Posts with the category “daily-devotion”

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." – Acts 1:8The power of the Holy Spirit is not a theory. It is not an idea to study or a concept to debate. It is real, active, and available to you right now. When the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost, it was not a quiet moment. It w...  Read More

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." – Acts 1:8If Jesus walked into the room right now and told you it was better for Him to leave so that you could receive something greater, would you believe Him? That is exactly what He told His disciples. In John 16, Jesus said i...  Read More

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." – Acts 1:8Imagine being one of the disciples after Jesus was crucified. You watched the one you followed, the one you believed was the Messiah, die in the most brutal way possible. Now you are hiding in an upper room, afraid for y...  Read More

"Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit." – 1 Corinthians 12:4Imagine it is Christmas morning, and there are beautifully wrapped presents under the tree with your name on them. Would you leave them sitting there, untouched? Right now you’re thinking, pastor, you’re crazy! I would open every single one, eager to see what is inside! No one would walk away from a gift meant for them an...  Read More

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid." – John 14:27In what way have you been wounded so badly that there is not a moment it does not cross your mind? People say, “Just forgive and forget,” but they have no idea what they are talking about. Forgetting is not an option. You did not ask fo...  Read More

"But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves." – James 1:22If you have ever seen a circus elephant, you have probably wondered how such a massive, powerful animal can be kept in place by a simple shackle. As a baby, the elephant is tied to a stake in the ground, unable to move freely. Over time, it learns that when the shackle is on, it is stuck. It stops trying to break f...  Read More

"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." – Romans 12:2You cannot think the same way and expect your life to change. You cannot keep believing the same lies and wonder why you feel stuck. Change does not happen by accident. It happens when you decide that eno...  Read More

"So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." – John 8:36Labels are powerful. Maybe you have been called something so often that you started believing it was true. You are not smart enough. You are not strong enough. You will never be more than what you are right now. These words start as someone else’s opinion, but over time, they stick. They shape how you see yourself. And if you are n...  Read More

"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." – Romans 12:2If you have ever been to a doctor for pain, you have probably been asked to rate it on a scale from one to ten. It is a way to measure what you are experiencing. But when it comes to emotions, it is not t...  Read More

"Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth." – Colossians 3:2Have you ever felt overwhelmed by your emotions, like they have a mind of their own? One moment, everything is fine, and the next, something happens that triggers a wave of anger, sadness, or anxiety. It is easy to think that emotions just happen to you, but that is not true. Your emotions are shaped by you...  Read More

"For God gave us a spirit not of fear, but of power and love and self-control." – 2 Timothy 1:7Your emotions are real. Fear, anxiety, sadness, anger, these feelings exist, and you have probably experienced all of them at some point. But just because you feel something does not mean it has to control you. The enemy wants to disturb your mind, trouble your heart, and agitate your emotions. If he can...  Read More

"And be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness." – Ephesians 4:23-24Your mind is powerful. It shapes the way you see yourself, the way you respond to challenges, and ultimately, the way you live. But what happens when your mind has been shaped by lies? What if the way you see yourself has been distorted ...  Read More

"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." – Romans 12:2As a believer, you can’t put on a biblical worldview like a pair of glasses, switching between “church vision” on Sundays and “world vision” the rest of the week. That’s the problem so many people face. T...  Read More

"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." - Romans 12:2 The way you see the world isn’t random. It’s shaped by what you’ve experienced, what you’ve been taught, the environments you’ve been in, and the encounters you’ve had. That’s why two people can look at ...  Read More

"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." - Romans 12:2 Belief is powerful. It shapes the way you see the world, the way you live, and even the way you connect with others. Growing up, I spent summers in Pilot Mountain with my grandparents. My grandfather mad...  Read More

"Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts." - Zechariah 4:6 Modern psychology is finally catching up to what the Bible has told us all along. That is, the way you think shapes the way you live. Faulty patterns of thinking lead to destructive behaviors. Addictions, toxic relationships, crippling anxiety, and cycles of self-sabotage don’t start with behavior, they start w...  Read More

"For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he." - Proverbs 23:7 The way you think shapes the way you live. The thoughts you allow to take root in your heart become the reality you walk in. If you constantly dwell on fear, doubt, or shame, those things begin to define you, even when they’re not true. But when you receive the Holy Spirit, everything changes. There is a transformational reality happenin...  Read More

"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." - Romans 12:2 What if the biggest shift you need in your life isn’t in your circumstances but in the way you see them? The truth is, when you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change. So often,...  Read More

"Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you." - Isaiah 49:15 There are moments in life when it feels like God has forgotten you. You pray, you wait, you stay faithful, but nothing changes. The silence stretches on, and doubt starts creeping in. Did God forget about me? Does He even see me? Joseph...  Read More

"And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up." - Galatians 6:9 Obedience isn’t always easy, especially when the reward doesn’t come right away. You do the right thing, you stay faithful, you make sacrifices for God, and yet… nothing seems to change. The breakthrough doesn’t come. The doors don’t open. The blessing feels delayed. And in those moment...  Read More

"And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up." - Galatians 6:9 Obedience isn’t always easy, especially when the reward doesn’t come right away. You do the right thing, you stay faithful, you make sacrifices for God, and yet… nothing seems to change. The breakthrough doesn’t come. The doors don’t open. The blessing feels delayed. And in those moment...  Read More

