SEPTEMBER 2009 DEVOTIONALS

 Main Devotional Page

The new series of Web-devotions will be based on a book Pastor Jamie wrote called “Ephphatha! Be Opened! A Bible Study for Families who haven’t yet studied the Bible together as a family.”

Each Week will focus on one chapter of Mark’s Gospel and using the different elements of Pastor Jamie’s book, each day’s devotion will focus on a different aspect of that chapter.  You will learn more about the Bible, memorize a verse each week, and have many other different ways to study the Bible and pray as a family each week.

For a print-copy of Pastor Jamie’s book, please e-mail him at pastorjamie@livingspiritlutheran.com

September 1                  

Read Mark Chapter 1

Memory Verse:                     Chapter 1, Verse 1 – feel free to highlight, underline or circle this verse in your Bible

Here begins the Good News about Jesus Christ, the Son of God. (New Living Translation)

The Beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  (New Revised Standard Version)

Reflect on that statement for a moment.

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September 2                  

Read Mark Chapter 1

Definition: Good News

The word Gospel means “Good News.”  Gospel is an old English Word.

Good News is something we cannot help by share.  It is something which makes a great impact in our life.  In particular, the Gospel of Jesus Christ is something which brings freedom for us as it tells us that we have been forgiven by God because Jesus died for all.

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September 3                

Focus Story: Read Mark Chapter 1:2-11

Use these questions to reflect on what you have read:

How is John described?

Why is John baptizing people?

Only one line records what anyone says at Jesus’ baptism.  Who speaks?

What does this voice say?

Why do you think god would say, at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, that he is “fully pleased” (NLT) with Jesus?

Baptism identifies us with God and with God’s mission in this world.  Why do you think it is important that Jesus is baptized?

Is there anything you do special in your life because you are baptized, that if you were not baptized, you would not do?

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September 4           

Read Mark Chapter 1

Praying Together as a family (a family can be an individual with a friend, two married people, two people with children at home or out of the house, two people who live together and much more)

Praying together as a family is a special time.  Sit around your kitchen table or in your family room.  Light a candle to remember that God is present in your midst as you pray.

Pray together: O Gracious God, we give you thanks for you have claimed us in Baptism as your precious children.  Teach us always to live as you wish.  Remind us each day that we have your forgiveness to share.  Amen

Share with your family one thing you are thankful for today.  Give thanks to God for each member of the family, and for the many things you are thankful for.

Conclude your time by saying the Lord’s Prayer: (Traditional Version) Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.  Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.  For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever.  Amen

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September 5                            No Devotional

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September 6                 No Devotional

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September 7              

Read Mark Chapter 2

Bible Concept: Miracles

The Bible is filled with miraculous stories.  Some are very difficult to understand or even to believe.   A miracle is something that happens which has no logical reason and which science cannot prove why it happened.  The central character in any miracle is God, for God is not limited to human reason and logic.  God can make extraordinary things happen in the lives of ordinary people. 

To believe that something is a miracle, we only need to believe that God is at work.  The result of a miracle is always something that defies logic.  Finding your keys after praying about it — sorry, not a miracle.  While the prayer may have calmed you from hysteria of not being able to find your keys, your prayer did not make your keys suddenly appear in a place they were not before.  You would have found them anyway.  Having an unexplained healing to an illness for which doctors have no cure, now that is a miracle, because God is at work removing the illness from your body. 

In a miracle, God is revealed as loving, forgiving and ever-restoring to wholeness in the midst of what is broken.  The person who experiences a miracle always sees this loving, forgiving and restoring God more clearly than before.  This is why faith in God is the center for any person experiencing a miracle. 

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September 8                

Read Mark Chapter 2

Memory Verse:                     Chapter 2, Verse 17 – feel free to highlight, underline or circle this verse in your Bible

When Jesus heard this, he told them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor – sick people do.  I have come to call sinners, not those who think they are already good enough.” (New Living Translation)

When Jesus heard this, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I have come to call not the righteous, but the sinner.” (New Revised Standard Version)

Reflect on that statement for a moment.

