Prayer for the Week: Is there enough time – Do I have enough energy – What will I get out of it? So many things play into my decisions on whether I will join you in the sharing of your Gospel of everlasting and unconditional love. God of All Creation, I am challenged each day on how I will distribute the time I have, allocate the energy I’ve
Scripture: Luke 9:61-62 Someone else said to Jesus, “I will follow you, Lord, but first let me say good-bye to those in my house.” Jesus said to him, “No one who puts a hand on the plow and looks back is fit for God’s kingdom.” Thought for the Day: This is the end of today’s sermon text. Maybe you instantly understood what Jesus meant by putting a hand
Scripture: Luke 9:57-58 As Jesus and his disciples traveled along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and the birds in the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” Thought for the Day: These words of scripture are part of the sermon text for tomorrow. Like last Sunday’s text,
Scripture: Luke 9:54-56 When the disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to consume them?” But Jesus turned and spoke sternly to them, and they went on to another village. Thought for the Day: This is one of the places where I want more information. What is meant by the words, “..Jesus turned and spoke sternly
Scripture: Luke 9:52-53 He sent messengers on ahead of him. Along the way, they entered a Samaritan village to prepare for his arrival, but the Samaritan villagers refused to welcome him because he was determined to go to Jerusalem. Thought for the Day: Jesus was planning on visiting the Samaritans, yet the Samaritans were not ready to welcome Jesus. Luke suggests it is because Jesus was headed to
Scripture: Proverbs 26:24-25 Hateful people mislead with their lips, keeping their deception within. Though they speak graciously, don’t believe them, for seven horrible things are in their heart. Thought for the Day: Being consistent, through and through, was central to Biblical Wisdom. We might call it integrity, while religion might use words like righteousness or virtue. Whatever the case, people of faith are encouraged to be gap-less. That’s
Scripture: Proverbs 26:13 A lazy person says, “There’s a lion in the path! A lion in the plazas!” Thought for the Day: I’m slipping away from Luke’s Gospel for a day or two, but as I prepare for next week’s sermon, I’m thinking a lot about excuses. Specifically, what is it that encourages our excuse-making. This verse from Proverbs is the first of three that speak of laziness
Prayer for the Week: By faith, we claim you to be the God of Love. Love is conceived within you, Lord, but it could not be contained within you. It took on flesh and lived among us. Love is how we know you, for it is in Jesus Christ that we encounter and find our lives confronted by the power and tenacity of your love. So many live
Scripture: Luke 9:46-50 An argument arose among the disciples about which of them was the greatest. Aware of their deepest thoughts, Jesus took a little child and had the child stand beside him. Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever welcomes this child in my name welcomes me. Whoever welcomes me, welcomes the one who sent me. Whoever is least among you all is the greatest.” John replied, “Master,
Scripture: Luke 9:18 Once when Jesus was praying by himself, the disciples joined him, and he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” Thought for the Day: The struggles seen among a wide-range of Christian traditions often hang on this question. Now personally, I am frustrated when people seem confused or even angry when my answer differs from their answer. The frustration is not because