Tag: Bible

October 2, 2025

October 2nd, 2025

Thursday – Letters

Reading – Colossians 1-2

Highlight Verse:

“So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding.”
‭‭Colossians‬ ‭1‬:‭9‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Paul did not start the church at Colosse.

Despite that, he committed to praying for them.

It didn’t matter to him that it wasn’t his words that brought the Colossians to Jesus.

Nor did he feel the need to take over the church.

Instead, he offered prayers and sound doctrine in the form of this letter.

Far too often, pride can get in the way of ministry.

We have our way of doing things and feel like we need to intervene if something is done differently.

I’ve seen churches fall apart when a Pastor retires, passes, or is removed.

A healthy church is one in which the majority of the work is done by the congregation under the guidance of a Pastor and council who encourage participation without an iron fist of control.

How healthy is your church?
What can you do to encourage healthy growth in your church?
October 1, 2025

September 30th, 2025

Wednesday – History

Reading – 2 Samuel 9-10

Highlight verse:

“When all the kings allied with Hadadezer saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they surrendered to Israel and became their subjects. After that, the Arameans were afraid to help the Ammonites.”
‭‭2 Samuel‬ ‭10‬:‭19‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I am in Texas this week and today’s reading reminded me of the saying “Don’t mess with Texas.”

In this case, it should be “Don’t mess with Israel.”

At least that could be said during David’s time as King.

Tens of thousands of soldiers died at the hands of David’s troops.

That may sound harsh, but how many would have died if the wars had continued?

Because of the sound defeat, Israel’s enemies and their allies were no longer willing to go to battle against Israel.

That’s a good thing.

I don’t want to get political, and I know warfare today is very different, but I think there is something to be said for being so strong that no one would want to fight you.

Let’s take that on a spiritual level and be so strong that the devil would rather run from us than face us head on.

As for me, I’m far from perfect, but I know where my strength comes from, and I trust that God’s got my back.

Do you fear the devil and his demons, or do you dare him to even try?
How have you successfully defeated the powers of darkness in the past?
How do you prepare for battle now?
September 30, 2025

September 30th, 2025

Tuesday – Pentateuch

Reading – Exodus 13-14

Highlight Verse:

“When the people of Israel saw the mighty power that the Lord had unleashed against the Egyptians, they were filled with awe before him. They put their faith in the Lord and in his servant Moses.”
‭‭Exodus‬ ‭14‬:‭31‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Why did God unleash the plagues on Egypt?

Sure, it can be said that it was to punish the Egyptians for enslaving the Israelites.

But this verse points to a deeper meaning. He wanted to woo His people to Him.

It was an act of love.

I’m here in Texas today because I love my oldest daughter and want the best for her.

There’s nothing (legal) I wouldn’t do bring her into a relationship with Jesus. That is a big part of why I am here.

God loved all his people over all time so much that he took radical steps to woo us.

We would do well to help God in this effort.

What else did God do woo His people?
What can we do to help?
September 29, 2025

September 28th, 2025

Monday – Gospels

Reading – Matthew 11

Highlight Verse:

“Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭11‬:‭28‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Quite frankly, this verse jumped out at me because I’m tired.

I’m posting this live because it’s already after midnight. That’s Central Time and I started in Mountain time so it’s not quite as bad.

But that also means I’ve been traveling all day.

I’m helping my oldest daughter and her husband move to Texas from Colorado. It’s a long slow drive with a big moving van and we’ve only made it a third of the way across Texas (after crossing Colorado and a corner of New Mexico).

But I know I’m doing the right thing, and I know I will get good sleep tonight as I rest in the care of Jesus.

Tomorrow will bring fresh adventures as I help them get a fresh start.

No matter how busy or exhausting your lives get, remember to rest in the arms of Jesus and

He will not fail to renew your strength.

When have you needed rest the most?
What has been the best rest that you have received?
September 28, 2025

September 28th, 2025

Sunday – Poetry

Reading – Psalms 116-118

Highlight Verse:

“The Lord cares deeply when his loved ones die.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭116‬:‭15‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Anyone who thinks that God is an impersonal force – read this verse (and others like it).

