisions. Jennifer Forrester Matthew 11:25-30 Thursday, February Luke 6:12-16 Friday, February 15

27 Apostles (2) Simon Peter is one of the bestknown apostles. The New Testament has many stories about Peter. One time Jesus asked His apostles what other people thought about Him. The apostles said that people thought Jesus was John the Baptizer, Elijah or Jeremiah. Peter said that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God. This showed that Peter was beginning to understand who Jesus really was. Peter continued to learn from Jesus. The night before Jesus died, He told His apostles that they would lose their faith in Him. Peter said that his faith would never fail. Then Jesus told Peter that he would deny Him three times. Matthew 26:35 tells us Peter s response. But Peter answered, I will never say I don t know you! I will even die with you! And all the other followers said the same thing. A few hours later, Peter denied Jesus three times. Then Peter was very sad. But Jesus forgave Peter. After Jesus went back to heaven, Peter became an important leader in the church that started in Jerusalem. Peter preached to many people and told them how they could follow and obey Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Peter believed that Jesus was truly God s Son. What about you? Who do you say Jesus is? Apostles (3) Andrew was Peter s brother. We learned yesterday that Peter became a great leader in the early church. But it was Andrew who first brought Peter to Jesus. In John 1:41, we learn what Andrew did when he met Jesus. The first thing Andrew did was to go and find his brother Simon. Andrew said to him, We have found the Messiah. ( Messiah means Christ. ) One day Andrew was with Jesus. Jesus taught a large group of people for a long time, and the people became hungry. Jesus asked His disciples where they could buy enough bread for the people to eat. Andrew searched the crowd and found a boy who had five loaves of barley bread and two little fish. Jesus took that food and thanked God for it. He gave the fish and bread to all the people. Jesus fed more than 5000 people, and there were twelve basketfuls of food left over! The New Testament does not tell us much about Andrew. But in this Bible story, he was a servant and a helper. God wants us to be servants and helpers, too. How will you serve God today? Matthew 26:31-35 John 1:35-42 Saturday, February Sunday, February 17

28 Apostles (4) James and his brother, John, were sons of a man named Zebedee. Jesus called them Boanerges which means Sons of Thunder. We do not know why Jesus gave this name to James and John. Maybe they were big, rough fishermen with loud voices! Luke, chapter 9, tells us about a time when James experienced something very special. Jesus took James, Peter and John on a high mountain. While Jesus was praying, His face changed and His clothes became shining white. Moses and Elijah were with Jesus, too. A cloud covered Peter, James and John. Luke 9:35 tells us what happened next. A voice came from the cloud and said, This is my Son. He is the one I have chosen. Obey him. This experience showed James and the other apostles that Jesus was truly God s Son and the only one they should worship. There are many things we can worship in the world today the false gods of other religions, money, possessions or people who are rich and famous. But we should only worship the one true God. Worship God and give Him your honor and praise today! Apostles (5) James brother, John, was also one of Jesus twelve apostles. Through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, John wrote five New Testament books John, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John and Revelation. John was also part of the small group of apostles who were able to witness some special things that Jesus did. John was near the cross where Jesus was crucified. There were several women with him, including Jesus mother, Mary. Before He died, Jesus told Mary that John would be her son from that time on. John 19:27 tells us what Jesus said to John. Then he said to the follower, Here is your mother. So after that, this follower took Jesus mother to live in his home. Jesus had lived and worked with John for about three years. Jesus had spent many hours teaching and guiding John. So Jesus knew that He could depend on John to serve Him by taking care of His mother. Jesus wants you to serve Him, too. He may want you to be a preacher or a missionary in a foreign country. Or He may want you to serve meals to elderly people or teach a Bible class for children. Are you willing to be a servant like John? Luke 9:28-36 Monday, February John 19:20-27 Tuesday, February 19

29 Apostles (6) Another of Jesus apostles was Philip. He was from the city of Bethsaida, which was also the hometown of Peter and Andrew. Philip was with Jesus when He fed the crowd of more than 5000 people. The night before Jesus was crucified, He ate the Passover meal with the twelve apostles. Jesus told the apostles that He was going to leave and prepare a place for them to live forever. Thomas said that they didn t know where Jesus was going or the way to get there. Jesus told the apostles that He was the only way to God. Then Philip asked Jesus to show them the Father. We can read Jesus reply in John 14:11. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me. Or believe because of the miracles that I have done. Jesus was telling Philip that He and God are the same. Today we can learn about Jesus by reading about Him in the Bible. We can also experience His love and forgiveness. When we know Jesus, we know God, too. God and Jesus are one. Do you know Jesus? Are you willing to follow Him like Philip did? Apostles (7) In the book of Luke, there is a list of Jesus twelve apostles. One name on the list is Bartholomew. When we read other Bible verses, we learn that Bartholomew was also called Nathanael. Yesterday we talked about Philip. John, chapter 1, tells us that Philip found Nathanael and told him about Jesus. Philip told Nathanael that Jesus was from Nazareth. Nathanael said that he wondered if any good people came from Nazareth. So Philip encouraged Nathanael to go and see Jesus. When Jesus saw Nathanael, He said that he was one of God s people. Jesus also said that there was no deceit in him. That means that Nathanael was truthful and trustworthy. Nathanael talked with Jesus. Jesus told Nathanael that He knew about him even before He met him. John 1:49 tells us what Nathanael said about Jesus. Then Nathanael said, Teacher, you are the Son of God. You are the King of Israel. Jesus said that Nathanael was truthful and trustworthy. We should try to be like Nathanael, too. Follow and obey Jesus. Then other people will be able to trust and depend on you. John 14:1-14 John 1:43-51 Wednesday, February Thursday, February 21

30 Apostles (8) Matthew was another of Jesus apostles. He was also called Levi. Matthew was a tax collector. Tax collectors at that time were Jewish men who collected taxes for the Roman government. However, many of the tax collectors were dishonest. They would collect more money than the Romans wanted. Then they would keep the extra money for themselves. That s why many Jews hated tax collectors. We do not know if Matthew was honest or dishonest. But we do know that one day Matthew met Jesus. Jesus asked Matthew to follow Him. Luke 5:28 tells us what Matthew did. Levi got up, left everything, and followed Jesus. Matthew gave up his job to follow Jesus. He traveled with Jesus and the other apostles for several years. Matthew learned how to be a good follower of Jesus. Later, Matthew carefully gathered information about Jesus. He wrote it down in the New Testament book of Matthew. Matthew did this so other people could learn about Jesus. Matthew was willing to give up everything to follow Jesus. What will you give up so you can follow Jesus every day? Apostles (9) Thomas was another of Jesus apostles. A short time before Jesus was crucified, He learned that His friend, Lazarus, was sick. Jesus told the apostles that they should go to Bethany where Lazarus lived. Bethany was close to Jerusalem. The apostles knew that there were Jewish religious leaders in Jerusalem who wanted to kill Jesus. So they did not think Jesus should go to Bethany. Jesus knew that the time for His death was near, and He was willing to obey God s plan. So Jesus told His apostles that they would travel to Bethany. In John 11:16 we can read what Thomas said. Then Thomas, the one called Twin, said to the other followers, We will go too. We will die there with Jesus. Thomas was very bold to say that he would die with Jesus. But Matthew, chapter 26, tells us that after Jesus was arrested, all His followers left him and ran away. After Jesus arose, Thomas saw Him and believed that Jesus was truly alive again. Later, Thomas became one of the leaders who helped start the first church in Jerusalem. Sometimes we may be like Thomas. We may be afraid to follow Jesus. But remember that God is always with you. Are you feeling afraid or weak today? Depend on God to keep you strong! Luke 5:27-32 Friday, February John 11:9-16 Saturday, February 23

31 Apostles (10) Matthew 10:1 tells us about the power that Jesus gave to His twelve apostles. Jesus called his twelve followers together. He gave them power over evil spirits and power to heal every kind of disease and sickness. One of these twelve men was James, the son of Alphaeus. This is not the same James that we talked about several days ago. We do not know much about James. Matthew, chapter 27, tells us that one of the women who was watching Jesus crucifixion was Mary, the mother of James and Joseph. This may have been the mother of the man we are talking about today. And the book of Acts tells us that James was with the other apostles when Jesus went back to heaven and when the church was started on the Day of Pentecost. Jesus sent James and the other apostles to teach and help Jewish people. Jesus said that these people were like sheep that were lost. He told the apostles to preach the message that God s kingdom was very near. Jesus also told these men to heal sick people and bring dead people back to life. Jesus gave His apostles a special job. He has a job for you, too. Jesus wants you to share the Good News about Him with every person you meet! Will you tell someone about Jesus today? Apostles (11) Matthew, chapter 10, gives us a list of Jesus twelve apostles. Matthew 10:4 tells us the names of two of the apostles. Simon, the Zealot, Judas Iscariot (the one who handed Jesus over to his enemies). This Simon is not the same person as Simon Peter, whom we have already talked about. Simon was called a zealot. A zealot was a person who was part of a Jewish political party. Zealots wanted to overthrow the government and be free from the Romans. The Bible does not give us any more information about Simon. But, like James, son of Alphaeus, Simon watched Jesus ascend into heaven. Acts, chapter 1, tells us that after Jesus went away, the apostles stayed together in Jerusalem, waiting for God to send His Holy Spirit on them. While they were waiting, the apostles and some other followers were constantly praying. That is a wonderful example of how we should live. We should be constantly praying, like Simon and the other followers We should pray that God will give us opportunities to share the Gospel message with our family and friends. And we should pray that God will show us His plan for our lives. Will you use your time to pray to God today? Matthew 10:1-10 Matthew 10:1-10 Sunday, February Monday, February 25

