Jun 29 2025

Today's Bible Verse

Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.

Today's Bible study

In this verse in Luke, Jesus prays to the Lord from the cross. Even though their sins were great, Jesus asked that the men who had tortured him be pardoned. Today, we will think about the grace that Jesus showed these soldiers and compare it with the grace that He has shown us.

Jesus had nails driven into His wrists and feet; he hung on the cross, which He had carried through Jerusalem, by His own bones. The soldiers who did this to Him watched Him suffering and dying with disinterest, gambling for His clothing at His feet. The disinterest was not mutual, however. When Jesus looked upon them, He asked the Lord to forgive them. He did not want to die without knowing that His executors had been pardoned.

In the same way, the Lord has looked upon us with mercy. He does not count the many ways that we have sinned against Him; instead, He looks at us and offers Himself as payment for our sin. Indeed, there is no sin too severe to be pardoned. These men killed the Son of God. If they could be pardoned, so can we. All our sins are forgiven when we call upon the name of Jesus.

This verse reminds us how much the Lord loves to forgive. He does not desire for anyone to be separated from Him. Jesus showed us this reality when He died on the cross for us.

Sometimes, we think about Jesus as a victim. He was a victim of Judas's betrayal, jealous and unrighteous Pharisees, and an apathetic Roman official Pilate. Or was He? Jesus says in Matthew 26 that He could call down angels to rescue Him from the cross. He willingly submitted Himself to the "cup" when He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus was no victim—He knew exactly what He was doing when He carried His cross. He had a specific purpose in mind: final forgiveness for you and me forever, making it possible for us to have a relationship with Him. Because of His death on the cross, even those who nailed Him to it—and you and I—were forgiven.

Today's Prayer

Dear Lord, thank you so much for your great forgiveness. Help me to remember the forgiveness I've received and to forgive those who have wounded me. I love you, Lord. In Jesus' name, amen.

Jun 28 2025

Yesterday's Bible Verse

For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God? :

Yesterday's Bible study

In this verse from 1 Timothy, Paul reminds us that our first ministry is always at home. We should not neglect our families in favor of ministry or church work—those are secondary to our most important mission field, our own family. Today, we will talk about why it is so important to focus on loving the family and how this prepares us to care for the church of God.

What does it mean to rule your own house? It's about much more than rules; ruling your house is about setting an example and demonstrating the love of the Lord. Sometimes discipline is required, but the motivation for everything is the love of the Lord. We do not rule our houses because we want to be in charge, but rather, because we recognize that the Lord Himself is in charge of everything.

Loving our families can be difficult at times. Because we know each other so well simply by living in close proximity, we can get almost too comfortable with each other. When this happens, we often let our emotions guide us in how we treat each other, instead of remembering that while your family members are your family, they are also children of God. While it is okay (and essential) to be honest with family members, especially when something wrong has happened, we should gird everything we say with love.

God has not asked us to rule our families well in our own strength or cleverness. He hasn't asked us to figure it all out and then present to Him a resume for church leadership! Much to the contrary, He desires that we get to the point of realizing that we live breath-by-breath in His mercy and grace. Family leadership is the prime place to realize this, and when we recognize our utter dependence on Christ to love even those dearest to us, we will also be able to take care of the church of God.

Yesterday's Prayer

Dear Lord, help me to honor you in how to treat my family. I want to contribute to the church well, and I know that begins with stewarding my family in a way that honors you. Help me to love my family well and also care for the church. In Jesus' name, amen.

← View Last Verse View Next Verse →