Devotionals

A call to LIVE ON MISSION for Jesus Christ. A call to live a life of RADICAL ABANDONMENT for Jesus Christ. A call to SURRENDER EVERYTHING at the feet of Jesus Christ.

Paul in this passage of scripture is headed to Jerusalem knowing that he is going to be mocked, beaten, and potentially killed for sharing the Gospel message, and yet he says ‘I consider my life worth nothing except to go and share the Gospel of the Grace of God’. 

What boldness, courage, faith, surrender that takes to drop everything. To say that ‘I am more than willing and ready to die for the name of Jesus’.

Could we say that in our lives? That with every ounce of our heart that we will do whatever it takes to go and share the Gospel of the Grace of God? 

I encourage us all this week to take a step of faith and live boldly  in Jesus Mighty Name! Reach out to people, share the Gospel with your teammates, classmates, friends, family. Be so bold to reach out and meet new people wherever you go: at the grocery store, the doctors, a restaurant, the gym, our sweet homeless friends, and share Jesus. Because it might be the only chance you have to share Jesus with them and what a seed will be planted in each person’s life when you walk in obedience to share Jesus!!! HE IS WORTHY TO BE MADE KNOWN!

Paul in this passage of scripture was telling the elders of the church of Ephesus how he never once shrunk from declaring the whole purpose of God with everyone he encountered.

Can we reflect on our lives in this moment and evaluate that with every ounce of our lives we shared the whole purpose of God with our family, friends, neighbors, teammates, sweet homeless friends, new people we meet, etc.? 

Have we shared from house to house the life saving power of the Gospel message? I often think about my neighbors and have been convicted when I realize ‘have I done everything I can to share the Gospel with the people who live the closest to me? Have I shared the Gospel with the people who live to the left and to the right of me?’

People must know who Jesus Christ is. People must know that there is freedom in His MIGHTY Name. People must know that there is forgiveness in Jesus Mighty Name. People must know that we have a God who is holding out His hand for us to reach out and accept the free gift of salvation. People must know that we were once dead to our sins, walking to our graves, and now we are ALIVE in Christ walking in freedom and victory in His MIGHTY Name!! PEOPLE MUST KNOW!!! 

Encouragement and challenge for today and this week is to go and share the Gospel with your neighbors, with the people you live the closest too, live boldly in Jesus MIGHTY NAME, and walk confidently in Jesus MIGHTY Name to go and share the Gospel message of the Grace of God. 

You are redeemed. You are forgiven. You are seen. You are known. You are a priceless Son 

; a priceless daughter of the One True King. Jesus knows you by name. You are His beloved son, His beloved daughter. He was thinking about YOU when He was on the cross. 

Your debt was paid in full when Jesus died on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins. Your sins wiped away. On a completely blank canvas. By HIS blood you are made NEW in Christ. By HIS blood you can walk in freedom in Christ. By HIS blood you can except the free gift of salvation in Christ. 

Whatever you are walking through in this season of life, know that Jesus was thinking of you on the cross. You can never run “too” far away from the grace and redemption of our Father. 

Jesus is holding out His hand for you to take hold. He is gentle and mercy filled. He is gracious and full of compassion. And His love for you is DEEP. He had YOU in mind when He died on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins.

Be encouraged my friend that daily we get to come to the Father and ask for forgiveness and by Him nailing to the cross the record of our wrong, He graciously forgives! You are so LOVED by Jesus Christ! 

Jesus hears YOU. Jesus sees YOU. Jesus bends down to meet YOU. 

How many times have you walked through a season asking God “God do you even hear me?”. In your brokenness, in your confusion, in the messiness of it all crying out to our Father. And the realness of this broken world. But the comfort and security knowing that Jesus bends down to meet YOU exactly where you are at, in your brokenness, in the messiness, and in the confusion. He is there. 

Friends, know that you have a God who lets you be held in His arms. He is a comfort and a peace. I pray that your love for the Lord would radiate and that with every ounce of breath in your lungs that you praise the Lord. Praise the Lord for this new morning, praise the Lord for the sport you have the opportunity to play, praise the Lord for another opportunity to share the Gospel today, praise the Lord knowing there is breath in your lungs, and their is a purpose in His plan for today! With everything PRAISE THE LORD!

