Rich young man

Job 8:1-10:22
Bildad said that God will work it out for Job-which He did
Job didn't want to try and discuss the situation with God because he wasn't righteous
Job understanding of the situation was that he had sinned against God, but couldn't work out what he had done.

Matthew 19:16-30
Not everyone will like or be able to accept what Jesus wants of us.

Proverbs 3:11-20
Wisdom is a good thing

God hears your cry for help

Job 4:1-7:21
Do not have resentment or have envy
Do not despise the discipline from God
Job still had joy even though he was in constant pain

Matthew 19:1-15
Pharisees were trying to catch Jesus out. People will try and catch us out, we need to ask God to help us how to answer these people.
Jesus placed great importance on children by his actions.

Psalm 17:1-5
Hear me God when I cry to you. I have confidence that God hears my cry. Do you?

God doesn't do evil

Job 1:1-3:26
Job never blamed God for bad things happening to him.

Matthew 18:10-35
God is interested in every individual.
We read the story about the unmerciful servant and think that we would never me like that, but, God has forgiven us everything, we still hold grudges against people. Maybe today let some of them grudges go.

Psalm 16:1-11
I have put God in front of me always. It is a purposeful decision, and I should act in a way that I would if God stood right in front of me

Money from a fish

Genesis 49:1-50:26
And the story of Joseph comes to an end-he followed God and his desire was to do God's will.

Matthew 17:14-18:9
Tax money from a fish-Jesus did strange things sometimes!
Become little children-how do we become little children?

Psalm 15:1-5
Walk that is blameless, no slander, not accepting a bribe, neighbour no wrong, keep oaths-never be shaken

God's way

Genesis 47:13-48:22
The right hand was for the greater blessing
The older son was placed below the younger son like with Jacob and Esau

Matthew 16:21-17:13
Peter goes from saying the most profound thing to speaking words from satan. How often do I do this?
Deny myself take up my cross and follow Jesus-I decided to do this many years ago-do I still do it?
Don't chase after the world, make sure your soul is safe
How easy is it for us to miss what God is doing-please Lord keep me in tune with what you are doing.

Proverbs 3:1-10
God's teachings prolong life
v5-6; what can I say, important verses in my life for 32 years! I still need to practice them daily

September 23

Genesis 45:1-47:12
Very gracious attitude from Joseph towards his brothers-don't worry about selling me into slavery, God wanted you to do it?!?!?
Why does Joseph tell his brothers not to quarrel on the way?

Matthew 16:1-20
Who's teaching do we need to be on guard for?
You are the Christ, the Son of the living God!-O yes He was, is and will always be

Psalm 14:1-7
There is a God!

Are you dull?

Genesis 43:1-44:34
Joseph claimed that the silver in the sacks the first time wasput there by God and that Joseph had recived his payment.
Joseph did divination-I wonder why?

Matthew 15:10-39
Jesus-'Are you still so dull?'-there are times that I really want to say that to poeple! I now can as it will be following Jesus' example!
Really interesting to think about what actually does make someone 'clean' or 'unclean'
Again Jesus feeds many people-miracles should not be taken for granted and at the same time we should expect them

Psalm 13:1-6
God's unfailing love and salvation-RESULT

Learning new things!

Genesis 41:41-42:38
Joseph had a new name? Zaphenath-I didn't know that!
An interpreter? Do I know anything from this story?

Matthew 14:22-15:9
Jesus needed time on his own to pray. Although I love working with others and get VERY bored if I am on my own too much! I need to make sure I find time to pray on my own with my God.
Just to touch the clothes that Jesus was wearing made sick people-well. Wow
Dont nullify what God says to do for the sake of tradition-Praise the Lord

Psalm 12:1-8
The words of God are flawless!

Speak out for God

Genesis 40:1-41:40
Joseph wasn't afraid to speak out for God. Too often we make excuses for not adding God into a convesation with people. We need to not worry about the response of people when we mention God, but be true to who we are. The message for the baker was not a happy message, but Joseph still told it to him.
Two years later-that is a long while to be in jail for something which he didn't do. Joseph was faithful to God even when it didn't feel like God was being faithful to him

Matthew 14:1-21
Things don't always work out for good when we follow God and do what he wants. John the Baptist is an example. God didn't do some amazing rescue act for John; he died.
5000 men and woman and children-one packed lunch-what does God want to use of what you have today? Don't limit God's power and don't hold back what you have.

