Unite Church 11/16/23 Unite Church 11/16/23

Thursday

This week we continue through Matthew -
Before you read, take a few breaths, inviting the Holy Spirit to lead your heart.

Consider -
Q1. What does this passage tell me about God?
Q2. What does this passage tell me about humanity?
Q3. How is the Holy Spirit leading me to respond?

Matt 14:13-21

Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand

13 When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. 14 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.

15 As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.”

16 Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.”

17 “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered.

18 “Bring them here to me,” he said. 19 And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. 20 They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. 21 The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.

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 11/15/23 Unite Church 11/15/23

Wednesday

This week we continue through Matthew -
Before you read, take a few breaths, inviting the Holy Spirit to lead your heart.

Consider -
Q1. What does this passage tell me about God?
Q2. What does this passage tell me about humanity?
Q3. How is the Holy Spirit leading me to respond?

Matt 14:1-12

John the Baptist Beheaded

14 At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the reports about Jesus, 2 and he said to his attendants, “This is John the Baptist; he has risen from the dead! That is why miraculous powers are at work in him.”

3 Now Herod had arrested John and bound him and put him in prison because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, 4 for John had been saying to him: “It is not lawful for you to have her.” 5 Herod wanted to kill John, but he was afraid of the people, because they considered John a prophet.

6 On Herod’s birthday the daughter of Herodias danced for the guests and pleased Herod so much 7 that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked. 8 Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist.” 9 The king was distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he ordered that her request be granted 10 and had John beheaded in the prison. 11 His head was brought in on a platter and given to the girl, who carried it to her mother. 12 John’s disciples came and took his body and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus.

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 11/14/23 Unite Church 11/14/23

Tuesday

This week we continue through Matthew -
Before you read, take a few breaths, inviting the Holy Spirit to lead your heart.

Consider -
Q1. What does this passage tell me about God?
Q2. What does this passage tell me about humanity?
Q3. How is the Holy Spirit leading me to respond?

Psalm 141

A psalm of David.

1 I call to you, Lord, come quickly to me;
hear me when I call to you.

2 May my prayer be set before you like incense;
may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice.

3 Set a guard over my mouth, Lord;
keep watch over the door of my lips.

4 Do not let my heart be drawn to what is evil
so that I take part in wicked deeds
along with those who are evildoers;
do not let me eat their delicacies.

5 Let a righteous man strike me—that is a kindness;
let him rebuke me—that is oil on my head.
My head will not refuse it,
for my prayer will still be against the deeds of evildoers.

6 Their rulers will be thrown down from the cliffs,
and the wicked will learn that my words were well spoken.

7 They will say, “As one plows and breaks up the earth,
so our bones have been scattered at the mouth of the grave.”

8 But my eyes are fixed on you, Sovereign Lord;
in you I take refuge—do not give me over to death.

9 Keep me safe from the traps set by evildoers,
from the snares they have laid for me.

10 Let the wicked fall into their own nets,
while I pass by in safety.

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 11/13/23 Unite Church 11/13/23

Monday

This week we continue through Matthew -
Before you read, take a few breaths, inviting the Holy Spirit to lead your heart.

Consider -
Q1. What does this passage tell me about God?
Q2. What does this passage tell me about humanity?
Q3. How is the Holy Spirit leading me to respond?

Matt 13:53-58

A Prophet Without Honor

53 When Jesus had finished these parables, he moved on from there. 54 Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?” they asked. 55 “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? 56 Aren’t all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” 57 And they took offense at him.

But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town and in his own home.”

58 And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.

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 11/12/23 Unite Church 11/12/23

Sunday

This week we continue through Matthew -
Before you read, take a few breaths, inviting the Holy Spirit to lead your heart.

Consider -
Q1. What does this passage tell me about God?
Q2. What does this passage tell me about humanity?
Q3. How is the Holy Spirit leading me to respond?

Proverbs 19

1 Better the poor whose walk is blameless
than a fool whose lips are perverse.

2 Desire without knowledge is not good—
how much more will hasty feet miss the way!

3 A person’s own folly leads to their ruin,
yet their heart rages against the Lord.

4 Wealth attracts many friends,
but even the closest friend of the poor person deserts them.

5 A false witness will not go unpunished,
and whoever pours out lies will not go free.

6 Many curry favor with a ruler,
and everyone is the friend of one who gives gifts.

7 The poor are shunned by all their relatives—
how much more do their friends avoid them!
Though the poor pursue them with pleading,
they are nowhere to be found.[a]

8 The one who gets wisdom loves life;
the one who cherishes understanding will soon prosper.

9 A false witness will not go unpunished,
and whoever pours out lies will perish.

10 It is not fitting for a fool to live in luxury—
how much worse for a slave to rule over princes!

11 A person’s wisdom yields patience;
it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense.

12 A king’s rage is like the roar of a lion,
but his favor is like dew on the grass.

13 A foolish child is a father’s ruin,
and a quarrelsome wife is like
the constant dripping of a leaky roof.

14 Houses and wealth are inherited from parents,
but a prudent wife is from the Lord.

15 Laziness brings on deep sleep,
and the shiftless go hungry.

16 Whoever keeps commandments keeps their life,
but whoever shows contempt for their ways will die.

17 Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord,
and he will reward them for what they have done.

18 Discipline your children, for in that there is hope;
do not be a willing party to their death.

19 A hot-tempered person must pay the penalty;
rescue them, and you will have to do it again.

20 Listen to advice and accept discipline,
and at the end you will be counted among the wise.

21 Many are the plans in a person’s heart,
but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.

22 What a person desires is unfailing love[b];
better to be poor than a liar.

23 The fear of the Lord leads to life;
then one rests content, untouched by trouble.

24 A sluggard buries his hand in the dish;
he will not even bring it back to his mouth!

25 Flog a mocker, and the simple will learn prudence;
rebuke the discerning, and they will gain knowledge.

26 Whoever robs their father and drives out their mother
is a child who brings shame and disgrace.

27 Stop listening to instruction, my son,
and you will stray from the words of knowledge.

28 A corrupt witness mocks at justice,
and the mouth of the wicked gulps down evil.

29 Penalties are prepared for mockers,
and beatings for the backs of fools.

Unite Church 11/11/23 Unite Church 11/11/23

Saturday

This week we continue through Matthew -
Before you read, take a few breaths, inviting the Holy Spirit to lead your heart.

Consider -
Q1. What does this passage tell me about God?
Q2. What does this passage tell me about humanity?
Q3. How is the Holy Spirit leading me to respond?

Matt 13:47-52

The Parable of the Net

47 “Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. 48 When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. 49 This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous 50 and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

51 “Have you understood all these things?” Jesus asked.

“Yes,” they replied.

52 He said to them, “Therefore every teacher of the law who has become a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.”

Unite Church 11/10/23 Unite Church 11/10/23

Friday

This week we continue through Matthew -
Before you read, take a few breaths, inviting the Holy Spirit to lead your heart.

Consider -
Q1. What does this passage tell me about God?
Q2. What does this passage tell me about humanity?
Q3. How is the Holy Spirit leading me to respond?

Matt 13:44-46

The Parables of the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl

44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.

45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. 46 When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.