Author: Scott

But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and every herb, and neglect justice and the love of God. Luke 11:42 Having been sober for a couple years, it’s easy to see my recovery as a major life accomplishment upon which I can sit back and rest. I’m sober. There’s the evidence…
Read more

Now you Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. Luke 11:39 I recently attended a recovery church meeting (think AA meets church) where it was obvious that those in attendance were there to address their significant life problems and pursue God. Such a…
Read more

Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light, but when it is bad, your body is full of darkness. Luke 11:34 A couple summers ago, I was heading home from the Twin Cities in afternoon traffic, when someone was pulled over by the…
Read more

The last state of that person is worse than the first. Luke 11:26 Years ago, shortly after I began abusing pills, I sort-of addressed my problem but didn’t really change anything. I just stopped for a while. My relapse was slow in coming and took years to build to any apparent consequence. Addiction’s natural course…
Read more

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. Luke 11:9 In my first attempt at recovery, I was told I needed a sponsor. I wasn’t convinced, but I went along. When I asked the individual who would become my sponsor, his response…
Read more

Lead us not into temptation. Luke 11:4 I was enticed into the evil and misery of addiction simply by my own broken appetite. Living for my impulsive desires eventually led me to saying yes to one pill, which led to thousands, which lead to massive destruction. I didn’t start out pursuing disaster though. Evil is…
Read more

Forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us. Luke 11:4 A couple of times lately, I’ve heard our pastor say this: You will never have to forgive someone else more than God has forgiven you. It’s a difficult thought to grasp. It’s not that I doubt God’s forgiveness. It’s…
Read more

Give us each day our daily bread . . . Luke 11:3 For most of us, it’s only in times of need and distress that we turn to God. When life is good, we just don’t find ourselves motivated to pray, seek God’s will, or follow him. When we’re comfortable, we simply go our own…
Read more

And he said to them, “When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come.” Luke 11:2 I’m pretty sure that I used to be more considerate of other’s opinion and feelings. It seems that over time though, the reinforcement of instant gratification has taught me that I get what I want by pursuing…
Read more

Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her. Luke 10:41-42 I sometimes joke that I had kids simply so that I’d have someone to play in the snow with me. They’re growing up though, which means…
Read more