Read Isaiah 62:3-5 My mom saved up money for the entire year to buy my dad a new guitar. It was a surprise; he had no idea it was coming. We were all in [...]

Read Isaiah 64:1-4 His life was a mess. He’d had all the warning signs, the cold shoulders at home, the one- or two-word responses to questions, the lack of eye contact, the kids’ refusal [...]

Read Luke 2:14-15 “Have yourself a merry little Christmas.” “Have a holly, jolly Christmas.” “We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.” Merriment is all around us. We decorate with large [...]

Read Luke 4:16-21 It was a radically different law from any other they had ever heard. God told his people to take every seventh day for rest and worship. He then told them to [...]

Read Psalm 37:1-9 The more I hear about the state of our world, the more I’m thankful that I trust in a just God, the lover of justice. It’s very difficult to hear about [...]

PREPARE Isaiah 61 is a rather dense chapter, but it’s overflowing with jubilant imagery. This piece of prophecy offers a new picture of joy and celebration on the backdrop of pain and suffering. Centuries [...]

Read Matthew 2:1-6 The wise men ask an interesting question: “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews?” Perhaps the wise men wondered why the star led them to a small [...]

Read Isaiah 40:9 Seared in my memory forever are the first moments of seeing each of my children after they were born. Each of these times, it was as though the world stood still, [...]

Read Luke 1:68-79 It’s amazing to me the things I remember from my childhood. One thing I remember was my dad telling me never to make promises I didn’t intend to keep. This life [...]

Read Luke 3:2-9 Over the past few years, I’ve attempted to play fantasy football. In doing so, I’ve learned an interesting thing about fantasy sports: you’re always at the mercy of real players and [...]