Tag: integrity

June 26, 2025

June 26th, 2025

Thursday – Letters

Reading – 2 Corinthians 3-4

Highlight Verse:

“The only letter of recommendation we need is you yourselves. Your lives are a letter written in our hearts; everyone can read it and recognize our good work among you.”
‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭3‬:‭2‬ ‭NLT‬‬

One of the advantages of getting older is you can see the kids you influenced grow up to be men and women following after Jesus. That’s important to someone like me who spent a long time in next generation ministry.

Casting Crowns phrased it, “I don’t care if they remember me, Only Jesus!”

When I’m long gone, I want my legacy to live on in the faith of those whose lives I’ve touched.

For some, we may have been just a single word of encouragement along their journey. For others, our words and/or actions may have brought them to that place of decision.

Which ever it is, if someone hears my name, I pray that would think of Jesus and how I pointed them to Him.

And long after my name is forgotten, may the spark of faith I help to ignite burn on in future generations.

In what ways are you influencing those around you toward faith in Jesus?
Who have you influenced already?
June 20, 2025

June 20th, 2025

Friday – Prophets

Reading – Jeremiah 7-9

Highlight Verse:

“But those who wish to boast should boast in this alone: that they truly know me and understand that I am the Lord who demonstrates unfailing love and who brings justice and righteousness to the earth, and that I delight in these things. I, the Lord, have spoken!”
‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭9‬:‭24‬ ‭NLT‬‬

You want some real bragging rights?

Get to know God!

Of course, the closer you are to God, the more likely you will know that the only thing you truly have to brag about is the fact that your sins have been wiped away.

Paul quoted this verse when he told the Corinthians about the things he had done, but the only thing worthy of boasting about was God. (2 Corinthians 10).

As for me (and most men), the art of the “one up” is second nature.

There’s always something that sounds more impressive that we can talk about.

But what’s more impressive than the love of God?

So, the next time I’m tempted to one up someone, I’ll try to remember to bring it back to Jesus.

Is one-upmanship part of your normal mode of operation?
How would you turn that into a situation to boast about God?
June 18, 2025

June 18th, 2025

Wednesday – History

Reading – 1 Samuel 9-10

Highlight Verse:

“Saul replied, “But I’m only from the tribe of Benjamin, the smallest tribe in Israel, and my family is the least important of all the families of that tribe! Why are you talking like this to me?””
‭‭1 Samuel‬ ‭9‬:‭21‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Sound familiar?

If you’ve read Judges, it should.

Gideon said almost the same thing; except he was from the tribe of Manasseh.

Was it false humility?

I think it was more like fear.

For Gideon it was likely fear of failure.

But here in this chapter, I get the feeling Saul had a fear of responsibility and the inconveniences that came with it.

Saul had a pretty comfy life.

His father was wealthy.

He was well known and had friends all over Israel.

But if He was king, he couldn’t just do what he wanted when he wanted.

We know from history that he took on that responsibility and took it seriously.

Still, he always carried a selfish attitude.

He carried out his kingship caring more about his position and prestige than the well-being of His people.

He did protect Israel from the Philistines with the help of David.

But then He got jealous and drove away that man of God.

Eventually, God corrected Saul’s errors by bringing David into power.

There are times in our lives when God calls us to do more than we think we can do.

When we fully trust God in those times, there’s no limit to what He can do through us.

What do you think it would have been like if Saul had been as faithful as David?
In what areas is God calling you to be strong and courageous?
June 17, 2025

June 17th, 2025

Tuesday – Pentateuch

Reading – Genesis 39-40

Highlight Verse:

“The Lord was with Joseph, so he succeeded in everything he did as he served in the home of his Egyptian master.”
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭39‬:‭2‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Did you ever notice that God is credited with Joseph’s success. Three times in chapter 39, the phrase “the Lord was with Joseph” occurs.

That’s not to say that Joseph wasn’t a good man.

He was.

But the reason for his success was His relationship with God and to fulfill the plans He had for him.

God didn’t reward him with success. He blessed him with success.

His integrity was a result of His relationship with God, not the basis for the relationship.

Our success in the eyes of God does not depend on how good we are or how diligently we work. It is a matter of relationship with God.

