Morning Minutes

Showing 96 items from 2026

Reaping What You Sow

September 7, 2026
By Howard Dial

📖 References:

  • Proverbs 14:18,22
“Every man should leave a monument behind him in recollection of his own life by his neighbors. There must be something very much amiss about a man who is not missed when he dies. A good character is the best tombstone” (C.H. Spurgeon, John Ploughman’s Talk). We must read Proverbs as truth that is profitable and equips us for every good work (2 Tim. 3:16-17). Proverbs is not a book of moralisms. It gives us the fine details of a portrait of Christ-like living. Wisdom tells us that we sow a thought, reap an act; sow a habit, reap a character. The simple are the immature and dismissive of divine truth. Life is hard on those who value themselves more than they do God. Folly is the result of sin. It is more than just slap-stick comedy. It is disorder, stupid, senseless. Not all folly is sin, but all sin is folly. It can be put this way, “to flee from God to some far country and search for fulfillment is to find only ‘black-market substitutes’” (Richard Loveless). Dear reader, know that a life lived with God-given understanding has a good ending. What will be said at your funeral?
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Reflection:
Can you identify a truth of God in your life that is both beautiful and beautifying?

The Wise and the Fool

September 4, 2026
By Howard Dial

📖 References:

  • Proverbs 14:16
Proverbs must be read as part of the story of redemption. Ultimately divine wisdom is wrapped up in Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 1:30). But it must be remembered that all the Scriptures speak about Christ (Lk. 24:25-27). The mind of Christ, wisdom, tells us that it is better to look before you leap. Evil comes in many disguises. “To do its worst, evil needs to look its best. Evil has to spend a lot on makeup” (Cornelius Plantinga, Jr). Lust is disguised to look like love. Greed disguises itself as a secure future for the family. Racism disguises itself as separate but equal. Envy disguises itself as righteous indignation. The fool refuses to use the seat belt of truth. The fool drinks his six pack, gets stopped for a DUI, loses his driver’s license, and has to have his wife drive him to work. The wise observe the road signs of life. They look at life through the lens of divine truth. Christ’s people are in touch with reality. They know what sin is. When was the last time you heard this word in public discourse? “O Lord of all true wisdom, expand my mind to grasp your truth.”
H
Reflection:
“When a generation tolerates sin, the next generation will celebrate it, and the next generation after them won’t even know it’s sin.” J. C. Ryle

When and Then

September 2, 2026
By Howard Dial

📖 References:

  • Acts 7:9
There will be times in our lives when it seems as if God has hit us in the stomach. It may be a cancer diagnosis, a friend who ghosts us, a car rear-ends us and leaves you with a life-time of neck and back pain. Stephen’s sermon before the Jewish religious leaders contains five words about Joseph’s experience in Egypt that tell us volumes. When troubles came to Joseph by the truck load, God was accomplishing His purposes for him. It is then that we must not lose our spiritual footing. In those times when in ill health, or bad people saying and doing evil against us, then is the time to count on it that there is a bigger and better story taking place. And not only that there is the then in time, there is a time to come when seeming tragedy will give way to the then of being of the presence of Jesus. Stephen, “gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God” (Acts 7:55). Do you not love that “when” and “then?”
H
Walking by faith:
Memorize 2 Corinthians 4:16-18.
How can these verses help me to live with the “when” and the “then?”

Known and Unknown

August 31, 2026
By Howard Dial

📖 References:

  • 1 John 3:1
Identity! Do you know who you are? The thought of the rebirth in 1 John 2:29 ignites the thought of the splendor of God’s love for us. The love of God determines what we are in Christ. The fact that we are the children of God, if indeed you are, is a fact. It is unmerited love. In an act of divine choice we became God’s possession. Our security is firmly in His hands. This spiritual reality explains the fact of why the world does not understand our personal relationship to Jesus Christ. To this world the new birth is incomprehensible. Have you not noticed how Hollywood never gets this right. Christians are an enigma. The world tries to use conceptual boxes in order to explain Christians, “religious right,” “getting religion,” “turning over a new leaf,” “a wish fulfillment.” What is really important is that God knows who belong to Him, “if you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you” (John 15:18).
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Reflection:
“But what matters the hatred of this world if He knows and loves us? Most fearful of all pronouncements ever to fall on human ears is that word to those who profess to know Him but whose works deny Him: ‘I never knew you.’” Vance Havner

How Do We Know?

August 28, 2026
By Howard Dial

📖 References:

  • 1 John 5:2
How do we know if we are loving other believers properly? “Oh to dwell there above with the saints that we love will be glory. But to live here below with the saints that we know, that’s another story.” A bit cynical you might say, but the apostle John heads us off at the pass. Can we say we love others, but there are some we just don’t like? Here’s the truth: The sweet fruit of love for others ripens on the vine of delight in doing God’s will. Loving God is not simply an emotional or mystical experience (e.g. “God told me”). Love is taking responsibility for how we think and act according to the commands of God. Spiritually immature Christians will tend to think about God by instinct, not by revelation (Scripture). Are we one of those who attempt to interpret reality by our imagination (e.g., an imaginary conversation with God. “God wants me to break off this marriage because there is no more love.”). Fellowship with God and loving others His way involves obeying His commandments. If I love someone, I will want to please that person and do what is best for them. If we love God, we will keep His commandments. A pastor friend put it this way, “We demonstrate our love for other believers, not merely in loving them, but in doing all that God wants us to do.” “Oh loving Heavenly Father, teach me to love as you love.”
H
Reflection:
What are some of God’s commands that I can keep today? Is there someone I can treat in a kind and patient way today?

Love Casts Out Fear

August 26, 2026
By Howard Dial

📖 References:

  • 1 John 4:18
None of us are exempt from fear. There is a good fear, the fear of the Lord. However, there is a fear we need not have. John wants his readers to understand the importance of making the invisible God visible through the love of Christ. This love is made possible in our lives by the Holy Spirit. Hold on to this: A life lived with love will give us boldness in the day of judgment. At the judgment seat of Christ the believer’s life’s work will be assessed. We who are believers in Christ can have confidence that God will approve the quality of life lived Christ-like. Love looks for opportunities to give. Fear keeps a wary eye on possible consequences of involvement in the lives of others. Love lays down its life for others (1 Jn. 3:16). Fear will not take personal risks to help others. Love is busy with today’s tasks and doesn’t worry about tomorrow (Matt. 6:34). Fear worries about tomorrow and fails to undertake responsibilities today. “Lord, grant me the grace to love more and fear less.”
H
Reflection:
What fears are controlling me: people, death, loss of control, pain?
Do I suffer panic attacks? Why is this?

God is Love

August 24, 2026
By Howard Dial

📖 References:

  • 1 John 4:7-8
Love is the language of truth. Love is the expression of truth. Truth expresses itself in love. True Christian love cannot thrive apart from an atmosphere of Christian truth. When the apostle John says why should we love one another he lays down the truth that we are to love one another because love is the very nature of God. What is God’s love like? It is unselfish and giving. It is voluntary. We cannot make God love us (Rom. 5:8, it is given of His own free choice). It is righteous. It never condones sin (Isa. 61:8, the Lord loves justice). It is everlasting (Jer. 31:3). Conclusion: Knowing God, as Father and Friend, will produce a self-giving life. A loveless life is a God-denying life. The stunning nature of God’s love is that His Son came into this world (out of the ivory palaces into this world of woe). He did this that we might live. Our good was desired. The wrath of God fell hard upon His Beloved Son. Love costs something. “Oh God, your love overwhelms me. Teach me to love as you have loved me.”
H
Reflection:
Do those close to me know that I love them?
How often do I sink into discontentment and resentment? What difference should God’s love have upon my thinking?

The Double-Edged Sword is Convicting

August 21, 2026
By Howard Dial

📖 References:

  • Hebrews 4:12
Yes, we are squeezing the truth of Hebrews 4:12 very hard. It takes us to school on dealing with a hard heart, which keeps the Christian from the enjoyment of God’s way of thinking and living (4:11). The human will which is set in cement in resistance to God’s revelation is ugly and awful in its consequences. The Word of God has a supernatural capacity for discerning our thoughts and intentions. It performs a sifting process. It will reveal what is in our hearts. It is as one writer says, “. . . If we really want to understand ourselves, we must fill our souls with God’s Word” (Kent Hughes). If your Bible has dust on it, that is not a good sign. What or whom are we trusting, fearing, listening to, and depending on; what or whom are we serving in life (Matt. 6:24)? All this is to say, do I have a serious approach to the Scriptures? Do I have a set-aside niche where I discover what the text of Scripture means and how it applies to me?
H
Reflection:
Hard questions: Am I spending more time scrolling on my IPhone than in being a wisdom-searcher?
Is my church assisting me in mining for the gold of truth by which to live?

The Discriminating Power of the Sword

August 19, 2026
By Howard Dial

📖 References:

  • Hebrews 4:12
Never underestimate the penetrating power of the Word of God. One of the great tragedies of our day is how Christians resort to unbiblical therapies in order to transform themselves. The great question in psychology is motivation. Everything from power and status, identity, sex, pleasure, and meaning can easily become idols. The Bible crushes the vain pursuits of man’s way and accurately cuts through the inner life of the Christian. Only the Word of God can adequately probe and expose the motives involved that lead to hardness of heart. Hard hearts require the penetrating, perceptive power of the razor sharp, doubled-edged sword of the Word of Truth. Some say, “If I don’t take care of myself no one else will.” Self-reliance is supposed to be a goal for life.** Our capability to rationalize strategies to accomplish sinful desire is almost unlimited. We become self-deceived.
H
Reflections:
Am I submitting myself to the scrutiny of the Scriptures?
Is my motive in life to be loved, to receive attention, to be successful, to have power and status? Or is it to bring glory to God?

**Biblical Counseling Foundation

The Double-Edged Sword

August 17, 2026
By Howard Dial

📖 References:

  • Hebrews 4:12
God’s Word is God speaking. As we properly interpret the Scriptures they serve as the voice of God. Beware of those who will tell you that they are hearing the voice of God (e.g.”God told me”). People who look for guidance/instruction through omens, signs, audible voices, etc. and yet do not put their minds on the sacred text are dangerous. God’s Word is sufficient in giving us the mind of God on how to live and please Him. But not only is God’s Word living, it is active (powerful). The Bible is effective in fulfilling its purpose. It is energetic in its operation. It cries out for personal decision to be made in response to its message. The Scriptures have unlimited capability; it regenerates (the new birth), opens eyes, changes lives, changes nations, and brings revival. What about your attitudes, for example, the Christian who carries around wrong thinking. The Word of God has been instrumental in great movements of God. Martin Luther, greatly instrumental in the Reformation, said this: “I simply taught, preached, wrote God’s Word, otherwise I did nothing. And while I slept, . . . The Word so greatly weakened the papacy that never a Prince or Emperor inflicted such damage upon it, I did nothing. The Word did it all.”
H
Reflection:
How diligent are you in listening to God’s Word? Can you think of ways it has changed your life?

Hard Hearts

August 13, 2026
By Howard Dial

📖 References:

  • Hebrews 4:12
Hard hearts don’t ring the bell of praise to God. We saw this in our discussion of Psalm 95. We must remember that worship begins with listening then speaking. Hearing and obeying God’s Word results in praising God joyfully. We find Psalm 95 being quoted in Hebrews 3:7-4:13 four times. The wilderness wanderings of the children of Israel and their hard hearts stand as a warning to followers of Jesus Christ. A hard heart is one that says to God, let me alone (do not disturb). The only hope for a hard heart is the double-edged sword of God’s Word. It is living and full of vital relevance. It speaks meaningfully to a community of believers that have become careless in its attitude toward the word of promise expressed in Scripture. How is your hearing? Oh the danger of being deaf to the sufficiency of God’s Word as we try to work through the trials of life while not feeding on the truth that has come down out of heaven. Are you on a steady diet of biblical teaching?
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Reflections:
Are you in or near a church where there is expository preaching? Is the Bible explained and rigorously applied to life situations?

True Worship

August 12, 2026
By Howard Dial

📖 References:

  • Psalm 95:1-2
Psalm 95 is an enthronement psalm which gave Israel the opportunity to acknowledge that the Lord is a great King above all the gods. This is a poetic way of denying the reality of other gods. Think of Israel’s spiritual location among the nations surrounding her. Israel worshiped the Lord of the universe, her covenant God, the only true God. This is an invitation to read all ten verses of Psalm 95. Create your own melody and hum it through if you like. C. H. Spurgeon’s words stir the correct emotion; “It has about it a ring like that of church bells, and like the bells it sounds both merrily and solemnly, at first ringing out a lively peal, and then dropping into a funeral knell as if tolling at the funeral of the generation which perished in the wilderness.” The supremacy of God calls for an exuberant response. Do you need some exuberance about God? This is not the only mood in worship but it lifts our minds heavenward which our dying civilization needs to hear as God’s people gather to bring praises to our Creator and Redeemer.
H
Reflections
“Not until we grasp who the Lord is, are we inwardly moved to worship him.” John Stott
Look out on nature today and praise God for wonders of His creation.

