Week 28 - August 2 - Merv Miller

Exodus 5 and 6

I love Moses’ honesty before God in verse22; (Moses went back to God and said, "My Master, why are you treating this people so badly? And why did you ever send me? –The Message) Things were not only not working out… things were going worse. I’m sure Moses is thinking, “can I trust this God?”

In chapter 6 God promises Moses a “Strong Hand” then Moses tells God about his weaknesses.. is he trying hard to back out? Give God a hint that maybe there’s a better choice? (Been-there-done-that)

Psalm 28

Again an honest cry out to God for Justice followed by rejoicing for an answered prayer. Evidence to David and to all of us that we know and worship a God who listens to the cry of our heart.

Proverbs 28

Wow… too much meat in this chapter to begin to eat it all. I was struck right away by verse 2 as we see what is going on in Iran right now.

Acts 7

Stephen preaches a “killer” sermon. He basically gives a Cliff Notes version of the Old Testament reminding the religious leaders how often the Hebrew people killed their prophets. Man, that ticked them off. But in a very short sentence we see the beginning of a miracle… in Verse 58 Saul is subtly introduced. He has the worst resume one can imagine for one to become the most influential leader of the young Christian Church. But God, I think, loves to not call the qualified but instead qualifies the called.

Week 27 - July 26 - Robynn Watts

Exodus 3 and 4

These two chapters are two of my most favorite chapters in the whole Bible. Listening to people's stories is one of my favorite activities and hearing stories of how God is working in their lives is second to none. Moses had quite a story to tell the people! I am amazed that time and time again, all throughout the Bible, God never used a "prescription" for how He would make Himself known to His children. He used unique and specific ways to relay Himself and His purposes. No one until Moses experienced a burning bush and no one after Moses would. God used this unique delivery system to get Moses' attention. How does God speak uniquely to you?

God's conversation with Moses always went back to Moses understanding WHO God is. God had an agenda as He came to Moses and Moses had an opportunity to be the man God would use. Only, God ran into some unbelief on Moses' part. He had to do a lot of convincing Moses that He is able to complete what He set out to do. God gives Moses several concrete examples of how He would provide (this is even after a burning bush!!), but Moses still had a hard time getting past his own insecurities. He just didn't get it that God wanted to do a great work through him and would equip him with everything, yes everything he would need. So, instead of Moses being allowed the full pleasure of seeing God's awesome power work through him, he got a partner whom he had to speak through. God's anger burned against Moses (4:14) as he settled on having Aaron speak for Moses. I wonder what Moses would have experienced had he had the faith to believe that God could do what He says. I wonder what I would experience if I had the faith to believe that God is who He says He is and that He can do what He says He can do....


Psalm 27

This past year in Bible study, our group studied a lot about strongholds that prevent us from living the life God has for us here on Earth. Most of the time we tend to think of strongholds as negative things, but here in Psalm 27 we learn an important truth. That God should be the stronghold of our life. (vs. 1) And if He is, what do we have to be afraid of? This psalm speaks of the awesome protection we have in our all powerful God. I recently finished a book that tells a story of some servants of God going into some of the darkest, sin infested places on Earth to rescue innocent ones from the grips of terror. A question these rescuers are asked frequently is "Where is God?" in this city that reeks of evil. The rescuers reply.... "God is here. Some question that, we depend on it." The Lord is our light and our salvation... we need not fear. Even in our darkest times and as we walk through dark places... He is here.

Proverbs 27

A few verses that stand out to me... vs. 6, "Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses." I believe we had a message not too long ago that talked about this verse. Made me stop to think if I'm really being honest with my friends or just telling them what I know they want to hear. Been working on that... I'm pretty decent at encouragement, not so much at honest truth telling in a nice way.

I'm sure my husband would like me to mention verses 15-16... however I have nothing great to say about that other than I tend to be a constant drip at times!

I like verse 19... "As water reflects a face, so a man's heart reflects the man." Very true. Be on the lookout for your flocks.... :-)

Acts 6

The church is now rapidly growing. To be sure, there were many issues that needed to be dealt with. Some dividing of labors happens here at the beginning of chapter 6. The "church" has to find some new ways of doing things as they continue to grow and lead more and more people to Jesus. An exciting time, also a time of much change and adaptation. Not unlike moving into a new church building and growing ourselves!

Wouldn't you love to have your introduction in the Bible be, " insert your name here , a man/woman full of God's grace and power..." That is the introduction we get to Stephen, one of the seven men chosen to lead. Of course, our "wet blanket" Pharisees have to have a problem with him. They secretly stir up trouble against Stephen. Notice how evil is often time bound by secrets. The thing that hits me hardest is what the Pharisees actually say about Stephen. Verse 11 states, "We have heard Stephen speak words of blasphemy against Moses and against God." Notice carefully the order in which this "blasphemy" was committed. Against Moses first, THEN against God! Yikes!! They really were wrapped up in the Law weren't they? This whole section is filled with secrets, false witnesses and lies. However, the fact that Stephen's face is most likely radiant, full of God's glory surpasses anything they could "throw at him"......

