Dads

NIV

BIBLE
D E V O T I O N A L

Notes b\ Robert Wolgemuth

NIV Dads Devotional Bible

Copyright 2014 by Zondervan
All rights reserved
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Used by Permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Published by Zondervan
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Ancillary materials 1999, 2014 by Robert D. Wolgemuth. Requests for information should be sent to
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Introduction
NIV Dads Devotional Bible

have no idea what you just read, my friend reported, a blank stare on his face. It
made absolutely no sense to me.
Whew, I responded with a sigh, I dont have any idea what it means, either!
We both laughed, although in retrospect, it really wasnt that funny.
It was 1995 and my friend and I were enjoying an early morning coffee at our favorite place. He was the father of two teenage sons, and I was the father of two daughters
in their twenties. As we had done for many years, we were having our morning quiet
time together. I had just finished reading from a devotional book, and we were going to discuss what I had just read. But instead of discussing how the reading had
inspired or challenged us, we were joking over the convoluted obscurity of the words
I had just read. Why, I said after I had gone back for a refill, cant a devotional be
written in plain English so we dont have to get our Ph.Ds to figure it out?
One year later, my twenty-two-year-old daughter and I were standing in the hallway at Zondervan Publishing House in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Tom Mockabee, the
then-publisher for the Bible Division, and I were discussing a number of issues when
he asked me, Do you know of anyone who would be willing to help us write a dads
Bible?
Julie glanced at me with that winsome grin I have loved since she was in a high
chair. Dad, she whispered, why dont you do it?
Another year later, the notes were complete. And what has happened to me as a
result of having composed this manuscript has been absolutely incredible.
In my imagination, I have returned to that coffee shop two hundred and sixty
times. I have opened my Bible, read a few verses to my friend, then he and I have had
imaginary discussions as to what these verses might mean to us.
This edition of the NIV Dads Devotional Bible has been refreshed, since the original was published in 1999. So much has happened since then, and I wanted to have a
chance to bring it up to date. With a brand-new updated NIV translation and my notes
polished to a contemporary sheen, this Dads Bible is spanking new.
Its been an unspeakable honor to have had a chance to spend many hours soaking
in Gods Word and asking Him how this might make a difference in my life and in the
lives of you and your children.
If you have a few minutes every morning, my friend and I would love to have you
join us for coffee. We think it will be a great adventure.

HERES WHAT THE NIV DADS DEVOTIONAL BIBLE INCLUDES:

The New International Version of the Bible

This book contains the entire text of the Bible in the New International Version
(NIV). Acclaimed by many of the worlds leading Bible scholars and millions of satisfied Bible readers, the NIV is now the most widely read modern-English translation
in the world.

Introduction

Daily Insights
These two hundred and sixty daily readings are each linked to a particular Bible
text, and they have been written with one purpose: to bring Gods Word to life for you.
In my years as an advertising copywriter, my greatest challenge was to answer the so
what question. The Daily Insights are meant to help you understand what the truths
of Gods Word really mean in the day-to-day challenges of being a man, a husband
and a dad. Theyre meant to help you understand the so what.
The Daily Insights can be read in sequence, Monday through Friday. At the bottom of each Insight, you will be directed to the next one.

Building Your Children

Seven special articles are placed throughout the text of this Bible to help you in
your role as a father. These articles reflect the main points of my book She Calls Me
Daddy. In these articles I outline seven key things that a dad needs to exhibit and
foster to build his childs character: Protection, Conversation, Affection, Discipline,
Laughter, Faith and Conduct. These subjects are discussed from a Biblical perspective, and are linked to specific Bible texts. You can locate them by looking at this Bibles table of contents on page vi.

The Bible for Dads

Starting on page 1411 youll find a helpful tool that will give you, as a dad, a birdseye view of every single one of the books of the Bible. The Bible for Dads drills down
to the essence of how each Bible book speaks to your life as a dad. As you read through
Gods Word, let these brief summaries guide your study. Then read the books themselvesyoull be changed forever.

Questions Kids Ask

As a dad, you know that kids ask questions all the time, and the Questions Kids Ask
feature that starts on page 1429 will help you answer some of the more common and
perhaps more complex questions that your kids will ask about their faith walk. The
feature starts with a three-page topical index of questions your kids may ask about
God, the Bible, Love, Sin and the like, then follows with a Genesis-to-Revelation,
verse-tagged listing of these questions and their answers.

Fruit of the Spirit Index

Starting on page 1469 youll find an index that will help you locate and use the features of this Bible. The Fruit of the Spirit Topical Index links each of the Daily Insights
to one of the fruit of the Spirit, listed in the book of Galatians (5:22).
Welcome to the NIV Dads Devotional Bible. It is my sincere prayer that you will
find inspiration, encouragement, challenge and even some laughter within its pages.
May Gods remarkable grace be yours to enjoy.

Robert Wolgemuth
Orlando, Florida

BUILDING YOUR CHILDREN

60

Conversation: just keep talking

[Joseph] kissed all his brothers and wept over them.
Afterward his brothers talked with him. Genesis 45:15

he most precious connection between human beings is the bridge of

conversation. This is especially true between you and your children.
If you have small children, communication can be difficult. After all,
you live in a world thats foreign to your son or daughter. Youve got pressure
at work and are struggling to make ends meet. Shes got a dolly who scraped
her knee. Hes got a truck that lost a wheel. So youll have to find some things
to discuss and places to discuss them.
No problem. A good friend taught me a fathering lesson very early. On
the weekends, never go anywhere alone, he told me. This simple advice had
wonderful consequences. I took his advice, and when I ran errands on the
weekends, I almost always took one or both of my kids along.
And as we would drive along, Id ask them questions. Look over there in
that field. Have you ever seen so many cows? I wonder how many there are?
Theyd look and start counting. Or wed play games. Between here and the
store, Id say, lets count how many trucks we pass. Or Id try to make them
imagine, If you were an animal in the zoo, what animal would you like to
be? Early in our lives together, we built conversation bridges, a connection of
words that inextricably bound us together.
Of course, this discussion assumes that neither you nor your children have
electronic devices distracting you from these critical opportunities to communicate. Question: when youre with your kids, do you have specific times of
the day when electronics need to be put away or turned off? Yes, Im talking
about yours as well. Dinnertime? An hour or two before bed? Please establish
these times so that you can teach your children how to have a conversation.
Because our lives are so information intense, and because distraction and
short attention spans rule the day, perhaps some basic conversational reminders are in order. In describing good conversation, Dr. James Dobson uses the
helpful illustration of playing catch with a tennis ball. When you want to speak
to your son, you throw him a question. When he answers, hes throwing a
response back. Once youve caught the response, you toss him another question. This is a good model to use as you teach your child how to carry on a
conversation. Use role play and practice regularly. Teach your child to listen so
he or she can ask a question that follows what youve just said.
Or try this strategy. Little children are famous for indecipherable drawings. When you see one, dont cut off conversation with a quick, Thats nice,

61

sweetie, or What is it? Rather, extend this conversation by saying, Tell me about
your picture, Jennifer. Jennifer will describe what she seeswhich, of course, is
all that matters. As she talks, listen carefully so you can say, Thats so interesting
that you colored that pony orange. Can you tell me why you chose that color?
Can you hear that tennis ball bouncing back and forth? Your child is learning
to speak, to accurately express her thoughts. And youre learning to listen so you
can catch a glimpse of who this little person
really is. Keep it up. When your daughter Teach your kids to talk to
comes home from high school after a veryou. Open conversation
bal bout with one of her classmates, she will
will be the lifeline that
likely never talk to you about it unless, when
she was small and the stakes were not quite
will keep your kids from
as high, you taught her how.
Finally, make mealtime a priority. When emotionally hiding from
you and your wife.
I was a kid, holidays were filled with great
dinner-table conversation. In looking back
on those great feasts, I recall that my mother always did her best to add onto our
primary dining room table. Since were a family, shed say, were going to all eat
together at the big table. No kids table in the other room.
She was right. As children, my three brothers, two sisters and I learned the
importance of conversation. We learned that the dinner table wasnt a conveyor
belt covered with food. We were taught that sitting down to a meal was an important time of conversation and listening.
Teach your kids to talk to you. Open conversation will be the lifeline that will
keep your kids from emotionally hiding from you and your wife. It will allow you
to learn who your children really are and will give you a vehicle to tell them about
yourself. Teaching your children the art of conversation is especially critical now.
Social networking and smartphones have supplanted the skills of good old-fashioned conversation. Commit that you will make your children stand out because
they can actually speak. If you do, you will introduce them to a world of other
adults who will honor them because of their ability to talk and listen. These skills
will help them win friends, impress adults and even earn good jobs way ahead of
their peers.

