In John 11, we witness Jesus intentionally delaying his arrival in Bethany, allowing Lazarus to die. This was not due to a lack of compassion, but to demonstrate God's glory through a powerful miracle. When Jesus finally arrived, he engaged with Martha and Mary, comforting them and proclaiming, "I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die." He the...  Read More

These chapters are a clear depiction of how our “worldview” affects not only the lives of others, but also eternity.  In both chapters, Jesus is using parables to point out that our actions and how we live our lives here are a direct reflection of our heart, commitment, and service to God.  He doesn’t hold back on the eternal consequences and rewards either, leaving a clear distinction between the...  Read More

True exaltation comes through genuine humility.Jesus teaches those invited to a wedding feast not to seek the places of honor, but to take the lowest seat. The principle is: Real Life Principle: When we intentionally humble ourselves and put the interests of others before our own desire for status or recognition, we create space for true honor and exaltation from God or respected individuals. Conv...  Read More

Accountability for What You Have Been Given“From everyone to whom much has been given, much will be required; and from the one to whom much has been entrusted, even more will be demanded.” (Luke 12:48, NIV)Real Life Principle:This principle, often paraphrased as "With great privilege comes great responsibility," follows Jesus' parable about servants awaiting their master's return. The focus shifts...  Read More

Great Harvest and Humble Prayer “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” (Luke 10:2, ESV)Jesus looks out at the world—our cities, our workplaces, our homes—and sees a field ready for reaping, not a desolate wasteland. The problem is not the readiness of the world, but the scarcity of willing wor...  Read More

John 9, which narrates the healing of a man born blind, highlights several profound truths.Real Life Principle: The purpose of suffering is not always punishment for sin, but an opportunity for God's works to be displayed and for spiritual sight to be revealed.When the disciples ask Jesus whether the man's blindness was due to his own sin or his parents' sin, Jesus responds, "Neither this man nor ...  Read More

In these books of John, in the New Testament, Chapters 7 and 8 is where we find some interesting events happening in regard to Jesus, especially when He encounters conflict with the religious leaders in Galilee. Jesus did not want to travel to Judea because the Jews were trying to kill Him. During the Festival of Tabernacles, which commemorated the days when the Israelites wandered in the wilderne...  Read More

Matthew 18 is loaded with awesome parables, that Jesus uses to teach the disciples & us, how to live.  Some of these lessons seem pretty easy to understand, and some eh not so easy to understand, or rather, not so easy to do!  “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great mil...  Read More

The 17th chapter of Matthew begins with the Transfiguration on the Mountain, which was a vision, a brief glimpse of the true glory of the King.  This was a special revelation of Jesus’ divinity to three of the disciples, and it was God’s divine affirmation of everything Jesus had done and was about to do.  The Transfiguration was a foretaste of heaven; the participants were doing something worth n...  Read More

Around this time, 15 years ago, with the youth group I belonged to, we did a play called “Take up your cross and follow me”. What I can recall from it, is how several young men and ladies in the story are trying to figure out in today’s world and in different social interactions the call Jesus made thousands of years ago: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cros...  Read More

Matthew 15 addresses two key areas that define genuine faith: the contrast between human tradition and God's commandments (vv. 1-20), and the contrast between limited privilege and limitless faith (vv. 21-28). Jesus shifts the focus from outward religious practice to the inward condition of the heart, and from the boundaries of His initial ministry to the breadth of His compassion.REAL LIFE Princi...  Read More

John chapter 6 is a pivotal passage, beginning with the miracle of feeding the 5,000 and culminating in Jesus' powerful and challenging teaching: "I am the bread of life." This chapter invites us to look beyond temporary fixes and find our ultimate sustenance and satisfaction in Jesus Christ alone.REAL Principle: Seek Spiritual Sustenance over Physical ProvisionJohn 6:26-27, 35 "Jesus answered the...  Read More

