Devotional (Page 14)

Give, and it will be given to you. A good portion—packed down, firmly shaken, and overflowing—will fall into your lap. The portion you give will determine the portion you receive in return.” (Luke 6:38) In our young adult study on Thursdays, we are slowly making our way through the Gospel of Luke. Tonight, we dig through chapter six. Here most of the narrative is teaching directly from Jesus. In a red-letter Bible, most of the words are red. Much of…

Over the course of the past several months, the word “worship” has come up a lot in church body discussions.  For years in my life “worship” was just a word I thought I was familiar with and had a good understanding of. It was an act in which I grew up knowing was a celebration of my love for Christ. As the years of my life passed, now as a pastor in a church with transition going on, I have…

I greet you all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and welcome us to the week of Christmas!  I want to compile an acrostic for Christmas with scripture to accompany each word. C= Christ: “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is CHRIST the Lord. Luke 2:11 H= Highest Heaven: “Glory to God in the HIGHEST HEAVEN, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”  Luke 2:14 R=…

During the last couple of weeks, God has placed multiple reminders in my path, reminding me to stop and listen. Our family devotional time, conversations with others, short messages from friends; all aligned with the direction for me to stop and listen.  I am not referring to simply listening to a person who is speaking to me, but I am referring to stopping and listening to the sounds around me. As these months have flown by and we have arrived…

Christ is our peace. He made both Jews and Gentiles into one group. With his body, he broke down the barrier of hatred that divided us… When he came, he announced good new of peace to you who were far away from God and to those were near. We both have access to the Father through Christ by the one Spirit… Christ is building you into a place where God lives through the Spirit. (Ephesians 2:14, 17-18, 22 CEB) Yesterday’s…

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…