Listen to Pastor Nick read the “Firestarter” and Jeremiah 42:1-6.

Fear infected God’s people as they witnessed the power of the king of Babylon stretching everywhere. Jeremiah was sought out to find God’s will, yet when he found it, the people rejected it. Despite their promise to do whatever God would say through Jeremiah, they did what they were told not to do—seek safety in Egypt.

No matter how many “kings of Babylon” are coming against you, God can turn any evil design to God’s own ends. God not only is not far away from what is threatening you, but also is present within these forces, ready to turn them to your advantage and salvation. But you must obey, not seeking safety in any Egypts in your life.

Make this reading personal to you. What is coming against you? Are you seeking refuge apart from God?

Jeremiah 42—45

Mondays are dedicated to the reading of the Hebrew Prophets.
In the season of Lent this year we read Jeremiah 36-52.

What are “Bible Breaths”? Learn More…
Example: Blooming where I am planted 42:10

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.

Some nibble at “The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil” and approach Jesus. They bait the Lord, inviting his comment on the atrocity that Pilate committed in massacring some political protesters from Galilee. Part of the Original Sin of humankind is to presume to interpret and judge the evil that is outside of us, such as the friends of Job did.

Not only does Jesus avoid falling into this trap, but also he turns the energy of the conversation back upon those who started it. The evil that is inside oneself is the evil from which to repent. Recall the words of Jesus in Matt. 7:3–4 and Luke 6:41–42 about the speck in your brother’s eye and the plank in your own.

The earth is thawing and changing from within through the power of the warmth of the springtime sun. Go within yourself. God’s love thaws out places that still resist repentance.

Luke 13:1–9

What are “Bible Breaths”? Learn More…
Example: My life as bearing good fruit v. 6

Sundays are dedicated to the Gospels from the Revised Common Lectionary.
In year C, we generally read from the Gospel of 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 and Exodus 36:31-38.

We read about the construction of the Tent of Meeting (the Tabernacle) and the Ark of the Covenant. The area where the Ark rests is called “The Holy of Holies.” Here God dwells with the people. The Ark is a sacrament of the Lord’s presence.

The plans may be difficult to picture. I suggest that you take a sheet of graph paper and let each box be a cubit, which is half of a yard, or eighteen inches. As you read, you can map out for yourself these dimensions. Every two squares would be a yard. The list of the precious materials and the dimensions give a sense of the presence of the Lord. There is beauty, holiness, order, value, symbol, focus, purity, joy, peace.

All that your hands will hold and touch today can become holy, because in the Lord, you are holy.

Exodus 36:20—38:20

This is the second of three parts of the Torah Portion Vayahkel (And He Assembled) 
Conservative and Reform Jewish congregations read only this part this year,
as also in this Bible plan.
Here is the entire in all three parts.
Ex. 35:1—38:20

Learn about Bible Breaths Learn More…
Example:

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