May 5 – Living Hope
Alternate Title – A Living Hope

Bible Lesson: 1 Peter 1:3-16  (for alternate title, 1 Peter 1:3-12)

What we shall learn from this scripture:

To live without expectation or hope can be depressing, or even a life-changer. The criminal who does not ever expect to be punished is living without expectation, and will continue to break the law. The mass murderer who does not believe in hell and God's judgment is living without expectation of eternal punishment. A dying person who does not believe in the blessings of heaven has nothing to look forward to and will die without hope.

But, Christians live with hope and expectation for the reward of eternal life which Jesus gave us through his death on the cross, and resurrection. We have a reason to not be a criminal, to die with expectation, and to live a holy life. That reason is the knowledge of the reward which awaits us, and is safely held for us in heaven. Therefore, we endure life's trials and tribulations, which are only opportunities to increase our trust in Jesus. Therefore, we are living a hopeful life.


The Bible lesson link is for for the King James Version. You may also wish to read the New Living Translation of 1 Peter 1:3-16 . When you get to the New Living Translation web site, scroll down the page a short distance to find the Scripture.

May 12 – Sure Hope
Alternate Title – Equipped With Hope

Bible Lesson: 2 Peter 1:2-15, 20, 21  (for alternate title, 2 Peter 1:4-14)

What we shall learn from this scripture:

Most of us have accepted a new job without knowing what each and every responsibility will be. The first day on the job is often a nervous and uncertain affair, as we strive to be successful and make a good impression. Likewise, those who go to college for the first time have a sense of being lost on that first day. Under circumstances similar to these, the things which are unknown to us often will make us a lot less hopeful that we will accomplish our task adequately.

Imagine how helpful it would be, during uncertain times, to have a coach with us who explains what we will need to do in order to achieve our goal; to be successful. Many of us know how comforting it is to have someone "show us the ropes" as we learn a new job; someone who knows all the answers.

In 2nd Peter, we are reminded of the fact that God has given us all we need to know in order to live a godly life. Not only are the requirements written in the Bible, but are also written on our hearts by the Holy Spirit who dwells inside all believers. In addition to being in the Bible, and on our hearts, we have been given prophets and teachers. They remind us of our responsibilities and duties as Christians and also of the eternal reward God has in store for us.

We are equipped with everything needed to live a godly life, so we can face tomorrow with hope and without doubt. We may not know exactly what will happen to us each day, but we know what we need to do to achieve our goal of eternal life with the Lord. He is our coach who is with us each day. But our coach does more than send us into the game with knowledge of how to win. He guarantees we will win if we follow His instructions. You see, our coach already knows the final score.


The Bible lesson link is for for the King James Version. You may also wish to read the New Living Translation of 2 Peter 1:2-15, 20, 21 . When you get to the New Living Translation web site, scroll down the page a short distance to find the Scripture.

May 19 – Active Hope
Alternate Title – Hope Through Stewardship

Bible Lesson: 1 Peter 4:1-11 

What we shall learn from this scripture:

The reference scripture starts with Apostle Peter explaining that Christians must be ready and willing to suffer physically for Christ, just as He suffered for us. During Peter's life, as opposed to today, there was more of a chance that Christians would be persecuted or even killed because of their faith. Still, the spirit of his explanation is that we must be ready to deny ourselves worldly physical pleasures for the sake of Christ. Forsaking our old worldly behavior may cause us to lose some friends with whom we used to associate, but, in the end, it will be worth it when we face God's judgment.

When we think of stewardship, most of us probably think of giving money to the church. However, there is more to stewardship than giving money. We should also give of ourselves, our talents, and abilities in the service of, and praise of, God. Therefore, stewardship involves how we invest money and our also our time in the service of God and godly pursuits.

Every believer has been blessed with at least one spiritual gift which can be used in the service of God. Your gift may be singing, administrative, technical, artistic creativity, encouragement of others, or one of countless other abilities. Jesus made it plain that we should serve and love others. Therefore, observing this command is also serving God, for it is obeying His wish. This is where your spiritual gift comes into play. Not only are we supposed to use our gifts and talents in the service of the church, but, also, outside the church, because our service to God does not stop when we walk out of the church doors.

We should all ask ourselves, "What do I do inside and outside the church building in the service of God, and to help others on a routine basis, while expecting no pay?" If your answer is, "nothing," it is now time for you to start participating in activities which further the kingdom of God on earth. That includes work inside and outside the church building.


The Bible lesson link is for for the King James Version. You may also wish to read the New Living Translation of 1 Peter 4:1-11 . When you get to the New Living Translation web site, scroll down the page a short distance to find the Scripture.

