Saturday, January 31, 2009

Day 13 Reading


Today's Reading: Matthew 25-26, Romans 7-9

There are several resources you can use to listen online.

You can listen to the Bible at the NIV site by clicking here. Type the book of the Bible and the chapter into the lookup line. You can only put in one chapter at a time. Hit the "Lookup" button. On the following page, there will be a small button at the top of the webpage, just above the biblical text, that says "Listen." This will open a small window that will begin playing the chosen book and chapter.

You can also listen to the Bible reading online at Biblegateway.com by clicking here. Simply choose the book of the Bible and the chapter you would like to listen to. When you click play audio, the website will open your RealPlayer and begin playing the verses.

Friday, January 30, 2009

Devotional Day 12

The Bible has a profound way of turning everything upside down on its head. Greatness is found in humility. The first will be last. Whoever loses his life will find it. Here in Romans 5 is no exception. Rejoicing in our sufferings. Here in the hard sayings of the Bible we find our greatest source of strength for living life as it comes to us, rather than living life hoping against reality for something else.

In many philosophies of life and religion the aim is to create new realities and to appease the ‘gods’ in order to obtain a preferred reality. In the Bible we learn a practical faith that makes lemonade out of life’s lemons. Rather than waiting for an altered reality we take the present one head on and redefine our win, and sometimes in the process we do actually change the reality.

In this instance suffering, which comes to everyone, is turned on its head. We look for the win. Suffering leads to perseverance, and perseverance leads to character, and character leads to hope. Our hope? Our hope is Christ, and he never disappoints us. He forgives us, he sets us free, he gives eternal life. Everything he has promised to do, he does. Thus our suffering in this light is part of our growth process in becoming more like him. It's not that we are told to enjoy life’s sorrows. It is that rejoicing, even during life’s difficulties, works to our benefit if we allow it to.

Hal Hester


Today's Reading: Matthew 23-24, Romans 4-6

There are several resources you can use to listen online.

You can listen to the Bible at the NIV site by clicking here. Type the book of the Bible and the chapter into the lookup line. You can only put in one chapter at a time. Hit the "Lookup" button. On the following page, there will be a small button at the top of the webpage, just above the biblical text, that says "Listen." This will open a small window that will begin playing the chosen book and chapter.

You can also listen to the Bible reading online at Biblegateway.com by clicking here. Simply choose the book of the Bible and the chapter you would like to listen to. When you click play audio, the website will open your RealPlayer and begin playing the verses.

Thursday, January 29, 2009

Devotional Day 11

Two great chapters in Matthew and the beginning of Romans are a stimulating read for sure.

As you read the chapters in Matthew see if you can find references to the Kingdom of God.

Earthly kings usually enter a city in a Mercedes or a Rolls Royce. Jesus on the other hand is a King of a different Kingdom. He entered the city of Jerusalem riding on a young colt (most probably a donkey).

Check the scripture quoted from Zechariah 9:9, “Look your King is coming to you – He is humble….”

So unlike earthly leaders, our King at the core is the embodiment of humility. He is the servant King. He came not to be served but to serve and to give His life a ransom for many.

He turned water in to wine at a party… the first servant evangelism wine giveaway showing God’s love in a practical way.

He fed the multitudes

He healed the side

He washed the disciples feet

He went to a cross and died for you and me

He cooked a fish dinner for the disciples

He ascended into heaven, received the Holy Spirit and gave Him as a gift to His Church.

In the end He will serve us at the Marriage supper in Heaven.

Steve Bowen


Today's Reading: Matthew 21-22, Romans 1-3

There are several resources you can use to listen online.

You can listen to the Bible at the NIV site by clicking here. Type the book of the Bible and the chapter into the lookup line. You can only put in one chapter at a time. Hit the "Lookup" button. On the following page, there will be a small button at the top of the webpage, just above the biblical text, that says "Listen." This will open a small window that will begin playing the chosen book and chapter.