32 Apostles (12) Another apostle of Jesus was Judas, the son of James. Mark 3:18 lists some of the apostles. Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James, the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon, the Zealot. In this verse Judas was also called Thaddaeus. Like some of Jesus apostles, we do not have much information about Judas, son of James. We do know that he was chosen early in Jesus ministry. We also know that Judas stayed faithful to Jesus and was with the other apostles when the church was started in Jerusalem. The New Testament gives us lots of information about some apostles, like Peter and John. But we know very little about Judas. Maybe you are like Judas. You work hard for God s kingdom, but no one notices what you do. Maybe you even feel that you are not important to God. You need to remember that God always notices what you do, even if what you do seems unimportant. God notices when you give a ride to an elderly person, when you take food to someone who is sick and or when you take care of babies in the church nursery. God is pleased when you are willing to serve His people. What you can do for God today? Apostles (13) The last apostle we will talk about is another man named Judas. This man is often called Judas Iscariot. He was known as a thief and a traitor. Judas was the one apostle who did not stay faithful to Jesus. Jesus ate the Passover meal with the twelve apostles. This was right before Jesus was arrested and crucified. While Jesus was eating the meal, He said that one of the twelve men would be against Him. Jesus was talking about Judas. Then Jesus took some bread and dipped it and gave it to Judas. John 13:27 tells us what happened next. When Judas took the bread, Satan entered him. Jesus said to Judas, What you will do do it quickly! Judas left and betrayed Jesus. Judas led some soldiers to find and arrest Jesus. It was Judas plan to turn Jesus over to the Jewish leaders so they could kill Him. When Judas realized what he had done, he felt very sorry. He gave back the money he had received from the Jewish priests. Then Judas went out and hanged himself. This story about Judas is very sad. He followed Jesus but then gave that all up so he could serve the devil. Who will you serve today? I hope you will choose to serve God. Mark 3:7b-20 Tuesday, February John 13:21-30 Wednesday, February 27

33 Big Harvest If you live in a farming community, you know that farmers have a lot of work to do. They may raise dairy cows that provide milk for many people. Or they may plant crops such as corn, beans, wheat or cotton. These crops feed people and provide raw materials for many products. Or farmers may raise other animals such as cattle, hogs, chickens or sheep for the meat industry. In the United States today, most farm work is done by using big tractors and other farm machines. But for many years, most of the farm work was done by hand or by using animals. All the people in the farmer s family were needed to do the work. In Bible times, farm work was done by hand. One time Jesus talked to His followers about the work that needed to be done for God. In Matthew 9:37-38, Jesus compared that work to a farmer s crop. Jesus said to his followers, There is such a big harvest of people to bring in. But there are only a few workers to help harvest them. God owns the harvest. Ask him to send more workers to help gather his harvest. If you are a Christian, you are a worker in God s kingdom. Share the Good News with people you meet today. And pray that God will provide more workers who are willing to give their lives to Him. Pam Davis Jesus Parables (1) When Jesus taught people about God, He often told them parables. Jesus parables were about things on earth. But these stories also taught people how they should obey God. In several of Jesus parables, He talked about God s kingdom. God s kingdom is made up of all people who love and obey God. Matthew 13:44 tells us that Jesus told a parable about a man who found a treasure. God s kingdom is like a treasure hidden in a field. One day a man found the treasure. He hid it again and was so happy that he went and sold everything he owned and bought the field. Why did the man sell everything he had? Because the treasure was very important. Then Jesus told about a man who found a pearl. That man did the same thing he sold everything he had so he could buy the pearl. Again, Jesus said God s kingdom is like that pearl. Loving and obeying God should be the most important thing we do. God wants us to read and study His Word and obey it. He loves us and wants us to live forever with Him. And we need to be willing to give up everything we have so we can follow and serve Him. What are you willing to give up today so you can serve and obey God? Anonymous Matthew 9:35-38 Matthew 13:44-46 Thursday, February Friday, March 1

34 Jesus Parables (2) Jesus continued talking about God s kingdom. He said that God s kingdom is like a fishing net. Have you ever used a fishing net? Some nets are very small. Other nets are very large and are used to catch big fish. When a person goes fishing with a net, he may catch several different fish. They may be big or small. Some fish may have speckles or stripes. And he may even catch a fish that is already dead. Will the fisherman keep the dead fish? No! He will throw it away because it smells so bad. In Matthew 13:49-50, Jesus explained the meaning of His parable about the net. It will be the same at the end of time. The angels will come and separate the evil people from the godly people. They will throw the evil people into the place of fire. There the people will cry and grind their teeth with pain. The godly people are those who follow God. The evil people are those who refuse to love and obey God. Jesus said that angels will come and separate the godly people from the evil people. The godly people will receive eternal life with God. But the evil people will be punished. Keep on loving and obeying God, and you will receive a great reward! Anonymous Jesus Parables (3) One day Jesus told His followers a parable about two sons. The father asked both sons to go and work in the vineyard where grapes were grown. One son said that he would not go and work. But later he decided that he would work in the vineyard. In Matthew 21:30, Jesus told about the second son. Then the father went to the other son and said, Son, go and work today in the vineyard. He answered, Yes, sir, I will go and work. But he did not go. Then Jesus asked the Jewish leaders which son obeyed his father. They said that the first son had truly obeyed. Sometimes we say that we want to serve God. But then we continue to disobey Him. Maybe we go to church on Sunday, but then on Monday we act like we are not Christians. Or maybe we even try to look like a Christian on the outside, but inside we do not want to obey God. God wants us to faithfully serve Him every day of the week. He wants us to be true Christians, not pretend Christians. Think about your relationship with God. Are you truly serving Him or just pretending to be a Christian? God will show you how you can live for Him every day. Anonymous Saturday, March 2 Matthew 13: Matthew 21:28-32 Sunday, March 3

35 Jesus Parables (4) Jesus told another parable about ten girls. These ten girls were waiting for a bridegroom to come to his wedding party. Jesus said that five girls were foolish and five girls were wise. Why did Jesus say this? Because five girls brought more oil to use in their lamps so they could see in the dark. The other five girls did not bring extra oil for their lamps. At midnight someone announced that the bridegroom was coming soon. The five foolish girls did not have any more oil for their lamps. They asked the wise girls to give them some oil. The wise girls told the foolish girls to go and buy more oil for themselves. The five foolish girls left to buy more oil. While they were gone, the bridegroom came to the wedding party. The five wise girls went inside, and the doors were locked. When the five foolish girls returned, they were not allowed to go into the wedding party. Jesus told this parable to help us understand about the time when He will return to take His followers to live with Him forever. Jesus gave this advice in Matthew 25:13. So always be ready. You don t know the day or the time when the Son of Man will come. Jesus could come back today. Are you wise or foolish? Anonymous Parables (5) Jesus told a parable about a farmer who planted some seeds. When the farmer threw out the seeds, they landed on four different kinds of ground the ground that was beside the road, the ground with many rocks, the ground filled with weeds and the good ground. Jesus explained that the seeds only grew well in the good ground. Then Jesus explained that the four kinds of ground represent different kinds of people. The first kind of people learn about God but they do not accept the message and follow Him. The second group of people learn about God and are happy to follow Him. These people believe for a short time, but when trouble happens, they turn away from God. The third kind of people pay attention to God s message, but they let things in the world keep them from growing in Jesus. Finally, Jesus explained about the fourth kind of people in Luke 8:15. And what about the seed that fell on the good ground? That is like the people who hear God s teaching with a good, honest heart. They obey it and patiently produce a good crop. Producing a good crop means carefully studying God s Word, praying, and sharing Jesus with other people. Are you producing a good crop for God s kingdom today? Anonymous Matthew 25:1-13 Luke 8:4-15 Monday, March 4 33 Tuesday, March 5

