THURSDAY 31ST AUGUST 2023

WEDNESDAY 30TH AUGUST 2023

TUESDAY 29TH AUGUST 2023

MONDAY 28TH AUGUST 2023

SUNDAY 27TH AUGUST 2023

SATURDAY 26TH AUGUST 2023

FRIDAY 25TH AUGUST 2023

THURSDAY 24TH AUGUST 2023

WEDNESDAY 23RD AUGUST 2023

TUESDAY 22ND AUGUST 2023

MONDAY 21ST AUGUST 2023

SUNDAY 20TH AUGUST 2023

SATURDAY 19TH AUGUST 2023

Did my Vision Leadership test. Got 100

Showed off on WhatsApp 

Yaa Acheamponmaa birthday yesterday.

Research on Online schools.

No lecture by Dr Joy today.

Conflict Resolution voice note lecture.

made suggestions to Prof Ubong

prophet Joshua cleared the drinks from Ato.

Stephanie teaches class.

Irma and new lady invites us for concert

Andre brought me home, gave him $5

SATURDAY 19TH AUGUST 2023

FRIDAY 18TH AUGUST 2023

THURSDAY 17TH AUGUST 2023

WEDNESDAY 16TH AUGUST 2023

TUESDAY 15TH AUGUST 2023

MONDAY 14TH AUGUST 2023

SUNDAY 13TH AUGUST 2023

SATURDAY 12TH AUGUST 2023

FRIDAY 11TH AUGUST 2023

THURSDAY 10TH AUGUST 2023

WEDNESDAY 9TH AUGUST 2023

TUESDAY 8TH AUGUST 2023

MONDAY 07TH AUGUST 2023

SUNDAY 6TH AUGUST 2023

 

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August 6

Release from Slavery

Bible in a Year:

Psalms 70–71 Romans 8:22–39

I will free you from being slaves to them.

Exodus 6:6

Today's Scripture & Insight:

Exodus 6:1–8

“You are like Moses, leading us out from slavery!” Jamila exclaimed. As a bonded brick-kiln worker in Pakistan, she and her family suffered because of the exorbitant amount they owed the kiln owner. They used much of their earnings just to pay off the interest. But when they received a gift from a nonprofit agency that released them from their debt, they felt tremendous relief. In thanking the agency’s representative for their freedom, Jamila, a believer in Jesus, pointed to the example of God’s release of Moses and the Israelites from slavery.

The Israelites had been oppressed by the Egyptians for hundreds of years, laboring under harsh conditions. They cried out to God, asking for help (Exodus 2:23). But their workload increased, because the new pharaoh ordered them not only to make bricks but also to gather the straw for these bricks (5:6–8). When the Israelites continued to cry out against the oppression, God reiterated His promise to be their God (6:7). No longer would they be slaves, because He would redeem them with “an outstretched arm” (v. 6).

Under God’s direction, Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt (see ch.14). Today God still delivers us through the outstretched arms of His Son, Jesus, on the cross. We're set free from a far greater enslavement to the sin that once controlled us. We’re no longer slaves, but free!

By:  Amy Boucher Pye

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Reflect & Pray

How has God brought you freedom? How could you encourage others who are enslaved in some way?

Dear God, thank You for sending Your Son to give me freedom from my sin.

Learn more at Having a Personal Relationship with God.

Today's Scripture:

Exodus 6:1–8 (NIV)

Insight

In the Old Testament stories of God’s dealings with Israel, it’s helpful to have a solid perspective on what we’re reading. Although we’re reading history, it’s more than that. We’re reading lessons that expose the heart and mind of God to us. Paul, a well-versed Pharisee trained in Jewish law, wrote in 1 Corinthians 10:11: “These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come.” Through the Old Testament, we’re instructed about the heart of God and how to respond to Him in many different life circumstances.

By: Bill Crowder

SATURDAY 5TH AUGUST 2023

 

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August 5

Priority of God’s Presence

Bible in a Year:

Psalms 68–69 Romans 8:1–21

Mary has chosen what is better.

Luke 10:42

Today's Scripture & Insight:

Luke 10:38–42

In 2009, a research team at Stanford University studied more than two hundred students in an experiment that included switching between tasks and memory exercises. Surprisingly, the study found that students who viewed themselves as good multitaskers because they were in the habit of doing several things at a time, did worse than those who preferred to perform one task at a time. Multitasking made it more difficult to focus their thoughts and filter irrelevant information. Maintaining focus when our minds are distracted can be a challenge.

When Jesus visited Mary and Martha’s home, Martha was busy working and “distracted by all the preparations” (Luke 10:40). Her sister Mary chose to sit and listen to Jesus teach, gaining wisdom and peace that would never be taken away from her (vv. 39–42). When Martha asked Jesus to encourage Mary to help her, He responded, “You are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one” (vv. 41–42).

