Category Archives: devotional

What is in store for us next? (John 5:19-21), January 27, 2017

Today’s Podcast

Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
We are amazed at all the things Jesus did during the few years He walked the earth in the flesh. But He said some incredible things about what will happen next. Listen to His words to His disciples and us.
Scripture
1. John 5:19-21
2. Jesus: The truth is that the Son does nothing on His own; all these actions are led by the Father. The Son watches the Father closely and then mimics the work of the Father. The Father loves the Son, so He does not hide His actions. Instead, He shows Him everything, and the things not yet revealed by the Father will dumbfound you. The Father can give life to those who are dead; in the same way, the Son can give the gift of life to those He chooses.
Devotional
1. I remember a smoking cessation commercial many years ago that said a lot about kids behavior.
  1. Man washing his car
  2. Pre-school aged son mimicking with rag and squirt gun
  3. Dad takes a break to take a smoke
  4. Son picks up the pack from his dad’s shirt pocket and pulls out a cigarette
  5. Warning from the surgeon general
2. Children mimic their parents
  1. It’s how they learn most of their skills
    1. Fishing
    2. Camping
    3. Tools
  2. It’s how they learn good and bad behavior
    1. Previous illustration
    2. Helping others
    3. Kind gestures (Christmas picture)
  3. It’s how they learn about relationships
  4. It’s how they learn about God
3. Jesus tells us the Father does not hide His actions from His Son, but shows Him everything.
  1. Miracles performed are just a taste of what’s in store
  2. Healing the sick
  3. Feeding the hungry
  4. Raising the dead
  5. Forgiving sins
  6. Giving us His spirit to live in us
4. The things not yet revealed by the Father will dumbfound you.
  1. Can you imagine what they might be after all we have seen today?
  2. God’s word is still true!
  3. I can’t wait to see what is in store for us at the hand of the Father can 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.”

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One person sows, and another reaps (John 4:32-38), January 26, 2017

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Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
“One person sows, and another reaps.” It seems no matter how hard we try, someone else gets the credit and the profit for the work we do. Is that fair? Listen to what Jesus has to say.
Scripture
1. John 4:32-38
2. Jesus: I have food to eat that you know nothing about.

Disciples (to one another): Is it possible someone else has brought Him food while we were away?

Jesus: I receive My nourishment by serving the will of the Father who sent Me and completing His work. You have heard others say, “Be patient; we have four more months to wait until the crops are ready for the harvest.” I say, take a closer look and you will see that the fields are ripe and ready for the harvest. The harvester is collecting his pay, harvesting fruit ripe for eternal life. So even now, he and the sower are celebrating their fortune. The saying may be old, but it is true: “One person sows, and another reaps.” I sent you to harvest where you have not labored; someone else took the time to plant and cultivate, and you feast on the fruit of their labor.

Devotional
1. It just doesn’t seem fair, does it? You do the work and someone else reaps the benefit. We sometimes feel that way with the companies we work for or the when we purchase big ticket items and think about the profits the companies must be making and in all sorts of situations. But we need to stop and remember Jesus’ words. The saying is old, but it is true.
2. God made it that way
  1. One person sows and another reaps is true in more cases than you think and part of being in a community
  2. He made us interdependent
  3. Each of us have different skills and talents
  4. Stop and think about what it means for us today
3. One sows another reaps
  1. You drive a car you probably didn’t make
  2. You eat food you probably didn’t grow
  3. You eat meat you probably didn’t raise
  4. You wear clothes you probably didn’t make
  5. You sit on chairs and eat at tables you didn’t construct
  6. Think of the things you enjoy you had no part in creating
4. One person sowing and another reaping is the nature of life
  1. Jesus uses the example to talk about the harvest of people ready to be introduced to the kingdom of God
  2. We Satan sneak in feelings of jealousy about someone else’s reaping
  3. When we think about the nature of sowing and reaping in everyday life our attitude changes
5. Remember the story of sowing and reaping and be happy you live in community with others so you don’t have to create everything yourself. You can enjoy the efforts of others and they can enjoy your efforts as well.

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.”

