Today’s Community Scripture – 3/28/2025

He told his next story to some who were complacently pleased with themselves over their moral performance and looked down their noses at the common people: “Two men went up to the Temple to pray, one a Pharisee, the other a tax man. The Pharisee posed and prayed like this: ‘Oh, God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, crooks, adulterers, or, heaven forbid, like this tax man. I fast twice a week and tithe on all my income.’ “Meanwhile the tax man, slumped in the shadows, his face in his hands, not daring to look up, said, ‘God, give mercy. Forgive me, a sinner.’ ” Jesus commented, “This tax man, not the other, went home made right with God. If you walk around with your nose in the air, you’re going to end up flat on your face, but if you’re content to be simply yourself, you will become more than yourself.”

Luke 18:9–14 (MSG)

– Reflection:

The Tax Man and the Pharisee

While attending one of the men’s breakfasts a while ago, we discussed what it means to be a man. Many guys stated paying bills, others said protecting their families, and still others mentioned loving those they take care of. I expressed my desire to improve in all these areas, meaning I wanted to be engaged in what the household is doing at any given time. A child needs something, whether it’s internal to the house or external. I need them to know that they can come to me and not be judged. The thing is, none of the answers are wrong; they just aren’t complete. It was the first time I had said that out loud in public. God has something for all of us to do. Playing dead, fighting back, and using bear spray were all answers given. Perhaps the most honest answer was, “I don’t have to be the fastest to escape the bear; I just don’t have to be the slowest.” As long as there is someone else worse off, someone who can take the brunt of it, I’ll be okay. Being a dad is the greatest career I have ever been given. Just because it was given to me doesn’t mean I understood the different complications that would arise. I did, and I still always want to be ready for what will come. I know many of the guys may have fallen back into the same groove, and many may not have. It is the ability to make a change for the better that always amazes me about being blessed.

I don’t liken any of us I encounter to the following, but this is what some might hear in various situations and settings. A Pharisee in the Bible prayed this: “God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income.” Thank God I’m not like them – thank God I’m not in their position. This is not how we should understand prayer.

– Where do we go from here?

We should neither count our “blessings” in comparison to others nor view others as lesser because of their circumstances in life. The second man in the parable offers his prayer in this manner: “God, be merciful to me, a sinner.” Jesus says that this man is the one who is justified. The term “justified” means “to be made right” or “to be in right relationship.” Where do we fall into this trap of believing we are without need for grace? Where do we mistakenly think our relationship with God is unrelated to those around us?

– Our Prayer for Today

Father, thank you for your abundant mercy, for opening our hearts to the suffering of the world around us and guiding us in a right relationship with you and our neighbors. Amen.

Today’s Community Scripture – 3/26/2025

Jesus, grilled by the Pharisees on when the kingdom of God would come, answered, “The kingdom of God doesn’t come by counting the days on the calendar. Nor when someone says, ‘Look here!’ or, ‘There it is!’ And why? Because God’s kingdom is already among you.” He went on to say to his disciples, “The days are coming when you are going to be desperately homesick for just a glimpse of one of the days of the Son of Man, and you won’t see a thing.
And they’ll say to you, ‘Look over there!’ or, ‘Look here!’ Don’t fall for any of that nonsense. The arrival of the Son of Man is not something you go out to see. He simply comes. “You know how the whole sky lights up from a single flash of lightning? That’s how it will be on the Day of the Son of Man.

Luke 17:20–24 (MSG)

Key Verse – Jesus, grilled by the Pharisees on when the kingdom of God would come, answered, “The kingdom of God doesn’t come by counting the days on the calendar. Nor when someone says, ‘Look here!’ or, ‘There it is!’ And why? Because God’s kingdom is already among you.” Luke 17:20–21 (MSG)

– Reflection:

When The Son Of Man Arrives

I don’t delve into many Bible translations, but this one caught my attention while researching for this message. The NRSV translates Luke 17:21 as “the kingdom of God is among you,” but the Greek word translated as “among” is ἐντὸς (enTOS). It means within or inside. So a more literal translation would be that the kingdom of God is inside you. I use The Message version of the Bible because it’s easier for me to understand and helps me grasp what the Word is saying to me personally. While the Kingdom of God cannot be contained within any of us as individuals, it surely begins within us. It starts with our vision, our values, and our worldview. Throughout Luke’s gospel, Jesus challenges us to see the world through God’s eyes: to view the poor as blessed, to recognize a little child as the greatest, to see the Lazaruses of our world lying at the gates, to empathize with them, and to reject their circumstances as “the way things are.” The capacity for such vision begins in our hearts, in our hopes, and in our dreams. That’s where the kingdom of God begins; from there, it can grow like a mustard seed into a great shrub and take over everything! Or like yeast, just a pinch can cause the whole batch of dough to rise.

– Where do we go from here?

Luke believes the Kingdom of God isn’t a distant realm behind pearly gates; rather, it’s God’s plan for our world. We find it by looking within ourselves, as Jesus teaches us that it resides in everyone!

– Our Prayer for Today

Father, may your kingdom enter our hearts, enabling your will to be fulfilled on earth as it is in heaven. Amen.