36 Parables (6) Jesus wanted to prepare His followers for His death, resurrection and the beginning of God s church. So He told a parable about a man who was going away to be made a king. Then he would return to his home and rule his people. But before he left, this man called ten servants together. He gave a bag of money to each servant. When the king returned home, he called the ten servants and asked them how much more money they had earned from the money he gave them. The first servant said that he had earned ten more bags of money. Luke 19:17 tells us what the king said to that servant. The king said to him, That s great! You are a good servant. I see that I can trust you with small things. So now I will let you rule over ten of my cities. Another servant said that he had earned five bags. The king gave him five cities to rule over. Finally one servant told the king that he had hidden his bag of money. The king called the man a bad servant and took the one bag of money away from him. Jesus told this parable to show us that we need to use the things God has given to us our time, our possessions, our skills and our money for His kingdom. Use the things that God has given you to serve other people and to help His kingdom grow. Anonymous The Rich Man Sometimes when we ask a question, we may get an answer that we don t like. For example, we may ask our doctor how we can be healthier. He will tell us that we should eat better foods and exercise more. But we might not like his answer. A Jewish religious leader came to Jesus and asked Jesus what he should do so he could have eternal life. Jesus mentioned several of the Old Testament commands. The man said that he had obeyed those commands since he was a boy. Luke 18:22 tells us what Jesus said next. When Jesus heard this, he said to the leader, But there is still one thing you need to do. Sell everything you have and give the money to those who are poor. You will have riches in heaven. Then come and follow me. The man was very sad. Why? Because the man was rich and he didn t want to give away his money. There are probably some things in your life that you don t want to give up so you can be a better follower of Jesus. Maybe you are rich like the man who came to Jesus, and you don t want to share your money and possessions with others. Or maybe you don t want to give up a bad habit or stop wasting your time on unimportant things. Think about your life today. What do you need to do so you can be a better Christian? Luke 19:11-27 Wednesday, March 6 34 Luke 18:18-23 Thursday, March 7

37 Jesus, Our Shepherd In John 10:11, Jesus called Himself the good shepherd. I am the good shepherd, and the good shepherd gives his life for the sheep. Then Jesus went on to compare a shepherd with a worker who is paid to take care of sheep. A worker who is paid to care for sheep only does what he must do. When trouble comes, he may run away and leave the sheep alone. He does not really care about the sheep. But a shepherd owns the sheep. He knows each sheep and notices when one is missing or hurt. When danger is near, a shepherd stays with the sheep to protect them. But the most important thing a shepherd will do for his sheep is to give up his life. I am so happy that Jesus is my shepherd. I belong to Him, and I know He cares about me and wants to protect me from danger. But most important, Jesus gave His life for me when He died on the cross. He loves me so much that He was willing to die and accept the punishment for my sins. Jesus wants to be your shepherd. He loves you and wants to protect you. Most of all, Jesus wants you to accept His wonderful gift of salvation. Obey Jesus today. Then you can share this Good News with other people. Peter s Confession Jesus was ready to begin His last year of ministry on earth. He took His disciples to a place called Caesarea Philippi and talked with them. Jesus asked His disciples a question. He asked, Who do people say I am? The disciples said that some people thought Jesus was John the Baptizer or Elijah or Jeremiah. Then Jesus asked an even more important question, Who do YOU say I am? In Matthew 16:16, Peter answered that question. Simon Peter answered, You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God. Peter called Jesus Messiah. Messiah was the Hebrew name for the One God would send to save all people. Peter s confession showed that he truly believed that Jesus was God s Son and his Savior. Today we need to confess that we believe Jesus is God s Son. That is part of the process of obeying God and receiving His wonderful gift of salvation. Jesus told His disciples not to tell anyone that He was the Messiah. But that is not true for us today. Jesus wants us to tell other people about our faith in Him. Who will you tell about Jesus today? Harold Noe John 10:11-21 Matthew 16:13-20 Friday, March 8 35 Saturday, March 9

38 God Knows You A boy comes home from school. As soon as he comes into the house, his mother knows that something is wrong. So she asks, How was school today? The boy says, Fine, grabs a snack from the refrigerator and leaves the room. But soon the boy will come to his mother and tell her the bad things that happened at school. The mother and her son will talk about the problems and find a way to deal with them. When we have a problem, sometimes all we need is someone to listen to us, encourage us or help us find a way to solve the problem. We may not always have a friend or family member who can help us, but God is always available to pay attention to our problems. God doesn t want us to be worried and anxious. Jesus reminded His followers about God s concern in Matthew 10: God even knows how many hairs are on your head. So don t be afraid. You are worth more than a whole flock of birds. God is waiting for you to talk with Him today. Share your burdens and concerns with Him. Tell God about the struggles you are facing. He knows all about you and wants to comfort you. Bonnie Hall Trust Jesus Jesus told His followers to get into a boat and go to the other side of Lake Galilee. A storm came up when the boat was a long way from shore. Some of the men in the boat were experienced fishermen, but they were having a problem controlling the boat in the wind and the waves. Jesus left the place where He was praying in the hills and went to His followers, walking on the water. When the followers saw Jesus, they became afraid. They thought they were seeing a ghost. Matthew 14:27 tells us what Jesus said. But Jesus quickly spoke to them. He said, Don t worry! It s me! Don t be afraid. Then Peter got out of the boat and started walking on the water to Jesus. But when he saw the wind and the waves, he became afraid and started to sink. Jesus caught Peter by the hand and saved him. This story about Jesus on Lake Galilee teaches us several lessons. First, Jesus knows everything that is happening in our lives. Second, He knows our needs and He provides for us. Third, we should trust Jesus and not worry or be afraid. And fourth, when we cry out to Jesus for help, He will take care of us. When we are afraid, worried or have a problem, we can ask Jesus to be with us. Will you trust Him today? Sunday, March 10 Matthew 10:26-33 Bonnie Hall Matthew 14: Monday, March 11

39 Jesus Prayers (1) Did you know that one time Jesus fed more than 5000 people? Jesus was on the side of a hill, teaching a large group of people. They were there for a long time, and they became hungry. Jesus disciples found a boy who had five loaves of barley bread and two little fish in his lunch. John 6:11 tells us what Jesus did with this lunch. Jesus took the loaves of bread and gave thanks for them. Then he gave them to the people who were waiting to eat. He did the same with the fish. He gave them as much as they wanted. When all the people finished eating, there were twelve large baskets of leftovers! This story teaches us two things. First, Jesus gave thanks for the food. It is good for us to thank God for the food He gives us each day. Second, Jesus was also thanking God for what He was going to do feeding more than 5000 people with five loaves of bread and two fish. Often we only thank God for things that have already happened in our lives. We should also thank God for the things He will do for us in the future. Maybe you can try something new tomorrow. When you wake up in the morning, thank God for what He will do for you during your day. This will help you start your day with a thankful heart. You will also be excited to see how God will use you to serve Him. Jesus Prayers (2) The books of Matthew, Mark and Luke tell us about Jesus baptism. But Luke also tells us that Jesus prayed when He was baptized. Here is what Luke 3:21 says. When all the people were being baptized, Jesus came and was baptized too. And while he was praying, the sky opened. Jesus baptism was the beginning of His public ministry. Maybe He was thinking about the reason God sent Him to earth to die on the cross and save people from their sins. We don t know what Jesus prayed. He may have for strength and asked God to help Him with His ministry. We should pray for our ministry in God s kingdom, too. It doesn t matter what our ministry is being a pastor, making blankets for orphans, taking a meal to someone who is sick or teaching a Sunday School class we should ask God to help us work for Him. Pray about your ministry today. Ask God to give you new opportunities to use your talents in His kingdom. If you don t have a place where you can serve God, ask Him to help you find a way to serve other people. Jennifer Forrester Jennifer Forrester John 6:1-13 Luke 3:21-22 Tuesday, March Wednesday, March 13

40 Jesus Prayers (3) One of the first things Jesus did after starting His ministry was to choose twelve men. Jesus taught these men for about three years. He trained them to be leaders in God s church. Choosing the twelve apostles was part of God s plan. Jesus wanted to choose the right men. Luke 6:12 tells us that before Jesus chose these men, He did something very important He prayed! A few days later, Jesus went out to a mountain to pray. He stayed there all night praying to God. The next morning, Jesus chose the twelve apostles. Jesus prayed all night. We do not know what He prayed, but He probably prayed for God to help Him choose the right men. Jesus may also have prayed for each of the twelve men and asked God to lead them and fill them with His Spirit. Sometimes when we make important decisions, we forget to include God in our plans. Then our decisions may not be what is best for God s kingdom. Or we may not be able to follow through with our decisions. Will you be making an important decision today? Ask God to bless you with wisdom and peace. Jennifer Forrester Jesus Prayers (4) In John, chapter 17, we find a prayer that Jesus prayed the night He was arrested. Jesus knew that the next day He would be crucified and die. In this prayer, Jesus prayed for Himself, His disciples and all people who would accept Him as their Savior. Jesus had been working with His twelve special apostles for three years. He taught and protected these men. But now Jesus was ready to die, rise again and then go back to live with God. So in John 17:15-17, Jesus prayed that God would protect His apostles from the devil. I am not asking you to take them out of the world. But I am asking that you keep them safe from the Evil One. They don t belong to the world, just as I don t belong to the world. Make them ready for your service through your truth. Your teaching is truth. Jesus apostles were His friends. He wanted them to continue learning and to stay close to God. This is an example for us, too. We should want our friends and family members to have a close relationship with God. Think about a friend or family member who needs to be closer to God. Pray for them every day. Ask God to use you to encourage them and be a good example for them. Jennifer Forrester Luke 6:12-16 Thursday, March John 17:1-19 Friday, March 15