All of these chapters in the Bible share one of the greatest miracles in Jesus’ ministry that was recorded. The feeding of the five thousand. An amazing story of how Jesus multiplied 2 fish and 5 loaves of bread to feed more than enough for all the people who were there for Him.But today I want us to focus not on the miracle itself, but on a specific word in this story. The bible says Jesus saw th...  Read More

"Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves... Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Therefore do not fear; you are of more value than many sparrows." The Great Contradiction:In Matthew 10, Jesus commissions His dis...  Read More

In Mark chapter 4, we see several well known parables. This devotional is going to focus on the story of Jesus calming the storm at the end of the chapter. After a long day of teaching by the Sea of Galilee, Jesus tells His disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” They take Him in the boat, and other boats follow. As they sail, a fierce storm arises — strong winds and waves begin to swamp th...  Read More

When we have a message or point, we are trying to share, we use illustrations or examples to do our best to communicate that message.  Jesus does this with parables.  He understands each of us.  All of us.   Some say parables are earthly stories with a heavenly message.   Matthew chapter 13 is all about Parables.  The heavenly Message – The Kingdom of Heaven, mentioned 13 times in this chapter.  T...  Read More

There must have been something special about watching Jesus pray that made the apostles want to learn how to pray as Jesus prayed.The disciples saw Jesus heal people, turn water into wine, among other miracles. But never asked to learn those things, only “teach us to pray”. Earthly fathers are not perfectly good. They’re not perfectly wise. God is.When we ask for strength, Jesus doesn’t just give ...  Read More

Matthew 11 starts off with a question from John the Baptist…Are you (Jesus) the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?  Whoa, bold words there Ole’ Cousin John.  If you have seen The Chosen, then you should remember that scene in Season 3, Episode 6, it was a good one.  Two of John the Baptist’s disciples came up to Jesus and said they needed to speak to Him. Instead of pulling them asi...  Read More

“When He saw the crowds, He had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” — Matthew 9:36Jesus models a ministry that is holistic—He teaches, proclaims, and heals. But what drives Him is not just duty—it’s compassion. He sees the spiritual and physical condition of the people and responds with urgency. Then He turns to His disciples and invites th...  Read More

Real Life Principle: Discernment with HumilityJesus begins the chapter with a warning: “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.” (v.1). But He doesn’t call us to abandon discernment—He calls us to exercise it with humility. Before correcting others, we must examine our own hearts.Jesus isn’t saying we should ignore sin or truth—He’s teaching us to examine our own hearts first. Before we correct o...  Read More

Matthew chapter 12 presents Jesus challenging the rigid legalism of the Pharisees, asserting His divine authority, and speaking powerfully about the inner condition of the heart. The chapter reveals that the true focus of faith is not in the outward performance of rules, but in the inward posture of love, mercy, and recognition of Christ's lordship.Scripture Focus: Matthew 12:7-8, "And if you had ...  Read More

  John 5 is a rich chapter that reveals Jesus’ authority, compassion, and call to spiritual awakening. The healing at the pool of Bethesda and His bold confrontation with religious leaders offer powerful lessons for the church today.John 5:1-9 — Healing at the pool of BethesdaJohn 5:16-30 — Jesus’ authority and unity with the FatherJohn 5:39-40 — The call to respond to Scripture and believe"Do you...  Read More

 Matthew 8 is rich with demonstrations of Jesus’ authority—over sickness, storms, spiritual forces, and even social boundaries. It’s a powerful chapter for stirring faith and calling the church to bold trust and compassionate action.Matthew 8:1-4 — Jesus heals a man with leprosyMatthew 8:5-13 — The faith of the centurionMatthew 8:23-27 — Jesus calms the stormMatthew 8:28-34 — Jesus delivers two de...  Read More

John 2:1–11 — The wedding at Cana, John 2:13–22 — The cleansing of the temple Jesus Transforms What We Surrender "Fill the jars with water." So they filled them to the brim. — John 2:7Real-Life Principle: When we offer Jesus what we have—even if it seems ordinary—He can transform it into something extraordinary for His glory.Relevant Life Application:In ministry: Encourage leaders and volunteers t...  Read More