April 3, 2026 · 6:01 AM

Paid In Full

After Jesus had hung on the cross for several hours, His last words before He died were, “It is finished!” The Greek word written in the Bible is “tetelestai.” What it fully means is, “Paid in full. Nothing left owed.” It was a declaration that the price for our sins was paid in full by the spotless Lamb of God. Our record of wrong doing is wiped clean through His shed blood on the cross. While it looked like one of the darkest days in the history of the world in the moment to the onlookers, Jesus was letting them know He was fulfilling His purpose of taking away the sins of the world. Romans 10:9-10 says, “If you confess that Jesus is Lord and believe that God raised him from death, you will be saved. For it is by our faith that we are put right with God; it is by our confession that we are saved” (GNT). No matter how badly or how much you have done wrong, there is forgiveness for you because Jesus paid your debt in full.

Here are some Bible verses that show your sins were paid for on Good Friday:

1. For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And it was not paid with mere gold or silver, which lose their value. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God.

1 Peter 1:18-19 NLT

2. In Him we have redemption [that is, our deliverance and salvation] through His blood, [which paid the penalty for our sin and resulted in] the forgiveness and complete pardon of our sin, in accordance with the riches of His grace.

Ephesians 1:7 AMP

3. Blessed and happy and favored are those whose lawless acts have been forgiven, And whose sins have been covered up and completely buried. “Blessed and happy and favored is the man whose sin the Lord will not take into account nor charge against him.

Romans 4:7-8 AMP

4. You were bought with a price [you were actually purchased with the precious blood of Jesus and made His own]. So then, honor and glorify God with your body.

1 Corinthians 6:20 AMP

5. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross.

Colossians 2:14 NLT

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April 2, 2026 · 5:30 AM

Submitting To The King

Palm Sunday is the beginning of Holy Week that leads up to Easter. Mark 11 records that Jesus rode into town on a young donkey that had never been risen. As He entered Jerusalem, the people began to shout, “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” People we’re waving Palm branches and laying them in the streets for Him to ride over. The palm branches in that culture represented victory. The other thing the people did was recorded in verse 8. It says they laid their garments in the street for Him to ride over. It’s an interesting picture to me. Why place their garments on the ground?

In 2 Kings 9:1-13, Elisha had one of the prophets sons go to Jehu with a private message. He was to tell Jehu that he was now the king of Israel, to anoint him with oil and then to run away as fast as he could. When Jehu came back out, his friends asked what that was about. When he told them, they got excited. Verse 13 says, “Then they quickly spread out their cloaks on the bare steps and blew the ram’s horn, shouting, ‘Jehu is king!’” (NLT) It’s the only other time I can find where this happened for a king. It’s also something we read over and miss if we read it with a western lens.

In that culture, the bottom of your foot is significant. If you point the under side of your foot at someone, you’re signifying that they are beneath you like dust. For the people to take off their garments and put them under the feet of Jehu and the donkey of Jesus, they were submitting to their authority as king. The garments represent their concerns. Remember in Matthew 6 when Jesus said He clothes the fields and that we shouldn’t be concerned about what to wear? Each of us have concerns we wear like a heavy garment. It’s time that we submitted them to Jesus by placing them at His feet. We don’t need to carry them anymore. We need to submit to His authority and ability to provide for us as our king.

Photo courtesy of Microsoft Copilot.

Throwback Thursday is a feature I’m using to help build some margin into my schedule to pursue other ventures. Each Thursday I’ll be bringing you a previously written devotional that still speaks encouragement to us from God’s Word.

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April 1, 2026 · 5:56 AM

Breaking The Jar

In 1995 David Burgess, who is an award winning violin maker, was transporting one of his newly finished violins. Somewhere during transport, the violin suffered a hairline crack. It was small, but it changed the sound of this expensive instrument. Burgess could either patch the crack or break the entire top off and rebuild it from the inside out. It was costly and it looked like he had destroyed the violin in the moment. However, once it was rebuilt, the violin actually sounded better than before. The breaking and rebuilding of it released a sound it had never had.

Less than a week before Jesus’s crucifixion, He was having dinner when a woman came in with an alabaster jar of perfume that was worth a year’s wages. Instead of taking the top off and using a little bit, she broke the jar open, and poured it all out on Jesus. People complained that the perfume was wasted and that they could have sold it to give money to the poor. However, Jesus had a different response to this sacrificial act of worship. After rebuking them, He said, “When she poured the fragrant oil over me, she was preparing my body in advance of my burial. She has done all that she could to honor me. I promise you that as this wonderful gospel spreads all over the world, the story of her lavish devotion to me will be mentioned in memory of her” (Mark 14:8-9 NLT).

