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Christian Devotional – December 26, 2024
Take Action, Day 14 Hardships. Read Acts chapter 14. As Paul and Barnabas were moving through the area and sharing the good news of Christ, they really came to understand what the word hardships truly meant. Paul was stoned and left for dead. They were rejected everywhere they went. People heard the message and believed, but others were threatened by the message and retaliated. When we think of the Christian life, we don’t often think of the hardships that it entails. When we bring people to Christ, they need to understand that. Christianity is not the quick solution and easy fix. Jesus went through struggles and we will as well.…
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Christian Devotional – December 23, 2024
Take Action, Day 11 The unexpected direction. Read Acts chapter 11. Peter had quite an experience in the last chapter, and it certainly wasn’t what he expected to have happen. But, he was open to God’s leading. As a result, God moved and worked. Unfortunately, not everyone else was happy about the turn of events. Peter had to remind them that part of taking action is ensuring that we aren’t getting in God’s way. When we are following God, we will encounter situations where we didn’t really expect the results. But, we need to be careful that we are still seeking to be obedient to God. We don’t want to…
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Christian Devotional – May 21, 2024
Psalm and Praise, Day 128 Fear the Lord and obey Him. Read Psalm chapter 128. When we think about what it means to be blessed by the Lord, we must understand that it includes two things. We are to fear the Lord and reverence him, and the second is we must obey him. We do not obey the Lord because we are trying to earn his favor. We obey him because we reverence, love, and respect him. Our obedience is born from our desire to show him our love for him. We can never earn his love so that should not be a motivating factor for obedience. This also means…
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Christian Devotional – March 17, 2022
The Essential Jesus, Day 76 Betrayal. As we look at day 76 from the Essential Jesus reading plan on YouVersion.com we read the betrayal of Jesus from Matthew 26:47-56. Judas came and betrayed him with a kiss. The one who had acted like he loved Jesus was the one who sold him out. Jesus knew he was going to do it and he didn’t get angry or upset. God knows us and loves us, even when we let him down or disappoint him. As such, how can we be like Christ and love others wven when the disappoint us or let us down? As God forgives us, we can forgive…
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Christian Devotional – January 25, 2022
The Essential Jesus, Day 25 Do we allow God to cleanse us? As we read through day 25 of the Essential Jesus reading plan on YouVersion.com, we are in Zechariah 12-13. God cleanses us. He is the fountain that will wash away any impurities and anything that isn’t like Jesus. The question becomes, will we let him? Do we let him shape us and clean us so that we are more and more like God? Take a look at our life. What areas need to be cleaned? We are not the ones to clean them, we have to allow God to do what he does and clean us. Are we…
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Christian Devotional – June 23, 2021
The Gospels through the Summer, Day 27 Who was this man? Read Matthew 27. In reading through this chapter, we see all the different ways that people are trying to identify who Jesus is. We see a lot of the assumption that people make about who he is as well. Accusations fly. Betrayals are made. Those by the cross of Jesus are witness to the power that he has even while dying. We see this exclamation made by the soldier because Jesus displays his power even while giving it up. Who do you believe that Jesus is? That’s a question that gets asked a lot and yet it’s the wrong…
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Christian Devotional – September 4, 2020
Always Second – #18 Remembering Jonathan. David has been king now for a little while and yet he still remembers the amazing commitment that Jonathan had to him. He wants to honor that. Read 2 Samuel 9:1-13. Then David said, “Is there yet anyone left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” Now there was a servant of the house of Saul whose name was Ziba, and they called him to David; and the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?” And he said, ” I am your servant.” The king said, “Is there not yet anyone of the house of Saul to…
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Christian Devotional – May 11, 2020
The Message – #31 Who do you trust in and look to for help? The people have been looking at Egypt, but God reminds them it should be Him. Read Isaiah chapter 31, focusing on verse 1. Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help And rely on horses, And trust in chariots because they are many And in horsemen because they are very strong, But they do not look to the Holy One of Israel, nor seek the Lord !Isaiah 31:1 NASBhttps://bible.com/bible/100/isa.31.1.NASB The Israelites had a habit of going to Egypt for help. They would try to form an alliance with them and they would rely on…
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Christian Devotional – October 9, 2019
Wisdom will not save you. As we saw yesterday, having allies is not enough to save us from God’s judgment for sin. Now, we see that wisdom is not able to save either. Read Obadiah 1:8. “Will I not on that day,” declares the Lord , “Destroy wise men from Edom And understanding from the mountain of Esau? Obadiah 1:8 NASB https://bible.com/bible/100/oba.1.8.NASB Are we trusting in our “smarts” or other cunning abilities that we think we have? God makes it very clear that wisdom will not save Edom, and it won’t save us either. What are we trusting in to save us from the judgment that we deserve from God?
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Christian Devotional – December 25, 2018
Today we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. This amazing and incomprehensible act on the part of a Holy God can only be described as grace. That Jesus, who is fully God, would take on the form man and leave heaven to live life, is truly the most amazing form of humility and mercy. We don’t deserve this gift. We can’t earn it. We can only accept it as a gift, knowing that we owe Him everything. Because God is Holy, I deserve judgment because I am not Holy. Because God is merciful, He sent His Son to live the perfect life we could not. Jesus died the death that…