October 30, 2025 · 5:30 AM

A Foundation Of Love

I was at celebration of my aunt and uncle when a lady walked up to me. She said, “You don’t know me, but I know you. I grew up in your grandfather’s church.” She shared some stories with me about him, and then she said, “He gave that church a foundation of love.” That phrase resonated with me for many reasons. I couldn’t help but think of how you and I are the Church. It’s important that we build our faith and our lives on a foundation of God’s love. If we don’t do that, our lives can become full of meaningless rituals or a cold relationship with God. When that happens we must return to our first love.

In Luke 7:36-47, Jesus was dining at a Pharisee’s house. A lady who was a prostitute came in, bowed at Jesus’ feet, cried tears on His feet, then dried them with her hair and poured perfume on them. The Pharisee was stunned that Jesus allowed this to happen. Jesus told him a parable of two men who owed a debt to someone. One owed a little and the other a lot. The creditor forgave them both. Jesus then asked the Pharisee which person loved the creditor more. He replied that the one who was forgiven more. Jesus agreed. He then looked down at the lady and told the Pharisee that her many sins had been forgiven and this was a display of her love.

In Ephesians 3:19 Paul concluded a prayer by saying, “And [that you may come] to know [practically, through personal experience] the love of Christ which far surpasses [mere] knowledge [without experience], that you may be filled up [throughout your being] to all the fullness of God [so that you may have the richest experience of God’s presence in your lives, completely filled and flooded with God Himself]” (AMP). You and I can’t just have a head knowledge of God. We must experience His love and forgiveness in our lives. When we do that, we will experience God’s presence and be filled with it. When we have the foundation of His love in our lives, we can make a greater impact on the people around us.

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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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October 29, 2025 · 5:47 AM

Searching For Treasure

Almost every time I’ve gone to the beach, I’ve seen people walking around with metal detectors. They walk up and down them scanning for treasures lost by others. You can hear it beep, and then they start digging. I’ve also watched videos of people who drag sifters through the sand trying to pick up things. I wonder if they found something, and then think I should buy a metal detector. I never do though. The difference between us is that because they are searching for it, and I’m not, they’re the ones who are likely to find hidden treasure. They’re willing to dig, to sift and to do what it takes in order to find treasure. Hoping to find it, without doing anything, will not result in me finding treasure.

I love the story of the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8. He believed in God and had come to Jerusalem to worship. He was on his way home and had purchased a scroll of Isaiah, which was very costly. While he was riding along in his chariot, the Lord spoke to Philip and told him to go south of Jerusalem to the desert road. Philip obeyed not knowing why. It was on that road that their paths crossed and he heard the Ethiopian reading Isaiah searching to know God more as he read chapter 53. Philip asked if he understood, but the Ethiopian said he couldn’t unless someone explained it. That day, the Ethiopian found the treasure he had been seeking and accepted Jesus as his savior. Philip baptized him and was carried away by the Spirit while the Ethiopian returned home spiritually rich.

Colossians 2:3 says, “For our spiritual wealth is in him, like hidden treasure waiting to be discovered—heaven’s wisdom and endless riches of revelation knowledge” (TPT). In Christ are all the spiritual treasures are available to us. Like any treasure, we must seek it, dig deep and do what it takes to find it. The more you dig into God’s Word, the more you will discover who He is. The more time you spend with Christ Jesus getting to know Him, the more treasure you will find. If your Bible is never opened or you never stop to pray, you can’t expect to find the hidden treasure He has for you. If you seek Him, you will find Him, but you must search for Him as you would a hidden treasure.

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October 28, 2025 · 5:57 AM

Staying In Sync

Have you ever had the chance to watch a military marching band? It’s one of the most incredible things to watch as a hundred band members play instruments and march in beat while creating formations. No one does it better than the Fighting Texas A&M Aggie Band. Sometimes they are spread out over the space of an entire football field. Between the echoes of the music coming off the bleachers and the distance apart from each other, if they relied on sound, they would be off. Instead, the band members keep their eyes on the drum majors to keep in step and in time. The drum majors set the tempo, the direction and ensures that the members stay in sync.

