Posts from 2025
Daily Devotions
John 1:1-14… “What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.” vss. 3b-5 John doesn’t have an infancy narrative in his gospel. For him what happened in Jesus was connected not to a stable but to the Word through whom life itself had come into being. This life was the light of all people and exposed them to…
Daily Devotions
Luke 2:1-14… “And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.” vs. 7 When Luke wrote his beautiful account of Jesus’ birth, his graphic details emphasize the humble setting. Jesus wasn’t born in a royal palace but in a stable, and his first visitors were shepherds, not kings. There was intention in Luke’s description. Jesus was of humble…
Daily Devotions
Titus 2:11-14… “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all, training us to renounce impiety and worldly passions, and in the present age to live lives that are self-controlled, upright, and godly…vss. 11-12 In these final days of Advent it’s hard to go anywhere without being greeted by the words “Merry Christmas,” or at least, “Happy Holidays.” The Birth of Jesus is not sneaking up on anyone! We’ve been aware that it’s on the way ever since…
Daily Devotions
December 22, 2025 Isaiah 9:2-7… “For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” vs. 6 When Hezekiah ascended to the throne of Judah in the late 8th century BC, Isaiah took note of the hopes and dreams that accompanied the beginning of his reign. Hezekiah knew that the rising power of Assyria was a threat to the…
Daily Devotions
John 1:1-14… “What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.” vss. 3b-5 John doesn’t have an infancy narrative in his gospel. For him what happened in Jesus was connected not to a stable but to the Word through whom life itself had come into being. This life was the light of all people and exposed them to…
Daily Devotions
December 21, 2025 Matthew 1:22-25… “All this took place to fulfil what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: ‘Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel’, which means, “God is with us.”’” vss. 22-23 During the lifetime of Jesus there is no indication that any of his disciples knew anything about his virgin birth. Paul, the writer of a large portion of the New Testament, doesn’t mention anything about it. But when Matthew…
Daily Devotions
Matthew 1:18-21… “But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.” vs. 20 Like Luke, when Matthew put together his account of Jesus’ life and ministry, he decided to include the story of Jesus’ birth, but his description doesn’t have the flair…
Daily Devotions
December 16, 2025 Luke 21:12-19… “But before all this occurs, they will arrest you and persecute you; they will hand you over to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors because of my name.” vs. 12 While it is true that in some parts of the world Christians are being persecuted and sometimes even killed because of their allegiance to Jesus, nearly all of us live in places where Christians are able to practice their faith…
Daily Devotions
December 15, 2025 Isaiah 7:10-12 …“Ask thee a sign of the Lord thy God; ask it either in the depth, or in the height above. But Ahaz said, ‘I will not ask, neither will I tempt the Lord.’” vss. 11-12 Ahaz, the king of Judah, was a headstrong man. Even as his kingdom trembled at the news of imminent attacks by the combined forces of Israel and Aram, he refused to ask a sign of the Lord. Evidently he felt…
Daily Devotions
December 14, 2025 Matthew 11:7-11“Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” vs. 11 Jesus gives a glowing endorsement of John the Baptist, naming him as the greatest of the prophets, but then he knocks him off his pedestal by saying that the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. At first those words seem…
Daily Devotions
December 12, 2025 James 5:9-10“Beloved, do not grumble against one another, so that you may not be judged. See, the Judge is standing at the doors!” vs. 9 When James was concerned about the behavior of his community he was not above using threats to get them back in line. Evidently he had become aware of bickering and grumbling within his flock, and warned them that if they continued, they could expect to be judged when the Lord returned. His method…
Daily Devotions
In him you also, when you had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and had believed in him, were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit;” vs. 13 Ephesians 1:11-23 “You have been sealed with the Holy Spirit and marked with the cross of Christ forever.” We hear these words regularly in the baptism rituals of our congregations. They are said following the washing with water and are a precious reminder of the grace…