Daily Devotion

[boldstardex]

WITHOUT JESUS, WE ARE SPIRITUALLY DEAD
August 15, 2025
Written by George Wright, Senior Pastor
Shades Mountain Baptist Church, Birmingham, AL

“As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.”
Ephesians 2:1-2

Arecent survey by the Barna research group found that 52% of churchgoing Christians strongly agree that “God helps those who help themselves” is in the Bible.

In other words, if you want God to bless you – get your act together and do what you should do. Figure things out – get your life right and then God will join you in your effort and come alongside you to help you live your desired life and accomplish what you want.

Is this in the Bible?

No.

Jesus did not come to help us accomplish our plans. He came to fulfill God’s perfect plan. He did not come to help those who get their lives together. He came to help those who are helpless and recognize that they desperately need a Savior and are hopeless without what He alone can provide. This is what we see in Ephesians 2:1-2.

Apart from Christ, we are completely helpless to get it together and save ourselves because we are spiritually dead. The word of God wants us to understand the seriousness of our spiritual condition. If you are dead, you are helpless. Dead people can do nothing for themselves. This is the spiritual condition of everyone, everywhere, without Jesus Christ.

If you are spiritually dead in your sin, you are following the course of this world. The natural drift of the human heart is toward sin. No one ever drifts toward holiness or godliness. In our sins, we seek to elevate ourselves to the place of God so that we can attempt to run and control our lives.

This is the desire of the enemy of God – the prince of darkness – the prince of the power of the air, who seeks to convince us that we can be like God and reign over our own lives. His tactic originates all the way back in Genesis 3:5-6 in the Garden of Eden:

“For God knows that when you eat of it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil. So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise (elevated to the place of God), she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her (sitting passively by), and he ate.” Genesis 3:5-6

This is the spiritual condition in this fallen and broken world. Dead in our trespasses, following the course of this world, and the prince of the power of the air who leads us to believe we can be like God.

The good news is that God does not intend His world to remain broken. Through Jesus Christ, God is repairing His creation. Jesus Christ has promised to return, and when He returns, He will finish setting everything right forever.

Don’t miss God’s final invitation to a fallen world: “Come!”

Because all who come to God by faith in Jesus Christ will be spiritually alive!

DIG DEEPER
Read “What Does it Mean to be Strong in the Lord?” at GotQuestions.org

 

[boldstardex]

FORGIVENESS – WHAT DOES GOD REQUIRE?
August 17, 2025
Bryant Wright, Founder

“For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.” Matthew 6:14-15

When I do or say something that harms my wife, my family, neighbors, or colleagues, what happens?

I don’t hurt just that individual – I hurt God.

Think about when you’ve offended someone. If my words or actions hurt them, I lose all negotiating power to make them forgive me. The power of forgiveness rests with that person. If someone claims they need six months to recover from what I’ve done, I shouldn’t negotiate and say, “Make it four.”

This same concept applies to God. When we sin against God, we lose all rights to define the terms of reconciliation. We cannot say to God – “If you forgive me, then I’ll give a 10% tithe of my income for the next two years, or I’ll go to church every Sunday.” We have no right to decide what action will satisfy God. It’s pretty sobering when we think about all our past sins.

But here’s the incredible news: God, in His love and mercy, determined that Jesus’ death on the cross would be sufficient. This means that when we repent and ask God to forgive us of our sins, we can trust that Jesus’ death on the cross paid the penalty for all of our sins – it is enough. God set the standard for forgiveness as the cross, paying the debt for our sins and the sins of every person who’s ever wronged us.

So what does God require of us when we sin?

It’s not satisfying a list of good deeds, but a complete surrender of our lives to the Lord. It’s accepting and embracing God’s forgiveness and, in turn, forgiving one another.

DIG DEEPER
Read “God Forgives – We Should, Too” also by Bryant.

 

[boldstardex]

Love God. Love Others.


