Scripture: Philippians 1:29 For God has graciously granted you the privilege not only of believing in Christ, but of suffering for him as well Thought for the Day: Is God the source of suffering brought on by faithfulness? Some might suggest it is so, but I cannot imagine the God of eternal love and kindness wanting anyone to suffer. Of course, where such love and kindness exist, there
Scripture: Proverbs 16:23-24 The mind of the wise makes their speech judicious, and adds persuasiveness to their lips. Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body. Thought for the Day: Our speech has the potential for so much good. Whether it is a kind word to the man ringing-up our grocery items or the woman we meet during our morning walk,
Scripture: Romans 12:11 Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. Thought for the Day: I am reminded of the scene from the movie, Ghostbusters, where the Ghostbusters are in jail and the guard says, “Okay, Ghostbusters! The mayor wants to see you guys. The whole island’s going crazy!” To which Dr. Peter Venkman says to the other people being held in jail, “I
Scripture: Romans 11:6 But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace would no longer be grace. Thought for the Day: Grace is a difficult concept as it moves from theory to true life situations. O sure, we understand how we are embraced by God’s merciful love, and not by our actions. That seems easy to grasp. It suddenly becomes
Scripture: John 4:9-10 The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria?” (Jews do not share things in common with Samaritans.) Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you
Scripture: John 3:1-2 Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. He came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God.” Thought for the Day: The exchange between Nicodemus and Jesus is one of the
Scripture: Luke 8:22-24 One day Jesus got into a boat with his disciples, and he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side of the lake.” So they put out, and while they were sailing he fell asleep. A windstorm swept down on the lake, and the boat was filling with water, and they were in danger. They went to him and woke him up,
Scripture: Exodus 2:24-25 God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God looked upon the Israelites, and God took notice of them. Thought for the Day: I like how God is affected by the groans of the people. God does not act in a mechanistic way, but is compassionately responsive to the injustice and suffering of the Israelites. Too often, the church
Scripture: Acts 23:11 That night the Lord stood near him and said, “Keep up your courage! For just as you have testified for me in Jerusalem, so you must bear witness also in Rome.” Thought for the Day: As many of you know, I have been out of town this week. Part of it was spent on retreat in the North Carolina mountains, but the second half was
Scripture: 3 John 1:11 Beloved, do not imitate what is evil but imitate what is good. Whoever does good is from God; whoever does evil has not seen God. Thought for the Day: I’ve been reading and rereading this passage ever since the bombings in Boston. Please understand that I’m not taking a dig at Islam, as most Muslims are peace-loving as the prophet Mohammed taught them to