Category: Daily Devotion

January 13

Michelle Hollingsworth

Romans 6:4 NIV

4 We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

What in the world does it mean to be buried with Christ through baptism? I would say it is making a choice to follow Jesus by giving Him full control of your life. You make a conscious effort to let the past go, with all its failures, regrets, guilt, and the icky stuff of life. You bury it. It’s like taking all the scraps from your produce and putting it into the compost bin. You have to leave it all behind so that it can be made into rich fertilizer.

The next step is to follow Christ and let Him transform your heart. God‘s unlimited love is a gift that requires your simple acceptance of Him. It is a lifelong process, trusting God every day. His power that raised Jesus from the dead lives in me. It is the supernatural Holy Spirit that helps me to stay Christ centered. When I make a mistake, I know God’s grace is waiting for me so that I can learn from my failures and experiences.  

My new life is one of freedom and purpose. I am free from my limited thinking, selfishness, and the lies that the enemy tells me. I am free to worship and allow the Holy Spirit to guide me to understand Scripture and give me hope. Because I have hope, I can share it with other people. My purpose is to serve the Lord by telling people that they can have this new life in Christ.  

Prayer: Dear Lord, Thank You for Your gift of Life. I choose to die to my old self and live for Christ. Please help me to see and understand this new life today as I trust God with all my heart. I praise You for all the blessings You have given me and continue to give me so that I may love other people. Amen.

January 12

Kai Hollingsworth

Matthew 26:27-29 NIV

27 Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. 28 This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29 I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”

For context, this passage takes place during the Last Supper. Jesus had just announced that he knows one of his disciples is going to betray him and another will denounce him. This whole chapter ends as a very grim scene, even though this moment is supposed to be about hope and celebration. But Jesus knows what’s coming next, he reassures his disciples that they will all be anew with him, they will have a fresh start and be together again.

In the end they will have a new life with him in heaven. But you don’t have to wait that long to experience a “new beginning”. In fact, it can start tomorrow, or right now! God knows all your faults and mistakes before they happen, yet constantly offers you a new life with him. Like the twelve, you are going to be in denial at first, “I would never do that”, “I’m not going to regret this”, “Of course I know what I’m doing”. Then in the end, feel overcome with grief and guilt once the deed has been done. 

A new beginning doesn’t mean forgetting the past. It means acknowledging our transgressions and making peace with them. Dealing with the past hurt emotions and working through them with God. So that way we can start a new chapter with him because he wants to forgive you. Just as long as you want to start walking with him again. This scene acts as a promise that we will always have a new life with Jesus.

Prayer:  Lord, thank you for today and for offering me a new beginning. I pray that as we continue to walk together,  I’m able to cherish what you have done, not just for me but for all of us, as we continue or start this new life with you. Thank you that I’m not alone in this journey, or the only one who is walking with you. Amen.

January 11

Paneen Froneberger

Lamentations 3:22-23 NIV

22 The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; 23 they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

Lamentations is an Old Testament book most likely written by the prophet, Jeremiah. It’s a book that speaks of the grief and sorrow at the destruction of Jerusalem by Babylon. The interesting thing is that while the five chapters mourn the loss of Jerusalem and its people, it’s not all doom and gloom! There is a single message of God’s goodness, hope, and faithfulness in the passage. We are reminded in this Word that God has made us a promise, a promise that His love and mercies never end, but rather are new every morning. The interesting thing is that God gives us exactly the mercies we need for one day; they don’t roll over from one day to the next. 

When tomorrow comes we have new mercies, a new dose of His love. We also have a choice as we begin each new day. We can choose to trust that God is going to do what He promised and provide us with new love and mercies for the day or we can go through the day doubting His Word. We can be on the lookout for His faithfulness or blind to His provisions. 

We will have many opportunities in 2023 to see God living out the promises of Lamentations 3:22-23.  Because God is the same yesterday, today and forever, we will receive the same new mercies and love as did the Israelites of so long ago. I pray that before our feet even hit the floor as we wake up each morning, we take time to thank God in advance for the mercies of the day that God has already planned for us!

Prayer: Heavenly Father, You are such a gracious and generous God. You have known us since before we were born and You have prepared mercies for each of our days. Help us to look for those mercies and to appreciate how much You love us. Help us to trust that when the new day begins, the mercies You have promised will be there waiting for us. We love You, Lord. Amen.

January 10

Ben Armstrong

Isaiah 43:18-19 NIV

18 “Remember not of the former things, nor consider the things of old. 

19 Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.”

For these 21 days, our main theme is ‘new beginnings’. Isaiah is saying that we need to forget the things of the past because God is doing a new thing. He will make a way in the hardships and pain, and we just need to be willing to look for that path and start that new beginning. 

