Category Archives: devotional

Did I really say that? (John 8:7), February 16, 2017

Today’s Podcast

Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
When is the last time you criticized or made some cutting remark to about someone. Some rules are coming that might help you think twice about that before you do it again.
Scripture
1. John 8:7
2. Jesus: Let the first stone be thrown by the one among you who has not sinned.
Devotional
1. In 1976, we still had those white-glove inspections in the Army. As a platoon leader, my platoon sergeant and I would go through the barracks and make inspections of the rooms to make sure everything was clean, neat, and orderly. We’d make sure the soldiers in the barracks had nothing there that wasn’t supposed to be there, like liquor or pets or anything else on the long list of things that soldiers couldn’t have in their rooms at the time.
  1. Wall lockers
  2. Cleanliness of room
  3. Inventory of furnishings and equipment
2. Then I came home
  1. Shoes lined up, but next to the door, not in the closet
  2. Why is the car so dirty?
  3. Can’t find anything in the closet, so disorganized
3. Hard to do those inspections knowing what my house looked like
  1. Let the first stone be thrown by the one among you who has not sinned.
  2. Hygiene, health of the command
  3. Order and discipline within the command
  4. Hypocritical
4. How often do we criticize someone for the very thing we are guilty of doing?
  1. Psychiatrists and psychologists tell us we are quickest to criticize in the areas where we struggle most in our own lives
  2. Can be both hurtful to others, but helpful to us when we recognize when we are about to criticize someone
5. Stop and ask seven questions before saying something critical to someone. I’m plagiarizing from a social media post that has made the circuit a few times, so I can’t tell you the author. Here they are.
  1. Do you have the pertinent facts?
  2. Does it need to be said?
  3. Why do I need to say this?
  4. Can I say it in a way that represents Christ?
  5. How could I be misunderstood?
  6. What motivates me for saying it?
  7. Can I wait until tomorrow to say it?
  8. After answering all these questions, you’ll probably find that you don’t need to say anything at all.
6. One more thing to consider before we criticize or blame or accuse. Jesus said to all of us, “Let the first stone be cast by the one among you who has not sinned.” Any of us fit that category? I don’t think so.
If you want to learn more about my church, you can find us at SAF.church. If you like the devotional, share it with someone. If you don’t, tell me. I hope you’ll join me again tomorrow for “A Little Walk with God.”

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved. In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Rivers of living water (John 7:37-38), February 15, 2017

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Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
Water is one of those things none of us can do without. It is one of those basic needs that without it, we die. Food, water, shelter. Those things mean life. Without them we cannot survive. And water is first on the list. A week without water and the body shuts down. Jesus understood the necessity of water, too, but He had a different solution to our needs.
Scripture
1. John 7:37-38
2. Jesus: If any of you is thirsty, come to Me and drink. If you believe in Me, the Hebrew Scriptures say that rivers of living water will flow from within you.
Devotional
1. When the rest of the country was suffering an economic downturn a few years ago, Texas was still creating jobs. In fact, when the nation created 300,000 jobs overall one year, Texas created 400,000 within its borders. That means the rest of the country lost 100,000 jobs.
  1. What attracts people to Texas?
  2. Weather
  3. Taxes
  4. Corporate laws
2. Texas has one big problem when it comes to business
  1. Water
  2. Cities are growing faster than the water supply
  3. Buying water from other states
  4. Research for desalinization and other means of purification of seawater aren’t keeping up with the demand
3. Middle east has similar problems
  1. Water seems more scarce than oil
  2. Dig deep for wells
  3. Often require purification even when found
  4. Protect at all costs
4. Jesus promises water than never ends
  1. Living water – running water from springs that remain clean and pure
  2. Never dries up regardless of weather
  3. Quenches thirst unlike some of the water with minerals (salts) in them
  4. Not just a little trickle of water, but rivers of living water
  5. No pockets of brackish water either
5. Where do you find this kind of water?
  1. Come to Jesus
  2. Believe in Him
  3. For who He is and what He did for you
  4. Ask for forgiveness
  5. Follow the commands He gives you
If you want to learn more about my church, you can find us at SAF.church. If you like the devotional, share it with someone. If you don’t, tell me. I hope you’ll join me again tomorrow for “A Little Walk with God.”

