Ordinary Time Year C

From the beginning, God intended human work as a form of creativity under or alongside God’s own creativity.

Best of Daily Reflections: When to Take a Walk Outside

When trouble overcomes you, take a walk outside. The light that greets you is really God's wardrobe. The clouds that drift overhead...

Eagerly Awaiting Bodily Redemption for Ourselves and God’s Creation (Romans 8:18–30)

Being “glorified” with Christ (Rom. 8:17) is our hope for the future. But according to Paul that...

The Importance of Workplace Relationships (John 14-17)

An emphasis on personal relationships suffuses the theology of these chapters. Jesus calls the disciples “no longer servants…but friends” (John 15:15, NASB)...

Trinity Year CView All >

The Way of the Wise: A Biblical Interpretation of Firm Strategy & Orientation

All a person’s ways seem pure to them, but motives are weighed by the Lord. Commit to...

Authority (Psalm 8)

Psalm 8 is an exception in Book 1, as it does not pertain specifically to David. Its concern is with all human authority, not only David’s rule. Although God created the entire universe...

Real, Basic Stewardship

You gave them charge of everything you made, putting all things under their authority. Psalm 8:4 At this time of year, many churches focus on stewardship. For sixteen years as pastor of Irvine...

Grace suffering christ transforms romans 5

Grace Transforms Suffering in Our Life in Christ (Romans 5:1–11)

In Romans 5:1–11 Paul offers more encouragement by reminding the Romans that through Christ we have already “gained access” to God’s “grace...

Proper 3(8) Year CView All >

Servant at Work (Isaiah 40ff.)

Isaiah paints a picture of the values that must characterize the people of God.

The Fruitful Word

The word of God doesn’t just sit there like a museum of antique truth that you can visit if you wish, but otherwise avoid. It is, as we read in Hebrews, “alive and...

Here’s an Experiment: Frame Your Day With God’s Love and Faithfulness

It is good to proclaim your unfailing love in the morning, your faithfulness in the evening. Psalm 92:2 I wonder what would...

Fruitful in Old Age

In Psalm 92, the psalm writer begins by offering thanks for all the ways the Lord has blessed him.

Our Work Is Not in Vain (1 Corinthians 15:58)

In chapter 15, Paul conducts a lengthy discussion of the resurrection, and he applies his conclusions directly to work. “[Excel] in the...

Proper 4(9) Year CView All >

Obadiah Saves a Hundred People by Working Within a Corrupt System (1 Kings 18)

At least two episodes during this period deserve our attention. The first, Obadiah’s saving of a hundred...

The Biblical Imperative We Love to Ignore

Psalm 96 begins with a simple imperative: “Sing a new song to the LORD!” If you look up all of the Hebrew...

Assessing Solomon’s Golden Age (1 Kings)

Samuel's prophecy about the dangers of a king is fulfilled in Solomon’s time. These will be the ways of the king who...

Galations understanding life in christ gal 1 6 4 31

Understanding Life in Christ (Galatians 1:6–4:31)

Paul begins by identifying the problem among the Galatians. They “are turning to a different gospel” (Gal. 1:6). This “gospel” requires Gentiles...

God Loves Our Work - 5 Things Non-Christians Wish About Christian Coworkers: Luke 7 Sermon Notes

Theme: Hopeful Expectations Beneath the Public Rancor Key Truths/Outline 1. The negative public face of the Christian...

Proper 5(10) Year CView All >

Psalm 146

God executes justice for the oppressed (Ps. 146:7a). So do we, when we work according to God’s commandments, by God’s grace. God gives food to the hungry (Ps 146:7b). So do we. God...

God of the Powerless

There is a sense in which "God is no respecter of persons" (Acts 10:34, KJV). He cares about each individual. He knows the heart of each human being. His guidance is sovereign over...

Best of Daily Reflections: Avoiding the Trap of Self-Reliance

When I was prosperous, I said, “Nothing can stop me now!” Your favor, O LORD, made me as secure as a mountain...

