Sermon Notes; a Daily Devotional

Philippians 2:5-7 "5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7 But made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:" We are studying “Attend worship regularly.” We began by reading from Psalm 122. These verses express the joyful anticipation of pilgrims traveling to Jerusalem for worship. Those same ideas and themes continue in church services around the world today: communal worship that is a shared experience and brings joy to those who love God. In these gatherings, the Holy Ghost helps people encounter God and transforms their lives. Jewish tradition was centered on the coming Messiah. Jesus is that Messiah. Christian tradition centers on the life, death, resurrection, and eventual return of our Lord and Savior. We are tempted to see these as distinct traditions. The more accurate perspective is that they form one conti...

Psalm 122:3&4 "3 Jerusalem is builded as a city that is compact together: 4 Whither the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD, unto the testimony of Israel, to give thanks unto the name of the LORD." We are studying the acrostic GRACED. This week we are focusing on “Attend worship regularly.” We began by reading Psalm 122. These verses express the joyful anticipation of pilgrims traveling to Jerusalem for worship. Today’s verses describe Jerusalem as a city built compactly together, symbolizing unity, stability, and order. The Hebrew imagery suggests the city is like a seamless structure, or like the tabernacle curtains joined to form one whole, reflecting both the physical strength of Jerusalem and the spiritual unity of God’s people. Verse 4 explains that this unity serves a divine purpose: the tribes of the LORD (the twelve tribes of Israel) go up to Jerusalem to give thanks and praise to the name of the LORD, as commanded by statute. This pilgrimage was a central act o...

Psalm 122:1&2 "1 I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD. 2 Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem." We are studying the acrostic GRACED : G o to God in prayer daily. R ead God’s Word daily. A ttend worship regularly. C onnect in a study group. E ngage in service. D edicate yourself to the tithe and beyond. Last week we focused on “Read God’s Word daily.” We dedicated ourselves to making the reading of God’s Word a daily habit. Binding it to your hands and your head can take the form of jewelry, a challenge coin, a T-shirt, or anything else that keeps the Lord at the forefront of your thinking. Keep a Bible on your phone. Use technology for good and read it anywhere. Display God’s Word in your home; hang verses and crosses on your walls. Let all who see it know how important it is to you. Sanctify your life with God’s Word. You will be glad you did. This week we study “Attend worship regularly.” We begin by reading from the Psal...

Deuteronomy 11:23 "Then will the LORD drive out all these nations from before you, and ye shall possess greater nations and mightier than yourselves." Wrapping up our reading from Deuteronomy, today’s verse elaborates God’s conditional promise within the Mosaic covenant: if Israel obeys His commandments, He will drive out the nations inhabiting Canaan so that the Israelites may possess land occupied by peoples greater and mightier than themselves. Key elements of the verse Condition of obedience . The promise depends on the people carefully keeping the commandment to love the Lord, walk in His ways, and hold fast to Him (Deuteronomy 11:22). Divine intervention . Victory is not won by human strength but by God’s power to dispossess stronger enemies. Theological significance . Spoken as Israel stood on the brink of the Promised Land, the assurance was meant to encourage faith and trust in God’s ability to fulfill His word despite overwhelming odds. Christian interpretation . Ma...

Deuteronomy 11:22 "For if ye shall diligently keep all these commandments which I command you, to do them, to love the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, and to cleave unto him;" Today’s verse God presents diligent obedience as the condition for blessing. Keeping the commandments is summed up in three marks of devotion: love the LORD your God, walk in all His ways (live by His law), and cleave to Him (stay loyal and close). This is the prerequisite for the promise in verses 23–25: if Israel remains faithful, the LORD will drive out the nations then occupying Canaan and give His people victory over enemies greater and stronger than they are. Theologically, the verse teaches that true faithfulness is more than rule-keeping. It is a wholehearted relationship with God; intentional obedience joined to unwavering loyalty.

Deuteronomy 11:20&21 "20 And thou shalt write them upon the door posts of thine house, and upon thy gates: 21 That your days may be multiplied, and the days of your children, in the land which the LORD sware unto your fathers to give them, as the days of heaven upon the earth." God’s Word is living and active; it both invites and provokes us. In the verses just before these, God commands His people to take His words to heart and soul, to bind them as a sign, and to speak them in the ordinary course of life. His teaching is not a single lesson but a practiced habit, passed from one generation to the next, so that His people will love and obey Him always. In today’s verses He commands Israel to write those words on the doorposts of their houses and on their gates. The law is to be a constant, visible reminder of the covenant and a public confession of faith. Divine instruction is meant to mark private rooms and public thresholds alike, so that God’s presence and guidance st...

