Posts with the category “devotional”

2 Corinthians 8:1-5We all want to leave a legacy; something that we’ll be remembered for. Leaving a legacy hit me hardest in 2023, when both of my parents passed away within seven weeks of each other. My dad passed first. His illness was mercifully short. My mother, fighting both grief and cancer, passed a few short weeks later. To their great credit, several years prior, they had gone to great le...  Read More

Luke 12:13-21Let’s be honest, we all know there is something out there we are dreaming of, a bigger house, a better car, a better job. You get it, the list goes on for miles and miles.  Maybe you even find yourself thinking, if I had a better car I could do _____. If I had a bigger house, I could do _____.  Don’t feel guilty! We are all like this in some way or another, but here is when wishful th...  Read More

Philippians 4:22 & Romans 1-:13-15The gospel is for all people of every tribe, tongue, and nation. For every ethnicity and social status. In Paul's letter to the churches at Rome, he said he was obligated to share the gospel with Greeks and jews, to the wise and to the foolish. The good news of Jesus is not limited to America. It’s for the whole world to know! If we are being honest, I think most ...  Read More

Philippians 4:14-19 I love that as Paul wraps up his letter to the church in Philippi, he thanks them for everything. Early on, they had given to Paul to support his ministry. By doing so, they partook in what he was doing. They were sharing in his sufferings and the gospel going forward. They gave to him as a sacrifice. They wanted to serve Paul in his needs and by doing so, they served God with ...  Read More

Philippians 4:10-13 Paul starts here by showing thanks and rejoicing in the believers of Philippi. They are a church who have always had a love for Paul, and Paul always had a love for them. He then tells us that he is content and that He can do all things through Christ. It is interesting to me that contentment and a reliance on Christ go together. He actually says it is the secret. This whole bo...  Read More

Gratitude is the key to everything in life! If you’re a grateful person, you will work hard. If you’re a grateful person, you will love deeply. If you’re a grateful person, you will sacrifice for a cause. It’s the product of true joy. The kind of attitude that fully trusts God no matter what circumstances come your way. That is how the Apostle Paul ends his love letter to the Philippians. He remin...  Read More

2 Corinthians 10:5It’s been estimated that on average, we have 40-50 thoughts per minute. That is a lot of thinking. Have you ever really thought about what you’re thinking about? Beginning with Sunday’s message on a positive thought life and continuing through these daily devotions, we should know by now that our thoughts have immense power to shape our feelings, our actions, our reality, and see...  Read More

Psalm 46It’s clear to all of us that the world around us is a crazy place! For most, we take a look around and shake our heads. If you are anything like me, you want to start fixing the issues. You begin asking yourself, what can I do to stop this from happening?  However, it's not just the world that is like this; what about in your workplace? Are you the type of person who, when you see a task u...  Read More

Philippians 4:9I love chapter 4 of Philippians. Paul touches on so many things in this chapter. Rejoicing, anxiety, thought patterns, and contentment. Our verse for today, though, is about learning from Paul's example and putting it into practice. We all should have role models in our lives! For the Philippians and many other churches, it was Paul. We, too, can look to Paul as an example in our fa...  Read More

Philippians 4:9 One of my favorite parts of hockey is the NHL playoffs. They are gritty and the best playoffs in all of sports. To be the champion and win the Stanley Cup, a team must win a minimum of 16 games. That's a lot! That's 4 best-of-7 game series. They could play anywhere from 16 to 28 games to win the cup! Many players lay their bodies on the line and play through multiple injuries for a...  Read More

Philippians 4:8 In today’s world, we have an ease of information. Almost everyone has access to a phone, and with this, the ability to scroll on the internet. I believe we live in a time where it is very difficult to follow the command of this verse. We have constant access to events happening all over the world and the ability to search for anything and one second later be filled with things that...  Read More

You are a product of your thought life! In other words, what you are thinking is what you are becoming and ultimately doing. The Apostle Paul has written this entire letter to the Philippians about choosing joy in the face of uncomfortable circumstances. He has reminded them of faithful servants of the Lord that they should aspire to be like. He has challenged their mindsets, motivations, and miss...  Read More

Matthew 16:13-18 How To Avoid Freak Out! Isn’t this a topic that the world needs to hear? Whether televised on the news, on your social media newsfeed, or coming at ya hard from some fear-mongering TikTok sham, there always seems to be something causing intense anxiety or panic. And there are a lot of “somethings”; fears of escalation in the Middle East, concerns ofan upcoming recession, the ongoi...  Read More

