Bible Reading Plan

Blog

  • Psalm 45

    Psalm 45

    Read Psalm 45

    For the director of music. To the tune of “Lilies.” Of the Sons of Korah. A maskil. A wedding song.

    1 My heart is stirred by a noble theme
        as I recite my verses for the king;
        my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer.

    2 You are the most excellent of men
        and your lips have been anointed with grace,
        since God has blessed you forever.

    3 Gird your sword on your side, you mighty one;
        clothe yourself with splendor and majesty.
    4 In your majesty ride forth victoriously
        in the cause of truth, humility and justice;
        let your right hand achieve awesome deeds.
    5 Let your sharp arrows pierce the hearts of the king’s enemies;
        let the nations fall beneath your feet.
    6 Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever;
        a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom.
    7 You love righteousness and hate wickedness;
        therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions
        by anointing you with the oil of joy.
    8 All your robes are fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia;
        from palaces adorned with ivory
        the music of the strings makes you glad.
    9 Daughters of kings are among your honored women;
        at your right hand is the royal bride in gold of Ophir.

    10 Listen, daughter, and pay careful attention:
        Forget your people and your father’s house.
    11 Let the king be enthralled by your beauty;
        honor him, for he is your lord.
    12 The city of Tyre will come with a gift,
        people of wealth will seek your favor.
    13 All glorious is the princess within her chamber;
        her gown is interwoven with gold.
    14 In embroidered garments she is led to the king;
        her virgin companions follow her—
        those brought to be with her.
    15 Led in with joy and gladness,
        they enter the palace of the king.

    16 Your sons will take the place of your fathers;
        you will make them princes throughout the land.

    17 I will perpetuate your memory through all generations;
        therefore the nations will praise you for ever and ever.

    Go Deeper

    There are so many major life milestones worthy of celebration. Psalm 45 drops us right into one of those moments as we read about his upcoming wedding. While this psalm is about a literal wedding, it is loaded with Messianic undertones. C.S. Lewis believed this psalm pointed to Christmas and the birth of Christ. John, when he wrote Revelation, used language from this psalm to describe the future return of Christ. 

    In Psalm 45, the sons of Korah, a group of Levites responsible for musical worship in the temple, bring us into a wedding celebration. Throughout the psalm, it talks about a glorious wedding that takes place between a king and his love. In verse 15, the beloved and her companions are “Led in with joy and gladness, they enter the palace of the king.” The sons of Korah were stating that the beloved will enter the palace of the king with overflowing joy and happiness, filled with anticipation to finally be in the same presence of her beloved. Earlier in the passage, verses 10-11 give word to the royal bride to “Listen, daughter, and pay careful attention: Forget your people and your father’s house. Let the king be enthralled with your beauty; honor him, for he is your lord.” As we read this, it is a reminder for us to leave what may seem comfortable or known, and follow the ways of the Lord and see His goodness! 

    As we step into today, remember that the Lord is coming. We should be overly excited, friend! Just as we anticipate marrying our significant other (or any other major life event), anticipate the coming of the One who sees us to be so significant. Know that anything that is good to us on Earth, is nowhere close to the goodness we will experience with Jesus! Throughout today, remember who He is, and be excited for His return. Acknowledge where your heart lies in this period of your life and ask the Lord to create an exhilaration and desire for Him to return over everything. 

    Questions

    1. Throughout Psalm 45, there are multiple traits that describe the king. Name one of those traits you want to embody most in your own life. 
    2. Reading this through the lens of a Messianic psalm (one that points to the coming of Christ), what sticks out to you?
    3. Is there anything in your mind that possibly replaces the excitement of our Lord’s return? Why is that?

    By the Way

    In Revelation 19:7-8, John writes that the Lord’s return will be like a wedding, filled with beautiful garments and happiness that cannot be contained. This is yet another example of Scripture supporting Scripture!

    Leave a Comment below

    Did you learn something today? Share it with our Bible Reading Plan community by commenting below.
  • Psalm 44

    Psalm 44

    Read Psalm 44

    For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A maskil.

    1 We have heard it with our ears, O God;
        our ancestors have told us
    what you did in their days,
        in days long ago.
    2 With your hand you drove out the nations
        and planted our ancestors;
    you crushed the peoples
        and made our ancestors flourish.
    3 It was not by their sword that they won the land,
        nor did their arm bring them victory;
    it was your right hand, your arm,
        and the light of your face, for you loved them.

