July 30, 2025 “And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” – Romans 5:5 Last Friday my wife and I celebrated our 27th wedding anniversary. Our marriage is richer and deeper...
July 23, 2025 “This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light, and there is absolutely no darkness in him.” – 1 John 1:5 Sometimes I have difficulty telling people the really hard truths. I don’t like to say the things people don’t want...
July 16, 2025 “Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:6-7 I need to listen to my own prayers for...
July 8, 2025 “We are punished justly, because we’re getting back what we deserve for the things we did, but this man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” – Luke 23:41-42 In the last several days I have had the privilege...
July 2, 2025 “You, therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. What you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, commit to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” – 2 Timothy 2:1-2 This past Sunday we had our...
June 25, 2025 “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 Today we are right in the middle of our...
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not my ways.” This is the Lord’s declaration. “For as heaven is higher than earth, so my ways are higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” – Isaiah 55:8-9 There are certain characteristics of God that humans can...
June 11, 2025 “Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand or marked off the heavens with the span of his hand? Who has gathered the dust of the earth in a measure or weighed the mountains on a balance and the hills on the scales?” – Isaiah...
June 4, 2025 “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your cares on him, because he cares about you.” – 1 Peter 5:6-7 Most of us probably get humility wrong. We either think of ourselves much...
May 28, 2025 “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” – Romans 15:13 Hope is what makes life worth living. When someone loses their will to live,...
“I wait for the Lord; I wait and put my hope in his word.” – Psalm 130:5 Could you imagine taking off walking through town with your toddler, expecting them to keep up? You tell them, “C’mon, just walk. Everybody does it. Surely it can’t be that hard!” Or tossing...
May 14, 2025 “When the days were coming to a close for him to be taken up, he determined[ to journey to Jerusalem.” – Luke 9:51 My 5th grade daughter is playing volleyball for the YMCA league right now. She absolutely loves it and is becoming a very good volleyball player. There is only...
May 7, 2025 “Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” – Matthew 11:28 My grandparents, two of the people I look up to most in my life, are both in their 90’s and their health is declining quickly. This breaks...
“Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light on my path.” – Psalm 119:105 If you were to ask me to make a list of the things that have made the greatest impact on my life, close to the top of that list would be the words...
“From the rising of the sun to its setting, let the name of the Lord be praised.” – Psalm 113:3 This past Sunday was an incredibly exciting day! We began by setting up chairs outside in the dark preparing for a sunrise service. When that sunrise service began, we had around...
“On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came to the tomb, bringing the spices they had prepared. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb.” – Luke 24:1-2 This past Sunday I talked with a young couple that recently got engaged and, though it...
April 9, 2025 “You know when I sit down and when I stand up; you understand my thoughts from far away. You observe my travels and my rest; you are aware of all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue, you know all about it, Lord.” – Psalm 139:2-4...
April 1, 2025 “For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time for my departure is close. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” – 2 Timothy 4:6-7 I am sharing the devotion with you a day early...
“Because I, the Lord, have not changed, you descendants of Jacob have not been destroyed.” – Malachi 3:6 When we read through the stories of the Old Testament, or even the New Testament, it can be hard to relate. Those people lived in such an incredibly different time and place than...
“There’s a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish—but what are they for so many?” – John 6:9 There is a wonderful story in John chapter 6 where Jesus decides to feed a large crowd that has come to hear him teach. As a test, he asks the...
March 12, 2025 “See! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.” – Revelation 3:20 There have been a few times in my life when someone pretty important has...
March 5, 2025 “Be careful to do as the Lord your God has commanded you; you are not to turn aside to the right or the left. Follow the whole instruction the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live, prosper, and have a long life in...
February 26, 2025 “Jonah got up to flee to Tarshish from the Lord’s presence. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. He paid the fare and went down into it to go with them to Tarshish from the Lord’s presence.” – Jonah 1:3 When I...
February 19, 2025 “Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually advanced the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard, and to everyone else, that my imprisonment is because I am in Christ.” – Philippians 1:12-13 One...
February 12, 2025 “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ: Though he was rich, for your sake he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich.” – 2 Corinthians 8:9 If someone were to give you an incredibly extravagant gift, it would probably be considered...
February 5, 2025 “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin. Therefore, let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy...
“I give thanks to my God for every remembrance of you, always praying with joy for all of you in my every prayer, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. I am sure of this, that he who started a good work in you...
“He then told them, ‘Watch out and be on guard against all greed, because one’s life is not in the abundance of his possessions.’” – Luke 12:15 In the “car guy” subculture where I spend a lot of my time, we have this strange thing we do; we somewhat define one...
“As a deer longs for flowing streams, so I long for you, God. I thirst for God, the living God. When can I come and appear before God?” – Psalm 42:1-2 In my late 20’s, I had graduated from college, gotten married, bought a house, had my first child, and started...
This is what the Lord says: Stand by the roadways and look. Ask about the ancient paths, “Which is the way to what is good?” Then take it and find rest for yourselves. But they protested, “We won’t!” – Jeremiah 6:16 Our world is obsessed with the “latest and greatest” ideas....
