Meeting in a Public-School Building Two weeks ago, as we drove around frantically searching for a church to attend, my wife suggested Church #2. They had just relocated from their cozy storefront location in a small strip mall to rented space at the local school, a temporary meeting place as they raised funds to build […]
Psalm 181 from Beyond Psalm 150 After disobeying God and running away from what he was supposed to do, we know that Jonah spends a three-day timeout in the belly of a large fish. From this dire location, he prays. Jonah’s prayer is a poetic testimony of what he did and the disaster that followed […]
Discover What to Do When You Go Through Dark Times in Life The book of Lamentations is a five-chapter collection that contains a quintet of laments. A lament is an expression of grief, mourning, or sorrow. Each chapter of this book contains one such communication. They read like a poem, a psalm even—a psalm of […]
Today’s passage: 3 John 1:11–12 Focus verse: Demetrius is well spoken of by everyone—and even by the truth itself. (3 John 1:12) After cautioning Gaius about Diotrephes, John instructs Gaius to not imitate evil but what is good. Given the context, with this following the warning about Diotrephes, we realize that John is calling Diotrephes evil. Before […]
God Opposes the Proud We hear a lot about pride, as if it’s a good thing. It’s not. Pride is one of the seven deadly sins, also known as a capital vice or a cardinal sin. Pride is not something to treat lightly. Traditionally, it’s viewed as one of the seven ways of eternal death. […]
Another Change in Service Times After striking out at two churches who changed their starting times and dismissing three more, I remember Church #4. Next door to Church #5, I think they have a 10:30 service, and my notes confirm that. We agree to go there, more as a default option than anything else. With […]
Psalm 180 from Beyond Psalm 150 The book of Ecclesiastes shares Solomon’s personal journey of trying to find meaning and purpose in his life. It’s a dismal saga, discouraging and void of hope. Early on Solomon shares a pessimistic view about the seasons of life. He opens acknowledging there’s a time to be born and […]
Jeremiah Said What God Told Him to Say and Suffered For It Jeremiah’s time as a spokesman for God is filled with frustration. Not only do the people ignore what he tells them, they sometimes do exactly the opposite. Though Jeremiah speaks God’s truth to his people, they criticize him for his negativity—even though he […]
Today’s passage: 3 John 1:9–10 Focus verse: I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will not welcome us. (3 John 1:9) After affirming and encouraging Gaius, John changes the topic. He mentions two men. They are in sharp contrast to each other. The first gives an example to avoid, while the second […]
Paul Shares Five Wise Maxims to Encourage Us and Give Comfort The phrase “a trustworthy saying” occurs five times in the Bible, all in the New Testament. They all come from Paul in his pastoral letters, four times to Timothy and once to Titus. Consider these five trustworthy sayings of the apostle Paul. 1. Jesus […]