Shades Of Grey - December 1, 2010

Daily Reading

1Corinthians 9-11

Daily Verse

"Everything is permissible" - but not everything is beneficial.

"Everything is permissible" - but not everything is constructive.

1Corinthians 10:23

Daily Thought

"Julie, is smoking a sin?"

Julie was the small group leader for the freshman girls at the church youth group.

Sherry was the freshman girl who was trying to figure out what kind of girl she wanted to be now that she was in high school.

"Well, Sherry, it's not that smoking will send you to hell," Julie shrugged, then grinned. "But you will always smell like you were there."

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do,

do it all for the glory of God.

~1Corinthians 10:31

To God's Glory,
Dave Price

Daily Prayer

Father God, You created this world and this world glorifies You. You created me. Should I know bring You glory, as well?

All that I do, in speech, in life, in love, in faith, in purity, may it please You and praise You.

Amen

The United Saints - November 29, 2010

Daily Reading

1Corinthians 1-4

Daily Verse

I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,

that all of you agree with one another

so that there may be no divisions among you

and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought.

1Corinthians 1:10

Daily Thought

For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength.
~1Corinthians 1:25

The Wisdom of Man

We know Total Depravity and Free Will, Conditional and Unconditional Election, General and Limited Atonement, Prevenient and Irresistible Grace, Perseverance of the Saints and Falling From Grace.

We are Presbyterian or Methodist or Baptist or Lutheran or Episcopal.

We are many.

One of you says, "I follow Paul"; another, "I follow Apollos"; another, "I follow Cephas"; still another, "I follow Christ."
~1Corinthians 1:12

The Foolishness of the Cross

We know Jesus.

We are Christian.

We are one.

For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.
~1Corinthans 2:2

To God's Glory,
Dave Price

Daily Prayer

You, O God, are One. Father, Son, Holy Spirit. The Lord our God. The Lord is one.

You told us we must be one, that we must love one another, that we must be united. That our joy in You is connected to our unity in Your Spirit. God, bring us together. Help me to recognize that our shared love for Jesus is stronger than any differences in theology or methods.

Teach me humility and servanthood and love.

Amen

What If God Was One Of Us? - October 3, 2010

Daily Reading

Matthew 2, Luke 2:39-52

Daily Verse

And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.

Luke 2:52

Daily Thought

And Jesus grew in wisdom.

When Jesus had finished saying these things,

the crowds were amazed at his teaching,

~Matthew 7:30

And Jesus grew in stature.

What kind of man is this?

Even the winds and the waves obey him!

~Matthew 8:27

And Jesus grew in favor with God.

And a voice from heaven said,

"This is my Son, whom I love;

with him I am well pleased."

~Matthew 3:17

And Jesus grew in favor with men.

When the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus,

heard his cry and saw how he died, he said,

"Surely this man was the Son of God!"

~Mark 15:39

To God's Glory,
Dave Price

Daily Prayer

Heavenly Father, I am amazed at Your love. To become man like me, to be born like me, to grow like me, to live for me, to suffer for me, to die for me, so that I might live even though I die, so that I might share in eternity. I am amazed at Your love.

My God is great and full of wonder.

Amen.

Baseball Cards And Bicycles - August 24, 2010

Daily Reading

Jeremiah 51-52

Daily Verse

Every man is senseless and without knowledge;

every goldsmith is shamed by his idols.

His images are a fraud;

they have no breath in them.

Jeremiah 51:17

Daily Thought

We were just kids. We didn't know any better.

We liked the clicking sound a baseball card made when you clothes-pinned it to the spokes on your bicycle. Didn't matter what card. Mickey Mantle made the same noise as Yogi Berra.

1909 Honus Wagner, 2B Pittsburgh Pirates
sold for $2,800,000

1914 Babe Ruth, Pitcher Baltimore News
$517,000

1952 Mickey Mantle, OF New York Yankees
$282,000

We weren't smart enough to know the value of a 2"x3" piece of cardboard.

To God's Glory,
Dave Price

Daily Prayer

Most Wonderful God, I worship You. The galaxies, the stars, the moon and sun, planet earth, oceans, animals, and me. You created it all, simply by Your Word. You spoke and it was, and it was good.

