About Author: Mark Lautenschlager

Day Four: Bargaining with God And she vowed a vow and said, “O Lord of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant and remember me…

Day Three: Mothers and Redemptive History There is a special place in the heart of God for mothers. One quick survey through the moms of Scripture forces us to recognize…

Day Two: The audience for our suffering She was deeply distressed and prayed to the Lord and wept bitterly. (1 Samuel 1:10, ESV) But Hannah answered, “No, my lord, I…

The Big Idea: Hannah was the mother of Samuel, a famous Old Testament prophet. It was Samuel who anointed both Saul and David as king. However, it’s his mother we’re…

Day Five: A rock of a different shape and size Rocks are amazing things. They can be sharp-edged and rough as sandpaper, or well-rounded and smooth. They can be strong,…

Day Four: The giver of life At the close of this story, after her accusers had sheepishly dropped their stones and slipped away one by one, Jesus turns his attention…

Day Three: Seeing things as they are Do you see things as they really are? That sounds like a silly question, doesn’t it? Just think about all the clever sayings…

Day Two: Jesus exposes guilt The scribes and the Pharisees had brought before Jesus a woman who it says was “caught in the act of adultery.” The Scriptures are quite…

The Big Idea: This week we read a story where the scribes and the Pharisees brought before Jesus a woman who, it says, “was caught in the act of adultery.”…

Day Five: Dealing with doubt Can you imagine what it was like being the brother of Jesus? Growing up with a big brother who was “different,” around whom mom and…

Day Four: Overflowing rivers The Feast of Tabernacles (or Booths) was the longest festival of the Jewish year, lasting seven days. It featured two ceremonial elements, in one of which…

Day Three: The Feast of Booths As you read John 7, try and climb into the mind of Jesus. At this point, Jesus’ ministry seemed to be in utter shambles….

Day Two: Jesus exposes self-interest In our passage this week, Jesus was faced with a number of people who had their own interests in mind. His own half-brothers, who’d been…

The Big Idea: John chapter seven could be characterized as the place where true faith and self-interest collide. We see two examples of people who were interested in Jesus for…

Day Five: Applying John 6 After contemplating John 6 this week, explain in your own words what it means that Jesus is the Bread of Life. Now contemplate the alternative…

Day Four: The Man Who Would NOT Be King John 6:14-15 gives us a picture of what happened immediately following Jesus feeding the 5,000. Amazed at what they saw, they…

Day Three: The Bread of Life Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my…

Day Two: That nothing may be lost John 6:1-15 records the feeding of the 5,000. We know the story, right? A large crowd comes out to see Jesus, who asks…

The Big Idea: The sixth chapter of John’s Gospel covers a lot of familiar ground. Two of the most famous miracles performed by Jesus are found here: The feeding of…

Day Five: Applying Luke 24:25-27; Genesis 22:1-14; Luke 24;30-33 Go to http://listverse.com/2008/06/08/top-10-self-appointed-messiahs/ and browse through these ten people who have in one way or another claimed to be some form…

Day Four: The Last Miracle Despite its provocative title, today’s devotional isn’t suggesting that God is done performing miracles. We are, however, going to consider the need we sometimes have…

Day Three: Resurrection, God’s Thumbprint in Redemptive History Death is mankind’s most relentless enemy. It is pitiless, unprejudiced, cruel, and virtually certain. Unless Christ returns during your lifetime, death will…

Day Two: The Faith of Isaac The story of Abraham and the near-sacrifice of Isaac is one that calls a lot of attention to Abraham and his great faith in…

Day One: An Angel’s Perspective By Sam Kastensmidt   Seraphs surrounded the glorious throne, Roaring their never-ending song! “Holy is our Mighty God, Who was and is and is to come!”…

Day Five: Applying John 5:45, 46. Death, Burial, Resurrection. This is a journey rehearsed over and over in scripture and throughout history. It’s a process every human being will face….

