Turning Point

Turning Point; David Jeremiah – Hit the Road

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Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.
2 Timothy 2:21

Recommended Reading: 2 Timothy 2:20-26

Angie Foley bought a barn in northern Michigan to turn into an event venue. Inside she found eighteen classic cars, including a 1941 Buick Special. The vehicles had sat in the barn for years. They were rusty and caked with dirt. Their tires were flat. But imagine their value when restored!1

Anything deteriorates if unused, but restoration is an exciting process. Take your spiritual gift, for example. It will deteriorate if unused. You’ll become rusty and fall short of your potential in the Lord’s work. But if you begin using your gift, God will restore its worth.

When you know your spiritual gift, you should begin using it. Don’t let it sit idly in a barn. Dust it off. Polish it so you can use it for the glory of God. Ask God to give you the spark of the Holy Spirit. Fuel yourself with the Word and hit the road. You’ll be a vessel for honor, sanctified, and useful for the Master in every good work.

The very best way to discover spiritual gifts … is to get involved in ministry and see where the Spirit leads and equips.
Charles Swindoll

  1. Joseph Brogan, “Graveyard Goldmine: Woman Clears Out Old Barn and Auctions Off Over a Dozen Vintage Cars,” The U.S. Sun, September 16, 2025.

 

 

 

https://www.davidjeremiah.org

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread – Ready to Be Generous

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Do not . . . pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the foreigner. Leviticus 19:10

Today’s Scripture

Leviticus 19:1-10

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Today’s Devotion

My great-uncle’s memorial service featured a meal of roast beef, corn, and beans to honor the hospitality that he and his wife had lived out for many years. Each Sunday morning, they would put a large roast and veggies in the Crock-Pot before going to church. After the service, they would look for someone to invite for lunch. Sometimes it was a good friend, sometimes a stranger. Either way, they made sure there was plenty of food at home and those afternoons were especially set aside for hospitality.

Their Sunday habit required an intentional readiness for generosity. The Israelites followed a similar pattern. Through Moses, God commanded them to leave a portion of their food “for the poor and the foreigner” (Leviticus 19:10). During harvest time, they were instructed not to reap to the edges of their field, leave what had fallen, and not re-harvest their vineyards (vv. 9-10). With these redeeming methods, those who didn’t own land could still work to gather food. For the people of God, this wasn’t a one-time, spontaneous act—although that can be a beautiful blessing too. It was how they lived year after year.

There are opportunities all around us to show Jesus’ hospitable love. Some we can’t prepare for; some we can. As God helps us, let’s consider how we can treat others kindly today (v. 33).

Reflect & Pray

Where is God calling you to be generous? What does it look like to be ready to show love and kindness?

Dear Jesus, You modeled perfect love and self-sacrifice. Please help me to be ready to show Your love to others.

Today’s Insights

God promised to abundantly provide food for His people (Leviticus 25:18-19), and so, in remembrance of their enslavement in Egypt, He commanded them to feed the poor and needy (19:9-10; Deuteronomy 24:19-22). The story of Ruth took place in the backdrop of this law of gleaning (Ruth 2). God also wants us to be open-handed with his material blessings (see Deuteronomy 15:7-11). The apostle Paul says that God gives us material blessings for our enjoyment and commands believers in Jesus “to use their money to do good. . . . Be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others” (1 Timothy 6:18 nlt).Today, because God has richly given to us, we can look for opportunities to be generous to others.

Each of us has been given a gift we can use to bless others. Learn more by watching this video.

 

 

http://www.odb.org

Denison Forum

Denison Forum – British Prime Minister Kier Starmer to resign from office

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British Prime Minister Kier Starmer announced this morning that he would resign from office. A growing number within his Labour Party felt that if he stayed in power, the party would lose badly the next general election in 2029. Many wanted Andy Burnham, a left-wing former mayor, to lead the party and thus become prime minister.

Anthony Seldon, a historian who has written biographies of every prime minister from John Major to Rishi Sunak, explained what went wrong for Starmer:

Firstly, he never worked out what the job was—what does the prime minister do? Secondly, he never knew what he wanted to do, above all not on economic policy. And thirdly, he didn’t know who to appoint.