BUILDING YOUR CHILDREN

590

Protection: love stands guard

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you with my loving eye on you. Psalm 32:8

s a dad, you protect your children from dangers that come in many
forms. When theyre very small, you may protect them from sharp
knives or hot things in the kitchen. As they grow older, you may need
to protect them from the neighbors snarling dog. But when they become
teenagers, the scenario changes a bit.
Coming home from work one evening, I noticed a shiny European coupe
parked in front of our house. Nice, I remember whispering. Very nice.
Steven was a senior in high school. I had already suspected that he was
interested in our daughter Julie because of his recent visits to our church. Julie
was only a week short of her 16th birthday, and Steven knew the rules that Julie
and I had agreed to: (1) No single dating until Julie turned 16, and (2) boys
must be interviewed by me.
Steven was tall and handsome, a varsity basketball player with a physique
to match. He followed me into my study where I invited him to sit in the chair
across from my desk.
I asked Steven about the car out front. He told me that he had bought it last
summer and had spent a lot of time fixing it up with his dad.
Sounds like a special car, I said. Now, Steven, what would you have said
if I had come to your house last night, knocked on the door, and asked you if I
could borrow your car for the evening?
Steven took no time to respond. Id have said, No way.
Why? I replied, acting as though his answer fascinated me.
Well, because I dont know you. I dont know how you drive. I dont know
how youd treat my car. Im not sure I can trust you. That cars important to me.
Stevens narrowed eyes let me know he was very serious.
I leaned forward on my elbows, taking just a moment to make sure he was
listening carefully. Thats interesting, Steven, I finally said. I know exactly
what youre saying. Tonight youve come to my house and asked to take our
daughter out for the evening. And before I let you do that, I want to find out
who you are. He understood.
We talked about what was important to him: his sports, his family, his favorite subjects in school, his plans for next year, and his faith. I told him a little
about our family and assured him that he would always be welcome in our
home. I told him that our daughters friends were our friends. He seemed

591

appreciative. When we finished our conversation, we both stood up and shook

hands.
You know, Mr. Wolgemuth, if I have a 16-year-old daughter of my own someday,
Ill do what you did today.
The story of my interviewing Steven is an example of fairly thorough emotional
protection. I was exercising my right to keep Julie from being hurt by this older
boy. I wasnt angry; I didnt threaten him. But I did, without a doubt, put him on
notice: Be careful with this girl. She belongs to a family who really loves her.
What if I have a son? you might be asking. Good question. Although we didnt
have a son, I have made the following suggestion to friends of mine who have boys. It
I did, without a doubt,
has been met with rave reviews. Suggest that
put him on notice: Be
your son volunteer for an interview with his
dates dad. He can lead the discussion as the careful with this girl. She
suitor. The point is that once he is connected
belongs to a family who
with the girls family, he will be more apt to
really loves her.
consider himself accountable to that family.
This will protect both your son and his date.
Protecting your children is your right and your privilege, but theres no need to
be overbearing about it. In fact, you can actually have fun with it. Its going to take
some of your time, but thats okay. Your kids are worth it.

Matthew
The Genealogy of Jesus the Messiah

genea log y a

This is the
of Jesus the Mes
sia h b the son of Dav id, the son of Abra
ham:
2 Abraham was the fat her of Isaac,
Isaac the fat her of Jacob,
Jac ob the father of Jud ah and his
brothers,
3 Judah the fat her of Perez and Zerah,

whose mother was Tamar,
Perez the fat her of Hezron,
Hezron the fat her of Ram,
4 Ram the fat her of Amm inadab,

Amm inadab the fat her of Nahshon,
Nahshon the fat her of Salmon,
5 Sal
mon the father of Boaz, w hose

mother was Rahab,
Boaz the fa
t her of Obed,
w hose
mother was Ruth,
Obed the fat her of Jesse,
6 and Jesse the fat her of King Dav id.

Dav id was the fat her of Solomon, w
hose
mother had been Uria hs wife,
7 Solomon the fat her of Rehoboa m,

Rehoboa m the fat her of Abijah,
Abijah the fat her of Asa,
8 Asa the fat her of Jehoshaphat,

Jehoshaphat the fat her of Jehoram,
Jehoram the fat her of Uzzia h,
9 Uzz ia h the fat her of Jot ham,

Jot ham the fat her of Ahaz,
Ahaz the fat her of Hezek ia h,
10 Hezek ia h the fat her of Manasseh,

Manasseh the fat her of Amon,
Amon the fat her of Josia h,
11 and Jos ia h the fat her of Jecon ia h c

and his brothers at the time of the
exi le to Babylon.
12 After the exi le to Babylon:
Jecon ia h was the fat her of Shea lt iel,
Shea lt iel the fat her of Zer ubbabel,

13 Zer ubbabel the fat her of Abihud,

Abihud the fat her of Elia k im,
Elia k im the fat her of Azor,
14 Azor the fat her of Zadok,

Zadok the fat her of Akim,
Akim the fat her of Elihud,
15 Elihud the fat her of Elea z ar,

Elea zar the fat her of Matt han,
Matt han the fat her of Jacob,
16 and Jac ob the fat her of Jos eph, the

husband of Mary, and Mary was
the mother of Jesus who is called
the Messia h.
17Thus

t here were four teen generat ions

in all from Abraham to Dav id, fourteen from
Dav id to the exi le to Babylon, and fourteen
from the exi le to the Messia h.

Joseph Accepts Jesus as His Son

18This is how the b
irth of J esus the Messia h
came about d: His mother Mary was p
ledged
to be married to Joseph, but before they
came together, she was f ound to be pregnant
through the Holy Spirit. 19Because Joseph
her husband was faithf ul to the law, and yete
did not want to expose her to public disg race,
he had in mind to divorce her quietly.
20But after he had considered this, an an
gel of the Lord appeared to him in a d
ream
and said, Joseph son of Dav id, do not be
a fraid to take Mary home as your wife, be
cause what is conceived in her is from the
Holy Spirit. 21She will give b
irth to a son, and
you are to give him the name J esus,f because
he will save his people from t heir sins.
22All this took
place to fulfill what the
Lord had said t hrough the prophet: 23The
virg in will conceive and give birth to a son,
and they will call him Immanuelg (which
means God withus).
24When Joseph woke up, he did what the

a1Oris an account of the origin b1OrJesus Christ. Messiah (Hebrew) and Christ (Greek) both mean
Anointed One; also in verse 18. c11 That is, Jehoiachin; also in verse12 d18OrThe origin of Jesus
the Messiah was like this e19Orwas a righteous man and f21 Jesus is the Greek form of Joshua,
which means the Lord saves. g23Isaiah7:14

1028

M O N DAY

Passage for the Day

MATTHEW 1:1,2,1617

Verse for the Day

MATTHEW 1:1

Are you in here?

