Walk in the Light

March 30, 2026

March 30th, 2026

Monday – Gospels

Reading – Luke 13

Highlight Verses:

“When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, “Dear woman, you are healed of your sickness!” Then he touched her, and instantly she could stand straight. How she praised God!”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭13‬:‭12‬-‭13‬ ‭NLT‬‬

How often do we see miracles like this?

How often do we expect to see them?

I’m guessing your answer is “seldom” to both questions.

No judgement here as that would be my answer too.

I have to wonder what would happen if we adjusted our beliefs to align with stories like this.

I will never be part of the “name it and claim it” or “blab it and grab it” crowd.

God is not a genie sent to grant our wishes.

But there is something to be said for praying and expecting to see a miracle.

Miracles do happen, even today.

I have seen it.

• I’ve seen asthma healed.
• I’ve seen cancer disappear.
• I’ve seen a child with severe head trauma walk out of the hospital the next day completely well.
• I’ve heard countless similar stories.

And yet I still find it hard to pray with unwavering faith.

I once knew an evangelist who ran crusades in the American South and in India. He would see the occasional miracle here in the states, but every crusade in India saw several healings and dozens if not hundreds of salvations.

The same God was behind each of those miracles.

But where need was great, faith was greater.

I’m not praying for need, but I do pray and long for greater faith.

While I will not share specific requests in this public forum, I will ask for God’s healing for me and family members.

If you would like prayer, just comment “me too” below and let’s join together today to pray for each other in faith.

May our faith rise up together to meet God’s abilities and plans.
March 29, 2026 – Palm Sunday

March 29th, 2026

Sunday – Poetry

Reading – Proverbs 19

Highlight Verse:

“Enthusiasm without knowledge is no good; haste makes mistakes.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭19‬:‭2‬ ‭NLT‬‬

When we bought our house, it had terrible green fake grass flooring in the sunroom.

I installed some really nice-looking flooring after fixing a sagging spot.

It looked great –

For maybe six months.

It buckled. It faded.

Eventually it sagged again.

My knowledge of flooring exposed to the weather was too limited.

I’ve since done more research and gotten more experience and will eventually fix it correctly.

For now, there’s a rug that covers the worst areas.

My enthusiasm outran my knowledge.

Today, Palm Sunday, we celebrate the triumphant entry. The people there were very enthusiastic.

But their knowledge was limited.

Don’t get me wrong. They had great reasons to celebrate.

But when Jesus didn’t conform to their preconceived expectations, they turned against Him with equal enthusiasm only days later.

I believe we should worship with great enthusiasm regardless of our level of knowledge about Jesus.

At the same time, we should seek greater knowledge about Jesus.

That way we can remain strong in our faith even when people try to turn us away from Him.

How do you seek knowledge of Jesus?
Are you prepared to worship enthusiastically today?
March 28, 2026

March 28th, 2026

Saturday – Open Topic

Reading – Luke 19:28-48

Highlight Verses:

“But some of the Pharisees among the crowd said, “Teacher, rebuke your followers for saying things like that!” He replied, “If they kept quiet, the stones along the road would burst into cheers!””
‭‭Luke‬ ‭19‬:‭39‬-‭40‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Tomorrow is Palm Sunday; the day we celebrate the Triumphant Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem.

There are so many lessons we can learn from that moment in history.

No doubt you will hear some of those in tomorrow’s sermons.

The Triumphant Entry is recorded in each of the Gospels.

Each account seems to have a different perspective or emphasis.

Luke is the only one who includes the Pharisees’ complaint about the people’s praises.

Jesus’ reply is one of my favorite verses in the Bible.

I’ve always wanted to see rocks burst into praise.

It makes me think of Larry Norman and his song “Why Should the Devil Have All the Good Music?”

Only, in that case, the Rock ‘n’ Roll burst into cheers for Jesus. (Sorry – I just had to go there).

The point I really want to make here is the coming of Jesus was such incredibly great news that there is no way to stop the celebration!

If you feel hesitant to sign out loud in praise, just think of Jesus’ words here.

Join the celebration in church tomorrow and don’t hold back your praises.

After all, if you hold back, Larry Norman might just out praise you.

Do you tend to hold back in singing praises? Why or why not?
What is your favorite song to praise God with?

Link to Larry Norman Song
March 27, 2026

March 27th, 2026

Friday – Prophets

Reading – Daniel 7-8

Highlight Verse:

“As my vision continued that night, I saw someone like a son of man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient One and was led into his presence.”
‭‭Daniel‬ ‭7‬:‭13‬ ‭NLT‬‬

If you had been wondering why we’ve been reading Daniel under “Prophets” when it has sounded so much like a history book – here you go.

While the first half of the book reads like history,

Daniel was definitely a prophet.