Deuteronomy 11:19 "And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up." We started the week with Jesus’s words about the authority of Scripture. God’s Word is living and active; it invites us and it provokes us. Yesterday we turned back to Deuteronomy, words written more than three thousand years ago, about how we should respond to God’s Word. God commands His people to internalize His words: to fix them in heart and soul, and also to wear them outwardly as a sign. God’s words are not meant to remain mere intellectual assent. They are to fill the inner person; affections, mind, and motives. Binding them on the hand pictures deeds; binding them on the forehead pictures thought, worldview, and public identity. Today’s verse calls for a lifestyle of constant, conversational faith: not a single lesson, but an ongoing, natural practice of speaking God’s truth into...

Deuteronomy 11:18 "Therefore shall ye lay up these My words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes." We have already read the words of Jesus that teach daily dependence on God’s will, the authority of Scripture, the difference between physical and spiritual life, and more. We often call the Bible “the bread of life.” God’s Word is living and active; it invites us and it provokes us. John 1:1 tells us that the living Word is Jesus; the written Word is Holy Scripture. God spoke, and all things came into being. John 1:14 shows that His plan from the beginning was our redemption. Jesus later named Himself the Bread of Life (John 6:35). So when we pray for daily bread, we are asking not only for what feeds the body, but for the Word that feeds the soul, one day’s portion at a time. Today we turn back to Deuteronomy, words written around 1406 B.C., just before the Israelites entered the Promised Land ...

Matthew 6:11 "Give us this day our daily bread." This week we are focusing on “Read God’s Word daily,” the R in the acrostic GRACED. Yesterday’s verse from Matthew 4 quoted our Lord as He answered Satan’s temptation to turn stones into bread. That short reply teaches dependence on God’s will, the authority of Scripture, the difference between physical and spiritual life, a typological link to the wilderness manna, and deep theological significance. Central to the study: bread is necessary for physical survival, but it cannot sustain the soul. True life comes from living by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. Today’s verse is the third petition of the Lord’s Prayer. Jesus teaches His followers to ask the Father to “give us this day our daily bread.” Spoken in the Sermon on the Mount, it is a model of daily dependence on God. Key interpretations and meanings Daily dependence . “This day” asks for provision one day at a time, echoing the manna in Exodus: Israel recei...

Matthew 4:4 "But He answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." We are studying the acrostic GRACED : G o to God in prayer daily. R ead God’s Word daily. A ttend worship regularly. C onnect in a study group. E ngage in service. D edicate yourself to the tithe and beyond. Last week we focused on “Go to God in prayer daily.” We use the Lord’s Prayer as the model for our prayers. We should also pray with more variety: praying in the Spirit, practicing prayer continually, interceding for others, and remaining aware of spiritual warfare. In our world today, we need prayer more than ever. We need to orient our lives toward God and draw closer to Him. That is what the principles of the GRACED acrostic will help us do. This week we focus on “Read God’s Word daily.” We begin with the words of our Lord and Savior as He responded to Satan’s temptation to turn stones into bread. Quoting Deuteronomy 8:3, ...

Ephesians 6:18 "Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;" Of course, the Lord’s Prayer is the model for our prayers, and we can and should pray it daily. It is not, however, the only prayer we need. We find great prayers in the Psalms, and many more throughout the Holy Scriptures. Today’s verse from Ephesians presents the concluding and most vital element of the spiritual armor of God. It emphasizes that prayer is not merely a weapon, but the spiritual energy required to wield the armor effectively. The verse commands believers to engage in constant, Spirit-directed prayer (“praying always… in the Spirit”), marked by variety (“all prayer and supplication”) and persistent alertness (“watching… with all perseverance”). Key components of this instruction include: Praying in the Spirit . This is prayer guided and empowered by the Holy Spirit, aligning the believer’s requests with G...

Matthew 6:10 "Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven." I encourage you to pray the Lord’s Prayer at least once a day, or more often if you feel led. Sometimes a line of the prayer will land with unexpected force as it touches a need in your life. Give it a try and see if it helps your faith walk too. Note: the “goal” of praying once a day is not about achievement. It is about love for God. God wants your heart oriented toward Him. He will change your heart and mind. The point is to learn to draw closer to God. Today’s verse is from the Lord’s Prayer in the Sermon on the Mount. It is a dual petition: for the establishment of God’s sovereign rule, and for the alignment of human life with His purpose. Thy Kingdom Come This phrase expresses a longing for God’s reign to be made tangible in the world. It acknowledges His sovereignty and asks that the Kingdom of Heaven displace lesser powers, so that justice, peace, and love govern both the lives of believer...

