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D.I.V.E. Devotions 

Dig In
Dig in and enjoy God’s Word. What should I read in the Bible today?

• DAY 1 – Luke 23:44-56 – Jesus dies and is buried

• DAY 2 – Luke 24:1-12 – The women and Peter at the empty tomb

• DAY 3 – Luke 24:13-35 – The two men on the road to Emmaus

• DAY 4 – Luke 24:36-43 – Jesus appears to the disciples

• DAY 5 – Luke 24:44-53 – Jesus ascends into Heaven

Answer these questions each day…

Insight
What did you see? What did you hear?

Value
What did you learn? What should you do?

Examine
Examine yourself as you pray. What will you pray?

If I Believed What You Say…

Read 

Charlie Peace was a criminal. Laws of God or man curbed him not. Finally the law caught up with him and he was condemned to death. On the fatal morning in Armley Jail, Leeds, England, he was taken on the death-walk. Before him went the prison chaplain, routinely and sleepily reading some Bible verses. The criminal touched the preacher and asked what he was reading. “The Consolations of Religion,” was the reply. Charlie Peace was shocked at the way he professionally read about hell. Could a man be so unmoved under the very shadow of the scaffold as to lead a fellow-human there and yet, dry-eyed, read of a pit that has no bottom into which this fellow must fall? Could this preacher believe the words that there is an eternal fire that never consumes its victims, and yet slide over the phrase without a tremor? Is a man human at all who can say with no tears, “You will be eternally dying and yet never know the relief that death brings”? All this was too much for Charlie Peace. So he preached. Listen to his on-the-eve-of-hell sermon. 

“Sir,” addressing the preacher, “if I believed what you and the church of God say that you believe, even if England were covered with broken glass from coast to coast, I would walk over it, if need be, on hands and knees and think it worth while living, just to save one soul from an eternal hell like that!”1 

Reflect 

And I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. And death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’ s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:11-15

Respond 

Your thoughts?

Remember 

“I still, from my armchair, preach in great revivals. I still vision hundreds walking the aisles to accept Christ. I still feel hot tears for the lost . . . . I want no Christmas without a burden for lost souls, a message for sinners, a heart to bring in the lost. May food be tasteless, music a discord, Christmas a farce if I forget the dying millions; if this fire in my bones does not still flame. Not till I die or not till Jesus comes will I ever be eased from this burden, these tears, this toil to save souls.” 

—John R. Rice, age 85

(Part of a 1980 Christmas letter dictated few days before his death)2 

Swing Jumping

My mother said, “Don’t jump out of the swing.

You’ll land. You’ll hurt. You’ll really, really sting.”

My daddy said, “Don’t jump out of the swing.

You’ll land. You’ll hurt. You’ll really, really sting.”

My teacher said, “Don’t jump out of the swing.

You’ll land. You’ll hurt. You’ll really, really sting.”

So what did I do?

I swung real high

And just let go.

I thought I could fly.

Through the air,

I did soar,

Forgetting what,

I had been told before.

Then I hit,

The Merry-Go-Round,

That bounced me twice,

Up off the ground.

I spun head over heals,

Through the air,

And landed and rolled,

From here to there.

Up the slide

I did go.

Then down the ladder,

And I didn’t slow.

Knocking out,

Three of my friends,

I hit the backstop,

And launched up again.

Then what happened next,

Was the worst of every feature.

Boom! Bang! Plop!

I landed on top of my teacher.

My mother said, “Don’t jump out of the swing.

You’ll land. You’ll hurt. You’ll really, really sting.”

So what did I do? I jumped.

I thought I could fly,

But now I have two broken legs,

And my teacher? A big, black eye.

Obedience

Sometimes you may be told not to do something that you think would be fun, and even though you may not understand why you shouldn’t do it, you should obey just the same. Rules are not intended to take the fun out of life. In fact, God gave us rules to protect us. So always obey your parents and teachers and always do what you know is right. The Bible says in Titus 3:1, “Remind them to be in subjection to rulers and to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to every good work.”

