The Essential Jesus, Day 93 The time when Jesus comes back is going to be challenging and full of difficulty. As we read 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12, we see Paul reminding people that he is telling us about these difficulties now. Reading through these verses, we can see all that God wants to share with us to give us a heads up and an alarm that Jesus is coming. Do we heed the signs? Do we recognize the alarms? As we are working our way through all the situations and challenges, we realize that God is still there in the midst of everything. God is consistent and available and all that…

The Essential Jesus, Day 92 Encourage one another. Whether in life or in death, we are to encourage and lift up one another. Reading day 92 of the Essential Jesus reading plan on YouVersion.com, we read 1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:11. As we read all the verses that explain the importance of living for Christ and being with Christ in death, we see that our focus on Christ is the most important thing. Our life is not. Whether we are living or dying, we are to glorify God. Our ability to encourage our brothers and sisters in Christ is about how we share with them and encourage them in the glory of…

The Essential Jesus, Day 91 Jesus has all the authority. As we read day 91 of the Essential Jesus reading plan on YouVersion.com, we see that God knows when all the things will come to pass and when he will return, but just because he knows, doesn’t mean that we need to know. Read Acts 1:1-11. Jesus was telling the disciples what they need to be doing and giving his final instructions before he returned to heaven. Jesus said he would be returning one day, but that it is not for us to know when. We don’t need to know the seasons and the times. God knows and that is…

The Essential Jesus, Day 90 What temperature are we? As we reach Day 90 of the Essential Jesus reading plan on YouVersion.com, we are forced to ask some tough questions of ourselves. Read Revelation 3:14-22. This is the church that is neither hot nor cold. They are stuck in the middle. They do not take their commitment to Christ seriously enough to be on fire for him. They like their commitment like when it’s convenient and they like to follow him when it makes sense. Otherwise, they dont want to be bothered. That describes so many of today’s Christians and their Christian walk. When we think about our commitment to…

The Essential Jesus, Day 89 Are we living for Christ? Looking at Revelation 3:1-13, we see Jesus speaking to the people who need to wake up. Today is day 89 of The Essential Jesus reading plan on YouVersion.com. It can be easy to fall into the trap of having our Christian walk become a routine. Are we allowing Christ to really move and work in our lives or is it just a box that we check on our daily “to do” list? As I look at Jesus’s message to the church at Sardis, it’s important to remember that we have to wake up. We have to strengthen up and get…

The Essential Jesus, Day 88 Hold on. This phrase can be used to describe so many parts of our life. Read how Jesus uses this from Revelation 2:12-29 in day 88 of the Essential Jesus reading plan on YouVersion.com. While “hold on” can be used in a lot of different contexts, here, we see Jesus using this as a way to encourage the people to keep firm, have resolve. In other words, be intentional about what it is that we are holding on to. If we act like we don’t care and are very flippant about our beliefs, we will not have the resolve that we need to be able…

The Essential Jesus, Day 87 Directions. As we read day 87 of the Essential Jesus reading plan on YouVersion.com we are reading Revelation 2:1-11. As Jesus is giving the message to these two churches, we see that he provides them directions. He is giving instructions. Are we willing to be directed by the Lord? Do we take instruction and feedback and are we willing to truly assess where we are at and just how surrendered we are willing to be to Jesus daily? Our desire is to be completely aligned with God’s purpose. Anything less is sin and we must be willing to accept God’s feedback and direction to us…

The Essential Jesus, Day 86 Who is Jesus? This entire series, The Essential Jesus reading plan on YouVersion.com, is designed to help us in and know Jesus better. Today read Revelation 1:1-20. Today we seek to understand Jesus better by recognizing the power that he has and his position of authority over the whole world. As we read through this passage we see so many phrases used to describe Jesus. Based on these phrases, we understand the character of who he is and the characteristics of what he can do. How does knowing Jesus help us to better understand God? Jesus has said that when we have seen him, we…

The Essential Jesus, Day 84 What has been your experience with the risen Savior? As we look at John chapters 20 and 21 we see multiple different responses to the risen Savior Jesus Christ. Reading through these verses we see disbelief, amazement, questions, and worship. Which would we have been? As we think about the risen Savior, would we have been any different than they were? But, once they saw the risen Jesus, they were changed. They were never the same again and they worshipped Jesus from that point forward. When we experience Jesus, what is our response? Has he revolutionized our lives and do we worship him as a…

The Essential Jesus, Day 83 Do we believe? As we look at day 83 of the Essential Jesus reading plan on YouVersion.com, we read Luke 24:1-49 and see the story of two men who wanted to believe. Wanting to believe and actually believing are different. We can be impressed with an idea or process, but do we put our faith and trust into it so that all we do is measured by it. Do we live it even when it is not easy. Seeing and understanding the risen Savior Jesus Christ is different from choosing to place your life in him. Are you placing your life in Jesus Christ today…