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September 9             

Read Mark Chapter 2

Definition: Blasphemy

Jesus is accused of blasphemy.  Blasphemy is a concept which involves speaking evil against God, or speaking in God’s place, or treating something very sacred in an unholy way. 

The people who didn’t like Jesus didn’t like the way Jesus acted as though he were God.  They couldn’t believe that God could become one of us, and they especially didn’t think someone like Jesus could be God.

Person of Interest:   Peter Claver, priest, missionary to Colombia, d. 1654

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September 10           

Focus Story: Read Mark Chapter 1:2-11

Use these questions to reflect on what you have read:

What is the third commandment, according to the Small Catechism? (See Exodus 20:8 for help)

The Hebrew word ‘Sabbath’ can be translated as either ‘seventh day’ or ‘day of rest.’  The Sabbath Day is sacred because of what God did on the 7th day of creation.  What did God do?  (see Genesis 2:1-2:4 for help)

What types of things do you consider taboo, that is something you can’t do, if you are going to enjoy a day of rest?

It might seem silly to us today that picking grain would be a violation of this commandment, for getting food is so natural and even on a day of rest, we need to eat.  Yet, the people in Jesus’ day considered the Sabbath Day so sacred and special that even picking grain was taboo on the Sabbath Day.  For Christians, Sunday, the first day of the week, is the Sabbath Day.  Why? (See Mark 16:1 and following verses, especially verse 6, for help)

Jesus uses this story to tell us that, more important than following special rules of rest, is to do activities that honor God.  Read verse 28 again, what activities do we do on our day of rest that honor Jesus, who has said he is even the master of the Sabbath Day?

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September 11           Adam and Jesus     

Read Mark Chapter 2

Praying Together as a family (a family can be an individual with a friend, two married people, two people with children at home or out of the house, two people who live together and much more)

Praying together as a family is a special time.  Light a candle to remind you of the presence of God as you pray.  Hold hands and stand in a circle together.

Pray together: O powerful Lord, thank you for giving us a day that we can rest and praise you.  Help us to be refreshed in our faith this day.  And help us in all we do, that we may do everything to honor you.  Amen

Talk about friends or family who are sick or hurting.  Ask God to help heal them, lift them up to God as the friends of the paralyzed man lifted him to Jesus. 

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September 12                 No Devotional

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September 13                

Person of Interest:   John Chrysostom, Bishop of Constantinople, d 407

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September 14                

Read Mark Chapter 3

Bible Concept: The Synagogue

When we study the Bible, we learn how religion was practiced by the ancient faithful Jewish people.  The center of Jewish religion was the Temple in Jerusalem.  At the Temple, priests made sacrifices, received offerings, celebrated festivals and proclaimed God’s law for all the Jews who made pilgrimages to worship at the Temple.

In the Gospels a new place for Jewish people to gather and worship is introduced.  The synagogue, which is not mentioned in the Old Testament, was a center for Jewish worship and study.      Synagogue is a Greek word which means ‘gathering place.’  Some synagogues during Jesus’ time had buildings, some were just any place the Jewish people gathered, like the town square. 

When they gathered at the synagogue, town politics would be discussed, family issues dealt with, and celebrations shared.  In fact, much about the early synagogue shaped the early Christian church and is still present today in our modern church.  Preaching was a central element to worship at the synagogue.  The scriptures would be read from scrolls and the rabbi would sit while he taught the people what the scriptures meant and how they applied to their daily living.  Meanwhile, the Temple in Jerusalem remained important as the only place where sacrifices and other religious rituals were performed.

If there is a synagogue in your community, it would be appropriate to speak with the rabbi, the spiritual leader of a synagogue, as a pastor is the spiritual leader of a church.  You can visit as a family or ask your confirmation teacher if your class can visit together.  Use your visit to explore the many similarities between Christian and Jewish beliefs and worship traditions. 

