August 24, 2026

Philippians 4: 13 (NIV)

I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

We can’t live in God’s righteousness through our own strength.*

This verse makes a great Facebook post. It’s a mantra to remind ourselves that we have a source of power. Yes, Jesus Christ is our strength, but Paul isn’t telling us that we can do everything. Or anything. Think about it. Who do you know – what spiritual giant are you acquainted with – who can do anything?

If we put this verse back into the passage where it belongs, we find that Paul was addressing a specific circumstance: learning to be content in any and every situation (verse 12). Paul shared his testimony with the Philippians and then he made sure that they understood that he wasn’t bragging. He didn’t possess any special powers of his own – only the strength that he received from Christ.

I think it is safe to apply this verse to our lives as long as we keep it within Paul’s context. We aren’t promised superhuman power, but we might say that we can do everything – face anything – that we must because Christ gives us the strength. When Jesus himself said, “Apart from me you can do nothing,” (John 15: 5) he didn’t mean that we can’t act or think without him – lots of people do it. Again, context is important. If you read the entire passage, you will see that Jesus is talking about bearing fruit and remaining faithful – things that we can’t accomplish without his strength.

Perhaps in the past you have found this verse to be more depressing than encouraging. Maybe you have been thinking, “But I can’t do everything!” and you have felt inadequate or like a failure as a Christian. Do you understand now that the promise isn’t that we can do anything and everything indiscriminately but that we are empowered to do anything and everything according to God’s will? Have you learned the secret to being content in any and every situation? Are you fruitful and faithful because you remain in Christ and he remains in you?

What God requires, he provides.*

August 23, 2026

Revelation 3: 1 (NIV)

“I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead.”

Comfortable buildings and state-of-the-art technology may enhance the church’s ministry, but they can’t make up for spiritual shallowness.*

When I was a very small child, I remember an occasion at my grandparents’ house when someone killed a chicken. I don’t recall witnessing the actual murderous deed – my only memory is of the poor bird’s head, separated from its body, squawking furiously. Yes, that head was noisy and lively but it was really, really dead. 

The words of this verse are addressed to the church in Sardis but they could apply to many churches anywhere today. Fast-growing congregations which appear to be alive may just be a squawking chicken head – separated from the body and its source of life. This verse could describe individuals as well – Christians who lead and influence others, hiding their own out-of-control lives behind their ability to portray the smooth public image. Facades such as these don’t last. The chicken head eventually falls silent because it is truly dead. 

Is there hope for a dead church or a shallow Christian? John relays some encouragement to the church at Sardis – words that might help to reanimate others in the same condition. 

• “Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die.” (verse 2) 
• “Remember . . . what you have received and heard; obey it and repent.” (verse 3) 

Once that chicken and its head were separated, nothing was going to bring life back to it, but churches are not poultry. With them, signs of spiritual life may be proof of life. A dead church or an exposed phony may still have something genuine to build upon. John says to strengthen that solid foundation before it dies: look for the biblical principles hidden among the superficial attractions; remember and obey the gospel; repent. Perform some spiritual CPR. It’s not too late!

We all remember “faith without works is dead,” but we haven’t always acknowledged that activity by itself doesn’t prove life.*

August 22, 2026

John 8:34 (NIV)

Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.”

Sin alienates us from God and enslaves us to carnal desires.*

You don’t have to be a junkie to be hooked on something. Normal people – you, your friends – are slaves to something - from addictions (cigarettes) to the innocuous (getting your nails done every week). Anything that controls our cravings or our schedule is a slavemaster. Is it any wonder that Jesus warns us about being slaves to sin when we are so willing to give up our freedom?

When Jesus says that everyone who sins is a slave to sin, he means everyone. We all sin. We never stop. When we become Christians, we might slow down. We might have fewer sins in our repertoire but we are still sinners. Slaves. Paul tells us in Romans chapter 6, that when we offer ourselves to someone, we become his slaves. Indeed, we can choose to be slaves to sin or we can opt to be slaves to obedience.

Why would we give up one form of slavery for another? When we consider the price, the choice becomes clear. The wages of sin is death (Romans 6: 23), while slavery to obedience leads to righteousness – the gift of God. Our Emancipation Proclamation is signed in the blood of Jesus Christ and we don’t have to earn it – we can’t earn it - we just have to accept it.

All men are slaves, but with the one choice of choosing his own master.*

August 21, 2026

Mark 4: 35-40 (NIV)

That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along . . . in the boat. . . . A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

The God who brings storms is also the God who calms storms.*

This story reveals much about Jesus as God and human. Let’s take a look:

1. His humanity: he had been preaching, and dealing with people all day. The human was tired and needed to get away. So tired that he fell asleep among a boatload of people. 
2. His attitude: would perplexed aptly describe how he felt? How could his disciples have witnessed all that he had done so far and still ask themselves, “Who is this?” 
3. His plan: how could they doubt that they would cross over safely when the trip was Jesus’ idea in the first place? 
4. His power: he controlled the weather! If you were a witness to his mastery over the elements, wouldn’t you believe he was God? 

