Posts with the category “devotional”

1 Corinthians 5:1-3, 6a When I was in youth ministry many years ago now, I went to a Youth Specialties conference in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In one of the big-group sessions, the speaker spoke about something he called “the clustering effect.” He proceeded to describe to us the hypocritical tendencies of most youth. For example, a student is one minute having sex with his girlfriend in the backs...  Read More

Week 5Main Point and Overview:    Is our church a “country club,” or is it the “pure bride of Christ?” Many churches are filled with people who “show up” but don’t “stand up” to sin, either theirs or the sin of others. Have you ever heard the phrase: “They want their cake and to eat it too?!” They want the “blessings” of Jesus, but they are not truly committed to following his clear expectations. ...  Read More

1 Corinthians 15:3-4 This portion of Scripture really challenged me this week. When it comes to teaching the Gospel, sometimes I feel like I am repeating myself. And I am. But it isn’t boring. It isn’t mundane. The Gospel is more than just words. Or a story. The Gospel is life. Jesus is alive and the story of His birth, death, burial and resurrection is anything but boring. With teaching kids, I a...  Read More

Romans 1:16; 15:13 The power of the Holy Spirit is within us! There are 2 things in life that the Bible tells us are real power, but I think we as believers have a hard time believing it. The power of prayer and the power of the Holy Spirit. Both seem sometimes like spiritual “talk” without meaning. Have you ever had someone come up to you and spill out their heart? You are sitting there listening...  Read More

John 14:15-17; 16:13 This week’s devotions have been so helpful, and I need all the help that I can get. ?Pastor Ken’s devotion, “The Spirit Factor” yesterday was on point! The Holy Spirit is no gimmick. In fact, the Holy Spirit is right alongside God the Father and Jesus the Son. Rather than a trick or a scheme, the Spirit is active and the divine presence of God living within believers, guiding ...  Read More

1 Corinthians 2:10-16 The other day, my wife couldn’t find her phone as she was rushing out the door to go to work. The frantic search started in the usual spots she’s in while getting ready and still couldn’t find it. This widened the search into the laundry room, her car, I went and checked the basement, checked the crevasses of the living room couch and love seat. Found a dog toy, ink pen, and ...  Read More

1 Corinthians 2:6-9 Have you ever been absolutely convinced you were right—only to discover you were spectacularly wrong? Maybe you sent a text to the wrong person, searched everywhere for your glasses while they were on your head, or confidently put together furniture only to end up with "extra" pieces. Human wisdom can be a little overrated!In today's passage Paul writes to the church in Corinth...  Read More

1 Corinthians 2:1-5 Over the years, I have heard a ton of opinions about the Gospel. Some people teach an “easy believeism” where they will tell you that all you need to do is trust in Jesus for salvation with no expectation of anything else such as life-change. Then, I have met others who teach a “Lordship salvation” meaning that when a person is saved, Jesus is instantly the Lord of their lives....  Read More

Week 4Main Point and Overview:   Over the years, many people have gotten “hung up” on “new ideas” from “relevant speakers.” Many times, they compare what they are hearing with the truth of Jesus’ Gospel. If the church is not careful, it can become “bored” with the “simplicity of the Gospel” looking for something that is more “new and fresh.” In the Apostle Paul’s day, he was surrounded by philosop...  Read More

Psalm 34:1-3 I can’t help but think of the Forrest Frank song: Celebration! We sing it with the kids on Sunday mornings and it is such a beautiful reminder to truly Praise God for all He has done! One of the things I love most about the idea of celebration is that it can be done even in the midst of tragedy, heartbreak, uncertainty, doubt and depression! Even in the worst of the worst situations, ...  Read More

1 Corinthians 11:1 This is such a short but powerful verse. Paul is urging his readers to follow him, but more importantly to follow Christ! When I think of this verse, I think about how I am leading my family. I want them to follow Christ, but I must be the example for them just as Paul is the example for me! Paul is the example to the believers. He spent his entire life as a believer doing whate...  Read More

1 Timothy 5:8 After 30 years of marriage a husband and wife came for counseling. When asked what the problem was, the wife went into a tirade listing every problem they had ever had in the years they had been married. On and on she went: Neglect, lack of intimacy, emptiness, loneliness, feeling unloved and unlovable, and an entire laundry list of unmet needs she had endured. Finally, after allowin...  Read More

Colossians 3:23 My first job was as a busboy in a family restaurant in Ortonville. When you have your first job you are excited and start planning on what to do with all the “big money” you will be earning. Being a busboy is not glamorous. Scraping half eaten food off dishes, cleaning tables, washing dishes, taking out the trash, makes you question your life choices. My worst experience was draggi...  Read More

