Unite Church 8/21/23 Unite Church 8/21/23

Monday

This week we continue in the gospel of Matthew, learning to trust the Spirit and walk in the way of Jesus.

Questions:
Q1. What does this story tell us about God/Jesus/Holy Spirit?
Q2. What does this story tell us about people/yourself/us?
Q3. How is the Holy Spirit leading you from this passage?

Matt 3:1-12

John the Baptist Prepares the Way

3 In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea 2 and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” 3 This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah:

“A voice of one calling in the wilderness,

‘Prepare the way for the Lord,

make straight paths for him.’”[a]

4 John’s clothes were made of camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. 5 People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. 6 Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.

7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. 9 And do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. 10 The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

11 “I baptize you with[b] water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with[c] the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

Scripture quotations are taken from The Holy Bible,
New International Version® NIV®
Copyright © 1973 1978 1984 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™
Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Unite Church 8/20/23 Unite Church 8/20/23

Sunday

This week we begin the gospel of Matthew, learning to trust the Spirit and walk in the way of Jesus.

Questions:
Q1. What does this story tell us about God/Jesus/Holy Spirit?
Q2. What does this story tell us about people/yourself/us?
Q3. How is the Holy Spirit leading you from this passage?

Proverbs 5

Warning Against Adultery

5 My son, pay attention to my wisdom,
turn your ear to my words of insight,

2 that you may maintain discretion
and your lips may preserve knowledge.

3 For the lips of the adulterous woman drip honey,
and her speech is smoother than oil;

4 but in the end she is bitter as gall,
sharp as a double-edged sword.

5 Her feet go down to death;
her steps lead straight to the grave.

6 She gives no thought to the way of life;
her paths wander aimlessly, but she does not know it.

7 Now then, my sons, listen to me;
do not turn aside from what I say.

8 Keep to a path far from her,
do not go near the door of her house,

9 lest you lose your honor to others
and your dignity[a] to one who is cruel,

10 lest strangers feast on your wealth
and your toil enrich the house of another.

11 At the end of your life you will groan,
when your flesh and body are spent.

12 You will say, “How I hated discipline!
How my heart spurned correction!

13 I would not obey my teachers
or turn my ear to my instructors.

14 And I was soon in serious trouble
in the assembly of God’s people.”

15 Drink water from your own cistern,
running water from your own well.

16 Should your springs overflow in the streets,
your streams of water in the public squares?

17 Let them be yours alone,
never to be shared with strangers.

18 May your fountain be blessed,
and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth.

19 A loving doe, a graceful deer—
may her breasts satisfy you always,
may you ever be intoxicated with her love.

20 Why, my son, be intoxicated with another man’s wife?
Why embrace the bosom of a wayward woman?

21 For your ways are in full view of the Lord,
and he examines all your paths.

22 The evil deeds of the wicked ensnare them;
the cords of their sins hold them fast.

23 For lack of discipline they will die,
led astray by their own great folly.

Scripture quotations are taken from The Holy Bible,
New International Version® NIV®
Copyright © 1973 1978 1984 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™
Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Unite Church 8/19/23 Unite Church 8/19/23

Saturday

This week we begin the gospel of Matthew, learning to trust the Spirit and walk in the way of Jesus.

Questions:
Q1. What does this story tell us about God/Jesus/Holy Spirit?
Q2. What does this story tell us about people/yourself/us?
Q3. How is the Holy Spirit leading you from this passage?

Proverbs 4:20-27

20 My son, pay attention to what I say;
turn your ear to my words.

21 Do not let them out of your sight,
keep them within your heart;

22 for they are life to those who find them
and health to one’s whole body.

23 Above all else, guard your heart,
for everything you do flows from it.

24 Keep your mouth free of perversity;
keep corrupt talk far from your lips.

25 Let your eyes look straight ahead;
fix your gaze directly before you.

26 Give careful thought to the[a] paths for your feet
and be steadfast in all your ways.

27 Do not turn to the right or the left;
keep your foot from evil.

Scripture quotations are taken from The Holy Bible,
New International Version® NIV®
Copyright © 1973 1978 1984 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™
Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Unite Church 8/18/23 Unite Church 8/18/23

Friday

This week we begin the gospel of Matthew, learning to trust the Spirit and walk in the way of Jesus.

Questions:
Q1. What does this story tell us about God/Jesus/Holy Spirit?
Q2. What does this story tell us about people/yourself/us?
Q3. How is the Holy Spirit leading you from this passage?

Matt 2:19-23

The Return to Nazareth

19 After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt 20 and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child’s life are dead.”

21 So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee, 23 and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets, that he would be called a Nazarene.

Scripture quotations are taken from The Holy Bible,
New International Version® NIV®
Copyright © 1973 1978 1984 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™
Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Unite Church 8/17/23 Unite Church 8/17/23

Thursday

This week we begin the gospel of Matthew, learning to trust the Spirit and walk in the way of Jesus.

Questions:
Q1. What does this story tell us about God/Jesus/Holy Spirit?
Q2. What does this story tell us about people/yourself/us?
Q3. How is the Holy Spirit leading you from this passage?

Matt 2:13-18

The Escape to Egypt

13 When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”

14 So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, 15 where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.”[a]

16 When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. 17 Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:

18 “A voice is heard in Ramah,
weeping and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children
and refusing to be comforted,
because they are no more.”[b]

Unite Church 8/16/23 Unite Church 8/16/23

Wednesday

This week we begin the gospel of Matthew, learning to trust the Spirit and walk in the way of Jesus.

Questions:
Q1. What does this story tell us about God/Jesus/Holy Spirit?
Q2. What does this story tell us about people/yourself/us?
Q3. How is the Holy Spirit leading you from this passage?

Matt 2:1-12

The Magi Visit the Messiah

2 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi[a] from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”

3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:

6 “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,

are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;

for out of you will come a ruler

who will shepherd my people Israel.’[b]”

7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”

9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

Unite Church 8/15/23 Unite Church 8/15/23

Tuesday

This week we begin the gospel of Matthew, learning to trust the Spirit and walk in the way of Jesus.

Questions:
Q1. What does this story tell us about God/Jesus/Holy Spirit?
Q2. What does this story tell us about people/yourself/us?
Q3. How is the Holy Spirit leading you from this passage?

Matt 1:18-25

Joseph Accepts Jesus as His Son

18 This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about[a]: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. 19 Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet[b] did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus,[c] because he will save his people from their sins.”

22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”[d] (which means “God with us”).

24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25 But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.