I’ve heard various explanations about today’s prophecies, most explaining how they have been accurately fulfilled.

I won’t get into those explanations today.

I believe Daniel was a true prophet.

What he saw and wrote was true.

That includes today’s highlight verse.

This is yet another Old Testament prediction of Christ.

There are so many that I am amazed that anyone can doubt the truth of the Bible.

God set our salvation in motion from the beginning of creation and shared that great news with His prophets.

Who are we to argue with that?

Rest assured that salvation was not an afterthought. God knew what He was doing.

And He knew it would involve Daniel just like He knew it would involve you!

What else do you need to know to convince you of God’s plan for salvation?
How can God use you to spread and confirm his plan of salvation?
March 26, 2026

March 26th, 2026

Thursday – Letters

Reading – Hebrews 12

Highlight Verses:

“Since we are receiving a Kingdom that is unshakable, let us be thankful and please God by worshiping him with holy fear and awe. For our God is a devouring fire.”
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭12‬:‭28‬-‭29‬ ‭NLT‬‬

There is so much in these two little verses.

Our heavenly inheritance is unshakable! There is no question – it is coming.

Our worship should be thankful.

It pleases God when we worship with holy fear and awe.

And for that final verse, let me ask you to think back on some of your deepest worship experiences.

If you are like me, every selfish thought was consumed by the zealous fire to worship God with everything.

God’s consuming fire will dissolve away everything that does not belong, leaving a pure life of worship.

What would it take to deepen your worship experience?
Do you incorporate thanksgiving in your worship?
March 25, 2026

March 25th, 2026

Wednesday – History

Reading – 2 Kings 21-25 (sorry it’s so long – I’ll try to fix it next time through).

Highlight Verse:

“So Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Acbor, Shaphan, and Asaiah went to the New Quarter of Jerusalem to consult with the prophet Huldah. She was the wife of Shallum son of Tikvah, son of Harhas, the keeper of the Temple wardrobe.”
‭‭2 Kings‬ ‭22‬:‭14‬ ‭NLT‬‬

They consulted who?

How did they know her?

Most of the information in chapters 22 and 23 are about Josiah, who sounded like a pretty awesome king.

It’s a safe guess that prophets were rare in the days after Manasseh, who sounded like horrible king.

When Josiah asked this team to inquire of the Lord, they may have seen her as their best source.

And it sounds like she knew the Lord’s heart for the situation. The word she gave was right on target.

This is the point where you ask, “Why should we care about Huldah?”

This is the only time her name occurs in the Bible (not counting the repeat of this same story in Chronicles).

But her prophecy had a big impact on King Josiah’s reign.

It can even be inferred that this prophecy helped make the exile short and the return successful.

All because she was faithful to stay true to the Lord and spoke His Word boldly.

Most of us will never be well known. But that does not mean that we cannot have a big impact.

Like Huldah, we need to stay faithful and true to God’s Word.

When called upon, we need to speak God’s Word boldly without compromise.

There’s no limit to what God can do with His Word through those who are faithful.

Have you been called upon to deliver God’s Word?
Were you prepared through faithfulness?
Are you prepared now?
March 24, 2026

March 24th, 2026

Tuesday – Pentateuch

Reading – Leviticus 16-17

Highlight Verse:

“The other goat, the scapegoat chosen by lot to be sent away, will be kept alive, standing before the Lord. When it is sent away to Azazel in the wilderness, the people will be purified and made right with the Lord.”
‭‭Leviticus‬ ‭16‬:‭10‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The scapegoat represented our sins being carried far away.

That’s something to be thankful for.

But have you ever acted like the scapegoat?

It is human nature to carry the guilty feelings from our sins around with us.

It can get so bad that we end up wandering around a spiritual wilderness.

Carrying that extra weight of guilt can even pull us back into those very same sins.

Let me make one thing very clear –

if you have trusted Jesus to take away your sins, they are gone!

You do not need to carry the guilt from them around with you, even if you have repeated those sins.

His death on the cross paid the penalty for all our sins past, present, and future.

As I’ve said before, sin is bad and we want to avoid it at all cost, but if we sin again, and we all will, we need to leave those sins on the cross and move on.

Be convicted to avoid those sins and, when appropriate, make compensation to those you’ve sinned against, but DO NOT wallow in guilt.

That only leads to more sin as it erodes your trust in Jesus and His sacrifice.

Are there sins for which you are still carrying guilt around?
Have you been able to discern the difference between guilt and conviction? (Hint – conviction leads to action).
March 23, 2026

March 23rd, 2026

Monday – Gospels

Reading – Luke 12

Highlight Verse:

“Anyone who speaks against the Son of Man can be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭12‬:‭10‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I remember reading this when I was young and wondering What if I made a joke about the Holy Spirit, or disregarded something that the Holy Spirit said? Would that be blasphemy?