Support

0:00
iTunesDownload MP3

August 19
Hints of God’s Glory
Bible in a Year :

• Psalms 103-104
• 1 Corinthians 2

The one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and ruby. A rainbow that shone like an emerald encircled the throne.
Revelation 4:3

share
Today's Scripture & Insight :
Revelation 4:1-4, 6-11
Australian photographer Christian Spencer has spent more than twenty years taking pictures in the Itatiaia National Park in Brazil. One amazing aspect of his photography is that he’s captured the effect of sunlight passing through the open wings of the hummingbird. He found that the wings create a prism-like rainbow of colors when birds fly between the bright sun and his camera lens. Other photographers have also captured this in birds other than just the hummingbird.
Finding rainbows of colors in birds’ wings is an example of some of the hidden treasures God has placed in His creation. Such beauty and magnificence can pique our curiosity for what believers in Jesus will observe when they see Him sitting on His throne. When John saw the heavenly throne in Revelation 4, he must have been mesmerized. He describes Christ on the throne with “a rainbow that shone like an emerald” encircling it (v. 3). Words cannot describe the glory of God that was revealed to the apostle.
As we find hidden treasures in God’s creation, may we enjoy each one, knowing there’s so much more awaiting us in heaven. There, we will worship our Creator and praise Him forever: “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being” (v. 11).
By: Brent Hackett



Reflect & Pray
What hidden treasures have you found in God’s creation? How can you use creation to point others to Christ?
Dear God, thank You for the hidden gems in Your creation that point to Your majesty.

 

[boldstardex]

Love God. Love Others.


Support

0:00
iTunesDownload MP3

August 20
Eyes Fixed on Christ!
Bible in a Year :

• Psalms 105-106
• 1 Corinthians 3

Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus.
Hebrews 12:1-2

share
Today's Scripture & Insight :
Hebrews 12:1-3
Teaching his son to ride a bicycle, Andrew discovered, was frustrating. The five-year-old kept swerving to one side and falling. Realizing that this happened because his son kept looking to one side, Andrew had an idea. “See that pole?” he asked his son. “Just keep your eyes on it and pedal.” His son did just that, and this time he kept going and going!
The incident was a lesson for Andrew himself. Recounting what happened to his small group later, he concluded, "Whatever we fix our eyes on is where we’re headed." No wonder Hebrews 12:2 calls on us to keep “fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.”
Life’s responsibilities and routines can draw our attention away from our spiritual walk, as can sinful habits and obsessions that entangle us (v. 1). But if we keep our eyes on Jesus and ask Him to help us put Him first in our thoughts, decisions, and actions, He’ll guide us in everything we do and say, enabling us to stay close to Him in the race on earth. This can be challenging, but God desires to help us fulfill the roles He’s given us. He will give us strength to endure and overcome anything that opposes our walk so we won’t “grow weary and lose heart” (v. 3).
By: Leslie Koh



Reflect & Pray
What’s the first thing you think or do when you have to make a decision or respond to a situation? How can you let your words, actions, and thoughts be guided by Jesus?
Dear Jesus, please help me to keep my eyes fixed on You as I go about life. Please also teach me to turn to You first, for You’re all I need.

 

[boldstardex]

Love God. Love Others.


Support

0:00
iTunesDownload MP3

August 22
Seeing with God’s Heart
Bible in a Year :

• Psalms 110-112
• 1 Corinthians 5

The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down.
Psalm 146:8

share
Today's Scripture & Insight :
Psalm 146
On Chantale’s thirteenth birthday, after hours of joyful celebration in her quiet home village, gunfire shattered the peaceful evening. Chantale and her siblings ran into the forest, obeying their mother’s frantic command to hide. All night, they huddled underneath the sanctuary of a tree. “The sun appeared in the morning. But not our parents,” Chantale recounts. She and her siblings were now orphans and refugees, joining tens of thousands in a refugee camp.
When we hear stories like Chantale’s, it can be tempting to turn away from such overwhelming loss. But those who believe in the God of Scripture believe in a God who never looks away from suffering, who attentively “watches over the foreigner and sustains the fatherless and the widow” (Psalm 146:9).
The “Maker of heaven and earth . . . remains faithful forever” (v. 6), ever at work upholding “the cause of the oppressed” and providing “food to the hungry” (v. 7).
Chantale Zuzi Leader, who founded an organization to educate refugee girls, says her experience taught her that “anyone can become a refugee—to lose that place of safety they once had.”
May our response to those who’ve lost a place of safety reflect the heart of the God, who is an ever-faithful “refuge for the oppressed” (9:9), who “lifts up those who are bowed down” (146:8).
By: Monica La Rose



Reflect & Pray
How have you or someone you know lost a place of safety? How can God work through such experiences?
Faithful God, thank You for being a refuge for all who hurt. Please help me reflect Your heart.
For further study, read Broken Down Cars: Grieving with Those Who Grieve

 

[boldstardex]

EVERYDAY THINGS THAT CAN BRING GLORY TO GOD
August 25, 2025
Michael Kelley, Guest Contributor

“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31

Idon’t like to travel anymore.