Day Four: The Waters of Scripture. The biblical stories involving waters are often associated with death and judgment. Consider the account of Noah (death and judgment for the world), the…

Day Three: The Power of a Tree. After reading this week’s passage (Exodus 15:22-25), try and imagine what it must have been like to be an Israelite following after Moses…

Day Two: Life on the beach. The shores of the Red Sea aren’t really what we think of when we picture a beach, are they? To the Israelites gathered there,…

Day One: A Careful Reading This week’s passages are John 5:45-46, Exodus 14:13-14 & 15:22-25. We begin by returning to John chapter five, specifically to the end of the chapter…

Day Five: Applying John 5:1-18. Imagine being one of the “multitudes” of invalids who watched Jesus heal that man who had been with them for 38 years. What questions would…

Day Four: Taking Note of the Truly, Trulys. Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not…

Day Three: Health Benefits.  

Day Two: Like Father, Like Son. Jesus had been creating quite a stir by performing miracles. Nicodemus said as much in chapter 3: Now there was a man of the…

Day One: A Careful Reading This week’s passage is John 5:1-18. It records a very unusual miracle of healing by our Lord Jesus. It was unusual for two reasons. First,…

Day Five: Faith That Saves “They believed in Jesus, but he didn’t believe in them.” This is the way my seminary New Testament professor, Dr. Al Mawhinney, interpreted John 2:23-25….

Day Four: Getting Answers. In the Old Testament, we find the story of a man named Job, in fact there’s an entire book about him. It’s recorded that he was…

Day Three: Who is this King of Glory? Take a moment and quickly consider the reasons why you are most excited about heaven. What reasons were first to come into…

Day Two: Jesus, the Heavenly Handyman? This week, you’re being asked a very direct question. Why do you seek Jesus? Not everyone does seek Him, of course. But when someone…

Day One: A Careful Reading This week’s passage is John 4:43-53. John tells us what happens after the Samaritan woman who Jesus spoke to at the well (if you missed…

Day Five: Let’s end the week the way we began. Why did John write his gospel? 30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which…

Day Four: Can’t Get No Satisfaction In a moment, with the rattle of some keys, the title of this day’s meditation has told you just how old I am. But…

Day Three: Thirsting for Righteousness (Finding Satisfaction in the Lord) The 4th beatitude listed in Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount teaches: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness…

Day Two: Beauty Comes From Within One of the major themes from Tom’s message this week was the contrast between Jacob and Jesus, and between Rachel and the Samaritan woman….

Day One: A Careful Reading This week’s passage tells of a conversation between Jesus and a Samaritan woman at Jacob’s Well. We will begin by spending day one in a careful…

Day Five: What Would You Die For? From an article by Jordan Sekulow in the Washington Post, March 2011 Just days after Iran released two Americans accused of spying, an Iranian court has upheld the apostasy conviction and execution sentence of Christian Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani. The 11th branch of Iran’s Gilan Provincial Court has…

Day Four: Love Like God Our passage for this week concluded with John 3:16, which is probably the single most well known verse in all of the bible. At one…

Day Three: Jesus Reverses The Curses In John 3, Jesus discusses salvation with a powerful Pharisee named Nicodemus. In this encounter, Nicodemus comes to Jesus in the middle of the…

Day Two: Like The Wind The English word spirit comes from the Latin spiritus meaning “breath.” In the New Testament, the Greek word for spirit was pneuma meaning “breath, or…

Day One: A Careful Reading This week’s passage tells of a conversation between Jesus and a Pharisee named Nicodemus, and concludes with what is probably the single most famous verse…

Day Five: Final Thoughts On Generosity Read the thoughts below on generosity and consider them as you watch two videos: Search “Miracle in Franklin” on Youtube or go to this…

Day Four: How Much Is Enough? Read James 5:1-3. “Come now, you rich” There are two important things to know about financial wealth. First, the Bible does not condemn it….