41 Jesus Prayers (5) Today we will look at one of Jesus very short prayers. When Jesus prayed this prayer on the Mount of Olives, He knew that soon He would be betrayed, arrested and killed. The human part of Jesus did not want to endure the pain and suffering that He knew would happen. Luke 22:42 tells us what Jesus prayed. Father, if you are willing, please don t make me drink from this cup. But do what you want, not what I want. Jesus was not talking about drinking from a cup. He was talking about accepting God s plan for His life. God answered Jesus prayer according to His will. His plan was for Jesus to die on the cross. And that is what happened the very next day. Because of Jesus death, people who follow and obey Jesus have the promise of eternal life with Him. Probably none of us have faced a difficult situation like Jesus was facing when He prayed this short prayer. Sometimes we may pray, God, please make me well, or Remove this bad situation from my life. But often we are not willing to also say, God, I want Your will to happen in my life. Will you be like Jesus and humbly accept God s will for your life? Jennifer Forrester Jesus Prayers (6) The last prayer that we will look at is one Jesus prayed while hanging on the cross. This prayer reminds us that Jesus always did what was right. Many times He taught His followers to love their enemies. This prayer shows us that Jesus really loves everyone even His enemies. The people who were involved in Jesus arrest, trial and crucifixion were truly His enemies. They falsely accused Jesus, beat Him, mocked Him, spit on Him and then nailed Him to a cross. Luke 23:35 tells us what some of the people at the cross did to Jesus. The people stood there watching everything. The Jewish leaders laughed at Jesus. They said, If he is God s chosen One, the Messiah, then let him save himself. He saved others, didn t he? What did Jesus do then? He prayed and asked God to forgive the people who were killing Him! Sometimes we may criticize or mock our enemies and hope that bad things will happen to them. Instead, we should be praying for them and asking God to bless them. Praying in this way shows our humility before God. Maybe you have enemies people who bother you and do bad things to you. Have you prayed for them today? Jennifer Forrester Luke 22:39-46 Luke 23:26-43 Saturday, March Sunday, March 17

42 Mary and Martha There was a man named Lazarus who lived in the town of Bethany. His sisters, Mary and Martha, lived there, too. One day Jesus and His followers were traveling. They stopped in Bethany and stayed with Mary and Martha. Martha was busy preparing things for Jesus and His followers. But where was Mary? She was sitting at Jesus feet, listening to Him teach. Martha became upset that Mary was not helping her. She told Jesus to tell Mary that she should help with the housework. Luke 10:42 tells us Jesus response. Only one thing is important. Mary has made the right choice, and it will never be taken away from her. Sometimes we are like Martha. We become very busy doing our daily chores, working at our jobs or playing games and sports. We are so busy that we do not take time to study God s Word and pray. We need to be more like Mary. We should take time every day to learn from the Bible and grow closer to God. Why is it important to do this? Because our relationship with God will last forever. Who will you be like? Martha or Mary? Bonnie Hall Jesus Miracles (1) When Jesus was on earth, He did many amazing things that showed God s power. These amazing things are called miracles. Jesus performed miracles to help people and to show them that He was truly God s Son. John 2:11 tells us that Jesus did His first miracle in the city of Cana. This was the first of all the miraculous signs Jesus did. He did it in the town of Cana in Galilee. By this he showed his divine greatness, and his followers believed in him. Jesus, His mother and some of His followers were at a wedding in Cana. While they were there, a problem came up. There was not enough wine. This probably was a very embarrassing situation for the wedding family. When Jesus heard about the problem, He told the servants to fill six large pots with water. Then Jesus told the servants to take some of that water and give it to the man who was in charge of the wedding dinner. When the man tasted it, the water had become wine! We should not be surprised that Jesus could change water into wine. He is the Son of God. He made the heavens and the earth. Praise God today for Jesus awesome power! Anonymous Monday, March 18 Luke 10: John 2:1-12 Tuesday, March 19

43 Jesus Miracles (2) Leprosy was a terrible skin disease that some people had at the time Jesus lived on earth. People who had leprosy had to live away from their family and friends. When lepers were around other people, they had to shout, Unclean, unclean! to warn the people to stay away from them. One day when Jesus was traveling to Jerusalem, He met ten lepers. They asked Jesus to help them. In Luke 17:14 we learn what Jesus did. When Jesus saw the men, he said, Go and show yourselves to the priests. As the ten men were going to see the Jewish priests, they were healed. Nine men continued their journey to see the priests. But one man went back to Jesus and praised Him for healing him. This man bowed down at Jesus feet and thanked Him. Jesus asked where the other nine men were. They did not thank Jesus for this wonderful miracle. This miracle reminds us that we often forget to thank God for what He has done for us. Some people only say a short prayer of thanks at mealtime or bedtime. We need to take time to thank God for everything He has given to us. What has God done for you? Thank Him today! Jesus Miracles (3) Luke, chapter 5, tells us a wonderful story about Jesus power. There was a man who was paralyzed. He had some wonderful friends. These friends believed that Jesus could heal the man. So they carried the man to the house where Jesus was teaching. There were so many people in the house that the men could not get close to Jesus. So the men carried the man to the top of the house and lowered him down through a hole in the roof. When Jesus saw the man, He said, Your sins are forgiven. When Jesus forgave the man s sins, the Jewish leaders were upset. Luke 5:21 tells us what they were thinking. The Jewish teachers of the law and the Pharisees thought to themselves, Who is this man who dares to say such things? What an insult to God! No one but God can forgive sins. Jesus told them that He had the power to forgive sins. To prove this, He also healed the paralyzed man. The man got up and walked home, praising God. Sometimes we are like the Jewish leaders. We close our minds and refuse to believe the truth. We need to be willing to search God s Word every day and accept His truth. Will you accept God s truth and follow Him? Anonymous Anonymous Luke 17:11-19 Luke 5:17-26 Wednesday, March Thursday, March 21

44 Jesus Miracles (4) Jesus was going to help a girl who had died. On His way, he met a woman who had been sick for a long time. No doctors could heal her. At that time, the Jews thought it was wrong for a woman to come close to a man in public. But the woman was very brave. She followed Jesus and touched His coat. Why was the woman willing to touch Jesus? First, the woman was desperate. She had been sick for many years, and she wanted to be well again. Second, she trusted Jesus to help her with her physical problem. The woman did not doubt that Jesus could heal her. She thought that if she just touched Jesus coat, she would be well again. Matthew 9:22 tells us what Jesus said to the woman. Jesus turned and saw the woman. He said, Be happy, dear woman. You are made well because you believed. Then the woman was healed. Her physical problem was gone. She must have been very happy to be healed. Jesus loves us very much. He has said that He will save us if we follow and obey Him. We should have faith in Jesus like this woman had. You can trust Jesus to save you and to guide you every day. Jesus Miracles (5) We have already talked about the time Jesus miraculously fed more than 5000 people. Another time, Jesus performed a miracle and fed more than 4000 people. Why did Jesus do this miracle? First, He wanted to show the people His power. Second, He loved the people and felt sorry for them. Jesus love led Him to find a way to feed the large group of people. Matthew 15:37-38 gives us more information about this miracle. All the people ate until they were full. After this, the followers filled seven baskets with the pieces of food that were not eaten. There were about 4000 men who ate. There were also some women and children. We can see Christians around us every day who show love to people in need. A young mother is a friend to an elderly widow who lives next door. A teen works at a shelter and helps feed homeless people. A preacher counsels a couple who are facing a crisis in their lives. Jesus showed compassion to a group of hungry people. And we can see God working through Christians today. Follow Jesus example. Look for ways to show God s love to people in your community and around the world. Steve Husting Anonymous Friday, March 22 Matthew 9: Matthew 15:32-39 Saturday, March 23

45 Jesus Miracles (6) One day Jesus and His followers traveled to the town of Nain. When they were close to the town gate, they saw some people carrying a dead body. The dead person was the only son of a widow, a woman whose husband had died. In Bible times, it was very important for a widow to have children who could take care of her. Now this woman was all alone with no one to help her. Jesus felt sorry for this woman. He told her not to cry. Luke 7:14 tells us what happened next. He walked to the open coffin and touched it. The men who were carrying the coffin stopped. Jesus spoke to the dead son: Young man, I tell you, get up! The boy sat up and started talking. Then he went home with his mother. I imagine that this widow was overcome with joy! Her only son was dead, but Jesus made him alive again. Jesus understood how this widow felt, and He showed her compassion by raising her son. Jesus knows how we feel, too. He knows when we are sad, afraid, disappointed, angry or hurting. We can always pray to Him and tell Him how we feel. Share your feelings and thoughts with Jesus today. He will give you His comfort and peace. Jennifer Forrester Love Your Neighbor A Jewish teacher asked Jesus what he must do to have eternal life. Jesus asked the man what was written in the Law. We find the man s response in Luke 10:27. The man answered, Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind. Also, Love your neighbor the same as you love yourself. Then the man asked Jesus, Who is my neighbor? To answer the man, Jesus told a parable about a man who was robbed, beaten and left to die. A Jewish priest and a Levite saw the man on the side of the road, but they walked on by. Finally, a man from Samaria came down the road. (The Samaritans were enemies of the Jews.) This man stopped and helped the injured man. Through this parable, Jesus wanted the Jewish teacher to understand that everyone is our neighbor, not just the people we like or those who live close to us. We should love everyone. So how can we show love to people around us? We can help them with chores around their house. We can share a meal with them. We can talk with them and learn about their lives. But most of all, we can pray for other people and share the Good News about Jesus with them. Remember that the love and kindness you show other people today may bring them closer to Jesus! Gayle Thorn Luke 7:11-17 Luke 10:25-37 Sunday, March Monday, March 25