o one wants to be called a late bloomer. But in high school, that was me. Given my smaller stature compared to other boys, these four years were a lot of work. Thankfully, there was something
in my hereditary constitution that did not allow me to simply give up. I tried out for several sports,
and even though my name never made the final list posted on the coachs door, I kept trying. It seemed to me
that I could make up for my small stature and inexperience by hustling just a little more than the other boys.
Although I never made a varsity squad in high school, I did finish my pre-college career with some of my
dignity intact. I had made many wonderful friends, was involved performing in the schools talent show and
participating in several other enjoyable clubs and organizations. At least, I remember thinking, Ill have a good
list of activities next to my name in my senior yearbook.
The day we received our yearbooks was a day Ill never
The day we received our
forget. I had just been handed my copy of the 1965 Wheayearbooks was a day
ton Community High School Ilium, and I quickly scanned
Ill never forget.
the senior pages. And there, right between the pictures of
Dennis Wiss and Ann Woodward, where I had found myself
lined up in every study hall for four years was ... nothing. I looked again, quickly turning the adjacent pages to
see if, perhaps, I had been listed out of sequence. Again I found nothing. My heart stopped.
Filled with terror, I turned to find someone to tell. Standing five feet from me was Meredith Poe, my friend
and our yearbook editor. Im not in here, I said to Meredith. You completely missed me. Quickly thumbing
through her own, she confirmed my assertion. Im so sorry, she finally said to me, her face turning ashen,
Oh, no ... uh ... Im so ... so sorry, she repeated, turned and walked away.
The genealogies in Matthew are about as stem-winding as reading the names of students in a yearbook;
unless youre looking for your own name. Then its an adventure to search and a victory to find. Unless, of
course, your name is inadvertently missed. Then its a heartbreak.
Matthews list of the Messiahs ancestors starts with Abraham and stops with Jesus name, the genealogy
of Jesus the Messiah the son of David, the son of Abraham (verse 1). What you may not know is that from the
birth of Jesus, this list actually continues. Of course, this extended genealogy is not found in the Bible. It is,
however, listed in what the apostle John calls, The Lambs book of life (Revelation 13:8). This yearbook we
hear about in the book of Revelation does not have anything to do with ancestral lineage or bloodline.
The names recorded in the Lambs book, the most important yearbook in the history of eternity, are there
because of a different kind of bloodline: the sacrificial blood of Jesus. Those who show up in this book are
not there by birth: they are all adopted into Gods family. That list of grandfathers and grandchildren will also
end with Jesus Christ.
Matthew and the other gospel writers tell the story of how to get on this list. If you miss this one, it wont
be Meredith Poes fault.
GO TO PAGE 1029 FOR YOUR NEXT DAILY READING.

1029

T U E S DAY

Passage for the Day

MATTHEW 1:1825

Verse for the Day

MATTHEW 1:24

Redford, Joseph and Gods Son

ll never forget Redford, partly because his was such an unusual first name, but mostly because of his
story.
One of Redfords closest friends in the small North Dakota town where he grew up fell in love with the
cutest girl in school. Emily was everything a red-blooded teenage boy could have hoped for: happy, energetic,
talkative, beautiful ... and willing. Late one night, Redfords friend called him. Shes pregnant, he said, his
voice bursting through the phone lines. What am I going to do?
What does Emily want to do? Redford asked.
Go away, have the baby, put it up for adoption and then come back, Redfords friend replied. Shes not
putting any pressure on me to marry her, so I think this is a good plan. Redford just listened.
Emily quietly disappeared. Life in rural North Dakota returned to normal, quite unimpeded by the predictable questions and soft whispers.
Redford graduated from the local high school, then attended the countys junior college, just a few miles
east on Interstate 94. After receiving his associates degree, Redford took a job with a local merchant.
Two years later, an afternoon Greyhound bus brought Emily home. The locals were shocked to see her back,
especially with three children in tow. In one hand she held the hand of a five-year-old boy with familiar blond
hair and blue eyes, recognizable gifts from his well-known daddy. In the other hand was the hand of a striking,
dark-skinned girl. She looked to be about three. And strapped to Emilys chest in one of those canvas slings was
a newborn. The towns cheerleader-turned-woman-of-the-world had come home. And everyone knew that
each of these children was hers.
When Redford heard the news, he immediately looked for Emily. Her parents had mercifully invited her to
live with them, and their living room is where he found her, feeding her baby. Kneeling on the floor beside
Emily, Redford tenderly put his arms around his old friend. Im so glad to see you, he said, his arms embracing
both the girl and her tiny baby. Welcome home.
In the weeks that followed, Redford renewed the friendship with his high-school best-friends girl. He
visited Emily and her children regularly, offering to help however he could. In what seemed like no time at all,
he was hopelessly in love. In six months they were married and today, Redford, Emily and their little eclectic
family live in a frame house, just inside the city limits of the same North Dakota town.
Joseph was faced with the dilemma of a lifetime. Mary, his precious fiance, was pregnant. Incredibly, she
claimed to still be a virgin. A virgin? he must have muttered to himself, I wasnt born yesterday. But in a dream, God
told Joseph to take Mary as his wife. This child is from the Holy Spirit, God told him, and this babys going to
save his people from their sins. So in a quiet ceremony, Joseph married Mary, tenderly taking her into his home.
Two thousand years later, Jesus Christ, Joseph and Marys boy, would be faced with a dilemma. You and I,
his wayward and unfaithful boys, need a home. Gods loving embrace is the best news we could ever receive.
Thanks, Redford, for your mercy. Thanks, Joseph, for your faithfulness. Thank you, Heavenly Father, for
your grace.
GO TO PAGE 1033 FOR YOUR NEXT DAILY READING.

1030

Matthew 1:25

angel of the Lord had commanded him and

took Mary home as his wife. 25But he did not
consummate their marr iage unt il she gave
birth to a son. And he gave him the name
Jesus.

The Magi Visit the Messiah

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in

Judea, during the time of King Herod,
Magia from the east came to Jer usalem 2and
asked, Where is the one who has been born
king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose
and have come to worship him.
3When King Herod h
eard this he was dis
turbed, and all Jer usalem with him. 4When
he had c alled together all the peoples chief
priests and teachers of the law, he a sked
them w
here the Messia h was to be born. 5In
Bethlehem in Judea, they replied, for this is
what the prophet has written:
6 But you, Bethlehem, in the land of
Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers
of Judah;
for out of you will come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.b
7Then Herod c
alled the Magi secretly and
f ound out from them the exact time the star
had appeared. 8He sent them to Bethlehem
and said, Go and search carefully for the
child. As soon as you find him, report to me,
so that I too may go and worship him.
9After they had h
eard the king, they went
on their way, and the star they had seen
when it rose went a head of them until it
stopped over the p
lace where the c hild was.
10When they saw the star, they were over
joyed. 11On coming to the h
ouse, they saw
the child with his mother Mary, and they
bowed down and worshiped him. Then they
opened t heir treasures and presented him
with g ifts of gold, franki ncense and myrrh.
12And havi ng been w arned in a d ream not
to go back to Herod, they ret urned to t heir
count ry by another route.

The Escape to Egypt

13When

they had gone, an angel of the

Lord appeared to Joseph in a d
ream. Get
up, he said, take the child and his moth
er and escape to Egypt. Stay t here unt il I tell

Matthew 3:4

1030

you, for Herod is goi ng to s earch for the c hild

to kill him.
14So he got up, took the
c hild and his
mother duri ng the n
ight and left for E
gypt,
15where he s
tayed unt il the d
eath of Herod.
And so was fulf illed what the Lord had said
t hrough the prophet: Out of E
gypt I called
my son.c
16When Herod rea li zed that he had been
outw itted by the Magi, he was fur ious, and
he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethle
hem and its vicinit y who were two years old
and under, in accordance with the time he
had l earned from the Magi. 17Then what was
said t hrough the prophet Jerem ia h was ful
filled:
18 A voice is heard in Ramah,
weeping and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children
and refusing to be comforted,
because they are no more.d

The Return to Nazareth

19After Herod died, an angel of the Lord
appeared in a d
ream to Jos eph in E
gypt
20and said, Get up, take the c
hild and his
mother and go to the land of Israel, for t hose
who were trying to take the c hilds life are
dead.
21So he got up, took the
c hild and his
mother and went to the land of Israel. 22But
when he h
eard that Archelau s was reign
ing in Judea in p
lace of his fat her Herod, he
was a fraid to go t here. Havi ng been w
arned
in a d ream, he withd rew to the dist rict of
Gal i lee, 23and he went and lived in a town
called Naza reth. So was fulf illed what was
said t hrough the prophets, that he would be
called a Naza rene.

