She chuckles in response: “Promises, promises.” Her ears have taken in her husband’s words before as he sits in comfort, watching the game. “I’ll get to it later,” but later never comes. Oh, he’s sincere: he does plan to take out the garbage. But something comes along and the intent to do so is gone, […]
Ecclesiastes: Meaning in a Meaningless World
July 31, 2016 by
Mist rises from the ground, disappearing in the heat and is gone. A vapor and nothing more. The mother of all the living, Eve, held her newborn son, the second child ever born of a woman. Even so, the paradise God created became an evaporating mist, awaiting its recreation on the Last Day. Eve gazed […]
Psalm 138: Gratitude
July 24, 2016 by
When you thank people in your life, you are helping yourself as much as you are helping others. Now, you might find it humbling to thank other people—but taking the time to do so creates goodwill, a favorable environment, and even fosters friendship. Researchers discovered the best habit to help nurture happiness in life is […]
Genesis 18:1-14: Having the Last Laugh
July 17, 2016 by
Sarah is an old woman, almost 90 years old. Her hair is a tired gray, lacking in luster. Her skin is leathery from years of desert sun. Many memories of joy fill her, but she still aches inside, empty and hollow, the promise of what could be, which never came. Her husband is a good […]
Luke 10:25-37: Trying to Earn the Inheritance
July 10, 2016 by
Love God and love your neighbor. What could be simpler? You can condense the entire Law of God in one word: Love. Is God’s Law that simple? Not when the lawyers are through with it! A lawyer, an expert in the Torah, came up to Jesus to test Him. That was his first mistake. Test […]
Jackie Roschi’s Funeral Sermon
July 7, 2016 by
2 Maccabees 7:1-2, 9 Hebrews 11:1-2, 35, 39-12:1-2 Luke 15:1-7 Jackie was an enigma to me. I don’t mean as a friend but as a pastor. We met a few years ago, and the specifics of our first meeting are now forgotten memories to me. Jackie was a neighbor and our paths often crossed. […]
Galatians 6:1-10: Reaping What Was Sown
July 3, 2016 by
Everything else being equal, a tried-and-true principle exists in this world: You reap the seeds you sow. Do you want to harvest a wheat crop during the autumn? You plant the seed in the spring, harvesting what you earlier planted. This principle is also true when it comes to the evil in life. Someone who […]
Luke 9:51-62: Preconditions Not Allowed
June 26, 2016 by
Jesus sets His gaze on Jerusalem, the city where He will be “taken up.” “Taken up” is shorthand for dying for the sins of the world, rising to life on the third day, and then returning to the Father in heaven. Jesus does this all for you and your salvation. So, He goes forward without […]
Psalm 3
June 19, 2016 by
So, when you woke up this morning, did you arise as royalty? Whether you felt like you were or not, Scripture says you are. “You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession” (1 Peter 2:9). You are royalty. You will reign with God in eternity after Christ returns on […]
Luke 7:36-8:3: Generous Giving is not Accidental
June 13, 2016 by
Today, Scripture came to us and told us of a woman, a generous one. She expressed a deep devotion and affection toward Jesus in her generosity, by anointing His feet with expensive perfume. Her story is relational. Jesus loves her, and she responds with a deep love for Him. Her story is inclusive, for Jesus […]
