Month: November 2017

2 Thessalonians 3:6,10 Keep away from any brother who is walking in idleness . . . If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. It is not uncommon to hear from someone who is greatly distressed by an alcoholic family member, only to find that the person telling me about the alcoholic…
Read more

1 Thessalonians 5:19 Do not quench the Spirit. My father-in-law, a pastor, who passed away in 2015, frequently said that if I wanted to know God, I had to first understand that He was a person. As such, He can know me and be known to me personally. Once I have a relationship with Him,…
Read more

1 Thessalonians 5:18 Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God. I am not much of a cook, but still, grilling is my domain. As I was making the burgers the other day, my wife asked me if I would make them smaller, which I did, with a poor attitude. When…
Read more

I Thessalonians 5:17 Pray without ceasing . . . At the local jail, we were recently discussing prayer, when Ron told me that he was uncomfortable praying in front of others as he did not know how to pray. He said his only experience with prayer was simply talking to God all day, carrying on…
Read more

1 Thessalonians 5:5-7 You are all children of light, children of the day . . . So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. When I read a passage, I…
Read more

I Thessalonians 4:10,11 But we urge you, brothers . . . to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs . . . As painful as it is to admit, in my drug addiction, I became condescending towards those who struggled differently than me. If I could find cause to be critical of…
Read more

I Thessalonians 2:6 Nor did we seek glory from people . . . In the disaster of my addiction, one of the most painful consequences was that everyone knew. My reputation was the last thing I should have been worried about, but still, I desperately desired to protect my ego. That effort was futile of…
Read more

Colossians 3:23,24 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men . . . You are serving the Lord Christ. I can have two very different days at work, based completely on my attitude. The events may be the same, but my perspective makes for two days that are quite dissimilar.…
Read more

Colossians 3:12-14 Put on then . . . compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, patience and love . . . As I am prone to extremes, I have, many times, gorged myself and then promised that I would starve to make up for it. If I don’t eat  for three days, I can lose 10 pounds.…
Read more

Colossians 3:5-8 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry . . . you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander . . . In my quest to understand my flesh nature, I have found today’s passage to be profoundly important.…
Read more