Devotions

  • Repetition
    Is there one that you seem to repeat over and over?
  • Happy the Home
    This is a celebration of family as it should be.
  • Family Legacy
    Think of the struggles your ancestors went through to secure the life you now enjoy.
  • Civil Engagement
    What might we learn from this conversation about how to interact with someone we view as “other”?
  • Dead Works
    By the shedding of Jesus’ blood, we are cleansed of the ‘dead works’ and freed to worship the living God.
  • A Spiritual Life
    A spiritual life is one of collaboration with God.
  • Presence
    What a gift it is to have people who are willing to sit with us in our pain and celebrate with us in our joy.
  • Blind Faith
    Read Mark 10:46-52. Bartimaeus may have been blind, but in one important way, he could see better than the people… Read more: Blind Faith
  • Lord, Have Mercy
    When we don’t know what to pray, Jesus to intercedes on our behalf.
  • All Times and All Places
    “I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth.”
  • From Concept to Reality
    Read Job 42:1-6, 10-17. In the closing chapter of his story, Job shows great growth. Both before and during his… Read more: From Concept to Reality
  • True Greatness
    True greatness comes in modeling our lives on the One who showed us what servant leadership looks like.
  • Gentle Mediation
    We all struggle with dealing gently when it comes to the wrongdoing of others.
  • Inexplicable
    Here, Job is reminded that God is God and Job is not.
  • Created Order
    When one part of creation is not healthy, it can throw off the whole balance.
  • On Wealth
    No matter how good we think we are, there is always room to grow.
  • Confession
    We don’t need to be afraid to confess our sin to God.
  • Into God’s Hands
    Where, in your life, are you suffering?
  • If Only
    In this reading, Job has a case of the “if onlys”.
  • Leaning into Discomfort
    This is one of those passages we would rather avoid than think about.
  • Jesus is Here
    Jesus is present when we worship God.
  • Covenant Prayer
    “Prove me, O Lord, and try me; test my heart and mind.”
  • Why?
    Read Job 1:1-2:10. The story of Job challenges the idea that good things happen to good people and bad things… Read more: Why?
  • On Feeling Competetive
    How does ego, pride, and insecurity figure into the kingdom of God?
  • At All Times, Pray
    In this reading, we find the hallmarks of a grace-filled community of faith: prayer, confession, healing, and restoration.
  • Steadfast
    What signs help you to trust God’s promise of presence?
  • Heroic Sacrifice
    All of us are called to make small sacrifices for the well-being of the people around us.
  • Missing the Point
    The disciples’ inability to grasp Jesus’ teaching is almost comical.
  • Good Intentions
    It takes work and commitment to slow down long enough to consider the source and the motivation of what we say and do.
  • The Better Path
    The scriptures are meant to be life-giving and nurturing.
  • Sabbath Wisdom
    Maybe it is because this woman takes time to rest in God and to recharge her spirit that she accomplishes so much.
  • Take Up Your Cross
    “If any wish to come after me, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.”
  • On Using Your Words
    How intentional are you about the words you choose to speak or write?
  • Wisdom and Righteousness
    “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.”
  • Lady Wisdom
    Who have been the wise counsels in your life?
  • Worthy
    Jesus pushes people to claim their worthiness.
  • Faith and Works
    Good works are the outflow of our faith.
  • On My Side
    If it had not been for the Lord on your side, where would you be?
  • In Common
    We all come from the same Creator and source of life.
  • Inner Beauty
    Jesus insists it’s what’s inside that matters.
  • Hearers and Doers
    We, as a culture, have become bad at listening to each other.
  • A Prayer for Leaders
    When you pray for our local, national, and international leaders, for what do you ask?
  • Beloved
    Love and belonging is a universal need.
  • Hard to Follow
    With which teachings of Jesus do you struggle?
  • Spiritual Armor
    This is an invitation to trust God to equip us for every task.
  • Happy Are Those…
    We all have times when our souls feel parched and sun-scorched.
  • Dwelling Places
    Solomon knows that God will not be contained.
  • Living Bread
    “I am the living bread.”
  • Wise Use of Time
    How wisely do we spend our time?
  • P.R.A.I.S.E.
    God’s praise endures forever!
  • …and the wisdom to know the difference
    What qualities in a leader do you respect?
  • Bread of Life
    When Jesus says, “I am the bread of life,” what does that mean to you?
  • Clothed in Christ
    Here, Paul advises kindness, tenderheartedness, forgiveness, and living a life of sacrificial love like Jesus did.
