Posts with the category “devotional”

Mark 5:30-34 At some point in our lives we have felt unrecognized. Whether it be at work, school, or even with family. We go about our lives and complete something amazing and are hoping others see it. However, the recognition sometimes doesn’t come. I am not saying we should do things to be praised but we all know that when recognition comes it does bring encouragement. As we dive into Mark 5:30-...  Read More

Mark 5:27-29 Watching the winter Olympics this year we saw some spectacular performances. The athletes have been working nonstop to become the best in the world. There is desperation when these athletes take to the ice or snow. You have one shot to make it happen, no mistakes. It must be a flawless performance or the gold medal is lost. You must have complete faith in your abilities. For most of t...  Read More

Mark 5:25-26 Open your eyes, and you will quickly see “brokenness” all around you. It’s everywhere. When I was a youth pastor many years ago now, I saw it in ways that I wish I hadn’t seen. From uninvolved to addiction-filled parents, families were broken. From pleasure-seeking to identity-confused students, kids were broken. It was a mess, but make no mistake, God is greater than the messes that ...  Read More

Main Point and Overview: What are you “chasing after” in life? For many, it’s happiness. For others, it’s power and position. For most, it’s pleasure and comfort. When Jesus came to the earth, he was sought after at the highest level because of what he offered the Jewish nation. Riddled with disease and discouragement, they were looking for someone who could “save” them from their current conditio...  Read More

Luke: 19:8-10 How often do you think back to who you were before Christ? When I think of my own life, I would put myself in the “most unlikely to be transformed” category. What a change - it’s almost unbelievable. Transformation is incredibly awesome, isn’t it? I’m overwhelmed at the thought of how Jesus intentionally seeks out, accepts, and saves the lost. I’m so thankful to have experienced Chri...  Read More

Luke: 19:1-7 It’s tax season! For some of us, that’s exciting as we eagerly wait for our return. For others, it’s dreadful as we owe a chunk of money. It comes every year and it’s unavoidable. Not a single one of us would enjoy owing MORE taxes than we were supposed to. In the book of Luke 19, we see that Zacchaeus was labeled both a chief tax collector and wealthy. Tax collectors were hated and d...  Read More

John 4:39-42 How amazing it is that God chooses to use those who believe to tell others about Himself. This is something that has always astounded me. God, who is all powerful, all knowing, all present, chooses to bring us to Himself, and above all, He has chosen to use those who He has brought to Himself as His main tool to bring others as well. Those who know the Gospel, and know Jesus as Savior...  Read More

John 4:31-38  No one likes being distracted from something they find super important. May it be reading a good book, watching a movie, studying for class, whatever it may be…distractions bring frustration. With spring training just around the corner, the Detroit Tigers are going to be hitting the field with a team that could go a long way and may have a chance to play in the World Series. For toda...  Read More

John 4:28-30 This year there was an alternative Superbowl half time show. This was in response to “Bad Bunny” being named as the headliner. Bad Bunny is known for vulgar lyrics, promoting all kinds of debauchery, and espousing anti-American themes. This alternative show involved several country artists and Detroit’s own Kid Rock. There was a twist in the show that no one saw coming. Kid Rock opens...  Read More

John 4:27 In the culture of Jesus’ day, if you were a Jew, you did not talk to a Samaritan. You also, if you were a man, did not talk in public to a woman. The Jews and Samaritans were “rivals.” They hated each other. Can you imagine taking a family vacation to Gatlinburg, Tennessee, where you avoided traveling through Ohio because you are a Michigan fan? I know people who are that crazy; believe ...  Read More

WEEK 1 Main Point and Overview: Sometimes organizations lose sight of why they exist. They become focused on the non-essentials, while the essentials are lost. We call this “missional drift.” Over the years, plenty of churches have lost sight of their mission. Suddenly, they become consumed with budgets, programs, &/or events to the point that their gathering times are filled with lots of activiti...  Read More

Acts 2:42-47 I’ve really enjoyed reading this week’s devotions and quite frankly, I really needed the reminder of community, connection, and church unity.  Did you read Brianna’s devotion yesterday?  I did, and I am praying that we as a church would desire to live out the mission of the Gospel in unity. But how do we do that? How can the church be a visible, powerful witness of the Gospel to the w...  Read More

Romans 15:1-6 Take a minute to picture this: it’s no longer a winter wonderland and you’re in the middle of a lake. It’s a blazing hot summer day and you are with your best friend on a canoe. You’re both rowing perfectly in sync and the boat is seamlessly gliding down the river. But then, a bee starts buzzing near your head and you begin to swat it away. Oh no! Your rowing is out of sync and the c...  Read More

