I Heart Money - October 31, 2010

Daily Reading

Matthew 19, Mark 10

Daily Verse

Everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters

or father or mother or children or fields for my sake

will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.

Matthew 19:29

Daily Thought

Jesus looked at him and loved him.

"One thing you lack," he said. "Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."
~Mark 10:21

Jesus wanted the man's heart, so he told the man to give away his money.

At this the man's face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.
~Mark 10:22

The man wanted his money, so he gave away his heart.

To God's Glory,
Dave Price

Daily Prayer

God, I think about what Your Son left to come to me. He did not consider being God something to hang onto if it meant He could save me. You Son allowed my sin to break His relationship to His Father and the Holy Spirit. He left what was closest to Him out of love for me.

I release my hold on everything. God, may nothing stand between me and You. May my love for You be complete and full. Most of all, I give up myself. I am off the throne, and You are in charge. I die to myself, and the life I now live is Yours.

Amen.

They Got What They Asked For - October 30, 2010

Daily Reading

Luke 17:11-18:14

Daily Verse

For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled,

and he who humbles himself will be exalted.

Luke 18:14

Daily Thought

The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: "God, I thank you that I am not like other men - robbers, evildoers, adulterers - or even like this tax collector."
~Luke 18:11

The question is not, "Am I as good as my neighbor?"

He is. He's better.

"I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get."
~Luke 18:12

So he asked for nothing. And that's what he got.

But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, "God, have mercy on me, a sinner."
~Luke 18:13

The question is, "Am I as good as God?"

He's not. Not even close.

So he asked for mercy. And that's what he got.

To God's Glory,
Dave Price

Daily Prayer

Father, I live in a world that competes and compares, instead of loves and lifts up. Protect me from the pride of this world. Keep me humble like Your Son. He is God, and yet He thought others better than Himself, and put His life on the line for them. May I learn to love others from Him, rather than learning to serve self from the world.

Thank You, God, for Your mercy, Your love, Your salvation. Your Son.

Amen.

I Know The Score - October 29, 2010

Daily Reading

Luke 11

Daily Verse

Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life.

He who believes in me will live, even though he dies;

and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.

Do you believe this?"

Luke 11:25-26

Daily Thought

"Lord," Martha said to Jesus, "if you had been here, my brother would not have died."

Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."
~Luke 11:21, 23

"Did you hear about the game?" shouted my friend. Before I could stop him, he told me the score...

...of the game I had recorded on Tivo.

I watched it anyway.

So, when my team was a run behind in the 3rd, and 2 runs behind in the 5th, and 4 in the 7th, I didn't fret.

I was curious. How are they going to do it?

But I knew all the time - my team won.

Jesus called in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, "Take off the grave clothes and let him go."
~Luke 11:43-44

To God's Glory,
Dave Price

Daily Prayer

Eternal God, You know the end from the beginning. You are sovereign and powerful, and Your will be done. You write the story and it is good. I need be anxious about nothing, because I find rest in Your strength and contentment in Your care.

God, since death has been conquered by Your Son, I live confidently, knowing that there is nothing in this world that can take me from Your hand.

Amen.

Close To My Heart - October 28, 2010

Daily Reading

Luke 16-17:10

Daily Verse

"No servant can serve two masters.

Either he will hate the one and love the other,

or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.

You cannot serve both God and Money."

Luke 16:13

Daily Thought

Standing on crowded Wall Street, pedestrians crisscrossing this way and that, Bill stopped and listened. "I hear a cricket," he smiled.

"You can't," countered Gary. "Horns honking, people everywhere. No way!"

Bill shrugged, walked 25 feet to a sidewalk planter, reached into the shrub and produced the prize. "Here he is."

"How did you do that?"

"Watch." Bill pulled some coins from his pocket and tossed them on the concrete sidewalk. The bustle of the crowd quieted - just for a moment - and all eyes looked to the money.

"We pay attention to whatever is closest to our heart."

The Pharisees, who dearly loved their money, heard all this and sneered at Jesus. Then he said to them, "You like to appear righteous in public, but God knows your hearts."
~Luke 16:14-15

To God's Glory,
Dave Price

Daily Prayer

You have my heart, God. I will turn my will toward You and listen to Your Words. I love You and want my life to be Your pleasure.

When I see Your handiwork in this world, a changed life, a good decision, a serving hand, it warms me up and makes me smile. God, You are so good. I pray that I will pay attention to the opportunities around me, that I will love others, that I will find my greatest joy in serving this world in Your Name. Protect me from the temporary delights of this world, and I will keep my eyes focused on the delight of Your Kingdom.

Amen.

You're Welcome - October 27, 2010

Daily Reading

Luke 14-15

Daily Verse

I tell you that in the same way

there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents

than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

Luke 15:7

Daily Thought

She put her hands on her hips, glared at me, and demanded, "What are you going to say to these girls with tattoos coming to our church?"

