A Sound Blueprint Today’s scripture selection: Psalms 125-127 Key verses: Psalm 127:1-2 “Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchmen stand in vain.” I know a few guys who have made their living as contractors; carpenters; bricklayers; you know, real “blue collar” hard-working… Continue reading Week 44 Wednesday
Author: Paul Simrell
The Reverend Paul W. Simrell has served for over thirty years in a variety of congregational and institutional settings. He is a recognized minister with standing in the Virginia region of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada and is nationally endorsed by the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) for specialized ministry in both pastoral counseling and chaplaincy. Ordained in 1982, he has served congregations in Kentucky, Texas, Florida, and Virginia. He currently serves as the pastor of Elpis Christian Church, a small, historic congregation located just a few miles west of Richmond, Virginia. Elpis is the Greek word meaning “expectant hope.” He also serves on the associate clinical staff of the Virginia Institute of Pastoral Care, Richmond, Virginia, both as a pastoral counselor and a ministerial assessment specialist, specializing in executive, clergy and relationship coaching. He is a graduate of the University of Florida and Lexington Theological Seminary and has done advanced clinical training in chaplaincy and pastoral counseling at the University of Kentucky Medical Center in Lexington, Kentucky, Children’s Medical Center and Parkland Hospital in Dallas, Texas and the Virginia Institute of Pastoral Care in Richmond, Virginia. He is a Certified Pastoral Counselor, an ACPE Practitioner, and a member of the American Association of Christian Counselors. He is a Certified Facilitator of the Prepare-Enrich relationship assessment and skills-building program and served as a volunteer chaplain for over twenty years with the CJW Medical Center campuses in Richmond, Virginia. His avocational interests include playing the piano and drawing. He is very happily married to his wife Elizabeth Yeamans Simrell, a free-lance writer, who is also a Certified Facilitator for the Prepare-Enrich program.
Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton
Week 44 Tuesday
Wholehearted Devotion Today’s scripture selection: Second Chronicles 29-31 Key verse: Second Chronicles 31:21 “In everything that he undertook in the service of God’s temple and in obedience to the law and the commands, he sought his God and worked wholeheartedly. And so he prospered.” In everything we do, there are degrees of commitment we can… Continue reading Week 44 Tuesday
Week 44 Monday
Remember Today’s scripture selection: Deuteronomy 7-9 Key verses: Deuteronomy 8:10-18 “Be careful that you do not forget the LORD your God…” When Things are going well You have a full belly Sleep comes easily The bank account is nice and full Everything’s going great at work Your family is getting along You have plenty of… Continue reading Week 44 Monday
Week 44 Sunday
Earnest Prayer Today’s scripture selection: Acts 11-12 Key Verse: Acts 12:5 “So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.” The Scripture is full of accounts in which miraculous things happen – and so often – there is one key element to it all – prayer. Not just… Continue reading Week 44 Sunday
Week 43 Saturday
More Than Talk Today’s scripture selection: James 1-3 Key verse: James 1:22 My memory isn’t what it used to be. But, at least it is not this bad: Imagine looking at yourself in a mirror, then turning away, and immediately forgetting what you look like. That’s a serious memory problem. But that is how the… Continue reading Week 43 Saturday
Week 43 Friday
Be Utterly Amazed Today’s scripture selection: Habakkuk Key verses: Habakkuk 1:5 The Old Testament book called Habakkuk is unusual. It’s about a prophet by that name. But, instead of there being a lot of prophetic saying in the book, there is more of a dialogue; a question/answer session. And who has that dialogue? The dialogue… Continue reading Week 43 Friday
Week 43 Thursday
Meaningless Today’s scripture selection: Ecclesiastes 1-2 Key verse: Ecclesiastes 1:1 “Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher. “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.” It’s quite a cynical thought: Everything – and he means everything – is meaningless. He had tried it all, nothing satisfied. Not money; not sensuality; not worldly wisdom; not fame or power.… Continue reading Week 43 Thursday
Week 43 Wednesday
Looking Up Today’s scripture selection: Psalms 122-124 Key verse: Psalm 123:1 “Unto thee I lift up mine eyes, O thou that dwellest in the heavens.” I can’t say that I live in the middle of a technological whirlwind – at least not exactly. I don’t live in a big city. I still use an old… Continue reading Week 43 Wednesday
Week 43 Tuesday
Watch Your Strength Today’s scripture selection: Second Chronicles 25-28 Key verses: Second Chronicles 26:5; 16. “He set himself to seek God…and as long as he sought the LORD, God made him prosper….But when he had become strong he grew proud, to his destruction.” Uzziah was a good king. That is, as long as he “sought… Continue reading Week 43 Tuesday
Week 43 Monday
Keep These Words Today’s scripture selection: Deuteronomy 4-6 Key verse: Deuteronomy 5:6 “Keep these words…in your heart.” It is known as the “greatest” commandment: “Hear, O Israel, The LORD is our God, the LORD alone. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your… Continue reading Week 43 Monday