Tag: community

December 21, 2023

December 21st, 2023

Thursday – Letters

Reading – 2 Timothy 1-2

Highlight Verse:

“This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you.”
‭‭2 Timothy‬ ‭1‬:‭6‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Paul gives us a good definition of a mentor in this simple verse –

One who fans into flames the spiritual gifts of another.

Or at least reminds them to fan those gifts into flame.

Either way, Paul helped Timothy identify the gifts God gave him. He encouraged Timothy to exercise those gifts. He gave Timothy specific instructions on how to put the gifts into practice. And he gave Timothy opportunities to practice those gifts.

That sounds like a pretty good mentor to me.

You might say, “I’m no Paul. I can’t do those things.”

To that I would say, every follower of Jesus should have a mentor and be a mentor.

We need to be open to the leading of one who has gone before us or beside us and we need to bring others along too.

There’s always someone who can encourage you in your walk with Jesus.

And there’s always someone whom you can encourage.

Have you had a mentor? How have they helped you?
Have you been a mentor? What was/is that experience like for you?
December 7, 2023

December 7th, 2023

Thursday – Letters

Reading – 1 Timothy 5

Highlight Verse:

“If a woman who is a believer has relatives who are widows, she must take care of them and not put the responsibility on the church. Then the church can care for the widows who are truly alone.”
‭‭1 Timothy‬ ‭5‬:‭16‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Let’s get the elephant in the room out of the way right up front. I believe that, if you take this verse in context and apply it within today’s culture, then it applies to both men and women.

If you believe otherwise, I have no problem with you holding an opposing opinion.

Let’s not let that get in the way of the real point here. We should make sure our elderly parents are taken care of.

Depending on where you live, income and assets, and their needs, what that means for each person can vary greatly.

Reading on, we find that, in that culture, the Church met the needs of widows.

Again, this is open to interpretation.

But, I think we can agree that the church should play some part in providing for those in need. In todays culture, this could be as simple as donating to a food bank or a shelter.

Generosity and social responsibility are principals which should be valued by both the local church and churchgoer. It should not be left entirely to government to take care of.

What is your take on this verse?
Should it be the adult children who bear the responsibility for elderly relatives?
What should our roles be toward caring for the needy?
November 8, 2023

November 8th, 2023

Wednesday – History

Reading – 2 Samuel 19-20

Highlight Verse:

“Then Joab went to the king’s room and said to him, “We saved your life today and the lives of your sons, your daughters, and your wives and concubines. Yet you act like this, making us feel ashamed of ourselves.”
‭‭2 Samuel‬ ‭19‬:‭5‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I feel for David in this situation. He was already depressed since his son Absalom had stolen his kingdom. He had hoped to regain his kingdom without Absalom dying, but Absalom was killed.

He mourned the loss of his son.

Too much.

His mourning demoralized his troops.

Joab wouldn’t stand for it.

We all need a Joab.

We need that friend who is bold enough to call us out if we are way out of line.

To David’s credit, he listened to Joab. He did what he needed to do to maintain his authority as King of Israel.

As much as we need that Joab, we also need to listen to that person,

honestly evaluate what they are saying, and take the appropriate action.

Do you have that person to correct you when you need it?
Do you listen to them?
November 4, 2023

November 4th, 2023

Saturday – Open Topic

Reading – Leviticus 19:23-37

Highlight Verse:

““Do not trim off the hair on your temples or trim your beards.”
‭‭Leviticus‬ ‭19‬:‭27‬ ‭NLT‬‬

It’s November again. Many men observe “No Shave November” to bring attention to men’s health issues or because they want an excuse to not shave.

If you’ve seen me personally, you know that I got a jump on November and quit shaving simply because I like the warmth of a beard in the winter.

If you read today’s passage, you find that growing a full beard was as virtuous as making sure your daughter doesn’t become a prostitute.

Whoa!

Why have I been shaving all these years?

Of course, that was one of a long list of rules, many of which still make sense today, but many were specifically aimed at keeping the people of Israel pure in the midst of an idolatrous regional culture.

Untrimmed beards were one of those rules that made more sense at the time. Men in the surrounding cultures would trim their beards in specific shapes to honor certain idols.

