The One Thing - December 3, 2010

Daily Reading

1Corinthians 15-16

Daily Verse

For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance:

that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,

that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day

according to the Scriptures.

1Corinthians 15:3-4

Daily Thought

"Do you know what the secret of life is?"

The movie is City Slickers.

Billy Crystal plays Mitch, a man celebrating his 39th birthday and dealing (poorly) with a midlife crisis.

Jack Palance plays Curly. He is older.

"Do you know what the secret of life is?" Curly asks Mitch.

"No, what?" Mitch shrugs.

Curly holds up one finger. "This."

"Your finger?" Smart Aleck.

"One thing. Just one thing."

"That's great. But what's the one thing?"

"That's what you've got to figure out."

Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.
~Matthew 6:33

Got it.

To God's Glory,
Dave Price

Daily Prayer

Father God, the most important thing, the one thing out of everything, is You. To love You with all that I am. My heart, soul, mind, and strength. In doing this, I will, at the same time, love others as much or more than myself. Because that is what You did. In humility, You sacrificed Your Son for me. For each of us. For all of us.

God, grow Your love in me. May You be not the first of many, but rather my One and Only consuming passion.

Amen

You're Number One - November 4, 2010

Daily Reading

Matthew 22, Mark 12

Daily Verse

"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?"

Jesus replied: "Love the Lord your God

with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind."

Matthew 22:36-37

Daily Thought

Drafted first in 1999, Josh Hamilton was headed to the top of Major League Baseball.

Alcohol and drugs took him down.

Jesus Christ brought him back.

He is covered in tattoos - tattoos that tell his story. One in particular.

Priorities

1. God

2. Humility

3. Family

4. Sobriety

5. Baseball*

"Baseball" has an asterisk:

*impossible without Numbers 1-4

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

To God's Glory,
Dave Price

Daily Prayer

God, my Lord and Savior, You are first in my life. You have my all - heart, soul, mind, strength.

Forgive me when I take some back. I'll give it back to You again. Every time. I want You to have all of me. I pray that my actions will reflect my desire.

Amen.

I Choose You Last - November 1, 2010

Daily Reading

Matthew 20-21

Daily Verse

"These men who were hired last worked only one hour,"

they said, "and you have made them equal to us

who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day."

Matthew 20:12

Daily Thought

Neighborhood football games. Played in the street, sidewalks were out of bounds.

Two captains chose players, back and forth. The last kid was Billy. He was always last. He wasn't very good. The captains would point to each other, "You take him."

Except today. Today, Joshua was captain, and when there was one left, Josh said, "I'll take him. I want Billy."

Josh played quarterback. Hardest thing about quarterbacking is deciding who gets the ball. Everybody is open every play. Just ask them.

"I'm open. Throw it to me!" They all want to score a touchdown.

Josh told them to run to the sidewalk on the left. They did, and all the defenders followed. Josh whispered to Billy, "Run right."

Billy was all alone, because nobody covers Billy. All he had to do was catch the ball. And he did.

Today, Billy scored the touchdown.

"Don't I have the right to do what I want? Or are you envious because I am generous?" So the last will be first, and the first will be last.
~Matthew 20:15-16

To God's Glory,
Dave Price

Daily Prayer

Heavenly Father, I do not deserve Your grace. Of course, I don't. It wouldn't be grace if I deserved it. You have so much love for me, and for all of us, that You never run short of grace. There is enough for all. Even the thief on the cross, who came into Your kingdom just in time.

I know I don't deserve the riches of Your Kingdom, but I'm thrilled that they are mine. I look forward to eternity, to being in Your presence, being in Your Kingdom, being Your child, co-heir with Jesus Christ, sharing in His glory. That's amazing.

Thank You.

Amen.

We Still Build Totem Poles - September 30, 2010

Daily Reading

Malachi 1-4

Daily Verse

When you bring blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong?

When you sacrifice crippled or diseased animals, is that not wrong?

Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased with you?

Would he accept you?" says the LORD Almighty.

Malachi 1:8

Daily Thought

Totem Poles: Sculptures carved from large trees

by 19th century Native Americans,

depicting events, legends, and people,

often ordered in importance from bottom to top.

Saturday. Garage Sale Day.

"Why are you selling the barbecue?"

"Just built a backyard kitchen.

Don't need this anymore."

"Anything wrong with it?"

"The auto-igniter doesn't work

and the flames are a bit uneven.

It could use some TLC."

"How much?"

"I was asking $50 on Craigslist.

No takers. You can have it for 25.

If it doesn't sell, I'm giving it to my church."

We still build totem poles.

To God's Glory,
Dave Price

Daily Prayer

My God, may You fill my life with Your desires, Your passions, Your wisdom. May I love You first, most, and always. May my love for You be reflected in what I do, what I buy, what I keep, and what I give. May the words of my mouth, the meditations of my heart, and the actions of my self be a testimony of Your goodness and Your greatness, and of my devotion to You.

Amen.

Who's On First - July 19, 2010

Daily Reading

2Kings 18:1-8, 2Chronicles 29-31, Psalm 48

Daily Verse

Hezekiah was twenty-five years old when he became king,

and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years.

He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD.

2Chronicles 29:1-2

Daily Thought

In the first month of the first year of his reign, Hezekiah opened the doors of the temple, and repaired and consecrated the temple of the LORD. They began on the first day of the first month.
--2Chronicles 29:3, 5, 17

Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering.
--Genesis 4:4

Bring the best of the firstfruits of your soil to the house of the LORD your God.
--Exodus 23:19

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

First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world.
--Romans 1:8

They gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God's will.
--2Corinthians 8:5

You have forsaken your first love. Repent and do the things you did at first.
--Revelation 2:4-5

First Things First

Hezekiah trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him. The LORD was with him; he was successful in whatever he undertook.
--2Kings 18:5-7

To God's Glory,
Dave Price

Daily Prayer

My Lord and My God, I worship You and love Your with all that I am. Which makes sense, since all that I am was created by You. You had an idea for me before I was born, and You formed me and watched me grow. I grow best, Father, when I remember from Whom I came.

You are the First and, also, the Last. The Beginning and the End, Alpha and Omega, A and Z. You are before all things, and in You all things hold together. There is no life without You. Why would I even think of living my life without You. You are my God.

Amen