Taking Home Faith
OCTOBER 4, 2026 NINETEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST Faith in Christ gives us confidence. DAILY BIBLE READINGS These passages are related to the Lectionary texts for this Sunday. Sunday Monday Tuesday Matthew 21:33-46 Isaiah 5:1-7 Philippians 3:4b-14 Wednesday 2 Peter 3:14-18 Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday 2 Timothy 3:10-17 John 14:1-7 Psalm 80:7-15 Matthew 22:1-14 Parable of the vineyard tenants A song about a vineyard To know Christ Final exhortation Paul’s instructions to Timothy Jesus the Way to the Father Prayer for Israel’s deliverance Parable of the wedding feast SCRIPTURE VERSE FOR THIS WEEK [A]nd be found in him [Christ], not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but one that comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God based on faith. Philippians 3:9 (NRSV) PRAYERS AND BLESSING A Prayer for the Week: Almighty God, help us to trust that in your death there is eternal life and in suffering there is the power of love through Christ our Lord. Amen. Mealtime Prayer: Nurturing God, we thank you for this food; help us to use food wisely so that others may have enough to eat. Amen. A Blessing to Give: May God’s face shine on you. (Psalm 80:7) © 2025 Milestones Ministry, LLC. All rights reserved. HYMN OF THE WEEK Come and Fill Our Hearts 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 values and qualities do look for in a friend? How would you describe your relationship with Jesus? DEVOTIONS Read: Philippians 3:4b-14. According to research on American religious views, we want to be saved by God because we are “good people.” We really don’t appear to get it. We prefer to rely on our own merits rather than trust the power of Christ’s death and resurrection that conquers our sin. Perhaps this is part of the sinful self-centeredness that Christ comes to cleanse us of. Paul writes to the church at Philippi. He points out that if anyone has a claim to self-righteousness based on the law that measures our goodness, Paul would be pretty unbeatable; he would be “blameless” (v. 6). But he counts all of his religious success as “loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord” (v. 8). The truly amazing part of his testimony is that knowing Christ does not free him from suffering; he is not concerned about why bad things happen to good people. Paul announces his freedom to suffer with Christ. This theology of the cross sees life in death, sees joy in suffering, and sees hope in despair. Paul presses “on to make it my own” (v. 12). He is announcing a view of life, and this way of life sees Christ as the source of all our hopes of salvation. Discuss: How does your faith in Christ free you to experience suffering with hope? Pray: Dear God, help us to know Jesus; may we focus our attention on the needs of others and to care for them 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 be a good friend to someone by caring for their needs? RITUALS AND TRADITIONS In Philippians 3, Paul talks about pressing towards the goal to reach the prize of knowing Christ Jesus. Think about a time you tried to reach a goal. What happened? Whether we reach the goal or not, God is always with us. Pray: Lord, help us to keep our eye on the goal, the prize of the “heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.” Amen. In addition to Taking Faith Home, celebrate milestones in your daily life as an effective faith formation tool. Go to: www.milestonesministry.org
