July 22, 2026 · 5:44 AM

Life’s Building Materials

One of the sites my wife and I visited on our honeymoon was Notre Dame. For it had stood there for over 800 years. We marveled at the architecture, the stained glass and the history. It was one of our favorite places to visit in Paris. I believe that’s why it was so painful to see the fire in 2019. I kept wondering how it could burn. I remembered a stone building, but its roof and spire were built of medieval timber that was dry. It hurt to see the roof collapse and the spire fall. All that work and history were gone in seconds. The parts that were flammable burned and disintegrated while the parts that weren’t remained.

It reminds me of how we as people can be. When Israel demanded a king, God chose one that was from a wealthy, influential family. 1 Samuel 9:2 says, “Saul was the most handsome man in Israel—head and shoulders taller than anyone else in the land” (NLT). He looked great on the outside, but on the inside, he was like Notre Dame’s roof. Later, when it was time to choose the next king, Samuel was still looking at the outside when Jesse brought his sons before him. God reminded him, “People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” David didn’t look the part on the outside, but his heart was in the right place.

1 Corinthians 3:11-13 says, “For no one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have—Jesus Christ. Anyone who builds on that foundation may use a variety of materials—gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person’s work has any value.” One day our lives will be exposed to fire. What’s done for eternity will survive it. What’s done for selfish ambition will burn like wood, hay and straw. As long as we’re still alive, there’s time to change the materials we’re building our lives with. Our lives will be exposed to show whether we are like Saul or David. Man may be impressed by what looks good on the outside, but God is looking on the inside. Make sure your heart is in the right place.

Photo by Paul Steiner on Unsplash

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July 21, 2026 · 6:07 AM

The Familiarity Trap

To me, Matthew 13:58 has one of the biggest warnings in the Bible. It says, “And so he did only a few miracles there because of their unbelief” (NLT). The town that was most familiar with Jesus had a hard time accepting Him for who He was. They knew His family, His father’s trade and His siblings. They saw Him perform miracles, and heard of many more that He had done. They heard Him teach in the synagogue He grew up in. They recognized the authority He spoke with and marveled at His understanding of Scripture. However, they had placed Him in a box and couldn’t accept Him outside of it. They couldn’t see He was God because they had shrunk Him into something they could predict, understand and control.

In 1 Samuel 2:12, it says, “Now the sons of Eli were scoundrels who had no respect for the Lord.” Eli was the priest of Israel who lived next to the Tabernacle which carried the Ark of the Covenant. They grew up around the presence of God. They witnessed answered prayers and prophecies fulfilled, yet their hearts became hardened and far from God. They began to treat the things that were holy as common. They stole offerings before they were offered to God, they treated God’s people poorly and had contempt for God’s house. They rejected God even though they grew up around His presence and in His house. Their hearts became hardened even though they had familiarity with God.

The writer of Hebrews warned us of the same temptation that Nazareth, Eli’s sons and the nation of Israel did when they left Egypt. Hebrews 3:15 says, “Today when you hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts as Israel did when they rebelled.” We can go to church every Sunday, experience God’s presence and hear His voice, yet harden our hearts towards Him if we don’t honor His presence. We can become so familiar with the things of God that we reject the work He wants to do in our lives. God doesn’t always fit into the nice, neat little box we try to fit Him into. When we honor His presence and allow Him to have His way, we will find ourselves like so many others who experienced fresh revelation, greater faith and miracles. His presence should still stir awe in us, shape our lives and remain holy to us. Let us not become so familiar with Him that we harden our hearts.

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July 20, 2026 · 5:30 AM

Purpose Driven Living

In the early 2000’s, one of the life groups I attended went through “The Purpose Driven Life” by Rick Warren. The book opened with the phrase, “It’s not about you.” Our purpose is found in serving God and others. John Maxwell teaches that success is internally focused and significance is externally focused. So many people in life think their purpose is to be successful, but God’s purpose for each of our lives becomes apparent when we stop focusing on ourselves and start focusing on others. I believe that’s why Jesus said the two greatest commandments are to love God with all of our heart, soul and strength, and to love others as we love ourselves.

