Scripture: Ephesians 1:2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Thought for the Day: These words of the Apostle Paul were a basic greeting that could have been found in any correspondence. For that reason, such words are often dismissed as a superficial salutation. I must confess how I have often breezed past these words on my way to what I
Scripture: John 16:20 [Jesus said,] Very truly, I tell you, you will weep and mourn, but the world will rejoice; you will have pain, but your pain will turn into joy. Thought for the Day: Jesus seems overly optimistic here. He appears certain that the sadness and pain of the disciples will eventually turn into joy. These words have a familiar ring to them – for it was
Scripture: 2nd Corinthians 8:1-6 We want you to know, brothers and sisters, about the grace of God that has been granted to the churches of Macedonia; for during a severe ordeal of affliction, their abundant joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. For, as I can testify, they voluntarily gave according to their means, and even beyond their means, begging
Scripture: Psalm 55:4 My heart is in anguish within me, the terrors of death have fallen upon me. Thought for the Day: In today’s sermon, I am referencing a thought-provoking idea from T.S. Elliot. He wrote, “Our lives are a constant evasion of ourselves.” It sounds as if Elliot is suggesting that human beings avoid themselves. As strange as the thought might be, there are those things within
Scripture: Proverbs 28:1 The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion. Thought for the Day: Why would anyone flee when there is no one pursuing them? This was my initial question in reading the first half of this passage, and then it hit me. There is no person or army approaching ‘the wicked’, but there is something else that is
Scripture: Matthew 10:38-39 [Jesus said,]…and whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. Thought for the Day: Amy-Jill Levine writes in her thought-provoking book, The Misunderstood Jew, “Whenever a new religious movement, political view, or social practice emerges, some resistance is
Scripture: Romans 12:9-10 Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor. Thought for the Day: Last night, I finished my three week class on Sex and the Bible. Actually, it was more like I ran out of time. With that said, the conversation was wonderful and the giggling was kept
Scripture: Psalm 92:1 It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to your name, O Most High; Thought for the Day: I’m in a thankful mood. I would hope that such a mood would be a regular happening in my life, and I think I am generally a thankful kind of guy. With that said, I have had a really good couple of days.
Scripture: Matthew 25:36 I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me. Thought for the Day: I just heard that Mexico’s Prison Angel died last week. Sister Antonia Brenner, an American Nun, died after years of living inside a Tijuana prison where she served the inmates. She was born in the United
Scripture: Psalm 16:11 You show me the path of life. In your presence there is fullness of joy; in your right hand are pleasures forevermore. Thought for the Day: No one seems to know who said it, but someone at some point was quoted as saying, “Enjoy life! This is not a dress rehearsal.” How often do we approach the day at half speed and with a ho-hum