Would bringing back blue laws help? (John 4:21-26), January 25, 2017

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Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
Do you remember blue laws? If you’re younger than 50, probably not. We don’t have many if any blue laws around anymore, but maybe we should. Maybe we wouldn’t be in the pickle we’re in today with our worship. Listen and find out why.
Scripture
1. John 4:21-26
2. Jesus: Woman, I tell you that neither is so. Believe this: a new day is coming—in fact, it’s already here—when the importance will not be placed on the time and place of worship but on the truthful hearts of worshipers. You worship what you don’t know while we worship what we do know, for God’s salvation is coming through the Jews. The Father is spirit, and He is seeking followers whose worship is sourced in truth and deeply spiritual as well. Regardless of whether you are in Jerusalem or on this mountain, if you do not seek the Father, then you do not worship.

Woman: These mysteries will be made clear by He who is promised, the Anointed One.

Jesus: The Anointed is speaking to you. I am the One you have been looking for.

Devotional
1. I’m not sure, but I think the largest segment of the population today are the baby boomers. Generations before us, families were larger, but they have now passed on our parents started worrying about population growth, being able to send us to college and provide for all us baby boomer kids in the suburbs, and so our families tended to begin to curb those population swells. The Gen-Xers and Millennials seldom have more than two kids and many have no kids, so the baby boomers are the big chunk in the US anyway. So what’s that got to do with today’s scripture?
2. Greatest Generation and their children
  1. Raised with societal norms of Christian standards in this country
  2. Church every Sunday
  3. Blue laws
  4. Nothing open on Sunday
3. Baby Boomers became interested in money
  1. Relaxed and abolished blue laws
  2. Worship anytime or anywhere
  3. Sports took center stage on Sunday afternoon instead of family
  4. Christian values were no longer the norm
4. Today
  1. No worship tolerated
  2. 24 hour operations the norm
  3. Christian values viewed as hate speech
  4. Cesspool of sex, drugs, and violence everywhere you turn
5. Jesus’ words come back to haunt us today because we have lost our way in worship and following what He wants us to do.
  1. It doesn’t matter where or when we worship
  2. but…The Father is spirit, and He is seeking followers whose worship is sourced in truth and deeply spiritual as well. Regardless of whether you are in Jerusalem or on this mountain, if you do not seek the Father, then you do not worship.
  3. When we let the world dictate our norms and leave Him out, we run the risk of losing our eternal 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.”

Give a fish or teach to fish, what does that have to do with Jesus? (John 4:8-20), January 24, 2017

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Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day, teach him to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. I’m sure you’ve heard that saying many times. That old piece of wisdom popped into my head as I read Jesus’ words today. Let me tell you why.
Scripture
1. John 4:8-18
2. Jesus: Would you draw water, and give Me a drink?

Woman: I cannot believe that You, a Jew, would associate with me, a Samaritan woman; much less ask me to give You a drink.

Jews, you see, have no dealings with Samaritans.

Jesus: You don’t know the gift of God or who is asking you for a drink of this water from Jacob’s well. Because if you did, you would have asked Him for something greater; and He would have given you the living water.

Woman: Sir, You sit by this deep well a thirsty man without a bucket in sight. Where does this living water come from? Are You claiming superiority to our father Jacob who labored long and hard to dig and maintain this well so that he could share clean water with his sons, grandchildren, and cattle?

Jesus: Drink this water, and your thirst is quenched only for a moment. You must return to this well again and again. I offer water that will become a wellspring within you that gives life throughout eternity. You will never be thirsty again.

Woman: Please, Sir, give me some of this water, so I’ll never be thirsty and never again have to make the trip to this well.

Jesus: Then bring your husband to Me.

Woman: I do not have a husband.

Jesus: Technically you are telling the truth. But you have had five husbands and are currently living with a man you are not married to.

Devotional
1. So, you’ve heard the old sage’s wisdom many times in your lifetime, I’m sure. “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach him to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”
  1. Simple logic when you think about it
  2. Fill his belly once yourself or teach him to fill it every day on his own
  3. Too many times we are satisfied with giving someone a fish instead of teaching him to fish
2. Why is it so easy to feed instead of teach?
  1. Takes much more time
  2. Must invest yourself in the person’s life
  3. Must understand their strengths and limitations
  4. You must know how to do it in the first place
3. Why would Jesus’ words bring me to these thoughts today?
  1. God-sized hole in each of us
  2. Easy to try to fill it with worldly pleasure; like giving a person a fish, it doesn’t last
  3. Jesus wants us to dig deep into His word
  4. Study what He tells us
  5. Put it into practice
  6. Learning from God how to fill that God-sized hole His way satisfies for eternity
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.”

