Jesus’ Ministry Begins
Tuesday, March 15
Matthew 4:1-11
1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. 3 Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, "If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread." 4 But He answered and said, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.' " 5 Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, 6 and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: 'He shall give His angels charge over you,' and, 'In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.' " 7 Jesus said to him, "It is written again, 'You shall not tempt the LORD your God.' " 8 Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 And he said to Him, "All these things I will give You if You will fall down and
worship me." 10 Then Jesus said to him, "Away with you, Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.' " 11 Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.
worship me." 10 Then Jesus said to him, "Away with you, Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.' " 11 Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.
Thoughts for Children:
· What does it mean to be tempted?
· Are you ever tempted to do something that you shouldn’t?
Thoughts for Adults:
· Jesus was obviously vulnerable when Satan came to Him. During what times are you more vulnerable (tired, burned out) and need to be on guard for an attack?
· Jesus leaned heavily on the Scriptures in responding to Satan,
beginning each response with “it is written.” Do you use specific Scriptures to respond to temptations in your life?
beginning each response with “it is written.” Do you use specific Scriptures to respond to temptations in your life?
You Are the Salt and Light
Wednesday, March 16
Matthew 5:11-16
11 "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12 "Rejoice and be
exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they
persecuted the prophets who were before you. 13 " You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. 14 "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 "Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a
basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they
persecuted the prophets who were before you. 13 " You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. 14 "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 "Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a
basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
Thoughts for Children:
· What does it mean to be the “light of the world?”
· Should you tell others about Jesus? Do you?
Thoughts for Adults:
· As adults it is difficult to walk the line of evangelism. We don’t want to offend and drive away, but we need to share the eternal message of Christ. How do you navigate this in your own life? Do you ignore evangelism out of fear?
· What actions and attitudes in your life would you say “shine a light” to others that you are a Christian?
Dealing with Anger
Thursday, March 17
Matthew 5:21-24
21 " You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.' 22 "But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, 'Raca!' shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, 'You fool!' shall be in danger of hell fire. 23 "Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has
something against you, 24 "leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.
something against you, 24 "leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.
Thoughts for Children:
· How should you respond when someone makes you angry?
· Have you made someone angry? Have you asked them to forgive you?
Thoughts for Adults:
· Are you upset or angry with anyone right now? Have you prayed for them today? If not, stop and do so right now. Ask God how to make the situation right, or if you need to just forgive and move on.
· Why do you think Jesus said for us to reconcile with other people before we come to worship God?
Say What You Mean
Friday, March 18
Matthew 5:33-37
33 " Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.' 34 "But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God's throne; 35 "nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36 "Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black. 37 "But let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No.' For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.
Thoughts for Children:
· Has someone ever broken a promise to you? If so, how did it make you feel?
· If you say you are going to do something, like clean your room, do you do it?
Thoughts for Adults:
· What does it mean to you to have “integrity?”
· Do you make promises that you don’t keep, even unintentionally? If so, how do you think you should change based on this
Scripture?
Scripture?
Do Unto the Lord, Not Unto Men
Saturday, March 19
Matthew 6:1-6
1 "Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2 "Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 3 "But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 "that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly. 5 " And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the
synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 6 "But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.
synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 6 "But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.
Thoughts for Children:
· Should we follow God’s rules only when others are looking?
· Do you ever pray by yourself or only when someone tells you to pray?
Thoughts for Adults:
· These verses talk a lot about a “secret” life with God. What is your secret life with God like right now?
· What is one thing you could do to improve your “secret” life with God? (private prayer, anonymous kind act, etc.)
