Walk in the Light

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?
July 7, 2025

July 7th, 2025

Monday – Gospels

Reading – Mark 11-12

Highlight Verse:

“He noticed a fig tree in full leaf a little way off, so he went over to see if he could find any figs. But there were only leaves because it was too early in the season for fruit.”
‭‭Mark‬ ‭11‬:‭13‬ ‭NLT‬‬

This scene always confused me.

Here’s the perfect man losing His temper over a tree that shouldn’t have had figs on it yet in the first place.

Huh?

We never covered this in Bible college (I didn’t get that far along).

So, I turned to my favorite commentary sites – Blue Letter Bible, and Enduring Word.

It turns out that, while not definitive, the Greek implies that either it was a bad season for figs or that tree was having a bad season.

That still leaves the disturbing image of Jesus losing His temper over a minor circumstance…

Unless…

Could He have been trying to teach us a lesson?

That tree had all the indications of bearing fruit. It was in full leaf, well past flowering. It should have had fruit by now.

It didn’t.

In our journey of faith, if we are past the initial blossoming of faith, we should be bearing fruit.

If something is wrong that is holding us back from bearing fruit, we shouldn’t act like that tree, like everything is normal.

But let’s face it, our default is to put on our best front and look to those around us like everything is fine.

That’s not fine.

Jesus was in a mode of cleansing the religious corruption and extended that mode to make an example of this fig tree.

But keep in mind that he brought redemption to those of the religious establishment who chose to follow Him – Nicodemus, Levi, Paul, etc.

If you or I find ourselves hiding behind a religious front, we still have the opportunity to step out from behind that fake front into a healed and whole faith.

Then we won’t be able to stop the fruit of faith that we will bear.

Have you ever recovered from a fruitless fake season of faith? How did you get past it?
Are you in that season now? Do you want help out? Let us know.
July 6, 2025

July 6th, 2025

Sunday – Poetry

Reading – Psalms 80-82

Highlight Verses:

“Come back, we beg you, O God of Heaven’s Armies. Look down from heaven and see our plight. Take care of this grapevine that you yourself have planted, this son you have raised for yourself.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭80‬:‭14‬-‭15‬ ‭NLT‬‬

This was likely written when the people of Israel had wandered away from worshipping God and were being threatened by their enemies.

Though this descendant of the original Asaph seems to have remained faithful to God, he lived in a nation that had turned away.

He cried out to God to come back and draw the people back to Him.

Can you relate?

I mentioned before that the United States had just experienced a great revival at its founding.

Today, we are far from that revival and living in a culture that practically excludes God.

Asaph’s prayer is as meaningful today as it was when it was written.

We would do well to pray to that effect everyday.

How do you think we should be praying for our country?
What results have you seen from such prayers?
July 5, 2025

July 5th, 2025

Saturday – Open Topic

Reading – Galatians 5:1-15

Highlight Verse:

“For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love.”
‭‭Galatians‬ ‭5‬:‭13‬ ‭NLT‬‬

In the mid 1700’s Reverend Jonathan Edwards realized that faith wasn’t about following the rules and traditions of the church but about the sacrifice Jesus made, and the freedom found in that.

He preached that in his church in New Jersey. The Holy Spirit got a hold of that church and brought such revival that it could not be contained.

Anglican minister George Whitfield caught the same message and took it on the road preaching more than 18,000 sermons throughout the colonies and England.

The Holy Spirit gave the colonists a spiritual freedom and unity not seen since the early church.

That taste of spiritual freedom and unity helped inspire the American Revolution.

We live in that freedom still.

If we trust in Jesus, our freedom goes far beyond our rights here in the USA.

As we revel in the freedom the American Revolution brought us, let’s bring spiritual freedom to ourselves and our country!

How do you remember Jesus in your 4th of July celebrations?
How will you continue to encourage revival through the rest of your summer?
July 4, 2025

July 4th, 2025

Friday – Prophets

Reading – Jeremiah 13-15

Highlight Verse:

“Then the Lord said, “These prophets are telling lies in my name. I did not send them or tell them to speak. I did not give them any messages. They prophesy of visions and revelations they have never seen or heard. They speak foolishness made up in their own lying hearts.”
‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭14‬:‭14‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Lies come at us from all directions.

Broadcasters cater their news around ratings and advertisers.

Social media influencers put out whatever gains them views and followers.

Even some pastors shape their messages so they don’t offend, even if that means ignoring sound doctrine.

I’m not going to say it’s worse now than ever.

It might be but this sort of behavior has been going on for thousands of years. Paul spoke of it and here, Jeremiah speaks of it too.

What happens when people ignore outside pressures and speak the Gospel boldly in love, without fear as lead by the Holy Spirit?

Revival!!

That can start today.

If you read this on the day I post it, you can remember to be honest, bold and loving as you share Gospel truth with those you meet at Independence Day gatherings.

In the future, you can follow the Holy Spirit’s prompting whenever you meet people.

Are you ready for revival?
Have you seen it? How have you seen it come about?
June 3, 2025

July 3rd, 2025

Thursday – Letters

Reading – 2 Corinthians 4-5

Highlight Verse:

“If it seems we are crazy, it is to bring glory to God. And if we are in our right minds, it is for your benefit.”
‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭5‬:‭13‬ ‭NLT‬‬

When I see those pretty little signs with inspirational verses, the first thing I often think about is how those verses are taken out of context.

Then I have to remember how many times I’ve taken this, my favorite verse of the Bible, out of context.

So let’s look at it in context.

Before this verse, Paul talks about how hard working and committed he and his people have been.

After it he speaks of the completely different point of view that Jesus has given them.

In earthly human terms, living by faith in those times was nuts.

They were misunderstood, persecuted, punished, and even killed for their faith.

But their commitment stayed firm because of their new perspective, God’s perspective.

They knew that there was nothing anyone could do that would shake their faith.

That’s being 100% sold out to Jesus!

That’s crazy.

That’s awesome!

What is your favorite verse in the Bible?
What context surrounds it?

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?

This scene always confused me.

In our journey of faith, if we are past the initial blossoming of faith, we should be bearing fruit.

If you or I find ourselves hiding behind a religious front, we still have the opportunity to step out from behind that fake front into a healed and whole faith.

Can you relate?

Today, we are far from that revival and living in a culture that practically excludes God.

We would do well to pray to that effect everyday.

The Holy Spirit gave the colonists a spiritual freedom and unity not seen since the early church.

If we trust in Jesus, our freedom goes far beyond our rights here in the USA.

As we revel in the freedom the American Revolution brought us, let’s bring spiritual freedom to ourselves and our country!

Lies come at us from all directions.

Even some pastors shape their messages so they don’t offend, even if that means ignoring sound doctrine.

Revival!!

So let’s look at it in context.

But their commitment stayed firm because of their new perspective, God’s perspective.

That’s being 100% sold out to Jesus!