Listen to Pastor Nick read the Firestarter and Zechariah 2:1-13.

The lack of concern of yesterday’s unjust steward is set beside the call of God’s people in today’s reading to rebuild the Temple. Destruction of Solomon’s Temple and exile had plummeted God’s people into despair. While they have returned to their homeland, discouragement still hovers as a dark cloud over the people, de-energizing them from rebuilding the Temple. “How can we build a temple as magnificent as Solomon’s?”

Zechariah, whose name means “Yahweh Remembers,” receives eight visions of comfort and energy from God to empower the people to rebuild the Temple, sign of God’s life among them. Today’s reading has the first three of these visions. Read them as waves of comfort God is sending your way to enable to you to rebuild your own life according to the plans of the temple of Christ’s body in which you live, move, and have your being.

Zechariah 1—2

Mondays are dedicated to the reading of the Hebrew Prophets.
In the season of Kingdomtide we read Habakkuk to Malachi.

What are “Bible Breaths”? Learn More…
Example: I am apple of Your eye. 2: 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.

A crisis in personal finances calls forth great inventiveness from this manager. “I’ve got to be sure that I have a roof over my head when I’m fired!”

A glance at the whole line of the week’s readings in the quilt of this season reveals a temple theme threading its way through the days. Today Jesus contrasts the creativity of this man in caring for the temple of his earthly home with the lack of concern of so many for the spiritual, heavenly temple and the eternal “roof” intended to cover us.

Become quiet so that you will sense the contrasts of these priorities. Sift, evaluate, feel what is truly central in your life. Will you be as creative and inventive about the call upon your life, as you are with caring for yours and your family’s temporal needs?

Luke 16:1–13

What are “Bible Breaths”? Learn More…
Example: Sharing the gift that I am. v. 9

Sundays are dedicated to the Gospels from the Revised Common Lectionary.
In year C, we generally read from 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 Nick read the Firestarter.

As this last book of Moses begins to draw to a close, sense in your heart the tender longing of God for us to respond in love and fidelity to the covenant God is offering. These are powerful closing chapters, read in their entirety every year in Jewish synagogues on the Sabbath.

Have your highlighter ready for 29:19. What consequences for not being faithful to the covenant!

One of my favorite passages in the whole Bible is 30:11–20. May you read it as though you are truly listening to this from the Lord as you and I, along with all God’s people assembled, “Choose life.”

It is the time of the beginning of the school year. Read this passage with your family as you rededicate yourselves to God’s ways. The Holy Spirit is the master-teacher of your soul.

Deuteronomy. 29:9—30:20

This passage occurs in all three years in the Jewish Sabbath readings.
Nitsabim (Stand)

This year the next portion is also read, Vayelech (And He Went)
Deuteronomy 31:1–30

Learn about Bible Breaths Learn More…
Example: Lord, my God, You are my life. v. 20

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