Increasing and Decreasing
Read: John 3:22-30 He must increase, but I must decrease. (v. 30) There was an old-time baseball manager who once said of his team, “I managed good but boy did they play bad.” That’s the opposite of how leadership should be measured. What matters is not the brilliance of the head but the tone of […]
A Fresh Start
Read: Luke 22:31-38 Simon, stay on your toes. Satan has tried his best to separate all of you from me, like chaff from wheat. Simon, I’ve prayed for you in particular that you not give in or give out. When you have come through the time of testing, turn to your companions and give them […]
Don’t Hold Back!
Read: Isaiah 6:1-13 But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test.” (v. 12) In the spring of 2009, I lost my job as a high school music teacher. My district was closing several schools, and I happened to be one of the newest people hired. I […]
Joy and Sorrow
Read: Psalm 126 Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy! (v. 5) During Advent, we are deeply aware that we live in between Christ’s coming for the first time and his coming again. In this “already, not yet” time, we know that Jesus Christ came to begin his reign and invite […]
Here I am! Send Me
Read: Isaiah 6:1-13 Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? (v. 8) Life as a pastor’s kid can be tough. I was expected to be a model for all the kids at church and felt pressure that my behavior was a testimony to my parents’ abilities as pastors. But life as a […]
Living while Waiting
Read: 1 Thessalonians 5:1-2, 12-28 Hold fast to what is good. (v. 21 NRSV) Advent is the season of waiting. Waiting for the coming of the Messiah. Waiting for the day of the Lord. God’s people have done a lot of waiting. We’re waiting for the One who will put all wrongs to right so […]
The Unrestrained Mercy of God
Read: Psalm 40 Behold, I have not restrained my lips, as you know, O Lord. (v. 9) At the age of 39, a politically hopeful New York lawyer fell ill, struck with fever, nausea, and pain. Eventually, the affliction deepened, paralyzing him from the waist down. He nearly died, and likely felt like the psalmist, […]
Getting It
Read: Luke 7:28-35 [They] rejected the purpose of God for themselves. (v. 30) How did you “get it”? How did the good news of the gospel first come together for you? I was strongly influenced by the youth ministry of my church. I was bored silly watching filmstrips in Sunday school, and never quite understood […]
The Gift of Hope
Read: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 The dead in Christ will rise first. (v. 16) It has been a long journey! My husband, Javier, has been waiting for a heart transplant for two years. This is a matter for prayer, but it’s hard to pray because someone has to die for my beloved husband to receive this […]