No Playing Favorites

Read Romans 2:1-11

For there is no respect of persons with God.  Romans 2:11 (KJV)

A few years back when I was serving as the youth and college pastor of a large church, a high school baseball player in our community became a serious pro prospect. Though baseball kept him on the road most weekends, from time to time he would attend our church with a few of his friends. Each time, I would watch from a distance as parents and teenagers alike would show him great favoritism simply because he could throw a 95 mph fastball. (Today he plays for the Tampa Bay Rays)

This comes as little surprise since, as a culture, we are enamored with celebrities. We view them as more important than us. Yet, in God’s culture, He created each one of us uniquely and for a special purpose. God is not impressed with our best qualities because He gave these qualities Himself. He wants us to take what He gave us and fully become the man or woman He created us to be. To Him, each one of us is special!

God is not impressed with your ability, only your availability. Commit today to be available to Him!!

Learning to Trust God’s Timing

Read Psalm 90:1-12 NIV

For a thousand years in Your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night.  (Psalm 90:4)

As a child, I loved the Christmas season. I loved decorating the tree, driving to see the lights, singing carols, and watching the Christmas specials on TV. The one thing I didn’t like was waiting for Christmas to come. Weeks seemed to pass like years as my brother and I waited for Christmas morning. My brother and I would wake before the dawn and beg our parents to come to the tree so that we could open our presents. The rest of the day was spent playing with the toys I had been dreaming of the day before.

Now that I am grown and have wide-eyed dreamers of my own, I have learned that waiting is part of life, especially in my walk with God. I have to remind myself often that God does not work on my schedule nor does He count time the way I do. What seems like a long period of waiting for me is merely perfect timing with God. When I grow impatient, I am learning to trust that God is working out all things according to His plan in His time.

Father, teach me to trust that You are working out all things according to Your will in Your timing. As I wait for You to move in my life, grant my heart patience and contentment in every circumstance. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Time to Wash Up!

Read Leviticus 18:23-28

In the summer, most children like to spend all day outside. They like to dig in the dirt, ride their bikes, play baseball, eat popsicles, and be plain rowdy. And yet, when the day is done, there is one thing most children do not like to do-take a bath. They can make all kinds of excuses about how they don’t really need a bath. Usually they lose this argument when their mothers make them wash up.

In Old Testament times, the Israelites were also “dirty”-dirty from sin and in need of spiritual cleansing. Once a year, on the Day of Atonement, the high priest would make one sacrifice in the most holy part of the temple for the whole nation for the forgiveness of their sins. After the sacrifice is made, the high priest must…

“take off the linen garments…bathe himself with water in a holy place and put on his regular garments.”(Leviticus 16:23-24)

Today, we are also in need of forgiveness and cleansing from our sin. We find this cleansing power in the blood of Jesus Christ. When we trust Him to be our Savior, our sins are forgiven and our lives are made new.

Have you trusted Jesus Christ to forgive you of your sins and give you a new life?

Do you need to trust Him now?

Thank God for Jesus, the Savior of the world.

Too Many Rules?

Read Numbers 19:13-19

Ever since the tragedy of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, airport security has tightened around the country. All of the rules regulations can be frustrating and have made travel more time-consuming, however, without these regulations, where would we be? The rules and regulations are designed for our protection so that days like 9/11 never happen again.

The Bible is also filled with rules and regulations designed for our protection. Consider..

“…when anyone dies in a tent: Anyone who enters the tent and anyone who is in it will be unclean for seven days, and every open container without a lid fastened on it will be unclean.” (Numbers 19:14-15)

This unusual law is designed to prevent the spread of disease and to keep the community safe. The Old and New Testaments are filled with specific guidelines for living so that we can enjoy a full life and avoid the pain of sin and its consequences.

Many teenagers don’t understand that God has reasons these guidelines and feel that God is trying to spoil their fun. They can’t see God’s protection and love for them in the words of the Bible.

Do you feel that the Bible is a list of unfair rules designed to ruin your fun?

