Taking Home Faith
OCTOBER 25, 2026 TWENTY-SECOND SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST Showing love for God by loving others. DAILY BIBLE READINGS These passages are related to the Lectionary texts for this Sunday. Sunday Monday Tuesday Matthew 22:34-46 Leviticus 19:1-18 Loving God and neighbor Love your neighbor as yourself 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8 Paul’s life and work Wednesday 1 Corinthians 12:12-31 One body with many members Thursday Romans 15:1-6 Friday Saturday Sunday Hebrews 10:19-25 Psalm 1 Matthew 23:1-12 SCRIPTURE VERSE FOR THIS WEEK Please others, not yourselves Encourage one another The way to happiness Humble yourselves So deeply do we care for you that we are determined to share with you not only the gospel of God, but also our own selves, because you have become very dear to us. 1 Thessalonians 2:8 (NRSV) PRAYERS AND BLESSING A Prayer for the Week: Merciful God, you call us to love you and our neighbor. Give us courage to see beyond our own needs so we can see the needs of others through Christ our Lord. Amen. Mealtime Prayer: Dear God, just as you feed us with your living word, we thank you for feeding us with this gift of food. Amen. A Blessing to Give: May God watch over you and keep you safe. © 2025 Milestones Ministry, LLC. All rights reserved. OCTOBER 25, 2026 HYMN OF THE WEEK Behold, How Pleasant 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: When is a time you were in need of help and someone showed care for you? What does it mean to love your neighbor as yourself? DEVOTIONS Read: 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8. Paul cares deeply for the church in Thessalonica. He says that Silvanus, Timothy, and he care for the people “like a nurse tenderly caring for her own children” (v. 7). Later he would add the metaphor of a father caring for his children. Paul and his missionary friends model a way of life for the church that deeply cares for the people. It reflects part of Jesus’ Great Commandment that states, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39). The heart of a biblical and Christian way of life is seen in the Great Commandment and in the way Paul and his friends model that love through an intimate care of others. Today different forms of small group ministries in the church seek to live in a caring community through prayer, caring, and supportive conversations (including correcting one another—see Leviticus 19:17). Serving the needs of one another and celebrating life together provides the opportunity for a variety of rich and meaningful Christian traditions. Discuss: What acts of serving and caring have you experienced in the church? Pray: Loving God, we thank you for your parental care that feeds and protects us. Give us the faith to care for and feed others with your love through Christ our Lord. 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 show love and care for others by being part of a caring community? RITUALS AND TRADITIONS In Matthew 22:34-46, the Pharisees asked Jesus difficult questions, and he posed hard questions back to them. Asking questions and wondering about the Christian faith is important. Think or talk about what questions you have about the Christian faith. Write them down on a sheet of paper. Then think or talk about where or who you might ask for help with answering your questions. Pray: Dear God, help us to take delight in your word so that we may be like trees planted by streams of water that will not wither but prosper and produce the fruit of righteousness filled with love for you and for our neighbor. (Psalm 1) In addition to Taking Faith Home, celebrate milestones in your daily life as an effective faith formation tool. Go to: www.milestonesministry.org