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September 15

Read Mark Chapter 3

Memory Verse:                     Chapter 3, Verse 35 – feel free to highlight, underline or circle this verse in your Bible

Anyone who does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother. (New Living Translation)

Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother. (New Revised Standard Version)

Reflect on that statement for a moment.

What do you expect Jesus to be teaching, so that we can know if we are part of his family?

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September 16

Read Mark Chapter 3

Definition: Beelzebub

Jesus is accused of casting out demons in the name of Beelzebub.  Beelzebub is a word which can be translated as ‘prince of demons’ or ‘lord of the flies.’ 

Beelzebub is another name for Satan, who is believed to be the leader of all the evil demons.

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September 17                

Focus Story: Read Mark Chapter 3:13-19

Use these questions to reflect on what you have read:

The word disciple means “student” or “learner”.  The word apostle means “to be sent”.  In many ways these 12 men were both sent by Jesus and students of Jesus.

Who are the 12 men chosen by Jesus to be disciples?

What is the mission he sent them on?

What do we do that shows we are students of Jesus?

What do we do that shows we are sent on a mission from Jesus?

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September 18                  

Read Mark Chapter 3

Praying Together as a family (a family can be an individual with a friend, two married people, two people with children at home or out of the house, two people who live together and much more)

Praying together as a family is a special time.  Light a candle to remember that God is present in your midst as you pray.  Pray with your arms stretched up toward heaven, reach as high as you can.

Pray together:  O sending God, you have given us each a mission to do in this world.  Help us to better understand your message, so we can be better prepared to share it with our friends, neighbors and family.  Amen

Talk about a fight you recently had with someone.  How did it make you feel to be in that fight?  What are ways we can pray for forgiveness tonight?  Ask God to give his forgiveness to you and the person you fought with.  Remember to tell this person you are sorry when you next see him/her. 

Conclude your time by saying the Lord’s Prayer. (Traditional Version) Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.  Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.  For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever.  Amen

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September 19                   

Read Mark Chapter 4

Bible Concept: Parables

A parable is a story used to teach a lesson.  Jesus uses parables to tell us about God and the Kingdom of Heaven.  Sometimes the meaning of the story is very obvious.  Sometimes the meaning of the story is hidden in the story, and we have to think about what it means.

Jesus tells parables using images and concepts familiar to the people of his day.  So when Jesus tells the people the Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed, he knows the people know what a mustard seed is.  As we learn to read the Bible, sometimes we are not as familiar with the images that Jesus uses.  Study notes in the margin or at the bottom of some Bibles will help us to understand the images Jesus uses.  Also, if you have a Bible dictionary, that can help, too.  For instance, if you are not familiar with how a mustard seed works, look it up in a Bible dictionary. There you can read the explanation that it is a very tiny seed that grows into a large plant.   The article might even include a picture of one. 

Part of the fun of reading Jesus’ parables today is that we learn what life was like when he lived and taught.  Since many of the people he lived with were people who depended on agriculture and fishing as their primary means of support, most of Jesus’ parables reflect those themes.  Most importantly parables are meant to make us think.

Modern day parables include fairy tales because they teach important moral lessons.  Some television shows are parables in the way they use fiction and drama to convey their lessons.  In sermons, pastors even use stories from their own life and from experiences of the congregation because often using a story everyone can understand is the best way to tell about God and the Kingdom of Heaven.

Person of Interest:   Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist

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September 20                 No Devotional

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September 21                   No Devotional

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September 22                

Read Mark Chapter 4

Memory Verse:                     Chapter 4, Verse 41 – feel free to highlight, underline or circle this verse in your Bible

And they were filled with awe and said among themselves, “Who is this man, that even the wind and the waves obey him?”  (New Living Translation)

And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and sea obey him?”  (New Revised Standard Version)

Reflect on that statement for a moment.

