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When God Speaks
I’m still learning to listen to God’s voice and imagine that I will always feel like a beginner in prayer (since Thomas Merton felt the same way I feel like I’m in good company). Amy Boucher Pye, a fellow Our Daily Bread writer and friend, wrote the book 7 Ways
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A Word for Today – April 21
This edition of A Word for Today focuses on Amos 4 and my prayer that the Lord will use all that is happening in our
Where is God in Coronavirus – A Conversation
The Center for Pastor Theologians (CPT) interviewed Jim for today’s podcast about the coronavirus and its impact on church ministry and pastoral care. They explore difficult and
A Word for Today – April 20
In A Word for Today, we reflect on God’s promises to us from Psalm 118:5: When hard pressed, I cried to the Lord; he brought
A Word for Today – April 16
In today’s video, we address different ways of responding to the pandemic. I spoke about the comfort from Lamentations 3:19-24 when feeling personally overwhelmed by
Curtained Off
Again today, if you read the Our Daily Bread booklet you would not have seen one of my devotionals; however, if you have the ODB
The Full Reveal
If you read the Our Daily Bread booklet you would not have seen one of my devotionals; however, if you have the ODB app, it
Paper Plate Congregation
It was such a delight to walk into the sanctuary today and see so many “faces” looking back at us. Some friends organized a social
A Word for Today – April 2
Today’s word of encouragement comes from Psalm 68, especially verses 4-6: 4 Sing to God, sing in praise of his name, extol him who rides on the
Holy Week Reading Plan
Holy Week begins this Sunday, April 5 with Palm Sunday. Although I long to remember the hope we have in Jesus because of his death
When I Consider How My Light is Spent
During the March 29 sermon on endurance, I quoted the last line from John Milton’s autobiographical sonnet “When I Consider How My Light is Spent.”
A Word for Today – March 27
The encouragement in the March 27 video comes from Colossians 1:9-14: 9 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped
A Word for Today – March 23
In today’s video, we shared from Jonah 2:2-9 “In my distress I called to the Lord, and he answered me. From deep in the realm
Martin Luther’s Quote on the Plague
In the March 22, 2020 sermon, I quoted Martin Luther (1483-1546), the German theologian and father of the Protestant Reformation. In 1527, a deadly plague
A Word for Today – March 21
Today’s video comes from I Thessalonians 3:6-13 6 But Timothy has just now come to us from you and has brought good news about your faith
A Word for Today – March 19
We filmed a daily video, which can be viewed here, with Paul’s encouragement from Philippians 4:11b-13: for I have learned to be content whatever the
Delight in the Book
One unique aspect of writing for Our Daily Bread is that the process from submission to publication is at least one year, which means the
A Word for Today – March 18
In the second video, which can be viewed here, I hope that you are encouraged from the words of Micah 6:8: He has shown you,
A Word for Today – March 17
As the COVID-19 pandemic started to surge in West Michigan, Calvary began filming short videos to encourage all of us from God’s word. The first