Psalm 23:3-4 (NLT)

FROM TODAY’S READING…

"Life scary? Jesus calms our fears."

Unknown

Psalms‬ ‭23‬:‭3‬-‭4‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name. Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.

John‬ ‭14‬:‭27‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) "I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.”    Jesus

2 Timothy‬ ‭1‬:‭7‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.

Hebrews‬ ‭13‬:‭6‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) So we can say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?”

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Genesis 2:7 (NLT)

FROM TODAY’S READING…

"Man is no afterthought, but rather the intentional product of the infinite mind that designed the atom and the cosmos. Infinite intention was focused on the creation of man."

R. Kent Hughes

Genesis‬ ‭2‬:‭7‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Then the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground. He breathed the breath of life into the man’s nostrils, and the man became a living person.

Genesis‬ ‭3‬:‭19‬ ‭(NLT‬‬)By the sweat of your brow will you have food to eat until you return to the ground from which you were made. For you were made from dust, and to dust you will return.

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Ephesians‬ ‭2‬:‭10‬ ‭(NIV‬‬)For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Colossians‬ ‭1‬:‭15‬-‭17‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see— such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him. He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together.

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Genesis 2:21-25 (NLT)

FROM TODAY’S READING…

"That the woman was made of a rib out of the side of Adam; not made out of his head to rule over him, nor out of his feet to be trampled upon by him, but out of his side to be equal with him, under his arm to be protected, and near his heart to be beloved."

Matthew Henry (1662-1714)

Minister and Bible Commentator

Genesis‬ ‭2‬:‭21‬-‭24‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep. While the man slept, the Lord God took out one of the man’s ribs and closed up the opening. Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib, and he brought her to the man. “At last!” the man exclaimed. “This one is bone from my bone, and flesh from my flesh! She will be called ‘woman,’ because she was taken from ‘man.’” This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.

Ephesians‬ ‭5‬:‭25‬-‭33‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word. He did this to present her to himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault. In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as they love their own bodies. For a man who loves his wife actually shows love for himself. No one hates his own body but feeds and cares for it, just as Christ cares for the church. And we are members of his body. As the Scriptures say, “A man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.” 

This is a great mystery, but it is an illustration of the way Christ and the church are one. So again I say, each man must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

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Ecclesiastes 7:9 (NLT)

FROM TODAY’S READING…

"ANGER is one letter short of DANGER."

Author unknown

Ecclesiastes‬ ‭7‬:‭9‬ ‭(NLT‬‬)Control your temper, for anger labels you a fool.

James‬ ‭1‬:‭19‬-‭21‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires. So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls.

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‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭4‬:‭31‬-‭32‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

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Galatians 5:16-17, 19-26 (NLT)

FROM TODAY’S READING…

"If you would test the character of anything, you only need to enquire whether that thing leads you to God or away from God."

Watchman Nee (1903-1972)

Chinese Christian author and church leader

Galatians‬ ‭5‬:‭16‬-‭17‬, ‭19‬-‭26‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) So I say, let the Holy Spirit (God) guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions...

When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God. 

But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! 

Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another.

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2 Timothy 2:20-21 (NIV)

FROM TODAY’S READING…

"Some people are like wheelbarrows; useful only when pushed, and very easily upset."

Vance Havner (1901-1986)

 ‭2 Timothy‬ ‭2‬:‭20‬-‭21‬ ‭(NIV‬‬) In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for special purposes and some for common use. Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.

Philemon‬ ‭1‬:‭11‬-‭12‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Onesimus hasn’t been of much use to you in the past, but now he is very useful to both of us. I am sending him back to you, and with him comes my own heart.

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Titus 3:1-2 (NLT)

FROM TODAY'S READING...

"Ninety-five percent of the people I deal with are fine fellas. But everybody, ya know, breaks a little law now and then. It doesn't make 'em bad people. What it is at the end of the day, I got a job to do and they got rules to follow."

SGT. Leroy Tarver

Louisiana Wildlife Agent 

Titus‬ ‭3‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Remind the believers to submit to the government and its officers. They should be obedient, always ready to do what is good. They must not slander anyone and must avoid quarreling. Instead, they should be gentle and show true humility to everyone.

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Romans‬ ‭13‬:‭1‬, ‭4‬-‭5‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God...The authorities are God’s servants, sent for your good. But if you are doing wrong, of course you should be afraid, for they have the power to punish you. They are God’s servants, sent for the very purpose of punishing those who do what is wrong. So you must submit to them, not only to avoid punishment, but also to keep a clear conscience.