Proverbs 2:12-22
Wisdom will save you from going the wrong way. Wisdom will ensure that you keep away from trouble. God has all wisdom.

Good example of Joseph

Genesis 38:1-39:23
Joseph remains pure and true to the way that God would have him live. It is such a surprise where so many others in the Old Testement up to now decide to do things in a way that God wouldn't want.

Matthew13:36-58
For those people who don't have Jesus as their saviour will have a nasty end, however you understand hell, to be without God is horrible.
Would I sell everything which I had just to get the treasure of Jesus.

Psalm 11:1-7
God is the place where we can take refuge. At times we can try and find refuge in other people or the church, God Himself is the place to take refuge.

God defends you

Genesis 36:1-37:36
The eterenal question of whether Joseph should have told his brothers about the dream or not, if he hadn't told them they wouldn't have sold him and he wouldn't have ended up in Egypt?

Matthew 13:18-35
The weeds are left in the field until harvest. There is rubbish in the world and sometimes we wonder why God doesn't get rid of rubbish/weeds. There will be a time.

Psalm 10:12-18
God defends those who don't have people defending them.

Do God's will

Genesis 34:1-35:29
Jacob seems to be learning by his mistakes, his sons are now making the mistakes! The journey that these people take does seem a strange one, but probably isn't too disimilar to our own. We are trying to understand how God would want us to act in differnt situations. We keep making mistakes, and learning.
I hadn't realised that Rachel died giving birth to Benjamin. It is interesting the bits I didn't learn in Sunday School!


Matthew 12:46-13:17
Doing God's will-that is the most important thing
The sower;
-we need to be telling people about God-spread the seed
-we need to be aware that it will not all grow
-we need to encourage good soil-watered well, encourage deep roots, be aware of the 'weeds' around

Psalm 10:1-11
It feels like God stands away when things are going wrong-like it did for David. The truth is that God will never leave us.

Wrestling with God

Genesis 32:1-33:20
Jacob seems to feel bad for what he did to Esau and looking for forgiveness.
Jacob wrestles with God, he holds onto God until he is blessed. In pray we need wrestle with God, not always just a quick 'bish bash bosh' prayer.

Matthew 12:22-45
Either you are with God, or against God. In everything we do we should be for God; what we say, what we think, what we don't say.
We need to store good things up in us.
The fruit that we bear will depend on what is on the inside of us.

Proverbs 2:1-11
Accept God's words, store up His commands, listen to wisdom, call out for insight, cry out loud for understanding, search for hidden treasure.

Do good...

Genesis 31:1-55
Why did Rachel steal the gods? I have no idea!
Does Laban get a bad deal here? He seems to be doing the right thing. The only thing I can think of is that he hasn't became a follower of the God of Jacob.

Matthew 12:1-21
Doing good, showing mercy is more important than the law.
Many people followed Jesus, not just the traditional 12 disciples.

Psalm 9:13-20
'will never be forgotten'-it doesn't feel like God is always remembering who we are or where we are, but he will not forget the needy or afflicted.
'let the nations know they are but men'-it is very important that WE all remember that we are but men. God is God

Jacob in luvvveee!

Genesis 29:1-30:43
The language of the bible is great! 'Rachel was lovely in form, and beautiful'!
Jacob must have been in love big time-7 years of work for your wife. Not sure how many people would do that now.

Matthew 11:16-30
'Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.' Message for all people I think. Read it again

Psalm 9:7-12
Sing praises to God-we need to purposely sing praises to God.

Acknowledging God

Genesis 27:1-28:22
It still seems strange to me when I read about the lying and deceit in the Old Testament. Why does God allow these people to continue to be blessed? I suppose it is because we serve a God of grace! I know that I am very grateful of His grace
What an amazing dream and message from God for Jacob-I am with you

Matthew 10:32-11:15
We must acknowledge God in the situations we find ourselves. Talk about God in our everyday life. We can often disown God by what we don't say.
Please God allow us to be part of the blind seeing, the lame walking, people cured, deaf hearing, dead people being raised, and good news people told to the poor.