Romans 14 God wants us to consider others before ourselves! Sometimes we make changes in our lives, not because we think we need to because of sin, but we believe it is the best thing to do to help someone else out around us. My dad is a high school teacher. He has been for many years. He was actually my teacher when I was growing up, and he was always everyone's favorite teacher. No one ever had ...  Read More

Romans 13:11-14 As an athlete preparing to enter the playing field, court, rink, or track, you often look towards your coach for that last second pep talk that starts a fire within you! Those last second words can fuel you to attack the competition like it was lunch, and you were starving, because you knew it was GO time! On the flip side, the other team is thinking how in the world do we overcome...  Read More

Romans 13:8-10 “All you need is love” by the Beatles, spent a week at #1 in the billboard chart in the US. This song became the anthem for the summer of love (1967), the hippie movement. This movement of young people was a break against mainstream society. This break was aimed at traditional Christian ethics and beliefs. The hippies, flowerchildren, and counter-culture figures like Tomothy Leary (...  Read More

Romans 12:3-8 I am a big sports fan, as everyone already knows. I love to watch my favorite teams, and at one time, I really enjoyed playing sports. Whether it was baseball in high school or hockey all the time, I enjoyed being a part of a team. In fact, in high school I was able to be a part of two State Championship baseball teams in the Michigan Association of Christian Schools. We were highly ...  Read More

WEEK 7 Main Point and Overview Community is the ultimate key to connection. For that reason, we value people coming to our church and soon after getting involved in service opportunities. We don’t believe that the Sunday gatherings are a performance for you to experience. We believe that the Sunday gatherings and everything that we do is meant to grow your faith to the point of personal action. W...  Read More

1 Corinthians 15:9-11 I struggled with writing this devotion. I’m not sure if you know this or not, but the devotional writers do not get to pick and choose the topic or scripture focus, but instead Pastor John prayerfully assigns them to each of us, and I really didn’t want to do this one. Today’s title is, “A Humble View of Myself!” In a self-absorbed-selfie taking society, you’d think that shar...  Read More

1 Corinthians 15:1-4 Think about a time when your life completely changed. I’m talking about a complete 360. A 100% flip upside down. Think outside the box here; I’m not looking for the church answer! For me, I think about my wedding day or the day that my son was born. My life was completely different after those things happened. The day that I said “I do” I became one with my spouse; I had to la...  Read More

Romans 7:14-25 The struggle is real, and Paul gets real here in these verses! He realizes the struggle that all believers have including Himself and shows that even though we praise the Lord that even though He has saved us from our sin, the sin nature within us is still trying to have a grasp over our lives. It still fights for control and even though we do not want to sin, it seems that we do it...  Read More

Romans 6:22-23 We are in the midst of the (hopefully) worst days of winter. When we have had enough of the cold temperatures and snow and are longing for the spring sunshine and warmer temperatures. We’ll soon say, “Well, I’m glad that winters over!” We try to forget the past and are excited to look towards the future. However, when it comes to our journey of faith, many get caught up with things ...  Read More

Romans 6:19-21 The movie “Days of Thunder” is a fun film about NASCAR racing. The two main rival drivers played by Tom Cruise and Michael Rooker, are causing all kinds of dangerous chaos on the racetrack trying to win races. They are constantly spinning people out, bumping and crashing their way to front of the field. They are brought before a disciplinary committee because of their lack of regard...  Read More

Romans 6:17-18 Years ago, when I was a youth pastor, I had a tough situation. I had one of my teenage girls about to “move in” with a guy much older than her. I sat down and explained to her why Biblically and practically this was a bad idea. She didn’t listen to me, and it eventually shipwrecked her relationship with God. Many years later, I am not even sure if she is serving the Lord in a good c...  Read More

Psalm 119:160 Fake news, AI, and personal ideologies are filled with fallacies and misrepresentations that spread and can be so pervasive. Somewhere along the way, truth is being shaped by the culture, watered down or dismissed altogether. We often hear the definition of truth as, “truth is what it means to me” and worse yet is that many will base their truth off feelings. We live in a world that ...  Read More

John 8:31-32, 14:6, 17:7 It seems every generation has their own slang or phrases. Even young children today are walking around saying the phrase “Six Seven”. Even our almost two year old has picked it up from other children! The Gen Z generation says words like “Lit, Bussin, No Cap.” My generation (millennials) would say “YOLO, Bae, On Fleek” - at least when I was in high school. My favorite was ...  Read More

Romans 2:5-11 I had a Bible Study with some of my teens in the youth group. That study mentioned that most people who do things that are wrong are not fully aware of their sin or do not want to acknowledge what they are doing is even sinful. We as people do not like to admit that we need to change! We are stubborn and deceitful not just to others but mainly to ourselves. We want to do what we beli...  Read More