"Welcome to Rolling Hills."

Now the tax collectors and "sinners" were all gathering around to hear him. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them."
~Luke 15:1-2

Jesus welcomes and eats.
The "sinners" gather and listen.
The religious mutter.

To God's Glory,
Dave Price

Daily Prayer

My God, thank You for salvation. For seeking me out, a sinner who wanted to go my own way. For loving me and drawing me to You. For opening my eyes and my heart, that I might realize that Your grace is irresistible.

Thank You for welcoming me. More than that, for celebrating my salvation. I didn't expect that or deserve that, but I enjoy it. What a wonderful salvation. What a wonderful Savior.

Amen.

Show Me The Money - October 26, 2010

Daily Reading

Luke 12-13

Daily Verse

Then Jesus said to them, "Watch out!

Be on your guard against all kinds of greed;

a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."

Luke 12:15

Daily Thought

Dictionary.com: "wealth" [welth] -noun

1. a great quantity or store of money, valuable possessions, property, or other riches.

2. an abundance or profusion of anything; plentiful amount.

3. Economics: all things that have a monetary or exchange value; anything that has utility and is capable of being appropriated or exchanged.

4. rich or valuable contents or produce.

5. the state of being rich; prosperity; affluence.

Pretty much what I expected. But wait! One more.

6. Obsolete: happiness.

Dictionary.com: "obsolete" [ob-suh-leet] -adjective

1. no longer in general use; fallen in disuse.

2. of a discarded or outmoded type; out of date.

Those who love money will never have enough. How meaningless to think that wealth brings true happiness! It is a good thing to receive wealth from God and the good health to enjoy it. To enjoy your work and accept your lot in life - this is indeed a gift from God.
~Ecclesiastes 5:10, 19

To God's Glory,
Dave Price

Daily Prayer

God, You created EVERYTHING. It is all yours. May I always remember that I am a steward of Your riches, not an owner. Forgive me for greed, and keep my heart owned by you. May I hold things loosely, ready to give and share where it would please You most.

I pray that my trust in You will grow strong, weakening my grip on possessions. May I be as generous as You are.

Amen.

Sounds Familiar - October 25, 2010

Daily Reading

Luke 10-11, John 10:22-42

Daily Verse

Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy

because I said, 'I am God's Son'?

John 10:36

Daily Thought

It's the Price voice. You know it when you hear it.

My four children are playing in the family room. The front door swings open, "Hello!"

Four heads in unison whip around toward the door. "Daddy's home!"

Nope. It's Uncle Drew. My brother.

They run and hug Uncle Drew, then go back to playing again. The front door swings open, "Hello!"

Four heads in unison whip around toward the door. "Daddy's home!"

Nope. It's Grampa. My Dad.

They run and hug Grampa, then go back to playing again. The front door swings open, "Hello!"

Four heads in unison whip around toward the door. "Daddy's home!"

They run and leap into my arms.

That voice. You can't tell which Price it belongs to, but you know it's a Price.

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.
~John 10:27

To God's Glory,
Dave Price

Daily Prayer

Oh Lord, my God, I love to hear Your voice. The more time I spend listening to Your Word, the better I know You, the more I love You, the closer I follow You. In You I find my joy, my purpose, my delight.

Thank You for Your Son, because in Him you have been seen. Through Him, I am adopted in Your family. My prayer, O God, is that I will sound like You, look like You, act like You. That when people see me, You are thought of and glorified.

Amen.

From Creation To Creator - October 24, 2010

Daily Reading

John 9:1-10:21

Daily Verse

Jesus said, "For judgment I have come into this world,

so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.

John 9:39

Daily Thought

"The Cambrian strata of rocks are the oldest ones in which we find most of the major invertebrate groups. And we find many of them already in an advanced state of evolution, the very first time they appear. It is as though they were just planted there without any evolutionary history."
~Richard Dawkins, The Blind Watchmaker

"How and when did the change occur? We do not know. As usual, the fossil record is blank just when we most need it."
~Gordon Rattray Taylor, The Great Evolution Mystery

"I suppose the reason we leaped at The Origin of Species was because the idea of God interfered with our sexual mores."
~Sir Julian "Darwin's Bulldog" Huxley

"It could be that at some earlier time somewhere in the universe a civilization evolved by some kind of Darwinian means to a very high level of technology and designed a form of life that they seeded onto this planet."
~Richard Dawkins again (author of "The God Delusion")

Jesus said, "If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains."
~John 9:41

To God's Glory,
Dave Price

Daily Prayer

Heavenly Father, this world is full of Your wonder and design. Your imagination, Your joy, Your artistry is everywhere evident. How great You are. Holding the stars in the breadth of Your hand, you know the number of sparrows in a field. You are above and beyond, and close and intimate.

