Taking Faith Home August 23
AUGUST 23, 2026 THIRTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the living God. DAILY BIBLE READINGS These passages are related to the Lectionary texts for this Sunday. Sunday Monday Tuesday Matthew 16:13-20 Isaiah 51:1-6 Romans 12:1-8 Wednesday Exodus 1:8–2:10 Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Ephesians 3:14-21 Ephesians 6:10-20 Psalm 138 Matthew 16:21-28 Peter’s confession of Christ The LORD will bring comfort Christ brings new life Israelites are oppressed Prayer for the readers The whole armor of God Praise God with all your heart Take up your cross and follow SCRIPTURE VERSE FOR THIS WEEK “I [Jesus] will give you [Peter] the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loosed on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Matthew 16:19 (NRSV) PRAYERS AND BLESSING A Prayer for the Week: Almighty God, in a world that can divide us from one another, we pray for your rule of mercy and grace that binds us together in faith and love through Christ, the Son of God. Amen. Mealtime Prayer: Dear God, we thank you for this meal and pray for all to have food to eat through your abundant and fruitful creation. Amen. A Blessing to Give: May Jesus, the Son of God, give you new life. © 2025 Milestones Ministry, LLC. All rights reserved. HYMN OF THE WEEK We Sing to You, O God WEEKLY MILESTONES Take a moment to tell or think about a recent mountain high and/or valley low in your life. CARING CONVERSATIONS Discuss in your home, small group, or use for personal reflections: What motivates someone to break the law or do something wrong? How is Jesus’ power different from other powers in the world? DEVOTIONS Read: Matthew 16:13-20. Jesus and his disciples were in Caesarea Philippi, an important center for the Roman government and a place where many gods of the ancient world were recognized and worshiped. They were fickle gods that ruled over human life rather harshly and arbitrarily. You could not trust them. This was very similar to the rule of the Roman authorities. In contrast to such untrustworthy and unkind gods and powers, Jesus as the “the Messiah, the Son of the living God” (v. 16) showed compassion and positively transformed lives like the Canaanite woman and her daughter in Matthew 15. Jesus has the power to bind and to loosen lives. Jesus as our Messiah intends to transform our lives from despair to hope, from broken relationships to a life of mutual forgiveness, from lives that are judged and condemned to lives that receive mercy. Jesus gave Peter and the church that power and way of life. Yes, Jesus has the authority to restrict and to free lives, but Jesus’ intent is to free, to forgive, and to give new life where suffering and death had once reigned. Now, that message and life-giving power will be Peter’s and the church’s to do the same. Discuss: How does knowing Jesus as the Messiah inspire you to serve others? Pray: Almighty God, your ways are not our ways; give us hearts and minds to grasp that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God for the sake of the world you love. Amen. SERVICE Jesus calls us to serve our neighbor in love. Based on the Daily Bible Readings and theme for this week, how can you encourage someone who is in despair or losing hope? RITUALS AND TRADITIONS Psalm 138 is a song of thanksgiving and praise: “I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart” (v. 1a). Draw a heart on a piece of paper. Inside the heart write a list of things you thank God for in your life. Place the heart in a visible place in your home as a reminder to give thanks and praise for God’s steadfast love and faithfulness. Pray: I give you thanks, O Lord, for all you do to protect me with your steadfast love and faithfulness through Christ our Lord. Amen. In addition to Taking Faith Home, celebrate milestones in your daily life as an effective faith formation tool. Go to: www.milestonesministry.org
