Episodios

  • Daily Devotion - Episode 319 - The Fruit of the Spirit

    Daily Devotion - Episode 319 - The Fruit of the Spirit
    Apr 7 2021
    Daily Devotion - Galatians 5:22-26 - The Fruit of the Spirit⁠
    ⁠
    The other day, I was listening to a podcast where the speaker prayed that we would see supernatural acts. She asked God to make us more in tune with the supernatural and empower us with His Spirit. While she was praying, my mind immediately went to signs and wonders. I imagined people being healed and miracles happening left and right.⁠
    ⁠
    Then I asked myself why I limited "the supernatural" to miracles.⁠
    ⁠a
    While signs and wonders are amazing and I pray God continues to move this way in the world, I think we might have only a partial view of the supernatural. In fact, I think the miraculous is closer than we might think.⁠
    ⁠
    Read Galatians 5:22-26⁠
    ⁠
    I would say that each of these characteristics is supernatural. It's impossible to bear the fruit of the Spirit in our own strength—it's a miraculous act of the Lord. Without Him, there's no way that we can love the unloveable and have joy during turmoil. True peace, patience, and kindness are impossible in our own strength. Our goodness and faithfulness fall way short without His presence. Have you ever tried to be gentle or self-controlled in your own strength? In my experience, it's not pretty.⁠
    ⁠
    Though I don't want to admit it, I think social media has warped our brains a little bit, tricking us into believing the lie that if we can't post about it, then it's not good. After all, if an event isn't on social media, did it even happen? This means good (and supernatural) deeds like being patient with a coworker or loving our neighbor don't seem as meaningful as a mysterious sign or wonder. Because we can't post it on social media, we might underestimate the impact good fruit has on the world around us.⁠
    ⁠
    The fruit of the Spirit in our lives is just as important and life-changing for those around us as a miraculous moment of healing. I believe our intentional, daily choices to submit and surrender are supernatural acts that please God and touch the hearts of others.⁠
    ⁠
    When we are in Christ, we are walking miracles—I think that's pretty incredible!

    Read the full devotion at https://devotableapp.com/daily-devotion-galatians-5-22-26-the-fruit-of-the-spirit/
    Más Menos
    20 m
  • Daily Devotion - Episode 318 - If Knowledge is Power, Can Ignorance Be Bliss

    Daily Devotion - Episode 318 - If Knowledge is Power, Can Ignorance Be Bliss
    Apr 5 2021
    Daily Devotion - Luke 10:17-20 - The Perfect Spiritual Guide⁠
    ⁠
    Like the consummate spiritual guide, Jesus led His disciples and the people of Israel with righteousness and holiness. He masterfully led them with perfect gentleness and limited but powerful words.⁠
    ⁠
    Read Luke 10:17-20⁠
    ⁠
    Imagine living as an apostle of Jesus in His time. You’ve been given this unimaginable power, only by the grace of God, to defeat the evil that existed around them.⁠
    ⁠
    There are many things that may raise our level of excitement to a height that we rarely experience. None as great as the gift given to these followers of Christ. Like the innocence of children they find themselves in a euphoric state of excitement as they rejoice about this new gift.⁠
    ⁠
    We find Jesus quietly standing among them gazing upon their exhilaration. Just so He could listen to all they say until the perfect moment occurs. In His infinite wisdom and perfection He makes a slight course correction in their jubilation.⁠
    ⁠
    Jesus refreshes their memory of the great power they possess and adds one small and important adjustment. A simple and beautiful truth He shares with them to keep their focus on what truly matters so as not to be consumed by what they’ve been given.⁠
    ⁠
    Like a good Spiritual Guide, He uses a few simple words with a powerful heavenly truth.⁠
    ⁠
    “Nevertheless, do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice because your names are written in heaven.” (Luke 10:20)⁠
    ⁠
    While He quietly shared in their excitement He remained steadfastly on the watch to help keep their eyes on what mattered most. His apostles put their lives in His hands and He in return, kept their course steady and pointed toward their ultimate destination.⁠
    ⁠
    He is the consummate Father and the perfect spiritual guide. Through His perfect love He continually guided, nudged, and prodded His children toward the way, the truth and the life. He constantly protected them from themselves and from falling into the trap of the evil one.⁠