How Great is Our God.

Nothing, God, is too big for You to manage, or to small for You to neglect. You are sovereign and good, and You cause all things to work according to Your purpose.

How Great is Our God.

Amen.

Throw Me - October 23, 2010

Daily Reading

John 7-8

Daily Verse

When they kept on questioning him,

he straightened up and said to them,

"If any one of you is without sin,

let him be the first to throw a stone at her."

John 8:7

Daily Thought

She was caught in adultery. (Apparently she acted alone.)

"The law says such a woman is to be stoned," the religious leaders cornered Jesus. "What do you say?"

"He who is without sin, let him throw the first stone."

For we do not have a high priest

who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses,

but we have one who has been tempted in every way,

just as we are-yet was without sin.

~Hebrews 4:15

Only one could throw a stone.

Jesus straightened up and asked her,

"Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?"

"No one, sir," she said.

"Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared.

"Go now and leave your life of sin."

~John 8:10-11

But he didn't.

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
~John 3:17

To God's Glory,
Dave Price

Daily Prayer

Father of grace and mercy, I have given You every reason to condemn me and cast me away. But in Your mercy, you do not give me what I deserve, but have paid the penalty for me. And in Your grace, you give me what I do not deserve and call me righteous and holy. A saint.

May I learn from Your grace and mercy and do the same in this world. May I be one who does not condemn, but restores. May I be one who gives to others, no matter what they deserve. May I love my friends and my enemies, my neighbor as myself.

Amen

70 x 7 - October 22, 2010

Daily Reading

Matthew 18

Daily Verse

Then Peter came to Jesus and asked,

"Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother

when he sins against me? Up to seven times?"

Matthew 18:21

Daily Thought

One person will not do me wrong 490 times.

The person will do me wrong once, and I will replay it in my head 490 times.

Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy times seven."
~Matthew 18:22

To God's Glory,
Dave Price

Daily Prayer

Father in Heaven, forgive me my sins as I forgive others theirs. That is a dangerous thing to pray, because I am not very good at forgiving. But You are teaching me. I know I have sinned against You. A lot. You not only have forgiven me, You paid the penalty for my sins. The more I understand Your love, Your grace, Your mercy, the better I share it with others.

Thank You God. You have freed me, not only from my own sins, but from the ugliness of bitterness against the sins of others.

Amen.

Do You Drink The Tea? - October 21, 2010

Daily Reading

Matthew 17, Mark 9, Luke 9:28-62

Daily Verse

He took a little child and had him stand among them.

Taking him in his arms, he said to them,

"Whoever welcomes one of these little children

in my name welcomes me;

and whoever welcomes me

does not welcome me but the one who sent me."

Mark 9:36-37

Daily Thought

Dad had the flu. Five year old Sara wanted to help. In she walked carrying a tray. On the tray, Sports Illustrated, some saltine crackers, and a cup of tea.

"I didn't know you could make tea," smiled Dad.

"I put the tea leaves in the water like Mom does, and then I strained it into a cup," explained Sara. "But I couldn't find a strainer, so I used the flyswatter."

"You what?"

"Oh, don't worry, I didn't ruin the new flyswatter. I used an old one."

Do you drink the tea?

Jesus fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will."
~Matthew 26:39

Yes, he did.

To God's Glory,
Dave Price

Daily Prayer

Great and Wonderful God, my Savior, in humility You came to this earth and drank the cup of death that rightfully belonged to me. You took my sin and made them Your own and bore the penalty for my sake. You demonstrated a love that I can barely comprehend. You are my Creator, yet I rejected You - but You never rejected me. In fact, You became like me so You could seek me and save me.

God, I pray what Your Son prayed, not my will, but Yours be done. In all of my life, I will love You through my love for others, taking last place in order to serve those ahead of me.

Amen.

Chase What Matters - October 20, 2010

Daily Reading

Matthew 16, Mark 8, Luke 9:18-27

Daily Verse

What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world,

yet forfeits his soul?

Matthew 16:26

Daily Thought

"You're right. We need a new TV," conceded the wife to the husband.

Grabs keys, wallet, cell phone.

Scene change: Best Buy, the husband drools before a big wall of big flat screens.

Big power chord. Cue Queen, "I Want It All!"
I want it all.
I want it all.
I want it all.
And I want it now.

Narrator: "Text Chase for your credit card balance and decide what to spend in seconds."

Final scene: Husband and wife on couch staring at what he spent, "It's perfect."

"Chase what matters"
~Chase Bank, television commercial

Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
~Matthew 6:33

"Chase what matters."
~Jesus

To God's Glory,
Dave Price

Daily Prayer

Eternal God, no beginning, no end, you are all in all. I chase things that get used up or rust or fall apart. Everything about You lasts forever. Change my heart, God, to seek what matters. To love what lasts. To love You, to love Your Word (which lasts forever), and to love people (who are made in Your image).

