FreshBread

Dear fellow FreshBread travelers……

A year ago we set out to read through the gospels…..little did I know that we would just get through the book of Matthew…..but that is what happens when I pick the passages to read each day! HOWEVER…..there is hope in sight!

Tomorrow we are starting a new FreshBread year and series. IF you follow the series we will read through the Bible in a year. It will be an exciting adventure. I would encourage you to read the passages for each day, as this will give you the opportunity to read through the word of God. However I know that some of you enjoy FreshBread and are not able to read the entire passage each day…..that is why we are making some changes in the lay-out!

Each day we will list the reading for the day. It will consist of several chapters from all different places in the Bible. (Our reading plan will not take us from Beginning to end this time but more of a Random approach…..but we are following a preset plan don’t worry). Secondly, a new feature in FreshBread is I will print out a KEY VERSE for the day. It is this verse that the text of FreshBread will be written on. I will NOT try to cover all of our reading in the daily commentary but only some thoughts to ponder on the key verse and its context.

This is a great e-mail to forward to a friend and get them signed up for the new FreshBread format in the AM. They can sign up for it by going to www.freshstartchurch.com. We have well over 350 people from around the World who are reading FreshBread with us every day! Spend sometime today taking a walk with God and ask Him to teach you something new each day! Have a great one! Get excited…See you in the AM!

Scott

PS – Remember to make plans to join us this Sunday as we kick of a new year at Church…It is going to be AWESOME!!!!!!!

Today’s Reading is Matthew 28:18-20

I have heard this passage taught and dissected many times. I know that the key word is to make disciples and we are to teach people to obey God’s commands. HOWEVER…I do not believe that Jesus wanted us to live so much dissecting this verse on a line and making sure we are doing each part. I believe He wanted His “followers” (and that would be us) just to live this verse out.

In the course of your day realize that they way you live teaches people the importance of God’s commands and it is through living in this way that people understand the life of a disciple. We spend so much time developing discipleship plans and very little time living the life of a disciple! Ponder those thoughts for today… Does your life clearly show off whom you are following?

Scott

Today’s Reading is Matthew 28:17

So the Disciples saw the resurrected Jesus and some doubted…. WHY? Jesus was resurrected and for some reason Mary did not recognize Him in the garden the morning of His resurrection. Could that have something to do with doubt? I think there is a bigger issue here we have to wrestle with…

Our culture demands understanding…full understanding. WE ask questions about things and keep looking for answer that will satisfy us. We even settle for answers that are not fully true just to have an answer. We have objectified everything and we believe if we are smart enough, study enough and know enough we will have all the answers… and this should eliminate doubt.

So if we doubt anything (especially God who we know is real) then it must be because we do not know enough and when we know more or get the proof we need then we will understand fully and doubt will go away. THIS IS A PROBLEM…. Especially when it comes to God!

Our culture has removed the mystery of God…There are things that we will never understand, never know and never figure out about God. If all mystery were removed then God would be just like me (and then we would all have a problem). Did Mary doubt that she could have a baby as a virgin? I wonder in his obedience in building a boat if Noah doubted (did not understand) what rain was, since he never saw it. Is it possible to question and doubt things we do not understand and still believe in God? I think so, and I also believe we must accept the fact that we will NEVER understand everything about God. Do not let the culture (or the Evangelical Church for that matter) remove the mystery of God!

Ponder on those thoughts for a while…. If you need to dialogue about them fire me an E-mail at Scott@freshstartcc.com… See you in the AM!

Scott