Hope
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Isaiah 19: Nobody Gets Left Out!
In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria. The Assyrians will go to Egypt and the Egyptians to Assyria. The Egyptians and Assyrians will worship together. In that day Israel will be the third, along with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing on the earth. The LORD Almighty will bless them, saying,… Continue reading
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More than Just a Snow Day
I rejoiced with those who said to me,“Let us go to the house of the LORD.” – Psalm 122:1 The winter weather the past couple of weekends has done more than canceled local church services; it’s stirred up memories I didn’t expect. Consecutive Sundays without gathering have quietly taken me back to the days of… Continue reading
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The Divine Usefulness of Trouble
“…We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.” – 2 Corinthians 1:8-9 As Paul begins his second letter… Continue reading
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Genesis 4: Eve’s First Words After the Fall
A few days ago I started a new Bible in One Year reading plan for 2026, and yesterday I was reading in Genesis chapter 4. And the very first verse in chapter 4 (where Eve gives birth to Cain) got my attention: “I have gotten a man with the help of the Lord.” Now, the… Continue reading
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Do You Worry About Your Anxiety?
Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down,but a good word makes him glad. – Proverbs 12:25 Anxiety doesn’t announce itself with a parade and a marching band. There’s no welcoming party. It just settles in and presses against us, draining the joy out of ordinary moments until suddenly everything seems a whole lot heaver… Continue reading
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Christmas Day Reflection
Christmas greetings to you, dear friends. As this day arrives once again, my hope for each of you is peace in your hearts, joy that runs deeper than circumstances, and good health for the days ahead. I’m grateful for every one of you who reads these words, and I’m mindful that behind each screen is… Continue reading
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They Thought They Were Increasing Their Tax Base
In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to their own town to register. – Luke 2:1-3 Luke tells us that just before Jesus was born, Caesar… Continue reading
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The Shadow of the Cross Rested on the Cradle
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” When King Herod heard this he was… Continue reading
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How A List of Names Helped Build a Manger
When Christmas comes around, most of us jump straight to the manger. The straw, the animals, the wise men, the baby wrapped tight, Mary and Joseph looking tired and stunned… It brings familiarity and gentleness. Maybe that’s why we like to start there. But the Gospels don’t rush us to the manger quite as fast… Continue reading
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Heartbreak, Humanity, and Hope
Then Joab went into the house to the king and said, “Today you have humiliated all your men, who have just saved your life and the lives of your sons and daughters and the lives of your wives and concubines. You love those who hate you and hate those who love you. You have made… Continue reading
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Can’t Raise a Toast.. So I’ll Raise a Hallelujah!
He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. – Psalm 40:2 I don’t think I’ll ever forget what my life was like before Jesus reached down and pulled me out of that dark and… Continue reading
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Beautiful Feet Bring Good News!
Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. – Rom. 10:17 When William Tyndale set out to translate the Bible into English, he knew what it could cost him. In his day, the church and the crown had forbidden ordinary people from reading the Scriptures in their own language. But Tyndale couldn’t… Continue reading
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The Comfort of Covenant Love
May your unfailing love be my comfort,according to your promise to your servant. – Psalm 119:76 There are days when God feels silent, when prayers seem to echo off the ceiling and peace feels just out of reach. In those moments, comfort can feel like a distant dream. We want relief. We want clarity. We… Continue reading
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More Than Lip Service
“It is easier to be enthusiastic about Humanity with a capital ‘H’ than it is to love individual men and women, especially those who are uninteresting, exasperating, depraved, or otherwise unattractive. Loving everybody in general may be an excuse for loving nobody in particular.” C. S. Lewis C.S. Lewis had such a wonderful way of… Continue reading
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A Season for Everything
There is a time for everything,and a season for every activity under the heavens: – Ecc. 3:1 Life doesn’t stay the same. We might want it to sometimes, but it doesn’t. There are seasons we’d love to hold onto forever, and there are others we’d erase if we could. Ecclesiastes 3 reminds us that God… Continue reading
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While There’s Still Daylight!
They said, “Rabbi, you can’t do that. The Jews are out to kill you, and you’re going back?” Jesus replied, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Anyone who walks in daylight doesn’t stumble because there’s plenty of light from the sun. Walking at night, he might very well stumble because he can’t see where… 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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Ain’t It Good to Know You’ve Got a Friend?
I was listening to this song today while driving. It’s an old James Taylor song – one of those songs with beautiful lyrics that cause you to think of someone special in your life: When you’re down and troubledAnd you need a helping handAnd nothing, nothing is going rightClose your eyes and think of meAnd… 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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The Divine Intersection Where Our Stories Meet
I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power. – Ephesians 3:7 Logging over 10,000 miles of missionary journeys, authoring 13 New Testament letters, planting 15-20 churches, enduring imprisonments, shipwrecks, and relentless persecution and suffering – the apostle Paul’s ministry shaped the foundation… Continue reading
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A Glory That Far Outweighs Any Temporary Pain
I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. – Romans 8:18 The apostle Paul knew a thing or two about pain. Before meeting Christ, he dished out suffering as Saul, persecuting believers. Then later, as a follower of Jesus, he endured beatings, imprisonment, and… Continue reading
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How Often Do You Think About It?
