September 26, 2025 · 5:54 AM

The Power Of Testimony

One of the things that has been a theme over the last couple of weeks to me is the power of your testimony. If you follow Jesus, you have one. If you grew up in church, you may not feel like you have a “good” one. The truth is your testimony is a testimony of the generational faithfulness of God. You may have one from the other end of the spectrum where God set you free from your past. Either way, the Holy Spirit will empower you to share your testimony, to tell of the goodness of God and to be a witness for Him wherever you go. Look for opportunities to share your faith this week. Theres power in your testimony.

Here are some Bible verses on sharing your faith:

1. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.

Acts 1:8 NKJV

2. But in your hearts set Christ apart [as holy—acknowledging Him, giving Him first place in your lives] as Lord. Always be ready to give a [logical] defense to anyone who asks you to account for the hope and confident assurance [elicited by faith] that is within you, yet [do it] with gentleness and respect.

1 Peter 3:15 AMP

3. Come and listen, all you who fear God, and I will tell you what he did for me.

Psalms 66:16 NLT

4. And they have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony. And they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die.

Revelation 12:11 NLT

5. So never be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor be embarrassed over my imprisonment, but overcome every evil by the revelation of the power of God!

2 Timothy 1:8 TPT

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September 25, 2025 · 5:30 AM

Redeemed From The Pit

Today is the 22nd anniversary of the lowest point in my life. I had been through six months of having the bottom fall out from under me. I went through the death of a friend, a divorce, a repossession, loss of friendships and a lot more. One thing after another seemed to crumble. Everything I held dear was being taken from my life as a result of decisions I had made. Then, on September 25, 2003, my business failed and I was out of a job. It felt like my life was over as I laid down on my living room floor that night. I cried out to God in surrender as the life I built was destroyed by this storm. However, I still had my foundation in Him. I told God I was ready to end my life because I couldn’t do it anymore.

I felt the voice of God remind me that I had built my life on a foundation of my desires instead of His. I vowed that if He helped me out of that hole, I would build my life His way. I marked my calendar with the words, “The Bottom”. Getting back to where I felt I was at ground level took over a decade. Now it’s over a decade past that and I can look back and see how far God brought me. It wasn’t easy and the progress has felt slow and minimal. Yet, when I look back, I can see where I’ve been, and now look forward to where He is taking me. It’s not an easy thing to look back, but it’s necessary for all of us. When it feels like we’re on a treadmill going nowhere fast, God is actually working in our life and helping us along the way.

Psalm 103:2-5 says, “Bless and affectionately praise the Lord, O my soul, And do not forget any of His benefits; Who forgives all your sins, Who heals all your diseases; Who redeems your life from the pit, Who crowns you [lavishly] with lovingkindness and tender mercy; Who satisfies your years with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the [soaring] eagle” (AMP). God is in the process of redeeming your life from the pit. No matter how deep a hole you feel like you’re in, He can get you out. Remember all the things He has done, knowing He will continue to work out all things for your good. He will satisfy your life with good things once again. Trust in Him no matter how dark it seems. Your pit may be deep, but His grace is deeper still.

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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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September 24, 2025 · 5:42 AM

Rekindling Your Fire

When I go camping, I love having a fire at night. I use it for light and for cooking. One of my favorite routines is to start the fire back up again in the morning without a match. How I do that is I blow on the ground where the fire was. The dust and ash get moved out of the way, and I look for pieces of coal or embers under all the ash. Once I find them, I take some kindling, which is pine needles and small sticks, and set them on top of the coals. I then blow again. With the fresh wind, the coals start to glow orange. They seek out the kindling and ignite it. In a few seconds I have a fresh fire that’s ready to keep burning all day.

