-
Reality Check
Henry Blackaby, author and major influence on my spiritual development, died recently. This is one of the things I learned from him. John 5:16-19 Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father…
-
Rejection?
The man went away and told the Jewish leaders that it was Jesus who had made him well. (John 5:15 NIV, 10-14-11)) Apparently, Jesus healed someone who never moved from physical healing to true faith. That’s why he so quickly ran to tattle instead of bearing witness to the Healer. Thing is, Jesus healed him…
-
Which Translation Should I Use?
Fifty years ago, choosing which translation to read wasn’t an issue, or even a thing. There were three translations, and the one you used was determined by the brand of Christianity you practiced. Non-mainline Protestants (Southern Baptists, Assemblies of God, Evangelicals, Fundamentalists, etc.) read the King James Version. Mainline Protestants (Anglicans, Presbyterians, Lutherans, Episcopalians, and…
-
Why?
Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?” (John…
-
Be Tired
Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon. (John 4:6 NIV, 9-17-11) Two things. 1. Jesus got tired. How often do I try to push through the tired? Jesus adjusted His plans, even though it meant someone else had to carry…
-
The One Who Healed Me
He replied, “The man who made me well said to me, ‘Pick up your mat and walk.’” (John 5:11 NIV, 10-13-11) The religious leaders asked him why he was violating the Sabbath by carrying his mat. His reply was simple. “Jesus said to.” When the dude who healed me says, do something, I’m gonna do…
-
Had to Go
Now he had to go through Samaria. (John 4:4 NIV, 9-16-12) Here’s the thing. According to any physical map, Jesus didn’t “have to” to go through Samaria. He could have crossed the Jordan and gone up the other way. It was a much less challenging trip, at least from ritual purity and friendliness-along-the-way perspectives. But…
-
In His Hands
The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands. (John 3:35 NIV, written 9-13-11) Everything is in His hands and He loves me. On the rough days, Jesus has everything in His hand, it is all in His control, and He loves me. In the confusing days, Jesus has everything in His…
For years, I’ve produced brief devotional videos called Jumpstarts that I published in various outlets. (You can find them here, as well as the odd podcast.) The root of those videos was daily Bible journals I’ve been doing for decades.
I recently decided to take a hiatus from the videos, and instead publish excerpts from those journals here.
As you’ll soon see, they tend to be brief, normally consisting of just one main idea. They may also be a little rough. I’m not going to do much editing. You’ll get them just the way they came out of my brain, years, days, or months ago.
Find me on:
Jump In
If you’d like to have Stuff Steve Said emailed to you basically daily, put your email address here.
Bible/Life 