Knock, Knock—Part 1

You Will Need: 


GET STARTED

Tell some “Knock, Knock” jokes and let your child also try to make some up, if they want too. 

Here are some examples:

Knock, Knock / Who’s There?

Ima / Ima Who? 

Ima a really hungry. Can we order a pizza? 

Knock, Knock / Who’s There?

Shirley / Shirley Who? 

Surely you can get up and open the door! 

Knock, Knock / Who’s There?

Dishes / Dishes Who?

Dishes the police! Open up! 

Knock, Knock / Who’s There?

Handsome / Handsome Who? 

Handsome of the pizza to me! 

Knock, Knock / Who’s There?

General Lee / General Lee Who? 

General Lee I ring the doorbell! 

Knock, Knock / Who’s There?

Boo / Boo Who? 

Please stop crying. I didn’t mean to scare you. 

Knock, Knock / Who’s There?

Tom Sawyer / Tom Sawyer who?

Tom Sawyer underwear!

SAY—As Jesus was teaching, listen to what He said about prayer?

Read Matthew 7:7-8 from your Bible.

ASK—What do you think Jesus meant by these verses?

SAY—When you have cares and concerns, God wants you to ASK Him, SEEK Him about them, and KNOCK on “His door”. He wants you to bring your requests and your whole life to Him.

ASK—Does this mean that you will always get what you pray for? (No, because God knows best and won’t give you things that wouldn’t be good for you. You have to trust that God will answer prayers in the best way possible.)

ASK—Does God always answer prayer? (Yes. God ALWAYS answers prayer: He answers by saying “Yes” or “No” or “Not right now—wait a while.” God doesn’t always answer yes, but He does always answer.)

ASK—What are some things that you would like to ask God about?

PRAY—Take turns praying and giving your requests to the Lord.

D.I.V.E. Devotions 

Dig In
Dig in and enjoy God’s Word. What should I read in the Bible today?

• DAY 1 – Luke 23:6-12 – Jesus before Herod

• DAY 2 – Luke 23:13-25 – Pilate and the crowd 

• DAY 3 – Luke 23:26-31 – Simon of Cyrene carries the cross

• DAY 4 – Luke 23:32-38 – The crucifixion

• DAY 5 – Luke 23:39-43 – Jesus and the two criminals

Answer these questions each day…

Insight
What did you see? What did you hear?

Value
What did you learn? What should you do?

Examine
Examine yourself as you pray. What will you pray?

Just One More

Vision: To inspire a passion for lost souls

The next eleven weeks will challenge you to deepen your desire to see lost people come to Christ. As you read this section, spend time examining your heart to see what the Lord desires to do in you and through you. 

_______________________

Read 

From a sermon by R. A. Torrey: 

I never think of our responsibility for being soul winners without thinking of an incident that occurred many years ago in Evanston, Illinois. There Northwestern University is located. Years ago, before it had attained to the dignity of a university, two strong, husky farmer boys came to the college to study—Ed and Will Spencer. Ed was a famous swimmer. Early one morning word came to the college that north of Evanston, between Evanston and Winnetka, there was a wreck a little way off the shore of Lake Michigan. Ed, with the other students and people of the town, hurried northward along the shore toward the wreck. As he ran along a low bluff, he saw a man clinging to the wreckage trying to make the shore. He threw off his superfluous garments, sprang into the lake and swam out, caught hold of the man and the wreckage and made toward shore. He was struck in the head by wreckage, and the blood from the wound filled his eyes so he could not see, but he succeeded in bringing the man to shore. 

Going on a little further, he saw another man clinging to wreckage trying to make the shore. This time he took the precaution to tie a rope around his waist and throw the end to the fellow-students on the shore, and sprang into the lake and swam out, grasped the drowning man, gave the signal, and was pulled ashore. Again and again he sprang into the lake and swam out to rescue some who were drowning, until he had succeeded in bringing a fifth, a sixth, a seventh, an eighth, a ninth and a tenth safe to shore. 