Two Songs of Suffering and Praise

Horatio Spafford was well acquainted with personal tragedy. Following the death of a young son, he watched most of his worldly investments go up in smoke in the Great Chicago Fire, and then he...

Understanding Life in Christ (Galatians 1:6–4:31)

Paul begins by identifying the problem among the Galatians. They “are turning to a different gospel” (Gal. 1:6). This “gospel” requires Gentiles...

The Gutsy Compassion of Jesus

When the Lord saw her, he had compassion for her and said to her, “Do not weep.” Luke 7:13 In the first ten verses of Luke 7, Jesus healed a centurion’s slave even...

Proper 6(11) Year CView All >

Ahab and Jezebel Murder Naboth to Get His Property (1 Kings 21)

King Ahab abuses his power further when he begins to covet the vineyard of his neighbor, Naboth. Ahab offers a fair price...

Best of Daily Reflections: Praying When Words Fail

What is prayer? The most basic answer says that prayer is talking to God. Sometimes we talk to God through singing. Sometimes...

My King and My God!

Sometimes we Christians have a tendency to make God too small. Not that we actually diminish God, of course. But our thoughts and images of God can be of a divine pal who...

David’s Rape of Bathsheba and Murder of Uriah (2 Samuel 11-12)

People in power have been covering up instances of sexual abuse for millennia, but the Bible boldly exposes examples of abuse against...

Best of Daily Reflections: Finally, I Confessed

Psalm 32 expresses David’s joy in experiencing the freedom of God’s forgiveness. But, for a while, David did not rejoice because he...

Best of Daily Reflections: The Best Hiding Place of All

...

Understanding Life in Christ (Galatians 1:6–4:31)

Paul begins by identifying the problem among the Galatians. They “are turning to a different gospel” (Gal. 1:6). This “gospel” requires Gentiles...

The Surprising Entourage of Jesus

...

Christians in Food Services Discuss Their Work (Video)

Video

Christians on serving for real in the food services industry. Plus an overview of hospitality in Luke's gospel.

Proper 7(12) Year CView All >

From Failed Monarchies to Exile (1 Kings 11 - 2 Kings 25; 2 Chronicles 10-36)

Solomon is only the third king of Israel, but already the kingdom has reached its high point...

God’s TLC

Sometimes you run out of words. ...

Thirsty for God

Have you ever been really thirsty? I’m not thinking about ordinary thirst, the kind you can quench with a quick drink of water. Rather, I have in mind an aching, desperate thirst. Have...

Best of Daily Reflections: Riding the Roller Coaster of Genuine Faith

...

God Is the Joy of My Joy

Gracious God, thank you for being the source of my joy.

Hope in God!

Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again—my Savior and my God! Psalm 43:5 If Psalm 43 seems strangely...

Work’s Ultimate Meaning (Isaiah 60ff.)

Throughout the book, Isaiah encourages Israel with the hope that God will eventually put to right the wrongs the people are suffering...

Techonology Founder Chi-Ming Chien Guides Company Culture with Isaiah 65 and Amos 5 (Video)

Video

To this entrepreneur, Isaiah 65 means people from different backgrounds can share in good work together.

Best of Daily Reflections: The Tension of Faithful Prayer

Today I want to base my reflection on two verses from Psalm 22. In the first verse, the psalmist laments God’s lack...

Understanding Life in Christ (Galatians 1:6–4:31)

Paul begins by identifying the problem among the Galatians. They “are turning to a different gospel” (Gal. 1:6). This “gospel” requires Gentiles...

Jesus, Go Away!

...

Proper 8(13) Year CView All >

Best of Daily Reflections: A Psalm for Those of Us Who Are in Process

At the beginning of Psalm 77, the psalm writer is in a major funk.

Has God Forgotten to Be Gracious?

Psalm 77, written by Asaph, begins with a profound expression of anguish. The psalmist has found himself in a terribly difficult and painful situation. He has cried out to God, even shouting and...

Where Have You Fixed Your Attention?