Romans 12:1 says, “Beloved friends, what should be our proper response to God’s marvelous mercies? To surrender yourselves to God to be his sacred, living sacrifices. And live in holiness, experiencing all that delights his heart. For this becomes your genuine expression of worship” (TPT). A living sacrifice doesn’t offer only part of itself. It offers the whole thing. It opens itself up to be fully broken and poured out as a genuine expression of worship. That is our proper response to what Jesus did for us. Are there parts of your life that you’ve been holding back while only surrendering part to Jesus? This Easter, it’s time we truly open ourselves up and give ourselves to Him. It’s time to break the jars of the hidden places in our lives. It may feel like destruction in the moment, but it will produce a sacrificial life of worship.

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March 31, 2026 · 5:52 AM

Untying Your Donkey

In the late 1950’s, a small town pastor felt like God was asking him to give up his evening TV time. Instead of just giving it up, he sold his TV and dedicated that time to prayer. As he was praying one night, the Lord led him to open up a magazine he had. When he opened it, he saw an article about several young gang members in New York City on trial. He heard the Lord tell him to go help them. He did what God asked him to do. He preached to the gangs of New York City and won many to Christ, including a leader named Nicky Cruz. This young preacher named David Wilkerson also started an organization called Teen Challenge to help people get off drugs. To this day, those ministries are still active and helping people because he gave up something God asked.

In Luke 19, Jesus was on the Mount of Olives headed for a small town called Bethphage. He told two disciples, “Go into that village over there. As you enter it, you will see a young donkey tied there that no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks, ‘Why are you untying that colt?’ just say, ‘The Lord needs it’” (NLT). As soon as they untied it, the owner asked why they were untying his young donkey. They replied just as Jesus told them too, “The Lord needs it.” There was no more discussion. They gave it up for the Lord because He needed it. That young donkey was used to fulfill a prophecy in Zechariah 9:9. As Jesus rode it into Jerusalem, the people laid out palm branches and their coats shouting, “Hosanna!”

Psalm 24:1 reminds us, “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to him.” When God asks us to give Him something or give up something for Him, it’s good to remember that it already belongs to Him. He’s not really taking it. He’s asking us to release what’s already His. We are just stewards of it until He needs it. The Bible is full of miracles God performed because people gave up something as small as a lunch of five loaves and two fish. If He can feed 5,000 people with that, save gang members in New York City because someone gave up a TV or fulfill a prophecy using a donkey, imagine what He could do with what He’s asking you to release. When the Lord says He needs it, are you willing to untie it and let it go?

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March 30, 2026 · 5:30 AM

Surrendering Your Tomb

We all have things in our life that we thought would be part of us forever. We’ve had dreams that ended in despair, fires that were buried under disappointment and promises from God that we’ve given up on. Each of us have a tomb full of things we’ve let go of. We’ve accepted them as endings, but what if God isn’t finished with them yet? What if He is wanting to resurrect them? I’m sure the disciples must have felt that way when the guards took Jesus, beat Him and made Him carry His cross through Jerusalem. Their plans and hopes for the future were crucified right in front of them. Like us, they lived in the tension of what was and what was supposed to be.

Enter Joseph of Arimathea. Luke 23:50 says he was a good and honorable man. He had watched Jesus from afar and even had questions for Jesus because he didn’t understand everything. When Jesus said, “It is finished,” something awakened in him. When everyone else ran in fear, he stepped forward in boldness to ask for the body of Jesus. Joseph had already planned ahead for his own death one day. He had a tomb in a beautiful garden just outside of town. The place where he expected his story to conclude was surrendered to make room for Jesus. That tomb stands empty today as a testament that God has the power to bring dead things to life. It’s a reminder that with God all things are possible and nothing is ever final until He says it is.

Abraham is another example of someone who had to surrender his ideas of what the future held and trust God’s resurrection power. Romans 4:18 says, “Against all odds, when it looked hopeless, Abraham believed the promise and expected God to fulfill it. He took God at his word, and as a result he became the father of many nations” (TPT). The heart of surrender lays down what looks hopeless and dead at the feet of Jesus. It takes God at His word and has the full expectation that God will fulfill that which He has promised. It’s time for us to give Him the things we’ve placed in our tomb. Surrendering is letting go and letting God have the final say. Resurrection is God’s work, and surrender is ours.

