Daily Devotions

     One of the most difficult lessons to learn as kids and teens is that whatever we have someone else has worked and paid for. Growing into adulthood is not as smooth as we would like for it to be. Parents do a great disservice to their sprouting young adults by constantly covering for them. We want to provide for them as much as we can as a way to show how much we love them.      If we don’t teach them the truth that someone is working and paying for everything they have they will go through life expecting others to foot the bill. The ones that do understand go on to be productive adult members of society pulling their own weight and not looking for a handout. This is correct, right, and true parenting with love.      Now here’s the rub. When we are told that we are saved by faith (simply believing in and trusting Christ) we have a hard time grasping that truth because for the most part we have been taught that we must earn our own way. Children easily accept Christ with childlike f

     My favorite comic book hero has always been Superman. I’ve worn capes and tried jumping off high places all to no avail. It’s a wonder I didn’t break any bones as a kid. Superman, as any aficionado would know, derives his strength from the sun. As all powerful as he is there is one thing he simply cannot abide: kryptonite! It’s rock material from his home planet of Krypton. He becomes as limp as a wet noodle and totally useless. All his power is drained and his life begins to ebb out of him.      All super heroes have at least one weakness. Of course as a kid my version of Superman didn’t have any such weakness and I would just shrug it off! Today’s verse is one of those often taken out of context. The Apostle Paul is writing this letter from a prison cell. It is in this dark, dank, Roman cell that he writes this verse. We quote the verse in an effort to attempt some great feat. Paul writes that with Christ he is able to endure plenty and hunger, abundance and need. In fact he say

     October monsters are everywhere since Halloween is only a few days away. Neighbors decorate with ghouls and goblins, ghosts and giant spiders! As a kid my brother and I decided to use the ladder from our bunk beds to make a monster in our room. We propped it up on a chair and then began to dress it with an old shirt, pants and even put shoes and a hat on it. It didn’t look scary at all that is until we decided to turn off the lights.      In the dimly lit room it looked like some creepy old man standing in the middle of our bedroom. We went back and forth turning the lights on and off. On when we got too scared and off when we were ready for some more adrenaline! Kids do the craziest things! In the end we decided to quickly turn the light on and together rushed and tackled our creation to the ground amid laughs and screams of delight!      In today’s verse we are told that God is our light and our salvation so we have nothing to fear. Regardless if the monsters around us are real

     Our political divisions in America have escalated to the point that it has become increasingly difficult to get along with people who disagree with us politically. The rage, rancor, and raucous demeanor of many who are supposed to be professional lawmakers and government leaders has bled over into mainstream America. We have lost all resemblance of civility. We’ve forgotten how to have a good passionate debate without leaving as friends and as human beings.      God sees all this and his word does not change regardless of our gargantuan failures. He still tells us to love our enemies. We see someone and our first thought is, “Man, I can’t stand that person! They are so hateful.” We say this as we adjust our self righteous crown. You would think we were looking in the mirror.       When we say such things we may not realize that we have just openly stated our own hatred for one of God’s creation. Sometimes the things God asks of us are extremely difficult and can seem like impossib

     It’s that time of year again when all the tv channels are showing scary movies. We love to be frightened. It gets the adrenaline going and definitely makes us feel alive at least until the monster gets us! I love a good scary movie but it must have a good story line and a happy ending. Actually it may be the popcorn and snacky snacks I love the best.      One good tip to watching scary movies is try turning off the sound when you know the worst part is coming. Makes a huge difference when you don’t have the musical score building up your anticipation, fear, and anxiety.      Today’s verse talks about the fear of the Lord. But it’s not the kind of negative fear that makes us want to run for our lives. It’s the opposite, as most things are in his kingdom. It will actually make you want to run towards him! In this verse fear is better translated as awe. We stand in awe and wonder of God. We see him as majestic, beautiful, holy, awe inspiring.      When we have a correct view of God w

