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  Romans 11:33-36 Listen to today's devotional I came across a line recently that gave me a helpful perspective of the letter to the Romans. Speaking of the letter's focus on the gospel of Jesus, it said, “The gospel reveals how God is righteously righteousing unrighteous people.” Now, is that a little wordy? Yes. But also kind of perfect. It highlights Paul's conviction that everything begins and ends with God. We don't make ourselves right. God does that. From start to finish, it’s God’s work. It's God’s mercy, righteousness and grace poured out for all people. Or, as Paul says himself, “For from him and through him and to him are all things.” That might sound like a lot of theology. If it does, welcome to Romans. Paul doesn’t always make it easy. But he does make understanding it worth the effort. Romans is widely considered Paul’s deepest and most profound letter. And for good reason. Notice, too, something that happens after some of Paul's reflection on God...

  Matthew 5:43-48 Listen to today's devotional Okay, I'll say it. I don’t always want to pray for some people. Does that sound unpastoral? Maybe even unChristian? Just like you, people have hurt me, disappointed me, ignored me, or straight up disliked me, to say it nicely. There are names that come to mind I'd rather forget. So, when I hear Jesus say, “Pray for them,” my first response is usually something like, “Really? Them?" As if God doesn't know the history. When I catch that feeling, I remember that's probably part of the point. Part of maturing means learning to talk things out when possible. We should do the hard thing of addressing issues with others. But Jesus tells us to make sure to pray for those people, too. How silly I must sound to God sometimes. Jesus prayed for those who nailed him to a cross. “Father, forgive them,” he said, with pain, breathlessness and love. Jesus prayed while people mocked him. He prayed when they didn’t ask for it. And wh...

  Hosea 6:1-6 Listen to today's devotional Fixed-hour prayer is thought to be the oldest form of Christian devotion. Early believers paused several times a day to pray and reflect, and turn their attention to God. While it is an ancient practice that was probably adopted from our Jewish roots, there are still modern ways to do this. Now, some might wonder why we'd stop and pray or read scripture so much. But I'd ask why you stop and eat and drink throughout the day. The answer is the same. We do it to live. In my church, we often talk of revival. It's something I've prayed for and continue to trust that God will bring to our local church and community. I don't fully know what revival will look like. I have dreams and hopes, but, whatever it is, I trust it will unfold in God's timing and in God's way. Revival is always God's business. But we still have a part to play in revival. Our work is to return. To turn to God not just once, not just when things...

  Colossians 2:16-3:1 Listen to today's devotional As a sports fan, I’ve complained about umpires before. I get caught up in the emotion of the game, yelling at the screen because I think I see it better. Truth is, I’d make a terrible umpire. I’m too involved. I don’t always know the rules. I just focus on where I think the action is supposed to go. That’s a helpful image for what Paul warns us about in Colossians 2:18. He says: don’t let anyone disqualify you. In other words, the idea is don’t let someone else act like the umpire of your spiritual life, especially when they’re operating from a human rulebook. It’s one thing to have trusted friends or mentors speak truth into your life. We need that. But it’s another thing to let someone else tell you whether or not you belong to God based on their checklist. Paul mentions people judging others based on what they eat or drink, or how they observe religious holidays. Those can be meaningful disciplines. But they are not the fou...

 Listen on Spotify Watch on YouTube Jesus teaches us to pray boldly and persistently, like an annoying neighbor at midnight. What door do you need to start knocking on again? Monday: The Practice of Knocking on Wood Scripture: Acts 17:22-23 Devotional: Many of us have engaged in practices like knocking on wood or carrying good luck charms. These actions, rooted in superstition, give us an illusion of control over our circumstances. In Acts 17, Paul addresses the Athenians who were "very religious" and had an altar to an "unknown god." Our natural inclination to seek control demonstrates our desire for assurance and security. Reflection Questions: Have you ever relied on superstitions for comfort or assurance? Why do you think that was? How can you shift from seeking control to trusting God with your uncertainties? Additional Scripture: Proverbs 3:5-6 Tuesday: Knocking on God's Door Scripture: Luke 11:5-10 Devotiona...

  Esther 3:12-15 Listen to today's devotional Haman's personal vendetta against Mordecai is a major part of the plot of Esther's story. His power, fear and ego all feed his desire to "destroy, to kill and to annihilate all Jews." This ancient story shows how one person's pettiness impacted many other people. For Haman, cruelty, not justice or morality, was the point. We notice in the story that Haman's plans easily come with the king's approval. All Haman had to do was talk about the people in a negative way. The king gave Haman his signet ring to establish any decree he wanted against the Jews with no proof. Just prejudice. Classic scapegoating meant to demonize and dehumanize an entire group of people. It's striking to me how our history's headlines mirror each other in this way. Haman sent out letters with the decree and he called "on all the peoples to be ready for that day." After all, it was such an important task, it had to be ...

  Psalm 138:1-6 Listen to today's devotional Praying before meals wasn’t new to me. But singing? That was a first. I was at lunch once with a big group of pastors. We were loud and hungry, crowded around several tables at a local restaurant. When someone asked who would pray, a quick hush fell over the group. Then someone suggested we sing the Wesley grace. Without hesitation, these words filled the whole place: “Be present at our table, Lord. Be here and everywhere adored. These favors bless and grant that we may feast and fellowship with thee." I mumbled along at first, glancing around to see who was listening. But by the final “ Amen, ” I was singing a little louder. Psalm 138 says, “Before the gods I sing your praise.” Even kings, the psalmist says, will sing of the ways of the Lord. If they can lift their voices, surely I can, too. Even over the clatter of silverware, conversation and a lunch buffet. At church, I remind people our singing is not about hitting the right no...

