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Day Three: March 18

March 18, 2022 by Zach White

The Jews had known for several thousand years that God promised to use Abraham and his descendants as influential people. Prophets for many generations foretold of a day Israel would have its own land and be a blessing to the entire world. And one day a new king was going to lead them and represent them. Not only was this king going to make them a great nation, but he would help restore what was a broken relationship with God.

But after years and years of hearing that prophecy, God went silent. For 400 years—around 15 generations—there were no significant words from any of God’s prophets.

In Luke 3, that silence was broken by John the Baptist. He told anyone who would listen, “The wait is over. The King we’ve been waiting for is here! In fact, he’s right over there. It’s Joseph’s son Jesus.”

And then Luke does something brilliant. To anyone who may have pushed back… to anyone who may have said, “Wait a minute… the prophets spoke of this coming king, and he’s supposed to be a descendant of Abraham. And not only Abraham, but there are several key people who are supposed to be in the family tree of the Messiah.” To anyone wondering about that, Luke lists a genealogy, traced backwards starting with Jesus and going all the way back to Adam. And those names anyone would be looking for in order to fulfill the words of the prophets are indeed on the list… Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, King David, and Judah.

When you read that list of names in Chapter 3, don’t breeze by it too quickly. Maybe even say each name aloud, just as a reminder that these were real people and not just names on a page. Some of the names may sound familiar, but most of them were just everyday, imperfect people that God used to bring his plans to fruition.

In some ways, we’re like that. God uses us for his purposes. Through our lives, our choices, our words, God uses us. We are his plan for showing those around us who he is.

That’s it for now. Before next time, read Chapters 4 and 5.

Prayer: “Heavenly Father, give me the wisdom to walk in your ways, even in the midst of seasons I don’t understand. Amen.”

Day Two: March 16

March 16, 2022 by Beachside

In the first chapter of Luke’s Gospel, we get to eavesdrop on the angel Gabriel, who gives two birth announcements, in a sense, to two different sets of parents. And for what it’s worth, the two Moms are related… cousins in some form or fashion. At any rate, these two babies will be born about six months apart.

The first baby born will end up being one of the great prophets of the day: John the Baptist (or John the Baptizer), whose main purpose will be to let people know that the long-awaited rescuer, the coming King of the Jews, has arrived. And John’s parents were Zechariah and Elizabeth.

The other announcement was for the upcoming birth of Jesus, the Savior who was coming to restore a connection between God and his people. We read in Luke 2 about the humble circumstances surrounding Jesus’s birth.

One fascinating observation has to do with how OPPOSITE the circumstances were surrounding the birth of these two Hebrew boys. For instance…

Jesus’s parents, Mary and Joseph, have no social significance to speak of. Joseph made a presumably modest living as a young carpenter, probably working for his dad, and they lived in a town that was just a small dot on the map.

Zechariah and Elizabeth, on the other hand (John the Baptist’s parents), lived very near Israel’s capital city of Jerusalem. Zechariah was a priest with important responsibilities at the temple.

Neither couple had any reason whatsoever to believe they would have a baby, but they had sort of opposite reasons for why they thought that. For Mary and Joseph (who weren’t married), they had yet to, you know, try to conceive. For Zechariah and Elizabeth, they hadn’t been able to have children in all their years of marriage… and now they were old.

So to both couples, this whole “You’ve got a baby on the way” came as quite a shock.

But isn’t that how it works sometimes? In one of the most incredible examples (well, two examples), we see God working in a way no one could have imagined.

Something remarkable, though, is what these couples had in common. While neither couple expected a pregnancy, both trusted God even when it didn’t make sense.

For us, it can be tough to try and make sense of our circumstances. But regardless of where we find ourselves, we can trust God through those circumstances.

That’s it for now. Before next time, read Chapter 3.

Prayer: “Heavenly Father, give me the wisdom to walk in your ways, even in the midst of seasons I don’t understand. Amen.”

Day One: March 14

March 2, 2022 by Beachside

If you asked the average church attendee or someone who is a little familiar with the Bible, “Who wrote most of the New Testament?” you’re usually going to get the answer, “the apostle Paul.” And that’s partly true. Paul did write most of the books in the New Testament. But in terms of the number of words written, most of the pages in our New Testament were written by Luke.

Luke wrote two large documents that account for about 28 percent of the New Testament. He wrote the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts, and Acts is really just a continuation of the book of Luke. The Gospel of Luke gives an account of Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection. Then Acts gives an account of how the early church got started.

