“No one, when he has lit a lamp, puts it in a secret place or under a basket, but on a lampstand, that those who come in may see the light.” (Luke 11:33)                As kids we were taught to sing, “This little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine!”  Makes sense doesn’t it?  We have lights in our houses for a purpose – we expect them to shine and give light to the rest of home.  We have lig...  Read More

“And it happened, as He spoke these things, that a certain woman from the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, ‘Blessed is the womb that bore You, and the breasts which nursed You!’ But He said, ‘More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!’” (Luke 11:27-28)                It’s one thing to listen, and it’s another thing to act on what you’ve heard.  For instance, you...  Read More

“And Jesus answered and said to her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.’” (Luke 10:41-42)                It seems that Americans are busier than we’ve ever been.  Our days are filled with all sorts of activity – work, school, exercise, etc.  Lone gone are the days when ...  Read More

“Then the men of Israel took some of their provisions; but they did not ask counsel of the Lord.” (Josh. 9:14)                Have you ever committed to do something then regretted it later?  Maybe you signed a contract and got stuck with some recurring payments you couldn’t get out of.  Maybe you bought a car without really considering the full impact of the payment terms on your budget.  Unfortu...  Read More

“But Jesus said to him, ‘No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.’” (Luke 9:62)                I grew up listening to rock music, and that’s not always a good thing.  Being raised in a Christian home, my parents made sure that our song selections never got too far out of control.  That said, I tried to stick with bands that weren’t associated with d...  Read More

“Then He said to them all, ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.’” - (Luke 9:23)                We hear the word “disciple” thrown around quite a bit in the world today, especially in the sports world.  Some say that Bill Belichick was a Bill Parcells disciple, emulating many of defensive principles he learned from Parcells.  I’ve wa...  Read More

“As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God.”  (Psalm 42:1)                Seems that Americans are becoming more health conscious, and that’s led to an increase in cardiovascular activity.  A favorite form of exercise for many is running or walking.  Both can be relaxing once a person is in good shape, but those preliminary workouts are tough.  And even after your bod...  Read More

“This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”  (Josh. 1:8)                After the death of Moses, the nation took time to grieve the loss of a great man of God.  And yet, God didn’t allow them to...  Read More

“So Moses the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the Lord.  And He buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, opposite Beth Peor; but no one knows his grave to this day.”  (Deut. 34:5-6)                Moses turned out to be an amazing man of God, but he was originally groomed for something much different.  I’m sure you remember that Moses’s mother instru...  Read More

“Then He said to the woman, ‘Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.’” (Luke 7:50)                From the beginning of His ministry, the religious establishment was critical of Jesus.  The Pharisees were one of the main culprits.  Today’s verse records an occasion when one of the Pharisees (Simon) wanted to get a closer look at Jesus, so he invited him over for a meal.  As they were reclining at t...  Read More

“And when He came near the gate of the city, behold, a dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother; and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the city was with her. When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, ‘Do not weep.’  Then He came and touched the open coffin, and those who carried him stood still. And He said, ‘Young man, I say to you, arise.’  So he wh...  Read More

“First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck that is in your brother’s eye.”(Luke 6:42)                There’s an old Southern saying – “Those who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.”  It’s our own way of saying that you shouldn’t get too busy correcting someone else when you haven’t taken the time to correct yourself.   Jesus used a differe...  Read More