Loving Jesus Style

Scripture: Mark 10:43-45 (NIV) Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Devotion: Jesus does not soften His words in Mark 10:43–45. He speaks directly, cutting through our assumptions about greatness and exposing the quiet pride that often shapes our desires. In a world where influence is measured by visibility and authority by how many people listen, Jesus turns everything upside down: “Whoever would be great among you must be your servant.” Greatness in the kingdom is not found in climbing upward but in bending downward. Serving others is not a minor suggestion or a personality trait of the natural...

Scripture: Galatians 5:16 (NIV) So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. Devotion: Walking by the Spirit is not a mystical experience reserved for the spiritually elite. It is the daily, deliberate posture of a believer who knows that life in Christ cannot be lived by human strength. In one sentence, Paul gives both the command and the promise, the calling and the confidence. The Christian life is not a tug‑of‑war we are doomed to lose; it is a journey empowered by the very presence of God. To walk by the Spirit means to move through life with a conscious dependence on Him. It is the opposite of self‑reliance. It is choosing, moment by moment, to lean into the wisdom, strength, and guidance the Spirit provides. Just as walking is steady, rhythmic, and intentional, so the life of the believer is meant to be shaped by continual responsiveness to God. We do not sprint in holiness one day and collapse the next. We walk—step by step, choice ...

Scripture: Matthew 10:32-33 (NIV) “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven. Devotion: Modern life often pushes us, Christians, into silence. Whether it be fear of conflict, a desire for acceptance, or simply hesitation, we often keep quiet when we should speak up for our Savior. In today’s passage, Jesus speaks directly to us. While fully acknowledging the unending and undefeatable grace of God, we are met with the hard truth that Jesus wants us to speak up for Him at every opportunity. We must be sensitive to the fact that the opportunities we are given to speak up are from God, not by sheer chance or coincidence. What does it mean to acknowledge someone, in this case, Christ? It means openly identifying with Christ, not merely believing privately. I have heard it said that you should preach the word constantly; if necessary, use words. I think th...

Scripture: 1 Peter 2:24-25 (NIV) “[Jesus] himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” For “you were like sheep going astray,” but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. Devotion: Today’s passage is a clear presentation of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It states that Jesus is the one and only cure for our sin problem. We could never bear to carry the weight of our sins, so Jesus bore them to Calvary. In the same way, Jesus finds us wherever we have wandered and brings us back from the folly of our sin and foolishness. The passage begins by emphasizing that Jesus and He alone took our sins to the cross. Jesus did not delegate or share in our redemption. The importance of this action of Jesus cannot be overstated. Jesus took responsibility for every wrong desire, word, or action of everyone who ever lived and paid the price that the judgment of God demande...

  Scripture: Jeremiah 29:12-13 (NIV) Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. Devotion: The scene behind these words is the people of Judah in exile in Babylon. The people were discouraged, uncertain of the future, and tempted to despair. God, through the prophet, lifts the people’s vision from their circumstances to their relationship with Him. Jesus said something similar in His Sermon on the Mount in Matthew chapter 7. God, through the prophet here, with later confirmation by the Son, assures us that no matter our circumstances, He desires relationship with us. Our decision to call upon God is an act of surrender. If you are like me, you try all sorts of things; then, when I come to the end of myself, I cry out to God, and He hears me. Sometimes, think we only have to call out to God when it’s convenient. Our prayers may become a dead ritual that lacks any reality of t...

Scripture: Jeremiah 17:7-8 (NIV) “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” Devotion: Today’s scripture passage is a devotional unto itself. It makes us consider our own lives and how we live day to day. We often look only to the surface appearance of things. God, through the prophet, urges us to go deeper and consider how we can really live the life that God wants for us to live. Let us now consider what God has promised those who seek the deeper life in Him. This scripture is alive with vivid images; let’s unpack them now. First, consider the tree’s roots. They are reaching for the stream that flows with the life of God. Roots are hidden from us. But through them flows the abundant life of God. For us, it represents the disci...

  Scripture: Zephaniah 3:17 (NIV) The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.” Devotion: There are days when the weight of life makes it hard to imagine God’s joy toward us. We know His holiness, His justice, His power — but His delight? His singing? Zephaniah’s words break into our weariness with a tenderness that almost feels too good to be true. In a book filled with warnings and calls to repentance, this verse rises like a sunrise after a long night. It reminds us that the God who judges sin is also the God who draws near, saves, delights, and sings over His people. Today’s devotion invites you to rest in the strong and joyful heart of the Lord. “The Lord your God is with you.” Before anything else, Zephaniah anchors us in God’s presence. Not distant. Not indifferent. Not occasionally attentive. He is with you — steady, faithful, coven...

  Scripture: Isaiah12:4-5 (NIV) In that day you will say: “Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted. Sing to the Lord, for he has done glorious things; let this be known to all the world. Devotion: In my daily prayer and worship routine, I pray 2-3 times a day by myself in my apartment. On Sundays, however, I pray publicly. It is this public praise that Isaiah is talking about in today’s passage. These words come in a context of a chapter highlighted by joy, salvation, and thanksgiving. Proclaiming God’s name is an act of worship and witness to the glories of our God. Today, I hope to encourage you to speak boldly and publicly about our Awesome God. To a Christian, praise should be as natural as anything. God has given us so much to be thankful for, and He surrounds us with such beauty; to top all that off, He sent Jesus to provide a way of salvation for us. The verb “give” in Hebrew i...

