Walk in the Light

November 4, 2025

November 4th, 2025

Tuesday – Pentateuch

Reading – Exodus 21-22

Highlight Verse:

“If he does this, his master must present him before God. Then his master must take him to the door or doorpost and publicly pierce his ear with an awl. After that, the slave will serve his master for life.”
‭‭Exodus‬ ‭21‬:‭6‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Let’s go straight to the elephant in the room – slavery was legal then.

The rules in this chapter and elsewhere didn’t make slavery right or okay in the eyes of God.

They did represent a huge step toward fairness.

While a slave was obligated to serve their master, men were given freedom in the seventh year.

After that, they were allowed to stay on to stay with their family.

Notice that it was the master who was to pierce the ear of the slave using an awl or large needle on the door post of the house.

That implies an obligation on the master’s part as well.

The slave was obligated to serve the master; the master was obligated to treat the slave fairly and to provide for their needs.

Again, it sounds barbaric by today’s standards but in those days, it gave the slave unprecedented rights.

I see two applications to this passage:
• First, employers and employees are obligated to serve and provide for each other.
• Second, we should always consider the context when we seek God’s intent for a passage.

How do you think employers should treat their employees?
Do you agree or disagree about the context and meaning of this passage? Explain please.
November 3, 2025

November 3rd, 2025

Monday – Gospels

Reading – Matthew 17-18

Highlight Verse:

“However, we don’t want to offend them, so go down to the lake and throw in a line. Open the mouth of the first fish you catch, and you will find a large silver coin. Take it and pay the tax for both of us.””
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭17‬:‭27‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Today I’m thankful for government.

I know many may point out the many flaws of our government. Both sides of the political spectrum find things to criticize about the government no matter what country you are in.

Keep in mind that almost every government in the world today is better than that which Judea and the time of Jesus lived under.

Judea was an oppressed nation within the Roman Empire. In some ways they were treated as slaves.

At the very least, they were considered second rate citizens of a conquered back-water region.

Even so, Jesus saw fit to pay taxes.

He and His disciples did not have voting rights.

Most of us reading this do.

In most of the US, tomorrow is Election Day. While it is an “off year” election with mostly local measures on the ballot,

I believe we should do our part and let our voice be heard.

I know this is a little stretch from today’s reading, but I believe it lines up with the Word of God and I also believe it is very important that believers speak up when it comes to public policies and laws.

How important is voting to you?
Do you think your attitudes toward paying taxes lines up with Jesus? (I struggle with that myself).
November 2, 2025

November 2nd, 2025

Sunday – Poetry

Reading – Psalms 134-136

Highlight Verses:

“Praise the Lord! Praise the name of the Lord! Praise him, you who serve the Lord, you who serve in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭135‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Today, I thank God for all those who make church happen, from the Pastor to the set-up crew and everyone in between.

I’ve served in and around churches long enough to know that it can be tough to serve and it can be tough to lead those who serve.

It can be very difficult to balance the demands of family responsibility and ministry.

I’ve seen families torn apart by overwhelming ministry responsibilities.

And I’ve seen other families thrive by working together with one purpose in ministry.

I cannot claim to have all the secrets to thriving as a family, but I know one thing from today’s passage.

God must be praised by what we sing and say and do.

Praise sung to God is precious and awesome.

Bringing God glory by what we say is equally as important.

What we do to bring God glory is what will be remembered by those who witness our lives.

And no one sees what we do more than our families.

Therefore, ignoring our families to spend all our time serving ministry is not bringing God praise.

That’s a tough lesson to learn and I pray we all learn it the easy way.

How have you found a good balance between ministry and family time?
How have you worked together as a family to do ministry?
November 1, 2025

November 1st, 2025

Saturday – Open Topic

Reading – Psalm 136

Highlight Verse:

“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭136‬:‭1‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Welcome to November!

As the month that we in the US celebrate Thanksgiving, many say it is a good time to give thanks for something every day of November.

I encourage you to post something to be thankful for each day on social media to encourage other to express their gratitude to God as well.

I’ll start it off:

I am grateful for my family. Aside from trick or treaters, it was a quiet evening at home. My wife is visiting her father for the weekend and our youngest was hanging out with friends. I saw our son a couple of times, but he tends to hang out in his room.

As a partial introvert, I don’t mind the quiet, but it also makes me appreciate having the family around.

I have been blessed with an amazing wife, four awesome children (now all officially adults) and so far, two sons-in-law.