I encourage you friends to walk confidently today knowing that our Heavenly Father sees YOU and He Knows YOU by name. He meets YOU right where you are at and today be reminded that you are held in the arms of Jesus. What a comfort that is to know!

Paul is in prison in Rome writing this letter to the church in Ephesus. He is encouraging them of the truth that in Christ there is oneness, wholeness, forgiveness of sins, no division, new life. 

Be comforted my friend knowing that you can come to the Father with your whole heart. Allow the Holy Spirit to do an inner work in your heart and trust what God is doing in this season. It is because Christ came and died on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins and rose three days later defeating death so that we can accept the free gift of salvation. Because of Christ dying on the cross we can all in one body walk in oneness to Christ. We can walk in freedom in Christ. We can walk together as one body of Christ. 

We don’t deserve the free gift of salvation or to have free access to the Father, but because of Christ death on the cross and faith in Him we have access to Jesus Christ at ALL TIMES. We can come to Him with such boldness and confidence knowing and believing He is doing a GOOD WORK in ALL SEASONS.

I pray you would walk in such boldness and the truth of who our God is knowing that as a believer you have free and complete access to Him. Or maybe you are reading this and not a believer, please know my friend that Jesus is for you, He loves you so deeply, you are His beloved son, beloved daughter, and He had you in mind when He died on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins. Today if you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior you can have free access to Him ALWAYS. 

LIVE BOLDLY IN JESUS MIGHTY NAME, WALK CONFIDENTLY IN JESUS MIGHTY NAME, AND LIVE ON MISSION IN JESUS MIGHTY NAME!!!!!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING SWEET FRIENDS!!!! This scripture seemed fitting for a day like today. A day reminding us to be thankful. What a joy it is to say “thank you Jesus”.

Paul is writing this letter to the church in Thessalonica. Encouraging them to live in such a hope filled expectant way of Jesus coming. That in all circumstances give thanks, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

I encourage you friends to say “thank you Jesus” in all circumstances. Knowing that God is doing a good work. That His plans are good. That He is faithful. That He is steady. That He is a Constant. Maybe this thanksgiving season you are sitting back having a hard time thinking of what you are thankful for. Maybe the heaviness is so real, the pain is so real, and the heart ache is so real. I encourage you friend that Jesus is for you, and the simple act of shifting our perspective to say “thank you Jesus for…..” shifts our heart posture from being gloomy to recognize and being reminded of all God has done and all He continues to do.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING FRIENDS!!!!!!

This Psalm is so real and so personal; it touches my heart so deeply. I have walked through a hard health journey the past couple years, and at times have felt like I was in a pit and can’t get out. It’s hard. It’s heartbreaking. It’s heavy. But God is so good. He is so faithful. He is so worthy of ALL our praise. This Psalms starts with the psalmist crying out to God. Pleading with our Father. 

Verse 1-3 “ I cry out to God; yes, I shout. Oh, that God would listen to me! When I was in deep trouble, I searched for the Lord. All night long I prayed, with hands lifted toward Heaven, but my soul was not comforted. I think of God, and I moan, overwhelmed with longing for His help.”

The desperation in this Psalm is so real, the cry for help, the pleading for God. I am sure many of you have reached that point of desperation where maybe the only words you have left to pray is “God help”. I hear you. I understand. Most importantly God hears you, and He understands to the depth of His core your heartache and pain. He is doing a work far greater than we can even fathom in the pit. 

The Psalm continues by saying “ But then I recall all You have done, O Lord; I remember Your wonderful deeds of long ago. They are constantly in my thoughts. I cannot stop thinking about Your Mighty works.” 

God was faithful then, and He is faithful now. And in the midst of pain, in the midst of walking in a pit, we can choose to recall all our God has done time and time again. We can choose to say “But then I recall all You have done, O Lord;”. We can choose to respond in faith and reflect on the faithfulness of our Father all throughout our life.

And maybe you don’t know what to recall. Recall the cross. Recall the Gospel, that Jesus Christ came, lived a sinless life, died on the cross for YOU for the forgiveness of YOUR sins, and rose three days later. He defeated death and conquered the grave so that we can accept the free gift of Salvation and walk in freedom forever in Jesus MIGHTY NAME. I encourage you my friend if you are struggling on what to recall of the incredible things God has done in your life, recall the Gospel. He has saved your life if you have surrendered your life to Him completely. 

