Walk in the Light

July 17, 2025

July 17th, 2025

Thursday – Letters

Reading – 2 Corinthians 7-8

Highlight Verse:

“When we arrived in Macedonia, there was no rest for us. We faced conflict from every direction, with battles on the outside and fear on the inside. But God, who encourages those who are discouraged, encouraged us by the arrival of Titus.”
‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭7‬:‭5‬-‭6‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Have you ever had one of those “But God” moments?

• Everything is going wrong.
• The bills pile up.
• The kids get sick.
• The car dies.
• Conflicts arise with family or friends.

But God –

• Brought an encouraging friend.
• Provided some unforeseen money.
• Brought your family through illness.
• Provided a helpful mechanic.
• Brought healing to relationships.

All of those “but God” situations have happened to me and then some.

God has brought me through the lowest valleys and celebrated with me on the mountaintops.

I would be a lost and lonely man… but God…!

Have you been through the “but God” situations I listed above?
What “but God” situations can you add to the list?
July 16, 2025

July 16th, 2025
Wednesday – History

Reading – 1 Samuel 17-18

Highlight Verse:

“If he kills me, then we will be your slaves. But if I kill him, you will be our slaves!”
‭‭1 Samuel‬ ‭17‬:‭9‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Did you ever wonder why Saul trusted David to challenge Goliath?

Think about it – If Goliath wins, all of Israel becomes slaves of the Philistines.

I tried to think it through.
- Maybe Saul had complete faith in David based on his stories of defending his sheep.
- Maybe Saul had so little faith in his army and God’s protection that he thinks he has nothing to lose.
- Maybe Saul thought (and rightly so) that Goliath wouldn’t take David seriously, so he wouldn’t hold Israel to the terms of the challenge.
If you ask me, Saul had very little faith in his army. They had been there for quite some time without making a direct attack against the Philistines.

It should be noted that the Philistines had little faith in their army too or they would have attacked already.

And so, it came down to the two bravest people present – David and Goliath.

We all know how that turned out – David victorious and Goliath’s last thoughts, “Nothing like that has ever entered my mind before.”

Have you ever been in a situation where confidence was severely lacking by everyone?
How can we bring faith and hope into those situations?
July 15, 2025

July 15th, 2025

Tuesday – Pentateuch

Reading – Genesis 46

Highlight Verses:

“Then he said, “When Pharaoh calls for you and asks you about your occupation, you must tell him, ‘We, your servants, have raised livestock all our lives, as our ancestors have always done.’ When you tell him this, he will let you live here in the region of Goshen, for the Egyptians despise shepherds.””
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭46‬:‭33‬-‭34‬ ‭NLT‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

Why on earth would you want to be despised in the country where you took refuge?

I think Joseph and Jacob knew.

Certainly, God did too.

Since they were despised, the Egyptians would not intermarry with them and take away their national identity.

It was out of that nation that God was planning on raising the Messiah of the world. Even when that nation was in its infancy,

God was laying the groundwork for our salvation.

Sometimes today, it seems like God is acting irrationally. From our perspective, some things make no sense.

For those who have experienced loss and pain, I don’t wish to belittle that.

But God can make good come out of everything and His plans span eternity. So should ours.

This life is but the doorstep into our eternal lives.

While I want to make the most of life here on porch, I’m looking forward to seeing what’s on the other side of that door.

What are your thoughts on all that the people of Israel went through to bring salvation to the world?
Have you seen God use the confusing times in your life to bring about His better plans?
July 14, 2025

July 14th, 2025

Monday – Gospels

Reading – Mark 13

Highlight Verse:

“For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God’s chosen ones.”
‭‭Mark‬ ‭13‬:‭22‬ ‭NLT‬‬

When I was a youth pastor, a fellow youth pastor told me the story of a guy he knew who claimed to be a satanic priest.

When my friend confronted him with Jesus, the guy snapped his fingers and produced a flame that burned from his thumb like a lighter.

“Can your god do that?” The guy asked.

I don’t know how genuine that flame was. A quick search revealed a $15 device that creates that effect.

I do know that the man was trying to use miracles or the appearance of miracles to lead people astray.

But I’ve also seen miracles lead people to faith in Jesus.

One evening I felt the urgent need to pray so I did.

Later that evening, our next gen pastor called to let me know of a child from church who had fallen from a second story window headfirst onto concrete. The prognosis was bad. Many were praying.

The next day, the boy walked out of the hospital after a miraculous recovery.

Miracles still happen. I seen several myself.

