Daily Devotional

Psalm 27:4

4“One thing have I asked of the Lord,
    that will I seek after:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
    all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord
    and to inquire in his temple.”

Instead of having a list of prayer requests, David asks God for just one thing. If it’s one thing, then it must be his most important prayer request. Though his life is in danger, the one thing that David asks for is God’s presence. He considers it much more precious than his own life. David wants his heart to be completely submerged in the overwhelming presence of God. God’s presence is where we experience his goodness and beauty. So let us pray this simple yet powerful prayer. Let us wholeheartedly seek God’s presence, and our relationship with him will grow with burning passion.

Weekly Application

Being part of a passionate church is to have a burning desire to live for Christ and to seek His kingdom first. You can do this by taking intentional steps to prioritize your relationship with Jesus. God desires to kindle your heart and renew your mind so begin each day by asking God to give you a hunger for His Word and a zeal for prayer. As you go through the day, keep your eyes fixed on Christ by being intentional about everything that you do. There may be areas of your life that need to be repurposed to reflect the love and glory of our Lord Jesus. Walking with God in this way will prevent you from becoming lukewarm in your devotion and it will cultivate a passion for Christ that will transform your heart and mind.

Daily Devotional

Psalm 42:1-2

1 “As a deer pants for flowing streams,
    so pants my soul for you, O God.
2 My soul thirsts for God,
    for the living God.
When shall I come and appear before God?”

The psalmist in these verses expresses a longing for God and a thirst for His presence. Just as a deer becomes desperate as it longs for water, our souls long for communion with our Creator. Thirst is a powerful image that conveys not only the psalmist’s longing for God, but also his recognition that only God can satisfy his deepest needs. Just as water is essential for life, so too is God essential for our spiritual lives. The enemy however, toils to pull us away from what is essential to our heart, and keep us distracted just long enough for our passion for God to grow cold. How can we reignite our passion for God? We must actively and intentionally pursue His presence again. Just as the psalmist yearns to meet with God, we too can make space in our lives and time in our days to recognize our need for God. Let us be a church that has our thirst quenched and our hunger satisfied by the presence of God. May our pursuit of Him be relentless as He continues to fulfill our deepest needs.

Weekly Application

Being part of a passionate church is to have a burning desire to live for Christ and to seek His kingdom first. You can do this by taking intentional steps to prioritize your relationship with Jesus. God desires to kindle your heart and renew your mind so begin each day by asking God to give you a hunger for His Word and a zeal for prayer. As you go through the day, keep your eyes fixed on Christ by being intentional about everything that you do. There may be areas of your life that need to be repurposed to reflect the love and glory of our Lord Jesus. Walking with God in this way will prevent you from becoming lukewarm in your devotion and it will cultivate a passion for Christ that will transform your heart and mind.

Daily Devotional

Revelation 2:4-5

4 “But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.”

Today’s Scripture comes from Jesus’ message to the Church of Ephesus where He confronts the Ephesians for abandoning their first love. When it came to the Ephesians, Jesus commended them for being a church who persevered through persecution and worked hard to defend the truth of God’s Word. However, there was still a glaring problem. Notice, Jesus didn’t say they have lost their love for Jesus, but rather they have left their first love. For Jesus, there is a big difference between losing and leaving their first love because you can lose something by accident, but leaving something is a conscious choice and action you make. At the same time, when you lose something it means you don’t know where to look for it again, but when you leave something you know exactly where you last left it. The Ephesians had great zeal for the Word and work of God, but Jesus says they had lost their love for Jesus. In other words, the Ephesians worked hard because it was the right thing to do, but the motivation came from a cold and heartless love, rather than their once passionate and fiery love for Jesus. This is why Jesus counsels the Ephesians to do three things. First, He tells them to remember the first love they had for Him. Second, repent and go back to the love that was brought to life by the Gospel message they so passionately embraced. Third, to take action and do the works they did when they first fell in love with Jesus.

