Weekday Word w/ Eric

Category: Uncategorized

  • The Gift Hidden in Your Pain

    Today is another guest post by Brian McClaren on gratitude: “…suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” — Romans 5:3–4 (NIV) Jesus makes it clear that a life lived to fulfill God’s dream for creation will involve suffering. But even here, Jesus implies that there is reason for gratitude. You see it in the…

  • The Blessings You Longer See

    Scripture:“Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income.” — Ecclesiastes 5:10 (NIV) Reflection:One of the strangest paradoxes of gratitude is this: the more comfortable we are, the less we notice our blessings. What once felt like abundance becomes normal. Yesterday’s miracle becomes today’s expectation. Over time, the heart…

  • Guest Post from Tom Berlin

    This week, we are talking about the paradoxes of gratitude. Today, we have a guest post from my Bishop, Tom Berlin, as he reaffirms much of what I said yesterday.   Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Karen and I will gather with our daughters and their husbands at the Outer Banks of North Carolina, along…

  • Disciples’ Path Day 6 — Rooted in Scripture

    Vow 7: Receiving & Professing the Christian Faith in Scripture Scripture:“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” — Psalm 119:105 Our final vow grounds us in Scripture. We do not invent our beliefs; we receive them from the story God has revealed in Scripture. Rooting ourselves in Scripture…

  • Disciples’ Path Day 5 — The Big Five

    Vow 6: Prayers, Presence, Gifts, Service, Witness Scripture:“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” — Acts 2:42 This vow gives us a practical rhythm for spiritual life. Prayers root us in God’s presence. Presence connects us to community. Gifts reflect generosity. Service gives our…

  • Disciples’ Path Day 4 — Invested in the Mission

    Vow 5: Strengthening the Ministries of the Church Scripture:“Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others.” — 1 Peter 4:10 Every church has two kinds of people: consumers and contributors. This vow calls us to be contributors—to invest our gifts, energy, and presence into the mission God has entrusted to this…

  • Disciples’ Path Day 3 — Faithful Presence

    Vow 4: Remaining Faithful & Representing Christ Scripture:“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess… and not give up meeting together.” — Hebrews 10:23, 25 Faithfulness is expressed in small, steady choices. This vow calls us to stay connected to Christ’s church, not because the church is perfect, but because God shapes us through…

  • Disciples’ Path Week 6: Our Vows: Trust & Follow

    Vow 3: Confessing Jesus as Savior and Lord Scripture:“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” — Proverbs 3:5 To confess Jesus as Savior is to acknowledge that we cannot save ourselves. Many people carry private burdens of shame, fear, or self-reliance—hoping their effort or performance will secure…

  • Disciples’ Path Week 6: Our UMC Vows

    Vows 1 & 2: Renouncing Sin + Resisting Evil Scripture:“For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.” — Ephesians 5:8 We begin our journey with honesty. The first two vows ask us to renounce the powers of darkness and resist evil, injustice, and…

  • Disciples Path – Week 5: Day 6 — The Eternal Impact of Sharing Faith

    Matthew 28:19–20 (NIV) “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Sharing faith isn’t…