There was a point in my life when traveling was a very glamorous proposition. Sleeping in hotels, eating in restaurants, picking up and dropping off the rental car, chasing the elusive “A” status through Southwest Airlines – I loved it all.

But something has shifted.

Call it old (or middle) age, call it maturity, call it curmudgeonness – whatever it is, traveling has become more and more difficult for me. So, when I found myself on a trip across the country earlier this week, I felt an acute sense of homesickness as I tried to go to sleep in a strange bed in a strange room in an unfamiliar city.

It strikes me, though, that this sense of homesickness is also an opportunity for reflection. As much as it’s a struggle and at the risk of over-spiritualizing a simple feeling, moments like these can propel us to remember who we belong to, what we are here for, and where we belong.

Is it too much of a stretch that fairly common occurrences like this can be used by the Holy Spirit redemptively?

In the case of homesickness, it’s an opportunity for us to confess to the Lord that this temporary longing for home (and our own bed) is just a shadow of our longing for our true home in heaven.

If homesickness is one of those instances, let me give you a couple of others:

1. Hunger. Jesus knew what it was like to be hungry. Really. Hungry. In Luke 4, we find Jesus before the launch of His public ministry. He has spent 40 days in the desert, and He has not eaten. Anything. And that’s when the devil comes to tempt Him.

Why then? Presumably, because hunger brings weakness. Perhaps the enemy had a notion that he would find a depleted Jesus, one whose vulnerability had been heightened by the lack of food. So, hunger was what the devil seized upon: “You’re hungry, aren’t you? Well, aren’t you the Son of God? If you are, then make some bread out of these stones.”

While Jesus may have been hungry, He was not weak. And His response reveals that hunger can serve a similar purpose for us—that when we hunger physically, we have the opportunity to turn our eyes upward: “It is written: Man must not live on bread alone” (Luke 4:4). When we are hungry, perhaps our first response should not be to reach for a Hot Pocket, but instead to confess that our greater hunger, whether we recognize it or not, is for God and Him alone.

2. Fatigue. I feel tired. A lot. Some days, especially just in or out of bed, it feels like I’m walking around in a haze. You know the feeling – the feeling that between being a spouse, an employee, a parent, a church member, and everything else, there’s no energy left over.

But our fatigue can also be a physical marker that forces our hearts to focus on the Lord.

Consider the words of Psalm 121: “My help comes from the LORD, the maker of heaven and earth…your Protector will not slumber. Indeed, the Protector of Israel does not slumber or sleep.“

What a different picture! When we are tired, we are reminded that God is not. And that the reason we can lay our heads on the pillow and rest – truly rest – is because He never does. Once again, the physical feeling illustrates a spiritual reality, and we confess that real rest can only be found in Christ.

So, what do you feel right now? What are those physical sensations, and how can the physical lift your soul upward to Jesus?

Don’t miss any opportunity to look toward Him.

DIG DEEPER
Read “What is the Glory of God?” at GotQuestions.org

 

[boldstardex]

Love God. Love Others.


Support

0:00
iTunesDownload MP3

August 29
The Lost Ark
Bible in a Year :

• Psalms 126-128
• 1 Corinthians 10:19-33

David went to bring up the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David with rejoicing.
2 Samuel 6:12

share
Today's Scripture & Insight :
2 Samuel 6:1-2, 6-15
During his church’s fall retreat at a nearby camp, Pastor Jeff took a walk with my son, who led him through a wooded trail to the outdoor chapel. Suddenly they came upon the ark of the covenant! Of course, it wasn’t the real ark but a life-sized, gold-colored replica begun by my husband years ago, with Jeff’s encouragement, and recently completed by my son as a surprise.
Jeff was so thrilled he hurried to enlist others to help him bring the ark to the camp dining hall. What a sight to see the men carrying the ark down the road as two of the pastor’s little grandsons trailed behind hand in hand!
Scripture tells of the joyous occasion when the real ark of the covenant, which symbolized God’s presence with His people, was brought from the house where it had been kept into its proper place in Jerusalem, “the City of David” (2 Samuel 6:12). King David was so overjoyed he danced “before the Lord with all his might” as the people shouted and trumpets sounded (vv. 14-15).
Years later, the Israelites were taken captive to Babylon, and Jerusalem was destroyed (2 Kings 25). We don't know what happened to the ark. Legends abound, but we no longer need it to enjoy God’s presence (John 14:16-17). Through Jesus’ death, resurrection, and sending of the Spirit, God is with all who believe in Christ. That’s an excellent reason to rejoice!
By: Alyson Kieda



Reflect & Pray
How does it impact you to know God is with you? When have you felt His presence?
Dear God, thank You for sending Your Holy Spirit.
For further study, read A Story of a Life Led by the Spirit.