Matthew 6:25-34I spent a couple of my years in the Air Force as a war planner. We had contingency plans, and we had deliberate plans. Contingency plans are plans that are intended to serve as a template of sorts in response to an unplanned pop-up crisis. Deliberate plans, on the other hand, are plans that are drawn up for a specific or anticipated crisis. You think linearly. If this happens, then ...  Read More

Numbers 20:6-12The unknown is a very scary place to be for most people. Is it because they are not in control? Is it that they have little faith? I wish I knew the answer. However, thankfully, as believers, we have the ability to go straight to the Father for counsel. No matter the size of the unknown or issue, we can take it before God, asking for peace and wisdom for His will to be done.  Moses ...  Read More

Philippians 4:6-7If you haven’t seen the movie Inside Out 2, you need to see it! The storyline is about the war in our minds between anxiety and joy. The “little people” in Riley's head fight for her attention as she battles with her emotions. The movie does an excellent job of portraying how awful anxiety is for people. In the end, we see that joy wins and anxiety may come and go, but it CANNOT h...  Read More

Philippians 4:5 "Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near."   When you think of gentleness, what comes to mind? You may think of a mother's touch with a baby. You may think of being delicate with something or someone. You may think about an older child being careful around a younger child or baby.   In our verse for today, we see Paul tell us to have gentleness and to let it be evid...  Read More

Philippians 4:4 Wow! What an amazing God we have! I spent the last week at Lake Ann camp, and what an amazing time to write about having joy in everything. It was amazing to be up here and hear the voices of joy from my children praising the Creator on how beautiful His creation is. Of course, it is not always easy to have joy in everything. Life is difficult many times, and it can be easy to be d...  Read More

It’s panic time! Have you ever been there? Of course you have! All of a sudden, life throws a “curve ball” your way, and you do not know how to handle it! The Apostle Paul sensed that the Philippians needed to be reminded that this was no time to panic. The pressure of the culture was mounting, and here was their leader in a Roman prison. Through all of Paul’s challenging circumstances, he always ...  Read More

John 13:35My first recollection of attending church was at Good Shepherd Lutheran in Lake Orion, which at the time was meeting inside an elementary school while the church building was being constructed. I was five or six years old, and the children would sit with their parents for the beginning of the gathering, and the Pastor would bring the kids up front and read us a story from the Bible. We w...  Read More

Romans 16:17-19In June 1858, Abraham Lincoln addressed the statehouse for the Republican State Convention in Springfield, Illinois. The speech was noteworthy because it has been referred to as the “House Divided Speech.” In it, he argues that “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” For those who heard his speech, many were familiar with it as it reflected the words said by Jesus nearly two ...  Read More

Ephesians 4:29-32If you have ever worked an office job, you know for a fact that the “water cooler” is the go-to spot throughout the day. You can almost guarantee that someone will always be there. Over time, you begin to grow a work friendship or maybe even a true friendship. You may even find yourself going to the breakroom or cafe with them to enjoy small talk with them, all sounds good, right?...  Read More

1 Peter 3:8-9 & John 18:10-11If I could have ice cream for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, I would. I hope when I get to heaven, that's an option. Of course, without the calories, weight gain, or an upset tummy to follow! Children are very much like this, they don't understand why they can't have junk all day - Call me a child then! Moms and dads know that their children need a balanced diet, and su...  Read More

1 Corinthians 1:10-17Do you have a favorite speaker you enjoy listening to? Perhaps it's a podcast or a pastor you enjoy listening to online. What about at your church? Do you have a favorite preacher? Do you find yourself only wanting to listen to one specific preacher? Do you ever find yourself wanting to skip if you hear they aren't preaching or teaching that day?   In the church in Corinth, th...  Read More

The greatest attack on a local church is often not what “comes from without” in culture but what “comes from within” in community. We must guard against disunity! The Apostle Paul was coming to the end of his passionate letter to the Philippian church. This was a church of great sacrifice and joy. This was a church of great service and community. One thing threatened their future influence for Chr...  Read More

2 Peter 2:16Two weeks ago, we celebrated Independence Day. Here in the United States, you can visit just about any town and join in the festivities; watch a fireworks display, enjoy a patriotic parade, feast at a barbecue, or gather with family at the lake. It's a day to commemorate freedom. Freedom is defined as the power or right to speak, act, and change as one wants without hindrance or restra...  Read More

