Day 1 – Sunday, Sept 7

Read: Ruth 1

Reflect: Like Naomi and Ruth, we sometimes walk through loss and uncertainty. God’s providence often looks ordinary and slow to unfold. Where might God be quietly at work in your story?

Pray: Ask God for eyes to see His hand, even in the ordinary, and courage to trust His unseen guidance.

Day 2 – Monday, Sept 8

Read: Proverbs 16:1–9

Reflect: We plan our course, but the Lord establishes our steps. Consider moments when your life took a turn you didn’t expect, how might God have been guiding you?

Pray: Surrender your plans to God. Ask Him to align your steps with His greater purposes.

Day 3 – Tuesday, Sept 9

Read: Genesis 50:15–21

Reflect: Joseph’s brothers intended harm, but God used it for good. Providence does not erase pain but redeems it. Where might God be bringing good from a past hurt in your life?

Pray: Thank God that He can redeem even the hardest seasons. Ask Him to give you faith to wait for His timing.

Day 4 – Wednesday, Sept 10

Read: Psalm 136:1–12

Reflect: “His love endures forever.” This refrain anchors Israel’s history in God’s faithful providence. In your own story, where do you see His love enduring through seasons of both joy and trial?

Pray: Offer thanks to God for specific ways He has shown His faithful love in your past.

Day 5 – Thursday, Sept 11

Read: Exodus 34:4–7

Reflect: God reveals Himself as compassionate, gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness. Providence flows from His character. Do you trust His heart, even when you can’t see His hand?

Pray: Pray that you would know God more deeply, not just His works but His character of faithfulness.

Day 6 – Friday, Sept 12

Read: Acts 16:6–10

Reflect: Paul’s plans were redirected, but God led him into a new mission field. Sometimes God’s “no” or closed doors are His providence steering us into something better. Where might God be redirecting you?

Pray: Ask God to give you peace when doors close and openness when He redirects your path.

Day 7 – Saturday, Sept 13

Read: Romans 8:28–39

Reflect: God works all things for the good of those who love Him. Nothing can separate us from His love. Reflect on how His providence and love are inseparable.

Pray: Pray with confidence that nothing in your life is wasted in God’s hands. Thank Him that His love endures forever.

Sunday, September 14

Read: Ruth 1

Reflect: Like Naomi and Ruth, we sometimes walk through loss and uncertainty. God’s providence often looks ordinary and slow to unfold. Where might God be quietly at work in your story?

Pray: Ask God for eyes to see His hand, even in the ordinary, and courage to trust His unseen guidance.

Monday, September 15

Read: Ruth 2:1–7

Reflect: Ruth stepped out in faith to gather provision, and Boaz noticed her diligence. God’s care can show up in everyday moments and through the people around us.

Philippians 2:13 – “For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.”

Pray: Pray for boldness to act in faith and discernment to notice God’s provision in ordinary moments.

Tuesday, September 16

Read: Ruth 2:8–13

Reflect: Boaz blesses Ruth for her loyalty and hard work. God often provides through others who reflect His kindness and care.

Proverbs 3:4 – “Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man.”

Pray: Ask God to help you recognize His guidance and protection through the words and actions of others.

Wednesday, September 17

Read: Ruth 2:14–17

Reflect: Ruth receives more than she expected. God’s provision often exceeds what we imagine, reminding us of His abundant grace.

Ephesians 3:20 – “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine…”

Pray: Thank God for His abundance and ask for a heart that receives His blessings with gratitude.

Thursday, September 18

Read: Ruth 2:18–23

Reflect: Ruth shares her harvest with Naomi. God’s provision is meant to bless others as well as ourselves.

2 Corinthians 9:8 – “And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.”

Pray: Ask God to show you ways to share His blessings with others.

Friday, September 19

Read: Psalm 145:14–16

Reflect: God lifts those who are humble and sustains them in their time of need, just as He cared for Ruth and Naomi.

James 1:17 – “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights…”

Pray: Pray for awareness of God’s daily sustaining grace and trust in His timing.

Saturday, September 20

Read: Matthew 6:25–33

Reflect: Jesus reminds us not to worry about our needs. God knows what we need and provides in His perfect timing.