 

[boldstardex]

Love God. Love Others.


Support

0:00
iTunesDownload MP3

September 2
See What God Has Done
Bible in a Year :

• Psalms 137-139
• 1 Corinthians 13

Suddenly a light from heaven flashed around [Saul]. He fell to the ground and heard a voice.
Acts 9:3-4

share
Today's Scripture & Insight :
Acts 9:1-6, 8, 10-12, 15
Morse was the son of a Protestant minister and a struggling painter of landscapes. In the 1820s, he made a meager living as a limner—“an itinerant painter” of colonial America. But his was a life God led in another direction. Morse also had an interest in science. He learned about electromagnets, conceiving an idea that would change the world. In 1832, Samuel F. B. Morse conceived the idea of an electric telegraph and later went on to make the first working telegraph.
Probably the most dramatic biblical account of “career change” was that of Saul, who was “breathing out murderous threats” against believers in Christ (Acts 9:1). Jesus appeared to him in a great light (v. 3) saying that Saul was persecuting Him. Essentially, Saul was told to stop because he was under new orders now (v. 6). Saul did a U-turn in his life and assumed a new identity in Christ as the apostle who would eventually spread the gospel wherever he went.
Sometimes what we think is our future really isn’t. God leads us in another direction. Perhaps He needs to call us out of our sin. Or maybe it’s a change of ministry or vocation. When God redirects our lives, we do well to stop what we’re doing and follow our new orders. And as our new path opens before us, we might just echo the joy of the first dot-and-dash message of Morse’s telegraph: “What hath God wrought!”
By: Kenneth Petersen



Reflect & Pray
How has God led your life in a different direction? What word has He given you today to encourage others?
Dear God, please help me be open to Your leading as You guide my path and career in this current season.
For further study, read It’s Not Fair: Trusting God When Life Doesn’t Make Sense.

 

[boldstardex]

Love God. Love Others.


Support

0:00
iTunesDownload MP3

September 3
Ready to Pray
Bible in a Year :

• Psalms 140-142
• 1 Corinthians 14:1-20

Join me in my struggle by praying to God for me.
Romans 15:30

share
Today's Scripture & Insight :
Romans 15:30-33
A pack of hyenas surrounded a lone lioness. When the cackling beasts attacked, the lioness fought back. Biting, clawing, growling, and roaring in a desperate attempt to ward off her enemies, she finally fell. As the clan engulfed her, another lioness came to the rescue with three helpers only seconds behind her. Though outnumbered, the big cats fought off the hyenas until they scattered. The lionesses stood together, scanning the horizon as if expecting another attack.
Believers in Jesus desperately need help from others too. The most powerful help we can offer is prayer. The apostle Paul wrote in a letter to the church in Rome, “I urge you, brothers and sisters, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me” (Romans 15:30). Paul asked them to pray that he would “be kept safe from the unbelievers in Judea” and that the “Lord’s people” would receive him and his gifts “favorably” (v. 31). He acknowledged the rewards of being a part of their community (v. 32). He stood with them in prayer, too, ending his letter with a blessing: “The God of peace be with you all” (v. 33).
As we live for Jesus, we’ll face adversaries in the physical and spiritual realms. God promises to be with us and fight on our behalf, however, as we stand together . . . always ready to pray.
By: Xochitl Dixon



Reflect & Pray
How has God used intercessory prayer to strengthen you? How does He keep you ready to pray?
Mighty God, please make me steadfast in prayer as I thrive in community with You and others.
Discover the life-changing power of prayer.

 

[boldstardex]

Love God. Love Others.


Support

0:00
iTunesDownload MP3

September 4
Our Calling in Christ
Bible in a Year :

• Psalms 143-145
• 1 Corinthians 14:21-40

Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the Lord.
Ezra 7:10

share
Today's Scripture & Insight :
Ezra 7:6-11, 27-28
Ginnie Hislop received a standing ovation as she received her master’s degree in 2024. Why? It came eighty-four years after she’d completed her coursework! In 1941, she needed only to submit her thesis. But her then boyfriend, George, was suddenly called to serve during World War II. The two quickly married and headed to his army outpost—leaving Ginnie’s nearly realized degree behind. But after a lengthy pause, she was finally able to complete what she’d started.
Ezra was a student of Scripture—one who truly had an “advanced degree” in God’s law—who’d been waiting years to return to Jerusalem from exile in Babylon. “Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the Lord, and to teaching its decrees” (Ezra 7:10). Zerubbabel and a group of Israelite exiles had been permitted to return from Babylon to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem decades earlier (2:1-2). And now Ezra, who had “the gracious hand of his God . . . on him” (7:9), was leading more exiles to Jerusalem. God would use him to reform and restore the proper worship of Him according to Scripture: “Ezra opened the book [of the Law]. All the people . . . bowed down and worshiped the Lord” (Nehemiah 8:5-6).
Ezra had to wait decades, but he completed his calling in God’s strength. In His power, let’s persist in finishing the work He has for us.
By: Tom Felten