An impersonal force cannot care.

God does. Deeply!

The one time in the Bible we see Jesus weep is when His friend Lazarus died.

True, He raised Lazarus from the dead moments later, but the situation moved Him emotionally.

The death of a believer is also temporary. But God is moved every time someone passes from this life.

I believe that applies to unbelievers doubly. When someone who has not accepted Jesus’ sacrifice passes from this life, he or she has missed the opportunity to enter heaven.

God created everyone and knows each person well.

It saddens Him when one of His creations chooses not to accept His invitation to a relationship.

It is with tears that God allows people to reject Him and eternal life in His Home.

It brings God pleasure when we help bring people to a place where they can accept the Holy Spirit’s invitation to a relationship with God.

If you were miraculously given the ability to comfort God when someone died, what would you say?
When you lose someone you love, what would you want people to say to you?
September 27, 2025

September 27th, 2025

Saturday – Open Topic

Reading – Proverbs 3

Highlight Verse:

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭3‬:‭5‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I was recently driving in my work van with the adaptive cruise control on.

I love how it adjusts my speed to the traffic ahead of me and still keeps me from going too fast when traffic opens up.

I’m impressed with the practical science that has advanced to the point that it will maintain the distance I set even in stop and go traffic.

But I always cancel it before traffic gets very slow.

Why?

I believe in the science and technology that went into making that system work.

But deep down, I don’t trust it.

In one of those moments of tapping the brake to take it out of cruise, truth hit me.

It’s so easy to believe that truth – that God is in control, and He has good plans for my life.

But how many times have I tapped the brake and taken control.

I’ve done it so often I couldn’t even tell you.

Like tapping out of cruise control, it’s natural to want control when God takes you into risky places.

We crave safety.

But the rewards lie at the end of the risky road.

I still don’t advocate letting our fancy new cars take total control.

But I want to keep my eyes open for times when Jesus wants to take the wheel.

When I get past my fear, I might just enjoy the ride.

When have you hit the brakes on God’s risky plans for your life?
What rewards have you seen from giving Him control even in the risky parts of your life?
September 26, 2025

September 26th, 2025

Friday – Prophets

Reading – Jeremiah 48-50

Highlight Verse:

““In those coming days,” says the Lord, “the people of Israel will return home together with the people of Judah. They will come weeping and seeking the Lord their God.”
‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭50‬:‭4‬ ‭NLT‬‬

My daughter’s high school just had their “Homecoming” game and dance.

I put the homecoming in quotes because the previous week was a home game, so it wasn’t technically a “homecoming.”

When I lived in the south, they wouldn’t have dreamed of labeling a game “homecoming” if it was just a random game. It was a die-hard tradition of fall to celebrate the first home football game after the first away game or series of games.

Another tradition in the south was homecoming weekends at church.

They invited everyone who had every attended an older church to a weekend of celebration.

The hope (at least in the more passionate churches) was that the weekend would turn into a revival drawing back people who had walked away from Jesus.

You could say that tradition goes all the way back to today’s verse, when the people of Israel returned to God.

It took 70 years for the people of Israel to return to God. But they came back.

It wasn’t too late for them.

It isn’t too late for you and me.

We can turn a homecoming into a revival.

Do you feel at home with Jesus?
What does coming home to Jesus look like to you?
Are you ready for a revival?
September 25, 2025

September 25th, 2025

Thursday – Letters

Reading – Philippians 3-4

Highlight Verse:

“Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice!”
‭‭Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭4‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I love it when the Bible gives us commands like this.

Make no mistake, it is a command.

The Bible is not telling us how to feel; it is telling us what to DO!

Sometimes that’s a tough command to follow.

Rejoicing involves proclaiming the greatness of God and the goodness of life even when it doesn’t feel good.

It is Paul and Silas singing in the nasty painful jail.

It is giving thanks to God for your next meal even when you don’t know where it’s coming from.

And it’s even sharing your bounty when God has provided well.

Paul didn’t share this command lightly. He was in a Roman prison when he wrote this letter.