Can you see God’s love for you in the rules and regulations of the Bible?

Prayer Emphasis: Ask God to give you the desire to be obedient to Him today.

Pride Kills

Read 2 Kings 5:1-14

The mention of leprosy, a curable disease(now known as Hansen’s disease) of the nerves and upper respiratory track, has instilled fear for thousands of years.  Left untreated, leprosy can cause permanent damage to skin, nerves, limbs, and eyes. In Biblical times, when there was no cure, it was a certain sentence of seclusion and death for anyone who contracted the dreaded disease.

When Naaman, who had been struck with leprosy, heard that there might be a prophet in Israel who could heal him, he was desperate for the chance to find out.. His king sent him to the king of Israel with a note asking for Naaman to be healed. When the prophet Elisha heard of his arrival, he asked that Naaman be sent to his house. When Naaman arrived, Elisha sent a message to him saying…

“Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed.” 2 Kings 5:10

Naaman, enraged that Elisha didn’t come out to him in person, refused to wash in the Jordan. His servants had to talk him into following the instructions and being cleansed of his leprosy. His pride and arrogance nearly cost him his life.

Are there times when your pride keeps you from doing something you know you should do?

Have you ever considered that your pride could one day cost you everything?

Ask God to give you humility in all circumstances.

Come Home Ruinning

Read Ezekiel 47:1-5

Mowing a lawn around a backyard swimming pool is a wonderful combination on a hot summer Saturday afternoon. However, it might take you a little longer to get the lawn mowed. As you push that mower up and down, the sweat starts to run down your face and soaks through your clothing. From the corner of your eye, the water of the pool glistens in the sunlight, calling you to come. Finally, you take off running, kicking off your shoes, you dive right into the pool. Such sweet relief!!

Life is a lot like this. As we live our lives, we get spiritually dirty and smelly from the “stuff” in our lives that displeases God. Yet from God’s throne flows a river of forgiveness that calls us to wash and be clean from our sin.

“The man brought me back to the entrance of the temple, and I saw water coming from under the threshold of the temple toward the east…” (Ezekiel 47:1)

As forgiveness calls out to us, our hearts are drawn to God even as we are mired in our own sin. The blood of Jesus covers all of our sins and makes us new in God’s eyes.

Are you caught in a lifestyle of sin right now? Can you sense God calling you to forgiveness right now?

Will you come running to the water?

Thank God for the healing power of His forgiveness.

The Patience of God

Read 1 Timothy 1:12-17

But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display His unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on Him and receive eternal life. (1 Timothy 1:16)

I am blessed to be the father of seven  children, five boys and two girls ranging in age from 15 years old to 2 years old. Each day my life is filled with so much wonder and excitement as my children are discovering their way in this world. Unfortunately, some of this “discovery” includes my children making very poor choices in how they deal with us as parents and how they deal with each other. Especially after a long day, I have a tendency to grow impatient with their arguing and stretching of our house rules.

But once the house is quiet, God has a way of reminding me how much I am like my own children. I think of how I constantly push the limits of what He wants for me, and how I too am in desperate need of mercy. I am humbled by His “unlimited patience” with me, and this humility creates a genuine desire in my heart to have the same kind of patience with those I love the most. God gently reminds me that I am an example of His love towards everyone I spend time with, especially my children.

God, today I am reminded of Your merciful and patient heart towards me. Help me to extend Your love and mercy towards those I love most today. In Jesus’ name, amen.

The Passion of Renewal

Read Nehemiah 9:1-5

They stood where they were and read from the Book of the Law of the LORD their God for a quarter of the day, and spent another quarter in confession and in worshiping the LORD their God. (Nehemiah 9:3)

I recently attended a traditional wedding in the Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee. The groomsmen wore tuxedos and the bridesmaids all wore beautiful gowns. Everything was perfectly in place and the attendees were anxious for the moment when the stunning bride would appear. When the wedding march was finally played, we all stood to our feet to get a glimpse of the bride and her father. After some initial comments from the minister, we all sat back down in comfortable padded chairs.