There are times, God, when I value things more than the Creator of everything. When creation steals more of my attention than the Creator. Lord, may I never lose sight of You, Your glory, Your wisdom. May I always be foolish enough to disdain the wisdom and the wealth of this world, and find my full value in You.

Amen.

Once Upon A Time There Was A King - July 5, 2010

Daily Reading

2Kings 12-13, 2Chronicles 24

Daily Verse

After the death of Jehoiada,

the officials of Judah came and paid homage to the king,

and he listened to them.

2Chronicles 24:17

Daily Thought

Pinocchio, by Carlo Collodi, begins...

ONCE UPON a time there was...
"A king!" my little readers will say at once.
No, children, you're wrong. Once upon a time there was a piece of wood.

King Joash did what was right in the eyes of the LORD all the years Jehoiada the priest instructed him.
--2Kings 12:2

"You poor little simpleton! Don't you know that if you do that, you'll grow up to be a real jackass and everyone will make fun of you?"

"Hush, you gloom-and-doom Cricket!" yelled Pinocchio.

"Poor Pinocchio! I really feel sorry for you!"

"Why would you feel sorry for me?"

"Because you're a puppet and, what's worse, you're a blockhead."

After the death of Jehoiada, the officials of Judah came and paid homage to King Joash, and he listened to them. They abandoned the temple of the LORD, the God of their fathers, and worshiped Asherah poles and idols.
--2Chronicles 24:17-18

Turns out, the children were correct, because a puppet can be carved out of wood, or out of a king.

To God's Glory,
Dave Price

Daily Prayer

Heavenly Father, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Teach me to walk in fear of You, never forgetting what the world has in store for me if I reject or neglect Your Word.

God, may I love Your Word. May I store it inside me and treasure it. Whenever a situation in life requires it, may I always be prepared to retrieve Your wisdom from my heart. Your Word is truth. By reading it, I learn how You think and act, how You feel and love. Your Word is truth. It frees me from the chains of lies and sin. It brings life.

Amen

They Think The Cars Are Real - June 25, 2010

Daily Reading

1Kings 15:1-24, 2Chronicles 13-16

Daily Verse

You have with you the golden calves that Jeroboam made to be your gods.

Whoever comes to consecrate himself with a young bull and seven rams

may become a priest of what are not gods.

2Chronicles 13:8-9

Daily Thought

My favorite ride at Disneyland, when I was a child, was the Autopia. I felt grown-up pretending I was driving a real car.

Then I grew up and I was driving a real car. Cars that drive seven miles an hour and stay on a track are not real cars. I stopped driving on the Disneyland Autopia.

To God's Glory,
Dave Price

Daily Prayer

My God, the world tempts me to leave You and chase illusions of delight. They are like bubbles, blown in the air, but when you grab them, nothing.

Meaningless, a chasing after the wind. Here is what matters: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is my whole duty.

Father, You are the way, the truth, and the life. Your Word, God, is truth. May I never give in to the temptation of what is not real, not god. May I always seek You.

Amen

Dance With The One That Brought You - June 21, 2010

Daily Reading

1Kings 10-11, 2Chronicles 9

Daily Verse

As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods,

and his heart was not fully devoted to the LORD his God,

as the heart of David his father had been.

1Kings 11:4

Daily Thought

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom.
--King Solomon, Proverbs 9:10

King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women.
--1Kings 11:1

You got to dance with the one that brought you,
Stay with the one that wants you,
The one who's gonna love you when all of the others go home.

"You shall have no other gods before me, for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me."
--Exodus 20:3-6

Don't let the green grass fool ya,
Don't let the moon get to ya,
Dance with the one that brought you and you can't go wrong.
--Shania Twain, "Dance With The One That Brought You"

Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen!
--Revelation 2:4-5

To God's Glory,
Dave Price

Daily Prayer

God of Love, I only know what love is because of You. My kind of love leans toward selfishness. What in it for me? But You, the God of all creation, considered me, the one You created, better than Yourself. Even while I had my back turned to You, You died for me. Your love is sacrificial. It is good. It is life.

God, I have one first love, and that is You. Above all else. And what is amazing is I am able to love others better because I love You fully. Thank You for loving me first.

Amen

I Sharpened My Axe - June 20, 2010

Daily Reading

Ecclesiastes 7-12

Daily Verse

If the ax is dull

and its edge unsharpened,

more strength is needed

but skill will bring success

Ecclesiastes 10:10

Daily Thought

Bill and Ted were chopping down trees. Bill worked steadily, hour after hour. Ted stopped on the hour, every hour, and rested ten minutes.

