Daily Walk Through the New Testament

July 11

Read Luke 10:30-11:13

Mary and Martha provide two excellent models of worship and service. Instead of valuing one over the other, we should have a balance of both. You simply cannot divorce the two and be an effective follower of Christ.
Many have criticized Martha for failing to sit with Mary at Jesus’ feet. However, churches are full of Christians who “sit and soak” and never prioritize serving and applying what they have learned. Many Christians pride themselves on their faithful attendance, but the statistics have not changed for decades. 80% of the work is done by 20% of the people.
What changes do you need to make to balance worship and service in your life?

Daily Walk Through the New Testament

July 10

Read Luke 10:8-29

Wouldn’t it be easier to follow Jesus’ command to love “your neighbor as yourself” (vs. 27) if we could re-define a few of His words? First, we might change the word love to tolerate. That way, we could even avoid interaction with the guy next door altogether! Second, we could replace the word neighbor with acquaintance. Neighbor sounds too much like friend and requires attention to that person’s needs. Third, we might drop the phrase “as yourself.” There is no way the guy next door should be loved as much as the person we see in the mirror each morning! Finally, we could assume Jesus meant to say we should love our “neighbors” — that is, plural. We could focus on how loving we are to those who are easy to love and let ourselves off the hook for being unloving toward just one guy next door. We’d feel better about our tendency to pick and choose whom we love.
With a few simple changes, Jesus’ command is pretty easy. But obviously, keeping a “version” of His command that we have reformed to our tastes isn’t really obedience. It’s catering to our selfishness — living by the flesh — not following Jesus or pleasing the Father — living by the Spirit. Godly love is sacrificial, seeks the lost, and serves others selflessly.
Aim to build relationships with your neighbors, know their spiritual condition, and meet their needs. We’ll never take strides toward reaching our neighbors for Christ until we let God’s love fill and direct our lives.

Daily Walk Through the New Testament

July 9

Read Luke 9:43b-10:7

Talk about insensitivity! Jesus explained He would be betrayed, and the very next moment the disciples were arguing about who was the greatest among them! Isn’t that just like human nature? We live in a world that values status and demands we declare our rank. The idea of rank means we compare ourselves to and compete with others. The higher we go, the lower others go. It is our nature to continue overcoming more people so we may achieve an increasingly higher status in this world.
Tragically, the drive for status ultimately leaves us spiritually dry. Jesus provided us with a recipe for greatness in vs. 48: “Whoever receives this little child in My name receives Me.” The child cannot provide you status nor give you rank. There is only one reason to receive the child: LOVE. In loving unconditionally you begin to see true greatness by following the great example of our Savior.

Daily Walk Through the New Testament

July 8

Read Luke 9:18-43a

In today’s passage we read that Jesus asked the disciples who the crowds said He was. We know from Matthew 16:13 that at this time they were in the region of Caesarea Philippi, surrounded by a culture in which people worshiped various gods at various altars. There was an altar for Pan (the god of nature), a shrine to Baalism, and even an altar to worship the great Caesar of Rome.
It’s easy to repeat what others have said about Jesus, as the disciples did in (Luke 9:19). Jesus, however, always makes it personal. “He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Peter answered and said, ‘The Christ of God’” (vs. 20). Our world is filled with altars to other gods today, and our God continues to ask this personal question: “Who do you think I am?” Your answer will reveal the true altar of your worship.

Daily Walk Through the New Testament

July 7

Answer the following questions about your readings this past week:

1.)      Have you allowed God to change the way you think? Describe a thought         process that Christ has completely transformed, and consider what other             thought processes might need His healing touch.

2.)     How has your personal relationship with Christ given to someone else that which Christ has given to you?

Daily Walk Through the New Testament

July 6

Read Luke 8:49-9:17

When God created man and woman, He gave them a mandate: “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion . . . Over every living thing” (Genesis 1:28). Briefly stated, God said, “Take control.” Today, we are prone to a sinful version of having dominion, one in which we refuse to call Jesus Lord. Each of us spends our days taking control of our lives. In any typical home, the battle over who will hold the TV remote illustrates the ongoing need for control.
Jesus is in control of the entire universe and of every age of history — He most certainly can and should be Lord of our lives! Yet we struggle to relinquish control to Him. You will never find true life until you give total control over to the One who holds all of life. Do not depend solely on your abilities or your plans. Depend on the One who is present, the Lord Jesus Christ. He can call into existence things that are not and lead you into wisdom. He is almighty and good! Praise Him and rely on Him, for He is God!
The only antidote to resisting God’s control is what Jesus seeks from us: TRUST! Focus on His trustworthy character and put your trust in Him.

Daily Walk Through the New Testament
July 5
Read Luke 8:22-48

Many people are consumed with anger toward God when they suffer, and they blame Him for things for which He is not responsible. The people Jesus healed in Luke 8 knew He was the answer to their suffering. Pursue Jesus, even when you suffer. Whether He heals you or strengthens you as you struggle, you will be blessed!

Daily Walk Through the New Testament
July 4
Read Luke 8:1-21

One of the reasons Jesus spoke in parables was to keep our minds from wandering into foolish speculation. He spoke of things that were easy to understand — common things with heavenly meanings — in order to teach the deep things of God.
Jesus used the parable of the sower to explain unbelief and shallow faith. Jesus used four different kinds of soil to represent four classes of hearers. Those by the wayside are shallow people who live by the easiest path, avoiding the difficult things. Those in the rocky soil represent people who have become hardened to anything that may require them to feel. Because of their pain, they erect a stone wall to the world and to God. Those in the thorny soil are people who are so attached to the wonders of the world that anything less than a thrill is dismissed. Those in the good soil are people who remain sensitive to the still small voice of God.
Jesus admonished, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” (Luke 8:8). Hear Him today. Trust His wisdom. He hears you, so speak to Him right now — He cares for you!

Daily Walk Through the New Testament
July 3
Read Luke 7:24-50

The human eye is a marvel of human anatomy. Its ability to distinguish the millions of colors in nature or calculate the depth of a meadow is beyond comprehension. It can see up close or to the far reaches of space. But it cannot see itself. All any of us will ever see of ourselves in this life is a mere reflection in a mirror. And what we do see of ourselves we do not believe. Think of a time when you have seen yourself in a photo or heard yourself on a recording. Were you surprised? Our ability to see the faults in others is seemingly flawless, but our ability to see ourselves is certainly flawed. Ask God for the grace to see yourself as you truly are, and He will lead you to have genuine remorse for your sin.

Daily Walk Through the New Testament

July 2

Read Luke 6:46-7:23

Belief is sometimes defined by the intensity with which someone accepts or trusts something, but the Bible teaches that belief is defined by its content. In whom or what do we believe? A biblical faith is believing in Jesus and in His Word.
Focusing on the words and actions of Jesus in the New Testament can help cultivate such a faith. Jesus identified Himself clearly, saying He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, among other things. He explained God’s truth in sermons and parables, and He verified His identity through miracles. When John the Baptist questioned Jesus’ identity, Jesus pointed to things He had been doing: He’d healed the sick, raised the dead, and taught the multitudes the principles of life (Luke 7:18-22).
Study God’s Word, and let it instruct the content of your faith and give you the confidence to trust Him today.