Scripture Our verse for today comes from Luke 7:13, " When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on herand said to her, 'Do not weep.' " Background I have not been to very many funerals. I guess you could say that's a good thing. But eventhough I'm not a veteran of...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from John 12:36, " These things Jesus spoke, and departed, and was hidden from them. " Background So many of us have sat through a chemistry class, or tried to read the prospectus that comes with our investments, or listened to a press conference after a...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from John 12:34, " The people answered Him, 'We have heard from the law that the Christ remains forever; and how can You say, " The Son of Man must be lifted up"? Who is this Son of Man?'" Background Some time ago two separate, unrelated...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from 2 Corinthians 1:9, " Indeed, we felt we had received the death sentence. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. Background Are you they type of person who learns from instruction, or do you have...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from Matthew 12:7, " But if you had known what this means, 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the guiltless. " Background As adults running in familiar circles, we tend to understand the words that we hear throughout the day. We...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from John 12:37, " But although He had done so many signs before them, they did not believe in Him. " Background Cornell University conducted a study on how and why people are convinced to change their minds. An internet forum called ChangeMyView invites people to...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from John 12:41, " These things Isaiah said when he saw His glory and spoke of Him. " Background Mount Everest is the highest peak on earth. In fact, each year the mountain grows by about a quarter of an inch. The most recent GPS technology...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from 1 Corinthians 2:2, " For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. " Background When I Googled the word " science " on the internet, about 1,250,000,000 results came back in .09 seconds. When I Googled " cars, "...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from Matthew 13:54, " When He had come to His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, 'Where did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty works?' " Background Around our town, some time ago, there was...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from John 12:43, " For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God. " Background This weekend is the dance recital for the studio where my four daughters dance. And so, in final preparation for the big event, all of the classes...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from John 12:44, " Then Jesus cried out and said, 'He who believes in Me, believes not in Me but in Him who sent Me.' " Background " Oyez, Oyez, Oyez! " Or in modern English, " Hear ye, hear ye, hear ye! " Such was...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from Matthew 14:31, " And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, 'O you of little faith, why did you doubt?' " Background I think that some of us might be struggling with doubt and a lack of confidence these...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from John 12:45, " And he who sees Me sees Him who sent Me. " Background Ever since my wife and I started having children, the one Christmas present I have asked for each year is a calendar. Not just your ordinary calendar, the ones I...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from John 2:14, " And He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers doing business. " Background Having been to a couple dozen Passover celebrations at the temple in Jerusalem, Jesus was very familiar with all of...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from John 12:46, " I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness. " Background Recently our church celebrated a milestone anniversary, and part of the service included hearing from a few of the charter members...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from Exodus 31:13, " You are to speak to the people of Israel and say, 'Above all you shall keep My Sabbaths, for this is a sign between me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the Lord, who...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from Psalm 118:24, " This is the day that the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. " Background God did a lot of creating those first six days. And although He rested on the seventh day and called it holy, He...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from John 12:50, " Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak. " Background Spoiler alert: Not everything you read on the internet can be trusted. My most recent encounter with this truth came from an article about magic and...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from John 11:35, " Jesus wept. " Background There's no use crying over spilled milk. Did your parents spout that wisdom to you when you were growing up? Have you in turn completed that dreaded cycle and used it on your own kids? In wanting us...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from Luke 13:11, " And a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years, and was bent over and could not straighten up at all. " Background Every now and then you'll see someone who is so bent over that you...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from Jeremiah 48:44, " 'He who flees from the fear shall fall into the pit, and he who gets out of the pit shall be caught in the snare. For upon Moab I will bring the year of their punishment,' says the Lord. " Background Our...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from John 13:2, " And supper being ended, the devil having already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray Him. " Background I hope you have resolved yourself to the fact that there are things in Scripture that are beyond human comprehension....