Do you trust God to bless you with success?
In what ways is God blessing you with success? Are you willing to let Him use you to make a difference?
May 29, 2025

May 29th, 2025

Thursday – Letters

Reading – 1 Corinthians 11-12

Highlight Verses:

“Now, dear brothers and sisters, regarding your question about the special abilities the Spirit gives us. I don’t want you to misunderstand this. You know that when you were still pagans, you were led astray and swept along in worshiping speechless idols.”
‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭12‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I’m not sure why this is such controversial chapter.

Perhaps it is because we tend to focus on only parts of the chapter.

Dispensationalists tend to focus on these first two verses and a verse in the next chapter. They say the gifts are no longer needed and only lead people astray.

Pentecostals tend to focus on the gifts themselves. In my experience (as a long time Pentecostal) people can sometimes confuse emotions with spiritual gifts. That is an excellent reason to get to know the Bible well, because God will never contradict the Bible with a spiritual gift.

If you look at the whole chapter, the main point is how all the parts of the body of Christ work together. The gifts of the Spirit are the different functions of those parts that work together to make for a whole and healthy body.

We are still the functioning body of Christ so, yes, the gifts of the Spirit are still valid for today.

We do well to practice them as parts of the body of Christ.

Have you had difficulty making yourself available to the Holy Spirit to practice the gifts of the Spirit?
Have you ever found yourself so focused on the gifts of the Spirit that you lost sight of their place in the Body of Christ?
May 25, 2025

May 25th, 2025

Sunday – Poetry

Reading – Psalms 62-65

Highlight Verse:

“My victory and honor come from God alone. He is my refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach me.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭62‬:‭7‬ ‭NLT‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

David was a poet.

David was a King.

But here, in this Psalm, David was a warrior.

His battles were fought for the Lord alone.

He accepted honor from God alone.

Yet we do well to honor him still as he laid the groundwork for our Messiah to come and bring us spiritual freedom.

This weekend we honor those who gave their lives for us in the US military.

Many, if not most fought for God.

All fought to win and maintain our freedom.

We do well to honor them!

As you enjoy the weekend with your family, traveling or relaxing at home, take some time to honor those who gave everything that we may be a free nation under God.

If there is someone you know of that gave their life in military service for our country, feel free to name them here.

I’ll start with Staff Sargent Howell Thompson, USMC, my great uncle (Grandma Clarey’s brother). Lost over the Bermuda Triangle on December 5, 1945 along with 26 other Marines and Navy airmen.
May 21, 2025

May 21st, 2025

Wednesday – History

Reading – 1 Samuel 1-2

Highlight Verses:

“As she was praying to the Lord, Eli watched her. Seeing her lips moving but hearing no sound, he thought she had been drinking.”
‭‭1 Samuel‬ ‭1‬:‭12‬-‭13‬ ‭NLT‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

I’ve never been mistaken as being drunk (that I know of). But I’ve been misunderstood.

I’ve been friend-zoned by someone who I never thought of as anything more than a friend.

I’ve had people think I was angry when I was just concerned.

And I’ve misunderstood others, sometimes to embarrassing lengths.

Never as bad as this…

During World War II, when the Japanese ambassador was asked if they would surrender, he replied with a word that basically meant, “no comment – pending discussion”. It was mistranslated, “we are treating your message with contempt.” At that, President Truman assumed the only way to change their minds was to drop atomic bombs.

I pray I never get involved in such a bad misunderstanding.

Eli and Hannah’s misunderstanding was minor in comparison.

And they showed us how to deal with misunderstandings.

Hannah respectfully presented the truth, and Eli was open to hearing it.

Sounds like a good example to follow.

What’s the worst misunderstanding one have been involved in?
How was it resolved?
May 14, 2025

May 14th, 2025

Wednesday – History

Reading – Ruth 3-4

Highlight Verse:

“After Boaz had finished eating and drinking and was in good spirits, he lay down at the far end of the pile of grain and went to sleep. Then Ruth came quietly, uncovered his feet, and lay down.”
‭‭Ruth‬ ‭3‬:‭7‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Why on earth would Ruth uncover Boaz’s feet?

It seems like such a strange gesture.

Some have even suggested that she was coming on to him sexually.

I believe his response proves them wrong.

