Matthew 20:27
   The servant-leader model seems quite strange to the world. Yet tis is the model for the kingdom of Christ. Winning people, not military campaigns, political elections, or profit ventures, is our goal. Thus, the servant-leader model is perfect. You cannot convincingly win those who you are not willing to serve.

Bible Reading: 1 Thessalonians 4:1-2 Thessalonians 2:17

Scripture Memory: James 1:2 “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for all the wonderful things You bring into our lives. Your way is ALWAYS best. Thank You for gently leading us on in the way that we should go. Thank You for not compromising the truth. It is so good to know that all we need can be found in Christ. Thank You! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for a woman with pneumonia. Pray for an elderly woman with health concerns.

Journal Entry #14079

Matthew 20:26
   As great ones in the kingdom of Christ, which is at this time a spiritual kingdom, the disciples were to be great servants. His kingdom is to be full of those who endeavor to be like him. Although he will come in power, he has come first in great humility as the servant of all. His ministers, therefore, must emulate this great example.

Bible Reading: Colossians 3:1-1 Thessalonians 3:13

Scripture Memory: James 1:2 “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for Your love! You are so gracious to us. Your ways are inscrutable. We are awed by Your wisdom. May Your name be praised for all of eternity! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for two older men who have pneumonia and other health concerns. Pray for a family that just lost a child.

Journal Entry #14078

Matthew 20:25
   Jesus keeps his illustrations simple and easy to understand. This doesn’t mean he is trying to ‘dumb down’ the truth. What it does mean is that the simplest illustrations are oftentimes the best ones. In this case, he points to the leaders of the Gentile world. Their ‘great ones’ had great authority over the rest. This the disciples knew and understood, but they would resent being likened to Gentile leaders.

Bible Reading: Philippians 4:1-Colossians 2:23

Scripture Memory: James 1:2 “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, You are so kind! Thank You for each day that You give to us. May we look to You for our guidance in how we live those days. You gave them, and You should order them. Your sovereignty over all is unquestioned, and Your control of our lives should be a forgone conclusion. You are the One who can make all things good. We want our live to be organized by You because You have the wisdom to handle our greatest problems. Thank You for Your caring for us! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for two men who need Christ. Pray for a woman’s silent request. Pray for a man with a serious health condition.

Journal Entry #14077

Matthew 20:24
   Imagine that! These men were human, just like the rest of us. They wanted vindication. they wanted what they thought was fair. Apparently, none of the disciples had learned much from the parable at the beginning of the chapter. They were in competition with each other and wanted everyone to ‘play by the rules’ – their rules! That’s how we are, in our sinful flesh.

Bible Reading: Philippians 1:1-3:21

Scripture Memory: James 1:1 “James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, we are so prideful! We think we know better than You about so much. It is amazing to think of the knowledge You possess. You are Wonderful! You know all that we think and do and say, and yet You love us and care for us. Thank You, Father! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for several people who are sick. Pray for the lost. Pray for churches today.

Journal Entry #14076

Matthew 20:23
   Though it is difficult for us to at first understand, God’s purposes are established form before time began. Jesus did not overstep the bounds of what Almighty God had already laid out. As God, Jesus understood completely what he was explaining here. Jesus would not be making any changes to the set order of things as he, in the entirety of the Godhead, had already set them. He does not actually deny their request. Instead, he is basically saying that this has all already been determined and the honors will be given accordingly.

Bible Reading: Ephesians 4:1-6:24

Scripture Memory: James 1:1 “James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.”
Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for another day to serve You! Thank You for family and friends and the many blessings You have built in to our lives. You are the One who truly cares for each and every one of us. Thank You for Your love and care. May we live to praise You without whole heart every day! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for a man with a new job. Pray for a man who is sick.

Journal Entry #14075

Matthew 20:22
   Jesus was referring to the suffering he would endure, and the death he would undertake. James and John did not understand at this time exactly what he was referring to with this ‘cup and baptism’ statement. However, we need not unduly attack them for saying that they were able to do this. Jesus started his statement by saying that they did not fully understand what they were asking, and the seriousness of it. They remain undaunted. This was a sign of the faith they would later display as one of them died quite early for Christ, and the other lived a long life of service for him. Their claim to be able to endure did not shame them later even if they did not fully understand it at the time.