    4 You are my King and my God,
        who decrees victories for Jacob.
    5 Through you we push back our enemies;
        through your name we trample our foes.
    6 I put no trust in my bow,
        my sword does not bring me victory;
    7 but you give us victory over our enemies,
        you put our adversaries to shame.
    8 In God we make our boast all day long,
        and we will praise your name forever.

    9 But now you have rejected and humbled us;
        you no longer go out with our armies.
    10 You made us retreat before the enemy,
        and our adversaries have plundered us.
    11 You gave us up to be devoured like sheep
        and have scattered us among the nations.
    12 You sold your people for a pittance,
        gaining nothing from their sale.

    13 You have made us a reproach to our neighbors,
        the scorn and derision of those around us.
    14 You have made us a byword among the nations;
        the peoples shake their heads at us.
    15 I live in disgrace all day long,
        and my face is covered with shame
    16 at the taunts of those who reproach and revile me,
        because of the enemy, who is bent on revenge.

    17 All this came upon us,
        though we had not forgotten you;
        we had not been false to your covenant.
    18 Our hearts had not turned back;
        our feet had not strayed from your path.
    19 But you crushed us and made us a haunt for jackals;
        you covered us over with deep darkness.

    20 If we had forgotten the name of our God
        or spread out our hands to a foreign god,
    21 would not God have discovered it,
        since he knows the secrets of the heart?
    22 Yet for your sake we face death all day long;
        we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.

    23 Awake, Lord! Why do you sleep?
        Rouse yourself! Do not reject us forever.
    24 Why do you hide your face
        and forget our misery and oppression?

    25 We are brought down to the dust;
        our bodies cling to the ground.
    26 Rise up and help us;
        rescue us because of your unfailing love.

    Go Deeper

    At first glance, this can be a rather surprising chapter. The author is basically telling God what He should do! He does this all the while maintaining his own personal innocence (very similar to parts of the book of Job). It feels like the roles are reversed from what they should be. One would think that the author should be humble enough to admit his own faults, and then ask the Lord for direction on what to do next, right? This is not the formula for which this chapter plays out. 

    When you dig deeper into this passage, however, this psalm is not necessarily declaring that God is in the wrong. Instead this is an example of the author trying to remind himself that God is always in the right! In the middle of frustration, the author begins by reminding himself that God was faithful in the past. Then the very last word of this chapter is a declaration of God’s unfailing love. It’s like the author is saying “God I know your character. You are a faithful Father who loves His children. Because of what I know about you, I’m confused about my situation. Why are you letting your children suffer when I know you don’t want them to?” 

    This type of honesty is crucial in our walk with God. If we aren’t willing to be fully authentic with Him, our relationship won’t have the depth it needs. This type of theological struggle described in the passage is exactly the type of “work out” our faith sometimes requires. This psalm is a reminder of the story in Genesis when Jacob wrestled with God (Genesis 32). Sometimes our faith calls for a bit of wrestling. There will no doubt be times when we need to fight to see the faithfulness of God. We will have dark seasons in which we will need to remind ourselves that God is always bringing us closer to His light. So when you don’t like your situation, start telling God about His character. When you do, you’ll be reminded of who He is and what He has promised to do for you.

    Questions

    1. What surprised you about how the author wrote in this chapter?
    2. Do you think following God will always lead to your success?
    3. The author starts this chapter by reminding himself of God’s previous acts of faithfulness. How has God been faithful to you in the past?

    By the Way

    Psalm 44:22 is referenced in one of the most well known chapters in the Bible. Here is what Paul wrote:

    “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:

    “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

    Romans 8:35-39

    Leave a Comment below

    Did you learn something today? Share it with our Bible Reading Plan community by commenting below.
  • Rest Day 8

    Rest Day 8

    Rest Day

    Today is a Rest Day. There is no new Bible reading to do. Today, the goal is simple: rest in the presence of God. Maybe you need to use today to get caught up on the reading plan if you’re behind, maybe you want to journal what you’re learning so you don’t forget what God is teaching you, or maybe you want to spend time in concentrated prayer–do that. Above all, just spend time in God’s presence. Each Rest Day, we will also introduce a memory verse for the week. Meditate on this week’s verse and begin to memorize it.

