Tag: god
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Living Differently in an Angry and Noisy World
A Devotional Reflection on Ephesians 4:17–32 Paul’s words in Ephesians 4:17–32 feel strikingly modern. Written to a young Christian community trying to live faithfully in a fractured culture, this passage speaks directly to our own time—an age marked by outrage, division, misinformation, and harsh speech. Paul is not offering abstract theology. He is describing what…
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The Unchangeable Purpose of God
A Devotional Reflection on Hebrews 6:17–7:10 There are days when everything feels uncertain. The news shifts by the hour. Relationships strain. Bodies age. Faith itself can feel fragile. Into that world of instability, Hebrews speaks a steady and defiant word of hope: “When God desired to show even more clearly to the heirs of the…
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**“Do Not Fear, for I Am With You”
Learning to Live Courageously in a Fear-Filled World** Fear is one of the most universal human experiences. It shows up in the quiet moments of the night and in the loud headlines of the day. Fear whispers that we are alone, vulnerable, and powerless. Yet when I read Isaiah 43:1–13 and Ephesians 3:14–21, I hear…
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WHY?
When God’s Plan Meets Human Cruelty A Lament for a Broken World “O Lord, how long?”This is not a question asked by unbelievers.It is the cry of Scripture itself. When we hear that God has an “eternal purpose carried out in Christ,” and then look at history—the Trail of Tears,slavery,the Holocaust,and the daily suffering still…
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From Death to Life: Grace for Our Time
A Devotional Reflection on Ephesians 2:1–10 Scripture: Ephesians 2:1–10 Living on Autopilot Paul begins Ephesians 2 with words that feel uncomfortable to modern ears: “dead in trespasses and sins… following the desires of the flesh and the senses… children of wrath.” It sounds severe—until we realize he is not attacking individuals. He is describing a…
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Sealed, Held, and Not Alone
A Devotional Reflection on Ephesians 1:1–14 and Romans 8 There are seasons in life when the questions grow quieter—but deeper.Who am I now?What still holds me?What happens when strength fades, roles change, or companionship thins? Paul’s words in Ephesians 1:1–14 and Romans 8 speak gently but firmly into those questions, offering not sentiment, but assurance.…
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Human Tradition as Divine Law
Jesus did condemn certain traditions, but not tradition itself. What he condemned was a particular kind of tradition: tradition that replaced love, justice, and faithfulness with control, hypocrisy, or exclusion. Understanding this distinction is crucial. What Jesus Actually Condemned Jesus’ strongest words about tradition appear in passages like Mark 7:1–13 and Matthew 15:1–9, where he…
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Truth and God’s Communication
(Hebrews 1:1–12 as a foundation) Hebrews begins with a profound claim: God communicates. Not randomly, not vaguely, but purposefully and relationally. To understand how God communicates, we first need to ask a deeper question: 1. What Is Truth? Truth is not merely correct information or factual accuracy. In Scripture, truth is: Biblically, truth is not…
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From There to Here
Reflections from 76 Years of Living This is me holding a chicken standing near the chicken coop on our farm in Mississippi in 1954 This is me in 2026. I am 76 and I live in Springfield, MO. When I look back across seventy-six years, the distance from there to here feels both long and…
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Hold Fast: Faithfulness in an Age of Compromise
A Devotional Reflection on Revelation 2:18–29 The words Jesus speaks to the church in Thyatira are among the most searching and unsettling in all of Scripture. They are also deeply hopeful. This letter reminds us that Christ sees clearly, loves deeply, and calls His church to a faith that refuses to trade truth for comfort.…
The Curious Pilgrim 