August

August 2 - August 8 (Week #32)

Opportunities for Further Reading Week #32

Amos 1-9 – The Gospel of Luke is constantly highlighting Jesus advocating for the poor and ministering to them. Here in this chapter, Jesus emphasizes this dynamic. He teaches the Pharisees to obey the moral law over the ceremonial law, humility, and that their place at God’s banquet will be given to the poor and destitute. He then teaches the crowd that they must become poor – give up everything – to follow him. For additional reading this week I’m sending you to the prophet Amos who communicates God’s concern for the poor and downtrodden more clearly than any other.
Revelation 19 – the “feast in the Kingdom of God” from Luke 14:15 sounds like the “wedding supper of the Lamb” found in this chapter.

Luke 15 (:1-32)
Luke 16 (:1-31)

Opportunities for Further Reading Week #33

Psalm 23 – More on the Lord being our shepherd related to Mat. 15
Ezekiel 34 – God’s concern for his lost sheep
Leviticus 11 – The uncleanliness of pigs rel. to Matt. 15:15
Genesis 45-46 - an account of a family reuniting after transgression similar to the prodigal son account
Zechariah 3 – The gift of new clothes symbolizes forgiveness and restoration
Jonah 3-4 - Jonah’s response to the repentance of Nineveh is similar to the older brother in Matt. 15
1st Samuel 16 – God looks at the heart, rel. to Matt. 16:15
1st Corinthians 7 – additional teaching on marriage and divorce rel. to Matt. 16:18

Opportunities for Further Reading Week #34

Job 1-2 – Job’s friends come to comfort him in distress like others do for Mary and Martha here

Isaiah 48-50– The restoration of the scattered Israelites that Caiaphas hopes for in John 11:52 is prophesied here

2 Kings 13 – The power of God (& godly prophets) is on display here.

Acts 20 – Jesus’ apostles (Paul) receive this power of miraculous reversal of death

Opportunities for Further Reading Week #35

Leviticus 13 – Instructions and restrictions for lepers are found here

Genesis 7 – The world of the flood that Jesus mentions in Luke 17 is found here

Genesis 19 – Both Sodom and Gomorrah and Lot’s wife are found here and mentioned by Jesus in Luke 17

2nd Thessalonians 1-2 – More here on “the day the Son of Man is revealed.”

Exodus 22 – Twice here God promises to hear the cries of the oppressed rel. to Luke 18:7

Psalm 88 – Here is an example of crying out to God rel. to Luke 18:7

Isaiah 65 - More here on how God feels about those who are confident of their own righteousness rel. to Luke 18:9

Matthew 19:1-12
Mark 10:13-31
Matthew 20:1-16
Mark 10:32-45

Opportunities for Further Reading Week #36

Genesis 1-2 – God’s creation of male and female people are key to Jesus’s teaching in Matthew 19

Deuteronomy 24 – Moses’s provision for divorce is found here, also see Dt. 24:15 rel. to Mt. 20:8

1st Corinthians 6-7 – Issues of marriage, divorce, & celibacy rel. to Mt. 19 are found here

Psalm 52 – Doeg is condemned for trusting in his wealth rel. to Mark 10:23

1st Timothy 6 – The perils of wealth are also discussed in this chapter

Acts 12 - James from Mark 10:35 is killed by Herod in this chapter