Category: Devotional

“An active faith can give thanks for a promise, though it may not be as yet performed, knowing that God’s bonds are as good as ready money [cash]”  – Matthew Henry.

If you Google spiritual growth, you’ll find a lot of suggestions that are not helpful and fairly mixed in quality, likely due to the ambiguous meaning of the phrase. After all, what makes someone “spiritual,” and in what way can this quality “grow?”

For Christians, spiritual growth is the progressive increase in Christ’s inward and outward manifestation in our lives. This means that any active pursuit of spiritual growth must be an application and outworking of what we have in Christ by the indwelling Spirit through faith.

Faith has become a pretty common word. Most Christians would say they have faith. But there is a fundamental difference between active and passive faith. The bottom line is that faith is an action.  Faith is not discussing, thinking, or celebrating God’s truth. It is the process of adapting your behavior, your decisions, and ultimately, your whole lifestyle so it aligns with what God has asked you to do — without needing to see the evidence, it will all work out in the end. Active faith results in action.  An active faith isn’t just a belief; it’s a vibrant, engaged response to God’s presence in our lives. It’s about walking in obedience, serving others, and sharing the good news. An active faith empowers us to trust in God’s promises and live out our purpose, ultimately glorifying Him in all we do.

Jesus is our ultimate example. His words and actions match perfectly. Though talking about faith is good, we should also put our faith into action. That is the essence of the Parable of the Good Samaritan. The religious leader spoke about loving God and people, but Jesus showed him that he mainly loved himself and wasn’t concerned about others. After Jesus finished the story, he asked the self-absorbed religious leader which of the three people acted like a neighbor to the man lying on the side of the road, bleeding. “The man replied, “The one who showed him mercy.” Then Jesus said, “Yes, now go and do the same” (Luke 10:37).

The Christian walk is a call to “trust plus effort.” There’s a difference between saying I believe in something and acting on that belief. Actions speak louder than words. James put it this way: Faith without works is dead. In other words, faith without action is dead. The Bible is full of miracles and promises of God that require action on our part. We are part of the equation that God uses to solve problems. When we genuinely believe that He can use us, we start acting in a manner consistent with that belief. We actively become His hands and feet.

While being an active Christian is partly about reflecting on God’s word and connecting with Him personally, the larger focus is on giving your time and efforts to put our faith to work.

Discussion Questions:

1. Think about the biblical concept of faith without works being dead: how do good deeds demonstrate a genuine faith? 
2. How is balancing faith and action challenging, and how can we best navigate those challenges? 
3. In what practical ways can we put faith into action, individually and collectively? 

“Jesus said “My Father is always working, and so am I.”   – John 5:17

There is a popular Sunday School song entitled, He’s got the whole world in His hands. The lyrics include: He’s got the whole world in His hands, He’s got the whole wide world in His hands, He’s got the whole world in His hands. We say that God is at work — working mightily, working miraculously, working in mysterious ways — but it’s easy for humans to look around and ask, “God, how exactly are you working? And could you please pick up the pace?”

Jesus’ coming was not in vain. He came to save the lost, and He will save the lost in 2025. He came with the express purpose of rescuing souls from a life and eternity separated from God. He will save many thousands this year. God is active and working, and one thing is for sure: He is not geographically limited.  We need to learn to see where God is working in our neck of the woods and join Him in that work. God is not asking us to start the work or figure out where to work. He is already at work and invites us to partner with Him.

Yolande Korkie, author of 558 days in Hell, tells the story of the time she and her husband were taken hostage by Al Qaeda while serving in Yemen. She was later released after eight months, but unfortunately, her husband was killed by Al Qaeda. This led her to encourage those in crisis and equip believers to be the light of Christ in the darkest places. A South Sudanese pastor shared his testimony of how he fled from South Sudan and the hardships of the refugee camps in Uganda. He survived life’s lowest moments and atrocities and continues serving the Lord with great joy in the camps.