Reflect & Pray
What can you do to press on in your calling from God? How can you persist in His power and wisdom?
Dear God, please help me finish well what You’ve called me to do.
Learn how to find and follow your calling.

 

[boldstardex]

Love God. Love Others.


Support

0:00
iTunesDownload MP3

September 9
Unashamed for Jesus
Bible in a Year :

• Proverbs 6-7
• 2 Corinthians 2

Do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord.
2 Timothy 1:8

share
Today's Scripture & Insight :
2 Timothy 1:6-12
Before he was martyred for his steadfast faith in Jesus, an African minister whose name has not been preserved penned “A Martyr’s Prayer.” This profound message from another era has become known as “The Fellowship of the Unashamed.”
This pastor’s words present a challenge to all believers in Jesus—a challenge that echoes the words of the apostle Paul, who wrote in his letter to his young friend Timothy: “Do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord” (2 Timothy 1:8) because the Holy Spirit gives us “power, love and self-discipline” (v. 7).
Here, in part, is what that faithful African pastor wrote: “I am part of the fellowship of the unashamed. The decision has been made. I am a disciple of [Jesus] and I won’t back up, let up, slow down, back away, or be still. My past is redeemed. My present makes sense. My future is secure. . . . I live by faith, lean on His presence, walk by patience, lift by prayer, and labor by the Holy Spirit’s power.”
Both Timothy and that pastor faced difficulties we may never experience, but their words challenge us to stand strong when our faith is tested. We can remain unashamed because God “is able to guard what [we] have entrusted to him” (v. 12)—our lives and our future.
By: Dave Branon



Reflect & Pray
What gives you courage to be unashamed for Christ? How can you follow the examples of others who were unashamed of the gospel?
Dear God, You promised that the Holy Spirit gives us power. Please help me to stand up for You and be unashamed in all kinds of situations.
Dive deeper into the wisdom shared in 1 and 2 Timothy.

 

[boldstardex]

Love God. Love Others.


Support

0:00
iTunesDownload MP3

September 10
Powerless but Not Prayerless
Bible in a Year :

• Proverbs 8-9
• 2 Corinthians 3

We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.
2 Chronicles 20:12

share
Today's Scripture & Insight :
2 Chronicles 20:2-4, 6-12, 15
Anita Bailey’s heart was warmed when she got this social media message about her son Jalen: “I was a greeter today at [church] and a young man with a child in his arms came up to me and put his arms around me. . . . I stared for a second, then I recognized him and said, ‘Jalen!' We embraced and chatted briefly. What a fine young man!” The greeter knew Jalen in his rebellious days when Anita and her husband, Ed, had felt powerless to save their son from the consequences of his unwise choices, which had resulted in twelve years in prison for him.
Though the Baileys felt powerless, they were not prayerless. And neither was King Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles 20. When harassed by a menacing coalition of enemy forces, he called a prayer meeting (vv. 1-4). “Our God, will you not judge them?” he prayed. “For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you” (v. 12).
Have you ever felt powerless or clueless in the face of circumstances that were out of your control? Why not call a prayer meeting—either alone or with others? That’s what Jesus did in the face of His coming crucifixion (Luke 22:39-44). Prayer space is the sacred place where the petitions of powerless people are offered to our almighty God in the name of Jesus.
By: Arthur Jackson



Reflect & Pray
What’s keeping you from bringing your challenges to God in prayer? How can you partner with others in prayer for mutual support?
Almighty God of resurrection power, please help me in my powerlessness today as I fix my eyes on Jesus.

 

[boldstardex]

BEING GREAT
September 09, 2025
Written by Bryant Wright, Founder

“Whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant; and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all.” Mark 10:43b-44

What does it mean to be great?

The world most often defines greatness by one’s accomplishments. Think back to ancient history when Alexander the Great conquered the known world by the time he was 33 years old, only to weep because there was nothing left to conquer. Later, Thomas Edison would have over a thousand patents to his name. Or, what about Einstein and his amazing discoveries in quantum physics?

