Loving Jesus Style

  Scripture: Acts 20:35 (ESV) 35  In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ” Devotion:             These words from the Book of Acts serve as a direct challenge to each one of us in the church community. As followers of Christ, we bear a significant responsibility in our current society, where the number of needy people can be overwhelming. We often find ourselves, like the lawyer in Jesus' parable of the Good Samaritan, trying to limit the number and kind of people who qualify for our “compassion.” However, this scripture reminds us that it is our duty, as followers of Christ, to help the weak and needy, regardless of their number or circumstances.             Confronted with this scriptural truth, we ...

Scripture: Matthew 13:24-30 (ESV) 24  He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, 25  but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. 26  So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. 27  And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’ 28  He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So, the servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ 29  But he said, ‘No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. 30  Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time, I will tell the reapers, “Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.”  Devotion:         ...

Scripture: Matthew 13:47-50 (ESV) 47  “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind. 48  When it was full, men drew it ashore and sat down and sorted the good into containers but threw away the bad. 49  So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous 50  and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place, there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Devotion:             Today’s scripture reminds me of a time when I was about 5 or 6 years old, and our family went fishing while we were on vacation in Arizona at my aunt’s house. We went to a lake and began having great success in catching fish. Our fun was spoiled when a fish and game warden spotted us. He told us that all the fish we were catching were an invasive species and would have to be destroyed. (As they were no good for eating.)...

Scripture: Matthew 9:36-38 (ESV) 36  When he [Jesus] saw the crowds, he had compassion for them because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38  therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send laborers into his harvest.” Devotion:             These words of Jesus are a powerful call to action for the 21st-century church. The church in the West is shrinking both numerically and spiritually. Our lack of witness to the culture can be seen in the skyrocketing numbers of suicides among all age groups. Also, the number of our fellow citizens who are dying of accidental overdoses, particularly fentanyl and other “hard” drugs, is most concerning.             Just as Jesus looked on the people of His day with compassion, so should we look upon ...