This verse is one of my favorites and actually reminds me of a worship song by NewSpring called, ‘Ways in the Wasteland’. The chorus is as follows:

Behold, You are doing a new thing

Yes, we will believe

Making ways in the wasteland

Turning deserts into streams 

Breathing light into darkness 

for all the world to see 

You are doing a new thing

Yes we will believe

This chorus reminds us that God is constantly working in our lives, even though we may not see it. Isaiah uses the active verb ‘doing’ which means God is STILL working in our lives. He is not just about what He has done but what He is doing now and going to do in the future. 

Our response to this is demonstrated in the bridge of the same song. It goes:

God, you are worthy. God, you are holy. 

We give you honor. We give you glory. 

In all of your goodness, you go before me.

God, you are worthy. God, you are holy. 

All we need to do is: believe that God can and is actively doing new things in our lives and praise him for what He is doing. 

When was the last time you sat down and praised God for being active in your life? He deserves all of our praise. I challenge you today to look this song up on the internet, listen to it while praising God for the things he has done and is going to do in your life.

Prayer: God, you are worthy. God, you are holy. We give you honor. We give you glory. Thank you for all of the new beginnings. Thank you for helping us look forward, and not into the past. We lift up our prayers to you God that we can experience your glory and power in our lives. 

In your worthy and holy name, AMEN. 

January 9

Nick Deahl

Revelation 21:4-5 NIV

4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. 5 He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” 

“No more death or mourning or crying or pain for the old order of things has passed away”. Talk about a wonderful new beginning. Do you notice how the words used in verse 4 are all similar and often mentioned in life’s negative moments? It’s because every negative life throws at us does not matter anymore in the end if Christ is at the center of everything we do. The hard part is keeping Christ in the center of everything we do because we are human and we are sinners. 

Throughout our lives Christ offers us New Beginnings, whether through baptism, trials, people we meet, etc. Sometimes we can see what Christ is wanting us to do in situations and other times we don’t but if we keep Christ at the center, we have the greatest New Beginning of all coming our way. Now the thing I have always heard from people thinking of this is “Well, if I do this I’ll get to Heaven” or “Well, I can’t be perfect so why should I even try”. The great news is only Christ is perfect, and we aren’t expected to be. Heaven isn’t just about checking off boxes, we need to have true faith and a relationship with Christ. We need to be digging into his word daily. Congratulations, you are doing that today! We should be living it though!  If we read His word this morning, we shouldn’t just check it off, but instead we should ask God what you should be getting from what you’ve read and find a way to live it out in your day.

The last piece I want to touch on is verse 5. These “words are trustworthy and true”. The hard part for me with this sentence is I can think of numerous times in my life I’ve heard someone, or I’ve told someone, “Trust me” or “It’s true”. Many times I’ve found out I couldn’t trust what was said or I made something up myself. In school we were always told to write something down when its important. The greatest teacher of them all does the same here. Through our trials we are going to tell ourselves maybe that verse is not true, but God wants to remind us of what he says is true. If we tend to read the same writer or the same column week after week, whether we like it or not, we start to believe that person for who he is. Maybe take that into your daily routine. Write down “Gods words are trustworthy and true”. After a while you just might find yourself having a little more faith. Know that you can trust in God! Nothing he has ever said has been untrue.

Prayer: Father, thank you for the day you’ve made. I thank you for always having your Word for me to turn back to. I thank you for speaking truth in my life, especially in the times I don’t want to hear it. I thank you for forgiving my sins and making me new. I thank you for taking away “death, mourning, crying, and pain”. Help me trust that you will make me new. You will continue to work in me to make me better. Help me to reach my community. Help me to reach outside my community. Help me to share this good news of a new beginning with the world. It’s in your name I pray.  Amen. 

January 8

Paul Clark

Ezekiel 11:19-20 NIV

And I will give them one heart, and a new spirit I will put within them. I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, 20 that they may walk in my statutes and keep my rules and obey them. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God.

Stuck. Wheels in deep mud and raining all around. No forward movement, no easy way out. 

That scene driving your car might also describe your emotional or personal state. You find yourself in a place you don’t want to be, with little prospect of things changing. 

The people of Israel were stuck in a foreign country, little freedom to do what they wanted, no hope of any change any time soon. It was called “exile”.

To those in exile, the prophets Ezekiel and Jeremiah spoke of God bringing them back home. God also spoke about a new thing He would do in them – more than the external change of place or situation. 

He wanted to bring about a “heart change” in his people – a new heart, one heart with God, not a stony heart, but a heart of flesh. “Heart” speaks of the center of our person – where we think, desire, choose, as well as feel. We could say that the heart is the real you, or the real me. 

