The Good News Guide
“Now after John was taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the Good News of God’s Kingdom, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and God’s Kingdom is at hand! Repent, and believe in the Good News.” Mark 1:14-15 (WEB)
What is the good news and why was that what Jesus proclaimed?
We live in a world that really needs good news. When I turn on the tv or read the internet I am flooded with news that is meant to sell me something, create fear, cause division, and disrupt my peace. Maybe even more than the world needs it, my head and my heart need good news.
People have said that a foundation to share your story or give your testimony starts with thinking about who you were before Jesus, who you are now, and then describing what changed. The problem is that the salvation moment alone is not complete as our journey does not end there. Our lives are not static.
Why does Jesus say follow me rather than just tell us to say a prayer one time to gain access to heaven? He never came to get start a religion of people who understood He is Savior, but never made Him Lord of their lives. He came to be Lord and Savior. He came to personally meet us right where we are and then walk hand in hand with us.
I believe what we all need to experience is life transformation that comes through a personal relationship with Jesus where we hear His voice, read his Word, and are empowered by the Holy Spirit to bring the kingdom becoming the good news to others.
The good news is an invitation to a moment by moment, life long journey with Jesus where we learn to know God, ourselves, and experience the power of God alive and active in our lives.
The goal of this study is intimacy with God. Do you want to draw closer to God?
On February 21, 2025 as I prayed I felt a distinct call to draw closer. I could feel there was a gap between where I was and where I could be in terms of being close to God. I asked God, “How do I close the gap? I know there is a place of more, closer intimacy with you. Immediately, the thought “Read my Word” came to my mind. There is a process to learning to discern the voice of God in our hearts and minds. It is like learning a foreign language. Whenever I have a thought or sense something might be God I have a simple test. Does this thought, idea, or feeling give me life and energize me or does it produce fear, anxiety, guilt or shame? If it is life giving, it is from God and I pursue deeper understanding.
The voice was so clear. You are as close as you want to be. If you want to be closer then Ready my Word. I asked out loud where do I start? New Testament, Old Testament? It is a really big book!
Applying the test to this thought, “Read my Word” would certainly align with scripture and was energizing. I hope to encourage people to be authentic and honest with God. Don't be afraid to ask questions. In fact, maybe just don't be afraid, period.
He is Spirit and Truth and meets us where we are when we are honest with Him. I ask a lot of questions. I believe a loving Father would want to guide and teach his child so like a child I pepper Him with questions. He said, “Read my Word,” so I asked him, “How?” Then a simple thought I had never thought before came to mind. “Read one chapter of the Old Testament, A Psalm, Proverbs, Prophet, and New Testament each day. It is all connected. Look for the connections and learn my Word.” My mind flashed to the story of when Jesus was challenged by the Rich Young Ruler and he responds by asking what does it say in the Word? When answering questions He would refer to the Law and the Prophets. It makes sense that we would benefit from doing the same thing.
Life is changing in the information age. Everyone is in a hurry. News clips have to be in twitter or social media sized communication. How will the generation born into this technological era learn the word of God? Many people will never read the whole Bible. This devotional is not a paraphrase, rather a spirit led guide to the Word. It is the Good News Guide. This is for the majority and the minority. It is for the majority of people who do not read the Bible daily and it is for the minority who have the courage to confess that they want more intimacy with God.
Listening is not the same as reading. It is encouraging how many people listen to podcasts or books. Listening is the not the same as studying, meditating, and reading the Word. The famous Shema of Deuteronomy 6 says to listen and apply. Study in ancient times was done through hearing, but in today's world we retain very little of the information that we hear in large part because we are inundated with so much information.
Recently I asked my cousin what he thought about faith, if he had read the Bible or would be interested in studying the word. He said that he was more of a spiritual person and was not interested. He said it nicely as he is a very kind person. I asked him what the foundation for his spirituality is. He happens to be a lawyer and I mentioned that the foundation of the legal practice is the law, the constitution, the statutory codes of each state. For people of faith, the word is the foundation so that one who is spiritual can grow and know God.
Is this for you? You tell me. How is life going? Need any help? Any anxiety or worry? Any fears impacting your life negatively? To me that is the actual cost. It is costing you your most precious commodity, time.
The kingdom life Jesus describes is more about the opportunity cost that the actual cost. Life is more than avoiding the bad choices, surviving worry, or making it through the day. Every single day we have an opportunity to do what Jesus said. Bring the Kingdom and proclaim the good news.
The Kingdom is here and now. We are saved from all bad so that we can experience new life in Christ. The new life is one that is connected to God through Jesus and to the community around us. The kingdom of God is meant to unlock the best in life by helping each of us understand who were were made to be, how to use our strengths, and most importantly that we all participate by playing a part of a much large picture that was and is being painted by a loving God.