Romans 1:28-32 Oxford dictionary defines the word Indulge as allowing oneself to enjoy the pleasure of ____________. We all have something we tend to indulge in. Whether it be a Netflix series, social media or even food. For me, it's Dr. Pepper! For those of you reading this that think Dr. Pepper is the same as Mr. Pibb, you are sadly mistaken and should get right with the Lord. The point of the m...  Read More

Romans 1:24-27 Steven Mulhall appeared before Judge Michael Orlando for a parole hearing. After the hearing, the placard with the judge’s name on the courtroom door was missing. A couple weeks later, Steven was before Judge Orlando again for stealing the $40 nameplate. Because Steven had several arrests for petty theft, this nameplate heist broke his parole and turned it into a felony with jail ti...  Read More

Romans 1:18-23 “I don’t know” or “I do not recall” are phrases we hear a lot…especially when it comes to congressional testimony. Somehow, ignorance is construed as an excuse. It can be a reason, but not an excuse. As much as we like to use these as an out, they only go so far. Going back to my childhood, I remember I was throwing small stones in the driveway, and for whatever reason I thought it ...  Read More

2 Corinthians 5:17-21 Here we are with February knocking at our door and my grandchildren are still so excited to tell me about the gifts they received at Christmastime. As soon as I walk in the door, they are eager to show me a variety of toys, dolls, sports jerseys or the latest and greatest electronic gadgets. I listen intently as they enjoy telling me all about it. This is such an opportune ti...  Read More

Romans 10:9-15 “For some people the distance from heaven to hell is 18 inches - the distance from their head to their heart.” Maybe you’ve heard that quote before. Although it’s a man-made quote, we see its direct connection to scripture through today's reading. Many will miss heaven because they have head knowledge but not heart knowledge! I did not grow up in a Christian home. I always believed ...  Read More

Romans 6:11-14 Jesus has saved us! We are saved by grace, and we are now under grace! When you believe in the Lord Jesus and he saves you from your sin, you are no longer a slave to that sin! The Bible is very clear that those who are not saved by the grace of God can do nothing to save themselves. They are a slave to their sinful nature. Everything we do before Christ is as dirty rags! Nothing we...  Read More

Romans 6:8-10 I think it safe to say when anyone thinks of the word death, it’s in a negative or sad way. No one truly wants to die. We have a long list of unchecked bucket list items or even simple tasks that are not completed. The world tells us death is the end. However, as believers in Jesus Christ, death has no real power over us! As born-again followers we know that death is just the beginni...  Read More

Romans 5:9-11 At a very young age my parents introduced me to archery. Both shot in archery leagues and really enjoyed the challenge. During many summers and falls I would be outside practicing, trying to hone my skills. After a lot of practice, I started hitting the bullseye often. That drove me to practice harder, trying to be perfect on every shot. I was starting to get really consistent then s...  Read More

Romans 5:6-8 One of the hardest stumbling blocks for a non-believer to convert to Christianity (at least it was for me anyway) was the idea of coming to the realization of who I was in a natural fallen state. Throughout my childhood, my siblings and I were given value and worth by our parents. They encouraged us to pursue our ambitions and afforded us the opportunity to pursue them. My father was ...  Read More

2 Corinthians 8:5 Think of a time when you selflessly sacrificed something. It could be as simple as letting someone eat the last slice of pizza that you really wanted. I’m kidding… but really! Every day there are sacrifices to be made; your time, your resources, your money. But imagine giving more than that.   Our culture is “me”-centric. We have a hard time giving up our time, resources and mone...  Read More

1 Corinthians 12:20-27 We are the body of Christ! God has saved us and his given each person a calling! All of us have talents given to us by God. None of us are greater than the other. It is so easy to say, “well, I do not really know where I fit in, or what it is that I am to be doing.” Not all of us are called to be missionaries, or to be pastors, or to be on the worship team. Years ago, I read...  Read More

Romans 12:9-21 If your family is anything like mine, you know that having siblings is a blessing but can also be the worst thing in the world (some days).  Siblings fight over anything and everything, and when we say everything, it really means everything. From what show to watch, who wore whose clothes, to the major things of whose side of the room is whose if you shared a room. Siblings can find...  Read More

Romans 12:3-8 The “arrogance of youth” is a phrase that annoys you when you are young but makes perfect sense as you get older. I can remember as a teen telling my dad during an argument- “Dad, you don’t understand-I know stuff!” His response was given with a chuckle “The stuff you know, isn’t worth much. It doesn’t lead to godliness or have any value in real life situations”. My dad was right; I ...  Read More