Psalm 9:1-6
I will tell-acknowledge-the wonders of God.

The disciples

Genesis 25:1-26:35
Iasac and Ishmael both burried their father, I thought Ishmael was out of the picture but he was still about.
Isaac recieved many blessing from God, animals and land, good understanding of how to grow crops.

Matthew 10:1-31
The disciples are a mixed group of people. For example there is a tax collector working for the Romans, and a Zealot, fighting the Romans. It would have been interesting as they sat talking.
If one of the disciples turned up on my doorstep would I have been a worthy person?

Proverbs1:20-33
People who are mocking-delight in it.
Accepting God's advice makes sense to me, God made me and will know the best way for me to exist in this world.

Saturday 11 September

Genesis 24:1-67
God will guide us if we ask Him. Although it doesn't always feel like it. 

Matthew 9:14-38
It is hard to comprehend a dead person coming back to life, but it happened a number of times when Jesus was around. We should be brave enough to pray for it.

Psalm 8:1-9
God's name is amazing through the whole earth, not just here where I am, but the whole world, not just in the human world, but also in all of creation.

What is God like?

Genesis 21:1-23:20
I heard a helpful comment this week-Abraham is working out who God is and what He is like. This seems true to me throughout the Old Testament, mankind is trying to figure out the character of God. It feels like we are still doing it to this day.
God was never going to amke Abraham kill his son-but was Abraham willing to do it if he needed? Am I willing to give it up for God-the thing which is most to me? Another character in the bible did loose everything-Job
There are similarities with the story of Jesus' crucifixion-can you find them?

Matthew 8:23-9:13
With Jesus in out boat (life) it doesn't matter what we face. We can just smile at the storm.
Jesus was able to forgive sins-he was and is God
What a good reminder that the message of God is to be told to those who are are 'ill'. We can't keep it inside the walls of the church, it needs to be shared with all

Psalm 7:10-17
God is my shield

Digging for wisdom?

Genesis 19:1-20:18
Wow, what a hard reading this is today! Lot is willing to give his daughters to a crowd of people to do what tehy like with them! Then they
The Old Testament doesn't always seem to make sense or seem very right at all.

Matthew 7:24-8:22
If you listen to what Jesus says and PUT IT INTO PRACTICE you are doing the wise thing. It will be harder to build on the rock rather than on sand, but it is worth it, because the house won't fall down.
I love the faith of the centurion-he just wants Jesus to say it and knows that it will be done. He has total faith in Jesus.
Do we consider the true cost of following Jesus. We don't often tell new Christians about any 'cost'. We like to make it pretty and easy.

Psalm7:1-9
God searches the mind and heart of each person. I wonder what He will find in mine today? What about yours.... ?

Name changing

Genesis 17:1-18:33
Name change! This happens a number of times in the bible. What is there about the name by which we are called?
Circumcision-the less said the better!
Blessing for Ishmael, but the covenant with Isaac
Three visitors-I have no idea of what this means. I have heard lots of different ideas, but don't like most of them.
Is anything too hard for the Lord? NO, and don't forget it.

Matthew 6:25-7:23
Worry-we all still do it, it isn't good for us. It will never change a situation. Let's involve God instead of worrying. And what ever you do, DON'T WORRY ABOUT WORRY TOO MUCH!
Seek God's Kingdom
Have I got a plank in my eye? Probably! What about you?
You know an apple tree because it has apples on it! Your life will be understood by others by the fruit which you display......

Proverbs 1:8-19
God values parents

God is not my puppet

Genesis 14:1-16:16
I had never noticed the 'tar pits' before.
The animals of sacrifice were all cut in half and then a burning torch passed between them.
What an interesting promise from God for Hagar's son? Hate everyone and be hated by everyone, a wild donkey.

Matthew 5:43-6:24
It is interesting how we find it easy to be nice to people who are nice to us, everyone seems to be able to do this. The phrase 'as thick as thieves' comes to mind, even nasty people are nice to people who support them! We are called by God to live differently, to be nice to people when they are nasty, not just in our actions, but wholeheartedly.
Again Jesus talks about doing the right things for the right reasons.
I think it is funny to not let one hand know what the other is doing-my friend Ollie should do a funny drama about this verse.
God I pray today that you name may be hallowed.... in my actions, in my words.
We need to be careful about what we are looking at, what we allow into our body affects who we are.



