Archive for September 2017

September 19, 2017 DAILY READING Psalm 77 Nehemiah 9:9-15 Romans 14:13-15:2 This week’s sermon text: Romans 7:13-25 FIELD NOTES The book of Nehemiah tells the story of the newly returned Israelites from exile. The fragile community suffers under the Greek occupation of their ancestral home, leading to internal strife and division. Governor Nehemiah seeks to…

September 18, 2017 DAILY READING Psalm 77 Joshua 3:1-17 Hebrews 11:23-29 This week’s sermon text: Romans 7:13-25 FIELD NOTES When I was a hospice chaplain, one of my patients was a 97-year-old woman from Jamaica named Betty. Talking with her was the highlight of my day. Though Betty was full of joy and laughter, she…

September 16, 2017 DAILY READINGMatthew 6:7-15This week’s sermon text: Romans 6:1-14, 15-23 FIELD NOTESAgain, from The Voice translation: Your prayers, rather, should be simple, like this:   Our Father in heaven,      let Your name remain holy.Bring about Your kingdom.   Manifest Your will here on earth,      as it is manifest in heaven.Give us each day that day’s…

September 15, 2017 DAILY READINGExodus 14:1-18This week’s sermon text: Romans 6:1-14, 15-23 FIELD NOTESThe Israelites are free. They are on their journey away from Egypt, and Pharaoh changes his mind. He has lost his workforce. He must get them back. So he readies his army to go after them. The Israelites see Pharaoh approaching and…

September 14, 2017 DAILY READING1 John 3:11-16This week’s sermon text: Romans 6:1-14, 15-23 FIELD NOTESMichael Gungor, a Christian musician and author, recently made a statement on social media that was relevant to today’s passage. He said, “Love is the narrow path…demonizing the other and loving your own is the easy and natural thing to do.…

September 13, 2017 DAILY READINGExodus 13:1-10This week’s sermon text: Romans 6:1-14, 15-23 FIELD NOTESWe’ve all been through hard times, some harder than others. Our question today is: how do we remember those moments when God brought us through hard times? The story of the Exodus is not a small story. Many of our hardships will…

September 12, 2017 DAILY READINGExodus 12:29-42This week’s sermon text: Romans 6:1-14, 15-23 FIELD NOTESHow many times have you read the story of the Exodus? How many times have you heard it taught in Sunday school or worship? I have read this story multiple times and seen just about every movie made about it, and yet,…

September 11, 2017 DAILY READINGPsalm 121This week’s sermon text: Romans 6:1-14, 15-23 FIELD NOTESToday I want to highlight a different translation of this familiar Psalm. This is from The Voice translation: A song for those journeying to worship.I look up at the vast size of the mountains—   from where will my help come in times…