Lakeside Christian Church Blog

Day 10 – Sea of Galilee & Northern Israel   Day 10 is jam packed with sites and scripture full of both sin and our Savior. We’ll go on a journey of sorts from considering the weak, sinful nature of humanity to the saving light that breaks through the darkness (again and again).   A few things stood out in the passages. One, they are full of action. Jesus hit the ground running in his ministry, and there are many descriptors of time to emphasize this. Second, despite the urgency of his work, Jesus prioritized and took time for prayer and solitude. Finally, we see a pattern of sin or weakness being exhibited, even repeated, but never as the end of the story. Instead, we are assured that we have a loving, merciful Savior in Jesus our Lord.   Matthew 4:12-16 Our morning reading is the beginning of Jesus’ ministry in Capernaum. The first word in verse 12 is “now,” which means at the present time or moment. We know very little about Jesus’s life up to this point. But this i...

October 9 – Do Not Forget God’s Faithfulness   Joshua 1:8–9 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.   Scripture Reading – Judges 2  Joshua 1:8–9 calls us to approach God’s Word with both  attention and courage . Joshua was entering a new and uncertain season, but God reminded him that faithfulness would begin with remembering and obeying what God had already said. “Be strong and courageous” was not a call to self-confidence, but to confidence in God’s presence: “for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”   Judges 2 shows what happens when God’s people forget. A generation arose that did not know th...

October 2 –  A Living Hope and a Faithful God   Psalm 40:1–3 I waited patiently for the LORD; he inclined to me and heard my cry. He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the LORD.   Scripture Reading – Joshua 5:10-6:27 As we prepare to worship, 1 Peter reminds us that our hope rests not in circumstances but in the living Christ. Through Jesus’ resurrection, God has given us a living hope and an inheritance that cannot perish, spoil, or fade. Joshua 20–21 gives us a picture of that same faithfulness. God provided cities of refuge for those who needed protection, and He gave the Levites their appointed cities throughout Israel. After all that God had promised, Israel could look back and declare that  not one of His good promises had failed  (Joshua 21:45). Our circumstances may chang...

Day 8 – Bethlehem and Israel’s Heartland   Today we visit Israel’s “heartland.” What is a heartland? Geographically it’s the central, or most important part of a country, area, or field of activity. It can also mean the center of support for a belief or movement. Yes, we will be visiting some very important locations central to the land of Israel. But I think the second definition is also quite fitting since we will stand on the ground where the Tabernacle once stood, then the foundation where the Temple was erected and later destroyed, and finally Bethlehem where David was anointed as king and Jesus was born! These are quite central in both location and meaning to our faith and belief as Christians.   Our passages will take us on a progressive journey through prophecy, promise and anointing, covering about 2,100 years of history!   Micah 5:2   This single verse from Micah for our morning reading and prayer doesn’t just prophesy the coming ruler of Israel, but in man...