Posts with the category “daily-devotionals”

“So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.” – Matthew 5:23-24 Worship matters to God, but your relationships matter too. And in Matthew 5, Jesus gives us a strong reminder that if you’re holding on to conflict wit...  Read More

“But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to hell of fire.” – Matthew 5:22 We live in a world that celebrates speaking your mind. Say what you feel, let it fly, speak your truth. But Jesus warns us that not every word is harmless, and not every out...  Read More

“But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment” - Matthew 5:22 Jesus had a way of taking the obvious and flipping it. Everyone knew murder was wrong. Nobody argued that. But when He said, “You have heard it said… but I tell you,” He shifted the conversation from what we do with our hands to what we allow in our hearts. He was not just raising the standard....  Read More

“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment” - Matthew 5:21-22 When you hear the word “murder,” what comes to mind? Some people might think of high-profile cases like O.J. Simpson or the Menendez brothers. Others might go further back...  Read More

“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment” - Matthew 5:21-22 When people think of sin, murder usually makes the list. It is one of the most universally recognized wrongs, and even those with no faith background tend to agree on that...  Read More

“But to all who did receive him, he gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in his name.” – John 1:12 Some people just look the part. You know who I mean. The ones who are always upbeat, always quoting Scripture, always volunteering at church, and never seem to break a sweat. And honestly, that’s not a bad thing. We need examples of joy and faithfulness. But we also need to...  Read More

“But now, apart from the law, the righteousness of God has been revealed… The righteousness of God is through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe, since there is no distinction.” – Romans 3:21-22 The Pharisees had rules for everything. And I mean everything. They were so committed to avoiding any chance of offending God that they wouldn’t even say His name out loud. When they wrote it, they r...  Read More

“For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” – Matthew 5:20 When Jesus said what He said in Matthew 5:20 out loud, jaws would’ve hit the ground. The crowd had been raised to believe the scribes and Pharisees were the pinnacle of righteousness. If anyone was getting into Heaven, it was those guys. So for Jesus to ...  Read More

“Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” – Matthew 5:19 According to Jesus, the way we treat God’s Word matters not just now, but forever. He tells us plainly that one day, God will evaluate our lives based ...  Read More

"Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth." – John 17:17 There is no shortage of opinions in our world today. Everywhere you look, people are sharing what they think, how they feel, and why their view is the right one. But with so many competing voices, how do you know what’s actually true?  That’s the question a young college student asked her professor on the first day of class. When the p...  Read More

“For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or one stroke of a letter will pass away from the law until all things are accomplished.” - Matthew 5:18 We live in a world that’s allergic to absolutes. The most popular belief in culture today is that truth is relative. What’s true for you doesn’t have to be true for me. Everyone gets to decide their own version of ...  Read More

“You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me.” - John 5:39 There’s a big difference between knowing what the Bible says and knowing the God who said it. The Pharisees in Jesus’ day knew the Scriptures better than anyone. They memorized it, recited it, and even taught it. But when the Word made flesh stood right in front ...  Read More

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” - Matthew 5:17 If you claim to follow Jesus, then you should see Scripture the way He did. And Jesus never once questioned the authority of God’s Word. Not the New Testament, and not the Old either. In fact, right here in His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus makes it crystal clear. He...  Read More

“But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles” - Isaiah 40:31 Jesus didn’t call you to blend in. He didn’t rescue you just to get comfortable. He called you to live different. To live holy, to live bold, and to live with purpose in a dark and broken world. There’s a story about a duck who broke his wing on the way south for the winter. A kin...  Read More

“You are the salt of the earth… You are the light of the world” - Matthew 5:13-14 Jesus was sitting on a hillside when He preached what we now call the Sermon on the Mount. He looked at a group of ordinary people, His disciples and a crowd gathered around, and gave them a brand new identity. He said, “You are the salt of the earth” and “You are the light of the world.” Those weren’t compliments. T...  Read More

“In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.” - Matthew 5:16 One of the most important tests for a follower of Jesus is simple. Are other people seeing your life and giving glory to God? Not “Are they impressed with you?” Not “Do they like you?” Not “Do they think you’re a good person?” Are they seeing your good...  Read More

“You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, but rather on a lampstand, and it gives light for all who are in the house.” - Matthew 5:14-15 Jesus did not say you might be the light of the world. He said you are. That means this is not something you can opt out of. If you follow Jesus, your life is meant to shine. You ...  Read More

“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt should lose its taste, how can it be made salty? It’s no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.” - Matthew 5:13 Salt does no good if it stays in the shaker. Jesus did not save you so you could sit still, stay safe, and keep to yourself. He called you salt. That means you were made to be poured out, scattered, ...  Read More

“You are the salt of the earth” - Matthew 5:13 When Jesus called His followers salt, He wasn’t tossing out a random metaphor. He was speaking directly to the value, influence, and purpose He designed them to carry. And the same is true for you. Salt is a miracle. You take two elements, sodium and chloride, that on their own are toxic and deadly, but when combined correctly, they form something use...  Read More

“You are the salt of the earth... You are the light of the world.” - Matthew 5:13-14 The people who gathered on the hillside that day (in Matthew 5) to hear Jesus teach weren’t elite or influential. They weren’t leading cities or running businesses. They were fishermen, laborers, and ordinary families just trying to get through life under Roman rule. Many of them probably felt powerless and unimpo...  Read More

“Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.” - Romans 12:2 Jesus didn’t just come to save your soul. He came to reshape your entire life. That includes your identity, your mindset, and your way of living. In other words, Jesus calls us not only to know who we are in Him, but to live ...  Read More

“But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” - 1 Corinthians 15:57 If you’ve ever rooted for a losing team, you know the pain. The frustration. The hope that rises in the offseason, only to crash again by midseason. As a Cowboys fan, I know that feeling way too well. When the losses pile up year after year, winning starts to feel more like a fantasy than a possib...  Read More

“For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift.” - Ephesians 2:8 C.S. Lewis once said, “You’re not a body with a soul. You’re a soul with a body.” That flips the way most people think about life. We spend so much time worrying about the outside: our bodies, our schedules, our image. But God has a different focus. He looks deeper. He’s paying attention ...  Read More

“And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” - Colossians 3:17 When we talk about spiritual health, it’s easy to think it only applies to church stuff like prayer, Bible reading, and serving on Sundays. But in Colossians 3, Paul pushes that thinking a whole lot further. He says whatever you do. Not some of what...  Read More

“Let the word of Christ dwell richly among you, in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another through psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.” - Colossians 3:16 A lot of people think they can have a healthy walk with God while ignoring the very thing He gave them to build it, His Word. You’ll hear things like, “I love God, but I’m not really into chur...  Read More

“And let the peace of Christ, to which you were also called in one body, rule your hearts. And be thankful.” - Colossians 3:15 Peace doesn’t usually show up on its own. It’s not something that just drifts into your life without permission. You have to let it in. That’s exactly what Paul is getting at in the verse above when he says, “Let the peace of Christ rule your hearts.” That word “rule” is p...  Read More

“Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience... And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.” - Colossians 3:12, 14Have you ever put on a brand-new outfit and instantly felt different? Like something changed. Not just on the outside, but in how you carried yourself? That’s the kind of ...  Read More

“But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” - John 1:12 If you want to build a spiritually healthy life, the first place to start is not with what you do, but with who you are. And even deeper than that, who you belong to. In Colossians 3, Paul gives us a clear reminder of our identity. He says, “Therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and ...  Read More

"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body." - 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 Let’s go a little deeper into the idea of the three-legged stool life that we looked at yesterday. The three legs represent the three different aspects of us: Physically, mentally, and our so...  Read More

"Dear friend, I pray that you are prospering in every way and are in good health, just as your whole life is going well." - 3 John 1:2 When someone asks you, “Are you healthy?” What’s the first thing that comes to your mind? For most people, it’s physical. They start thinking about their body, their weight, maybe their cholesterol or blood pressure. For others, maybe a smaller group, the first tho...  Read More

"Do what you have learned and received and heard from me, and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you." - Philippians 4:9 The last piece in this journey toward a healthy thought life is all about imitation. Not imitation in the sense of copying someone’s style or personality, but imitation that flows from wisdom and humility. Paul is wrapping up this section in Philippians by telling the...  Read More

"Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable—if there is any moral excellence and if there is anything praiseworthy—dwell on these things." - Philippians 4:8 Your mind is one of the most powerful tools God has given you. And yet, it’s also one of the most vulnerable places in your life. What ...  Read More

"But in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 4:6-7 Have you ever caught yourself saying something like, “I don’t want to bother God with this”? Maybe you’re good at bringing the big stuff to Him when life hits hard or the bott...  Read More

"But in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving" - Philippians 4:6 Some people just have a way of making everything feel heavy. You know the type. If it’s sunny, it’s too hot. If it’s cloudy, it’s too gloomy. No matter how much they have, they live with a mindset that it’s never enough. That’s what happens when gratitude goes missing. And it’s a real problem, not just for their a...  Read More

"Don’t worry about anything" - Philippians 4:6 Let’s be honest. Worry is something most of us carry way too often. You might not say you’re a worrier out loud, but if we looked at your thoughts during the day, or especially at night when things get quiet, we’d probably find some anxiety hanging around. It’s subtle, but it pulls on us. That’s why the word Paul uses here matters so much. When Script...  Read More

"Let your graciousness be known to everyone. The Lord is near." - Philippians 4:5Step two in our journey toward a healthy thought life centers around a powerful truth: the Lord is near. That phrase changes everything. When your mind feels cluttered with anxiety or stuck in a cycle of negative thinking, one of the greatest things you can do is stop and remember that God is not far away. He is right...  Read More

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!" - Philippians 4:4 We are going to begin a new seven-part journey, diving into what it means to develop a healthy thought life. The first step is all about joy. Not random happiness or good vibes, but the kind of joy that comes from choosing to rejoice in the Lord no matter what is happening around you. The verse shown above is not a sugge...  Read More

"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." - Romans 12:2 There’s a saying that has stuck with me ever since I heard it. Inky Johnson, a former Tennessee football player turned motivational speaker, said, “Watch your thoughts, they become your words. Watch your...  Read More

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind." - Matthew 22:37 When Jesus was asked about the greatest commandment, He did not hesitate. He said the most important thing we can do is love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, and mind. That answer was not random. Jesus was pointing us to what matters most to God, and at the same time, He was showing ...  Read More

"Don’t you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought at a price. So glorify God with your body." - 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 When the Bible says your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, it is not just a poetic phrase. It is a fact. If you have been saved, your body is now a dwelling place for God. That changes e...  Read More