Matthew 6:9 "After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy name." Prayer will look different from person to person. As long as you are talking with God, you are doing it right. The important thing is to do it daily. We were reading from Psalm 103; there is a distinctive style to that writing. Today we turn to the Gospel of Matthew for his record of the prayer Jesus taught His disciples and the crowd gathered for the Sermon on the Mount. We call this the Lord’s Prayer. It is the model for how believers should pray. It instructs followers to address God as “Our Father in heaven,” emphasizing a communal relationship with God and acknowledging His sovereignty and majesty. The verse includes the petition “Hallowed be thy name,” which calls believers to honor, glorify, and reverence God’s character and identity in their lives. This opening sets the tone for prayer by prioritizing God’s glory and holiness before personal requests. It establishe...

Psalms 103:4 "Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; Who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;" Today’s verse is a declaration of God’s redeeming love and compassion. The phrase “redeemeth thy life from destruction” points to God’s power to rescue believers from death, despair, and eternal destruction in hell. The image of being “crowned” speaks of honor, favor, and royal treatment. After rescuing people from ruin, God adorns them with lovingkindness (steadfast, covenantal love) and tender mercy. That change lifts believers from hopelessness to dignity and worth. It shows that God values them deeply and restores their identity by His grace. King David and the other writers of the Psalms had a gift for words and deep insight into faith in the one true God. Yesterday’s verse spoke of complete forgiveness of sin and healing from affliction. The Psalms remain an outstanding model for daily prayer. We do not have every phrase the psalmists used, but we can follow...

Psalms 103:3 "Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;" Today’s verse points to a primary reason for praising the Lord. It highlights two major spiritual benefits: complete forgiveness of sin and healing from affliction. Forgiveness of iniquity. The term “iniquity” refers to twisted, distorted, or grave sin, both what we do and what we fail to do. Commentaries often note that this is the first and greatest benefit, because it restores the sinner to God’s favor and makes every other blessing possible. Healing of diseases. Some readings include physical healing. Many scholars, however, take the phrase primarily as spiritual disease or “soul maladies.” In the psalm’s parallelism, healing diseases is closely tied to forgiving iniquities: God addresses the root of human brokenness. Context of praise. This verse begins the psalmist’s recital of God’s “benefits” and urges the soul not to forget those mercies. Pardon stands at the center of worship. Recognizi...

Psalms 103:2 "Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits:" We are focusing on “Go to God in prayer daily,” the first part of the acrostic GRACED; a pattern of proven ways to grow closer to God. Sometimes we ask, “Why do I need to pray? God knows everything.” That question usually comes from a misunderstanding of what prayer does. Prayer is a conversation with God, but it is also a way God works on our hearts and minds. That idea is well expressed in the classic bluegrass song “Pray All Day” by the Legendary Marshall Family. The lyric goes, “Pray all day, pray all night, pray until you see the light”: hinting that prayer changes the person who prays. Yesterday we read verse 1 of Psalm 103 as an outstanding model for prayer. The phrase “O my soul” refers to the author’s inner self, while “all that is within me” takes in every faculty and power: thoughts, emotions, will, and physical existence. Today’s verse again urges us to “Bless the Lord” and explicitly warns...

Psalms 103:1 "Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless His Holy Name." Lest week we began our study of the acrostic GRACED: G o to God in prayer daily. R ead God’s Word daily. A ttend worship regularly. C onnect in a study group. E ngage in service. D edicate yourself to the tithe and beyond. We want to keep this pattern at the forefront of our minds. These are proven ways to grow closer to God. Adopt them, and you will not be far from the kingdom of God. Accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, and you will have eternal life in heaven. This week we will focus on “Go to God in prayer daily.” We can be a little stubborn about prayer, asking, “Why do I need to pray? God knows everything.” This thinking comes from a misunderstanding of the function of prayer. There is a classic bluegrass line that puts it well: “Pray all day, pray all night, pray until you see the light.” Today’s verse is an outstanding model for our prayers. The phrase “O my soul” refers to the...

Mark 12:34 "And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, He said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. And no man after that durst ask Him any question." Today’s verse shows that the scribe had rightly grasped the heart of the Law and the priority of inward devotion over outward ritual. That understanding placed him near the truth of the Gospel. Commentators note, however, that he was not yet fully in the Kingdom, because he had not yet received Jesus as the Messiah or committed himself to follow Him. The passage reminds us that intellectual agreement with God’s moral requirements is an important step, but entrance into the Kingdom requires personal faith and submission to Christ. We want to follow Jesus’ example: to stoop and serve others in humility and charity, even to wash one another’s feet. Jesus is not handing us rungs on a ladder we climb by our own effort. He is giving us a pattern to follow. So as we study the acrostic GRACED: G o to God in prayer d...

