Voice Today’s Scripture Selection: John 10:4 “When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.” Over the years I have heard a number of people argue over what this passage means. For some, the key part is “When he has brought… Continue reading Voice
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
Unfading
Unfading Today’s Scripture Selection: Psalm 1:1-3 In a world filled with superficiality, much is made of “fading” glory. And, in that world, much is made of physical beauty, or wealth, or power, or any number of other fleeting things. And much is made of how to maintain such things for as long as possible. But… Continue reading Unfading
Tears
Tears Today’s Scripture Selection: Jeremiah 9:1 “Oh, that my head were a spring of water and my eyes a fountain of tears! I would weep day and night for the slain of my people. He is known as the weeping prophet, for good reason. Jeremiah was often moved to tears – even despair – over… Continue reading Tears
Sacrifices
Sacrifices Today’s Scripture Selection: Psalm 51:17 “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” Does God want you to be heartbroken? Not in the way you might first think. Jesus, for example, speaks about coming so that we might live life to the fullest… Continue reading Sacrifices
Reason
Reason Today’s Scripture Selection: Isaiah 1:18 “’Come now, let us reason together,’ says the Lord. ‘Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.’” I’ve always liked this passage from the prophet Isaiah because it reminds me that God is “reasonable.”… Continue reading Reason
Quietness
Quietness Today’s Scripture Selection: Psalm 131:2 “But I have stilled and quieted my soul; like a weaned child with its mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me.” We live in a very noisy world. Or at least most of us do. Yes, there are the contemplative souls among us who manage to find… Continue reading Quietness
Patience
Patience Today’s Scripture Selection: Romans 12:12 “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer.” Sometimes I like short sermons that come right to the point. I can only imagine how many times my listeners have wished I would have done that. The verse above, written by the apostle Paul, is short and… Continue reading Patience
Offering
Offering Today’s Scripture Selection: Romans 12:1 “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship.” To offer oneself as a living sacrifice – holy – pleasing – it sounds to me as something that… Continue reading Offering
Need
Need Today’s Scripture Selection: Revelation 3:17 “You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing. But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked.” You may or may not think of yourself as “needy.” But I believe we are all – to one extent… Continue reading Need
Meekness
Meekness Today’s Scripture Selection: Isaiah 53:7 I don’t like to think of myself as “meek.” I prefer to see myself as: Competent Strong Exertive Possessing Leadership Qualities Successful And a whole lot of other “modern” personality traits we associate with being a capable human being. Meek? I don’t think so – even in my quiet,… Continue reading Meekness