God has a heart for every nation and is busy redeeming the nations to Himself. In his book Let the Nations Be Glad, John Piper says, “God is pursuing with omnipotent passion a worldwide purpose of gathering joyful worshippers for himself from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. He has an inexhaustible enthusiasm for the supremacy of his name among the nations.”

God is working in powerful ways worldwide, but he is also working here in this country, in our cities and communities. Driving on 98 or 23 and other streets in Panama City and Panama City Beach will reveal multiple churches with multiple services and full parking lots at every service.  God’s presence and influence are felt and manifested in everyday life in the church and our communities. Take a second look if you’re looking for evidence that God is at work. You will find proof that God is active, working, and demonstrating His power to change the world.

Discussion Questions:

1. In what ways does the belief in a living and active Jesus shape our daily lives and actions? 
2. How does the idea of Jesus working in the world challenge us to live differently? 
3. What practical steps can we take to embody the living presence of Jesus in our communities?
   

Summary:  In the mid-1100s, Bernard of Clairvaux, a monk in France, considered how we experience the love of God. He published a devotional called the Love of God, in which he identified four degrees, or progressions: (1) loving ourselves for our own sake, (2) loving God for our own sake, (3) loving God for his own sake, and (4) loving ourselves for God’s sake.

Bernard of Clairvaux was a monk who followed very strict disciplines. His devotional classic, The Love of God, explains divine love and how we grow and develop in the perfect love of God that has come to us in Jesus Christ. In it, he presents the Four Degrees of Love. His fourth stage of maturity is the love of self for God’s sake.

If you have spent any time in church, you have heard the commandment in Mark 12:30-31: “And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’No other commandment is greater than these.” We work very hard to love God, and we try very hard to love our neighbor. But we often miss the two words at the end, “As yourself.” How well do we do in loving ourselves? We are not all that good at loving ourselves because we are investing all our time in loving God and loving others.

God’s love enables us to love ourselves, a common and significant concept in Christianity. It’s not about self-worship or narcissism but rather about recognizing our inherent worth and value as beings created in God’s image. In this context, loving ourselves means accepting ourselves, our imperfections, and our growth potential, knowing that God loves and values us. It is not because we suddenly realize that we are pretty great; in fact, we know that’s not true.

When we see how Jesus loves us, we can start loving ourselves well. And that is when we can truly love our neighbors. And indeed scripture tells us to do everything in love. But if we love God and ourselves through God’s love, our neighbors will see and feel the difference. When you are living out God’s love for yourself and then naturally to others, you don’t have to work very hard to convince them of anything. They will see it and be drawn to it naturally.

It’s important to learn to shut off the chatter of the outside world and love yourself for who you are today. The fact is that no one is perfect. Everybody has been created differently and, most importantly, in God’s image.

“It is not contrary to Christianity that a man should love himself, or what is the same thing, that he should love his happiness. Christianity does not tend to destroy a man’s love for his own happiness; it would therein tend to destroy humanity. Christianity is not destructive of humanity.” – Jonathan Edwards

Discussion Questions:

1. What does it mean to love yourself biblically, not selfishly? How does this understanding align with the concept of loving God and neighbor? 

“How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word.” This verse underscores the importance of God’s Word in guiding us toward purity.” – Psalm 119:9.    Ezekiel 36:25–27

Over twenty-four times in the gospels, Jesus said, “follow me.” When Jesus says “Follow me,” it’s far more than a simple invitation to walk behind Him. And it’s more than Bible study. It requires transformation: aligning our lives with His teachings and example, and embracing His values as our own. It signifies a willingness to leave behind old ways and habits and be entirely shaped by another’s example. We should strive to do what Jesus does well. At the top of that list is a Jesus kind of love.

Jesus loved unconditionally. Jesus was frequently associated with and cared for marginalized individuals, including the poor, sick, lepers, women, and those considered outcasts by the religious leaders of His time. He demonstrated compassion and offered healing and fellowship to those often rejected and overlooked by society. Jesus loved every one of His followers, pouring into them day and night despite their flaws.  And He loved sacrificially. Love is a choice. God chose to become a man and, as a man, He chose to hang on a cross so that we could be saved. So it makes sense that as apprentices of Jesus we should be known for our love, as He was known for love.

