Faith & Love: A One Year Bible Reading Plan – Part 3

Scriptures: Mark 1, Mark 1:8, Mark 1:10-11

Today we’re reflecting on Mark chapter 1. 

The author wastes no time in describing the immediate personal impact of Jesus’s ministry in the lives of people. From the first disciples and their response to the calling of Jesus to the crowds whose hearts were touched by Jesus’s teaching because his words were filled with authority and truth, not religion! A demon-possessed man and a leper are healed, and this was just the beginning. But the most astonishing story of life change for mankind is captured in the words of John the Baptist in Mark 1:8 (MSG): 

“I’m baptizing you here in the river, turning your old life in for a kingdom life. His baptism—a holy baptism by the Holy Spirit—will change you from the inside out”.

John the Baptist says: “real inner change does not happen through the confession of sin only but when God’s perspective of you is revealed”, and this happens when you are baptized by the Holy Spirit in Jesus Christ. This is exactly what Jesus demonstrates through His own baptism: 

Mark 1:10-11 (MSG) The moment he came out of the water, he saw the sky split open and God’s Spirit, looking like a dove, come down on him. Along with the Spirit, a voice: “You are my Son, chosen and marked by my love, pride of my life.

Where John the Baptist’s ministry made one aware of sin, Jesus’ ministry brought identity and a deep understanding of the Father’s love. In Jesus Christ and by the Holy Spirit, we can live by the same proclamation that the Father made over Jesus. 

What would your thoughts, priorities, decisions and actions look like if you lived with this one personal conviction – that you are His son/daughter, chosen and marked by God’s love?

Scripture: Mark 2

Today we take a look at Mark chapter 2. I trust that as you read it, new levels of love and creativity will grip your hearts. 

In Mark 2, we read of four friends who had such unwavering faith in Jesus to the point that they found a way to get their paralyzed friend to Jesus so that he could be healed. Not even a crowded house could stop them. They broke through the roof to lower their friend to Jesus. This is a statement of faith in Jesus and love for their friend. People were shocked as Jesus ‘dared’ to say: “Son, your sins are forgiven.” And then later, “I say to you, pick up your bed, and go home.” This led to some of the scribes questioning Jesus in their hearts, but more importantly – people had never seen anything like it and were astonished and glorified and praised God. 

Jesus also declared in verse 17 that He had come for the sick, not the righteous. 

What Jesus taught was new, never before heard teachings that challenged the old way of thinking. The old way was focused on the law, the things we must do for His love and acceptance. But Jesus turned the tables and challenged that very way of thinking with the reality that He makes all things new, including us. 

Two questions to ponder today: 

1. Do you really love your friends enough to do everything possible to introduce them to Jesus? 

2. What adjustments do you need to make in your heart and mind to be a new wineskin?

Scripture: Mark 3

In chapter three of the Book of Mark, we find a very interesting account of Jesus healing somebody from a deformity. However, some people were against this healing because it was done on the Sabbath. Isn’t it ironic that some people could think that an act of love should not be done on a Sabbath? When God introduced this Sabbath, was it not because of His love for us? 

He wanted us to live healthy lives, and the Sabbath allows us to rejuvenate our strength. Otherwise, if we work without end, we will burn ourselves out. Therefore, the Sabbath is not opposed to love. Every day is the right day to do an act of love. Are you like the Pharisees who thought that acts of love should be restricted to special days? 

As for me, every day is good for showing acts of love. So let us make love visible every day. Because love should not be left for special days or special occasions.

Scripture: Mark 4

The Book of Mark prefers giving a ‘boots on the ground’ perspective of Jesus’ three-year ministry, focusing more on His actions than teachings. But here, Mark goes out of his way to capture the incredible power of Jesus’ weighty words. Words that revive broken hearts toward a revelation of God’s fatherly love for us, an understanding of self-love founded on Jesus’ sacrificial death, and a new way of loving others through the power of the Holy Spirit. 

