DAILY BIBLE READINGS TO INSPIRECOURAGE SPIRIT CHARACTER

JANUARY–APRIL 2006

SALVATION AND ATONEMENT PART 1 4

LIFESTYLE PART 1 18

JESUS PART 1 32

MONEY PART 1 46

SALVATION AND ATONEMENT PART 2 60

LIFESTYLE PART 2 74

JESUS PART 2 88

MONEY PART 2 102

SALVATION AND ATONEMENT PART 3 116

that’s what we want to inspire in you. We want to help you stand up for what you believe in, experience a deeper relationship with God and become the person He wants you to be.Each issue, we’ll be unlocking some core biblical themes and getting our teeth into some ‘Hot Potatoes’ – those important subjects that we may discuss with our friends and family, or hear about in the media.This time our Core Theme is

Salvation and Atonement. Find out who you are and what you mean to God. Our Hot Potatoes are lifestyle, money and the Person of Jesus. How do you live your life? How do you spend your money? Who is Jesus and what has He got to do with us today?Read on and fi nd the answers to all these questions and more, and be encouraged in your walk with God.

The Mettle Team

Copyright © YFC and CWR 2006

Published 2006 by CWR, Waverley Abbey House, Waverley Lane, Farnham, Surrey GU9 8EP, England.

Mettle Bible reading notes are produced in association with British Youth for Christ. British Youth for Christ is part of Youth for Christ International, a movement of youth evangelism organisations in over 100 countries of the world. Please visit www.yfci.org for the country nearest you.

Series Editor: Lorne CampbellContributors: John Hawksworth, Anne Calver, Barry Mason and Phil Bowyer – Tearfund’s National Youthwork Co-ordinator (www.tearfund.org/youth)

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission in writing of CWR.

See back of book for list of National Distributors.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture references are from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation (NLT), copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

Other quotations are marked:NIV: The Holy Bible: New International Version, copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by the International Bible Society.

Concept development by YFC and CWREditing, design and production by CWR

Printed in England by Halstan

COURAGE SPIRIT CHARACTER …

WELCOME TO

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Have you ever wondered what you were created for?Have you ever thought about how you got here?Have you ever asked why you are alive?Have you ever got any acceptable answers?

This is the very beginning; the Bible goes through the whole creation process – from darkness to God resting. (Even evolutionists agree the world was developed in the same order that is detailed in the Bible.)

In the reading for today, God is looking at what He has created: ‘… he saw that is was excellent in every way.’ He loved it. He thought it was great. He was pleased with what He had done. Starting at this point – God’s feeling for earth and everything in it – we are going to look at what happened next, right through to Jesus.

THINKJust think about God looking at you and what He feels when He does:

‘He saw that [insert your name] was excellent in every way.’

Try to ignore those bad hair days or the lack of sporting ability you feel you have.

God looks past everything you are feeling, and sees how He made you and how excellent you are – He loves you completely. Talk to God about how you feel about yourself.

‘Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was excellent in every way.’

READING: Genesis 1:31

KEY VERSEv31

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It’s simply amazing looking up at the sky on a clear night – you are actually seeing millions of miles! The stars and moon, even a planet on occasions. How insignifi cant are we?!

Yet look at all we do. We really are at the top of the scale – we invent, we cure, we communicate globally.

In today’s reading, the psalmist, David, is writing about how he feels after looking up into the sky. We may be more technologically advanced and have more scientifi c knowledge than humans had then, but they were also at the top of the scale. God put humans in charge of everything He had created, ‘… giving us authority over all things …’ (v.6).

What are we doing with the power God has entrusted to us as humans? How are we going about dealing with our responsibility?

Think about the words the psalmist uses. Do you agree with him?

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‘When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fi ngers …’

READING: Psalm 8:3–9

‘God says, “At the time I have planned, I will bring justice against the wicked.”’

READING: Psalm 75:2–7

‘Crime doesn’t pay’ is a saying often used, based on the notion that eventually the criminal will be caught. You might be able to get away with something wrong for a while, but sooner or later you will be found out.