  John 6:41-51 Listen to today's devotional We often think of eternal life as something that begins when we die. Indeed, whatever glory looks like on the other side of this world, will be everything God wants it to be for us. It will be more than we could ever imagine. But that's only a part of eternal life. Eternal life includes today. It includes what you experienced yesterday and what you'll grow into tomorrow. It is a present reality just as much as it is a future hope. As I began to grow in faith, I heard a lot of sermons that focused on the future. That is, preachers did well to get me to think about how wonderful heaven must be. Of course, if I want to be in heaven, I better choose Jesus. But notice something Jesus said in John 6. Religious leaders scoffed at him for saying he was "the bread that came down from heaven." They knew him as Joseph's boy. How could he claim to be anything or anyone from heaven? Jesus responded by assuring us of God's gra...

  Acts 19:23-27 Listen to today's devotional In Acts 19, we meet Demetrius. He was a silversmith who made a good living crafting silver shrines of the goddess Artemis. For Demetrius and his colleagues, business was booming. Until it wasn’t. The gospel began spreading and people started turning from idol worship and toward  The Way . Suddenly, idolatry was losing its profitability. Demetrius, worried about losing income and, perhaps, influence, stirred up the city. His no little protest against Paul quickly led to a riot. To our ears, Paul's message may not sound controversial. For us, faith is a matter of choice. But don't miss how irrational and disruptive his message was to a poly-theistic world. To reject the gods of the Roman world would be to reject Roman civil life itself. You can hear that nervousness when Demetrius acknowledged that Artemis' reputation might suffer. But the real trouble for Demetrius happened when people began living differently. That’s what I a...

  Listen on Spotify Watch on  YouTube Monday: Understanding Burdens Scripture: Galatians 6:2 – "Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way, you will fulfill the law of Christ." Devotional: Today, we are called to reflect on what it means to carry each other's burdens. The scripture from Galatians emphasizes the importance of community and shared responsibility. We are not meant to carry our burdens alone. Just as physical burdens can weigh us down, emotional, spiritual, and financial burdens can have the same effect. As a community of faith, we are called to support one another and share in the weight of these burdens. Reflection Questions: What burdens are you carrying right now that you haven't shared with others? How does sharing burdens with others change the way you experience them? Who in your life might need help carrying their burdens? Additional Scripture: Matthew 11:28-30 Tuesday: Recognizing the Power of Presence Scripture: Job 2:11-13 – Job’s...

  Psalm 140:12-13 Listen to today's devotional Sometimes it feels like the world doesn't just ignore the poor. It runs right over them. The people with the most power or platform seem to have the loudest and more important voice. Meanwhile, those carrying the heaviest burdens get pushed further to the margins. And far too often, we not only overlook this reality, we participate in it. We let it happen. We might even benefit from it.  But the psalmist doesn’t say, “I hope the Lord will help.” He says, “I know that the Lord maintains the cause of the needy and executes justice for the poor.” That’s faith rooted in trust and experience. That’s someone who has seen God act before and expects God to act again in a particular way with a particular alignment. God defends the vulnerable. God notices when others overlook. God doesn’t take a that's-too-bad approach. God upholds their cause. That means God is involved, not distant. Active, not passive. "So you say you love the po...

  Psalm 140:9-11 Listen to today's devotional In my tradition, when someone is baptized, they’re asked: “Do you accept the freedom and power God gives you to resist evil, injustice, and oppression in whatever forms they present themselves?” In my years of pastoral ministry, I’ve never heard anyone answer “no.” I’ve also never met anyone who said they doubt those things are real. But I do wonder if we keep some of those words up on a high shelf. As mere lofty ideals, that freedom and power stay there out of our normal use and away from our everyday convictions. We believe in justice in theory, but we don’t always know what to do with it when evil hides behind systems, status or even religion. As a kid, TV shaped my images of good and evil. God looked like a white-bearded man in the sky. The devil wore red, had horns and carried a pitchfork. But real evil is sneakier than that. It doesn’t always come with a costume. It shows up quietly, clothed in lies, inequality, pride an...

  Psalm 140:4-8 Listen to today's devotional Some days, it feels like everything is coming at you. How many unkind words can you really take all at once? How many times does a simple misunderstanding spiral into something overblown? When have you felt the weight of someone else’s agenda pressing in on you? Even if it’s not full-on spiritual warfare, you can can feel like you’re under attack. From people, from life's pressures and even from past wounds that haven’t fully healed. Psalm 140 gives us a way to pray in those moments. First, start with who God is. “You are my God,” the psalmist says (v.6). That’s not just theology. That's a relationship. A life lived in communion with the Lord. When you feel cornered or overwhelmed, that reminder grounds you. It tells you my God is near. My God is listening. My God is mine. Then the psalm offers a vivid image. Your God that loves you and is with you, is your shield. Sometimes we just need God to cover us. Our heads are where thoug...

  Psalm 140:1-3 Listen to today's devotional We've all heard the saying: "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all." Wouldn’t it be nice if more people lived by that? It’s simple, practical wisdom. And we’d do well to encourage it more often. But I like to add a follow-up question: "If you don't have anything nice to say, why not?" What’s going on in the heart that makes bitterness or venom feel like the only option? Psalm 140 opens with an urgent cry for help. The psalmist names God as deliverer. That's good because danger is close. Violent evildoers are not just attacking with weapons. They’re scheming with their words. Before the first interlude, the psalmist compares their speech to the venom of snakes. That poison starts long before it’s spoken. It begins in the heart and mind: “They plan evil things… they stir up wars.” That sounds a lot like something Jesus said: "The good person out of the good treasure o...