Daily Devotionals

Ecclesiastes 3:7

Kids can be nutty.

Some friends of ours have two daughters. They are now all grown up, but years ago, the younger child was constantly on the move, rarely winding down by bedtime.

Jude1:22–23

Tom Skinner, the gifted evangelist, penned a book with a title that won’t let me go: If Christ Is the Answer, What Are the Questions?

I appreciate that title ... not only because it’s creative, but because it seems to strike a chord with the voices of many searchers in society.

Romans 12:10–13

We live in an increasingly impersonal age. With cell phones and gadgets ruling the day, kids’ eyes glued to tablet screens, and endless hours being spent by people of all ages scrolling through social media, it seems there’s little need for face-to-face, personal interaction anymore.

Ephesians 2:8

Let’s label.

That’s a favourite game among Christians.

Anyone can play, but it’s especially appealing to those who are given to oversimplification. And it helps if you speak with a measure of authority. You’ll gain stature in the group if you look down and frown a little as you affix the label to the person in question.

Labels vary. There are “temperament” labels. “She’s a choleric, poor thing ... married to a melancholic!”

Luke 4:21–22

My kids pulled a fast one on me one Christmas many years ago. They teamed up, pooled their vast financial resources, and bought me a little motto to set on my desk. Itwas more than cute ... it was convicting. In bold, black letters it read:

DIETS ARE FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE THICK AND TIRED OF IT

At first you thmile ... then it makes you thad. Especially if you’re not thick of being thick!

1 Corinthians 13:4–7

If the truth were known, there’s a secret “detective spirit” in most of us. Thanks to the popularity of television detective series, we vicariously probe for motives, analyze the evidence, and ponder the villain’s next move. Our curiosity forces us to investigate things that are just slightly irregular.

Luke 10:37

Kitty Genovese was brutally attacked late one night as she returned to her apartment. She screamed and shrieked as she fought for her life for 30 minutes. Thirty-eight people watched the half-hour episode from their windows with rapt fascination. Not one called the police. Kitty died that night as 38 witnesses stared in silence.

Acts 8:26–40

I want to introduce you to what I call the Philip Approach to evangelism. This Christ-centred method is set forth in a series of seven principles drawn from Acts 8:26–40. This remarkable follower of Christ named Philip was engaged in a citywide crusade at Samaria. God was using him mightily (see 8:5–8). Suddenly, the Lord spoke to His spokesman and instructed him to leave the city and travel to Gaza, a desert area (see 8:26). Faithful Philip got up and went (see 8:27). He was available (Principle 1).

Romans 10:15

Various methods are employed to communicate the Good News of Christ to the lost. Some of the approaches appear to be successful on the surface, but underneath they leave much to be desired.

Psalm 68:5

Several years ago, a couple was enjoying a drive along a wooded section near Belle Chasse, Louisiana. Something white in the trees caught their eyes. Their investigation led them to a dead teenager hanging from a limb, a white bedsheet knotted tightly around his neck. A farewell note, laced with despair, was near the trunk of the tree. It was addressed simply to “Mom and Dad.”