Psalm 16 begins with a cry for divine help: "Keep me safe, O God, for I have come to you for refuge"...

Life in the Spirit (Galatians 5:13–23)

Don't Send that Email! Using the Fruits of the Spirit at Work Click here to watch the video this clip comes from...

A One-Track Mind

When we get tempted to click away in the middle of a work day, we can remember Christ’s example.

Proper 9(14) Year CView All >

Elisha’s Restoration of a Military Commander’s Health (2 Kings 5:1-14)

When Elisha cures the leprosy of Naaman, a commander in the army of Israel’s enemy, Syria, it has important effects in the...

Two Songs of Suffering and Praise

Horatio Spafford was well acquainted with personal tragedy. Following the death of a young son, he watched most of his worldly investments go up in smoke in the Great Chicago Fire, and then he...

Best of Daily Reflections: Avoiding the Trap of Self-Reliance

When I was prosperous, I said, “Nothing can stop me now!” Your favor, O LORD, made me as secure as a mountain...

Work’s Ultimate Meaning (Isaiah 60ff.)

Throughout the book, Isaiah encourages Israel with the hope that God will eventually put to right the wrongs the people are suffering...

Come and See!

Psalm 66 celebrates God’s glory as it is revealed in his mighty works. This celebration is meant, not just for Jews, but for the whole earth (66:1). Yet how are those who have...

Come and Listen!

What difference does it make that we are bearers of the divine image in our work? One implication of this is that...

Best of Daily Reflections: Parable of the Good Samaritan

The Psalter says a good deal about workplace ethics. Psalm 15:1 and 5 say, “O Lord, who may abide in your tent...

God at Work, Jesus at Work (Colossians 1:15–20)

The first half of Paul’s letter to the Colossians can be summarized in nine words: Jesus made it all. Then Jesus paid...

Jesus, the Image of the Invisible God (Colossians 1:15–29)

What difference does it make that we are bearers of the divine image in our work? One implication of this is that...

Mary and Martha (Luke 10:38-42)

Need to Find Some Significance in Your Job? (Click to listen) The story of Martha and Mary (Luke 10:38-42) also puts generosity in the context of love for God. Martha works to prepare...

Hard Work: The Better Part of Hard Work (Luke 10 Sermon Notes)

Luke 10:38-42 (NRSV) Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him...

Welcoming Jesus

When life goes in directions we didn't expect, and when those directions include suffering and frustration, we can easily become discouraged.

“I’m Doing Alright by Myself” (Colossians 2:1–23)

Paul warns the Colossians against falling back into the old orientation toward self-help. “See to it that no one takes you captive...

Lord, Teach Us to Pray

Once Jesus was in a certain place praying. As he finished, one of his disciples came to him and said, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” Luke 11:...

Proper 13(18) Year CView All >

God Undergirds All Work and Productivity (Psalm 107)

Psalm 107 relates human economic endeavors to the world of God’s creation. It is worth citing at length. Some went down to...

A Cry for Help

“LORD, help!” they cried in their trouble, and he rescued them from their distress. Psalm 107:6 Psalm 107 reminds us to “Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good!” (107:1). The bulk...

Achievement (Eccl 1:12-18)

First the Teacher explores achievement. He was both a king and a sage — an overachiever to use today’s terms — “surpassing all who were over Jerusalem before me” (Eccl. 1:16). And what...

Wealth (Eccl 2:18-26)

Then the Teacher turns to wealth, which may be gained as a result of toil. What about the accumulation of wealth as the higher purpose behind work? This turns out to be worse...

Anxiety When Unscrupulous People Succeed (Psalms 49, 50, 52, 62)

Sometimes the godly have a skewed perspective on how God governs, and this causes them needless anxiety. They think that the righteous...

Best of Daily Reflections: The Inevitability of Death

Those who are wise must finally die, just like the foolish and senseless, leaving all their wealth behind. Psalms 49:10 Psalm 4...

