Daily Bread: July–September 2021

By Phil Andrews, Phil Winn, Esther Bailey and 5 more

Daily Bread is the Bible reading guide that aims to help you hear from God as you read the Bible. If you've ever asked the question, 'What possible relevance can this verse have for me today?' or 'What difference does this passage make to my life?' then read on...

• Language: English
• Publisher: Scripture Union
• Release date: Mar 30, 2021
• ISBN: 9781785068157

Phil Andrews

Formerly a Bible-reading guide editor for SU, Phil now produces poetry and fiction as a freelancer. He's married to Nicola and belongs to Newfrontiers church in Milton Keynes, where he loves helping people to walk in their God-given direction.

Book preview

Cover: Daily Bread July to September 2021 by Tricia and Emlyn Williams, Phil Andrews, Phil Winn, Esther Bailey, Andy Bathgate, Ro Willoughby, Terry Clutterham, Rachel Butler, Gethin Russell-Jones

Contents

Introduction

Job 4–10

Spiritual pain

Matthew 9–12

Good news in darkness

Job 11–21

Fair-weather friends?

1 Corinthians 1 – 4:5

God’s wisdom for the church

1 Corinthians 4:6 – 8:13

Love and live God’s way

1 Samuel 1–8

The ever-active God

1 Samuel 9–15

The head and shoulders man

Matthew 13–15

Seek first the kingdom

SU article

Summer of Change

Spotlight on…

Corinth

About Scripture Union

Scripture Union is a Christian charity, inviting children and young people to explore the dierence Jesus can make to the challenges and adventures of life.

Through a wide range of activities and initiatives, we provide opportunities for young people to explore the Bible, respond to Jesus and grow in faith. Having been established in England over 150 years ago, Scripture Union is now a global movement active in over 120 countries.

We believe every child should have the chance to discover Jesus. And, with an estimated 95% of children in England and Wales not part of a church, we’re working harder than ever to take the good news of Jesus beyond the church in exciting and culturally relevant ways.

Thank you for buying Daily Bread. We hope you’ll find it a real blessing as you delve regularly into God’s Word.

Scripture Union – beyond Bible reading guides

By purchasing this Bible reading guide, you are helping to support Scripture Union’s mission to reach the next generation with the good news of Jesus. All profit made from the sales of this resource are used to introduce children and young people to Jesus in a whole range of exciting ways. Thank you for the part you’re already playing in that.

Get further involved

If you’d like to find out more about Scripture Union, or you’d like to get further involved, go to www.su.org.uk/beyondbibleguides

This edition of Daily Bread copyright © Scripture Union 2021

ISSN 0963-4797 (Print)

ISSN 2050-5361 (Online).

ISBN 9781785068157 (EPUB ebook)

All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of Scripture Union.

Scripture Union, Trinity House, Opal Court, Opal Drive,

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Tel: [phone] Email: [e-mail]

Website: www.scriptureunion.org.uk

Scripture Union is a member of the worldwide Scripture

Union international community.

Website: https://scriptureunion.global

Daily Bread is also available on memory stick, DAISY CD

and in Braille from Torch Trust, Tel: [phone];

Website: www.torchtrust.org

Printed by Thomson Press, India

Design by The Smithy Creative

Cover image: iStock/sankai

Daily Bread toolbox

WAY IN

This page introduces both the notes and the writer. It sets the scene and tells you what you need to know to get into each series.

A DAY’S NOTE

The notes for each day include five key elements: Prepare, Read (the Bible passage for the day), Explore, Respond and Bible in a year. These are intended to provide a helpful way of meeting God in his Word.

PREPARE

Prepare yourself to meet with God and pray that the Holy Spirit will help you to understand and respond to what you read.

READ

Read the Bible passage, taking time to absorb and simply enjoy it. A verse or two from the Bible text is usually included on each page, but it’s important to read the whole passage.

EXPLORE

Explore the meaning of the passage, listening for what God may be saying to you. Before you read the comment, ask yourself: what is the main point of this passage? What is God showing me about himself or about my life? Is there a promise or a command, a warning or example to take special notice of?

RESPOND

Respond to what God has shown you in the passage in worship and pray for yourself and others. Decide how to share your discoveries with others.

BIBLE IN A YEAR

If your aim is to know God and his Word more deeply, why not follow this plan and read the whole Bible in one year?

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible,

New International Version. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 Biblica, Inc.

