Baptism Today’s Scripture Selection: First Peter 3:21 “…and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also – not the removal of dirt but the pledge of a good conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Christ Jesus.” It may seem to be an odd combination. One moment, Peter is talking about… Continue reading Baptism
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
Accepted
Accepted Today’s Scripture Selection: Job 42:9 “So Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite did what the LORD told them and the LORD accepted Job’s prayer.” In the ancient story of Job, one of the oldest in the Scriptures, there is an ending with a twist. After all the trials and testing;… Continue reading Accepted
Zeal
Zeal Today’s Scripture Selection: John 9:4 (Note to Faithful Readers: With today’s post we come to our first run through our alphabetical study of the scriptures. I hope you have enjoyed picking out a few significant words related to the faith – and maybe found a few more of your own. Tomorrow, it’s back to… Continue reading Zeal
Yearning
Yearning Today’s Scripture Selection: Psalm 42:2 “My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?” So, how thirsty are you? I think about how often we hear things like I can’t wait to… I’m dying to… If it doesn’t happen, I don’t know what I’m going to… Continue reading Yearning
Exalted
Exalted Today’s Scripture Selection: Mark 16:19 (Note to faithful readers: Please excuse the bit of hedging on our alphabetical search through the scriptures. X is a pesky little letter so I’m afraid we’ll have to settle for using words that have x somewhere in them!) “So then, when the Lord Jesus had spoken to them,… Continue reading Exalted
Waiting
Waiting Today’s Scripture Selection: Psalm 40:1 “I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry.” Some of us are better at waiting than others. I know I certainly have had more than a few impatient moments. But when I read these words from the Psalms; when I hear how God… Continue reading Waiting
Vision
Vision Today’s Scripture Selection: First Corinthians 13:12 “Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror, then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.” Vision is an important topic in the Scriptures. We read about God’s looking out on… Continue reading Vision
Understanding
Understanding Today’s Scripture Selection: Deuteronomy 4:5-6 “See, I have taught you decrees and laws as the LORD my God commanded me, so that you may follow them in the land you are entering to take possession of it. Observe them carefully, for this will show your wisdom and understanding to the nations, who will hear… Continue reading Understanding
Talents
Talents Today’s Scripture Selection: Matthew 18:23-24 “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him.” How much? Ten thousand talents. And how much is that? Millions of dollars. He couldn’t… Continue reading Talents
Sabbath
Sabbath Today’s Scripture Selection: Isaiah 58:13-14 It is wise counsel with a promise attached: “If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight and the Lord’s Day honorable, and if you honor it by not going your own… Continue reading Sabbath