    Read the full devotion at Read the full devotion at https://devotableapp.com/daily-devotion-luke-10-17-20-the-perfect-spiritual-guide/
    Más Menos
    22 m
  • Daily Devotion - Episode 317 - Practicing for Heaven

    Daily Devotion - Episode 317 - Practicing for Heaven
    Mar 31 2021
    This is a sample devotion from our newest book. Learn more at https://devotableapp.com/equalityjournal/⁠

    Daily Devotion - Matthew 18:19-20 - Practicing for Heaven

    "Again, truly I tell you, if two of you on earth agree about any matter that you pray for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, I am there among them." Matthew 18:19-20 CSB

    We moved to Japan when I was four years old. My father, a U.S. Marine, had previously served in the Middle East and Viet Nam. This was our first overseas adventure as a family.

    “Our neighbors will be Japanese,” Mom said. “God makes us different.” She said we were privileged to live among beautifully distinct new neighbors.

    Mom embraced Japan. She dragged the family all over in trains and buses. We camped on Mt. Fuji. We dug for clams in the bay alongside our Japanese neighbors.

    Dad’s next orders brought us to San Diego. Mrs. Clark was my new fifth grade teacher. In her class, I learned about slavery. She read an abridged version of Roots by African-American author Alex Haley. He recounts his family history from Gambia, Africa to America. The story horrified me. The abduction, transport, and enslavement of free-born Kunta Kinte, Haley’s ancestor, was shackled to the hull of a slave ship stuffed with other men, women, and children. Many died and were tossed overboard; unprofitable, disposable. At 10, I was devastated to learn this was how the world worked. “There is no way this is how God wants things to be,” I remember telling my mother.

    “Men can be very cruel,” my mother said. “You must make every effort to love others even if it seems you’re the only one doing it. This is difficult, but it matters.”

    In the verse above, we get a glance at heaven’s diverse human population. The word “nations” is translated into English from the Greek word ethnos like our word “ethnic.” Every human ethnic group is represented.

    THE MISSION OF THE CHURCH

    The mission of the Church is to build a new culture that reflects God’s love and goodness. This is our task as people reconciled to God. This is why Jesus taught His disciples to pray: “Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven” (Matthew 6:10). Jesus expects the Kingdom of God to invade our world through those who pray His words.

    Jesus gives His vision for human relationships in Matthew 18:18. “Whatever you loose on earth will have been loosed in heaven." Theologian Ben Witherington writes, “Jesus believes that decisions taken on earth have eternal consequences. Heaven is not seen as the place where all things have been predetermined, rather there is an interactive relationship between events on earth and things in heaven.”

    In Matthew 18, Jesus teaches about justice and equality, the outcome of human relationships made right. The results echo into eternity.

    Here’s the challenge: practice makes perfect. Do what Jesus teaches in Matthew 18. Get good at these and we’ll be better prepared, now and in the future, for living in God's everlasting Kingdom.

    PRAYER

    Lord, please open my eyes to how I can make relationships in my life look like the relationship You want to have with me. May I live the kind of life where it is easy for Your Kingdom to invade the everyday world around me.

