Walk in the Light

June 30, 2025

June 30th, 2025

Monday – Gospels

Reading – Mark 10

Highlight Verse:

Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But not with God. Everything is possible with God.””
‭‭Mark‬ ‭10‬:‭ ‭27‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Honestly, I feel like I am tapping into the impossible a little tonight.

I put this off until a little too late and it may very well be the Holy Spirit keeping me awake to write this out.

Beyond that, I believe it is the Holy Spirit who helps me understand God’s Word.

I am an imperfect vessel for the Holy Spirit and sometimes I miss what He is trying to say to and through me.

But for that which I do understand, I believe it is the Holy Spirit who brings that understanding.

And it is that same Holy Spirit who gives me the strength to walk out that understanding.

So, I press on through all my faults and weaknesses in an attempt to be faithful to His calling on me.

Where have you seen the Holy Spirit change the impossible into the possible in your life?
How easy or hard is it for you to trust Him through the process?
June 29, 2025

June 29th, 2025

Sunday – Poetry

Reading – Psalms 78-80

Highlight Verse:

“We will not hide these truths from our children; we will tell the next generation about the glorious deeds of the Lord, about his power and his mighty wonders.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭78‬:‭4‬ ‭NLT‬‬

If you know me, you know that I love next generation ministry.

Without it, faith in God dies here.

When I see what happens when our youth live out their faith, it gives me great hope for the future.

We need to remember to keep passing that baton of knowledge and action on to future generations –

praying for the Holy Spirit to continue to go forth through our kids and their kids, and their kids…

And then rejoice when we see them blossom into men and women of faith!

What have you done to pass your faith on to the next generation?
How have you seen them respond?
June 28, 2025

June 28th, 2025

Saturday – Open Topic

Reading – Psalm 51

Highlight Verse:

“Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭51‬:‭10‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The author of this song had messed up.

He stalked a beautiful lady.

It didn’t take long before he used his influence and position to bring her into his bed.

She got pregnant as a result.

To save his reputation, he did everything he could to cover it up, even to the point of having her husband killed and forcing her into marriage with him.

It wasn’t until an investigation brought the story to light that he repented.

Sound somewhat familiar today?

I’ve heard many say that Michael Tate’s (former lead singer for the News Boys) repentance wasn’t genuine since he waited until he was found out.

I won’t go into the details of his situation, mostly because I don’t know and don’t listen to the many crazy rumors going around.

Christian artists normally have a “purity clause” in their contracts that will end their careers if anything gets out that would harm their moral reputation.

That’s a good thing in that it holds them accountable for their message.

Unfortunately, it also drives them to cover up their failings, so they end up not getting the help and support that they need to get back on the right path.

That made me wonder if they should also have a “restoration clause” in their contracts that would kick in before the “purity clause.”

Ideally, that would lead them to seek help early and prevent irreparable damage to their message and their lives.

King David found restoration as seen here in this Psalm.

His repentance was genuine.

Despite the heinous nature of his sins, God restored him to a place where he became known as a “man after God’s own heart.”

There were consequences, but he got past them and back to a place of integrity.

I praying that Michael Tate would find that same kind of restoration.

Would you prefer public people who fail to be restored or cancelled? Please explain.
Have you been in that place where you needed restoration? How did you find it?
June 27, 2025

June 27th, 2025

Friday – Prophets

Reading – Jeremiah 10-12

Highlight Verse:

““I have abandoned my people, my special possession. I have surrendered my dearest ones to their enemies.”
‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭12‬:‭7‬ ‭NLT‬‬

If you read this with a view of God as the old man in the sky judging every little bad thing we do,

you miss the point entirely.

This verse is part of a reply to Jeremiah when he complained about evil people prospering.

God basically says, “Quit your whining! I had to remove my protection from my children. There’s nothing that could possibly be harder.”

Jeremiah already knows the heart of the Father.

When he heard this reply, it would have reminded him how tough it was for God to allow His children, the nation of Israel, be conquered and taken captive.

He allowed that not out of a vindictive attitude toward them but because He knew it was the only way to turn their hearts back to Him in the long run.

He also knew it would set things up for Jesus to bring salvation to the world.

Trusting God’s wisdom when we can’t see the reason behind it is one of the toughest parts of faith.

But He always acts out of a heart of absolute love, no matter what it may look like to us.

Have you ever complained to God only to have him remind you that He knows what He is doing?
Has He ever had to let you fail before you came back to Him?
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 25, 2025

June 25th, 2025

Wednesday – History

Reading – 1 Samuel 11-12

Highlight Verse:

““Give us seven days to send messengers throughout Israel!” replied the elders of Jabesh. “If no one comes to save us, we will agree to your terms.””
‭‭1 Samuel‬ ‭11‬:‭3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

This was a strange method of warfare.

A city is attacked with overwhelming force and the city leaders say, “Whoa there. Give us a chance to get reinforcements.”

Who would agree to that – unless they were influenced by the Holy Spirit to agree to those terms?

My opinion is that God set up the situation so that Saul could intervene and unite Israel.

It worked.

It also provided an amusing story for the Bible. Who says God doesn’t have a sense of humor?

There are many times in our lives when situations don’t quite make sense. Unusual things happen – some scary, some amusing, some both.

I dare say, God is at work in those situations, working behind the scenes influencing people to bring His love and salvation to those who need it.

