All Scripture references are quoted from the Christian Standard Bible (unless otherwise noted).
December 29, 2021 “Go to the ant, you slacker! Observe its ways and become wise. Without a leader, administrator, or ruler, it prepares its provisions in summer; it gathers its food during harvest.” – Psalm 6:6-8 There are many passages where the Bible does not pull any punches....
December 22, 2021 “The birth of Jesus Christ came about this way: After his mother, Mary had been engaged to Joseph, it was discovered before they came together that she was pregnant from the Holy Spirit. So, her husband, Joseph, being a righteous man, and not wanting to disgrace...
December 15, 2021 “They hurried off and found both Mary and Joseph, and the baby who was lying in the manger. After seeing them, they reported the message they were told about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.” –...
December 8, 2021 “‘See, I am the Lord’s servant,’ said Mary. ‘May it happen to me as you have said.’ Then the angel left her.” – Luke 1:38 In Luke chapter one, we have the famous Christmastime storytelling of when the angel of the Lord visited the virgin...
December 1, 2021 “A voice of one crying out in the wilderness: Prepare the way for the Lord; make his paths straight! Every valley will be filled, and every mountain and hill will be made low; the crooked will become straight, the rough ways smooth, and everyone will see...
November 24, 2021 “While traveling to Jerusalem, he passed between Samaria and Galilee. As he entered a village, ten men with leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and raised their voices, saying, ‘Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!’ When he saw them, he told them, ‘Go and...
November 17, 2021 “And let us consider one another in order to provoke love and good works, not neglecting to gather together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day approaching.” – Hebrews 10:24-25 Why...
November 10, 2021 “The idols of the nations are of silver and gold, made by human hands. They have mouths but cannot speak, eyes, but cannot see. They have ears but cannot hear; indeed, there is no breath in their mouths. Those who make them are just like them,...
November 03, 2021 “Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!” – 2 Corinthians 9:15 As soon as Halloween is over everyone gets excited to celebrate Christmas. Many people have been anxiously waiting to start this celebration since January! I would love to think that everyone is excited to...
October 27, 2021 “All of us have become like something unclean, and all our righteous acts are like a polluted garment; all of us wither like a leaf, and our iniquities carry us away like the wind.” – Isaiah 64:6 All of us are sinful. Even those of...
October 20, 2021 “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied to the king, ‘Nebuchadnezzar, we don’t need to give you an answer to this question. If the God we serve exists, then he can rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire, and he can rescue us from the power of...
October 13, 2021 “But you, Lord, are enthroned forever; your fame endures to all generations.” – Psalm 102:12 Psalm 102 begins with a pretty intense introduction: “A prayer of a suffering person who is weak and pours out his lament before the Lord.” And from there it only...
October 6, 2021 “Whatever you do, do it from the heart, as something done for the Lord and not for people, knowing that you will receive the reward of an inheritance from the Lord. You serve the Lord Christ.” – Colossians 3:23-24 Last night I took three of my...
September 29, 2021 “Be careful that you don’t forget the Lord your God by failing to keep his commands, ordinances, and statutes that I am giving you today. When you eat and are full, and build beautiful houses to live in, and your herds and flocks grow large, and...
September 22, 2021 “But as for me, my feet almost slipped; my steps nearly went astray. For I envied the arrogant; I saw the prosperity of the wicked. They have an easy time until they die, and their bodies are well fed…When I tried to understand all this, it...
September 15, 2021 “‘Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked?’ This is the declaration of the Lord God. ‘Instead, don’t I take pleasure when he turns from his ways and lives?… For I take no pleasure in anyone’s death.’ This is the declaration of the...
September 8, 2021 “If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world and everything in it is mine.” – Psalm 50:12 Yesterday I drove up to Colorado Springs to pick up my grandfather. He was getting discharged from the hospital after having a stroke two...
September 1, 2021 “Therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and dearly loved, put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another if anyone has a grievance against another. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you are also to forgive. Above...
August 25, 2021 “A manifestation of the Spirit is given to each person for the common good.” – 1 Corinthians 12:7 This last weekend I participated in an old-fashioned barn raising. I am currently building a shop at my house so that I can have a place to...
August 18, 2021 “In the same way the Spirit also helps us in our weakness, because we do not know what to pray for as we should, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with inexpressible groanings. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit,...
August 11, 2021 “I am not praying that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.” – John 17:15-16 Have you ever heard the phrase, “in...
August 4, 2021 “He must increase, but I must decrease. The one who comes from above is above all. The one who is from the earth is earthly and speaks in earthly terms. The one who comes from heaven is above all.” – John 3:30-31 To celebrate our...
July 28, 2021 In the Tokyo Olympics this last week we saw one of our greatest American gymnasts leave the competition because of mental health issues. No matter how you feel about her decision, there is no question that this is a sad situation. There has been a lot...
July 14, 2021 “This is what the Lord says: The wise person should not boast in his wisdom; the strong should not boast in his strength; the wealthy should not boast in his wealth. But the one who boasts should boast in this: that he understands and knows me—...
July 7, 2021 “Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain fell, the rivers rose, and the winds blew and pounded that house. Yet it didn’t collapse, because its foundation...
June 30, 2021 “For I have often told you, and now say again with tears, that many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction; their god is their stomach; their glory is in their shame; and they are focused on earthly things.” – Philippians...
June 23, 2021 “For I will proclaim the Lord’s name. Declare the greatness of our God! The Rock—his work is perfect; all his ways are just. A faithful God, without bias, he is righteous and true.” – Deuteronomy 32:3-4 Last week we had our Vacation Bible School at...
June 16, 2021 “A gentle answer turns away anger, but a harsh word stirs up wrath. The tongue of the wise makes knowledge attractive, but the mouth of fools blurts out foolishness.” – Proverbs 15:1-2 Those in the world often criticize the Church for the way we seemingly...
June 9, 2021 “He replied, ‘I have been very zealous for the Lord God of Armies, but the Israelites have abandoned your covenant, torn down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are looking for me to take my life.’ Then...
May 26, 2021 “Patience is better than power, and controlling one’s emotions, than capturing a city.” – Proverbs 16:32 Has your desire to be right or your insistence on winning an argument ever cost you a relationship? Dumb question, right? If we were to recount the relationships in...