In Acts 10, Peter was on a rooftop praying when God gave him a vision of a picnic cloth coming down out of heaven. In it there were all kinds of animals that were considered unclean to eat. He heard God say, “Kill and eat.” However, he pushed back thinking it was a test. The lord said, “Don’t call unclean what I have called clean.” It repeated three times and then was drawn back up into heaven. Just then some Gentiles, who were sent by an angel, knocked on the door looking for him. The Holy Spirit told him to go with them. Peter obeyed and salvation reached the Gentile world. Peter had to adjust his thinking and beliefs in order to stay in step and sync with the Holy Spirit. He followed the Spirit’s lead rather than his flesh.

Galatians 5:25 says, “If the Spirit is the source of our life, we must also allow the Spirit to direct every aspect of our lives” (TPT). The Greek word Paul used for “to direct every aspect of our lives,” invokes images of soldiers marching in sync with disciplined movements. He was reminding us that the Spirit is our drum major and we must listen to Him and allow Him to direct every aspect of our life. We can’t rely on preconceived notions or what the culture around us tells us. We must trust the Word of God to give us direction in our life and to guide our decisions. When we keep our eyes on Him, He will direct us so that we march with His tempo and direction, as well as to stay in sync with His plans for our life.

Photo by Pramod Tiwari on Unsplash

Here’s a video of the Texas A&M band marching in sync.

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October 27, 2025 · 5:42 AM

Finding Hidden Motives

Years ago, when I first became a store manager for a major retailer, I was sent to training. They showed us multiple scenarios and taught us how to handle them. One such series of videos had people acting out of character and then trying hard to justify their behavior. They taught us not to overreact in those situations. Instead, we were to take the person to a private office to have a conversation. We were to point to the behavior, state that it was out of character and then ask, “What do I need to know about what’s going on in your life?” That question would often reveal hidden situations or motives behind their behavior. Once we discovered the heart of the issue, we could change the behavior.

In Luke 12, Jesus was teaching on hypocrisy when someone called out from the crowd, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me!” On the surface, it sounds like a reasonable request and one that’s justified. Also, in those days, rabbis would solve such problems for people. However, Jesus didn’t resolve the matter for him. Instead He said, “Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own” (NLT). Jesus didn’t treat the issue, He treated the heart. The man was hiding behind fairness, security and justice, but Jesus saw the hidden motive and addressed it.

Psalm 139:23-24 says, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.” We all fall into the hidden motives trap. Our requests to God for things or justification to others for our actions come from selfish motives at times. David knew that about himself and prayed this prayer often. When you ask God to look in your heart, test your thoughts and to point out things that offend Him, He will point to the root of the issue because that’s the only way to deal with fruit from hidden motives. We must be willing to be honest about what’s really going on inside and be willing to repent so that He can lead us along the path to everlasting life.

Photo by Simeon Lesley on Unsplash

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October 24, 2025 · 5:42 AM

The Light Of God

In the beginning, God said, “Let there be light.” The original audience didn’t think of this just as a beam of light. They saw it as God’s holiness and represented His nearness to us. The menorah in the Temple was a manifestation of that. Light was more than the what dispels darkness. It represented divine wisdom as well. So when Jesus came and said, “You are the light of the world,” He was saying we carry the divine presence with us. As we look through Scripture, think about this context to see how the early audience understood it.

Here are some Bible verses on the light of God:

1. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

2 Corinthians 4:6 ESV

2. Then Jesus said, “I am light to the world, and those who embrace me will experience life-giving light, and they will never walk in darkness.”

John 8:12 TPT

3. Your word is a lamp to guide me and a light for my path.

Psalm 119:105 GNT

4. The eye is the lamp of the body; so if your eye is clear [spiritually perceptive], your whole body will be full of light [benefiting from God’s precepts].

