Blog (Page 182)
Daily Devotions: May 12, 2018
May 12, 2018 John 17:9-13…“And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one.” vs. 11 While we often speak of Jesus living among us in this world, it is also true that we live apart from him. John speaks of Jesus’ absence and the fact that…
Daily Devotions: May 11, 2018
May 11, 2018 John 17:6-8…“for the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me.” vs. 8 As John tells his Jesus story, he wants his readers to know that Jesus has come from God and that his words are God’s words. In fact, the abiding principle of the entire gospel is that Jesus is the…
Daily Devotions: May 10, 2018
May 10, 2018 1 John 5:9-13…“And this is the testimony: God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.” vs. 11 About the end of the first century when John was doing his writing, there was considerable controversy about the content of the gospel message. Already there was division within congregations about various issues and alternative wisdom was being proposed. John is calling his readers back to the essence of the testimony that the Spirit of God…
Daily Devotions: May 9, 2018
May 9, 2018 Psalm 1:4-6…“for the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.” vs. 6 The psalmist’s world was a bit more black and white than we’re sometimes comfortable with. We tend to see people as more of a gray, a mixture between good and bad, and when our scripture paints a more decisive picture we want to protest. Some solve the issue by ignoring the passages in question and focusing…
Daily Devotions: May 8, 2018
May 8, 2018 Psalm 1:1-3…“They are like trees planted by streams of water, which yield their fruit in its season, and their leaves do not wither. In all that they do, they prosper.” vs. 3 So who are these folks who prosper in all that they do? According to this psalmist, they are those who love the law of the Lord and who meditate on it both day and night. Jesus said nearly the same thing at the close of…
Daily Devotions: May 7, 2018
May 7, 2018 Acts 1:15-17, 21-26…“And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias; and he was added to the eleven apostles.” vs. 26 It seems like there should have been a better way for the disciples to find a replacement for Judas. They had the sense that the number 12 was important, mostly for its symbolic value. They had all been called so it wasn’t a job for a volunteer. Finally, after weighing the obvious credentials,…
Daily Devotions: May 6, 2018
May 6, 2018 John 15:16-17…“You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name.” vs. 16 Sometimes we’ll hear folks offering up prayers that end with the phrase, “in Jesus’ name, Amen.” It’s a reminder of their attachment to Jesus, a recognition that he is the vine and they are the branches–and that’s a…
Daily Devotions: May 5, 2018
May 5, 2018 John 15:12-15…“I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father.” vs. 15 The song, “What a Friend We Have In Jesus,” isn’t sung much anymore–probably because it doesn’t have a catchy tune. But many Jesus-people still regard it as a favorite, primarily because of verses like…
Daily Devotions: May 4, 2018
May 4, 2018 John 15:9-11…“As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love.” vs. 9 Living as a follower of Jesus is remarkably uncomplicated! Jesus had known from the day of his baptism that God loved him, and throughout his ministry he had passed that love on to the hurting people that he encountered. Later, he told those who had become his disciples to abide in that love–they are to revel in it, bask…
Valuing Religious and Ethnic Diversity
When Carla Skladany met with Richard Andersen, Executive Director of Spirit in the Desert in 2017, she told him she was interested in being a volunteer at the retreat center. Volunteering has always been an important part of Carla’s life during the years she and her husband, Jan, lived in Downers Grove, Illinois and since they permanently moved to Carefree in 2007. As Richard and Carla’s conversation continued, Richard surprised her when he asked her to be the Coordinator of…
Daily Devotions: May 3, 2018
May 3, 2018 1 John 5:1-6…“Who is it that conquers the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” vs. 5 To believe that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God, was a huge step for those early Christians. And then, once they had come to faith, they went on to make the audacious claim that they were going to conquer the world. Think of it! They had nothing going for them. At most…
Daily Devotions: May 2, 2018
May 2, 2018 Psalm 98:4-9…“Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises.” vs. 4 For many believers, congregational singing is a highlight of worship. They love to come together and lift up their voices with songs of praise and thanksgiving! It’s their one opportunity to actually sing out loud in public, and, since they don’t have to worry about hitting a wrong note, they can let loose! After all, as…