Joy and Strength

Nehemiah 8:10b ….for the joy of the Lord is your strength.   In the time of Nehemiah, the people had been on a long journey back from exile, trying to find their way to the next chapter.  They were tired, they were emotional, they were relieved to hear the word...

The Gift of Breath

Isaiah 42:5 Thus says God, the Lord, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people upon it and spirit to those who walk in it: The Gift of Breath Do you think of breathing as a gift? It...

Peace Beyond Peace

Isaiah 11:6 The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them. Peace beyond peace The image these words stir up in our minds eye is beyond words. Beautiful,...

Patience

James 5:7-8 7 Be patient, therefore, brothers and sisters, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious crop from the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains. 8 You also must be patient. Strengthen your hearts,...

Repent!

  Matthew 3:1-2 In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, 2 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” Repent!  It’s not a word you hear in common settings.  It’s a “church” word – that tells you something isn’t...

Singing and Faith

Psalm 89:1 I will sing of your steadfast love, O Lord, forever; with my mouth I will proclaim your faithfulness to all generations. Singing and Faith Have you ever thought about the role singing plays in our faith? We tend to judge our own singing as good, bad, or...

Written on our Hearts

Jeremiah 31:33 I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Written on our Hearts So – I think I can safely say that many of us have developed different habits during these last years.  Some...

Promises

Matthew 18:20 “For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.” Promises This is one of my favorite promises that Jesus makes. The idea that we are enough, even if there are only a few of us – that is a beautiful concept, in a world that spends...

Abiding and Dwelling

Psalm 15 1 O Lord, who may abide in your tent?     Who may dwell on your holy hill? 2 Those who walk blamelessly and do what is right     and speak the truth from their heart; 3 who do not slander with their tongue     and do no evil to their friends     nor heap...

Let Us Argue It Out

Isaiah 1:18a Come now, let us argue it out, says the Lord. Though your sins are like scarlet they shall be like snow.   The context of when in Scripture the Lord says these words is after the people have been told that they are missing the point and worshiping in...