“He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: ‘Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.’” – Matthew 18:2-3 This past Sunday I experienced the incredible blessing of baptizing my youngest...
“And the Lord God commanded the man, ‘You are free to eat from any tree of the garden, but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for on the day you eat from it, you will certainly die.’…So she took some of its...
December 27, 2023 “And your feet sandaled with readiness for the gospel of peace.” – Ephesians 6:15 Depression can be a serious problem after the holidays. Maybe it is exhaustion from all the activities, maybe it is saying good-bye to family, maybe it is getting back into the normal routine, or...
“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” – James 1:17 Yesterday, I spent all day shopping with my wife…about nine hours total. Normally this would be torture. I would schedule a root canal to get out...
“Remember the wondrous works he has done, his wonders, and the judgments he has pronounced.” – 1 Chronicles 16:12 Today I had a lot of driving to do. So, to pass the time, I decided to listen to the sermons that some of my friends preached at our church while I...
“But the angel said to them, ‘Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people: Today in the city of David a Savior was born for you, who is the Messiah, the Lord.’” – Luke 2:10-11 I am currently...
“So if you are offering your gift on the altar, and there you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled with your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift.” – Matthew...
“Since you have purified yourselves by your obedience to the truth, so that you show sincere brotherly love for each other, from a pure heart love one another constantly, because you have been born again—not of perishable seed but of imperishable—through the living and enduring word of God.” – 1 Peter...
“One who isolates himself pursues selfish desires; he rebels against all sound wisdom.” – Proverbs 18:1 Isolating yourself from others goes against all sound wisdom. There are several reasons this is true. The one we talk about most often is the fact that you need others. None of us can walk...
“Therefore, although in Christ I could be bold and order you to do what you ought to do, yet I prefer to appeal to you on the basis of love. It is as none other than Paul—an old man and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus— that I appeal...
“He made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” – 2 Corinthians 5:21 We all have those moments where we are convinced we will never become the man or woman that God wants us to...
“You are being guarded by God’s power through faith for a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. You rejoice in this, even though now for a short time, if necessary, you suffer grief in various trials so that the proven character of your faith—more valuable...
“More than that, I also consider everything to be a loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. Because of him I have suffered the loss of all things and consider them as dung, so that I may gain Christ.” – Philippians 3:8 What is your...
October 11, 2023 “I am at rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him.” – Psalm 62:1 Life has been crazy lately! I have a 4th grader, 6th grader, freshman, and junior at home right now, and they are right in the middle of what seems to be the busiest time of...
“Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket; they are regarded as dust on the scales; he weighs the islands as though they were fine dust.” – Isaiah 40:15 I saw on the news last night that history was made in congress. For the first time ever, the representatives...
September 27, 2023 “I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.” – John 16:33 Have you ever had a bad day? Or a really bad day? Or maybe a really, really, really bad day? I...
“I have no greater joy than this: to hear that my children are walking in truth.” – 3 John 1:4 My oldest daughter is now well into her first semester of college. We have had many phone calls and she has filled me in on all her new experiences. I have...
“But desire the greater gifts. And I will show you an even better way.” – 1 Corinthians 12:31 In 1 Corinthians 12 Paul writes a pretty incredible list of gifts that God bestows on his people. This includes things like helping, teaching, leading, healing, and even working miracles! How many of...
September 6, 2023 “If only you would shut up and let that be your wisdom!” – Job 13:5 Each year when I read through my Bible I come to a passage that makes me laugh out loud almost every time. But before you can understand why it is so funny, you...
August 30, 2023 “Don’t store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves don’t break in and steal.” – Matthew 6:19-20 I don’t know...
August 23, 2023 “Pray constantly” – 1 Thessalonians 5:17 I am currently reading the book of Nehamiah in my one-year Bible. Nehemiah is famous for rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem, but he is also well known for his sweeping reforms throughout Israel. He called all the people back to obeying the...
August 16, 2023 “Each of the builders had his sword strapped around his waist while he was building, and the one who sounded the ram’s horn was beside me. Then I said to the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people, ‘The work is enormous and spread out,...
August 9, 2023 “I call on you, my God, for you will answer me; turn your ear to me and hear my prayer. Show me the wonders of your great love, you who save by your right hand those who take refuge in you from their foes. Keep me as...
“to take off your former way of life, the old self that is corrupted by deceitful desires, to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, the one created according to God’s likeness in righteousness and purity of the truth.” – Ephesians 4:22-24 Recently...
“God has listened; he has paid attention to the sound of my prayer. Blessed be God! He has not turned away my prayer or turned his faithful love from me.” – Psalm 66:19-20 With five kids around the table, you can imagine how chaotic things can get at my house during...
July 19, 2023 “One who isolates himself pursues selfish desires; he rebels against all sound wisdom.” – Proverbs 18:1 Anyone who has known me for very long knows that I am an extrovert. When we run errands, my family often jokes, “this should only take about 30 minutes or so…unless dad...
July 12, 2023 “While they were stoning Stephen, he called out, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!’ He knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them!’ And after saying this, he fell asleep. Saul agreed with putting him to death.” – Acts 7:59...
“I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without me.” – John 15:5 Yesterday we celebrated Independence Day; the day America declared our independence from Great Britain. But as I reflected throughout the...
June 28, 2023 “I don’t say this out of need, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I find myself. I know how to make do with little, and I know how to make do with a lot. In any and all circumstances I have learned the...
June 21, 2023 “But if you bite and devour one another, watch out, or you will be consumed by one another.” – Galatians 5:15 Have you ever heard the term “collateral damage”? It refers to the destruction of private property or the death of innocent civilians during a time of war....