Weekly Application

Being part of a passionate church is to have a burning desire to live for Christ and to seek His kingdom first. You can do this by taking intentional steps to prioritize your relationship with Jesus. God desires to kindle your heart and renew your mind so begin each day by asking God to give you a hunger for His Word and a zeal for prayer. As you go through the day, keep your eyes fixed on Christ by being intentional about everything that you do. There may be areas of your life that need to be repurposed to reflect the love and glory of our Lord Jesus. Walking with God in this way will prevent you from becoming lukewarm in your devotion and it will cultivate a passion for Christ that will transform your heart and mind.

Daily Devotional

Luke 24:27-32

27 “And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. 28 So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He acted as if he were going farther, 29 but they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.” So he went in to stay with them. 30 When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. 31 And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. 32 They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?”

Passion is like oil igniting fire: explosive and naturally occurring within us for someone or something. The greater the conviction or love, the more intense our passion. Therefore, passion should naturally burn within us towards God. If he is indeed the greatest and most beautiful being in this universe, our passion for Him should be an unending fire that consumes every speck of indifference and callousness.

But we must admit that this is often not the case. Like the two men who walked defeatedly, our fire often dwindles to nothing. What can possibly cure us? What will reignite our fire for God and set our hearts ablaze again? God’s Word. Just as Jesus raised the dead by speaking, He can raise our hearts from apathy to a life of passion.

Therefore, we need to constantly read his Word. And whenever we turn to the Bible, we must remember that God is speaking to us. So let His Word touch you. And let it add fuel to your flame. And with our hearts burning within us, let us live for God all the more.

Weekly Application

Being part of a passionate church is to have a burning desire to live for Christ and to seek His kingdom first. You can do this by taking intentional steps to prioritize your relationship with Jesus. God desires to kindle your heart and renew your mind so begin each day by asking God to give you a hunger for His Word and a zeal for prayer. As you go through the day, keep your eyes fixed on Christ by being intentional about everything that you do. There may be areas of your life that need to be repurposed to reflect the love and glory of our Lord Jesus. Walking with God in this way will prevent you from becoming lukewarm in your devotion and it will cultivate a passion for Christ that will transform your heart and mind.

Daily Devotional

Jeremiah 29:11-13

11 “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. 13 You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.”

These verses are from a letter that the prophet Jeremiah wrote to the exiles in Babylon. The Israelites had been taken captive and were living in a foreign land, far from their homes and their usual place of worship. Yet even in this context, God calls His people to pray, as He has not abandoned them and even has plans to prosper them. There's no doubt that the Israelites were stuck in the midst of difficult circumstances. Yet the promise of God's presence and the assurance of His good plans for them, invites them to the seat of prayer. God is inviting us to pray today, in the midst of our situations whether they are good or bad, easy or difficult. The assurance of His presence moves us to pray, and the promise that we will find Him when we seek with all our heart, enables us to pray with confidence and with faith. Let us become a church that seeks the Lord in prayer, calling upon the Lord with great expectation, as His promises are great and His plans for us are good.

Weekly Application

Make a decision to set aside time each day that is dedicated to prayer. Let us pray that the time we spend praying may not just be out of duty, but a life-giving time of fellowship with God. Lift up your requests and confess your sins before God with the assurance of forgiveness. Intercede for your leaders, your church, and your community - standing in the gap for those who are in need. And invite Jesus to be in the midst of your circumstances with the expectation of supernatural joy and thanksgiving. Let us experience the power and the presence of God in our lives as we seek to become a praying church.

Daily Devotional

Philippians 4:6-7

6 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

We live in a world where there are plenty of reasons to be anxious and most times it’s because of factors out of our control. Although the causes of anxiety may be out of our control, Apostle Paul believes we are able to have control over our emotions if we deal with them by prayer. In today’s passage, Paul gives us practical instruction on how we can pray to fight anxiety. First, Paul tells us to present “every situation” no matter how big or small it is to God because prayer increases our faith to believe that God is able to help us, but He also wants to help us. Second, pray (communicate) to God about the things that make you anxious through petitioning, which means to make a request. Lastly, Paul instructs us to prayerfully petition with thankfulness because God will always answer our prayers in a way that’s best for us. If God answers exactly what we prayed for we thank Him. At the same time, if God answers us in a different way, we still thank Him trusting He knows what’s best for us. When we do this, Paul says the peace of God that transcends all understanding will come to replace your fears because you are surrendering it into God’s hands. Today, let us choose to fight against the worries that burden you by praying prayers of petition to God with thanksgiving believing God will answer them according to His perfect and pleasing will.