If the resurrection of Christ were to rest on reason, then only the highly reasonable people could be converted. If the resurrection of Christ were to rest on man’s ability to gather and weigh evidence, then the man trained in the gathering and evaluating of evidence might believe, but the simple-hearted man could never believe.… Continue reading
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The Old Man Had to Go
Many years ago before giving my life to Christ, I went fishing with an old army buddy. It was a Saturday (I think) and as we sat on his boat on the lake, the conversation turned to his plans for the next day. He mentioned going to church with his wife, then invited me to… Continue reading
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Your Past Doesn’t Equal Your Future
Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. – Isaiah 43:18-19 Have you ever thought about how God might be using you? If not,… Continue reading
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A Higher Perspective
Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. – Colossians 3:2 Not everything earthly is evil. Many aspects of our daily lives, things like our work, our relationships, and even our hobbies can be good and God-honoring. Yet, even the harmless things can become harmful when they overshadow what truly matters: our relationship… Continue reading
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Thankful For The Pain
It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees. – Psalm 119:71 Life has a way of knocking us down sometimes, doesn’t it? When things get tough, it’s easy to feel like we’re stuck in a mess we can’t get out of. But Psalm 119:71 tells us something powerful:… Continue reading
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Because You Say So
Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” – Luke 5:5 In yesterday morning’s devotional in Luke 4, we read about Jesus being tested in the wilderness prior to beginning His earthly ministry. And we may remember that the devil… Continue reading
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Everyone Wants The Crown
Now Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith, put himself forward and said, “I will be king.” So he got chariots and horses ready, with fifty men to run ahead of him.1 Kings 1:5 In 1st Kings 1, King David is old, nearing the end of his life, and the question of who will succeed him as… Continue reading
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What it Means To Be Included
And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. – Ephesians 1:13 I spent much of my early life trying to fit in somewhere. But for some reason I never had much luck. I was too slow and not athletic enough on the playground to… Continue reading
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Tent Living
So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have. I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the body of this earthly tent, because I know that I will soon put it aside,… Continue reading
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What Shall I Render to the Lord?
What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits to me? – Psalm 116:12 Oh, the weight and wonder of this question! The psalmist stands, as it were, on the precipice of God’s overwhelming goodness, gazing back at a sea of divine benefits – mercies too numerous to count, too vast to comprehend.… Continue reading
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Riding the Storm with God’s Faithful
“Men, I can see that our voyage is going to be disastrous and bring great loss to ship and cargo, and to our own lives also.” – Acts 27:10 In Acts 27, Paul, a prisoner on his way to Rome, is aboard a ship facing a perilous journey. As an experienced traveler, he senses an… Continue reading
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A Faith That Can Be Seen
When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.” – Luke 5:20 Have you ever thought about what faith looks like? We often think of faith as something private, tucked away in our hearts… just a quiet and simple trust in God. And sometimes it is. But there are moments when faith… Continue reading
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Resting in the Sovereign Hand of God
To know that nothing happens in God’s world apart from God’s will may frighten the godless, but it stabilizes the saints. – J. I. Packer, in Knowing God For those who don’t know God, the idea that nothing – nothing – happens outside His will is a most dreadful thought. It’s unsettling, isn’t it, to… Continue reading
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What Now?
When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. – John 19:30 The day after Jesus’ crucifixion must have dawned heavy with silence, confusion, and grief. The words “It is finished” lingered in the air, their meaning shrouded in mystery and pain… Continue reading
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When There’s No Bloom on the Fig Tree
Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.… Continue reading
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From Grief to Joy
Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. – John 16:20 As Jesus spoke these words, the shadow of the cross loomed large. He knew the pain His disciples would soon endure – heart-wrenching sorrow as they watched their… Continue reading
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The Parable of the Late Night Mechanic
Then Jesus said to them, “I ask you, which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or destroy it?” – Luke 6:9 There once was a small-town mechanic named Sam who ran a little garage on the edge of town. Now some mechanics have less than stellar… Continue reading
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God’s Treasured Possession
“Then those who feared the Lord talked with each other, and the Lord listened and heard. A scroll of remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who feared the Lord and honored his name. ‘On the day when I act,’ says the Lord Almighty, ‘they will be my treasured possession. I will spare them,… Continue reading
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Refuge and Redemption
“May the Lord repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.” – Ruth 2:12 Ruth had every reason to give up. A foreigner in a strange land, widowed and poor, she could have chosen an… Continue reading
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Not Even One
But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” – John 8:6b-7 The Pharisees dragged a woman before Jesus,… Continue reading
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A Light in the Darkness
Mr. Edwards, an elderly Sunday School teacher, sat in his usual chair with his Bible open on his lap. The children gathered around him, listening intently as he told stories about Jesus – His miracles, His kindness, and His love for sinners. As he spoke, a boy named Charlie hesitantly raised his hand. “Mr. Edwards,… Continue reading
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God Sees, God Knows, God Acts
During that long period, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out, and their cry for help because of their slavery went up to God. God heard their groaning and he remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob. So God looked on the Israelites and was… Continue reading
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Trusting the Potter’s Hands
“You turn things upside down! Shall the potter be regarded as the clay, that the thing made should say of its maker, ‘He did not make me’; or the thing formed say of him who formed it, ‘He has no understanding‘?” – Isaiah 29:16 (ESV) The people of Judah had a major problem: outwardly they… 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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When Hope Feels Lost
“But we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel.” – Luke 24:21a You ever have those moments where your hope feels crushed? Where the thing you were so sure God was going to do just… doesn’t happen? That’s where these two disciples were on the road to Emmaus. They’d… Continue reading
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Only Jesus Could Do That!