Once you’ve got those three things happening it’s never going to work. It’s just a question of how quickly the wheels come off.

Continue reading Denison Forum – British Prime Minister Kier Starmer to resign from office →

Greg Laurie

Harvest Ministries; Greg Laurie – Certainties

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 Seventy years are given to us! Some even live to eighty. But even the best years are filled with pain and trouble; soon they disappear, and we fly away. 

—Psalm 90:10

Scripture:

Benjamin Franklin wrote, “In this world, nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” Many people have devised strategies to avoid the second. No one has yet devised a strategy for avoiding the first—and no one ever will.

The Bible is very clear about the fact that there will come a time for every person when life on earth will end. The author of Ecclesiastes wrote, “For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to harvest” (Ecclesiastes 3:1–2 NLT).

The author of Hebrews wrote, “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27 NKJV). Most people assume (or, at least, hope) that their appointed time will come after a long life here on earth. But the Bible makes no such promises. For some people, the time to die comes much sooner than expected. For others, it comes much later. Statisticians have estimated that two people die every second. One hundred and twenty people die every minute. Over seven thousand people die every hour.

That’s why the words of the psalmist still resonate: “Seventy years are given to us! Some even live to eighty. But even the best years are filled with pain and trouble; soon they disappear, and we fly away” (Psalm 90:10 NLT).

A historical legend tells us that Philip II of Macedon commanded his servant to stand in his presence every day and repeat something like, “Remember Philip, one day you will die.” The ruler wanted to be reminded of his mortality.

When Steve Jobs gave a commencement speech at Stanford University, he said, “No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don’t want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it.”

Death is the great equalizer. It’s no respecter of persons. It comes to everyone. And that reality is what gives our Harvest Crusade its urgency and importance every year. People need to hear about the life beyond this one before this one ends.

According to the Bible, after death there are two destinations. Every person decides now—not later, not after death—which destination it will be. Every person decides where they will spend eternity. Those two options are Heaven or Hell.

The apostle Paul wrote, “If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9 NLT). That’s how you decide to go to Heaven—to trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. To do anything else is to choose to go to Hell.

This is our urgent message. Two people who were alive just one second ago won’t have a chance to hear it again.

 

Reflection question: What causes you to feel a sense of urgency about sharing your faith? Discuss this with believers like you on Harvest Discipleship!

 

 

 

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

Days of Praise

Days of Praise – Immediate Results

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by John D. Morris, Ph.D.

“For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.” (Romans 8:22)

Sometimes we don’t get to see the results of our work or choices soon enough to suit us. But on one occasion, a man’s choice and resulting action were given immediate attention, and the effects of that attention even now rule the universe.

“And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat” (Genesis 3:6).

The result of Adam’s deliberate sin—“Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression” (1 Timothy 2:14)—was immediate and total punishment upon Adam and Eve, and through them on all humanity (Genesis 3:14–19). “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned” (Romans 5:12). “For the creature [or ‘creation’] was made subject to vanity [that is, ‘futility’], not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope” (8:20).

This “bondage of corruption” (v. 21) placed upon the entire creation, now known to science as the second law of thermodynamics, is known to all of us as the basic tendency of life. Everything is in the process of death and decay. This law will one day be removed; but until then, we, like the groaning, travailing creation of our text, “groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body” (v. 23).

Although we recognize now that “the wages of sin is death,” we can be very thankful that the story doesn’t end there, for “the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23). JDM

 

 

 

https://www.icr.org/articles/type/6

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – No Excuses

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And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, The Lord is with you, you mighty man of [fearless] courage.

Judges 6:12 (AMPC)

In the book of Judges, God decided to work through a man named Gideon to deliver the Israelites from captivity. But when the angel came to call Gideon, Gideon began rehearsing a list of his inabilities, including reasons why he thought he could not do what God was calling him to do.

In Judges 6:14 (AMPC) God says, Have I not sent you? In other words, “Would I ask you to do something I haven’t equipped you to do?” And again, in the next verse, Gideon responds with excuses—I’m too poor, too small, too weak. Because words have power, Gideon believed what he said about himself more than the encouraging words of the Lord.