Weekly Application

Make a decision to set aside time each day that is dedicated to prayer. Let us pray that the time we spend praying may not just be out of duty, but a life-giving time of fellowship with God. Lift up your requests and confess your sins before God with the assurance of forgiveness. Intercede for your leaders, your church, and your community - standing in the gap for those who are in need. And invite Jesus to be in the midst of your circumstances with the expectation of supernatural joy and thanksgiving. Let us experience the power and the presence of God in our lives as we seek to become a praying church.

Daily Devotional

1 John 5:14-15

14 “And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him."

When we pray, we may at times struggle with whether God will answer our prayers or not. He certainly does, but now the question is if He will answer in the way we would like. Fortunately for us, we can be at peace knowing that He will always “hear” or respond favorably to our prayers. The only condition is that we pray according to His will. Prayer is never a convenient way of bending God to obey our will, desires, and wishes. Rather, it is about submitting ourselves to God and praying for His will to be done. Does this mean that it is wrong to ask God for help when we are suffering or have any other prayer requests? Absolutely not! But we should still pray “Thy will be done” as we lift up our requests to Him. Our God delights to help His children, and we can be at peace knowing that His will is good and perfect. So when we pray, even when we pray for ourselves or others, let us seek God’s will to be done. Then we can be absolutely sure that God will use our prayers in marvelous ways.

Weekly Application

Make a decision to set aside time each day that is dedicated to prayer. Let us pray that the time we spend praying may not just be out of duty, but a life-giving time of fellowship with God. Lift up your requests and confess your sins before God with the assurance of forgiveness. Intercede for your leaders, your church, and your community - standing in the gap for those who are in need. And invite Jesus to be in the midst of your circumstances with the expectation of supernatural joy and thanksgiving. Let us experience the power and the presence of God in our lives as we seek to become a praying church.

Daily Devotional

Habakkuk 2:3

3 “For still the vision awaits its appointed time;
    it hastens to the end—it will not lie.
    If it seems slow, wait for it;
    it will surely come; it will not delay.”

Today's verse speaks to the importance of waiting on God and trusting in His timing. God's tells Habakkuk to wait patiently for His promises as they will certainly come to pass. This verse is a reminder to trust that God is still in control even when God seems to be silent, and a call to wait on His timing even when things seem uncertain. It's important to remember that prayer is not just about asking God for things, but also about waiting on Him to reveal His plans to us. What are the things that you are entrusting to the Lord in prayer today? As you take time to pray today, pray with expectation, peace, and hope, trusting that He is in control and that His plans for us are good.

Weekly Application

Make a decision to set aside time each day that is dedicated to prayer. Let us pray that the time we spend praying may not just be out of duty, but a life-giving time of fellowship with God. Lift up your requests and confess your sins before God with the assurance of forgiveness. Intercede for your leaders, your church, and your community - standing in the gap for those who are in need. And invite Jesus to be in the midst of your circumstances with the expectation of supernatural joy and thanksgiving. Let us experience the power and the presence of God in our lives as we seek to become a praying church.

Daily Devotional

Luke 5:15-16

15 “But now even more the report about him went abroad, and great crowds gathered to hear him and to be healed of their infirmities. 16 But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray.”

One of the realities of life we all understand is life gets busy. We get busy with work, school assignments, taking care of chores and errands, raising children, serving at church and more. Finding things to get busy with never seems to be a problem because it always seems to find us first. In today’s passage, we see that Jesus’ life was no exception. Jesus was busy too. Luke tells us as the news began to spread about Jesus, crowds of people started following Him wherever He went to hear Him speak and be healed of sickness. This meant Jesus was always busy ministering to people. But Luke points out that no matter how busy Jesus was doing ministry, He would often withdraw and isolate Himself to go pray. The key word that needs to be highlighted here is “often.” Jesus made prayer a priority in His daily life not only to be in communion with His Father. But also, because Jesus was fully human like us too. So Jesus modeled for us a life of trust and dependence upon God through prayer. If this is the case, how much more so should we prioritize and see the need of prayer in our own life. Spend time to reflect on your daily life to see where prayer stands on your list of priorities and make the necessary changes to center your life schedule around prayer.

