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Psalm 19:8 – God’s Word Enlivens /// Morning Fuel
In Psalm 19 David talks about how God is speaking to us. And in verse 8, he says, “the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes;” He starts by saying that God’s Word (precepts) are RIGHT. I heard another pastor explain it this way: “They are morally right, practically right, universally right, they are right because it is the revelation of the god who is always right.” So…
What Is Plagiarism In A Sermon?
Our newly elected Southern Baptist Convention president Ed Litton was in the news recently because it was revealed that he had “plagiarized” sermons from the well-known mega church pastor JD Greear. Greear responded by saying that he gave him permission to use the sermons. However, Litton still got in trouble from the media because they said he was plagiarizing. As I read and listened to some of the responses from other pastors there was quite a vibrant discussion about what…
Psalm 1:1 – Don’t Get Sucked Into Sin /// Morning Fuel – A Three Minute Devotional
Psalm 1:1 says, “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers” Notice the progression. First, there is WALKING with the wicked. Wicked is a generic word for evil. Walking shows you are moving with it. But then the person, “stands in the way of sinners.” The word “sinners” is a step further. It is no longer just doing evil, it is…
2 Timothy 4:3-4 – Don’t Get Distracted /// Morning Fuel – A Three Minute Devotional
Listen to what Paul writes in 2 Timothy 4:3-4… “3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.” Paul points out that there are a LOT of different messages out there. Many people will say things that others WANT to hear even if it is not…
2 Timothy 4:7 – Finish The Race /// Morning Fuel
In 2 Timothy 4:7, Paul says, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” Second Timothy is thought to be Paul’s last letter he wrote. Chapter 4 is the last chapter of the last letter. He would be martyred just a little bit later. So he is, in essence, giving a farewell message. And as he reflects on his life, he says, “I fought a good fight. I finished the race.” What…
Psalm 104:14 – We are Caretakers, Not Owners /// Morning Fuel
The psalmist writes in Psalm 104:14 – You cause the grass to grow for the livestock and plants for man to cultivate, that he may bring forth food from the earth When I was younger, if we found something on the ground that had clearly been lost, we would say, “Finders, keepers, losers, weepers.” Meaning, someone lost it, but I found it, so now it’s mine. Now I am willing to bet that none of you say that any more…
Colossians 3:23-24 – You Ultimately Work For God /// Morning Fuel
I read an article in the Oregonian about a law enforcement officer that had to be disciplined for slacking off in his job. Get this, the name of the officer was Officer Doolittle! Anyways, Officer Doolittle was a K-9 handler for the West Linn police department and during the entirety of 2012-2013 he responded to ONE call! The officer was eventually forced to retire. Now contrast that with what Paul says in Colossians 3:23-24 – Whatever you do, work heartily,…
Ephesians 4:2 – How To Glorify God In Secular Work /// Morning Fuel
How do we glorify God in secular work? How does a stay-at-home mom glorify God with her life? How does an accountant? A retired person? A truck driver? To get a better idea of this, let’s look at one verse in Ephesians… In chapter 4:2, Paul tells us to walk in a manner worthy of the calling, “with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love.” In other words, ACTIONS. Actions are what glorify God. It’s…
Ephesians 4:1 – Glorify God In Any Job – Morning Fuel
Paul writes in Ephesians 4:1, “I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called,” There is a lot in this verse, but notice that at the beginning of that verse, Paul starts out by saying, “I am a prisoner!” We don’t know all the details of his imprisonment, but we do know that it was some sort of house arrest. So he had a little…
Morning Fuel – Ecclesiastes 12:13 – Do You Fear God?
In some of Solomon’s last words in the book of Ecclesiastes, he writes in 12:13, “The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.” In the twelve chapters leading up to these last words, Solomon talked about how he had it all. He was the richest man in the country. He had the most pleasure attainable. He was the most famous person of his time. People…
Morning Fuel – Ecclesiastes 11:9 – Don’t Waste Your Life
In Ecclesiastes 11:9, Solomon writes, “Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth. Walk in the ways of your heart and the sight of your eyes. But know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment.” Solomon starts out by saying, “Enjoy the youthful days! Let them be days of fun!” He has made this clear throughout the book of Ecclesiastes. It is OK to enjoy…
Morning Fuel – Ecclesiastes 9:7, 9 – Look Toward Eternity
In Ecclesiastes 9, Solomon spends 12 verses talking about death and how we should live in light of knowing that we will die. What’s interesting is that right in the middle of this section he spends several verses talking about enjoying life. Here is one part of that: 7 Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart… 9 Enjoy life with the wife whom you love…” Why does Solomon give these suggestions? One reason…