May 28
John 15: 4-9
Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love.
Media: Theologian Henri Nouwen shares a personal story about how an individual he was helping became an unlikely teacher for him.
Response: Who are the unlikely teachers in your life? Plan a visit or conversation with them, and focus on what God is teaching you through them. Then, tell them what you have learned from them.
Prayer Focus: Lord, help me to be open to unlikely teachers and to new ways of abiding in you.
Devotions from Previous Days
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Lenten Devotion – Day 1 – An Ethiopian Baptism
John 1:29-34 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and declared, “Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me.’ I myself did
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Lenten Devotion – Day 2 – Are you listening when God speaks?
Psalm 86:1-13 Incline your ear, O Lord, and answer me, for I am poor and needy. Preserve my life, for I am devoted to you; save your servant who trusts in you. You are my God; be gracious to me, O Lord, for to you do I cry all day long. Gladden
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Lenten Devotion – Day 3 – The Faithfulness of God
Psalm 77:11-15 I will call to mind the deeds of the Lord; I will remember your wonders of old. I will meditate on all your work and muse on your mighty deeds. Your way, O God, is holy. What god is so great as our God? You are the God who
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Lenten Devotion – Day 4 – Are the words, “I have faith” enough for you to change your life?
Hebrews 11:1-3 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Indeed, by faith our ancestors received approval. By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was made from things that are not visible. Media: “I have
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Lenten Devotion Day 5 – The Lord’s Prayer in Jesus’ Language
Matthew 6:7-13 “When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. “Pray, then, in this way: Our
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Lenten Devotion Day 6 – Taizé Monastic Community
Acts 2:42-47 42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. Awe came upon everyone because many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their possessions and
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Lenten Devotion Day 7 – Reflecting on Our Prayer Life
Psalm 63:1-4 O God, you are my God; I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory. Because your steadfast
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Lenten Devotion Day 8 – Writing a Collect Prayer
Philippians 4:4-7 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all
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Lenten Devotion Day 9 – The World Blessing
Psalm 150 Praise the Lord! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty firmament! Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his surpassing greatness! Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp! Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings
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Lenten Devotion Day 10 – Come Like a Fire
Romans 12:1-3 I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, on the basis of God’s mercy, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your reasonable act of worship. Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of
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Lenten Devotion Day 11 – How can we know God personally?
Jeremiah 29:11-13 For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope. Then when you call upon me and come and pray to me, I will hear you. When you search for me, you
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Lenten Devotion Day 12 – Beauty Out of Brokenness
2 Cor 4:7-10 But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us. We are afflicted in every way but not crushed, perplexed but not driven to despair, persecuted but not forsaken,
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Lenten Devotion Day 13 – Meditating on the Bible
Psalm 1:1-3 Happy are those who do not follow the advice of the wicked or take the path that sinners tread or sit in the seat of scoffers, but their delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law they meditate day and night. They are like trees
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Lenten Devotion Day 14 – Hearing God’s Voice Through Nature
Psalm 19:1-4a The heavens are telling the glory of God, and the firmament proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night declares knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words; their voice is not heard; yet their voice goes out through all the earth and
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Lenten Devotion Day 15 – Discovering Child-Like Wonder
Daniel 4:3 How great are his signs, how mighty his wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his sovereignty is from generation to generation. Media: As we grow older, our hearts can become hardened. God calls us to rediscover wonder in life, in our world, and in our God.
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Lenten Devotion Day 16 – Lectio Divina
Joshua 1:8 This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth; you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to act in accordance with all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you
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Lenten Devotion Day 17 – Biblical Justice
Micah 6:8 He has told you, O mortal, what is good, and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God? Media: Why is justice such an important, and sometimes controversial, topic in our world today? What does the
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Lenten Devotion Day 18 – Resiliency and Servanthood
1 John 3:16-17 We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us—and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers and sisters. How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet
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Lenten Devotion Day 19 – Offering God’s Presence
James 2:14-17 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but does not have works? Surely that faith cannot save, can it? If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and
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Lenten Devotion Day 20 – Acts of Kindness
Matthew 25:37-40 Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it
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Lenten Devotion Day 21 – Prayer of St. Patrick
Ephesians 6:13-17 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on the evil day and, having prevailed against everything, to stand firm. Stand, therefore, and belt your waist with truth and put on the breastplate of righteousness and lace up your sandals in preparation
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Lenten Devotion Day 22 – A Voice for the Voiceless
Proverbs 31:8-9 Speak out for those who cannot speak, for the rights of all the destitute. Speak out; judge righteously; defend the rights of the poor and needy. Media: Today we watch a brief documentary about Catholic Archbishop Oscar Romero of El Salvador. Note: This video depicts images of death
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Lenten Devotion Day 23 – Jesus-Like Generosity
Matthew 6:19-21 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal, but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there
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Lenten Devotion Day 24 – An Abundant God
Matthew 6:25-29 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor
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Lenten Devotion Day 25 – Stewardship of Your Talents & Abilities
1 Peter 4:8-11 Above all, maintain constant love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without complaining. Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received. Whoever speaks must do so as one speaking
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Easter Devotion
Colossians 3:1-4 So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on the things that are above, not on the things that are on earth, for you have died, and your life is hidden
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Lenten Devotion Day 40 – Holy Saturday
Psalm 22:1-3 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me, from the words of my groaning? O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer; and by night but find no rest. Yet you are holy, enthroned on
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Lenten Devotion – What’s So Good About Good Friday?
Isaiah 53: 5-6 But he was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the punishment that made us whole, and by his bruises we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have all turned to our own way, and the Lord has laid on him
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Lenten Devotion – The Agony in the Garden
1 Corinthians 11:23-26 For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body that is for you.
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Lenten Devotion Day 37 – Journey to the Cross
John 13:21-26 After saying this Jesus was troubled in spirit and declared, “Very truly, I tell you, one of you will betray me.” The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom he was speaking. One of his disciples—the one whom Jesus loved—was reclining close to his heart; Simon Peter therefore motioned to
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Lenten Devotion Day 36 – Perseverance
Hebrews 12:1-2 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith, who for
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Lenten Devotion Day 35 – Chaos to Wholeness
Jonah 2:5-7 The waters closed in over me; the deep surrounded me; weeds were wrapped around my head at the roots of the mountains. I went down to the land whose bars closed upon me forever; yet you brought up my life from the Pit, O Lord my God. As my life was
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Lenten Devotion Day 34 – Redeemed
Romans 5:1-5 Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand, and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. And not only that, but we also boast in our afflictions, knowing
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Lenten Devotion Day 33 – Who Am I?
Psalm 121: 1-5 I lift up my eyes to the hills— from where will my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor
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Lenten Devotion Day 32 – Expressions of Faith
2 Corinthians 5:17-20 So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; look, new things have come into being! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was
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Lenten Devotion Day 31 – My Prayer for You
Isaiah 43:1b-3 Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and
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Lenten Devotion Day 30 – Unlikely Teachers
John 15: 4-9 Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them
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Lenten Devotion Day 29 – Testify
Matthew 5:14-16 “You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. 15 People do not light a lamp and put it under the bushel basket; rather, they put it on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let
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Lenten Devotion Day 28 – Kind and Giving
Matthew 25:34-40 Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world, for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to
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Lenten Devotion Day 27 – Fill Your Cup
John 4:13-14 Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, 14 but those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life.”
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Lenten Devotion Day 26 – Coffee and Community
1 Corinthians 13:1-3 If I speak in the tongues of humans and of angels but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers and understand all mysteries and all knowledge and if I have all faith so as to remove
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