When Saul arrived in Jerusalem, he tried to meet with the believers, but they were all afraid of him. They did not believe he had truly become a believer! Then Barnabas brought him to the apostles and told them how Saul had seen the Lord on the way to Damascus and how the Lord had… Continue reading
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Are You In or Out?
The teacher of religious law replied, “Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth by saying that there is only one God and no other. And I know it is important to love him with all my heart and all my understanding and all my strength, and to love my neighbor as myself. This is… Continue reading
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What Year That Was!
Commit your work to the LORD, and your plans will be established. – Proverbs 16:3 Well… I don’t know about you, but I’m looking forward to stepping into a brand new year. And not because 2024 was a year to forget. It was, however, a year of dramatic change for me and my family. My… Continue reading
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The God Who Knows and Sees
When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, “Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.” “How do you know me?” Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.” Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you… Continue reading
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What is Your “Field”?
The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.– Matthew 13:44 There’s something about a treasure hunt that captures the imagination. We picture maps, riddles, and the thrill of… Continue reading
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How Big is Your God?
My eyes are ever on the LORD, for only he will release my feet from the snare. Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted. Relieve the troubles of my heart and free me from my anguish. – Psalms 25:15-17 This sweet, comforting psalm came from a season of… 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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Do Not Be Afraid!
One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision and told him, “Don’t be afraid! Speak out! Don’t be silent! For I am with you, and no one will attack and harm you, for many people in this city belong to me.” So Paul stayed there for the next year and a half, teaching… Continue reading
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Stepping Out of the Boat
Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”“Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus reached out… Continue reading
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Living Water > Stirred Water
Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Aramaic called Bethesda, which has five roofed colonnades. In these lay a multitude of invalids—blind, lame, and paralyzed. One man was there who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been… Continue reading
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Just Visiting
For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever. – 2 Corinthians 4:18b (NLT) This morning I spent a few moments reflecting on the two years my family and I lived in London. I remember we were all so excited to be able to experience… Continue reading
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The Parable of Two Politicians
In Luke 18:9-17, Jesus tells a story about a Pharisee and a tax collector who went to the temple to pray. The Pharisee, confident in his righteousness, compared himself to the tax collector and began to thank God that he wasn’t like him or other sinners. But Jesus says it was the tax collector, humble… Continue reading
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From Enemies to Family
“That day Herod and Pilate became friends – before this they had been enemies.” – Luke 23:12 It’s striking that the trial and crucifixion of Jesus became the event that turned Herod and Pilate, former enemies, into allies. They came together over their shared role in condemning an innocent man. It’s interesting how common goals… Continue reading
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The Truth of God’s Love
Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. – Ephesians 5:1-2 There’s a simple yet profound truth that flows through Paul’s words in Ephesians 5:1-2: We are called to… Continue reading
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Great Knowledge Comes With Greater Responsibility
Then he turned to his disciples and said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.” – Luke 10:23-24 Old Testament men… Continue reading
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Caring Too Much About What Others Think
Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not openly acknowledge their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; for they loved human praise more than praise from God.– John 12:42-43 Have you ever found yourself holding back when… Continue reading
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Even In the Hardest of Times
Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel. As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. And because of my chains, most of the brothers and… Continue reading
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A Promising Future Awaits!
For in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you. – 2 Peter 1:11 (NASB) Have you ever thought about the kind of welcome you’ll receive when you enter heaven? Sometimes we might wonder if we’ll just barely make it in, as… Continue reading
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One Thing You Lack
“Teacher,” he declared, “all these [Commandments] I have kept since I was a boy.” Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” At this the man’s face fell. He… 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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An Unshakable Peace
He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. – 1 John 4:4 (ESV) Facing hardship, rejection, or loss can be overwhelming, but these difficult moments are also opportunities to encounter God’s power and love in a deeply personal way. In our struggles, we can discover that the peace that… Continue reading
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Desperate Faith to Deliberate Faith
The royal official said, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” “Go,” Jesus replied, “your son will live.” The man took Jesus at his word and departed.– John 4:49-50 “God, if you’ll do this for me, I promise that I’ll (fill in the blank).” Sound familiar? It does for me. Before I came to saving… Continue reading
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Trusting God in The Silence
“Do not be deceived, Wormwood. Our cause is never more in danger than when a human, no longer desiring, but still intending, to do our Enemy’s will, looks round upon a universe from which every trace of Him seems to have vanished, and asks why he has been forsaken, and still obeys.” – C.S. Lewis,… Continue reading
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The Apple of His Eye
“Keep me as the apple of Your eye; hide me in the shadow of Your wings.” — Psalm 17:8 (NIV) You are the apple of God’s eye—cherished, protected, and seen. When David wrote this verse, he was asking God to keep him close and safe, like something precious. And God promises the same for you.… Continue reading
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Where is God in Our Hardship?