The God of Justice

August 10, 2026
By Howard Dial

📖 References:

  • Genesis 18:25
There is an unwillingness in our day to think of God as Judge. Living as we do in an increasing Bible desert vital questions go unanswered: Will God judge everybody? Will all of the injustices of this world be rectified? Can one avoid the judgment of God and, if so, how? Abraham’s prayer on behalf of Sodom and Gomorrah reveals that “God’s righteousness means that God always acts in accordance with what is right and is himself the final standard of what is right” (Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology). God is holy, possessing separateness that transcends creation and as a consequence He is not stained by sin. This is a declaration; God is just, absolutely fair in the treatment of His creatures. The only way God’s final judgment can be avoided is through the provision of the righteousness we need which is through the work of Christ on the cross. This gift is made to all who place their trust in Jesus Christ. Are you there? “The solution for the problem of how God can be just and still justify the unjust is found in the Christian doctrine of redemption” (A.W. Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy).
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Reflections:
Are you prepared to stand before God as the final Judge?
Is there someone you know who needs what God has provided in Christ?

Influencers

August 7, 2026
By Howard Dial

📖 References:

  • Matthew 5:16
Influencers. It’s not a new concept in the world. There have been people who have had an extraordinary impact on the lives of others. But the “influencer” has become a professional category. They are defined as those “who have built an audience – usually on social media – and can affect the opinions, interests, or purchasing decisions of their followers through the content they create” (ChatGPT). Those who are disciples of Jesus Christ are potentially the greatest of influencers. Salt and light. As Christians we have been saved to illuminate a sin-darkened world by bearing the gospel to every tribe, tongue, and nation. This happens with our lips and lives. Light exposes darkness, bringing to light dishonesty, gossip, immorality, prejudice, greed, and selfishness. As salt-influencers we, too, have a preservative impact in classrooms, the work place, sales meetings, the cockpit, in politics, in sports participation, in town hall meetings, charities, jury duty. How are you doing as an influencer for the King of kings? We are talking about eternal outcomes, not merely the market place of this life.
H
Reflections:
What are some of the ways you are making a difference in the lives of others for Christ?
Think of ways God has ordered your life naturally and supernaturally to be His influencer.

The Grace of Generosity

August 5, 2026
By Howard Dial

📖 References:

  • Acts 4:32
Thousands in and around Jerusalem came to faith in Jesus Christ. The conversion of so many created some special challenges. One factor was the excommunication from the synagogue and persecution. Also, famine, political unrest, and unemployment placed many new believers in financial need. But the grace of generosity found its source in the springs of new life in Christ as it should in us. All who are in Christ must lay hold of the realization that everything we have belongs to the Lord. Voluntary, joyful giving is made possible by a good work ethic and wise financial planning. The early church was not monastic or communistic. Generosity in giving and sharing with the needy reflects the eternal values bound up in the gospel. It is wrong to read socialism into what was happening in the believing community in the book of Acts. Socialism at its core is a Christian heresy. “Socialism is a political religion whose God is the State and whose priests are the bureaucrats. It is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, and its inherent virtue is the equal distribution of misery” (Winston Churchill). We can experience the grace of generosity in the words of John Wesley, “when we earn as much as we can, save as much as we can, and give as much as we can.”
H
Reflections:
In what ways can my financial life bring greater glory to God?
How can I stay better aware of the needs of fellow believers?

God’s Power Over the Nations

August 3, 2026
By Howard Dial

📖 References:

  • Psalm 66:7
The psalms of the OT show us how to express our desire for the nations to come to know God. Psalm 66 calls on the world to join in universal worship of the Lord. The prophet Isaiah reminds us that to “form a right idea of God’s greatness. . . [We must] remove from our thoughts of God limits that would make him small (and) to compare him with powers and forces which we regard as great.” (J.I. Packer, Knowing God). The powerful nations in our world today strut across the stage of human events as if they are in control of their destiny. The truth is the nations ”are like a drop from a bucket. And are regarded as a speck of dust on the scales” (Isa. 40:15). It is right to pray that those nations who have their fist in God’s face discover His power to bring them to the dust bin of history. At the same time we should pray for nations like Kuwait who have amassed significant wealth from their national oil reserves, to turn from their hubris and cease their persecution of Christian converts from Islam. Impossible? (The Voice of the Martyrs “Prayer Guide”). God has ultimate power, not the nations.
H
Recommended:
Obtain a copy of the “2026 Global Prayer Guide.” Am I alert to prayer in response to the news coverage of the MIddle East?

An All-Powerful God

July 31, 2026
By Howard Dial

📖 References:

  • Psalm 62:11
Power, power, power. Political power, if we could just have enough of it, government could solve our problems. Don’t believe it. If we could have enough time and chance that would be all the power needed for evolution of the human species. Don’t believe it. God declares by the psalmist our confidence for the future cannot be grounded in wealth and human power. God by His power raises up and brings down human governments. By His power God spoke the universe into existence. By God’s power the weather accomplishes God’s will. By God’s power rebellious, sin-hardened hearts can be transformed into God-loving, Christ-serving, sin-overcoming, God-worshiping people. Do you believe this? Then flee to the all-powerful God who calls us to repent and believe in Christ alone.
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Reflections:
What are some ways in which God’s power has transformed your personal life?
Did the last thunderstorm you experienced cause you to be awed by the power of God?

Singing Through Sorrows to God

July 29, 2026
By Howard Dial

📖 References:

  • Psalm 57:7
God has given us the “psalms of darkness” (lament psalms) to enable us to shape our experience when our lives are disturbed and we become disoriented. David is expressing supreme confidence in the Lord in the midst of calamitous circumstances. He is in a cave fleeing from his father-in-law, the king of Israel. The whole psalm should be read, but we come to the emotional focal point in verse 7. David makes the cave of adullam ring with music. The burden of trouble must be resolved in the heart. A heart fixed, calm, firm, happy, resolute, established. David would not let Saul or the Philistines stop him. David wants God to be exalted in his own personal circumstances. Maybe you are in something of cave-like conditions. Sing through your sorrows to God. Praise and thanksgiving to God should lead us to want the world to know what kind of God we have.
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Reflections:
“The psalms of lament do not simply reflect our experience; they are meant to form our experience of despair. They are meant to name the silences that our suffering has created.” Stanley Hauerwas, God, Medicine and Suffering

The God Who Knows Everything, Part 2

July 27, 2026
By Howard Dial

📖 References:

  • Psalm 119:168
We live in a therapy driven culture. Vast amounts of money are spent in the attempt to find out more about oneself. “What’s wrong with me?” “Why can’t I get along with my spouse?” The mental health of the masses is big business. The psalmist knew that God knew all about him before he was born (Psa. 139:15). The prophet Samuel was told that God sees not as man sees for man looks at the outward appearance (1 Sam. 16:7). The sobering truth is that we are all completely transparent before God. He knows about all the details of our life, our joys, suffering, “Does He not see my ways and count my every step?” (Job 31:4). Don’t fool yourself, God is not too great to notice everything about us. “The knowledge that our Heavenly Father knows us completely. . . Is unutterably sweet. No talebearer can inform on us, no enemy can make an accusation stick; no forgotten skeleton can come tumbling out of some hidden closet to abash us and expose our past, no unsuspected weakness in our characters can come to light to turn God away from us;. . .” (A.W. Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy). God knows all our thoughts, motives, actions.
H
“Heavenly Father, I know you know all about me, but love me with stedfast love. Thank you for your patience. Create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me.”

The God Who Knows Everything

July 24, 2026
By Howard Dial

📖 References:

  • 1 John 3:20
We have all encountered certain kinds of people who behave as if they were “know-it-alls.” Only God knows everything there is to know. He knows fully, knowing everything about everything and everybody all the time. Be thankful for that especially when our own ill-informed conscience challenges our assurance of having eternal life. God is superior to our conscience “which may not acknowledge the loving deeds we have done in the power of the Holy Spirit. . . God takes everything into account, including Christ’s atoning work for us” (NKJV Study Bible). There is more. AI and all the data centers in the world are no match for God. He does not have to gain or acquire knowledge. He does not have to reason. All of God’s knowledge is always immediately and directly before His mind. God’s knowledge is infallible. What He knows is as certain as what He says. His knowledge is immutable. It does not change. He does not grow wiser. Rejoice that we do not have to depend on our own knowledge of ourselves or our feelings to have certainty about what Is true and what is false. We have God’s Word on what is true and what is not.
H
Reflections:
What temptations might you have that question God’s infinite knowledge?
Is there a problem you face where you need God’s knowledge at this time?

The Presence of God

July 22, 2026
By Pastor Dial

📖 References:

  • Psalm 16:11
Do you know what it means to enjoy the presence of God? This is not a spacial experience for God is everywhere present (Jer. 23:23,24). It is a relational matter. The truth is that “God can be present to punish, to sustain, or to bless” (Wayne Grudem, System Theology). It was David’s persuasion that fellowship with God was to enjoy God. When God withdrew His “blessing presence” from Israel when she went out to battle her enemies, she was defeated (Num. 14:42). Churches can exist without the blessing of Christ (Rev. 3:20). Sin is the great interrupter. To experience the presence of God is “As a child may cry out in pain even when sheltered in its mother’s arms, so a Christian may sometimes know what it is to suffer even in the conscious presence of God” (A.W. Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy). There are dividends in the enjoyment of the Lord. A close look at Psalm 16:7-11 reveals delight in the guidance of God, and stability in carrying out our responsibilities with staying power. Special blessing and power does not exempt the believer from affliction, but sweetens the pathway to heaven with hopeful happiness. Pain, suffering, and death do not defeat us, but show forth the glory of God’s magnificence.
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“God is in heaven, in regard to the manifestation of his glory; in hell, by the expression of his justice; in the earth , by the discoveries of his wisdom, power, patience and compassion; in his people, by monuments of his grace; and in all, in regard of his substance.” Stephen Charnock, The Existence and Attributes of God

Where is God?

July 20, 2026
By Pastor Dial

📖 References:

  • Jeremiah 23:23-24
Is God in heaven? Is He here on earth? Is He in everything around us. In a song by John Denver, “the children and the flowers are my sisters and my brothers.” That’s not God. Is God not now directly involved in the creation, like one who has set a clock and letting it run? Some of the early founders of our nation bought into such a false God (“deists”).The prophet Jeremiah puts the false prophets in their place. They cannot hide from God and His punishment. The everywhere present God of the universe puts everyone on notice. Unbelievers cannot flee God. Not even in hell can they be rid of God. He is there, but not His goodness. Believers in Jesus Christ find their comfort in the ever present God. David did in Psalm 139:7-10. In most of the passages in the Bible that speak of the presence of Lord, they have to do with the blessing He brings. God is always there. It was the Puritans who spoke much of Coram Deo, before the face of God. For Christ’s people every part of life is lived in God’s presence, under His authority, and for His glory. Let your thoughts dwell on that.
H
Reflections:
Am I guilty of placing God at the edge of my life?
How does He fit into my work, my family, my relationships, decisions, and even my private thoughts?

The Birds

July 17, 2026
By Pastor Dial

📖 References:

  • Mark 4:4, 15
In 1963 Alfred Hitchcock’s movie, “The Birds,” changed the way many thought about birds. A couple purchased two love birds that became fond of one another. The birds started attacking children and a huge assault started on the town by attacking birds. Jesus, in the parable of the seed and the sower, described how the seed of the message of the kingdom fell on unwelcome soil. Thin soil on top of rock resulted in the seed of the Word becoming bird food. Later Jesus said that the birds symbolized Satan who removed the seed. The point was that of a person who hears the message and fails to understand. The message of the kingdom produced no response. Satan has his agents who assist in the work of deception (Mk. 3:22; Matt. 7:13-15). False teachers and godless religion can blind hearers of the kingdom message. Satan stands ready to pick the seed of the truth off the surface of the heart. This will happen when we think that Jesus is something He is not.
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Reflections:
Ask God to make you a more faithful seed-sower. Don’t be discouraged. God is the one who can overcome the hearts that resist the gospel.

Better Than the Sparrows

July 15, 2026
By Pastor Dial

📖 References:

  • Matthew 10:29, 31
Do you ever fret thinking that God could be overlooking your problems and needs? Jesus told His disciples that not even a sparrow drops from the sky apart from the will of God. Now that is what we would say is attention to details. Sparrows in the biblical world were used for food by the very poor. Two sparrows could be sold for about a day’s wage. God’s sovereignty over all small things should lead us to confidence and comfort that He has His hands on all the details of our lives. He is aware of small things in the bird world, is He not mindful of bigger things? Don’t let the results of that MRI haunt you. We are of infinite value to God. That new born baby in ER is important to God. Those medical bills that exceed our insurance pay out have God’s full attention. The loving rule of God over the circumstances of our lives is a precious and comforting part of what it means to know God.
H
Reflections:
Have you thought recently that “all things work together for good to those who love the Lord” (Rom. 8:28)?
What worry is plaguing you at this time? How can looking at little birds help you?

