VERSE: Ezra 1:2–Thus says Cyrus, king of Persia, “The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and He has appointed me to build Him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah.” TRUTH: Cyrus, a foreign king, felt impressed by God to do something for One who had given Him such success. Cyrus followed God and as a result, listened and obeyed the commands of God. No matter who we are or where we’re from, God can use us to bring about His will. If we are being obedient to Him, we are always in the right position to be used for God’s…

VERSE: Mark 16:15–And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” TRUTH: Jesus, after He rose from the dead, gave His followers a mandate. They were to go and share with all creation the message of salvation through Jesus Christ. It’s so easy to talk about doing this or discuss Jesus with our other Christian friends. Instead, God is indicating that we are to have an excitement for what God is doing in our life that compels us to share with everyone we come into contact with. The disciples may have thought it odd that Jesus gave them this mandate, after all,…

VERSE: Mark 15:12–Answering again, Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Him whom you call the King of the Jews?” TRUTH: Pilate asked the question; the most important question any of us can ever ask. “What should I do with Jesus?” Each one of us must eventually answer that question for ourselves. Our lives are centered around what we ultimately decide the answer is. What are you going to do with Jesus? RESPONSE: Father, I accept that Jesus is the Christ. You are over all things. I choose to believe in You and trust in You and I have accepted Jesus into my life to live the…

VERSE: Mark 14:31–But Peter kept saying insistently, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!” And they all were saying the same thing also. TRUTH: How often do we make promises to God? It seems that we have no problem promising God all kinds of things, just like Peter did. However, God is not interested in our promises, He is interested in our obedience. Peter did not keep His promise to God and many times we don’t either. We must focus on God and on Him alone. We are to be doing what He has for us every second of every day. If we get…

VERSE: Mark 13:33–Take heed, keep on the alert; for you do not know when the appointed time will come. TRUTH: Jesus is speaking about His second coming when He will return to earth. The disciples have questioned him, trying to get more information about this event. Jesus gives several signs to watch for, but ultimately tells them that they will not know the exact day or time, so they should always be ready. We should continue in that same state of readiness. Are we ready to see Jesus today? RESPONSE: Father, no one knows Your time schedule. You are over all and I want to live being ready and alert.…

VERSE: Mark 12:44–“for they all put in out of their surplus, but she, out of her poverty, put in all she owned, all she had to live on.” TRUTH: Jesus is explaining the sacrifice involved in a poor woman’s offering. He applauds her faith and trust in God to supply all she needs. When we give to the Lord, are we giving out of our surplus, or are we offering Him everything? Do we look at everything we have as belonging to Him anyway and give back to Him all that He asks without hesitation? RESPONSE: Lord, You own 100% of everything I call mine. There is nothing I have that doesn’t…

VERSE:Mark 11:25–Whenever you stand praying, forgive if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you your transgressions. TRUTH: Our prayers and our relationship with God is affected by our relationship with others. When we are unforgiving toward others, that attitude affects our closeness with God. We are to be forgiving toward others just as God is forgiving toward us. What relationships with others do you need to make right through forgiveness today?RESPONSE: Lord, You forgive us so that we can forgive others. Help me to not hoard your gift of forgiveness, but to be willing to share it to all. I…

VERSE: Mark 10:45–“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” TRUTH: Service and sacrifice describe how Jesus lived His life while on earth. Service and sacrifice should define how we live our lives each day. Are we allowing Jesus to live this purpose through us on a daily basis? We can’t do it on our own. RESPONSE: Father, help me fulfill Your purpose in my life each day. Show me today how to serve others and sacrifice as You did for me.

VERSE: Mark 9:35–Sitting down, He called the twelve and said to them, “If anyone wants to be first, be shall be last of all and servant of all.” TRUTH: What is our goal? Jesus gives very clear instructions on how to be first and successful in life: the last of all will be first. How are we to be last? We are to be a servant. Are we seeking to serve others in every opportunity that we have throughout our day? RESPONSE: Lord, the secret to success is to serve others. Father, I want to display the heart of a servant in everything I do. I want to serve others as…

VERSE: Mark 8:35–For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel will save it. TRUTH: Are we a spiritual hoarder? Do we try to tuck away our life, intent on saving every piece of it for ourselves? The Bible is very clear that if we are focused on keeping and preserving our own life, then we will ultimately see it slip away from us. If we are focused on giving our life to the gospel and being obedient to God, then we will save our life. RESPONSE: Lord, it seems backward that to save our life we must…