Daily Devotionals

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS July 11, 2026 Yesterday’s Etching was long, though I felt it was needed if I was going to make my point. Building on the same idea, there are those who will quote Mark 10:45, “For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many.” Jesus was using the title Son of Man as a

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS July 9, 2026 There are moments when you witness something without pondering everything that occurred behind the scenes. We see the results without seeing much of the required work. As a friend used to say, “It takes a lot of effort to make something look effortless.” Last Sunday, we had three baptisms in worship. I really enjoy doing baptisms, but on those Sundays, the congregation enters

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS July 8, 2026 I have clergy friends who talk about how quiet their church campuses are during the week. Quiet is not the word I’d use around Cypress Creek Christian Church. And it’s not just the church, but everything happening around this little community compound. Of course, we had VBS and kids that brought lots of energy. The museum had a youth arts camp, and the

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS July 7, 2026 Guest Etching: Jim Cook The God Who Broke the Box A spoken-word meditation I used to have God… in a box. Not because I didn’t love Him. I did. But a God in a box is easier to understand. Easier to defend. Easier to explain. I built that box with Scripture, with doctrine, with certainty, with all the answers I thought I had

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS July 6, 2026 Prayer for the Week: In a country still trying to understand how to move from a conceptual understanding of freedom to a lived understanding of freedom, with all of its complexity, we pray for your help, O Life-Sharing and Life-Inspiring Spirit. The Apostle Paul taught his readers that true freedom was not the unchecked ability to do whatever one wants, but the power,

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS July 5, 2026 I’m going to date myself, but how many of you remember the “Calgon, take me away” commercial? When work was crazy and the kids were screaming and the dishes were piling up, you screamed, “Calgon, take me away.” And of course, the individual in the commercial was swept away to a luxurious spa-like bathroom with a bathtub that could seat twelve. And of

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS July 4, 2026 I always appreciate the fireworks and over-the-top celebration of my ordination anniversary. Yes, I was ordained at First Christian Church in Lincoln, NE, on Sunday, July 4, 1993. It sort of seemed like a strange day for an ordination, yet there were people who had a long weekend and could travel. Plus, I had just started my first full time ministry gig, and

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS July 3, 2026 I was contemplating love the other day. While it may seem like a straightforward topic for a minister to ponder, it all began when someone said, “I don’t believe she deserves love.” The identity of the person deemed undeserving is not crucial, but the implication of someone being unworthy of love is significant. Our culture is quite clear in distinguishing between those who

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS July 2, 2026 Have you ever noticed that a single change will often lead to more changes? Maybe you were able to see those other changes on the horizon, but other times you get on the other side of a big change thinking you are done with change, and only then realize how many more things there are to change. There is a reason we are