This morning in our early morning Prayer Group we talked about truth telling and shared experiences that help and that hinder our life lived in truth. I realized afterward, that God is leading us to life with Him. Life that is abundant and lived caring for others with sincerity and grace. Isn’t that what Jesus…

In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. Ephesians 2:21-22. Ruth 2 is a chapter rich in examples of how living with God brings great…

It’s always good to remember that good exists in this world when it seems like darkness is everywhere. The Book of Judges was in that time when Israel had no king and everyone did what was right in their own eyes. In this time period we come to the Book of Ruth with a beacon…

Therefore rid yourselves of all sordidness and rank growth of wickedness, and welcome with meekness the implanted word that has the power to save your souls. James 1:21 NRSV (New Revised Standard Version). Balance. The Book of Judges ends in Judges 21 with these words: In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as…

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 2 Corinthians 5:17 We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. May your unfailing love be with us,…

This is one of the hardest chapters to read and find our way out of. In the history of us, God doesn’t sugarcoat what our sins have done. Sin causes great harm within and to others. In those days Israel had no king. Judges 19:1. Who is our King? There’s a woman in this chapter…

This morning as I was sitting quietly in prayer after reading Scripture, the quiet was punctuated with passing vehicles, sirens in the distance, my own thoughts spinning. Even when I try to listen for God’s voice, the sound of the vehicles keeps pulling me away. What noises pull us away? I thought about the span…

Given our Prayer Group discussion this morning, that question may seem counter intuitive. Jesus asked those He healed not to tell anyone but to present themselves to the priests. Can you imagine? No one does that. Jesus wasn’t looking for glorification. He gave all glory to the Father. Do we? How can we unless we…

As I look at this world today, I can’t help but think about the lessons Samson learned in Judges 16. He put his trust in his powerful strength and in a woman named Delilah. His powerful strength didn’t come from him and Delilah trusted in different things. Remember Samson’s mother? Remember how the angel of…

Sometimes when we worry we feel a weight that doesn’t let us move forward or backward or up or down. We are held. The greatest weight is for those we love who are in pain. We feel it in every fiber of our being and its weight is heavy. I thought about that this morning…