Posts with the category “daily-devotionals”

At 11:40pm on April 14, 1910, when most of the 2,224 passengers on board RMS Titanic were asleep in their cabins, Frederick Fleet – the lookout in the crow’s nest – yelled the famous words: “Iceberg, ...  Read More

I know there are several different reasons why we go through suffering. One because we are being reprimanded for our own sinful folly, one because Satan wants to turn us away from trusting God and ano...  Read More

A verse like this is one of the reasons I really like James; he gives it to us straight. James doesn’t sugarcoat it; he flat out says that if your faith doesn’t work then it’s worthless. We can do “re...  Read More

In my conversations with teenagers and young adults, two themes that often come up are identity and purpose. Identity is my answer to the question, “Who am I?” My identity is what defines me, what giv...  Read More

Where do you get your inspiration from? Do me a favor; I want you to take a deep 15-second diaphragm breath. You're going to inhale for six seconds, hold for two seconds, and exhale for seven seconds....  Read More

Water. My glass is full of refreshing, pure water.  I can feel the cool liquid flow down my parched throat as I drink.  A memory I often reflect on pops into my mind.  Come walk with me to a place in ...  Read More

We cannot always dictate what will happen to us.  There are some things under our control. But there are many things outside of that control.  We are beings subject to the world in many ways beyond wh...  Read More

In Acts 28...the last chapter of the Acts of the Apostles...we find Paul and 276 shipwrecked crew safely on the Island of Malta. It is now the spring of 61 AD—six months after they left Caesarea for R...  Read More

Statistics tell us interesting things about how each of us will be spend time in our lives…I will spend 6 months of my life at stop lightsI will spend 5 years of my life standing in lineI will spend 1...  Read More

I don’t know about you, but when someone wrongs me my first thought is not to bless, do good for, or even pray for them. In my human condition my instinctive reaction is to get mad, and then get even....  Read More

Last week a group of men at our church finished studying the Book of Ecclesiastes. We spent 21 fascinating and exciting weeks discussing this book.  And I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s one of th...  Read More

I was a little surprised when I read these words. Paul’s personality seems so confident and assertive, especially when you think of his past life as Saul. I’m surprised that he needed people to pray f...  Read More

In 1314, a huge threat to the national security of England was discovered. This threat was leading the nation’s youth down a bad path and was causing adults to completely shirk their responsibilities....  Read More

What's the best meal you've ever had and what made it so great? I think about the first time I had king crab legs and ate until I felt like I was going to explode. I am a huge seafood guy in general, ...  Read More

Acts 27 is the record of the first part of Paul’s journey to Rome in the Fall of 60 AD to stand before  Caesar, as God had promised (23:11).  It is a risky time to travel by ship and Paul warns of the...  Read More

In Acts 26 we find the apostle Paul now standing before King Agrippa II... • the son of Agrippa...who killed the apostle James• the grandson of Herod Antipas...who killed John the Baptist• the great-g...  Read More

In Acts 25 we are back at the trial of “Paul vs. Everybody” — this time before Governor Festus, who replaced Governor Felix. Festus goes to Jerusalem and gets an ear-full from the jealous Jewish leade...  Read More

As God’s children, we are of incredible value to the Father.  We may never understand totally the value placed on us by Him.  A value that caused God the Father to send His Son to die in our place for...  Read More

Hope, that is what this verse speaks to me. It is a hope for the future, that there will be an end to all the misery and pain, the sorrow and death, and all the other realities of this life on this si...  Read More

This is one of the best-known and most-quoted verses in the Bible on parenting.On the surface there is a precious promise here: if we train our children in the ways of the Lord,when they get older the...  Read More

I am realizing the amazing work of the Holy Spirit these days and why Jesus said, “But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to ...  Read More

Sitting with my back against the rough trunk, I look up through the branches to the blue skyabove. Such a beautiful creation that provides home for wildlife and shelters me from theblazing sun. The tr...  Read More

In Acts 24 the apostle Paul is in Caesarea by the Sea, standing trial before Governor Felix. Frankly, this is more than an ancient courtroom drama. We get to bear witness to God intervening in Gospel ...  Read More

Do you have any embarrassing nicknames? The reason I specify "embarrassing" is because sometimes the more embarrassing the nickname is, the greater the story behind it. Between sports as a kid and the...  Read More

Well, I guess it’s a choice. Jesus’s words specifically were “command” & “you must.” Love is such a wonderful mystery, whose origins are from God Himself. After all, He’s the only selfless, holy sourc...  Read More

I’m naturally more of a listener than a talker. That always catches people by surprise because a big part of what I do is talk. I love teaching and teaching equals talking but when it comes to hanging...  Read More

"I am on trial for the hope and resurrection of the dead" (Acts 23:6)  I have never been on trial. However, I have served as a jury foreman in a trial in which we, the jury, found  a young man guilty...  Read More

If you could be any animal you wanted to be, which one would you choose?I’ve always thought it would be fun to be a dolphin. They seem happy and playful. Plus I lovethe ocean. But if I could be any an...  Read More

You ever have those days where you feel you just can’t do it. Maybe you can do some of it but there is just too much, or it’s too hard, or too out of reach. Whatever it is, your best does not seem to ...  Read More

When God fashioned our lives in our mother’s womb, He uniquely designed each of us.  Not only has God made us with unique physical, emotional and personality characteristics but He also designed us to...  Read More

The words “one accord” are used at least 7 times in the first 9 chapters of the book of Acts (NKJV). I know because I circled them as I began reading in Acts this week They come from the Greek word h...  Read More

When I read the gospels, I am always struck by how often—and how easily—Jesus is interrupted. So many of Jesus’ miracles happen after what looks like a disruption to His schedule. In Matthew 14, the f...  Read More

“But then it happened...” (Acts 22:6)  Acts 22 puts us with the apostle Paul, defending himself before the Jewish leaders who, from his childhood,  gave him his religious training. My summary of his ...  Read More

Do you have any physical scars? I mean like, significant scars that have somewhat become a part of who you are?  As a child, I was very injury-prone. I got hurt often and have many memories of trips t...  Read More

Every day we have 2 options friends, “Yes Lord” or  “No Lord.” One is much more natural for us than the other… I wonder if you can guess which one that is? See since the fall we have a powerful gravit...  Read More

I have been sitting at my computer with my phone in my hand ALL DAY LONG.  Weariness is seeping into my bones. The quest continues for 18 more volunteers to staff the additional hour of Sunday School....  Read More

It’s hard to suffer. Sometimes, it is even harder to watch loved ones to go through difficulties. The anguish of someone we love going through...or about to go through...great difficulty tears at our ...  Read More

We often do not realize how uniquely God has made us. Science has learned that God has made it so that DNA molecules can unite in an infinite number of ways. The number is 10 to the 2,400,000,000th po...  Read More

Forgiveness, what a difficult thing for us humans to do. Yet we long desperately for it when we are in need of it ourselves. We sinful sheep are such a contradictory and hypocritical lot, are we not? ...  Read More

Here’s a good Bible trivia question for you.  Who was the first person to see Jesus after he rose from the dead?Perhaps it was one of the twelve disciples.  Perhaps it was his mother or one of his bro...  Read More