Mark 12:33 "And to love Him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices." Read that last phrase again if you need to: "more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices." In today’s verse a scribe affirms that loving God with all one’s heart, understanding, soul, and strength, and loving one’s neighbor as oneself, is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices. This statement summarizes the core of the Law. Genuine devotion and ethical love outweigh external religious rituals. The verse highlights several key theological points: Supremacy of love . Heartfelt obedience is superior to ceremonial law. This echoes the prophetic word that God desires mercy and knowledge of Him more than ritual (Hosea 6:6). Comprehensive devotion . Loving God requires the totality of one’s being: affections, intellect, and physic...

Mark 12:32 "And the scribe said unto Him, Well, Master, Thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but He:" "the truth" In answering the scribe, Jesus named the greatest commandment and the second. Together those two commands interpret all the Law and the Prophets. Real faith shows itself in costly action toward others. Love for God and love for people are not separate paths; one flows into the other. Ritual without that love is not the point. We like hearing this. Then fear follows: we cannot keep so high a standard. We prefer a ladder we can climb, rung by rung, toward God, or at least above other sinners. Is that what Jesus is teaching? No. The scribe kept meticulous track of the 613 Old Testament laws. Jesus covered them all in two. Like the scribe, we think the things we do make us more acceptable to God. We take Jacob’s dream in Genesis 28:12 and make it about us climbing a ladder to heaven, when it is actually about Jesus coming d...

Mark 12:31 "And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these." Jesus first names the greatest commandment: “Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength.” Today’s verse quotes Leviticus 19:18 and is bound to that first command. Jesus says no commandment is greater than these two. The love in view is not mere feeling but agape; active, self-giving commitment (charity). “As thyself” assumes a natural care for one’s own life and turns it outward: empathy, compassion, and selflessness toward every neighbor, without regard to nation or status. Together the two commands interpret the Law and the Prophets. Real faith shows itself in costly action toward others. Love for God and love for people are not separate paths; one flows into the other. Ritual without that love is not t...

Mark 12:30 "And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment." Today’s verse is Jesus reciting the rest of the Shema as the answer to "what is the most important commandment." The first half was in yesterday’s verse; "Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:" The emphasis is on total, undivided devotion rather than partial affection, requiring that every aspect of a person’s being be engaged in worship and service.  The four elements represent a holistic commitment to God: Heart: The core of emotions, desires, and priorities. Soul: One’s very life and spiritual essence, committed to God’s purposes. Mind: Intellectual engagement, involving thoughts, reasoning, and understanding. Strength: Physical energy, abilities, and resources used to serve God. This commandment establishes love for God as the supreme priority above all other laws, serving ...

Mark 12:29 "And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:" We have begun a series on the acrostic “GRACED.” Go to God in prayer daily. Read God’s Word daily. Attend worship regularly. Connect in a study group. Engage in service. Dedicate to the tithe and beyond. Yesterday’s verse a scribe asks Jesus what the most important commandment is. A question we all want to know? In today’s verse Jesus's answer is based on the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4) as the first and greatest commandment, declaring, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.” This statement affirms monotheism, asserting that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is the unique, exclusive, and singular Creator, with no other gods comparable to Him.  The command to “Hear” is not merely an auditory instruction but a call for wholehearted obedience and loyal devotion. By quoting this foundational Jewish confession, Jesus establishes that true faith be...

Mark 12:28 "And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him, Which is the first commandment of all?" We read the Gospel of Mark this summer. We wrapped that series up with a study on the feeding of the five thousand. We marvel at this miracle and notice something still more incredible: it is a beautiful example of God’s compassion toward people. That compassion is ultimately surpassed by Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross as atonement for our sins. Today we begin a series on the acrostic “GRACED.” G o to God in prayer daily. R ead God’s Word daily. A ttend worship regularly. C onnect in a study group. E ngage in service. D edicate to the tithe and beyond. We begin with today’s verse from the Gospel of Mark, in which a scribe asks Jesus what the most important commandment is. Isn’t this something we all want to know? We share a sincere search for theological clarity about the essence of the Law... ...

