MORNING MANNA               2-14-26
LOVE
“Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;” ‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭5‬:‭25‬

 ‭
An old man got on a bus one February 14th, carrying a dozen roses. He sat beside a young man. The young man looked at the roses and said, “Somebody’s going to get a beautiful Valentine’s Day gift.” “Yes,” said the old man. A few minutes went by and the old man noticed his young companion was staring at the roses. “Do you have a girlfriend?” the old man asked. “I do,” said the young man. “I’m going to see her right now, and I’m going to give her this Valentine’s Day card.” They rode in silence for another 10 minutes, and then the old man got up to get off the bus. As he stepped out into the aisle, he suddenly placed the roses on the young man’s lap and said, “I think my wife would want you to have these. I’ll tell her that I gave them to you.” He left the bus quickly. As the bus pulled away, the young man watched as the old man walked into a cemetery.
 
It’s true that “dead noses smell no roses.” Be sure to tell your family members “I love you”.

David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E
Humble, TX. 77346

MORNING MANNA              1-31-26
THINK LOVE, THEN LOVE

“Finally, brethren, …. whatsoever things are lovely…. think on these things.”
‭‭Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭8‬ ‭

What things are lovely? How do lovely things affect us? How are we to apply this?
How about this? Think on things that move us and motivate our action of love.

IT MIGHT BE A CHRISTIAN we need to think about. There is someone we know and they make us think of love.
-maybe by their compliment they give.
-maybe by their correction to guide us.
-maybe by their carrying of our grief.

Thinking on another’s love can ignite us to love.

IT MIGHT BE VERSES DESCRIBING LOVE we need to think about. 1st Corinthians 13:1-8 does this. We learn :
love is patient,
is not prideful,
does not please self,
is not puffed up,
is not polluted,
is positive, etc…

IT MIGHT BE THE CROSS we need to think about even though cruel punishment was carried out there.
-It was our punishment that someone else took because of love. The Bible directs us to see God’s love through the eye of faith by looking to the cross (Romans 5:8).
– A Sinless One suffered for our sin there.
-Our pain fell upon another person. -Another suffered the death we deserved.
THINK OF CHRIST. There’s no one, there’s nothing, more lovely to think about. There’s no greater motivation to love than thinking on The One who loves us more than anyone else ever has or ever will. He showed us by providing salvation for us.

To love the greatest, think on, “whatsoever things are lovely.”

THINK LOVE, THEN LOVE
Kenneth Preston 

Lakeway Baptist Church 

Humble,TX

MORNING MANNA            1-30-26
THE WORD OF GOD

“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” Hebrews‬ ‭4‬:‭12‬ ‭

For many years I have encouraged people to use the book of Proverbs as a calendar by reading the chapter that aligns with the day of the month, and adapting at the end of the month for more or less days. I think that is a great practice. Another good practice is to select one verse from the Bible and focus on it all day. Naturally you can read a daily devotion written by someone and do that, but I think the thing that makes this most profitable is searching for the verse yourself. That will be more meaningful to you than reading something assigned by another.

Never underestimate the power of simply reading the Word of God. The word “quick “ means “alive”. The Bible is a living book, and “powerful”. I won’t go into detail on the rest of the text except to say that it affects our innermost part – “soul and spirit”. Like a sharp sword the Word of God penetrates the heart and reveals God’s message.

Someone said

   If you are cold, let it WARM you,
   If you are asleep, let it WAKE you,
   If you are a backslider, let it WARN you,
   If you are defiled, let it WASH you.
   If you are disobedient, let it WHIP you.
   If you are uncertain, let it WITNESS to you.
   If you are unsaved, let it WIN you.
 
David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E
Humble, TX. 77346

MORNING MANNA              1-29-26
SIT AT THE FEET OF JESUS TODAY

“Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, which also SAT AT JESUS’ FEET, and heard his word. but one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen THAT GOOD PART, which shall not be taken away from her.”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭10‬:‭38‬-‭39‬, ‭42

There is a Christian radio station that’s not very impressive in my opinion, but at 5am a man and his wife were giving their testimony on the air. They were unsaved, about to divorce, but a preacher talked to the husband and asked him to read the Bible. He also asked him to tell his wife about the things he had done that she didn’t know about. He said, “if I do that I will lose her.” The preacher said, “if you don’t do that, you’ll lose yourself. You can’t keep living this way covering up your lies.”

He held the blessed book in one hand and a whiskey bottle in the other, reading and drinking. He said there was no effect. Then he was put on a certain diet which restricted him from drinking alcohol. He kept reading the Bible, but sober now. He was honest with his wife about all he had done. Then he asked his wife to read the Bible with him. She was drawn to do so because she said it was the first, good, right thing he had ever suggested. They SAT AT JESUS’ FEET together and both of them trusted Jesus Christ to save them from their sins, be regenerated by the Holy Spirit, became new creatures in Christ, and both of their lives began to change! Hallelujah!

A side thought as I rejoiced in such a powerful testimony was, “Why do we not hear things like this during the most popular listening times on this station?” They say they arrange their schedule based on listener habits. Therefore, some of what they air is weak, watered down music when more listeners are tuned in rather than a powerful, life saving, marriage saving testimony. I couldn’t help but conclude that many people need to choose THAT GOOD PART.
Let’s sit at the feet of Jesus today and see what happens to our marriage, our family, and our very own soul!
Kenneth Preston 

Lakeway Baptist Church 

Humble,TX

“And the LORD said unto him, Who hath made man’s mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the LORD?” ‭‭Exodus‬ ‭4‬:‭11‬ ‭

The following story is just one of many that I’ve read where this verse was used as a source of comfort for those who were going through tough times. Perhaps it will do the same for you today.

 

“How can a God of love, who has everything in His control, let such a thing happen to me?” So asked a young woman who had received severe injuries through a fall from a horse. “Crippled for life,” she overheard the doctor say.

The pastor was silent for a moment. “Did you suffer much pain when they put you in the cast?”

“The pain was terrible,” she replied.

“Where was your father then?”

“He stood right by me,” she replied.

“Did your father allow the doctor to hurt you that way?”

“Yes, but that was necessary.”

“Did your father allow the doctor to hurt you even though he loved you, or because he loved you?”

“You mean to suggest that because God loves me, He also allowed

me to be hurt?”

The pastor answered with a nod. “ ‘This thing is from Me.’ Let these five words comfort you. They will furnish a silver lining to the cloud. Yours is not a case of ‘hard luck.’ This trial was planned by God.”

If you are His child, He is preparing you for better service. Shakespeare said: “In sickness, let me not so much say, ‘Am I getting better of my pain; but am I getting better for it.’ ”

Let us not say, “When will I be getting out of this?” but, “What will I be getting out of this?” He will draw you closer to Him through this trial.

So, remember, when God says,”This thing is from me” you can know it is for you! HDS

David Stone

Lakeway Baptist Church 

Humble, TX