Eureka! I think I’ve got it! (John 7:33-34), February 14, 2017

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Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
I’ve always liked logic puzzles. Like this one, for instance. There are three boxes. One is labeled “APPLES” another is labeled “ORANGES”. The last one is labeled “APPLES AND ORANGES”. You know that each is labeled incorrectly. You may ask me to pick one fruit from one box which you choose. How can you label the boxes correctly?
Scripture
1. John 7:33-34
2. Jesus: I am going to be with you for a little while longer; then I will return to the One who sent Me. You will look for Me, but you will not be able to find Me. Where I am, you are unable to come.
Devotional
1. If you’re like me, you haven’t heard anything since I gave you the puzzle because you’ve been thinking about how to label those boxes. The answer isn’t too difficult since you know all the labels are wrong.
  1. Pick a fruit from the box labelled Apples and Oranges. The box will be full of only one kind of fruit since the label is incorrect. So if you pick an orange, label the box, Oranges.
  2. Then you know that the box labelled Apples and Oranges must contain only apples since that label is also wrong. So label that box Apples.
  3. Finally, the only box left with the wrong label must have the apples in it, so change the box labelled Oranges to Apples and Oranges.
  4. And there’s the answer.
2. Why give you a logic puzzle to start the podcast and associate it with Jesus’ words today? Because I’m sure those who heard His words were just as puzzled as we can get when we hear those logic puzzles
  1. I’ll be with you
  2. But only for a little while
  3. Then I’ll return to the One who sent Me
  4. You’ll look for Me, like hide-and-seek
  5. You won’t find Me
  6. You can’t go where I’m going
3. What does all this mean?
  1. The disciples were confused
  2. First part was easy
  3. Second part not too hard, maybe He was going on a trip by Himself
  4. Third got a little more difficult, but not unlike returning to the country that issued His diplomatic credentials
  5. Fourth, if they knew where He was going or that He was returning to a specific place, why would they spend time looking for Him
  6. Why wouldn’t they be able to find Him, this didn’t make sense
  7. Why couldn’t they go to the same place He went, what special pass did He have that they didn’t have? Did they need some special password and how could they get it?
4. We stand on this side of the cross and the answer is easy
  1. Like the puzzle at the beginning. If you didn’t think of the answer right away, you probably slapped your forehead and said, “Duh! Why didn’t I think of that!”
  2. Looking back, it’s so simple.
  3. Looking back in time, Jesus’ words are so simple, too.
  4. So are His words, “Follow Me.” So why do we have so much trouble understanding and doing those?
If you want to learn more about my church, you can find us at SAF.church. If you like the devotional, share it with someone. If you don’t, tell me. I hope you’ll join me again tomorrow for “A Little Walk with God.”

Emissary or ambassador, do you know which you are? (John 7:28-29), February 13, 2017

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Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
Do you know the difference between an emissary and an ambassador? Jesus calls us His emissaries and Paul identifies himself as an emissary in most of His letters. So what’s the difference?
Scripture
1. John 7:28-29
2. Jesus (speaking aloud as He teaches on the temple’s porch): You think you know Me and where I have come from, but I have not come here on My own. I have been sent by the One who embodies truth. You do not know Him. I know Him because I came from Him. He has sent Me.
Devotional
1. So what is the difference between an ambassador and an emissary?
  1. Our government uses both as do most governments.
  2. Ambassador is an accredited diplomat sent by a country as its official representative to a foreign country
  3. Emissary is a person sent on a special mission, usually as a diplomatic representative
  4. Did you notice the difference?
  5. General representative for a country versus a person sent on a special mission
2. Emissary
  1. Can act like an ambassador when on a diplomatic mission in a foreign country
  2. Always given a specific mission to complete
    1. Message to carry
    2. Negotiation to broker or attend
    3. Expert representative on behalf of sender for meetings or project
  3. Carry the authority of the person who sends them
3. Jesus sent the twelve out into towns and villages as His emissaries
  1. Specific tasks from Matt 10, Go … to find and heal the lost sheep of Israel. 7 …, preach this message: “The kingdom of heaven is at hand.” 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, and cleanse those who have leprosy. Drive out demons from the possessed.
  2. In the verses just before this, Matthew says Jesus endowed them with the power to do these things
  3. Jesus gave them the authority and responsibility to carry out the tasks He gave them to do
4. We are His emissaries. He gave each of us the same command
  1. Go
  2. Make disciples
  3. Baptize them
  4. Teach them His practices
  5. Teach them to follow His commands
  6. Gives each of us tools, gifts to accomplish the tasks He gives us to do
5. Didn’t make us ambassadors with no specific thing to do or mission to accomplish; made us emissaries with specific purpose and mission in mind
If you want to learn more about my church, you can find us at SAF.church. If you like the devotional, share it with someone. If you don’t, tell me. I hope you’ll join me again tomorrow for “A Little Walk with God.”