Others might argue that real greatness is all about power. In Jesus’ time, Caesar Augustus was considered truly great because of all the power he held. In the modern world, you might look at the Oval Office, where Presidents of the United States sit, as a place of true power and influence.

But is power what really defines greatness?

In reality, anyone can become great. Perhaps not according to the world’s definition – or even according to your own definition.

Jesus tells us, “…whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all.” Jesus, the greatest man to ever exist, said He didn’t come to be served; He came to serve.

This heart of service eventually led Jesus to trade His life for our salvation.

So, you see, the greatest man was also the greatest servant.

And that is what Jesus calls us to be. No personal accomplishment, patent or scientific discovery, worldly power, or even being a President – nothing in this earthly world can be considered truly great in the eternal.

Follow the footsteps of Jesus.

Serve your fellow man.

Then you’ll find the only lasting road to true greatness.

DIG DEEPER
Read “Defining Greatness” also by Bryant

 

[boldstardex]

CHRIST TOOK CARE OF IT ALL
September 10, 2025
Written by Bryant Wright, Founder

“You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross.” Colossians 2:13-14 NLT

Sometimes when I’m studying for a sermon or even having a quiet time with the Lord, I wonder, do I really comprehend the incredible gift we were given when Jesus died for our sins?

Do any of us?

Not that we intentionally take it for granted, but we speak about it so routinely that I think we don’t absorb the full scope of His gift.

Think about it. It’s as if our sins were written on a dry-erase board. Then Christ came along with a cloth and wiped the board clean, erasing our sins forever – as though they had never been there!

Left on the board is a receipt that says, “PAID IN FULL.”

Christ took care of it all.

Our sins were nailed to the cross; they’ve been taken care of. Nothing more is needed for forgiveness other than for us to accept this amazing gift.

Have you claimed the freedom of knowing that Christ has paid the full debt of your sins?

If not, let Christ give you a clean slate.

All you have to do is simply accept His gift in faith.

Please don’t put it off. Do it today.

DIG DEEPER
Read “What Does It Mean That You Were Bought With a Price?” at GotQuestions.org

 

[boldstardex]

TO KNOW JESUS – DAY FOUR: MAKING THE DECISION TO TRUST
September 14, 2025
Bryant Wright, Founder

“Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?’” John 14:5

In the first devotional of this series, you may recall that Jesus said, “I am the way…” and, in doing so, upset many people with His claim.

Today, we see Thomas asking Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?”

Now, before you get too hard on Thomas, I think he believed that Jesus was the way to the Heavenly Father. He just didn’t understand exactly how he would get to heaven. That is the big question for all of us. How do we find the road to heaven?

Most people feel like they’re going to get to heaven if they are good enough, religious enough, or moral enough. They think at least one of those deeds will do the trick. Unfortunately, the Bible clearly says if we sin one time, we’re not qualified for heaven. Just ONE time! In other words, we would have to be perfect to get to heaven with good deeds. It should come as no surprise that none of us make it that way.

So how can we be sure that we know the way to heaven?

Think about it this way: It’s 1970 (before the age of the GPS) and you’re going to New York City for the first time. You have a meeting in downtown Manhattan. So, you stop and ask somebody for directions and they say, “Just go down about 3 blocks where you’ll see a service station, turn left and go a few blocks, and you’ll see a 60-story building, turn right and go about 5 or 6 blocks, and you’ll come to an intersection…” Well, by that time, your mind is confused, and then you realize you are lost.

But what if that person had said, “You haven’t been here before, have you? Come with me. I’ll take you there.” Now, you’ve got a big decision to make. “Can I trust this guy? Is he going to rob me? Is he going to lead me into trouble?” “Will he really lead me to where I need to go?” That’s the decision we have to make is whether or not we can trust in Jesus to get us to Heaven.

Obviously, the decision to trust Jesus is eternally more important than finding your way in Manhattan. Yet it’s a decision to believe He is trustworthy enough to follow Him with your life. Many of us have decided that Jesus is telling the truth and He is the way to heaven.

So, what about you? Will you trust Him? It’s the biggest decision in life.

DIG DEEPER
Read “Jesus Was Clear On Who He Was – Are You?” also by Bryant

 

[boldstardex]

Love God. Love Others.


