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Bible Reading Plan

This year, we’re encouraging our whole church to read God’s Word every day. For convenience, we’re including suggested passages at the top of each devotional Monday through Friday to prepare your heart and mind for each weekend’s teaching. This plan connects your daily Bible reading directly to what you’ll hear on Sunday, creating deeper understanding and life application. Enjoy!

Reading Plan: James 1:2-12

Trials and Temptations

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 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. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.

Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position. But the rich should take pride in their humiliation—since they will pass away like a wild flower. For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich will fade away even while they go about their business.

Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.

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Daily Devotional: Crave

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, 
    for they will be filled. 
Matthew 5:6

We all have cravings, don’t we? Many of us crave gooey chocolate chip cookies with crispy bottoms straight from the oven, of course. I’m a girl with many different kinds of food cravings, which I have tried to get in check with New Year’s resolutions. Usually, it’s a giant fail within a week. 

In 1990, a professor proposed a solution to the universal breaking of resolutions. He proposed picking a “word of the year,” which I have been doing for quite a few years now. This word should reflect how we want to live throughout the year. 

My word for 2026 is “Crave”. I want to shout it from the rooftops.  This past fall, I declared to my small group, “I crave my morning time with Jesus!” When they looked at me funny, I explained, “I miss so much when I don’t sit in my chair and focus on Him, you know?” 

This is the truth: I hunger and thirst for God every morning. So when Jesus said in his message on the hill that I would be blessed and become more righteous if I seek him, I was thrilled!

You might be wondering, what exactly does Jesus mean by that? Well, when we seek His righteousness, He is our ever-present help. For me, this means Jesus helps me with my bad food cravings, and with my tendency to stew over political things I can’t control—or throw a fist in the air at speeding drivers. It means He nudges me to apologize quickly when my tone gets testy with my husband.

Every time I have my morning meeting with Jesus, I’m tasting and seeing that the Lord is good (Psalm 34:8.. Ephesians 2:8), which reminds me of his grace for me and my hope of heaven. We can’t earn grace; it’s a gift. Daily, I’m filled with good food from my Savior. 

Next Steps

I hope you are encouraged to pick your own word for 2026. Feel free to use the one I have chosen, crave. With that in mind, here’s a song that reminds me what to crave—Taste and See.