Beard trimming and shaving no longer has that cultural significance.

But, in the cold Colorado winters, the thicker the beard, the warmer the face.

What are some other Old Testament rules that no longer make sense in today’s culture?
What are there some rules you could come up with that might help keep a person on the right track today?
November 3, 2023

November 3rd, 2023

Friday – Prophets

Reading – Lamentations 4

Highlight Verse:

“Tenderhearted women have cooked their own children. They have eaten them to survive the siege.”
‭‭Lamentations‬ ‭4‬:‭10‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Sorry, but I just couldn’t get this verse out of my head.

How desperate do you have to get to eat your own children?

It’s unthinkable!

Apparently, food was not the only thing they lacked. They suffered from a very serious lack of conscience accompanied by a lack of parental protective instincts.

I wouldn’t want to survive if it came down to sacrificing children.

Not a chance!

Yet, Jeremiah points out that even the tenderhearted women did this unspeakable thing.

If our society dissolves to the point of accepting that, we have some serious problems.

And we do.

…Have serious problems, that is.

You may think I’m speaking of the serious lack of morality in our society.

What I am more concerned about is the way we combat that immorality and hatred since that’s what we can control.

When we confront it with hate, we fan the flames causing more people to reject God.

When we confront it with love and compassion,

we quench the flames

as we quench the deep longing for love that so many people have.

What can you specifically do to quench the flames of hatred and immorality in our society?
Do you have hope left for our society?
How do you express that hope?
October 30, 2023

October 30th, 2023

Monday – Gospels

Reading – Matthew 17-18

Highlight Verse:

“Then he said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭18‬:‭3‬-‭4‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Once again, Jesus turns His disciples’ notions on their heads.

They were looking for evaluation of their merits to see who the best was. Jesus threw their merit system out the window.

It makes sense too. Think about it. Jesus is the Son of God, one with the Father, the Creator. He came from a position of supreme greatness to that of a little baby in a poor Israeli family. He was familiar with humility.

Humility doesn’t come naturally, at least not to me.

I remember a science fair in high school. I ran into some people checking out some of the displays. I bragged about mine to them. I won second place. Later I found out from my teacher that I would have won first place if I had not bragged to the judges. Oops.

We compete, we excel, and we thrive on the accolades. It comes naturally.

But it seems that life works out better when we approach it with humility.

That’s greatness.

Jesus gave us the ultimate example of that.

So, the way we can be most like Jesus is to be humble.

Do you struggle with humility (like me)?
What ways have you found to remind yourself to act in humility?
October 29, 2023

October 29th, 2023

Sunday – Poetry

Reading – Psalms 134-136

Highlight Verse:

“Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and praise the Lord.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭134‬:‭2‬ ‭NIV

I often listen to the Bible. YouVersion has an excellent narrator for the NLT. But when I listen to the Psalms that way, it’s easy to forget that these were songs.

When I read Psalm 134 from my old leather-bound Bible, a song immediately leapt into my mind.

A couple of days ago, I mentioned working at a Christian conference center. I went on to full time staff there for a couple of years and one of the groups that came back every year was Jews for Jesus.

Those guys could sing!

And dance!

Psalms were not a calm poetic reading to them. This Psalm was a vibrant, lively praise song! You could dance to it. It was fun and full of praise.

These Psalms were sung as the people of Israel travelled to Jerusalem for festivals. They weren’t just a way to remind people of the greatness and history of God. They were a celebration of all that God had done for them.

So, as you read these, think of the liveliest praise song you know and double the amount of joy and celebration from it, and you might come close to what the Israelites experienced with these.

Do you celebrate the greatness of God through music?
Have you ever experienced the joy of a Messianic Jewish celebration?
October 26, 2023

October 26th, 2023

Thursday – Letters

Reading – 1 Thessalonians 3-5

Highlight Verses:

“Finally, when we could stand it no longer, we decided to stay alone in Athens, and we sent Timothy to visit you. He is our brother and God’s co-worker in proclaiming the Good News of Christ. We sent him to strengthen you, to encourage you in your faith,”
‭‭1 Thessalonians‬ ‭3‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I love how Paul and his associates care enough to follow up with the people whose lives their ministry has affected.