Here, Jesus speaks in the form of a parable. Parables were a combination of stories, proverbs, riddles, and one-liners meant to grab the hearer’s attention, communicate in plain language, and teach deeper truths about the nature of God and His kingdom. 

Galilean farmers would typically carry a leather bag tied around their waist, sow seed, and then plough the ground. Jesus says the human heart is like soil, while His message is like seed that’s able to produce life-change. The Sower originally was Jesus, who came teaching the radical message of God’s loving Kingdom and seeking a harvest. 

Today, anyone who shares God’s life-giving message with others is sowing the seed. Like seed, the Good News of Jesus can produce much fruit when cultivated. However, the devil snatches the seed from resistant hearts; surface-level religiosity produces a temporary response in shallow hearts; and obsession with the here-and-now smothers the growth in overcrowded hearts. The good ground represents the prepared heart that receives Jesus’ message of transforming love. 

As we go about our work and play from Monday to Friday, take heart that every conversation and interaction has the potential to sow seeds of God’s Kingdom. We are not called to make people respond; we are called to pray for those around us, shareJesus’ Good News with them, show them God’s reviving love through practical kindness, and allow the Holy Spirit to transform the soil of their hearts.

Scriptures: Mark 5, Mark 5:34

This piece of Scripture contains three incredible miracles performed by Jesus. His dominion over evil spirits, physical illness and death are powerfully displayed. Everyone who witnessed or received His healing power was amazed and overwhelmed by what they saw. Jesus comments on the importance of having faith in Him. Jairus was instructed to replace his fear with faith, and the woman receiving healing was recognised for her existing faith. The man delivered from evil spirits responded with faith after being set free. Faith in Jesus acknowledges that He is indeed the Son of God! 

You and I are confronted with our own level of faith in the ability of Jesus. We often celebrate what He has done in the lives of other people but often struggle to trust in Him for the things we struggle with. 

If we are honest, we often settle with a lesser level of faith after being disappointed in our own understanding of how Jesus works in our lives. Faith in Jesus means trusting that He knows best. Our faith in Jesus should, therefore, regularly be expressed in prayer so that our expectation will be aligned with the heart of God. Jesus is still close to us and wants to work in us powerfully. 

Let’s learn from Jairus and surrender our anxiety before the healing power of Jesus. Let’s engage Jesus intentionally with faith when we are in need of His touch, and let’s respond with increasing faith when we have seen His power displayed in our lives. 

Mark 5:34 NLT 

‘And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace. Your suffering is over.” ‘

Scripture: Mark 6

Mark 6 provides a powerful example of Jesus’ love and compassion. In this chapter, Jesus returns to his hometown and is rejected by those who knew him. Despite their rejection, Jesus continues to teach and heal the sick, demonstrating his love and care for all people. 

One of the key themes in Mark 6 is the power of Jesus’ love. Despite the rejection he faced in his hometown, Jesus did not stop loving or caring for those in need. He continued to heal the sick and demonstrate the power of God’s love through his miracles. This shows us that Jesus’ love is not dependent on our response or acceptance but is a reflection of his character and the love of God. 

Another theme in Mark 6 is the importance of faith. When Jesus sends out the twelve disciples, he instructs them to have faith and trust in God. This faith allowed them to perform miracles and heal the sick, demonstrating the power of God’s love to the world. This passage reminds us that when we have faith in Jesus, we can experience the power of his love and compassion in our own lives. 

As we reflect on Mark 6, let us ask ourselves: How can we demonstrate the love and compassion of Jesus to those around us? Are we willing to show love and care to those who reject us, as Jesus did in his hometown? How can we grow in faith and trust in God so that we can experience the power of his love in our own lives?

Scriptures: Mark 7, Mark 7:6-9

Today’s chapter is Mark 7. It starts with Jesus addressing the hypocrisy of the Pharisees. They teach strict adherence to the law – yet Jesus reprimands them for honouring God with their lips – but not their hearts. 

Mark 7:6-9: “These people honour me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules. You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.” And he continued, “You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions! 