Set Your Mind on Things Above: Heavenly Living for Earthly Good (Colossians 3:1–16)

This call to reorientation means that we reshape our lives to think and do according to Jesus’...

Luke concern for the wealthy luke 6 25 12 34

Concern for the Wealthy (Luke 6:25; 12:13-21; 18:18-30)

Jesus’ first problem with wealth is that it tends to displace God in the lives of wealthy people. “For where your treasure...

Living Life Under God: The Rich Fool (Luke 12 Sermon Notes)

Isaiah exploitation and marginalization isaiah 3ff

God Judges Exploitation and Marginalization (Isaiah 3ff.)

A recurring charge throughout the book of Isaiah is that the leaders were unfaithful to God’s covenant because they pursued wealth and...

God’s Vineyard

In Isaiah 5, the people of Israel are portrayed as God’s vineyard, with God as the owner and tender of the vineyard. Even though God invested great effort, lovingly caring for his vineyard...

Awaiting His Rescue

Not only are we dependent on Jesus’ forgiveness, but we also need him to grant us supernatural peace in these dark days.

Turn Us Again!

The words of verse 3 serve as a refrain in Psalm 80, appearing again with slight changes in verses 7 and 19. The first request in this chorus is “Turn us again to yourself, O God” (80:3). Some...

Best of Daily Reflections: Where Is God’s Country?

Rise up, O God, and judge the earth, for all the nations belong to you. Psalms 82:8 Where is God’s country? Plenty...

God’s Call to Justice

Psalm 82 envisions a heavenly court in which God, as judge, pronounces judgment on the gods for their failure to do justice (82:1). Verses 3 and 4 contain divine imperatives, not only for heavenly...

Realizing the Faith (Hebrews 10:19–11:40)

Following Jesus is hard work, and only faith in the eventual fulfillment of his promises can keep us going. “Now faith is...

Endure Hardship and Pursue Peace (Hebrews 12:1-16)

Hebrews moves from providing examples of faithful saints to providing challenges for the people of its own day. Like the rest of...

Did Jesus Come to Bring Peace or Division?

...

Proper 16(21) Year CView All >

Jeremiah’s Calling to Work (Jeremiah 1)

As we have seen, God prepared Jeremiah from before his birth for the work of a prophet (Jer. 1:5) and, at the...

Jeremiah: Setting the Stage

Today I begin to focus on the Old Testament book of Jeremiah in the Daily Reflections. If you’ve been reading for a while, you know that I go back and forth between the...

Servant at Work (Isaiah 40ff.)

Isaiah paints a picture of the values that must characterize the people of God.

Bless the Lord, O My Soul

I cannot read Psalm 103 without thinking of Bill Cody. Bill was the Director of Laity Lodge, the retreat center associated with The High Calling, from 1965 through 1979. As you may recall, I was a...

Best of Daily Reflections: The Lord Remembers We Are Only Dust

The LORD is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him. For he knows how weak...

Shaking Things Up (Hebrews 12:18–29)

One of the widespread misunderstandings of Hebrews is that it pits the heavenly (uncreated) world against the earthly (created) one, that it...

Managing Workplace Anxiety: I Don’t Want to Look Stupid (Luke 13 Sermon Notes)

The Text. Luke 13:10-17 Luke 13:10 On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues...

Proper 17(22) Year CView All >

Goodness and Defilement of Work (Jeremiah 2)

Long before Jeremiah lived, God declared that work is good for people (Genesis 1-2). As we have noted elsewhere, Jeremiah’s method was...

The Path to Worthlessness

In Jeremiah 2, the Lord speaks through the prophet to indict Jerusalem for rejecting God and his ways. The people started well, “eager to please” the Lord (2:2). They were “holy” before him, and he...

Cracked Cisterns

In Jeremiah 2, the Lord explains why the Israelites have fallen into such grave difficulties. Verse 13 narrows down to two their offenses: “For my people have done two evil things: They have...

