Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

July 20: Matthew 20, Exodus 37, Psalm 129

July 21: Matthew 21, Exodus 38, Psalm 130

July 22: Matthew 22, Exodus 39, Psalm 131

July 23: Matthew 23, Exodus 40, Psalm 132

July 24: Matthew 24, Leviticus 1, Psalm 133

July 25: Matthew 25, Leviticus 2, Psalm 134

July 26: Matthew 26, Leviticus 3, Psalm 135

July 27: Matthew 27, Leviticus 4, Psalm 136

July 28: Matthew 28, Leviticus 5, Psalm 137

July 29: Acts 1, Leviticus 6, Psalm 138

July 30: Acts 2, Leviticus 7, Psalm 139

July 31: Acts 3, Leviticus 8, Psalm 140

Aug 1: Acts 4, Leviticus 9, Psalm 141

Aug 2: Acts 5, Leviticus 10, Psalm 142

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Romans___16

Scripture - What stood out?Romans 16
3 Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, 4 who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks but all the churches of the Gentiles give thanks as well. 5 Greet also the church in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was the first convert[b] to Christ in Asia. 6 Greet Mary, who has worked hard for you. 7 Greet Andronicus and Junia,[c] my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners. They are well known to the apostles,[d] and they were in Christ before me. 8 Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord. 9 Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and my beloved Stachys. 10 Greet Apelles, who is approved in Christ. Greet those who belong to the family of Aristobulus. 11 Greet my kinsman Herodion. Greet those in the Lord who belong to the family of Narcissus. 12 Greet those workers in the Lord, Tryphaena and Tryphosa. Greet the beloved Persis, who has worked hard in the Lord. 13 Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord; also his mother, who has been a mother to me as well. 14 Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers[e] who are with them. 15 Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them. 16 Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you. Observation - What does it say?This is such an exciting time in the history of the bible. The apostle Paul continues to establish the church among the gentile nations. In this conclusion of his letter to the Romans the apostle Paul exhorts the believers to be wise in what is good and innocent of evil. Understanding - What does it mean?We are getting ready to reopen the doors of our church beginning April. edit **I had written end of this month earlier in error. My apologies! ** end edit As part of the ushers we are now tasked with figuring out first impressions in the midst of the new post pandemic landscape we live in. At the heart of what our team does however is greet people. Whether you are new to our church or have been attending forever our goal is to greet you. That is part of the first impression that our ushers hope to imprint on people as they see us. In Romans 16:3-16, the apostle Paul uses the word greet 18 times in reference to a fellow believer in Christ. Something tells me Paul was the consummate usher! Thousands of years ago when the church first started it was important to the apostle Paul to greet his fellow laborers and believers. Isn’t this just as important today as we look to rebuild our universal church post-pandemic? Life Application - How can I apply this to my life today? I felt convicted after reading that portion of scripture to try harder to imitate Paul. It is now easier than ever to reach out. For my life application today I am going to text one person I normally wouldn’t. And I would like to let them know they are a believer in Christ like I am, they are loved by God, that I am grateful to be friends with another Christian, and that I wanted to say- hello. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen. -kenneth lee 
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Romans___15

Scripture‭‭Romans‬ ‭15:4‬ ‭“For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.” Observation- What does it say?The Word of God gives us hope. It gives us hope that God's character never changes, hope that Jesus Christ died, resurrected and imparted His Holy Spirit in each Believer's life and also gives us hope of a life eternal after death.  Understanding-What does it mean?The Scriptures are trustworthy!In a world that is constantly changing, very unstable, and passing away, we can put our hope in the One who never changes. We can put our hope in His Word, the Bible. We can trust those in the faith who have gone before us and are recorded in Scripture who gave their lives to the mission of Jesus Christ. We can trust that heaven and hell are real and trust the hope of eternal life where there are no more sin, sadness, sickness or death. We can trust that we will be completely pure, perfect and without sin just like Jesus in the next life. We can find encouragement and hope to never give up and continue to endure in the faith amidst pain, suffering, hardships and trials as a Christ follower, just like in Hebrews 11. Life ApplicationWe must put our hope in God's Word!We put our hope in the Lord by reading and meditating daily on His Word and applying it to our lives as we are taught from them. We stay connected to our Father through His Word because it is the way He communicates with us. I also believe the Holy Spirit does not work apart from the Scriptures. It is not just a book, but it is Spirit breathed. (2 Tim. 3:16).
Dear Lord, thank You for speaking to us through Your Word. Thank You that You not only gave us Your Holy Spirit, but also the Bible to instruct us on how to operate the way You created us to operate.  I pray that we would desire to spend time with You daily and continuously be taught from Your Word. Thank You for the hope and encouragement it provides to continue to press forward in the faith. Amen.
-Michelle Gaddi
 
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Romans___14

Scripture

Romans 14:8-9

For none of us lives for ourselves alone, and none of us dies for ourselves alone. If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live live or die, we belong to the Lord.
 

Observation

Paul continues outlining what living in Christ looks like, and in this chapter he tackles common misconceptions about the “strong and the weak.” He says that faith should decide how a person should live, and that it should drive every decision that believers make. He then proceeds to make this bold statement about dying for the Lord.
 

Understanding

Although Paul is extending this idea of passing judgement on each other, he makes it abundantly clear that our goal as believers should be the same. He boldly declares that the Lord is master of everything, including us and the people that we judge. None of us are masters over the other no matter what part of life they may be on. Instead, we should be confident in our position in Christ and because of this honor the Lord with their life. So it begs the question: what am I laying my life down for, and is it obvious to others?

I think the tendency is to focus on the part where Paul speaks of death because death seems to be an alarming topic, but we miss the importance of living for God. One of my favorite quotes from a book we read in the high school perfectly captures this idea, he says: “The mark of an immature man is that he wants to die nobly for a cause, while the mark of a mature man is that he wants to live humbly for one.” Living humbly for a cause seems a lot more difficult than dying for one, but it’s what God calls us to do. Regardless of what we think about others and how much better we may think that we are. In humility alone do we boldly approach God’s throne and live life and to die to this life in a way that pleases God.
 

Life Application

Ask yourself: what does my life say to others, and am I living humbly for God? Then take time to listen for a response, actually listen. Take about ten minutes to sit in silence and listen for the prompting of the Holy Spirit. Try to rid your mind of distractions like what your going to eat for the day, or all the things you have to do. I think you’ll be surprised how much God actually speaks to us.

-Allison Khan
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