The Teacher's Devotional

Core scripture: “Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience” (Colossians 3: […]

I found this old devotion that I wrote back in the 2nd year of our prayer group, probably in the […]

Core scripture: “Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!” (Psalm 107: 1) […]

Core scripture: “I love the Lord because He hears my voice and my prayer for mercy.  Because He bends down to […]

Core scripture: “On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords” […]

Core scripture: “See that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do good to each other […]

Core scripture: “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. […]

Core scripture: “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men” (Colossians 3: 23). Message: My six-year-old […]

Core scripture: “Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t […]

Core scripture: “So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable.  Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you […]

Core scripture: “And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and […]

Core scripture: “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to […]

Core scripture: “The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied” (Proverbs […]

Core scripture: “They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their […]

Captain Daniels? Core scripture: “Then his disciples began arguing about which of them was the greatest.  But Jesus knew their thoughts, […]

Core scripture: “Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you are also doing” (1 Thessalonians 5: […]

Core scripture: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; […]

Core scripture: “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.  Do everything in love” (1 […]

I have this dream.  It started way back in 2013 after I was saved.  The dream percolated in my mind, […]

  Pulling out of the driveway, something wasn’t right.  Fwop, Fwop … Fwop, Fwop … Fwop, Fwop … It sounded […]

My little one awoke screaming in the middle of the night.  Leg cramps.  My guess is growing pains.  I rolled […]

What does your quiet time mean to you?  How do you go about it?  What things do you study?  Do […]

If you are a Christian teacher and have two months off over the summer, my guess is that you will […]

Throw all the old fart jokes at me that you wish.  I have heard so many over the past few […]

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your was my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are […]

“Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will […]

We were reading the Outsiders last spring.  In chapter five, Johnny and Ponyboy wake up to see a jaw-dropping, gorgeous […]

Three years ago today I sat in room 1309 at Olathe Northwest High School learning the classroom management strategy of […]

Have you ever had one of those moments when you second guess yourself?  You make a decision that at the […]

Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while […]

Give me a word that describes the last two weeks of school.  How about chaotic?  Frantic?  Crazy?  Energy-sapping?  The word […]

For years the last pick in the NFL draft has been given the unfortunate name of Mr. Irrelevant.  Pretty harsh, […]

The gal leading one of the sessions in our inservice a week and a half ago was drilling teachers in […]

Ever sucked on one of those sour candies that turns sweet?  One of my 6th hour students pulled one from […]

The hands shot up one by one.  They popped up like dandelions sprouting in my backyard.  Glancing over the first […]

Ever seen that Geico ad with Europe singing the Final Countdown?  I was a little young to listen to them […]

I heard the groans even back before Spring Break.  Assessment time.  Ugh!  The stresses.  The worry.  The uncertainty.  I see […]

I need Jesus.  So do you.  So does that neighbor down the street, the clerk at McDonald’s, and your estranged […]

We are entering the most unproductive work week in America: March Madness.  The NCAA Basketball Tournament has historically driven basketball […]

Tingles of anxious anticipation are already starting to creep down my spine.  Later this summer in Rio de Janeiro the […]

The change was not too difficult for me to see.  Dark eye shadow.  All black clothing.  That hopeless look on […]

Everyone has a theme song.  A song that has become a part of you.  A song that when it is […]

My wife blessed me with about three hours of freedom one summer afternoon.  She took our little ones off to […]

Quick disclaimer … I have been up since 2:00 am with a four-year-old who has the stomach bug.  We’re talking […]

Is there ANYTHING to look forward to in the mail these days?  I have come to realize that mail has […]

We all have a story.  A testimony of how you came to Christ.  I have heard stories that date back […]

It was mid-November when her confession came out. My dear colleague Pam couldn’t take it anymore. She had to ask […]

It was one year ago that I set out on a quest.  The task?  To put scripture into my heart.  […]

You know, it’s amazing how life changes from your mid 20’s to nearing 40. When you’re 25, you leave the […]

I am staring at him right now. That darn elf on a shelf. We named him Buddy. I know, how […]

Well, it is that time again. Midyear testing time. Students are already beginning to mentally check out for Christmas Break […]

Slothful. Lazy. Apathetic. Pick your word to describe him. They all fit. To us, Andy was just another kid who […]

You know, it is funny how counting your blessings seems difficult when your world is all but perfect. Do you […]

It is amazing how a simple prayer request can change your day. As the requests had moved around the table […]

