So, I go to the dentist – I show up – and he is going to do the work. What else do I need to do? I have to position myself for the work. For me, this often means taking my coat off and hanging it, along with my purse on the hook provided. I …
The dentist. Who likes to visit the dentist? It is one of those things I do because it is good for me and I only have one set of teeth. I better take care of them. While there is much I can do between visits to ensure gum, teeth, mouth health, some things require the …
Learning to listen to the Holy Spirit is the key to knowing God’s will. Yesterday we noted Paul’s admonition to holiness, specifically in regard to sexuality as a key to knowing God’s will. Paul gives another key in his closing remarks. Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will …
God’s will. What is God’s will for my life? Should I do this? Or that? Who hasn’t asked those questions before? It seems like handwriting on the wall or, at the very least, an e-mail would be most appreciated at the difficult junctures of life. It is my belief that “God’s will” isn’t as restrictive …
Praying for others can be a heavy task. I mean, we should pray for one another, right? But what if I don’t know what to pray? How can I pray for others whom I don’t see often and I don’t know what is happening in their lives? Paul gives us some great clues! How we …
You yourselves know, dear brothers and sisters, that our visit to you was not a failure. You know how badly we had been treated at Philippi just before we came to you and how much we suffered there. Yet our God gave us the courage to declare his Good News to you boldly, in spite of great …
What is the message Paul preached to the people in the city of Thessalonica? He explained the prophecies and proved that the Messiah must suffer and rise from the dead. He said, “This Jesus I’m telling you about is the Messiah.” Acts 17:3 … that God loves you and has chosen you to be his own …
Reading the letters preserved in the New Testament is like listening to a one-sided telephone conversation. Not knowing for sure what the other person is saying, it is possible to make a solid guess if you listen well to the responses of the person near you. So when we read these letters, we don’t know …
Context. It’s everything. One hot summer day, many years ago, I went swimming in the river behind my childhood home with a couple of my sisters, a couple of nephews and my sister-in-law. If you were watching from afar, you would have seen me go underwater, come back out of the water and slap my …
Wow! How did it get to be August 1 already? For the last number of months, I have been praying about posting a daily devotional Monday through Friday and taking Saturday and Sunday off. I have no reason except my normal rhythym for devotional reading has been Monday through Friday for so many years I …