Photo by Josh Hild on Unsplash

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March 27, 2026 · 6:01 AM

Protecting The Unity

One of the things I’ve learned in leadership is that unity is not the same as uniformity. Uniformity is where we are all doing the same thing and look the same. It’s man’s attempt at unity, which comes from God. Unity is where we are all headed the same direction, operating in our gifts, under the leadership of Christ. We don’t have to do things the same way, but we are working towards the same goal. Unity gives each other grace where uniformity does not. We are to protect the unity among the brethren, not tear each other down. I got to experience this on staff at a church where we had over 20 denominations and 50 nationalities under one pastor and banner of doctrine. Even though we disagreed on some items and ways to express our worship, we found a way to submit to God and work together to impact the world. It was a beautiful experience where I began to truly understand we are one body with many parts and functions. If you find yourself looking for uniformity, ask God to help you come into unity with His plan. Then do what you can to protect that unity.

Here are some Bible verses on unity:

1. Be tolerant with one another and forgive one another whenever any of you has a complaint against someone else. You must forgive one another just as the Lord has forgiven you. And to all these qualities add love, which binds all things together in perfect unity.

Colossians 3:13-14 GNT

2. I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me.

John 17:23 NLT

3. Finally, beloved friends, be cheerful! Repair whatever is broken among you, as your hearts are being knit together in perfect unity. Live continually in peace, and God, the source of love and peace, will mingle with you.

2 Corinthians 13:11 TPT

4. I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Ephesians 4:1-3 ESV

5. Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brothers to dwell together in unity!

Psalms 133:1 AMP

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March 26, 2026 · 5:30 AM

Building Your Life On Truth

Recently I shared with my son the importance of building his life, decisions and convictions on the truth of God’s Word. The world has always fought against God’s truth, but in recent history the strategy has changed. Culture has let truth become relative so that each person has their own truth. When everyone has their own truth, they can do what is right in their own eyes. The Bible has lots of stories of what happens during those periods. I explained to him that we can’t allow culture to define truth because it doesn’t know what truth is so theirs is always changing. I then told him that culture will always try to quiet the truth of God’s Word and that we must not be silent about it. If we don’t share what truth is, how will they ever know? If they never know, how will they be saved?

In Acts 4 Peter and John were in the Temple teaching people about the truth of Jesus after they healed a crippled man who had begged at the Temple gates for years. They were confronted by the priests, leaders and guards and told to keep quiet.when they didn’t, they were arrested. The next day they were brought before the council and asked who gave them authority to teach. They replied it came through Jesus. The council were stunned by their boldness, but also couldn’t deny the healed man standing in the room. They met privately and then came back to demand that they not tell others about Jesus. In verse 19 Peter and John replied, “Do you think God wants us to obey you rather than him?” (NLT). They were threatened again and then released.

2 Timothy 3:14 says, “But you must remain faithful to the things you have been taught. You know they are true, for you know you can trust those who taught you.” The same charge that Paul gave Timothy is given to us. We must remain faithful to what is true. We can’t live our lives by the changing tides of culture. There is only one truth and we must let it be what we build our lives on. When our lives are in contradiction to its teaching, it’s not wrong, we are. We must then come into alignment with its teaching. God does not change, nor does His Word. Everything in this world and it’s culture changes based on the opinions of people. What was true for them yesterday may not be true for them tomorrow. Don’t build your life on shifting sand but rather the rock solid truth of God’s Word.

Photo by Andrik Langfield on Unsplash

Throwback Thursday is a feature I’m using to help build some margin into my schedule to pursue other ventures. Each Thursday I’ll be bringing you a previously written devotional that still speaks encouragement to us from God’s Word.

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March 25, 2026 · 5:59 AM

The Doorway To Blessings

In 2018 the world watched as 12 boys and their coach were trapped inside a cave in Thailand. Floodwaters had cut off all exits and people were losing hope quickly. International rescue teams began to show up to figure out how to rescue them, but the first step was to locate them. They asked for volunteers and two British divers stepped up. Because they were willing to simply explore and find them, the larger group was able to formulate a plan, they were able to mobilize everyone needed and we got to witness one of the greatest rescues in modern history. It started with two men who simply said yes.