Weekly Application

Make a decision to set aside time each day that is dedicated to prayer. Let us pray that the time we spend praying may not just be out of duty, but a life-giving time of fellowship with God. Lift up your requests and confess your sins before God with the assurance of forgiveness. Intercede for your leaders, your church, and your community - standing in the gap for those who are in need. And invite Jesus to be in the midst of your circumstances with the expectation of supernatural joy and thanksgiving. Let us experience the power and the presence of God in our lives as we seek to become a praying church.

Daily Devotional

Nehemiah 1:1-11

1 “The words of Nehemiah the son of Hacaliah.

Now it happened in the month of Chislev, in the twentieth year, as I was in Susa the citadel, 2 that Hanani, one of my brothers, came with certain men from Judah. And I asked them concerning the Jews who escaped, who had survived the exile, and concerning Jerusalem. 3 And they said to me, “The remnant there in the province who had survived the exile is in great trouble and shame. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates are destroyed by fire.”

4 As soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven. 5 And I said, “O Lord God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, 6 let your ear be attentive and your eyes open, to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day and night for the people of Israel your servants, confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which we have sinned against you. Even I and my father's house have sinned. 7 We have acted very corruptly against you and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, and the rules that you commanded your servant Moses. 8 Remember the word that you commanded your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples, 9 but if you return to me and keep my commandments and do them, though your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of heaven, from there I will gather them and bring them to the place that I have chosen, to make my name dwell there.’ 10 They are your servants and your people, whom you have redeemed by your great power and by your strong hand. 11 O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of your servants who delight to fear your name, and give success to your servant today, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.”

Now I was cupbearer to the king.”

After many years of exile, the Jewish people can finally return to their own land. However, they faced a big problem: the wall of Jerusalem had been recently destroyed (again). Broken city walls would leave Jerusalem defenseless and vulnerable. Their hope of being God’s beloved city has been shattered. In light of this, Nehemiah devoted himself to prayer, praying day and night. Now this is nothing new for us — we all pray when we are in great distress — but we can learn what makes his prayer significant. He first acknowledges God and His greatness and awesomeness. He is a God who dearly loves His covenant people. Nehemiah likewise acknowledges who he is before God, that he is God’s servant and also a sinner. And though Nehemiah’s biggest motive to pray was the distress he was facing, he spends more time repenting than asking for help. Only after he repents does he make his pleas. Now how often do we pray acknowledging God and repenting of our sins compared to praying for our requests? When we pray, let us also praise God for who He is and what He has done for us. And let us be quick to confess our sins before we express our desires and needs. Only then can our prayers be bold enough to ask God for His help in time of need.

Weekly Application

Make a decision to set aside time each day that is dedicated to prayer. Let us pray that the time we spend praying may not just be out of duty, but a life-giving time of fellowship with God. Lift up your requests and confess your sins before God with the assurance of forgiveness. Intercede for your leaders, your church, and your community - standing in the gap for those who are in need. And invite Jesus to be in the midst of your circumstances with the expectation of supernatural joy and thanksgiving. Let us experience the power and the presence of God in our lives as we seek to become a praying church.

Daily Devotional

Ezekiel 36:27

27 “And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.”

We must remember that becoming a "practicing church" is not something that we do on our own. We need the Holy Spirit to empower us to live out our faith in a way that is pleasing to God and according to His will. We are reminded today of a powerful promise, that God has given us a new spirit and has put His Spirit within us. No longer do we rely on our our own strength or wisdom to live out our faith, but we adhere to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Because God is with us, we are able to turn away from our own desires and put God's plans into action. Let us remember the promise of Ezekiel 36:27 and obey the promptings of the Holy Spirit so that we may see God accomplish His purposes through us today.

