Posts from December 2025 (Page 2)

Read 1 Peter 1:6-9 Has there ever been a child who hasn’t felt she was suffering waiting for Christmas, seeing that date on the calendar and despairing that the day would never arrive? Peter writes these verses to a church that was suffering much greater trials. The church may have wondered the reason for their suffering. Peter makes it clear. These trials are to show that their faith is of greater value than gold. He then offers a reminder about…

Read Acts 19:1-41 Joy is contagious.  Think of when you have been having a bad day, and you encounter someone who is joyful. Maybe that annoys you because you are not in that place of joy, or maybe it changes your mood, because that person has offered a new perspective for what you are going through. We may think of many things when we hear the word joy, but I find that joy is hard to define. The Greek word…

Below, you will find a variety of ways to reflect on the message for this week. Since God speaks to each of us in different ways, you, your family, or even your small group may wish to mix and match a number of the spiritual disciplines listed. Open in Prayer Prayerfully look back through this week’s readings and devotionals. Ask God to speak to you freshly as you consider them again. Key Verses Review the key verses for the week,…

Read Colossians 1:15-23 Paul wrote this letter to the Colossians to counter the heresy of gnosticism which was threatening their church. It taught that God is good but matter is evil; Jesus was not a man, but a lesser spirit emanating from God. Colossians 1:15-17 is an early creed describing the supremacy of Christ. It clearly states that Jesus is God and has been so for all eternity. Everything has been created through Christ and for Him. He existed before…

Read 2 Corinthians 10:1-5 In today’s passage, Paul defends his apostleship against critics who judged him based on outward appearances and worldly standards. He asserts that his ministry and authority came from God, not from human approval. Paul emphasizes that spiritual warfare requires spiritual weapons, not carnal ones.  We live in a physical, material world in which we communicate through our senses: sight, smell, hearing, touch, and taste. But there is a spiritual world around us that we can’t see,…

Read 1 Corinthians 1:18-2:5 Man, if ever there is a verse in Scripture I can relate to, it’s verse 19 (which is actually a quote from Isaiah 29): “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.” When I was in high school, I had my whole life mapped out. I had a sense of peace and security because I knew exactly where I was going and what it took to get there.…

Read Isaiah 9:6-7 When my husband and I were expecting each of our three children, one of the exciting but daunting tasks was choosing their name—their forever identity.  We did not find out the gender of our babies ahead of time which meant we had to have both a girl’s name and boy’s name chosen. Many parents pick names based on the meaning of the name—we picked names we could agree upon. Our boys each have a family name as…

Read EPHESIANS 2:14-18 On Sunday we heard how Jesus is the King of peace, and Ephesians 2 is a great place to start as we explore that aspect of God’s reign. The whole chapter is an explanation of how Christ’s death and resurrection brings peace to us, both individually and communally. In today’s reading, Paul shows how Jesus’ work created a pathway for peace between Jews and non-Jews. People who had no reason to associate and every reason to separate…

Read Acts 17:16-34 There is a restlessness in the world. I’m sure you’ve felt it. That restlessness that gives life to hidden longings and outward searching. Unattended it often leads us to lurch toward hatred or violence. That restlessness is not just something “out there” but something “in here.” It belies the restlessness and lack of peace inside of us. It’s the sort of thing that Bono gives voice to in the lyrics to the song, “I Still Haven’t Found…

Below, you will find a variety of ways to reflect on the message for this week. Since God speaks to each of us in different ways, you, your family, or even your small group may wish to mix and match a number of the spiritual disciplines listed. Open in Prayer Prayerfully look back through this week’s readings and devotionals. Ask God to speak to you freshly as you consider them again. Key Verses Review the key verses for the week,…

Read 2 Corinthians 4:13-18 Have you lost heart when you’re competing, working, or just living because situations or events seem to go against you? I know I have lost heart at times of stress or disappointment. Lately, as I age, I’ve realized the grinding nature of time itself on our lives and bodies. We are literally wasting away. It seems disheartening to the point of immobilization. Today’s passage gives us perspective on our life journey trials. After speaking earlier in…

Read Psalm 33:20-22 When I was in college, one of my professors described hope as a discipline that requires intentionality and must be cultivated. Until that point, I had regarded hope as a feeling that is defined by circumstances and is not present if it is not felt. Hope was passive, and existed only as a reward for sufficient faith. With this perspective, seasons of waiting seemed to only exist in opposition to hope. Waiting meant hope was absent and…