tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-174025742012-01-31T09:33:43.418-05:00Brian Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536154761747032506noreply@blogger.comBlogger1701100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17402574.post-56996835146179964392009-08-02T07:45:00.001-04:002009-08-02T07:45:03.806-04:00

Matthew 6:19-34Many of us are well aware that we have been in a recession for some time now. The stock market has experienced significant losses that have resulted in investors like you and me, charities and institutions like our church to have lost between 20-40% in the value of investments. Most real estate values have declined and the housing market is slow. Most businesses have

Brian Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536154761747032506noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17402574.post-74694700922219070732009-07-26T08:09:00.001-04:002009-07-26T08:09:14.378-04:00

Luke 17:11-19Some of you may watch VH-1 on occasion. If you have, you may have seen the show, New York Goes to Hollywood. It is about a girl named Tiffany who goes to Hollywood in attempts a being an actress. As the show begins, the them song "The World Should Revolve Around Me" by Little Jackie comes on. The lyrics are interesting. It says, I 've had enough failed relationshipsI don't

Brian Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536154761747032506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17402574.post-8307704903189953992009-07-19T08:04:00.001-04:002009-07-19T08:04:42.644-04:00

Luke 16:19-31In an episode on Every Loves Raymond, Debra and the kids got to church while Ray stays home. When they go home, the following conversation takes place:     Debra Barone: Honey, show daddy what you drew. Ray Barone: That's okay, I can figure it out. [Ally hands Ray a drawing] Ray Barone: Um, lets see. A big wall of red? Ally Barone: No. Debra Barone: Ally told me that was a

Brian Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536154761747032506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17402574.post-13545134538651966202009-07-15T15:11:00.001-04:002009-07-15T15:11:38.728-04:00

Last week I had lunch with a friend who has just moved back into Chattanooga and is in the process of finding a church home. During lunch, I asked him what he looks for in a church as he visits. He essentially evaluates three things: (1) message, (2) music (3) crowd. Message: He wants the message to actually apply to real life situations. Music: This person prefers contemporary worship. When

Brian Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536154761747032506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17402574.post-1810441166779072122009-07-13T10:35:00.001-04:002009-07-13T10:35:48.646-04:00

Luke 15:11-32Have you ever lost something valuable? I think one of the most naked feelings is to lose something that is important to you. About four years ago, I was in the Wal-Mart playing around on some of the chairs, trying to find out which ones were the most comfortable ones. I did get some strange looks, but it was worth it. I left the Wal-Mart and got back into the truck and had been

Brian Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536154761747032506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17402574.post-3327010207694881432009-07-13T10:33:00.001-04:002009-07-13T10:33:27.870-04:00

Scripture: Luke 14:15-24 Have you ever thought about the excuses we give for failing to do something? CNN.com reported these real excuses for being late to work1. While rowing across the river to work, I got lost in the fog.2. Someone stole all my daffodils.3. I had to go audition for American Idol.4. My ex-husband stole my car so I couldn't drive to work.5. My route to work was shut down by

Brian Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536154761747032506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17402574.post-62096486384754909462009-07-13T10:28:00.001-04:002009-07-13T10:28:33.263-04:00

Luke 10:25-37I will never forget a man named Jack. We called him "the candy man", not after the movie, but because he would give out candy to all the kids after church. He would always ask the question, "Are you still saved?" Sometimes he would put his hand on my head and tell me he was going to pray for me and he would say, "Out ignorance." My favorite was when he would come up to me and say

Brian Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536154761747032506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17402574.post-1330595340202690692009-07-13T10:26:00.001-04:002009-07-13T10:26:31.852-04:00

Luke 10:38-42Cats in the Cradle was originally written in 1974 by Harry Chapin. It is about a father that is too busy for his son and keeps telling him that he will spend time with him later on. By the end of the song, the little boy grows up and is a man. The song is then reversed, with the dad asking the son to come visit and the son says, I've long since retired, my son's moved away.I

Brian Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536154761747032506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17402574.post-48768818094619977652009-07-13T10:24:00.001-04:002009-07-13T10:24:33.869-04:00

Luke 4:16-30We recognize many products by the phrase that they use in advertisements. For example, when someone says, "Just dot is" we think Nike"Reach out and Touch Someone we think AT&T"Snap, Crackle, Pop" we think Rice Krispies"Where's the Beef" we think Wendi's'It keeps going, and going and going" we think Energizer Batteries'It's everywhere you want to be." VISAChurches are even getting

Brian Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536154761747032506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17402574.post-13533637070591060872009-07-01T09:56:00.001-04:002009-07-01T09:56:35.652-04:00

In my reading today, I read through Luke 13. One story struck me, which had Jesus on the Sabbath heal a woman who was hunched over. Of coarse he was chastised for this. His response was in the form of a question of sorts. He really asks what the purpose of the Sabbath is. He phrases it like this, "Shouldn't she be untied from this bondage on the Sabbath?" The answer, of coarse is "yes." In

Brian Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536154761747032506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17402574.post-30313543687685073462009-06-23T12:21:00.001-04:002009-06-23T12:21:16.602-04:00

All of my Presbyterian friends have been telling me to read two books by Tim Keller, so I finally gave in and read The Prodigal God. Tim Keller is the pastor an inner city church in New York called, Redeemer Presbyterian Church. He has a huge audience through his books and sermons. He is very well loved, especially in the Reformed Tradition. I found this book to be very insightful.Tim

Brian Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536154761747032506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17402574.post-88920904248342906112009-06-07T08:37:00.001-04:002009-06-07T08:37:55.323-04:00

This weekend marks a mile stone for me. I went to Kentucky to attend the graduation of the youngest kids who were in my youth group when I left for Chattanooga back in 2003. I can't believe it is already time for them to graduate. I can still remember announcing to the youth that I was leaving after four great years of youth ministry. I remember Kelsi, who graduated this year, telling me that

