Listen to Pastor Nick read the “Firestarter” and Isaiah 58:6-9.

Prophecies that release new energies for worship and for lively contact with the Lord—this is the passion of Isaiah. Take a piece of paper, put a line down the middle, noting on the left those actions that delight the Lord, on the right side, those in which you alone take delight. Do you notice a difference? Pray against a spirit of religiosity; this would have acts of worship be apart from making justice and peace.

Be moved by the passionate concerns of the Lord, becoming one with the priorities of God. Catch the inner sense of the meaning of the word “delight,” used four times. Each of these verses has the power to make the rough places in your life smooth for the coming of the Lord.

Isaiah 58

Mondays are dedicated to the reading of the Hebrew Prophets.
In the seasons of Advent through Epiphany this year we read Isaiah 56 to 66..

What are “Bible Breaths”? Learn More…
Example: Your glory surrounding me v. 8

For all the Firestarters I recommend the ebook.  You will have the entire program of well over a thousand of these introductions with you on your phone or tablet. Check the menu options at the site for more information.

Listen to Pastor Nick read the “Firestarter” and the Gospel.

The original version

St. Luke is the evangelist that lets us listen in on the largest segment of John the Baptist’s preaching. John astounds whole crowds with ear-piercing calls to repentance. The opening verse of the reading hardly follows the principles of Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People! John is not on a self-centered search for friends; he is out to win hearts for the Kingdom—your heart and mine.

Luke singles out three classes of people and specific changes needed for each: 1) people in general; 2) tax collectors; 3) soldiers. The essence comes down to sharing with those in need.

Place yourself among the crowd. Now is no different than then. This is no time to mince words. The Holy Spirit gets right to the point with you. Allow the Lord to burn away what is dead in you, so that what needs to come to life has inner space to grow.

Luke 3:7–18

What are “Bible Breaths”? Learn More…
Example Today may I bear good fruit. v. 9

Sundays are dedicated to the Gospels from the Revised Common Lectionary.
In year C, we generally read the Gospel of St. Luke.

For all the Firestarters I recommend the ebook.  You will have the entire program of well over a thousand of these introductions with you on your phone or tablet. Check the menu options at the site for more information.

Listen to Pastor Nick read the “Firestarter” and Genesis 35:16-21.

[From the original version]

Do you know any mothers who died at childbirth? There is an extraordinary sadness when this occurs. Our reading begins with the death of Rachel when Benjamin was born. There is a church between Jerusalem and Bethlehem that prides itself as being the place where Rachel is buried. As quietly as Isaac breathes his last, so are the final verses in the Bible that recount his death.

Chapter 36 gives the history of Esau and his people—only a list of names as though printed in black and white. Colors are kept for the stories of Jacob and his descendants, the Twelve Tribes of Israel, prototype of the Twelve Apostles and the New Israel, the Church. Esau’s disobedience wrenches him from significant history; there are only names of those whose descendants would be bitter enemies to Israel.

Genesis 35:16—36:43

This is the third of three parts of the Torah Portion Vayishlah (And He Sent) 
Conservative and Reform Jewish congregations read only this part this year,
as also in this Bible plan.
Here is the entire portion in all three parts.

Genesis 32:3—36:43

Learn about Bible Breaths Learn More…
Example: Grieving with those in their loss

The Saturday passages follow the reading list that Jewish people use in their synagogue worship
throughout the world. They are taken from
“The Torah,” the first five books of the Bible from Genesis to Deuteronomy
that are read each year beginning with autumn.

For all the Firestarters I recommend the ebook.  You will have the entire program of well over a thousand of these introductions with you on your phone or tablet. Check the menu options at the site for more information