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John 14:1-3 (NLT)

FROM TODAY’S READING…

“For the Christian, heaven is where Jesus is. We do not need to speculate on what heaven will be like. It is enough to know that we will be forever with him.”

William Barclay (1907-1978)

Church of Scotland minister, and Professor of Divinity and Biblical Criticism 

John‬ ‭14‬:‭1‬-‭3‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.”   Jesus

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1 Peter 1:23, 25 (NLT)

FROM TODAY’S READING…

“The Christian is bred by the Word, and he must be fed by it.”

William Gurnall (1617-1679)

English author and clergyman

‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭1‬:‭23‬, ‭25‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God…But the word of the Lord remains forever. And that word is the Good News that was preached to you.

1 Peter‬ ‭2‬:‭1‬-‭3‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech. Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment, now that you have had a taste of the Lord’s kindness.

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Proverbs 22:24-25 (NLT)

FROM TODAY’S READING…

“I can calculate the motion of heavenly bodies, but not the madness of people.”

Sir Isaac Newton (1642-1727)

English mathematician, physicist, astronomer, alchemist, theologian, and author

Proverbs‬ ‭22‬:‭24‬-‭25‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Don’t befriend angry people or associate with hot-tempered people, or you will learn to be like them and endanger your soul.

Romans‬ ‭12‬:‭17‬-‭18‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.

Titus‬ ‭3‬:‭10‬-‭11‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) If people are causing divisions among you, give a first and second warning. After that, have nothing more to do with them. For people like that have turned away from the truth, and their own sins condemn them.

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Psalm 139:13-14 (NLT)

FROM TODAY’S READING…

“I become who I think I am. I think I’m amazing.”

Unknown 

Genesis‬ ‭1‬:‭27‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

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Psalms‬ ‭139‬:‭13‬-‭14‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) You (God) made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.

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John 8:12 (NLT)

FROM TODAY’S READING…

“His (Jesus) saying, “I am the light of the world,” is a claim to be the genuine light by which truth and falsehood are distinguished…Light reveals reality as God knows it. Darkness is the shadowy world of illusion cast by human notions of what constitutes reality: a world of delusion, deception, and fantasy.

Apart from relationship with and trust in Jesus no one has the slightest chance of knowing reality.”

Dr. Lawrence O. Richards (1931-2016)

Christian author and Bible editor 

John‬ ‭8‬:‭12‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”

John‬ ‭12‬:‭44‬-‭46‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Jesus shouted to the crowds, “If you trust me, you are trusting not only me, but also God who sent me. For when you see me, you are seeing the one who sent me. I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the dark.”

Matthew‬ ‭5‬:‭14‬-‭16‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.”

1 John‬ ‭1‬:‭5‬-‭7‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all. So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth. But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.

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Genesis 1:27 (NLT)

FROM TODAY’S READING…

“The vast universe was shaped by his thought and will, as was each of the trillions of cells in our body, each cell’s nucleus containing a coded database larger in information content than all thirty volumes of the Encyclopedia Britannica.”

R. Kent Hughes

Pastor and author

Genesis‬ ‭1:27‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

Psalms‬ ‭139:13-16‬ ‭(NLT) You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.

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John 1:1-5 (NLT)

FROM TODAY’S READING…

“Therefore the Lord, by the very order of creation, bears witness that he holds in his hands the light, which he is able to impart to us without the sun and moon.”

John Calvin (1509-1564)

French theologian, pastor and reformer

Genesis‬ ‭1:3-5, 14-19‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. Then he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day” and the darkness “night.” And evening passed and morning came, marking the first day…

(14-19) Then God said, “Let lights appear in the sky to separate the day from the night. Let them be signs to mark the seasons, days, and years. Let these lights in the sky shine down on the earth.” And that is what happened. God made two great lights—the larger one to govern the day, and the smaller one to govern the night. He also made the stars. God set these lights in the sky to light the earth, to govern the day and night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. And evening passed and morning came, marking the fourth day.

John‬ ‭1:1-5‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) In the beginning the Word (Jesus) already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.

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Revelation‬ ‭21:3-4‬, 22:3, 5 (NLT‬‬) I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”…

(22:3, 5) No longer will there be a curse upon anything. For the throne of God and of the Lamb will be there, and his servants will worship him…And there will be no night there—no need for lamps or sun—for the Lord God will shine on them. And they will reign forever and ever.

