April 4 - 40 Days

Thursday, April 4, 2019 

Prodigal Son 

Many of us are familiar with the story of the Prodigal Son. Check out this linkto a modern retelling of the story and then enjoy reading it from your Bible.  

  

Read: Luke 15:11-32

Questions to Consider:

1.     Do you need to offer forgiveness to someone?  Do you sometimes find it hard to offer forgiveness? Why? 

2.    Have you or someone in your family been like the Prodigal Son?  Reflect on this experience?  

3.    Why do you think the other brother is upset?  Have you been upset when someone has been forgiven? Why? 

Activity for the Day:  In the Facebook Groupwrite about who you are in this story and why.  

Blessings, 

April 3 - 40 Days

Wednesday, April 3, 2019 

Lost Ones

In the United Methodist Church, we believe in something called Prevenient Grace.  Prevenient Grace is the grace that goes before us, before we even know God.  It is the grace of God calling out to us, searching for us, bidding us to come.  It is a little like the parables in today’s reading.  The shepherd searched high and low for the lost sheep. The woman with the lost silver coin looking everywhere for it.  Like God and Prevenient Grace, both the shepherd and the woman will not stop until the lost is found.   

Read: Luke 15:1-10

Questions to Consider:

1.     Can you remember a time when you didn’t know Jesus or felt far away from Jesus?  Write about this in your journal.

2.    How were you found? Write about this in your journal. 

3.    Have you always known Jesus and never felt far away from Jesus?  What does that feel like?  Write about this in your journal.    

Activity for the Day:  Write down your elevator story (short, easy to tell version) of why you love Jesus.  Here is a linkon how to write a business elevator speech. Use the same outline except instead of talking about business, talk about why you love Jesus, or your church. Personal stories are the best, but remember it has to be short…elevators don’t go on forever.   

Blessings, 

Kristyne 

April 2 - 40 Days

Tuesday, April 2, 2019 

How to be Humble

When my girls were younger, they used to hide little notes for me all over my office.  I never knew where I would find them.  The notes would say things like “You are the best mommy!” or “Thank you for being awesome!” I never knew when they would leave them or where they would leave them.  They would never ask me if I found the notes.  They just did this nice thing because it was a nice thing to do.  Children are really good at humbly offering praise. We can learn much from those who are younger, much younger than us.     

Read: Luke 14:1-35

Questions to Consider:

1.     When was the last time you gave with no expectation of getting something in return?

2.    Have you ever had a time in your life when you accepted the praise for something when someone else really deserved it?  

3.    Who do you need to offer praise to in your life?  

Activity for the Day:  Do something nice for someone in secret.  Do not ever tell them.   

Blessings, 

Kristyne 

April 1 - 40 Days

Monday, April 1, 2019 

Literally? 

Proof texting is when someone takes a quote out of context to establish a point.  For example, Little Women includes this line: "It is as useful to educate a woman as it is to educate a female housecat."  However, Little Womenis far from a book that discourages women from learning or being self-sufficient.  Proof texting is something we can sometimes do with the Bible when we are trying to make a point.  I encourage you to think about this while you read the passage and watch the video today. 

Read: Luke 13:10-35

Questions to Consider:

1.     Have you ever declined to help someone because you thought it was “against the rules”? 

2.    Have you every helped someone even though it was “against the rules”?

Activity for the Day:  Have you been guilty of proof texting to prove your point?  Write about this in your journal.   

Blessings,

Kristyne

Saturday, March 30 - 40 Days

Saturday, March 30, 2019 

Be Prepared

I am a planner and an organizer.  I like to always be prepared.  Part of the passage for today is about being prepared for Jesus to come. I think an important part of being prepared is actively being involved in the Means of Grace.  Today after you read and watch the video you will get a chance to consider fasting.  I hope that you decide to give it a try.  

Read: Luke 12:35-13:9

Questions to Consider:

1.     Have you ever tried fasting?  If yes, how did it go?  

2.    What controls your life?  Do you think you could give something up to allow something else to surface?  What could you give up?  

Activity for the Day:  Try out some type of fasting this week.  Write about the experience in the Facebook Group.  

Blessings, 

Kristyne

Friday, March 29 - 40 Days Luke

Friday, March 29, 2019 

Earn, Save, Give

After almost 29 years in ministry I have learned that one of the most sensitive topics that a pastor ever has to deal with is money. During my time in ministry I have witnessed Stewardship Sunday’s where the average attendance was cut in half, I have seen people leave a church over money, I have pastored a congregation where we discovered that our former Financial chair had taken thousands of dollars of the churches money! I have also seen an impoverished grandmother write a huge check to a missionary who was visiting because the Lord put it on her heart and I have witnessed a new Christian, who was in church for only their second week give an offering of $5,000 (and in that one offering become one of our top ten givers) because she had read that Christians are supposed to tithe and she had just received a payment for work completed. What I have really learned in all this time is that money reveals the condition of our heart. To Whom do we belong and what does that mean for our lives and our money are questions that have to be asked by serious followers of Christ. I hope that today this little parable of the man and his barns will help you reflect on these important questions. 

Read: Luke 12:1-34

Questions to Consider:

1.     In the parable of the rich farmer does Jesus give any critique of his good harvest?   

2.    What do we do with our financial resources today that is comparable with the man’s building of the new barns? What is the outcome of his work?

3.    Luke 12:15 sums up the lesson before the parable ever begins. How can we apply this parable to today’s world? 

4.   What does it mean to have a rich relationship with God and what does that mean for our wealth? How can we faithfully save for our retirement and save and work for eternity? 

Activity for the Day:  The founder of the Methodist movement, John Wesley, called for disciples to be diligent in their labor (to work hard) thus earning a good income. In that diligence then he called disciples to be frugal and to save, but he also called disciples to give generously and to serve the world in love. Examine your habits of spending. Ask for the Lord to guide you in being faithful to work towards using your resources as a reflection of our walk with Christ and then create a plan to earn, save and give in your journal.  

Blessings, 

Jim