Then the angel of the LORD came and sat beneath the great tree at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash of the clan of Abiezer. Gideon son of Joash was threshing wheat at the bottom of a winepress to hide the grain from the Midianites. The angel of the LORD appeared to him and said, “Mighty… Continue reading
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A Warning About Drifting Away
It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age and who have fallen away, to be brought back to repentance. To their loss they… 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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A Little Faith Can Go a Long Way
“Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?” – John 6:9 When the crowd of 5000 came, the disciples saw a major problem. They needed an army of caterers, not a small basket of bread and fish. The situation seemed hopeless.… Continue reading
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Making the Most of Our Days
“Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” Psalm 90:12 It’s easy to lose track of time. We get caught up in work, chores, the needs of our families, and our routines, often forgetting how quickly the days pass. Psalm 90:12, which is attributed to Moses, encourages us to… Continue reading
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Something Greater
For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another. But God found fault with the people and said: “The days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah. It will… Continue reading
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The Boundless Reach of God’s Grace
The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love… Continue reading
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Love Without Reservation
When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. As she stood… Continue reading
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God’s Unseen Hand
Esther was taken to King Xerxes at the royal palace in early winter of the seventh year of his reign. And the king loved Esther more than any of the other young women. He was so delighted with her that he set the royal crown on her head and declared her queen instead of Vashti.… Continue reading
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Compared to Who?
For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. For each will have to bear his own load. – Gal. 6:3-5 (ESV) Few things hinder relationships… Continue reading
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If Jesus Had Been a Football Star…
Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town, among his relatives and in his own home.” He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. He was amazed at their lack of faith. – Mark 6:4-6 (NIV) When… Continue reading
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Get Them Back
Few things are more awkward to me than bumping into someone I know who was once a professing believer but has since given up on “religion” altogether. But what is even more awkward to me is ignoring that person in hopes of avoiding an awkward conversation. People who walk away from their faith will offer… Continue reading
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Just Say Yes
Jesus replied, “If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water.” – John 4:10 There were a lot of reasons why I justified my alcoholism. Anxiety, depression, fear, failure, loneliness, insecurity, unworthiness… alcohol just seemed to be… Continue reading
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Why Do You Call Me Good?
“I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life.” 1 Timothy 1:16 (NIV) Do you consider yourself to be a good driver? Of course you do. Everyone does. In fact, the… Continue reading
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Outward Signs of Inward Faith
“What makes you think I want all your sacrifices?” says the LORD. “I am sick of your burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fattened cattle. I get no pleasure from the blood of bulls and lambs and goats. When you come to worship me, who asked you to parade through my courts with… Continue reading
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More Than Roadside Assistance
Ask me, and I will do whatever you ask. This way the Son will bring honor to the Father. – John 14:13 (CEV) Perhaps you’re one of the 61 million card-carrying members of the largest automobile club in America – AAA. Or maybe your automobile insurance company has the exclusive policy perk of being there… Continue reading
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Keeping the Cross on Our Minds
“For he gave himself for us, that he might set us free from all our evil ways, and make for himself a people of his own, clean and pure, with our hearts set upon living a life that is good.” – Titus 2:14 (J.B. Phillips NT Bible) Satan is a master deceiver. When he tempts… Continue reading
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Enormous Grief to Enormous Compassion
“As soon as he heard the news….” – Matt. 13:14 NLT I was sober for a number of years and had been through a lot of ups and downs during that time. But nothing would prepare me for what I would be forced to do on the afternoon of June 28th of last year. As… Continue reading
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Winning it All
The One who died for us—who was raised to life for us!—is in the presence of God at this very moment sticking up for us. – Romans 8:34 (The MSG) Imagine that your favorite sports team won the championship last year. You recorded every game, and now you’re going back and replaying the entire season… Continue reading
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A Transformed Perspective
I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ.… Continue reading
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A Patient Faith
“Patience is more than endurance. A saint’s life is in the hands of God like a bow and arrow in the hands of an archer. God is aiming at something the saint cannot see, and He stretches and strains, and every now and again the saint says–‘I cannot stand anymore.’ God does not heed, He… Continue reading
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The Hope You Have
“But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.”1 Peter 3:15 When asked to be a guest speaker at a recovery meeting, the speaker is usually given… Continue reading
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When “We Had Hoped” Becomes “We Have Hope”
Sometimes things don’t work out the way we want them to. My wife realized this back in 2019 when her employer suddenly informed her that she was no longer needed after 28 years of faithful service to them. Perhaps this would’ve been much easier for her to accept had she not loved her job and… Continue reading
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What Does it Mean to Grieve the Holy Spirit?
Did you know that the third Person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit, has a personality? He has the ability to feel joy, sorrow, and anger just like we do. Given that God sees each Christian as His holy temple and has given them His Spirit to dwell inside them, we believers are to live… 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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Lasting Impressions
Some of his disciples began talking about the majestic stonework of the Temple and the memorial decorations on the walls. But Jesus said, “The time is coming when all these things will be completely demolished. Not one stone will be left on top of another!” – Luke 21:5-6 (NLT) Prior to the fire that nearly… Continue reading
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The Fruit of Faithfulness
The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. – Lamentations 3:22-23 (ESV) Over the past week we’ve been working our way through the Fruit of the Spirit, and we’ve looked at Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, and Goodness. This… Continue reading
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The Fruit of Kindness
While he was still speaking a crowd came up, and the man who was called Judas, one of the Twelve, was leading them. He approached Jesus to kiss him, but Jesus asked him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?” When Jesus’ followers saw what was going to happen, they said,… Continue reading
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Looking for the One
One of my favorite stories in the Bible is at the beginning of John chapter five, where Jesus has an encounter with a paralytic man by the pool in Bethesda. The reason I love this particular passage of Scripture is because it beautifully illustrates what the gift of grace truly is. Although he doesn’t provide… Continue reading
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Getting to the Root of the Problem
“For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit, for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the… Continue reading
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Do You Have Friends Like These?
