Four Lakes Community Church

Our Daily Bread Ministries

October 5 | Bible in a Year: Isaiah 23-25; Philippians 1

True Treasure

The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. Matthew 13:44

READ Matthew 13:44-46

James threw a long rope with a powerful magnet tied to it into the waters of a New York lake. The “magnet fisher” was stunned when he pulled out a grimy safe filled with stacks of muddy one-hundred-dollar bills. Police said James could keep the money since it wasn’t linked to a crime. Some of the bills were in such poor condition they couldn’t be authenticated, though he hoped to salvage as much of the money as possible to perhaps buy a home.
Finding hidden treasure is exciting, and Jesus told a parable about a man who did just that: “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field” (Matthew 13:44). The man recognized the value of the treasure he’d found and was willing to sell all his possessions to purchase the field.
As we consider that parable, no amount of wealth or possessions could pay the debt we owe for our sins. Only Jesus could pay the incredible price to redeem us and to reconcile us with His Father, through His sacrificial death and resurrection.
Earthly treasures may be nice, but they can be lost, stolen, or destroyed. We can gratefully accept Jesus’ supreme sacrifice for us and His free gift of eternal life, knowing that living in heaven with Him is our great reward.
By Nancy Gavilanes

REFLECT & PRAY
Why is Jesus so precious to you? Why are you willing to let go of your old life to spend eternity with Him?
Dear Jesus, thank You for giving me the true treasure of heaven when I placed my faith and trust in You.

SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
The two parables in Matthew 13:44-46 appear amid the telling of several parables on the kingdom of heaven (vv. 1-52). After Jesus told the first parable of the sower (vv. 3-9), His disciples asked why He always spoke in parables (v. 10). His answer was telling: “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them” (v. 11). He told the disciples, “Blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear” (v. 16). Then He explained the parable (vv. 18-23). The disciples desired to know the true meaning of Christ’s words, and their desire was rewarded. They’d left everything to follow Him. In essence, they were living out the parables of the hidden treasure and the pearl (vv. 44-46). They’d found the true treasure because they were receptive to the gospel. When we place our faith in Jesus, we receive the free gift of eternal life with Him—the true treasure of heaven.
For further study, feel free to browse through our resources at the store: Reclaim Today Guide - Ecclesiastes
Tim Gustafson

Our Daily Bread Ministries

October 4 | Bible in a Year: Isaiah 20-22; Ephesians 6

The Vision And The Verity

Called to be saints. 1 Corinthians 1:2

Thank God for the sight of all you have never yet been. You have had the vision, but you are not there yet by any means. It is when we are in the valley, where we prove whether we will be the choice ones, that most of us turn back. We are not quite prepared for the blows which must come if we are going to be turned into the shape of the vision. We have seen what we are not, and what God wants us to be, but are we willing to have the vision “batter’d to shape and use” by God? The batterings always come in commonplace ways and through commonplace people.
There are times when we do know what God’s purpose is; whether we will let the vision be turned into actual character depends upon us, not upon God. If we prefer to loll on the mount and live in the memory of the vision, we will be of no use actually in the ordinary stuff of which human life is made up. We have to learn to live in reliance on what we saw in the vision, not in ecstasies and conscious contemplation of God, but to live in actualities in the light of the vision until we get to the veritable reality. Every bit of our training is in that direction. Learn to thank God for making known His demands.
The little “I am” always sulks when God says do. Let the little “I am” be shrivelled up in God’s indignation — “I AM THAT I AM…hath sent me.” He must dominate. Is it not penetrating to realize that God knows where we live, and the kennels we crawl into! He will hunt us up like a lightning flash. No human being knows human beings as God does.
By Oswald Chambers

SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
We are not to preach the doing of good things; good deeds are not to be preached, they are to be performed. So Send I You,

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Our Daily Bread Ministries

October 4 | Bible in a Year: Isaiah 20-22; Ephesians 6

Put to the Test
. . called to be his holy people. 1 Corinthians 1:2

Thank God for the sight of all you haven’t yet become. God has called you to be one of his holy people, you’ve had the vision of what he wants, but you aren’t there yet by any means.
God calls his children to the mountaintop and gives them a vision. Then he sends them down into the valley of everyday life, the valley where the vision will be put to the test. It’s in the valley that most of us turn back, because it’s there that we must prove whether or not we’ll be the chosen ones. We aren’t quite prepared for the blows that must come if we’re going to be turned into the shape of the vision. Are we willing to be hammered into shape by God’s hand? The hammering always comes in commonplace ways, through the circumstances and people we encounter in our daily lives.
There are times when we know God’s purpose for us, times when he’s given us a vision and we see it clearly. Whether this vision will be turned into actual character depends on us, not on God. If we prefer to bask in the memory of the vision, we’ll be of no use in the ordinary stuff of human life. We have to learn to live in reliance on what we saw in the vision—not in ecstasies and conscious contemplation of God, but living our ordinary lives in light of the vision. We must do this until the vision becomes a reality. Every bit of the training God is putting us through is leading us to this goal. Learn to thank God for making his demands known.
The little “I am” always sulks when God says, “Do.” Let your little “I am” be shriveled up in the face of the great “I am who I am” (Exodus 3:14). God must dominate our lives. Isn’t it startling to realize that he knows where we live? That he knows the burrows we crawl into? He’ll hunt us up like a lightning flash. No human being knows human beings as God does.
By Oswald Chambers

SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
We are not to preach the doing of good things; good deeds are not to be preached, they are to be performed. So Send I You

Our Daily Bread Ministries

October 4 | Bible in a Year: Isaiah 20-22; Ephesians 6

In the Stillness

I think of you through the watches of the night . . . because you are my help. Psalm 63:6-7

READ Psalm 63:1-8

When I was a kid and got up in the middle of the night, I often found Mom sitting in her chair in the living room. The glow of the table lamp revealed a book on her lap—her Bible. My mom had trouble sleeping because of her insomnia and chronic pain, but she made good use of her time. We rarely spoke those nights. I was too sleepy to do anything but nod and shuffle down the hall. But I know Mom connected with God in those quiet early morning hours, and God spoke to her.
How can we find moments to know God more fully? We don’t have to wait for a sleepless night, of course. Jesus left His companions to spend time talking alone with His Father (Mark 1:35).
The Scriptures say, “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). And David’s poetry often reveals how he sought out an intimate relationship with God to praise Him for who He is (63:1-8).
The world is loud, and we’re often distracted by the noise. It claims our attention and demands our participation. That’s why we need to actively seek out the quiet moments rarely found in the chaos of family life or the busyness of work. We find God in the stillness.
He’s awake. He’s listening. And He’s always ready to spend time with those who seek Him.
By Cindy Hess Kasper

REFLECT & PRAY
What distractions keep you from finding time for conversation with God? What’s a good way to prepare your heart to “be still” before Him?
Dear Jesus, please teach me to seek You out and rest in Your presence. Help me to put aside the distractions and to praise You for who You are.

SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
Psalm 63 portrays someone who actively pursues God. David declares, “You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you” (v. 1). He praises Him because His “love is better than life” (v. 3). The psalmist discovers that satisfaction isn’t found in what can be held in our hands, but in who can be known. He valued time with God even more than the satisfaction received from eating the finest of foods: “I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you” (v. 5). The language of thirst, longing, and clinging reveals a relationship pursued with intensity and love. Psalm 63 reminds us that intimacy with God grows as we seek God in stillness.
For further study, listen to the following podcast: Be Still
J.R. Hudberg

Friday, October 2
Wellness

The hidden person of the heart. 1 Peter 3:4

Research shows that Americans are spending vast amounts of money on personal wellness. As much as $2 trillion. This money is spent on maintaining our physical activities, good nutrition, weight loss products, personal care, beauty, spas, and wellness tourism. It amounts to $6,000 per American each year. China, Germany, and Japan are close behind.(1)

Recommended Reading: 1 Peter 3:1-7

But what about spiritual wellness?

We are in a battle for our souls. Satan wants to devour us and to hinder our work for the Kingdom. While we need to care for our bodies, we particularly need to be attentive to the condition of our souls. The Bible says that physical exercise is useful, but it’s far more important to exercise our souls in godliness (1 Timothy 4:8). Looking nice outwardly is important, but what really matters is “the hidden person of the heart...the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit” (1 Peter 3:4).

Make sure you can say, “It is well, it is well with my soul.” Pay attention today to the hidden person of your heart.

Christ bounds and terminates the vast desires of the soul.
John Flavel

(1)“New Research Shows the US Wellness Economy—Valued at $2 Trillion—Now Represents One-Third of Entire Global Wellness Economy, ” Global Wellness Institute, March 4, 2025.

Our Daily Bread Ministries

October 2 | Bible in a Year: Isaiah 14-16; Ephesians 5:1-16

Goals Aligned with God

I want to know Christ. Philippians 3:10

READ Philippians 3:10-16

After getting fired from his job without prior notice, Wil became so depressed that he admitted himself into an inpatient mental health facility. Then one day, after weeks with no progress, he was taking his daily walk when his therapist, seeing him, smiled and called out, “I bet I’ll beat you to the community room.” Wil recalls, “That small act triggered something inside of me.” Suddenly he felt he had a purpose. Walking fast, he raced his therapist to the room and won. To his surprise, having one inspiring goal and meeting it gave him hope—a key to his recovery.
The apostle Paul understood the power of a clear goal. “I want to know Christ,” he told church members (Philippians 3:10). He wanted to know the power of the resurrected Jesus, for that power would help the apostle become more like Him. To achieve that aim, Paul followed one strategy: “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (vv. 13-14). Feel like you’re falling short? God helps us refocus our goals as we “live up to what we have already attained” in Christ (v. 16).
Paul’s goal, therefore, wasn’t focused on earthly things. He knew that “our citizenship is in heaven” (v. 20). With this eternal perspective in view, we find new hope to thrive in Christ.
By Patricia Raybon

REFLECT & PRAY
What goals do you have? How might you need to change them to align with Christ’s purpose?
Please shape my goals, dear Father, so they inspire me to know Jesus.

SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
Paul is driven by his urgent passion “to know Christ” (Philippians 3:10). He wants to “know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection” (vv. 10-11). Being transformed to be like the resurrected Jesus requires us to pursue that goal with everything we have (vv. 13-14, 17). Yet even as we “press on toward the goal” (v. 14), we know it’s only possible through complete reliance on God. He’ll help us shape our goals so that we’ll know Him better. One day, we’ll be resurrected and will finally reflect Him perfectly (v. 21).
For further study, read: 3 Tips for Discerning God's Will
Monica La Rose

Thursday, October 1
The Best Water

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 2 Corinthians 4:16, NIV

Last year in Berkeley Springs, West Virginia, the 35th Annual International Water Tasting Convention took place. Judges, who tasted eighty waters from four continents, gave the Gold Medal to water from the Goura Spring in Greece. This is some of the purest water on earth. (1)

Recommended Reading: 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

The Lord Jesus is the water of life that satisfies our thirsty souls. He renews us day by day. As Christians, we have learned that only Jesus quenches our inner thirst. He satisfies our deepest longings better than the purest, sweetest water on earth. All our springs are in Him.

Give thanks that the Lord renews your soul day by day. Enjoy your time of Bible study and prayer because that is where your soul drinks in the refreshing water of life.

“Soul-restoration is peculiarly the work of God. He alone knows that wonderful instrument, and He only can keep it in tune. The inward man is renewed day by day!”
Joseph Parker

(1) Ashley Epperson, “The Best Spring Waters in the World: Highlights from the 2025 Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting,” Salacious Drinks, February 24, 2025.

Our Daily Bread Ministries

October 1 | Bible in a Year: Isaiah 11-13; Ephesians 4

Gentle Answers with God’s Help

A gentle answer turns away wrath. Proverbs 15:1

READ Proverbs 15:1-6

“Close it up. I’ve seen enough.” Those were the words of an older, experienced beekeeper to me one afternoon when I was learning how to tend a hive. My movements had been quick and forceful, causing vibrations that alarmed the bees and resulted in a growing swarm around my head. Even though I was trying to care for them, I was only making them angry. My friend proceeded to show me the importance of moving “softly,” using gentle motions that were less likely to disturb the bees. Today (years later), when I go into a hive, my motions are so much smoother that my wife tells me it almost looks like I’m dancing.
Sometimes difficult conversations are like dancing with bees. When others are upset and emotions are tense, reacting angrily only makes matters worse. As King Solomon observed, “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger” (Proverbs 15:1). Responding kindly and peacefully to those who are irritated or unreasonable may take time to learn. But because gentleness is a fruit of the Holy Spirit at work within us (see Galatians 5:22-23), with God’s help we can make progress in it.
These days I’m learning to pray for wisdom and gentleness whenever I go into a hive or a difficult conversation. When we walk with God into tense moments, our “help in trouble” is never far away (Psalm 46:1).
By James Banks

REFLECT & PRAY
How can God help you react gently to someone who’s angry? What will you say to someone who needs a gentle response from you today?
Dear Jesus, please help me to gently share Your love in the ways I respond to others today.

SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
Wisdom is one of the great themes of the Bible. In fact, in Old Testament wisdom literature, poetry is designed to show the difference between wisdom and folly. This is often done through the poetic device of parallelism. In antithetical parallelism, a verse will contain two lines that contrast with one another, as seen in Proverbs 15:1: “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” This device is found throughout Proverbs and Ecclesiastes and makes a vivid case for living a life of wisdom in a world wracked by foolishness. The book of Proverbs offers practical advice for how to use our words wisely. We can ask God for wisdom when we don’t know how to respond in difficult situations. In the New Testament, James tells us, “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you” (1:5).
For further study, read: Guided by the Spirit
Bill Crowder

Wednesday, September 30
Let God Lead

A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps. Proverbs 16:9

It is true that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. But it is also true that straight lines rarely exist in real life. More often than not, the plans we make involve many twists and turns that we had not planned on encountering. One measure of our trust in God is seen in how we navigate the unexpected changes in our plans.

Recommended Reading: James 4:13-17

Jonah had a plan—rather than obey God and head east to Nineveh, his plan was to go west to Tarshish (modern Spain) in order to avoid meeting his enemies face-to-face. But God’s original plan did not change. Instead, God changed Jonah’s plan by casting him into the sea and having him swallowed by a great fish. When faced with the likelihood of dying as fish food, Jonah repented of his disobedience and decided to submit to God’s original plan. Even then, Jonah’s story does not end well. He was not happy with God’s mercy toward Nineveh, and Scripture leaves him in a state of self-pity.

A valuable lesson from Jonah’s life is that God’s plans will not be foiled by human failure or intervention. If God changes your plans, seek His will and follow His lead.

“God has no problems, only plans.”
Corrie ten Boom