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September 23         

Read Mark Chapter 4

Definition: Kingdom of God/Kingdom of Heaven

The expressions “Kingdom of God” and “Kingdom of Heaven” are used frequently in the Gospels.  These expressions are interchangeable and mean the same thing.

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September 24                    

Focus Story: Read Mark Chapter 4:1-20

Use these questions to reflect on what you have read:

What seeds did you plant in your garden this last summer?

If yes, how did your garden do?  Did anything fail?  Did anything do better than you expected?  How often did you have to weed?

If no, talk with someone who did plant a garden.  Ask this person these questions about their garden.  How do they feel when something they planted succeeded or failed?

In Jesus’ parable, there are 4 types of soil and later Jesus explains these types of soil. What are the soil types and Jesus’ explanation for each?

Who is the farmer?

Why does God scatter the seed of faith on all types of soil?

Talk about a time when you were really excited about God and being a part of the church.

Talk about a time when you were really not excited about God or being a part of the church.

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September 25               

Read Mark Chapter 4

Praying Together as a family (a family can be an individual with a friend, two married people, two people with children at home or out of the house, two people who live together and much more)

Praying together as a family is a special time.  Light a candle to remember that God is present in your midst as you pray.  Start a prayer journal tonight and write in the names of those for whom you pray. Each time you pray, write in your journal what you are praying for.

Pray together:

O gardener of our hearts, help us to have good soil that our faith may grow with deep roots.  Send us to share our faith with others, that their hearts may be open to your word. Amen

Talk about people you know who are really excited about their faith.  Ask God to keep blessing them with faith.  Talk about people you know who are really not interested in the church at all, ask God to scatter seeds of faith in their hearts.

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September 26                     No Devotional

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September 27                  No Devotional 

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September 28           

Read Mark Chapter 5

Bible Concept: The Author of Mark’s Gospel

The Bible is a collection of 66 individual books written over the course of many centuries.  Many men and women were inspired by the Holy Spirit to write the books of the Bible.  The Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) were written during the first 50-70 years after Jesus died and rose from the dead. 

The Gospel of Mark is believed to be the earliest written Gospel.  It dates to around 65 AD, or about 30 years after Jesus’ death and resurrection.  We say the author is Mark, though we do not know for certain since the author did not put his name into the text.  A man known as John Mark was a friend of the evangelist Paul, author of many New Testament letters.  Many scholars believe this John Mark is the author of Mark’s Gospel.  We do not know if John Mark ever knew Jesus in person.  He most likely used stories from people who did know Jesus to write his Gospel.

The Gospels are not considered to be of the genre of biography or history.  The literary genre of the Gospels is very unique in that it uses historical information and biographical information but is designed to capture our hearts in faith toward God and his Son, Jesus Christ.  We read the Gospels to learn about Jesus’ life and we accept by faith, not by historical accuracy, the events of Jesus’ life.

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September 29              

Read Mark Chapter 5

Memory Verse:                     Chapter 5, Verse 36 – feel free to highlight, underline or circle this verse in your Bible

But Jesus ignored their comments and said, “Don’t be afraid.  Just trust me.”  (New Living Translation)

But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the leader of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.” (New Revised Standard Version)

Reflect on that statement for a moment.

When we face a difficult situation, it may be hard to trust Jesus. He is not physically standing beside us.  We only have our faith to help us trust Jesus.  What can help us to learn to trust Jesus more during difficult times?

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September 30                  

Read Mark Chapter 5

Definition: The Land of the Gerasenes

The Land of the Gerasenes, or country of the Gerasenes, was a place located on the southeast corner of the Sea of Galilee.  It was part of the Decapolis, or Ten Towns, which was a political alliance of ten towns.  This was outside of the area Jesus would normally travel in.  the people who lived in the Decapolis were not religiously or ethnically Jewish.

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