    Memory Verse

    Why, my soul, are you downcast?
        Why so disturbed within me?
    Put your hope in God,
        for I will yet praise him,
        my Savior and my God.

    Psalm 42:11
    Memorization Tip

    Who says Scripture memorization has to be boring? Make it a game! Write the verse out on notecards, a different word for each card. Then, shuffle them around and place them back in the correct order from memory.

    Worship with us

    Join us in person or online at 9a, 11a, or 7p at harriscreek.org/live. We’d love to worship with you! We also desire to connect everyone with a local church body where they can thrive in community and use their gifts to serve. If you’re following our Bible Reading Plan from outside of Waco and are eager to get connected with a great local church, email us at [email protected].

    Leave a Comment below
    Did you learn something today? Share it with our Bible Reading Plan community by commenting below.
  • Psalm 43

    Psalm 43

    Read Psalm 43

    1  Vindicate me, my God,
        and plead my cause
        against an unfaithful nation.
    Rescue me from those who are
        deceitful and wicked.
    2 You are God my stronghold.
        Why have you rejected me?
    Why must I go about mourning,
        oppressed by the enemy?
    3 Send me your light and your faithful care,
        let them lead me;
    let them bring me to your holy mountain,
        to the place where you dwell.
    4 Then I will go to the altar of God,
        to God, my joy and my delight.
    I will praise you with the lyre,
        O God, my God.

    5 Why, my soul, are you downcast?
        Why so disturbed within me?
    Put your hope in God,
        for I will yet praise him,
        my Savior and my God.

    Go Deeper

    In many of the psalms we have read so far, we see the author pouring out his heart to God, asking why the world is the way it is⏤looking for an answer, for hope in the darkness. Psalm 43 is no exception, and it is a perfect example of what to do when we feel oppressed and discouraged. 

    In this short psalm, there are four questions the Sons of Korah (the authors) ask. Reread these questions in verses 2 and 5. Sometimes Scripture asks questions that are responses to an author’s circumstances, and they are there to serve a point. These questions show us that when we are wronged, discouraged, or confused, we can express ourselves honestly to God. Christianity is not a faith where we are required to bottle up our hurt and confusion. It’s a faith where we can bring our emotions to the light. 

    In addition to questions and cries of lament to God, there is another response. In verses 3 and 5, the author asks for God’s light and truth (found in His Word), a path to the Holy Mountain (referring to Mount Zion in Jerusalem, where people went to collectively praise God), and a declaration that he will praise God with his harp (worshiping through song). These desires for praise aren’t there because everything was going great for the psalmist. They aren’t there because the psalmist felt close to God. As we saw earlier, the author actually felt far from God. But the psalmist knows when we are troubled or things aren’t going well, God is our “only safe haven” (v. 2). So when we feel like we are far from God, the best thing to do is express that to God and sing His praise, just like the psalmist did here.

    Questions

    1. This psalm ends with the same verse as Psalm 42. Is there anything you are discouraged by right now?
    2. Verse 2 says that God is our only safe haven. When is a time that you tried to find safety in something else?
    3. The author of this psalm says that he will praise God with his harp. What is your favorite way to praise God and worship Him? Go do it. Right now.

    Pray This

    If you feel lost and discouraged, pray this: “God, I feel confused and overwhelmed with my circumstances right now. I don’t know how You are trying to work in my life, but I know that You are my only safe haven. Help me to turn toward You and sprint to You instead of turning away.  Amen.”

    Leave a Comment below

    Did you learn something today? Share it with our Bible Reading Plan community by commenting below.
  • Psalm 42

    Psalm 42

    Read Psalm 42

    For the director of music. A maskil of the Sons of Korah.

    1 As the deer pants for streams of water,
        so my soul pants for you, my God.
    2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
        When can I go and meet with God?
    3 My tears have been my food
        day and night,
    while people say to me all day long,
        “Where is your God?”
    4 These things I remember
        as I pour out my soul:
    how I used to go to the house of God
        under the protection of the Mighty One
    with shouts of joy and praise
        among the festive throng.