Brian Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536154761747032506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17402574.post-8397812386542967612009-06-01T09:53:00.001-04:002009-06-01T09:53:05.533-04:00

Some may have seen the movie Fun with Dick and Jane. In the movie, Dick receives a huge promotion to Vice President. Little does he know, but the owner of the company has sold all of his stocks and the company is going bankrupt. On his fist day as Vice President, he is given the task of going on television. He is not aware that the company is going under and is made to look like a fool on

Brian Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536154761747032506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17402574.post-48539438667355049372009-06-01T09:47:00.001-04:002009-06-01T09:48:09.717-04:00

When Melanie and I bought our home, we were very fortunate to buy a home with good landscaping in the front yard. The previous owners had planted bushes and plants that really make the front of the house appealing. One thing I discovered during the first and subsequent summers is that this landscaping in the front will grow automatically every year and bloom. The problem though, is that

Brian Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536154761747032506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17402574.post-64790535125306004452009-06-01T09:43:00.001-04:002009-06-01T09:43:20.488-04:00

In December of 2008, ABC aired a story about Mother who is raising her son with his Father's wisdom. Charles King went to Iraq before his son Jordon was born and was killed six weeks after meeting his son for the first time. Charles had been preparing for something like this so he had written a journal for his son to give him guidance in his life. Although Jordan will never remember meeting

Brian Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536154761747032506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17402574.post-62646190906517456222009-05-19T11:01:00.001-04:002009-05-19T11:01:30.847-04:00

I wrote the following essay in replay to a paper a good friend of mine wrote. Why do people who claim to be Christians decide to participate and support things that seem to be contradictory to the lifestyle they profess? The answer, from the paper, suggests that you believe it is because our society is becoming more and more tolerant. I would agree with this in some regards. We are defiantly

Brian Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536154761747032506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17402574.post-82613519867533199052009-05-12T11:45:00.001-04:002009-05-12T11:45:17.021-04:00

Rob Bell is a very popular writer and speaker. He is well known for his Pneuma videos and his two books, Velvet Elvis and Sex God. I have not watched many of the Pneuma videos, but his other two books are worth reading. For some Christians, Rob Bell boarders on heresy and for others, he is a true prophet. I am not familiar with Don Golden except that he was the lead pastor at Mars Hill

Brian Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536154761747032506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17402574.post-21766548745318121952009-05-11T10:16:00.001-04:002009-05-11T10:16:57.872-04:00

After reading my book review of Surprised by Hope, a church member sent me an article from "Time Magazine" entitled, "Christians are Wrong About Heaven" The article is very good and does a great job of giving a summery of the book. If you are struggling with the question, "What happens when we die" this is a great article. Click on the article title to read it!

Brian Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536154761747032506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17402574.post-20882933070959971452009-05-11T10:08:00.001-04:002009-05-11T10:08:01.142-04:00

Jesus begins the "Farewell Discourse" by telling them that he will only be with them for a short time, but that he has a new commandment for them. By the way, this is where we get the term Maundy, which is Latin for the word "Mandate." In other words, Jesus is giving a "New Mandate" to the disciples. We celebrate this on 'Maundy Thursday" during holy week. The new command, which is repeated

Brian Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536154761747032506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17402574.post-76457279113076783472009-05-05T07:44:00.001-04:002009-05-05T07:44:04.533-04:00

I chose to read NCD because our church will be using some of the principles as we set out some strategic goals for our future. Schwarz sells this program as being distinct from other church growth models in that NCD is not a method to be followed that will guarantee church growth, but rather NCD points out eight essential qualities that healthy churches possess. After Schwarz identifies the

Brian Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536154761747032506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17402574.post-20492820291966057202009-05-02T10:18:00.001-04:002009-05-02T10:18:26.026-04:00

 Mark 9:30-34 One day, a little girl is sitting and watching her mother do the dishes at the kitchen sink. She suddenly notices that her mother has several strands of white hair sticking out in contrast on her brunette head. She looks at her mother and inquisitively asks, "Why are some of your hairs white, mom?" Her mother replied, "Well, every time that you do something wrong and make me cry or

Brian Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536154761747032506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17402574.post-62476695609686647372009-04-29T10:40:00.001-04:002009-04-29T10:40:57.117-04:00

Dennis Flaugher gave this book to me to give to my wife about a year ago, but I failed to take it out of my truck, so I decided to read it instead. Bugbee's premise in this book is that God has given each person spiritual gifts, styles, and passions to use in the church. These gifts, styles, and passions are given to use because God has a special and unique plan for each one of us. When we

Brian Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536154761747032506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17402574.post-30422177041435572872009-04-22T11:29:00.001-04:002009-04-22T11:29:24.792-04:00

I must admit upfront that this is not a book that I would have read if I were just looking at books at the local Christian bookstore. I chose to read the book for the obvious reason that I have the honor to be one of Nell's pastors at First-Centenary and I know she is an amazing person of faith. The premise of the book is that while we may not get to choose our circumstances, happiness is a

Brian Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536154761747032506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17402574.post-77157437974219147532009-04-22T11:18:00.001-04:002009-04-22T11:18:08.480-04:00

I must admit upfront that this is not a book that I would have read if I were just looking at books at the local Christian bookstore. I chose to read the book for the obvious reason that I have the honor to be one of Nell's pastors at First-Centenary and I know she is an amazing person of faith. The premise of the book is that while we may not get to choose our circumstances, happiness is a

Brian Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536154761747032506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17402574.post-13131894167302624852009-04-18T07:52:00.002-04:002009-04-20T10:29:18.189-04:00

