Posts by Rev. Steve Holm
Daily Devotions
Exodus 24:12-18… “The Lord said to Moses, ‘Come up to me on the mountain, and wait there; and I will give you the tablets of stone, with the law and the commandment, which I have written for their instruction.’” vs. 12 For the Israelites Moses was the man! According to their tradition, he had not only led them out of the bondage of Egypt, but God had chosen him to give them the law and the commandments at Mt. Sinai.…
Daily Devotions
Matthew 5:17-20… “For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” vs. 20 Even though Jesus was not a new Moses, Matthew wanted his readers to know that Jesus did care about righteousness. In fact, the words from Jesus that Matthew recounted demonstrate beyond any doubt that Jesus wanted his disciples to live lives that were beyond reproach. They wouldn’t just be exemplary keepers of the law…
Daily Devotions
Matthew 5:13-16… “You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house.” vss. 14-15 Jesus had not come to bring a new law. Rather he had come to call disciples and to bless them with grace and truth. They would be the heralds of the kingdom of peace that…
Daily Devotions
1 Corinthians 2:6-12… “But we speak God’s wisdom, secret and hidden, which God decreed before the ages for our glory.” vs. 7 Paul didn’t depend on his good looks and charm as he preached among the Corinthians, which is fortunate because he seems to have lacked both. And he didn’t regurgitate popular cultural religious teachings, and he certainly didn’t have a political agenda. Paul says that he spoke God’s secret and hidden wisdom, truths that had been present from the…
Daily Devotions
1 Corinthians 2:1-5… “When I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come proclaiming the mystery of God to you in lofty words or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified.” vss. 1-2 Because it’s obvious that loving and caring actions are necessary, believers sometimes use a familiar quote in describing evangelism, “Preach the gospel at all times, and if necessary, use words.” There’s a lot of truth in that…
Daily Devotions
Psalm 112:1-9… “They rise in the darkness as a light for the upright; they are gracious, merciful, and righteous. It is well with those who deal generously and lend, who conduct their affairs with justice.” vss. 4-5 Like Jesus, the psalmist knew that there were good and decent people, and he describes them as gracious, merciful, righteous, generous, and just. He even says that they are a light for the upright, and that they will be blessed. We know such…
Daily Devotions
Isaiah 58:6-9a… “Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke?” vs.6 Since Lent is approaching quickly, some are likely beginning to consider fasting as a possible discipline for those days of reflection. And that would not be a bad choice! People of faith in every generation have chosen fasting as a mark of spiritual discipline, and…
Isaiah 58:1-5… “Yet day after day they seek me and delight to know my ways, as if they were a nation that practiced righteousness and did not forsake the ordinance of their God; they ask of me righteous judgements, they delight to draw near to God.” vs. 2 As the prophet describes the nation of Israel his words are dripping with sarcasm. He notes that day after day they maintain a facade, practicing the externals of religion by drawing near…
Daily Devotions
Matthew 5:10-12… “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.” vss. 11-12 As the disciples heard the blessings which would be a part of their lives they were likely pleased. It feels good to know that we will be comforted, receive mercy, and be called children of God. That sounds…
Daily Devotions
John 1:37-42… “He said to them, ‘Come and see.’ They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon.” According to John’s gospel, after John the Baptizer pointed out Jesus to a couple of his disciples, they decided to check him out by spending some time with him in the place where he was staying. One of those disciples was Andrew, and he was blown away by…
Daily Devotions
Matthew 5:1-6… “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.” Whenever we encounter greatness there is a tendency to compare that person to some great person of the past. We see it in the sports world as we continually evaluate the heroes of the present in our desire to find the GOAT, or the Greatest…
Daily Devotions
1 Corinthians 1:26-31… “Consider your own call, brothers and sisters: not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong;” vss. 26-27 By the time Paul wrote this letter he’d had time to assess what was happening in the congregations that had sprung up all over…