Deeply Rooted (When I Read Your Word)

WE ARE TAKING A BREAK! After 426 straight days of blogging, Daniel and Liz will put their typing fingers away... JOKES! We are actually going to be preparing in advance for May 26th! That's the day the blog will return with the book of Hebrews. Our challenge will be that our students will spend the whole summer reading ~every day~ We will prep them for this for the next two-ish months.  In the meantime, if you want a daily blog sent to you, there is a blog that inspired Daniel and Liz. It's through Harris Creek Baptist in Waco, TX. Right now, funnily enough, we are going through the book of Jeremiah. Hop right in with them through this link ! The first thing you'll see is the daily blog, but if you scroll down you can submit your email to get daily emails with a blog similar to ours, but it is geared mainly toward adults.  If you join that reading, Daniel and Liz actually both still read that blog, and we'd love to chat with you about what you're reading if you ever

R EAD THIS:  Luke 24:46-53 46  He told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day,  47  and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.  48  You are witnesses of these things.  49  I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.” 50 When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. 51 While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. 52 Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. 53 And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God. WHAT’S THIS MEAN, ANYWAY? Welcome to the end of Luke! Congratulations to those of you who stuck all the way through! You have read a full gospel account of Jesus!  Here, we see Jesus' final words to His disciples. Whatever someone's final words are tend to be the

R EAD THIS:  Luke 24:36-49 36 While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 37 They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost.  38 He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? 39 Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.” 40 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet.  41 And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” 42 They gave him a piece of broiled fish, 43 and he took it and ate it in their presence.  44 He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.” 45 Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.  WHAT’S THIS MEAN, ANYWAY? Jesus comes when every

R EAD THIS:  Luke 24:25-35 25 He [Jesus] said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.  28 As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going farther. 29 But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them. 30 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight.  32 They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?” 33 They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Elev

R EAD THIS:  Luke 24:9-24 9  When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others. 10 It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them who told this to the apostles. 11 But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense.  12 Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he went away, wondering to himself what had happened.  13 Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. 14 They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. 15 As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; 16 but they were kept from recognizing him. 17 He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?” They stood still, their faces downcast.  18 One of them, named Cleopas, asked him,

R EAD THIS:  Luke 24:1-8 1  On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. 2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.  4 While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. 5 In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? 6 He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 7 ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’”  8 Then they remembered his words. WHAT’S THIS MEAN, ANYWAY? Yesterday, we talked about how some women were preparing to bring spices and perfumes for Jesus's body, but they had to wait a day because it was the Sabbath. The time finally co

R EAD THIS:  Luke 23:50-56 50 Now there was a man named Joseph, a member of the Council, a good and upright man, 51 who had not consented to their decision and action. He came from the Judean town of Arimathea, and he himself was waiting for the kingdom of God. 52 Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body. 53 Then he took it down, wrapped it in linen cloth and placed it in a tomb cut in the rock, one in which no one had yet been laid.  54 It was Preparation Day, and the Sabbath was about to begin. 55 The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed Joseph and saw the tomb and how his body was laid in it. 56 Then they went home and prepared spices and perfumes. But they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment. WHAT’S THIS MEAN, ANYWAY? These verses show us the level of dedication and faith that some people had toward Jesus. It can be easy to think that the only real followers of Jesus were people like the disciples, who gave their entire lives up to follow J

R EAD THIS:  Luke 23:44-49 44 It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, 45 for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. 46 Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last. 47 The centurion, seeing what had happened, praised God and said, “Surely this was a righteous man.”  48 When all the people who had gathered to witness this sight saw what took place, they beat their breasts and went away. 49 But all those who knew him, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things. WHAT’S THIS MEAN, ANYWAY? The moment Jesus died changed everything. Just yesterday, we were reading about how everyone was mocking Jesus. Those same people, the moment He died, switched to mourning and to praising God. The centurion (Roman soldier), saw Jesus' final words and the cosmic signs associated w

