He Knows My Panic Scripture Reading: Luke 2:41-52 Meditation A mother’s greatest joy is holding her baby close. But there comes a day when she has to open her arms and let him go. It’s a moment when she finds herself suddenly looking up at her son, not down. Suddenly she realizes that he’s no […]
He Knows My Terror Scripture Reading: Matthew 2:1-23 Meditation As Mary and Joseph settle in Bethlehem, a river of blood flows through Judea. Its headwaters begin at the foot of Herod’s throne and its current courses through the small Roman province. Herod’s terror surges through every village surrounding Jerusalem, sweeping away royal foes, friends, and […]
He Knows My Confusion Scripture Reading: Luke 2:1-20 Meditation For a young couple planning a marriage, timing is everything. First comes the bended knee—the pledge and the proposal. Next, there are the wedding plans, showers, invitations and excitement of the engagement. Finally, there’s the ceremony, the “I dos”, the best wishes from friends and family, […]
A David psalm “God, my shepherd! I don’t need a thing.” Psalm 23:1 David was the shepherd boy who became a king. Though he sat on the throne and wore a crown, his heart never left the green pastures and still waters. The nation of Israel might have been able to take the boy out […]
The Central Message of the Scripture We’ve started our “Saturday in the Scriptures” class at East Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Detroit. If you’d like to follow along with our study you can access the supplemental materials at the “eXPlain it” online learning portal. If you’d like to join the online learning community you can click […]
He Knows My Dreams Scripture Reading: Matthew 1:18-25 Meditation Joseph’s a practical man with practical plans. He’s a carpenter. His life, like his work, is deliberate. He always starts with a set of blueprints. First he plans his work and then he works his plan. He measures twice so that he only has to cut […]
He Knows My Emotions Scripture Reading: Luke 1:39-80 Meditation Expectant mothers, more than others, are filled with emotion. As they sit next to the empty-but-ready cradles, they dream God-sized dreams for their unborn children. They glow with anticipation. As the due date draws close, each mother-in-waiting rocks anxiously. But when the baby is born, joy […]
He Knows My Questions Scripture Reading: Luke 1:26-38 Meditation Up until today, the only questions that have kept Mary’s mind racing are the ones that have to do with her upcoming wedding to Joseph. “Who should we invite? How many? Where should we have the banquet? What should I wear?” But when Gabriel, the archangel […]
He Knows My Family Tree Scripture Reading: Matthew 1:1-17 Meditation When the Father sent his Son into the world, he placed him in the care of a frail, human family. Though he was the only begotten fruit of the Father, Jesus fell from the limb of Abraham and David’s family tree. At his birth, the […]
Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, […]
Me? God? and the World? (Scribbles and Doodles and PowerPoint Presentations) We’ve started our “Saturday in the Scriptures” class at East Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Detroit. If you’d like to follow along with our study you can access the supplemental materials at the “eXPlain it” online learning portal. Here’s a couple of videos to show […]
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and […]
You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me … John 5:39 (NIV) Three Opportunities to Study the Scriptures During Lent (2020) During this Lenten season (2020), I’d like to invite you to come and study the Scriptures in three different […]
This is the second of a two part update. So much has occurred during the last nine months that I thought our “Missionary at Large Update: 2019 Year in Review” would be best served with two separate posts. This first post focused on the mission work done in, at and through East Bethlehem Lutheran Church […]
This is the first of a two part update. So much has occurred during the last nine months that I thought the “2019 Year in Review” would be best served with two separate posts. This first post will focus on the mission work done in, at and through East Bethlehem Lutheran Church. The second post […]