Hawkeye Christians

July 13, 2026
By Pastor Dial

📖 References:

  • Job 39:26
The hawk is an amazing bird. As a bird of prey its eyesight is up to 8 times sharper than human vision. Such sight allows the hawk to spot a mouse from 100 feet up. They can dive at speeds up to 150 mph. The Red-tailed Hawk has tetrachromatic vision allowing it to see fluorescent urine trails left by mice. God reminds Job of the migratory capability of the hawk, with its built in GPS. Christian, learn from the hawk, “The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eye” (Psa. 19:8). Hawkeye was the quintessential frontiersman in James Fenimore Cooper’s stories. Christ’s followers are to be Hawkeyes. How good are you at discerning good from evil? To hate evil is to know it when you see it. Anti-God people would have you think you are a hater if you see and love the good God has ordained. Is your spiritual vision getting better?
H
Reflections:
A good habit is to ask the Lord to open your eyes so that you can see wonderful things from God’s law.
What biblical truths can you understand better now than in the past?

A Mother Hen and Her Chicks

July 10, 2026
By Pastor Dial

📖 References:

  • Matthew 23:37
It was only a few days before Jesus would be tried and crucified. The deep feelings of Israel’s Messiah for Israel are evident. How often the nation had rejected God’s grace. Blatant idolatry in times past had yielded empty ritualism and legalism. Jesus was not the kind of Messiah Israel wanted. Oh, how different things could have been. God’s tender care and desire to protect and gather His people had been forfeited. Have you seen how a broody hen is such a protector. Go online for videos to see how a mother hen fluffs her feathers and calls her chicks to duck safely under her wings. She will aggressively fight off predators, to keep her babies safe. Jesus had no doubt witnessed this many times. Have you thought of how committed the Savior is to you if you belong to Him? Only eternity will reveal how our Lord’s protective feathers have fluffed around us in dangerous times. The Second Coming of Jesus, Israel’s Messiah, promised the judgment of those bully nations who have sought to destroy His people when out of Zion the Deliverer would come (Rom. 11:25-27).
H
Reflections:
Thank God for the ways He has protected you that you know of and His tender mercies to you.

The Carolina Wren

July 8, 2026
By Pastor Dial

📖 References:

  • Matthew 6:26
Jesus told us to look at the birds. They tell us stories about God. Margaret Clarkson has a delightful little book, All Nature Sings. One chapter is “On Knowing Birds.” Recently a wren was found on our screened-in-porch floor. The Carolina Wren with its joyful song (‘the tea-kettle” song) loves nesting close to humans. They love flower pots, cozy corners in a garage, bushes next to the house, and porches. According to Clarkson, some birds are timid, some are show-offs; some are wise, others stupid. The wren sings to us and loves to be near to us. Getting to know birds (best done in solitude) can be nurturing to the soul. Ask those of us advanced in years. Getting to know God, too, is something that must be done alone. Do you want to be close to God, know Him. Are you willing to spend time alone in the presence of God, seeking Him in His Word with the guidance of the Holy Spirit? That little wren had been spending a lot time around us. It was sad to see it lifeless. Come to think about it, wanting to be close to God is a wonderful way to finish our time in this life.
H
Reflections:
Select a bird and discover a way it says something about God and our relationship to Him.

The Green-Eyed Monster

July 6, 2026
By Pastor Dial

📖 References:

  • Romans 1:29
There is a moral virus that threatens to destroy our nation in the name of human good and the promise of societal paradise. This moral and political evil is one of the consequences of abandoning God as our moral compass. It is the resentment of what someone has or who they are. Envy is that beast which desires “equality” of outcomes. It comes disguised as leveling the economic playing field. Million heirs and billion heirs are targeted for their wealth, except of course oneself and those I adore. The location of envy in Romans one is instructive. Depraved minds that worship the creation rather than the Creator are eaten up with envy. The bitter feeling aroused by someone else’s possessions, wanting what one does not have, whether material possessions popularity, or success is another nail in the coffin of the death of a nation. Socialism is seeing a surge of popularity on the political landscape. It is antithetical to the founding principles of America. Stand guard against the subtleties of the pursuit of someone else’s stuff in the name of creating equality.
H
Reflections:
Is there something I want that someone else has?
What should be my biblical response to other people’s blessings?

Patriotism: Good or Bad?

July 3, 2026
By Pastor Dial

📖 References:

  • Romans 13:1
When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Law of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.” (“The Declaration of Independence” July 4, 1776, opening paragraph). Our nation, the United States of America, had a unique beginning. Many of the foundational thoughts of our founding fathers flowed from a Judeo-Christian worldview. The following are some of the benefits of patriotism in a nation (“Politics According to the Bible” Wayne Grudem). “(1) A sense of belonging to a larger community of people, which provides one aspect of a person’s sense of identity and his obligation to others. (2) A shared sense of pride in the achievements of other individuals to whom one “belongs” as fellow citizens of the same nation (including pride in athletic, scientific, economic, artistic, philanthropic, or other endeavors). (3) A sense of obligation to live by and transmit to newcomers and succeeding generations a shared sense of moral values and standards that are widely valued by those within the nation.” The above are only three of the seven factors that define genuine patriotism. May God enable us as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ to exemplify what it means to submit to government authority in a biblical way and not be ashamed of being a citizen of our nation which God brought forth 250 years ago.
H
What do you understand what “Christian Nationalism” means and what it does not mean?

A Groaning Creation

July 1, 2026
By Pastor Dial

📖 References:

  • Mark 13:8
Two massive earthquakes have devastated Venezuela. Perhaps tens of thousands of people have been killed. Earthquakes are a part of the groaning of creation as it awaits its redemption (Rom. 8:19-22). Two ecologically catastrophic events have altered the original paradise of God for man. The fall of man is part of the creation being “subjected to futility.” Add to that the universal flood of Noah’s day with the breaking up of the earth’s crust. Nature went into a violent upheaval. As the “fountains of the great deep were broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened” (Gen. 7:11). Earthquakes will occur in the day of the Lord before the soon arrival of the Messiah (Matt. 24:8; Lk. 21:11). We are not there yet, but earthquakes do portent the judgment of God upon the city of man in the last days. An earthquake will occur on the Mount of Olives at the Second Coming of Christ (Zech. 14:4,5). How does God want His people to respond to earthquakes? Our world is broken and it can’t be fixed by man. We are called to acts of mercy to those who are the victims of an earthquake. God’s mercy is to be seen in our mercies given to others. Earthquakes have been called God’s footsteps toward a final judgment. They are a call to repentance. We all deserve to die because we are sinners. Where would you and I be one minute after tons of concrete fell and crushed the life out of us? “God uses disaster as a megaphone to call attention to our guilt and destination” (D.A. Carson).
H
Reflections:
Have I prayed for the people of Venezuela, the relief efforts, and the gospel needs there?

Our Next Meal

June 29, 2026
By Pastor Dial

📖 References:

  • Matthew 6:11
Rarely, if ever, do we in the Western world have to deal with anxiety about what we will eat day to day. Walking into a modern grocery store was never in the imagination of the disciples of Jesus. But the truth still stands that it’s God who provides for our daily physical needs. Ezekiel Hopkins, the Puritan, says, “Our Savior, in his providence, gives us heavenly blessings as a happy addition to the earthly blessings he daily bestows upon us.” God knows we need to eat. He gave millions of Israelites nutritious manna six out of seven days a week for forty years. Our prayer life should include trust in God for our personal needs. “Once we have prayed for God’s heavenly glory, then it is right for us to pray for our own earthly good” (Philip Ryken). Every Christian is tested in some way every day. Learn to pray for commonplace things such as parking places, wisdom in matching our money with what’s available in the grocery story, and thankfulness for the ability to work and earn our food that comes from God’s hand. (Jas. 1:17).
H
Reflections:
Have you ever had to live hand to mouth or been with those who had to survive that way?
Do our prayers at meal time reflect thoughtful and heartfelt thanks for God’s provisions?

Conversion

June 26, 2026
By Pastor Dial

📖 References:

  • Acts 9:5
The account of the apostle Paul’s conversion to Jesus Christ is a witness to the power of the Spirit of God in crashing through the barriers of unbelief. Can you think of the walls of resistance that stood between you and placing your trust in Jesus Christ? In Paul’s case the barriers of family, religion, and spiritual blindness gave him a false sense of security. The truth is that unbelief can masquerade as loyalty to God when we can’t see things as they really are. Do we think we are going to heaven because you were doing the right things? Conversion is turning from the sin of unbelief and turning to Christ in faith. Paul’s story in Acts 9 shouts from the roof tops that being born again changes everything in one’s life. Jesus Christ opened Paul’s spiritual eyes to who he really was, a sinner, and who Christ is, the Savior. What is your story?
H
Reflections:
If you died today where would you be one minute after that? What assurance do you have about where you would spend eternity?

When the Bottom Drops Out

June 24, 2026
By Pastor Dial

📖 References:

  • Job 1:20
“Lord of all being, There is one thing that deserves my greatest care, that calls forth my ardent desires, That is, that I may answer the great end for which I am made- to glorify thee who hast given me being. . .” (A Puritan prayer). There are times when sorrows come not in as single spies, but in battalions. These words from Shakespeare remind us of those seasons when the bottom drops out of all that we were standing upon. It was that way with Job. He had lost almost everything, and there was even more loss to come. What did he do? He struck the note in worship which is God’s desire for our suffering that He might be valued above all else. Unrelenting bad news came crashing down on Job. Overwhelming grief laid him low. In it he seems to have identified with the dead (when “he shaved his head”). But he does not blame God for his tragedies. There are not accidents in a world governed by God. There is even a mood of contentment after being buffeted by Satan (not known to Job). Is my response to personal suffering one of confidence and praise? “Heavenly Father, I need your grace to govern my sorrows, even when all logic and a complete perspective evades me.”
H
Reflections
Are there trials which leave you mentally tied in knots? Has there been worship? What does it look like?

God Unchanging

June 22, 2026
By Pastor Dial

📖 References:

  • Genesis 22:12
Does God acquire more knowledge as He dwells eternally? Does He ever get new knowledge about us? Those who think so take us to a God who is not the God of the Bible. Exactly what did God mean when He said to Abraham, “now I know?” The truth of the matter is this. God does not change. His unchangeable nature is that of immutability. He did not learn something about Abraham that He had not known. Abraham’s experience of the called-upon sacrifice of his son, Isaac, was a witness to a supreme act of trust in God, which He had always known. It was a resurrection faith. The writer of Hebrews testifies to this (Heb. 11:17-19). Abraham had faith to expect a resurrection. Can we trust God if we are asked for the loss of our own children? No matter what loss God brings into our lives we are to live with resurrection hope. To live this way, no matter what, it is proof of how much we love and trust God. “Lord, grant me the grace to see your perfections with the eye of faith through my tears, pain, grief, and death and know that you are a God worth trusting.”
H
Reflections:
Has God found me trusting Him through my pain and suffering?
Has some affection been allowed to extinguish the flame of a greater affection for God?

Christ’s Love For Us

June 19, 2026
By Pastor Dial

📖 References:

  • Romans 8:35
Are you experiencing some test in your faith now? Is something happening which is unpleasant and seemingly contradictory to God’s wisdom, goodness and love? We must never forget that present sufferings can’t cut us off from God. As believers we have been declared innocent of all charges against us. But Christ not only defends us (Rom. 8:34); He loves us and enters into relationship with us, and nothing will ever separate us from Christ’s love. The love of Christ for us is not threatened by any of the miseries of life. In the list of seven take note of the second, distress/hardship. The word implies being confined within a narrow and oppressive space. It may be a dead-end job, a chronic life-limiting physical problem, struggles within our family circle. Does the frown of God’s providence signal the withdrawal of His love? Absolutely not! Being unable to square the circles of disappointments is the opportunity to be reassured of Christ’s steadfast love for us.
H
Reflections:
How might Christ’s love be a comfort in a time soul-wrenching grief?
Is there some difficulty which is leading you to doubt God’s love?

Those Who Know Their God

June 17, 2026
By Pastor Dial

📖 References:

  • John 17:3
Disregard the study of God, and you sentence yourself to stumble and blunder through life blindfolded, as it were, with no sense of direction and no understanding of what surrounds you. This way you can waste your life and lose your soul” (J.I. Packer, Knowing God). Let it not be said that we are not taking God seriously. Hungering for God begins by giving mental energy to determining what God has said in His Word in order for it to make its full impact on our mind and heart. Call this meditation. Those who know their God are people who know who they are and where they are going. They do great exploits for God. They are people who are not enamored with the comforts and toys of this life, but rather see life as the opportunity to prepare for eternity. They are people who talk to God. They seek Him out and converse with Him. They are people who have a ravenous appetite for experiencing the perfections of God, peace, joy, patience, love.
H
Reflections:
What kind of plan do I have for not just knowing about God, but knowing Him experientially?
Am I interested in reading the little book, The Knowledge of the Holy by A.W. Tozer?