Luke 12:24 – “Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them.”

Pray: Ask God for peace and trust, surrendering your worries and relying on His faithful provision.

Day 1 – Sunday, September 21

Read: Ruth 3

Reflect: Ruth risked bold trust when she placed herself at Boaz’s feet. In humility and hope, she sought redemption. Where might God be inviting you into deeper trust and surrender?

Pray: Ask God to grow your confidence in His redeeming love, and to give you courage to step into the unknown with faith.

Day 2 – Monday, September 22

Read: Lamentations 3:22–24

Reflect: God’s compassions are new every morning. In a broken world full of sorrow, His faithfulness is steady. How can you anchor your heart in His mercies today?

Pray: Thank God for His great faithfulness. Ask Him to renew your hope, even in seasons of grief or uncertainty.

Day 3 – Tuesday, September 23

Read: John 1:35–39 (“Come and See”)

Reflect: Jesus’ first invitation was not heavy, it was simple curiosity: Come and see. Where in your life do you need to slow down and simply see Jesus for who He is?

Pray: Ask God to open your eyes to Jesus in fresh ways. Pray for courage to invite others into the same discovery: Come and see.

Day 4 – Wednesday, September 24

Read: Matthew 4:18–22 (“Come and Follow Me”)

Reflect: To follow Jesus, the disciples left behind their nets, their security, income, and identity. What might Jesus be asking you to leave behind so that you can follow Him more fully?

Pray: Ask Jesus to strengthen your obedience and deepen your trust as you walk in His ways.

Day 5 – Thursday, September 25

Read: John 15:1–11 (“Remain in Me”)

Reflect: To be with Jesus is not a moment, it’s a way of life. Like branches connected to the vine, our lives bear fruit only through deep, abiding connection. Where does your life show fruit? Where do you need His life to flow more fully?

Pray: Ask Jesus to help you remain in Him daily and to grow fruit in your life that reflects His love.

Day 6 – Friday, September 26

Read: Matthew 28:18–20 (“Go and Make Disciples”)

Reflect: Jesus sends His followers to join His mission, healing, teaching, reconciling, serving. How can you join His mission this week in your family, workplace, or community?

Pray: Ask the Holy Spirit to empower you to be a faithful witness of Jesus’ love in word and action.

Day 7 – Saturday, September 27

Read: Luke 9:23–24 (“Come and Die”)

Reflect: Jesus’ final invitation is costly, deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Him. What might costly discipleship look like in your life right now?

Pray: Ask God for grace to lay down self-preservation and to live fully surrendered to Christ, trusting that true life is found in Him.

Day 1 - Sunday, September 28

Read: Ruth 4

Reflect: Where have you seen redemption take place in your life or in your world?

Pray: Give God praise for the salvation and life transformation that you’ve seen in your life and in the world around you. Thank Him for not leaving things as they were but for bringing about a beautiful redemption as He made a better way.

Day 2 - Monday, September 29

Read: Leviticus 25:8-28

Reflect: What are you holding on to that you need to give over to God? What in you is in need of redemption today?

Pray: Whatever that is that you’re holding on to, surrender to God in prayer. Ask Him to work His redemption in you.

Day 3 - Tuesday, September 30

Read: Ephesians 1:3-14

Reflect: What does it mean to you that you have been redeemed through the blood of Jesus? How does this impact the way you live your life?

Pray: Thank Jesus for His sacrifice for you and ask that His Spirit would motivate you to be a living sacrifice as a response of worship to Him.

Day 4 - Wednesday, October 1

Read: Psalm 103

Reflect: What does a response of worship look like for you as a way of thanking God for redeeming you?

Pray: Take some time to adore God and tell Him how awesome He is. Spend time in worship.

Day 5 - Thursday, October 2

Read: Isaiah 43:1-7

Reflect: How does it encourage you to know that you are not alone as you face trials? How does being His influence your view of yourself?

Pray: Thank God for being with you no matter what you face. Pray over that trial that you’re currently facing, that He would deliver you through that. Ask Him to help you view yourself the way that He sees you.

Day 6 - Friday, October 3

Read: Romans 3:21-26

Reflect: What has God saved you from? What has God saved and redeemed you for?