The Economic Consequences of National Wrongdoings (Psalm 81, 85)

Despite the attention to personal judgment we have seen in Psalm 73, in most of Book 3, it is the nation of...

Honey from the Rock

In Psalm 81, the Lord invites Israel to receive the very best of his blessings. “Open your mouth wide,” he says, “and I will fill it with good things” (81:10). In order to...

Virtues for Those in Business (Psalm 112)

Bob Walker on Looking to the Interests of Others at Walker Mowers (Click to Watch) .embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height...

Hospitality (Hebrews 13:1–3)

Amid the various concluding exhortations in Hebrews 13, two have a special relevance for work. Let us begin with Hebrews 13:2 where it says, “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for...

Working Outside the Camp (Hebrews 13:11-25)

Fish Guts and the Kingdom of God Nancy Matheson Burns, CEO of food distributor Dole & Bailey, describes reconsidering her career choices...

Luke humble service luke 14 7 11 22 24 30

Humble Service (Luke 9:46-50, 14:7-11, 22:24-30)

Jesus declares that leadership requires humble service to others, as we see in three additional passages. In the first (Luke 9:46-50), Jesus’...

Proper 18(23) Year CView All >

The two opening psalms establish themes that run through the entire Psalter. Psalm 1 describes personal integrity, indicating that this is how...

Best of Daily Reflections: Avoiding the Influence of Mockers

We live in a society of mockers. People who mock consider themselves better than others. They do not enter into serious engagement...

The Cost of Discipleship

Luke 14 consistently emphasizes the cost of discipleship.

Proper 19(24) Year CView All >

An Overview of the Book of Jeremiah

The Book of Jeremiah reflects the ever-worsening situation Jeremiah encountered. At various times, he had the unenviable tasks of challenging the religious...

“There is No God” Revisited

Earlier this month, we noted the claim of the wicked that “There is no God.” Today we find this same boast in Psalm 14. Given the widespread belief in divine beings in the...

No One Does Good? Really?

But no, all have turned away; all have become corrupt. No one does good, not a single one! Psalm 14:3 I remember when I first resolved to read through the whole Bible. I...

The Lure of the Familiar

In the last several chapters of Exodus (chs. 25-31), the Lord had been revealing to Moses how Israel should worship. Exodus 32 interrupts this revelation with a shameful story of worship gone awry....

The Heart of a Committed and Compassionate Leader

As the Israelites were worshiping before the golden calf, feasting, drinking, and reveling, the Lord revealed to Moses, who was high upon...

Yearning to Be Created Anew

Psalm 51 is a heartfelt, aching prayer for forgiveness. In this prayer, David begins by crying out to God for mercy (v. 1). He asks to be cleansed of his guilt (v. 2), freely acknowledging his sin...

Best of Daily Reflections: Restoring the Joy of Your Salvation

Moral chaos breeds chaos.

Where Shall I Go? Psalm 139 and Luke 15 Sermon Notes

Psalm 139:7-12 Where can I go from your spirit? Or where can I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven...

Proper 20(25) Year CView All >

Faith in God’s Provision (Jeremiah 8-16)

We see in Jeremiah 5 that the people did not acknowledge God’s provision. If the people did not acknowledge God as the...

The Prophet’s Pain

As the Lord revealed through Jeremiah the coming devastation of Judah, the prophet did not deliver bad news with clinical detachment. Rather, he identified with his people and their suffering. ...

The Wrath of God

Most Christians I know don’t like to think about the wrath of God.

God’s Justice Includes Work and Economic Justice (Amos 8:1-6, Micah 6:1-16)

Justice in work is not only an individual matter. People have a responsibility to make sure that...

Participating in God’s Work (Psalm 113)

Psalm 113 informs us “From the rising of the sun to its setting the name of the Lord is to be praised”...

The Condescending God?

Who can be compared with the LORD our God, who is enthroned on high? He stoops to look down on heaven and on earth. He lifts the poor from the dust and the...

Prayer, Peace, and Order Are Needed at Work as in Church (1 Timothy 2:1–15)

Paul’s advice to Timothy is balanced: Live in peace and cooperation with those around us. Seek to...

