Written by Bill Grandi on September 15th, 2026
This past Sunday (September 13), I preached on a subject/topic I have never even broached before in my 50+ years of ministry. I had been preaching a series called “Break Those Chains.” I had preached about Forgiveness, Anger, Fear, Worry, Anxiety, and Envy/Jealousy. All these are like chains around many Christ-followers causing us to not experience the abundant life Jesus promised. This past Sunday was on Suicide. I’ll not rehash all that I said. If you care to listen, you can catch it on the church’s YouTube channel or Facebook page. You can find those links at https://www.ovcf.org/ovcf_wp/. Near the end of the sermon I used Elijah as one who had enough and just wanted to die. You can read that part of his story in I Kings 18-19. I used Elijah to make 4 points:
- NO ONE IS IMMUNE. Even God’s best can despair. Elijah was alone, hungry, tired, and angry which for anyone is a recipe for disaster. Warning: be careful of saying, “That will never happen to me” or “I will never.”
- GOD SPEAKS TO US IN THE QUIET. I draw your attention to I Kings 19:11-15 for a stunning display of God’s power. But take note of when/how God spoke to Elijah.
- YOU ARE NOT ALONE AND YOU DON’T HAVE TO DO THIS ALONE. Elijah wanted to die so he calls out to God. It is a sign of wisdom and strength, not weakness, to ask the Lord for help and guidance. And don’t be ashamed to reach out to people/professionals (preferably Christian) for help. You are no less a man or woman to do so.
- JESUS IS STILL LISTENING TO AND HEALING THE HOPELESS. Multiple incidents in the life of Jesus show that He cares for the welfare of people. Mt. 4:24 and Lk. 8:26-33 are just two examples.
I closed with a song, “Who Am I” which you can listen to here. Yes, there are “tamer” versions. 🙂
I want to encourage you today to not give up. You matter to God not because of what you have done but because of who He is.
Posted in InTheShadow | 4 Responses »
Tags: Choices, Christian Living, God, God's Plan, Grace, Jesus, Leadership, Love, Mercy, Ministry, Opinion, Reflection, Scripture look, Suicide
Written by Bill Grandi on September 11th, 2026
This is a continuation of yesterdays post.
Have you ever forgotten something-a date perhaps-that had significance? For example, there are serious consequences if you forget your wedding anniversary. 🙂 Your spouse’s birthday. Your child’s birthday. A ring-the-bell day when a person walks out of the cancer ward for (hopefully) the last time. The date when a loved one dies.
A date of significance. Like 9/11. I’m ashamed to admit it sneaked up on me. I’ve been so busy, so preoccupied with other stuff that the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attacks (and that is what they were in spite of what the Socialists or that Canadian newspaper spout off) on the Twin Towers, the Pentagon, and (the plane that may have been headed to the White House but went down in a field in PA due to some heroic actions of some passengers). 25 years today. 25 YEARS AGO TODAY!!
Like many other adults old enough to remember, I can still tell you what I was doing that day. I confess that I knew very little about the Twin Towers that fateful day. What happened in NYC was not even a blip on my radar, until… I watched the news reports hoping to see or hear of people rescued alive. More often than not, it was the opposite. I vividly remember the pictures of people covered in dust, soot, and all sorts of stuff as they tried to get away from the scene. I shuddered every time I watched the planes hit the Towers and the pure evil it took to pull that off. I remember the 1-year anniversary and the special program several pastors and I in Sandusky, OH put together. I said I would never forget. I almost did. May it never be!
Even more importantly, may I never forget or take for granted the life poured out and the blood spilled on a rough hewn cross on a hill called Calvary. An act of heroism that has changed lives for over 2000+ years. MAY I NEVER FORGET!
Posted in InTheShadow | 6 Responses »
Tags: Death, Miscellaneous, Never Forget!, Opinion, Reflection, Story, Terrorism
Written by Bill Grandi on September 10th, 2026
Before I started my Bible reading this morning, a thought kept going through my mind to blog about. I’ll save that until tomorrow.
Proverbs 10 has several verses dealing with integrity and also the words we say. So often they go hand in hand.
- Verse 9- “People with integrity walk safely, but those who follow crooked paths will be exposed.”
- Verse 29- “The way of the Lord is a stronghold to those with integrity, but it destroys the wicked.”
But the most frequent references are concerning our words. For the sake of shortness and for your own study, here are the verses I highlighted this morning.
- Verse 11
- Verse 13
- Verses 19, 20, 21
- Verses 31,32
I’ll let you check those verses out on your own. Go ahead, get that Bible out! 🙂 🙂
Meanwhile, please check back tomorrow for more thoughts.
Posted in InTheShadow | 4 Responses »
Tags: Bible/Scripture, Christian Living, God's Word, Humility, Integrity, Jesus, Lifestyle, Ministry, Opinion, Reflection, Scripture look, Speech
Written by Bill Grandi on September 9th, 2026
My Bible reading this morning brought me to Matthew 27. It reads like an overview of Jesus’ last day on earth.