Philippians 2:1-3 As a staff at Emmanuel, one of our team values is cooperation. The journey can often get tiring and bumpy. All too often people think ministry is such an easy job but in reality it's often messy, but 1,000% worth it. As I sit back and reflect on the other week (Action Day Camp) I simply admire Sarah’s willingness to show cooperation. Early mornings and long days make for a man (m...  Read More

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trusting in God can be so hard at times. Often, it takes tremendous patience and perseverance. I can think of times when I wanted an “answer” from God, but he wasn’t giving it to me in the timing in which I wanted it. I tend to see myself as a “control-freak” in that I try to “make things happen” in my own power. I recognize that this mindset is one of my shortcomings. Thankfully, G...  Read More

2 Peter 1:3-9 One of the biggest questions people of any age ask: what is my purpose? It isn’t up to us to decide our purpose, find our purpose, or even achieve our purpose. In Christ alone, we have the power to live a life that is glorifying and honoring to Him! The Holy Spirit gives us love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control! We often put pastors...  Read More

2 Timothy 1:7 God is so good! It is awesome when we really consider all that He does for us. Being saved by the grace and power of God is so much more than a ticket to heaven. These verses are a reminder to Timothy to be bold! We are to be bold in the faith! We are to be bold in our testimony! We are to be bold for Christ! Without Him we are nothing! I talked with the youth students a few weeks ag...  Read More

Romans 1:16, 15:13 The title of this devotion, “Real Power”, had me browsing the internet to research what the most powerful thing on earth is. The funny thing is, from Google’s perspective, the most powerful thing in the world depends on how one measures power. So, let’s look at a few different categories. From a scientific standpoint, the strong nuclear force is the strongest force in nature and...  Read More

1 Corinthians 4:14-21 Here at Emmanuel our purpose statement is “We exist to honor God by making passionate disciples.” This guides us as a church. Being a disciple is what every believer is called to do. Trying to be Christ-like, emulating Jesus, is really what a disciple is. Being a disciple is rooted in a relationship that is trusting and encouraging. Paul in our passage is laying down the foun...  Read More

1 Corinthians 4:8-13 The American dream is something that we all chase after, everyone wants to be successful. However, what does that truly mean? Does it mean you make a six-figure income, have no debt, or even have a cabin up north? Hear my heart, none of those are bad things, but as believers do those things make us successful in our journey of faith? In today's passage Paul calls out the Corin...  Read More

1 Corinthians 4:1-7 The greatest kind of leadership is servant-leadership. It’s the kind of leadership that is counter-cultural in so many ways. It’s not flashy. It’s not showy. It’s not shiny. It’s not all that attractive to power-hungry people. What it IS: The model that the early church exemplified.The Apostle Paul was trying to help the Corinthians to realize that he, Apollos, Peter, and other...  Read More

Week 3Main Point and Overview:    Many churches have great resources, abilities, and buildings. Some have great preachers, programs, and activities. Ultimately, their “legacy of longevity” is not based on any of these things; it’s based on the unique power of God. The Apostle Paul was noticing a growing trend in the Corinthian church. They were becoming distracted with personalities, prosperity, a...  Read More

Matthew 7:24-27 I sing a song to my 9-month-old all the time about this passage. “A wise man built his house upon the rock, and the rains came tumbling down. The rains came down and the floods came up, but the house on the rock stood firm.”When it comes to us as individual believers, our foundation must be built on Jesus Christ. Because when the storms of life come passing through, we won’t be sha...  Read More

Matthew 6:19-21 These verses are a great reminder that all things of this world are temporary. All things of this world will pass away. This includes us! In my own life I find it easy to long for the things of this world. I like good food, and the comfort of the A/C with this heat. And I think like most people, I like having a nice phone! We all enjoy our comforts, but this verse reminds us of how...  Read More

1 Corinthians 3:18-23 About twenty years ago, Jeff Foxworthy hosted a game show where adult contestants answered questions, as if they came from an elementary grade school quiz. This show was appropriately titled, “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?” The questions were pulled directly from the school curriculums across subjects like science, math, history, and grammar. Contestants had to answer ev...  Read More

1 Corinthians 3:16-17 This year we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the founding of our country. A country that was founded on rights given from God and not to be restricted or taken by the government. In Washington DC, we have many monuments that celebrate various aspects of our history. In 2007, the Columbus Memorial Fountain was turned off and left in a state of filth and disrepair. It stayed...  Read More