I did a little research (thanks to EnduringWord dot com) and found that in this gesture, she was making herself available to be his servant.

That is supported by her words proclaiming herself his servant.

There are many other subtleties in this chapter that I don’t have time to go into.

Suffice it to say that Ruth shows a great example of humility here while Boaz responds with great integrity and respect.

How can we show humility in our relationships?
How about integrity and respect?
May 7, 2025

May 7th, 2025

Wednesday – History

Reading – Ruth 1-2

Highlight Verse:

“May the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge, reward you fully for what you have done.””
‭‭Ruth‬ ‭2‬:‭12‬ ‭NLT‬‬

We are saved by grace alone, not by works.

The idea of karma and “What goes around comes around” is misleading.

But let’s be honest, the good things we do often have good results.

Thankfulness to and love for God are far better reasons to do good.

But I don’t think it’s harmful to believe that when we are faithful, generous, and diligent, we are likely to reap some reward for that here on earth.

The reward may only be the satisfaction of knowing you did well.

Then again, sometimes we see a more tangible reward. Promotions, raises, respect, and even gifts are often rewarded to those who are faithful, generous, and diligent.

Ruth is a prime example of blessings received from faithfulness.

Those blessings should not be expected but they can be appreciated and gracefully accepted like in Ruth’s story.

Have you seen blessings as a result of faithfulness, generosity, or diligence?
How did you handle it?
April 2, 2025

April 2nd, 2025

Wednesday – History

Reading – Judges 10-11

Highlight Verses:

“After Abimelech died, Tola son of Puah, son of Dodo, was the next person to rescue Israel. He was from the tribe of Issachar but lived in the town of Shamir in the hill country of Ephraim. He judged Israel for twenty-three years. When he died, he was buried in Shamir.”
‭‭Judges‬ ‭10‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Tola had all of 2 verses in the Bible. According to those verses, he did three things:

He rescued Israel.
He judged Israel for twenty-three years.
And he died.

But here is what is implied in verse 6.

During the entire 45 years that Tola and his successor Jair judged Israel, they kept the people of Israel from wandering into evil.

That’s no small fete.

Frankly, that could be considered a greater accomplishment than all the heroic actions of the other judges combined.

Personally, I would much rather be known for a lifetime of faithfulness that a moment of heroic triumph.

Who is your favorite Judge from the Bible so far?
Why?

Tag: integrity

When I’m long gone, I want my legacy to live on in the faith of those whose lives I’ve touched.

For some, we may have been just a single word of encouragement along their journey. For others, our words and/or actions may have brought them to that place of decision.

And long after my name is forgotten, may the spark of faith I help to ignite burn on in future generations.

You want some real bragging rights?

As for me (and most men), the art of the “one up” is second nature.

But what’s more impressive than the love of God?

Was it false humility?

He carried out his kingship caring more about his position and prestige than the well-being of His people.

When we fully trust God in those times, there’s no limit to what He can do through us.

Did you ever notice that God is credited with Joseph’s success. Three times in chapter 39, the phrase “the Lord was with Joseph” occurs.

God didn’t reward him with success. He blessed him with success.

Our success in the eyes of God does not depend on how good we are or how diligently we work. It is a matter of relationship with God.

Perhaps it is because we tend to focus on only parts of the chapter.

We do well to practice them as parts of the body of Christ.

But here, in this Psalm, David was a warrior.

We do well to honor them!

And I’ve misunderstood others, sometimes to embarrassing lengths.

Never as bad as this…

Hannah respectfully presented the truth, and Eli was open to hearing it.

Why on earth would Ruth uncover Boaz’s feet?

I believe his response proves them wrong.

Suffice it to say that Ruth shows a great example of humility here while Boaz responds with great integrity and respect.

But let’s be honest, the good things we do often have good results.

Thankfulness to and love for God are far better reasons to do good.

Those blessings should not be expected but they can be appreciated and gracefully accepted like in Ruth’s story.

He rescued Israel.He judged Israel for twenty-three years.And he died.

During the entire 45 years that Tola and his successor Jair judged Israel, they kept the people of Israel from wandering into evil.

Personally, I would much rather be known for a lifetime of faithfulness that a moment of heroic triumph.

He rescued Israel.
He judged Israel for twenty-three years.
And he died.