Search for what is right and just (John 7:21-24), February 12, 2017

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Today’s Podcast

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Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
The man walking across the street toward his Harley with the wild looking beard, is wearing leather pants and jacket with metal studs. He has black boots and a red, white and blue rag wrapped around his head. He looks a little rumpled and dirty like he just climbed out from a trash heap. He’s wearing dark wrap around glasses so you can’t see his eyes. What’s your first reaction?
Scripture
1. John 7:21-24
2. Jesus: Listen, all it took was for Me to do one thing, heal a crippled man, and you all were astonished. Don’t you remember how Moses passed down circumcision as a tradition of our ancestors? When you pick up a knife to circumcise on the Sabbath, isn’t that work? If a male is circumcised on the Sabbath to keep the law of Moses intact, how can making one man whole on the Sabbath be a cause for your violent rage? You should not judge by outward appearance. When you judge, search for what is right and just.
Devotional
1. The man I described earlier is a friend of mine. He’s a pastor and the scene comes from a picture one of the members of his Christian motorcyclist club took of him when they stopped for a break on a cross country trip one day. They travelled a lot of dusty roads that day and with twenty or so bikes churning up the dust on those back roads, everyone looked like they just came out of a trash heap.
  1. Great time riding
  2. Worshiping
  3. Fellowshipping
2. We have a tendency to stereotype
  1. Part of our DNA
  2. Quick judgments originally to protect us
  3. Lion or rock
  4. Friend or foe
  5. Welcomed or attacked
3. Carried those early survival requirements into modern society
  1. Clothes
  2. Hair and makeup
  3. Color of skin
  4. Religion
  5. Nationality
  6. Political views
  7. Whatever is different causes us to mark others as enemies and resort to fight or flight because of Satan’s lies
4. Jesus warns, “You should not judge by outward appearance. When you judge, search for what is right and just.”
  1. How do we do that?
  2. First, ask for discernment
  3. Second, recognize God made us all
  4. Third, recognize Satan has blinded most and they will not judge according to God’s rules but by the world’s
  5. Fourth, don’t let others judgment and attitudes keep you from demonstrating God’s love and grace toward them
If you want to learn more about my church, you can find us at SAF.church. If you like the devotional, share it with someone. If you don’t, tell me. I hope you’ll join me again tomorrow for “A Little Walk with God.”

God’s word and the Krebs Cycle (John 7:16-19), February 11, 2017

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Today’s Podcast

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Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
When I was in school, the Krebs Cycle was a lot more theory than fact. Things have changed over the years in science, but not in God’s word. So what does the Krebs Cycle have to do with God’s word? Stay and find out.
Scripture
1. John 7:16-19
2. Jesus: I do not claim ownership of My words; they are a gift from the One who sent Me. If anyone is willing to act according to His purposes and is open to hearing truth, he will know the source of My teaching. Does it come from God or from Me? If a man speaks his own words, constantly quoting himself, he is after adulation. But I chase only after glory for the One who sent Me. My intention is authentic and true. You’ll find no wrong motives in Me.

Moses gave you the law, didn’t he? Then how can you blatantly ignore the law and look for an opportunity to murder Me?

Devotional
1. When I took biology in Vanderbilt more than 40 years ago, scientists were just beginning to uncover the secrets of how cells transformed matter into energy to run the various processes of the body. They knew there was this thing called the mitochondrion that took in oxygen and released carbon dioxide and energy enriched adenosine triphosphate but didn’t understand how. My professor at the time had worked with Hans Krebs and would win his own Nobel Prize in Physiology Now, the mechanism has been changed from a theory to a fairly well accepted biochemical process fact among biologists worldwide.
  1. Many theories proposed previously
  2. All missed some important part in their explanation
  3. Brilliant people, but holes in their argument
  4. Krebs cycle explained the process and verified by improved electron microscopes
2. Why did the theory become accepted as fact when all the others failed
  1. Questions were answered
  2. Things fit into place
  3. Theory proven by independent sources
  4. Has stood the test of time for over 50 years now
3. Curious that we will accept Krebs Cycle as truth which we’ve only recognized for 50 years but don’t recognize God’s truth which has been here since time began
  1. Stories handed down since God created Adam and Eve
  2. Moses given the law on Mt Sinai and scholars believe gave the Israelites the five books of the law, Genesis through Deuteronomy
  3. Centuries of testimony from Israelites and Christian community
  4. Evidence all around us
  5. Still we won’t believe the truth
  6. We won’t listen to those sharing God’s word, but instead listen to those who tell us what we want to hear
4. Time to be convicted by God’s law. Time to hear what He has to say instead of what the world has to say. Time to let the truth guide our lives instead of the lies Satan lays before us. Time to follow the Son, the One God says is the only way to salvation, freedom, and life
If you want to learn more about my church, you can find us at SAF.church. If you like the devotional, share it with someone. If you don’t, tell me. I hope you’ll join me again tomorrow for “A Little Walk with God.”

