Today’s Walk in the Word

Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.                            —Proverbs 22:6 Homiletics professor Dr. Fred Craddock was asked who, other than his parents, was the most influential person in the formation […]

[If] you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.         —Romans 8:13 In Colossians 3, Paul counsels Christians to put to death five destructive behaviors, abandon five speech flaws, and dress in a new wardrobe. Five behaviors to be put to death (v. 5): sexual immorality impurity lust […]

[Make] the most of every opportunity.                       —Ephesians 5:16 If you live an average lifespan, you will have been granted over 2 billion seconds on Earth. You are a billionaire! Use the time wisely. By the time we reach junior high, we’ve mastered the nasty […]

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.           —Genesis 1:1 Voyager 1 was launched by NASA on September 5, 1977, to study the outer Solar System. At the time of this writing (August 2021), it is 14.2 billion miles from Earth. In 1990, when it was only 4 […]

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.                      —Matthew 5:10 The ancients believed that suffering was a sign of God’s displeasure—that the sufferer was being punished for some sin committed. In this beatitude, Jesus reversed that view—but […]

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.                        —Matthew 5:9 Some repairs can be made with needle and thread. Some repairs can be made with hammer and saw. And some repairs can only be made with friendly smiles, tactful words, […]

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.     —Matthew 5:8 “Who may ascend the hill of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart” (Ps 24:3–4). We know ourselves too well to claim perfect purity of heart: “I have the […]

Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.             —Matthew 5:7 Awareness of God’s mercy to us motivates us to be merciful to others. “When you were dead in your sins . . . God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins . . […]

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.    —Matthew 5:6 Self-evaluation is challenging. Check the beatitude boxes: Are you poor in spirit? Do you mourn over your sins? Are you meek? Merciful? Pure in heart? A peacemaker? The fourth beatitude—hungering and thirsting for righteousness—is a solid foundation on […]

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.            —Matthew 5:5 This blessedness doesn’t come from thinking something, saying something, or doing something—but from being something. Meekness is not something we’re born with but a disposition we develop. In his early manhood, Moses came upon a scene that infuriated […]