The teaching of Jesus is so clear, you almost wonder why we don’t follow it. Imagine a world in which people loved like Jesus loved. Imagine if Pharaoh had walked a path of love, loving the Hebrew people instead of making them slaves. Imagine how the exodus story may have turned out differently. Imagine if the people of God in the Old Testament had walked the path of love, loving God and each other. Imagine if the religious leaders who sought to destroy Jesus had walked in the path of love and loved Him rather than hated Him. Now imagine if Jesus had practiced hatred instead of love. Imagine if Jesus had lashed out in vengeance rather than reaching out in love at the cross.

Imagine, in 2025, if all Christians in the world had the character of Jesus. Imagine if we were imitators of Jesus, so that through our lives, actions, and relationships, others would see Jesus in us. Imagine how things could be different now if we all walked as Jesus walked, in the way of love with everyone.

The world desperately needs that kind of love. Love is more than something you feel; you choose by keeping your eyes and heart focused on Jesus’ example. God’s Love is for everyone. Does that mean your combative neighbor? Yes. Your estranged sibling? Yep. Your micro-managing boss? Yes, it includes them, too.  Everyone we encounter is someone that God loves and Jesus died for.

Discussion Questions:

1. What does “loving like Jesus” mean to you personally? 
2. How does Jesus’ love differ from other forms of love? 
3. How can we ensure that our actions and words reflect the love of Jesus?
   

“This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command… This is my command: Love each other.” – John 15:12-14, 17.

It must be important if Jesus repeated it three times. Jesus frequently discussed love. He emphasized loving God and one’s neighbor as the two greatest commandments. He also spoke about loving one another. In the Christian life, a believer aims for love. That’s the goal.

The journey of Jesus from the manger to the grave was a journey of love. We read the life of Jesus and are amazed at what He did, at what He said, at how He relayed the truth of God and the Kingdom of God. We sit back and study the scriptures to see what will happen in the future. We try to figure out God’s will for our lives. We go over it and over it again and here is the simple truth: Loving God means loving others.

Matthew 22:35-40 shows God’s greatest two commandments for our lives are to love. Love is our highest purpose. “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”

The ability to love is a crucial element of an apprentice’s spiritual growth because it reflects a transformed heart and a deeper relationship with God. Developing love is not just a matter of feeling but also of actively choosing to serve others and demonstrating Christlike qualities in our actions.

So, if you are a real estate agent and love as a real estate agent,  you have fulfilled your God-given purpose. If you are a nurse and use your work to love, you have fulfilled your God-given purpose. If you are a musician and use your music to love others, you have fulfilled your God-given purpose. And, if you are retired and use your spare time to serve meals to the homeless, and it’s done in love, you have fulfilled God’s greatest purpose for your life.  Love is the goal.

We miss the point when we focus on what we do as our purpose. It’s not about what we do as much as it is about how we do what we do. Do we do it in love? All things must be rooted in love to be rooted in God. 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 says:  “If I could speak all languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had a gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor, and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.”

Following Jesus is a life of love.

Discussion Questions:                                      

1. What does it mean to love God? How can we practically express our love for God in our daily lives? 
2. What does it mean to love one another? How does this love manifest in our interactions with family, friends, and even strangers? 
3. How does the concept of “God is love” impact our understanding of love in general? 

“The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you. Do not be like a senseless horse or mule that needs a bit and bridle to keep it under control.” – Psalm 32:8-9

The best life is the life lived with and led by God. But while it makes absolute sense, we often grapple with the idea. We are instinctively planners who like to have control over our schedule, but at the same time, we also know the world is unpredictable and often out of our control. That is why God should be the One leading us and why Psalm 32:8-9 is so fitting.

