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
Scripture: 3 John 1:8 Therefore we ought to support such people, so that we may become co-workers with the truth. Thought for the Day: I have had many co-workers in my years of working, but I cannot say I’ve ever thought of ‘the truth’ as a co-worker. Though quite often scripture speaks of truth and wisdom and other such things as more than things. They are viewed as
Scripture: John 16:13 When the Spirit of Truth comes, he will guide you in all truth. He won’t speak on his own, but will say whatever he hears and will proclaim to you what is to come. Thought for the Day: On this, the final day of General Assembly, I offer a word of thanksgiving for what has been shared; what I have experienced; what God has done.
Scripture: Ezekiel 37:9 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, mortal, and say to the breath: Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.” Thought for the Day: Let me preface this by saying that I am not a doctor, and the following suggestions are not clinically proven. Now that I have