SPRING 2020 - APRIL 19 – JUNE 6, 2020
INTRODUCTION
Finding Your Shelter and Your Place: In the midst of this unprecedented global health crisis, millions of us have been instructed to “Shelter in Place” for a season. Actually, both “shelter” and “place” are Biblical images that are rich in meaning. This series is designed to assist you in discovering God’s enduring shelter for His people and to help you find your place in His grand purpose.
I will be encouraging our people to discover God’s offer of shelter in the midst of storms and trouble. However, I will also be encouraging us to find our “place” in this particular struggle and in God’s overall purpose.
As we find our “place” in our relationship with God through Christ, we begin to experience the true understanding of God’s shelter in our lives. God will not necessarily protect us from experiencing tragedy and sorrow, however, He will provide for us in the face of those challenges. He does not abandon us. He is ever-present and ever caring.
Right now, the pandemic affecting our world has triggered many fears and it has caused great suffering. Christians are immune from neither. Yet, God is still in control and still at work in our world. He offers us the opportunity to find our place in His grand plan. His guiding hand is available to us as we navigate through this crisis. He will shelter us with His presence and power.
We will spend the next seven weeks learning what it means to find our place in this world (and in the next one) and receive the shelter that only God can provide.
April 19, 2020: You Have a Place!
God has placed eternity in the hearts of human beings. Jesus came to set things right in God’s creation and to lead people to discover their eternal place. Jesus is The Way to that eternal life. All human beings long for that connection to eternity and the good news is that it is possible to find that connection in Jesus Christ!
Sermon Text: John 14:1-7
Daily Bible Readings
April 20: John 1:1-18
April 21: John 3:1-21
April 22: John 4:1-26
April 23: John 4:27-42
April 24: John 14:1-14
April 25: Reflection
April 26, 2020: Sheltered by the Almighty
God’s protective Hand is available for His people. We must be in a deep and meaningful relationship with Him to experience the true meaning of His shelter. Walking with God is not for the faint of heart. It is not an easy path—however, it is the best and right path. As we follow His way, we will experience the beauty and power of His presence in the everyday of our lives.
Sermon Text: Psalm 91
Daily Bible Readings
April 27: Psalm 18:1-15
April 28: Psalm 18:16-29
April 29: Psalm 18:30-50
April 30: Psalm 91
May 1: Psalm 23
May 2: Reflection
May 3, 2020: Finding Your Way in This World
God invites all of us into a wonderful and mysterious partnership. As we learn to follow Him, we are to deepen our trust in His character and His wisdom. We are to learn that we find ourselves in the best place when we are trusting in Him and looking to Him for wisdom and direction.
Sermon Text: Proverbs 3:1-6
Daily Bible Readings
May 4: Philippians 1:1-26
May 5: Philippians 1:27-2:11
May 6: Philippians 2:12-30
May 7: Philippians 3
May 8: Philippians 4
May 9: Reflection
May 10, 2020: Calm in the Midst of a Storm
Life is lived in real time and marked by real experiences. As we journey through life, we will find ourselves threatened by disaster and paralyzed by fear. These times call for great faith in our Savior. He is the Master of the Sea and His voice can bring calm in the midst of the greatest storms.
Sermon Text: Mark 4:35-41
Daily Bible Readings
May 11: Psalm 107:1-22
May 12: Psalm 107:23-43
May 13: Psalm 57
May 14: 2 Corinthians 12:1-10
May 15: Psalm 46
May 16: Reflection
May 17, 2020: A Storm-Proof Shelter
Storms of life are inevitable. God has invited us to a life where we can partner with Him in building lives that have substance and significance. This is only possible if we heed His instructions and live our lives according to His revealed truth. Jesus challenges His followers in this text to build our lives upon the revealed truth of God and thus, we will be able to navigate through challenging days like these.
Sermon Text: Matthew 7:24-29
Daily Bible Readings
May 18: Matthew 5:1-16
May 19: Matthew 5:17-26
May 20: Matthew 5:27-48
May 21: Matthew 6
May 22: Matthew 7
May 23: Reflection
May 24, 2020: It’s a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood!
One of the sure signs that God is at work in our lives is revealed in our treatment of our neighbors. Paul reminded the Galatian Christians that they were not bound by the law, but they were being held to a higher standard. Jesus continues to call His followers to be good neighbors. We are ambassadors for Christ, and we spread the beauty of the Gospel in our neighborhoods.
Sermon Text: Galatians 5:13-15
Daily Bible Readings
May 25: James 1
May 26: James 2
May 27: James 3
May 28: James 4
May 29: James 5
May 30: Reflection
May 31, 2020: A New Normal
The shepherds were innocently tending sheep just outside of Bethlehem on a fateful evening when an angel of the Lord appeared to them. Can you imagine? Wow. They received the good news of great joy that signaled the beginning of the fulfillment of Messianic prophecy. They went to Bethlehem to see what had happened. After their encounter with the Holy Family, they returned to their world. Indeed—this would be a new normal. They would never be the same. Similarly, we will emerge one day from this crisis and we will recover! We will return to some kind of new normal.
Sermon Text: Luke 2:8-20
Daily Bible Readings
June 1: Psalm 1
June 2: John 14:1-14
June 3: Isaiah 42:1-9
June 4: Isaiah 43:1-13
June 5: Isaiah 43:14-28
June 6: Reflection