In contrast, I am always inspired and challenged when I read these verses that tell how the Israelites stood for hours as the word of God was read aloud and how they spent hours in confession and worship. What a renewal of heart and commitment this day must have been!  Deep in my soul, I long to have this kind of passion for worship and reading God’s word. I long for my daily time of Bible reading and prayer to transform and turn my heart towards God.

God, give me a passion to spend time each day in worship, scripture reading, and prayer. May my life reflect the transforming power of time spent with You! In Jesus’ name, amen.

Jogging with God

Scripture: Psalm 90:13-17

Satisfy us in the morning with Your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.  (Psalm 90:14)

Several mornings a week, I wake up early and crawl out of bed, put on my running shoes, stretch my tired muscles, and head out for a jog. My main motivation for this exercise is to attempt to stay in shape and to control my growing waistline. Being the father of seven children, some mornings I wake up tired and mull over sleeping in that day. (Some days I do!) Yet, most of the time, another motivating factor leads me out my  door and onto sidewalk.

In the cool of the morning, I know that God is waiting for me to come and talk with Him. Like the rhythm of my feet on the pavement, there is a rhythm to the way that God invades my thoughts and prayers. He speaks to me deep in my heart and renews my spirit to live my life for His glory each day. As I drive to work on these mornings, I have a strong sense that my heart is satisfied in God’s unfailing love.

God, may my heart be satisfied in Your unfailing love this morning. Fill my heart with songs of joy and praise for Your Holy name! In Jesus’ name, amen.

God, Me, and Hurricane Charley…and Francis…and Jeanne

Read 2 Corinthians 4:13-18

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.  (2 Corinthians 4:18)

 In 2003, when I lived in Florida, three major hurricanes passed over our small town in just under 6 weeks. Houses were damaged, trees were down, and the power was out for almost two weeks. The worst part of those weeks was the waiting and watching. As each storm approached, our community would rush to the gas pumps and grocery stores to stock up for the days after the storm. Then we would watch the weather forecast and wait(sometimes for days) for the storm to finally come ashore. As we focused on the coming storms, it was easy to lose perspective and begin to imagine the worst and lose heart.

The same is true in our daily lives. If we chose to focus or “fix our eyes” on our present troubles and problems, we will surely feel a sense of despair and “lose heart”. It is during these times that we need to fix our eyes on Jesus and trust Him to carry us through the storms of our life. As we cast our cares on Him, we can be assured that our spirit will be renewed by the love of our eternal Savior.

Jesus, help me today to fix my eyes on You instead of the momentary troubles of my life. When the storms of this life seem to overwhelm me, renew my heart with Your love and grace. In Jesus’ name, amen.

God's Private Office

Read Romans 1:18-24

For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities-- His eternal power and divine nature-- have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. (Romans 1:20)

A number of years ago, I had the privilege of visiting the Grand Canyon one weekend while speaking at a retreat in Arizona. As we made the drive up from Prescott, I pictured in my mind what the “big hole” would look like. I had seen pictures and heard stories, and I was excited to finally see for myself.   My wife and I caught our first glimpse as we rounded a corner while approaching the south rim of the canyon. We were speechless. After parking and walking up to the rim of the canyon, we stood in silence as we took it all in.

Later that day, as the sun set over the canyon and the painted desert stretched out in the distance, my heart was filled with praise for God, the Creator of unspeakable beauty. I could not help thinking that it would be hard to deny the existence of God standing at the edge of such a breathtaking view. I reluctantly drove away that day feeling as if I had just met with God in His private office.

God, remind me each day of Your unfailing love through the simple beauty of Your creation. In each sunrise and sunset, river and stream, songbird and sonnet, let me find You in all of Your glory! In Jesus’ name, amen.