Today’s Community Scripture – 3/25/2025

“There once was a rich man, expensively dressed in the latest fashions, wasting his days in conspicuous consumption. A poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, had been dumped on his doorstep. All he lived for was to get a meal from scraps off the rich man’s table. His best friends were the dogs who came and licked his sores. “Then he died, this poor man, and was taken up by the angels to the lap of Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried. In hell and in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham in the distance and Lazarus in his lap. He called out, ‘Father Abraham, mercy! Have mercy! Send Lazarus to dip his finger in water to cool my tongue. I’m in agony in this fire.’ “But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that in your lifetime you got the good things and Lazarus the bad things. It’s not like that here. Here he’s consoled and you’re tormented. Besides, in all these matters there is a huge chasm set between us so that no one can go from us to you even if he wanted to, nor can anyone cross over from you to us.’ “The rich man said, ‘Then let me ask you, Father: Send him to the house of my father where I have five brothers, so he can tell them the score and warn them so they won’t end up here in this place of torment.’ “Abraham answered, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets to tell them the score. Let them listen to them.’ “ ‘I know, Father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but they’re not listening. If someone came back to them from the dead, they would change their ways.’ “Abraham replied, ‘If they won’t listen to Moses and the Prophets, they’re not going to be convinced by someone who rises from the dead.’ ”

Luke 16:19–31 (MSG)

– Reflection:

The Rich Man and Lazarus

In all of the parables Jesus told, only one character has a name. Lazarus, the poor hungry man who lay outside the gate of the rich man. There is no obvious connection with Lazarus, the friend of Jesus who dies and is raised from the dead in John 11. But maybe the name is intended to evoke that mental connection for us. The name “Lazarus” means “God helps.” However the Lazarus laying outside of the rich man’s gate seems to never receive any help from the living. It was a shame that in his entire life while lying outside a rich man’s gate no one ever gave him any help. My heart wouldn’t allow for that to happen. It makes sense to me to give help where it is needed allowing someone to lie out in the elements and not help is a harsh thing to do to another human. Jesus came and gave us his life, God sent his only son to die for us and all our sins that we placed in this world. How can we not give a meal, a jacket, a pair of shoes, or just a kind word to someone who is in desperate need of it?

– Where do we go from here?

Who are the unnamed “nobodies” in your world? Introduce yourself and learn their names. Look at them and truly see them. Treat them like the “king of the hill, the top of the heap.” Let us follow Jesus in the way he leads us. Allow genuine kindness to become part of who you are every day. Become a blessing to your community and those around you.

– Our Prayer for Today

Father, give us the courage to step outside our imaginary gates and give us eyes to see who is there. Give us strength to serve each of them in ways that honor you. Through Christ, we can pray. Amen.

Today’s Community Scripture – 3/24/2025

Every time I say your name in prayer which is practically all the time I thank God for you, the God I worship with my whole life in the tradition of my ancestors. I miss you a lot, especially when I remember that last tearful good-bye, and I look forward to a joy-packed reunion. That precious memory triggers another: your honest faith and what a rich faith it is, handed down from your grandmother Lois to your mother Eunice, and now to you! And the special gift of ministry you received when I laid hands on you and prayed keep that ablaze! God doesn’t want us to be shy with his gifts, but bold and loving and sensible. So don’t be embarrassed to speak up for our Master or for me, his prisoner. Take your share of suffering for the Message along with the rest of us. We can only keep on going, after all, by the power of God, who first saved us and then called us to this holy work. We had nothing to do with it. It was all his idea, a gift prepared for us in Jesus long before we knew anything about it. But we know it now. Since the appearance of our Savior, nothing could be plainer: death defeated, life vindicated in a steady blaze of light, all through the work of Jesus.

2 Timothy 1:3–10 (MSG)

– Reflection:

Every time I say your name in prayer

This passage says a lot to me and my heart of how far we have come since being saved by Christ. It tells me that all of the mess and hell I dealt was and is to strengthen me for the work I have done up to this point and for the man I need to be later. I am sure there are things you all go through too, these are the same precedences being set in you as they were in me. Continue to take ground for the Kingdom and I promise you it will being to make sense if you have accepted Jesus Christ as you Lord and Savior. That is first that will allow you to receive all of what his father has for your life, things that were created for you and me before we or our parents were even thought about. Big huh? I am often surprised by the things that I am able to witness being a follower of Christ. I would love for more of us to as well; it is a little scary because there is nothing asked for that is hard, only your heart. If you can give that over to Jesus, and his father. Man the sky’s are not a limit on you or me.

Where do we go from here?

It would be wonderful if everyone who reads this immediately drops to their knees, begins praising God, and desires to be baptized to show they are ready for the work that Christ has for them. The truth is that this life is tough because Jesus was tough. Only the strong can live a life like this; it is not for the weak at all. Everything we must endure is to witness the promises fulfilled for others and to give glory to God, not to ourselves. It might be difficult to think about at first, but as we move as He did, we see it creates a better world for all of us. If we can make the world a better place for one person, and each of us does this, the world will be so much better moving forward. I am on the path of doing my part, and I want you to do yours.

Our Prayer for Today

Father, thank you for granting me the gifts of writing, mentorship, technology, and sports. It is with all these blessings that I have the honor of becoming a leader, just as you did. Thank you so much for this blessing; we will not let you down. Amen.