Knowing that Jesus was God inside a human body, how can we doubt that he has the power to overcome anything that we might face? As a man, he understands – he can relate; as God, he conquers. Trusting in him allows us to rest peacefully as our boat is tossed about on the waves. We know that we will cross over safely because this trip is part of his plan.

God became a man so we could trust him. He became a sacrifice so we could know him.*

August 20, 2026

Isaiah 28: 24-28 (NIV)

When a farmer plows for planting, does he plow continually? . . . When he has leveled the surface, does he not sow caraway and scatter cummin? Does he not plant wheat in its place, barley in its plot, and spelt in its field? . . . Caraway is not threshed with a sledge, nor is a cartwheel rolled over cummin . . . Grain must be ground to make bread; so one does not go on threshing it forever. . .

Never make a principle out of your experience; let God be as original with other people as He is with you.*

I make no claims to farming expertise but I did grow up on a farm – a part-time farm, that is, since my dad had another full-time job. So, I had enough exposure to agriculture to get the gist of Isaiah’s illustration here. 

1. Stop plowing when you’re done.
2. Planting techniques vary according to the crop: preparation of the soil; where and when to plant; which bugs, weeds, and weather the crop is most susceptible to. 
3. Harvest procedures vary according to the crop: proper equipment; when to start – and when to stop and move on to the next step (storage, preservation, etc.). 

Isaiah’s farming analogy is specifically referring to how God varies his treatment of nations, depending on conditions,* but can we not apply it to God’s dealing with individuals? If a farmer can figure out that a good harvest is the result of more than just plowing, and that everything has to be done according to proper procedure, then of course God has figured out the special handling each of us requires. 

The same is true for us in our presentation of the gospel. Each person we witness to is a different field, a different crop, requiring specialized equipment and attention to seasons. As stated by another, “So carefully, so wisely, so tenderly, does God deal with us.”*

Convinced that what we must do is speak to people’s real needs, we ask: what are the concerns of people in our society, and what do we say to meet them?*

August 19, 2026

Matthew 5: 39 (NIV)

“But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.”

Even after generations of people had spit in his face, he still loved them.*

In middle school, one of my sons had a problem with an older boy who waited around for him after school one day. I don’t remember the details of the story but at one point the other boy walloped my son in the back with a bike helmet. Rather than retaliate and escalate, my son walked away - and the situation was diffused. I was very proud of him but I also told him that I never expected him to let someone beat him up if walking away didn’t work. Was I wrong? 

I think we misunderstand what Jesus meant about turning the other cheek. Here are some points to consider before assuming your position on the matter:

1.  We only have two cheeks. If someone strikes the right one and you turn the left one, then you’re out of cheeks to turn. 
2. In the culture of Jesus’ time and place, a slap on the cheek was more insult than physical attack. Turning the other cheek was a symbolic gesture rather than an invitation to be hit again. 
3. We know that Jesus never promoted retaliation – quite the opposite. But for an example of how Jesus responded to being struck in the face, read John 18: 22 and 23. No, he didn’t hit the guy back, but he did speak up for himself. 
4. Jesus was a victim of violence because he chose to allow it for the sake of others. 
5. Jesus advocated obedience to civil laws. If you have been assaulted, you have legal recourse. Revenge is not a legal option. 

What Jesus says goes. But sometimes he is making a point, not establishing step-by-step procedures. Turning the other cheek is about attitude more than it is about insult or attack. Christians should be known for their meekness, their kindness, their willingness to forgive, not for their thirst for revenge.

Jesus died, not as a victim, but as a victor.*

August 18, 2026

Jonah 3: 10 (NIV)

When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction he had threatened.

We are living in the time of God’s patience.*

We don’t know exactly what Jonah said to Nineveh except that it was the message God had given him. The gist of his sermon was: “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned.” (3: 4) When the king heard the news, he made repentance a royal law. And God took note.

It is doubtful that every single person in Nineveh turned from their wickedness to follow God’s way. Of those who did repent, how many of them eventually returned to their former way of life? God knew what everyone of them would do as soon as the crisis was past; and he knew the state of each person’s heart as they fasted in sackcloth and ashes. But what they did was enough for God to have compassion on everyone – including those who were just going through the motions in order to comply with the law.

Could nationwide repentance be the deliverance of our country? Is there a Jonah out there who can come and preach to our nation? Is there a leader in our future who believes we are in as much danger as Nineveh was? “You can’t legislate morality,” you might protest. The king of Nineveh probably knew that. But repentant leaders can set an example, pass laws that uphold godly principles, and avert God’s wrath for the sake of the righteous.

Pray for our nation. Ask God for a messenger to preach repentance. Plead for leaders who understand that his patience has an expiration date. And pray that God will prepare you to carry the message of repentance. Whether to an audience of one or to a multitude, proclaim the message God gives you.

We rescue our great nation not through systems but by systematically changing lives, one at a time.*