Book Release: 40 Days in the Gospels

Book Release: 40 Days in the Gospels

Interview by Rhonda M. Covington

 Pastor David Franklin and his Miracle Temple church leadership team in Baltimore created 40 Days in the Gospels: a Devotional Guide as a way to help members fortify a love relationship with Jesus and get challenged by His mission. They originally put the booklet together for their members to bring in the New Year diving into God’s Word and fasting from foods or things that might be creating a wedge in their relationship with the Creator.

The devotional is “designed to help submerge the reader into the life and teachings of Jesus,” says Franklin, whose congregation is part of the Allegheny East Conference. Each day a short passage of Scripture along with a key verse and devotional reflection is provided for comprehension. He strongly encourages members to read the entire passage to gain full scope of the message.

Below, Pastor Franklin and Charlene King, church chaplain, tell us more:

Visitor: What inspired you to publish the devotional guide?

Franklin: Miracle Temple traditionally participates in 40 days of fasting and prayer at the beginning of each year. A devotional guide is typically provided, and I thought it was a good idea to create our own. Our church leaders—including the elders, deacons, deaconesses, pastoral staff and ministry directors—were all asked to choose from a list of verses and prepare a devotional thought.

Visitor: Why did you elect the Gospels as a study guide?

Franklin: The life of Jesus is transformational. When we spend time reflecting upon His life, it changes the way we look at ourselves, the community and the world.

Visitor: What do you want readers to gain from the guide?

Franklin: The beauty of the Bible is that you can read the same passages over and over at different times in your life and see a new picture of God. This is particularly true when reading the Gospels. It is our desire to be like Christ, and for the readers to see a picture of Christ as painted by the leaders of the church. We also wanted them to develop their own picture of Christ by spending time reading these passages again.

Visitor: Why would you recommend this guide to others?

King: The devotional draws you closer to Jesus and gives you the opportunity to know His word, and how it applies to practical, everyday life. It’s my desire that others experience the joys of knowing who Jesus is and receive the “fruit if His Spirit” (see Gal. 5:22, 23) in the midst of an evil, troubled world.

To download free copies of the devotional, visit the church’s website, miracletemple.net.