The Thessalonians were going through some pretty serious persecution.

Paul was concerned.

He turned that concern into action by sending his apprentice Timothy to check on them and encourage them.

How well do we do at follow up?

Speaking for myself, not very well.

I have a tough time remembering to contact the people I am supposed to be leading.

I let life get in the way and procrastinate far too much.

That’s not to say that I don’t follow up at all. But certainly not enough.

What people do you affect through your ministry, be it professional or informal?
Do you follow up and express care to those you affect for Christ?
September 27, 2023

September 27th, 2023

Wednesday – History

Reading – 2 Samuel 17-18

Highlight Verse:

“And now, may it please you to bless the house of your servant, so that it may continue forever before you. For you have spoken, and when you grant a blessing to your servant, O Sovereign Lord, it is an eternal blessing!””
‭‭2 Samuel‬ ‭7‬:‭29‬ ‭NLT‬‬

In my life, I have only ever once walked out of a church in disgust.

Sure, I’ve visited some that I was less than impressed with. I’ve even politely debated theology with some pastors. But this one I was so disgusted with that I stood up and walked out in the middle of the sermon.

The preacher was showing off his Rolex and fancy rings, bragging about his Porsche while telling us that God wants to bless us all with wealth. I didn’t stick around to hear the “give and thou shalt receive” bomb drop.

That is not what this verse is about.

Yes, God will bless us for giving and He will always provide for his kids (us).

But that preacher took it to a disgustingly selfish level.

David was far more humble about it.

God had spoken through Nathan the prophet about how God was going to bless David and his dependents. David’s response that culminated in this verse was basically, “I’m not worthy but if you say so – bring it on. And, thanks!”

I’d love to be blessed financially. Truth is – I am. We’re certainly not “American wealthy” but compared to most of the world, we’ve got it made. We have food on the table, roof over our heads, reliable paid-for vehicles and far more “toys” than we need.

My bold prayer like David’s is that my sphere of influence would be increased

and that I would accurately and lovingly share more of God’s words and wisdom to more and more people.

If you are boldly asking God for blessings, what forms do you see those blessings take?
Do you make it a habit to pray for blessings for you and your family.
September 18, 2023

September 18th, 2023

Monday – Gospels

Reading – Matthew 10

Highlight Verse:

“If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭10‬:‭39‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I remember this verse being spoken about during a young adult camp message series entitled “The Upside-Down Gospel.”

While that was nearly 40 years ago, the message still rings true.

The good news of Jesus is radically different from what the world would teach us.

“Look out for number one.”
“God helps those who help themselves.”
“Name it and claim it.”

All those work on the surface. Some people have applied the last one to living a life of faith.

The problem is, they are all focused on self when Jesus calls us to focus on others. The irony is in the fact that when we focus on others, our own lives become far richer and satisfying than if we were self-focused.

Living for Jesus is all upside-down and inside-out. And I can’t imagine it any other way.

Does it go against the grain for you to be focused on others rather than yourself?
Do you have stories of when you focused on others, and it became a huge blessing to you?
Would you share those stories to encourage others here?

Tag: community

One who fans into flames the spiritual gifts of another.

To that I would say, every follower of Jesus should have a mentor and be a mentor.

But, I think we can agree that the church should play some part in providing for those in need. In todays culture, this could be as simple as donating to a food bank or a shelter.

We all need a Joab.

As much as we need that Joab, we also need to listen to that person,

Why have I been shaving all these years?

Beard trimming and shaving no longer has that cultural significance.

It’s unthinkable!

we quench the flames

Once again, Jesus turns His disciples’ notions on their heads.

Humility doesn’t come naturally, at least not to me.

But it seems that life works out better when we approach it with humility.

When I read Psalm 134 from my old leather-bound Bible, a song immediately leapt into my mind.

So, as you read these, think of the liveliest praise song you know and double the amount of joy and celebration from it, and you might come close to what the Israelites experienced with these.

Paul was concerned.

How well do we do at follow up?

In my life, I have only ever once walked out of a church in disgust.

My bold prayer like David’s is that my sphere of influence would be increased

The good news of Jesus is radically different from what the world would teach us.

Living for Jesus is all upside-down and inside-out. And I can’t imagine it any other way.