Posts by jhumphries

March 7, 2018 DAILY READING Isaiah 6:8 This weekend’s reading: Matthew 27:46, Mark 15:34 FIELD NOTES(Written by a student on the 2017 Merge middle school retreat.) I have felt God’s presence on many retreats, but I felt he was extremely present on Merge. It was the second day that I felt he was most present.…

March 6, 2018 DAILY READING Isaiah 6:8 This weekend’s reading: Matthew 27:46, Mark 15:34 FIELD NOTES(Written by a student on the 2017 Bahamas mission trip.) One morning on the mission trip to the beautiful island of Eleuthera in the Bahamas, my team and I were working on a man’s house (we never actually learned his…

March 5, 2018 ABOUT TODAY’S FIELD GUIDEToday’s Field Guide comes from our Share the Spirit devotional guide. These testimonials are written by students, staff, and volunteers who have participated in one of our youth mission trips or choir tours in the past. They are sharing their experiences and the lessons they learned from God and…

March 3, 2018 DAILY READING Matthew 15:1-9 Psalm 119:1-8 This weekend’s reading: John 19:26-27 FIELD NOTESLook, we can all admit that relationships are hard. People mistreat you. They gossip about you. They attack your character. Perhaps even worst of all, they completely ignore you. And yet, we see in the text that if we hate,…

March 2, 2018 DAILY READING 1 John 2:7-17 Psalm 119:1-8 This weekend’s reading: John 19:26-27 FIELD NOTESLook, we can all admit that relationships are hard. People mistreat you. They gossip about you. They attack your character. Perhaps even worst of all, they completely ignore you. And yet, we see in the text that if we…

March 1, 2018 DAILY READING James 1:12-16 Psalm 119:1-8 This weekend’s reading: John 19:26-27 FIELD NOTES“It is funny how mortals always picture us as putting things into their minds: in reality our best work is done by keeping things out.” The Screwtape Letters, C.S. Lewis God didn’t make us do it. Neither did the devil.…

February 28, 2018 DAILY READING John 8:12-30 Psalm 119:105-112 This weekend’s reading: John 19:26-27 FIELD NOTESScholar N.T. Wright says about Jesus in his book, John for Everyone: “He and his father are giving evidence that he is the Messiah; but if this is so, he is bringing the light that they cannot escape. As he…

February 27, 2018 DAILY READING 2 Corinthians 4:1-12 Psalm 119:105-112 This weekend’s reading: John 19:26-27 FIELD NOTESIs there anything worse than the feeling of hopelessness? I am hard-pressed to think of a worse feeling. And yet, unfortunately, all of us will eventually be in that space. Eventually we all find ourselves in a moment where…

February 26, 2018 DAILY READING Romans 11:2-10 Psalm 119:105-112 This weekend’s reading: John 19:26-27 FIELD NOTESThis sobering passage reminds us of this simple truth: we are not special. Sometimes our desires for ourselves cloud our view of those around us. We let jealousy, and really, our own sense of superiority dim us to the light…

February 24, 2018 DAILY READING Psalm 22:23-31 Mark 8:27-30 This weekend’s reading: Luke 23:43 FIELD NOTESAs today’s text opens, Jesus and his disciples are walking along the path to visit several villages around the pagan city Caesarea Philippi. Out of the blue, Jesus asked the disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” That was…