Day Three: A Legacy of Generous Worship. The Anointing of Jesus. In this week’s passage (Mark 14:3-9), we read about an anonymous woman from the town of Bethany who anointed…

Day Two: Excellence In Generosity. Read 2 Corinthians 8:1-15. 2 Corinthians 8:7 (ESV) — 7 But as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and…

Day One: A Careful Reading This week’s passage concerns a woman who anoints the feet of Jesus with perfume, prior to His death. We will begin by spending day one…

Day Five: Jesus, The Disruptor The Bible is not just a hobby, a book full of interesting information. It’s not just wisdom helpful in the pursuit of a happy and…

Day Four: Making No Sense 1 Corinthians 2:12–14 (ESV) — 12 Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we…

Day Three: Christ Cleanses His Temples For the nation of Israel, no feast was more culturally significant than the Passover. Roughly fifteen centuries before Jesus cleansed the temple, God’s people…

Day Two: The Creeping Invasion 2 Corinthians 11:13–14 (ESV) — 13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder, for…

Day One: A Careful Reading This week’s passage concerns Jesus driving the merchant and money-changers from the temple. We will begin by spending day one in a careful reading of…

Day Five: The Wedding Feast at Cana Jesus did a lot of miracles. He walked on water and calmed storms. He restored sight to the blind. He cast out demons….

Day Four: Comfortable Rituals. Read Mark 7:1-23. Our passage for the week, John 2:1-11, tells the story of Jesus at a wedding feast in Cana. In today’s text, we read…

Day Three: Transformation at Cana. (from Ceremony to Celebration) The miracle at the wedding of Cana was the first miracle performed by Jesus, and it remains among His most famous…

Day Two: The Last Words of Mary In the first chapter of Luke, we hear a fair bit from Mary, including her song of praise that has come to be…

Day One: A Careful Reading This week’s passage describes the first miracle Jesus performed publicly, changing water into wine at the wedding feast in Cana. We will begin by spending…

Day Five: The Lost Art of Following Jesus the consultant (here to make you prosper) Jesus the butler (here to serve your needs and desires) Jesus the good luck charm…

Day Four: Rocks and Stones. Read Matthew 16:15-18. One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his own brother…

Day Three: Calling the Twelve Though Galilee was a “dry land” with a long history of apostasy, Jesus chose this land to become the source of his most trusted disciples….

Day Two: No One Dies for a Lie One of the greatest apologetic tools in defending the truth of the Gospels is found in the martyrdom of Christ’s disciples. Of…

Day One: A Careful Reading This week’s passage describes Jesus calling His disciples. We will talk more about them throughout the week, but begin by spending day one in a…

Day Five: The End. Read Matthew 14:1-12. Here we have the story of the end of John the Baptist’s life. He was the messenger of God who went before the…

Day Four: John’s Baptism of Jesus. Read Matthew 3:11-17. John’s baptism of Jesus in the waters of the Jordan river was a fulfillment of prophecy going back to Joshua entering…

Day Three: Cousin Jesus, God’s Son. Read John 3:26-30. In Luke 1:36-37 we find an exchange between the angel Gabriel and Mary the mother of Jesus in which Gabriel tells…

Day Two: John the Baptist and you, God’s VIPs. Read Luke 1:5-45. “But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years.” (Luke 1:7, ESV)…

Day One: A Careful Reading This week’s message focuses on the ministry of John the Baptist. This week’s study guide will do the same, but expand the focus to look…

Editor’s Note: If the image of the chiasm below does not come through in the emailed copy of the post, just click the link in the post to view it…

Day Four: He Tabernacled Among Us Have you nearly memorized the first eighteen verses of John’s Gospel yet? You should be able to remember what’s in it, even if you…

Day Three: It’s Dark Out There Before we begin, read John 1:1-18 again. “There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to…

Day Two: A Day at the Movies Today we’re going to do something a little different. We’re going to watch some YouTube videos together. But before we do, read John…

Editor’s note: Quite sorry for the delay on the delivery of day one. I entered a date incorrectly. You would’ve received two of them on the same day, but I…