Pray: Ask the Spirit to sanctify you to make you more like Jesus. Thank Him for saving you and ask for wisdom and direction in how to use the gifts He has given you to make Him known.

Day 7 - Saturday, October 4

Read: Mark 10:42-45

Reflect: Where do you need to serve and lay yourself down this week?

Pray: Ask God for the humility to serve and the open eyes to see opportunities to lay yourself down for the sake of others.

Opening Icebreaker Options:

• Share about a time you made plans but life turned out very differently. How did you respond?
• What’s one “ordinary” decision or event in your life that, looking back, became very significant?

Prayer:

Invite a volunteer to open the group in prayer, asking Holy Spirit to guide your conversation.

Read Scripture

Read Ruth 1 aloud together. (Optional: have several people read portions.)

Discussion Questions

1. Entering the Story

• What stood out to you most as we read Ruth 1 together?
• How would you describe Naomi’s emotional and spiritual state throughout this chapter?

2. Wrestling with Providence

• Pastor Kris defined providence as “divine guidance or care.” How do we see God’s providence at work in Ruth 1—even in the midst of loss?
• Why do you think God’s providence often unfolds in “ordinary” rather than miraculous ways?

3. Our Stories

• Can you share a time in your life when you couldn’t see what God was doing until later?
• How do you usually respond when your plans don’t work out as you expected?

4. Faith and Honesty

• Naomi openly voiced her grief and bitterness, even saying, “The Lord has brought misfortune upon me” (1:21). What can we learn from her honesty with God?
• How does Ruth’s loyalty to Naomi (v. 16–17) reflect God’s loyalty and faithfulness to us?

5. God’s Character

• How does knowing God is “compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness” (Exodus 34:6) give you confidence to trust His providence?
• Where in your life right now do you need to lean into God’s steady presence?

Application

• As you look ahead this week, what is one decision, worry, or situation you need to surrender to God’s providential care?
• How can our group encourage and pray for each other in trusting God’s guidance?

Prayer Time

1. Invite each person to share one area where they need to trust God’s providence.
2. Pray for each other by name, lifting up those specific situations.
3. Close with a prayer of thanksgiving using Psalm 136:1 – “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. His love endures forever.”

Opening Icebreaker Options:

• Share about a time you experienced unexpected help or provision when you needed it most. How did it impact you?
• Think of a small, ordinary action in your life that later turned out to be significant. What happened?

Prayer:

Invite a volunteer to open the group in prayer, asking the Holy Spirit to guide your conversation and help you see God’s faithful provision in your life.

Read Scripture:

Read Ruth 2 aloud together. (Optional: have several people read portions.)

Discussion Questions:

1. Entering the Story

• What stood out to you most as we read Ruth 2 together?
• How would you describe Ruth’s attitude and approach as she steps into the field to glean?
• How is Naomi’s perspective beginning to shift compared to chapter 1?

2. God’s Provision Through the Law

• How did God’s law provide for widows, foreigners, and the vulnerable (Deuteronomy 24:19–21)?
• How did Ruth’s obedience and willingness to glean place her in a position to receive God’s provision?
• In what ways do ordinary structures, rules, or systems today reflect God’s care for the vulnerable?

3. God’s Provision Through His People

• How did Boaz’s words and actions (Ruth 2:4–17) demonstrate God’s provision through ordinary people?
• How does seeing God work through Boaz encourage you to be attentive to others in need?
• Who in your life might God be calling you to extend provision, protection, or encouragement to this week?

4. God’s Provision Through the Redeemer

• How does Boaz act as a guardian-redeemer, and how does this foreshadow Jesus as our ultimate Redeemer?
• Ruth’s invitation to eat at Boaz’s table points to Christ’s invitation to the spiritually hungry. How does this challenge you to respond to God’s provision personally?
• What is the difference between knowing about God’s provision and fully receiving it?

5. Reflection and Personal Application

• In what ways are you currently experiencing God’s provision in your life?
• Where might you be standing on the sidelines instead of fully receiving His provision?
• How is God calling you to step into His provision and extend it to others this week?