Luke became a Jesus follower several years after Jesus walked the earth, most likely under Paul’s influence. Luke was probably a Gentile (someone without a Jewish background), so he would have come to know and understand Jesus without being raised learning the Hebrew Scriptures.

Professionally, it appears Luke was a medical doctor, and that he left his full-time profession to travel with Paul and do the work of spreading the good news that people could access God through his Son, Jesus.

Luke wasn’t a firsthand witness to the stories and teachings—and miracles—of Jesus, but he took the time to collect all the information he could, summarize it, and put it in an orderly fashion. There were tons of stories circulating about Jesus, and Luke was passionate about organizing those stories in a way to help people understand who Jesus was and what he came for.

One of his main sources was Mark, the same Mark who wrote the Gospel of Mark by documenting a lot of what Peter told him about Jesus. So if you ever notice that a lot of Luke’s Gospel looks like Mark’s Gospel, that’s why. And there’s also some overlap with Matthew’s Gospel. Matthew, Mark, and Luke share some of the same stories about Jesus with different details here and there. That’s why those three Gospels are known as the Synoptic Gospels. “Synoptic” means “seen in a similar way.”

But Luke found some other nuggets about Jesus that are only in his account and not in the other Gospels… things like Jesus’s parables of the prodigal son and the good Samaritan.

Ultimately, Luke wanted to present a clear, historical narrative of the person and work of Jesus as the Savior of all people.

Over the next five weeks, we’ll provide a guide to help you read through the 24 chapters in Luke. You’ll get a two-minute devotional every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and we’ll give you instructions to read a chapter or two of Luke on the off days.

So, here we go: Before next time, read Chapters 1 and 2. We hope as you journey through Luke, you’ll see God in a fresh, new way.

Prayer: “Heavenly Father, as we begin to journey through Luke’s account together, help me better understand the good news of Jesus and how he brought the kingdom of God to us and those around us. Amen.”

Twenty-One Day 21

April 12, 2020 by Beachside

Welcome

Twenty-one is a reading plan we created with the hope that it will help you connect with God and prepare your heart for Easter. We’re glad you’ve opted to join us on this journey and look forward to celebrating Easter with you!

Day 21

The writer of Hebrews tells us that Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. The writer tells his readers in Hebrews 13:5 that God promises, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” Since Jesus is God and he never changes, we can be confident that his promises hold firm today. He won’t leave us, even if it sometimes feels like he has.

This Easter, as we celebrate what happened all those years ago, the cross and the tomb remind us that, while he will never leave us, he is quite familiar with being left.

In the garden at his arrest, his followers fled.
The crowds who shouted “Hosanna in the highest” changed their cries to “Crucify him!”
Peter denied that he knew him three times.
And, finally, Jesus cried out from the cross,

“My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?””

— MARK 15:34

The popular teacher was abandoned to his fate.
Can you imagine the loneliness?
Can you imagine the emotional pain he endured, knowing the world he had created had turned its back on him?And his Father let him die a lonely death.

Perhaps that pain is why he made that promise.
Guys, listen: I promise I will NEVER leave you.
I will NEVER abandon you.
I will NEVER allow you to go through what I went through. I remember the pain. I am intimately familiar with the loneliness. I remember what it felt like to have everyone turn on me, the Maker of the universe. I loved them far more than they knew, and they all shunned me. I remember that, and because I remember that, I will NEVER let you go through it.

The world might leave you. Your family may abandon you. Your boyfriend or girlfriend might leave. Your kids might turn 16 and leave with the car every evening at 5:00 p.m., but you will NEVER be alone again. I will make sure of that.

I am with you. I am ALWAYS beside you. In your worst moment, I’m right there. In your best moment, I’m right there. When you feel good about yourself, I’m there. When you feel like you’re the worst and you’ll never figure it out, I’m there.

Jesus was abandoned at the cross. By everyone. So, let’s be clear: when you feel abandoned, he gets it.

But you only FEEL abandoned. You never really are.
He won’t let that happen.

You may not feel lonely or abandoned today, but it’s likely you will one day. Be encouraged. Because of Jesus, the one who stared down loneliness, death, sin, and shame on the cross, you will never be alone!

Thanks for joining us for the past 21 days! We hope this has been encouraging for you and we can’t wait to celebrate Easter with you this morning at 9:30 and 11:00 at Beachside Online! www.Online.Beachsidecc.org

Twenty-One Day 19

April 10, 2020 by Beachside

Welcome

Text BEACHSIDE21 to 97000 to receive these readings straight to your mobile device every morning.