Bible Reading: Galatians 6:1-Ephesians 3:21

Scripture Memory: James 1:1 “James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for Your use of us. You don’t give up on us even when we give up on ourselves. Thank You for making a way for sin to be forgiven. You have done all for Your great glory, and You are so glorious! Thank You for Who You are and all that you have done! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for a man who is in a lot of pain. Pray for a boy with a broken arm. Pray for the lost.

Journal Entry #14074

Matthew 20:21
   Though we may think that this was terrible for these persons to ask, it does show their desire to be a part of all that Christ has planned for the future. Though it seems that they wanted nothing more than great privilege, surely they realized such positions were those of great responsibility as well. Having a desire for such a position is not necessarily wrong in and of itself. The motives behind it, and a person’s understanding of it, are the real keys.
   For example, the Bible tells us that desiring the office of a bishop is okay. It does not speak against those who desire spiritual attainments, but rather offers guidance for the motives and means behind such attainments. Jesus was getting ready to help them better understand the positions they were seeking, and the means by which they could be attained.

Bible Reading: Galatians 3:1-5:26

Scripture Memory: 1 John 5:21 “Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.”

Prayer: heavenly Father, it is amazing to me that You use man to preach the gospel. But, Your ways are the best. So I trust that Your wisdom bears out even though You use the weak things of this world. Your might is plain because it is sure that we could not do this great task without You. I love You Father, may I praise Your name forever! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for a family that needs to be in church. Pray for a man who needs to get right with God. Pray for a young man who is sick. Pray for a lady who has health concerns.

Journal Entry #14073

Matthew 20:20
   It seems that the mother of James and John was not alone in this petition. The two disciples also desired this of Christ. Indeed, they may have put their mother up to it. Where Zebedee is in all of this is not known. He may have been dead, which seems likely. Others have suggested that he may have had no part in Christ, and thus been uninterested in such things, but I don’t think this is a likely explanation.
   The mother of James and John was probably Salome, the sister of Mary. This would make James and John the cousins of Christ. Thus, this petition may have been partially born out of a feeling of familiarity with Christ that the other disciples did not enjoy to the same degree.

Bible Reading: 2 Corinthians 12:1-Galatians 2:21

Scripture Memory: 1 John 5:21 “Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for Your provision for us. We should have godly desires, but we can rely on You for both the right desires and the provision of them. You meet our needs, and our wants as our wants are molded to Your will. Your way is best. May we never fail to praise You for Your wisdom in guiding our lives. Thank You for Christ! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for a woman who fell. Pray for a man having cancer treatments. Pray for a man and his wife travelling for medical treatment. Pray for a boy who broke his arm.

Journal Entry #14072

Matthew 20:19
   Jesus knew exactly what was going to happen. Though many may try to deny this, Jesus’ words here are quite specific. Some might say that Matthew could have filled these details in later. However, the fact that this is even included in the gospel record attests to its veracity. Those concerned about being discredited do not include such bold prophecies. Matthew had no such concern.

Bible Reading: 2 Corinthians 8:1-11:33

Scripture Memory: 1 John 5:20 “And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we nay know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, You know what is going to come about on any given day. You know what may occur. You already have a plan and purpose in it all. It is so comforting to be able to rest in Your Sovereign care. Yielded to You, we find peace for our souls. Trusting fully in Your way of doing things, we find the freedom to live. We praise You! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for a man with a cold. Pray for a woman’s unspoken request. Pray for a man not recovering from surgery well. Pray for a boy with a broken arm.

Journal Entry #14071

Matthew 20:18
   We may well wonder why Jesus even told his disciples what was going to happen. Surely he knew that they would not completely understand. However, he loved them, and he knew they would understand later. And, he knew they would write all this down later, and that they would write down the fact that he had told them all that would happen.

Bible Reading: 2 Corinthians 4:1-7:16

Scripture Memory: 1 John 5:20 “And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we nay know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.”
Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for this glorious day You have given us! You are amazingly wonderful. Never can we praise You enough! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for a man who is recovering from surgery on his face. Pray for some who are travelling.

Journal Entry #14070