You can also listen to the Bible reading online at Biblegateway.com by clicking here. Simply choose the book of the Bible and the chapter you would like to listen to. When you click play audio, the website will open your RealPlayer and begin playing the verses.

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Devotional Day 10

Paul was a Kingdom centered person. It is interesting that Acts 1 begins with the Kingdom. Jesus who was now resurrected spoke to the Disciples for 40 days about the Kingdom and the importance of receiving power from the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is God’s advocate and power giver on the earth today. Act 1:3 says, "After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God."

Acts 28:30-31 ends with the Kingdom: "For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. Boldly and without hindrance he preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ."

It’s the principle of first and last things. When this principle is discovered in the Bible usually God is attempting to reveal the importance of a truth.

The Kingdom of God is important. The good news of the Gospel is all about the Kingdom of God appearing on earth in the form of Jesus Christ whose mission was to reveal the Kingdom. See Jesus... you’ll see the Kingdom of God in action.

So, Jesus spoke much about the Kingdom. Matthew's gospel is especially Kingdom centered written to Jewish people who understood the precept of the Kingdom of God. Matthew was seeking to write about something the Jewish people understood. Not only did Jesus speak about the Kingdom, He demonstrated the power of the Kingdom through signs, miracles, and wonders.

It was the same for Paul.... Note in this chapter that supernatural / trans-rational events take place. Signs of the Kingdom:

They arrived…this in itself is a miracle. See earlier chapters in the book of Acts.

Paul was bitten by a viper…this meant death. Paul shook the snake into a fire and didn’t die. In fact he appeared to be so healthy the people proclaimed he was a god.

Paul gathered a pile of brushwood and, as he put it on the fire, a viper, driven out by the heat, fastened itself on his hand.

When the islanders saw the snake hanging from his hand, they said to each other, "This man must be a murderer; for though he escaped from the sea, Justice has not allowed him to live."

But Paul shook the snake off into the fire and suffered no ill effects.

The people expected him to swell up or suddenly fall dead, but after waiting a long time and seeing nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and said he was a god.

Signs of the Kingdom followed. Paul prayed for the sick and they were healed.

Note: Usually signs of the Kingdom either follow the declaration of the Good News or precede the message of the Kingdom. Signs, miracle and wonders are always stepping stones to help people, believer and nonbeliever alike, move toward faith in Jesus Christ.

The message of the Kingdom was the central message of Jesus and Paul.

If the message of Jesus and Paul centered on the Kingdom of God, where should our message be centered?

Today, rethink Matthew's Gospel by scanning chapter one moving toward today’s section. Highlight every passage that mentions the Kingdom or highlight a place where there is a sign, wonder or miracle. You’ll be amazed.

Steve Bowen


Today's Reading: Matthew 19-20, Acts 28

There are several resources you can use to listen online.

You can listen to the Bible at the NIV site by clicking here. Type the book of the Bible and the chapter into the lookup line. You can only put in one chapter at a time. Hit the "Lookup" button. On the following page, there will be a small button at the top of the webpage, just above the biblical text, that says "Listen." This will open a small window that will begin playing the chosen book and chapter.

You can also listen to the Bible reading online at Biblegateway.com by clicking here. Simply choose the book of the Bible and the chapter you would like to listen to. When you click play audio, the website will open your RealPlayer and begin playing the verses.

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Devotional Day 9

I have a kitchen herb garden that I keep right outside the front porch of my house. It has become an easy access to gather fresh herbs in the winter for soups and stews on cold nights. Sage, rosemary and parsley are a few favorite winter selections that can quickly be clipped and brought into the house on the coldest of days in January and February. Though these tend to die off over the months, they rejuvenate again in spring for another round of harvesting. Our family has not been the only ones enjoying my herbs. I discovered that Monarch Butterflies go through their cycles of springtime transformation as they hide in the parsley as caterpillars. Without warning, they grow and change, then transform into a new life of golden wings gloriously dancing in the buddleia and lavender.

