Embrace
Read: Luke 15:11-24 But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. (v. 20) “Letting go, and letting God” is a theme that has allowed us to consider what it means to let go of control, fear, bitterness, and expectations; […]
Lowering the Bar
Read: Philippians 1:12-30 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. (v. 21) Expectation is a regular part of life. While we know a new day is not promised, it’s likely most of us get up in the morning expecting to have a day much like the last. We might anticipate […]
Overwhelmed
Read: Psalm 61:1-3 Lead me to the rock that is higher than I. (v. 2) According to the New England Journal of Medicine, the first confirmed case of a COVID-19 infection in the United States was reported on January 20, 2020. The first year of the pandemic brought what felt like countless questions, unknowns, and […]
Only One You
Read: Psalm 139 For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. (v. 13) It shows up on Facebook, words laid over a flowered background: “Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.” I have seen this quote more frequently lately and deeply appreciate it in a time when comparison is […]
The Gift of Forgiveness
Read: Colossians 3:12-17 As the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. (v. 13) Yesterday we focused on the apostle Paul’s admonishment to release bitterness, one of a long list of sins he urged the Ephesian believers to steer clear of. Today we consider his words to the church at Colossae, specifically his […]
Cast Out Bitterness
Read: Ephesians 4:24-32 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. (v. 31 NIV) Perhaps you’ve heard this quote or a variation thereof: “Don’t get bitter, just get better.” Easy to say for the person who wasn’t just hurt by a friend, fired […]
Letting Go by Example
Read: Romans 12 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. (v. 6 NIV) In a recent church service I attended, new elders and deacons were ordained and installed to help lead the church throughout the coming year. Three members stood in front of the church body and made promises […]
Pride Set Aside
Read: Matthew 1:18-25 When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife. (v. 24) The Bible tells us quite a bit about Mary, the mother of Jesus. She was a young woman, still a virgin, chosen by God to bear the promised messiah. She raised […]
Drop the Net
Read: Luke 5:1-11 And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” (v. 10) One of the first Sunday school songs I learned as a child was Harry D. Clarke’s “Fishers of Men.” The song’s first verse mirrors the words of Jesus to Simon Peter in today’s […]