Scripture Our verse for today comes from John 13:3, " Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God, and was going to God. " Background In 1882, the British philosopher and scientist Herbert Spencer wrote that there are five manifestations of...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from Acts 12:1, " Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church. " Background You know, I've never been a king before. I've never even played one on tv. But in the 6th grade, we students performed...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from John 13:5, " After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. Background After that. Scripture says that after that, Jesus poured water into a basin and...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from Jeremiah 11:23, " And there shall be no remnant of them, for I will bring catastrophe on the men of Anathoth, even the year of their punishment. " Background As you wander the aisles of Christian bookstores, I don't think you'll find many books written...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from John 13:9, " Simon Peter said to Him, 'Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.' " Background Most of us are familiar with the fact that the human body, when reduced to its most basic chemical components, isn't worth very...

Scripture Our verse for today is from John 13:7, " Jesus answered and said to him, 'What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will after this.' " Background " Thanks for piling on. " If Peter had been inclined to subtle sarcasm towards Jesus, as can be found...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from John 13:8, " Peter said to Him, 'You shall never wash my feet.' Jesus answered him, 'If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.' " Background Dinner in the upper room wasn't supposed to go this way. Jesus had sent Peter...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from Luke 8:53, " And they ridiculed Him, knowing that she was dead." Background Ever since the internet came to be, there has been no shortage of the availability of information. Extensive research, late-breaking news, in-depth analysis, obscure tidbits, and everything in between are just a...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from John 13:6, " Then He came to Simon Peter. And Peter said to Him, 'Lord, are You washing my feet?' " Background It surprises no one that Peter is the one disciple to speak up as Jesus goes around the table, washing the dirty feet...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from Isaiah 38:17, " Indeed it was for my own peace that I had great bitterness; but You have lovingly delivered my soul from the pit of corruption, for You have cast all my sins behind Your back. " Background I heard a guy yesterday rhetorically...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from Genesis 24:6, " But Abraham said to him, 'Beware that you do not take my son back there.' " Background The buck has to stop somewhere, right? Ultimately, we need to have something or someone in our life that we can go to when we...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from John 13:11, " For He knew who would betray Him; therefore He said, 'You are not all clean.' " Background God said in Jeremiah that the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? And if you're alive and reading...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from John 13:13, " You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. " Background Jesus taught. When He began His ministry, the truths of scripture had so been distorted and corrupted by the Pharisees and Sadducees that their religious way...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from Ephesians 2:12, " That at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. " Background A buddy at work is good friends with a...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from 1 Timothy 6:12, " Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. " Background We all could use some encouragement, couldn't we? I was...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from John 13:14, " If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. " Background When we say something shouldn't have happened, we may be making one of two judgments. One is that what occurred should...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from Philippians 1:12, " But I want you to know, brothers, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel. " Background There are approximately 3,000 satellites in orbit around the earth doing a lot of different things....

