by Steve Thomason | Jul 28, 2026 | Devos
Abundance in the shadow of tyranny. That is the theme I see in the readings this week.
Genesis 32:22-31
Isaiah 55:1-5
Psalm 145:8-9, 14-21
Romans 9:1-5
Matthew 14:13-21
It is anchored in the Gospel reading. Jesus learns that John the Baptist has been beheaded by Herod. This is an act of pure tyranny and corruption. Herod was trapped by Herodius to deliver John’s head to her on a platter. Jesus is mortified by this news. He goes out on a boat to be alone and to grieve. When he returns he finds a massive crowd of hungry people, like lost sheep roaming the countryside.
by Steve Thomason | Jul 21, 2026 | Devos
This image is from page 9 in A Cartoonist’s Guide to Matthew The Gospel of Matthew collects Jesus’ parables about the Kingdom of Heaven into one convenient package in Matthew 13:1-53. I want to make an observation about how these parables are structured. Jesus...
by Steve Thomason | Jun 21, 2026 | Devos, Spiritual Formation
Happy Father’s Day! I am very grateful to have a father who makes it easy for me to imagine God as a loving heavenly father. I love you, Dad. This morning I found two posts from the past that I created in honor of Father’s Day and the text I preached for...
by Steve Thomason | May 29, 2026 | Devos, The Trinity
It is Trinity Sunday. Preachers respond in many different ways to this occasion. Some shy away because the Trinity is too complicated and mysterious to speak about in a short sermon. Some attempt to explain the Trinity and usually fall into some form of modalism by...
by Steve Thomason | May 19, 2026 | Devos
We celebrate Pentecost this week. Explore this familiar story with me. Half the crowd thought the disciples were drunk. How often does the Gospel of Jesus seem like foolishness to the world systems?
by Steve Thomason | May 13, 2026 | Devos
We recognize the ascension of Jesus this week. Let’s see how this story is the hinge between the Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts.
