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Psalm 119:89-96 (Lamedh)

01 Aug

Lamedh

89 Your eternal word, O Lord,
    stands firm in heaven.
90 Your faithfulness extends to every generation,
    as enduring as the earth you created.
91 Your regulations remain true to this day,
    for everything serves your plans.
92 If your instructions hadn’t sustained me with joy,
    I would have died in my misery.
93 I will never forget your commandments,
    for by them you give me life.
94 I am yours; rescue me!
    For I have worked hard at obeying your commandments.
95 Though the wicked hide along the way to kill me,
    I will quietly keep my mind on your laws.
96 Even perfection has its limits,
    but your commands have no limit.

Psalm 119:89-96

Dear God, this psalmist is working so hard for your approval. He is working so hard for your protection. I just want to give him a hug and tell him about your love for him. I want to tell him about grace and mercy. I want to tell him the story about the rich young ruler and how Jesus loved him. If he had been a contemporary of Paul’s and read some of his epistles, how would this psalm have been different?

I’m not saying we don’t need to be mindful of your commands. We do! But it’s like I heard someone say about the teachings of the Sermon on the Mount one time. They said we don’t get your favor by obeying what Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount. We obey what Jesus taught by worshipping and loving you and receiving your mercy and grace.

I also heard someone recently talk about how we need mercy because of the fall, but grace is something you were giving to Adam and Eve even before the fall. You grace us with your presence and your love. That is just something that happens because you love us so much. What a lovely thought.

With that said, let’s look at the Lamedh section of Psalm 119.

  • 89 Your eternal word, O Lord, stands firm in heaven. – While everything around me might look confusing or crazy, nothing on your side of reality is in doubt. This is a great a deep verse. There is a depth of truth to is that is awesome. We were listening to the Bible Project Podcast yesterday, and the teacher was talking about John the Baptist’s father, Zechariah, and all sorts of other gospel characters misunderstanding why John and Jesus had come. They thought it was time for redemption from Rome, not from their sin. None of us have much clue what is going on in real time. But you, O Lord, and your eternal word stand firm in heaven.
  • 90 Your faithfulness extends to every generation, as enduring as the earth you created. – As I said earlier, your love for us is remarkable. Not only mercy. Not only grace. But then when we are bad to you, you are still faithful to us. Amazing. Humbling. Awesome.
  • 91 Your regulations remain true to this day, for everything serves your plans. – There are some days when I simply cannot see how everything serves your plans. Again, I have no more perspective than Zechariah or Peter had in their time. Probably much less. Okay, definitely much less. So it can be hard for me to see everything serving your plans, but I can at least appreciate how you can take everything and redeem it for your glory. As for what your plan is for the world or in all of this, I simply have no idea.
  • 92 If your instructions hadn’t sustained me with joy, I would have died in my misery. – Death even in living. I’ve seen some who are like that. Help me to be a source of your life to those around me.
  • 93 I will never forget your commandments, for by them you give me life. – My life comes through you. These prayer times aren’t my only touchpoint with following you, but they are an important part of it. And I didn’t particularly want to do this prayer journal this morning. But I know it’s part of my foundation that I need to 1.) connect to you and 2.) learn from you. Your commandments give me life.
  • 94 I am yours; rescue me! For I have worked hard at obeying your commandments. – I am going to reject the second half of this verse. I have no justification for you to rescue me or love me except that you chose to offer it to me through Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection. Through the Holy Spirit’s indwelling after Jesus’s ascension. But I will gladly label myself as yours. Rescue me, Father.
  • 95 Though the wicked hide along the way to kill me, I will quietly keep my mind on your laws. – One of the things Satan would love is for me to get distracted from you by the hate or selfishness in my heart. I talked with a friend recently who had a lapse in his addiction. I told him that the times I find myself being most tempted by sin are the times when I am feeling sorry for myself. My selfishness. My rights. That includes the right to defend myself to others. But I reject that and pledge to keep my mind on you and your laws.
  • 96 Even perfection has its limits, but your commands have no limit. – What an interesting verse. Your limits are beyond my limits. I am limited. You are limitless. So I humbly bring myself to you and ask for your mercy.