Scripture Our verse for today comes from John 13:15, " For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. " Background We parents can be a pain in the rump to our kids sometimes. Faced with a challenge or a struggle, how many of...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from John 13:16-17, " Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. " Background It is...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from 1 Corinthians 11:23, " For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the night in which He was betrayed took bread. " Background Last night, I took bread with my family. It was nothing extravagant,...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from John 13:19, " Now I tell you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe that I am He. " Background It's important that we believe that Jesus is the Messiah. I know that sounds like an obvious statement, but...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from 2 Kings 1:7, " Then he said to them, 'What kind of man was it who came up to meet you and told you these words?' " Background " What kind of person would do such a thing? " We usually ask that question upon...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from John 13:20, " Most assuredly I say to you, he who receives whomever I send receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me. " Background A buddy made the statement the other day that he had just completed an entire business...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from John 13:21, " When Jesus had said these things, He was troubled in spirit, and testified and said, 'Most assuredly I say to you, one of you will betray Me.'  Background We humans certainly have a lot to say, and we say it in a...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from Acts 6:1, " Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint against the Hebrews by the Hellenists, because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution. " Background The Beatles. The Eagles. The Police. The Platters. The...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from John 13:25, " So that disciple, leaning back against Jesus, said to Him, 'Lord, who is it?' " Background The essence of today's scripture is pretty straight forward. Peter wanted to know who Jesus was talking about when He had said someone would betray Him,...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from John 13:18, " I do not speak concerning all of you. I know whom I have chosen; but that the Scripture may be fulfilled, 'He who eats bread with Me has lifted up his heel against Me.' " Background The last anything. There's no doubt...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from Mark 14:19, " They began to be sorrowful and to say to Him one after another, 'Is it I?' " Background You remember when God rejected Saul as king, He sent Samuel the prophet to Bethlehem to select for Himself His chosen leader. Samuel went...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from Romans 8:29, " For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brothers. " Background There is a long, unofficial list of things that parents set out to avoid doing...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from Luke 2:10, " Then the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people.' " Background Many years ago, before there were cell phones, there existed something called a phone...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from Joshua 2:12, " Now therefore I beg you, swear to me by the Lord, since I have shown you kindness, that you also will show kindness to my father's house, and give me a sure sign. " Background A friend was relating the time when...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from John 13:28, " But no one at the table knew for what reason He said this to him. " Background Surprises and secrets can be awesome. For my recent birthday, the evening was drawing to a close, but my wife and others were acting a...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from John 13:29, " For some thought, because Judas had the money box, that Jesus had said to him, 'Buy those things we need for the feast,' or that he should give something to the poor. " Background There are times when things come together in...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from John 13:31, " So, when he had gone out, Jesus said, 'Now the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in Him.' " Background A contrast can be so easily seen as one exits and another enters. After God had done such amazing...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from John 13:4, " rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself. " Background What a supper that must have been. Who could know all that was going on in the minds of Jesus and His disciples? Imagine what...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from Exodus 19:18, " Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the Lord descended on it in fire. The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace, and the whole mountain trembled violently. " Background Where there's smoke, there's fire. Few of us would...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from John 13:38, " Jesus answered, 'Will you lay down your life for Me? Truly, truly, I say to you, the rooster will not crow till you have denied Me three times.' " Background Many people, myself included, consider the words of our Lord as recorded...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from John 19:33, " But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. " Background Death by crucifixion was viciously cruel. It exacted punishment in the worst possible ways, slowly with intense suffering and agony. While...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from John 14:1, " Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. " Background I have been to a couple of celebrations recently, for things such as graduations and significant birthdays, and I have experienced firsthand the joy and delight...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from John 12:32, " And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to Myself. " Background When I was growing up, there was a weekend television show on ABC called Wide World of Sports. As opposed to the regular weekend...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from John 14:2, " In My Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? " Background There are many ways to say the same thing. Some of them are less...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from John 14:3, " And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. " Background In fourteen days, my wife and I will take my son to...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from John 9:6, " When He had said these things, He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva; and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay. " Background In the movie Jaws , Quint is hired by the city...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from 1 Samuel 9:9, " (Formerly in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, he would say, 'Come, let us go to the seer,' because the prophet of today used to be called a seer.) " Background I am a husband, in ways, perhaps,...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from Matthew 16:23, " But He turned and said to Peter, 'Get behind Me, Satan. You are a stumbling block to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.' " Background Peter is known as the outspoken, somewhat...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from Acts 19:19, " Also, many of those who had practiced magic brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted up the value of them, and it totaled fifty thousand pieces of silver. " Background Fireproof is a movie about...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from John 14:5, " Thomas said to Him, 'Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?' " Background It may sound strange, but I have been intently focused on the truth lately. That's not to say that being...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from John 14:8, " Philip said to Him, 'Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.' " Background This past year, a solar eclipse made its way across the United States, capturing the attention of millions. One of the world's largest shadows brought...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from 2 Kings 2:19, " Then the men of the city said to Elisha, 'Please notice, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord sees; but the water is bad, and the ground barren.' " Background Our house could use some work. From a...