John the Baptist Prepares the Way

In those days John the Baptist came,

preaching in the wilderness of Judea
2and say
i ng, Repent, for the kingdom of
heaven has come near. 3This is he who was
spoken of t hrough the prophet Isaiah:
A voice of one calling in the wilderness,
Prepare the way for the Lord,
make straight paths for him.e
4Johns clothes were made of camels hair,
and he had a leather belt a round his waist.

a1Traditionally wise men b6Micah5:2,4 c15Hosea11:1 d18Jer.31:15 e3Isaiah40:3

1031

Matthew 3:5

His food was loc usts and wild honey. 5Peo

ple went out to him from Jer usalem and all
Judea and the w
hole reg ion of the Jordan.
6Confessing t heir sins, they were bapt ized
by him in the Jordan River.
7But when he saw many of the Phari sees
and Sadducees comi ng to where he was bap
tizi ng, he said to them: You b
rood of vipers!
Who w arned you to flee from the coming
w rath? 8Produce fruit in keeping with re
pent ance. 9And do not think you can say
to yourselves, We have Abraham as our fa
ther. I tell you that out of t hese stones God
can raise up child ren for Abraham. 10The ax
is already at the root of the t rees, and every
tree that does not produce good f ruit will be
cut down and t hrown into the fire.
11I bap
t ize you witha water for repen
tance. But after me c omes one who is more
powerful than I, w hose sandals I am not
wort hy to carr y. He will bapt ize you witha
the Holy Spirit and fire. 12His win now
ing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his
thresh i ng f loor, gather i ng his w heat into
the barn and burni ng up the chaff with un
quenchable fire.

The Baptism of Jesus

13Then Jesus came from Gali lee to the Jor
dan to be bapt ized by John. 14But John t ried
to deter him, sayi ng, I need to be bapt ized
by you, and do you come tome?
15Jesus re
plied, Let it be so now; it is
proper for us to do this to fulfill all righ
teousness. Then John consented.
16As soon as Jesus was bapt ized, he went
up out of the water. At that moment heaven
was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God
des cending like a dove and alighting on
him. 17And a voice from heaven said, This
is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well
pleased.

Jesus Is Tested in the Wilderness

Then J esus was led by the Spirit into the

wilder ness to be tempted b by the devi l.
2After fasti ng fort y days and fort y n
ights, he
was hung ry. 3The tempter came to him and
said, If you are the Son of God, tell t hese
stones to become bread.
4Jesus ans wered, It is written: Man shall
a11Orin b1

Matthew 4:19

1031

not live on b
read a lone, but on every word
that c omes from the m
outh of God.c
5Then the devi l took him to the holy city
and had him s tand on the highest point of
the temple. 6If you are the Son of God, he
said, throw yourself down. For it is written:
He will command his angels
concerning you,
and they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot
against a stone.d
7Jesus ans wered him, It is also written:
Do not put the Lord your God to the test.e
8Again, the devi l took him to a very high
mountain and s howed him all the kingdoms
of the world and t heir splendor. 9All this I
will give you, he said, if you will bow down
and worshipme.
10Jesus said to him, Away from me, Sat an!
For it is written: Worship the Lord your God,
and s erve him only.f
11Then the dev
i l left him, and angels
came and attended him.

Jesus Begins to Preach

12When J esus h
eard that John had been
put in pris
on, he with
d rew to Gal
i
lee.
13Leavi ng Naza reth, he went and l ived in Ca
pernau m, w
hich was by the lake in the area
of Zebu lun and Naphta l i 14to fulf ill what
was said t hrough the prophet Isaiah:

15 Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,

the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan,
Galilee of the Gentiles
16 the people living in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of the shadow
of death
a light has dawned.g
17From

that time on Jesus be

g an to
reach, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven
p
has come near.

Jesus Calls His First Disciples

18As J esus was walki ng beside the Sea of
Gali lee, he saw two brothers, Simon called
Peter and his brother And rew. They were
casti ng a net into the lake, for they were fish
ermen. 19Come, follow me, Jesus said, and

TheGreek for tempted can also mean tested. c4Deut.8:3 d6Psalm91:11,12

e7Deut.6:16 f10Deut.6:13 g16Isaiah9:1,2

1032

Matthew 4:20

I will send you out to fish for people. 20At

once they left t heir nets and followed him.
21Going on from t here, he saw two oth
er brothers, James son of Zebedee and his
brother John. They were in a boat with t heir
fat her Zebedee, prepar i ng t heir nets. Jesus
called them, 22and immed iately they left the
boat and t heir fat her and followed him.

Jesus Heals the Sick

23Jesus went throughout Gali lee, teachi ng
in t heir synagogues, proclaim i ng the good
news of the kingdom, and heali ng every dis
ease and sickness a mong the people. 24News
about him spread all over Syria, and people
brought to him all who were ill with various
diseases, t hose sufferi ng severe pain, the de
mon-possessed, t hose hav i ng seiz ures, and
the para lyzed; and he healed them. 25Large
crowds from Gali lee, the Decapol is, a Jer usa
lem, Judea and the reg ion across the Jordan
followed him.

Introduction to the Sermon onthe

Mount

Now when Jesus saw the c rowds, he

went up on a mountainside and sat
down. His disc iples came to him, 2and he
began to t each them.

The Beatitudes
He said:
3 Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst
for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted
because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
a25

Matthew 5:22

1032

11Blessed are you when peo

ple insult
you, persec ute you and falsely say all k inds
of evil against you because of me. 12Rejoice
and be glad, because g reat is your reward in
heaven, for in the same way they persecuted
the prophets who were before you.

Salt and Light

13You are the salt of the e
arth. But if the
salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made
salty again? It is no longer good for anyt hing,
except to be t hrown out and trampled un
derfoot.
14You are the l ight of the w
orld. A town
built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15Neit her do
people l ight a lamp and put it under a bowl.
Instead they put it on its stand, and it g ives
l ight to everyone in the house. 16In the same
way, let your l ight s hine before others, that
they may see your good d
eeds and glor if y
your Fat her in heaven.

The Fulfillment of the Law

17Do not t hink that I have come to abolish
the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to
abolish them but to fulf ill them. 18For truly
I tell you, unt il heaven and earth disappear,
not the smallest letter, not the least s troke
of a pen, will by any means disappear from
the Law unt il every t hing is accomplished.
19Therefore anyone who sets a side one of
the least of these commands and teaches
others accordi ngly will be called least in the
kingdom of heaven, but whoever pract ices
and teaches t hese commands will be called
g reat in the kingdom of heaven. 20For I tell
you that unless your righteousness surpass
es that of the Pharisees and the teachers of
the law, you will certainly not enter the king
dom of heaven.

Murder
21You

have heard that it was said to the

people long ago, You shall not murder,b and
anyone who murders will be subject to judg
ment. 22But I tell you that anyone who is an
gry with a brother or sisterc,d will be subject
to judgment. A gain, anyone who says to a
brother or sister, Raca,e is answerable to the
court. And anyone who says, You fool! will
be in danger of the fire of hell.