I pray all of this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on August 1, 2025 in Psalm 119, Psalms

 

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Psalm 119:57-64 (Heth)

28 Jul

Heth

57 Lord, you are mine!
    I promise to obey your words!
58 With all my heart I want your blessings.
    Be merciful as you promised.
59 I pondered the direction of my life,
    and I turned to follow your laws.
60 I will hurry, without delay,
    to obey your commands.
61 Evil people try to drag me into sin,
    but I am firmly anchored to your instructions.
62 I rise at midnight to thank you
    for your just regulations.
63 I am a friend to anyone who fears you—
    anyone who obeys your commandments.
64 O Lord, your unfailing love fills the earth;
    teach me your decrees.

Psalm 119:57-64

Dear God, when I read this passage this morning, my first thought was of Samuel and Saul and Samuel telling Saul that obeying you is better than sacrificing to you. Now, in that case, I think Samuel was really making a point because he knew that a sacrifice was in order, but it wasn’t the time for the sacrifice. No, obedience would have been better for Saul.

So when I read this passage this morning, I thought of obeying and how important it is. Your mercy is, unfortunately, necessary because there are too many times I do not obey, but that doesn’t mean I should strive for obedience. And it’s even for my good.

My wife and I were talking over breakfast about how neither of us when through a “party phase” in high school or college. Part of mine was because my dad was a recovering alcoholic and I thought it was best not to drink, but I also didn’t want to break the rules. That was part of my survival mechanism in high school. And, frankly, it didn’t really appeal to me. But I can say that obeying those rules and not getting drunk with my friends was advantageous. I don’t think any of us look back on the great time we had in high school hanging out together without alcohol with any regrets. I’m grateful for it.

With all of that said, let’s make our way through “Heth” and see what’s what.

  • 57 Lord, you are mine! I promise to obey your words! – What a wonderful expression of love. “You are mine!” Oh, thank you that you are mine. My wife and I have this joke from the movie Groundhog Day when one character won a date with another character at a charity auction and when they are still together the next day, the person who was auctioned off asks the bidder why they are still there. She replies, “I bought you. I own you.” This is said lovingly as a joke. It’s very sweet. My wife and I use that line on each other often. Well, you really did buy me, and I have sold myself gladly over to you. And now I am yours and you are mine.
  • 58 With all my heart I want your blessings. Be merciful as you promised. – The definition of blessings is interesting. I think it’s important to realize that the blessings I want are not material. The blessing I want is your love, your grace and mercy, and your use of me and my little life in any way you see fit.
  • 59 I pondered the direction of my life, and I turned to follow your laws. – I really like this verse. This might be my favorite line of this whole psalm so far. It will preach. I like the idea of deeply considering and evaluating my life and then embracing you and your laws. Yes! I’m in. I made that decision a long time ago, but the zeal and fervor of it ebbs and flows here and there. I pray for more flow than ebb.
  • 60 I will hurry, without delay, to obey your commands. – Yes. Without delay. Not, “I’ll start tomorrow.” Now!
  • 61 Evil people try to drag me into sin, but I am firmly anchored to your instructions. – I’m trying to think of the sin that tempts me the most. Probably self-pity. Thinking I have rights to things that I don’t really have and then deciding I need to fight for those rights. I think of Saul feeling sorry for himself instead of embracing whatever your plan is. Help me to stay anchored to you and everything you continue to teach me.
  • 62 I rise at midnight to thank you for your just regulations. – My first thought here was, “Well, let’s not go crazy here.” I like being asleep at midnight. But I do need to just thank you more often. I was reminded of that in a sermon I listened to yesterday. I need to be more intentional about thanking you.
  • 63 I am a friend to anyone who fears you—anyone who obeys your commandments. – I’ve found myself being more skeptical of self-professed Christians lately. But when I find someone I believe genuinely worships you and submits themselves to your instruction and correction then I am all in with them.
  • 64 O Lord, your unfailing love fills the earth; teach me your decrees. – With that said, I still have a lot to learn about submitting myself to you and your correction and instruction. Teach me today.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on July 28, 2025 in Psalm 119, Psalms

 

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Michael W. Smith Worship

20 Jul

Dear God, I wanted to just have some Christian music playing while I got ready for church this morning, so I got on YouTube and started looking through the music section. I happened upon this concert by Michael W. Smith in Canada in 2002. I remember when this album came out. It was so successful they did a volume 2 of it. And I really liked it.

