23, 2020 | Hebrews 13:9–17 DEVOTIONS This Month’s Issue Christians use the term good news to refer to the gospel. We celebrate the good and life-changing news found in the message of salvation given through Jesus Christ. But good doesn’t equal easy. While Christ’s death purchased our redemption and His resurrection guaranteed our eternal future, […]
March 22, 2020 | John 10:1–15 DEVOTIONS This Month’s Issue The Dictionary of Biblical Imagery explains that in Scripture as in life, “Doors and doorways are places of transition.” Being on the right or wrong side of a door or gate can mean the difference between safety or vulnerability, revelation or concealment, and hospitality or exclusion. […]
OPEN OR SHUT? March 21, 2020 | Matthew 25:1–13 DEVOTIONS This Month’s Issue Pastor and author Brian G. Hedges says that spiritual watchfulness or vigilance is “our most neglected spiritual discipline.” Spiritual watchfulness involves—through self-examination, prayer, and accountability—actively guarding our hearts against sin. He urges us to keep our focus on the Lord: “Our goal […]
THE NARROW DOOR OF SALVATION March 20, 2020 | Luke 13:22–30 DEVOTIONS This Month’s Issue This Month’s Issue According to research by the Barna Group, people who don’t talk about faith are motivated by either “avoidance or ambivalence.” When asked why religious talk makes them change the subject, participants explained: (1) “Religious conversations always seem […]
GOD’S LAW ON THE DOORFRAMES March 19, 2020 | Deuteronomy 6:1–12 DEVOTIONS This Month’s Issue As an enslaved 13-year-old, future abolitionist leader Frederick Douglass trusted in Christ for salvation. One biographer observed: “Frederick always hungered for knowledge, but after his conversion he had an insatiable desire to read and understand the Bible.” At that time, […]
BLOOD ON THE DOORFRAMES March 18, 2020 | Exodus 12:1–28 DEVOTIONS This Month’s Issue Inspired by a family friend whose blood donation saved his life when he was a baby, Marco Perez decided to do the same. An Air Force veteran and postal worker in Texas, he donated blood every two weeks (the maximum possible). […]
WHEN SIN CROUCHES AT YOUR DOOR March 17, 2020 | Genesis 4:1–16 DEVOTIONS This Month’s Issue We have quite a few expressions in the English language that involve doors. An opportunity is often called an “open door.” If “opportunity is knocking” at your door, a response is needed. If you encounter a small opportunity, you […]
Jesus Chose You March 16, 2020 A Scripture Reading — John 5:1-9 Jesus said . . . “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked. — John 5:8-9 A lame man at Bethesda met Jesus. When Jesus asked him, “Do you want to […]
March 15, 2020 | Ezekiel 43:1–11 DEVOTIONS This Month’s Issue Have you ever seen the glory of the Lord? There are passages in the Old Testament that describe how incredible that experience must be. In Exodus at the completion of the tabernacle project, the Israelites hold a dedication ceremony. The author describes the magnificent event: […]
REBUILDING THE GATES March 14, 2020 | Nehemiah 2 DEVOTIONS This Month’s Issue Scaffolding now surrounds Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, which was set ablaze on April 15, 2019. Although there are many opinions on how to restore the 900-year-old iconic structure to its former grandeur, everyone agrees it will not be an easy task. […]