Philippians 3:7-14 Philippians 3:4 has been used in a wide variety of metaphors and analogies to encourage believers in their journey of faith. The vivid imagery of heaven being a prize or a mansion or streets made of gold is inspiring, but perhaps sometimes, the vivid imagery hides the real treasure: Jesus. When I think […]

Ephesians 4:1-13 Unity. There is perhaps no better witness to the Holy Spirit’s indwelling presence among the people of God than unity. Unity can mean the mutual appreciation for how we are differently made and how we live out those differences in submission to God’s call and in service to Christ and others. The diversity […]

Acts 20:28-38 As a mom of four young adult missionary kids, Teanna can testify to the pain of saying goodbye. These are moments of intense emotion for a mother who knows the vulnerability of her children and the dangers of the world. There is a deep desire to express the important last thoughts, words, wishes, […]

Titus 2:6-15 Somehow, I had the idea that saying “no” might get easier with time, as if the maturing process brought less temptation and less desire for the “shiny things” of life. It may be that maturity gives us a clearer perspective of the pitfalls or the consequences. However, every decade and each season of […]

2 Timothy 4:1-8 If we are honest, our fractured and polarized societies challenge how we might apply 2 Timothy 4:2. To be sure, we have multiple and diverse examples of Christians who interpret this verse as an admonition to confront sin with little or no thought to the probable damage or outcome. While Paul does […]

2 Timothy 3:10-17 I once witnessed a baby dedication in which the pastor gifted a pristinely white, gold edged children’s Bible. It was a work of art that one puts away to preserve. The pastor challenged the parents to do the opposite. He said, “Let your baby girl play with the Bible, let her drool […]

Psalm 19:8-14 In Psalm 19, David uses various words, like “precepts” and “decrees,” to refer to all the Scripture available in his day. The Scripture he had access to was considerably shorter than what we are privileged to read today. Imagine the joy David would experience if he had access to our Bible. Psalm 19 […]

Psalm 19:1-7 “I feel closer to God in nature,” Joe says to himself as he drives his RV camper past the church on Sunday morning, joining the lines of other RVs making their way up the mountain. After setting up camp, he gets out a deck of cards to play Solitaire. Joe is alone, because […]

1 Timothy 6:1-10 John Wesley’s preaching in eighteenth-century Great Britain brought attention to the plight of the poor, and especially the children. That may be why Wesley’s friend, Robert Raikes, decided education would be the only way to improve the children’s lives. But since the children worked in factories six days a week, they would […]

1 Peter 1:22—2:3 Peter paints a wonderful word picture of what it means to plunge whole-heartedly into the Christian life. We may become so used to the words, that we miss the marvel. First, we are redeemed by the “precious blood of Christ” (v. 19). Then we are purified as we obey the truth; our […]