It’s funny how judgmental I can be, like I’m all that or I have it all figured out. I’m so sorry. My first response when I saw it this morning was to react negatively to all of the overproduction. Yuck. But then the Holy Spirit whispered to me, “Exactly what is your problem? There is an arena of people, thousands of people, earnestly worshipping me as best as they know how. Just how you worship me as best you know how. Their worship isn’t perfect. Your worship isn’t perfect. But all of it delights me. It is a sweet fragrance to me.” So I sank into it and came in and out of my worship as I ironed my shirt, shaved, and just got ready for church. It was a good experience. And I appreciate Michael. I think he’s a good, earnest man. I think he’s a lover and worshipper of you. He’s also a brilliant musician–especially as a pianist. And his notoriety led others to join him that evening 23 years ago to worship you.

Father, I know my worship is flawed. I know my prayer life is flawed. I’d like to think I know just how inadequate I am before you, but I still think I oversell myself and undersell you. But you smile at me. You have mercy on me. You ask me to love you, which I do. You ask me to love others and have mercy on them, which I try to do. I just want to be who you need me to be today. Walk with me, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on July 20, 2025 in Hymns and Songs

 

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Romans 1:16-17

17 Jul

16 For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile. 17 This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.”

Romans 1:16-17

Dear God, it is so easy for us to make the “Good News” so complicated. I think the tendency of the modern American Christian is to say it is that we get to go to heaven and escape hell. But that’s not what you’re offering. You are just inviting us to use you for our benefit. The Good News tells us that faith in Jesus and everything he taught makes us right in your eyes. And following Jesus in faith and being right in your eyes brings us life. It’s right there. And on the other side of the veil, eternity with you is our destiny, and that’s great. And I don’t know what they cut line for eternity with you is.

I don’t know where you draw those lines. But I know that what you’re offering me and all of us is life now. If I ignore you and just walk through my life as best as I can in my own power then I don’t know what will happen to my soul. Jesus was a little vague on how you’ll decide those things. He said in Matthew 25:31-46 that some of us who claim to know you don’t know you, and some who didn’t realize they were loving you were loving you all along by loving the least of these.

Father, help me to be absolutely loving to everyone today. Help me to see every interaction with everyone who crosses my path as an opportunity to love. Give me ears to hear. Give me eyes to see. Help me to be slow to speak and quick to listen. Help me to be curious and not judgmental. Help me to offer you to those who need you. Help me to recognize those you are calling me to serve. Help me to be wise, shrewd, and discerning. Holy Spirit, speak to me today. Help me to hear you and your counsel. Give me the life Jesus promised and Paul offered.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on July 17, 2025 in Romans

 

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Colossians 2:8-10

16 Jul

8 Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ. 9 For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body. 10 So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority.

Colossians 2:8-10

Dear God, I was listening to the Geoff Moore and the Distance song “Tell Me Again” this morning while I was getting ready for work, and it was talking about some of the Bible stories from the Old Testament that I love so much, and I got to thinking about Daniel and then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Are these the most flawlessly-portrayed Bible characters? Okay, now that I think about it, there are a lot of Bible characters for whom we don’t really get to see their weaknesses. Isaiah. Even Paul after he’s converted on the road to Damascus seems pretty perfect. But all those guys from Genesis all the way through 2 Kings are pretty flawed. But when you get into the exile and you look at Daniel and the other three and how they worshipped and loved you through difficult times, even up to the threat of death, is really impressive.