The people needed more than a release from the exile of captivity in a foreign land. They needed a heart that was released to be responsive to His Word and His Voice. 

God was prepared to give His People, Israel, a new start. Yes, he would bring them out of Babylon.  More, he would give them a new heart, one open to His leading, His Word, His Voice. God will write his word “on our hearts” as we come to Him and read His Word. God will give us His Spirit to “cause you to walk in my statutes…” God’s heart work in us will be for your own good, and the good of your children after you. And there is a promise: “And they shall be my people, and I will be their God.” What a hope – a new heart, a new source, a new teacher, a new relationship with God! 

Perhaps you feel like you are stuck…or that you cannot make forward progress…or that there is no hope – like you are in “exile.” God wants to change your life, beginning with a change of heart. Turn to Him and ask Him to give you a heart that will respond to His Voice speaking to you. Take this step!  Then, with your responsive heart listen to His Word, for His Voice – and respond in following Him. He wants to help you get un-stuck, with a new heart, to follow Him. 

Prayer: Lord, I bring you my hardened heart and ask you to exchange it for a softened heart – one that will hear your Word, your Voice, and respond by following You. Your new beginning in me can begin today, with my heart. Thank you, Jesus, for un-sticking me, for giving me hope, for helping me step out in a new direction.  Amen.

August 27

Rob Moeller

Ephesians 2:12-13 NIV

Remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

What kind of life are you living? How do people see you? What would people ask you?

Though Paul and Silas were arrested, beaten, and imprisoned for doing good, they were filled with joy and sang praises to God. It seemed as if nothing would make them stop praising God. What did the prisoners see? Did it make the prisoners want to change their lives?

It would have been easy for Paul and Silas to escape, thinking God provided another miraculous jailbreak. But to them, the lives of others were more important than their own personal freedom and comfort. Would Paul and Silas have acted in the same manner before meeting Jesus? The jailer saw the prison doors open, but the prisoners remained, just hanging out with Paul. What did the jailer see? How did it make the jailer feel? The jailer was so impressed by Paul and Silas, by the love they showed to him, and from their ability to take joy even in misery, that he instantly wanted to change to the kind of life that Paul and Silas have.

This passage has always been a favorite of mine as it deals personally with how we are to act in this world and what it takes to be a child of God. That night was a night of repentance and renovation. The jailer looked after Paul and Silas’s wounds and truly sought God.  The result was a new and better life complete with God. That night the jailer and his household found salvation through grace that is only found by faith in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

I recently went through a period of renovation. It was a time where my life felt flat, knowing Jesus was there but not fully experiencing Him. I needed some time to stop and reflect and let the Master Architect re-engineer and take control of my life. One detail I see in Paul and his ministry is that Jesus was always in his thoughts. He was always praying and always worshipping, in good and bad times. This is very hard for me with all the distractions of this world. It is not easy to stop, reflect and turn away from the old to a new and better life.

Prayer: Father Almighty, show us the way to you. Father, show us what it means to have Jesus dwelling within us. Father, show us what needs to be changed and give us the strength to receive your will. Lord, we love everything about you. Guide us to act out a joyous Christian life so we may stand out to others and have them ask us how to be saved. Amen.

August 26

Pastor Bill McKinley

Galatians 4:7

So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.

How are you connected to Jesus?

This is an important question, possibly one of the most important of your life. Often it seems we think of him as far off, or not able to have a relationship, or that he is oppressive – “don’t do this” or “do this”. In the early part of our being in relationship with Jesus, we may need to feel this way – that he is telling us what to do. A lot of us coming out of trauma, addiction, struggle may need more structure or guidance. Even if we don’t have those experiences, we often may feel that Christianity is a bunch of rules – we are the bottom and Jesus lords it over us. 

We can’t be connected to Jesus long term like this, thinking of ourselves as a “slave” to be told what to do and when to do it, not having any agency ourselves. This passage reminds us that to be connected to Jesus is to realize that we are his children. When we are baptized, we enter a special relationship where he captures us and sets us free. Free from sin, shame, guilt, addictions – whatever is holding us back, whatever is separating us from being connected to God at a deeper level. When we are his children, this frees us from our feelings of slavery. We can have a relationship built on love and not guilt or oppression – this becomes a lifelong walk in love instead of slavery.