Weekly Application

As followers of Christ, it’s important not just to hear and know the Word of God, but to put it into practice in our daily lives. Start your day by asking the Holy Spirit to guide and direct you each day. As you set your mind on the things that the Holy Spirit wants, He will show you opportunities to put your faith into action. Live out your faith with at least one person each day this week by serving them and loving them as the Holy Spirit leads. You may be led to offer a listening ear to someone who is going through a tough season or to give a portion of your time or resources to someone in need. Have high expectations of what God can do, and ask Him to guide you each step of the way.

Daily Devotional

Colossians 3:17

17 “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

As Christians there can be a tendency to compartmentalize the way we live our lives. We have one compartment we can label our spiritual life that involves going to church, serving in ministries, prayer, reading the Word, etc. But at the same time we have another compartment called regular life, which involves your job, entertainment, spending time with friends and family, physical health, and daily routine. The problem is, when it comes to our spiritual life we are willing and ready to submit it under the lordship of Christ, but when it comes to our regular lives it tends to be more difficult. For Paul, this shouldn’t be the case as Christians because the totality of our lives needs to be submitted under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Which means everything you do, whether in word or deed, needs to be done with the name of the Lord Jesus attached to it. In this way, all of our lives can be lived in a way or manner that pleases and honors the Lord. So the next time you drive, work out, eat, play games, speak to your co-workers or classmates, think, am I living in a way that is in the name of the Lord?

Weekly Application

As followers of Christ, it’s important not just to hear and know the Word of God, but to put it into practice in our daily lives. Start your day by asking the Holy Spirit to guide and direct you each day. As you set your mind on the things that the Holy Spirit wants, He will show you opportunities to put your faith into action. Live out your faith with at least one person each day this week by serving them and loving them as the Holy Spirit leads. You may be led to offer a listening ear to someone who is going through a tough season or to give a portion of your time or resources to someone in need. Have high expectations of what God can do, and ask Him to guide you each step of the way.

Daily Devotional

Galatians 2:20

20 “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

If we had to choose what Paul’s life motto might be, Galatians 2:20 has to be a top candidate. For so long he tried to earn his salvation by living the right way and obeying God’s law. Now, he knows that it is impossible to earn eternal life by our efforts. But he still wholeheartedly believes that it is important to live righteously, in a way that is pleasing to God. What’s the difference then? He now lives by faith in Jesus, the Son of God. Jesus was the only righteous one and because of his love for us, he died so that we can be saved. Therefore, Paul constantly thinks about the love of Christ as he lives his life for God. His life motto is to live so much like Christ that it is as if Christ who lives in his place. We, too, should dearly hold the love of Christ in our hearts as we obey his commandments and live for him. Spend time to reflect on his love today, and let God’s love motivate you to live for him.

Weekly Application

As followers of Christ, it’s important not just to hear and know the Word of God, but to put it into practice in our daily lives. Start your day by asking the Holy Spirit to guide and direct you each day. As you set your mind on the things that the Holy Spirit wants, He will show you opportunities to put your faith into action. Live out your faith with at least one person each day this week by serving them and loving them as the Holy Spirit leads. You may be led to offer a listening ear to someone who is going through a tough season or to give a portion of your time or resources to someone in need. Have high expectations of what God can do, and ask Him to guide you each step of the way.

Daily Devotional

Deuteronomy 10:18-19

18 “He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing. 19 Love the sojourner, therefore, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt.”

God calls us in these verses to follow His example by showing us His heart for the marginalized and vulnerable. Not only is God concerned with the needs of those who are most vulnerable, He takes clear action by carrying out "justice for the fatherless and the widow" and providing for the outsiders. This kind of call to action is echoed in James 1:27 "religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction..." and Matthew 25:35-36 "For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink...". Putting our faith into action is not only evidence of obedience, but also evidence that we are allowing the Holy Spirit to work through us. Let us be reminded of God's call to love and serve those around us today, allowing the Holy Spirit to work through us to bring about God’s kingdom on earth.