The Eternal God

June 15, 2026
By Pastor Dial

📖 References:

  • Revelation 1:8
“What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us” (A.W. Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy). God reveals Himself in the Bible as a God who has no beginning or end. He is an eternal God. God is unlike anything we experience. The infinity of God is that perfection of God by which he is free from all limitations. . . It implies that He is in no way limited by the universe, by this time-space world, or confined to the universe” (Berkhof). The eternal nature of God guarantees the completion of human history in the manner described in the book of Revelation. The flood light of the last book of the Bible shows us that the summation of all things is found in Jesus Christ. God the Son oversees and directs human history but is not bound by it. He has lived already all our tomorrows and has lived all our yesterdays. Do not let the secular propaganda of a man-centered theme of history and the future drag you into the abysmal ditch of a God-less world. Have you experienced the eternal salvation that is in Jesus Christ? An eternity of damnation is the worst thought imaginable.
H
Reflections:
Are you praying for those who face an eternity of God’s judgment?

Satan’s Devices Part 2

June 12, 2026
By Pastor Dial

📖 References:

  • 1 Peter 5:8
The text tells us that our adversary desires for us to fall into pride and a self-sufficient attitude. How might he go about this? Device:** By painting sins with virtue’s colors. Think of all the virtue signaling that fills our social environment. Pride is painted over with so-called strength and an unwavering moral posture. Covetousness is painted with assertiveness. Defiance of authority is gilded over with free-spiritedness and valor. No moral standards go about as tolerance. Remedy (1). Look past the colorful exterior. Sin is no less filthy because it is painted over with pretty colors. Remedy (2). Remember that make-up is not for the beautiful. How easily rotted wood can be painted over to look attractive. Remedy (3). View sin as it will look in a few hours. You know that the pleasure of sin will quickly wear off – what will you be left with? Remedy (4). Consider Christ’s sufferings and let them arouse rage within you toward sin.
H
Reflections:
What psychological terms can be used to cover over or redefine sinful patterns (e.g. boundaries)?
**Precious Remedies Against Satan’s Devices Thomas Brooks

Satan’s Devices

June 10, 2026
By Pastor Dial

📖 References:

  • 1 Peter 5:8
If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, be on the alert. We have an adversary. He has power, is a schemer, and can easily deceive the unwary. One of his devices** is to present God to the soul as one made up all of mercy. Our sin only makes God’s mercy more meaningful to us. Why then should you make such a matter of sin? Remedy #1 – Sin sets us out on a journey from which there is no return. Sin is always the worse thing we can do. It hardens the heart and creates greater indifference to sin (Hos. 4:17). God’s “So be it” to our choice of sin is a judgment we can’t afford. Remedy#2 – “God is as just as He is merciful.” The god of our making will prove to be a fiction. God cast the angels out of heaven (2 Pet. 2:4). He turned Adam out of Paradise. Remedy #3 – That though God’s general mercy be over all his works, yet his special mercy is confined to those that are divinely qualified. Are you in tune with God’s mercy? Is it sweet to you because you have tasted the goodness of God? Remedy #4 – God’s mercy is an antioxidant that should be in our spiritual diet. The mercy of God should keep us from sin, not drive us to sin. Satan’s logic is to argue from mercy to sinful liberty.
H
Reflections:
Have there been times when you have pleaded for mercy when repentance was necessary?
** Precious Remedies Against Satan’s Devices, Thomas Brooks

The Satisfaction of Sin

June 8, 2026

📖 References:

  • Isaiah 57:10
Is America in trouble? Is our nation committed to a societal suicide pact? It seems to be evident that there is a significant societal movement away from a sense of accountability to God. There is a certain satisfaction with idolatry. This was true of ancient Israel. She gave all her energies in the pursuit of false gods. Idolatry proved to be vital and refreshing to the Israelites. Commitment to sin and theological error can be deceptively satisfying. One of current popular idols is the allurement of financial gain through the exhilaration of taking a chance on certain outcomes in sports and politics. The freedom and fun can offer addictive satisfaction. The truth is, real satisfaction comes only from God by doing things His way. Israel flirted with heathen nations and their make-believe gods. This led to her destruction. Nothing seemed to weary her in her desire for the “fun” of false gods.
H
“Money can become a spiritual addiction, and like all addictions it hides proportions from its victims. We take more and greater risks to get an ever diminishing satisfaction from the thing we crave, until a breakdown occurs.” Timothy Keller

Insomnia

June 5, 2026
By Pastor Dial

📖 References:

  • Esther 6:1
The king of Persia’s insomnia was by divine appointment. Yes, God rules over our dream life, even the lack of sleep. It was John Flavel who insightfully said, “Many mercies and deliverances have fallen upon the people of God that are far beyond the course of natural causes.” Fires burn, water drowns, lions eat people. Yet God brought Israel between walls of water in the Exodus. Daniel’s three friends survived a fiery furnace, and Daniel slept next to hungry lions. God used insomnia to save Israel from a scheme of genocide. Haman’s hatred of the Jews led to his lynching on the very gallows intended for the Jew, Mordecai. God’s invisible hand works in our lives to create a turn of events that makes HIs providence smile. Yes, sometimes that providence frowns, but joy and trust in God are to accompany us no matter what the circumstances. Back to Flavel. “When Haman’s plot was ripe, on the very night the king could not sleep. So the providence of God falls out in remarkable moments of time.”
H
Reflections:
Can you think of a time when you were surprised by God’s hand in your circumstances? Did it cause you to praise Him?

Incomprehensible

June 3, 2026
By Pastor Dial

📖 References:

  • Romans 11:33
Thanks be to God that we can know Him. However, He is incomprehensible. We can never fully understand any single thing about God. “He that fills heaven and earth cannot be contained in anything. . . He is known by faith, enjoyed by love, but comprehended by no mind” (Stephen Charnock). The apostle Paul uses an exclamation (“Oh”) to express the mental and emotional heights in praising God for the depth (HIs hiddenness). Like the seven miles down in the deepest part of the ocean, there is more truth down there than we can handle. We will never be able to know “too much” about God, even in eternity. Yet at the same time we can know God truly – not just know about Him. My wife and I can know one another, but never comprehend one another. This can be evident when we are both in the kitchen together. 😊 God’s wisdom guarantees that He makes the best choices in carrying out His goals. We can trust Him.
H
“John Calvin said that God speaks to us in a kind of lisping. As parents engage in ‘baby talk’ when addressing their infant children, so God, in order to communicate with us lowly mortals, must condescend to speak to us in lisps.”
Reformation Study Bible

An MRI on Envy

June 1, 2026
By Pastor Dial

📖 References:

  • Romans 1:29
Envy does not keep very good company. Sadly, it can easily slip under the spiritual radar of any wandering heart. The following thoughts were written by our daughter, Miriam.
“Recently I was slapped in the face with a bad case of envy. It was instant, came out of ‘nowhere’ (except a sinful heart) and it was intense.
Most people would affirm me in my envy, understand, excuse, but not God.
God’s Word lists envy with ‘big’ sins like murder, adultery, witchcraft, and orgies.
Envy is a beast because at the root of it lies doubt of God’s goodness.
Why do I think I deserve something that God has not given?
Beware of the sin of envy! It erodes your trust in God’s goodness.
What do you think you deserve that God has not given you?
Replace that envy with a heart of gratitude.
Flip that envy switch and thank God for His blessings instead.”
M by way of H

Is Your God Big Enough? Part 4

May 29, 2026
By Pastor Dial

📖 References:

  • Psalm 139:19-23
How is the ship of your life doing in the midst of storm tossed waves? We need God who is the only one who can steady us. Your God is big enough as you realize how holy He is (139:19-24). One commentator has said, “We can rebel against God’s knowledge and pursue evil instead. David repudiates such a response.” What about the evil that is everywhere in the shark infested waters around me? As David, we should want no part of the evil that evil men devise. The greatness of God is to be a buffer in our thoughts. Am I against anything that would endanger my relationship to God? Paul Tripp has spoken wisely, “Where in your life is God exposing the inadequacy and unreliability of the places to which you have looked for safety?” We are right in wanting to continue walking and growing in God’s way. Do I pray that God’s name will not be discredited? How desperately do I want justice and what is right in God’s universe? The better we know God the more we will hate sin. David wanted a clear conscience (“see if there be any hurtful way in me,” v. 24). Do I? Am I allowing fear and worry to possess me?
H
Reflections:
How eager am I not to be guilty of self-deception?
What sins of the culture are knocking at the door of my heart and thoughts?
Name a way the presence of an all-knowing God is encouraging me.

Is Your God Big Enough? Part 3

May 27, 2026
By Pastor Dial

📖 References:

  • Psalm 139:13-14, 17
“I know that You know me and are with me because of the way You made me.” Let that sit on the bottom shelf of your mind. This is the third ballast that keeps us stable through the storms of life. Your God is big enough as you realize His infinite wisdom in forming you (vv. 13-18). Praise God for His power. “If God is not all-powerful, there must be some power or powers greater than God” (J. Boice). God fashions each of us for a purpose. A person even in the womb – language has shifted today to no longer speak about the “baby” in the womb but the fetus or embryo. We are unique because of God, not because of chance. Praise is the proper response to God’s grace to us in writing the book of our life.
H
Reflections:
How should the fact that each of us is unique humble us and encourage us?
Is there some aspect of how you were formed in the womb disappointing to you?

Is Your God Big Enough? Part 2

May 25, 2026
By Pastor Dial

📖 References:

  • Psalm 139:7-12
David brings forward another ballast for stabilization in his life. Ballasts are carried in ships to steady them. Not to worry. We can be sure of God’s undivided attention. Take comfort in God’s watchful eye. Your God is big enough as you realize that He is near you in every difficulty (Psa. 139:7-12). Wherever God is present, He is fully present. He is present in the fullness of His being. “David is still meditating on God’s omniscience, noting that the reason why God sees everything and knows everything is that it is everywhere to see and know it. . . The thing that makes hell so terrible is that it is run by God. It is not ruled by the devil” (J. Boice). People pursue evil in the dark, but it is the fool’s folly. How near is God to you? We are told to “draw near to God and He will draw near to you” (Jas. 4:8). We can enjoy the closeness of God as we repent and confess our sins. Jonah ran a fool’s errand thinking He could get away from God. Meditate on that story. If you are an unbeliever and die having rejected God’s forgiveness in Christ, there is no running away from the fact that you will have to stand before Him one day.
H
Reflections:
What effect does God’s everywhere presence having on your day to day living?
What hardship is particularly a challenge to you for trusting God’s presence everywhere?

Is Your God Big Enough?

May 22, 2026
By Pastor Dial

📖 References:

  • Psalm 139:1-3
How safe are you in God’s thoughts? Too many Christians have a shrunken God. But not David. He was surrounded by murderers, difficult people and difficult circumstances all his life. Yes, he brought some of this on himself. But there is a bigger picture, even in our own lives. David was confident in the midst of it all. He was a man after God’s own heart. Are we? Do I cherish God. The stability we need is found in God alone. Our God is big enough when we realize that He knows everything there is to know. Our cup should run over with thanksgiving. God knows all my thoughts, motives, and plans. He will never misjudge us. Whatever hardships God sends to us they are perfectly suited to who I am and what I need. It was the famous British preacher, Charles Spurgeon, who said, “There is chaff in all our wheat, and the Lord divides them with unerring precision.” We might say there is pulp in my juice. There is no one among us who has “no pulp.” Am I allowing God’s perfections to rule my thoughts? Let those tears flow toward God, not away from Him.
H
“God exists in reality and is not a spiritual medicine invented by our fears, it must follow that life’s secret very largely consists in holding him in our thoughts as much as possible and especially in times of fear and dread.” Maurice Roberts, The Thought of God.

Scoffers

May 20, 2026
By Pastor Dial

📖 References:

  • 2 Peter 3:4
The Scriptures will be scoffed at by those who march to the drum-beat of unbelief. Scoffers insulted the Savior at His First Coming. Why should we be surprised at the arrogance of those who treat the Second Coming of Christ with contempt? Hostile arguments are abundant: “It hasn’t happened, so it won’t. Jesus won’t come because He hasn’t come, i.e. things life this just don’t happen. “It can’t happen.” They say that we live in a closed system. God can’t intervene. The naturalistic worldview wraps itself in the vanity of the so-called “scientific approach.” It assumes (the principle of uniformity) that the processes that govern nature today have always been the same in the past so that the present is the key to the past. Christian adults, are we preparing our youth to stand strong in the face of scoffers who would discourage and defeat believers in Jesus Christ?
H
“Humanism (a godless worldview) was not invented by man, but by a snake who suggested that the quest for autonomy might be a good idea.” R.C. Sproul

Brace Yourself

May 18, 2026
By Pastor Dial

📖 References:

  • 2 Peter 3:3,4
The truth of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ will be ridiculed by a counterfeit Christianity and mocked by the world. Socialists and all their worldview cousins will lampoon the cherished hope of true Christians. They poke fun at followers of Jesus Christ for our “escapist” mentality, while they busy themselves in building their utopian sandcastles. Behind every denial of biblical truth is a moral agenda. Naturalism with its erasure of a Creator God will not allow for any divine intervention in human history. Such a worldview tells us that all living creatures evolved by an unguided, purposeless material process of random genetic change. Natural selection does not tolerate the belief that God created the universe out of nothing and that Jesus Christ will return to this earth to bring everyone into account to Him. Brothers and sisters in Christ, live on with the encouragement to flourish hopefully that one day we will see our Savior face to face.
H
“The sum of all a believer’s sad yesterdays is as nothing to him when he remembers the glory which is to be at the Lord’s return.” Maurice Roberts

God’s Way

May 15, 2026
By Pastor Dial

📖 References:

  • John 3:16
You are walking away from one of your favorite eating places. The next thing you know, having completely blacked out, a fatal heart attack has ushered you into one minute after you die*. Will you be with Christ or in the gloom of eternal separation from God facing endless judgment? God’s way, while still living on this earth, is for the sinner to turn from his unbelief, the mother of all sins, and put your trust in Christ. Faith is the empty hand of the heart reaching out to receive eternal life. The way of perishing is to experience utter failure, futility, and loss of all that makes existence worthwhile. There is no neutral ground, no other final state. Will it be the enjoyment of fellowship with God forever or will it be suffering unimaginable loss, misery and regret without end. Where will you be the instant you die?
H
Reflections:
If you have placed your faith in Jesus Christ, rejoice and tell others the good news about God's salvation.
If you think that good works is the ticket to heaven, think on this: God loved, God gave, we believe, we have. Believe and have!