I have always thought of the transfiguration of Jesus as being a type of metamorphosis. When I consider the passage in Matthew 17 of Jesus leading a few of His disciples up that hill, I get excited about what He is about to show them. Jesus is ever trying to reveal another facet of His glory and majesty to those He is close to. As Jesus is transformed on that mountain, He reveals to us that He is outside of time, that He is the first and last and that the past, present and future are in His hands. In these moments, when we experience Christ in some new form, we need not be afraid like the disciples, instead we need to ask ourselves, “What needs transfigured in our lives?”

Throughout these passages in Matthew 17-18, Christ is challenging those close to Him to be transformed from unbelief to belief as He shares the story of the mustard seed. He encourages us to see with child-like wonder that we may be transformed in our thinking to grasp His kingdom. He expresses the desperate need we have to be transformed by forgiveness so that we can move in compassion as He did. In all these passages, the call for our transfiguration into His likeness is being expressed. We are challenged to understand His timeless nature and see ourselves changed to reflect His image like Moses and Elijah.

Paul understood this as he witnessed to those he stood before in prison and on trial. Paul was transfigured in His experience with Christ which established a platform for his testimony in Acts 26:16-18:

" 'I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,' the Lord replied. 'Now get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen of me and what I will show you. I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.'

Paul underwent a metamorphosis that brought him from a place of hiddenness to a place of glorious freedom in Jesus. His transformation led him to be a witness to the things he saw and heard:

"But I have had God's help to this very day, and so I stand here and testify to small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen..." Acts 16:22.

Paul changed lives everywhere he went, whether on trial, on a sinking ship or to those who saw and were convinced of the life-changing ministry of the Lord Jesus. Paul had been transfigured.

As beauty reveals how a caterpillar is changed into a butterfly, the life-giving power of our Lord can bring lasting change to our lives. Whether we are concerned about the future, the past or our present situation, Christ says to us as He said to his disciples “Do not be afraid.” Christ is ready to transfigure our lives in radical ways that will transcend all our circumstances bringing freedom and transformation. As you reflect over these passages, ask yourself, “What needs transfigured in my life?”

Rebecca Holihan


Today's Reading: Matthew 17-18, Acts 25-27


There are several resources you can use to listen online.

You can listen to the Bible at the NIV site by clicking here. Type the book of the Bible and the chapter into the lookup line. You can only put in one chapter at a time. Hit the "Lookup" button. On the following page, there will be a small button at the top of the webpage, just above the biblical text, that says "Listen." This will open a small window that will begin playing the chosen book and chapter.

You can also listen to the Bible reading online at Biblegateway.com by clicking here. Simply choose the book of the Bible and the chapter you would like to listen to. When you click play audio, the website will open your RealPlayer and begin playing the verses.

Monday, January 26, 2009

Devotional Day 8

As I looked out the window of my house at the frozen, snow-covered earth I wondered about what we would be facing in this New Year. I began to ask the Lord what 2009 will look like and how it will be different from the previous hard season we have just gone through of economic crisis and the various trials we had all faced over the course of the last year. The Lord gave me a word of hope, speaking to me the way he does using numbers and metaphors. He said it was a word for this year, the year of the “nine sequence.” He even gave my daughter Emily a dream about the number nine. I think it is a great challenge to consider for this new season we are in.

In Emily’s dream, the Lord said that the number nine could change any number creating a reversal. Mathematically this is true. If you add 12 to the number nine, you get 21. The number 21 is the reverse of 12. This is an endless sequence using the number nine. He spoke to me about the fact that nine is a number that can be doubled and coupled. This is also mathematically true. If you multiply nine by any number, the product of those numbers adds up to nine. For example, 2 x 9= 18, and 1+8=9. No matter what you multiply by nine; you get a number that adds up to nine. I find that amazing! God began to share with me that this will be the year of things reversing in people’s lives and that there will be things that will multiply bringing double portions, restoration and alignment for those who have gone through many hard times. I found this to be a great word of hope for us in 2009.

