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Message for November 16 2025
My Redeemer Lives
In the Book of Job we find a man who has lost most everything, including his health. His friends are accusatory - stating that Job's misfortune must be because of some sin he has committed. Job maintains his innocence and his hope in God, proclaiming in the midst of suffering: I know my redeemer lives.
Message for November 9 2025
O Lord, Hear from Heaven
In 2 Chronicles 6 we find the powerful prayer of Solomon following the completion of the temple as a place for God's presence to dwell among mortals. Solomon prays that God would indeed hear from heaven when the people draw near, and would forgive their sin as a God of love and faithfulness.
Message for November 2 2025
Show me Your Face, Lord
In Exodus 33 we find one of the great prayers of Moses - a prayer which is in response to the people's disobedience which causes the threat of God withdrawing His presence. Moses prays that God's presence remain among them as an identifying mark that they are indeed God's people.
Message for October 12 2025
Giving Back to the One Who Gives
In 1 Samuel 1 we not only have the agonizing prayer of Hannah for a son - we also have God's answer: Samuel. God hears Hannah's prayer and in response, Hannah gives back to the Lord what the Lord has given to her: her son. Might we learn to give ourselves to the giver of all good gifts.
Message for October 5 2025
Choosing to Pray
In 1 Samuel 1 we find the powerful story of Hannah who had one request of the Lord God. Sometimes we have one primary thing we desire from God and can find ourselves in anguish when God does not grant what we so desperately want. In these times it is important that we do not give up on prayer - on meeting God in the midst of the mess.
Message for September 28 2025
The Call to Pray
In his letter to the church at Thessalonica, Paul encourages them to pray always. In Luke's gospel, in chapyer 18, we find the same call given by Jesus in a parable. What does it mean to pray always? What is it important? In these passages alone, prayer is connected with faith, mercy, and hope.
Message for June 29 2025
A Summertime Spirituality
As we enter into the summer season let us be sure to enjoy the beauty of this time of year: the abundance of God displayed in the grandeur of his creation. Hear the words of Jesus: "Let's go off together and rest for awhile." Let this be a time of praising the God of all creation rather than producing goods from creation.
Message for June 8 2025
Justice, Privilege, and Righteousness
In scripture we find that justice, privilege and rightouesness are closely related. In our culture and times privilege often leads to injustice; scripturally, however, our privileged position in Christ as God's people is to lead to more justice and righteousness. May our Lord lead us into the depths and wonder of this calling.
Message for June 1 2025
Giving Your All
In Mark 12 we find the account of the widow and her offering - two small copper coins, all she had to live on. The context of this account includes a rebuke of the scribes for practicing mere religion followed by a prophetic word about the destruction of the temple. I believe the question being asked of us in this passage is: what are we giving our all to?
Message for May 18 2025
Living in the Light of the Lord
In Psalm 27 we find David choosing faith over fear as he pursues the presence of God while being pursued by enemies himself. There is a call in this Psalm to seek the Lord in times of trouble, and to not only seek the Lord but to learn of the Lord and to wait upon the Lord. In so doing we will find our head lifted above the battle raging around us.
Message for April 6 2025
Remembering to Breathe
In Genesis 2 we find the beautiful description of God giving breath to Adam, upon which Adam becomes a living soul. We have the breath of God inside of us - the soul God has given us. Our lives, well lived, are a giving back to God the breath which has been given to us. We do this by living out in our bodies the purpose of our souls.
Message for March 30 2025
A Narrow Road, Good Fruit & Solid Foundation
Jesus instructs his disciples to walk a narrow road, produce good fruit, and build their lives on a solid foundation. He is teaching them the importance of living out his words. To be a disciple of Jesus is to do what Jesus did and taught. It is to take up our cross daily and follow him.
Message for March 23 2025
Ask, Seek, Knock
As the recorded teachings of Jesus continue in Matthew 7, there is another section on prayer which encourages asking, seeking, and knocking. This sections contains the assurance of receiving answers to prayer from God, who is good and will provide according to our needs.
Message for March 16 2025
Droppping Stones: from condemnation to confession to compassion
In Matthew 7 we find a powerful teaching from Jesus on the danger of judging others without self examination. Jesus calls us to deal with our own shortcomings and failures before we proceed to take on the shortcomings and failures of others. This is wise advice which we find difficult as it involves first humbling ourselves.
Message for March 9 2025
A Singular Vision
Jesus calls those who would follow him to have a singular vision which stores up treasures in heaven, trusting in the care of God for them. In a society that places much emphasis on accumulation and possessing, this is a counter-cultural call to care for others rather than continue in competition with them.
Message for March 2 2025
The Private Practice of Following Jesus
In Matthew 6 we have a powerful teaching of Jesus which calls his followers to practice their faith so as not to be seen by others. The heart of Jesus' teaching in this section of scripture is the motivation of our heart. Private practice of piety does not lead to inaction but orients the motivation of our actions.
Message for February 23 2025
Being Perfect in Purpose
In the closing section of Matthew 5 we find the high calling of being perfect as our Father in heaven is perfect. This is a call to love - to love all. This is the way of Judaism and Christianity; it is the way of redemption.
Message for February 16 2025
The Exceeding Righteousness
In Matthew 5:17-20 Jesus' provides teaching on the importance of the Law and it being lived out through our lives - an exceeding righteousness. While the Law has been fulfilled through Christ, that does not mean it no longer needs to be kept; in fact, the level of keeping the Law goes even deeper.
Message for February 9 2025
Living a Life that Points to God
In Matthew 5:11-16 we find Jesus call for his disciples to live as salt and light in this world, with the recognition that this will bring persecution to themselves and glory to God. It seems living as salt and light is not an option but a calling, and a result of living out the beattitudes mentioned earlier in the chapter.
Message for February 2 2025
The Blessed Life of Following the Way
In Matthew 5 we have the opening of a section of Jesus' teaching which has been called the sermon on the mount. It opens with a description of one who is deemed blessed; the desciption is quite different from what we would naturally think of as a blessed life. What Jesus describes is the life of one who follows the ways of the Kingdom of God.