Prayer Time:

• Invite each person to share one area where they need to trust God’s provision.
• Pray for one another by name, asking God to reveal His guidance and provide abundantly.
• Close with thanksgiving using Philippians 4:19 – “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.”

Opening Icebreaker Options:

Share about a time when someone sacrificed for you in a way that deeply impacted your life.

Think of a bold step of trust you took in your life. What made it hard, and how did God meet you in it?

Prayer:

Invite a volunteer to open the group in prayer, asking the Holy Spirit to guide your conversation and help you see God’s faithful love and redemption in your life.

Read Scripture:

Read Ruth 3 aloud together. (Optional: have several people read portions.)

Discussion Questions:

1. Entering the Story

• What stood out to you most as we read Ruth 3 together?
• How do you see Ruth’s boldness and humility in approaching Boaz?
• What does Naomi’s plan and Ruth’s obedience reveal about their faith in God’s provision?

2. The Role of the Redeemer

• What was the role of a guardian-redeemer in Israelite culture, and why was it so important?
• How does Ruth’s request for Boaz to “spread his garment” over her reflect a desire for covenant love and protection?
• In what ways does Boaz point us to Jesus as our ultimate Redeemer?

3. Character and Sacrificial Love

• How do Ruth and Boaz demonstrate godly character in this chapter?
• How is sacrificial love different from the world’s view of love?
• Where have you experienced or witnessed love that required sacrifice?

4. Jesus’ Invitations and Discipleship

Jesus invites His followers to: Come and See, Come and Follow, Come and Be With Me, Come and Work With Me, and Come and Die.

• Where do you see Ruth living out these kinds of invitations in her steps of faith?
• Which of these invitations best describes where you are in your walk with Jesus right now?
• What next step might God be calling you to take in following Him?

5. Reflection and Personal Application

• How does Ruth’s costly trust challenge your own faith?
• Where might Jesus be calling you to sacrifice for the sake of others?
• How can your group encourage one another to trust the Redeemer more deeply this week?

Prayer Time:

• Invite each person to share one area where they need courage to trust Jesus as Redeemer.
• Pray for one another by name, asking God to strengthen faith and shape lives by His sacrificial love.

Close with thanksgiving using John 15:13 – “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”

Opening Icebreaker:

Share a “redemption story”, whether something you’ve experienced in your own life or something you’ve seen/heard in the world around you.

Prayer:

Invite a volunteer to open the group in prayer, asking the Holy Spirit to guide your conversation and help you see God’s faithful redemption in your life.

Read Scripture:

Read Ruth 4 aloud together. (Optional: have several people read portions.)

Discussion Questions:

1. Entering the Story

• What stood out to you most as we read Ruth 4 together?
• Who do you most resonate with in this story? Why?
• If you were the guardian-redeemer and Ruth came to you as she did to Boaz, how would you have responded?

2. Redemption Through Ruth

• What is redemption (in a biblical context)?
• What was the role of a guardian-redeemer in Israelite culture, and why was it so important?
• How do we see redemption play out in the greater narrative of Scripture, not just in the story of Ruth, but through the story of Ruth?
• In what ways does the story of Ruth point us to Jesus as our ultimate Redeemer?

3. Your Redemption

• When you hear the phrase “redeemed by the blood of the Lamb”, what does that mean to you? How have you seen this redemption to be true in your own life?
• How does knowing that Jesus redeemed you impact your daily life? What sort of response does that elicit in you?
• What is a relationship or a situation in your life in need of redemption? What step will you take this week towards that end?

Prayer Time:

• Pray for each other’s situations shared earlier, asking God for strength and courage to take those steps of faith towards seeing and sharing redemption.

Fasting is fasting from food. The following are options of ways to fast from food.

Complete Fast

This fast involves consuming only liquids, typically water, with the option to include light juices.

Meal Removal Fast

This fast entails skipping one or two meals a day and refraining from snacking during the fasting period.

Partial Fast

Also referred to as the “Jewish Fast,” this practice involves abstaining from all food during the morning and afternoon. It can be observed during specific hours, such as 6:00 am to 3:00 pm, or from sunrise to sunset.

Selective Fast

In this fast, specific foods are excluded from your diet. For example, the “Daniel Fast” involves eliminating meat, sweets, and bread, while consuming water, juice, fruits, and vegetables.

