Foursquare Gospel Church Igbosere (Chapel of Blessing)

OUR DAILY BREAD August 25 Sunday SURPRISED BY WISDOM James Banks Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!  Romans 11:33 1 Corinthians 1:18–25 Psalm 119:1–88; 1 Corinthians 7:20–40 “It seems like the older  I  get, the wiser  you become. Sometimes when I talk to my son I even hear  your  words coming out of  my mouth!” My daughter’s candor made me laugh. I felt the same way about  my  parents and frequently found myself using  their  words as I raised my kids. Once I became a dad, my perspective on my parents’ wisdom changed. What I once “wrote off” as foolishness turned out to be far wiser than I had thought—I just couldn’t see it at first. The Bible teaches that “the foolishness of God is wiser” than the cleverest human wisdom (1 Corinthians 1:25). “For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did no...

OUR DAILY BREAD August 24, Saturday YOU HAVE TO RELAX! Monica Brands Return to your rest, my soul, for the Lord has been good to you.  Psalm 116:7 Psalm 116:1–9 Psalms 116–118; 1 Corinthians 7:1–19 “You must relax,” pronounces a doctor crisply in Disney’s  Rescuers Down Under,  attempting to treat the injured albatross Wilbur, a reluctant patient. “Relax? I am relaxed!” a clearly  not relaxed Wilbur responds sarcastically as his panic grows. “If I were any more relaxed, I’d be dead!” Can you relate? In light of the doctor’s dubious methods (such as a chainsaw dubbed an “epidermal tissue disruptor”), Wilbur’s misgivings seem justified. But the scene is funny because it captures how we tend to feel when we’re panicking—whether or not what we’re facing is actually life-threatening. When we’re terrified, encouragement to relax can feel ridicu...

OUR DAILY BREAD August 23, Friday SERVANT’S HEART Lisa M. Samra Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.  Mark 9:35 Mark 9:33–37 Psalms 113–115; 1 Corinthians 6 Cook. Event Planner. Nutritionist. Nurse. These are just some of the responsibilities regularly performed by modern moms. In 2016, research estimated that moms likely worked between fifty-nine and ninety-six hours per week doing child-related tasks. No wonder moms are always exhausted! Being a mom means giving a lot of time and energy to care for children, who need so much help as they learn to navigate the world. When my days feel long and I need a reminder that caring for others is a worthy pursuit, I find great hope when I see Jesus affirming those who serve. In the gospel of Mark, the disciples were having an argument about which one of them was the greatest. Jesus quietly sat down and reminded them that “anyone who wants to be first must be the ver...

OUR DAILY BREAD August 22, Thursday MORE THAN HACKS Dave Branon He provided redemption for his people; he ordained his covenant forever—holy and awesome is his name.  Psalm 111:9 Psalm 111 Psalms 110–112; 1 Corinthians 5 I recently found a “hack” (a clever solution to a tricky problem) when one of my grandchildren warmed her toy rabbit on our fireplace glass. The resulting globs of fake bunny fur weren’t pretty, but a fireplace expert provided a great hack—a tip for how to make the glass look like new. It worked, and now we no longer allow stuffed animals near the fireplace! I bring up hacks because sometimes we can view Scripture as a collection of hacks—tips to make life easier. While it’s true that the Bible has much to say about how to live a Christ-honoring new life, that’s not the only purpose of the Book. What Scripture provides for us is a solution for mankind’s greatest need: rescue from sin and et...

OUR DAILY BREAD August 21, Wednesday LIFE CHANGES Amy Boucher Pye Put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.  Ephesians 4:24 Ephesians 4:20–24 Psalms 107–109; 1 Corinthians 4 Stephen grew up in a rough part of East London and fell into crime by the age of ten. He said, “If everyone’s selling drugs and doing robberies and fraud, then you’re going to get involved. It’s just a way of life.” But when he was twenty, he had a dream that changed him: “I heard God saying, Stephen, you’re going to prison for murder.” This vivid dream served as a warning, and he turned to God and received Jesus as his Savior—and the Holy Spirit transformed his life. Stephen set up an organization that teaches inner-city kids discipline, morality, and respect through sports. He credits God with the success he has seen as he prays with and trains the kids. “Rebuilding misguided dreams,”...

OUR DAILY BREAD August 20, Tuesday TOUCHED BY GRACE Sheridan Voysey Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you.  Luke 6:27 Luke 6:27–36 Psalms 105–106; 1 Corinthians 3 In Leif Enger’s novel  Peace Like a River, Jeremiah Land is a single father of three working as a janitor at a local school. He’s also a man of deep, sometimes miraculous, faith. Throughout the book, his faith is often tested. Jeremiah’s school is run by Chester Holden, a mean-spirited superintendent with a skin condition. Despite Jeremiah’s excellent work ethic—mopping up a sewage spill without complaint, picking up broken bottles the superintendent smashed—Holden wants him gone. One day, in front of all the students, he accuses Jeremiah of drunkenness and fires him. It’s a humiliating scene. How does Jeremiah respond? He could threaten legal action for unfair dismissal or make accusations of his own. He could slink away, accepting the injustice. Think for a moment what you might do. “Love yo...

OUR DAILY BREAD August 19, Monday OUR NEW HOME Estera Pirosca Escobar No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city.  Revelation 22:3 Revelation 22:1–5 Psalms 103–104; 1 Corinthians 2 As the first immigrant to the US to pass through Ellis Island in 1892, Annie Moore must have felt incredible excitement at the thought of a new home and a fresh start. Millions would pass through there afterward. Just a teenager, Annie had left behind a difficult life in Ireland to start a new one. Carrying only a little bag in her hand, she came with lots of dreams, hopes, and expectations of a land of opportunity. How much more excitement and awe will God’s children experience when we see “a new heaven and a new earth” (Revelation 21:1). We will enter what the book of Revelation calls “the Holy City, the new Jerusalem” (v. 2). The apostle John describes this amazing place with powerful imagery. ...