daily devotional

The Grass Really Isn’t Greener

“Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else.” – Galatians 6:4 I recently heard a commentator say, “Back in my day, you would open the newspaper and read about the terrible things that were happening around the world or the horrible thing that happened to someone, and you’d say, ‘Man, I’m glad I’m not that guy.’ But today, it’s the opposite. You open Facebook and Instagram and all you see are people posting their best life. Few people show themselves weeping or unable to pay a bill or sitting on the couch feeling lonely.” As I took a moment to think about his words, I realized I couldn’t agree more with his assessment. The world has become increasingly prideful and vain, and people are more than willing to show off their best life. Unfortunately, social media is

June 5, 2023 2 Comments

The Temptation to Sleep

“You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:5,6 Today I’m sharing an excellent metaphor for life. The thing that wants to kill and destroy us is the “falling asleep-ness” of life. Taking a good nap or resting is not what I mean. Napping and rest are Christ-like and we can share that principle with others! What I’m referring to is quitting, giving up, and not pressing on. You have to resist the temptation to “throw in the towel” because pain is a part of your existence and it actually expands your life and your world. Digging deeper into this metaphor is the phenomenon of the “Mount Everest Nap,” which is the dangerous temptation

June 4, 2023 No Comments

Life Always Finds A Way

“All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head.” – Mark 4:28 Over the past few days, we covered how a will to life is a will to pay the price, but it’s a good price to pay. It’s amazing to see how life always finds a way! Think about the simple act of planting a tiny seed in the ground. It gets a little wet, forms deep roots that push through all the dirt and sand, and miraculously starts shooting up towards the sky. It grows as big as it can and bears as much fruit as it can — all that is possible, and no less. Have you ever seen a tiny crack in the sidewalk with a little bit of dry dirt, and out of it comes a living plant? Some call it a weed, but I

June 3, 2023 1 Comment

Solve You First

“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…” – Ephesians 3:16,17 The biggest problem in dealing with ourselves is that it’s very painful. To become the person we want to be, we have to do difficult and uncomfortable things. The journey to losing weight, the journey to becoming more loving, or the journey to becoming more generous will be painful. The discomfort of self-discipline is inherent as we commit to doing the things that ultimately make our lives better. I firmly believe that when we ask God to solve our problems, He responds, “How about we solve you first?” And He says this because He loves us! I know you’ve heard me say a million times

June 2, 2023 No Comments

Save Us from Us

“Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” – Acts 1:6 Our discussion yesterday focused on Jesus’ triumphal entry as a true story of courage. As the account continues, Jesus rides a donkey into Jerusalem after raising Lazarus, and He is surrounded by a cheering and adoring crowd that creates a parade. When He enters Jerusalem, they all shout “Hosanna.” It means “Save us.” And they say it over and over as a type of praise, but also as a plea for help. What or who are they asking the Lord to save them from? Essentially, they’re saying save us from Rome. At that time, the Roman Emperor Herod had constructed the Second Temple, which was the world’s largest. The Antonia Fortress, an annex to this temple, served as Rome’s garrison, and as far as the Jews

June 1, 2023 1 Comment

A Story of Triumphant Courage

“Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” – Hebrews 12:2 One of the most famous stories of Jesus’ life is when He entered Jerusalem knowing that He would be killed. This narrative is found in all four Gospels and is called the triumphal entry. The triumphal entry is a tale of courage about the Lord who was aware He would die, but did it, as scripture says, for the joy set before Him. Although He knew that He would suffer the worst possible kind of death, He also understood that through it, the salvation of mankind would be accomplished, and that made it all worthwhile. Jesus entered Jerusalem exerting a will to live, a will to life, and a will to

May 31, 2023 1 Comment

Stand for God and He’ll Stand for You

“When the members of the Sanhedrin heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him. But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. ‘Look,’ he said, ‘I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.’ ” – Acts 7:54-56 When Stephen preached boldly in front of the Sanhedrin, he knew he was walking right into his demise. Nevertheless, he did it for the sake of those listening. His heart was so on fire for his Savior that he was willing to face intense persecution, and ultimately give his life for Jesus, and as the first Christian martyr, he set an example that millions through the centuries have followed. After accusing the religious officials of killing Jesus, the Bible says that members of the

May 30, 2023 1 Comment

Glowing for God

“All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.” – Acts 6:15 One of the most interesting facts in the account of Stephen’s life is that when he confronted the Sanhedrin, he was glowing like an angel. There’s something about being in the anointing of Jesus that causes a person’s countenance to radiate with His supernatural glory. Even though he was facing intense persecution and was in an extremely stressful situation, the Lord’s power overcame Stephen and he physically manifested the light of His Savior. Similarly, when Moses came down off of Mt. Sinai after being in God’s presence and receiving the Ten Commandments, he too was emitting a supernatural brilliance. You see, the truth is that when you encounter Jesus, His glow gets on you, and the more closely you abide with Him, the

May 29, 2023 No Comments

Giving Voice to God’s Heart

“Then the high priest asked Stephen, ‘Are these charges true?’ To this he replied: ‘Brothers and fathers, listen to me! The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham while he was still in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Harran. ‘Leave your country and your people,’ God said, ‘and go to the land I will show you.’ ” – Acts 7:1-3 When Stephen said yes to helping feed widows, the Holy Spirit came upon him and he began to preach boldly and perform many miracles. That’s when the Jewish officials took notice, and he became a target of the Sanhedrin. When he was brought before them, he taught them about the Old Testament. As he told the stories of Abraham, Joseph, and Moses, he spoke with authority while boldly calling out the Isrealites long-standing resistance to the Word of God. But why would an intelligent man stand in front of

May 28, 2023 1 Comment

A Soul Like Stephen’s

“This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.” – Acts 6:5,6 The early church was governed from Jerusalem in the heart of Judea, and there was a group of believers there called the Hebraic Jews. On the other hand, there were the Hellenistic Jews who lived in the region of Galilee. Early in church history, the Hellenistic Jews registered a complaint against the Hebraic Jews, claiming that their widows were not receiving enough food in the daily distribution. Though the matter seemed trite to the church fathers, they decided to appoint a board to oversee the handing out of rations to ensure that everything was fair. Interestingly, Stephen was the

May 27, 2023 No Comments

The Grass Really Isn’t Greener

The Temptation to Sleep

Life Always Finds A Way

Solve You First

Save Us from Us

A Story of Triumphant Courage

Stand for God and He’ll Stand for You

Glowing for God

Giving Voice to God’s Heart

A Soul Like Stephen’s

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