    Read the full devotion at https://devotableapp.com/daily-devotion-matthew-18-19-20-practicing-for-heaven/
    Más Menos
    20 m
  • Daily Devotion - Episode 316 - The Perfect Spiritual Guide

    Daily Devotion - Episode 316 - The Perfect Spiritual Guide
    Mar 29 2021
    Daily Devotion - Luke 10:17-20 - The Perfect Spiritual Guide⁠
    ⁠
    Like the consummate spiritual guide, Jesus led His disciples and the people of Israel with righteousness and holiness. He masterfully led them with perfect gentleness and limited but powerful words.⁠
    ⁠
    Read Luke 10:17-20⁠
    ⁠
    Imagine living as an apostle of Jesus in His time. You’ve been given this unimaginable power, only by the grace of God, to defeat the evil that existed around them.⁠
    ⁠
    There are many things that may raise our level of excitement to a height that we rarely experience. None as great as the gift given to these followers of Christ. Like the innocence of children they find themselves in a euphoric state of excitement as they rejoice about this new gift.⁠
    ⁠
    We find Jesus quietly standing among them gazing upon their exhilaration. Just so He could listen to all they say until the perfect moment occurs. In His infinite wisdom and perfection He makes a slight course correction in their jubilation.⁠
    ⁠
    Jesus refreshes their memory of the great power they possess and adds one small and important adjustment. A simple and beautiful truth He shares with them to keep their focus on what truly matters so as not to be consumed by what they’ve been given.⁠
    ⁠
    Like a good Spiritual Guide, He uses a few simple words with a powerful heavenly truth.⁠
    ⁠
    “Nevertheless, do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice because your names are written in heaven.” (Luke 10:20)⁠
    ⁠
    While He quietly shared in their excitement He remained steadfastly on the watch to help keep their eyes on what mattered most. His apostles put their lives in His hands and He in return, kept their course steady and pointed toward their ultimate destination.⁠
    ⁠
    He is the consummate Father and the perfect spiritual guide. Through His perfect love He continually guided, nudged, and prodded His children toward the way, the truth and the life. He constantly protected them from themselves and from falling into the trap of the evil one.⁠

    Read the full devotion at https://devotableapp.com/daily-devotion-luke-10-17-20-the-perfect-spiritual-guide/
    Más Menos
    22 m
  • Daily Devotion - Episode 315 - Through Jesus Eyes

    Daily Devotion - Episode 315 - Through Jesus Eyes
    Mar 17 2021
    This is a sample devotion from our newest book. Learn more at https://devotableapp.com/equalityjournal/⁠

    Daily Devotion - Galatians 4:4-5 - Becoming One of the Family

    "When the time came to completion, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons." Galatians 4:4-5 CSB


    Everyone has a desire to fit in, be recognized, or have access to particular resources. C.S. Lewis writes in his book, The Weight of Glory, a fascinating essay on the dangers of trying to make it into the inner circle of groups or organizations, but we still find ourselves striving to be “on the inside”. Truth be told, there are few groups truly open to all people and give access to all resources for the entire group. One place you do have access to everything is in the family of God.   

    GOD'S PLAN

    If we look at this passage of Scripture carefully what we notice is that God’s family is orchestrated by God according to His plan. The phrase “When the time came to completion” indicates that God had a plan for sending His son, Jesus Christ, into the world to redeem humanity. You could understand Genesis 3- Revelation 22 as God’s plan for reconciling a broken relationship with humanity. The adoption we see taking place in the above passage is a reminder that God’s plans are not always ours and nothing we do can ever thwart His plans and purposes.   

    We are also told that Jesus lived a life like ours. He was born the same as we were--through a woman. He experienced life in much the same way we do. However, Jesus is not like us. He obeyed the law perfectly and by obeying the law and living perfectly, dying, and rising from the dead, He provides redemption to all humanity.   

    ADOPTED INTO GOD'S FAMILY

    What is the purpose for all this? Paul answers, “So that we might receive adoption as sons.” Through the redemption that is offered and found in Christ, all people have the opportunity to be adopted into God’s family. When someone repents of their sin and places their faith and trust in Christ, they are adopted into the family just as if they were a son or daughter.   

    We had the privilege of adopting our first child recently. Through all the joy of having a brand-new baby in the family, the greatest day came on the day of our adoption finalization. In front of some of our friends and family, a judge declared that little girl a member of our family. The judge stated she had all the rights and privileges that any child biologically born to us would have. No matter what she does, for the rest of her life, she will be our daughter; nothing can change that. Friend, when you become a member of God’s family you are adopted into His family and nothing can change that. Sure, we will sin and fall short of God’s expectations, but He never says, “That’s it! You are out of the family!”   

