Freedom
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This Great Experiment Continues
Every Fourth of July, we’re surrounded by reminders of freedom. Flags wave in the breeze, fireworks light up the sky in the distance. Families gather around grills and picnic tables. It’s a day that reminds us to pause and give thanks. But gratitude has become complicated. Some voices tell us America has done so much… Continue reading
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A Love So Deep That It Shook Him
The jailer called for lights and ran to the dungeon and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. Then he brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” – Acts 16:29-30 Isn’t it incredible how showing compassion to someone can completely change their life? Take this Philippian jailer. Now we… Continue reading
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Remember Your Chains
“I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you.” – Colossians 4:18 At the end of his letter to the church in Colossae, Paul calls his faithful brothers and sisters in Christ to “remember my chains.” He wasn’t seeking their pity; he was trying to encourage those who… Continue reading
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Every Day is His Day
In the Old Testament, the Sabbath was a gift God gave to Israel. It was part of the Law given through Moses – a covenant sign between the Lord and His chosen nation. The Sabbath is Saturday, the seventh day of the week, and it’s never been changed. It belonged to Israel under the old… Continue reading
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Instant Access
“In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.” – Ephesians 3:12 My father-in-law will be 102 next week. He’s never owned a computer. That still blows my mind. And then there are my kids -unable to imagine a world without cellphones. They don’t remember life before instant access,… Continue reading
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There’s No App for Righteousness
No man knows how bad he is till he has tried very hard to be good.– C.S. Lewis Recently my auto insurance company sent me an email with the subject title, “Want to save up to 30% on your auto insurance premium? Look inside.” I figured it was probably a gimmick, perhaps something about referring… Continue reading
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What If Jesus Hadn’t Come Yet?
Have you ever thought about what the world might look like if Jesus had yet to come? It’s kind of hard to wrap your head around, but it’s worth thinking about. Because honestly, it would be a completely different world! Darker, colder, and a whole lot more hopeless… If Jesus hadn’t come, we’d still be… Continue reading
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Truth Overcomes Fear
Among the crowds there was widespread whispering about him. Some said, “He is a good man.” Others replied, “No, he deceives the people.” But no one would say anything publicly about him for fear of the leaders. – John 7:12-13 It’s interesting to me how divided people were about Jesus, even back then while walking… Continue reading
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The Year of Jubilee (Leviticus 25)
Consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you; each of you is to return to your family property and to your own clan. The fiftieth year shall be a jubilee for you; do not sow and do not reap what grows of… Continue reading
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No More Guilt and Shame
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. – Romans 8:1 If anyone knew what it felt like to live with regret, it was the Apostle Paul. He did everything in his power to destroy the early church. Imagine the memories that must have haunted him – the faces of… Continue reading
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Lessons From the Prodigal: The Road to Repentance
When he came to his senses, he said, “How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to… Continue reading
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Lessons From the Prodigal: A Son’s Foolish Request and a Father’s Astonishing Response
“There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them. – Luke 15:11-12 In the opening of the Parable of the Prodigal Son, which is nestled within Luke’s trio of stories about the lost being… Continue reading
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God’s Kindness Opens the Door
Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance? – Rom. 2:4 Have you ever considered how God’s patience and kindness in your life are gently calling you to turn away from sin and draw closer to Him?… Continue reading
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A Heart Broken by Sin
For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Psalm 51:3 A life surrendered fully to God is one that faces sin head-on, not with excuses but with a heart broken by its offense against a holy and righteous God. Here in Psalm 51, we see King David, a man after God’s… Continue reading
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Living in The Shadow of Regret
Give me happiness, O Lord, for I give myself to you. O Lord, you are so good, so ready to forgive, so full of unfailing love for all who ask for your help. – Psalm 86:4-5 Here’s an honest confession: Sometimes I have the unfortunate tendency to respond without taking a moment to think things… Continue reading
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Do We Take It For Granted?
“In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. – Ephesians 3:12 I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what it must have been like for people back in the days of the Old Covenant. Imagine heading to the tabernacle, your heart desperately longing to connect with God, to… Continue reading
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Leaving the Old Self Behind
“If you are renewed by grace, and were to meet your old self, I am sure you would be very anxious to get out of his company.” – Charles H. Spurgeon Spurgeon’s words remind us just how much God’s grace transforms our lives. If we were to meet our old selves – the person we… Continue reading
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“My Name is Scott, and I’m….”
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.– Romans 1:16 As a recovering alcoholic, I’ve been actively involved in a 12-Step recovery program for several years now. This program has been an incredible… Continue reading
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New Losses, New Gains
But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in… Continue reading
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Grace Over Perfection
Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin. – Romans 3:20 One of the most frustrating jobs I ever had was back when I worked in construction many years ago. And it wasn’t because it was physically… Continue reading
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Had I Been There: The One Who Returned
One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan. Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” –… Continue reading
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Ain’t You Tired?