46 Two Small Coins People today admire things that are great and spectacular. But which is really greater the athlete who scores a winning goal or the single mother who raises her children to love and follow God? The famous movie star who donates millions to charity or the young child who brings a flower to his grandmother? Sometimes it is the small and unnoticed things we do in life that are truly the greatest. Maybe you work hard on an important project for your job for many months. Then you are disappointed because no one praises you or tells you that you did a good job. But when you spend time laughing and playing a game with your children or grandchildren, you are satisfied and filled with joy. In Luke, chapter 21, Jesus talked about something that happened in the Temple. A poor widow came and put two small coins in the offering box. Jesus praised the woman in Luke 21:3-4. He said, This poor widow gave only two small coins. But the truth is, she gave more than all those rich people. They have plenty, and they gave only what they did not need. This woman is very poor, but she gave all she had to live on. God notices all the good things you do. So whatever you do today whether it is great or small do it for Him! John 3:16 God is eternal. Do you really understand what that means? It means that God has always been alive, and He will continue to live forever. Wow! When I think about that for a long time, my head hurts! People on earth are limited by time, but with God, there is no time. So it may be hard for us to understand that God is eternal. John 3:16 is a very important verse in the Bible. It is so important, that many people memorize this verse. Let s see what this verse tells us. Yes, God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him would not be lost but have eternal life. Why is this verse so important? Because this verse says that people who believe and follow Jesus will live forever. That means if I am a Christian and continue to obey God and His Word, I will live forever, too. Jesus is preparing a place for His followers. He will come someday and take His followers to live with Him forever. This place will be more wonderful and beautiful than anything we have ever seen. Are you excited to live forever with Jesus? Bob LaForge Luke 21:1-4 Tuesday, March John 3:14-17 Wednesday, March 27

47 Lost (1) Today and for the next two days, we will look at three stories that Jesus told in Luke, chapter 15. All of these stories tell about something or someone who was lost. In the first story, Jesus told about a shepherd with 100 sheep. The shepherd discovered that one sheep was missing. So he searched for the sheep until he found it. What happened next? The shepherd was very happy that he found the lost sheep. He told his friends and neighbors to share in his happiness. Jesus said that this story is like one sinner who decides to repent of his sins and change his life. In Luke 15:7 Jesus tells us what happens in heaven when a person repents. In the same way, I tell you, heaven is a happy place when one sinner decides to change. There is more joy for that one sinner than for 99 good people who don t need to change. We should be happy, too, when someone becomes a Christian. Do you know someone who is a new Christian? Tell them you are happy for them, and encourage them to continue following Jesus every day. Jennifer Forrester Lost (2) In Luke, chapter 15, Jesus continued to tell another story about something that was lost. This story was about a woman who had ten silver coins, but she lost one coin. Probably these ten coins were very important to this woman. Maybe this was all the money she had. So when she lost one coin, she was very upset. The woman cleaned her house and used a light to look for the lost coin. She did not give up. She continued searching until she found it. Then the woman did what the shepherd did in our story yesterday she told her friends and neighbors the good news. She asked them to be happy because she had found the coin that was lost. In Luke 15:10 Jesus talked again about a lost sinner. In the same way, it s a happy time for the angels of God when one sinner decides to change. When a person changes and turns to God, the angels in heaven are very happy. Think about the time when you changed your life and became a Christian. Did you know that the angels in heaven rejoiced with you? Jennifer Forrester Luke 15:1-7 Luke 15:8-10 Thursday, March Friday, March 29

48 Lost (3) The third story that Jesus told is about a son who took his family money and went away. Then this son wasted all his money and lived like a fool. When all his money was gone, the only job he could find was feeding pigs. He was so hungry that he wanted to eat the food given to the pigs. Life was terrible for this young man. Finally he decided to go home to his father and ask for forgiveness. Luke 15:20 tells us what happened when he reached home. So he left and went to his father. While the son was still a long way off, his father saw him coming and felt sorry for him. So he ran to him and hugged and kissed him. The son did not deserve his father s forgiveness, but the father forgave him and accepted him back as his son. We have all sinned and disobeyed God. We don t deserve God s forgiveness. But God still offers us His love and mercy. No matter how bad you think your sins are, God is willing to forgive you and make you part of His family. Are you struggling with sin in your life? Are you ready to repent and obey God? Turn to Him today. God loves you and will forgive all your sins! Jennifer Forrester Little Children Luke, chapter 18, tells us that people brought their children to Jesus. They wanted Jesus to bless their children. But Jesus followers told the people to stop bringing their children to Jesus. Maybe these followers thought that the children bothered Jesus. But Jesus wanted the children to be close to Him. Luke 18:16 tells us what He said. But Jesus called the little children to him and said to his followers, Let the little children come to me. Don t stop them, because God s kingdom belongs to people who are like these little children. Children are innocent and trusting. They expect their parents to take care of them. Children think that people always tell them the truth. Jesus said that people who follow Him must be like children. That means Jesus wants His followers to depend on God to take care of them just like a parent takes care of his children. And Jesus wants His followers to trust what God has said in the Bible. If you want to be part of God s family, you need to trust God completely. Think about your relationship with God. Are you trusting Him in every part of your life? Luke 15:11-24 Saturday, March Luke 18:15-17 Sunday, March 31

49 Love (1) Love is something that is very powerful. The Bible tells us that God is love. In the New International Version of the Bible, the word love appears 686 times! In this devotion and the next few, we will look at some wonderful examples of love. The best example of love is Jesus. Jesus was crucified on a cross. He was perfect and had no sin. Jesus did not deserve to be nailed to a cross. But Jesus took our place. He accepted the punishment for our sins. Jesus died for us so that our sins may be forgiven. And praise God that Jesus did not stay dead He arose from the dead to give us the hope of eternal life. Matthew 27:51 tells us something very interesting that happened when Jesus was crucified. When Jesus died, the curtain in the Temple was torn into two pieces. The tear started at the top and tore all the way to the bottom. Also, the earth shook and rocks were broken. The torn curtain is a symbol of what Jesus did for us. Because of His death, we can receive salvation and have a personal relationship with Him. Jesus love is an amazing love! There is no greater love than this. Thank God today for His GREAT love. Chad Entinger Love (2) Today we will talk about another example of Jesus love. Jesus was traveling through the area of Samaria. He sat down at a well in the town of Sychar. There Jesus met a Samaritan woman and asked her for a drink of water. The woman was shocked that Jesus asked her for a drink. In those days, Jews and Samaritans did not talk to each other. Even though Jesus was a Jew, He talked with the woman. Jesus disciples were surprised to see Jesus talking with the Samaritan woman. Also, Jesus was perfect. He had never sinned. The woman was a sinner. She had been married five times and was living with another man. But Jesus cared about this woman and talked with her. John 4:10 tells us what Jesus offered to give to the woman. Jesus answered, You don t know what God can give you. And you don t know who I am, the one who asked you for a drink. If you knew, you would have asked me, and I would have given you living water. Jesus offered this woman living water that would give her eternal life. The woman believed Jesus, and she told other people about Him. You, too, can show Jesus love to others. Who will you show love to today? Chad Entinger Matthew 27:45-56 John 4:1-30 Monday, April 1 47 Tuesday, April 2

50 Love (3) John, chapter 8, shows us an incredible example of love. Jesus was in the Temple area where He was sitting and teaching. Some Jewish leaders wanted to trick Jesus. So they brought a woman to Him. This woman had been caught in bed with a man who was not her husband. This is called adultery. The Jewish leaders shared that the Law of Moses commanded that a woman be stoned to death for adultery. John 8:7 tells us how Jesus responded. The Jewish leaders continued to ask him their question. So he stood up and said, Anyone here who has never sinned should throw the first stone at her. Then all of the leaders walked away. Jesus was left alone with the woman. This shows us that the Jewish leaders knew they were sinners, too. Jesus never sinned. He lived a perfect life. So Jesus had the authority to judge the woman. He could have thrown stones at the woman to punish her for her sins. But what did Jesus do? He forgave her! That is truly amazing love! And we need to show this kind of love to other people. Has someone hurt you, offended you or stolen from you? Be like Jesus. Forgive them today. Chad Entinger Love (4) It was time to celebrate the Jewish Passover festival. Jesus knew that it was almost time for Him to leave the earth and go back to God. While Jesus was eating the Passover meal with His disicples, He stood up, got a towel and wrapped it around his waist. Then Jesus poured water into a bowl and washed the disciples feet. In those days, people did not wear shoes like we do today. They often wore sandals. It was easy for their feet to become dirty. The disciples feet were probably very dirty. Also, Jesus is God s Son. He is our King. Jesus could have asked His servants, the disciples, to wash His feet. But instead, Jesus washed His servants feet! John 13:15-16 tells us why Jesus did this. I did this as an example for you. So you should serve each other just as I served you. Believe me, servants are not greater than their master. Those who are sent to do something are not greater than the one who sent them. Jesus gave us a wonderful example of love. So we should show love to our friends, family members and our brothers and sisters in God s kingdom. What will you do to show God s love to other people? Chad Entinger John 7:53-8:11 Wednesday, April 3 48 John 13:1-20 Thursday, April 4