As you reflect over the passages in Matthew 15-16 and Acts 22-24, you can see how God’s hand works to restore the lives of many in various situations. He does this in us as we undergo a reversal in our hearts. As it says in Matthew 15:8, 'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.” He was speaking of those who did not have a personal experience with the Lord, but had simply followed traditions and cultural philosophies of the day. From Matthew 15-16, we see many scenarios of those who followed their own understanding and traditions and those who really understood who Christ was, like the woman who had the sick child. I believe the Lord was challenging her understanding of His nature as she sought His compassion for her life. She spoke from the heart, and Jesus answers her in Matthew15:28 by saying, "Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted." And her daughter was healed from that very hour.

Throughout these passages we see how the Lord restores, multiplies and gives double portions. As Jesus multiplies bread, He begins to speak to His disciples about developing a clear understanding of His nature, letting go of traditions and culture to grasp who He is and what He is doing. Jesus warns His disciples of “the yeast of the Pharisees,” playing off the metaphor of false teaching that did not convey the truth of the kingdom. Jesus is constantly trying to convey to His people that it is through the eyes of our hearts that we come to understand who He is and His purpose for our lives.

As we turn to the passages in Acts, we see the life of a man who has a real “reversal” of who he is and see what he comes to understand through a heartfelt experience with the Lord. Paul asks two questions we all must ponder in Acts 22:8,10: " 'Who are you, Lord?' and "'What shall I do, Lord?" At that moment, all Paul’s traditions, teachings and culture took a 180 degree turn as he experienced first hand the Lord in His life. As you read through these passages, you see how the Lord transforms Paul and puts his feet on a new path. Even through all the trials, persecution and testing, the Lord reveals His nature to Paul, restoring and aligning his life with the purposes and plans He has for him.

No matter what you’ve been through in the past, remember this is the year of the “nine sequence.” As we go into this new year with all its challenges, let us hold onto the hope of the reversal of those things that have held us back and of the double portions He wants to give as we draw near to Him. As you look out the window of your house and wonder what lies ahead, begin to seek Jesus with your whole heart to understand His nature and experience the blessings He has for you this year. May He give you a double portion!

Rebecca Holihan


Today's Reading: Matthew 15-16, Acts 22-24

There are several resources you can use to listen online.

You can listen to the Bible at the NIV site by clicking here. Type the book of the Bible and the chapter into the lookup line. You can only put in one chapter at a time. Hit the "Lookup" button. On the following page, there will be a small button at the top of the webpage, just above the biblical text, that says "Listen." This will open a small window that will begin playing the chosen book and chapter.

You can also listen to the Bible reading online at Biblegateway.com by clicking here. Simply choose the book of the Bible and the chapter you would like to listen to. When you click play audio, the website will open your RealPlayer and begin playing the verses.

Sunday, January 25, 2009

Devotional Day 7

Matthew chapter 13 is full of parables, or short stories that illustrate a moral attitude or a spiritual principle, “…He (Jesus) told many stories in the form of parables” (Mt. 13:3). In this chapter Jesus tells parables about the sower and various types of seeds and soil, wheat and seeds, mustard seeds, yeast, hidden treasure and precious pearls, and then fishing nets. I don’t know about you, but I have struggled at times to understand what Jesus was trying to communicate with some of those parables! We are in good company … “His disciples came and asked him, ‘Why do you use parables when you talk to the people?’ He replied, ‘You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others are not. To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear’” (Mt. 13:10-12, 16).

Matthew chapter 14 tells us about the death of John the Baptist and miracles … the feeding of the 5,000 and Jesus walking on water.

Acts 19-21 detail Paul’s Third Missionary Journey in which he travels to Ephesus, Macedonia, Greece, Troas, and Jerusalem. His trip is wrought with Kingdom excitement, including a riot in Ephesus and being arrested in Jerusalem!