- Judas takes his own life by hanging
- Pilate facing an angry mob with a dilemma: release Jesus or Barabbas
- The mockery of the soldiers and the passers-by of Jesus before and on the cross
- His death and the open tombs of the already dead saints
- Joseph requesting the body and the burial of Jesus. (Matthew says specifically that some of the ladies were watching the process. So much for the “wrong tomb” theory.
- Sealing the tomb and placing guards
Well…if that was the end, it is pitiful. But I kept reading into chapter 28.
- The ladies went to the tomb
- They are met by an angel proclaiming Jesus was not there but alive
- On the way to tell His disciples, Jesus meets them
- The guards report the missing body (empty tomb) and are bribed to lie (real fine upstanding religious leaders wouldn’t you say?)
- Jesus appears to the disciples and give them the Great Commission: “Go.” “Teach.” “Baptize.” “Teach.”
- It ends with a promise- “I will be with you.”
Quite an eventful few days! Summarized like this:
- Mockery to Exaltation
- Defeat to Victory
- Death to Life
“Because He Lives I can face tomorrow,” so the song goes.
No greater truth gives men/me hope than that.
Posted in InTheShadow | 4 Responses »
Tags: Bible/Scripture, God's Plan, God's Word, Jesus, Reflection, Resurrection, Scripture look, Story
Written by Bill Grandi on September 3rd, 2026
“I’ve come to the end of my rope. I just don’t know what to do.” Been there. Said that! 🙁 Actually, that, or a thought like it, is pretty common among Christ-followers. We want to KNOW but the way is fuzzy and the results are even murkier.
In Proverbs 3 are two verses that are on almost everyone’s “verses to memorize” list. Verses 5-6 to be exact: “Trust in the Lord will all your heart; do no depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.” (NLT)
THE ADMONITIONS:
- “Trust in the Lord with all your heart.” Easy to say; hard to do. Take a moment and read Mt. 21:21-22. Trust/faith is exactly what Jesus was speaking about.
- “Do not depend on your own understanding.” “But, I know best!” Or so we think. I get in deep trouble thinking my way is the best way.
- “Seek his will in all you do.” Jesus said, “Not my will but Yours be done.” Submission to His Father’s will was asked. Jesus didn’t consider any other option. Whatever happens. Whatever turns up. “Not my will but Yours be done.”
THE RESULT?
“And he will show you which path to take.” The fork in the road is in front of me. I can choose to lean on my wisdom and my way or I can choose to seek His wisdom and way to follow.
“Lord, remind me that Your way is better. Remind me what David wrote: ‘The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need…He leads me beside peaceful streams.’ (Ps.23:1-2 NLT). Show me your path and lead me straight into Your arms.”
Posted in InTheShadow | 6 Responses »
Tags: Bible/Scripture, Christian Living, Faith/Trust, Following God's Path, God's Word, Opinion, Reflection, Scripture look
Written by Bill Grandi on September 2nd, 2026
Sometimes hearing God’s voice and knowing what to do is an effort in futility for me. Then there are those times when if it had been a hammer I would have had a pretty strong headache. It is, of course, those latter times I long for. Every child of God does. As I was reading Proverbs 2 this morning, verses 2-4 seemed to jump out at me. I don’t know how legit it is, nor how cheesy it may sound to you, but here is what I saw:
TUNE IN (v. 2). To hear God’s voice I need to be on His wavelength, not my own. I need to dial in, instead of wandering all over the place. My heart and mind can be somewhat scattered from time to time. “Focus Bill,” is what I tell myself sometimes.
CRY OUT (v. 3) The verse says, “Cry out for insight and ask for understanding.” Constantly the psalmist talked about crying out to God. Don’t take reading the Word for granted. Ask for help to understand and apply.
SEARCH ON (v.4) The treasures of God’s Word will never be mined completely-by me, you, or anyone else. “Search for them as you would for silver” is how the verse states it. Searching never stops. Learning never ends. The search is never over.
“Father, speak to me through Your Word. Help me to tune in to hear Your voice alone; to cry out for understanding; and to never quit mining the depths of Your Word.”
Posted in InTheShadow | 4 Responses »
Tags: Bible/Scripture, God's Word, Hearing God's Voice, Inspiration, Opinion, Reflection, Scripture look
Written by Bill Grandi on September 1st, 2026
Is it September already? WOW! Around these parts we are still having the “middle of summer heat and humidity.” All week it is to hit the 90s. I don’t mind. Sure beats that flying white stuff.
Psalm 37 has always been a favorite chapter of mine. It contains by “life verse”: “Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust Him, and he will help you.” (v. 5 NLT)
But just the structure of verses 1-7 stands out to me:
- “Don’t worry about the wicked.” (v. 1)
- “Trust in the Lord and do good.” (v.3)
- “Take delight in the Lord.” (v.4)
- “Commit everything you do.” (v.5a)
- “Trust Him, and he will help you.” (v.5b)
- “Be still in the presence of the Lord.” (v.7a)
- “Don’t worry about evil people.” (v.7b)
Each beginning is filled with wisdom and like so man truths and passages, the wisdom is there, but it takes a lifetime to master/practice.