Jesus emphasizes the importance of honouring God’s commands over human traditions. How easy it is for us to default back to the keeping of human traditions, mindlessly following rules and rituals, an inferior reference of living. Sometimes we can even keep up external appearances, living in pretence while our internal condition is a far cry from that. Jesus consistently invites us to live a life of love and honour Him with our hearts – to abide in Christ – to be responsive to His Word. We should be living from the inside out – imitating Him – and keeping in step with the Holy Spirit. 

May I challenge you today? 

1. Consider a possible area in your life where you have fallen back into a mindless following of human tradition instead of following Jesus? Or perhaps setting human tradition above God’s Word? 

2. How can you follow Him from your heart? Holding on to the Word and aligning your life with the prompting of the Holy Spirit?

Scripture: Mark 8

Today’s scripture is Mark Chapter 8. In this passage: 

1. There is the feeding of 4000 men in the crowd not counting the women and children which could have easily doubled or tripled the total number of people that needed food. 

– The only food available consisted of 7 loaves of bread and a few small fish. 

– Jesus gives thanks to God for these bits of food which get broken and are distributed to feed everyone in the crowd. After everyone is fed, there remained seven large baskets of leftover food. 

2. A blind man is healed 

– Jesus heals him through what may be considered an unconventional way to a human being, by spitting on the man’s eyes and laying hands on him. 

It is clear that what we see with our physical eyes and say is impossible, God is more than able to use as material for a miracle. His ways, indeed, are not our ways! 

What impossible situation have you been in or are you currently going through? 

What words do I speak with my mouth when I find myself with little or nothing at all in a certain season of my life? 

Are the words life-giving or not? 

Are the words aligned with who God is in my life and what He is able to accomplish or not? 

Do I see God coming through and working through some sorrowful or hurtful happenings in my community? 

May you and I be reminded as we read this scripture today that our God is a miracle-working God even today.

Scripture: Mark 9

In today’s passage, we see a number of Jesus encounters, and each tells us something about who our God is and how extravagantly He loves us. We start with the transfiguration, as Jesus takes the three up the mountain, and He appears before them in all His glory, His clothes a dazzling white. A cloud then appears, and the voice of God is heard as He declares: “This is my Son, whom I love.” God desires to come and affirm our true identity in Him. When we understand that we are His children, not just servants, but children of the Most High God, the way we approach Him and what we believe about His countenance towards us changes forever. 

Secondly, we see Jesus healing a boy possessed by an impure spirit. His father asks Jesus to drive out the Spirit, to which Jesus replies, “everything is possible for one who believes.” The father then exclaims: “I do believe, help me overcome my unbelief.” Jesus desires to see everyone reconciled to the Father, and He comes to set us free from the things that bind us and keep us from the love the Father has for us. Do you believe God can set you free from whatever is keeping you from a full relationship with Him? The good news is, even if you don’t, just like the father in this passage, we can ask Jesus to help us believe. Trust Him to come and set you free today. 

Finally, Jesus reveals to His disciples that He was going to be handed over, killed and would be resurrected in three days. God’s extravagant love for you caused Him to send His only Son to the cross. As you grab hold of your true identity in Him, as you are set free from the things that bind, know that who you were before Christ has been crucified and is no more. You have been resurrected with Christ into a life of fullness. May this be your reality today. Bless you!

Scriptures: Mark 10, Mark 10:14-16

Today we are reading through chapter 10 of the book of Mark. May I challenge you to read this specific chapter through the lenses of faith and love? Jesus addresses many pertinent issues of the time that are still so relevant in our everyday lives – issues from divorce to wealth, status and healing. 

In a brief encounter with the disciples and children, Jesus reveals to us His love and faith in mankind’s design. Jesus was busy teaching when he noticed the disciples rebuking people for bringing children to Him. 

We read Jesus’ response in verses 14-16: 

But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. 

Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” 

And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them. 