Support

2:53
iTunesDownload MP3

September 15
Making Disciples for Christ
Bible in a Year :

• Proverbs 22-24
• 2 Corinthians 8

Go and make disciples.
Matthew 28:19

share
Today's Scripture & Insight :
Matthew 28:16-20
Early in the basketball season, the coach at our neighborhood middle school seemed to work hardest convincing his players to risk shooting the ball. “Shoot!” he pleaded from the sidelines. His players eagerly passed the ball. Dribbling was a favorite too. The season was half over before most of them would shed their doubts and try to shoot the ball to score. But “going for it” made all the difference. By obeying their coach, letting go of doubt, and trying—even if they often missed the target—they learned to win.
Jesus teaches us to let go of doubt to obey His call to make disciples. He explains, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:18-20).
In practical terms, this can mean stepping out of our comfort to share our story of what God has done for us. Or getting involved in the lives of our hurting neighbors, showing them Jesus’ love. Such approaches work, but only if we let go and try them.
Above all, we go in Jesus’ authority to attempt what may look hard—making disciples. But we need not fear. Jesus promised: “Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (v. 20).
By: Patricia Raybon



Reflect & Pray
What fears and doubts do you have about making disciples? Why? How can you obey Christ’s call?
I need practice making disciples, dear Father, but please encourage me to let go of doubt and try.

 

[boldstardex]

BAREFOOT BEFORE BATTLE
September 15, 2025
Jonathan Munson, Executive Director

“The commander of the Lord’s army replied, ‘Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.’ And Joshua did so.” Joshua 5:15

“Take your shoes off.”

Growing up, I must have heard my mom say those words at least a thousand times.

She didn’t want me traipsing dirt across her white carpet. (Why we had carpet the color of newly fallen snow is still a mystery.)

When the angel told Joshua to take off his sandals, he was standing on something far more sacred than white carpet; he was standing on “Holy Ground.” His barefoot encounter happened outside Jericho, a city with walls 30 feet high and 12 feet thick. From a human perspective, Jericho looked invincible.

Imagine the thoughts swirling around Joshua’s brain:

• “Impossible. There’s no way.”
• “Maybe if we approach from over there.”
• “If this fails, the people will lose confidence in me.”

Suddenly, Joshua’s pre-battle strategizing was interrupted by the “commander of the Lord’s army.”

“Take your shoes off.”

Usually, Joshua gave the orders. This time, however, he followed them.

Removing his sandals indicated many things – humility, purity, reverence,- but first and foremost, it was an act of obedience. Barefoot and face down on the ground, he declared, “We’re going into battle Your way, not mine.”

Like Joshua, we all face battles. Some of us even have a “Jericho” looming on the horizon, a battle so big that victory seems impossible. The question isn’t whether we’re in a battle—it’s whether we’re still wearing our shoes.

Let me explain.

Many of us lack Joshua’s reverence for the Lord. Too often, we treat God casually, showing more reverence for something as trivial as the carpet in the living room than for the living God. Have we lost sight of what it means to be in the Lord’s presence?

When we forget we’re on holy ground, we charge ahead in our own strength, instead of His. But when we pause, kneel, and ‘take off our shoes’ (so to speak), we demonstrate our awe of the Almighty.

For Christ-followers, getting ‘barefoot before battle’ means seeking Jesus before rushing into the demands of life. We worship before we wage war. It’s not just a frame of mind; it’s a posture of the heart: surrendering our pride, giving up control, and saying, “Lord, I’m under Your command.”

And remember, because of Jesus, God’s presence isn’t limited to a patch of ground. His Spirit lives in us. We are “temples of His Spirit” (1 Corinthians 6:19), so we’re on holy ground wherever we go. Every step, every task, every battle —both big and small —we carry His presence with us. Embracing this reality has the potential to transform every aspect of our day.

But let’s be clear: God doesn’t promise victory just because we “take off our shoes.” Sometimes our ‘Jericho walls’ don’t crumble the way we hoped. What the Lord promises is His presence, His strength, and His wisdom for whatever challenges lie ahead.

So, take off your shoes, my friend.

Not only before the battle, but in the thick of it. Not just when the walls fall down, but even if they don’t.

Because the God who met Joshua meets us, too.

Bow down. Surrender. You’re on holy ground.

The power isn’t in your strength or your strategy; it’s in your Savior.

DIG DEEPER
Read “What Does the Bible Mean When It Refers to Holy Ground?” at GotQuestions.org

 

[boldstardex]

Love God. Love Others.