If you’re looking for an easy and enlightening read this summer, I highly recommend Brant Hansen’s book Unoffendable. Today’s devotional is an excerpt from one of the stories in his book, (p.59-60). Brant writes: “[God] wants to know us, and he wants us to know Him. He wants us to want Him. Not ideas or… Continue reading
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Wounded Trees and Forgiveness
“Forgiveness is a beautiful word, until you have something to forgive.” – C.S. Lewis Shortly after the Civil War, General Robert E. Lee ran into a woman in Virginia who complained to him that Yankee artillery had severely damaged a beautiful tree that was in her yard. She was so livid about it that she… Continue reading
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The Truth Never Sleeps!
As the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and told the leading priests what had happened. A meeting with the elders was called, and they decided to give the soldiers a large bribe. They told the soldiers, “You must say, ‘Jesus’ disciples came during the night while we… Continue reading
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A Thirst Forever Quenched
“Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?” – John 4:28-29 Something remarkable happens when Jesus enters a person’s heart and they become filled with the Holy Spirit. Their attitudes… Continue reading
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His Victory is Our Victory, Too.
What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were… Continue reading
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When Grief Becomes a Friend
Weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning. – Psalm 30:5 I couldn’t appreciate the light without the presence of darkness. I couldn’t seek comfort without going through the suffering. Without the bitter I wouldn’t appreciate the sweet. And without the suffering, I would never experience true joy. My mind has been… Continue reading
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How Clean Are Your Dishes?
When Jesus had finished speaking, a Pharisee invited him to eat with him; so he went and reclined at the table. But the Pharisee was surprised when he noticed that Jesus did not first wash before the meal. Then the Lord said to him, “Now then, you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and… Continue reading
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A Freedom that Shines
“It goes back to what I said about Andy wearing his freedom like an invisible coat, about how he never really developed a prison mentality. His eyes never got that dull look.” – Red, from Shawshank Redemption A few times per month I’m given the privilege of going to a place where most people have… Continue reading
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Living in the Shadow of Unkept Promises
[Jonathan said] “May the Lord be with you as he used to be with my father. And may you treat me with the unfailing love of the Lord as long as I live. But if I die, treat my family with this faithful love, even when the Lord destroys all your enemies from the face… Continue reading
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Admitted to God, Ourselves, and Another Human Being
“Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. – James 5:16 (NLT) There is nothing easy about the 5th Step in Alcoholics Anonymous. But if we wish to remain sober, we know… Continue reading
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Faith Doesn’t Grow in the Comfort Zone
“Lord, if it is you,” Peter replied, “Tell me to come to you on the water.” Matthew 14:28 Recently while I was away on a trip with a good friend, we were looking for a place to eat. I casually mentioned to him (according to Google Maps) that there was a chain restaurant about 30… Continue reading
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Prayers Overcome Prisons
“Peter finally came to his senses. “It’s really true!” he said. “The Lord has sent his angel and saved me from Herod and from what the Jewish leaders had planned to do to me!” – Acts 12:11 (NLT) King Herod had arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them. (v.1) He had… Continue reading
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The Alcoholic’s Eden
Regardless of how much time in sobriety one has, every recovering alcoholic hears two voices. The voice of reason says: You are at liberty to drink whatever you want, but you must not drink alcohol. For if you drink it, you know what awaits. Trouble, followed by more trouble, surely followed by an alcoholic death.… Continue reading
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Better Than I Deserve
“How blessed is the man who made the Lord his trust.” ~ Psalm 40:4 One fall afternoon I was parked on the shoulder of a rural highway about 50 miles southwest of Ashland, Kentucky. As I sat there completely hopeless and numb, I considered what few options remained. Roughly 9 hours earlier I had been… Continue reading
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Do I Truly Hate My Sin?
Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. ~ Romans 12:9 There are few things more frustrating to me than watching a highly competitive sporting event between two teams that ultimately ends in a tie. Perhaps this is why I’ve found it impossible to develop more than a mere casual… Continue reading
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Don’t Get Ahead of God
“There are known knowns; things we know that we know. There are known unknowns; things we know that we don’t know. But there are also unknown unknowns – things we do not know that we don’t know.” ~ Donald Rumsfeld It didn’t happen overnight. But slowly and gradually, God’s freedom poured over me. It went… Continue reading
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No Escape
“The Lord Himself will go before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you or forget you.” ~ Deuteronomy 31:8 I remember a time in my childhood when I became so upset with my mother that I began making plans to run away. So one morning I grabbed a few toys, a… Continue reading
About Me
Welcome! I’m Scott (aka Former Blackout Artist), and I’m so happy you decided to drop in! I hope you find the content here spiritually enlightening and uplifting. Most of all, I hope that my love of Christ is revealed through my writing and that it encourages you in some way today. Thanks for stopping by!
Former Blackout Artist 