August 5, 2026

Ephesians 5: 25-27 (NIV)

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy . . . and to present her to himself as a radiant church . . . holy and blameless.

There is no trace of a pure Church anywhere on earth.*

If you had to go away and leave your fiancée for awhile, you would want her to be faithful, wouldn’t you? Even though you aren’t married yet, you have a right to expect her to maintain her commitment to you. And if you were that bride-to-be, you would take measures to arm yourself against the attentions of other men, right? 

The church is like that bride-to-be, awaiting the return of her fiancé. While she waits, she is exposed to temptations presented by the world. As the church, we need a strategy to help us remain pure in the bridegroom’s absence so that we may be presented to him as his radiant, holy, and blameless bride. Here are some scriptural behaviors and attitudes the church should adopt to protect herself from temptation and to demonstrate her faithfulness: 

1. Love one another. (John 13: 35) This is how the world will know that we love the bride groom. 
2. Don’t love the world. (I John 2: 15) You can’t love your fiancé and other men at the same time! 
3. Don’t conform to the world. (Romans 12: 2; Philippians 1: 27) Your behavior shouldn’t leave someone wondering who you belong to. 
4. Be united in mind and thought. (I Corinthians 1: 10) A united front helps keep us strong against temptation. 
5. Behave as a faithful bride should. (James 1: 27) A faithful church looks after the defenseless and keeps herself from being polluted by the world. 
6. Be devoted to the gospel. (II Timothy 2: 15; Titus 2: 1) A faithful church is faithful to the word of God. 

As a church, we should remain pure and we should behave in a manner that clearly demonstrates our faithfulness to the Lord. While the church is made up of many members over whom we have no control, each of us as individuals is responsible for choosing to remain pure in a polluted world. As Jesus said, “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.” (Matthew 26: 41)

Jesus demanded total commitment to God, not outward appearance of religion.*

August 4, 2026

Leviticus 19: 9, 10  (NIV)

“‘When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the alien. I am the Lord your God.’”

The intended, beneficial consequences of social policies are routinely overwhelmed by the unintended, harmful consequences they trigger.*

God made provisions for the poor and the foreigner: the farmer was commanded to be a little lax in harvesting his crops so that the needy could come along and glean for themselves. He did not tell the farmer to harvest his crops and then give some of it to the poor. We have forgotten this practice, instituted by God, of helping the needy by allowing them to help themselves. Somewhere in history, those who have the means and the heart for charity seem to have come to the conclusion that people in need must be taken care of. We have done a disservice to those we are trying to help by allowing them to become dependent on us.

As a church, what can we do to help break the cycle of dependency? Most of us aren’t farmers so we can’t take these directions literally, but certainly we can find ways to apply the principles. The church I attend offers assistance through a variety of programs: Celebrate Recovery for those struggling with habits and addictions; Financial Peace University, which provides Bible-based strategies for getting out of debt and staying out; and a community outreach program in which those “in transition” are provided a hot meal and a sermon every Sunday – because above all, those we help need to hear about the hope they can find in Jesus.

As individuals, we also have opportunities to help change lives. Programs cost money, so don’t neglect the offering plate. And charity doesn’t have to be mass-produced to be effective. Jesus ministered to people in large groups, in small groups, and one at a time. Never underestimate the value of the one-on-one encounter, whether in witnessing or in good works.

And amid all our efforts, we should never forget that programs help but Jesus saves!

The harassed and helpless are all around us – and not easily identified.*

August 3, 2026

Genesis 9: 12, 13 (NIV)

And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth.”

The Creator who sternly imposed sin’s penalty became the God of the covenant.*

God made lots of covenants with people in the Old Testament. Some covenants were with individuals, some were specific to the Hebrew nation. There are a few that we like to hijack for our own personal application – II Chronicles 7: 14 and Jeremiah 29: 11-14 come to mind most readily.

Three elements of this particular covenant in Genesis set it apart from others:

1. It is unconditional. God made a promise but he didn’t require anything from the other parties involved. 
2. It applies to all living creatures – human and animal. 
3. God created a sign as a permanent reminder of the covenant.

The rainbow reminds us that God keeps his promises. Circumcision was a reminder of his covenant with Abraham. And the cross is a reminder of the new covenant he has entered into with us – a covenant that was not unconditional but which has been ratified by the blood of Jesus. When we see the cross, we are prompted to recall that though the wages of sin is death, the free gift of God is eternal life through his Son (Romans 6:23). The cross is the symbol of God’s promise that he will be our God and we will be his people (Hebrews 8: 10), and that his will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life (John 6: 40).

The rainbow and the cross are reminders that though God has the power to destroy us, he has chosen to love us and to save us.

The relationship we have with God is not an agreement between equals.*

August 2, 2026

Genesis 2: 15 (NIV)

The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.