Stop thinking of excuses or things to complain about—It’s too hard; I’ve never done this before; this isn’t what I had planned; I don’t know how; I’m too old/young; I don’t feel like it; I’m afraid—and start doing what God is telling you to do.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, help me stop making excuses and trust what You’ve called me to do. Give me courage, confidence, and strength to step forward in obedience today, amen.

 

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Max Lucado

Max Lucado – A Heartfelt Plea 

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Play

When my eldest daughter was 13, she flubbed her piano piece at a recital. The silence in the auditorium was broken only by the pounding of her parents’ hearts. She hurried off the stage, threw her arms around me and buried her face in my shirt. “Oh, Daddy.” That was enough for me. At that moment I’d have given her the moon, and all she said was, “Oh, Daddy.”

Prayer starts here. Prayer begins with an honest, heartfelt, “Oh Daddy!” Jesus invites us to approach God the way a child approaches his or her daddy.

Here’s my challenge for you: every day for four weeks, pray four minutes. Then get ready to connect with God like never before.

 

 

 

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Today in the Word

Today in the Word – Moody Bible Institute – A Godly Life

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Read 2 Peter 1:3–11

Most of us long to live a life of significance. We may not be well known or famous by human standards, but we want to know our life has counted before God. In today’s reading Peter helps us do just that.

First, we need to keep in mind that the Christian life is not about earning our standing with God or our significance before Him. We can rejoice in the truth that God has “given us everything we need for a godly life” (v. 3). God has equipped us to be faithful to His calling. One of things He has given us are His “very great and precious promises” (v. 4). All through the Bible, a key dynamic of faithfulness is believing and living in light of the truth of God’s promises. Abram uprooted his life and traveled to an unknown land based on God’s promise (Gen. 12:1–3). David believed one of his descendants would have a throne that would be established forever (2 Sam. 7:13). Today, we believe in and wait for the return of the Lord Jesus. Living in light of that hope is one of the gifts God has given us to live a godly life.

Out of the abundance of God’s grace and provision for us, we are called to grow in holiness and love. Peter calls us to “make every effort” (v. 5) to grow in virtues: faith, goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, mutual affection, and love (vv. 6–7). As we grow in these virtues, “they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive” in faith (v. 8). The important thing is to keep our eyes on the goal, which is to “receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (v. 11). God has given us everything we need to live an effective and productive life.

Go Deeper

What do you think a life that counts for God looks like? How does Peter’s letter shape your answer?

Pray with Us

Jesus, You call us to be faithful to You, not successful by worldly standards. Forgive us for seeking human approval. Please give us the courage and perseverance to live for You.

His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life.2 Peter 1:3

 

 

 

https://www.moodybible.org/

Today in the Word

Today in the Word – Moody Bible Institute – Final Words

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Read 2 Peter 1:1–2

While the Bible does not record how the apostle Peter died, early church tradition says he was martyred in Rome. It is said he requested to be crucified upside-down because he was not worthy to die in the same way as Jesus. This church tradition aligns well with Jesus’ prediction about Peter’s death (John 21:18–19).

Near the end of his life, Peter wrote the letter we now call 2 Peter. It seems his audience was the same as that for his first letter: a group of churches in Asia Minor (2 Pet. 3:1). Peter’s opening is typical for a New Testament letter, yet it contains important truths. Peter asserts his authority as an “apostle of Jesus Christ” (v. 1). This is important in a letter where he will rebuke his audience for embracing some false teaching. He also affirms that his audience has “received a faith as precious as ours” (v. 1). Most of the believers he was writing to would have been second generation Christians. They might have felt a bit inferior, or at least less blessed because they did not get to see Jesus in the flesh. Peter assures them that their faith was just as precious as his own. The same is true today. Some people may think that they are less valuable as a Christian because they came to faith later in life. That is not the case! All believers are sons or daughters of God (1 John 3:1–2).

Peter also affirms that Jesus is God, “to those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ” (v. 1). He holds a high view of Jesus! He also knows that true knowledge of Jesus brings “grace and peace…in abundance” (v. 2).

Go Deeper

When did you come to faith in Christ? Share your story with someone today. And if you do not know Jesus as your Savior, we invite you to learn more. Go to moodybible.org/knowing-christ.