“Lord, help me to put into practice the simple truths found at the beginning and contained within each verse.”
Is there any one of those verses that stands out to you?
Posted in InTheShadow | 8 Responses »
Tags: Bible/Scripture, Christian Living, God's Word, Opinion, Reflection, Scripture look
Written by Bill Grandi on August 31st, 2026
There was an interesting story in today’s Our Daily Bread:
The Renaissance artist Albrecht Durer became famous for his talent at age 20. The art critics of his day called him ‘the greatest mind that ever expressed itself in line.’ As his fame spread, influential people tried to hire him with promises of luxury and ease…In what experts consider to be his best self-portrait, Durer mingled his physical characteristics with what he thought Jesus might have looked like. He painted himself with long wavy hair, a beard, and eyes that seemed to convey a sense of purpose. While many assumed this was the artist’s prideful opinion of himself, others who knew him believed Durer wanted to live a life that would allow people to see Jesus in him. (edited for length) (August 31)
Two things stood out to me:
- There will always be people who misunderstand or misstate our motives. Let them be. They don’t know our motives. Besides, we won’t/can’t please everyone.
- (And most importantly) I should be reflecting Jesus in every way. Of course, I can’t do that physically. Neither could Durer. But his intent is easy to see. May the reflection of Jesus be so evident in me that all people see is Jesus not me.
John’s words apply here: “He must become greater and greater; I must become less and less.” (Jn. 3:30 NLT)
Posted in InTheShadow | 10 Responses »
Tags: Christian Living, Humility, Jesus, Leadership, Lifestyle, Ministry, Opinion, Reflecting Jesus, Reflection
Written by Bill Grandi on August 27th, 2026
In the book Running to Win by Erwin Lutzer (with contributions from D.L.Moody), a quote by Moody is included:
It is as natural for man to feel after God as it is for ivy to feel after support. Hunger and thirst drive him to seek for food, and there is a hunger of the soul that needs satisfying too…What man needs is to be directed aright in his worship.” (p.247)
In his devotional part, Pastor Lutzer says:
Most people don’t abandon God, they refashion Him according to their liking.
I think what Pastor Lutzer says is spot on. It sure is true in our culture today! Every time we want to do our own thing, go our own way, act differently, adopt lifestyles contrary to God’s Word, we change God to our liking. We choose a God who fits our scenario. Here’s just one: “There are many ways to God. All religions are right.” Really? So to believe that one must dissent or discard the very clear teaching of Jesus in John 14:6 where He says, “I am THE way, THE truth, and THE life and no one can come to the Father except through me.” (NLT) That false god (belief) doesn’t stand a chance, at least to the truth of Scripture.
As someone has said, “There is only ONE God and you ain’t Him.” This is especially true as we seek to make “our own way” the right way. Which God do you serve? The one you or the culture have devised or the One True God the Scriptures speak so clearly about? My choice is unquestionable. I will take my stand on the Rock. “The Lord is my strength and shield. I trust Him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving (even though they may be off-key).” (NLT) {additional words mine. 🙂 }
Posted in InTheShadow | 6 Responses »
Tags: Choices, Christian Living, God, Lifestyle, Opinion, Reflection, Scripture look, Worship
Written by Bill Grandi on August 26th, 2026
“I’m so sore I can hardly stand it.”
Have you ever used that phrase or one like it? “I’m so stuffed I can’t eat another bite.” Unless, of course, there is ice cream anywhere in the vicinity. 🙂 “I’m so tired I can sleep for days.” You’re going to give old Rip Van Winkle a run for his money.
The beginning statement does apply to me. After not being allowed to ride my bike for at least 3 weeks due to hand surgery, I was able to get out yesterday for a 10 mile ride. I had planned for 12-13 but cut it short due to it being the first time out, plus I got a text about a crisis at home. So I hurriedly finished my ride and instead of a cool down where I use a roller to relax my muscles and to get out lactic acid, I rushed home. Bad move. I didn’t eat right away. Double bad move. One thigh cramp last night told me it could be a long night. So I spent a good 15 minutes with some CBD balm and a massage gun. And surprisingly, I slept. But, oh this morning! I think every muscle involved in cycling hurts. Legs, arms, shoulders, neck, hands. 10 miles turned out to be just enough. I hate to even think about how it would be if I had gone for more.
But this brought to mind where I have failed to exercise my faith. Prayer? I’m in a hurry. Read the Word? Mind is elsewhere. The closeness of God? Distant. Journal? I have stuff to do! Then God gets my attention and WHAM! Then I have to take it step-by-step getting back. An ache here. Repentance there. A tight muscle here.
Take a moment, please, and read Psalm 25:4-7. (I could print it here but it will benefit you more to open your Bible and check it out). It was part of my morning reading. In fact, read all of chapter 25-slowly, prayerfully, and listening to what the Father has to say.
Posted in InTheShadow | 5 Responses »
Tags: Christian Living, God, God's Word, Opinion, Quiet Time, Reflection, Story