God’s Gift

May 13, 2026
By Pastor Dial

📖 References:

  • John 3:16
How do you know that God loves you? God the Son left the glory and inestimable joys of heaven to live in a world with its fists in God’s face. The very nature of love is found in the word “gave.” Love is giving. It is an act of sacrifice. But a sacrifice that has its source in a holy and righteous God. Compared to heaven this earth was a pig’s sty. We are at the very heart of the gospel in having been given what was most dear to God the Father, the unique, incomparable Son. No other is or can be the Son of God as He is. The only way into God’s eternal presence is by believing. Belief consists of accepting something, not doing something. Do not be fooled. The faith required is no better than the one or thing in whom or where it is placed. Faith receives God’s gift. Have you done so? If so, then rejoice in the forgiveness and eternal life He offers. Why did He do this? It was to suffer and die and in so doing He bore the penalty for sins. God’s great gift of eternal life is available to anyone.
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“Faith in Christ brings life to all, and that Christ brought life, because the Heavenly Father loves the human race, and wishes that they should not perish.” John Calvin on John 3:16

The Greatest Text of All

May 11, 2026
By Pastor Dial

📖 References:

  • John 3:16
John 3:16 is “an ocean of thought in a drop of language” (August Van Ryn). Jesus’s conversation with a learned Jewish theologian reveals the answers to four questions. The little word “for” makes it known that there is a provision for sinners. Who does God love? His love is to be understood in five different ways in Scripture. His love here is that of His yearning, inviting, seeking, saving love.* God loves every individual in the world, past, present, and future, without exception and without distinction. Jesus is correcting Nicodemus. The Jews thought that God loved only Israel. The serpent that hung on the pole (Jn. 3:14) was for all to see and believe (Num. 21:4-9). There is also a choosing love, His selective love (Deut. 7:7-8; 10:15; Eph. 5:25).* God presents Himself in Scripture as the Creator of man, the sovereign ruler over the universe, the one who is transcendent (independent of the material universe) immanent (every where present in this world), the one who has acted on sinful, fallen man’s behalf. God’s love is great, infinite, and unchangeable. Rejoice in that, dear friend. Jonah in the belly of the great fish had to be taught that God loved the Assyrians, not just Israel. If you have never placed for faith in Jesus Christ, God’s love reaches out so that sinners will believe in Him and have eternal life.
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Reflections
What are the consequences if God’s loving invitation is rejected?
* indicates “Love in Hard Places” by D.A. Carson. It is worth the read!

Straddling the Fence

May 8, 2026
By Pastor Dial

📖 References:

  • 1 Kings 18:21
The Israel of Elijah’s day were trying to worship God and Baal, a false god, at the same time. The word for this is “syncretism;”attempting to please the Canaanite culture surrounding them and following the practices of Judaism at the same time. We live in a secular age which is committed to erasing God from everything. There is no room for indecisiveness among Christians. Incomplete obedience is disobedience. God hates it. The god of chance through time (evolution), believing that Allah and the God of the Bible are the same, mixing the belief that the observance of the Mass is the same as a communion service, that works and grace save the sinner. It was the Canaanization of Israel that lead to her down fall. Those who count themselves as obedient followers of Jesus Christ are not to try to straddle the fence between love for God and compromising the truth of God’s Word. Will it be God or Baal?
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Reflections:
Are there areas of Christian truth you try to cover up? How does mockery of the Christian faith affect you?

The Great Pretender

May 6, 2026
By Pastor Dial

📖 References:

  • Mark 13:22-23
We live in a dangerous world. Behind the scenes of international conflict is the great deceiver himself, Satan. Before Jesus Christ comes again Satan will attempt to deceive God’s elect. He disguises himself as an angel of light. And by the way, his servants disguise themselves as servants of righteousness (2 Cor. 11:14,15). “One of Satan’s tricks is to claim to be doing good” (Reformation Study Bible). False Christs and false prophets will try to make believers (the elect) think that the Messiah has come and that the kingdom has dawned. These pretenders will perform counterfeit miracles in an effort to validate their claims (Rev. 13:13). The word miracle is thrown around to describe anything that is extraordinary. But that is not a miracle. The social media world is filled with bold claims about the future: that humans are nothing but naked apes in our climb toward paradise, that the climate is going to destroy us all if we don’t quit using fossil fuels, that the church of Rome is the true church. God’s people are not to be caught off guard by the ferocity of the winds of error that blow hard against the house of truth. There is a great deception coming and in many ways it is already here (1 Jn. 4:2,3). Our ability to be deceived is in direct proportion to our biblical discernment and the dominance of God in our lives.
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Reflections:
What sources of Bible teaching do you rely on to make you a stronger Christian?
Have I ever been taken in by a scam over the phone or on the internet?

God’s Alarm Clock

May 4, 2026
By Pastor Dial

📖 References:

  • Romans 13:11
Do the words “apathy” and “luxury” ring your bell? They ought to because they describe the times in which we live. It’s our culture. Paul speaks to drowsy Christians. Wake up and show your love, Christ’s love, while you can. Christ’s return looms on the horizon. Wake up! This is no time for moral and spiritual carelessness and laxity. The gospel alarm is ringing. How absorbed am I in this present “night age?” We are called to be resolved in our warfare against the tyranny of sin. We ought to be getting up early in the morning of life to lay aside bad habits, ignorance of the Bible, being oblivious to thinking that everyone has their own truth (e.g. perception is reality), hatred of the Jewish people, the legitimacy of same-sex marriage, that killing a baby in the womb is reproductive health, that political violence is good if it furthers the right cause. “Lord, make my life a rebuke to indifference to the evils that plague the time in which we live.”
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Reflections:
What are some ways I can make better use of my time?
Meditate on this: “Never lose one moment of time, but to improve it in the most profitable way I possibly can.” Jonathan Edwards

Waiting for a Savior

May 1, 2026
By Pastor Dial

📖 References:

  • Philippians 3:20-21
Watching for the return of Jesus Christ involves a waiting time. This is not spending our time scrolling through Instagram and Facebook. Paul’s thought is that of withdrawal of one’s attention from other things. Our mental eyes are to be on the refashioning these moral bodies to be suited for life with Christ forever. We wait, therefore, by giving ourselves to spreading the message of the cross of Christ. We wait while suffering (2 Thess. 3:5). This is courageous waiting in joyful trust through our pain. Waiting on Christ takes the place of waiting on idols (1 Thess. 1:10, literally, “waiting up for”). Don’t count on God-substitutes to satisfy us. These idols are around every cultural corner. Watchfulness means that the tears of our grief and earthly sorrows fall into the hands of a loving and returning Savior.
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Reflections:
How can joy and sorrow mix together when grieving over the death of a loved one, diagnosed cancer?
Is there some injustice or painful emotional disappointment that is depressing you?

Watchfulness

April 29, 2026
By Pastor Dial

📖 References:

  • 1 Peter 4:7
First of all the bad news. We are living in a hollow and hostile culture. An active political group is working to undermine the historic and biblical values of our nation. Marriage is considered optional. Children are a burden. Patriotism is extreme. Biological sex differences are considered outdated. Responsibility is considered a trap. Jesus forewarned His disciples of powerful deceptions are going to get worse. Peter is blunt; “the end of all things is at hand.” We are there. Now the good news, at least part of it. The end-of-all-things living demands a God-seeking, life-dominating prayer life. We can talk to the Creator God of the universe. Do you want to make your prayer life more effective? Think God’s thoughts and order your life according to His precepts. No doubt Peter had not forgotten what watchfulness meant from his experience in the garden of Gethsemane. He was sleepy and kept falling asleep. How is your situational awareness? Do we know what is going on around us? A man-made paradise is not going to happen. Go after a vigorous, clear-headed, God-pursuing mind. This will lead to a more enjoyable prayer life.
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Reflections:
. What are some of the things that are hindering a robust, consistent prayer for you?
What are some of the injustices and evils that keep barking at you? How do you talk to God about them?

Be On the Alert

April 27, 2026
By Pastor Dial

📖 References:

  • Mark 13:32-33
We do not know the time of the appointed events of the Day of the Lord and the Second Coming of Christ. It is not for us to “know the times or the seasons” (Acts. 1:7). Watchfulness means that there are dangers which lurk in the shadows of our earthly pilgrimage. There is the danger of becoming intoxicated with the spirit of the age. We need to eat, drink, and sleep truth in order to see things as they really are. God-honoring decisions and ordering our priorities don’t come about by emotional magic. If you are an ardent student of the Bible and obey Christ’s commands, the values of this world won’t seduce you. There is the danger of becoming complacent and careless in the seasons of life. In your youth you can live as if there is no tomorrow. In the winter of life, retirement, trips to the doctor, the funerals of long-time friends, and before you know it you attend your own funeral. Where will you be one-minute after you die? “Lord, give me the grace to stay alert to the deceptions that pull me away from loving you.

The Promise of the Second Coming

April 24, 2026
By Pastor Dial

📖 References:

  • Mark 13:24-26
Few truths of the Bible are scorned and mocked like the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Tons of sentiment and celebration are lavished on the birth of Jesus Christ. Its importance is understood by Christians. Brace your thoughts with the fact that Christ’s return to this earth will be signaled by a display of divine power in the heavens. Creation has tottered under the load of sin’s curse and longs for its renewal when the last Adam will arrive to a world wrapped up in its vain pursuits. Christ’s coming will be in a blaze of glory. Take hope, dear Christian. We have abundant encouragement to live hopefully. The believer’s pain and suffering is the waiting room for a redeemed body in a redeemed creation. “The sum of all a believer’s sad yesterdays is as nothing to him when he remembers the glory which is to be at the Lord’s return” (Maurice Roberts).
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Reflections:
Identify some of the ways you are preparing to meet Jesus when He comes the second time.
What would history be like without the Second Coming of Jesus Christ? Why do you think human beings are wired for good stories with good endings?

The World’s Worst Nightmare

April 22, 2026
By Pastor Dial

📖 References:

  • Mark 13:14
No, it’s not the latest conspiracy theory. Before Jesus comes again Satan will use deception in his attempt to build his kingdom on earth. God’s people will experience intense increased persecution. Jesus revealed the sign that will herald the soon approach of His second coming and kingdom on earth. When this will be we don’t know. There was a complete destruction of the Jewish Temple in 70 A.D. But there is another even greater catastrophe coming. It’s not usual for Scripture to reveal a near-at-hand event to anticipate a far-off event. The coming abomination of desolation happens when the altar in the Temple is abominated (repugnant to God) and the people desolated (Temple is fled vacant). The Antichrist will set up an image of himself in the temple during the Tribulation (Dan. 9:27; 11:31; Matt. 24:15; 2 Thess. 2:4). This will trigger a time of suffering unparalleled in human history. All human-developed civilizational institutions will descend into chaos and destruction. How then should we live? Don’t be drawn into the denial that ethnic Israel has no future, that international peace is attainable, or that human government or the United Nations is our best hope. “Lord, give me the wisdom and courage to make my life count for you.”
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Reflections:
Are there any current events (news, etc.) that confuse your thinking about the future?
What are some of the lies being perpetuated in the media about the world to come?

The High Cost

April 20, 2026
By Pastor Dial

📖 References:

  • Mark 13:9
We should not be surprised that there is a high cost for following Jesus Christ. It is to be as sheep in the midst of wolves. Persecution takes us to the very heart of what it means to be “in Christ.” His is a call to come and die (Mk. 8:35, “Whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it.”). Persecution is the experience of pain and suffering for no other reason than because we are Christians. Identity with Christ invites the hostility of the world. It hates Christ and would kill Him again if it had the chance. Persecution will come from both religion and human government. The message of the cross is offensive to the natural heart of man. However, persecution is the opportunity to experience the empowering of the Holy Spirit. He gives boldness and the wisdom to say what is necessary. Do not be afraid to speak up for the message of the risen Christ. Do not be surprised. persecution can come from one’s own family (Matt.10:34-38). The light of the gospel makes the unbeliever uncomfortable because the nonChristian loves darkness rather than light. You may very well have already heard the words; “are you implying that I am not going to heaven when I die?”
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Reflections:
What are some of the ways living and speaking for Christ may affect you?
What is your response to charges that Christians are intolerant and judgmental?

