Consider blind Bartimaeus
As he cries out for mercy
Watch him as he comes to Jesus
And now the blind man can see
In your struggle, sin, and sorrow
With faith to Jesus cry out
Draw near to Him now and follow
With joyful hope – sing and shout
Tell me the story of Jesus
Write on my heart ev’ry word
Tell me the story most precious
That I might live what I’ve heard
(Some words in the chorus by Fanny Crosby,
to the tune of “Tell Me the Story of Jesus”)
Monday: Possessions – Give all to Him
Read Mark 11:15-19, 12:13-17, 12:41-44
Prayer: Father, they dragged buying and selling even into your house. How easy it is for me to get caught up in the buying and selling of our culture. Help me be like the widow who willingly gave all to you. All that I have is from you; it is yours – do with it as you please. Even my life is from you, and you made me in your likeness, so help me give myself to you – even as your Son gave himself for me. Amen.
Reflect/Discuss: What would it look like to live according to this prayer?
Praise: Sing “Take My Life”
Palm Sunday: Praise – Rejoice in the Messiah
Read Mark 11:1-10
Prayer: Father, let me join the crowds and lift up my voice in praise to you. Thank you for the coming kingdom – the great hope of a new heaven and earth where we will dwell in peace without suffering in the presence of our King. Thank you for so many salvation blessings of which the crowds were completely unaware. Awaken my soul to give you the glory and praise that is due you today. Amen.
Reflect/Discuss: For what salvation blessings can you praise the Lord today?
Praise: Sing some of your favorite songs of praise to the Lord.
Here are some good posts for your weekend and beyond:
Why Devotional Bible Reading Is Good Bible Reading – Dane Ortlund (Crossway)
That’s reading the Bible devotionally—when you come to the Bible and say, “Okay, what is here that needs to change me and mess with me, to tweak me and to correct me, to lead me more clearly and more deeply into communing with God?”
How to Mortify Sin – Sinclair Ferguson (Ligonier)
Like Olympic long jumpers, we will not succeed unless we go back from the point of action to a point from which we can gain energy for the strenuous effort of dealing with sin.
5.5 Hours of Teaching through the Letter to the Galatians – via Justin Taylor
Here are the videos from the expository plenaries at the Gospel Coalition National Conference (April 3-5, 2017) in Indianapolis, with the theme of “No Other Gospel.”
‘One Anothers’ I Can’t Find in the New Testament – Ray Ortlund
It is also striking to notice the “one anothers” that do not appear there. For example, sanctify one another, humble one another, scrutinize one another, pressure one another, embarrass one another, corner one another, interrupt one another, defeat one another, sacrifice one another, shame one another, marginalize one another, exclude one another, judge one another, run one another’s lives, confess one another’s sins . . . .
Hope you have a great Lord’s Day practicing the real “one anothers” and communing together with our great God!
We must be intentional. Kindness is something we should be armed with each day in our foray through the paths of life.– Stanley Gale in A Vine-Ripened Life
Tell of the boy with the demon
Dominate, destroy, despair
The father grieving for his son
Can Jesus help, does He care?
Hear Jesus call him to believe
There’s nothing He cannot do
So now in your life just believe
Trust Him down on your knees too
Tell me the story of Jesus
Write on my heart ev’ry word
Tell me the story most precious
That I might live what I’ve heard
(Some words in chorus by Fanny Crosby,
to the tune of “Tell Me the Story of Jesus”)
Which psalm or verse especially reflects your heart today? Use those words to talk to the Lord.
Here are some helpful posts on dangers in ministry:
Pastors Should Beware of These Common Dangers – Geoffrey R. Kirkland
Pastors Can’t Afford to Neglect Themselves – Erik Raymond
Pastoral Ministry and Fame – Zack Eswine (Crossway)
From the fact that prayer is so urgently commanded, we ought to conclude that we should by no means despise our prayers, but rather prize them highly.– Martin Luther
Kindness is the hands of love, with the mind of Christ.
Brian J. Mikul 