Tag: New beginnings

December 6, 2025

December 6th, 2025

Saturday – Open Topic

Reading – Luke 1:26-38

Highlight Verses:

“You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David.”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭1‬:‭31‬-‭32‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Here’s where my Lutheran upbringing shows up.

While I’m not that well versed on the liturgical calendar anymore,

I’ve always had a favorite season – Advent.

Granted, when I was a kid growing up in the Lutheran church, I loved the season for the presents, the food, and the time off school.

As an adult, I’m just blown away at the incredible gift that God gave us by sending the Son as a baby to live among us, and to grow up to sacrifice himself that we might live.

As we transition from a season of thanks to a season of anticipation of the arrival of Jesus,

we would do well to thank God for the gift of His Son, our Savior.

It’s not a bad idea to enjoy the presents, food, and vacation time either.

What is the most amazing or interesting aspect of the Advent season for you?
How do you prepare yourself to celebrate the birth of Jesus?
November 20, 2025

November 20th, 2025

Thursday – Letters

Reading – 1 Timothy 3

Highlight Verse:

“These things I write to you, though I hope to come to you shortly; but if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.”
‭‭I Timothy‬ ‭3‬:‭14‬-‭15‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

A pillar moment

is a time when God moved in such a way that the people came away encouraged, empowered, and anointed. In the Old Testament, God had the people erect pillars so they could look and remember the great ways that God changed them.

This word stood out to me because we recently became involved in a new church plant named, you guessed it, Pillar Church.

The mission of our church is to be a place where those pillar moments happen every week.

Regardless of where we attend church, we should go anticipating the movement of God to change our lives.

When we are willing to accept the Holy Spirit’s involvement in our lives, we not only have those moments at church, but we bring them home. It is then that we get the joy of seeing God move in every part of our lives and the lives of those around us.

Whether that sounds wonderful and too radical, try it.

If you trust God, how bad could it be?

Are you challenged when you attend a church service?
Are you open to taking on those challenges and letting God change you?
October 17, 2025

October 17th, 2025

Friday – Prophets

Reading – Lamentations 2

Highlight Verse:

“All the strength of Israel vanishes beneath his fierce anger. The Lord has withdrawn his protection as the enemy attacks. He consumes the whole land of Israel like a raging fire.”
‭‭Lamentations‬ ‭2‬:‭3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Most of this chapter is Jeremiah lamenting what God does to Jerusalem and Judea.

Jeremiah seems to be adding up the bad things God has done against Israel, like God was personally responsible for it.

What did God really do there?

He withdrew his hand of protection from the land.

And then Jeremiah writes about the terrible things God did.

Keep in mind that Jeremiah was a prophet.

As such, he could speak with the mouth of God. That is, God is speaking these things to and through him.

It is God’s broken heart that carries the pain of seeing Israel destroyed to the point of taking the blame upon Himself like a Father who failed to protect His children.

Only He didn’t fail. It was a painful part of His plan. Very painful, but it was still part of His plan of redemption.

As such, we get a glimpse of the heart of God, who was willing to go through the pain of being seen as hurting His children.

Lamentations are not just Jeremiah lamenting the fall of Jerusalem, it is God’s lament for Jerusalem’s fall.

Have you gone through times when it feels like God is attacking you?
Were you able to see the bigger picture of God’s hand on the plan for your life afterward?
October 14, 2025

October 14th, 2025

Tuesday – Pentateuch

Reading – Exodus 16

Highlight Verse:

“On the sixth day, they gathered twice as much as usual—four quarts for each person instead of two. Then all the leaders of the community came and asked Moses for an explanation.”
‭‭Exodus‬ ‭16‬:‭22‬ ‭NLT‬‬

At this point, the people of Israel had worked every day for their entire lives.

There was no Sabbath for them in Egypt.

But God called for their lives to be radically different.

In addition to trusting God to lead them through the wilderness, they had to trust God to provide for them through a day of rest every week.

To those of us with a 5-day work week, a day of rest seems normal.

To them it was a new concept.

While we are used to the concept of weekends, sometimes God calls us to step out in radical faith.

Just like God provided extra Manna on the sixth day,

God will provide for your needs when you step into His calling.

When God called me to go to Bible College, He provided the opportunity for me to start a business that provided my living expenses while giving me the flexibility to attend classes and assignments.

It was hard work, but God always provided.