In the book of Acts, one of the members of the Early Church was Barnabas. His given name was Joseph, but everyone called him Barnabas, which means “Son of Encouragement.” He sold some land that he owned in order to fund the ministry. He was also the one who vouched for Paul to the leaders after his conversion on the Damascus Road. They sent him on the road with Paul to mentor him and lead the missionary journey. When John Mark and Paul had a disagreement and split, it was Barnabas who facilitated the reconciliation behind the scenes. Barnabas lived out a purpose driven life by seeing potential in others, sharing responsibilities even when he was overlooked and multiplied his impact through the work of mentorship, discipleship and reconciliation.

Philippians 2:3-5 gives us the description of purpose driven living. It says, “Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had” (NLT). When we have the same attitude as Jesus and follow these steps, our lives take on eternal significance. If you’re searching for your God given purpose, quit chasing success and start living a life that helps others reach their potential, points them to Jesus and helps them live out their purpose. In the end, trading the spotlight of selfish ambition for the servant heart and attitude of Christ is the only path to a life of purpose.

Photo by ATC Comm Photo from Pexels.

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July 17, 2026 · 5:56 AM

Fearing The Lord

One of the phrases in the Bible that has always stood out to me is “the fear of the Lord.” The word “fear” pretty much has one meaning in English, but in this context, it’s not about being afraid of God. It’s the fear of separation from God or of separation from Him. There are plenty of examples from the Bible of people who knew God, but were more afraid of what people thought than of their relationship with Him. Cain knew God. He made choices that showed he wanted God’s blessings without having God’s presence in his life. Samson was empowered by God, but made choices to where he didn’t even know God’s spirit had left him. We cannot treat God’s presence in our life casually. We must honor it and give it the weight it deserves. The fear of the Lord brings blessings because it’s puts God first in our life.

Here are some Bible verses on the fear of the Lord:

1. Who are those who fear the Lord? He will show them the path they should choose. They will live in prosperity, and their children will inherit the land.

Psalms 25:12-13 NLT

2. And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you? He requires only that you fear the Lord your God, and live in a way that pleases him, and love him and serve him with all your heart and soul.

Deuteronomy 10:12 NLT

3. The [reverent] fear of the Lord [that leads to obedience and worship] is a fountain of life, So that one may avoid the snares of death.

Proverbs 14:27 AMP

4. Fear of the Lord leads to life, bringing security and protection from harm.

Proverbs 19:23 NLT

5. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

Proverbs 9:10 NKJV

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July 16, 2026 · 5:30 AM

Doing Something Great

I grew up seeing Billy Graham crusades on TV. I read and heard about ministers like D. L. Moody, Charles Finley and A. W. Tozer. I was impressed by their ministries and the impact they had made. The number of souls they had won combined is staggering. Years later, I went to see Reinhard Bonnke preach. Afterwards people flooded the altars wanting to be saved. Seeing them and reading about them put a desire in me to do something great for God. I began consuming the Bible and learning as much as I could about it and God. I’ve studied the great revivals in history. It’s incredible to think how culture changed completely and how periods of time, like the Renaissance, were products of people doing something great. What I’ve also learned is that before any of us can do something great for God is that first we must allow Him to do something great in us.

In the story of Nehemiah. Israel had been conquered and taken to a foreign land where they had lived in captivity for decades. The new king had allowed them to return to their land, but only a few did. When a few had returned to the capital Susa in Persia, Nehemiah asked how things were going in Jerusalem. They replied, “Things are not going well for those who returned to the province of Judah. They are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem has been torn down, and the gates have been destroyed by fire” (NLT). At this moment, God did something great in Nehemiah. He broke down and wept for days at the condition of his homeland. God birthed in him a burden to restore the walls of Jerusalem. His job was no longer satisfying and all he could think about was returning and restoration. Because God did something great in him, he was able to accomplish something great for God.

I love the prayer David prayed in Psalm 51. Though it was birthed out of repentance for sin, the words have the ability to birth something great in us. In verse 10 he prayed, “Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me.” I believe a prayer like that gives God permission to change our heart, our spirit and our life. It gives God permission to give us His burden. The men I read about and studied all had moments in their lives where they surrendered everything to God and picked up His desires. What we see and read about are the effects of what God did inside of them first. Every great move of God has begun with people who have allowed God to first do something great in them. If you want to do something great for God too, surrender your will to His first and then give Him permission to do something great in you.

