Devotionals

Daily Reading 10-7-16

2 Timothy 2:1-7 New Living Translation (NLT)

How does someone stay strong in Grace?  Grace is God’s unmerited favor extended to us.  We can all be recipients; but we must trust God and be willing to embrace His strength when ours begins to fail.  

As of today, 1.5 million people are under evacuation mandates and 3,500 National Guards have been deployed to help as Hurricane Matthew heads toward the east coast of Florida.  Many of us are praying for God’s protection over every life and to stay strong in the Grace that Christ alone can give.  May we all help others as best we can while being good soldiers in God’s grace.

Read more

Daily Reading 10-6-16

2 Timothy 1:13-14 Contemporary English Version (CEV)

The Apostle Paul writes to Timothy and praises him because he has remained true to the teachings of Christ.  During this time, some other disciples who had been following Jesus fell away from faith in Christ.

Our faith will always be under attack.  Guard your faith in Jesus Christ every day.  Satan wants to rob, steal, and destroy the life Jesus died to bring you; deception is one of the enemy’s favorite weapons.  We cannot allow the world to confuse us or draw us into compromising the foundation of our faith.  Our faith is built on the personhood and work of Jesus Christ to redeem us from sin; a Gift from God.  Keep Jesus Christ your first love!

Read more

Daily Reading 10-5-16

Mark 11:12-14; 20-24  Contemporary English Version (CEV)

Today, we continue to explore the connection of the Word and our faith in Jesus Christ.  Having faith in God with a motive to advance God’s Kingdom is a key to answered prayer.  Faith-motivated prayer is what pleases God.  Jesus uses an example of a fig tree in our reading to remind us about growing faith.  Most of the time figs grow as the leaves grow, but Jesus found no fruit among the leaves.  Our faith can be like the fig tree; showing the potential of bearing fruit, but actually producing nothing for God’s kingdom.

Read more

Daily Reading 10-4-16

1 John 5:1-5 Contemporary English Version (CEV)

Did you know you and I reflect our worship of God based on how we love and respect others?  It’s true.  In fact, how we treat the people around us on a day to day basis is the real test of our love for God.  The world cannot teach us how to love.  We gain the victory through our faith in Jesus Christ!  He is the One who teaches us how to victoriously love God and others.

Read more

Daily Reading 9-30-16

Matthew 20:29-34 New Living Translation (NLT)

I tend to be an idealist or visionary. Sometimes I can look at life…and certain things–positive opportunities–seem so clear to me; yet, I can chat with others who look at the same thing and cannot see anything positive because their focus is entirely on the negative stuff. Where we choose to place our focus determines what we see! Hint: Focus on Jesus; His Word lights the Truth of his power!

Jesus has been teaching in the town of Jericho about laying down his life so the whole world could enjoy life with God. It’s a life of serving others and being the Light of Christ to bring answers the world so desperately needs.   Jesus talks about the power of God.  Some of those gathered around Jesus listened to his message and some did not.  

After Christ delivers his message he leaves town. Two blind men are sitting by the road. They called on Jesus the Son of David to open their eyes and help them see more clearly. Identifying Jesus as the Son of David is very telling, because it demonstrates these men recognized the supernatural Savior-the Messiah-when he spoke. They knew he brought power for change. The very fact these two blind men recognized Jesus is profound, because the spiritual leaders who said they were waiting and looking for the Messiah heard the same message and did not recognize him at all when he was sharing the Father’s heart with them about bringing salvation and serving others.

Read more

Daily Reading: 9-29-16

Psalm 37:1-9 GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)

What would it look like if every day we practiced being faithful to God?  I believe the answer is we would be blessed (happy and to be envied) as well as fulfilled, because God wants to give us the desires of our hearts when we are focused on His righteousness.  Are you waiting for God to meet the desires of your heart?  If so, wait patiently for Him to provide for you.

Read more

Daily Reading: 9-28-16

Matthew 19:16-22  The Message (MSG)

We hold all kinds of things in our minds, hearts, and hands, don’t we?  We like stuff.  Some stuff we hold onto is good and some stuff not so good.  We want to think that which is good will get us rewards in heaven.  But in the gospel of Matthew, Jesus tells his disciples they do not enter into heaven because they are good or that they do good.  They enter into heaven because God is good and they are willing to do what he asks of them.

Read more

Daily Reading: 9-27-16
Psalm 62:5-12 Contemporary English Version (CEV)

In a world where words and actions are frequently unkind, isn’t it wonderful to know that God is entirely kind? Our hearts are always safe with God. Always. He does not love us because we are respectful or kind to Him. He loves us because He is powerful and infinitely kind enough for all of us no matter what the state of our hearts. As humans, we can accept or reject God and He will still be kind. However, how sweet to enjoy fellowship with Him in Christ. Seek His kind heart!

Read more

Daily Reading: 9-26-16

Revelation 3:14-22 The Voice (VOICE)

To be rich in God’s Kingdom is to share the robe of Grace with Christ and to allow the purification process of the Spirit to recreate us for passionate and abundant living.  If we are not allowing the Spirit of Christ to bring that ongoing discipline and refining, we become dispassionate and ineffective for God.  Jesus said it this way, “You have a form of religion, but you reject the power that could make you godly ” (2 Timothy 3:5).

In our passage from John’s Revelation, Jesus sends a message to the church at Laodicea. It is a word of correction and a warning for them to grow in godliness.

Read more

Daily Reading: 9-23-16

Ephesians 2:1-10 The Message (MSG)

God is a Father who desires to share his perfect love with all of his creation. It appears when we do not know how much God loves us we will expect humans to make us feel worthy and valuable.  And, if humans don’t rise to the occasion the way we expect, then we generalize things and assume “no one” cares.  It’s just not true.  God cares and many people who have experienced God’s love also care.

The real issue is that we have sought to gain our worth and value out of human flesh that has its own war with sin.  In time, people will let other people down.  It may not be a deliberate thing; it’s simply a human thing.  God, on the other hand, not only values us He has made a way to enjoy fellowship with us on a perfect performance level. He never disappoints. He takes our messed up thinking and living then guides us into a plan for us to prosper; a plan only we can fulfill.  If people do not seek God, they will never know how special they are nor what amazing things they could do in the power of God’s grace.   

Read more