Devotional (Page 13)

Olivia Craker Metcalf, the author of this year’s Advent devotional reminded me of an old chorus based on Psalm 119:105 that reads, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”.  Maybe you remember it, and if you do, and if you’re like me, you’re now singing it either out loud or quietly within yourself. Either way, I HOPE it is bringing you joy and a smile on your face like it did for me.…

Thanksgiving is a wonderful time to reflect and meditate on all the many things we have to be thankful for as Christ followers. Here are some wonderful bible verses all about gratitude: “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.” 1 Chronicles 16:34 “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.” Colossians 3:15 “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.” Colossians…

The people were filled with expectation… (Luke 3:15a, CEB) In the new Young Adult study, we are working our way through the Gospel of Luke. In Luke chapter three, Luke explains that as people witnessed John the Baptist’s ministry, they “were filled with expectation.” This phrase jumped out to me and resonated with how I feel about the ministry of Spokane First Nazarene in these days. Yet expectation is something that always varies from one person to another. In churches…

The word healing is defined as the process of making or becoming sound.  When the words to heal or healing are used many of us think of a physical state that needs to be made whole or fixed.  The types of aliments that need to be healed, we will see the healing or know about it because they are outward needs.  What about the need for healing that we don’t see?  We have all known someone who is hurting emotionally…

“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” Acts 2:42-43   One of my many joys of ministry is when brothers and sisters in Christ come together for fellowship, breaking of some bread, prayer, and sharing truths that the Holy Spirit has revealed to them as they read and study God’s Word together. Such is the case every Tuesday as the church staff gathers to discuss our ministries, break…

Last week our family traveled to Nashville to tour colleges as our daughter (Dakota) is in the process of making important decisions regarding her future. We toured three universities, received tons of information, asked questions, and ate their cafeteria food.  As we toured the schools Dakota developed opinions about each of them; whether it be the living quarters, quality of the food, impression of the professors, or simply the look of the campus.  At the end of each day, we…

12 because God’s word is living, active, and sharper than any two-edged sword. It penetrates to the point that it separates the soul from the spirit and the joints from the marrow. It’s able to judge the heart’s thoughts and intentions. 13 No creature is hidden from it, but rather everything is naked and exposed to the eyes of the one to whom we have to give an answer. (Hebrews 4:12-13 CEB) I’ve heard that it is common for those who do…

“Everything we say and do, everything we commit ourselves to, and every situation, location, and relationship we experience is experienced between the already and the not yet. You will never understand the things you face every day until you understand that you live in the middle. Everything in your life is shaped by what the middle is like. Knowing that you are living between the already and the not yet tells you where you are located in God’s story of…

Jesus spoke to the people again, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me won’t walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12, CEB) Some of you are aware that last weekend I was able to participate in my thirty-year high school class reunion. With that information, you can now do the math to determine my age. 😊 I graduated from a small high school, only 41 of us in my class. I…

We have all had those moments in life when we have felt less than, unseen, or even unimportant. As a Christian growing up in the church, I thought this feeling of less than might have been the result of a lack of faith. I also wondered if it was related to not being close enough to God or not as actively engaged in the church community as I could have been. Possibly it was my human nature of not admitting…

Exodus 20:1-3 20:1 “And God spoke all these words, saying, 2 “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.” 3 “You shall have no other gods before me.”  Most commentators believe this is God speaking directly to all the people! Hebrews 12:18-25 supports that thought. “You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm; 19 to a…

We aren’t fighting against human enemies but against rulers, authorities, forces of cosmic darkness, and spiritual powers of evil in the heavens. (Ephesians 6:12) A quick look in just about any direction these days and conflict seems to be ruling the day. Whether we look to politics in our country or reflect on the larger world scene, we are clearly steeped in a struggle. Too often we are quick to single out individuals to whom we wish to assign blame,…