WHO’S ON FIRST?

SPECIAL NOTE: March 29, 2025 marked the 26^th anniversary of this SOUND BITES Ministry in memory of our son, Dustin, who had died on that date the previous year (1998) from a brain tumor at the age of 16. Dustin had developmental and physical disabilities, but one of the many things his life taught us was the importance of putting God first. And that is what SOUND BITES has been about for these 26 years – reminding subscribers to start the day by putting God first. So, as today’s quote asks, “Who’s on first?”

SOUND BITES began in 1999 and since then 6,083 quotes, including today’s, have been sent out to our e-mail subscribers or Facebook followers or Blog readers around the world. As we continue through Lent, Easter and beyond, let today’s SOUND BITES quote speak to you first thing in the morning, and then let it overflow to others everywhere. Please freely share with family and friends; with school and work mates; with neighbors; and with your pastor, staff and fellow church members. We would love to hear from you. Simply send an e-mail to SOUNDBITESMinistry@gmail.com with where you live and how God is using SOUND BITES to minister to you or through you to others. You are welcome to comment below as well.

As one subscriber recently wrote: “Good morning. Thank you for your due diligence in continuing the Sound Bites Ministry.  Know that you have so many grateful souls who cherish your effort. My bookcases are full of reading material that I use to support my love for Jesus and grow in faith because I know my journey to be closer will not end until I have left earth. I am blessed to have a fire inside and never ending enthusiasm that keeps me excited to grow a deeper relationship with a living God. Your ministry is one of the valuable resources I can depend on and I have purchased many of the books from authors you reference in Sound Bites. Wishing you many blessings and smiles!”

Thank you for your continued support of this ministry!  -- DW

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 WHO’S ON FIRST?

“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”  (Matthew 6:33–34 NIV)

In the 1930s, the famous comedian duo Abbott and Costello entertained audiences with a sketch called, “Who’s on First?” It’s a funny example of miscommunication, but it’s also a great question to ask ourselves. In your life, who’s on first? When you wake up, what first comes to your mind? Do your worries come first or your blessings? What do you fill your mind with first? The world news? Social media? Scripture? Let me ask you again, do your worries come first to your mind or your blessings?

In the Matthew passage, Jesus is teaching the gathered crowd who is to be first in their lives and what should be of first importance. Prior to this passage, Jesus told them not to store up their treasures on earth, but to put the kingdom of God first. This does not mean that God will give earthly riches, but it will mean that their trust won’t be found in those earthly riches. If they seek the kingdom first, their minds won’t be consumed by the anxieties of the world.

Let’s think again about our mornings and who is on first. Jesus tells us that if we seek first the news of the world, our minds will focus on the turbulent waters of politics and the economy. If we seek first the social media posts of our friends, our minds will focus on what other people have or have done. But if we seek first the kingdom and His righteousness, our minds will be grounded in the promises of our Savior. 

-- Excerpted from “Altar’d: The Transforming Power of Surrender” by Susan O. Kent

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ROOTED AND ESTABLISHED IN LOVE

“I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge -- that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”  (Ephesians 3:16-19 NIV)

Part of what it means to be made in God’s image is our capacity for connectedness, because God created human beings and then said, “It isn’t good for man to be alone.” (Genesis 2:18)  Paul paints a picture of that connectedness in writing to the church in Ephesus that they are “being rooted and established in love.”

When a tree puts roots into the ground, those roots are able to take in nutrients and water, and the tree grows and has life and strength -- but only if it is rooted. In the same way, we are rooted and our souls are nourished in the love of God and other people. We experience this both physically and emotionally when we connect with somebody.

You are walking down the street, and someone you know smiles at you. They care about you through words, through touch, through listening, through prayer together. Whenever there is an exchange of genuine caring, it is as if the roots of your soul are getting fed. Every life has to have that connectedness. 

-- John Ortberg in “The Me I Want to Be” 

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ROOTED AND BUILT UP IN CHRIST

“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as LORD, continue to live your lives in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.”  (Colossians 2:6-7 NIV)

At the edge of a rocky overlook in the Appalachian foothills stands a lone two-hundred-year-old evergreen tree... Through the years, it has defied heavy snow, hailstorms, and the steady, westerly winds rising off the valley floor. From it's vulnerable view of endless ridges and valleys, it has seen conditions that would snap most trees in half. Nevertheless, it stands strong.

What's the secret?... The answer lies below the surface. For literally two centuries, the elements have hurled their assaults against the tree. But while storms raged on the outside, the tree quietly developed an inner support system to sustain it. Every gust of wind sent the roots sprawling deeper into the soil, expanding the tree's tenacious grip on the mountain...

We are all like trees subjected to the stormy elements of life. And when they come, we either snap or grow stronger. What makes the difference is not the ferocity of the storm but the depth of our [relationship with Christ].

-- adapted from Andy Stanley in “Like a Rock"

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EDITOR'S NOTE: This quote reminded me of an image I captured last year and posted to my photography website...