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Ecclesiastes 3:10-12 (NLT)

FROM TODAY’S READING…

“Never say there is nothing beautiful in the world anymore. There is always something to make you wonder in the shape of a tree, the trembling of a leaf.”

Albert Schweitzer (1875-1965)

German theologian, musician, philosopher, and physician

Ecclesiastes‬ ‭3:10-12‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) I have seen the burden God has placed on us all. Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end. So I concluded there is nothing better than to be happy and enjoy ourselves as long as we can.

Romans‬ ‭1:20‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.

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Genesis 1:1 (NLT)

FROM TODAY’S READING…

“There is a wide difference between ‘creating’ and ‘making’: to ‘create’ is to call into existence something out of nothing; to ‘make’ is to form or fashion something out of materials already existing. A carpenter can ‘make’ a chair out of wood, but he is quite unable to ‘create’ the wood itself.”

Arthur W. Pink (1886-1952)

Pastor, Theologian, and Author

Genesis‬ ‭1:1‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

Psalms‬ ‭33:6-9‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) The Lord merely spoke, and the heavens were created. He breathed the word, and all the stars were born. He assigned the sea its boundaries and locked the oceans in vast reservoirs. Let the whole world fear the Lord, and let everyone stand in awe of him. For when he spoke, the world began! It appeared at his command.

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Colossians 3:24 (NLT)

FROM TODAY’S READING…

“Go the extra mile. It's never crowded.”

Author Unknown

Colossians‬ ‭3:24‬ ‭(NIV‬‬) Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

Ecclesiastes‬ ‭9:10‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Whatever you do, do well. For when you go to the grave, there will be no work or planning or knowledge or wisdom.

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Hebrews 13:5-6 (NLT)

FROM TODAY’S READING…

“To be forsaken of God is the worst ill that the most melancholy saint ever dreams of. Thank God, it will never fall to our lot; for no promise can be more express than that which saith, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” This promise does not prevent our praying, but excites us to it. Because God will not forsake his own, therefore do we cry to him in the agony of our feebleness, ‘O forsake me not utterly.’”

Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834-1892)

English Baptist pastor/preacher

Psalm‬ ‭119:8‬ ‭(KJV‬‬) I will keep thy statutes: O forsake me not utterly.

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Psalms‬ ‭119:1-8‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Joyful are people of integrity, who follow the instructions of the Lord. Joyful are those who obey his laws and search for him with all their hearts. They do not compromise with evil, and they walk only in his paths. 

You have charged us to keep your commandments carefully. Oh, that my actions would consistently reflect your decrees! Then I will not be ashamed when I compare my life with your commands. 

As I learn your righteous regulations, I will thank you by living as I should! I will obey your decrees. Please don’t give up on me!

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Hebrews‬ ‭13:5-6‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.” So we can say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?”

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1 Peter 4:8 (NLT)

FROM TODAY’S READING…

“Is life not full of opportunities for learning love? Every man and woman every day has a thousand of them. The world is not a playground; it is a schoolroom. Life is not a holiday, but an education. And the one eternal lesson for us all is how better we can love.”

Henry Drummond (1851-1897)

Scottish evangelist, biologist, writer and lecturer

1 Peter‬ ‭4:8‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins.

Romans‬ ‭13:8, 10‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Owe nothing to anyone—except for your obligation to love one another. If you love your neighbor, you will fulfill the requirements of God’s law…Love does no wrong to others, so love fulfills the requirements of God’s law.

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Psalm 25:4-5 (NLT)

FROM TODAY’S READING…

“If you have a Bible that's falling apart, you'll have a life that's not.”

Pastor Adrian Rogers (1931-2005)

 Psalms‬ ‭25:4-5‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Show me the right path, O Lord; point out the road for me to follow. Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in you.

Psalms‬ ‭119:7-8‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) As I learn your righteous regulations, I will thank you by living as I should! I will obey your decrees. Please don’t give up on me!

 Psalms‬ ‭119:105‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.

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Proverbs 10:4 (NIV)

FROM TODAY’S READING…

“Too many folk think they know a lot about trees. They think that money grows on them because banks have branches.”

Anon

Proverbs‬ ‭21:20‬ ‭(NIV‬‬) The wise store up choice food and olive oil, but fools gulp theirs down.

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Proverbs‬ ‭10:4‬ ‭(NIV‬‬) Lazy hands make for poverty, but diligent hands bring wealth.

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Proverbs‬ ‭14:23‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Work brings profit, but mere talk leads to poverty!

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Proverbs‬ ‭22:7‬ ‭(CSB‬‬) …the borrower is a slave to the lender.

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