Rachel Fisher Luke 17:29-33  29 But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all.   30 “It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed. 31 On that day no one who is on the housetop, with possessions inside, should go down to get them. Likewise, no one in the field should go back for anything. 32 Remember Lot’s wife! 33 Whoever tries to keep their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life will preserve it.   Reflection: I will be completely transparent, [...]

Cynthia Wier, member of Gene Decker Study Class  Psalm 121:1-8 I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.  My help cometh from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.  He will not suffer thy foot to be moved:  he that keepeth thee will not slumber.  Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand.  The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.  The Lord shall preserve thee from evil:  he shall preserve thy [...]

Cynthia Wier, member of Gene Decker Study Class  Psalm 121:1-8 I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.  My help cometh from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.  He will not suffer thy foot to be moved:  he that keepeth thee will not slumber.  Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand.  The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.  The Lord shall preserve thee from evil:  he shall preserve thy [...]

Charity Autry, Member since 2008, Sunday School Leader, VBS Chair, Adverse to Change and Risk Esther 4:11-14 11” All the king’s officials and the people of the royal provinces know that for any man or woman who approaches the king in the inner court without being summoned the king has but one law; that they be put to death unless the king extends the gold scepter to them and spares their lives. But thirty days have passed since I was called to go to the king.” 12When Esther’s words were reported to Mordecai, 13 he sent back this answer: [...]

Erin Campbell Naman, church member since 2009, member of Children’s Council, member of Lay Leadership Council 1 Samuel 1:9 – 16, 26-28 (NIV)  9 Once when they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah stood up. Now Eli the priest was sitting on his chair by the doorpost of the Lord’s house. 10 In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly. 11 And she made a vow, saying, “Lord Almighty, if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will [...]

Peggy Roe Gen 3:1-7 NRSV   Now the serpent was more crafty than any other wild animal that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God say, ‘You shall not eat from any tree in the garden?’” The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden, nor shall you touch it or you shall die.’” But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not die, [...]

Betty Owens Geary Luke 9:23-25, The Message “Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You’re not in the driver’s seat—I am. Don’t run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I’ll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to finding yourself, your true self. What good would it do to get everything you want and lose you, the real you?”   Reflection:  Most New Year’s resolutions last about a month. One study found that 80% of resolutions were abandoned in February; another that most were abandoned around [...]

Mike Mosby 1 Samuel 3: 1-10 3 The boy Samuel ministered before the Lord under Eli. In those days the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions. 2 One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. 3 The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the house of the Lord, where the ark of God was. 4 Then the Lord called Samuel. Samuel answered, “Here I am.” 5 And he ran to Eli and said, [...]

Kristin Reynolds  Exodus 13:17-18 (NIV) “When Pharaoh let the people go , God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter.  For God said, “ If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.” So God led the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea. The Israelites went up out of Egypt ready for battle.”  Reflection: We have all seen the stories and read the books written about elite athletes and their dedication to their craft and the endless hours spent training to be the [...]

Luke 18: 1 – 8 (Living Bible)  One day Jesus told his disciples a story to illustrate their need for constant prayer and to show them that they must keep praying until the answer comes. “There was a city judge,” he said, “a very godless man who had great contempt for everyone. A widow of that city came to him frequently to appeal for justice against a man who had harmed her. The judge ignored her for a while, but eventually she got on his nerves. “‘I fear neither God nor man,’ he said to himself, ‘but this woman [...]