God's Private Office

For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities-- His eternal power and divine nature-- have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. (Romans 1:20)

Scripture: Romans 1:18-24

Song: “This is My Father’s World”, The Baptist Hymnal, 155

A number of years ago, I had the privilege of visiting the Grand Canyon one weekend while speaking at a retreat in Arizona. As we made the drive up from Prescott, I pictured in my mind what the “big hole” would look like. I had seen pictures and heard stories, and I was excited to finally see for myself.   My wife and I caught our first glimpse as we rounded a corner while approaching the south rim of the canyon. We were speechless. After parking and walking up to the rim of the canyon, we stood in silence as we took it all in.

Later that day, as the sun set over the canyon and the painted desert stretched out in the distance, my heart was filled with praise for God, the Creator of unspeakable beauty. I couldn’t help thinking that it would be hard to deny the existence of God standing at the edge of such a breathtaking view. I reluctantly drove away that day feeling as if I had just met with God in His private office.

God, remind me each day of Your unfailing love through the simple beauty of Your creation. In each sunrise and sunset, river and stream, songbird and sonnet, let me find You in all of Your glory! In Jesus’ name, amen.

Sitting in God’s Lap

Read  Ephesians 3:7-13

In Him and through faith in Him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.    (Ephesians 3:12)

Whenever I got in trouble at school growing up, my mother would tell me “Just wait until your father comes home.” When my father eventually came home from work, I would avoid talking to him for as long as possible. The expectation of his disapproval and the punishment I would receive was more than enough motivation to make myself scarce once my father found out what I had done. Often I would wait until my mother talked to him before I dared to myself because she would talk him through his initial reaction of anger.

In the same way, when I place my trust in Christ, He makes it possible for me to approach God in spite of my sin and shame. Because He has shouldered my punishment and has paid the penalty for my sin, I can rest in the power of God’s love and forgiveness. Whereas my earthly mother interceded for me with my earthly father, Jesus intercedes for me with God.  Like a child, I can sit in my Heavenly Father’s lap without fear of rejection or punishment because of Jesus.

God, thank You  for Your mercy and grace given through Jesus Christ. Through His sacrifice, I have abundant life in You. In Jesus’ name, amen.

“A Fishing Trip with Dad”

Read  Acts 26:1-7

And now it is because of my hope in what God has promised our fathers that I am on trial today.  -Acts 26:6(NIV)

When I was a young boy, my dad would promise to take me fishing on a Saturday morning from time to time if I begged him enough.  He grew up the son of a farmer and had spent most of his life outside. He loved to fish. On Friday night, he would get out his tackle box and check all of his line and lures. We would talk through each one and dream of the big fish we were going to catch. When my bedtime came, I would struggle to fall asleep because of my excitement about our trip the next morning. The fulfillment of the promise was almost more than my young heart could stand.

As believers, our hope is found in Jesus Christ. This hope was, for more than thousands of years, simply a promise of coming redemption. Like excited children, our spiritual forefathers longed and watched for the day of the coming of the Messiah. It is through the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus that we experience this hope now.

                                                                                                -Pastor Mark

Lord, today help us live in the joy of the hope we have found in Your Son Jesus.

Nothing But the Truth

Read 2 Peter 2:1-22

Have you ever researched something only to find that the information you found was actually not completely true? Such is life in open source media sources like wikipedia where everyone and anyone can add, change, or correct information in an article. This is why most colleges won’t allow students to list open source articles or books in bibliographies for research papers. The information just isn’t completely trustworthy.

In the first century, the early church faced a similar problem.

But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves (2 Peter 2:1)

Today, there are many different false teachings about the Bible, the deity of Christ, the church, and more. It is vital that we be able to defend our faith in Christ and understand our systems of belief. A deep knowledge of the word of God and an intimate relationship with Jesus will lead us in this pursuit.

Prayer for Today: Let us ask God to give us a deeper understanding of our faith through the study of His word.

Seeing is Believing!

Read 2 Peter 1:-21

As the father of seven children, I have become somewhat of a story teller. My children often ask me to tell and retell stories from my childhood. Most of these are true, but from time to time, I invent new ones just to see if they are paying attention. It usually doesn’t take them very long to guess when I am telling a tall tale.