I will have to say up front that I am a huge NT Wright fan. His book The Challenge of Jesus was a life changing book for me. I try to read as much of Wright's stuff as I can. I can honestly say that Surprised by Hope did not disappoint. Ben Witherington noted that it was one of the most important books of our time and I cannot agree more. This was the best book I have read in the last two years

Brian Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536154761747032506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17402574.post-85393388387454007342009-04-12T09:26:00.001-04:002009-04-12T09:26:15.231-04:00

Matthew 28:1-101 After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.     2 There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4 The guards were so afraid of him that they

Brian Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536154761747032506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17402574.post-45311498017106810352009-04-06T15:18:00.001-04:002009-04-06T15:18:12.238-04:00

John 19:38-42 A couple of Easters ago my wife and I picked up a book at Books A Million called, The Jesus Family Tomb. We were curious about the book because we knew that the Discovery Channel would be airing a "documentary" claiming that they had found the tomb of Jesus. I spent the weekend reading this book and I have been fascinated by the reading.Apparently in 1980, while bulldozing for

Brian Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536154761747032506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17402574.post-54609225402726867272009-04-06T15:17:00.001-04:002009-04-06T15:17:13.054-04:00

Mark 15:16-41Bruce, in the movie Bruce Almighty, challenges God one night on a bridge after he has lost his job, had a fight with his girlfriend, Grace, and had a car accident. He yells to God, Fine, the gloves are off pawl, let me see a little wrath. Smite me O Mighty Smiter. You're the one who should be fired. The only one around here not doing his job is YOU!!! ANSWER ME!!!  In

Brian Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536154761747032506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17402574.post-10671391420115325772009-03-21T12:09:00.001-04:002009-03-21T12:09:34.968-04:00

Recently, I have had several people comment on one of our musicians wearing a hat in worship. Just so you know the context, The Vine is the name of the worship service and it is a contemporary worship service. The guy wearing a hat is not wearing a ball cap or a cowboy hat. It is one of those nice dress hats. He is a very eccentric person, but I believe him to be very committed to Jesus. In

Brian Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536154761747032506noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17402574.post-24347840689153795542009-03-19T22:56:00.001-04:002009-03-19T22:56:10.287-04:00

Scripture: Mark 14:53-15:20Over the last several weeks, we have been working our way through the last 24 hours of Jesus' life. We first looked at the story of the woman, possibly Mary, who poured perfume over Jesus' head to anoint him for burial. We then looked together at the Last Supper and the Gethsemane story. Today we will be looking at Jesus on trial. The Gospel of Mark records the

Brian Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536154761747032506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17402574.post-20300780307697148722009-03-15T07:20:00.001-04:002009-03-15T07:20:29.208-04:00

Mark 14:32-52 Over the past several weeks, we have been walking through the last 24 hours of Jesus' life. The first week, we guessed that about 24 hours before Jesus died, he may have been at the home of Lazarus and been anointed by Mary with oil. Last week, we suggested that about 20 hours before he died, he gathered his disciples together and shared the Last Supper with them around the

Brian Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536154761747032506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17402574.post-57727176755081559342009-03-09T13:46:00.001-04:002009-03-09T13:46:53.761-04:00

 Slide 1:"I want to know one thing," —the way to heaven: how to land safe on that happy shore. God himself has condescended to teach the way. He hath written it down in a book. O give me that book! At any price, give me the book of God! I have it: here is knowledge enough for me. Let me be a man of one book." John Wesley  Slide 2: How did Scripture come to be?Slide 3&4:2 Peter 1:16-21.

Brian Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536154761747032506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17402574.post-56353601128675005302009-03-08T08:30:00.001-04:002009-03-08T08:30:22.535-04:00

 Pastor: Jesus told his disciples," I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God." Jesus then pronounced a blessing over the first cupPeople: Blessed are You, Lord, our God, King of the universe, who creates the fruit of the vine.Pastor: After the second cup of wine is prepared,

Brian Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536154761747032506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17402574.post-34160036689490487932009-03-06T15:54:00.001-05:002009-03-06T15:54:02.607-05:00

Matthew MarkLukeWhen evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the Twelve. When evening came, Jesus arrived with the Twelve.14 When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table.  15 And he said to them, "I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.   16 For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of

Brian Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536154761747032506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17402574.post-709756534473676312009-03-06T15:52:00.001-05:002009-03-06T15:52:55.653-05:00

"Making a Meal of It"Luke 22:14-23 About five years ago, when we were having The Vine in the gym, we severed communion like we normally do. I thought the service had gone well and the sermon was pretty good. After the service was over, I noticed a group of college students meeting over in the back corner, sitting in a circle. A few of the students had the Bible's open. It appeared that they

Brian Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536154761747032506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17402574.post-32234927667428171702009-03-01T07:42:00.001-05:002009-03-01T07:42:27.803-05:00

Arguing Over Poured PerfumeMark 14:1-11 As many of you know, my son was born on February 13th. It was a very amazing moment. There were people running around everywhere. I finally got to hold him after he was cleaned up and checked out. Melanie and I spent a couple of days in the hospital with him. It was a good time as we visited with friends and family. We learned a lot about taking care

Brian Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536154761747032506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17402574.post-8661846587849355442009-02-25T15:45:00.003-05:002009-02-25T15:51:17.995-05:00

What Would Jesus Say About the Prosperity Gospel?Matthew 6:19-24I recently read an article in Time Magazine entitled, "Does God Want You to be Rich?" The article begins by telling the story of a guy named George Adams, who lost his job in Ohio. He immediately moved his family to Houston Texas where he attended Joel Osteen's church Lakewood. He said that Osteen boasted his confidence and he went

Brian Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536154761747032506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17402574.post-34420773080632603052009-02-18T23:00:00.001-05:002009-02-18T23:00:14.733-05:00

