Stuff Omygodc Likes

1 Corinthians 12:22 In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary. I am not a handsome man. I’m not saying that out of false humility, I just know what I see in the mirror every day. I don’t walk into a room and hear a murmur in the crowd. I take that back, I have, but it’s not the nice kind of murmur! I am not a chiseled Adonis when I take…

Mark 12:40 Yet they shamelessly cheat widows out of their property and then pretend to be pious by making long prayers in public. Because of this, they will be more severely punished.” “Dad, look at this.” “Hey, Mom, look what I can do!” “My most omnipotent Faaaaather. Yeeeeeeaaaaa we beseech thee, oh Lorduh, to do thine own sweet will according to the, um, according to the Bible…” What do…

Mark 11:25. But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too.” There is an interesting dynamic in today’s verse. Jesus says that when we start praying to FIRST forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against. First, as in numero uno. As in, get this done before you do anything else. Then he says we need to…

Mark 10:43 But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant… I am the third generation of pastors in my family. My Grandpa and my Uncle Bill were great examples of today’s verse. They served the people of their churches. It was drilled into my pea-sized brain from the beginning that a good pastor serves his people. He puts their needs ahead of his…

Mark 9:32 They didn’t understand what he was saying, however, and they were afraid to ask him what he meant. I got a D in Geometry in high school. It was the only D I got in high school. You see, math and I were never great friends. I just couldn’t imagine a time in my life where someone would hold a gun to my head and ask me to solve for x. I firmly believe that God made math perfect, and then…

Mark 8:32 As he talked about this openly with his disciples, Peter took him aside and began to reprimand him for saying such things. If you read enough of the Bible you are to find some things you wish it didn’t say: “Love your enemies.” “Turn the other cheek.” “Forgive seventy times seven.” As Jesus spoke to the disciples he let them know that he was about to go through some bad times. He…

1 Corinthians 13:11 When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. One of the things I miss while I am on the road is toddlers. When I was a senior pastor there were always toddlers around the church. Not babies, they scare me. I’m always afraid I will drop a baby and break it. No, I’m talking about the little ones who are just…

Numbers 22:20 That night God came to Balaam and told him, “Since these men have come for you, get up and go with them. But do only what I tell you to do.” Have you ever really, really wanted something? When I was growing up I wanted to be a pro football player and a pro baseball player. The curve balls I couldn’t hit took care of baseball dreams, and a blown up knee took care of football. Then…

Mark 5:31. His disciples said to him, “Look at this crowd pressing around you. How can you ask, ‘Who touched me?’” The woman had been suffering from a bleeding condition for twelve years. Twelve long years of being tired, being embarrassed, trying to hide her condition, giving up her money for quack cures that often made things worse. Twelve agonizing, painful years. Then one day she heard…

Mark 4:34. In fact, in his public ministry he never taught without using parables; but afterward, when he was alone with his disciples, he explained everything to them. I know I have read today’s verse before, but this morning something about it clicked. The verse said that Jesus spoke in parables. The dictionary defines a parable as, “ a simple story used to illustrate a moral or spiritual…

Numbers 16:13. Isn’t it enough that you brought us out of Egypt, a land flowing with milk and honey, to kill us here in this wilderness, and that you now treat us like your subjects? The Israelites had blown it. They refused to enter the Promised Land. Then they doubled down and accused Moses of trying to kill them! They were stuck on stupid. Notice what they said in today’s verse, “You brought…

The Israelite scouts had a simple mission: go check out the land that God had promised them. Not hinted might be theirs, not said “Well, maybe…” He promised them the land of Canaan! Numbers 13:33 We even saw giants there, the descendants of Anak. Next to them we felt like grasshoppers, and that’s what they thought, too!” For forty days they scouted the land and found out it was exactly as God…

Psalms 27:1 The LORD is my light and my salvation— so why should I be afraid? The LORD is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble? We travel with our brown and white Boston Terrier, Boss. He’s a great little dog, and he is a perfect travel dog. Boss does have one issue, though. He’s a scaredy-cat! He doesn’t like it when the RV is in motion. Loud noises kind of freak him…

Psalms 23:2. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters As a kid I learned the 23rd Psalm by heart. I could recite it, and did so proudly, whether anyone asked me to or not. I knew all the words in King James English, too! I knew the words, but not the meaning. Now I do. The photo that accompanies this column is my own. It was taken at Twin Lakes ACOE in South…

Numbers 6:24-27 “‘May the LORD bless you and protect you. May the LORD smile on you and be gracious to you. May the LORD show you his favor and give you his peace.’ Whenever Aaron and his sons bless the people of Israel in my name, I myself will bless them.” I love this morning’s passage from Numbers. It is a blessing that Aaron and his sons were instructed to pray over Israel, God’s chosen…

Acts 25:7  When Paul arrived, the Jewish leaders from Jerusalem gathered around and made many serious accusations they couldn’t prove. Every parent has heard the following phrase, usually through tears and at high volume; “IT’S NOT FAIR!” Stamping of feet, icy glares, and occasionally rolling around on the ground as if being electrocuted are all optional, but may be included, per the temperament…

Acts 24:25. As he reasoned with them about righteousness and self-control and the coming day of judgment, Felix became frightened. “Go away for now,” he replied. “When it is more convenient, I’ll call for you again.” Felix wanted to hear about Jesus, so Paul was summoned from prison to talk to him. Paul shared the message of Christ, and it scared Felix! So Felix sent Paul away, saying that he…