That is, the Ten Cities b21Exodus20:13 c22 The Greek word for brother or sister (adelphos)
refers here to a fellow disciple, whether man or woman; also in verse23. d22 Some manuscripts
brother or sister without cause e22 AnAramaic term of contempt

1033

W E D N E S DAY

Passage for the Day
MATTHEW 5:2125,3337

Verse for the Day

MATTHEW 5:37

Ready, aim, speak

aylor University, my college alma mater, had a dinnertime custom for many years. Folklore had it
that, over the years, many women had transferred to other schools because of this tradition.
Every weekday, at exactly 6:00 p.m., the doors of the dining hall would open, but only for the
women. The ladies would stream in, filling every other seat at the round, eight-person tables. They made
this processional to the strains of an ancient upright piano in the corner, played, of course, by a music major.
Once the dining hall was exactly half-filled, the men were released, set free to prowl the tables, looking for
somewhere to sit. In selecting the chair they wanted, they were also choosing where they didnt want to spend
their dinner hour. Now you know why the women hated this practice!
Women students waited on tables, which were served family style. Im sure a homey atmosphere with
pleasant conversation is what the well-intentioned founders of the tradition had wanted to create. And most
of the time, the family thing worked pretty well. Most of the time.
One dinner in the spring of my freshman year, I was sitting with seven of my classmatesthree other men
and four women. We were engaged in the usual college chatter when someone mentioned the breakup of one
of Taylors fixture couples. He was a sophomore; she was a freshmanone of our own.
All the side conversations at the table stopped immediately. Everyone wanted to hear about the big
breakup. We werent being hateful, mind you, just fully informed. One of the women gave the report that it
was Paulas decision to break off the relationship. Irreconcilable differences, she said. Paula loved Michael,
but there was just no future in it.
Thats not what I heard, I announced, holding a virtual court, my voice raised to an unnecessary level.
I heard that Michael really let her have it. He really hadnt liked her all that much and just told her so. He
broke her heart, but ... oh, well, these things happen. I was a veritable fountain of gossip that evening, and
everyone was listening.
When I finished my thorough report, I took a breath and looked up into the faces of my classmates. They
were ashen, gazing at me in disbelief. The men in particular looked sick. As I looked more closely, I discovered
that they werent actually looking at me. They were looking atyou guessed it, our waitress.
I jerked around in my chair to see who had captured their attention. It was Paula. I will remember that
moment for the rest of my lifewhat it felt like to be sitting there, trapped in the crossfire of my friends
pain and the disbelieving stares of my tablemates. I dont recall ever, before or since, feeling such embarrassment, such shame.
Words have unbelievable power. Clustered together well, they can restore and renew your family. They can
lift your childrens hearts and heal their spirits. Words can refresh a childs self-confidence, but words can also
cause incredible pain. And once spoken, they can never be unsaid.
Jesus was reminding his followers of the remarkable strength of spoken words. He was telling them that
mouths are like loaded guns, and words are like the deadly bullets that fly from them.
Protect your children from sniper firefrom each other and from you. The life you save may be your own.
GO TO PAGE 1035 FOR YOUR NEXT DAILY READING.

1034

Matthew 5:23

23Therefore, if you are offeri ng your gift

at the altar and t here remember that your
brother or sister has somet hing a gainst you,
24leave your gift t here in f ront of the alt ar.
First go and be reconc iled to them; then
come and offer your gift.
25Sett le matters quickly with your adver
sary who is taki ng you to c ourt. Do it w
hile
you are s till together on the way, or your ad
versary may hand you over to the j udge, and
the judge may hand you over to the off icer,
and you may be t hrown into prison. 26Truly
I tell you, you will not get out unt il you have
paid the last penny.

Adultery
27You

have h
eard that it was said, You
shall not com m it adultery. a 28But I tell you
that anyone who looks at a woma n lustf ul
ly has already comm itted adultery with her
in his h
eart. 29If your r ight eye causes you to
stumble, gouge it out and t hrow it away. It is
better for you to lose one part of your body
than for your w
hole body to be t hrown into
hell. 30And if your r ight hand causes you to
stumble, cut it off and t hrow it away. It is bet
ter for you to lose one part of your body than
for your w
hole body to go into hell.

Divorce
31It

has been said, Anyone who divorc

es his wife must give her a cert ificate of di
vorce.b 32But I tell you that anyone who
divorces his wife, except for sex ua l im mo
ralit y, makes her the vict im of adultery, and
anyone who marries a div orced woma n
com m its adultery.

Oaths
33Again, you have h
eard that it was said
to the people long ago, Do not break your
oath, but fulf ill to the Lord the vows you have
made. 34But I tell you, do not swear an oath
at all: eit her by heaven, for it is G
ods t hrone;
35or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by
Jer usalem, for it is the city of the G
reat King.
36And do not s wear by your head, for you
cannot make even one hair white or black.
37All you need to say is simply Yes or No;
anyt hing beyond this comes from the evil
one.c

Matthew 6:6

Eye for Eye

38You have heard that it was said, Eye for
eye, and t ooth for t ooth.d 39But I tell you, do
not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you
on the r ight c heek, turn to them the other
cheek also. 40And if anyone w
ants to sue you
and take your shirt, hand over your coat as
well. 41If anyone forces you to go one mile, go
with them two m
iles. 42Give to the one who
asks you, and do not turn away from the one
who w
ants to borrow from you.

Love for Enemies

43You

have heard that it was said, Love

your neighbor e and hate your enemy. 44But
I tell you, love your enem ies and pray for
t hose who persecute you, 45that you may be
child ren of your Fat her in heaven. He causes
his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and
sends rain on the righteous and the unr igh
teous. 46If you love t hose who love you, what
reward will you get? Are not even the tax col
lectors doi ng that? 47And if you g reet only
your own people, what are you doi ng more
than others? Do not even pagans do that?
48Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Fa
ther is perfect.

Giving to the Needy

Be careful not to practice your righ

teousness in f ront of others to be seen
by them. If you do, you will have no reward
from your Fat her in heaven.
2So when you give to the n
eedy, do not
announce it with trump ets, as the hyp
oc rites do in the synagogues and on the
streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell
you, they have received t heir reward in full.
3But when you give to the n
eedy, do not let
your left hand know what your r ight hand is
doi ng, 4so that your givi ng may be in secret.
Then your Fat her, who sees what is done in
secret, will reward you.

Prayer
5And when you pray, do not be like the
hypocrites, for they love to pray standi ng in
the synagogues and on the s treet corners to
be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have
received t heir reward in full. 6But when you
pray, go into your room, c lose the door and

