Pathway Weeklies

The great Reformation leader, John Calvin, once wrote, “We can only be Christians if we are brethren” (EBC). I witnessed and received much love from numerous Christian brothers and sisters over the course of last week in Lagos, Nigeria. Friendships built over the years have remained strong through the power of the Holy Spirit. I am glad that today’s New Testament reading is in Hebrews 13 because t...

God does not lose those souls He has saved (1 Peter 1:4, “kept in heaven”). There can be no more powerful statement than the one with which I have begun this devotional because the readers of Hebrews needed to remain steadfast in their commitment to Christ. This chapter has created libraries full of interpretation based upon a flawed interpretation of verse 6 and the phrase “have fallen away.” The...

Endurance runners are elite athletes who train themselves to overcome severe obstacles and fatigue to reach their goals as the end of races. One of the hindrances is when their minds tell them to quit once the pain in their bodies reaches their brains! Come to think of it, suffering as we follow Christ will occur at times throughout our Christian race (cf. 2 Timothy 4:7b and Paul’s use of “race” a...

“In prayer it is better to have a heart without words, than words without a heart.” The psalmist knew this when he cried out, “You are my God!” This psalm is the only one associated with King David in the third book of Psalms. He pours out an individual lament to God and, while we do not know the specific circumstance, his cry involves need, affliction, and even enemies (86:1, 7, 16 &17). All thre...

Shockwaves sounded throughout the American church in recent days as two high profile pastors have stepped down from their positions due to moral failures. Sadly, these are the most recent cases of what has become an epidemic of pastoral and leadership failure. I am reminded, yet again, of Paul’s words that qualifications for leadership tie directly to character. A short list of typical outward lea...

The famous “Round Toit” expression has become synonymous with procrastination. I wondered where the term originated, and one source states that it predates ancient Egypt. I even discovered an address in North Carolina on Rountoit Road! I would hesitate to bid on the purchase of that home because, as the name suggests, it likely would be a long and frustrating process to reach the final sale! Paul ...

“All is vanity” represents one of the most recognized claims in the Scriptures and one of the most pervasive worldviews throughout history. Oddly, people know that Solomon pens these words in Ecclesiastes, but do not search further to understand their meaning and find the answer to meaninglessness. “Everything is transitory and therefore of no lasting value. People are caught in the trap of the ab...

We should live with “thus” in mind. I open this devotional with one single word that Paul writes in Romans 14, verse 18. We all know the importance of serving Christ, but we all too often attempt a vice-like control over those to whom we offer our service. Plainly, we need to consider the hard truth that we may be determining the way we want to live the Cross-life! Paul writes “whoever thus serves...

Does your baptism reflect turning over a new leaf or the effects of receiving a new life? Christ’s baptism symbolizes for us a radical change in our lives, so much so that it has been characterized as “new life.” The implications of this life change are to affect all that we say and do. Pack this thought away in your heart today as we examine more carefully the critical importance of living a “bap...

“It is impossible to be truly converted to God without being thereby converted to our neighbor” (John Stott). There is something akin to this double accountability in what we have before us today. Paul may have been responding to his critics in this extended passage, but notice how he does so (2:1-12). He practices accountability by turning the evaluation of his ministry over to those he had serve...