Photo by Jametlene Reskp 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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July 15, 2026 · 5:55 AM

When Willpower Fails

There’s a lot of things I try to do in life with willpower. I’ve tried eating healthy, going to the gym, saving money, and trying to stay consistent in disciplines. Willpower works for a little bit, but then some kind of trigger happens and I’m eating the wrong food, making an excuse why I need to do something and then breaking the habit I’m trying to build. I’ve tried reminders, delayed messages and calendar invites. When willpower fails, I feel like I’ve failed. I get down on myself and promise to do better tomorrow. After losing so many times, I finally give up trying and just decide that’s who I am. It makes me feel incapable of change.

In Romans 7, Paul talks about how we try to use willpower to fight temptation. It’s a losing battle too. In verse 15 he writes, “I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate” (NLT). It’s like when Peter told Jesus he would never betray Him or abandon him. He even said he would die for Him. It wasn’t but a few hours later when a little girl accused Peter of being a disciple. Peter cursed and made a big scene denying Jesus. Luke 22:61 says that when Peter denied Jesus the third time, Jesus turned to look at him. Peter then remembered what Jesus said and left weeping bitterly. Peter found out willpower couldn’t help and beat himself up. However, instead of condemning him, Jesus found him and restored him.

Romans 7 ends with Paul saying he feels miserable trying to fight temptation with willpower and failing. Then in Romans 8:1 he reminds us, “So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.” Condemnation says, “You’re bad. You’re a failure.” The conviction of the Holy Spirit says, “You failed, but there’s forgiveness available.” Paul encourages us to not try to live by willpower, but by the Spirit. Verse 13 says, “But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live.” The Holy Spirit helps us resist temptation and reminds us we are God’s children. Don’t try to fight sin and temptation with willpower alone. Ask the Holy Spirit to help. He will provide a way of escape from temptation. Follow His leading and quit relying on willpower alone.

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July 14, 2026 · 5:49 AM

Cultivation Is Key

My mother in law is one of those people with a green thumb. There is something in her that drives her to care for plants. She has them all over her yard and you can find her out there watering them. From time to time she will bring me plants. What thrives in her yard dies in mine. When she visits, she goes out there and waters them. Sometimes she even brings a bag of soil knowing that it will help make a difference. She is constantly doing things to cultivate growth and life in the plants. What I do is let nature take care of them or try to put water on them Every once in a while. The same plants can have very different lives depending on whether they’re at a cultivator’s house or someone’s who lets them be.

Jesus told the story of a man who planted a fig tree. He was like me and decided to let nature do its thing. Year after year he would wait for fruit, but he was always disappointed. Finally he told his gardener after a few years to chop it down because it hadn’t produced fruit and it’s just taking up space. The gardener pleaded with him not to cut it down. He offered to cultivate it and give it the care it needed to produce fruit. He said he only needed a year of cultivating it and fertilizing it to get it to bear figs. Then he said, “If we get figs next year, fine. If not, then you can cut it down” (NLT). He knew that the tree was capable of producing fruit, but it just needed to be fertilized and cultivated to induce it.

Galatians 5:22-23 says, “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!” In order to produce these fruits in our lives, we must cultivate the soil of our heart. Verse 16 tells us if we let the Holy Spirit guide our lives, we won’t produce the fruit of the flesh. We all have the daily choice of whether we will be led by the Spirit or the flesh. We can’t be passive and led by our flesh and expect the Fruit of the Spirit to be produced in our life. We must cultivate our lives so that He can produce these godly qualities that others can see and experience. Cultivation is key.

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July 13, 2026 · 5:54 AM

Stand Your Ground

To “stand your ground” means that you don’t back down and you maintain your boundaries. To do that you have to take action and be prepared to defend what is yours. You need to have a plan as to what you will do when those boundaries are tested. We’re encouraged to stand our ground emotionally and even physically, but what about spiritually? Have you thought about how to stand your ground when the enemy tries to take what God has given you? Sometimes we forget that we are in a spiritual battle that has physical ramifications. When the enemy comes in like a flood, we need to be prepared to stand our ground instead of cowering in fear or simply giving up what is rightfully ours.