In 1 Kings 18, Elijah’s fire was quickly extinguished by Jezebel. He had just called down fire from Heaven, but her threat to kill him caused his to extinguish. Instead of letting it stay out, he went to Mount Sinai to seek out God. When he arrived, God asked him why he was there. The process of rekindling his fire began with being honest with God. It was the still, small voice that uncovered the embers and coals. To rekindle the fire, he was given a new assignment and he went back into ministry. His fresh fire came from intimacy with God and a renewed purpose. He wasn’t content to live in the ashes of a fire that once burned bright.

In 2 Timothy 1, Paul began his last letter encouraging Timothy and us to remember the flame that once burned bright in us. In verse 6 he says, “This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you” (NLT). Like Elijah, if we’re going to rekindle our fire, we must be intentional about it. We need to seek out alone time with God. We need to be honest about why the flames in our heart have died down. We must listen to His still, small voice that will breathe on the coals underneath the ash. Then we must be ready for our assignment and ready to use the gifts and callings He’s given us. What once burned bright is able to be rekindled. There are still coals underneath the ashes of what has been. Ask God to fan into flame the gifts and rekindle your fire.

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September 23, 2025 · 5:45 AM

Living Counterculturally

Several years ago, a person I worked with told me, “I’d stab my own mom in the back in order to get ahead here.” It hit me that we live in a culture that will do whatever it takes to climb the ladder of success. It’s the opposite of the example Jesus gave. As the Messiah, He put on the apron of humility to wash the disciple’s feet. They had been fighting about who was the greatest, and He showed them that Heaven’s way is countercultural to the world. As a minister friend of mine says, “While men reach for their thrones, Jesus reached for a towel to wash men’s feet.”

In 1Timothy 6, Paul is teaching Timothy about being not just a church leader, but a follower of Christ. He told him to watch out for people who have a form of godliness, but use their ministry or godliness to climb the world’s ideas of success. By contrast, to have godliness with contentment is great gain. In verse 9 he wrote, “But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition” (NKJV). To chase after the world’s ideals and definitions of success is to open ourselves up temptations.

Verse 11 says, “But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness.” Instead of chasing the ideals of the world, we must pursue the things of God. Righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience and gentleness are what we should be looking to cultivate in our life and to strive for. These are spiritual disciplines that require cultivation on a daily basis. They require us to be intentional about pursuing them as we flee what the world is chasing after Because these not only shape who we are, they change who we’re becoming. If we’re going to live countercultural lives, we need to stop chasing worldly values and start pursuing godly ones.

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September 22, 2025 · 5:52 AM

Relief From Exhaustion

Have you ever felt exhausted? Where it’s not just physical exhaustion, but mental, emotional and spiritual exhaustion too? It happens to all of us. Sometimes you’re so depleted that it can be hard to rest. You’ve got so much going on that your mind keeps going to prevent you from getting the rest you need. This weekend was one of those times for me. The things to get done were important and necessary. There were heavy problems to solve as well as lots of spiritual guidance that took a lot out of me. It’s moments like these that draw me deeper into prayer because I recognize my need for true rest and peace.

In 1Kings 18, we read one of the most incredible stories in the Bible where Elijah stands on Mount Carmel and calls down fire from Heaven. The next day, Jezebel says she going to kill him. In 1 Kings 19 he flees for his life to south Israel. He’s physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually exhausted. He tells the Lord he’s had enough and is ready to die. However, God doesn’t grant his request. Instead He provides food, drink and rest. Instead of rebuking him for running and hiding, God cares for him. What was a moment of exhaustion became a moment of transformation. What he thought was the end became an encounter with God.

In Matthew 11:28 Jesus says, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest” (NLT). Just like He cared for Elijah, He will care for you. He understands exhaustion because He became human. He also understands the need for true rest, and that is what Je offers to you. Instead of running away, run to Him. He will encounter you in your moments of exhaustion. He will transform us when we lay down our burdens and worries, pick up His yoke and learn from Him. You won’t be condemned for reaching this point. You’ll be received with open arms, given what you need to sustain you and find the rest for your exhausted soul.