I love you all and praying for you each!!! Go LIVE ON MISSION for Jesus this week!!! ACTS 20:24 ALWAYS!!!!

LIVING A LIFE UNASHAMED FOR JESUS CHRIST. Can we sit back and reflect on our lives right now, in the here and now, and boldly say we are doing everything to live a life UNASHAMED for Jesus Christ? On the sports field, on the court, in the classroom, at the workplace, on fun adventures. Does every aspect of our life point and reflect Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior? 

Paul is writing this scripture after already being imprisoned in Philippi, chased out of Thessalonica, smuggled out of Berea, laughed at in Athens, made known as a fool in Corinth, and stoned in Galatia and yet he still BODLY proclaims that he is UNASHAMED of the Gospel. He is UNASHAMED to share of the message that has RADICALLY changed his life even if it meant his life was on the line. 

Each day we get to choose whether we are going to live UNASHAMED for Jesus Christ. I pray that in the trials and the triumphs that we would live UNASHAMED for Jesus Christ. He is worthy of ALL OUR PRAISE and deserves nothing less. 

What is an area in your life where you can really challenge yourself to live UNASHAMED for Jesus Christ? Who are people that will hold you accountable to do so? 

LOVE YOU ALL!!! ACTS 20:24 ALWAYS!!! LIVE ON MISSION FOR JESUS CHRIST DAILY!!!!

 HOLY WEEK

The week we reflect on all Jesus did for us as He was beaten, mocked, and died on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins, rising three days later, defeating death so we can accept the FREE GIFT OF SALVATION. 

This passage of scripture in Luke 19 starts the beginning of Holy Week when Jesus is riding in on a donkey into Jerusalem. People are waving palm branches and throwing down their cloaks to make way for Jesus the Messiah. 

We see in this scripture that the Pharisees are upset with the people praising the name of Jesus. They ask Jesus to rebuke His disciples. Jesus told Pharisees that even if my disciples were to not praise my name the stones would cry out in worship. 

There is a worship song I have listened to on repeat talking about this scripture. That with everything in me I will praise the Lord. I will not be silent and let the stones cry out, because Jesus is worthy to be praised with every ounce of breath in my lungs. 

What if this Holy Week we reflect on not letting anything take away from us singing praise to Jesus Name. No matter the pain, no matter the suffering, no matter the circumstance we choose to not be silent, but to boldly praise the Lord without shame. It’s what we are created to do. Jesus died on the cross for YOU. Don’t forget that this Holy Week. He had YOU in mind specifically on the cross. He had YOU in mind when He defeated death. YOU have always been on His mind beloved son and beloved daughter of the One True King. 

I encourage you to rest in the TRUTH of His Word this Holy Week and really reflect on all Jesus went through for YOU.

Before I ask if you have picked up your cross, it’s first important to understand what is a cross? In the early ages a cross was a form of brutal and humiliating persecution leading to death. It was a criminals death. And here we see Jesus telling His disciples to take up his cross and follow Him. In the grand scheme of things, this might seem alarming in the disciples eyes. It seemed as if Jesus was telling them to carry their own death sentence. But we know now that Jesus paid the ultimate price on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins. He had us in mind. 

Picking up our cross is no easy thing. It’s laying aside of our earthly desires and fleshly responses, dying to our sinfulness to follow Jesus heart and soul. Living a life on mission for Jesus is about picking up our cross, denying our selves, and following Jesus. 

A lot of times in athletics we have this great divide between a true relationship with Jesus and sport. But the two go hand and hand. Jesus calls us to deny ourselves and live lives of complete surrender to Him. Heart and soul. Not half in and half out. Jesus doesn’t ask us to pick up half our cross; He calls us to deny ourselves, pick up our cross, and follow Him. This includes the sports field. Are you going to live a life denying yourself and picking up your cross, doing whatever it takes to make Jesus Name most known? Pouring into your teammates, Coaches, athletic directors, ect. You have a mission at hand. Are you going to pick up your cross?