For we who teach will be judged more strictly

DAILY VERSE

Dear brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged more strictly.

James 3:1

DEVOTION

We are all uniquely gifted to serve God, but it’s those who preach God’s word that have the biggest responsibility. Pastors are charged with teaching God’s word to believers in a way that will help them grow in Christ and become fruitful. Those that get affected by their position and/or this world have a steep price to pay if they lead anyone astray. That’s why we should pray for our pastors and church leaders, their job is not easy.

Money and Status Mean Nothing to God

DAILY VERSE

And those who are rich should boast that God has humbled them. They will fade away like a little flower in the field. The hot sun rises and the grass withers; the little flower droops and falls, and its beauty fades away. In the same way, the rich will fade away with all of their achievements.

James 1:10-11

DEVOTION

Having an overflowing bank account and a fancy title in front of your name means nothing to God. If your focus is on material things and your goals in life involve them, you may want to rethink your strategy. A changed heart will be fruitful for what God sees as important.

Practice What You Preach

DAILY VERSE

Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat, so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice.”

Matthew 23:1–3

DEVOTION

I can only assume that the phrase “practice what you preach” could be tied to this verse. As a child, the church we went to left me with the impression that the pastor lived a sin free life. There was no real life examples used during his preaching. That’s why a appreciate a pastor who uses himself as a bad example of following Jesus, it shows his humanity and gives church goers practical examples of how the bible is reflected in how we live. None of us will ever be perfect, but we can use what we learn through God’s word to our best.

The Servant Will Be Glorified

DAILY VERSE

But among you it will be different. Those who are the greatest among you should take the lowest rank, and the leader should be like a servant.

Luke 22:26

DEVOTION

In this world that tells us that being a “big shot” is a big deal, these words from Jesus seem upside down. The human condition is based on self-importance, today especially, we see the obsession with “selfies” and posting ones accomplishments online for everyone to admire. Jesus tells us as his followers, the least of us will be esteemed, the servant will be glorified, and the giver held high. Where do you place your worth?

Speak Boldly!

DAILY VERSE

For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people.

1 Peter 2:15

DEVOTION

Lets face it, there’s a lot of negative speech going around in this country pointed at Christians. God wants us to be humble, but our faith would never have spread this widely if the earliest followers of Jesus were silent. We have to speak out boldly, in love, and the world will know us for the one we serve.

The Weight of an Elephant

DAILY VERSE

Do not let your hearts be troubled.  Trust in God, trust also in me.

John 14:1  

DEVOTION

I’ve mostly been able to keep stress at bay, but today just dropped on me like an elephant. With the economy in dismal shape (despite reports), living in a city where my experience doesn’t match the industry, going back to school is my only option. The weight of incurring debt the size of student loans just seemed to overtake me. I can’t say that I am now stress free, but giving my situation over to God has lessened the blow. God is ultimately in control and he will light my path.

When God is on our side, who can be against us?

DAILY VERSE

They were just trying to intimidate us, imagining that they could discourage us and stop the work. So I continued the work with even greater determination.

Nehemiah 6:10

DEVOTION

Have you ever started something that seemed to others as an utter failure, while you felt that God had been the one putting it together? To the outside world, what we do may seem foolish or ill planned. But when God encourages us to move forward, it’s a divine appointment that no man can discourage. The nae sayers should give us even more determination. When God is on our side, who can be against us?

Intelligent Design

DAILY VERSE

By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen.

Hebrews 11:3

DEVOTION

If you think about how the world could have possibly, magically brought forth life by a chance happening of cosmic goo being infused with particles from a big bang, you’d have to realize it just doesn’t make sense. If life had to evolve to be viable, it would never have survived. Instead God created everything in it’s viable form so that it could thrive and reproduce. The intricacies of all life on Earth reflect an intelligent design and purpose that no “by chance” happening can explain.

Breaking the Heart of God

DAILY VERSE

The lord observed the extent of human wickedness on the earth, and he saw that everything they thought or imagined was consistently and totally evil. So the lord was sorry he had ever made them and put them on the earth. It broke his heart.

Genesis 6:5-6

DEVOTION

It may be convenient to fool ourselves into thinking that our failures and sins only affect us, but the truth is, they seriously grieve our Father in heaven. We were not created to be destroyers of self esteem and self worth, we were created to love and lift up. We were not created to covet possessions or strive to build up our own wealth, we were created to live frugally and give. God takes joy when we triumph, but he’s also saddened when we fail to live as he created us to live.

Don’t Labor in Vain

DAILY VERSE

Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.

Psalm 127:1a

DEVOTION

Anything you labor for; family, friendships, marriage, business…if you build these things on the world’s terms, your laboring in vain. If you work at these things relying on the Lord, even if things seem to stall or fall apart, you can be sure that, in the end, God will put the final touches on them that will be lasting. Let God be your guide in all things, and never forget to PUSH (pray until something happens).