By now he was completely exhausted. His companions had made a fire of logs upon the shore, for the morning was cold and raw. He walked over to the fire, so weak that he could hardly stand and stood trying to get a little warmth into his shivering body. 

After standing there a few moments he turned, looked out over the lake again and saw another man trying to make the shore. He cried to his companions, “Boys, I am going in again.” “No, no, Ed,” they cried, “Your strength is all gone. You cannot save him. You will only be throwing your own life away. It will be suicide.” “I will try, anyway,” he cried. 

Again he sprang into the lake and swam out and grasped a drowning man and was pulled to shore. And again and again and again and again, until he had brought an eleventh, a twelfth, a thirteenth, a fourteenth and a fifteenth safe to shore. 

Then his strength seemed entirely gone. He tottered across the beach to the fire and stood beside it so pale and haggard and emaciated that it seemed as if the hand of death was already upon him. After standing by the fire a few moments he turned and looked out over the lake. In the distance he saw a spar drifting toward a point. To drift around meant certain death. Looking again and seeing a man’s head above the spar, he cried, “There is a 

man trying to save his life!” He looked again and saw a woman’s head beside the man’s. “Boys,” he cried, “there is a man trying to save his wife. I’ll help him.” “No, no!” they cried; “your strength is all gone. It will be suicide. You cannot help him.” “I’ll try,” he cried. 

He sprang again into Lake Michigan and swam out to the spar. Summoning all his fast-dying strength, he put his hands upon it and brought it around the right side of the point to safety.Then they pulled him in through the breakers; tender hands lifted him from the shore, carried him to his room in the college, and laid him upon his bed apparently unconscious. A fire was built in the grate, and his brother sat in front of the grate to watch developments. 

He had been sitting there awhile, looking into the fire and thinking of his brother’s bravery, when suddenly he heard a footfall behind him and felt a touch upon his shoulder. Looking up, he saw his brother looking down wistfully into his eyes. “Will,” he said, “did I do my best?” 

“Why, Ed,” Will replied, “you saved seventeen.” 

He said, “I know it; I know it; but I was afraid I did not do my very best. Will, do you think that I did my very best?” 

His brother took him back to bed. During the night he tossed in a semi-delirium. His thought was not about the seventeen whom he had saved, but on the many who went down that day to an early grave. For in spite of his bravery and that of others, many perished that day. 

His brother Will, as he sat by the bed, held his hand and tried to calm him. He said, “Ed, you saved seventeen.” 

“I know it; I know it,” he cried, “but, oh, if I could only have saved just one more!” 

We all stand beside a stormy sea today—the sea of life. There are wrecks everywhere. Young men, young women, older men, older women are going down, not to a watery grave but to a hopeless eternity. They are going down all over America. They are going down all over England. They are going down in China and Japan and India. Oh, let us jump in again and again and again and rescue the perishing! And when at last every ounce of strength is gone and we sink utterly exhausted on the shore, let us cry in the earnestness of our desire to save the perishing, “Oh, if I could only have saved just one more!”1 

Reflect 

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. (Matthew 28:18-20

Respond 

If you were to die today, what would you take to heaven with you? Money can’t go; social status can’t go; houses and cars can’t go, but the people you’ve led to Christ can. When was the last time you personally, one-on-one, led someone to Christ. Opportunities surround us if only we open our eyes and say, “I am willing.” 

Your thoughts?

Remember 

Charles T. Studd was a famous sportsman in England, captain of the Cambridge XI cricket team. A century ago he gave away his vast wealth to needy causes and led the “Cambridge Seven” to China. His slogan was, “If Jesus Christ be God and died for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for Him.” 2 

NOTE: If you feel unable or inadequate to lead someone to a personal saving, faith in Jesus Christ, then take a look at the “How to Lead a Child to Christ” information posted on this website. It’s an easy and simple method of presenting the Gospel to people of all ages. 

The Uncontrollable Itch

Little Judith Doe,

Had an itch on her toe.

It moved to her ankle,

Then to her knee.

When she’d try to scratch,

It always seemed to flee.

