Posts by Rev. Steve Holm (Page 157)
Daily Devotions: February 17, 2020
February 17, 2020 For full passage click: 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 According to the Exodus tradition, the law and the commandment came directly from the Lord, with Moses as an intermediary. Those tablets of stone became the focus of community life for…
Daily Devotions: February 16, 2020
This devotion was sent without content; we have had trouble with Cox outages all weekend, please accept our apologies! February 16, 2020 For full passage click: Matthew 5:27-37 “But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” vs. 28 Jesus doesn’t miss much in his description of kingdom living. Again, he’s not just trying to fill in the loopholes that folks were using to bypass the…
Daily Devotions: February 15, 2020
Our server did not deliver these devotions due to Cox outages. Please accept our apologies. February 15, 2020 For full passage click: Matthew 5:21-26 … “But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, ‘You fool,’ you will be liable to the hell of fire.” vs. 22 Six times…
Daily Devotions: February 14, 2020
February 14, 2020 For full passage click: 1 Corinthians 3:5-9 … “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.” vss. 6-7 Ever since the first mission starts were established by the Apostles in the Eastern Mediterranean area, the Church has been plagued by what might be called “the cult of personality.” Paul had to deal with it in Corinth.…
Daily Devotions: February 13, 2020
February 13, 2020 For full passage click: 1 Corinthians 3:1-4 … “And so, brothers and sisters, I could not speak to you as spiritual people, but rather as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ.” vs. 1 When Paul came to Corinth, he did not bring Christ to the people–Christ was already there–the Divine Spark that resides in every human. But he did see them as infants in Christ, a people unfamiliar with matters of the Spirit and fully…
Daily Devotions: February 12, 2020
February 12, 2020 For full passage click here: Psalm 119:5-8 … “O that my ways may be steadfast in keeping your statutes! Then I shall not be put to shame, having my eyes fixed on all your commandments.” vss. 5 Even as he seeks to glorify the law of the Lord and to extol the benefits of obedience, the Psalmist hints at one of the sad side-effects of life in a law based culture. If a person is not steadfast…
Daily Devotions: February 11, 2020
February 11, 2020 For full passage click: Psalm 119:1-4 … “Happy are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord.” vs. 1 Psalm 119 is a carefully composed poem of 22 stanzas, each of which begins with a different letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Its 176 verses are intended to glorify the law and encourage readers to obey its commandments and ordinances. The Psalmist begins by observing that the reward for blamelessly walking in…
Daily Devotions: February 10, 2020
February 10, 2020 For full passage click: Deuteronomy 30:15-20 … “I call heaven and earth to witness against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live…” vs. 19 Toward the conclusion of Deuteronomy, at the point of Israel’s entry into the land of the Canaanites, Moses challenges the people to live according to the law. They have a clear choice, they can either obey…
Daily Devotions: February 9, 2020
February 9, 2020 For full passage click: 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 Wow! Don’t you just love the outrageous things that Jesus says? Most of us have constructed a Jesus who exudes unconditional love and forgiveness, a Jesus who is so full of grace that he really doesn’t care what we say or do. Unfortunately, that picture of…
Daily Devotions: February 8, 2020
February 8, 2020 For full passage click: Matthew 5:13-16 … “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.” vs. 16 In many baptismal rituals, the first words that the baptized hears after the laying on of hands are these: “Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.” In…
Daily Devotions: February 6, 2020
February 6, 2020 For full passage click: 1 Corinthians 2:1-4 … “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 For Paul, the whole Gospel revolves around Jesus Christ; beyond that central focus, everything else he expounds on in his letters is commentary. He really didn’t have to say…
Daily Devotions: February 5, 2020
February 5, 2020 For full passage click: Psalm 112:1-7 … “Praise the Lord! Happy are those who fear the Lord, who greatly delight in his commandments…Wealth and riches are in their houses, and their righteousness endures forever.” vss. 1, 3 Our Scriptures offer a broad range of perspectives on the God-pleasing life and the blessings that come to the faithful. Often we’re told that riches are deceptive and that the treasures of this world are ephemeral and dangerous. We’re used…