His time on Earth was nearing its end.

But he chose to rejoice anyway.

I believe he knew what he was talking about when he commanded us to rejoice.

I choose to rejoice too.

Have you ever rejoiced when things seemed to be at their worst?
How did you do it? What effect did the action of rejoicing have on your life?
September 24, 2025

September 24th, 2025

Wednesday – History

Reading – 2 Samuel 7-8

Highlight Verse:

“Then King David went in and sat before the Lord and prayed, “Who am I, O Sovereign Lord, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far?”
‭‭2 Samuel‬ ‭7‬:‭18‬ ‭NLT‬‬

David was just told that he was too violent to build the temple.

Maybe it was because of that violent reputation that Nathan delivered that message with the news that David’s family dynasty would continue.

David did not react with violence.

He reacted with humility.

He recognized that the true credit for his position went to God.

He knew God well enough to know that everything good in his life had its source in his Creator.

It’s easy to forget that.

We work hard to get where we are. We want to credit.

Like David, we need to know the true Author of our lives.

We owe our talents and skills, even the very breath we breathe to Him.

David had it right giving all the credit to God.

If we are honest, we must do the same.

Have you ever caught yourself patting your own back for your accomplishments?
How did that work out for you? (It never worked well for me).
September 23, 2025

September 23rd, 2025

Tuesday – Pentateuch

Reading – Exodus 12

Highlight Verse:

“But the blood on your doorposts will serve as a sign, marking the houses where you are staying. When I see the blood, I will pass over you. This plague of death will not touch you when I strike the land of Egypt.”
‭‭Exodus‬ ‭12‬:‭13‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I remember hearing these stories as a child and thinking how gross it must have been to have blood on your doorposts.

I look back now and realize that, even then, God was setting His plan for salvation in motion.

Just as the Israelites were spared the plague of the firstborn deaths by demonstrating their faith through the blood on their doorposts,

so we are granted eternal life when we accept the blood of Jesus.

Some would say that we must display our acceptance of that sacrifice through participating in communion.

The New Testament makes it plain that Jesus sacrifice must be accepted, but that is all.

As a result of accepting God’s new deal for us, we would certainly want to take communion, but that is not a prerequisite for salvation.

So, while this historical event foreshadows the new covenant, Jesus’ sacrifice completes it.

Have you ever felt like you had to complete the sacraments or meet other standards before you could get eternal life?
How has God’s gift of eternal life altered your view of sacraments and laws?

Tag: Bible

Paul did not start the church at Colosse.

Far too often, pride can get in the way of ministry.

In this case, it should be “Don’t mess with Israel.”

Let’s take that on a spiritual level and be so strong that the devil would rather run from us than face us head on.

As for me, I’m far from perfect, but I know where my strength comes from, and I trust that God’s got my back.

Why did God unleash the plagues on Egypt?

It was an act of love.

We would do well to help God in this effort.

Quite frankly, this verse jumped out at me because I’m tired.

But I know I’m doing the right thing, and I know I will get good sleep tonight as I rest in the care of Jesus.

He will not fail to renew your strength.

An impersonal force cannot care.

God does. Deeply!

God created everyone and knows each person well.

It brings God pleasure when we help bring people to a place where they can accept the Holy Spirit’s invitation to a relationship with God.

But deep down, I don’t trust it.

But how many times have I tapped the brake and taken control.

But the rewards lie at the end of the risky road.

Another tradition in the south was homecoming weekends at church.

It wasn’t too late for them.

We can turn a homecoming into a revival.

Make no mistake, it is a command.

The Bible is not telling us how to feel; it is telling us what to DO!

I choose to rejoice too.

David was just told that he was too violent to build the temple.

He reacted with humility.

He knew God well enough to know that everything good in his life had its source in his Creator.

If we are honest, we must do the same.

I remember hearing these stories as a child and thinking how gross it must have been to have blood on your doorposts.

so we are granted eternal life when we accept the blood of Jesus.

So, while this historical event foreshadows the new covenant, Jesus’ sacrifice completes it.