Pray with Us

Father, thank You for sending Jesus Christ to die for our sins. We praise You for Your plan of salvation that stretches from creation to the cross. You are worthy of our worship!

Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.2 Peter 1:2

 

 

 

https://www.moodybible.org/

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread – The Gift of Prayer

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Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people. Ephesians 6:7

Today’s Scripture

Ephesians 6:1-8

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Today’s Devotion

I trudged into the grocery store to buy a Father’s Day card. I had forgiven my father. I’d tried reconciling over the years—prayerfully processing the hurts inflicted before and after I’d left home at fifteen. Sadly, decades later, I still couldn’t relate to the cards that had messages gushing with gratitude for the “greatest” dads. So, desperate to honor my heavenly Father, I stood in that card aisle and prayed for my earthly father.

From Adam and Cain to David and Absalom to my father and me, sin has caused multigenerational strife and heartbreak. Still, the apostle Paul encouraged children to obey their parents “in the Lord, for this is right” (Ephesians 6:1). Honoring parents is a command that comes with a promise and a reward (vv. 2-3). In turn, fathers were meant to raise children to know and love God (v. 4). God’s people are designed to serve each other “wholeheartedly, as if [we] were serving the Lord, not people” (v. 7). Unfortunately, sin can destroy these relationships.

No matter what our relationship status with our parents is, we can thank God for the people He chose to use when He gave us life, and we can pray they enjoy a life-transforming relationship with Christ. Prayer that leads to Jesus is a gift of love and honor that can lead to changed relationships and lives.

Reflect & Pray

How can you honor God when a relationship is difficult? How will you pray for someone who is estranged from you?

Good Father, please show me how I can honor You in and through both healthy and strained relationships.

Today’s Insights

Family relationships aren’t exempt from challenges of various kinds. In Ephesians 5:21-6:9, Paul spoke to the households of believers in Jesus in the first century. The form of his teaching was similar to how the ancient Greco-Roman world usually structured their households. Several features, however, are noteworthy and distinct for believers in the context of the family (6:1-8). The apostle’s teaching regarding how to relate to each other is preceded by the command to “be filled with the Spirit” (5:18). Dynamics of Spirit-filled living include singing (v. 19), thanksgiving (v. 20), and “[submitting] to one another out of reverence for Christ” (v. 21). Prayer is another essential dimension of Spirit-filled living: “Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests” (6:18). Today, when we’re confronted with difficult family relationships, the Spirit can help us pray for them as we seek to honor God.

Watch this video to learn about repairing broken relationships.

 

 

http://www.odb.org

Denison Forum

Denison Forum – Who owns your stuff?

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Materialism, greed, generosity, and stewardship

Last week we examined the sin of idolatry and concluded by asking if every square inch of your existence was submitted to God. Before we start, take a moment to think back to that question and ask the Lord once again to show you any areas of your life that you’ve kept back from him.

All of us have blind spots; areas of our lives where we see our sin a little less clearly. For many in our country, materialism is perhaps the most blatant blind spot. After all, we live in a culture that prizes independence and the idea of pulling yourself up by your bootstraps.

And there’s nothing inherently wrong with either concept. In many ways, much of America’s greatness is tied to those impulses. However, they come with a downside, and that’s where we’re going to spend our time today.

Continue reading Denison Forum – Who owns your stuff? →

Days of Praise

Days of Praise – The Peace of Thy Children

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by Henry M. Morris, Ph.D.

“And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children.” (Isaiah 54:13)

This verse has its primary fulfillment still in the future. Nevertheless, it states a basic principle that is always valid and is especially relevant on Father’s Day. The greatest honor that children can bestow on a father is a solid Christian character of their own, but that must first be his own gift to them. Before sons and daughters can experience real peace of soul, they must first be taught of the Lord themselves. The heavenly Father has delegated this responsibility first of all to human fathers.

The classic example is Abraham, “the father of all them that believe” (Romans 4:11). God’s testimony concerning Abraham was this: “For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment” (Genesis 18:19). This is the first reference in Scripture to the training of children, and it is significant that it stresses paternal instruction in the things of God. Furthermore, the instruction should be diligent and continual: “When thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up” (Deuteronomy 6:7).