At the end of the day, Bill surveyed his work. Fine job. But Ted had cleared almost twice as many trees.

"How?" Bill asked Ted. "You stopped every hour. I didn't."

Ted replied, "When I stopped and rested, I sharpened my axe."

To God's Glory,
Dave Price

Daily Prayer

Wise and Wonderful God, Your ways are good, Your work is mighty, Your love is never ending, Your grace is sufficient, Your salvation is glorious.

Teach me God, to number my days and to redeem my time. To be wise and to do good. To love others and to share Your good news. To seek always Your Kingdom and Your righteousness. To study Your Word and Your ways, so that righteousness becomes a habit.

Amen

Happy Wife, Happy Life 2.0 - June 9, 2010

Daily Reading

Proverbs 19-21

Daily Verse

Houses and wealth are inherited from parents,

but a prudent wife is from the LORD.

Proverbs 19:14

Daily Thought

Better to live on a corner of the roof

than share a house with a quarrelsome wife.

--Proverbs 21:9

...but then I wouldn't know anything about that.

He who finds a wife finds what is good

and receives favor from the LORD.

--Proverbs 18:22

To God's Glory,

Dave Price

P.S., For further insight on marriage, see my Daily Thought, February 27, 2010, "Happy Wife, Happy Life."

P.S.S., If ever unsure what to say, see yesterday's Daily Thought.

Daily Prayer

My God of Love, You looked at this world as You created it and called it good, each and every step. Until You observed man alone, and that was not good. So you made woman. You brought the man and woman together, and they became one, and everything at that point was very good.

God, thank You for marriage. Thank You for putting You image in us, male and female, for Your design of family. Give me wisdom, God, to love my wife with the same love Your Son showers on the church, giving the church his all, sacrificially, sufficiently, and fully.

Amen

You Lose - June 8, 2010

Daily Reading

Proverbs 16-18

Daily Verse

Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent,

and discerning if he holds his tongue.

Proverbs 17:28

Daily Thought

President Calvin Coolidge was admired as a man of few word. A pretty young woman sat next to the President at a dinner party. Smiling, she confided that she had made a bet that she could get at least three words of conversation from him. To which he replied, "You lose."

"Blessed is the man who, having nothing to say, abstains from giving us wordy evidence of the fact."

--George Eliot

"If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all."

--My Dad

A man of knowledge uses words with restraint,

and a man of understanding is even-tempered.

--Proverbs 17:27

If unsure of your wisdom, read the next verse.

"Better to remain silent and thought a fool, than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt."

--Abraham Lincoln, Mark Twain, Socrates, among others

Intelligence is often found in our ability to speak.

Wisdom is often found in our ability not to.

To God's Glory,

Dave Price

Daily Prayer

Our Wonderful God, When You speak, amazing things happen. The world was created. We received the law that gives us life. And Jesus, the epitome of Your Word, walked on earth. You still speak. May I listen. More than that, may I obey. May I love Your Word.

God, may I also be one who speaks in a way that reflects well on You. may I always seek to bring You glory in all I do, and in all I say. May my words be measured, and may they be good.

Amen

John Wooden, The Wisdom of Westwood - June 5, 2010

Daily Reading

Proverbs 7-9

Daily Verse

Listen, for I have worthy things to say;

I open my lips to speak what is right.

Choose my instruction instead of silver,

knowledge rather than choice gold,

for wisdom is more precious than rubies,

and nothing you desire can compare with her.

Proverbs 8:6, 10-11

Daily Thought

For whoever finds me [wisdom] finds life and receives favor from the LORD.

--Proverbs 8:35

He was nicknamed The Wizard of Westwood - a title he disdained.

"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are."

"What you are as a person is far more important that what you are as a basketball player."

"Adversity is the state in which man most easily becomes acquainted with himself, being especially free of admirers then."

"Pick up your own orange peels."

"You can't live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you."

"Talent is God given. Be humble. Fame is man-given. Be grateful. Conceit is self-given. Be careful."

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom,

and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

For through me your days will be many,

and years will be added to your life.

If you are wise, your wisdom will reward you.