*In addition to fasting food or if you have a medical issue that prevents you from fasting, you might choose to stop using social media or watching television (or remove something else) for the duration of the fast and then if you choose to bring it back, do so carefully in healthy doses at the conclusion of the fast.

Prayer is communicating with God. Listening and speaking.

Below are ideas of ways to pray. We encourage you not to over-complicate it. Be honest. Be real. Be you.

Adore God - Focus upon praise of God for who He is—His character, attributes, and majesty—without asking for anything. Sing a song and/or express love and reverence in personal words.

Confession - Acknowledge sin and ask for God’s forgiveness and cleansing. “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.” (Psalm 139:23-24)

Thanksgiving - Express gratitude to God for His blessings, provisions, and faithfulness. Keep a gratitude journal or pray through a list of blessings.

Supplication (Petition) - Brings personal needs, desires, or concerns before God, seeking His guidance or intervention. Pray for healing, provision, or wisdom.

Intercession - Pray on behalf of others, ask God to work in the lives of others. Praying for family, friends, leaders, or global concerns.

Meditative Prayer - Focus on quiet reflection, a Scripture passage, listen to God and deepen understanding of who God is. Try Lectio Divina, a practice of reading and meditating on a Bible passage.

Corporate Prayer - Pray with others in a group setting, such as church, small groups, or prayer meetings. Taking turns praying aloud.

Lament - Express grief, sorrow, or frustration to God while seeking His comfort and hope. Read and pray through the Psalms of lament, such as Psalm 13.

Blessing or Benediction - Pray for God’s favor, guidance, or protection over oneself or others. “The Lord bless you and keep you…” (Numbers 6:24-26)

Spiritual Warfare Prayer - Pray against spiritual opposition, declaring God’s power and protection. Use the armor of God described in Ephesians 6:10-18.

Breath Prayer - A short, repeated prayer focused on a phrase or Scripture while aligning with breathing. “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”

Sundays

Before Services (sanctuary) The sanctuary is set aside for prayer 8:15-8:25 am and 10:10-10:20 am. Pray individually or with another in this quiet space.

After Services (front sides of altar) There are prayer ministers available and ready to pray with and for you.

Wednesdays (6:30-7:30pm, Room 101) - This weekly prayer group of men and women meet to read the Word and pray together for each other, the church, the community, and the world.

Thursdays (3rd Thursdays, 9:30-11am, Shirley Works Home) - This ladies prayer group meets to encourage and pray together.

Winning the War in Your Mind by Craig Groeschel

Every Thought Captive by Kyle Idleman

A Meal with Jesus – Tim Chester

The Gospel Comes with a House Key: Practicing Radically Ordinary Hospitality in Our Post-Christian World – Rosaria Butterfield

The Simplest Way to Change the World: Biblical Hospitality as a Way of Life – Dustin Willis

The Meaning of Marriage – Timothy & Kathy Keller

Love & Respect – Dr. Emerson Eggerichs

You and Me Forever – Francis & Lisa Chan

The 5 Love Languages – Gary Chapman

Boundaries in Marriage – Dr. Henry Cloud & Dr. John Townsend

The Love Dare – Alex & Stephen Kendrick

Intended for Pleasure – Ed Wheat

Surviving a Spiritual Mismatch in Marriage – Lee Strobel

Sheet Music – Kevin Lehman

Care & Counseling

Stephen Ministries at Family Bible Church

DesertStreams

Christian Counseling Center of Battle Creek

Response Care Center (Gracespring Church)

DivorceCare

Articles

7 Steps to Prayer and Fasting by Bill Bright

Your Personal Guide to Fasting and Prayer by Bill Bright

Fasting

Fasting – Scot McKnight

Fasting for Spiritual Breakthrough – Elmer L Towns

God’s Chosen Fast – Arthur Wallis

Prayer

Prayer: Finding the Heart’s True Home – Richard Foster

How to Pray – Pete Grieg

How to Pray A Guide for Young Explorers – Pete Grieg & Gemma Hunt

A Praying Life – Paul A Miller

Praying Like Monks, Living Like Fools – Tyler Staton