Read: Ephesians 2:1–10 We are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life. Ephesians 2:10 nrsv I was struck by a phrase I heard quoted from a contemporary Bible translation. When I Googled the phrase “our...

Read: 2 Corinthians 5:12–21 Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. 2 Corinthians 5:17 (nlt) Chris Baker is a tattoo artist who transforms symbols of pain and enslavement into works of art. Many of his clients are former gang members and victims of human trafficking who have...

Read: Hebrews 2:1–4 We must pay the most careful attention . . . so that we do not drift away. Hebrews 2:1 At the end of one school semester, my wife and I picked up our daughter from her school 100 kilometers (60 miles) away. On our way back home...

Read: 1 Peter 3:7–12 Treat her as you should so your prayers will not be hindered. 1 Peter 3:7 nlt When the minister asked one of his elders to lead the congregation in prayer, the man shocked everyone. “I’m sorry, Pastor,” he said, “but I’ve been arguing with my wife...

Read: Psalm 40:1–5 He lifted me out of the slimy pit; out of the mud and mire, he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. Psalm 40:2 The historic riverwalk area of Savannah, Georgia, is paved with mismatched cobblestones. Local residents say that...

Read: Hebrews 13:1–6 Never will I leave you. Hebrews 13:5 Our hearts sank when we learned that our good friend Cindy had been diagnosed with cancer. Cindy was a vibrant person whose life blessed all who crossed her path. My wife and I rejoiced when she went into remission, but...

Read: Ephesians 6:5–9 Obey [your earthly masters] . . . as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. Ephesians 6:6 “I’m a secretary,” a friend told me. “When I tell people this, they sometimes look at me with a certain pity. But when they find out...

Read: Mark 8:1–13 My God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19 Tristan da Cunha Island is famous for its isolation. It is the most remote inhabited island in the world, thanks to the 288 people who call it home....

Read: 1 Corinthians 13 Follow the way of love. 1 Corinthians 14:1 Love does more than make “the world go round,” as an old song says. It also makes us immensely vulnerable. From time to time, we may say to ourselves: “Why love when others do not show appreciation?” or...

Read: Psalm 68:7–10,19–20 Blessed be the Lord, who daily loads us with benefits, the God of our salvation! Selah. Psalm 68:19 nkjv The US Army’s expression “hoo-ah” is a guttural response barked when troops voice approval. Its original meaning is lost to history, but some say it is derived from...

Read: Romans 8:12–17 A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. Psalm 68:5 The scene belonged on a funny Father’s Day card. As a dad muscled a lawn mower ahead of him with one hand, he expertly towed a child’s wagon behind him...

Read: 1 John 5:1–13 Everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. 1 John 5:4 Each year on June 18 the great Battle of Waterloo is recalled in what is now Belgium. On that day in 1815, Napoleon’s French...