God desires our attention. But, like Martha, we’re often distracted by tasks and problems. We neglect God’s presence even though He alone can provide the wisdom and hope we need. When we make spending time with Him through prayer and meditating on Scripture a priority, He’ll give us the guidance and strength we need to address the challenges we face.

By:  Kimya Loder

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Reflect & Pray

What has taken your focus away from God? How might shifting it back to Him bring you clarity?

Dear Father, sometimes I try to juggle so many things. Please help me to remove those distractions and draw closer to You.

Learn more about how to effectively grow in your faith.

Today's Scripture:

Luke 10:38–42 (NIV)

Insight

Mary and Martha had a brother named Lazarus with whom they shared a home in the village of Bethany (John 11:1–2). Jesus loved these siblings (v. 5) and may have frequently lodged with them. He miraculously raised Lazarus after he’d been dead for four days (vv. 17–44). Six days before Passover, Martha prepared a meal to honor Jesus. While Christ reclined at the table with Lazarus, Mary poured an expensive jar of perfume on His feet and then wiped them with her hair (11:2; 12:1–3).

By: Alyson Kieda

FRIDAY 4TH AUGUST 2023-PEOPLE OF REFUGE

 

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August 4

People of Refuge

Bible in a Year:

Psalms 66–67 Romans 7

Spread the corner of your garment over me, since you are a guardian-redeemer of our family.

Ruth 3:9

Today's Scripture & Insight:

Ruth 3:1–9

Phil and Sandy, moved by stories of refugee children, opened their hearts and home to two of them. After they picked them up at the airport, they nervously drove home in silence. Were they ready for this? They didn’t share the same culture, language, or religion, but they’d become people of refuge for these precious children.

Boaz was moved by the story of Ruth. He’d heard how she left her people to support Naomi, and when Ruth came to glean in his field, Boaz prayed this blessing over her, “May the Lord repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge” (Ruth 2:12).

Ruth reminded Boaz of his blessing when she interrupted his sleep one night. Awakened by movement at his feet, Boaz asked, “Who are you?” Ruth replied, “I am your servant Ruth. Spread the corner of your garment over me, since you are a guardian-redeemer of our family” (3:9).

The Hebrew word for corner of your garment and wings is the same. Boaz gave Ruth refuge by marrying her, and their great-grandson David echoed their story in his praise to the God of Israel: “How priceless is your unfailing love, O God!” he wrote. “People take refuge in the shadow of your wings” (Psalm 36:7).

By:  Mike Wittmer

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Reflect & Pray

When has someone given you refuge and how did it make you feel? How might you—in big or small ways—provide refuge for others?

Father, I take refuge in You. Use me to extend Your refuge to others.

Today's Scripture:

Ruth 3:1–9 (NIV)

Insight

The Hebrew word translated “guardian-redeemer” is a key word in the book of Ruth. It’s used more than twenty times in its various forms. The first occurrence is in Ruth 2:20 where Naomi uses the term to describe Boaz: “That man is our close relative; he is one of our guardian-redeemers.” The NIV note nicely summarizes the word as “a legal term for one who has the obligation to redeem a relative in serious difficulty (see Lev. 25:25–55).” It’s particularly noteworthy that God, in Jesus, became human to rescue those who trust in Him from humanity’s greatest difficulty—sin. Matthew 1:5 records that, according to the flesh, Jesus—our Redeemer—descended from Boaz and Ruth.

By: Arthur Jackson

THURSDAY 3RD AUGUST 2023

WEDNESDAY 2ND JULY 2023

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August 2

The Powerful and the Weak

Bible in a Year:

Psalms 60–62 Romans 5

Woe to you . . . . You have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick.

Ezekiel 34:2, 4

Today's Scripture & Insight:

Ezekiel 34:1–2, 7–12

Perhaps the most heartwarming tradition in college football happens at the University of Iowa. The Stead Family Children’s Hospital sits next to Iowa’s Kinnick Stadium, and the hospital’s top floor has floor-to-ceiling windows offering a great view of the field. On game days, sick children and their families fill the floor to watch the action below, and at the end of the first quarter, coaches, athletes, and thousands of fans turn to the hospital and wave. For those few moments, the children’s eyes light up. It’s powerful to see the athletes, with a packed stadium and thousands more watching on TV, pause and show they care.