    5 Why, my soul, are you downcast?
        Why so disturbed within me?
    Put your hope in God,
        for I will yet praise him,
        my Savior and my God.

    6 My soul is downcast within me;
        therefore I will remember you
    from the land of the Jordan,
        the heights of Hermon—from Mount Mizar.
    7 Deep calls to deep
        in the roar of your waterfalls;
    all your waves and breakers
        have swept over me.

    8 By day the Lord directs his love,
        at night his song is with me—
        a prayer to the God of my life.

    9 I say to God my Rock,
        “Why have you forgotten me?
    Why must I go about mourning,
        oppressed by the enemy?”
    10 My bones suffer mortal agony
        as my foes taunt me,
    saying to me all day long,
        “Where is your God?”

    11 Why, my soul, are you downcast?
        Why so disturbed within me?
    Put your hope in God,
        for I will yet praise him,
        my Savior and my God.

    Go Deeper

    As we begin reading Psalm 42 today, some of us might have a soundtrack slowly rising in the background of our minds. The first verse served as the basis for a popular worship song written in 1984, “As the Deer.” It offers a calming melody and words of devotion to God. Reading this full psalm paints a different picture.

    This is a gritty, groaning, gutsy chapter depicting the back-and-forth struggle between the writer’s earthly feelings and heavenly faith. We can almost hear the two different voices pleading and praising in the author’s mind and heart: one relaying suffering and the other reminding the solution. For example: 

    Suffering: My tears have been my food, day and night, while people say to me all day long,“Where is your God?” (v. 3)

    Solution: These things I remember as I pour out my soul: how I used to go to the house of God under the protection of the Mighty One with shouts of joy and praise among the festive throng. (v. 4)

    Suffering: Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? (v. 5)

    Solution: Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God. (v. 5)

    We often avoid sharing our suffering with God. We have been misled to believe God doesn’t want us to speak of it or to question it. When suffering comes, and it absolutely will, many well-intentioned friends skip over validating our pain and refrain from sitting in sympathy as we suffer. Instead, we are given “coffee cup” scripture and paraphrased principles. We are encouraged to “focus on the good” with the unspoken direction to silence the difficult. There is some hidden undercurrent that acknowledging the suffering seems unholy.

    But here’s the thing: God hears both. We do not need to hide our pain or protect Him from our questions. We do not need to feel shameful or shaky in our faith because of our suffering. Rather, God’s power is perfected in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9), our faith is strengthened in our suffering (1 Peter 5:9), and we are refined through the fire of challenges (Isaiah 48:10).

    So we can share our suffering with God and proclaim Him as the solution – all with the same faith and in the same breath.  We can bring our gritty, groaning, gutsy pleas to His feet and praise His faithfulness. We can claim the refrain of Psalm 42 for ourselves:

    Put your hope in God,

    for I will yet praise him,

    my Savior and my God.

    Questions

    1. Have you ever tried to hide your suffering from God or felt ashamed for questioning Him? Why?
    2. Recall a time of suffering. Was your faith strengthened through the experience? If so, praise God for His faithfulness. If not, admit to God the challenge and ask for His guidance.
    3. How can you help a friend who is suffering? In what ways can you acknowledge their suffering and praise God for His goodness during that time?

    By the Way

    This Psalm opens the second book of Psalms and is written for the Sons of Korah. The Sons of Korah were descendants of a branch of Levites. While you can learn of Korah’s rebellion against Moses in Numbers 16, his descendants became leaders in choral and orchestral music during David’s time.

    Leave a Comment below

    Did you learn something today? Share it with our Bible Reading Plan community by commenting below.
  • 3 John

    3 John

    Read 3 John

    1 The elder,

    To my dear friend Gaius, whom I love in the truth.

    2 Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well. 3 It gave me great joy when some believers came and testified about your faithfulness to the truth, telling how you continue to walk in it. 4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.

    5 Dear friend, you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers and sisters, even though they are strangers to you. 6 They have told the church about your love. Please send them on their way in a manner that honors God. 7 It was for the sake of the Name that they went out, receiving no help from the pagans. 8 We ought therefore to show hospitality to such people so that we may work together for the truth.

    9 I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will not welcome us. 10 So when I come, I will call attention to what he is doing, spreading malicious nonsense about us. Not satisfied with that, he even refuses to welcome other believers. He also stops those who want to do so and puts them out of the church.

