I love the story found in 1 Kings 17, as in response to Ahab’s wicked reign, God sends a famine. God sends Ravens to provide food for Elijah, and he drinks from a nearby brook. One day the stream runs dry, and God instructs Elijah to travel to another area, and there he will find a widow who will provide him with food. Upon arrival in the area, Elijah finds…
Read MoreWhat do you see? Be honest!
There is a pretty amazing story found in the eighth chapter of the Gospel of Mark: 22They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. 23He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man’s eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, “Do you see anything?” 24He looked up and said,…
Read MoreTrust in the Lord with all your heart.
Proverbs 3:5-6 is a passage that I have known from childhood. There is a scouting-type program in our church called “Caravan.” Proverbs 3:5-6 is the motto: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”[a] This year I am reading through the Bible again and have recently read this beautiful passage of Scripture.…
Read MoreWait for it!
Today in my reading, I was captured by the words of Paul found in Galatians 5:5: “For through the Spirit, we eagerly await by faith the righteousness for which we hope.” The life of faith is lived in and through the Spirit of God. Paul reminds us that we are eagerly awaiting for something. Not just waiting but excitedly and expectantly awaiting. Waiting is something we all must do, and…
Read MoreWisdom or Money?
There is an interesting verse tucked away in the book of Ecclesiastes 7:12 “Wisdom is a shelter as money is a shelter,but the advantage of knowledge is this: Wisdom preserves those who have it.” I just looked it up: I preached from the book of Ecclesiastes 9 times over the years. This would indicate that it was not my go-to book of the Bible. That does not do away with the fact that…
Read MoreSmall Beginnings
Jesus says in Mark 4:30-32 “How shall we picture the kingdom of God, or by what parable shall we present it? It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the soil, though it is smaller than all the seeds that are upon the soil, yet when it is sown, it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and forms large branches; so that the birds of the air can nest under…
Read MoreWhen I am afraid, I put my trust in you.
Fear has become the operative word for many in our world today. For those who listen to the never-ending news broadcasts, fear can quickly become panic. I have personal viewpoints and opinions, everyone does yet when I am responsible for leading I also must think about what is best for the group. Allow me to make a few observations: Caution and compassion should drive our decisions during difficult times. As…
Read MoreWhen Things go from Bad to Worse..
Things do not always work out as you hope. Joseph came from a dysfunctional family. You could make the case he descended from a couple of generations of dysfunctional families. Rather than discouraging us this should encourage us knowing that God indeed uses flawed individuals. Joseph had dreams that he was going to be successful and that his family would honor him. This infuriated his brothers and his father as…
Read MoreI walk among Heroes
This is my second time to live in metro Indianapolis. I moved here for the first time in the mid-1990s. I was pastor of a church. I moved back in 2011 when I was elected to my present position. In the last few days, I have been in contact with a few former parishioners who are passing through some deep waters. There are a few who have experienced significant health…
Read MoreDiscipleship 101
I was reading a book about missions. Both world and local mission, evangelism was also discussed at length. While I did not agree with all of the authors’ conclusions, there was a section that caused me to pause for prayer and reflection. The author quoted several Bible verses, I have included three of them: Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is…
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