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from John 14:9, " Jesus said to him, 'Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, " Show us the Father " ?'...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from Ephesians 3:14, " For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. " Background Making a decision can be accomplished in many ways. Most are done with very little thought or analysis. Large decisions, important ones that have long...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from Genesis 19:28, " Then he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain; and he saw, and behold, the smoke of the land which went up like the smoke of a furnace. " Background There Abraham stood, looking down over...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from 2 Timothy 4:3, " For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions. " Background How would you like it if the reason you were hired for...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from John 14:10, “Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works.” Background In...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from Genesis 29:20, " So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed a few days to him because of the love he had for her. " Background As wonderful as Fridays can be, most people feel the exact opposite about Mondays. In fact, in...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from Mark 1:18, " They immediately left their nets and followed Him. " Background We have a friend who has been out of work for a long time. The interviews have come and some opportunities have arisen, but nothing has worked out yet. Unfortunately, he has...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from Philippians 1:23-24, " For I am hard-pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. " Background In the movie When Harry Met Sally , the...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from John 14:11, “Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves.” Background The job of the lobbyist and the politician and the lawyer must be exhausting. Trying to convince people...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from Acts 18:17, " And they all seized Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, and beat him in front of the judgment seat. But Gallio paid no attention to any of this. " Background Our home does not have a judgment seat. In fact, I don't...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from John 14:13, “And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” Background “In Jesus’ name, amen.” Chances are you’ve heard that phrase tacked on the end of thousands of prayers. Chances are you’ve tacked...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from Genesis 39:1, " Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. And Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him down there. " Background The story of Joseph in the Old Testament is...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from John 14:16, “And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever.” Background There’s nothing like a crisis to make you appreciate what you have. Medical scares, fire alarms, a misplaced wallet, threatening weather, or...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from 2 Kings 25:29, " So Jehoiachin changed from his prison garments, and he ate bread regularly before the king all the days of his life. " Background Could we say that life is all about perspective? Maybe that's a little strong, but perspective certainly affects...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from John 14:18, “I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.” Background For the first few years of elementary school, we lived close enough so that I was able to walk to school. I did have to cross a huge intersection, one that...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from Acts 2:6, " And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language. " Background I'm embarrassed to say it, but many times I am shocked to come home from work and hear that...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from Romans 5:5, “Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” Background Disappointment is a double-edge sword, isn’t it? It’s hard to say whether it’s worse to...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from John 14:21, “He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.” Background It’s safe to say that you are...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from James 3:10, " Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. " Background My five-year-old is still learning to read. But that doesn't stop her from grabbing book after book and pouring over them like...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from Titus 3:3, " For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. " Background I have been fortunate to work at the same company...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from Mark 1:34, " Then He healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and He did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew Him. " Background One of my favorite sayings about hitting a baseball is that it's...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from John 14:23, “Jesus answered and said to him, ‘If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.’” Background A friend of ours recently had a significant stretch...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from Proverbs 30:33, " For as the pressing of milk makes butter, and pressing the nose brings forth blood, so the pressing of anger produces strife. " Background I'm realizing more and more that much of the anguish and exasperation around our home comes as a...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from Exodus 4:19, " Now the Lord said to Moses in Midian, 'Go, return to Egypt; for all the men who sought your life are dead.' " Background Moses spent a lot of time in the wilderness with his sheep. Being a shepherd for forty years...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from Acts 5:4, “While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.” Background We humans like to...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from Luke 7:50, " Then He said to the woman, 'Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.' " Background Are you at peace? Do you have peace in your life? Or are you looking for peace, longing for it, going through your days wishing that...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from John 15:1, “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.” Background In the first three gospels, Jesus tells the parable of a landowner who planted a vineyard and rented it out to vinedressers. After the owner had been away for a while...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from 1 Timothy 5:23, " No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for your stomach's sake and your frequent infirmities. " Background All week long, I have been battling a cold, or something similar to it. It hasn't knocked me out, but I...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from Romans 7:19, " For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. " Background One of the amazing accomplishments of civilization to me is the ability for thousands or millions of people...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from John 15:4, “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.” Background My wife has taken on a new role this year at church in...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from John 15:9, “As the Father loved Me, I also loved you; abide in My love.” Background As a parent, one has the opportunity to experience things, express things, and pass along things that could possibly continue for generations. As the parent of six children, those...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from Ecclesiastes 3:1, " To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven. " Background Seasons change at the same time each year, and no strivings of man or machine can do anything to prevent their coming and going. Regardless of whether...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from Matthew 26:15, " And said, 'What are you willing to give me if I deliver Him to you?' And they counted out to him thirty pieces of silver. " Background There may not be a more infamous character from early American history than Benedict...