     Hide and seek is such a fun game that kids of all ages always enjoy. Everyone hides and one person is the “seeker” who goes around looking for everyone else. The first one found becomes the next seeker. There are probably thousands of variations because kids like to make rules to their advantage like what exactly is home base, does the seeker have to touch you first, etc. Turns out that the older the kids the more rules that are created!      Now that we are older the game has changed. The goal is to seek out what we think will bring us happiness. It can be hiding in a bottle of alcohol or maybe it’s in illicit relationships or just maybe it’s at the gym getting pumped up, or maybe it can be found working day and night until some elusive measure of success is found.      When we set our hearts to seeking things that we think will bring us satisfaction or recognition we will always be disappointed because the goal changes all the time. In fact once we achieve some goal another one

     I think most people know that you will reap what you sow. Some call it Karma, what goes around comes around. Not only do most people know this for the most part they believe it to be true. If this was really the case then wouldn’t we only sow seeds of kindness, forgiveness, mercy, grace, etc?      So often we end up sowing some bad juju and then we are shocked, enraged, even mortified when we get back a harvest of what we actually planted! In fact we believe this truth so much so that when somebody does us wrong we say it or at the very least think very loudly in our minds, “You deserve what’s coming to you.” That’s actually one of the things we love about action movies. The payback scenes are so powerful because we can all relate.      Truth be told if we all got what we really deserved there would probably be way fewer people on this blue marble we call earth. Today’s verse focuses us on the positive aspects of being generous. We tell ourselves that once we get rich we will be g

     One of the big reasons people love church is the relationships that are formed. Unfortunately that’s also the reason many people hate church. Relationships can be difficult in church or anywhere else. We sometimes avoid going to certain places simply because of the people. He knows how difficult we can be. We all have our bad days.      When you look at this list of seven things that God hates you’ll discover that they all deal with relationships. Our relationships are very important to God. How we treat others is the subject of six of the Ten Commandments. Jesus, when asked which was the greatest commandment, answered that to love God with all our being was the first and greatest. Then he went on to add what he was not asked about. He said the second was equally important.      In other words the second greatest commandment was just as important as the first and these two cannot be separated because if you are doing the first one right then the second flows naturally out of it. T

     I’m not a big fan of upside down pineapple cake. I love cake and pineapple but somehow when you turn it upside down and bake it together it just doesn’t seem right. There’s also that frustrating thing they do at the drive up window at Dairy Queen when you get an Oreo Blizzard and the person right before he hands it to you flips it upside down in an effort to show you how thick and creamy it is that nothing spills out! I find the whole exercise less amusing. I think I once said, “Can you not do that?” I didn’t get a reply. Lol, I know I have some deep seated issues that probably go back many generations!      Often when we talk about the kingdom of God we refer to it as an upside down kingdom. If you want more then give away what you have. If you want to be the greatest be a servant. If you want to save your life you must be willing to lay it down. The thing is that it all seems like crazy talk until you start living it out and find it actually works. We give up our lives for so ma

Hope, when you think about it is hard to nail down exactly. It’s expecting something, usually good, to happen in a preferred future. As kids we were always hoping for the good gifts at birthdays and Christmas. As teenagers we hoped that cute girl or guy would notice us. As young adults we had hopes of getting a good job. As married couples we hope for our first home together and hope to start a family. Middle age comes with hopes of getting those kids through college, paying the mortgage and dreams of being empty nesters. As older adults we hope for a good retirement and good health to enjoy it all. Ultimately our hopes are usually based on our own hard work and expectations. When we talk about hope as described in the Word of God it’s something more powerful. Our hope is soundly based on the promises of God. We believe him because he has a long track record of delivering on his promises. It hard to place our hopes on someone who just never comes through. As we examine God’s promises t

