RG AUDIO 020220   Proverbs 29:1-7 I love to hear the sincere prayers offered by children at mealtimes. They are eager to offer words of thanksgiving and a list of prayer requests! “Thank you for this food, for the many blessings,” was another way of saying, “Thank you God! We have it all and that […]

RG AUDIO 020120   2 Corinthians 10:7-18 I keep a journal for my grandchildren to record thoughts that may only take on meaning when they are older. This excerpt is from 2008, election year: “Headline News! While all presidents are recorded in American history, Barrack Obama will be remembered, at least in part, as the […]

RG AUDIO 013120   Luke 9:51-62 It was a hot summer day so we took our grandchildren to the pool. Our toddler grandson was having a blast singing, “1 . . . 2 . . . 3 jump!” before leaping into Grandpa’s arms! At one point he stood on the side of the pool a […]

RG AUDIO 013020   Matthew 8:5-17 In Matthew’s narrative we see a man we don’t really know. What we do learn is that he recognizes that Jesus is one to be honored and one who can do something to help. More importantly, we don’t get the sense that he is expressing a false humility to […]

RG AUDIO 012920   Jeremiah 18:1-12 Several years ago, my boss handed me a book, asked me to read it, follow the instructions, and then attend a seminar. Little did I know that the book would become part of my daily language, teaching, coaching, and mentoring. I find myself consistently drawn back to this particular […]

RG AUDIO 012820   Jonah 4:1-11 It was Sunday, March 1999. The preacher retold the story of Elijah who found himself in a posture similar to Jonah. Under the broom tree, in his despair, Elijah basically said, go ahead and kill me now. On this particular Sunday night, I, like Jonah and Elijah, fell on […]

RG AUDIO 012720   Jonah 3:1-10 My mom was not a yeller. As a matter of fact, I cannot recall a time that she raised her voice to get her point across. I can recall, however, interpreting her level of urgency by her tone and hearing my first and middle name. Both of these indicated […]

RG AUDIO 012620   Psalm 119:65-72 Psalm 119 is the longest single chapter in the Bible. The author details the serious difficulties he suffered throughout his life. Persecutions, slanders, taunts, and afflictions are the major themes found in this chapter. If we were to write the story of our lives, how much time and space […]

RG AUDIO 012520   James 3:1-8 The first two chapters of James talks about how to respond to trials in a godly manner, in other words, developing spiritual maturity. This brings us to the well-known topic of taming the tongue in chapter three. While these topics are central to every Christian’s life, James focuses on […]

RG AUDIO 012420   Hebrews 12:4-13 We often confuse discipline with punishment. They are not synonyms. Punishment’s purpose is to bring a penalty for past behavior. Discipline, however, involves teaching. Its purpose is to lovingly train with a focus on future behavior. Since Jesus has already borne our punishment on the cross, the discipline discussed […]