“After these things, God tested Abraham and said to him, ‘Abraham!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’” Genesis 22:1 Last Monday, I spoke about the payoff of Dorothy’s ruby-red slippers in the Wizard of Oz. It was planted early in the movie before becoming the secret ticket back to Kansas. The audience had all it needed before the final scene. …
“They shall come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn, that he has done it.” Psalm 22:31 “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me…” Psalm 23:4 “Lift up your heads, O gates! And be lifted up, O ancient doors, that the King of …
“Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen and called its name Ebenezer; for he said, “Till now the Lord has helped us.” 1st Samuel 7:12 Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing Here I raise mine Ebenezer; Hither by Thy help I’m come; And I hope, by Thy good pleasure, Safely to arrive at home. …
“And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing…” Genesis 12:2 Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD and destroyed the city of Pompeii. Today it is a remarkable trip back in time. Buried under 13 to 20 feet of volcanic ash, pumice, and …
“I will tell of the decree: The Lord said to me, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you.” Psalm 2:7 It was a sunny afternoon. I was playing in the backyard with my crew. They were climbing all over me. Laughing and giggling. We were roughhousing, tackling, and tickling. The kids were out of breath, and my heart …
“In the Beginning…” Genesis 1:1 In yesterday’s gospel reading, Jesus tells the crowd that he has come to fulfill the fullness of the law. He references every iota and every dot (other translations speak of every jot and tittle). We understand this better today as every t that is crossed and every i dotted. In short, Jesus didn’t come to …
“And David danced before the Lord with all his might.” 2nd Samuel 6:14 It was a long day, and my team was tired. We had gotten to that point in the summer where the newness of things had long worn off, but we were not yet close enough to the end to lean into a “finish strong” mentality. Things had …
“Gideon was beating out wheat in the winepress to hide it from the Midianites. And the angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, “The Lord is with you, O mighty man of valor.” Judges 6:11-12 When was a time you were afraid, and looking back, you had no reason to be afraid? I was strapped into …
“I knew that this was the word of the Lord; so I bought the field at Anathoth from my cousin Hanamel and weighed out for him seventeen shekels of silver. I signed and sealed the deed, had it witnessed, and weighted out the silver on the scales…” Jeremiah 32:8-10 I bought my diesel truck 1 week before diesel gas prices …
“I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you.” Ezekiel 36:25 We had a work day on Saturday at Prince of Peace. There were a number of projects and a number of teams. I led the charge with the power washer team that attacked …
