November 3, 2017 DAILY READING Isaiah 1:17 This week’s sermon text: Romans 16:3-16 FIELD NOTESOur reading for today is one short verse: “learn to do good; seek justice; rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow.” In ancient times orphans and widows were among the most vulnerable members of society. Without a male…

November 2, 2017 DAILY READING Psalm 72:12-14 This week’s sermon text: Romans 16:3-16 FIELD NOTESPsalm 72 describes the reign of an ideal king and may have been originally used at a coronation or at the annual commemoration of a coronation. What are some characteristics of an ideal leader that this psalm describes? He or she…

November 1, 2017 DAILY READING Matthew 22:15-22 This week’s sermon text: Romans 16:3-16 FIELD NOTESIn today’s reading, Jesus’ enemies sought to trip him up with a trick question, a question designed to make Jesus offend someone with his answer — either the supporters of Jewish independence or the Romans themselves. They cunningly asked him if…

October 31, 2017 DAILY READING Acts 6:1-7 This week’s sermon text: Romans 16:3-16 FIELD NOTESMy mother-in-law had a clever way of solving disputes between her two children when it came time to divvy up the last pieces of cake or pie. She would say to them, “One of you slice, and the other one choose.”…

October 30, 2017 DAILY READING Romans 13:1-7 This week’s sermon text: Romans 16:3-16 FIELD NOTESToday’s reading raised all sorts of questions for me. As a citizen of a country which came into existence by throwing off the authority of its colonial overlords, Paul’s admonishment to “be subject to the governing authorities” and his statement that…

October 28, 2017 DAILY READING Ephesians 4:1-7 This week’s sermon text: Romans 13:1-7 FIELD NOTES Our devotions all week have revolved around how we can measure a person’s faith. What are the marks of a disciple of Christ? How do you measure spiritual growth? I struggle with perfectionism. Instead of seeing how God is using…

October 27, 2017 DAILY READING 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 This week’s sermon text: Romans 13:1-7 FIELD NOTES Sometimes when we use words and phrases like “love like Jesus” or “motivated by love,” it is difficult to tangibly understand what we mean. What does “love like Jesus” look like in the reality of the refugee crisis in…

October 26, 2017 DAILY READING 1 John 4:16 This week’s sermon text: Romans 13:1-7 FIELD NOTES “God is love; and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them.” This week, Davis asked us in his sermon, “How might you measure a person’s faith?” To measure a person’s height, you would…

October 25, 2017 DAILY READING Galatians 5:22-23 This week’s sermon text: Romans 13:1-7 FIELD NOTES We know that we are called to be disciples of Christ, but how do we know if we are on the right track? What are the marks of a Christian disciple? One of the most famous verses of the letter…