Week 26 - July 19 - Doug Mathers

Congratulations! You have made it to Exodus! Many others started the journey but ran out of gas somewhere in Genesis… but we are proud of you! You have now earned the privilege of continuing the story of God’s love in one of the most beloved books of the Bible and it begins with the birth of a little guy named Moses.

Exodus 1-2

Some page highlights for me:

1. The midwives fearing God more than Pharaoh. Their lives were on the line. That’s faith.

2. The heart of Pharaoh’s daughter being toughed by the cries of helpless Moses. Which proves that the apple doesn’t have to fall close to the tree… because Pharaoh was heartless towards those babies and what heart he had was later hardened towards God.

3. God’s provision and protection.

4. Moses’ murder of the Egyptian. It was premeditated. Yet, God still chose him.

Psalm 26

Read it. Now ask yourself, could you say the same things to God?
Not me. At least, not yet. Now I bet you know how to pray for the day, week and month.

Proverbs 26

This chapter is a fool’s chapter – full of advice for dealing with fools. How does one recognize a fool?

I love verse 12. It gives us a clue that not all fools lack the appearance of intelligence and that there is a huge difference between intelligence and wisdom.

Acts 5

Isn’t this one of the most frightening books in the New Testament? We should read it aloud before we take the offering. But notice: it wasn’t about how much Ananias and Sapphira gave: it was about truth and trying to look spiritual/sacrificial. They were free to give as much or as little as they chose. So much for the offering.

Extra credit question: what did Peter and the apostles have in common with the midwives we read about in Exodus. What difference does it make? Do you have that same quality?

Week 24 - Doug Mathers - July 5th

Genesis 47

This is a recount of how the famine came to Egypt and how (because Joseph was prepared) the Pharaoh ended up owning all of Egypt's land, livestock and people. They had to trade him these things to get food. Without food they die, so land, livestock, their freedom were worth the price. It is also the story of how God saved Jacob and his family from death.

It's funny I have mixed feelings about this chapter. I like God saving the people. But I don't like the price tag the people had to pay. Everything went to the government. I think democrats and republicans would all agree this is the ultimate in "big government". On the other hand, God used the government for his saving purposes. This isn't going anywhere... it just goes through my mind.

Genesis 48

Instead of me commenting on the blessing of Joseph's sons, let me ask, why was this ironic? And why would it upset Joseph? Does it reveal anything about God?

Psalm 24

This Psalm is the inspiration behind one of the worship songs we used to sing frequently at church. The beginning of the Psalm asks "Who is worthy to stand before God?"

The answer is "only those whose hands and hearts are pure, who do not worship idols and never tell lies". Which means no one is worthy.

But through Christ we are cleansed from our lies and our false worship. Through Christ we can stand before God. This is grace. This is why Jesus came. Now we can stand - not in arrogance, but in forgiveness.

Proverbs 24

Verse 17 stuck out to me... "Do not rejoice when your enemies fall into trouble. Don't be happy when they stumble. For the Lord will be displeased with you and will turn his anger away from them."

Why does God forbid us from enjoying the troubles of our enemies?

What does this reveal about God's heart for them?

Who are the enemies that you have to whom you would like to see a little trouble come. How does this relate to Jesus' teaching in Matthew 5:38-48?

Acts 3

Observations about Peter:

1. Confidence in Jesus enough to heal this lame man. I don't know how he had the courage and insight (confidence) to say to a lame man "stand up and walk". I would be "I'll pray for you... maybe God could heal you... I have some money for you..."

I am amazed at his confidence. I think this was just a big time "God moment". Peter didn't heal every one. But on this day for this guy... God had plans and gave Peter the gift needed for the moment.

2. Peter saw his opportunity (verse 12). So he preached and built a case for Jesus.

3. Peter realized and taught that it wasn't about Peter. This was about Jesus. (This is in contrast to some of the professional television healer/preachers I've seen).

4. Peter gave them the truth. Even the hard parts. This sets up the next chapter.

I would love to have the four things I see in Peter: confidence in God, the ability to see and act on opportuniites, humility not to shine the light on me, and the courage to speak truth even when it is not popular or even safe.

Week 23 - June 28 - Merv Miller

Genesis 45 is amazing.

Joseph has the power to put his brothers to death but, because of who he puts his trust, of whom he surrendered his life to, because of how he believes shapes events to fulfill his greater purpose Joseph tells his brothers that God used his being sold in to slavery to for a greater good.

Joseph also gives God the credit for the success in his life.

We also learn that some things never change; the youngest child gets spoiled rotten. (editor's note: Sounds like Merv has some baggage from his childhood?)

Genesis 46

It’s interesting to me that early man was doing sacrifices. This is before God’s instructions to Moses for doing sacrifices which means (to me at least) that, to early man, sacrifices were a way of getting God’s attention… a kind of smoke signal if you will. Job did sacrifices as did Cane and Able.