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September 19, 2025 · 5:48 AM

Complete Confidence

I’ve always heard people associate Job with patience, but honestly, I think he should be associated with confidence. When everything was taken from him in a day, he had confidence in God so much that he fell down and worshipped while trusting God’s plan. He didn’t understand why things were happening , but he had confidence in God. Then in Job 19:25, in response to his friends who accused him of wrongdoing, he said, “But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and he will stand upon the earth at last” (NLT). That’s the kind of confidence in God that we should all aspire to have. It allows us to worship in the storm, move forward when the path is unclear and trusts in impossible situations.

Here are some Bible verses on the confidence we can have:

1. I am convinced and confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will [continue to] perfect and complete it until the day of Christ Jesus [the time of His return].

Philippians 1:6 AMP

2. And the effect of righteousness will be peace, And the result of righteousness will be quietness and confident trust forever.

Isaiah 32:17 AMP

3. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Hebrews 4:16 ESV

4. My heart is confident in you, O God; no wonder I can sing your praises with all my heart!

Psalms 108:1 NLT

5. I’ve written this letter to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you will be assured and know without a doubt that you have eternal life. Since we have this confidence, we can also have great boldness before him, for if we ask anything agreeable to his will, he will hear us.

1 John 5:13-14 TPT

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September 18, 2025 · 5:30 AM

Worry Is A Choice

Did you know that worrying is a choice? When we worry, we make an agreement with ourselves to spend precious energy and brain power on something that may or may not happen. We’re choosing to allow something to consume our thought life. We lose focus on the present and forget about what’s happening right now in exchange for worrying about an unknown future. We get consumed by the what if’s and all the possible solutions to something that hasn’t happened yet. I’m as guilty of it as anyone. I’ve chosen to let worry keep me up at night, consume my energy and cause me to hoard things so that I can be prepared for whatever.

In Exodus 16, the Israelites had been traveling for a month and a half after leaving Egypt. They began to worry where their next meal was going to come from. They were so worried that they reasoned it was better to be a slave and know where your meals were come from than to trust in God. They were blinded by worry to all He had done for them to set them free. So God offered them mana each day, but they could only get enough for that day. God was testing them with this instruction to see if they would quit worrying and trust in His provision. Many let worry grip their heart and chose to get more than a day’s worth. When they did, the mana became an expression of what was going on in their heart and it rotted. God provided this daily meal until they crossed the Jordan and ate of the produce in the Promised Land.

In Matthew 6, Jesus taught the disciples to:pray one of the most famous prayers in the world. In it, he taught us to pray, “Give us this day, our daily bread” (KJV). Again, He was teaching us to trust in God’s provision for today. The chapter ends with verse 34 where Jesus says, “Refuse to worry about tomorrow, but deal with each challenge that comes your way, one day at a time. Tomorrow will take care of itself” (TPT). This imperative statement reminds us that we need to choose not to worry and to trust God. Instead of being guided by worry, remind yourself of all God has done in the past, and trust in His provision for today. He will give you your daily bread.

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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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September 17, 2025 · 5:36 AM

Spiritual Recalibration

When I was in my teens I was in a scouting program through my church. When it came time to earn my orienteering badge I had to get a compass. The first thing I remember learning about it was that the little, metal arrow inside was magnetized and that’s how it found north. I went on to learn that it was pointing to magnetic north instead of True North. The North Pole of the earth never shifts. It is a geographic constant, but magnetic north is constantly moving. Because of that, and our reliance on maps in our phones, software companies have to send packets every so often to recalibrate north on our devices so they stay up to date with it.

In Luke 22, after spending up to three years with Jesus, Peter was confronted by a teen girl who accused him of being a follower of Jesus. He denied knowing Jesus just as he had been told he would. Not long after, in John 21, Jesus pulled Peter aside to ask him, “Do you love me?” Then He told Peter to feed His sheep. What Jesus was doing was recalibrating Peter’s heart and directing it back to True North. Once he was recalibrated, we read how he went on to be one of the Early Church leaders, led thousands to Jesus and even became a martyr. It was a significant turn around in his life and for the Church.

