Posts with the category “devotional”

1 Corinthians 3:5-9 Have you ever tried to keep a plant alive? I have tried over and over to grow my own herbs; I fail every time! My thumb is anything but green. 1 Corinthians 3:5-9 paints a picture of growing plants. The Corinthian church was divided between who to follow: Apollos or Paul. Paul wrote to the church to explain that they are both servants of God; together. I know what you’re thinki...  Read More

1 Corinthians 3:1-4 Imagine being a church getting a letter from Paul. Paul, the famous missionary who is going around and starting churches all over the known world. You are excited to hear from him, and you see this scolding in the letter. I think it would be hard to not take the letter at that very moment and not tear it up! I could not believe how this would have made the people in Corinth fee...  Read More

1 Corinthians 12 The human body is fascinating and every part of it is necessary and serves a beautiful purpose. It’s remarkable to know that our bodies have the ability to regenerate and repair itself. A few other notable facts are that the skin can be grafted from one part of the body to grow on another part. It is the human body’s largest organ and is constantly renewing itself. And wow, did yo...  Read More

1 Corinthians 1:13-17 In 1858 Abraham Lincoln gave his house divided speech upon accepting the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate. In that speech he quoted Mark 3:25, “And if a house divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand” (ESV). Lincoln was warning that America had to deal with the slavery issue otherwise the nation would split and fall. Lincoln's words would be prophetic...  Read More

1 Corinthians 1:10-12 In the American church it is very easy to follow the celebrity preachers. The ones who are all over social media showing off the amazing things that are going on in their communities and churches. I am not downplaying their impact on the communities around them and the Gospel impact that is being spread through them. However, just like the Church in Corinth we too must be car...  Read More

1 Corinthians 1:4-9 When God saves a person, he does not leave that person powerless. In fact, every disciple of Jesus has been given spiritual gifts that are meant to be used for Kingdom growth and influence (Romans 12:6-8; 1 Corinthians 12; Ephesians 4:11). The question is not whether or not we have them; the question is WHAT ARE WE DOING WITH THEM?One of the key words that must be spoken in rel...  Read More

Week 1Main Point and Overview:    As a parent, you tend to repeat yourself when your kids are not listening to you. The Apostle Paul had a lot to say to the Corinthian church that he had to keep saying over and over again. In all reality, the Corinthians were a lot like the modern-day American church. Filled with potential, power, prosperity, and promise, she had the greatest opportunity for Gospe...  Read More

Romans 8:28-30; 12:1-2 Above all else. Living life demands priority. We wake up each morning with our “to do’s” and “honey do’s,” but when it comes right down to it, no matter how important the list may be, there can only be one “Number one.” Even for the most proficient multi-tasker, you can still truly only focus on one thing at a time. I remember when I was given my first “organizer.” This was ...  Read More

Ruth 4:16-22 I love a good story, especially love stories! Some of my favorite movies are romances. I’m a sucker for a hallmark movie! Yes, even though they are cheesy and we can usually guess the storyline in the first 5 minutes! Today we wrap up the story of Ruth in the final verses of the book. Maybe you saw it coming, maybe you didn’t, but the story is complete and the piece of the puzzle is n...  Read More

Ruth 4:13-17 So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. When he made love to her, the LORD enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son. The women said to Naomi: “Praise be to the LORD, who this day has not left you without a guardian-redeemer. May he become famous throughout Israel! He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law, who loves you and who is...  Read More

Ruth 4:9-12 In the movie Princess Bride, there are a lot of iconic lines. Lines like “Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father prepare to die”. Or “Mawage. Mawage is wot bwings us togeder today” (it was hard to get that line through spellcheck-LOL). If you are familiar with this movie then these and many other lines will make you laugh. The theme of the movie is true love and how it c...  Read More

Ruth 4:4b-8 Have you ever had a situation where you knew it was going to be a fight to get what you wanted? If your house is like the Robertson's house, then any home project you start you will expect a challenge. Something is going to get in the way, causing you to stop and deal with the challenge before you move on to completing the task. Sarah and I often joke about when I start a project aroun...  Read More

Ruth 4:1-4a We have all encountered times in our lives where we had to take a “step of faith” not knowing how things would turn out. I remember coming to Emmanuel almost 14 years ago to be the lead pastor here. I was coming off of almost 17 years of youth ministry, much of which God really blessed. I remember a specific conversation I had with my wife Tami where she asked me, “You do well with tee...  Read More