The Scriptures instruct those who have power (and all of us have some kind of power) to care for those who are weak, watch over those who are struggling, and tend to those whose bodies are broken. Too often, though, we ignore those in need of attention (Ezekiel 34:6). The prophet Ezekiel rebuked Israel’s leaders for their selfishness, for disregarding those who most needed help. “Woe to you,” God said through Ezekiel. “You have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick or bound up the injured” (vv. 2, 4).

How often do our personal priorities, leadership philosophies, or economic policies demonstrate little regard for those in distress? God shows us a different way, where those with power watch out for those who are weak (vv. 11–12).

By:  Winn Collier

Reflect & Pray

How have you seen those with power watch out for the weak? How have they ignored the weak?

Heavenly Father, teach me to love as You love.

For further study, read Going the Extra Mile: Learning to Serve like Jesus

JESUS THE SHEPHERD 

Today's Scripture:

Ezekiel 34:1–2, 7–12 (NIV)

Insight

We’re familiar with Jesus being referred to as the Good Shepherd in the New Testament (John 10:11), but that metaphor had its origins in Ezekiel. God promised to reject the failed shepherds of the people (Ezekiel 34:10), which Jesus in turn identified as the leaders of Israel in His day (Matthew 9:36; Mark 6:34; John 10:1–6). God promised to be Israel’s shepherd Himself (Ezekiel 34:11–16).

When Jesus tells the story of the lost sheep (Luke 15:1–7) or calls Himself the Good Shepherd (John 10:1–18), He’s claiming to be the shepherd, like David, who’d rescue all God’s lost sheep (Ezekiel 34:22–24). Long ago, God promised to shepherd His people. In Jesus, we see that promise fulfilled.

By: Jed Ostoich

.IDAILY BREAD.CO

ENCOURAGE EACH OTHER

And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.

Genesis 1:6

Inspiration 

Little drops of water are harmless when scattered across the kitchen floor or dripping from the roof after a summer rainstorm. Interesting how those same little drops combined, form the mighty waves of the ocean and become a force not to be reckoned with. When Christians are unified, we become a mighty force so we may accomplish the work of our Lord. We must make fellowship with one another a priority in order to strengthen our faith as we continue our ministry.

Let's Pray 

Dear God, We are blessed to work alongside our brothers and sisters in Christ. Help us encourage one another as we continue our ministry. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

TUESDAY 1ST AUGUST 2023-CHILDLIKE SINCERITY- GRANDMA AND BABYSITTING FOR 12 YEARS

 

August 1

Faith of a Child

Bible in a Year:

Psalms 57–59 Romans 4

Jesus . . . said, “Let the little children come to me.”

Luke 18:16

Today's Scripture & Insight:

Luke 18:15–17

As our adopted granny lay in her hospital bed after suffering several strokes, her doctors were unsure of the amount of brain damage she had endured. They needed to wait until she was a bit better to test her brain function. She spoke very few words and even fewer were understandable. But when the eighty-six-year-old woman who had babysat my daughter for twelve years saw me, she opened her parched mouth and asked: “How is Kayla?” The first words she spoke to me were about my child whom she had loved so freely and fully.

Jesus loved children too and put them in the forefront even though His disciples disapproved. Some parents would seek out Christ and present their children to Him. He chose to bless the children as He “[placed] his hands on them” (Luke 18:15). But not everyone was happy that He was blessing little ones. The disciples scolded the parents and asked them to quit bothering Jesus. But He intervened and said, “Let the little children come to me” (v. 16). He called them an example of how we should receive God’s kingdom—with simple dependence, trust, and sincerity.

Young children rarely have a hidden agenda. What you see is what you get. As our heavenly Father helps us regain childlike trust, may our faith and dependence on Him be as open as a child’s.

By:  Katara Patton

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Reflect & Pray

How can you imitate a child’s sincerity in your relationship with God? How do you bless children in your family and community?

Father, help me to be as open and sincere as a child as I receive Your kingdom.

Today's Scripture:

Luke 18:15–17 (NIV)

Insight

Each of the four gospels has a primary feature that the writer, under the Spirit’s inspiration, uses to tell the story of Jesus. For example, in Matthew, the telling of the story is wrapped around five major teaching blocks that mirror the five books of Moses (Genesis–Deuteronomy). In Mark, Jesus first reveals who He is then prepares the disciples for why He came. John’s gospel focuses on miracles that prove His identity.

In Luke’s gospel, the main feature is often referred to as “Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem.” It begins when Christ “set out for Jerusalem” (9:51) and concludes at the triumphal entry (19:28–48). The gospel of Luke was the product of careful research (1:1–4) meant to prepare the reader for what was coming at Jerusalem—the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. It’s amazing how the Holy Spirit used different men with very different strategies to tell the greatest story ever told.

Learn more about the uniqueness of the Gospel accounts.

By: Bill Crowder