1 Corinthians 3:12-15 For my daughter (Paisley) one of her favorite games to play with dad is building things. We both take turns stacking block on top of block to see how tall we can build our tower. But for her (a 2-year-old) she just wants to build, she doesn't think of the foundation that holds all the weight. As we build, I constantly check the foundation to make sure it remains sturdy enough...  Read More

1 Corinthians 3:10-11 Many years ago, when I was a kid, my dad decided to build an addition onto our house in Warren. To save a lot of money, he did the work himself with a lot of help, including myself. I remember being in the deep “footings” helping to dig the ditches. Multiple times I asked my dad if I could be done ? because it was the most tedious and tiring work. Here’s what I remember about...  Read More

Week 2Main Point and Overview: “Mission drift” is not difficult to experience if we are not careful. All of a sudden, we could become more about “comfortable activities” or “relational experiences” or even “information overload” and be slowly drifting away from the Gospel. The church in Corinth was in danger of “missing the point!” Over the years, many churches have eventually lost their influence...  Read More

1 Corinthians 3:5-9 Have you ever tried to keep a plant alive? I have tried over and over to grow my own herbs; I fail every time! My thumb is anything but green. 1 Corinthians 3:5-9 paints a picture of growing plants. The Corinthian church was divided between who to follow: Apollos or Paul. Paul wrote to the church to explain that they are both servants of God; together. I know what you’re thinki...  Read More

1 Corinthians 3:1-4 Imagine being a church getting a letter from Paul. Paul, the famous missionary who is going around and starting churches all over the known world. You are excited to hear from him, and you see this scolding in the letter. I think it would be hard to not take the letter at that very moment and not tear it up! I could not believe how this would have made the people in Corinth fee...  Read More

1 Corinthians 12 The human body is fascinating and every part of it is necessary and serves a beautiful purpose. It’s remarkable to know that our bodies have the ability to regenerate and repair itself. A few other notable facts are that the skin can be grafted from one part of the body to grow on another part. It is the human body’s largest organ and is constantly renewing itself. And wow, did yo...  Read More

1 Corinthians 1:13-17 In 1858 Abraham Lincoln gave his house divided speech upon accepting the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate. In that speech he quoted Mark 3:25, “And if a house divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand” (ESV). Lincoln was warning that America had to deal with the slavery issue otherwise the nation would split and fall. Lincoln's words would be prophetic...  Read More

1 Corinthians 1:10-12 In the American church it is very easy to follow the celebrity preachers. The ones who are all over social media showing off the amazing things that are going on in their communities and churches. I am not downplaying their impact on the communities around them and the Gospel impact that is being spread through them. However, just like the Church in Corinth we too must be car...  Read More

1 Corinthians 1:4-9 When God saves a person, he does not leave that person powerless. In fact, every disciple of Jesus has been given spiritual gifts that are meant to be used for Kingdom growth and influence (Romans 12:6-8; 1 Corinthians 12; Ephesians 4:11). The question is not whether or not we have them; the question is WHAT ARE WE DOING WITH THEM?One of the key words that must be spoken in rel...  Read More

Week 1Main Point and Overview:    As a parent, you tend to repeat yourself when your kids are not listening to you. The Apostle Paul had a lot to say to the Corinthian church that he had to keep saying over and over again. In all reality, the Corinthians were a lot like the modern-day American church. Filled with potential, power, prosperity, and promise, she had the greatest opportunity for Gospe...  Read More

Romans 8:28-30; 12:1-2 Above all else. Living life demands priority. We wake up each morning with our “to do’s” and “honey do’s,” but when it comes right down to it, no matter how important the list may be, there can only be one “Number one.” Even for the most proficient multi-tasker, you can still truly only focus on one thing at a time. I remember when I was given my first “organizer.” This was ...  Read More

Ruth 4:16-22 I love a good story, especially love stories! Some of my favorite movies are romances. I’m a sucker for a hallmark movie! Yes, even though they are cheesy and we can usually guess the storyline in the first 5 minutes! Today we wrap up the story of Ruth in the final verses of the book. Maybe you saw it coming, maybe you didn’t, but the story is complete and the piece of the puzzle is n...  Read More

Ruth 4:13-17 So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. When he made love to her, the LORD enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son. The women said to Naomi: “Praise be to the LORD, who this day has not left you without a guardian-redeemer. May he become famous throughout Israel! He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law, who loves you and who is...  Read More

Ruth 4:9-12 In the movie Princess Bride, there are a lot of iconic lines. Lines like “Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father prepare to die”. Or “Mawage. Mawage is wot bwings us togeder today” (it was hard to get that line through spellcheck-LOL). If you are familiar with this movie then these and many other lines will make you laugh. The theme of the movie is true love and how it c...  Read More