Prayer is Not Enough

April 17, 2026
By Pastor Dial

📖 References:

  • 2 Chronicles 7:14
A Biblical interpretation principle: All the promises of the Bible are not to us, but all the promises are for us. The moral and spiritual condition of our nation should be a grief to all Christians. A covenant promise to Israel, as a theocracy, is frequently used as a call to “revival” in America. The truth of the promise is for Israel when under the discipline of God (blessings and curses of Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28) to humble themselves – seek God’s face in contrition and dependence on Him. Seek God in soul-searching prayer. And to repent (turn from their wicked ways). We in a non-theocratic nation are right to apply this promise. First to the church of Jesus Christ. Secondly, pray that unbelievers will turn from unbelief to faith in Christ. Thirdly, for all citizens to honor God’s moral law. Prayer is not enough. What God expects is enough.
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Reflections:
What are some of the dangers in misusing the text of 2 Chronicles 7:14?
What are some of the responsibilities of Christians in facing the rebellion of a nation against God?

Working for Shalom

April 15, 2026
By Pastor Dial

📖 References:

  • Matthew 5:9
Shalom is the Hebrew word for peace. It entails, as a kingdom citizen, seeking to bring the offending and offended in a strife to be at-one-again. True peace has to deal with the reality of sin. It flows from the death of Christ on the cross being nurtured by God’s righteous standards and truth. Being a peacemaker is not easy. It takes honesty (“there is an elephant in the room”), courage (danger of placing oneself between two angry people), and determination (a peacemaker has to be a fighter for what is right). The Sermon on the Mount was not given as a way of salvation for the lost. It is a way of life for those who are followers of Jesus Christ. It is not a political manifesto. Beware of those who teach that the SM is the way to become a Christian. It is not appeasement, ignoring evil, emotional detachment from problems, not walking away from a conflict, and is not pacifism (moral retreat). Never forget. We are peacemakers as we spread the gospel of Jesus Christ.
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Reflections:
Am I committed to pursue peace in all my relationships?
Is there a situation in which I could be a mediator?

The Jesus We Are to Know

April 10, 2026
By Pastor Dial

📖 References:

  • Revelation 1:14-15
Movie audiences have an insatiable desire to see what Jesus may have looked like. But the truth is the real Jesus is a portrait who must hang on the wall of our mind. White hair. That tends to come with end of life in human appearance. With Jesus it tells us of eternal pre-existence, ruler and judge, the Ancient of Days (Dan. 7:9). There has never been a time when the Son of God has not existed. In His essence He is forever deity. In His incarnation and glorification He is now eternally the God-Man. Sin is an offense to Jesus. We are to marvel at the purity and nobility of His thoughts. His eyes tell us of His penetrating scrutiny and fierce judgment. Are we awed and humbled that He knows the motivations of our heart? He knows the secret deeds of our lives. We can’t fool Jesus. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”
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Reflections:
How should the gaze of Jesus impact my thought life?
What will be the outcome of the first time you meet Jesus at the day of judgment?

A Portrait of Jesus Christ

April 8, 2026
By Pastor Dial

📖 References:

  • Revelation 1:13
Attempts to paint the likeness of Jesus Christ are inevitably disappointing. It’s not that the disciples of Jesus did not see the resurrected Savior. John did. But the vision of the glorified Son of God in Revelation 1:13-16 was over-powering. It had been sixty years since John had seen Jesus. “He fell at Jesus’ feet as a dead man.” John and the churches received an appearance of Christ that by divine design emphasized His nature not a physical description, “a portrait no artist could paint” (C.H. Spurgeon). His clothing speaks of His majesty, greatness like a priest in the Old Testament. The golden sash tells us of the work He has to do. The robe of His office reminds us of His ongoing work of intercession for believers (Heb. 7:25). Jesus is no passive observer of this world. Do you have burdens and griefs? Jesus is already praying for you. We are not alone in our pilgrim journey to see Him face to face.
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Reflections:
Have you thanked Jesus lately for His mercies and trustworthiness?
How should Jesus’ intercession for you affect your approach to problems?

Wake Up!

April 6, 2026
By Pastor Dial

📖 References:

  • Revelation 3:1b-2
You say, “how can a church be alive but dead?” The sobering thought is that a Christian and a church can succumb to self-deception by losing touch with spiritual reality. Have I personally become void of real vitality and genuine faithfulness? Erwin Lutzer in his book, We Will Not Be Silenced, calls the church in America to wake up to the danger of “submitting to culture’s most enticing temptations and justifying this in the name of compassion, love, and cultural relevance. We are willingly being deceived.” In Sardis there was a famous cemetery only seven miles from the city. A fitting symbol of the spiritual condition of the Sardian church. There are powerful forces of evil that threaten not only the sustainability of our nation but also the church of Jesus Christ. Culture’s sexual revolution is demanding bowed knees to its worldview. A wedge is being driven between the authority of the Scriptures and the Christian. The preference “for a doctrine of desire, a theology in keeping with fleshly appetites” is taking its toll. The overcoming power is “developing a love for Christ that is greater than our love of sin” (Lutzer). Repentance of the key word. A radical turn is what is called for. Is that my need in this hour?
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Reflections:
What television and cable programs/movies am I most drawn to?
Are there certain moral/ethical issues that I tend to avoid lest I offend people?

The Crucified King

April 3, 2026
By Pastor Dial

📖 References:

  • Mark 15:32
The truth is told in jest. So goes the saying. Those who nailed Jesus to that cruel cross could not and would not understand God’s ways in this sinfully broken world. There He was, the Savior of the world, hanging in execution style between two criminals. And the human response was sarcasm and ridicule. Ridiculed for His weakness and His messianic claims. The verbal abuse was sharp, bitter, and mean. Jesus suffered brazen, cold, and calculated rejection. He was despised as a prophet, mocked as a priest, and humiliated as king. Disappointment in Jesus was boiling over with utter contempt. That’s the way of this world until now. “The King of Israel” does not measure up to the standards of the sin-blinded. “Maybe He was a martyr, a point of religious interest a few days before the ‘final four’ and the Augusta National. Come on, Jesus, give us a miracle. Knock one out of the park. Use your power and we will believe, maybe.” Jesus was dying for our sins. That’s what He was doing. The taunting of angry, vengeful crucifiers was endured by Jesus so that we might experience the forgiveness of sin and fellowship with God. Is He the one in whom you have placed your faith? Our eternal outcome hangs in the balances.
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“Of all that shouting multitude I feel that I am one; And in that din of voices rude I recognize my own. Around the cross the throng I see, Mocking the Sufferer’s groan; Yet still my voice it seems to be, As if I mocked alone.” Horatious Bonar (1808-1889), “The Crucified King”

Light at the End of the Tunnel

April 1, 2026
By Pastor Dial

📖 References:

  • Isaiah 50:10
There are those times in life when it seems as if God is hiding Himself. It is like walking in darkness and having no light. Maybe you are in one of those difficult times now. Isaiah has been speaking of the Servant of the Lord (50:4-9). The humiliation of the Servant (Jesus Christ) is prominent. Then in verse 10 the pronoun is switched from “Me”(v.10) to “you.” Jesus had those dark days. Havner says, “God trusts some of His children with a walk in the dark. They may even so leave this world. But He will raise them all in the morning.” The faithful may pass through the darkness of affliction and death, but beyond is the celestial city. Don’t despair when explanations are given. Let Satan laugh and tell us our faith is a fraud (Havner). But hold on to God. Let the glory of His presence break through. Keep on trusting Him. There is light at the end of the tunnel.
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Reflections:
Can you think of extended Job-like suffering in your own life? Did it draw you nearer to God?
How did Jesus obey the Father through the dark shadows of His crucifixion and death?

The Un-Triumphal Entry

March 30, 2026
By Pastor Dial

📖 References:

  • Luke 19:41-42
In case you missed it, yesterday was Palm Sunday. It is the traditional celebration of Jesus riding into Jerusalem with great fanfare six days before His crucifixion on Friday. Only Luke records Jesus’ lament as He drew near to the city. “Jesus knows that the excitement of the crowds does not correspond to genuine spiritual perception of His messianic mission” (The Reformation Study Bible). The crowds were not the only ones who got Jesus wrong. False religion abounds with blind spiritual eyes: ‘’Jesus was a creation of God, the spirit-brother of Lucifer, the husband of Mary and Martha, an avatar, the prophet of Islam.” This is only a short list. Jesus knew exactly who He was and the why of His incarnation. The sight of Jerusalem brought home to Jesus with sudden force the tragedy which hung over it. The crowds and the religious leaders would, in a few days, be calling for Jesus’ execution. Also, in forty years the desire and clamor for a purely political messiah would see the siege of Jerusalem and its destruction in 70 A.D. The truth is the crown rights of God’s Servant had to be purchased by Jesus through the suffering of His atoning sacrifice on the cross.
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Reflections:
How does the thirst for political power in our day collide with the true identity of Jesus Christ?
Why is the true understanding of Jesus and power found most often in weakness?

A Life of Change

March 27, 2026
By Pastor Dial

📖 References:

  • Luke 2:52
For some time now we have been following the biblical truth about change. As the seasons change so does life in mortal bodies, the seasons of life, and the world around us. No greater example than the person of Jesus Christ shows us how to live with and through change. He experienced radical changes in HIs incarnation, change in His glory, in His dwelling, in His position, and in His form (Phil. 2:4-11). The display of humility in Jesus’ is the model for us. Is my life, as His follower, one of growing through any and all changes? Change is the opportunity to display the perfections of God and establish a light source in this world (Col. 3:1-3). The servant’s heart is the way to respond to our aging process, the losses we experience, the pain and suffering we endure, and the grief that can weigh us down. Jesus came not to be served but to serve. If we are going to handle change in a way that counts for all eternity, we need to know how to sacrifice and serve for the pleasure of God.
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Reflections:
What has been one of the hardest changes in life’s circumstances that you have had to endure?
Can you think of a Christian who has been a good example in dealing with hardships? What did you see in them?

Being Changed for the Changes

March 25, 2026
By Pastor Dial

📖 References:

  • 2 Corinthians 3:18
What’s eating at you right now? Worried about the future? Physical ailments pulling you down? Disappointments about certain relationships? We need to have our thinking conditioned by the purpose of God for us which is being transformed into the image of Christ. Are you preparing yourself for changes in the days ahead by experiencing personal change now. Preparation for change is made in a seed planting way. Our life in our sixties and seventies will be the result of seeds of truth planted in the past. Soul searching prepares us for life stretching. Life stretching prepares us for heaven. Are you working through some challenging issues right now? Were you prepared? One day we will stand before Christ and the changes asked of us now will be over.
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Reflections:
What progress are you making with that besetting sin that keeps barking at you? Anxiety? Discontent? How have the physical changes in your life altered your relationships?

Wisdom and a Fallen Sky

March 23, 2026
By Pastor Dial

📖 References:

  • Proverbs 3:13
Henny Penny is a classic folk tale about a chicken who believes the sky is falling after an acorn hits her head. Changes in our lives are not best handled by ignorance of God’s revelation, the Bible. Are you resolved that change is the opportunity to know God in a faith-building way? How so? Our response to change requires ever-growing biblical wisdom. Some changes are good. Some are not. Cultural changes have to be observed and evaluated carefully (e.g., styles in clothing, music, movies, value judgments). Christians in the 1960s often resisted racial integration, hair styles, music, and new translations of the Bible with the same degree of conviction. We are living now in the midst of a moral, sexual revolution. This impacts how youth are to be taught God’s rules, how to vote, and what to call evil, evil and good, good. Bible wisdom is not merely the acquisition of knowledge. Before you know it we can be changed by what a vocal minority says or by propaganda in the social media, politicians, celebrities, so-called experts, and even religious people. Things did not end so well for Henny Penny.
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Reflections:
What convictions about moral matters changed for you in recent years? What has convinced you?
What are some practical steps you can take in developing God honoring ethical convictions?

The Tide of Change

March 20, 2026
By Pastor Dial

📖 References:

  • 2 Corinthians 4:16
The tide of time comes in no matter what we do. Our mortal bodies tell us our days are numbered. God has designed change to remind us of the transitional nature of life (Rom. 8:18-23). The aging process keeps us in touch with the reality that this is not the way things are supposed to be (Eccle. 11:7-8). Don’t miss the best way to invest your life. God alone makes “the wasting away of the outer man” an experience of HIs enabling power to cope with our physical weakness (2 Cor. 12:9). The best way to live while dying is to enjoy life as a gift from God because we will attend our own funeral (Eccle. 11:7-8). Until then live with a declaration of war against the idols of the heart. What might be some of those things that seek to seduce you away from obedience to your Creator? If you consider yourself as yet “young” make your youth count for God (Eccle. 12:1-7). The changes that aging brings can be met gracefully or grudgingly. It’s up to you.
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Reflections:
Write down some of the ways that your present physical limitations can bring you nearer to God
On a scale of one to ten do you think and live hopefully?