Eric Liddell: 1924 Olympic athlete and Christian missionary As we continue to “live His legacy” through this school year, I […]

My Kansas City Royals are World Series Champions! With clockwork precision, they dismantled the Mets in five games, taking advantage […]

I could tell something was wrong the moment I saw her face. Tears streaked her cheeks. There was an uncomfortable […]

Last Friday afternoon was quite the ordeal for me. Scrubbing lunch dishes as delicately as I could, my right index […]

It is that time again. Time to put on your best smile. Your best tie or dress. Your best attitude. […]

Every parent dreads it. The call. You know darn well what I’m talking about. The phone rings innocently enough. You […]

To live a legacy worthy of a true follower of Christ, we must know who Christ is.  That is a […]

(Mickey Marvin sharing his testimony.) I was a hot mess last Friday morning. Although spending time with friends at our […]

Alright, it is confession time. No, I’m not Catholic, but I do need to come clean. I just prayed about […]

“There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15: 13). As we approach […]

(Hudson Taylor: 1832-1905) As we continue to reflect on our theme of Living His Legacy, let’s reflect on the life […]

Fear cloaked me last night. You’d have thought I would have been relieved having survived iPad D-Day, but worry still crippled […]

(Paul and Silas in jail, singing praises to God) I arrived home last Friday a little dazed and confused. Anxious. […]

There is an excitement sweeping the air right now. An eagerness full of anxiety, pleasure, joy, unease, and anxiousness all […]

Technology can at times get a bad rap as it is being polluted with pornography and other inappropriate sites; however, […]

Every school year our prayer group revolves around a theme. When it was birthed in January 2013, our theme was […]

(Jesus Christ: The foundation of leadership.) Last week the gauntlet was laid down. I was enthralled when a former student […]

It is time. I felt God wanting me to share this months ago. Now that summer is slowly expiring and […]

What does a father mean to you? Who do you think of? Most of us probably think first of our […]

For those of you that don’t know me, I am a bit of a technology virgin. I don’t own a […]

I never would have pegged her as a kid who was fearful to talk. Right from the get-go, Harley seemed […]

Every school year has a story of a kid who breaks free. Yesterday, as I began making another scrapbook to […]

Being a Language Arts instructor, I love reading aloud impactful sections of literature to my kids, and there is absolutely […]

Can you see it? There’s a glow within your grasp. This light at the end of the tunnel promises things […]

Three years ago today it all came crashing down. A teacher I once knew well—and whom shall remain anonymous—had had […]

Holland Reynolds Holland Reynolds didn’t plan it this way. Exhausted and dehydrated, the cross country runner steadily lost herself. Her […]

I am not a fan of dandelions. The weeds infest my backyard, sweeping through it like a ginormous yellow tidal […]

Watching baby dedication last Sunday at my church always stirs emotion for me … Happiness of seeing friends grow their […]

My favorite book to teach my students is hands down S.E. Hinton’s the Outsiders. In chapter five Ponyboy Curtis, the […]

Before this final devotion, read Matthew 28.  If you’d like to see Mel Gibson’s version of the resurrection, check this […]

Open up your Bible and read Matthew 27.  Check out the video link to Christ’s crucifixion as well. The Crucifixion: […]

Before reading the post below, pull out your Bibles.  Read Matthew 26: 17-30.  If you are a visual learner, feel […]

As we prepare our hearts for Easter this week, let’s look back on the significance of each day. I will […]

I went through a phase way back in my college days when I watched a TV show called South Park. […]

I have been reading through the Gospel of Luke lately, maybe a chapter or two a day. I am reminded […]

The worldly teacher is quite distinct from the Christian teacher. As you read through the list below, try to find […]

Are you old enough to meet former students who have turned into working adults? It was a humbling moment a […]

The clock is ticking. Time is pressing. The shortened weeks of third quarter, although pleasant with extra time off, make […]

Do you ever have one of those days where everything is going fine, then all of a sudden, out of […]

If you could pick one quality that separates Christians from non-Christians, what would it be? What do Christians have that […]

Last Saturday morning I was watching a video with my men’s Bible study. The video was the first in a […]

Testing season is upon us. Our school’s midyear results are back, not to mention the rest of the district’s, and […]

Let’s play a game. I am thinking of a word. This word is one of Satan’s arsenal of explosives to […]

One of my favorite stocking stuffers I received over Christmas was the DVD Courageous.  If you have never happened to […]

