Ministries (Page 196)

Every Moment Matters June 20, 2018 Read: Philippians 1:12–24 | Bible in a Year: Esther 1–2; Acts 5:1–21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. Philippians 1:21 When I met Ada, she had outlived her entire group of friends and family and was living in a nursing home. “It’s the hardest part of getting old,” she told me, “watching everyone else move on and leave you behind.” One day I asked Ada what kept her…

Impaired Judgment June 19, 2018 Read: Matthew 7:1–6 | Bible in a Year: Nehemiah 12–13; Acts 4:23–37 Do not judge, or you too will be judged. Matthew 7:1 I’ve been quick to judge anyone I saw walking in the street while staring at a phone. How could they be so oblivious to the cars about to hit them? I’ve told myself. Don’t they care about their own safety? But one day, while crossing the entrance to an alleyway, I was…

Blessing in the Mess June 18, 2018 Read: Genesis 28:10–22 | Bible in a Year: Nehemiah 10–11; Acts 4:1–22 He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:6 I got myself into this mess, so I’d better get myself out, I sometimes find myself thinking. Although I believe in a God of grace, I’m still prone to act as if His help is available only when I…

Our Safe Place June 17, 2018 Read: Psalm 91 | Bible in a Year: Nehemiah 7–9; Acts 3 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” Psalm 91:2 My very first job was at a fast-food restaurant. One Saturday evening, a guy kept hanging around, asking when I got out of work. It made me feel uneasy. As the hour grew later, he ordered fries, then a drink, so…

As Advertised June 16, 2018 Read: John 16:25–33 | Bible in a Year: Nehemiah 4–6; Acts 2:22–47 In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. John 16:33 During a vacation, my husband and I signed up for a leisurely rafting tour down Georgia’s Chattahoochee River. Dressed in sandals, a sundress, and a wide brimmed hat, I groaned when we discovered—contrary to the advertisement—that the trip included light rapids. Thankfully, we rode with a…

“Lovable!” June 15, 2018 Read: Jeremiah 31:1–6 | Bible in a Year: Nehemiah 1–3; Acts 2:1–21 I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness. Jeremiah 31:3 “Lovable!” That exclamation came from my daughter as she got ready one morning. I didn’t know what she meant. Then she tapped her shirt, a hand-me-down from a cousin. Across the front was that word: “Lovable.” I gave her a big hug, and she smiled with pure…