When Jesus returned to Capernaum several days later, the news spread quickly that he was back home. Soon the house where he was staying was so packed with visitors that there was no more room, even outside the door. While he was preaching God’s word to them, four men arrived carrying a paralyzed man on… Continue reading
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New Mercies Each Morning
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness! – Lamentations 3:22-23 Most of us wake up each morning with thoughts of what awaits us for the day ahead. The first order of business is getting a cup of coffee.… Continue reading
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Teach Your Children Well
Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died at the age of a hundred and ten. And they buried him in the land of his inheritance, at Timnath Heres in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash. After that whole generation had been gathered to their ancestors, another generation grew up… Continue reading
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A New Relationship
“The whole spirit of Old Testament religion was determined by the thought of God’s holiness. The constant emphasis was that human beings, because of their weakness as creatures and their defilement as sinful creatures, must learn to humble themselves and be reverent before God. Religion was “the fear of the Lord” – a matter of… Continue reading
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The Faults We Fail to Notice
Courtesy of Sinclair Ferguson – Things Unseen Podcast I imagine most of us know the name of the great English hymn writer John Newton, or at least we know that he wrote the hymn “Amazing Grace,” or perhaps we know that he once captained a slave transporter, or that he became the spiritual guide to… Continue reading
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Who Do Others Say You Are?
When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” “Well,” they replied, “some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.” Then he asked them, “But who do you say I am?”… Continue reading
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The Chasm Between “Can You?” and “You Can.”
When Jesus came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him. A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy.… Continue reading
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A Widow’s Guide to Starting Your Own Olive Oil Business
One day the widow of a member of the group of prophets came to Elisha and cried out, “My husband who served you is dead, and you know how he feared the LORD. But now a creditor has come, threatening to take my two sons as slaves.” “What can I do to help you?” Elisha… Continue reading
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The Replacement
Therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus was living among us, beginning from John’s baptism to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection.” So they nominated… Continue reading
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Christmas Through the Prism of Easter
A pastor who I greatly admire stated in a recent sermon, “It is sometimes good for us to read the Bible backwards.” In short, he was suggesting that reading backwards (through the guidance of the Holy Spirit) helps us to better understand Jesus’ words, and also helps us better understand Old Testament Scripture in the… Continue reading
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The Income of Dependence Produces the Outcome of Trust
The Lord gave David victory wherever he went. – 1st Chronicles 18:13 David’s life was marked by an unwavering trust in God; a trust not born in the palaces or battlefields, but in the quiet pastures as a young shepherd tending his father’s sheep. It was there, in his early encounters with God, that David… Continue reading
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First Came the Law, Then Came the Love
“If someone has a stubborn and rebellious son who does not obey his father and mother and will not listen to them when they discipline him, his father and mother shall take hold of him and bring him to the elders at the gate of his town. They shall say to the elders, “This son… Continue reading
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Redemption and Forgiveness
In his book, “Winning the War in Your Mind,” bestselling Christian author Craig Groeschel says, “A lie believed as truth will affect your life as if it were true.” Few people would live out this profound truth more personally in the Old Testament than Jacob. For over two decades, Jacob had believed the lie that… Continue reading
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The Greater of Two Miracles
“And when he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And he was preaching the word to them. And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. And… 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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Character over Comforts
“Believers who are poor have something to boast about, for God has honored them. And those who are rich should boast that God has humbled them. They will fade away like a little flower in the field. The hot sun rises and the grass withers; the little flower droops and falls, and its beauty fades… Continue reading
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Don’t Hoard Your Experience
“He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.”2 Corinthians 1:4 When difficult situations and circumstances come our way, our human tendency is to automatically assume that God is disciplining us for some… Continue reading
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A Daughter’s Desperate Faith
But Jesus said, “Someone deliberately touched me, for I felt healing power go out from me.” ~ Luke 8:46 (NLT) We can only imagine how isolated and depressed this woman was. She had been dealing with constant menstrual bleeding for twelve years. According to the law, anyone who touched a menstruating woman immediately became ceremonially… Continue reading
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Like a Star in the Sky
“Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. At this, the administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for charges against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They… Continue reading
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Psalm 100: Giving Thanks to our Lord
As we gather with family and friends today to celebrate Thanksgiving, let us turn our hearts to Psalm 100, a psalm that beautifully captures the essence of gratitude and worship to our Father in Heaven. May these verses guide our expressions of thankfulness to all He has done for us. 1-2 Shout for joy to… Continue reading
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Blessed Assurance
“Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just… Continue reading
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Grace Changes Everything
“For some days [Saul] was with the disciples at Damascus. And immediately he proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.” And all who heard him were amazed and said, “Is not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem of those who called upon his name? And has he not… Continue reading
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Our Addictions Hurt Others
“Pick me up and throw me into the see,” Jonah replied, “and it will become calm. I know that it is my fault that this great storm has come upon you.” One of the most selfish things you will ever hear an alcoholic or an addict say is, “My drinking (or using) affects only me.”… Continue reading
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A Hard Day for a King