But I know that I know that I know that if I were to tell any one of those four men that I perceived them to be as good and holy of people as there are in the Bible they would roll their eyes, laugh, and tell me just how flawed they were. They weren’t even close to being who they were designed to be. I just didn’t get those stories. In some way, I just get the Facebook version of their lives. The highlights. The greatest hits. And if someone were to see my greatest hits only then it would look pretty cool too. But there is a lot of crud that fills in between those highlights. And that’s okay in the sense that I don’t have to be perfect or even better than David to be good enough for you. In fact, the more time I spent with David the last few months working with the men from Christian Men’s Life Skills the more I learned that there really wasn’t that much about him I found honorable. He lied a lot. He killed a lot. But I think what made him different is that he leaned into you in his failings. He prayed. He sang and wrote psalms/poetry. And he didn’t take shortcuts to the throne. He waited on you. Ironically, I think he had my problem in that he seemed to have a problem with confrontation. He didn’t confront Amnon when he raped Tamar. He didn’t confront Absalom when he killed Amnon. He didn’t confront Joab when he killed Abner. He just kind of let things fester and left some of the confronting (and killing) to Solomon to do later. In fact, now that I think about it, Solomon is different because he wanted peace on all sides on a macro level, but he didn’t mind confronting individuals in front of him.

All of that is to say that this passage by Paul makes it clear that Jesus was different. He wasn’t a good man. He wasn’t a good teacher. He was you incarnate. He was you in the flesh. And somehow, through this reconciliation with you through Jesus, there is this piece of my nature, the core of me, that is whole. While I’m still here in the current earth, I will make mistakes. I will hurt people. I fill frustrate you and grieve you sometimes. But I also walk with this newness about me that, the more I allow it to, exudes your fruit. On a scale of 1-10, I might be a 3, but at least tomorrow I have a chance to be a 3.0001. Just a little more every day.

Father, thank you that you love me through all of this. Thank you that I can be sure that Daniel et. al. were just as flawed as I am. They had amazing faith in their best moments, but I am sure they also had their moments like Elijah where they were calling down fire and being powerful in your name in one moment and then hiding in caves from the king in the next. As a flawed man, I am in good company. Thank you for Jesus. Now, help me to take the mercy you have for me and give it generously to those around me.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on July 16, 2025 in Colossians

 

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James 1:19-21

15 Jul

19 Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. 20 Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires. 21 So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls.

James 1:19-21

Dear God, be curious, not judgmental. Oh, how I have gotten myself in trouble when I’ve been quick to speak and slow to listen. I can think of some instances at work where I got my dander up (how old does that phrase make me sound?) and decided I was going to make a point and be tough. Almost always–every time–it has backfired on me. I’ve almost always regretted it because I learned something on the back end that made me realize there was more to the story.

Which leads me to the first words I typed here. Be curious, not judgmental. Very few people wake up each day thinking they are going to be selfish and mean to others. There are some people like that out there, but they are 1 out of 100. The other 99, even though what they do might be offensive or mean, think they are doing the right thing. So maybe instead of judging them I should get to know them and understand why they think what they think or do what they do. Maybe I can help them. Or maybe I’m the one who is wrong and they can help me.

Then there is the second part of this paragraph. Get rid of all of the filth in our lives. I can see things that flash in front of me that tempt me. I can feel it happening in real time. I can feel my thoughts want to drift to places of self pity, selfishness, lust, or judgment. The more I can remove the outside stimuli from my life that help plant these weeds in my field the better off I will be.

Father, this is a new day, and I have to make a renewed commitment to following you. So I offer my life to you. I offer my decisions to you. Love through me. Live through me. Let your kingdom come and your will be done on earth as it is in heaven through me. Bless those around me. Heal the sick–physically and emotionally. Care for those who are suffering. Comfort those who are mourning. Strengthen those who are helping. Be God over in Kerrville right now. Be with those people over there who are digging, discovering, and doing an incredible heroes work.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on July 15, 2025 in James

 

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John 15:1-2

14 Jul

15 “I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. 

John 15:1-2

Dear God, tonight I am teaching on the Parable of the Sower out of Matthew 13, but it’s really something how many agricultural comparisons you made to our relationship with you through your presence in the world as Jesus. In this example, Jesus is our source of your presence in us. He is you and he is our connection to you. And honestly, it doesn’t make sense that you wouldn’t prune off the bad branches. If the new earth was full of people who had no regard for you or goodness in general, how would it be any different than this world?