When have you seen God work in mysterious ways in your life?
In hindsight, are there times you can now identify that God was working behind the scenes in ways you couldn’t see at the time?
June 24, 2025

June 24th, 2025

Tuesday – Pentateuch

Reading – Genesis 41

Highlight Verse:

““It is beyond my power to do this,” Joseph replied. “But God can tell you what it means and set you at ease.””
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭41‬:‭16‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Joseph was in jail for who knows how long.

They had to clean him up before he could appear before Pharoah.

The cupbearer forgot about him for two full years.

Joseph had every reason to cop an attitude.

And he did have an attitude – of humility.

I believe that was all part of God’s plan setting up the survival of Israel.

Joseph’s words and wisdom put him right where God could best use him.

It turned out pretty nice for Joseph too.

If you have had a situation where you showed humility when you could have had a bad attitude, how did it turn out for you?
How do you know when to keep a humble attitude?
June 23, 2025

June 23rd, 2025

Monday – Gospels

Reading – Mark 9

Highlight Verse:

“He said this because he didn’t really know what else to say, for they were all terrified.”
‭‭Mark‬ ‭9‬:‭6‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I can so relate to Peter – so awkward, but bold enough to speak up.

Proverbs says that even fools will be thought wise if they are silent (17:28).

But Peter wasn’t afraid to be thought of as a fool.

In this case, his words were awkward and showed a misunderstanding of the situation.

They also showed Peter’s devotion and respect for Jesus, Elijah, and Moses; not to mention that he was calm enough to speak in that incredible situation.

So, yes, we should be wise with our words,

but if I am in a situation where my words could bring praise to God, or comfort, hope, and encouragement to those around me, I hope I have the courage to speak up, even if I sound like a fool.

Have you spoken up in an awkward situation where your words ended up having a positive effect?
How do you decide when it is time to speak out?
June 22, 2025

June 22nd, 2025

Sunday – Poetry

Reading – Psalms 75-77

Highlight Verse:

“But as for me, I will always proclaim what God has done; I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭75‬:‭9‬ ‭NLT‬‬

It is no mistake that a sizable chunk of the Bible is actually music. (Psalms, Song of Solomon, and several other songs sprinkled throughout scripture).

In fact, as I write this Forrest Frank is blasting praise to God in my ear buds.

Music is powerful.

It doesn’t just entertain, it moves.

It doesn’t just alter moods, it alters perspectives.

It can make people more receptive to the Gospel and the movement of the Holy Spirit.

As this verse states, it helps us proclaim what God has done.

Did music have a role in drawing you to Jesus or to move forward in your faith?
Have you ever used music to proclaim what God has done?

In answer to that last question, I was once part of an outreach band. I ran sound and talked to people passing by as we brought music to the Santa Cruz Wharf, Pacific Garden Mall, and local jails. It grabbed attention and helped people realize that following Jesus could bring joy.
June 21, 2025

June 21st, 2025

Saturday – Open Topic

Reading – 1 Corinthians 3:4-15

Highlight Verse:

“It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow.”
‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭3‬:‭7‬ ‭NLT‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

At the Write to Publish Christian writer’s conference last week, I had the privilege of hearing from Tim Challies, a popular writer, speaker, and blogger.

One thing I took away from his messages was to give away what you have.

He posts helpful resources on his website, often including links to “competitive” blogs.

Once a week he shares free resources with his readers.

I don’t have free resources to give but I recognize that I am just one of many resources to help encourage people in their journey with Christ. I encourage you to check as many resources as will be helpful for you to follow Jesus.

Toward that end, check out www.Challies.com for some good content.

Are there resources that have blessed you? Feel free to share them here.

Beyond that, I believe it is the Holy Spirit who helps me understand God’s Word.

But for that which I do understand, I believe it is the Holy Spirit who brings that understanding.

So, I press on through all my faults and weaknesses in an attempt to be faithful to His calling on me.

Without it, faith in God dies here.

When I see what happens when our youth live out their faith, it gives me great hope for the future.

praying for the Holy Spirit to continue to go forth through our kids and their kids, and their kids…

Sound somewhat familiar today?

Unfortunately, it also drives them to cover up their failings, so they end up not getting the help and support that they need to get back on the right path.

Despite the heinous nature of his sins, God restored him to a place where he became known as a “man after God’s own heart.”

you miss the point entirely.

God basically says, “Quit your whining! I had to remove my protection from my children. There’s nothing that could possibly be harder.”

Trusting God’s wisdom when we can’t see the reason behind it is one of the toughest parts of faith.

But He always acts out of a heart of absolute love, no matter what it may look like to us.

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.

This was a strange method of warfare.

Who would agree to that – unless they were influenced by the Holy Spirit to agree to those terms?

I dare say, God is at work in those situations, working behind the scenes influencing people to bring His love and salvation to those who need it.

Joseph had every reason to cop an attitude.

And he did have an attitude – of humility.

Joseph’s words and wisdom put him right where God could best use him.

I can so relate to Peter – so awkward, but bold enough to speak up.

But Peter wasn’t afraid to be thought of as a fool.

Music is powerful.

As this verse states, it helps us proclaim what God has done.

One thing I took away from his messages was to give away what you have.

Toward that end, check out www.Challies.com for some good content.