Daily Devotionals

If this message that Paul preached was given to him by a man, it would be a message that appealed to man’s nature and his flesh. Our flesh always wants some credit, we want to play some part in our salvation, but salvation through grace honors God and Him only. This message and Gospel came to Paul through direct revelation from Jesus Christ. God had grabbed ahold of Paul and made Himself known to him and it was the Lord who gave him a calling to preach salvation by grace to the Gentiles.

When we came to the Lord, salvation came to us in that same way, it came through revelation from God Himself. The truth of the Gospel and the leading of the Holy Spirit opened our eyes, allowing us to receive what Jesus had done for us. It was all God’s work.

So go out and share that same Gospel message, knowing that it is the only way of salvation to those who are lost.

Pastor Doug Hardin

Everybody wants to be content, but we want it to come through some divine revelation. We want to wake up one morning and, poof, we are content. Here we read that contentment is something that has to be learned.

One thing that God has been showing me throughout the last couple of months is to be content with the little things. Being thankful for toilet paper is not something I would have thought of a few months ago, but here I am thanking God for toilet paper. God has been showing me to be content with the little things like grocery stores, having dinner on the table, spending time face to face with the people I love. These times have been trying and frustrating, but it is in the midst of difficulty that we grow the most. Learning to be content with the little things is just one of the things that God has been teaching me in the midst of these past several months, what has He been teaching you?

For the King,

Pastor Daniel Batistelli

There’s a lot of division today and sadly, you don’t really have to look too far to see it. Chances are if there is a divide between you and someone else, you may not want to really go the extra mile for them.

There is a great divide between us and God because of sin. Sin is anything that we say, think, or do against God. God is perfect in every way imaginable. To approach Him, we have to be without sin. But, even when we were against God, He died for you. While you were against Him, He died for you. He died for the person you have a divide with. Because God’s love is so great, He bridged the divide between us and Him. He died for you at your worst so you could not only become better but be better through Jesus Christ. And best yet, you could be saved and have a relationship with God where there is no divide but communion with the One true God. Turn to Jesus. He knows you are literally to die for. And if you know Him, don’t allow a chasm to stop you from sharing and showing the love of Christ.

Resting in Him,

Pastor Sean Boehm

How many times have we said to our kids, “You need an attitude adjustment!” Attitude really is the key. We can neutralize dynamic events in our lives with the wrong attitude. Our perceptions or misconceptions, what we view as possible or impossible, and our prejudices or lack of them, make an awesome difference. Peter needed an attitude adjustment and God was helping him get one with the vision He gave of the unclean animals being lowered on a sheet. Peter still had the wrong attitude toward Gentiles and that could have strangled his ministry but God was helping him change that attitude toward ALL that were lost.

As Christians, we need to throw our preconceived notions out the window and let God direct us in ways we might not be used to but, if it’s His will, we can be used for the Kingdom in mighty ways.

Nothing common,

Pastor Gerard Deleeuw

Until the Lord saved me when I was 29, I was an atheist and I heard this verse a lot. However, since I didn’t believe in any kind of higher power, being called a fool for my beliefs didn’t really have any effect on me except maybe to anger me a bit.

It should be noted in the above verse that there is none who has done good. Romans 3:23 tells us, all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. It is not just the atheist who is a fool, but those who live lives as if there is no God. That might include people regularly attending church.

Notice this fool says “There is no God” in their heart. That includes many people not just the atheist who declares it verbally. Are you living your life as if there is no God? Don’t be foolish! Repent and turn to following Jesus.

Rescued by God’s love,

Pastor Ron Kitchell

It is important that we are always ready to give an answer for the hope that lies within us (1 Peter 3:15). Here is our Proverbs verse, the writer tells us that to do so is an act of genuine affection, a kiss on the lips denoting true affection, friendship, and love. So Paul called Timothy to be ready to rightly divide the word of truth, to have an answer from God’s Word so he need not be ashamed (2 Timothy 2:15). In love for the lost and for your brothers and sisters, let’s make sure to prepare ourselves each day in His word so we might have answers that others need.