Amen.

Power Lunch - October 19, 2010

Daily Reading

Matthew 15, Mark 7

Daily Verse

"How many loaves do you have?" Jesus asked.

"Seven," they replied, "and a few small fish."

Matthew 15:34

Daily Thought

Moses said to the LORD, "O Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue."
~Exodus 4:10

"But Lord , " Gideon asked, "how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family."
~Judges 6:15

Saul said to David, "You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a boy, and Goliath has been a fighting man from his youth."
~1Samuel 17:33

Paul said, "I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling."
~1Corinthians 2:3

Notice a pattern?

"God's power is made perfect in weakness. For when I am weak, then I am strong."
~2Corinthians 12:9-10

To God's Glory,
Dave Price

Daily Prayer

My God, You are able. The question is always, "Am I available?" Yes, Lord. Whatever You want, whatever You ask, I am available. In the power of Your Spirit, by the authority of Jesus Christ, if You are with me, who can be against me?

I will be an ambassador of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, a citizen of Your Kingdom sharing Your grace and glory to the world around me.

Amen.

To Whom Shall We Go? - October 18, 2010

Daily Reading

John 6

Daily Verse

"You do not want to leave too, do you?" Jesus asked the Twelve.

Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go?

You have the words of eternal life."

John 6:67-68

Daily Thought

A great crowd of people followed him because they saw the miraculous signs he had performed on the sick.
~John 6:2

The community follows him because he puts on a great show. Until the show is over.

Jesus answered, "You are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill.
~John 6:26

The crowd follows him because he meets their wants and needs. Until they are full.

Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty."
~John 6:35

The curious follow him because they are... curious. For a while.

"You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God."
~John 6:68-69

The committed follow him because he is Jesus Christ, Savior and Lord, God.

Period.

To God's Glory,
Dave Price

Daily Prayer

My Lord and God, Author of Life. Everything about why I am here, You are the answer. I love You and promise to follow You. I know it will be hard, because Your truth is difficult. People want to do things our own way, and You demand that we follow You to find full and everlasting life.

I choose to stand for You, to stand with You, God. Thank You for standing with me, because really, I am not that strong. (You knew that already.) But, in the power of Your Spirit by the authority of Your Son, I will stand for Your truth and live a life fully committed to You.

Amen.

Teaching In 4 Steps - October 17, 2010

Daily Reading

Matthew 14, Mark 6, Luke 9:1-17

Daily Verse

Jesus replied, "You give them something to eat."

Matthew 14:16

Daily Thought

1. I do it. You watch.

Then Jesus said to the paralytic, "Get up, take your mat and go home." And the man got up and went home.
~Matthew 9:6-7

2. I do it. You help.

Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. They all ate and were satisfied.
~Matthew 14:19-20

3. You do it. I help.

Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!" Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him.
~Matthew 14:29-31

4. You do it. I watch.

So the disciples set out and went from village to village, preaching the gospel and healing people everywhere.
~Luke 9:6

A student is not above his teacher,

but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher.

Luke 6:40

To God's Glory,
Dave Price

Daily Prayer

Creator God, You made man and woman in Your image. Without sin, we display Your glory.

But we sinned.

And now You are doing a work in us, to bring us to a place where we reflect You again. We are Your workmanship, created to do good works, so that others will see and praise You. May I watch closely, follow wholeheartedly, do what You show me, and boldly display Your light to this world.

Amen.

Pray For Rain - October 16, 2010

Daily Reading

Matthew 9-10

Daily Verse

Whoever acknowledges me before men,

I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven.

Matthew 10:32

Daily Thought

The rancher wanted the farmers to pay for his drowned cattle. "Judge, you know we've been having a drought. The farmers had a prayer meeting and asked God to send rain. I don't put much stock in prayer, but dadgum if it didn't work. It rained the next three days and flooded my ranch. Their prayers drowned my cattle, Your Honor."

"There's no proof that God sent the rain," objected the farmers. "Our prayers had nothing to do with the flood."

"Let me get this straight," clarified the judge. "What we have here is a man who doesn't pray, but believes God answers them. And you guys who do pray say God doesn't."

"But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven."
~Matthew 10:33

To God's Glory,
Dave Price

Daily Prayer

God, You are faithful and true. I desire to be one who trusts in You, walks in Your Word, and steps out in faith. Help me with my faith where it lacks. Test me and strengthen me where I lack. I believe in You in word, but may I also believe in You in action.

I know, God, that it is fear that keeps me from standing tall for You at times. Help me build upon the solid foundation of Your Son, Jesus Christ. May I be one whose life points to You at all times. May I be one who stands.

Amen.