Psalm 6:1-10
God doesn't always answer our prayers when we want Him to or how we want Him to! He is still God, we don't worship  nd serve Him because he does what we want Him to. He is not our puppet.

What is going on inside?

Genesis 11:10-13:18
Terah is heading to Canaan, but stopped in Haran. Often we can become happy with where we are. We settle in a place before we have arrived at our destination with God. Have I become stuck and settled? Where did God tell me to head? Am I still heading there?

Matthew 5:21-42
With these different instructions from Jesus it is about the attitude of the heart and not mearly about actions.
God is interested in what is happening on the inside of me. My thoughts, my feelings, my motive.

Psalm 5:1-12
God hears our cry for help. If you need help, cry out to God.
God doesn't like evil
Take refuge in God, He will surround you with a shield.

To be blessed

Genesis 9:18-11:9
The idea of building a tower at Babel was so that the people could make a name for themselves, they wanted to be the greatest most important thing. This is still what we end up doing, we are always trying to be greater than God.

Matthew 4:23-5:20
What Jesus did was; teach in synagogue, preach good news, healing people from sickness and disease.
It is a blessing to be poor in spirit, mourning, meek, hunger  nd thirst for righteousness, merciful, pure in heart, peacemakers and persecuted. It really desn't feel like that!
Life as a Christian may be hard at times but, rejoice and be glad because our reward is in heaven. I don't know what the reward will be, but I know that it will be worth it.

Psalm 4:1-8
It is easy to sin when we are angry, we loose sight of what we should do and just lash out. God wants us to not sin, even when we are angry.
The light of God's face to shine upon us so we can show others God's love.
God's joy is greater than getting drunk!

Noah + others

Genesis 7:1-9:17
A bit of Maths;
    The Ark may have taken nearly 100 yaers to build
    They were in the Ark for nearly 1 year
God keeps His promises
v22-we will have seedtime and harvest-so much stuff we take for granted
God gave the animals for food at this time, just not meat with blood in it

Matthew 4:1-22
After 40 days of fasting Jesus was hungry! Jesus was human.
"Come follow me"-the simple offer from Jesus is still relevant today for people. Do people in society know that this is Jesus' invitation? They should.

Proverbs 1:1-7
What a good reason to read Proverbs, who doesn't want these things?
Add to my learning, we never know it all

Walking with God

Genesis 4:17-6:22
Adam had children in his likeness, in his imaage. Adam was made in God's image. We take it for granted that we are in God's image.
I love the fact that Enoch walked with God and then was no more. God took him away. Did he die?
Every inclination of the heart was evil
The ark was massive! 450 feet long-if you get chance go for a walk and take about 150 good size steps-that is how long the ark was!
Noah did everything just as God commanded him-please God help me to do everything just as you command me. Not to do the things I want to do, or I think need doing. But the things which you cammnd me. And help me to do them JUST as you say, not in my way.

Matthew 2:19-3:17
Produce fruit in keeping with repentance
Baptised in Spirit and fire-COME ON, I'll have some of that
John the Baptist was preparing teh way for Jesus; how can I prepare the way for Jesus today, this weekend, in the place I live, with the people I meet?

Psalm 3:1-8
I lie down and sleep-it isn't always the case. I and others find at times of trouble and worry we don't sleep. We need to come to God at these times and ask him to help us sleep so that we are sustained.

Number 2

Genesis 2:18-4:16
Garden of Eden being guarded by cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth!
We should bring our best to God-first fruits. Not the bit which is left.
We have the ability to master sin-lets do it

Matthew 2:1-18
How good would it be to get direct instructions from God in a dream like Joseph......

Psalm 2:1-12
God I want to take refuge in You.

Reading 1

This is not inspired wisdom, but just my thoughts!


Genesis 1:1-2:17
In the beginning-GOD
There was light before the sun!

Matthew 1:1-25
I can find all these names hard work! But it is good to see how the Bible links up through the Old Testament.
Joseph was a righteous man. What does it mean to be a righteous man? 

Psalm 1:1-6
This is one of my favourite Psalms-it is ok to delight in God, it doesn't always seem like that.
God watches over the way of the righteous-again-what is it to be righteous?