Seeking to have answers from the Lord,

Pastor Jack Abeelen

What Ben-Hadad asked was absolute surrender; and what Ahab gave was what was asked of him – absolute surrender.

Praise God! If our hearts are willing, there is no end to what God will do for us and through us. But you may say: “Oh, my desire is not strong enough.” God knows. Say: “My God, I am willing that You would make me willing.” As we read in Mark 9:24: “Lord, I believe, help my unbelief.”

Remember, when you come with what you believe is absolute surrender, it will be imperfect. You may have doubts. But remember Mark 9:24, and with a trembling heart, say: “I do not feel the power; I do not feel the determination; I do not feel the assurance.”

Be certain that whatever measure of surrender you offer – if it is ALL you have – will be received. Do not be afraid to come just as you are, and in the midst of your trembling, the power of the Holy Spirit will work His work in you. And God will use your imperfect life to the glory of His Kingdom! Amen!

Pastor Del Casale

Jesus spoke these words in conclusion of the parable of the soils and the parable of the lamp. “Take heed” admonishes us to pay attention to how we are listening to the Word of God. The parable of the soils illustrates a sower sowing seed and the various outcomes as the seed falls on different types of ground. The seed that fell on fertile ground yielded “a crop a hundredfold.”

If you are a vegetable gardener, you know that your soil becomes depleted over time as the veggies take up nutrients in order to grow and produce food. To continue producing crops, your soil needs ongoing feeding with fertilizer, compost, and other organic matter. Similarly, as Christians, we need to feed the soil of our hearts in order to grow in faith and to bear fruit in our lives. For us, the fertilizer is God’s word, but we must make sure that our hearts are prepared to receive what the word says so that fruit will be borne in our lives. That preparation is in the form of how we hear God’s word. The word for hear has a connotation of attentiveness or effort, therefore we need to take in God’s word with the intent of it working in our heart so that we can be doers rather than just hearers (James 1:22). Lord, may we hear your word with the expectation of fruit being borne in our lives.

Jeff Mericle

In just eleven words, how would you describe yourself and the essence of who you are? Would you describe yourself by your vocation, your role in your family, your political affiliation, or by the sports team you follow?

Paul described himself by his divine calling. An apostle: he was one who was sent by God with the full authority of the Sender. It was an office bestowed by the will of God, not by any human will or self-promoting resolve. Paul was commissioned by Jesus Himself to go to the Gentiles. In Galatians, Paul wrote, “When it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles…” (Galatians 1:15-16).

Just as Paul was called of God, you were chosen in Him before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4). You were chosen for a purpose—a holy purpose—to promote the glory of the grace of God. You may not have been given Paul’s influence in the world, but God has given you some influence in the people He placed around you. So influence them! Pray for them, serve them, and love them. Then you can truthfully say: I am an ambassador of Jesus Christ, by the will of God. This is your greatest calling and your most important purpose in the world. And it will become your greatest joy, too.

Tom Day

We live in a chaotic time in history and I see people struggling to find safety and security and coming up short. People look to politics, look to movements, look to hide themselves in their houses, and there is an obvious unrest in our nation. As Americans, we are typically shielded from the chaos of other nations, shielded in the sense that nation’s problems don’t affect our day-to-day lives. But there has been plenty of unrest in other parts of the world — civil wars, genocide, and poverty — and this has been going on for all of history.

Moses, the author of this Psalm, was not ignorant to these hardships. He faced a great deal of difficulty in his lifetime that would have left the average American citizen in the fetal position. But he remained steadfast. He didn’t do it perfectly, but he didn’t lose hope. Why? Because he always refocused his faith on truth. What is that truth? That with God, he is safe. With God, he is secure. It’s still true today, because we have faith in that same God.

From Everlasting to Everlasting, YOU are GOD!

Pastor Jason Witt