Timing is everything (John 7:6-8), February 10, 2017

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Today’s Podcast

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Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
I don’t know anyone that doesn’t own a timepiece of some sort. We are bound by time and time is important to us. In fact, sometimes timing is everything. Jesus knew that, too.
Scripture
1. John 7:6-8
2. Jesus: My time has not yet arrived; but for you My brothers, by all means, it is always the right time. You have nothing to worry about because the world doesn’t hate you, but it despises Me because I am always exposing the dark evil in its works. Go on to the feast without Me; I am not going right now because My time is not yet at hand.
Devotional
1. Timing is important in almost every aspect of life, did you ever think of that?
  1. Planting
  2. Harvest
  3. Cooking
  4. Football plays
  5. Construction
  6. Training
  7. Project execution
2. God understands timing
  1. Genesis
  2. Separation of light and darkness comes first
  3. Separation of water and earth come next
  4. Life in the seas comes before life on land
  5. Plant life comes before animal life, food chain, herbivores before carnivores
  6. Perfect timing for creation and everything in it
3. Jesus’ task to save the world
  1. World already began to hate Him because of His message and His fight against evil
  2. Satan knew who He was
  3. Began working against Him at His birth with no place for Mary to give birth to Him
  4. Temptation in the wilderness before He started His ministry
  5. Scribes, Pharisees and Sanhedrin for His message
4. Jesus task was not yet complete
  1. Needed to train the twelve
  2. Needed to ensure the remembered the message
  3. Needed to make sure they saw and remembered the evidence of who He was
  4. Time wasn’t right for the completion of His task
5. Sometimes we will ask God to come alongside us for something we want to do. Something we even think He has asked us to do, and it will seem like He is absent from the scene. He’s not. If He gives us something to do, He will be in it, but His timing is perfect. Like the secret play or the secret weapon pulled out at just the right moment to win the game. God comes on the scene at just the right time.
If you want to learn more about my church, you can find us at SAF.church. If you like the devotional, share it with someone. If you don’t, tell me. I hope you’ll join me again tomorrow for “A Little Walk with God.”

Follow the leader and Simon Says (John 6:65-70), February 9, 2017

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Today’s Podcast

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Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
Jesus’ words today remind me of a couple of children’s games I’m sure you played as a kid. I hope you played the game well, because it’s important to what you do now. What games are they? You’ll find out in just a minute.
Scripture
1. John 6:65-70
2. Jesus: This is why I have been telling you that no one comes to Me without the Father’s blessing and guidance.

After hearing these teachings, many of His disciples walked away and no longer followed Jesus.

Jesus (to the twelve): Do you want to walk away too?

Simon Peter: Lord, if we were to go, whom would we follow? You speak the words that give everlasting life. We believe and recognize that You are the Holy One sent by God.

Jesus: I chose each one of you, the twelve, Myself. But one of you is a devil.

Devotional
1. Have you ever played Follow the Leader or Simon Says
  1. Follow the leader is a children’s game. First a leader or “head of the line” is chosen, then the children all line up behind the leader. The leader then moves around and all the children have to mimic the leader’s actions. Any players who fail to follow or do what the leader does are out of the game. When only one person other than the leader remains, that player becomes the leader, and the game begins again with all players joining the line once again.
  2. Simon Says (or Simple Simon Says) is a child’s game where 1 player takes the role of “Simon” and issues instructions to the other players, which should only be followed if prefaced with the phrase “Simon says”, for example, “Simon says, jump in the air”. Players are eliminated from the game by either following instructions that are not immediately preceded by the phrase, or by failing to follow an instruction which does include the phrase “Simon says”. It is the ability to distinguish between genuine and fake commands that usually matters in the game.
2. Jesus calls us to His side just as He chose the twelve while He walked among us.
  1. Certainly following Him is much more important and complex than playing follow the leader or Simon Says
  2. Calls us to follow Him
  3. Peter says it best, who else would we follow?
  4. Anyone else leads us toward death and destruction
  5. We can’t follow our own path because if we really look deep inside, we have to admit we don’t know where we’re headed
  6. Like the children’s games when we don’t follow Him we find ourselves out of the game of life
3. Spiritual warfare is not a game
  1. We don’t have a choice about playing
  2. We can follow Jesus and have life
  3. We can choose not to follow Jesus and find death and destruction
  4. Still our choice, which will you choose
If you want to learn more about my church, you can find us at SAF.church. If you like the devotional, share it with someone. If you don’t, tell me. I hope you’ll join me again tomorrow for “A Little Walk with God.”

