“But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry’.” (Luke 15:22-23) The Parable of the Prodigal Son: It is arguably the most “sermonized” parable in the Bible. But all of the sermons I’ve heard only concentrate on the prodigal son. Very rarely does an American pastor focus on the father of that […]

“For this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.” (Luke 15:24) I recently bought a navigation system for my car. I seem to be in constant need of directions to meetings and have found this device to be just what the doctor ordered. You turn it on and within a couple of minutes satellites pick you up and show your exact location on a small screen. All you have to do is type in the address for which you want directions, […]

“And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.” (Matthew 2:11-12) (A note from Mike: I’m often asked if I have a favorite devotion. I have several and this is one of them. First […]

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” (Luke 2:14) My wife told me a story the other day about a young woman who was in need of serious surgery only to see it delayed due to circumstances beyond her control. When I saw her, I was astonished. You would never know that she was facing a life-threatening illness. I realized that my wife’s friend enjoys a special kind of peace that the Bible calls the peace of God. It’s a gift […]