Reflections

  Teaching Children About the Kingdom of God Bible Reading:  Matthew 18:1-4   Key Verse:   And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.   DEVOTION When our children were very young, their expressions towards us, their parents, were simple.  When I would leave for work they would often cry, sometimes clinging to my legs to keep me from leaving.  It was hard to continue on to the day’s responsibilities, and I would get into the car and drive to work with a heavy heart.  Upon my return, however, our children’s exuberance was the highlight of the day.  “Dada!” they would shout, and they would run to me, and fling themselves into my arms for a hug. In Matthew 18:1-4, Jesus’ disciples ask who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven, and He responds by pl...

  We Stand on the Shoulders of Giants  Bible Reading:  Hebrews 12:1-2   Key Verse:   We are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses (Heb. 12:1) DEVOTION Often, we think we are self-made persons; that our achievements, education and position in society are due to our own smartness and hard work. But if we pause and reflect, we will realize that much of what we are we owe to our parents, teachers and mentors. Going ahead of us, they cleared our path and made our lives easier.  We stand on their shoulders. Hebrews 12 comes after a long list of heroes in the history of Israel and how they paved the way for those who followed. We should read the exhortation of 12: 1-2 in connection with 11: 1-40. Because we are surrounded by such “a great cloud of witnesses”, we are expected to “run with perseverance the race that is set before us” (v. 1). Hebrews 12 gives one of the most glorious pictures of Jesus Christ in all of Scripture. Jesus crowns the list of example...

  Significance of New Beginnings in the Liturgical year Bible Reading:  Isaiah 43:18-19   Key Verse:   Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness, and streams in the wasteland -  Isaiah 43 18-19 DEVOTION Many of us who migrated from India embarked on a journey filled with uncertainty and new challenges. Today, we navigate a society where we face financial hardships, social anxiety, and deep concerns for the future of our generations. In this key verse, we encounter an active and compelling God, urging us to look beyond our shortcomings and witness his grand works. This serves as a powerful reminder that our God can overcome any adversity and lead us to a path of renewal and hope. The God of new beginnings encourages us to be bold, reminding us that, through Him, we can achieve the seemingly impossible. Our past mistakes do not define us; we can ma...

  Sanctification in the Life of the Church Bible Reading: 1 Peter 2: 9-10 Key Verse:   “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” DEVOTION Apostle Peter wrote the letter of 1st Peter as a circular to “God’s elect exiles," Christians throughout Asia Minor, modern-day Turkey. The letter is intended to encourage and give strength to the Christians in that area who were being persecuted for their faith. In 1 Peter 2:9, these persecuted Christians are a “chosen people," “a holy nation," and “God’s special possession". He is reminding the Christian community that they are like the Israelites, who were also persecuted for their faith and referred to as "chosen," "holy,” and “treasured pos...

  Family Dedication : Celebration of Relationship Bible Reading: Colossians 3: 18-25 Key verse:  “What ever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters”. Colossians‬ ‭3‬:‭23‬ DEVOTION Family is the first institution that God established after creating mankind. It is the basic unit of society. We are appointed as Christ’s ambassadors in our family, therefore we must watch our conduct and conversation whenever we interact with them. Our speech must be seasoned with love. God wants us to be disciplined and diligent with our household chores without over burdening others. No matter what we do, we must do it with excellence, being an example to our children. Maintain excellent relationships with family members through teamwork. Be reliable, forgiving, patient and industrious. We must be an example and mentor to our children. We must be a witness for Christ to the next generation. We must utilize our time wisely by telling our children how ...

  Family: Celebration of Relationships  Bible Reading: St. Luke 2: 41–52   Key verse: “Then he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was obedient to them, and his mother treasured  all these things in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom and in years and in divine and human favor.” – (Verses 51 & 52)  DEVOTION The story of the boy Jesus in the temple is a profound moment in which Jesus reveals His divine  purpose for the first time (v. 49). This passage offers us two important lessons about the significance of family  relationships:  1.  Celebration of Relationships through Shared (Spiritual) Objectives  The family of Jesus exemplifies the importance of shared objectives, particularly spiritual ones, which  serve as a foundation for a healthy family structure. The passage notes, “Every year his parents went to  Jerusalem for the festival of the Passover, and when he was twelve years old, they went up as usual for...

  Mutual Respect and Roles in Family Life  Bible Reading:  Ephesians 5:22-25  Key verse :V 24: Therefore, just as the Church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. DEVOTION The family is the foundational unit of society. As Christians, the way we live within our families can significantly impact not only our own lives but also the world around us. Apostle Paul has just mentioned the importance of mutual submission between all believers in verse 21. Today’s Bible portion, Ephesians 5:22–25, speaks about the roles and responsibilities within the family, particularly in the relationship between husbands and wives. God has ordained marriage to be a covenant relationship that reflects the love between Christ and His Church.  Apostle Paul explains how Christian husbands and wives should apply their understanding of salvation within their marriage. In Verse 22, wives are commanded to submit to their husbands as they would to...

