John answers the question that every Christian has asked, “What am I supposed to do when I fall into sin?” As Christians we should not be caught in habitual sin, but there are going to be times that we fall into sin. What we do when we fall into sin makes a massive difference in our lives. We can choose to run from God and try and fix ourselves or we can run to God, the only one who can fix us.

Here John tells us that Jesus is our advocate, the one who is called alongside in defense. When the accuser of the brethren brings your sins before God, Jesus is the One who comes to your defense. He stands as the propitiation, or atonement for sins. When you turn to God your Advocate reminds you that your sins have already been paid in full.

For the King,

Daniel Batistelli

It is easy to glance over the introduction to any of the epistles we read in the Bible. It just states the name of the writer and who they are writing to with a blessing to the people. But there is much more to these introductions than this superficial information.

Paul’s writings to the churches were not for him to boast, brag, or domineer over anyone. It was always rooted in his love for Christ. In the beginning of this letter, we see that Paul, before anything else, was fueled by his love for Jesus and his love for serving Him. If our motivation is anything less than a love for Him and His Word, we will fall short and be doing it for ourselves. What is motivating you today?

In Christ,

Pastor Sean Boehm

If you don’t eat, you won’t stay alive. There is a certain satisfaction that comes from working hard and being able to enjoy the literal fruit of your labors. So why does a person eat? So that he can add years to his life. But what good is it for me to add years to my life if I don’t add life to my years. It’s equally important to feed my soul and there is only one way to do that.

Solomon sensed what Moses had already said and Jesus later repeated: Deuteronomy 8:3 …Man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the LORD. The satisfaction for our souls comes from His Word. Let’s not neglect His wonderful nourishment and provision.

A daily dose of His Word,

Pastor Gerard Deleeuw

Part of being a Christian is concern for our spiritual brothers and sisters. We should be encouraging each other and helping one another along our paths. We shouldn’t want to in any way hinder the walk of another believer.

Yet that’s what we can do when we flaunt our liberty in front of others. Maybe we don’t have a problem with drinking or certain TV shows or movies, but those might cause difficulties in the lives of others, so we should be careful about how we talk about these things whether face-to-face or on social media.

Paul, who wrote 1 Corinthians, said in 8:11, could that liberty cause a weak brother to perish, a weak brother for whom Christ died? We might not stumble someone to the point of death, but we might hinder their Christian walk for a stretch of time.

The apostle Paul said he’d never eat meat again, whether offered to idols or not, if it stumbled his brother (1 Corinthians 8:13). Do we have the same concern for our brothers and sisters in Christ?

Pastor Ron Kitchell

James’ audience are the Jewish believers who have been driven from Jerusalem after the murder of Stephen. As their pastor, James was interested that they would see their plight had first passed through God’s hands. So he encourages them in the first few verses to count it all joy facing different circumstances knowing that God has a purpose for them. So let God have his way and allow Him to take you to maturity in faith. James’ counsel is good advice for us today as well. The Lord has our life in His hands, His purposes for us are all good, and we can rejoice in all He allows and takes us through!

Counting, knowing, and letting God have His way today,

Pastor Jack Abeelen

The Philippian church sent Epaphroditus to Rome with a financial gift to support Paul who was under house arrest (Acts 28:30). Epaphroditus was a person who had a servant’s heart for the Lord and he labored ceaselessly in the gospel of Christ, helping to establish the church at Colossae (Colossians 1:7). Observe how the mighty apostle Paul refers to Epaphroditus: My brother, fellow worker, and fellow soldier. All of these terms reflects Paul’s view of their relationship as being one of partnership. Paul was certainly in a position of authority, but he knew that he was saved by the same blood of Jesus and shared the same mutual faith (Romans 1:12).

The church does not have a spiritual hierarchy: Jesus is the head and we are the body. We each have a calling, some of whom are called to leadership. The rest of us still have a job to do and we are to use our spiritual gifts to serve alongside those the Lord has placed over us with the common goal of furthering the gospel of Jesus Christ, while at the same time ministering to each other.