The classic New Testament teaching on child training has the same message: “Ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4).

Instead of wrath, fathers should bring peace, as our text suggests. Great shall be our children’s peace when they know the Lord and keep His ways. Great, also, is the joy of a godly father when he sees the blessing of the Lord on his children and then on his grandchildren. “Children’s children are the crown of old men; and the glory of children are their fathers” (Proverbs 17:6). HMM

 

 

 

https://www.icr.org/articles/type/6

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Find Peace in Quiet Time

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…Return [to God], that your sins may be erased (blotted out, wiped clean), that times of refreshing (of recovering from the effects of heat, of reviving with fresh air) may come from the presence of the Lord.

Acts 3:19 (AMPC)

We all need times of blessed quiet because we can find physical, emotional, and spiritual refreshing in those times.

We live in a noisy world, and if we are not careful we can become addicted to noise and constant activity. Make sure you find time in your life to just be quiet and listen.

Are you asking God to speak to you, but you never take the time to get quiet and just listen? It honors God when we give Him regular time. Sit with Him and enjoy His presence—it will be refreshing to your entire being.

Time is one of the most important things we can give God. It tells Him He is important to us and that we realize we cannot manage life properly without Him.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, help me slow down and spend quiet time with You. Teach me to listen, rest in Your presence, and find peace and strength for each day, amen.

 

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http://www.joycemeyer.org

Turning Point

Turning Point; David Jeremiah – The Great Outdoors: Nature Is a Place for Rest

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So He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed.
Luke 5:16

Recommended Reading: Luke 5:12-16

Did you ever attend a church camp? Maybe the cabins were primitive or the mosquitoes relentless. But there’s something about being in the woods, beside a lake, or camping in the mountains that often opens our hearts to the Lord. Only heaven knows how many young people have dedicated their lives to Christ after hearing the Gospel around a campfire while the crickets chirped and the frogs sang in the distance.

Even now, adventurers young and old find some of their best times in prayer along mountain trails or while occupying a cabin in the woods. Those less adventurous enjoy reading their Bibles on the seaside balcony of their hotels as the waves rise and crash to shore.

If we have the opportunity to vacation in the mountains, along the coast, or in the desert, let’s take our Bibles. If we can’t travel, let’s find a park bench or backyard swing. When we’re surrounded with God’s creation, we find it natural to do as Jesus did—to withdraw to the Lord and pray.

God writes his gospel, not in the Bible alone, but in tress, and flowers, and clouds, and stars.
Martin Luther

 

 

 

https://www.davidjeremiah.org

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread – Receiving from God

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Walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. Galatians 5:16

Today’s Scripture

Galatians 5:13-25

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In his 1937 book Think and Grow Rich, author Napoleon Hill said, “Whatever your mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve.” Hill’s quote epitomizes the American Dream: If you work hard, you can achieve your wildest dreams.

Hard work may lead to earthly benefits; many passages of Scripture—especially in Proverbs—link those things. But as I grow older, I also see a real danger in following Hill’s ideas: My grasping attempts to achieve my dreams can be a self-focused attempt to live independently from God.

In Galatians 5, Paul contrasts two ways of life: “Walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh” (v. 16). Eugene Petersen paraphrases it this way: “Live freely, animated and motivated by God’s Spirit. Then you won’t feed the compulsions of selfishness” (The Message). A few verses later, Paul describes what a flourishing life in Christ looks like: “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (vv. 22-23).

Many voices in this world compel us to grasp our desires with both hands. The life we long for, though, is not one we earn but one we receive as we yield to the Holy Spirit—freely walking with Him—rather than striving desperately to grasp blessing on our own terms.

Reflect & Pray

How have you tried to achieve your dreams? What habits help you to be in a posture to receive blessings from God?

Dear Father, sometimes I try to fill myself apart from You. Please help me yield to Your Spirit’s guidance and trust You to fill me.

Today’s Insights

In Galatians, Paul sternly warns against believing that the law will make us right with God. He wrote, “A person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ” (2:16). But the apostle knew this might cause some to believe it no longer matters how we live (v. 17). So he cautioned, “Do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh” (5:13). The role of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer is crucial here. As we yield to the Spirit, He’ll fill us. The apostle urges, “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit” (v. 25).

