Scripture: Psalm 133:1 How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity! Thought for the Day: On this day in 1053, the Normans defeated the army of Pope Leo IX in the Battle of Civitate in Southern Italy. There was no single or simple reason for this battle, but there was clearly an ugliness and bigotry between these two groups of people. There are
Scripture: Proverbs 4:7 The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever else you get, get insight. Thought for the Day: My sermon yesterday invited people to think about the Noah story in light of the Epic of Gilgamesh and the ancient Samaritan Flood story. After worship, I had someone approach me and say, “If you would have told me where you were going with today’s sermon,
Scripture: 2nd Peter 1:5-8 For this very reason, you must make every effort to support your faith with goodness, and goodness with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with endurance, and endurance with godliness, and godliness with mutual affection, and mutual affection with love. For if these things are yours and are increasing among you, they keep you from being ineffective and unfruitful in the knowledge of
Scripture: Joshua 1:9 I hereby command you: Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. Thought for the Day: After the death of Moses, God called Joshua into leadership. Someone may feel ready and well prepared for such a task, but there are always those first day jitters. We can all relate to this experience:
Scripture: Hebrew 11:7 By faith Noah, warned by God about events as yet unseen, respected the warning and built an ark to save his household; by this he condemned the world and became an heir to the righteousness that is in accordance with faith. Thought for the Day: When does God give warnings of things yet unseen? I think God is often tapping on our shoulder, yet too
Scripture: Matthew 10:39 Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. Thought for the Day: I have returned to Rob Bell’s new book, What we Talk About When We Talk About God, on numerous occasions lately…especially the many sections I highlighted on the first time through the book. One line in particular felt true the first
Scripture: Acts 18:22-23 When Paul had landed at Caesarea, he went up to Jerusalem and greeted the church, and then went down to Antioch. After spending some time there he departed and went from place to place through the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples. Thought for the Day: Malcolm Muggeridge worked for the BBC when he was asked to take a film crew to
Scripture: Hebrews 12:1-2 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding
Scripture: Ephesians 5:18-20 Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but be filled with the Spirit, as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts, giving thanks to God the Father at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Thought for the Day: The task of a
Scripture: Genesis 1:24-25 And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures of every kind: cattle and creeping things and wild animals of the earth of every kind.” And it was so. God made the wild animals of the earth of every kind, and the cattle of every kind, and everything that creeps upon the ground of every kind. And God saw that it was good. Thought