That’s what I told my nephew-in-law at the graveside of his wife, my niece. And, I added that every person does this hard work a little differently. There are no shortcuts and it cannot be programmed to end at a specific time. He and his 14-yr-old daughter and all our family are mourning the death […]
Archive | Devotionals
Small Decisions Become BIG – I Corinthians 16:13
Four guys decided to go fishing in the Gulf of Mexico off the west coast of Florida. One guy provided his boat. Someone chose the time to leave. Someone decided how far out to go. Someone decided to check the weather or not. Someone decided to stay a little longer when the wind came up. […]
Turn The Other What? – Matthew 5:10-12,38-48
One of our members wrote, “If you have any devotional messages about turning the other cheek, I would really appreciate it. I’m praying for the strength and guidance not to sink to the level of the person whose actions are hurting me and not to take a wrong course in reaction. I realized how much […]
Rejoicing in Prison – Philippians
I received so much positive response to my summary of the New Testament book of James that I decided to do the same for Philippians. Paul wrote it most likely from a prison in Rome, though some would argue Caesarea or Ephesus. The beginning of the Philippian church in Acts 16 includes a story about […]
Beyond Generosity – 2 Corinthians 8:9
Everson Walls arrived at the Dallas Cowboys’ training camp in 1981 as an undrafted rookie from Grambling, but he led the NFL in interceptions in 3 of his first 5 seasons. He picked off 57 passes and made the Pro Bowl 4 times over his 14-year career which later had him with the Giants and […]
On My Knees Before the Father – Ephesians 3:14-21
I’ve been surprised how many people have asked me to teach them how to pray. Actually, it’s an honor, I suppose, that they think I might know. His disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray and He gave them what we often call “The Lord’s Prayer.” (Luke 11:1-4) Many have memorized it and recited […]
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 […]
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 […]
You Do Not Even Know – James 4:14
I was among those who received an email message asking me to pray for the outstanding Christian author Philip Yancey. He was in a serious auto accident on Sunday, Feb. 25, 2007, in New Mexico. Driving home to Denver after speaking in Los Alamos, his Ford Explorer rolled several times when he entered a curve with too much […]
What Do You Cherish? – Ephesians 5:5,8-10
Mladen Jovanovic is my friend who preaches for a church in Zagreb, Croatia, which was a center for benevolent work during the years of conflict between Serbians and Croatians. They resolved not to throw food to people out of the back of trucks, but to interview each recipient and listen carefully to each story. They […]