Memory Text: Hebrews 4:12 NIV “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”

Sunday, May 13 The Bible, Agent of Change
2 Corinthians 5:17 NRSV “So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!”
Psalm 19:7 KJ21 “The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.”
John 17:17 KJ21 “Sanctify them through Thy truth: Thy Word is truth.”
Romans 6:4 KJ21 “Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”
Ephesians 4:24 KJ21 “and that ye put on that new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.”
Hebrews 4:12 KJ21 “For the Word of God is living and powerful and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”
1 Peter 2:24 KJ21 “who His own self bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness; by whose stripes ye were healed.”

Monday, May 14 Doers of the Word
Romans 10:17 -- Simple English “Since a person believes something because he hears about it, he should hear the message of Christ.”
John 5:39-40 -- New American “39 You search the scriptures, because you think you have eternal life through them; even they testify on my behalf. 40 and yet you refuse to come to me to receive life!”
James 1:22 -- Simple English “Do what message says; don't just listen. When you merely sit and listen to the message, you are only fooling yourselves.”
James 1:22 COMMENTARY BY ALBERT BARNES If a man supposes that by a mere punctual attendance on preaching, or a respectful attention to it, he has done all that is required of him, he is labouring under a most gross self- deception. And yet there are multitudes who seem to imagine that they have done all that is demanded of them when they have heard attentively the word preached. Of its influence on their lives, and its claims to obedience, they are utterly regardless.

Tuesday, May 15 Principles of Life
Psalm 19:7-11 NKJV “7 ¶ The law of the LORD [is] perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of the LORD [is] sure, making wise the simple; 8 The statutes of the LORD [are] right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the LORD [is] pure, enlightening the eyes; 9 The fear of the LORD [is] clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the LORD [are] true [and] righteous altogether. 10 More to be desired [are they] than gold, Yea, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. 11 Moreover by them Your servant is warned, [And] in keeping them [there is] great reward.”
Psalms 119:105 -- Living Bible “Your words are a flashlight to light the path ahead of me, and keep me from stumbling.”
2 Timothy 3:16-17 William Tyndale “16 For all scripture given by inspiration of God, is profitable to teach, to improve, to inform, and to instruct in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be perfect, and prepared unto all good works.”
Could you apply the principles found in the following texts and apply them to real-life situations?
Genesis 39:7-14 NLT “7 ¶ And about this time, Potiphar’s wife began to desire him and invited him to sleep with her. 8 But Joseph refused. "Look," he told her, "my master trusts me with everything in his entire household. 9 No one here has more authority than I do! He has held back nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How could I ever do such a wicked thing? It would be a great sin against God." 10 She kept putting pressure on him day after day, but he refused to sleep with her, and he kept out of her way as much as possible. 11 One day, however, no one else was around when he was doing his work inside the house. 12 She came and grabbed him by his shirt, demanding, "Sleep with me!" Joseph tore himself away, but as he did, his shirt came off. She was left holding it as he ran from the house. 13 ¶ When she saw that she had his shirt and that he had fled, 14 she began screaming. Soon all the men around the place came running. "My husband has brought this Hebrew slave here to insult us!" she sobbed. "He tried to rape me, but I screamed.”
Genesis 39:7 COMMENTARY LIFE APPLICATIONS BIBLE Potiphar’s wife failed to seduce Joseph, who resisted this temptation by saying it would be a sin against God. Joseph didn’t say, “I’d be hurting you,” or “I’d be sinning against Potiphar,” or “I’d be sinning against myself.” Under pressure, such excuses are easily rationalized away. Remember that sexual sin is not just between two consenting adults. It is an act of disobedience against God.
John 8:3-11 MKJV “3 And the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman taken in adultery. And standing her in the midst, 4 they said to Him, Teacher, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. 5 Now Moses in the law commanded us that such should be stoned. You, then, what do you say? 6 They said this, tempting Him so that they might have [reason] to accuse Him. But bending down, Jesus wrote on the ground with [His] finger, not appearing [to hear]. 7 But as they continued to ask Him, He lifted Himself up and said to them, He who is without sin among you, let him cast the first stone at her. 8 And again bending down, He wrote on the ground. 9 And hearing, and being convicted by conscience, they went out one by one, beginning at the oldest, until the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. 10 And bending back up, and seeing no one but the woman, Jesus said to her, Woman, where are the ones who accused you? Did not one give judgment against you? 11 And she said, No one, Lord. And Jesus said to her, Neither do I give judgment. Go, and sin no more.”
John 8:7 COMMENTARY LIFE APPLICATIONS BIBLE This is a significant statement about judging others. Because Jesus upheld the legal penalty for adultery, stoning, he could not be accused of being against the law. But by saying that only a sinless person could throw the first stone, he highlighted the importance of compassion and forgiveness. When others are caught in sin, are you quick to pass judgment? To do so is to act as though you have never sinned. It is God’s role to judge, not ours. Our role is to show forgiveness and compassion.
Philippians 2:3-4 -- Simple English “3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceited pride. Instead, humbly treat others better than yourselves. 4 Look for what is important to others, not just what is important to you.”
Philippians 2:3 COMMENTARY LIFE APPLICATIONS BIBLE Selfishness can ruin a church, but genuine humility can build it. Being humble involves having a true perspective about ourselves. It does not mean that we should put ourselves down. Before God, we are sinners, saved only by God’s grace, but we are saved and therefore have great worth in God’s Kingdom. We are to lay aside selfishness and treat others with respect and common courtesy. Considering others’ interests as more important than our own links us with Christ, who was a true example of humility.