a27Exodus20:14 b31Deut.24:1 c37Orfrom evil d38

e43Lev.19:18

1034

Exodus21:24; Lev. 24:20; Deut. 19:21

1035

T H U R S DAY

Passage for the Day

MATTHEW 6:513

Verses for the Day

MATTHEW 6:78

Show us how to pray

everal years ago, our older daughter was teaching fifth grade at a Christian school in North Carolina.
Classes would begin each day with an open prayer time. Missy asked each student for requests, and
then she would invite anyone to be a part of the experienceto pray out loud.
One morning, a boy began praying for his dog. Dear God, he began, please bless Rascal today. Missy
held her breath. Please help him to be obedient to my mom while Im here at school. And please help him not
to run out into the busy street in front of our house. Fortunately, the boy didnt give God his home address.
Unfortunately, he wasnt quite finished. And Lord, please help Rascal to get rid of his nasty ringworm.
Missy silently gasped ... but none of the children laughed. No one even made a sound. Of course, the children were silently saying, praying for Rascals ringworm seems perfectly reasonable to us.
When Missy told me this story I remember thinking how good it is that children are so comfortable with God
that they can bring their most important concerns boldly into His holy throne room.
When it comes to prayereither on their own or with their childrenmany dads are stymied. I am
comfortable asking God to bless our food, they tell me.
But beyond that, Im kind of lost.
Youre going to hear your
In the Lords Prayer, J esus gave us a wonderful patHeavenly Father get
tern to follow when we pray, either alone or kneeling
thanked for a whole lot of
with our kids before bedtime.
Praise and thank yous. When you pray, always begin
interesting things.
by thanking God for his goodness. If your child is young
when you start this, youre going to hear your Heavenly Father get thanked for a whole lot of interesting things:
birds, bicycles, Grandma, a new box of Capn Crunch cereal. Thats okay, let it roll. Youre helping your children
to remember that everything they haveincluding life itselfis a precious gift from Gods hand.
Please forgive mes. You probably wont have too much difficulty with this, since most children have a great
deal of sensitivity about their own shortcomings. But its still important that you help them identify specific
forgive mes. Forgive me for not sharing my toys with Jennifer, when shes three will translate to seeking
Gods grace when life gets a lot more complex and dangerous.
Requests. Like their lists of thank yous, this might be a long one: Bless Uncle Fred and Aunt Blanche, bless
my trucks (or my dolls), bless my mom and my dad (Amen to that), please help us have a sunny day for the
picnic tomorrow. Again, its okay. Let this happen. Your child is learning that the Sovereign Lord of the universe
is a God of blessingof good and perfect gifts.
And finally ... close the prayer with one more statement of thank youone more expression of gratitude.
There you have ita birds-eye view of the Lords Prayer. Take the opportunity to actually teach this. If it
means having your child repeat phrases after you, thats fine. In no time, you and your child will get the hang of it.
Think of it. You are ushering your family into the presence of a holy God. Youre teaching them how to speak
to Him, knowing Hes eager to listen. This is a very good thing.
GO TO PAGE 1037 FOR YOUR NEXT DAILY READING.

1036

Matthew 6:7

pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then

your Fat her, who sees what is done in secret,
will reward you. 7And when you pray, do not
keep on babbling like pagans, for they t hink
they will be heard bec ause of their many
words. 8Do not be like them, for your Fat her
k nows what you need before you ask him.
9This, then, is how you s
hould pray:
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
10 your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation,a
but deliver us from the evil one.b
14For

if you forg ive other people when they

sin against you, your heavenly Fat her will
also forg ive you. 15But if you do not forg ive
others t heir sins, your Fat her will not forg ive
your sins.

Fasting
16When you fast, do not look somber as
the hypoc rites do, for they disfigu re their
faces to show others they are fasti ng. Truly
I tell you, they have received t heir rew ard
in full. 17But when you fast, put oil on your
head and wash your face, 18so that it will not
be obv ious to others that you are fasti ng, but
only to your Fat her, who is unseen; and your
Fat her, who sees what is done in secret, will
reward you.

Treasures in Heaven
19Do not s
tore up for yourselves treasures
on e arth, w
here moths and verm in destroy,
and where t hieves break in and steal. 20But
store up for yourselves treasures in heaven,
w here moths and verm in do not destroy,
and where t hieves do not break in and steal.
21For w
here your treasure is, there your
heart will be also.
22The eye is the lamp of the body. If your
hole body will be
eyes are h
ealthy,c your w
full of light. 23But if your eyes are unhealthy,d
your w
hole body will be full of darkness. If

Matthew 7:5

1036

then the light within you is darkness, how

g reat is that darkness!
24No one can s
erve two masters. Eit her
you will hate the one and love the other, or
you will be devoted to the one and despise
the other. You cannot s erve both God and
money.

Do Not Worry
25Therefore I tell you, do not worr y a
bout
your life, what you will eat or d rink; or a bout
your body, what you will wear. Is not life
more than food, and the body more than
clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they
do not sow or reap or s tore away in b
arns,
and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.
Are you not much more valuable than they?
27Can any one of you by worr yi ng add a sin
gle hour to your lifee?
28And why do you worr y about c lothes?
See how the flowers of the f ield grow. They
do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that
not even Solomon in all his splendor was
d ressed like one of t hese. 30If that is how God
clothes the g rass of the f ield, which is here
today and tomorrow is t hrown into the fire,
will he not much more c lothe youyou of
litt le faith? 31So do not worr y, sayi ng, What
shall we eat? or What s hall we d
rink? or
What s hall we wear? 32For the pagans run
after all t hese t hings, and your heavenly Fa
ther k nows that you need them. 33But seek
f irst his kingdom and his righteousness, and
all t hese t hings will be given to you as well.
34Therefore do not wor r y about tomor row,
for tomorrow will worr y a bout itself. Each
day has e nough trouble of its own.

Judging Others

Do not judge, or you too will be judged.

2For in the same way you judge others,
you will be judged, and with the measure
you use, it will be measured to you.
3Why do you look at the s
peck of sawdust
in your brothers eye and pay no attent ion
to the p
lank in your own eye? 4How can you
say to your brother, Let me take the s peck
out of your eye, when all the time t here is a
plank in your own eye? 5You hypocrite, f irst
take the p
lank out of your own eye, and then

a13 TheGreek for temptation can also mean testing. b13Orfrom evil; some late manuscripts one, / for
yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. c22 TheGreek for healthy here implies
generous. d23 TheGreek for unhealthy here implies stingy. e27Orsingle cubit to your height

1037

F R I DAY

Passage for the Day

MATTHEW 6:2533

Verse for the Day

MATTHEW 6:33

We invest in our children

nder normal circumstances, panel discussions are about as spellbinding to me as watching my

bran flakes soak up skim milk. But this one was an exception.
Bobbie and I were attending a Christian conference sponsored by one of our favorite ministries. The experts at the dais were advising us about how to invest our capital in such a way as to allow for
tax-sheltered security, provide for retirement, and create ways for funds to be available for charitable work
when were gone.
One of the men on the panel had lived his whole life in Eastern Europe under communist domination. I was
actually feeling like he was out of place in this session. I had figured that Peter and his family had never been
challenged with questions about 401ks and IRAs. He sat silently at his microphone for the first 30 minutes of
the discussion.
Then the moderator asked the inevitable question to this silent participant, So, Peter, what do you think
about all of this?
Peter cleared his throat, nervously sat up straight, and slid the microphone closer. He stared at the audience
for just a moment, creating serious uncertainty for everyone. Well, he finally said in his deep English-is-mysecond-language accent, we dont have retirement plans where I come from. He paused. We were frozen in
our seatsno one even blinked. Peter slid the microphone even closer.
We dont have investment plans, Peter continued. We have families.
Although the session continued for another half hour, I didnt hear any more. I cannot tell you anything that
anyone said from that moment on. I made no additional notes on my yellow legal pad.
Long before there were stockbrokers and no-load mutual funds, centuries prior to retirement plans and
investment counselors, men and women had children. They raised these children with lavish love and unwavering discipline. The children grew up and their parents grew old. When dad and mom got so feeble that they
could no longer support themselves, the family took over. So much mutual respect had been poured into
this setting that no one even noticed that taking care of these elderly parents was hard work. After all, the
children would say, they cared for us when we couldnt care for ourselves.
I wonder what it would do to families everywhere, I said to my wife later that day, if parents knew that
in their old age they would be completely dependent on their children. How differently would we treat our
responsibility in raising them if we knew that theyd use these learned skills to care for us when we were unable
to care for ourselves?
I came home from the conference a bit of a different dad. Of course, I didnt fire my financial advisor or cash
in my portfolio, but I did look in a new way at the investment I was making in my children. What if, I remember
thinking, my personal long-term security was only a dividend of my investment in my family now? What if I had
no other collateral than this?
I still have no idea why the conference planner put Peter on the stand that dayunless God did it to seriously interrupt my life. Yes, maybe that was the reason.
GO TO PAGE 1039 FOR YOUR NEXT DAILY READING.

1038

Matthew 7:6

you will see clearly to remove the s peck from

your brothers eye.
6Do not give dogs what is sac red; do not
t hrow your p
earls to pigs. If you do, they may
trample them under t heir feet, and turn and
tear you to pieces.