In 1Kings 17, the prophet Elijah arrived at a small town. Verse 10 says, “As he arrived at the gates of the village, he saw a widow gathering sticks, and he asked her, ‘Would you please bring me a little water in a cup?’” As she turned to go get this stranger some water, he pushed a little more and asked for bread. She explained she was gathering sticks to build a fire to make her last bit of bread before she permanently ran out of oil and flour. He asked to to go ahead and make it, but to give him some first. After saying yes to a small step of faith, she was able to say yes to a bigger one. Because she said yes, it opened the door to a greater blessing. Her oil and flour didn’t run out until after the famine was over.

Deuteronomy 28:2 says, “And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of the Lord your God” (ESV). Sometimes what God asks of us doesn’t look spiritual. It could be to give a cup of water, a little bit of food, an encouraging word or changing a tire. The transformation and blessings happen after our obedience. Your yes to something small opens the door to greater things. Your obedience in the moment becomes the access point for God to do the miraculous. The initial act of obedience is often the hardest because it doesn’t look like it’s going to accomplish a lot in the moment, but God will use it as a doorway to blessings.

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March 24, 2026 · 5:44 AM

Let The King In

Psalm 24:7 says, “Lift up your heads, O gates, And be lifted up, ancient doors, That the King of glory may come in” (AMP). When you think of gates in the ancient world, they were a means of keeping things out of a city. When the psalmist tells the gates to lift up their heads, he’s telling them to look up and be prepared for the arrival of the Lord into the city. For us, it’s a call to look at what spiritual barriers we have in our lives that are keeping God out of certain areas. It’s a call to open up places in our life that are resistant to God having full control. We need to make room for God to do in our lives what He wants as the king of our life.

Next it tells the ancient doors to be lifted up as well. Ancient doors are those entrenched areas where we have old habits in place that need to change. All of us have old patterns, old ways of living and old mindsets that need to yield to the King. It also includes the wounded places we have used to keep our distance. God is wanting to come in to heal, but to also rip up the places that have been entrenched in our lives for years. He’s coming to tear down the ancient strongholds in our life because they’ve been holding us back. There is no power too embedded or habit so strong that the King cannot break it. He is wanting to bring new life into every area of our life.

Finally verse 8 says, “Who is the King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, The Lord mighty in battle.” He is more than able to conquer the areas that we have tried to and failed. He can overthrow anything in our life that is holding us back because He is strong and mighty. He can break generational curses, deep seated habits and anything that has made itself home in our life. These verses are a reminder that He is calling every closed, entrenched and resistant part of our life to open up to Him. He doesn’t just want to set part of you free. He came to bring total freedom to your life. No gates or ancient doors can stand in His way. It’s time to open them up and let the King of glory in.

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March 23, 2026 · 5:43 AM

Speak Up Anyway

Have you ever been promoted by the Holy Spirit to say something to someone? I have several times. I’ve also allowed fear to keep me from saying it. I kept questioning if it was really God. I was worried about what they would think about me as a total stranger walking up and saying something personal. I’ve also made excuses as to why I couldn’t. When those moment passed, and I knew I had let fear win, I felt bad. I don’t want to feel that way again. Now when I feel those promptings, I do everything I can to push passed that fear and obey God’s voice. It’s never easy, but I’d rather obey God than to allow fear to hold me back.

In Jeremiah 38, the city of Jerusalem was besieged. The word the Lord gave Jeremiah was for the people to surrender and live or stay and die. There were people who didn’t like that message so they got the king to allow them to put him in a cistern. So then God asked an Ethiopian to speak up for Jeremiah to the king. Even though he was afraid, he asked for Jeremiah’s freedom and won it. In the next chapter, God had a message for him. Verses 16-17 say, “Say to Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, ‘This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: I will do to this city everything I have threatened. I will send disaster, not prosperity. You will see its destruction, but I will rescue you from those you fear so much. Because you trusted me, I will give you your life as a reward’” (NLT). God rewarded his faithfulness for obeying despite his fear.

Deuteronomy 13:4 says, “Serve only the Lord your God and fear him alone. Obey his commands, listen to his voice, and cling to him.” I’m sure we can all think of times that we have allowed fear to hold us back. I don’t like living with those moments of regret. It takes faith and courage to obey God at times. As this verse tells us, we should fear God rather than men. We should listen to His voice and obey it. Who really knows what’s on the other side of your obedience? You may end up saving a life, changing the course of a family for generations or simply help someone know they are loved and seen by God. Don’t let fear hold you back. Speak up anyway and God will reward your obedience.

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