Devotions

LSEM > Devotions
May
07
An Uphill Climb

As a child, I always enjoyed going to the mall with my mom.  Now let me immediately admit there were selfish motivations at play.  Yes, I held a little bit of hope that she might buy me something (never a guarantee but it happened often enough to make the trip worthwhile).   And yes, it provided […]

Posted in: Devotions,
Apr
13
He Chose You!

He Chose You! 1 Peter 2:9 – “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” Doesn’t it sometimes seem humorous who God chooses to do His work? Some of […]

Posted in: Devotions,
Mar
11
Temptation

Temptation  Mark 1:12-13 – The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. And he was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to him. The lesson from the gospel of Mark is the familiar story of Jesus being tempted in the wilderness. The […]

Posted in: Devotions,
Mar
05
Driven to Excel

You can learn a lot about people by watching them drive their car.  Some people are self-absorbed and drive like they own the road. More laidback drivers cruise at so leisurely a pace you’d swear they were napping behind the wheel. Drivers who constantly change lanes are indecisive, while those who speed are either impulsive, […]

Posted in: Devotions,
Feb
05
Resolving to Achieve

So how are those New Year’s resolutions coming along?  If you joined the millions of people who started 2015 with a plan to lose weight, save more money, learn a new skill or get more organized, chances are pretty good that you’ve also joined most of them in failing.  Resolutions are like that; people making […]

Posted in: Devotions,
Jan
13
A New Start

A New Start Mark 1:10-11, As Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove.  And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” The second Sunday of January we celebrated the […]

Posted in: Devotions,
Dec
13
Prepare the Way

Mark 1:2-3, “I will send a messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way” — “a voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make paths straight for him.’ ” Can you imagine being confronted by John the Baptist today?  John probably would make a person a little uncomfortable by […]

Posted in: Devotions,
Dec
08
Striving through Struggles

“It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I may learn Your statutes. The law of Your mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces. Your hands made me and fashioned me; Give me understanding, that I may learn Your commandments.” – Psalm 119:71-73 As a member of the […]

Posted in: Devotions,
Nov
10
For All the Saints

Matthew 5:3-11:  “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will […]

Posted in: Devotions,
Oct
05
A Living Hope

1 Peter 1:3-6, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade.” Peter addresses the persecuted Christians who are […]

Posted in: Devotions,