Just how much does God love us? (John 3:16-21), January 23, 2017

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Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
Just how much does God love us? Sometimes we let familiar verses get too familiar. Listen to one today in a different translation to hear again the depth of God’s love for us.
Scripture
1. John 3:16-21
2. For God expressed His love for the world in this way: He gave His only Son so that whoever believes in Him will not face everlasting destruction, but will have everlasting life. Here’s the point. God didn’t send His Son into the world to judge it; instead, He is here to rescue a world headed toward certain destruction.

No one who believes in Him has to fear condemnation, yet condemnation is already the reality for everyone who refuses to believe because they reject the name of the only Son of God. Why does God allow for judgment and condemnation? Because the Light, sent from God, pierced through the world’s darkness to expose ill motives, hatred, gossip, greed, violence, and the like. Still some people preferred the darkness over the light because their actions were dark. Some of humankind hated the light. They scampered hurriedly back into the darkness where vices thrive and wickedness flourishes. Those who abandon deceit and embrace what is true, they will enter into the light where it will be clear that all their deeds come from God.

Devotional
1. So many see God only as someone who wants to put a damper on life.
  1. A list of don’ts
  2. Take the fun out of any party
  3. Looking over our shoulder looking for our sins to zap us
1. Important verse tells us the nature of God
  1. Loves us so much He became one of us
  2. He came not to judge, but to rescue the world from our own self destruction
  3. He came to offer life
2. Then and now acted as light to expose the hidden things that cause that destruction
  1. Crime show detectives looking for evidence use flashlights even in the daylight
  2. Pinpoint the light
  3. Focus attention
  4. Expose ill motives, hatred, gossip greed, violence, and the like
  5. Many hate Him because they see their real self when He exposes their soul
3. Can you imagine a surgeon trying to operate in the dark?
  1. Only by exposing the diseased parts in bright light can they be removed
  2. Exposing sin makes it possible to get rid of it
  3. The Light came so we can be cleaned up
  4. Jesus came to rescue us from certain destruction
4. God loved us so much, He gave His Son, so that anyone who believes in Him for the forgiveness of their sins and obey Him, will not face that certain destruction, but will instead have everlasting life. What a Savior we have.
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.”

Nicodemus learned a lot from Jesus one day (John 3:10-15), January 21, 2017

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Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
Do you ever take what we know about life in the Spirit for granted? Do you ever even think about life in the Spirit and what it’s all about? Nicodemus got a pretty good lesson one day. We can learn a lot from what Jesus said to him that day.
Scripture

Devotional
1. Put yourself in Nicodemus place 2,000 years ago. What would you think about the conversation you were having with Jesus? Do you ever take what we know about life in the Spirit for granted? Do you ever even think about life in the Spirit and what it’s all about?His Spirit came to live in us after His departure.
2. Important concept Jesus talked about often in His ministry.
  1. The promise He gave His disciples and the power He gave them to live the way He wanted them to live
  2. Before Jesus left He talked a lot about what God’s spirit would do for us and in us, so the conversation He begins with Nicodemus is important
  1. But Nicodemus, like many, chose to reject the truth Jesus spoke.
    1. Responsible to teach faith – a rabbi
    2. Didn’t understand the necessity of life in the spirit.
    3. We cannot live the life Jesus wants us to live apart from His spirit in us
    4. It takes faith and acceptance of His guidance, lordship in our life
  1. World doesn’t agree
    1. Self made man
    2. What’s in it for me
    3. What do I gain
    4. Selfish motive is the world’s answer
    5. Servanthood is Jesus’ goal
1. Nicodemus came to learn and based on later events in his life it appears he learned well the lessons of life in the Spirit. History gives credence to His coming to Christ and being one of the dissenters in His trial and crucifixion. He may have been in the upper room on the day of Pentecost. He learned his lessons
2. The question for you and me, will we learn from the Master? Will we believe the evidence of His words and His actions? Will we believe in Him so we may gain the everlasting life He promises? It’s up to 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.”