    Adoption into the family of God should cause all Christians to understand the implications for the way that we should treat others. When I recognize that those who claim the name of Christ are adopted into our family, I should guard the way I treat them. This means that when someone puts down my brother or sister in Christ because of their ethnicity, race, or gender, I should be quick to jump in and help them. The body of Christ should look after its fellow family members and not seek to harm them because we understand they are a part of God’s family, and He has graciously adopted both of us into His family.

    PRAYER

    God, please help me to see people the way You see them. Help me to recognize the privilege of what it means to be adopted into Your family, and help me to not take the adoption I never deserved for granted.

    Read the full devotion at https://devotableapp.com/daily-devotion-galatians-4-4-5-becoming-one-of-the-family/
    Más Menos
    22 m
  • Daily Devotion - Episode 314 - Meditating on Scripture

    Daily Devotion - Episode 314 - Meditating on Scripture
    Mar 15 2021
    DAILY DEVOTION - PSALM 1:1-3 - MEDITATING ON SCRIPTURE⁠
    ⁠
    Read Psalm 1:1-3 HCSB⁠
    ⁠
    This first psalm highlights the blessing that comes with godly wisdom. It recognizes that our thought life is important, as it influences all that we say and do. Quite simply what we think, becomes how we feel and then our actions flow from our feelings. We live in a world that generally, does not follow the ways of God. It is so easy to absorb worldly attitudes and ways of thinking which can be contrary to God’s word. The writer here declares the wisdom of making the right choice in what we are listening to and meditating on.⁠
    ⁠
    In verse one we see a progression, that if we follow worldly advice, we can find ourselves taking the wrong path. It may be following popular opinion but when we do, we can find ourselves in the company of those who not only do not believe in God, but who actively oppose the truth of God’s word. What may seem right to them, is not right or acceptable in God’s sight.⁠
    ⁠
    Instead there is a far better way for us, the way of blessing. True spiritual blessing is an inner happiness, a sense of assurance and well-being that comes from knowing the faithful love and care of a gracious God. Knowing, what we know. This is where we see the benefits of meditating on God’s word.⁠
    ⁠
    Meditating on scripture is not some mystical practice. It is quite simply pausing to reflect on God’s word, to take the time to focus on its meaning and to absorb it into our minds. Meditating is not the same as memorizing scripture. We may take a verse or part of a verse to reflect on, but in the main it is dwelling on the thought and the concept of the verse rather than reciting the verse.⁠
    ⁠
    Meditating is aligning our thoughts with God’s word, by immersing our thoughts in God’s Word.⁠
    ⁠
    What we meditate on today may not always bring immediate insight or blessing, but it is deepening our faith and developing our relationship with God. Meditating on God’s word develops a grateful and thankful heart and changes our perspective and outlook on life. ⁠
    ⁠
    “Help me understand the meaning of Your precepts so that I can meditate on Your wonders.” Psalm 119:27 HCSB

    Read the full devotion at https://devotableapp.com/daily-devotion-psalm-1-1-3-meditating-on-scripture/
    Más Menos
    19 m
  • Daily Devotion - Episode 313 - Becoming one of the Family