Why is all of this important to us in the 21st Century? These passages of scripture challenge us to press into our relationship with Jesus, to know Him more, to better understand His teachings, and to apply them to real living in the here and now. We are called to be people of the Kingdom of God … who live by Kingdom principles … not only speaking Kingdom words, but doing Kingdom works! God longs to reveal to each one of us, the “secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven.” He calls us to listen closely to what is on His heart and mind, so that He can transform us more into His character, likeness and nature. How does this happen? I’d like to suggest that we utilize the acronym P.U.S.H. which stands for “Pray Until Something Happens” ~ let’s focus our prayers on becoming Kingdom people who exercise Kingdom influence on the greater Dayton area for His name’s sake!

Kevin Hoffman


Today's Reading: Matthew 13-14, Acts 19-21

There are several resources you can use to listen online.

You can listen to the Bible at the NIV site by clicking here. Type the book of the Bible and the chapter into the lookup line. You can only put in one chapter at a time. Hit the "Lookup" button. On the following page, there will be a small button at the top of the webpage, just above the biblical text, that says "Listen." This will open a small window that will begin playing the chosen book and chapter.

You can also listen to the Bible reading online at Biblegateway.com by clicking here. Simply choose the book of the Bible and the chapter you would like to listen to. When you click play audio, the website will open your RealPlayer and begin playing the verses.


Small Groups are an important part of the 9 Challenge. To help you in your small group, we want to provide you with the resources necessary to lead a successful small group. Each week we will be providing a study guide to help you in that process. To see the Nine Challenge Small Group resource click here. Or to download a pdf version by clicking here.

Saturday, January 24, 2009

Day 6 Reading


Today's Reading: Matthew 11-12, Acts 16-18


There are several resources you can use to listen online.

You can listen to the Bible at the NIV site by clicking here. Type the book of the Bible and the chapter into the lookup line. You can only put in one chapter at a time. Hit the "Lookup" button. On the following page, there will be a small button at the top of the webpage, just above the biblical text, that says "Listen." This will open a small window that will begin playing the chosen book and chapter.

You can also listen to the Bible reading online at Biblegateway.com by clicking here. Simply choose the book of the Bible and the chapter you would like to listen to. When you click play audio, the website will open your RealPlayer and begin playing the verses.

Friday, January 23, 2009

Devotional Day 5

"Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, 'The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.'" Matthew 9:35-38 (NIV)

The original Greek word for compassion refers to a feeling that starts deep within the gut. It comes from the stomach. It happens when you see a situation of such pain and need that your stomach aches for the people involved...you have to do something.

Jesus was filled with compassion. His mission was to sacrifice himself in order to restore creation and fallen humanity to a right relationship with God. His overall mission was one of compassion, but He couldn't just walk past the hurting, broken people who stood right there in front of Him.

Healing, feeding, forgiving were all part of Jesus' activity on earth, but He knew His time was short. His public ministry lasted for only about three years. He couldn't heal everyone that needed to be healed.

So He did what God had been doing from the beginning...He worked through and with His human creation.

Jesus trained and sent His disciples as partners. Their purpose was to spread the Kingdom of God to the world. The disciples, however, were not even enough...there needed to be more. More people...more workers!

God calls people to follow Him not just to be forgiven, but to be partners in bringing the Kingdom of God to earth. He asks us to join a mission of compassion to a hurting world. God still wants to heal, feed, and care for the people of this world...He just chooses to do it through us.

Eric Wright


Today's Reading: Matthew 9-10, Acts 13-15


There are several resources you can use to listen online.

You can listen to the Bible at the NIV site by clicking here. Type the book of the Bible and the chapter into the lookup line. You can only put in one chapter at a time. Hit the "Lookup" button. On the following page, there will be a small button at the top of the webpage, just above the biblical text, that says "Listen." This will open a small window that will begin playing the chosen book and chapter.

You can also listen to the Bible reading online at Biblegateway.com by clicking here. Simply choose the book of the Bible and the chapter you would like to listen to. When you click play audio, the website will open your RealPlayer and begin playing the verses.

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Day 4 Reading


Today's Reading: Matthew 7-8, Acts 10-12


There are several resources you can use to listen online.

