MAR 16 / Sunday – Read Luke 6:27-36 / Matthew 15:10-20 / Matthew 5:22
Overview: In this game, saying “Duck, Duck, Goose” will leave a Minnesota kid just sitting there, clueless. Only using all “Ducks” makes it work. Using the right words is important.
17 / Mon – Duck, Duck, Goose? | Read Matthew 12:37 / Luke 6:41-42
You may have played this game as a child and noticed that some say goose instead of grey duck, but is it a big deal? No, it doesn’t diminish the fun. Yet words do matter in real life, and Jesus has a lot to say about the ones we use. It is common to recognize another’s wrong words. You may even want to correct them. That’s not all bad but, according to Jesus, what must precede well-meaning efforts to help others see a blind spot? Self-examination is always the first place to start.
18 / Tue – What Jesus said about words | Read John 12:49-50 / John 6:63
As civility has ebbed in our culture, more and more crass or offensive words have unfortunately flourished. For some, it’s even considered normal language. Can you imagine Jesus using some of the words you hear every day or any that might slip out of your mouth at times? What did Jesus believe about the words he spoke? Do you want to be like him? Consider starting each day with the prayer in Psalm 141:3. And even when you slip up, don’t give up.
19 / Wed – Start here | Read Matthew 15:16-20 / Luke 6:45
Many Old Testament laws concerned cleanliness in a world that didn’t know its importance. God wants His people to be healthy but, in Jesus’ day, the religious leaders were so legalistic that they thought eating with unwashed hands would defile a person spiritually. They missed the point. It’s not what goes into your mouth that makes you unclean but what comes out of it. According to Jesus, what is the source of the words you speak? So if you want to change your language, where do you need to start first?
20 / Thu – Words describing a change | Read John 4:3-30 and 39-42
Jesus’ words are powerful. They moved this woman from skeptic to believer. Her heart changed, then her words impacted others (v 28-30). See the result in v 42. Why were her words so powerful? Was it because they knew who she had been, saw what she’d become, and heard the reason behind it? The simple truth is that Jesus’ words will affect others when you are honest. How has Jesus changed you? What is your then-and-now story? It may not be as dramatic as this one, but telling it humbly can move others to investigate him on their own.
21 / Fri – Clueless about what to say? | Read Luke 12:11-12 / Matt 10:18-20 / 1 Cor 2:13
The situations Jesus described may not be your present circumstances, but his promise still applies. Any time you are at a loss for words. It may be talking with someone who wants your advice. Or facing a grieving person and you don’t know what to say. Someone might attack what you believe and you want to defend yourself. In any situation where you are tempted to immediately respond, will you pause and ask the Holy Spirit to give you the words to say?
22 / Sat – What God values | Read Matt 5:21-24 / James 3:9-10 / James 1:26
Every person is precious to our heavenly Father and He will not tolerate unlawful killing. Even those who are farthest away from Him can come back as long as they have breath. But notice how Jesus equates the way we speak to others with the crime of murder. It is just as wrong to kill a person’s spirit with words that do not reflect how God sees them. This especially applies to those who claim to follow Jesus. Will you ask Him to help you see clearly and speak His truth, especially to those who seem less “worthy”?
