Here are some good posts related to the final week of Jesus (prior to the resurrection!):
Easter Week in Real Time – Russ Ramsey (TGC)
That Dreadful Cup and Our Faithful Savior – Erik Raymond
A Guide to the Entire Cast of Characters During Jesus’s Final Week – Justin Taylor
Are We Keeping the Main Thing the Main Thing? – Kevin DeYoung
Wednesday: Prophecy – Be Alert
Read Luke Mark 13:1-37
Prayer: Father, your Son predicted the Fall of Jerusalem, and it happened. Your Son predicted his return – help me to be ready. Help me to be alert. While I wait, help me to be ready and watchful for opportunities to bear witness for Christ. Help me not to get so weighed down with the cares of this life that I fail to be alert to your opportunities and your return. Even so, come Lord Jesus! Amen.
Reflect/Discuss: What keeps us from being more alert to his coming?
Praise: Sing “Christ Returneth!”
Tuesday: Priority – Love God and People
Read Mark 12:28-34, 14:3-9
Prayer: Father, help me to love you with all of my life. Help me to love you with my wealth, even offering extravagant gifts to you, like this woman did, out of love for you. Help me to love you with my desires and my thoughts and my actions. Help me to love the people you place in my life, sacrificing myself for them. Help me to treat others with patience, kindness, and gentleness. Help me to get over myself and love as Jesus loves me.
Reflect/Discuss: How do you need to get over yourself? How can you express your love for God today? Another person in your life?
Praise: Sing “My Jesus, I Love Thee”
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 a few helpful posts on St. Patrick’s Day:
10 Things You Should Know about St. Patrick – Michael Haykin (Crossway)
St. Patrick: Reclaiming the Great Missionary – Mike Pettengill (TGC)
Who Was Saint Patrick and Should Christians Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day? – Stephen Nichols (Ligonier)
Here is another collection of good Christmas posts:
The Irrepressible Christ of Christmas – Sam Storms
Why I Changed My Mind on Nativity Scenes – Alistair Begg (TGC)
Christmas Songs Are Freedom Songs – Stephen Miller (TGC)
10 Things You Should Know about the Incarnation – Stephen Wellum (Crossway)
10 Things You Should Know about Christmas – Andreas J. Köstenberger (Crossway)
The Fullness of God Dwelled in a Womb – Jared Wilson (FTC)
Hope you have a wonder-filled Christmas celebrating the birth of Jesus!
Here are the forgotten verses of one more Christmas carol:
O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan’s tyranny;
From depths of hell Thy people save,
And give them victory over the grave.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.
O come, Thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heavenly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.
O come, O come, great Lord of might,
Who to Thy tribes on Sinai’s height
In ancient times once gave the law
In cloud and majesty and awe.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.
O come, Thou Root of Jesse’s tree,
An ensign of Thy people be;
Before Thee rulers silent fall;
All peoples on Thy mercy call.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.
“O Come, O Come, Emmanuel”
Author Unknown
Written around the 12th Century
As found in the Cyber Hymnal
Here are some forgotten verses from another Christmas carol:
Still through the cloven skies they come
With peaceful wings unfurled,
And still their heavenly music floats
O’er all the weary world;
Above its sad and lowly plains,
They bend on hovering wing,
And ever over its Babel sounds
The blessèd angels sing.
Yet with the woes of sin and strife
The world has suffered long;
Beneath the angel strain have rolled
Two thousand years of wrong;
And man, at war with man, hears not
The love-song which they bring;
O hush the noise, ye men of strife
And hear the angels sing.
“It Came Upon The Midnight Clear”
Edmund H. Sears
Written in 1849
As found in the Cyber Hymnal
Here are some good posts for Christmas:
Jesus Isn’t Threatened by Your Christmas Gifts – Tim Challies
10 Ways to Be a Christian this Christmas – Kevin DeYoung
How to Show Your Kids Grace This Christmas – Jessica Thompson (Crossway)
3 Ways to Become a Christmas-Loving Pastor – Ronnie Martin (TGC)
Brian J. Mikul 