Gary Walter

Mark 12:41-44 It was by Jesus giving his all that we have been blessed. He gave it all up so that we could become rich in salvation, rich in eternal life, rich in faith, rich in hope, rich in love, rich in joy, rich in peace, rich in kindness, rich in patience, rich in gentleness, rich in power, rich in good works. It is only when we give all that we truly bless others and know the joy that comes from giving all.

Matthew 5:14-16 We as people all have a choice to make with regards to our rescue work. We can choose to allow our lives to become comfortable and we can find ourselves very content. And often times we may find that we have turned out our beacon of hope for one another. Or perhaps, I hope and pray that we find ourselves lighting and saving the path of others both in our words and deeds.

Luke 8:26-39

God invites us to live with a sense of adventure and wonderment‚ seeing all the people, places, situations and creatures around us as opportunities to open our vision of God's good creation just a little bit wider. Every day is a new chance for God to surprise us with new discoveries and new lessons. Every encounter with a new and "undiscovered" person is a call to blaze new trails of understanding. And our everyday ethic of stewardship for God's creation, each other and ourselves can lead us to a discovery of what's really important in the grand scheme of God.

Hosea 11:1-11 We obsess about our work. We obsess about our weight. We obsess about our status. We obsess about our looks. We obsess about our "things." We obsess about our bank account. But all the while we forget we already have our most-prized possession. Our biggest problem has already been solved. Our deepest longings have already been met in fellowship with God.

Few of us will be remembered individually 500 years from now, or even 50 or 100 years from now. Our lives on this earth are, by and large, pretty brief and not historically noteworthy. If we really want to increase the store of human happiness and well-being and leave our mark on the world, then the best way to do it is to follow the way of Christ -- to think on and do the things that really matter in the long view of the kingdom.

Matthew 14:22-33 Whether you have just strayed from the path of being the person God wants you to, whether you have taken a huge leap off the side of the mountain down into the canyons and are wallowing in the mud at the bottom, or whether you don't even know where the path is anymore... it just takes a minute. A moment where we say, "I am weak and you are strong. Please rescue me again." And it's done. And you win because He already won it all.

It is an amazing thing to know that the Bible you hold in your hands today came from the very breath of God. Or at least it should be. Knowing this, that God has spoken these words for our lives and our benefit, should give us pause. Every time we open this book it is as real as if God were standing in front of us, opening His mouth, and sharing His truth with us.

Joshua 1:1-9 Like Joshua, we too need to get over the past and move to the next level. We can no longer just be followers; now we need to also be leaders. In order to do this, we have to accept God's challenge to move forward.

John 21:1-19 It's not enough to say "I love you" once. We must say it over and over and over again. Both the speaker and the hearer don't understand the implications of the words "I love you" until they are said and heard over and over again.