A NEW - and different - KIND OF DAILY DEVOTIONAL

Devotional Bible reading - intentional and ongoing interaction with Scripture - can bless, encourage, and strengthen our spiritual lives. Such predictable encounters provide recurring reminders of God's involvement in and vision for the world. Without planned visits to its pages, however, the Bible is a book we hear about only from others, likely in worship or Sunday school settings. Devotional reading fosters reflection and feeds the soul. TRANSLATION: It's a good thing!


But it can also be a time consuming thing. If the thought of regular rendezvous with Scripture appeals to you, but you're not sure you have the time or discipline to make them happen in your life, we invite you to check out our new daily devotional called "ONEverse" that  debuted May 1, both on our website and Facebook page.


Every day, ONEverse offers a single verse from somewhere in the Bible, Old Testament or New, along with a few comments, observations, and/or questions created by our pastor, Bill Coley.  The mission of ONEverse is to encourage and challenge you in your spiritual journey, and to do so in a way that won't ask for much of your time. Some verses will remind you of your place in God's family. Other verses will hold a mirror up to your life and invite you to engage in honest self-evaluation. All verses will have the potential to bless.


You might wonder about the context of the single verses this devotional will present - after all, surrounding verses almost always deepen our understanding of individual verses. That's a great point to which we have three responses: 1) the ONEverse verses are chosen in part because they speak for themselves, or because their obvious meanings don't conflict with nearby verses; 2) Bill Coley's comments usually refer to surrounding verses; 3) we include a biblegateway.com link to the New Living Translation of the larger passage of which each verse is a part.


We intend for ONEverse to be a quick but thoughtful addition to your day. Check it out!

before your first oneverse

Every day ONEverse introduces you to or reminds you of a single verse from the Bible, either the Old or New Testament. The verses, hand-picked by our pastor, Bill Coley, variously inform, challenge, encourage, and strengthen, while holding you accountable for the grand potential God has planted within you. Here's one way to make the most of your ONEverse experience:


1) BEFORE ANYTHING! Take ten seconds to be quiet before God, to ask God to open your heart and mind to the verse and accompanying content you're about to read.


2) Read the verse at least twice. What does it say? What do you notice about it? How might it apply to your life, family, friends, community, and/or world? (Not every verse will apply to your specific circumstances!)


3) Read and reflect on the accompanying notes and questions. 


4) Ask yourself, what's the word God has for me today through this ONEverse?


5) For additional insight into the verse, read the larger passage in which it resides by clicking the provided link.

DECEMBER 21, 2024: lUKE 1.37

𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗦𝗜𝗗𝗘𝗥:

We’re four days in front of Christmas Day, so you’d naturally expect today’s “iconic verse” to have something to do with . . . Christmas. The good news is it does.


In the Bible translation used for every ONEverse entry before today’s, the New Living Translation—a readable work that we’ve used in our church for countless years—today’s verse reads, “For the word of God will never fail.” Same meaning as the New Revised Standard Version’s displayed in today’s graphic, but not the same visceral impact. At Christmas, we want a God who does the impossible . . . such as empowering Mary to give birth even though she’s a virgin.


If you have questions, even doubts, about such a think as what’s called the “virgin birth” of Jesus, know that you’re not alone; many scholars and laypeople keep company with you. But today’s entry is not about the mechanics of Jesus’ entry into Mary’s womb; it’s about the God who made his birth possible, the God whom Luke says nothing is impossible.


In the throes of our modern chaos, we need a God who can do the impossible. With wars, diplomatic tensions, domestic unrest, and political upheaval evident in nearly every corner of the globe, we need a God who can overcome the worst of our human instincts. We need a God who can speak peace to warring nations, who can inspire calm amidst conflicted neighbors and family members. We need a God who can give hope to people caught in financial or relational crisis. We need a God who can generate at least a little bit of heaven here on earth.


In a sense, that’s what Jesus did, he brought heaven—at least a word and invitation from heaven—to our broken, dispirited world. Only God could make that happen.


Today’s ONEverse encouragement to you is that nothing is impossible for God. Not even the things you think are impossible. Wait for Christmas; you’ll find out. 


𝗠𝗢𝗥𝗘 𝗧𝗛𝗔𝗡 𝗢𝗡𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲 - 𝗧𝗢𝗗𝗔𝗬'𝗦 𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗦𝗘 𝗜𝗡 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗧𝗘𝗫𝗧: 

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=luke%201.26-38&version=NRSVUE


[NOTICE: Beginning January 1, 2025, this devotional will move to its own Facebook page (search Facebook for "oneverse1"), a page that currently exists, but without content other than the ONEverse logo. If you are among the several people who have discovered that page, congrats! Now here's your chance to practice patient waiting!]