Praise & Worship
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What Do You Love the Most?
John 21:1-25 The water gently washed over the heart-shaped rocks that were formerly pillars to an ancient temple. We looked in the distance across the Sea of Galilee and relived the story written in John 21. We were standing in one of my favorite spots on the shore of the Galilee. The place is called…
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Be of Good Cheer
John 16:1-33 The words Jesus spoke to His disciples seemed hard words to them. He was telling them He was going to go away and that they would forsake Him for a season. These were troubling words, yet Jesus ended His conversation with them by saying, "These things I have spoken to you, that in…
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This Is the Day to Rejoice
Psalm 118:19-29 As I looked through my mother's things after her death, I found a beautiful writing she clipped from a church paper. I do not know who wrote it, but I made copies of it and passed it out at Mother's memorial service. The title of it is "The Gift of a Day." I…
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Encouraging Ourselves in the Lord
1 Samuel 29:1-31:13 It looked as if David had lost everything, His city had been burned, His wives were missing, and all those who followed him turned against him and were ready to stone him. He was in great distress, but he made a choice. He made the choice to encourage himself in the Lord…
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A Joyful Mother
Psalm 113:1-114:8 It was Monday morning, May 17, 1999, when I received a call from the nursing home where mother resided for four years after her severe stroke. I was told she had passed away early that morning. It was my joy to visit mother at least four times a week and spend time with…
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Doing What Pleases the Father
John 8:21-30 Jesus said to the Jews, "I do always those things that please Him." Jesus had just shared that He only spoke those things that the Father taught Him. Jesus' life on earth was spent pleasing the Father. He was not sent to earth to please Himself or even others. He came to speak…
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Treasures in the House
Proverbs 15:5-7 Is your house filled with treasures? I remember visiting a home in New Jersey and our host showing us all the treasures he had collected from his travels all over the world. There were paintings, statues and every kind of bric-a-brac, each representing a country he visited. I thought to myself, This man's…
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O That Men Would Praise the Lord
Psalm 107:1-43 A grateful heart is one of the keys to a joyful life. If we look carefully at the moments of our day, we will always see things worthy of our praise. This psalm lists many reasons to praise the Lord. If we do not see His hand in the moments of our lives,…
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None Holy As the Lord
1 Samuel 1:1-2:21 It was not until this morning that I realized I have been singing often in my private worship time Hannah's song. When Hannah brought Samuel to the temple to lend him to the Lord as her thanks to God for the conception and delivery of this precious son, she prayed a powerful…
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Spirit of Truth
John 4:5-42 Immediately after Jesus told the woman of Samaria that she had five husbands and that the man she now had was not her husband, she changed the subject. She saw that this Man knew well her history, but she was not willing to go into it with Him. She proceeded to ask Him…
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Loose Lips Sink Ships
Proverbs 14:22-24 In a previous devotional we talked about the saying "Loose lips sink ships," which was a by-word in World War II. Those who were working in the war effort were cautioned to be extremely careful about what they shared with others. They didn't want any information to leak out to the enemy. We…
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The Earth Is Full of His Riches
Psalm 104:1-24 This psalm is so beautiful in its description of the majesty of God. This would be a great psalm to read when you are at a low point in your life. As I read about the creative power and manifold works of our God, confidence welled up within me, and I knew without…
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Quiet Time
Psalm 100:1-5 Every morning I try to have an hour with the Lord. Many people call this time their devotional time or their prayer time, and some call it their quiet time. My quiet time is not very quiet.
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The Inheritance of the Righteous
Psalm 97:1-98:9 Our own righteousness is as filthy rags, but the Lord's righteousness is filled with blessing upon blessing. We can only tap into the Lord's righteousness when we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. From that moment on we are considered righteous, not because of our own righteous deeds, but because of…
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Without a Test There Is No Testimony
Luke 21:1-28 In this passage of Luke Jesus warns His disciples about all the troubles they are going to experience in the future. He tells them that they will be persecuted, but it shall turn for them for a testimony. Whenever we go through trials and testings we add to our testimony.