Day 19

In his famous last words on the cross, Jesus said, “It is finished.” What was finished, though? We’re still dealing with the consequences of sin and shame and all kinds of pain. So what did he mean?

Let’s start with this: While Jesus was hanging on a cross, in significant pain, he said, “It is finished.” Who says that? As far as his followers could tell, things were not going according to plan. Perhaps they were saying the same thing later when they reviewed the day back at the hiding spot. Maybe Andrew looked at John and said, “Well, looks like it’s finished. Game over. We lost. Jesus is dead, and we didn’t defeat Rome or anything.” But that’s not what Jesus was talking about.

“It is finished” was Jesus’ victory statement. It tells us that he was in on his own death. He knew this moment was coming. He was not hanging on the cross thinking, Shoot. What do I do now? This was not the plan. No. The cross was exactly the plan.

From the beginning of creation, Jesus knew this was going to happen. The Maker of the universe knew he would come to earth and take the best weapon of his enemy— death—and place it squarely on his own shoulders.

Romans 6:23 tells us that the wages of sin is death. But Jesus had not sinned. He was not due a wage of death. He had not earned death. The only way that death could enter his world was if he allowed it—if he invited it. And so he did. He invited death upon himself. That’s why he wasn’t freaking out on the cross. He was fulfilling God the Father’s plan when he said, “It is finished.”

God’s long-standing plan to fulfill the Law—so we could be perfect, without sin— is what was finished. He had created a system called the law by which people could know how to behave if they wanted to be perfect in his eyes. Of course, nobody was. Until Jesus. And by being perfect, Jesus was able to satisfy the demands of the system and be humanity’s Savior. When he said, “It is finished,” he was declaring the end of the old system and the arrival of a new way, through himself, to be in right relationship with God.

What does “it is finished” mean for you and me? It means we are no longer bound to a system. There is no performance path to God. There is nothing we can do to impress him or get closer to him. All we need is a Savior, and his name is Jesus.

God’s not tired of your failure. He’s not waiting for you to get it together. He did away with that system through Jesus.

As Easter approaches, you may be tempted to think that God has a problem with your imperfection. If so, as you look at the cross, remind yourself that the old system is finished and you have a Savior. That was the plan all along.

Twenty-One Day 18

April 9, 2020 by Beachside

Welcome

Text BEACHSIDE21 to 97000 to receive these readings straight to your mobile device every morning.

Day 18

On more than one occasion, people went out of their way to get the attention of Jesus in the four Gospel accounts of his life. A woman fights through a crowd to get just a small touch of his shirt. A tax collector climbs a tree to get a look. Men travel miles and miles to ask for the healing power of Jesus. And over and over again, when people come to him in desperation, crying out to him for help, he obliges. Others tried to turn the desperate people away, but Jesus seemed attracted by their desperation. In the Gospel of Matthew, we find a story of desperate people doing what they must to get Jesus’ attention.

“As Jesus and his disciples were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed him. Two blind men were sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was going by, they shouted, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”

The crowd rebuked them and told them to be quiet, but they shouted all the louder, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” Jesus stopped and called them. “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked. “Lord,” they answered, “we want our sight.” Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him.”

— MATTHEW 20:29–34

Why were they willing to shout and fight for the attention of Jesus?

I think they were desperate.

They had no other options. They didn’t have it all together and were past the point of pretending they did. They needed Jesus and they knew it.

Simple questions today:
Do you feel your need for him?
Are you desperate for him?

When our finances are a struggle . . . we need him.
When our marriage is in crisis . . . we need him.
When our kids are straying . . . we need him.
When our health is failing . . . we need him.
When we’re lonely . . . we need him.

At least those are the times when we FEEL our need for him.

The truth is that we ALWAYS need him—for joy, adventure, success, forgiveness, strength, kindness, patience, breathing . . . for life itself. For all that we are, we need Jesus.

Have you been shouting to him because you know you need him?
Or have you forgotten your desperation?
We don’t like feeling desperate. It’s not all that attractive, at least not to those around us.
But to Jesus? Jesus is attracted to our desperation.
He is impressed by our willingness to admit our desperation. Give him a shout.

Day Three: March 18

Day Two: March 16

Day One: March 14

Twenty-One Day 21

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Day 21

Twenty-One Day 19

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Day 19

Twenty-One Day 18

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Day 18

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