Weekly Application

As followers of Christ, it’s important not just to hear and know the Word of God, but to put it into practice in our daily lives. Start your day by asking the Holy Spirit to guide and direct you each day. As you set your mind on the things that the Holy Spirit wants, He will show you opportunities to put your faith into action. Live out your faith with at least one person each day this week by serving them and loving them as the Holy Spirit leads. You may be led to offer a listening ear to someone who is going through a tough season or to give a portion of your time or resources to someone in need. Have high expectations of what God can do, and ask Him to guide you each step of the way.

Daily Devotional

James 3:9-10

9 “With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. 10 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.”

In today’s passage, James is asking us as Christians to consider the way we use our tongues. The reason is, if there is one part of the body that gets us into trouble more than any other part it would be our mouths. That’s because with our tongues we have the ability to boast, lie, curse, criticize, complain, gossip, and the list can go on and on. But as Christians, James states this shouldn’t be the case because we also use the same tongue to praise our Lord and Father. Therefore, we need to make a choice. Are we going to use our tongues for God honoring purposes that praise, edify, and encourage others or will we use the tongue to tear down, divide, and deeply wound others? Research done by the University of Arizona showed an average person spoke about 16,000 words a day. To put that into perspective, that is 32 pages single spaced, which means everyday we speak enough words to fill a short book. Spend time to reflect and be mindful of the way you use your tongue throughout the day. Let’s choose to praise God by building up and edifying those around you in love.

Weekly Application

As followers of Christ, it’s important not just to hear and know the Word of God, but to put it into practice in our daily lives. Start your day by asking the Holy Spirit to guide and direct you each day. As you set your mind on the things that the Holy Spirit wants, He will show you opportunities to put your faith into action. Live out your faith with at least one person each day this week by serving them and loving them as the Holy Spirit leads. You may be led to offer a listening ear to someone who is going through a tough season or to give a portion of your time or resources to someone in need. Have high expectations of what God can do, and ask Him to guide you each step of the way.

Daily Devotional

John 15:1-6

1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.”

As we practice what God calls us to do, as we obey his Word, we ought to bear fruit in our lives. Fruit is a sign of personal spiritual growth, righteous living, and effective serving. But how can we bear fruit? The only answer that Jesus gives is to abide in him. In other words, we bear fruit in our lives by having a deep, personal, and intimate relationship with Jesus. We should spend time in prayer and reading the Bible and be more involved in the church community. Unless our relationship with Jesus is healthy and thriving, we are utterly incapable of living our lives for him. What will you do to have a deeper relationship with God?

Weekly Application

As followers of Christ, it’s important not just to hear and know the Word of God, but to put it into practice in our daily lives. Start your day by asking the Holy Spirit to guide and direct you each day. As you set your mind on the things that the Holy Spirit wants, He will show you opportunities to put your faith into action. Live out your faith with at least one person each day this week by serving them and loving them as the Holy Spirit leads. You may be led to offer a listening ear to someone who is going through a tough season or to give a portion of your time or resources to someone in need. Have high expectations of what God can do, and ask Him to guide you each step of the way.

Daily Devotional

Micah 6:8

8 “He has told you, O man, what is good;
    and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
    and to walk humbly with your God?”

These words from the prophet Micah remind us that our faith is not just about what we believe, but also how we live our lives. God requires us to put our faith into action and obey the leading of the Holy Spirit. To "do justice" means to stand up for the oppressed and to be a voice for those who have none. To "love kindness" means to extend compassion to those around us, even when it's difficult. And to "walk humbly with your God" is to acknowledge that we are not the center of the universe, but rather God is. Are you allowing the Holy Spirit to guide and lead your life today? Let us take some time to reflect on how we can put our faith into practice. May we be a church that acts justly, loves mercy, and walks humbly with our God.

Weekly Application

As followers of Christ, it’s important not just to hear and know the Word of God, but to put it into practice in our daily lives. Start your day by asking the Holy Spirit to guide and direct you each day. As you set your mind on the things that the Holy Spirit wants, He will show you opportunities to put your faith into action. Live out your faith with at least one person each day this week by serving them and loving them as the Holy Spirit leads. You may be led to offer a listening ear to someone who is going through a tough season, to give a portion of your time or resources to someone in need, or to reach out and forgive someone who has wronged you. Have high expectations of what God can do, and ask Him to guide you each step of the way.

