Tuesday, March 3rd
The Lord’s Prayer is so simple in its wording, and really, that’s the point. When the disciples wanted to know how to pray, rather than prescribe all these flowery words of prayer that others did, Jesus gave them this short and simple prayer. Because prayer isn’t about how good the words sound. It’s about a heart that is yearning for God.
Monday, March 2nd
One of the most challenging passages of scripture to me is that of the sheep and goats. The sheep being those who cared for the stranger, those in need, the “least of these my brothers,” as Jesus said, and because of this, they are ushered into eternal life. The goats, on the other hand, are those who did not provide such care. I fear I’m more often a goat than a sheep. In this devotional today, I tell a story from my time in Kenya that illustrates that tension.
Sunday, March 1st
Is a life of faith a life that is spared difficulties? Many Christians seem to want to live out their lives that way, hoping that being faithful somehow will result in them being spared any trials and tribulations. And yet even Jesus was tempted – tempted to take an easier path, but to do so, he would have to give in to the devil. In today’s devotional we look at Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness and talk about how we ourselves can be tempted to take an easier path, but a path that leads us away from God’s will for us.
Saturday, February 29th
Hi guys – today I’m talking about Levi, the disciple of Jesus who started off as that awful ilk – a tax collector. The beautiful thing about this story is that Jesus called Levi to follow him while Levi was collecting taxes in his booth. So Levi could never think that Jesus didn’t really know who he was when he called him. Jesus knew Levi’s past, but he still beckoned Levi to follow him. Likewise, no matter our past, no matter what we have done before or could do in the future, God will always love us and beckon us to discover true life in him.
Friday, February 28th
Why do we fast? The disciples of John the Baptist asked Jesus why his disciples didn’t fast, when they and the Pharisees fasted so regularly. Jesus said that when he isn’t with them on this earth, then they will fast. So are we called to fast in some way now?
Thursday, February 27th
How do we take up our cross daily, especially in our country where we do not have to fear martyrdom for our faith? This question can be the driving force behind much of how we live out our faith identity. In this devotional, I challenge us all to think about that, in light of Christ’s sacrifice for us.
Wednesday, February 26th
Hey everyone, I hope you’ll join me each day for a short five-minute daily devotional during the season of Lent. Today, on a day when people often get big ash crosses smeared on their foreheads for all to see, I’m talking about practicing our piety before others.