  Generational Blessing and the legacy of Faith Bible Reading: Deuteronomy 6:6-9 Key verse: V6 “these commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts, Impress them on your children”. DEVOTION In Deuteronomy 6:6-9, Moses’ main message is to constantly teach and meditate on God’s laws, deeply integrating them into daily life by sharing them with children and openly discussing them at all times. This passage in the Bible emphasizes the importance of knowing God and loving Him with all of one’s heart, soul and strength. The single most powerful influence in a child’s life is his or her parent’s visible passionate love for the Lord Jesus Christ. The greatest legacy one can pass on to one’s children and grandchildren is not money or material things accumulated in one’s life, but rather a legacy of character and faith: What we want to teach our children? Teach the children to love God and live a Christ centered life and to faithfully serve Him and his church in every way pos...

  The Role Of Forgiveness in Family Harmony Bible Reading: Colossians 3 : 12 – 14 Key verse:   Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.  And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.   ( Colossians 3 : 13 – 14 )  DEVOTION In Colossians chapter 3, we find the apostle Paul writing to the Christian community in Colossae, emphasizing the importance of forgiveness and love among believers. The scene unfolds in a humble meeting space, likely a simple home or gathering place where the early Christians would come together for worship and fellowship. The room is filled with a diverse group of individuals, each with their own stories of faith and struggles. The Greek word used for forgiveness is undeserved favor. We didn’t deserve God’s forgiveness but He provided for it and granted it freely in Christ. Colossians 3 : 13 - 14 reminds us o...

  Unity in Diversity : Celebrate individual strengths in family Bible Reading:  Romans 12:4-6 Key verse:  We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. Romans 12:6 DEVOTION Growing up, we have all learnt about how plants grow. Starting with a seed that sprouts, the seedling grows roots and shoots. The root stays underground while the shoot grows leaves above the ground. It is the root’s job to hold the plant firmly in the ground and draw nourishment from the surrounding soil, while the shoot and the leaves draw nourishment from the sun. Together, they provide the necessary environment for the plant to grow. Each part has a unique and different task and it is very good at its job. Neither does the root try to take on the leaf’s job nor does the shoot try to do the root’s job. They all need each other and they all work together to be a healthy plant that grows flowers and fruits.  Our family units are very much like the plant. Each fami...

  Love as foundation of family relationship Bible Reading: 1 Cor. 13: 4-7 Key verse: “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.” 1 Corinthians‬ ‭13‬:‭4 DEVOTION Love is the foundation of our relationship with God and with our family members. Unfailing love binds a family together like glue and motivates one another. It is not jealous of one’s progress. We empathize with what other members go through in life. If one member hurts, the entire family is impacted by that pain. When our words are seasoned with love, we can correct family members without wounding their self-esteem and exacerbating them. Love is not egoistic and does not parade. If we love our family members as mentioned in first Corinthians 13:4-7, there will be no room for friction and fracture in our mutual relationships. Parents will join hands with their children and grandchildren in unconditional love and harmony. This love is sacrificial, supportive, compassionate and forgi...

  Developing a Heart for Service Bible Reading: Ecclesiastes 12: 1-3 Key verse:  Vs 1: “Remember your Creator in the days of your youth before the days of trouble come' DEVOTION Some Scholars believe that King Solomon may have written Song of Songs in his youth, Proverbs in his middle age, and Ecclesiastes in his old age. He was the wisest king of Israel and during his reign, the nation was very wealthy and there was peace in His kingdom. So he had all the resources to explore what life is all about. The first few chapters of Ecclesiastes reflect his point of view rather than God’s. He enjoyed everything that his eyes and heart desired under the Sun.  Toward the end of his life, he felt all of them were meaningless, a chasing after the wind. He also noticed that the rich and the poor, wise and the fool, righteous and the wicked all share the same destiny ie, death. Whoever reads the book of Ecclesiastes may have questions such as: What is the purpose of life? Why should w...

  Living in Integrity and Righteousness Bible Reading: Psalms 119:9-11 Key verse: Psalm 119:9 Where with shall a young man cleanse his way ? By taking heed there to according to thy word. DEVOTION A teacher once asked a student,  “ Son, if you found a wallet with a large amount of money, what would you do?” The student replied, “If no one was watching me, I would keep it .“ The teacher said , “Son you are honest, but you lack integrity. “ The student has demonstrated his honesty by admitting to the teacher what he would do but his act of keeping the wallet that did not belong to him showed lack of integrity. Honesty is a habit and integrity is a core value. As parents of young teenage children, we start by instilling in them from their early years the importance of truth -  don’t tell lies, be honest in your actions. And now as they grow older, instead of the word “truth” and “lies” we tend to use the word “integrity” more in our conversations. If we maintain our integrit...