--Proverbs 9:10-12

"I always tried to make it clear that basketball is not the ultimate. It is of small importance in comparison to the total life we live. There is only one kind of life that truly succeeds, and that is the one that places faith in the hands of the Savior. Until that is done, we are on an aimless course that runs in circles and goes nowhere. Material possessions, winning scores, and great reputations are meaningless in the eyes of the Lord, because He knows what we really are and what we really can be, and that is all that matters."

--John Wooden (1910-2010), The Wisdom of Westwood

To God's Glory,

Dave Price

Daily Prayer

My God, Creator of all, Author of good, Wise Judge, Loving Savior, I live this life for an audience of One. You are the crowd, it is Your applause I long to hear, "Well done good and faithful servant." May my life be a reflection of Your grace and goodness. May I at all times be concerned for Your reputation, not my own. If I say I love You with all my heart and soul, mind and strength, may my words be backed up by my life.

Amen

I Recommend

Coach Wooden

One-On-One

by John Wooden

Jay Cardy

I Wasn't Talking Just About Golf - June 4, 2010

Daily Reading

Proverbs 4-6

Daily Verse

My son, pay attention to my wisdom,

listen well to my words of insight,

Proverbs 5:1

Daily Thought

Nike produced a commercial using the voice of Earl Woods speaking to his son, Tiger.

It rang true because Tiger was known to seek and receive wisdom from his dad.

Let your eyes look straight ahead,

fix your gaze directly before you.

Make level paths for your feet

and take only ways that are firm.

Do not swerve to the right or the left;

keep your foot from evil.

--Proverbs 4:25-27

I wasn't talking just about golf, Tiger.

My son, pay attention to my wisdom,

listen well to my words of insight,

Proverbs 5:1

To God's Glory,

Dave Price

Daily Prayer

My God, You still speak to me. Through Your Word, You instruct me on life and godliness. Through Your Son, You showed the world who You are. Through Your Spirit, You continue to guide me.

God, may I keep Your Word close. Do not let me stray right or left, but keep to the straight path. Adventures in the wild sound exciting, but they never live up to their words. You always live up to Your Word. I choose Your way of life.

Amen

I Hand My Daughter The Keys To The Car - June 3, 2010

Daily Reading

Proverbs 1-3

Daily Verse

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge,

but fools despise wisdom and discipline.

Proverbs 1:7

Daily Thought

I remember December 1973, when Dad gave me the keys to his brown 1963 Ford Galaxie. I'm not telling you anything else, though. Dad and Mom are still alive and they read these daily thoughts. Let's just say I did not properly appreciate 2 tons traveling fast.

Do not be wise in your own eyes;

fear the LORD and shun evil.

This will bring health to your body

and nourishment to your bones.

--Proverbs 3:7-8

July 2004, I hand Abby, my oldest, the keys to the family SUV. I've been driving for 30 years, but at long last, I feel the size, the weight, the speed, and the power. I could say I finally respect the GMC Yukon, but no. It is fear.

To God's Glory,

Dave Price

Daily Prayer

Now unto Him who is able to keep you from falling, and present you faultless before His presence with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Savior be glory, majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever.

Amen

No Wishing For More Wishes - May 31, 2010

Daily Reading

1Kings 3-4, 2Chronicles 1, Psalm 72

Daily Verse

When all Israel heard the verdict King Solomon had given,

they held the king in awe, because they saw

that he had wisdom from God to administer justice.

1Kings 3:28

Daily Thought

Aladdin's Genie held up three fingers, "Three wishes, to be exact. And ixnay on the wishing for more wishes."

Not a problem for my 4-year old daughter, Abby. "Then I'd just wish for more genies."

Clever.

God said to Solomon, "Ask for whatever you want me to give you."

"Give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong."

--1Kings 3:9

Wise.

God said, "Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor for the death of your enemies, I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be. Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for - both riches and honor - so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings."

--1Kings 3:10-13

To God's Glory,

Dave Price

Daily Prayer

Righteous God, You are just and good. You give us wisdom if we ask for it, but You warn us not to come with a divided heart. God, may I love You with all my heart, with all my strength, with all my mind. No division. May I seek You and You alone. If I do that, God, it will show up in my love for others.

May I have the heart of Your Son, Jesus, who considered others better than Himself. Better than Himself! He is God. Your Son. Yet He washed the feet of His followers. Father, break into my heart. Teach me the humility of Christ.

Amen