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from John 15:10, “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.” Background If you do this, then that will happen. Is there an area of our lives where this precept...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from Luke 9:1, " And He called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases. " Background We Americans are very protective of our rights. We don't take too kindly to those who try to infringe upon our...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from Luke 14:13, " But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind. " Background There are many legends and versions surrounding the Thanksgiving holiday. Although there are a couple of firsthand accounts regarding some of the particulars of that...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from Joshua 9:18, " But the people of Israel did not attack them, because the leaders of the congregation had sworn to them by the Lord, the God of Israel. Then all the congregation murmured against the leaders. " Background Having just endured the season of...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from John 15:11, “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.” Background Any Christian worth his salt will tell you that there are obvious discrepancies in the Bible. How else would you explain...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from Ephesians 2:10, " For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." Background Have you ever fallen victim to one of those e-mails that infects your computer with a virus once you...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from John 15:12, “This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” Background “Gentlemen, start your engines.” The four words constitute the most famous command in auto racing, if not in all of sports. A precious few have been privileged enough...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from Hebrews 4:10, " For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His. " Background Just because you're not working doesn't mean that you're resting, does it? How many three-day weekends or weeklong vacations have been...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from Acts 3:4, " Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, 'Look at us.' Background Whenever our church has sent out survey teams into the surrounding neighborhoods, we have tried to send them out in groups of three. One person would have...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from Acts 9:11, " So the Lord said to him, 'Arise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus, for behold, he is praying.' " Background Congratulations. We usually get to hear that when...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from James 1:14-15, " But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. " Background I've never gone hunting, but...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from John 15:13, “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” Background As a kid, I played a lot of football in my backyard. On one particular occasion, while I was going out to catch a pass, I...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from Deuteronomy 34:7, " Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died, yet his eyes were not weak nor his strength gone. " Background There is an ancient riddle from Greek mythology that asks what goes on four legs in the morning, two...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from 1 Thessalonians 1:2, " We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers. " Background One of my kids was saying her prayers a while back, and before I could hardly realize she had begun, she rattled off...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from John 15:15, “No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.” Background When someone...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from Genesis 6:6, " And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. " Background We've all done something that we were sorry for. Perhaps it was just this morning or right before bedtime last...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from John 15:16, “You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.” Background My friend’s daughter wants...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from Matthew 7:12, " So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets. " Background If you're like me, then you probably don't ask for help from others if you can possibly avoid...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from Nehemiah 2:5, " I said to the king, 'If it please the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, I ask that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers' tombs, that I may rebuild it.' Background I...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from Acts 19:2, " And he said to them, 'Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?' And they said, 'No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.' " Background When you sign on for something, you want to be sure...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from John 15:18, “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you.” Background My younger brother and I used to fuss and fight and pick on each other for the better part of our childhood. Truth be told, I was...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from 1 Corinthians 10:31, " So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God. " Background Did you enjoy your breakfast this morning? Maybe today is the day of the week when you do something special for...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from Ezekiel 8:5, " Then He said to me, 'Son of man, lift your eyes now toward the north.' So I lifted my eyes toward the north, and there, north of the altar gate, was this image of jealousy in the entrance. " Background When I...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from John 15:20, “Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.” Background The company I work for is a...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from Joshua 21:45, " Not a word failed of any good thing which the Lord had spoken to the house of Israel. All came to pass. " Background A manager here at work is going on vacation Wednesday. She also has a relatively new employee working...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from John 15:22, “If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin.” Background It is undeniable that some of God’s greatest graces He offers through our spouse and children. The love and...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from 1 Corinthians 1:22, " For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom. Background You are probably familiar with the Old Testament story of Gideon and the fleece. God had chosen Gideon to lead the Israelites against the Midianites, but Gideon's faith was lacking,...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from John 15:23, “He who hates Me hates My Father also.” Background Mensa is an organization made up of people who score in the 98 th percentile or higher of an intelligence test, and therefore is a society to which I will never belong. Perhaps if my first...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from Revelation 5:11, “Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands.” Background I think I have mentioned this before,...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from Luke 2:7, " And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. " Background When you have six children like we do, the odds are...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from Nehemiah 2:4, " Then the king said to me, 'What do you request?' So I prayed to the God of heaven. " Background I am awestruck at the idea of one man rebuilding a city. Nehemiah's plan to rebuild the wall of his beloved Jerusalem...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from John 15:25, “But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: ‘They hated Me without a cause.’” Background At the NC State Fair, there is a particular restaurant that plays a recording advertising the various foods that they serve. In a deep,...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from Ezra 9:6, " And I prayed, 'I am too ashamed and disgraced, my God, to lift up my face to You, because our sins are higher than our heads and our guilt has reached to the heavens.' " Background We don't pray anymore like Ezra...

