Scripture: 1 Corinthians 12:28 In the church, God has appointed first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, the ability to help others, leadership skills, different kinds of tongues. Thought for the Day: Paul appears to have an order — first, second, third… It might be interpreted as levels of importance, but since humility and the first being last, I doubt Paul was attempting
Scripture: 1st Corinthians 11:17-18 Now I don’t praise you as I give the following instruction because when you meet together, it does more harm than good. First of all, when you meet together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you, and I partly believe it. Thought for the Day: When Paul writes about the folks in Corinth meeting together as the church, the language
Scripture: Romans 16:1 I’m introducing our sister Phoebe to you, who is a servant of the church in Cenchreae. Thought for the Day: Yesterday, I started playing around with the Greek word, Ekklesia – usually translated as church. In the above words from Romans, Paul writes that Phoebe is a Diakonos of the Ekklesia. It is sometimes translated as a deacon of the church. The word Diakonos is
Scripture: Acts 9:31 Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace. God strengthened the church, and its life was marked by reverence for the Lord. Encouraged by the Holy Spirit, the church continued to grow in numbers. Thought for the Day: The Greek word we translate as church in the New Testament is Ekklesia, but let’s be clear, it never described a building
Prayer for the Week: O Prince of Peace, give me a quiet and content heart. O Prince of Peace, give me a quiet and content heart. O Prince of Peace, give me a quiet and content heart. In a world where news organizations seek to keep us on edge, where money drives the narrative above truth-telling, where fear is a tool wielded well by so many, it is difficult
Scripture: Matthew 28:18-20 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end
Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. Thought for the Day: This is one of those passages at the epicenter of a seismic argument over the last century or so. Are the scriptures perfect and without error, or is the language of
Scripture: Philippians 4:13 I can endure all these things through the power of the one who gives me strength. Thought for the Day: To give me strength! The word we translate as strength from the original Greek is: Endunamoo. It is the same word we find in the book of Acts, shortly after Saul’s conversion (the guy who became the Apostle Paul). It is not a very common word,
Scripture: Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Thought for the Day: If you hadn’t noticed, my focus the last few days has been on leadership. A little of this spills over from my workshop at the recent Area Assembly. In the above words from Romans we find
Scripture: Matthew 6:33-34 Instead, desire first and foremost God’s kingdom and God’s righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore, stop worrying about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Thought for the Day: In the Common English Bible Translation, the heading for this section reads: Worry about Necessities. It’s a little like saying, “Don’t sweat