3-Day Bible Reading Plan: “Worry”
“God loves YOU! Yes, you. Despite all your flaws and failures, He finds you beautiful and enjoyable. He has committed Himself to your ultimate good, which is to be close to Him.” - Pastor Paul Crandell, 4/27/25
Day 1
Featured Verse: Matthew 6:25-34 - “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”
How does Jesus’ command to “not worry about your life” challenge our understanding of human responsibility versus divine providence in daily living?
What does the imagery of birds and lilies reveal about God’s character and how it might shape our trust in Him during times of uncertainty?
In what ways does the phrase “seek first his kingdom and his righteousness” redefine priorities for believers, and how can this be practically applied in modern life?
“The precept ‘Take no thought’ does not mean ‘Take no care.’ It means, Do not be torn by anxious cares, do not let your heart be divided between God and the world. The birds and the flowers teach us that God cares for His creatures. If He feeds the one and clothes the other, will He not much more care for you, who are of more value than they? To seek first the kingdom means to put God’s will and God’s glory before all else, and then all these things—food, raiment, and the rest—shall be added unto you. The Gentile world runs after these things; you are to be different, trusting your Father who knows your need.” - Alexander Maclaren
Day 2
Featured Verse: Luke 15:11-32 - “My son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.”
How does the father’s unconditional welcome of the prodigal son reflect the nature of God’s grace, and what does it suggest about the balance between divine mercy and human repentance?
What does the older son’s resentment reveal about the challenges of accepting God’s forgiveness toward others, particularly in the context of self-righteousness or perceived injustice?
From the prodigal’s experience of being welcomed and restored by the father, what can we infer about the transformative power of divine forgiveness, and how might this shape a believer’s understanding of their identity before God after returning from spiritual waywardness?
“Oh, how quickly the father sees the returning prodigal! The son was yet a great way off, but the father’s eyes of love were watching for him. So it is with our God; before we have gone one step towards Him in repentance, He is running to meet us with arms of love. The prodigal thought to be a hired servant, but the father would have him as a son, robed and ringed and feasted. So does God restore the penitent soul.” - Charles Spurgeon
Day 3
Featured Verse: John 3:16 - “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son.”
As the King of Heaven, how does Christ’s willingness to be “given” by the Father reflect the magnitude of God’s love in confronting the weight of human sin?
How does the gravity of sin, which necessitates the sacrifice of God’s only Son, underscore the authority of Christ as King, and what might this imply about His role in both judging sin and extending mercy to those who believe?
In light of Christ’s heavenly kingship, how does the promise of “eternal life” through belief in Him contrast with the eternal consequences of sin’s weight, and what does this suggest about the transformative power of His sacrificial love?
“Here is the gospel indeed: God’s love to a perishing world, so great that He gave His only begotten Son, not to destroy, but to save. The gift of Christ is the proof of God’s love, and faith in Him is the condition of eternal life. O how wonderful that the world, deserving wrath, should be met with such mercy!” - Matthew Henry
“How great for Him who was in Himself worthy of the infinite love of God to endure God’s wrath. How great a thing in whom God from eternity had infinite delight…[to] be delivered into such darkness and the shadow of death…it is enough to balance the debt contracted by the sins of the whole world.” - Jonathan Edwards