You can listen to the Bible at the NIV site by clicking here. Type the book of the Bible and the chapter into the lookup line. You can only put in one chapter at a time. Hit the "Lookup" button. On the following page, there will be a small button at the top of the webpage, just above the biblical text, that says "Listen." This will open a small window that will begin playing the chosen book and chapter.

You can also listen to the Bible reading online at Biblegateway.com by clicking here. Simply choose the book of the Bible and the chapter you would like to listen to. When you click play audio, the website will open your RealPlayer and begin playing the verses.

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Devotional Day 3

As you begin this journey of reading the NT in 63 days you quickly come upon Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount beginning with the Beatitudes. I remember the first time I read the Sermon on the Mount as a new Christian and became very frustrated by what seemed like one contradiction after another. Later in Bible college having become acquainted with grace again I came to the Sermon on the Mount and was utterly discouraged by teachers who taught Matthew 5 & 6 like a brand new law code more strict and compelling than the old one.It was not until 2000 when I was introduced to a man named Dallas Willard that I really began to internalize the message of the Sermon on the Mount and in particular the Beatitudes.

The phrase “Blessed are . . .” is not the rigor or demands of law, but it is a state or condition that one enters by choice. Another way of saying it is, ‘it’s just like a kingdom hearted person to . . .’ or ‘You know your filled with the Spirit when . . .’ So that you and I are are not called to be poor in Spirit or mournful as much as we invited to take a Spirit-filled response to life as it comes at us. Kingdom hearted people in times of mourning do not mourn like those who have no hope but we trust in the life and the world to come. We are people who when beaten down do not give in to poverty of Spirit but fix our eyes on heaven. It is not that we are so meek and mild that we let people do evil to our families or our friends, but that we are the kind of people who can and do turn the other cheek when we are mistreated or run-over by the self-seeking. We do not need the affirmation of looking proud or confronting an offense.

It's not that we are under the demand of the law or under an obligation to be trampled. Instead Jesus paints a picture for us of a heart and life full of God’s grace, mercy, and humility. In this way I would invite you to practice the attitude of the Sermon on the Mount. As the Apostle Paul said, “Let this same attitude be in you” (Philippians 2.5).

Hal Hester


Today's Reading: Matthew 5-6, Acts 7-9


There are several resources you can use to listen online.

You can also listen to the Bible at the NIV site by clicking here. Type the book of the Bible and the chapter into the lookup line. You can only put in one chapter at a time. Hit the "Lookup" button. On the following page, there will be a small button at the top of the webpage, just above the biblical text, that says "Listen." This will open a small window that will begin playing the chosen book and chapter.

You can listen to the Bible reading online at Biblegateway.com by clicking here. Simply choose the book of the Bible and the chapter you would like to listen to. When you click play audio, the website will open your RealPlayer and begin playing the verses.

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Day 2 Reading


Today's Reading: Matthew 3-4, Acts 4-6

There are several resources you can use to listen online.

You can also listen to the Bible at the NIV site by clicking here. Type the book of the Bible and the chapter into the lookup line. You can only put in one chapter at a time. Hit the "Lookup" button. On the following page, there will be a small button at the top of the webpage, just above the biblical text, that says "Listen." This will open a small window that will begin playing the chosen book and chapter.

You can listen to the Bible reading online at Biblegateway.com by clicking here. Simply choose the book of the Bible and the chapter you would like to listen to. When you click play audio, the website will open your RealPlayer and begin playing the verses.

Sunday, January 18, 2009

Devotional Day 1

I am very excited that our church family is taking the “9 Challenge” together! As I was doing my reading for the first day, I remembered a quote from the movie The Sound of Music: “Let’s start from the very beginning, it’s a very good place to start.”

The first two chapters of Matthew (the first of the four Gospels) records the genealogy of Jesus all the way back to Abraham, found in the Old Testament book of Genesis! It then shifts to the Christmas story from the wise men's perspective: how God protected them and the child Jesus from Herod, how they found Jesus and worshiped him.