    11 Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God. 12 Demetrius is well spoken of by everyone—and even by the truth itself. We also speak well of him, and you know that our testimony is true.

    13 I have much to write you, but I do not want to do so with pen and ink. 14 I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face.

    Peace to you. The friends here send their greetings. Greet the friends there by name.

    Go Deeper

    This is a tale of three men. 3 John is the shortest book in the Bible and a powerful letter that is still very relevant today. 3 John is written to a Johannine church community that is experiencing a clash of characters. There is a man named Gaius, to whom this letter is written; another man named Diotrephes, and a third individual named Demetrius. These three men are like three kinds of Christians found in the church throughout any age. From these three characters, we can glean that Christ-followers exemplify hospitality and love both the family of God and the outside community. 

    John (or, “the elder”) begins by greeting Gaius and issuing joyful praise toward Gaius for his love of “the truth.” You might wonder, what does it mean to “walk in the truth”? Some have argued that John is happy because Gaius is “walking in sound doctrine.” However, this phrase is best understood as “to walk consistent with the truth you believe.” That is, in Jesus, we found the hospitality of God on full display! All are welcome to the table (Luke 14:13). Therefore, John is joyful that Gaius and his friends have welcomed the traveling witnesses/missionaries, demonstrating the hospitality that is to be a proper outward behavior of the follower of Christ (3 John 5-8). 

    In stark contrast, John issues a public rebuke of Diotrephes for his lack of hospitality and humility. John calls attention to the rumors about Diotrephes, his unwillingness to welcome the fellow believers, and even his kicking those that receive them out of his congregation/community (3 John 9-10). To this, John argues in verse 11: “Do not imitate what is evil but imitate what is good.”

    Finally, John makes mention of Demetrius. John commends Demetrius, the letter-carrier, as one of good rapport, before concluding this intimate letter with a desire for face-to-face interaction soon. John wraps it up by essentially saying, “I’ve said a lot here (through the Bible and tradition), but I have so much more to say… I’d rather not write with pen and ink. But I will see you soon, and we will talk together face to face.” 

    So what are we to make of such a brief letter like this? An honest question to ask ourselves is if we’re more of a Gaius than a Diotrephes. Gaius lives out the gospel. He’s hospitable. He’s gracious. His actions are the result of a life devoted to Christ. The same seems to be true of Demetrius, as well. Diotrephes, on the other hand, is self-absorbed. He puts himself in front of others. His life is antithetical to what the gospel calls us to. As we process this reading, we get to decide which of those traits we want to embody.

    Questions

    1. Take a look at verse 2. That is a wonderful thing to say about someone, isn’t it? If your physical appearance reflected your spiritual state, what would you look like?
    2. What are some creative ways you are seeking to “walk in the truth” and remain hospitable in our culture? What are some barriers to hospitality that you’re facing? 
    3. What has God taught you through the reading of 3 John?

    did you know?

    3 John makes no mention of Christ, which caused it to be neglected and slowly welcomed into the canon of Scripture.

    Leave a Comment below

    Did you learn something today? Share it with our Bible Reading Plan community by commenting below.
  • 2 John

    2 John

    Read 2 John

    1 The elder,

    To the lady chosen by God and to her children, whom I love in the truth—and not I only, but also all who know the truth—2 because of the truth, which lives in us and will be with us forever:

    3 Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son, will be with us in truth and love.

    4 It has given me great joy to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as the Father commanded us. 5 And now, dear lady, I am not writing you a new command but one we have had from the beginning. I ask that we love one another. 6 And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.

    7 I say this because many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist.8 Watch out that you do not lose what we have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully. 9 Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. 10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take them into your house or welcome them. 11 Anyone who welcomes them shares in their wicked work.

    12 I have much to write to you, but I do not want to use paper and ink. Instead, I hope to visit you and talk with you face to face, so that our joy may be complete.

    13 The children of your sister, who is chosen by God, send their greetings.

    Go Deeper

    In 2 John, John writes a short letter to a church and its members. He uses the language of a ‘‘lady and her children” since the church and its members are the “bride” of Christ (see also Revelation 22:17, Ephesians 5:22-33). 

