Posts with the category “daily-devotionals”

I thought this was such a cool passage. The analogies of the weather and how His word melts and nothing can stand against it. But I think what I loved is how He related it all to the way He guides His...  Read More

Years ago, one of the elders said something to me that has stuck ever since. It went something like this; “You know David, worship isn’t just people singing together in church on Sunday mornings. It’s...  Read More

Do you remember the yearbook section that highlighted those who stand out for their superlatives? It was an exaggerated way to both recognize and celebrate people. They often say things like: Most Lik...  Read More

I’ve been a pastor for many years, and I have seen it happen every year. Sunday morning church attendance drops in the summertime. People sleep-in and choose not to come. Or they say “I don’t feel lik...  Read More

When I was in the police academy, our instructors constantly reminded us that, statistically, the most dangerous thing we would do as police officers was also the thing we would do more than anything ...  Read More

Have you ever wondered why people sometimes don’t get healed when we pray for them?  Especially in light of the promise in James 5:14: “the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord ...  Read More

As summer comes to an end, life starts speeding up again. Parents are buying school supplies, students are checking schedules, teachers are preparing classrooms, and families are squeezing in one last...  Read More

“Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.”  James 1:17Today we live in a world that is co...  Read More

July is when we celebrate our nation’s birthday, our independence. We make quite a big deal about independence, and liberty and freedom in this country, especially in July. But why is that? Why do we ...  Read More

The first time I flew by myself was almost disastrous.I was just shy of 15 years old, flying from my home in Dallas to Erie, PA, where I’d catch a ride to a Christian boys’ leadership training camp in...  Read More

Have you ever contemplated how you respond to the saying, "Living in the moment?" I think I have always thought of it as doing something risky or daring. But recently it has taken on a different meani...  Read More

The apostle James in his epistle to the twelve tribes provides multiple instructions and advisements on how followers of Christ should interact with one another. Acting impartially, caring for the neg...  Read More

I don't know about you, but I love pizza. The slow-fermented crust, the sun-ripened sauce, the fromage of mozzarella, and the delicate crown of toppings all assembled to create a decadent symphony of ...  Read More

When I was in fourth grade, my classmates came up with a nickname for me. They called me Teacher’s Pet. I asked them why they called me that. They said, “Because you are respectful to the teacher, you...  Read More

I am a huge Christopher Nolan fan. If you do not know who Christopher Nolan is, he is one of the most acclaimed directors of the 21st century. To get ready to watch his newest release, The Odyssey, I ...  Read More

Can you remember a time when you were a child and your parents disciplined you for doing something wrong?  For most of us, that would be a long list.  My mom was a softie when it came to discipline, b...  Read More

In the quiet but agonizing moments of Gethsemane, Jesus Himself modeled the deepest form of surrender. As He fell on His face before the Father, He prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup ...  Read More

God not only has fashioned us and put us together the way we are, but He also designs us to accomplish particular things for Him.  We are, “created in Christ Jesus for good works…”   God has planned f...  Read More

July is when we celebrate our nation’s birthday, our independence. We make quite a big deal about independence, and liberty and freedom in this country, especially in July. But why is that? Why do we ...  Read More

There are many promises in the Bible that can comfort us in times of difficulty. God promises, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5). And we are promised that “for those who love God...  Read More

I don't know why but whenever I think about dying I can get a little fearful. I'm embarrassed to admit that sometimes I wonder, "What if all I have believed in about death and going to be with Jesus d...  Read More

In 2000, I joined a church-planting team in Tokyo. For two years, I struggled with a difficult team leader, wanting many times to give up and go home. During this challenging season, I wrestled with w...  Read More

Simone Biles had been a decorated gymnast for nearly her whole life, leading up to the Tokyo Olympics in 2020. I still remember hearing the shocking news that she was withdrawing from the team and all...  Read More

When I was younger – and in much better shape – I used to go on solo backpacking trips in the Sierra mountains.  I would scour the map for a remote lake nestled in a forest and get away for a few days...  Read More

I don’t like soccer. Both my boys played soccer in kindergarten, and from that sport I learned a little bit about their personality and competitiveness. Soccer was explained to both my boys the same w...  Read More

Over the years I’ve hiked all over Yosemite, and there’s nothing more exhilarating than reaching the top of a majestic summit and gazing out on the wonderful world beneath me.This is what I think abou...  Read More

Merriam-Webster’s definition of patience is the capacity to endure delays, trouble, or suffering calmly and without complaint. It is the emotional ability to remain self-possessed and avoid becoming a...  Read More

All of us have gone through times when we have wondered where God was or if He had time to care for us.  With over 8 billion people on our planet, we might feel that we are rather insignificant to the...  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

I enjoy taking personality tests. Not the BuzzFeed “what type of cupcake would you be?” articles, but the ones that deepen my understanding of myself and those around me, like the Myers-Briggs “16 Per...  Read More

As I have been reading through the life of David there have been so many times that "David inquired of the Lord" or that David acknowledged that it was the Lord that helped him. I wonder what David's ...  Read More

Back in the late 1970s and early 1980s, I attended many Fresno State basketball games as part of the "Red Wave." Coach Boyd Grant built his teams around discipline, hard work, and defense. That approa...  Read More

The Disney classic Toy Story is a great movie about friendship. In the movie, Woody and Buzz are on quite an epic adventure next door at Sid's house. At one point, both characters find themselves trap...  Read More

If I were to ask you, “Could you use some more wisdom today?”, what would you say? It sounds like a silly question, because I don’t think anyone would say, “No…I’m good.” All of us could use more wisd...  Read More

When I was in elementary school, my parents made me attend different types of  AWANA programs around town. One of the first verses that I learned as a child was  Romans 3:23: “for all have sinned and ...  Read More

I’ll never forget the day I almost fell off a wall like Humpty Dumpty.  I must have been around 8 years old, and I was outside playing with my friend Stephen.  For some reason we thought it would be f...  Read More

I grew up during a time when “Password” was a TV game show or a device to keep girls from joining our “Superheroes Save the World” club. Today I live in a world that is inundated by passwords. There a...  Read More

One of the things I enjoy doing in the early morning is going out into our subdivision for a walk.  Now I will be honest, I started walking for exercise because I wanted to improve my physical health....  Read More

I recently had the privilege of attending my dad’s commencement from Re:Gen, which is a Christ-centered discipleship and recovery program designed to help individuals find healing from any kind of lif...  Read More

When my wife and I first started dating, we banned a phrase that we (mostly me) were using too often. That phrase was “you can do it,” including variations like “you got this.” Why in the world would ...  Read More