The Opportunities of Change

March 18, 2026
By Pastor Dial

📖 References:

  • Hebrews 11:8
Consider the changes that Abraham faced. He was leaving a familiar environment for an unknown new home. There would be dangers and risks. He would live in tents. He was responsible for his wife. Change is the opportunity to know God in new faith-building ways. All change belongs to the believer (1 Cor. 3:22; Rom. 8:28). The circumstances of life are in the hands of a loving, trustworthy, sovereign God. Yet God expects the believer to interpret life by the Scriptures not by the ebb and flow of circumstances and emotions. If finding out that you have just been laid off from your job and on the way to the hospital to see your wife, who has just had cancer surgery, and the timing chain on your car breaks, this does not mean that God doesn’t love you and/or is punishing you, or is telling you to buy a new car. Changes that occur in life, whether good or evil, can have a beneficial role in our journey through life. If you are looking for a role model, consider Abraham. He was willing to live in a tent as an alien with a world and life view at odds with the pagan Canaanites. He lived life looking toward the heavenly Jerusalem.
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Reflections:
Are there words or actions in your life that express a refusal to do what God says? Keep count of the times you complain in a day.

The Hazards of Change

March 16, 2026
By Pastor Dial

📖 References:

  • Numbers 14:9
We must remember that changes in life are composed of the actual change itself, the transition, and the outcome. Israel was faced with a change from having been a relatively peaceful people to becoming a nation of warriors and warfare. The opposition was formidable. Israel was later told not to fear the mighty Assyrian army (Isa. 10:24). Change can stir up our fears and worries about the future. Will I have a job? Will I fail? Fear is self-protection and does not advance love for God and others. If allowed, fear can make us content with disobedience and mediocrity. For example, a business loss can bring about significant change. There are debts that have to be paid, a way of life comes to an end, plans for the future have to be altered (travel, retirement). A kind of paralysis can hinder bold steps that need to be taken. Has something changed in your life which presents a range of “what-ifs?” Looking for exits and a non-demanding lifestyle, running from hard decisions, is not the way God wants His spiritual warriors to live. He is sufficient for all our changes in life.
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Reflections:
Has something changed in your life which has caused you to withdraw and become self-protective?
Are there some habits that cater to a least resistance mentality that have crept into your life?

Grief and Change

March 13, 2026
By Howard Dial

📖 References:

  • 1 Sam. 16:1; Eccles. 3:4;
Grief is a God designed means for responding to a loss. However, prolonged and disordered grief can become an obstacle to God’s purposes for change in our lives. The loss of a loved one or a dear friend will happen. Possibly Samuel was troubled by the purposes of God in Saul’s death. There is a time to grieve. But grief can be embraced too long and be allowed to blur one’s vision for the future. Unwise and emotionally charged decisions can be made. Conflicted relationships can create special difficulties in the grief process. Withdrawal from social contacts, forgetting about the needs of others, and failure to do things that need to be done are not good outcomes in the change process. This is not to say that grief can be resolved by “closure.” The reality is that closure is a myth. Going on with life God’s way is not the same as closure.
H
Reflections:
Has a loss in your past made you a better person? What have you learned from it?
Have any questionable or sinful patterns become a part of your experiences with grief?

Mismanaging Change

March 11, 2026
By Pastor Dial

📖 References:

  • Exodus 16:3
Change is a part of life, but it can be mismanaged. We can long for the past with harmful results. Remembering “the good old days” when going through tough times can lead to grumbling against God. It happened to Israel in the early days of deliverance from Egyptian bondage. Israel longed to be back in Egypt and better eating days. We can choose to remember only certain aspects of the past, while ignoring the spiritual realities of the present. Such a disposition can obscure the opportunities to serve God in times of testing. Think of the change that occurs when a loss takes place like the empty nest. Children leave home to pursue their adult life. Poor health and medication can alter the hopeful expectations of retirement years. Remembering the good old days can become an affliction of old age by allowing nostalgia to cloud our thinking. A complaining attitude and withdrawing from others is a recipe for a miserable existence. Self deception is fed by romanticizing the past. The make-believe world of “home entertainment” can shrivel the soul. Thank God for the true blessings of the past, but don’t let them blot out what God wants to do in your life now.
H
Reflections:
What tends to occupy your thoughts during the morning hours?
Think of ways you can serve others in the next week.

The Winds of Change

March 9, 2026
By Pastor Dial

📖 References:

  • John 13:7
A young married couple have their first child. A man retires from his decades long job. Diagnosed dementia presents its challenger to an older couple. The winds of change are a part of living. Jesus told Peter that though he did not understand why He, Jesus, was washing Peter’s feet an explanation would come later. This touches why momentary inexplicable circumstances baffle us. In his book, Transitions, William Bridges says, “To become something else you have to stop being what you are now. . . It isn’t the changes that do you in, it’s the transitions.” Having a newborn in your life is a sweet change, but it does begin to make unforeseen demands upon a father and a mother. Are you on the edge of a “how-will-I-handle-this” situation? It is as Vance Havner has said, “Some chapters are to be experienced now and understanding hereafter.” Some changes may be in the dark, others in the daylight. Don’t let the winds of change blow you off course in the pursuit of knowing God.
H
Reflections:
What are some of the changes taking place in your life? What thoughts tend to trouble you most about confusing times in your life?

What About Israel?

March 6, 2026
By Pastor Dial

📖 References:

  • Esther 9:26
On March 2 Jews around the world celebrated the festival of Purim. It honors the delivery of Jews of Persia (now Iran) from an evil plot to destroy them (WBE). “Pur” in the Hebrew means lot. Lots had been drawn to fix a day for the massacre of the Jews. How ironic it is that the present regime in Iran is committed to the elimination of the state of Israel. The book of Esther recounts the story of how God worked in His providence through queen Esther (a Jew) who was willing to lay her life down on behalf of her people. God worked by His hand of providence for the protection of Israel from annihilation. It is alarming how many in our day are voicing anti-Semitic hatred of the Jews. God has a future for ethnic Israel. Sadly, there are Christians who think God is through with the Jew. There will be a glorious conversion of ethnic Israel at the Second Coming of Jesus Christ (Rom. 11:26). There are those who engage in identity theft in claiming that the Church is the new Israel. Satan wants to eliminate the Jews to block the fulfillment of the Abrahamic, Davidic, and New Covenant (Ezekiel 16:60; Jer. 31:31-34). Are you praying for the Jews? Do you know any by name? They need to see and know the love of God in the servants of Christ. He is their promised Messiah.
H
Reflections:
How does Romans 1:16 fit into your church life? What are some of the evidences of anti-Semitism you have heard or seen?

A Time for War

March 4, 2026
By Pastor Dial

📖 References:

  • Matthew 24:6
Wars have been a part of earthly reality since Adam and Eve declared war on God at the bidding of Satan. There is the invisible war waged by men and Satan against each other and against God. History is filled with wars of nation against nation, all a part of the plight of a sinfully fallen world. Jesus foretold an outbreak of wars preceding His second coming (Matt. 24:6). The war in Iran is not a part that, as if yet, but is a sobering reminder of the conflict between good and evil. It is in this moral reality that God appointed human government to reward good and punish evil (Rom. 13:3-5). When a nation goes to war it is necessary to determine if it a just war. This is necessary if justice is to be pursued. “Victor Davis Hanson reminds us that war or military strength has helped bring an end to chattel slavery in America, Nazism, Fascism and Soviet Communism” (“An Introduction to Biblical Ethics” McQuilkin and Copan). A half century of state sponsored terrorism has brought Iran to accountability for its war against other nations, notably America and Israel. As Christians we are responsible to support our government as it seeks “to punish those who do evil’ (1 Pet. 2:14) and be “a terror” to evil conduct (Rom. 13:3). Many of us are persuaded that our nation has a moral obligation to defend itself and uphold its obligation to serve the good of its citizens.
H
Reflections:
Pray for the Christian community in Iran, the churches and pastors. Think upon the persecution endured when living in a nation ruled by evil tyrants.

A Time for War

March 4, 2026
By Pastor Dial

📖 References:

  • Matthew 24:6
Wars have been a part of earthly reality since Adam and Eve declared war on God at the bidding of Satan. There is the invisible war waged by men and Satan against each other and against God. History is filled with wars of nation against nation, all a part of the plight of a sinfully fallen world. Jesus foretold an outbreak of wars preceding His second coming (Matt. 24:6). The war in Iran is not a part of that, as of yet, but is a sobering reminder of the conflict between good and evil. It is in this moral reality that God appointed human government to reward good and punish evil (Rom. 13:3-5). When a nation goes to war it is necessary to determine if it is a just war. This is necessary if justice is to be pursued. “Victor Davis Hanson reminds us that war or military strength has helped bring an end to chattel slavery in America, Nazism, Fascism and Soviet Communism” (An Introduction to Biblical Ethics, McQuilkin and Copan). A half century of state sponsored terrorism has brought Iran to accountability for its war against other nations, notably America and Israel. As Christians we are responsible to support our government as it seeks “to punish those who do evil’ (1 Pet. 2:14) and be “a terror” to evil conduct (Rom. 13:3). Many of us are persuaded that our nation has a moral obligation to defend itself and uphold its obligation to serve the good of its citizens.
H
Reflections:
Pray for the Christian community in Iran, the churches and pastors. Think upon the persecution endured when living in a nation ruled by evil tyrants.

Finishing Strong

March 2, 2026
By Pastor Dial

📖 References:

  • Hebrews 12:2
The athlete must keep his eye fixed on the goal towards which he is pressing. Believers in Jesus Christ are called to focus on Jesus. He ran his race and serves as the object of our faith. Jesus has blazed the trail for us and completed the course triumphantly. He trusted the Father each step He took. The work of atonement for our sins was finished. We are not running to accomplish our atonement. Jesus alone accomplished our redemption in His death, resurrection, and exaltation. He went ahead of us to show how to live in a way that pleases the Father. It’s not too much to ask that a picture of Christ, as it were, should hang in the room of our mind. Runners in the faith-lane have to deal with obstacles, other people, oneself, the mocking of the unbelieving world. What is in front of you? Are you discouraged? Finish strong, dear believer, finish strong.
H
Reflections:
What are you doing to improve your endurance through the hard places of life?
Is your trust in other people? In your abilities or achievements? In your church? In possessions? In diet, exercise, and medical care?

Ensnaring Sins

February 27, 2026
By Pastor Dial

📖 References:

  • Hebrews 12:1
Progress is a good word if it indicates progression in the right direction. As Christians we have a mandate to “run with endurance the race that is set before us.” We are warned, however, to “lay aside sin which clings so easily.” Unbelief in the face of trials is a trap. It’s like quick-sand deceiving us to make the wrong decisions. It was unbelief that kept an entire generation in Israel out of the Promised Land. Is there a sinful pattern that is especially alluring to you? Keep your feet free. Every sin we commit develops in us a taste for more sinning. It will sap our strength and make us weary in the race. Our culture is saturated with enticements to immorality. Living for material satisfaction can trip us up. An unwillingness to discipline ourselves for godliness can entangle us in wasted time and energy. Self-centered thinking can knock us out of the grace-lane. Is there something that is appealing to you that will keep you from progress in pursuing the joy of a God-glorifying finish in the race?
H
Reflections:
What are your characteristic fantasies, either pleasurable or fearful? Daydreams? What do your night dreams revolve around? (“X-ray Questions”, David Powlison)

Going the Distance

February 25, 2026
By Pastor Dial

📖 References:

  • Hebrews 12:1
The Christian life is a long distance run, not a sprint. The writer of Hebrews wants his readers, Hebrew Christians, to draw encouragement from those who have finished the race of having lived a life that honors God. Healthy self-examination can determine how we will cross the finish line. God has marked out for each of us our own race course. For some, more hills, more flat stretches, turns, heat, cold, obstacles to overcome. Post this on the wall of your mind. We must put aside anything that hinders our progress. As one observer has put it, “A hindrance is something, otherwise good, that weighs you down spiritually.” It could be a habit, a friendship, an aspiration, a hobby, a place, a pleasure, entertainment, a house, a boat, sports. “A good athlete does not choose between the good and the bad; he chooses between the better and the best” (Warren Wiersbe). Self-discipline is required for godliness and running with endurance over the long haul. Is there something that is holding you down in the pursuit of knowing God better?
H
Reflections:
Is scrolling through some of your favorite web sites eating up too much time? Who are your role models? What kind of person do you think you ought to be or want to be?