In 1 Samuel 17, the Philistines camped on a hill with the valley of Elah below them, while Saul had the army of Israel camped on a hill across the valley. The valley and surrounding land belonged to Israel and was a major transportation route to get supplies to inland cities. While attempting to stand their ground, the Philistines sent out a giant names Goliath to intimidate Israel into giving up the land. For forty days they were afraid to stand their ground and defend the Promised Land God had given them. It wasn’t until a young shepherd boy named David came that the story changed. He knew who he was, but more importantly He had a clear understanding of God and the land they were standing on. Goliath came with a sword and spear, but David won the battle because he trusted in the name of the Lord.

Ephesians 6:14 tells us, “Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness” (NLT). We are commanded to stand our ground when we are under spiritual attack or threatened by the enemy. The first thing we need to do is put on the belt of truth. The truth is that greater is He that is in you. The truth is you have God fighting for you. The truth is you are who God says you are. Combat the lies and attack of the enemy with truth first. Then put on the whole armor of God so you can stand against the strategies of the devil. God has equipped you to stand your ground no matter what weapons the enemy uses. No weapon formed against you will prosper when you stand strong and courageous the way David did. Armor up and stand strong in the Lord.

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July 10, 2026 · 5:53 AM

Being Still

One of the things I’ve never been good at is being still. As a child, I was a wiggly worm. As a young adult, I had two jobs to occupy my time. Now, I’m always on the go. When I hear the Bible say, “Be still,” it’s hard for me to do. However, it’s as much a mental and spiritual command as it is a physical one. It’s about pausing to clear the noise in these areas so we can make room for God to speak and move in our life. He’s asking us to hit the pause button so we can recharge, react correctly, recharge and renew ourselves. God telling us to be still isn’t a passive thing. It’s an act of obedience. It’s a physical expression of faith because you’re saying I trust God more than my natural reaction. Today, make room for God to speak or move in your life by being still.

Here are some Bible verses on being still:

He lets me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still and quiet waters. He refreshes and restores my soul (life); He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.

Psalms 23:2-3 AMP

2. Tremble in awe before the Lord, and do not sin against him. Be still upon your bed and search your heart before him. Pause in his presence

Psalms 4:4 TPT

3. Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices!

Psalm 37:7 ESV

4. Moses answered, “Don’t be afraid! Stand your ground, and you will see what the Lord will do to save you today; you will never see these Egyptians again. The Lord will fight for you, and all you have to do is keep still.”

Exodus 14:13-14 GNT

5. Be still and know (recognize, understand) that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations! I will be exalted in the earth.

Psalms 46:10 AMP

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July 9, 2026 · 5:30 AM

Work Hard

One of my favorite lines from Marin Luther’s “I Have A Dream” speech always challenges me. He said, “If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, “Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.’” Each time I hear that or read it, it pushed me to make sure that I’m doing things to the best of my ability or not. A bad boss or a job I don’t like shouldn’t keep me from doing my job well. Whatever God has given me to do at that time is what He needs me to do my best at.

Paul wrote something similar in Romans 12:6. It says, “In His grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well” (NLT). We each have different gifts and different responsibilities given to us by God. Paul goes on to say that if you have the gift of prophesy, then do it with as much faith as God has given you. If you are called to serve others, then do it well. If you are to encourage others, be encouraging. He lists multiple in this passage and after each one, he encourages us to use it to the best of our ability and to use it in love. We don’t need to compare ourselves to each other because we’ve been given unique gifts to fit our life and the people we’ve been called to serve.

He starts to conclude his thoughts on this in verse 11 by saying, “Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically.” Whether you like your gifts or where God has placed you right now, you should be working hard and enthusiastically as unto the Lord. When we do our jobs or activities for a person, we can let our attitude towards them affect our performance. When we do it unto the Lord with our whole heart, then excellence becomes a natural byproduct. We must remember that our work ethic represents Him as well. What we do and how well we do it is a reflection of Him because we bear His name. So whatever you’re called to do right now, do it as Michelangelo painted, Beethoven played and Shakespeare wrote. Do it with all your might and enthusiastically unto the Lord.

Photo by Md Mahdi 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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