Watch this video to learn how our plans can be a part of God’s plan.

 

 

 

http://www.odb.org

Denison Forum

Denison Forum – Why the deaths of Austin Metcalf and Henry Nowak went viral

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A Christian response to the controversy

Two racially-charged stabbings from last year have made headlines in recent weeks as the assailants were convicted of murder. While neither stabbing appears to have been racially motivated, the public conversation around both murders has focused extensively on race, sparking vitriolic tirades online and violence on the ground.

The first stabbing, the murder of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf at a Frisco, Texas, high school track meet, took place last April. Karmelo Anthony, also 17 at the time and a student at a different Frisco high school, was convicted of stabbing Metcalf during an altercation after Metcalf asked him to leave his team’s tent. Witnesses testified that Anthony reached into his bag and said, “Touch me and see what happens,” before Metcalf attempted to physically remove him.

Despite efforts by coaches and athletic trainers to perform CPR, Metcalf died in his twin brother’s arms. Anthony admitted to the stabbing and claimed self-defense. On June 10, he was sentenced to 35 years in prison with the possibility of parole after 17 years.

Continue reading Denison Forum – Why the deaths of Austin Metcalf and Henry Nowak went viral →

Greg Laurie

Harvest Ministries; Greg Laurie – Messengers Approved by God

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 For we speak as messengers approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News. Our purpose is to please God, not people. He alone examines the motives of our hearts 

—Thessalonians 2:4

Scripture:

As believers, we have the sacred trust of the gospel message. Jesus has given us our command: “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone. Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned” (Mark 16:15–16 NLT). That’s another worthwhile cost of following Christ: the responsibility of sharing His Good News with others. Every believer is called to do it. Every Christian is tasked with getting the gospel message out.

In his letter to Timothy, the apostle Paul mentions “the glorious Good News entrusted to me by our blessed God” (1 Timothy 1:11 NLT). Emphasizing the sacred trust of the gospel again in 1 Thessalonians 2:4, he wrote, “For we speak as messengers approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News. Our purpose is to please God, not people. He alone examines the motives of our hearts” (NLT).

Here’s what that means. As Christians, we all have the same gospel. And we each must ask ourselves the question, “How am I getting the gospel out?” It doesn’t matter how other people are getting the gospel out. That’s their responsibility. What matters is how we’re doing it. That’s our call as followers of Jesus, and it’s one we can’t ignore. Too much depends on our obedience. We need to think about our family, friends, coworkers, neighbors, and others in our sphere of influence and ask, “Am I getting the gospel out to these people in a way that’s clear, concise, and impactful?”

Jesus sees exactly how diligent we are in carrying out our sacred responsibility. In the last chapter of the New Testament, He says, “Look, I am coming soon, bringing my reward with me to repay all people according to their deeds” (Revelation 22:12 NLT).

That reward will be directly connected to how faithful we are in this life. Often, we place far too much stock in this life alone. We act as though everything that’s going to happen happens here. Of course, a lot of significant things do happen in this life. The most important decision we will ever make happens in this life: the decision about what we do with Jesus Christ. But we mustn’t let the things in this life distract us from our responsibility regarding the next life.

Paul framed the urgency of our mission perfectly when he wrote, “But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, ‘How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!’” (Romans 10:14–15 NLT).

Our faithfulness here will result in rewards there—in Heaven, and when Heaven comes to earth, when we go home.

 

Reflection question: What does faithfulness to the gospel message look like in your life? Discuss this with believers like you on Harvest Discipleship!

 

 

 

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

Days of Praise

Days of Praise – Jesus Christ Is Lord

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by Henry M. Morris III, D.Min.

“That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:10–11)

Often this passage is thought of as an admission by all sentient beings of the deity of the Lord Jesus—and it certainly is that. There surely will come a point in time in which “every thing that hath breath” will praise the Lord (Psalm 150:6). Those of us who are the twice-born will do so with great joy. Those who have chosen to reject the gospel will also do so—but with overwhelming terror (Proverbs 1:27).