If you have ever thought that, let me put your mind at ease. If you had truly blasphemed the Holy Spirit, you would know it.

Basically, it would mean that you had totally and consistently rejected Jesus.

Enduring Word put it as a “settled disposition of life that rejects the testament of the Holy Spirit regarding Jesus.” (Enduringword dot com)

So, yes, if you have completely rejected Jesus, you will not be forgiven.

Some would say that repeated sin is a rejection of Jesus.

I would say that repeated sin can lead to a rejection of salvation as the human psyche will tend to justify that sin to the point where you no longer see the need for forgiveness.

If Jesus asks us to forgive others 70 times 7 times (which represents infinity),

you can be sure that He will extend the same amount of forgiveness to us.

Make no mistake, repeated sin is harmful to the sinner. All sin is harmful. That’s why God calls it sin. He knows the best way for us to live and when we trust Him and follow that way, that is when we live our best life.

When we follow our own ways, we suffer.

When people fall far from the truth, that’s when they tend to reject Jesus.

And that is fatal.

Have you ever come back from the edge of rejecting Jesus?
What can you do today to stay far from that point?
March 22, 2026

March 22nd, 2026

Sunday – Poetry

Reading – Proverbs 18

Highlight Verse:

“The name of the Lord is a strong fortress; the godly run to him and are safe.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭18‬:‭10‬ ‭NLT‬‬

When I was in Bible college, I wrote a whole sermon series around this and similar verses.

While a strong fortress (or tower as in some versions) is a safe place to take shelter,

that is just one of its functions.

It is also:
• A place to train for spiritual battle.
• A place to receive battle commands.
• A place to heal from battle wounds.
• And a place to celebrate victories.

Now substitute the word “church” for “fortress” and you get a glimpse of what a powerful local church body should look like.

• We should receive teaching that trains us for the spiritual battles of this world.
• We should hear the commands of God through Biblical preaching.
• We should share and accept support that helps us heal from the spiritual and emotional battle-scars of spiritual warfare.
• We should celebrate through praise and worship, the victories and lessons learned in battle, with constant thankfulness.

I am blessed to go to a church that lives out those attributes.

Thank you Pastor Alex and the whole Pillar team!

Are you part of a local church that functions as your “strong fortress”?
If not, what are you doing to change it?
March 21, 2026

March 21st, 2026

Saturday – Open Topic

Reading – Psalm 23

Highlight Verses:

“He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭23‬:‭2‬-‭3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I am writing this on the first evening of my Spring vacation sitting in a comfortable chair on the porch of a vacation rental house

enjoying the warm air and birds singing.

It would be ideal if the birds weren’t accompanied by the sounds of someone grinding on a truck a couple of doors down and if I didn’t know there was a bunch of work to get done tomorrow and a bit more through the rest of the week.

Despite this being a bit of a working vacation, I will find time this week (like right now) to relax and rest in God’s creation.

In this country we are blessed with an abundance of natural areas we can retreat to.

While this week will be a little bit busy, I intend to take full advantage of my open schedule to get into nature and get some re-creation.

Like David, I believe God will renew my strength and make my paths clearer as I rest in Him.

What is your go-to place for rejuvenation?
When do you plan on getting rest?

How often do we expect to see them?

I have seen it.

If you would like prayer, just comment “me too” below and let’s join together today to pray for each other in faith.

May our faith rise up together to meet God’s abilities and plans.

My enthusiasm outran my knowledge.

But their knowledge was limited.

At the same time, we should seek greater knowledge about Jesus.

Tomorrow is Palm Sunday; the day we celebrate the Triumphant Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem.

I’ve always wanted to see rocks burst into praise.

Join the celebration in church tomorrow and don’t hold back your praises.

Daniel was definitely a prophet.

Rest assured that salvation was not an afterthought. God knew what He was doing.

There is so much in these two little verses.

Our worship should be thankful.

God’s consuming fire will dissolve away everything that does not belong, leaving a pure life of worship.

They consulted who?

All because she was faithful to stay true to the Lord and spoke His Word boldly.

There’s no limit to what God can do with His Word through those who are faithful.

But have you ever acted like the scapegoat?

if you have trusted Jesus to take away your sins, they are gone!

Basically, it would mean that you had totally and consistently rejected Jesus.

you can be sure that He will extend the same amount of forgiveness to us.

When we follow our own ways, we suffer.

that is just one of its functions.

I am blessed to go to a church that lives out those attributes.

enjoying the warm air and birds singing.

In this country we are blessed with an abundance of natural areas we can retreat to.

Like David, I believe God will renew my strength and make my paths clearer as I rest in Him.