All these people earned a good reputation because of their faith, yet none of them received all that God had promised. For God had something better in mind for us, so that they would not reach perfection without us. ~Hebrews 11:39-40 In our culture today there is a heavy emphasis on individualism that spills over… Continue reading Part of Something Bigger (a meditation on our place in God’s grand story)
Tag: devotional
Run Boldly to His Throne (a meditation on the God of grace who understands our weaknesses)
This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same temptations we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. ~Hebrews… Continue reading Run Boldly to His Throne (a meditation on the God of grace who understands our weaknesses)
Better than the angels (a meditation on the greatness of Jesus)
After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs. ~ Hebrews 1:3-4 Our culture has a very eclectic view of angels. In popular shows on tv they appear as… Continue reading Better than the angels (a meditation on the greatness of Jesus)
This changes everything (a meditation on how the gospel confronts self)
Paul, in prison, met a runaway slave named Onesimus. Onesimus had been on the run after stealing from his master, a church leader in Colossae named Philemon. In his time with Paul, Onesimus heard the gospel and became a follower of Jesus. Sometime after this Paul decided to send back Onesimus to Philemon with a… Continue reading This changes everything (a meditation on how the gospel confronts self)
The Feast of Lepers (a meditation on sharing the good news of Jesus)
And when these lepers came to the edge of the camp, they went into a tent and ate and drank, and they carried over silver and gold and clothing and went and hid them. Then they came back and entered another tent and carried off things from it and went and hid them. Then they… Continue reading The Feast of Lepers (a meditation on sharing the good news of Jesus)
Empowered to conquer fear (a meditation on how God enables us to live in faith instead of fear)
…for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. ~2 Timothy 1:7 Several years ago a friend, Kevin, and I took a trip out west—7 days, 6 nights, 6 different hotels, and over three thousand miles in a car. One of our stops was Zion National Park in… Continue reading Empowered to conquer fear (a meditation on how God enables us to live in faith instead of fear)
The second most important thing about the return of Jesus (a meditation on a life lived in expectancy)
“Watch out! Don’t let your hearts be dulled by carousing and drunkenness, and by the worries of this life. Don’t let that day catch you unaware like a trap.” ~ Jesus, Luke 21:34 A good way to start a debate or even an argument among Christians: bring up Jesus’ return. For centuries many godly people… Continue reading The second most important thing about the return of Jesus (a meditation on a life lived in expectancy)
Holy Celebrations (a meditation on the joy of salvation)
Sometimes in popular culture Christians get the reputation of being like sticks in the mud. We’re not all that fun. While cultural (especially Hollywood) stereotypes of faithful followers of Jesus are drastically overblown (most of the time), sometimes they also bubble up with hints of truth. In contrast to the stuffy and stoic fun-hating image… Continue reading Holy Celebrations (a meditation on the joy of salvation)
Whose Voice Do You Listen To? (a meditation on advice and discernment)
Now in those days the counsel that Ahithophel gave was as if one consulted the word of God; so was all the counsel of Ahithophel esteemed, both by David and by Absalom. ~ 2 Samuel 16:23 We’ve all taken bad advice and probably gave some as well. Sometimes it’s a simple mistake because we don’t… Continue reading Whose Voice Do You Listen To? (a meditation on advice and discernment)
The Son of God (a meditation on who we are in Adam and who we are in Jesus)
As followers of Jesus, when we hear the phrase “the son of God” Jesus will likely be the first name that pops into our heads. After all, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son…” as John 3:16 goes (ESV). Yet when we read the genealogy of Jesus in Luke 3,… Continue reading The Son of God (a meditation on who we are in Adam and who we are in Jesus)
First Baptist Church 