Week 4Main Point and Overview:    The Will of God is worth “giving everything that you have” to experience! Sometimes, God lays out for us an opportunity that is meant just for us. In this moment, he exposes how serious we actually are about pursuing this opportunity. Boaz was a man of passionate integrity and compassion. He saw Ruth as a special lady who was worthy of his time, attention, and pro...  Read More

Ruth 3:16-18 “Be patient!” How many times have you said that to your child? And how many times did you hear that as a child from your parents? I think it is safe to say that for everyone who is reading this, multiple times over and over. Patience does not come easily because we tend to be pursuers of immediate gratification. In the movie “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” (the original 1971 i...  Read More

Ruth 3:12-15 The night before my wedding I could barely sleep! The anticipation and excitement of the day ahead was all I could think of. I couldn’t wait for my soon to be husband to see my dress. I couldn’t wait to celebrate with family and friends. I wondered what the weather would be like (storms were predicted). I wondered how everything would come together. I thought of how my life was about ...  Read More

Ruth 3:10-11 “The Lord bless you, my daughter,” he replied. “This kindness is greater than that which you showed earlier: You have not run after the younger men, whether rich or poor. And now, my daughter, don’t be afraid. I will do for you all you ask. All the people of my town know that you are a woman of noble character," Ruth 3:10-11.What a beautiful opening. Boaz prays. Even with the unexpect...  Read More

Ruth 3:7-9 Sometimes God asks to do something hard, to step out in full trust of His providence. Often our first response is “why me?” or “isn’t there someone more qualified?” Ruth may have had similar feelings of doubt and a resistance to enacting the plan that Naomi had. It would require Ruth to humble herself and ask for Boaz to redeem her. She would have to trust God that she wouldn’t be rejec...  Read More

Ruth 3:5-6 If I had to summarize today's devotion into one statement, it would say the following: Listen to your wise mentors. Well that also fits the title of today's devotional based on Ruth 3:5-6 which tells us this:“I will do whatever you say,” Ruth answered. So she went down to the threshing floor and did everything her mother-in-law told her to do.It is very common for us to act on decisions...  Read More

Ruth 3:1-4 When I was in college, I really didn’t care about dating a whole lot. I dated some girls, but I was more obsessed with serving the Lord and sports. I know, big surprise. By the time my senior year came along, I had a cute freshman that was interested in me, but in all honesty, we were going in two different directions. I had dated a girl my sophomore year, but that didn’t work out. I re...  Read More

Week 3Main Point and Overview: Nothing in life worth truly experiencing is free of taking a bold risk! The fact is that most Christians “play it safe” and never reach their full potential for Gospel influence. It’s also true from practical experience that most people are more likely to choose “easy” over “hard”. Missing out on greater prosperity, larger career success, and most importantly lasting...  Read More

Matthew 6:25-34 Back in the summer of 1988, a big hit on the musical pop charts was the song “Don’t Worry, Be happy.” It was a simple song done entirely with voice, no instruments, which was catchy and fun. It’s message was just as the title implies, don’t worry, be happy. Worry is a topic that is addressed throughout Scripture, because it is a “sport” that many (if not all) of us excel at. My wif...  Read More

Ruth 2:19-23 My mom has a bumper sticker on her truck that says, “Jesus, not luck.” What the world would define as lucky or coincidental, is God’s hand at work every time. I have heard stories from Christians in my life about being in the right place at the right time. I’ve heard about how God has met a financial need even right down to the penny. I’ve heard and seen things I can’t even begin to e...  Read More

Ruth 2:17-18 Today’s reading, just two verses might seem like small details, but press in, you do not want to miss this “more than imagined” moment.“So Ruth gleaned in the field until evening. Then she threshed the barley she had gathered, and it amounted to about an ephah. She carried it back to town, and her mother-in-law saw how much she had gathered. Ruth also brought out and gave her what she...  Read More

Ruth 2:8-16 “Character is like a tree and reputation like its shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing.” — Abraham Lincoln.Ruth is a woman of godly character. We see evidence of this in chapter one of Ruth. After losing her husband, she could have returned home to security and comfort but chose to stay with Naomi and trust God for her needs. This character again shines...  Read More

Ruth 2:4-7 We all have heard the saying, “The early bird gets the worm.” Which is usually true, and when we think about today's title, “Integrity gets noticed,” we can say that it’s true here as well. You see Boaz and Ruth both showing integrity in today's passage. As we dive in, I encourage you to take note of when their acts of integrity get noticed in a loud visible way.We read in verse 4: “Jus...  Read More

