Reading: Matthew 10: 40-42 Verse 40: “He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives the one who sent me”. Today’s passage pairs well with the Romans 6 passage that we have been reading. Jesus is encouraging us to turn to others in the name of the Lord. In the opening verse Jesus explains the connection: when we serve another in Jesus’ name, if they receive our faithful service, they are receiving Jesus. And if the person or group receives Jesus then they al

Reading: Psalm 13 Verse 3: “Look on me and answer, O Lord, my God”. When David wrote this Psalm he must have been in a pretty tough spot. He begins by asking, “How long, O Lord”? David feels as if his bad situation has gone on long enough. He even asks if God will forget him or let this go on forever. At times I too have felt like David feels. We can all relate to the emotional and spiritual valley that David finds himself in. Then, in verse three, David gets really direct wi

Reading: Psalm 13 Verse 3: “Look on me and answer, O Lord, my God”. When David wrote this Psalm he must have been in a pretty tough spot. He begins by asking, “How long, O Lord”? David feels as if his bad situation has gone on long enough. He even asks if God will forget him or let this go on forever. At times I too have felt like David feels. We can all relate to the emotional and spiritual valley that David finds himself in. Then, in verse three, David gets really direct wi

Reading: Genesis 1:26 – 2:4a Verse 28: “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it”. Our passage today begins with God creating humanity in “our image, in our likeness”. This description says we are to be like God in how we look and act, in how we think and feel. God is loving and kind, merciful and forgiving, compassionate and slow to anger, creative and life giving. While this is just a partial list of God’s qualities it begins to inform how we should