Support

0:00
iTunesDownload MP3

September 16
Overcoming Evil with Good
Bible in a Year :

• Proverbs 25-26
• 2 Corinthians 9

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Romans 12:21

share
Today's Scripture & Insight :
Romans 12:14-21
Doctor Dolittle, the fictional doctor who converses with animals, has delighted fans through books, movies, and plays. However, few people know that author Hugh Lofting first wrote the Dolittle tales to his children from the ghastly trenches of World War I. He later said that the war was too awful to recount in his letters—so he wrote and illustrated stories instead. These whimsical, joy-filled tales were Lofting’s way of pushing back against the war’s horror.
It’s inspiring to see a person moving against the menacing, degrading forces that seem too powerful to thwart. We admire this resilient courage because we fear that injustice, violence, and greed will triumph. Sometimes we fear that the whole world will be “overcome by evil” (Romans 12:21). And these fears are well-founded if we’re left to ourselves. However, God has not left us to ourselves. He fills us with His divine strength, places us in the action, and calls us to “overcome evil with good” (v. 21).
We each overcome evil with good in whatever ways God has put into our hearts. Some of us write beautiful stories. Some of us care for the poor. Some of us make our homes places of welcome. Some of us share God’s story through melody, poetry, or conversation. In a myriad of ways, we carry His goodness and peace into the world (v. 18), overcoming evil as we go.
By: Winn Collier



Reflect & Pray
Where do you see evil lurking? How can you be part of overcoming evil with good?
Dear God, please help me be part of overcoming evil with good.

 

[boldstardex]

DO YOU HAVE A HEART FOR GOD?
September 16, 2025
Bryant Wright, Founder

“I hate, I reject your festivals, nor do I delight in your solemn assemblies. Even though you offer up to Me burnt offerings and your grain offerings, I will not accept them; and I will not even look at the peace offerings of your fatlings. Take away from Me the noise of your songs; I will not even listen to the sound of your harps. But let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.” Amos 5:21-24

Wow.

Did you read that verse?

That’s a pretty strong condemnation from the Lord! Obviously, this was a time when the children of Israel were engaging in all kinds of evil doings. They were worshiping idols, committing adultery, divorcing, and only giving God their leftovers. They had basically turned their hearts against God and His will for their lives.

And now, they wanted God’s help. The economy had gone south, and their crops were failing. They couldn’t understand why God wasn’t coming through for them. “God, we’re worshiping with passion. We’re weeping on the altar. We’re pleading for Your mercy and forgiveness. We’re bringing You our offerings. What in the world is going on?”

Sound familiar? Do you ever find yourself asking the same question? “Hey, God, I’m going to church on Sunday, I’m singing Your praises, so why haven’t things turned around for me?” Never mind that I’m cheating on my income taxes. Or that I’m feasting on pornography. Or that I’m mistreating my children. Or that I never have time for You during the week.

I’ve got news for you: We cannot buy God’s favor with our offerings.

We do not impress Him with emotional, weeping, passionate worship if our lifestyle doesn’t show a heart for God. He is far more concerned with our obedience than with our emotional worship.

In fact, He won’t even ACCEPT our offerings or songs of worship unless our hearts are truly repentant and our lives are following Jesus.

So, I ask you…where is your heart?

Do you have a heart for God?


DIG DEEPER
Read “A Tug of War of the Heart” by Jonathan Munson

 

[boldstardex]

IT’S WHAT THE WORDS MEAN THAT’S IMPORTANT
September 17, 2025
Written by Bryant Wright, Founder

“In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” Ephesians 6:17-18

Do you ever find it a challenge to fight the temptation to do something you know isn’t right?

Of course, you do. We all do.

The best way to fight temptation is as Jesus did. When Satan tempted Jesus with bread, power, and freedom from harm, Jesus responded by quoting Scripture (Matthew 4:1-11).

Again and again, Satan would throw out a great prize, and each time, Jesus shot him down with God’s Word!

Now, you may be thinking, “Bryant, that makes a lot of sense, but I can’t memorize things.”

Let me offer you some advice. Instead of memorizing the exact words, capture the spirit of the passages.

There are two reasons for this:

First, worrying over the exact words will trip you up, pose a barrier to your learning, and maybe even be so frustrating that you give up.

Secondly, it’s the point of the verse that God uses to give us victory over temptation.

Set a goal this week to meditate on one verse that has particular meaning or encouragement for your life. Write it out and place it where you will see it throughout the day: your bathroom mirror, the dashboard of your car, the lock screen of your phone – whatever works for you.

Every time you see that verse, pause and really read it.

By the end of the week, you might be surprised at just how easily that verse comes to mind. Then, choose another verse!

Soon, you will have a great collection of God’s Words to fight the temptations the devil sends your way.

DIG DEEPER
Read “What Does the Bible Say About Temptation?” at GotQuestions.org