Mark 6:42-44 "42 And they did all eat, and were filled. 43 And they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments, and of the fishes. 44 And they that did eat of the loaves were about five thousand men." Still More Incredible! Jesus fed a crowd of five thousand men (not counting women and children) with only five loaves and two fish. Everyone was satisfied, and twelve baskets of leftovers remained. The Miracle of Provision Jesus took those meager resources, blessed and broke them, and distributed them through the disciples. The Greek word for “filled” or “satisfied” (chortazo) suggests being fed abundantly; like livestock given fodder, or people at an all-you-can-eat buffet. The act demonstrated divine compassion and omnipotent provision: Jesus meets both physical and spiritual needs. Significance of the Leftovers The twelve baskets show that God’s provision is more than sufficient, an abundance left for the twelve apostles. The detail emphasizes that when we offer our limited...

Mark 6:40&41 "40 And they sat down in ranks, by hundreds, and by fifties. 41 And when He had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, He looked up to heaven, and blessed, and brake the loaves, and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and the two fishes divided He among them all." Incredible . What are people used to? If you go before a king, or go to someone powerful or influential; you bring them some form of tribute. You are supposed to give to THEM. What do we see happening here? The King is giving to the people! Jesus shows compassion! He's not just a King, but God incarnate! No one is higher than Him. In today's verses He seats the crowd in groups of hundreds and fifties on the green grass, an ordered arrangement that echoes Israel’s wilderness camps and makes distribution possible. Then He takes five loaves and two fish, looks to heaven, blesses, breaks, and keeps giving the food to the disciples to set before the people. The miracle happens in Hi...

Mark 6:38&39 "38 He saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? go and see. And when they knew, they say, Five, and two fishes. 39 And He commanded them to make all sit down by companies upon the green grass." We are studying the feeding of the five thousand because it records an amazing miracle and shows Jesus’ compassion. The disciples witnessed God in flesh feeling human emotion. The crowd’s size, their need, or the weight of the day may have moved Him to make this a defining moment. In these verses the disciples report only five loaves and two fish. Jesus’ question exposes how little they have and how impossible it is to feed the crowd themselves. It forces them to rely on divine provision rather than their own sufficiency. Jesus then has the people sit in groups on the green grass (organized by hundreds and fifties). The orderly arrangement prepares them practically for the meal and spiritually for a shared experience of God’s provision.

Mark 6:36&37 "36 Send them away, that they may go into the country round about, and into the villages, and buy themselves bread: for they have nothing to eat. 37 He answered and said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they say unto Him, Shall we go and buy two hundred pennyworth of bread, and give them to eat?" The crowd had pursued Jesus and the disciples. Seeing them as sheep without a shepherd, He was moved with compassion ; God Himself feeling human emotions in flesh and blood. The size of the crowd, their need, or the weight of the day may have stirred Him. Aware of their scarce resources and remote location, the disciples suggest sending the people to nearby villages for food. Jesus answers, “You give them something to eat,” calling them to trust His provision instead of human logistics. They recoil at the cost: two hundred denarii, roughly a year’s wages. Their shock exposes our own habit of counting what we lack and declaring the task impossible. Are we any diffe...

Mark 6:34&35 "34 And Jesus, when He came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and He began to teach them many things. 35 And when the day was now far spent, His disciples came unto Him, and said, This is a desert place, and now the time is far passed:" Before leaving Mark, we turn to what my pastor calls the book’s most important event (besides the crucifixion and resurrection): the feeding of the five thousand. The apostles had just returned from their first mission and reported all they had done and taught. Jesus invited them to a desolate place to rest. The crowd recognized them, ran on foot from the towns along the Sea of Galilee, outpaced the boat, and was waiting when they arrived. There was no escape from the people. Moved with compassion because they were like sheep without a shepherd, Jesus put their spiritual need first. He began teaching them many things about the kingdom of God, the ...

Mark 6:32&33 "32 And they departed into a desert place by ship privately. 33 And the people saw them departing, and many knew Him, and ran afoot thither out of all cities, and outwent them, and came together unto Him." This summer we read through the Gospel of Mark two times! I praise you for studying God’s word, this world needs more Holy Bible studying Christians. Before we move on from the Gospel of Mark, we are going to review what my Pastor considers the most important point in the book, (other than the events in and arond crucifixion and resurrection) the feeding of the five thousand. All four Gospels describe Jesus multiplying five loaves and two fish to feed a crowd of about 5,000 men (plus women and children in Matthew), with twelve baskets of leftovers gathered afterward. Yesterday’s verses were leading up to this momentous occasion.  The apostles returned from their first missionary journey, they reported to Jesus all they had done and taught. Jesus invited the...