Jeremiah 20:7–9; Psalm 63:2–9; Romans 12:1–2; Matthew 16:21–27 You ever have one of those days when absolutely nothing goes according to plan? You wake up thinking you know exactly how the day is going to go. By nine o’clock, the plan is already in trouble. By noon, the plan is dead. And by three, you […]
Isaiah 22:19–23; Psalm 138; Romans 11:33–36; Matthew 16:13–20 A man once told me about the first night he spent in jail. He said the strangest thing was not the uniform, the bunk, or even realizing where he was. It was the sound of the door closing behind him. Click. He had heard doors close thousands […]
TWENTIETH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME: GOD IS NOT FINISHED WITH YOU 08-16-26 Isaiah 56:1, 6–7 • Psalm 67 • Romans 11:13–15, 29–32 • Matthew 15:21–28 If there is one thing you learn in prison, it is how to wait. You wait for count. You wait for chow. You wait for commissary. You wait for the […]
1 Kings 19:9a, 11–13a • Romans 9:1–5 • Matthew 14:22–33 A man got out of prison after many years. His family was excited to see him, so his brother picked him up at the gate. As they drove home, they stopped at a grocery store. The former inmate walked in, froze, and quietly asked, “What […]
A man once bought an old farmhouse that had been abandoned for years. The property was overgrown with weeds. The porch was falling apart. The windows were broken. Quite frankly, most people thought it should have been bulldozed. It was the kind of place where, if you leaned against the wall too hard, you suddenly […]