Being a strong leader requires God’s wisdom, courage, and the willingness to take necessary action. But what happens when the necessary action that is required puts someone you love in the crosshairs? This morning’s Scripture reading is from 2nd Samuel 19: 1-8. Word soon reached Joab that the king was weeping and mourning for Absalom.… Continue reading
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That Time Jacob Gave an Angel All He Could Handle
Back in the late 1980’s they were called the Bad Boys of the NBA. They were the most hated team in the league, and no player, not even the great Michael Jordan, looked forward to playing against the Detroit Pistons. Their reputation was fed in large part by their three most physical henchmen: Rick Mahorn,… Continue reading
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A Little Faith Can Lead to Bigger Faith
From the Treasury of Charles H. Spurgeon: The Importance of Faith “Faith is sometimes weak and comparable only to a very slender thread; but it is a very precious thing for all that, for it is the beginning of great things. Years ago they were wanting to throw a suspension bridge across a mighty chasm,… Continue reading
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Don’t Get Stuck in Your Suffering
As [Jesus] went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was blind?” – John 9:1-2 One of the most difficult questions that a Christian faces when they’re talking to an unbeliever about Jesus is the question why. “Why do bad… Continue reading
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A New Lease on Life
In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to him and said, “This is what the Lord says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover.” Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to… Continue reading
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Perfect Peace
“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.” – Isaiah 26:3 (ESV) When we worry, we’re essentially telling God, “Lord, I’ve got this situation going on and the truth is that I really can’t trust you to take care of it.” And God gives us that… Continue reading
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Taking the Waiting out of Wanting
“Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” – John 11:21 When it comes to having to wait, we humans are naturally inclined to complain. “What? Our flight was delayed? You can’t be serious!” Or, “Why has my item not arrived? I ordered it three days ago!”… Continue reading
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When I start thinking I’m a good person…
Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” Matthew 26:39 “Just because I’ve done some bad things doesn’t mean I’m a bad person. It just means I’m… Continue reading
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The Most Valuable Thing Seldom Measured
“Try to imagine a life without timekeeping. You probably can’t. You know the month, the year, the day of the week. There is a clock on your wall or the dashboard of your car. You have a schedule, a calendar, a time for dinner or a movie. Yet all around you, timekeeping is ignored. Birds… Continue reading
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Just Breathe.
Life’s not the breath you take, the breathing in and outThat gets you through the day, ain’t what it’s all aboutYou just might miss the point, trying to win the raceLife’s not the breath you take,But the moments that take your breath away.– George Strait Growing up, I lived in a rural coal mining community… Continue reading
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Remember How the Story Ends
“This life will not be easy, because there is raging around us ‘a continual and irreconcilable war,’ and neutrality is not an option. Life may get harder. Society may get unfriendlier. Faith in Christ may become still more unacceptable and obedience to Christ still more costly. But … Jesus reigns, and Jesus will return. We… Continue reading
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Making Good Use of Our Gifts
“There was a believer in Joppa named Tabitha (which in Greek is Dorcas). She was always doing kind things for others and helping the poor. About this time she became ill and died. Her body was washed for burial and laid in an upstairs room. But the believers had heard that Peter was nearby in… Continue reading
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A Man on the Run
The sea was getting rougher and rougher. So they asked Jonah, “What should we do to you to make the sea calm down for us?” He replied, “Pick me up and throw me into the sea and it will become calm. I know that it is my fault that this great storm has come upon… Continue reading
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A Ghost From the Past
I recently ran into an old golf buddy I hadn’t seen for several years. We shared some fun times together on the golf course for the better part of a decade. Alcohol was most always involved and very much a huge part of that lifestyle for me. But once I got sober and began following… Continue reading
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When Belated Rewards are the Greatest Rewards
That night the king had trouble sleeping, so he ordered an attendant to bring the book of the history of his reign so it could be read to him. In those records he discovered an account of how Mordecai had exposed the plot of Bigthana and Teresh, two of the eunuchs who guarded the door… Continue reading
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The God Who Sees and Hears Us
“The angel of the Lord found Hagar beside a spring of water in the wilderness, along the road to Shur. The angel said to her, “Hagar, Sarai’s servant, where have you come from, and where are you going?” Hagar replied, “I’m running away from my mistress, Sarai.” The angel of the Lord said to her,… Continue reading
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When Hope Comes in the Form of Cheese Sandwiches
“One day Jesse said to David, ‘Take this basket of roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread, and carry them quickly to your brothers. And give these ten cuts of cheese to their captain. See how your brothers are getting along, and bring back a report on how they are doing.’ David’s brothers were… Continue reading
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Love Always Wins
“Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened.” But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you… Continue reading
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The Man Who Had Been There The Longest
“Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going, another steps down before me.” – John 5:7 (ESV) One day, Jesus went to the pool in Bethesda to see a man who had been crippled in one of his legs for most… Continue reading
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When the Going Gets Tough
“Men,” [Paul said], “I believe there is trouble ahead if we go on – shipwreck, loss of cargo, and danger to our lives as well.” But the officer in charge of the prisoners listened more to the ship’s captain and the owner than to Paul.” – Acts 27:10-11 Although not a sailor himself, the Apostle… 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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Joshua’s Example
“When the people heard the sound of the rams’ horns, they shouted as loud as they could. Suddenly, the walls of Jericho collapsed, and the Israelites charged straight into the town and captured it.” – Joshua 6:20 Sometimes God will intentionally put you in a situation that requires you to come face-to-face with your need… Continue reading
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When God Does Some of His Best Work