Ruth 2:1-3 One of the best things that we can do when we are struggling or having experienced a difficult situation is to “grind.” What I mean is that this is when you need to “put your head down and work hard!” In other words, you cannot change what just happened to you, but what you can do is to “push forward” knowing that God is not done with writing your story. He loves you despite what you “j...  Read More

Week 2Main Point and Overview: When Ruth and Naomi returned back into Israel, they knew that their survival would depend on a new source of “income.” So, Ruth suggested that she go and “glean” grain in the fields with the harvesters. One of the Mosaic Laws required that corners of fields were to be left unharvested for the “poor” of Israel. This prevented the owners from hoarding wealth while allo...  Read More

Ruth 1:20-22 Naomi was totally committed to Ruth. But with the loss of her own family, Ruth was now Naomi’s only family. A life full was now left empty. Mara literally means “bitter,” and Naomi from that point on wanted to be referred to as that name because that became her identity. She was bitter because she felt God had, for all intents and purposes, abandoned her. Bitterness is insidious. Ther...  Read More

Ruth 1:19 Throughout most of my life I’ve almost always made friends that ended up moving away. My closest friend growing up moved to Kentucky when I was in elementary school. A friend of mine moved to Tennessee a few years ago, another moved to Montana, and most recently my best friend moved to Ohio. Sadly, I've had to adjust to what long distance friendship looks like (or doesn’t look like). Tha...  Read More

Ruth 1:14b-18 “At this they wept aloud again. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye, but Ruth clung to her. “Look,” said Naomi, “your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods. Go back with her.” But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where ...  Read More

Ruth 1:11-14a Some of the greatest stories of fiction have this moment when all hope is lost. There is no way out, circumstances are beyond the control of the person, and the story seems to have ended here at this tragic point. I’m thinking of a classic like “Where’s Waldo?” (well maybe not a classic? but my kids loved them). You search through those pictures desperate to find this dude with glass...  Read More

Ruth 1:6-10 Anytime I hear or see the word “pivot”, my mind instantly goes to the episode of friends when they are moving the couch on the stairs. While pivoting often comes at a stressful or crucial time in our lives, the same was true for Ruth. We see this play out in today's passage as difficult choices were made by Naomi. We see in just this short passage multiple pivots being made.“When Naomi...  Read More

Ruth 1:1-5   I still remember it like it was yesterday. We had arrived in West Branch at my parent’s cabin for a week of swimming, ice cream, late-night movies, games, and a ton of fun…that is until my parents received the fateful call. I was sitting in the living room across from the kitchen as that phone call came. One of my parent’s pastors was trying to get a hold of my aunt and uncle (who wer...  Read More

Week 1Main Point and Overview:    Can you imagine going through “that kind” of pain! You lose your husband, brother-in-law, and father-in-law all within a short period of time. In the culture of that day, women did not have the financial and physical opportunities that they have today. All of a sudden, comfort and contentment was “out the window” for these three ladies. They were now faced with th...  Read More

Titus 2:6-8 & Proverbs 20:7 “Do as I say and not as I do.” This statement frustrated me to no end when I was a child. You may not consider it, but children develop a sense of morality and fairness much earlier than you might think. I remember thinking to myself things like, “why is this thing okay for them but not for me?” Or “why should I have to do this when you never do?” Now that I have kids o...  Read More

2 Timothy 1:5 Generational impact is SO very important! How we choose to live out our faith WILL make an impact whether good or bad. The hope is that we choose to live out our faith in a Christ-like manner so that we can be that example to our children, our children’s children, and to others outside of our little church at home. I am the woman I am today because I watched both of my parents live o...  Read More

1 Samuel 2 I think we can all agree that enablement never leads to anything good. As the fun uncle growing up with lots of nieces and nephews, I could enable the kids to do something, but 99% of the time they took it way too far and either got hurt or got in trouble. We can take it a step further and talk about how not correcting issues leads to enablement, the type that I believe we often think a...  Read More

Proverbs 3:11-12 Let’s be honest here, no parent loves to discipline their kids. Quite frankly, it can be the most challenging part of parenting. However, discipline is not just beneficial; it’s essential. In Proverbs 3:11-12, it says, “My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline and do not resent his rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.” God sh...  Read More

Proverbs 22:6 Ever since I was a child, I knew that I wanted to be a mom. As I got older, I had a deep desire that I knew God had put on my heart to bear children. Our journey wasn’t easy, but I sit here writing this after putting my beautiful 8 month old son to bed.“Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.” Proverbs 22:6 NIVThis verse is...  Read More