SCRIPTURE: 2 Kings 1 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: So the king sent a third captain with his fifty men. This third captain went up and fell on his knees before Elijah. “Man of God,” he begged, “please have respect for my life and the lives of these fifty men, your servants! See, fire has fallen from heaven and consumed the…
He sees, He knows
SCRIPTURE: Proverbs 15 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: The eyes of the LORD are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good. [Proverbs 15:3] Death and Destruction lie open before the LORD– how much more the hearts of men! [Proverbs 15:11] Some of these proverbs highlight God’s perspective, what He sees, what He knows, and what He detests [see Proverbs 15: 8,9,26]. The…
one day Valerie and me?
One day this will be Valerie and I, making beautiful music together! Fran & Marlo Cowan (married 62 years) playing impromptu recital together in the atrium of the Mayo Clinic. He turned 90 in February. The song is Old Grey Bonnet.
giving Jesus my blanket
SCRIPTURE: Proverbs 14 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honours God. [Proverbs 14:31] Jesus sees a direct relational link between God and people. How we treat people is how we treat God. Jesus, Who is God with us, makes it clear that whatever we do…
walking with the wise
SCRIPTURE: Proverbs 13 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm. [Proverbs 13:20] Today I want to think about what it means to “walk” with Jesus. Obviously, He is not here with us on earth in a body, so we cannot see, hear or be with Him in this…
missional church – simple
When I watch this, it resonates with my thoughts regarding the church. What do you think?
to live the righteous life
SCRIPTURE: Proverbs 12 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: A man cannot be established through wickedness, but the righteous cannot be uprooted. [Proverbs 12:3] I am just focusing on one proverb today, one that summarizes the wisdom of all of them. The basic message here is that if I want to live a stable, secure, rooted life, I need to choose integrity,…
blessing or woe
SCRIPTURE: Proverbs 11 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: Today’s proverbs contrast wisdom and folly in its many forms. honesty vs. dishonesty humility vs. pride integrity vs. duplicity righteousness vs. riches/trust in riches righteousness vs. wickedness/unfaithfulness/godlessness upright vs. wicked understanding vs. lack of judgment trustworthiness vs. gossip advice vs. lack of guidance indebtedness vs. being in debt kindness vs. ruthlessness kindness…
me and my big mouth
SCRIPTURE: Proverbs 10 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: The next chapters are collections of sayings, covering a variety of topics. Sometimes there are repeated themes, like today. The theme I picked up on was the emphasis on the mouth (chattering lips, tongue): Blessings crown the head of the righteous, but violence overwhelms the mouth of the wicked. [Proverbs 10:6] The wise…
two voices calling
SCRIPTURE: Proverbs 9 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: Let all who are simple come in here!” she says to those who lack judgment. Come, eat my food and drink the wine I have mixed. [Proverbs 9:4-5] Let all who are simple come in here!” she says to those who lack judgment. Stolen water is sweet; food eaten in secret is delicious!…