Posts with the category “devotional”

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

Romans 12:1-2 As a parent, you can think of countless sacrifices that you have made for your kids, I’m sure. Why did you do it? It’s because you loved them. Growing up, my mom and dad sacrificed a lot to put my siblings and I through Christian school and then Bible college. My dad often wore the same old clothes, and my mom didn’t experience the trips and treasures that she could have experienced....  Read More

2 Peter 1:3-8 Here we are already halfway through the first month of the new year. If you set a few goals or resolved to change any behaviors, how are you doing with that? Perhaps you resolved to exercise more, pay down debts, read your Bible more, lose weight, cut down your screen time, quit cussing, learn something new, stop smoking, read more, or spend more time with family. Growth. I think we ...  Read More

Romans 8:31-39 Have you ever gotten separated from your parents in a grocery store? I feel like that is a universal experience! The feelings of fear and uncertainty overcome you as you frantically search up and down the aisles, hoping they wouldn't leave without you!   Before Jesus, we were separated from God and without hope. We lived in fear and uncertainty; wandering alone and frantically searc...  Read More

Romans 8:28-30 We serve a great and awesome God! He is a Father who knows everything, created everything, and has an eternal love that has no beginning and no end. I think that so many people go through life asking, what is their purpose? People can spend their lives asking, is this all there is? Is there a reason why I am even here? So many movies and other things are about people who have lost a...  Read More

Romans 7:14-25 The alarms are sounding, big flashing red lights are going crazy, and the news reporter hits us with the BIG HEADLINER: “The struggle is real, we indeed are all sinners.” That's right, we all struggle with sin! The Bible tells us in Romans 3:10-12, “there is no one good, no not one.” Paul goes on to tell us in Romans 7:14-25 that what he wants to do, he does not do, and what he does...  Read More

Romans 6:11-13 “Dead man walking” is a phrase that was used by guards many years ago in prisons. When a death row inmate was taken from his cell to be executed, the guards would shout “dead man walking” as he headed to the execution chamber. This phrase is a great way to sum up our lives before salvation. As an unbeliever I was a “dead man walking” – my sin, my rebellion against God, and His comma...  Read More

Romans 6:1-7 Sometimes when you have a “big brother,” you feel as if you can “get away with murder.” Sometimes when you have a strong father, you feel as if you can do whatever you want to do. When I was a little kid, I had this attitude. My dad was a bus driver for our church. We picked up kids every Sunday, and at the age of five years old, I was his “bus captain.” He would pull up to a house an...  Read More

Romans 12:6-8The book of Romans is deep. It’s mainly about God’s beautiful plan of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. It’s filled with theology explaining how all people, both Jews and Gentiles, can be made righteous before God. This is by His grace and not by our own efforts. The book details the universal need for salvation due to sin and the power of the Gospel. I would encourage you to t...  Read More

Romans 12:3-5  Have you ever played with a Mr Potato Head toy? These few verses remind me of playing with one of those as a kid; you get to place the arms, feet, ears, mouth, nose, eyes, and hat! The individual body parts are stored inside the toy, and you get to place them where you want. Every body part has its own function, but it’s all part of one body. The same goes for our bodies; our eyes a...  Read More

Romans 10:9-10 Do you have any “go-to” verses that you use when you have an opportunity to share the gospel? Oftentimes, when preaching or sharing the gospel, I like to use a few verses in Romans that are often called the “Romans Road”. It is an easy path through a couple of verses that clearly articulate the gospel in a way that can be shared very quickly but effectively. Let’s take a look at eac...  Read More

Romans 5:1-2We just finished celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ as well as the start of the new year. If your family is anything like our family, it is celebrated with lots of food and time spent with family, full of laughter and naps. (Nothing wrong with a post-celebration nap.) Although sometimes I think we can take for granted celebrations, it's awesome to celebrate accomplishments such as g...  Read More

Romans 3:24-26 “Whom God put forward as a propitiation by His blood”- ESVPropitiation- oh-no! That is a big church word that pastors like to flex to sound smart. When we come across it in the Bible, it is easy to read over it and move on without exploring the deeper and richer meaning it has for us. In today’s modern, frenzied, and chaotic world, we have lost the patience to slow down and investig...  Read More

Romans 3:10-23If you want to watch me at my worst, it’s usually when I either played sports or watched one of my favorite teams. I always struggle to respond with patience and kindness because, by nature, I am a very competitive person. Over the years, I have had to create boundaries so that I wouldn’t harm a relationship or lose my testimony. I have watched guys get into fights, say inappropriate...  Read More

Main Point and Overview:   What you don’t need is “self-help” or a “YMCA community center” or “religious clichés” or anything else out there that has religious overtones without life-change. At Emmanuel, we are desperate to connect you to the only one who can bring peace and purpose to your life – the Lord Jesus Christ! It begins with a true understanding of our hopeless, helpless, and hapless con...  Read More

1 Peter 1:6-9This week’s devotions are central to the theme of “making the most of our circumstances”. A very relevant topic for sure, as I don’t know anyone who could say that they’ve made it this far in life without experiencing a challenging or painful circumstance. Peter penned a letter to Christian believers who were scattered across the Roman Empire to remind them of the wonderful joy ahead,...  Read More

James 1:2-4, 12Perseverance. It’s a trait that’s needed and applicable to every facet of everyday life: physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual. Physical endurance comes through healthy living. We achieve that through diet and exercise. Granted, as we get older (and I resemble that remark), we might not have the endurance we had when we were twenty, but nonetheless, eating right and keeping act...  Read More

Acts 22:1-21 Who doesn’t like a good story? When it comes to our walk with the Lord and especially your Salvation testimony, we all have a story to tell. It doesn’t matter if you are old or young, saved 100 years ago or saved within the last few seconds; the story matters! For some of you, you may be reading this thinking your story isn't important enough to share, but that is the furthest thing f...  Read More