It itched up her leg,

And on her belly it did stop,

Then went to her elbow,

In one single hop.

She scratched her elbow,

And it moved to her hand.

Then on her chin,

It did land.

She scratched and she scratched,

All through the day.

“It won’t stop itching!”

You could hear her say.

Then from her chin,

The itch finally fled,

But suddenly she itched,

All over her head.

Then it went everywhere,

On her legs, her feet, and toes,

She itched on her belly,

And even on her nose.

She itched all the way,

Up to her golden hair-locks.

That’s when she discovered,

She had caught the Chicken Pox.

Seeking God First

Sometimes wanting things is like having a hard-to-scratch itch. We just aren’t happy until we get what our heart is set on, but the Bible says in Matthew 6:33, “But seek first God’s Kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things will be given to you as well.” Remember: Everything you’ll ever need and everything good that you’ll ever want in life is found only in Jesus Christ.

Showing Something New

You Will Need: 

  • An old comic book or newspaper
  • White Silly Putty or you can make your own with the following items: A container, white glue, liquid starch, and a spoon 
  • A Bible marked at Matthew 5:16

If you don’t have these items: You can use a mirror to reflect light using the same DISCUSSION below. Take turns reflecting light at different targets. Who are some people who need to see the light of Jesus?


STEP 1

Mix two parts glue with one part liquid starch. Stir well.

STEP 2

Keep adding starch one spoonful at a time, while working it with your fingers, until it becomes a putty-like mixture.

STEP 3

Put the putty onto an old comic book or newspaper. Press down and then peel it off. What changed?

SAY—The putty didn’t show anything until you pressed it against the comic book or newspaper. Now it shows whatever words or pictures you pressed it on. 

DISCUSSION 

SAY—In the same way, once people meet Jesus (give their lives to Him), they become a reflection of who He is.

Read the verses below and think about ways you show Jesus to others who don’t know Him.

Read Matthew 5:16 from your Bible.

PRAY—And thank God that He can use you as a light to show His life and love to others.


BREAKFAST BITES

ASK—What kind of difference do you think Jesus makes in your life?

ASK—How do you think people around you every day see the difference Jesus makes?

ASK—How can you tell others about the difference Jesus can make in their lives?

Read Matthew 5:13-16

D.I.V.E. Devotions 

Dig In
Dig in and enjoy God’s Word. What should I read in the Bible today?

• DAY 1 – Luke 22:35-46 – Prayer in Gethsemane

• DAY 2 – Luke 22:47-53 – Jesus’ arrest

• DAY 3 – Luke 22:54-62 – Jesus in Caiaphas’ house: Peter’s denial

• DAY 4 – Luke 22:63-71 – Jesus is mocked and beaten

• DAY 5 – Luke 23:1-5 – Accusations before Pilate

Answer these questions each day…

Insight
What did you see? What did you hear?

Value
What did you learn? What should you do?

Examine
Examine yourself as you pray. What will you pray?

Optimism

Read 

In 1997 the journal of the American Heart Association reported on a remarkable study. Researchers found that people who experienced high levels of despair had a 20% greater occurrence of arterial sclerosis, the narrowing of the arteries, than did optimistic people. This is the same magnitude of increased risk that one sees in comparing a pack- a-day smoker to a non-smoker says researcher Steven Everson. In other words, despair can be as bad for you as smoking a pack a day. Hope is essential not only for physical health but far more important for spiritual health. 1 

Reflect 

Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about what happens to you. (1 Peter 5:7 NLT) 

Respond 

Optimism is related to faith. You have optimism not because of how much faith you have, but who your faith is in. God reminds us that He has a plan for us. Plans to prosper us and not to harm us. Plans to give us a future filled with hope. Realize that despair not only effects our minds but our hearts and, by the story above from the American Heart Association, despair even erodes our bodies physically. How can you be optimistic this week? If despair has come into your life, how can you cast these cares on God? Write a prayer below giving all your worries to Him. 

Your thoughts?

Remember 

An optimist sees an opportunity in every calamity; a pessimist sees a calamity in every opportunity. 2