Jesus reveals love to the next generation that was so counter-culture. They were busy with “serious, adult conversations”, and children would only be a distraction. We send our kids to schools to be taught, but many schools are not allowed to bring God into the conversation. Jesus said to the disciples, “let the children come to me, do not hinder them.” We need to open the way and remove obstacles for the next generation to come, in faith, to Jesus. We need them to see, experience and have faith in the love of Christ. 

Mark tells us that Jesus took the children in His arms and laid his hands on them, and blessed them. We are now the loving hands and feet of Jesus.

Scriptures: Mark 11, Mark 11:12-33

When we read through Mark 11, we see some interesting behaviour from Jesus towards the Fig Tree and the people in the Temple. These stories are not random stories about Jesus cursing a fig tree or losing his temper; these are ultimately two stories of fruitfulness. 

From these stories, we can see three fundamental things about fruitfulness: 

1. Leaves vs. Fruit 

Jesus is not looking for spiritual busyness but lives of fruitfulness. We can have leaves like a fig tree and look great. We can be busy with activities in his church and have the appearance of fruit, but Jesus’ desire for us is to bear fruit! 

2. Take vs. Give 

The people Jesus found in the temple were taking from others and from God. They were not there to worship God but to enhance their own lives through business. He wanted worshippers to pour out their hearts and sacrifices to God, not to shift the focus to themselves and what they could gain from others. 

3. Hustle vs. Prayer 

Jesus found the court filled with the hustle and bustle of business and trade. He had desired it to be a place of prayer and worship. Jesus is not looking for us to hustle our way through life, but to pray and worship our way through life. 

Is your life bearing fruit today? 

Are you a taker or a giver in life? 

How busy are you? Are you hustling your way through life, or are you spending time in God’s courts, praying and seeking Him? 

May you live as a fruitful Christian today!

Scripture: Mark 12

In this chapter, Jesus begins by showing us that we must recognize Him and the message He brings. His audience at the time did not see this value. In our lives, are we witnessing and seeing this message that Jesus brought? 

So, what is the message all about? 

We find this answer in the second part of the chapter. Jesus replies to a trick question about whether we must pay taxes. Jesus makes it clear; we belong to a father who loves us. In verse 29, this famous new command sets the stage for everything Jesus came to represent the Father’s love for us… All scripture, old and new, is fulfilled in this one command. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, might and strength and love your neighbour as yourself. 

Jesus shows us that our lives find definition and meaning in our discovery of our Father’s love. This will empower you to live loving others. This challenges us to live a life that invites and embraces a loving, caring father that changes us in a way to love people with a new value and love. The more you discover your value, the more you see others in this same light. The chapter concludes with a widow that gave everything for this newfound love. 

How are we living a life dedicated to discovering the love of our Heavenly Father? 

How does your Heavenly Fathers’ love change the way you love? 

In your daily walk, how would “love your neighbour” find expression?

Scripture: Mark 13

In chapter 13 of the book of Mark, verse 31, Jesus says heaven and earth will pass away, but his word will remain. He is saying these words during a time when He was stating all the devastating things that will take place. I can imagine how disheartening this would have been to his disciples, but in the middle of it all, He gives them hope when he says his word will forever remain. In other words, if they hold on to His word, they will be kept through trials and tribulations. The Apostle John states that “in the beginning was the word and the word was God, and the word was with God.” This word is Jesus himself, He is God’s eternal love communicated to us. Since Jesus will remain, then the Love of God will remain too. We are dearly Loved. 

Ask yourself: “Have I been holding on to God’s eternal word (love) or to the things that will pass away? 

I am convinced that it is the Love of God we should be holding on to because it’s eternal.