When you see one, ask yourself, is this leading people to Jesus or away from Jesus.

Let your faith and the Bible guide your response.

Have you ever seen miracles lead people astray?
Have you seen them inspire faith in Jesus?
Please share your stories with us.
July 13, 2025

July 13th, 2025

Sunday – Poetry

Reading – Psalms 83-85

Highlight Verse:

“What joy for those whose strength comes from the Lord, who have set their minds on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭84‬:‭5‬ ‭NLT‬‬

So, if I want joy, I should book a flight to Jerusalem?

That’s not exactly what that means.

The equivalent of that phrase in New Testament times would be “who have set their minds on following Jesus.”

Many stay away from faith and church because they fear that they would miss out on all the fun.

I fear that if I didn’t follow hard after Jesus, I would miss out on all they joy!

Yes, there is a difference between fun and joy.

Many sinful actions are fun. But the fun is fleeting. It is often followed by painful consequences.

Joy lasts.

It’s far more powerful than fun. It carries no bad consequences.

It brings blessings.

Like joy.

On a scale of 1-10, how joyful are you?
What brings that you true joy?
July 12, 2025

July 12th, 2025

Saturday – Open Topic

Reading – Judges 6:11-16

Highlight Verse:

“The angel of the Lord appeared to him and said, “Mighty hero, the Lord is with you!””
‭‭Judges‬ ‭6‬:‭12‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I’ve been spending a lot of time lately with heroes. I’ve been helping set up new printers in fire stations all around Denver this week.

Like many kids, I dreamt of being a firefighter or police officer when I was little.

But I never felt the call of God to make the sacrifices required to be a first responder.

I’ve always had a great respect for those who did hear that call and pursued careers that put themselves on the front line of danger and physical sacrifice.

The firefighters I’ve dealt with this week have all been humble, helpful, and grateful.

I’ve been impressed with their skill, speed, and good attitude, especially when calls came in and they quickly disappeared with flashing lights and sirens. One station I was at this week had their lunch interrupted twice for calls.

At one point I also saw a couple of them patiently entertaining a young boy who dropped in with a million questions.

Some ministries have nothing to do with church or religion.

Sometimes God’s true calling leads people to keep people safe and rescue them with they are in peril.

If you are a first responder, my respect and thanks go out to you.

If you are not, I ask that you let a first responder know how much you appreciate them.

Are you a first responder? What led you to that career?
If you are not a first responder, what sacrifices of service are there in your career?
July 11, 2025

July 11th, 2025

Friday – Prophets

Reading – Jeremiah 16-18

Highlight Verses:

“The Lord gave another message to Jeremiah. He said, “Go down to the potter’s shop, and I will speak to you there.””
‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭18‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The most powerful parts of my novels are true stories from my life.

Many of those stories have found their way into messages I’ve given to students.

I love telling stories. They get people’s attention and explain lessons in ways that people remember.

God had Jeremiah bring this principle into practice by plopping him in the middle of a true story and using it to illustrate an important message in a memorable way.

Do you remember the lesson of the potter and the clay from past readings?

I do, probably going all the way back to the first time I heard or read it many years ago.

It stuck with me.

Whether it be teaching, writing, or making a point in conversation, there’s something about true stories that brings their lessons to life.

Do you have stories that you use to illustrate a good life lesson? Feel free to share it here.
Have you ever come through a situation thinking, “That’ll preach? What do you do to share that story?
July 10, 2025

July 10th, 2025

Thursday – Letters

Reading – 2 Corinthians 6

Highlight Verse:

“We have been beaten, been put in prison, faced angry mobs, worked to exhaustion, endured sleepless nights, and gone without food.”
‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭6‬:‭5‬ ‭NLT‬‬

This verse always reminds me of the bumper sticker that reads “But did you die?”

When it comes to lengths one takes for the sake of the Gospel, Paul’s answer to that question would be “yes.”

He was all-in.

He gave it all for the sake of the Gospel.

No compromise.

And it can certainly be argued that there has never been a more effective missionary.

I don’t advocate working so hard for the Gospel that you are always exhausted.

Nor should you put yourself in unnecessarily dangerous situations.

But I do recommend following God’s call on your life wholeheartedly and without compromise.

If that brings days of exhaustion and moments of risk,

I believe God will honor and reward that commitment with effective ministry outcomes.

Your life will bear fruit in direct correlation to your level of commitment.