The Psalm 32 passage tells us that He will guide us along the best pathway for our lives. But immediately following this promise, the Lord gives us a necessary warning in verse 9, “Do not be like a senseless horse or mule that needs a bit and bridle to keep it under control.” It uses the imagery of a horse or mule to represent those who are unteachable, stubborn, and resistant to guidance. It is here that David ends the psalm by saying: “But he who trusts in the Lord, lovingkindness shall surround him. Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous ones; And shout for joy, all you who are upright in heart” (Psalm 32:10-11 NASB). God wants to guide us in the way we should go, but our response to His guidance determines our experience of His guidance.

Consider the metaphor for a few seconds: God has a barnyard of followers from the newly saved to the mature Christian. They are all different, but God loves them all and cares for them. He tells them where to go. He supplies a barn for their protection. Many of the mules are easygoing and compliant, but one mule is shortsighted, stubborn, and challenging to work with. This mule can’t seem to get with the program, so he has a bit and bridle put in his mouth, is hitched to a truck, and is dragged stiff-legged and snorting to the barn. That is the opposite of willingly letting God lead you.

Willingly letting God lead means surrendering your will and control to His guidance, trusting in His wisdom and plan for your life. It involves recognizing your limitations, seeking God’s direction through prayer and the Bible, and trusting that He will guide you in the right direction.

But letting God lead your life involves more than passive trust; it requires active engagement, resilience, and a willingness to embrace uncertainty. Many Christians believe that letting God lead their lives means waiting passively for His intervention. They think that God’s will will be done without any action on their part simply because they are relying on Him.

It can’t be sugar-coated. Letting go and trusting God is a messy process. If it feels hard, you’re not doing it wrong. If it were easy, I doubt many of us would truly learn. It wouldn’t stick. Going through hard things the hard way makes us stronger. No quick fixes. No magic formulas. It takes time and practice to choose to trust over and over again. Solomon demonstrates that in Proverbs 16:1-9: “We can make our own plans, but the Lord gives the right answer. People may be pure in their own eyes, but the Lord examines their motives. Commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed…We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our step.”

Discussion Questions:

1. What does it mean to you to say that God is leading your life? 
2. How can we become more open and receptive to God’s leading in our daily lives? 
3. What standard stumbling blocks prevent us from trusting God’s guidance? 
4. How can we cultivate a more trusting relationship with God, knowing He is always leading us? 

Summary: Maturing in our walk with Jesus is a journey of growing closer to Him, developing a more Christ-like character, and living by His will. This process involves continuous learning, seeking God’s guidance, and allowing Him to transform our lives. It is a matter of experiencing union with God to the point where God is part of every aspect of our lives and mirroring His love for others.   

Many Christians believe that spiritual growth is mostly about learning more information. The truth is, spiritual growth is not just knowing more about Jesus. Spiritual growth is not just doing more for Jesus. Spiritual growth is living more like Jesus. God wants you to look and act like Jesus. “Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did” (1 John 2.6). Ephesians 4.13 says, “…measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.” Romans 8.29 says, “For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son.…”

God loves you just the way you are, but He loves you too much to leave you the way you are. He wants you to grow up to live just like Jesus. Spiritual maturity doesn’t happen automatically or is it instantaneous. 2 Peter 3:18 says: “Rather, you must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ….” It takes time to grow; it doesn’t happen quickly. No living thing comes to maturity instantaneously. You can take no shortcut or instant pill to accelerate your spiritual growth. It takes an intentional pursuit, and it’s a continual process to reach maturity in Jesus.

Spiritual maturity requires discipline: 1 Timothy 4:7 says: “Do not waste time arguing over godless ideas and old wives’ tales. Instead, train yourself to be godly.”  It is through our daily obedience and discipline of working out the principles of our faith that we experience spiritual growth. It starts with surrender.   

We surrender all of life to Jesus by obeying God no matter what. We die to ourselves, die to our agenda and plan for our lives, and submit to God’s. Jesus is on the throne now, and we obey God no matter what happens. We do and say what He would do and say. Surrender is saying, “God, I will give You everything,” and allow Him to change your life.