51 Jesus is Coming When Jesus left the earth to go back to heaven, He promised His disciples that He would return someday. Jesus said when He returned He would take them to live with Him forever. The disciples expected Jesus to come back soon. Almost 2000 years have passed since Jesus said He would return. We are Jesus disciples, and we are still waiting for Him to come again. Any day may be the day that Jesus comes to be united with His followers. Some people have tried to predict which day Jesus will return. Many times through the years people have said that Jesus would come on a certain day. But those days have passed, and Jesus has not returned. So who knows when Jesus will return? Jesus gave us that answer in Matthew 24:36. No one knows when that day or time will be. The Son and the angels in heaven don t know when it will be. Only the Father knows. Only God knows when Jesus will come. It might be today or tomorrow or many years from now. But no matter when it is, it will be too soon for the people who are not ready to meet Jesus. Are you ready to meet Jesus today? Anonymous Help Others While Jesus was on earth, He talked a lot about helping other people. In Matthew, chapter 25, Jesus told a story about a king. This king gathered all the people on earth together. Then He divided them into two groups. One group was the people who had helped other people. The other group was the people who had refused to do good things for others. The king told the one group of people that they had not given him a drink or clothes to wear or visited him in prison. These people asked the king when he had been thirsty or needed clothes or was in prison. Matthew 25:40 gives us the king s answer. Then the king will answer, The truth is, anything you did for any of my people here, you also did for me. Jesus is the king in this story. Any time we help other people, we are helping Jesus. But sometimes we ignore opportunities to help other people. We see someone who needs a good meal, and we refuse to feed them. Or we see a person who needs encouragement, and we walk away and leave them alone. Jesus wants you to help other people. Will you feed a hungry person today? Will you encourage someone who is depressed? Will you visit a person who is sick? Eileen Wood Matthew 24:36-44 Matthew 25:34-46 Friday, April 5 49 Saturday, April 6

52 Trip to Jerusalem Many Christians today love to travel to the Holy Land. They want to visit Jerusalem and see all the places where the New Testament stories happened. They are excited to walk down the roads and streets where Jesus walked. Jesus knew that it was time for Him to return to Jerusalem. He knew that people were waiting there to arrest and kill Him. Matthew 20:18-19 tells us what Jesus said to His disciples. We are going to Jerusalem. The Son of Man will be handed over to the leading priests and the teachers of the law, and they will say he must die. They will hand him over to the foreigners, who will laugh at him and beat him with whips, and then they will kill him on a cross. But on the third day after his death, he will be raised to life again. Jesus was planning a trip to Jerusalem. But it was not a pleasure trip. When He talked to His disciples, He was predicting His own death. They did not understand all that would happen to Jesus, but they must have been worried and scared. Jesus was willing to go to Jerusalem because He loves us so much. He was willing to be judged guilty, even though He was innocent. Jesus was willing to be beaten and hung on a cross because He wants us to live forever with Him. Thank you, Jesus! Pam Davis Lazarus We have already learned about Mary and Martha who lived in Bethany. One day their brother, Lazarus, became very sick. Mary and Martha sent a message to Jesus, telling Him that Lazarus was sick. But Jesus did not go to Bethany right away. When Jesus finally arrived in Bethany, Lazarus had died and been buried for four days. Martha was upset that Jesus had not come earlier. She believed that Jesus could have healed Lazarus. In John 11:25, Jesus told Martha something very important about Himself. Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection. I am life. Everyone who believes in me will have life, even if they die. Mary and Martha showed Jesus where Lazarus was buried. The stone at the entrance to the tomb was moved away. Jesus prayed that God would use Him to show that He was truly God s Son. Jesus called Lazarus to come out of the tomb, and Lazarus came out, wrapped in his burial clothes. Because of this miracle, many people believed that Jesus was God s Son. But some people did not believe. And those people wanted to kill Jesus. It is our choice to believe in Jesus or to reject Him. What will you do with Jesus today follow Him or turn away from Him? Jennifer Forrester Sunday, April 7 Matthew 20: John 11:17-44 Monday, April 8

53 Jesus, Our King In a couple of weeks, Christians around the world will celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. Today and for the next few days, we will learn about some important events in Jesus life. Jesus and His disciples traveled to Jerusalem. They stopped at the town of Bethphage. Jesus sent two of His followers to find a mother donkey and her colt. Then Jesus rode the donkey into Jerusalem. Many people along the way spread their coats on the road. Other people cut tree branches and spread them out. The people who were with Jesus started praising Him. Matthew 21:9 tells us what they shouted. Some of the people were walking ahead of Jesus. Others were walking behind him. They all shouted, Praise to the son of David! Welcome! God bless the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Praise to God in heaven. Those people welcomed Jesus as their earthly king. But God did not plan for Jesus to be an earthly king. God s plan was for Jesus to die, rise from the dead and become our spiritual king. Jesus is truly our king. We need to give Him our love and service. And we need to honor and worship Him every day. Worship Jesus today! Special Meal On the night before Jesus died, He shared a special Passover meal with His apostles. This was the time when Jewish people remembered how God had saved them and led them out of slavery in Egypt. While they were eating, Jesus took some bread and wine and explained some things to the apostles. First, Jesus took some bread. He told the others to take the bread and eat it. Matthew 26:27-28 tells us what Jesus did next. Then he took a cup of wine, thanked God for it, and gave it to them. He said, Each one of you drink some of it. This wine is my blood, which will be poured out to forgive the sins of many and begin the new agreement from God to his people. When Jesus talked about the bread and wine, He was really talking about His death. The next day Jesus body was beaten, and He hung on a cross and died. Jesus did this to accept the punishment for our sins. It is wonderful to eat the Lord s Supper with other Christians. That is a time when we remember Jesus death on the cross. We can thank Jesus for our salvation and ask Him to continue to forgive our sins. Take time today to think about what Jesus sacrifice means to you. Matthew 21:1-11 Matthew 26:17-30 Tuesday, April 9 51 Wednesday, April 10

54 Peter s Denial Did you know that Jesus used a rooster to teach Peter a lesson? Jesus was arrested and taken to the house of the Jewish high priest. Peter sat with some soldiers outside the house. A servant girl saw Peter and said that he had been with Jesus. Peter was afraid that the Jews would arrest him, too. So Peter denied being with Jesus. A short time later another person said that they had seen Peter with Jesus. Again, Peter said that he was not one of Jesus followers. A third time someone said that Peter had been with Jesus. Peter again said that was not true. Immediately after that, a rooster crowed. Luke 22:61 tells us what Peter remembered. Then the Lord turned and looked into Peter s eyes. And Peter remembered what the Lord had said, Before the rooster crows in the morning, you will say three times that you don t know me. Peter was very sad and ashamed. He cried because he had denied Jesus. Jesus forgave Peter, and later, he became a bold leader in the church in Jerusalem. Are you afraid to tell other people that Jesus is your Savior? God wants you to stand strong and be a witness for Him. Be brave and tell people that you love and follow Jesus. Anonymous Not Guilty Sometimes we read a sad story about someone who has been falsely accused of doing something wrong. Later, a judge and jury may learn that the person is innocent. But that person s life may already be ruined. They have to live the rest of their life knowing that they were accused of doing something wrong. Jesus went through several trials before the Jewish leaders, Pilate and King Herod. People told lies about Jesus and made fun of Him. But Jesus was not guilty of any crime. In the end, Jesus was sentenced to be crucified. Luke 23:23-25 tells us what happened next to Jesus. But the people continued to shout. They demanded that Jesus be killed on a cross. Their shouting got so loud that Pilate decided to give them what they wanted. They wanted Barabbas to go free the one who was in jail for starting a riot and for murder. Pilate let Barabbas go free. And then he handed Jesus over to be killed. This is what the people wanted. How could God allow this to happen to Jesus? This was all part of God s plan. It was the only way our sins could be forgiven. And Jesus was willing to be falsely accused and killed on a cross. Jesus was willing to die for you. Are you willing to live for Him today? Eileen Wood Thursday, April 11 Luke 22: Luke 23:1-25 Friday, April 12

