Read: Acts 6:8–15; 7:59–60 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:10 It’s Sunday afternoon, and I’m sitting in the garden of our home, which is near the church where my husband is the minister. I hear wafts of praise...

Read: Isaiah 40:21–31 He . . . brings out the starry host one by one and calls forth each of them by name. Isaiah 40:26 Unsettled by issues at work and at home, Matt decided to take a walk. The evening spring air beckoned. As the infinite sky deepened from...

Read: Luke 22:39–46 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. John 15:13 During the Boxer Rebellion in China in 1900, missionaries trapped in a home in T’ai Yüan Fu decided their only hope for survival rested on running through the crowd that...

Read: Matthew 6:1–6 Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. Matthew 6:4 NLT Kerri tries hard to get people to admire her. She acts happy most of the time so that others will notice and compliment her on her joyful attitude. Some affirm...

Read: Hebrews 11:32–12:3 Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Hebrews 12:1 A large sign at the Texas A&M University football stadium says “HOME OF THE 12TH MAN.” While each team is allowed eleven players on the field, the 12th Man is the presence of thousands...

Read: Ecclesiastes 1:1–11 [Christ Jesus] made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant. Philippians 2:7 I stand in the cashier line of the local supermarket and look around me. I see teenagers with shaved heads and nose rings looking through the snack foods; a young professional buying...

Read: Romans 15:1–7 With one mind and one voice . . . glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 15:6 While Nicholas Taylor was boarding a train in Perth, Australia, his leg became wedged in the gap between the platform and a commuter car. When safety...

Read: Nehemiah 8:2–6; Acts 8:4–8 All the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law. Nehemiah 8:3 As I sat in the auditorium, I faced the pastor with my eyes fixed on him. My posture suggested I was absorbing everything he was saying. Suddenly I heard everybody laughing and...

Read: John 6:34–51 I am the bread of life. John 6:48 I live in a small Mexican city where every morning and evening you can hear a distinctive cry: “Bread!” A man with a huge basket on his bike offers a great variety of fresh sweet and salty breads for...

Read: John 15:12–17 You are my friends if you do what I command. John 15:14 Raleigh looks like a powerful dog—he is large and muscular and has a thick coat of fur. And he weighs over 100 pounds! Despite his appearance, Raleigh connects well with people. His owner takes him...

Read: Mark 1:16–22 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” Mark 1:17 Jacob Davis was a tailor with a problem. It was the height of the Gold Rush in the 1800s American West and the gold miners’ work pants kept wearing out....

Read: Matthew 16:1–4 Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path. Psalm 119:105 A young man I know has a habit of asking God for signs. That’s not necessarily bad, but his prayers tend to seek confirmation of his feelings. For instance, he’ll pray, “God,...