Scripture: Matthew 16:24-25 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “All who want to come after me must say no to themselves, take up their cross, and follow me. All who want to save their lives will lose them. But all who lose their lives because of me will find them…” Thought for the Day: From Cane Ridge, Kentucky, Barton W. Stone and others participated in the writing of
Scripture: John 1:1-3 In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. The Word was with God in the beginning. Everything came into being through the Word, and without the Word nothing came into being. Thought for the Day: In the 2nd century after Christ, Clement of Alexandria wrote to the Greeks on numerous subjects, including the Word of God.
Scripture: Hebrews 4:12 …the word of God is living and active… Thought for the Day: Christianity has taken a singular focus on the words of scripture at the expense of the word of God that took on flesh. Let me be clear – the scriptures are central to my faith, but the word that is referenced in scripture is not a book. It is an expression of God
Scripture: Matthew 22:2 The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding party for his son. Thought for the Day: Rev. Dr. Mike Graves is one of the best preachers I have ever heard. He still holds two of my top five sermons ever. He is currently working at a church in the Kansas City area and teaching preaching classes. In a recent newsletter article,
Scripture: Galatians 5:22-23 …the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Thought for the Day: Barton W. Stone, one of the founders of our denomination, suggested that Jesus’s “apostles were forbidden to leave Jerusalem and preach the Gospel till they had receive the Holy Spirit of promise, endured with power from on high… The Lord will have no servants in
Scripture: Proverbs 31:8-9 Speak out on behalf of the voiceless, and for the rights of all who are vulnerable. Speak out in order to judge with righteousness and to defend the needy and the poor. Thought for the Day: On this day in 64AD, Rome experienced what is often called the Great Fire. There are theories to what caused this devastating fire, including that the Emperor Nero intentionally
Scripture: Leviticus 19:34 Any immigrant who lives with you must be treated as if they were one of your citizens. You must love them as yourself, because you were immigrants in the land of Egypt; I am the LORD your God. Thought for the Day: As I reflect back on our denomination’s General Assembly and the installation of our new General Minister and President, the Rev. Teresa Hord
Scripture: Romans 15:1 We who are powerful need to be patient with the weakness of those who don’t have power, and not please ourselves. Thought for the Day: Today I am in Lincoln, Nebraska, with my family to celebrate with my mother. She is being recognized for her more than two decades of service as a dollar/year employee. She has done much of the pastoral care in her
Scripture: Genesis 31:2-3 And Jacob saw that Laban did not regard him as favorably as he did before. Then the Lord said to Jacob, “Return to the land of your ancestors and to your kindred, and I will be with you.” Thought for the Day: Has God ever surprised you with a gentle nudge to go back to that place where you didn’t figure you’d ever return? So
Scripture: Genesis 29:1 Then Jacob went on his journey, and came to the land of the people of the east. Thought for the Day: The word we translate as ‘journey’ is the Hebrew word for feet. That is an important reminder because too often our experience of a journey is something that might be long but not all that strenuous. For most of us, a journey consists of