The Daily Memo

If I am saved and all of my sins are forgiven, why not continue to sin? The apostle Paul answered a very similar question in Romans 6:1-2, “What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?” The idea that a person could “trust in Jesus Christ” for salvation and then go on living just as he/she lived before, is absolutely foreign to the Bible. For the truly,…

“I measure every Grief I meet,” the nineteenth-century poet Emily Dickinson wrote, “With narrow, probing, eyes – / I wonder if It weighs like Mine – / Or has an Easier size.” The poem is a moving reflection on how people carry the unique ways they’ve been wounded throughout their lives. Dickinson concludes, almost hesitantly, with her only solace: the “piercing Comfort” of seeing at Calvary her own wounds reflected in…

Just over a week ago, we experienced one of the most significant losses in our married lives together. Our best friend, confidant, playmate, and furry comforter left this world suddenly. Tucker, our Golden Retriever was wagging his tail in the morning and gone by late afternoon. Colleen sensed it was coming but it didn’t make it any easier. Tears were flowing in our home for days. Our four-legged friend was family - the best of the best. Always up for ball tosses,,…

I coined a new phrase. Tiptoe Preaching. In short, Tiptoe Preaching is preaching that avoids hard-hitting facts using flowery language to teach Biblical Truth.  What do I mean by that? Colleen and I were invited recently to speak at a small conference here in our local community. As we prayed about the topic chosen, it became clear that God wanted us to deliver a powerful truth.  “Believers and The Spiritual Plateau” was the topic. The truth is how…

Women are image bearers of God. Women are co-heirs with Christ. Women are valued, worthy, powerful, and needed. There is a reason the Enemy fears women and has poured his hatred onto our very existence. Let him be afraid, then. For “we are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed” (2 Corinthians 4:8–9). We are more than conquerors through Christ who strengthens,…

I love this quotation . . . “You don’t really understand human nature unless you know why a child on a merry-go-round will wave at his parents every time around – and why his parents will always wave back.” - William D. Tammeu. A boy or girl on a carousel is a powerful metaphor for kids growing up and parents letting go. The child does something daring. In this case, it’s straddling a painted pony and enduring a cacophony of garish colors and.…

The cross was a tool used by the Roman government to execute criminals. Before Jesus’ resurrection, it was a symbol of damnation and shame. But the moment Jesus rose from His grave, God transformed it into a symbol of hope. Today when we consider the cross, we think about ... • Jesus’ perfect life. Our Savior left heaven to dwell on earth and become one of us. While here, He accomplished the work His Father had given Him—and He did so without sinning …

Political polarization has been a national reality for decades. But during 2020, the messy but often productive middle ground all but disappeared. As a result, Americans were pressured to move further right or further left or be left behind. Lines were drawn where lines were deemed unnecessary in the past. Everything became a point of contention. School closings. School openings. Masks. Protests. With the collapse of the middle, nuance left the building. Without nuance,…

“I felt so useless,” Harold said. “Widowed and retired, kids busy with their own families, spending quiet afternoons watching shadows on the wall.” He’d often tell his daughter, “I’m old and have lived a full life. I have no purpose anymore. God can take me any time.” One afternoon, however, a conversation changed Harold’s mind. “My neighbor had some problems with his kids, so I prayed for him,” Harold said. &ldquo,…