R EAD THIS:  Luke 23:32-43 32 Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. 33 When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. 34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.  35 The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.” 36 The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar 37 and said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.” 38 There was a written notice above him, which read: this is the king of the jews. 39 One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”  40 But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? 41 We are punis

R EAD THIS:  Luke 23:26-31 26 As the soldiers led him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in from the country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus. 27 A large number of people followed him, including women who mourned and wailed for him. 28 Jesus turned and said to them, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children. 29 For the time will come when you will say, ‘Blessed are the childless women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’  30 Then “‘they will say to the mountains, “Fall on us!” and to the hills, “Cover us!”’  31 For if people do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?”   WHAT’S THIS MEAN, ANYWAY? These verses really show us the pain and sorrow that Jesus and others felt throughout His suffering and crucifixion. Jesus, being so beaten down from the beatings He previously faced, struggled to hold the cross alone. As the Romans grabbed

R EAD THIS:  Luke 23:17-25 17/18 But the whole crowd shouted, “Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us!” 19 (Barabbas had been thrown into prison for an insurrection in the city, and for murder.) 20 Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate appealed to them again. 21 But they kept shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”  22 For the third time he spoke to them: “Why? What crime has this man committed? I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty. Therefore I will have him punished and then release him.”  23 But with loud shouts they insistently demanded that he be crucified, and their shouts prevailed. 24 So Pilate decided to grant their demand. 25 He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, the one they asked for, and surrendered Jesus to their will. WHAT’S THIS MEAN, ANYWAY? Pilate was about to release Jesus, but the crowd shouts back to release a guy named Barabbas instead. The curious reader might want to know how in the world that makes

R EAD THIS:  Luke 23:8-16 8 When Herod saw Jesus, he was greatly pleased, because for a long time he had been wanting to see him. From what he had heard about him, he hoped to see him perform a sign of some sort. 9 He plied him with many questions, but Jesus gave him no answer. 10 The chief priests and the teachers of the law were standing there, vehemently accusing him. 11 Then Herod and his soldiers ridiculed and mocked him. Dressing him in an elegant robe, they sent him back to Pilate. 12 That day Herod and Pilate became friends—before this they had been enemies.  13 Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers and the people, 14 and said to them, “You brought me this man as one who was inciting the people to rebellion. I have examined him in your presence and have found no basis for your charges against him. 15 Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us; as you can see, he has done nothing to deserve death. 16 Therefore, I will punish him and then release him.”

R EAD THIS:  Luke 22:66-23:7 66 At daybreak the council of the elders of the people, both the chief priests and the teachers of the law, met together, and Jesus was led before them. 67 “If you are the Messiah,” they said, “tell us.” Jesus answered, “If I tell you, you will not believe me, 68 and if I asked you, you would not answer. 69 But from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the mighty God.” 70 They all asked, “Are you then the Son of God?” He replied, “You say that I am.” 71 Then they said, “Why do we need any more testimony? We have heard it from his own lips.” 1 Then the whole assembly rose and led him off to Pilate. 2 And they began to accuse him, saying, “We have found this man subverting our nation. He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar and claims to be Messiah, a king.” 3 So Pilate asked Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?” “You have said so,” Jesus replied.  4 Then Pilate announced to the chief priests and the crowd, “I find no basis for

R EAD THIS:  Luke 22:55-65 54b Peter followed at a distance. 55 And when some there had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter sat down with them. 56 A servant girl saw him seated there in the firelight. She looked closely at him and said, “This man was with him.” 57 But he denied it. “Woman, I don’t know him,” he said.  58 A little later someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.” “Man, I am not!” Peter replied.  59 About an hour later another asserted, “Certainly this fellow was with him, for he is a Galilean.” 60 Peter replied, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed. 61 The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.” 62 And he went outside and wept bitterly.  63 The men who were guarding Jesus began mocking and beating him. 64 They blindfolded him