Day Five: The Light of the World is community. (Matthew 5:14) “A city on a hill cannot be hidden.” If you’ve never been far outside the city, you don’t know…

Day Four: We are the light of the world. (Matthew 5:14) “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For behold,…

Day Three: Sukkot, the Feast of Tabernacles (John 7:1-14) There were three feasts that all male Jews were compelled to attend each year (Deut. 16:16). One of them was the…

Day Two: Light is the presence of God. (John 1:1-5, 14) “This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in…

Day One: Let there be light! (John 8:12) “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the…

We believe in the value of a quality Study Bible, and we have endorsed the Reformation Study Bible, English Standard Version. This is our official Study Bible and copies are…

Day Five: The Challenge. Psalm 23 (ESV) A PSALM OF DAVID. 1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures….

Day Four: The shepherd knows their names, the sheep know his voice. (John 10:2-5, 11-16) In an agricultural society, the relationship between the shepherd and his flock is rather unique….

Day Three: The shepherd IS the door! (John 10:2-3, 7, 11-13) It may seem to you that we’ve been hopping around from verse to verse in this same passage from…

Day Two: The world needs doormen. (John 10:7-10; Acts 4:11-12) There is only one door! A door that is both strong and securely closed protects those inside, and that’s a…

The Big Idea: During this Advent season, as we prepare ourselves to celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, we’re examining some of the statements of self-disclosure made by…

Day One: It matters which side of the door you’re on. (John 10:1-2, 7-9) What do you think of when you picture a door? An entrance? An exit? Or something…

Day Five: Fully Satisfied. Satisfaction. Our world seems driven by it. Musicians write songs about it, businesses hope to fill their customers with it, and it seems like everyone has…

Day Four: Whose Work is it, Anyway? Even though the majority of Americans would call themselves “Christian” if you asked them for their religion, the most common opinion on how…

Day Three: Daily Bread. The development of technology allowing food to be preserved and stored for a long time changed the world dramatically, maybe even rising to the level of…

Day Two: The Real Jesus. Why do you seek Jesus? Read Deuteronomy 18:18. God told Moses that He would raise up a prophet like him from among the people of…

The Big Idea: During this Advent season, as we prepare ourselves to celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, we’re examining some of the statements of self-disclosure made by…

Day Five: A Beautiful Day. So all of human history had been pointing to this Messiah, this saviour who could and would conquer everything that had so corrupted His creation,…

Day Four: I Am the Resurrection and the Life. Sunday’s message was taken from the historical account of a man who was raised from the dead by Jesus. As the…

Day Three: The Things for Which God Grieves. Knowing what you know of God’s Word, what do you think grieves Him the most? What are some major themes in scripture…

Day Two: The Way things Ought to Be. When was Jesus first mentioned in Scripture, and what was the first prophecy given about him? Read John 1:1-14 We tend to…

The Big Idea: This Advent Season we’re going to look at Jesus through His own iconic self disclosure, His “I Am” statements. This week we see the One who came…

Day Five: Read Luke 9:34-36 (p.1473). The beauty of Christ and the hope of heaven will make all distractions and idols appear like sewage by comparison. …and they were afraid…

Day Four: Read Luke 9:32-33 (p.1473). We receive the glory, because he took the agony. Peter said… “Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and…

Day Three: Read Luke 9:30-31 (p.1473). Christ deserved the glory of the Transfiguration, but endured the agony of the Cross. …and spoke of his departure, which he was about to…

Day Two: Read Luke 9:28-29 (p.1473). Our God is supremely worthy of our sufferings! …the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became dazzling white. Luke’s description of…

Living It! (faith into action): A central part of this week’s message was that we share this hope of glory. Those around us, if they have faith in Christ, are…

Day One: Read Luke 9:23-24 (pp.1472-1473). Suffering is a gift. It amplifies your life’s purpose (to others) and multiplies your inheritance. …whoever loses his life for my sake will save…