Your faith and life in Jesus are meant to grow. God works in different people in different ways. Some people grow rapidly, while others grow slowly but steadily. Our focus should not be on comparing ourselves with others, but on comparing ourselves with Jesus Christ.

Discussion Questions:

1. How does the Bible describe our union with Christ? What are some of the key images or metaphors used to illustrate this? 
2. In what practical ways can you grow in your union with God? What spiritual disciplines can help you deepen this connection? 

Summary:  The illuminative way emphasizes intentional spiritual formation and becoming an apprentice of Jesus. It involves cultivating daily practices and habits that lead to transformation, moving beyond mere belief into a life shaped by Jesus’ way.

In today’s social media culture, it’s easier than ever to follow someone whose teaching we appreciate and value. With the click of a button, we can like, comment on, or share with others what information or understanding we have received.

But there is an enormous chasm between the ease of following someone on social media and following Christ. Following Jesus presents several challenges, including personal sacrifices, external opposition, and the need for constant spiritual growth and self-reflection. Following Jesus can lead to misunderstandings, criticism, or even persecution from those who don’t share the same faith or values. Life as a follower of Christ is not always easy. There can be periods of difficulty, hardship, and suffering that require faith and resilience.

Following Jesus is a commitment to live in alignment with His teachings, values, and example, ultimately seeking to embody His character and mission. It’s a lifelong journey of learning, growing, and transforming into someone more like Him. It starts with illumination. It begins with understanding.

Today, when someone is talking about being a “learner,” they are typically referring to a student. Students, by definition, take instruction, internalize information, and use it for a test or in conversation. But the Bible has a different take on being a “learner,” or disciple. When the Bible speaks of learning or being a disciple, it refers to something closer to apprenticeship. In Jesus’ day, being a disciple of a rabbi was the pinnacle of achievement. It’s what every young boy growing up would want to be. From a young age, they would start memorizing the entire Torah, or what we think of as the Old Testament, in hopes that they would one day be qualified to become a disciple. If they made it through the process and were picked to be discipled by one of the rabbis, they would follow them everywhere they went.

If you were a disciple, the goal was to spend as much time with your rabbi as possible to learn as much of their teaching as possible, and become as much like them as possible. They had to walk where they walked, do what they did, and teach like they taught. They were being equipped to be a rabbi on their own one day. They were in training as an apprentice. That’s much different than classroom learning as we think of it today.

So when Jesus called someone to be His disciple, He was calling them in that context, with that cultural understanding. Following Jesus does not mean sitting in a classroom and memorizing information. Following Jesus means walking where He walks, doing what He did, and teaching what He taught. Disciples of Jesus are not supposed to learn information simply; they are supposed to apply information to their lives in a way that leads to understanding and transformation.

Discussion Questions:

1. How does following Jesus require a personal cost, and how do we calculate that cost? 
2. In what ways does following Jesus require a total commitment, similar to how we commit to other important things in life? 
3. How does the idea that Jesus came for everyone, including those we find difficult to love, affect our understanding of following Him? 

“How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word.” This verse underscores the importance of God’s Word in guiding us toward purity.” – Psalm 119:9.    Ezekiel 36:25–27

In the TV series Dirty Jobs, Mike Rowe apprentices himself to people who perform dangerous or disgusting jobs, ranging from rattlesnake catchers and zoo cleaners to road-kill collectors. Mike performs difficult, strange, disgusting, or messy occupational duties alongside the job’s current employees. When asked about the worst of the dirty jobs, Mike said one of them is a sewer inspector. “Aside from sloshing through a sea of human waste, the inspectors encounter, among other things, roaches the size of thumbs and rats the size of bread loaves. Mike said, “It’s hot, dirty, and too smelly to describe.” After that experience, cleaning your skin and mind takes a lot of work.