Tomorrow is a big day for the Davis'. Caleb goes to the doctor for his circumcision. We were asked if we wanted to have him circumcised, but we didn't realize that people didn't have babies circumcised. Statistics say that over half of baby boys are circumcised. In the north, it is about 50/50, but in the south, about 90%-95% are circumcised. The history of circumcision goes at least back

Brian Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536154761747032506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17402574.post-56486920577308545692009-02-18T19:25:00.001-05:002009-02-18T19:27:21.855-05:00

Seize the DayThis last week, my first son was born on Friday, February 13th @11:19am. He weighed eight pounds, three ounces. As I write this, he has just finished eating for like the eighth time today, he has had numerous dirty dippers and he keeps his mom and dad up at all hours of the night. Yet, I sit here thinking what a special baby he is. In the days leading up to his birth, I believe

Brian Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536154761747032506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17402574.post-59900141627882773342009-02-12T09:53:00.002-05:002009-02-12T10:00:22.506-05:00

In staff meeting Tuesday, Mary Grey, our children’s director led the devotional. She asked us to fill up a page of things that we are thankful for as a way of centering ourselves. Today, I decided to take some time and write out the things I am thankful for.1. My heart’s desire was to be a husband and a father. God has answered my first desire and is about 1 week away from answering the

Brian Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536154761747032506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17402574.post-73728703625156491812009-02-09T14:09:00.002-05:002009-02-09T14:10:32.339-05:00

What Would Jesus Say about Fundamentalism?Matthew 5:13-20I think most people would agree that when we hear about Christian fundamentalism, we often have images of angry street preachers or glimpses of Jerry Falwell on the television. Fundamentalism has become those people who scream and yell, condemning people to hell for not believing as they do. They attribute all the words problems to God’s

Brian Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536154761747032506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17402574.post-27358970146744589532009-02-09T11:12:00.002-05:002009-02-09T14:10:56.587-05:00

What Would Jesus Say About Being Skeptical?Matthew 22:29-32After listening to the video, a couple of things stood out to me. I noticed that one person called Obama a “conservative” and another person called him a “liberal.” This makes sense to me because I have often found that someone or something is a liberal or conservative based on perspective. I have been called by some people a liberal and

Brian Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536154761747032506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17402574.post-65530594169963003442009-02-09T11:08:00.001-05:002009-02-09T11:10:58.389-05:00

"What Would Jesus Say to about being Hypocritical?Matthew 23Some of you may have recently read or heard about Spencer Osborne, the pastor in Indianapolis that was arrested because he had two wives. According to court records, this was not the first incident of him having two wives. An article on the “Fight Bigamy” website says,According to court records, when Osborne married Tucker Osborne on

Brian Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536154761747032506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17402574.post-28861033745215434132009-02-09T11:06:00.003-05:002009-02-09T14:11:28.681-05:00

“What would Jesus say about judging others?”Matthew 7:1-5 and Luke 6:37-38In a recent book by David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons called UnChristian, they gave a survey to 440 persons who where not Christians to see what they thought of Christians. In one of the questions, they listed unfavorable words to describe Christians and asked them to check the word if it described present day Christianity. 87%

Brian Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536154761747032506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17402574.post-44332699489017154352009-02-09T11:03:00.002-05:002009-02-09T14:12:23.479-05:00

“Preparing Your Mind for Christmas”I read a story about a little boy who was making his Christmas wish list to God. He began the letter, “I know I have been bad this year, but if you will give me the things on this list, then I will be good for a year.” After giving some thought to the letter, he decided a year was too long, so he changed it to say, “I will be good for a month.” Then, he

Brian Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536154761747032506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17402574.post-67239380903641488052009-02-09T10:59:00.003-05:002009-02-09T14:12:06.077-05:00

“Preparing Our Hearts For Christmas”Mark 1:1-4We are in the season of Advent now and we are talking about how to be prepared for the coming of Jesus. Last week we talked about Preparing our families by taking time to share the world of God with our families this Christmas season. Today, I want to talk about preparing our hearts.I am sure you will agree with me that home ownership has its fair

Brian Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536154761747032506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17402574.post-56532847863490434212008-12-08T08:35:00.001-05:002008-12-08T08:37:02.815-05:00

“Preparing Our Home for Christmas”Luke 10:38-42Everyone knows the song, “Santa Claus is coming to Town.” In the song, we are given certain instructions on how to prepare ourselves for Santa’s arrival. We are told that Santa is making a list, checking it twice and he is going to find out who is naughty or nice. Therefore, we have to make sure not to pout, or cry and that we better be good for

Brian Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536154761747032506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17402574.post-11841533275864153902008-12-08T08:32:00.003-05:002008-12-08T08:37:47.454-05:00

“Being Thankful: Priceless”2 Corinthians 9:1-15One of my fondest Thanksgiving memories happened when we all set down for Thanksgiving dinner and just when we began to eat the turkey and dressing, our cat, who was outside walked up to the door with a special gift for us. She had caught a mouse and she brought it up to the door for all of us to see.I have learned a funny think about cats.