In the days after Christ’s death and resurrection, the Gospel was passed on through stories told by those who walked with Jesus. Eyewitness accounts were given more weight because the storyteller had actually been there. Peter wrote to the early church that his preaching could be trusted because…

“We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty. (2 Peter 1:16).

In a world where everyone has an opinion about Jesus, we can cling to the Bible to lead us into a deeper knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Prayer for Today: Let us Ask that God would teach us more about His son Jesus through the power of His living word, the Bible.

A Light in the Darkness

Read 1 Peter 5:5-9

"Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you." (1 Peter 5:7)


Raising seven children, darkness is a big issue in our house. Like most children, my children are afraid of the dark. Monsters and robbers hide in the shadows of the darkness. Each night, the bathroom and closet light is left on and the nightlights are plugged in to keep the darkness at bay. Sometimes, in the middle of the night, one of our children will wake up crying from a bad dream and call out for us. As I sit on the bedside holding my trembling child, I whisper that everything is fine, Daddy is right here. Soon, that child is tucked soundly asleep in bed once again, reassured that Daddy has everything under control.

As I stumble back to bed, I can’t help but think that this is such a powerful picture of the way God cares for us. As we struggle to find our way through the shadows of this dark world, Jesus is the light that shines in our darkness. At every crossroads, He whispers, “Do not be afraid for I am with you child. I have everything under control.” In every dark valley of life, He faithfully walks with us and eases our fears. Through every painful circumstance, He calls us to trust Him with our burdens and heartaches. May we celebrate to today the blessing of having a Heavenly father who cares for us!


Trust today that God loves you and has everything under His watchful eye.

More Than Enough

Read John 6:1-11

Another of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, "Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish. But how far will they go among so many? John 6:8-9 (NIV)


In this world, it is easy to believe that you have little to offer. Our culture shines the spotlight brightly on those who are beautiful or talented or both. The average person is often relegated to sitting on the sideline dreaming about what might be if only given the chance. Trying out for the baseball team, applying for the big promotion, accepting that position of leadership-all of these and more can seem very daunting if you look at them with worldly eyes. Our world would have us believe we will only be able to succeed when we are more qualified, more physically attractive, more intellectually astute, or more confident. The message is clear-you are not good enough; in order to succeed, you must be “more”.

However, when you think more deeply about Jesus feeding the five thousand, it becomes obvious that God doesn’t think or work in the economy of “more”. He works with what we have and, with God, what we have is enough. The boy had only five loaves and two fish, but Jesus fed the entire crowd and the disciples gathered the leftovers. The disciples could only see the lack; Jesus could see the potential. Today, may you find peace in embracing the person God fully created you to be!


PRAYER: Dear God, help me to love the person you created me to be. Help me to accept both my strengths and my weaknesses as gifts from you. Help me to see that with you, my little is more than enough.

Can You See?

Read Mark 8:22-25

Just one touch. That is all the people wanted. They were either certain or hopeful that is all it would take. They believed that if Jesus simply touched this blind man, he would be healed. So, they…begged. No sense of pride or appropriate behavior, just a burning desire to see a life changed.

The blind man simply trusted his friends. I wonder if he got his hopes up, or if he had been through this type of thing before only to be disappointed. False hopes, false healers, blind eyes. Yet, this healer was different. He led him gently by the hand out of the crowds, out of the limelight. Then…Jesus touched him and his blindness slowly dissolved before his eyes. He could see.

When he had spit on the man’s eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, "Do you see anything?" Mark 8:23 (NIV)

How amazing would it be for Jesus to take our hand and lead us out to a private place where he could touch our brokenness and heal our pain! To have years of shame and foolishness washed away from our hearts would bring new life to us. We could embrace a new vision for our lives! The invitation is there each day to experience the healing touch of Jesus, but we are often too busy to take that walk with Him. May we find time each day to bring our burdens to Jesus. As He heals us, may we hear His voice asking, “Can you see?”

What area of your life do you need Jesus to touch and bring healing?

Dear Jesus, come and touch my brokenness and pain. Heal my blindness and help me see all that you have for me today. Amen.