Walk in the Light

August 11, 2025

August 11th, 2025

Monday – Gospels

Reading – Matthew 3-4

Highlight Verse:

“But Jesus said, “It should be done, for we must carry out all that God requires.” So John agreed to baptize him. After his baptism, as Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and settling on him.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭3‬:‭15‬-‭16‬ ‭NLT‬‬

During this week in 1977, I attended confirmation camp.

It was life changing.

That week I realized that God was real and gave His life that I could live eternally.

The change to my life was phenomenal.

And I celebrated a year later in my confirmation ceremony.

It was anticlimactic to say the least.

But at least I wasn’t one of those crazy evangelicals who got dunked under water.

Then I started reading and studying the Bible.

I began to understand that baptism was supposed to be a radical act that publicly confessed the serious change in my life.

Eventually, I took that radical step and on a cool autumn evening in Santa Cruz at a big church party, I was baptized by immersion in an unheated hot tub.

Did the heavens open and a dove descend? Of course not.

Did I come out of the water feeling different? Well, I was cold.

More importantly, I had the satisfaction of being obedient to what God made clear in his Word.

I certainly don’t think that my salvation depended upon my being baptized.

But I do think that it is important to be baptized after coming to faith in Jesus.

If even Jesus felt like it was right for Him to be baptized, how could I do less?

Our church is performing baptisms this coming Sunday (Sept 17, 2025). If you are local to the Denver, Colorado area and want to get baptized, message me and I’ll let you know the details.

If you are elsewhere and you have trusted Jesus for salvation but have not yet been baptized, I encourage you to find a local church that baptizes by immersion and make your faith public.

For those who have been baptized, what has it meant for you?
If you trust Jesus and haven’t been baptized, what’s holding you back?
August 10, 2025

August 10th, 2025

Sunday – Poetry

Reading – Psalms 95-98

Highlight Verse:

“Sing a new song to the Lord! Let the whole earth sing to the Lord!”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭96‬:‭1‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I grew up in a very traditional church. All the songs we ever sang were contained in a hymnal along with liturgies for every occasion.

The church we are a part of now is, shall we say, a little more contemporary.

New songs are common.

While the people around me may not like to hear me butcher the words and the notes the first few times, I love to learn the new songs.

They help keep my worship fresh.

You might notice that this Psalm says nothing about church or synagogue.

Instead, it says to proclaim the good news each day.

Now, I’m not saying that you should walk down the street every day singing worship songs.

But then, why not?

If that is your way of sharing the good news of God’s grace, sing it.

These Psalms were literally written to be sung as the people travelled to Jerusalem. They shared the joy of worshipping God as the prepared their hearts for the various religious festivals.

It certainly wouldn’t hurt to make singing part of our normal routine. If not in public, at least in our personal times.

You might be surprised at how much more enjoyable it might make your days.

Is singing praise and worship part of your daily life?
What effect does that worship have on your life?
August 9, 2025

August 9th, 2025

Saturday – Open topic

Reading – Isaiah 25

Highlight Verse:

“But you are a tower of refuge to the poor, O Lord, a tower of refuge to the needy in distress. You are a refuge from the storm and a shelter from the heat. For the oppressive acts of ruthless people are like a storm beating against a wall,”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭25‬:‭4‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I grew up in Fresno where the average summer high temperature was over 100F (38C).

One hot day riding with the family in the old VW bus (AC wasn’t even an option) we stopped at a gas station to get drinks from a vending machine.

They were warm. (That’s when I discovered warm Dr. Pepper was not as disgusting as warm coke)

We didn’t like the heat, but we adapted to it (sometimes with warm sodas).

This week has been in the upper 90’s (F) here in the Denver area. I think I’ve heard more complaints about heat this week than when I lived in Fresno.
Okay, I admit, some of them came from me.

I decided to look for mentions of heat in the Bible.

There were very few.

And most of the action in the Bible is in the Middle East, an area that makes Fresno look like a ski resort.

Why the difference?

I think it’s because most of the people in the Bible were far more interested in truth than comfort.

Today’s reading shows us that God will protect us, even from heat.

So, while seeking shade or AC is not a bad thing, our first priority should be seeking God.

How have you found shelter in God recently?
Are there comforts in your life that get in the way of seeking God?
August 8, 2025

August 8th, 2025

Friday – Prophets

Reading – Jeremiah 28-30

Highlight Verse:

“And work for the peace and prosperity of the city where I sent you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, for its welfare will determine your welfare.””
‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭29‬:‭7‬ ‭NLT‬‬

You could call this, “Lessons for the Exile Life.”

You might say, “But I’m not in exile.”

Good for you.

But most of us have at least something they aren’t satisfied with in their living situation.