Matthew 6:22 AMP

5. But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.

1 John 1:7 NLT

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October 23, 2025 · 5:30 AM

Insurmountable Odds

2 Kings 18 tells the story of King Hezekiah. He was a good king who was compared to David in his zeal for the Lord. Verse 5 says he trusted in the Lord like no other king in Judah. In his fourteenth year as king, the Assyrian army came to attack. They were the world’s most dominant army at the time. No one could stand against them. They were undefeated, and Jerusalem had a small army at the time. The king of Assyria took control of the city’s aqueduct and then sent people to try to get Israel to surrender. They started off in verse 19, “This is what the great king of Assyria says: What are you trusting in that makes you so confident?” (NLT) Hezekiah had confidence in God while he was facing insurmountable odds in the face of defeat.

In chapter 19, King Hezekiah did what we need to do when we’re facing insurmountable odds. He went to the Lord in desperate prayer. He then sought a word from the Lord from Isaiah. God said he would send him back to Assyria where he would be killed. However, the stand off continued. The king of Assyria taunted more. He said, “You know perfectly well what the kings of Assyria have done wherever they have gone. They have completely destroyed everyone who stood in their way! Why should you be any different?” He reminded them of all the other people they destroyed, but Hezekiah still went to God for help even when it looked like God wasn’t answering like he said. Then God moved against Assyria killing 185,000 of them in one night. The king broke camp, went home and was killed.

Hebrews 11:1 says, “To have faith is to be sure of the things we hope for, to be certain of the things we cannot see” (GNT). You can have confidence in God even though you’re facing an insurmountable odd today. Whenever you’re feeling like the situation is taunting you and it looks like you can’t win, turn to God. When you look at what it has done to others and the thought comes that says, “Why should you get a different outcome,” turn to God in faith. There is nothing God cannot do. There are no insurmountable odds that He can’t overcome. Faith is to be sure of what He can do in the face of what you can’t overcome. Don’t listen to the voices of doubt or the words that tell you there’s no hope. Trust in God no matter what insurmountable odds you face.

Photo by Ashley Knedler 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. G

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October 22, 2025 · 5:43 AM

Being An Open Book

I’ve heard some people say they’re an open book, while I’ve known others who are very private people. No matter where you fall on that spectrum, there are two things I’ve found. We all wear a mask to some degree. We put it on when we are around others. We show them a person we think others will like. We also have a part of ourselves that’s hidden. It’s the part we don’t show others because we think if others knew this about us, they may not like us or think poorly of us. It’s where we hide our fears, insecurities and hidden sins. Even if we’re great at hiding it from others, God sees it, and He still loves you.

In John 4, Jesus was tired from walking and stopped at a well. The disciples left Him there while they went to find food. Soon a Samaritan woman came to draw water by herself. To her surprise, Jesus then asked her for a drink. She reminded Him that Jews despise people like her, He then hinted at who He was. After some conversation, He told her to go get her husband, to which she replied that she didn’t have one. He responded by telling her how many times she had been married and was living with a man. He showed He knew what was hidden and loved her still. She then ran into town telling everyone to come and see a man who knew everything about her. They all came to meet Him and He stayed there a couple of days bringing many to the faith.

Psalm 139:1-2 says, “Lord, you know everything there is to know about me. You perceive every movement of my heart and soul, and you understand my every thought before it even enters my mind” (TPT). God sees all the hidden places of your heart and life. He knows everything about you and still loves you. The psalmist continues in verse 17, “Every single moment you are thinking of me! How precious and wonderful to consider that you cherish me constantly in your every thought!“ You don’t have to be afraid or think that He would love you any less. Let Him come in, examine those areas and forgive or heal those parts of your life. You are fearfully and wonderfully made. You are known and loved as an open book to God.