What’s it like being born? (John 3:3-8), January 20, 2017

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Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
Do you remember what it was like being born? I don’t and it’s probably a good thing. But maybe we should remember some of it so we can understand what it’s like to be born again. The Christian life isn’t all fun and games if that’s what you’re looking for.
Scripture
1. John 3:3-8
2. Jesus: I tell you the truth: only someone who experiences birth for a second time can hope to see the kingdom of God.

Nicodemus: I am a grown man. How can someone be born again when he is old like me? Am I to crawl back into my mother’s womb for a second birth? That’s impossible!

Jesus: I tell you the truth, if someone does not experience water and Spirit birth, there’s no chance he will make it into God’s kingdom. Like from like. Whatever is born from flesh is flesh; whatever is born from Spirit is spirit. Don’t be shocked by My words, but I tell you the truth. Even you, an educated and respected man among your people, must be reborn by the Spirit to enter the kingdom of God. The wind blows all around us as if it has a will of its own; we feel and hear it, but we do not understand where it has come from or where it will end up. Life in the Spirit is as if it were the wind of God.

Devotional
1. Born again. You’ve probably heard that term all your life if you grew up in the church or around Christian people. Those in the Christian community know what it means. Or at least they think they do.
  1. Dying to self
  2. New life in Christ
  3. Reborn into a new way of life with God’s plan and purpose in mind
2. Have you ever thought about how this sounds to someone outside the church?
  1. Nicodemus
  2. Question wasn’t unreasonable
  3. How would you explain this relationship you have with God
  4. What is being born again like?
3. Too often we talk just about the happy moment of forgiveness and forget the rest
  1. Make people disillusioned when they begin their Christian walk
  2. Childbirth is hard for both mother and baby
  3. First breath is great, but come out into a cold, brutal world
  4. Times of joy when held in mother’s arms
  5. Times of fear, aloneness, inability to express thoughts and feelings, unable to communicate
  6. So much unknown
  7. So much to learn
4. Jesus tells us to weigh the cost
  1. Christian life is a hard one
  2. Costs everything
  3. Misunderstood and hated
  4. Unbelievable reward in the end
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.”

Is it our problem when people are about to embarrass themselves? (John 2:4)

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Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
Is it our problem when someone forgets or miscalculates or does something that will cause them embarrassment? Jesus asked that questions, and then answered it with actions instead of words.
Scripture
1. John 2:4
2. Jesus: Dear woman, is it our problem they miscalculated when buying wine and inviting guests? My time has not arrived.
Devotional
1. So what do you think about Jesus’ conversation with His mother?
  1. I would have been slapped silly or told “wait til your father gets home!”
  2. Feminists cringe at His language
  3. Have a hard time getting past the way Jesus addresses His mother
  4. Different day and time
  5. Jesus was an adult male in a male dominant society
  6. Mary addressed Him in public which was pretty taboo in His culture
  7. Gentle but reminded her of the culture, Dear woman!
2. Let’s get past the address between Jesus and Mary and look at the next piece
  1. Is it our problem they miscalculated?
  2. Is it our problem they ran out of wine?
  3. Is it our problem they can’t get their act together?
  4. Is it our problem they will embarrass themselves in front of all these guests?
  5. Reminiscent of Cain’s question to God, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” Do I need to be responsible for him? Do I need to bail him out when he’s in trouble? Do I need to be accountable for his actions as well as my own?
3. You might think Jesus brushes her off with His comments to His mother, but she knows Him well.
  1. We know the rest of the story
  2. First miracle
  3. Mary tells the servants to do whatever Jesus tells them to do
  4. She is confident He will take care of the wine problem
  5. She is confident He will keep the host from embarrassment
  6. She is confident He will take care of the needs He finds around Him
4. What lessons should we learn from Jesus’ encounter
  1. Don’t address your mother the way He did, that was a cultural difference your mother will probably not tolerate, nor should she in this country and this time
  2. Like Mary, we should be sensitive to the needs of those around us
  3. Like Mary, we should take those issues to Jesus whether we created the problem or not
  4. We can help others learn from their miscalculations, but we can also help and keep them from embarrassment, failure or worse
  5. Jesus shows us we are our brothers’ keepers
5. Go do something good for someone today
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.”

