Maybe you read about the guy who lost his cello. Daniel Rothmuller came home very tired one night and absent-mindedly left his cello outside his home. This was no ordinary cello. Daniel is a cellist with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and this was a 1684 Stradivarius cello worth $3.5 million. What happened to this incredibly […]
Archive | Devotionals
Location, Location, Location! – Matthew 7:24-27
You’ve heard the old real estate rule about location. The Selken family thought they had the ideal location for their home near Shirley, Arkansas. Tonya was very careful to choose the best two of her grandfather’s 210 acres, not just for the incredible scenery, but also for protection from tornadoes. During 60 years of property […]
Acting on Acts – Acts 1-16
The fifth book of the New Testament does more than record the “Acts of the Apostles.” Luke’s spotlight really only shines on two of the apostles, Peter and Paul, but he focuses more on the Holy Spirit and His actions in the early church. A recent reading of the book brought several lessons to my […]
He Was Lost And Is Found – Luke 15
How many variations of Jesus’ story of the lost son can be told! Many of us can tell our own versions, sometimes as the lost child, sometimes as the welcoming parent, amazing ourselves at what we learn about ourselves in both roles and at what we learn about God’s love. What might be regarded as […]
Beatitude Attitude – Matthew 5:6
Jesus began His Sermon on the Mount with what we call the Beatitudes, Matthew 5:3-12. Some call them “the essence of the essence.” If you want to know and honor Jesus, you must understand and live by these. For this devotional message, I’ve chosen the words of my 89-year-old friend Leroy Garrett on one beatitude, Matthew […]
Rescued To Rescue – Colossians 1:13-14
My daughter loves animals and her family loves animals. When I visit, there’s usually a new rodent or rabbit to meet. Few were bought; most were found and rescued. Especially cherished by Tiffany is her rescued cat, Hemingway, who looks and acts like the cartoon Garfield. Hemi, as he is called, was declawed early in […]
Better to Lose One Part of Your Body? – Matthew 5:29-30; 18:8-9
I’m sure Sampson Parker never dreamed that his farming accident on Sept. 11, 2007, might be an illustration of a difficult teaching by Jesus. He was harvesting corn that day in Kershaw County, South Carolina, when stalks got stuck in a set of rollers in his old corn picker. He made the mistake of reaching […]
The Battle Belongs to the Lord – 2 Chronicles 20
R.C. Rivera joined CTLA in October 2006, one of only about a dozen members who are not attorneys. A former pastor, he was then owner/operator of Atlas Pro Serve & Associates, with a powerful testimony, which he shared with me over lunch. He was enthusiastic to be one of our 2007 seminar sponsors and gave me his […]
Man’s Best Friend? – John 15:15-16
For as long as I can remember, I’ve loved dogs. For most of my life, I’ve owned and cared for one, but I’ve never expected one of mine ever to do anything heroic. And, they haven’t, except to put up with me and try to please me, even when I’ve been hard to please. In […]
Being a Christian Lawyer is Possible, But Not Easy – I Peter 5:5-6
The words of this title are in bold on the back cover of a 2007 book by Michael P. Schutt. I agree with them. Do you? I’ve often referred to CTLA as “a support network for those who are swimming upstream.” On the front cover, the title is Redeeming Law, and the subtitle, Christian Calling and […]