"He must increase, but I must decrease." - John 3:30 Why do you want God to fulfill the dream He placed in your heart? Is it to make a name for yourself, or is it to make His name known? It’s easy to get caught up in the idea of success. You pray for God to open doors, to bring opportunities, to elevate you to places you’ve only imagined. But if you’re not careful, your dream can slowly shift from...  Read More

"Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men." - Colossians 3:23 Integrity isn’t just about doing the right thing when no one is watching, it’s about doing the right thing when everyone is watching. It’s easy to focus on the quiet moments of character, the times when no one sees, when no one is there to hold you accountable. That’s where integrity starts. But what happens when ...  Read More

"One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much." - Luke 16:10 Everybody wants to step into the big dream. Everyone wants to see the promise fulfilled, the doors open, and the success unfold. But before God gives you more, He looks at what you’re doing with what you have now. Joseph had a dream of leadership, of in...  Read More

"For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable." - Romans 11:29 Somebody might have taken something from you. Maybe it was an opportunity, a position, a relationship, or a dream you worked so hard to build. Maybe you’ve been betrayed, overlooked, or pushed aside, and now you’re standing there wondering if what they took has somehow stripped you of God’s plan for your life. But hear this lou...  Read More

"As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today." - Genesis 50:20 You would think that when God gives you a dream, the next step would be smooth sailing. That doors would swing open, opportunities would fall into place, and everything would unfold exactly the way you imagined. But what happens when the ve...  Read More

"Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you." - Matthew 7:6 Not everyone can handle what God has placed inside of you. That dream, that vision, that calling—it’s not meant to be shared with just anyone. Because the wrong people will misunderstand it, dismiss it, or even try to destroy it before it ever has the ch...  Read More

"As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today." - Genesis 50:20 When God gives you a dream, it’s easy to assume the path to it will be smooth. You picture open doors, favor, and a straight shot to the top. But what if the road God takes you on looks nothing like you expected? What if it’s filled with be...  Read More

"Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." - Philippians 1:6 Was there a point somewhere along the way that you stopped dreaming? Maybe life didn’t turn out the way you thought it would. Maybe disappointment hit harder than you expected. Maybe you convinced yourself that your time had passed, that the dream you once...  Read More

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." - 2 Corinthians 5:17God is going to bless somebody. He’s going to use somebody. He’s going to call someone into a purpose bigger than they ever imagined. So why not you? Maybe you’ve told yourself that you’re not qualified. Maybe you think you’re too broken, too flawed, too insignificant t...  Read More

"For the righteous falls seven times and rises again, but the wicked stumble in times of calamity." - Proverbs 24:16 Nobody likes to fail. It stings. It’s uncomfortable. It makes you question whether you’re really capable, whether you’re really called, and whether you should even keep going. And for so many people, failure feels like the end. A defining moment that says, “You’re not good enough. Y...  Read More

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." - Philippians 4:8 Have you ever caught yourself believing something about yourself that wasn’t even true? Maybe it was a passing comment someone made, a lie whisper...  Read More

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly." - John 10:10 When you choose to live the lies that either you or someone else had told you, there is a sever cost. You weren’t created to shrink back, to second-guess, or to walk through life feeling like a fraud. But how many times have you told yourself, I’m not really good enough. I don’...  Read More

"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." - Ephesians 2:10 There is a famous quote from Ian Simkins that says, “You live out what you believe about yourself, whether it’s true or not.” Think about that for a second. If you believe you’re not good enough, you’ll act like it. If you believe you’ll never measure u...  Read More

"For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control." - 2 Timothy 1:7 Yesterday, we looked at those who want to perform their way to acceptance. But then there is another kind of person. The type of person holds themself back. You know the opportunity is there. The door has opened.  You’ve been given the chance to step up, but instead of walking through it, you hesitate. Y...  Read More

"The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever you get, get insight." – Proverbs 4:7 Leadership without wisdom is dangerous. It leads to reckless decisions, misguided priorities, and short-term thinking that can cause long-term damage. Yet, so many leaders operate on instinct alone, relying on their experience, their talent, or even their charisma rather than actively seeking wisdom. B...  Read More

"Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves." – Philippians 2:3 Leadership and humility don’t often go together in the world’s eyes. Most leaders chase power, recognition, and control. They want to be seen as the strongest, the smartest, the most capable. But Jesus flipped that idea upside down. He didn’t lead with pride or demand res...  Read More

"But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." - Romans 5:8 What are you still trying to prove? That you’re good enough? Smart enough? Talented enough? Worthy enough? Maybe it’s to your parents, your friends, your boss, or even yourself. You work harder, push further, and carry the weight of expectations that were never yours to bear. But have you ever sto...  Read More

"For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." - Matthew 16:25 What is it that keeps you up at night? What’s the thing you hold so tightly that the thought of losing it makes your stomach turn? Maybe it’s your reputation, your success, your security, or even a carefully crafted version of yourself that you present to the world. Whatever it is, ...  Read More

"For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ." - Galatians 1:10 Do you ever feel like you’re just one mistake away from being “found out”? Are you worried that at any moment, people will realize you’re not as talented, as worthy, or as capable as they thought?  Maybe you struggle to acce...  Read More