Glitter and Gold Today’s scripture selection: Exodus 29-32 Key verse: Exodus 32:1 Talk about ungrateful. After Moses went to the mountaintop to commune with God on behalf of the people he had helped free from slavery… “When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron… Continue reading Week 21 Monday
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
Luke 21 Sunday
Letting Down Our Nets Today’s scripture selection: Luke 5-6 Key Verse: Luke 5:4 When Jesus called his first disciples to follow him he had to first give them a little fishing lesson. This was unusual because, after all, they were professional fisherman. Nevertheless, Jesus pressed on – urging them to “let down… Continue reading Luke 21 Sunday
Week 20 Saturday
A Different Kind of War Today’s scripture selection: Second Corinthians 9-10 Key verse: Second Corinthians 10:3 It’s a sad reality of our world that war is relentless. At any given time; any given season; in a hundred hot spots all over the globe – war wages on. And even the hopeful pacifist among us reluctantly… Continue reading Week 20 Saturday
Week 20 Friday
Deaf Ears Today’s scripture selection: Jeremiah 37-41 Key verses: Jeremiah 37:1-2 If there was one thing the prophet Jeremiah deeply understood it was what it’s like to have your message fall on “deaf” ears. The short passage at the beginning of chapter 37 of Jeremiah’s historical record says it all: “Zedekiah… Continue reading Week 20 Friday
Week 20 Thursday
Speechless Today’s scripture selection: Job 39-40 Key verse: Job 40:4 Sometimes…there just aren’t any words. Sometimes, either we have Said everything we can think to say or There just aren’t any simple answers or The pain is too deep or The beauty takes our breath away or It just seems best to… Continue reading Week 20 Thursday
Week 20 Wednesday
A Steadfast Heart Today’s scripture selection: Psalms 57-59 Key verses: Psalm 57:7-8 These days it’s popular for some to use the phrase “I Heart…” as in “I Heart Radio” or “I Heart My Doberman”. I don’t really get it. I mean, what’s wrong with that old fashioned word “love”? Probably some ad agency’s… Continue reading Week 20 Wednesday
Week 20 Tuesday
A Father’s Grief Today’s scripture selection: Second Samuel 15-19 Key verse: Second Samuel 18:33 “O my son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you – O Absalom, my son, my son!” The scripture comes right to the point: “The king was shaken.” David lived in a world where,… Continue reading Week 20 Tuesday
Week 20 Monday
The Prompted Heart Today’s scripture selection: Exodus 25-28 Key verse: Exodus 25:2 When God instructed Moses to have the people build a tabernacle – a place of worship – for Him, He said a very interesting thing. He said, “Tell the Israelites to bring me an offering. You are to receive the offering for me… Continue reading Week 20 Monday
Week 20 Sunday
Crooked Roads and Rough Ways Today’s scripture selection: Luke 3-4 Key Verse: Luke 3:5b When John the Baptist went off preaching in the wilderness he had a very specific job to do. He was the “voice” crying in the desert, helping to prepare the way for the promised Messiah to come. One of… Continue reading Week 20 Sunday
Week 19 Saturday
Excel in Everything Today’s scripture selection: Second Corinthians 6-8 Key verse: Second Corinthians 8:7 A lot of us like to excel at something – at least one thing. Maybe it’s part of our nature; maybe it’s a reflection of our competitive culture; maybe we just like to feel good about ourselves – plain old “self-esteem.”… Continue reading Week 19 Saturday