An era of maddening war when everything contends this world can only be cruel. The year is 734 BC. The Northern Kingdom of Israel and Syria allied together, shaped by a shared purpose, to overthrow Judah in the South. An unfathomable force—an army of soldiers with weapons blazing and banners flying—assemble for battle. These forces […]
2 Samuel 18:24-33: The Sordid Tale of King David and Prince Absalom
December 16, 2022 by
When an infant enters the world, the parents’ lives turn topsy-turvy. The occasions and energy once spent on their wants and needs go elsewhere, providing for their new child. Devotion and commitment unseen before, rise to offer their baby the best life possible. With time, hard-earned money, and much-needed sleep, mothers and fathers pay to […]
Isaiah 35:1-10: Our Wilderness Desolation into God’s Saving Sanctuary
December 11, 2022 by
The desert, a barren and harsh environment can teach us much. Its keen stillness can supply us with moments of clarity in lives too often swirling with chaos. Unforgiving sun and relentless sands can, likewise, lead us to pause and ponder the struggles we face. So Isaiah does in his prophetic poetry while tapping into […]
Romans 15:4-13: Our Hope in Daylight or Dark
December 4, 2022 by
A winter’s night descends as a cloak, dark and brooding. So this season turns for one, two—or uncounted others! Don’t we lament loss in the ache of emptiness? Someone dear to us is gone, and we mourn his death. Every person experiences this sorrow, a heavy heart, the numbness, though we carry on because […]
Genesis 4:1-16: Whose Begetting What?
November 30, 2022 by
After giving birth to Cain, Eve lays her firstborn son to sleep. The mother of humanity experiences something new: the first blush of motherhood. Such joy as she breast-feeds Cain, and he coos with delight in being fed. In her elation, she ponders on God’s promise. After Adam’s fall, God alerted the serpent, “I will […]
Deuteronomy 8:1-10: Thank God!
November 25, 2022 by
In the short creation account in the book of Job, the Almighty’s angels approached the brink of becoming breathless. The created magnificence captivated them. So moved, “the morning stars sang together, and the angels shouted for joy.” Next Job tells us why. The Almighty “shut the sea behind doors as it gushed forth from the […]
Thanksgiving Eve Service
November 22, 2022 by
Our annual Thanksgiving Eve Service is Wednesday, November 23th at 7:00 PM–a time to reflect on the blessings in our lives. Besides thanksgiving hymns and prayers, we will ponder the ancient text of Deuteronomy and learn anew why God values us remembering.
John 8:31-36: Sweet is the Liberation Christ Gives
October 30, 2022 by
In fighting cadence, a magnificent military, an army, takes the field early on a summer day. The cavalry sat tall in their saddles, their regimental flags unfurling a rainbow of colors in the sky. Young men on foot stood prepared to advance. The officers’ swords, drawn and shining in the sun, lent an air of […]
Luke 18:1-8: The Persistent Widow
October 21, 2022 by
Every so often, you furrow your brow at the paper or glower at the television news. The police arrest an individual for a horrific offense. A jury soon convicts him. After serving time in prison, fresh evidence comes to light, and another judge exonerates him. Whenever we blunder upon such a scandal, we may picture […]
2 Timothy 2:8-13: Remember Christ, Risen from Death
October 11, 2022 by
Scour what life experience teaches us. Do we not secure gnarled callouses, discovering ourselves never far estranged from life’s combat? Suppose someone grows in understanding from his vicious and searing experiences, not enraged or bitter. From these, wisdom is born from those scars we carry, a grit now tempered by compassion. Those same hands will […]
