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DAILY READING Luke 15:4-6: “Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it? When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders and rejoices. And when he comes home, he calls…

DAILY READING John 15:15: “I call you friend!” (Jesus speaking) FIELD NOTES Dr. Frankenstein sewed body parts into a monster we call “Frankenstein.” Eventually, the monster escapes into the woods. He follows soothing music to a blind man’s hut. Instead of seeing a monster, the blind man sees a kind heart, invites the monster inside,…

DAILY READING Mark 8:22-26 FIELD NOTES Jesus healed a blind man’s eyes with his saliva and his touch. Can you imagine the change this wrought in the man’s life? No longer forced to beg, the man could now work and earn a living and support himself and his family. Healing changed not only his physical…

DAILY READING Nehemiah 1:1-11 FIELD NOTES After Jerusalem was destroyed by the Babylonians in 587 BC, the Temple was laid waste and the walls of the city were broken down. The once-proud city of David was in shambles and its remaining people were destitute and starving. 00Nearly 150 years later, a Jewish man serving the…

DAILY READING Psalm 34:1-8 FIELD NOTES When my children were small, we had a rule at our dinner table — you didn’t have to eat everything on your plate, but you had to at least try a bite before you announced, “I don’t like this!!” As parents, we knew something our kids didn’t — sometimes…

DAILY READING John 13:1-17 FIELD NOTES When I was in high school at a small private Christian school, my New Testament teacher did something I’ll never forget. In a lesson about Jesus’ humility and servant leadership, we read the passage from John 13 where Jesus took off his robe, tied a towel around his waist,…

DAILY READING Mark 10:23-27 FIELD NOTES Several years ago, I went to South Africa on a mission trip with our church. I traveled with my daughter who had just graduated from high school, one of her best friends and her father, and several other members of the church. While we were there, we attended the…

DAILY READING Mark 10:17-31 FIELD NOTES The story of the rich young ruler is a saga of a man who had everything. He had money, reputation, respect and religion. He was the picture of piety and blessing. And yet, something was missing. Thus, he came to Jesus. “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” he asked.…