Weekly Devo

“I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some” (1 Corinthians 9:22b).  There are only two types of motivating factors behind everything we do. We either do it to boost our ego, or we do it because it makes a difference. The ego focused activities are things we enjoy, make us look good, and require little to no sacrifices. Therefore, you can be a “good” person and do “good” things without going to Heaven. Doing something to make a difference requires a different type of mindset. It will always require a sacrifice. At the very least, you will have to sacrifice your ego to do it. We are to be people who only act and make a difference without considering any personal gain. The only thing we gain from what we do is a glad heart from knowing we served God and others. We are to be sacrificial people, not superficial. What is your motivation behind what you do?                  ...

“Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Revelation 2:10).      We are taught to dream big. We walk around saying, “Go big or go home.” We have a mentality that if we can’t have it all, it’s not enough or worth it. We even expect others around us to give us the world with every word or gift. The reality is, that’s not real. Yes, give it your all. Of course, you want to reach the highest high. You do not get there with getting it all done that day. No one ever walked into a gym and deadlifted 600 pounds on the first try. No one ever walked into a kitchen and made a souffle on the first try. No, they both had to have had previous knowledge, understanding, and training to make that happen. It is the little things that make the difference. Our faith is the same way.                 You will not go out and baptize 1,000 people on your first day of evangelizing. You won’t comfort and ...

“My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” (James 1:2-4 NKJV) We can never seem to catch a break. There is always something in this world that is going to threaten our faith. One we don’t often consider is comfort. It’s only an issue if we let it be - the reason why it’s secret is that it sneaks up on us. Comfort is one of those things that happens over time and grows on us. The struggle is it makes us where we don’t want to act and do. We are comfortable. Faith is produced in the trenches, not on the couches. That is why it’s our enemy. When we grow comfortable with sitting still, we are growing comfortable with dying. None of us want to die spiritually. Faith was never meant to be stagnant. Faith, by definition, is action. Remember, faith equals active obedience to God. Do yourself a favor, check yourself and ...

(1 Timothy 5:6) A dead alcoholic was once asked, “What do you want most?” He said, “A sip of whiskey.” Living for sin has a way of making you feel alive while the soul agonizingly dies inside. Your heart will race, adrenaline will pump through your veins, the world will seem like it bows down to you when living for what gratifies your flesh. All the while you are marching to your grave. Live in Christ. Walking dead belongs to those outside of Christ.                                           

                   (Matthew 22:37-40)      Love is a choice. It is the choice that compels us to put God first and others above ourselves. We choose to submit to, work for, and serve those around us. We often think love is something more or mystical. The truth is love is a choice. It is a choice made daily and in each moment between ourselves or others. Love is kind, longsuffering, believing, selfless, and never failing - the reason it carries those attributes is because it’s a choice. If you love the way God loves you, you choose to be kind, longsuffering, believing, selfless, etc. Souls need us to make this choice. Our brothers and sisters in Christ need us to make this choice. We need to make this choice for ourselves. God desires us to make this choice. The real question is, will you make a choice to love?                                 ...

    Luke 15:11-32            The beautiful picture painted for us in the prodigal son is amazing to ponder. We often talk about the son and the father, the choices made, and the redemption found. But, have you ever thought about the love that never failed? The father never stopped loving his sons. Even when one went wayward, he still loved him and loved him dearly. I heard someone say to their child the other day, “Even if you make mistakes and do wrong, I still love you the same.” I know how it feels to think someone’s love may leave you. I know what it is like to worry that you will do enough wrong or the one wrong thing for their love to end. It makes for tear-filled nights and days filled with an aching heart. It causes things to be done, and a life lived out of fear. One day, I don’t remember when but I realized God is not that way. God’s love never ends. You cannot do enough wrong for God to stop loving you. That do...

  1 John 5:3 Love and faith go hand in hand. We have to love God to be submissive enough to keep His commands. In turn, keeping His commands shows Him our love. When we quit believing and keeping His commands, we no longer love Him. It is easier to stop loving God and love other things than we realize. Demas is a tragic example of such an occurrence (2 Timothy 4:10), who was a previous coworker with Paul. Paul was a fantastic example of Christianity, but Demas still walked away. Some today love the world instead of the truth.  They never receive love for the truth (2 Thessalonians 2:10). It’s evident when you don’t love the truth, you do what you want and satisfy yourself. If we are to love the way God desires us to, we must love the truth.