God views righteousness through the lens of His perfect, unwavering standards. Our righteousness is like the filthy rages that Mike sees in the sewers. Isaiah 64:5-8 says, “You welcome those who gladly do good, who follow godly ways. But you have been very angry with us, for we are not godly. We are constant sinners; how can people like us be saved? We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags. Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall, and our sins sweep us away like the wind. Yet no one calls on your name or pleads with you for mercy. Therefore, you have turned away from us and turned us over to our sins. And yet, O Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay, and you are the potter. We all are formed by your hand.”

Our hearts need daily cleansing. We must ask God for forgiveness for the day’s mistakes, grumblings, and negative attitudes. Whether harboring bitterness toward a coworker who let us down, losing my temper with our children, or lashing out in response to a Facebook post, we frequently fail to live up to the standard of godliness we strive for as apprentices of Jesus.

Over and over, the Bible describes how to receive cleansing from God through the saving power of Jesus’ death and resurrection. “Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water” (Hebrews 10:22).

The purgative way is the first of three stages in the spiritual life, focusing on cleansing the soul from sin and its consequences. This stage involves practicing disciplines and the goal is to cultivate a love for God and a willingness to follow His will, with a focus on humility and dependence on God’s grace. As we move through this phase, we develop a disdain for things that go against God’s will. Regularly confessing sins and seeking forgiveness is a crucial part of this stage.

Purgation (cleansing) leads to a deeper connection with God. It’s about intentionally turning away from sin and developing a deeper love for God.

Discussion Questions:

1. What does it mean to be cleansed in a spiritual sense? 
2. How does the concept of cleansing relate to the work of Jesus Christ? 

“My child, listen to what I say, and treasure my commands. Tune your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding. Cry out for insight, and ask for understanding. Search for them as you would for silver; seek them like hidden treasures. Then you will understand what it means to fear the Lord, and you will gain knowledge of God.” – Proverbs 2:1-5.

The year was 1488, and a man named Domenico Ghirlandaio was an Italian Renaissance painter in Italy. A young, thirteen-year-old boy became his apprentice.  Ghirlandaio had trained many apprentices, and all learned similarly—by watching and listening closely to him, paying attention to his direction and guidance, copying masterpieces to learn colors and strokes, and learning the ways of the trade. Ghirlandaio’s young thirteen-year-old apprentice, Michelangelo, certainly learned his trade well. He went on to paint the remarkable frescoes of the Sistine Chapel, completed the dome of St. Peter’s Cathedral, carved his famous Pietà and David statues from marble. It all began with a good apprenticeship.

The message of Proverbs 2 is to be an apprentice. It is a call to listen to the voice of truth and learn the standards of how life works in the world created by God, broken by sin, and redeemed by Jesus. It is a call to trust God, pursue truth, and do the work.

Jesus calls His followers to more than a casual or nominal relationship with him. He calls them to be His disciples, or apprentices, learning from Him day in and day out, becoming like Him and able to do everything He commanded. “Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20). An apprentice soaks up any teaching and learning from the person they are apprenticing under. In the same way, followers of Jesus learn by apprenticing themselves to Jesus. They learn to live their lives as Jesus would live them if He were living their lives as they apprentice themselves to Him and train to be more Christlike.

Apprentices train through practicing spiritual disciplines such as worship, study, prayer, fellowship, solitude, silence, and fasting. Spiritual disciplines work by helping the disciple form new habits that change their character, ultimately resulting in automatic, Christlike responses.

Training for Christlikeness, being saturated with God’s love and grace, and attending to the care of our souls will result in a character that reflects Christ to the world. Choosing to be an apprentice to Christ means being devoted to Him, loving Him, and following Him.

In short, becoming an apprentice of Jesus, or discipleship, is a journey of learning and growing like Jesus, not just believing in Him. It’s becoming like him through daily practices, spiritual disciplines, and intentional living. This involves being with Jesus, becoming like Him, and doing as He did.

Discussion Questions:

1. Is the concept of apprenticeship new to you?
2. Why is an apprenticeship important? How is it useful?