It all started with a conversation. One Sunday, following the morning service, a member approached me and asked, "Got any good advice about a devotion guide?" He was looking for something that would help him to focus his thoughts each day. I mentioned that I had recently started the practice of journaling some thoughts each morning and wondered if he would like for me to email him a copy of my notes. He was excited about the suggestion and so, starting the following morning, I passed along a few thoughts. At the end of the week, I asked for some feedback. He indicated that not only had he found some good counsel and wisdom in what I had written, but that he had also forwarded a few of the email messages to his father. It made me wonder, "Would others like to be included on the email list of morning devotions?"
And so it started. For the next 460 days, I took on the discipline of writing a morning devotional thought. At first, the list of recipients contained only a handful of names. But word-of-mouth and a few "forwarded emails" soon caused the list to grow to well over 200 recipients. At first, I skipped around a bit... a few books in the Old Testament and then a few in the New Testament. Finally, I decided to pursue the writing of a devotional thought for each chapter in the New Testament. What you now hold in your hand represents a few thoughts from each day's conversation with God as I worked my way through the New Testament.
This book is not intended to be read cover-to-cover in a few short blocks of time. It is to be read like it was written, a thought for each day. It follows a very unoriginal format. Many believers across the country have been taught to use a Bible Study method, sometimes referred to as a "SOAP" study. The idea is to read a scripture passage, Observe what is being said, Apply the meaning, and Pray for wisdom to let the thought make a difference in one's life. You will notice that each day includes a single verse drawn from a chapter in the New Testament. I sincerely hope that you will take the time to read the entire chapter from God's word. Let the overall meaning begin to sink in. Then consider the focus verse, asking God to be revealed in a unique way through that particular verse. It is my prayerful hope that something I have written may help you to understand and apply God's word to the events of your everyday life.Conversations are important. It's how relationships begin and grow. I encourage you to begin a conversation each morning with God, who has much to share as we read the scriptures. So explore. Dig deep. Reflect for a few moments. And when God speaks, listen, learn, and rejoice.
Morning Conversations Volumes 1-5
Morning Conversations on the Creation of a People and Place is the first volume of a set that follows the natural order of the Old Testament canon, and spans the Biblical narrative from the opening chapter of Genesis to the end of the book of Ruth.
Morning Conversations on the Rise and Fall of Kings and Kingdoms continues the orderly progression, spanning the books of 1 Samuel through Esther.
Morning Conversations on the Wisdom of the Ages covers all five books of wisdom literature from Job to the Song of Solomon.
Morning Conversations on the Prophetic Word wraps up the Old Testament with a look at the books of prophecy, covering both the Major and Minor prophets, Isaiah through Malachi.
Morning Conversations on the New Testament is the final volume of this collection.