Monday - Living Water - John 4:3-15 
In thinking about the water that came out of the Temple in the vision of Ezekiel, it was a water that gave life to the valley and to the people all of the trees and animals. It pointed to a time when there would be provided, a source of living water that would satisfy all the needs of mankind. That water source is the Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, Son of God. He is the gift given by God that will meet all of our needs; body, soul, and mind. And He is offered to us today. Would you drink of that living water? It will change your life forever.

Tuesday - Spiritual Progress - 1 Timothy 4:1-15 
Just as in the scripture from Sunday we saw how as Ezekiel followed the man who was measuring off the river a thousand cubits each time the river progressively grew deeper and wider. This was to symbolize the idea that our faith, our relationship with God is to progress in a deeper understanding and a wider perspective as if it were the perspective of God. Paul was teaching his student, Timothy to serve the Lord hi like fashion so that people would recognize his spiritual progress as he daily walked and taught for God.

Wednesday - Growth of Kingdom - Mark 4:31-32 
Just as there were benefits along the river of living water that continued to expand, trees continually bearing fruit that provided for the needs of all, the benefits of the Kingdom of God are such that when planted, like the mustard seed, the smallest of seeds, they grow to provided much more than expected. The mustard seed grows a plant which have branches that the birds can perch and even build their nests in them. God's Kingdom is ever expanding and always reaching out to make room for all. Would you enter in to that Kingdom and partake of the good things of God? They are truly sweet.

Thursday - Spiritual Food - John 6:51 
Just as God was providing the goodness along that river of living water, He has given us Jesus Christ who told us that He was the living bread and that this bread was the bread of life. Jesus compared it with the manna that God sent down from heaven to feed Moses and the children of Israel in the wilderness, but said that He, or this bread, was better, greater than the manna. This bread was for everlasting life. Jesus was willing to give this bread, His flesh) for the life of the whole world, to all that would eat or partake of it. That is what communion is symbolizing as well.

Friday - Spiritual Fruit - Matthew 13:3-8; 23 
The parable of Jesus about the sower and the seed speaks of a focus thought of the fruit of the Kingdom of God. The conditions of fruit bearing is that there would be good seed (the word of God), good (living) water, and the blessing of sunlight (radiance of God Presence). The fruit or the crop is only known to be good once it is eaten or taken in to the body. The good fruit, the harvest from the fields feeds the soul and gives opportunity to be shared and feed more than just one. The sower shares the wages (good fruit) of their labor with those who harvest for they are co-laborers, and because it has been shared with them by the owner of the field and the giver of the seed.

Saturday - Spiritual Healing - Luke 4:18 
In Ezekiel we read that even the leaves of the trees had a purpose in God's plan, healing. We know how Jesus referred to Himself as the vine and we were the branches, an extension of Him. But in Jesus we find that He was anointed and sent by God to be our all in all. He came to bring life by being the living water and the bread of life, but Jesus was also sent to do so much more among us. He came to bring a good news that would bring healing to our minds by giving us the living word to meditate upon. He came to usher in freedom to those who seemed trapped in the painful snares that the devil has set. Jesus came to reverse the illnesses that have robbed our lives of comfort, peace, and faith to see that in Him we have our well being and only in Him. He came and reaches out to us even now to bring about a release to those who are oppressed, burdened so heavy that they can not breath. Jesus came!

Monday - Holiness - 1 Peter 1:13-16 
To live the life that may enter into the Presence of the Lord, the worshipper must set their minds every day on doing that which is in line with the grace of God. Through our obedience to God with an undivided heart, we become more and more like Jesus Christ as children of God possessing that characteristic of holiness. It is His desire that we be holy, a people that reflect the very nature of our God.

Tuesday - Sin Separates - Isaiah 59: 1-2 
God spoke through the prophet Isaiah to let the people know that when we disobey the word of God, when we choose not to listen to His commands when we disregard living a holy life, our actions literally separate us from Him. It is not because God is not powerful enough to overcome our sins, but we allow the sins of self satisfaction, self will to become our god. That action or choice causes a separation between us and God that can only be crossed through repentance on our part and the justification being brought to us on God's part through Jesus Christ.

Wednesday - Social Peace - Romans 12:17-20 
In Sunday's sermon we spoke of living a life of holiness and peace. The only way we can do that is to make a conscious effort to not return evil for evil but in every way extend the hand of friendship and peace and let the Lord take care of anything that is unbalanced in the relationship. God has assigned Himself as the judge and avenger of unbalanced relationships and we need to leave it all in His hands and move on into the work of the Lord.

