Rev. Richard Smith I Thessalonians 5:11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up. While I’ve written recent devotionals about friendship, it’s one of those topics we should consider afresh at the beginning of a new year. Dear friends are one of God’s most special gifts to us. None of us will survive the …
Rev. Richard Smith Matthew 16:24 –Words of Jesus: ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.’ In the New Testament the word “disciple” speaks to one who learns from a teacher; who follows that teacher; who seeks to be like that teacher. Thus, Jesus was inviting …
Rev. Richard Smith January 3, 2022 Joshua 1:7-9 (God To Joshua) ‘Be strong and very courageous…Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.’ Last year on January 4, 2021, I wrote this as the …
Rev. Richard Smith Luke 6:36 Words Of Jesus Be compassionate as God is compassionate. We sang in worship this morning (December 19) the familiar song, Let There Be Peace On Earth. This inspiring song was written in 1956 and has over the decades become a favorite of so many. The opening words are: Let there …
Rev. Richard P. Smith And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night (Luke2:8). Thus begins one of the most familiar parts of the Biblical Christmas story. Shepherds out in the fields watching over their sheep. An angel of the Lord appears and tells them that the …
Rev. Richard P. Smith The horrific storms which hit six states on Friday night, Saturday morning have riveted all of us. Currently, there may be 50+ deaths in Kentucky and 14 in the other states. Beyond the loss of life, there is the loss of livelihood; the extensive loss of property; and dreams shattered.Moreover, these …
Rev. Richard Smith Note Luke 2:1-12 Birth of Jesus While Christmas in so many ways is about the wonder of children, it is also a time for reflecting on a wonder far deeper than Santa’s gifts or childlike glee. The wonder of Christmas is the wonder of great truths which can change our lives and …
Rev. Richard Smith Two words regularly used in our contemporary culture are “authentic” and “genuine”. There’s a plethora of religious writing inviting us to assess ourselves and/or others as to whether our lives portray authentically what a Christian’s life should look like. On a personal level, I kind of like these two words. They have …
Rev. Richard Smith I Corinthians 15:42, 44 Words of Paul‘So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable…It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. None of …
Rev. Richard Smith 35 Job 23:1-2Then Job answered:Today also my complaint is bitter; his hand is heavy despite my groaning…I would lay my case before him, and fill my mouth with arguments. It has to be the most penetrating question of the Christian faith…What about suffering? Why do the innocent suffer? It is a question that …