     Believe it or not we have a strange problem when it comes to love. We’ve defined it in terms that go above and beyond what God intended. Some of that problem has to do with how we actually interpret the word. Unfortunately the English language is poor at times to convey properly the meaning of some words.      There is a huge difference in the meaning of the word ‘love’. I love Whataburger and I love a thick juicy steak and I love my wife and kids. It just won’t do! In today’s culture we have overextended the use of the word. We use it to cover the sin and shame that people sometimes engage in and call it love. We’ve twisted to allow what God does not. We use it to approve of unbiblical behavior.      Then as if that were not enough we look down on anyone who would dare use it to stop immoral behavior. Gods word tells us that love is obedience to Gods word. Love is not a license to sin. Love is not this huge blanket that just covers whatever everyone wants to do just because they

     Ever have someone give you a non apology? You know what that is. It’s when someone says, “I’m so sorry you were offended by what I said.” It’s hilarious. There are so many ways to apologize but not apologize. If you’re still not sure just listen to some political jargon because for some reason politicians are extremely gifted in this area. They have ways of giving non answers and non apologies all the time. It’s their one universal strength.           Years ago the saying, “The devil made me do it!” was very popular even with t-shirts and the whole thing. It’s not new. Adam blamed his wife, Eve, for disobeying God and even blamed God for giving him his wife. Eve in turn blamed the snake. Round and round it goes we play the blame game, skirting the real issue, dodging the real problem, giving non answers and non apologies.      We will do almost anything except simply admit that we have sinned against God and others. We don’t even like saying the word “sin” anymore. Instead we say

     My family knows that I am a Maxxinista. No, it’s not a new religion. It’s what they call someone who loves to shop regularly at TJ Maxx stores. The items they sell are very reasonably priced and their selections change often. So each each I go back looking for a good deal. One thing is sure, if you don’t get what you like when you see it chances are it won’t be there the next day. I don’t spend very much money but at least twenty dollars. I enjoy hunting for a good bargain and they have them all the time. I know it sounds like I’m one of their salesman but maybe I should ask for commission.      I would be lying if I said shopping didn’t give me a boost. It does and I’m not ashamed to say it. There are so many ways people find to get that feeling of accomplishment or as a means of self care. We have sports, hobbies, crafts, shopping, and so much more. I am a firm believer in self care so you’ll get no flack from me. Today’s verse tells us that we can find refreshing in God. It is

     We have become so uncivil towards each other in America. When democratic Senator Feinstein gave republican Senator Graham a hug after a very contentious meeting on Capital hill people were outraged. Some were calling for her immediate removal from office. Earlier she had thanked Senator Graham for what she saw as a very fair and impartial hearing on the Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett.      She even said it was the best hearing she had attended in many years. This was just too much for some. What kind of nonsense is this? How in Sam Hill could you not only praise an opponent but then actually give him a hug?!? Something happened that moment that only lasted a few seconds. While some were calling for her head on a platter others were quite honestly pleasantly surprised!      So much rancor, so much hatred, so much arguing the end of the world if we were for a moment to set aside our differences and see each other as human beings instead of mortal enemies. One hug melted so

     If you had any siblings growing up then you may have played a wrestling game that ended when someone said “Uncle!” It was always a lot of fun except when you are the youngest in the family so there was always that disadvantage. Then as you grew older it became more of a pride thing to absolutely not surrender no matter how defeated you were.      Saying “Uncle” just wasn’t going to happen all willy nilly. No sir, you waited until that very moment right before losing consciousness before giving up! Pride is such a powerful emotion. It will make us do some pretty dumb things. Pride can keep us from enjoying a wonderful life. We just don’t like to feel the agony of defeat. We think we can do it ourselves and we’ve been told such things all our lives.      It takes great humility to admit we can’t do it. It’s hurts our pride to admit to ourselves that we are not enough. Not strong enough. Not smart enough. Not tough enough. Until we are willing to admit defeat we will never truly appr