Scripture Our verse for today is from 1 Samuel 10:16, " So Saul said to his uncle, 'He told us plainly that the donkeys had been found.' But about the matter of the kingdom, he did not tell him what Samuel had said. " Background Do you remember not that long ago...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from 2 Peter 2:6, " And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemning them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly. " Background A few years ago, people across the South and Midwest saw destruction like they...

Scripture Our verse for today is in 2 Peter 3:8, " But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. " Background Companies and organizations and sports teams spend a lot of time and money...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from 2 Kings 2:12, " And Elisha saw it, and he cried out, 'My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and its horsemen!' So he saw him no more. And he took hold of his own clothes and tore them into two pieces.  Background Bitter...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from John 16:2, “They will put you out of the synagogues; yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he is offering service to God.” Background There was a time when the time was coming that white men would capture, enslave, buy...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from 2 Corinthians 5:14-15, " For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that One died for all, and therefore all died. And He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from 1 Timothy 4:8, " For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. " Background If you have seen the original Karate Kid movie, you are familiar with the scenes...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from Genesis 22:4, “Then on the third day Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place afar off. Background In this particular area where I live, winter has a somewhat milder bite to it than does summer. Whereas summer can bring month-long stretches of temperatures well...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from Isaiah 40:28, " Hast thou not known? Hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary? There is no searching of His understanding. " Background Last night, I thought I'd give...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from John 16:7a, “Nevertheless I tell you the truth.” Background When you read that verse with no context provided, your mind is open to interpret and inflect it in whichever way it is inclined to. If you are prone to be around those who recoil...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from 1 Corinthians 4:4, " For I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me. " Background For obvious reasons, my kids are not overly fond of cleaning the bathrooms. But on top of...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from 1 Corinthians 9:19, " Even though I am free of the demands and expectations of everyone, I have voluntarily become a servant to any and all in order to reach a wide range of people. " Background Have you taken any time recently to look...