    Two themes stick out in this brief letter: truth and love. You cannot separate the two since truth informs the way we act towards others— in love. In the first six verses, John uses the word “truth” five times and the word “love” four times. We demonstrate love towards others when we declare truth, and we withhold love when we hide the truth from them.

    John warns this church that they need to be careful of those who seek to deceive them with something outside the truth. They might preach what appears to be a more loving message, but it lacks truth. We need to arm ourselves (see Ephesians 6:10-20) with truth because many deceivers have gone out into the world. These people twist the truth and preach a false gospel. 

    We certainly face deceivers every day as many declare there’s no such thing as absolute truth. Others twist the truth to serve their own agendas (i.e., the prosperity gospel). Thankfully, we have God’s Word to inform us of what is truth, and then we get to declare this very truth in love to others. When we walk in the truth, we have both the Father and the Son. What an incredible gift we get to carry with us wherever we go. The reality is this: we walk in truth and love because followers of Christ have the Father and the Son, always. 

    In verse 12, John encourages us to share truth and love with others in person. In a world that focuses on text messages and quick communication, John longs to visit and talk with others face-to-face. While technology can be a communication gift, there’s nothing like having our joy completed in the physical presence of others.

    Questions

    1. What can you do today to arm yourself with truth?
    2. What’s one tangible way you can demonstrate love to someone else?
    3. What do you think John means when he says we shouldn’t take deceivers into our house or welcome them?

    Listen to This

    Leave a Comment below

    Did you learn something today? Share it with our Bible Reading Plan community by commenting below.
  • 1 John 5

    1 John 5

    Read 1 John 5

    Faith in the Incarnate Son of God

    1 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. 2 This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. 3 In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, 4 for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.

    6 This is the one who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. 7 For there are three that testify: 8 the Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement. 9 We accept human testimony, but God’s testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which he has given about his Son.10 Whoever believes in the Son of God accepts this testimony. Whoever does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because they have not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. 11 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

    Concluding Affirmations

    13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. 14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.

    16 If you see any brother or sister commit a sin that does not lead to death, you should pray and God will give them life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that you should pray about that. 17 All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death.

    18 We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the One who was born of God keeps them safe, and the evil one cannot harm them. 19 We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. 20 We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true by being in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.

    21 Dear children, keep yourselves from idols.

    Go Deeper

    In this final chapter of 1 John, John pleads with his readers one last time to choose a relationship with Jesus, and he highlights some of the major benefits to faith. He says that everyone born of God: overcomes the world (v. 4), has eternal life (v. 11), can approach God with confidence (v. 14), is heard by God (v. 15), is protected from the evil one (v. 18), and is called a child of God (v. 19). These aren’t small bonuses; they are massive promises. When the Creator of the entire universe adopts you into His family and becomes your Father, you receive some pretty large perks.

    One of the biggest blessings that stands out the most from this chapter is the assurance and confidence of eternal life that we have as God’s children. John writes, “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life” (1 John 5:13). John is clear that those who belong to the family of God can be certain about their eternity. He wants his readers to have confidence in the fact that they will be with God forever.

    We can have that same assurance today. It’s not just early Christians who needed reassurances of salvation, but us, too. This world is misleading and confusing, and we’re tempted to believe that this is all there is. That this life is all that matters. The enemy wants us to keep our eyes focused on the here and now and never glance up at God. And that’s why John implores his readers to be confident about their eternity. Because, when we are confident that this world is not our home and know that we will be with God forever, our perspective changes. We change. 

    We begin to live for something more. We begin to live as though Heaven is on earth, today. We begin to do our part to bring Heaven to whatever part of earth we’re currently living on. You see, eternal life doesn’t just begin at the end of our earthly lives, it begins now. 

    Questions

    1. Would you say you are confident in your eternity with God? Why or why not? 
    2. Do you live each day with an eternity mindset? How could you better live on mission with God each and every day?
    3. Now that you’ve read all of 1 John, in your option, why does John conclude his book with this warning: “Dear children, keep yourselves from idols?”

    Pray This

    Dear God, thank you for the gift of eternal life available to anyone who believes in You. Thank you that we can be certain of our eternity with You. Help me to be confident in that gift today. Help me to lift my eyes from the things of this world to the things of your Kingdom. Help me to begin to live out the eternal life You’ve given me today. Let me not waste this day of eternity with You. Amen.