Wednesday, May 16 What Saith the Word of God?
Co-worker steals – Leviticus 19:13 NLT “Do not cheat or rob anyone.” As Jesus says, go to him in private and find out the problem if you can. Carefully involve others, particularly those like a pastor or counselor who can genuinely help him instead of just accusing. But if he/she won’t listen you may have to talk to your boss in the company or organization, stressing that you want to help, not just accuse.
Unmarried woman pregnant – see John 8:3-11 above. Are we prone to withhold help because of what she has done? Get her the help she needs privately, if possible, through the church or a community agency.
Beggar – Isaiah 1:17 NLT “Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the orphan. Fight for the rights of widows.” Having been in a foreign situation where beggars are numerous, I think the key lies in what the beggar really wants you to do – just give money and go away or actually get help. Just giving money time after time doesn’t help the situation and may make your witness a lot harder through lack of funds.
Pork at a meal – see Genesis 39:7-14 above. You can be polite about it as possible, but if you believe God has asked you to follow certain dietary rules then you must even if you offend the person concerned.
Elderly parent kept alive – see Philippians 2:4 above. To me the key would be if the brain waves were almost completely flat. In that case, you are going beyond what is necessary to sustain life if you continue life support. In the case of my own mother, our family rejected heroic measures due to the fact she had no normal life to look forward to – she was in a coma.

Thursday, May 17 Revival and Reformation
2 Kings 22:8 - 23:25 KJ21 (abridged) “8 And Hilkiah the high priest said unto Shaphan the scribe, "I have found the Book of the Law in the house of the LORD." And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it. And Shaphan read it before the king. 12 And the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Achbor the son of Michaiah, and Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah a servant of the king, saying, 13 "Go ye, inquire of the LORD for me, and for the people and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that is found" 23:1 ¶ And the king sent, and they gathered unto him all the elders of Judah and of Jerusalem. 2 he read in their ears all the words of the Book of the Covenant which was found in the house of the LORD. 3 And the king stood by a pillar and made a covenant before the LORD, to walk after the LORD and to keep His commandments and His testimonies and His statutes with all his heart and all his soul, to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people stood to the covenant. 4 ¶ And the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest, and the priests of the second order and the keepers of the door, to bring forth out of the temple of the LORD all the vessels that were made for Baal and for the Asherah pole and for all the host of heaven; and he burned them outside Jerusalem in the fields of Kidron, and carried the ashes of them unto Bethel. 5 And he put down the idolatrous priests whom the kings of Judah had ordained to burn incense in the high places in the cities of Judah and in the places round about Jerusalem, those also who burned incense unto Baal, to the sun and to the moon and to the planets, and to all the host of heaven. 15 Moreover the altar that was at Bethel, and the high place which Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, had made, both that altar and the high place he broke down, and burned the high place and stamped it small to powder and burned the Asherah pole. 21 And the king commanded all the people, saying, "Keep the Passover unto the LORD your God, as it is written in the Book of this Covenant." 22 Surely there was not held such a Passover from the days of the judges who judged Israel, nor in all the days of the kings of Israel nor of the kings of Judah, 23 but in the eighteenth year of King Josiah wherein this Passover was held to the LORD in Jerusalem. 25 ¶ And like unto him was there no king before him, who turned to the LORD with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his might, according to all the Law of Moses; neither after him arose there any like him.”