Maybe it’s random but I find it interesting that they brought all of their possessions (no garage sale) even though Joseph said “Don’t worry about your personal belongings, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.” Maybe Joseph wanted his family to look and live more like the Egyptians so they would fit in better. This is fascinating history and it teaches us how God worked with man 3,700 years ago.

Psalm 23

This psalm was written by David. But it could have been written by Joseph if he was a poet. Both Joseph and David had an understanding of a God who walked with them and guided them. It’s challenged me to ask myself do I seek a continual guidance of God or do I try to do too much on my own power?

Proverbs 23

5 In the blink of an eye wealth disappears,
for it will sprout wings
and fly away like an eagle.

The writer of this proverb has looked at my IRA statement.

And how about this one?

34 You will stagger like a sailor tossed at sea,clinging to a swaying mast.

Is this where term “drunk as a sailor” came from?

I’m thankful for the wisdom of the Proverbs. What do you think about the “spanking” verse?

Acts 2

God gives the Holy Spirit to His people. This is why our body is now called a temple. God exists in it in the form of His Spirit.

Peter was convinced that they were in the last days. From our perspective of time he was wrong but hey… some believe the earth could be around 4.5 billion years old. If that’s true then, relatively speaking, Peter was right we are living in the final chapter of man’s life on the earth as we know it.

Editor's Comment: Or another way of looking at "last days" is rather than looking at the last days as the the end of something (such as the last pages of a book or the final drops of mlk in the carton) it could be the next era of God's activity. This is the "last days" chapter of God. Is there another chapter? Absolutely! That's the good news. The Last Days is the period of time between Jesus' resurection and his Return! When the Return comes we enter a brand new era...

Week 22 - June 21

Well this is the first week we've missed the blog. Vacations and that sort of thing.

Keep reading... and if you have a comment about this week's readings, be sure to post it here!

Thanks, - doug

Week 21 - June 14 - Taylor Hays

Genesis 41-42

I grew up in “Little Egypt” (if you are curious look it up on Wikipedia)… an area of far southern Illinois that apparently got this nickname because of similarities to the story in Genesis 41. But this passage in Genesis is much more than a story of resourcefulness by Joseph during a time of famine. It really is a story about God’s plan and how Romans 8:28 gets played out in real life. (“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.”). Joseph was in a horrible position… languishing in prison after having been put there unjustly. But because he was in prison he met Pharaoh’s chief food tester (“cup-bearer”); and because the cup-bearer had forgotten all about Joseph he was still in prison and immediately available to meet with Pharaoh to interpret his dream. As you see, these circumstances did “work together for the good” of Joseph. And beyond Joseph, God was working on a far greater plan that Joseph could never have imagined.

Most of the time, being “in God’s will” simply is being ready to shine when the time is right… just like Joseph. Stay ready.

The story takes an even greater twist in chapter 42. It is interesting how Joseph dealt with his brothers who had sold him to slave traders many years before. I am convinced that his life experience (the Romans 8:28 principle again) had taken away all desire for revenge. Joseph seems to be ad lib-ing through this drama but he had only one interest… to be reunited with his whole family. This strange reunion begins the foundation of over 400 years of Jewish history in Egypt. Again, Joseph was a part of a far greater plan, just like we are. We simply do not know how our part of the story ends.


Psalm 21

None of us have been kings but all of us can identify with the idea that true strength comes from God. The gist of the message here is that everything that is valuable, honorable and powerful in our lives is from God… even for kings.


Proverbs 21

There is a lot in these verses; many of them speak about the value of wisdom and the poverty that comes from lack of it. But let’s focus on a few others:
4 Haughty eyes, a proud heart, and evil actions are all sin.
The acts of sin we commit have their start in our minds and emotions. Guard your thoughts and feelings.

13 Those who shut their ears to the cries of the poor will be ignored in their own time of need.

This reminded me of the “Genu +1” series we just finished. We cannot ignore the needs of others.

9 It's better to live alone in the corner of an attic than with a quarrelsome wife in a lovely home.

I think I could get in deep trouble by making comments about this verse!


John 21

This is the concluding chapter of the gospel of John and relays a simple story about one of the many post-resurrection meetings the disciples had with Jesus. The focus is on a brief conversation Jesus has with Peter. Why did Jesus keep asking—3 times he asked, “Peter do you love me?” In Jewish thought the repetition of something emphasizes its importance… 3 times means this is very important. For Peter it also held special meaning. For each time Peter had denied Jesus, he had a chance now to reaffirm his love and devotion to Jesus. It hurt Peter that Jesus kept asking, but Jesus was making a point.

Is he asking me this question? For sure! And he wants me (us) to respond in the same way he asked Peter to respond. Feed (literally and spiritually) and care for all of the “lambs” and “sheep” in the flock with us. The care we show each other in the community of believers is the true mark of being Christian. (John 13:35 “Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.").