The Shrewd Manager and the Prodigal Son (Luke 16:1-13; 15:11-32)

The Parable of the Shrewd Manager (Luke 16:1-13) The key to security about the things we need is not anxious earning and...

Best of Daily Reflections: A Call to Consistent Integrity

“If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things...

Proper 21(26) Year CView All >

The Goodness of Work Restored (Jeremiah 30-33)

For twenty-three years, Jeremiah prophesied the coming destruction of Jerusalem (from God’s case against Judah in chapter 2 through chapter 28).[1] Then...

Hiding in God

When I was a boy, I loved playing “Hide and Seek.” Little made me happier than when I found the perfect hiding place, a secure enclave where no “seeker” would ever find me...

Apathy Due to Wealth (Amos 3:9-15, 6:1-7)

The prophets criticize those whose wealth leads them to abandon working for the common good and who give up any sense of...

Psalm 146

God executes justice for the oppressed (Ps. 146:7a). So do we, when we work according to God’s commandments, by God’s grace. God gives food to the hungry (Ps 146:7b). So do we. God...

Oh, no! She sits alone, the city that was once full of people. Once great among nations, she has become like a widow. Once a queen over provinces, she has become a slave...

Why Would God Make Our Lives Hard?

Her adversaries have become rulers; her enemies relax. Certainly the LORD caused her grief because of her many wrong acts. Her children...

Best of Daily Reflections: The Wild Ride of Faith

The memory of my suffering and homelessness is bitterness and poison. I can’t help but remember and am depressed. I call all...

Encountering Jesus in Our Suffering

The memory of my suffering and homelessness is bitterness and poison. I can’t help but remember and am depressed. I call all...

If I’m Suffering, Is God Punishing Me?

A young man named Don came to see me for pastoral counseling. As he shared his story, I could sense that he...

P Laceholder5 Women Talking Laura Boggess

How Can I Trust in God’s Faithfulness When I’m Suffering?

In yesterday’s reflection on Lamentations 3, I asked, “What enables us to keep on trusting in God’s faithful love when our lives...

Best of Daily Reflections: Great Is Thy Faithfulness

The memory of my suffering and homelessness is bitterness and poison. I can’t help but remember and am depressed. I call all...

The Verse in Scripture that Makes Us Most Uncomfortable

Psalm 137:9 is one of those verses in Scripture that shocks us. How can such a verse be in God's Word? How...

Best of Daily Reflections: Real Simple

Are you familiar with the magazine called Real Simple?

Cultures Can Persist for Generations (2 Timothy 1:1–2:13; 3:10–17)

One of the striking features of 2 Timothy is the theme of generational faithfulness. Toward the beginning of the letter Paul reminds...

Best of Daily Reflections: You Don’t Need More Faith

The apostles said to the Lord, “Show us how to increase our faith.” The Lord answered, “If you had faith even as...

Proper 23(28) Year CView All >

Bless Wider Society Through Your Work (Jeremiah 29)

In Jeremiah chapter 29, the prophet draws attention to God’s intention that his people's work should bless and serve the communities around...

Work for the Peace and Prosperity of the City

Though we may have little opportunity to impact major structures of our society, we can touch our neighbors and colleagues. We can...

A Future and a Hope

Because, for centuries, the Jews had consistently disobeyed the Lord, worshiping idols and rejecting justice, he finally sent the Babylonians to sack Jerusalem and take the finest of her people...

Come and See!

One afternoon, my children and I sat together playing a card game on the floor in my son’s bedroom. I wish I could say my purpose that day was to create a warm...

Proper 25(30) Year CView All >

Working Unjustly (Hosea 4:1-10; Joel 2:28-29)

Theme A Revisited: God Will Overthrow Pagan Kingdoms & Replace Them With His Own Kingdom...

The hope we have lies not in making the best of the present situation, but in the...