“Do not be deceived, Wormwood. Our cause is never more in danger than when a human, no longer desiring, but still intending, to do our Enemy’s will, looks round upon a universe, from which every trace of Him seems to have vanished, and asks why he has been forsaken, and still obeys.” – C.S. Lewis… Continue reading
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Good Friday: It is Finished
“Jesus knew that his mission was now finished, and to fulfill Scripture he said, “I am thirsty.” A jar of sour wine was sitting there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put it on a hyssop branch, and held it up to his lips. When Jesus had tasted it, he said, “It is finished.”… Continue reading
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Winning with Grace
“How beloved and gracious were Saul and Jonathan! They were together in life and in death. They were swifter than eagles, stronger than lions.” – 2 Samuel 1:23 Imagine giving the eulogy of someone who on numerous occasions in the past tried to have you killed. This is essentially what David did in 2 Samuel… Continue reading
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Remaining Faithful in the Midst of Hostility
“The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you.” – John 15:19 In John 15, Jesus reminds us that we are called to live in a world… Continue reading
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Loose Change
He was always there. Day after day, this young fella would be standing at this intersection on a road where I travel daily. He always wore the same clothes, which looked like they hadn’t been washed in years. His shoes had no laces and were basically held together by a few strands of worn duct… Continue reading
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Good Readers Make Good Leaders
“Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.” – Joshua 1:8 (NLT) With Moses’ death, God had chosen Joshua to become Israel’s leader and to finish the last leg… Continue reading
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Sometimes You Gotta Hug the Cactus
“Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.” – 1 Corinthians 13:7 Alcohol brought me peace and freedom early on. But near the end I found myself thinking not of joy on a daily basis, but of death. A life that had once promised me more than I… Continue reading
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Discovering God’s Purpose: Making Ourselves Available
And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice – the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Romans 12:1 (NLT) When sacrificing an animal according… Continue reading
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Living in Yesterday’s Light
I got up early this morning and watched the sun rising over the mountains. This is much too early, I thought to myself. I yawned and asked myself why I decided to get up so soon. Surely daylight would appear without my presence, like it has all the other times before? But it had been… Continue reading
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When All Human Hope is Exhausted
“Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” A life-changing moment met a team of professional athletes during Monday Night Football last night. In the crux of the moment, a player reacted the way he has… Continue reading
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Consolation Has Come
“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace” ~ Isaiah 9:6 The Holy Spirit had revealed to Simeon that he wouldn’t die before physically… Continue reading
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There’s Value in Not Knowing Everything
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” ~ Jeremiah 29:11 Jeremiah 29:11 is one of the most beloved passages of Scripture in all of the Old Testament. And for good reason! Don’t we take… 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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But For the Grace of God
“Our very lives, as ex-problem drinkers, depend upon our constant thought of others and how we may help meet their needs.” ~ Alcoholics Anonymous p.20 It was getting late in the evening and all I wanted was a few minutes of personal time to enjoy my favorite tv program. The day had been busy, but… Continue reading
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Don’t Click Send
“Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” Colossians 3:13 I was upset. A friend I’d known for many years said something incredibly hurtful. Immediately we became involved in a heated discussion and the both of us began making a… Continue reading
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Encouraging Words in Difficult Times
“For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.” ~ Isaiah 41:13 My life was in shambles. Every single day for the past several years, I sat alone in my house and sought my escape through a bottle that… Continue reading
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God Lets us Fail Sometimes
When the soldiers returned to camp, the elders of Israel asked, “Why did the Lord bring defeat on us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the Lord’s covenant from Shiloh, so that he may go with us and save us from the hands of our enemies.” ~ 1 Samuel 4:3 “Whose… Continue reading
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A Limitless Attitude
“Then Daniel (Belteshazzar) was greatly perplexed for a time, and his thoughts terrified him. So the king said, “Belteshazzar, do not let the dream or its meaning alarm you.” Daniel answered, “My lord, if only the dream applied to your adversaries!” ~ Daniel 4:19 As I read this passage in the book of Daniel, I… 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
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The Candle in a Cave
“How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me? ~ Psalm 13:1-2 Have you ever experienced a season in your life when… Continue reading
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“I Don’t See Your Name.”
The Lord replied to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against me I will blot out of my book.” ~ Exodus 32:33 “Everything’s set! Friday evening, 7pm,” I told her. It had been a long while since my wife and I last had an evening to ourselves. And this evening was going to be special! A new… Continue reading
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What is your Miss?
“My grace is sufficient for you,” says the Lord. “For my power is made perfect in weakness.” ~ 2 Corinthians 12:9 The slice: It is the bane of most every recreational golfer, his Achilles heel. If he is truly bitten by the golf bug, he will desire to learn how to hit the ball straighter.… Continue reading
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Putting Down the Shovel
“He brought me up out of the pit of destruction… and He set my feet upon a rock.” ~ Psalm 40:2 The holes we dig ourselves into in life can be incredibly deep. And some of them can become so deep that we need help climbing out of them. Within a couple of years of… Continue reading
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Gracefully Unforgettable
“I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more.” ~ Isaiah 43:25 I was at a recovery meeting years ago, and the guest speaker that evening wasn’t aware that he only had 30 minutes to narrate his personal story of recovery from alcoholism. I… Continue reading
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As We Understood Him
“Not being able to fully understand God is frustrating, but it is ridiculous for us to think we have the right to limit God to something we are capable of comprehending.” ~ Francis Chan Most of us enter into the rooms of recovery in our weakest, most desperate moment. It is there where we begin… Continue reading
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I Was There.
