Daily Bread Pastor Mike Anderson 2026

Scriptures of the Day Joshua 6-7, Psalm 52, 1 Corinthians 14 Verse of the Day 15 “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.” 16 The Lord answered, “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites, leaving none alive.” Observation We see that although Israel enjoyed peace for 40 years, for seven years they turned from worshipping the One, True God, to false gods like Baal. So God in effect said, "If that is the god you want to serve, then I will withdraw my hand of protection I have given you." So after 7 years, the Israelites cried out to God asking for relief from the oppression from the Midianites. So God raised up Gideon, under the oak tree and said to him, "The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.” But in spite of this Gideon had his doubts, and expressed them. His doubt started with the fact his family was not one of the top clans, and he was the weakest...

Scriptures for the Day Judges 4,5 Psalm 39,41 1 Corinthians 13 Verse of the Day Psalm 39:4-5 “Show me, Lord, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is. You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Everyone is but a breath, even those who seem secure. Observation In Psalm 38 David says this, "I am bowed down and brought very low; all day long I go about mourning. My back is filled with searing pain; there is no health in my body. I am feeble and utterly crushed; I groan in anguish of heart." So you might read the verse above as David just wanting his life to end, because he is tired of fighting everyone and everything. On top of that, he is being punished for his own sin and folly. But if you read between the lines, David is reflecting that because his life is so short, he wants to make sure he spends his time wisely. He wants to remind himself of how fleeting life is, so he can focus...

Scripture Readings Joshua 21-22, Psalm 47, 1 Corinthians 10 Verse of the Day 1 Corinthians 10:13 12 So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! 13 No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. Observation Paul is writing to a young church in a pagan culture. He is trying to teach them how to be in the world, but not of the world. He is pointing to the freedom they have in Christ, but teaching them not to use their freedom to indulge the sinful nature, or cause another believed to stumble. He cites the example of the Israelites who made golden calves and practiced sexual immorality and were judged by God in the wilderness. In fighting temptation he gives them a prescription for how they can overcome it. He gives them these principles: 1. We are most vulnerable to tempt...

Readings for the Day Joshua 18-20 1 Corinthians 9 1 Corinthians 9: "Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever." Observation In 1 Corinthians 9, Paul starts by talking about his rights as an apostle. It would have been perfectly alright to receive a reward for his work among them. He reminds them that those who preach the gospel, should receive their living from the gospel. But Paul denies this right because he wants to offer the gospel free of charge. Then Paul talks about his freedom and his rights. These include becoming all things to all people in order to win some. Like Jesus, Paul got down on the same level with the people he preached to. He identified with them and spoke in ways that would connect them to the Good News about Jesus. To the Jews, he ministered to them as those who were under the Law. To the Gentiles, he communicated to them as tho...

Scriptures:Joshua 15-17, 1 Corinthians 8 Verse of the Day: 1 Corinthians 8:13 Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother or sister to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause them to fall. Observation The context of chapter 8 is Paul instructing the Corinthians about food sacrificed to idols. This was a common practice for those who worshipped other gods in this pagan culture. For those who recently converted to Christianity, this was a remnant of their old way of life. When they found the One true God through Jesus Cnrist, they wanted to move as far away from their previous lifestyle as possible. Paul reflects that even though food sacrificed to other gods was worthless and in vain, for these newer Christians it could be a stumbling block. Even though those with "knowledge" knew it was meaningless and empty, in deference to those so called "weaker" Christians, they should not eat this type of meat. Paul ends the chapter by sayi...

Scriptures: Joshua 12,13,14; 1 Corinthians 7 Verses of the Day: Joshua 14:6 Now the people of Judah approached Joshua at Gilgal, and Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him, “You know what the Lord said to Moses the man of God at Kadesh Barnea about you and me. 7 I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the Lord sent me from Kadesh Barnea to explore the land. And I brought him back a report according to my convictions, 8 but my fellow Israelites who went up with me made the hearts of the people melt in fear. I, however, followed the Lord my God wholeheartedly. Observations: Since the beginning of God's covenant with Abraham in Genesis 12 and Genesis 15, God's purpose was to make Israel a blessing to all nations. Abraham was originally promised the Land that Joshua and Caleb are now leading the Israelites to conquer. When Moses and the people of God were delivered from the Egyptians, when God parted the Red Sea, it showed Moses' trust in God to do what ...

Scripture Readings Deuteronomy 3-6 1 Corinthians 4 Verse 1 Corinthians 4:14 I am writing this not to shame you but to warn you as my dear children. 15 Even if you had ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. 16 Therefore I urge you to imitate me. 17 For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church. Observation In chapter Paul 4 has a sarcastic tone, as he writes to the church in Corinth. They are a city of excess in every way. Though there are many who purported to be in Christ, they had fallen to sexual immorality, materialism, and even worshipping other gods. They even tended to put their teachers on a pedestal and were prideful about who they were. In this chapter, Paul says he and the other apostles have a different lifestyle. Listen to what...