May 26 – Patient Hope
Alternate Title – Hope in the Day of the Lord

Bible Lesson: 2 Peter 3:3-15a, 18  (for alternate title, 2 Peter 3:1-15a)

What we shall learn from this scripture:

The Christian faith teaches us that Jesus will come a second time to earth, and there will be a judgment day for each of us. We have not been told when that day will come, and no one on earth knows when that time will arrive. Some may be tempted to be relaxed and too comfortable in not following what they know is right. In addition, the scoffers will say that this prediction has been around for thousands of years and is, no doubt, just a myth. But, we must counter this with the fact, in terms of eternity, a thousand years is relatively insignificant. Our shortcoming is we have a mere lifetime to demonstrate to God our faithfulness to Him. If we fail in this pursuit, we will have lost our chance to inherit eternal life in heaven, and, will instead, be given eternal life in hell.

Imagine just for a moment, that you like to drink alcohol, and every day you drink and pay little attention to the advice of your friends. Perhaps, in the back of your mind, there is a thought about liver cancer ... but that worry will be put off until tomorrow, because, today, the drink is in your hand and everything is good. Then, one day, the cancer comes, and this fact now makes you ready to stop ... but it is too late. At that time, you may truly regret the habit of drinking, and lose all desire to drink again. However, the damage is done, and you will not recover this time. If only you had known exactly when the next drink would have tipped the balance, you could have stopped just before, and you would have been saved. But now, it is too late. We can learn from this simple example, the only good time to start doing right and stop doing wrong is right now!

God has been very patient with us individually, and has allowed us all the time we need to repent. He has also been patient with humanity as a whole, and has given us thousands of years to become a godly people. So, what is our next step, and when should we make our move? A very good time to start is right now. When you are faced with a choice of doing right or wrong, being considerate or not, being helpful or not, just repeat to yourself, "Stop doing wrong, and start doing right!" This is the time; not tomorrow. Don't wait until you are facing God on your judgment day to make that change; it will be too late to make a difference.

The Bible lesson link is for for the King James Version. You may also wish to read the New Living Translation of 2 Peter 3:3-15a, 18 . When you get to the New Living Translation web site, scroll down the page a short distance to find the Scripture.

June 2 – Worship and Respond
Alternate Title – Holy, Holy, Holy

Bible Lesson: Isaiah 6:1-8 

What we shall learn from this scripture:

Isaiah is, perhaps, the best known prophet in the Old Testament. He was eager to obey the Lord, as can be demonstrated by his obedience to be naked for 3 years (Isaiah 20:1-4). The reference scripture tells of the vision he had which commissioned or re-commissioned (as some prefer to believe) his call to ministry.

In any case, his response to the call to ministry was that of total obedience. His response has been widely quoted, and likely inspired some songs which we sing today which have the same theme. His response should also be our response when faced with an opportunity to spread God's word. What was his response to God's question, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" His response was, "Here am I, send me."

The Holy Spirit tugs at our soul with the same challenge - to do God's work; to be a godly person. Will we respond as Kingdom-focused servants such as Isaiah? Or, will we respond by focusing on our own worldly pursuits?


The Bible lesson link is for for the King James Version. You may also wish to read the New Living Translation of Isaiah 6:1-8. When you get to the New Living Translation web site, scroll down the page a short distance to find the Scripture.

June 9 – Worship with Thanksgiving
Alternate Title – Give Thanks

Bible Lesson: Isaiah 12 

What we shall learn from this scripture:

Although Isaiah wrote the reference scripture specifically for the Israelites, there is a very important lesson in it for us: We should praise the Lord for all He has done for us, and spread the word about Him to others. In other words, we should testify to others about the goodness of the Lord, and how He has blessed us. This is not only done by what we say, but also, with what we do; we will do our best to obey him, because that is His desire. Our obedient actions show true thankfulness to God. Words without actions have little meaning. In James 2:26, it says, "...faith without works is dead." That means, a mere profession of faith with words is not enough. A mere profession of faith is useless without that faith being put into practice in our life.

When our actions back up our words of praise to God, we are worshipping with true thanksgiving and appreciation.


The Bible lesson link is for for the King James Version. You may also wish to read the New Living Translation of Isaiah 12. When you get to the New Living Translation web site, scroll down the page a short distance to find the Scripture.

