HERE'S HOW:
Grab a Bible. If it fits your style, also grab a journal to write in.
Which Bible version is best? The one you read! If you don’t have one, let us know! Print, Online, and Apps are available.
Invite family or friends to join you.
Pray! Ask the Holy Spirit to help you as you read. HE WILL.
Check to see if there is a video to watch today
Look up and read the assigned reading for the day.
Look up the assigned Psalm that day: pray it out loud.
Pray! Ask the Father to apply those readings to your life and to help you join Jesus where He is already working. HE WILL.
Participate in Worship on Sunday!
August 26
Read Matthew 1-2, then Pray Psalm 76. It may seem when you begin with Matthew chapter 1 that it is just another list of names. Don’t think that! This is the continuation of the story we just saw in Chronicles! But now this is the family leading up to JESUS! Zoom in on verse 5 to note King David’s family as shown to us by Matthew. Also, remember that CHRIST is the Greek version of MESSIAH, the Hebrew word for “Anointed One”. This title is then attached to JESUS, whose name is defined in 1:21. What all of this means, however, is summed up in 1:23.
Two other notes as you read Matthew: note (or even highlight) every time you see “fulfilled” or “to fulfill” throughout this book. If you do highlight, you might run out of ink! This is the dominant theme of Matthew (see 5:17): that Jesus is the fulfillment of what we now call “The Old Testament” (which He called “The Law and the Prophets”). The secondary theme in Matthew is “authority”. Watch for Jesus when he talks about or demonstrates His authority.
August 27
Read Matthew 3-4, then Pray Psalm 77. John the Baptist quotes Isaiah 40:3, announcing who he is and alerting everyone to the fact that Messiah is coming. Take note that when he quotes that first portion of Isaiah 40, he is inferring at least that entire chapter (compare all of Isaiah 40 to Matthew 3) but more likely he is thinking about all the contents of Isaiah chapters 40-55. Also, take special note of Matthew 4:17. Consider and pray about what this means!
August 28
Read Matthew 5-6, then Pray Psalm 78. Spend extra time on these chapters (called the Sermon on the Mount, because of 5:1). The depth and riches that are in these words!!
August 29
Read Matthew 7-8, then Pray Psalm 79. Take note of 7:1-6. Write them on your heart. Make them part of your view toward others. And then, from there, write verses 7-12 on your heart. Make these the way you view your Father in heaven. Live each day in these words!
August 30
Read Matthew 9-10, then Pray Psalm 80. Zoom in on Matthew 9:6 and then after reading about Matthew’s dinner party, zoom in on 9:13.
August 31
Read Matthew 11-12, then Pray Psalm 81. John the Baptist, whose situation is bleak, wonders: is Jesus really the Messiah? Jesus answers by quoting from Isaiah 42 (highlighting 42:7, but inferring the whole chapter, please read!!).
September 1
Read Matthew 13-14, then Pray Psalm 82. What is the Kingdom like? Take some time to ponder all of Jesus’ analogies and ask yourself what they have in common and what they don’t...and note how He talks about the Kingdom a bunch! (We should too!)