Friday // Steel :: Example
Title: Words and actions did not add up Set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity. – 1 Timothy 4:12b “How do you think that impacts your son?” These are the words I spoke to a man who was convicted of abusing his wife. He had just finished bashing this woman, calling her all sorts of nasty names while retelling the story of the events that led him to the seat across […]
Saturday // Build : : Encouragement
Title: As a Parole Officer Encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” – Hebrews 3:13a 10 to 1. As a parole officer, I’ve been told to cement positive behavior in the lives of men who have made a career of evil; I need to praise them at a 10-to-1 ratio. Sometimes finding […]
Wednesday // Grit :: Influence
Title: Be the Man Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ. – 1 Corinthians 11:1 What do you think the writer of this passage (Paul) would have thought of his own words only a few years before the writing of this verse? Indeed, the idea of following Christ was foreign to him […]
Thursday // Warrior:: Defend
Title: Give Fear the Finger. “Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor” Psalm 82:3 I was never a fan of the NBA center Dikembe Mutombo, but I did appreciate that he never backed down. From anyone! The memory I will always have of him is a guy who refused to […]
Sunday // Sacrifice :: Acknowledge
Title: Simple Request Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. – Matthew 10:32 I love the simplicity of this verse. Christ is not calling us to fight his battle for him. He’s not asking us to explain the meaning of life or defend the Scriptures from the atheist attack. His simple […]
Saturday // Build :: Invest
Title: I’m just working for the man Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters… – Colossians 3:23 “I’m just working for the man.” Have you ever heard that phrase when talking to people at work or with friends? I know I have, and I […]
Thu // Warrior :: Weapons
Title: Proficient with weapons Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. – Ephesians 6:11 One of my roles as a law enforcement officer is training others in fighting and firearms. I understand that there are two types of officers with whom I work. Officer #1 […]
Wednesday // Grit:: Resolve
Title: Serving is Foundational “But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:15 In college, I worked for several summers as a framer. I want to say that I got to build many homes, but in reality, all I did was move piles of lumber and plywood from one location to […]
Sunday // Sacrifice :: Exalt
Title: He Is Holy Exalt the Lord our God and worship at his footstool; he is holy. – Psalm 99:5 There are passages in the Bible that confound me. When I read them, I am left struggling to find the proper meaning. This is not one of those passages. The picture painted by this verse is […]
Tuesday // Fuel :: Prayer
Title: Stop Praying? Pray continually. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 Stop praying. Wait, what’d he say? Francis Chan’s words in “Crazy Love” got my attention. Francis contended that we had lost the “awe factor” in our prayer life. He reflects on Revelation 4, and Isaiah 6 describes God’s appearance and the setting of His throne. He then talks about the […]