Are you a truth-teller? (John 1:47-51), January 18, 2017

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2017-01-18-devotional-

Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
Do people know you as a truth-teller? How can they tell? And do you know who is looking? Is it just your boss? Your family? Your pastor? Who might be looking that you don’t know about?
Scripture
1. John 1:47-51
2. Jesus: Look closely, and you will see an Israelite who is a truth-teller.

Nathanael (overhearing Jesus): How would You know this about me? We have never met.

Jesus: I have been watching you before Philip invited you here. Earlier in the day, you were enjoying the shade and fruit of the fig tree. I saw you then.

Nathanael: Teacher, You are the One—God’s own Son and Israel’s King.

Jesus: Nathanael, if all it takes for you to believe is My telling you I saw you under the fig tree, then what you will see later will astound you. I tell you the truth: before our journey is complete, you will see the heavens standing open while heavenly messengers ascend and descend, swirling around the Son of Man.

Devotional
1. Do people know you as a truth teller?
  1. Jesus saw Nathanael from a distance and told those around Him that he was a truth-teller.
  2. Announcement sounded like truth-tellers were rare.
  3. Something about Nathanael made him different than others around him.
  4. Can you tell the difference when you see truthers versus liars? Can they see the difference in you?
2. Jesus saw Nathanael under the fig tree enjoying its shade and eating its fruit.
  1. Truthers enjoy the simple things in life
  2. Recognize the beauty of creation in and of itself
  3. Find pleasure outside the norms of society, within the norms of nature
3. Watched him interact with others while sitting under the tree
  1. Shade at a premium so a gathering place for discussion
  2. Others seek out people who speak the truth in love
    1. When they need real answers to problems
    2. When they need help
    3. When they want to know God
  3. Others avoid those who are not truth-tellers
    1. Flat out liars
    2. Half truths
    3. Truths that only help themselves and not the asker
    4. Speak truth, but in condemnation and judgment
  4. Expect Nathanael provided truth from scripture, experience, wisdom freely but with love
1. 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.”

What does McDonald’s and the Post Office have to do with our spiritual walk? (Luke 24:41-49), January 17, 2017

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2017-01-17-devotional-What does McDonald’s and the Post Office have to do with our spiritual walk? (Luke 24:41-49)

Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
We have developed a real problem today when it comes to building a relationship with God. Our problem is related to McDonald’s, Intel, and the Post Office. Stick around and see why those things cause us problems in our spiritual walk.
Scripture
1. Luke 24:41-49
2. Jesus: Do you have anything here to eat?

They hand Him a piece of broiled fish, and He takes it and eats it in front of them.

Jesus: I’ve been telling you this all along, that everything written about Me in the Hebrew Scriptures must be fulfilled—everything from the law of Moses to the prophets to the psalms.

Then He opens their minds so they can comprehend the meaning of the Hebrew Scriptures.

Jesus: This is what the Scriptures said: that the promised Anointed One should suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, that in His name a radical change of thought and life should be preached, and that in His name the forgiveness of sins should be preached, beginning in Jerusalem and extending to all nations. You have witnessed the fulfillment of these things. So I am sending My Father’s promise to you. Stay in the city until you receive it—until power from heaven comes upon you.

Devotional
1. How impatient have you become in this technological age?
  1. TR 80
  2. Apple iiC, 128 kb memory
  3. Transmissions measured in bytes per second, not megabytes or gigabytes
  4. Open programs, get coffee
  5. Now complain if more than 15 – 20 second start-up
2. Fast food grew up with McDonalds and Wendy’s and Kentucky Fried Chicken
  1. No long waits in restaurants
  2. Short menus
  3. Already mostly cooked
  4. Warmed up and served
  5. Not very nutritious, not very good, but fast
  6. Happy because we don’t wait
  7. Complain if it takes five minutes to get food
3. Complain about speed of delivery
  1. Used to expect seven days for a letter
  2. Ten to fourteen days for a package
  3. Now expect not more than two day delivery, even on weekends and holidays
  4. Can’t wait that extra day for delivery even though it’s something you probably never had before and don’t really need
4. Need to get over our impatience when it comes to knowing God
  1. Stay until
  2. Pray until
  3. Wait until
  4. Until what
5. You are as close to God as you want to be. How long does it take to get as close as you want to be to Him?
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.”