We are now heirs! Jesus has given us all authority, power, and knowledge to go out into the world, to be connected to him as a father is connected to his children and gives them all he has when he leaves the world. We have been given authority, power, and the love to not be equal with Jesus but to take over here on earth for him to spread his work. If you see yourself connected to Jesus and feel as a slave, you haven’t grown into a real relationship with him. But when you see yourself as a child and heir of the Heavenly King, you live out your relationship out of love – you accept that love and are able to impact the people and world around you because you have power and authority that has been given to you by your father.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for rescuing me from my sin and shame. Change me to see me as a child and heir of the Heavenly King. Lord Jesus, help me to grow deeper in connectedness to you, to see my sonship/daughtership in my relationship to you. Help me to see the freedom that I have in you. Lord, send me out in the world as your child seeking to bring your message to those around me. Amen.

August 25

Frank Hertkorn

Revelation 3:20 NIV

Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.

This verse is told by John thru a vision and is directed at the church of Laodicea. The church is Christian, but Christ Himself has been locked out. Rather than turn His back on them, He knocks, seeking someone to acknowledge the church’s need and open the door. If they would repent, Jesus would come in and take His rightful place in the church. 

The lukewarm deeds of the Laodiceans were not in keeping with true salvation. Lukewarm deeds, those done without joy, without love, and without the fire of the Spirit, do harm to the people watching or receiving. The lukewarm are those who claim to know God but live as though He doesn’t exist. They may go to church but their inner state is one of self-righteous complacency. 

Jesus seeking admittance to the church! It’s disquieting to think of Jesus standing outside of the church and knocking, but that’s the position He was in. The Laodicean church had shut the door on the Head of the church; they were smug in their prosperity, but Jesus was left standing in the cold. He was an outsider to the hearts of the entire congregation.

I have spoken often of me putting Jesus in my back pocket while I lived the life I want. With Jesus in my back pocket, I can live and do as I wish knowing I will be forgiven. However, this also reminds me of Jesus telling us in Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” This is another disquieting statement. Here we may be rationalizing that we are right with Jesus when in reality Jesus is still in our back pocket. 

God has placed me in a ministry that I never could have imagined. I have seen severely disabled children ride horses. I have comforted a family when their son suffered seizures. I have taken older gentlemen with brain trauma for an afternoon to give family and caretakers a break. I hold a Stepping Stones class at CtK to give families an hour of worry-free time with God. (shameless plug we could use help at 11:00 a.m.) Halfway thru, about 5 years, I started realizing that God was smiling on me and giving me more responsibility. 

Open the door! Jesus is knocking for you. Show Jesus your deeds are done WITH joy, WITH love, and WITH the fire of the Spirit! Keep Jesus out of your back pocket and in front of you leading the way.  

Prayer: Father, how wonderful you are. We look to you for guidance and love ALL of the time. Jesus we are truly blessed and loved to know that you care enough for us to knock and wait for us to answer. Help us to hear your knock, Lord. Help us to reach for the door knob and answer with faith, humility and servitude. Amen.

August 24

Denise Deahl

Galatians 6:2 NIV

Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

Everybody knows the world needs changing. I don’t know anyone who thinks our culture is moving in a good direction. I do know the solution though. The answer comes in knowing Jesus Christ, believing that we, Christians, are capable of accomplishing the change needed, and joining together to fulfill the law of Christ, loving one another. I can walk alongside you and encourage you, and I can ask you to do the same for me, because that’s part of carrying each other’s burdens. That’s what Christians have been doing for two thousand years! 

The early Christians were living and loving like nobody else. I didn’t just make up this solution. I try not to re-create the wheel, when someone’s already created it for me. You can find it yourself, in the Bible, God’s Word. The first Christians dealt with very similar situations, but the scenarios they faced in transforming the culture and changing the world were even worse than those we face today. What’d they do? They lived differently. They lived and loved and worked differently than everyone else around them. They watched out for each other, even despite individual differences, as opposed to everyone fending for themselves. They lived in such a way that, today, we might say it’s too good to be true or there’s got to be a catch. 

Christians today can inspire every person we touch with simple acts of generosity, kindness, patience, thoughtfulness, and selflessness. There is nothing more attractive than somebody actually living the teachings of Jesus Christ. It is amazingly attractive to all men and women, always has been, always will be. This fulfills the law of Christ ~ love one another.

The world needs changing! The first Christians changed the world. They had something the people of their time needed and wanted. When someone became a Christian during those early years, they became part of an active community that provided both spiritual and practical benefits and protections. They redefined their lives by allowing the teachings of Jesus to rearrange their priorities and they did it together, as communities. So, both as individuals and as communities, they were living life in a very attractive way. Whose burdens are you carrying today? Are you allowing the teachings of Jesus to rearrange your priorities?

Prayer: Dear Jesus, help me to recognize and carry the burdens of my brothers and sisters in need today and so fulfill the law of Christ. I want the world to know I am a Christian by your love expressed through me.

Amen.