Scriptures: Mark 14, John 3:16, Mark 14:32-42

Let us begin with a bit of a look forward to John 3:16 (NET) 

“For this is the way God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” 

The reason we’re creating this link is that Mark 14 sets up the climax of the Gospel narratives. Every event documented in this chapter precedes the ultimate expression of God’s Love, so sacrificial in nature, where God (Father, Son, Spirit) sent Jesus (The Son) to die for our sins so that we may be reconciled to God. This is the fruit of the love God desires us to express to our world, that those who experience it would be reconciled to God, whether it be at the point of expression or the next.This kind of love isn’t cheap and would sometimes ask a lot of us. We may also find ourselves at a point where our spirit may be willing to express it, but the conduit of expression, the flesh, is weak.In this narrative, we see a myriad of responses to this state-of-being. But it is Jesus’ advice to his disciples (Mark 14:38) and his practical response (Mark 14:32-42) that we can glean from when we find ourselves here in the mission of loving others.His advice is to “stay alert and pray that we might not fall into temptation.”How we approach that posture of prayer is to: 

Submit our state of weakness to Him earnestly, then 

Submit and entrust ourselves to Him and His will. 

This would allow Him to go beyond us, to work through us. 

Where then in your life do you find your spirit willing but your flesh weak, and what would entrusting yourself to God’s will look like?

Scriptures: Mark 15, Mark 15:38

The millisecond when Jesus’s body was torn and broken in such a way that He breathed out “His last voluntarily, sovereignly breath, dismissing and releasing His spirit from His body in submission to His Father”, the veil of the temple was torn in two. This was not just a dramatic concert theatre curtain tearing. 

For you, this means so much more than just being saved and going to heaven. The significance of the veil that was torn means that there can and will never be distance between you and Jesus again. Everyone now has direct access to God. An intimate, loving and authentic relationship between you and God Almighty was guaranteed forever. You don’t need to do anything to achieve it. Jesus has done it all already on the Cross. He is in you. Close to you, forever. Not only a few chosen ones may enter the holy of holies of the temple to bring an offering and maybe be forgiven. No! You have become the “temple” He chose to live in you. You are accepted, loved, empowered, free and forever now living in the most holy of Holies because of Jesus’ crucifixion. He sees you as His bride. He sees you holy. Seeing Him face to face, seeing yourself the way God sees you, being able to see and love others the way God does, and experiencing the riches of His glory and the powerful working of His Spirit in and through you, became your truth, new identity and inheritance. 

Jesus has now become your dwelling place, home, safe haven, launching pad, purpose and platform from which you breathe and live. Absolutely nothing- no veil, no law, no deed, no lie can ever again create distance between you and God ever again. 

1. Does it sometimes feel that there is distance between you and God? Or that you are not good enough to speak directly to Him? Can I invite you to read through 2 Cor 3:17-18, 2 Cor 5:16-19, Ephesians 2: 6-10, Ephesians 1: 3-20? 

2. Can I also invite you to listen to a song entitled “You know me” by Doxa Deo Worship and to let the Holy Spirit minister to you and establish this truth in your spirit?

Scriptures: Mark 16, Mark 16:4-7

The resurrection of Jesus Christ requires a response! 

It can be one of the stories we have read many times, or it can be life-changing to know what the effect of the resurrection means for my life. The resurrection is a big deal. As we read this scripture, we can see that the angel/messenger did not spend a lot of time dwelling on the resurrection. He made it clear that Jesus was alive and that there was work to be done! The women did not have a lot of time to dwell on and debate it; they were sent to act on it immediately. 

Reading about the resurrection is not the important thing; it is responding to it! 

How will you respond today? 

What is the effect of the resurrection in your life? 

Are you still dwelling on the detail of the resurrection, or are you taking action in your everyday life? 

Let’s do this as we read these scriptures and respond today just as these women and disciples did!

Scripture: Galatians 1

As we read through Galatians 1, we see how Paul put emphasis on the fact that there is no other Gospel but the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He emphasises this incredible love story of God towards me and you. Paul takes us on a journey to discover that God loved us so much that He has chosen us from the beginning and that His grace became our identity. This is the heart of the gospel, and as Paul, we can proclaim this unveiling of Christ the Son in me and you. This sets us up to announce the same sonship in every person around us. 