  • Out of the Depths
    Often, sin feels like a dark hole, a pit, a void.
  • Family Dysfunction
    The story of David and his son Absalom paints a picture of family dysfunction at its worst.
  • Want vs. Need
    There are times when what we want is not necessarily what we need.
  • Healthy Body of Christ
    The express purpose of the gifts each has been given is for building up a healthy, whole body rather than elevating one over another.
  • Daily Examen
    Before we can open ourselves before God, we must take an honest look at our own hearts.
  • Mutual Accountability
    What role does trust have in a mutually accountable relationship?
  • Non-transactional Love
    There are times we may be tempted to think of our relationship with Jesus as transactional.
  • Rooted and Grounded
    Being rooted and grounded in love is an answer to any prayer.
  • Good Guys vs. Bad Guys
    As humans, it is our tendency to define the world in terms of “us” and “them”.
  • Unrepentant
    Unrepentant sin has a way of spiraling.
  • Sabbath
    How do you balance responding to needs and responsibilities in your life with your need for rest?
  • One Body
    Through Jesus, we are joined together as members of one body.
  • Tough Love
    Sin has real consequences in life and God, perhaps the first to practice “tough love”, doesn’t promise to protect us from that.
  • Steadfast Love
    We are never outside the bounds of God’s love and God’s ability to redeem.
  • Speaking Truth to Power
    When you see injustice or wrongdoing, how readily to you call it out?
  • Chosen
    We have been chosen by the One who is the embodiment of love.
  • Lift Up Your Heads
    Which aspects of nature compel you to offer praise to the Creator?
  • Dancing for the Lord
    Bringing the ark to Jerusalem, the entire company danced before the Lord with all their might, celebrating God’s presence.
  • Fear and Faith
    This lesson holds two words against each other: fear and faith.
  • Don’t Squander the Gift
    No one gives a gift with the expectation that it will be left in the box and hidden away on the top shelf.
  • Weighed Down
    Negativity has the potential to weigh us down.
  • Taking on Giants
    Each of us has moments in life when we are called to be brave and daring.
  • Small Acts, Big Impact
    Read Mark 4:26-34. A prayer by John van de Laar: We may not be able to confront queens, or challenge… Read more: Small Acts, Big Impact
  • Out with the Old
    To experience love, acceptance, and belonging in this way is transformative.
  • A Prayer for Leaders
    May God guide every leader in ways that lead to peace and unity and the common good.
  • Looking Inside
    In what ways do you find yourself judging others only by what is visible?
  • Free-thinkers and Rule-breakers
    In the face of opposition, Jesus takes this on as a teaching moment.
  • Seen and Unseen
    A big part of faith in Jesus is trusting that God is continually at work.
  • Whole-Hearted
    “I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart.”
  • Be Careful What You Wish For
    Despite the warnings, Israel persisted in asking for a king and that’s what they were given.
  • Righteous Score-Keeping
    We can almost imagine a group of Pharisees trailing behind Jesus with little notebooks, giving him a little checkmark every time he breaks the rules.
  • Ordinary Clay Pots
    “We carry this precious Message around in the unadorned clay pots of our ordinary lives.” ~Eugene Peterson
  • Centered on Praise
    How might you keep your heart and mind centered on praise and thanksgiving?
  • Speak, O Lord
    In what situations might God be calling you to be a helper?
  • Flesh and Spirit
    To truly experience God at work in the world, one must lay oneself open before God.
  • Chosen and Loved
    By nature, adoption is about being chosen, included, and loved.
  • Shalom
    Shalom isn’t just about the absence of war or conflict, but about the interconnectedness of creation.
  • Here I Am, Lord
    What can we learn from Isaiah’s response, “Here am I; send me”?
  • Counter-cultural
    How might we humbly go about proclaiming the kingdom about which Jesus spoke?
  • Rejoice in God’s Works
    In every season, the earth gives thanks for God’s presence and provision.
  • Language of Hope
    There are no prerequisites for receiving the Gospel.
  • Anticipation
    How can a time of waiting – of anticipation – of hopeful expectation – become a gift?
  • Paul’s Prayer
    Knowing God more fully allows us to find hope in the mystery of grace.
  • He is Exalted
    It is God who ordered the universe in the first place and who actively works to bring it back into balance.
  • Missing the Point
    Once he has ascended, Jesus’ disciples stand there staring at the sky, waiting for him to do something else.
  • No Greater Love
    Here, Jesus is talking about the sacrificial nature of his love for his friends.
  • Leading with Love
    Because we have been loved fully by God through Jesus, we, too, can love.