God does judge what happens. He sends out warnings and asks people to stop their wrongdoing, as we read in verse 4 of today’s psalm: ‘I warned the proud, “Stop your boasting!” I told the wicked, “Don’t raise your fi sts”’. It may seem that God is letting a lot of bad things happen around the place, with no real consequences. People are getting away with it. Wars take place, corrupt governments rule. Some ask, almost accusingly, ‘If God exists, why does He allow this or that to happen?’

We have choices to make, and our choices effect us and other people, for good or for bad.

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KEY VERSEv2

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KEY VERSEv3

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CHALLENGEBe assured, God is watching and knows what is happening. In His time He will judge. ‘It is God alone who judges …’ (v.7).

‘The woman was convinced. The fruit looked so fresh and delicious, and it would make her so wise!’

READING: Genesis 3:4–13W

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Yum, it looks good, it smells good, so it must be good! Who says you can’t try it? Why not, it can’t hurt, can it?

Ooops, God got cross – a bit of an understatement – He got really angry! Read verses 14–24. What happened to the serpent, to Eve and to Adam?

When God asked for an explanation the response was, ‘The serpent tricked me … That’s why I ate it’ (v.13). Is that our response when we get caught? We were tricked, it was somebody else’s fault, they said it would be OK!

Look up 1 Corinthians 10:13. We are not on our own when we are tempted. Others have experienced similar temptations and have not given in – and God is always there to help us through, ‘… God is faithful. He will keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can’t stand up against it.’

Well, things got worse and God was not happy with what He saw. ‘It broke his heart’ (v.6).

I made a boat for my Technology exam class. I drew various designs, did the technical drawings and chose one to make. I decided to use a vacuum mould and to do this I had to carve the hull out of wood. The wooden hull was brilliant. Unfortunately, it was too big for the vacuum machine, so plan B – a fi breglass mould. I used strips of fi breglass and pasted resin onto the hull. All I had to do now was wait for it to dry. Something went wrong. Everything stuck together and I had to chisel the hull out! All that work for a disaster! I was gutted. With little time left and no help from my teacher I ended up with a ‘D’.

‘So the LORD was sorry he had ever made them. It broke his heart.’

READING: Genesis 6:5–9TH

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KEY VERSEv6

8

KEY VERSEv6

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THINKGod loved His creation too much to let it destroy itself: He got involved.

continued

THINKWhen is your ‘next week’ in your relationship with God? Why not make it today …

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The fi rst time I realised that I really loved a girl was when we were both away on separate holidays. We had been going out for about fi ve months and this was the fi rst time we were apart for more than a few days.

After fl irting with other girls on holiday, I was struck by how much I missed my girlfriend, her laugh, her conversation. I decided that I should tell her how I felt and how much I had missed her.

The day I got back I telephoned her and tried to arrange to go out that night, only to be told she was busy but she might be able to see me the next week. Ouch!

God got involved because He loves us. The only way we could get back to what Adam and Eve had before the Fall was for Jesus to rescue us.

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‘For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son …’

READING: John 3:16

KEY VERSEv16

Joining all this up: in the beginning, God saw the world as excellent but the serpent, with Adam and Eve, spoiled that picture. Looking at God’s character we saw the loving Creator but we also saw the Judge.

God judged the world because He had to, but He loved us so much that He sent His Son Jesus. Through His death we were made right in God’s sight. Jesus’ sacrifi ce for us means we can be saved from God’s judgment. Jesus restored the relationship between us and God, we can have a direct friendship with God through Jesus. This was not a simple thing to achieve. It meant Jesus taking the blame for all our wrongdoing and dying. But we can celebrate as Jesus rose again and beat death to reconnect that relationship – making us friends of God.

Nothing can separate us from the love of God: ‘Our

READING: Romans 8:38–39; Romans 5:8–9

‘But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.’

KEY VERSE5:8

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