    Daily Devotion - Episode 313 - Becoming one of the Family
    Mar 10 2021
    Daily Devotion - Galatians 4:4-5 - Becoming One of the Family⁠
    ⁠
    Read Galatians 4:4-5⁠
    ⁠
    Everyone has a desire to fit in, be recognized, or have access to particular resources. C.S. Lewis writes in his book, The Weight of Glory, a fascinating essay on the dangers of trying to make it into the inner circle of groups or organizations, but we still find ourselves striving to be “on the inside”. Truth be told, there are few groups truly open to all people and give access to all resources for the entire group. One place you do have access to everything is in the family of God.   ⁠
    ⁠
    If we look at this passage of Scripture carefully what we notice is that God’s family is orchestrated by God according to His plan. The phrase “When the time came to completion” indicates that God had a plan for sending His son, Jesus Christ, into the world to redeem humanity. You could understand Genesis 3- Revelation 22 as God’s plan for reconciling a broken relationship with humanity. The adoption we see taking place in the above passage is a reminder that God’s plans are not always ours and nothing we do can ever thwart His plans and purposes.   ⁠
    ⁠
    What is the purpose for all this? Paul answers, “So that we might receive adoption as sons.” Through the redemption that is offered and found in Christ, all people have the opportunity to be adopted into God’s family. When someone repents of their sin and places their faith and trust in Christ, they are adopted into the family just as if they were a son or daughter.   ⁠
    ⁠
    We had the privilege of adopting our first child recently. Through all the joy of having a brand-new baby in the family, the greatest day came on the day of our adoption finalization. In front of some of our friends and family, a judge declared that little girl a member of our family. The judge stated she had all the rights and privileges that any child biologically born to us would have.⁠
    ⁠
    Adoption into the family of God should cause all Christians to understand the implications for the way that we should treat others. When I recognize that those who claim the name of Christ are adopted into our family, I should guard the way I treat them.

    Read the full devotion at https://devotableapp.com/daily-devotion-galatians-4-4-5-becoming-one-of-the-family/
    Más Menos
    19 m
  • Daily Devotion - Episode 312 - God Turning Bad Into Good

    Daily Devotion - Episode 312 - God Turning Bad Into Good
    Mar 8 2021
    Daily Devotion - Jeremiah 24:5-6 - God Turning Bad Into Good⁠
    ⁠
    I know a couple who share freely about a devastating time in their marriage. But the focus of their story isn’t the hurt or the wounds they endured and/or inflicted. Instead, they talk about how God used that bad experience to reveal deep-seated issues which, once addressed, turned their marriage around for good. As a result, they emerged from that painful pruning closer to each other and to Him. Now, they speak about that difficult period with gratitude for all the good that has come from it.⁠
    ⁠
    GOD PROMISES HOPE⁠
    ⁠
    ⁠
    Speaking of God turning good into bad, He once asked, “What do you see, Jeremiah?” The prophet replied, “Figs, some very good and some very bad, too rotten to eat” (Jeremiah 24:3). The people of Judah who remained after Babylon’s first Judean raid were the bad figs. Rather than choosing to heed God’s warnings, they turned to Egypt for help. But all of pharaoh’s horses and men couldn’t save Judah from utter destruction. Instead, Egypt too was judged. When all was said and done, Egypt would never again be a major world power.⁠
    ⁠
    What about the exiles? At first, they “sat and wept” by the rivers of Babylon (Psalm 137:1). But then a new perspective emerged. Jeremiah proclaimed that they were the good figs, who God “sent out of [Judah] for their own good” (Jeremiah 24:5 NKJV). God promised them a future and hope—including the restoration of their homeland.⁠
    ⁠
    GOD CAN TURN WHAT SEEMS BAD INTO GOOD⁠
    ⁠
    ⁠
    Sometimes life’s challenges are actually good blessings in disguise. As we go through hard seasons, God can use them to mold and grow us, turning those "bad" things into good.⁠
    ⁠
    He told the Israelite exiles that He would “build them up and not tear them down” (Jeremiah 24:6). It wasn’t a time to weep, but one to rejoice. God took something bad meant for evil and turned it around for good.⁠
    ⁠
    He does the same for you and me today!⁠
    ⁠
    Read Jeremiah 24:5-6 NKJV

    Read the full devotion at https://devotableapp.com/daily-devotion-jeremiah-24-5-6-god-turning-bad-into-good/
    Más Menos
    18 m
adbl_web_global_use_to_activate_webcro768_stickypopup