I am a man who prizes God’s truth, but I am also a man who respects the opinions of my […]

Are you a New Year’s resolution person?  If you’re like the typical person, you might jot down a note or […]

If you are a teacher off for Christmas Break and you are parenting small children who still believe in Santa, […]

A mere two teaching days and one work day stand between me and Christmas Break.  The light at the end […]

Yes, you saw right. I just titled my blog post with a hashtag. I truly don’t even know what a […]

That Thanksgiving weekend was just what the doctor ordered. Five days off. Nothing but time for my family, my friends, […]

As we prepare for Thanksgiving Break, I realize there are countless things that we should be appreciative of. The life […]

Every teacher has been there. The mountain of projects in front of me had been chipped down to the last […]

The novel I am currently reading in my classroom, Freak the Mighty, deals with the sensitive topic of bullying. An […]

Ever been discouraged before? Nah, I can hear you say. I’m the eternal optimist. I always look to the positive. […]

Alright, I want to set the record straight right now that I was planning this blog whether the Royals won […]

Do you ever have one of those school years when you wonder if it is all even worth it? You […]

Don’t worry. I promise not to post that sappy song from Mariah Carey. You know the one I’m talking about. […]

We’ve all been there.  Conferences are going great until that one thorn in your side, that one kid that you’d […]

I heard a fantastic sermon on Sunday.  Our pastor laid out five metaphors of the church that are common amongst […]

The logjam of cars arriving at Arrowhead Stadium last night was all too telling.  Something special was about to happen.  […]

Do you ever feel like life is one enormous checklist of things to do?  From the minute I roll out of […]

Thirteen years ago last week our nation was rocked on September 11, 2001.  Mass chaos ensued with the collapse of […]

I typically don’t make time for more than one blog per week, but this week is different. This week I […]

I have this suspicion that something bigger than me is going on right now. A battle of some kind. An […]

It happened Labor Day morning. My wife and I were getting the boys fed and ready to head out the […]

I had the blessed opportunity to attend a men’s retreat over the weekend at Melvern Lake with a group of […]

Our lives are full of boxes. We open them whenever needed throughout our day. There’s a box for family, work, […]

There is a quote on the wall of my room this morning. After attendance is taken and the first day […]

Call me crazy.  Call me weird.  Call me whatever you’d like, but I actually enjoy this time of year.  I […]

One of the biggest perks of being a teacher is to spend summers with your family.  Name me another job […]

Okay, so I am guessing the question above is fairly easy for most of us to answer. We know the […]

Have you ever noticed how the dying words of actors in the movies are so profound? They lie there, clinging […]

It was about this time a few years ago that I received an e-mail from a disgruntled colleague encouraging everyone […]

Spring is one of my favorite times of year. Newness. Green. Rebirth. The flowers, the warmer climate, the celebration of […]

How was your Easter weekend? I loved every minute of mine. Beautiful weather, flowers blooming outside, great message from my […]

What does Easter mean to you? What memories of it are stamped on your heart? For me as a child […]

Read John 20 The day before Christ rose from the dead on Saturday must have been pretty rough for His […]

I had a student ask me last year why they called it Good Friday if this is the day Jesus […]

Read John 16: 12-16 Let’s pause for a second here and consider the circumstance. Although I still laugh at the […]

Read John 14: 1-31 Now that all the drama is beginning to escape, Christ knows He needs to corral His […]

Read John 13: 1-38 What would you say to your friends, your most devoted followers, if you were Jesus at […]

Read John 12: 16-50 Here we have the aftershock of Palm Sunday. Things start heating up. Christ knows the end […]

Read John 12: 12-15 We start at the top. Most roller coasters take a while to get going, but this […]

Well, here we are the eve before Palm Sunday. Two thousand years ago that first Palm Sunday was quite a […]

What do you do when somebody jilts you? Ever had someone go behind your back and thrust a knife in, […]

Jesus Christ, hanging lifelessly on the cross, was about to give up His spirit to God. A mere few breaths […]

What does it mean to submit to God? Where are those areas in your life where you’re possibly doing a […]

The sermon I heard today spoke truth to a well-familiar story from the Bible. David vs. Goliath. The epic battle […]

ARE YOU THIS TEACHER? I am a Christian teacher. I attend church on the weekends, and you better believe I […]

I would have to say the most intimidating thing about doing this is the false notion that public schools do […]

After attending a classroom management seminar at Summer Conference, I made a conscious decision that I needed to teach character […]