However, the foundational passage from which the New Testament quotes, and by which it twice applies the event, is found in Isaiah 45:22–23: “Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, that unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.”

Our verse today applies the Isaiah passage to the great final judgment referred to in Revelation 20. Other insights in Revelation cite some of the songs we may sing and something of the ceremonies and pageantry associated with the celebration of Christ’s formal assumption of His role as king.

The first New Testament quotation of Isaiah 45:23 is in Romans 14:11–12. Here, Paul applies the judgment to an open report of our deeds: “So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.” Surely this broader sight should strengthen our resolve to “please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier” (2 Timothy 2:4). HMM III

 

 

 

https://www.icr.org/articles/type/6

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – God Celebrates Your Progress

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. But the path of the [uncompromisingly] just and righteous is like the light of dawn, that shines more and more (brighter and clearer) until [it reaches its full strength and glory in] the perfect day [to be prepared].

Proverbs 4:18 (AMPC)

Our youngest grandson recently stood by himself for the first time. We were out of town on this joyous occasion, but we received a phone call telling us the great news. I vividly remember that there were four adults in the car when we received the news and three of us acted fairly ridiculous about the event. I actually clapped my hands together. Dave grinned from ear to ear and in a very surprised tone said, “REALLY!” A good friend was also in the car and she got excited. I heard questions like, “How long did he stand there?” and “Has he done it more than once?” Nobody asked if he sat down again, although we all knew that he did. We were even aware that he could have fallen down, but we did not care about anything other than his progress.

We had a similar scene at our house when he smiled for the first time, ate his first solid food, crawled, and said “mama” and “da-da.” We get really excited about any little progress that he makes and we all express it to him to encourage him. Dave and I just spent several days with the baby, and, to be honest, we probably encouraged him hundreds of times during those few days. I don’t remember even one time that we chastised him for what he could not do yet. God used this example to help me understand that He celebrates our progress just like we celebrate the progress of our children and grandchildren.

God isn’t keeping a record of each time we fall, but He is excited about our progress, and we should be excited, too! I spent way too many years mourning over my faults and weaknesses. I was taught to grieve over my sins, but nobody in the church I was in at the time ever told me to celebrate my progress, and I think that is tragic. If you missed this important lesson like I did, then today I am telling you to celebrate, celebrate, and then celebrate your progress some more.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, help me focus on progress instead of perfection. Teach me to celebrate growth, trust Your work in my life, and move forward with joy and confidence each day, amen.

 

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Today in the Word

Today in the Word – Moody Bible Institute – Be on Guard!

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Read 1 Peter 5:8–14

In the preface to The Screwtape Letters, C. S. Lewis wrote, “There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence, and the other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them.” The New Testament models exactly the right balance in how to think about Satan and demonic forces. It acknowledges their existence and warns us to be on guard, but clearly highlights the Lord’s sovereignty.

Peter closes his letter warning the church to “be alert and of sober mind” (v. 8). Charles Spurgeon put it this way: “When we think we have no occasion for the sword, we begin to unbuckle it from our side. We strip off our armor piece by piece, and then it is that we become most exposed to the attacks of our enemies.” Diligence is required in the Christian life.

There are hostile spiritual forces at work in the world. The devil is not idle, but “prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (v. 8). Satan cannot be everywhere at once. But he does seek to thwart God’s plan. According to Scripture, the most common way he seeks to do this is through trapping or deceiving God’s people (1 Tim. 3:7; 2 Tim. 2:26).

We are not called to flee or to fear the devil. Instead, Peter challenges us to “resist him” (v. 9). We do this by “standing firm in the faith” (v. 9). We can be comforted by knowing that we are not the only ones who are suffering for our faith. We are part of a whole “family of believers” around the world (v. 9). We are in good company. But even more importantly, we know that one day God Himself “will restore you and make you strong” (v. 10).

Go Deeper

What does Lewis mean when he said we either overestimate or underestimate the work of the devil? According to Peter, how do we guard ourselves?

Pray with Us

Precious Lord, You have given us everything we need to resist the devil. Thank You for the whole armor of God (Eph. 6:14–17). May we always keep it on.

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.James 4:7

 

 

 

https://www.moodybible.org/

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