55 Important Moments Every year, TV shows and magazines publish a list of important moments over the past year. On the list are the deaths of famous people, natural disasters that occurred and new technology and discoveries. Those moments may be very important, but they do not compare to the time almost 2000 years ago when Jesus was crucified. Luke 23:33 describes this awesome event. They were led to a placed called The Skull. There the soldiers nailed Jesus to a cross. They also nailed the criminals to crosses beside Jesus one on the right and the other on the left. We don t know how many people watched as Jesus was crucified. The Jewish scribes and pharisees watched as official witnesses. It was their job to be sure that the punishment happened. Some of Jesus followers, including His mother, Mary, watched because they loved Him. In all of history, the most important moment was when Jesus died for our sins. Each day we should remember that Jesus died to give us eternal life through His obedience to God s will. We should be happy to tell others about the most important moment in history the day when Jesus died for the salvation of the world. Never forget what Jesus did for you! Anonymous Forgive Others For the next few days we will learn about the seven times that Jesus spoke while He was hanging on the cross. And we will see His example of how we should act as Christians. Jesus was nailed to a cross. On His right and on His left were crosses. On these crosses were criminals who were being punished for their crimes. Before Jesus was put on a cross, many bad things happened to Him. He was whipped. Soldiers placed a crown of thorns on His head and made fun of Him. Luke 23:34 tells us what Jesus did about all the bad things that were happening to Him. Jesus said, Father, forgive them. They don t know what they are doing. The soldiers threw dice to divide Jesus clothes between them. Jesus asked God to forgive the people who were hurting Him! These people were cruel and mean to Jesus, but He showed them love and forgiveness. Is it hard for you to forgive someone? Maybe a friend lied to you. Or maybe a family member said bad things about you. Are those things as bad as what happened to Jesus? Probably not. Jesus forgave the people who hurt Him. That is a great example for us. Follow Jesus example today and forgive others. Luke 23:32-37 Luke 23:32-37 Saturday, April Sunday, April 14

56 People Can Change When Jesus was hanging on the cross, He suffered great physical pain. He also must have suffered emotionally when the people laughed at Him and mocked Him. One of the criminals who was also being crucified shouted bad things at Jesus. The other criminal told him to stop. This criminal had done wrong things, and He probably had not followed God s laws. But as he was hanging on the cross, he realized that Jesus was truly God s Son. He changed from someone who did not believe to someone who believed. This criminal asked Jesus to remember him when He was ruling as king. Luke 23:43 tells us what Jesus said to this criminal. Then Jesus said to him, I promise you, today you will be with me in paradise. This man is a good example of someone who changed. Maybe you know someone that you think will never become a Christian. Or maybe you know someone who needs to change the way they live. Encourage and pray for those people. Do good things for them. Share the Good News about Jesus with them and show them how a Christian should live. Be patient and help someone change their life and follow Jesus. Honor Your Parents John 19:26 tells us about something very special that Jesus did while He was on the cross. Jesus saw his mother. He also saw the follower he loved very much standing there. He said to his mother, Dear woman, here is your son. Jesus was in great pain. He was dying on the cross. But He did not forget His mother. He told the apostle John to take care of Mary, His mother. He told Mary to think of John as her son. Jesus made sure that someone would take care of His mother after He was gone. We should follow Jesus example. We should love our parents. Are you a young person? You should honor your parents and respect them and the things they try to teach you. Are you an older person? You should make sure that your elderly parents have someone to care for them. Jesus loved His mother. He showed His love by taking care of her. Take time to remember your parents today. How long as it been since you had a long talk with them? When was the last time you sent them a letter, or text? God wants us to honor our parents like Jesus did. Monday, April 15 Luke 23: John 19:23-27 Tuesday, April 16

57 A Perfect Sacrifice Matthew 27:46 records some other words that Jesus spoke while He was on the cross. About three o clock Jesus cried out loudly, Eli, Eli, lema Sabachthani? This means My God, my God, why have you left me alone? It seems strange to think that God had left Jesus alone. The Bible tells us that God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are one. How could God separate Himself from Jesus? While Jesus was on the cross, He willingly accepted the sins of all people. He took on the sins that people had done in the past. And He accepted the sins that people would do in the future. God hates sin. He cannot even be close to it. When Jesus was on the cross, He was so full of sin our sin that God could not be with Him. Jesus was left alone to die. Because we sin, we deserve to die. Instead, Jesus died for us. God was willing to accept this perfect sacrifice. Because of Jesus sacrifice, we can have our sins forgiven. Have you accepted Jesus as your Savior and obeyed His plan for your life? Have you allowed Jesus to be your perfect sacrifice? Study the Bible and learn what God wants you to do. I Am Thirsty Have you ever been thirsty really thirsty like a person crawling in the desert, looking for water? I have never been that thirsty. Sometimes after I work outside on a hot day, I am thirsty. But I don t think I have ever been really thirsty. When Jesus was on the cross, He was in much pain. He hadn t eaten or slept for many hours. Jesus had been beaten and forced to carry a heavy wooden cross up a hill. John 19:28 tells us how Jesus felt while hanging on the cross. Later, Jesus knew that everything had been done. To make the Scriptures come true he said, I am thirsty. Of course Jesus was thirsty! He was God, but He was also a man. Jesus came to earth in the form of a baby. He grew up to become a man. He felt pain and hunger and thirst, just like we do. Like us, Jesus was even tempted to sin. But He remained perfect He never sinned. We may think that we can never be perfect like Jesus. But each day we can learn more from the Bible. We can learn how to be a better Christian. There are always ways that we can improve our spiritual life. What are you doing to be more like Jesus today? Matthew 27:45-50 John 19:28-30 Wednesday, April Thursday, April 18

58 It is Finished From the very beginning when Adam and Eve sinned, God planned to send His Son, Jesus, to earth. God planned for Jesus to be the perfect sacrifice for sins. The Old Testament prophets told about the time when Jesus would be born on earth. They also said that He would be the Savior of the whole world. In the New Testament we love to read the Christmas story about Jesus being born in Bethlehem. The reason that Jesus was born was so He could die. While Jesus was hanging on the cross, He knew that everything God had planned had been completed. John 19:30 tells us what Jesus said about God s plan. When he tasted the wine, he said, It is finished. Then he bowed his head and died. It makes us very sad to think that Jesus had to die for our sins. But we should be happy to know that He was willing to die for us. Jesus came to earth, lived, suffered and died for you and me. That is very good news! Have you shared this good news with your family and friends? People are Watching Luke 23:46 tells us another thing that Jesus said right before He died. Jesus shouted, Father, I put my life in your hands! After Jesus said this, he died. The next few verses describe how one person reacted to Jesus death. A Roman soldier was in the crowd of people who watched Jesus die. Probably this soldier did not worship God. Maybe He knew nothing about Jesus. But the soldier listened to what Jesus said while He was on the cross. He watched Jesus die. After this, the soldier said that Jesus was a good man. Wherever we go, people are always watching us. What do those people say about you? When they watch your actions, do they think you are a good person? When they see you communicate with other people, do they think you are a Christian? People are always watching us not just on Sundays in church, but every day of the week. They watch us as we work, play or go to school. Every day our lives should show that we belong to Jesus. Whatever you do today, think and act like Jesus did. Do everything to please and honor God. Who will be watching you today? Friday, April 19 John 19: Luke 23:44-49 Saturday, April 20

59 Jesus is Alive! Someone told a true story about a man whose daughter was involved in a car accident. When he arrived at the hospital, they told him that his daughter had died. But a few minutes later they told him there had been a mistake. His daughter was not dead. Instead, it was her friend who was killed. That father was very sorry about his daughter s friend. But he was so very happy and relieved that his daughter was alive. Some women went to the tomb where Jesus was laid. They wanted to prepare His body for burial. But when they arrived at the tomb, they were surprised to see two men in shining clothes. Luke 24:6-7 tells us what they said about Jesus. Jesus is not here. He has risen from death. Do you remember what he said in Galilee? He said the Son of Man must be handed over to the control of sinful men, be killed on a cross, and rise from death on the third day. We can be happy this Resurrection Day to know that all of God s promises happened exactly as He said. The prophets in the Old Testament told about God s Son rising from the dead. And Jesus talked about His own resurrection. It all happened just as God said it would. Be happy today! Jesus died, but now He is alive. Because He overcame death, we can live forever with Him! Running to the Tomb Jesus had told His disciples many times that He must die. He also told them that He would come alive again. But when Jesus really died, His followers seemed to forget what He had said. They were sad and discouraged. Early in the morning, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb where Jesus was buried. She saw that the stone was moved away from the entrance to the tomb, so she told Peter and John what she had seen. Then Peter and John ran to the tomb. John arrived first. He saw the burial cloth, but he did not go inside the tomb. When Peter reached the tomb, he went inside. He saw that Jesus body was not there. John 20:8 tells us what John did next. Then the other follower went in the one who had reached the tomb first. He saw what had happened and believed. What did John believe? Maybe he only believed that Jesus body was gone. He probably didn t yet understand that Jesus had risen from the dead. When John and the other disciples finally saw Jesus, they truly believed that He was alive. We can t see Jesus today. But the Bible has the eyewitness accounts of people who actually saw and touched Jesus after His resurrection. That s why it is so important for us to study and believe what the Gospel writers said about Jesus. When we believe in Him, we can have true life! Luke 24:1-12 John 20:1-10 Sunday, April Monday, April 22