Colossians 3:1-2 says, “Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth” (NLT). There are a lot of distractions in this world that take our eyes off of Jesus, Heaven and eternity. It’s easy to take our eyes off of True North and to begin following the magnetic north of this world that is constantly changing. Paul’s reminder to us here is that we need to keep recalibrating our hearts and minds to look beyond this life and to keep our eyes on Jesus. When is the last time you asked Jesus to recalibrate your heart and mind? Today is a great day to reset and refocus on what matters most.

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September 16, 2025 · 7:05 AM

Soul Care

Proverbs 24:30-31 says, “I went by the field of the lazy man, And by the vineyard of the man lacking understanding and common sense; And, behold, it was all overgrown with thorns, And nettles were covering its surface, And its stone wall was broken down” (AMP). Like many proverbs, this can be taken at face value for what it is. However, many scholars believe it is intended as a parable as well. Some say this is a person who doesn’t take care of his soul. The thorns are bad habits, the nettles are wrong companions and the broken down wall is lack of following God’s plan leaving our lives defenseless. Either way you look at this, there’s something to learn.

In 2 Samuel 11, it was the time when kings went to war. They would go and fight to take each others crops to feed their people. Yet, the Bible says that David stayed home. He was neglecting his duty as king and allowing someone else to do the work. When the battle was all but won, David would show up and claim the victory. In this instance, he was wasn’t where he was supposed to be, nor doing what he was supposed to be doing. He was home walking on his roof when he saw Bathsheba. His spiritual walls were broken down and he sinned. Then, he thought he could cover up her pregnancy, but ended up murdering her husband when he refused to neglect his responsibilities. David’s lack of care for his field and vineyard cost him dearly. Thankfully he repented in Psalm 51 and asked for a renewed heart, steadfast and willing spirit, as well as joy so he could go back to tending his soul.

In Luke 21:36 Jesus warned, “Keep a constant watch over your soul, and pray for the courage and grace to prevail over these things that are destined to occur and that you will stand before the presence of the Son of Man with a clear conscience” (TPT). You and I can’t afford to neglect our soul. We must keep watch over it and tend it. We have an enemy who is seeking to devour us. When we neglect the little things around our soul, we create big problems for ourselves. The people we’re around and the habits we create will either build our defenses or allow them to be broken down. If you find that your walls are broken down and you’ve neglected what matters, be like David. Repent and seek forgiveness from God. He is able to restore the broken places in your life.

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September 15, 2025 · 5:30 AM

Kingdom Dominion

In Genesis 1, as God was about to make man He said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion…” (NKJV) Before sin entered the world, He instituted His Kingdom on earth and gave man the responsibility to have dominion. We were commissioned with a divine assignment to bring Heaven’s culture to earth. He then gave man His image, much like a signet ring, to have authority over everything. However, when the Fall happened, the call to Kingdom dominion remained, but our capacity became compromised.

Jesus coming to earth was not only meant to restore us to God, but also to the life of Kingdom dominion He created us to live. When the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray in Matthew 6, Jesus started out by restoring His Kingdom mandate. He prayed, “Your Kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.” Jesus restored a governmental order that sin clouded. He restored our purpose and recommissioned us to bring the culture of Heaven to a world darkened by sin. Then before He ascended into Heaven, Jesus said that all power (absolute rule and authority) had been given to Him as He recommissioned us to go and make disciples who would be Kingdom carriers.

In Christ you are an image bearer with His authority. What sin tried to take away, Jesus restored. You have been given authority to cultivate the Kingdom of Heaven in your home, on your job and wherever you go. Walk in the authority He has given you, not to dominate, but to demonstrate the culture of the Kingdom. You are to enter every room as Heaven’s representative. You carry Kingdom authority, so walk like a citizen of Heaven, speak like an ambassador and love like the King of Kings. Use your Kingdom dominion to not only change the environment around you, but to shift the atmosphere as you help God’s Kingdom and will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.

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