Scripture: Ruth 1:20 Naomi said to them, “Call me no longer Naomi, call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt bitterly with me.” Thought for the Day: In today’s world, it is a pretty difficult process to legally change your name, but many people do it. Other people have a funny or silly happening that becomes a nickname that sticks. Still others allow a life circumstance to rename
Scripture: 1st Corinthians 12:27 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. Thought for the Day: In my sermon this morning, I will suggest that Jesus has more confidence in us than we have in ourselves. Within his ministry, Jesus offered many positive and optimistic teachings in regard to his disciples and the future of God’s kingdom being made manifest here on earth. The
Scripture: Matthew 24:40 And the king will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.” Thought for the Day: I had lunch with Marshall Martin a few days ago, and I was really moved by a project to which he has committed. Marshall is an active member
Scripture: John 14:12 Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the father. Thought for the Day: I have used this passage for devotionals before, but it is a piece of scripture that keeps presenting itself in a dramatic way. The preposition because
Scripture: 2nd John 1:5-6 Now, dear friends, I am requesting that we love each other. It’s not as though I’m writing a new command to you, but it’s one we have had from the beginning. This is love: that we live according to his commands. This is the command that you heard from the beginning: live in love. Thought for the Day: I remember one of the youth
Scripture: Psalm 62:2 God alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall never be shaken Thought for the Day: These words reflect the common beliefs of ancient Israel. They would have been words that a young Jew would have grown up hearing again and again, yet we all know the difference between hearing a basic belief and making that belief our own. I was talking
Scripture: Zechariah 7:9 The LORD of heavenly forces proclaims: Make just and faithful decisions; show kindness and compassion to each other! Thought for the Day: A guy who was just a couple years ahead of me in High School died last week. I was reading his obituary, and the closing lines read: “In lieu of flowers, we ask you to take a moment and hug your spouse, partner,
Scripture: James 1:17 Every good gift, every perfect gift, comes from above. These gifts come down from the Father, the creator of the heavenly lights, in whose character there is no change at all. Thought for the Day: Yesterday was a marvelous day! It started with three wonderful services of worship in which a congregation responded in a very positive way to a sermon that might have been
Scripture: Luke 6:35 But love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. Thought for the Day: “Danger, Will Robinson! Danger!” I loved the old tv series, Lost in Space. It actually came out a year before I was born, but I
Scripture: Luke 16:13 No household servant can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be loyal to the one and have contempt for the other. You cannot serve God and wealth. Thought for the Day: On this day in 1803, the United States purchased the Louisiana Territory which doubled the size of our young country. I was always fascinated