Matthew 8:24 Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. Ever experience a “furious storm?” Maybe a whole season of “furious storms?” They’re the kind of storms so overwhelming you’re afraid your boat might sink. Wave after Continue Reading…
1 John 3:17 But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? I recently read a story once reported in the New York Times about a man preparing to complete his college degree. Continue Reading…
Luke 24:21 “But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel.” Easter is coming! We live in a world jam packed with fears and anxieties. So much tragic news bombards our airwaves that I think many folks are losing the capacity to even recognize good news. And Easter Continue Reading…
1 Corinthians 15:19 If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. As we watched our 7-month old grandson reach for his plastic toy, we could see he was making a herculean effort. Not yet able to crawl, he would push up Continue Reading…
Philippians 2:3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. God has designed us to connect with other people. He blesses us and asks us to pour out that blessing on others. A recently reported Harvard study on longevity shows relationships help us live longer Continue Reading…
Job 33:14 For God speaks in one way, and in two, though man does not perceive it. We recently drove to Nashville to visit our son and his family. Josiah works in music business, and one of the bands he helps manage was performing at the Ryman Auditorium. Since he had to work Continue Reading…
Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord…” At the recent NFL Honors banquet, Damar Hamlin, the Buffalo Bills football player who had a cardiac arrest during a nationally televised game on January 2, took the stage to a standing ovation. He said, “Sudden cardiac Continue Reading…
Romans 12:11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. The weather all week had been frigid, and Sunday morning was no exception. It was taking a while for the sanctuary in our church building to warm up. But when the music started, I stood Continue Reading…
Matthew 18:33 “And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?” Our culture seethes with the push to make people pay for wrongs done in the past. I love justice as much as the next person, but I think sometimes we can Continue Reading…
Ephesians 5:31-32 Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. Do you enjoy mysteries? How about profound mysteries? Profound mysteries involving love? Continue Reading…