And what of the pruning? I have a redbud tree in my backyard that we planted from a six-inch sapling. now, it is the tallest redbud tree I’ve every seen. In eight years, my wife has specifically watered it just about every day, and I have pruned it to give it a canopy tall enough for me to walk under. That seems to have pushed it taller and taller. I would guess it is about 20 feet tall now. I don’t know what it would look like if I’d just let it grow with no pruning, but it looks terrific now.

What would I look like if you didn’t prune me. If I just went off in every direction trying to represent you, worship you, and love you, but also having all of this dead stuff hanging onto me. All of this stuff that wasn’t a productive use of my time and energy. Also, the stuff that got knocked off because it was part of the sin I was holding onto and you knew I needed to be humbled and lean into you more.

Father, this is a great analogy. And I am grateful for how you are forming me. I am not there yet. I am not the man I want to be. I am not the man you know I can be. And I still have pain. Please help to make this pain in my life count for my formation and your glory in this world. I have two friends who have lost fathers this week. Please be with each of these women. Love them. Comfort them. Comfort them through their husbands, families, and friends. But comfort them through your Holy Spirit too. I know both of them are earnest worshippers of you. Help them through this pain. And I want to specifically lift up to you a couple that is precious to me that is going through a difficult time with a child. Oh, Father, be merciful. Help them to navigate this difficult path. Show them your love for them. Give them your peace. Give their child your peace. Use this pain to prune and not cast out. Make it count. Be powerful. Be healing. And use it to bring others into your presence as well.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on July 14, 2025 in John

 

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Matthew 13: 1-9, 18-23

12 Jul

13 On the same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea. 2 And great multitudes were gathered together to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.

3 Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: “Behold, a sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them. 5 Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. 6 But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away. 7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. 8 But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9 He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”

18 “Therefore hear the parable of the sower: 19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside. 20 But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; 21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles. 22 Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. 23 But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”

Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23

Dear God, this will be my Bible study passage for Monday night. It’s going to be my last 30 minutes with these men to have their undivided attention. I want to use this time with them well, Father. Please be with me right now as I prepare to get my thoughts together for a Bible study for them. I’m going to slip over the Microsoft Word to plot this out and then bring it back here to the blog, but my intent is that this entire time will be a prayer to you.

FCA Leadership Conference

  • Growing up Baptist, I accepted Jesus as many as 30 times between the ages of 9 and 17.
  • Some of them have probably experienced what I did back then. The need. The joy. The freedom. But now what?
  • 38 years ago this week, from July 13-17, 1987, I went to an FCA Leadership conference that talked about discipleship.
  • I want to share a little tonight of what I learned that week nearly 40 years ago.

Parable of the Sower  

  • Matthew 13:3-9 (Page 944)

3 Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: “Behold, a sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them. 5 Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. 6 But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away. 7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. 8 But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9 He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”

  • Path – birds devoured
  • Stony places – no roots so they withered
  • Thorns – choked them out
  • Good soil – massive crop.

So what does this mean?

  • Matthew 13:18-23

18 “Therefore hear the parable of the sower: 19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside. 20 But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; 21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles. 22 Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. 23 But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”

  • Path – The person that hears it but just has no space for it and doesn’t take it in.
    • Stones – The person who hears it but the depth of their heart is shallow, and they aren’t ready to be serious about it.
    • Thorns – The person who plants it in deep soil and takes it seriously, but they don’t want to get rid of the other things in their lives that will choke out their faith.
    • Good soil – The person who takes it seriously and weeds out the soil of their heart to ensure their faith can grow.
  • Fruits of the Spirit and all of Jesus’s vegetation parables.

Who are you?

  • Everyone in here is one of these categories.
    • Who are you?
    • Who do you want to be?
  • Who will you be after graduation this Thursday?
    • We’ve talked about we are the average of the 5 people/influences we spend the most time with.
      • Will you be intentional about who those five people/influences are?
    • We have talked about how Saul was prone to feeling sorry for himself and that caused him to use people for his benefit.
      • Will you be intentional about fighting for the rights of others more than your own rights?
    • We have talked about how flawed David was and yet how God loved and blessed him because his faith was about serving and respecting God and not seeking his own advancement at other costs?
      • Will you willingly take steps back and sacrifice for the sake of God and others?

What is your floor?

