Life with Lucas helps us to get to know God, and God’s Word ISHMAEL
WITH LUCAS APPLYING GOD’S WORD TODAY
APRIL – JUNE 2023
Jesus and Wisdom
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Sorted Men’s Magazine
A WORD FROM JEFF
WELCOME TO LIFE WITH LUCAS! In this edition, we focus on the final section of Mark’s gospel, as Jesus heads towards Jerusalem, faces His false accusers, experiences the horrors of the cross, and then the wondrous resurrection! I pray that our journey together will enrich our walk towards the greatest weekend of the year – Easter. We end our look at Mark with the stunning vision of Christ seated at the right hand of the Father, ascended and alive forever. And then we turn to the theme of wisdom and look at what different writers have to say before settling on Proverbs for the rest of our time together. Crammed with words of counsel that will help guide us in our daily decisions, we will discover in Proverbs an ancient treasure trove – practical, relevant, and vital! In the coming days, we hope to provide small group resources so that readers can join together with others. Learning is done best in community! Please pray for me as I continue to write these resources, and for our small team that works together to produce them. Our work to provide notes free of charge to prisoners continues; please help us make this happen by visiting lifewithlucas.co.uk, where you can donate to this important work. And thanks to those who donate financially to help us keep prices steady at a time when the cost of everything – ink, paper, postage – is going up. If you are able to join them, you’ll see a place where you can give on that same page. Finally, we apologise for any issues you may have had with receiving the January-March notes. A number of issues were outside our control, but thanks for your understanding and patience. God bless you,
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© Son Christian Media (SCM) and Novio Published 2023 by SCM/Novio – PO Box 3070, Littlehampton, West Sussex, BN17 6WX, UK 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 SCM/Novio. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version®, The “NIRV”, “New International Reader’s Version”, “Biblica”, “International Bible Society” and the Biblica Logo are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc. The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the Publisher. Design by Piero Regnante – Rogfog Creative | rogfog.co.uk Printed by Halcyon
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INTRODUCTION
GETTING THE MOST OUT OF LIFE WITH LUCAS! CHOOSE A TIME Find the best time that works for you, ideally the same time, same place every day, when you can concentrate and have the least number of distractions. PAUSE AND TALK TO GOD Take a moment to focus on God and ask Him to speak to you as you read and reflect on His word. READ GOD’S WORD Read the daily passage from your Bible. Don’t be tempted just to skip this part. It’s important: who knows how the Holy Spirit might speak to you as you read the actual text? MAKE NOTES
ONLINE VIDEO INTRODUCTIONS, AND GOING DEEPER When you see the video icon, this points you to a brief Video Introduction to the subject. Make the most of the occasional Going Deeper resources when you see this icon. They will help you delve further into the passage. GIVE YOUR DAY TO GOD Thank God for what you’ve learned and ask for help if the day’s notes brought to light anything especially applicable to your life at the moment.
Writing slows you down and helps you focus. Write in your Bible, a notebook, or in the white space in the devotions. Don’t hesitate to underline, write in the margins, or circle words. 5