Best of Daily Reflections: Confess and Be Free

Happy are those whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Happy are those to whom the Lord imputes no iniquity, and...

Best of Daily Reflections: The Best Hiding Place of All

...

Taxing Issues (Luke 19:1-10; 20:20-26)

Jesus Applies for a Job (Click Here to Read) In this sermon on Luke 19 from The High Calling, George Cladis discusses...

My Work, Christ’s Home - Jesus Applies for a Job, Luke 19 Sermon Notes

Zacchaeus threw open his doors and gladly, enthusiastically welcomed Jesus into his home. Have you done the same at work?

Proper 27(32) Year CView All >

The Need for Social Capital (Haggai 1:1-2:19)

One of the challenges we face in work is the temptation to put self and family ahead of society. The prophet Haggai...

Calling on God in Truth

Psalm 145 celebrates the greatness and goodness of God.

Celebrating the Victory of God

Psalm 98 celebrates the power and victory of God. It calls us to praise him because of what he has done to save the world.

Peace and Prosperity (Isaiah 9ff.)

In contrast to the arrogant pride and self-sufficiency that will bring us down or the exploitation of the poor in order to...

Drinking Deeply from the Fountain of Salvation

Do you drink deeply from the fountain of salvation? Or do you simply take a sip every now and then? Sometimes we...

Both Sin and Hope Remain Present in Work (Malachi 1:1-4:6)

Even in the time of restoration, human sin is never far away. Malachi, the third of the restoration prophets, complains that some...

Celebrating the Victory of God

Psalm 98 celebrates the power and victory of God. It calls us to praise him because of what he has done to save the world.

Joy to the World!

Shout to the LORD, all the earth; break out in praise and sing for joy! Sing your praise to the LORD with the harp, with the harp and melodious song, with trumpets and...

Idleness (2 Thessalonians 3:6–15)

Idleness Is a Matter for the Christian Community, Not Just the Individual Engaging Dialogue on the Theology of Work (Click to Listen) The words of 2 Thessalonians 3:10 are critical. “If anyone is...

Christ the King (Reign of Christ) Sunday Year CView All >

God at Work (Luke 1, 2, and 4)

Luke’s Gospel begins in a workplace.

God’s Presence in the Midst of Disaster (Psalm 46)

No matter how great the disaster, God is greater still.

Best of Daily Reflections: Why Are We So Afraid?

We are fearful of getting sick, getting hurt, losing money, or losing it all. But we don’t need to be.

Best of Daily Reflections: How Does God Bring Destruction?

...

Be Still!

“Be still and know that I am God!” There are few verses in the whole Bible that I need to remember more than this one.

God at Work, Jesus at Work (Colossians 1:15–20)

The first half of Paul’s letter to the Colossians can be summarized in nine words: Jesus made it all. Then Jesus paid...

Jesus, the Image of the Invisible God (Colossians 1:15–29)

What difference does it make that we are bearers of the divine image in our work? One implication of this is that...

Today, You Will Be With Me in Paradise

...

Thanksgiving Day Year CView All >

Statutes and Ordinances (Deuteronomy 4:44-28:68)

In the second part of his second speech, Moses describes in detail the “statutes and ordinances” that God charges Israel to obey...

Shout to the Lord?!

I can still remember Mrs. Merrill calling the first-graders to worship in the Sunday School of Hollywood Presbyterian Church. Quoting from the King James version of prophet Habakkuk, Mrs. Merrill...

You Belong to God

Know that the LORD is God—he made us; we belong to him. We are his people, the sheep of his own pasture. Psalms 100:3 I’ll never forget my first baseball uniform. As a...

Six Days Shall You Worship

Where do you worship? When I ask Christian businesspeople that question, I always get the same answer—the church they attend on Sundays. And no wonder. On Sunday mornings, we go to worship...

Resolving Conflict (Philippians 4:2–9)

Although our instinctive reflex is to suppress and deny conflict, in this passage, Paul lovingly brings conflict into the open where it...

