Blog (Page 235)

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 If we were asked to choose a single verse from scripture as a personal mission statement, we’d be hard pressed to find a better one than this gem from the pen of Micah. The prophet is obviously frustrated with his people’s preoccupation with the…

Matthew 4:18-23 “As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea—for they were fishermen.” vs. 18 As Jesus began his ministry, the first item on his “to do” list was to enlist some disciples, folks who he could teach and who he could send out on missions. These disciples would also insure the continuation of his ministry after he was gone. His…

Matthew 4:12-17 “From that time Jesus began to proclaim, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.’” vs. 17 According to Matthew, following John’s arrest, Jesus left the region of the Jordan and returned to his home territory, eventually making his home in Capernaum, at the north end of the sea of Galilee. His message initially was exactly the same as John’s, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” Something momentous was about to happen, it was…

1 Corinthians 1:17-18 “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 Paul is bothered by the divisions in Corinth and has real insight about the causes. He implies in this verse that it’s the sheer eloquence and wisdom of some of the preachers who have wandered through the congregation. They are so good that they…

1 Corinthians 1:10-16 “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 had some lofty expectations for that congregation in Corinth. He wanted them to be united in the same mind and the same purpose. It seems a reasonable ideal but, in…

Psalm 27:6-9 “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 The psalmist couldn’t help thinking that God might for some reason turn against him and desert him in a time of need. It seemed logical. Even though God had been faithful in the past, there was always a chance that God…

Psalm 27:1, 4-5 “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 Sometimes the world comes at us with a vengeance and there’s trouble and suffering on every hand. Stuff happens that we never anticipated and never dreamed possible. In those moments, faith in the Lord is an incomparable resource, a blessing more valuable than any credit card or retirement fund.…

 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 For the prophet the coronation of the new Judean king was the occasion for great joy, a time to celebrate light after a long period of darkness and despair. From now on things would be different, prosperity would return, and the glory of former days would be restored. We see some…

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.” vs. 39 According to John’s gospel, when the two disciples, Andrew and his unnamed buddy, asked where Jesus was staying, he invited them to come with him and “hang out” for the day. And so they did…and came away impressed! Whatever Jesus did or said was enough to…

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 In our scriptures there are many descriptive names that are attached to Jesus, but none has had more impact or power than the simple phrase, “Lamb of God.” It’s a part of the liturgy of Holy Communion, right after the words of institution. Week after week we sing it as we…

1 Corinthians 1:1-9 “I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus, for in every way you have been enriched in him,” vss. 4-5a Though Paul saw himself as an apostle, he sounds much like a pastor as he writes his letter to the Corinthians. For though we later find that he has heard some disturbing things about this congregation, he begins with words of affirmation…

Psalm 40:7-11 “I have not hidden your saving help within my heart, I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation; I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness from the great congregation.” vs. 10 When the psalmist had a good day, everyone knew about it. He was not about to cover up the joy, thanksgiving, and gratitude that had filled his heart, and that he was convinced had come from God. Amazingly, there’s a certain wariness about…