I read a beautiful book called Simply Jesus by Carl Medearis and he wrote about how much easier life is when discussing Jesus rather than defending religion. He said he read the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John repeatedly. I agree with Carl and am know he has a profound understanding of the Bible. I want to leverage this idea to unlock the whole of the Word. Jesus is the key. I choose to walk in faith believing that the Bible is connected from start to finish and that living day by day reading passages from each will make a difference. But, Jesus is the key to understanding all of it.
It all matters. In his most famous sermon, the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5, Jesus said:
17 “Don’t think that I came to destroy the law or the prophets. I didn’t come to destroy, but to fulfill. 18 For most certainly, I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not even one smallest letter or one tiny pen stroke shall in any way pass away from the law, until all things are accomplished."
Have you ever wondered about the life you were meant to live? Have you ever wondered about eternal life? There was a man in the Bible that did. He asked Jesus how to find eternal life and Jesus quotes the Old Testament. The Law of Moses.
John wrote He is the Word.
The Word has power. It brings life. It transforms.
What this is not: This is not a paraphrase, a translation, or the complete Bible. It is not perfect, but I believe a guide to the one who is. Jesus.
What this is: It is a guide meant to draw you closer to God by seeing how the Word is connected, built on a belief that your life can experience transformation if you connect with the Word of life.
This guide is an invitation to a journey through the word with a simple plan. Pull out verses from one chapter each day of five books of the Bible progressing by one chapter a day and moving through the entirety of the Bible. We are beginning by reading in Genesis, Psalms, Proverbs, Prophets, Matthew. More than just getting into the Word, the goal is to get the Word into you. How? By marking up the Bible, meditating on the verses that stand out, looking for connections, asking questions, listening to the spirit, and realizing that the Word is life.
I began by doing my own study for five chapters a day, but found a growing need with each person I met to share the good news. Many people have a need, but not a guide to growth. Many years, I have gone on a trip to share the good news with people in Cuba. This year, I was not sure my heart was in going and instead I was thinking of sponsoring someone else to go in my place. I justified the idea by thinking it would help someone else benefit from the experience.
How often do we do that in our lives? We pass the buck, wait for someone else to step up, think we are not qualified or needed, and we allow ourselves to forfeit our inheritance as children of God. We miss the opportunity to follow the call God gives us. I prayed about whether to go and not only did I realize I was definitely supposed to go, but I felt God wanted me to bring others along.
After the trip my friends, who had just experienced how living intentionally for God and sharing the good news gave them a new sense of God's intimate presence and what kingdom life is like, shared with me that they did not want to lose what they had. The joy of the Lord. The power of living to give Him glory and how they made them feel whole. The challenge was getting back to the routines and the comfort of their daily lives was not enough. They wanted more. They wanted to feel God’s presence, take hold of their identity, and not lose what they had while on mission.
In my life, I have seen that if I do not worry about what I don’t have, rather just offer up to God what I do have then he will multiply the impact of whatever I do give. How could I help my friends? I didn’t want to see them lose the peace they had experienced, the joy of seeing the responses to people receiving hope from the good news, and now struggling with the adversity of everyday life.
So I offered what I had. I had shared that I desired intimacy with God and that the answer to prayer was to be in the word every day. I told them I would be happy to share what I was doing and so I started sending out daily devotionals to others.
My hope is this feeds you like it has the friends I began sharing it with so they could draw closer to God. I hope it feeds the deepest longing of your soul. I hope it inspires you to believe that you are called, gifted, chosen and valued in the Kingdom. I pray this awakens something in you that you didn’t know was asleep, releases chains you didn’t know were bound, opens doors you didn’t know were available so that your joy would be complete. I hope your new life would be made to experience the fullness of the best God offers. Too often we settle for less than Kingdom living.
There is no time like the present and now is the moment to begin consuming the best meal you will ever eat. Jesus is the Bread of Life. One that will leave you hungry for more, but satisfied with your daily portion. You will never thirst, but be refreshed as we see how great the taste of living water is to your soul. Like the woman at the well, we can become people whose gifts are unlocked by encountering Jesus. We can learn what he means when He calls us to surrender, serve, and follow him. The reward is not relaxation and a life of ease. Rather, it is heaven invading Earth and a preview of eternity in the here and now. Are you ready?
A word on translation. There are many English translations of the Bible and we should be grateful for the work of translators. It is a great gift to humanity and service to God. However, those translations are usually copyrighted as they are entitled to be. I site the public domain and copyright free World English Bible found online at ebible.org, which is a free online and digital version of the Bible that relies upon established and stable texts of the Bible. Unless otherwise noted, this version is quoted and used in this publication.