Jesus the Bread of Life (John 6)

John’s telling of the feeding of the five thousand (John 6:1-15) echoes many of the themes we saw in the wedding feast at Cana and the healing of the paralytic man. Again, Jesus...

Best of Daily Reflections: The Bread of Life

“What they are missing, really, is a living relationship with God.”

Your Job Can Be Sacred

Audio

An emphasis on personal relationships suffuses the theology of these chapters. Jesus calls the disciples “no longer servants…but friends” (John 15:15, NASB)...

Trinity Year CView All >

The Way of the Wise: A Biblical Interpretation of Firm Strategy & Orientation

All a person’s ways seem pure to them, but motives are weighed by the Lord. Commit to...

Authority (Psalm 8)

Psalm 8 is an exception in Book 1, as it does not pertain specifically to David. Its concern is with all human authority, not only David’s rule. Although God created the entire universe...

Real, Basic Stewardship

You gave them charge of everything you made, putting all things under their authority. Psalm 8:4 At this time of year, many churches focus on stewardship. For sixteen years as pastor of Irvine...

Grace Transforms Suffering in Our Life in Christ (Romans 5:1–11)

Video

Feast of the Holy CrossView All >

Joy to the World!

Shout to the LORD, all the earth; break out in praise and sing for joy! Sing your praise to the LORD with the harp, with the harp and melodious song, with trumpets and...

Status in Church and at Work: Friends in Low Places (1 Corinthians 1:18–31)

Paul reminds the congregation in Corinth that most of them do not come from the ranks of...

Jesus Teaches Nicodemus (John 3:1-21)

Then Jesus turned to his disciples and said, “God blesses you who are poor, for the Kingdom of God is yours. God...

Proper 26(31) Year CView All >

Worship and Work (Isaiah 1ff.)

Isaiah begins by insisting that religious rituals nauseate God when accompanied by sinful living: What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices? says the Lord; I have had enough of burnt-offerings of...

Best of Daily Reflections: Confess and Be Free

Happy are those whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Happy are those to whom the Lord imputes no iniquity, and...

Best of Daily Reflections: The Best Hiding Place of All

...

Taxing Issues (Luke 19:1-10; 20:20-26)

Jesus Applies for a Job (Click Here to Read) In this sermon on Luke 19 from The High Calling, George Cladis discusses...

My Work, Christ’s Home - Jesus Applies for a Job, Luke 19 Sermon Notes

Zacchaeus threw open his doors and gladly, enthusiastically welcomed Jesus into his home. Have you done the same at work?

Proper 27(32) Year CView All >

Shout to the LORD, all the earth; break out in praise and sing for joy! Sing your praise to the LORD with the harp, with the harp and melodious song, with trumpets and...

Idleness (2 Thessalonians 3:6–15)

...

Thanksgiving Day Year CView All >

Statutes and Ordinances (Deuteronomy 4:44-28:68)

In the second part of his second speech, Moses describes in detail the “statutes and ordinances” that God charges Israel to obey...

Shout to the Lord?!

I can still remember Mrs. Merrill calling the first-graders to worship in the Sunday School of Hollywood Presbyterian Church. Quoting from the King James version of prophet Habakkuk, Mrs. Merrill...

You Belong to God

Know that the LORD is God—he made us; we belong to him. We are his people, the sheep of his own pasture. Psalms 100:3 I’ll never forget my first baseball uniform. As a...

Six Days Shall You Worship

Where do you worship? When I ask Christian businesspeople that question, I always get the same answer—the church they attend on Sundays. And no wonder. On Sunday mornings, we go to worship...

Resolving Conflict (Philippians 4:2–9)

Although our instinctive reflex is to suppress and deny conflict, in this passage, Paul lovingly brings conflict into the open where it...

Jesus the Bread of Life (John 6)

John’s telling of the feeding of the five thousand (John 6:1-15) echoes many of the themes we saw in the wedding feast at Cana and the healing of the paralytic man. Again, Jesus...

Best of Daily Reflections: The Bread of Life