Work was mankind’s lot before the fall.*

You have heard that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. It is also true that one man’s work is another man’s recreation. There are tasks that I did while at work that never seemed like work, while others were total drudgery. I was thrilled when I became a supervisor and found that I had a staff who didn’t mind when I delegated some of those dreaded chores to them. 

Work is not a curse. God placed his newly created staff in a garden to “work it and take care of it,” not because he wanted Adam to suffer, but to keep him occupied. God could have created a maintenance-free environment for man to live in but he purposely provided a place of employment. There are clues in the story that indicate that the work that Adam did in the Garden of Eden was a far cry from his labor following his banishment: “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life.” (Genesis 3: 17) 

Whatever we do to provide for ourselves and our families, I believe that each of us is also called to tend God’s garden. We may have to get up every day and go to a job but we have more important work to do in the garden of the Lord. Such work is not to secure our own salvation but for the sake of those who are still lost. The work we do for the Kingdom should never seem like the drudgery of the curse for “there is true pleasure in the business God calls us to.”*

We were none of us sent into the world to be idle.*

August 1, 2026

John 6: 38 (NIV)

“For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me.”

If everyone could live as though they were in jeopardy of shortly dying . . . the world would be a much better place.*

I have never been on a short-term mission trip but I admire those who make the sacrifice of time and money – and often, modern conveniences – to share the gospel. Personally, time and money would not be the big sacrifice. I am very partial to AC, indoor plumbing, and privacy. Two factors would make the hardships more tolerable for me: 1) knowing that the conditions are temporary; 2) knowing that I am serving the Lord.

Jesus’ time on earth was similar to a short-term mission trip. It was a temporary assignment – he knew he would be returning home soon - and he was performing his Father’s will. These conditions had to appeal to him as a human. Perhaps reminding himself of these things helped him deal with the discomforts of his life on the road, the incompetence of his followers, and the bitterness of rejection.

Life on earth is the same for us. We are pilgrims – on temporary assignment for the Lord. We are not here to do our own will but the will of the one who sent us. We may become weary and discouraged but there are eternal consequences for the work that we do. How satisfying is that?

When we realize that the universe is moving toward God’s intended end, and that in history’s great culmination all of His good purposes will be fully realized, we are strengthened to live for Jesus now.*

July 31, 2026

John 14: 2 (NIV)

“And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you may also be where I am.”

It is the Lord Jesus’ only unfulfilled promise.*

Jesus’ disciples were still a little fuzzy on the concept of Jesus’ leaving. Now he’s promising them that he will come back for them. For us today, accepting and expecting his return are components of our faith in his resurrection, but we, too, find ourselves wondering about our Lord’s return. 

Much about the Second Coming is shrouded in mystery and symbolism, but there are certain aspects that we can be sure about. 

1. He is definitely coming back. In this verse and in Matthew 24: 30, we read of Jesus’ pledge to return. 

2. Jesus will return at God’s appointed time. No one else knows when that is. (Matthew 24: 36; Acts 1: 7) 

3. Our job is to proclaim the hope and the promise. (Matthew 28: 20; Acts 1: 8) 

4. We should look forward to his return. (Matthew 24: 44) 

Jesus knew that we wouldn’t understand everything he said but he has made it clear that he wants us to be with him – he told his Father: “I want those you have given me to be with me where I am.” (John 17: 24) So of course he’s going to come back and get us!

God has chosen the right time for Christ’s second coming without any reference to clocks and calendars.*

July 30, 2026

Leviticus 19: 33, 34 (NIV)

“When an alien lives with you in your land, do not mistreat him. The alien living with you must be treated as one of your native-born. Love him as yourself, for you were aliens in Egypt. I am the Lord your God.”

God’s own deep commitment to justice leads Him to require that in human society we also maintain a commitment to do right by all.*

The subject of illegal aliens is an explosive one right now. No matter where you stand politically, there is one position that meets with God’s approval: the alien living in the land must be treated with the same respect as the native-born.

Did I say that illegal aliens should be granted amnesty or citizenship? Did I say they should all be shipped back where they came from? Does it matter what I say? Look again at what God said: “Do not mistreat him.” What did God not say? He did not say that aliens should not be subject to the same laws as citizens. In fact, God is not addressing immigration policy at all; he is addressing his stance on the treatment of the powerless.

When we study the Old Testament, we become acquainted with God’s position on many social issues. How we treat the weak among us is a frequently recurring theme and is reinforced by Jesus during his public ministry. The passage and enforcement of civil laws is a matter for the secular authorities. Our job is to extend God's mercy to the poor, the hungry, the sick, and the lonely - regardless of their legal status. 

Please understand that I am not advocating for interference with law enforcement. As Christians, we are called to love others as God loves them – without prejudice. How we demonstrate that love is often a matter of our personal calling from God but it is always a priority. Because he is the Lord your God.

Deep down in the heart of every person is a hidden desire to reinterpret Jesus in light of our own culture, political bent, or favorite theological belief.*