     Probably most of us suffered some bullying in our younger years in school. It seems to be a natural part of growing up. One thing about bullies is that you’ll find out pretty quick who you’re true friends are. They are the ones who stick up for you and are ready to defend you in words or by deeds. As adults it doesn’t change. There are now adult bullies whose goal in life seems to be to go and push people around in some sad effort to make themselves feel better. There are also adults who stand ready to come to your defense. Here’s a bit of personal insight. I am much less angry at people who verbally attack me or my character than I am about not having someone stand up in my defense.      You see I already know I’m not perfect but my motives are always good. So when somebody tries character assassination I can calmly shrug it off but then later I think about who defended me and who didn’t. It’s the ones who know me but didn’t bother to say anything in my defense that hurts more de

     There are some among us and they know who they are whose super power is giving. When you get a gift from these special people it is always exactly what you wanted. You wonder how they knew. Did they ask around to find out what I would like? Did they stalk my social media account? These special people with super hearing listen closely for clues during conversations. They make a mental note of the things we enjoy and like. When they are out shopping they come across something and think to themselves, “Wow! This would be perfect for so and so!”      It is truly a special gift to be able to do this for others. The key is always about relationships. They just know us well. In the same way our Heavenly Father knows us and he knows exactly what we need and when we will need it. He listens closely and hears us when we pray. He knows what will bring us pure joy. He already knows but he is more interested in being in conversation with us. This conversation is what we call prayer. We talk to

     We’ve all had friends growing up. We did crazy things with our friends. Once we convinced one of our friends he could jump over a church sign which we did all the time. Of course when he tried it he broke his ankle and limped his way home. We didn’t know better because we were goofy kids. Well those goofy kids grow up and hopefully if our friends survived they did too! Now we are all goofy adults.       Accountability is something that is so often lacking in relationships. True friends are the ones who love you enough to call you out when you’ve done something wrong. They know you’ll get mad at them but they also know your friendship is strong enough to weather the storm. They want the best for you. They want you to succeed. True friends won’t try to convince you to do something dumb. True friends will steer you in the right path. They are reliable, dependable, and often irreplaceable. They are genuine gifts in your life. As we grow older and we’ve all gone in different directions

     I’m not the greatest gift giver. It’s just not one of my strengths. For our first wedding anniversary I gave my wife four beautiful rings. Well, they were made of rubber actually. Ok, tires, they were a set of new tires for our car. She kept going on and on about how the car needed new tires! I thought this is going to be a big hit! I drove up to her work to pick her up. When she got in the car I told her with great excitement that I had gotten her anniversary gift! She was so excited. She started looking around and finally I said, “It’s under the car.” So she opened the car door and looked underneath. She didn’t see anything and had a puzzled look on her face. “I got you four new tires for the car!” I announced with so much pride and a huge smile! Name brand tires too! Not the cheap stuff for my girl. Her reaction was not what I anticipated. It was a long, quiet ride home. What I thought for sure was going to be a home run ended up being a foul ball.      Today’s verse reminds us

      Back in 2002 I took my two sons to a Royal Ranger Camporama (similar to Boy Scouts) for a week long adventure. It definitely was memorable. One favorite game was when we would take about ten guys, blindfolded on an adventure. Each boy would place his hands on the shoulders on the one in front. The commander who was not blindfolded would then give verbal commands. Go forward three steps and turn right. Stop, turn left and go ten steps, etc. Those blindfolded had no idea what was going on but had to simply obey the commander.      Those spectators on the sidelines were on pins and needles because they could see what had been avoided on the journey. At the end we asked everyone to remove their blindfolds and see where they had come through. Everyone was astonished! Trees had been missed by inches. Large boulders were gone around safely. Huge ditches were easily avoided. In fact, as we discovered, it was the ones who were blindfolded who although they could not see actually had more