What spiritual fruit have you seen from times of sacrificial commitment?
What can we do to increase our level of commitment?
Wednesday – History

July 9th, 2025

Reading – 1 Samuel 15-16

Highlight Verse:

“But Samuel asked, “How can I do that? If Saul hears about it, he will kill me.” “Take a heifer with you,” the Lord replied, “and say that you have come to make a sacrifice to the Lord.”
‭‭1 Samuel‬ ‭16‬:‭2‬ ‭NLT‬‬

We do not know for certain how much time elapsed between chapters 15 and 16.

One thing is certain, Saul and Samuel had changed.

In chapter 15, Samuel stood up to Saul for his sins.

In chapter 16, Samuel feared Saul to the point that he questioned God’s instructions.

God, who could have easily protected Samuel, was gracious enough to allow him to go to Bethlehem on the pretext of offering a sacrifice. (Not a lie, by the why).

God was also gracious enough to show Samuel definitively who was to be king.

I believe God already knew David’s character, proven in his time tending sheep.

David used his time tending sheep wisely:
• He protected the sheep skillfully.
• He gave genuine praise to God through song writing and playing the harp (presumably a small portable one) and singing.
• He carried on honest conversations with God (as seen in his Psalms).
• And he practiced humility in his position as the youngest of eight.

The bottom line is that God did what He needed to set up David as the next king of Israel.

While I am sure that God wants us to have unwavering faith, I also know that He will be gracious enough to work through us where we are.

While we obey God where we are, we do well to follow David’s example and be humble enough to learn and grow into what God has called to be.

Have you had times, like Samuel, when faith to obey God’s orders was hard to come by?
What did you do to overcome lack of faith and to, like David, grow through humility?
July 8, 2025

July 8th, 2025
Tuesday – Pentateuch

Reading – Genesis 44-45

Highlight Verse:

“When the palace manager caught up with the men, he spoke to them as he had been instructed.”
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭44‬:‭6‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Did you notice that Joseph had a right-hand man?

This man, known only as the palace manager, was a key player in Joseph’s method of bringing his brothers to a place of utter humility.

While his name is unknown, his character shines through.

He carries out Joseph’s directions to the letter, even reacting to the brothers’ responses like Joseph would have wanted.

To Joseph, this man was a huge blessing.

While it would be cool to have someone like that working for me, it is more important to me that I be someone like that.

The palace manager serves as a good example of a servant heart.

How great would it be to be that good of a servant to God?
- I want to be so close to God that I know instinctively how He would want me to react to those He wants to reach.
- I want my words and actions to be remembered even if my name is forgotten.
- I want my Master’s will to be done!
How do you think we can become like that servant?
What can you and I do to start along that path?

But God –

God has brought me through the lowest valleys and celebrated with me on the mountaintops.

Did you ever wonder why Saul trusted David to challenge Goliath?

If you ask me, Saul had very little faith in his army. They had been there for quite some time without making a direct attack against the Philistines.

And so, it came down to the two bravest people present – David and Goliath.

Why on earth would you want to be despised in the country where you took refuge?

God was laying the groundwork for our salvation.

While I want to make the most of life here on porch, I’m looking forward to seeing what’s on the other side of that door.

“Can your god do that?” The guy asked.

I do know that the man was trying to use miracles or the appearance of miracles to lead people astray.

But I’ve also seen miracles lead people to faith in Jesus.

When you see one, ask yourself, is this leading people to Jesus or away from Jesus.

The equivalent of that phrase in New Testament times would be “who have set their minds on following Jesus.”

I fear that if I didn’t follow hard after Jesus, I would miss out on all they joy!

It brings blessings.

Like many kids, I dreamt of being a firefighter or police officer when I was little.

Some ministries have nothing to do with church or religion.

If you are a first responder, my respect and thanks go out to you.

I love telling stories. They get people’s attention and explain lessons in ways that people remember.

It stuck with me.

Whether it be teaching, writing, or making a point in conversation, there’s something about true stories that brings their lessons to life.

This verse always reminds me of the bumper sticker that reads “But did you die?”

He was all-in.

I believe God will honor and reward that commitment with effective ministry outcomes.

God, who could have easily protected Samuel, was gracious enough to allow him to go to Bethlehem on the pretext of offering a sacrifice. (Not a lie, by the why).

The bottom line is that God did what He needed to set up David as the next king of Israel.

While we obey God where we are, we do well to follow David’s example and be humble enough to learn and grow into what God has called to be.

Did you notice that Joseph had a right-hand man?

He carries out Joseph’s directions to the letter, even reacting to the brothers’ responses like Joseph would have wanted.

How great would it be to be that good of a servant to God?