The first three chapters of Acts chronicle the very early beginnings of the church. Luke, the author of Acts, opens his letter by recounting how Jesus, after the resurrection, had spent time with his disciples. (That he was alive!) Jesus told his followers to remain in Jerusalem for forty days until they received the gift of the Holy Spirit poured out upon them!


When this event occurred, Peter took the opportunity to share with the crowd that Jesus was the Christ and that he fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies about him… proving he was the Messiah, the anointed One. That day 3,000 people became believers and were baptized! (Take special note of Acts 2:42-47. As the church does this kind of activity, the natural bi-product is growth!)


In Peter’s message he quoted from the Old Testament…Psalms and the book of Joel. It’s important to recognize that the Old Testament and the New Testament are closely connected. The New fulfills or completes the Old. There are some 695 quotations from the Old Testament in the New Testament, and numerous other references as well!


Peter modeled what it means to live a Kingdom-focused life. When the beggar asked him and John for money, they stopped and took the time to pray with him, right there on the spot! They had no money, but they offered what they had. And the man was healed.


That’s how I want to live my life! Showing God’s love to people I encounter as I’m going about my life, day to day.


Peter’s call to action to those listening was always the same. “Repent and be baptized.” God is calling each of us to a changed life. To be a people being changed. Not perfect, but pretty good!


Scott Sliver


Small Groups are an important part of the 9 Challenge. To help you in your small group, we want to provide you with the resources necessary to lead a successful small group. Each week we will be providing a study guide to help you in that process. To see the Nine Challenge Small Group resource click here.


Today's Reading: Matthew 1-2, Acts 1-3

There are several resources you can use to listen online.

You can also listen to the Bible at the NIV site by clicking here. Type the book of the Bible and the chapter into the lookup line. You can only put in one chapter at a time. Hit the "Lookup" button. On the following page, there will be a small button at the top of the webpage, just above the biblical text, that says "Listen." This will open a small window that will begin playing the chosen book and chapter.

You can listen to the Bible reading online at Biblegateway.com by clicking here. Simply choose the book of the Bible and the chapter you would like to listen to. When you click play audio, the website will open your RealPlayer and begin playing the verses.

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

The Nine Challenge

Welcome to the Nine Challenge blog. The number "9" in Hebrew represents favor, fruitfulness, and fullness. Our goals for the 9 Challenge are divided into several catagories:
Bronze Medal:
Complete all weekend installments

Silver Medal:
Read through the New Testament
Join a Nine Week Small Group

Gold Medal:
Read through the New Testament
Join a Nine Week Small Group
Do the daily devotionals

We hope you will enjoy the devotionals, Bible readings, and resources to help you and your small group throughout the 09 Challenge.

Feel free to use the available resources, add comments to the devotionals, and interact with others using the site. I hope you will find this a valuable resource in your journey.

Read the NT in 63 Days!
An important part of the 9 Challenge is reading the entire New Testament in 63 days. We have made a reading plan available to help guide you throgh the process. You can pick up a copy of the reading plan in the lobby, or you can click here to download the daily Bible Reading Schedule. Or you can download a pdf by clicking here.

Listen Online
There are several resources you can use to listen online.

You can also listen to the Bible at the NIV site by clicking here. Type the book of the Bible and the chapter into the lookup line. You can only put in one chapter at a time. Hit the "Lookup" button. On the following page, there will be a small button at the top of the webpage, just above the biblical text, that says "Listen." This will open a small window that will begin playing the chosen book and chapter.

You can listen to the Bible reading online at Biblegateway.com by clicking here. Simply choose the book of the Bible and the chapter you would like to listen to. When you click play audio, the website will open your RealPlayer and begin playing the verses.

Messages Online
Each weekend the message focuses on one Kingdom principle. You can listen to our weekend messages online by clicking here. You can also listen to our weekly 10 minute drive time devotional podcast by clicking here.

Bible Resources
There are many great Bible resources available online.

Here are a few of our favorites:
Biblegateway.com
Crosswalk.com
Youversion
The NIV Study Bible

If you have any questions please feel free to e-mail us.