Foursquare Gospel Church Igbosere (Chapel of Blessing)

OUR DAILY BREAD November 17, SUNDAY EASILY ENTANGLED Cindy Hess Kasper Throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.  Hebrews 12:1 Hebrews 2:17–18; 12:1–2 Ezekiel 5–7; Hebrews 12 Soldiers fighting in a sweltering jungle many years ago encountered a frustrating problem. Without warning, a pervasive prickly vine would attach itself to the soldiers’ bodies and gear, causing them to be trapped. As they struggled to get free, even more of the plant’s tentacles entangled them. The soldiers dubbed the weed the “wait-a-minute” vine because, once entwined and unable to move forward, they were forced to shout out to other members of their team, “Hey, wait a minute, I’m stuck!” In a similar way, it’s hard for followers of Jesus to move forward when we’re ensnared by sin. Hebrews 12:1 tells us to “throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles” a...

OUR DAILY BREAD November 16, SATURDAY DAD , WHERE ARE YOU? Adam Holz The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.  Deuteronomy 31:8 Deuteronomy 31:1–8 Ezekiel 3–4; Hebrews 11:20–40 “Dad! Where are you?” I was pulling into our driveway when my daughter, panicking, called me on my cell phone. I’d needed to be home by 6:00 to get her to play practice; I was on time. My daughter’s voice, however, betrayed her lack of trust. Reflexively, I responded: “I’m here. Why don’t you trust me?” But as I spoke those words, I wondered,  How often could my heavenly Father ask that of me?  In stressful moments, I too am impatient. I too struggle to trust, to believe God will keep His promises. So I cry out: “Father, where are you?” Amid stress and uncertainty, I sometimes doubt God’s presence, o...

OUR DAILY BREAD November 15, Friday AIMING FOR THE PRIZE Kirsten Holmberg Run in such a way as to get the prize.  1 Corinthians 9:24 1 Corinthians 9:19–27 Ezekiel 1–2; Hebrews 11:1–19 In the 1994 fictional movie  Forrest Gump,  Forrest becomes famous for running. What began as a jog “to the end of the road” continued for three years, two months, fourteen days, and sixteen hours. Each time he arrived at his destination, he set another one and continued to run, zig-zagging across the United States, until one day when he no longer felt like it. “Feeling like it” was the way his running began. Forrest says, “That day, for no particular reason, I decided to go for a little run.” In contrast to Forrest’s seemingly whimsical running, the apostle Paul asks his readers to follow his example and “run in such a way as to get the prize” (1 Corinthians 9:24). Like disciplined athletes, our running—the way we live our lives—might mean saying no to some of our pleasures. Bein...

OUR DAILY BREAD November 14, Thursday ALERT CIRCLES Джеймс Бэнкс Encourage one another and build each other up.  1 Thessalonians 5:11 Hebrews 10:19–25 Lamentations 3–5; Hebrews 10:19–39 African gazelles instinctively form “alert circles” while resting on the savannah. They gather in groups with each animal facing outward in a slightly different direction. This enables them to scan the horizon a full 360 degrees and to communicate about approaching dangers or opportunities. Instead of looking out only for themselves, the members of the group take care of one another. This is also God’s wisdom for followers of Jesus. The Bible encourages us, “Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together” (Hebrews 10:24–25). Christians were never intended to go it alone, explains the writer of Hebrews. Together we are stronger. We’re able to “[encourage] one another” (v. 25), to “comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ou...

OUR DAILY BREAD November 13, Wednesday TRUE FRIENDS Alyson Kieda A friend loves at all times.  Proverbs 17:17 1 Samuel 18:1–4; 19:1–6 Lamentations 1–2; Hebrews 10:1–18 In high school, I had a “sometimes friend.” We were “buddies” at our church, and we occasionally hung out together outside of school. But at school, it was a different story. If she met me by herself, she might say hello; but only if no one else was around. Realizing this, I rarely tried to gain her attention within school walls. I knew the limits of our friendship. We’ve probably all experienced the pain of disappointingly one-sided or narrow friendships. But there’s another kind of friendship—one that extends beyond all boundaries. It’s the kind of friendship we have with kindred spirits who are committed to sharing life’s journey with us. David and Jonathan were such friends. Jonathan was “one in spirit” with David and loved him “as himself” (1 Samuel 18:1–3). Although Jonathan would have bee...

OUR DAILY BREAD November 12, TUESDAY OUR BLESSINGS, HIS LOVE Peter Chin To him who led his people through the wilderness;  His love endures forever.  Psalm 136:16 Psalm 136:1–3, 10–26 Jeremiah 51–52; Hebrews 9 In 2015, a woman discarded her deceased husband’s computer at a recycling center—a computer that had been made in 1976. But more important than  when  it had been made was  who  made it. It was one of 200 computers hand built by Apple founder Steve Jobs, and was worth an estimated quarter of a million dollars! Sometimes knowing the true worth of something means knowing who made it. Knowing that it’s God who made us shows us how valuable we are to Him (Genesis 1:27). Psalm 136 catalogs key moments of His people—ancient Israel: how they had been freed from captivity in Egypt (vv. 11–12), journeyed through the wilderness (v. 16), and were given a new home in Canaan (vv. 21–22). But eac...

OUR DAILY BREAD November 11, MONDAY IT’S UP TO GOD Anne Cetas Your will be done.  Matthew 6:10 Matthew 6:5–15 Jeremiah 50; Hebrews 8 Nate and Sherilyn enjoyed their stop at an  omakase  restaurant while visiting New York City.  Omakase  is a Japanese word that translates, “I will leave it up to you,” which means customers at such restaurants let the chef choose their meal. Even though it was their first time to try this type of cuisine and it sounded risky, they loved the food the chef chose and prepared for them. That idea could carry over to our attitude toward God with our prayer requests: “I will leave it up to You.” The disciples saw that Jesus “often withdrew to lonely places” to pray (Luke 5:16), so they asked Him one day to teach them how to pray. He told them to ask for their daily needs, forgiveness, and the way out of temptation. Part of His response also suggested an attitude of surrender: ...