BREAD Bitesize - 2025

21 Apr | gracious repetition

The story of Balaam and Balak in Numbers can seem repetitive. Balak just cannot seem to take no for an answer. He refuses to accept Balaam’s rejection and sends an envoy to him twice. Then, when Balaam does come and see him, Balak refuses to accept Balaam’s answer from God three times! The answer was clear, but Balak didn’t want to hear it. But Balak isn’t the only one in the story who needs some repetition. Balaam himself, the one who is speaking with God throughout the story, has to have his donkey correct his path three times before the Lord finally opens the donkey’s mouth and Balaam’s eyes to see the angel that had been in front of him the whole time. Balaam, though able to hear and speak to God, needed his eyes opened to something he was not seeing. While Balaam did eventually see what was in front of him and repent, Balak continued to refuse to accept the words of the Lord. It is easy when reading the story to think - how could you miss an angel standing directly in front of you? Or - how could you refuse to accept a direct message from God three times? But I am reminded of how many times God has had to repeat things for me. Repeating an answer I was scared to accept, a promise I was wary of trusting in, or a truth that I had forgotten. God, in His eternal grace and patience, repeats Himself for our sake. And I am led to ask - what is right in front of me right now that I keep missing? What answers from God am I hearing that I just do not want to accept? I pray God grants all of us eyes to see, ears to hear, and the courage to act accordingly.  ~ Chloe Emery

This week’s readings: Numbers 33-Deuteronomy 9 | Romans 3-9 | Psalm 14-18

14 Apr | the known God 

Acts 17 presents one of my all-time favourite stories in Scripture. Paul is in Athens and visits the Areopagus, the epicentre of religious and educational matters. But his heart is unsettled as he observes the multitude of idols. It is said there was a ‘god’ for everything (scholars estimate 30,000 of them!), with one idol even saying “to the unknown god” in case they missed one. Paul tells them that there is a God, one who can be known, one who has made Himself known. Today, people continue to worship many things - the universe, nature, rocks and crystals, things God himself has made. People even worship themselves. But Paul says that through God, we live and even the Athenian poets acknowledge that we are his offspring. What evangelism he brings! What hope he shares! I’m inspired by Paul, finding a way to connect to people who did not share his faith. Someone in your life needs to hear that God is not far, that they can feel their way towards Him and find Him. Someone needs to hear about the known, the knowable God. This week, how can you connect with that person in your life? Something in your experience relates to something in theirs. Ask the Holy Spirit to open your eyes to what other people are searching for, so you can share the God who can fill that gap. ~ Rebekah Smikle

This week’s readings: Numbers 21-32 | Acts 24-28, Romans 1-2 | Psalm 9-13

07 April | how to prosper

Psalm 1 is in some sense the whole heart and reason for having a Bible reading plan as a church. It's birthed from a desire to see everyone in church counselled by God as opposed to anyone or anything else. Reading it afresh this week I was struck by the possibility of whatever I do prospering. For the cynical it's a mere nice thought and for the doubters it's abstract at best, outlandish at worst. But the Psalmist doesn't seem to give us those options; they speak, it seems to me, from lived experience. There is nothing abstract about living daily, night and day in Scripture, as a means of prosperity. It is not outlandish to suggest that cultivating a delight in God's presence through his word has the ability to sustain, guide and lead our lives to fruitfulness in all that we do. I am challenged to receive these words afresh by faith. Do you want all you do to prosper? The directive seems clear, fill every day with God's counsel through Scripture. Taking your time to ponder, wonder, and be shaped by God's voice. How can your days look more like verse 2? ~ Pastor Jacob

This week’s readings: Numbers 8-20 | Acts 17-23 | Psalm 2-8

31 Mar | untold miracles

This week, I found myself in awe of the simplicity of the statement made in Acts 5:12: “Now many signs and wonders were done among the people through the apostles.” What a short, simple statement for what would have been life-changing, faith-inspiring miracles! Healings happening that would have shaped people's lives forever, and remarkable signs being performed that converted everyone who was there to witness, all summarized in one sentence. It makes me wonder just how many miraculous stories there are of the apostles or the early church that we will never hear of. It also makes me wonder how many miracles are happening in my time, all around me, that I just haven’t heard about yet. How many signs and wonders is the Spirit performing through believers in my city, or even in my church, that I just haven’t been told of yet? The Spirit that was sent to the apostles in Acts is the same Spirit that dwells in all believers today. Just as incredible things happened in the early church that we will never hear about, signs and wonders are happening in churches and the hearts of people every day that we will never hear of either. Sometimes when we don’t hear of these stories, it feels as if they aren’t happening, when in fact these amazing acts of the Spirit are happening all the time. What miracles are happening around you that so far have gone unnoticed or untold? What awesome stories do those around you have but just haven’t had a chance to share yet? My prayer is that God gives us eyes to see the miraculous, so that we may appreciate the abundant goodness of God and testify to the stories that have yet to be proclaimed. ~ Chloe Emery

This week’s readings: Leviticus 26 - Numbers 7  | Acts 10-16 | Job 37-42, Psalm 1

24 Mar | without Leviticus… 

In conversations with friends last week, I reflected on some observations from Leviticus - sin offerings, peace offerings, burnt offerings, clean, unclean, consecrated, anointed, holy. There is a temptation to wonder, “and what about me? How does this all apply to me?” Leviticus 11:44 summarises it clearly, “I am the LORD your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy.” The book emphasises a need for personal holiness in response to a Holy God. But in those conversations with friends, I couldn’t help but think this is all so significant beyond me. Imagine the Bible without Leviticus. For some it might be an easier read. But it would be quite difficult to understand why Jesus was the perfect sacrifice, why He needed to die the way He did and how God really is so gracious. Without Leviticus, it could all seem arbitrary. Jesus fulfilled Lev 11:44 in ways unattainable for Man. And so I’m led to think that even just the significance of it in light of the gospel is a key application. As you read through Leviticus or any other challenging book, how might you appreciate just their significance? The Holy Spirit preserved these Scriptures for a reason! Perhaps thank God for His perfect sacrifice (Jesus, the Lamb), appreciate that He now chooses to live within us (His temple), and desire to offer your body to Him in worship (a living sacrifice). ~ Rebekah Smikle

This week’s readings: Leviticus 14-25 | Acts 3-9 | Job 30-36

17 Mar | how long is 40 days? | Exodus 32

40 days, just over a month, can feel like a decent amount of time. Especially when you're waiting for a particular date in the future, a holiday, a wedding, a visa application approval. At the same time it can feel short. Whilst those of us are counting down days, still others of us are wishing there were more. The parent whose child is growing up too fast, a gap year coming to its end, a loved one's life cut short. For the people of Israel, 40 days was a long time. Last week, in Exodus 32:1 we read, "When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered round Aaron and said, 'Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don't know what has happened to him.'" It is alarming that a people, who 40 days earlier said, "Everything that Lord has said we will do." are now asking for a golden calf as their god. Whilst I am sure we've experienced both extremes - time seemingly too slow and too fast - we see here that time itself should not be the primary cause of human response. It makes me wonder, believing that whatever God is doing is good, what would it look like to trust him today? What would it look like to exercise faith today? What would it look like to depend on Jesus today? ~ Pastor Jacob 

This week's readings: Leviticus 1-13 | Matthew 26:57-28, Acts 1-2 | Job 23-29