Recent Devotions
“For thou art great, and doest wondrous things: thou art God alone” (Psalm 86:10, KJV). Con·text (‘kän-,tekst): “the circumstances that form the setting for a statement or idea, by which it can be fully understood and assessed; the parts that immediately precede or follow a word or passage and help to clarify its meaning.” Information is shared through words. A sentence or paragraph’s full meaning and intent are not just the sum of the words and their definitions. More importantly, it must also include consideration of the setting surrounding the text—or the context. We can often guess the definition of…
It’s time. We have come to that season of our lives when it’s time to sort through our stash—the accumulation of a lifetime. To throw out the trash, discard the broken and useless, donate what we no longer need, and keep what we can’t live without. We are peeling back…
“Altared” – the devotional title is not a typo. Research data shows the percentage of regular church-goers is diminishing weekly, so congregations have upped their marketing game to get the unchurched masses through their doors. First-time visitors get bags of gifts, while church services are designed to offer comfort and…
Readers Loved
And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” So Peter went out and wept bitterly. (Luke 22:61-62, NKJV) In these days before Easter, we are studying some of the events leading up to the crucifixion of Jesus. Today let’s talk about Simon Peter, the disciple who denied the Lord. We could use many words to describe Peter, one of three disciples in Jesus’ inner circle. Brash. Headstrong. Impulsive. Speaking before taking time to think. If we were…
When I was a young girl, my grandfather began showing the early signs of dementia. Although the family helped wherever they could, my grandmother bore the bulk of responsibility for his care. Through all the stages of his decline, I watched as she lovingly endured his confusion, mild hostility toward her, his loss of memory, and finally, his physical downturn. After over half a century of marriage to him, she truly lived out what it meant to “bear all things” in love. This outward display of whole-hearted love greatly impacted me as a teenager and taught me a great lesson…
But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap, Malachi 3:2. There are times in our lives when we need to stop and evaluate our surroundings and feelings, so we can assess certain situations to ascertain if we are headed in the right direction. In elementary school, Firefighters would come to our classroom and teach us if our clothes were ever to catch on fire to; STOP, DROP, AND ROLL. Well, it’s a good practice to take into adulthood when our life…
“But Jesus said, “No, go home to your family, and tell them everything the Lord has done for you and how merciful he has been.” Mark 5:19 Mark chapter five tells us the story of a man who is possessed by evil spirits. He was living a life of torment and constant terror as these spirits made him howl, and cut himself with sharp stones. No man could subdue him for he appeared to have super human strength, breaking chains and smashing shackles. Jesus has a conversation with these spirits and they beg Him to allow them to enter into…
