Posts by Rev. Steve Holm (Page 2)
Daily Devotions
1 Corinthians 1:18-25… “For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling-block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles,” vss. 22-23 When we proclaim what we believe and who it is that we follow, we would like very much to be perceived as showing wisdom in what we say and do. It’s a natural human desire, and we care what others think of us. But what many discover is that the world is not impressed—we…
Daily Devotions
Psalm 35:11-25… “They repay me evil for good; my soul is forlorn. But as for me, when they were sick, I wore sackcloth; I afflicted myself with fasting. prayed with head bowed on my bosom, as though I grieved for a friend or a brother;” vss. 12-14a While the psalmist had never heard of Jesus these words could well have been a part of the Sermon on the Mount. He knows that it is the will of the Lord that…
Daily Devotions
Micah 6:1-8… “He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” vs. 8 Micah imagines a controversy between Israel and the Lord which has come to trial. In spite of all the Lord had done for Israel, the people had been faithless and wearisome in return. After hearing the charges, Israel wonders what should have been done…
Daily Devotions
Matthew 4:18-23 …“Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing every disease and every sickness among the people.” vs. 23 Since Jesus’ ministry did not focus on baptism, he concentrated on a teaching, preaching, and healing ministry that brought him to many villages in Galilee and beyond. It was obviously the kind of mission that was more than he could handle by himself; and from the beginning he gathered a…
Daily Devotions
Matthew 4:12-17… “Now when Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee…From that time Jesus began to proclaim, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.’” John the Baptizer had a significant following in the area of Judea, a part of King Herod’s territory, and because John had been critical, Herod had been keeping an eye on him for a long time. Jesus had been hanging out with John’s disciples, and had likely been listening to…
Daily Devotions
1 Corinthians 1:14-1… “For Christ did not send me to baptize but to proclaim the gospel, and not with eloquent wisdom, so that the cross of Christ might not be emptied of its power.” vs. 17 We’re not used to hearing words like this from preachers in our times. In our congregations it’s all about eloquence and wisdom, and people are likely to leave if that’s not what they’re getting in sermons. But Paul had an entirely different perspective. He…
Daily Devotions
1 Corinthians 1:10-13… “Now I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you be in agreement and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same purpose.” vs. 10 Paul gets to his point immediately in his first letter to the Corinthians. It had been reported to him by some insiders in the congregation that serious divisions were taking place.…
Daily Devotions
Psalm 27:4-9… “Do not hide your face from me. Do not turn your servant away in anger, you who have been my help. Do not cast me off, do not forsake me, O God of my salvation!” vs. 9 Even though the psalmist had confidently proclaimed, “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?”, he could not hide his sense that the Lord’s support could vanish in an instant. Underneath his bold assertion of trust there…
Daily Devotions
Psalm 27:1… “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? vs. 1 There are those who have it all together as far as faith is concerned, and the psalmist seems to be such a person. It isn’t that everything has always gone well for him, but as far as the center is concerned, he has no complaints. As he puts it, “The…
Daily Devotions
Isaiah 9:1-4… “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness— on them light has shined.” vs. 2 Today many businesses and schools are closed to acknowledge Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, a national holiday established by congress to honor and remember King’s life and achievements. Dr. King, a Baptist pastor, was a disciple of Gandhi and was an advocate of non-violent resistance to racial oppression and bigotry. His…
Daily Devotions
John 1:29-36… “The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and declared, ‘Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!’” vs. 29 John the gospel writer begins the story of Jesus’ ministry, not with his baptism at the hands of John the Baptizer, but with John’s testimony concerning Jesus. John the Baptizer is the first witness, the first to recognize that the Spirit rested on Jesus, and he quickly spreads that good news…
Daily Devotions
1 Corinthians 1:5-9… “He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you may be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful; by him you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” vss. 8-9 Paul regularly encouraged people to prepare for the imminent return of Jesus so that they might be ready when that time came. Here he gives the impression that it will be possible for them to…