Intentional Faith

As the Day Begins “I know whom I have believed.” — 2 Timothy 1:12 There is a world of difference between knowing something about God and actually knowing God. Paul did not say, “I know what I believe,” although doctrine certainly mattered to him. He said, “I know whom I have believed.” His confidence rested in a Person. Christianity, at its heart, is not merely agreement with theological…

Heaven Most of us hear the word “judgment” and instinctively become uneasy. We picture a courtroom, an accusation, perhaps even punishment. Yet when the New Testament speaks of the believer standing before the judgment seat of Christ, the picture is different. This is not a second trial to determine whether a Christian belongs to Christ. Salvation rests upon what Christ has already accomplished.…

May the Lord bless your spiritual walk today, steady your heart, and remind you that He has not abandoned the work He began within you. “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6). Our daily spiritual disciplines are not attempts to earn God’s favor; they are ways of deliberately making room for His Word, His presence, and His…

As the Day Ends “If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor.” — John 12:26 As this day comes to a close, it may be helpful to remember that God measures a life differently than the world does. We naturally notice the visible person, the successful person, the person whose name is recognized and whose voice…

DID YOU KNOW We often speak about the cost of discipleship, but before we ever consider what following Jesus may cost us, Scripture asks us to look carefully at what our salvation cost Him. Luke 9 brings those two truths together. Jesus tells His disciples that He will suffer, be rejected, be killed, and rise again. Then, almost without pause, He turns to those who would follow Him and says, “If…

On Second Thought There is a strange imbalance that can creep into the Christian life. Some believers hardly ever think about spiritual opposition at all. Others seem to think about little else. The study for today calls both approaches dangerous. Mark Bubeck warns that Satan and the kingdom of darkness present a genuine challenge to the believer, yet he also insists that Scripture never presents…

The Bible in a Year “If that nation, against whom I have pronounced judgment, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them.” — Jeremiah 18:8 Jeremiah 18 gives us one of those passages that helps us understand both the seriousness of sin and the tenderness of God. The prophet has been sent to the potter’s house, where he watches a craftsman working clay on the…

In the Life of Christ There are moments in the life of Jesus that refuse to fit into the comfortable picture we sometimes create of Him. John 2:13–17 is one of those moments. Jesus enters Jerusalem at Passover, walks into the temple courts, sees the buying and selling taking place there, makes a whip from cords, drives out the animals, scatters the coins, overturns the tables, and commands, “Stop…

Heaven There is a distinction in the Christian life that we sometimes blur, and when we do, we either weaken grace or diminish the importance of obedience. Scripture keeps the two beautifully together: we are saved by what Christ has done for us, but God takes seriously what we do with the life He has given us. The formula in today’s study puts it memorably: Faith + Works ≠ Salvation Faith =…

May the Lord bless your spiritual walk today and strengthen every step of your faith journey. The God who began a good work in you remains committed to completing what He has started, and today’s daily devotions are designed to help you slow down, listen carefully, and walk with greater awareness of His presence. Grace Gets Us Home—Faithfulness Matters When We Arrive — Heaven This reflection…

As the Day Ends “Neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.” — Acts 20:24 Paul’s words carry unusual freedom. He is not saying life has no value. He is saying that obedience to Christ has become more valuable to him than preserving comfort, reputation, or…

DID YOU KNOW There is a temptation among Christians to wait for the “right moment” to talk about what Christ has done. We imagine that one day the conversation will open perfectly, the circumstances will be ideal, our words will be polished, and we will feel completely ready. But Jesus never taught His followers to wait for perfect conditions before letting His light be seen. In Luke 8:16, Jesus…

On Second Thought Most bondage does not begin looking like bondage. That is part of what makes sin so dangerous. If temptation appeared at the door carrying chains, most of us would recognize the threat immediately. But sin rarely introduces itself that honestly. It usually begins with something small enough to excuse, attractive enough to entertain, or familiar enough to rationalize. That is why…

The Bible in a Year “Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart; for I am called by thy name, O Lord God of hosts.” — Jeremiah 15:16 Jeremiah gives us one of the most vivid pictures in Scripture of what it means to love the Word of God. He does not simply say that he heard God’s words. He says he found them, ate them, delighted in them,…

In the Life of Christ Every generation develops a mental picture of what a Christian is supposed to look like. Sometimes that picture is shaped by Scripture. Sometimes it is shaped by habit, tradition, personality, or the expectations of the religious community around us. That is why the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5–7 remains so important. Jesus does not merely tell us how Christians should…

As the Day Begins “For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come.” — Hebrews 13:14 There is something wonderfully clarifying about beginning the day remembering that this world is not our permanent address. Hebrews does not tell us that earthly life is unimportant. Quite the opposite. Our days matter greatly because they are the place where we learn faithfulness, love people, serve…

As the Day Begins “Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.” — Romans 5:20 There is something unsettling about the old practice of taking caged birds deep into mines. The birds were sensitive to poisonous gases, so if the air became deadly, they would collapse before the miners did. A. W. Tozer uses that picture to describe what sin does to the soul. A bird was created for open skies,…