Read: 2 Timothy 4:1–8 There is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord . . . will award to me on that day.2 Timothy 4:8 On the night of April 3, 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King gave his final speech, “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop.” In...

Read John 15:5–8 I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit.  John 15:5 A thrift-store bargain, the lamp seemed perfect for my home office—the right color, size, and price. Back at home, however, when I plugged in the...

Read: 2 Kings 6:1–7 One year when I was in college, I cut, stacked, sold, and delivered firewood. It was a hard job, so I have empathy for the hapless logger in the 2 Kings 6 story. Elisha’s school for prophets had prospered, and their meeting place had become too small....

Read: Leviticus 19:9–18 Love your neighbor as yourself.(Leviticus 19:18) Shirley settled into her recliner after a long day. She looked out the window and noticed an older couple struggling to move a section of old fence left in a yard and labeled “free.” Shirley grabbed her husband, and they headed...

Read: Psalm 148:1–6 Praise him, sun and moon; praise him, all you shining stars. Psalm 148:3 Sunsets. People tend to stop what they are doing to watch them . . . snap pictures of them . . . enjoy the beautiful view. My wife and I watched the sun setting...

Read: John 14:1–4 I go and prepare a place for you. John 14:3 “There’s no place like home.” The phrase reflects a deeply rooted yearning within us to have a place to rest, be, and belong. Jesus addressed this desire for rootedness when, after He and His friends had their...

Read: Isaiah 53:1–8 Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering. Isaiah 53:4 When asked if he thought that ignorance and apathy were problems in modern society, a man joked, “I don’t know and I don’t care.” I suppose many discouraged people feel that way about the world...

Read: Isaiah 53:9–12 He poured out his life unto death. Isaiah 53:12 Our daughter burst into tears as we waved goodbye to my parents. After visiting us in England, they were starting their long journey back to their home in the US. “I don’t want them to go,” she said....

Read: Mark 15:19–20, 33–39 “Surely this man was the Son of God!” Mark 15:39 In the church I attend, a large cross stands at the front of the sanctuary. It represents the original cross where Jesus died—the place where our sin intersected with His holiness. There God allowed His perfect...

Read: Matthew 26:36–46 God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5 Does having a friend nearby make pain more bearable? Researchers at the University of Virginia conducted a fascinating study to answer that question. They wanted to see how the brain reacted to...

Read: John 12:1–8 Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. John 12:3 Shortly before Jesus was crucified, a woman named Mary poured a bottle of expensive perfume on His feet. Then, in what...

Read: Luke 23:32–34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots. Luke 23:34 When a friend betrayed me, I knew I would need to forgive her, but I wasn’t sure that I could. Her words...