60 Mary Magdalene Peter and John left the tomb, but Mary Magdalene stayed. She looked inside and saw two angels sitting where Jesus body had been. The angels asked Mary why she was crying. She said that she was crying because someone had taken Jesus body away. Mary turned around and saw a man. She thought the man was in charge of the garden, so she asked the man if he had taken Jesus body. The man called her by her name. Then Mary realized that it was Jesus! John 20:18 tells us what Mary did after she saw Jesus. Mary Magdalene went to the followers and told them, I saw the Lord! And she told them what he had said to her. When Mary saw Jesus, did she keep the news a secret? No! She went to tell Jesus followers that He was alive. Today we can read and study the Bible. We know that Jesus died on the cross and then arose from the dead. What do we do with this wonderful news? Do we keep it to ourselves? Or do we share the news with everyone we meet? The news that Jesus was alive was the greatest news ever. We have a responsibility to share that news with people today our friends, our family members and our coworkers. Ask God to show you someone who needs to know Him today. Two Men on a Road Luke, chapter 24, tells us about two men who were walking from Jerusalem to the town of Emmaus. As they walked, they talked about Jesus death and all that had happened in Jerusalem. Jesus came near and walked with them. But God did not allow the men to know that it was Jesus. Jesus asked them questions, and they told him about the man from Nazareth who had died on a cross. They also told Jesus about the followers experience at the tomb. Jesus reminded them about all the Old Testament prophecies that talked about God s Son. Jesus went to their home and ate with them. When Jesus took some bread and shared it with them, they were allowed to recognize Him. Then Jesus disappeared! In Luke 24:32 we read what these men said. They said to each other, When he talked to us on the road, it felt like a fire burning in us. How exciting it was when he explained to us the true meaning of the Scriptures! Then the two men excitedly shared their experience with the other disciples. When the men were with Jesus, they felt like a fire was burning inside them. As Christians, we, too, should feel that fire in us. We should be so excited about Jesus that we can t wait to share the news with other people. Are you excited to tell someone about Jesus today? Tuesday, April 23 John 20: Luke 24:13-35 Wednesday, April 24

61 Peace Be with You We all face times in our lives when we are afraid. Maybe as a child you were in a school play. You were so scared that you were shaking. But your father or mother assured you, Don t be afraid. You will do a great job! When Jesus died, His followers were afraid that they might also be arrested and killed. They went and hid and hoped that no one knew they were Jesus followers. The day Jesus arose, His followers were together in a locked room. Suddenly, Jesus appeared in the room. John 20:21 tells us what Jesus said to His disciples. Then Jesus said again, Peace be with you. It was the Father who sent me, and I am now sending you in the same way. Jesus wanted His followers to feel His peace and not be afraid. Jesus message of peace is for us, too. When we are afraid of what other people will say about us, Jesus reminds us that we will be rewarded for doing what is right. When we are afraid of death, we can remember that Jesus has prepared a place for us to live with Him forever. Life is full of fearful things, but Jesus wants us to depend on Him. He will strengthen and encourage us. Think about His peace today! Bob La Forge Doubting Thomas Some people refuse to believe something happened if they didn t see it themselves. I have read about people who do not believe that men have walked on the moon. These people think that the astronauts just pretended to be up in space. It is not easy to convince these people that men really went to the moon. One of Jesus apostles, Thomas, was not with the other apostles when Jesus appeared to them. When they told Thomas that Jesus was alive, he said that was hard to believe. Thomas said that he would have to see the nail holes in Jesus hands and the wound in His side before he would believe that He was really alive. Many people through the years have called this apostle Doubting Thomas. But it must have been hard to watch Jesus die and then believe that He was alive again. But a week later, Jesus followers were together again and Thomas was with them. John 20:27-28 tells us what Jesus did and gives us Thomas response. Then he said to Thomas, Put your finger here. Look at my hands. Put your hand here in my side. Stop doubting and believe. Thomas said to Jesus, My Lord and my God! We can t see Jesus right now, but we can know for sure that He is alive. Worship and praise Him today! Pam Davis John 20:19-23 John 20:24-31 Thursday, April Friday, April 26

62 Jesus and Peter After Jesus was arrested, three different people asked Peter if he was a follower of Jesus. Peter responded to each person that he was not a follower of Jesus. Then Peter felt really bad for what he had done. John, chapter 21, shows us Jesus great and forgiving love. Jesus could have been angry with Peter for denying Him three times. Jesus could have punished Peter. But what did Jesus do? He was patient with Peter. He continued to love Peter. Jesus also forgave Peter. Soon after Jesus resurrection, He appeared to Peter and some of His followers near Lake Galilee. John 21:15 tells us what Jesus said to Peter. When they finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these other men love me? Peter answered, Yes, Lord, you know that I love you. Then Jesus said to him, Take care of my lambs. Jesus asked Peter three times if he loved Him. And Peter responded three times that he loved Jesus. Later, Peter became a very bold preacher. Many people believed in Jesus and were baptized. Peter did many wonderful things for Jesus. Be like Jesus. Show your love to other people by being patient and forgiving. Chad Entinger Great Commission (1) If you are a parent, you probably have given your children some final instructions. Maybe it was their first day of school or their first date or the first time driving the family car alone. Children are usually bored with these lectures, but parents know that they need to remind their children what they should do. Jesus was ready to return to heaven. He had been with His disciples for about three years. Now He was leaving them the responsibility of spreading the Good News to all people. Jesus would no longer be with them physically on earth. That is why Jesus shared some final instructions with His disciples. These instructions are often called the Great Commission. Matthew 28:18 tells us how Jesus began these instructions. So he came to them and said, All authority in heaven and on earth is given to me. God gave Jesus authority and power, so we know that these instructions are important. The Great Commission is for us today, too. The disciples taught others about Jesus. Then those new Christians taught others and on and on until finally someone taught us about Jesus. Now it is our responsibility to go and share the Good News about Jesus. Are you obeying Jesus Great Commission? Saturday, April 27 John 21: Matthew 28:16-20 Sunday, April 28

63 Great Commission (2) Today we will continue looking at Jesus final instructions. Some of the people who listened to Jesus instructions did not believe that He was really alive. Even though many people had seen Jesus since His resurrection, some people still did not believe that He was alive. Yesterday we learned that Jesus said that God had given Him authority and power. In Matthew 28:19 Jesus also said that we should make new followers. So go and make followers of all people in the world. Baptize them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. How can we share Jesus with other people? First, we need to go. That doesn t mean that we need to go to a foreign country. We can share the Good News with our family, neighbors and coworkers. Then, we need to baptize those people who accept the Good News. The book of Acts gives us many examples of people who were baptized into Jesus. Finally, we need to teach those people to obey everything that Jesus told the disciples to do. If we follow this plan, we can win the world for Jesus one person at a time. Follow Jesus plan today. Great Commission (3) Sometimes we must do things that may seem scary give a book report in school, make a presentation at our job or teach a Sunday School class. A family member or friend may encourage us by saying, Don t be scared. I will be with you. Maybe they can t be with us physically, but they are praying that God will give us strength and help us be successful. Then we feel good and have the confidence to do what we need to do. The disciples who were with Jesus may have felt overwhelmed as they listened to His final instructions. Jesus told them to go and make new disciples. Maybe that was a scary thing for them. Jesus ends His instructions in Matthew 28:20 by sharing a promise. Teach them to obey everything that I have told you to do. You can be sure that I will be with you always. I will continue with you until the end of time. Jesus would soon leave the earth and go back to heaven. He would not physically be with the disciples any more. But He promised to always be with them to comfort and encourage them. This promise is for us today, too. When we are scared to share the Good News with someone, Jesus encourages us. When we face troubles because we are a Christian, He comforts us. Remember Jesus promise as you share Him with others. Matthew 28:16-20 Matthew 28:16-20 Monday, April Tuesday, April 30

64 Exciting news! More books of the Old Testament have been translated into American Sign Langauge! Now available on Deaf Missions Videos app and website!

65 Will be released February 2019 Will be released April 2019

66 Authors Thanks to these people who wrote devotions for this issue. Bob La Forge Freehold, NJ Bonnie Hall Hartford City, IN Chad Entinger Deaf Missions Staff Dale Erickson Council Bluffs, IA Diana French Council Bluffs, IA Donna Howard Orfordville, WI Eileen Wood Loganville, GA Gayle Thorn Wayne, OH Harold Noe Deceased Jennifer Forrester Los Angeles, CA Jo Krueger Deaf Missions Staff Jolynn Stinehagen Lexington, NE Linda Lamb Brookville, PA Matt Keller Deaf Missions Staff Naomi Wiederkehr Berne, IN Pam Davis Epps, LA Steve Husting Fountain Valley, CA Suzanne Austin-Hill Ruskin, FL 64

67 deafmissions.com/app

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