Maybe your job is less than ideal, or your employer has values that don’t line up that well with your values. (That would be me).

Maybe your house or apartment is too small, old, hot or cold.

Maybe you wish you could move back to an area where you know more people.

You long for the “good life” where things go your way.

Israel wanted to be back in their own country.

Jeremiah told them to settle in and make the best of the situation.

Blessing those around them would bless them.

The same is true for us.

Even if we aren’t where we want to be, we need to take a positive attitude and help those around us.

If you have kept a positive attitude through a bad situation, how did your attitude help?
What does that look like in your situation today?
August 7, 2025

August 7th, 2025

Thursday – Letters

Reading – Galatians 1-2

Highlight Verse:

“When he first arrived, he ate with the Gentile believers, who were not circumcised. But afterward, when some friends of James came, Peter wouldn’t eat with the Gentiles anymore. He was afraid of criticism from these people who insisted on the necessity of circumcision.”
‭‭Galatians‬ ‭2‬:‭12‬ ‭NLT‬‬

It’s all about the optics. NOT!

It’s easy to get caught up in pleasing people at the expense of truth. Legalism is often rooted in people pleasing.

Even Peter fell into that trap.

And Paul called him out.

Like Peter, it pays to have friends who aren’t afraid to point out when you blow it.

Even when you have those friends, it’s tough to listen to them.

If someone does speak a correction into your life, verify what they are saying in God’s Word.

If there’s truth in it, be grateful and do something about it.

If they missed the mark, you can still be thankful that they cared enough to speak up but stick with the truth in the Bible.

I’ve been in both situations.

The true corrections I’ve received have been priceless.

On a couple of occasions, the correction was off base.

While it is tough to get past what feels like meddling, I recognize that my friends are just as flawed as me.

I need to give them the grace to make mistakes without rejecting them.

Being the advisor is a subject for another day.

How have friends spoken into your life?
How have you dealt with it when they were wrong?
August 6, 2025

August 6th, 2025

Wednesday – History

Reading – 1 Samuel 23-24

Highlight Verse:
““Don’t be afraid,” Jonathan reassured him. “My father will never find you! You are going to be the king of Israel, and I will be next to you, as my father, Saul, is well aware.””
‭‭1 Samuel‬ ‭23‬:‭17‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Well, he was half right.

Jonathan died before he got to be King David’s right-hand-man.

But David did become king.

I’d like to think that Jonathan played a part in that by encouraging David.

Encouragement literally gives courage.

Jonathan believed in David so much that he encouraged David even though he knew that David would take his rightful place.

He put David’s courage and welfare ahead of his own.

I believe God is still rewarding Jonathan for that selfless act.

We would do well to give courage to those around us who need it.

Do you have stories about how encouragement made a world of difference to you? Share them.
How can we give courage to those around us?
August 5, 2025

August 5th, 2025

Tuesday – Pentateuch

Reading – Genesis 49-50

Highlight Verse:

“The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from his descendants, until the coming of the one to whom it belongs, the one whom all nations will honor.”
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭49‬:‭10‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Judah was the 4th son.

Normally, the firstborn became the leader of the clan on the patriarch’s passing.

In the clan of Israel, that role fell on Judah.

Why?

I wanted to say that it was because Judah looked out for others and had more integrity than his brothers.

But a quick look at Judah’s life disproved that idea. In most ways he was just as bad as his brothers.

As far as I can tell, this blessing of Judah was mainly prophetic.

The people of Judah produced David.

They remained faithful to God longer than the other tribes.

And most importantly, Jesus came from Judah.

The clan I came from has had its share of questionable characters.

It’s also been home to those with more noble personalities.

My hope is to lead my little part of our clan with such integrity that we may be seen as faithful.

How do you use your influence to bring more faithfulness and integrity to your clan?
Who in your clan has influenced you to be more faithful?
August 4, 2025

August 4th, 2025

Monday – Gospels

Reading – Matthew 1-2

Highlight Verses:

“After this interview the wise men went their way. And the star they had seen in the east guided them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were filled with joy!”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭2‬:‭9‬-‭10‬ ‭NLT‬‬

🎶“We three kings from Orient are, Tried to smoke a rubber cigar…”🎶

Oops, wrong song.

That little parody song that us boys used to sing when I was a kid was so messed up.

But then, so is our concept of the wise men.

• The Bible never calls them kings.

The word translated “wise men,” or “magi” normally referred to the priests of Zoastrianism, a religion widely practiced in that dat in an area that stretched from modern Iran to Pakistan.

How cool is it that God would use a misguided religion to point people to Jesus. But I digress.

• The Bible never says how many there were.

The idea that there were three is inferred from the three different gifts.

• The Bible never states the names of the wise men.

The common names used in western culture come from an 8th century translation of a lost 6th century Greek document. Not the Bible.

