Walk in Service
Read: Ephesians 6:5-9 Bondservants, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ. (v. 5) For one year I worked in a grocery warehouse. Co-workers assigned to the misery of the cooler section were known to break open cartons of cookie dough and help themselves. Over one weekend, […]
Walk Worthy of Honor
Read: Ephesians 6:1-4 Honor your father and mother. (v. 2) As a father of four, I loved quoting to my children the command to “obey your parents.” After my children learned to read, they often quipped back verse 4: “Fathers, do not provoke your children.” To my shame, however, I often did provoke them by […]
Walk in Humility
Read: Ephesians 5:21-33 . . . as Christ loved the church . . . (v. 25) Our youth group was once pressed into service for an extravagant wedding feast. We did it as a mission fundraiser. The celebration exceeded any wedding I have ever attended. More than 300 people enjoyed a night of hors d’oeuvres, […]
Walk in Wisdom
Read: Ephesians 5:15-21 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise. (v. 15) James Holzhouer captured the attention of North American TVs last spring. For six weeks he dominated the game show Jeopardy!, wowing people with his ability to recall knowledge of history, arts, literature, and more. He amassed nearly $2 […]
Walk in Light
Read: Ephesians 5:3-14 You were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. (v. 8) After beginning chapter 5 with the broad instruction to be “imitators of God” (v. 1), Paul becomes increasingly specific for how to walk like Christ in our day-to-day lives. He begins with our sexual lives and then progresses to […]
Walk in Love
Read: Ephesians 5:1-2 Be imitators of God . . . (v. 1) Celebrity impersonators pretend to be well-known stars, mimicking phrases and mannerisms of the famous. We laugh, but everyone knows it is an act. There is a profound difference between impersonating and imitating. Impersonating someone involves fooling others into thinking you are that person. […]
The Reason for Hope
Read: 1 Peter 3:13-22 Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. (v. 15 NIV) Some news is just too good to keep to ourselves. With beaming faces, we tell complete strangers why we are happy: a new baby, a promotion, […]
Joy
Read: Psalm 63 You have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy. (v. 7) In India, Vivaan and his wife were driven out of the family’s village simply for choosing to become Christians. Now, the couple must always be on the move. They carry a radio with […]
Hope for the Day
Read: Lamentations 3:21-26 The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. (vv. 22-23) Agnesa, a young mother living in Albania, received her first Bible from her sister. Agnesa belongs to a Muslim family, yet over the past year she […]