Has God provided for you when He called you to step out in faith? Please share.
Is there something God has called you to do but you have hesitated because of fear of failure (financially or otherwise)? What would it take for you to follow His call?
October 13, 2025

October 13th, 2025

Monday – Gospels

Reading – Matthew 13

Highlight Verse:

“Then they scoffed, “He’s just the carpenter’s son, and we know Mary, his mother, and his brothers—James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭13‬:‭55‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The modern version of this could be complacent Christianity.

It’s easy to take Jesus for granted when the culture is saturated by churchy things.

Even in the Bible Belt, it is easy to relegate Jesus to a social activity on Sunday morning.

I once personally knew a healing evangelist who held revivals in the Southeast US and in India.

His meetings in the US might have 50 to a hundred people attend and a handful of healings. It was rare that unbelievers attended, much less found Jesus.

In India, thousands flocked to the meetings and hundred were healed and saved.

You might not agree with the tactics of a healing evangelist (I had a hard time dealing with his style), but you can’t deny how much more God moved in areas where Jesus wasn’t a household word.

While we strive for Christian values to be restored in America (a worthy cause), we should also strive for people to truly trust Jesus as a life changing savior, not just a cultural icon.

Our faith should lead to life changing commitment, not just cultural conformity.

If someone threatened your life unless you renounced Jesus, how would you react?
How can we help others move from cultural acceptance to trust in Jesus?
October 9, 2025

October 9th, 2025

Thursday – Letters

Reading – Colossians 3-4

Highlight Verse:

“Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.”
‭‭Colossians‬ ‭3‬:‭2‬ ‭NLT‬‬

That’s easier said then done.

God gave us a lot of good things on this earth.
• Family
• Friends
• Beauty
• Food
• Natural Wonders

There’s a lot for which we can be thankful – a lot that we get attached to.

I first heard it put into perspective by the late Keith Green.

He said that if this world with all its wonders took six days to create, and Jesus has been preparing heaven for us for 2000 years so far,

“Hey man, this is living in a garbage can compared to what’s going on up there.”

(Intro to I Can’t Wait to Get to Heaven – Keith Green).

So, the most amazing site we see here on earth will seem mundane compared to what we find in heaven!

Besides people, what is the most beautiful site you have ever seen?
What are you looking forward to the most in heaven?

For me, it would have to be a coastal sunset – I never get tired of them.
As for Heaven, being a curious person, I look forward to having questions answered, but I have a feeling that I will be so overwhelmed by the place that I won’t recall a single question.
October 8, 2025

October 8th, 2025

Wednesday – History

Reading – 2 Samuel 11-12

Highlight Verse:

“Then David confessed to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” Nathan replied, “Yes, but the Lord has forgiven you, and you won’t die for this sin.”
‭‭2 Samuel‬ ‭12‬:‭13‬ ‭NLT‬‬

This is one of the most painful passages in the Bible.

Here was the greatest king of Israel. One who led his people in righteousness and worship.

And he failed.

Big time.

In multiple ways.

God was gracious enough to send Nathan to call him out in a way that he would understand.

And he repented.

Big time.

And God forgave him.

Big time.

David had his problems.

We all do.

But God saw his heart and gave him the chance to repent and be restored.

He had a tough road to travel with multiple trials, but he repented, was restored, and came back to lead his people in righteousness again.

There are many people in the world today who have fallen into serious sin like David. Like with David, God gives each a chance to repent.

Some do.

If we let them, some of these people can still have a great positive impact on the world.

I’m sure, for me, it would depend on the individual case.

In David’s case, he cried out for a restored, clean heart. He got it.

Here’s where I’d like to hear your honest opinion.

Can you trust someone whom God has restored to impact your life?
How can you tell if they have the heart of God?
Where do you draw the line of trust with those who have failed morally?
September 9, 2025

September 9th, 2025

Tuesday – Pentateuch

Reading – Exodus 9

Highlight Verse:

“Then the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Take handfuls of soot from a brick kiln, and have Moses toss it into the air while Pharaoh watches.”
‭‭Exodus‬ ‭9‬:‭8‬ ‭NLT‬‬

First let’s get the “elephant in the room” out of the way (or is that cattle in the room).

Verse 6 says that all the Egyptians’ livestock died. In verse 19, Moses warns the Egyptians to protect their livestock.

What livestock? Didn’t it all die?

Two theories:
• The wording in Hebrew is not exact so “all” might not have meant all or the plagues could have happened in reverse order.
• Or (What I believe) there’s no mention of time, so the Egyptians could have replenished their herds in the time between the verses.

Elephants and cattle aside, let’s move on to today’s highlight verse.

Did you ever notice that God had Moses use a symbol of Pharaoh’s oppression of the Israelites to bring about a plague?

Pharaoh forced the Israelites to make bricks.