Does God’s word offend you or convict you? (John 6:61-64), February 8, 2017

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Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
There is an interesting test to see where you might be spiritually. In just a moment, I’ll share that test with you. Stick around.
Scripture
1. John 6:61-64
2. Jesus: Has My teaching offended you? What if you were to see the Son of Man ascend to return to where He came from? The Spirit brings life. The flesh has nothing to offer. The words I have been teaching you are spirit and life, but some of you do not believe.
Devotional
1. I don’t think Jesus would have to even ask that question today. He would make headline news blasted through every media available. Jesus offends another group. They don’t like His message because He says they shouldn’t do something else they want to do.
  1. He says we should take care of orphans and widows and elderly and the infirm. How are we doing on that account? Not so well. They are the throwaways of society
  2. He says we should help the poor, not seek after great wealth just for the purpose of seeking wealth, we should use our assets to help others. How are we doing on those? Not so well. We believe in getting all we can get for ourselves
  3. He says love your neighbor as you love yourself. How are we doing on that? Not so well. We don’t tolerate anyone that doesn’t think, look, or act the way we do.
2. Has my teaching offended you?
  1. Difference between being offended and convicted
  2. To offend: cause to feel upset, annoyed, or resentful.
  3. To convict: to find or prove to be guilty; to convince of error or sinfulness
  4. Which do you feel when you hear God’s word?
  5. Says a lot about who you want to be in charge of your life, God or you
3. When we realize we can’t do anything about the guilt we carry around because of our disobedience and the depth of our depravity, we are convicted and ready to face the truth of our sinful condition before God. He can do something about it, we can use that conviction and come to Him repentantly and be cleansed from our sin and our guilt can melt away. We can enjoy real life eternally.
4. When we think we can live without God and make our own way through life, we feel upset by God’s word, annoyed that anyone would try to tell us we are wrong, resentful that someone, even God, would try to dictate our behavior or our thoughts. We remain aloof, snub our nose at God, remain unrepentant, and face death, eternal separation from the only one who can give us life.
5. So the question remains, when God speaks are you offended or convicted? You control your emotions. You decide what you will believe. You determine whether you will allow God into your life. Choose the right path. Choose the Spirit and life.
If you want to learn more about my church, you can find us at SAF.church. If you like the devotional, share it with someone. If you don’t, tell me. I hope you’ll join me again tomorrow for “A Little Walk with God.”

The advantage of living now (John 6:53-58), February 7, 2017

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Today’s Podcast

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Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
We sometimes forget the advantage we have living on this side of the cross when we read the words of Jesus. We think it would be so easy to believe if we could have seen Him in person and listened to Him speak while He walked the earth. But was it so easy then?
Scripture
1. John 6:53-58
2. Jesus: I tell you the truth; unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you will not know life. If you eat My flesh and drink My blood, then you will have eternal life and I will raise you up at the end of time. My flesh and blood provide true nourishment. If you eat My flesh and drink My blood, you will abide in Me and I will abide in you. The Father of life who sent Me has given life to Me; and as you eat My flesh, I will give life to you. This is bread that came down from heaven; I am not like the manna that your fathers ate and then died! If you eat this bread, your life will never end.
Devotional
1. The words Jesus shares with the crowd that day were hard words for them to accept.
  1. The last Passover supper was a long time away.
  2. Covenant with His disciples had not yet been announced
  3. Death on the cross that explained His sacrifice and symbolism of His flesh and blood was still in the future and unseen by all those around Him
  4. How could they understand
2. Why would Jesus give these words that would drive people away from His message of love and forgiveness?
  1. Christianity is not an easy life
  2. Must count the cost to serve Him
  3. More will hate your message than like your message
  4. No watered down, easy road, do as you please religion
  5. Prepare us for what is to come
3. Message He gives the crowd that day
  1. If you consume what the world offers, you die
  2. If you consume what He offers, you live
  3. Hard to understand sometimes, but that is the mystery of God
  4. Beyond our knowing because He is God and we are not
4. In a battle for our lives
  1. Satan lies and is the father of lies
  2. Listen to God’s truth
  3. Trust His word and follow His direction
  4. Obey and live
If you want to learn more about my church, you can find us at SAF.church. If you like the devotional, share it with someone. If you don’t, tell me. I hope you’ll join me again tomorrow for “A Little Walk with God.”