Scripture: Proverbs 27:23-24 (NIV) Be sure you know the condition of your flocks; give careful attention to your herds; for riches do not endure forever, and a crown is not secure for all generations. Devotion: Though we may not be as familiar with the farm imagery as the original audience for this proverb, we can still understand its essential message. We have all known a time when we just assumed something would take care of itself, only to find it needed our urgent attention. The message of this proverb is that diligence today protects blessings tomorrow. In this devotion, we will explore the concept of intentional, faithful discipleship in every aspect of our lives. In an agricultural context, knowing the condition of your flocks and paying attention to your herds, or, if you are a grain farmer, paying attention to your fields, makes all the difference in the world. Farming has never been a get rich quick scheme. Sometimes it's said jokingly that a farmer only works a...

Scripture: Matthew 5:9 (NIV) Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Devotion: Peace is something everyone claims to want, but hardly anyone is willing to do any work to obtain it. Peace is also greatly misunderstood. Most people, when they think of peace (if they think of it at all), think that it is merely the absence of conflict. Peace is really the presence of reconciliation. Jesus’ words above describe what a true Christian should be and do. By living in this way, Jesus’ people become children of their heavenly Father and change the world around them by their mere presence. To most of the world, peacemaking seems like a passive activity. The more passive, the better their thinking goes. But Jesus is not blessing peace-lovers or peace-wishers with these words, but rather peacemakers—the kind of people who pursue not just the absence of conflict but true reconciliation among differing parties. This reconciliation is achieved by bridging divide...

  Scripture: Romans 10:8-9 NIV But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim: If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. Devotion: In this brief passage, Paul shows the gospel's power and simplicity. Salvation is not some otherworldly out-of-body experience; it is grounded in the reality of confession and faith. Paul intends for all of us to know how to be saved and pleads with us to take Christ up on His offer of free grace by simply believing and confessing Him as Lord of our lives. Paul wants us to have full confidence in the gospel message he proclaims here. Paul claims that the word of salvation is very near to each one of us. What does this mean? It means that ...

Scripture: Matthew 11:28-29 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Devotion: In the book of Matthew, Jesus extends a profound invitation to those who are weary and burdened: "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." This passage is a soothing balm for the soul, offering hope and comfort to those overwhelmed by life's trials and tribulations. Jesus calls us to come to Him with our burdens, promising rest and relief. This is not merely physical rest but a deep spiritual repose that rejuvenates our innermost being. The invitation to take His yoke and learn from Him speaks to the transformative power of following Christ. Hi...

Scripture: Romans 1:16-17 (NIV) For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.” Devotion: Paul begins with a confession that is both courageous and contagious: “I am not ashamed of the gospel.” He is writing to believers in Rome — the center of power, culture, and influence — yet he declares without hesitation that the gospel is the true power in the world. Not Rome’s armies. Not its emperors. Not its philosophies. The gospel alone “is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes.” Paul wants the church to stand tall in a world that often misunderstands or dismisses the message of Christ. To live righteously begins with this same confidence. We do not shrink back from the gospel because it...

Scripture: Isaiah 40:9 (NIV) You who bring good news to Zion, go up on a high mountain. You who bring good news to Jerusalem, lift up your voice with a shout, lift it up, do not be afraid; say to the towns of Judah, “Here is your God!” Devotion: Isaiah speaks to God’s people with urgency and hope: “You who bring good news… lift up your voice with a shout.” The message is clear — good news is not meant to be whispered. It is meant to be carried boldly, proclaimed confidently, and shared joyfully. God’s people are not passive recipients of hope; they are active messengers of it. The prophet calls them to “go up on a high mountain.” In ancient times, the higher the place, the farther the message could travel. Isaiah is telling God’s people to take every opportunity, every platform, every moment to make the good news known. The gospel is not a private treasure; it is a public announcement. It is meant to be seen, heard, and declared. Then Isaiah adds, “Lift up your voice… do no...

Scripture: Ephesians 5:1-2 (NIV) Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children, and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. Devotion: Paul begins this passage with a simple but staggering command: “Follow God’s example.” The NIV renders it plainly, yet the weight of it is immense. We are called to imitate the character of God — not in power, not in authority, but in love. “As dearly loved children,” Paul says. We imitate God not as servants trying to impress Him, but as children who already belong to Him. Our obedience grows out of identity, not insecurity. Then Paul gives the shape of this imitation: “walk in the way of love.” Love is not an emotion we occasionally feel; it is a path we consistently walk. It is the daily pattern of a life shaped by Christ. Walking in love means choosing compassion when irritation feels easier. It means offering forgiveness when resentment seems justi...

Scripture: Colossians 2:2-3 (NIV) My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Devotions: Paul writes with a shepherd’s heart in these verses. He longs for believers to be strengthened, encouraged, and united — not by shared preferences or personalities, but by the deep, spiritual bond that comes from knowing Christ. “My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love,” he says. Encouragement and unity are not optional features of the Christian life; they are essential marks of a community shaped by Jesus. Encouragement in heart is more than emotional comfort. It is the strengthening of the inner life — the confidence that comes from knowing who Christ is and what He has done. A discouraged heart becomes vulnerable to doubt, fear, and division. But a...