Sacrifice was common
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. -Romans 12:1 Sacrifice was common place in first century Jewish culture and it was done as an act of worship. God invited his people […]
Won’t break easily
I will not deny my integrity. – Job 27:5b My son was looking over my shoulder and asked “What is integrity?” Have you ever tried explaining it? It took me a bit to line up my thoughts. I told him, “Something with integrity won’t break easily, so if we are talking about a person, then […]
Warning people
For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. – Matthew 23:12 In this passage, Jesus is warning people not to be like Pharisees. He talks about how they want to be honored and tell others what to do, but they aren’t willing to put in the work […]
People keep it hidden
But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” – Heb 3:13a Most of the people you come into contact with on a daily basis are dealing with discouragement on one level or another. Discouragement feels like a weakness, so people keep it hidden. But the truth is all of us could […]
Can I actually finish this thing?
And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. – Hebrews 12:1c Have you ever been in a long race? There’s a point in a race when you begin asking yourself questions. “Why in the world did I do this” or, “Can I actually finish this thing?” It’s almost inevitable. The questions […]
The bathroom fan
He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;” – Psalm 46:10a We probably watch too much TV at our house. As the evening winds down, my daughter begins her nighttime routine and heads for the bathroom at the top of the stairs. Sometimes she leaves the bathroom fan on with the door open. […]
He knows how we work
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. – Prov 3:5 Countless times I would get the boat out for a fishing trip, set up camp or try to tie a loop on a fishhook. I thought I was doing things right. My grandfather would watch for just […]
Talk about miserable!
“Those who cling to worthless idols turn away from God’s love for them. – Jonah 2:8 When God pursues us, we can feel loved and valued. But if we haven’t surrendered, God’s pursuit can feel downright miserable. This prayer comes from a man who ran from God. He knew what God asked of him and […]
Trusting God would be tough
Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this. – Psalm 37:5 How difficult is it to trust God? Trusting God is easy to talk about but for some reason it sure can feel risky. There are several instances in the Bible like this where there’s a: “If you do […]
I love disaster movies
He says, “Be still, and know that I am God. Psalm 46:10a I love disaster movies. I think it’s all the special effects. There’s almost always that one part in the movie when a group of people hear about some impending doom or maybe even see it coming. The crowd stirs and you can feel […]