Jesus is about to share all his love for us in allowing himself to die for us.  All the forces of meanness and evil are about to come upon Jesus.

When Jesus asks us to love as he loved, we can’t do this unless he gives us the power through the Holy Spirit.  And this is just what Jesus promises for us—that the Holy Spirit of love which has completely filled Jesus is now sharing all this love with us.  So many have loved so much like Jesus that they have died for others so that everyone might know how great is God’s love. 

The new way of loving that Jesus teaches us is also a new commandment.  All the individual laws that God made for God’s people are all gathered into this one final commandment of love.   When we live this commandment, we are friends of Jesus. What joy in this!  Think of it: God in Jesus calls us His very own friends!  Let this phrase stay with you today and always: “I live as a friend of God!”

John 15:9-17

What are “Bible Breaths”? Learn More…
Example:
“I live as a friend of God!”

Sundays are dedicated to the Gospels from the Revised Common Lectionary
During the Easter Season, are read from the Gospel of John.

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 tablet! Check the menu options at the site for more information.

We have learned from our Jewish ancestors to turn the solar year into a sacred one.  Today’s chapter spells out the special holidays in the Jewish year, beginning with one celebrated every week, the Sabbath.  As Christians we don’t celebrate these days in exactly the same way.  For example, we have moved our weekly celebration to Sunday, since this was the day that Christ rose from the dead.  The deepest meaning of Passover is found in the Resurrection of Jesus, for it was Jesus who had us pass over from death to life.  A first harvest festival is described, fifty days after Passover.  Our word “Pentecost” comes from the Greek word for fifty.  We celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit on that day.  

The parts of the year, the days of the week—even the hours of the day—all can be very special and sacred; there is always some time that reminds us of God’s love and care for us.  God is always with us, just as time is always with us!

 Leviticus 23

Bible Breaths Learn More…
Example:
“Taking time for Sabbath rest” v. 3

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.

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 tablet! Check the menu options at the site for more information.

This Firestarter and reading was published last Friday, by mistake. Check it out again!

Every once in awhile we hear about someone who has dislocated a shoulder. The joint where the arm meets the shoulder is pulled apart; it’s very painful.

Something like this happened to the first disciples in a spiritual sort of way.  Jesus tells them that there will come a time when they will be “dislocated” from their roots as Jews.  John 9 tells about a person born blind and when healed was thrown out of the synagogue.  Jesus’s disciples couldn’t worship in the synagogues either.

  Sometimes when a person loves in a special, even courageous way, others are mean toward the person. Perhaps something similar has happened to you as you live love Jesus’s way. Jesus wants us to find joy in his promise of sending the Holy Spirit as a special comfort to those who are mistreated in any way.  God loves and cares for those who are on the “outs” with others.  God wants you to know that you are “in” with God!

John 16:1-15

Create your own Bible Breaths Learn More…
Example from v. 7
“Holy Spirit–my Helper”

Fridays are dedicated to the Gospels. This year, we generally read from the Gospel of Mark,
except during most of Lent and Easter when we read from the Gospel of John.

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 tablet! Check the menu options at the site for more information.