Has the feeling of intimidation prevented you from stepping out and serving the Lord? Perhaps you look at those in charge or those who have been serving for a while and think that you do not have the same abilities and therefore cannot serve. God does not want you to think that; instead, He just wants you to be available and obedient, and then He will work through you to accomplish His purposes in whichever ministry you have been called to. Pray that the Lord will reveal to you where He would have you serve, then step out in faith and watch His amazing work.

Jeff Mericle

Are you hungry? Our cravings change depending on what we’re hungry for. Did you know that your spiritual hunger works much the same way? As newborns, we start out with milk but graduate to solid foods once we have developed enough to absorb it. From a spiritual context, if we don’t feed on the Word, our level of spiritual maturity won’t have a chance to develop and grow. As a believer, spiritual growth is essential in our daily walk if we intend to grow deeper in our relationship with Christ.

The good news is, spiritual maturity can be obtained by reading your Bible on a daily basis (Hebrews 4:12); praying (Ephesians 6:18); gathering together with other believers (1 Corinthians 5:4); and getting involved in a ministry to serve the body of Christ (Acts 6:3-4). God’s desire is that we would be filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God (Philippians 1:11). The more we feed on His Word and absorb it into our daily lives, the more of a hunger and craving we have for Him. After all, in about four hours you’re going to be hungry again for a taco plate with rice and beans. As you study God’s Word, may your relationship with Him be nourished and your commitment to Him strengthened. “So, as you daily walk with our Lord Jesus Christ, may you continue to grow in His grace.”

Craving Jesus,

Tom Moore

This verse is a straight kick to the stomach for me as I reminisce all the times I spoke all that I felt without any type of filter. I’m sure many of you reading this can relate. Think about all the pain and heartache, or even anger, you may have caused another person because you felt it was about time they get what’s coming to them. At first you think it was a good idea because you couldn’t hold it in anymore only to soon realize you did a great deal of damage that you might never be able to repair outside of the hand of God, of course.

I must admit, I very much hate this type of regret because as the proverb says, I feel very much like a fool after it is all said and done. And not only do I feel like a fool, I look like one as well. The wise man, however, holds back his tongue. He weighs out his feelings and processes them in such a way to realize that what is being said is only going to cause damage and bring regret. So he stalls, he goes to God, he lets God minister to him. He lets God work in his heart so that if there are things to be said, it can be done in such a way that speaks to your love for this individual and edifies them even if the information is difficult.

Our feelings can get the better of us and when we see that happening, the best thing to do is hold your tongue. Allow yourself time to process and seek the Lord, then move forward in however the Lord directs. This doesn’t mean avoid conflict, this means handle conflict appropriately and when you do, you’ll end up looking wise at the end of it.

Pastor Jason Witt

In Daniel 6, we are told about the plot against Daniel. We are told that the governors were looking to find a charge against him. They come up with a law that said if any man prayed to anyone else other than the king, they would be fed to the lions. The king signed it and Daniel, hearing about it, goes to his room, and prays to God. We are told that was his custom since early days. Daniel had a personal and intimate relationship with God. He had a healthy habit of going before the Lord in prayer.

Daniel did not let the laws of the king interfere with his personal relationship with the Lord. I’m sure he was disgusted at the law, but nevertheless, he goes to pray. There are times where things get in the way of our prayer life. There are times when we are told we can’t pray at work or at school. But notice Daniel’s behavior. He knew the law, but he wasn’t obnoxious about it. He didn’t pray at the top of his lungs. He went to His room, knelt down, and prayed just as he’d always done. May we all follow Daniel’s example.

Joshua Navarro

The Assyrians were a powerful and brutal nation, and they were coming to attack Jerusalem. King Hezekiah made preparations for war, and the people worked hard fortifying the city and arming themselves. Fear, nevertheless, had a grip on the people. To fall into the hands of the Assyrians would bring torture, pain, and death.

Hezekiah called the people together and gave them a reason to hope. He reminded them God was willing to fight their battles. The people were strengthened when their attention was rightly focused on the Lord rather than their fear of the enemy.

When we are faced with the impossible, when the battle looming on the horizon threatens to take us down, let’s not forget that our God is not only with us, He is prepared to fight our battle for us.

Jeff Deal