Scriptures: Matthew 15:21-22 Jesus left that place and went away to the district of Tyre and Sidon. Just then a Canaanite woman from that region came out and started shouting, “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is tormented by a demon.” Thought for the Day: The Gospels are simple and complicated at the same time. I know that sounds like foolishness, and it might
Scripture: Romans 12:12-14 Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Thought for the Day: Life! Life is happening all around us, not simply within our own bubble. There are those who are rejoicing and feeling abundantly blessed, while others are being treated poorly.
Scripture: Acts 24:15-16 I have a hope in God—a hope that they themselves also accept—that there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous. Therefore I do my best always to have a clear conscience toward God and all people. Thought for the Day: In the above passage, Paul is in the midst of a speech in which he makes a rather dramatic statement about
Scripture: Galatians 5:1 For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. Thought for the Day: Rev. Harry Emerson Fosdick once said, “Bitterness imprisons life; love releases it.” We have too often allowed bitterness, resentment and a hunger for reprisal to imprison us. We become trapped in an existence that might appear to be life, but is
Scripture: John 13:34-35 [Jesus said,] “I give you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, so you also must love each other. This is how everyone will know that you are my disciples, when you love each other.” Thought for the Day: This appears to be a transitional moment. The disciples have gone from passive students to true disciples with a responsibility. They
Scripture: Psalm 119:2 Happy are those who keep his decrees, who seek him with their whole heart… Thought for the Day: It’s as simple as that! We must seek God with our whole being. Period! A divided self pulled between multiple allegiances will quickly fracture. The scripture seems clear, but it is much easier to say it or write it than to do it. We are
Scripture: Jeremiah 8:15 We look for peace, but find no good, for a time of healing, but there is terror instead. Thought for the Day: I think all of us have known a time of unrelenting chaos. We wondered why the promised peace remained out of reach. As I see it, part of the problem is our approach. We seek peace as if it is something we can
Scripture: Matthew 6:24 No one 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: Why can’t I serve two masters…or maybe three? There are plenty of people trying, and if we were to be honest, we all have divided
Scripture: Proverbs 14:7 Leave the presence of a fool, for there you do not find words of knowledge. Thought for the Day: Last year, I received a card on the first day of April. It read, “April Fool!” I believe they were wishing me a good April Fools’ Day, but without the s and the apostrophe, it sure sounded as if someone was expressing his/her opinion about me.
Wednesday – Jesus comes to the Skeptic Scripture John 20:24-31 Thomas, the one called Didymus, one of the Twelve, wasn’t with the disciples when Jesus came. The other disciples told him, “We’ve seen the Lord!” But he replied, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands, put my finger in the wounds left by the nails, and put my hand into his side, I won’t believe.” After eight