Advent Devotions

Psalm 71:1-14 Because Psalm 71 repeats many of the phrases and themes of Psalm 22, which was quoted by Christ on the cross, it is associated with the passion of Christ and is a common lectionary reading for Holy Week. This Psalm is a prayer for help for those who seek...

John 12: 23-36 In The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch, Randy gives a great example of living for something more than himself. He bought his first new car and was really excited about it. He drove over to his sister's house to take his niece and nephew for a ride. His...

Matthew 21:12-17 We know from rabbinic sources that the chief priest, Caiaphas, established markets inside the temple in order to compete with his political enemies who controlled the markets outside the temple. Jesus was not opposed to the necessary business of the...

Luke 19:28-40 During the Passover Feast in Jerusalem, the people from all over Israel came to celebrate this national feast. The Jewish historian, Josephus, estimated that almost three million people crowded the Holy City for this celebration. When Jesus came into...

Romans 12:1-21 Most of us think of worship as the one hour on Sunday morning where we sit in the Sanctuary, listen to beautiful music, and hear the word of God. In Romans 12:1-21, we are encouraged, not to think of worship as a ritual, but rather to think of worship...

John 10:1-18 In the time when Jesus of Nazareth lived there existed a great deal of political unrest. The Jews were tired of Roman rule and occupation, and some were actively seeking a change. For those who were of a religious bent, there was fodder for their...

Mark 8:27-38 While walking with his disciples, Jesus had been preparing them for his suffering, death, and three days later, his resurrection. Then speaking to the assembled crowd and his disciples, Jesus explained how to become a disciple of his: “… Whosoever will...

John 1:1-13 I first wrote about these verses in the devotion this past Advent, remarking on the depth of meaning of the term "logos" that is so central to this passage. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." But here and now,...

John 4:7-30 I recently attended a funeral for a woman who spent her life in service to other people and her church. Martha was the woman that helped my in-laws as their primary care giver in the last years of their life, just as she had helped countless others during...

Hebrews 12:1-3 What a heritage we have at River Road Church! I am grateful for the faith of those men and women who poured their time and money into founding our church. I am grateful for the faith of those who risked life, family, and resources to settle in this new...

Philippians 3:4b-14 When Paul wrote this letter he was a prisoner in Rome facing possible death, yet he was cheerful. He was urging the people of Philippi to be persistent in their faith and to “rejoice” in the Lord. Before Paul met Jesus on the road to Damascus he...

John 11:17-44 It is the shortest verse in the Bible – two words. What can two words tell us about anything, much less about Jesus? Actually they can tell us quite a lot. They tell us that Jesus felt sadness. We also know that he had empathy for Mary and Martha in the...

Luke 18:9-14 Jesus tells a parable of two men at prayer in the temple, one a Pharisee, the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stands by himself. As a member of a popular, influential, religious party, he takes his faith seriously. He’s a good guy, an exemplar and...

John 6:27-40 While listening to a seminar on sales techniques, I was struck by a statement of the instructor. She was talking about how you should approach different types of people, the difficulty of selling some types of products, and how selling her product was...

1 John 1:5-2:6 I once knew a woman who went to see a therapist because she and her husband were considering divorce. The woman had been cheating on her husband for several months. She tearfully told the therapist on her first visit that she felt so guilty. The...

Romans 10:8-13 Though Advent is the traditional season of waiting in the Christian church, I find myself more impatient during Lent. At the conclusion of Lent stands the Cross, where sins are absolved and salvation is sure. Lent, however, is fraught with the constant...

Romans 5:6-11 Some of the very first attacks aimed at the Christian faith came from those who argued that the Christian view of God’s love was just too irrational to believe. Why would a good and holy God even be concerned with sinful persons, much less send His son...

Luke 15:11-32 This familiar parable told by Jesus can only be found in Luke. It is often called “the return of the lost son” or “the forgiving father.” It is basically a story involving a father and his two sons or an emotional triangle. The reader can easily identify...

Hebrews 8:8-12 This passage found in the New Testament book of Hebrews is a quotation from the Old Testament book of Jeremiah, chapter 31. It speaks of God’s desire to make a new covenant with the “house of Israel” that will be written on their hearts. The author of...

2 Corinthians 5:20-6:10 “Ambassador for Christ.” I remember hearing that phrase growing up, usually in the context of missions and spreading the gospel. When I first read this passage, this was the phrase that caught my eye and made me select the passage to write a...

John 8: 2-11 If you search for today’s scripture passage in other than the King James Version, you may have difficulty finding it. More modern versions of the Bible include it in brackets or even in a footnote rather than the text. The explanation given by scholar...

I Corinthians 1:18-31 I was 12 years old when I was baptized. I remember saying the words “Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior” and then being lowered into the water. Another thing I remember about that day is receiving a gold cross necklace from my parents to mark this...

Philippians 2:5-11 During the time Paul was imprisoned in Rome, he wrote a loving, parental type letter to the church at Philippi, a church that was dear to his heart. He had previously received word that there was disagreement and discord in the fellowship. In trying...

Matthew 6:1-6 As Jesus begins his teachings on prayer in the Sermon on the Mount, he starts by telling us how not to pray. Jesus is critical of mechanical piety, praying with the attitude that if you simply say the correct words often enough, you can purchase the...

Luke 13:1-9 Do you believe that when something bad happens to you, God is punishing you for something you did wrong? In Jesus’ day, many Jews held such a belief (see John 9:2-3), partially because numerous passages in the Old Testament speak of God’s punishing the...

Ephesians 4:25-5: Growing up Baptist, I didn't have much exposure to Lent at the church I attended. Much of my limited knowledge of Lent came from the Ash Wednesday chapel services at my Episcopal elementary school. Once, I asked my mom about giving things up for Lent...

Amos 5:11-15, 21-24 “I despise your festivals and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies.” Is that really possible – our worship, our singing, and even our prayers can be a sin? The prophet Isaiah raises the same questions when he pictures God as saying, “I will...

Joel 2:1-3, 12-17 There are times in life when we were at the end of our rope, when we are hanging on to life by our fingernails. Joel is speaking to the children of Israel at such a time. They had just endured a terrible pestilence of a locust plague and now they are...