Posts by Eastbrook Church (Page 12)

Read Matthew 12:15-21 Justice. It’s such an admirable word. Since I was a young girl, an innate desire for justice existed and exists within me. Have you ever joined a cause because it touted justice, only to find out that your definition of how to achieve justice is quite different? Through the years, I’ve experienced many instances where people have different perspectives of what justice is and how to achieve it. Even in times of conflict, all parties want “justice”…

Read Isaiah 42:1 One of the deepest desires of human beings is for justice. We long for our lives and the world to be impartially guided by what is just, right, true, and fair. At our jobs or in our classrooms, in the courtroom or the sports field, we want all people treated well and measured equally against a dispassionate measure of fairness. This longing for justice is behind the outcries that arise when human rights are violated. International watchdog…

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 verse for the week,…

Read Psalm 91:1-16 Psalm 91 begins with an invitation to dwell in the “secret place” of the Most High. This is not just a physical place, but a spiritual posture of trust and intimacy with God. When we make God our dwelling place—when we seek Him in prayer, meditate on His Word, and cultivate a relationship with Him—we find ourselves under His shadow, symbolizing His protection and care. When I was younger, I was terrified of the dark. I would…

Read 2 Corinthians 1:3-5 Last summer when my wife Glennda and I were up north, I was out walking and picked my annual bouquet of wildflowers. The next day Cheri, our older daughter, was able to join us, and she and I picked another bouquet. This was a variety pack of ten forms of flora. It was so beautiful that she captured it with her camera, had it framed, and it was waiting for us when we returned home, available…

Read John 16:19-33 Take a few deep breaths. Let your breath remind you that God has given you life today, that He desires you today, and that He invites you to find comfort in Him today. Take some time to let that sink in. After (and only after) you do that, read John 16:19-33. If you want extra credit, read all of chapter 16. Then reflect on the text: Why are the disciples seemingly anxious about Jesus leaving them? Can…

Read Psalm 23 My mom was a collector of many different things during her life: dolls, angel statues, and beanie babies were her favorites. Our small apartment had multiple book shelves filled with her knickknacks (or treasures, I guess, depending on your viewpoint). In the midst of all the chaos of her collections was one shelf that always felt a little out of place to me. On it were about 30 different sheep statues. They were made of various materials…

Read Matthew 11:28-30 Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” (Matthew 11:28-30 The Message) While I consider myself a…

Read Isaiah 40:1 When my children were young and they scraped a knee or faced some other injury, they would swiftly run to me or Kelly for immediate help to stop the bleeding or put ice on that bump on their head. After the immediate help, though, they would often look for something else: comfort.  As we grow, we may become better at providing our own immediate help for injuries, whether bandaging our cut finger or driving ourselves to the…

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 Hebrews 1:3-4, 8 “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.”  (Hebrews 1:3-4)  But about the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, will last for ever…

Read Daniel 7:13-14 In the Christmas season we are inherently reminded of Jesus coming to earth as a little baby in Bethlehem born to the virgin Mary and the profoundly humble origin of the plan for salvation. We also need to be reminded of the other characteristics of who Jesus is: revealed as the Word of the Lord in the Old Testament and our Almighty Ruler of the Heavenly Kingdom.   I sometimes get overwhelmed when I watch or read…