    Leave a Comment below

    Did you learn something today? Share it with our Bible Reading Plan community by commenting below.
  • 1 John 4

    1 John 4

    Read 1 John 4

    On Denying the Incarnation

    1 Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.

    4 You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 5 They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them.6 We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.

    God’s Love and Ours

    7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

    13 This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. 16 And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.

    God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. 17 This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. 18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

    19 We love because he first loved us. 20 Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. 21 And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.

    Go Deeper

    We could simplify this chapter into this one thesis statement: what we believe impacts how we live.  We know this truth, but so often we try to disconnect what we know from how we live. But the truth is we  act out what we believe. John warns of false teachers and how they can persuade and appear true, so we must be be wise and discerning and test what is true. If the foundation isn’t that Jesus is the Christ, it isn’t the gospel – it isn’t true. We must be able to discern truth from error and live in a way that supports, not denies, our beliefs. 

    The truth John’s expressing is that not only is love from God, God is love. It’s who He is. It’s His essence, His nature; and, since we are made in His image, it’s our nature, too. Our love for God is not measured by what we know or what we say, it’s measured by what we do. God has always made the connection and interlaced loving Him and loving His children. We cannot disconnect them. 

    Verses 9 and 10 clearly define what love is: it’s visible (God showed); it requires action (God sent); it’s sacrificial (gave His one and only); it’s unconditional and undeserving (while we were sinners); it addresses sin (an atoning sacrifice for sin). We only need to look at these two verses to know what God thinks of us. We are loved. Fully. Wholly. He doesn’t love some future version of you, He loves you now. 

    How does this knowledge impact our actions? His love gives us confidence (no fear, vs. 18) to love others the way we are loved, not just with words, but in deed and action. Regardless if someone deserves it or not. Our worth and value doesn’t come from someone else’s response to our love. Our value and worth is secure, paid for by Jesus. The world will know we are His children by our love. Not by our “right-ness,” our political support or statements, our knowledge of the Bible, or our self-righteousness. We have an answer for an unbelieving, hurting world: love. The way God showed us through Jesus. 

    Questions

    1. What observations about God stand out in this chapter?
    2. Think about John, one of the closest people to Jesus when Jesus walked the earth. He heard the laugh of the Messiah. Saw the Savior heal the sick and blind and lame. Ate breakfast with Jesus after Jesus conquered death. Of all the things John could have said, why this message? How does that impact you?
    3. Who is difficult for you to love? What is one step you will make to move toward that person today?

    By the Way

    According to early Christian tradition, a false teaching circulated in John’s day that differentiated between Jesus (a man) and Christ (a supernatural being). Some of the false teachers John’s referring to in this chapter taught that Christ descended on Jesus at his baptism and departed at the crucifixion. To this lie, John responds with a resounding, “NO! Jesus IS Christ.” There is none like Him. No not one.

    Leave a Comment below

    Did you learn something today? Share it with our Bible Reading Plan community by commenting below.
  • Rest Day

    Rest Day

    Rest Day

    Today is a Rest Day. There is no new Bible reading to do. Today, the goal is simple: rest in the presence of God. Maybe you need to use today to get caught up on the reading plan if you’re behind, maybe you want to journal what you’re learning so you don’t forget what God is teaching you, or maybe you want to spend time in concentrated prayer–do that. Above all, just spend time in God’s presence. Each Rest Day, we will also introduce a memory verse for the week. Meditate on this week’s verse and begin to memorize it.

    Memory Verse

    “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.” 

    1 John 3:1

    Memorization Tip

    Use community as a tool to help you in your scripture memorization journey! Pick a few friends, or your Life Group, with whom to memorize scripture. Practice together, hold each other accountable, and encourage one another as you work together. Remember that the best way to stick with a challenge is not to go at it alone!

    Worship with us

    Join us in person or online at 9a, 11a, or 7p at harriscreek.org/live. We’d love to worship with you! We also desire to connect everyone with a local church body where they can thrive in community and use their gifts to serve. If you’re following our Bible Reading Plan from outside of Waco and are eager to get connected with a great local church, email us at [email protected].

    Leave a Comment below
    Did you learn something today? Share it with our Bible Reading Plan community by commenting below.