The Bible is both wonderfully diverse and strongly unified around the overarching narrative of God’s creation, redemption, and establishment of his Kingdom. Each book, chapter, and verse contributes to the story, revealing who God is and how he manifests his love through the person and work of Jesus. This summer, we will be taking time to study five, one-chapter books—Philemon, Obadiah, Jude, 2 John, and 3 John. While these books are short, they each represent part of God’s story.
In Paul’s letter to Philemon, he demonstrates the vital importance of identity, vulnerability, and love in the Christian life. Being secure in our identity in Christ enables us to live vulnerably and extend love to others even in difficult circumstances.
For many years, the Edomites live in a position of power, gloating over the downfall of their adversary, the Israelites. But their time of judgment has come. The reality of God’s judgment drives us to the gospel—our anchor in the present and hope for the future.
False teachers spread the lie that God’s grace allows for an immoral lifestyle. Jude lays down the truth—God has created boundaries for how we use our bodies. To be in line with the gospel is to deny ourselves, modeling our lives after a merciful God who denied himself in order to redeem us.
As John warns the early Church about the danger of false teachers, he points them to the truth of Jesus and his Kingdom. Building a culture of truth, love, and obedience will protect us from lies and draw us closer to God.
In this epistle, John encourages his spiritual children to practice biblical hospitality—to be willing to drain themselves in order to absorb the burden of others. He also reminds them to beware of ungodly influences and remember that their identity in Christ should direct how they live.
These daily readings will help prepare you for the upcoming teaching you will hear this weekend at Grace Church. These passages will create some context for the sermon by showing you Scriptures the teacher might be quoting and some passages that contain related ideas. Our hope is that as you follow this reading plan, it will help you become more defined and directed by Scripture.