  • For those in here with stony hearts or thorny hearts, will we decide to do something about it?
  • Describe what Father Mike Schmitz said in his homily called “The Floor.”
  • Give them my floor and my extras to add on top of the floor:

John’s Floor

  • The prayer journals. Spending 15-30 minutes a day in a concentrated time of prayer like this has become a have to for me.
  • Giving. Ten percent of our gross is a minimum.
  • Intentional time in conversation with my wife at least once a day is a floor.
  • At least one sermon/Bible teaching a week.
  • Communication and contact with at least one of the two male friends I have.
  • Avoiding sexual temptation/lust.
  • Exercising at least four times a week.
  • Doing the things I know bless my wife like fixing things around the house, managing our money and then sharing with her what our status is, doing my laundry, making the bed, etc.

Good things added to the floor

  • Church. A lot of Christians would probably disagree with me on this one. While I feel like it is important to have a church you belong to and to be involved in that church, I don’t feel like the foundation in my life is cracking if I miss a week.
  • My extra writing projects.
  • Teaching.
  • Engaging healthily through prayer and action in my community.
  • Listening to Christian music. I mix it in during the week, but I also listen to secular as well.
  • Listening to Christian podcasts. Similar to music, I mix it in, but it’s a “get” to.

It’s Time To List Your Own Floor

  • Hand out sheets for them to list their own floor.
  • NOTE: Theirs will be different from mine as my wife’s is different from mine.
  • Give them five minutes to fill out.
  • Does anyone want to share?
  • Find someone in your life to share it with and be accountable to them.

Close in Prayer

Father, I offer all of this to you. My next step will be to make some slides for this for PowerPoint. Help me to know how to do this well. Please take all of this and turn it into something that will find good soil in these men’s hearts. And I pray for the hearts of some others I know and who are on my mind right now. Please guide them. Comfort them. Direct them. Heal them. Cover them in your glory. Call them to you. Give them ears to hear.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on July 12, 2025 in Matthew

 

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Letter to the Church in Laodicea – Revelation 3:14-22

11 Jul

14 “Write this letter to the angel of the church in Laodicea. This is the message from the one who is the Amen—the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s new creation:

15 “I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! 16 But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth! 17 You say, ‘I am rich. I have everything I want. I don’t need a thing!’ And you don’t realize that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked. 18 So I advise you to buy gold from me—gold that has been purified by fire. Then you will be rich. Also buy white garments from me so you will not be shamed by your nakedness, and ointment for your eyes so you will be able to see. 19 I correct and discipline everyone I love. So be diligent and turn from your indifference.

20 “Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends. 21 Those who are victorious will sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat with my Father on his throne.

22 “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.”

Revelation 3:14-22

Dear God, reading this passage is like watching Casablanca. You just hear all of these lines you’ve heard somewhere, but you didn’t know the source. “Here’s looking at you, kid.” “Of all the gin joints in all the world…” “The problems of two little people don’t amount to a hill of beans in this world.” In this case we get the stuff about being lukewarm and spewed out of Jesus’s mouth. I correct and discipline everyone I love. I stand at the door and knock. Anyone with ears to here… Yet, with all of this ingrained familiarity with these words, do we heed them?

Every time I hear about the church in Laodicea, I think about the Steve Camp song from the 1980s called “Living in Laodicea.” I just stopped typing to go and listen to the song and, frankly, it didn’t line up with this passage as much as I hoped it would. The song was more about drifting away from you. I don’t think that’s what the church in Laodicea was doing from what is described here. I don’t think they were the world’s friend. I think they were just maintaining the status quo and so inwardly focused that they were losing their saltiness.

For me, it seems like the best way to guard against this is to stick to those top two commandments: Love you with everything I have and love my neighbor as myself. In my mind, that is the best antidote to being lukewarm. That is the best way for me to hear you. And I have to keep them in that order. If I start to lead with serving others then I can get totally distracted by that and you will start to fade. But if I start with you and then lean into seeking your leading in loving others then I think I will find the balance you call me to.