Scripture Our focus verse for today comes from 1 John 3:18, " My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. " Background In the movie Facing The Giants , there is a scene where the high school football team does a drill called the...

Scripture Our verse for today is from John 16:7, “It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.” Background On the night before the great destruction of Sodom...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from 2 Thessalonians 3:10, " For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat. " Background When I started working at my current job many years ago, I lived in another town and had about...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from 2 Corinthians 11:25, " Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea. " Background I think it's safe to say that Paul would have prayed for a...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from 2 Timothy 2:3, " You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. " Background I'm not much of a military man. I don't really know anything about it. My dad did a brief stint in the Air Force back in his...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from John 16:12, “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.” Background On the afternoon of November 19, 1863, noted orator and former Secretary of State, Senator, and Governor of Massachusetts Edward Everett delivered a two-hour long speech, honoring...

Scripture Our verse for today is from 1 Timothy 6:11-12, " But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from Acts 12:23, " At once an angel from the Lord struck him down because he took the honor that belonged to God. Later, Herod was eaten by worms and died. " Background " The British are coming! The British are coming! " That's a quote...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from Acts 15:37-38, " Barnabas wanted to take John called Mark with them, but Paul thought it best not to take him with them, because he deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work. " Background Paul and Barnabas were part...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from John 16:21, “A woman, when she is in labor, has sorrow because her hour has come; but as soon as she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from John 16:22, “Therefore you now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you.” Background There is something in the New Testament called a “hina” clause, whose name comes from the transliteration...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from Daniel 5:21, " He was driven from the sons of men, his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys. They fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven,...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from Exodus 14:12, " Didn't we say to you in Egypt, 'Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians'? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert. " Background " 'Tis better to have loved and lost...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from Exodus 4:13, " But Moses said, 'Please, my Lord, just send someone else.' " Background Where are you going today? Are you headed to work, or do you have a bunch of errands to run? Are you taking your kids to school this morning and...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from John 16:25, “These things I have spoken to you in figurative language; but the time is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figurative language, but I will tell you plainly about the Father.” Background During World War II, Nazi Germany used...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from John 16:28, “I came from the Father and have come into the world, and now I am leaving the world and going to the Father.” Background Throughout the relatively short ministry of Jesus, He gave no shortage of reasons as to His presence among men....

Scripture Our verse for today comes from Deuteronomy 30:11, " For this commandment which I command you today is not too mysterious for you, nor is it far off. " Background My high school and its arch rival are about five miles from each other. Kids that attend one of these schools...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from 1 Samuel 18:8, " Then Saul was very angry, and the saying displeased him; and he said, 'They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed only thousands. Now what more can he have but the kingdom?' " Background When you...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from 1 Samuel 12:13, " Now therefore, here is the king whom you have chosen and whom you have desired. And take note, the Lord has set a king over you. " Background When I first moved out on my own, I remember some choices that...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from John 16:30, “Now we are sure that You know all things, and have no need that anyone should question You. By this we believe that You came forth from God.” Background I imagine part of the wonder of heaven will be finding out all those...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from John 16:31, “Jesus answered them, ‘Do you now believe?’” Background “Are you sure?” Few other words can strike doubt into our hearts as effectively as these. The least little bit of uncertainty seems to feed off of this question, such that even the most confident...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from John 16:32, “Indeed the hour is coming, yes, has now come, that you will be scattered, each to his own, and will leave Me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me.” Background All alone. That’s such a phrase of...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from Romans 5:3-4, " And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance, and perseverance, proven character, and proven character, hope. " Background When I used to work for a moving company, I got injured on one of our jobs....

Scripture Our verse for today comes from Matthew 19:14, " But Jesus said, 'Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.' " Background Several years ago, my four-year-old daughter and I had a special date. My wife had to work,...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from Matthew 21:14, " Then the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them. " Background One might expect to read such a verse as this one about Jesus all throughout the gospels. And in fact there are numerous passages...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from Matthew 19:20, " The young man said to Him, 'All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?' " Background I used to work with a lady who has never had a cavity. She told me that she had flossed...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from Matthew 21:19, " And seeing a fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it but leaves, and said to it, 'Let no fruit grow on you ever again.' Immediately the fig tree withered away. " Background We know when...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from John 14:22, " Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, 'Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?' " Background My wife has a friend who is a lawyer. They met while they were in school at UNC....