Used by permission of Hodder & Stoughton.

Introduction

Seek first the kingdom…

It’s been a strange year (or two!). I was writing this in September last year, when a second wave of COVID-19 was just beginning. We didn’t know then how things would turn out. Not knowing and uncertainty are difficult – but common in human experience, as we’ll see in these Bible readings. As Christians, though, we have a God who does know, and knows all about our past, present, and future – his kingdom is sure, and he is active.

So, why does God allow suffering in our world? Job, who we’ll meet in this Daily Bread, knew a lot about pain – physical and spiritual. He lost everything – his possessions, his family, his health. Yet, he kept on trusting, ‘My redeemer lives’ (Job 19:25). Hannah longed for a son (1 Samuel 1), God’s people longed for a king (to be like the others) – consequences of both would bring further change and uncertainties. In the New Testament, we find the Corinthian Christians struggling with issues, surprisingly similar to those we face today, such as idolatry, sexuality and arguments (look out for Tanya Ferdinandusz’ ‘Spotlight’).

In the coming of King Jesus, there is a contrasting story. Here we meet God’s own son – whose miracles and teaching usher in a new kingdom, where there is wholeness and certainty … a glimpse of what is already beginning. Here-and-now, our own suffering and uncertainties may remain a mystery – but God knows. Whatever difficulties and pain we’re facing at the moment, let’s pray together, as we read his Word: ‘your kingdom come’ (Matthew 6:10)!

’Tricia and Emlyn Williams

Editors

PS Congratulations to Daily Bread writer Rachel Butler (Warner) who got married last year during lockdown!

’Tricia & Emlyn Williams

worked with Scripture Union for many years. Emlyn led Schools ministry, then worked with SU International. ’Tricia was also part of the Schools team and later worked for SU Publishing, developing, writing and editing Bible resources. Having recently completed research in the area of faith and dementia, she continues with writing and editing faith resources. Retired from his role as discipleship pastor in a local church, Emlyn now continues his writing and talking ministries.

SU Article

Summer of Change

Even when we are faced with immense barriers to sharing the hope of Jesus, God can give us incredible opportunities to sow spiritual seeds. When SU became involved in a city-wide initiative in Newcastle, it enabled local Christians to connect with hundreds of families who may otherwise never have had reason to interact with a church.

Best Summer Ever, a government-funded initiative developed by national charity StreetGames, was launched in 2019; local ‘on the ground’ partners arranged sports, games and healthy meals for families at risk of food poverty over the summer.

Mark Oliver, one of SU’s Mission Enablers in Newcastle, happens to also work with StreetGames. He could see that Best Summer Ever would be a fantastic opportunity for churches to take God’s love out into their communities and connect with families whose children weren’t part of a church. He convinced a number of churches and local mission partners to get involved.

Mark says, ‘It was a real success, and showed StreetGames that churches could play a valuable part in reaching deprived communities. We planned to get more churches involved in 2020 – and then COVID-19 arrived, lockdown happened…’ Plans were swiftly adapted. Best Summer Ever became Summer of Change – instead of providing healthy meals in church halls, churches and local mission partners would deliver food boxes and activity packs to the homes of families in need, and offer a limited number of carefully organised ‘COVID-safe’ outdoor games in open spaces.

Mark brought together Christian groups in three areas of the city, and helped them to develop ideas and successfully bid to take part in Summer of Change. StreetGames (through Mark) trained them in basic health and wellbeing (advice they could pass on to families), COVID-safe activities for young people, and how to manage challenging behaviour. StreetGames also provided food boxes and children’s activity packs for the groups to give out weekly over July and August, and details of some families that had requested support – they relied on the groups’ local knowledge to identify the rest.

Mark and fellow SU Mission Enabler Geoff Brown went out regularly with all three groups, to offer them support and encouragement.

The Heaton team comprised volunteers from St George’s URC and St Gabriel’s, including Calum, Lexie and Carole. Calum says, ‘The families we visited were a bit apprehensive at first, as we were usually the first people they’d seen since lockdown. But when we gave them the food and activity packs the children’s faces just lit up! On later visits, parents started telling us how isolated they’d felt, how difficult it had been trying to

‘We couldn’t share the gospel directly – it was more about being there for people at a difficult time. But they knew we were from the local church.

homeschool the children, how they were struggling to keep positive.’ Lexie says, ‘We couldn’t share the gospel directly –