Just as Jesus was presented in the Temple as an infant, so you are presented to the Temple of Christ’s risen body.  Because you live in Christ and Christ lives in you, you are a child of God.   John is so in touch with this fact as he cries out in the first verse of the reading, “We are children of God!”  

How can we imagine us living in God and God living in us?  Here’s something that occurred to me from my own days as a child on the Fourth of July having fun with my brothers and my cousins. We used to make figure eights in the air with sparklers, seeing if we could move fast enough so that “8” would shine out.  The two sides of the figure eight blend into each other from right to left, from top to bottom.  God in you, and you in God: a sacred figure eight. 

Rock gently from side to side and up and down a bit as a sacred figure eight, resting in the presence of God. 

   1 John 3:1-9 

Examples of Bible Breaths Learn More…

We are called children of God. v. 1
We will see You as You are. v. 2
Being pure as You are pure. v. 3
God’s seed abiding in me v. 9

Check out Study Tools in BibleGateway.
I especially recommend the free resource
in Matthew Henry’s Commentary.

Thursdays are dedicated to the letters of Paul, other letters,
the Book of Acts, and the Book of Revelation.

These Firestarters are from a new edition of The Bible Through the Seasons being developed for families with children. For the Firestarters in the original edition, I recommend the ebook.  You will have the entire program of well over a thousand of these introductions with you on your phone or table! Check the menu options at the site for more information.

This brief psalm makes a contrast between the nasty, evil plots of the wicked, and a green olive tree planted in the house of God.  

In the midst of busy shopping malls, trees are often planted in the center.  They are content to be just where they are.  However, in the back rooms of the stores, there’s likely some anxious fingers at adding machines as storeowners see how the profits are, now that Christmas shopping is over.  Some may not be so content with the results! 
  Picture yourself as a green, olive tree.  Feel yourself rooted, resting in the middle of the physical space that encircles you right now. Look all around you to see where you are.   Like the hand of a clock, where do the rays of the sun point at you?  

Here’s a great verse from Paul’s letter to the Philippians: “I have learned how to be content in any circumstance.”

Psalm 52

Examples of Bible Breaths Learn More…

The righteous will see and fear. v. 6
I’m like a green olive tree. v. 8
I trust in Your steadfast love. v. 8
It is good to praise Your name. v. 9

Check out Study Tools in BibleGateway.
I especially recommend the free resource
in Matthew Henry’s Commentary.

We read the Psalms in numerical order on Wednesdays

These Firestarters are from a new edition of The Bible Through the Seasons being developed for families with children. For the Firestarters in the original edition, I recommend the ebook.  You will have the entire program of well over a thousand of these introductions with you on your phone or table! Check the menu options at the site for more information.

Throughout the Bible, leaders stand out as being either good or evil.  Abimelech is one of the most wicked of them all.  He murders seventy of his half-brothers so that they don’t compete with him for head of God’s people.  Chapter 9 tells the whole story.

The reading for today is a fable Jotham, the only survivor of the seventy brothers that Abimelech killed.  As often in the Bible, stories teach truths that are stronger because of the images of the story. The point of the fable is that each of the trees mentioned, except the bramble bush, does not want to give up who they are just to get to be in charge of others.  

Now that’s something for each of us to think about.  Who we are is God’s precious, unique gift.  When forget about how special we are and try to impress others by imitating somebody else more famous, then we lose happiness, peace, joy and all the wonderful feelings that come from being grateful to God for creating us.

Judges 9:7-21

Examples of Bible Breaths Learn More…

Praising You for who I am
The humble are exalted Luke 1:52
For others, the better part
Abundant joy within me

Check out Study Tools in BibleGateway.
I especially recommend the free resource
in Matthew Henry’s Commentary.

Tuesdays are dedicated to the Old Testament books of history
and the Hebrew “Writings.”

These Firestarters are for families with children. For the Firestarters in the original edition, I recommend the ebook.  You will have the entire program of well over a thousand of these introductions with you on your phone or table! Check the menu options at the site for more information.