Refreshing My Soul
Psalm 19:7-14 This psalm is a portion of Scripture we would be wise to read slowly, again and again. Allow it to resonate within us. When you read these verses over again, consider which phrases are...
View ArticleEmbarrassing Favoritism
Psalm 19:7-14 Sometimes it is embarrassing to be the favorite. Years ago I was helping transport senior adults to a week long event at a stadium. The first day a parking attendant in an orange vest...
View ArticleFavoritism Is Judging
James 2:8-13 People have all kinds of favorites: favorite colors, favorite foods, favorite sports, or favorite vacation spots. Mostly this is a harmless personal preference. It is important to...
View ArticleCulture Shift
Luke 10:30-37 Sociologists refer to cultural perception. Basically it means how people learn to view their world from within their particular culture. Jesus grew up in Nazareth, a small enclave of...
View ArticleWords of Hope
John 4:1-9 Our family group was headed into a large museum late one afternoon. We spotted a hot dog cart. Since we would be inside for several hours we decided to fortify ourselves with a snack. My...
View ArticleOpenness Goes Beyond Culture
John 4:10-18 Just inside the state line in northern Arkansas is Mammoth Spring State Park. The spring itself is one of the largest in the world, some eight million gallons of fresh water a minute...
View ArticleThe Worship Wars
John 4:19-26 When it came to worship the Samaritans disagreed with the Jews, particularly over the location. Both groups followed the Law of Moses. Both revered the Torah, the first five books of the...
View ArticleDealing With Partiality
1 Timothy 5:16-21 The Church fought the battle against favoritism quite early (Acts 6:1-7). In Jerusalem a number of widows came under the church’s care. Doubtless these were women who had been cut...
View ArticleWords That Reflect God’s Work
James 3:1-6 I find it interesting that James says, “Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect” (v. 2). James is alluding to how truly powerful our language is. To “never be at fault,”...
View ArticleWhen To Speak; What To Say
James 3:7-12 In James 3, he is asserting that it’s not okay for praise and cursing to come from the same mouth. Taming our tongue is a discipline, and yet our ability to do so stems from a deeper...
View ArticleEmptying Yourself
James 3:13-18 James’ description of wisdom sounds a lot to me like the apostle Paul’s description of the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). Perhaps that is because both are direct evidence of...
View ArticleFreedom In Christ
Galatians 1:6-13 Paul’s transformative encounter with God on the road to Damascus set the trajectory for the remainder of his life. Self-regarded as a once proud man of the religious elite, Paul now...
View ArticleClothes In All That Is Of God
Colossians 3:12-17 What specifically strikes me in Colossians 3 is Paul’s command to “let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts” (v. 15). That sounds like a no-brainer! Yes, of course I want the...
View ArticleChrist Made Known Through Me
1 Corinthians 2:1-6 When the apostle Paul told the people of Corinth about the world-altering, good news of Jesus Christ, he did so in humility and fear, yet with a confidence that was beyond himself....
View ArticleHaving The Mind of the Spirit
1 Corinthians 2:7-13 Have you ever looked at someone and wondered what in the world they’re thinking about? Paul’s words may sound familiar to us as we hear them two millennia after they were penned,...
View ArticleDivine Jealousy
James 4:1-6 My third grader once told me that something made her “jelly.” I confess my first thought was what kind, apple or grape? However, she went on to explain that “jelly” was simply the cool way...
View ArticleHumble, And Proud of It
James 4:7-12 Have you ever known anyone that was so humble that they almost seemed proud of their humility? They seem to be the head of their own advertising agency; they skillfully shine the...
View ArticleLord Willing
James 4:13-17 There’s conflict in the world at any given time. Sometimes, it might be something small and in your own backyard. Those things usually resolve themselves quickly, the audience is meager,...
View ArticleWell Known
1 Peter 4:1-11 I came to a realization recently. My God doesn’t just know me, He knows me very well. He not only knows my favorite this and that, but He knows my preferences, how I feel about change,...
View ArticleWorn and Torn
1 Peter 5:6-11 Ever feel like a worn out sponge after a sink full of dirty dishes? A worn sponge might be discolored from multiple dips into hot, soapy water. It might be torn from intense scrubbing....
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