     My dad was my hero growing up. One of my favorite things was when he asked me to do a chore and I would sort of fumble it around and he would see me and before I knew it he was showing me how to do it and often ended up doing the whole chore! I did that as often as I could get away with it until dad figured out what I was doing. He had specific requirements when it came to chores. He wanted it done but it had to be done a certain way. I am on the other side of that spectrum because I don’t care how you do it as long as it gets done.      There are certain things in life that must be done very specifically but more often than not that is not the case for everyday things. I know there are plenty of you out there that must fold your towels a certain way only. I’ll pray for you. Today’s verse tells us that God has three requirements of us. Do what is right to others. Be kind to others. Live in humility. Considering the fact that there were over 600 rules and regulations governing serv

     Childhood memories are the reason many people have trust issues. I still remember my brothers pranking the neighbor kid to stand under a bucket which they told him was full of candy and to pull the rope. It took some convincing but he did it. When he pulled the rope he was drenched in water and ran crying to his momma. My brothers and I by association all ran laughing and finding a good place to hide from the trouble that was sure to come and definitely worth it. Poor kid probably has trust issues to this day. Kids are so gullible.      Well it turns out some people seem to remain gullible as they grow older. You know who they are. They are the ones who forward those stupid chain letters and now email or messages on social media to ten people so they can be blessed. They pass along pictures of stacks of money thinking somehow that by doing that they will magically have money come to them. They’re better off standing under a bucket and pulling the rope. That way at least they get s

     Kids are incredibly imaginative and creative. A simple stick becomes a sword one minute and a shotgun the next. If need requires it then becomes a magic wand magically rendering enemy attacks futile. Of course as a last resort it can be just a stick to whack your opponents with. It’s amazing what we can come up with as children.      As adults we discover we don’t need a stick at all because our words can do substantial damage to another human beings sense of self worth. You remember the old saying, “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me.” Turns out that was a lie. In fact words can inflict damage that can require years of professional counseling to overcome. We have an unseen enemy that wants to destroy us in every possible way. He will stoop to any level to hurt us. He will dream up new schemes, invent new weapons and speak any lie imaginable in an attempt to bring us down. He is our arch enemy the devil and his cohorts.      Today’s verse reminds us

     Growing up next to a Sears store had its advantages. They would throw out those huge cardboard boxes that stoves and refrigerators came in. One Saturday morning I got up early and got as many of those boxes as I could get and dragged them into our backyard and built the biggest castle by connecting all the boxes and cutting doors and windows wherever it needed and taped them all together! It was a thing of beauty. I spent all day playing in my cardboard castle.      At the end of the day I had to tear it all down and throw it all away. So sad but I had so much fun. My imagination had taken me to many places and of course my castle was my place of safety, security, and solace. Unfortunately being made out of cardboard it was pretty well worn and had started to tear in places as the cardboard started to weaken with Galveston’s high humidity. In my imagination it was a fortress! In reality it was a very poor substitute for a real castle. A good rain storm would have left me a huge me

     As a kid I had it good. Most of the other kids at school would go around saying I was a rich kid. I never saw it like that until I was much older. The reason they said that was because my father owned his own jewelry store. They would go on about how I would go home and play in oodles of gold and diamonds! I remember not ever worrying about food on the table, clothes to wear, a warm, comfy bed to sleep in, cool a/c in the summer and heat in the winter.      The reality was we didn’t lack for anything because my father worked long hard hours to provide for me and the whole family. I had no worries. I knew a peace that came from trusting my father to provide everything I needed and even sometimes what I wanted. So often I hear kids wishing they could grow up so they can do whatever they want. Now that I’m older there are days I wish I could go back and really enjoy those carefree younger days. No bills to worry about. All my needs taken care of.      So what a huge surprise when I d

     Hide-n-seek is an all time favorite children’s game. My grandson Eli just learned it but all he does is close his eyes while we say, “I wonder where Eli is?”  He then pops open his eyes and laughs. He hasn’t figured out the go and hide part yet. He enjoys it regardless. In his mind we can’t see him because he can’t see us with his eyes closed.      I often think that grown ups act that same way with God. They think that just because we can’t physically see him then he can’t see us. God sees all and he doesn’t hide himself from us. He is easy to find. All we have to do is come out of our hiding places and he’s right there to welcome us. He is our ever present help in times of trouble. He is my healer and great physician when I am sick. He is my deliverer when I am held captive by sin.      He is my source of wisdom when surrounded by confusion. He is my savior when I feel lost and afraid. He is my source of strength when I feel like I can’t go on. He is only a breath away. Seek his