June 16 – Worship with Meaning
Alternate Title – Meaningless Worship

Bible Lesson: Isaiah 29:9-16 

What we shall learn from this scripture:

Some people have a "way with words." They don't stutter, shake, or misspeak when public speaking or when carrying on a conversation with someone else. Some people speak so well that their livelihood is based on their ability to deliver a message to groups of people. They can motivate and inspire people to follow their suggestions or proposals. They are all around us, from friends you see almost every day, to the smooth-talking playboy or the quick-witted politician. Even the emotion-stirring motivational speaker can effortlessly produce words that resound with echoes of logic and persuasion. But, behind the veil of heartwarming and heart-stirring rhetoric, there is sometimes empty space, or even worse, dark and diabolic intent and motives.

We ourselves are guilty sometimes of speaking empty words of sympathy, love, encouragement, motivation, and flattery. It's not that the words themselves don't console or motivate the intended person, because many times the words accomplish the intended results. The reference scripture does not challenge the effectiveness of empty words on people, but instead, it focuses on the soul and salvation of the person who speaks them, especially when those words are directed to God.

When we speak words to achieve a goal, ostensibly, for one implied reason, while secretly we are hiding the real reason, we are guilty of deception. This is a form of lying and is a sin. When a person tells another person enduring or pleasing things to accomplish a nefarious goal, he (or she) may be proud of himself (or herself) when the goal is accomplished, but God knows the real intent, and He will hold that person accountable. When a person makes a public or private declaration of love for the Lord, if God knows otherwise, he (or she) will be held fully accountable. We cannot hide our true motives, thoughts, and beliefs form the Lord, because He knows all. He knows what we do behind closed doors, and how we truly feel within our hearts. Therefore, the best way to please the Lord is to worship Him with with godly actions, and true and honest praise for Him. Then, our worship is honest and meaningful without pretense. To do otherwise, is meaningless worship because God knows our heart and we cannot deceive Him.


The Bible lesson link is for for the King James Version. You may also wish to read the New Living Translation of Isaiah 29:9-16. When you get to the New Living Translation web site, scroll down the page a short distance to find the Scripture.

June 30 – Restoring Joyful Worship

Bible Lesson: Ezra 3:1-7 

What we shall learn from this scripture:

Background: As a result of the Israelites' disobedience to God, He punished them by allowing the Babylonians to utterly defeat them. The temple was destroyed and the remaining people (who had not been killed) were exiled to Babylonian-controlled lands. However, after 70 years of captivity, the Israelites were allowed to return to Jerusalem. All of this had been foretold in Jer 25:7-11. As this prophecy also said, God's judgment was that He will take away happy singing and laughter and the joyful voices of the bridegrooms and brides.

Ultimately, God allowed the Babylonians to be defeated by Persia. The year following the defeat would complete the 70 years of captivity which God, through Jeremiah, had commanded. The Lord then moved Cyrus, the King of Persia, to allow the Israelites to return to Jerusalem and restore their homeland and temple. This return coincided with the predicted end of the 70 years of exile.

The returning Israelites were, however, faced with opposition from the people who had moved into the land in their absence. Nevertheless, they were able to rebuild the sacrificial altar on the original location and then proceeded to sacrifice to God faithfully. This was done before the temple foundation had been laid. They had learned a hard lesson in captivity, and were very pleased to, once again, worship God with joy.

We will all make mistakes in life in almost any worthwhile pursuit. As examples, we might get a speeding ticket for going beyond the speeding limit, or be faced with additional problems resulting from performing our work job incorrectly. Likewise, we will make mistakes and deviate from God's commandments. With these sins, we are subject to God's punishment. This is similar to children disobeying their parents and then receiving punishment for the disobedience. Their punishment is supposed to help them to right in the future.

As a people, the Israelites learned from captivity that disobeying God was a mistake, and so they were grateful for another chance to do right. They set out to restore joy and faithfulness in worship when they returned to Jerusalem. Our "Jerusalem" represents the willingness to do God's will, and to worship Him joyfully. For, without the Lord, we are nothing but dust.


The Bible lesson link is for for the King James Version. You may also wish to read the New Living Translation of Ezra 3:1-7. When you get to the New Living Translation web site, scroll down the page a short distance to find the Scripture.

For access to all chapters of the King James Version Bible in audio and visual formats, visit
the Audio-Bible.com web site.

For other versions (NIV, New Living Translation, etc.) of the Bible in audio and visual formats, visit the
World Wide Study Bible page of Christian Classics Eternal Library site. Also visit the New Living Translation web site.

Some information on this page may be referenced from the NLT Study Bible,the Ryrie Study Bible (NIV), and the Standard Lesson Commentary.