• The Bible doesn’t say when they arrived.

The tradition of January 6th, twelve days after Jesus’ birth, is very unlikely. The wise men most likely began their journey some time after the birth. They had a long journey and stopped to meet with Herod first.

Also, the term child is used to describe Jesus, not infant.

So why would I blast the traditions about the wise men?

While these traditions don’t have any real impact on theology, we tend to accept them without question.

One of the values we have at our church is, “We always ask, ‘What does the Bible say?’”

If we blindly accept these traditions,

what other traditions do we accept that could be drawing people away from important truths.

It is important to base what we believe on the truth in the Bible by studying it and finding what it really says about those beliefs.

Is there anything that you accepted as truth that you found out the Bible said something different?
What is your method for studying the Bible?
August 3, 2025

August 3rd, 2025

Sunday – Poetry

Reading – Psalms 92-94

Highlight Verses:

“It is good to proclaim your unfailing love in the morning, your faithfulness in the evening, accompanied by a ten-stringed instrument, a harp, and the melody of a lyre.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭92‬:‭2‬-‭3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The instrument describe here was a kinnor.

It was a contemporary instrument adapted from the lyres of the surrounding cultures of the Middle East and Mediterranean regions.

A kinnor was not necessarily a religious instrument though it was used to compose and accompany many of the Psalms.

The closest modern equivalent is a guitar which has its design roots in lyres and is used in both traditional and contemporary religious and secular settings.

My takeaway from this little history lesson is that the Psalmists used whatever tools they had available to them.

They used those tools to create sincere and passionate music to worship God.

The world of worship today is very different from that of the psalmists, but the purpose is the same – to worship God with everything you’ve got.

Whether you go to a church with a traditional organ and piano or a full modern band,

bring the passion of worship to bring glory to God both with others and on your own.

What is your favorite type of worship music?
How do you keep the passion for worship alive?
August 2, 2025

August 2nd, 2025

Saturday – Open topic

Reading – Matthew 6:14-15; 18:21-35.

Highlight Verses:

““If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6‬:‭14‬-‭15‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The other day, someone pulled across the road directly in front of me. I slammed on the brakes and laid on the horn.

I somehow managed to keep my mouth shut and fingers tucked away.

As the car passed me the driver gave me a look as if to say, “What’s your problem?”

At that point, the thought crossed my mind, “Do I really have to forgive someone who is unrepentant?”

I knew the answer. Forgiving that person, or anyone else who does me wrong in anyway, is essential.

In most cases, it makes no difference to the other person.

It makes all the difference to me.

Unforgiveness would make me a slave to anger. It would close me off from God’s forgiveness.

It’s not even an option in my book.

Have you ever struggled with unforgiveness?
Have you experienced the freedom that comes with forgiving others?

It was anticlimactic to say the least.

I began to understand that baptism was supposed to be a radical act that publicly confessed the serious change in my life.

But I do think that it is important to be baptized after coming to faith in Jesus.

If even Jesus felt like it was right for Him to be baptized, how could I do less?

While the people around me may not like to hear me butcher the words and the notes the first few times, I love to learn the new songs.

But then, why not?

You might be surprised at how much more enjoyable it might make your days.

I grew up in Fresno where the average summer high temperature was over 100F (38C).

And most of the action in the Bible is in the Middle East, an area that makes Fresno look like a ski resort.

I think it’s because most of the people in the Bible were far more interested in truth than comfort.

You could call this, “Lessons for the Exile Life.”

But most of us have at least something they aren’t satisfied with in their living situation.

Even if we aren’t where we want to be, we need to take a positive attitude and help those around us.

And Paul called him out.

If there’s truth in it, be grateful and do something about it.

While it is tough to get past what feels like meddling, I recognize that my friends are just as flawed as me.

I’d like to think that Jonathan played a part in that by encouraging David.

Encouragement literally gives courage.

We would do well to give courage to those around us who need it.

In the clan of Israel, that role fell on Judah.

They remained faithful to God longer than the other tribes.

My hope is to lead my little part of our clan with such integrity that we may be seen as faithful.

One of the values we have at our church is, “We always ask, ‘What does the Bible say?’”

what other traditions do we accept that could be drawing people away from important truths.

It is important to base what we believe on the truth in the Bible by studying it and finding what it really says about those beliefs.

They used those tools to create sincere and passionate music to worship God.

The world of worship today is very different from that of the psalmists, but the purpose is the same – to worship God with everything you’ve got.

bring the passion of worship to bring glory to God both with others and on your own.

At that point, the thought crossed my mind, “Do I really have to forgive someone who is unrepentant?”

It makes all the difference to me.

Unforgiveness would make me a slave to anger. It would close me off from God’s forgiveness.