The love that flows through this home is seen in the words and deeds of all those around me.

For that, I am very thankful to God.

What is the first thing you are thankful this month?
Please share so others may be encouraged to be thankful.
Friday – Prophets

October 31st, 2025

Reading – Lamentations 4

Highlight Verse:

“We looked in vain for our allies to come and save us, but we were looking to nations that could not help us.”
‭‭Lamentations‬ ‭4‬:‭17‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Years ago, I moved my mom from Illinois to here in the Denver area.

She didn’t have all that much stuff. It fit easily in a small rental moving truck. A few of her relatives helped us load it up.

I looked forward to the help from the several people who said to give them I a call when we back and they would help us.

When we got here, each helper backed out except one high school student.

We got her moved in, but it was a long frustrating day.

I don’t blame the people who couldn’t help. I will assume that each of their excuses were valid. No grudges here.

But it gave me a tiny taste of what the Israelites went through.

They put their trust in nations that had their own purposes in mind instead of the God whose purpose was to protect and prosper them.

How often do we do that?

We look for satisfaction to things that only demand more from us.

We give our devotion to ideas that make us feel good but offer no substance.

We ignore the creator of the universe because the lies of the destroyer feel better to us.

For the Israelites, it took the exile to come back to a place of devotion to God.

For many, it takes hitting rock bottom to turn to the rescuing arm of the Savior.

The wise course is to place your trust on the only one who is truly one hundred percent on your side.

On whom have you placed your trust?
What did it take to get you there?
October 30, 2025

October 30th, 2025

Thursday – Letters

Reading – 2 Thessalonians 1-3

Highlight Verse:

“Then the man of lawlessness will be revealed, but the Lord Jesus will slay him with the breath of his mouth and destroy him by the splendor of his coming.”
‭‭2 Thessalonians‬ ‭2‬:‭8‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Discussion of the end times brings anxiety to many, me included.

There is so much that is difficult to understand about end times prophecy.

So many different interpretations exist about those prophecies.

But for me, this verse sums up the most important thing I need to know about the end.

Jesus will be victorious.

In fact, all it will take for Him to beat the devil’s schemes is His breath and His presence.

I, for one, want to be on the winning team and I know for sure which side that is.

What is your greatest fear about the end times?
What are you looking forward to the most?
October 29, 2025

October 29th, 2025

Wednesday – History

Reading – 2 Samuel 17-18

Highlight Verse:

“During the battle, Absalom happened to come upon some of David’s men. He tried to escape on his mule, but as he rode beneath the thick branches of a great tree, his hair got caught in the tree. His mule kept going and left him dangling in the air.”
‭‭2 Samuel‬ ‭18‬:‭9‬ ‭NLT‬‬

If it weren’t for the macabre scene to follow, this verse would be hilarious.

When you take a look at the whole story, it borders on bizarre.

You can’t make this stuff up (more proof the Bible is real).

And that is what real life looks like.

Okay, hopefully you haven’t been royally betrayed by your son who proceeded to do all sorts of heinous things to spite you.

But humans are unpredictable, illogical and selfish.

You will be offended by what some people do or say.

You will be betrayed by others.

At times, you will react unwisely to what they do to you or what gets done to them.

Just ask David.

He had to deal with humanity in himself and those around him.

Sometimes he failed.

But he never failed to turn back to God.

When those around us start acting a little too “human,” or you do the same, remember that David always turned back to God.

He looked forward to the redemption that was to come through Jesus.

On this side of Jesus sacrifice it should be easy to trust the God who helps us survive our humanity.

What was your initial reaction to Absalom’s demise?
If you were in David’s shoes, how would you have reacted to the news of Absalom’s death?
October 28, 2025

October 28th, 2025

Tuesday – Pentateuch

Reading – Exodus 19-20

Highlight Verse:

““Don’t be afraid,” Moses answered them, “for God has come in this way to test you, and so that your fear of him will keep you from sinning!””
‭‭Exodus‬ ‭20‬:‭20‬ ‭NLT

Halloween is this Friday here in the US.

All around are images of fear and evil.

In the Bible, that’s kind of upside down.

Here Moses tells us not to be afraid but to fear God.

In the context here, that means to not be anxious about the thunder on the mountain but respect God to the point where you wouldn’t consider doing anything against His plans.

That concept repeats it self in several situations throughout the Bible.