Brian Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536154761747032506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17402574.post-49484613946645700102008-12-08T08:30:00.002-05:002008-12-08T08:38:27.887-05:00

“Trusting God: Do More”2 Corinthians 8:9-15This is the second week of our Stewardship Campaign. For those who missed last week, our sermon series is entitled, “What is in Your Heart.” As we said last week, stewardship is not about how much money you have in your wallet, it is about what is in your heart. Last week we talked about giving being a spiritual gift that we give to others. It is giving

Brian Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536154761747032506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17402574.post-82748545178763733002008-12-08T08:28:00.003-05:002008-12-08T08:39:06.845-05:00

“Grace: Don’t Leave Home Without It.”2 Corinthians 8:1-7The other day I left my office at the church and went downstairs to the first floor to get a Diet Coke. I was sleepy and hot, so I thought a cold caffeinated drink would be perfect. I put my 50 cents into the machine (which you must admit is a god price for a Coke these days) only to have the quarters come right back out. I tried again and

Brian Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536154761747032506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17402574.post-74263076170769500162008-11-08T08:59:00.002-05:002008-11-08T09:01:30.664-05:00

Wholly Singles Confrence 08“The Main Thing is to keep the Main Thing, the Main ThingMatthew 22:34-40 & Mark 12:28-34Just so you know some of my background and story, I grew up in Chattanooga. I attended Soddy Daisy High School and UT Chattanooga. I then left Chattanooga as a married person and went to Lexington, Kentucky to seminary where I received my Masters Degree. In the middle of seminary

Brian Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536154761747032506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17402574.post-3938227059292392692008-11-05T10:01:00.002-05:002008-11-05T10:02:06.596-05:00

Hop Along Religion2 Corinthians 4:16-5:10When I was younger I used to hate it when Tennessee would loose a football game. Obviously, I have had a touch football season this year. When Tennessee would be playing bad, I would always, immediately after the game go and play my Play Station Game on NCAA football and play the team that was playing Tennessee just so I could beat them. For some reason

Brian Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536154761747032506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17402574.post-74758521322129091132008-11-05T09:59:00.000-05:002008-11-05T10:00:42.366-05:00

“The First Place Looser”Mark 9:30-37The second myth that I want to talk about today is the myth that Christians only believe in God because of their own selfishness. You may be wondering, if you are a Christian, how Christians can be accused of this, so let me explain the argument from Christopher Hitchen’s perspective in his book God is not Great. Here is the argument as best I can tell:1.

Brian Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536154761747032506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17402574.post-26794517132966095652008-10-19T07:52:00.002-04:002008-10-19T07:55:58.194-04:00

“Science vs. Creation: It is not about verses.”Genesis 1 and 2I read a funny story in one of those chain e-mails that people send. It said,What majestic trees! What powerful rivers! What beautiful animals!" he said to himself. As he walked alongside the river he heard a rustling in the bushes behind him. As he turned to look, he saw a seven foot grizzly charge towards him. He ran as fast as he

Brian Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536154761747032506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17402574.post-78677831989523103442008-10-19T07:49:00.003-04:002008-10-19T07:51:36.714-04:00

This is our final sermon in the series on “The Office.’ The past couple of weeks we have looked at the office as a way to help us understand mission and why we reach out to people. Today I want to use the office to move us beyond religious talk to true worship. The following clip from “The Office” takes place in the episode called “The Race.” This episode begins when Michael hits Phyllis with

Brian Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536154761747032506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17402574.post-25029431285120918082008-09-28T07:40:00.001-04:002008-09-28T07:42:26.827-04:00

Moving Beyond Paper Thin Missions1 John 3:18We are continuing our sermon series on missions this morning. We have been using the hit television show, The Office to introduce our theme. I want to use some clips from the episode “Dunder Mifflin Infinity” from the fourth season this morning.In this episode, Ryan, who is now the youngest Vice President in the history of Dunder Mifflin comes back to

Brian Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536154761747032506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17402574.post-24898760094835252892008-09-24T10:25:00.008-04:002008-09-24T10:42:09.731-04:00

Confessions of an Arminian Christian Class“If embracing Calvinism is the best way to take God seriously, to acknowledge our status as creatures and to experience spiritual liberation, then we want to be Calvinist too!... We appreciate the appeal of Calvinist and respect many of the motivations that draw believers to embrace it…. However It a nutshell, our case against Calvinism is that it doesn’t

Brian Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536154761747032506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17402574.post-6980129591776259862008-09-24T10:15:00.004-04:002008-09-24T10:18:23.616-04:00

Luke 10:25-37“Thinking Outside Our Cubical”My favorite show on television by far is The Office. If you have never watched this show, it takes place in a paper company called Dunder-Mifflin. Michael Scott is the Regional Manager in the Scranton branch. He has a very peculiar management style to say the least. As you watch the show, you will notice that Michael oftentimes has difficulty thinking

Brian Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536154761747032506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17402574.post-83589946409810393072008-09-24T10:12:00.000-04:002008-09-24T10:14:02.642-04:00

U-Turns AllowedActs 9:1-9I was reading a blog on the internet called “Chillin’ At The Cabstand” and I came across an article entitled “Why Christians Will Never Admit They Are Wrong.” The author of the article concluded 10 reasons why Christians will not admit they are wrong. Some of them were kind of funny like number seven was that pastors would have to find a real job. I do admit that if

Brian Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536154761747032506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17402574.post-15629602211049386332008-09-24T10:10:00.002-04:002008-09-24T10:12:44.542-04:00

“How to Cross Burnt Bridges”Genesis 32:1-32Most people are familiar with the “Hatfields and the McCoys.” This dispute happened in Kentucky-West Virginia along the Tuck Fork River. The dispute apparently began over a pig. Well, sort of. The dispute was actually over some land that a pig happened to be on. The Hatfields, who were the wealthier family, won the court case and the pig. Next, the

Brian Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536154761747032506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17402574.post-85576883559256460552008-09-24T10:09:00.002-04:002008-09-24T10:09:59.765-04:00

“Sink or Swim You Gotta give it a Whirl”Exodus 3:1-10Some time back, John Michael Montgomery wrote a song called ‘Life’s a Dance.” The first verses says,When I was fourteen I was falling fastFor a blue eyed girl in my homeroom classTrying to find the courage to ask her outWas like trying to get oil from a waterspoutWhat she would have said I can't sayI never did ask and she moved awayBut I

