And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will about in every good work. 2 Corinthians 9:8 (NIV) Today I share this benediction by Margaret Scott, Pastor at the United Methodist Church in Fairport, NY. (original source unknown)   May God…

Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” John 14:6 (NLT) He is risen! He is risen, indeed!   During Holy Week, we remembered the crucifixion and burial. On Easter Sunday we celebrated the empty tomb, hunted eggs, and joined around…

Blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never…

Jesus was misunderstood. His entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday was a military hero’s homecoming – a ticker tape parade. Jesus was the long anticipated Savior! But the crowd missed the signs. Jesus rode a humble donkey, not a battle horse. He taught servanthood over status and love for one’s enemies.   Jesus wasn’t the…

Since God chose you to be the holy people He loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Colossians 3:12 (NLT)   I won’t mention any names, but the word ‘mercy’, reminds me of an unpleasant childhood game in which someone painfully twists another’s arm until they beg for mercy…

Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it. 1 Peter 3:15 (NLT) In previous studies of this verse, we’ve focused on always being ready to explain the hope we have in Jesus. Forming the words ahead of…

Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends You, and lead me along the path of everlasting life. Psalm 139:23-24 (NLT) My sister and I are in Florida visiting my dad and settling some of his late wife’s affairs. I’ve focused…

Unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. -Jesus John 12:24-25 (NIV)   I’m finishing…

But  love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will children of the Most High, because He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Luke 6:35-36 (NLT) Why should I…

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to Him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live…