Ask, Seek, Knock

7Ask and it will be given to you; seek and
you will find; k nock and the door will be
opened to you. 8For everyone who asks re
ceives; the one who seeks finds; and to the
one who k nocks, the door will be opened.
9Which of you, if your son asks for b
read,
will give him a s tone? 10Or if he asks for a
fish, will give him a s nake? 11If you, then,
t hough you are evil, know how to give good
g ifts to your child ren, how much more will
your Father in heaven give good g ifts to
t hose who ask him! 12So in everyt hing, do to
others what you would have them do to you,
for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

The Narrow and Wide Gates

13En
ter

through the narrow gate. For

wide is the gate and b
road is the road
that leads to destruction, and many enter
t hrough it. 14But s mall is the gate and nar
row the road that leads to life, and only a few
findit.

True and False Prophets

15Watch out for
f alse prophe ts. They
come to you in s heeps clothi ng, but inward
ly they are ferocious wolves. 16By t heir f ruit
you will recogn ize them. Do people pick
g rapes from thornbushes, or figs from this
ears good
tles? 17Likew ise, every good tree b
f ruit, but a bad tree b
ears bad f ruit. 18A good
tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree
cannot bear good fruit. 19Every tree that
does not bear good fruit is cut down and
t hrown into the fire. 20Thus, by t heir fruit
you will recogn ize them.

True and False Disciples

21Not everyone who says to me, Lord,
Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but
only the one who does the will of my Fat her
who is in heaven. 22Many will say to me on
that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophes y in
your name and in your name d rive out de
a2

Matthew 8:9

1038

mons and in your name perform many mira

cles? 23Then I will tell them plainly, I never
knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!

The Wise and Foolish Builders

24Therefore

everyone who hears t hese

ords of mine and puts them into pract ice
w
is like a wise man who b
uilt his h
ouse on the
rock. 25The rain came down, the streams
rose, and the w
inds blew and beat a gainst
that house; yet it did not fall, because it had
its foundat ion on the rock. 26But everyone
who hears these words of mine and does
not put them into pract ice is like a foolish
man who built his house on sand. 27The rain
came down, the s treams rose, and the w
inds
blew and beat against that house, and it fell
with a g reat crash.
28When Jesus had finished saying t hese
t hings, the c rowds were a mazed at his teach
ing, 29because he taught as one who had au
thorit y, and not as t heir teachers of the law.

Jesus Heals a Man With Leprosy

When J esus came down from the moun

tainside, large crowds followed him. 2A
man with lepros y a came and k nelt before
him and said, Lord, if you are willi ng, you
can make me clean.
3Jesus r
eached out his hand and t ouched
the man. I am willi ng, he said. Be clean!
Immed iately he was cleansed of his lepros y.
4Then J esus said to him, See that you d
ont
tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the
priest and offer the gift Moses commanded,
as a test imony to them.

The Faith of the Centurion

5When Jesus had ent ered Cap er n au m,
a centur ion came to him, asking for help.
6Lord, he said, my serv ant lies at home
para lyzed, suf feri ng ter r ibly.
7Jesus said to him, Shall I come and heal
him?
8The cent ur ion replied, Lord, I do not de
serve to have you come under my roof. But
just say the word, and my serv ant will be
healed. 9For I myself am a man under au
thorit y, with sold iers under me. I tell this
one, Go, and he goes; and that one, Come,
and he comes. I say to my servant, Do this,
and he doesit.

TheGreek word traditionally translated leprosy was used for various diseases affecting the skin.

The Bible for Dads

Welcome to the Bible for Dads. These book
introductions are designed to bring you
straight to what matters most in each Bible
book. As you read these brief introductions,
please be on the lookout for books that apply
specifically to your situation ... and then go
and read that book. Many of them take only
a few minutes to read, and some will be a few
hours, but theyre all worth the investment
of your time.
God Himself is a Father who has a lot to
say to you today. He wants to speak to your
head and to your heart. And be encouraged:
youre not alone.

The book of Exodus is about discovering

what it means to hear and to obey your heavenly Father. Listening to God often has a lot
to do with moving in faith away from familiar surroundings and into strange new territory. This is what Moses did with his people.
Or it may mean being faithful right where
you are. In either case, the stories in Exodus
ought to make one lesson clear to you and
to dads everywhere: When it comes time to
make a decision, a man can either obey God
or plan on paying a handsome penalty.

Leviticus

We dont know very much about how the

Israelites worshiped God during their captivity in Egypt, but its safe to say that after
Genesis
living in a foreign land for generations, they
Welcome to the world of the patriarchs had probably slipped into some bad spiritual
men whose names are indelibly chiseled on habits. The book of Leviticus describes how
the marbled walls of history: Adam, Noah, God, through Moses, got these people back
Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph. Two on track in their relationship with Him. And,
things can be said about these men: First, although some of the particulars listed here
they were ordinary. Read on; youll see. Sec- may seem strange, the message of this book
ond, they had no idea that people would be ought to be clear: God takes our relationship
talking about them three millennia after with Him very seriously. Hes not pleased
their deaths.
when we saunter through church every
These common men did what dads have couple of weeks and casually tip our hats
been doing since time began. They found to Him. Hes the Sovereign Lord of the Uniwork to do, got married and had children. verse, and He deserves our humble worship.
And although this may be hard to compreMoving out of Egypt was no excuse for the
hend, you are a patriarch, too. Many years Israelites to get sloppy with their spiritual
from now, your name will be familiar to a discipline. For the Jews, there was no postlong line of offspring. Theyll remember ponement of regular religious rituals. There
your gifts and your flaws, your successes are really no excuses for us either.
and your failures. This is amazing ... and its
true. Genesis provides some clues about how Numbers
to prepare for this kind of legacy.
Follow the Leader may be the name of a
childs game, but for the Israelites, it was seExodus
rious business. These peoplea couple of
Moses tried to convince Pharaoh to release million of themwere stuck between capthe millions of Jews being held captive in tivity in Egypt and new life in the promised
his country. But Pharaoh was no fool. Why land. For 40 years they lived from day to day,
would he knowingly give up the cheap labor not knowing where they were going. They
these slaves provided for his booming econ- felt lost, they acted lost, they grumbled and
omy? So Pharaoh refused. Unfortunately for complained as if they were lost ... but they
the Egyptians, letting the Israelites go wasnt werent lost.
God knew exactly where the Jews were.
just Moses idea; it was also Gods idea.

THE OLD TESTAMENT

1412

The Bible for Dads

He knew why they were there, how long they

were going to be there, and where they were
going. God even provided a huge cloud for
them to follow during the day and a fireball
to follow for late-night trips.
Following God every day in spite of feeling completely lost is the story of the book
of Numbers. It was also what Jesus, Gods
precious Son, told His disciplesa nd us as
wellto do. Follow me, Jesus said. And
since many dads would rather not take time
to stop and ask for directions anyway, this is
good news.

Deuteronomy
Life would be so much easier without rules.
We could drive as fast as we wanted, we
could eat chocolate for breakfast every day,
we could be as promiscuous as we wanted,
and you and I could tell our families that
they could do whatever they wanted because thats what we were going to do.
Of course, this doesnt sound like a good
time at all, does it? Societies and families
need rules to survive. Without them, chaos
and unhappiness take over.
The book of Deuteronomy was intended
to be a guidebook for Gods family, the Jews.
Sure, sometimes it may read like the tax code
from the Internal Revenue Service, but every word is there for a good reason. Families
who live togetherlike the Israelites and
like yoursneed rules. Of course, our kids
may squirm a little; you and I may not be applauded every time we enforce the rules, but
guidelines make your family feel happy and
safe. Just ask a couple of million people who
wandered around in the desert for 40 years.