From today’s chapter, we learn two fundamental things that impact our daily lives: 

1. That by the grace of God, Jesus Christ is the Gospel, and in Him, we find life and love; any other thing outside of that brings confusion and is misleading. We try to impress and seek the approval of men and God, which leads to condemnation, distance and lovelessness because of performance. 

2. The Gospel is a revelation received by Jesus Christ. In the same way, Paul received the revelation by the grace of God, we can receive and respond to the reality of the Good News, the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

Are you living a life of performance? Imagine living a life of love and grace. 

Are you consumed like Paul by the revelation of Jesus Christ? Imagine a life compelled by this revelation. 

Which Gospel are you preaching? May the truth of the Gospel reveal the Son Jesus Christ in you!!!

Scriptures: Galatians 2, Galatians 2:20

Two things that stand out in Galatians 2 and specifically verse 20 are:1. At the beginning of Galatians 2, we are aware of the calling God placed on Paul’s life towards the Galatians, to speak up and stand firm in his identity in Christ and not get tossed to and fro by the opinions/ suggestions or cultures of those that do not fully understand the heart of Christ. We see how Paul challenges Peter and the way in which he lives contrary to the Gospel. 

2. When we stand firm and take up this new identity in Christ, we are commissioned and empowered to live a life of a new culture. Our reference is no longer the old way of life but Christ living in me. With this new understanding, we are able to live a life that creates a Christ-like culture around us, where we can be an example of His love towards humanity. 

Can I challenge you today to consider these two questions: 1. What implications does this union with Christ have on my daily life? 2. How does my life reflect this new culture of Christ’s love towards the world around me?

Scripture: Galatians 3

Paul is encouraging us, in this chapter, to have Christ in clear focus in front of us. To trust in Him and not the law (which can symbolize our works/efforts). 

Consider how Paul invites the Galatians, through questions, to realize how foolish they have been in trying to earn their salvation through their own efforts. Listen to this: 

“How did your new life in Christ begin? Was it by your own efforts? Or was it by responding to God’s message in Christ?” (my paraphrase, v. 2). Paul asks again, “if you couldn’t begin what God accomplished in Christ, how can you think you are now able to perfect it through your own works (excluding Christ)? (my paraphrase, vv. 3-4). 

Paul then asks them to consider how God has so graciously lavished them with His Holy Spirit to strengthen and enable them to do things they could never do themselves. He then asks: “would God do all this just for us to end up in stive, self-efforts, and performance? (my paraphrase, vv. 5-6). 

You may be reading this and thinking: “But I am not placing myself under the Jewish law”. But maybe you are working for something that Christ already did. 

We cannot sustain this type of relationship with God that is based on our efforts and performance. “Rule-keeping” does not evolve into faith; it only leads to more rules that need to be kept. 

It is only by faith! We need to understand that “God saved you by His grace (something only Christ could do) through faith (our response to what Christ has done), and this is not from yourself (by your own efforts/works); it is the gift of God (a love gift from God) …” (Eph 2:8, emphasis mine). 

As you read this chapter, I invite you to, 

1. Prayerfully reflect upon where you possibly “began in Christ” but now find yourself in performance (trying to earn what Christ already accomplished). 

2. Then, ask Holy Spirit to illuminate the truth so that you can be set free from works and performances that bind you (John 8:32).

Scriptures: Galatians 4, Galatians 4:3-7

I grew up thinking of God the Father as an old man with a long grey beard who was very displeased with me. He would sit on a big throne far away, looking down on what I did right, but mostly what I did wrong and where I made mistakes. I often felt I did not have “what it took” to please Him. I felt trapped like a slave in a system where no matter how hard I tried, I could never reach up to Him, get close to Him or even be loved by Him. 

But reading through Galatians 4 made me realise just how wrong I was! God has done everything for me to be liberated from dead religion, to be freed from the slave mindset that my “performance”-religion demanded. All I had to do was accept that I truly am a son of God. That I am part of His family, that I can have unlimited access to Him. That I can get as close to Him as I wanted to get! 