Acts 21:27-37This scene of Paul is a flashback to when Jesus was arrested. The crowd seizing him, the beatings, the uproar to “get rid of him”. Sound familiar? Paul is now experiencing on a smaller level what Jesus went through. Earlier in the chapter, we see the warnings of other believers urging Paul not to go to Jerusalem. Paul goes anyway, even telling them he is ready to die for Jesus and tha...  Read More

Acts 21:17-26 As Paul arrives in Jerusalem, he knows that trouble probably awaits him. Despite the warnings, Paul continues to go, choosing to submit himself to the leadership of the Jerusalem elders. In doing so, he ultimately is submitting himself to the will of God, even if it might not seem like it in the moment. When Paul meets with James and the elders, they all rejoice and praise God for wh...  Read More

Acts 10The risk is real, and the Gospel is worth the risk! Paul had an understanding that I think is very important. Jesus has given him a second chance. Jesus died on the cross for Paul and for all people. Jesus has given everything for Paul! Paul understands that he must be willing not only to be bound for Jesus and the gospel news but also to die as well. This is not the only time we see this k...  Read More

Main Point and Overview:   The Apostle Paul knew from the beginning that when Jesus called him to Gospel ministry, his purpose would include great suffering. In fact, every time he suffered, he used it as a catalyst for preaching the Gospel. He didn’t see comfort or security as his top priority. Some may say that he was reckless in how he lived; I prefer to say that he was relentless in what he be...  Read More

James 2:1“My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism.”Favoritism. As a grandmother, I know I’m not supposed to have favorites, BUT... last week, one of the grands guessed my age to be 41. That grand just might be my favorite! That’s a fun story, but there is another, and I have some regrets about it. It took place a quarter-century ago on a cold, ...  Read More

Galatians 3:8We’ve all heard the saying “There is something for everyone.” The implication is that everyone will find something that suits them. It is often a tag line for an amusement park or a movie. Sadly, modern churches are promoting the same message, conforming to cultural norms for the sake of being popular and accepted. I prefer to look at the Gospel, God’s plan, as “one thing for everyone...  Read More

Luke 2:8-10 When Debbie and I were first married, she accompanied me on a Wyoming hunting trip. We were hunting mule deer on a cattle and sheep ranch that encompassed more than 150,000 acres. This was in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains and was beautiful country. As we were entering a large, several-hundred-acre pasture, a herd of sheep heard us opening the gate and came racing over the hill l...  Read More

Acts 17Have you ever had to stand your ground against a group of people who don’t agree with you? Maybe it was arguing why the Lions are the greatest football team to ever exist against your entire family, who are tired of watching them lose year after year. Maybe you’re a die-hard fan of pineapple on pizza, but your spouse and kids can’t stand it. Maybe you value going to church on Sunday, and yo...  Read More

Acts 15 Have you ever played a board game with “house rules”? Each board game gives you a clear list of instructions on how to play the game exactly as it was made. A “house rule” is when someone adds a rule, takes away a rule, or changes a current rule. A common house rule in Monopoly is that any time you have to pay a tax or fee, the money goes to the middle of the board. If you land on the Free...  Read More

Acts 10God is so good! The Salvation Story of Cornelius is truly an amazing one, full of the Spirit and the work of God, and how he works to take care of those who seek Him. The first thing we find out about Cornelius is that he is a God-fearing man, even as a Centurion. He is not a Jew; he did not grow up hearing and believing the same things as the Jews or hearing about Jesus, but God knew Corne...  Read More

Main Point and Overview:   What is beyond human comprehension is that Jesus loves us in spite of us! He didn’t die on The Cross for the wealthy or the talented only; in fact, he died for each of those, plus the poor, abused, rejected, and everyone in between. Over and over again, the Acts of the Apostles proves this reality. The Gospel was not only for the Jews, but it was also for the Gentiles, a...  Read More

Acts 16:1-5One of the greatest experiences in my life was a mission trip to Ukraine. Admittedly, I responded with a forceful “no way” when asked to consider going. The excuses, which were all valid to me, were plentiful in my mind; My four children ages 6-11 can’t be without me for 18 days, I don’t know how to speak Russian or Ukrainian, our finances or lack thereof won’t permit me to go, I don’t ...  Read More

2 Timothy 1:7-12One of my favorite Christian artists is the singer Steve Camp. He was popular in the late 80s and early 90s. I was a fairly new Christian at that time, so I was just “discovering” Christian music. A standout song of his is called “Consider the Cost.” The chorus goes, Consider the cost of building a towerIt's a narrow way that you must comeFor to do the will of the FatherIs to follo...  Read More

Philippians 3:20, Hebrews 13:14 I stood in the Kolkata airport in India, and I experienced something for the first time in my life – I WAS THE FOREIGNER! How many times have we walked around in malls, restaurants, sporting venues, and many other places only to see people who don’t speak the same language as we do? Probably a lot. In that moment, did you ever think that it must be awkward at times ...  Read More

Acts 13:9-11. 46-48Paul and Barnabas worked together as missionaries, traveling to different cities to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. Upon reaching the first city of Cyprus, they experienced pushback from a false prophet and later from the Jews. In both instances, they boldly stood up for the truth and did not cower in fear. We see right away the opportunity they have to share the gospel with ...  Read More

Acts 13:4-5, 14:1 Are you the type of person who plans every little detail, or the type who plans almost nothing? Maybe you're somewhere in between? Planning can be very important, as many of us know. You often want a strategy going forward for whatever you’re doing. Let’s say you’re building a LEGO set. What is your strategy? Do you plan to follow the instruction booklet every step of the way? Or...  Read More