Unite Church 8/28/23 Unite Church 8/28/23

Monday

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

Try starting your reading resting in the presence of Jesus:

Matt 5:1-6

Introduction to the Sermon on the Mount

5 Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them.

The Beatitudes

He said:

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4 Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.

5 Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.

6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.

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 8/27/23 Unite Church 8/27/23

Sunday

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?

Proverbs 6

Warnings Against Folly

6 My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor,
if you have shaken hands in pledge for a stranger,

2 you have been trapped by what you said,
ensnared by the words of your mouth.

3 So do this, my son, to free yourself,
since you have fallen into your neighbor’s hands:
Go—to the point of exhaustion—[a]
and give your neighbor no rest!

4 Allow no sleep to your eyes,
no slumber to your eyelids.

5 Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter,
like a bird from the snare of the fowler.

6 Go to the ant, you sluggard;
consider its ways and be wise!

7 It has no commander,
no overseer or ruler,

8 yet it stores its provisions in summer
and gathers its food at harvest.

9 How long will you lie there, you sluggard?
When will you get up from your sleep?

10 A little sleep, a little slumber,
a little folding of the hands to rest—

11 and poverty will come on you like a thief
and scarcity like an armed man.

12 A troublemaker and a villain,
who goes about with a corrupt mouth,

13 who winks maliciously with his eye,
signals with his feet
and motions with his fingers,

14 who plots evil with deceit in his heart—
he always stirs up conflict.

15 Therefore disaster will overtake him in an instant;
he will suddenly be destroyed—without remedy.

16 There are six things the Lord hates,
seven that are detestable to him:

17 haughty eyes,
a lying tongue,
hands that shed innocent blood,

18 a heart that devises wicked schemes,
feet that are quick to rush into evil,

19 a false witness who pours out lies
and a person who stirs up conflict in the community.

Warning Against Adultery

20 My son, keep your father’s command
and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.

21 Bind them always on your heart;
fasten them around your neck.

22 When you walk, they will guide you;
when you sleep, they will watch over you;
when you awake, they will speak to you.

23 For this command is a lamp,
this teaching is a light,

and correction and instruction
are the way to life,

24 keeping you from your neighbor’s wife,
from the smooth talk of a wayward woman.

25 Do not lust in your heart after her beauty
or let her captivate you with her eyes.

26 For a prostitute can be had for a loaf of bread,
but another man’s wife preys on your very life.

27 Can a man scoop fire into his lap
without his clothes being burned?

28 Can a man walk on hot coals
without his feet being scorched?

29 So is he who sleeps with another man’s wife;
no one who touches her will go unpunished.

30 People do not despise a thief if he steals
to satisfy his hunger when he is starving.

31 Yet if he is caught, he must pay sevenfold,
though it costs him all the wealth of his house.

32 But a man who commits adultery has no sense;
whoever does so destroys himself.

33 Blows and disgrace are his lot,
and his shame will never be wiped away.

34 For jealousy arouses a husband’s fury,
and he will show no mercy when he takes revenge.

35 He will not accept any compensation;
he will refuse a bribe, however great it is.

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 8/26/23 Unite Church 8/26/23

Saturday

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 4:23-25

Jesus Heals the Sick

23 Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. 24 News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed; and he healed them. 25 Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis,[a] Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him.

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 8/25/23 Unite Church 8/25/23

Friday

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 4:18-22

Jesus Calls His First Disciples

18 As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 19 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” 20 At once they left their nets and followed him.

21 Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, 22 and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

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 8/24/23 Unite Church 8/24/23

Thursday

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 4:12-17

Jesus Begins to Preach

12 When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he withdrew to Galilee. 13 Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali— 14 to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah:

15 “Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,

the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan,

Galilee of the Gentiles—

16 the people living in darkness

have seen a great light;

on those living in the land of the shadow of death

a light has dawned.”[a]

17 From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”

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

Wednesday

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 4:1-11

Jesus Is Tested in the Wilderness

4 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted[a] by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”

4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’[b]”

5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6 “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:

“‘He will command his angels concerning you,

and they will lift you up in their hands,

so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’[c]”

7 Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’[d]”

8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”

10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’[e]”

11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

Unite Church 8/22/23 Unite Church 8/22/23

Tuesday

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 3:13-17

The Baptism of Jesus

13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. 14 But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”

15 Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented.

16 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”