In consulting The Communicator’s Commentary by Earl Palmer on Revelation, he pointed out what a prosperous city Laodicea was. Apparently, a lot of trade happened there and there were many prosperous. Interestingly, I live in a city that many see as prosperous. We are a tourist town with a lot of visitors just about every week of the year. The town has a wonderful veneer and a lot going on because of the tourists. We have a robust community theater and a lot of good restaurants. It’s abnormally sophisticated for a town of 11,000 people 60 miles from the nearest large city. And a lot of wealthy people retire here. Our churches are filled with people who seem to fit the description of the residents in Laodicea. But there is a huge impoverished population here too. Our school district is 62% free or reduced lunch. Our uninsured rate for health insurance ranks 229th out of 255 Texas counties. There are a lot of resources here, but there are a lot of people who need our help and love.

Father, it starts with me. And it’s honestly pretty simple. Love you with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength and love my neighbor as myself. And I have neighbors who need loved. Some of them are friends in need. Some of them are strangers I encounter along the way. I don’t know everything they need, but you do. Help me to hear your voice as I spend time with you and you call me to love them.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on July 11, 2025 in Revelation

 

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Letter to the Church in Philadelphia – Revelation 3:7-13

10 Jul

7 “Write this letter to the angel of the church in Philadelphia.

This is the message from the one who is holy and true,
    the one who has the key of David.
What he opens, no one can close;
    and what he closes, no one can open:

8 “I know all the things you do, and I have opened a door for you that no one can close. You have little strength, yet you obeyed my word and did not deny me. 9 Look, I will force those who belong to Satan’s synagogue—those liars who say they are Jews but are not—to come and bow down at your feet. They will acknowledge that you are the ones I love.

10 “Because you have obeyed my command to persevere, I will protect you from the great time of testing that will come upon the whole world to test those who belong to this world. 11 I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take away your crown. 12 All who are victorious will become pillars in the Temple of my God, and they will never have to leave it. And I will write on them the name of my God, and they will be citizens in the city of my God—the new Jerusalem that comes down from heaven from my God. And I will also write on them my new name.

13 “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.

Revelation 3:7-13

Dear God, the beginning of this letter, referencing the “key of David,” was unique so I pulled out my biblical commentary (The Communicator’s Commentary: 1, 2, 3 John and Revelation by Earl Palmer) to see what it had to say about it. It referred back to Isaiah 22:22 that says, “And I will place on his shoulder the key of the house of David; he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open.” So these people are seen and known my Jesus in a seemingly intimate way. He has opened a door for them that no one can close. That just made me think of the last verse of the song “The Love of God” by Rich Mullins:

Joy and sorrow are this ocean
They’re in its every ebb and flow
Now the Lord a door has opened
That all hell could never close
Here I’m tested and made worthy
Tossed about, yet lifted up
In the reckless, raging fury
They call the love of God

I don’t think I ever caught this connection from Rich. I wonder if that’s what he meant. Either way, this paints a beautiful picture of Jesus appreciating these unassuming, unpowerful, faithful Christians. They weren’t doing things that felt like they were showing up in the box score. They were just living their lives as faithfully as they could, doing the next thing they saw in front of them.

I couldn’t help but notice to keep them from the “great time of testing.” What was this? Is this what people understand to be “tribulation” and perhaps a reference to “rapture” in the mentioning of avoiding that time? I don’t know. It’s interesting that the commentary ignored this part of the passage completely. Maybe I will too. 🙂

Father, I want to be what the author of the commentary, Earl Palmer, describes when talking about why he’s impressed with the Church in Philadelphia: “I am impressed by the naturalness of basic realism of this strategy of evangelism. It does not idealize the Christian missionary task; it does not call for ‘super Christians,’ but rather for garden-variety Christians who are experiencing the miracle of the love of Jesus Christ in their own lives and fellowship.” Yes, to be a general, “garden-variety” Christian living a simple life of faith is what I want. No glory. No acclaim. No scorecard I can point to at the end of the day and show people, or even you, how great I was. Just a faithful life that successfully, quietly, knocked over a couple of dominoes in other people’s lives and maybe one of those dominoes falling over will be used by you for something great. And I’ll never know about it. And no one will ever know it was me. Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit, I just want to serve you as simply and humbly as I can. Please bless the path I walk to make that happen, regardless of what it costs me.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on July 10, 2025 in Revelation

 

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