Brian Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536154761747032506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17402574.post-48470167395643183752008-08-04T08:35:00.002-04:002008-08-04T08:39:50.520-04:00

Moral Issues: Am I My Brother’s KeeperMatthew 5:13-20The 2004 Presidential election exit poll indicated that 22% of Americans chose who they would vote for based on moral issues. The Economy was 20% Terrorism 19% Iraq 15% Health Care 8% Taxes 5% and Education 4%. Of those voting, 80% of those who picked their candidate based on moral issues voted for George Bush. For this reason, analyst

Brian Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536154761747032506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17402574.post-42304472776921856202008-08-04T08:30:00.002-04:002008-08-04T08:35:24.905-04:00

Social Concerns: “Melting Pot or Boiling Pot.”Today begins our second sermon in the sermon series “Why Not Mix God and Politics.” Today we will be dealing with what we typically call social issues. I do want to point out though, that just because we call these issues “social” it does not mean that they are not moral. The issues that we will talk about are very moral because God does care how

Brian Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536154761747032506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17402574.post-45139100178234305972008-07-21T11:24:00.002-04:002008-07-21T11:29:27.104-04:00

Environmental Issues: What is the Inconvenience of the Truth?Today we are begging a three part sermon series called, “Mixing God and Politics.” Despite being warned in seminary about preaching on political issues, Dwight and I both believe that with the election coming up this fall, it is important for us to have a biblical reference point from which to help determine how we vote. While I do not

Brian Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536154761747032506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17402574.post-7122029095724542872008-07-21T11:18:00.002-04:002008-07-21T11:23:08.164-04:00

“Is Jesus the only means of salvation: The Inclusive-Exclusive Factor?”John 14:5-7, Acts 4:12, 1 Timothy 2:3-6 Romans 2:12-15The Foundation for Pluralism posted an article on the web that stated:The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life concluded that 57 percent of evangelical church attendees said they believe many religions can lead to eternal life, in conflict with traditional evangelical

Brian Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536154761747032506noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17402574.post-37925888932527547012008-07-07T08:41:00.002-04:002008-07-07T08:44:40.746-04:00

“The Main Thing is to Keep the Main Thing, the Main Thing”Matthew 22:34-40 & Mark 12:28-34Last week we talked about how the goal of salvation in not just getting to heaven, but it is being conformed to the image of Jesus. We also talked about how God will be faithful to do that for us if we will let him. This morning I want to focus on what is looks like to be conformed to the I image of Jesus.

Brian Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536154761747032506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17402574.post-31735390953960558102008-07-01T10:19:00.001-04:002008-07-01T10:20:21.776-04:00

“More than Just Front Porch Religion”Romans 8:28-30Melanie and I were able to do some traveling during the month of June. We went to Lexington, Kentucky to perform a wedding ceremony for one of my former youth group members. After leaving Kentucky we drove to Lake Juniluska, North Carolina. You may remember me telling you a few months back that Melanie had bought me a GPS so that I would not

Brian Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536154761747032506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17402574.post-33413407067657906792008-06-02T08:49:00.004-04:002008-11-05T10:03:03.059-05:00

“How Words about the Word, Became the Word of God”2 Peter 1:16-21Some time ago, a popular book was written called The Da Vinci Code. It makes several claims about how the Bible came to be. It claims:1. The people who were in power in the 4th century decided which books to canonize based on a political agenda. In the process, they excluded the books that depicted the truth about Jesus.2. The books

Brian Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536154761747032506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17402574.post-89738873453570843772008-06-02T08:49:00.003-04:002008-06-02T08:55:49.705-04:00

“How Words about the Word, Became the Word of God”2 Peter 1:16-21Some time ago, a popular book was written called The Da Vinci Code. It makes several claims about how the Bible came to be. It claims:1. The people who were in power in the 4th century decided which books to canonize based on a political agenda. In the process, they excluded the books that depicted the truth about Jesus.2. The books

Brian Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536154761747032506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17402574.post-47326462744040021492008-06-02T08:47:00.000-04:002008-06-02T08:49:04.721-04:00

“Seeing the Lion with Eyes Wide Open in Prince Caspian”Mark 8: 22-26As many of you know, the move Prince Caspian was released last weekend. This is the second movie in The Chronicle of Narnia series, the first being The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. The Chronicle of Narnia was written by C.S. Lewis in the 1950’s. There are seven books in the series. C.S. Lewis is largely know in the

Brian Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536154761747032506noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17402574.post-40758269728369426552008-05-11T07:38:00.001-04:002008-05-11T07:40:26.607-04:00

“Being Bilingual”Acts 2:1-13Today is a very special Sunday for a number of reasons. First, it is Mother’s Day. Second, it is Confirmation Sunday at our church and third, it is Pentecost. I want to begin this message by honoring mothers. To do this, I want to give your husband some advise about buying gifts for you for Mother’s Day.1. Don't buy anything that plugs in. Anything that requires

Brian Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536154761747032506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17402574.post-41113451983532377792008-05-05T09:14:00.002-04:002008-05-05T09:18:33.868-04:00

“Designed to Serve” Ephesians 4:7-16I read this story of an actual letter written to an insurance company to follow up on a claim that was filed. Dear Sir:I am writing in response to your request for more information concerning block #11 on the insurance form which asked for "cause of injuries" wherein I put "trying to do the job alone." You said you needed more information so I trust the

Brian Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536154761747032506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17402574.post-15605266981947429802008-04-24T14:01:00.002-04:002008-04-27T07:57:49.608-04:00

“You’re Designed to be More than a Dime”Ephesians 2:1-10One of my favorite scenes from “You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown has Lucy coming in and finding his her brother Linus watching TV. The following dialogue takes place, Lucy: Okay. Switch channelsLinus: Are you kidding? What makes you think you can come right in here and take over.Lucy: These five figures, individually they are nothing.

