Posts by Rev. Steve Holm (Page 193)
Daily Devotions: November 26, 2017
Matthew 25:37-46 “And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’ “ vs. 40 On the face of it, living a life that is pleasing to Jesus should be the easiest thing in the world. All we have to do is give food and water to the hungry and the thirsty, clothe the naked, welcome strangers,…
Daily Devotions: November 25, 2017
Matthew 25:31-36 “All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats,” vs. 32 According to Matthew Jesus began his teaching ministry with the Beatitudes, a powerful set of sayings that describes those who are his disciples. We hold those verses close to our hearts and pray that people will see these attributes taking root in our lives. At the end of Matthew’s gospel Jesus…
Daily Devotions: November 24, 2017
Ephesians 1:20-23 “And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.” vss. 22-23 We’ve gotten used to the church being described as the Body of Christ. It’s familiar language, almost commonplace, and no one gives it much of a thought. In fact it might even be that our familiarity with the term masks the wonder…
Daily Devotions: November 23, 2017
Ephesians 1:15-19 “I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, and for this reason I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers.” vss. 15-16 Followers of Jesus have special reasons for giving thanks on this national day of Thanksgiving. Not only do we give the customary thanks to God for the bounty of creation, we also give praise and thanks for our sisters…
Daily Devotions: November 22, 2017
Psalm 95:1-7a “Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!” vs. 2\ For Americans, this is a week filled with preparations for a massive Thanksgiving banquet of turkey and all our favorite foods. It’s a time for feasting and sharing with family and friends. In most cities there’s even a demonstrated concern for the homeless and the poor… shelters may get a hearty meal served by volunteers. For…
Daily Devotions: November 21, 2017
Ezekiel 34:20-24 “Therefore, thus says the Lord God to them: I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep.” vs. 20 Those who have had a chance to observe herds of animals or flocks of birds know that every group has a certain hierarchy. There will always be dominating individuals. The strong will always lord it over the weak; in a flock of chickens the most vulnerable will often be killed…they’ll be pecked to death by the…
Daily Devotions: November 20, 2017
Ezekiel 34:11-16 “I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, but the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them with justice.” vs. 16 According to Ezekiel the Lord has a heart for the lost and the strayed and will seek them out like a shepherd searching for sheep who have wandered. We’re familiar with this imagery from the words…
Daily Devotions: November 19, 2017
Matthew 25:24-30 “Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed; so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.” vss. 24b-25 As we hear the end of the parable of the talents we can’t help but feel a bit sad for the one talent slave, the one that most of us identify with most…
Daily Devotions: November 18, 2017
Matthew 25:14-23 “For it is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them; to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away.” vss. 14-15 Matthew’s account of Jesus’ teaching ministry begins with the Sermon on the Mount and ends with three parables about the coming Day of the Lord and the Final Judgment. The parable of the talents…
Daily Devotions: November 17, 2017
1 Thessalonians 5:6-11 “Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing.” vs. 11 Paul was charting new ground in his letter to the Thessalonians. He’d never been to seminary or taken a class in pastoral care…there weren’t any denominations and no one knew exactly what was going on. Paul himself had done a lot of praying and had come to depend on the Holy Spirit in the course of his travels, and along the…
Daily Devotions: November 16, 2017
1 Thessalonians 5:1-5 “But you, beloved, are not in darkness, for that day to surprise you like a thief; for you are all children of light and children of the day; we are not of the night or of darkness.” vss. 4-5 It was widely agreed in the early church that the Day of the Lord would come without warning like a thief in the night, and it seems there was considerable speculation about just when that would be. Many…
Daily Devotions: November 15, 2017
Psalm 90:5-8, 12 “So teach us to count our days that we may gain a wise heart.” vs. 12 It’s not unusual for the young to have a sense of immortality and to act as though they are going to live forever. Many seem to not quite understand that someday they too will be old, and that their bodies will begin to wear out. They see old people around but they’re careful in their interactions. These faceless aged folks are,…