Scribblings

Friday Devotional | October 16, 2020

The chill blew in yesterday afternoon and the ground is littered with leaves and pine needles. It’s only a glimpse of the season to come. While temperatures today won’t get out of the fifties, I’m told we will see temperatures near ninety by Sunday before settling into the seventies. Some days, it can be hard to decide what to wear. This is especially true when things appear unpredictablefrom one…

Tuesday Devotional | October 13, 2020

Life is full of decisions. 2020 has definitely been a year of challenging decision-making, especially for people in leadership roles. Government, education, church, business, and community leaders all have had their decision-making mettle tested. Families have faced difficult situations requiring tough decisions amid an unexpected pandemic.

Scripture teaches us that God gives us the freedom to…

Sunday Prayer | October 11, 2020

Prayer is a vital part of any believers walk with God. Our time spent in close communion with God is precious. We know from Genesis 2:8 that the Lord walked in Eden in the evening, when there was a breeze. The passage goes on to show us God looking for Adam and Eve. His creation is hiding. God calls for them. “Where are you?”

I think that section of Scripture paints a picture of what prayer…

Friday Devotional | October 9, 2020

Nobody listens anymore. There is a lot of talking going on. Frequently, we hear to reply. We ask to insinuate, ignite, and infuriate. We do not wait for a response to our agenda soaked questions. We already know what we are going to say before they say what they want to say. At least we think we do. Perhaps, we don’t care about what they are saying in the first place.

We cut off. We…

Thursday Evening Prayer | October 8, 2020

“Father God, thank You for Your blessings today. I am grateful for the things You have entrusted to me. I pray You give me the power and strength to excel at answering the call You have on my life, as a believer actively participating in Your eternal plan. Help me bear good witnessand to be bold in sharing my testimony about Your work of grace and mercy in my life. I thank You for the faith of my…

Thursday Devotional | October 8, 2020

The death of Eddie Van Halen brought home the realization that 65 isn’t as old as it used to be. When I was a young teen aspiring rockstar, anything over 30 seemed old. Heck, over 40 looked practically ancient. Now, me at double nickels, thinks Eddie still had a lot of good miles left on his tires. Unfortunately, Eddie succumbed to throat cancer Tuesday morning, leaving us a legacyof great jams…

Wednesday Devotional | October 7, 2020

In recent weeks, COVID reminded me that the virus plaguing our planet is still wreaking havoc among us. I’ve spent time praying for close friends, church friends, family friends, and friends of friends who tested positive and contracted the virus.

Some did not show any symptoms and appear no worse for wear having caught the virus. Others spent time in hospital rooms fighting through more…

Tuesday Devotional | October 6, 2020

Recently, I intentionally started watching less news. This is difficult for someone who has been a lifelong newshound since my 6th grade teacher Mrs. Williams encouraged our class to make an effort to read the newspaper daily to keep abreast of current events. But, news is different nowadays than it used to be when I enrolled in journalism classes at what was then East Texas State University.Radi…

My Monday Morning Cup | Kindness Elicits Gratitude

In last Thursday’s post, I shared how overwhelming kindness can be in our lives. One act of kindness blossoms into a garden of positive fruit. A natural outcome stemming from kindness is gratitude.

Kindness elicits gratitude.

When we express thankfulness and praise, we distinguish ourselves as believers from those separated from God and still struggling to make life work on their own…

Sunday Prayer | The Practice of Prayer

Prayer is a foundational practice for us as believers, modeled for us repeatedly throughout the New Testament by Jesus, himself. Christ prayed before He did anything. Jesus prayed before being baptized and he prayed before embarking on his public ministry. He lived a lifestyle of prayer.

In our troubled and turbulent times, there is ample reason to pray. As a prayer warrior, you know the power…

Today, we continue our journey exploring Paul’s letter titled “Ephesians” that he wrote, inspired by the Holy Spirit, as a circular letter to be exchanged between several local churches throughout what was then Asia Minor.

Preaching the Word

In previous weeks, we examined what we know as the first chapter of Paul’s powerful letter. We know, from our studies, that Ephesians focuses primarily…

An Evening Devotional | October 1, 2020

Tonight, as I sit here in Mom’s living room watching a rerun of her favorite mystery show, Father Brown, I am overwhelmed by people’s kindness. All this week, the generosity and kindness of others has shown itself over and over again.

This morning, during our men’s ministry study of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians and believers from other surrounding churches, I was struck by the incredible…

My Monday Morning Cup | This Masquerade: Scattershooting about Leon Russell and Dak Prescott

This edition of My Monday Morning Cup is bound to be a little late due to some plumbing issues here at the hacienda and an unexpected email conversation between old friends about the late Leon Russell. A bunch of us who have known each other a long time, at least since the 1980s, got caught up reflecting on Leon Russell and his contribution to music as well as his being from Tulsa. Apparently,…

Sunday Prayer | A Prayer for the Local Church

In yesterday’s post, we discussed the importance of believers being part of a local church. This year has challenged people on lots of fronts, including the local church. Caught up in a virtual no-win, local church leaders are faced with meeting in-person (something we took for granted until recently) or being good citizens by following recommended guidelines in the interest of public health.…

Saturday Scripture | Why Believers Should Belong to a Local Church

Welcome to another installment of Saturday Scripture. I’m glad you chose to join us as we explore the Apostle Paul’s letter titled “Ephesians.” As we discussed in previous posts, the letter is believed to be a circular letter intended to be shared among the local churches throughout the Asia Minor region and not solely intended for the Christianchurch in Ephesus. Ephesians is a rich letter filled…

My Monday Morning Cup | Somewhere Between Hero and Zero

Sunday, while my Mom is still recuperating from her recent surgery, I had the honor of teaching the Sunday school class she normally attends. It’s always a joy to teach the Bible but teaching the class at Mom’s home church is a special time.

For Sunday’s lesson, we examined Matthew 16:13-23, a rich section of Scripture that you could chew on for quite a long while before having plumbed every…

Saturday Scripture | Exploring Ephesians: A Brief Review

We are continuing our exploration of Ephesians, the letter written by the Apostle Paul. Did you know that in all likilhood Paul didn’t write this letter to the church in Ephesus? Instead, he intended it to be a circular letter to be shared and read in a number of adjoining congregations throughout Asia Minor.

During the time of Paul, Ephesus had become a boomtown, serving as a major port…