Scripture Our verse for today comes from John 17:1, “When Jesus had spoken these words, He lifted up His eyes to heaven and said, ‘Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son that the Son may glorify You.’” Background The hour has come. For the movie, The Green Mile , that phrase takes on...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from Matthew 27:21, " The governor asked, 'Which of the two do you want me to release to you?' They answered, 'Barabbas.' " Background Have you ever seen the television show " The Price is Right? " Contestants try to guess the correct prices of certain...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from John 17:3, “And this is eternal life, that they know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” Background You are well aware that Rome was the governing body during the time of Jesus. Recall the audacious decree of Caesar Augustus...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from Psalm 51:2, " Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. " Background My three youngest daughters love to go barefoot. Inside, outside, warm weather, cold weather, grass, dirt, pavement. At home, church, a friend's house, the store, the park, their...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from Psalm 35:12, " They reward me evil for good, to the sorrow of my soul. " Background In the movie Tootsie, Dustin Hoffman plays an actor who is struggling to continue to find work. In his quest to be the consummate professional and deliver the...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from Exodus 6:9, " Moses spoke thus to the people of Israel, but they did not listen to Moses, because of their broken spirit and harsh slavery. " Background Have you ever been the one to deliver the big, exciting news, only to get a reaction...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from John 17:4, “I glorified You on earth, having accomplished the work that You gave Me to do.” Background Before you read on, test yourself on who is on each of the US dollar bills. The $20 bill is often called a “Jackson,” after Andrew Jackson,...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from John 13:1, " Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end....

Scripture Our verse for today comes from Acts 1:7, " And He said to them, 'It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority.' " Background Being in the dark. For some of us, that's not a very comfortable place to be....

Scripture Our verse for today comes from 2 Kings 1:3, " But the angel of the Lord said to Elijah the Tishbite, 'Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the King of Samaria, and say to them, " Is it because there is no God in Israel that you...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from John 17:5, “And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.” Background You may have grown up in the proverbial medical dark ages as I did. For years and years, we were taught...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from Colossians 3:1, " If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. " Background What a unique position the men and women had who were with Jesus before and after His...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from Deuteronomy 29:5, " And I have led you forty years in the wilderness. Your clothes have not worn out on you, and your sandals have not worn out on your feet. " Background When you map out your route for a trip, you might be...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from Genesis 22:9, " Then they came to the place of which God had told him. And Abraham built an altar there and placed the wood in order; and he bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, upon the wood. " Background Imagine...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from Luke 23:42, " And he was saying, 'Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom.' " Background There are very few instances in the gospels where Jesus is addressed by name. Most times He is called Lord, or maybe Master or Teacher. Oddly enough,...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from Matthew 27:3, " Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing that He had been condemned, was remorseful and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders. " Background Have you ever been able to have your cake and eat it, too? It's...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from John 17:6, “I have manifested Your name to the men You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word.” Background Being back at work yesterday, I had the most marvelous response to...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from John 17:7, “Now they have known that all things which You have given Me are from You.” Background I took a few philosophy courses in college, but sometimes the best instruction can come from a Dilbert cartoon: “What is the key to success?” “Hire the...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from Matthew 7:14, " For narrow is the gate and hard is the way that leads to life, and those who find it are few. " Background I hope you have experienced the movie, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory . It is a fabulous tale of five...

Scripture Our verse for today is from Micah 6:8, " He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God? " Background There is an old saying that goes, " The...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from Matthew 9:13, " But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice.' For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners. " Background I know this may sound simple, or dumb, or worse. But what if the Pharisees who...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from John 17:8, “For I have given to them the words which You have given Me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came forth from You; and they have believed that You sent Me.” Background You will recall the parable of...

Scripture Our verse for today comes from Matthew 8:2, " And behold, a leper came and worshiped Him, saying, 'Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.' " Background Picture the leper working his way through the crowd that is following Jesus after He had just finished delivering His sermon...