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Download the full lesson HERE Devotional Reading: Luke 8:35–39 Background Scripture: Exodus 14; Joshua 3:1–4:24 Introduction A. Monuments of Memory Etched into the interior stone walls of the Lincoln Memorial is the following statement, visible to all who visit the ninety-nine-foot-tall structure in Washington, DC: “In this temple, as in the hearts of the people for whom he saved the Union, the memory of Abraham Lincoln is enshrined forever.” The influence of the sixteenth U

JOHN 5:1-18; MATT. 12:9-14; MARK 3:1-6; LUKE 6:6-11 Full lesson HERE THE IMPOTENT MAN: This miracle took place in Jerusalem where Jesus had gone for a feast. John does not tell what feast it was, but most likely it was the Passover. Jesus went to the pool of Bethesda one Sabbath day and there found a man lying on his bed who had been ill for many years and was helpless. This is the only time the pool of Bethesda is mentioned in the Bible. Although its exact location is uncert

Download the full lesson HERE Devotional Reading: Daniel 10:18–21 Background Scripture: Exodus 19–24; Deuteronomy 31:1–8; 34:1–12; Joshua 1 Introduction A. Courage and Confidence A young family—a husband, wife, their three-year-old toddler, and their unborn son—left their hometown in northern Minnesota to move to a new city, sight unseen. Uncertainty abounded. Financial anxieties prompted the dramatic move. The parents were hopeful that a new environment would provide more o

MATT. 21:18-22; MARK 11:12-26; MATT. 9:2-8; MARK 2:1-12; LUKE 5:17-26 Full lesson HERE THE WITHERED FIG TREE: Fig trees are cultivated all over the land of Palestine and especially in the mountain areas. The trees grow generally 10 to 15 feet high, and their thick foliage provides dense shade in the summer. In warm climates such as Israel, the fig tree produces two crops each year, an early one which is ripe about June, and a later, more important one which is ripe about Augu

Download the full lesson HERE Devotional Reading: James 2:14–26 Background Scripture: Acts 16:11–40 Introduction A. I Was a Stranger After college, I accepted an internship on the other side of the country. For the first time, I was far away from family, friends, and everything familiar. The roads were confusing, the air smelled different, and the local accents took some time to decode. I loved my internship but often felt alone in this unfamiliar place. I tried to find new f

MATT. 8:2-4, 14-17; MARK 1:29-45; LUKE 4:38-41; 5:12-16 Full lesson HERE SIMON'S MOTHER-IN-LAW: According to Mark and Luke, after Jesus left the synagogue, He entered the house of Simon and Andrew (Mark 1:29; Luke 4:38). Simon Peter's wife's mother lay sick with a fever in the house. A LEPER: When Jesus was in one of the cities, a leper came to him, and falling upon his knees, he begged Jesus to heal him. Leprosy was a dreaded disease in Biblical times, not only because of th

Download the full lesson HERE Devotional Reading: Matthew 12:46–50 Background Scripture: Acts 16:1–3; Philippians 2:19–22; 2 Timothy 1:1–6; 3:14–16 Introduction A. Running Partner for Life The individualism of modern culture takes many forms. Recently, I noticed individualistic tendencies in physical fitness. If we eat a balanced diet, it is because we choose one ourselves. If we work out each day, it is because we set ourselves a routine. In contrast, my fitness breakthrough

JOHN 4:46-54; MARK 1:21-28; LUKE 4:31-37 Full lesson HERE THE NOBLEMAN'S SON: After Jesus attended the marriage celebration in Cana of Galilee and turned the water into wine, He went to Capernaum for a short time and then to Jerusalem for the Passover Feast (John 2:12-25). When He traveled back to Galilee, He passed through Samaria where He encountered the woman at the well (John 4:1-42). He then continued on his journey and arrived again at Cana where a nobleman came to him

Download the full lesson HERE Devotional Reading: Psalm 86:1–10 Background Scripture: Acts 7:58–8:3; 9:1–31; 22:3–15 Introduction A. Fire for Good or Fire for Bad? Early in 2024, my small town in the Texas Panhandle was among those affected by a series of wildfires that devastated over 1.2 million acres of land. This was not the first time our town had suffered severe damage from a wildfire. Thankfully, there were no fatalities, but the damage was substantial. We know all too

MATT. 17:24-27; JOHN 21:1-14 Full lesson HERE THE TRIBUTE MONEY, TEMPLE TAX: When the Law of Moses was delivered to the children of Israel at Mt. Sinai and the people were numbered, every male twenty years old and upward was required to give a half-shekel offering to the Lord. This money was used for the service of the tabernacle (Ex. 30:11-16). At first it does not appear that this was an annual payment, but by New Testament times a yearly tax for support of the temple was i

