Paul writes in Hebrews 11:1, “What is faith? It is the confident assurance that something we want is going to happen. It is the certainty that what we hope for is waiting for us, even though we cannot see it up ahead.” TLB

There is a scene in the movie Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, where Indiana Jones is standing on the edge of a gorge. He is looking at a diagram in an ancient book that indicates a bridge should be there, but there is no bridge. After studying the ancient document, he believes he has it figured out, that the only way to find the bridge is to step into the abyss, and the bridge will appear. Without seeing, he must act.

In the same way, Jesus’ teachings in the Bible are our ancient map, and in order to see the support God promises us we must to step forward in faith.

Dear Lord, often it is very difficult for us to take that first step of faith we know you want us to take, whether it is volunteering in our church, inviting a friend to worship, witnessing to someone in need, or putting our tithe in the offering plate, we all have a step we could be taking. Give us the courage to take the step and experience the joy of trusting you. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

You’ve probably heard it said, You never get a second chance to make a first impression.

Proverbs 3:3,4 is a bit of a follow-on to that expression saying, “Never tire of loyalty and kindness. Hold these virtues tightly. Write them deep within your heart, If you want favor with both God and man, and a reputation for good judgment” From TLB version.

The NIV Bible version text uses the virtues of “Love and Faithfulness,” and the RSV version uses “Loyalty and Faithfulness.”

Regardless of the Bible version; Loyalty, Kindness, Love, and Faithfulness, are virtues we need to work on to truly be the Christian brothers and sisters God wants us to be.

Dear Lord, we thank you that you first showed us Love, Loyalty, Kindness and Faithfulness. Help us keep these virtues in the front of our minds throughout our days and use them with those we encounter. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen

One of the necessities of life is making decisions with incomplete and imperfect information. “Do I buy the non-refundable airline tickets for the trip 6 months from now?” “Do I take the new job, or stay where I am?” “What curriculum should I choose?” “What college should I choose?” The problem with making these decisions is that we fear that we might learn something along the way that would have changed our decision.

Paul writes about this as it applies to our Christian life in 1 Corinthians 13:12, “Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.”

We may not have the complete picture in order to make the perfect decision every time, but God does. Paul finishes this, well known, text in verse 13 with, “Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.” So if we put our faith and hope in God’s guidance and live in love for him and our neighbor, he will be there for us, and guide us on our journey through life.

Dear Lord, you know everything, our every thought, our secret hopes and dreams, and you have plans for each of us. Help us remember to trust your guidance to make decisions and take actions boldly, knowing that if we do things in obedience to you with love for others, you will protect and support us. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Happy Father’s day to all the fathers reading! Yes, this is a day set up to recognize us and our fathers, and we should take the moment to accept and be grateful for the attention that may be given.
It is an incredible joy and an incredible responsibility to be a parent, a father. It is another level of influence we have to shape our world. As an individual, we have only our own actions to affect things, but as a parent, our influence can continue for generations, just as our fathers and mothers are influencing the world by how they raised us.

Paul writes in Ephesians 6:1-4, “Children, obey your parents because you belong to the Lord, for this is the right thing to do. “Honor your father and mother.” This is the first commandment with a promise: If you honor your father and mother, “things will go well for you, and you will have a long life on the earth.” Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord.”

Some may not have had fathers that were good examples, but it is still a lesson that can be learned, by not repeating it.

My brothers and I have been incredibly blessed to have a father and mother who are amazing Christian examples. We can only hope and pray we will be parents like them.

Happy Father’s Day dad!

Dear Lord, how blessed are those of us who have and had fathers who brought us up to love and follow you; Fathers who provided us example of your loving instruction and discipline. Help us all as parents learn from these examples, and from Jesus’ example of loving instruction and raise our children to love, trust, and follow you. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

We all occasionally get angry about something. I have found that we are much more likely to become angry, lose our control, and say or do something we shouldn’t when we are either tired or hungry.

Psalm 4:4 gives us good advice in this regard, “Don’t sin by letting anger control you. Think about it overnight and remain silent.”

It is unrealistic to think we can avoid ever becoming angry, but we can avoid letting that anger control us. You have probably heard it said, “things look better in the morning.” We need to take the Psalmist’s comments to heart, and hold our comments when we are angry. In the morning we can re-evaluate the situation, and typically it will look much better.

Dear Lord, We thank you that you give us the will to control ourselves and not just follow each emotional whim. Help us hold our comments when we are angry until we can address those items productively and intelligently. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.