I love the Amplified translation of verse 6: “And because you [really] are [His] sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying out, “Abba! Father!” The meaning of “Abba! Father!” is literally the way small children would informally address their father! I love this because I can understand it – when my children run to me and call out to me, there is NO doubt in their minds and hearts that they belong to me and are part of my family! 

What one thing would you change about yourself today if you fully knew and believed that you truly are a child of God?

Scriptures: Galatians 5, Galatians 5:22-25

We are on this journey of reading through the Bible, and today we are focusing on Galatians chapter 5. Paul starts off by making the following statement: “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free”. He then goes on to ask us why some of us have gone back to claiming our own redemption by putting the focus on the law.

The only thing that counts is faith finding its expression through love. You and I have been called to be free, but Paul makes it clear that this freedom is not there so that we can indulge in the pleasures of the flesh but so that we can rather serve each other humbly in love.

This serving of others can only be done through a daily walk with the Holy Spirit. Paul makes it clear what it looks like to walk in the flesh: “sexual immorality, impurity, and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like.”

But he then goes on to give us this well-known piece of scripture in the Bible in Galatians 5:22-25: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.”

Paul takes the sting out of the law and places our focus on living a life of faith through the Holy Spirit and knowing that Jesus has paid the price of our freedom.

Here are two questions to consider: 1. How does living a life of freedom look in my everyday walk with God? 2. Have I fully surrendered my life to the knowledge of what Jesus has done for me?

Scriptures: Galatians 6, 1 Corinthians 6:12

In this final chapter of Paul’s letter to the Galatians, we find so many familiar phrases that have almost become ‘proverbs’ within the context of local church and life in the Kingdom of God. 

In verses 1 to 3, we are reminded of the way Godly and spiritually mature leadership expresses the LOVE of Christ – never too high and mighty to reach out to those who have made mistakes, to come alongside those who need mercy because they have ‘fallen’ into sin. 

Verse 4 to 5 calls us to LOVE through serving others: Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. Don’t be impressed with yourself. Don’t compare yourself with others. Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life.

In verse 6, Paul points out how LOVE leads us into a life of generosity – we share what God has poured out into our lives in terms of practical provision with those who mentor us in our relationship with God. And in verses 7 to 10, he explains why generosity is always to our benefit: what we sow, we reap. 

Paul concludes his letter with a final plea to avoid loveless leaders who ‘fence us in’ by whatever version of ‘Recipe Theology’ they are peddling. He challenges them as he did the Corinthians: Your lives aren’t small, but you’re living them in a small way (1 Corinthians 6:12). God’s Spirit never puts pressure on us to feel better or to do better. His word over our lives lifts us out of any limiting reference that history, culture or religion could use to define us into the life of a new creation in Christ. 

Live LOVED. Live LARGE. Live Blessed

Scripture: James 1

James is such a credible witness to the life of Jesus Christ. He is also a man known for action and being martyred for his faith. When James speaks, we can listen! 

In James 1, he is speaking to believers whose faith is under tremendous pressure. He reminds them of the Father’s generous and faithful nature. He reminds us that there is nothing deceitful, nothing two-faced or fickle in God. In other words, God can be trusted. He withholds nothing from us. He likens the Father’s generous nature to rivers of light pouring or cascading over us. Nothing skimpy or stingy about Him. In fact, He brought us to life and shows us off as the crown of all creation. The Father so deeply values you. 

As we grow in intimacy with the Father and discover how He values us, we have no alternative but to respond to that relentless love. Love has a multiplication factor. We want others to get in on the good stuff! We want others to discover Whom we have come to know. James reminds us that faith without action is fruitless. In fact, the realness of His love takes us to those who nobody else would want to love in the world around us. As we continue to revel in His love, He wants to share deep insights on how to love those around us. 

Questions to ponder today:1. How aware are you of His deep love for you? 2. As you become aware of that love for you, how are you responding to that love in terms of your love for others?

Thanks for journeying with us in Part 3 of our Faith & Love: One Year Bible Reading Plan. Be sure to continue your journey by searching for Part 4.