     One of my favorite games growing up was cops and robbers. We would split up into two groups, each side would pick up a stick as an imaginary weapon and the chase was on! We imagined all sorts of situations that required us chasing each other around. Then we would switch sides and play all over again. We would play for hours and didn’t even notice the time. It wasn’t until we heard our moms call for us to come in for supper that we knew the day and our battles were over.      When you know who your enemies are it’s easy to go to battle against them. They are much easier targets when you know which team they are on. Then we grow up and reality hits us squarely in the face. Sometimes the ones you thought were on your side end up being the bad guys! Life can be so complicated. In the spiritual world we come to understand that there is another more sinister power at work behind the scenes. These evil rulers seek our ultimate ruin and destruction. Hard to fight an enemy we can’t see no

     Birds of a feather flock together. Tell me who your friends are and I’ll tell you who you are. So if your friends jump off a cliff I guess you’ll jump too? We’ve heard these sayings and more usually from our moms! Well mom knows best. Sometimes our kids would come home from school acting like one of their friends. My wife was the first one to point it out. She would say, “I want my daughter (or son) not this kid you’re pretending to be like.” I think often our kids didn’t even notice they had picked up bad habits until they were called out on it.      It’s not just kids because adults do it also. How would you define your five closest friends? It turns out that our close friends have a huge influence on our lives, attitudes, personal growth, habits, money, and so much more. When you hang around the wrong crowd it won’t be long before you’re doing the wrong things. Bottom line is most of us need constant supervision! So if we can so easily be influenced by bad friends doesn’t it ma

     There are people who just light up a room and bring a lot of joy when they enter. Then there are those who bring joy to a room when they leave! Our very presence affects people and environments. Some speak of having an aura. We all know people in both those categories. We often play down how our own presence affects others. When a friend is hurting or grieving sometimes the very best you can do is just show up. No catchy phrases or deep words are necessary. Just having someone to be with you through a difficulty without offering advice can be life altering.      Your presence can bring healing, comfort, and joy. Today’s verse tells us that there is joy in God’s presence. We often have a picture of a law enforcement officer walking in to disrupt a party when we think about God’s presence showing up. Somehow as if he has come to steal our joy and laughter we tend to cringe. We don’t have a good view of what happens when God shows up. There is a fullness of joy that surrounds him.   

    October is our favorite month of the year for many reasons. One of those reasons is that today we celebrate 21 years as Pastors of an amazing church family called Faith Assembly of God  in League City, Tx. We served 3 years as Associate Pastors so we have a total of 24 years serving this beautiful congregation. We have been blessed beyond our expectations! Veronica and I are so very grateful for the honor of serving. We could not have done it without so many amazing staff members, volunteers, and loving church members all working together. Thank you for 24 years! We love you guys!

     We took plenty of trips to visit our grandparents in Mexico. It was always a fun and eventful time. It was about a 7 hour road trip. Dad always drove and every now and then he would see something of interest and sure enough the station wagon would begin to drift in the direction he was looking. Mom would yell, Samuel, and dad would quickly make the correction. Once he followed another driver and missed his turn. When mom asked him, Where are you going? He said, I was following that dummy in front of me! Hahaha, good times.      We tend to drift in the direction of our focus. If all you focus on is how bad everything is or how things just haven’t turned out the way you’d like or every small detail that can go wrong you will not be a very happy person and probably no fun to be around. Yes, life is tough. We can decide to focus on what we have missed or lost or focus on what we do have. Being grateful is a choice. Being content is a choice.      Every human being has suffered their s