The New Covenant

February 23, 2026
By Howard Dial

📖 References:

  • Jeremiah 31:31-34
How deeply have you thought about the New Covenant? Its significance has been observed countless times in church services. Many refer to it as the Communion service. Jeremiah the prophet made the God-given proclamation during one of the darkest times in Israel’s history. The Babylonian army had breached the walls of Jerusalem in 586 B.C. Solomon’s Temple was desecrated and destroyed. Thousands of Israelites were being marched off in shackles to Babylon. God’s severe discipline for generations of rebellion against His holy purposes for the witness nation came crashing down. The New Covenant was to replace the Old Covenant of the Mosaic Law promised to a redeemed Israel when her Messiah would come to rule and reign on earth. God was not going to destroy Israel. There was hope. The coming substitutionary atoning death (Isaiah 53) would be the occasion for “all Israel to be saved”(Rom. 11:26). Not only that, but the church of Jesus Christ would experience the offer of forgiveness of sin. Dear reader, have you placed your faith in Jesus Christ for a change of heart and fellowship with God? The secret to knowing God is to be born again and experience the joy of knowing Him. “Thank you God for the forgiveness of sin found in Jesus Christ.”
H
Reflections:
What can you do to better prepare yourself for your next Communion service? How does your reading and study of the Bible and your personal prayer life affect your love for Christ and obedience to Him?

Job and the End of the Story

February 20, 2026
By Pastor Dial

📖 References:

  • James 5:11
What was the main purpose of the story of Job’s excruciating experience of suffering? The apostle James tells us “Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. . . .you have seen the purpose of the Lord. . . .” Vance Havner captures the thought succinctly, “The main purpose of God was not to explain Job’s suffering or suffering in general. Job got through to illumination, which is better than explanation.” “Outcome” is the critical word. John Calvin had a handle on it, “afflictions ought ever to be estimated by their end.” That we might come to know God better and that does not play out ultimately until “the end” at which time when the blessings are poured out when we are in Christ’s presence. That brings us to Havner again, “Do not pine away in your adversity, seeking explanation or restoration of your former prosperity. Seek to know God and thenceforth enjoy Him forever, whatever happens to your belongings and your boils.”
H
“Let us see what Job foreshadowed, now fulfilled in the sufferings, faith, life, death, resurrection, ascension, and heavenly reign of Jesus Christ. Let us expect to suffer with him if we will ultimately reign with him, for by grace we will.” Christopher Ash, Job, The Wisdom of the Cross.

The Beauty of Love

February 18, 2026
By Pastor Dial

📖 References:

  • 1 Corinthians 13:6-7
The love that God produces in a life is tethered to His eternal character. As it is seen in those who belong to Christ it is unsurpassed in its lasting value. Love’s beauty is displayed when we choose not to delight in the sins of others or in myself. Be wary of those who want to violate God’s moral law in the name of personal freedom. Love’s beauty is displayed when we choose to delight in those things which please God. Do I demand truth-telling of myself and keep the promises that I make? Love’s beauty is displayed when we choose to joyfully endure the hardships of life. Do I run from problems and difficult people? Love’s beauty is displayed when we choose to act on those things that God has said are true. Am I willing to take the necessary risks that come with doing what is right? Love’s beauty is displayed when we choose to be confident about the future. Do I take the failure of someone else as final? Do I keep on working toward the good of others for God’s sake? Love’s beauty is displayed when we choose not to stop loving. “Lord, keep me from living with my bags packed.” Am I committed to stay on the offensive with my love?
H
Reflections:
In what measurable ways am I seeking the good of others? Are my expressions of love like those of Christ?

True Love

February 16, 2026
By Howard Dial

📖 References:

  • 1 Corinthians 13:5-6
All that is called love is not true love. Love is not merely an emotion, nor is its source found in human beings. God is love. That is the measure of what our love should be like. Continuing with the bouquet of flowering love. Love does not act unbecomingly. Love’s beauty is displayed when we choose to treat others with respect. What ever happened to manners and courtesy? How indifferent am I to the effect that my behavior has on others? Love’s beauty is displayed when we choose not to place self about service. Do I know what it is to sacrifice my rights for the good of others? Love thinks more of responsibilities than rights. Love’s beauty is displayed when we choose to absorb irritations and offenses out of concern for others. Do I have a temper problem? Short fuses don’t make for the warmth of a fireside chat. “Love is not touchy” (Phillips paraphrase). Love’s beauty is displayed when we choose to let God keep the moral scoreboard of life. Do I keep a private file of personal grievances? What relationships have I left smoldering on the embers of an unforgiving spirit?
H
Reflections: What are some ways I can show love to others on this day? Do I thank God for the love that has been shown me by others?

Love in a Vase

February 13, 2026
By Pastor Dial

📖 References:

  • 1 Corinthians 13:4-5
Beautiful flowers are all over the place in grocery stores making their contribution to the celebration of love. No harm there. But we had better not overlook the truth that true love is truth in full bloom. Love was the solution to the problems of the Corinthian congregation. Here’s offering a bouquet of love for everyday, not just on Valentine’s Day. Love is patient. Love’s beauty is displayed when we choose to persist creatively when put in difficult relational situations. It turns lemon-like situations into lemon-aide. Love is kind. Love’s beauty is displayed when we choose to reach out to others in order to make their lives richer. Love walks on the legs of helpfulness to those who need it. Love is not jealous. Love’s beauty is displayed when we choose to refuse resentment because someone else has something we don’t. Is my spouse’s attention to others a threat to me? Love does not brag. Love’s beauty is displayed when we choose to avoid self-promotion. Am I trying to create an image that is contrary to reality? Love is not arrogant. Love’s beauty is displayed when we choose not to indulge in power grabs. Do I attempt to use people to achieve my goals? Not a complete bouquet, but enough for now. “Lord, give me the grace to love better, like you love.”
H
Reflections:
Should I not take the time to reflect on how Jesus demonstrated love in relationships while on earth?

Domestic Tranquility

February 11, 2026
By Pastor Dial

📖 References:

  • Deuteronomy 10:19
One of the purposes of government, according to our Constitution, is to insure peace and safety for its citizens (Rom. 13:4). “This would imply, for example, that the United States should control all immigration processes so that the country gives priority to accepting those people who will most likely make a positive contribution to US society” (Wayne Grudem, Politics According to the Bible). How can we as Christians contribute to “the general welfare of the nation in which we live? We want immigrants who respect and obey the laws of the land. Illegal entry into our nation is not a good start. To make matters even worse those illegal immigrants who bring their crimes with them and disrespect our laws are destabilizing the very foundation on which a well ordered society rests. Followers of Christ should support law enforcement officers, local and national, in restraining the forces of evil (Rom. 13:3). And finally, we must honor all immigrants who make the sacrifices necessary for citizenship and who give evidence that they will make a positive contribution to our national life. We who are believers in Christ are called to be points of light for the gospel in our nation.
H
Reflections:
Are there things our local community can do to improve assimilation into our customs and culture?
What are the benefits of controlled immigration?

Legal and Illegal Immigrants

February 9, 2026
By Pastor Dial

📖 References:

  • Exodus 23:9
The Old Testament distinguishes between the legal immigrant (Heb. word, ger) and the illegal immigrant (Heb. words, foreigner, nekhar and zar). “Illegal immigrants should not expect these same privileges from the state whose laws they disregard by virtue of their undocumented status” (James Hoffmeier, The Immigration Crisis: Immigrants, Aliens, and the Bible). Legal immigrants are to be treated fairly and justly (Lev. 19:33). They should not be oppressed (Ex. 23:9). The sojourner (legal alien) is to be shown love. The motivational power of sympathy is invoked, i.e. remember what it was like in Egypt, Deut. 10:19). These standards of conduct do not condone unkind treatment of those who are illegal. We may rightfully conclude that “it is legally and morally acceptable for government to deal with those in the country illegally according to the nation’s legal provisions. The Christian insists, however, that they be dealt with in a humane manner” (Hoffmeier). The New Testament guidance regarding immigrants is that government should seek the good of its citizens (Rom. 13:1-7; 1 Pet. 2:13-14). “The immigration policies of a nation should be designed to bring benefit to that specific nation” (Wayne Grudem, Politics According to the Bible). Truth-infused love and compassion should set the Christian’s moral compass.
H
Reflections:
What are some ways we can help immigrants to assimilate and integrate into our society?

Immigration and the Christian

February 6, 2026
By Pastor Dial

📖 References:

  • Exodus 22:21
Most of us in America share at least one thing in common. We are descendants of immigrants. Try to imagine what it was like for our ancestors to have left another country to start a new life, bringing their customs and culture into a new world. Yet immigration is ever with us. From all over the world they come wanting what America has to offer. However, the current political atmosphere is charged with the conflict of legal and illegal immigrant status. Ancient Israel, God’s witness nation, attracted those who wished to be fellow participants in the blessings promised to Abraham. The word “sojourner” (“stranger” in some translations) is understood to mean “a person who entered Israel and followed legal procedures to obtain recognized standing as a resident alien” (James Hoffmeier, The Immigration Crisis: Immigrants, Aliens, and the Bible). At the very outset of our understanding of the “theology of immigration” we should be aware not only of our obligations to immigrants, but of our status as pilgrims, “aliens” whose true citizenship is in heaven (1 Pet. 1:1). We are temporary residents wherever we live. We should be humbled and thankful for our citizenship in America, and above all what it means to be immigrants looking for our dwelling in the new heavens and the new earth.
H
Reflections:
How should my “alien” status as a Christian impact my outlook on what it means to be an immigrant? Why is legal status as an immigrant important to living in a new country?

Persecuted for Righteousness Sake

February 4, 2026
By Pastor Dial

📖 References:

  • Matthew 5:10
“What it means to follow Christ in Cameroon.” Christians in this west African nation pay the price for belonging to Christ. . . Christians living along the Nigerian border have repeated, brutal attacks by Boko Haram. In these villages 50 to 80 miles from the border, men, women and children are attacked simply for being known as Christians (The Voice of the Martyrs). This kind of persecution has not come to believers in America, but it may. This last beatitude (repeated twice) challenges contemporary errors in the Church: That Christianity delivers from suffering, that God loves His children too much to be abused and suffer, that it is God’s will for us to live well and free of pain, that suffering is always for sin, that suffering is a sign of God’s anger, that suffering can separate us from Christ. Are we prepared for the trials of rejection and social hostility because of our beliefs in Christ? H Reflection: Am I able to live joyfully when I am ostracized because I am a Christian? Do I pray regularly for my brothers and sisters in Christ who live as persecuted minorities in other countries?

The Winds of Persecution

February 2, 2026
By Pastor Dial

📖 References:

  • Matthew 5:10
“Radical Islamists and radical secularists are fighting side by side, brought together by a common enemy” (Erwin Lutzer, We Will Not be Silenced). Who is that common enemy? The church of the Lord Jesus Christ. The recent willingness and plan to storm into a church worship service in Minneapolis, Minnesota is an ill wind blowing. Christians should expect persecution. It comes because we are identified with Christ. It is our message, the preaching of Jesus Christ, that Satan has His sights set on destroying Bible Christianity. Jesus told His disciples that those who are persecuted for His sake are to be envied (“blessed”). The force of our Constitution and the laws derived from it should be brought against the evils erupting in our nation. But that does not guarantee insulation against the cultural Marxists marching through our institutions. How solid is your loyalty to Jesus Christ and His gospel? H Reflection: To what extent do your beliefs draw the antagonism of society? What are those beliefs that are currently angering non-Christians?

The Killing of Sin

January 30, 2026
By Pastor Dial

📖 References:

  • Colossians 3:5
The Christian’s new identity in Christ faces us with what seems like a paradox (a seeming contradiction). On the one hand Paul says “you have died” (Col. 3:3). Then he says “Put to death.” We have to become in practice what we are in principle. The imperative is “do it now!” “Do it resolutely!” The killing of sin is the getting rid of sin in one’s life. It is the constant battle against the magnetic pull of disobedience to God. Don’t let the eye wander. Refuse the clink-bait on your phone or TV remote when it opens the door to thinking and emotions which yield bad results. “The goal of mortification (killing sin) is to weaken the habits of sin so that we do make the right choices” (Jerry Bridges). Interestingly, the first four vices (3:5) have to do with sexual sins. Are there some temptations you to which you need to say NO? With men it often is chasing “eye candy.” With women it can be romantic fantasy. “Lord, I need a stronger spiritual immune system. Help me. I need to say no to what is wrong. I need to say yes to what is right.” H Reflection: What are your plans for entertainment this week? What makes you tick? What lights up your world? What are the mental weeds you need to pull up to make you a better person?

Heaven on Earth, Part 2

January 28, 2026
By Pastor Dial

📖 References:

  • Colossians 3:2-4
Biblical Christianity must not only be defended it must be demonstrated. Think of it this way. Do you see yourself as the virtual presence of Christ wherever you are? Heaven on earth is possible is possible in a measured sense when you have been identified with Christ in His resurrection. This is not “make believe” stuff. Sin can no longer condemn the believer. The power structure of sin has been broken (Gal. 6:14), and we have a new power source. Then comes the finishing touch. Heaven on earth is possible when you have hope, a time of vindication. The believer has a life source unknown to those who do not know Christ. When Christ returns the source of the believers’ life will become apparent to all. The verdict of eternity will reverse the verdicts of time. Now do you not see. The plight of unbelievers is that will know that they based their lives on sand, not on the stone of the sufficiency of Christ.
H
Reflection: Do you see yourself shuffling along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with things right in front of you? How can this be changed? What’s wrong with the statement, “being so heavenly minded, one is of no earthly good?”