  Overcoming Challenges with God’s strength  Bible Reading: Isaiah 40:29-31 Key verse:  “but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:31)  DEVOTION  Sometimes the hardest thing we can do as a Christian is to hope. We all live in a variety of circumstances with a variety of struggles and a variety of pains and blessings, yet the only thing that allows us to proceed further, to overcome, to see tomorrow, is hope. For this reason, the Prophet Isaiah says "those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength." But sometimes this is hard to imagine what this looks like - what does it truly mean to hope in the Lord? Some translations of the Bible use the word wait to describe the act of keeping hope in the Lord. Many times, our act of hope is simply that - waiting. However in our waiting sometimes we grow impatient, sometimes we grow anxious, a...

  Setting a Godly example in youth Bible Reading:  I Tim  4:12-14 Key verse: I Timothy 4:11 Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.  13 Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching.  DEVOTION Let no one look down or despise you because you are young:   We are reminded in 2 Tim 1:5 that young Timothy’s sincere faith, which first lived in his grandmother Lois and in his mother Eunice. Apostle Paul understood that it had great influence in young Timothy’s faith, love and his sincere life for serving the LORD.  But, Greek culture placed great value on age and experience. Since Timothy was in his thirties, still young by the standards of that culture, he would have to earn respect by being a godly example. Because he had been with Paul since a young teenager, young Timothy had much experience to matu...

    “Pursuing Wisdom and Guidance from God” "Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path". Bible Reading: Proverbs 3:5-7 Key verse:  Vs 5: Trust in Jehovah with all your heart. And lean not upon thine own understanding. DEVOTION I have looked up to these 3 verses (Prov 3:5-7) as the “Golden Rules” of life. On the path of wisdom, God himself guides us by the wisdom embodied in his word. We live in a complex world today where we deviate our time and attention to unimportant things thereby fail to follow the word of God, leading to the loss of wisdom or knowledge. When we include God in our lives, we embrace wisdom and have spiritual discernment between right and wrong. All this starts by acknowledging our creator and all He's done for us. Wisdom can only come from God and a strong belief in Him. You must fear God and keep his commandments, and from this comes righteousness. When you have wisdom, you'll avoid sin and evil in your daily life and behavior. Rec...

  Embracing God’s Purpose in youth  Bible Reading:  Jeremiah 29: 11-13 Key verse:   For I know the Plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, Plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.  You will seek me and find me. DEVOTION The main idea in this passage is God telling us he has a plan for us. This plan is not to harm us, but it’s beneficial to us. The plan is to prosper, grow and develop hope for the future. Many times, in our life, we like to take care of our issues independently.  We forget our Creator is looking over us.   His plans are way better than ours. He made us and knew what is beneficial for us. When Lord is giving us this assurance in verse 11, he is expecting some things in return. That is explained in verses 12 and 13. Call on to me and pray to me. When we call him and pray to him, he listens. Our God will not look awa...

  The Power of Love and Service Toward the Differently Abled Bible Reading: St. Matt 25:37-40 Key verse:  v. 40b ‘… whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ DEVOTION In the series of His Parables in the gospel of Matthew, Jesus encompasses His message about the Kingdom of God from different angles. The ruler on the throne- the Son of Man- declared that the sheep on His right side receive His inheritance as they identified the real identity of the Lord while they lived on earth.  Every day in our lives, we see individuals who live among us beyond the spectrum of so-called normal intelligence or physical abilities. What is our attitude and approach towards them? Are we able to see a dignity inside them too?  Through this Scripture passage, Jesus wants us to realize that if we open our eyes enough, we would be able to see those who need more inclusion and space amongst us- being able to embrace and serve ‘the least of...

  Empathy Towards Differently Abled Bible Reading: Mark 3:1-5 Key verse:  V3” Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand; stand up in front of everyone”. DEVOTION This is one of the seven miracles Jesus Christ performed on the Sabbath. As Jesus walked into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, He noticed a man with a withered hand and a group of Pharisees. To have a withered hand meant his hand was stiff, deformed, and paralyzed. How horrible life would be for a person whose hand was withered and useless.  Jesus’ Compassion For Those Who Are Physically Challenged (Vs 4b-5a) The episode shows Jesus’ heart and intention to embrace the weak. We know that Jesus’s earthly ministry was encircled by dispute and controversy. Every word and every work was under the microscope of their judgmental attitude. In this scenario, Jesus felt compassion for the man with the withered hand and called him forward. Then Jesus restored his withered hand. He brought it to health, back to wha...