a 365 day trip through Matthew with a key thought, prayer, focus verse and contextual verses for each day
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In your lives you must think and act like Christ Jesus.Christ himself was like God in everything. But he did not think that being equal with God was something to be used for his own benefit.But he gave up his place with God and made himself nothing. He was born to be a man and became like a servant. And when he was living as a man, he humbled himself and was fully obedient to God, even when that caused his death—death on a cross.So God raised him to the highest place. God made his name greater than every other nameso that every knee will bow to the name of Jesus— everyone in heaven, on earth, and under the earth.And everyone will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord and bring glory to God the Father.(NCV)
Phil. 2:5-11
Never do anything that might hurt others—Jews, Greeks, or God’s church—just as I, also, try to please everybody in every way. I am not trying to do what is good for me but what is good for most people so they can be saved.Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.(NCV)
1 Cor. 10:32-11:1
Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble.(NIV)
1 Pet. 3:8 |
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October 28
How to Lead - Matthew 23:4-10
Whoever is your servant is the greatest among you.Whoever makes himself great will be made humble. Whoever makes himself humble will be made great.
Full Text
Key Thought
Humility is the greatest underemphasized quality among humans. We don't know what it means. We don't know how to appreciate it. We don't know how to do it. And we're not all that sure we want to have it.
Culturally we're much more drawn to the energetic, dynamic, charismatic, crowd drawing leader. That's who gets the headlines and the attention. But if we listen closely and watch carefully, we can see in Jesus someone who humble, but strong; humble, but charismatic; humble, but crowd drawing; humble, but dynamic.
You see, the same Lord who stilled the storm and spoke to the crowds is the Lord who washed feet and died on a cross and held babies in his arms when it wasn't politically correct.
So maybe we need to rethink humble and do it like Jesus did it. Come to think of it, that's exactly what we need to do, no maybe about it! Be like Jesus and the humility comes along with the character!
Today's Prayer
O gracious Father, how and why you chose to become one of us in Jesus is too overwhelming to even fully contemplate. Yet your humility in redeeming us, Jesus' humility in saving us, cuts such a deep impression on my heart that I want to be more like him. And on those days, dear Father, when I am too big for my own britches, humble me gently by reminding me of Jesus' willing service to redeem me and bring me into your family. In the name of Christ the Lord I pray. Amen.
Today's Verses with Jesus
(key verses in bold)
1 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his followers, 2 “The
teachers of the law and the Pharisees have the authority to tell
you what the law of Moses says. 3 So you should obey and follow
whatever they tell you, but their lives are not good examples
for you to follow:
“They tell you to do things, but they themselves don’t
do them. 4 They make strict rules and try to force people to
obey them, but they are unwilling to help those who struggle
under the weight of their rules. 5 They do good things so that
other people will see them. They make the boxes of Scriptures
that they wear bigger, and they make their special prayer
clothes very long. 6 Those Pharisees and teachers of the law
love to have the most important seats at feasts and in the
synagogues. 7 They love people to greet them with respect in the
marketplaces, and they love to have people call them ‘Teacher.’
8 “But you must not be called ‘Teacher,’ because
you have only one Teacher, and you are all brothers and sisters
together. 9 And don’t call any person on earth ‘Father,’
because you have one Father, who is in heaven. 10 And you should
not be called ‘Master,’ because you have only one
Master, the Christ. Top of
Page
11 Whoever is your servant is the
greatest among you. 12 Whoever makes himself great will be made
humble. Whoever makes himself humble will be made great.
(NCV) The New Century Version, (Dallas, Texas:
Word Publishing) 1987, 1988, 1991.
Used by permission.
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