The readings and questions are from James. This is a special "one-off" guide. Since I'm not preaching this Sunday, the current series on Malachi is on a brief hiatus. I'll resume it next week.

This devotional guide is intended for home use, specifically for use among families, though you can use it by yourself. I recommend that you gather your family together, and for 15-20 minutes read scripture, discuss scripture's teaching, and pray for each other. The guide focuses on the scriptures we use on Sunday morning.

Download link is above. Please use this, share it, distribute it. Permission is given to download and make copies for yourself or your church or organization.

The readings and questions are from Malachi 2:17-3:5 and 1 John 3:11-24.

This devotional guide is intended for home use, specifically for use among families, though you can use it by yourself. I recommend that you gather your family together, and for 15-20 minutes read scripture, discuss scripture's teaching, and pray for each other. The guide focuses on the scriptures we use on Sunday morning.

Download link is above. Please use this, share it, distribute it. Permission is given to download and make copies for yourself or your church or organization.

For the week of March 20-26, 2011. The readings and questions are from Malachi 2:10-16 and 1 John 2:28-3:10.

This devotional guide is intended for home use, specifically for use among families, though you can use it by yourself. I recommend that you gather your family together, and for 15-20 minutes read scripture, discuss scripture's teaching, and pray for each other. The guide focuses on the scriptures we use on Sunday morning.

Download link is below. Please use this, share it, distribute it. Permission is given to download and make copies for yourself or your church or organization.

John Woolman, a late 1700s Quaker, made an interesting point about speaking in meetings in his Journal. Although his point was about the large quarterly meetings held by Quakers, his advice can easily be applied to our meetings today: Bible studies, congregational meetings, elders meetings, committee/team meetings, etc. (I'm thinking about religious contexts only, for the purpose of this post.)

"It is a weighty thing to speak much in large meetings for business, for except our minds are rightly prepared, and we clearly understand the case we speak to, instead of forwarding, we hinder business, and make more labor for those on whom the burden of work is laid. If selfish views or a partial spirit have any room in our minds, we are unfit for the Lord's work; if we have a clear prospect of the business, and proper weight on our minds to speak, we should avoid useless apologies and repetitions.” (Journal, chapter 6)

He also noted that participants should be aware of how we prolong things for others who may have attended the meeting with great difficulty. This means that even when we think we have something good to offer we should think carefully about it. Not everything needs to be said, and we need to make sure we are not offering ideas and input to impress ourselves or others.

For the week of March 13-19, 2011. The readings and questions are from Malachi 1:6-2:9 and 1 John 2:7-27.

This devotional guide is intended for home use, specifically for use among families, though you can use it by yourself. I recommend that you gather your family together, and for 15-20 minutes read scripture, discuss scripture's teaching, and pray for each other. The guide focuses on the scriptures we use on Sunday morning.

Download link is below. Please use this, share it, distribute it. Permission is given to download and make copies for yourself or your church or organization.

For the week of February 27 to March 5, 2011.

This devotional guide is intended for home use, specifically for use among families, though you can use it by yourself. I recommend that you gather your family together, and for 15-20 minutes read scripture, discuss scripture's teaching, and pray for each other. The guide focuses on the scriptures we use on Sunday morning.

Download link is below. Please use this, share it, distribute it. Permission is given to download and make copies for yourself or your church or organization.