Download the full lesson HERE Devotional Reading: Luke 23:32–43 Background Scripture: Acts 6–7 Introduction A. Handling the Hardships Max Cleland (1942–2021) led a promising life. In high school, he excelled in sports and received the title of “Most Outstanding Senior.” At the age of 24, he volunteered for combat duty in Vietnam, where he served as a captain in the army. Just one month before returning home, Cleland picked up a grenade that he thought he had dropped accidenta

MATT. 14:13-21; MARK 6:30-44; LUKE 9:10-17; JOHN 6:1-14; MATT. 15:32-38; MARK 8:1-9 Full lesson HERE FIVE THOUSAND FED: This miracle of Jesus, feeding the 5000, is the only miracle recorded by all four gospel writers. (Although the incident regarding Malchus' ear is found in the four gospel accounts, only Luke relates the healing). According to Mark and Luke, the disciples had just returned from the mission upon which Jesus had sent them. They related to Jesus all things, bot

Download the full lesson HERE Devotional Reading: Psalm 91:1–6 Background Scripture: John 11:14–16; 14:5–8; 20:24–29; 21:1–2 Introduction A. From Doubt to Faith “I am an atheist,” he said. His wife and children attended our church, but this was his first Sunday. He made it clear he was only there to support his family—he didn’t believe in God. Several months passed, and he reached out again, asking for a meeting. He asked profound and sincere questions about the evidence for

MATT. 8:23-27; MARK 4:35-41; MATT. 14:22-33 Full lesson HERE STILLING THE STORM: The Sea of Galilee lies in a deep basin over 600 feet below sea level. In the surrounding hills there are many ravines and deep gorges which open into the sea. Cool winds blowing down from the mountains rush through these ravines and gorges and then over the water, creating violent tempests and raging seas. These storms are sudden, frequent, and very dangerous to small boats. Within minutes the a

Download the full lesson HERE Devotional Reading: Revelation 12:1–6 Background Scripture: Luke 1:26–56; 2:15–19; John 2:1–5; 19:25–27 Introduction A. Hidden Treasure My children love a good mystery, and we often listen to podcasts as a family when we travel. It is common for us to choose enigmatic tales. One such recent story involved the so-called eighth wonder of the world—Prussia’s Amber Room. The Amber Room was built between 1701 and 1714 for King Frederick I of Prussia.

LUKE 5:1-11 Full lesson HERE INTRODUCTION. In this story Jesus calls four disciples to him. Earlier at least three of the four (Peter, Andrew, and probably John) had followed Jesus and "abode with him that day" (John 1:35-42). Now the four are called and this time they left all and followed Jesus (Luke 5:11). Matthew and Mark probably refer to this same event but do not relate the miracle (Matt. 4:18-22; Mark 1:16-20). The scene takes place at the Sea of Galilee, sometimes ca

Download the full lesson HERE Devotional Reading: Luke 6:31–38 Background Scripture: Luke 19:1–10 Introduction A. Favorite Story “Zacchaeus was a wee little man...”. So begins a popular children’s Sunday school song about this Bible story. As a child, I loved the story of Zacchaeus. I remember the first time I heard it—I leaned in to catch every word. The anticipation! The drama! The tree climbing! When I was little, I loved to climb trees and was delighted that one of my fav

JOHN 2:1-11 Full lesson HERE INTRODUCTION. The beginning of Jesus' miracles occurred apparently three days after Philip and Nathanael became his disciples (John 1:43-51; 2:1). Jesus and his disciples (those five He had called in John 1:35-51) were invited guests to a wedding in Cana of Galilee. Mary, the mother of Jesus, was also present. Since Joseph is not mentioned here or any time after Jesus began his ministry, it is assumed he had died. There were two stages to a Jewish

Download the full lesson HERE Devotional Reading: Isaiah 40:26–31 Background Scripture: Mark 8:27–29; Luke 22:7–38; John 18:15–18, 25–27; 21:15–17 Introduction A. Broken Made Beautiful Kintsugi is a centuries-old Japanese technique of pottery repair. The process involves using a special lacquer mixed with gold, silver, or platinum to repair damages to broken or cracked pieces. Other methods of ceramic restoration aim to hide the damage or make it less noticeable as if the obj

MARK 12:41-44; LUKE 21:1-4 Full lesson HERE INTRODUCTION. In the temple court of the women, under the shelter of porticoes, there were thirteen chests with trumpet-shaped openings into which the worshippers cast their gifts and contributions. One day near the end of his ministry on earth, Jesus sat in this court near the treasury and observed the people depositing their money in the receptacles. As Jesus observed the wealthy casting their money into the treasury, He saw a wid