Brian Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536154761747032506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17402574.post-78613148411441263092008-04-21T08:29:00.002-04:002008-04-21T08:32:27.472-04:00

“Bloom Where You Are Planted”Jeremiah 29:11-14My good friend Daniel told me of his story of visiting a gym for the first time with his wife the other day. For those who do not know Daniel, he is from a small town in Mississippi. After college, he moved to what his family calls “The big city of Chattanooga.” Daniel grew up on a farm and spent a lot of his time working outside and he stayed in

Brian Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536154761747032506noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17402574.post-6135717593158659472008-04-13T08:16:00.002-04:002008-04-13T08:19:24.767-04:00

“There’s Something Strange in Your Neighborhood”1 Peter 4:12-5:11Many people will remember the movie Ghost Busters that came out in the 1980’s. I still walk around singing that theme song by Ray Parker,If there's something strangein your neighborhoodWho ya gonna call?GHOSTBUSTERSIf there's something weirdand it don't look goodWho ya gonna call?GHOSTBUSTERSPeter begins the final section of his

Brian Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536154761747032506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17402574.post-47454869727684767832008-04-07T10:43:00.001-04:002008-04-07T10:45:46.167-04:00

Livin' la Vida Loca1 Peter 2:11-4:11Recently I opened an e-mail and received the following story:An atheist complained to a Christian friend, "You Christians have your special holidays, such as Christmas and Easter. Jews celebrate their national holidays, such as Passover and Yom Kippur. But we atheists have no recognized national holidays. It's unfair discrimination."His friend replied, "Why

Brian Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536154761747032506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17402574.post-74535035028759302422008-03-30T07:44:00.001-04:002008-03-30T07:45:42.537-04:00

“Aliens in America”1 Peter 1:3-2:3I am not sure how many people watch the television show Aliens in America, but I could not help but think of the show as I studied 1 Peter. The show is about a high school student named Justin who is trying his hardest to fit in, but let’s just say, he is socially awkward. To make matters worse, his mother Franny keeps butting in and trying to help him fit in.

Brian Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536154761747032506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17402574.post-90608552357649711622008-03-24T09:17:00.002-04:002008-03-24T09:22:08.131-04:00

“You’re the Reason I am Alive” John 20:1-18 When I was growing up, I was a huge fan of the band Motley Crew. Even as an adult, I own Motley Crew’s greatest hits album and I listen to it on occasion. A couple of months ago I was driving to Maryville to taste some coffee as a possibility for a café that we hope to open at some point along the road. I popped in Motley Crew’s greatest hits and

Brian Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536154761747032506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17402574.post-78310754079150578962008-03-18T16:00:00.001-04:002008-03-18T16:02:29.141-04:00

Gospel Reading: Mark 11:20-12:44, Matthew 21:18-23:39, Luke 20:1-21:4As I mentioned yesterday, the Mark’s gospel probably gives us the best chronological account of Jesus’ last week. On Tuesday, it appears Jesus has a very busy day in the temple. There is no real break in Mark’s rendering of the gospel from the time Jesus and the disciples go to the temple on Tuesday morning in Mark 11:20 until

Brian Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536154761747032506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17402574.post-72503794211162178282008-03-17T11:30:00.001-04:002008-03-17T13:07:58.516-04:00

Gospel Reading: Mark 11:12-19, Matthew 21:18-22, Luke 19:45-17Mark tends to give us the best timeline for the events in Jesus’ final week. He mentions that Jesus came into Jerusalem and first goes to the temple and leaves in the evening and spends the night in Bethany. This makes sense because in John’s gospel, Jesus is friends with Lazarus, Mary, and Martha who live in Bethany. This is where

Brian Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536154761747032506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17402574.post-27996442862130319782008-03-17T09:03:00.003-04:002008-03-17T09:23:12.344-04:00

Scripture Reading: Luke 19:1-44, Matthew 21:1-9 Mark 11:1-10, John 11:1-12:50During Holy Week, I am going to be posting one devotional a day leading up to Easter. I am going to do my best to stay in chronological order from Jesus' entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday to his ressurection on the following Sunday. For today's devotional, I am going to let you read some of Dwight Kilbourne's words,

Brian Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536154761747032506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17402574.post-35841715006897974502008-03-09T08:34:00.001-04:002008-03-09T08:37:11.084-04:00

“A Revolution of Love” Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the Sons of God.When preparing for this sermon, I found a “peacemaking” website[i] advertising a one day conference called, “Peace that Lasts.” In the middle of this image advertising the conference was the words, “Postponed.” I am sure there is a good reason that this conference was postponed, but it was ironic that

Brian Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536154761747032506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17402574.post-74118712172622073222008-03-04T10:57:00.001-05:002008-03-04T10:58:19.552-05:00

Gospel Reading: John 5-10Devotional Emphasis: John 7:18 “He who speaks on his own does so to gain honor for himself, but he who works for the honor of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him.”John is an amazing piece of literature and it is very symbolic. As I have mentioned in an earlier devotional, there are seven miracles in John’s gospel. The first was

Brian Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536154761747032506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17402574.post-46388972036842625052008-03-03T10:17:00.001-05:002008-03-03T10:20:50.891-05:00

Gospel Reading: Luke 14-18Devotional Emphasis: Luke 15:32 “But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is now found.”For the third time now in the gospel of Luke Jesus is invited to eat with the Pharisees. Just like the previous two times, Jesus does not make for a great dinner guest. As soon as he sees the dinner guests securing

Brian Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536154761747032506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17402574.post-67418561661986855392008-03-02T08:05:00.000-05:002008-03-02T08:06:39.646-05:00