2 Timothy 3:1-5Just before I retired from the Air Force in 2010, we thought it would be fun to do one final family trip. It would culminate not only my Air Force career, but also our time living in Germany, and the last time before we would become empty nesters as our oldest graduated from high school that same year. We took a cruise that sailed out of Pisa, Italy, and would take us to Croatia, Gr...  Read More

Galatians 5:13I imagine we all spent time over the 4th of July weekend celebrating with friends and family. Maybe you even went to see fireworks, shot them off yourselves, and at the bare minimum, I know we all heard them when we were trying to sleep in the middle of the night. With all that being said, we spend a whole weekend celebrating the freedom we have by living in America. It is so easy to...  Read More

1 Corinthians 8:1-13 Last year, my Women's Bible Study group studied the book of Titus on Right Now Media by Chip Ingram. Chip opens the study with these words on the first video, “My excuse for not becoming a Christian was… Christians. They said ‘this’ but lived a different way. Our beliefs and behaviors need to tell the same story.” Whether we like it or not, people are watching us! When you ide...  Read More

Genesis 19:26 In Paul's letter to the Philippians, we see him instructing them not to look back but to keep their eyes fixed on the prize that is Jesus Christ. This reminds me of a story found in Genesis, where we see Lot and his wife. If you know it at all, you know that Lot's wife did look back even though the Lord commanded them not to.   In Genesis 19, we see two cities, Sodom and Gomorrah, th...  Read More

Philippians 3:17-4:1 When I was a kid, Michael Jordan was the best basketball player in the NBA. Nowadays, people want to say that LeBron James is the best. The debate will rage on forever as to who is the best of all time. I have my opinion, and so do you if you even care. As I think back to that time, almost every boy who loved basketball wanted to be like Michael Jordan. One thing that Jordan w...  Read More

Warnings are meant to be repeated! The Apostle Paul wanted the Philippians to understand that people were infiltrating the church that had a form of outward godliness, but on the inside, they were filled with selfish ambitions leading to all kinds of immorality. He saw these people as a threat to both the unity of the church and the advancement of the Gospel. We too must be on the “look out” for t...  Read More

Read Philippians 3:17-4:1 today as you prepare for tomorrow’s sermon and think over some of these questions.   What stuck out to you?   What example does Paul show us, and how can we follow it?   What does it mean to fix our eyes on heaven rather than earthly things?   How do we find joy in Christ over anything else?    Take a few minutes and pray for God to help you reset your mind on heaven. Ask...  Read More

There was a time in my life when I didn’t think real change was possible. I thought I’d always be carrying around the same baggage, reacting the same way, falling into the same patterns. But then God got a hold of my heart.Ezekiel 36:25–27 has become one of the most personal and powerful passages in my life. It's not just a promise—it's my story. The words “I will give you a new heart and put a ne...  Read More

"11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." I am one of those people who are always looking into the future. Where will I be in 10,5 or even next year? I've been that way my entire life. For most people like me, we tend to get our hopes set on something, and when it doesn't work out, we get disappoint...  Read More

Have you ever worried about something that hasn’t even happened yet? Have you ever felt anxious or stressed with things happening in your life or around you? Well, I have.  When I was younger, I was what you would call a “worry wart”. I was constantly worried. Worried about how I looked. Worried about what others thought of me. Worried I was not doing a good enough job. I would rethink conversatio...  Read More

1 Peter 5:6-7“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” Years ago, back in high school, I chose these two verses as my “life verse”. They are 2 verses that I have used time and time again and try to base my life on. 1 Peter 5 is an exhortation to the elders of the church. T...  Read More

Colossians 3:12-17 and Philippians 1:3-11 Picking a favorite verse is like trying to pick a favorite song – if you pick one over the other, you don’t want the other to get jealous ? So that’s why I chose 2 verses that mean a lot to me. The Colossians verses speak to my soul, and I love the way it’s described like putting on clothes. It helps me remember daily that no matter how I’m FEELING at that...  Read More

What is your favorite Bible verse? Why is it your favorite verse? Take some time to think about it and write it down. It is always great to hear what everyone’s favorite verse is because everyone’s is different. It’s incredible to hear how each person comes to the Lord in a different way and what passages of scripture might point out to them more. This week you will get a chance to know each staff...  Read More

Devotion assignments can be daunting. Writing doesn’t come easy to me and the responsibility of the handling of God’s Word is weighty. Oftentimes I fumble when trying to clearly convey my thoughts from head to paper. I pray for a clear understanding and interpretation of the Word. It’s easy to read one verse and immediately want to use it to support my ideas and circumstances. I sometimes jump to ...  Read More