Daily Devotional

Romans 12:2

2 “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.”

The Apostle Paul gives us a sobering reminder that this world has a pattern or way of life. The only problem is the world doesn’t tell you it’s outside of God’s will for you and ultimately leads to an empty and broken life. This is why Paul is giving a clear command for believers not to conform any longer, but rather be transformed by the renewing of our minds. However, there is a dilemma we all face each day. Conformity is easy to do because it requires very little thinking or effort. All you need to do is look around you and go with the flow of what everyone else is doing. On the other hand, transformation is difficult as it requires change, intentionality and sacrifice because this isn’t a one time change God is calling for, but a total and complete transformation of the way we live or pattern our lives. Paul states this kind of transformation can only take place when we renew our minds. Once our minds have been renewed Paul says the result will show when we are able to test and approve what God’s will is. So the question becomes how can we know what God’s will is? Praise God He doesn’t leave us to guess and figure it out on our own, but gives us His Word that instructs and teaches us how we can live in His good, pleasing, and perfect will. This means we need to make a daily pattern of meditating and living out the Word of God everyday. As we practice patterning our lives after the Word of God, only then can we experience the abundant life God desires for you to have.

Weekly Application

As followers of Christ, it’s important not just to hear and know the Word of God, but to put it into practice in our daily lives. Start your day by asking the Holy Spirit to guide and direct you each day. As you set your mind on the things that the Holy Spirit wants, He will show you opportunities to put your faith into action. Live out your faith with at least one person each day this week by serving them and loving them as the Holy Spirit leads. You may be led to offer a listening ear to someone who is going through a tough season, to give a portion of your time or resources to someone in need, or to reach out and forgive someone who has wronged you. Have high expectations of what God can do, and ask Him to guide you each step of the way.

Daily Devotional

Romans 6:4

4 “We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.”

Buried with Christ and raised to a new life for him… This verse states that the moment we accepted Christ and believed in him was the moment that our old ways of living have died. And as it was with Christ, God, through his glorious power gave us a new life to live. Hence, we are “dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 6:11). Therefore, we have a new life to live, not for ourselves, but ultimately for God. Consider the habits that need to change and what you have to do to live like Jesus. As you have been raised with Christ, live this new life by practicing God’s ways everyday.

Weekly Application

As followers of Christ, it’s important not just to hear and know the Word of God, but to put it into practice in our daily lives. Start your day by asking the Holy Spirit to guide and direct you each day. As you set your mind on the things that the Holy Spirit wants, He will show you opportunities to put your faith into action. Live out your faith with at least one person each day this week by serving them and loving them as the Holy Spirit leads. You may be led to offer a listening ear to someone who is going through a tough season or to give a portion of your time or resources to someone in need. Have high expectations of what God can do, and ask Him to guide you each step of the way.

Daily Devotional

Psalm 51:1-3;10-12

1 “Have mercy on me, O God,
    according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy
    blot out my transgressions.

2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
    and cleanse me from my sin!

3 For I know my transgressions,
    and my sin is ever before me.

10 Create in me a clean heart, O God,
    and renew a right spirit within me.

11 Cast me not away from your presence,
    and take not your Holy Spirit from me.

12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
    and uphold me with a willing spirit.”

Today marks the beginning of our 40 day journey through Lent. Let us remember that Lent is not only a sobering time of repentance, but also a time of spiritual renewal and restoration. David's threefold example in today's passage shows us how God is leading us to become a church of "new wineskins". First is to acknowledge who God is, trusting that He is a God of mercy and a God of forgiveness. Second is to acknowledge our sins and confess our need for a savior. And lastly we must ask for renewal, putting our expectations in the power and grace of God to restore our hearts. Only God can make this Lent journey worthwhile by giving us a desire to keep our eyes on Jesus. As God reveals to us the changes He desires in our hearts and in our church, let us begin with humility and courage, looking forward to the joy and glory of Easter day.