Joshua
There may be no more thrilling words for a
father to hear than, Daddys home! Whether its been a full day away at work or a weeklong business trip, there really is no place
like home. The Israelites had been on a fairly
significant journey ... having been away for
a few hundred years! But now they were back
in Canaan, the land of their forefathers, the
land God had promised them they would
resettle.
Can you imagine the celebration when
Joshua stood in front of the Israelites and
shouted, Welcome home! These people,

who had for generations only heard about

this wonderful place, were now going to be
able to settle down. They would have their
own land, their own possessions, a place
that they and their families could now call
home. Can you imagine the joy? The book
of Joshua contains the celebration of this
precious placehome, a place of protection
and security for the children of Israel ... and
for your children.

Judges
When kids challenge their dads to a game of
whos the boss around here, they should
lose ... every time. Your authority in your
home is something God established a long
time ago with His own children. When they
obeyed, they were rewarded. When they
disobeyed, they were punished. The book
of Judges clearly establishes this model as
God deals swiftly and fairly with the Israelites. However, what youll notice as you read
this book is that God usually chose to issue
His authority by way of His appointed associates: His judges. When Deborah, Gideon,
Jephthah or Samson spoke, they spoke on
behalf of their heavenly Fathera nd with
His complete sanction.
What a privilege it must have been for
these people to be Gods representatives!
Actually, this is exactly like the privilege we
have of being dads. You and I are Gods ambassador to our families.

Ruth
Family relationships can be a real challenge.
Yours is no exception. Not only are there
daily hazards of living in a confined space
with people who are very, very different from
each other, but there are also the challenges
of coping with extended familyyour parents and siblings and their families, and
your wifes parents and siblings and their
families. Then, as time goes by, each of your
children will grow up, marry some lucky
person, and suddenly, you will become an
in-law! And if for some reason youre part of
a blended family, thats when the complexity
really sets in.
Its no small challenge to keep all of these
connections intact. Happily, tucked away
in the book of Ruth is the tender account of
a family who successfully negotiated the

Questions Kids Ask Index

This index lists, in alphabetical order according to key word, each of the 100 Questions Kids
Ask features found in the next few pages of the NIV Dads Devotional Bible.
Angels: Do I have a guardian angel?
Psalm91:1112 (p.1445)

Bible: Why is the Dead Sea dead?

Joshua18:19 (p.1438)

Apostle: What is an apostle? Is it the

same thing as a disciple? Mark 3:1415
(p.1454)

Bible: Why was Samsons hair so strong?

Judges 16:1314 (p.1439)

Ark: Wheres Noahs ark now? Genesis 68

(p.1434)
Baptism: Who invented baptism?
Numbers19:1819 (p.1436)
Bible: Does the Bible say we have to change
our underwear? Leviticus 6:1011
(p.1435)
Bible: How did the people who wrote the
Bible know what to write? 2Peter 1:2021
(p.1466)
Bible: How did the wise men know
Bethlehems star meant J esus had been
born? Matthew 2:12 (p.1453)
Bible: How did we get the Bible if it was
written so long ago? Exodus 24:34
(p.1435)
Bible: How did we get the New Testament?
John 1:1 (p.1457)
Bible: How does the Bible really help us?
2Timothy 3:1417 (p.1463)
Bible: In the parable of the Good Samaritan,
why didnt the priest or Levite help the
wounded man? Luke 10:2537 (p.1456)
Bible: Who were the bravest people in the
Bible? 1Chronicles 11:1021 (p.1442)
Bible: Why are there four gospels? Dont
they all say the same thing? John 21:25
(p.1457)
Bible: Why could men in the Old Testament
have more than one wife? 1Kings 11:34
(p.1441)
Bible: Why did Elisha make bears attack
those boys? 2Kings 2:2324 (p.1441)
Bible: Why do we have to read the Old
Testament? Isnt that outdated now?
Nehemiah 8:14, 1617 (p.1443)

Bible: Why was there so much fighting in

the Old Testament? 1Chronicles 16:18
(p.1442)
Christianity: If J esus taught peace, why did
the Romans hate Christians and kill
them? Acts 11:1921 (p.1458)
Christianity: If someone hurts me,
why cant I hurt that person back?
Romans12:1721 (p.1459)
Christianity: What is the fish symbol on the
back of that car? 1Peter 4:1217 (p.1465)
Christianity: Why are all other religions
wrong? Colossians 2:1315, 23 (p.1462)
Christianity: Why arent we supposed to
complain? It doesnt really hurt anyone.
Philippians 2:1415 (p.1462)
Christianity: Why arent we supposed to
judge others? Esther 2:20 (p.1443)
Church: Why is church on Sunday?
Revelation 1:10 (p.1467)
Creation: Can scientists prove that creation
isnt true? Genesis 1 (p.1433)
Creation: Why did God rest on the seventh
day? Genesis 2:23 (p.1433)
Disciples: Did the disciples get into trouble
for following Jesus? Acts 5:2742 (p.1458)
Discipline: If God hardened Pharaohs heart,
why did God punish him for not letting
the Israelites go? Exodus 10:27 (p.1434)
Discipline: Why does God have to punish
us? Jeremiah 29:1013 (p.1449)
Discipline: Why was God so harsh with
Moses when Moses struck the rock?
Numbers 20:12 (p.1437)
Ethics: Can something be right at some
times and wrong at other times?
James1:5 (p.1464)

Questions Kids Ask

Kids ask questions. You know this, because youre a father. And sometimes the questions
kids ask of their parents are puzzling, especially as those questions concern matters of God,
the Bible and their growing faith.
This index is designed to give you a framework for answering some of the questions that
your kids may ask you. We hope that youll find it informative, and invite you to use it as you
respond to these questions and direct your children toward a deeper faith in God.
This index is organized in canonical order, from Genesis to Revelation, based on the
verses referenced in the answers. There is a helpful topical reference chart for these questions as well on page 1429.

Creation: Can scientists prove that creation isnt true?

TEXT: Genesis 1

Science doesnt prove evolution or creation; it simply points out evidence for one theory or
the other. Many schools teach evolution as if it were scientific fact. But the scientific method
is based on observation, and since no human alive today witnessed the beginnings of the
world, that method wont work for this discussion.
What we know from Genesis is that God created the heavens and the earth. And scientists
have discovered that fossils favor the idea of special creation rather than evolution. How
do fossils point toward creation? The answer is simple but very significant. Scientists have
never found in-between life forms.
In order for the fossil evidence to support the theory of evolution, fossils should show life
forms in the process of changing. Charles Darwin, the man who popularized the theory of
evolution, actually said that fossils were perhaps the most obvious and serious objection
to his theory (Parker, 60).
Much has been written about creation and evolution. And while we dont have room to
discuss all the evidence here, this question provides you with a wonderful opportunity to
investigate the issue with your son or daughtera nd uncover the facts yourself.
Parker, G. Dry Bones and Other Fossils. (1979). El Cajon, CA: Creation Life Publishers.

Creation: Why did God rest on the seventh day?

TEXT: Genesis 2:23

God didnt have to rest on the seventh day, but he rested to set an example for us. He knew
that we would need rest for many reasons. God doesnt need to rest to stay healthy, but we
do. If we work all the time and never rest, our bodies will get sick. We also need rest so we can
spend time with our family and friends.
The Jews in the Bible observed this day with great care. They called it the Sabbath, and
they had very specific rules regarding how much activity could be done on this day. One
such rule regulated how far they could walk on the Sabbath. A Sabbath days journey was
about a thousand yards. This regulation kept the people from moving too far away from the
center of the city, so the community stayed closely knit. And, in a symbolic sense, the rule
kept them close to God because they couldnt move far from the temple, their place of worship. (You can read more about this command in Exodus 31:1417.)
God sent us a message on the seventh day of creation: Work hard, then rest. Take a break.
Spend time with your family. Worship me, and give me your full attention. Enjoy the blessings Ive given you. Rest is one of them.