Can’t Get No Satisfaction“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”Some people are familiar with The Onion which is an on-line news sources. I read an older article entitled New Pen Brings Fleeting Moment Of Satisfaction To Local Man. I normally do not read articles out loud, but I wanted to share this with you. HARTFORD, CT–Duane Grunfeld, a 44-

Brian Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536154761747032506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17402574.post-12922305062028446442008-02-27T10:37:00.003-05:002008-02-27T10:40:49.910-05:00

Gospel Reading: Luke 8-13Devotional Emphasis: Luke 11:52 “Woe to you experts in the law, because you have taken away the key to knowledge. You yourselves have not entered, and you have hindered those who where entering.”The big turning point in the gospel of Luke occurs in 9:51 as Jesus turns his face towards Jerusalem. Up until this point we have seen Jesus fulfilling what he set out to do: He

Brian Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536154761747032506noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17402574.post-3690695659935364752008-02-25T10:34:00.003-05:002008-02-25T10:38:46.041-05:00

The Geeks Shall Inherit the EarthMatthew 5:5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”Time Magazine ran an article not too long ago called, The Geek Shall Inherit the Earth. Lev Grossman writes in the article that what the world saw as being “uncool” in the 90’s is not the thing that is “cool” today. Take for example, Harry Potter which is about a secrete wizarding community and

Brian Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536154761747032506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17402574.post-25837930816360317552008-02-25T10:31:00.001-05:002008-02-25T10:33:24.345-05:00

Gospel Reading: Matthew 16-20Devotional Emphasis:Matthew 20:15 “Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous.” It seems that everybody who was keeping up with Jesus wanted Jesus to prove to them that he was who he was claiming to be. Earlier John the Baptist even had some questions about who Jesus really was. Instead of being defensive,

Brian Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536154761747032506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17402574.post-21057867040611658642008-02-22T08:58:00.002-05:002008-02-22T09:02:24.157-05:00

Gospel Reading: Mark 6-10Devotional Emphasis: Mark 9:24 “Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, ‘I do believe; help me to overcome my unbelief.”Mark continues his theme of showing those persons who have eyes to see and ears to hear. In chapters 6 and 7 we see examples of those persons who have little faith (having eyes, but not seeing) verses those who do. Beginning in chapter 8 Mark throws us a

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Gospel Reading: Matthew 11-15Devotional Emphasis: Matthew 13:33 “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount off flour until it worked all through the dough.”These five chapters in Matthew cover quite a lot of material. We began reading about John’s followers asking Jesus to give John a sign about being the true messiah. Jesus talks about how great John

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Gospel Reading: Matthew 8-10Devotional Emphasis: Matthew 8:26 “He replied, ‘You of little faith, why are you so afraid?’ Then he got up and rebuked the waves, and it was completely calm.”In looking at these three chapters in Matthew, you may have noticed a nice ABABAB pattern in the maters. A represents Jesus’ miracles and B represents those who want to follow Jesus. It breaks down as followsA-

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“Cry Over Spilled Milk”Matthew 5:3-12 from Tom Wright Matthew for EveryoneScripture ReadingWonderful news for poor in spirit! The kingdom of heaven is yours.Wonderful news for the mourners! You’re going to be comforted.Wonderful news for the meek! You’re going to inherit the earth.Wonderful news for people who hunger and thirst for God’s justice! You’re going to be satisfied.Wonderful news for

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Gospel Reading: Luke 6:12-7Devotional Emphasis: Luke 7:47 “Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven- for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little.”In Luke’s gospel, the famous sermon Jesus preaches is known as “The Sermon on the Plains” because he comes down from the mountain and stands on a level place. You will notice some obvious differences between the

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Gospel Reading: Matthew 5-7Devotional Emphasis: Matthew 6:21 “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”The Sermon on the Mount is perhaps the greatest sermon ever preached. It definitely contains some of the most well known teachings of Jesus. Jesus begins this sermon by listing nine blessing we call “The beatitudes.” (Some scholars believe there are 8 beatitudes, the ninth

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Gospel Reading: Mark 4-5Devotional Emphasis: Mark 4:24 “Consider carefully what you hear. With the measure you use it, it will be measured to you- and even more.”Today’s reading in Mark begins with the parable of the sower in which Jesus tells of the sower planting seeds in different types of soil: some seed was on the path and was eaten by birds, some on rocky soil and was burnt up, some on

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Gospel Reading: John 3-4Devotional Emphasis: John 4:23“Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshippers will worship the Father is spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshippers the Father seeks.”Today’s reading begins with perhaps one of the most famous stories in the entire bible, namely the story of Nicodemus asking Jesus how he could be “born again a second time.”

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Gospel Reading: Luke 4-6:11 Devotional Emphasis: Luke 4:18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.”After yesterday’s reading of Mark 1-3, you will notice that today’s reading covers most of the same material. Luke adds the story of Jesus preaching in his hometown and he doesn’t name the disciples at the point in the gospel. Jesus still cast

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Gospel Reading: Mark 1-3Devotional Emphasis: Mark 3:35 “Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”The Gospel of Mark begins Jesus’ life and ministry on the fast track. There is no birth account and Jesus’ trials in the wilderness are abbreviated. There is no genealogy like we find in Matthew and Luke and no elaborate introduction to Jesus like we have in John. It takes Mark no

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Matthew 5:3 Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of HeavenI had the privilege of going on a mission trip to Zimbabwe and we stayed at Africa University and worked on some projects for the school. We also visited a couple of orphanages and played with the kids. Each night, we would meet as a mission team and do a devotional. I had prepared some devotionals on the Beatitudes

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Gospel Reading: John 1-2Devotional Emphasis John 2:11 “This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed in Cana of Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him.”The gospel of John begins with what some scholars believe is a hymn, proclaiming that in the beginning was the Word and the Word was God and that the Word has now been made flesh in Jesus and came

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