God used the ash from that process to spread the plague of boils.

You’d think that Pharaoh would see the connection and realize he should set the Hebrews free.

He didn’t (hence the hailstorm, etc.).

Sin leaves proverbial ashes, the fall out and by-product of our sin. Sometimes God will use that “ash” to bring us to a point of repentance.

If we are not living in a repentant relationship with God, when we open our eyes and see those ashes, we can repent and be spared any further ways God may use to get our attention.

I’m not saying that bad things don’t happen to good people. That’s another topic entirely.

I am saying God can use consequences of sin to bring people into relationship with Him.

How has God used the consequences of your sin to bring you to Him?
How did you react to those consequences?
August 28, 2025

August 28th, 2025

Thursday – Letters

Reading – Ephesians 1-2

Highlight Verse:

“God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.”
‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭1‬:‭5‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Did you know that you bring God pleasure?

I’ve written before about how I understood God’s love when my first child was born.

To sum it up, there is nothing I wouldn’t do to protect my children and there is nothing my children could do that would make me love them less.

There is one shortfall in that comparison to God’s love.

He chose us!

He made a great sacrifice, literally, to adopt us.

Our middle daughter was adopted by my wife and her late first husband.

They experienced great joy when they brought her home and a second wave of joy when the adoption was finalized.

Of course, we love all our children equally.

God loves the billions of His children equally.

But you and I have the power to bring pleasure to the God who created the universe.

All we have to do is accept adoption into God’s family.

I believe that continues beyond the day of adoption.

Every time with do what He has called us to do, we bring Him pleasure.

What has God called you to do while you are here on Earth?
What do you think of the fact that you give God pleasure?
August 17, 2025

August 17th, 2025

Sunday – Poetry

Reading – Psalms 99-102

Highlight Verse:

“For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭100‬:‭5‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I’ve been noticing several posts in social media claiming that Gen-Z is coming back to God in droves.

I checked the research to see if that was true.

According to Google, most research shows that the decline in number of Christians in America has stalled.

As the research is normally out of date by the time it is published, it is quite possible that the downward trend has reversed.

Having been in next generation ministry for a long time, I can tell you the recent trends in our area.

There was a great decrease in church attendance among youth during and just after the pandemic.

Now that trend has reversed.

Our last big student event had record breaking attendance.

More importantly, most of our students are serious about learning more about Jesus, salvation, and how to live the best life.

Why?

Honestly, I see much of the interest lately being driven by celebrities who have turned to Jesus. People like Jelly Roll, Justin Bieber, Kanye West, and Chris Pratt being bold with their faith have inspired many.

Add to that the fact that a large number of Christian influencers have become very popular on Tik Tok and other social media outlets.

Young people want to know what this Jesus is all about.

As in today’s highlight verse, God is continuing His faithfulness to this generation and they are responding!

Now is an amazing time to reach out to the next generation with the Gospel.

I firmly believe we need to take every advantage of this time to share the Gospel.

What first drew you to Jesus?
What are you doing to make that happen for the next generation?

Tag: New beginnings

I’ve always had a favorite season – Advent.

we would do well to thank God for the gift of His Son, our Savior.

A pillar moment

Regardless of where we attend church, we should go anticipating the movement of God to change our lives.

Whether that sounds wonderful and too radical, try it.

Most of this chapter is Jeremiah lamenting what God does to Jerusalem and Judea.

What did God really do there?

As such, we get a glimpse of the heart of God, who was willing to go through the pain of being seen as hurting His children.

But God called for their lives to be radically different.

While we are used to the concept of weekends, sometimes God calls us to step out in radical faith.

God will provide for your needs when you step into His calling.

The modern version of this could be complacent Christianity.

It’s easy to take Jesus for granted when the culture is saturated by churchy things.

Our faith should lead to life changing commitment, not just cultural conformity.

That’s easier said then done.

There’s a lot for which we can be thankful – a lot that we get attached to.

“Hey man, this is living in a garbage can compared to what’s going on up there.”

And he failed.

And he repented.

In David’s case, he cried out for a restored, clean heart. He got it.

Elephants and cattle aside, let’s move on to today’s highlight verse.

God used the ash from that process to spread the plague of boils.

I am saying God can use consequences of sin to bring people into relationship with Him.

Did you know that you bring God pleasure?

He chose us!

All we have to do is accept adoption into God’s family.

Every time with do what He has called us to do, we bring Him pleasure.

Now that trend has reversed.

Young people want to know what this Jesus is all about.

Now is an amazing time to reach out to the next generation with the Gospel.