Matthew 6:19-24 During challenging times, many families run to the grocery store to “store up” food. The fear is that I won’t have enough when I need it. Many items end up in the basement, only to expire before they can be used. Matthew reminds us that we can’t store up treasures on earth, only […]

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Ecclesiastes 5:15-20 At the end of his life, Solomon reflected on the toils of life and the vocation we commit our lives to each week. In verse 15, he reminds us of the reality that we came into this world with nothing, and with nothing, we will leave this mortal life. As the old saying […]

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Ecclesiastes 5:8-14 Money surrounds our everyday living. Each day we receive or spend money in some shape or form. Money is a necessary part of life and should not be considered evil. However, our attitude toward money becomes harmful when we try to gain more to minimize the fear of scarcity or become consumed by […]

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Joshua 24:14-18 Each of us grows up with various spiritual influences in our lives. My grandmother always said she was “born a Baptist,” but never spoke of a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus. My father grew up attending Roman Catholic parochial schools. My mother was sent to the Baptist Sunday School classes. Neither of […]

The post A Generational Choice first appeared on Reflecting God - Embrace Holy Living.

Romans 14:13-19 Today, truth appears to be a highly personal matter. Many believe that truth is relative to each individual’s chosen life. At first glance, Paul seems to agree: “Therefore do not let what you know is good be spoken of as evil” (v. 16). Let’s look a little closer. At the heart of this […]

The post Build Each Other Up first appeared on Reflecting God - Embrace Holy Living.

Hebrews 13:1-8 I received my Associate of Arts degree in social welfare but never pushed on for a four-year degree. Yet I later served as a caseworker for the Salvation Army. The job demanded a balance of toughness and Christian love. The passage in Hebrews 13 covers an everyday Christian response: “Keep on loving one […]

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1 Thessalonians 5:12-24 Settling into a new town, we became close to our landlady. She became a mentor in ministry. Her spouse had been the pastor of our church for 17 years. Many times, he would take on extra jobs to pay church budgets. His spouse worked and raised seven children. When I read, “Now […]

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Philippians 4:1-9 My mother’s philosophy was, “If you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say anything.” She drilled this into us while we were growing up. This outlook also translates to the way we think. I grew up in what is known as the “Cowboy State.” Every good cowboy knows that the reins direct […]

The post Think Noble Thoughts first appeared on Reflecting God - Embrace Holy Living.

Philippians 3:1-3, 7-11 The evening news ran the story: an apartment building fire. The family interviewed lost everything. They spoke those words often heard in these situations. “Thank God my family’s okay. Stuff can be replaced. Thank God we’re all safe.” This individual focused on his family rather than the fire. In the same way, […]

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Psalm 101:1-8 We have all seen it. A family goes out to have fun. The children are so cute. Then it begins. One child has something the other wants. One sibling grabs it from the other, and a fight ensues. In some ways, we expect it. In Psalm 101, the children have grown up and […]

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