“Then one of the Twelve – the one called Judas Iscariot – went to the chief priests and asked, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver him (Jesus) over to you?” So they counted out for him thirty pieces of silver. From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him… Continue reading
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I Can’t See Straight Sometimes
The guy standing at the busy intersection, holding a sign that reads: “Homeless and Need Help.” The aggressive driver behind me tailgating. The grouchy lady working the counter at the coffee shop. The neighbor across the street who seldom waves back at me. He had to see me waving at him! The truck driver who… Continue reading
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Don’t Take it Personally!
“Do not pay attention to every word people say, or you may hear your servant cursing you – for you know in your heart that many times you have cursed others.” ~ Ecclesiastes, 7:21-22 By now, most have either seen the video on social media or read about it in the news. Back on Sunday… Continue reading
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Keeping Promises
Not long after I returned home from rehab, my wife said to me one evening, “We need to talk.” Now I don’t know about you, but anytime someone says this to me – the panic button automatically gets pushed. My mind begins to race with the worst-case scenarios playing out and my heart pounds in… Continue reading
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Prayer Becomes Our Lifeline
“Those of us who have come to make regular use of prayer would no more do without it than we would refuse air, food, or sunshine. And for the same reason. When we refuse air, light, or food, the body suffers. And when we turn away from meditation and prayer, we deprive our minds, our… Continue reading
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Christmas with a Stranger
“From there we set sail and arrived at Rhegium. The next day the south wind came up, and on the following day we reached Puteoli. There we found some brothers and sisters who invited us to spend a week with them. And so we came to Rome. The brothers and sisters there had heard that… Continue reading
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A Selfless Program for Selfish People
The very first step in Alcoholics Anonymous is the only step I can work perfectly, without blemish. Each morning that I wake up and go through my daily reading, prayer and meditation, I’m making the greatest investment possible toward my sobriety. This time affords me the ability to get honest with myself and God, and… Continue reading
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Inescapable Love
“No power in the sky above or in the earth below – indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” ~ Romans 8:39 I had done something bad. Consumed with guilt, It stayed on my mind for several… Continue reading
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From something to Someone
There is only one key, and it is called Willingness. Once unlocked by willingness, the door opens almost of itself, and looking through it, we shall see a pathway beside which is an inscription. It reads: “This is the way to a faith that works.” ~ AA, 12 Steps and 12 Traditions p.34 Step Three… Continue reading
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Backyards and Ruby Slippers
“But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.” ~ 1 Timothy, 6: 6-7 The search for happiness is endless. The problem with finding happiness, however, is that we look for it in all the wrong places. And even when we do… Continue reading
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The Greatest Window of Opportunity
“Helping others is the foundation stone of your recovery. A kindly act once in a while isn’t enough. You have to act the Good Samaritan every day, if need be.” ~ Page 97, Alcoholics Anonymous When I share my recovery story with someone who genuinely wants to get sober, I’m effectively opening a window of… Continue reading
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Faithfully Focused
“When John, who was in prison, heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples to ask him, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?’” ~ Matthew 11: 2-3 Last year as the pandemic raged across the globe, many of us questioned whether life would ever… Continue reading
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Don’t Squander Your Mulligan!
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights.” ~ James 1:17 It’s been quite a while (for me at least) since I had my last drink, and I’ve been required to deal with a lot of life challenges during this time. Since my last drink…… Continue reading
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Keeping it Simple
“Forever is a mighty long time.” That was my thought early on in sobriety. That day when I finally decided that I’d had enough – that I no longer wanted to continue living the way I had been living – I wasn’t even remotely in a place emotionally to think long-term. To be even more… Continue reading
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It’s a Free Ride, When You’ve Already Paid
“You know, you can be a real ass sometimes, Scott.” True statement. Despite being sober for a while now, I can still cop an attitude on occasion. And when that happens, invariably it’s because I didn’t get my way with something, and it’s usually something insignificant in the grand scheme of things. Ever notice that… Continue reading
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From Discovery to Recovery
As we start our new journey in sobriety, we begin to recover physically and emotionally. But this will only prove to be temporary if we remain stubborn to find a meaningful spirituality. For some of us who’ve never truly embraced the concept of a Living God, this will seem incredibly difficult. For those who’ve wandered… Continue reading
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One Man’s Apple is Another Man’s Grape
“Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” ~ Genesis 3: 8-9 Nothing… Continue reading
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The Power of God’s Light
“You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.” ~ 2 Corinthians 9:11 As summer is now asleep for the season, the nights are becoming crisp and cool again. In a few weeks time, the leaves of… Continue reading
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No Matter What
“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ.” 1 Thessalonians, 5:16 I knew a guy who seemed to know all the right words that needed to be said, and knew precisely when to say them. He was eager to encourage others who were going through… 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 