As for us today, we can be confident in our stand against evil when we have complete faith in God.

So, when evil images pop up around you trying to scare you into the spirit of fear that seems to surround Halloween, know that when you walk in fellowship with God, there is nothing to fear but God, and he is always working for your good.

What is your take on the atmosphere of fear that surrounds Halloween?
What method do you employ to combat that fear?
October 27, 2025

October 27th, 2025

Monday – Gospels

Reading – Matthew 15-16

Highlight Verse:

“Why can’t you understand that I’m not talking about bread? So again I say, ‘Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.’””
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭16‬:‭11‬ ‭NLT‬‬

It’s easy to look at the disciples and judge them for being dense.

But every now and then, I’ll read a passage or hear a sermon, and something dislodges in my brain, revealing truth I didn’t understand before.

The disciples were with Jesus in person, and they didn’t grasp everything He taught them.

I have the advantage of 2000 years of commentaries and teachers expounding on God’s Word.

But, let’s face it, all that can make it even more difficult to understand.

I’ve said before that I know there will be ideas I hold that will be corrected when I arrive in heaven.

That should not be an excuse to stop learning while I’m still here on Earth.

I need to recognize that there is still much for me to learn and be open to the Holy Spirit chipping away the blocks in my mind that keep me from understanding.

If I am open to the work of the Holy Spirit teaching me, I will understand God better and be able to share about Him more.

Have you ever read a passage or listened to a sermon and stopped listening because you were sure you already had a complete understanding of that subject?
Do you think God could teach you more if you stayed open to what the Holy Spirit has to say to you?
What has the Holy Spirit had to correct in your theology in the past?
October 25, 2025

October 26th, 2025

Sunday – Poetry

Reading – Psalms 130-133

Highlight Verse:

“I long for the Lord more than sentries long for the dawn, yes, more than sentries long for the dawn.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭130‬:‭6‬ ‭NLT‬‬

What moves you to seriously strong anticipation?

I’ve never been a sentry, but I recall awaiting the warmth of daylight in a cold tent.

If you are a student, maybe you watch the clock awaiting that final bell that dismisses school.

Likewise, if you get off work at 5pm, you watch the clock seem to slow down around 4:45.

We all have things we anticipate with a longing hope that takes over our thoughts.

This song was designed to build that anticipation as the faithful journey to Jerusalem to worship.

Do you have that longing when you are heading to church?

Don’t worry, most people don’t.

But maybe we should.

True worship can bring great joy.

Learning from the Word of God can satisfy curiosity and bring confidence and purity.

Fellowship with other believers can satisfy the need for companionship and provide much need support.

These and many other things are good reasons to approach church gatherings with great anticipation.

What do you look forward to the most when you are heading to church?
Is there anything that hinders your anticipation of church?

Let’s go straight to the elephant in the room – slavery was legal then.

Again, it sounds barbaric by today’s standards but in those days, it gave the slave unprecedented rights.

Today I’m thankful for government.

Even so, Jesus saw fit to pay taxes.

I believe we should do our part and let our voice be heard.

Today, I thank God for all those who make church happen, from the Pastor to the set-up crew and everyone in between.

It can be very difficult to balance the demands of family responsibility and ministry.

Therefore, ignoring our families to spend all our time serving ministry is not bringing God praise.

As the month that we in the US celebrate Thanksgiving, many say it is a good time to give thanks for something every day of November.

For that, I am very thankful to God.

But it gave me a tiny taste of what the Israelites went through.

We ignore the creator of the universe because the lies of the destroyer feel better to us.

The wise course is to place your trust on the only one who is truly one hundred percent on your side.

Discussion of the end times brings anxiety to many, me included.

But for me, this verse sums up the most important thing I need to know about the end.

Jesus will be victorious.

If it weren’t for the macabre scene to follow, this verse would be hilarious.

But humans are unpredictable, illogical and selfish.

On this side of Jesus sacrifice it should be easy to trust the God who helps us survive our humanity.

In the Bible, that’s kind of upside down.

As for us today, we can be confident in our stand against evil when we have complete faith in God.

It’s easy to look at the disciples and judge them for being dense.

That should not be an excuse to stop learning while I’m still here on Earth.

If I am open to the work of the Holy Spirit teaching me, I will understand God better and be able to share about Him more.

What moves you to seriously strong anticipation?

Do you have that longing when you are heading to church?

These and many other things are good reasons to approach church gatherings with great anticipation.