Good Morning Friends, Today we reflect on the peace the Holy Spirit gives—a peace rooted not in our effort but in Christ’s finished work. Many long for rest yet miss it because they trust their own striving more than God’s love. True peace requires trust, risk, and a willingness to love God above all else. … Continue reading Are We Willing To Proclaim The Good News Of A Peace With A Worthy Purpose? →

Good Morning Friends, There is a question raised in John’s Gospel and lived out in Acts: Why doesn’t Jesus reveal Himself to the whole world in the flesh? And flowing from that comes a personal question with no right or wrong answer: In what ways has the Holy Spirit been revealed to you? Scripture Summaries Acts … Continue reading In What Ways Has The Holy Spirit Been Revealed To You? →

Today we start off with some pretty heavy text. Some of it is a declaration that confirms Jesus' divine identity, fulfills old Testament prophecies and asserts an authority willing to face persecution as a model of faith and steadfastness for believers. Other text links the idea of marriage union as a model for how the … Continue reading Do You Realize That The Great ” I AM ” Is Claiming You As His Own? →

Good Morning Friends, As we continue our journey toward Pentecost, Scripture invites us to watch the gospel spread—from Cornelius to Peter, from Barnabas to Paul—and to reflect on what true worship is. Christ’s promises can still be received or resisted. We can easily focus on the wrong things, expecting Jesus to fit our preferences rather … Continue reading Is Anything Better For Us Than The Gift Of The Holy Spirit? →

Good Morning Friends, There is a door through which we enter to find Jesus. Sam Shoemaker’s poem captures this beautifully, and it echoes the themes we’ve been sitting with from John’s Gospel. Shepherds and doors—two images that remind us that Jesus not only leads us but prepares a place for us. But the deeper question for … Continue reading Will We Shepherd The People We Want To Spend Eternity With —  And The People We Wouldn’t Choose At All? →

Good Morning Friends, Many churches avoid honest self‑examination. Yet Scripture calls us to face the truth about sin, purpose, and mission. God’s covenant with Israel is not an allegory to be dismissed but a promise that shapes the church’s calling. And if we are grafted on to the rootstock of Israel we would be wise to … Continue reading Are You Feeling Part Of A Cruciform Community Shining Forth Christ’s Covenant Love?  →

 Good Morning Friends, In Greek mythology the pomegranate symbolizes death and the underworld, but in Scripture it is a sign of God’s abundance—one of the seven fruits of the Promised Land. Its hundreds of seeds make it a natural symbol of fruitfulness, blessing, and the visible life of God’s people. Botticelli’s Madonna of the Pomegranate shows Christ … Continue reading How Are We To Feel Spiritually About Eating The Fruit Of Another’s Labors? →

Good Morning Friends, Saul enters today’s story still bearing his Hebrew name, not yet the apostle Paul. We meet him in the before picture—zealous, violent, convinced he is serving God—standing as a consenting witness to Stephen’s death. Yet even here, a seed is planted. The persecution that scatters the church becomes the very fire that … Continue reading Will We Recognize and Apply the Character of Christ in Our Daily Living? →

Good Morning Friends, I have included a copy of the painting of the stoning of Stephen in the devotional today as a Visio Divina as well as Caravaggio’s painting of Paul being knocked off his horse as part of his conversion on the road to Damascus. I do this in the hope that they might … Continue reading Are We Choosing the Spirit’s Work? →