Photo by Mohammadreza Charkhgard on Unsplash

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October 21, 2025 · 5:52 AM

Put Down The Shovel

One of the things I like to say is, “If you find out you’re digging yourself into a hole, put down the shovel.” We al, do things at times that are detrimental to our walk with God or the direction our life should be going. So many times we’re too busy or distracted to notice that we’re off the path. It’s good to stop every now and again to evaluate what all we’re doing, what the consequences are and to get ourselves back on track to where we should be going. Once we recognize behaviors that are wrong, we need to repent and head back in the right direction.

In Luke 15:11 Jesus told the story of a man with two sons. The younger one asked for his inheritance before the father died. He took his money, went away and spent it all. About that time, there was a famine. He was far from home, penniless and hungry. In verse 17, he took stock of his life, what he was doing and decided to return to his father to seek forgiveness. When he was still far away, the father saw him and ran to him. Not only did the father forgive him, he restored his sonship and threw a party at his return. His situation changed when he reevaluated his decisions, made the change to go home and repent.

Acts 3:19 says, “And now you must repent and turn back to God so that your sins will be removed, and so that times of refreshing will stream from the Lord’s presence” (TPT). To repent is to turn around and go the other direction. It is to put down the shovel and stop digging the hole. God is ready to restore each one of us and to bring times of refreshing to our life. Like the father in the story, He’s looking for us to return to the place where we are in right standing with Him. Every one of us drift and do things that pull us away from where we need to be. Take time today to stop and reevaluate what all you’re doing. If there are things keeping you away, put down the shovel, repent and return to the Father.

Photo by Alfo Medeiros on Pexels.

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October 20, 2025 · 5:43 AM

A Heart For Hospitality

After the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, my wife and I led mission trips through a ministry that builds orphanages. After each long, hot day in the sun, our team would meet at the end of the day to debrief, worship and have a devotional. One the first night there, the missionary asked our team, “Where did you see Jesus today?” It was quiet as people looked around, not sure what to say. Then he pointed at a member of our team and said how he saw Jesus as that person gave some of their water to a thirsty kid. Each night the same question was asked. As the week went on, more people answered pointing out how each had cared for someone in need.

In Matthew 25:31:46, Jesus told of how He will return one day and sit on His throne to judge. He will say to one group to sit at His right hand, “For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me” (NLT). They didn’t understand or know when they had done that. Then He will say, “I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!” They were giving mercy and compassion to those who needed it, but didn’t realize they were doing it to Jesus. They didn’t see Him in those they were helping.

Hebrews 13:1-2 says, “Keep on loving each other as brothers and sisters. Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it!” You never know who God is putting in your path to have compassion on. Do you turn away when you see someone in need or do you see Jesus? Biblical compassion is being able to see Jesus in those who are less fortunate than us or are suffering, and to then be able to respond to them and their needs. You don’t have to go to a foreign country to find the least of these. You will see them every day if you open your eyes. Ask God to give you eyes to see and a heart to help.

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October 17, 2025 · 5:56 AM

Wise Choices

When you think of someone who is wise in your life, who do you picture? Movies seem to always portray the wise person as an ancient mystic. However, when we read Proverbs, Solomon shows that the wise are people who make sound decisions. That means you and I can be wise, or at the very least make wise decisions. In the Bible, the wise are not just intellectuals or scholars. They are the ones who make godly decisions regarding their life. James 1:5 says that if any of us lack wisdom, we can ask God for it, and He’ll give it to us. Let’s ask God for wisdom in the choices we make so we can receive all God has for us.

Here are some verses on wise choices:

1. Fools think their own way is right, but the wise listen to others.

Proverbs 12:15 NLT

2. Instruct the wise, and they will be even wiser. Teach the righteous, and they will learn even more.

Proverbs 9:9 NLT

3. You can recognize fools by the way they give full vent to their rage and let their words fly! But the wise bite their tongues and hold back all they could say.

Proverbs 29:11 TPT

4. One who is wise is cautious and turns away from evil, but a fool is reckless and careless.

Proverbs 14:16 ESV

5. Scoffers set a city afire [by stirring up trouble], But wise men turn away anger [and restore order with their good judgment].

Proverbs 29:8 AMP

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