Thursday - Bitterness - Ephesians 4:17-20 
Paul talks to the people in Ephesus about the proper attitude that they need to I maintain to keep the right relationship going between themselves and God as well as them and others. It is based upon the call to live a life of compassion and not bitterness. Paul puts these at opposite ends of a spectrum of righteous living that leads others who may be listening and watching us Christians. If we do not set aside the acts of bitterness, we nullify our witness to a salvations that is centered in the love of God. And in turn, that misrepresentation grieves the Holy Spirit. We are to forgive each other as we have been forgiven.

Friday - Backsliding - Hebrews 10:36-39 
We who know of the will of God and the blessings that come from a relationship with Him can not backslide, or as the writer of Hebrews puts it, shrink back from doing what we know is right, the will of God. We know of the blessings or promises that come to us as we live for Him now and what will come as promises when we enter the heavenly kingdom, so we do not want to forfeit those precious promises He has made to us. If we shrink back, the scripture says that He will not be pleased with us. To enter the kingdom we must be pleasing in the sight of God. Backsliding or shrinking back is out.

Saturday - Watchfulness - 1 Peter 5:8-11 
We have to be vigilant in our watching out for the attacks of Satan in our times of weakness or injury. When he smells blood he will try to turn us away from the right, but we must stand firm in the faith and follow the direction of the Lord Jesus Christ. For the promise is set before us that if we stand firm and follow Him, He will restore our strength and help us to stand firm knowing that we are not alone in these times of test and trials. Faithfulness on our part leads to holiness given us by Jesus Christ the Holy.

Monday - Spiritual Reputation - Hebrews 11:2 
Those who are listed throughout this 11  chapter of Hebrews, are seen as those who were considered the ancients. Those who lived lives that were to be honored and recognized by those of us that follow after their examples of living as God had intended, the life of faith. Even those who were not as well known were recognized for their faithful walk with God and demonstrated the zeal with which we are to seek out the Lord, our God. They had a renowned reputation that revealed how their life choices were governed by their spiritual integrity. That should be our goal.

Tuesday - Pleasing God - Hebrews 13:6 
The sacrifices that are made as we follow after the will of God and are obedient to His calling and service to others, brings us into the frame of building a life, a relationship that pleases God and makes Him proud. We are to do good, sharing that character of love and charity that brings the honor to God who is Goodness. We are told by Jesus that only God is good and if we are to be recognized as good it is only in the acts of godliness that we attempt and are supported by the strength of the Holy Spirit. Whatever comes our way we are to remember to do what is good because it should become a part of our nature that is like God's very nature.

Wednesday - Faith - James 1:5 -6 
In doing the good works as well as seeking the wisdom to know the will of God that brings glory to God, we must believe and have the faith that brings about the added blessings of God. One of those added blessings is knowing that we are in that right relationship with God, living in His truth, and not being tossed around by every wind and wave of teaching that would draw us away from Him. We need to stay true to the faith.

Thursday - God's Promises - Luke 11:9 
To walk with the Lord on a daily basis we need to seek God on various levels of relationship, f  We need to ask God for what we have need of because He is the Giver of all good things. We need to seek Him so that as we come to walk with Him we find His way to be our way. And we need to knock or remain consistent and persistent in wanting to be in that deepening relationship that grows to be filled with nothing but the promises of God. He has the very best for us, even in the toughest of situations, but we must come to Him and not doubt, but trust Him for all.

Friday - Reward - Matthew 6:1-4 
In our efforts to live our lives for God, we are not to do it for the recognition of others or to be applauded by the crowds, or even words from God, Himself. We are not even to do it thinking within ourselves that we have accomplished something great. The scriptures tell us to not let "the left hand know what the right is doing." We are to just do the work and allow the praise to go to God and move on, knowing that He is the strength by which we accomplish any and everything. Then if there is to be a reward let God give it how and when He wants. The other night at the Grammy Awards, a nominated singer thought they were going to get a certain award and their facial expression showed their shock when they did not receive it, and of course, it was recorded and shown to everyone. God wants to bless not embarrass. Let Him reward and do not worry.

Saturday - Seekers - Acts 17:16 -28 
Paul when preaching in Athens shared with his audience that the God they did not know has been working out His plan for mankind to bring about the desire within man to find Him. Not that God is lost to be found, or even a far off, but we are to seek after Him with our whole hearts, opening ourselves to His wonderful Presence. Paul shares that it is only through God that we "live and move and have our being." We go from being "seekers" of Him to being His "offspring."