Matthew 24:13 DEVOTION FOR TODAY, February 10, 2020 “But the one who endures to the end will be saved.” Charles Wesley was on his way from Bristol to Newcastle when his horse threw him, and then fell on him. He wrote in his journal, “My companion thought I had a broken neck; but my leg only was bruised, and my hand sprained, and my head stunned – which spoiled my…Keep Reading

Rev. Nate and Julie Ware Luke 18:9-14 Prayer: True Prayer! “Why pray,” was a question I asked a couple of weeks ago. Here’s an answer: Not more prayer, but TRUE prayer! Christ gives us an excellent example of the difference, between true prayer, and not so true prayer. Read Luke 18:9-14 Notice that this teaching comes from another of Jesus’ parables, Luke 18:1-8, “The Parable of Unjust judge:” contrasting between…Keep Reading

Hebrews 11:3 DEVOTION FOR TODAY, February 4, 2020 “By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.” Does anyone look at a tree and question the miracle of a seed? It is hard to understand how people can look out at the beauty of this world and question the existence of God. We don’t…Keep Reading

Mark 14:54 DEVOTION FOR TODAY, January 22, 2020 “But Peter followed Jesus at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest. And he sat with the servants and warmed himself at the fire.” The night was cold and the street dark as he warmed by the fire. Strangers were all around the barrel of burning wood. Their hands were held close to the flame and the conversation was…Keep Reading

Isaiah 56:5 January 23, 2020 “The Face of Homelessness” What if your adult loved one/family member is an addict and living in the streets? What if your loved one is suffering from mental and emotional challenges and is unable to function in a “real” environment? What if you/your loved ones receive an eviction notice and will face homelessness? What if you/your loved one’s name appears on a registry as sex…Keep Reading

Matthew 19:13-15 A SONG A DAY, January 22, 2020 “Jesus Loves Me” Originally written as a poem in Anna Warner’s novel, Say and Seal, the words were spoken to comfort a dying child. In 1861, William Bradbury set the words to music and added the chorus, “Yes, Jesus loves me!” Jesus’ love for little children is clear in the Gospels: “Then children were brought to him that he might lay…Keep Reading

Psalm 84:3 DEVOTION FOR TODAY, January 21, 2020 “Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young— a place near your altar, LORD Almighty, my King and my God.” It is not unusual to go into a large store and see a little bird that has gotten inside. If it gets to the patio and birdseed department it may…Keep Reading

John 1:16 A SONG A DAY, January 21, 2020 “Amazing Grace” One who does not find grace amazing either doesn’t understand grace or doesn’t understand one’s own sinfulness. John Newton said of himself, “Only God’s amazing grace could and would take a rude, profane, slave-trading sailor and transform him into a child of God.” Sailors are not generally known for refined language, but it is said of Newton that he…Keep Reading

Job 13:15 A SONG A DAY, January 18, 2020 “It Is Well with My Soul” It is said of Horatio Spafford (1828-1888) that he was “Much like Job, he placed his trust in God during his life’s prosperity, but also during its calamities. A devout Christian who’d immersed himself in Scripture, many years of his life were joyous. He was a prominent Chicago lawyer, whose business was thriving. He owned…Keep Reading

James 3:17-18 Thought for Today, January 18, 2020 “GRANT AND LEE” EXTRA (The following will appear in the Puryear Proclaimer tomorrow) The following is from the Virginia Museum of History and Cultural and contains an important lesson for our nation, especially as the polarization of the two major political parties continues to grow. “After Appomattox, Ulysses S. Grant was the savior of the Union, while Robert E. Lee was the…Keep Reading

Isaiah 40:31 DEVOTION FOR TODAY, January 18, 2020 “Those who wait for the LORD Will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.” I read somewhere that some prayers take flight like a supersonic airplane. They go fast and to the heights. Most of my prayers are more like an old crop-duster: hard…Keep Reading

Zechariah 10:8 DEVOTION FOR TODAY, January 17, 2020 “I will whistle for them, and gather them, for I have redeemed them.” “In that day the LORD will whistle for the fly that is at the end of the streams of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria. And they will all come…” Isaiah 17:18-19 A group of folks gather in a room for a meeting….Keep Reading