Scripture: Ephesians 5:10 Try to find out what is pleasing to the Lord. Thought for the Day: I must confess that these words of scripture slapped me hard across the theological cheek with their simplistic candor. Though I could spend a lifetime trying to figure out all the things that please the Lord, my Christian faith calls me to look at the life of Jesus for some very
Scripture: James 1:21-22 Therefore rid yourselves of all sordidness and rank growth of wickedness, and welcome with meekness the implanted word that has the power to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves. Thought for the Day: In his provocative book from 2010, The Future of Faith, Harvey Cox pointed to a necessary path that too few Christians take.
Scripture: Proverb 3:6 (the Message) Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track. Thought for the Day: I just recently watched a young man, maybe 8 or 9 years old, who demonstrated an amazing level of maturity and sensitivity. It was clearly a difficult family situation, yet this young boy showed many qualities of a parent
Scripture: Isaiah 58:7 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover them, and not to hide yourself from your own kin? Thought for the Day: By the time you read this, I will be finishing up a night here at the church working with IHN (Interfaith Hospitality Network). Those transitioning out
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